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Daily Horoscope for February 04, 2025

22 hours 13 min ago

General Daily Insight for February 04, 2025

Breaking out of a rut could now be unavoidable. Relationship planet Venus bursts into independent Aries at 2:57 am EST, drawing our awareness toward our individual needs. Although this might shake up some of our alliances, maybe we’ll ultimately be better off because of those confrontations. Buoyant Jupiter then stations direct and starts to move forward, increasing our confidence. The array of possibilities suddenly before us may seem overwhelming at first, but we can take our time before we commit to anything.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

The universe has noticed you, Aries! Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing will depend on what you’ve been up to lately. When optimistic Jupiter turns direct in your 3rd House of Communication, you may be able to talk your way out of some conflicts. On the other hand, you might also try listening. Hearing how you’re perceived by others can give you valuable information. You don’t have to do everything they want, but making changes for yourself is an option!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

A financial boost could be about to come your way. Sometimes you get what you need just when you stop actively searching for it. As pleasure planet Venus slides into your 12th House of Contemplation, you’re likely to throw yourself into enjoying your inner life. That might not cost you any money at all! If you happen to wind up with a little extra cash under the circumstances, you don’t have to hurry to spend it. Sit on it until the moment is right.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Your social butterfly powers are at a peak! Perhaps you’ll also be a bit of a chameleon, presenting unique sides of yourself to different people or groups. As expansive Jupiter spins forward in your sign, it’s fine to try on all sorts of identities — maybe you’re outgrowing a role that you’ve held for a long time. Don’t lead others to believe you’re making a long-term commitment if you’re not sure, though. Be as honest as you can about your process.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Receiving recognition for your achievements is likely at the moment. As favorable Venus ascends to your 10th House of Reputation, an effort you’ve been throwing yourself into for a while could finally pay off. It’s fine to bask in any adoration that comes your way — and then let it spur you on to even greater heights! Still, your energy level will continue to have normal human limits. Work as hard as you can, but don’t forget to rest when you need to.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Finding your people can go well — even better than usual. As abundant Jupiter pushes forward in your 11th House of Community, you might become more certain that a group you’ve been hanging out with lately is the right fit for you. Learning that you share intellectual interests or hold the same beliefs could be an important sign. Although it’s sometimes helpful to sharpen your wits against someone who disagrees with you, it’s okay to prefer the peace of being on the same page!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Your ambition can really blast off at any moment! Powerful Jupiter turns direct in your 10th House of Purpose, launching you toward any goal you’ve been pursuing. You absolutely have the right to be proud of what you accomplish, but you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Your confident attitude should attract the collaborators you need. You may still wind up being the public face of the project, but make sure your helpers receive plenty of appreciation behind the scenes.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

A change of scenery could benefit a relationship of yours. Going on an adventure together can give you and your companion an opportunity to break out of a boring shared routine. Alternatively, if you normally connect virtually, it might be time for an in-person visit. Some things you only learn in the right setting. As fortunate Venus enters your partnership sector, whatever you find out is likely to be for your highest good. Remember that, even if your experience is uncomfortable as it occurs.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Lightening your load is a wise strategy at present. As ease-seeking Venus sneaks into your responsible 6th house, you don’t have to entirely abandon your duties, but you might want to take a second look at them. Does everything on your to-do list need to be there — and does it need to be done by you personally? The benefits of letting others help you would likely be a worthwhile trade for any ego gratification you’d get from doing everything yourself.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You may currently be obsessed with the idea that you’re supposed to be learning something significant in a particular relationship of yours. Perhaps your connection just feels weighty in that way. You’ll potentially get a glimpse of the big lesson very soon. Still, as sweet Venus enters your 5th House of Pleasure, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. No matter how lofty your shared purpose is, it’s okay for you to have a little fun with your companion when the opportunity strikes!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Your longing for beautiful surroundings could be a powerful motivator now. As energetic Jupiter turns direct in your hardworking 6th house, you’re willing and able to put in the effort to bring your grand domestic vision into physical form. The most serious obstacle standing in your way might turn out to be your own inhibitions. Although you may second-guess fantasies of yours that seem too lavish, don’t try to deny their existence — give them a fair hearing, and then go from there.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Putting a positive spin on your communications could currently serve you well. With pleasing Venus slipping into your verbal 3rd house, this doesn’t mean you’re being unrealistic. Instead, you’re finally acknowledging the reality that every little thing doesn’t have to be a fight. Letting go of issues that aren’t essential frees you up to pursue matters dearer to your heart. It’s fine to stand up for yourself when truly necessary, but keep the focus on what you need rather than what others did wrong.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Figuring out what makes you feel secure can help you get more of it sooner rather than later. With helpful Venus bouncing into your 2nd House of Resources, you might wind up with a little extra money on your hands. You don’t have to spend it on the first treat that comes to mind, as putting your excess funds toward a larger project could ultimately be more rewarding. Even if you have to wait a bit, progress may accumulate faster than you expect!

RFK Jr. misled the US Senate on measles deaths, Samoa’s health chief says

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:44

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samoa’s top health official on Monday denounced as “a complete lie” remarks that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made during his bid to become U.S. health secretary, rejecting his claim that some who died in the country’s 2019 measles epidemic didn’t have the disease.

“We don’t know what was killing them,” Kennedy said during tense U.S. Senate hearings last week on whether he should oversee the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, suggesting that the cause of the 83 deaths — mostly of children under age 5 — was unclear.

“It’s a total fabrication,” Samoa Director-General of Health Dr. Alec Ekeroma told The Associated Press of Kennedy’s comments.

U.S. senators grilled Kennedy last week over his 2019 Samoa trip, accusing him of downplaying his role in the epidemic.

What happened in Samoa?

The outbreak devastated the Pacific island nation in 2019, killing 83 people in a population of 200,000. Vaccination rates were historically low because of poor public health management and the 2018 deaths of two babies whose vaccines were incorrectly prepared, prompting fears that the MMR immunization was unsafe before the nature of the error was discovered.

The government suspended vaccinations for 10 months before the outbreak — the period when Kennedy visited. His trip was organized by a Samoan anti-vaccine influencer, according to a 2021 blog post by Kennedy.

On Wednesday, Kennedy denied that his visit had fueled anti-vaccine sentiment. A spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

“Anti-vaxxers from New Zealand came to be with him here,” Ekeroma said. “That’s how I know that his influence can be far-reaching.”

What did Kennedy say about the deaths?

“When the tissue samples were sent to New Zealand, most of those people did not have measles,” Kennedy told U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.

Ekeroma, a medical doctor who also holds a doctorate in health, said that the claim was a “huge denial” of the fact that doctors from several countries traveled to Samoa to treat measles patients.

The Samoan official wasn’t the health chief during the outbreak, but confirmed key details with his predecessor, he said. Only one autopsy was carried out and no postmortem tissue samples were sent abroad, which was not unusual because measles is a simple disease to diagnose, said Ekeroma.

Blood samples from living patients were sent to Australia and New Zealand, where the public health agency said Monday that testing had confirmed the same strain of measles circulating in New Zealand at the time.

Why did Kennedy travel to Samoa?

“I went there – nothing to do with vaccines,” Kennedy said Wednesday. “I went there to introduce a medical informatics system that would digitalize records in Samoa and make health delivery much more efficient.”

Ekeroma rejected that assertion, referring to social media posts by anti-vaccine advocates who posed for photos with Kennedy during his trip. One later wrote on the blog of Kennedy’s then nonprofit, Children’s Health Defense — which has decried MMR vaccines as unsafe — that during the outbreak he received advice from people assembled by Kennedy encouraging the alternative treatments he was supplying to Samoan families.

In the same blog post, Kennedy recalled meeting Samoa’s then prime minister, who he said was “curious to measure health outcomes following the ‘natural experiment’ created by the national respite from vaccines.”

In late 2019, Kennedy wrote to the leader, saying that the deaths could have been caused by a measles vaccine — statements he repeated in written responses to senators’ questions following the hearing. He urged the Samoan leader to approach a particular laboratory to investigate the source of the outbreak.

Did Kennedy’s visit have any sway?

“My words had nothing to do with vaccine uptake in Samoa or with the 2019 epidemic,” Kennedy said in his written responses.

But Kennedy emboldened anti-vaccine contacts in Samoa, Ekeroma said, and the epidemic was fueled by disinformation in social media posts in the island nation and abroad.

Moelagi Leilani Jackson, a Samoan nurse who worked on the vaccination campaign, told the AP in 2023 that anti-vaccine campaigners “got louder” after Kennedy’s visit.

“I feel like they felt they had the support of Kennedy,” she said.

However, Ekeroma said that Kennedy’s overtures weren’t heeded by the nation’s leaders. A vaccination campaign resumed in 2019 and measles vaccines are now compulsory for Samoan children.

Would Kennedy’s appointment impact the Pacific?

If Kennedy is affirmed as the top U.S. health official this week, it would be “a danger to us, a danger to everyone,” Ekeroma said. Kennedy would control U.S. funding for vaccination initiatives and could make affordable vaccines harder for small nations like Samoa to access, the official said.

“If he’s going to be appointed, then we will have to actually discuss around the Pacific as to how we’re going to try to neutralize his influence in the region,” he added.

Amanda Seitz contributed to this report from Washington.

Association representing thousands of FBI agents appeals to Congress to protect their jobs

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:39

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The association representing thousands of FBI agents urged congressional leaders Monday to protect the jobs of employees at risk of punishment or possibly termination over their participation in investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The letter from the FBI Agents Association, which represents the interests of more than 14,000 current and retired agents, follows the revelation that thousands of employees were asked over the weekend to complete a detailed questionnaire about their involvement in Jan. 6 investigations.

Separately Monday, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to Trump’s picks to run the FBI and Justice Department — Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, respectively — to express “grave concerns” about the efforts to scrutinize, reassign and remove career officials and to demand a raft of internal communications about their plans to shake up the agencies.

The FBI Agents Association’s letter was sent to lawmakers of both parties, including Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees. It raised “urgent concerns about recent actions taken by acting officials at the Department of Justice that threaten the careers of thousands of FBI Special Agents and risk disrupting the Bureau’s essential work.”

“Put simply, Special Agents who risk their lives protecting this country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized for carrying out the orders they were given by their superiors in the FBI,” the letter states. “These actions, which lack transparency and due process, are creating dangerous distractions, imperiling ongoing investigations, and undermining the Bureau’s ability to work with state, local, and international partners to make America safe again.”

The Trump administration Justice Department has asked for the names, titles and offices of all FBI employees who worked on investigations related to Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol triggered a violent and bloody clash with law enforcement in a massive attempt to block the certification of election results.

A memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who defended Trump in his criminal cases before joining the administration, said Justice Department officials would then carry out a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”

The association’s letter asks lawmakers to “work with President Trump to prevent acting officials from taking personnel actions that undermine our shared goal of keeping the FBI out of politics. It is imperative that FBI Special Agents can continue their critical work, free from fear of retaliation, and focused on safeguarding our nation.”

Trump administration’s data deletions set off ‘a mad scramble,’ researcher says

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:31

By MIKE STOBBE and MIKE SCHNEIDER

NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers are in what one described as “a mad scramble” to sort out what public data the Trump administration has deleted from government websites and electronic publications.

Late last week, federal agencies took down scores of government webpages as staffers hurried to comply with President Donald Trump’s order rolling back protections for transgender people, which required the removal of “gender ideology” language from websites, contracts and emails.

Some of the sites were back online Monday, but data analysts say it’s not clear exactly what was removed or changed.

“You go looking for something and it’s just not there,” said Amy O’Hara, a Georgetown University researcher who is president of the Association of Public Data Users.

Social science researchers and other federal data users on Monday described feeling like a five-alarm fire was triggered when they discovered late last week that vital federal datasets were inaccessible.

It sparked “a mad scramble right now” to grab copies of whatever federal data was posted before, O’Hara said.

While the administration’s stated goal was to delete gender and transgender terminology, O’Hara said some researchers worry that other politically charged topics — such as climate change or vaccines — might be removed or altered.

A expert panel affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demanded a meeting on the deletions.

The committee, chartered by Congress to advise the CDC director, asked the agency’s acting director, Susan Monarez, for an explanation about why it had cut off access to datasets “that allow people across the country to understand the health of their communities.”

The panel had yet to receive a response, said committee member Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a former federal health official who is now a health policy expert at Johns Hopkins University.

Experts say datasets and summaries were affected, but so too were codebooks that explain different variables. They say they also saw changes to published research that used affected datasets, and even redactions to lists of publications about certain topics.

“The scale of this is quite stunning,” O’Hara said.

Researchers are still stumbling on what was taken down or changed, she added.

“We are finding out about omissions when somebody goes searching for it,” O’Hara said.

On Monday, for instance, when a query was made to access certain data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most comprehensive survey of American life, users got a response that said the area was “unavailable due to maintenance.”

The CDC’s official public portal for health data, data.cdc.gov, was taken down entirely on Friday but went back up over the weekend, albeit with a yellow ribbon at the top saying: “CDC’s website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders.” The agency’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey data was restored too, but with at least one of the gender columns missing and its data documentation removed.

CDC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some researchers took steps to make sure federal information stays available. On Monday, the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association posted federal STD data and treatment guidelines that were hastily downloaded from the CDC website Thursday night.

“Taxpayers paid to collect those data, to analyze those data, and to make them public for people to use,” explained Abigail Norris Turner, an Ohio State University medical researcher who is the association’s president.

“Executive orders don’t change who has STIs or who needs evidence-based care for them,” she added. “We wanted to make sure that rigorous information continued to be available to people to provide the best possible care.”

The U.S. statistical system is considered the best in the world and researchers fear that the removals will undermine trust and put the integrity of the data at risk.

“This sets a really dangerous precedent that any administration can come in and delete whatever they don’t like,” said Beth Jarosz, a senior program director at the Population Reference Bureau. “Regardless of your politics, this should alarm you since this is taxpayer-funded data and it belongs to the public.”

In a joint statement, the presidents of the Population Association of America and the Association of Population Centers called the takedowns “unacceptable” and called on Congress and the Trump administration to restore the datasets.

Paul Schroeder, executive director of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, said people looking for data may have to resort to suing for access or submitting Freedom of Information Act requests for the datasets.

“The removal of several public datasets from agency websites goes against everything the statistical agencies stand for and were intended for,” Schroeder said Monday. “Public data users are being left in the dark about what is going on.”

Schneider reported from Orlando, Florida. AP data journalist Kasturi Pananjady contributed to this story.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Man wielding knife shot by deputies in Oakland Park

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:18

A man is in critical condition Monday night after he was shot by deputies in Oakland Park while armed with a knife, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.

Multiple people called 911 shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday about a man “behaving erratically” who was waving a knife at people driving by and throwing large rocks at cars near the 500 block of East Oakland Park Boulevard, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Jarcara A. Mansfield, 39, of Fort Lauderdale, was armed with a knife when deputies and SWAT personnel arrived. They talked with him to try to de-escalate as Mansfield continued acting erratically and yelling for deputies to “kill him,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies used multiple “less than lethal weapons,” and Mansfield “charged” toward the deputies while still armed, the Sheriff’s Office said. Two deputies shot at him, and Mansfield was hit multiple times.

The Sheriff’s Office did not provide further information about the less-lethal weapons deputies used.

Oakland Park Fire Rescue took Mansfield to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he remained as of Monday evening.

The two deputies who shot their guns are on administrative assignment while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting, as is standard policy.

The Sheriff’s Office said Mansfield will face one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of resisting arrest with violence.

It is at least the fourth shooting so far in 2025 involving law enforcement officers in Broward County. Last week, an off-duty Fort Lauderdale Police officer shot and killed a man at an RV park marina.

On Jan. 19, a Fort Lauderdale officer shot and killed a man who got out of his car at a gas station “with what appeared to be a firearm” after fleeing from an earlier traffic stop, the police department previously said. On Jan. 9, Fort Lauderdale officers shot and killed a man who was throwing “incendiary devices” after receiving a call about a fire.

Trump administration hires hardcore pro-Trump ideologue to run public diplomacy at State Department

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:18

By MATTHEW LEE

SAN SALVADOR (AP) — The Trump administration has hired a “Make America Great Again” ideologue to run the State Department’s worldwide public diplomacy efforts, according to the man put forward for the post and three current department officials.

Darren Beattie confirmed in a message to readers of the conservative website Revolver for which he worked that he would be taking up the post of acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. It was not clear if he would be formally nominated to take the job on a more permanent basis, which would require Senate confirmation.

Beattie, an academic, has espoused controversial ideas about race and U.S. foreign policy priorities. He gained notoriety when he was fired as a White House speechwriter during President Donald Trump’s first term after it was revealed he spoke at a conference attended by white nationalists.

“Thanks to President Trump’s miraculous victory, we have entered the beginning of a new Golden Age — of success, prosperity, legitimacy, and accountability. I have been given the great honor of serving once again in Trump’s administration, this time in the Department of State,” Beattie wrote in a message to readers of Revolver, from which he will be taking a leave of absence.

The State Department had no comment, although word of his impending appointment to the post had circulated through the building since last week and was confirmed by three officials. Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an as-yet unannounced personnel decision.

Apart from the incident that caused him to lose his White House speechwriting job, Beattie has made numerous inflammatory comments on X.

“Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work,” he wrote on the site less than four months ago, on Oct. 4, 2024. “Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”

As undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, even in a temporary role, Beattie will exert great influence and oversight of the department’s outward-facing messaging and outreach, including those that have been handled by embassies and consulates abroad.

Previous occupants of the job have traditionally not had a high-profile role but have played a powerful behind-the-scenes role in the State Department’s hierarchy.

Google makes its appeal to overturn jury verdict branding the Play Store as illegal monopoly

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 17:09

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google went to appeals court Monday in an attempt to convince a three-judge panel to overturn a jury’s verdict declaring its app store for Android smartphones as an illegal monopoly and block the penalties imposed by a federal judge to stop the misbehavior. Video game maker Epic Games, which brought the case alleging Google’s Play Store has been abusing its stranglehold over the Android app market, countered with arguments outlining why both the verdict and punishment should be affirmed to foster more innovation and lower prices.

In a nearly hour-long presentation in San Francisco’s Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Google lawyer Jessica Ellsworth explained why the company believes the judge overseeing a month-long trial in 2023 improperly allowed the market in its case to be defined differently than it had in a similar antitrust trial revolving around Apple’s antitrust trial in 2021.

Ellsworth also asserted the trial shouldn’t have been decided by a jury in the first place because Google exercised its consent to that process and demanded the case be decided by a judge instead, as had the trial by Apple.

Epic, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed separate antitrust cases against Apple and Google on the same day in August 2020 and culminated in dramatically different outcomes. Unlike the jury in Google’s trial in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers largely sided with Apple in an 185-decision that defined the Play Store and Apple’s iPhone app store as part of a broader competitive market.

Ellsworth told the appeals court that U.S. District Judge James Donato improperly allowed Epic to turn the Google trial into a “do-over” that excluded the Apple app store as a rival in the market definition that led to the jury’s verdict in its case.

“You can’t just lose an issue that was fully litigated the first time (in the Apple case) and then pretend it didn’t happen,” Ellsworth said. She said the competition that Google and Apple engage in while making the two operating systems that power virtually all of the world’s smartphones “sufficiently disciplines” their actions in the app market.

But the appeals judges indicated they believed the market definitions could differ in the separate app store cases because Apple bundles all its software and the iPhone together — creating what has become known as a “walled garden” — while Google licenses the Android software that includes its Play Store a wide variety of smartphone makers.

“There are clearly some factual differences between the Android world and Apple world,” Judge Danielle J. Forrest told Ellsworth.

Judge Gabriel Sanchez also sounded skeptical about Google’s claims about being lumped with an improper market definition in its trial.

“Even if Google vigorously competes with Apple (in smartphone operating systems), that doesn’t mean it can’t create a different ecosystem where it’s a monopolist,” Sanchez interjected during Ellsworth’s presentation.

Epic attorney Gary Bornstein painted Google’s arguments as a desperate and unfounded effort to preserve the system that boosts Google’s profits with price-gouging commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on in-app purchases flowing from software downloaded through the Play Store.

The penalties that Donato imposed in October and subsequently postponed while Google pursues its appeal would impose a series of sweeping changes that include making the Play Store’s entire library of 2 million apps available to potential competitors — a move expected to result in lower commission rates.

The appeals court hasn’t set a timeline for issuing a ruling in the Play Store case, but it typically takes several months before a decision is reached.

Google is also currently facing other potential penalties that could include being forced to sell its Chrome web browser after a judge in another antitrust trial ruled its ubiquitous search engine is an illegal monopoly, too.

In Monday’s two-hour hearing Bornstein contended that Google never tried to define the Android app market during the trial the way it presented it during its appeal and reminded the three-judge panel that the bar should be set high before reversing a jury’s verdict and the ensuing punishment ordered by a lower court judge.

“The benefit of the doubt does not go to the wrongdoer,” Bornstein said.

The judges seemed more troubled by Donato’s decision to stick with a jury trial after the case changed shortly before the Epic trial when Google settled lawsuits brought by attorneys general across the U.S. and another prominent app developer, Match Group. An agreement for a jury trial had been reached when the attorneys general and Match cases were going to be combined with Epic’s, but Google wanted to revert to having a judge decide the outcome after settling some of the claims only to be rebuffed by Donato.

At one point during Bornstein’s presentation, Forrest openly mused about the possibility of declaring the verdict as a decision rendered by the equivalent of an advisory jury and sending the case back to Donato for a more lengthy ruling.

That is an approach favored by Ellsworth, who pointed out that the judge’s ruling in the Apple app store case spanned nearly 200 pages while the jury in the Google trial “were asked eight questions and they offered 14 words defining a relevant market.”

But Bornstein urged the appeals court to resort to giving Donato a “homework assignment” that would give Google more time to profit from its illegal conduct.

Senate confirms fossil fuel CEO Chris Wright as energy secretary. He vows to ‘unleash’ US resources

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 16:55

By MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary, a key post to promote President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.

Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He says more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe and has promised to help Trump “unleash energy security and prosperity.”

The Senate approved his nomination, 59-38. Eight Democrats — including both senators from Wright’s home state of Colorado — voted in favor.

The centerpiece of Trump’s energy policy is “drill, baby, drill,” and he has pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats’ “green new scam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.

“President Trump shares my passion for energy,” Wright said at his confirmation hearing last month, promising that if confirmed, he would “work tirelessly to implement (Trump’s) bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”

That includes oil and natural gas, coal, nuclear power and hydropower, along with wind and solar power and geothermal energy, Wright said.

Trump’s energy wishes are likely to run into real-world limits, including the fact that U.S. oil production is already at record levels. The federal government cannot force companies to drill for more oil, and production increases could lower prices and reduce profits.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican, called Wright an innovator who “tells the truth about energy production.”

While Wright “acknowledges that climate change is real, he knows more American energy is the solution — not the problem,” Barrasso said, calling Wright’s “energy realism” welcome news.

Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Wright “understands that energy policies should focus on making energy abundant and affordable for families” and businesses.

“Our nation deserves a champion for American energy and innovation, and we’ve got the Wright guy for the job,” Lee posted on X.

Colorado’s two Democratic senators both supported their home-state nominee.

“Chris Wright is a scientist who has dedicated his life to the study and use of energy. He believes in science and supports the research that will deliver the affordable, reliable and clean energy” that will lower costs and make the country more secure, Sen. John Hickenlooper said.

“While we don’t always agree, we will work together because none of us have four years to wait to act,” Hickenlooper said.

Sen. Michael Bennet called Wright a successful Colorado entrepreneur with deep expertise in energy innovation and technology. He pledged to work with Wright to “ensure Colorado continues to lead the country in energy production and innovation.”

While acknowledging that climate change is real, Wright said at his hearing that he believes “there isn’t dirty energy or clean energy.” Rather, he said, there are different sources of energy with different tradeoffs.

Wright, 60, has been chairman and CEO of Liberty Energy since 2011 and has no prior experience in government. He grew up in Colorado, earned an undergraduate degree at MIT and did graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT. In 1992, he founded Pinnacle Technologies, which helped launch commercial shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

He later served as chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before founding Liberty Resources in 2010.

As energy secretary, Wright will join Interior Secretary Doug Burgum as a key player on energy policy. Both will serve on a new National Energy Council that Burgum will chair. The panel will include all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation, with a focus on “cutting red tape” and boosting domestic energy production, Trump said. The council’s mission represents a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President Joe Biden, who made fighting climate change a top priority.

Wright said he would sever all ties across the energy industry if confirmed.

Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, an environmental group, said Democrats should have unanimously opposed Wright.

“Senate Republicans just handed Trump’s Big Oil allies the keys to the Department of Energy,” she said in a statement. “Chris Wright built his career expanding fossil fuels and denying climate science. Now, he’ll be in a position to help Trump” stall clean energy investments, hike energy prices “and keep Americans addicted to expensive, volatile fossil fuels.”

Now is the time, she added, “for Democrats to stand united and fight back against Trump’s relentless push to rig the system for Big Oil.”

Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges including Columbia and Berkeley

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 16:47

By COLLIN BINKLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It’s part of President Donald Trump’s promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department’s power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.

A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating “toothless” resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

“Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses,” said Craig Trainor, the agency’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn’t provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The searing hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia’s Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern’s negotiations with student protesters a “stunning capitulation.”

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Rep. Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was “glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students.”

Trump’s order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week’s order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

“The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found,” said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump’s renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools.”

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Texas National Guard can now arrest and detain people who illegally enter the US

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 16:29

By NADIA LATHAN

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas National Guard soldiers can arrest and detain people for entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico under an agreement with the Trump administration that expands the military’s role in immigration enforcement.

The new authority is a shift for the Guard and the military broadly, which has been limited to a supporting role for the Border Patrol. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott gave Texas Guard members the power to arrest migrants on trespassing charges in 2021, but that order was limited to encounters on border landowners’ private property.

Texas’ pact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, signed Friday, gives the Guard full authority to investigate, arrest and detain migrants for purposes of deporting them. Guard members must work “only under the supervision of a CBP official” and must be able to speak with a CBP official “by cellular phone, radio, or other similar technology,” the agreement says.

“This boosts manpower for border security,” Abbott said late Sunday on the social media platform X.

The military has been limited to tasks like surveillance and building barriers, adhering to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 to keep the armed forces away from civilian law enforcement. But advisers close to President Donald Trump argue there are legal grounds to summon the military to combat narcotics and mass migration.

Trump already has broken from predecessors with military deportation flights. He said he would use a detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to hold tens of thousands of the “worst criminal aliens.”

The Defense Department deployed 1,600 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border during Trump’s first week in office and had plans to send more. It said Monday more hundreds of military members had arrived in Guantánamo Bay.

Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu said Texas’ agreement makes law enforcement’s job more difficult and dangerous and that Abbott “continues to generate more hate against an already terrified and vulnerable population.”

Matthew Hudak, who recently retired as deputy chief of the Border Patrol, noted that state and federal authorities already work closely together.

“It’s not giving (the Guard) blanket authority to stop people,” Hudak said. “This more than anything sends the message that the federal and state agencies are working together to solve this problem.”

Since 2021, the Texas Guard has had a prominent role in Abbott’s Operation Lone Star that has included busing tens of thousands of migrants to Democratic-controlled cities and installing a barrier of giant buoys in the Rio Grande. Abbott was frequently at odds with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, historically the federal government’s responsibility.

Abbott has defended Texas’ border operations as a “stopgap” between enforcement at the federal level during President Joe Biden’s administration.

Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Monday, Feb 3, 2025.

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 02:11

Here are the top stories for Monday, Feb 3, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.

Trump says Americans could feel ‘some pain’ from tariffs as he threatens more import taxes

Trump’s trade war among allies triggers retaliation from Canada and Mexico

One dead, one hurt in Deerfield Beach house fire

Beyoncé wins album of the year at the 2025 Grammys for ‘Cowboy Carter’

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Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, De’Aaron Fox-Zach LaVine deal have Heat lagging with Jimmy Butler

A local school unites a community. Please don’t close ours | Opinion

‘Florida Stands With Israel,’ K9 and gopher tortoise specialty license plates coming soon

Israel’s Netanyahu heads to US to discuss ‘victory over Hamas’ with Trump

Elon Musk says President Donald Trump has ‘agreed’ USAID should be shut down

Today in History: February 3, ‘the day the music died’

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 02:00

Today is Monday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2025. There are 331 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 3, 1959, which would become known as “the day the music died,” rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

Also on this date:

In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting Black American men the right to vote, was ratified.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

In 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, the same day an American cargo ship, the SS Housatonic, was sunk by a U-boat off Britain (after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats).

In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship SS Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a German torpedo in the Labrador Sea; only some 230 of the 900 aboard survived.

In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first manmade object to make a soft landing on the moon.

In 1998, a U.S. Marine aircraft sliced through the cable of a ski gondola near Cavalese, Italy, causing the car to plunge hundreds of feet, killing all 20 people inside.

In 2002, the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl, defeating the St. Louis Rams 20-17.

In 2006, an Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during bad weather, killing more than 1,000 passengers.

Today’s birthdays:

Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 85.
Actor Blythe Danner is 82.
Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese is 80.
Singer-guitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 78.
Actor Morgan Fairchild is 75.
Actor Nathan Lane is 69.
Actor Maura Tierney is 60.
Basketball Hall of Famer Vlade Divac is 57.
Golf Hall of Famer Retief Goosen is 56.
Actor Warwick Davis is 55.
Actor Isla Fisher is 49.
Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee is 48.

The past year was deadly for endangered Florida panthers. Why aren’t there more wildlife crossings?

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 01:53

Last year was one of the deadliest for endangered Florida panthers. Thirty-six cats were found dead, 30 of those from vehicle strikes — the most since 2016.

And so far in 2025, one cat has already died, a young male who was struck on Jan. 10 near Immokalee, 20 miles northeast of Naples.

The cats, which usually travel at night and can have a range of 200 square miles, have no chance against blinding headlights and 4,000-pound SUVs traveling at 70 mph. One way to reduce these deaths is to install wildlife crossings — underpasses (and sometimes overpasses) that animals can use to reach new territories without dodging ever-increasing Florida traffic.

With more panthers moving north and more people relocating to Florida, it’s clear more crossings are needed. Big projects are envisioned to help, but it all comes down to obtaining money and the right land to make it into a reality. Tracking the progress, workers have seen the pace for building crossings vary from year to year.

“You’re never going to be able to build enough wildlife crossing to cover all the roads in Florida,” said David Onorato, who helps plan crossings as a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “But if you can maybe get some key areas protected where panthers are moving through, then that can serve to help continue expansion and recovery of the population.”

For evidence of wildlife crossing potency, a close look at the Florida Department of Transportation’s panther roadkill map shows a dense cluster of mortality dots on State Road 29 north of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. But within the refuge, four wildlife underpasses keep deaths low.

The state has poured millions of dollars into saving the Florida panther, and millions more into creating the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a network of connected wild lands that, in theory, allow panthers, bears, deer and other wildlife to reach new territory — and potential mates.

Yet Florida’s roads still carve wild areas into isolated pockets. The isolation is deadly, not only because it drives vehicle strikes, but because it results in inbreeding and genetic weakness.

“The (Florida Wildlife) corridor can only do so much if it’s bisected by roads,” said Jason Totoiu, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “If the corridor is carved up by roads and we don’t have these crossings in place for panthers to utilize, it’s going to erase any gains we’ve made with land acquisition.”

This map of Florida show panther deaths due to vehicle strikes over the decades. The vertical red cluster is Highway 29 leading up to Immokalee — prime panther habitat. More deaths are beginning to occur north of the Caloosahatchee River, which runs between Lake Okeechobee and Fort Myers. (Courtesy Florida Department of Transportation)

All this raises the question: Why aren’t there more wildlife crossings?

The person who deals most directly with the challenges and complications of making Florida’s roads less deadly to wildlife is Brent Setchell, a drainage design engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation. Setchell said building new crossings comes down to three things:

– Location: They must be built where wildlife needs them most and will actually use them.

– Land ownership: The state must own the land on either side of the roadway. If not, FDOT must wheel and deal to either buy the land, or create a conservation easement for the land owner. All of these things take time.

– Funding: There’s no set annual budget in Florida for wildlife crossings, but federal and state programs do fund them periodically.

Additionally, the cat’s population has rebounded from 30 or so animals in the 1960s to approximately 200 to 230 now.

That means they’re expanding their range. More cats over a larger area means a need for more wildlife crossings.

Go north, young panther

One of the key goals of panther conservation has been to establish a breeding population north of the Caloosahatchee River, which runs east-west from Lake Okeechobee to Fort Myers.

Males, which are more likely to venture into new territory, both to avoid older males and to find mates, have been crossing the river periodically for decades. But it was not until 2016 that wildlife officials observed a female north of the river — the first in 40 years. In 2018, photographer Carlton Ward, founder of conservation and storytelling group WildPath, filmed the female rearing kittens.

Despite that success, three of the rare females have been killed by vehicle strikes north of the river since 2022.

“We knew that we needed to start looking at how we were going to make that transition (north),” Setchell said. “We realize how important it is to make sure we provide that permeability.” That permeability — or the ability for animals to move more freely around the state — comes from crossings.

There are 200 crossings statewide, with 58 of those in the areas of most crucial to the panthers, according to FDOT’s conservation plan for the panther, which they developed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The bulk of those crossings, 36 of them, are along Alligator Alley (Interstate 75). When the roadway was widened in the 1990s, FDOT installed 24 standalone wildlife crossings and outfitted 12 additional bridges with shelf-like walkways that allow animals to cross under the highway more comfortably. They also installed 50 miles of fencing on each side of the road, which funnels animals to the crossings.

Finding the funding

FDOT’s 2025 budget is $15.5 billion, but none of it is specifically designated to wildlife crossings. FDOT does fund them, but Setchell and his co-workers have to hunt for the money.

“Certainly, to find money for a standalone wildlife crossing is very challenging,” he said. A standalone crossing on a two-lane road costs between $6.5 million and $8 million. A four-lane would be significantly more.

Setchell and others at FDOT have found opportunities by being resourceful, tying wildlife crossings to larger projects — two crucial crossings currently under construction on I-4, which cuts through prime panther habitat between Tampa and Orlando, had interchange projects nearby. “We were able to tie the funding with those projects,” said Setchell, “so it’s a lot easier to add, let’s say, a $10 million crossing to a $70 or $80 million project than it is to find money for just a standalone $10 million crossing.”

Another cost-saving strategy is the installation of shelf-like walkways under bridges. “Some of these underpasses now, they don’t have to make these huge, multimillion-dollar underpasses,” said Onorato of the FWC. “They just make small improvements and put in a cement shelf that the animals can walk on. It’s conservation at a much reduced cost.”

Stetchell said that on a recent road-widening project that involved demolishing bridges, they outfitted the new bridges with the shelves. “So that kind of (tie-in) makes it a lot easier for us,” he said.

This map of southern Florida shows existing wildlife crossings in green, those under construction in orange and those planned in yellow. Dark green areas are conservation lands, light green represents conservation opportunity areas. (Courtesy Florida Department of Transportation)

They’ve also retrofitted old bridges with the shelves.

On one such bridge on Alligator Alley, Setchell used camera traps to measure success.

“Right away we got a panther going through there,” he said. “Again. It’s a low-cost effort to take that existing infrastructure and be able to, you know, add that wildlife shelf in there and still get a big bang for your buck.”

The puzzle pieces

One recent standalone crossing project reveals the puzzle pieces that must be assembled to build a crossing.

After a spate of panther deaths along a rural four-lane stretch of U.S. 27 south of Venus, Florida, FDOT and biologists at the FWC determined it was an ideal spot for a crossing. But there was no funding, and the land adjacent to the roadway was private, and not conserved. It was, however, on the list for the Florida Forever land acquisition program.

First, they sought federal money — the Biden Administration allotted $110 million for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states.

“We applied for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and we were just awarded $6.1 million for that particular crossing,” said Setchell. The federal grant requires a 20% state match, which also came through.

As that was happening, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet approved the adjacent lands, called the Hendrie Ranch, for a conservation easement through the Rural Family Lands Protection Act.

The easement means the state buys the land, more than 5,000 acres, for below-market value, but the land owners are able to continue ranching some 600 cattle there.

“We actually found out about four days before we got the grant award that the governor and the Cabinet approved the adjacent lands,” said Setchell.

As a result, Setchell said, the U.S. 27 Venus wildlife crossing “provides that rare opportunity for wildlife to be able to cross underneath that four-lane highway.”

Other funding methods

Other states have had success in allowing naming rights on wildlife crossings to spur financial support.

California’s Wallis Annenberg Crossing, a public-private partnership that is currently under construction, is a prime example.

Once built, it will be a grassy overpass above Highway 101 and will connect the isolated Santa Monica Mountains with large wild areas to the north.

The Annenberg Foundation made $26 million worth of challenge grants that sparked donations from more than 3,000 private, philanthropic, and corporate institutions. The National Wildlife Foundation then used those funds to spearhead the work.

Florida does not, at the moment, seek wildlife crossing funding from private sources, but that’s not to say it’s impossible. “If somebody out there was interested in that, certainly we could find a way to make it happen,” said Setchell. The Annenberg crossing has also inspired a new nonprofit looking to fund crossings in other states.

A bear and a boundary

A striking example of how both the Wildlife Corridor and wildlife crossings affect the life of wild animals is the story of Bear M34. Researchers put a GPS radio tag on the 2 ½-year-old, 200-pound bear in 2009, near Sebring.

During the following breeding season in May, he bolted north, meandering his way up to the Disney World area, until he hit I-4, which cuts east-west from Orlando to Tampa.

He journeyed along I-4 for a week.

There’s no way to know if he was looking for a way around it, but his path butts up against the highway again and again.

“There’s over 100,000 vehicles per day on that road,” said Setchell.

After a week of life along the highway, he decides to head south again.

His collar reached capacity and fell off in July, about 30 miles from where he began his eight-week 500-mile journey that spanned 110 miles north to south.

This map shows the path of bear M34 from May to July 2010, when he traveled north from Sebring up to I-4, where he seemed to attempt to cross the busy highway. He then traveled south to the Lake Okeechobee area, covering a total of 500 miles. (Courtesy Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation)

M34’s track served as inspiration for a crossing on I-4, completed last June. In January of this year, FDOT started construction on a nearby overpass, the first in the state.

At the new I-4 crossing, Setchell said they’ve seen early success.

“A lot of deer are using that crossing already,” he said. “We’ve got does with fawns underneath there. It’s great to see them teaching their young how to use the crossing. We’ve also got coyotes, raccoons, otters, birds and alligators using the crossing. So it’s been a fantastic early success, especially since there was nothing there previously.”

Filmmaker Carlton Ward said that the I-4 corridor has seen profound development in the last decade or so, but that just beyond I-4 is the lush Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area, and a possible path to the massive Ocala National Forest south of Gainesville.

“That would be a real benchmark if a female panther could make it north of I-4, then that’s a big step forward.

“That’s a real challenge, and I’m not sure they’ll make it without our help relocating them. They’ve got to run a gauntlet even to get to the edge of I-4.”

Choosing locations, choosing a future

Just as roads have dammed the Everglades flow in Florida, they have dammed wildlife movement, but roads will only increase.

Onorato said the FWC and FDOT look at where panther road kills and injuries are occurring to update their hot-spot map. They also look at other roadkill data, telemetry data and camera trap data and start to prioritize potential crossings.

Setchell said they’ll put up camera traps near a potential site to assess what’s around.

“For example, in the U.S. 27 Venus crossing, we had our cameras out there for almost a year prior to getting the funding, checking to see what wildlife was out there. That helps us determine the size and the shape of the crossing that’s needed,” said Setchell. They then coordinate with FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

As for future crossings in panther habitat, there are currently 12 crossings under construction south of Orlando, and seven planned, according to FDOT’s interactive statewide wildlife crossing map. Beyond that, it remains to be seen.

This map of Florida show closer view of where death clusters occur in the panther’s core range. The vertical red cluster is Highway 29 leading up to Immokalee. Deaths dissipate as Highway 29 enters the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, where there are several wildlife crossings. (Courtesy Florida Department of Transportation)

Florida’s rapid rate of development adds traffic and a ticking clock to the whole scenario.

“Once you lose the land it’s gone,” Ward said. “That’s what’s happening around Orlando, where you have orange groves turning to rooftops. Even with places on a five-year plan for a crossing, you’re losing your opportunities as you lose the land.”

Setchell said that the pace for building crossings changes from year to year. “This past year was a phenomenal year. I think six or seven projects all went at the same time — the cards fell in line … but I think this year (2025) we’ll probably only have about two that will lead to construction.”

As for funding in the coming year, Florida’s legislative leaders are warning lawmakers to expect a slowdown in spending this year, in part because federal money that flooded into the state during the COVID-19 pandemic has dried up.

And the Trump Administration’s flirtation with freezing funding for federal programs adds an additional level of uncertainty.

An endangered Florida panther makes it’s way through a wooded area. The image was captured by a camera trap in the Big Cypress area. (Courtesy WildPath, Carlton Ward, Jr.)

Whether wildlife crossings exist or not, the cats are on the move.

In December of last year, Rawl Overstreet spotted a panther on his cattle ranch in Osceola County, south of Orlando. “It was exciting,” said Overstreet, who confirmed the sighting of the male panther by collecting the cat’s scat and sending it in for analysis. “It’s good to see that maybe we’re doing a pretty good job here of managing our wildlife.”

Osceola County — rural, with few roads and vast protected land — is ideal 21st century panther habitat. With enough crossing farther south, more of the big cats, maybe even a few females, just might be able to find it.

Reporting from the Orlando Sentinel’s Natalia Jarmillo was used in this article.

To report a sick or injured panther, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Bill Kearney covers the environment, the outdoors and tropical weather. He can be reached at bkearney@sunsentinel.com. Follow him on Instagram @billkearney or on X @billkearney6.

Stephen Ross’ unfinished business: Delivering more growth to Palm Beach County

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 01:40

On a windswept waterfront lot in West Palm Beach last April, billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross stood behind a lectern to tout his company’s new South Flagler House, a high-end, luxury condominium project with 108 units housed in two 28-story towers.

He gave props to City of West Palm Beach officials who helped clear the way for the project’s approval.

“I can say the leadership here in West Palm Beach really shares the vision in making this a model city,” he told guests assembled for coffee and breakfast beneath a tent. “Are there any buyers here to share in making that possible?”

He then proceeded to outline a vision for development that went far beyond South Flagler Drive, a thoroughfare that borders the west bank of the Intracoastal Waterway, across from Ross’ own home in Palm Beach.

“I talk about the fact about how important the city is and how lucky we are to be here today,” Ross said to applause. “I really believe this is the best place in the United States.”

Since that blustery day on a dirt lot, Ross, now 84, has activated what national and local financial media characterize as a “second act” for one of the most prolific real estate developers in the United States, and who, through his Related Companies, amassed billions in assets highlighted by the vast Hudson Yards mixed-use project on the west side of New York City.

Among Ross’ leading local acts:

He formed Related Ross, a company whose mission is to foster development in South Florida, but mainly in Palm Beach County. While he remains non-executive chairman and a major shareholder in Related Companies, other executives run the firm he founded as an affordable housing builder in 1972.
With the aid of private sector donors, he helped trigger an initiative to bring Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management to downtown West Palm Beach, where a $520 million campus mirroring the school’s facilities in Nashville, Tenn., is expected to house 1,000 students who would focus on computing and innovation. Both the city and county contributed land, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2027.
More recently, Related Ross is working with the prominent equestrian Village of Wellington to bring a charter school to town along with retail and residential components.
Last week, Ross led an entourage of roughly 20 Related Ross staffers and executives into a Boca Raton City Council workshop to compete for a new mixed-use government campus the city wants to build just west of the Brightline train station and Dixie Highway at 201 W. Palmetto Park Road.

Combined, the initiatives and commitments seem to carry a rising level of risk given a slowdown of heavy migration to Florida from out of state since the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, moving companies such as U-Haul and Atlas have found an equilibrium between inbound and outbound residents over the past year amid rising insurance costs and interest rates, limited affordable housing, and more frequent hurricanes.

But in an interview last Monday after the workshop presentation before Boca Raton’s elected leaders, Ross told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he is looking for projects that have “impact” because of Florida’s continued status as a preferred state for business relocations, driven largely by low taxes and a state government with a penchant for deregulation.

Technology a growth driver

“As a real estate developer you want to grow things,” he said. “What I want to do at this stage of life is impactful projects. The world is changing in every single area. Growth that has been occurring has been financial services so far. We really see it in Palm Beach County. I believe that a lot of growth is going to come from technology.”

“That’s why we went out and got a great university like Vanderbilt,” he added.

“We’re about to announce a major technology company is coming to West Palm Beach,” he said. “I see Boca Raton as being able to get on that bandwagon and be a very, very attractive place for technology firms to locate here.”

Billionaire and Related Ross founder Stephen Ross listens to one of his executives press his company’s case to be chosen as the firm that would build an expansive government campus in Boca Raton west of the Brightline train station. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Ross asserts he was ahead of the pack in recognizing the potential of West Palm Beach with the construction of City Place more than two decades ago. And it was during the pandemic that he recognized Florida’s growing attraction among out-of-state residents and businesses that were seeking better tax treatment from state government and, of course, superior year-round weather.

It was an easy trend to spot: His office buildings were filling up with out-of-towners. But the area needs a stronger supporting infrastructure, he argued.

“We’re concentrating in West Palm,” he said. “We just went to Wellington. I see right now bringing the schools, the hospitals, because anybody who runs a company wants to know their kids are going to get into great colleges.”

“You can’t grow a community unless you have a great education,” he said.

Along that vein in Wellington, Related Ross is working to build out a mixed-use section that includes a charter school.

According to a company spokesperson, Related Ross has been working with ElevateED to open a not-for-profit K-12 private school on a 70-acre lot that was public land owned by the village. A purchase and sales agreement, approved by the Village of Wellington in January, saw Related Ross buy 35 acres while the school bought the other 35 acres. The village approved the project in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Next up are approvals and discussions with the village on a Related Ross mixed-use proposal including dining, retail, a boutique hotel with up to 150 rooms, and residential. Overall, the project took into account Wellington’s demand for more K-12 education options, and the residents’ strong desire for local dining and retail so they wouldn’t have to leave the village.

4 proposals, 1 future for Boca Raton: Developers compete to reshape area near Brightline station

At the Boca Raton workshop last week, Ross told the City Council that Related Ross, which owns large amounts of commercial space in the county, is now concentrating all of its development efforts there.

“We are strictly focusing all of our attention in Palm Beach County,” he said.

In the meantime, Related Ross, which was participating in a supertall office tower project with Hong Kong-based Swire in Miami’s Brickell Avenue section, is no longer involved as Swire elected to sell the land. The latter company determined that the office market has slowed to the extent that it could not expedite the project, according to a person familiar with the situation.

A national slowdown in the office market has caused concern among various local governments considering mixed-use projects. But Greg Martin of the commercial real estate firm Avison Young said there is little doubt in-migration will continue to propel demand in Florida.

“We’re going to continue to see people moving here, and that’s going to impact all sectors,” he said, adding the market has “taken a breath” from the surge during COVID.

“There’s going to be continued need for new offices; people are making a flight towards quality,” he said.

Developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is making a bid for his Related Ross company to develop the Boca Government Campus. “”What I want to do at this stage of life is impactful projects,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Rising competition

But Ross is seeing more competition from other developers, some of whom are looking north from Miami-Dade County and from out-of-state.

The Boca Center LLC, led by Terra of Miami, is teaming with the Frisbie Group of West Palm Beach for the Boca Raton government project. Out-of-state firms RocPoint of Atlanta and Namdar Group of Great Neck, N.Y., are also competing for the prize.

Jorge Perez, of the Related Group, a partner of Ross until the two had an amicable split several years ago, is building multiple projects around the county including a Ritz-Carlton Residences in West Palm Beach.

Ross declined to rate or discuss his rivals’ proposals in Boca Raton.

David Martin, founder and CEO of Terra, said competition is good for the industry.

“It really provides for developers an opportunity to establish a point of view and be creative and innovative,” he told the Sun Sentinel, asserting his firm is South Florida’s most active developer.

“We welcome the competition and we think it’s proper, prudent and part of capitalism and the American way,” he said. “We welcome and enjoy the competition and the ideas of placemaking.”

But City Council members warned the applicants they were not in the market for a “city within a city.”

That means all of the contenders will need to balance what they believe is in the best interest of Boca Raton with what the elected officials are hearing from the constituents. The size, scope and diversity of some proposals have resulted in some citizen pushback.

All the applicants said they are mindful of the city’s needs.

“I think that it’s really a meeting of the minds to decide the mix of retail, residential, and office density,” said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the county’s Business Development Board, who attended the Monday workshop.

It is the role of the elected officials, she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “to ensure that future developments are comfortable with their goals and the needs and desires of the residents.”

“And if the city wants a successful developer to deliver a quality project, they often times have to negotiate so it is a happy medium or win-win for all,” she said.

Smallridge noted that Ross personally has gone out of his way to help her agency recruit businesses considering moves to Palm Beach County. Once, he made his Hudson Yards office in New York available to her and a group of school headmasters who were on a recruiting trip so she didn’t have to rent space.

“They really take a tremendous amount of time to dive deep and listen to the community,” she said of Ross’ firm. “It’s unbelievable the targeted approach they take when it comes to developing a new project in an area. They do a lot of listening tours.”

Big firms scouting Florida want bigger office space, Dolphins owner and developer Stephen Ross says

West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James had favorable comments for both Terra and Related Ross — offering a testimonial in a video shown at the workshop on Terra’s behalf.

“It’s not a one-sided ask,” James told the Sun Sentinel of proposals from Ross. “I think he gets it that the rising tide raises all boats. We can’t have a tale of two cities here.”

He cited a Related project called The Laurel, which is south of Ross’ 360 Rosemary office building in West Palm Beach.

“It’s market-rate rental apartments,” James said.

In exchange for additional height, the mayor recalled, “we incorporated in the building a number of workforce housing units. It was the first time we had any construction of workforce housing in our downtown.”

To the south in Broward County, a place Ross has called “mature” for its heavily developed spaces, Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, said this: “I wish I had a Stephen Ross, to be honest with you.”

Ross’ community presence, he said, evokes memories of another area billionaire, the late H. Wayne Huizenga, who built and expanded local companies and preceded Ross as owner of the Miami Dolphins, and brought Major League Baseball’s Marlins and the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers to the region.

Swindell acknowledged how Ross regards Broward. Its raw land supply is limited and most development is an exercise in in-fill — demolishing the old to make way for new construction in places such as Flagler Village.

“I’d like to take Mr. Ross myself and show him a little of what’s available there,” Swindell said. “I know there are a lot of cities that would like to do a public-private partnership.”

ASK IRA: Did the Lakers just wind up with Pat Riley’s whale?

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 01:39

Q: Ira, the Lakers did it again in acquiring the NBA’s brightest star, Luka Dončić, in the mega blockbuster trade of Anthony Davis. Much will be written and said about the winners and losers in this trade, with the Mavs likely to take the brunt of the criticism. But aren’t the Heat big losers, too? You have correctly reported throughout the Jimmy Butler debacle that the Heat’s overarching goal was to open up cap space in the 2026 offseason, when the Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier contracts would come off the books and Luka would be eligible to opt out. Without a doubt, Luka was the whale that Pat Riley was chasing. This really blows up the Heat’s hopeful plans. What now? – Terry, Knoxville, Tenn.

A: Rarely am I willing to go from Point A to Point Z when it comes to trade speculation, but in this case I did have somewhat of belief that the Heat’s eyes long have been on Luka Doncic, to set up another Slovenian connection along the lines of Goran Dragic (who certainly has been around Kaseya Center often enough in the wake of his retirement). But this is nothing like, say, Kevin Durant or Damian Lillard getting away. The Heat’s Luka lust was a long-term vision and perhaps hope. Then again, so were LeBron James and Chris Bosh. So this should not sting from a Heat perspective. And yet, to a degree, it still does. What might sting even more is not even a phone call from the Mavericks. Because if they had asked for Bam Adebayo . . . ? The fact that the Doncic move came a day before the De’Aaron Fox move certainly did not make it the best of weekends for Pat Riley or the Heat front office.

Miami Heat | Submit your “Ask Ira” question here!

Q: You know, we have a pretty good conditioning program down in South Florida, not sure if Nico Harrison knew about that, though it would have been a pretty strong blow to Heat Culture to ship Bam Adebayo out suddenly, and it sounds like the Mavericks definitely had the hots for Anthony Davis. Larger picture, are we seeing something, both home and away, that speaks to a new way of GMs/teams working in the NBA, especially with top stars? While everyone over a certain line of play understandably demands max money, given the combo of health and availability of top stars like Jimmy Butler (though that’s a combo of health and interest/disinterest), do you think we will see some changes? I would expect fewer teams will be willing to just max out even multi-time All-Stars just because they are stars, and fewer markets will be able to take on the burden of these mega-mega contracts coming up. – Phillip, Portland, Ore.

A: Dallas’ approach still seems somewhat like the exception. But other teams have done this before, to get ahead of free agency, such as when the Pacers moved off of Paul George. On the flip side, is the Heat not moving on Jimmy Butler last summer, ahead of his ability to opt out this coming summer. So it comes down to whether you also want to live in the moment. As for teams backing off with maximum commitments, that assuredly will remain an exception. For as much money as we’re talking, we’re also talking about an NBA eco system flush with cash. When you factor in franchise appreciation and the new media deals, this is a very hard business to lose money.

Q: Ira, after the big Laker/Mavs trade, it looks like the Lakers are giving up on this season and are looking to rebuild around Luka Doncic. The Lakers have no center, no 3-point shooting and Luka and LeBron James both need the ball in their hands. I can see this three-way trade happening: LeBron to the Warriors, Jimmy Butler to the Lakers and Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and draft picks to the Heat. Your thoughts? – Joel.

A: I do believe that with the first big deals of the trading period now having gone down (Doncic, Fox) that it could be the precursor to move others into action. And the Warriors yet could stand as a realistic conduit for both the Heat and Jimmy Butler, despite speculation now otherwise. This all is fluid, very fluid, a high-stakes game of liar’s poker.

Reject RFK Jr. and his conspiracy theories | Letters to the editor

Mon, 02/03/2025 - 01:38

The United States Senate must reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

As we saw at a Senate committee hearing last week in Washington, Kennedy lacks the qualifications, experience and credibility required to oversee our nation’s health care system.

The secretary must have the experience and expertise necessary to effectively lead the many critical departments under HHS that promote and protect public health. RFK Jr.’s track record is profoundly disturbing and shows that he promotes dangerous health misinformation and conspiracy theories in ways that directly threaten public safety.

Our families deserve leadership rooted in science, truth and responsibility — not conspiracy and recklessness.

As a concerned mother, I urge our senators to vote no on this nomination.

Vanessa Haim, Weston

Hegseth got off too easy

I have no doubt, based on his military record, that Pete Hegseth could play an important role instilling a “warrior ethos” at the Pentagon, but it should be a subordinate role to someone more qualified, who can deal with the vital international relationships that a defense secretary must navigate.

Regrettably, the Hegseth hearings were a typical Kabuki dance, with Democrats mostly chasing the shiny objects — sex and drinking — and Republicans outraged in response. Only Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii came close to a substantive question when she asked Hegseth to name one member of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Hegseth responded by mentioning Australia, South Korea and Japan, none of which are ASEAN members. Where were the questions of his thoughts on NATO or the China vs. Taiwan issue, or the key international interlocutors with whom he will need to interact? Maybe he knows these things and maybe not, but we shouldn’t have to guess.

Ray Kengott, Fort Lauderdale

Confirmation hearings a farce

I suggest doing away with the rest of the Senate confirmation hearings on President Trump’s appointees.

Congress showed its lack of backbone by confirming an obviously unfit Pete Hegseth, so we can assume everyone else The King puts forth will be rubber-stamped, too. Maybe he threatened to send a newly-released Proud Boy after any senator who voted no. The only ones showed any gumption were the two women (Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska).

Hilary Sinberg, Delray Beach

(Editor’s Note: A third Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell, voted against Hegseth, making the Senate vote 50 to 50. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie in Hegseth’s favor).

Unconvinced of change

Regarding Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as U.S. Defense Secretary: “A leopard never changes his spots.”

Pat Eland, Delray Beach

Paper’s opinions are ‘too liberal’ Steve Bousquet/Sun SentinelThe Sun Sentinel on a driveway in a Pompano Beach neighborhood.

It’s no wonder people aren’t reading your newspaper anymore. Your opinions are too liberal for what’s taking place in the world right now.

So you can write all you want, but the people have spoken.

We now have a great commander-in-chief in the White House and a great governor running Florida — the state where most people out of state want to move.

Soon the Sun Sentinel will be a relic. You will all be working for MSNBC, if they stay in business (its parent company is looking to dump them).

A new day has risen and folks are going to enjoy it.

Steve Goldsmith, Delray Beach

Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.

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Beyoncé wins album of the year at the 2025 Grammys for ‘Cowboy Carter’

Sun, 02/02/2025 - 21:58

By MARIA SHERMAN, Associated Press Music Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé has won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2025 Grammys, delivering her — at last — the show’s elusive top award.

The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, has been up for the category four times before and many feel she has been snubbed by its top honors.

In winning album of the year with “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé has become the first Black woman to win the top prize in the 21st century. The last was Lauryn Hill with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” 26 years ago. Before her was Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston. That means Beyoncé is only the fourth Black woman to win album of the year at the Grammys.

Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department presented Beyoncé with the trophy Sunday, one of several times the show reflected the recent wildfires that burned thousands of homes.

“It’s been many, many years,” Beyoncé said in her speech. “I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell,” she said, referencing Linda Martell, the performer who became the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry.

“We finally saw it happen, everyone,” host Trevor Noah said, nodding to the long overdue achievement for one of music’s transcendent artists.

Kendrick Lamar won song and record of the year for his diss track “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Grammys, taking home two of the night’s most prestigious awards.

“We’re gonna dedicate this one to the city,” Lamar said before shouting out Los Angeles area neighborhoods.

Kendrick Lamar, left, accepts the record of the year award for “Not Like Us during the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. Mustard looks on from right. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

It is the second hip-hop single to ever win in the category. The first was Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.”

The Weeknd mends fences, Chappell Roan challenges music industry

The Weeknd has mended his fractious relationship with the Grammy Awards with a surprise performance of his new single, “Cry For Me” and “Timeless” with Playboi Carti.

His decision is a direct reflection of the changes the Recording Academy has made to diversify its voting body, CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in his introduction. The Weeknd has been openly critical of the Grammys organization, dating back to 2020 when he wrote on Twitter: “The Grammys remain corrupt.”

It was just one of many pleasant surprises Sunday night. Chappell Roan was named best new artist at the 2025 Grammys.

She read a speech from a notebook, speaking directly to major labels and the music industry, instructing them to “offer a living wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists.” She described getting signed as a minor, getting dropped and entering the workforce during COVID-19 with no work experience and no health care. She asked them to treat artists like “valuable employees.”

Chappell Roan arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

“Labels, we got you,” she concluded her speech. “But do you got us?”

Beyoncé and Chappell Roan give Grammys a country theme

In one of the biggest moments of the evening so far, Taylor Swift presented the award for best country album at the 2025 Grammys to Beyoncé. She became the first Black woman to ever win in the category.

“Genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists,” she said in her speech. “I’m still in shock. Thank you so much for this honor.”

Beyoncé entered the night as the leading nominee.

A little bit of the wild west, a little bit of West Hollywood. Roan brought a rocking version of her “Pink Pony Club” to the 2025 Grammy stage. Joined by a posse of dancing clown cowboys, she sang from atop a giant pink horse.

Los Angeles on the mind

In incorporating the wildfires throughout the show, the Grammys put the spotlight on the city’s resiliency.

Noah’s opening speech was dedicated to those affected by the fires, promising a show that not only celebrates them, but one that also celebrates “the city that brought us so much of that music.” The Grammys have also allotted ad time to be used by local businesses affected by the fires.

As the show neared its end, Noah announced that viewers had contributed $7 million to relief efforts Sunday night so far.

On a stage set up to look like the mountains of Los Angeles, the LA born-and-raised Billie Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas performed her hit “Birds of a Feather.” It was one of a number of ways the show seeks to salute the city. “We love you LA,” she told the crowd at the end of the set.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Billie Eilish attends the 67th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

The show kicked off with a powerful opening performance of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” by Dawes — whose members were directly affected by the Eaton fire — backed by John Legend, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard and St. Vincent.

Star studded performances and victories

The first televised award went to Doechii for best rap album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal.”

The tears were immediate. “This category was introduced in 1989. Two women have won, Lauryn Hill —” she said, correcting herself. “Three women have won. Lauryn Hill, Cardi B and Doechii.”

Will Smith introduced a tribute to the late, great, legendary producer Quincy Jones. “In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say he changed mine forever,” he said. “You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was without Quincy Jones.”

Jones died in November at age 91. Kicked off by Cynthia Erivo, accompanied by Herbie Hancock on piano, the “Wicked” star sang Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” Then came Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier with “Let the Good Times Roll,” followed by Stevie Wonder and Hancock busting out “Bluesette” and “We Are The World.” For the latter, they were joined by student singers from two schools that were lost in the LA-area fires.

Then, Janelle Monae with an inspired rendition of “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” channeling Michael Jackson in a sparkly tuxedo and an effortless moonwalk.

The Beatles’ “Now and Then,” which used AI technology, took home best rock performance. Sean Lennon accepted the award on behalf of his father John Lennon. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best band of all time,” he said of the Beatles.

First time winners were abundant. They included Carpenter, Roan, Doechii, Charli xcx, songwriter Amy Allen, Música Mexicana star Carin León, French metal band Gojira and country folk artist Sierra Ferrell.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith led the crowd in a short singalong of their hit “Under the Bridge,” reminding the crowd to “support their friends and neighbors as they rebuild their lives,” said Kiedis. Then they presented the best pop vocal album award to Carpenter for “Short n’ Sweet.”

“I really wasn’t expecting this,” she said. “This is, woo, my first Grammy so I’m going to cry.” (She’s now won two, but the earlier award was handed out a pre-telecast ceremony that many artists don’t attend.) She also performed.

Winners use speeches to lift marginalized communities in tense political climate

Shakira won Latin pop album for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” and gave a powerful, short speech. “I want to dedicate this award to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars teamed up for a cover of “California Dreamin’.” Later, SZA presented them with the award for best pop duo/group performance for “Die With A Smile.”

“Trans people are not invisible. … The queer community deserves to be lifted up,” Gaga said in her speech.

Alicia Keys was awarded the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift,” she said in her speech, referencing diversity, equity and inclusion programs that have been scrapped recently by the U.S. government and several major corporations.

For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/GrammyAwards

Full list of 2025 Grammy Award winners

Sun, 02/02/2025 - 21:55

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and many more are Grammy winners.

Beyoncé won album of the year and best country album for “Cowboy Carter.” She entered Sunday’s Grammys with a leading 11 nominations, bringing her career total to 99 nods. That makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.

Lamar won several awards, including record of the year and song of the year, thanks to his diss track “Not Like Us.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Sounwave, winner of the Record of the Year award for “Not Like Us”, poses in the press room during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
US musician Taylor Eigsti poses in the press room Best Contemporary Instrumental Album award for “Plot Armor” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US producer Lauren Domino poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Music Film for “American Symphony Jon Batiste” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
French heavy metal band Gojira (Joe Duplantier, Mario Duplantier, Jean-Michel Labadie, Christian Andreu, Alexandre Cornillon) and Marina Viotti pose in the press room with the Grammy for Best Metal Performance for “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Rapsody, poses with Best Melodic Rap Performance award for “3:AM”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Musician Ricky Riccardi poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Album Notes award for “Centennial” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US director Matthew Heineman poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Music Film for “American Symphony Jon Batiste” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Kendrick Lamar, winner of Record Of The Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video and Song Of The Year for “Not Like Us”, poses in the press room during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
US record producer Mustard, poses with the Record of the Year award for “Not Like Us”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US record producer Sean Momberger, poses with the Record of the Year award for “Not Like Us”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Doechii, winner of the Best Rap Album award for “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” poses in the press room during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Duncan Daniels poses in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Angela V. Benson poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Global Music Album award for “ALKEBULAN II” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
(L-R) Oli Jacobs, Katie May and guest, pose with the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical award for “i/o”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US rapper Dave Free poses with Best Music Video award for “Not Like Us”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US jazz singer Samara Joy poses with the Best Jazz Performance award for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Eric Cha-Beach of S Percussion, winner of Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for “Rectangles and Circumstance” poses in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Karen Slack and Michelle Cann pose in the press room with the Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for “Behind the Years – Unpublished Songs of Florence Price” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Gabriela Ortiz, winner of Best Contemporary Classical Composition award for “Gabriela Ortiz: Revolución diamantina”, poses in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US composer Winifred Phillips poses with the Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media award for “Wizardry:Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US musician Pascal Le Boeuf, poses with Best Instrumental Composition award for “Strands” in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Peruvian singers Mimy Succar (L) and Tony Succar, pose with the Best Tropical Latin Album for “Alma, Corazon y Salsa (Live at Gran Teatro Nacional) in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello poses with Best Alternative Jazz Album award for “No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin”, in the press room during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Brandon Victor Dixon, poses in the press room with the Best Musical Theater Album for “Hell’s Kitchen,” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US musician Adam Blackstone poses in the press room with the Best Musical Theater Album for “Hell’s Kitchen,” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer John Legend poses in the press room with the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Nicholas Phan (L) and British singer Fleur Barron, pose in the press room with the award for Best Opera Recording for “Saariaho: Adriana Mater”, during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US musician Sean Lennon (L) and filmmaker Simon Hilton pose in the press room with Best Rock Performance award on behalf of The Beatles for “Now and Then” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
British singer Charli Xcx poses in the press room with Best Dance Pop Recording for “Von Dutch”, during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tarriona Ball and Norman Spence of Tank and the Bangas, pose in the press room with the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album award for “The Heart, The Mind, The Soul”, during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Lucky Daye poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “That’s You” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Singer-songwriter Matt B poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Global Music Album “Alkebulan II” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US songwriter Amy Allen poses in the press room with the Grammy for Songwriter of the Year Non-Classical during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer St. Vincent poses in the press room with the Grammys for Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Performance and Best ALternative Music Album during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Jason Carter (3L), grandson of former US President Jimmy Carter poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording for “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration Jimmy Carter” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US organist and pianist Cory Henry poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album “Church” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US singer Sierra Ferrell poses in the press room with the Grammys for Best Americana Album, Best Americana Roots Song, Best Americana Performance and Best Americana Roots Performance during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
Singer Kalani Pe’a poses in the press room with the Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album “Kuini” during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
US songwriter Melody Walker poses in the press room with the Grammy for American Roots Performance for “Lighthouse” (with Sierra Ferrell) during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
(L-R) Taylor Agan, Kellie Gamble, Lloyd Nicks and Jess Russ pose in the press room with the Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “That’s My King during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Sounwave, winner of the Record of the Year award for “Not Like Us”, poses in the press room during the 67th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Carpenter won the day’s first award — at the early Premiere Ceremony — best pop solo performance for “Espresso.” The Beatles won best rock performance for their artificial intelligence-assisted track, “Now and Then.”

During the main telecast, Doechii won her first Grammy, becoming only the third woman to ever win best rap album. Roan won the new artist award.

Comedian Trevor Noah served as telecast host for a fifth consecutive year. Justin Trantor hosted the Premiere Ceremony.

The Grammy Awards aired live on CBS and Paramount+. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers can view on demand.

Here’s a partial list of winners:

Album of the year

“Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé

Song of the year

“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar

Record of the year

“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar

Best New Artist

Chappell Roan

Best Pop Vocal Album

“Short n’ Sweet,” Sabrina Carpenter

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Espresso,” Sabrina Carpenter

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Die with a Smile,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

“Neverender,” Justice and Tame Impala

Best Pop Dance Recording

“Von dutch,” Charli xcx

Best Rap Album

“Alligator Bites Never Heal,” Doechii

Best Rap Song

“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)

Best Rap Performance

“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar

Best Melodic Rap Performance

“3,” Rapsody featuring Erykah Badu

Best R&B Performance

“Made For Me (Live on BET).” Muni Long

Best R&B Album

“11:11 (Deluxe),” Chris Brown

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“That’s You,” Lucky Daye

Best R&B Song

“Saturn,” Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solana Rowe, Jared Solomon and Scott Zhang, songwriters (SZA)

Best Progressive R&B Album

(Tie)

“Why Lawd?,” NxWorries (Anderson. Paak & Knowledge)

“So Glad to Know You,” Avery Sunshine

Best Dance Electronic Album

“BRAT,” Charli xcx

Best Rock Performance

“Now and Then,” the Beatles

Best Rock Album

“Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones

Best Remixed Recording

“Espresso (Mark Ronson x FNZ Working Late Remix),” FNZ and Mark Ronson, remixers (Sabrina Carpenter)

Best Americana Performance

“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell

Best American Roots Song

“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell and Melody Walker, songwriters

Best Americana Album

“Trail of Flowers,” Sierra Ferrell

Best Bluegrass Album

“Live Vol 1.,” Billy Strings

Best Folk Album

“Woodland,” Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Best Regional Roots Music Album

“Kuini,” Kalani Pe’a

Best Gospel Performance/Song

“One Hallelujah,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Erica Campbell and Israel Houghton, featuring Jonathan McReynolds and Jekalyn Carr. G. Morris Coleman, Israel Houghton, Kenneth Leonard Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Naomi Raine, songwriters.

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“That’s My King,” CeCe Winans, Taylor Agan, Kellie Gamble, Lloyd Nicks and Jess Russ, songwriters

Best Gospel Album

“More Than This,” CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Artist

“Heart of a Human,” DOE

Best Roots Gospel Album

“Church,” Cory Henry

Best Country Album

“Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé

Best Country Solo Performance

“It Takes A Woman,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

II MOST WANTED,” Beyoncé, featuring Miley Cyrus

Best Country Song

“The Architect,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)

Best Music Video

“American Symphony”

Best American Roots Performance

“Lighthouse,” Sierra Ferrell

Best Traditional Blues Album

“Swingin’ Live at The Church in Tulsa,” The Taj Mahal Sextet

Best Contemporary Blues Album

“Mileage,” Ruthie Foster

Best Latin Pop Album

“Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” Shakira

Best Música Urbana Album

“Las Letras Ya No Importan,” Residente

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

“¿Quien Trae las Cornetas?, ”Rawayana

Best Música Mexicana Album (including Tejano)

“Boca Chueca, Vol. 1,” Carin León

Best Tropical Latin Album

“Alma, Corazon y Salsa (Live at Gran Teatro Nacional),” Tony Succar, Mimy Succar

Best Reggae Album

“Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe),” Various Artists

Best Global Music Performance

“Bemba Colora,” Sheila E. featuring Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar

Best African Music Performance

“Love Me JeJe,” Tems

Best Jazz Vocal Album

“A Joyful Holiday,” Samara Joy

Songwriter Of The Year, non-classical

Amy Allen

Producer of the year, non-classical

Daniel Nigro

Producer of the year, classical

Elaine Martone

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

Hans Zimmer, “Dune: Part II”

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

“Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein,” Bradley Cooper and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, artists; Bradley Cooper, Yannick Nézet-Séguin & Jason Ruder, compilation producers; Steven Gizicki, music supervisor

BEST COMEDY ALBUM

“Dreamer,” Dave Chappelle

Dr. Dre Global Impact Award

Alicia Keys

For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/GrammyAwards

Carter Verhaeghe has fourth career hat trick in Panthers’ comeback victory over the red-hot Islanders

Sun, 02/02/2025 - 19:13

By ALANIS THAMES

SUNRISE — Carter Verhaeghe had his fourth career hat trick, Sam Reinhart scored his 31st goal and the Florida Panthers beat the Islanders 6-3 on Sunday night to ending New York’s winning streak at seven games.

Verhaeghe added an assist on Matthew Tkachuk’s empty-netter for a four-point night. Reinhart also had an assist.

Evan Rodrigues also scored for Florida, and Spencer Knight made 31 saves. Aleksander Barkov had three assists, and Gustav Forsling added two assists.

Kyle MacLean, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Marc Gatcomb scored for the Islanders. Jakub Skarek stopped 27 shots.

Verhaeghe opened scoring with a backhander 39 seconds into the game and gave the Panthers a two-goal lead with 7:08 left in the period.

His third came midway through the final period when he snapped home a nice cross-ice feed from Tkachuk. It was Verhaeghe’s first hat trick since April 1, 2023, when he had four goals for the Panthers in a victory over Columbus.

Takeaways

Islanders: Had not lost a game since a 5-3 loss at home to Philadelphia on Jan. 16. That was also the last time New York gave up more than two goals. During their winning streak, the Islanders outscored opponents 24-9.

Panthers: Verhaeghe has had a strong two-game stretch, with six points (four goals and two assists).

Key moment

After New York scored three straight second-period goals to take a 3-2 lead, Rodrigues tied it with 2:08 left in the second. Reinhart followed with 51 seconds to go in the period to put the Panthers back on top.

Key stat

The Panthers had five players with multiple points: Verhaeghe (4), Barkov (3), Reinhart (2), Tkachuk (2) and Forsling (2).

Up next

Both teams return to play Tuesday night. The Islanders host Vegas, and the Panthers are at Washington.

___

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Jimmy Carter wins posthumous Grammy for narrating an audiobook of his Sunday school lessons

Sun, 02/02/2025 - 18:00

By MARIA SHERMAN, Associated Press Music Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter has won a posthumous Grammy award.

Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, died in December at age 100. Prior to his passing, Carter was nominated in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category at the 2025 Grammys for “Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration,” recordings from his final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in Georgia. Musicians Darius Rucker, Lee Ann Rimes and Jon Batiste are featured on the record.

It’s Carter’s fourth Grammy. His posthumous Grammy joins his three previous ones for spoken word album.

If the former president won before his death, he would’ve become the oldest Grammy award winner in history.

Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s grandson who now chairs The Carter Center governing board, received the award on his behalf. “Having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable,” he said in an acceptance speech. “Thank you to the academy.”

In the category, Jimmy Carter beat out Barbra Streisand, George Clinton, Dolly Parton and producer Guy Oldfield.

If Streisand won instead of Carter, it would have been her first Grammy win in 38 years.

Currently, the oldest person to win a Grammy was 97-year-old Pinetop Perkins in 2011.

“He’s such an enormous music fan. He loves the creative aspect of music,” Jason Carter said backstage about his grandfather. “It’s been an important part of his political life, an important part of his personal life. He’s an artist in many ways.”

Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have two Grammys apiece. First ladies Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton have also each won.

Former presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were all nominated, but didn’t win.

AP Entertainment Writers Andrew Dalton and Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report. For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/GrammyAwards

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