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Two new Walt Disney World stage shows are now presenting storytelling enhanced with technology. “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” and “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” have arrived on the daily schedule at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park, and they both feature fresh special effects surrounding familiar characters.

The villains show starts with a splashy set that’s framed by, well, frames. It’s all playing off Magic Mirror as a central character, and a lot happens on screens within those jauntily placed frames, including appearances by 85 villains and sidekicks plus shattering effects.

On stage, it’s Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent pleading their cases to be the most misunderstood. Magic Mirror, long tasked with “fairest of them all” duties, is asked to pick.

“They don’t know one another. They’ve never met. They don’t know each other’s stories. And as far as they’re concerned, they are the most amazing dark creature in their world,” Mark Renfrow, show director, said after a media preview Tuesday evening. read more

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ views of the economy improved in May after five straight months of declines sent consumer confidence to its lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, largely driven by anxiety over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

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  S&P 500 rallies 2% as Wall Street’s roller-coaster ride whips back upward

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 12.3 points in May to 98, up from April’s 85.7, its lowest reading since May 2020.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market jumped 17.4 points to 72.8, but remained below 80, which can signal a recession ahead. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s roller-coaster ride created by President Donald Trump’s trade policies whipped back upward on Tuesday, this time because of a delay for his tariffs on the European Union.

The S&P 500 leaped 2% in its first trading since Trump said Sunday that the United States will delay a 50% tariff on goods coming from the European Union until July 9 from June 1. The European Union’s chief trade negotiator later said on Monday that he had “good calls” with Trump officials and the EU was “fully committed” to reaching a trade deal by July 9.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 740 points, or 1.8%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 2.5%. They more than recovered their losses from Friday, when Wall Street’s roller coaster dropped after Trump announced the tariffs on France, Germany and the other 25 countries represented by the European Union.

Such talks give hopes that the United States can reach a deal with one of its largest trading partners that would keep global commerce moving and avoid a possible recession. Trump declared a similar pause on his stiff tariffs for products coming from China earlier this month, which launched an even bigger rally on Wall Street at the time. read more

SpaceX managed to send its developmental Starship back into space surpassing the explosive fates that befell its last two attempts, while also for the first time flying with a reused Super Heavy booster. But not everything went well with the upper stage, which lost control during its suborbital trip halfway around the Earth.

The massive combined rocket and spacecraft began its the ninth suborbital test flight well, lifting off from the company’s Texas site Starbase at 7:37 p.m. EDT.

“It’s one hell of sight from here,” said SpaceX commentator Dan Huot. “We see it arcing right over top of us, we see 33 out of 33 Raptor engines lit on Super Heavy as it starts to ascend skyward.”

“That was incredible. We could feel the building shaking here, feel the vehicle’s power,” added SpaceX’s Jessie Anderson.

The booster’s reuse was mostly successful, having previously flown in January. Unlike its last trip, SpaceX was not attempting a recovery back at the launch site, and the booster broke apart shortly before its attempted splashdown over the Gulf waters off the coast of Texas. read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN

It’s the last day to book a flight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with a fee to check bags after the airline abandoned a decades-long luggage policy that executives once described as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals.

The airline announced the change in March, saying at the time that the the new policy would start with flights booked on Wednesday.

Southwest said Tuesday that it will be charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second checked bag. Weight and size limits will apply for bags.

Southwest had built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free. Under its new policy, people who haven’t either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business class ticket or hold the airline’s credit card will have to pay for checked bags.

Southwest will continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag. read more