Things To Do In SW Florida

SpaceX and NASA under pressure to get a pair of Boeing Starliner astronauts home sooner than later announced Tuesday they have shifted plans for the next mission to the International Space Station.

The Crew-10 mission to the ISS is now targeting as early as March 12. Its four passengers are headed there to relieve the Crew-9 mission, which includes NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who flew up to the ISS on board the Starliner but were left behind for safety reasons.

The duo have been on board the ISS since June 6 having arrived on Starliner’s Crew Flight Test mission that launched from Cape Canaveral last year.

What was supposed to be as short as an eight-day stay has now passed eight full months on board after NASA opted to send Starliner home without crew because of concerns over thruster failures and helium leaks in its propulsion module.

Watchdog panel’s annual NASA safety report reveals new Boeing Starliner issue, questions viable future

The Starliner astronauts were then assigned to ride home with SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which flew up to the ISS in September carrying only two instead of four crew, leaving open two seats for Williams and Wilmore for the eventual ride home. read more

By AAMER MADHANI

PARIS (AP) — In his first big moment on the world stage, Vice President JD Vance delivered an unmistakable message: the United States under the 47th president has room for you on the Trump train — but it also has no problem leaving you behind.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Universal Epic Universe will include a variety of enchanting dining locations – Café L’air De La Sirène, Le Gobelet Noir and more – filled with French-inspired cuisine and new iterations of familiar favorites. The Alchemist’s Platter (Le Gobelet Noir) is an exquisite spread featuring smoked sausage, potato and cheese pierogies, tangy pickled eggs, vibrant marinated beets, savory caramelized onions, and a warm pretzel served with zesty German mustard and cheese fondue. (Universal Orlando)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Universal Epic Universe will include a variety of enchanting dining locations – Café L’air De La Sirène, Le Gobelet Noir and more – filled with French-inspired cuisine and new iterations of familiar favorites. The Quiche Lorraine (Café L’air De La Sirène) is a savory dish featuring egg custard baked in a flaky pie crust filled with crispy bacon, gruyère cheese and caramelized onions with mornay sauce, and a side of fresh berries topped with a lavender honey drizzle. (Universal Orlando) read more

MIAMI — If any husbands or boyfriends mess up Valentine’s Day this week, it’s not because of a shortage of flowers.

In the run up to Feb. 14, agricultural specialists at Miami International Airport have processed about 940 million stems of cut flowers, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Around 90% of the fresh cut flowers being sold for Valentine’s Day in the United States come through Miami, while the other 10% pass through Los Angeles.

Roses, carnations, pompons, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and gypsophila arrive on hundreds of flights, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador, to Miami on their journey to florists and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada.

Miami’s largest flower importer is Avianca Cargo, based in Medellín, Colombia. In the past three weeks, the company has transported about 18,000 tons of flowers on 300 full cargo flights, senior vice president Diogo Elias said during a news conference last week in Miami.

Love is in the air — put some in your belly, Orlando read more

By Karen Bennett, Bankrate.com

Vivian Thornton received quite a shock when she logged onto her bank account and noticed an unfamiliar debit charge for concert tickets totaling more than $2,000. In fact, the hefty charge had brought her account to a negative balance, says Thornton, who is a small business-owner and Charlotte, North Carolina, resident.

On the day this happened, in 2023, Thornton had used her debit card just once — to fill up her gas tank, she recounted to Bankrate. “I later went to deposit some checks online and noticed that unfamiliar charge. It was a really huge shock because I’ve never even purchased tickets through Ticketmaster, so it was kind of like, ‘Wow, where did this come from?’ ”

Thornton, who also had told her story in a TikTok video, was the victim of identity theft, which, among many other problems, could result in one’s checking or savings account being drained by fraudsters. Identity theft is one of the most common types of financial fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In fact, the agency received more than 1 million reports of identity theft in 2023. read more