Blast from the past: Vintage Burger King found inside Delaware mall
Burger King: What you need to know Burger King Fast Facts (NCD)WILMINGTON, Del. — A photo posted to social media has some people feeling like they’re in a time warp, because it shows a Burger King seemingly stopped in time in the 1990s. >> Read more trending newsThe photo, posted to Twitter, shows recognizable booths and walls from a bygone Burger King era. A fully intact vintage Burger King was found behind a wall at the Concord Mall in Wilmington, DE. When I first saw it, I was blown away myself,” Tom Dahlke, the mall’s general manager, told WPVI.
wftv.comFlorida could boycott Ben & Jerry's over ice cream company's decision not to sell in occupied Palestinian territories
Florida could place Ben & Jerry’s on a “scrutinized” companies list that prohibits government contracts or investments, because the ice-cream maker plans to stop doing...
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Republicans target college speech controversies with proposal that would require schools to distribute 'intellectual freedom' surveys
Florida colleges and universities could be required to issue campus-wide surveys gauging “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” under a measure passed Wednesday by the Senate....
orlandoweekly.comUniversal Orlando announces new ticket package ahead of spring break
In this Wednesday, June 3, 2020 photo, visitors arrive at Universal Studios Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. The Universal Studios theme park has reopened for season pass holders and will open to the general public on Friday, June 5. (AP Photo/John Raoux)(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shrugs off maskless Super Bowl crowds in Tampa by saying he’s ‘damn proud of the Bucs’
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/TwitterDuring a press conference in Venice on Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tore into a reporter’s reasonable question regarding the maskless Super Bowl celebrations in Tampa, by saying well, he likes sports. Since Florida currently leads the country in cases of the new highly contagious U.K. variant, a reporter asked the governor to respond to the near endless photos and videos showing maskless crowds that occurred before and after Super Bowl 55 in Tampa. “You don’t care as much if it’s a ‘peaceful protest,’ then it’s fine. You don’t care as much if they’re celebrating a Biden election. In the Tampa Bay area, where we are currently enjoying a maskless Super Bowl boat parade, 20 cases were found in Hillsborough County, 19 in Pinellas, six in Pasco and one in Hernando.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Gov. DeSantis extends order banning local COVID-related shutdowns, restrictions and mask mandates
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/TwitterGov. Ron DeSantis on June 8, 2020Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended a September executive order aimed at preventing business shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two-page extension, issued before the Thanksgiving holiday, said the state “continues to suffer economic harm as a result of COVID-19 related closures, exacerbating the impacts of the State of Emergency, and Floridians should not be prohibited by local governments from working or operating a business.”The extension is slated to last as long as Florida remains under a state of emergency during the pandemic.The Sept. 25 order barred local emergency ordinances that could “prevent an individual from working or from operating a business.” It also prevented local governments from requiring restaurants to operate below 50 percent indoor capacity, and required local governments to quantify the economic impact and the public-health need for limits on indoor capacity below 100 percent.The September order also suspended the collection of penalties and fines for violations of such things as local mask ordinances, though it did not outright ban the ordinances.
orlandoweekly.com15 quarantine home renovations from our viewers, readers -- and the photos are amazing
We asked our viewers and readers to send us photos of their DIY home renovations that were completed during quarantine, and we were absolutely stunned by the responses. Not only did we get dozens of submissions showing photos full of incredible home makeovers, but a lot of viewers submitted before-and-after pictures -- and the attention to detail and craftsmanship is truly commendable. The chandelier was already great, but the new floors and paint on the walls really bring it all together, don’t you think? When we asked for home renovation photos, we didn’t specify what kind of home! We want to see your resultsYou can still submit photos, and we want to see them.
Gov. Ron DeSantis supports moving Republican National Convention to Florida
"Florida is committed to ensuring a safe, secure and successful event for President @realDonaldTrump and all attendees, Gruters tweeted.Competing for Trumps attention, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday sent out his own pitch for the event.With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention, Kemp tweeted. We hope you will consider the Peach State, @realdonaldtrump!The Democratic National Convention remains scheduled for the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisc., a state that Trump narrowly won in 2016. The Florida Democratic Party declined to comment about DeSantis statement about welcoming the conventions.The Democratic convention date has been moved from mid-July to August due to the pandemic.DeSantis said numerous areas in Florida - Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville -could quickly organize a multi-day showcase. Ballroom is not nearly big enough & would like to stay in N.C., whose gov.
orlandoweekly.comCalling Florida's unemployment office? Get ready to wait at least an hour
Ron DeSantis hoped to focus on I-4 construction on Monday. But be prepared to sit on the phone for about an hour and a half.The average hold time for specific claim information reached 99 minutes on Monday.Yesterday we had a million phone calls. Weve had 15 million phone calls since March 15, said Satter, who was put in charge of the Department of Economic Opportunitys troubled CONNECT online unemployment system in April. As he finished the press conference, he said they received 1 million phone calls to their office yesterday. Of the money sent out to claimants, $1.79 million was from federal stimulus money.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Gov. DeSantis angrily defends firing of state COVID-19 dashboard official
Ron DeSantis on Wednesday defended the firing of Department of Health employee Rebekah Jones and pushed back against media accounts calling her the chief architect of the states COVID-19 information dashboard. The governor also pointed to an issue of an unrelated criminal charge against Jones. During a media availability in Orlando with Vice President Mike Pence, DeSantis said his administration has been transparent and that the COVID-19 data remains publicly available. Any insinuation otherwise is just typical partisan narrative trying to be spun, DeSantis said. And part of the reason is that because you got a lot of people (reporters) who wax poetically for weeks and weeks about how Florida was going to be just like New York. Two of the charges have been closed, but court records show a cyberstalking charge remains open.
orlandoweekly.comOp-ed: State Rep. Geraldine Thompson on the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery
He grew up in House District 44 and graduated from West Orange High School where he was Class President. He has no criminal record and works to improve the lives of people in the community where he lives. He sometimes walks or jogs throughout our neighborhood where 74 percent of the residents don't look like him. I helped him understand that, unfortunately, people sometimes acted solely based on the color of his skin and what they saw on the outside. Our criminal justice system must, indeed, be color blind because all lives matter.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida's jobless numbers for March are bad, but they're also much worse than they look
This means that a large portion of the Florida economy was still operating in relatively normal circumstances in mid-March. In this regard, the March unemployment rate embodies only a limited number of the people who will ultimately be affected by the impact of coronavirus.Nationally, the March unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. I lie awake, for the couple hours that I do lie in bed at night. It is a very complicated process, but we are confident we are making progress hour by hour. The state reported increases in the categories of construction, warehousing, transportation and utilities and financial activities.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida ethics panel rejects COVID-19 announcements plan, upholds ban on free publicity or exposure
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/FacebookThe Florida Commission on Ethics rejected a request Friday to alter the states 15-year-old lobbying gift ban, as a cable-television and internet company wanted to run public-service announcements from Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials about the COVID-19 pandemic.Commissioners voted 6-3 to maintain a ban against providing free publicity or exposure, after Charter Communications wanted to run messages from DeSantis on its Spectrum networks, which reach about 2.5 million people across Central Florida and the western Panhandle.By basically providing elected officials an opportunity to appear in professionally produced public-service announcements, its basically an opportunity to provide them with additional advertising opportunities, said Commissioner Daniel Brady, one of DeSantis five appointees to the ethics panel. And there are companies that analyze how much your name in the paper is worth, or your name on the internet is worth or your name on television.State law prevents lobbyists and organizations that hire lobbyists from providing gifts to state officials - what is known in Tallahassee as the gift ban. This is an unprecedented circumstance that, Im not being over dramatic, this is life and death stuff.Leznoff, who formerly served as the top staff member on the House Appropriations Committee, is one of two commissioners appointed by the House speaker. So I think any time there is a state of emergency, public-service announcements related to that state of emergency should be allowed for the duration of that emergency.
orlandoweekly.comJobless claims pour in as Florida tries to bolster online system
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/FacebookNearly 170,000 first-time unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida, as the coronavirus-caused surge continues, according to an estimate from the U.S. Department of Labor.Floridas number - part of a second consecutive week of 6.6 million claims being filed nationwide - was down from the prior week. He anecdotally noted that an unidentified Florida-based chain about 10 days ago laid off all its hourly employees.Theyre running takeout and delivery-only now with just managers working seven days a week just to keep the lights on, Luebkemann said. Theyre probably at a 90 percent sales decrease, 10 percent of what they normally do. The central bank plan includes $500 billion in loans and $35 billion in credit protection for state and local governments. Floridas benefits are capped at $275 a week for 12 weeks, while the federal law is slated to provide $600 a week for 13 weeks.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida's February jobless rate is already a distant memory
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/Facebook (2019)Floridas jobless rate in February was 2.8 percent, but that doesnt reflect a coronavirus-fueled spike in claims that has overwhelmed the state unemployment-compensation system during the past two weeks.The Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday posted the February unemployment rate, which was unchanged from January. But that was based on information from a time before large and small businesses across the state started cutting back or going dark because of the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.Department Executive Director Ken Lawson said bluntly on Friday the unemployment numbers are going up.Its impacting everybody. Everything we are doing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is having an impact on businesses, Lawson said. Its causing an unprecedented level of individuals, Floridians, our friends and neighbors, applying for unemployment benefits.The newly released estimate showed 291,000 Floridians out of work in February from a labor force of 10.46 million, numbers essentially unchanged from January.On Thursday, however, the U.S. Labor Department reported 3.28 million jobless claims had been filed across the country during the week ending Sunday, with 74,313 by Floridians.The state received 5,325 unemployment applications the first week in March and 6,463 the second week. A return to a healthy, vibrant tourism industry also means jobs and revenue returned to the state.
orlandoweekly.comSNL's Kate McKinnon will play Florida Big Cat Rescue CEO Carole Baskin in 'Tiger King' scripted series
click to enlarge Photo via Kate McKinnon/FacebookJoe Exotic should be played Matthew McConaughey, too. As of now, no network is attached to the project and no other actors have been announced.That being said, the role of Joe Exotic should be played by either Matthew McConaughey, David Spade or Danny McBride. There will be no discussion on this.Since the coronavirus outbreak,has been a massive hit on Netflix. Centered on the big cat industry, specifically on Joe Exotic and his bitter rivalry with Baskin, the show has it all: drugs, mullets, country music, gay triads, sex cults, Jay Leno and more.But not everyone is a fan. In a blog posted Sunday to her website, Baskin said she was disappointed with the show, especially how they insinuated that she killed her missing husband, put him in a meat grinder and turned him into tiger food.
orlandoweekly.comPetition for DeSantis to shut down Florida now has over 300,000 signatures
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/TwitterAn online petition calls for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida State Senate to shut down Florida to deter the spread of COVID-19.The petition has been gaining traction. Although it was only created six days ago, it already has over 320,000 signatures.According to the website, the petition was created by a Winter Haven resident named Julio Torres.Florida Governor Ron Desantis our family are in risk, please SHUT DOWN Florida. Around 100 Florida residents are infected everyday, says the petition. "To get through this, we need our leaders to listen to the public health experts and their guidance.
orlandoweekly.comAG Moody, trying to slow down recreational pot amendment, asks Florida Supreme Court to review
They also must meet a lower threshold to trigger Supreme Court review of proposed ballot wording, a critical step in the process.The committee Make It Legal Florida, which is behind the recreational-marijuana amendment, met a requirement of submitting 76,632 valid signatures to trigger the Supreme Court review. But it did not meet a Feb. 1 deadline for submitting an overall 766,200 signatures to get on the 2020 ballot. As a result, it disputed that the Supreme Court review is moot. Moreover, Make It Legal, Florida has already qualified for this (Supreme) Courts review of its initiative petition under the current statutory framework.The Senates motion to dismiss the case also could affect other proposed constitutional amendments that received enough signatures to trigger Supreme Court review but not enough to reach the 2020 ballot. Those amendments propose an expansion of Medicaid eligibility, a prohibition on assault weapons and another proposal to allow recreational marijuana.
orlandoweekly.comApartments for rent in Orlando: What will $2,200 get you?
Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is friendly for those on foot, is quite bikeable and has some transit options. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area isn't very walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has some transit options. 100 W. Grant St. (South Orange)Photo: Apartment GuidePhoto: Apartment GuideNext, there's this three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment situated at 100 W. Grant St. According to Walk Score, this location is somewhat walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has a few nearby public transportation options. Per Walk Score ratings, this location is extremely walkable, is very bikeable and is a haven for transit riders.
Gov. Ron DeSantis orders all Florida bars and nightclubs suspended for 30 days due to coronavirus
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/TwitterAt a Tuesday morning press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all bars and nightclubs to close for 30 days starting a 5 p.m. on March 17 in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.Restaurants are being ordered to screen employees before shifts, stagger seating by 6-feet to keep customers away from each other and operate at 50% capacity. "Stealth carriers, people who don't have symptoms, but then are nevertheless passing along or have such mild symptoms is something that really nobody has a handle on that, said DeSantis at the conference. If they're not meeting in those big groups the chances of that being passed on is less. "DeSantis also asked that all Florida universities finish the spring semester online, after four University of Florida students recently tested positive for the virus.The goal of that is that the students not stay congregated on campus, but actually return home, said DeSantis.
orlandoweekly.comRollins College moves all classes online for remainder of spring semester
click to enlarge Photo via Rollins College/Rollins.eduCiting the World Health Organization's designation of coronavirus as a pandemic, Rollins College president Grant Cornwell notified the campus Thursday morning that all remaining classes this semester are moving online. "We have made the extraordinary decision to move to virtual, synchronous learning through the remainder of the semester," Cornwell wrote. "He noted professors should continue to teach their classes on the current schedule, but meeting online instead of in person. On-campus classes will end on Friday, and will move online after spring break, when classes resume on Monday, March 23. "We will make every effort to ensure that seniors graduate on time and all students continue to make progress towards their degrees."
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Gov. DeSantis declares state of emergency over coronavirus
Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency that would broaden his powers to respond to the novel coronavirus, including allowing him to deploy National Guard troops if necessary.That allows us to create a unified command structure. It also allows, if need be, out-of-state medical personnel to operate in Florida, DeSantis told reporters in the Capitol. Cant visit.As of Monday, the Department of Health reported the state had 18 cases of COVID-19, including two people who have died. But DeSantis said Florida has not had community spread of the virus. A state of emergency is broader than a public health emergency.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida lawmakers approve $25 million for coronavirus
Ron DeSantis at a January ceremony honoring Emergency Management DirectorsHouse and Senate leaders announced Saturday they have agreed to Gov. The virus can be particularly dangerous for seniors and people with other medical conditions. There is no vaccine to prevent the virus.DeSantis said earlier this week that the federal government will be sending tens of thousands of coronavirus testing kits to the state. Two of the 14 people who have tested positive for the virus died, DeSantis announced late Friday night. The state currently is monitoring another 278 people for the virus, the website states.
orlandoweekly.comOrlando radio DJ Johnny Magic is back on the air after house fire, and feeling the love
"He talked to me this morning and he's just kind of going in waves," Grimes said to co-host Sondra Rae on the show Monday. "For a minute it's fine, and then all of a sudden ... the realization that everything you have is gone. GoFundMe page which currently has over $63,000 in donations was quickly set up for Magic and his family, with a goal of $100,000. "The reason that people care so much is because of all the things that hes done," Grimes said on Monday. "He doesnt know all the people hes touched, hes starting to see it now and I think thats why it hits him.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Supreme Court says unanimous jury decisions not required for death penalty sentences
click to enlarge Photo via Supreme Court of Florida websiteThe Florida Supreme Court under Chief Justice Charles Canady after the appointment of three new Justices by Gov. The 2016 ruling came as judges, lawyers and state leaders tried to move forward after the U.S. Supreme Court had found Floridas death-penalty system unconstitutional.After the 2016 ruling, the Legislature passed a law in 2017 that required unanimous jury recommendations. We passed a state law dealing with the death penalty. But based on the Florida Supreme Courts 2016 decision, Pooles death sentence was later vacated because of the lack of a unanimous jury recommendation. That spurred the state to appeal.The Supreme Court last Thursday ordered that Pooles death sentence be reinstated.
orlandoweekly.comImages of starving lions in Sudan zoo spark global concern
In this Tuesday, Jan. 21 photo, a malnourished lion rests in a zoo in Khartoum, Sudan. With the staff at the destitute Al-Qurashi Park, as the zoo in Khartoum is known, unable to feed and look after the animals, many have died off or were evacuated, leaving only three skeletal lions.
Will Puerto Ricans new to Florida swing state to Democrats?
In this Dec. 10, 2019 photo, Maria Jose Chapa gestures during an interview after officially opening the first Hispanic Federation field office in Davenport, Fla. In one central Florida county wedged between Orlando and Tampa, the Hispanic registered voter population is booming, and Puerto Ricans are driving the increase. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith was warned at the Vatican for holding hands with his husband
click to enlarge Photo via Carlos Guillermo Smith/FacebookJerick Mediavilla and Carlos Guillermo SmithWhile walking the resplendently hallowed grounds of Saint Peter's Square, Orlando state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith says he was stopped by Vatican officials for holding hands with his husband, Jerick Mediavilla.The two were pulled aside, according to a Facebook post by Smith , and warned that their hand-holding could be punished with a fine "or worse. "Established in 1929, the Vatican is its own city-state independent of surrounding Italy. "There are places in the world where LGBTQ people are punished simply for existing. for black trans women who face increasing hate violence and whose average life expectancy is 30-35 in the Americas," said Smith on Facebook. He noted that both he and his husband were raised Catholic, raised in a religion that taught them to see themselves as shameful blemishes of creation.
orlandoweekly.comDeSantis addresses shooting at Pensacola naval base, 'Saudi Arabia needs to make things better'
click to enlarge Photo via Ron DeSantis/Twitter The government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims, DeSantis said. Ron DeSantis told reporters during a press conference Friday afternoon.The government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims. I think they are going to owe a debt here, given that this is one of their individuals, DeSantis said.President Donald Trump said in a tweet that King Salman of Saudi Arabia called him to give his condolences. And I think you will see that as things go on, the governor said.Capt. This is going to be one of those times where anything we need, we are going to get, Morgan said.
orlandoweekly.comFlorida Supreme Court urged to decide conservation amendment dispute
click to enlarge Photo via Supreme Court of Florida websiteFive years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment aimed at land and water conservation, environmentalists on Monday urged the state Supreme Court to wade into a battle about how money can be spent.Florida Defenders of the Environment and other plaintiffs filed a brief asking justices to decide a long-running dispute that centers on how state lawmakers carried out the 2014 constitutional amendment. The environmentalists took the case to the Supreme Court after the 1st District Court of Appeal sided with lawmakers in September.The amendment required setting aside a portion of real-estate documentary stamp tax revenues in what is known as the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for conservation efforts. Environmentalists contend the money was supposed to go to buying and managing additional property and that the state improperly diverted money to other expenses.But the appeals court, in deciding for the state, said a Leon County circuit judge erred when he ruled money from the amendment could only be used on land purchased after the measure took effect.In the brief Monday, Joseph Little, an attorney for Florida Defenders of the Environment, argued that the appeals courts interpretation defeats the intent of the Florida voters who approved the amendment for inclusion in the Florida Constitution.FDE (Florida Defenders of the Environment) submits that the only authorized purposes are to acquire new conservation and recreation lands and to restore and manage lands so-acquired, Little wrote. In contrast, the state submits that its use of the LATF (Land Acquisition Trust Fund) monies is not so limited and that (the constitutional amendment) authorizes it to expend LATF funds to manage conservation lands whenever acquired, wherever located and by whomever owned, including private persons.At this point in the case, the state has not filed a brief about whether it thinks the Supreme Court should take up the dispute.The state went to the 1st District Court of Appeal after Circuit Judge Charles Dodson last year agreed with environmentalists and found that dozens of legislative budget appropriations were unconstitutional.In a brief filed at the appeals court, attorneys for the Legislature said Dodsons ruling drastically curtails the expressly stated purposes of the constitutional amendment.A broad range of conservation purposes that have properly been funded from the LATF including restoration of springs, beaches, and the Everglades are ineligible to receive those funds under the trial courts reading, the Legislatures attorneys wrote.While the appeals court agreed with the Legislature, Little argued in Mondays brief that the Supreme Court needs to resolve the meaning of the constitutional amendment.In short, the district court's decision places no restrictions on the state's power to expend LATF funds virtually as it pleases and does not require it to acquire and restore any new conservation lands, he wrote. FDE respectfully submits that this decision requires clarification by this (Supreme) Court not only for this case but for all other voter-initiated amendments to the Florida Constitution.
orlandoweekly.comPacific bird refuge struggles as ocean garbage patch grows
In this Oct. 15, 2019, photo, seabirds fly over Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. While understanding exactly how many birds die as a result of plastic in their stomachs is hard to do, researchers say the skeletons that dot the landscape of Midway are a visceral reminder of the impact plastic has on the environment. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
3-2-1-Cookoff! Astronauts to bake cookies with new test oven
This undated photo made available by Hilton in October 2019 shows a Zero G Kitchen Space Oven. The next delivery of supplies for the International Space Station _ scheduled for liftoff on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2019 _ includes the device. Chocolate chip cookie dough is already up there, waiting to pop into this small electric oven designed for zero gravity. (Hilton via AP)
The 5 best breakfast and brunch spots in Orlando
Here are the best spots in Orlando to check out the next time you're planning a leisurely breakfast or brunch with friends or family. Located at 617 N. Primrose Drive, the breakfast and brunch and New American spot, which offers coffee and tea and more, is the most popular breakfast and brunch restaurant in Orlando, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,629 reviews on Yelp. Le Gourmet BreakPhoto: aurelie m./YelpCentral Business District's Le Gourmet Break, located at 150 S. Magnolia Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the cafe, bakery and breakfast and brunch spot 4.5 stars out of 377 reviews. Zaza New Cuban DinerPhoto: heather j./YelpZaza New Cuban Diner, a Cuban, breakfast and brunch and caterer spot, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 353 Yelp reviews. You can find the cafe and traditional American and breakfast and brunch spot at 1414 N. Mills Ave., Suite #180.