Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining within the historically healthy range of the past few years.

Related Articles

• 
  NASA, SpaceX shoot for predawn Crew-12 launch with sonic boom possible

• 
  Average US long-term mortgage rate dips to where it was 3 week ago, just above 6%

• 
  US homes sales fell sharply in January, even as mortgage rates continued to ease

• 
  US stocks drop as investors try to separate AI losers from winners

• 
  How to face down estate planning paralysis

Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Feb. 7 fell by 5,000 to 227,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s basically in line with the 226,000 new applications that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

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

United Launch Alliance suffered yet another fiery burn-through on one of its solid rocket boosters during a national security mission Thursday.

The Vulcan rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 4:22 a.m. on the USSF-87 mission for the Space Force, ULA’s first launch of the year and only its fourth launch of a Vulcan.

Tracking footage from this morning’s launch of @ulalaunch‘s Vulcan rocket & the USSF-87 mission for @USSpaceForce – filmed from a perspective 3.9 miles to the west of SLC-41.

SRM nozzle burn through plainly visible on the right-hand side of the vehicle, protruding in the… pic.twitter.com/1oBpcRf3Ix

— Max Evans (@_MaxQ_) February 12, 2026

Video of the rocket’s flight showed problems with one of the four GEM 63XL boosters, which are built by Northrop Grumman. The normal plume of propellant could be seen burning through the nozzle area at the booster’s base, followed by a series of sparks blasting away from the rocket as it climbed on its way through the dark Florida skies before sunrise. read more

Russia has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in the country, the company said, the latest move in an ongoing government effort to tighten control over the internet.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said late Wednesday that the Russian authorities’ action was intended to “drive users to a state-owned surveillance app,” a reference to Russia’s own state-supported MAX messaging app that’s seen by critics as a surveillance tool.

“Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” the WhatsApp spokesperson said. “We continue to do everything we can to keep people connected.”

Russia’s government has already blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and ramped up other online restrictions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms should comply with Russian law to see it unblocked, according to the state Tass news agency. read more

Q: I let my cousin stay with me for a couple of weeks while she was having some issues. Those couple of weeks have now turned into a couple of months, and I can’t really deal with her anymore. How do I get her out? — Sheila

A: Sometimes situations that begin with good intentions become more complicated than expected. Offering a helping hand to a loved one in need is admirable, but when a temporary arrangement extends far beyond the original timeline, it can create tension and strain.

First, communication is essential. Sit down with your cousin for an honest, direct conversation about what is happening.

Be kind but firm. This is not the time to avoid the issue.

Explain that the arrangement has gone beyond what you originally agreed to and why it is no longer sustainable for you. Set a clear deadline for when she needs to move out, and make sure she understands it is a firm boundary, not a suggestion.

It helps to put this in writing, even a follow-up text or email, so there is no confusion later. Keep a record of your conversations and any steps you take, in case you need documentation later. read more

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Activists planned protests at more than two dozen Target stores around the United States on Wednesday to pressure the discount retailer into taking a public stand against the 5-week-old immigration crackdown in its home state of Minnesota.

ICE Out Minnesota, a coalition of community groups, religious leaders, labor unions and other critics of the federal operation, called for sit-ins and other demonstrations to continue at Target locations for a full week. Target’s headquarters are located in Minneapolis, where federal officers last month killed two residents who had participated in anti-ICE protests, and its name adorns the city’s major league baseball stadium and an arena where its basketball teams plays.

“They claim to be part of the community, but they are not standing up to ICE,” said Elan Axelbank, a member of the Minnesota chapter of Socialist Alternative, which describes itself as a revolutionary political group. He organized a Wednesday protest outside a Target store in Minneapolis’ Dinkytown commercial district. read more