Lawmakers complete budget deals, set for vote Friday
House and Senate leaders reached a final deal on the state budget late Sunday night, the last step in an extended process that required a special session to complete for the second year in a row. The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 will be nearly $115 billion, less than the Senate’s preferred budget but not the $113.6 billion plan preferred by the House. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Homeowners insurance in Florida has increased by how much?
A new report found that Florida homeowners’ insurance premiums rose nearly double the national average between 2021 and 2025. Across the United States, homeowners insurance premiums increased an average of 38 percent, while in Florida, premiums shot up 75 percent during the same period, according to a report from national nonprofit group the Coalition for an Insurable Future. There’s no consensus on what’s driving Florida’s soaring insurance rates. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
3 Florida beaches make Dr. Beach annual Top 10 list
It’s been a few years since Florida nabbed the top spot in the annual Dr. Beach Top 10 beaches in the U.S. list, but with three Sunshine State strips of sand making the list in 2026, that wait could be ending soon. Just not this year. Instead, the 2026 title goes to Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, as determined by Stephen Leatherman, a professor at Miami’s Florida International University. He came up with his Dr. Beach list in 1991. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
In Florida, an agricultural town in need of an economic boost eyes hyperscale data centers
For much of its existence, Indiantown has derived its identity from the land. The tiny community between Lake Okeechobee and Palm Beach is part of Florida’s heartland, a bountiful agricultural region encircling the state’s largest lake. Here, ranchers and farmers raise cattle, rice, sod, vegetables such as lettuce, celery, corn and, most notably, sugarcane. The region has remained relatively untouched by the explosive growth and development that has enveloped much of modern Florida. Now, Indiantown is bracing for a new potential crop: hyperscale data centers. [Source: Inside Climate News]
What’s in a name? Hurricane season starts Sunday and here are the storm names for 2026
There are 26 letters in the alphabet but only 21 are set aside each year for potential tropical storm and hurricane names in areas tracked by the National Hurricane Center. The names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season are Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. There are no names for Q, U, X, Y and Z, and each of the 21 names alternate from female to male. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Rays CEO: Work to finalize ballpark deal won’t include financial concessions
Taking a quick break from talks with Tampa and Hillsborough County officials to attend to the more fun part of the job — watching his majors-best team play the Yankees — Rays CEO Ken Babby said there is still “a lot of work to be done” in finalizing agreements to fund construction of a new ballpark. But he made clear that work would not include any substantial changes to the financial terms laid out in the nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was approved by the governing bodies of both municipalities.
› Blue Origin to expand Florida campus with new $600 million facility
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday announced a $600 million expansion of Blue Origin's Rocket Park campus in Cape Canaveral. The expansion comes as Blue Origin rival, Elon Musk's SpaceX, prepares to go public targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion. The new 830,000-square-foot upper stage manufacturing facility will support 500 aerospace jobs, with an average salary of more than $98,000.
› Job losses continue in metropolitan Jacksonville
The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville area rose slightly in April as job losses continued, the Florida Department of Commerce reported May 22. The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties rose from 4.7% in March to 4.8% in April. Nonagricultural employers in Northeast Florida reported a net loss of 3,400 jobs on their payrolls from April 2025 through April 2026, a 0.4% decline.
› Brightline's financial troubles won't stop Brevard County's train station plans
Even as Brightline's financial woes are growing, Brevard County leaders remain focused on ensuring the railroad's next station is built in Cocoa, made possible through millions of dollars in public money. "There will be passenger rail service here in Cocoa. There is still optimism around it regardless of any news coming out about certain financial situations with Brightline," said Samantha Senger, the director of economic development with the city of Cocoa.
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› State ramps up raids on illegal gambling in Southwest Florida
After warning illegal gambling operations to cease, the Florida Gaming Control Commission has stepped up raids and arrests as slot-machine arcades and hidden gambling dens increase in Southwest Florida and statewide. “Southwest Florida has seen one of the highest increases in illegal gambling activity in the state and is a prime location for our next enforcement squad,” FGCC Chair Julie Brown said.
› Lake County dominates list of fastest-growing cities in Central Florida
Central Florida’s growth has slowed as large metros in the United States face a drop in international migration, but Lake County cities break the mold, growing their populations as much as 11% year-over-year. Mascotte, Minneola and Fruitland Park are among the fastest growing cities and towns in Central Florida from 2024 to 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as residents pour into new housing developments popping up across Lake County.
› Jacksonville industrial market faces credit, timing hurdles
On the upside, Jacksonville’s industrial market was more active in the first quarter of this year — with showings, requests for proposal and conversations with our clients and peers — than the entire second half of 2025. We have more than 12 million square feet of tenants in the market considering warehouse space. Those tenants have a number of good options in Jacksonville given the amount of speculative development in the past few years.
› THC beverages gain popularity in South Florida, but new rule could curb growth
As more Americans embrace sobriety or explore alcohol alternatives, a growing number are turning to THC-infused beverages. In South Florida, the trend has gained momentum, but a proposed regulatory change could soon reshape the market. At Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, known for its craft beer since opening in 2013, a new product line has emerged: THC seltzers.