A new study from Tourism Economics, a leading authority on travel and tourism research from Oxford Economics, found that the Central Florida tourism industry generated $98.6 billion in total economic impact in 2025, according to a Visit Orlando press release on Thursday, July 30.

The record-breaking impact represented a 4.4% increase over the previous year, demonstrating the role tourism plays in economic growth across the region through visitor spending, employment opportunities, and tax revenue that supports essential community services.

HCA Florida Healthcare physicians encourage parents of student-athletes to schedule sports physicals early in a press release, as the Second Chance Act (SB 1070) requires an EKG screening for all high school athletes.

According to the Second Chance Act, students in grades 9-12 must receive at least one EKG before participating in interscholastic athletics beginning the 2026–2027 school year and thereafter. The legislation makes Florida the first state in the U.S. to require the screening for high schoolers.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, announced the return of its 21st year and the continued charitable work in a press release on Tuesday.

The program is set to run from Aug. 14 to Sept. 30 and features a record-breaking 188 participating restaurants, including 38 new restaurants and 16 MICHELIN Guide-recognized establishments. Fine dining and Michelin-star restaurant Ômo by Jônt’s in Winter Park is among the establishments to be included for the first time.

As Orlando is commonly known as the “Theme Park Capital of the World,” the City Beautiful received another recognition in May.s

Cvent, one of the largest event and hospitality technology companies globally, named Orlando the Top Meeting Destination in North America 2026. The study cited the city as a top meetings and events destination featuring a diverse range of options for event planners.

Orlando achieved this recognition for the 11th time since first receiving the Cvent Top Meeting Destination award from the organization in 2015.

Drivers nationwide are experiencing the rising gasoline prices, as U.S. military operations near the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes, contribute to the increase.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Florida Regular Conventional Retail Gasoline Prices were $2.710 per gallon in January and rose to $4.246 per gallon in May.

Florida drivers are among the top three driving-cost burden states in the country, spending an average of $5,081 annually on fuel and car insurance combined, according to a recent study from MoneyGeek.

A man was arrested and accused of threatening to shoot a group of five men playing basketball at the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center on Wednesday, according to an arrest affidavit.

Darius Lafabium Rivers Jr. allegedly approached the five men around 5:30 p.m. at the recreation center's basketball courts, asking them if they were from Israel, if they were Jewish and for their Social Security numbers, the affidavit stated.

Rivers, 37, began telling them they did not belong in the country and threatened to contact law enforcement to report them for being here, the affidavit states.

Assembly Bill 1955, the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act, went into effect on Jan. 1.

The SAFETY Act prohibits employees or contractors in education from disclosing a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to another person without their consent. Governor Gavin Newsom approved the bill on July 15, 2024, making California the first state in the country to ban forced outings in schools.

The SAFETY Act protects LGBTQ+ students from...