Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week but remains in the same historically low range of the past few years.

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Applications for jobless aid for the week ending Jan. 31 rose by 22,000 to 231,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s significantly more than the 211,000 new applications that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.

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

Q: In the apartment I rent, I recently noticed a damp spot on the wall near the ceiling. It was a little discolored, and I mentioned it to my landlord. Who thanked me but did nothing. The spot is now larger and changing color. I’m concerned about mold, and my landlord doesn’t seem to be taking any action. Is there anything I should be doing? — Anton

A: You should be concerned about a damp spot on your wall, especially if it spreads or discolors. While it might not be dangerous, it could be. At the very least, it is unsightly. While it is frustrating that your landlord has not taken the issue seriously, there are steps you can take to address it effectively. Your health and safety should always come first. Mold is not inevitable just because you have a damp spot. Still, because it can cause respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems, you should take this seriously.

As with any legal or housing issue, document everything. Take clear photos of the damp spot, capturing its size and progression. If your phone has a setting to automatically record the date and time on each photo, ensure it is enabled. Keep a detailed written record of your interactions with your landlord, including their responses and any lack thereof. When you speak with them in person or by phone, follow up with an email to confirm the discussion and maintain a written record to prevent misunderstandings later. Always communicate professionally, being polite but firm, and do not get upset even if things do not go the way you want them to. read more

An upsided minifigure is one of the aliens that greets Legoland Florida visitors to Lego Galaxy area and Galacticoaster. The new indoor roller coaster opens Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) The exterior of Galacticoaster includes a re-creationg of actual Lego playsets with space themes. The coaster opens at Legoland Florida on Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) The exterior of Galacticoaster includes a re-creationg of actual Lego playsets with space themes. The coaster opens at Legoland Florida on Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) Legoland Florida is preparing to unwrap an indoor roller coaster. Its entrance includes upsized Lego minifigures and structures based on toy sets. Galacticoaster opens to the public Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) A Lego space flower appears to blossom in the play area of Galacticoaster, an indoor coaster opening at Legoland Florida theme park on Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) Alien Tourist, an upsided minifigure, stands in the courtyard as a photo opportunity for Legoland Florida visitors. The park’s Galacticoaster is scheduled to open to the public on Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) Biff Dipper, a next-generation animatronic for Legoland Florida, greets theme park visitors as part of the queue for the new Galacticoaster. The ride opens to the public Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) Rosie Brailsford, senior project director for Merlin Magic Making, tours visitors through the queue for Galacticoaster, an indoor coaster opening at Legoland Florida on Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) Posters in one room of the queue for the new Galacticoaster show off digital options for the ride vehicle. The attraction opens to the public Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) The first lobby of the new Galacticoaster includes Lego spaceship models, some of which are discontinued and difficult to find. The indoor roller coaster opens to the public Feb. 27. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel) The spinning ride vehicles for Galacticoaster include a lap bar that comes down over passenger heads. Visitors access the cars via a moving sidewalk. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel)

WINTER HAVEN – Final preparations are being made inside and outside Galacticoaster, Florida’s newest roller coaster, which is set to open at Legoland Florida theme park this month.

Space-themed Lego models — rotating ride vehicles that are customized by passengers and a next-generation animatronic named Biff Dipper — are prominent parts of the indoor coaster.

Near the entrance is a brick-by-brick and way-bigger-than-life model of Lego set 918, a spaceship introduced in 1979.

It’s “a classic ship, but it’s got some extra flourishes that you only really find in the Legoland park,” says Rosie Brailsford, senior project director for Merlin Magic Making, the creative arm of Merlin Entertainments.

About four years ago, Brailsford was instructed to work with Lego Group to develop an attraction that would work on a global platform, she says.

“They have a line, kind of from the ’70s and various different iterations of that, which is what you will find in Lego Galaxy,” she says. “So, it’s kind of a merge of past and present and opportunity for future iterations as well.” read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is losing ground Wednesday under the weight of sinking technology stocks.

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The S&P 500 fell 1%, coming off its fourth drop in the last five days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 39 points, or 0.1%, as of 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.2%.

Most stocks within the S&P 500 are rising, but falling technology stocks are weighing on the index for a second straight day. Advanced Micro Devices dropped 17.3% even though the chip company reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also gave a forecast for revenue for the start of 2026 that topped analysts’ expectations, but that may not have been enough for investors after its stock had doubled over the last 12 months. read more