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Our picks of the best Orlando restaurants to heckin’ brunch your face off
Brunch punch, dim sum, crab legs and more: These are a few of our favorite things
Orlando’s Alyssa Raghu scores a spot in the Top 20 on ‘American Idol’
Powerhouse local American Idol contestant Alyssa Raghu has got some serious momentum on her side in this year’s season of the popular reality show, as she’s now part of the Top 20 and moving on to the next round of competition. The teenage singer from Lake Nona made a strong showing during last year’s 16th…
Dark synthwave star Shredder 1984 headlines Will’s Pub this week
You can debate amongst yourselves whether Shredder 1984’s name refers more to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villain or the 1980s slang for a virtuosic metal guitar player, but it’s definitely both. The Franco-American synthwave up-and-comer spent a decade in the metal scene before turning to synths and ’80s nostalgia a few years ago. His…
Orlando Museum of Art celebrates spring at the Festival of Fine Arts and Flowers
Step into springtime as flowers bloom in the Orlando Museum of Art. The Festival of Fine Arts and Flowers is a museum-wide showcase of fresh paintings, alluring flower arrangements and antique dealers, kicking off Thursday night with a ’60s-inspired “Flower Power” party. During regular museum hours, attendees can see grand floral designs and constructions inspired…
Gypsy punk veterans Gogol Bordello bring their cultural mishmash to the Beacham
For 20 years, the gypsy-rock band Gogol Bordello – a rock & roll collective of immigrants from Ukraine, Ecuador, Russia and Ethiopia (and more if you include former band members) have toured the globe in relentless fashion, declaring their niche style of international-primed punk rock (that incorporates a slew of instruments like the accordion and…
28 free concerts coming to Orlando this week
Wednesday, March 27:Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 p.m. at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. The Daniel Heitz Band 10:30 p.m. at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Thursday, March 28:Leisure Chief 10:30 p.m. at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Thursday Jazz Jams 8 p.m. at Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park.…
Legal Public Notices 3/27 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 8841 9847 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, FL 32825 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 9847 Curry Ford Road, Orlando,FL 32825 (407) 495-9612, April 16th, 2019 @…
Dole Whip mimosas are coming to Disney Springs
One of Disney’s most popular treats will soon get the boozy brunch treatment. Wine Bar George in Disney Springs is releasing their new “Wine Country Brunch” on March 30, and it will include a Dole Whip mimosa. The new adult-only drink will consist of moscato, pineapple Dole Whip and prosecco, and will run you $15.…
SeaWorld is about to open Sesame Street land, but the Orlando park still has more projects in the works
Even as SeaWorld Orlando prepares for Wednesday’s grand opening of the new Sesame Street area, the park isn’t slowing down with its dramatic reimagining of the park. Aquariums have made way for thrills as the park continues to add more rides and focus less on animals. It now looks like the new focus will continue…
Sea Life Orlando Aquarium will launch multi-sensory fish feeding experience
Sea Life Orlando Aquarium will be launching a new multisensory fish feeding experience called “Feeding Frenzy” on April 1 in late April. Guests will be able to buy sheets of dried seaweed and attach it to feeding poles they can lower into a tank of blue tangs and other surgeonfish. As the fish swarm to eat…
Orlando attorney John Morgan’s firm still relies on cheap labor despite pushing for $15 minimum wage in Florida
John Morgan is on a mission to raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, and while this may be long overdue, the outspoken Orlando attorney has struggled to lead by example with his own business ventures. Morgan has personally pledged to spend $1 million on his latest political committee, Florida for a Fair Wage,…
Two black bears are just chilling on a tree outside an Orlando school
Two black bears are currently hangin’ out on a tree at the Orlando Science Schools campus off North John Young Parkway. The charter school’s executive director, Yalcin Akin, says on Facebook that the “mommy bear and her cub” stopped by the school’s high school and elementary campus parking lot this morning. “They climbed up one of the…
Orlando’s Electric Daisy Carnival will expand to 3 days this year
Plan another outfit and buy some extra glitter because for the first time in eight years, the Electric Daisy Carnival in Orlando is going to be three days long. News broke out when billboards announcing the music festival started popping up in Miami with the dates “November 8+9+10” posted. The expanded dates were later confirmed…
Disney reveals new details on upcoming Spider-Man ride and Marvel-themed world
Lately, all the news has been on Disney’s latest big buy, Fox, but the company is still far from finished with their previous purchases. Just last year, the company opened new lands themed to Pixar, which the company purchased in 2006, in Orlando and California. Lands based on Star Wars, which the company acquired in…
Country superstar Dierks Bentley to play Central Florida this summer
Are y’all ready for Burning Man? Wait, no, that that Burning man. We’re talking about country star Dierks Bentley’s 2019 North American “Burning Man” tour, which will include a big Central Florida show with Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes and Hot Country Knights. Bentley has been very busy in 2019. He’s been on the road since January,…
Underground synth legends Xeno and Oaklander announce Orlando show next month
New York’s Xeno & Oaklander, leading lights of the minimal synth underground, have added an Orlando date to their North American tour; a big win for local electronic fans as the only other chance to see them in Florida is in Miami. The duo of Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride have been going hard since 2004, but…
onePULSE Foundation launches design competition for Pulse memorial
The onePULSE Foundation is launching an international design competition for architects to create a national Pulse memorial and museum in honor of the 49 lives lost in the June 2016 shooting. The design competition will be conducted in two stages, according to a news release from onePULSE Foundation. The winning team will be selected by…
The best queens from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ are coming to Orlando for ‘Werq the World’ tour
The queens with the most charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent from RuPaul’s Drag Race are coming to Orlando’s Bob Carr Theater this fall for the popular “Werq the World” tour. Drag Race judge and squirrel friend Michelle Visage is the mission leader on this production to “save the universe with the help of her intergalactic queens.”…
Lawmakers want to let Florida import drugs from Canada for prisoners and Medicaid patients
A Senate panel Monday moved forward with a bill that could allow the state to lower costs by importing drugs from Canada for prisoners and Medicaid patients. It was the first time the drug importation bill, a priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis, was considered by senators. But the bill approved by the Senate Health Policy…
Florida lawmakers get behind hemp industry
Looking at a potentially lucrative new industry, lawmakers are working on rules for farmers and businesses to grow and sell industrial hemp in Florida. The Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday approved a bill (SB 1020) that would create a regulatory framework for the industry, which is emerging after a federal law last year legalized industrial…
Bill allowing guns in Florida churches on school property advances in the Senate
A controversial gun-rights proposal that was sidetracked last year in the wake of the mass shooting at a Broward County high school started moving in the Senate on Monday. Voting 4-2 along party lines, the Senate Judiciary Committee backed a measure (SB 1238) that would allow individuals with concealed-weapons permits to carry guns at churches…
Get ready for a ‘Sad Summer’ at the Orlando Amphitheater in July
Are you ready for a musical summer bummer? A veritable bounty of emo acts are joining together for a traveling roadshow across the United States, and the only chance for Florida fans to see this Sad Summer showcase will be in the City Beautiful this July. The lineup for the Orlando show includes: The Maine, Mayday…
‘Queer Eye’ star Jonathan Van Ness is coming to Orlando this November
Can you believe? Queer Eye grooming expert and meme machine Jonathan Van Ness is coming to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 23. The Emmy-nominated television personality, podcaster, celebrity hairstylist and Gay of Thrones star is on his first worldwide comedy tour “Jonathan Van Ness: Road to Beijing.” If you haven’t watched the…
Metal bruisers Disturbed to play Orlando’s Amway Center this fall
Metal vets Disturbed announced Monday a second leg of dates for their Evolution tour with In This Moment, set to kick off in July, and there will be a big Orlando arena show to sate their local fanbase. Disturbed have been running roughshod over the rock world for nearly twenty years, netting two Grammy nominations along…
Watch out for this giant puddle that nearly swallowed an SUV in downtown Orlando
A water main break has caused a giant puddle to form on North Orange Avenue that nearly swallowed up an SUV in downtown Orlando. Orlando Police say the 800 block of North Orange Avenue between Marks Street and Park Lake Street is currently closed. TRAFFIC ALERT: A water main break has caused a closure in…
Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment will replace Branson Ride the Ducks boats where 17 were killed with a new attraction
When last year’s horrific Ride the Ducks boat accident killed 17 people in Missouri, there were many questions about what the owner of the Branson attraction, Ripley Entertainment, would do. Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment, was quick to respond to the accident – the worst tragedy in the company’s history – with the CEO having two separate interviews…
A new Amazon warehouse could be coming to Daytona Beach, report says
Online retail behemoth Amazon has plans to open a new distribution center in Daytona Beach, according to the Orlando Business Journal. OBJ reports the roughly 300,000-square-foot distribution center will be situated near the Trader Joe’s distribution center. VanTrust Real Estate, a firm based out of Missouri, is reportedly in charge of developing the property. Amazon declined…
Apopka man arrested for raping Texas teen he lured to Florida by claiming to be ‘Instagram famous’
A 25-year-old Central Florida man has been arrested and accused of child sex abuse after police say he raped a 17-year-old Texas girl he lured to his parents’ home in Apopka by claiming he was “Instagram famous.” Apopka Police say Richard Brown spent roughly $822 on Uber rides for the teenager from San Antonio to Baton Rouge,…
Disney confirms new crêperie is coming to Epcot’s France pavilion
Epcot’s major overhaul is still years away from being finished, but one of the first major additions will be the Ratatouille ride and France pavilion expansion. Permits for this area previously confirmed a crepe stand will be included, but no details regarding this new stand were officially shared by Disney at that time. Disney has…
AJR is coming to the Orlando Hard Rock Live in November
We’re weak for AJR, and what’s wrong with that? The indie pop band is coming to the Hard Rock Live in Orlando on Nov. 8. AJR’s Neotheater World Tour was announced prior to the release of their new album, Neotheater, which is expected to come out April 26, according to Rolling Stone. The album features the hit…
UCF men’s basketball team falls short to top overall seed Duke University
You win some, you lose some, and last night the University of Central Florida’s men’s basketball team lost a big one to No. 1 seed Duke University. In a game that came down to the final seconds, the UCF men’s basketball team, which was seeded No. 9 in the tournament’s East Region, fell to top…
A giant mixing truck full of whiskey is coming to Orlando this week
A huge cocktail shaker filled with 2,400 gallons of whiskey will make stops in Orlando this week. Monkey Shoulder will bring their alcohol truck to Orlando on March 29 from 5:30 pm. to 10 p.m. at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace located at 1900 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, according to a press…
Orlando’s Sh-Booms embark on a national campaign at Will’s Pub
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND The Sh-Booms album release, Will’s Pub, March 22 I love how the career of the Sh-Booms has been unfolding. The emerging native soul syndicate are now one of the biggest Orlando stories this year with the major buzz campaign for their new album The Blurred Odyssey, which finally released last Friday on…
Band of the Week: Spoon Dogs
Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s “Band of the Week.” Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we’re pleased to bring you Spoon Dogs. Spoon Dogs are playing Will’s Pub on March 25 with Golden Pelicans and Thelma & the Sleaze, and April 3 at Stardust with Emily Reo and Batry Powr.…
Florida Highway trooper shoots a GPS tracker onto a fleeing car during chase
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper darted a small, soda can-sized tracking device on the back of a fleeing minivan during a chase late Wednesday night, and the cruiser’s dashcam footage makes the slick deployment look like something out of a Batman film. Kip Thomas, the minivan’s 26-year-old driver and recipient of the sticky probe, allegedly…
Florida is currently clogged with these giant poisonous toads
Cane toads, a poisonous invasive species that was once the scourge of Australia, are now the scourge of Florida. Sightings of the toads are statewide and have occurred in Tampa, Orlando and even as far as the Panhandle, but right now South Florida is straight-up plagued. The Palm Beach Gardens community is currently dealing with…
Legendary Orlando breaks DJ D-Xtreme has passed away
Sadly, the RIPs in music keep coming. And goddamn, this time it’s a local legend: DJ D-Xtreme (a.k.a Derek Steplight). While clubs like the Edge and Firestone and names like DJ Icey and Kimball Collins got the lion’s share of the international spotlight during Orlando’s heyday as a world EDM capital in the 1990s, cats…
Who says it doesn’t snow in Florida?
The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than 27,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $360 million in Florida on Friday. The drugs were delivered to the Miami Beach base by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa, based in Portsmouth, Virginia. Three Coast Guard crews intercepted 12 separate drug smuggling vessels off the coasts of Mexico, Central America…
Lakeland’s Confederate statue is finally coming down
It only took a years-long debate and a federal lawsuit, but the 108-year-old Confederate monument in Lakeland’s downtown Munn Park is finally coming down. The process of moving the Central Florida statue about a mile down the road to Veterans Memorial Park began Friday, with a handful of crews arriving early this morning to start…
Orlando watering hole Whiskey Lou’s will celebrate 50th birthday in April
Stalwart Milk District bar Whiskey Lou’s Lounge is set to celebrate a half-century of “serving them strong” next month and, to mark their budding second life as a raucous live-music spot, will fittingly be hosting a bunch of local music. The event will be hosted by Sabrina from Real Radio’s The News Junkie and includes…
CFE Arena is getting a name change to Addition Financial Arena
The CFE Arena on the University of Central Florida campus is getting a name change on May 1 to Addition Financial Arena. This renaming was decided by the CFE Federal Credit Union as a general name change to the whole company. The change was meant to make the credit union a “more inclusive place to do…
Pitbull will hold a free concert benefiting wounded Orlando Police Officer Kevin Valencia
Miami rapper Pitbull will be holding a free concert in June to benefit the severely injured Orlando Police Officer Kevin Valencia and his family, FOP Lodge 93 announced. The concert will be held on Saturday, June 1 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, and is produced by Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys. Valencia…
Orange County Sheriff Department K9 named ‘Trump’ is officially a mediocre meme
From Billy Corgi-an to Celine Pee-on, Digmund Freud to Fleas Witherspoon, dogs named after famous people are a thing because it’s always been a thing. But the Orange County Sheriff’s Office naming one of their newest K9s “Trump” has since turned into a full-fledged Facebook meme and prompted a potential policy change in terms of…
Bill preventing Florida cities from banning front-yard vegetable gardens gets green light
In an issue stemming from a legal dispute in South Florida, the Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. Senators voted 35-5 to support the measure (SB 82), sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. Bradley took up the issue after a dispute between homeowners…
Lawmakers don’t want Visit Florida to promote cities that banned sunscreens harmful to coral
Florida Senate leaders are putting up money to keep the state’s tourism arm alive, despite an effort by the state House to scrap the agency. But the Senate’s $50 million for Visit Florida comes with a hitch: The agency would be barred from promoting communities that have banned certain sunscreens. “I don’t want that brand…
Thad Seymour will continue as UCF interim president until 2020
With the University of Central Florida planning to name a new president in 2020, trustees voted Thursday to keep Thad Seymour Jr. in the role of interim president. Seymour, who most recently served as the university’s vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer, was tapped last month to serve as a short-term interim president.…
Pitbull performs for free at Universal’s Mardi Gras this weekend
There was a time when a rapper named Pitbull seemed kinda scary, but then we all discovered that the much-maligned pit bull dog breed is actually loving, affectionate and cuddly. Similarly, Pitbull, aka Armando Pérez aka Mr. 305 aka Mr. Worldwide, has seen his public persona change from scrappy Latin hip-hop upstart to that of…
South Florida punks Nunhex close out the weekend at Will’s Pub
Miami filth-punk masterminds Nunhex have carved a musical and literal (Uncle Lou’s roof never stood a chance) path of destruction through the City Beautiful on their increasingly rare forays northward. And this time around everything’s bigger; the venue is Will’s and the powerhouse support acts – heavy local contenders the Nightmare, new motorheads Karborätor and…
Smiths and Morrissey get the cover treatment from Ordinary Boys at Independent Bar this weekend
Live shows at Independent Bar are rare enough that any one is noteworthy, but this week’s booking of South Florida’s premier Smiths and Morrissey tribute act, Ordinary Boys, is worth a special mention. With Morrissey himself seemingly hell-bent on undoing all the goodwill he’s earned over the years with a sorrowfully predictable descent into right-wing…
Torque brings cutting edge dance music across the pond for the World of Drum & Bass
Nomadic drum & bass night Torque finds yet another new home, Room 22, this one rising from the ashes of Orange Avenue’s Vintage Lounge. For this edition, they’ve brought in some luminaries of the English drum & bass scene, including Bristol’s TC, Derby’s Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Leicester’s DJ SS and London’s Mampi Swift. Get…
Colorful Hindu festival Holi takes over Bill Frederick Park this weekend
The Hindu festival of colors, also known as Holi, is celebrated every spring in honor of the triumph of good over evil, which might feel a little counterintuitive right now because the evil of pollen is flourishing. Nevertheless, the Orlando Holi Festival promises to be a vibrant celebration, allergies and all. People will toss colored…
Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt finally finds a Home Sweet Home on Netflix
It’s almost as much of a miracle The Dirt exists as it is that the members of Mötley Crüe are all still technically alive. For years, attempts to make a film out of the group’s best-selling printed memoir were stalled at the gate. A planned theatrical feature was to star a cast of big names,…
Despite being a remake, ‘Gloria Bell’ shows us something new
Back in 2013, Chilean director Sebastián Lelio made a well received romance called Gloria, in which the title character, a middle aged divorcee played by Paulina García (Narcos), enters into a frustrating relationship with Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández), a former military man who has recently gone through his own divorce. The film won some international attention…
Florida man who mailed pipe bombs to Trump critics pleads guilty
The Florida man who mailed pipe bombs to prominent Democrats critical of President Donald Trump pleaded guilty Thursday in a New York federal court. NBC News reports Cesar Sayoc, 57, admitted to 65 felony counts, including charges of using weapons of mass destruction. “I know that these actions were wrong, and I’m sorry,” Sayoc reportedly…
Florida lawmaker demands answers on sexual abuse claims at Homestead child migrant camp
A Miami lawmaker on Thursday sent a letter to the head of the state’s child-welfare agency demanding to know the steps it is taking to ensure migrant children in a federal shelter in Homestead are housed “safe and free from sexual abuse.” Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez delivered a letter to the Florida Department of Children…
Failure and Swervedriver show that they’re no mere nostalgia acts at the Plaza Live
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Failure and Swervedriver, Plaza Live, March 19 This one might as well have been called the Due Respect Tour since it’s the convergence of a couple somewhat overlooked 1990s sonic titans from both sides of the pond for a big co-headlining North American run. Los Angeles’ Failure really impressed here on their…
Lake Nona’s giant inflatable water obstacle course and adventure park opens this Saturday
Beat the heat at the new inflatable water obstacle course and wakeboarding area opening at Nona Adventure Park this Saturday. To celebrate its opening day on March 23, the Lake Nona park will be offering free admission, giveaways and face painting from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees will also be able to enjoy professional demonstrations…
Orlando will launch a new rideshare hub program in downtown this spring
With constant construction and road closures, everyone knows how much of a nightmare driving through downtown Orlando can be, especially after the clubs close. To combat the traffic and congestion, the city is launching a rideshare hub pilot program this spring. The two rideshare hubs will be located at Magnolia Avenue near Heritage Square and…
Local promoters BassNight celebrate their second birthday this Friday at the Henao Center
When BassNight CEO Loren Hardy first started throwing his BassNight events at a little burger joint in Longwood, he had one goal: to bring electrifying bass and “festival vibes” to Orlando nightlife on a weekly basis. But that was two years ago, and BassNight has gotten a few facelifts since. Henao Contemporary Center, BassNight’s newest…
Will’s Pub has a new look
The Will’s Pub entertainment calendar has been blocked off for the past three days for a secret “sprucing up” project, so we swung by today to take a look at what Will Walker and crew have been up to and got hit in the face with a whole new bar. The old bar in the…
Florida Rep. Francis Rooney files bill to end ‘free speech zones’ on university campuses
U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney wants to put an end to “free speech zones” on university campuses across the country, according to a piece of legislation the Naples Republican filed in the U.S. House Thursday. HR 1672 would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965, which allows political expression in outdoor areas on high education campuses.…
Phil Collins plans to show Central Florida he’s ‘Still Not Dead Yet’ in September
Former Genesis drummer turned unlikely pop icon Phil Collins has announced dates for his “Still Not Dead Yet, Live!” greatest hits tour set to kick off in late September, and something will definitely be in the air for Central Florida fans. His sole Florida date is in nearby Tampa. The “Still Not Dead Yet” tour…
Florida’s largest medical marijuana provider has already started selling smokable cannabis
Florida’s largest medical marijuana provider, Trulieve, announced Thursday that its already selling smokable cannabis, with its first sale of the product to a patient at a Tallahassee dispensary. The move comes days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation repealed the state’s ban on smoking medical marijuana. Trulieve says it will offer a rotating selection of popular…
Opera Orlando combines ‘Pagliacci’, ‘Pulcinella’ and Phantasmagoria for an operatic spectacle
Opera Orlando goes the show-within-a-show route in this creative mashup of the 1892 one-act opera Pagliacci (the classic tale of a sad clown who murders his cheating wife) with “Pulcinella,” a short Stravinsky ballet from 1920 based on the Italian commedia dell’arte character who eventually evolved into Punch (that puppet who’s always bopping his wife,…
A first look at Sette, the new Italian restaurant from Se7en Bites owners opening in Ivanhoe Village
The last several years for the corner lot that now houses Sette – Italian for “seven,” natch – are basically a blur. A veritable parade of concepts set up shop, briefly shone (or didn’t) and then closed. Now, the new Italian restaurant from Se7en Bites Bake Shop owners Trina Gregory-Propst and her wife, Va, whom…
Luke Bryan, Toby Keith and other country radio stars mosey into Kissimmee for Country Thunder
The ever-growing Country Thunder festival franchise has finally expanded southward to Florida and is bringing some heavy starpower to Kissimmee’s Osceola Heritage Park on a level with Daytona’s Country 500. The three-day festival is sure to make one hell of a first impression with its troika of headliners – Luke Bryan, Toby Keith and Luke…
Florida Film Festival at the Enzian will screen more films than ever before this year
The Florida Film Festival announced tonight that it will screen 184 films (54 features and 130 shorts) at its 28th annual event, more than ever before. The festival will open on April 12 with a “first look” at director Todd Thompson’s Woman in Motion (a documentary about the contribution of women and minorities to NASA,…
Critics blast Florida GOP effort to make ex-felons pay fees before restoring rights as ‘modern poll tax’
Felons would have to clear up any financial obligations, including court costs, fees and fines, before having their voting rights restored, under a House proposal castigated by critics Tuesday as a modern take on Jim Crow-era poll taxes designed to keep black voters from participating in elections. In a strict party-line vote following heated testimony,…
Orlando’s Parliament House has been listed for sale at $16.5 million
Orlando’s iconic 44-year-old LGBTQ resort, Parliament House, has been listed for sale at $16.5 million with commercial real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. But the longtime owner of the resort, Don Granatstein, says he’s only looking for a leaseback arrangement that would keep him in charge of the resort, which includes 111 hotel rooms, pool area,…
ICE issued false detainer requests for hundreds of U.S. citizens at a Miami jail, ACLU finds
Over the span of two years, federal immigration officials issued 420 false “detainer requests” to U.S. citizens being held at the Miami-Dade County jail, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. The report claims the database used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, mistakenly identified…
Florida investigated sexual abuse claims at the Homestead child migrant detention camp
Florida’s child-welfare agency has investigated six cases of alleged child sexual abuse at a federal migrant shelter in South Florida in less than year, including allegations involving caregivers. The data, obtained by The News Service of Florida as part of a public records request, outlines allegations at the Homestead temporary migrant children’s shelter just south…
United We Brunch returns to the Orchid Garden with a huge spread of Orlando’s brunch bites
What sort of misanthropic curmudgeon doesn’t like brunch? Sure, some folks might not be a fan of a spicy Bloody Mary or a bottomless mimosa, stacks of buttermilk pancakes or a righteously stuffed breakfast burrito. But luckily enough, even if you’re not an enthusiast of the aforementioned, there’s more than enough choices to go around…
Spooky Empire’s spring iteration brings horror and sci-fi celebs to Orlando’s International Drive
The convention so nice it happens twice – per year – returns to the Wyndham this weekend. Spooky Empire’s biannual convention brings together a nostalgia-inducing slate of celebrities for photo ops, autographs and panels, and fills in the margins with costume contests, nightly parties, a mobile tattoo parlor and plenty of merch. This edition’s slate…
Central Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy is officially running for a third term
Two-term U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy announced Tuesday she is filing to run for re-election in Florida’s 7th Congressional District. “It’s official: I’m running for re-election,” the Winter Park Democrat tweeted yesterday afternoon from her campaign account. “I want to keep fighting for you in Congress and for jobs, security, and opportunity for all Americans.” NEWS–>…
Taylor Dayne to play a Velvet Sessions concert benefiting the OnePulse Foundation
The Velvet Sessions at Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel are unique opportunities to get up close and personal with the musicians playing. This month’s edition is no different, with ’80s icon Taylor Dayne performing. But this show will also have you dancing for a good cause, as it’s a benefit for Orlando’s OnePulse Foundation. Dayne was…
Former gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum plans to launch a voter drive in Florida
With nearly $4 million left unspent in his campaign’s unofficial political committee’s war-chest, Politico reports, former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum appears to be ready to launch a voter registration drive. Calling it a “major announcement,” for weeks, the former Tallahassee mayor has dangled what many have assumed to be a potential bid for the…
Activists thrown from hearing on Florida bill requiring minors to get parental consent before abortion
Florida could block teenagers from getting abortions unless their parents agree, under a bill that began moving forward Tuesday in the Republican-dominated House. The House Health Quality Subcommittee voted along mostly partisan lines for the proposal (HB 1335), which goes beyond current requirements that call for parents to be notified when their daughters seek abortions.…
Opening in Orlando: Gloria Bell, Climax and more
Opening this week: Gloria Bell Sebastián Lelio’s English-language remake of his well-received 2013 Chilean drama Gloria is being billed as a “reimagining” – which is just about the nicest way I’ve ever heard of saying “nearly shot-for-shot remake, but with nobody talking funny.” This time, it’s Julianne Moore as the middle-aged divorcée trying to negotiate…
Savage Love: ‘Crazy Switch Asians’
I’m a straight white woman in my early 30s. In theory, I’ve always been into men of all races – but in practice, most of my exes are Latino and white. In September, I met this really handsome Chinese American guy, and I feel like he rewired me. I’ve been exclusively attracted to Asian guys…
ICYMI: Orlando leads in vacant houses, Greenwood Cemetery gets a Pulse memorial, plus other news
Orlando is among the Florida cities leading the nation in vacant homes: Three cities in the Sunshine State currently lead the country in percentage of vacant homes. According to a new study from online lending company Lending Tree, 17 percent of homes in the Miami area are vacant, compared to 16 percent in Orlando and…
Trump will never call white nationalism a threat – he needs it, so he feeds it
Blinded by the white
The best concerts coming to Orlando this week
Big Tiki & the Mai Tai’s Local tiki-pop luminaries and ukulele shredders are the perfect music accompaniment to the first day of spring. 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at the Imperial at Washburn Imports, free Buddy Guy Chicago blues guitar titan Guy influenced a lot of the rock & roil you love, so go pay…
Orlando playwright Tod Kimbro’s 2008 sci-fi musical ‘Wasteland’ turned out to be oddly prescient
America is undergoing ecological and societal collapse, and the elite are retreating into media-saturated bubbles, while the chemically pacified populace is spoon-fed falsehoods from a fear-mongering leader via their omnipresent digital devices. When Tod Kimbro premiered the first incarnation of his sci-fi musical Wasteland way back in 2008, its premise was considered far-fetched, if not…
20 Orlando brunches that won’t break the bank
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Legal Public Notices 3/20 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Dave’s Auto Repair, LLC. & Godfrey’s Auto Salvage, LLC., 2645 Alpine Road; Columbia, SC 29223. 2010 Ford Fusion, Vin# 3FAHP0HA8AR37O423, Owner: Jaquise Huddleston, 2113 Winnetka Ct, Orlando, Fl 32818 No Liens Listed Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed…
Jaleo opens in Disney Springs, Humbl heads to Windermere and more in Orlando foodie news
OPENINGS: Celebrity plant-based chef and James Beard Award nominee Matthew Kenney will open Humbl – a fast-casual vegan joint serving 100 percent plant-based burgers, pizzas, bowls, salads, ice creams and sweets in the new Windermere Village plaza this June. Kenney, along with majority partners Paul Mascia and Eric Koeser, will also open Humbl inside the…
The Sh-Booms rep the City Beautiful with new album, video and tour
Searching for the young rebels
