South Florida Local News

Today is Saturday, Nov. 2, the 307th day of 2024. There are 59 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 2, 1948, in one of the most unexpected results in U.S. election history, Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman won the presidential election against the heavily favored Republican governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey.

Also on this date:

In 1783, Gen. George Washington issued his Farewell Address to the Army.

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In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln relieved Maj. Gen. John C. Fremont of his command of the Army’s Western Department, following Fremont’s unauthorized efforts to emancipate slaves in Missouri.

In 1947, Howard Hughes piloted his Hughes H-4 Hercules, nicknamed the ‘Spruce Goose,’ on its one and only flight; a massive wooden seaplane with a wingspan longer than a football field, it remained airborne for 26 seconds.

In 1959, Charles Van Doren testified to a Congressional committee that he had conspired with television producers to cheat on the television quiz show ‘Twenty-One.’

In 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter became the first candidate from the Deep South to be elected president since the Civil War as he defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford.

In 2000, American astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev, became the first crew to reside onboard the International Space Station; they spent a total of 136 days in the International Space Station before returning to Earth on Space Shuttle Discovery.

In 2003, in Iraq, insurgents shot down a Chinook helicopter carrying dozens of U.S. soldiers, killing 16.

In 2004, President George W. Bush was elected to a second term, defeating Sen. John Kerry, and Republicans strengthened their control of Congress.

In 2007, British college student Meredith Kercher, 21, was found slain in her bedroom in Perugia, Italy; her roommate, American Amanda Knox and Knox’s Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of killing Kercher, but both were later exonerated.

In 2016, ending a championship drought that had lasted since 1908, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in extra innings.

In 2021, the Atlanta Braves won their first World Series championship since 1995, defeating the Houston Astros in Game 6.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Tennis Hall of Famer Ken Rosewall is 90.
• Political commentator Pat Buchanan is 86.
• Olympic gold medal wrestler Bruce Baumgartner is 65.
• Singer-songwriter k.d. lang is 63.
• Playwright Lynn Nottage is 60.
• Actor David Schwimmer is 58.
• Jazz singer Kurt Elling is 57.
• Rapper Nelly is 50.
• Film director Jon Chu is 45.
• TV personality Karamo Brown (“Queer Eye”) is 44.
• NFL quarterback Jordan Love is 26.

BELLE GLADE — Ar’Maud Stinfort scored from 10 yards out on the first play of overtime as unbeaten host Glades Central, after a frenetic rally by Pahokee, won the annual Muck Bowl 23-16 on Friday night.

Glades Central (9-0) capitalized on self-inflicted wounds by the visiting Blue Devils (6-3) such as 6-yard and 13-yard punts and four fumbles, one which the home team recovered as the Raiders built a 16-0 lead only to watch Pahokee rally in front of a jam-packed, standing room only crowd estimated at 5,000.

“Man, this is a wonderful win, give God all of the glory,” said Glades Central first-year coach Omar Haugabook. “This is the Muck Bowl. This is what you are talking about. This is the rebirth of the rivalry of the Muck Bowl. Look at the crowd. All the shoutouts to both teams and the community.

“The rebuild is real,” added Haugabook as Glades Central snapped a three-game losing skid in the Muck Bowl to run its record to 26-17 in the all-time series. Pahokee had also won six of the past seven meetings. “They were able to tie it up, but we just worked hard and pulled it out. They didn’t give up.”

Stinfort scored untouched on the first play of overtime from 10 yards out to give the Raiders a 23-16 lead. He finished the game with 22 carries for 77 yards. He also had two catches for 28 yards and wound up with two scores.

Pahokee’s Rashon Brown then ran two consecutive times for 7 yards before he limped off with a knee injury on their overtime series. Blue Devils quarterback Zay Mitchell threw an incomplete pass on third down and backup running back Larry Warren was hauled down for a 2-yard loss to end the game and touched off a wild celebration. Brown finished with 121 rushing yards on 18 carries.

“This is a dream,” said Stinfort. “We have been losing for three years straight. I remember when we lost last year (55-23). I was devastated. I was hurt. We just had to come (back) as a team. This is tradition and I had to do my part.

“I am just so thankful for this,” he continued. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life. It’s the hood holiday. It’s the Muck Bowl.”

Glades Central stretched the lead to 16-0 with two quick scoring tosses in the third quarter by Taj Barnes, one on a 13-yard TD pass from Barnes to Jermyll Ray with 7:46 left, and a 27-yard TD pass to Stinfort with 4:55 remaining in the third.

Pahokee finally came alive, though, scoring 16 straight points to force overtime. After Stinfort’s score, the Blue Devils took the ensuing kickoff and marched 56 yards in six plays on Mitchell’s first of two second-half TD runs to trim the lead to 16-6 entering the final quarter. Mitchell scampered 12 yards for the score; however, the 2-point conversion attempt failed.

Pahokee pulled to within 16-9 on a 26-yard field goal by Jose Jaimes with 9:22 left in the game after getting great field possession on a poor snap that gave them the ball on the Raiders’ 33. Mitchell tied the game on a 7-yard run with 3:22 left to force overtime.

Pahokee had the ball with 1:48 remaining in the game on the 40-yard line but could only get to the Glades Central 35 before a swarm of Raiders defenders sacked Mitchell for a 7-yard loss to end regulation.

Glades Central controlled most of the first half, tripling the number of plays that Pahokee was able to muster 36-12, but they came up empty twice in the red zone.

The Raiders finally got on the scoreboard with 26 seconds remaining when Pahokee’s Herbert Crawford attempted to punt from his own 19, but the snap was short-hopped, and he was smothered in the end zone for a safety.

First-year Pahokee head coach Carlos Lammons Sr. was upset with the loss, but happy with the second-half turnaround.

“We preach resiliency,” Lammons Sr. said. “We never give up and we fight to the end. With me at the lead, you will always see a team that will fight to the end. That’s my attitude. I preach positivity. We could be down 40-0, but we will play hard the entire game. It showed tonight. We dug ourselves too deep of a hole.”

“Obviously, you want to win every game, but there are a lot of positive things to find out through a loss,” he added. “We had some bright spots, and we had some negative spots and that is for me to clean up as a head coach and we will.”

BOCA RATON — West Boca junior running back Javian Mallory rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns to lift the host Bulls to a 28-14 victory against Atlantic on Friday night.

West Boca (9-0) remained unbeaten while Atlantic (8-1) suffered their first loss of the season. The two teams were both awarded victories this week from earlier in the season after a loss was overturned and ruled a forfeit by an opponent.

Deandre Designer (1) of Atlantic fumbles near his own end zone as Marc-Sanchtz Lordeus (22) of West Boca closes in on the play during the fourth quarter at West Boca High. Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).

Mallory had a 99-yard touchdown run called back on a penalty in the first quarter. He still rushed for an 8-yard touchdown and 1-yard score in the second quarter and added a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

“We knew we were going to come in and dominate,” Mallory said. “I know I am the best player in the county. Get the ball to me and I am going to make it happen. My O-line blocked very hard this game. It’s all a family and everybody was proud of each other. There are no egos on this team. As long as we get the win, that is the mentality. That is why I love this team and I feel like we are going to go very far.”

West Boca defeated Atlantic in the regional quarterfinal last season in dramatic fashion with a Hail Mary on the final play of the game. Mallory was looking forward to competing in another game against Atlantic.

“This game was circled on my calendar and it was real personal for me,” Mallory said. “There was a lot of talking going into this game. I know who I am and what we can do. We came out and proved it. It’s a great confidence booster. The mindset is to keep working and continue to be great.”

After a scoreless first quarter, West Boca led 14-6 at halftime and 21-14 at the end of the third. The Bulls sealed the victory with a touchdown late in the fourth.

Quarterback Mason Mallory (7) of West Boca hands off to Javian Mallory (3) against Atlantic during the first half at West Boca High. Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).

“We wanted to run the football all game,” West Boca coach Dylan Potts said. “We came out and really did that. We got the pass game going a little bit in the second half. The defense did a good job of bending, but not breaking. It was a total team effort. I am so proud of the kids for coming out and really answering the call tonight. That’s a really good football team and they have a lot of big-time players over there and great coaches. We knew it was going to be a dogfight and hats off to our kids.”

Atlantic senior quarterback Lincoln Graf passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

“It prepares us a lot for the playoffs and this was a playoff atmosphere,” Atlantic coach Jamelle Murray said. “They did a good job running the ball and we just got to get them off the field. We had a couple of times that we had them on third down and we did not execute.”

Atlantic started the opening possession of the contest from the 25-yard line. The Eagles had a 17-play opening drive that took 8:01 off the clock. However, they failed to score on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

West Boca responded with an eight play, 99-yard scoring drive. On the first play on offense, Mallory had a 99-yard scamper called back as the ball was placed at the Bulls 47. Mallory’s 8-yard touchdown run made it 6-0 in the second quarter. West Boca’s extra point attempt was blocked.

Quarterback Lincoln Graf (19) of Atlantic hands off to Legend Felican (0) against West Boca during the second half at West Boca High. Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).

Atlantic had a three play, 61-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession. Senior running back Deandre Desinor had a 28-yard run down the right sideline. On the next play, Graf connected with senior wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann for a 30-yard touchdown to tie the score with 10 minutes left in the first half. Atlantic’s extra point attempt was also blocked.

West Boca jumped ahead late in the second quarter. On fourth-and-2 from the Bulls 48, Mallory rushed for a 41-yard gain and then had a 1-yard score, and sophomore quarterback Trey Moran added a two-point conversion run to make it 14-6 with 40 seconds left in the first half.

Mallory powered his way for a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:57 left in the third quarter.

Atlantic responded as Graf connected with Hoffmann on a fourth-down completion to the Bulls’ 38-yard line. Graf tossed a 22-yard scoring pass to junior wide receiver James Jones with 10 seconds left in the third quarter. Graf then fired a pass to Desinor in the end zone for the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 21-14.

West Boca junior Xavier Reid recovered a fumble at the Atlantic 7-yard line late in the fourth. On third-and-goal, Moran had a 4-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Anderson Gracilien with 3:57 left.

“We have a lot of things to clean up,” Potts said. “We left some points out there. At the end of the day, we found a way to win and that says a lot about our kids.”

Javian Mallory (3) of West Boca carries Tyrell Owens (8) of Atlantic into the end zone for a touchdown during the first half at West Boca High. Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).

General Daily Insight for November 02, 2024

Finding meaning in suffering is an option at this moment. When optimistic Jupiter sextiles intense Chiron, we’ll potentially recognize and be grateful for the lessons we learned from difficult experiences. Brilliant Mercury in probing Scorpio then engages with motivated Mars and profound Pluto, strengthening us to dig deep into the details of troubling events. Once Mercury passes into trailblazing Sagittarius at 3:18 pm EDT, however, it will be time to look at the big picture and figure out how to move forward.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Talking things out could be healing today. While helpful Jupiter in your communication zone aligns with wounded Chiron in your sign, opening up about a personal issue is a good way to get yourself the support you need. Contrastingly, once the impact of letting someone else into your heart recedes, you may have some work to do in reshaping your general view of the world. The expectations you hold regarding what’s supposed to happen can be subtle, but they often make a big impact.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

A financial windfall could be about to arrive with surprising consequences in tow. When auspicious Jupiter in your resourceful 2nd house engages with touchy Chiron in your anxious 12th house, you might wind up with enough money to make it obvious that some of your problems aren’t really finance-related. Insecurities founded in other issues may be harder to pin down, but it’s helpful to know what’s not to blame. With that out of the way, you’ll probably see any decisions concerning your investments more clearly.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Searching for insight on a difficult dynamic with a friend group or organization you belong to is likely to be fruitful at the moment. You’ve potentially picked up the impression that people there are judging you. In truth, the issue might have more to do with your lack of confidence. As articulate Mercury moves into your relationship zone, consider talking things over with someone who knows the situation. They may see aspects of it that are just outside your field of vision.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

The idea of claiming authority might be scary for you at present. Maybe you don’t have to do it in a way that attracts a lot of attention! Once nimble Mercury passes into your grounded 6th house, simply taking care of practical tasks is both useful and a way to build confidence in your judgment. No matter how intimidatingly grand your larger goal is, you’ll ultimately have to make it work on a day-to-day level. Start there for the time being.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Friends could currently draw your attention toward a belief you hold that isn’t serving you. Still, you may associate this idea with your upbringing in a comforting way, making you reluctant to give it up. You don’t need to deny the existence of those positive feelings — sentimental attachment is very common! Even so, as logical Mercury enters your 5th House of Self-Expression, consider the possibility that there are other forms of pleasure you’d also find appealing. Weigh one potential good against another.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You’re potentially on the cusp of a major breakthrough at the moment. Can you trust someone else to help you cross the finish line? While confident Jupiter in your ambitious 10th house nudges wary Chiron in your 8th House of Sharing, you might find that leaning on a collaborator goes impressively well. You may even be tempted to reconsider a perspective based on past partnerships that went poorly. Communication is key to getting it right this time, and so is questioning your assumptions.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Looking for perspective on a relationship drama is probably necessary now. Is the problem whatever actually happened between the two of you, or is your pain coming from your belief that something else should have happened? You have the right to value what you value, but don’t let inflated expectations block your view of any potentially good things already in front of you. Try to sort out your thoughts and make sure you’re being reasonable — ideally before you confront the other person.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You may currently resent the need to take care of unpleasant responsibilities when you’d rather be doing something more fun. Perhaps your perspective will change once you get going on your tasks. As enthusiastic Jupiter in your sharing sector encourages angsty Chiron in your dutiful 6th house, seeing how the effort you’re putting in uplifts those you care about can spur you to keep going. There might also be a possibility of material gain in the equation for you, so stay alert!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

A pep talk from a loved one could boost your self-confidence at this time. While upbeat Jupiter in your partnership zone complements awkward Chiron in your expressive 5th house, your companion might be able to articulate what you get right more clearly than you could say it yourself. If they come up with any phrases or sayings that really resonate with you, don’t be afraid to borrow them for your personal use. Embrace the opportunity to build a friendlier internal monologue!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Cleaning up can work wonders for your mental game at present. Although intellectual Mercury is shifting into your contemplation sector starting today, you might find it hard to settle down at first — there are potentially just too many thoughts bouncing around in your head! Journaling out some of your pressing brainstorms could be useful, but don’t overlook the potential benefits of tidying up your physical environment as well. A cluttered atmosphere may distract you more than you consciously realize.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your social life could be on the verge of heating up. As communication planet Mercury powers into your 11th House of Networking, you’ll probably have more opportunities than usual to connect with others. You might want to start thinking about what you’ll tell them! Although you’re potentially aware of your personal sore spots at the moment, don’t go into conversations looking for slights to be offended by — try to figure out how your pain can increase your empathy for your companions instead.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Getting in touch with your ambition is possible now. With clear-thinking Mercury entering your 10th House of Career, you’re capable of seeing a field of opportunities in front of you. You might also want to look within and understand your motivations better. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to earn more money — just remember that finances aren’t the only thing that counts as you determine what will make you feel secure. Study the whole picture to pick the best path available to you.

BOCA RATON — Bryce Archie threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in a 24-point third quarter, and South Florida pulled away for a 44-21 victory over Florida Atlantic on Friday night.

South Florida (4-4, 2-2 American Athletic Conference) trailed 14-7 at halftime, but Archie pulled the Bulls even with a 1-yard touchdown run on their first possession of the third quarter.

Cam Fancher answered with a 63-yard scoring strike to CJ Campbell Jr. four plays later to regain the lead for Florida Atlantic (2-6, 0-4). But Archie sandwiched a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sean Atkins and a 3-yarder to Kelley Joiner around John Cannon’s 34-yard field goal in a 17-point run that left the Bulls with a 31-21 advantage heading to the final quarter.

Joiner had a 17-yard touchdown run and Ta’Ron Keith scored on a 55-yard run from there as South Florida outscored the Owls 37-7 in the second half for its second straight win after a three-game slide.

Campbell scored on a 9-yard run to give FAU a 7-0 lead after one quarter.

The Bulls pulled even midway through the second quarter on a 64-yard touchdown run by Nay’Quan Wright. Campbell scored on a 30-yard run on third-and-3 to put the Owls in front 14-7 at halftime.

Archie completed 19 of 32 passes for 206 yards for South Florida. Wright had 117 yards on 17 carries; Joiner rushed 11 times for 89 yards; and Keith had 81 yards on his three carries as the Bulls rushed for 319.

Fancher totaled 306 yards on 22-for-42 passing for the Owls. Campbell carried 12 times for 90 yards and caught five passes for 78.

___

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Jill Tracey Folmar, a well-known South Florida radio personality and current candidate for Hollywood city commission, has died at age 60.

Originally from Detroit, Jill Tracey, as she was known professionally, was a long-time personality on Miami’s WHQT Hot 105 and had been in the radio industry for three decades, including on WEDR 99Jamz. She was in a three-way race with Peter Hernandez and Richard Walker for Hollywood’s District 2 commission seat in next week’s election.

Throughout her career, Tracey served as news director at Hot 105 and was a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists South Florida chapter, the NABJ said in a statement shared with the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday evening.

A biography page on the Hot 105 website says Tracey hosted the show “Hot Talk” and co-hosted the Rickey Smiley morning show. She was involved with numerous South Florida organizations and nonprofits, including the Embrace Girls Foundation and the NFL Sisters in Service. She attended Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens.

“We are very saddened to hear of Jill Tracey’s passing and extend our condolences to her family and all her friends and fans across the many years of her public life,” Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said in a statement Friday evening. “As a candidate for City Commissioner, we got to know her as a fun-loving spirit who wanted the best for our city. We will continue with that spirit and in her honor.”

Hernandez told the Sun Sentinel: “I liked her. She was fun, she was vibrant, and as a candidate, I liked her. We got along great. It is really sad.”

Tracey was found dead in her home Friday, Stephanie Anderson, a long-time friend of Tracey, told the Sun Sentinel. She lived alone with her two dogs, her “fur daughters,” Lola and Joy. Anderson said police did not expect any foul play.

“She did have some health issues, but her death was completely unexpected,” Anderson said.

Anderson said Tracey was the type of person who “went all out for her community,” in her career and in her personal life, volunteering with local organizations and mentoring in the community. She was passionate about preserving the city of Hollywood’s history and wanted to advocate for affordable housing for working people in the city, Anderson said.

“What ultimately drew me to her was just her spirit. We were kindred spirits,” Anderson said. “There wasn’t anything that has been asked of Jill Tracey in this community in the last 30 years that she has not done … She was here, 100%, for South Florida.”

Anderson said she spent at least part of every Thanksgiving for more than a decade at Tracey’s home, where she hosted a dinner with her friends. She was the kind of friend who hosted barbecues at her pool with friends, and they’d all gather around to talk about community issues.

“I would ask that at this time that we’re going through, at this particular time in our nation that we’re going through, that everybody sort of take a little piece of her in terms of coming together and loving each other because no matter what — it doesn’t matter if she agreed with a person or disagreed with them, she was so respectful and so loving and so kind,” Anderson said.

Tracey’s friend and another well-known South Florida radio personality “Supa Cindy,” first met Tracey while she was on air at 99Jamz more than two decades ago, before she transitioned to Hot 105.

The Miami Herald reported in June that Tracey was fired from the radio station. Supa Cindy said she does not want Tracey to remembered for the ending of her career, but rather that she is remembered as “legendry, royalty, a GOAT (greatest of all time)” in the industry.

Supa Cindy recalled Tracey’s “infectious laugh,” her larger-than-life personality and distinct style and “flavor” that made her stand out from others, including her signature saying, “Love you, mean it.” She was “the it girl” in the Miami radio world, she said.

Lisa Arneaud, a spokesperson for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, told the Sun Sentinel that the votes Tracey received will still tabulate on election night.

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ federal corruption trial will begin next April, a judge ruled Friday, right in the thick of his promised reelection campaign.

U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho set the trial date as Adams returned to Manhattan federal court for a hearing on his bid to eliminate a key charge in the indictment that threatens his political future.

Ho said he’s confident the April 21, 2025, date will hold, “assuming nothing unexpected comes up.”

At the same time, prosecutors said they still haven’t been able to crack a potentially crucial piece of evidence: Adams’ personal cellphone. According to his indictment, Adams changed his password just before giving the phone to authorities, then claimed he forgot it.

Adams’ lawyers are fighting to throw out a bribery charge, one of five counts against the first-term Democrat.

They argued the charge doesn’t meet the U.S. Supreme Court’s recently narrowed threshold for the crime and shouldn’t apply to Adams because it involves allegations dating to before he became mayor.

“The prosecutor for the United States had trouble defining what the ‘quo’ is here,” Adams’ lawyer John Bash argued, referring a “quid pro quo,” a Latin phrase meaning “something for something.”

Prosecutors countered that Adams’ lawyers were splitting hairs because, they allege, Adams was taking bribes and exerting influence while holding a prior elected office and as he anticipated becoming mayor.

Ho said he would take the arguments “under advisement and attempt to rule shortly.”

The indictment, which also includes wire fraud and conspiracy charges, accuses Adams of accepting flight upgrades and other luxury travel perks valued at $100,000 along with illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence.

In exchange, prosecutors say, Adams performed favors benefiting the Turkish government, including pressuring the fire department in 2021 to approve the opening of a consulate that it deemed unsafe.

Adams held a different elected position at the time, Brooklyn borough president, but by then it was clear that he would become mayor.

Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges and vowed to remain in office as he mounts his legal defense.

Bash argued the alleged perks don’t meet the legal definition of bribery because they predate his time as mayor and have “nothing to do with his governmental position.”

Adams’ lawyers contend prosecutors are seeking to criminalize “normal and perfectly lawful acts” that Adams undertook as Brooklyn borough president before he was elected mayor.

Under the law, prosecutors must show that Adams took bribes in exchange for using his official office to exert influence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagan Scotten argued that Adams knew he was “entering into a transactional relationship” with his Turkish benefactors and that his role as borough president “gets him in the room, as it were, with the fire commissioner.”

Ho wondered whether, rather than Adams’ job as borough president, it was Adams’ impending move to City Hall that gave him the power to pressure the fire department.

“It seems a little weird when the jurisdictional connection here is that he was Brooklyn borough president but that his ability to exert pressure extends from something else,” Ho said.

Scotten stood firm, arguing that “if Margot Robbie gave him a call and was really persuasive,” the “Barbie” actor and producer still wouldn’t be able to influence the fire department without also holding an elected office.

“He probably would’ve taken that call,” Ho quipped, prompting laughter in the courtroom.

Zeroing in on the incongruity of the law — campaign contributions are legal, but bribes are not — Bash argued that it would be perfectly fine for a public official to pressure a casino licensing board on behalf of a campaign donor.

“A general agreement to help is not a federal crime,” Bash argued.

Adams sat stoically for most of the two-hour hearing, but he perked up just before Ho set the trial date — nodding emphatically as another of his lawyers, Alex Spiro, warned that a trial overlapping with next June’s Democratic primary would be a “grave, grave democratic concern.”

Scotten said at a hearing last month that prosecutors are pursuing “several related investigations” and that it is “quite likely” they will seek a superseding indictment charging Adams with additional crimes. Scotten also said it is “likely” additional defendants will be charged.

Prosecutors disclosed Friday that they’ve searched through nearly two-dozen electronic devices seized in the investigation but still haven’t been able to access Adams’ cellphone and aren’t sure they will.

Late Thursday, Ho rejected another defense attempt to chip away at the case, denying Adams’ request for a hearing on the mayor’s claims that the government has been leaking information about the investigation to the news media.

The judge ruled that Adams and his lawyers failed to substantiate those claims and, if any leaks occurred, that the government was to blame.

In court filings outlining their arguments, Adams’ lawyers said the years of flight upgrades and other perks the mayor received were at most “classic gratuities,” which a recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings found were not covered by the bribery statute if they were given for past acts, according to the filing.

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Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, responded that Adams actions were plainly criminal.

“It should be clear from the face of the indictment that there is nothing routine about a public official accepting over $100,000 in benefits from a foreign diplomat, which he took great pains to conceal — including by manufacturing fake paper trails to create the illusion of payment,” prosecutors wrote.

Several of Adams’ closest aides — including his police commissioner, schools chancellor and multiple deputy mayors — have resigned in recent months after federal investigators executed coordinated searches of their homes in early September.

Adams has maintained that he can continue to lead the city effectively while fighting the charges.

But his political future remains fraught and several opponents have announced plans to challenge him in next year’s mayoral primary.

Earlier this week, Adams raised eyebrows after repeatedly declining to criticize former President Donald Trump, refusing to say when he last spoke with the Republican nominee or whether he was angling for a pardon should Trump win reelection.

By DYLAN LOVAN

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Kentucky police detective of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during a botched 2020 drug raid that left her dead.

The 12-member jury returned the late-night verdict after clearing Brett Hankison earlier in the evening on a charge that he used excessive force on Taylor’s neighbors.

It’s the first conviction of a Louisville police officer who was involved in the deadly raid.

Some members of the jury were in tears as the verdict was read around 9:30 p.m. Friday. They had earlier indicated to the judge in two separate messages that they were deadlocked on the charge of using excessive force Taylor but chose to continue deliberating. The six man, six woman jury deliberated for more than 20 hours over three days.

Hankison fired 10 shots into Taylor’s glass door and windows during the raid, but didn’t hit anyone. Some shots flew into a next-door neighbor’s adjoining apartment.

The death of the 26-year-old Black woman, along with the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, sparked racial injustice protests nationwide.

A separate jury deadlocked on federal charges against Hankison last year, while in 2022, a jury acquitted Hankison on state charges of wanton endangerment.

The conviction against Hankison carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Hankison, 48, argued throughout the trial that he was acting to protect his fellow officers after Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired on them when they broke down Taylor’s door with a battering ram.

This jury had sent a note on Thursday to U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings asking whether they needed to know if Taylor was alive as Hankison fired his shots.

That was a point of contention during closing arguments, when Hankison’s attorney Don Malarcik told the jury that prosecutors must “prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms. Taylor was alive” when Hankison fired.

After the jury sent the question, Jennings urged them to keep deliberating.

Walker shot and wounded one of the officers. Hankison testified that when Walker fired, he moved away, rounded the corner of the apartment unit and fired into Taylor’s glass door and a window.

Meanwhile, officers at the door returned Walker’s fire, hitting and killing Taylor, who was in a hallway.

Hankison’s lawyers argued during closing statements Wednesday that Hankison was acting properly “in a very tense, very chaotic environment” that lasted about 12 seconds. They emphasized that Hankison’s shots didn’t hit anyone.

Hankison was one of four officers charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2022 with violating Taylor’s civil rights. Thus far, those charges have yielded just one conviction: a plea deal from a former officer who was not at the raid and became a cooperating witness in another case.

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Malarcik, Hankison’s attorney, spoke at length during closing arguments about the role of Taylor’s boyfriend, who fired the shot that hit former Sgt. John Mattingly at the door. He said Walker never tried to come to the door or turn the lights on as police were knocking and instead armed himself and hid in the dark.

“Brett Hankison was 12 inches away from being shot by Kenneth Walker,” Malarcik said.

Prosecutors said Hankison acted recklessly, firing 10 shots into doors and a window where he couldn’t see a target.

They said in closing arguments that Hankison “violated one of the most fundamental rules of deadly force: If they cannot see the person they’re shooting at, they cannot pull the trigger.”

Neither of the officers who shot Taylor — Mattingly and former Detective Myles Cosgrove — were charged in Taylor’s death. Federal and state prosecutors have said those officers were justified in returning fire, since Taylor’s boyfriend shot at them first.

Friday

Glades Central 23, Pahokee 16 (Final, OT)

West Boca Raton 28, Atlantic 14

Nova 22, Hollywood Hills 14

Archbishop McCarthy 31, King’s Academy 28

Benjamin 46, St. Andrew’s 7

American Heritage-Delray 35, LaBelle 0

Pine Crest 6, Marathon 3

Palm Beach Central 38, Dwyer 14

Gateway Charter 37, Berean Christian 0

Out-of-Door 30, Oxbridge Academy 21

Dillard 39, Deerfield Beach 7

Western 35, West Broward 10

John Carroll 59, St. John Paul II 8

Spanish River 90, Olympic Heights 0

Palm Beach Lakes 54, Suncoast 14

Oasis 19, Westminster Academy 7

 

Thursday

Cypress Bay 37, Hallandale 30

Carol City 35, Somerset Prep 0

Plantation 38, South Plantation 0

Gainesville Buchholz 14, Cardinal Newman 7

Royal Palm Beach 25, Dr. Joaquin Garcia 23

Park Vista 27, Forest Hill 26 OT

Palm Beach Gardens 35, Inlet Grove 7

 

Earlier this fall, Christina Huynh took her first vacation in who-knows-how-long, a dreamlike Alaskan cruise and a joyful California wedding trip. Now she wants to do it again, and again. And she wants to cradle her new grandchild in peaceful retirement.

If that means closing the iconic Fort Lauderdale restaurant that some call a vacation in itself — a place to spend Christmas, Thanksgiving and other precious life moments — then so be it. Which is why Christina Wan’s Mandarin House — after 28 years in South Florida (19 of them in Victoria Park) — will permanently shut down after dinner service on Sunday, Nov. 10.

Ellyn Bank, left, and Rulaca Nistor, both of Palm Beach, eat lunch at Christina Wan’s Mandarin House in Fort Lauderdale. After nearly 30 years in business, the restaurant will permanently close this month. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

And yet closing the chapter on Christina Wan’s is bittersweet, because it means losing a different kind of family.

“I’m so busy, even at the end,” Huynh told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday. “Our lives have been so involved with the restaurant, so many hours and days. I have no holidays. My customers — my friends, my family — these are the people who celebrate holidays with me. And now I have to call and tell them their Christmas reservations aren’t happening this year.”

Huynh said the idea to retire had been percolating since she learned her daughter, Courtney Van Leeuwaarde, was pregnant. (The baby is due Dec. 18, she said.)

This decision comes after 50-plus years working in the restaurant industry. Closing her namesake restaurant (her maiden name is Wan) bookends a family restaurant dynasty that stretches back to 1966, when her grandfather, Lee Pong Wan, opened the original Wan’s in Miami. Now only one restaurant in her extended family remains: Temple Street Eatery, a mecca of Asian-fusion comfort food co-owned by her nephew Alex Kuk, still going strong on North Federal Highway.

Christina Wan’s has been a fixture in the Victoria Park neighborhood since 2005, a classy Chinese sit-down known for moo shu pork and Peking duck, old-fashioned Cantonese like crab Rangoon and egg foo young, and modern offerings like spicy tofu and wok-fried lemongrass beef. Lemongrass and tofu are Vietnamese influences from her husband — chef and co-owner Jason Huynh — that have been on the menu since the beginning, alongside traditional Mandarin and Sichuan dishes.

“If you look at Christina Wan’s food and compare it to other Chinese around town, you’ll see right away it’s more elevated and sophisticated,” Alex Kuk said. “Others do sticky and sweet and drenched in cornstarch, but my uncle [Jason] does healthier Chinese, using the wok for crispier, drier dishes, cutting the veggies and proteins by hand.”

Customers, particularly snowbirds, for decades have traveled from as far as Palm Beach and northeastern states to dine at the 3,500-square-foot restaurant in the Victoria Park Shoppes. There, they meet Mrs. Huynh — chic and sharp-eyed — and always keen to introduce new flavors to customers beyond the usual sizzling Mongolian beef and light-battered honey garlic chicken.

“We’re the Cheers of Chinese restaurants,” Huynh said. “We have three, four generations of regulars now so we can track when they come in like clockwork, what they’re going to eat, and when they celebrate.”

She expects the final day will be a muted affair — no fanfare, no celebrations, no big goodbyes — just ordinary dinner.

“What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry for this short notice. We’re just going to bow out quietly and humbly and enjoy the successful run that we had. And maybe tell some people I’m going to be busy with changing diapers and burping the baby,” she said.

Waiter Eddie Chen takes food to his customers at Christina Wan’s Mandarin House in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Rise of the Wans

When Huynh’s grandfather, Lee Pong Wan, opened Wan’s on Southwest Eighth Street in Miami in 1966, his family at first stayed behind in Hong Kong. By 1970, she immigrated to the United States with her siblings — sisters Annie and Elizabeth and brother Edwin — and settled in Coral Gables.

After school at Coral Way Elementary, Huynh worked at her father’s restaurant, Davie Wan’s, on Young Circle in downtown Hollywood.

“Sammy Davis Jr. used to stay at The Diplomat [Beach Resort] in Hollywood, and he ate at our restaurant,” she recalled. “I have a picture of my father and Sammy together. It’s one of my keepsakes.”

In the late 1970s, Huynh’s father moved the business north to Sheridan Street, across from TY Park in Hollywood, where it remained until 2000. He opened a second location on 163rd Street in North Miami and a third on University Drive in Tamarac.

“They were all named Wan’s,” said Huynh, who ran the Tamarac location. “At our peak, we had three restaurants simultaneously.”

Huynh opened Christina Wan’s in 1996 in downtown Hollywood, and after nine years decided to relocate to Victoria Park.

“Hollywood wasn’t progressing the way I wanted it to progress, but Fort Lauderdale really took to us. It was going really well,” she said.

Huynh tried to expand the family empire again in the 2010s with a pair of restaurants. First came Kitchen Four Twenty, a breakfast-diner concept that was replaced by Ki’Na, a short-lived, modern-Asian offshoot specializing in seasonal plates with flavors from New Zealand, France, Japan and Mexico. Both lasted less than a year.

“They were ahead of their time,” Kuk said. “If they were open today, we’d be doing so much business.”

Customers at Christina Wan’s Mandarin House in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christina Wan’s “had terrific takeout business,” Huynh said. But she won’t lie that an ever-evolving Fort Lauderdale skyline around Victoria Park has driven up rents, while inflation has caused the cost of labor and food to spike. All of these factored into her decision to retire.

“I don’t know too much about podcasts or social media or all that other stuff,” Huynh said. “Things are changing so much, if you’re not a social-media person, you can’t market yourself. It’s different now.”

Van Leeuwaarde, Huynh’s daughter, has helped around the restaurant since she was a teenager.

“My parents live and breathe that restaurant,” she said. “If they step away for vacation and they’re not there, their regular customers would say, ‘Oh, no, I don’t know where to eat now.’

“But I think those same people will say my mom and dad finally deserve their retirement after so many years of working hard and never taking time off,” she added.

She is proud of her mother’s legacy in South Florida — and happy that her parents can finally settle down.

“Not too many family restaurants exist anymore where parents are working hard there every day,” she said. “I’m happy for my mom and dad to start enjoying life.”

Christina Wan’s Mandarin House, at 664 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, is scheduled to close on Sunday, Nov. 10. Call 954-527-0228 or go to ChristinaWans.com.

General Daily Insight for November 01, 2024

A reasonable amount of transformation may sound like an oxymoron, but that’s the highlight of today. When the regenerating New Moon strikes in profound Scorpio at 8:47 am EDT, we’ll probably be excited for a fresh start — even the part of it that means shedding whatever isn’t working! This process doesn’t have to be traumatic. As Luna goes on to trine stable Saturn, we can focus on changes that are truly necessary without veering into pointless chaos. It’s possible to be both deep and grounded.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Sealing an important deal is possible today. With the energetic New Moon in your collaborative 8th house, you might be cementing an agreement to share money or resources with someone else. You probably don’t need to open every part of your life up to their scrutiny, though. Having a clear sense of what doesn’t concern the other person should free you up to dive deeper into whatever truly is your common turf. Know your purpose for coming together, and stick to it for now.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Throwing yourself into a promising relationship could be rewarding at present. As the potent New Moon rejuvenates your 7th House of Partnership, you may find you’re with someone who truly makes you feel alive. Whether this developing connection is business or personal, you can (and should) approach it with passion and excitement. Either way, you and your companion probably have a shared connection to a larger community. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to let that sense of what others might think rein you in!

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Convincing others to respect you could be a high priority at the moment. Actions are likely to speak louder than words toward this end. While the vibrant Sun and the intuitive Moon meet in your 6th House of Responsibilities, you’re equipped to notice what needs to be done and take care of any problem that’s realistically within your current scope. Whether or not you eventually receive the reaction you desire from anyone else, you deserve to be proud of everything you accomplish!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Learning how to unlock your creative powers might require some focused thought at this point. While the intimate Moon in your expressive 5th house aligns with logical Saturn in your research zone, reading up on others’ experiences with similar challenges can give you valuable direction. That said, you’ll probably have to put your own spin on whatever strategies you encounter instead of copying them exactly. That’s a good way to ease yourself into activities that require you to invest more personal effort!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Thoughtfully cultivating your sense of emotional security should serve you well at this time. It’s understandable if external circumstances are impacting your comfort level, but at least some of the stability you’re seeking probably needs to come from within. When you’re in a more balanced state, you might approach the people in your life with a less demanding attitude. Give them the opportunity to come through for you in their unique way — support may not look exactly how you’d expect.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Discovering an unfamiliar side of a person you take for granted is presently possible. When someone has been a reliable presence in your life for a long time, you might not bother putting in an ongoing effort to continue getting to know them. With the rejuvenating New Moon in your 3rd House of Conversation, however, you’ll potentially find out something that’s news to you. Even if the truth makes you a little uncomfortable, remembering your long history together can help you keep everything in perspective.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Paying attention to your finances can be more rewarding than usual. If you don’t like what you see, you’re well positioned to make a plan to change it as the perceptive Moon in your money zone aligns with disciplined Saturn in your practical 6th house. You’re potentially already better off than you might think you are! There’s almost always room for improvement, but avoid leaping into a drastic overhaul — change is most likely to stick when it cooperates with your existing habits.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

A little bit of self-expression could currently go a long way. While the passionate Moon in your sign harmonizes with reserved Saturn in your creative 5th house, you can get in touch with your feelings without spilling them all over the place. Perhaps it’s often easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must either give people all of your intensity or repress yourself entirely. Consider: a manageable taste of what you’ve got inside could actually leave your audience craving more.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You’re potentially on the verge of finding out a piece of information that could really benefit you. It’s not quite a sure bet, though. Sometimes people hold back if they get the idea that you can’t handle the truth. After all, news that turns out to be good in the end isn’t always seen as such right away. To increase your chances of learning what you need to know, do your best to maintain a track record of responding to vital news calmly.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Making a splash in your community is an option today. As the powerful New Moon enlivens your social 11th house, you’re in an ideal spot to get the word out to everyone in your network. That means you’ll have to figure out what you want to tell them! You’re better off keeping your message as short and simple as possible. Even when your subject has varying complexities, your audience must understand the basics before they can take in the whole story.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your sense of direction can serve you well right now. The clarifying New Moon in your 10th House of Ambition is a great time to set intentions regarding a goal you’d like to achieve. The sky isn’t necessarily the limit, though — you probably know that you only have a certain amount of money or other resources to devote to this project. Being aware of valid constraints can help you focus your efforts, so don’t feel bad about embracing your grip on reality!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

You may be especially articulate concerning your philosophical underpinnings at the moment. While the comfort-craving Moon in your ideological 9th house supports structured Saturn in your sign, you could also see your belief system as a major part of your identity. Fortunately, your intellectual explorations are strong enough to maintain a tether to reality, so you don’t have to worry about floating away. Amid the serious atmosphere, just remember to enjoy the unique pleasure of being connected to something bigger than yourself!

STUART — A Florida man is recovering from a shark bite just over a decade after being bitten at the same beach.

Cole Taschman, 28, was surfing with two friends at Bathtub Beach in Stuart last Friday afternoon when the attack occurred, Treasure Coast Newspapers reported.

“As I was paddling against the current, my feet are behind me, they were laying flat on the board, and an about 8- or 9-foot either bull shark or tiger shark came up behind me and snatched my feet,” Taschman said.

Three tendons were completely torn and one was partially torn in the attack. Two surgeries have left the fishing charter captain with 93 stitches and about a dozen staples. He spent four days at the hospital before heading home to recover, and he might need another surgery.

Taschman was 16 years old in 2013 when a blacktip reef shark bit his hand while surfing at the same beach.

“Same beach, same exact rock, same place, same reef, same everything,” Taschman said.

Taschman’s girlfriend has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with bills. And Ohana Surf Shop in Stuart is raffling off a surfboard or a fishing charter trip with 100% of the proceeds going to Taschman.

By Joey Cappaletti, Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Donald Trump is set to visit Dearborn, Michigan — the nation’s largest Arab-majority city — on Friday, according to a local business owner who first insisted the former president call for peace in Lebanon before hosting him.

Metro Detroit is home to nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. The city — which President Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin — has been roiled by political turmoil, with many upset with the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

While Vice President Kamala Harris has been working through surrogates to ease community tensions, Trump’s visit will mark the first by either candidate, according to a local leader, Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with the city’s Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, though their discussion took place outside Dearborn.

Sam Abbas, the owner of The Great Commoner in Dearborn, told The Associated Press that Trump was set to visit his restaurant.

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“We expect some remarks around ending the war and bringing peace to the Middle East,” said Abbas. “I’m not here to get political. I’m not here to tell people which way I’m voting. I am simply here because our family is being slaughtered and we just want to end the war. Stop the bombing.”

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah, the militia that has continuously launched rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death toll between combatants and civilians.

The Trump campaign declined to comment on the visit. It follows Trump’s rally in Michigan last week, when he brought local Muslims up onstage with him. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.

While many Democratic leaders in the community have not endorsed Harris, they are still deeply negative toward Trump and say his endorsements don’t reflect a majority of the community. They also remember his call for a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. And some point out that Trump has suggested he would give Israel even more leeway to attack its rivals in the region.

Even so, Democrats worry that traditionally loyal voters may shift to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein — or skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could prove pivotal in Michigan, a state both parties see as a toss-up.

Abbas said Trump allies had reached out to him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump “has the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured.”

That statement came Wednesday, when Trump posted on X that he wanted to “stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon.”

“I will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities,” Trump said on X. “Your friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Once Trump put out the statement, Abbas said he agreed to host the event. He expects close to 100 people from the community.

“He’s coming to us to basically tell us, look, I did what you guys asked. My intentions, my true intentions are to bring peace and to end the war,” said Abbas.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

MIAMI GARDENS — What’s scarier than the thought that the Miami Dolphins, with the season hanging on by a thread, need a win against a team they lost to, 31-10, 52 days earlier — not to mention have lost against in 12 of their last 13 meetings?

It’s that the Buffalo Bills won by three touchdowns earlier this season with star quarterback Josh Allen barely having to do anything.

In that three-touchdown decision, which started the current Dolphins run of five losses in the past six games, Allen merely went 13 of 19 for 139 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t run much, either (two carries for 2 yards), as running back James Cook scored twice and the Bills defense took back a pick-six.

The Dolphins (2-5) know to expect a full dose of Allen on Sunday in Orchard Park when they meet the Bills (6-2), their hated division rival for the second time in 2024.

“You say this about so many of these guys in today’s game where they can beat you both from in the pocket and with their feet,” Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Thursday of defending the dual-threat quarterback who has owned the Dolphins over the years before Weaver’s arrival. “And he’s a guy that he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses in his game, so just a tremendous amount of respect for him. They’ve had the success they’ve had there in recent years for a reason and he’s a big part of that.”

“He’s a beast. He truly is,” said Dolphins linebackers coach Joe Barry, who was previously defensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers. “When you got a guy like that in your division that you have to deal with twice a year, hell of a player, hell of a talent.

“And what makes him so unique and special is that he can drop back and rip it but then, also — I’m not talking about quarterback design runs — I’m talking about, when things break down, you got a 6-foot-5, 240-pound running back back there who will take off and run the ball.”

Even as Allen, this offseason, lost his top target of the past several seasons, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, 2024 may present the best version of the 28-year-old Allen. He has thrown 14 touchdowns to just one interception. He’s completing 64.1 percent of passes for 1,766 yards in eight games. Rushing, he has 204 yards and three touchdowns this season.

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“From a defensive line standpoint, you don’t want him scrambling to beat you,” veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “He can throw the ball very well, but he’s incredible with his legs.”

Many of his passing stats come as a byproduct of extending plays with his feet and staying behind the line of scrimmage to throw while outside the pocket.

Keep in mind the Dolphins, who could again be without defensive tackle Zach Sieler, just had their struggles with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in last Sunday’s heartbreaking 28-27 loss, in which Murray escaped several would-be sacks to complete downfield passes. Allen is tough to bring down in a different way from the elusive 5-foot-10 shifty Murray.

“Different, but still the same in terms of how you have to attack him,” Weaver said. “You have to make sure you attack the high shoulder. Now he doesn’t really care where he escapes to, whereas Kyler, we had an idea and we allowed him to get out of the back of the pocket which we didn’t want to happen.”

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Allen has been known to turn the ball over in his career. While he is limiting turnovers in the form of interceptions this season, Weaver still points out that the Buffalo quarterback can still be loose with the ball while holding it.

“The one thing about Josh is he gives you a chance to get the ball because he is so strong,” Weaver said. “He reminds me a little bit of Steve McNair, Ben Roethlisberger back there where, when you get there, you have to make sure, not only try to tackle him, but you almost have equally as good of a chance as tackling the ball because he just kind of hangs it out there like a loaf of bread.

“So I think the biggest thing is to throttle down — first thing — let’s make sure we’re securing and try to get the sack and then try to attack the ball in doing so.”

Allen has fumbled five times this season.

“He’s turned the ball over a lot in his career,” Campbell said, “but he’s also made a lot of big-time plays. It’s kind of like you just take a little bit of bad with all the good that comes in with it. It’s something that we have to be cognizant of.

“He’s such a big guy, tough tackle. It’s almost easier to tackle the ball, but at the same time, guys going for the ball, they can miss a lot of tackles, too.”

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Campbell highlighted that the Miami pass rushers have to work in unison to stay in their lane, keep Allen in the pocket and then get him down.

As far as Allen’s receiving options, the Bills recently added wide receiver Amari Cooper via trade with the Cleveland Browns. He has opened things up for rookie Keon Coleman to excel of late. Buffalo also has wide receiver Khalil Shakir, tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox and Cook out of the backfield to monitor as pass-catching threats.

For his career, Allen is 11-2 in the regular season against Miami with 34 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also eliminated the Dolphins in a wild-card playoff game in the 2022 season.

Hira Qureshi | (TNS) The Philadelphia Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA — To celebrate the long-awaited Tim Burton sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Airbnb is offering a haunting experience at the Deetz family residence.

In the listing called “Haunt the Beetlejuice House,” fictional matriarch Delia Deetz invites fans to her home in Hillsborough Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, to explore her paintings and sculptures and venture through the Afterlife in the attic for a special art class.

The Beetlejuice house is a replica of the home featured in the 2024 film, an Airbnb spokesperson told The Inquirer. It was recreated for Airbnb’s Icon stays, a new category of experiences from the vacation rental group.

While the film takes place in the fictional town of Winter River, Connecticut, Airbnb found “the best real-life equivalent in the quaint community of Hillsborough Township. The town has beautiful wide-open spaces and similar architecture that we think evokes the community of Winter River that fans remember,” the spokesperson said.

Folks can request to receive an invitation to book the house for 10 three-hour slots with up to six guests each. Submit a request by Nov. 4 to visit the Beetlejuice house experience, which runs from Nov. 16 to 27.

No purchase, payment, or booking is required to be selected. Selected individuals will receive an invite based on their answer to the question: “Why do you want to haunt the Beetlejuice house?” Invitees will have 24 hours to accept the booking request. According to Airbnb, each Icon listing displays a cost associated with the stay and/or experience — a visit to the Beetlejuice house is listed as free.

Beetlejuice House invitees will also receive a one-night stay at an Airbnb listing in neighboring Princeton at no additional cost. Guests will be responsible for their own travel to and from the Beetlejuice Icon, along with travel to and from their overnight stay. You must be 18 years old and up to book, and accompanying guests must be 13 and up.

Inside Haunt the Beetlejuice House

Upon arrival, participants will be greeted at the door and led to explore the interior of the home.

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The attic features a model of the fictional Winter River, created by Adam Maitland, portrayed by Alec Baldwin in the original film. In the movie, Maitland and his wife, Barbara, haunt the Deetz family. Guests who say “Beetlejuice” three times enter the Afterlife and the Waiting Room, where artifacts of the deceased remain — think smashed football helmets, charred Santa hats, and a magician’s water-filled lockbox.

After a visit to the otherworld, visitors will participate in an art class, with snacks provided, before being sent to the nearby Airbnb.

“Due to some recent … ‘spiritual difficulties,’ curious entities have been creeping around in the wee hours,” the listing explains. “You can’t stay overnight.”

How to book

Request an invitation to book a visit to the Beetlejuice House in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, on Airbnb by Nov. 4 at 2:59 a.m.

©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

I have to confess that I made many trips to Albuquerque to see family during my childhood, but I never really explored the city or the surrounding area until recently. Not only did I find some unique activities and places to see, but I’m ready to return and continue discovering its history and character.

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, is a 6 1/2-hour drive from Denver or an easy 1 1/2-hour direct flight. Depending on what you want to see and do here, it could be a weekend or a full week of culture, food and more.

Of the top five cities where visitors come from to visit Albuquerque, Denver is third (preceded by Phoenix and Dallas), according to Visit Albuquerque.

Here a few things I experienced during my trip that I believe are only found in and around Albuquerque.

1. Albuquerque is home to what is estimated to be the largest collection of petroglyphs in the country at Petroglyph National Monument with perhaps as many as 25,000 rock drawings here. Petroglyphs are rock carvings made when someone chiseled into the rock surface and these were likely made between 1300 and the late 1680s by ancestors of the Pueblo people.

Interpretive signs provide insights into what the various drawings might have meant, such as representation of a tribe or clan — or one of my favorites showing a macaw parrot is said to have represented “the complexity and development of Pueblo culture through trade and communication of ideas with the Mesoamerican cultures.” When visiting here, it’s critical to know that there are a few distinct sites to drive between for hiking around to see the rocks.

Tip: This 17-mile-long area is completely exposed, so if it’s sunny, you will be hot and you’ll need water and a hat, but if it’s cold, you will need a warm coat (and also water and a hat).

2. While no one is getting a college degree in a weekend visit, the University of New Mexico is the only place in the United States where you can minor in flamenco dancing. Visitors can see a flamenco dance performance — Tablao Flamenco is one example — and also sign up to take a flamenco dance lesson.

Catch a performance of flamenco dancing at Tablao Flamenco. (Mindy Sink, Special to The Denver Post)

The National Institute of Flamenco is based here and puts on summer camps and an annual Flamenco Festival in June. The institute partners with UNM’s Department of Theatre and Dance to offer the only accredited dance program in the country with a flamenco concentration.

Although I didn’t have expectations before watching a flamenco performance, I was deeply moved by this style of dance that has roots in Spain. Speaking with one of the dancers after the soul-stirring show, I learned it is “like jazz,” as she described it, which provides a one-of-a-kind experience each time.

Tip: Combine flamenco with petroglyphs when a performance is scheduled at the park.

3. New Mexico is one of two states with an official state cookie, and here it is the biscochito (or bizcochito, pronounced BIZ-co-cheeto). This cinnamon-dusted shortbread-style cookie is a local favorite worth sampling. At Golden Crown Panaderia, they also make a version with blue corn flour that is scrumptious. This family-run bakery thinks beyond the traditional with a green chile bread and a 24-hour vending machine where you can pick up some cookies anytime you like — the only vending machine, or “Cookie ATM,” for a state cookie.

Tip: Order a dozen of these because you’re sure to eat more than one.

4. The largest concave fresco in the U.S. can be found at the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s Welcome Center and Torréon. Inside this tower there are benches for visitors to sit and gaze up and around at this 4,000-square-foot painting, “Mundos de Mestizaje” by artist Frederico Vigil. It is literally dizzying! There are guided tours available of this painting that shows people, food, buildings, animals and more representation to tell this immense story. You can sign up in advance for a tour on the center’s website.

Biscochito is the state cookie in New Mexico and you can get them at Golden Crown Panaderia in Albuquerque. (Mindy Sink, Special to The Denver Post)

Tip: Plan your visit around one of the many events that take place at the center of such dance performances, poetry readings, live music and more. La Fonda del Bosque is the on-site restaurant for a weekday lunch or Friday night dinner.

5. If you’re staying at the Hotel Albuquerque or Hotel Chaco adjacent to Sawmill Market, you are an easy walking distance from many museums and the city’s Old Town, but it’s worth renting a car to take a day trip to Acoma Pueblo and tour Sky City. The drive there is about one hour, then the guided tour is another 1 1/2 to 2 hours long.

Acoma Pueblo claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America dating back to 1150 A.D. You start your experience at the Haak’u Museum and Sky City Cultural Center, which is worth your time to explore, and also shop and dine in the Y’aak’a Café, and then you pay a fee to join the tour. The shuttle bus will drive visitors to the top of the 370-foot mesa, where you are then led through the village and can take in the gorgeous views. One of the interesting things we learned on our tour is that this is a matriarchal society.

Tip: Bring cash to buy some locally-made items near the end of the tour.

6. At the Albuquerque Museum there are several galleries worth exploring, but one of them is simply called, “Only in Albuquerque,” and it is a history of the city. Take a few minutes to step inside and learn about Albuquerque’s duke, Route 66 and a lot more.

Tip: Stop in at the gift shop where you can buy many locally-made items, including Kei & Molly Textiles such as kitchen goods.

7. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a nonprofit that was created by the state’s 19 pueblos. Pueblo is a term used to describe a tribe or a village of a tribe, and it is also used by some people in place of “reservation.” Each pueblo is a sovereign nation. Modern pueblos might include casinos, hotels and other businesses, as well as tours of historic buildings. If you can’t make it to any of the state’s pueblos during your time in Albuquerque, stop in at the center to see a live dance performance, look at (and maybe purchase) jewelry or pottery, explore art on display, or dine at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen.

Visitors can go on a guided tour inside the church on Acoma Pueblo, but no photos are allowed in the chapel. (Mindy Sink, Special to The Denver Post)

Tip: Schedule your time here to include a meal and to watch a dance.

Each of these places and activities can be experienced anytime of the year, but some also include annual events, so check the calendar in order to include — or avoid — these celebrations too. If you want to visit museums, note that a lot of places in Albuquerque are closed on Mondays.

A facile chore most of the way, capped by an odds-defying finish of some genuine emotion, “Here” comes from the sublime 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire and his earlier six-page version of the same idea, published in 1989.

Most folks seeing the movie will likely take a chance on it for other reasons. It’s a reunion, 30 years later, of director Robert Zemeckis and the stars of “Forrest Gump,” Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. In “Here,” they play an ordinary couple, Richard and Margaret, from their teenage courtship to what appears to be their 80s. How this is achieved, and how you respond to the technology behind the process, will provide the make-or-break factor in your reaction. Me? Well, my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of AI, and I don’t like what it does to the actors, or to a story’s human factor.

Like McGuire’s book, Zemeckis’ film, which he co-wrote with Eric Roth, contains its visual perspective to a single vantage point, with one climactic exception, of Richard’s family living room as seen from a corner. The front door is partially visible on the left; the fireplace is on the right; the furniture, the wall treatments, the colors and the years go and come, and come and go again.

“Here” is where Richard grew up, and where he and Margaret begin their adult lives together. He’s a talented graphic artist; at one point, he reveals his grand designs for a house of their own. But life has a way with obstacles. Straight off, a pregnancy at age 18 pushes Richard into a steady insurance job he does not like. He follows in his fundamentally unhappy father’s footsteps, avoiding his father’s alcoholism, while Margaret focuses on parenthood and does her best to ignore her own potential and desires, at a cost.

The house in the story was built in 1900; like the book, the film adaptation begins a little earlier, in 3,000,000,000 BCE, the primordial soup era. This phases into the time of the dinosaurs and the ice age, and the years when the North American plot of land, before there were plots separating land, was dominated by First Nation residents, two of whom we see undergoing their own courtship and life cycle together.

“Here” works out of order, mostly with tiny, overlapping vignettes. As with McGuire’s book, we’re often looking at images within images on screen. A rectangle in one corner might reveal a detail from whatever was happening that moment in the 1700s, or 1947, when Richard’s parents bought the house that wasn’t there in the 1700s. That rectangle might share the overall screen with one or two other mini-frames of action or inaction.

Benjamin Franklin makes several brief appearances. The grand house we spy through the ever-present living room window has its own stories to relay. The novel does not favor one set of characters, most of them residents of the house, over another. The movie version works differently, focusing largely on Richard and Margaret, and Richard’s surly father, played by Paul Bettany, and his bright, busy and finally stroke-addled mother, played by Kelly Reilly.

Hanks and Wright, along with the rest of the cast, undergo makeovers throughout. They’re de-aged or aged-up by means of artificial intelligence software from Metaphysic Studios. Zemeckis has been in the vanguard of digital effects for most of his career. How do the actors look here? Well, better than Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci looked as young men in “The Irishman.” But the aggressive deep-fake nature of “Here,” its actors’ faces overlaid with expensively finessed existing footage of Hanks and Wright at much younger ages, compounds the hermetic diorama vibe. Also, was there something in the way these performances were delivered, with near-immediate playback visualization of the deep-fakery, that led to some aggressive overacting? Watching “Here,” you wouldn’t know Bettany’s ever been any good, in any circumstance.

Also, the tone’s off, which is a directorial matter. McGuire’s graphic novel is a transporting wonder of dry wit and plaintive reflection, free from thesis statements beyond Ben Franklin’s observation (so McGuire imagines) that “life has a flair for rhyming events.” The movie lunges for your tear ducts and your heartstrings; the narrative hopscotch won’t cooperate and it’s not really what McGuire had in mind. At all.

Somehow, a handful of simple interactions between the older versions of Hanks and Wright cut through all that. Now and then a line comes along that sticks, quietly, as when Richard realizes he has lived, George Bailey “It’s a Wonderful Life”-style, preoccupied with money and worrying about “every damn thing.” And the ending, however shameless, works. But the book’s melancholy spareness has been replaced by a “Here” existing somewhere in a pristine, remote suburb we’ll call Uncanny Valley Falls, a few miles away from real life.

“Here” — 2 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for thematic material, some suggestive material, brief strong language and smoking)

Running time: 1:45

How to watch: Premieres in theaters Oct. 31

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

 

 

 

“The Diplomat,” starring Keri Russell, returns for a second season on Netflix. But maybe the real headline is: A streaming original you’ve long forgotten about is back. If that seems petty, you could argue the pettiness emanates from media companies that do little in their power to get shows back in front of audiences in a reasonable time frame. Network shows manage to do that within the same calendar year. “The Diplomat”? A year and a half. But who’s counting?

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I liked what creator Debora Cahn came up with for the first season, drawing on her past experiences writing on “Homeland” and “The West Wing” and taking the best from both and weaving a sense of humor into its story of a serious-minded U.S. ambassador to Britain (Russell) chafing at the ceremonial and hosting demands of the job.

She’s Kate Wyler, forever disheveled and struggling to figure out this awkward turn her career has taken. Her husband is Hal Wyler, played by Rufus Sewell, and he is both her biggest supporter and the bane of her existence. A former ambassador himself, he’s the kind of sly dog who’s always playing the angles and then saying, “Who, me?” Turns out, he orchestrated this job for his wife, which is a dry run for an even bigger slot: vice president. Maybe.

Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, with a car bomb going off in London, and this season picks up in the immediate aftermath. Guess who is caught in the fray? Why, Hal, of course.

The six-episode season is focused on what the hell happened and the tone is “intrigue” that somehow fails to be intriguing. Kate is a reactive rather than proactive figure, which probably says something about the futility of the work she’s juggling. But not enough of the storytelling this time out feels specific or detailed enough, and overall the series has lost its sense of humor.

Here’s what happens when there’s a year-plus gap between seasons: You don’t retain relevant information or even an emotional connection to the characters. There is a lot of time spent on how everyone feels about the death of an assistant who worked at the embassy and it becomes the centerpiece for their angst about mistakes made — and all of it rings hollow because, thanks to the show’s 19-month hiatus, all I kept thinking was: Wait, who are they talking about? Did this person play a significant role in the first season?

In Season 2, “The Diplomat” feels like the same show, but a lesser version made by different people. Too much is flatfooted, from the performances to the phony-sounding exhortations about what it really takes to preserve democracy. What a letdown. But more pointedly: What changed between seasons?

Things perk up considerably with the addition of Allison Janney late in the season as the current vice president. She arrives with a sleek blond bob and glamorously professional wardrobe and she might as well be holding a sign: Here’s the intrigue you’ve been waiting for. She may or may have to step down in the near future, hence, the reason Kate has been groomed to take her place. The two women have frank conversations about this and the show feels alive in these moments because Janney is playing someone with the instincts of a chess master and she’s given room to display emotions other than “intense.”

Allison Janney as Vice President Grace Penn in Season 2 of “The Diplomat.” (Alex Bailey/Netflix/TNS)

Their interactions lead to a pointed conversation about Kate’s distracted approach to hair and wardrobe. This came up often in Season 1 and the show is just repeating the same points by now. But I am fascinated that the women Russell plays are defined by their looks.

An actor’s appearance can be a canvas upon which we — the show’s creators but also the audience — project all kinds of ideas about who a character is. When Russell played a college student in “Felicity,” her tumble of long curls conveyed an innocence; it was a signature look her character then subverted by cutting her hair short. Later, in “The Americans,” Russell played a Russian spy masquerading as an unremarkable American housewife who would then transform, one assignment after another, with the help of various disguises.

In its initial outing, “The Diplomat” had all kinds of things to say about the expectations women face in the workplace when it comes to hair and clothing. Does one’s appearance become a performance? A form of armor or personal expression? That Kate continues to resist that part of the job could be interesting. More often than not, it’s just a gimmick.

“The Diplomat” Season 2 — 2 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: Netflix

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

I thought I couldn’t sink lower than Skittles vodka slushies.

But there I was, standing at the register in my regular liquor store, with a bottle of Stoli Whipped in my hand, simultaneously indignant (“This is for work; I don’t care what people think!) and ashamed. Eager to get home where this unholy experiment could unravel in the dark quiet of my kitchen.

The plan: Make a Candy Corn Martini.

It’s got the look, but that’s it, really. For candy corn lovers, the flavor’s just not there. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

“Wait… what?”

This was me a few weeks back when the Halloween season content was being determined, when my editor, all kinds of on-record for hating the stuff, decided I should make one for my “leftover candy” column.

I don’t even hate candy corn. But this just seemed wrong.

“Although I loathe candy corn,” she said, explaining her reasoning, “it is an iconic Halloween candy. And it was pretty.”

The Candy Corn Martini is a lesson in “looks aren’t everything.”

Also, in layering.

Drink the rainbow. Skittles vodka slushies hack into that Halloween stash

At the base, candy corn vodka, made by dissolving the happy little nuggets in a toxic bath of Stoli. The recipe suggested vanilla or whipped (which is supposed to be whipped cream-flavored).

“I’d have gone with vanilla,” Arthur Boothe told me later.

I enlisted this pro bartender, owner of Death in the Afternoon (930 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando), for help after making the recipe, which, as my boss had hoped, was cute.

It was also utterly undrinkable. The flavor of the candy corn vodka, buried at the bottom, was lost in a wash of pineapple juice, which comprised the middle layer. Topped (or more accurately, virtually sealed-in) with whipped cream, one must fight their lips through to the drink beneath or else make an effort to get both drink and whipped cream in one’s mouth.

Arthur Boothe, co-owner of Death in the Afternoon, prepares a French Drip absinthe drink at his bar on Orlando’s North Mills Avenue. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel)

There is no elegant way to do this. Moreover, with one sip, the spell is broken, and the cocktail’s true nature, like a demon slipping from its disguise, reveals itself. It is an abomination.

And so, I wondered: Could I make a true cocktail for candy corn lovers that wasn’t?

Boothe’s input helped.

“Nobody at home is going to layer a drink,” he opined. “I wouldn’t.”

And yet Google turned up 20 versions of this drink on the first search. None, no surprise here, were from places like Liquor or Punch.

There were a few variations — a couple included butterscotch schnapps, others listed molasses, maple syrup, cake vodka (dear God) — but all included the homemade candy hooch. And pineapple juice. I chose the one with the most good reviews (66).

Creamed corn: In this shot version, we omit for fuller candy flavor, but the experience is semi-thwarted by the whipped cream, which sort of seals the whole thing in. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

Also, when I posted my intent on Facebook, the encouragement and barf-emoji responses were a statistical dead heat.

“They would,” I said. He laughed.

I told him my mission was to create a cocktail that looked pretty but also tasted like candy corn. I felt like the flavor was more important than making it a doppelganger.

“What about a Candy Corn Cosmo?” I offered.

“Like a 90s-style Carrie Bradshaw thing parading around as a martini? Yeah, that could be done.”

A sugared rim gives the cosmo a great look. Vanilla sugar, says Orlando bar pro Arthur Boothe, would be a nice accent, as well. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

The thing with sweet cocktails, and while they’re not my cup of tea, people adore them, is that they still need some level of balance.

“Instead of pineapple, I’d go with something higher acid.”

In a traditional cosmopolitan, cranberry gives it a small hit, but lime does the heavy lifting, which is where I ended up. We discussed a deconstructed take, like a Porn Star Martini, a fruity coupe-glass affair that’s served with a sidecar of bubbles but then moved into French 75 territory, wherein the bubbles are poured over juice, gin and simple syrup. A pineapple syrup, he noted, could be a nice addition to the candy vodka, so I made some.

The Candy Corn Cosmo’s got looks AND a brand of candy flavor that’s slightly more sophisticated. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

“Play with it,” he suggested and gave me some proportions to start with.

I did.

And in the end, I think I landed in a place that candy corn fans could appreciate, theme junkies could serve and I could manage to drink without adding too much to the sugar orgy that Halloween already is.

I give you the Candy Corn Cosmopolitan, wherein the homemade vodka pairs with lime juice and Aperol for a chilled and cheery-orange holiday sip that hints at its Brachs foundation while offering the bright balance of acid and bitterness. It’s still sweet (sweeter still with that sugar rim) but not at all treacly.

The Kandy Korn Kir Royale, my editor will note, offers a bit of layering at the serving point. This one’s simple and more candy corn-forward. The booze goes in the bottom of the flute; a dry prosecco is layered on top. It gives that candy corn-inspired visual, and a quick swizzle will bring that flavor up through the sparkling wine. You may even catch its distinct aroma.

A little candy corn vodka in the bottom of a glass of dry prosecco, and you’ve got a bubbly Halloween sip. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

I sent Boothe some pics.

“That’s great!” he wrote. “I was worried this would tarnish my record.”

Impossible, of course.

“My neighbors loved the cosmo and took all the leftover vodka I made,” I told him. “One of them was sipping it out of the jar.”

“They’re maniacs,” he said.

I sent pics of their holiday decorations.

“It all makes sense now. They’re probably a blast.”

They are. And so, too, will you be when you serve these in the wake of the holiday.

Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s Facebook food group, Let’s Eat, Orlando.

It took a little experimenting with sour, herbal, bitter and sweet elements to get the candy corn cosmo just right. (Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel) Candy Corn Cosmopolitan (makes four-drink pitcher)

• 8 ounces candy corn vodka (see martini recipe for instructions)
• 4 ounces Aperol
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• Sugar (optional, for rimming the glasses)

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake about 30 seconds until well chilled. Strain into pre-rimmed (if using) martini glasses.

Kandy Korn Kir Royale

• 1/2 ounce candy corn vodka (per cocktail)
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry prosecco
• Candy pumpkins (optional, for garnish)

Add candy corn vodka to each flute. Drop in candy pumpkin if using. Slowly pour prosecco — down inside of glass or over a spoon — over vodka to fill flute if layering. Otherwise, simply fill flute and enjoy.

Festive Candy Corn Martini

Recipe courtesy SavoredSips.com (savoredsips.com/candy-corn-martini)

Ingredients

For the candy corn flavored vodka

• 5 ounces vanilla or whipped-flavored vodka (Boothe recommends vanilla)
• 1/4 cup candy corn

For the cocktail

• 2 ounces candy corn flavored vodka
• 1/2 ounce grenadine
• 3 ounces pineapple juice
• Whipped cream to cover the top of the glass
• Ice

InstructionsCombine the vodka and candy corn in a lidded container and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Strain before using.Mix 1/2 ounce of grenadine into 2 ounces of the infused candy corn vodka then pour into each martini glass.Very slowly, pour in the pineapple juice over the back of a spoon or cocktail layering tool.Then slowly add whipped cream to cover the top of the glass.

By Fernanda Galan, The Sacramento Bee (TNS)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As poultry farms and dairies across California battle bird flu outbreaks, some are wondering if their food is safe to eat.

Since highly pathogenic avian influenza surfaced in the United States in January 2022, the virus has been detected in wild birds and domestic poultry, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

HPAI was detected at a Merced County turkey farm in September and infected chickens at a Tulare County ranch about a month later, leading to the destruction of hundreds of thousands of birds, The Fresno Bee previously reported.

Meanwhile, avian flu has sickened cows more than 130 dairies across California, as well as 15 dairy workers.

Dairy cows feed at Hillcrest Dairy, located in Merced County, in 2022. (Andrew Kuhn/Merced Sun-Star/TNS)

The Bee talked to a Fresno-based infectious disease expert to learn more about the virus — and how it affects food safety.

What is bird flu?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, highly pathogenic avian influenza — also known as bird flu or H5N1 — is a highly contagious and often deadly disease primarily found in poultry.

It is “caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) and A (H7) viruses,” the agency said on its website.

HPAI can spread from wild birds to domestic poultry and other animals. The virus can also infect humans in rare cases.

“It is important to note that ‘highly pathogenic’ refers to severe impact in birds, not necessarily in humans,” the agency said.

How is avian influenza spread to humans?

Unlike seasonal influenza viruses, which are typically contracted through human-to-human transmission, avian influenza viruses are spread by infected birds through saliva, mucus and feces, according to the CDC.

The virus can also be present in the respiratory secretions, organs, blood, or body fluids of other infected animals — including milk.

Human infections occur when the virus enters the eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled through airborne droplets, aerosol particles or dust. It can also be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the face.

“Illness in humans from avian influenza virus infections have ranged in severity from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease that resulted in death,” the CDC said.

Can I get bird flu by drinking milk?

“There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted to humans through properly prepared food,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on its website.

Pasteurized milk and other dairy products are safe to consume, according to Hebah Ghanem, infectious disease specialist at University of California San Francisco, Fresno.

“The most important thing that it has to be pasteurized, because the virus is killed with heat,” Ghanem told The Bee.

“Pasteurization of milk was adopted decades ago as a basic public health measure to kill dangerous bacteria and largely eliminate the risk of getting sick,” the FDA said on its website.

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Will eating eggs make me sick?

All egg products are pasteurized as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This means that they have been rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time to destroy bacteria,” the agency said.

However, eggs that are still in their shells aren’t required to be pasteurized, leading to potential health risks if eaten raw or uncooked.

What about chicken?

Chicken is safe to eat if it’s properly cooked, according to Ghanem.

During an avian flu outbreak, “The chance of infected poultry or eggs entering the food chain is low,” the FDA said on its website in April, “because of the rapid onset of symptoms in poultry as well as the safeguards in place, which include testing of flocks and federal inspection programs.”

“When food is properly prepared and stored, the risk of consumers becoming infected with HPAI is reduced even further,” the FDA said.

How contagious is avian flu?

“There have not been any human-to-human transmission cases yet” during the recent bird flu outbreak, Ghanem said.

“The transmission is from animal to human,” she added.

According to Ghanem, people usually only get infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza if they come in contact with an infected animal or its bodily fluids.

“That’s why most of the cases (involve) the people who are working with animals,” Ghanem explained.

“Because of the possibility that bird flu viruses could change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person spread is extremely important for public health.” the CDC said on its website.

How dangerous is HPAI for humans?

The California dairy workers infected with avian flu so far have experienced mild flu-like symptoms, The Bee previously reported.

“All the cases that we have here in California are very mild,” Ghanem said. “They haven’t needed hospitalization.”

What are avian flu symptoms?

According to the CDC, avian flu symptoms in humans may include:

• Fever or feeling feverish or chills
• Eye redness or irritation
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuff nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Tiredness

What should I do if I’m exposed to bird flu virus?

If you get exposed to the avian flu virus, Ghanem said, you must follow these steps.

1. Observe yourself to see if you develop any symptoms
2. Let the CDC know, so you can get tested
3. Isolate in case you have the virus
4. Start treatment if you test positive for HPAI or have any symptoms

Doctors can test for bird flu by “collecting a swab from the upper respiratory tract (nose or throat) of the sick person,” the CDC said. “Testing is more accurate when the swab is collected during the first few days of illness.“

Avian flu is treated with an antiviral medication such as Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or Zanamivir (Relenza), according to the CDC.

“Antiviral treatment works best when started as soon as symptoms begin,” the CDC said.

How can I prevent spread of virus?

To prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, people should avoid exposure to dead animals, Ghanem said. That includes wild bird, poultry, other domesticated birds and cows.

People should also avoid exposure to animal feces as well as fluids.

Here are other tips from Ghanem:

• Wash your hands
• Avoid contaminated surfaces and any other material that has been touched or is close to the infected animal
• Don’t drink raw milk.
• Eat pasteurized cheese.
• Monitor yourself for symptoms

She also recommends getting vaccinated against influenza.

“While getting a seasonal flu vaccine only prevents seasonal flu and will not protect against H5N1 bird flu,” the CDC said on its website, “it is important that people who may have frequent exposure to infected or potentially infected birds or other animals get a seasonal flu vaccine — ideally two weeks before their potential exposure.”

“This is because it can reduce the prevalence and severity of seasonal flu and might reduce the very rare risk of co-infection with a human seasonal virus and an avian virus at the same time,” the agency said.

©2024 The Sacramento Bee. Visit at sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.