Things To Do In SW Florida

Billionaire and two-time traveler to space Jared Isaacman could soon get the full Senate’s attention for his nomination by President Donald Trump to be the next head of NASA.

Isaacman testified April 9 before the Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation and written responses to questions from Republican and Democratic members were published Thursday.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and committee chairman, set a 10 a.m. session for Wednesday during which members could vote on Isaacman’s nomination and send it to the Senate floor for consideration.

Members from both sides of the aisle raised concerns about proposed budget cuts, especially to science missions, and pressed Isaacman for commitments to prioritize the moon over Mars.

His responses tiptoed around some issues, such as how involved SpaceX founder Elon Musk may have been in Trump’s decision to nominate Isaacman, as well avoiding any outright financial promises.

Isaacman twice flew as a customer of SpaceX, first with the Inspiration4 mission in 2021 on what was the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight. Last year he was on the Polaris Dawn mission during which he and a SpaceX employee performed the first commercial spacewalk. read more

Frustrated by what they see as high costs and low ridership, Seminole County officials plan to cut most Lynx bus routes and launch a micro-transit service that dispatches small vans to homes and offices to shuttle riders around the county.

The plan would leave running the most heavily used routes closest to the Orange County border but would cancel the others that county officials say often have mostly empty buses.

According to details unveiled at a county meeting this week, Seminole would hire a private company by Oct. 1 to provide on-demand, door-to-door van service for most of the county — except in the eastern rural area where Lynx doesn’t provide service.

Seminole Commissioners have long blasted Orlando-based Lynx — which runs buses in Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties — as inefficient and not worth the $17 million cost this year.

But some longtime Seminole Lynx riders wonder if replacing many routes with a door-to-door, on-demand service would be efficient and dependable.

On a recent morning, Paul Pilkington waited to transfer to a second bus at a Lynx stop in Fern Park. He frequently uses Lynx for medical appointments, taking buses to get from his home near Longwood to Orlando because he can’t afford a car. read more

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House approved a major overhaul of hotel taxes on Friday, a change that could have far-reaching ramifications for Orlando and the region’s tourism industry.

The House’s plan would transform the tourist development tax, mandating that 75% of revenue go to property tax relief starting in 2026. County leaders could spend the remaining portion on any civic need they choose, flexibility that has been sought by some local officials in recent years.

The shakeup still needs approval from the Senate and the governor to take effect, and, while they are all touting tax relief, they are at odds over how to cut Floridians’ tax bills.

The changes would apply statewide, but they would be particularly felt in Orlando, the world’s theme park capital and a mega-tourism destination.

Orange County collected about $360 million in hotel taxes last year from a 6% levy on hotel room and short-term rental nights. Historically, the revenues have been spent on the marketing organization Visit Orlando, building and expanding the convention center and sports and arts venues. read more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

President Donald Trump is badgering the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but even if the Fed gave in to the pressure, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to lower borrowing costs for consumers.

In fact, economists say, Trump’s ongoing attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his tariff policies could keep the longer-term interest rates that matter for consumers and businesses higher than they otherwise would be. A less-independent Fed can lead, over time, to higher borrowing costs, as investors worry that inflation may spike in the future. As a result they demand higher yields to own Treasury securities.

Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to cut the short-term interest rate that the central bank controls. The Fed typically reduces its rate during an economic downturn to encourage more borrowing and spending, and raises it to cool the economy and fight inflation when prices rise.

But long-term rates on things like mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards are largely set by market forces. And in recent weeks, fears that Trump’s sweeping tariffs could raise inflation, along with the administration’s threats to the Fed’s independence, have led markets to push those longer term rates higher. It’s not clear that the Fed can fully reverse those trends by itself. read more

By JOSH BOAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump can’t stop contradicting himself on his own tariff plans.

He says he’s on a path to cut several new trade deals in a few weeks — but has also suggested it’s “physically impossible” to hold all the needed meetings.

Trump has said he will simply set new tariff rates negotiated internally within the U.S. government over the next few weeks — although he already did that on his April 2 “Liberation Day,” which caused the world economy to shudder.

The Republican president says he’s actively negotiating with the Chinese government on tariffs — while the Chinese and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said talks have yet to start.

What should one believe? The sure bet is that uncertainty will persist in ways that employers and consumers alike expect to damage the economy and that leave foreign leaders scratching their heads in bewilderment.

And the consequences of all this tariffs turmoil are enormous.

Trump placed tariffs totaling 145% on China, leading China to retaliate with tariffs of 125% on the U.S. — essentially triggering a trade war between the world’s two largest economies with the potential to bring on a recession. read more