Debt is outpacing income growth for Florida families, driving more to seek help
More Floridians are turning to nonprofit credit counselors for help as household expenses rise and debt grows faster than income, according to new data from Money Management International. MMI said credit counseling volume in Florida increased 7% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in the number of consumers seeking financial counseling. More from News 4 Jax.
FloridaCommerce gets federal money to add defense and manufacturing apprenticeships
FloridaCommerce has received $40 million in federal money to help expand apprenticeships in defense and manufacturing industries in the state. The economic development bureau announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the funding to Florida as part of a broader nationwide effort to increase apprenticeships in military industries, along with shipbuilding and marine manufacturing sectors. Officials say the Florida money would enlist more apprenticeships with about 80 partners across Florida. More from Florida Politics.
Freight, rebounds and Elon Musk drive Jacksonville stocks forward
In a year when an artificial intelligence frenzy is sending the stock market to record heights, three other trends are propelling some Jacksonville companies to new highs: freight traffic, rebounds for beaten-down stocks, and Elon Musk. Jacksonville’s two big transportation companies, CSX Corp. and Landstar System Inc., rose in the first half of 2026 as freight shipments showed signs of strength. Treace Medical Concepts Inc. and Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., or RYAM, rebounded after disappointing results sent their stocks plunging in recent years. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Tampa Convention Center wins global award, primed for more
The Tampa Convention Center stepped onto the world stage this week, winning the globally acclaimed 2026 Venue Excellence Award from the international Association of Venue Managers, the city announced. The center is one of only five venues in the world to receive this year’s award, given out by the largest global professional organization dedicated to managing and operating public assembly spaces like stadiums, arenas, convention centers and performing arts centers. More from the Business Observer.
'This is real threat': Proposed crackdown on drone flights over Port Canaveral
In 2025 alone, Florida’s Port Canaveral saw more than 500 drone flights, port officials said, raising concern about potential security threats to the space and military hardware moving in and out of the port as well as the many cruise ships. “Look at what we have coming in and out of here. We have nuclear submarines, we’ve got space components, we got national security missions for space, you got a drone flying over and looking at the rocket from the top down,” Port Canaveral's CEO Capt. John Murray said during a Port Canaveral Commission meeting this month. More from Florida Today.
Out of the Box
What to do when this candle melts? You eat it, of course!
As the name spells out, CeraViva Edible Melting Candles are … well …. made out of edible stuff designed to turn a drip into a drool. “Our candles are made with premium edible ingredients instead of traditional wax,” says entrepreneur Claudia Mosley. “As they warm, they melt into a delicious spread, dip, or sauce that can be enjoyed with bread, charcuterie, seafood, vegetables, meats or desserts.” Flavors include scampi, truffle, chimichurri, espresso martini, raspberry cream, apple pie and passionfruit mojito.
» More from South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Future farming
Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI) is the fourth U.S. company to pitch automation to U.S. Sugar, dating back to 2021, but the first to deliver on its promises, says U.S. Sugar Precision Agriculture Manager Scott Berden. The others were startups. Two were sold while a third shifted its focus to smaller equipment. As a result, Berden says, the U.S. Sugar team was "already a little jaded" when it met with ASI in Clewiston in November 2023.
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