Credit: via Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment/Facebook
Gino, a 44-year-old western lowland gorilla and one of the very first residents of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, has died.
“For nearly 30 years, Gino touched countless lives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with his playful spirit, gentle humor, and steady presence as a devoted father and troop leader,” Disney shared in a statement on social media.
Gino arrived at the park when it opened in 1998 and quickly became a fixture along the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail. Weighing more than 400 pounds, he was known for his commanding presence, often standing tall and beating his chest in dramatic displays.
As the troop’s elder and father of 14 offspring, some of whom still live at the park, Gino played a vital role in both his family and in conservation efforts. He participated in a Disney-developed care program that allowed animals to assist with their own medical treatment, helping advance global practices in gorilla care without the need for sedation.
Though he would have celebrated his 45th birthday this December, Gino’s impact extends far beyond his years.
“Gino’s story will live on in the future of his species and in the hearts of all who knew and loved him,” Disney’s statement continued. “Thank you, Gino. You will always be part of our family.”
After the launch of its first-ever nighttime waterpark event earlier this year, Universal Orlando Resort once again hosts Volcano Bay Nights event, on now through the end of October.
Volcano Bay Nights, which debuted this spring, offers guests exclusive access to the limited-capacity park at night, with character meet-and-greets, live entertainment and treats. And this time, it features Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery gang.
The fall-themed event features live entertainment throughout the fiery island, including the chance to take pictures with iconic characters and villains from the Scooby-Doo franchise, along with a live DJ soirée at Waturi Beach.
Other perks include shorter wait times for fan-favorite rides like TeAwa the Fearless River, Ko’okiri Body Plunge, Krakatau Aqua Coaster and more.
The park will also offer complimentary island-inspired snacks like pineapple & coconut popcorn and signature menu items from onsite restaurants, in addition to more than 100 drink choices and free refills with a Volcano Bay Freestyle Souvenir Cup.
Tickets are available for $99 plus tax per person, with self-parking included. Universal Orlando passholders can expect to receive a 10% discount off the ticketed price. To upgrade the experience, Universal says that private cabanas will be available to book at the concierge huts on the day of the event for $279.99, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Guests will have access to Volcano Bay on Friday nights until Oct. 31, beginning at 4 p.m., with the event officially taking place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The city of Orlando is now celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a month-long art exhibition and upcoming community celebration.
In keeping with this year’s national theme, “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” Orlando’s Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition will display pieces from 32 local visual artists.
The exhibit kicks off with an opening reception (which is currently sold out) and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Terrace Gallery in City Hall.
The month of recognition continues as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Tony Ortiz host a community celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Dr. Phillips Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Community members are invited to enjoy traditional Hispanic dishes, Latin music and folk-dance performances.
THU 09/18 Bob Marley Comic Bob Marley doesn’t play reggae, but he does sing out of his butt. Like the time his wife put him on the Atkins Diet and, he reports, the “assflac” duck flew out his butt as he hovered over the toilet with bacon grease dripping from his eyelashes. Yeah, this guy is not above fart jokes. He performs at 7 tonight at Hilarities and performances run through Saturday. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
The Notebook This musical that features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson comes to Connor Palace for an extended run. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30, and the play runs through Sept. 27. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Our Town Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores themes of life and death and love and friendship. Cleveland Play House’s production of the play promises to be a “magical new staging.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre, and the play runs through Sept. 28. 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
FRI 09/19 20,000 Leagues Under the Industry Film Festival After a 20-plus year hiatus, the locally produced independent film festival returns this weekend. It’ll feature documentaries such as 40 Watts From Nowhere and The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell as well as the cult classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot. It takes place today and tomorrow at the Treelawn. 15335 Waterloo Rd, 216-677-8733, thetreelawn.com.
Autopolitan Members of this local group have spent the past few years playing bands such as Cloud Nothings, Joey Sprinkles and Herzog. As Autopolitan, they’ve kept busy and have just put out their second album. They play a release party tonight at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood. 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com.
Chico Bean Fast-talking diminutive comedian Chico Bean likes to joke that he “can’t tolerate a taller woman” because she might superglue his keys to the ceiling fan to make sure that he can’t retrieve them. Bean started his comedy career in Greensboro, North Carolina, and became a founding member of the Freestyle Funny Comedy Show. He performs tonight at 7 and 9:30 and tomorrow night at 6:30 and 9 at the Funny Bone. 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-4677, cleveland.funnybone.com.
An Evening with David Byrne —Who Is the Sky Tour The Talking Heads frontman brings his Who Is the Sky Tour to the Akron Civic. The tour supports Byrne’s new album of the same name. It finds him in great form and features collaborations with Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and Tom Skinner. The show starts at 8 p.m. 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com.
Heights Music Hop FutureHeights, a nonprofit community development corporation, presents new, local music in the vibrant, walkable business districts of Cleveland Heights. Performances will take place today and tomorrow both inside area businesses, as well as on outdoor stages throughout the districts. Consult the website for more info. heightsmusichop.com.
Third Friday From 5 to 9 p.m., many of the 78th Street Studios resident artist studios and galleries will be open as part of this monthly event. There will be live music, and Local West, a Gordon Square sandwich shop, will serve food. BARneo will have a selection of adult beverages as well. Admission is free. 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.
SAT 09/20 Artist in the Atrium Every third Saturday of each month, stop by the Ames Family Atrium between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to get a firsthand look at the art-making process. Each session provides the opportunity to engage and interact with a different Northeast Ohio maker during pop-up demonstrations and activities. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
Books & Blooms: Botanical Book Fair Local authors and craft vendors will be on hand for this event that takes place at Cleveland Botanical Garden. There will also be a board game café, creative writing activities and a community book swap. It takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. today and from noon to 5 p.m. tomorrow. 11030 East Blvd., 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org.
Chalk Festival This annual festival features sidewalk artistry by professional chalk artists and local community groups, families, and individuals, all using Cleveland Museum of Art’s south plaza and walkways that wind through the Fine Arts Garden and down to Wade Lagoon as a colorful canvas. A modern expression of a Renaissance tradition from 16th-century Italy in which beggars copied paintings of the Madonna by Raphael and his contemporaries using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals, the festival takes place from noon to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
Cleveland Pickle Fest From sweet and spicy to dill, all shapes, sizes and flavors of pickled cucumbers are included in this free, family-friendly event. Restaurants from around Cleveland are set to offer up all kinds of pickle-themed dishes at this event that also includes live music. Gates open at 11 a.m. at Mall C. clevelandpicklefest.com.
The Cost of Love Set in a New York apartment, this play follows a couple trying to deal with betrayal. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7 at the Mimi Ohio Theatre. 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
End-of-Summer Wax and Tracks Fest From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Vinyl Groove Records will host its End-of-Summer Wax and Tracks Fest. The free, family-friendly day will feature live music (inside and outside), vendors, a charity raffle benefiting Cleveland Rocks: PPF and a book signing with local rock scribe Annie Zaleski. Toledo’s Culture Clash Records and Cleveland’s Mistake By the Lake Records will join the Vinyl Groove and other sellers at the festival. The Slyman’s food truck will be on hand as well. 5100 Pearl Rd., 440-439-8371, thevinylgrooverecords.com.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration DJ Fuse 1 will MC and spin during this free event at the Rock Hall that celebrates Hispanic music, dance and art. It takes place from noon to 4 p.m. 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.
Moxie Events Presents: Magic of Motown The concert featuring tunes from Motown’s terrific catalog of R&B and soul takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall. = 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
Plush Party Every third Saturday of each month between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Cleveland Museum of Art hosts this event that offers a firsthand look at the art-making process. Each session provides the opportunity to “engage and interact” with a different Northeast Ohio maker during pop-up demonstrations and activities. Admission is free. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
Steven Wilson: The Overview Tour 2025 The innovative musician performs at 8 tonight at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. His new album, The Overview, features only two songs that show off his experimental approach to music. The bleeps and blips recall the heady albums that Brian Eno put out in the 1970s. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts.com/en.html.
SUN 09/21 Browns vs. Green Bay Packers Today at Huntington Bank Field, the Browns tough start to the season gets tougher as they take on the Green Bay Packers, a team that’s regularly competitive and has started the season 2-0. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. 100 Alfred Lerner Way, 440-891-5000, huntingtonbankfield.com.
Kurtis Conner: The Goodfellow World Tour The podcaster and performer brings his world tour to the Mimi Ohio Theatre. Conner reportedly has more than five million subscribers worldwide; tonight’s show starts at 7. 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
The Darkness The British hard rock group that had a huge radio hit with “Thing Called Love” comes to the Agora on tour in support of its new album, Dreams on Toast. The group stretches out and does a bit of everything on the new LP, delivering glam punk with “I Hate Myself” and embracing old school country music with “Cold Hearted Woman.” Doors open at 7 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
Kiss the Tiger The Minneapolis-based rock band Kiss the Tiger plays the Beachland Tavern as part of a tour in support of the new album, Infinite Love. The group has toured with bands like Low Cut Connie and Emily Wolfe and has opened regionally for acts like the Hold Steady, Golden Smog and Lake Street Dive. This represents its first time headlining a show in Cleveland. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
A Disney Springs restaurant was robbed early Tuesday morning by someone who swam there dressed in goggles and a wetsuit — and then swam away.
Just after midnight Monday, Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of an armed robbery at the restaurant Paddlefish, which is shaped like a steamboat.
WFTV reports sources familiar with the investigation say the man swam up to the restaurant, removed his gear (goggles and a wetsuit with full face covering), stashed it and then entered the manager’s office, where money was being counted and put into a safe.
He stole thousands of dollars, put his gear back on, jumped back into the lake and swam away, OCSO reports.
The restaurant was closed at the time. The suspect has not been caught.
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Honey House Vintage, a cozy boutique on Thornton Park’s Summerlin Avenue, will close its doors later this month.
Owner Nicole Escobar first announced the closure on social media in late August, saying she never imagined her 2018 pop-up of handmade trinkets would grow into a storefront. But after years of area road closures, slow summers, rising rent costs and recent health concerns, Escobar said now is the right time to step back.
Honey House’s last day of business will be Sept. 28.
The shop will host a farewell event from Sept. 26 to 28, with 50% off select merchandise, and a goodbye champagne toast (plus light bites) on its final day from 3 to 4 p.m.
The Honey House concept, however, will live on at Orange Tree Antiques Mall.
Animal rights groups are encouraging supporters to apply for bear hunting permits to limit the number of bears killed in December.
Starting Friday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will begin accepting applications for 187 permits that will be issued for a December hunting period. The permits will be awarded through a lottery-style process and would entitle people to each kill one bear.
Bear hunting has long been controversial in the state, and this year will be the first time since 2015 that a hunt has been held. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says the hunt will be a way to manage the state’s bear population, which is estimated at more than 4,050 animals.
But opponents contend bears should be recognized as an endangered species and argue the commission did not follow its rules in moving forward with the hunt. So animal-rights groups are calling on their supporters to try to get permits.
“People are asking, ‘What can we do? What can we do?’ And that is something people can do,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director of Humane World for Animals.
“Right now, getting a permit and taking a chance on getting a tag and saving a bear is what the public has really jumped on,” MacFall added. “Hopefully it will be successful.”
People age 18 or older as of Oct. 1 can apply for permits, with each entry costing $5. Applications will be accepted online — at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com — through Sept. 22.
Applicants can submit an unlimited number of entries but only receive one permit. Permits will cost $100 for Florida residents and $300 for out-of-state residents.
State officials haven’t estimated how many applications they expect. But if the 187-bear quota isn’t reached in December, that could lead to a boost in permits for future hunts.
George Warthen, the commission’s chief conservation officer, said the agency will ask permit holders after the hunt, similar to what it does after an alligator hunt, about why they didn’t take part in the hunt or get bears.
“The goal is, when we set a quota for any species, is to reach that goal,” Warthen said. “So, if we’re not reaching that goal, we make adjustments, usually in tag allocations to reach that goal.”
The 187-bear quota is based on a formula that, in part, is intended to limit the number of female bears killed.
MacFall said increasing future quotas is a concern for future years, when the use of dogs by hunters will be allowed.
“Who knows what will happen a year from now,” said MacFall, whose group would prefer the agency expand the use of non-lethal options, from increased land conservation to expanded distribution of bear-proof trash containers to help keep bears from being drawn to residences and businesses.
“People are really upset and concerned and trying to save one bear each,” MacFall said. “If they can, that is certainly something we support. If they are going through the proper channels and doing everything by the book, that is a good thing to do, to save that bear.”
Money raised through the application process and permits goes into the State Game Trust Fund for wildlife management.
People selected for the permits must have state hunting licenses to participate in the hunt.
The commission has placed a 10 percent cap on the number of permits for non-residents. Warthen said people who don’t pay for permits during a set time, other people would be offered the permits.
The last hunt in 2015 led to 304 bears being killed over two days. This year’s hunt is scheduled from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28 in four parts of the state. They are within the Apalachicola region west of Tallahassee; areas west of Jacksonville; an area north of Orlando; and the Big Cypress region southwest of Lake Okeechobee.
People applying for permits must indicate the zones — known as bear management units — where they intend to hunt.
“We heard loudly from the public (after 2015) that they wanted these to be bear management unit specific, and that really works for us too,” Warthen said.
Following Wednesday’s decision by the Florida First District Court of Appeal striking the state’s ban on openly carrying firearms, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey says his deputies will no longer enforce the ban – even though the law hasn’t changed yet.
In a video message posted on X Wednesday night, Sheriff Ivey, a longtime advocate for the Legislature to pass an open-carry law, said that he had informed his deputies of the policy shift. The statute at issue (790.053) makes it “unlawful for any person to openly carry on or about his or her person any firearm or electric weapon or device.”
“While the opinion at this point is not yet final as the court allows for time for the filing of a motion for rehearing or reconsideration, there’s no reason to expect that the court will reverse its decision,” Ivey said.
He’s not the only sheriff making that move.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pensacola Police Department will no longer enforce the state’s open carry law either, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday that it has informed officers that they cannot detain or arrest solely based on openly carrying a firearm.
The ruling isn’t final until the 15-day window for a rehearing has run out, but the state likely won’t appeal the decision. Ron DeSantis advocated as recently as Monday for the Legislature to change the ban on open carry, and Attorney General James Uthmeier’s said on Wednesday that the court’s ruling was “a big win for the Second Amendment rights of Floridians.”
The ruling is only applicable to the First District, which encompasses most of the counties in North Florida. Brevard County is not within that jurisdiction.
Ivey said he had consulted with Wayne Scheiner, the state attorney in Florida’s 18th Judicial Circuit, as well as the attorney representing the Florida Sheriffs Association. He said he had informed all of the police departments in the county that they no longer needed to enforce the ban.
A spokesperson for the police department in Palm Bay, the largest city in Brevard County, confirmed that it is following suit. “At the direction of the State Attorneys’s Office and Florida Police Chiefs Association, we will not be enforcing that statute as it pertains to open carry,” said Lt. Virginia Kilmer.
Not all law enforcement agencies are dropping enforcement — at least not yet.
“We have not changed our policy,” said Cpl. Jamie Miller with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department.
“We have not issued a change in policy yet on this matter but it is anticipated soon,” said Javonni Hampton with the Leon County Sheriff’s Department.
Several other sheriffs departments did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the Florida Sheriffs Association, nor the attorney general’s office.
In its ruling, the First District noted that the Florida Supreme Court had upheld the ban on open carry in its 2017 ruling of Norman v. State. However, Judge Stephanie Ray wrote that the court felt bound instead to apply a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case called New York State Rifle & Association v. Bruen, which struck down New York’s concealed carry restrictions.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.
The University of Central Florida sent an email to students Thursday afternoon to share that the school received threatening messages that “directly targeted” Black students.
The email, shared with Orlando Weekly Thursday, does not detail the threats received, but says UCF’s police department is actively investigating the threats along with the FBI.
At the time the email was sent, UCF says, it did not consider the threats to be credible.
The email was sent to students at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, just hours after UCFPD first announced a threat was made via social media just after 1 p.m.
Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities said Thursday they received threats and went under lockdown. Among the schools was Daytona Beach, Florida’s Bethune-Cookman College, which has since lifted its lockdown.
“UCFPD is aware of a recent threat directed at UCF, and similar messages have been reported at other universities around the country,” the X post reads.
The email to students goes on to say that “threats of violence like this seek to create fear and division, and they have no place at UCF. But let us be clear: Violence and threats of violence are never tolerated.”
Officials say that although they deem the threats not credible, the university is taking them seriously and will increase police presence on campuses.
If students see or hear something concerning, the message continues, they are advised to call 911 immediately.
The message comes a day after the on-campus fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was shot dead while speaking to an outdoor crowd on campus Sept. 10 during his latest tour, dubbed “The American Comeback.” He was speaking about gun violence when he was struck in the neck.
Kirk’s career as a political commentator has long been based on strong opposition to gun control, among other far-right conservative ideals.
University of Central Florida Police Department shared on social media Thursday afternoon that it was investigating a “recent threat” made to the school with the FBI. Campus operations remain “normal,” it said in the post.
“UCFPD is aware of a recent threat directed at UCF, and similar messages have been reported at other universities around the country. Our Threat Management Team is actively investigating and working with the FBI. At this time, we do not consider the threat to be credible,” the post reads.
In a follow-up comment posted at the same time, the department says all campus operations are normal.
“UCFPD officers patrol campus 24/7 to ensure your safety. If you see something concerning, say something by calling 911 immediately,” the post continues.
The message comes a day after the on-campus fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was shot dead while speaking to an outdoor crowd on campus Sept. 10 during his latest tour, dubbed “The American Comeback.” He was speaking about gun violence when he was struck in the neck.
Kirk’s career as a political commentator has long been based on strong opposition to gun control, among other conservative ideals.
Jeff Meling shoots a 9mm Sig Sauer hand gun at Shoot GTR, located at 1610 NW 65th Pl., in Gainesville, Fla. A Florida appeals court on Wednesday threw out as unconstitutional Florida’s law against openly carrying a gun in public. Credit: via Augustus Hoff/Fresh Take Florida
In a landmark decision, a Florida appeals court on Wednesday threw out as unconstitutional Florida’s law against openly carrying a gun in public, a decades-old statute that had made Florida one of only a handful of such states that banned gun owners from carrying a pistol on their hip or slinging a rifle over their shoulder in public.
The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel for the 1st District Court of Appeals concluded that the 2nd Amendment and what it called the nation’s “historical tradition of gun regulation” made Florida’s gun law unconstitutional. The court’s jurisdiction stretches from the college town of Gainesville through the Panhandle.
“History confirms that the right to bear arms in public necessarily includes the right to do so openly,” the court ruled. “That is not to say that open carry is absolute or immune from reasonable regulation. But what the state may not do is extinguish the right altogether for ordinary, law-abiding, adult citizens.”
It wasn’t clear whether the case would be further appealed to Florida’s Supreme Court or when it might become common for people in Florida to begin openly carrying guns.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who in 2023 signed a law that no longer required a government permit to carry a concealed weapon in Florida, applauded the ruling.
“This decision aligns state policy with my long-held position and with the vast majority of states throughout the union,” DeSantis wrote on social media. “Ultimately, the court correctly ruled that the text of the Second Amendment – ‘to keep and bear arms’ – says what it means and means what it says.”
The state’s new attorney general, James Uthmeier, would decide whether to appeal the decision and is a gun rights advocate. He said on social media his office also supports the ruling. He called it “a big win for the Second Amendment rights of Floridians.”
“Our God-given right to self-defense is indispensable,” Uthmeier said.
The ruling involved a case in Pensacola against Stanley Victor McDaniels, 42, who deliberately flouted the law on the afternoon of the Fourth of July in 2022 waving his hand at cars near a busy intersection with a loaded Beretta pistol tucked visibly in his waistband and holding a copy of the U.S. Constitution. McDaniels at the time held a valid Florida concealed weapons permit.
“McDaniels was cooperative. He explained that he wanted to take this case to the Supreme Court,” the appeals judges wrote.
McDaniels, who ran as a write-in candidate for Congress earlier this year, could not be reached immediately for comment. He remained in the Escambia County Jail on the same day the court issued its ruling, convicted of violating a domestic violence injunction involving his estranged wife. He was expected to be released from jail in the misdemeanor case on Jan. 10.
County officials there declined Wednesday to make McDaniels available for a phone interview.
The court’s decision throws out the misdemeanor case against McDaniels, who had been convicted by a jury of openly carrying a weapon. The judge had sentenced McDaniels to six months of probation and 50 hours of community service. He was also banned from owning any guns and had to give up his Beretta pistol. The appeals ruling overturned his conviction and reversed his sentence.
Gun control advocates quickly criticized the ruling.
“In case you don’t die from polio, Florida man has you covered with his AR-15 at Disney,” wrote Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action. She was referring to the governor’s earlier announcement that Florida also was working to eliminate all vaccine mandates.
DeSantis, who earlier this week lifted sales taxes on purchases of guns and ammunition in Florida through the end of the year, said as recently as Monday he would sign any open carry bill the GOP-controlled Legislature passed. The appeals ruling renders moot efforts by lawmakers, who for years have failed to approve such a measure over concerns from law enforcement agencies worried about gun safety.
“I’ve said for years that would be something that I would sign,” DeSantis said.
The court’s ruling did not immediately appear to affect other state and federal limits on carrying guns, such as on school or college campuses, courthouses or federal buildings. Private businesses also may limit who can carry guns in their stores or on their property. Disney World, for example, already bans guns or ammunition anywhere in its parks, hotels and even parking lots. Florida previously allowed openly carrying guns when someone was fishing or hunting.
McDaniels had been convicted in 2000 on a felony drug charge of possessing LSD that he intended to sell, according to court records. A felony conviction typically would preclude someone in Florida from owning or buying a gun, but the circuit judge in that case agreed to withhold adjudication – effectively throwing out the case – if McDaniels complied with terms of his 12 months of probation, including substance abuse therapy and submitting to random drug testing.
In the years after his intentional arrest at the Pensacola intersection, McDaniels also faced misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and violating an injunction involving his estranged wife. She told sheriff’s deputies he parked his motorcycle last year outside the preschool where she worked and later followed her driving on his motorcycle, despite a court order to stay away. A judge sentenced him last week to roughly three months in jail after he wrote her an email discussing their relationship.
A domestic violence conviction or active injunction can also be grounds in Florida to prevent a person from buying or possessing a gun.
McDaniels’ estranged wife did not immediately return a voice mail or message left with her attorney.
The three district judges in the case were Stephanie W. Ray, appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott; Lori S. Rowe, appointed by then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist; and M. Kemmerly Thomas, also appointed by Scott.
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This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at s.ranta@freshtakeflorida.com. You can donate to support our students here.
The former Florida home of longtime famed actor Rosie O’Donnell is now in new hands after being sold for a hefty sum.
The waterfront mansion, built in 1923, is located at 43 Star Island Drive in Miami Beach. O’Donnell bought the property back in 1999 for 6.75 million before offloading it just four years later, according to Realtor.com.
It was purchased in 2003 by real estate investor David Frankel and his wife Linda Frankel. The Wall Street Journal reports the Frankels “substantially renovated” the house while living there.
Now, the house has sold once again to the billionaire founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, Russell Weiner.
The home offers 11,000 square feet, including eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. It also comes with a gourmet kitchen, bar, office, workshop and plenty of entertaining space. Outside, there’s a rooftop terrace, boathouse, 200 feet of waterfront and not one but two separate guesthouses.
Star Island has long been known for housing celebrities and high-profile individuals. Residents of the island have included Shaquille O’Neal, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Rick Ross, Don Johnson and, famously, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
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Arguing that “parental-exclusion policies present one of the most important constitutional controversies in the nation,” a couple has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a battle with the Leon County school system about a child who wanted to express a gender identity and use pronouns the parents didn’t support.
Attorneys for January and Jeffrey Littlejohn filed a petition last week urging the Supreme Court to hear the dispute, after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against them.
The petition said appellate courts across the country have taken different stances in cases with similar legal issues and that the Supreme Court should step in to resolve the questions.
The lawsuit stems from the 2020-2021 school year, when the Littlejohns’ child, a 13-year-old student at Leon County’s Deerlake Middle School, asked to go by a male name and use they and them pronouns, according to the petition and other court documents. The child was identified as a girl at birth, and the Littlejohns did not allow the name and pronoun changes.
The child, identified in the Supreme Court petition by the initials A.G., told a school counselor about wanting to use the different name and the they and them pronouns, the documents said. Under a school system policy guide at the time, the parents were not informed of the social transition at school. That ultimately led to the lawsuit and allegations that the parents’ rights had been violated.
“They labeled A.G. ‘nonbinary,’ required all teachers and staff to refer to her using they/them pronouns, updated internal records to reflect her ‘new’ name, asked her if she was ‘comfortable’ sharing bathrooms and bedrooms with males, and banned anyone from telling her parents,” the Supreme Court petition said. “They did all this without even asking A.G. if she wanted her parents to be involved. When the Littlejohns found out and asked the school to stop, the school refused.”
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed the lawsuit, and a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his decision in March. The full Atlanta-based appeals court later declined to take up the case.
The appeals court panel, in a 2-1 ruling, said the case involved a challenge to government executive actions and, as a result, the test under legal precedents was whether school officials’ actions “shocked the conscience.” It concluded the actions did not rise to that level and also said a gender identity-related “Student Support Plan” was developed with the child in compliance with school board guidelines at the time.
“The child was not physically harmed, much less permanently so,” Judge Robin Rosenbaum wrote in the panel’s main opinion. “Defendants did not remove the Littlejohns’ child from their custody. And defendants did not force the child to attend a Student Support Plan meeting, to not invite the Littlejohns to that meeting, or to socially transition at school. In fact, defendants did not force the Littlejohns’ child to do anything at all. And perhaps most importantly, defendants did not act with intent to injure. To the contrary, they sought to help the child. Under these circumstances, even if the Littlejohns felt that defendants’ efforts to help their child were misguided or wrong, the mere fact that the school officials acted contrary to the Littlejohns’ wishes does not mean that their conduct ‘shocks the conscience’ in a constitutional sense.”
But in last week’s petition, the Littlejohns’ attorneys argued the Supreme Court should revisit the shock-the-conscience legal test. They wrote that the panel’s majority “held that conscience-shocking behavior is a necessary element of fundamental-rights claims that challenge ‘executive’ misconduct. In other words, the majority dismissed the Littlejohns’ claims because the school’s actions were unconstitutional but not shockingly unconstitutional.”
The petition also cited differences among appellate courts across the country about the shock-the-conscience test.
“This case is an ideal vehicle for the court to resolve the disarray. The question presented — whether the shocks-the-conscience test applies when executive actors violate unenumerated fundamental rights — is purely legal and was the sole ground for decision. And here, that question arises as part of another ‘question of great and growing national importance;’ whether ‘a public school district violates parents’ ‘fundamental constitutional right to make decisions concerning the rearing of’ their children’ when it secretly helps students ‘transition to a new gender,’” the petition said, partially quoting a dissent by Justice Samuel Alito in another case.
The appeals-court panel’s opinion said the Leon County system in 2022 updated its policy guide about handling LGBTQ issues. But the case continued as the Littlejohns sought damages.
The lawsuit stems from the 2020-2021 school year, when January and Jeffrey Littlejohns’ 13-year-old asked to go by a male name and use they and them pronouns
The two priorities both revamp proposals DeSantis unsuccessfully pushed this year
A city spokesperson declined to confirm whether Orlando would reconsider at this time, citing a pending legal case.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier will not defend a fatal road rage case prosecuted by state attorney Monique Worrell if any conviction goes to an appeals court, he warned in a Monday letter.
Instead, he may ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend her. Again. It would be the latest strike in a lengthy feud between the DeSantis administration and Worrell, Orange County’s Democratic chief prosecutor, who only just retook her seat after the governor removed her from office.
Uthmeier will insist Worrell made a “plain error” in choosing to prosecute Tina Allgeo — a 47-year-old woman who shot and killed a man who attacked her in her car during a December road rage incident — if Allgeo is convicted and appeals her case. Uthmeier will also evaluate whether “further intervention is warranted.”
“Your decision to pursue this case as you have despite Allgeo’s self-defense immunity under at least two Florida statutes may very likely require my office to admit plain error on appeal,” Uthmeier wrote in the letter, accusing Worrell of ignoring the state’s “stand your ground” laws allowing self-defense killings.
Uthmeier just hours later asked Worrell to investigate a former state senator for posting the whereabouts of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents. He wondered whether the ex-lawmaker, Linda Stewart, was “harassing” law enforcement.
As Florida’s chief legal officer, Uthmeier exercises a general “superintendence” role over Florida’s 20 elected state attorneys, although they function independently of him. The power to suspend a state attorney lies solely with the governor.
“Your actions likely constitute a breach of your ethical obligations. And they may also constitute misfeasance, malfeasance, neglect of duty, and incompetence,” he continued, reciting the Florida Constitution’s provisions allowing the governor to suspend an out-of-line officeholder.
“I strongly urge you to reconsider your prosecution of Allgeo.”
When asked whether DeSantis would consider suspending Worrell, the governor’s office pointed to DeSantis’s comments at the State Freedom Caucus last week:
“If you are a prosecutor, particularly those funded by George Soros, please know that if you don’t enforce the law, I will remove you from your post.”
The Orange County Grand Jury indicted Allgeo in February for the second-degree murder with a firearm of 42-year-old Mihail Tsvetkov. Surveillance footage shows Allgeo outside of her car, taking photos of Tsvetkov’s plates. When Tsvetkov drove away, she pursued him and struck his car with hers.
A red light camera video then follows Tsvetkov as he exits his car, yanks open Allgeo’s car door, and begins to beat her, seemingly attempting to pull her out of her vehicle. Allgeo then pulls the trigger on her firearm, shooting Tsvetkov “in the face” and killing him almost instantly, News 6 reported.
Allgeo later said that she initially confronted Tsvetkov because he tailgated her and allegedly purposely hit her car with his own.
“This is a case of great public importance that needed to be reviewed by the Grand Jury to determine whether the evidence supported an indictment,” Worrell said after the grand jury indictment. “Gun violence stemming from senseless disputes will not be tolerated, and our office will hold those who commit these acts accountable.”
This isn’t the first time Worrell and Uthmeier have clashed. In April, he accused her of both slow-walking and ignoring a mounting backlog of cases. He called a press conference to send six statewide prosecutors to help her with the workload, jabbing at her alleged ties to Democrat mega-donor Soros in the process.
This followed weeks of back-and-forth between the legal politicos, which involved accusations of Worrell being “soft on crime” and Uthmeier being “uninformed.”
Before Uthmeier was sworn in as attorney general in February, he served as DeSantis’s chief of staff. He held this title in August 2023, when DeSantis suspended Worrell for allegedly neglecting “her duty to faithfully prosecute crime in her jurisdiction.”
Although Worrell failed to get the Florida Supreme Court to overturn her suspension, she won a second term in November. This unseated Andrew Bain, whom DeSantis had appointed to replace her. DeSantis had also suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren but he failed for re-election last year.
“You may not like Florida’s self-defense laws,” Uthmeier wrote Monday. “But those laws reflect the simple truth that a Floridian — a woman in this case — has the right to use deadly force to stop a man from brutalizing or killing her.”
Worrell’s office did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publishing.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday offered a sneak peek at two priorities for the 2026 legislative session — both of which revamp proposals he unsuccessfully pushed this year: eliminating vaccine mandates and allowing open-carry of firearms.
During a press conference in Plant City, DeSantis defended his administration’s proposal last week to eliminate from rule and statute all vaccine mandates. State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made the announcement, arguing mandates drip “with disdain and slavery.”
Ladapo acknowledged to CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” over the weekend that the state had conducted no studies before deciding to eliminate vaccine mandates.
DeSantis on Monday came out strong in defense of Ladapo.
“He never said he’d take away availability [of vaccines]. Obviously that’s not his position. But I think his position is if you provide information and persuasion, that’s better than coercion.”
DeSantis, who initially embraced the COVID-19 vaccine and deviated from the federal distribution plan to make sure they were given in Florida first to seniors, fell back on familiar rhetoric about the federal government’s handling of vaccine and mask mandates and government shutdowns, and instead touted Florida’s approach to the pandemic.
DeSantis alleged that people have grown skeptical of government direction following the pandemic.
“When they’re telling you, even if they’re right, I think some people are pushing back against it. It’s going to take time to rebuild trust there. And I think what the surgeon general’s position is, the way you build trust is to provide information and use persuasion rather than try to ostracize people from society if they make a different choice.”
The DeSantis administration last year proposed legislation (HB 1299) that would have required health care facilities and providers to treat patients regardless of whether they were vaccinated.
Although the House agreed to the language, passing HB 1299 by a near-unanimous vote, state Sen. Gayle Harrell, a Republican from Stuart whose late husband had been a physician, warned that the requirement would open doctors to increased liability. Jason Pizzo, a no-party affiliation senator from Hollywood, said requiring a physician to treat unvaccinated patients would run afoul of a 2023 law that allows physicians to withhold care based on conscience.
The provision was one of two related to vaccines included in the Department of Health (DOH) bill. The initial language would have indefinitely saved from repeal the statutory definition of “messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine” (mRNA) and along with it a ban on businesses, government entities, and educational institutions from discriminating against people who refuse mRNA vaccines.
The Legislature had agreed in 2021 to put the mRNA definition in statute along with the protections for people who wouldn’t take mRNA vaccines, essentially blocking any move in the state from requiring vaccine passports. But the 2021 law expired in four years, or June 2025. The DeSantis administration wanted to extend the mRNA definition and protections indefinitely.
But the Legislature refused to go along and agreed to keep the definition and subsequent ban in statutes only until June 2027.
DeSantis criticized the Legislature for not signing off on those provisions in HB 1299.
Regarding the mNRA definition, DeSantis said: “That’s got to be made permanent. I mean everyone is glad that we did that. Even the far left, I don’t hear them, at least publicly they won’t admit they’re for vaccine passports. It doesn’t make sense. So they need to do that.”
Regarding requiring physicians and facilities to treat unvaccinated patients the governor said:
“I get on some levels if someone comes for medical care and you’re just in private practice. I don’t know if you’re under any obligation to necessarily see everybody — I mean, you’d have to talk to doctors about that. I get there’s a business component to this.
“But to say that a mom can’t get her daughter in to see a pediatrician because, while they did MMR (measles mumps and rubella) and all the standard vaccines, they didn’t do maybe Hep B or COVID or some of those. To me, that’s discrimination. I mean, that is limiting people’s freedom to do what they think is right for their kids by having these restrictions.”
Former state senator-turned Lt. Gov. Jay Collins sponsored the companion to HB 1299 in the Senate, SB 1270.
Gun pitch
DeSantis on Monday also made a pitch for open carry.
Florida is one of just a handful of states (and the only red state) that prohibits people from openly carrying firearms in public.
DeSantis said that, with Republicans in supermajority control of both chambers of the Florida Legislature, it shouldn’t be a problem getting the bill passed.
“It’s not something that’s controversial,” he said. “The sky hasn’t fallen in any of those [states which have legalized open carry].
Although the governor called out the House for failing to pass such legislation, in fact it’s been Senate leaders who in recent years have said that they don’t support open carry.
Senate President Ben Albritton said last year that he’s supported law enforcement his entire life, and stood with them in opposing open carry. He cited opposition from the Florida Sheriffs Association
However Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey told Luis Valdes, Florida state director of Gun Owners of America, in January that he believes the majority of Florida sheriffs now do support legalizing open carry in Florida.
Collins also made the case for open carry during Monday’s press conference.
“We should be an open-carry state,” he said. “I think that we’re on record many times saying that. Hopefully, this is the year. We will continue to fight for those freedoms and those rights, each and every day until we get them all back.”
Collins never introduced legislation supporting open carry during his three terms as a state senator representing Hillsborough County.
Second Amendment advocates have heard DeSantis make similar pleas for the Legislature on open carry in previous years to no success. One such group has called for a special legislative session to get lawmakers on the record about where they stand on this issue.
“Gun Owners of America is thankful for Gov. DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins supporting open carry,” Valdes said.
“But we feel that the rubber needs to meet the road, and that a special session needs to be called specifically for open carry and gun rights as a whole, so the Republican supermajority can lay bare where they truly stand on gun rights. If they vote down a special session, then gun owners going into 2026 know which lawmakers actually support and defend the Second Amendment.”
DeSantis again criticized a Florida law passed in 2018 that bans individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing a long gun. The Florida House has passed a measure repealing that law over the past three legislative sessions, but the Senate has never followed suit.
DeSantis and Collins spoke at a sporting goods store in Plant City, where they kicked off the press conference by announcing what they are calling a “ Second Amendment tax free holiday” that takes place until the end of the year.
That means that all purchases of firearms, ammunition, firearm accessories, crossbows, and accessories for bows and crossbows in Florida are tax free up until December 31. Camping and fishing supply purchases are also tax-free until the remainder of the year.
After years of playing with our hungry hearts, the wait is finally over: Asian supermarket chain H Mart has officially set its grand opening date for its highly anticipated first Florida location, right here in Orlando.
More than four years after the outpost was first teased, H Mart announced this week it will open its doors in Orlando on Thursday, Sept. 25, with a grand opening celebration.
The store is set to be one of the brand’s largest locations yet, sprawling over 100,000 square feet at 7501 W. Colonial Drive.
The location will offer specialty groceries, fresh produce and a dining hall featuring Asian (and Asian-fusion) vendors. Dining options include authentic Korean cold noodles and tofu soups from U Chun, Korean street food from Jaws Tapokki, tonkatsu from Chidon, Korean barbecue from Myung Ga, Korean-style Chinese dishes from Paik’s Noodle and the infamous Korean corn dogs from Oh K-Dog & Egg Toast.
Additional restaurants onsite will include Coffee & Co, Dabang, Kung Fu Tea, and an outpost of international bakery Paris Baguette — which has current nearby locations in both Winter Park and Winter Garden.
Beyond the eats, Orlando’s H Mart will sell kitchenware, skincare products and more. Also in-house will be K-beauty brand Aritaum, quirky Korean and Japanese lifestyle store Artbox, Dodo Hair & Head Spa, Korean-founded photo studio Haru Film, and Kiddleton’s Japanese-style claw machine games.
The grand opening takes place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25. Attendees will have the chance to grab giveaways, promotions and, of course, plenty to eat — all the more reason to show up hungry.
Photo via Paul Renner/Facebook Credit: Photo via Paul Renner/Facebook
Ron DeSantis does not want former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to succeed him as governor, he told a packed crowd Wednesday.
“I’m not supporting Paul Renner,” DeSantis said during a Valrico press conference, hours after the Palm Coast Republican filed for the 2026 governor’s race. Renner will face the only other high-profile Republican in the race, Donald Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
“I think it was an ill-advised decision to enter the race,” DeSantis added.
His blunt take on the 48-year-old’s candidacy stood in contrast to Renner’s campaign launch earlier Wednesday, when the former House Speaker lauded himself as a top GOP figure who played a key role in advancing DeSantis’s agenda.
“As a legislator and Speaker of the House, I stood with Ron DeSantis to brand our state the Free State of Florida. I’m running for Governor so that when the DeSantis era comes to an end, we can defend our victories and solve the challenges that remain,” Renner said in a press release.
DeSantis doesn’t think so.
Less than a year before the gubernatorial primary, Renner is the second high-profile Republican DeSantis has publicly dismissed in the governor’s race. When Trump endorsed Donalds in February for Florida’s top job, DeSantis accused the three-term member of Congress of missing out on Florida’s “wins” during his tenure in Washington.
Still, Renner remains confident that he can “earn the support” of DeSantis as his campaign continues.
“The governor and I had a fantastic partnership making us the Free State of Florida, and I’m confident I’ll earn his support along the way,” he said in a statement to the Florida Phoenix.
DeSantis has yet to formally announce who he does support as a successor. For months, he juxtaposed Donalds and First Lady Casey DeSantis, touting her as a Rush Limbaugh-approved gubernatorial candidate while hinting that she might run. But those rumors faded to a faint whisper after Hope Florida, a charity championed by the First Lady, was barraged with scandalous financial allegations.
Recent reports suggest that Jay Collins, a former state senator elevated by DeSantis as lieutenant governor, will be DeSantis’ pick as his successor.
Renner’s gubernatorial hopes are not new to DeSantis.
In July, as the Jacksonville attorney was touting his pro-DeSantis record on social media, Renner told the governor he wanted to succeed him. The private conversation came after a brutally long legislative session marked by rare infighting between the governor and top GOP lawmakers, when Renner publicly sided with DeSantis on a controversial insurance revamp bill.
Citing distaste for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the former House Speaker also led the charge to block Santa Ono, a former University of Michigan president, from becoming president of the University of Florida.
A month-and-a-half later, Renner’s plan came to fruition. And evidenced by Wednesday’s pithy public questioning of Renner’s decision making, DeSantis isn’t pleased.
VerSe Innovation, the parent firm of Indian news aggregator app Dailyhunt, has acquired the popular digital newsstand platform Magzter, the two said Thursday.
The Bengaluru-headquartered startup has fully acquired Magzter, a New York-headquartered firm that counted Singapore Press Holdings among its backers. VerSe didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal.
The acquisition of Magzter, which offers more than 8,500 magazine titles on its eponymous app, underscores VerSe’s growing focus to reach and serve the affluent audience, VerSe co-founder Umang Bedi told TechCrunch in an interview. He termed the deal Verse’s “largest” acquisition deal to date.
Magzter has amassed over 1 million paying subscribers in India and boasts a global active user base of 87 million, Bedi said. The firm, which offers an all-you-can-consume model with annual subscription fees ranging from $20 to $30, has found a distribution and technology partner in VerSe, he added.
Dailyhunt — valued at $5 billion and backed by CPP Investments, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Qatar Investment Authority, Carlyle Group, and Goldman Sachs — began evaluating the deal with Magzter last year. The Indian firm plans to launch Dailyhunt Premium this year that will include an ad-free experience as well as Magzter’s catalog. Magzter will continue to operate as a standalone service as well, Bedi said.
Magzter maintains partnerships with thousands of large publishers and offers titles including The New Yorker, The Economist, Vanity Fair and Time on its app. DailyHunt is working to introduce a personalized news feed in Magzter that will curate articles and stories from the digital newsstand app’s extensive catalogue of magazine titles.
“This partnership opens up new avenues for delivering high-quality content experiences to users across India, further strengthening our goal of providing unparalleled digital reading experiences to our readers,” Magzter founders Girish Ramdas and Vijayakumar Radhakrishnan said in a joint statement. They will continue to work on Magzter following the acquisition, Bedi said.
VerSe, which also operates the short-video app Josh, is increasingly improving its finances and expects to be EBITDA profitable at a group level by next year, Bedi said. The startup also recently engaged with local social media startup Koo for an acquisition, TechCrunch reported in February. Bedi, declining to comment on any specific talks, asserted that VerSe is focused on deals with firms that are doing well financially and scaling revenue.
Best Buy is offering free trials of several Apple services. These offers work for new or returning subscribers only, unless noted differently below.
Here are all the free trials that you can currently sign up for:
Offer Terms
Plans auto-renew after trial until cancelled.
Each offer valid only for one redemption per customer.
This is a promotional code and is not for resale, has no cash value, and will not be replaced if lost or stolen.
Guru’s Wrap-up
Free is always great. If you’re interested in any of these trials, get them now before they’re gone. They work for new or returning subscribers. Some of the trials might show as 3 free months, even though it’s advertised as 4 months.
