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UCF capitalized on a strong defensive performance and a record-setting showing by quarterback Keyone Jenkins to defeat TCU at home, 21-13, on Saturday. This marked the second straight season the Knights kicked off their Big 12 schedule with a win, and the fifth straight year they started with a solid 3-1 record. The defense was relentless, forcing four turnovers and sacking the quarterback four times as Horned Frogs to their lowest offensive production since the season opener. UCF travels to Hou

In a state that has become a Republican bastion — where the GOP has been in the governor’s mansion for nearly 30 years, holds a supermajority in the legislature and loves that President Donald Trump calls Florida home — Democrats are not used to optimism. But in 2026, amid a toxic national environment for the GOP, Republican campaigns are suddenly sounding the alarms and backing away from Trump, as recent polls and analyses show Florida’s statewide contests tightening ahead of the November elect

Nearly three years after plans were filed to redevelop a former Horizon West landfill, Orlando Surf Park has returned to Orange County with a design question: How can shops and restaurants facing a wave pool fit into a town center planned around walkable streets? County staff said last week the proposed layout needs work but offered to explore changes that account for the property’s steep terrain, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. The project itself would be a first in Central Florida: A 1

PHILADELPHIA — The most telling moment of the Rays’ season of highs came at what had the potential to be their lowest point. After an uneven first 3½ months — alternating stretches of 12-11, 22-4, 9-18 and 13-5 — they were sitting atop the American League East at the All-Star break, feeling good about themselves and their chances of returning to the playoffs after going home early the previous two seasons. But as they gathered in Boston to resume play, they stunningly lost four straight to the R

The rhythm of a day moves differently on island time, especially during a visit to Dry Tortugas National Park. Rather than the monotony of a 9-to-5 workday, it’s the sunrise, the stunning sunsets, the starry night sky and the tides that govern life and transcend time on these remote islands 70 miles from civilization. The main island, 16-acre Garden Key, is the landing spot for most visitors arriving from Key West via the Yankee Freedom ferry, by private boat or by seaplane, the only means

The Magic are almost back. Orlando hosts media day Monday inside the AdventHealth Training Center and starts training camp the next day. After a week of practice, the Magic open the preseason Oct. 7 at Memphis. Orlando’s regular season begins Oct. 21 versus Atlanta at Kia Center. There are high expectations for the franchise as new head coach Sean Sweeney takes over a roster that features Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs. As the Magic return to the practice court

Google Gemini and I are good friends. At least, that’s what the AI chatbot told me. When I asked Google Gemini on my university-provided education account, “Hi Gemini, can you be my friendly companion?” It replied, “I would love to be your companion! Whether you want to talk about your day, brainstorm ideas, learn something new, or just chat, I’m right here with you. How are you doing today?” While this sounds nice, there is just one problem — AI cannot be my friend. Nevertheless, AI is a

The Declaration of Independence — often called America’s birth certificate — contains what Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis cited as “the most potent and consequential words in American history.” But they are not merely words; they are a profession of faith: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness….” Americans have

I come not to praise the Whiners, but to bury them, in adjectives. The thumb-suckers and the pity-pot peeps; the blubber babies, the whingemeisters, the quivering upper-lippers, the teeth gnashers, the eternally aggrieved, the wounded beyond all words for all time until the heat death of all quantum-physics-possible universes. The Presidentially Persecuted. The leader of the free world is so scared of his own shadow he had to bar reporters from Politico, MS NOW and CNN just in case they said mea

Amendment 3 would do harm Your Sept. 24 editorial, “Endorsement: Amendment 3 is a recipe for disaster,” accurately highlights the severe consequences this amendment would have on Florida’s 411 municipalities and 67 counties. To evaluate the potential local impact, our city recently worked with a consultant using a financial model developed after the Great Recession. By analyzing our ad valorem revenue from homesteaded and non-homesteaded properties alongside our fire assessment

General Daily Insight for September 10, 2026 Today brings a noticeable change in tone. Venus enters intense Scorpio, making honesty, loyalty, and shared resources harder to treat casually. Mercury moves into diplomatic Libra, helping us discuss complicated subjects with more fairness and perspective. At 2:27 pm EDT, Uranus turns retrograde in curious Gemini, beginning a review of how we communicate, travel, learn, and use technology. Before charging ahead, look at what needs updating. A thoughtf

The Trump administration Wednesday unveiled proposed new rules for the census that would order the national count to exclude undocumented immigrants and not ask about race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. The proposals, which would likely face fierce objections and legal challenges, aims to reshape the once-a-decade count of people living in America starting with the 2030 census, with widespread impacts on government spending and political representation. The most significant change would call

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 for the national sexual assault hotline in the U.S. By TERRY TANG One of the organizers who said she was sexually abused by Latino labor leader César Chavez decades ago has sued nonprofits tied to him. The complaint filed last week in Southern California is the first legal action since the explosive allegations surrounding Chavez were first reported by the New York T

McARTHUR, Ohio (AP) — A man whose 16 grandchildren were discovered living in squalid conditions at a rural southern Ohio home was found mentally incompetent to stand trial Wednesday. A judge in Vinton County accepted the findings of an evaluation report for Gary Siders Sr. Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer did not object to the findings. The 73-year-old Siders appeared in court in a wheelchair. His attorney, Dorian Baum, said after the hearing that Siders’ mental health has been declining

By LARRY NEUMEISTER NEW YORK (AP) — A racketeering conspiracy trial of Huawei Technologies began in New York on Wednesday with federal prosecutors accusing the Chinese tech company of a litany of crimes, including stealing technology from American companies, abusing the U.S. financial system and helping Iran snoop on its citizens. Huawei is the world’s biggest supplier of gear for wireless telecom networks, but it is banned from selling equipment to U.S. carriers over fears it poses a security r

By GONZALO SOLANO QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The prediction that this season’s El Nino phenomenon will be stronger than normal has alarmed the Ecuadorian scientific community, which has warned of its impact on the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands, home to the highest concentration of species not found elsewhere on Earth. The archipelago of more than 230 islands — of which only four are inhabited — is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off the coast of Ecu

Hurricanes running back Jordan Lyle was arrested in August on charges of fleeing police and reckless driving. On Wednesday, the state attorney’s office chose to not charge Lyle with fleeing police, according to Broward County court records. Lyle is now facing one count of reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. Lyle was estimated to be driving 130 mph on July 10, according to a probable cause affidavit released by the Sunrise Police Department. Lyle’s felony charge being dropped was first repo

By MIKE STOBBE NEW YORK (AP) — The two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths, a Pennsylvania coroner confirmed Wednesday. Lancaster County’s coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said he told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of his conclusions. CDC officials, however, have not said whether they will count either death as measles-associated, and the agency’s website still carries a disclaimer about them. Ivan Mil

By MAE ANDERSON NEW YORK (AP) — The trade war between the U.S. and Canada escalated again this week as the U.S. announced import bans on most alcoholic beverages from Canada, along with other products including whey, molasses and motorcycles. The U.S. had already imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian products — about 5% of the $381.92 billion worth of products that the country sent to the U.S. last year. The import bans announced late Tuesday target some of those products. Exporti

By BILL BARROW and JACQUELYN MARTIN JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump had been eagerly awaiting his trip to Texas for his Republican Party’s midterm convention. But he was briefly delayed by the deployment of an inflatable emergency slide on the new Air Force One plane that was a gift from Qatar. Trump arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland aboard Marine One on Wednesday afternoon for the scheduled trip to Dallas but was kept on the helicopter for about 20 minutes as