Things To Do In SW Florida

By JOSH FUNK

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that the government shutdown is putting more stress on air traffic controllers who already have an extremely stressful job, as well as threatening a program that small communities rely on to help subsidize airline service.

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Controllers are expected to continue working without a paycheck, Duffy said, so they are now worried about how to pay their bills in addition to worrying about keeping flights safe.

“Now what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace is, how am I going to pay my mortgage? How do I make my car payment? I have a couple kids at home. How do I put food on the table? I’m working six days a week. Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful to think about how I can make extra money because the government may not provide me a paycheck?” Duffy said. read more

As Royal Caribbean’s newest floating behemoth prepares to enter service next year, the company has unveiled an array of dining experiences plus the main stage show that cruise passengers can enjoy while sailing on Legend of the Seas.

The company’s third Icon-class ship, which arrives in Fort Lauderdale next November, will feature 28 dining options — a tally greater than the number on both Icon and Star, Legend’s sister ships. Highlights include the Hollywoodland Supper Club and an immersive railroad-themed dining experience.

Guests can also enjoy the Broadway hit Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” while sailing on the new megaship.

“With Legend of the Seas, we are bringing to life our most legendary vacation yet as we continue to push the boundaries with more of what guests know and love,” said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and CEO, in a news release.

The Hollywoodland Supper Club is an intimate dining venue that takes its inspiration from the golden age of Hollywood, complete with “sultry jazz,” gourmet bites and cocktails. The multi-course meal takes diners on a cinematic journey from 1910 to the 1950s. Variations of this concept can be found on Icon as The Empire Supper Club and on Star as The Lincoln Park Supper Club. read more

Attorney Ben Crump lashed out at Universal Orlando Resort on Monday, calling it “deeply disturbing” for the theme park to reopen its Stardust Racers ride before his investigators could inspect the roller coaster and help determine how Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died after riding it.

Flanked by members of Zavala’s family at a press conference in downtown Orlando, a visibly angry Crump called the ride’s opening as “the ultimate disrespect” to Zavala’s family “and the community.”

Crump added Zavala’s family and his legal team found out Universal planned to open the ride on Friday after seeing news reports, not from the theme park.

“You know how we found out? From you all,” he said, pointing to nearly a dozen television cameras and several news reporters in the hotel banquet room.

Representatives from Universal Orlando did not immediately respond to Crump’s allegations. However, a spokeswoman for the company has previously said they cannot comment “on pending claims.”

As part of reopening Stardust Racers at Epic Universe on Saturday, Universal updated its procedures and signs to reinforce existing warnings for “physical eligibility requirements” of riders. read more

The first of the year’s only three supermoons will rise tonight with the full moon coming just before midnight and just minutes before a planned launch of a SpaceX rocket.

The near side of the moon will have 100% illumination at 11:47 p.m. when it’s about 224,000 miles from Earth, according to timeanddate.com. The combination of full moon and its proximity to the moon’s closest approach to the planet, or perigee, can make it a supermoon.

The moon’s perigee technically will be 223,580 miles away, but not until 8:37 a.m. Wednesday, according to data maintained on a site run by Fourmilab Switzerland.  The moon can range in distance to Earth from about 221,000 miles to as far as about 255,000 miles.

But the moon is still close enough for the near full moon rise Monday at 6:32 p.m. and continuing on through Tuesday night’s waning gibbous phase moonrise to make it seem as much as 30% brighter and 14% larger.

The moonrise itself will enhance the effect of a visually larger moon because of a lensing effect of the Earth’s atmosphere. read more

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount said Monday that it has bought the news and commentary website The Free Press and installed its founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, saying it believes the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based.

It’s a bold step for the television network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personification of a liberal media establishment. The network is placing someone in a leadership role who has developed a reputation for resisting orthodoxy and fighting “woke” culture.

“I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News,” said David Ellison, who took over this summer as the corporate leader overseeing the network when his company, Skydance, purchased Paramount. “This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.” read more