Clermont Sculptor Nabs Mount Dora Arts Festival Top Prize

By LINDSEY BAHR, Associated Press Film Writer The high school where Brian De Palma brought Stephen King’s “Carrie” to life, Will Rogers’ ranch house and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst are among some of the famous structures that have been damaged or destroyed by the California wildfires. Los Angeles is a town full of landmarks, thanks to its co-starring role in over a century of filmed entertainment.

TALLAHASSEE — As he works on a proposed budget for the upcoming year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday the state will ask President-elect Donald Trump to give Florida authority over federal money for Everglades restoration projects. DeSantis offered a few environmental snippets that will be included in a proposed 2025-2026 budget that he said he will release “very, very soon.” If Florida had oversight of the federal money, it could more rapidly advance work, such as on the decades-old state and federal Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, he said. “Send us the funds.

When Matt Williams founded a research center for the Anti-Defamation League in 2022, he vowed to “ruthlessly and systematically test” what the organization does. Antisemitism was on the rise, and he wanted the Center for Antisemitism Research to scientifically study what could work to stop it. The creation of the center, he believed, represented an admission that one of the world’s most prominent voices against antisemitism had been operating with little evidence. “I would go a step further and say the ADL wants to be a serious nonprofit, measured on our social return on investment, but by a lot of measures, we’ve not been doing well,” Williams said in an interview, citing spiking antisemitism, rising extremism and the erosion of democratic norms around the world. The ADL established the new center amid mounting pressure from funders and trustees, he added.

By DAMIAN J. TROISE NEW YORK (AP) — Electric vehicle demand is expected to keep rising this year, but uncertainty over policy changes and tariffs is clouding the forecast. Related Articles Business | Stowaways on planes and inside landing gear raise worries about aviation security Business | The ‘Worst in Show’ CES products put your data at risk and cause waste, privacy advocates say Business | DeSantis pitches moving NASA headquarters to Florida Business | TikTok’s fate arrives at Supreme Court in collision of free speech and national security Business | Ask a real estate pro: Why do I need two types of title insurance? S&P Global Mobility expects global sales of 15.1 million battery electric vehicles in 2025, which would mark a 30% jump.

When it came time to choose the text on which she would be sworn into the U. S. Senate, Elissa Slotkin turned to a relatively recent book that reflects her own identity as a Jewish woman. Slotkin, a former congresswoman who narrowly won her election in November, took the oath of office on a copy of “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary,” published in 2008 by the Reform movement of Judaism. Women of Reform Judaism, the movement’s women’s organization, celebrated Slotkin’s choice on social media, noting that the book was the first full Torah commentary to feature only contributions from women. “We are so excited that this book is being used for such a joyous and momentous occasion,” the group said on Facebook, where it shared a picture of Slotkin holding up the text.

By JOSH FUNK What is going on with aviation security? Related Articles National News | From Carter’s funeral, an American snapshot: A singular image, 5 presidents, 379 years of history National News | The ‘Worst in Show’ CES products put your data at risk and cause waste, privacy advocates say National News | Some notable quotes from Jimmy Carter’s funeral National News | A contentious push to wrap up the 9/11 prosecutions takes an emotional toll on victims’ families National News | It’s not really the typical time for nasty California fires.