Things To Do In SW Florida

Palm Beach County’s commissioners on Thursday night voted 6-0 to approve a controversial rock mining project in the Everglades Agricultural Area, south of Lake Okeechobee.

Known as The Southland Water Resource Project, the mine was proposed by the contracting firm Phillips & Jordan and would be dug on farmland currently used by the U.S. Sugar Corp. and Okeelanta Corp.

County approval was sought to mine limestone for more than 30 years at the 8,600-acre site, which is currently farmland and sits about 15 miles southwest of Belle Glade.

The project still needs to be reviewed by the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the two agencies responsible for Everglades restoration and water management in South Florida.

Proponents of the mine suggest that the resulting quarry will function as water storage for nearly 40 billion gallons of Lake Okeechobee overflow.

But the plan has stirred considerable concern among conservation groups, including Audubon Florida, the Sierra Club and Captains for Clean Water. read more

SpaceX’s last two efforts to make progress on its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket ended with streaks of debris hurtling across the sky. The Federal Aviation Administration, though, is now satisfied it’s safe for SpaceX to try again.

The FAA on Thursday announced the in-development rocket that launches from Starbase, SpaceX’s Texas site, can return to flight. The decision comes after the agency closed its investigation into a March 7 test flight resulting in the destruction of the rocket’s upper stage that could be seen across the East Coast and into the Caribbean.

SpaceX Starship Breaks Apart During Test Flight, Scattering Debris Over the Bahamas – March 6, 2025. pic.twitter.com/R20tsaHLoa

— UFO Community (@UFOcommunity) March 7, 2025

It was a near mirror of a January attempt, with both explosions seen in videos captured from Florida, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos.

“The FAA conducted a comprehensive safety review of the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap and determined that the company has satisfactorily addressed the causes of the mishap, and therefore, the Starship vehicle can return to flight,” the FAA stated in a press release. “The FAA will verify SpaceX implements all corrective actions.” read more

By JOSH JACQUOT

Memorial Day weekend has long been one of the busiest times of year for car dealerships. Many car shoppers decide to pull the trigger on that long-considered purchase because of the major sales promotions and the symbolic start of summer. But things are a little different this year.

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Because of tariffs on offshore-built vehicles and components, confusion is setting in. Shoppers are rightly wondering: Will prices go up? Are the deals real? Should I buy now or wait?

Here’s some good news. With a little strategy and timing, you can score a great deal this Memorial Day weekend and avoid potential price hikes in the months ahead. Here are five tips from the experts at Edmunds that will help you decide and get the best deal. read more

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company’s work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza.

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Software engineer Joe Lopez could be heard shouting at Nadella in the opening minutes Monday of the tech giant’s annual Build developer conference in Seattle before getting escorted out of the room. Lopez later sent a mass email to colleagues disputing the company’s claims about how its Azure cloud computing platform is used in Gaza.

Lopez’s outburst was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the event that drew thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three talks by executives were disrupted, the company even briefly cut the audio of one livestreamed event. Protesters also gathered outside the venue. read more

By ALAN SUDERMAN

It’s not an official holiday – yet – but for many cryptocurrency enthusiasts “Bitcoin Pizza Day” is still special. Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of the first known use of cryptocurrency to buy real-world goods.

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The 10,000 bitcoin that software developer Laszlo Hanyecz paid for two Papa John’s pizzas delivered to his Florida home on May 22, 2010, were worth about $41 at the time. Today they’re worth $1.1 billion, as bitcoin hits record high prices.

Several cryptocurrency companies are announcing promotions and other celebrations to mark Bitcoin Pizza Day. Bitget, a cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it’s giving away pizzas to more than 2,000 people at gatherings held around the world. read more