Things To Do In SW Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE — Princess Cruises’ new ship Star Princess will debut out of Port Everglades later this year, but a spate of new theatrical stage shows are working out the kinks now at nearby Nova Southeastern University.

The cruise line entertainment team put on display some of the performers’ efforts giving students and media a taste of what’s to come on board the sister ship to last year’s Sun Princess, the second in the line’s Sphere class of ships, which at 175,500 gross tons are the largest in its fleet with a 4,300-guest capacity based on double occupancy.

Two original productions will be headed to the main stage, and something the line’s head of global entertainment, Rebecca Thompson-Foley, said will embrace storytelling that really fits the theme of the ship.

“Anybody who’s had a little sneak peek so far from the company has said, ‘We’ve not seen this. It feels fresh. We haven’t seen this on Princess before,” she said.

Princess partnered with British production company Black Skull Creative, which has worked on among other things the 2012 London Olympics ceremonies. Cofounder Dan Shipton was on hand to discuss production of the shows. read more

By JOSH FUNK

The Trump administration imposed new restrictions Saturday on flights from Mexico and threatened to end a longstanding partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico in response to limits the Mexican government placed on passenger and cargo flights into Mexico City several years ago.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Mexico’s actions to force airlines to move out of the main Benito Juarez International Airport to the newer Felipe Angeles International Airport more than 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) away violated a trade agreement between the two countries and gave domestic airlines an unfair advantage. Mexico is the top foreign destination for Americans with more than 40 million passengers flying there last year.

“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg deliberately allowed Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement,” Duffy said, referring to the previous president and his transportation secretary. “That ends today. Let these actions serve as a warning to any country who thinks it can take advantage of the U.S., our carriers, and our market. America First means fighting for the fundamental principle of fairness.” read more

By TRACEE M. HERBAUGH

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Romance novels have always spiced up quiet nights. Now, a genre that has sometimes been dismissed as a guilty pleasure is bringing readers and writers together through social media, book clubs and a growing number of romance-specific bookstores.

At a recent launch party for Nora Dahlia’s enemies-to-friends romance “Pick-Up” at Lovestruck Books, a romance-dedicated store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a crowd of women sipped cocktails from the bar-café as they browsed the shelves.

After Dahlia’s reading, patrons stuck around to mingle, swap contact info and trade author recommendations.

It was a particularly social event for a book talk. But the communal atmosphere is typical of events for romance fans.

Dahlia likened romance readers to “Comic-Con folks,” referring to the deep-rooted passion that defines comic-book fandom.

“They’re educated on the genre in a real way,” Dahlia said. “Many of them started reading romance — Danielle Steel, V.C. Andrews, Jude Deveraux — as teenagers.” read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer

Pop Mart has struck it rich. The Chinese company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers said this week that it expects profit for the first six months of this year to jump by at least 350% compared with the prior-year period, largely because of its smash hit plush toy, the Labubu. Pop Mart joins a small list of companies that have tapped into the zeitgeist, drawing in millions of buyers who, for one reason or another, simply must get their hands on a toy or gadget of the moment.

But what makes the Labubu a must-have, or any toy for that matter, is a decades-old question that toy makers have yet to figure out.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular toys over the years.

Cabbage Patch Kids

Cabbage Patch Kids began as chubby-faced dolls with yarn hair that came with adoption papers. During the 1980s the dolls were so popular that parents waited in long lines at stores trying to get a hold of them. More than 90 million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold worldwide during their heyday. read more

While the practical goal of Orlando’s $400 million Camping World Stadium renovation is to increase the seating to 65,000, the expansion gives the city a chance to make an artistic statement in its downtown.

DLR Group lead architect Ryan Freeland said he was inspired by moving water and palm fronds when he created metallic skin that would encircle the stadium. He told members of the city’s Appearance Review Board Thursday that the skin modernizes the stadium and will create a “lampshade” effect at night when illuminated by color-changing LED lights, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

“We’re looking at a series of ways to illuminate the building,” Freeland said.

The lighting package will be programmable, so it can change based on the city holiday, a special event, or team colors.

The project will be funded through Tourist Development Tax revenue, generated by a six percent surcharge on hotel rooms and short-term rentals in Orange County. The city is also seeking a new naming rights partner to replace Camping World, whose contract expired in 2024. read more