Things To Do In SW Florida

NASA’s new mobile launcher under construction at Kennedy Space Center to support future Artemis moon missions grew up a little in the new year.

Lead contractor Bechtel National Inc. on Friday completed the lift and placement of the first of seven modular steel blocks that will eventually grow the tower to 390 feet tall.

“This is a significant milestone for the Bechtel and NASA teams,” said Mike Costas, Bechtel’s General Manager of Defense and Space in a press release. “The project team hauled our first tower module 6 miles across Kennedy Space Center, lifted the 550,000-pound assembly over 150 feet and placed it safely on top of the tower chair.”

‘Marching orders haven’t changed’: New Artemis mobile launcher takes shape amid uncertain future

Each of the seven modules that are at least 40 feet tall and weigh at least 400,000 pounds are to be assembled at KSC in a “mod yard,” that allows for safer construction. They are then transported to the main tower construction site adjacent the massive Vehicle Assembly Building. read more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging a Biden administration decision to block Nippon’s proposed $15 billion acquisition of the Pittsburgh company and said that the head of the Steelworkers union and a rival steelmaker worked together to scuttle the buyout.

In moving to block the transaction Friday, Biden said U.S. companies producing a large amount of steel need to “keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” though Japan, where Nippon is based, is a strong ally.

In separate lawsuits filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the steelmakers allege that it was a political decision made by the Biden administration that had no rational legal basis.

“Nippon Steel and U. S. Steel have engaged in good faith with all parties to underscore how the Transaction will enhance, not threaten, United States national security,” the companies said in a prepared statement Monday. read more

TALLAHASSEE — Pointing to Florida’s decades-long fight with deadly citrus greening disease and damage from hurricanes, a major grower Monday announced it will “wind down” citrus operations and focus on more-profitable uses of its land.

Fort Myers-based Alico Inc. said it will not spend additional money on citrus operations after the current crop is harvested. It said about 3,460 acres of its citrus land will be managed by other operators through 2026.

“For over a century, Alico has been proud to be one of Florida’s leading citrus producers and a dedicated steward of its agricultural land, but we must now reluctantly adapt to changing environmental and economic realities,” John Kiernan, Alico’s president and chief executive officer, said in a prepared statement. “Our citrus production has declined approximately 73% over the last 10 years, despite significant investments in land, trees and citrus disease treatments, and the current harvest will likely be lower in volume than the previous season. The impact of Hurricanes Irma in 2017, Ian in 2022 and Milton in 2024 on our trees, already weakened from years of citrus greening disease, has led Alico to conclude that growing citrus is no longer economically viable for us in Florida.” read more

Florida’s preschoolers can get free admission to SeaWorld Orlando theme park and Aquatica Orlando water park for all of 2025. It’s available to the 5-year-old and younger set, but there is a process that must be completed soon.

Registration is made at seaworld.com/orlando, and the deadline to sign up is Feb. 3. The offer is available only online, not at the front gates of the attractions. And Preschool Card holders must visit SeaWorld or Aquatica by Feb. 28. (Valid admission is required for accompanying parents and family members.)

A valid form of ID (a copy of a certified birth certificate or passport) to verify age before entry. School IDs or children security IDs are not accepted, according to SeaWorld’s website. Parents and guardians should have photo IDs with proof of their Florida residential address.

The card remains valid through Dec. 31.

A similar free offer is also available for sister attractions Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island on the Gulf Coast but requires separate registration. read more