Florida consumer sentiment soars to 3-year high in November
Consumer sentiment among Floridians surged in November to 81.1, its highest level in more than three years, rising 3.7 points from a revised figure of 77.4 in October. Meanwhile, national consumer sentiment increased by just over one point. More from UF News and the News Service of Florida.
Florida's pension system gets high marks from credit rating agency
A report by Fitch Ratings ranked Florida fourth best nationally for its defined benefit pension system's liabilities. The credit ratings agency's analysis measuring long-term liabilities said Florida's pension system in fiscal 2023 had the nation's third-lowest adjusted net pension liability to personal income ratio at 0.6% and the 12th lowest debt to personal income at 0.8%. [Source: The Center Square]
Florida’s insurance commissioner urging legislators not to enact any more reforms next spring
Here’s what Florida insurance officials want the Legislature to do next year about the state’s troubled property insurance market: Nothing. Major litigation reforms enacted in 2022 and 2023 are strengthening the industry by reducing lawsuits, which has helped private market companies return to profitability following five straight years of underwriting losses, said Virginia Christy, deputy commissioner of property and casualty with Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Bipartisan summit tackles Florida condo crisis, warns that payment deadlines will remain
Senators from both parties and experts from various fields gathered to tackle the Florida condo crisis — but warned struggling owners that there is no silver bullet for rising costs and that deadlines are not likely to be extended. In fact, Senate Democratic leader Jason Pizzo underlined that owners, including those of the collapsed Surfside building, should not be surprised by the state of affairs. They could even shoulder some of the blame by not tackling issues until it was too late. [Source: WLRN]
Sea cows on the move: manatees making annual migration inland as water temperatures cool
It's often called a manatee migration, but Florida's cows aren't leaving state waters in search of some secluded island in the warm waters of the Caribbean. Instead, they're headed upstream and into warm-water shelters and refuges, like the Florida Power & Light plant east of Fort Myers on the Orange River. Cold weather forces manatees to flee coastal areas and seek warmer conditions in order to stay alive. [Source: Naples Daily News]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Want to start or elevate a business? Miami-Dade launches site to help small biz owners
Miami-Dade County’s small business community now has a one-stop shop for exploring training, finding a mentor, learning about loans and more. An online portal called Strive305 launched Monday in collaboration with banking company Wells Fargo.
› St. Petersburg City Council to hold vote on Rays stadium bonds Thursday
The St. Petersburg City Council has scheduled a vote Thursday on whether to approve bonds to finance the city’s contribution toward a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium and Historic Gas Plant District even as the team has said the project as proposed is no longer viable.
› Cyber Florida launches phaseZERO: Innovation Incubator to boost cybersecurity innovation, funding in Florida
Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida has unveiled phaseZERO: Innovation Incubator, a seed fund initiative aimed at "transforming cutting-edge cybersecurity ideas into thriving businesses," according to a release. With a mission to commercialize cybersecurity innovations, bolster critical infrastructure and create new economic opportunities, phaseZERO aspires to establish Florida as a national hub for cybersecurity entrepreneurship.
› Most notable South Florida company bankruptcies of 2024
Dozens of bankruptcy related stories have been published in the South Florida Business Journal in the past year. And it is an eclectic bunch that includes publicly traded corporations, health care operations, the Miss America pageant, and restaurants.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Chase to add hundreds of Central Florida jobs
JPMorgan Chase & Co. will add hundreds of jobs in Orlando and enhance its office building near Lake Mary. The New York City-based financial services firm (NYSE: JPM) announced it will add more than 300 new jobs in Central Florida over the next two years and renovate its 250,000-square-foot office in Heathrow.
› Sporting JAX women’s USL Super League team to play inaugural season at UNF
Sporting JAX, Jacksonville’s first professional major league women’s sports franchise, will take the field in August. The first expansion team of the USL Super League will play its home games at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida, the team ownership announced Dec. 3.
› Under fire, Miami-Dade incinerator site choice put off to February
Newly-elected county commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez had his feet held to the proverbial fire Tuesday as commissioners once more dove into where to build Miami-Dade’s new waste-to-energy plant to replace the one real fire destroyed some 661 days ago. And, for the most part, Chairman Rodriguez emerged unscathed, or at the least, no worse than outgoing chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III.
› Florida axes Boy Scouts and other low-selling specialty license plates
Even though Boy Scout leaders were prepared for the news, they were not able to stave off the fate of their “Scouting Teaches Values” specialty license plate, which was among several discontinued by the state of Florida last month. The plate has since 1997 supported Boy Scouts of America, which is officially changing its name to Scouting America next February, and it was among five plates that were axed because they failed to maintain the minimum number of registered plates in the state for 12 months.