Things To Do In SW Florida

By JOSH FUNK, AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — America’s only rare earths mine heard from anxious companies soon after China responded to President Donald Trump’s tariffs this month by limiting exports of those minerals used for military applications and in many high-tech devices.

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“Based on the number of phone calls we’re receiving, the effects have been immediate,” said Matt Sloustcher, a spokesperson for MP Materials, the company that runs the Mountain Pass mine in California’s Mojave Desert. read more

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

Mike Summers was eager to install solar at his home in Ohio for years, and after he finally replaced his aging roof this year, his solar contractor swung into action. His system — including 19 panels and a battery backup — went up this week, and Summers considers himself lucky.

“I’m glad to have done it when I did,” said Summers, a former mayor in his city of Lakewood just west of Cleveland. He’ll get about $10,000 in tax credits on his $39,000 investment, but nearly as important is that all the equipment was readily available.

Other hopeful solar buyers may have a much harder time in coming months. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with China threatens to crimp a massive source of solar panels and parts, with experts saying the cost of projects will certainly rise as China retaliates.

China accounted for at least 80% of the components of solar panels as recently as 2022, according to an International Energy Agency report, especially polysilicon, glass and solar cells. Solar also demands increasing critical mineral supplies, of which China is a key player across the globe, and electronics. read more

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, ELLEN KNICKMEYER and SIMINA MISTREANU

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Republican and Democratic lawmakers made their first trip to Taiwan under the new Trump administration a bipartisan one, aiming to show both Taiwan and China that U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense remains broad, despite the harsh words and heightened tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed for the Taiwanese.

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Taiwan’s leaders, in turn, have assured the Republican U.S. administration that they have taken in Trump’s complaints and are acting on them. read more

SeaWorld Orlando has set an opening day for its Arctic-based Expedition Odyssey attraction and the public debut of the Pacific walrus calf rescued in Alaska.

The ride and orphaned animal named Uki will join the theme park lineup May 1, SeaWorld announced Friday.

Expedition Odyssey is a flying-theater type ride that will virtually transport visitors through glaciers, over the tundra and into the depths of the Arctic Ocean. The exclusive footage — shown on a curved screen 50 feet in diameter — includes encounters with orcas, beluga whales, polar bears, seals and walruses. The scenes were filmed in three two-week excursions spread over a year.

The new attraction, located in the former Wild Arctic space, is “an adventure unlike anything our guests have experienced before, combining thrilling, immersive storytelling with powerful, real-world animal connections,” Jon Peterson, park president, said in a news release. “The newest addition to our park is unlike anything we have ever done before and brings to life the wonder of the Arctic in a way only SeaWorld can do.” read more

By BERNARD CONDON, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Among the threats tariffs pose to the U.S. economy, none may be as strange as the sell-off in the dollar.

Currencies rise and fall all the time because of inflation fears, central bank moves and other factors. But economists worry that the recent drop in the dollar is so dramatic that it reflects something more ominous as President Donald Trump tries to reshape global trade: a loss of confidence in the U.S.

The dollar’s dominance in cross-border trade and as a safe haven has been nurtured by administrations of both parties for decades because it helps keep U.S. borrowing costs down and allows Washington to project power abroad — enormous advantages that could possibly disappear if faith in the U.S. was damaged.

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