Things To Do In SW Florida

By MICHELLE L. PRICE

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House.

The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies.

The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. read more

Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations.

By MICHAEL CASEY

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.

That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.

“No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve,” HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a statement, adding that the focus should remain on “evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness.” read more

The Disney Treasure may be a sister ship to 2022’s Disney Wish, but it has enough unique features to give it its own identity.

The ship made its maiden voyage out of Port Canaveral on Dec. 21 beginning a spate of seven-night, year-round Caribbean voyages, taking on longer sailing duties while the Wish continues three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries.

Just like its sister ship, the Treasure features the signature AquaMouse water slide on the top decks amid a bevy of pools and hot tubs. The interior is carved up with a similar footprint for kids play areas, adult spaces, restaurants and theaters.

Feeding its unique identity, though, is the theme of adventure, which Jason Roberts with Walt Disney Imagineering, credited to Walt Disney.

“It was Walt’s love of travel and exploring new, unknown, mysterious places and learning about the culture, learning about their storytelling,” Roberts said. “We really have a truly rich history of storytelling at Disney, and so we focus on all those amazing stories that we’ve told throughout the decades, and focusing on the adventure aspect.” read more

Orange County Regional History Center will drop the curtain soon on its exhibit called “Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground” but not before presenting putting out more music-oriented programming.

A session called “Bootleg TV: Documenting Live Music in Orlando” will feature Dave Segal, who created a local music and art TV series that aired from 1998 to 2006. The Jan. 16 event, running from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will include clips from Will’s Pub, Sapphire Supper Club, Go Lounge, Skinny’s and other venues that played host to hometown bands and national acts.

The “Bootleg” session is free as part of the monthly Third Thursday event organized by the Downtown Arts District, but registration through the history center is requested.

“A Conversation With the Punk Rock Museum” will feature a talk by Vinnie Fiorello, a founder of Less Than Jake, a Florida-based ska punk band, on Jan. 17. Fiorello, a core member of Las Vegas’ Punk Rock Museum, will discuss his experiences and views about underground music’s relationship with museums. read more