Things To Do In SW Florida

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS (AP Business Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) — Legislation forcing TikTok’s parent company to sell the video-sharing platform or face a ban in the U.S. received President Joe Biden’s official signoff Wednesday. But the newly minted law could be in for an uphill battle in court.

Critics of the sell-or-be-banned ultimatum argue it violates TikTok users’ First Amendment rights. The app’s China-based owner, ByteDance, has already promised to sue, calling the measure unconstitutional.

But a court challenge’s success is not guaranteed. The law’s opponents, which include advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, maintain that the government hasn’t come close to justifying banning TikTok, while others say national-security claims could still prevail.

For years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok. The U.S. has yet to provide public evidence to support those claims, but political pressures have piled up regardless. read more

By PAUL WISEMAN (AP Economics Writer)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s economy slowed sharply last quarter to a 1.6% annual pace in the face of high interest rates, but consumers — the main driver of economic growth — kept spending at a solid pace.

Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — decelerated in the January-March quarter from its brisk 3.4% growth rate in the final three months of 2023.

A surge in imports, which are subtracted from GDP, reduced first-quarter growth by nearly 1 percentage point. Growth was also held back by businesses reducing their inventories. Both those categories tend to fluctuate sharply from quarter to quarter.

By contrast, the core components of the economy still appear sturdy. Along with households, businesses helped drive the economy last quarter with a strong pace of investment.

The import and inventory numbers can be volatile, so “there is still a lot of positive underlying momentum,” said Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics. read more

By DAVID BAUDER (AP Media Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) — Catch and kill. Checkbook journalism. Secret deals. Friends helping friends.

Even by National Enquirer standards, testimony by its former publisher David Pecker at Donald Trump’s hush money trial this week has revealed an astonishing level of corruption at America’s best-known tabloid and may one day be seen as the moment it effectively died.

“It just has zero credibility,” said Lachlan Cartwright, executive editor of the Enquirer from 2014 to 2017. “Whatever sort of credibility it had was totally damaged by what happened in court this week.”

On Thursday, Pecker was back on the witness stand to tell more about the arrangement he made to boost Trump’s presidential candidacy in 2016, tear down his rivals and silence any revelations that may have damaged him.

THE ENQUIRER HELPED FUEL THE RISE OF TABLOID CULTURE

However its stories danced on the edge of credulity, the Enquirer was a cultural fixture, in large part because of genius marketing. As many Americans moved to the suburbs in the 1960s, the tabloid staked its place on racks at supermarket checkout lines, where people could see headlines about UFO abductions or medical miracles while waiting for their milk and bread to be bagged. read more

Q: I lease an apartment in a poorly maintained building. Lately, it has gotten to the point where the smell is literally making me sick. I want to move, but I signed a one-year lease. Can I get out of my lease due to this? — Cara

A: When a property is leased, it creates a legal relationship with benefits and responsibilities for the landlord and the tenant. The tenant has to pay rent, not damage the property, and follow the rules in the lease and the community. The landlord gets paid the rent but, in return, has to provide a livable home for the tenant.

While the lease agreement may split up maintenance responsibilities, the landlord is ultimately responsible for the property’s condition.

When a problem arises in any relationship, communication can be vital in resolving it. Contact your landlord and discuss the problem. It is possible that your landlord does not even know about the issue and will work on fixing it as soon as you tell her.

If your landlord ignores the issue or dismisses your concerns, try again, but this time in writing. This lets her know you are serious about the problem and helps create a record of your efforts to get your landlord to live up to her responsibilities. read more

Changes and additions for at least two of your senses are happening at Icon Park, the entertainment and shopping complex on International Drive.

The attraction, which includes the Orlando Eye, has installed new eating options with “fast comfort” street foods inside the Wheelhouse.

The eateries include The Bone, a Korean fried chicken concept; Winnie Tea Bar, which serves boba tea and mochi doughnuts; and Evoo, a Lebanese fast-casual dining outlet that serves falafel, baba ganoush, grilled meats and more.

The new stores are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Icon Park is expanding its live music offerings with a Latin Night on the first Thursday of each month, beginning in May. There will be music, dancing and drink specials on the Lawn from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The Lawn, located in the courtyard area of Icon Park, is also home to live music on weekends (5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays). There’s a DJ there on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight.)

The complex’s Helena Modern Riviera restaurant is offering Havana, Ibiza and Marrakech nights on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, respectively. The live music begins at 6 p.m. read more