South Florida Local News

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Thursday raised the possibility of looking into spending under former University of Florida president Ben Sasse.

“We take the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the (state university system’s) Board of Governors to look into the matter,” DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Patronis offered support for an audit. “Reports of (the university’s) exorbitant spending by Ben Sasse’s office are concerning,” Patronis posted online. “As my agency can investigate fraud, waste and abuse, @FLDFS (the Florida Department of Financial Services) will reach out to @FLBOG (the university system Board of Governors) to offer auditing support. BOG should investigate this issue to ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used.”

On Monday, the Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper reported Sasse more than tripled his office’s spending to $17.3 million when compared to his predecessor.

The costs included hiring several of his former U.S. Senate staffers, including two who were allowed to work remotely from the Washington, D.C., area.

Sasse was a Nebraska senator before getting hired for the UF job.

Travel costs for Sasse’s office also jumped from $28,000 to $633,000 in one year, according to the student newspaper.

Sasse, who had been at UF less than two years, abruptly resigned in July, citing his wife’s health. Former President Kent Fuchs will lead the school on an interim basis.

The Board of Governors did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida saw increased tourism during the second quarter of 2024, while it continues trying to get the international market back to pre-pandemic levels.

With the totals driven by tourists from other parts of the U.S., Visit Florida on Thursday estimated the state had 34.2 million visitors during the April-through-June period, 1.64% more than during the same period in 2023.

For the first six months of 2024, the state had an estimated 74.8 million visitors, a 1.4% increase from the first half of 2023.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office sent out a news release describing the new totals as the “greatest second-quarter tourism numbers in Florida history.”

Travelers from other parts of the U.S. accounted for 92% of Florida’s second-quarter visitors.

The estimate of 31.5 million domestic travelers was up 1.8% from the second quarter of 2023 and 8.7% higher than in 2019, the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed into the state.

After a huge drop in tourism early in the pandemic, Florida initially focused on attracting people from other parts of the U.S. before shifting attention to the international market.

Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency, on Thursday estimated the state had 2 million travelers from overseas during this year’s second quarter and 739,000 from Canada.

In the second quarter of 2023, the state reported 1.94 million overseas travelers and 767,000 Canadians.

In 2019, overseas travel was at 2.44 million in the second quarter, with another 848,000 Canadians.

“Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our strengths to ensure that Florida remains the top destination for travelers worldwide,” Visit Florida President & CEO Dana Young said in the release from the governor’s office.

Lawmakers included $80 million for Visit Florida in the budget for this fiscal year, which started July 1. Another $5 million was directed to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association for an in-state tourism marketing campaign.

A study by state economists released in April put the return on investment of Visit Florida around $3.30 for every $1 spent on marketing.

The pandemic knocked the return to 58 cents for every $1 spent, the study said.

Two marked Broward Sheriff’s Office cars were closely “following” a 19-year-old driver in the moments before a violent crash that killed two people Sunday on Sistrunk Boulevard, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Two deputies are now under an internal investigation to determine if they were in pursuit of Gavin Dorvil, of Lauderdale Lakes.

Dorvil was speeding in a 2023 Tesla Model 3 west on Northwest Sixth Street shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday when he T-boned a 2023 Dodge Durango that was heading south on Northwest 27th Avenue, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Based on nearby surveillance videos, Dorvil was estimated to be speeding at more than 85 mph in the 35 mph speed limit zone, the affidavit said.

The impact of Dorvil’s crash into the Dodge, which had three people inside, flung the Dodge into the air and forced it to move southwest before it then crashed into a Chevrolet Trax, the affidavit said. The force of that second crash flipped the Chevrolet upside down.

Dorvil’s Tesla and the Dodge continued southwest, where the cars crashed through a fence around the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Central cemetery, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Lisa Jackson, the driver of the Dodge, and one of her passengers Geraldine Francis were pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after the crash. A second passenger, whose name has not been released because she is a minor, was in critical condition.

Driver arrested, deputies reassigned as BSO investigates whether deadly crash was result of chase

The driver of the Chevrolet, Jasmyne Thomas, and Dorvil were also hospitalized, the Sheriff’s Office previously said. The extent of their injuries are unknown.

Before the crash, video showed the two deputies “following closely behind” Dorvil from the area of Northwest 27th Avenue, onto Northwest Sixth Street, then onto Northwest 24th Avenue, according to the affidavit.

Dorvil turned onto Northwest Sixth Court and then onto Northwest 22nd Avenue, where he ran a stop sign, the affidavit said. It was not clear from the affidavit whether the deputies were still following Dorvil by then.

Dorvil then drove back onto Northwest Sixth Street and sped through a red light just before the crash, according to the affidavit. The affidavit did not provide further information about why the deputies were following Dorvil prior to the crash.

Many police departments and law enforcement agencies’ policies on pursuits, including BSO’s, say chases are only allowed when there’s reasonable belief a forcible felony was committed.

Carey Codd, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said Wednesday that two deputies are now on “restricted administrative assignment” as Internal Affairs investigates to “determine if any BSO units were pursuing the Tesla prior to the crash.”

An AR-15-style pistol and several rounds of ammunition were found outside of the Tesla at the crash scene, the affidavit said. Codd said earlier this week that the gun was believed to have come from the Tesla.

Dorvil was arrested at Broward Health Medical Center on Tuesday night. He faces two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, the Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Other charges may be added. He had not been booked into the jail as of Thursday.

He was previously arrested by Davie Police on July 15 on charges of grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm and resisting arrest without violence, court records show.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and FRANKLIN BRICENO

NEW YORK (AP) — A reputed Peruvian gang leader suspected in nearly two dozen killings in his home country was arrested Wednesday in New York by U.S. immigration authorities.

Gianfranco Torres-Navarro, the leader of “Los Killers” who is wanted for 23 killings in Peru, was arrested in Endicott, New York, about 145 miles (233 kilometers) northwest of New York City, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday. He is being held at a federal detention facility near Buffalo pending an immigration hearing, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

Torres-Navarro, 38, entered the U.S. illegally at the Texas-Mexico border on May 16. He was arrested the same day and given a notice to appear for immigration proceedings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

The agency, known as ICE, said it moved to arrest Torres-Navarro after receiving information on July 8 that he was wanted in Peru.

“Gianfranco Torres-Navarro poses a significant threat to our communities, and we won’t allow New York to be a safe haven for dangerous noncitizens,” said Thomas Brophy, the director of enforcement removal operations for ICE’s Buffalo field office.

Immigration agents also arrested Torres-Navarro’s girlfriend, Mishelle Sol Ivanna Ortíz Ubillús, described by Peruvian authorities as his right hand. She is being held at a processing center in Pennsylvania, according to ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System.

Online immigration detention records for Torres-Navarro and Ortíz Ubillús did not include information on lawyers who could comment on their behalf.

Peru’s justice system confirmed to The Associated Press that it ordered the location and international capture of Torres-Navarro and his partner Ortiz-Ubilluz on July 3.

According to Peruvian authorities, Torres-Navarro is the leader of a criminal organization known as “Los Killers de Ventanilla y Callao” that has used violence to thwart rivals seeking to cut into its core business of extorting construction companies.

Torres-Navarro allegedly fled Peru after the killing of retired police officer Cesar Quegua Herrera and the shooting of a municipal employee at a restaurant in San Miguel in March, Peruvian media reported.

Six reputed members of “Los Killers,” formed in 2022 in an area along the Pacific coast where Peru’s main port is located, were arrested in a series of raids in June and accused of homicide, contract killing, and extortion, the National Police of Peru said.

Torres-Navarro was previously a member of the Los Malditos de Angamos criminal organization, Peru’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said. He is also known as “Gianfranco 23,” a reference to the number of people he is alleged to have killed.

Torres-Navarro eluded previous attempts to hold him accountable for his alleged crimes.

In 2019, while on the run from authorities, he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for illegal weapons possession. He remained at large until 2021, when he was arrested at a toll checkpoint near Peru’s capital city, Lima. But even then, he didn’t stay behind bars for long. After an acquittal in that case, Torres-Navarro was freed last December.

Soon after, Peruvian authorities said, “Los Killers” ramped up its violence, culminating in the shooting in San Miguel.

Gianfranco’s girlfriend, Ortiz Ubillús, has a prominent role in “Los Killers,” Peruvian authorities said. The Public Prosecutor’s Office described her as Torres Navarro’s romantic partner, lieutenant and cashier.

She also has a sizable following on the social media platform TikTok where she showed off their lavish lifestyle, including designer clothes, resort vacations and shooting targets at a gun range.

__

Briceno reported from Lima, Peru. Associated Press reporters Carolyn Thompson and Phil Marcelo contributed to this report.

Today is Thursday, Aug. 15, the 228th day of 2024. There are 138 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Aug. 15, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in upstate New York; more than 460,000 people attended the three-day festival, which would become a watershed event in American music and culture.

Also on this date:

In 1057, Macbeth, King of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, the eldest son of King Duncan, whom Macbeth had slain.

In 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened as the SS Ancon crossed the just-completed waterway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

In 1935, humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post were killed when their airplane crashed near Point Barrow in the Alaska Territory.

In 1947, India gained independence after nearly 200 years of British rule.

In 1961, as workers began constructing a Berlin Wall made of concrete, East German soldier Conrad Schumann leapt to freedom over a tangle of barbed wire.

In 1989, F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as acting president of South Africa, one day after P.W. Botha resigned as the result of a power struggle within the National Party.

In 1998, 29 people were killed by a car bomb that tore apart the center of Omagh (OH’-mah), Northern Ireland; a splinter group calling itself the Real IRA claimed responsibility.

In 2003, bouncing back from the largest blackout in U.S. history, cities from the Midwest to Manhattan restored power to tens of millions of people.

In 2017, President Donald Trump, who’d faced harsh criticism for initially blaming deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on “many sides,” told reporters that there were “very fine people on both sides” of the confrontation and that groups protesting against the white supremacists were “also very violent.” (In between those statements, at the urging of aides, Trump had offered a more direct condemnation of white supremacists.)

In 2021, the Taliban regained control of the Afghan capital of Kabul after the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Jim Dale is 89.
• Retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is 86.
• U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is 86.
• Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 80.
• Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 78.
• Actor Phyllis Smith is 75.
• Britain’s Princess Anne is 74.
• Actor Tess Harper is 74.
• Actor Zeljko Ivanek (ZEHL’-koh eh-VAHN’-ehk) is 67.
• Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio is 62.
• Film director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (ihn-YAH’-ee-tu) is 61.
• Philanthropist Melinda French Gates is 60.
• Actor Debra Messing is 56.
• Actor Anthony Anderson is 54.
• Actor Ben Affleck is 52.
• Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings is 46.
• Rock singer Joe Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 35.
• Actor Jennifer Lawrence is 34.

General Daily Insight for August 15, 2024

We’re blazing forward, for better or worse! The passionate Sagittarius Moon harmonizes with both the Sun in Leo and Chiron in Aries, forming a weighty Grand Trine in Fire signs. Luna then squares indefinite Neptune, so we might need to slow down to contemplate any anxieties that arise, no matter how silly they sound. Once the vital Sun trines therapeutic Chiron at 1:12 pm EDT, taking our concerns seriously should help us resolve them. The Moon then shifts into grounded Capricorn, converting our enthusiasm into action.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Following your curiosity could require some courage. You might feel drawn to study a subject that’s a little controversial while simultaneously fearing you’ll be judged harshly for this pursuit. As the fretful Moon in your philosophy zone stumbles over wily Neptune in your 12th House of Self-Undoing, ask yourself if you’re afraid of the wrong things. Society’s standards may have shifted since you were scarred by a significant formative experience, but the practical side of your quest is potentially more complicated than you expect.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Opening up to someone about a personal issue may be necessary at present. That being said, you’ll have to be judicious regarding your approach. While the vulnerable Moon in your intimacy zone conflicts with diffuse Neptune in your social sector, it might seem easiest to catch the individual you need to connect with whenever and wherever you can. However, giving others the opportunity to eavesdrop runs the risk of feeding some drama. Ensure that you’re in a private environment before you divulge anything sensitive.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Making the time to listen to someone you take for granted can deepen your relationship. When you choose to let your connection grow beyond a surface level, you’re accepting a bit of a risk. In speaking honestly, you may learn something disappointing about how your larger social group sees you. Even if it’s not incorrect or cruel, maybe it’s simply not what you wanted to hear. In the end, it’s just information — you must decide for yourself what to do with it.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Doing a job correctly may currently be a high priority for you. However, planning out your workflow in detail before you start probably isn’t the best use of your time. Some parts of the process are potentially hard to work out in your head if you haven’t actually done anything like that before. Begin by committing to something you’re certain is manageable and seeing how that goes. Developing your self-worth and learning to rely on your judgment will be key to a successful outcome.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

The fear that you’ll be judged for not being cultured enough could hold you back from expressing yourself freely today. Remember: no one gets more than 24 hours in a day! Instead of obsessing over certain high-status experiences you haven’t had, look for the positive side of what you’ve done with your time so far. Reading others’ reactions clearly might be a challenge, but you’re probably less isolated than you think. Don’t worry — wondering about the roads not taken is a pretty universal experience.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Getting at the truth behind a confusing relationship dynamic could challenge you today. As the impressionable Moon in your domestic 4th house snaps at spacey Neptune in your partnership sector, perhaps there’s something about the environment where the two of you usually spend time together that’s bringing out the worst in both of you. Changing the venue to a more private place might at least nudge you out of your rut. Greater openness isn’t guaranteed to be easy, but any discomfort may be worth it.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Managing your current social calendar could require you to pay attention to the feelings of a loved one. The anxious Moon in your busy 3rd house is conflicting with nebulous Neptune in your 6th House of Responsibilities, so you might think that you don’t have time to do anything but work. If this has been a longtime pattern, the other person might be growing resentful. They potentially feel like you’ve been stringing them along, so honesty about whatever is really going on should help.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Achieving a goal may be on your mind today. You’re likely motivated by the prospect of receiving money or other material rewards. That said, getting there could be a frustrating process. You might be more than a little resentful about having to do work that’s seemingly beneath you. As the fluctuating Moon in your self-worth sector provokes idealistic Neptune in your expressive 5th house, perhaps it conflicts with how you prefer to see yourself. Once you obtain results, that shouldn’t matter!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

The prospect of venturing into the unknown could presently provoke internal conflict. Part of you probably wants to go for it! On the other hand, you might worry about causing emotional discomfort to loved ones who want everything to stay the same. This isn’t painful because you totally know they’re wrong — it more likely hurts because part of you suspects they’re right. Acknowledge your mixed feelings, but avoid idealizing the past. Whatever you eventually choose to do must work here and now.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

A longing to be understood could weigh on you at the moment. While the illuminating Sun in your intimacy sector aligns with healing Chiron in your 4th House of Roots, you may think it’s time to open up to someone about the tougher parts of your background. Some of the details of your story might not stand up to scrutiny, though. In that case, feel free to ignore them. Focus on how you felt without getting caught up in tangents that aren’t relevant.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

A companion could encourage you to do something new today. They’ve potentially got your pride on the line as the blazing Sun in your partnership sector engages with touchy Chiron in your communication zone — you might fear they’ll think less of you if you don’t rise to the occasion. Still, the details of the situation won’t necessarily go away just because they’re inconvenient. It’s okay to go out on a limb for the time being, but you may need to do some cleanup later.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Working hard can bolster your sense of self-worth throughout the day. Still, it’ll potentially be difficult to shed the desire for an authority figure to descend from on high and decree that you’re doing the right thing. You might need to be the one who looks at the results you’re getting and decides whether they’re working out. Even though it’s uncomfortable to accept this level of responsibility sometimes, the opportunity to do so could be the most important reward your situation has to offer!

A Lauderhill Police officer was arrested Tuesday in Sunrise and has been placed on administrative leave.

Officer Johnny Alejandro Mateo faces one count of digital voyeurism, police department spokesperson Lt. Antonio Gonzalez said in a news release Wednesday night.

Gonzalez did not provide information about what led to Mateo’s arrest but said Mateo was being investigated by Sunrise Police for an incident that happened while he was off duty. Mateo, who was hired in 2017, was placed on administrative the day of his arrest.

Sunrise Police spokespersons did not return an email or a voicemail Wednesday night seeking information on their investigation.

Mateo was no longer held in the Broward County jail as of Wednesday night. Court records pertaining to the charge were not available.

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

By DAN GELSTON

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber quieted the boo birds with his seventh career grand slam, shaking the Philadelphia Phillies out of their mid-summer malaise and leading them to a 9-5 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Trying to fight their way out of a rut, the Phillies got a needed win, a night after they suffered a four-hit shutout loss to one of the worst teams in baseball. Once the winningest team in baseball, the Phillies needed Schwarber’s go-ahead slam to help snap a four-game losing streak and they won for just the eighth time in 24 games since the All-Star break.

Hours after manager Rob Thomson hinted that a team meeting could be on deck, the Phillies delayed the opening of the clubhouse to reporters by 70 minutes ahead of the game. Thomson demurred when asked about the meeting, saying only “what happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.”

The lineup, though, is very much public and Thomson rattled his high-priced crew of slumping sluggers when he benched All-Star shortstop Trea Turner. Turner, in the second season of a $300 million, 11-year contract, was batting just .168 with 20 strikeouts since the break and had just three hits over his last five games.

“It’s more time in the cage to hone his swing, get him off his feet and just let him breathe for a minute,” Thomson said.

Tyler Phillips, the South Jersey native who grew up rooting for the Phillies before he took the mound for them, gave up a three-run homer to Jonah Bride in the first inning that seemed to set an early tone for another crushing defeat.

The Phillies cut it to 3-2 against Edward Cabrera (2-4) until Jesús Sánchez added a run-scoring single and Bride had a sacrifice fly in the fourth for the three-run cushion.

After two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, Schwarber knocked one the other way on a changeup, hitting his 28th homer of the season to left-center for the 6-5 lead.

Phillies fans that had unleashed their pent-up boos over the last two games after the last two wildly successful seasons roared again for the go-ahead shot.

Cabrera gave up six runs in four innings and even tossed a cooler in the dugout after allowing the grand slam.

“I attacked him with my best pitch, and I wouldn’t change anything,” Cabrera said.

José Ruiz (3-1) recorded the last two outs of the fifth to earn the win.

Alec Bohm added an RBI single and J.T. Realmuto busted the game open with two-run double in the seventh for a 9-5 lead.

Since the All-Star break, the Phillies lost two of three to Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cleveland and Seattle, were swept in a three-game set by the Yankees and are coming off a 4-6 road trip against the Dodgers and Arizona.

NEXT UP

The Marlins head to New York for a four-game set with the Mets.

GAINESVILLE — The Florida football team moved into the team’s indoor practice facility Wednesday evening as thunderstorms neared during the Gators’ 12th practice of fall camp.

Coach Billy Napier planned to elevate the competition among his players during Week 3 as UF prepared for its second scrimmage Saturday in the Swamp. The Gators will be off Thursday and return to the field Friday.

UF provided a 12-minute window for reporters to observe individual drills.

Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr. speaks during July 17 during SEC media days in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Top takeaway: While his teammates practiced, senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. ran on the treadmill as he pushes to return from a minor right knee injury.

Johnson wore his black non-contact No. 1 jersey and full equipment, toting a football as he ran at a good clip.

The 5-foot-11 ¼, 216-pound Louisiana native led UF in rushing yards the past two seasons. Johnson’s absence has allowed a deep yet inexperienced stable of running backs make their case for touches.

“It’s almost a blessing in disguise to some degree that they’re getting meaningful reps,” Napier said Aug. 7.

Johnson’s availability is yet to be determined for the Gators’ Aug. 31 season opener against Miami in the Swamp.

UF tailback Jakobi Jackson, a redshirt junior from Pensacola, has made a case for touches during a strong fall camp a year after he transferred from Coahoma Junior College in Mississippi. (Edgar Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

Step forward: No running back has emerged more than Jakobi Jackson, a redshirt junior from Pensacola who transferred in 2023 from Coahoma Junior College in Mississippi.

Jackson was a spring transfer portal signing who was fifth on the depth chart until Tulane transfer Cam Carroll suffered a season-ending knee injury. The 5-foot-10 ½, 209-pound Jackson, who compiled 1,390 yards on 276 carries for 14 touchdowns in 20 games in junior college, is pushing for touches in a crowded running back room.

Meanwhile, Carroll practiced hard Wednesday, making hard cuts and participating fully. Some believed he might not be able to play again after his second serious injury. A sixth-year player, the 6-foot, 230-pound Carroll’s 2022 season ended in the first game of Tulane’s magical 12-win campaign.

UF tailback Cam Carroll is a sixth-year senior and former Tulane transfer trying to come back from a serious injury. (Edgar Thompson/Orlando Sentinel)

Step back: Sophomore Treyaun Webb enters camp as Johnson’s backup but has faced stiff competition from Jackson and true freshmen Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels.

On Wednesday, Webb left practice and did not return during the open window.

Trainer’s room: Offensive lineman Bryce Lovett and safety Bryce Thornton wore non-contact jerseys.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By MARK KENNEDY

Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and later charmed audiences in her son’s tear-jerker “The Notebook,” has died. She was 94.

Rowlands’ death was confirmed Wednesday by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes. He revealed earlier this year that his mother had Alzheimer’s disease. TMZ reported that Rowlands died Wednesday at her home in Indian Wells, California.

Operating outside the studio system, the husband-and-wife team of John Cassavetes and Rowlands created indelible portraits of working-class strivers and small-timers in such films as “A Woman Under the Influence,” “Gloria” and “Faces.”

Rowlands made 10 films across four decades with Cassavetes, including “Minnie and Moskowitz” in 1971, “Opening Night” in 1977 and “Love Streams” in 1984.

She earned two Oscar nods for two of them: 1974’s “A Woman Under the Influence,” in which she played a wife and mother cracking under the burden of domestic harmony, and “Gloria” in 1980, about a woman who helps a young boy escape the mob.

“He had a particular sympathetic interest in women and their problems in society, how they were treated and how they solved and overcame what they needed to, so all his movies have some interesting women, and you don’t need many,” she told the AP in 2015.

In addition to the Oscar nominations, Rowlands earned three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy and two Golden Globes. She was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2015 in recognition of her work and legacy in Hollywood. “You know what’s wonderful about being an actress? You don’t just live one life,” she said at the podium. “You live many lives.”

A new generation was introduced to Rowlands in her son’s blockbuster “The Notebook,” in which she played a woman whose memory is ravaged, looking back on a romance for the ages. Her younger self was portrayed by Rachel McAdams. (She also appeared in Nick Cassavetes’ “Unhook the Stars” in 1996.)

In her later years, Rowlands made several appearances in films and TV, including in “The Skeleton Key” and the detective series “Monk.” Her last appearance in a movie was in 2014, playing a retiree who befriends her gay dance instructor in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.”

One of her career triumphs was 1974’s “Woman Under the Influence,” playing a lower middle-class housewife who, the actress said, “was totally vulnerable and giving; she had no sense of her own worth.” In “Gloria” (1980) she portrayed a faded showgirl menaced by her ex-boyfriend, a mobster boss. She was Oscar-nominated as best actress for both performances.

She and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts when both their careers were beginning. They married four months later. In 1960 Cassavetes used his earnings from the TV series “Johnny Stacatto” to finance his first film, “Shadows.” Partly improvised, shot with natural light on New York locations with a $40,000 budget, it was applauded by critics for its stark realism.

Gena (pronounced Jenna) Rowlands became a seasoned actor through live television drama and tours in “The Seven Year Itch” and “Time for Ginger” as well as off-Broadway.

Her big break came when Josh Logan cast her opposite Edward G. Robinson in Paddy Chayefsky’s play “Middle of the Night.” Her role as a young woman in love with her much older boss brought reviews hailing her as a new star.

MGM offered her a contract for two pictures a year. Her first film, a comedy directed by and costarring Jose Ferrer, “The High Cost of Loving,” brought Rowlands comparisons to one of the great 1930s stars, Carole Lombard.

But she asked to be released from her contract because she was expecting a baby. Often during her career she would absent herself from the screen for long stretches to attend to family matters.

In addition to Nick, a director (“Alpha Dog,” “My Sister’s Keeper”) and actor, she and Cassavetes had two daughters, Alexandra and Zoe, who also pursued acting careers.

John Cassavetes died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1989, and Rowlands returned to acting to assuage her grief. Between assignments she sometimes attended film festivals and societies for Cassavetes screenings.

“I want everyone to see his films,” she said at the San Sebastian Festival in 1992. “John was one of a kind, the most totally fearless person I’ve ever known. He had a very specific view of life and the individuality of people.”

Virginia Cathryn Rowlands was born in 1930 (some sources give a later date) in Cambria, Wisconsin, where her Welsh ancestors had settled in the early 19th century. Her father was a banker and state senator. She was a withdrawn child who loved books and make-believe. Her mother encouraged the girl’s ambition to become an actress.

Rowlands quit the University of Wisconsin in her junior year to pursue an acting career in New York. Like other actors of her generation, she gained invaluable experience in the thriving field of television drama in the 1950s, appearing on all the major series.

After leaving her MGM contract, she was able to choose her film roles. When nothing attracted her, she appeared in TV series such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Bonanza,” “Dr. Kildare” and “The Virginian.” One of her career delights was co-starring with her icon Bette Davis on the TV movie “Strangers” in 1979.

Her other movies included “Lonely Are the Brave” with Kirk Douglas, “The Spiral Road” (Rock Hudson), “A Child Is Waiting” (with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland, directed by Cassavetes), “Two Minute Warning” (Charlton Heston), “Tempest” (co-starring with Cassavetes and Molly Ringwald, in her screen debut) and the mother who wants to do right by her children in Paul Schrader’s 1987 study of a blue-collar family “Light of Day.”

In middle age and beyond, Rowlands continued playing demanding roles. In Woody Allen’s austere drama, “Another Woman,” she was cast as a writer whose life has been shielded from emotion until dire incidents force her to deal with her feelings. In the groundbreaking TV movie “An Early Frost,” she appeared as a mother confronting her son’s AIDS.

Rowlands commented in 1992 that her roles remained in her memory.

“Sometimes, those white nights when I have no sleep and a lot of time to think about everything, I’ll examine different possibilities of different characters and what they might be doing now,” she said.

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Film Writer Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this report. The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biographical material to this report.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and PHILIP MARCELO

NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after a brief, tumultuous tenure that saw the head of the prestigious New York university face heavy scrutiny for her handling of protests and campus divisions over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was roiled this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers carrying zip ties and riot shields storming a building that had been occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters. Similar protests swept college campuses nationwide, with many leading to violent clashes with police and thousands of arrests.

The announcement also comes just days after the school confirmed that three deans had resigned after officials said they exchanged disparaging texts during a campus discussion about Jewish life and antisemitism.

Shafik was also among the university leaders called for questioning before Congress earlier this year. She was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on Columbia’s campus.

Shafik, who began the role in July last year, announced her resignation in an emailed letter to the university community just weeks before the start of classes on Sept. 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, saying it wanted to curb “potential disruptions” as the new semester nears.

In her letter, Shafik heralded “progress in a number of important areas” but lamented that during her tenure it was “difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”

“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community,” she wrote. “Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.”

Columbia’s Board of Trustees meanwhile announced that Katrina Armstrong, the CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will serve as interim president.

“Challenging times present both the opportunity and the responsibility for serious leadership to emerge from every group and individual within a community,” said Armstrong, who is also the executive vice president for the university’s Health and Biomedical Sciences. “As I step into this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the University has faced over the past year.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters first set up tent encampments on Columbia’s campus during Shafik’s congressional testimony in mid-April, where she denounced antisemitism but faced criticism for how she’d responded to faculty and students accused of bias.

The school sent in police to clear the tents the following day, only for the students to return and inspire a wave of similar protests at campuses across the country, with students calling for schools to cut financial ties with Israel and the companies supporting the war.

As the protest rolled on for weeks, the school was thrust into the national spotlight. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson showed up to denounce the encampment, while Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came to support it.

Eventually, talks between the school and the protesters came to a standstill, and as the school set a deadline for the activists to clear out, a group instead took over Hamilton Hall.

Even after the protests were cleared, Columbia decided to cancel its university-wide commencement ceremony, instead opting for a series of smaller, school-based ceremonies.

The campus was mostly quiet this summer, but a conservative news outlet in June published images of what it said were text messages exchanged by administrators while attending the May 31 panel discussion “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.”

The officials were removed from their posts, with Shafik saying in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”

Shafik’s critics were quick to cheer the end of her tenure, which is one of the shortest in school history.

Johnson, the house speaker, said her resignation was “long overdue” and should serve as a cautionary example to other university administrators that “tolerating or protecting antisemites is unacceptable and will have consequences.”

The student group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine wrote in a post on the social media platform X that Shafik “finally got the memo” after months of protests. The campus chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace wrote it will “not be placated by her removal as the university’s repression of the pro-Palestinian student movement continues.”

Other prominent Ivy League leaders have stepped down in recent months, in large part due to their response to the volatile protests on campus.

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned in December after less than two years on the job amid pressure from donors and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

And in January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and similar criticism over her testimony before Congress.

Shafik said she will return to the United Kingdom to lead an effort by the foreign secretary’s office to review the government’s approach to international development.

“I am very pleased and appreciative that this will afford me the opportunity to return to work on fighting global poverty and promoting sustainable development, areas of lifelong interest to me,” she wrote.

Shafik was the first woman to take on the role, joining several women newly appointed to take the reins at Ivy League institutions.

The Egyptian-born economist previously led the London School of Economics, but had made her mark largely outside academia with roles at the World Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England.

At the time of Shafik’s appointment, Columbia Board of Trustees chair Jonathan Lavine had described her as a leader with an “unshakable confidence in the vital role institutions of higher education can and must play in solving the world’s most complex problems.”

___

Associated Press reporter Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this story.

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER

HONOLULU (AP) — Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, has died. He was 88.

Amos created the Famous Amos cookie empire and eventually lost ownership of the company — as well as the rights to use the catchy Amos name. In his later years, he became a proprietor of a cookie shop called Chip & Cookie in Hawaii, where he moved in 1977.

He died Tuesday at his home in Honolulu, with his wife, Carol, at his side, his children said. He died from complications with dementia, they said.

“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride,” said a statement from his children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn Amos.

They said their dad “inspired a generation of entrepreneurs when he founded the world’s first cookie store” on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1975.

Wally Amos was also co-founder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., whose products are found in stores nationwide. But Amos said the fame never really mattered much to him.

“Being famous is highly overrated anyway,” Amos told The Associated Press in 2007.

His muffin company, based in Shirley, N.Y., was originally founded as Uncle Noname Cookie Co. in 1992, a few years after Amos lost Famous Amos, which still widely uses his name on its products.

Amos had said the Famous Amos cookies sold today are unlike his cookies, which had lots of chocolate, real butter and pure vanilla extract.

“You can’t compare a machine-made cookie with handmade cookie,” he told the AP. “It’s like comparing a Rolls Royce with a Volkswagen.”

Uncle Noname, however, foundered because of debt and problems with its contracted manufacturers.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 1996, abandoned cookies and went into muffins at the suggestion of Amos’ business partner, Lou Avignone.

Inside his now-shuttered Hawaii cookie shop, he sold bite-sized cookies similar to the ones he first sold at the Famous Amos Hollywood store.

Amos also was active in promoting reading. His shop, for example, had a reading room with dozens of donated books, and Amos usually spent Saturdays sitting on a rocking chair, wearing a watermelon hat, reading to children.

The former high school dropout penned eight books, served as spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for 24 years and gave motivational talks to corporations, universities and other groups.

Amos earned numerous honors for his volunteerism, including the Literacy Award presented by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.

“Your greatest contribution to your country is not your signature straw hat in the Smithsonian, but the people you have inspired to learn to read,” Bush said.

In one of his books, “Man With No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade,” Amos explained how he lost Famous Amos even before it was sold for $63 million to a Taiwanese company in 1991. Despite robust sales, by 1985, the business was losing money, so Amos brought in outside investors.

“The new owners gobbled up more of my share until all of a sudden, I found I had lost all ownership in the company I founded,” Amos wrote. Before long, the company had changed ownership four times.

Born in Tallahassee, Fla., Amos moved to New York City at age 12 because of his parents’ divorce. He lived with an aunt, Della Bryant, who taught him how to make chocolate chip cookies.

He later dropped out of high school to join the Air Force before working as a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency, where he became a talent agent, working with The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye before borrowing $25,000 to launch his cookie business.

He was the first Black agent in the business, his son, Shawn Amos, said.

“Our dad taught us the value of hard work, believing in ourselves, and chasing our dreams,” his children’s statement said. “We also know he would love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today.”

By DAVID KOENIG

DALLAS (AP) — The Justice Department is defending a plea deal it struck with Boeing over planes that crashed and killed 346 people, saying in a court filing Wednesday that it lacks evidence to prosecute the company for more serious crimes.

The deputy chief of the department’s criminal fraud section said if the case goes to trial, prosecutors will not offer testimony or evidence about the causes of two crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia, nor would they charge any Boeing individuals.

Boeing agreed last month to plead guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max. Under the plea deal, Boeing would pay a fine of at least $243.6 million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and be placed on probation for three years.

The Justice Department made Wednesday’s court filing in response to relatives of some of the people killed in the crashes, who asked a federal judge in Texas to reject the settlement. The relatives argue that the sentence approved by prosecutors is light punishment considering the loss of lives.

By BARBARA ORTUTAY

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms has shut down CrowdTangle, a tool widely used by researchers, watchdog organizations and journalists to monitor social media posts, notably to track how misinformation spreads on the company’s platforms.

Wednesday’s shutdown, which Meta announced earlier this year, has been protested by researchers and nonprofits. In May, dozens of groups, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics, sent a letter to the company asking that it keep the tool running through at least January so it would be available through the U.S. presidential elections.

“This decision jeopardizes essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta’s transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,” the letter said.

CrowdTangle, “has been an essential tool in helping researchers parse through the vast amount of information on the platform and identify harmful content and threats,” it added.

In March, the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation sent Meta a similar letter asking it to keep the tool, which was available for free, functioning until January. That letter was also signed by several dozen groups and individual academic researchers.

“For years, CrowdTangle has represented an industry best practice for real-time platform transparency. It has become a lifeline for understanding how disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression spread on Facebook, undermining civic discourse and democracy,” the Mozilla letter said.

Meta has released an alternative to CrowdTangle, called the Meta Content Library. But access to it is limited to academic researchers and nonprofits, which excludes most news organizations. Critics have also complained that it’s not as useful as CrowdTangle — at least not yet.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said in a blog post last week that the company has been gathering feedback about Meta Content Library from “hundreds of researchers in order to make it more user-friendly and help them find the data they need for their work.”

Meta said Wednesday that CrowdTangle doesn’t provide a complete picture of what is happening on its platforms and said its new tools are more comprehensive.

Meta acquired CrowdTangle in 2016.

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 14, the 227th day of 2024. There are 139 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, ensuring income for elderly Americans and creating a federal unemployment insurance program.

Also on this date:

In 1936, in front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, Rainey Bethea was hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky in the last public execution in the United States.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, which detailed the post-war goals of the two nations.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced that Imperial Japan had surrendered unconditionally, ending World War II.

In 1947, Pakistan gained independence from British rule.

In 1994, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, the terrorist known as “Carlos the Jackal,” was captured by French agents in Sudan.

In 1995, Shannon Faulkner officially became the first female cadet in the history of The Citadel, South Carolina’s state military college. (However, Faulkner quit the school less than a week later, citing the stress of her court fight, and her isolation among the male cadets.)

In 1997, an unrepentant Timothy McVeigh was formally sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing. (McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in 2001.)

In 2009, Charles Manson follower Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, 60, convicted of trying to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, was released from a Texas prison hospital after more than three decades behind bars.

In 2016, Usain Bolt became the first athlete to win the 100m dash in three consecutive Olympics, taking gold at the Summer Games in Rio.

In 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, turning thousands of structures into rubble; the quake left more than 2,200 people dead and injured more than 12,000 others.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Broadway lyricist Lee Adams (“Bye Bye Birdie”) is 100.
• College Football Hall of Famer and NFL quarterback John Brodie is 89.
• Singer Dash Crofts is 84.
• Country singer Connie Smith is 83.
• Comedian-actor Steve Martin is 79.
• Film director Wim Wenders is 79.
• Singer-musician Larry Graham is 78.
• Actor Susan Saint James is 78.
• Author Danielle Steel is 77.
• “Far Side” cartoonist Gary Larson is 74.
• Actor Carl Lumbly is 73.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer Debbie Meyer is 72.
• Actor Jackee Harry is 68.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace is 68.
• Actor Marcia Gay Harden is 65.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson is 65.
• Singer Sarah Brightman is 64.
• Actor Susan Olsen (TV: “The Brady Bunch”) is 63.
• Actor Halle Berry is 58.
• Golfer Darren Clarke is 56.
• Actor Catherine Bell is 56.
• Actor Mila Kunis is 41.
• Actor Lamorne Morris is 41.
• Former NFL player Tim Tebow is 37.
• Actor Marsai Martin is 20.

General Daily Insight for August 14, 2024

Flying off the handle is a real risk now. When anxious Mercury in Virgo misreads withholding Pluto, facts may be hard to obtain. As combative Mars then conjoins puffed-up Jupiter, we might decide to move forward based on nothing more than what we’ve already assumed! The passionate Sagittarius Moon opposes both Jupiter and Mars, amping up our emotions. After retrograde Mercury returns to big-picture Leo at 8:16 pm EDT, revisiting past events could show us important things we missed the first time around.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Getting involved in an argument about politics and religion could be enticing today. While the volatile Moon in your philosophical 9th house stirs up trouble with aggressive Mars in your 3rd House of Communication, maybe the issue in question doesn’t even matter that much to you — you’re just looking for a fight! Is that the only way you feel like you can express yourself? You do deserve a creative outlet, but there are probably less contentious options you should consider.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You’re potentially a big spender today! As powerful Mars and abundant Jupiter unite in your 2nd House of Resources, you may feel like you have enough to take care of yourself plus some to spare. Perhaps you’ll be interested in giving your excess to someone who’s less fortunate. Keep in mind that this isn’t automatically harmless for your relationship with that person — especially if you’re trying to gain emotional security by inviting them to depend on you. A stronger foundation might come from within.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

The boisterous way you present yourself could rub someone else the wrong way today. Does that mean you’ve done anything objectively wrong? Not necessarily! As the delicate Moon in your relationship zone opposes rough Mars in your sign, having that fight with the other person probably won’t go anywhere productive. They’re allowed to have preferences that are different from your own — and that might be all the issue is. You’re better off figuring out how to give each other more space.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

A money issue you thought was resolved could come up for review at this time. As detail-oriented Mercury spins backward into your 2nd House of Finances, you’ll likely have to work carefully to unsnarl any new developments. There’s potentially a significant payoff for you if you’re patient, though. Someone with the ability to help you sort things out might not want a lot of attention drawn to their efforts, so use discretion if you approach them — don’t scare them away!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You might presently feel like a friend group or organization you belong to is pushing you around. Perhaps the root issue is that they’ve assumed something about you that isn’t true. As verbal Mercury retrogrades into your identity sector, it’s time to correct such misconstructions. Speaking up isn’t always fun, but it’s probably the only way you’ll change the dynamic. If the wrong information was true in the past, you may need to acknowledge that — you can’t wipe it off the record entirely!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

An intense push for success could currently be rewarding. That said, are you actually entirely comfortable with this? While the vulnerable Moon in your 4th House of Nurturing opposes driven Mars in your ambition sector, you might be acutely aware that some of your personal needs are getting lost in the shuffle. Your reactions are valid, but they don’t all need to be aired publicly. For the time being, you may be better off intentionally accepting certain sacrifices in service of your goal.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You may be more open than usual about your personal views on a recent controversial topic. As retrograde Mercury shifts into your 11th House of Community, this could lead to some turbulence in your social network. A friend or organization you belong to might decide that the gulf between your opinion and theirs is too big to bridge. Even so, maybe the truth needed to come out. That’s the only way that the people you’re better suited to will be able to find you!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Someone else could make a generous offer to you now. No matter how tempted you are by any obvious benefits being dangled before you, what are the strings attached? Due to calculating Mercury slipping back into your 10th House of Authority, it can be easy to give away your personal power without realizing that you’re doing it. Your potential benefactor may tend to think of you as a victim who is vulnerable and helpless, but you aren’t required to agree with them.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

A relationship dynamic could currently seem to be out of balance. While the sensitive Moon in your sign tangles with pushy Mars in your partnership zone, you may feel as though the other person has more than their share of power. Letting them know how they’re hurting you emotionally might be appealing. Conversely, what do you believe should be happening? Make sure your expectations are reasonable, and then try to give your counterpart a clear picture of what you’re looking for.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Getting a lot of work done is possible now. With dynamic Mars conjoining grandiose Jupiter in your productive 6th house, you may simply have more energy than usual. Still, you might secretly resent that you seem to be held responsible beyond your rightful share for a situation that others also have a stake in. They’re not necessarily taking the whole thing as seriously as you are, so you don’t have to worry that they’re judging you. Feel free to ask them (politely) to pitch in!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Comparing your performance to that of your peers might motivate you right now. There’s a chance that seeing things in this way is what you need to do. All things considered, will you be able to handle it if someone else picks up on your competitive vibes and responds in kind? The emotional energy you put out is potentially more visible than you think. It’s not objectively wrong to bring these feelings out into the open, but doing so can add complications to your life.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

You may currently be conflicted about the kind of work that’s best for you. Should you prioritize status or security? While potent Mars and protective Jupiter come together in your comfort-oriented 4th house, building a firm foundation and avoiding excessive risk might have a stronger draw. It’s okay to pursue a professional path that isn’t seen as glamorous if it meets other needs for you. Anyone who would judge you harshly for making that decision doesn’t have to live your life!

By DAN GELSTON

PHILADELPHIA — Jake Burger homered for the fourth straight game, Valente Bellozo gave up four hits in seven innings and the 75-loss Miami Marlins kept the Philadelphia Phillies in a summer swoon that has cost them the best record in baseball with a 5-0 victory on Tuesday night.

After spending much of the first three months of the season as the winningest team in baseball, the Phillies’ brutal stretch since June has raised serious concerns headed into the stretch run about a serious shot at winning a World Series championship.

The Fightin’ Phils opened with the best 50-game start in baseball since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. The Fizzlin’ Phils returned from a 4-6 road trip to lose for the 16th time in 23 games since the All-Star break. They are 24-31 since June 9 and no longer boast the best record in baseball or National League. One consolation prize: The Phillies still had a seven-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East, entering Tuesday’s game.

At this losing clip, who knows if the Phillies can even keep that cushion?

Phillies manager Rob Thomson rarely calls team meetings over his three seasons but a clubhouse address could be on the horizon.

“Is it time to do it? It depends on a lot of things,” Thomson said. “It depends on the attitude and where I think the guys’ minds are at. I think overall they’re very solid right now. Frustrated because they know we’re better than that.”

The All-Star break splits are depressing in Philly: a .259 team batting average in the first half vs. .237 since and a 3.41 team ERA in the first half to 5.07 post-break. The Phillies had a whopping plus-110 run differential edge in the first half and are minus-25 since the break.

With sluggers slumping, it might be time to shake up the lineup.

“We’re getting close,” Thomson said.

Taijuan Walker (3-4) allowed three runs and walked three over four innings in his first start since June 21.

Walker, who turned 32 on Tuesday, wasn’t expected to pitch deep into the game in his return from right index finger inflammation. The veteran right-hander struggled with command and threw 34 pitches in the first inning. He walked Burger and Jesús Sánchez on a combined 10 pitches in the first, and threw a ball to Jonah Bride before catcher J.T. Realmuto hit the mound for a chat.

Walker then threw a strike — bringing a mocking cheer from the crowd — before Bride ripped an RBI single. Otto Lopez added a run-scoring single, unleashing a torrent of boos in the ballpark.

Wins or losses, Phillies fans the last two seasons had gone against the grain of their century-old reputation as a notoriously tough crowd and turned Citizens Bank Park one of the top home fields in baseball.

Against the Marlins, 42,846 restless fans were fed up.

They booed Walker. They booed each squandered at-bat against Bellozo (2-1) and two relievers, who tossed four-hit ball.

They booed when Burger hit his 23rd homer of the season and 13th since the All-Star break in the third.

They booed in the fourth when Bellozo retired Realmuto on a shallow fly to right to end the inning and leave runners stranded on second and third base.

They unloaded in the seventh when Realmuto’s wild throw to third allowed Xavier Edwards to score and even the stragglers let the Phillies have it when Sánchez went deep in the ninth to make it 5-0.

“Our fans know that we’re better than that,” Thomson said. “We have very knowledgeable fans and they let you know when you’re not playing well.”

Bellozo struck out four and walked one.

Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm — the top four hitters in the lineup — went 1 for 15.

“It’s not worry. Frustration,” Schwarber said. “I think worry is the wrong kind of word. If you’re worried about where you’re at, it’s not a good thing to be.”

The Phillies hoped Walker — who had a 5.60 ERA over his first 10 starts — would be sharp enough in his return that they could turn to a six-man starting rotation down the stretch.

All they got instead was one more reason for doubt in a second-half full of dismay.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins right fielder Vidal Bruján left the game with a sprained right shoulder after he made a diving catch into foul territory on Trea Turner’s flyball to end the third inning.

NEXT UP

The Marlins send RHP Edward Cabrera (2-3, 5.20 ERA) to the mound against Phillies RHP Tyler Phillips (4-1, 4.83 ERA).

The Miami Marlins’ Jake Burger reacts to scoring on the single by Jonah Bride during the first inning Tuesday against the Phillies in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

After a chain-reaction three-car crash that killed two people, the Broward Sheriff’s Office is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether any deputies were chasing one of the drivers who crashed.

Gavin Dorvil, 19, of Lauderdale Lakes, was speeding in a 2023 Tesla Model 3 west on Northwest Sixth Street, approaching the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, according to the Sheriff’s Office. At the same time, a 2023 Dodge Durango was heading south on Northwest 27th Avenue, approaching the same intersection west of Fort Lauderdale.

Dorvil crashed into the driver’s side of the Dodge, forcing both cars southwest, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Dodge then crashed into a 2024 Chevrolet Trax that was stopped on Northwest 6th Street at the intersection, flipping the Chevrolet upside down.

The force continued to move the Tesla and Dodge southwest, where the cars crashed through a fence around the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Central cemetery, the Sheriff’s Office said. Everyone in the three cars, a total of five people, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Lisa Jackson, the driver of the Dodge, and her passenger Geraldine Francis were pronounced dead at the hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said. A minor girl who was also riding in the Dodge was in critical condition.

The Sheriff’s Office did not provide the condition of the driver of the Chevrolet, Jasmyne Thomas, or Dorvil’s condition.

Carey Codd, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, said in an email Tuesday to the South Florida Sun Sentinel that deputies found a gun at the crash scene that they believe came from the Tesla.

Traffic Homicide Unit detectives asked that Internal Affairs representatives “determine if any BSO units were pursuing the Tesla prior to the crash,” Codd said. Internal Affairs representatives came to the scene and began reviewing, he said.

“The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing as is an administrative review of the incident by (Internal Affairs) to determine if any deputies were pursuing the Tesla,” Codd said.

A witness shared a video on Facebook shortly after the crash that showed the mangled Dodge and Tesla stopped at the edge of the cemetery as many bystanders watched people attempt to rescue the people inside the Dodge.

Multiple men could be seen reaching into the Dodge, and two people were removed and laid down on the cemetery lawn. Two deputies were seen pulling a young man from the passenger’s side of the destroyed Tesla.

Separately, several West Palm Beach Police officers are under investigation after a deadly crash in Boynton Beach in late July. A 23-year-old man crashed into a car while speeding on North Congress Avenue, killing a mother and daughter, police said.

Mike Jachles, a spokesperson for West Palm Beach Police, said in a statement Aug. 1 that the department began an Internal Affairs investigation of the “circumstances surrounding” the crash and that the “involved officers” on administrative leave.

By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has filed unfair labor practice charges against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the two discussed on social media about Musk supposedly firing striking workers.

In documents filed Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board, the union alleges that both men interfered with workers who may want to exercise their right to join a union. The NLRB said it would look into the charges, which are a request for the agency to investigate.

UAW President Shawn Fain, whose union has endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris, said in a statement that Trump is anti-labor.

“Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly,” Fain said.

Brian Hughes, a senior advisor with the Trump campaign, called the allegations “frivolous” and a “shameless political stunt” designed to erode Trump’s strong support among American workers.

The NLRB said it would investigate the complaints, one filed against the Trump campaign and the other naming Tesla Inc., the electric vehicle, battery and solar panel manufacturer based in Austin, Texas, and led by Musk.

The charges stem from statements made by Trump Monday night during a conversation between the two men on X, the social media platform Musk now owns. The former president spent much of the discussion that lasted more than two hours focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and plans to cut government regulations.

But during a discussion about government spending, Trump praised Musk for firing workers who went on strike. The UAW contends this could intimidate workers for the Trump campaign or at Tesla who might want to join a union.

“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I look at what you do. You walk in and say, ‘You want to quit?’ I won’t mention the name of the company but they go on strike and you say, ’That’s OK. You’re all gone.’”

Musk said, “Yeah,” and laughed while Trump was talking.

It wasn’t clear what employees Trump was referring to.

In June, eight former workers at SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, sued the company and Musk, alleging he ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment and a hostile “Animal House”-style work environment at the company.

In addition, the NLRB determined that a 2018 Twitter post by Musk unlawfully threatened Tesla employees with the loss of stock options if they decided to be represented by a union.

Three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld that decision, as well as a related NLRB order that Tesla rehire a fired employee, with back pay. But the full 5th Circuit later threw out that decision and voted to hear the matter again.

Sanjukta Paul, a law professor at the University of Michigan, said the UAW charges have real substance because the comments from Trump and Musk could “chill” efforts by workers to act collectively, including union organizing, or just getting together to improve working conditions.

“You’re approvingly describing, you’re wholeheartedly commending the blatant violation of our main federal labor statute,” she said. “It would constitute interference with protected rights.”

Marick Masters, a business professor emeritus at Wayne State University who follows labor issues, said the UAW’s move “puts the spotlight on Trump and attempts to put him on the defensive in terms of his attitude and demeanor toward unions.” He added that the union is watching Musk’s comments because it has targeted Tesla’s U.S. factories for organizing drives.

As the clock winds down to the Aug. 29 season opener, UCF coaches continue to stress the importance of finishing the fall football camp on the right foot. The Knights will host their third and final scrimmage Saturday before shifting focus toward preparations to host New Hampshire.

Top takeaway: With so many new faces on the roster, UCF’s coaching staff has emphasized building chemistry.

“Coach [Ted] Roof had all the guys in the defense room tell their stories, where they came from, and their backgrounds,” said senior cornerback Brandon Adams. “Knowing those little things will help us out there on the field when it’s crunch time.

“The other day, I told [freshman defensive back] Chasen [Johnson], ‘Hey, man. You’re doing this for your pops, so keep going.’ When I’m tired, they approach me and say, ‘BJ, you’re doing this for your mom and dad.’ They say keep going.”

UCF athletes receive hand up to enter workforce and succeed

“To be honest with you, that’s probably the best thing we’ve done,” added sophomore safety Braeden Marshall. “It’s different when you get to know the real person, your teammate, their background. It’s brought everybody together and makes everybody go harder for their brother.”

Roof, who took on the role as defensive coordinator in mid-January, said they’ll continue to do this at night during team meetings.

“That’s an ongoing process that we do,” said Roof. “I want and coach [Gus] Malzahn wants every player to have the opportunity to tell their story. It’s not like you only have 25 new guys per year, like in the old days when you signed 25 players. Now there are 50 new guys, and that’s half of your football team and the race to connect — when you understand a guy’s story, it brings that to another level.

“Way back when this game was started, it was all about playing for each other, playing for your brother, fighting with him. That’s what this game was founded on. To be able to fight together. We’ve got to make sure we adapt to the new age of college football so that piece doesn’t get dismissed or taken for granted.”

Peny Boone plus RJ Harvey could give UCF the best backfield in the country

Step forward: Keegan Smith, a midyear transfer offensive lineman from Central Michigan, has been working at various positions on the interior line, including center. “I’ve been playing three positions on the interior, but mainly at right guard,” he said. “I feel comfortable, but I’m trying to learn more at center because it’s a new offense. I feel good; I must understand the offense and the footwork that comes with it.” Smith is one of three offensive linemen to join the Knights as a transfer, along with Jabari Brooks (Samford) and Wes Dorsey (Western Kentucky).

Step back: Stopping the run has been another focus for UCF after finishing last in the Big 12 in rush defense last season. The defensive players have noticed a difference throughout the unit in that approach this fall, particularly in the tackling, where the Knights had 106 missed tackles. “We’re doing more tackling drills and getting comfortable tackling, tackling and tackling,” said Marshall. “The more you tackle, the better you’ll get.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com