FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The head of the European Central Bank said inflation has become more unpredictable due to shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and that policymakers need to take the possibility of such extreme scenarios into account and communicate them to the public as well.
“The world ahead is more uncertain, and that uncertainty is likely to make inflation more volatile,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said Monday in a speech opening the central bank’s annual conference in Sintra, Portugal. “It’s pretty basic but that’s the reality.”read more
Rainy skies may dampen Independence Day fun this week in Central Florida
Fits of showers and downpours forecast across Central Florida this week may put a fizzle on backyard barbecues, firework shows and other traditional Fourth of July activities as weather experts predict increasing chances of rainy weather through Saturday.
Despite the gloomy skies, tens of millions of people are expected to travel by plane or car this holiday weekend, making it one of the busiest Independence Days in years. The holiday falls on a Friday, giving many workers a chance to take advantage of a long weekend.
According to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, the Orlando area could receive up to three inches of rain in total through Saturday, with some pockets seeing more.
That may seem like a lot, but so far this month Central Florida has received three fewer inches of rain for the month of June than normal.
The Orlando area usually gets 7.78 inches of rain for the month, but so far has received only 4.7 inches through Sunday. The rainiest day was June 27, when Orlando received 1.65 inches, according to NWS data.read more
GoFundMe is refurbishing a little-known financial tool in a bid to supercharge everyday giving
NEW YORK (AP) — GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan had some complications while fundraising on his own website last fall.
Several friends wanted to help Cadogan reach his $28,000 goal as he crowdfunded for a Los Angeles area wilderness rescue team. But they tried to donate through a lesser-known wealth management tool called a donor-advised fund, or a DAF, a no-frills investing vehicle for money earmarked as eventual charitable gifts. After cutting checks and waiting three weeks, Cadogan said, the money finally arrived.
“It was just a bit of a thing,” he added. “If they were using a Giving Fund, it would take ten seconds.”
Giving Funds are GoFundMe’s latest in a flurry of product rollouts with the purported goal of moving stagnant U.S. charitable contributions beyond the 2% GDP mark where totals have long hovered. But the for-profit company’s DAF, announced Monday, enters a crowded market of more than a thousand providers — products often with older, wealthier clienteles that are often criticized for warehousing gifts.read more
First look: Epcot’s revised Test Track zooms to future
When Walt Disney World reopens its Test Track attraction at Epcot, visitors can expect a new look and a new future-pointed emphasis during the indoor-outdoor ride that zooms over theme park goers.
A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
An exterior view of the renovated Test Track attraction at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
A guest holds on to his hat during a high-speed spin hitting 65 mph on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests disembark the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Dinsey World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Under stormy skies, a bird takes flight as the monorail passes Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Walt Disney World, Monday, June 30, 2025, in this view from the top of nearby Test Track. Test Track will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests take a spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Dinsey World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Under stormy skies, the monorail passes Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Walt Disney World, Monday, June 30, 2025, in this view from the top of nearby Test Track. Test Track will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Guests arrive Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025, at Walt Disney World. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
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A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
“Previous versions of the ride were very technical. They were car safety. It was kind of showing how cars were designed,” Dan Brookwell, senior project designer, said Monday.
“We wanted to take this humanity lens to the project where we represented this human drive to innovate, this notion that we’ve always been dreaming,” he said.
Test Track’s track remains the same as its predecessors, but its surroundings are changing.
“We brought in a brand new show to the attraction,” said Lisa Dowd, senior producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, during a preview for members of the media.
The queue for the new Test Track includes a trio of concept cars from General Motors, dating from 1900. These are followed by small-scale concepts that have been in development more recently.read more
How homebuyers are using new technology to aid their purchase
In times of economic uncertainty — like where we seem to find ourselves today, for example — buying a house can come with heightened anxiety. The good news is that there are more tools than ever to help homebuyers make the right choice more efficiently. From AI image-matching to high-tech home inspections, new advancements can make the process easier and faster. Here are some of the top homebuying technologies being used today.
AI seems to have infused itself into many parts of modern life, and homebuying is no exception. Mortgage lenders have been using tech for decades in the underwriting process, but now AI is being incorporated into home searches, too. (And with housing inventory on the rise, help in narrowing down your choices is becoming even more useful.)read more