Things To Do In SW Florida

The majority of theme park injuries in the first quarter of 2025 were related to big roller coasters, according to a state report, although less intense rides and attractions also made appearances.

Coasters at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando were listed six times for the January-March period by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The state’s major theme parks self-report about visitors who are injured on their rides and require at least 24 hours of hospitalization.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventures, a coaster that launches into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, appeared three times in the latest report. On Feb. 3, a 33-year-old man had a seizure after experiencing the attraction. On March 8, a 53-year-old man had chest pains after the Hagrid ride, as did a 26-year-old man on March 18. The men in the March incidents had pre-existing conditions, the report says.

SeaWorld announces opening day for Expedition Odyssey ride read more

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and CHRIS MEGERIAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent leveled harsh criticism at the operations of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday even as he tried to reassure nervous investors that the United States would maintain its global leadership role.

“America first does not mean America alone,” he said in a speech to the Institute of International Finance, where he also promised support for the multilateral banks’ core missions. “To the contrary, it is a call for deeper collaboration and mutual respect among trade partners.”

Although Bessent said the IMF and the World Bank are “falling short,” he stopped short of calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the institutions as some conservatives had advocated in a Project 2025 proposal, created by the Heritage Foundation.

He said the institutions “serve critical roles in the international system. And the Trump Administration is eager to work with them—so long as they can stay true to their missions.” read more

Fans of “Shark Tank” probably recall the 2022 episode with Umaro Foods, a Berkeley company that makes vegan bacon out of seaweed. Investor Robert Herjavec put a slice of the product in his mouth and promptly spit it out – not into a napkin, just on his plate – with a loud “ugh.”

Beth Zotter, CEO of Umaro, recalls dying on the inside at that moment. “Oh yeah — but I don’t think it showed up in my expression,” she says.

Zotter wound up having the last laugh on “Shark Tank.” Mark Cuban liked the plant-based bacon and plopped down a $1 million investment in Umaro, which Zotter co-founded with plant biologist Amanda Stiles in 2019. By 2024, the company was gross-margin positive with $1 million in annual-recurring revenue. Today, you can find its applewood bacon in Whole Foods stores across California. Even the NBA’s Chris Paul, a vegan, is now an investor.

Seaweed might not be the first thing you think about sidling up on a plate with fried eggs and hash browns. But it’s high in protein, one of fastest-growing plants on earth and requires no land, fresh water or fertilizer. As the world’s food-supply chain gets ever-more stressed – a result of climate change, population growth, unpopular tariffs and the like – it’s being seen as a viable future food, in the vein of cell-cultured meat and cricket flour. read more