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Florida Trend’s Florida 500
Florida Trend’s Florida 500 is a special publication that highlights the 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state. This immense, year-long research initiative by the editors of Florida Trend has resulted in a personal, engaging look at the state’s most influential business leaders. More from Florida Trend.
Citizens CEO says Florida's insurance industry faces a 'staggering' financial crisis
Pointing to a “sea of red ink,” the head of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. described a private insurance industry Wednesday that is losing gobs of money while homeowners face soaring rates and trouble finding coverage. “The consistency of loss across the entire marketplace is absolutely staggering,” Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway told the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. “It’s not a decision that one or two companies are making. The reality is that what is occurring in the marketplace is impacting every single company in the market.” More from WUSF.
Florida advances process for Black farmers seeking marijuana license
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Thursday rolled out a process for Black farmers with ties to Florida to compete for a designated license to grow, process and dispense medical marijuana. The rule — which does not specify when applications for the single license will begin to be accepted — came more than four years after the Florida Legislature set up a framework for the state’s medical marijuana industry. More from WLRN.
NASA's daring Lucy asteroid mission is ready to launch
NASA's newest asteroid mission, called Lucy, is scheduled to launch on Saturday (Oct. 16) at 5:34 a.m. EDT (0934 GMT) aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. You can watch the launch live at Space.com courtesy of NASA, with coverage starting at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT). More from Space.
This statue of Mary McLeod Bethune will soon make history at the U.S. Capitol
Educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune will soon make history as the first Black person to have a state-commissioned statue in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall, when her statue replaces that of a Confederate general. It's a milestone many years in the making. So what exactly will that groundbreaking statue look like? Members of the public can now see for themselves, after the larger-than-life marble figure was unveiled in Bethune's home state of Florida earlier this week. More from the WUSF.
Business Beat - Week of October 15
Get the top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Dining
At Abandon Izakaya in Seminole, a chef’s table series with a big following finds a home
For the past several years, the team behind Abandon Izakaya built a solid underground following for their private chef’s dinners. It started, as most whimsical supper clubs do, with a love of food and hospitality. Owners Mitch Beardsley and Chanse Chanthalansy first met as students at Pinellas Park High School and were longtime friends when they got the idea for a joint chef’s table series. The duo started throwing private dinner events for friends, family and the occasional foodie-in-the-know.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.