Orlando

Students in Paris inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States peacefully evacuated a campus building at a prestigious French university late on Friday after days of tensions. The head of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po, said an agreement was found FridayContinue Reading

Expect partly cloudy skies with a slight 20% chance of isolated showers mainly along the coast. The main story over the next three days will be on the winds, which will be breezy and easterly. Winds This will increase coastal hazards, with a high rip current risk, high surf advisory,Continue Reading

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills into law that cover a variety of issues, including teen labor rules, the use of A.I. in political ads, and dead body reporting. The new laws signed include: HB 159 — HIV Infection Prevention Drugs House Bill 159 allows licensed pharmacistsContinue Reading

Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region. Ukraine’s air force said Saturday that Russia had launched 34 missiles againstContinue Reading

Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said theContinue Reading

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his just-concluded latest visit to China with a stop at a Beijing record store where he bought albums by Taylor Swift and Chinese rocker Dou Wei in a symbolic nod to cross-cultural exchanges and understanding he had been promoting for three days.Continue Reading

On a recent afternoon, Grant Oh zigzagged across the University of Southern California campus as if he was conquering an obstacle course, coming up against police blockade after police blockade on his way to his apartment while officers arrested demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war. In many ways, the chaotic momentContinue Reading

Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels caused “minor damage” to a Panama-flagged oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea on Friday, authorities said. The attack follows an uptick in assaults launched by the Houthis in recent days after a relative lull in their monthslong campaign over Israel’s war onContinue Reading

Alejandro Fonseca stood in line for several hours outside a bank in Havana hoping to withdraw Cuban pesos from an ATM, but when it was almost his turn, the cash ran out. He angrily hopped on his electric tricycle and traveled several kilometers to another branch where he finally managedContinue Reading

Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters. As Columbia University continuesContinue Reading

South Africans celebrate their “Freedom Day” every April 27, when they remember their country’s pivotal first democratic election in 1994 that announced the official end of the racial segregation and oppression of apartheid. Saturday is the 30th anniversary of that momentous vote, when millions of Black South Africans, young andContinue Reading

Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs pushed back against a woman’s lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault, filing a motion on Friday to dismiss some claims that were not under law when the alleged incident occurred. The motion filed in a New York court claims Combs cannot be sued becauseContinue Reading

President Joe Biden had a question. “Is it true?” Biden asked Sen. Alex Padilla, referencing the roughly 25% of U.S. students in kindergarten through high school who are Latino. Padilla said the question came as he was waiting with the president in a back room at a library in CulverContinue Reading

Donald Trump says he wants to hold a major campaign event at New York’s Madison Square Garden featuring Black hip-hop artists and athletes. His aides speak of making appearances in Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta with leaders of color and realigning American politics by flipping Democratic constituencies. But five months beforeContinue Reading

On a recent weeknight at this bar in northeast Portland, fans downed pints and burgers as college women’s lacrosse and beach volleyball matches played on big-screen TVs. Memorabilia autographed by female athletes covered the walls, with a painting of U.S. soccer legend Abby Wambach mounted above the chalkboard beer menu.Continue Reading

The retrial in New York of Harvey Weinstein — whose moviemaking prowess once wowed Hollywood — won’t be coming to a courtroom anytime soon, if ever, legal experts said on a day when one of two women considered crucial to the case said she wasn’t sure she would testify again.Continue Reading

Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Nebraska. As of Friday night, there were several reports of injuries but no immediate deaths reported. Tornado warnings continued to be issued intoContinue Reading

On the heels of the Orlando Magic’s game three play-off win, former players Bo Outlaw and Nick Anderson hosted a Magic Youth Basketball Academy at the Boys and Girls Club in Parramore. “It’s possible because they come from a community like this. I came from a community like this, it’sContinue Reading

A freight train carrying fuel derailed and caught fire Friday near the Arizona-New Mexico state line, forcing the closure of an interstate highway that serves as a key trucking route. Initial passersby posted video and photos on social media of crumpled train cars and billowing, black smoke. No injuries wereContinue Reading

President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November. In a statement Friday, Biden’s top health official gave no timeline for issuing the rule, saying only that the administration wouldContinue Reading

Regulators have closed Republic First Bank, a regional lender operating in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Friday it had seized the Philadelphia-based bank, which did business as Republic Bank and had roughly $6 billion in assets and $4 billion in deposits as ofContinue Reading

The city of Apopka is under a “state of water supply conservation” and residents could face fines for violating restrictions. The city on Friday said it is seeing an “increasingly faster depletion of the water supply being observed at the City of Apopka Potable (water that is safe to drink)Continue Reading

The SunRail system could expand to include service from Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs, at a cost of $4 billion. Estimates from a Florida Department of Transportation assessment for the so-called “Sunshine Corridor” were shared at a Central Florida Commuter Rail Board meeting Thursday. The total cost for theContinue Reading

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem — a potential running mate for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump — is getting attention again. This time, it’s for a new book where she writes about killing an unruly dog, and a smelly goat, too. The Guardian obtained a copy of Noem’s soon-to-beContinue Reading

U.N. investigators are looking into allegations against 14 of the 19 staffers from the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians who Israel claims were involved in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants that spurred the latest war in Gaza, a spokesman said Friday. The announcement by U.N. spokesman Stephane DujarricContinue Reading

President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday formally began planning for a potential presidential transition, aiming to ensure continuity of government no matter the outcome of November’s general election. Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, sent memos to all executive departments and agencies, directing them toContinue Reading

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says he’s hopeful the Federal Reserve can bring down inflation without causing a recession but wouldn’t rule out more troubling possibilities, such as stagflation. In an interview with The Associated Press at a Chase branch opening in The Bronx, Dimon said he remained “cautious” aboutContinue Reading

Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma will have to pay almost $3.2 million for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made in USA” order. Williams-Sonoma was charged with advertising multiple products as being “Made in USA” when they were in fact manufactured in other countries, including China. That violated a 2020 commission orderContinue Reading

Students in Paris inspired by Gaza solidarity encampments at campuses in the United States blocked access to a campus building at a prestigious French university Friday, prompting administrators to move all classes online. The pro-Palestinian protest kicked off a day of drama at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, knownContinue Reading

Southwest Airlines is studying changes to its quirky boarding and seating policies as it searches for ways to raise more revenue. Airline officials say they are studying possible changes but won’t have anything to announce until September. That tease is leading to speculation about whether Southwest might ditch some longstandingContinue Reading

Scotland’s leader cancelled a speech Friday as he fights for his political life in the wake of his decision to pull the plug on a three-year power-sharing agreement, a move that has exposed the government to peril. First Minister Humza Yousaf of the Scottish National Party was due to deliverContinue Reading

A former researcher working in the U.K. Parliament and another man charged with spying for China were granted bail Friday after an initial court appearance in London. Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act by providing information or documents that could beContinue Reading

A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country’s farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia. Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ruled that Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Solskyi should be held inContinue Reading

The head of Vietnam’s parliament has resigned, according to state media, making him the latest senior member of government to leave office amid an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that’s shaken the country’s political and business elites. The resignation of National Assembly Chair Vuong Dinh Hue adds to growing instability in theContinue Reading

A court on Friday sentenced a Syrian woman to life in prison for a deadly explosion on a busy shopping district in Istanbul in 2022, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported. Alham Albashir was given seven consecutive life sentences after being convicted on terrorism charges. The blast on Nov. 13, 2022Continue Reading

The U.S. government’s auto safety agency is investigating whether last year’s recall of Tesla’s Autopilot driving system did enough to make sure drivers pay attention to the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it has concerns about the December recallContinue Reading

Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza’s city of Rafah — on the border with Egypt — could haveContinue Reading

The beautiful yet warm stretch of weather this week looks to stick around a little longer across Central Florida as the weekend arrives. High temperatures Friday in the Orlando area will remain slightly above normal ― 85 degrees ― through the afternoon as conditions remain dry and sunny. [PINIT! ShareContinue Reading

At least 17 people died in Florida over a decade following a physical encounter with police during which medical personnel also injected them with a powerful sedative, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found. Three of the fatal incidents occurred in Orlando. Others were reported across the state,Continue Reading

Defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money trial are poised Friday to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election. David Pecker will return to the witness stand for the fourth day asContinue Reading

Global shares mostly rose Friday despite worries about the economic outlook and inflation in the U.S. and the rest of the world. France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.3% in early trading to 8,044.04, while Germany’s DAX added 0.8% to 18,052.68. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose nearly 0.4% to 8,108.91. U.S. sharesContinue Reading

A premature Palestinian infant, rescued from her mother’s womb shortly after the woman was killed in an Israeli airstrike, has died, her uncle said Friday. Sabreen Jouda died in a Gaza hospital on Thursday after her health deteriorated and medical teams were unable to save her, said her uncle, RamiContinue Reading

TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where new legislation threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. It would be the biggest blow yet to the popular video-sharing app, which has faced various restrictions around the world. TikTok is already banned in a handfulContinue Reading

China’s vision of the future of the automobile — electrified and digitally connected — is on display at the ongoing Beijing auto show. Organizers say that 117 new models are making their debut at Auto China 2024, which runs through May 4. They range from eye-poppingly cutting edge to moreContinue Reading

The Sunshine State has been a popular destination for many across the U.S. — and New York is no exception. In fact, 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data shows that New York and California were the two top states for migrants coming into Florida. Much of this surge happened following theContinue Reading

Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch on a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country’s armed forces. Burkina Faso’s communication spokesperson, Tonssira Myrian Corine Sanou, said late that Thursday that both radio stationsContinue Reading

Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U.S. agriculture officials. When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be considered an adulterant — a contaminant that canContinue Reading

Philippine forces killed an Abu Sayyaf militant, who had been implicated in past beheadings, including of 10 Filipino marines and two kidnapped Vietnamese, in a clash in the south, police officials said Friday. Philippine police, backed by military intelligence agents, killed Nawapi Abdulsaid in a brief gunbattle Wednesday night inContinue Reading

Japan’s space agency announced Friday a plan to launch a major upgrade to its satellite imaging system, as a new flagship rocket is put to the test for a third time. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that an H3 rocket will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, on aContinue Reading

Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group fired anti-tank missiles and artillery shells at an Israeli military convoy in a disputed area along the border, killing an Israeli civilian, the group and Israel’s military said Friday. Hezbollah said that its fighters ambushed the convoy shortly before midnight Thursday, destroying two vehicles. The IsraeliContinue Reading

Just like the animals on Noah’s Ark, the corals arrived in a pair. On Monday, divers with gloved hands gently nestled the self-bred corals from the World Coral Conservatory project among their cousins in Europe’s largest coral reef at the Burgers’ Zoo in the Netherlands. “This is the first projectContinue Reading

TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media platform to break ties with its China-based parent company, a move almost certainly backed by Chinese authorities as the bitter U.S.-China rivalry threatens the future of a wildly popular way for youngContinue Reading

As 72-year-old Nonki Kunene walks through the corridors of Thabisang Primary School in Soweto, South Africa, she recalls the joy she and many others felt 30 years ago when they voted for the first time. It was at this school on April 27, 1994 that Kunene joined millions of SouthContinue Reading

Harvey Weinstein’s landmark New York sexual assault conviction was thrown out by an appeals court Thursday, and most of the dozens of civil cases filed against him since he became a central target in the #MeToo movement in 2017 have either been settled or dismissed. That doesn’t mean the 72-year-oldContinue Reading

A selection of South African artworks produced during the country’s apartheid era which ended up in foreign art collections is on display in Johannesburg to mark 30 years since the country’s transition to democracy in 1994. Most of the artworks were taken out of the country by foreign tourists andContinue Reading

Actor Paola Cortellesi has long been a staple on the Italian pop culture scene, mostly known for her work as a comedian. Then she turned to directing and her first feature movie, “There’s Still Tomorrow,” took Italy by storm. The black-and-white film about an ordinary woman trapped in a toxicContinue Reading

Almost five years after Elijah McClain died following a police stop in which he was put in a neck hold and injected with the powerful sedative ketamine, three of the five Denver-area responders prosecuted in the Black man’s death have been convicted. Experts say the convictions would have been unheardContinue Reading

Chicken Kiev, AI-generated press releases and the annoyance of fan selfies while performing — there was a lot on the minds of the Pet Shop Boys as the iconic British duo prepared to release a new album. Their 15th studio album, “Nonetheless,” comes Friday — 40 years (and 50 millionContinue Reading

#MeToo founder Tarana Burke has heard it before. Every time there’s a legal setback, the movement is declared dead in the water. A legal success, and presto, it’s alive again. So Burke, who nearly two decades ago coined the phrase “Me too” from her work with sexual assault survivors, foundContinue Reading

How sexy can a qualifying tennis tournament in New Rochelle, New York, be? When the on-court drama involves Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, the answer turns out to be quite a bit more than your average USTA singles match in Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” The film, directed by Guadagnino fromContinue Reading

This spring, NBC News, The New York Times and National Public Radio have each dealt with turmoil for essentially the same reason: journalists taking the critical gaze they deploy to cover the world and turning it inward at their own employers. Whistleblowing isn’t unique to any industry. Yet the contraryContinue Reading

The students at an encampment at Columbia University who inspired a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country dug in for their 10th day Friday, as administrators and police at college campuses from California to Connecticut wrestle with how to address protests that have seen scuffles with police and hundredsContinue Reading

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is set to host a news conference on Friday morning to discuss a recent drug-trafficking investigation. According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation involved a trafficking ring bringing fentanyl from Mexico into Polk County and other parts of Florida. The sheriff’s office announced that theContinue Reading

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Allstate Insurance Co. in an attempt to fend off a potential class-action lawsuit about limiting payments for care after people are injured in auto accidents. The court’s 23-page ruling came amid numerous legal battles in recent years between insurers and health-care providersContinue Reading

Millions of Indians began voting Friday in the second round of multi-phase national elections as polarization grows with Prime Minister Narendra Modi whipping up an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics in his campaign. People lined up outside polling stations as voting opened at 7 a.m. The turnout was expectedContinue Reading

“Street Cop Training” is coming to Kissimmee. The conference starts Sunday at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. It’ll span five days, with multiple presentations including a leadership seminar by Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivy. The controversial training has been prohibited in nine states including New Jersey, where the company founder, Dennis Benigno, wasContinue Reading

Guatemalan prosecutors raided the offices of the charity Save the Children on Thursday, citing a complaint alleging the violation of migrant children’s rights. Prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said in a video to media that the complaint filed by an unidentified foreigner had raised serious concerns because it involved allegations of abuseContinue Reading

Tennessee’s GOP-controlled Statehouse on Thursday gave their final approval to legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, clearing the way for the first-in-the-nation proposal to be sent to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. The bill mirrors almost the same language from a so-calledContinue Reading

April is National Pickleball Month. It’s a time to celebrate the rapidly growing sport that is keeping so many of our older adults and seniors active and healthy. “It checks a lot of boxes in terms of cardiovascular health, strength and then balance, said Dr. George Eldayrie, a primary careContinue Reading

The United States and China butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and both men warned of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations. The meeting, on the final day ofContinue Reading

Research says having friends and personal connections as you age could be keys to staying healthy. This next story may help confirm that. This week’s Getting Results Award winner has been volunteering with the City of Port Orange Police Department for decades. Mary Wittmeyer says it keeps her young. InContinue Reading

A new way for people to connect with nature was unveiled Thursday in west Orange County. Officials opened the county’s first bird blind at Johns Lake Conservation Area at 880 Avalon Road. A bird blind is used in nature-based recreation to allow birdwatchers to observe wildlife without being seen. DistrictContinue Reading

Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press. The U.S. agreed to send 31Continue Reading

The University of Southern California’s decision Thursday to cancel its main graduation ceremony, a move that came 10 days after administrators said the student valedictorian who had expressed support for Palestinians would not be allowed to speak, left students and alumni stunned as protests over the Israel-Hamas war continue toContinue Reading

Thousands of Indigenous people marched on Thursday in Brazil’s capital, calling on the government to officially recognize lands they have lived on for centuries and to protect territories from criminal activities such as illegal mining. With posters bearing messages like “The future is Indigenous,” they walked towards Three Powers Square,Continue Reading

Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging new federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions, calling the rules an illegal interpretation of a 2022 federal law. The lawsuit led by Tennessee and Arkansas comes since finalized federal regulations were published onContinue Reading

The construction of a new port in Gaza and an accompanying U.S. military-built pier offshore are underway, but the complex plan to bring more desperately needed food to Palestinian civilians is still mired in fears over security and how the humanitarian aid will be delivered. The Israeli-developed port, for example,Continue Reading

A DeBary couple came back from vacation earlier this week to find that their home had been burglarized — and a former police officer is the suspect, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. In an affidavit, deputies said they responded to a home in DeBary on Wednesday evening after receivingContinue Reading

The U.S. is expected to announce Friday that it will provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, adding that it will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defense systems. The officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine SecurityContinue Reading

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday voted to restore “net neutrality” rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama administration. In 2017,Continue Reading

The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city’s port. The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag,Continue Reading