Things To Do In SW Florida

By Katie Kelton, Bankrate.com

The winter holidays are a time for dusting off decorations and observing traditions — but they’re also rife with money decisions.

Americans are choosing how much to spend on travel, gifts and decorations in today’s economy, along with how they’ll make those purchases. Some holiday shoppers and travelers plan to use credit cards, but debit cards; buy now, pay later services (BNPL); and rewards points are other popular payment options.

Bankrate’s key findings on holiday spending

Fewer Americans will travel for holidays this year, compared with last year: 21% plan to fly or stay in a hotel or short-term rental for Thanksgiving or the December holidays, compared to 27% in 2024.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Holiday Travel Survey

Around 2 in 5 holiday shoppers expect higher price tags this year: 41% say they’re concerned winter holiday gifts will be more expensive this year. But only 24% will budget for holiday spending.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey

Roughly half of holiday shoppers will begin before the end of October: That includes 13% who started shopping or planned to in August, 11% in September and 25% in October.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey read more

If you need a reminder to turn your clocks back at 2 a.m. Sunday, maybe the boom you might hear less than an hour before could assist.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off on the Bandwagon-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting a 1:09 a.m. liftoff during 1-1:20 a.m. launch window.

The first-stage booster for the flight is making its third trip to space, with a planned recovery back at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2, which could mean an overnight sonic boom in Central Florida.

SpaceX warned that about eight minutes after liftoff, the return of the booster could bring one or more sonic boom for residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties.

A launch earlier this year sent the boom across to as far as Lake County.

The increase in frequency, intensity and timing of sonic booms from SpaceX launches is the subject of some concerns for its plans for its future Starship rocket launches from the Space Coast. read more

By STEPHEN GROVES, ALI SWENSON and SUSAN HAIGH

WASHINGTON (AP) — The crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills.

The impacts on basic needs — food and medical care — underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills.

It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday,.

“This is more than a crisis,” said the Rev. John Udo-Okon, who runs the Word of Life Christian Fellowship International food pantry in the Bronx, where hundreds more people than usual lined up in the New York City borough as early as 4 a.m. Saturday to collect groceries. “Right now, you can see the desperation, you can feel the frustration that the people are going through.” read more

After a year of construction, the site of Orlando’s last New American Home showcase is organized chaos, but Alair Homes Partner Daniel Kennerly insists that everything is absolutely on schedule.

“We broke ground Oct. 4 of last year on a 16,000-square-foot house, and on Nov. 10, we expect to be picture-ready,” Kennerly told GrowthSpotter.

The ultra-modern estate overlooking Lake Osceola in Winter Park will be unveiled in February at the International Builders Show, and during the show, up to 5,000 people will tour the property. The 43rd edition of the National Association of Home Builders’ The New American Home will be the last in Orlando. The IBS will relocate permanently to Las Vegas after next year’s convention.

Right now, multiple crews are working simultaneously throughout the house in a race to meet the approaching deadline. In the kitchen, they’re installing cabinets, while the tile is going up in the bathrooms and on the infinity pool. Glass railings are being attached to all the stairways and balconies, and slatted wood cladding is going up on the walls, with siding on the exterior. read more