Things To Do In SW Florida

Madame Tussauds has created 13 new Taylor Swift wax figures for installation in attractions around the globe, including the Icon Park location on Orlando’s International Drive.

The looks are tied to Swift’s global Eras Tour, which had 149 sell-out dates. In Orlando, the Swift figure is outfitted in a black sequinned Roberto Cavalli catsuit, which has red snake embellishments, plus black boots. It also sports a matching Rebel microphone. It represents the “reputation” era.

Tussauds says the multi-figure introduction is the most ambitious in its 250-year history. It released eight Lady Gaga figures in 2011 and seven Harry Styles figures in 2023. More than 40 artists worked on the figures for 14 months.

“Madame Tussauds has a centuries-old legacy of holding a mirror up to the world of fame, immortalizing the profiles that are making an imprint on the day’s culture. Taylor Swift’s influence spans music, fashion, film, activism and even the economy,” Laura Sheard, global brand director at Madame Tussauds, said in a news release. read more

Two brothers, including a Mexican citizen vacationing in Orlando, are being detained in Alligator Alcatraz after a traffic stop in the city earlier this month, their father said Wednesday.

The brothers’ detention has become an international incident, with the Mexican Consulate issuing a warning to its citizens about visiting Orlando and Mexico’s president demanding they be returned home “immediately.”

In an interview at the consulate, Martin Gonzalez said in Spanish he was “desperate to come and help” his sons. “I’m scared to be here, but I have to be here because I have to do something.”

On July 7, Carlos Martin Gonzalez, 26, was driving at the intersection of Hughey Avenue and Robinson Street in Orlando when he was pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol for having tinted windows and a Mexican license plate, according to an arrest affidavit.

A trooper ran the license plate and found the car had no valid registration in the U.S. or Mexico, the report said. Carlos told the trooper his older brother, 31-year-old Oscar Alejandro Gonzalez, had the registration documents. read more

By Tommy Tindall, NerdWallet

My wife and I hate our washer and dryer. Both appliances still operate, but the washer leaves behind what looks like little specs of mildew every load. The dryer takes three times on high to get a load dry.

All the trade war talk has us wondering if we should nab a deal now while it doesn’t seem so bad.

A lot of people are worried about tariffs, according to the Consumer Confidence Board’s June Consumer Confidence Index. The report said purchasing plans for appliances were slightly up in June, car-buying plans were steady and electronic-buying plans were down.

The affluent — and I’m not saying that’s me — may be leading the charge.

Back in May, 26% of consumers making $125,000 or more indicated that they’d made purchases ahead of potential tariffs. Expected price rises haven’t fully landed, but economists say they are coming.

“Consumers are seeing their way through the uncertainty with trade policies,” National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a June prepared statement. “But I expect the inflation associated with tariffs to be felt later this year.” read more

By ELAINE KURTENBACH, Associated Press Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump has announced trade deals with Japan and a handful of other Asian countries that will relieve some pressure on companies and consumers from sharply higher tariffs on their exports to the United States.

A deal with China is under negotiation, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying an Aug. 12 deadline might be postponed again to allow more time for talks.

Steep tariffs on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum remain, however, and many other countries, including South Korea and Thailand, have yet to clinch agreements. Overall, economists say the tariffs inevitably will dent growth in Asia and the world.

The deals reached so far, ahead of Trump’s Aug. 1 deadline

Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced a deal Wednesday that will impose 15% tariffs on U.S. imports from Japan, down from Trump’s proposed 25% “reciprocal” tariffs.

It was a huge relief for automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda, whose shares jumped by double digits in Tokyo. Trump also announced trade deals with the Philippines and Indonesia. After meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Trump said the import tax on products from his country would be subject to a 19% tariff, down just 1% from the earlier threat of a 20% tariff. read more

Once upon a time, five historic homes made up Honeymoon Row on Lake Cherokee.

Most are gone but one of the remaining homes is listed for sale at $3.75 million, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

“It’s a Queen Anne Victorian and is completely as it was in the front,” says listing agent Tom Buitenhuis with Olde Town Brokers, who owns the house with his husband. “It’s an amazing, beautiful home and the historic part of it is just amazing.”

They bought the place in 2022 and have done a lot of work to bring the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house back to its original 1880s glory.

“I would say most of the original woodwork and everything we left, and we added here and there some modern touches like lighting fixtures and those kinds of things,” he said. “But we still tried to be as honest to the original builder, trying to somehow bring it a little bit to the modern times, but really keeping that original antique feel inside of the house.”

The 6,261-square-foot house has most of the original 19th-century millwork, pocket doors, floors, clawfoot tubs, and more. read more