Things To Do In SW Florida

Andrea Chang | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Peter Diamandis, a week away from turning 63, bounds out of a Starbucks on a recent morning with a cup of decaf, his daily medley of 70 supplement capsules in his pocket and, tucked under his left arm, a box of freshly deposited poop.

The serial entrepreneur is in the standard uniform of serial entrepreneurs: jeans, sneakers, fitted black T-shirt, Apple Watch, Oura Ring and puffer vest, the back of which says, “Life is short … until you extend it.”

“I woke up at 6. I meditated for 15 minutes. I took fecal samples — I hate to say that, unappetizing, sorry,” Diamandis says as he makes his way up Wilshire Boulevard. “Went through my dental protocol. Did push-ups and sit-ups and squats. And then came here.”

“Here” is a sixth-floor doctor’s office in Santa Monica, where the XPrize founder has been coming every few weeks to undergo therapeutic plasma exchange. The $7,500 procedure involves removing blood, running it through a machine to separate out the plasma and replace it with albumin and saline, and then returning the replenished blood to the body. read more

Sheiresa McRae Ngo | Bankrate.com (TNS)

One of the most prevalent and enduring types of stress is financial stress. Managing money has been especially difficult with the relentless financial constraints over the past couple of years: A global pandemic, a potential recession and persistently high prices. When keeping up with finances doesn’t go well, it seems like nothing else does either.

Financial stress refers to a feeling of worry or anxiety over money, debt and various expenses. In a March 2024 Bankrate survey, 47% of U.S. adults said money has a negative impact on their mental health, including causing stress.

Even though many external variables might be blamed for financial stress, there are strategies to lessen it and make improvements.

Here is a complete breakdown of financial stress in the U.S. today and some solutions to help with managing it.

Financial stress trends

The Financial Health Institute defines financial stress as: “A condition that is the result of financial and/or economic events that create anxiety, worry or a sense of scarcity, and is accompanied by a physiological stress response.” read more

A planned SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral was aborted at the moment of ignition Friday evening for unknown reasons.

The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit was abruptly canceled around 5:07 p.m. at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

A post from SpaceX on X, formerly known as Twitter, did not mention a reason for the cancellation and stated the launch would be rescheduled to an unspecified date.

The company had livestreamed the launch on its X account. A SpaceX commentator is heard saying “ignition” at the moment the on-screen timer reaches T-minus zero seconds. After three further seconds elapsed on the timer, the commentator says “abort, we have an abort.”

The abortion of a launch at such a late stage is considered rare.

“It’s been some time since we’ve had a mid-ignition abort of a Falcon 9 rocket,” said Will Robinson-Smith, a reporter for space news site Spaceflight Now as he live streamed coverage of the planned launch on YouTube. read more

By Elina Geller | NerdWallet

If you’ve been dreaming about visiting Europe this summer and eating gelato in Italy or visiting the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Spain, good news: Airfare is down 8% compared to this time last year, according to Hopper’s 2024 Summer Travel Outlook.

And once you’re in Europe, you may be able to save money if you travel by train. Traveling by train in Europe is convenient and sustainable. Plus, some trains, like the Glacier Express in Switzerland, are designed to travel through scenic destinations so you can sightsee while you relax.

If you’re considering incorporating train travel into your European itinerary, here’s what you need to know about getting around and how to save money on tickets.

Train system in Europe

There are several train companies in Europe. Some only offer regional train service, while others offer trains between countries. As you plan your trip, familiarize yourself with the train companies that serve your intended destination so you can determine if traveling by train makes sense for you. read more

Jeff Ostrowski | Bankrate.com (TNS)

Inflation is still running well above plan, and that means the Federal Reserve is keeping its finger firmly on the pause button. The central bank raised rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023, with the expectation that it would reverse course this year. But as inflation has stayed above 3%, it is standing pat. Following the Fed’s June 12 meeting, its fourth gathering of the year, Chairman Jerome Powell held steady again, announcing no change in interest rates. The Fed also signaled that it’s likely to cut rates only once this year, down from its previous estimate of three cuts.

“Mortgage rates, which have remained higher for longer, will likely remain in the high 6s until later this year,” says Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS, a large listing service in the mid-Atlantic region. “Some homebuyers who have been sidelined by affordability challenges are going to wait until rates come down to buy. Increasingly, home sellers may have to do more negotiating to attract offers.” read more