Things To Do In SW Florida

By Michael Macagnone, CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Thursday overturned a Biden administration rule establishing so-called net neutrality for internet providers following years of litigation over efforts to regulate internet speeds for different content online.

The ruling likely ends a long-running effort by the Biden and Obama administrations to change regulation of internet providers — requiring them to provide all internet traffic at the same speed and not discriminate against certain sites or services. A similar rule was initially put in place by the Federal Communications Commission during the Obama administration, reversed by Donald Trump in his first term then reinstated by President Joe Biden. Now it faces an eleventh-hour courtroom loss combined with a second Trump administration likely to pull the rule entirely.

Thursday’s ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit held that internet service should be considered an “information service” — not a “telecommunications service,” which is treated as a common carrier — and that the FCC’s approach was “inconsistent with the plain language” of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Following the court loss, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel called on Congress to act on legislation to put net neutrality in federal law. read more

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer

The Transportation Department said Friday it will hit JetBlue Airways with a $2 million penalty for chronically late flights along the East Coast, and half the money will go to passengers who were delayed.

The agency said it’s the first time it has fined an airline for chronic delays on specific routes, which it blamed on “unrealistic scheduling” by JetBlue.

“Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. His department has led the Biden administration in criticizing airlines for poor service and an increase in passenger fees.

JetBlue said the government, which operates the air traffic control system, shares the blame for late flights.

A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation’s top aviation regulator says the company needs “a fundamental cultural shift” to put safety and quality above profits.

Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing.

Whitaker, who plans to step down in two weeks to let President-elect Donald Trump pick his own FAA administrator, looked back on his decision last January to ground all 737 Max jets with similar panels called door plugs. Later, the FAA put more inspectors in Boeing factories, limited production of new 737s, and required Boeing to come up with a plan to fix manufacturing problems.

“Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training,” Whitaker said. “But this is not a one-year project. What’s needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that’s oriented around safety and quality above profits. That will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part.” read more

Christine Benz, the director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar has written an excellent book, which I recommend highly. The book, “How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement” (Harriman House), is based on interviews with leading experts in all phases of retirement.

What makes her book different from most retirement planning guides is that she doesn’t focus only on the financial aspects of retirement. She interviews knowledgeable individuals who are able to discuss quality-of-life issues that are crucial to happiness in old age, including establishing important relationships.

For example, in the closing chapter, she interviews a physician who gave up a high-paying position to focus on lessons he learned about living a productive life from individuals who were at the end of their lives.

Many of the experts whom Benz interviewed, and others who have recommended this book, have written their own books that I have recommended because of their expertise. These authors include Ed Slott, Wade Pfau and Mary Beth Franklin, who have also written excellent retirement planning books. read more

After 1,520 restaurant inspections across Central Florida in December, only 156 had no issues for the entire month, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Brevard had the highest percentage of restaurants with zero violations during routine food inspections at 21.6%. Orange came in second with 13.1%, Seminole came third at 9.8% and Volusia was in fourth place with 7.3%.

Lake and Osceola ranked near the bottom with 2.8% and 2%, respectively.

Orange County had the most restaurants with no violations at 79. Brevard followed with 35, Seminole with 20, Volusia with 14, Osceola with five and Lake with three.

BREVARD
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen #119, 116 W. Merritt Island Causeway, Merrit Island
Dunkin Donuts, 695 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach
Next Level Arcade, 600 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
Mr. Delicious Pizza, 1950 Viera Blvd. Unit 101, Rockledge
Milpa Tacos Y Tortillas, 207 Brevard Ave., Cocoa
Scoops Old Fashion Ice Cream, 3720 Curtis Blvd., Port St. John
Aces, 74 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach
Death By Hummuscide, 225 King Street Unit B, Cocoa
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1520 S. Babcock St., Suite A, Melbourne
Pineapples, 1434 Pineapple Ave., Melbourne
Wendy’s 7959, 4150 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne
Momo’s Scoops Ice Cream, 1024 Highway A1A, Suite 146, Satellite Beach
Keep It Local Brevard LLC, 902 Florida Ave., Cocoa
Celo’s Shawarma Factory, 7954 N. Wickham Road, Suite 121, Melbourne
Subway, 1024 Highway A1A #162, Satellite Beach
Mimmo’s Pizza & Ristorante, 325 Merritt Island Causeway, Suite L, Merritt Island
First Watch Restaurants, 1900 W. New Haven Ave., Melbourne
Chuck E. Cheese, 2250 Coastal Lane, West Melbourne
Five Guys Famous Burgers And Fries, 225 Palm Bay Road, Suite 182, West Melbourne
IHOP 36-183, 3755 Cheney Highway, Titusville
321 Sippin, 5015 Babcock St. NE, Palm Bay
321sprinkles, 631 Washburn Road, Melbourne
321 Sippin, 631 Washburn Road, Melbourne
Victory Casino Cruises Victory I A La Carte, 180 Christopher Columbus Dr., Cape Canaveral
O’Brian’s Cafe Inc, 119 E. Merritt Ave., Merritt Island
Dueling Chefs Smoke N. Grille, 688 S. Park Ave., Titusville
Rich BBQ, 2641 Palm Bay Road NE, Palm Bay
Pompano Grill, 110 N. Brevard Ave., Cocoa Beach
The Fat Snook, 2464 S. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach
The Health Bar, 209 Crockett Blvd., Merritt Island
Flavour Boards, Inc., 1643 Cypress Ave., Melbourne
Reel Cajun Cookin, 660 Tucker Lane, Vin 0493, Cocoa
Casa Coquina Del Mar Bed And Breakfast, 4010 Coquina Ave., Titusville
Tijuana Flats, 7181 Lake Andrew Dr., Suite 101, Melbourne
Tracy’s Cafe LLC, 803 S. Babcock St., Melbourne read more