Things To Do In SW Florida

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:

Oceans 317 LLC doing business as Tobu, 1000 Savage Court, Suite 200, Longwood.  Filed: Dec. 4. Assets: $1,000,001-$10 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: Food Systems Unlimited Inc., Longwood, unknown amount; Old Fashion Partnership LLC, Longwood, unknown amount; U.S. Foods Inc., Detroit, unknown amount. Creditors meeting: Not available.

Oceans 330 LLC doing business as Asian Chao, 1000 Savage Court, Suite 200, Longwood. Filed: Dec. 4. Assets: $1,000,001-$10 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: Ambiente Consecutivo Inc., Longwood, $65,509; Food Systems Unlimited Inc., Longwood, unknown amount; Spot On, Beachwood, Ohio, unknown amount. Creditors meeting: Not available.

Pint Pint LLC doing business as Asian Chao, 1000 Savage Court, Suite 200, Longwood. Filed: Dec. 4. Assets: $1,000,001-$10 million. Liabilities: $1,000,001-$10 million. Major creditors: AFCO, Rosemont, Ill., unknown amount; Airgas, Dallas, unknown amount; City of Melbourne Utilities Division, Melbourne, unknown amount. Creditors meeting: Not available. read more

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January, said Thursday that he will step down next month, clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump to name his choice to lead the agency.

Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to employees of the FAA, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nation’s airspace. He became the agency’s administrator in October 2023.

Since then, the challenges confronting Whitaker have included a surge in close calls between planes, a need for stricter oversight of Boeing. antiquated equipment and a shortage of air traffic controllers at a time of high consumer demand for air travel.

“The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public,” Whitaker said in the message to employees. “This has been the best and most challenging job of my career, and I wanted you to hear directly from me that my tenure will come to a close on January 20, 2025.” read more

By MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writer

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits jumped to their highest level in two months last week but remain low relative to historical standards.

Jobless claim applications climbed by 17,000 to 242,000 for the week of Dec. 7, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s significantly more than the 220,000 analysts were forecasting and yet another data point that reflects a cooling labor market.

This week’s report also showed that continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, rose by 15,000 to 1.89 million for the week of Nov. 30.

The four-week average of weekly claims, which softens some of the week-to-week volatility, rose by nearly 6,000 to 224,250.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs.

While the job markets has shown some cracks recently, it remains broadly healthy and has held up better than many experts predicted considering that interest rates have been elevated in recent years. The Federal Reserve instituted a flurry of rate increases in 2022 and into 2023 to try to suppress the four-decade high inflation that took hold when the U.S. economy rebounded from the brief but sharp pandemic recession. read more

Now that we’re about midway through the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, let’s take stock and do some math. Yes, we’re updating the leaderboard for the celebrity narrators for Candlelight Processional, a centerpiece of the holiday season at Walt Disney World.

There’s been a little bit of movement at the top, and we’re left with a three-way tie in the category of Most Years Reading for Candlelight.

Absent from this year’s lineup is singer Steven Curtis Chapman, while actor Gary Sinise did not participate last year. So they each have 13 years of duty. Actor Neil Patrick Harris is on the list for both ‘23 and ‘24, bringing him to a total of 13 as well.

Call them co-captains of the Candlelight, if you will.

Just one level back, with 12 processionals proceeded over, are Marlee Matlin, who read last year but not this year, and Whoopi Goldberg, who returned this season after taking last year off. Edward James Olmos is the only other figure in double figures. When he reads on Christmas Eve this year (and Christmas Day and Boxing Day), it will be his 11th go-round. read more

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and COLLEEN LONG

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now, he finally will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.