Things To Do In SW Florida

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer

Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process.

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IRobot, which became well known for its robotic vacuums, has struggled of late, dealing with increased competition, layoffs and a declining stock price. In 2022 Amazon announced that it had agreed to buy iRobot for about $1.7 billion, but that deal was called off last year. Amazon blamed “undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles” after the European Union signaled its objection to the transaction. read more

By MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, turns into a winter wonderland every holiday season.

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Green garlands, giant nutcrackers, baubles and bows go up in early November on the historic downtown building that houses the gift shop. Inside, customers can choose from over 500 different types of ornaments and a variety of holiday gift baskets.

“We really just make it a magical spot,” co-owner Emily Butler said. “Whether you come in or not, we want to make sure that we’re spreading that holiday joy.” read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted through a quiet day of trading on Monday, ahead of economic reports this week that could drive where interest rates go.

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The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 41 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.

Helping to keep indexes in check were stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry, which were mixed following last week’s scary swings.

Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the AI boom, added 0.7%. It was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500 after dropping 4.1% last week. read more

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Cadillac is returning as the title sponsor of a lucrative PGA Tour event held at Trump National Doral, which will hold one of the $20 million signature events in 2026.

The Cadillac Championship will be held the first weekend in May on the course once dubbed the “Blue Monster.” Doral first became part of the PGA Tour schedule in 1962, and it was held each year through 2016 until becoming a World Golf Championship under various names.

Brian Rolapp, the CEO of the PGA Tour, referred to Trump National Doral as a “legacy venue on our schedule.”

“We appreciate the support of Cadillac as we bring a new era of the PGA Tour to our fans in Miami,” Rolapp said in a statement.

Cadillac was the title sponsor of the WGC at Trump National Doral from 2011 through 2016. But the automaker chose not to renew its contract, the PGA Tour could not find a replacement sponsor for Doral in 2016 when President Donald Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee and the WGC event was moved to Mexico City. read more

In flash and glitz, 2025 has shaped up as a superlative year for Broward County’s Port Everglades, where U.S. Navy warships visited for “Fleet Week,” new cruise ships from Disney, Celebrity and Princess started calling, and nearby, a new 801-room Omni Hotel stood poised to open, with the cruise lines inquiring about how many room blocks they can book.

Last week, Joseph Morris, the CEO and port director, took a look at the fiscal year’s traffic numbers and for the first time found record volumes for all three of the port’s main lines of business: cruise lines, cargo and energy.

“For all three of our big three to have new records is something that has never happened,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The trio contributes up to 83% of the port’s revenues.

“The trifecta of record-breaking accomplishments reflects the strength of our partnerships and the resilience of our business lines,” Morris said.  “The port’s diversified portfolio positions us to adapt, compete and lead as global and regional markets evolve.” read more