Samantha Neely

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida While it might feel more like beach day weather outside much of the time, you can certainly find places in Florida to get into the holiday spirit.

"I really want to dedicate myself to cleaning up the waterway because we need it. We've lost 1,000 manatees to pollution," Sylvester Stallone said.

Floridians only have a few days to finalize menus and game-plan trips to the grocery store. What stores are open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day?

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida Choose your fighter — a playful, slightly Southern-sounding Christmas elf parading the details of Santa's list or a sassy green creature who delivers the perfect holiday-themed remarks.

You can't scroll your social media timelines without seeing Tally the Elf or The Grinch. Here's what to know about these theme park characters.

Samantha Neely Lianna Norman Brandi D. Addison USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

The U.S. government will shut down this weekend unless Congress passes a bill to keep it funded through March. If they fail, the government will be forced to furlough thousands of federal workers and reduce federal services.

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida Some Central Florida residents got a surprise holiday guest ahead of Christmas.

Ready for Jan. 20, 2025? When Trump returns to the White House, he will be sworn into office for a second time with Melania Trump as first lady.

The U.S. government could shutdown starting this weekend if they fail to pass a funding bill. Would NORAD's annual 'Santa Tracker' be impacted?