Things To Do In SW Florida

A Gator, a Knight and an Eagle walked into a space center Wednesday to ink an official partnership deal with NASA.

As the founding members of the Florida University Space Research Consortium, the presidents of the University of Florida, University of Central Florida and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University were joined by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro for the official signing ceremony for a “memorandum of understanding” between the consortium and NASA.

The consortium acts as the state’s official space research entity to help with awarding NASA research grants in partnership with KSC.

“This symbiotic partnership makes way for collaborative research opportunities and increased exposure to advanced technology, significantly enhancing NASA’s research output in fields such as aerospace engineering, material science, robotics and environmental science,” Petro said in opening remarks from KSC’s Operational Support Building II.

“It really feels fitting that Kennedy Space Center is where we gather today as we launch this new chapter, entering into an agreement that has the potential to impact the posture of this center for years to come,” she said. read more

James Royal, Ph.D. | (TNS) Bankrate.com

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. workers say they’re behind on their retirement savings, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Retirement Savings Survey. But no group says they’re behind more than Gen X. A whopping 68 percent of Gen X workers say they’re lagging when it comes to retirement savings.

Now officially seven months on board the International Space Station, the two NASA astronauts who flew up on Boeing’s Starliner last June have a busy schedule in the new year while awaiting their flight home in the spring.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived to the ISS on June 5 on board Starliner, but remained on board after NASA decided to send the spacecraft home without crew because of safety reasons. The duo joined fellow NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit for a call from the ISS with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy on Wednesday.

“I want to ask Butch and Suni if you will put to rest, what reporters still keep asking me about how you’re stranded, that they’re concerned that you don’t have any clothes, that you don’t have any food,” Nelson said. “Would you put to rest for the final time, and I hope you never have to answer it again, just how you all are doing?”

Wilmore jumped in to confirm that when the duo first flew up on Starliner for what was originally planned to be as short as an eight-day visit, that there were some clothing issues. Starliner had made a late cargo switch to bring up some emergency hardware needed to make the bathroom work on the station, and because of that, the two crew had to leave behind some personal belongings. read more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials at their meeting Dec. 17-18 expected to dial back the pace of interest rate cuts this year in the face of persistently elevated inflation and the threat of widespread tariffs and other potential policy changes.

Minutes from the meeting, released after the typical three-week lag, also showed clear division among the Fed’s 19 policymakers. Some expressed support for keeping the central bank’s key rate unchanged, the minutes said. And a majority of the officials said the decision to cut rates was a close call.

Ultimately, the Fed choose to cut its key rate by a quarter-point to about 4.3%. One official, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, dissented in favor of keeping rates unchanged.

Still, there was widespread agreement that after reducing rates for three straight meetings, it was time to undertake a more deliberate approach to their key rate.

Fewer rate cuts will likely mean that borrowing costs for consumers and businesses — including for homes, cars, and credit cards — will remain elevated this year. read more

By Ava Benny-Morrison and Rachel Metz, Bloomberg News (TNS)

The sister of Sam Altman accused the OpenAI chief executive officer of sexually abusing her for almost a decade, in a lawsuit filed in federal court.

Ann Altman, 30, alleged that Sam Altman abused and manipulated her while they were growing up in Missouri in the late 1990s to early 2000s. According to the lawsuit filed Monday, the alleged abuse began when she was 3 years old and the last instance allegedly occurred when he was an adult but she was still a minor. Ann Altman has previously claimed on social media that Sam Altman abused her.

Sam Altman, 39, posted a statement on behalf of himself, his mother and brothers on X on Tuesday, calling the claims “utterly untrue.”

“This situation causes immense pain to our entire family,” the statement read.

Sam Altman, a longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor, gained a global profile with the massive success of artificial intelligence startup OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, which sparked an AI frenzy upon its release in late 2022. read more