South Florida Local News

Forecasters are watching for development of a new disturbance that emerged Tuesday night in the Caribbean Sea, and the remnants of former Tropical Storm Gordon could form again, possibly into a tropical storm.

The new system over the western Caribbean Sea could slowly develop through early next week, the National Hurricane Center said. It is expected to move slowly north or northwest into the northwestern Caribbean.

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, it has been given a 20% chance of developing in the next seven days.

What remains of Tropical Storm Gordon is unorganized storms over the open water in the central Atlantic. The disturbance will slowly move north-northeast in the next few days and could become a tropical depression or storm again while moving north, forecasters said.

As of 8 p.m., it has a 60% chance of forming in the next seven days and a 30% chance in the next two days.

Experts at Colorado State University issued an updated two-week forecast Tuesday, calling for a normal of hurricane activity. The forecast says it is very unlikely there will be an above-normal amount of activity through the next two weeks.

Their forecast notes that Gordon could reform in a few days and that global models show a tropical cyclone forming in the western Caribbean in the next eight to 12 days, which has the potential to be strong but might be short-lived.

The system in the Caribbean should be “closely monitored for potential landfall impacts,” the CSU forecast said, regardless of how strong it might end up becoming.

The next named storm will be Helene.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.  

Nine Broward schools could be the focus of dramatic changes next year, with some possibly facing closure, under a new proposal from Superintendent Howard Hepburn to deal with underenrollment.

Hepburn presented five schools to the School Board on Tuesday that could be candidates to be closed or repurposed in some way, such as becoming a new type of school or office space. They are: Broward Estates Elementary in Lauderhill, North Fork Elementary in Fort Lauderdale, Silver Lakes Elementary in Miramar, Silver Shores Elementary in Miramar and Olsen Middle in Dania Beach.

He also proposed making grade configuration changes to four other schools: Coconut Creek Elementary, Hollywood Central Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Elementary in Fort Lauderdale and Pines Middle in Pembroke Pines.

These schools were all on a list of more than 40 schools the district released last month that would be the focus of a series of community meetings, which started Monday and continue through Sept. 30.

Since the meetings are still happening, district officials stressed that the schools on the latest list could change. Hepburn is expected to bring back a formal recommendation next month that will include closing five schools, which may or may not be on Tuesday’s list.

Some board members asked why Tuesday’s list was released if these aren’t the final recommendations. Officials said the list provides a good starting point.

“We did feel as staff we needed to draw attention to the schools that were the lowest enrolled or have the most challenges because we didn’t want those to get lost in the conversation of soliciting proposals for every school in a particular area that we’re looking for,” Joe Beck, the district’s director of demographics and enrollment planning, told the School Board. “We wanted to draw the focus around the schools that might need the most immediate attention.”

The schools in the current proposal that would be closed or repurposed range from 32% full (Broward Estates) to 62% full (North Fork). In addition to capacity, the district is considering the age and condition of the campus, academic performance, historical significance and capacity in nearby schools to absorb the students.

The district has faced steep enrollment declines in the past two decades and now has about 45,000 empty seats, which is the equivalent of more than 40 schools. While some School Board members have suggested closing dozens of schools over the next year, district administrator Valerie Wanza said the district is starting small.

“We can’t boil the entire ocean,” Wanza said. “So we started to narrow our scope to these schools for this year.”

Two of the schools on the list for possible closure, Broward Estates and Olsen, were also recommended for closure in a plan released by the district in April. That plan also included changing Hollywood Central to a K-8 and Pines Middle to a 6-12 collegiate academy, where students who stayed for high school could earn college credits.

The School Board scrapped that earlier plan in May, saying the district hadn’t gotten adequate community input and had focused only on a few parts of the county, including the southern region and the Fort Lauderdale area.

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The latest plan still targets those same areas, with the exception of Coconut Creek Elementary, a low-enrolled school in the north that could be converted into a K-8.

The city of Coconut Creek is eager to hear more about that proposal, which will be discussed at a community meeting Wednesday night at Coconut Creek High, Bernadette Hughes, government affairs manager for the city, told the School Board.

She said the area near Coconut Creek Elementary is an “education corridor” that is close to Coconut Creek High, Atlantic Technical High School and College Academy, a college-level high school program on the Broward College north campus.

Hughes said converting Coconut Creek Elementary into a K-8 would “serve as a feeder for Coconut Creek High and provide additional continuity for Coconut Creek students from elementary to high school.”

Some speakers Tuesday suggested alternatives to closing some schools.

Cathy Nonnenmacher, chief financial officer for the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, proposed a partnership between the museum and school district for a new academic program at North Fork Elementary.

Ana Garcia, city manager of Dania Beach, said her city has invested $10 million in property adjacent to the school for recreational facilities, including track fields and basketball courts.

“This could be an example for sports and physical fitness,” she said. “We know our kids could definitely be more fit.”

In addition, Garcia said the city would like to spend $8 million to $10 million to renovate empty space at the school for an emergency operations center, used mainly during hurricanes. When not in use by the city, it could house a program in meteorology or broadcasting for the school, she said.

“You all have to think outside the box,” she said.

Board members seemed divided over the latest proposal, as they have during most of the efforts this year to close or repurpose schools.

Daniel Foganholi, who represents District 1 in the southeast part of the county, voiced concern about the latest proposal to possibly close Olsen, since it’s the only middle school in Dania Beach.

“Now, we are saying this is going to be better for our community and better for our district,” he said. “You’re making my kids from Dania Beach go down to Hollywood to have something taken away. What benefit is it to those families? What benefit is it to those kids?”

District 5, which includes Lauderhill and the western part of Fort Lauderdale, has three schools that are on the new list: Broward Estates and North Fork, which could be closed, and Thurgood Marshall, which could have a new grade configuration. That alarmed Board member Jeff Holness, who represents the district.

“I am just concerned. We have nine schools here. Three out of the nine are from District 5 and that would represent one third of what’s proposed here,” he said.

Board member Allen Zeman, who holds a countywide seat, has been one of the strongest advocates for closing schools. He said Tuesday the district doesn’t need 238 campuses and can redirect money to improving education in the remaining schools.

“I don’t think we ought to be calling parents of a school that’s potentially being closed and asking if they like that idea. I know they don’t like it,” he said. “The idea is we go through this process, which is perceived as negative by some, so that it’s a positive for the whole district, including them, in the long term.”

So, it’s at least four games off for Tua TagovaiIoa. It’s at least five weeks out. It’s at least until late October that he’ll focus on his concussed mind and healing psyche without being tempted by any return to football.

Good for him. Good for his larger life, too.

And now we’ll see how tough-minded and emergency-prepared the Miami Dolphins are. The best-managed organizations strike a balance between stability and reality, allowing them to deal with unsurprising change like the starting quarterback missing some games.

The better teams weather such change, too. Green Bay gritted out a win last Sunday with backup Malik Willis. Minnesota is 2-0 with veteran Sam Darnold, who was set to be the backup before first-round pick J.J. McCarthy went down with a season-ending injury.

Skylar Thompson has the opportunity of a career starting Sunday, playing pitch-and-catch with perhaps as talented a cast of playmakers as the NFL has. It’s not a one-off opportunity for him, too.

He’s here for at least the next four games if he does the job right. The mediocre-at-best opponents — Seattle, Tennessee, New England and Indianapolis — form the four-game stretch on the schedule you’d handpick to survive with a backup quarterback, too.

The over-riding issue for the Dolphins is if they considered the inevitable hard enough, if they took the backup role seriously enough, if in this era’s desire to build Tagovailoa’s confidence they didn’t find a more proven backup back in March when such decisions were made.

“I think his game has developed since he’s had a starting opportunity in the National Football League,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think all his teammates can feel his command and his growth.”

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The season falling to Thompson is no surprise. Last December, 13 teams started backups in games. Tagovailoa has a history of injury, including concussions, that will have to make this organization reconsider how it views the backup job.

Let’s face it, while all concussions are different, a timetable is being set by this third concussion of Tagovailoa during his NFL career. Five weeks — at least five weeks, is the bar. It’s what you’d have at the minimum to trust a backup to play.

Enter Thompson. Some of the best Dolphins moments have come with backup quarterbacks. Do you need to hear them to feel better about this situation?

Do you want to hear how Matt Moore replaced an injured Ryan Tannehill and won the final three games in 2016 to put the Dolphins in the playoffs? Or how third-stringer Doug Pederson, now the Jacksonville coach, was the quarterback when Don Shula broke the all-time wins mark for NFL coaches?

The all-timer is Bob Griese breaking his leg in 1972, and defensive end Bill Stanfill going over to 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. “Old man, get your cataracts in motion, turn up your hearing aid and let’s go,” he said.

Morrall started nine regular-season games and two playoffs wins in the Perfect Season. That’s precisely why Shula went to owner Joe Robbie before the season and said he wanted to sign Morrall.

“So what’s the problem?” Shula said.

It would cost $90,000 — making Morrall the second-highest-paid player on the roster.

“We’ll find it somewhere,” Robbie said.

The point here is everyone always understood the value of a backup quarterback. Jimmy Johnson, who put Bernie Kosar behind Dan Marino with the Dolphins, still considers the second quarterback the second-most important player on the roster.

Which brings us back to today, to these Dolphins, to this organization that seemed to make sure everything was in order for Tagovailoa to feel confident. It made sense the first year when McDaniel was raising Tua’s spirits and game. That was something to see.

But this season built on high hopes rides in some form on Thompson. And the Dolphins’ glitzy team finding some grit.

Tagovailoa will be out for a while to deal with his mind and health. That’s how it should be.

The Dolphins (1-1) go to Seattle (2-0) with Thompson to start a stretch that will define their season.

The Space Coast set a new launch record in 2023 with 72 orbital missions from either Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The pace of launches could ramp up by the end of 2024 to a near twice-weekly rate with as many as 111 missions possible.

Check back for the latest information on upcoming launches.

By The Numbers:

2024: 65 Space Coast launches in 2024 (updated Sept. 17) | 48 from Cape Canaveral, 17 from KSC | 61 from SpaceX (60 Falcon 9s, 1 Falcon Heavy), 4 from ULA (1 Vulcan, 1 Delta IV Heavy, 2 Atlas V) | 4 human spaceflights (Axiom Space Ax-3, SpaceX Crew-8, Boeing Crew Flight Test, Polaris Dawn)

2023: 72 Space Coast launches in 2023 | 59 from Cape Canaveral, 13 from KSC | 68 from SpaceX (63 Falcon 9s, 5 Falcon Heavy), 3 from United Launch Alliance (1 Delta IV Heavy, 2 Atlas V), 1 from Relativity Space | 3 human spaceflights (Crew-6, Ax-2, Crew-7)

Details on past launches can be found at the end of file.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Galileo L-13 mission for the European Commission headed to medium-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:50 p.m. The payload’s MEO orbital needs required a previous mission to expend its booster back in April, but SpaceX has adjusted design to recover this mission’s booster making its 22nd flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

No earlier than Sept. 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Crew-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:28 p.m. with backups on Sept. 26, 27 and 28. Crew will only be two to make room for Boeing Starliner CFT crew astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the return flight. Flying up will be commander and NASA astronaut Nick Hague, the first active Space Force member to launch to space, and Roscomos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Original crew members, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, who was originally slated to be commander but would have been making her first spaceflight, and Stephanie Wilson, a veteran of three space shuttle flights, were pulled from the mission. This is Hague’s third launch, although his first was an aborted Soyuz mission. This is Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. They mission is slated to return with four in February 2025. Of note, this will also be the first human spaceflight from SLC-40 as KSC’s pad will be in preparation for the Europa Clipper launch in October.

OCTOBER

Oct. 4: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on the Cert-2 mission. Originally supposed to fly Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight, but payload switched to an inert mass simulator because of potential Dream Chaser delays beyond September. Launch will be from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Read more.

TBD October: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-31 mission flying up a Cargo Dragon with supplies to the International Space Station. Launch pad TBD.

October 10: SpaceX Falcon Heavy on the Europa Clipper mission to travel 1.8 billion miles to investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s detailed investigation of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.

NOVEMBER

TBD November: First launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on first of two certification flights for NSSL missions. Payload will be Blue Origin Blue Ring. Was bumped up from December after delay of what was supposed to be New Glenn’s first launch of NASA’s Mars-bound ESCAPADE twin satellite mission, delayed to potentially spring 2025. Read more.

TBD

DECEMBER

December 2024: Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with the company’s second Nova-C lander featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples. Also flying is the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, a small satellite designed to provide an understanding of the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the moon, as well as the lunar water cycle.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2024

TBD: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon on the Fram2 private human spaceflight mission. It would be the first time humans have flown on a polar orbital mission. Named Fram2 in deference to the ship “Fram” built in Norway that helped explorers get to the Arctic and Antarctica. The crew includes Chun Wang of Malta, an entrepreneur who made a fortune in cryptocurrency and an avid adventurer. Along for the ride will be fellow adventurers Eric Philips of Australia, Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway and Rabea Rogge of Germany. Mikkelsen will take the role of mission commander and Philips the role of pilot. Read more.

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on USSF-106, the rocket’s first Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Dependent on ULA completing both Certification 1 and Certification 2 flights. Payload is the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 headed to geostationary orbit. Built by L3Harris, it’s funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory and potential replacement technology for GPS.

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on USSF-87, the rocket’s second planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on the first Sierra Space Dream Chaser flight to the International Space Station. Mission could slip into 2025 because ULA would need more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that take priority over the Dream Chaser flight.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2025

TBD, by end of 1st quarter 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur, the rocket’s third planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD, no earlier than February 2025: SpaceX Crew-10 mission on SpaceX Falcon 9. Took on the February rotation spot ahead of Starliner-1 because of modifications that will be needed for Starliner-1 based on the Crew Flight Test mission.

No earlier than Spring 2025: Axiom Space was awarded the right to fly Axiom-4. The crew assigned to Ax-4 includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. This would be Whitson’s second trip on an Axiom mission to the ISS, and part of NASA’s requirement that former NASA astronaut command commercial mission visits to the ISS. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay, and will fly up with one of the SpaceX Crew Dragons. The launch date is dependent on spacecraft traffic to the ISS and in-orbit activity planning and constraints that have to be coordinated with NASA.

No earlier than spring 2025 (Delayed from Oct. 13): Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket of the twin spacecraft for ESCAPADE, which stands for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, for NASA and the University of California Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory. Was bumped from Oct. 13 after NASA concerns about New Glenn rocket’s readiness. Read more.

TBD, no earlier than August 2025: Boeing Starliner-1 on ULA Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 41. NASA astronauts Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke will be commander and pilot, respectively. This Starliner previously flew on Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission.

September 2025: NASA Artemis II mission to send four crew on 10-day orbital mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more.

TBD 2025: SpaceX Falcon Heavy flying Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2026

September 2026: NASA Artemis III mission to send four crew on lunar landing mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more.

LAUNCHED IN 2024

Jan. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Ovzon 3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:04 p.m. This was the first launch of 2024. The 3,968-pound Ovzon 3 satellite is the first privately funded and developed Swedish geostationary satellite ever to be launched, headed for a geostationary transfer orbit where it will then propel itself to its geostationary orbit over 3-4 months at 59.7 degrees east at 22,236 miles altitude. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Jan. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-35 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:35 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 16th flight having previously flown on two crewed and two cargo missions to the International Space Station among others. It managed its recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 8 (Delayed from May 4, Dec. 24-26): First-ever launch of United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on Certification-1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:18 a.m. Primary payload was commercial company Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander headed to the moon. Also flying will be another human remains payload for Celestis Inc., this time brining the ashes of more than 200 people to space including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan who played “Scotty” on the TV series. Read more.

Jan. 14 (Delayed from Jan. 13): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew its 12th mission and with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was the fourth launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more.

Jan. 18 (Delayed from Jan. 17): SpaceX Falcon 9 with a Crew Dragon Freedom for Axiom Space’s Axiom-3 mission launched at 4:49 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The crew includes one astronaut each from Italy, Turkey and Sweden while the mission is led by Axiom’s chief astronaut Michael López-Alegría who is making his sixth trip to space. The customers are Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, who will act as pilot. In the two mission specialist roles are Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden. All three have served in their respective nations’ air forces. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay with docking planned for Saturday at 5:15 a.m. The first-stage booster made a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Jan. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-38 mission with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:10 p.m. liftoff on a southerly trajectory from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A. The first-stage booster made its 18th flight, with past missions including the crewed flights of Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and had a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on the NG-20 mission to resupply the International Space Station at12:07 p.m.. This was the first ISS launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, which SpaceX has been redeveloping to support future crewed missions in addition to KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. This was the first of at least three SpaceX flights of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft as part of a deal after its 10-year run of launches atop Antares rockets ended with the Aug. 1 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia because of issues with Russian- and Ukrainian-made rocket engines and first stage parts that are being redeveloped with Firefly Aerospace for a future Antares rocket not expected until at least 2025. Following launch, the space station’s Canadarm2 will grapple Cygnus no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 1, and the spacecraft will attach to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading by the Expedition 70 crew. The first-stage booster made its 10th flight and returned for a touchdown at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Feb. 8 (Delayed from Feb. 6, 7): NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:33 a.m. PACE will advance the assessment of ocean health by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web, as well as clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. The first-stage booster flying for the fourth time made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Feb. 14: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the USSF-124 mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 p.m. Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2. Read more.

Feb. 15 (Delayed from Nov. 14, Jan. 12, Feb. 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 for the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission with the company’s Nova-C lunar lander Odysseus from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 1:05 a.m. This could end up being the first NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission to land on the moon after the failure of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander. The IM-1 has a suite of six NASA payloads as part of a CLPS delivery and another six privately organized payloads. Landing would take place Feb. 22.Read more.

Feb. 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Merah Putih 2 mission, a communications satellite for Telkom Indonesia, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:11 p.m. into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This was the 11th launch from the Space Coast in 2023 and 300th successful Falcon 9 launch since its debut in 2010, having only had one mid-launch failure in 2015. This was the 17th launch of the first stage booster, and it made a recovery landing downrange on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Feb. 25 (delayed from Feb. 24): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-39 mission sending up 24 Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:06 p.m. This was the 12th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Feb. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-40 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:30 a.m. This was the 13th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 11h time and made recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

March 3 (delayed from Feb. 22, 28, March 1, 2): SpaceX Crew-8 on Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A  at 10:53 p.m. Bad weather on the ascent corridor took the first three launch options on March 1 and 2 off the table. It’s the eighth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Its four crew members are NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Michael Barratt, Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin. They flew up in the Crew Dragon Endeavour making its fifth trip to space. The first-stage booster made its first flight. The mission had originally been targeting Feb. 22, but that was the target day for the Intuitive Machines attempt to land on the moon, and NASA chose to move the launch to “deconflict” NASA support operations that day. Read more.

March 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-41 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:56 p.m. The first stage booster flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship  A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

March 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-43 mission sent up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:05 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 11th time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 16th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more.

March 15 (Delayed from March 13, 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-44 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 8:21 p.m. after scrubbing launches on both Wednesday and Thursday with about 2 minutes on the countdown clock. The booster flew for a record-tying 19th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

March 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-30 resupply mission with a Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:54 p.m. This was the first Dragon launch from SLC-40 since the addition of a crew access arm to support Dragon launches from more than one Space Coast pad and augment normal launches from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The first-stage booster made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

March 23 (delayed from March 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-42 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 11:09 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for 19th time.

March 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-46 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:42 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship.

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Eutelsat-36X mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a landing on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This was 20th SpaceX launch from the Space Coast in 2024 and 21st among all companies. Read more.

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-45 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:30 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

April 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-47 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:12 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. It was the 275th recovery of a Falcon 9 booster for SpaceX. Read more.

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the the Bandwagon-1 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 7:16 p.m, The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time and made a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit. This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO. Read more.

April 9 (Delayed from March 28): United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 12:53 p.m. This was the final Delta IV Heavy rocket launch ever, and last of any Delta rocket, which has been flying for more than 60 years. The Space Force has one more launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket before future missions transition to ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur. Read more.

April 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-48 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:40 a.m. The first-stage booster made its second flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

April 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-49 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:40 p.m. The launch set a turnaround record for launches from SLC-40 at two days and 20 hours since the Aug. 10 launch. The previous record was Aug. 3-6, 2023 at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. The first-stage booster also flew for a record 20th time making a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

April 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-51 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 12th flight and landed downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

April 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-52 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:40 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

April 23 (Delayed from April 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-53 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:17 p.m. This was the 30th Space Coast launch of the year, with all but two coming from SpaceX. It also marked the 300th successful recovery of a first-stage booster among Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Of note, the launch came 16 minutes ahead of a Rocket Lab launch from New Zealand. Read more.

April 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Galileo L12 mission carrying satellites for the European Commission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 8:34 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for a record-trying 20th time, but was expended getting the payload to medium-Earth orbit. Read more.

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-54 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:08 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-55 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:37 p.m. This was the 19th flight of the first-stage booster, which launched both Crew 3 and Crew 4 human spaceflight missions. It’s recovery landing was on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic.

May 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-57 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:14 p.m. The first-stage booster for the flight made its 15th trip to space with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic Ocean on SpaceX’s droneship Just Read the Instructions.  Read more.

May 8 (Delayed from May 7): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-56 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 2:42 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the third time having launched Crew-8 and a Starlink mission. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-58 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:53 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

May 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-59 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 8:32 p.m. This marked the 21st flight for the first-stage booster, the most in the booster fleet, having previously flown on human spaceflight missions Inspiration4 and Axiom Space’s Ax-1 among others. It made another recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

May 22: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-62 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:35 p.m. This was the eighth flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

May 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-63 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 10:45 p.m. This was the 13th flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

May 28 (Delayed from May 27): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-60 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:24 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-64 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:37 p.m. The booster flew for the 14th time making a landing on the droneship A shortfall of Gravitas, a record turnaround for droneship recovery coming less than 84 hours since the previous recovery landing on May 28. Read more.

June 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink g8-5 mission carrying 20 Starlink satellites including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:16 p.m.  This was the 20th flight of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

June 5 (Delayed from June 1, May 6, 17, 21, 25 2024; July 21, 2023; April 22, 2024): Boeing CST-100 Starliner atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 10:52 a.m. on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) carrying NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station followed by a parachute-and-airbag-assisted ground landing in the desert of the southwestern United States. The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate. Teams deemed the valve needed to be replaced and the rocket needed to be rolled back from the pad to Boeing’s Vertical Integration Facility. A helium leak in the Starliner capsule further delayed it from a planned May 17 target to May 21 and then May 25. A June 1 attempt scrubbed with less than 4 minutes on the countdown clock. Read more.

June 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-1 mission carrying 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:56 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 16th time landing on the droneship  A Shortfall of Gravitas. It also marked the 300th landing of a Falcon 9 booster.

June 20 (Delayed from June 18, 19): SpaceX Falcon 9 on SES 24 mission flying the ASTRA 1P communication satellite for Luxembourg-based communications company SES for TV markets in Germany, Spain and France from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:35 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time making another recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, the 250th time SpaceX had used a droneship for a successful recovery. Read more.

June 23 (Delayed from June 12,13,14): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-2 mission with 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:15 p.m. An abort at T-0 on June 14 forced SpaceX to delay its launch nine days and change out the first-stage booster. The new booster made its 11h flight with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy on its 10th launch ever with payload of the GOES-U satellite for the NOAA from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. The two side boosters returned for a land landing at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station while the center core stage fell into the ocean. Read more.

June 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-3 mission with Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:14 a.m. The booster for the flight made a record 22nd launch with a landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 8-9 mission carrying 20 Starlink satellites including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:55 a.m. This was the 16th flight of the first-stage booster, which was previously on the pad for the Starlink 10-3 mission, but was changed out after an issue when it hit T-0 during a launch attempt. It made a landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Turksat 6A mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:30 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-9 mission launching 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 1:45 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 17th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic. The launch was the first since a California Starlink launch that ended up with a second-stage failure that grounded the Falcon 9. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-4 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:09 a.m. This was the 14th flight of its first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This marked the 300th successful reflight of a booster. Read more.

July 30: United Launch Alliance Atlas V on USSF-51 with classified payload from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 6:45 a.m. One of 16 remaining Atlas V rockets for ULA. Read more.

Aug. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-6 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 1:01 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It was SpaceX’s 50th launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Aug. 4 (Delayed from Aug. 3): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the NG-21 resupply mission taking up the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft with cargo to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:03 a.m, The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time and made a land recovery at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 2nd time SpaceX has flown the Cygnus spacecraft. Weather led to a scrub of the Aug. 3 attempt, but SpaceX was able to launch despite Tropical Storm Debby churning off Florida’s southwest coast. Read more.

Aug. 10 (Delayed from Aug. 9): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-3 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:50 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 21st time, one of four boosters with more than 20 flights among the SpaceX fleet. It landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Was scrubbed from Friday because of bad weather in the launch recovery zone in the Atlantic.  Read more.

Aug. 12 (Delayed from Aug. 10, 11): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-7 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 6:37 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 17th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Aug. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Maxar 2 mission flying two of Maxar Techologies’ WorldView Legion Earth-observation satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 lifting off at 9 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 16th time with a recovery at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 199th Falcon 9 launch from SLC-40. Read more.

Aug. 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink g10-5 mission carrying 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:20 a.m. This was the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Aug. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 8-6 mission carrying 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting at 3:48 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for a record 23rd time. Its previous missions included the Inspiration4 and Axiom Space Ax-1 crewed launches. It tipped over during its recovery landing attempt downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The FAA grounded Falcon 9 pending a SpaceX investigation. Read more.

Aug. 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 8-19 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 21 Starlink satellites at 3:43 a.m. Its first-stage booster made its 18th flight and stuck the landing without issue on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept. 5 (Delayed from Sept. 4): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 8-11 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:33 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 15th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. A Sept. 4 launch attempt was scrubbed because of poor weather conditions downrange for the booster recovery. Read more.

Sept. 10: (Delayed from Aug. 28, Aug. 27, July 31, summer 2023): Polaris Dawn mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Resilience from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:23 a.m. The private orbital mission will bring billionaire Jared Isaacman to space for a second time after 2021′s Inspiration4 mission. It’s the first of up to three planned Polaris missions, and will feature a tethered spacewalk. Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon. Both Gillis and Menon are SpaceX employees. Read more.

Sept. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the BlueBird mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:52 a.m. on a mission to place five BlueBird satellites for Midland, Texas-based AST SpcaeMobile. The satellites are part of a space-based cellular broadband network in low-Earth orbit to be accessible by everyday smartphones for both commercial and government use across the U.S. and in select global markets. Beta test users will be for AT&T and Verizon. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time making a return landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 60th Space Coast launch of the year for SpaceX. Read more.

LAUNCHED IN 2023

Jan. 3: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Transporter-6 mission carrying 114 payloads for a variety of customers blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:56 a.m. Read more.

Jan. 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb at 11:50 p.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more.

Jan. 15: The fifth-ever flight of SpaceX’s powerhouse Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off at 5:56 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A on a mission for the Space Force dubbed USSF-67. Read more.

Jan. 18: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the GPS III Space Vehicle 06 mission for the Space Force rose through the pink, orange and blue horizon at 7:24 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more.

Jan. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 5-2 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launched at 4:32 a.m. sending up 56 Starlink satellites. Read more.

Feb. 2: Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-3 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 2:43 a.m. 200th successful flight of Falcon 9 on mission to send up 53 Starlink satellites. Read more.

Feb. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Amazonas-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 lifted off at 8:32 p.m. Payload is communications satellite for Hispasat known also as the Amazonas Nexus. Read more.

Feb. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-4 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 launched 55 Starlink satellites at 12:10 a.m. This set a then-record turnaround between launches from the same pad for SpaceX coming just five days, three hours, and 38 minutes since the Feb. 6 launch. Read more.

Feb. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Inmarsat’s I-6 F2 satellite launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:59 p.m. The second of six planned communication satellite launches, the first of which came in 2021 with the final coming by 2025. Read more.

Feb. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:13 p.m. carrying 21 of the second-generation Starlink satellites. Read more.

March 2: Crew-6 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Crew Dragon Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 12:34 a.m. A Feb. 27 attempt was scrubbed with less than three minutes before liftoff. Flying were NASA astronauts mission commander Stephen Bowen and pilot Woody Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, heading to the International Space Station for around a six-month stay. It’s the sixth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Read more.

March 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb launched at 2:13 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

March 14: After arrival of Crew-6 and departure of Crew-5 to make room for a cargo Dragon, SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft on CRS-27, the 27th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 8:30 p.m. Read more.

March 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 18 and 19 mission, a pair of communication satellites set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Set a record for SpaceX mission turnaround with launch only four hours and 17 minutes after a Starlink launch from California. Read more.

March 22: Relativity Space Terran-1, a 3D-printed rocket awaiting company’s first-ever launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 16 at 11:25 p.m. While first stage successfully separated, the second stage engine did not get it into orbit. Read more.

March 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:43 a.m. carrying 56 Starlink satellites to orbit. The booster made its 10th flight. Read more.

March 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launched at 4:01 p.m. The booster making its fourth flight landed on Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Intelsat 40e mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. Read more.

April 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Starlink 6-2 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:31 a.m. with 21 Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its eighth flight with a recovery on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 03b mPOWER-B mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:12 p.m. Read more.

April 30: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch of ViaSat-3 Americas’ communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 8:26 p.m. All three boosters were expended, so no sonic boom landings. Also flying were payloads for Astranis Space Technologies and Gravity Space headed for geostationary orbits. It’s the sixth-ever Falcon Heavy launch. The launch pad endured a lightning strike on April 27, but SpaceX said the rocket was healthy for the attempt. Read more.

May 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with 56 Starlink satellites at 3:31 a.m. The first-stage booster making its eighth flight was recovered once again on the droneship called A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

May 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launnched at 1:03 a.m. Read more.

May 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:19 a.m. carrying 22 second-gen Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in Atlantic. Read more.

May 21: Axiom 2 mission with four private passengers launched to the International Space Station for an eight-day visit flying on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with Crew Dragon Freedom from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 5:37 p.m.  The first-stage booster flew for the first time with a return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. This is only the second crewed mission from the U.S. in 2023 following March’s Crew-6 mission. The second Axiom Space private mission to the International Space Station following 2022′s Axiom 1 mission. Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander with aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni. Read more.

May 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ArabSat BADR-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 14th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 second-generation Starlink satellites at 8:20 a.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight and was able to land down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch came 13 years to the day since the first Falcon 9 launch in 2010. It was the 229th attempt of a Falcon 9 launch with 228 of the 229 successful. Read more.

June 5 (Delayed from June 3, 4): SpaceX Falcon 9 on CRS-28 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft, the 28th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at at 11:47 a.m. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and SpaceX recovered it downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This is the fourth flight of the crew Dragon, which will be bring up nearly 7,000 pounds of supplies, dock to the station 41 hours after launch and remain on the station for three weeks. Read more.

June 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 53 of the company’s internet satellites at 3:10 a.m.  The first stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

June 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the PSN MSF mission to launch the Satria communications satellite for the Indonesian government and PSN, an Indonesian satellite operator. This satellite will provide broadband internet and communications capability for public use facilities in Indonesia’s rural regions. Liftoff was at 6:21 p.m. with the first-stage booster making its 12th flight and once again landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 22: United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on NROL-68 for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37B lifted off at 5:18 a.m. This was the second-to-last Delta IV Heavy launch with the final one expected in 2024. Read more.

June 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 5-12 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 carrying 56 Starlink satellites at 11:35 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time and landed on a droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 1: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ESA Euclid space telescope mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:12 a.m. The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky. Read more.

July 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:58 p.m. The booster made a record 16th flight and was recovered again downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-15 mission with 54 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:50 p.m. (early Friday scrubbed 40 seconds before launch, and early Saturday option passed over) Booster made a record-tying 16th fligh landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:50 p.m. carrying 22 of its v2 mini Starlink satellites. The booster flew for the sixth time and made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-7 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:01 a.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. Booster flew for the 15th time including crewed launches Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and made recovery landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. The launch set a record for turnaround time for the company from a single launch pad coming four days, three hours, and 11 minutes since the July 23 launch. The previous record was set from Feb. 6-12 at five days, three hours, and 38 minutes. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A that launched a telecom satellite for Hughes Network Systems called the Jupiter 3 EchoStar XXIV at 11:04 p.m. The two side boosters were recovered at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This was the third Falcon Heavy launch of 2023 and seventh overall. Read more.

Aug. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Intelsat G-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1 a.m. The first-stage booster made its sixth flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Aug. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:41 p.m. with 22 Starlink V2 minis. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. The turnaround time between the Aug. 3 Intelsat G-37 mission and this mission broke SpaceX’s previous record for time between launches from a single launch pad. Previous record was from July 24-28 with a turnaround of four days, three hours, and 11 minutes. This one came in at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. Read more.

Aug. 11: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 a.m. Payload is 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

Aug. 16: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its 13th flight and SpaceX was able to recover it again on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Aug. 26: SpaceX Crew-7 mission on a Falcon 9 launching the Crew Dragon Endurance from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A lifted off at 3:27 a.m. liftoff. It’s the seventh SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Flying are NASA astronaut and mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut and pilot Andreas Mogensen, mission specialist JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and mission specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. This will be Endurance’s third spaceflight after having been used on the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The launch will use a new first-stage booster. The crew will arrive at 8:50 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. with hatch opening about two hours later. It will stay docked about 190 days. Read more.

Aug. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:05 p.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. The first stage flew for the third time and landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Aug. 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-13 mission carrying 22 of the v2 Starlink minis from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:21 p.m. It was SpaceX’s ninth launch of the calendar month matching the record nine launches it had in May. It was the company’s 60th orbital launch of the year. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

Sept. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-12 mission carrying 21 of the v2 Starlink minis from Kennedy Space Center’s Space Launch Complex 39-A at 10:47 p.m. It marked the 62nd SpaceX orbital launch in 2023 besting the 61 launches the company performed in 2022. The first-stage booster on the flight made its 10th launch and was able to make its recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-14 mission carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 took off at 11:12 p.m. The first-stage booster made its seventh flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Sept. 10 (delayed from Aug. 29): United Launch Alliance Atlas V on the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 for the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Force from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 8:47 a.m.. Delayed because of Tropical Storm Idalia. This was the second ULA launch of 2023. SILENTBARKER’s classified mission is to improve space domain awareness to support national security and provide intelligence data to U.S. senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. It will provide the capability to search, detect and track objects from space-based sensors for timely custody and event detection. Read more.

Sept. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-16 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission made its fifth flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. It marked SpaceX’s 65th orbital launch of the year including missions from Canaveral, KSC and California. Read more.

Sept. 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-17 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. This was a record reuse flight for the first-stage booster flying for a 17th time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Short Fall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept.23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-18 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster made a record-tying 17th flight with a recovery landing down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept.29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-19 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10 p.m. The booster on this flight made its 10th launch having flown on CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19 and five Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 69th launch of the year, its 49th from the Space Coast, 39th from Cape Canaveral and the other 10 from KSC. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it was the Space Coast’s 52nd overall. Read more.

Oct. 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-21 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:36 a.m.  The booster made its eighth flight with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 70th launch of the year, its 50th from the Space Coast, 40th from Cape Canaveral. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it is the Space Coast’s 53rd overall. Read more.

Oct. 6: United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:06 p.m. Payload was Amazon’s two test Project Kuiper satellites that were set to fly on ULA’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket, but switched to one of the nine Atlas rockets Amazon had previously purchased from ULA as Vulcan had been delayed to no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2023. Read more.

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 12): A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Psyche probe into space launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A at 10:19 a.m. The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029. Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away. The two side boosters returned for a land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more.

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 8): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-22 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:01 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 14th flight, and made another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas down range in the Atlantic. The launch came 8 hours and 42 minutes after the Falcon Heavy launch from nearby KSC earlier in the day. Read more.

Oct. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-23 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:36 p.m. This is the first-stage booster made its 16th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. This marked the Space Coasts’ 57th launch of the year, which matched the total it had in 2022. Read more.

Oct. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-24 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:17 p.m. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This became the record 58th launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Oct. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-25 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:20 p.m. This was the 59th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and made a  recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more.

Nov. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-26 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:37 p.m. This was the 60th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for a record 18th time and made a  recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more.

Nov. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-27 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 12:05 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 11th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 61st launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Nov. 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 with cargo Dragon on the CRS-29 mission to carry supplies to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-B at 8:28 p.m. It’s the 29th resupply mission for SpaceX with its cargo Dragon filled with 6,500 pounds of supplies for the Expedition 70 crew with an expected arrival to the ISS about 5:20 a.m. Saturday. It includes NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) science experiment to measure atmospheric gravity waves and how it could affect Earth’s climate and the Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low-Earth-Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T), a technology demonstration for laser communications among the ISS, an orbiting relay satellite and a ground-based observatory on Earth. The first-stage booster flew for the second time and landed back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Nov. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40  at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:08 p.m. First stage made its 9th flight with a recovery landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Nov. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-28 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:05 a.m. with 23 Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the 11th time and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions This was the 64th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. This launch came hours ahead of the Starship and Super Heavy launch attempt in Texas. Read more.

Nov. 22: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-29 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:47 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This marked the 65th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more.

Nov. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-30 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40at 11:20 p.m. This was a southerly trajectory launch. The booster flew for the 17th time (3rd booster to do so) and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. It was the 66th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 62nd from SpaceX in Florida, and 87th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions. Read more.

Dec. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-31 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11 p.m. First stage booster flew for the sixth time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It marked the 67th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 63rd from SpaceX in Florida, and 89th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions.

Dec. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:07 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 68th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more.

Dec. 18 (Delayed from Dec. 11, 12, 13) SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-34 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:01 p.m. Read more.

Dec. 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:33 a.m.  This was a record 19th flight for the first-stage booster having flown previously on Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-11, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3 and 13 Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 70th Space Coast launch of the year. Read more.

Dec. 28 (Delayed from Dec. 10, 11, 13): SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A on USSF-52, the third mission for the Space Force, launching the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on its seventh trip to space at 8:07 p.m. The side boosters flew for the fifth time, previously used on the Psyche mission, two Space Force missions and one commercial flight with another double land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more.

Dec. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-36 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 11:01 p.m. This was the 12th flight for the first-stage booster with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC. Read more.

Follow Orlando Sentinel space coverage at Facebook.com/goforlaunchsentinel.

The news media is in a tizzy about the extravagant spending of former University of Florida president Ben Sasse, who apparently was spending the school’s money on hosting a lavish holiday party for big-money donors that featured a $38,610 sushi bar.

As a result, Gov. Ron DeSants’ administration has directed the state auditor general to investigate Sasse’s expenditures as part of a previously scheduled audit of the university.

I have an even better idea:

How about we get the state auditor general to investigate the exorbitant, wasteful contracts that UF and Florida State have bestowed upon their now-embattled football coaches — Billy Napier and Mike Norvell?

These bloated coaching contracts make Sasse’s sushi bar look like the popcorn shrimp basket at Long John Silver’s. The outlay for Sasse’s expense reports is chump change compared with the football spending sprees at Florida, Florida State and most other big-time institutions of higher earning.

I understand the state media and government beancounters digging into Sasse’s sushi-spending habits, but if you want a real fishy scandal and a misappropriation of funds in higher education then somebody should do a deep dive into the finances of the athletic associations at Florida and Florida State.

Let’s start with the Gators, who are seemingly close to pulling the plug on Napier not even three years into the 7-year, $7.4 million-a-year contract he signed in December 2021. If Napier gets fired, the Gators are on the hook for the $27 million it would take to buy out the remaining four years of his deal.

The obvious question: Why, after three losing seasons, does Napier still have four long years left on his original deal? In other words, why did UF athletic director Scott Stricklin give Napier a 7-year deal instead of the traditional 5-year deal? Napier was at freaking Louisiana, where he wasn’t even making $1 million a year. Wouldn’t he have gladly accepted a 5-year, $3 million-a-year contract to get his foot in the door as a head coach in the SEC? Or, if Stricklin wanted to be really generous, he could have offered Napier $5 million a year.

I’ve never understood why schools pay coaches more than they need to. The only explanation is ego and status. Some people show off their status by overpaying for luxury cars; college ADs show off their status by overpaying for football coaches. After all, it’s not like Napier was about to be scooped up by some other prestigious program. At the time of his hiring, LSU was pursuing Brian Kelly and Miami was pursuing Mario Cristobal. Florida was Napier’s only attractive option.

It also has been said that after previous coach Dan Mullen left behind such a dilapidated program that Napier needed a longer deal because of the immensity of the rebuilding project. If that’s the case then why is UF considering firing him two years and three games into the project?

The bottom line is this: If Napier gets fired, the Gators will have spent about $65 million buying out their previous four head coaches (Napier, Mullen, Jim McElwain and Will Muschamp) and their staffs. That’s right, $65 million to pay coaches not to coach.

Now let’s talk about the Seminoles and how they, too, were used like a roll of toilet paper by super agent Jimmy Sexton, who represents Napier, Norvell and just about every other big-name coach in college football.

After Norvell’s Seminoles won 10 games two seasons ago, FSU gave him  a nice, big raise and a contract extension that averaged $8 million a year. Not even a year later, after he went unbeaten last season and flirted with Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, FSU athletic director Michael Alford panicked and gave Norvell yet another contract extension — a massive 8-year, $10 million-a-year contract.

Now, just a few months later, FSU is 0-3 and probably headed toward a losing season. Hopefully for Seminole Nation, this is just an aberration and Norvell will get the program back up to speed next year, but what if he doesn’t? What if he has another bad season next year?

You know what happens then, right? The social media vitriol will begin (if it already hasn’t), fans and boosters will start calling for Norvell’s job and the Seminoles would have to come up with $55 million to buy out his contract.

Why did Norvell deserve an 8-year extension?

Why not 5 years?

Or, better yet, 3 years?

And why don’t ADs demand that the buyouts go both ways? If a coach gets fired, the school must pay him the remainder of the contract. Likewise, if the coach leaves for another job, he must pay the school the remainder of the contract. It makes sense, right?

Of course, it will never happen because there is no real governmental oversight of  financially irresponsible college football programs that continue to perpetuate a business model that is the biggest scam since bottled water. The sport has been getting free labor for generations by not having to financially compensate their employees, er, student athletes. And now that the players are getting paid, the money is not even coming from the schools themselves; it’s coming from the fans and boosters pouring their hard-earned money into NIL collectives.

Then came the groundbreaking news on Tuesday when the University of Tennessee, in what is believed the first arrangement of its kind, told its fans that they are are going to be charged a 10% “talent fee” on tickets to help pay athletes.  You know it’s only a matter of time before every other program does the same. Their reasoning is simple: Instead of cutting some of the excessive spending, why not just put the financial burden on the loyal – some might say blindly loyal – fans.

College ADs will tell you that there is not enough money in their budget to financially compensate players for playing, but they don’t even think twice when flushing tens of millions of dollars down the toilet to compensate coaches for not coaching.

Will somebody please call the state auditor general?

Shouldn’t we be more upset about $50 million coaching buyouts than the esteemed guests at Ben Sasse’s Christmas party gorging themselves on a plate of bluefin tuna sashimi and lobster tempura rolls?

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and MARI YAMAGUCHI

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday test-fired multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, adding to its military demonstrations as tensions with Washington and neighbors escalate.

The launches come days after North Korea offered a rare view into a secretive facility built to enrich uranium for nuclear bombs as leader Kim Jong Un called for a rapid expansion of his nuclear weapons program.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles from north of its capital, Pyongyang, and said they traveled about 400 kilometers (244 miles) while flying toward the northeast.

The joint chiefs said it was closely communicating with the United States and Japan while analyzing the launches but didn’t immediately provide further flight details.

Japan’s defense ministry said it detected at least two launches but didn’t immediately say what types of missiles they were and how far they flew.

Japan’s coast guard said the missiles were believed to have already fallen into waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and urged vessels to watch out for falling objects. Japan’s NHK television said the missiles were believed to have landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean joint chiefs condemned the launches as a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” It said in a statement that South Korean and U.S. militaries were closely monitoring North Korean activities while maintaining a combined defense posture “to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation.”

North Korea didn’t immediately confirm the launches. They followed a previous round of ballistic tests last week as Kim vowed to have his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals.

The North said the launches on Sept. 12 involved its “super-large” 600mm multiple rocket launchers, which it describes as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. Experts say North Korea’s large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundary between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery.

Since 2022, North Korea has ramped up its weapons testing activities to expand and modernize its arsenal of nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and South Korea. The allies have expanded their combined military exercises and are updating their nuclear deterrence strategies based on U.S. assets to counter the North’s growing threat.

Analysts say Kim’s long-term goal is to force the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

While disclosing the uranium enrichment facility last week, Kim called for stronger efforts to “exponentially” increase its number of nuclear weapons in the face of what he described as U.S. threats. State media published photos that showed Kim talking with military officials and scientists between long lone lines of centrifuges used to produce weapons-grade uranium, but the reports didn’t say where the facility was located or when Kim made the visit.

Analysts say North Korea could conduct a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November with the intent of influencing the outcome and increasing its leverage in future dealings with the new U.S. administration.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Epidemiologists and a federal health agency have criticized new COVID-19 guidance from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo as “dangerous” and a repeat of “misleading and false statements about COVID-19 vaccines.”

The guidance, issued by the Florida Department of Health on Thursday, advises Florida doctors and other medical providers against giving updated mRNA vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. Doctors concerned about protecting patients over 65 or with underlying health conditions that leave them vulnerable to the virus should use the protein-based Novavax vaccine, the guidance states.

“Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General advises against the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines,” it reads.

But the state’s message directly contradicts recommendations made by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends the mRNA shots or the Novavax vaccine as protection against severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalization. All three vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August to protect against newer variants.

The vaccines are being offered at major pharmacies in Florida, including CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Walmart and at doctor’s offices. Florida is the only state in the nation advising against the vaccines, which are also being used in other countries.

“This messaging is dangerous and it contradicts established scientific evidence and public health recommendations,” said Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Department of Health officials did not provide a response to the criticism but referred a reporter to a post by Ladapo on the social media platform X where he wrote that the CDC and FDA are gaslighting Americans “with their new, unproven COVID-19 boosters.”

“We say bring data, acknowledge serious safety concerns & acknowledge the many people who believe they’ve been injured by these vaccines,” the post states.

The guidance repeats claims made by Ladapo in January and in September 2023 when he advised against getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Many of those claims were debunked by experts.

Among Ladapo’s concerns was that the vaccine was approved despite not undergoing clinical trials. However, it is standard once a vaccine has been tested as safe that it can be modified to target new variants, Wallace said. The same process is used to produce a influenza vaccine every flu season, a shot that some Florida county health departments currently offer.

“The clinical trials are done on the vaccine product and each year you can tweak the target of the vaccine so it more closely matches the surface proteins of the circulating virus strains,” Wallace said.

Florida’s guidance cites a study that found that mRNA vaccines include fragments of DNA. Ladapo has previously said that the fragments pose a risk to people’s health and the “integrity of the human genome” and could affect newborns.

But experts have said the odds of such a limited DNA strand penetrating the nucleus of a cell and then matching to the correct section of more than 3 billion base pairs in the human genome are “infinitesimally small.”

Also, the quantity of DNA fragments found in the study cited by Ladapo was well within limits set by the FDA, said Jonathan Laxton, a physician and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba.

Ladapo also cites studies published in Switzerland and Thailand as evidence that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines heighten the risk of developing myocarditis.

But the Swiss study had no patients that met the clinical definition of myocarditis and the Thai study only one, Laxton said.

“There are many, much better-done studies that address this issue and they do not show widespread ‘subclinical’ myocarditis or increased risk of death after COVID vaccination,” he said. “This guidance is a mess. It is based on cherry-picked data and misrepresentation of studies.”

Ladapo’s guidance also describes the new shot as a booster when it’s actually a revised version of the original vaccine amended to protect against current variants.

Ladapo’s guidance comes just ahead of flu season when the CDC is hoping that Americans will get COVID-19 shots at the same time as influenza ones. Nearly half of the United States reported “very high” levels of COVID-19 activity based on testing of wastewater data collected in the last week of August.

“COVID cases have been very high in the U.S. recently and all these infections are at the very least disruptive to our lives, and are leading to hospitalizations,” said Matt Hitchings, an infectious disease epidemiologist and professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida. “More concerning is the use of this official announcement to repeat misleading and false statements about COVID-19 vaccines.”

A Harvard-trained doctor, Ladapo was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as surgeon general in 2021. As a UCLA researcher, he had expressed skepticism that vaccines could help end the pandemic and penned op-eds in the Wall Street Journal challenging assertions by national health experts.

Since his appointment, he has clashed repeatedly with federal health agencies over guidance on masks and vaccines.

Florida was the only state that did not preorder the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines for the nation’s youngest children after they were approved in 2022.

That same year, Ladapo said young men should not get the shot based on a state analysis showing an increased risk of heart-related deaths. But before publishing the analysis, the state removed data that showed that catching COVID-19 increases the chances of a cardiac-related death much more than getting the vaccine, a Tampa Bay Times investigation found.

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©2024 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 17, the 261st day of 2024. There are 105 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 17, 2011, a demonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street began in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world.

Also on this date:

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam (an-TEE’-tum) in Maryland.

In 1908, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge of the U.S. Army Signal Corps became the first person to die in the crash of a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, at Fort Myer, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands.

In 1978, after 12 days of meetings at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (men-AH’-kem BAY’-gihn) signed the Camp David Accords, a framework for a peace treaty.

In 1980, former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza was assassinated in Paraguay.

In 2001, six days after 9/11, stock prices nosedived but stopped short of collapse in an emotional, flag-waving reopening of Wall Street.

In 2021, a Los Angeles jury convicted New York real estate heir Robert Durst of killing his best friend 20 years earlier. (Durst, who was sentenced to life in prison, died in 2022.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is 91.
• Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter (SOO’-tur) is 85.
• Mountaineer-explorer Reinhold Messner is 80.
• Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is 79.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 74.
• Actor Cassandra Peterson (“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”) is 73.
• Director-actor Paul Feig is 62.
• Film director Baz Luhrmann is 62.
• Singer BeBe Winans is 62.
• Actor Kyle Chandler is 59.
• Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 58.
• Author Cheryl Strayed is 56.
• Actor Matthew Settle is 55.
• Designer-TV personality Nate Berkus is 53.
• NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is 49.
• NHL forward Alexander Ovechkin (oh-VECH’-kin) is 39.
• Actor Danielle Brooks is 35.
• NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 29.

General Daily Insight for September 17, 2024

Our intuition can guide us to productive places at present. The Moon is moving through dreamy Pisces, spurring us to take meaningful action and have valuable conversations when it opposes messenger Mercury in Virgo before conjoining stoic Saturn. Luna then forms an excitable square to Jupiter in Gemini, before culminating in this year’s only Pisces Full Moon at 10:34 pm EDT. Following the ideal road ahead doesn’t require hard-headed stubbornness! Keeping our hearts and minds open should light our way forward.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

A cycle is coming to a close. The powerful Full Moon culminates in your 12th House of Endings, signaling a time of release and letting go. This moment of letting go isn’t about losing something that is necessary or meaningful, but removing something which does not serve you. By ending this phase or habit (or whatever else it may be), you position yourself for a better and lighter future. Honor this chapter as it winds down, and trust that another will soon begin.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Satisfaction can be found by playing your current part. There is a big emphasis on coming together with people who get you as your 11th House of Aspirations hosts a powerful Full Moon, allowing you to align yourself and your values with the right kinds of social groups. This can speed the formation of a budding friend group, but could also result in you joining an organization or club that you’ve been eyeing for some time. It’s always nice to feel like you belong.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

The finish line is coming into view. You’ve been making major progress, and the end is in sight as the skies glow with a lovely Full Moon in your 10th House of Achievement! This lunation acts like a tank of rocket fuel, boosting you up in the world. Projects that have been in the works for some time may be ready for a big reveal, or maybe you’ll decide to submit your name for a big promotion. Trust that you can earn a lovely reward!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Get ready to spread your wings! The world is beckoning you to come and explore it during the Full Moon in your 9th House of Adventure, showing you how much excitement and possibility is waiting for you out in the great wide yonder. Potential travel plans or other broadening experiences should get moved off the back burner and into the heat, because this is no time for wallowing or trepidation. It’s time to explore fresh territory, so don’t even think about playing it small.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

This isn’t a day for sweeping things under the rug. A powerful matter is bubbling to the surface as your 8th House of Shared Resources is electrified by the potent Full Moon, shining a light onto topics that you’d normally prefer to keep in the shadows. This sector deals with intense ideas as varied as sex, death, and major finances, so be aware that you may deal with some heavy details. Although it won’t be easy, you’ll be glad you did it in the end.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Dynamic duos are the order of the day. There is a Full Moon powering up your 7th House of Associations, highlighting the most important connections in your life. This can apply to all sorts of relationships, be they romantic, professional, or platonic — all that matters is the core of a partnership between you and one other person. Regardless of the nature of such bonds, this Full Moon could prove a powerful turning point for at least one of them. Prepare to double up!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Take stock of yourself, Libra. You’re allowed to feel good in your body, thanks to the Full Moon in your 6th House of Wellness. Whether you decide to simply go for a walk in nature or start prepping for your first marathon, focus your mind’s eye on your health. Nurture yourself with food that tastes good and feels good — of course, don’t forget to get plenty of rest as well. The more you tend to yourself, the further you’ll go in the long run.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Life isn’t meant to be one big headache! Your day ought to be lived and enjoyed. As today’s Full Moon illuminates your fun-loving 5th house, the universe heightens the importance of pursuing your sources of pleasure without guilt. The 5th house is rather selfish territory, so don’t worry too much about answering to authoritative people or following preset programs — especially unreasonable ones. That said, if their requests are fair, try looking for ways to fulfill them while also having fun.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Keep your focus close to home. There is a Full Moon in your foundational 4th house, tugging your attention toward important domestic matters. A family issue may come to a head, demanding that you assert yourself. Perhaps you’ll decide it’s time to make a change to your physical abode and start searching out new places to hang up your hat. If you want to put this energy to more immediate use, host a get-together at yours to fill your space with love and laughter.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You have a voice for a reason, Capricorn — it is vital to use it. The skies are glowing with a Full Moon in your 3rd House of Communications, putting an emphasis on your ideas and how you express them. This is a very beneficial energy if you have a message to share with people, so don’t be too worried about putting yourself out there. This same zone rules your local community, so you could have a great time exploring any new developments or hotspots.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Financial matters are taking top billing. Your attention is being firmly turned toward your money and how you make it thanks to the intense Full Moon in your 2nd House of Wealth. A lucrative opportunity may arrive at any moment! Whatever it looks like, make an effort to analyze the details without squandering your chance to act. You may also decide to make a big purchase at this time, which is fine — just keep reminding yourself to focus on quality over quantity.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

This is a very personal day. You’re the center of the cosmos during this important Full Moon, as it lights up your very own 1st House of the Self, magnifying your progress on any and all of your ambitions. Someone else may shine a light on you, giving you a further boost in whichever direction you prefer. Even though the planets are giving you the green light to be selfish, don’t forget to be grateful to the people who lift you up.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to embark on his 10th trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began almost a year ago, as the Biden administration continues efforts to revive the stalled cease-fire talks as the U.S. elections approach.

The top U.S. diplomat will fly to Cairo to discuss the negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza and broader regional security issues, as well as for talks with Egyptian officials, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday.

The statement only mentions one stop in Egypt, and it does not appear that Blinken will travel to Israel on this visit.

The announcement came on the same day as Israeli officials stressed to Amos Hochstein, an adviser to President Joe Biden, that their government was increasingly looking at military means for returning residents in northern Israel displaced by clashes with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. That would amount to an expansion of the conflict, which the Biden team has tried desperately to avoid.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Hochstein that “the only way left to return the residents of the north to their homes is via military action.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately told him “that Israel appreciates and respects the support of the United States, but in the end will do what is necessary to maintain its security,” according to a read out from the prime minister’s office.

The latest bout of regional diplomacy since the assault last Oct. 7 by Hamas, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and about 250 others taken captive, unfolded as the U.S. and partners struggle to close the remaining gaps in talks for a cease-fire, including details about the release of hostages and the deployment of Israeli troops. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The U.S. is currently still working with mediators on a new proposal, Miller said Monday. On Sept. 5, Blinken said the U.S., Qatar and Egypt would share their thoughts “in the coming days” on how to “resolve the remaining outstanding questions” in the negotiations.

While American officials, including Blinken, have said a deal is roughly 90% completed, the long-running negotiations to end the war appear to have stalled after the killing earlier this month of six hostages held by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.

Netanyahu has refused to withdraw Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, a key disagreement. The Israeli leader argues that his forces must police smuggling routes that could help Hamas, and that Israel can’t reward the militant group with concessions after hostages were killed.

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©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Egypt on Tuesday for his 10th trip to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began nearly a year ago, this one aimed partly at refining a proposal to present to Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire deal and release of hostages.

Unlike in recent mediating missions, America’s top diplomat this time is traveling without optimistic projections from the Biden administration of an expected breakthrough in the troubled negotiations.

Notably, Blinken has no public plans to go to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this trip. The Israeli leader’s fiery public statements — like his declaration that Israel would accept only “total victory” when Blinken was last in the region in June — and some other unbudgeable demands have complicated earlier diplomacy.

Blinken is going to Egypt for talks Wednesday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and others, in a trip billed as focused both on American-Egyptian relations and Gaza consultations with Egypt.

The tamped-down U.S. approach to Mideast diplomacy follows months in which President Joe Biden and his officials publicly talked up an agreement to end the war in Gaza as being just within reach, hoping to build pressure on Netanyahu’s far-right government and Hamas to seal a deal.

The Biden administration now says it is working with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar to come up with a revised final proposal to try to at least get Israel and Hamas into a six-week cease-fire that would free some of the hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Americans believe public attention on details of the talks now would only hurt that effort.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, and European Union.

American, Qatari and Egyptian officials still are consulting “about what that proposal will contain, and …. we’re trying to see that it’s a proposal that can get the parties to an ultimate agreement,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday.

The State Department pointed to Egypt’s important role in Gaza peace efforts in announcing last week that the Biden administration planned to give the country its full $1.3 billion in military aid, overriding congressional requirements that the U.S. hold back some of the funding if Egypt fails to show adequate progress on human rights. Blinken told Congress that Egypt has made progress on human rights, including in freeing political prisoners.

Blinken’s trip comes amid the risk of a full-on new front in the Middle East, with Israel threatening increasing military action against the Hezbollah militant organization in Lebanon. Biden envoy Amos Hochstein was in Israel on Monday to try to calm tensions after a stop in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has one of the strongest militaries in the Middle East, and like Hamas and smaller groups in Syria and Iraq, it is allied with Iran.

Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged strikes across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas started the war in Gaza. Hezbollah says it will ease those strikes — which have uprooted tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border — only when there’s a cease-fire in Gaza.

Hochstein told Netanyahu and other Israeli officials that intensifying the conflict with Hezbollah would not help get Israelis back in their homes, according to a U.S. official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, said Hochstein stressed to Netanyahu that he risked sparking a broad and protracted regional conflict if he moved forward with a full-scale war in Lebanon.

Hochstein also underscored to Israeli officials that the Biden administration remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the tensions on Israel’s northern border in conjunction with a Gaza deal or on its own, the official said.

Netanyahu told Hochstein that it would “not be possible to return our residents without a fundamental change in the security situation in the north.” The prime minister said Israel “appreciates and respects” U.S. support but “will do what is necessary to maintain its security and return the residents of the north to their homes safely.”

Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, meanwhile, warned in his meeting with Hochstein that “the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes will be via military action,” his office said.

In Gaza, the U.S. says Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal in principle and that the biggest obstacles now include a disagreement on details of the hostage and prisoner swap and control over a buffer zone on the border between Gaza and Egypt. Netanyahu has demanded in recent weeks that the Israeli military be allowed to keep a presence in the Philadelphi corridor. Egypt and Hamas have rejected that demand.

The Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people. Terrorists also abducted 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. About a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, said Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The war has caused widespread destruction, displaced a majority of Gaza’s people and created a humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu says he is working to bring home the hostages. His critics accuse him of slow-rolling a deal because it could bring down his hardline coalition government, which includes members opposed to a truce with the Palestinians.

Asked earlier this month if Netanyahu was doing enough for a cease-fire deal, Biden said, simply, “no.” But he added that he still believed a deal was close.

___

Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

By JACQUES BILLEAUD

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge has rejected a bid by Mark Meadows, a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, to move his charges in Arizona’s fake elector case to federal court, marking the second time he has failed in trying to get his charges out of state court.

In a decision Monday, U.S. District Judge John Tuchi said Meadows missed a deadline for asking for his charges to be moved to federal court, didn’t offer a good reason for doing so and failed to show that the allegations against him related to his official duties as chief of staff to the president.

Meadows faces charges in Arizona and Georgia in what authorities allege was an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Trump’s favor. He had unsuccessfully tried to move charges in the Georgia case last year. It’s unknown whether Meadows will appeal the decision. The Associated Press left phone and email messages for two of Meadows’ attorneys.

While not a fake elector in Arizona, prosecutors said Meadows, while chief of staff, worked with other Trump campaign members to submit names of fake electors from Arizona and other states to Congress in a bid to keep Trump in office despite his November 2020 defeat. Meadows has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Arizona and Georgia.

In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden won Arizona by 10,457 votes.

The decision sends Meadows’ case back down to Maricopa County Superior Court.

In both Arizona and Georgia, Meadows argued his charges should be moved to federal court because his actions were taken when he was a federal official working as Trump’s chief of staff and that he has immunity under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says federal law trumps state law.

Arizona prosecutors said Meadows’ electioneering efforts weren’t part of his official duties at the White House.

Meadows last year tried to get his Georgia charges moved but his request was rejected by a judge whose ruling was later affirmed by an appeals court. Meadows has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling.

The Arizona indictment says Meadows confided to a White House staff member in early November 2020 that Trump had lost the election. Prosecutors say Meadows also had arranged meetings and calls with state officials to discuss the fake elector conspiracy.

Meadows and other defendants are seeking a dismissal of the Arizona case.

Meadows’ attorneys said nothing their client is alleged to have done in Arizona was criminal. They said the indictment consists of allegations that he received messages from people trying to get ideas in front of Trump — or “seeking to inform Mr. Meadows about the strategy and status of various legal efforts by the president’s campaign.”

In all, 18 Republicans were charged in late April in Arizona’s fake electors case. The defendants include 11 Republicans who had submitted a document falsely claiming Trump had won Arizona, another Trump aide and five lawyers connected to the former president.

In August, Trump’s campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, signed a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of her charges. Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino became the first person to be convicted in the Arizona case when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation.

The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the forgery, fraud and conspiracy charges in Arizona.

Trump wasn’t charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator.

The 11 people who were nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate saying they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and claimed Trump had carried the state.

A one-minute video of the signing ceremony was posted on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at the time. The document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.

Prosecutors in Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin have also filed criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme.

WASHINGTON — A gunman was spotted within shooting distance of former President Donald Trump for the second time in about two months — stopped only by the swift, keen-eyed response of Secret Service agents — raising new questions about the agency’s broader ability to protect candidates in its charge.

The Secret Service significantly bolstered Trump’s protective detail after coming under intense criticism following an attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. That beefed-up detail, which includes additional agents and enhanced on-the-ground intelligence, might have played a role in the outcome this weekend, current and former officials said.

Yet the fact that a gunman was able to get a semi-automatic rifle with a telescopic sight so close to the former president, roughly 300 to 500 yards away, underscored how many urgent problems exposed in Butler remained unresolved — and how difficult it is for the Secret Service to respond to an unpredictable and increasingly violent political environment.

As in Butler, the biggest issues in Trump’s protection seem to involve securing the protective perimeter of a targeted site, even one they know as well as Trump’s properties. The would-be shooter positioned himself in the bushes on the perimeter of the former president’s golf club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent was one hole ahead of Trump on the course and spotted the barrel of a gun, prompting agents to open fire on the man, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County said at a news conference Sunday.

Keeping Trump safe: One tough job for the Secret Service, experts agree

Bradshaw said that Trump — one of the most polarizing figures in the world — still retains a protective detail that is smaller than the one given to a sitting president. That, he said, limits the protections the Secret Service and its local partners can provide.

“At this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president — if he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded,” Bradshaw said.

“But because he’s not, the security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” Bradshaw added, while praising the service’s fast response. “So I would imagine that the next time he comes at a golf course, there’ll probably be a little bit more people around the perimeter.”

Michael Matranga, a former Secret Service agent who protected President Barack Obama, said the agency should “seriously consider giving former President Trump the same or equal package as the president of the United States” and called the incidents “unprecedented.”

DeSantis doesn’t trust federal government to look into apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Florida will conduct own probe.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle lauded the actions of the agents, but they vowed to subject the agency’s already embattled leadership to intense questioning about the suspect’s ability to position himself near the former president.

“The facts about a second incident certainly warrant very close attention and scrutiny,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and chair of the Senate subcommittee investigating the security failures at Butler.

“Certainly a second serious incident, apparently involving an assault weapon, is deeply alarming and appalling,” he added.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is a close ally of Trump, said the Senate’s investigations into the security lapses in Butler cited mismanagement within the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, as well as budget and morale issues.

“They’ve lost their focus,” he said. “They need more resources. These agents just work; they have no lives.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

A sharp-eyed Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel poking through the fence, likely foiling a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Sunday as he played a round of golf at his course near West Palm Beach.

Ryan Routh, Trump’s would-be assassin, fled before firing a shot and was quickly found and placed under arrest.

Sunday’s incident comes nine weeks after Trump survived an attempt on his life during a July 13 political rally in Butler, Pa. Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump while he addressed the crowd. One bullet pierced Trump’s upper right ear. Crooks, who was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper, also killed one audience member and wounded two others.

In the wake of the second attempt on Trump’s life, experts are calling on increased security for the Republican presidential nominee amid a climate of increasing political violence.

On Monday, President Joe Biden told reporters the Secret Service needs more help. “Thank God the (former) president’s okay,” Biden said. “One thing I want to make clear, the (Secret) Service needs more help. And I think Congress should reply to their needs if they in fact need more service people.”

In Palm Beach County on Monday, patrol cars blocked the entrances to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. FBI officials gathered near the stretch of shrubs where Routh was hiding out on Sunday.

The scene remained relatively quiet outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump supporters gathered nine weeks ago after the first assassination attempt on Trump. The area, though free of fanfare from Trump supporters, had a heightened police presence, with patrol cars guarding the home and checkpoints set up along the bridge.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel contacted several experts in law enforcement to ask how they might keep Trump safe.

“I would tell him he can’t play golf,” said Dennis Kenney, a criminal justice professor at John Jay College in New York. “It’s very difficult to prevent someone from doing (this) if they are talented. The first guy wasn’t a good shot. The second guy never got a shot off. If either one had been skilled snipers they would have been difficult to stop.”

As president, Bill Clinton liked to jog through the streets of Washington, D.C., Kenney noted.

“They finally had to stop him from doing it because it screwed traffic up so much,” he said. “It was a bit of a nightmare.”

But getting a fist-pumping personality like Trump to stop playing golf might not be so easy, Kenney acknowledged.

Outdoor areas are indeed difficult to secure, said Grace Telesco, a criminal justice professor at Nova Southeastern University and a retired lieutenant with the New York Police Department.

The last four assassination attempts against U.S. presidents all happened outside, Telesco noted.

John K. Kennedy was shot and killed at a parade in Dallas. Ronald Reagan was shot outside a hotel in D.C. hotel. And Trump was shot, struck in the ear by a bullet, at an outdoor rally. Then came Sunday’s attempt at his own golf course.

“It’s very difficult to try to control that. It’s difficult to make sure that the folks who are in the front only have certain access,” Telesco said. “They’ve had criminal background checks done, but it’s not going to be foolproof. Outside is difficult.”

The Secret Service team will advise the person they are protecting what is needed to ensure safety, which may include avoiding certain locations.

“You can advise them it’s not something that’s safe for them, but the [people under protection] still have a veto,” Telesco said. “They have the right to say, ‘Well this is what I want to do and I’m not going to stop doing that.’ If you watch the movies, the Secret Service seems to be in charge and the dignitary listens to whatever the Service Service says. Well, that’s not always the case.”

Telesco described Trump as being the type to say, “I’m not going to give in. I’m not going to back down, not going to be afraid. Whatever the potential harm is, I’m not going to allow that to stop me from doing what I want to do.”

And that makes him challenging to protect, she said.

Political rhetoric on both sides doesn’t help.

“Should a presidential candidate be able to feel safe? One-thousand percent,” Telesco said. “And in this country today where we’re a free democracy, we should be allowed to be controversial. We should be allowed to have a different opinion (from) our neighbor and not have to fear violence.”

But in reality, the nation’s heated political discourse has led to everything from presidential assassination attempts to the Jan. 6 riot, Telesco said.

“Although we like to believe we can keep presidents and presidential candidates safe, the reality is we cannot,” said Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University and an expert on presidential history.

Jarvis pointed to John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert Kennedy.

“If we could protect people, JFK would not have been assassinated and RFK would not have been assassinated,” Jarvis said. “Obviously it’s gotten better since (Abraham) Lincoln went to the theater.”

The level of protection provided becomes somewhat of a negotiation between the Secret Service and the person they need to protect, Jarvis said.

“They wanted Kennedy to use a bulletproof bubble in Dallas, but he didn’t want to use the bubble because people wouldn’t be able to see him,” Jarvis said. “If you are president, you are by nature likely to be gregarious. Most presidents want to get out and see the public. There is no way to fully protect these people. It is a myth that we can 100 percent protect a president or someone in political life. They already live in a bubble. They can’t just go take a walk without a Secret Service detail.”

It would be so much easier if the president never left the White House, Jarvis said.

“That’s the only place you can really keep them safe,” he said. “And even then, you can’t keep them 100 percent safe. … It comes with the territory.”

One of the unusual aspects of protecting Trump is that he’s both a former president and a current nominee, said Jason Russell, a former Secret Service agent who is now a security consultant.

“As such, I suspect former President Trump’s threat level is close to, or may exceed, the threat levels associated with sitting presidents,” said Russell, founder and president of the Michigan-based Secure Environment Consultants, which works with businesses and organizations.

Political rallies and other “on-the-record” outdoor events are challenging because they create security vulnerabilities “such as those caused by line of site and access-control issues that are often largely mitigated by the design features of buildings utilized for indoor events,” Russell said. But “off-the-record” outdoor activities, including Trump’s golf outings, are also challenging because of the expansive environments where they take place, he added.

”In the recent past, the challenges have been somewhat mitigated when protectees have conducted them in more controlled environments,” he said.

As examples, he cited former President Barack Obama golfing at Joint Base Andrews, former President George W. Bush bike riding at the Secret Service training center, and former President Reagan horseback riding at his Santa Barbara ranch.

“I expect the Secret Service will continue to reevaluate the resources they allocate to protect former President Trump to attempt to ensure his safety,” Russell said.

The average person might want to lay low after getting shot at, former Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti told the Sun Sentinel.

But Trump is not your average person.

The way Lamberti sees it, Trump should be getting the same level of protection as Biden.

“I don’t think he’ll stop golfing,” Lamberti said. “But he’s a target. And it’s probably not going to subside after the election, even if he were to lose. You have to look at the threat assessment. Jimmy Carter does not have the same threat level as Donald Trump. You can’t ignore that threat assessment.”

A.J. DeAndrea, a retired deputy chief from Colorado, was one of the first SWAT team members on the scene at the Columbine shooting in 1999.

How would he protect Trump?

“If it was me, he should be getting the same security detail that Biden is getting,” DeAndre told the Sun Sentinel. “This is such a critical election. Threats have been made, twice now. The country and administration needs to answer to this.”

Trump’s advisers might very well be urging him to put away his golf clubs for now, DeAndrea said.

“But this is a free America,” he added. “And our freedoms are essential to us.”

Jeff Marano, a former Hollywood police lieutenant who served on the agency’s SWAT team, says he doubts Trump will take up indoor golf to keep himself safe — even if that’s what he’s being told to do.

“You gotta make him a hard target,” Marano said. “Clinton golfed. Obama golfed. To say, ‘Don’t play golf anymore,’ I don’t think that’s realistic. Here’s someone who’s already been shot. He went out and played golf the next day. He got up (after being shot in Pennsylvania) with the fist pump. He’s a rare breed.”

Staff writer Abigail Hasebroock contributed to this report.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — A Florida sheriff fed up with a spate of false school shooting threats is taking a new tactic to try get through to students and their parents: he’s posting the mugshot of any offender on social media.

Law enforcement officials in Florida and across the country have seen a wave of school shooting hoaxes recently, including in the wake of the deadly attack at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., which killed two students and two teachers.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Florida’s Atlantic Coast said he’s tired of the hoaxes targeting students, disrupting schools and sapping law enforcement resources. In social media posts Monday, Chitwood warned parents that if their kids are arrested for making these threats, he’ll make sure the public knows.

“Since parents, you don’t want to raise your kids, I’m going to start raising them,” Chitwood said. “Every time we make an arrest, your kid’s photo is going to be put out there. And if I can do it, I’m going to perp walk your kid so that everybody can see what your kid’s up to.”

Nine Broward students arrested for online threats since August, deputies say

Chitwood made the announcement in a video highlighting the arrest of an 11-year-boy who was taken into custody for allegedly threatening to carry out a school shooting at Creekside or Silver Sands Middle School in Volusia County. Chitwood posted the boy’s full name and mugshot to his Facebook page.

In the video, which had more than 270,000 views on Facebook as of Monday afternoon, the camera pans across a conference table covered in airsoft guns, pistols, fake ammunition, knives and swords that law enforcement officers claim the boy was “showing off” to other students.

Courtesy/Sheriff Mike ChitwoodVolusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Courtesy/Sheriff Mike Chitwood

Later, the video cuts to officers letting the boy out of a squad car and leading him handcuffed into a secure facility, dressed in a blue flannel button-down shirt, black sweatpants and slip-on sandals. The boy’s face is fully visible at multiples points in the video.

“Right this way, young man,” an officer tells the boy, his hands shackled behind his back.

The boy is led into an empty cell, with metal cuffs around his wrists and ankles, before an officer closes the door and locks him inside.

“Do you have any questions?” the officer asks as he bolts the door.

“No sir,” the boy replies.

The video prompted a stream of reactions on social media, with many residents praising Chitwood, calling on him to publicly identify the parents as well — or press charges against them.

Others questioned the sheriff’s decision, saying the 11-year-old is just a child, and that the weight of the responsibility should fall on his parents.

‘Students aren’t getting the message’ on school threats, superintendent says after another arrest

Under Florida law, juvenile court records are generally exempt from public release — but not if the child is charged with a felony, as in this case.

Law enforcement officials across Florida have been tracking a stream of threats in the weeks since the 2024-2025 school year began. In Broward County, home to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, officials said last week they had already arrested nine students, ages 11 to 15, for making threats since August.

“For my parents, to the kids who are getting ready for school, I’m going to say this again,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said at a press conference, “nothing about this is a laughing or joking matter.”

“Parents, students, it’s not a game,” he added.

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

Name: Jared Moskowitz

Campaign website: jaredforflorida.com

Date, place of birth: 12/18/1980, Coral Springs

Education: B.A. from George Washington University. J.D. from Nova Southeastern University

Occupation: Member of Congress

Work history for the past 15 years, starting with the most recent. 
Member of Congress (Jan 2023 – Present)
Broward County Commissioner (Jan 2022 – Dec 2022)
Manager of M.O.D. LLC (May 2021 – Dec 2022)
Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (Jan 2019 – Apr 2021)
State Representative, Florida House of Representatives (Jan 2013 – Jan 2019)
General Counsel, AshBritt Inc. (April 2009 – Dec 2018)
Parkland City Commissioner (Nov 2006 – Dec 2012)

Why are you running for this office, and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent? 
I have spent my life trying to improve my community. While I’m proud of the tangible results I’ve had so far — from passing the most comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation in Florida’s history to helping communities rebuild in the wake of natural disasters to ending sham impeachment inquiries against President Biden — I know that my work is not yet finished.
My extensive experience in government roles is the biggest factor that differentiates me from my opponent. I have earned a reputation for effective bipartisan action because I work hard to make a difference for people in need and ensure government fulfills its obligations to our community. There is no comparison between my record and my opponent’s.

What are the three most important issues facing this congressional district?
Firstly, the cost-of-living issues and kitchen table economics must be addressed. Too many families are hurting because of inflation and the high price of commodities. The people hit hardest by this squeeze are those who were already living on tight budgets and fixed incomes. We need to keep the cost of living under control. Healthcare costs were rising long before the current economic situation, which is why it’s urgent that the federal government takes action to address the rising prices of prescription medications and health insurance. I introduced legislation to reduce homeowners’ insurance costs, and I intend to continue working on solutions that make housing more affordable.

Secondly, protecting our democracy and the social safety net is a priority affecting this congressional district and all others. If we cannot protect longstanding democratic institutions and stop attempts to undermine the rule of law, it will be impossible to affect change on other priorities.

Finally, gun violence sadly remains part of this district’s identity. The tragedy at MSD is a scar on our community, and I’ve worked hard to turn that pain into action to prevent gun violence. In America, I believe we should be able to make parents a simple promise: when you drop your kids off at school, you get to pick them up alive. Our community deserves that peace of mind. I championed the Florida gun violence prevention law after the Parkland school shooting, and I have been advocating for federal laws to follow the model we created here.

What more should America be doing to protect our environment and critical ecosystems?
From my firsthand experience with disaster mitigation, I know how important it is that we take immediate and bold action to address worsening environmental threats and the underlying human causes contributing to them. I think Members of Congress need to incorporate environmental and economic sustainability into all policy conversations because these issues do not exist in a bubble, they are interconnected with all other policy initiatives.

We should continue pursuing Paris Accord environmental standards, incentivize corporations to reduce harmful emissions and find more environmentally friendly methods of productions, and allow the job growth created by new green-related technologies lead the way to making economic and environmental progress. We also need to ensure that federal protections on land, water, and air quality are followed and strengthened. This includes expanding protected areas, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and prioritizing the health of vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by environmental degradation.

What is your opinion of how Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza?
Israel has a fundamental right to protect itself, and as its strongest ally, we have a responsibility to support their security. The situation in Gaza is complex and tragic, and Israel faces a difficult task in trying to neutralize threats while operating in an environment where terrorist organizations, like Hamas, often use civilians as human shields, put weapons in schools and hospitals, and spread misinformation on social media with the help of Iran.

While Israel should take every precaution to minimize civilian casualties, it is also critical to recognize that the root cause of the conflict stems from ongoing acts of terrorism and the refusal of groups like Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to exist. I am fully supportive of a ceasefire that involves the return of all hostages, and the end of Hamas’s terrorist actions and rule over Gaza.

Do you support or oppose the Florida abortion rights measure known as Amendment 4, and why? 
Absolutely, I support Amendment 4. Roe v. Wade was settled law and never should have been overturned. I fully believe that all women have a right to make medical decisions about their own bodies. Amendment 4 is a necessary protection to ensure all Floridians are afforded this essential right, and I will continue to fight for federal protections as well.

What changes would you support to reduce mass shootings in the U.S, and do you support or oppose reinstating a federal ban on assault-style weapons?
As a State Representative, I championed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which introduced meaningful gun violence prevention measures, including raising the minimum age to purchase firearms and implementing “red flag” laws. I wanted to ban assault-style weapons as part of that effort, but it would not have passed the Republican-controlled legislature with that provision included. The law that passed has proven effective in keeping guns out of the hands of those who pose a danger to themselves and others. I believe that similar provisions should be enacted at the federal level to help reduce the incidence of mass shootings across the country.

I strongly support reinstating a federal ban on assault-style weapons. Alongside this, expanding background checks to all firearm purchases and closing existing loopholes are essential steps in preventing dangerous individuals from obtaining firearms. By passing these measures at the national level, we can build on the progress made in Florida and take significant steps toward reducing gun violence in the U.S.

Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 presidential election, and why?
Yes, next question.

Win or lose, will you pledge to accept the results of your own campaign and the 2024 presidential election?
Yes. Also won’t incite a violent mob while we are at it.

Do you support or oppose an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices, and what other changes would you support to restore respect for the court?
We desperately need ethics reforms for the Supreme Court. I believe the justices and judges confirmed by the Senate should have the same ethics rules and requirements as the Senators who confirm them. Also, I fully support restoring the 60-vote threshold for confirming Supreme Court justices, which will bring a requirement for bipartisan cooperation back to the process.

Describe in detail any demographic, economic or social factor about your congressional district that sets it apart from others.  
FL-23 is a diverse district, and the factor that sets it apart from being a true cross-section of the rest of the country is our large Jewish population. In addition to representing my own culture and beliefs, I feel a major responsibility to the Jews in my district to speak out against antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We are targets of white supremacist movements in addition to misinformed attacks by those who are uneducated about the history of antisemitism and the Jewish people. I will not allow my Jewish community to ever again face the persecution felt by my Holocaust-survivor grandparents.

Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, received a withheld adjudication or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain. 
No.

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
Yes, I have been sued as an elected official.

Name: Lois Frankel

Campaign website: loisfrankelforcongress.com

Date, place of birth: May 16,1946, New York

Education: Boston University, BA, Georgetown Law, JD

Occupation: Member of Congress

Work history for the past 15 years, starting with the most recent. 
Member of Congress 2013-Present, Mayor of West Palm Beach 2003-2011, Florida State Representative 1987-1992, 1994-2002

Why are you running for this office, and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent?
I am a better candidate for Congressional District 22 because of my experience, political values, and strong ties to the community.

As a working mother and now as a working grandmother I have brought my life experience to my elected positions as legislator and former Mayor.

I am a leading voice with a strong record of supporting abortion rights, gun safety, voting rights, Social Security, Medicare, and funding to combat climate change. With my Democratic colleagues, I’ve helped pass legislation that will bring prescription drug prices down for seniors, lower energy costs, and bring manufacturing back to our country. My office and I work closely with local officials, civic organizations, non-profits, and business leaders to listen and respond to their concerns. I’ve brought back millions of dollars of funding for local projects and programs.

What are the three most important issues facing this congressional district?
Access to reproductive health care, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and cost of living. For some it is border security.

What more should America be doing to protect our environment and critical ecosystems?
Climate change is intensifying weather extremes across our country and the world. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is why I voted for historic action to invest in clean energy and electric vehicles.

Protecting the Everglades, the source of drinking water in South Florida is essential for our health and economy. I have joined forces with like-minded colleagues to make sure that the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, known as CERP, is properly funded to restore and preserve its resilience.

What is your opinion of how Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza?
A fairer question is how do I think Hamas and Iran has conducted its military operations against Israel in Gaza? On October 7th, Hamas terrorists brutally murdered, kidnapped, tortured, and raped Israelis, taking 240 hostages–many of whom remain in dark tunnels, being starved and abused. Both Iran and its proxy, Hamas, have clearly stated that the complete elimination of Israel is their goal. Hamas uses civilians as human shields and hides in civilian institutions like hospitals. Had they surrendered and released the hostages months ago, so much of the devastation could have been avoided. I stand firmly with Israel’s right to defend herself and President Biden’s proposal for a ceasefire with immediate release of the hostages.

Do you support or oppose the Florida abortion rights measure known as Amendment 4, and why?
Yes, I support Amendment 4.

All people deserve the freedom to make personal health care decisions without government interference. The decision of when or whether to start a family belongs to a woman and those she trusts, not to politicians. Florida’s 6-week ban, before most women know they are pregnant, is inhumane, causing physical and emotional harm to pregnant women and causing them to carry pregnancies that are the result of rape and incest. This is why I support Amendment 4 and am one of the prime sponsors of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would create a new legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care, free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans, in every zip code in our country.

What changes would you support to reduce mass shootings in the U.S, and do you support or oppose reinstating a federal ban on assault-style weapons?
There is no magic wand to reduce mass shootings but there are many strategies that can be implemented to curtail this violence. That’s why I have supported funding research on this issue.

I was proud to support the most major gun reform legislation in 30 years, the Safer Communities Act, which expanded and enhanced background checks, closed the ‘boyfriend loophole’, supported ‘red flag’ laws, expanded mental health and school services, and expanded community violence intervention programs. This was an important step, but we must go further to protect our communities including expanding universal background checks and the banning of assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines.

Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 presidential election, and why?
Yes. All votes and recounts were valid and there was no evidence of voter fraud that would affect the outcome.

Win or lose, will you pledge to accept the results of your own campaign and the 2024 presidential election?
Yes. Our country was built on free and fair elections and attacking their integrity diminishes our democracy.

Do you support or oppose an 18-year term limit for Supreme Court justices, and what other changes would you support to restore respect for the court?
Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on presidential immunity, abortion, voting rights, and gun violence seem out of step with the American public. I am open to studying potential ways we can make our Supreme Court more diverse and reflective of American values, including term limits and a code of conduct. With that said, due to the extremely partisan nature of congress, Supreme Court reform is unlikely. That is why electing a President that shares your values is so important because when there is an opening on the Supreme Court, the sitting President gets to make a nomination. This is why I support Kamala Harris for President.

Describe in detail any demographic, economic or social factor about your congressional district that sets it apart from others.  
Congressional District 22 has one of the largest concentrations of retirees in our country and also one of the largest Jewish populations.

Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, received a withheld adjudication or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
No

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
Landlord tenant issue 35 years ago dismissed in my favor. I was sued many times as Mayor of West Palm Beach.

Today is Monday, Sept. 16, the 260th day of 2024. There are 106 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 people before being fatally shot police.

Also on this date:

In 1810, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called on his parishioners to join him in a rebellion against Spanish rule, marking the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence.

In 1893, the largest land run in U.S. history occurred as more than 100,000 white settlers rushed to claim over more than 6 million acres of land in what is now northern Oklahoma.

In 1908, General Motors was founded in Flint, Michigan, by William C. Durant.

In 1940, Samuel T. Rayburn of Texas was first elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; he would hold the post for a record 17 years, spanning three separate terms.

In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera officially opened its new opera house at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s “Antony and Cleopatra.”

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed a proclamation announcing a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam war deserters and draft evaders.

In 1982, the massacre of more than 1,300 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison; he was released in 2017.)

In 2018, at least 17 people were confirmed dead from Hurricane Florence as catastrophic flooding spread across the Carolinas.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor George Chakiris is 92.
• Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 75.
• Author-historian-filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. is 74.
• Country singer David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) is 74.
• Actor Mickey Rourke is 72.
• Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 71.
• TV personality Mark McEwen is 70.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 69.
• Magician David Copperfield is 68.
• Actor Jennifer Tilly is 66.
• Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser is 66.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines is 65.
• Singer Richard Marx is 61.
• Comedian Molly Shannon is 60.
• Singer Marc Anthony is 56.
• News anchor/talk show host Tamron Hall is 54.
• Comedian-actor Amy Poehler is 53.
• Singer-songwriter Musiq Soulchild is 47.
• Rapper Flo Rida is 45.
• Actor Alexis Bledel is 43.
• Actor Madeline Zima is 39.
• Actor Max Minghella is 39.
• Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 32.
• Actor Chase Stokes is 32.
• Golfer Bryson Dechambeau is 31.

General Daily Insight for September 16, 2024

Open hearts heal the quickest. The Moon begins the day in future-minded Aquarius, and will encourage some healthy rebellion when it squares off Uranus in Taurus. Luna then drifts into gentle Pisces to make an energizing trine to Mars in emotional Cancer. Today’s main focus, though, is the major opposition between Venus in Libra and Chiron in Aries at 5:29 pm EDT. This motivates us to begin healing our old wounds by willingly engaging with them and nurturing our souls in the process.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

The more open you are with others, the better your day can get. There is a big emphasis on leading with an open heart as Venus in your relationship makes its annual opposition to Chiron in your commanding sign. This is an invitation to cleanse yourself of any heaviness or emotional baggage you’ve been carrying around, because important people should be more than ready to listen and support you as you process things. Don’t turn your back on people — or on this opportunity.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

This can be a rather pleasant day — if you don’t get lost in the details. Venus in your 6th House of Self-Discipline is opposing Chiron in your 12th House of the Subconscious, so you’d be wise to focus on the essentials and tend to basic matters. Avoid attempting to change up the program or overthinking basic tasks. What starts as pulling at one thread could result in you totally unraveling without any good reason for it, so don’t lead yourself down unproductive paths.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

There are many different opinions at play today. You have every reason to do as you please while pleasure-loving Venus dances through your 5th House of Excitement, making for one of the most enjoyable times of the year. On the other hand, Venus will oppose Chiron in your communal 11th house, which means you may not be able to strictly follow your program. Be ready to go along with other people’s plans before running off to handle your own. Compromise will prove essential.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your duties cannot be easily ignored. It’s perfectly fair if you’d rather spend the day puttering around while aesthetic Venus tours your domestic 4th house. Regardless, that energy gets thrown off course when Venus opposes Chiron in your responsible 10th house, forcing you to change focus. Your supervisor may call upon you to save the day, or maybe an opportunity will arrive that is too good to turn down. Either way, go ahead and put on your game face! Prepare your notes accordingly.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

The world is looming rather large right now. You’ve got plenty of enjoyable things to tend to while Venus tours your 3rd House of Neighborhood Business, but you may begin to question your immediate boundaries as Venus opposes Chiron in your 9th House of Ideas. Perhaps you feel as though you’re playing it small when you should be living large, or that you’re getting too wrapped up in the details when you should be thinking big. Overthinking won’t solve these dilemmas, but action should.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

It’s a good idea to share your bounty when you can. This is just such a time as Venus in your deluxe 2nd house opposes Chiron in your intimate 8th house, reminding you how wonderful it can feel to be in a position to help others. That isn’t to say you need to bend over backward for someone else or need to give more than you have, simply that you may encounter someone who needs assistance, and you could be the right person to assist.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

A little bit of kindness can go a long way. You’re at your best while Venus is in your good-natured sign, but someone else may need extra support as Venus opposes Chiron in your cooperation sector. Not everyone has as much poise and grace as your sign, and sometimes those people need a helping hand! They’ll likely make it obvious under this tense angle. You can show someone how much you care, and it should do both of you a world of good.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

A gentle touch can keep an ongoing situation from spiraling out of control. It’s easy to flit through the world like a butterfly with Venus in your dreamy 12th house, but a more realistic issue may pop up when Venus opposes Chiron in your routine 6th house. A co-worker or client may stir up a problem that only you can fix! The wonderful thing is that Venus is smoothing your path to success, so don’t be scared of stepping in to save the day.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

This is a day for enjoying yourself. Everyone wants a piece of you while Venus is in your social 11th house, boosting your popularity. Letting yourself get carried away with it isn’t necessarily a bad thing as Venus opposes Chiron in your cheerful 5th house. Even if you’d typically want to keep at least one foot firmly planted in reality, this moment is different. The more you let go and go with the flow, the more happiness you can currently find.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You deserve to be recognized for your efforts. Fortunately, under today’s opposition between Venus in your reputation sector and Chiron in your emotional sector, it looks like you’re first in line to get properly noticed for all you do. The process should bring a lot of satisfaction with it! Sometimes little voices in our head lie and tell us we don’t deserve everything we dream of, or can’t accomplish everything we hope to, but this angle could prove any naysayers very, very wrong.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your limitations aren’t nearly as permanent as they might look at first. Venus in your boundless 9th house broadens your field of view to include unique methods of achieving satisfaction. Still, its opposition to Chiron in your busy 3rd house could remind you of all the usual reasons you can’t fly off on an adventure. However, if you actually inspect these reasons, you may discover that they crumble at the lightest touch! You can break them down, whether it’s with a wrecking ball or feather.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

It’s natural to feel insecure sometimes. Right now, you might find yourself wallowing in the notion that you don’t have enough of whatever it is that you need, or that you’ll never be able to manifest the life you want. Happily, the opposition between Venus in your shared resources sector and Chiron in your security sector can show you how that isn’t actually the case. You probably have more support and security than you realize, so banish any fears that do not reflect reality.

By Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards arrived on Sunday.

The awards, presented by the Television Academy, honored the best of the 2023-2024 TV season. The 76th edition of the ceremony came just months after the 75th edition, which was held in January after being delayed by the dual Hollywood strikes.

Here are the winners, including several previously announced at the Creative Arts Emmys.

Comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“The Bear”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Winner: “Hacks”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Palm Royale”

“Reservation Dogs”

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Drama series

“The Crown”

“Fallout”

“The Gilded Age”

“The Morning Show”

“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: “Shōgun”

“Slow Horses”

“3 Body Problem”

Drama lead actress

Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”

Carrie Coon, “The Gilded Age”

Maya Erskine, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Anna Sawai, “Shōgun”

Imelda Staunton, “The Crown”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Drama lead actor

Donald Glover, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Walton Goggins, “Fallout”

Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”

Winner: Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun”

Dominic West, “The Crown”

Idris Elba, “Hijack”

Limited series

Winner: “Baby Reindeer”

“Fargo”

“Lessons in Chemistry”

“Ripley”

“True Detective: Night Country”

Limited series / TV movie lead actress

Winner: Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”

Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Juno Temple, “Fargo”

Sofía Vergara, “Griselda”

Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Limited series / TV movie lead actor

Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Jon Hamm, “Fargo”

Tom Hollander,“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Andrew Scott, “Ripley”

Directing for a drama series

Hiro Murai, “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Winner: Frederick E.O. Toye, “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Saul Metzstein, “Strange Games,” “Slow Horses”

Stephen Daldry, “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” “The Crown”

Mimi Leder, “The Overview Effect,” “The Morning Show”

Directing for a comedy series

Randall Einhorn, “Party,” “Abbott Elementary”

Lucia Aniello, “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Winner: Christopher Storer, “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Ramy Youssef, “Honeydew,” “The Bear”

Guy Ritchie, “Refined Aggression,” “The Gentlemen”

Writing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Winner: Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

Charlie Brooker, “Joan Is Awful,” “Black Mirror”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Ron Nyswaner, “You’re Wonderful,” “Fellow Travelers”

Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “Part 6,” “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a drama series

Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Graham Wagner; “The End,” “Fallout”

Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover; “First Date,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks; “Anjin,” “Shōgun”

Rachel Kondo, Caillin Puente; “Crimson Sky,” “Shōgun”

Winner: Will Smith, “Negotiating With Tigers,” “Slow Horses”

Peter Morgan, Meriel Sheibani-Clare; “The Ritz,” “The Crown”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actor

Jonathan Bailey, “Fellow Travelers”

Robert Downey Jr., “The Sympathizer”

Tom Goodman-Hill, “Baby Reindeer”

John Hawkes, “True Detective: North Country”

Winner: Lamorne Morris, “Fargo”

Lewis Pullman, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Treat Williams, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Talk series

Winner: “The Daily Show”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Writing for a comedy series

Quinta Brunson, “Career Day,” “Abbott Elementary”

Meredith Scardino, Sam Means; “Orlando,” “Girls5eva”

Winner: Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky; “Bulletproof,” “Hacks”

Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo; “Fishes,” “The Bear”

Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider; “Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good,” “The Other Two”

Jake Bender, Zach Dunn; “Pride Parade,” “What We Do in the Shadows”

Directing for a limited or anthology series or movie

Weronika Tofilska, “Episode 4,” “Baby Reindeer”

Noah Hawley, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” “Fargo”

Gus Van Sant, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Millicent Shelton, “Poirot,” “Lessons in Chemistry”

Winner: Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

Issa López, “True Detective: North Country”

Writing for a variety special

Winner: Alex Edelman, “Alex Edelman: Just For Us”

Jacqueline Novak, “Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees”

John Early, “John Early: Now More Than Ever”

Mike Birbiglia, “Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and The Pool”

“The Oscars”

Scripted variety series

Winner: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

“Saturday Night Live”

Limited series / TV movie supporting actress

Dakota Fanning, “Ripley”

Lily Gladstone, “Under the Bridge”

Winner: Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

Aja Naomi King, “Lessons in Chemistry”

Diane Lane, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”

Nava Mau, “Baby Reindeer”

Kali Reis, “True Detective: Night Country”

Reality competition program

“The Amazing Race”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Top Chef”

Winner: “The Traitors”

“The Voice”

Comedy lead actress

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”

Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale”

Maya Rudolph, “Loot”

Drama supporting actress

Christine Baranski, “The Gilded Age”

Nicole Beharie, “The Morning Show”

Winner: Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

Greta Lee, “The Morning Show”

Lesley Manville, “The Crown”

Karen Pittman, “The Morning Show”

Holland Taylor, “The Morning Show”

Comedy supporting actress

Carol Burnett, “Palm Royale”

Winner: Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Meryl Streep, “Only Murders in the Building”

Comedy lead actor

Matt Berry, “What We Do in the Shadows,”

Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Winner: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, “Reservation Dogs”

Drama supporting actor

Tadanobu Asano, “Shōgun”

Winner: Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”

Jon Hamm, “The Morning Show”

Takehiro Hira, “Shōgun”

Jack Lowden, “Slow Horses”

Jonathan Pryce, “The Crown”

Comedy supporting actor

Lionel Boyce, “The Bear”

Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”

Winner: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”

Paul Rudd, “Only Murders in the Building”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Television movie

Winner: “Quiz Lady”

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie”

“Red, White & Royal Blue”

“Scoop”

“Unfrosted”

Guest actor in a drama series

Winner: Néstor Carbonell, “Shōgun”

Paul Dano, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Tracy Letts, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”

Jonathan Pryce, “Slow Horses”

John Turturro, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actress in a drama series

Winner: Michaela Coel, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Claire Foy, “The Crown”

Marcia Gay Harden, “The Morning Show”

Sarah Paulson, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Parker Posey, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Guest actor in a comedy series

Winner: Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”

Matthew Broderick, “Only Murders in the Building”

Ryan Gosling, “Saturday Night Live”

Christopher Lloyd, “Hacks”

Bob Odenkirk, “The Bear”

Will Poulter, “The Bear”

Guest actress in a comedy series

Winner: Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear”

Olivia Colman, “The Bear”

Kaitlin Olson, “Hacks”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “Only Murders in the Building”

Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”

Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”

For a complete list of Emmy nominees, go to Emmys.com.

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.