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.

by McKenna Schueler July 1, 2026July 1, 2026

Florida 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.

by McKenna Schueler July 1, 2026July 1, 2026

Florida News

New Florida law will require transparency in restaurant service charges

The new law targeting hidden or obscured fees takes effect July 1, 2026.

by McKenna Schueler June 29, 2026June 29, 2026

Newcomers 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.

by McKenna Schueler June 29, 2026July 14, 2026

Immigration

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.”

by McKenna Schueler June 26, 2026June 26, 2026

News

John Morgan announces name of new political party

More than 35,000 entries for the contest were submitted from across the country.

by McKenna Schueler June 24, 2026June 24, 2026

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, debates in the House Chamber

Orlando 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.

by McKenna Schueler June 23, 2026June 23, 2026

News

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.

by McKenna Schueler June 23, 2026June 23, 2026

Orlando Area News

Disney EPCOT workers accuse third-party restaurant operator of wage theft

Four workers employed by the Patina Group at Epcot’s Italy Pavilion have threatened to file a lawsuit over the issue.

by McKenna Schueler June 22, 2026August 13, 2026

News

Disney Springs restaurant operator owes back pay to wrongfully fired worker, says NLRB

The order pertains to a complaint over the 2024 firing of former Pizza Ponte server and union activist Julissa Ruiz

by McKenna Schueler June 18, 2026June 18, 2026

Orlando Area News

Leftover Disney property tax settlement money set aside by schools could go back to teacher salaries

Orange County Public Schools has set aside $119 million to settle property tax lawsuits filed against the county by Disney World and other corporations, should the plaintiffs prevail.

by McKenna Schueler June 17, 2026June 17, 2026

Orlando Area News

Maxwell Frost reelected for another term after facing no opposition

The progressive Orlando Congressman used the victory to roast Elon Musk, sharing a photo of him raising a middle finger to a 2024 tweet from Musk predicting that Frost would be kicked out of office

by McKenna Schueler June 15, 2026June 15, 2026

Labor

Florida bill to deter voluntary union recognition came from a Midwest think tank, records show

It’s yet another example of how anti-union activists from out of state are trying to undermine worker power in Florida.

by McKenna Schueler June 12, 2026June 13, 2026

Education

News orgs urge Orange County schools to change policy that ‘chills First Amendment-protected speech’

The call-to-action is part of an initiative that spotlights policies that restrict the reasonable flow of pertinent information to the public.

by McKenna Schueler June 11, 2026June 11, 2026

Labor

Blue-collar city workers on Florida’s Space Coast form new union

This comes after the state dissolved the workers’ former union as part of a massive purge following the passage of a reform law in 2023.

by McKenna Schueler June 9, 2026June 9, 2026

News

Brandon Wolf returns to Equality Florida — and Orlando

Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy, left Equality Florida in 2023 to work for the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C. Now, he feels it’s time to return home.

by McKenna Schueler June 9, 2026June 9, 2026

Pulse

Pulse survivors organize a private remembrance ceremony to mark 10th anniversary of the shooting

The remembrance ceremony is being produced independently of the city, which typically presents its own.

by McKenna Schueler June 8, 2026June 9, 2026

Immigration

Orange County Sheriff’s Office snags largest request for state funds for immigration enforcement

The $10.8 million request is the largest of 17 requests submitted by local law enforcement agencies in Florida that are seeking state immigration enforcement funds.

by McKenna Schueler June 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Orlando Area News

Orange County changes ICE agreement, limiting detention in local jail

The change will prohibit federal immigration agents from booking people who don’t have criminal charges. It still needs final approval from the feds to take effect.

by McKenna Schueler June 5, 2026June 5, 2026