Unpublished study raises concerns over Florida’s insurance industry
A 2022 study that had not been made public until this week found affiliates of Florida insurance companies paid out $680 million to investors between 2017 and 2019 while claiming to be running out of money and filing for big rate increases for policyholders.
We spoke with the reporter who brought the study to light.
Guest:
- Lawrence Mower, reporter for Tampa Bay Times and The Miami Herald.
Fight over water fluoridation
At least a half dozen local water systems in Florida no longer add fluoride to the drinking water.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has advised local governments to stop adding fluoride to their community water supplies. He cited studies that link high levels of fluoride exposure with lower IQs in children.
However, the fluoride levels cited were often twice as high as what's added to public drinking water in many parts of the U.S.
A bill filed this session would prohibit local governments from adding fluoridation in drinking water statewide.
Guests:
- Paul Alfrey, mayor of Melbourne.
- Johnny Johnson, retired pediatric dentist and president of the American Fluoridation Society.
Weekly news briefing
Immigration enforcement in the state is changing quickly as Republican lawmakers move to help President Donald Trump fulfill one of his big campaign promises to conduct the biggest deportation program in American history. Every county sheriff’s office in Florida can now do “street level” immigration enforcement. That's due to agreements they signed this week with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
Also this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a Florida DOGE effort. DOGE is the acronym for the Department of Government Efficiency, which isn’t actually a federal government department but rather a presidential initiative that was created by executive order. Florida’s DOGE will review local government spending, hundreds of state jobs and about 70 state boards and commissions.
As the governor gets his DOGE efforts going, the federal effort is affecting Floridians, including workers at Veteran Affairs’ hospitals and national parks.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds officially kicked off the 2026 race for governor. Donalds made the announcement a few days after President Trump endorsed him for the job even before Donalds said he was running.
This is the time of year Tigers, Cardinals and Blue Jays are roaming around Florida. It is spring training for Major League Baseball. Among the teams playing in the Grapefruit League is the Baltimore Orioles.
Another season begins this weekend … sea turtle nesting season. This is the time female sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Wildlife officials estimate the vast majority of sea turtle nesting — about 90% — takes place in Florida.