Florida leads the nation in the drop in ACA enrollment
The preliminary numbers are in and Florida saw the most people of any state stop getting their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Congress failed to approve extended subsidies for the Obamacare health insurance plans beginning with the new year, leading to sharp premium increases for tens of thousands of people in the state. More than a quarter of a million fewer Floridians now get their health coverage through the ACA, the largest net drop in the country. [Source: Health News Florida]
Business Beat - Week of January 16th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida revisits no-fault repeal
Florida lawmakers are again moving to dismantle the state’s no-fault auto insurance system, reviving a debate that has surfaced repeatedly in recent years amid concerns about costs, coverage, and litigation. The latest effort comes with the filing of Senate Bill 522, which would repeal more than a dozen statutes that form the framework of Florida’s personal injury protection, or PIP, requirements and no-fault rules, according to the bill’s text. The measure mirrors proposals that have stalled or failed in prior sessions. [Source: Insurance Business Magazine]
Florida Supreme Court ends three-decade reliance on ABA
In a massive win for Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Supreme Court Thursday ended its reliance on the agency in charge of accrediting law schools. This ends Florida’s more than three-decade dependence on the American Bar Association, the state’s sole accrediting body. Because the ABA does not serve Floridians’ “best interest,” five of six justice agreed, Florida will reach out to alternative accreditors, effective Oct. 1. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Here's the low-down on all the new grocery stores coming to Florida in 2026
At least a dozen grocery chains, including Aldi, Sprouts, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market, are planning new stores across Florida in 2026. Membership warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's are also expanding their presence in the Sunshine State. Florida's largest grocer, Publix, intends to add over half a dozen new stores and a pharmacy-processing center. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Ahead of Artemis II, NASA's SLS rocket rollout from KSC set for Saturday
NASA’s giant SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is set to roll to the launch pad Saturday as it prepares to return humans to the vicinity of the moon for the first time in more than 50 years as part of the Artemis II mission. At 7 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, the orange-core rocket will begin its crawl out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, starting on a 12-hour journey to Pad 39B. NASA is expected to stream live views of rollout on its website.
› Jacksonville firm adds capacity for AI demand
Jacksonville-based APR Energy is scaling up its fast-track power business as surging data center demand continues to collide with long grid timelines. The mobile power provider said Jan. 15 that it has expanded its gas turbine fleet by acquiring eight additional turbines, increasing its owned generation capacity from about 850 megawatts to more than 1.1 gigawatts. The move comes as data center developers and utilities increasingly seek near-term power solutions while waiting years for permanent grid infrastructure to come online.
› Conservancy of Southwest Florida unveils $25M campus transformation plan
Conservancy of Southwest Florida is preparing for a major transformation of its Naples campus, and this week offered members and donors a preview of what to expect when construction begins in May. At the organization’s 62nd annual member meeting Jan. 13, President and CEO Rob Moher unveiled plans for the renovation and rebranding of the Conservancy’s 22-acre campus off Goodlette-Frank Road. The project is being funded by a $25 million grant awarded last year by the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation.
› Both Brightline and Tri-Rail face a critical 2026
The landscape of South Florida transportation is shifting rapidly this week as the region’s two major rail providers face vastly different futures. While the private high-speed rail Brightline has tapped a global industry veteran to lead its next phase of growth after a period of trouble, the publicly funded Tri-Rail is sounding the alarm over a massive budget shortfall that threatens its very existence. Both face an intense 2026, where serious choices need to be made.
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› Norwegian Aura announced as cruise line’s newest and largest ship
The next ship to join Norwegian Cruise Line‘s fleet will be its largest yet, expanding on the Prima class with a design that is 10% larger than its predecessors. Set to homeport in Miami beginning in June 2027, the 169,000-gross-ton Norwegian Aura is the third Prima Plus-class ship following the Aqua and the forthcoming Luna, which will debut out of Miami in April. The Aura will be the cruise line’s 22d ship overall and fifth vessel in the Prima class, which is expected to grow to include a sixth ship by the end of 2028.
› Is TSA facial recognition coming to Jacksonville airport? What to know
TSA is expanding its PreCheck Touchless ID program to six major Florida airports. The service uses facial recognition to verify a traveler's identity without a physical ID or boarding pass. Participation is optional and requires travelers to be enrolled in TSA PreCheck and opt-in through participating airlines. The program is currently available at 15 U.S. airports and will expand to 65 by this spring.
› ‘Full of wins’: See what South Florida RNs in Miami-Dade, Broward got in new deal
Registered nurses at three South Florida hospitals have secured a new contract with better pay and changes that the union says is expected to improve patient safety and nurse retention rates. Over 1,000 RNs across Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, Coral Gables Hospital and Florida Medical Center in Lauderdale Lakes “voted overwhelmingly in favor” of ratifying the new contracts this week, according to National Nurses United. The vote comes about a week after a planned strike was halted at the hospitals.
› Port Authority approves $725M bond sale for RSW terminal expansion
Lee County Port Authority approved the sale of $725.24 million in airport revenue bonds, a move officials said will save about $4.5 million in interest costs as the $1.7 billion Terminal Expansion project at Southwest Florida International Airport reaches its midpoint. The Board of Port Commissioners, which also serves as the Lee County Commission, voted 5-0 Jan. 15 to authorize the bonds. The bonds will mature in 2056 and provide most of the funding for the two major construction phases underway at RSW.