Things To Do In SW Florida

By MAE ANDERSON, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Cabinet dealers, interior designers and remodeling contractors in the U.S. hope new tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered wooden furniture that kicked in Tuesday will create more business for them and eventually boost domestic production of those products.

But several small business owners in the home improvement industry say they expect some short-term pains from the import taxes: Clients with projects already on the books might balk at having to pay more for the budget-priced cabinets they selected. Potential customers may postpone kitchen and bathroom renovations until costs — and the economy — seem more stable.

“I think the volatility around pricing is damaging to the remodeling industry,” said Allison Harlow, an interior designer in Michigan whose company, Curio Design Studio, creates and builds custom bathrooms and kitchens. “Most people will hear the headline of ‘Kitchen cabinets will go up 50%’ and might just opt out of even reaching out to our company.” read more

SpaceX launched its 11th test flight of the powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket from its Texas site Starbase on Monday as it moved ahead in its goals to achieve an operational rocket that could eventually launch from Florida.

Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/sbfmGAEPa6

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2025

Liftoff came at 7:23 p.m. EDT with the company managing a repeat of the successful 10th test flight in August, and avoiding the calamities of its explosive test flights earlier in the year.

Clear skies meant the streaking upper stage was visible from Florida creating a jellyfish effect with the setting sun and images posted to social media captured the spacecraft from the Florida Keys to as far north as Daytona Beach.

Starship Flight 11 seen from South Florida. pic.twitter.com/kALUk6WGKp

— Joe.B (@JoeB_Photos) October 13, 2025

It’s the first of two launches for SpaceX on Monday night with a Cape Canaveral mission set for liftoff at 9:58 p.m.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk wandered past the live commentators saying he was going outside to watch for the first time. read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN

JPMorgan Chase will directly invest up to $10 billion in U.S. companies with crucial ties to national security.

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The investment plan revealed Monday will focus on four areas: supply chain and advanced manufacturing in critical minerals, pharmaceutical precursors and robotics; defense and aerospace; energy independence, with investments in battery storage and grid resilience; and strategic technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing.

The investment is part of the bank’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, a $1.5 trillion, 10-year plan to facilitate, finance and invest in industries critical to national security. read more

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — OpenAI said Monday it is working with chipmaker Broadcom to design its own artificial intelligence computer chips.

The two California companies didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal but said they will start deploying the new racks of customized “AI accelerators” late next year.

It’s the latest big deal between OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, and the companies building the chips and data centers required to power AI.

OpenAI in recent weeks has announced partnerships with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD that will supply the AI startup with specialized chips for running its AI systems. OpenAI has also made big deals with Oracle, CoreWeave and other companies developing the data centers where those chips are housed.

Many of the deals rely on circular financing, in which the companies are both investing in OpenAI and supplying the world’s most valuable startup with technology, fueling concerns about an AI bubble. OpenAI doesn’t yet turn a profit but says its flagship chatbot now has more than 800 million weekly users. read more

By JOSH JACQUOT

More car buyers are finding themselves in a tough spot financially. According to a recent report from Edmunds, more than 26% of new-vehicle trade-ins in the second quarter of 2025 had negative equity — the highest share in more than four years.

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• 
  JPMorgan to invest up to $10 billion in US companies with crucial ties to national security

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• 
  Wall Street veers upward after Trump softens his criticism of China

• 
  Uncertainty over the economy and tariffs forces many retailers to be cautious on holiday hiring

Negative equity refers to a situation in which you owe more on your vehicle than it’s worth, leaving you “upside down” or “underwater” on your loan. Negative equity is an acute problem when you trade that vehicle for another new one because you’ll have to pay off what you owe while simultaneously taking on the new loan payments. The average amount owed on these upside-down loans was $6,754, underscoring the mounting risks of car debt in today’s market. read more