Struggling to set 2026 financial goals? Get an AI assist

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 5:17A Nerdwallet

AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer new ways to plan your 2026 financial goals. But how can you leverage them without compromising your privacy? With a NerdWallet survey finding that more than 2 in 5 Americans (43%) say...

It’s a date: When Orlando theme parks wrap up holiday celebrations

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 5:02A Dewayne Bevil

Santa Claus may have gone into hibernation this week, but holiday cheer extends through the end of the year and beyond at many theme parks and attractions. Here’s a last call holiday list with a few...

Stocks slip on Wall Street as 2025 winds down

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/29 3:16A Associated Press

By DAMIAN J. TROISE, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped in quiet trading on Wall Street Monday to kick off another holiday-shortened week. The losses have little impact on the broader annual gains for major indexes as they close...

12 swans found dead at Orlando’s Lake Eola Park, bird flu suspected

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 2:58A Ryan Gillespie

A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook...

17-year-old shot and killed in Orange County, deputies say

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/29 1:23A Richard Tribou

A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday evening in the Holden Heights neighborhood south of downtown Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting occurred around 9 p.m. in the 1500 block of 26th Street, the sheriff...

‘No-brainer’: St. Cloud’s new drone program joins nationwide trend as city, population grows

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 12/29 12:00A Cristóbal Reyes

When a mental health call came in to St. Cloud police last fall of a man digging into the street with a fixed-blade knife, officers weren t the only ones to respond. A drone, deployed and piloted from...

Cold front headed through Central Florida on Monday night

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 11:52P Richard Tribou

Central Florida can enjoy one more sunny day, but a cold front will drop temperatures Monday night bringing frigid conditions that will last into the new year, according to the National Weather Service. Monday highs will hit the upper 70s and low...

Brightline seeks to raise $100 million as analysts warn of possible default

Orlando Sentinel (Brinkmann On Business) 12/28 11:30P David Lyons

Financially troubled Brightline, the high speed railroad between South Florida and Orlando, is pursuing ways to raise $100 million for operations as analysts hoist red flags about the company s...

I-4 eastbound back open in downtown Orlando after crash

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 11:13P Richard Tribou

A crash Monday morning shut down all eastbound lanes of Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando for more than 2 1/2 hours. The crash near the South Street exit at mile marker 83 shut down the highway just before 6 a.m. Officials reopened all lanes of...

At 50, Crealdé plans to keep building community with art

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 10:00P Matthew J. Palm

For 50 years, Crealdé School of Art has been nurturing artists both professional and amateur while bringing people together. It s a place of solace, said executive director Emily Bourmas-Fry. I ve...

Epic Universe debut dominates, but Disney, others add to active 2025

Orlando Sentinel (Osceola County News) 12/28 10:00P Dewayne Bevil

What is Orlando’s biggest theme park story of 2025, and why is it Epic Universe ? There’s little debate. The theme-park capital of the world gained its first major park in more than 25 years, thanks...

Canadian man dies after Volusia rescuers find him floating amid rip current

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 3:42A Richard Tribou

A Canadian man died after rescuers found him floating face down Friday amid a rip current in Volusia County. The 44-year-old man from Quebec was located about 150-200 yards from shore at 12:19 p.m., according to a statement from Volusia County...

Another warm Central Florida day on tap ahead of Monday night cold front

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 12:37A Richard Tribou

Central Florida will get one more full day with warm weather before a cold front slides across the region on Monday night, according to the National Weather Service. Clear conditions with highs in the upper 70s are expected across the region with...

Brightline kills dozens, but not in Orlando. Why?

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/28 12:00A Silas Morgan

Along a 36-mile stretch from Cocoa through verdant east Orange County, Brightline trains reach 125 miles per hour on their trek to Orlando International Airport, among the top speeds for any U.S....

Man from The Villages dies after crashing motorcycle into tree

Local News : Orlando Sentinel 12/27 3:16A Richard Tribou

A 67-year-old man from The Villages riding a Kawasaki Ninja 500 died after crashing into a tree Friday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was traveling eastbound on Woodbridge Drive at 6:07 p.m. east of Village Campus Circle...