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A dozen adoptable Orlando dogs who would love to find a home for the holidays
The 12 very good boys (and girls) of Christmas
Florida emo-rockers Further Seems Forever to reconvene for impromptu Orlando show at the Social
Floridian emo/indie outfit Further Seems Forever – which counts Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba amongst its membership – are coming back together to play two-post holiday shows in their home state. And one of those two is right here in Orlando. Further Seems Forever, the Darling Fire and Kids play the Social on Saturday, Dec. 28,…
Gov. Ron DeSantis receives 31 applicants for Florida Supreme Court seats
With Gov. Ron DeSantis preparing to make his second round of appointments to the Florida Supreme Court, 31 candidates submitted applications before a Christmas Eve deadline. The candidates, primarily appellate and circuit judges from across the state, are seeking to replace former justices Robert Luck and Barbara Lagoa, who were appointed by President Donald Trump…
A Drag Queen Christmas will sashay and sleigh the winter way
If you’re the type to buck a list (or gender anachronisms) and be naughty during the Christmas season, a collection of contestants from the VH1 show RuPaul’s Drag Race have the holiday tour for you: The Naughty Tour: A Drag Queen Christmas swings by the Plaza Live this week. Hosted by Nina West, the show…
Jim Gaffigan brings much more than dad jokes to his post-Christmas show in downtown Orlando
Facebook claims this round of North American dates from comedian, actor and author Jim Gaffigan is called the “Secrets and Pies” tour, while the Dr. Phillips website lists it as the “Pale Tourist” tour, and y’know what? We chuckled wryly at both of them. Gaffigan has a way of poking fun at his Midwestern dad-bod…
Reggae star Collie Buddz to play Orlando’s Ace Cafe in April
Reggae star Collie Buddz just last week topped Billboard Magazine’s Reggae charts with his new album Hybrid. And soon Orlando fans will get a chance to see what the hype is all about for themselves when Buddz touches down in Orlando in March for a headlining date at the Ace Cafe on the way down…
Florida Supreme Court asked to decide whether suspects can be forced
In an issue that has confronted courts across the country, the Florida Supreme Court could wade into a debate about authorities seeking to force criminal defendants to turn over passcodes to cell phones. A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Monday asked the Supreme Court to take up constitutional questions stemming from…
Florida cities and counties fight back against penalties for passing local gun rules
Describing the law as an “unnecessary and unconstitutional overreach,” cities and counties argue that an appeals court should reject a 2011 state law that threatens tough penalties if local elected officials approve gun regulations. Attorneys for dozens of cities, counties and local officials filed a brief Monday urging the 1st District Court of Appeal to…
High executive turnover and a hands-on board spell troubled waters at SeaWorld Orlando
A former SeaWorld exec just joined the company that was at one time rumored to be buying SeaWorld. When Joel Manby abruptly resigned from his CEO position at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment in February of 2018, the company elected Chief Parks Operations Officer John T. Reilly as interim CEO. Many assumed that Reilly would eventually be tapped…
Latin Grammy winners Los Amigos Invisibles and Aterciopelados to rock Orlando’s Plaza Live in April
Venezuelan Latin Grammy winners Los Amigos Invisibles and fellow Latin Grammy recipients Aterciopelados from Colombia are bringing their raucous co-headlining tour to Orlando in April of next year, and this is a can’t-miss opportunity to experience whole new worlds of sound. Los Amigos Invisibles and Aterciopelados play the Plaza Live on Thursday, April 16, 2020,…
Legal fight continues in Florida to allow Christian schools to pray over loudspeakers
The Florida High School Athletic Association continues to move forward in a legal battle about whether Christian schools should have been allowed to offer a pregame prayer before a 2015 championship football game, as Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran pressures the association to reconsider its policies. Corcoran this month sent a letter to association Executive Director…
Amendment making it harder to change the Florida constitution expected to clear state supreme court
Supporters of a ballot initiative that would make it harder to amend the Florida Constitution urged the state Supreme Court on Monday to sign off on the proposal. The political committee Keep Our Constitution Clean is proposing an initiative that would require voters to approve constitutional amendments twice – rather than the once – for…
Florida Supreme Court takes up multimillion-dollar tobacco lawsuit
After an appeals court ordered a new trial in September, a battle about a $7.1 million verdict against cigarette maker Philip Morris USA has gone to the Florida Supreme Court. Attorneys for Michael Gentile, whose wife Brenda died of lung cancer after smoking for more than 30 years, have filed a notice that is a…
Orlando soul expatriates Fat Night to return for a double-feature at Will’s Pub
Young soul rebels Fat Night may have left their hometown environs for the Windy City a couple of years back, but they’re returning over the holidays to play not one, but two sets at Will’s Pub on the night after Xmas. Don’t miss out. Fat Night play Will’s Pub on Thursday, Dec. 26, at 7…
Under Florida’s new minimum wage, what will you do with your extra $200 before tax?
Don’t spend it all in one place, folks. According to the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, minimum wage in Florida is about to jump from $8.46 to $8.56 an hour on Jan. 1. The new wages will also include a minimum wage of at least $5.54 an hour for tipped employees. Of course, all of…
Celebrity Cruises just reminded everyone that cruise ship spas are a cutthroat business
Five years after bringing onboard luxury spa operator Canyon Ranch, Celebrity Cruises is now switching back to their previous operator, a major rival. Canyon Ranch is best known for their Tucson flagship, but with two other spa resorts, spas on three other cruise line vessels, and a Spa + Fitness deal with Vegas’ Venetian and…
Florida’s hourly minimum wage will increase by a dime next year
Minimum-wage workers in Florida will receive a small pay increase with the start of the new year. The state’s minimum wage will increase from $8.46 to $8.56 an hour on Jan. 1, with a minimum wage of at least $5.54 an hour for tipped employees, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. Florida voters…
Florida landmark Desert Inn & Restaurant was nearly leveled by a tractor-trailer over the weekend
On Sunday, a tractor-trailer carrying orange juice smashed into the Desert Inn & Restaurant, a historic Florida landmark in Yeehaw Junction, causing major structural damage. The incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. after the driver, 50-year-old Mareo Cawley, said it was too dark to see the building. “I couldn’t see nothing last night, It was…
Madame Tussauds gets sexy Santa Bieber, while Sea Life presents ‘Fishmas’
Madame Tussauds Orlando is making sure this Christmas mommy will absolutely be wanting to kiss Santa Claus. In honor of Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe album, the celebrity figure museum has decked out their Justin Bieber in a Mrs. Clau- approved Christmas outfit, sans shirt, of course. Santa Bieber has Santa’s red pants and a…
Tabla Restaurant opening on Park Avenue in Winter Park
Over the past decade, Tabla has consistently been a go-to destination for lovers of Indian cuisine and, now, Winter Park’s Park Avenue will get a taste of executive chef Sajan Prem’s Desi creations. Tabla will open a second location inside the Shops on Park in the space recently occupied by Laurel Latin Cuisine and Paris Bistro before…
Escape the holiday carols with a rockin’ Guitar Solstice on Saturday
If you need a break from the onslaught of seasonal sounds, may we interest you in a gaggle of Central Florida’s finest avant-shredders and a New York heavy welcoming the Winter Solstice with guitar (dis)chords? Coming down the chimney of Winter Park’s intimate Dining Room is Lucas Brode, a masterful guitarist whose playing covers traditional…
Chanukah on the Park gets lit on Sunday, with music and plenty to nosh
Sink your teeth into a jelly-filled sufganiyot doughnut and spin a dreidel while you celebrate Chanukah with Central Florida’s Jewish community at the annual on the Central Park gala. Light up the giant menorah with family and friends and dig in when Chabad of Greater Orlando serves up steamy kosher food. Enjoy live musical performances,…
A powerful local voice lifts up a legend in Blue Christmas: A Tribute to Billie Holiday
At first glance, reviving the work of a legendary singer seems a no-brainer. Discerning music listeners, however, know it’s a fraught proposition. And when you’re talking about a voice as revered and inimitable as Billie Holiday, no ordinary human will do. But if anyone around here has any business even daring, it’s chanteuse supreme Kaleigh…
‘All Is Calm’ opera at Dr. Phillips this weekend tells a Christmas tale from the trenches of WWI
During Christmas 1914, the first Christmas of World War I, German and British soldiers fighting in the trenches along the Western Front in France called an unofficial truce for the day. At several points along the front, troops walked unarmed into No Man’s Land and greeted their respective combatants. Some even shared a drink or two…
President to launch ‘Evangelicals for Trump’ with event in Miami next month
President Donald Trump will hold a campaign event Jan. 3 in Miami to launch an “Evangelicals for Trump” coalition, according to an announcement Friday. “The event will bring together evangelicals from across the nation who support President Trump’s re-election,” the announcement from his campaign said. The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. Jan. 3, though…
Sen. Rick Scott slams federal arts funding due to lack of ‘return on investment for taxpayers’
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott at one time resided in a mansion replete with some of the state’s most coveted artwork. Paintings by a group of artists known as the Highwaymen adorned not only the governor’s mansion, but Scott’s office in the Capitol during the Republican’s eight-year tenure as Florida’s chief of state. But as Washington,…
Snoop Dogg and Warren G. are gonna party in Orlando like it’s 1994
Lest ye think that West Coast rap godfather and medical marijuana entrepreneur Snoop Dogg has not dabbled in ho-ho-holiday musics, let us dispel that notion, by reminding you of the Doggfather’s “Christmas in Hollis”-worthy 1996 track “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto” or his sprawling 2008 festive full-length follow-up, Christmas in the Doghouse (boasting 20…
Opera del Sol brings a Creepy Christmas Cabaret to Orlando’s Iron Cow
Opera del Sol isn’t buying in to the sanitized, corporate version of Christmas this year. Instead, they’re focusing on the supernatural and weird, throwing a creepy Christmas cabaret party at Iron Cow. Writer-director Michael Knight promises a night of sinfully good holiday performances with a diabolical twist at this one-night-only event. 8 p.m. Saturday; Iron…
Florida Supreme Court rules car insurance company must pay the family of motorcyclist in fatal accident
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a ruling in a dispute about whether uninsured-motorist insurance coverage should apply in a 2015 fatal motorcycle accident. The Hernando County case stemmed from the death of Michael Lentini while riding his motorcycle. Lentini had purchased a collector-vehicle insurance policy for his 1992 Chevrolet Corvette, which was not…
Three U.S. representatives from Florida are trying to close the Pensacola shooter loophole
Three U.S. House members from Florida want to close a “loophole” used by a Saudi national to buy a handgun before he killed three people and injured eight others this month at a Pensacola naval base. A bill spearheaded in the House by Democrats Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg and Val Demings of Orlando and…
Duke Energy sends Florida a $171 million utility bill for Hurricane Dorian
More than three months after Hurricane Dorian gave the state a major scare, Duke Energy Florida on Thursday asked regulators to approve collecting $171 million from customers for costs stemming from Dorian and a much-smaller tropical storm. The Category 5 Dorian, which devastated parts of the Bahamas, did not make landfall in Florida. But Duke…
Florida man sues sheriff’s department after multiple arrests due to mistaken identity
David Sosa of Martin County does not have a warrant for his arrest for a 1992 crime in Houston. That would be another David Sosa. Not the married father who has worked in airplane engine research for over 20 years and owns a home in Stuart. Still, Sosa of Stuart says the Martin County Sheriff’s Department…
Latest Florida vegan baby death highlights need for sound medical advice
An 18-month-old boy was found dead by Cape Coral Police in September. On Wednesday, his parents were indicted on charges of first-degree murder and five other charges. The couple say they are vegan and eat only raw fruits and vegetables. They are the latest Florida vegan couple to starve or nearly-starve their child. Ryan Patrick O’Leary,…
Orlando attorney John Morgan’s minimum-wage amendment clears Florida Supreme Court
Voters will decide in November whether to gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, after the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously approved a ballot proposal. The proposed constitutional amendment, spearheaded by Orlando attorney John Morgan, had received enough petition signatures to go on the 2020 general-election ballot but still needed a…
Florida’s unemployment rate has dipped to a historic low
Florida’s unemployment rate approached the end of 2019 at a historic low. The rate fell to 3.1 percent in November, down from 3.2 percent in October and putting it at a mark hit twice in the past 40 years, most recently in March 2006, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. “Moving forward, I will continue…
Florida Supreme Court rules ‘stand your ground’ defense may be used in older cases
Wading into a controversial 2017 change to the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the change applies to defendants in some older cases. The ruling was at least a partial victory for Tashara Love, who was charged in a 2015 shooting outside a Miami-Dade County nightclub and argued…
Leslye Gale’s O-Town Lowdown on Magic 107.7 for Friday, Dec. 20, 2019
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. A Free Nutcracker Performance Friday Night At Lake Eola The potential for bad weather this weekend meant they were forced to move up tonight’s performance of the Nutcracker…
Orange County commissioners did not know all options available, ahead of approving $125 million for Universal
By a narrow 4-to-3 vote, Orange County commissioners approved giving Universal Orlando $125 million for a new road on Tuesday. The decision, it turns out, may have been made under false pretenses. The funds will cover about 40 percent of a $305 million road project to extend Kirkman Road from Sand Lake Road for Universal’s…
Moved to Friday, Russian Ballet Orlando will stage free ‘Nutcracker’ at Lake Eola
If you thought Black Swan was stressful, imagine trying to stage a public ballet performance one night earlier than you’ve been advertising for months – and your cast includes children. That’s the situation Russian Ballet Orlando is in, as they’ve had to reschedule their Lake Eola performance of The Nutcracker at the Walt Disney Amphitheater, due to…
Boaters in Florida broke the all-time record for killing manatees this year
2019 was a bad year for manatees in Florida, to say the least. According to preliminary data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, boat strikes have killed 129 manatees through December 13 of this year, which is a new record. Despite having a couple more weeks to go in the year, Florida has…
Central Florida Congresswoman Val Demings stood out during impeachment debates
“I’ve enforced the laws and now I write the laws,” said Congresswoman Val Demings during the debate before the House Impeachment vote yesterday. “But the laws mean nothing if the accused can destroy evidence, stop witnesses from testifying and blatantly refuse to cooperate.” She wants Trump out. Many lawmakers pleaded an impassioned case to ditch the sitting president…
Gasparilla Music Festival to bring headliners Brandi Carlile, Portugal The Man, De La Soul and more to Central Florida in 2020
Gasparilla Music Festival is making a habit of bringing Grammy-winners to headline Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park, which hosted over 25,000 people in 2019. On Thursday, the festival — set for March 7-8 — announced its initial 2020 lineup, which includes Highwoman Brandi Carlile, Portugal The Man and De La Soul. In an email to Creative…
Florida lawmakers confronted with prison problems
When state lawmakers talk about Florida prisons, a trifecta of problems often comes up: staffing levels, health care costs and crumbling facilities. Heeding Corrections Secretary Mark Inch’s warning that the “status quo is unsustainable,” Gov. Ron DeSantis has called on the Legislature to put more money into the prison system —- primarily to boost pay…
Florida moves forward with plan to import drugs from Canada
Florida’s quest to start importing drugs from Canada got a boost Wednesday when the Trump administration announced it is moving ahead with a new rule and guidelines that could eventually allow the state to import prescription drugs to use in government-run programs. The proposed rule would apply to several states seeking approval from the federal…
U.S. House impeaches Florida man, President Donald Trump
Well, now he’s done it. Florida man and President Donald J. Trump has been impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. Trump, 73, lives part-time at 1100 S. Ocean Blvd. in Palm Beach, where his ongoing trial has been the talk of his neighbors. He is, after all, only the third president to receive such a footnote. Since…
New study says the next wave of automation is coming for Orlando’s workforce
Automation has put a huge dent in the need for the auto industry workers. Ditto grocery stores, as there’s no need for so many cashiers because people can self-checkout. A new study suggests the next wave of automation will wipe out work in industries that make up a big chunk of Orlando’s workforce. Using data…
Pop violinist Lindsey Stirling comes to Orlando’s Bob Carr for holiday-themed Warmer in the Winter tour
Violinist Lindsey Stirling didn’t win the season of America’s Got Talent that she competed in, but her classical chops combined with playful dancing and electronic beats won her enough fans to make her internet-famous. Now nine years past her televised talent-show debut, Stirling is a multimillion-selling artist routinely appearing on the dance and classical charts.…
Monthly Cartoons & Cereal event kicks off at Orlando’s Nook on Robinson with three hours of holiday specials
The holiday special is a time-honored tradition used to boost ratings during the festive season by throwing the inevitable “Christmas is ruined!” plot into rotation before the mid-season break. The Nook is kicking off a new monthly Saturday morning cartoon watch party with a three-hour slate of holiday specials from yesteryear, paired with an all-you-can-eat…
Florida lawmakers will again attempt to curb teen vaping
As state lawmakers ponder how – and if – to respond to teens’ skyrocketing use of electronic cigarettes, one university student is influencing the Florida Senate leader’s stance on the issue. Senate President Bill Galvano has made curbing vaping one of his priorities for the legislative session that starts Jan. 14, in part because his…
DJ BMF brings the funk to Orlando’s holiday with annual James Brown Christmas party
James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, loved Christmas – enough to make three separate Christmas albums and a handful of Christmas singles at the height of his career. DJ BMF pays tribute to Brown at his annual James Brown Christmas party. BMF not only spins songs by James Brown, but also artists who sampled Brown’s…
Stonewall Orlando throws a disco holiday sweater party at I’m So Disco
No One Knows I’m Disco, the regular disco night thrown by Tommy Mot at Stonewall (and formerly Spacebar), has come out of the closet with a new name, proudly proclaiming its love of disco. Sleazy McQueen joins Mot for a night of space disco, Italo disco, Afro disco and other subgenres, expanding your ideas of…
Local comics roast Santa tonight at the Orlando Improv
For a guy who supposedly watches every little thing we do and decides whether it’s naughty or nice, then breaks into our homes to leave us rewards – while also rewarding people who definitely did not live up to his arbitrary moral standards – Santa sure seems to get an undeserved pass. But not any…
The United States will get an impeached president for Christmas
Informed Dissent
‘The Two Popes,’ at Enzian and on Netflix Dec. 20, brings Benedict and Francis into semi-fictional focus
Despite differing views of Catholic theology, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis are apparently good friends and have enjoyed each other’s company since Francis’ papal ascension in 2013. But no one can be sure of what they have discussed. If only walls could talk. In The Two Popes, walls do talk. Chapels chatter. Ceilings sing. And…
David McElroy’s ‘One Man Christmas Carol’ is a cherished Orlando holiday tradition in its 22nd year
As a secular Jew, during the holiday season you’re far more likely to find me at a winter solstice celebration than Midnight Mass, but there is one Yuletide ritual I attend to religiously: the annual recitation of the Book of Dickens, better known as A Christmas Carol. Orlando’s theaters have observed this sacred rite for…
Dive into the ‘deadliest wave of the opioid epidemic,’ via the most frightening book of the year
First a spoiler alert: Among the multiple apocalyptic revelations in Ben Westhoff’s Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic is sour news for all hard drug users, from casual weekend abusers to full-time cocaine cowboys. In light of developments presented in this epic book in gruesome and unprecedented…
Orange County’s drug death rate skyrockets as fentanyl becomes more lethal
“One of the things that makes fentanyl dangerous is its potency,” says Thomas Hall, director of Orange County’s Drug-Free Coalition. “It’s 100 times more potent than meth.” Ninety-four percent of the time a fentanyl analog was found in the toxicology report of a person who died in Florida in 2017, it was the cause of…
Ocala makes homelessness a crime, UF discovers breakthrough cancer drug, and other news you may have missed
Ocala makes ‘Hall of Shame’ report for arresting homeless people who sleep outside: “In Ocala, Florida, homeless people are strictly policed in accordance with Ocala’s draconian anti-homeless ordinances. It is illegal to rest in the open on public property, which has been heavily enforced by the city,” says the “Housing Not Handcuffs” report released by…
Final episode in the Skywalker saga sometimes fun, often frustrating
Boy, it’s a weird time to be a Star Wars fan. On the one hand, Disney’s stewardship of the franchise has resulted in the well received streaming series The Mandalorian, which has pushed “Baby Yoda” (yes, we know it’s not actually Yoda) into immediate superstardom, even among people who don’t know a rathtar from a…
‘Cats’ rekindles love for the stage musical
Cats is an odd duck. One of the longest-running musicals in West End and Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revolutionary creation is based on a collection of poems (T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats) and lacks a traditional story structure. So it relies instead on its infectious charm and arguably the best music…
‘Elf’ in the park, Finnish ‘Rare Exports’ at Enzian, and more Orlando holiday film events
’90s Christmas Classics: Home Alone and Jingle All the Way Double feature of two Christmas comedies, one about terrible dads doing their shopping at the last minute, and one about a terrible family leaving their child at home alone for a week. Friday, 6:30 pm; The Nook on Robinson, 2432 E. Robinson St.; free; facebook.com/thenookonrobinson.…
Savage Love: Bloody Business
I am a 60-year-old heterosexual man, and I am being told that I’m normal. I have been to several urologists, and they say I have no medical issues. But I’m having a hard time buying it, because for the last six months, my ejaculate has been extremely bloody. This is embarrassing, especially since oral sex…
‘Bombshell,’ ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ and more films opening in Orlando
Opening this week: Bombshell Yeah, sexual harassment in the workplace is a terrible thing. And sure, Roger Ailes was a nightmarish pseudohuman whose name deserves to be dragged through the mud for all time. But when it comes to my need for righteous on-screen heroines, how far down the list do I have to go…
Reverend Horton Heat puts the hootenanny back in Orlando Christmas
Punch “Christmas music is …” into your web browser of choice and prepare for the algorithm-assisted onslaught: “Christmas music is good for you.” “Christmas music is bad for your mental health.” “Christmas music is torture.” As Meat Loaf is fond of saying, two out of three ain’t bad – if you’re a Christmas music pessimist.…
Townsky’s Holiday Revue, SWIMM, Xavier Wulf and more Orlando live concerts to check out this week
Beth McKee Local roots maestro McKee plays a stripped-down gig with her guitarist, Grant Peyton. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Imperial at Washburn Imports, free Anuel AA Puerto Rican trap sensation Anuel AA is back in a big way. Expect a scorcher. 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Amway Center, $39-$149 Townsky’s Holiday Revue…
Alex’s Fresh Kitchen, a new diner in Casselberry, is not like the others
He’s been a grillmaster at Henry Salgado’s long-closed Txokos Basque Kitchen, chef de cuisine at Jamie McFadden’s Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine, and executive chef at Café Linger, where he served dishes that went above and beyond your standard coffeehouse fare. Now, after 22 years in the biz, Alex Diaz has settled into more humble digs –…
Cavo’s Bar & Kitchen soft opened in Thornton Park, Bao’s Castle will open in Sodo and more Orlando restaurant news
Update, Jan. 2, 2020: Earlier, we had mentioned Kim Wu Chinese Restaurant on Kirkman Road would be closing in January, but they reached out to share they will be remaining open. OPENINGS: Cavo’s Bar & Kitchen, the latest concept to give it a go in the space that’s seen a slew of restaurants from Midnight…
