Things To Do In SW Florida

By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. fell slightly this week, a welcome reversal for homebuyers in what is traditionally the busiest time of the year for the housing market.

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The rate fell to 6.65% from 6.67% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.79%.

This is the first decline in the average rate after rising two weeks in a row. The average rate has been mostly trending lower since mid-January, when it climbed to just over 7% — a welcome trend for aspiring homebuyers struggling to afford a home after years of soaring home prices. read more

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports, a move the White House claims would foster domestic manufacturing but could also put a financial squeeze on automakers that depend on global supply chains.

“This will continue to spur growth,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “We’ll effectively be charging a 25% tariff.”

The tariffs, which the White House expects to raise $100 billion in revenue annually, could be complicated as even U.S. automakers source their components from around the world. The tax hike starting in April means automakers could face higher costs and lower sales, though Trump argues that the tariffs will lead to more factories opening in the United States and the end of what he judges to be a “ridiculous” supply chain in which auto parts and finished vehicles are manufactured across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

To underscore his seriousness about the tariffs directive he signed, Trump said, “This is permanent.” read more

SeaWorld Orlando has announced that it has now logged 1,000 manatee rescues.

“Manatees are an iconic part of Florida’s ecosystem, and we are honored to play a key role in their conservation,” Jon Peterson, park president, said in a news release. “By rescuing, rehabilitating and hopefully returning these animals, we not only save individual lives but also inspire our guests to join us in protecting these amazing creatures.”

In 2024, SeaWorld rescued 61 manatees and was able to rehabilitate and return 38 manatees.

Since 1976, SeaWorld Orlando’s rescue team has operated one of three critical-care facilities in the U.S., responding to manatees in need because of boat strikes, entanglements, cold stress and other life-threatening conditions. The park maintains a five-acre rescue center for wildlife, including sea turtles, birds and other marine animals. Park guests can also see manatees at the Manatee and Turtle  Rescue center on the north side of SeaWorld, between the Dolphin Encounter and Coral Rescue facilities. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is getting pulled in different directions Thursday as President Donald Trump’s latest tariff escalation creates winners and losers among auto stocks, while better-than-expected data on the economy helps support the market.

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  Manatee milestone: SeaWorld Orlando reports 1,000th rescue

• 
  DeSantis says ‘Tax the tourists. Tax some of the foreigners.’ to offset other revenue losses

• 
  5 years later: How COVID-19 precautions still influence theme parks, tourism

• 
  US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, remain in recent healthy range

• 
  4 Central Florida restaurants and 1 food truck shut down last week

The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in midday trading after erasing a loss of 0.7% from the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 6 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 11:25 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher.

General Motors sank 6.8% for one of the market’s sharper losses after Trump announced 25% tariffs on imported cars. Ford Motor dropped 2.2%. read more

TALLAHASSEE — As he calls for increasing the homestead exemption or possibly even eliminating property taxes, Gov. Ron DeSantis this week suggested such a move could be balanced by targeting spending by visitors to Florida.

“Tax the tourists. Tax some of the foreigners,” DeSantis said Tuesday, responding to a reporter’s question during an appearance in Palm Bay.

“You have the ability in some of those areas that draw a lot of people to shift the tax burden away from your own people to people that are not residents of Florida,” DeSantis continued. “I think that would be a better tax system than constantly having people pay higher property taxes.”

Skeptics of whacking property taxes have argued that the state would have to boost sales taxes to make up for lost revenue.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Daniel Perez came out Wednesday with a proposal to decrease the state sales-tax rate from 6 percent to 5.25 percent. Perez, R-Miami, told reporters such a reduction would include a decrease in the state’s commercial lease tax and that he remains open to asking voters in 2026 to cut property taxes. read more