Good Morning! On this day in 1974, actress Sarah Paulson was born in Tampa. Paulson is best known for her work in American Horror Story and 12 Years a Slave.
Later today: watch for a partner message from Elf Labs on why Disney’s $1 billion AI deal matters, and what it could mean for you as an investor.
If you’re watching how AI is reshaping entertainment and wondering where everyday investors fit in, today’s sponsor, Elf Labs, shows how the game may be opening up beyond Hollywood’s inner circle.
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Brown Grad Helps Students Fly Home
With finals canceled due to the mass shooting on campus on Dec. 13, hundreds of Brown University students were stranded in Providence, Rhode Island, unable to afford new airline tickets home. Recent Brown grad Autumn Wong decided to help.
Wong reached out to the South Florida Brown alumni network and set up a GoFundMe effort, which has raised over $12,000 and helped dozens of students find their way home to Florida.
More than half a dozen of the students Wong helped arrived in Fort Lauderdale on a nonstop flight on Monday. Among them was Dani Sinai, a junior, who was in the library when the shooting occurred. She said she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to return to the library or feel safe on campus.
At least one student from South Florida who experienced the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland was also on campus during the Brown attack.
Law on License Plate Frames Clarified
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has clarified regulations regarding the obscuring of license plates with frames or covers, following some confusion over the implementation of a new statute that took effect on Oct. 1.
The new law prohibits covering, obscuring, or interfering with the legibility, visibility, or detection of the license plate number or validation sticker.
Police departments have interpreted the requirement in different ways. Some agencies, like the Ocoee Police Department, have told drivers that “if a frame or cover hides even a small section, it can lead to a traffic stop and a citation.”
A license plate frame is allowed, however, according to FLHSMV, as long as the frame does not block the yellow decal located on the top right-hand corner of the plate or the plate numbers and letters.
Eras Tour Exhibit Opens at Disney World
A low-key exhibit tucked inside the Walt Disney Presents exhibit at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando features Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour costumes. It has become a major attraction, drawing fans despite receiving little publicity.
Videos shared on social media show guests packed into the exhibit area, waiting to see the costumes up close. You can see them here.
The outfits on display span multiple eras of the entertainer’s tour, including the Reputation-era snake bodysuit from one of the most talked-about phases of Swift’s career.
What Disney’s $1 Billion AI Deal Means for Investors
Disney just signed a $1 billion deal with OpenAI. The three-year licensing agreement will enable users to generate characters from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar using AI.
For as long as the $2 trillion entertainment industry can remember, IP deals like this one have been a walled garden for a handful of billion-dollar studios. Disney buys Marvel for $4 billion. Universal buys DreamWorks for $1 billion. Now Disney invests $1 billion into OpenAI. It’s like a poker game where the minimum buy-in is the GDP of a small island nation.
But the game is now changing.
While Hollywood giants scramble for their place in the AI future, one $6 billion IP powerhouse team already owns over 500 trademarks and copyrights, including iconic characters such as Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Rapunzel, and many more.
Their use of AI and other next-gen patented tech is on another level. They’re bringing their characters off the screen and into your living room with 3D holograms, headset-free VR, and AI-powered talking toys. And they’re giving everyday investors access as they do it.
Note: This company is not affiliated with Disney.
They spent a decade building this portfolio. Now they have a team that has executed $6 billion in merchandising deals in their careers, and they have already earned $15 million in royalties for Elf.
Their proprietary interactive content, built on 12 cutting-edge tech patents, has just secured a $200 million TV distribution deal.
As giants like Disney reveal their cards, everyday investors finally have a seat at the table.
➤ Broward County: A jury recommended life in prison without parole for Jason Banegas, who was convicted of killing Hollywood police officer Yandy Chirino in 2021. (More)
➤ Tallahassee: State Rep. Robin Bartleman (D-District 103) unveiled a bill that would require police to confiscate guns from accused domestic abusers who are served injunctions, citing the Tamarac murders in Broward County earlier this year. (See Details)
➤ Flagler County: Officials have applied to purchase 153 acres of undeveloped land for conservation purposes. If approved, the state will provide financial assistance to the county for purchasing the land through the Florida Forever program. (More)
➤ Orange County: The Chabad of Greater Orlando hosted a Hanukkah celebration at Orlando International Airport on Monday. The police department increased surveillance and officer presence during the celebration. (See Video)
➤ Cape Canaveral: The city is in the process of becoming TsunamiReady, a designation already held by nearby Indian Harbour Beach. Though a tsunami is a low-probability event, it is not impossible along Florida’s east coast. (More)
➤ Alachua County: The founder of Sonny’s BBQ, Floyd “Sonny” Tillman, died last week at 96 years old and will be laid to rest today in Jonesville. Tillman founded the nationally franchised restaurant in 1968 in Gainesville. (More)
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➤ Florida’s new football coach, Jon Sumrall, donated $100,000 to the NIL fund of his former school, Tulane, after leaving them for the Gators this offseason, which will go toward paying football players. (More)
➤ South Florida takes on Old Dominion tonight in the 2025 StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. (More)
➤The Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Monday, which included a quick goal by center Sam Reinhart to push him into sixth on the Panthers’ all-time points list. (More)
➤ Reports suggest that Orlando City is close to signing Paraguay national team goalkeeper Carlos Coronel to a contract. (More)
➤ 37 Freaking Awesome Gadgets.Why is everyone talking about these 37 gadgets? Simple: they work. These aren’t random impulse buys… they’re the smart solutions people keep recommending to friends and family. Each one delivers on its promise, whether it’s decluttering your space, upgrading your tech setup, or just making daily tasks easier. The reviews speak for themselves, and so do the empty shelves. These top picks are moving fast, with several already on backorder. Learn More
➤ In a milestone for Florida agriculture, researchers have grown and harvested five grape varieties in Citra that are resistant to the main bacterial disease that has long prevented the state from establishing a large-scale wine industry. (More)
➤ Collier County’s tourism promotion division is a step closer to becoming a standalone nonprofit after the Tourist Development Council voted unanimously Dec. 12 to support the conversion. (More)
➤ Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a Retail Theft Investigative Special Task Force to aggressively combat organized retail theft in Florida. (More)
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The $4B Deal Everyday Investors Missed
In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion—one of the most profitable entertainment deals ever made.
But everyday investors never had the chance to participate, missing the upside.
Elf Labs spent a decade securing over 500 trademarks and copyrights featuring Cinderella, Snow White, and other iconic characters to ensure that these dynamic changes.
The company is building a tech-powered character universe, using AI, immersive technology, and 12 patents to activate these globally recognized characters across entertainment, gaming, and consumer products—a market estimated to be worth over $2 trillion.
Analyst interest increased even before any national rollout, following multiple unsolicited offers exceeding $70 million.
And unlike the Lucasfilm deal, investors can get in while the company is still private.
This is a paid advertisement for Elf Lab’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://www.elflabs.com/
➤ Osceola County resident Angela Silas held a fundraiser for the 11th year to purchase Christmas gifts for children in her neighborhood. With the community’s help, Silas and her elves will distribute gifts to over 50 children on Dec. 18. (More)
➤ Florida behavioral health officials urged residents to take steps to manage anxiety and stress as Christmas and New Year’s Day approach, noting the holidays can be difficult for many people. (See Tips)
➤ Legoland Resorts held a build competition on Saturday at the Miami Children’s Museum to name a “junior galaxy explorer” for the opening of Lego Galaxy. Another will take place at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 10. (See Video)
Brown Grad Helps Students Fly Home
