Things To Do In SW Florida

By Kate Ashford | NerdWallet

People with dementia who live in long-term care facilities are spending a significant portion of their income each month on care, according to an October 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA). The study found that the median adult with dementia in an assisted living facility spent nearly all of their income (97%) each month on care, and those with dementia living in nursing homes spent 83% of their income each month on care.

Currently, there are nearly 7 million Americans who are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, says Monica Moreno, the senior director of care and support for the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit that provides support and advocacy for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. “We also know that with Alzheimer’s disease, we are talking about a progressive disease that has no cure.”

Consequently, as the disease advances, people need more care, and the burden of how to provide that care — and pay for it — often falls to their families. read more

TALLAHASSEE — There will be no slabs of lab-grown meat for sale in Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law Wednesday that bans cultivating, marketing or selling meat grown from animal cells. Violators would face second-degree misdemeanor charges and 60 days in jail.

“Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” DeSantis said in a news release. “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.”

The World Economic Forum has stated that people will have to turn to biotechnology and other alternative sources of protein to meet the needs of a growing population and combat climate change.

“Biotechnology holds solutions to both, but we are far from fully realizing its potential to deliver on the green transition,” the agency said in a report in January 2023.

Scientists say 783 million people worldwide are facing food insecurity, a problem that will grow as the population approaches 10 billion by 2050. read more

Five Central Florida restaurants were shut down the week of April 21-27, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange

Tamarind Indian Cuisine at 501 N. Orlando Ave. Suite 149 in Winter Park shut down on April 26. Inspectors found 14 violations, six of which were high priorities. Those violations included raw chicken stored over cooked fritters in a cooler, live roaches under dry ingredients in the dish area and non-grade paper towels lining samosas in a cooler. Officials revisited the restaurant on April 27. They found three violations, but none were a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards.

House of Pho at 8261 S. John Young Parkway in Orlando shut down on April 22. Inspectors found 23 violations, four of which were a high priority. Those violations included roach and ant spray not used correctly, roaches in the prep and washing area, and storing pesticides near utensils. Officials revisited the restaurant on April 23. They found two violations, but none were a high priority. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

By Jennifer Peltz and Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis, but wouldn’t legalize it for recreational use.

The proposal would move marijuana from the “Schedule I” group to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”

So what does that mean, and what are the implications?

WHAT HAS ACTUALLY CHANGED? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Technically, nothing yet. The proposal must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, and then undergo a public-comment period and review from an administrative judge, a potentially lengthy process.

Still, the switch is considered “paradigm-shifting, and it’s very exciting,” Vince Sliwoski, a Portland, Oregon-based cannabis and psychedelics attorney who runs well-known legal blogs on those topics, told The Associated Press when the federal Health and Human Services Department recommended the change. read more

Members of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions are expecting stronger numbers at the gate this summer, the trade association announced Tuesday.

IAAPA expects a 2% increase in theme park attendance in North America and a 7% uptick in consumer spending. The trend toward family-friendly entertainment and animal-oriented attractions should boost the industry, said Jakob Wahl, president and CEO of Orlando-based IAAPA.

Visitors’ increased willingness to spend on special occasions can bolster bottom lines, Wahl said during a presentation on the Bayside Stadium stage at SeaWorld Orlando.

“We have seen is that people are willing to spend more on the parks because they want to make those days extra special,” Wahl said. “You see that we have more and more upscale premier experiences where people are willing to actually spend.”

He pointed to front-of-line privileges, fine dining and animal encounters as attractive extras.

Discovery Cove introduces Flamingo Point for mixing, mingling read more