Author: admin
The theme park capital of the world just got bigger as Epic Universe officially opened to the public at Universal Orlando early today. Its first visitors passed through the entrance at 6:30 a.m. — some eager customers had circled the area since 2 a.m. Eventually, there was a boisterous group countdown, followed by cheers, tears, cosplay and livestreaming. Initial Epic-goers went into speed-walking mode before literally skipping through the park’s signature Chronos portal into Orlando’s eighth theme park. Within 30 minutes, all visitors who had queued up early had ventured into the park. Excited guests at Universal Epic Universe on…
Florida is approaching opening the state belt for the Flack Bear hunt, the first since the controversial 2015.Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee voted 4-1 on Wednesday, moving forward with plans for the Bear Hunt later this year. The next vote is scheduled for August. Like it or not, the people responsible for these things are very likely to say yes. This plan requires that you issue 187 permits. Each hunter with a permit is permitted to kill only one bear of about 4,000 people roaming the state. For those who are morally opposed to hunting, the plan is horrifying.…
Q: Our neighbor lives in a fenced backyard with her three dogs. Other than that, we tried to be patient, but we need to sleep soundly. What can you do about this? – Graciera A: Pet owners are legally responsible for their pet’s behavior, including destructive barks and noise. Such disturbances can be viewed as legal “nuisances” that apply when animals continue to barge, show, or violate public peace. The first step to addressing the issue is to talk to your neighbor and seek a resolution. They may not even know that it bothers you, and will fix the issue…
(The Hill) – Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) warned Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not prepared for hurricane season and “will fail this summer.” Speaking before the House Rules Committee hearing Wednesday, Moskowitz said the sudden budget cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the suspension of grants mean that FEMA is inefficient and there is a risk of bankruptcy in a state that is prone to hurricanes if it doesn’t get approval for federal aid when the next storm hits. “Do you remember Doge? Do you remember E at the end of Doge? What’s…
A massive hike with a looming development fee has recently submitted a building permit flood in Osceola County. The county received 879 building permits this month until Monday, the last day. You have submitted your application and are eligible for current fees for mobility fees to pay the traffic impact of the new development. These prices will rise in June to become the state’s highest, jumping nearly $12,000 per new home, and increase various amounts for other developments. The May surge includes 414 detached homes and 411 townhomes, mainly from nationwide production home builders. Over 500 permits were submitted last…
The sun-kissed beaches of Pinellas, the vibrant Tampa skyline of Hillsboro, and the booming new community of Pasco tell the story of growth and resilience. But beneath the story is a difficult truth. Property taxes are crushing families and businesses. Adam Anderson (Adam Anderson)Danny Alvarez (Provided)Blood Jager (Provided)Since 2010, tax collection has skyrocketed. Pinellas rose 127.4% a year to $839.3 million, Hillsboro rose 154.8% to $1.5 billion, and Pasco 244.9% to $549.4 million. Population growth (6.4% in Pinellas, 24.5% in Hillsboro, 41.1% in Pasco) cannot justify tax collections of this magnitude. Driven by rising home prices and relentless new construction,…
For a while, Tampa Bay has been one of the hottest housing markets in the country. But prices declines and delays in sales across the Sunshine state show a tough reversal from the pandemic-fueled home-buying boom.”People are getting used to making big profits at home in a short period of time,” said the managing broker at Engel & Valkers Madeira Beach. “It’s slowing down.” The number of homes for sale in the Tampa Bay Metro area remained flat year-on-year, but has since 2022 has fallen about 20% since the market was booming. This is according to preliminary data from Homes.com,…
Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott, Associated Press Bonds are higher, and Wall Street reversed from small profits to losses before opening bell Thursday after US debt rose the day before. Dow Jones’ industrial average futures fell 0.5% in pre-market trading, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures slipped 0.3% each. The US market is also responding to the early aisle of the House on Thursday for a Republican Several Dollar spending bill aimed at adding others while extending the tax cuts of around $4.5 trillion from President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017. The bill, which has strict requirements for Medicaid…
It started for me later than many people. I was 31 when I had my first panic attack.Stephen Neely (File photo)I am a doctoral student, living alone in a new city and after one semester of the program I was not sure if I was a member.If you asked me if I was feeling stressed that morning, I would probably say no – and believed it. But one night, I drove on a remote highway and my chest suddenly tightened, my muscles tensed, and my hands began to shake. Out of nowhere I felt like I could not breathe and…
TALHASSEE – A federal judge on Wednesday rejected an argument made by an artificial intelligence company that the chatbot is protected by the initial amendment, at least for now. The developer behind Characher.ai is about to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the company’s chatbot forced a teenager to commit suicide. By the judge’s order, what legal experts say is that it is one of the latest constitutional tests of artificial intelligence, illegal death lawsuits will proceed. The lawsuit was filed by Florida’s mother, Megan Garcia. Megan Garcia claims that her 14-year-old son, Swell Setzer III, was a victim of the…