Things To Do In SW Florida

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has been named the godparent of the Disney Adventure, the newest and largest ship in the cruise line’s fleet, with capacity for 6,700 passengers. The 208,000-gross-ton vessel, the first in Disney’s Global class, is set for its maiden voyage out of Singapore on March 10.

Downey is best known for his portrayal of Tony Stark and Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

“Our new ship continues Disney Cruise Line’s tradition of bringing great stories to life at sea, and we are honored that Robert Downey Jr., who has guided audiences through unforgettable Marvel stories, is the official godparent for the Disney Adventure,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences and incoming CEO of Walt Disney Co., in a news release.

Downey’s tenure as Tony Stark and Iron Man culminated in “Avengers: Endgame,” which amassed more than $2.79 billion at the global box office. The actor was named an official Disney Legend in 2019 and will now star as Doctor Doom in Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday,” which lands in theaters this December. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Wednesday and erased their losses for the week so far, as Nvidia and other technology companies led the way.

The S&P 500 added 0.8% for a second straight gain following Monday’s swoon, when stocks dropped as investors tried to separate potential losers from winners in the artificial-intelligence boom.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 307 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%.

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Nvidia was one of the strongest forces lifting the market and rose 1.4% ahead of its highly anticipated profit report, which was scheduled to arrive shortly after trading ended for the day. Because Nvidia has grown to become the U.S. market’s largest stock by value, it has more influence on the S&P 500 than any other company. read more

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down five Central Florida restaurants for health code violations during the week from Feb. 15-21. There were no emergency shutdowns the week of Feb 8-14.

Orange

Taiwan Express at 3601 Columbia St. in Orlando shut down on Feb. 17. Inspectors found 20 violations, one of which was high priority for rodent activity. A second inspection occurred on Feb. 20. There were 12 violations, but none was a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards.

China Garden at 2550 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando shut down on Feb. 19. Inspectors found 24 violations, three of which were high priorities. Those violations included nonfood-grade bags being used in direct contact with food, roach activity and food held at the wrong temperatures. Two more inspections occurred on Feb. 20, with 22 violations still listed, including the same three deemed high priority, although all received time extensions. On the final visit, inspectors didn’t notice any roach activity, though, and so the venue received an administrative complaint, and the restaurant met inspection standards. read more

MOSCOW (AP) — Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, said Tuesday that the Russian government had opened a criminal investigation against him on charges of “aiding terrorism.”

Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia, accused Moscow of fabricating pretexts to restrict access by Russians to the Telegram service as part of an attempt to “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”

“A sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people,” Durov wrote on social media.

Russian media outlets had begun circulating unconfirmed reports earlier in the day that a criminal investigation had been opened against Durov by Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB.

It comes two weeks after Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said it was restricting the Telegram app, accusing the company of refusing to abide by Russian law.

The move triggered a rare wave of public outcry, including widespread criticism from pro-Kremlin military bloggers, who warned that Telegram was widely used by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and restricting its service would derail military communications. read more

Michelle Cowley, a London-based communications specialist, and her husband spent nearly two years planning a $16,000 vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. Then their children, ages 7 and 11, heard about Renee Good and Alex Pretti being killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and didn’t want to go.

Comments by President Donald Trump in January, including threats to annex Greenland and criticisms of British military contributions in Afghanistan, sealed the family’s decision.

“We have decided that it really is not the place we want to be at the moment,” Cowley said.

Last year, as tourism grew worldwide, the United States was the only major destination to see a decline in foreign visitors, recording a 6% drop, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, an industry group. January saw a continued decline in inbound visitors, down 4.8% from January 2025.

Visitors from Canada, usually the second-largest source of U.S. tourism after Mexico, plunged by 28% in January compared with January 2024. read more