Things To Do In SW Florida

Laurence Darmiento | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

Elon Musk said Tuesday on X that he is moving the headquarters of both SpaceX and the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to Texas — citing several criticisms he has of California and doing business in San Francisco.

Noting a new state law that bans teachers from telling families about student gender identity changes, Musk tweeted that he is moving the headquarters of SpaceX from Hawthorne in Los Angeles County to the company’s launchpad site in Texas.

The move would be a blow to Southern California, where SpaceX has helped to anchor a burgeoning space economy.

“This is the final straw,” tweeted Musk shortly after noon. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.”

The law the SpaceX founder cited was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday after a contentious battle between conservative school boards concerned about parental rights and LGBTQ+ activists worried about vulnerable youths. read more

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

When you have money questions, sometimes a friendly chat with others in similar situations can spark helpful answers. If you’re a mom, those conversations can take place within moms groups. There are local groups like Utah Money Moms, private Facebook groups for single moms and entrepreneurial moms, and many websites geared toward moms interested in sharing smart saving, spending and earning tips.

These groups exist because there is a demand for them, says Amanda Christensen, founder of Utah Money Moms as well as an accredited financial counselor and extension professor at Utah State University. On the Utah Money Moms site, women can pick up tips on topics such as how to save money, how to discuss finances with a partner and how to trim expenses.

“I created the site in an attempt to make personal finance more approachable for women,” she says, citing the gender wage gap and research that shows fewer women feel confident about finances compared with men. read more

PORT CANAVERAL — Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas godmother Meghan Trainor brought the bass while Florida brought the heat for the new massive cruise ship’s naming ceremony on Monday.

The Grammy-award singer and songwriter performed her now decade-old hit “It’s All About That Bass,” although in the gentlest way with a ukulele accompaniment under the searing sun from Port Canaveral ahead of the new ship’s final practice sailing before paying customers board this Friday.

Trainor performed her godmotherly duties saying “bless this ship and everyone who sails on it” as video showed a bottle of sacrificial champagne taking a ride on the ship’s zipline for the traditional christening smash.

Then a storm of paper confetti poured down on and adhered to the sweaty crowd while a drone-propelled disco ball flew overhead.

Attendees were given Utopia-themed sun visors and mini fans as well as bottles of water before the event.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty joked the crowd was supposed to point all the fans toward the stage. read more

Hollerbach’s chief operating officer Chris Cremen notes, with not a small amount of pride, that this popular Sanford restaurant is often full of loud music and loud people, yet when Dennis Dulniak approached him about joining the small but growing roster of Central Florida restaurants catering to people with dementia and their caregivers, “it was an easy ‘yes,’” he says.

“It’s unfortunate, but it seems like everyone has a connection to someone with dementia. So, we want to share awareness and create a fun, happy, safe atmosphere for people to enjoy the gemütlichkeit experience we try and share with everyone.”

Dulniak, whose experience caring for his wife, Nancy, led him to co-found Central Florida Dementia-Friendly Dining, a nonprofit that partners with local restaurants to help create spaces where patients and their caregivers can make memories, “…to give them the respect they deserve and make them feel normal again, because having dementia is not a normal feeling.” read more