Things To Do In SW Florida

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. government shutdown has rattled air travel — most recently with an unprecedented effort from the Federal Aviation Administration to cut flights by 10% at airports nationwide. And the disruptions are causing some to instead hit the road or buy a train ticket.

That could mean more business for car rentals, long-haul buses and commuter rails like Amtrak — particularly if flight delays and cancellations continue piling up as the U.S. approaches Thanksgiving and other peak holiday travel.

Amid the latest scramble, Hertz is already reporting a sharp increase in one-way car rentals. One-way reservations have spiked more that 20% through the coming weekend compared with the same period last year, according to the company, which has also pointed to the shutdown’s ongoing strain on travel overall.

“We join the airlines in urging Congress to swiftly pass a clean continuing resolution and restore certainty for travelers,” Hertz CEO Gil West said in a statement. “Every day of delay creates unnecessary disruption.” read more

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday accused foreign-owned meat packers of driving up the price of beef in the U.S. and asked the Department of Justice to open an investigation.

The Republican president announced the move on social media days after his party suffered losses in key elections in which the winning Democratic candidates focused relentlessly on the public’s concerns about the cost of living.

“I have asked the DOJ to immediately begin an investigation into the Meat Packing Companies who are driving up the price of Beef through Illicit Collusion, Price Fixing, and Price Manipulation,” Trump wrote in the social media post.

“We will always protect our American Ranchers, and they are being blamed for what is being done by Majority Foreign Owned Meat Packers, who artificially inflate prices, and jeopardize the security of our Nation’s food supply,” he continued.

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Progressives warn Democrats against alienating the left and blast Schumer’s Senate leadership read more

Q. I am 64 and recently widowed. I plan on working until age 70 before I apply for a Social Security benefit. I currently earn $150,000 per year. Are there any disadvantages in applying for a survivor benefit now? I understand that applying for a survivor benefit now will not prevent me from applying for my work benefit at age 70. Is that correct? I intend to apply for Medicare when I reach 65. I also intend to periodically make withdrawals from my IRA. How will these factors affect my tax situation?

A. It is correct that you can initiate a survivor benefit now and at 70 apply for a larger benefit based on your work record. Although you can file for a survivor benefit now, there is a disadvantage. Because you have not reached your full retirement age (FRA), your survivor benefit will be reduced because of the level of your current income.

Under current regulations, in 2025, any income that you report above $23,400 will result in a reduction of any Social Security benefit of $1 for every $2 of income above $23,400. So, if you report $150,000 in income, that would exceed the $23,400 limit by $126,600. So, $63,300 would be withheld from Social Security. You would receive no survivor benefit. After you reach FRA, there will be no penalty associated with income above $23,400. So you should consider waiting until you reach your FRA before you apply for a survivor benefit. read more

The National Funeral Directors Association annual convention, which happens every October, and has met for more than 140 years, was not a solemn gathering. There was a small bar off to the side, between the booth for Southern Funeral Director Magazine and a casket maker. I saw women dressed as flowers trying to drum up attention for an AI-assisted database for funeral homes. I saw a man take bites of his hot dog between answering questions about cremation niches, those roomy holding spaces for urns. Hubert McQuestion, vice president of a longtime family-owned vault company, told me he slipped a check for $2 million into his late father’s jacket pocket, to be buried with him for eternity, though: “He still hasn’t cashed it.”

The Eagle Coach Company displays a hearse that carries an urn, Oct. 29, 2025, during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention at McCormick Place. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) A natural leaf casket made from water hyacinth on display, Oct. 29, 2025, during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention at McCormick Place. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Love Urns products are on display Oct. 29, 2025, during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention at McCormick Place. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Seth Viddal walks by his Natural Funerals device that can turn a body into a soil, Oct. 29, 2025, during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention at McCormick Place. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Love Urns products are on display, Oct. 29, 2025, during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention at McCormick Place. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)