How Florida's Space Coast will have a central role in 2026 spaceflight
The past year was one filled with monumental human missions to orbit, headline-grabbing experimental rocket launches, groundbreaking robotic missions to the moon and plenty of other stunning astral milestones. Could the best be yet to come? In the year ahead, NASA's first astronaut moon mission since the 1970s and SpaceX's continued development of the world's largest rocket are just the tip of the iceberg in what could end up being a defining time for human spaceflight. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
Citizens drops below 400,000 policies
The state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has dropped below 400,000 policies as efforts continue to move customers into the private insurance market. Citizens had 396,387 policies as of Friday, down from 436,165 policies a week earlier — and the lowest number since at least 2012, according to data posted on the Citizens website. Citizens officials have said the total could drop to 385,000 policies by the end of the year. [Source: News Service of Florida]
6 ways Florida could start fixing its water pollution problems
Millions of pounds of pollution from development and agriculture — two of the state’s dominant industries — overloads waterways from Tallahassee to Miami. Dirty water fuels algae blooms that destroy seagrass and leaves residents and tourists at risk of severe health problems. Environmental protections aren’t working, undercut by policies that favor big business over nature. Florida leaders have repeatedly declined to implement rules that would help the environment, wasting critical time as waterways suffer. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
As Christmas travel ramps up, see Florida airports with most delays
About 7.5 million Floridians will be heading out of town for Christmas, a 3.4% increase over last year, according to AAA. Of those, almost 400,000 plan to fly. If you're among the millions across the United States traveling for Christmas, you might experience some weather-related delays or cancellations, even if conditions are expected to be nice in Florida. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Is weed legal in Florida? What reclassification means
The reclassification relaxes restrictions on scientific testing and could save marijuana companies a lot of money in taxes in states where it's legal. Cannabis businesses currently fall under Section 280E of the IRS tax code, which forbids businesses involved in the "trafficking" of Schedule I and Schedule II substances from deducting "ordinary and necessary" business expenses from their taxes. If weed becomes a Schedule III drug, that prohibition goes away. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Beef O’Brady’s expands beyond Florida with new restaurants
In an industry where most restaurant brands struggle to survive a decade, Beef ’O’ Brady’s is entering its 40th year still growing, still profitable and still deeply tied to the communities that built it. The sports pub brand, founded in Brandon in 1985, now operates 125 locations across 22 states, including its original Brandon restaurant, which remains in operation today.
› Inside Boca-based Scoutt’s push to modernize software outsourcing
Yair Rozilio isn’t chasing the next big trend. He’s seen the same movie play out for decades and finally decided it was time to change the script. The Boca Raton-based entrepreneur has spent roughly 25 years in the services business, starting as a data engineer in Israel before founding his first company, Naya Tech, in 2009. That business grew quickly, expanded to the U.S., and was eventually acquired in 2019. Along the way, he gained a front-row seat to how outsourcing really works and where it often goes wrong.
› Higher education construction surge transforms North Florida ahead of major presidential changes
Hundreds of millions of dollars swept North Florida’s higher education landscape the past 12 months — an investment boom fueling universities in transformation mode. The timing couldn’t be better. With the presidents of Jacksonville's two flagship institutions readying to exit in 2026, the North Florida academic economy had its watershed moment this year.
› Jabil opens medical device lab to foster innovation
The world’s largest healthcare manufacturing solutions provider has positioned St. Petersburg as a hub for innovation in the multibillion-dollar minimally invasive medical device industry. Jabil Inc. recently opened a new Advanced Catheter Development Lab at its St. Petersburg headquarters. The facility’s on-site design, development, prototyping and testing capabilities will help university researchers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers meet an increasing global demand for minimally invasive products.
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› St. Augustine named Florida’s top small town to visit in 2026 ranking
St. Augustine has been recognized as Florida’s best small town to visit in 2026 according to a newly released national travel ranking, placing the historic city among the top destinations in the country. The ranking evaluated small towns with populations under 50,000 and focused on factors including attractions, cultural experiences, dining options, affordability, and overall visitor satisfaction.
› More than 40,000 sign petition opposing Blue Origin's wastewater plan
Four weeks ago, Cocoa Beach Realtor Jill Steinhauser launched an online petition opposing Blue Origin's draft permit to discharge wastewater into the Indian River Lagoon, writing that "decades of nutrient pollution, algae blooms, seagrass collapse, habitat loss, and record manatee deaths have pushed this fragile ecosystem to the edge." Since then, Space Coast buzz has significantly grown opposing Blue Origin's permit-renewal bid to operate a 490,000-gallon-per-day industrial wastewater treatment facility.
› National firm acquires Tampa builder behind prominent projects
The Tampa-based construction firm behind such iconic downtown destinations as Oxford Exchange, Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf has been acquired by a national firm. Moss, a national construction management firm based in Fort Lauderdale, announced Monday it has purchased Tampa’s Ellison Construction. It was founded in 2007 as EWI Construction and had $3.18 billion in revenue in 2023, according to the Engineering News-Record (ENR.)
› University of Florida says it closed on Downtown land for Jacksonville graduate campus
The University of Florida’s lead liaison for the university’s planned Downtown Jacksonville graduate campus said Dec. 19 that property transactions for the project have closed. The campus site is in and around the historic Jacksonville Terminal rail station in LaVilla. Kurt Dudas, vice president of strategic initiatives for UF, confirmed the closings.