Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida's rapid rise of No Party Affiliation voters

Two decades ago, when Florida had more than 9.3 million registered voters, roughly 1.5 million (16%) were registered as NPA. Today, there are more than 14.3 million Florida voters — 27%, about 3.9 million voters, are registered as NPA. New voters and those under age 50 are particularly distancing themselves from the major parties. Even among voters over age 65, the most reliable bloc when it comes to turnout, one in five Florida voters is now registered as NPA. Politicos of all stripes are taking notice and for good reason: With NPAs often the deciding factor in political races, the trend could shift the political sands of the nation’s biggest battleground state. [Source: Florida Trend]

Will Ian consume the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund?

While some analysts are predicting that the property insurance industry will be able to manage Hurricane Ian and its estimated $50 billion in insured losses, a few are now warning that the storm could significantly erode the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund’s surplus, which could spell trouble for carriers who may face soaring reinsurance costs next year. More from Claims Journal and Business Insurance.

Florida COVID weekly update: New cases, hospital patients drop to March lows

What is the COVID-19 situation like in Florida? In the past seven days, the state has added 1,482 cases and 43 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weekly averages are dropping to levels not seen since March after the decline of the first omicron variant wave. [Source: Miami Herald]

Are more homes being sold in Florida? See for yourself with this interactive map

What’s the state of home sales in Florida? Are more homes being sold in the state this year than at this time last year? Or fewer? In South Florida, sales are complicated by supply, price and cash buyers. And that’s before any possible housing fallout from Hurricane Ian on the Gulf Coast. This interactive Florida map shows the percent change in home sales from this time last year to this time this year. [Source: Miami Herald]

Feds rebuke Florida surgeon general’s advice to young men on COVID vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday responded to the results of Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s analysis of COVID-19 data that he says point to a risk for some men who get the shot. Ladapo recommended against COVID-19 mRNA vaccines for men ages 18-39, a decision that contradicts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine guidance and has invited confusion and criticism from the medical community. The recommendation is based on a non-peer-reviewed analysis published Friday by the Florida Department of Health. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Even after Ian, Brevard still has not seen hurricane-force sustained winds since 1979 [Florida Today]
Plenty of Brevard County residents have added Ian to their mental lists of hurricanes that struck the Space Coast in recent decades, such as Erin in 1995, Frances and Jeanne in 2004, Matthew in 2016, and Irma in 2017. But in reality, Brevard has not experienced hurricane-force sustained winds since 1979. That's when Hurricane David struck on Labor Day — back when The Knack's "My Sharona" topped the charts as the nation's No. 1 single.

› Orlando agrees to contracts with 4 unions covering cops to public works [Orlando Sentinel]
Hoping to better retain employees and compete against public and private sector employers, city officials signed off Monday on new contracts with four unions representing a bulk of city workers from cops to white-collar workers. The deals include pay increases, one-time bonuses and counting Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of African Americans from slavery, as a paid holiday.

› Florida startups at Volusia County incubator share goals for expansion, new products [Orlando Inno]
There's a busy year ahead for the companies that populate the University of Central Florida Volusia County Business Incubator. In the next 12 months, those firms aim to expand their retail footprint, gamify weather forecasting and boost revenue for customers by $100 million. The small business incubator, one of eight operated by UCF across Central Florida, launched in 2011.

› Revamp of Philadelphia Phillies Clearwater training complex could hit $300M [Tampa Bay Times]
Batting cages with floor scales that track a player’s weight distribution through an entire swing. Walk-in pools for rehabilitation. A facility that could make Clearwater a year-round home for the Philadelphia Phillies instead of just a spring training base. All for a potential cost of $300 million. The Phillies organization is developing plans to turn the city-owned BayCare Ballpark and Carpenter Training Complex next to U.S. 19 into a world-class facility with the latest in player development technology, according to three local government officials briefed by team leadership in Philadelphia last month.

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› Woody Harrelson, Laura Linney movie about Clearwater is filming in South Carolina [Tampa Bay Times]
Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson are filming a movie in Clearwater. Well, in a replica of Clearwater. The fictional plot occurs in Clearwater and might include the true story of Terri Schiavo, the St. Petersburg resident whose irreversible persistent vegetative state sparked a nationally followed legal battle between her husband and parents over whether her feeding tube should be removed. But the movie, titled “Suncoast,” is using Hollywood magic to re-create Clearwater in Charleston, South Carolina

› Developer bets wealthy buyers will want to live in 70-story Brickell tower off the water [Miami Herald]
Another luxury condominium, where homes will start at $2 million, is planned for Miami’s Brickell financial district. The developer is betting the well-heeled will pay millions to live in a high-rise with sustainable features in one of the city’s most desirable areas — even though the property isn’t on the water.

› TEDx Jacksonville features 12 speakers Oct. 22 [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Duval County judge-elect Audrey Moran, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville President Nicole Thomas and Tara Roberts, the first black female explorer to be featured on the cover of National Geographic, are among 12 speakers planned for the TEDxJacksonville conference in October. Called “FRICTION,” TEDxJacksonville is scheduled 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m Oct. 22 in the Terry Theater at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.

› Busch Gardens swings for new ride in spring 2023 [Orlando Sentinel]
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will introduce a large swinging ride called Serengeti Flyer in spring 2023, the theme park announced Tuesday morning. The new attraction will feature side-by-side arms holding 20 passengers each on their ends. Those arms will swing out to a maximum height of 135 feet above the ground and will hit speeds of up to 68 mph, Busch Gardens says. There will be multiple negative-G experiences as the ride rises above the park’s Serengeti Plain.