Cover Story
The Foilies 2021: Recognizing the year’s worst in government transparency
The day after the 2021 inauguration, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut took to Twitter to declare: “Biden is making transparency cool again.” This was a head-scratcher for many journalists and transparency advocates. Freedom of Information — the concept that government documents belong to and must be accessible to the people — has never not been…
Legal Public Notices 04/07 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 8138 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando FL. 32810 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando, FL. 32810 (407) 489-3742, April 23rd, 2021 @ 12:00…
Orlando performance artist Brian Feldman says ‘hey’ to St. Pete art lovers for 75 days
Orlando performance artist and arch-conceptualist Brian Feldman has announced his next gallery installation, and though it’s not in the City Beautiful, it’s worth the drive to St. Pete’s Morean Arts Center. As part of the ongoing Juicy group exhibition of emerging Florida artists, Feldman’s durational project hey will be ongoing at the Arts Center from April…
Orlando Brewing is celebrating their 15th Anniversary with a week-long party
Orlando Brewing is turning 15! To celebrate, the South Orange spot is throwing a week-long party. Starting April 5 and going through April 11, the company will drop limited release beers, host a beer dinner and an art market with local art and food artisans, and put on a show with some of Orlando’s best…
Bill barring transgender women from playing high school, college sports with other women comes before Florida House
A proposal to ban transgender females from taking part in girls’ or women’s high-school and college sports is teed up for consideration by the full House, after a Republican-controlled education panel overrode fiery objections Tuesday. The House Education & Employment Committee voted 15-6 to approve the proposal (HB 1475) sponsored by Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake…
Texas man completes ‘Mouse to Mouse’ run from Disneyland to Walt Disney World
A 59-year-old Texas resident finished a run from Disneyland to Walt Disney World on April 5, becoming the first person to ever complete the cross-country trek. Don Muchow, an ultrarunner and Ironman, has been insulin-dependent and a Type 1 diabetic for 48 years. After years of completing various Ironman races and marathons, he decided to…
Bites & Bubbles hopes to break the curse on their new Mills Park location
Mills 50 mainstay Bites & Bubbles announced last week that they are leaving their longtime, cozy home at 912 N. Mills Ave. for something with a bit more elbow room. Given that the restaurant has been able to weather years of Orlando’s ups-and-downs and the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re hoping they have better luck in their…
Orlando Girls Rock Camp returns this summer with a mix of virtual and IRL events
Orlando’s Girls Rock Camp chapter hasn’t missed a beat yet — even going full steam ahead last year with a virtual camp and showcase — and they’re returning this summer for another round of training tomorrow’s rock stars today. This summer’s camp looks to build on lessons learned and innovations developed last year, as it will be a hybrid…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. It only comes around once a year and those of us in the big #407 love to celebrate! This year the focus is on buying local, which is…
Walt Disney World will allow guests to be maskless in photos starting April 8
Walt Disney World is loosening its mask policy later this week. The company was requiring facemasks to cover all guests mouths and noses, unless they were actively eating or drinking. An update to that policy says that guests can now take their masks off to snap an outdoor photo. Face coverings are required for all…
Mexico’s Banda MS announce return to Orlando at the Amway Center in September
It’s surreal to think about arena shows being in full effect again, but Mexico’s legendary Banda MS plan to make the surreal ‘real’ with Monday’s announcement of a return engagement at Orlando’s Amway Center. Banda MS confirmed the dates for their ‘MS Tour Positivo’ jaunt, set for September of this year to coincide with the…
Orange County’s FEMA vaccination sites switch to Johnson + Johnson only starting today
FEMA-run COVID-19 vaccination sites in Orange County will be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine primarily starting today. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a single dose only to be complete. However, if you still need second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, that can be obtained at these facilities. Again, this switchover happens on Tuesday,…
Matt Gaetz reportedly opposed ‘revenge porn’ laws during his time in the Florida Legislature
Keeping the Matt Gaetz storylines straight in your head can be difficult. Even if you don’t add in the congressmen’s version of events, which include an extortion plot carried out by Department of Justice employees (possibly to foster the return of an American being held in Iran), things get a little tricky. Keeping tabs on…
Working for Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz seems like hell
If Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) looks especially coiffed on Fox News, thank his staffers, because he makes them do his hair and makeup. A Business Insider report Monday explored life inside Gaetz’s office on Capitol Hill, which involves doing a lot of things to please the congressman, who sounds like a cross between Aaron Schock…
Florida Supreme Court to decide whether life insurance companies have to keep track of when customers die
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a constitutional challenge to a 2016 state law that put new requirements on life-insurance companies to determine whether policyholders have died and to contact beneficiaries. Four insurers went to the Supreme Court last year after a divided 1st District Court of Appeal upheld the law. The…
Florida politicians worry that prison closures will cost jobs
A plan to shutter up to four state prisons is alarming officials in Florida’s rural regions where correctional institutions have played an outsized role in providing jobs and supporting businesses for decades. Senate President Wilton Simpson’s proposal to consolidate prisons and demolish four facilities drew bipartisan pushback when it was released recently as lawmakers began…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz denies sex crime allegations as more reports of sharing nudes are released
Florida representative Matt Gaetz is defending himself in any forum that will have him. After an absolutely bizarre interview with Tucker Carlson found even that Fox News GOP diehard trying to put space between himself and Gaetz, the congressman has moved to conservative publication the Washington Examiner. In a new op-ed, Gaetz compared the Washington…
Toys R Us could be plotting a theme park
After a failed comeback last year, Toys R Us may have a return plan that’s bigger than ever. Like other physical stores, the 73-year-old toy store chain struggled as consumer tastes and shopping patterns changed. A 2017 bankruptcy (forced by private equity vultures who bought the chain in 2005 and saddled it with billions in…
Disney Imagineers may be planning pop-up experiences in a dead mall near you
After a year where many people were unable to visit Disney, the Mouse might be looking at ways to visit them. In recent weeks, a new division within Imagineering seems to have emerged with indications that it focuses on unique Disney-filled experiences far away from the existing resorts. Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weiss has…
Rep your favorite Orlando eateries on ‘#407 Day’ this Wednesday
Since you’re in all likelihood going to be posting on social media all this week anyways (guilty of this also!), why not wield your pix and hashtags to rep your favorite Orlando restaurants? This Wednesday, aka #407 Day, you shall have that chance. The day’s gimmick is pretty simple: Go to a local restaurant — or two,…
AccuWeather meteorologists predict very active hurricane season
It might be time to start grabbing small amounts of plywood. AccuWeather’s meteorologists are predicting a very active hurricane season for 2021. While they don’t imagine it will touch the record-breaking season we had last year, which saw 30 named storms and 12 hurricanes making landfall in the United States, the team of tropical weather…
Cowboy Chicken chain restaurant eyes four locations in Orlando area
The Dallas-based rotisserie chicken chain Cowboy Chicken may have as many as four locations in Orlando soon. The Orlando Business Journal reports that a franchisee is hoping to bring the restaurant — which sells wings, enchiladas and sides in addition to whole chickens — to Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Kissimmee and Oviedo. The locations will…
John Oliver calls Matt Gaetz ‘the one white man on Earth that Tucker Carlson won’t defend’ during ‘Last Week Tonight’ segment
[This report originally ran at Raw Story.] Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) got the John Oliver treatment after his scandal exploded all over the country this week. During his Sunday episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver explained that Gaetz went on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight to try and explain how he got wrapped up in…
’60 Minutes’ compares Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to ‘The Hunger Games’
Today marks the first day that all adult Floridians can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But anyone who has been paying attention these last few months couldn’t help but notice that vaccine distribution in the state was a little wonky. In a new segment by CBS’ Sunday news institution 60 Minutes, reporter Sharyn Alfonsi compared the early…
Florida Senate proposes fines for social media companies that ban politicians
The Florida Senate is poised to start moving forward with a proposal designed to crack down on social-media companies that block users from their platforms, a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee is scheduled Tuesday to take up a proposal (SPB 7072) that includes barring social-media companies from removing…
Second Harvest Food Bank will provide up to 115,000 meals a week, thanks to newly opened Mercy Kitchen
Second Harvest celebrated the grand opening of its new Mercy Kitchen on Wednesday, where the food bank hopes to provide as many as 115,000 meals a week. Due to an increase of food insecurity in Central Florida, the food bank added a newer and bigger facility through the CARES Act funding. According to a press release,…
Gov. Ron DeSantis bars Florida government agencies, businesses from utilizing COVID-19 ‘passports’
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday issued an executive order barring government agencies from issuing COVID-19 “passports” and preventing Florida businesses from requiring customers to show documentation that they have been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 before gaining entrance. The order directs state agencies —- such as the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and…
North Mississippi Allstars will headline the three-year anniversary of Tuffy’s in Sanford
Fans of North Mississippi Allstars may want to alter or just simply add on to their concert plans this month. The roots music heroes have had an Orlando date locked for a while now at the Dr. Phillips Center’s pandemic-adapted Frontyard Festival, but it was only an opening slot for headliner Blackberry Smoke on April 27.…
World of Beer offering free burgers for vaccinated people on April 7
If you missed your chance last time, the World of Beer is offering COVID-19 vaccinated patrons another free burger on Wednesday. Patrons can redeem their free “Black n’ Bleu” burger by showing proof of vaccination to participating WOB locations. The promotion first showed up at WOB back in February, and the offer has returned for…
Man arrested for refusing Disney Springs temperature check bragged about how much money he spent, claimed to be a stockholder
A Louisiana man was arrested after refusing to have his temperature taken at Disney Springs, loudly complaining about the amount he spent to attend the Happiest Place on Earth. 47-year-old Baton Rouge resident Kelly Sills allegedly walked past a temperature-checking tent in front of the Disney retail and restaurant area on February 13 and refused to…
Composer and sound artist Pamela Z coming to Central Florida’s Atlantic Center as a Master Artist in 2022
Composer and multimedia artist Pamela Z is coming to Central Florida next year for an extended stay as a Master Artist at New Smyrna’s Atlantic Center. First the Eileen Myles announcement, and now this? We’re amazed. Pamela Z works at the intersection of sound and vision. melding her voice with electronics and processed visuals. She…
Here’s the creepy voicemail from Matt Gaetz and Joel Greenberg left for Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani
Yesterday, Democratic State Rep. Anna Eskamani posted a thread to Twitter, detailing an incredibly uncomfortable voicemail from Congressman Matt Gaetz and former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, two Florida Republicans currently under investigation for underage sex crimes. Related Eskamani shared the 27-second voicemail, which she says was sent on July 4, 2019, with Creative…
Disney announces dates for Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
Disney has announced the dates for Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival along with details on Ratatouille-themed food events. According to a post on Disney’s official blog, the festival will begin on July 15 and will feature the return of global marketplaces, including Canada, Greece, Germany, Hops and Barley, Appleseed Orchard and others. More marketplaces…
Drop the bass and pick up COVID-19 at the Diplo-featuring Abduction Festival next week
We previously gave EDM events organizer Insomniac credit for pushing their massive annual bacchanal of bass back until a time that holding fests could conceivably be safe. We’ll have to walk that back, as the Electric Daisy Carnival company is holding a rager next week at Lot 54. Abduction Festival runs from 5 p.m.–midnight on…
Sheryl Crow headlines Orlando’s Frontyard Festival in late April
Sheryl Crow was originally scheduled to play Central Florida in 2020 as part of Chris Stapleton’s All-American Roadshow at the Amway Center. We all know what happened with shows in 2020, and now Orlando fans will get to see Crow at the more intimate Frontyard Festival this month. Crow headlines the Frontyard Festival on Wednesday,…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz allegedly showed nude photos of women he claimed to have slept with to lawmakers
It’s become a bit of a point of pride among locals that even our petit boug are just well-heeled iterations of Florida Man. Our local politicos are downright weirder than most places, to reflect the character of the place they’re supposed to represent. Still, there are unwritten rules around the tone of famous Florida Man…
Orlando director Jeremy Seghers to stage an immersive version of U.K. theater sensation ‘The Woman in Black’ in June
Orlando’s Jeremy Seghers — who we last checked in with back in August during his outdoors staging of The Bacchae in an airport field — has announced that his next production will be an immersive version of The Woman in Black. The original Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt (from a 1983 novel by Susan Hill) has gained somewhat…
Florida Senate president bypasses roadblocks to move forward on controversial anti-protest bill
Senate President Wilton Simpson said Thursday he will use a procedural maneuver to ensure that a controversial law-and-order proposal pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis starts moving in the Senate. The House last week signed off on the measure (HB 1), which would, among other things, create a new crime of “mob intimidation” and stiffen penalties…
House leaders Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy agree that Rep. Matt Gaetz should be stripped of committee positions if sex trafficking allegations are true
Matt Gaetz now knows what it’s like to be stuck in a room with him. Like any unlucky souls who have had to listen to the self-described Florida “firebrand,” Gaetz finds his situation getting bleaker by the second. The latest blow to the Florida conservative and professional troll came via House of Representatives leadership. Speaker…
Mayor Buddy Dyer and OUC unveil 100 electric vehicle charging stations throughout Orlando
Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando Utilities Commission unveiled a network of 100 electric vehicle charging stations throughout Orlando on Thursday. According to a press release, the stations will be scattered throughout 33 locations in Orlando, including the MCO airport, downtown Orlando, and College Park. Locations can be found in various parks, parking garages, public venues,…
Swine & Sons to open new location inside Sanford brewpub Tuffy’s Bottle Shop
Tuffy’s Bottle Shop is determined to make the trek out to Sanford worth it. As live entertainment comes back online, the bar in the town’s historic core isn’t resting on post-pandemic desperation to be out in the world. They just announced they will be adding food from the beloved Winter Park pork purveyors Swine &…
Faire of the Dog market returns to Will’s Pub on April 10
Will’s Pub’s Faire of the Dog market is returning for another round on April 10. Faire of the Dog is a revamp of the old Will’s Faire market. The updated Faire made its debut on Feb. 13 and will appear the second Saturday of every month going forward. Customers will find a wide range of…
Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani says Matt Gaetz, Joel Greenberg sent her a ‘weird AF’ voicemail
Just days after it was announced that Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz is under investigation for possible sex crimes, which stemmed from another investigation into his close associate, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, State Rep. Anna Eskamni says the two sent an unsolicited, and “weird AF” voicemail to her cell phone. In a Twitter…
It’s time to meet a Muppet: Sesame Street’s Julia coming to SeaWorld for Autism Acceptance Month
SeaWorld’s Sesame Street Land is getting a new resident. Julia, a Muppet who was added to the foundational children’s television series back in 2015, will be around the Orlando park for the month of April. Julia’s addition is timed to coincide with Autism Acceptance Month. The character of Julia has autism and was added to…
Mad Cow Theatre’s latest show takes storytime to cyberspace
Like all of our performing arts institutions, Mad Cow Theatre has had to adjust to the fact that in-person performances are risky at best. While music venues put out benefits compilations and some theaters move to entirely virtual productions of live shows, Mad Cow is one of the first to address a particular reality of…
City of Orlando’s Official April Fool’s Joke™ is pretty good
April Fool’s Day is a bad holiday for bad people. Anyone who wants to celebrate liars should go to a family reunion and leave the rest of us in peace. It’s a noxious day for hucksters and con men and it’s only gotten worse in the age of “just a prank, bro” and brands trying…
Gov. DeSantis proposes $1,000 bonus for Florida’s teachers
Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking the Florida Legislature to provide bonuses for public school principals and teachers, using $216 million in federal pandemic relief money earmarked for education. The governor is floating $1,000 bonuses for public school principals and classroom teachers in grades PreK-12, which he estimates would go to 3,600 principals and nearly 180,000…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s so-called extortionists weren’t part of the investigation into sex trafficking allegations
[This report originally ran at Raw Story.] Rep. Matt Gaetz’s father confirmed his son’s account of an attempted extortion plot from a former Justice Department insider. But according to sources familiar with the investigation into Gaetz’s possible sex trafficking of a minor, the former official wasn’t even on the legal team looking into Gaetz or…
Former Seminole County tax collector accused of embezzling money for cryptocurrency schemes, defrauding COVID-19 relief programs
If it wouldn’t hit the water table, Joel Greenberg would seem on track for a space under the courthouse. The former Seminole County tax collector, who has already been hit with federal charges ranging from sex trafficking to stalking, gained a few more problems with a federal indictment handed down on Tuesday. The fourth such…
GOP insiders reveling in news of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s sex trafficking investigation
[This report originally ran at Raw Story.] Former officials in President Donald Trump White House and the Republican Party were “gloating” Tuesday night when it was revealed that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was being investigated by the Justice Department for possible sex trafficking, Business Insider reported. Gaetz, who is the “subject” of an investigation, could…
Saúde! Brazilian bakery Sodiê Doces offering free treats with proof of COVID-19 vaccination
The number of free treats for people who have gone through the trouble of getting vaccinated is stacking up. With a little coordination, it might be enough to provide a platter at those blessed, long-awaited backyard parties we’re all throwing post-pandemic. The latest sweet shop to trade pastries for pokes is Sodiê Doces. The Brazilian pastry…
Orlando raises pride flag over City Hall to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility
Orlando celebrated International Transgender Day of Visibility by flying the transgender pride flag over city hall for the first time. In a video posted to the city’s official Facebook account, the tricolor blue pink and white flag can be seen being raised so that it’s on the same level as the city’s own flag. “To…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz floats DOJ extortion plot in bizarre ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ interview about sex trafficking investigation
A drowning person will frequently appear calm, at least compared to the thrashing, screaming depictions we see on television. One giveaway that lifeguards are trained to look for is the act of climbing an invisible ladder. Panicked swimmers will push down at nothing, trying to create space between themselves and the water. This can continue…
Florida’s ‘Grim Reaper’ lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder could face discipline over lawsuits, comments against Gov. Ron DeSantis
A Northwest Florida attorney who drew national headlines by dressing as the Grim Reaper to criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the coronavirus pandemic faces possible discipline after prosecutors filed a motion last week. The motion, filed in Walton County, came after a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal took the rare…
New noodles: Bashu Hot Pot open now, Ramen Revolution opening this fall, and more
Our weekly food news roundup
Orlando concert picks, April 2 and 3: Beartoe, Beebs, Pans and ICH
If you go out, respect everyone’s distance, for all our sakes. Beartoe & the Midnight Howl: In the fertile little DeLand music scene, Beartoe’s Roberto Aguilar has been one of the most enduring and noteworthy forces. This Sanford performance will be a full-band showing to weave the full breadth of his rootsy tapestry of soul,…
Things to do outdoors in Orlando, March 31-April 6: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ Everclear and Spring Fiesta in the Park
Our selection of safe and socially distanced events. Wednesday, March 31 Frontyard Festival: Hedwig & the Angry Inch 20th anniversary screening of John Cameron Mitchell’s love letter to glam rock. Hot take: It beats Rocky Horror in the rock-musical stakes. 8 p.m., $10. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org…
Last week in Georgia bunch of white folks solved a fake problem, and people of color will pay the price
These are optics the Republican Party will come to regret.
‘Madam Claude’ tells the allegedly true story of a French madam; ‘Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula’ pits South Korean soldiers against the undead
The best streaming premieres of the week. Premieres Wednesday: Godzilla vs. Kong — The Foreman and Ali of the MonsterVerse face off in the donnybrook you’ve been waiting for — unless you live in Europe, in which case you saw it a week ago. Initial buzz from those international showings is that the pic is…
Snooping is justified if you learn something you have a right to know, but if you don’t, it isn’t
Fuck around and find out
