Business

Six entrepreneurs, with businesses as diverse as an e-commerce marketplace and recycling pickleballs, made their best pitches in a “Shark Tank” atmosphere in hopes of winning cash and exposure at the SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) second annual pitch competition in Naples at the Botanical Gardens.

Six entrepreneurs, with businesses as diverse as an e-commerce marketplace and recycling pickleballs, will make their best pitches in a “Shark Tank” atmosphere Saturday in hopes of winning cash and exposure. SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) is holding its second annual pitch competition in Naples at the Botanical Gardens.

Voting is now open in the Florida Chamber’s 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida competition.

Roller Derby brings the thrills, and bruises, to the roller rink. The sport grew in popularity in the 1950s and in recent years has had a surge in fandom.

Tesla lost its crown as the world's bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks to buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row. Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year ago. Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 million vehicles last year, is now the biggest EV maker. For the fourth quarter, sales totaled 418,227, falling short of the 440,000 that analysts polled by FactSet expected. The sales total may likely have been impacted by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that was phased out by the Trump administration at the end of September.

Magie Cook couldn’t have predicted where her life was going to take her. She began in a Mexican orphanage and soon after found herself homeless.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is suing Starbucks over hiring and promotion policies he claims are racial quotas.

Economic uncertainty surrounds the US, due to rises in tariffs, a soft job market and the recent government shutdown. Yet that doesn’t seem to be dissuading shoppers this upcoming holiday season.

Frustration and worry crossed the faces of customers coming Sunday to Immokalee’s only supermarket — Winn-Dixie — after they discovered it had closed. For good. Winn-Dixie’s parking lot was mostly leaves, dust and litter blowing in the windy weather Sunday after the store closed for business Saturday. A steady stream of customers tried for much of the morning to make purchases, only to be turned away by employees.

The Fallout from the immigration raids conducted by Immigration & Customs Enforcement are beginning to take a toll on small businesses.