Things To Do In SW Florida

By PAUL WISEMAN, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale inflation surged unexpectedly last month, signaling that President Donald Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports are pushing costs up and that higher prices for consumers may be on the way.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers— rose 0.9% last month from June, biggest jump in more than three years. Compared with a year earlier, wholesale prices rose 3.3%.

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  South Korean Supreme Court dismisses US composer’s ‘Baby Shark’ copyright claim

The numbers were much higher than economists had expected. read more

By KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Supreme Court rejected a $21,600 damage claim Thursday by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarizing his version of “Baby Shark,” ending a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy “doo doo doo doo doo doo” hook.

The top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude the company, Pinkfong, infringed on Jonathan Wright’s copyright.

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Q: I’m seeking advice regarding a neighbor who has repeatedly filed unfounded complaints to city authorities about several properties in our neighborhood, including ours. Although most complaints were unfounded, we still had to contend with the stress and inconvenience of dealing with code enforcement. We believe this behavior has escalated beyond a neighborhood dispute into what we believe is harassment and invasion of privacy. What are our legal options to stop this conduct and protect our privacy? — Katherine

A: Understanding your legal options when dealing with a neighbor’s repeated complaints can be complex. While it may feel like harassment, the legal definition is quite specific.

Courts have consistently ruled that filing complaints with government authorities, even if done with malicious intent, generally does not meet the legal criteria for harassment. This is because such actions are considered constitutionally protected activities.

Harassment refers to a course of conduct directed at a specific individual that causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose. However, activities like petitioning the government are excluded from this definition. read more

Lake Margaretta Estates, a proposed 196-acre subdivision in Leesburg from Orlando-based developer American Land Development, won unanimous approval Monday from the Leesburg City Commission, four months after a split planning commission opposed it.

Located south of County Road 48, just west of Howey-in-the-Hills, Lake Margaretta Estates could include up to 586 detached single-family homes, according to plans cited in a report in Growthspotter.

Developer Robert Zlatkiss sought to annex 93 acres to the city and change the land use from its current Rural Transition classification to Estate Residential, which would max out development in the area at four units per acre. He has also applied for rezoning to Planned Unit Development.

Approximately 103 acres of the 196-acre property is already within the city limits. That acreage has city zoning districts of agricultural and estate density residential, with a future land use of estate.

The project is set to be built in two phases, with development of 270 units in Phase 1, and 316 units within Phase 2. At least 35 percent of the total project area would be green space. read more