South Florida Local News

Sun Sentinel: Your source for South Florida breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic

Updated: 14 hours 27 min ago

Tracking map: Here’s the latest forecast track of Hurricane Milton

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 02:30

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key just south of Tampa Bay at around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, moved across the state overnight, and exited the east coast near Cape Canaveral at 5 a.m. Thursday.

Milton was still a Category 1 hurricane and will continue to bring heavy rain and damaging wind on his back side for several more hours as it begins to trail away from Florida. Its path will take it east over the Atlantic, which Milton will deteriorate to a tropical storm, then fizzle out.

Here’s the latest forecast track:

Yes, voter fraud happens. But it’s rare and election offices have safeguards to catch it

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 01:10

By ALI SWENSON

NEW YORK (AP) — You’ve heard the horror stories: Someone casting multiple ballots, people voting in the name of dead relatives, mail-in ballots being intercepted.

Voter fraud does happen occasionally. When it does, we tend to hear a lot about it. It also gets caught and prosecuted.

The nation’s multilayered election processes provide many safeguards that keep voter fraud generally detectable and rare, according to current and former election administrators of both parties.

America’s elections are decentralized, with thousands of independent voting jurisdictions. That makes it virtually impossible to pull off a large-scale vote-rigging operation that could tip a presidential race — or most any other race.

“You’re probably not going to have a perfect election system,” said Republican Trey Grayson, a former Kentucky secretary of state and the advisory board chair of the Secure Elections Project. “But if you’re looking for one that you should have confidence in, you should feel good about that here in America.”

What’s stopping people from committing voter fraud?

Voting more than once, tampering with ballots, lying about your residence to vote somewhere else or casting someone else’s ballot are crimes that can be punished with hefty fines and prison time. Non-U.S. citizens who break election laws can be deported.

For anyone still motivated to cheat, election systems in the United States are designed with multiple layers of protection and transparency intended to stand in the way.

For in-person voting, most states either require or request voters provide some sort of ID at the polls. Others require voters to verify who they are in another way, such as stating their name and address, signing a poll book or signing an affidavit.

People who try to vote in the name of a recently deceased friend or family member can be caught when election officials update voter lists with death records and obituaries, said Gail Pellerin, a Democratic in the California Assembly who ran elections in Santa Cruz County for more than 27 years.

Those who try to impersonate someone else run the risk that someone at the polls knows that person or that the person will later try to cast their own ballot, she said.

What protections exist for absentee voting?

For absentee voting, different states have different ballot verification protocols. All states require a voter’s signature. Many states have further precautions, such as having bipartisan teams compare the signature with other signatures on file, requiring the signature to be notarized or requiring a witness to sign.

That means even if a ballot is erroneously sent to someone’s past address and the current resident mails it in, there are checks to alert election workers to the foul play.

A growing number of states offer online or text-based ballot tracking tools as an extra layer of protection, allowing voters to see when their ballot has been sent out, returned and counted.

Federal law requires voter list maintenance, and election officials do that through a variety of methods, from checking state and federal databases to collaborating with other states to track voters who have moved.

Ballot drop boxes have security protocols, too, said Tammy Patrick, chief executive officer for programs at the National Association of Election Officials.

She explained the boxes are often designed to stop hands from stealing ballots and are surveilled by camera, bolted to the ground and constructed with fire-retardant chambers, so if someone threw in a lit match, it wouldn’t destroy the ballots inside.

Sometimes, alleged voter fraud isn’t what it seems

After the 2020 election, social media surged with claims of dead people casting ballots, double voting or destroyed piles of ballots on the side of the road.

Former President Donald Trump promoted and has continued to amplify these claims. But the vast majority of them were found to be untrue.

An Associated Press investigation that explored every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by Trump found there were fewer than 475 out of millions of votes cast. That was not nearly enough to tip the outcome. Democrat Joe Biden won the six states by a combined 311,257 votes.

The review also showed no collusion intended to rig the voting. Virtually every case was based on an individual acting alone to cast additional ballots. In one case, a man mistakenly thought he could vote while on parole. In another, a woman was suspected of sending in a ballot for her dead mother.

Former election officials say that even more often, allegations of voter fraud turn out to result from a clerical error or a misunderstanding.

Pellerin said she remembered when a political candidate in her county raised suspicion about many people being registered to vote at the same address. It turned out the voters were nuns who all lived in the same home.

Patrick said that when she worked in elections in Maricopa County, Arizona, mismatched signatures were sometimes explained by a broken arm or a recent stroke. In other cases, an elderly person tried to vote twice because they forgot they had already submitted a mail ballot.

“You really have to think about the intent of the voter,” Patrick said. “It isn’t always intuitive.”

Why voter fraud is unlikely to affect the presidential race

It would be wrong to suggest that voter fraud never happens.

With millions of votes cast in an election year, it’s almost guaranteed there will be a few cases of someone trying to game the system. There also have been more insidious efforts, such as a vote-buying scheme in 2006 in Kentucky.

In that case, Grayson said, voters complained and an investigation ensued. Then participants admitted what they had done.

He said the example shows how important it is for election officials to stay vigilant and constantly improve security in order to help voters feel confident.

But, he said, it would be hard to make any such scheme work on a larger scale. Fraudsters would have to navigate onerous nuances in each county’s election system. They also would have to keep a large number of people quiet about a crime that could be caught at any moment by officials or observers.

“This decentralized nature of the elections is itself a deterrent,” Grayson said.

Today in History: October 10, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 01:00

Today is Thursday, Oct. 10, the 284th day of 2024. There are 82 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, accused of accepting bribes, resigned his office and pleaded no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion.

Also on this date:

In 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy was established in Annapolis, Maryland, with an inaugural class of 50 students.

In 1911, Chinese revolutionaries launched an uprising that led to the collapse of the Qing (or Manchu) Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.

In 1935, the George Gershwin opera “Porgy and Bess,” featuring an all-Black cast, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 124 performances.

In 1964, the Summer Olympics began in Tokyo, the first Summer Games to be telecast around the world.

In 1966, the Beach Boys’ single “Good Vibrations,” written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, was released by Capitol Records.

In 2001, a month after the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. jets pounded the Afghan capital of Kabul while President George W. Bush unveiled a list of 22 most-wanted terrorists, including Osama bin Laden.

In 2014, Malala Yousafzai (mah-LAH’-lah YOO’-suhf-zeye), a 17-year-old Pakistani girl, and Kailash Satyarthi (KY’-lash saht-YAHR’-thee), a 60-year-old Indian man, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for risking their lives for the right of children to receive an education and to live free from abuse.

In 2018, Hurricane Michael, the first to strike the U.S. mainland as a Category 5 hurricane in 26 years, made landfall in Florida.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Peter Coyote is 83.
Entertainer Ben Vereen is 78.
Actor Charles Dance is 78.
Author Nora Roberts is 74.
Rock singer David Lee Roth is 70.
Country singer Tanya Tucker is 66.
Actor Julia Sweeney is 65.
Actor Bradley Whitford is 65.
Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre is 55.
Actor/TV host Mario Lopez is 51.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 50.
Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger is 50.

GATORS PODCAST: Florida travels to Tennessee as heavy underdogs but with some momentum (Ep. 247)

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 16:53

The Gators head to Rocky Top coming off a pair of convincing victories and now seeking a signature win in 2024. The rival Vols are 15.5-point favorites, but have not won consecutive visits from Florida since 1990 and ’92. Meanwhile, coach Billy Napier has not won consecutive road games at UF. Something’s got to give. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark discuss the matchup ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.

‘Super Bowl of the South’ (:00)
Reason for optimism (3:42)
Reason for pessimism (7:22)
Matchup on defense (11:42)
Matchup on offense (14:05)
On the spot (17:11)
Unsubstantiated rumor (19:24)
Final thought (24:17)
A win or loss? (27:00)
Jeremy Foley’s Corner (30:18)

Polluted waste from Florida’s fertilizer industry is in the path of Milton’s fury

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 16:42

By MICHAEL BIESECKER and JASON DEAREN

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida’s west coast with powerful winds and flooding rain, environmentalists are worried it could scatter the polluted leftovers of the state’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry and other hazardous waste across the peninsula and into vulnerable waterways.

More than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive phosphogypsum waste is stored in “stacks” that resemble enormous ponds at risk for leaks during major storms. Florida has 25 such stacks, most concentrated around enormous phosphate mines and fertilizer processing plants in the central part of the state, and environmentalists say nearly all of them are in Milton’s projected path.

“Placing vulnerable sites so close on major waterways that are at risk of damage from storms is a recipe for disaster,” said Ragan Whitlock, a staff attorney at the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity. “These are ticking time bombs.”

Phosphogypsum, a solid waste byproduct from processing phosphate ore to make chemical fertilizer, contains radium, which decays to form radon gas. Both radium and radon are radioactive and can cause cancer. Phosphogypsum may also contain toxic heavy metals and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel.

That waste is even more troublesome because there is no easy way to dispose of it, leaving it to pile up and become an ever-growing target for such storms as the monster Milton, which is expected to slam into central Florida late Wednesday as at least a Category 3, with sustained winds approaching 130 mph, a possible 8- to 12-foot (2- to 3.5-meter) storm surge and 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain.

A lesser storm, Hurricane Frances, which hit the state’s eastern coast as a Category 2 and churned across central Florida in 2004, sent 65 million gallons of acidic wastewater from phosphogypsum stacks into nearby waterways, killing thousands of fish and other marine life.

Of particular concern from Milton is the Piney Point wastewater reservoir, which sits on the shore of Tampa Bay and has had structural issues that have caused regular leaks over the years.

A March 2021 leak resulted in the release of an estimated 215 million gallons of polluted water into the bay and caused massive fish kills. Another leak in August 2022 unleashed another 4.5 million gallons of wastewater. Compounding the problem is the bankruptcy filing of the site’s former owner, HRC Holdings, leaving it to be managed by a court-appointed receiver.

The nation’s largest U.S. phosphate producer, The Mosaic Company, owns two stacks at its Riverview facility that sit on the shore of Tampa Bay. In 2016, a sinkhole opened beneath the company’s New Wales Gypstack, sending millions of gallons of contaminated sludge into the state’s main drinking water aquifer. The company said tests showed there were no offsite impacts from the incident, but the site is at risk of further damage from a storm as powerful as Milton.

Asked about its preparations for the coming storm, Mosaic pointed to a statement on its website: “Preparations for hurricane season include reviewing lessons learned from the previous year, updating our preparedness and response plans … and completing inspections to ensure all test pumps, generators and other equipment needed in the event of severe weather are onsite and in proper working order.”

Florida and North Carolina are responsible for mining 80% of the U.S. supply of phosphorous, which is important not only to agriculture but to munitions production.

Beyond the mine stacks, the Tampa Bay area is also home to old toxic waste sites that are considered among the worst in the nation. A former pesticide production site, the Stauffer Chemical Co., has polluted the Anclote River, groundwater and soil. Today it is an EPA Superfund site undergoing years of cleanup.

The EPA posted on the website that it is “ensuring that this site is secured for potential impacts from Hurricane Milton.”

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday it is preparing all available resources critical to the facilities it regulates, as well as securing state parks and aquatic preserves to minimize storm effects.

“At this time, we are preparing locally for the storm both professionally and personally,” Mosaic spokeswoman Ashleigh Gallant said. “If there are impacts, we will release those publicly after the storm.”

___

Biesecker reported from Washington, Dearen from Los Angeles.

Dolphins Deep Dive: What should Miami’s 2025 QB plan be? | VIDEO

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 16:40

In this Dolphins Deep Dive video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and Dave Hyde discuss what Miami needs to do to shore up its quarterback room in 2025 to avoid a repeat of this season where there was no reliable option behind starter Tua Tagovailoa.

(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "4e9467ba-b813-4aa0-ba13-fdfb01bb1fc8" }).render("85813e28b562440ba98d94d2ad03626a"); });

Dolphins Deep Dive: What is Miami’s top priority during bye week? | VIDEO

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 16:24

In this Dolphins Deep Dive video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and Dave Hyde discuss what the team should focus on over the bye week.

(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "7aa2a982-0d89-432f-813a-8f7a7270ce9f" }).render("2b8c90570738461bb817df237a4328f0"); });

Today in History: October 9, Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 01:00

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 9, the 283rd day of 2024. There are 83 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 9, 2009, President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Also on this date:

In 1910, a coal dust explosion at the Starkville Mine in Colorado left 56 miners dead.

In 1962, Uganda won autonomy from British rule.

In 1963, a mega-tsunami triggered by a landside at Vajont Dam in northern Italy destroyed villages and caused approximately 2,000 deaths.

In 1967, Marxist revolutionary guerrilla leader Che Guevara, 39, was executed by the Bolivian army a day after his capture.

In 1985, Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park, a memorial to former Beatle John Lennon, was dedicated.

In 2010, a drill broke through into an underground chamber where 33 Chilean miners had been trapped for more than two months.

In 2012, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, to 30 to 60 years in prison following his conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse of boys.

Today’s Birthdays:

Musician Nona Hendryx is 80.
Musician Jackson Browne is 76.
Actor Robert Wuhl is 73.
TV personality Sharon Osbourne is 72.
Actor Tony Shalhoub is 71.
Actor Scott Bakula is 70.
Actor-TV host John O’Hurley is 70.
Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary is 66.
Jazz musician Kenny Garrett is 64.
Film director Guillermo del Toro is 60.
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron is 58.
Singer P.J. Harvey is 55.
Film director Steve McQueen (“12 Years a Slave”) is 55.
Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam is 54.
Musician Sean Lennon is 49.
Actor Brandon Routh is 45.
Author-TV presenter Marie Kondo is 40.
Comedian Melissa Villasenor is 37.
Actor Tyler James Williams is 32.
NFL tight end George Kittle is 31.
Country singer Scotty McCreery (TV: “American Idol”) is 31.
Model Bella Hadid is 28.
Actor Jharrel Jerome is 27.
Tennis player Ben Shelton is 22.

Dave Hyde: Panthers celebrate twice in raising banner, thumping Bruins in opener

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 21:08

SUNRISE — Here it came, one final time Tuesday night, the Stanley Cup trophy that’s traveled everywhere around the Florida Panthers’ world this offseason back to where it all started on the ice in Aleksander Barkov’s arms.

The Panthers captain hoisted it above his head, just like he did to start the championship celebration last June. He then set it on a table and his teammates gathered around, locking arms around each other.

As the final seconds of last season stood on the doorstep of this next season, a banner unfurled that read, “Stanley Cup Champions, 2024.” It rose to the rafters of Amerant Bank Arena, accompanied by a sold-out crowd’s cheers, and then the Panthers ushered in their next celebration.

This was the unscripted one, the one that wasn’t just about what was last spring but what can be again this season as the Panthers’ 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins showed.

Just over six minutes into the new season, Sam Bennett took a loose rebound and scored the season-opening goal. A minute later, Eetu Luostarinen made it 2-0. And near the end of that first period, when Sam Reinhart and Bennett, again, scored a minute apart to make it 4-1 the night’s theme was struck.

“It was a perfect night for us,” Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. “That was the closing to last season, and it was cool to see (the banner) go up. Then we flipped the page immediately and got to our game.”

It was like they never left, in some respects, as they found their speed and pressure style from the opening minutes.

“It was the banner for sure, but it was actually the fans,” coach Paul Maurice said of this start. “They were wired. There was a great buzz in the building. It was so nice they were all Panthers fans, and I think we played off that and had lost of energy.”

The fans kept bringing it, starting to chant, “We want Swayman,” as the Panthers took a 5-1 lead in the second period. Boston star goalie, Jeremy Swayman, didn’t start Tuesday after having one practice since signing a new contract.

The Panthers did their business a different way. Carter Verhaeghe agreed to an eight-year contract just before the game to ensure another piece of the Panthers core will remain intact.

“I was halfway dressed and I was told it was done,” Verhaeghe said after the game. “I was happy to get it done. That way I could kind of focus on the game and not have that go through my head the whole time.”

First, general manager Bill Zito showed how to build a champion. Now he’s showing how to turn a couple of great years into a sustained run. To get there will mean staying ahead in the growing rivalry with Boston.

The Bruins felt they had payback not just for two years of being pushed by the Panthers into the offseason in tough playoff series. There also was some personal scores to settle. They spent an undue but understandable amount of time trying to pick a fight with Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk.

When these teams last met in the playoffs, Tkachuk called out Boston star David Pastrnak to fight in a Game 2 that had devolved from a Panthers 6-1 win into a fight night. Boston seemed to think Tkachuk should answer the bell this opening night.

First, Boston’s third-tiered defenseman Nikita Zadorov (6 foot 6, 248 pounds) tried to pick a fight with Tkachuk (6-2, 202). Tkachuk evidently wasn’t interested and let Zadorov act his way into the penalty box.

Next, Trent Frederic, a more measured 6-3, 220, beckoned to fight Tkachuk, who still wanted nothing of it. Frederic also went to the penalty box.

There’s a time for this, Tkachuk seemed to say, and these opening minutes of a new season aren’t it. This heat on this rivalry is obvious, though.

“We play an intense style of hockey, and you know they’re going to play hard,” Bennett said. “They’re a proud team over there. And, yeah, that’s just part of the game.”

The night felt inverted in some respects from the last time the Panthers played in this arena, as this was a beginning and not an ending, a regular season’s first pedestrian steps and not a postseason’s climactic one.

But what a first night it was for the Panthers. A banner raising. A win. And a new contract. It was a celebratory hat trick that said the new season began in a style the old one could appreciate.

Florida Panthers championship ring ceremony at War Memorial Auditorium | PHOTOS

Panthers and two-time Cup winner Carter Verhaeghe agree on eight-year contract extension

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 19:56

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE — Carter Verhaeghe is no longer a free-agent-in-waiting. He’s going to be with the Florida Panthers for years to come.

Verhaeghe and the Panthers have agreed on an eight-year, $56 million contract extension, the deal getting announced shortly after the Stanley Cup champions opened their season by beating the Boston Bruins 6-4 on Tuesday night.

“This guy’s a Florida Panther,” general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said. “We’re very blessed to have him.”

The two-time Cup winner — he also won one with Tampa Bay — is entering his fifth season with the Panthers. He had 42 goals and 73 points in the 2022-23 season, then 34 goals and 72 points last season to help Florida’s title run.

“To be a Florida Panther for this long already is a huge honor for me,” Verhaeghe said. “To even extend it longer, I’m just so grateful to the organization.”

Verhaeghe also had 11 goals in the playoffs last season, the last of those coming in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final when Florida topped Edmonton 2-1 for the franchise’s first title.

There were hints that a deal was close, the best of those coming on Monday night at the Panthers’ championship ring ceremony. Panthers owner Vincent Viola handed the rings to players one by one, and when it was Verhaeghe’s turn there was an extra message — a promise from the owner that he would remain with the team.

A day later, the deal was done — officially getting sealed before Tuesday’s game, just like Viola indicated.

“It’s what I wanted,” Verhaeghe said. “It was cool. He said some really nice things to everyone. It was awesome.”

Verhaeghe joins the core of Panthers who are under contract through at least 2030, a list that includes Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Gustav Forsling.

“It feels so good,” Verhaeghe said. “They’re like brothers to me. Last year, it felt so good to be able to win with this core. … The friendships I’ve made here are lifelong and I’m just so proud to be a Panther.”

Sam Bennett scores twice, Panthers open title defense by getting past rival Bruins

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 19:27

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE — Sam Bennett scored twice, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist, and the Florida Panthers opened defense of their Stanley Cup championship by topping the Boston Bruins 6-4 on Tuesday in the opener for both teams.

Euto Luostarinen and Jonah Gadjovich also scored for Florida, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots. Florida raised its championship banner before the game.

Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy, Trent Frederic and David Pastrnak scored for Boston, which had won five consecutive openers. Florida is 4-1 in its last five openers.

Takeaways

Bruins: Boston went with Joonas Korpisalo in net instead of newly re-signed Jeremy Swayman, who got his eight-year, $66 million deal done Sunday. Korpisalo made 29 saves. When it was 5-1 midway through the second, Panthers fans serenaded the Bruins with chants of “We want Swayman.”

Panthers: Florida dealt with some chippiness against Boston, which was ousted by the Panthers the last two postseasons. Much was directed at Matthew Tkachuk — he and the Bruins have plenty of history — but even officials weren’t safe. Boston’s Max Jones tried to slash Rodrigues, but hit linesman Devin Berg instead to earn a 2-minute unsportsmanlike penalty.

Key moment

There were two, with the Panthers scoring two quick goals on two occasions in the opening period. Bennett and Luostarinen scored 64 seconds apart for a 2-0 lead. After Boston scored, Reinhart and Bennett scored exactly 60 seconds apart to make it 4-1.

Key stat

Including playoffs, this was the 22nd meeting between the Panthers and Bruins since the start of the 2022-23 season. No two teams have faced each other more in that span. The wins in those 22 games: Panthers 11, Bruins 11. The goal total: Panthers 74, Bruins 74.

Up next

Boston starts a three-game homestand Thursday against Montreal. Florida goes to Ottawa to start a four-game, six-day road trip Thursday.

The Florida Panthers raise their Stanley Cup championship banner before the start of a game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday in Sunrise. (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)

Florida Panthers championship ring ceremony at War Memorial Auditorium | PHOTOS

Heartening Heat moments from Butler, Adebayo, Larsson in exhibition loss in Charlotte

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 18:27

At a time of year when the score stands as an afterthought, the Miami Heat found answers beyond the scoreboard in Tuesday night’s 111-108 preseason loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

Jimmy Butler played, his first preseason action in two years.

Bam Adebayo loaded up with 3-point attempts, an encouraging sign of an expanded offensive repertoire.

Nikola Jovic settled in at power forward, offering a hint of what might follow with Erik Spoelstra’s lineup.

And there was enough kid stuff to create hope going forward.

“It was good to get that game conditioning in,” Spoelstra said of the preseason opener. “It always feels a little bit different no matter how many years you’ve played. Our guys have been working extremely hard. But it was good to face somebody else.”

Butler played 15:35 and finished with 11 points, in his first action since being sidelined with a knee injury in last season’s play-in opener.

Adebayo shot 2 of 5 on 3-pointers as part of his 17-minute effort, closing with 13 points and six rebounds.

Jovic paired well with Adebayo in the starting lineup, finishing with nine points in 16 minutes.

There also was 10 points from second-round pick Pelle Larsson and 13 from first-round pick Kel’el Ware.

The Heat had a chance to tie down three off a timeout with 7.5 second to play, with Ware off on a 3-point attempt.

“We just weren’t able to get over the top,” Spoelstra said.

The Heat were without Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr., due to a pair of groin strains that the team has termed minor. Also sidelined was veteran guard Josh Richardson, who continues to work his way back from last season’s shoulder surgery.

With Thursday’s home exhibition against the Atlanta Hawks postponed until next week due to Hurricane Milton, the Heat do not play again until Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. exhibition against the New Orleans Pelicans at Kaseya Center.

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s exhibition against the Hornets:

1. Lineup reality: Spoelstra for the second consecutive night offered a hint into the likely opening-night lineup.

As in Monday night’s intrasquad scrimmage at Kaseya Center, Spoelstra opened with Adebayo, Jovic, Butler, Terry Rozier and Alec Burks an apparent lineup placeholder for Herro.

Spoelstra has stressed the desire to get and play Adebayo, Butler, Rozier and Herro together as much as possible in the preseason, with it becoming increasingly evident that Jovic could join those four in the opening-night lineup.

The starters played only the first half.

2. Second unit: Spoelstra then came with a mass substitution late in the first period, inserting Larsson, Haywood Highsmith, Duncan Robinson and Dru Smith, with Kevin Love inserted moments later for 10 deep.

With Herro eventually expected to play with the starters in place of Burks, and with Jaquez a likely second-unit choice over Smith, the framework of the regular-season rotation already could be coming into focus.

Larsson, Highsmith, Robinson, Smith and Thomas Bryant started the second half, with Love also given the second half off.

“I thought all three units at various times did some good things.” Spoelstra said.

3. Stepping in: For Butler, it was his first exhibition action in two years, his last preseason play coming when he appeared in two exhibitions in 2022.

After playing without attempting a shot in Monday’s intrasquad scrimmage at Kaseya Center, Butler stepped up with a first period 3-pointer, with five points in his initial eight-minute stint.

The action was a heartening development, with Butler having missed 22 games last season, then sidelined, as well, for the playoffs.

4. Bam boom: A night after shooting 5 of 11 on 3-pointers in Monday’s intrasquad scrimmage, Adebayo loaded up from beyond the arc on his first two attempts Tuesday night, missing the first and converting the second.

Adebayo routinely set up in the corners, in one case stepping out of bounds in the first quarter when he stepped on the sideline while attempting to drive.

Adebayo’s second 3-pointer came in the second period from the corner off a drive-and-kick feed from Jovic.

Eight of Adebayo’s nine shots came either from beyond the arc or in the paint.

5. Larsson again: After leading the Heat in scoring in Monday’s scrimmage, Larsson again showed that rotation minutes could be possible for the No. 44 pick in last June’s draft out of Arizona.

Larsson converted his first four shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, closing 4 of 5 from the field.

“He’s been steady and consistent pretty much all of camp, all of September,” Spoelstra said, “most of the summer, as well, for that matter.

“And so, with Jaime out, he can be plugged into that role, and did some very good things.”

Ware then came on late, in a lineup that included fellow Heat summer-league teammates Keshad Johnson, Isaiah Stevens, Josh Christopher and Caleb Daniels.

“Right away you noticed him defensively,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “He had his moments.

“I was encouraged by how he played.”

Moms for Liberty chapter gets win in Florida school board case

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 17:39

TALLAHASSEE — A federal appeals court Tuesday backed a chapter of the group Moms for Liberty in a constitutional challenge to Brevard County School Board policies that placed restrictions on speakers at board meetings.

A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said policies targeted at “abusive,” “obscene” and “personally directed” speech violated the First Amendment. The panel overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Roy Dalton.

“For many parents, school board meetings are the front lines of the most meaningful part of local government — the education of their children,” said Tuesday’s opinion, written by Judge Britt Grant and joined fully by Judge Barbara Lagoa and partly by Judge Charles Wilson. “And sometimes speaking at these meetings is the primary way parents interact with their local leaders or communicate with other community members. No one could reasonably argue that this right is unlimited, but neither is the government’s authority to restrict it.”

The opinion came after school boards in various parts of Florida and the country have become battlegrounds during the past few years about contentious issues such as restricting or eliminating access to certain school-library books.

The Brevard County chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative group, and individual plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in 2021 alleging that school-board policies chilled speech at meetings. Wilson, who dissented on one part of Tuesday’s majority opinion, wrote that the case stemmed from incidents that occurred from Jan. 19, 2021, to Oct. 26, 2021.

The majority opinion said the government “has relatively broad power to restrict speech” in what are known as limited public forums, such as school board meetings. But it said that “power is not unlimited.”

“Speech restrictions must still be reasonable, viewpoint-neutral, and clear enough to give speakers notice of what speech is permissible,” Grant wrote. “The board’s policies for public participation at board meetings did not live up to those standards.”

The majority opinion said, for example, that the school board policies did not include a definition of “abusive” speech and that then-board Chairwoman Misty Belford effectively interpreted it to address what was considered “unacceptable” speech.

“At one meeting, for example, she interrupted a speaker who criticized the board’s COVID-19 masking policy as a ‘simple ploy to silence our opposition to this evil LGBTQ agenda,’” the majority opinion said. “Belford quickly stopped the speaker, who had not yelled, screamed, or otherwise caused a disruption. In her affidavit (in the lawsuit), Belford explained that she interrupted him because his ‘characterization of people as ‘evil’ was abusive.’ ,,, No one likes to be called evil, but it is not ‘abusive’ to use that term. Restrictions that bar offensive or otherwise unwelcome speech are impermissible, regardless of the forum in which the government seeks to impose them.”

As another example, the appeals court said the policies did not include a definition of “obscene.” It said the school board “used its obscenity policy to bar protected speech, and it did so in a way that impeded the purpose of a school board meeting.”

As an example, the opinion said a Moms for Liberty member was interrupted at a school-board meeting while reading from a book that was in an elementary-school library. The book included a description of a sexual encounter and a profanity.

“It would be difficult, if not impossible, for speakers to adequately air their concerns about a particular book without informing both the board and the community about what that book says,” Grant wrote. “Describing the content of a book is not as potent as reading its words — nor is it as informative. And it is remarkable for the board to suggest that this speech can be prohibited in a school board meeting because it is inappropriate for children when it came directly from a book that is available to children in their elementary school library.”

Wilson dissented on part of the opinion that addressed a policy about speech “personally” directed at other people. That policy was revised during the legal battle, and Wilson said he would find the current policy constitutional.

Rueben Chinyelu’s basketball journey leads 6-11 Nigerian to Gators

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 17:00

GAINESVILLE — Rueben Chinyelu recently bought an electric bike to help him better navigate his new life here.

As he zips from classes to Gators basketball practice and home again, the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Chinyelu (pronounced chin-YAY-loo) is an outsized sight to behold — atop a bike made for someone eight inches shorter.

“It’s doing the work,” he said. “I’m super excited.”

Minor inconveniences or some occasional discomfort do not dim Chinyelu’s omnipresent smile and boundless optimism. Sacrifice the name of the game if he’s going to achieve his goals, a list that includes becoming a dentist and playing in the NBA.

Along the way, Chinyelu is sure to absorb another language or two — he speaks four well and knows enough of two others to get by.

“I just try to learn from people around me and pick up from there,” he said.

A 6-foot-11 transfer, Rueben Chinyelu is expected to bring a much-needed defensive presences to the Gators. (Courtesy of UF Athletics)

Being a social animal and citizen of the world are requisite skills to walk Chinyelu’s path. Moving to a new town and joining a new team can at times be lonely.

Chinyelu celebrated his 21st birthday two weeks ago nearly 6,000 miles from his Nigerian home. Gainesville is at least closer — and warmer — than Washington State, where he spent last season before transferring.

“It’s really tough,” he recently told the Orlando Sentinel. “You’re far away from home. Sometimes you just want to see your Mom or see your siblings. You want to eat some of Mom’s food.

“But you have to just see the bigger picture and just know that it’s a sacrifice that’s worth doing.”

Not long ago, Chinyelu never imagined he’d be playing basketball at all, even though everyone he met back home in Lagos already assumed he did.

Even in a city of nearly 15 million people, Chinyelu — a 6-foot-8 14-year-old — stood out.

“People saw me and were like, ‘Oh, you’re tall. Do you play basketball?’ I was like, ‘Nah,’” he said. “It was a regular thing for me.”

But Chinyelu, his three sisters and two brothers were laser-focused on studies, not soccer — Nigeria’s national sport and an indulgence only during recess.

Chinyelu’s attention began to shift one day at his brother-in-law’s Lagos market when he met Mrs. Allison Ibidun, a woman he would nickname “Grandma.”

When Ibidun asked if he played basketball, Chinyelu’s sheepish “nah” didn’t cut it.

“She said, ‘Why are you smiling? You could get an education playing basketball,’” he recalled. “That’s when the light switched on. It was like, now it’s making sense playing sports.”

With Ibidun advising his brother-in-law, Nta Chin Ebere, Chinyelu soon enrolled at Raptors Academy in Lagos, just shy of his 15th birthday in 2018, to begin his long and winding basketball journey.

Though he’d never played competitive sports, Chinyelu was a natural athlete, fluid and fast. He served notice during the 2019 FIBA U16 African Championship at Cabo Verde, an archipelago west of Senegal known for beautiful beaches.

Chinyelu was skinny and his skills were raw. But his relentless style set the tone for Nigeria’s third-place finish as he averaged 12.3 points and 17.6 rebounds.

“I was really rough, but was just hustling, getting the rebounds, putting back, setting the screens, rolling, just playing hard,” he said. “Our team was young, we were small, but teams didn’t want to play us. We just would come out and pour everything on the court.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the following year, times were bleak in his homeland due to lockdowns and a lack of affordable food. Yet, Chinyelu continued to pour himself into basketball.

Chinyelu said Billy Radcliffe of Miami, who served as a guardian for former FIU player James Ametepe when he came from Ghana to South Florida, shipped him two basketballs and some shoes.

Each day following his morning prayers, Chinyelu would do push-ups, sit-ups, planks and lunges, and then head outside to hone his basketball skills.

“Even though I wasn’t able to play I was able to work on my personal craft,” he said. “After the pandemic, I was big, really big, and I was fast.”

Florida’s 6-foot-11 transfer Rueben Chinyelu, a native of Nigeria, is enjoying his new life in Gainesville. (Courtesy of UF Athletics)

Chinyelu’s stock rose quickly in 2021 at the NBA Academy in Senegal. His big moment came during the 2022 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, where he helped his team to the title and led the tournament in rebounding to create interest among American college scouts.

But with Kansas, Tennessee and the Gators in pursuit, Chinyelu chose to play for Kyle Smith at Washington State, a 24-hour flight from Lagos featuring three layovers. When Smith left for Stanford, Chinyelu decided to cast aside his XXXL winter coat and join Smith protégé Todd Golden in Gainesville.

“I love snow,” Chinyelu said. “But I just don’t like the cold that comes with it.”

Chinyelu also found UF’s culture to be warm and welcoming.

“[The coaches] want you to be more than a basketball player, but also a better person, have an education if you’re willing,” he said. “Some people just want you to be, basketball, basketball, basketball. But they see a different part of you, which is really beautiful.”

Chinyelu shakes his head wonderment as he considers how he got here, though he has an idea.

Athletically gifted, studious and adaptable, Chinyelu is also God-fearing.

“I’ve been to places I never thought I would have been,” he said. “I come from a family [where] we don’t have much. But we just believe and we just work hard to make a life. To travel to so many places, meet so many people, see so many cultures and being able to have education in the U.S. … if it’s not God, I don’t know what is.

“Basketball has taken me a long way. I’m just grateful God made me 6-11.”

The Gators appreciate Chinyelu, whose unique skill set will help shore up a shaky defense.

“He’s the strongest guy I’ve ever been against,” 6-foot-11, 230-pound Australian Alex Condon marveled.

Harnessing his strength is the challenge. Chinyelu ranked among the top-20 nationally last season in offensive rebounding rate, defensive rebounding rate, block rate and 2-point shooting accuracy, yet averaged just 13.9 minutes.

“The biggest thing with Rueben will be defending without fouling,” Golden said. “It’s a tricky one because he plays so hard that you don’t want to slow him down. But if he’s on the floor he’ll be productive — he’s proven that.”

Chinyelu has much to prove, but also to see, to learn, to experience.

“He’s still trying to learn America,” said guard Walter Clayton Jr., a Lake Wales native.

Chinyelu hopes one day to get a car, since he recently earned his driver’s license — “I’m super proud of myself.”

Willing passengers might be slim pickings.

“I’ll walk,” UF veteran Will Richard joked.

Meanwhile, Chinyelu will keep putting one foot in front of the other, seeing the glass half-full every step of the way.

“It just means I’ll have more room in my car,” he said.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Some Palm Beach County residents are urged to evacuate due to Milton. Here are the details on evacuation areas.

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:42

As Hurricane Milton advanced toward Florida, officials on Tuesday urged Palm Beach County residents to evacuate if they live in certain communities that are at greater risk during severe weather.

The warning pertained to those in Palm Beach County who live in evacuation Zone A, primarily those residing in manufactured or mobile homes, those whose residences have “substandard construction” or those living in low-lying areas prone to severe flooding.

Zone A is not any one single area in the county, but multiple parcels situated in various locations, from the south to north end of the county. Residents can look up if they live in Zone A using the county’s Hurricane Evacuation Zone Look-Up Tool at https://discover.pbc.gov/publicsafety/dem/Pages/Know-Your-Zone.aspx.

Evacuation-zone information also may be accessed through Palm Beach County’s cellphone app, the Disaster Awareness & Recovery Tool (DART). For more information about the app, visit readypbc.org.

“Tropical-storm-force winds are expected Wednesday evening through Thursday, and our area has a potential for sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with occasional gusts of 50 to 60 mph,” County Administrator Verdenia Baker said during a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. “This is huge. This is serious, and we all need to take it seriously.”

With sustained winds being so high, Baker said law enforcement may not be able to respond, which is a big reason why the evacuations are being issued.

The Sun Sentinel has made its coverage of Hurricane Milton free to all readers as a public service. Please consider supporting important breaking news such as this by subscribing to SunSentinel.com at a special rate.

Five of the county’s general population shelters, along with a pet-friendly shelter, will open at noon Wednesday.

Those shelters are:

— Palm Beach Gardens High School, 4245 Holly Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, 33410

— Palm Beach Central High School, 8499 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, 33411

— Forest Hill High School, 6901 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach, 33405

— Park Vista High School, 7900 Jog Road, Lake Worth, 33467

— Lake Shore Middle School, 425 W Canal St. N, Belle Glade, 33430

— West Boynton Recreation Center (pet-friendly shelter), 6000 Northtree Blvd., Lake Worth, 33463

— Palm Beach County’s special-needs shelter also will open for those who have pre-registered with the county and arranged to stay there.

Florida hospitals and health care facilities in Hurricane Milton’s path prepare for the worst

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:26

By DEVNA BOSE and DEVI SHASTRI

Hospitals and other health care facilities on Florida’s Gulf Coast — still reeling from Hurricane Helene — are now revving up for Hurricane Milton.

The system, which is shaping up to be one of the most powerful to hit the region in years, is projected to make landfall a bit south of the Tampa area late Wednesday. Long-term care facilities in counties where mandatory evacuations have been issued are taking their patients elsewhere, while hospitals are largely on guard, preparing to stay open through the storm.

According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ website, 10 hospitals have reported evacuations as of Tuesday afternoon. Three hundred health care facilities have evacuated as of this morning, the most many of the staff working there could remember, said Florida Agency for Health Care Administration deputy secretary Kim Smoak. That count included 63 nursing homes and 169 assisted living facilities.

Steve McCoy, chief of the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, said it is the state’s “largest evacuation ever.”

Health officials are using almost 600 vehicles to take patients out of the storm’s path, tracking them with blue wristbands that show where they were evacuated from and where they are being sent. They plan to keep getting patients out through the night, until winds reach sustained speeds of 40 mph and driving conditions become unsafe.

“I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast my entire life and in Sarasota for 20 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” said David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. “Our anxieties are high, but we’re as prepared as we know how to be.”

Hospitals brace for hurricane

Tampa General Hospital has stocked up on more than five days of supplies, including food, linens and 5,000 gallons of water, in addition to an on-site well. In the event of a power disruption, the hospital also has an energy plant with generators and boilers located 33 feet above sea level.

Tampa General deployed an “aquafence” to successfully prevent storm-surge flooding during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. The barrier will be up again when Milton makes landfall and can withstand a storm surge of 15 feet. The U.S. National Hurricane Center estimates Milton’s surges will be 10 to 15 feet high at their peak.

No one will be working on the first floor of Tampa General Hospital for the foreseeable future — just in case.

“While AquaFence has proven effective in the past, it is just the first line of defense and one of many mitigation efforts we’ve implemented this week to safely continue care for our patients,” said Jennifer Crabtree, chief of staff at Tampa General.

The Tampa health system has shuttered many urgent care and imaging locations, but its four hospital campuses are prepared to remain open through the storm.

HCA Florida Healthcare, one of the state’s largest health care networks, has evacuated patients from five hospitals to sister facilities. The closed HCA Florida hospitals are Pasadena Hospital in St. Petersburg, Largo West Hospital in Largo, Florida Englewood Hospital in Englewood, West Tampa Hospital in Tampa and Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, where strong winds and flooding caused major damage in 2022 during Hurricane Ian.

AdventHealth North Pinellas evacuated its 40 patients Tuesday afternoon, transferring them to nearby hospitals in their health system. The hospital’s emergency department remains open. Randy Haffner, CEO and president of AdventHealth Florida, said in an emailed statement that the system is “as prepared as we can be with water, generators, sandbags, satellite phones and the best caregivers there are.”

Hospitals are shuttering nearby, but Sarasota Memorial Health Care System also plans to stay open through the storm and shelter in place, Verinder said. Still, “we are concerned about the many unknowns,” he said.

Verinder estimates the system, stocked with enough food, water, linens and medications for at least seven days and 200,000 gallons of fuel, will be expected to shelter and support more than 4,000 people during the hurricane, though they are already close to capacity.

More than 2,500 staff members are gearing up for multiple nights in the hospital starting Tuesday, so Sarasota Memorial is providing childcare and pet shelters at both of its campuses.

“We are not a designated medical shelter, but we are working with the county to care for medically dependent persons assigned to the hospital because of the acuity of their needs … and patients evacuated from other hospitals in the region,” he said.

Dr. Matt Shannon, director of community emergency medicine at University of Florida Health, said the state’s flagship is prepared to take patients.

“The emergency department… we never close,” he said. “We have five emergency departments, all of which are open and functioning. This is not our first rodeo — we’ve been through this many times before.”

Repeated rough hurricane seasons have hardened Florida facilities and prepared them for Milton, said Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association. Still, the sheer power of Hurricane Milton and the back-to-back nature of storms will affect “a wide swath of the state and the hospitals.”

“It’s increasing the vulnerabilities in the area, from flooding to clogged drains to debris that hasn’t been removed that may exacerbate the situation that is already forecasted to be catastrophic,” Mayhew said. “Area hospitals routinely prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Long-term care facilities evacuate

In a briefing Tuesday, state officials and long-term care industry representatives urged nursing homes and assisted living facilities to prepare for long power outages, damage to sewer systems and being unable to access electronic health records.

“We want to remind you that all emergencies are local,” said Emmett Reed, CEO of the Florida Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes and assisted living providers in the state. “You need to start with your local emergency office to report any questions you might have.”

Florida’s west coast, which includes Pinellas, Manatee and Hillsborough counties, has the highest concentration of nursing centers in the state, Florida Health Care Association spokesperson Kristen Knapp said.

“Based on what has been reported, at a minimum you’re talking about 5,000-6,000 nursing home residents that have evacuated,” Knapp said in an email.

In counties under state of emergency orders, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to have enough emergency generator fuel to power life-saving equipment and keep indoor temperatures at a safe level for 96 hours.

Deborah Franklin, a member of the Florida Health Care Association’s emergency response team, said centers should be printing resident documents, including medications, dietary restrictions and more, even if they are not in the worst of the hurricane’s path. She also urged staff to consider the mental health of their residents, some of whom are moving for the second time in just a few weeks.

“You must address — after the storm or even during the storm — trauma-informed care for these residents,” Franklin said. “They could be worried about their families. They could be worried about if they’re going to have a home to go back to.”

Sixty-seven year old Lillie Whiting said she doesn’t plan on evacuating the assisted living facility where she lives a few blocks from the bay in Clearwater. But she may have to pack up anyway, if staff at Magnolia Manor determine that residents need to be relocated to another facility across town.

“We might have to evacuate, but they doubt it, saying we’ll see what goes on,” Whiting said. “If we do, they got another place we can go.”

The retired housekeeper took advantage of the clear weather Tuesday afternoon to get some fresh air, supported by the walker she uses to get around. She is getting more nervous as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the Gulf Coast, but she said she feels confident the facility will take care of her and the other residents.

“Kinda scared,” she said. “But I be praying all the time.”

Concerns raised about at-home care

Shannon from UF Health said most people with lung issues who rely on oxygen at home have backup oxygen bottles prepared, and some new devices even have backup batteries.

But he is concerned about elderly people and those who live in rural areas.

“We see them in the emergency room when backups fail or they don’t have access to a generator,” Shannon said.

Dialysis facilities across the state are trying to provide even shortened treatments to as many patients as possible before closing for the storm.

“Helene, they were able to get back up and running pretty quickly. But with the wind, this could be a different kind of event,” said Helen Rose of Health Services Advisory Group, which is helping coordinate disaster response for kidney patients. The network has established a phone helpline and will keep an updated list of open facilities during and after the storm.

___

Associated Press Florida statehouse reporter Kate Payne in Tampa contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in the US

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:13

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S., the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City told investigators after his arrest Monday that he had planned his attack to coincide with Election Day next month and that he and a co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, according to charging documents.

Tawhedi, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021, had taken steps in recent weeks to advance his attack plans, including by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.

The arrest comes as the FBI confronts heightened concerns over the possibility of extremist violence on U.S. soil, with Director Christopher Wray telling The Associated Press in August that he was “hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once.”

“Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” Wray said in a statement Tuesday.

An FBI affidavit does not reveal precisely how Tawhedi came onto investigators’ radar, but cites what it says is evidence from recent months showing his determination in planning an attack. A photograph from July included in the affidavit depicts a man investigators identified as Tawhedi reading to two young children, including his daughter, “a text that describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife.”

Officials say Tawhedi also consumed Islamic State propaganda, contributed to a charity that functions as a front for the militant group and communicated with a person who the FBI determined from a prior investigation was involved in recruitment and indoctrination. He also viewed webcams for the White House and the Washington Monument in July.

Tawhedi’s alleged co-conspirator was not identified by the Justice Department, which described him only as a juvenile, a fellow Afghan national and the brother of Tawhedi’s wife.

After the two advertised the sale of personal property on Facebook last month, the FBI enlisted an informant to respond to the offer and strike up a relationship. The informant later invited them to a gun range, where they ordered weapons from an undercover FBI official.

Tawhedi was arrested Monday after taking possession of two AK-47 rifles and ammunition, officials said. The unidentified co-conspirator was also arrested but the Justice Department did not provide details because he is a juvenile.

After he was arrested, the Justice Department said, Tawhedi told investigators he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.

Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, which is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. A message was left with the federal public defender’s office in Oklahoma City and no telephone numbers were listed for Tawhedi or his relatives in public records.

Tawhedi entered the U.S. on a special immigrant visa, a program that permits eligible Afghans who helped Americans despite great personal risk to themselves and their loved ones to apply for entry into America with their families.

Eligible Afghans include interpreters for the U.S. military as well as individuals integral to the American embassy in Kabul. While the program has existed since 2009, the number of applicants skyrocketed after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

_____

Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report.

Today in History: October 8, the Great Chicago Fire breaks out

Tue, 10/08/2024 - 01:00

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 8, the 282nd day of 2024. There are 84 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire began; more than 300 people died and more than 17,000 structures were destroyed during the three-day blaze.

Also on this date:

In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0.

In 1997, scientists reported the Mars Pathfinder had yielded what could be the strongest evidence yet that Mars might once have been hospitable to life.

In 2002, a federal judge approved President George W. Bush’s request to reopen West Coast ports, ending a 10-day labor lockout that was costing the U.S. economy an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion a day.

In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the Pakistan-India border killed an estimated 86,000 people.

In 2016, Donald Trump vowed to continue his campaign after many Republicans called on him to abandon his presidential bid in the wake of the release of a 2005 video in which he made lewd remarks about women and appeared to condone sexual assault.

In 2020, authorities in Michigan said six men had been charged with conspiring to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power.”

In 2022, an explosion caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, damaging an important supply artery for the Kremlin’s war effort in southern Ukraine.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Paul Hogan is 85.
Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is 83.
Comedian Chevy Chase is 81.
Author R.L. Stine is 81.
Actor Sigourney Weaver is 75.
Musician Robert “Kool” Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 74.
Producer-director Edward Zwick is 72.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott is 69.
Comedian Darrell Hammond is 69.
Actor Kim Wayans is 63.
Gospel singer CeCe Winans is 60.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Matt Biondi is 59.
Actor Karyn Parsons is 58.
Singer-producer Teddy Riley is 57.
Actor Matt Damon is 54.
Actor-TV host Nick Cannon is 44.
Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 39.
Actor Angus T. Jones is 31.
Actor-singer Bella Thorne is 27.

Dave Hyde: Panthers get their rings of honor — and a new season to chase a second

Mon, 10/07/2024 - 16:20

FORT LAUDERDALE — One by one, the Florida Panthers players were called Monday night to the front of the War Memorial Auditorium by team owner Vincent Viola to get a box holding their championship ring, get a hug and a personal message as last season celebrated its final night.

“This guy’s very special to me and my family” Viola said in calling up team captain Aleksander Barkov.

Carter Verhaeghe, the owner called, “Iceman,” for his calm demeanor, and defenseman Gustav Forsling was, a, “gentleman of unparalleled character” on and off the ice.

The plan was to share this ceremony with their fans on the eve of their season opener, but the early signs of Hurricane Milton canceled that idea. So, the Panthers met as an organization on the eve of Tuesday’s season opener in the redone auditorium, a venue so new this was its first event.

The coaches, front-office personnel and support staff received their boxes first with instructions not to open. Viola had messages for them all right through players like Sam Bennett, who met the owner in his suite early last season.

“Sam looked at my whole and said, ‘We’re going to win the Stanley Cup,’ ” Viola said. “I thought, ‘Oh, man, he’s got some spice.’ ”

Now the Stanley Cup sat on a table as a countdown began to open the boxes. Inside, a highlight video ran of their playoffs with the hood ornament of a ring that didn’t just have diamonds and a Stanley Cup, but a rat, two palm trees and a map of Florida with a red ruby at Broward.

“It was the best-kept secret around — no one knew what it would look like,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said.

So, there’s just one more event to celebrate from last year’s title: The banner-raising at Tuesday’s opener. The Panthers open with a roster that reflects some of the cost of winning.

The Panthers signed Sam Reinhart, last year’s top goal scorer, for $8.5 million a year. But defensemen Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson left in free agency and the fourth line had to be reconfigured with the loss of Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Stenlund.

Coach Paul Maurice is waiting to read the personality of this team that changed from loose and funny two years ago during its run to the Final to the so-serious team that won it all last season. His early read is a good one: The team reported in even better shape than a year ago for a camp that always begins hard.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito shows off his championship ring during the ring ceremony at Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

“Our first four days (of practice), we exceeded last year,” Maurice said.

Now starts the long march to say what that means. Wayne Gretzky, who had plenty of practice navigating long seasons, broke his year into three appreciable chapters: the regular season; the playoffs; and the Stanley Cup Final.

Game 1 comes with a backstory, too, considering the Panthers play the Boston team they’ve shoved into the offseason the past two playoffs. It was in a raucous Game 2 last spring that Tkachuk and Boston scorer David Pastrnak fought in the manner two stars rarely do in the NHL to define these teams series.

So, while Maurice knows the banner raising will be fun for everyone …

“I’m looking forward to the hockey,” he said. “Really, it’s great it’s Boston. We’ve played them 21 times the past two years, and they’ve been 21 amazing games. In terms of intensity and physicality, the series last year was as heavy a series as I’ve coached.

“It was as hard, as physically demanding a series, as we played in the entire playoffs. So it’s fitting that there here, respectfully. It’s the right way. We played so hard to get there, it should be Boston here, because they probably played us as hard as anyone.”

Here they are again. Game 1. The champs are back. With their new rings. And against a top rival.

“A fitting start,” Maurice said.

Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, center Evan Rodrigues and their family, check out their championship ring during the ring ceremony at Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

UF’s best strategy is to extend drives instead of trying to keep pace with high-octane Tennessee

Mon, 10/07/2024 - 16:00

GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Billy Napier wants to avoid a track meet at Tennessee.

The No. 8 Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) are unlikely to oblige.

Expect coach Josh Heupel’s up-tempo attack to be fast and furious Saturday night at sold-out Neyland Stadium after a 19-14 loss at Arkansas followed a so-so offensive showing during a 25-15 win at Oklahoma. During Heupel’s four seasons since leaving UCF for Knoxville, Tennessee averages nearly two touchdowns more at home (46.2 points per game) than on the road (32.6 ppg).

The 2024 Vols combined for 140 points in two home wins against outclassed Chattanooga and Kent State.

“When you play Tennessee, there will be an element of strategy to keeping up,” Napier said Monday. “Points are a premium.”

To keep up, the Gators (3-2, 1-1) cannot afford to let off the gas.

During Florida’s convincing 24-13 win against UCF, Napier’s offense started impressively to build a 21-point halftime lead, and then ran out of steam and failed to score during the final 30 minutes.

Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr. shakes off a tackle to break free in Saturday’s win vs. UCF. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

The second-half stall, featuring just 108 yards, was on brand for Napier at UF, where his teams have failed to deliver a knockout punch when presented.

During last season’s resounding 29-16 win against Tennessee, the Gators scored 20 second-quarter points and led 26-7 at the half before the offense went into a shell of conservative play-calling and poor execution.

Against UCF, Florida managed just three second-half possessions prior to an interception with less than two minutes remaining.

Tight end Hayden Hansen’s holding penalty on 2nd-and-1 in UCF territory soon led to a missed field goal from 53 yards.

“An inexcusable play,” Napier said.

A false start by left guard Knijeah Harris on 3rd-and-10 effectively ended another drive.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Napier said.

Florida coach Billy Napier is restrained by his staff after yelling at game officials during Saturday’s win against UCF. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

UCF at times methodically maintained possession, while curiously failing to display a sense of urgency.

At Tennessee, the Gators might benefit from a similar strategy and try to milk the game clock. Against UCF, Florida opened with a tone-setting 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took nearly eight minutes.

Keeping the Vols on the sideline might be the Gators’ best defense.

“Any time you can chew up some clock and keep your defense on the sideline and keep the play count down, there is some positives to that,” Napier said.

Coming off consecutive wins for the first time since October 2023, the Gators are determined to maximize their scoring opportunities and avoid empty possessions.

“Got to be able to execute,” receiver Chimere Dike said Monday. “That’s definitely something we can improve on, because later in the year we’re going to need to finish those drives.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

Florida at Tennessee

When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Neyland Stadium

TV: ESPN

Inspected once, inspected right. ®

LogoUp.com
Thanks LogoUp.com for the best embroidered apparel!

G.E.T. Home Inspections, LLC is a top Coral Springs, FL home inspector on Inspectopia.com!

Call Us Today!

Main

Inspection Services

Environmental Testing