Posted inElections
Mom for Liberty running for Orange County school board chair
Moms for Liberty member Alicia Farrant faces off against fellow school board member Angie Gallo for the chair position.
McKenna Schueler
General news reporter for Orlando Weekly, with a focus on state and local government and workers' rights. You can find her bylines in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, In These Times, and Facing South.
Posted inFlorida News
Florida Republicans jump aboard U.S. House bill that seeks to block heat protection for workers
One of the Congressional bill’s co-sponsors is Byron Donalds, a Republican frontrunner in the race for Florida governor this year.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Orlando rents remain stable yet still out of reach for average renter, report shows
You still need to make nearly $70K a year just to comfortably afford the average one-bedroom apartment in Orlando, a new housing report shows.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Maxwell Frost questions Disney restaurant operator over wage theft allegations
Four employees at Disney EPCOT’s restaurant Tutto Italia accused their employer, a third-party operator, of underpaying them at a press conference last month.
Posted inNews
‘Leave DNA’: Grim Haiti warning issued as Trump pushes to deport TPS recipients
The U.S. State Department is now urging anyone who travels to Haiti (willingly or not, if deported) to prepare for their untimely demise.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Corrections chief warns ‘increased risk’ to public safety if Florida property tax amendment passes
The Orange County Corrections Department could be forced to cut staff, implement a hiring freeze, and reduce training designed to help staff appropriately respond to mental health crises in the jail.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Orange County sheriff downplays immigration enforcement while defending half-billion budget pitch
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office faces scrutiny over how much of its proposed $470 million budget would be used to hunt down undocumented immigrants.
Posted inElections
Florida voters have until Monday to register for August primary election
July 20 is also the deadline to change your party affiliation ahead of the 2026 primaries.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Ocoee creates speed limit, new rules for electric bikes and scooters
The Orange County school district is also considering options for regulating e-bike and e-scooter use on campus.
Posted inLabor
They keep SeaWorld visitors safe. They’re fighting for safety on the job themselves.
Security guards at SeaWorld unionized last year to address low pay and understaffing. SeaWorld has refused to meet them halfway at the bargaining table.
Posted inNews
Florida invests $500K in ‘deceptive’ hotline program to deter abortions
It’s yet another investment by the DeSantis administration in delaying and eliminating abortion care for pregnant Floridians.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Over 5,000 petitions call on Disney to drop property tax lawsuits that could drain money from Orange County schools
The school district that is already in a financial crisis and has been forced to close schools over declining enrollment and budget concerns.
Posted inImmigration
Orange County’s revised ICE agreement now in effect, limiting immigrant detention
The revised agreement limits how long the Orange County Jail is obligated to hold people for ICE while remaining compliant with state law.
Posted inFlorida News
DeSantis vetoes funds for financial literacy, food insecurity in Orlando, and more
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $800 million’s worth of state funding requests from Florida lawmakers in the final state budget signed on Monday.
Posted inFlorida News
New Florida law will require transparency in restaurant service charges
The new law targeting hidden or obscured fees takes effect July 1, 2026.
Posted inNewcomers Guide
State of play: Accessing gender-affirming care in Orlando
Here’s what you need to know if you’re new to Florida or are interested in seeking gender-affirming care in a state that has made it harder to do so.
Posted inImmigration
Maxwell Frost urges Senate to extend TPS for Haitians after Supreme Court ruling
“The administration has chosen to rip away legal protections from people who follow the rules, so they can fuel a sinister mass deportation agenda.”
Posted inNews
John Morgan announces name of new political party
More than 35,000 entries for the contest were submitted from across the country.
Posted inOrlando Area News
Anna Eskamani would explore city program to fight wage theft if elected Orlando mayor
At least a half-dozen municipalities in Florida already have wage recovery programs, but not in Orlando or Orange County.
Posted inNews
LYNX offers free bus rides to cooling centers this week in Orange County amid scorching heat
Free bus rides are activated when the heat index (“feels like” temperature) reaches 103 degrees.