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So, you want to be an astronaut when you grow up?

Or did you want to be an astronaut when you grew up?

“Mission: Astronaut,” the latest traveling exhibit to land at Orlando Science Center, features the many job requirements and duties that come with outer-space assignments.

“It talks about the training. It talks about what it takes to be an astronaut, how to train to be one, what they’ll be doing in space,” said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing. “So it breaks it down into very specific areas that you can see.”

Stations within the exhibit, created by Flying Fish Exhibits, explain the future of space exploration, how to pack your capsule, working with robotics and some basics for staying, well, alive, like meal prep.

“We’re all about trying to get people excited about STEM and talking about STEM careers and STEM skills. … An astronaut is like the ultimate STEM professional,” Stanford said.

“They do critical thinking, they’re problem-solving, they’re creative, they’re collaborative, they communicate,” he said. So this exhibit is “a really colorful way to get people to show people what a STEM career is, what STEM skills are. I mean, astronauts are problem-solving all the time.” read more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks said Thursday that it plans to open hundreds of new stores across the U.S. and add seating capacity at thousands of existing locations, doubling down on a strategy of emphasizing the company’s cafes as community hubs even as consumer demand for drive-thru coffee grows.

The company unveiled its plans during a presentation in New York for investors. After announcing in September that it would close hundreds of less profitable stores, Starbucks said it now expects to open up to 175 new U.S. coffee shops this year and around 400 in 2028.

Its plans include smaller-format stores that are 20% cheaper to build but still offer comfortable seating, drive-thru service and mobile order pickup capacity.

Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said Starbucks ultimately sees an opportunity to build at least 5,000 new cafes across the U.S., with the smaller store format presenting much of that opportunity. There are thousands of sites where no Starbucks operates within a mile of a competitor, he said. Starbucks is particularly eyeing the central, southern and northeastern U.S. for store development. read more

Royal Caribbean is making waves in the cruise industry with big plans for the next several years, including a new class of oceangoing ships and 10 new river ships.

Royal Caribbean Group announced a series of agreements with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France to secure the construction of its new Discovery class. Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer, previously noted that the new ships would be smaller than the cruise line’s gigantic Icon class ships.

The news confirms two firm ship orders with options for four additional ships. The first ship in the class is set to debut in 2029, while the second ship is scheduled for delivery in 2032.

“The Discovery Class represents our continued commitment to shaping the future of vacations,” said Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, in a news release. “These ships will be a showcase of what’s possible when design meets purpose, ultimately bringing the world closer to our guests.” read more

By CORA LEWIS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Tax filing season is underway, and the IRS expects 164 million people will file returns by April 15.

The average refund last year was $3,167. This year, analysts have projected it could be $1,000 higher, thanks to changes in tax law. More than 165 million individual income tax returns were processed last year, with 94% submitted electronically.

People with straightforward returns should not encounter delays, but because of an exodus of IRS workers since the start of the Trump administration, the national taxpayer advocate has cautioned that the 2026 tax filing season is likely to present challenges for those who run into problems filing.

While last year IRS employees were not permitted to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, many of those customer service workers have now left. The IRS started 2025 with about 102,000 employees and finished with roughly 74,000 after a series of firings and layoffs led by the Department of Government Efficiency. read more

By ALEX VEIGA, Associated Press

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged up for the second week in a row, but remains just above its lowest level in more than three years.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.1% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week. That average rate inched up to 5.49% from 5.44% last week. A year ago, it was at 6.12%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.24% at midday Thursday, just below where it was a week ago.

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Royal Caribbean confirms two ships in new Discovery class, 10 additional river vessels read more