Florida lawmakers head into overtime budget negotiations — again

Florida lawmakers’ only constitutional obligation is getting the state budget done. This is the second year in a row lawmakers haven’t been able to do it during the regular session. Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one. Now, they’re coming back to Tallahassee on Tuesday to start a budget-focused special session. It’s currently scheduled to go from that day through May 29. More from Jacksonville Today, the Tampa Bay Times, and the Miami Herald.

Why proposed national flood insurance changes would hit Florida hardest

A federal report recommends privatizing the National Flood Insurance Program, currently managed by FEMA. Florida has the most federal flood insurance policies in the nation, covering an estimated one-fifth of homeowners. Critics fear the proposed changes could increase already high insurance costs for Florida residents. Supporters of the reform argue that states can manage disaster relief more efficiently than the federal government. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

Best place to start a career? These Florida cities dominate U.S. list

Looking to start a new career? You may want to check out Florida. While Atlanta, Georgia, topped WalletHub's list of Best Places to Start a Career, Orlando was No. 2, and Tampa and Miami helped fill in the rest of the top five locations most open for "a long and prosperous career," the site said. In the middle was Austin, Texas, at No. 3. WalletHub looked at job-market saturation, availability of entry-level jobs, average monthly starting salary, housing affordability, commuter-friendliness, and 20 other factors. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Florida luxury home listings hit new highs

Florida’s luxury real estate market is making headlines with record-breaking listings across Miami-Dade and the Gulf Coast. From a $237 million Key Biscayne estate to a sprawling tropical farm, these properties showcase the region’s high-end appeal. [Source: Miami Herald]

State wants feedback on environmental repairs years after Deepwater Horizon

Florida wants your ideas for repairing some of the coastal ecosystems degraded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the lead state agency overseeing how Florida spends its BP Deepwater Horizon settlement money, is taking ideas through Friday, May 15 for the fourth round of restoration work along the Gulf Coast. [Source: WUSF]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Miami’s sargassum problem is exploding. Is climate change to blame? [Miami Herald]
Sargassum is washing up on South Florida beaches in mountainous amounts, rotting into a gag-worthy mush. It’s scaring away tourists, making swimmers itchy and costing millions to clean up. Scientists say the problem is getting worse. Blooms are growing larger and arriving earlier. This January, satellite images showed some of the largest masses of sargassum ever for that month, according to Chuanmin Hu of University of South Florida, who pioneered satellite tracking of sargassum using NASA data.

› UNF manufacturers survey shows concern about costs [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Manufacturing activity expanded in Jacksonville during April, but the outlook is uncertain, particularly with rising costs, according to a monthly survey by the University of North Florida’s Local Economic Indicators Project. A Purchasing Managers’ Index derived from the survey of Northeast Florida manufacturers registered 51.9 in April. A reading above 50 indicates expansion and a reading below 50 indicates contraction. The index has been above 50 so far in 2026 after being below it for much of 2025.

› Affordability drives Florida residents to Ocala [WFTV]
A new relocation study suggests Florida residents and out-of-state movers are eyeing different parts of the state when planning their next move. MoveBuddha analyzed 120,000 searches made through its Moving Cost Calculator between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, to compare where people moving within the same state want to go versus where out-of-state movers are looking to relocate. In Florida, Ocala ranked as the top destination for in-state movers, while Poinciana ranked as the top Florida destination for people moving in from another state.

› Tampa company signs NASA deal tied to Moon missions [Tampa Bay Business & Wealth]
Tampa-based Lonestar Data Holdings signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to collaborate on lunar data storage and off-world computing systems as commercial space companies race to build infrastructure for future Moon missions. The agreement, signed through NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, establishes a framework for technical collaboration tied to data storage, computing systems and communications technology designed to support future commercial, scientific and civil space missions.

More stories ...

› UBS names former JPMorgan executive new South Florida leader [South Florida Business Journal]
UBS has created a new market executive role for South Florida, tapping a former J.P. Morgan Wealth Management executive to lead the region The Swiss banking giant appointed Rick Penafiel its South Florida market executive. He will be based in Boca Raton and report to Julie Fox, the financial firm’s Southeast regional director.

› JEA asks special committee to wait for natural gas plant presentation [Florida Times-Union]
Two top JEA leaders told a City Council investigatory committee they want to wait until June to appear before the committee and JEA also requested more time for a presentation on a planned natural gas plant that one council member says could put JEA "under the boot" of Florida Power & Light. City Council member Rory Diamond said JEA is trying to run out the clock on the committee, which currently has a June 30 deadline.

› SeaWorld parent company says attendance down in 1st quarter [Orlando Sentinel]
Attendance and revenue were down at United Parks & Resorts attractions during the first quarter, the Orlando-based company reported Monday. Among its properties are SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme parks. United’s total revenue was $278.3 million for the January-March quarter, a decrease of 3% from a year earlier, the company reported. Attendance for the quarter was 3.2 million visitors, a decrease of 171,000 people from the first quarter of 2025.

› New luxury home community coming to Lakewood Ranch [Tampa Bay Business & Wealth]
A new luxury home community with prices starting at about $1.4 million is planned for Lakewood Ranch as builders continue adding high-end housing across Southwest Florida. Monterey at Lakewood Ranch – Egret Collection will feature single-family homes ranging from 4,320 to more than 5,800 square feet, with preserve and lakefront views.

USF expert says hantavirus cruise outbreak shouldn’t alarm Florida travelers