• Where: Epic Universe is about 2.5 miles southeast of Universal Orlando’s original theme parks, near the Orange County Convention Center. The entrance is off Epic Boulevard, which is accessed from Destination Parkway or South Kirkman Road. The official address is 1001 Epic Blvd.

The Kirkman Road extension has opened for traffic, so if traveling from downtown Orlando, westbound on Interstate 4, take Exit 75B for Kirkman. There are new directional road signs in place for Epic Universe. The new route is a bit curvy and elevated at points, but follow those signs to Epic Boulevard and the theme park’s parking lot, which will be on the left.

If traveling from the southwest, going eastbound on I-4, exit onto State Road 528 and then take Exit 2 to go northbound on Universal Boulevard.   Turn right onto Destination Parkway, then left onto Epic Boulevard, skirting a roundabout and then a right turn to the entrance of the parking lot.

• Parking: Epic Universe has its own parking lot; there is no parking garage there. Parking is $32. Prime self-parking is $50-$60.

• Key times: The main parking lot (including ride-share drop-off) opens at 6 a.m.; shuttle bus service from Universal Orlando hotels to Epic Universe also begins at 6 a.m.; turnstiles at the front entrance and inside the entrance for Helios Grand Hotel guests open at 7 a.m.

• Future operating hours: From June 2 through June 17, Epic’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The schedule varies by day but opens at either 9 or 10 a.m., then closes at either 9 or 10 p.m. (These times are subject to change).

• Security: Bag screening occurs just before the main entrance. Among the prohibited items in the park are explosives, weapons, alcohol, marijuana or any item containing cannabis or related paraphernalia, power-driven or radio frequency-controlled devices, outside food or beverages, glass, coolers, suitcases, bags with wheels and folding chairs. Everyone must travel through a metal detector, too. (The system is similar to Universal Orlando’s mega-garage.)

An effect makes it appear as though guests are traveling through a green tube at the entrance of Super Nintendo World at Universal Epic Universe, welcoming them during a media preview event on May 20. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)

• Tickets: Prices for one-day admission to Epic vary daily and range from $139 (for four days in September) to $199 (from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Eve). Universal Orlando offers multiday passes with other theme parks and Volcano Bay water park that may bring down price-per-day rates.

• App: The official Universal Orlando app can be used to facilitate purchases, dining reservations, maps, show schedules, wait times and more.

More on Epic Universe

Fast-track tech helps Universal mold new Epic Universe

A rolling history of Central Florida’s attractions industry

Epic Universe: Know before you go

Epic Universe Ride Guide: New park rides ranked from tame to super scary

Peeking into the portals (and just beyond) of Epic Universe

Epic Universe: Frequently asked questions (plus answers)

Power-Up Bands get games going in Super Nintendo World

Epic Universe timeline: From dragons to butterbeer, here’s how theme park evolved

An Epic movie guide: What to watch before visiting Universal’s new park

Epic Universe: Say hello to new Helios Grand, theme park neighbor

Epic Universe survival guide: What to pack for the new park

Epic Universe: Exec blends arts, engineering in theme park roles

Epic Universe preview: An early walk (and rides) in the park

 

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump met with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday and the two discussed the economy but not Powell’s outlook for interest rates, the Fed said.

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Powell told Trump that the central bank would make decisions about the short-term interest rate it controls “based solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis.” The Fed’s rate typically influences borrowing costs across the economy, including for mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing.

The meeting comes as Trump has assailed Powell for not reducing the Fed’s key interest rate, calling him “Too Late Powell.” The president initiated the meeting, the Fed said.

Trump argues that there is “no inflation” and so Powell should cut rates, though such a move might not necessarily reduce the borrowing costs consumers face. Inflation is down substantially from a year ago, yet it remains above the Fed’s 2% target.

The meeting is the first during Trump’s second term, though the two met and had lunch together in his first term. Fed chairs regularly meet with Treasury secretaries but less often with presidents, given that the Fed’s interest rate decisions are intended to be separate from political concerns.

A Ramona Wildlife Center pygmy hippo that was rescued more than two decades ago broke a world record this weekend by becoming the oldest living captive pygmy hippo in recorded history, San Diego Humane Society officials said.

On Sunday, Hannah Shirley — a 65-inch-long, 400 to 500 pound pygmy hippo — surpassed the previous age record for her species in managed care of 51 years, 6 months and 2 days. Officials called the achievement “extraordinary,” due to pygmy hippos typically only living 30 to 50 years in the wild.

“Every day with Hannah Shirley is a gift,” said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at the center. “Her playful spirit, resilience and sweet personality make her a truly special ambassador for her species — and a symbol of how excellent care can help animals thrive far beyond what’s expected.”

Hannah Shirley lives in a 13,000-square-foot pen complete with a pond, pool and barn. (San Diego Humane Society)

Hannah Shirley was born on Nov. 22, 1973, and although she’d already broken the U.S. age record and become a quinquagenarian on her 50th birthday two years ago, it was Sunday when she broke the world record that truly set her apart from the rest of her species, San Diego Humane Society officials said.

The previous pygmy hippopotamus age record was held by a male named “Rif,” who was housed in Rostov-on-Don in Russia and passed away in 2023, officials said. Officials said Hannah Shirley’s longevity can be attributed to customized care that includes a top-tier nutrition plan, proactive veterinary treatment, and a 13,000-square-foot pen complete with a pond, pool and barn at the Ramona campus.

Officials said Hannah Shirley’s previous owner did not have proper permits to keep her, and she was transferred in 2002 to the center, which at the time was known as The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center before it was acquired by the San Diego Humane Society in September 2020.

San Diego Humane Society officials announced this weekend that Hannah Shirley, a 51-year-old pygmy hippopotamus at the Ramona Wildlife Center, had become the oldest pygmy hippo ever living in managed care in the world. (San Diego Humane Society)

As one of the few dozen pygmy hippos living in such facilities across the country, the pygmy hippo has received specialized attention, officials said. For 23 years, Hannah Shirley’s daily routine includes back rubs with a broom, sprinkler showers, and a fresh diet of fruits and vegetables that are often grown on-site.

“Her diet is carefully managed and includes her favorite treats like wild chamomile, which she loves to forage,” said Angela Hernandez-Cusick, wildlife rehabilitation supervisor at the center. “The team continuously adapts her care based on the latest knowledge about this rare species, ensuring she thrives in her golden years.

Hannah Shirley also serves as one of the wildlife center’s eight animal ambassadors, a program that designates some animals — deemed unable to survive in the wild — as permanent residents at the facility, officials said.

Officials said ambassadors are viewed by guests at the center and some even travel with their keepers into the public to educate kids and residents about good stewardship, wild animals and vulnerable species.

“Anyone who meets Hannah falls in love with her,” Hernandez-Cusick said. “Her free spirit captures the joy of working with wildlife — we’re lucky to care for such a special species.”

Currently, there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos in the wild, according to San Diego Zoo. The species, which originates from West Africa, typically stands about 3 feet tall and can weigh up to 600 pounds. While the species has large teeth and tusks, pygmy hippos in the wild tend to be shy and flee when threatened in the wild, unlike their larger relative, zoo officials said.

By COLLEEN SLEVIN

DENVER (AP) — A man who blamed exposure to far-right extremist content for motivating his online threats to kill Democratic election officials Colorado and Arizona was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison.

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Teak Ty Brockbank pleaded guilty in October to making threats between September 2021 and August 2022 against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and former Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is now governor. He also threatened a Colorado judge and federal agents.

Federal prosecutors sought three years in prison for Brockbank. He asked for leniency, saying he made the posts when he was drinking heavily, socially isolated and spending his evenings consuming conspiracy theories online.

His attorney described Brockbank as a “keyboard warrior” with no intent to carry out the threats. Brockbank spent time on social media sites like Gab and Rumble, the alternative video-sharing platform that has been criticized for allowing and promoting far-right extremism.

The sites delivered “the message that the country was under attack and that patriotic Americans had a duty to rise up and act,” said Brockbank attorney Tom Ward. Ward said Brockbank was drawn to the QAnon conspiracy theory and noted in a court filing that Michael Flynn and Roger Stone were prominent on Rumble.

Brockbank posted online that Colorado’s top election official should “Hang by the neck” and her former counterpart in Arizona should also be put to death.

Prosecutors said in a court filing that a prison sentence was warranted in part to deter others from threatening election officials.

“Threats to elections workers across the country are an ongoing and very serious problem,” wrote Jonathan Jacobsen, a Washington-based trial attorney for the Justice Department’s public integrity section.

Under the Biden administration, the department launched a task force in 2021 to combat the rise of threats targeting election officials. Brockbank’s conviction in the fall was one of over a dozen convictions won by the unit.

At the time, the longest sentences handed down was 3.5 years in prison in two separate cases involving election officials in Arizona. In one case, a man who advocated for “a mass shooting of poll workers,” posted threatening statements in November 2022 about two Maricopa County officials and their children, prosecutors said.

In the other, a Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to sending a bomb threat in February 2021 to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.

Brockbank, who has been in custody since his arrest in August 2024, asked to be sentenced to time served plus three years supervised release and possibly six months in home detention or a halfway house.

Prosecutors agreed not to pursue charges against Brockbank for having firearms he was barred from possessing because of a previous conviction or for online threats he made later.

One such threat was against Griswold last year for her role in helping the prosecution of former Colorado clerk, Tina Peters. Prosecutors say he also threatened judges on the Colorado Supreme Court after they removed Donald Trump from the state’s ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court later restored Trump’s name to the ballot.