Will pitch to rein in Florida insurer payments to affiliates help lower bills?
Property insurers would be required to justify their payments to affiliates with state regulators under new legislation, something supporters say will help lower bills that have skyrocketed in recent years. It comes one year after a report, conducted in 2022 but kept hidden from the public for three years, showed insurers paid billions of dollars to affiliate companies for myriad services, such as underwriting, while claiming losses or merely tens of millions in profits from 2017 to 2019. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.
Orlando eyes downtown redevelopment district expansion
As Camping World Stadium begins a $400 million transformation, Orlando is seeking to add 47 adjacent acres to its redevelopment district — a move that could unlock new funding for infrastructure and spark a fresh wave of investment on the city’s west side. Camping World Stadium was added to the CRA during the last expansion in 2007. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Miami scuttles plans to investigate business ties to Cuba
Miami is urging federal authorities to enforce U.S. sanctions laws after scrapping plans for a city-run task force to investigate businesses with possible ties to the Cuban government. Miami city commissioners on Jan. 22 directed the city manager to coordinate with the Miami-Dade County tax collector on enforcing state and federal law. They also adopted a separate resolution urging the federal government to “vigorously investigate and enforce” laws related to doing business with Cuba. More from Miami Today.
Rayonier, PotlatchDeltic shareholders approve merger
Shareholders of Rayonier Inc. and PotlachDeltic Corp. approved their proposed merger at special meetings Jan. 27, and the two companies expect to complete the merger Jan. 30. The combined company will retain the Rayonier name for now, but the companies said a new name will be announced later in the first quarter. The headquarters of the merged company will be in Atlanta. More from the Jacksonvlle Daily Record.
Naples ranks among nation’s priciest luxury markets
The Naples-Marco Island metro area remains one of the nation’s most expensive luxury housing markets, even as high-end home prices show signs of stabilizing after several years of rapid growth. In December, the entry point for luxury homes in Naples-Marco Island — defined as the 90th percentile of listing prices — stood at $3.61 million, the seventh-highest level in the country. More from Gulfshore Business.
Entertainment
A longheld dream realized: Opera Orlando brings ‘Silent Night’ to the stage
Gabriel Preisser has been waiting a long time to introduce Central Florida to the Pulitzer prize-winning “Silent Night.” A very long time. Based on the movie “Joyeux Noel,” Kenneth Puts’ award-winning work recounts the true story of the Christmas truce of 1914 — when soldiers on both sides of World War I put down their arms and came out of the trenches to celebrate together.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida History
Step back into the past with the Great Florida Cattle Drive
The cattle drive is a living-history reenactment of Florida’s early ranching traditions. The state’s cattle industry dates to the 1500s, when Spanish explorers introduced livestock. Long before the better-known cattle drives of the American West, Florida cowboys — often called “crackers” — moved free-ranging herds through palmetto scrub and pine flatwoods to markets and coastal ports, where cattle were shipped to Cuba and the Caribbean.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.