Covering All Things Florida
Boeing has warned employees working on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) program that layoffs could be coming as the company faces reduced funding for the rocket’s future development. The announcement raises concerns about the stability of the program, which serves as the backbone of NASA’s Artemis missions to return humans to the Moon.
Some long awaited property tax relief may be coming for Florida homeowners. In a recent initiative to alleviate the financial burden on Florida homeowners, Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed a significant increase in the state’s homestead exemption. The Governors proposal aims to provide substantial property tax relief amid rising housing costs and interest rates, but it won’t be easy to do.
Ever feel like customer service used to be better? You’re not imagining things.
These days, calling a company for help often means dealing with long wait times, frustrating automated systems, and representatives who seem either undertrained or just plain indifferent. That is, if they even have a phone number where you can reach them. It can feel as though the company designed the process to be so cumbersome that customers will just give up.
It’s enough to make anyone wonder: Why is customer service so bad now?
Marine researchers from OCEARCH have recently tagged their largest male great white shark yet, Contender, off the Florida-Georgia border. According to OCEARCH, Contender Measures nearly 14 feet in length and weighs approximately 1,653 pounds.
Florida has long offered some of the best places to retire, offering warmer winters, tax advantages, and an abundance of recreational activities for people. However, with a significant portion of the population in certain Florida cities on the cusp of retirement, the state is poised for substantial demographic shifts.
According to recent data from SmartAsset, Pembroke Pines and Cape Coral top the list of cities in the state with the highest percentage of residents nearing retirement. More than 17% of the population in Pembroke Pines is approaching retirement age, while Cape Coral follows closely behind at 16.69%. Many other Florida cities will see a large percentage of their populations taking the gold watch and calling it a day on their careers as well.
Walt Disney World announced last week plans to repurpose its former $400 million Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort hotel into office space for Disney’s “Imagineer” employees. After being open for only 18 months, the hotel was closed on September 2023. Since the closure, Star Wars Fans have speculated that the hotel would still be repurposed into some type of Star Wars related attraction, but last week’s announcement put an end to their hopes.
In recent years, the housing markets in Florida and Texas have been the top two states in the country for inbound migration. As you might expect, this trend caused a steep increase in homeowner’s market values, much to the delight of sellers, but not so much for buyers. It appears that the trend is now over.
(By Mark Stone/FMN and Nolan McKendry/The Center Square) Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serving authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” This decision, part of the “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” initiative, aims to emphasize the gulf’s significance to the United States. With over 5000 miles of shoreline, the gulf represents Florida’s longest border.
A rare and powerful winter storm swept across the U.S. Gulf Coast this week, bringing a rare and unprecedented Florida snowfall and frigid temperatures to Gulf coast states unaccustomed to such severe winter weather. The storm, which began on January 20, 2025, led to significant disruptions, including road closures, power outages, and at least ten fatalities. Three days later, Florida still isn’t through with the effects of the storm with some roads still blocked.
L-R Open AI CEO Sam Altman, President Donald Trump, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison Photos: Wikipedia/Oracle
President Trump announced late today a $500 billion multi-national private investment in a new US company known as Stargate. According to Trump, Stargate will consist of several Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers to be built around the US and create more than 100,000 jobs nationally.
Cocoa, FL – This afternoon, the intersection of Wickham Road and Pineda Causeway in Brevard County, Florida, was alive with the spirit of patriotism as local Republicans came together for a “Trump Wave.” Organized by the Brevard Republican Executive Committee, the event was a vibrant demonstration of support for the newly inaugurated President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
