Things To Do In SW Florida

A report on the Boeing Starliner mission that left two astronauts behind on the International Space Station in 2024 has pushed NASA to reclassify the incident in the same category as the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger disasters.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency now considers the mission a “Type A mishap,” which means it was an event that resulted in at least $2 million in damage, but it could have been much worse.

“This is about getting the record straight, and I do think that failure to acknowledge this … and ensure that we are transparent and correct, management leadership missteps that could lead to an unhealthy culture is absolutely warranted,” he said during a press conference Thursday. “Failing to do so invites repeats of previous catastrophic events, which is never, never an acceptable outcome here at NASA.”

His statements came in the wake of findings from the Program Investigation Team that examined the Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test that launched from Cape Canaveral on June 5, 2024 with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams for what was supposed to be an eight-day stay on board the station. read more

By CLAIRE SAVAGE and ALEXANDRA OLSON, AP Business Writers

The U.S. federal agency that enforces workplace civil rights is suing a regional Coca-Cola bottler for sex discrimination, alleging the company discriminated against male employees by only inviting women to a company-sponsored networking event.

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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of a male employee of Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast who complained about a two-day networking trip for about 250 women in September 2024 at the Mohegan Sun casino resort in Connecticut. The lawsuit alleged that the Bedford, New Hampshire-based company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding male employees from the event. read more

By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years, but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been in this year.

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The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.01% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.85%.

The modest pullback brings the average rate to its lowest level since Sept. 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%. That was the last time the average rate was below 6%.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. read more

Universal Orlando has started selling a new weeklong ticket that includes park-to-park access and multiday visits to Epic Universe theme park.

Universal’s official website says buyers can “move freely” between Epic, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay water park. There are six-day and seven-day varieties, and the admissions must take place over eight and nine consecutive days, respectively. There’s also an option to exclude Volcano Bay.

The resort is promoting that the weeklong deal is for the “price of a 5-day ticket,” but the total varies day by day, and the lowest price is available only on select dates.  The first valid day of the ticket determines the overall price.

Universal’s site notes that the low end is $73.72 per day for ages 10 and up ($72.29 for ages 3-9).  The site shows that as available on Sept. 14, and that total would be $515.99 — the same as a five-day park-to-park pass starting on that date. But if July 2 is selected as the first day of the weeklong admission, the price is $686.99. read more

By JOSH BOAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tariffs paid by midsize U.S. businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research tied to one of America’s leading banks showed on Thursday — more evidence that President Donald Trump ‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption.

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  US civil rights agency sues Coca-Cola distributor for excluding men from casino work trip

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  Universal selling weeklong ticket deals that include Epic

• 
  Millions of eligible filers didn’t use Free File

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  SpaceX launch tonight to feature rare booster landing in Bahamas

The additional taxes have meant that companies that employ a combined 48 million people in the U.S. — the kinds of businesses that Trump had promised to revive — have had to find ways to absorb the new expense, by passing it along to customers in the form of higher prices, employing fewer workers or accepting lower profits. read more