CARNIVAL

Crew members on the Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship spotted a small vessel in distress near Cuba Friday morning and took aboard the stranded people who were inside it, according to a news release.

Beginning June 1, guests at the resort hotels can enjoy delicious hand-crafted cocktails and mocktails.

This alligator wanted to take a cool dip on Memorial Day.

President Joe Biden is marking the Memorial Day holiday by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before delivering a speech at Arlington National Cemetery.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of Hepatitis A possibly linked to organic strawberries.

Carnival is a celebration of emancipation in Caribbean cultures, and Orlando Carnival Downtown is seeking to bring that spirit to Florida with a weekend-long festival at Dezerland Park.

Social media posts show​ flames spewing from the funnel of the ship and black smoke billowing in the air.

Carnival is in preliminary discussions to sell its Seabourn luxury cruise brand to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, sources say.

Some of the passengers on a Carnival cruise from Miami to Seattle are in quarantine after a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the ship.

Brazil's famous Carnival returned this year for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

Rio de Janeiro’s top samba schools began strutting their stuff late Friday, which was the first evening of the two-night spectacle. Rio's Sambadrome has been home to the parade since the 1980s, and is a symbol of Brazil's Carnival festivities. Sao Paulo also kicked off its Carnival parade Friday evening. She was among the revelers starting this year's parade with the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school. Many of these samba schools reported they lost many of their baianas to the virus.

Rio de Janeiro’s top samba schools began strutting their stuff late Friday, which was the first evening of the two-night spectacle. Rio's Sambadrome has been home to the parade since the 1980s, and is a symbol of Brazil's Carnival festivities. Sao Paulo also kicked off its Carnival parade Friday evening. She was among the revelers starting this year's parade with the Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school. Many of these samba schools reported they lost many of their baianas to the virus.

Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools have begun putting on this year’s delayed Carnival parades, the first after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19-pandemic

Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools have begun putting on this year's delayed Carnival parades, the first after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19-pandemic.

Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival parade have returned after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19-pandemic

It's not yet clear why the man, identified by the Coast Guard as Tang Tran, went overboard.

It's not yet clear why the man, identified by the Coast Guard as Tang Tran, went overboard.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a man who allegedly jumped from the Carnival Mardi Gras cruise ship early Saturday morning on its approach to Port Canaveral, the cruise line said in a statement.

Prosecutors, who are in the early stages of the investigation, said there were no elements to suspect terrorism was behind the incident. Ten other people suffered life-threatening injuries.

Mardi Gras A person marches in the Societe de Sainte Anne parade during Mardi Gras on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — Revelers decked out in traditional purple, green and gold came out to party on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans' first full-dress Mardi Gras since 2020. I’d rather miss Christmas than Mardi Gras," a man calling himself Bo Ski Love said as he waited for the parade with his son. He said he loves just about everything about Mardi Gras: the crowds, the atmosphere, the people, the happiness. In other parts of town, the Mardi Gras Indian tribes will be coming out after spending months working on their intricately beaded costumes.

Members of the groups say they “bring the spirit of the strong woman” to Carnival.

Take a look at this primer about Carnival, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. What is Mardi Gras? The season of floats, parades and, to put it mildly, partying leading up to Mardi Gras is called Carnival. That would make Feb. 3 the earliest Mardi Gras can be and March 9 the latest it could fall. Of course in America, New Orleans is synonymous with Mardi Gras and letting good times roll.

Party-minded people dressed in traditional purple, green and gold filled New Orleans' streets for the city's first full-dress Mardi Gras since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Brazil Carnival A reveler smiles during an unofficial carnival block party referred to as "blocos", in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022. Thousands defied an official ban on street parties by dancing, singing and mingling to the rhythm of Samba, sometimes as police looked on. “Stadiums are full, churches are full, evangelical temples, concerts, bars, restaurants, hotels, AirBnbs,” said Rita Fernandes, who leads an association of street blocos from the city's most touristic areas. “Carnival has roots, Carnival has a history, an essence, which we cannot forget.”Nearly all of Rio’s samba schools are closely linked to working class communities. Much of the appeal of street parties is the variety of themes: A ny costume, or no costume at all, is fine.

The pandemic has disrupted Carnival in Rio de Janeiro for a second straight year

The pandemic has disrupted Carnival in Rio de Janeiro for a second straight year.

This recipe for a sweet Carnival tradition is courtesy of the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute.

APTOPIX Virus Outbreak France Carnival Artisan Pierre Povigna moves a carnival figure at a warehouse in Nice, southern France, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. The theme of the Carnival's 149th edition in the French Riviera city of Nice is King of Animals. Flowers are a prominent part of the Nice Carnival and feature in their own parade known as the Battle of Flowers. Public celebrations in the city on the French Mediterranean coast started in the early 19th century to honor visiting nobility. The Carnival is a rare event in the French republic that offers a chance for royalty to return.

Artists, florists, actors, technicians and drivers are putting the final touches on their costumes, lavish flower arrangements and giant floats for the Carnival in the French Riviera city of Nice

Artists, florists, actors, technicians and drivers are putting the final touches on their costumes, lavish flower arrangements and giant floats for the Carnival in the French Riviera city of Nice.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes announced weeks ago that the raucous street parties, which draw hundreds of thousands of revelers, wouldn't proceed in the manner they did before the pandemic.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell helped usher in the city's Carnival season by sampling a city delicacy — king cake — at a morning event.

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.

Royal Caribbean International has stopped bookings temporarily for cruises through mid-January.

Carnival Freedom cruise was denied entry to Bonaire and Aruba after an undisclosed number of passengers and crew tested positive.

A COVID-19 outbreak has taken place on a South Florida-based cruise ship for the third time this week.

These are the stocks posting the largest moves in midday trading.

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a woman who fell from a Carnival cruise ship over the weekend.

Rio de Janeiro is moving forward with both New Year’s Eve and its legendary Carnival, each likely to attract millions of revelers. But others have opted for a more conservative approach: Several municipalities in Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and other states cancelled Carnival altogether, including the street parties known as “blocos". Officials in favor of maintaining events stress the importance of carnival for local economies that deeply suffered during the pandemic. The city of Sao Paulo has not ruled definitely yet, but in October, Mayor Ricardo Nunes spoke in favor of maintaining Carnival, which is expected to attract some 15 million visitors. But as many as 70 other cities in the interior of Sao Paulo state have chosen to cancel the festival, citing either health reasons or lack of budget, according to online news site G1.

Mayors across Brazil are divided on whether to maintain end-of-year festivities and February’s legendary Carnival in spite of the ongoing pandemic.

These are the stocks posting the largest moves in midday trading.

Infected include 26 crew members and one passenger, all vaccinated, on a cruise that set sail from Galveston, Texas.

Japan’s daily coronavirus cases have topped 10,000 for more than a week, hospitals are filling up, and thousands of people infected are isolating at home. ___NICOSIA, Cyprus — Lekulutu Nsima said he’s a “lucky man” after receiving his first Pfizer vaccine shot against COVID-19. ___ATLANTA — Fights over masks in schools continue to tear at Georgia communities even as hospital leaders again warned of shrinking bed space amid rising COVID-19 cases. — Mississippi has broken its single-day records of COVID-19 hospitalizations, intensive-care use and new coronavirus cases. The new cases reported Thursday were a 26% increase over the 3,488 cases the department reported in the state Tuesday.

Cruises are steadily making their way back in Florida. Outside of Norwegian, who won the right to ask for proof of vaccination in court, many...

BELIZE CITY — (AP) — Twenty-seven people aboard a Carnival cruise tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week, according to the Belize Tourism Board. The positive cases were among 26 crew members and one passenger on the Carnival Vista, which is carrying over 1,400 crew and nearly 3,000 passengers, the board said in a statement. The tourism board said 99.98% of the ship's crew was vaccinated, as well as 96.5% of its passengers. The Washington Post reported Carnival said it announced last week that there were positive cases on board, but the cruise line did not not give specific numbers. Carnival is requiring passengers to be vaccinated, though there are exceptions for children and people with medical issues.

A Carnival cruise on which 27 people tested positive for COVID-19 just before the ship made a stop in Belize City this week is headed back to Galveston, Texas.

Carnival's Mardi Gras returned one week after the first cruise ship with paying passengers on board departed from Port Canaveral.

Major cruise lines are starting to become more active in the United States as many are either returning from a first voyage this weekend or resuming service.

Q: Last year, I paid a $750 deposit for three tickets on a Carnival cruise from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After the COVID-19 outbreak, Carnival canceled its cruises. Carnival refunded one of the deposits. It sent me a letter stating we had until May 2021 to decide whether to accept a full refund or reschedule a cruise and get $500 additional cruise credit.

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Stocks are falling sharply Monday as worries sweep from Wall Street to Sydney that a worsening pandemic in hotspots in Southeast Asia and elsewhere will disrupt what's been a strong economic recovery.

The S&P 500 was 1.9% lower in morning trading, after setting a record high just a week earlier.

The S&P 500 was 1.9% lower in morning trading, after setting a record high just a week earlier.

Unvaccinated guests looking to cruise aboard Royal Caribbean and Carnival's Florida cruises will face on-board restrictions and higher costs.

After decades of economic hardships in Peru's Andean highlands, voters demand a voice and hope they are heard by leftist presidential candidate, Pedro Castillo.

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean require unvaccinated passengers to get travel insurance before boarding a cruise.

Carnival Corp. is still losing billions while it waits for cruising to recover from the pandemic.

Customers and employees of several Carnival Corp. cruise lines might have had personal information stolen.

Carnival Corp. said Thursday that a data breach in March might have exposed personal information about customers and employees on Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. In a letter to customers, the Miami-based company indicated that outsiders might have gained access to Social Security numbers, passport numbers, dates of birth, addresses and health information of people. Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell said the company detected outside access to some of its information-technology systems on March 19 and shut down the intrusion and hired a cybersecurity company to investigate. He said Carnival is making changes to improve security of its information systems. Frizzell said the company has notified the affected people and set up a call center to answer their questions.

Carnival Cruise Line plans to resume sailing from Port Canaveral on July 31, with its new ship, the Mardi Gras, beginning seven-night cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean.

Three giants of the cruise industry will return to the seas within weeks, with Norwegian Cruise Lines on Monday becoming the latest to announce its US ships will set sail starting in early August.

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Carnival Cruise Line said Wednesday that it has seen a record level of bookings during the first quarter, up about 90% from fourth-quarter levels.

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Carnival Cruise Line announced Tuesday it’s canceling all operations from U.S. ports through June 30.

The S&P 500 may be coming off a losing week, but travel and leisure stocks have run hot. Bets on the reopening trade as the U.S. passed 70 million vaccine doses have ignited a fire under these stocks. "Lido Advisors has taken a position in their Lido recovery portfolio in Las Vegas Sands," Sanchez told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Sandler, says one stock could be a way to get exposure across the entire travel industry. He now sees the stock heading back to its former highs set in 2018 — a target that implies 35% upside.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Port Canaveral welcomed a new tug and barge system this week that will provide a cleaner burning fuel source for cruise ships including Carnival’s Mardi Gras scheduled to set sail later this year from Florida. The Port will become the first in the U.S. to become a liquified natural gas, or LNG, cruise port. With the fueling system, Mardi Gras can sail for two weeks between refueling. Port Canaveral Chief Financial Officer Michael Poole is projecting $32.59 million in operating revenue and a $43.12 million loss for the port in the current budget year that ends Sept. 30, reports Florida Today. “There is unanimous and overwhelming support for Port Canaveral,” Diane Luensmann of Port Canaveral Communications told Port commissioners Wednesday.

Kia Motors is replacing its Sedona minivan with a new SUV-inspired model called the Carnival beginning in the second quarter of this year. The 2022 Carnival "multi-purpose vehicle," also known as a minivan, features a boxy exterior, large front grille and an overall design that looks more bold and rugged than the outgoing model. It features new front and rear signature lighting as well as Kia's new logo, which was announced earlier this year. The vehicle, which was unveiled Tuesday, features a host of new safety features as well as new sliding configurations for the second-row seating and an available "VIP Lounge Seating" with power controls and leg extensions much like a traditional reclining chair. "The Kia Carnival is here to disrupt a staid segment and proves once again what is possible when conventions are shattered," Kia Motors North America CEO Sean Yoon said in a release.

A reveller stands in front of a political carnival float depicting Russia's President Vladimir Putin fighting with opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the streets of Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. Because of the coronavirus pandemic the traditional 'Rosenmontag' carnival parade are canceled but eight floats are pulled through the empty streets in Duesseldorf, where normally hundreds of thousands of people would celebrate the street carnival. But organizers in Duesseldorf, one of the German Rhineland's main Carnival strongholds, didn't want to let Rose Monday in 2021 go completely without the traditional caricatures of current events. “It's a small signal that we're alive,” float builder Jacques Tilly told the German news agency dpa. Another depicted the brain flying out of the head of an activist against coronavirus restrictions.

A woman dressed as a superhero and wearing a mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus performs in the "Desliga da Justica" street band in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Their performance was broadcast live on social media for those who were unable to participate in the carnival due to COVID restrictions after the city's government officially suspended Carnival and banned street parades or clandestine parties. “When everyone is immunized, we are going to have the biggest Carnival that Brazil has ever seen. One of the biggest street party associations, Blocos da Sebastiana, this year organized workshops on Carnival makeup and instruments and offered playlists of their music. “We would like to be partying on the street but we can’t.” said Rita Fernandes, president of Blocos da Sebastian.

“It’s magic,” said Das Chagas, who has participated in the Carnival parade for the past 44 years. Eduardo Cerqueira das Chagas speaks with a customer in a store recently opened by the Uniao da Ilha samba school in Rio de Janeiro’s Ilha do Governador. “Do you have masks?” Das Chagas nods, pulling out a few different models. Samba schools — mostly rooted in working-class and favela communities — rely on an army of seamstresses, carpenters and artisans to realize their visions. Because, even without Carnival, Carnival is within us, it’s in our blood.”AdvertisementIonova is a special correspondent.

A carnival reveler is watched by public order guards at the "Alter Markt" where normally tens of thousands of revelers dressed in carnival costumes would celebrate the start of the street carnival in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. This year all carnival celebrations are banned due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)BERLIN – Germany’s renowned Carnival celebrations got underway Thursday but without any of their usual raucous revelry. One of Germany’s first superspreader events stemmed from a Carnival celebration in a town west of Cologne last February where many people came in contact with an infected man. Cologne festival committee President Christoph Kuckelkorn told Germany’s dpa news agency that Carnival could emerge from this year purified, returning closer to its roots from the increasingly commercial, excessive celebration it had become.

In a normal year, Rios Sambadrome would be preparing for its great moment of the year: the worlds most famous Carnival parade. But a week before what should be the start of Carnival, the pandemic has replaced pageantry. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)RIO DE JANEIRO – In a normal year, Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome would be preparing for its great moment of the year: the world’s most famous Carnival parade. Rio’s hotel occupancy rate normally reaches about 80% in the hot summer months and 100% during Carnival. It's now at roughly 50-60%, according to Alfredo Lopes, the president of Rio’s Hospitality Workers Union.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Disney, Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean all announced this month the companies will wait even longer to restart, Port Canaveral officials now predict cruises might return in July. Port Canaveral commissioners approved a revised port budget to update its losses to $43 million. Fortunately, with savings built up from record years before coronavirus, Port Canaveral CEO Captain John Murray is confident the port will outlast the pandemic even all the way into next year. Port officials said it is most likely the beginning of the restart will feature one ship per cruise line and each ship will operate at 50% capacity. The first cruises will be crew members only, the next set of cruises will be volunteers, all before regular passengers can get a ticket.

LAKE MARY, Fla. – Two people have been detained in Lake Mary for a double fatal shooting on the 1900 block of Americana Boulevard in Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Orange County deputies are investigating a deadly shooting that happened here along Americana Blvd around 2pm. Authorities were able to detain two people on Ronald Reagan Boulevard in the area of U.S. 17-92 in Lake Mary. The photo featured above shows investigators from Orange County and Seminole County responding to the scene by Lake Mary. Two people have been detained in Lake Mary for a double fatal shooting on the 1900 block of Americana Boulevard in Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

ORLANDO, Fla. – With more than 30 years of selling guns under his gun belt, John Lassiter, of Addison’s Gun Shop in Kissimmee, has seen his industry revolve between gun-lows and gun-highs. “I call this a ‘gun run.’ We have been through gun runs before,” Lassiter said. Using data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the agency responsible for running firearm background checks for those purchasing guns, shows that in the first 10 days of 2021, background checks were up 71%. Industry leaders said the boost is driven by many first-timers: people buying guns for the first time. “A lot of people in the firearms business say 2021 is going to make 2020 look like a normal year,” Lassiter said.

DNA testing has shown three newborn babies found abandoned years apart at an Orlando, Florida apartment complex are all siblings. ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police say they have found the biological mother of the three newborns left at apartment complexes across a span of three years. A note found with the baby said the mother left him because she was in fear of the child’s father, according to police. Officials said Wednesday they’ve been in contact with their biological mother since late November and were able to track her down with a DNA match. Authorities add that it is an open criminal investigation and the biological mother is also cooperating with detectives.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The SpaceX Cargo Dragon undocked from the space station Tuesday morning and completed the splashdown off Florida’s west coast. A day after the weather postponed the undocking, Dragon got the green light to undock around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday. 🐉 The upgraded @SpaceX cargo Dragon successfully undocked from the @Space_Station at 9:05am ET & is on its way back to Earth for splashdown on Jan. 13, west of Tampa off the coast of Florida. @ISS_Research will be delivered to researchers at @NASAKennedy: https://t.co/Dqltf5ME8X pic.twitter.com/esYxtUmBfH — NASA (@NASA) January 12, 2021Back at the space station, the crew onboard is preparing for upcoming spacewalks planned for Jan. 19 and 25. Commander Mike Hopkins and pilot Victor Glover, who both flew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in November, will conduct both spacewalks.

Ron DeSantis announced that more Florida Publix pharmacies will soon begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine to residents 65 and older. He said registration will open Wednesday for seven Publix stores in Okaloosa County, five in Santa Rosa County and six in Escambia County. He emphasized that the Publix locations are only open to elderly Florida residents and anyone without an appointment will be turned away. A full list of Publix locations offering the shots is available here. Last week, DeSantis announced that select Publix locations in Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties would begin inoculating seniors.

An Animal Enforcement Officer rescued a dog trapped from a marsh area known to have gators, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – An Animal Enforcement Officer rescued a dog trapped from a marsh area known to have gators, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said Officer Amy Riccio responded to an area in Bassville Park in Leesburg to a call for a service on a dog trapped on an island swamp area. Officer Riccio was able to get the dog’s trust and carry the pup across the makeshift bridge to safety. Deputies said the dog was taken to the Lake County Animal Shelter until the owner can be located.

SANFORD, Fla. – A Sanford firefighter who was pictured inside the Capitol building during a large-scale riot last week has been arrested on federal charges, records show. Andrew Williams was taken into custody Tuesday on charges of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and knowingly entering the temporary residence of the president without authority to do so. The picture sent to News 6 shows Williams wearing a Trump 2020 hat and pointing at a placard for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. I ask for the public’s patience as we move through this process,” Sanford Fire Chief Craig Radzak said in a news release. Now, ahead of next week’s inauguration, authorities nationwide are preparing for potentially violent protests and demonstrations.

Much to his surprise, he said he was unable to get unemployment benefits approved because of a denial for benefits dating back to 2008. “I haven’t seen any back-pay,” a frustrated Brulotte told News 6 from his home. News 6 contacted the DEO’s outgoing press scretary Paige Landrum, who was able to get Brulotte’s account updated in 24 hours. On Saturday, Brulotte told News 6 his bank account had a $5,000 deposit from the DEO just in time for his 51st birthday. “You were my last hope .”The DEO is working to update cases as quickly as possible.

COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Adding mid-block crossings with flashing-yellow lights along State Road A1A poses “an unreasonable safety risk” for pedestrians — because some drivers fail to stop when the lights are activated, the Cocoa Beach City Commission argues. The address is 900 N. Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Cocoa Beach — S.R. It’s remarkable that FDOT doesn’t do anything about this,” Cocoa Beach City Commissioner Ed Martinez said during last week’s meeting. It’s remarkable that FDOT doesn’t do anything about this,” Cocoa Beach City Commissioner Ed Martinez said during last week’s meeting.

Doug Gray of Melbourne brought his 87-year-old dad to the health department drive-through site in Vero Beach rather than the Brevard County site in Viera. News 6 also met people Tuesday from Palm Beach County, an hour and a half away. And also like the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, Indian River County advised people to sign up for its text-alerts to know immediately when new appointments open up. “I can’t say enough about Indian River County and the whole nine yards. In Indian River, the county Tuesday afternoon said it does not know when its next shipment is coming.

ORLANDO, Fla. – There has been a rise in opioid use and overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the founder of the Opioid Project, Andrae Bailey, and the issue has caught the attention of Florida Rep. Geraldine Thompson. Thompson hosted a virtual forum Tuesday morning to discuss the opioid epidemic with doctors and organizations a part of the conversation. “The COVID-19 pandemic has absolutely, definitively, no question about it, exacerbated the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Aaron Wohl, an emergency medicine physician with the Veterans Administration Hospital in Orlando. He said during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the largest increase in overdose deaths of any demographic was in the African American community. The conversation also offered up resources like Aspire Health Partners, who offers services to those with opioid addiction.

ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 1,500 people 65 or older or health care workers with affiliations to AdventHealth pulled into an empty economy parking lot at the Orlando International Airport Tuesday to get their first dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine through AdventHealth. It’s the first community vaccination site provided by the health care system. “We set this up to be able to give as many shots as our community needs as we are able to get them,” said Dr. Scott Brady, CEO of AdventHealth Centra Care. Last week, AdventHealth sent an email to patients and employees saying they were going to open up 7,000 appointments. AdventHealth saying they have no extras left.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla – Florida’s famous high-wire acrobat Nik Wallenda walked the plank at the Legoland Florida Resort on Friday. The performer, originally from Sarasota, performed the epic high-wire walk nearly 600 feet cross the skies of the theme park. Legoland Florida also started a new show, Brickbeard’s Watersports Stunt Show and PirateFest Weekends. During the new PirateFest Weekends, guests can meet the famous Lego Pirate characters and participate in all-new shows and activities. Pirate Weekends runs Feb. 12-14, 20-21, 27-28.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A Marion County man and woman accused of killing a criminal information were indicted Tuesday on federal charges, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. [TRENDING: Manatee found with ‘Trump’ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Here’s how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]“On April 6, 2016, K.B. was found deceased in her parked vehicle near a cemetery in Oxford, Florida, the victim of an apparent drug overdose. They’re both facing charges of murder of a government witness, conspiracy to murder a government witness and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

A Hillsborough County lunch room worker holds up food while parents wait in a line Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at the Brandon High School in Brandon, Fla. Hillsborough County Schools have stopped daily breakfast and lunch pickups for students and are distributing a week's worth of food one day a week. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Osceola County Public Schools announced Tuesday it’s consolidating its curbside meal program to fewer schools. The school district says it intends to provide free breakfast and lunch to virtual learning students through the rest of the semester but will be adjusting its curbside meal program next month. Elementary schools and Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy serving times are 9-9:30 a.m., middle school serving times are 10-10:30 a.m. and high school serving times are 3:30-4:30 p.m.District officials say Tuesday meals will be bundled with two breakfasts and two lunches per child. Current student ID card, birth certificate or any state-issued ID or passport are acceptable, OCPS officials said.

Past winners of the "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike contest in Key West. KEY WEST, Fla. – Ernest Hemingway look-alikes are being used by the Florida Keys tourism council to encourage visitors and residents to wear masks to protect against COVID-19. Play It Safe in the Florida Keys What would Ernest "Papa" Hemingway say? Posted by The Florida Keys & Key West on Monday, January 11, 2021The video is part of the Keys tourism council’s ongoing “Play It Safe” video series promoting personal responsibility and health protective measures to combat the global pandemic. COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 40th annual “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s last July.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A state representative from Central Florida is putting pressure on the governor to make COVID-19 vaccines available to teachers. State Rep. Carlos Smith sent a letter to Florida Gov. We’ve just sent a letter urging @GovRonDeSantis to make #COVID19 vaccines IMMEDIATELY available to K-12 essential FL teachers and school district personnel 65+ currently in direct contact with students. Smith represents the 49th congressional district, which covers a large portion of Orange County, including the University of Central Florida. Several school leaders in Central Florida have sent similar letters to the governor, urging him to give educators and school staff priority when it comes to vaccinations.

You know about brownies and you’ve heard of Oreos. Now introducing the Brookie-o, the love child of an Oreo and a brownie. The tasty treat features Oreo’s original chocolate wafers with a three-layered filling of brownie cream, original cream and cookie dough cream. [TRENDING: Manatee found with ‘Trump’ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Here’s how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]They’re on sale now but only for a limited time. The cookie company hit the market in 1912 and about 100 years later, it got big into the new flavor game.

Florida is taking part in the Emergency Rental Assistance program to help Floridians impacted financially by the coronavirus. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state would take part in the program, which was established by the COVID-19 relief legislation that was passed in December. [TRENDING: Manatee found with ‘Trump’ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Here’s how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]The program would provide $1.4 billion in emergency rental assistance to Floridians who qualify, with more than $850 million administered by the state. Today I announced the state of Florida’s participation in the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which will provide $1.4 billion in critical rental assistance funding to Floridians. More info here – https://t.co/Iv1yQuFo3R — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 12, 2021Household qualifications for assistance:.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Starting Tuesday, Lake County will now offer shots of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine via appointment. The Florida Department of Health in Lake County has a limited number of vaccines to be distributed to Florida’s priority groups including long-term care facility residents and staff, persons 65 years of age and older and health care workers with direct patient contact. Registration opened at 2 p.m. and the appointments were filled within minutes. [TRENDING: Manatee found with ‘Trump’ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Here’s how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]“We have been listening to concerns from our community and wanted to expedite appointment-based immunization for our residents and vulnerable seniors,” Lake County Board Commission Chairman Sean Parks said in a news release. The Florida Department of Health will also continue first come, first serve vaccinations.

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – Volusia County deputies are investigating the fatal shooting of a man whose friend said he opened fire on him because the victim came at him with a pitchfork, according to a report. According to a news release from Volusia County deputies, the alleged shooter reported that he and his friend were outside the home when his friend pointed the pitchfork at him in a threatening manner. The shooter, who was armed with a handgun, told his friend to put down the pitchfork, and he did, according to deputies. The man, a lifelong friend of the victim, told deputies he was in fear for his life and his wife’s, who was also home at the time of the shooting. The shooting is still under investigation, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A sixth grade math teacher who was found passed out behind the wheel of a car is now facing drug possession charges, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. That is completely unacceptable,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. Ramos is facing charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Polk County Public Schools said Ramos has no prior disciplinary action on her file. She’s also taught at Wendell Watson Elementary, Socrum Elementary and Oscar J. Pope Elementary.

Pfizer — Shares of Pfizer rose 2% after the drugmaker said it would supply the U.S. with 100 million additional doses of its Covid-19 vaccine by July. The U.S. government will pay $1.95 billion for the incremental doses, bringing the total paid to Pfizer to nearly $4 billion. Nikola — Shares of Nikola Corp. dropped nearly 10% after the company announced that it has ended its partnership with Republic Services to jointly develop electric garbage trucks. FuboTV — Shares of FuboTV lost more than 8% after a major run-up in shares recently. Chevron, Exxon, Diamondback Energy — Energy stocks rose as investors bet on cyclical sectors and oil futures rose.

Tesla – Shares of the electric vehicle company jumped more than 4% to hit a record high as investors continue to favor the stock. The company reported better-than-expected earnings amid strong online sales in the third quarter. Dollar Tree reported third-quarter earnings of $1.39 per share on revenue of $6.18 billion. The medical technology company reported earnings of $1.02 per share, topping estimates of 80 cents per share, according to Refinitiv. The apparel retailer reported quarterly earnings of 78 cents per share, beating the 45 cent consensus estimate, according to Refinitiv.

Today's Pfizer news is a welcomed step in the right direction," Steve Kaufer, CEO of TripAdvisor, told CNBC over email. "This is a very positive development for the world, and, of course, our company and our brands, as well as the cruise industry. In the meantime, the cruise operators are working around the clock, setting up testing facilities for all crew and conducting simulated voyages with their new COVID protocols. Analysts also are wondering whether a new administration under the leadership of President-elect Joe Biden will result in different protocols for the cruise industry. Prior the Pfizer vaccine news, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson on the company's earnings call last Friday said, "We'll start to see meaningfully more bookings when those vaccines start to take effect."

Norwegian Cruise Line hopes to resume sea trips this year, despite a global coronavirus pandemic that has rocked the industry. CEO Frank Del Rio on Thursday told CNBC's Jim Cramer that his cruise company is consulting with government officials and public health experts to ensure its fleet is safe for crew and passengers to board. "We expect to sail sometime in 2020," he said in a "Mad Money" interview. Norwegian could resume cruise operations as soon as July 1, according to information a spokeswoman shared with The New York Times earlier this week. The liquidity gave Norwegian the "encouragement and confidence to go forward," Del Rio said.