Florida most at risk for Obamacare price increases.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation warns that health insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act marketplace could increase by a statewide average of 34% on Jan. 1. But other estimates put the increase at double or even triple for some customers. That’s if an enhanced premium tax credit lapses as scheduled at the end of the year. That’s the fight that’s causing the shutdown of the federal government. The Democratic Party is refusing to end the shutdown unless Republicans extend the Obamacare tax credits. Nowhere will be hit harder than Florida, which leads the nation in Affordable Care Act policies. Nearly a quarter of Floridians, 24%, receive the tax credit for health insurance purchased on an Affordable Care Act marketplace. The national average is only 8%.
Florida bill would require teachers to take an oath.
Florida teachers would have to take an oath under new legislation filed by a Republican lawmaker in Tallahassee. The oath, required for public school teachers, pledges support to the constitutions and government of the US and Florida. A spokesperson for the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers union, questioned the need for the bill, saying similar requirements already exist in state law and regulations.
Hackers scammed Brevard County resident out of over $1.7M.
A real estate scam nearly left one Brevard County resident out of over $1.7 million. The Brevard County Sheriff’s office reported yesterday that hackers infiltrated an email between buyers and sellers in a large property purchase. The hackers impersonated the sellers and changed the wire transfer instructions, causing the buyer to unknowingly transfer $1.7 million into the suspects’ account. Thankfully, all funds were recovered by 10 p.m. the same evening.
Rocket rumble early tomorrow.
Another nighttime rocket launch is scheduled for early tomorrow. The four hour launch window opens at 2:42AM Thursday. The SpaceX Falcon 9 will fly toward the northeast from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX’s Space Coast bakery.
SpaceX has a "bakery" right here in Brevard — not the sweet kind, but one which is cooking up heatshield tiles. It will mass-produce tiles for the massive Starship rocket when it returns from Space Coast flights. When Starship launches become an every-day occurrence, thousands of heat-shield tiles will be needed. SpaceX has already begun mass producing 1,000 Starship heatshield tiles per day in Florida.
Hope Florida grand jury hears testimony.
A criminal investigation related to millions of dollars steered from a Florida Medicaid settlement to the state-created Hope Florida Foundation entered a new phase on Tuesday, with two key figures appearing to have testified before a grand jury. State Rep. Alex Andrade is the Republican who led an investigation this spring into whether Medicaid settlement money was passed through the Hope Florida foundation to a political committee controlled by the governor’s chief of staff. Andrade confirmed he spent about two hours with the grand jury, but he couldn’t divulge his testimony. Much remains unknown about the investigation, and no one would discuss what went on behind closed doors yesterday.
