Things To Do In SW Florida

When Seminole County launches its new on-demand microtransit service this fall, riders will pay higher fares — more than double in some cases — for a trip in a minivan than they do for a Lynx bus ride, county documents show.

Despite the higher costs, county officials are banking that riders will want to spend more to avoid walking to a bus stop and waiting outside for a Lynx bus that will take them to limited places. The new Scout door-to-door service will pick riders up at their homes or offices and take them nearly anywhere in the county.

“I think it’s going to be more popular than folks getting on a Lynx bus,” Commission Chair Jay Zembower said Tuesday at a board meeting. “It’s certainly going to be more efficient. And I think, at the end of the day, it’s probably going to be much more user-friendly.”

The new, higher fares have not been discussed publicly, and the Orlando Sentinel obtained details Thursday.

Operated by Miami-based Freebee, the new Scout service will start Oct. 15 and eventually replace most Lynx bus routes throughout the county. Seminole will kick off limited service next month to test it out. read more

SpaceX has had a tough year with its Starship program, but the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the path for the next-generation rocket’s 10th suborbital launch attempt as early as next weekend.

The FAA on Friday closed investigations into mishaps suffered on the ninth launch in May that saw the Super Heavy booster, the first ever flown for a second time, get destroyed on its reentry attempt while the upper stage was lost over the Indian Ocean.

“There are no reports of public injury or damage to public property. The FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation,” reads a statement from the FAA. “The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle as a failure of a fuel component. SpaceX identified corrective actions to prevent a reoccurrence of the event.”

The loss of the upper stage before its planned landing attempt marked the third flight-related mission failure for Starship in 2025 after launches in January and March ended with the upper stage exploding and lighting up the skies across South Florida, the Bahamas and Caribbean. The company also lost a Starship upper stage during a static fire test that destroyed one of its test stands. read more

By ROB GILLIES and RIO YAMAT

TORONTO (AP) — Air Canada suspended operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.

Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike had started after no deal was reached, and the airline said shortly after that it would halt operations.

A bitter contract fight between Canada’s largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.

A complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded abroad daily. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.

Keelin Pringnitz, from Ottawa, was returning with her family from a European vacation when they became stranded at London’s Heathrow Airport after flights were cancelled. She said there was an option for the travelers in line to go the United States, but was told there wouldn’t be any further assistance once they landed in the U.S. read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Target and Ulta Beauty are parting ways, ending a partnership launched in 2021 that created in-store shops filled with beauty products at hundreds of the discounter’s stores.

According to a joint release issued Thursday, the companies said they have “mutually agreed” not to renew their pact, which concludes in August 2026. Until then, the Ulta Beauty experience at Target will continue in Target stores and on Target.com, the release said.

Ulta is currently in 600 of Target’s roughly 1,980 stores, according to a Target spokesperson.

“For 35 years, Ulta Beauty has revolutionized how people experience beauty — bringing together an unmatched assortment from mass to luxury — and our partnership with Target was one of many unique ways we have brought the power of beauty to guests nationwide,” said Amiee Bayer-Thomas, chief retail officer of Ulta Beauty, in a statement.

Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Target, said in a statement he was committed to “offering the beauty experience consumers have come to expect from Target.” read more

By ROB GILLIES and RIO YAMAT, Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — More than 300 Air Canada flights, many of them international trips, have been canceled as the clock ticked closer Friday to a possible strike by flight attendants, leaving travelers stranded around the world and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.

The bitter contract fight between Canada’s largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airline’s request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract.

Flight attendants were poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking out the flight attendants from airports. The actions threaten to impact about 130,000 travelers a day.

Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu on Friday urged both sides to work with federal mediators “and get a deal done.” read more