Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell for the fifth straight week to its lowest level since early April, an encouraging sign for potential buyers who have wrestled with rising home prices.

The long-term rate fell to 6.67% from 6.77% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, fell to 5.80% from 5.89% last week. A year ago, it was 6.25%, Freddie Mac said.

High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers and reduce their purchasing power. That’s helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump that dates back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from the rock-bottom lows they reached during the pandemic.

Last year, sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. They’ve remained sluggish so far this year, as many prospective homebuyers have been discouraged by elevated mortgage rates and home prices that have continued to climb, albeit more slowly. read more

I’ve never been the type to set an alarm for a sale. But this year, I’m giving myself a $100 budget and a mission: tackle Amazon Prime Day like a parent with a plan.

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Between holiday gifts for my two kids, back-to-school gear, and a few kitchen upgrades I’ve been eyeing, I’m hoping to stretch every dollar and maybe let myself dream a little, too (if that stroller wagon or coffee maker drops into budget-friendly territory).

I already told myself 2025 was my low-buy year. I’m taking steps to make the most of Prime Day while staying true to my budget and my goals.

Step 1: Check prices before the sale begins

“I would consider what I really want and need right now and look at prices ahead of time,” Samantha Gordon, deals editor at Consumer Reports, suggested to me in an email interview. “A lot of ‘discounts’ get a ‘Prime Day’ label even though the price stayed the same.” read more

Chapter 7

Central Florida individuals and businesses that have filed for liquidation under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code include:

Advanced Asset Consulting LLC, 8586 Warbug Alley, Orlando. Filed: June 11. Assets: $0. Liabilities: $158,052. Major creditors: JPMorgan Chase, New York City, $49,937; JPMorgan Chase, New York City, $40,032; Truist Financial Corp., Charlotte, N.C., $20,528. Creditors meeting: July 22.

Chapter 11

Central Florida individuals and businesses that have filed for reorganization and protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code include:

Contour Spa LLC, 8762 Lake Tibet Court, Orlando. Filed: June 11. Assets: $500,001-$1 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: Not available. Creditors meeting: July 22.

GD Transport LLC, 200 Zell Drive, Orlando. Filed: June 16. Assets: $1,000,001-$10 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: American Express, Wilmington, Del., $62,570; SMFL Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., New York City, $53,656; Chase Bank, Wilmington, Del., $38,750.  Creditors meeting: July 21. read more

The Hall of Presidents has reopened at Walt Disney World and the re-election of Donald Trump has prompted an unusual rearrangement inside the Magic Kingdom attraction.

For the first time since the attraction debuted with the theme park in 1971, a U.S. president is serving nonconsecutive terms. So, an animatronic figure representing Trump is back at the front of the stage after spending four years on the back row while Joe Biden held court and lived in the White House.

The attraction closed in late January for rearrangement and possible refurbishment. It reopened with little fanfare Sunday, just ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend.

The face of Trump’s figure represents the president’s current look. In previous incarnations of the Hall, some observers complained about the animatronic’s likeness — some floating the notion that it looked like Hillary Clinton.

Disney World has not specified what changes were made during the 2025 downtime. But a statement from Walt Disney Imagineering indicates that the company will “routinely refresh animatronics” during refurbishments. read more

By ALI SWENSON, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A controversial bid to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade seemed on its way to passing as the Republican tax cut and spending bill championed by President Donald Trump worked its way through the U.S. Senate.

But as the bill neared a final vote, a relentless campaign against it by a constellation of conservatives — including Republican governors, lawmakers, think tanks and social groups — had been eroding support. One, conservative activist Mike Davis, appeared on the show of right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon, urging viewers to call their senators to reject this “AI amnesty” for “trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists.”

He said he also texted with Trump directly, advising the president to stay neutral on the issue despite what Davis characterized as significant pressure from White House AI czar David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and others.

Conservatives passionate about getting rid of the provision had spent weeks fighting others in the party who favored the legislative moratorium because they saw it as essential for the country to compete against China in the race for AI dominance. The schism marked the latest and perhaps most noticeable split within the GOP about whether to let states continue to put guardrails on emerging technologies or minimize such interference. read more