Things To Do In SW Florida

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

Israel’s attack on Iran Friday has catapulted their long-running conflict into what could become a wider, more dangerous regional war and potentially drive prices higher for both businesses and households.

Oil and gold surged and the dollar rose as markets retreated, signaling a flight to investments perceived as more safe.

After years of sky-high inflation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have become increasingly leery about the economy this year due to President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, though the impact so far has been muted.

The latest escalation in the Middle East has the potential to cause widespread price increases that could set consumers back again.

Here’s a look at some of the sectors that could face an outsized impact from the escalation in the Middle East, and what that might mean for consumers.

Energy

Oil prices surged Friday to their biggest gain since the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine began more than three years ago. If or when Israel’s attack on Iran could impact gas prices, which have been in decline for nearly a year, isn’t entirely clear. read more

By Kate Ashford, NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

In recent weeks, 44% of Americans in households making $125,000 or more say they’ve put more cash aside to cover future expenses. That’s according to the Conference Board’s May Consumer Confidence report.

But are they investing it?

“Keeping money in cash forever isn’t a plan,” says Rebecca Palmer, a certified financial planner in Washington, D.C., and head of guidance for financial planning platform Fruitful.

“It’s actually postponing a plan,” she says.

More than a third (37.7%) of consumers expect stock prices to decline over the next 12 months, according to the report. That’s a more optimistic number than April’s 47.2%, but still higher than the 23.7% who expected a drop in January.

“There’s definitely a feeling of fear in the markets right now,” Palmer says. “A lot of people are feeling this, [and] it’s OK.” read more

The temptation must have been too great and/or the planets aligned.

On Friday the 13th, Universal Orlando announced a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house featuring a “Friday the 13th” icon. The maze will be called Jason Universe.

The event will “pay homage to the machete-wielding slasher in a horrifying haunted house that reawakens the legend,” reads a Universal news release.

Among the sights that will be seen: summer camp, Jason’s cabin, a forest and other moments from the character’s “heinous homicidal career.”

The first “Friday the 13th” film was released in 1980, followed by several Jason-driven sequels. Last year, a company named Horror Inc. announced it was launching a new round of entertainment options into its Jason Universe including games, immersive experiences, merchandise and other entertainment. Its key art is echoed in the Universal release, including the funky — some might note unlucky — “UN1V3RSE” styling of the logo.

A Jason Universe house will also appear at the HHN event at Universal Studios Hollywood. read more

Florida’s 50th launch of 2025 was planned to carry humans into space but instead ended up taking another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit.

SpaceX and Axiom Space remain on hold for any attempt to launch the Ax-4 mission from Kennedy Space Center, which had several options to fly this week, but was stymied by weather and then a liquid oxygen leak on the Falcon 9 booster. They await the all clear from NASA and Roscosmos, which were checking out repairs to an ongoing leak on the Russian side of the International Space Station.

Roscosmos announced Friday, though, the leak had been eliminated but was still monitoring pressure, so no new launch attempt date has been set yet by NASA or SpaceX. SpaceX, though, did successfully retest the problem booster with a wet dress rehearsal Thursday to ensure it no longer had a leak.

Meanwhile, SpaceX at 11:29 a.m. launched another Falcon 9 with 23 of its Starlink internet satellites from neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. read more

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 1.15 million power banks are under recall across the U.S. after some fires and explosions were reported by consumers.

According to a Thursday notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, electronics maker Anker Innovations is recalling certain “PowerCore 10000” power banks because the lithium-ion battery inside can overheat.

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An overheating battery can lead to “melting of plastic components, smoke, and fire hazards,” Anker wrote in an accompanying announcement. The company added that it was conducting this recall “out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our customers.” read more