Things To Do In SW Florida

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning back a significant share of travelers on a tight budget.

That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel-industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate that travelers on a budget will be left with fewer choices and higher prices.

Other discount airlines are on much better financial footing than Spirit, but they too are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier Airlines and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there is still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking.

Spirit Airlines has lost more than $2.2 billion since the start of 2020. Frontier has not reported a full-year profit since 2019, although that slump might end this year. And Allegiant Air’s parent company is still profitable, but less so than before the pandemic. read more

DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80.

Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024.

The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery.

Walt Disney World has confirmed the future location of its land based on “Monsters, Inc.,” and the ripple effect will send the Muppets packing to another location — and attraction — within Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

The Monsters land, featuring a suspended-vehicle roller coaster, will be added to the south side of the park, according to a Friday post on the official Disney Parks Blog, and this will displace MuppetVision 3D, the show that has been in place since 1991.

The Muppets’ displacement will move the characters to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, an indoor roller coaster that has featured rock band Aerosmith since the ride opened in 1999.  The revision will be the first Disney ride to feature the Muppets, Disney says.

“There’s sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard,” the blog post reads.

No closing schedule is given, although the post says there’s “still enough time” to see the Aerosmith version and MuppetVision 3D. read more

An Orlando urban farm already growing pounds of produce that gets handed out for free celebrated its grand opening this week, looking to spread the word on “cultivating a healthier food system.”

The 4Roots Farm Campus sits on 18 acres in the city’s new Packing District, located west of College Park, and is run by a nonprofit started by local restauranteur John Rivers, best known for his popular 4 Rivers Smokehouse chain.

The farm harvests pesticide-free vegetables — from broccoli to eggplants to tomatoes — and with the opening on of a new education center plans to host classes on growing and cooking healthy foods.

Work is underway on a “food forest,” a quarter-mile walking path showcasing more than 75 edible plants. Next year 4Roots plans to open an event center and a farm-to-table restaurant.

4Roots director Tommy Ward called the campus a “community asset” as community leaders gathered to celebrate the official opening by pulling carrots from a crate instead of cutting a ribbon. read more

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

The justices heard arguments in November in Meta’s bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.

The high court dismissed the company’s appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.

Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users’ personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump ’s first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.

Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company’s shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.

Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users. read more