KFC opens new ‘Saucy’ restaurant focused on tenders, sauces
KFC is bringing a different flavor to the table, 11 flavors in fact, with its new concept, “Saucy.” The restaurant opened in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 23.
While KFC, known for its fried chicken, is behind this new location, “Saucy” is all about chicken tenders and the sauces that come with them.
Customers can order the sauces individually or on a flight of four. There are 11 sauces to choose from, a nod to the 11 herbs and spices in “KFC’s Original Recipe.”
Some of the flavors are smokey bacon ranch, spicy mango chutney, sweet teriyaki, creole honey mustard and Saucy’s sauce. According to KFC, there seem to be over 4,000 different ways to order.
Beyond the sauces and tenders, Saucy offers sandwiches like the spicy queso crunch, desserts like the chocolate mousse cake and beverages like a blue raspberry freeze.
KFC said the restaurant’s design is meant to “delight the boldest generations of diners” by giving them a “tech-forward customer experience.” Customers can order their meals at kiosks. They’re also encouraged to hang out and enjoy live entertainment at the restaurant.
KFC chose Orlando due to its diverse demographic, according to officials. They said more “Saucy” restaurants are on the way. KFC’s “Saucy” joins legacy fast food chains creating innovative concepts.
McDonald’s has opened several of its “CosMc’s” restaurants across the country. This small-format brand’s bread and butter is beverages, though like “Saucy,” it also offers a spicy queso sandwich, among other items.
Taco Bell chose to focus on speed of delivery and drive-thru efficiency with its “Defy” concept. Burger King opened a similar concept with its “Sizzle” locations.
With an industry that generated nearly $400 billion in revenue in 2023, fast food companies are looking to find new ways to make that number grow bigger and bigger, whether it be with new restaurant designs, new drive-thru layouts or a bunch of new sauces.
Drones fall from sky after collision during holiday show, 1 injured
Holiday drone shows have become something of a tradition this time of the year. However, a show in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, Dec. 21, did not go as planned, leaving at least one person injured.
According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration provided to Straight Arrow News, the incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
“Several small drones collided and fell into a crowd during a holiday drone show over Eloa Lake in Orlando, Florida,” the FAA said in a statement.
The FAA said it’s investigating the incident.
The city of Orlando and the Orlando Fire Department told SAN one person was injured. They said paramedics rendered aid on-site before taking the individual to the hospital.
Multiple reports said the injured spectator was a 7-year-old boy who was struck in the chest by one of the falling drones.
So apparently they had to cancel the 2nd drone show at #LakeEolaPark tonight and I wonder if the drones that got knocked out during the 1st show was the cause 😬 #Orlandopic.twitter.com/xxySjbkohy
According to the boy’s mother, doctors had to perform open-heart surgery to repair one of his heart valves after the incident.
The city said Orlando police detectives met the victim’s family at the hospital and are assisting the FAA in its investigation.
According to the FAA, “Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulation.”
The FAA said these events require “a waiver to the regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time.”
“We thoroughly review each drone-show application to make sure the flying public and people on the ground will be safe,” the FAA said.
The city of Orlando said the holiday drone show was a permitted event through the FAA. City officials said the event drew approximately 25,000 people for the third year in a row.
According to the city, this is the second year the city used the vendor Sky Elements to operate the drones.
In a statement of its own, Sky Elements told Straight Arrow News, “Sky Elements Drones wants to extend our sincere hope for a full and speedy recovery to those impacted at our Lake Eola show in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 21. The well-being of our audience is our utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused.
“We are diligently working with the FAA and city of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired. Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.”
Following Saturday’s incident, the city of Orlando canceled a second holiday show planned for later that night.
The incident in Florida comes as drone sightings across the East Coast have led to questions from lawmakers and residents. Last week, the FAA issued a temporary ban on drones across several cities in New Jersey and New York.
Florida postal worker arrested for dumping ballots, election mail in woods
A mailman in Orlando, Florida, has been arrested for allegedly dumping more than 1,000 pieces of mail, including election mail, in the woods. Among the discarded items were an absentee ballot and what officials describe as 400 political items. Ottis McCoy was arrested on Frida, Oct. 25.
The investigation, according to court documents, began when a co-worker noticed McCoy returned from his route much earlier than expected, despite leaving with a large quantity of deliveries. After reviewing GPS data from McCoy’s postal vehicle, his manager discovered that he had deviated from his assigned route and stopped in a wooded area.
A U.S. Postal Service inspector found the discarded mail and obtained surveillance footage that allegedly shows McCoy throwing the mail into the trees and bushes. The local county elections supervisor expressed concern.
“It is extremely concerning to see vote-by-mail ballots discarded on the ground,” Glen Gilzean, the county elections supervisor, said. “We are, however, grateful for the prompt action taken by the United States Postal Service. We are fully committed to ensuring that every impacted Orange County voter receives their vote-by-mail ballot in time so that every voice can be heard in this historic election.”
Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida and is expected to arrive as soon as late Wednesday night. And details on the Afghan national now in federal custody for planning a massive attack for Election Day and how authorities caught him. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024.
Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton, which has re-strengthened to a Category 5 storm, continues its trek toward Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered parts of the state. It’s expected to make landfall late Wednesday night, Oct. 9, or early Thursday morning, Oct. 10.
Storm surge warnings are in effect for almost all of Florida’s west coast with the dangerous eyewall expected to come ashore somewhere near Tampa. As of early Wednesday morning, the storm was moving at 12 miles an hour with winds of up to 160 miles an hour.
Milton is expected to weaken before making landfall, but also double in size — meaning it will impact a bigger area while making its way from coast to coast in the Sunshine State.
Evacuation orders are already in effect for the areas expected to get the worst of it. Meanwhile, across the state those who aren’t evacuating are hunkering down, preparing to deal with impacts of the storm, including widespread power outages and drinking water shortages.
In Manatee County, a police chief told anybody who stays, “There will be no fire, there will be no EMA, there will be no police,” to rescue people.
Tropical storm force winds are expected to be felt across the entire state. The storm is predicted to potentially be one of the most destructive on record, unleashing record life-threatening storm surge as well, possibly 10-15 feet in Tampa, according to forecasters.
Heavy rain will also add to flooding concerns, with more than 15 inches forecast in parts of the state.
Disney World joins other theme parks closing ahead of Milton
Orlando is one of the areas expected to be inundated with the most rain by Hurricane Milton, prompting a rare move by Disney World. Disney is closing its parks and hotels early Wednesday afternoon and says they will likely stay closed through Thursday.
This will mark the 12th time in Disney World’s 53-year history the park will see a closure. Goldman Sachs estimates Disney will miss out on $150 million due to the closures.
Legoland and SeaWorld are both closed Wednesday and Thursday, as well. Busch Gardens in Tampa has also joined the list of closures.
DOJ: Election Day terrorist plot foiled, Afghan national arrested
The Justice Department has announced the arrest of an Afghan national accused of conspiring to conduct a terrorist attack on Election Day in the United States on behalf of the Islamic state.
According to the criminal complaint, Nasir Tawhedi, 27, was living in Oklahoma while trying to obtain semiautomatic weapons and ammunition to carry out a violent attack in the. Authorities say Tawhedi entered the U.S. on a special immigrant visa in 2021.
The FBI uncovered the alleged plot, which saw Tawhedi taking steps to liquidate his family’s assets and resettle some of his family members back in Afghanistan. The DOJ also mentioned a co-conspirator in the plot, who is an Afghanistan citizen with legal permanent resident status — but also a juvenile.
During a post-arrest interview, the Justice Department says Tawhedi confirmed the planned attack would target large gatherings of people on Election Day.
He faces a slew of charges and decades behind prison if convicted.
Israel: 2 of Hezbollah leaders’ successors killed in strikes
Hezbollah militants targeted Israeli troops near the Lebanese border early Wednesday. The Iran-backed terror group said it has pushed the troops back as Israel’s ground incursion into Lebanon escalates.
Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said airstrikes in Lebanon had killed two successors to Hezbollah’s slain leader. The announcement came as Israeli forces expanded their ground incursion into southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s top official said the group supports efforts aimed at achieving a cease-fire in Lebanon, marking the first time Hezbollah has publicly endorsed a truce.
This comes as the Israeli defense minister canceled a trip to Washington, D.C. set for Wednesday. He was slated to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
Talks break down between Boeing, union as strike nears 1 month
It appears the Boeing factory worker strike will go on for the foreseeable future. Talks broke down Tuesday between Boeing and the union that represents the 33,000 striking workers.
No new talks have been scheduled, after two days of federally mediated negotiations turned up no resolutions.
In a statement the IAM said Boeing has not yet made an acceptable offer. Meanwhile, Boeing said the union is making demands far in excess of what can be accepted for the company to remain competitive, adding “further negotiations do not make sense at this point.”
Credit analysts estimate the strike is costing Boeing $1 billion a month. The aircraft maker has been dealing with a slew of bad publicity from 737 Max crashes to mechanical failures on passenger planes.
Alaska’s Fat Bear Week crowns its 2024 winner
The presidential election may still be weeks away, but we have the results of another heated race Straight Arrow News has been keeping a close eye on. Alaska has found its fattest bear.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Fat Bear Week contest there, and with voting ended Tuesday night. The large adult female bear known as 128 Grazer became the first bear to win the online tournament while caring for a cub.
The victory was personal for Grazer, who once again defeated her male rival, 32 Chunk, in the finals. Earlier this year, Chunk attacked one of Grazer’s cubs, killing it.
In the end, Grazer received about 40,000 more votes than Chunk to win.
New research reveals 1 in 3 teen girls in the US faces ‘period poverty’
New research shows about 1 in 3 teen girls in the U.S. faces “period poverty,” meaning they either can’t afford or don’t have any access to menstrual products. The study from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., also found period poverty appears to impact young people equally – no matter their race, ethnicity, neighborhood, or whether they have insurance.
The study has not yet been published, but its authors are set to present their findings at the annual American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Researchers say the findings don’t just apply to occasional situations where females are caught off guard by their cycle without menstrual products on hand. Instead, they say it’s a consistent issue for 33% of those they surveyed, and affordability is the biggest barrier.
They say in 2022 alone, tampon prices went up almost 10% and the price of pads increased 8%.
Period poverty has been found to cause teens to skip school, or even miss out on social sports activities. Previous research has linked period poverty to depression among college-age women.
There are several states that have passed laws to increase access to menstrual products in schools. That’s according to Aunt Flow — a nonprofit that provides menstrual products to schools and businesses so they can be given to students and employees for free.
Disney ditches Disney+ ‘terms of use’ defense in wrongful death lawsuit
Walt Disney Co. agreed to let a court decide a wrongful death lawsuit at one of its theme parks. The reversal comes after it attempted to send the case to arbitration because the man who brought the case agreed to terms of use for Disney+ when he signed up for a trial years earlier.
The lawsuit says Kanokporn Tangsuan had a fatal allergic reaction after eating at an Irish pub located on a Disney property. It says she and her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, along with his mother, decided to eat at the restaurant in 2023 because the website said it offered “allergen-free food.” The suit alleges Tangsuan had told the server several times she had a severe allergy to nuts and dairy.
“We believe this situation warrants a sensitive approach to expedite a resolution for the family who have experienced such a painful loss,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said in an email statement to Reuters and other media organizations. “As such, we’ve decided to waive our right to arbitration and have the matter proceed in court.”
Initially, Disney argued it should not be liable because it doesn’t own Raglan Road Irish Pub and therefore had no control over its operations.
The company later claimed that when Piccolo agreed to Disney+ terms of use in 2019, and when he bought tickets using the theme park’s website in 2023, he agreed to send any dispute between the user and the company to an arbitrator.
“The first page of the Subscriber Agreement states, in all capital letters, that ‘any dispute between You and Us, Except for Small Claims, is subject to a class action waiver and must be resolved by individual binding arbitration,’” the company said in a filing when it attempted to have the case dismissed.
Had the case been allowed to go to arbitration, it would have gone before a neutral third party that is not a judge. But after the company faced some bad press for the defense, Disney struck a different tone.
Piccolo’s lawsuit seeks $50,000 and other damages including loss of income and medical and legal costs.
Brightline opens first US passenger line in a century with high-speed Florida train
Floridians and tourists tired of the four-hour drive between Miami and Orlando now have a new way to travel. This faster mode of transportation is looking to revolutionize the train industry.
Brightline launched its privately-funded, high-speed passenger train service between the two major cities on Friday, Sept. 22, with speeds reaching up to 125 miles per hour. The $5 billion investment expanded the company’s Miami-West Palm Beach line.
The plan is for 32 trains to run the 3.5 hour, 235-mile trip daily, costing single passengers $158 for a roundtrip business seat and $298 for first class.
Brightline is hoping 8 million people will travel on its high-speed line annually.
However, the company has seen several past setbacks and controversies, including a 17-month COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdown and a failed deal with Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.
Brightline trains have the highest death rate of all railroads in the U.S., according to The Associated Press’ analysis of federal data.
There have been 98 fatalities on its tracks since the company began operations in 2018; that’s about one death for 32,000 miles its trains travel.
Source: AP Images.
The Sun Sentinel reported that Friday’s inaugural Orlando-bound ride was delayed due to an accident involving a pedestrian and a Brightline train.
Though none of the deaths have been found to be the company’s fault, Brightline has instituted safety improvements. Those safety measures include adding closed-circuit cameras, installing updated crossing gates and posting suicide prevention signage.
Idalia, now a hurricane, nears Florida: The Morning Rundown Aug. 29, 2023
Idalia has strengthened to a hurricane on its way toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, and Toyota has stopped all production at its plants in Japan. These stories highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023.
Idalia expected to hit Florida as Category 3 hurricane
Less than 24 hours away from projected landfall in Florida, Idalia has strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane. The storm is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds topping 100 mph.
President Joe Biden spoke with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Monday, Aug. 28. A federal emergency disaster has already been declared in the state in order to expedite federal resources.
Warmer-than-average water in the Gulf of Mexico has grown the size of the storm. It’s expected to hit Florida early on Wednesday, Aug. 30 and impact a wide central portion of Florida. This includes major cities like Tampa and Orlando.
As Idalia approaches Florida, Hurricane Franklin is at Category 4 strength over the Atlantic. It’s projected to miss the southeastern coast of the United States.
Trial date set for March 4 in Trump federal election case
1 dead in shooting at University of North Carolina
A shooter opened fire on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill on Monday, Aug. 28, killing one faculty member and causing the school to go into lockdown for hours. Police said the shots were fired inside the school’s chemistry building around 1:00 p.m.
Sirens sounded, and students and staff were told to remain inside. Arriving officers found the faculty member, who has not been identified, inside a school lab.
“I’m grieved to report that one of our faculty members was killed in this shooting,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, who also released a statement, said Monday. “This loss is devastating and the shooting damages the trust and safety we so often take for granted in our campus community.”
Police said witness information helped officers track down the suspected shooter. According to local reports, the suspect was arrested a short time later in a residential neighborhood near campus.
The name of the suspect has not been released. A motive for the shooting is under investigation.
Toyota plants in Japan shut down due to computer problems
All 28 assembly lines at Toyota’s 14 plants in Japan had to shut down due to a production system malfunction. The company said the problem was with its computer system that deals with incoming auto parts.
A spokesperson for the automaker said they do not suspect it to be a cyberattack. According to Reuters, the Japanese plants account for roughly 33% of Toyota’s global production.
It’s not clear when production will resume. The shutdown comes as Toyota rebounds from a semiconductor shortage that stalled production.
American Airlines fined after passengers stuck on tarmac
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for unlawfully keeping passengers stuck inside planes on the tarmac for lengthy periods of time. It’s the heftiest fine the government agency has ever handed down over tarmac delay violations.
Airlines are prohibited from keeping passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours. American Airlines violated that rule 43 times between 2018 and 2021, including one delay on the tarmac in San Antonio that lasted six hours.
The airline released a statement saying the 43 incidents represent a small number of the nearly 8 million flights taken during that time period.
In July of 2023, it was a Delta Air Lines plane that passengers were on when their flight was delayed for hours. Some passengers reportedly passed out due to hot and uncomfortable conditions while stuck on the tarmac.
NASA exploring idea of Mach 4 passenger jet
NASA has begun investigating the possibility of a passenger plane traveling four times faster than the speed of sound, or around 3,045 miles per hour. The agency said it is studying about 50 established commercial air routes.
Since the U.S. and other nations have banned all civilian supersonic flights over land 50 years ago, NASA’s study only covered trans-oceanic travel. The agency has issued two year-long contracts to companies like Boeing to develop concept designs to make supersonic air travel a reality.
