Things To Do In SW Florida

By RIO YAMAT

Boeing is getting back the ability to perform final safety inspections on 737 Max jetliners and certify the planes for flight more than six years after crashes of the then-new model killed 346 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

Related Articles

• 
  Sara Jane Moore, who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, dies at 95

• 
  Ex-financier indicted on sex trafficking charges along with former personal assistant

• 
  After massive shrimp recalls, the FDA finds radioactive contamination in spices too

• 
  Gunman who blamed NFL for hiding brain injury dangers had CTE, medical examiner confirms

• 
  Federal agents fire chemicals as protesters try to block car at immigration site outside Chicago

The FAA said it decided to restore the aerospace company’s authorization to issue airworthiness certificates for Max and 787 Dreamliner passenger planes starting Monday following “a thorough review of Boeing’s ongoing production quality.” read more

Family and friends of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala wiped away tears and hugged each other at a Kissimmee funeral home on Friday, as they remembered the fun-loving man who relished visiting theme parks.

A large monitor displayed hundreds of photos — one after another — that showed Zavala at Central Florida attractions. One showed him with a huge grin in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World wearing a Star Wars cap. In another, he held up a colorful fruity drink while surrounded by family members. A short video showed Zavala about to board a ride at Disney and laughing.

His family this week described the 32-year-old Kissimmee man as a “roller coaster freak.”

Zavala died Sept. 17 after he lost consciousness while riding the new Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe.

Nearly a hundred people filled a large memorial room at the Funeraria San Juan funeral home to remember Zavala. A Catholic priest began with a brief prayer service in Spanish, saying that though Zavala used a wheelchair because of a lifelong spinal condition, he was proud and never let that hold him back. read more

By DIDI TANG, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of a House committee that pushed for the law demanding TikTok be spun off from its Chinese owners has requested an urgent briefing from the White House, one day after Trump signed an executive order supporting a proposed deal that would put the popular social video platform under U.S. ownership.

In a statement released Friday, Rep. John Moolenaar, the chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, praised the proposed deal as “an important step” in transitioning ownership of the TikTok platform to American hands but he emphasized that “divestment was not the law’s only requirement.”

“The law also set firm guardrails that prohibit cooperation between ByteDance and any prospective TikTok successor on the all-important recommendation algorithm, as well as preclude operational ties between the new entity and ByteDance,” Moolenaar said.

The Michigan Republican’s statement marks the first congressional effort to conduct oversight into the negotiations over TikTok, coming nearly two weeks after Chinese and American officials met in Spain to discuss a framework divestment deal for TikTok. Trump on Thursday signed an executive order providing support for the deal, and said Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to move forward with negotiations. read more

Museum of Illusions Orlando is planning a five-day countdown event for Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

The Icon Park attraction will include exclusive photo opportunities, themed decor, curated playlists and hidden Easter eggs inspired by Swift from Sept. 29 through Oct. 3. “Showgirl” is set to drop Oct. 3 with 12 songs. It’s her first album since “The Tortured Poets Department” was released in April 2024. The entertainer’s last 10 albums have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The International Drive attraction is offering $17.99 admission Monday through Thursday on online purchases. Space is limited, and advance ticket purchases are encouraged.

Swift also has a presence at neighboring Icon Park attraction Madame Tussauds Orlando. A wax figure of the entertainer showing off her “reputation” catsuit look is featured there. It was one of 13 Swift figures launched at Tussauds attractions worldwide this summer.

Museum of Illusions experiences are built on mind-bending exhibits and optical tricks that lend themselves to photo ops. read more

Universal Studios theme park’s Tribute Store again is up and running with an elaborate look and theme, this time tied to Halloween Horror Nights and its assorted haunted houses and characters.

The seasonal pop-up merchandise store has a fresh location. It’s operating inside the former gaming arcade in the New York area of the park. The main entrance is behind the Palace theater facade, which now has “Tribute Store” spelled out on its marquee. It also takes up space that is the gift shop incorporated into the exit from the Revenge of the Mummy ride, so the end can be congested with waves of recent roller coaster riders.

The high-ceilinged space is outfitted to continue the far-reaching conservatory theming of HHN 2025 with stained-glass looks and traveling vines. But it also comes with its own sort of storyline involving the Museum of Antiquities and an opening-night gala gone wrong.

“Our story starts in the 1920s, and there was an opening night gala of occult artifacts of the world, so creepy items, cursed items,” Rob Cametti, senior director of visual merchandise, said during HHN’s opening night media preview. “What could go wrong with that?” read more