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Florida works to bring back tourism to its Gulf Coast following hurricanes Helene and Milton

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tourism officials on Florida’s Gulf Coast say one of the ways concerned people can help the area recover is to visit as tourists, even though some beaches are still closed to the public and debris is still piled next to streets from recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. The tourism promotion agency for the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area said in a news release that 80% of hotels and businesses in the area are open for business, even as clean-up and recovery continues. “Many people have asked, ‘How can I help?’ and the answer is this: Come visit and ...

In a Miami shopping center, Kmart’s last ‘Blue Light Specials’ flicker

MIAMI (AP) — The last Kmart on the U.S. mainland sits at the west end of a busy suburban Miami shopping center, quiet and largely ignored. All around it are thriving chain stores attracting steady streams of customers in sectors where the former box-store chain was once a major player: ...

At least 75 people are sickened as the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak expands

(AP) — A deadly outbreak of E. coli poisoning tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has expanded, with at least 75 people sick in 13 states, federal health officials said Friday. A total of 22 people have now been hospitalized, and two have developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One person has died in Colorado. No definitive source of the outbreak has been identified, officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked slivered onions used on the ...

Owner, operator of ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse to pay $100M in settlement

WASHINGTON (AP) — The owner and manager of the cargo ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse have agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department, officials said Thursday. The settlement comes a month after the Justice Department sued Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group, both of Singapore, seeking to recover funds the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port, which was closed to most maritime traffic for months after the deadly collapse. The settlement does not ...