Things To Do In SW Florida

The pair of Boeing Starliner astronauts left behind on the International Space Station are finally on their way back to Earth after a planned eight-day trip turned into more than 9 1/2 months in space.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who arrived aboard Starliner as part of its Crew Flight Test last June began their trip home early Tuesday instead in a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

The duo are now part of the Crew-9 mission and flying home with commander Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who arrived last September in the Crew Dragon Freedom with only two crew instead of the normal four so that Williams and Wilmore had space for the flight back.

The hatch on Freedom closed at 11:05 p.m. Monday with undocking at 1:05 a.m. Tuesday.

Dragon separation confirmed! pic.twitter.com/xjToQWAsLm

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025

“On behalf of Crew-9 I’d like to say it was a privilege to call station home, to live and work and be a part of our mission and a team that spans the globe working together in cooperation for the benefit of humanity,” Hague said as the spacecraft inched away from the station. “We know the station’s in great hands. We’re excited to see what you guys are going to accomplish, and we’ll be waiting for you. Crew 9’s going home.” read more

Walt Disney World has shared a wee glimpse of the future regarding the lounge planned for Spaceship Earth.  The establishment will be called GEO-82, and it will be for adults only, according to a Monday post on the official Disney Parks Blog.

The GEO part is very scientific and geodesic sphere-ish, much like Epcot’s iconic structure, and the name’s 82 part is tied to 1982, the year Disney World’s second theme park opened.

“GEO-82 will surround you with iconic shapes and intricate structures inspired by the park’s instantly-recognizable icon,” the post reads. “You’ll sit amid rich textures and warm, metallic tones that echo Spaceship Earth in an elegant and intimate setting.”  It also boasts of views of the new-ish World Celebration gardens and World Showcase Lagoon.

Disney’s 2025: New shows, Magic Kingdom parade, other changes

The lounge’s logo features sleek futuristic type and a G-shaped symbol formed by triangular shapes, echoing the exterior of SSE.

“At GEO-82, you’ll be immersed in the storied history and enduring legacy of this timeless Epcot icon,” according to the description on the official Disney World website. read more

By Lauren Schwahn, NerdWallet

Reducing debt is Americans’ top financial priority for 2025. That’s according to the CFP Board of Standard’s Debt and New Year’s Resolutions Report.

It’s an understandable goal: Household debt is at an all-time high, delinquencies are rising and policy changes under a new presidential administration are adding to financial uncertainty for many consumers.

“The question then is, what conditions are going to exist in the economy that make it either easy or difficult for them to turn things around?” says Bruce McClary, senior vice president of membership and communications at the ​​​​​​​National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

We asked experts to share what could have the biggest impact on people’s debt loads in the coming months, and strategies you can use to pay off debt.

1. Tariffs

President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China earlier this year. Since then, some countries have announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, and certain tariffs have been paused. While the updates may be dizzying, prepare for rising prices across various goods and services. read more

With Republican President Donald Trump’s return to office this year, Big Tech leaders from Silicon Valley’s largest companies — all fighting federal anti-monopoly lawsuits launched under Trump’s previous term and the Democratic Biden administration that followed — have made unprecedented peace offerings.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat behind Trump on his inauguration stage in January. Google and Meta, and Cook personally, donated $1 million each to his inauguration committee. Google and Meta have retreated from diversity programs and social media content moderation that the president has criticized.

But so far, the Trump administration is still using antitrust law to pursue anti-monopoly actions against the three companies and against Amazon, based in Washington state, which also backed off from diversity efforts and donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, where its executive chairman Jeff Bezos sat on stage beside Pichai.

“I have been encouraged that the administration has not fallen into the predictable pattern of prior Republican administrations taking a hands-off approach,” said Stanford Law School professor Mark Lemley, who teaches antitrust law. read more

A black-tie awards ceremony that salutes theme parks and their creators will be staged in Orlando next year after a three-decade run in Southern California. The Thea Awards, presented by the Themed Entertainment Association, dole out recognition for outstanding achievement in categories such as theme park land, immersive technology and spectacular show.

“They’re like the Academy Awards for theme parks and attractions and destinations globally,” Melissa Oviedo, CEO of TEA, said.

The shift reflects a trend in attractions development.

“Orlando really is becoming almost a new epicenter of attraction and entertainment development,” Oviedo said. “We want to be able to celebrate all of the great work that’s being done in that region.”

Universal: One-day Epic Universe theme park tickets now on sale

The awards ceremony caps off the organization’s TEA Inspire Week programming, which includes sessions about the winners’ creative processes, success and challenges, Oviedo said. Those events also will shift to Orlando for 2026. read more