Things To Do In SW Florida

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that a deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

“There’s no question about it,” Trump said, answering questions about the deal and various other topics as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal. If approved by regulators, the merger would put two of the world’s biggest streaming services under the same ownership and join Warner’s television and motion picture division, including DC Studios, with Netflix’s vast library and its production arm.

The deal, which could reshape the entertainment industry, has to “go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

“Netflix is a great company. They’ve done a phenomenal job. Ted is a fantastic man,” he said of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, noting that they met in the Oval Office last week before the deal was announced Dec. 5. “I have a lot of respect for him but it’s a lot of market share, so we’ll have to see what happens.” read more

By KELVIN CHAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

Shopping assistant chatbots were a novelty a year ago. Now, they’re everywhere.

After rolling out AI-powered assistants, online retailers and tech companies have been adding more artificial intelligence features to make online shopping easier and more convenient.

The latest crop of AI-powered shopping services and tools made their debut in recent weeks, just in time to kick off the holiday shopping season that begins with Black Friday.

Here’s a rundown of existing and newly released AI services that can help with your search for the perfect gift in the run-up to Christmas:

Retail chatbots

Amazon led the way by rolling out its Rufus chatbot in 2024. Other ecommerce websites followed with their own AI assistants to enhance the online shopping experience.

Walmart’s Sparky chatbot is available on the retail giant’s app and can synthesize reviews or offer product recommendations based on occasions, such as Christmas. Target recently unveiled a gift finder chatbot on its app, but it’s only available for the holiday season. Ralph Lauren partnered with Microsoft on the “Ask Ralph” chatbot to provide style recommendations. read more

Reports of recent job cuts, especially by tech companies, have spurred speculation about the impact of AI on the workplace: Will the advanced computing technology increasingly replace people on the job?

That was on Kaitlyn McCormick’s mind as she pursued a bachelor’s degree in the information technology field. She is now working toward a master’s in artificial intelligence and machine learning through CSU Global, an online, fully accredited university that’s part of the Colorado State University system.

“If you’re thinking four years or two years of education is going to take you to right where you need to be and you’ll be fine for the next 50 years, that’s not reality,” McCormick said. “If you don’t try to become more relevant, you’re going to be left behind. That’s the cold, dark truth.”

McCormick, who lives in Littleton, has worked in IT for about 16 years and has been a software engineer at Q2 Software Inc. for almost 10 years. The firm had a recent companywide discussion about incorporating AI into its platform. Some employees expressed angst and uncertainty about the prospect. read more

Downtown Miami’s Okan Tower will be the state’s tallest building when it opens in 2027, seizing the title from the Panorama Tower with a height of more than 900 feet.

The 85-story Panorama Tower has held the title since 2018 when it opened in downtown Miami. The aptly named Panorama stands 868 feet high.

The Okan, a 70-story luxury skyscraper currently under construction, will be even taller at nearly 908 feet.

Built by Turkish developer Okan Group, the tower’s striking curves are meant to emulate the silhouette of a tulip, Turkey’s national flower.

The $500 million project calls for a 294-key hotel by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, 236 condo-hotel units and 163 “sky residences” condos along with extensive amenities.

Taller buildings are in the pipeline, including the One Brickell City Centre office tower at 1,000 feet, the 888 Brickell by Dolce & Gabbana condo-hotel tower at 1,049 feet and the Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami, also at 1,049 feet, the maximum height permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration. read more

By JOSH FUNK, AP Transportation Writer

The nation’s freight railroads are going to be able to try relying more on technology and inspect their tracks in person less often after the federal government approved their waiver request on Friday.

The Association of American Railroads trade group asked for the relief from inspection requirements that were written back in 1971 because railroads believe the automated track inspection technology they use today is so good at spotting problems early that human inspections aren’t needed as frequently. They say that extended tests that BNSF and Norfolk Southern ran show that safety actually improved even when human inspections were reduced from twice a week to twice a month.

The Federal Railroad Administration didn’t go quite that far in its decision, but the agency said railroads will be able to cut inspections down to only once a week under the approved waiver.

The railroads had also asked for permission to have up to three days to repair defects identified by the automated inspections. But the Federal Railroad Administration said any serious defects in the tracks must be repaired immediately and all defects should be addressed within 24 hours. read more