Free Republic

Scrapping the infamous Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel cost Disney $250 million, the company announced in its quarterly earnings call last week. With only 100 guest rooms, that breaks down to $2.5 million per room for the failed venture. The Galactic Starcruiser in Disney World was billed as a one-of-a-kind “Star Wars” experience. Each two-night booking was meant to feel like boarding a cruise ship in outer space, and guests were given a “mission” involving characters from the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy. It was a gamble on a relatively niche — and expensive — concept. But at about $4,800...

A Whole Foods Market, one of the largest supermarkets in downtown San Francisco closed at the end of business Monday, just over a year after the store opened, according to a new report Company officials told The Standard in a statement, “We are closing our Trinity location only for the time being. If we feel we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location.” A source at City Hall said that the outlet’s “flagship location” cited drug use and crime near the 64,737 square feet location as reasons...

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) promised to ride the subway to demonstrate that it is “safe” and encourage others to do so as restaurants in his city remain largely shuttered over the spread of the Chinese coronavirus, despite the fact that less than two percent of all cases are traced back to restaurants. Speaking to a Streetsblog reporter, the Democrat mayor accepted what has been dubbed the “Streetsblog challenge.”

SAN FRANCISCO—The government shutdown is beginning to ensnare a lot of people and businesses who didn't think it had anything to do with them. On Wednesday, a random canvassing of spurned visitors outside the Cliff House—a tourist spot perched above the Pacific Ocean at the city's western edge—revealed that even those related to President Barack Obama aren't immune. Two members of the president's extended family were denied entry to the historic dining establishment, which is privately operated but has been ordered to close because it is on national park land. Virginia Goeldner, 78 years old, Mr. Obama's maternal great aunt,...

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Three affiliated banks in Florida were closed Friday, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., raising the tally of bank failures in 2010 to 76. The Bank of Florida - Southeast in Fort Lauderdale; the Bank of Florida - Southwest in Naples; and the Bank of Florida - Tampa Bay in Tampa were shut down. EverBank in Jacksonville, Fla., has acquired their banking operations. Bank of Florida Corp.