Things To Do In SW Florida

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond on Monday in his New York civil fraud case, halting collection of the more than $454 million he owes and preventing the state from seizing his assets to satisfy the debt while he appeals, according to a court filing.

A New York appellate court had given the former president 10 days to put up the money after a panel of judges agreed last month to slash the amount needed to stop the clock on enforcement.

The bond Trump is posting with the court now is essentially a placeholder, meant to guarantee payment if the judgment is upheld. If that happens, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee will have to pay the state the whole sum, which grows with daily interest.

If Trump wins, he won’t have to pay the state anything and will get back the money he has put up now.

“As promised, President Trump has posted bond. He looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal and overturning this unjust verdict,” said one of Trump’s lawyers, Alina Habba. read more

Commuters who rely on Florida’s plethora of toll roads are about to save some money.

The state is renewing a discount program that was in place last year, and expired at the beginning of 2024. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday it’s being renewed for another year, effective immediately.

The program applies across the state, the governor said at a news conference in Miami, but “South Florida and Central Florida have the most, of course, and I think more people will save in those two regions than others.”

Frequent commuters on Florida’s Turnpike, the Sawgrass Expressway, and the Interstate 95 and Interstate 595 express lanes would benefit.

Anyone who has 35 toll transactions a month automatically gets a credit on their monthly toll statements. That threshold makes the program apply to people who commute to work almost every day, not those who regularly split their time between working from home and traveling to work.

“You don’t have to do anything. And you’ll see it on your May bill to show up if you reach that threshold where you, we know you’re commuting, you’re gonna get a 50% reduction,” DeSantis said. read more

Without discussion, Orlando City Council gave final approval Monday to annexing a 6,300-acre piece of Tavistock’s Sunbridge development, brushing aside objections from Orange County and setting up a second giant addition as early as next month.

Before the vote, Jon Weiss, deputy Orange County administrator, reaffirmed county concerns which he outlined in great detail last week in a four-page letter to city officials that included maps and the legal basis for the objections.

He pointed out county staff had spent more than a decade working with the Suburban Land Reserve, the real estate arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, owner of the land that Tavistock plans to develop.

“This project could have been a great opportunity to work together to ensure the best for existing and future residents of both Orange County and the city of Orlando,” Weiss said in brief comments to city council before its vote.

After the council’s unanimous decision, Weiss said county commissioners could still challenge the annexation by following a “governmental conflict-resolution procedure” established in state law in part to settle annexation disagreements, though he stopped short of saying the county will do that. read more

Commuters who rely on Florida’s plethora of toll roads are about to save some money.

The state is renewing a discount program that was in place last year, and expired at the beginning of 2024. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday it’s being renewed for another year, effective immediately.

The program applies across the state, the governor said at a news conference in Miami, but “South Florida and Central Florida have the most, of course, and I think more people will save in those two regions than others.”

Frequent commuters on Florida’s Turnpike, the Sawgrass Expressway, and the Interstate 95 and Interstate 595 express lanes would benefit.

Anyone who has 35 toll transactions a month automatically gets a credit on their monthly toll statements. That threshold makes the program apply to people who commute to work almost every day, not those who regularly split their time between working from home and traveling to work.

“You don’t have to do anything. And you’ll see it on your May bill to show up if you reach that threshold where you, we know you’re commuting, you’re gonna get a 50% reduction,” DeSantis said. read more

Alexandra Skores | (TNS) The Dallas Morning News

A captain flying on a commercial airline’s largest aircraft can bring home an average of $348,252 a year, based on recent pilot contracts that passed over the last year.

That’s just the best of the best when it comes to being a commercial airline pilot — a career that comes with years of high-earning salaries and benefits. But to get there, pilots need to invest into training and flying hours, which can often come with mounds of debt. ATP Flight School estimates it costs $108,995 to become a pilot when starting with no previous experience or $86,995 when starting with a private pilot certificate.

So what are the top commercial airlines for pilots to earn the big bucks? Here’s a list of a few.

American Airlines

At American, first-year pilots are at a flat rate, Tajer said. A first-year, first officer at American would be paid $116 an hour in 2024 under the new contract. Depending on how often that new commercial airline pilot would fly, that could mean an average $114,180 annual salary starting out, Darby said. read more