California shatters rocket launch record as Florida’s Space Coast slows
California has surpassed Florida’s yearly rocket launch total for the first time in decades. SpaceX has shifted its Falcon 9 Starlink missions to California to prepare for Starship launches in Florida. Florida’s launch cadence has also been slowed by mishaps grounding ULA’s Vulcan and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets. The last Starlink mission from Florida was in August, with future ones planned to launch on the Starship rocket. [Source: Florida Today]
Amendment 3 seeks to lower taxes for second homes and investors. Will it?
Amendment 3’s impact on properties with homestead exemptions — which are their owners’ primary residences — has occupied the spotlight. If passed, Amendment 3 would exempt the first $150,000 of a property’s assessed value starting next year, up from just over $50,000 today. That number would climb to $250,000 in 2028. But another provision cuts the cap in half on how much the assessed value of non-homesteaded properties can rise each year. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida adds to hiring bonus for corrections officers
Florida is expanding its hiring bonus program for some new prison guards. The Department of Corrections on Tuesday announced $1,000 bonuses at select correctional institutions, which in some cases may come on top of the $5,000 bonuses already being offered at select jails. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Chamber Forum: Mark Wilson says work on Florida 2040 Blueprint begins next year
The Florida Chamber Foundation will begin work early next year on a new long-term strategic plan intended to carry the state beyond 2030. Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson laid out the timetable as he opened the 2026 Future of Florida Forum in Orlando. “Believe it or not, early next year, in 2027, we’re going to start the 2040 Blueprint research,” Wilson said. [Source: Florida Politics]
SpaceX unveils sweeping vision for Starship-centric campus at NASA’s KSC
SpaceX plans to greatly expand its Roberts Road facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to support Starship launches, creating a campus of 3,300 employees by buildout in 2045 for manufacturing, production, refurbishment and warehousing. Infrastructure across 400 acres would include a payload processing facility, just north of SpaceX’s black, towering Gigabay. A Starship test stand for static firing and tank testing near the western terminus of Schwartz Road. And a new four-lane road. [Source: Florida Today]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Canadian tourists return to Collier as visits jump 28%
Despite lingering economic and geopolitical tensions, Canadian visitors are starting to come back to Collier County. The latest tourism data, for August, shows an 18% increase over 2025 in international visitation overall and a 27.9% increase year over year in Canadian visitors, according to a report by research firm Downs & St. Germain Research at the October meeting of the Collier County Tourist Development Council.
› Manufacturing sector shows some growth in Southwest Florida
Most Southwest Floridians think of tourism and construction as the economic engines of the region. But there’s another up-and-coming industry that is gaining attention. It’s manufacturing, which Florida and the local business community salute during the month of October. The Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association said that more than 24,000 people make their living by making products for government agencies and the consumer marketplace.
› Broward County to host international trade expo Nov. 18-19
Broward County will host the 11th annual Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo (FITCE) on Nov. 18-19 at the Broward County Convention Center, with more than 2,000 attendees and representatives from more than 70 countries expected. The event, organized by the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD), will bring together entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders for two days of international networking, trade development and cultural exchange.
› $8B credit union’s Sarasota bank purchase reflects shifting M&A market
Like nearly all bankers, Dennis Murphy had a solid exit strategy when he founded Gulfside Bank eight years ago. He wanted to create an institution with a high-performing loan portfolio and sticky core deposits, in a package attractive to potential suitors. One element it likely didn’t contain: being bought by a credit union.
More stories …
› Nassau County committee issues report on data centers
The Nassau County Fact-Finding Committee on Data Center Development has released a draft report recommending a framework for regulating data centers, including where they can be built and how their demands on water, electricity and infrastructure should be assessed. The committee discussed the report at an Oct. 26 workshop, and the county plans to post a final version on its website portal for public review before Thanksgiving.
› WTE Miami 2026 opens its doors with a focus on business and tourism trends
WTE Miami 2026 began this Tuesday, October 27, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida, with a proposal aimed at connecting destinations, airlines, hotel companies, technology providers, and professionals in the international tourism industry. The fourth edition of the event runs until Wednesday, October 28, and aims to generate business opportunities between tourism providers and buyers from the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
› Cargo opportunity expands in Central Florida
Orlando International Airport (MCO) is positioning itself for a bigger role in Central Florida’s freight economy, capturing a greater share of the higher-value traffic already generated by the region by developing the airport around the changing composition of the local economy while making a stronger commercial case to shippers and freight forwarders.
› Tampa barbecue spot to be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’
Seminole Heights barbecue spot Wicked Oak will be featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on Friday, Nov. 6, at 9 p.m., according to a social media post from the restaurant Monday. “It was an honor to have @guyfieri in the Wicked Oak kitchen and we can’t wait for y’all to see what we cooked up for him,” the post said. Wicked Oak specializes in slow-smoked brisket, ribs and traditional sides.
