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April Choi works as an engineer at Kennedy Space Center.

And she’s also an accomplished whip-cracker. Literally. She holds world records.

Choi will discuss both of those roles as a featured speaker at Science Night Live, the adults-only event at Orlando Science Center on Saturday evening.

Her career path has included circus arts, dance, education and rocket science.

“My parents always encouraged me to get involved in STEM — science, technology, engineering, mathematics,” said Choi, who earned two engineering degrees from the University of Iowa. “I found a lot more interest in dance and martial arts and performing arts, so I pursued that for a little bit.”

It was during that era that she learned bullwhip cracking. Since then, she has held multiple whip-related world records, including world’s longest whip ever cracked. It was 365 feet.

“Longest whip was the first Guinness World Record I ever broke,” Choi said. She also has been recognized by the Online World Records and RecordSetter organizations, although the longest cracked whip mark is no longer in Guinness’ favor. read more

By STAN CHOE

NEW YORK (AP) — A scary Monday that started with a plunge abroad reminiscent of 1987 ’s crash swept around the world and pummeled Wall Street with more steep losses, as fears worsened about a slowing U.S. economy.

The S&P 500 dropped 3% for its worst day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reeled by 1,033 points, or 2.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slid 3.4%.

The drops were the latest in a global sell-off that began last week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 helped begin Monday by plunging 12.4% for its worst day since the Black Monday crash of 1987.

It was the first chance for traders in Tokyo to react to Friday’s report showing U.S. employers slowed their hiring last month by much more than economists expected. That was the latest piece of data on the U.S. economy to come in weaker than expected, and it’s all raised fear the Federal Reserve has pressed the brakes on the U.S. economy by too much for too long through high interest rates in hopes of stifling inflation. read more

While Disney Cruise Line dropped oodles of news this week about its new 2025 ship Disney Destiny, it has another new ship set to debut this year that hit a milestone at its shipyard on Saturday.

The Disney Treasure under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany was floated out into the shipyard harbor out from under the massive building where it has been taking shape since March 2023.

“A scene of excitement greeted the ship, as a group of cheering spectators … gathered to watch the special construction milestone,” reads a post on the Disney Parks Blog with images of the event. “The Float Out celebrates the completion of the ship’s exterior and is a significant maritime tradition.”

Disney Cruise Line reveals Marvel takeover plus itineraries for Disney Destiny

The 144,000-gross-ton vessel was led by tugboat stern-first through the building’s narrow doorway with just three feet of clearance on either side of the vessel, the post reads.

“The Disney Treasure is now ready for finishing touches to its interior venues as it continues to prepare for its transatlantic journey to its future home port in Florida,” Disney posted. read more

SpaceX is back to lending a hand to Northrop Grumman with a planned launch of its Cygnus cargo spacecraft on a resupply mission to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday.

A Falcon 9 rocket topped with Cygnus is set to launch on the NG-21 mission from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:29 a.m. with a backup option on Sunday.

The booster is flying for its 10th time and will aim for a recovery landing back on land at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, which means the Space Coast and Central Florida could be in line for a sonic boom.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts only a 50% chance for good launch conditions, which drops to 10% in the event of a delay to Sunday because of the forecast tropical storm that will be hitting Florida. If it doesn’t fly Saturday or Sunday, teams would stand down Monday and potentially try again on Tuesday or Wednesday.

SpaceX knocks out company’s 50th Space Coast launch of the year

This is the second time SpaceX has flown the Cygnus spacecraft since Northrop Grumman stopped launching them from Virginia in 2023 on their Antares rockets. A new version of Antares with partner Firefly Aerospace is in the works that will use American engines and rocket parts in lieu of the Russian and Ukrainian-supplied parts on the version no longer flying. read more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and PAUL WISEMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surprising rise in the U.S. unemployment rate last month has rattled financial markets and set off new worries about the threat of a recession — but it could also prove to be a false alarm.

Friday’s jobs report, which also showed hiring slowed last month, coincides with other signs the economy is cooling amid high prices and elevated interest rates. A survey of manufacturing firms showed activity weakened noticeably in July. Hurricane Beryl, however, hit Texas during the same week the government compiles its job data and could have held back job gains.

The U.S. economy used to flash reliable signals when it was in or near a recession. But those red lights have gone haywire since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and upended normal business activity. Over the past two or three years, they’ve signaled downturns that never arrived as the economy just kept rolling along.

Worries about a recession are also quickly politicized, even more so as the presidential election intensifies. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign on Friday said the jobs report is “more evidence that the Biden-Harris economy is failing Americans.” read more