Nissan, Honda mull EV partnership in Japan, reports say
Japanese automakers have been slow to develop EVs, particularly in comparison to Chinese rivals such as BYD, causing them to lose ground in China and leaving them vulnerable at home.
SeaWorld offers $60 tickets for 60th birthday
SeaWorld is turning 60, and it’s celebrating with $60 theme park tickets good on select days sprinkled throughout 2024. The deadline for purchases is March 17.
The first $60 date is March 20, and there are eligible days in every month of the year, leaning heavily on Wednesdays. June, July and August have an increased number of $60 day opportunities. The final available day is Dec. 18.
The tickets are date-specific and valid for one visit. A maximum of 14 tickets can be purchased per transaction.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of SeaWorld in San Diego. SeaWorld Orlando hit its 50th birthday late last year. The parks’ parent company is now known as United Parks & Resorts, which also operates Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and other attractions.
In Orlando, an anniversary celebration will take place at the park’s opening from March 21 through March 24. Park president Jon Peterson will welcome guests with an event featuring live entertainment, commemorative decor, photo ops and cupcakes. SeaWorld says costumed characters such as Shamu, Coral the Dolphin, Sydney the Shark and Puck the Penguin will be in attendance.
SpaceX’s 3rd Starship launch makes it to space without exploding, but breaks up on reentry
SpaceX’s powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket completed a more successful third orbital test flight from Texas on Thursday morning without the explosions on the way up that marred the first two test flights in 2023.
The way down, though, still saw more destructive endings as the first-stage booster came in at more than 600 mph hitting the Gulf of Mexico and the upper-stage spacecraft broke up on reentry halfway around the Earth. The overall mission, though, was considered a success by SpaceX officials.
“This is the furthest that we’ve gotten in our test flight, but the further we fly, the more data that we can get and that’s ultimately the measure of success here,” said SpaceX commentator and quality systems engineering manager Kate Tice. “I think today has been a huge success, given where we were, we’d gone, and how much further we’ve gotten with both the booster and Starship itself.”
The Federal Aviation Administration announced late Wednesday it had granted SpaceX a license for the Orbital Flight Test 3, and the 396-foot-tall rocket took flight at 9:25 a.m. EDT from the company’s Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
Musk abruptly cancels ‘The Don Lemon Show’ on X after he sits for the program’s first interview
By DAVID HAMILTON (AP Business Writer)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk abruptly canceled “The Don Lemon Show” on his social media network X after the former CNN anchor recorded an interview with the billionaire for its as-yet unaired first episode.
Musk owns X, formerly known as Twitter, and frequently proclaims himself a “free speech absolutist.” In a post on X, the San Francisco-based company said only that after careful consideration, it “decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.” It added that Lemon’s show “is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities.”
In a video posted to X on Wednesday, Lemon declared that “ Elon Musk is mad at me ″ and said he will be airing his interview with the Tesla CEO on YouTube and via podcast on Monday.
Lemon didn’t go into specifics about the source of Musk’s alleged unhappiness, but wrote, “Throughout our conversation, I kept reiterating to him that although it was tense at times, I thought it was good for people to see and hear our exchange and that they would learn from our conversation.”
In latest shakeup, Martin Garcia out as Disney oversight board chairman
Martin Garcia is stepping down as chairman of Florida’s Disney World oversight board, creating another leadership shakeup at the district playing a starring role in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ nationally watched feud with the theme park giant.
Garcia’s departure comes about a week after district administrator Glen Gilzean left his post to serve as Orange County’s elections supervisor, a position that pays roughly half the $400,000 annual salary Gilzean earns at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, thanked Garcia for his service on the five-member, governor-appointed board. Garcia was appointed as board chairman in February 2023 as part of a state overhaul of the district previously known as Reedy Creek. His term on the unpaid board ran through 2027.
“We thank and greatly appreciate Martin Garcia for his full year of service to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, having successfully navigated the transition from the former Reedy Creek District and developed a new district focused on transparency and the elimination of corporate welfare,” Griffin said in an email.