Florida Trend Exclusive
Downhill
Not too long ago, you could comfortably say that Florida was growing by 1,000 people a day. You could say that because it was true. When the pandemic hit, Florida became the fastest-growing state in the country. Not anymore. From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, if you combine net foreign and domestic migration and subtract deaths from births, Florida came in second behind Texas in growth with 196,680 additional people per year — or 539 people a day, according to the U.S. Census. [Source: Florida Trend]
The fight for control of an iconic Florida fish scales up
The yearslong battle over how to manage red snapper fisheries is spreading across the state, and has left some commercial fishers and environmental groups worried for the future of the beloved fish. Florida has applied to take temporary control of the recreational red snapper fishery along the state’s Atlantic Coast through an exempted fishing permit, or EFP. [Source: Politico]
In Florida, it’s easier than ever to gamble your life savings from the couch
For a generation of young Americans struggling with affordability and facing an uncertain economic future, online betting has emerged as a seductive shortcut to prosperity — if you can beat the house. Internet sports gambling is flourishing in Florida and the 31 other states that have legalized it, and few guardrails prevent problem users from swiping away hundreds or thousands of dollars. But even among states that have OK’d online sports betting, Florida stands out as one of the most permissive, least protective in the country, according to experts. [Source: Miami Herald]
Long hours, longer commutes, but the sun still shines for Florida's workers
For decades, people have been relocating to Florida for its balmy weather. A new study on workplace burnout now suggests the sunshine in the Sunshine State may be helping keep up spirits, even in the face of rough commutes and long work weeks. About 1 in 10 Floridians have a commute to work that is longer than an hour, and yet newly released research shows that workers in Florida are less susceptible to work place burnout than in most U.S. states. [Source: WLRN]
Where is ICE spending the most money? Florida is tops, data shows
Florida is getting the largest share of funding in the country from partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a leaked federal ledger analyzed by the USA TODAY Network. And the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is the far-and-away leader in expected income, outpacing the next closest state agency by tens of millions of dollars. [Source: Florida Today]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› How Lionel Messi became Miami’s billion-dollar economic engine
Nearly three years after arriving to play for this city’s Major League Soccer club, Lionel Messi has delivered on the field, leading Inter Miami to its first league championship last year and making it the MLS’s most valuable team. Yet his impact reaches far beyond the pitch: He has been a one-man economic stimulus engine for the Miami area, boosting its international profile, drawing hordes of tourists and powering sectors including real estate, hospitality and retail.
› What’s causing Central Florida trash haulers to collect ‘hurricane volumes’ of debris?
Homeowners across Central Florida have been frustrated to find their piles of dead leaves, branches and plants — victims of February’s hard freeze — still sitting on their curbs because waste haulers haven’t picked it up on time. In Orlando, crews said they’ve collected about 1,200 more tons of yard waste so far this spring than last year, totals surpassing those of hurricanes. Teams aboard trucks are working 12-hour shifts, six days per week — longer hours and more days than normal — to get it all picked up.
› Tampa Bay Rays stadium funding would tap money earmarked for Lightning and Yankees facilities
The Tampa Bay Rays’ ask for public funding for a Tampa ballpark will cut into money that was previously reserved for the upkeep of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s arena and the New York Yankees’ spring training facility. That’s what Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise told commissioners and staff in a document outlining key concepts in the Rays’ draft memorandum of understanding.
› Unemployment rate in Jacksonville hits post-pandemic high of 5.2%
Jacksonville’s unemployment rate jumped higher in January with Northeast Florida businesses reporting a net loss of jobs over the previous year, the Florida Department of Commerce reported April 8. The labor market data was the worst for the Jacksonville area since the coronavirus pandemic. Excluding the pandemic, the last time Jacksonville businesses reported a net decline in jobs was June 2010.
More stories ...
› Port Tampa Bay gets $10M grant for dredging project
Port Tampa Bay is already considered Florida’s largest and most diversified seaport. Yet a new $10 million federal grant, announced Thursday by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, will fund efforts to deepen its shipping channel, attracting even larger ships and expanding cargo capacity.
› War-driven gas prices cause unease, but upward spiral has yet to deter travel around South Florida
If there is a price point that will become a barrier to travel, it seemingly has yet to be reached as the uncertainties of a weeks-long war with Iran remain in play in the form of $4 to $5 gasoline and record jet fuel prices for the airlines. The stakes for the region’s travel and hospitality industries couldn’t be higher.
› Meet the Orange County woman fighting sprawl
For a few years now, Rachel Hildebrand, an east Orange County mom of twins, has been a feisty advocate for her rural community in a never-ending legal fight against urban sprawl and mega developments. She said she never expected to be a leading voice. Now, following a judge’s pivotal ruling in February, Hildebrand has assumed an even larger role as the last plaintiff standing in a statewide legal battle against a 2025 Florida law that curtails local communities’ ability to control growth.
› Sarasota Players setting the stage for new theater and centennial
As it prepares to open a new home in Payne Park Auditorium later this year, the Sarasota Players is putting a renewed focus on the shows it stages and reconnecting with the community that has helped it near a centennial celebration. Theater leaders also are working to battle a perception in some corners that Sarasota’s oldest performing arts organization actually shut down when it moved out of its longtime home.