Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE — U.S. travelers continue to bolster Florida’s tourism industry, while the state hopes to make up for a decline in Canadian visitors by drawing people from other countries.

Visit Florida on Tuesday estimated 34.435 million people traveled to Florida from April 1 through June 30, up from 34.279 million people during the same period last year. The estimate for this year would be a second-quarter record, according to the state tourism-marketing agency.

U.S. travelers made up 31.499 million of this year’s total, or 91.5 percent, up slightly from 31.419 million during the second quarter of 2024. Visit Florida estimated 2.295 million overseas travelers during the quarter this year, an 11.4 percent jump from the same period in 2024. But the estimated 640,000 Canadian visitors to Florida during the quarter marked a 20 percent drop from 2024.

“I know the nation is seeing some Canadian visitors not traveling at the moment, but Florida actually is seeing an increase in visitors from other places, including Brazil, which I think it’s part of that overseas visitation increase, and it’s something that we’re really monitoring and looking to see if we can shift some efforts there to continue that good trend,” Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin told members of the agency’s Executive Committee on Monday. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line President David Herrera has left the company, with the head of its parent company taking over for now.

Harry Sommer, the current president and CEO of Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which oversees NCL as well as Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, will assume day-to-day responsibilities for the company’s marquee cruise line effective immediately, according to a statement from the company.

“Aligned with our continued strategic evolution and focus on our charting the course strategy and 2026 targets, NCL is entering a transformative chapter in its nearly 60-year history that will elevate the guest experience even further,” Sommer said in an emailed statement. “Marked by seven next-generation ships on order, major enhancements underway at Great Stirrup Cay, the greatest private island in the Caribbean, and an expanded Caribbean presence, the brand is well-positioned for meaningful growth.”

Sommer had previously served as NCL president after taking over for Andy Stuart in late 2019. He then took over the parent company when Frank J. Del Rio retired in 2023. read more

High-end credit cards are nothing new. American Express has been catering to a discerning crowd since the 1960s, while airlines began partnering with Visa and Mastercard in the 1980s to launch airline credit cards for loyal travelers.

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  Wall Street falls as Nvidia, Palantir and other AI stars keep sinking

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  Trump thinks owning a piece of Intel would be a good deal for the US. Here’s what to know

Cards with triple-digit annual fees are becoming more common, with even several “midmarket” cards upping fees to around $150. But that’s pocket change compared to premium card annual fees of $500 or more.

High annual fees get a mixed reaction from consumers. A NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that 57% of Americans say no annual fee would be important to them if they were applying for a new credit card. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Nvidia, Palantir and other superstar stocks that had surged in the mania surrounding artificial-intelligence technology are dragging Wall Street lower again on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% and was heading for a fourth straight loss after setting an all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 3 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 11:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1% lower.

Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI, dropped 1.6% and was on track to be the heaviest weight on Wall Street for a second straight day following its 3.5% fall on Tuesday. Palantir Technologies, another AI darling, sank 4.7% to add to its 9.4% loss from the day before.

Trading was shaky, and Nvidia pared a loss from earlier in the morning that got as bad as 3.9%, which helped indexes also mute their losses.

One possible contributor to the swoon was a study from MIT’s Nanda Initiative that warned most corporations are not yet seeing any measurable return from their generative AI investments, according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management. read more

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, Associated Press Technology Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump wants the U.S. government to own a piece of Intel, less than two weeks after demanding the Silicon Valley pioneer dump the CEO that was hired to turn around the slumping chipmaker. If the goal is realized, the investment would deepen the Trump administration’s involvement in the computer industry as the president ramps up the pressure for more U.S. companies to manufacture products domestically instead of relying on overseas suppliers.

What’s happening?

The Trump administration is in talks to secure a 10% stake in Intel in exchange for converting government grants that were pledged to Intel under President Joe Biden. If the deal is completed, the U.S. government would become one of Intel’s largest shareholders and blur the traditional lines separating the public sector and private sector in a country that remains the world’s largest economy.

Why would Trump do this?

In his second term, Trump has been leveraging his power to reprogram the operations of major computer chip companies. The administration is requiring Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, two companies whose chips are helping to power the craze around artificial intelligence, to pay a 15% commission on their sales of chips in China in exchange for export licenses. read more