Things To Do In SW Florida

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: While I was on vacation in Istanbul last year, I fell victim to a scam by some local thugs. They ran a “club” where they persuaded single male tourists to come in. Then, they coerced them into paying thousands of dollars for bogus drinks (“Champagne” that was cider and water, for example). They made it impossible to leave without the threat of violence.

Once I was inside, it was clear that the locals I had come with were working with the “club” to lure tourists in and bilk them of their money. I played dumb, realizing I had no choice but to stay. There was one exit down a flight of stairs and a bouncer who made sure no one was leaving until they got their money. Some charges they made me sign for; others they continued to charge to my card now that they had it.

They charged me on two credit cards: one Wells Fargo card and one Chase card. I eventually was able to leave and contacted both credit card companies the next day. I also filed a police report, which I provided to Wells and Chase. The police were aware of this fraudulent establishment and showed me mug shots of the owner, who I recognized. Immediately after I filed my police report, another tourist came in complaining of the same club with the same problem — only he had tried to leave. They threw him down the stairs. read more

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaire investor turned philanthropist George Soros is ceding control of his $25 billion empire to a younger son, Alexander Soros, according to an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal published online Sunday.

Soros’ business holdings include his nonprofit Open Society Foundations, which is active in more than 120 countries around the world and funnels about $1.5 billion annually to groups such as those that back human rights and promote the growth of democracies around the world, according to its website.

The 37-year-old, who goes by Alex, told the Wall Street Journal that he is “more political” than his 92-year-old father, who has been a right-wing target for his backing of liberal causes such as reducing racial bias in the justice system. But he noted that the two “think alike.”

Alex said he was broadening his father’s “liberal aims” and embracing different causes including voting and abortion rights, as well as gender equity. He said he aims to keep using the family’s wealth to back left-leaning U.S. politicians. read more

SpaceX sent up another batch of Starlink satellites in an early morning Space Coast launch Monday, with a California mission on tap in the afternoon.

A Falcon 9 wiih 53 satellites for the company’s growing internet constellation took off at 3:10 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with the first stage booster flying for the ninth time. It was able to once again make its recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas down range in the Atlantic Ocean.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/fkJy73gUyd

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 12, 2023

This was the 89th overall Starlink launch since the first operational deployment of the internet satellites in 2019, and 20th dedicated Starlink mission so far in 2023. With this batch, SpaceX has sent up nearly 4,600 of the satellites, according to statistics tracked by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The Federal Communications Commission last year upped SpaceX’s license to allow for up to 7,500.

This marks the 29th launch on the Space Coast from either Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX has been responsible for 28 of those 29 with Relativity Space’s lone launch filling out the only other liftoff on the manifest so far. read more