Things To Do In SW Florida

By JOSH BOAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Biden administration officials were meeting Friday with port operators ahead of a possible strike at East and Gulf coast ports, with a union contract expiring after Monday.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, told members of the United States Maritime Alliance that they should be at the table with the union and negotiating ahead of the contract expiring. That’s according to a White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing meeting.

Administration officials have delivered a similar message to the union this week.

The White House is trying to encourage the alliance, which represents port operators and shipping carriers, to reach what both sides would consider to be a fair agreement with the International Longshoremen’s Association. There is the possibility of a strike once the contract lapses, with unionized workers objecting to the addition of new technologies to U.S. ports that they say could ultimately cause job losses. read more

If weather cooperates, humans will be headed to space from a new launch pad on Saturday as SpaceX aims to send up the Crew-9 mission from its Cape Canaveral Space Force Station site for the first time.

NASA astronaut and Space Force Col. Nick Hague will command the two-person crew aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom joined by Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

The duo aim to launch from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 p.m. Saturday marking the first time SpaceX will have sent humans to space from a pad other than Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A.

A planned Thursday launch was called off as Hurricane Helene was brewing, and the Space Coast was both under a tropical storm warning all day as well as nearby tornado warnings. KSC reported a high of a 62 mph gust at its nearby Launch Pad 39-B.

The first-stage booster for this mission is flying for its second time and will aim for a recovery at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, meaning one or more sonic booms may be heard along the Space Coast and into Central Florida. read more

As Hurricane Helene bore down on Florida’s Panhandle on Thursday, lawmakers in Washington prepared to leave town without allocating additional money to help small businesses recover from major storms.

A bipartisan continuing resolution passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a 341-82 vote and the U.S. Senate by 78-18. A signature from President Joe Biden will keep federal agencies open through Dec. 20, providing funding to various federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But among the vast array of federal storm recovery programs designed to help businesses regain their financial footing, the Small Business Administration received only $40 million for maintaining operations, not for additional money to fund disaster loan programs to help damaged small businesses get back on their feet.

The agency, in a statement late Thursday to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, said that while the SBA is not devoid of resources, its ability to fund loans after Hurricane Helene could quickly diminish. read more

Orlando Science Center’s next adults-only event will have a Halloween theme. OSC After Dark is set for Oct. 26 – the Saturday before things get officially spooky on the calendar – at the Loch Haven Park museum.

Among the festivities will be a costume contest, creepy puppet crafting in The Hive: Makerspace, night-sky viewing, themed bingo, karaoke, trivia and interactive displays amide the science center’s Halloween makeover. There will be an open bar plus light bites.

The museum’s exhibits will be available — in a children-free environment for the night — to After Dark participants. It’s a 21-and-older event that runs from 8-11 p.m.

Costumes are encouraged, although face coverings should not obstruct the wearer’s vision, and they should be removable for ID checks.

Activities are included with general admission, which is $50. An early bird special of $40 runs through Sept. 30. Science center members and Young Professionals for OSC pay $35. Proceeds support the Science for All Fund, which helps more community members access the science center by tackling social, economic or cultural barriers. read more

Ripley’s annual book of oddities and accomplishments is again on sale. This one features a car made out of wood, one exceptionally bendy British gal, a pickle-juice drinking competition and Pearl, a 5-inch-long chihuahua that lives in Orlando.

“We just really want to celebrate diversity and everything different,” said Amanda Joiner, Ripley’s vice president of creative solutions.

This year’s volume, the company’s 21st, is titled “Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Dare to Discover.” It’s produced by Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment.

“Our research team goes through and takes a year researching and finding all the new great stories and people, places and things that we want to be able to tell people about,” Joiner said.

Ripley’s process had an unexpected disruption in early 2024 after it was made public that three of its publications – including one that celebrates the 100-year history of the company – were flagged for review for a banned book list by the Escambia County School District. read more