Florida leads the nation (again) In Obamacare enrollment
More than 4.6 million Florida residents enrolled in an Obamacare plan through the “Marketplace” for 2025 health insurance coverage. Data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services show that 4,633,650 residents signed up for insurance coverage through the Marketplace by the end of 2024. Nationally, CMS reports that 23.6 million people enrolled for 2025 coverage, including 3.2 million new consumers. Total enrollment is record-breaking, CMS said. More from the News Service of Florida.
Miami Beach set to take big step to join Blue Zones
Miami Beach is preparing to embark on a journey to improve the community’s wellbeing and become a Blue Zones city as it is set to launch Blue Zones Ignite, an in-depth readiness and feasibility assessment, this February. The Blue Zones Project website says it seeks “to improve the overall well-being of an entire community’s residents. More from Miami Today.
SunRail riderships jumped up in 2024
SunRail saw a double-digit percentage increase in ridership for 2024. The local commuter rail service had more than 1.22 million riders last year — up 12% from 2023 — with a monthly average of 101,349 riders. The growth comes as SunRail debuted its DeLand station in August, the 17th for the service, bringing it to a 61.5-mile configuration. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Top U.S. lobbying firm adds Tampa office, growing its national footprint
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, one of the nation’s top lobbying firms, is expanding its national footprint with the opening of a new office in Tampa. The new office will strengthen the firm’s existing strategic alliance with Rubin, Turnbull & Associates, a leading Florida-based lobbying firm headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, with offices in Miami and Tallahassee. The Tampa location is Brownstein’s 13th office across the U.S. More from Florida Politics.
North Park in Boca Raton will become a sports and nature hub
Progress is underway to transform one of the largest plots of undeveloped land in Boca Raton into a multi-faceted hub of sports and nature-oriented activities. Boca Raton’s former Ocean Breeze golf course, also known as North Park, at Boca Teeca between Dixie Highway and Interstate 95, has sat untouched for several years as the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District has worked to determine what to put on the more than 200 acres of land. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Out of the Box
King Mango Struts its stuff in Coconut Grove. Take a look at ‘the weirdest parade’
Self-described as “The Weirdest Parade in the Universe,” the King Mango Strut has been poking fun at current events with wacky costumes and wild signs on the streets of Coconut Grove for decades. The King Mango Strut started in the 1980s as a parody of the King Orange Jamboree Parade, which celebrated college football every year until it stopped running in the 2000s.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Event
Steel Jam gathers Medieval swordfighting enthusiasts this weekend in Clermont
While there’s something adventurous about watching knights and swordfights in movies and on TV, an event this weekend will bring real-life Medieval battles to Central Florida. Proving that everything old can be made new again, this weekend’s “Steel Jam” at Clermont City Center gathers combatants from across the state for Florida’s largest swordfighting tournament.
» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.