Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week, remaining at historically healthy levels despite recent high-profile layoff announcements.

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Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 24 fell by 1,000 to 209,000 from the previous week’s number which was revised upward by 10,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting 205,000 new applications.

Applications for unemployment benefits are seen as representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. read more

Sitting between a pair of Space Force colonels in room full of military and commercial aerospace representatives, U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos spoke his mind about some of the hurdles that have slowed launch endeavors in the U.S.

“What frustrates me as an American is capitalism is supposed to be faster than communism, and yet you have run into [times] — [for] many companies in this very room — when it’s the government that’s hampering your success. I won’t name acronyms, but we know them all,” he said.

Haridopolos, who represents the Space Coast in Congress and leads the U.S. House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, was speaking Wednesday on a panel at the Space Mobility Conference, a one-day gathering put on by the Space Force that’s part of four days of Commercial Space Week events at the Orange County Convention Center.

He did call out the Environmental Protection Agency, which he said would at times not approve things “because of that bureaucratic inertia.” Another common target from many attendees of the conference has been the paperwork required by the Federal Aviation Administration. read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press Business Writer

Dow is planning to cut approximately 4,500 jobs as the chemicals maker puts more emphasis on using artificial intelligence and automation in its business.

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The company said Thursday that it anticipates about $600 million to $800 million in severance costs related to the cuts. Those costs are part of a broader plan aimed at simplifying operations and streamlining.

Shares of Dow Inc., which has about 34,600 employees globally, fell 2% before the market opened. Dow is based in Midland, Michigan.

In January 2025 Dow executives said the company was seeking $1 billion in cost savings and anticipated cutting about 1,500 jobs worldwide. In July, it announced the closings of three European plants that would eliminate 800 jobs. read more

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press

Google is empowering its Chrome browser with the ability to alter imagery and a virtual assistant to help with online tasks as part of its push to turbocharge its digital services with more artificial intelligence technology.

The features rolling out include making Google’s AI image generator and editing tool, Nano Banana, available to Chrome’s logged-in users on desktop computers in the United States. The expanded access to Nano Banana through the leading web browser may further blur the lines between real-life pictures and fabricated images.

The browser’s expansion will also offer an option for Chrome’s U.S. users to open a side panel so an AI-powered assistant can help with an assortment of chores while a user remains engaged with other online tasks.

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By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — As layoffs pile up, workers are feeling increasingly anxious about the job market.

In the U.S., economists have said that businesses are largely at a “no-hire, no fire” standstill, leading many to limit new work, if not pause openings entirely amid economic uncertainty. Hiring has stagnated overall — with the country adding a meager 50,000 jobs last month, down from a revised figure of 56,000 in November.

But a growing list of companies are also cutting jobs. Employers have initiated layoffs across sectors — with many pointing to rising operational costs that span from President Donald Trump’s barrage of new tariffs, stubborn inflation and shifts in spending from consumers, whose outlook on the U.S. economy recently plummeted to its lowest level since 2014. At the same time, some businesses are reducing their workforces as they redirect money to artificial intelligence, often baked into wider corporate restructuring.

Here are a few of the largest job cuts announced recently. read more