Acura, Honda EVs will adopt Tesla charging port
Honda Motor Co.’s first new-era Honda and Acura electric vehicles will adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard connectors once General Motors switches over in 2025.
SpaceX, NASA delay launch of Crew-7 to space station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX was set to send up the next quartet of astronauts to the International Space Station from an overnight launch from Kennedy Space Center early Friday but officially scrubbed the attempt before the crew made it to the launch pad. NASA announced teams would recycle and try again in 24 hours.
Now targeting 3:27 a.m. Saturday, a Falcon 9 rocket topped with the Crew Dragon Endurance on the Crew-7 mission will lift off from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A with one backup opportunity on Sunday.
“We know the importance of flying crew and the trust the crew puts in us,” said SpaceX’s William Gerstenmaier during this week’s flight readiness review. “We put every effort into crewed missions. We don’t treat them like other missions. They’re special for us and we make sure we’re really ready to go and the hardware is really ready to go.”
SpaceX performed a successful hot fire of the Falcon 9 on Tuesday and all signs were pointing toward hitting the target launch time before the mission was called off late Thursday night. The Space Launch Delta 45 weather squadron predicts a 90% chance for good conditions for both remaining launch opportunities early Saturday and Sunday.
Here’s how to give to charity from your IRA
Q: How does giving to a charity from my Individual Retirement Account work? – T.A., Winter Garden
A: Since you are over 70½ years old you can make what’s called a Qualified Charitable Distribution. QCDs are tax-free payments from your IRA directly to a non-profit organization of your choice. When you start taking Required Minimum Distributions from your IRA, QCDs will count towards your RMD and help you reduce your taxable income. – Charlie Fitzgerald, III
Q: I retired at age 62 and started receiving my Social Security benefits. I will need to start taking distributions from my IRAs soon. I have one IRA in a brokerage account and another in an annuity. From which account should I start my distributions? – No name given
A: Consider taking your distributions from the brokerage IRA first. Before taking any distributions from your annuity IRA prior to age 72 required RMD starts, review the distribution provisions for the annuity with your representative to determine how they will affect your account balance and future income from the earnings. – Sylvia C. “Chris” Presley
Tool-and-die makers brace for big business amid ‘unprecedented' wave of EV launches
Automotive tool-and-die companies could be in a stronger position in the coming years as automakers launch more than 130 new electric or hybrid models and redesign internal combustion mainstays.
Global investment firm plans massive project near Epic Universe
After breaking a Central Florida record by paying $315 million for an Orlando office park nearly two years ago, global investment firm PPF Real Estate has unveiled plans to bring a massive mixed-use project to part of the property along John Young Parkway near Universal’s Epic Universe theme park.
The company submitted an application to Orange County on Aug. 21 seeking a land-use change for 89.6 acres for a project consisting of 2,406 multifamily units and more than 1.75 million square feet of commercial and retail space.
Development plans also call for a hotel with 185 rooms and a parking garage on the SouthPark Center site, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.
The proposal targets a nine-parcel section of SouthPark Center that’s occupied by five fully-leased office buildings totaling 670,000 square feet. Those buildings will remain in place, according to Aaron Smith, managing director of PPF Real Estate.
“The intention is to try to create a vibrant mixed-use development on what is currently a single-use office project,” he said. “… Obviously with the added multifamily density the intent is to make it a live, work, play environment and help the county with its desire to have more housing.”