Florida business confidence remains strong despite national uncertainty
The Florida Council of 100 released its Q2 2026 Florida CEO Index, showing Florida business leaders remain confident in the state’s economic outlook despite continued national uncertainty surrounding costs, workforce needs, and broader economic conditions. Florida’s overall Florida CEO Index increased from 98 in the first quarter to 106 in Q2, the highest reading since the Council launched the index in 2025. Florida’s score also exceeded the national Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook Index of 91, with scores above 50 indicating economic expansion. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Knight shift
Entrepreneur and University of Central Florida alumnus Barry Miller has donated $50 million to his alma mater — its largest-ever individual philanthropic gift. UCF's business school will become the Barry S. Miller College of Business, while the funds will help establish five endowed faculty chairs and a new master's degree program, expand access to internships and increase UCF's corporate partnerships. [Source: Florida Trend]
Column: America’s moon rocket is at risk and Florida will feel it
The world recently watched as NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) successfully launched American astronauts farther into space than any human has ever traveled and returned them home safely. It was an incredible feat of engineering and innovation, and a promise of what is yet to come. For those of us who helped make Artemis II a success, it was a testament to the power of American small businesses. [Source: Florida Today]
How lobbying and campaign donations shaped a Florida transportation law
Florida has a new transportation law that changes how new vehicle brands can be sold in the state. The bill, which takes effect later this year, didn’t make many headlines when it passed or when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it in April. The reporting mainly focused on a provision dealing with license plate frames. Donations and lobbying are behind a new requirement that many automakers introducing new vehicle brands in Florida distribute them through multiple dealership groups instead of just one. [Source: Jacksonville Today]
Underwater research lab installed in the Florida Keys
A schoolbus-sized habitat anchored 56 feet underwater in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is readying to open its hatch for visitors. Developed by the marine engineering company DEEP, the Vanguard system is the first open-ocean, subsea facility deployed in the United States in 40 years. [Source: Popular Science]
Bright Futures Scholarship opens path to student’s success
For Myesha Rahman, a senior at the University of Central Florida, the path to becoming an engineer began long before stepping onto campus. As a first-generation American raised in Lake Worth Beach, Rahman grew up in a household where education was deeply valued. Her parents immigrated from Bangladesh and did not have the opportunity to attend college. But they always encouraged Rahman and her older sister to explore and excel in their education. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› No favorite emerges as St. Petersburg officials weigh Gas Plant proposals
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch may announce his selection of one or more developers for the Historic Gas Plant District this week after receiving staff reviews that did not identify a clear favorite. City officials evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the three shortlisted proposals that seek to redevelop or plan for all 86 acres that include Tropicana Field. They did not rate the bid submitted by the Pinellas County Housing Authority, which seeks to build one 80-unit affordable housing tower for seniors on about a half-acre near the Gas Plant.
› Inside Fisher Island’s ‘disharmony’ over the future of the exclusive community
HOA disputes don’t just happen in the suburbs. On Fisher Island, one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country, there’s a big one. And it’s not just over mundane condo issues like roof repairs or swimming pool maintenance. This dispute, played out in a series of chats on WhatsApp, is over a real estate deal that could be worth hundreds of millions on a prized slice of the private island in Biscayne Bay.
› Jacksonville's boom leaves a wake the legal world follows close behind
The capital flowing through Jacksonville is fueling more than commercial real estate developments, new housing and expansions. There's also a competitive market for lawyers. Effectively every deal happening across Northeast Florida carries a matching legal footprint, turning regional growth into a catalyst for one of the most in-demand professions. For firms with a local presence, that translates to hiring.
› Tampa to install first-of-its-kind drinking water treatment tech
The Tampa Water Department is readying to install new technology at its David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility to treat the city’s drinking water. Tampa City Council has given the go-ahead for the department to begin the design and construction of what officials say will be the world’s largest Suspended Ion Exchange, or SIX, facility at the site.
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› Could West Palm get automated transit system from airport to downtown?
A California transit company is proposing a self-driving car service along an elevated roadway between downtown West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County’s airport, an innovation that it says could revolutionize how people commute in and around the city center. Glydways says the short 4-mile distance between the downtown and Palm Beach International Airport makes it an ideal location for a new transit system that relies on autonomous vehicle technology.
› U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds announce show at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
In a newly announced show, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will take to the sky Nov. 7-8 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Space Coast. The November appearance at KSC was included in a revised season schedule posted last week on the Thunderbirds' Facebook and Instagram pages. The show has yet to be added to the Thunderbirds' website.
› Bubble Down gets $200M to fuel expansion
Bubble Down Car Wash has secured a $200 million capital commitment from Strategic Capital, an investment strategy within BTG Pactual Global Alternatives, to fund acquisitions and new development across Florida and the Southeast. The Tampa-based company, which operates eight express car washes in the Tampa Bay region, said it will use the investment to acquire existing operators, develop additional locations and invest in technology and infrastructure.
› Cape Coral Tech bets big on city's first blue-collar trade programs
Construction on the $25 million expansion of Cape Coral Technical College is reaching its final stage, with the building scheduled for completion Wednesday, July 1. The project will introduce the city's first post-secondary blue-collar industrial arts training programs, filling a long-standing gap in the local workforce pipeline.