A proposal for new rates submitted by Florida Power & Light Company today reflects a nearly $20 rise in bills for most of the state over the plan's tenure.The FPL comprehensive four-year request was submitted to the Florida Public Service Commission and would set new rates once its current base rate agreement concludes at the end of this year.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has launched the “Coolest Thing Made in Florida” competition to highlight the importance of the state’s manufacturing sector.Nominations for the competition are open until May 31. Businesses and the public are encouraged to nominate any Florida-manufactured product. The winner will be determined by a bracket-style voting format. Products will advance in the competition by winning each popular vote.

One person was laid off at Big Cypress National Park and “several” are now without jobs at Bay Pines VA Hospital as federal downsizing under the Trump Administration begins to affect Southwest Florida.The person out of a job at Big Cypress was on a probationary period and was laid off on Tuesday, Feb. 18, said Michelle Hanson, lands and permits coordinator at the park.

The retailer announces nationwide closures of its retail stores, with Florida being among the hardest hit.

Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs report released Wednesday shows that for all of 2024, total nonfarm jobs in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area increased by 1.9 percent or 5,900 jobs.The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area led other metro areas in the southwest Florida area in annual job growth over that time. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers numbers compare to an increase of 1.4 percent in the nation as a whole and 1.5 percent in the state of Florida.

TikTok said Sunday it was restoring service to users in the United States after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban that President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent U.S.ban. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.

Kohl’s said Friday it was closing 27 underperforming locations in 15 states by April — a fraction of its 1,150 store base — as the struggling department store chain aims to boost profitability and improve sagging sales.The announcement comes as the Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based chain has posted 11 consecutive quarters of sales declines. Michaels CEO and retail veteran Ashley Buchanan is set to take over as the chief executive of Kohl’s next week.

Big companies are snapping up land along the I-75 corridor, bringing a type of boomtown to Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Local leaders believe higher-paying jobs are coming to the area, easing the past dependence on tourism to drive the economy.

The protest on S. Miami Avenue is part of PETA's nationwide “Free the Animals Friday” initiative, which urges holiday shoppers to choose “cruelty-free vegan options.”

Mall of America's recipe for success includes an amusement park, pop-up stores, weddings and raves. Can local malls take a page from the country's largest shopping center?