Banking

Wall Street banks, hedge funds, and other financial institutions looking to expand their operations are increasingly turning to the business-friendly Sun Belt.

Regional lender SouthState Corp will buy Texas-based smaller rival Independent Bank Group for about $2 billion, the companies said on Monday, creating a combined entity with $65 billion in total assets.

Consumers, retailers and many foodservice operators eagerly await the arrival of Florida green-skin avocados every year, grower-shippers say.

Some of Florida’s biggest school districts continue to seek solutions for schools that sit well below their capacity.

One in four manatees found dead in Florida this year died within one year of birth, state data shows, making it the leading known category of death for sea cows so far in 2024.