Things To Do In SW Florida

By DIDI TANG, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, soybean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader.

As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby formula to those who are stranded — something he did after Hurricane Helene.

Now he is fretting that one day he will have to ground his drone fleet. Most commercial drones sold in the United States, including those used by Hedrick, are made in China. They have become a target of U.S. lawmakers, who see the dominance of Chinese drones not only as an espionage threat but as a commercial threat because they make it nearly impossible for American manufacturers to compete.

It’s another front in the U.S.-China economic and technological competition that’s likely to intensify with the return to the White House in January of Republican Donald Trump, who has promised to get tough on China. read more

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and ELAINE KURTENBACH, Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world’s third-largest automaker by sales, as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels.

The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corp. also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses.

Automakers in Japan have lagged behind their big rivals in electric vehicles and are trying to cut costs and make up for lost time as newcomers like China’s BYD and EV market leader Tesla devour market share.

Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, said Honda and Nissan will attempt to unify their operations under a joint holding company. Honda will lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. They aim to have a formal merger agreement by June and to complete the deal and list the holding company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by August 2026, he said. read more

By Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald (TNS)

People of faith are not more generous than non-religious people — except in one case, a new study found.

Affordable housing projects in Orlando, Kissimmee and Sanford received nearly $2.8 million Thursday when the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta awarded more than $55 million in grants to help build thousands of homes across the country.

In Osceola County, the first phase of rehabilitating 50 multifamily rental units in the Kissimmee Oaks complex will receive $1 million, according to a news release from FHL Banks.

In Seminole County, Dave’s House Community in Sanford was awarded $1 million for the construction of 26 multifamily rental units.

And Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay will receive $760,000 toward refurbishing 19 single-family homes in Orlando into affordable housing.

Those were among seven development projects across the state that shared more than $4 million through the FHL Bank Atlanta grants program to help pay for 180 rental units and 29 homes as affordable housing, the news release said.

In all, 66 affordable housing projects in a dozen states and Washington D.C. will receive the 2024 Affordable Housing Program General Fund awards to help acquire, construct, rehabilitate or preserve more than 4,200 homes or rental units into housing for families or individuals with very low, low or moderate incomes. read more

By HALELUYA HADERO

Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.