🌱 Judge Strikes Down Seminole Gambling Deal + Mofongo Kicks Pop-Up + Brightline Progress

Get on up, Orlando! Just one day to go until Thanksgiving. Here's everything you need to know to get this Wednesday started off right. Grab your coffee and let's get started.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and nice. High: 72 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories in Orlando today:

1. A Florida police officer is accused of breaking into a woman’s Orlando hotel room over the weekend and sexually assaulting her. 38-year-old Jason Roldos of Haines City Police was reportedly celebrating his birthday with friends when he broke into the room of the woman. The victim reported the crime at the hospital where she was treated. (Orlando Sentinel)

2. A judge ruled on Monday that the deal forged by the state and the Seminole tribe violates federal law. The 30-year gambling compact gave the Seminoles control over sports betting in the state and allowed Vegas-style games at the Hard Rock casinos. The state believes the ruling will be appealed. (WSVN)

3. Brightline has completed 70% of the work on the route from Miami to Orlando. The $2.7 billion project is on schedule for completion in late 2022. Brightline also believes the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden will help support a track to Tampa. (The Next Miami)

4. Dr. Keith Jones, associate professor of marketing at Saint Leo, says shoppers may have better luck this year shopping at small businesses amid nationwide supply disruptions. Jones says smaller businesses may have items in stock simply because they are often overlooked by consumers. 56.1% of Florida respondents polled by Saint Leo University say they plan to shop at local markets and shops this season. (Patch Tampa)

5. Puerto Rican streetwear brand Monfongo Kicks is having a pop-up at The Milk District Spot starting Saturday, December 18th. The brand was founded in 2018 by Puerto Rico-native, Carli Pacheco. They will sell limited edition t-shirts, shorts, and hats. (Bungalower)

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Today in Orlando:

• Rollins College Men's Basketball vs University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon. (2:00 PM)
• Orlando Brewing’s Vegan Thanksgiving Buffet. (5:00 PM)
• Food Truck Nights at Evolve Church. (5:30 PM)
• Thanksgiving Eve Pub Crawl at The Milk District Spot. (6:00 PM)
• Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild at Central Florida Zoo. (6:00 PM)

Orlando Patch Notebook

• Orlando Food & Travel Guide: "A Foodie’s Tour of Shiraz Market with State Representative Anna Eskamani of Central Florida @annaforflorida @anna_v_e We recently visited Shiraz Market in Longwood, Florida with State Representative Anna V. Eskamani - Anna was graciou..." (Instagram)
• Yelp Orlando: Let me guess… you got the food locked down for Thanksgiving this Thursday, but you forgot about your table centerpiece? Well @itstheheavy has got you covered! It's still accepting Thanksgiving floral orders — I mean, who doesn’t want ... (Instagram)
• Orlando Weekly: "SLEIGH IT QUEENS🛷 #DecktheDistrict is back and we’re SO #excited to be participating this year! Stop by the OW office and snap a #pic and be sure to share it to social media and tag us and #deckthedistrict to help us #win!" (Instagram)
• Central Florida Zoo: "You can get four tickets to Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild starting at only $50! Use them for a double date, family outing or for any group! Visit our website to order yours. . . . #CentralFloridaZoo #CFZ #CFZAsianLanternFestival ..." (Instagram)
• Orange County, Florida: "Plan ahead! Barnett Park COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination site in Orlando will be CLOSED for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday, reopening Saturday 9 a.m. #vaccine #vaccinations #COVID19 #OrangeCountyFL #Health" (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! See you tomorrow morning for your next update. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors on board. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orlando Daily? You can contact me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com.