Things To Do In SW Florida

By ADRIANA MORGA

NEW YORK (AP) — Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts, parties, and travel this holiday season?

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  Health inspectors shut down 4 Central Florida restaurants last week

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  Hyundai and Kia will repair millions of vehicles under a deal to fix anti-theft technology

The job market is tough, student loan and credit card debt are rising, and prices for many items remain high due to inflation. If you’re feeling financially strained, know that you’re not the only one feeling that way, said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist and host of the Mind Money Balance podcast.

To avoid putting additional pressure on your finances, use the the holidays as a time to be extra-mindful of how you spend. Remember that spending money isn’t the only way to show your love to your friends and family. read more

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down four Central Florida restaurants for health code violations during the week from Dec. 7-13.

Orange

Sushi B Hibachi & Grill at 12141 Collegiate Way in Orlando shut down on Dec. 10. There were 21 violations, three of which were high priorities. Those violations included raw shell eggs stored over a package of ginger in a walk-in freezer, 49 total rodent droppings and raw shrimp kept overnight inside a reach-in cooler on the cook line. A second inspection occurred on Dec. 11. There were six violations, but none was a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards.

Breakfast Bites at 906 S. Ivey Lane in Orlando shut down on Dec. 10. There were 25 violations, three of which were high priorities. Those violations included raw chicken stored over ready-to-eat food, raw chicken not being separated from a shell egg and 145 rodent droppings found around the restaurant. A second inspection occurred the same day. There were 23 violations, two of which were high priorities for the improperly stored raw chicken over ready-to-eat food and not being separated from a shell egg. The restaurant requires a follow-up inspection, but has reopened since it poses no immediate threat to the public. read more

By JACK DURA, Associated Press

Automakers Hyundai and Kia must offer free repairs to millions of models under a settlement announced Tuesday by Minnesota’s attorney general, who led an effort by dozens of states that argued the vehicles weren’t equipped with proper anti-theft technology, leaving them vulnerable to thefts.

Under the nationwide settlement, the companies will offer a free repair to all eligible vehicles at a cost that could top $500 million, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said. Hyundai and Kia must also outfit all future vehicles sold in the U.S. with a key piece of technology called an engine immobilizer and pay up to $4.5 million of restitution to people whose vehicles were damaged by thieves.

The settlement was reached by 35 states, including California, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The vehicles eligible for fixes date as far back as 2011 and as recently as 2022. About 9 million eligible vehicles were sold nationwide.

Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles soared in part because beginning in 2021, videos posted to TikTok and other social media demonstrated how someone could steal a car with just a screwdriver and a USB cable. Minneapolis reported an 836% increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts from 2021 to 2022. Ellison announced an investigation into the automakers in early 2023. read more

By BRIAN SLODYSKO

WASHINGTON (AP) — Crypto.com was under siege.

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For more than a year, the firm had been investigated by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration, part of an aggressive push to regulate the largely unregulated cryptocurrency industry. Financial regulators had told the company that enforcement action was likely.

Then Donald Trump won the 2024 election, and the company’s legal peril dissipated.

Crypto.com ramped up spending to a lobbyist close to Trump and donated $11 million to political committees tied to the Republican president, records show. Within months, the investigation was dropped. By August, Crypto.com announced it was plunging roughly $1 billion worth of assets into a venture with a new partner — Trump’s social media company. read more