Things To Do In SW Florida

By TOM KRISHER and MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors will pay nearly $146 million in penalties to the federal government because 5.9 million of its older vehicles do not comply with emissions and fuel economy standards.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement Wednesday that certain GM vehicles from the 2012 through 2018 model years did not comply with federal fuel economy requirements.

The fine comes after the Environmental Protection Agency said its testing showed the GM pickup trucks and SUVs emit 10% more carbon dioxide on average than GM’s initial compliance testing claimed.

The EPA says the vehicles will remain on the road and cannot be repaired.

GM said in a statement that it complied with all regulations in pollution and mileage certification of its vehicles. The company said it is not admitting to any wrongdoing or that it did not comply with the Clean Air Act.

The enforcement action involves about 4.6 million full-size pickups and SUVs and about 1.3 million midsize SUVs, the EPA said. The affected models include the Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Silverado. About 40 variations of GM vehicles are covered. read more

SeaWorld Orlando has posted its concert lineup for its Bands, Brew and BBQ event, which begins at the theme park on Saturday.

Performances are set for the park’s Nautilus Theater at 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 25.  The artists are a mix of big names, local bands and cover bands. The concerts are included with regular SeaWorld admission.

Scheduled performers include:

July 6: Country Airwaves

July 7: Queensryche.

July 13: Bryan Malpass

July 14: LOCASH

July 20: Classic Airwaves

July 21: P.O.D.

July 27: HayFire

July 28: MacKenzie Porter

Aug. 3: The Petty Experience

Aug. 4: Hunter Hayes

Aug. 10: Red Mint

Aug. 11: Gabby Barrett

Aug. 17: Midnight Rodeo

Aug. 18: Quiet Riot

Aug. 24: Bo Bice

Aug. 25: Tracy Byrd

First ride: SeaWorld’s Penguin Trek coaster has smooth moves

The festival, held on weekends and under the Summer Spectacular event umbrella, features 17 food and beverage stops spread across the park. Among the foods available for purchase are burnt-ends sliders, smoked gouda cheese grits, jalapeno cheddar sausage, vegan chili, pretzel beer bratwurst, Memphis BBQ potato salad, about 75 varieties of beers and several cocktails and mocktails. read more

TALLAHASSEE — As Florida gets ready to enter the thick of hurricane season, property insurers have seen improvements in the market for reinsurance — critical backup coverage that helps drive how much homeowners pay in premiums.

Now, it’s a waiting game as forecasters expect a busy, and potentially costly, season.

New reports by the reinsurance brokers Aon and Gallagher Re said Florida property insurers found better prices and more availability when purchasing reinsurance coverage that took effect June 1 and Monday.

“Following several years of significant reinsurance rate increases, relatively low catastrophe activity and improved results for both insurers and reinsurers, many of Florida’s insurers experienced rate reductions at mid-year for the first time in three years,” the Aon report, released Monday, said.

Similarly, the Gallagher Re report, posted last week, said: “Following three consecutive years of double-digit risk adjusted rate increases, Florida’s reinsurance market was overdue for a pause in 2024. For the most part, this is what looks to have been delivered at the 6.1 (June 1) renewal, with risk-adjusted rates on most programs either flat, or down by up to 10%.” read more

The new Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort have welcomed their first surge of guests.

The longtime accommodations, located on Bay Lake across from Magic Kingdom theme park, are being rolled off and replaced with colorful, newly constructed models in phases. The first loop now is complete and ready for occupants.

“We have about 30 cabins on for this wave. Throughout the year, we’re going to introduce more cabin loops as we go,” said Lauren Gossett, general manager of Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. “In early 2025, we should be ready to go for everybody.”

There will be more than 350 units when the job is done, and they will now be considered Disney Vacation Club properties. Each 504-square-foot cabin sits on the footprint of its predecessor. The campground dates back to 1971, a few weeks after Walt Disney World first opened.

“What I love the most, probably, is the additional windows. … Just the natural light, you can see the beautiful scenery around you,” Gossett said. “The Disney touches and the Disney IP [intellectual property] are fabulous – understated, but yet, so well done,” she said. read more

Patrick Clarke | (TNS) TravelPulse

Travelers have plenty of accommodation choices when they travel this summer thanks to the emergence of home-sharing platforms like Airbnb, making it easier to save on their stay.

Upgraded Points recently analyzed average nightly rates for hotels and Airbnbs in 100 of the largest cities across the U.S. to reveal which places it pays to book a hotel stay over an Airbnb (entire home) or vice versa.

“Hotels have long been the go-to choice for travelers seeking comfort and convenience, but Airbnb has grown in popularity as an alternative, offering unique stays and a taste of local life,” Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, said in a statement. “When choosing between comfort and uniqueness, cost plays a huge role, and we wanted to find just where you could find the best accommodation deals.”

Airbnb was determined to be the most cost-effective accommodation option in 71 out of 100 cities examined, with an average nightly rate of $156 compared to $208 for hotels. In some cities in the Midwest, the difference was roughly $200 per night. read more