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Winter Garden residents who fought unsuccessfully to stop Scott Boyd from developing his McKinnon Groves property in Wellness Way are gearing up for another battle with the former Orange County Commissioner — this time in their own backyard.

Boyd’s McKinnon Corp. has filed plans with the city of Winter Garden to rezone the former citrus groves along Johns Lake into a mixed-use development with housing, parks and a boutique hotel with an event barn and wedding chapel. according to a report in GrowthSpotter. The property currently has an Urban Village future land use, but isn’t zoned.

More than 70 Winter Garden residents, many worried about growth, attended a community meeting earlier this week hosted by Boyd and his development team.

Located near the Lake-Orange county line, the Johns Lake Urban Village Planned Unit Development, or UVPUD, is set to contain 613 attached and detached single-family homes on just over 319 acres.

McKinnon Corp., which owns the property, would serve as the developer of the project and would retain 3.36 acres of lakefront property where Boyd currently resides. read more

By ALEXA ST. JOHN

DETROIT (AP) — Chinese automakers have been making inroads around the world with growing sales of their high-tech, stylish and affordable electric vehicles. That has had competitors concerned even before Canada this week agreed to cut its tariffs on Chinese EVs in exchange for concessions on Canadian farm products.

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Experts now say an easier path into Canada could be a big boost for Chinese carmakers looking to dominate the global market — particularly as their domestic market weakens. That poses a threat to other auto manufacturers, particularly American companies. read more

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said.

“We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters,” communications minister Anika Wells told reporters on Friday. “Now Australian parents can be confident that their kids can have their childhoods back.”

The figures, reported to Australia’s government by 10 social media platforms, were the first to show the scale of the landmark ban since it was enacted in December over fears about the effects of harmful online environments on young people. The law provoked fraught debates in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

Officials said the figure was encouraging

Under Australian law, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($33.2 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16. Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt. read more

By KAITLYN HUAMANI

YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing content that advertisers define as controversial, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way.

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  Winter Garden neighbors square off on former county commissioner’s Johns Lake development

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  Social media platforms removed 4.7 million accounts after Australia banned them for children

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  The Savings Game: How life insurance might help protect IRA values for your heirs

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  ChatGPT’s free ride is ending: Here’s what OpenAI plans for advertising on the chatbot

With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization.

Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders. read more

Unfortunately, the SECURE Act of 2019 made it more difficult for the beneficiaries of IRAs and other retirement accounts to postpone distributions from these inherited accounts; no longer can most non-spouse heirs “stretch” these accounts out over their lifetimes and thereby preserve favorable tax deferral options.

Instead, as a result of the new law, if you inherit an IRA from someone who is not your spouse, you generally must withdraw the assets in the account within 10 years. The 10-year rule applies to both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, and for most beneficiaries the law change has limited the possibilities of tax-deferred growth.

On the other hand, regulations associated with the SECURE Act have made life insurance options more attractive for estate planning. Ed Slott, a recognized retirement and IRA expert, argues that life insurance “is not only the single biggest benefit in the tax code, but is also the most cost-effective way to protect a large IRA” for beneficiaries.

According to Slott, the SECURE Act makes life insurance a much better estate planning vehicle than an IRA. Those with high-value IRAs who wish to preserve wealth for their heirs should consider drawing down IRA funds at the lowest possible tax cost and moving funds earmarked for beneficiaries to life insurance. read more