Local credit unions call off merger.
Two local credit unions have called off their merger. Launch Credit Union and Community Credit Union last August announced that they would join forces. Now the merger is off. In a joint statement, both credit unions said it was not a financial decision, but that their priorities didn’t align. If the merger had happened, the combined assets would have been more than $2.7 billion, serving more than 143,000 members with 22 branches throughout Brevard and Volusia counties.
Florida has fastest growing population.
According to the latest census bureau statistics, Florida led the nation in population growth. The South grew faster than all other US regions combined. And Florida grew faster than any other state. There are now 23.3 million of us as of July 1st. Our 2% growth rate surpassed every other state. Full disclosure: The District of Columbia, not a state, had a 2.2 percent rate.
Florida leads in death sentences.
Here’s something else that Florida leads the nation in: death sentences. In 2024 Florida imposed seven new death sentences on inmates - the most in the country. Florida once required a unanimous jury recommendation for a death sentence but Gov. Ron DeSantis successfully pushed for changes to the law in 2023 after a jury failed to recommend a death sentence for Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland high shooter. The 2023 law allows a death sentence to be imposed by an 8-4 vote.
Space news.
Yesterday afternoon, it appeared that Blue Origin conducted a so-called “wet dress rehearsal” of its New Glenn rocket. Steam was billowing from the rocket, indicating it was being fueled. That implies a hot fire test is next. That’s when the rocket engines ignite, but the vehicle does not lift off. So it’s still possible New Glenn will launch before the end of the year.
SpaceX is preparing for a Falcon 9 launch today. The launch window extends from 10:39PM tonight to 2:58AM tomorrow. There’s a 95% chance of favorable weather. The payload is a communications satellite for Astranis Space Technologies.
Bill Nelson’s parting words…
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson gave a farewell interview from Kennedy Space Center offering up some advice for his likely replacement, billionaire Jared Isaacman. Nelson suggested Isaacman will have to hone his political skills on Capitol Hill to break through and get what’s needed for mostly a bipartisan effort in space. Nelson said Isaacman’s close ties to Musk and SpaceX is something that will have be hashed out as far conflicts of interest. The biggest challenge going forward is keeping the Congress focused to get funding for NASA.
Carnival’s Venezia arrives at Port Canaveral.
Carnival Cruise Line now has a record-setting five ships based at Port Canaveral. The Carnival Venezia sailed from there yesterday. It will offer Caribbean voyages until May, when it returns to New York. The ship was built in 2019, and originally sailed under the Costa brand, which is a sister line to Carnival. It underwent a refurbishment in 2023 that added an Italian flair. In all, Port Canaveral will have a record 16 cruise ships from seven cruise lines home-ported there this winter.