Things To Do In SW Florida

Travelers who love to cruise will soon have a new vessel for “wasting away again” with the announcement of Margaritaville at Sea‘s newest and largest cruise ship.

At 102,500 gross tons — with room to accommodate 2,680 passengers at double occupancy and a maximum of 3,450 guests — the Beachcomber will eclipse the cruise line’s other two ships, the Islander and Paradise. The ship that will become the Beachcomber is currently operating as Costa Cruise Lines’ Costa Fortuna, which debuted in 2003 and sails in the Mediterranean Sea.

The vessel, which will continue to sail with Costa until late next year, features 13 passenger decks, expansive outdoor spaces and an eight-story center atrium.

“With the acquisition of our third ship in three years, we are proud to once again invite guests to step into the Margaritaville state of mind on the open ocean,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea, in a news release. “The launch of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander was a significant moment for our company, and the acquisition of the Costa Fortuna, our largest ship to date, gives us another exciting opportunity to bring even more fun and escapism to guests from a new homeport.” read more

By SEUNG MIN KIM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was “highly unlikely” to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a public statement made less than 24 hours after suggesting in a private meeting that he was leaning in favor of dismissing the head of the nation’s central bank.

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Trump confirmed that in a White House meeting Tuesday night with about a dozen House Republicans he had discussed the “concept” of dismissing Powell, long a target because of his refusal to lower interest rates as Trump wants. read more

By JONATHAN MATTISE and JENNIFER McDERMOTT

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — Near signs that warn of radioactive risk at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a half-dozen workers from the nuclear power company X-energy are making what appear to be gray billiard balls. Inside, they’re packed with thousands of tiny black spheres that each contain a speck of uranium enriched beyond what today’s power plants use.

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The United States is chasing a new age of nuclear power that banks on domestic production of reactor fuel like X-energy is making, and though the work at Oak Ridge is unfolding across just 3,000 square feet, X-energy and others are already revving up for big production. read more

Six Central Florida restaurants shut down the week of July 6-12, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange

Crazy Buffet at 7038 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando shut down on July 9. Inspectors found 29 violations, three of which were high priorities for raw food not separated from ready-to-eat food, roach activity and food held at the wrong temperatures. The restaurant remained closed on July 10 because the restaurant hadn’t complied with the emergency order. On July 11, a third and final inspection occurred. Inspectors found 23 violations, with only one being a high priority. The restaurant requires a follow-up inspection, but has reopened since it poses no threat to the general public.

Judy’s Diner at 5220 Old Winter Garden Road in Orlando shut down on July 11. Inspectors found 26 violations, five of which were high priorities. Those violations included roach activity and excrement, flying insects and wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeding the maximum concentration. A second inspection occurred the same day. Inspectors found 12 violations, none of which was deemed a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — An $8 billion class action investors’ lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company leaders — current and former — begins Wednesday, with claims stemming from the 2018 privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

Investors allege in their lawsuit that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users’ personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016. Shareholders say Facebook officials repeatedly and continually violated a 2012 consent order with the Federal Trade Commission under which Facebook agreed to stop collecting and sharing personal data on platform users and friends without their consent.

Facebook later sold user data to commercial partners in direct violation of the consent order and removed disclosures from privacy settings that were required under consent order, the lawsuit alleges.

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Today in History: July 17, Disneyland’s opening day read more