Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE — The vast majority of small insurers operating in Florida are considered so financially weak that they wouldn’t typically meet federal guidelines allowing them to back mortgaged homes.

That’s a central finding of a study that also suggests that Florida consumers are being led to believe their insurers are much healthier than they really are.

The study, by researchers at Harvard University, Columbia University and the Federal Reserve Board, has not yet been peer-reviewed. But it was posted on a website for scholarly papers in December and has caught the attention of national and state insurance officials and observers.

There are few independent studies of Florida’s insurance crisis, and the report offers insight into one of the state’s vulnerabilities: its reliance on about 50 small insurers that cover about 70% of policyholders and are usually rated by a single company.

That ratings company, Ohio-based Demotech Inc., was the target of a round of public retribution in 2022, after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration accused it of threatening to downgrade 17 companies that year. read more

By FRANK BAJAK (AP Technology Writer)

As their rivalry intensifies, U.S. and Chinese military planners are gearing up for a new kind of warfare in which squadrons of air and sea drones equipped with artificial intelligence work together like a swarm of bees to overwhelm an enemy.

The planners envision a scenario in which hundreds, even thousands of the machines engage in coordinated battle. A single controller might oversee dozens of drones. Some would scout, others attack. Some would be able to pivot to new objectives in the middle of a mission based on prior programming rather than a direct order.

The world’s only AI superpowers are engaged in an arms race for swarming drones that is reminiscent of the Cold War, except drone technology will be far more difficult to contain than nuclear weapons. Because software drives the drones’ swarming abilities, it could be relatively easy and cheap for rogue nations and militants to acquire their own fleets of killer robots.

The Pentagon is pushing urgent development of inexpensive, expendable drones as a deterrent against China acting on its territorial claim on Taiwan. Washington says it has no choice but to keep pace with Beijing. Chinese officials say AI-enabled weapons are inevitable so they, too, must have them. read more

Boards of directors

Jesse Martinez, hospitality professional, was appointed president of the Skal International Orlando 2024 board of directors.

Suzi Brady, general manager of Courtyard Lake Buena Vista at Vista Centre, was appointed vice president of the Skal International Orlando 2024 board of directors.

Norah White, director of sales and marketing for the International Drive Business District, was appointed secretary of the Skal International Orlando 2024 board of directors.

Darrin Whipple, senior vice president of business development for Blue Squid Solutions Inc., was appointed treasurer of the Skal International Orlando 2024 board of directors.

Ross Burke, property manager for 4ACRE Commercial Real Estate, was appointed executive secretary-treasurer of the Skal International Orlando 2024 board of directors.

John Stine, director of sales and marketing for the Slingshot Group of Companies, was appointed Skal USA Representative for 2024.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com. read more

Across 30 years in downtown Golden, Colo., Bent Gate Mountaineering has withstood three economic downturns including the Great Recession of 2008 and the pandemic recession of 2020.

The store, at 1313 Washington Ave., attracts customers ranging from serious mountaineers to tourists who buy T-shirts and rain ponchos for shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but it’s facing increasing competition in the outdoor retail world.

A banner that hangs out front hints at the market pressures confronting it and other independent outdoor retail stores: “HUGE HUGE HUGE SALE” it says in big letters and vibrant colors.

That sign, a semi-permanent fixture, is an example of fallout from turbulence the outdoor industry experienced during the pandemic and its aftermath. Following boom years in 2021 and 2022, outdoor retail sales saw a 3% decline last year to $27.5 billion, and independent specialty shops got hit hardest. Half of them endured double-digit declines, according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s annual retail sales trends report, and on average they declined 9.7%. read more

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard Monocchio, elected officials and community leaders gather for the grand opening of Sanford Housing Authority’s Somerset Landings Phase 2, in Sanford, Thursday, April 11, 2024. The $16 million, 84-unit affordable-housing complex is located in Sanford’s historic Goldsboro neighborhood. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Richard Monocchio, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, center; Vivian Bryant, Orlando Housing Authority CEO, center left; Dr. Velma Williams, former Sanford city commissioner, 2nd from left; Kerry Wiggins, Sanford city commissioner, far left; Alvin Moore, Sanford Housing Authority commissioner, far right, and others cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Sanford Housing Authority’s Somerset Landings Phase 2, in Sanford, Thursday, April 11, 2024. The $16 million, 84-unit affordable-housing complex is located in Sanford’s historic Goldsboro neighborhood. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) read more