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SpaceX is picking up its launch pace in August aiming for its fourth launch in just over a week with another Starlink mission from the Space Coast.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 of the company’s internet satellites is targeting a 12:27 a.m. liftoff after midnight Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 passing over four opportunities earlier Thursday. There are five backup options on Friday night from 9:30 p.m. through 12:52 a.m. Saturday.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron had forecast only a 60% chance for good conditions at opening window, but that improves to 90% by the end of the window. In the event of a 24-hour delay, the chances are 60% at the window opening improving to 90% by the end of the window.

The first-stage booster is flying for the ninth time and will attempt a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.

It’s another quick turnaround for the Cape Canaveral pad, which saw SpaceX set a record of three days, 21 hours and 41 minutes between launches from Aug. 3-6. marks the third launch from the pad in just over eight days and seventh since one month ago. SpaceX also managed a launch from California’s Vandenburg Space Force Base on Tuesday. read more

Q: My husband and I are trying to save for college for our two infant children. We both went to out-of-state schools. We have no idea where our kids will end up or if they will even go to college. What type of education account do you recommend? – K.A., Lake Mary

A: A 529 plan is a great way to save for college and graduate school. Regardless of where you live, it gives you the flexibility to pay for education-related expenses in any state while receiving tax-free growth. Also, if one of your children decides not to go to college, their 529 can be transferred to the other without any penalty or tax consequences. –  John M. West III

Q: In our will, we stated that our fully paid house will go to our two children. They can live there or sell and share 50-50. Do we still need a Lady Bird Deed? –  S.C., Longwood

A: If you execute an enhanced life estate deed, naming your two children as the “remainderman,” then your homestead will not need to be probated, saving your estate money. Remember that most asset accounts without a named beneficiary will have to go through probate upon your passing. – Helen Von Dolteren-Fournier  read more

Revenue is up for Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks globally, but down at Walt Disney World, according to third-quarter financial results released by the company Wednesday.

CEO Robert Iger pointed to a flattening of attendance after the end of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration and other contributors for the dip.

“Also, as post-COVID pent-up demand continues to level off in Florida, local tax data shows evidence of some softening in several major Florida tourism markets, and the strong dollar is expected to continue tamping down international visitation to the state,” Iger said.

The company has been at odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis over the so-called “don’t say gay” law, which bans instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

Revenue was up 13% for Disney Parks, Experience and Products for the quarter ending July 1, compared with the year-earlier period. That segment includes the Disney theme parks in Asia, which saw a 94% increase in revenue. read more

By JOSH BOAK (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday to block and regulate high-tech U.S.-based investments going toward China — a move the administration said was targeted but it also reflected an intensifying competition between the world’s two biggest powers.

The order covers advanced computer chips, micro electronics, quantum information technologies and artificial intelligence. Senior administration officials said that the effort stemmed from national security goals rather than economic interests, and that the categories it covered were intentionally narrow in scope. The order seeks to blunt China’s ability to use U.S. investments in its technology companies to upgrade its military while also preserving broader levels of trade that are vital for both nations’ economies.

The United States and China appear to be increasingly locked in a geopolitical competition with a conflicting set of values. Biden administration officials have insisted that they have no interest in “decoupling” from China, yet the U.S. also has limited the export of advanced computer chips and kept the expanded tariffs set up by President Donald Trump. China has engaged in crackdowns on foreign companies. read more