NASA has a new administrator.
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire and astronaut, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday as NASA's 15th administrator. Isaacman will oversee NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon by next year. Many expect Isaacman to increase collaboration with private space companies for future missions. Numerous space industry experts and astronauts have consistently rallied around Isaacman, saying he offers NASA the appropriate perspective, especially as the agency navigates reductions to its budget as well as competition with China for leadership in space.
Jury awards $27 million in malpractice suit against Holmes hospital.
A Brevard County jury awarded a $27 million verdict to a couple after a 2018 medical procedure left the husband partially paralyzed. The incident occurred at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center following a spinal surgery. The lawsuit alleged that nurses failed to recognize signs of a post-operative spinal cord injury, causing a delay in treatment. Health First officials said they plan to appeal the ruling.
Eau Gallie will get more public parking.
Brevard County has approved a plan for a new parking garage in downtown Eau Gallie. The garage will feature at least 270 public parking spaces, which will be free for 15 years. The deal is a partnership with a hotel developer. The hotel will replace the Foosaner Arts Museum.
Merritt Island bridge to open this weekend.
Hurricane Irma closed the Sea Ray Drive Bridge on Merritt Island back in 2017. Now, after a nearly $10 million construction project, the bridge will re-open this weekend. The Sea Ray Drive bridge connects North Banana River Drive and North Courtenay Parkway over Sykes Creek.
Progressive Insurance mails $1 billion in refunds.
Progressive Insurance is sending nearly $1 billion back to Florida drivers after regulators found the company collected more than state law allows. Checks for a few hundred dollars have already been mailed to many policyholders. But eligibility for this money is narrower than the headline number suggests. It hinges on whether you had an active Florida auto policy with Progressive during the period when the company’s profits exceeded the state’s threshold.
DeSantis says “Let the tourists pay.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing to have tourists, rather than Florida residents, pay toll road costs. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
At Wednesday’s Florida Cabinet meeting, Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested charging visitors, saying, “You could charge the tourists, and they could probably support it all and give our Florida residents a break.”
Tolls help fund the operation and maintenance of certain highways and are also used to pay down construction bond debt. Florida has previously offered frequent toll road users a 50% credit, saving many drivers hundreds of dollars each year. State toll roads are reported to generate more than $2 billion annually.
SpaceX IPO could be largest ever.
SpaceX reported it is considering an initial public stock offering next year. The company’s chief financial officer said the money generated from the IPO could be used for lunar and mars missions, as well as space-based data centers. Early reports are that it may be the largest IPO of all time, and that SpaceX would become one of the 10 largest publicly traded stocks of all time.
