News
Daily Horoscope for August 01, 2024
General Daily Insight for August 01, 2024
Our hearts and our minds could be in conflict today. When the nurturing Cancer Moon tangles with big-picture Pluto in logical Aquarius at 12:31 am EDT, we may clearly intuit what’s necessary to do right by the people around us. However, the fear that following our feelings won’t be efficient enough will potentially hinder us. As Luna goes on to sextile thoughtful Mercury, finding a middle ground might be possible if we put in the effort. We shouldn’t reject any promising inspirations too easily.
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
You might currently feel like society has a negative opinion of the way you run your home life. While the delicate Moon in your domestic 4th house pokes domineering Pluto in your 11th House of Community, their judgment may or may not be fair. Still, the critical lens could remind you of some changes you’d like to make for specific, personal reasons. You won’t necessarily be able to please everyone, but it is possible to take practical steps that should increase your comfort.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Saying your piece could be a scary prospect now. While the sensitive Moon in your communication sector defers to dominating Pluto in your authority zone, perhaps you’re afraid that a powerful person would react badly if you honestly expressed your perspective. Confronting them directly might not be your only path forward! For the time being, you’re better off clarifying your argument by journaling or talking things over with a trusted friend. Resolving the easy parts of the problem on your own may be possible.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Putting your money where your mouth is could cost you. When the nervous Moon in your personal finance sector argues with pushy Pluto in your ideology zone, you might realize that some political or spiritual viewpoint you’ve loudly supported isn’t so simple once your own funds are on the line. Although this moment of discomfort may enlighten your thoughts on your opponent’s side of the story, it doesn’t have to change your overall opinion. Being able to live your philosophy could be worth any inconvenience!
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Respecting boundaries could be crucial at the moment. While the passionate Moon in your sign contests reticent Pluto in your intimacy zone, you may long to express yourself as openly as possible. Even so, there’s a chance that you will need to hold back because you have an obligation to protect someone else’s secret. You’re equipped to do an excellent job telling the stories that are truly yours to tell, so focus your efforts on pinning down where those begin and end.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
A companion might be too close for comfort today. While the touchy Moon in your 12th House of Contemplation conflicts with overbearing Pluto in your partnership zone, your unmet need for a moment of solitude risks ruining your mood. Has the other person actually asked you to spend all your time with them, though, or have you just assumed that such commitment is necessary? Muster the self-worth necessary to carve out some space — convincing yourself to do so could be the hardest part!
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Deciding how to spend your time could currently be a challenge. When the spontaneous Moon in your social sector calls out to entrenched Pluto in your responsible 6th house, you might receive an unexpected invite to do something fun with friends. Still, maybe you were hoping to get other stuff done. No matter what you ultimately choose to do, this is a great opportunity for you to become more articulate about your priorities. You’re capable of presenting your stance in a manner people can understand.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Following a personal passion could be hard to resist at the moment. As the prominent Moon in your visible 10th house picks at private Pluto in your 5th House of Pleasure, perhaps you’re a little apprehensive about the prospect of the whole world finding out that you have a hobby or interest that’s typically considered eccentric. On the positive side, exposure is a good way to meet others who love the same thing you love. Analyze the potential benefits as well as the risks!
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
You may currently long to get out and throw yourself into a fun adventure. Unfortunately, as the impulsive Moon in your expansive 9th house hits the snag of deep-rooted Pluto in your domestic sector, something at home could be holding you back. Taking the time to explain to friends what’s dragging you down might be worth the trouble. They probably haven’t been staring at the problem as long as you have, so their fresh eyes will potentially see a creative solution to your dilemma!
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
You may presently crave a closer relationship with a significant person in your life. While the candid Moon in your intimacy zone conflicts with withholding Pluto in your communication sector, asking for that openly isn’t guaranteed to be easy. Be careful — dropping hints could just make things awkward between you. Instead, try providing an example of what you’re looking for. If you want to increase the flow of sharing about personal matters, start telling one of your own stories. Lead by example.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Sticking to your budget may require you to disappoint a loved one today. From your perspective, perhaps your decision is only about money. However, the other person could take it as a broader comment on the state of your relationship. If you can give them a sense of how your choice is consistent with your overall financial picture, they might feel less personally victimized. They potentially have a point regarding additional frustrations simmering between the two of you, though, so try to hear that out.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Being seen could currently seem scary. While the comfort-craving Moon in your busy 6th house conspires with secretive Pluto in your sign, hiding behind your responsibilities may give you a feeling of safety. Conversely, once you’re in the groove, you might naturally open up to a collaborator about a personal matter that’s weighing on you. It’s not mandatory to delve deep into the emotional details — keeping your focus on the practical side of the situation can help you make meaningful progress.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Deep change could be going on inside you at this time. As the intimate Moon in your 5th House of Self-Expression conflicts with subtle Pluto in your mysterious 12th house, you may know something’s up while simultaneously getting the sense that there’s more to the story than even you are fully aware of. A piece of it might be ready for airing to a confidant. Talking through what you already know can give heavier concepts a chance to rise to the surface.
Body, submerged car found in canal in western Miramar
Two fishermen found a body in a canal in western Miramar on Wednesday evening, according to police.
The fishermen saw the body in the canal near Southwest 196th Avenue and south of Pembroke Road shortly after 7:30 p.m., said Tania Ordaz, a spokesperson for Miramar Police.
A car was also found submerged in the same canal, she said.
The person’s gender and identity as well as the type of car were not known Wednesday night, Ordaz said. Officers remained at the scene as of about 9:30 p.m.
The canal where the fishermen found the body is about three miles northwest of where a Fort Lauderdale woman who was reported missing more than a week ago was last seen. Carol Tormey, 81, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, was last seen on July 21 near 17001 Miramar Parkway driving her husband’s black 2018 Chevy Colorado.
Workers searching for Tormey on Tuesday night found a submerged car in the water near where her car was last known to be, and human remains were found inside, but it wasn’t Tormey or the Chevy Colorado.
NRA again asks court to overturn Florida law banning people under 21 from buying long guns
TALLAHASSEE — After a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the National Rifle Association on Wednesday urged an appellate court to find that a 2018 Florida law banning people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns violates the Second Amendment.
The Republican-controlled Legislature and then-Gov. Rick Scott rushed to include the age restriction in a sweeping school-safety bill after Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time, used a semiautomatic rifle to kill 17 students and faculty members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018. Federal law already prevented people under 21 from buying handguns.
The NRA filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law, but Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker upheld the age restriction. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld the law, but the NRA asked the full Atlanta-based appeals court to consider the case. The court last year put the appeal on hold and directed attorneys for the state and the NRA to delay filing briefs until after the Supreme Court issued a decision in a Texas gun case known as United States v. Rahimi.
The Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision in June in the Texas case backed a ban on gun possession by people under domestic-violence restraining orders and was a victory for the federal government and gun-control supporters.
But in Wednesday’s brief, lawyers for the NRA said the Rahimi ruling was narrow. They argued that the Florida law did not align with a major 2022 Supreme Court opinion in a case known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which said gun laws must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
“This law is unconstitutional. The Second Amendment’s text protects young adults’ right to purchase a firearm, and the state has not proven that the ban is consistent with our nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. The young adult ban cannot stand,” John Parker Sweeney, an attorney with the Washington, D.C.-based Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP firm, wrote.
The legacy of Parkland: Changes in school safety and gun laws
The NRA’s brief also tried to pick apart a March 2023 ruling by the three-judge panel of the appeals court that upheld the age restriction.
That panel said the Florida law is consistent with traditions and pointed to age restrictions since the Reconstruction era. It also said the law allows people under 21 to possess or use guns, such as if they receive guns as gifts.
“To begin with, the act is no more restrictive than its forebearers: While the act burdens 18-to-20-year-olds’ rights to buy firearms, unlike its Reconstruction era analogues, it still leaves 18-to-20-year-olds free to acquire any type of firearm — including ‘the quintessential self-defense weapon,’ the handgun … in legal ways, as long as they don’t buy the weapons,” Judge Robin Rosenbaum wrote in an opinion joined fully by Judge Anne Conway. Judge Charles Wilson wrote a short concurring opinion.
But the NRA argued that the panel “strayed far off course at the historical stage to uphold Florida’s law” and “never addressed the complete absence of any comparable Founding Era bans—except to deem the Founding Era irrelevant.”
As an example, Wednesday’s brief noted that young adults were required to “acquire and use arms to participate in the militia” in the late 1700s.
“The ban burdens conduct that is protected by the Second Amendment’s plain text. Young adult citizens are among ‘the people’ who enjoy Second Amendment rights because they are members of the national community,” Sweeney wrote in the 69-page brief.
Related Articles- Florida News | Feds urge judge to toss out Florida suit challenging rule on gun seller licenses and background checks
- Florida News | Parkland foundation seeking public input for memorial to those who were killed at Stoneman Douglas
- Florida News | Parkland families eager to bring Broward Sheriff’s Office to court over 2018 shooting
- Florida News | Judge says Nashville school shooter’s writings can’t be released as victims’ families have copyright
- Florida News | Parkland school shooter signs away rights to his name. Now, just one survivor owns it
The “plain text” of the Second Amendment also protects young adults’ right to purchase firearms, he contended.
“The right to keep and bear arms necessarily protects the ability to acquire them, and purchase is the most common, most important, and often only available method of acquisition. Any law that hinders the exercise of Second Amendment rights, as the young adult ban does here, triggers the state’s burden to affirmatively prove a historical tradition,” the NRA brief said.
The state’s lawyers have until Aug. 30 to file a response. They previously have also relied on the Supreme Court decision in the Bruen case to try to bolster arguments for the age restriction. Examples of other historical regulations include preventing felons and certain people with mental illness from having guns.
But the NRA’s lawyers strenuously disagreed in Wednesday’s brief.
“This is a ‘straightforward’ case under Bruen,” Sweney wrote. “The undisputed absence of a ‘distinctly similar historical regulation’ from the Founding Era that criminalized a young adult’s purchase of any firearm is strong evidence that the young adult ban is unconstitutional.”
The state’s “meager evidentiary showing is too late, does not prove any comparable tradition of regulation, and otherwise cannot satisfy the state’s burden,” Sweeney argued.
“The brook is simply too broad for the state to leap: The young adult ban is not ‘consistent with the principles that underpin our regulatory tradition,’” he added.
Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Here are the top stories for Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.
Divided School Board suspends mom of transgender athlete for 10 days
Top 5 restaurant discounts for Dine Out Lauderdale, Miami Spice 2024
‘A lower quality of life for all’: Law enforcement lines up against legal marijuana in Florida
‘Mysterious’ Barron Trump eschewed school sports, dances, yearbook, classmate says
Disney Cruise Line’s new ship Disney Destiny will call Port Everglades home
Safety commission backs grant to help boost safety in Florida’s private schools
Post-storm rebuilding costs could pose problems, former FEMA leader says
Miss Manners: Asking about my job is a lazy conversation starter
Alzheimer’s blood test shows 90% accuracy. What Floridians need to know
New research released this week reveals that a simple blood test can outperform traditional exams to diagnose Alzheimer’s. However, where and when to get a blood test can be tricky in Florida.
Labs throughout Florida, such as Quest and Labcorp, already offer tests that can detect certain signs of Alzheimer’s in blood. You can get one if you have a doctor’s order and money to pay for the test, which can cost from $200 to $500. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the blood tests for Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and because of that, there is no insurance coverage.
If you choose to get a blood test under a doctor’s supervision, you will want to consider that not all blood tests for Alzheimer’s are the same. The test that shows the most promise for identifying Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain looks at two biomarkers — the level of p-tau217, a type of protein that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer’s patients, and amyloid beta, another protein that gradually builds up into plaques.
A new study of 1,200 patients presented Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference revealed that the test for the p-tau21 protein accurately diagnosed the disease about 90% of the time in people having memory problems. Compare that with dementia specialists who successfully identified Alzheimer’s 73% of the time and primary care doctors who did so with a 63% rate. The test used in the study is made by St. Louis-based C2N Diagnostics. The list price is $1,450.
Experts equate the potential for using a blood test to detect biomarkers for Alzheimer’s to measuring cholesterol levels to help detect heart disease.
The study researchers concluded that having the simple test at their disposal would help doctors and specialists who rely on symptoms for a diagnosis.
“For now, Floridians cannot go to primary care and expect blood tests will be used to ensure they do or don’t have the disease,” said Stefanie Wardlow, senior program manager and research champion at the Alzheimer’s Association Florida Chapter. “All the data is not in yet.”
Wardlow said blood tests still need to be confirmed in large populations and become more widely available.
“The field is moving so quickly it feels like we should be there, but we don’t know yet if it’s appropriate for all populations,” Wardlow said.
An estimated 580,000 Floridians ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the second-highest prevalence in the country and the highest per capita. Those figures, provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, are current as of July 2023. Test manufacturers will be conducting clinical trials for the blood tests on a larger and more diverse group of test subjects, and Floridians may be able to participate. Check clinicaltrials.gov to learn more.
Related Articles- Health | FDA approves a second Alzheimer’s drug that can modestly slow disease
- Health | Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be coming to your doctor’s office. Here’s what to know
- Health | Can music help someone with Alzheimer’s disease?
Floridians who seek a confirmed diagnosis must undergo more expensive and invasive FDA-approved tests. Those are PET scans, which can cost $5,000 or more, and spinal taps, which can be invasive and costly. As of Jan. 1, 2025, Florida law requires Medicaid and state employee health insurance plans to cover the two FDA-approved tests for Alzheimer’s.
Researchers believe that blood tests eventually will replace the PET scan and spinal tap to diagnose the disease, particularly when time is critical to slowing progression. Wait times for these tests and the specialists who read them can be lengthy. Those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s typically seek to begin treatment immediately after a diagnosis to keep their quality of life as long as possible. A diagnosis also provides an opportunity to enroll in clinical trials for treatments.
“The blood test is really going to change the clinician’s ability to detect and make an accurate Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and it’s going to have treatment implications down the road,” said Dr. James Galvin, founder and director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain at University of Miami Health System. Galvin said the blood test should not be given to people who don’t have symptoms and should not be given if the doctor does not think Alzheimer’s is a possibility.
“If the average person wants to know their risk, this is not the test,” he said.
Galvin expressed hope about new treatments that can stop or delay the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Drug manufacturers are presenting early-stage research findings on oral medications at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference this week. In research findings presented Tuesday at the conference, a small study of weight-loss drugs similar to Ozempic tied the medication to a slowdown in cognitive decline in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease. The results need to be borne out in larger trials before the medicines could receive approval for the disease.
Researchers also are studying various drugs used for other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and menopause to learn whether they slow, stop, or even reverse memory loss.
Already, the FDA has approved two medications for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease — lecanemab (Leqembi) given as an infusion every two weeks, and the newly approved donanemab (Kisunla) given as an infusion every four weeks. Clinical trials found that the monoclonal antibody infusions slowed declines in thinking and functioning in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. They do have the potential for side effects, though. Those include infusion-related reactions such as nausea and vomiting, as well as the potential for swelling or small bleeds in the brain.
Galvin and other experts believe that because Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, the most effective treatments in the future may include a combination of medicines.
Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.
A growing skyline: 5 new towers planned for downtown Fort Lauderdale
Developer Asi Cymbal has a new vision for a modern three-tower project slated for a slice of paradise south of the New River, not far from downtown Fort Lauderdale’s historic rain tree.
Nautica Residences and Hotel, first unveiled in 2022, originally called for a 50-story condo tower with 241 units; a 39-story apartment tower with 454 units; and a 32-story hotel with 155 rooms.
The latest plan calls for a 37-story condo tower with 200 units; a 30-story apartment tower with 360 units; and a 30-story hotel with 119 rooms. The 4-acre project includes a restaurant, cafe and a 90-slip marina with yacht valet.
Fort Lauderdale’s Planning and Zoning Board is expected to vote on the plan in mid-August. The project will also require a commission vote.
The riverfront site at 400 SW Third Ave. — currently home to a restaurant and the Riverfront Marina dry boat storage facility — sits just east of another Cymbal project planned next door: The two-tower Raintree Riverwalk Residences, home to Fort Lauderdale’s historic rain tree.
Together, the two projects comprise what Cymbal is now calling Nautico District, a place to visit, live, boat, work, shop, and be entertained and pampered amid a vibrant yachting scene, as described by Cymbal’s marketing team.
The project brings Cymbal’s total investment in the neighborhood to $1.5 billion.
“We spent two years speaking with the community and city officials to ensure the vision for the Nautico District reflected our conversations,” Cymbal told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We adjusted the plans to reflect the market and best serve the community. Once built, the development will rejuvenate the south side of downtown Fort Lauderdale’s riverfront, making it a go-to destination for live-work-play while delivering the last piece of the Riverwalk.”
Cymbal’s Raintree Riverwalk project in the 400 block of Southwest Fourth Avenue calls for 678 luxury apartments in the 400 block of Southwest Fourth Avenue. The East Tower will have 29 floors and the West Tower will have 26. Restaurants, bars and shops will line the ground floor.
Cymbal expects to break ground on Raintree Residences in 2025.
A restaurant and marina currently occupy the spot in downtown Fort Lauderdale slated for a three-tower project called Nautica Residences and Hotel. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)The project initially sparked a public outcry, with residents from all over town worried the century-old rain tree might be lost to development.
Cymbal promised the city he’d do all he can to save the raintree, the largest of its kind in the continental U.S.
The tree, with a sprawling 130-foot-wide canopy, was moved closer to the New River a year ago. If it dies within five years of being moved, Cymbal will be required to pay the city $1 million.
So far, the 750-ton tree appears to be doing well in its new home closer to the water’s edge, Mayor Dean Trantalis says.
“The rain tree is actually thriving and looking in much better shape than before the move,” Trantalis said Tuesday.
The mayor says he’s more worried at this point about the potential of a bridge needed for commuter rail destroying downtown’s bustling vibe.
Cymbal’s Nautica project is partly in the way of the proposed bridge.
Fort Lauderdale’s Planning and Zoning Board is expected to vote on the proposed Nautica Residences and Hotel project in August. (ARQUITECTONICA/Courtesy)County officials have said they prefer a $500 million bridge to a tunnel because it would save taxpayer money.
Trantalis is pushing for a tunnel to get commuter trains across the New River, saying a bridge would simply ruin downtown.
“A tunnel would have minimal impact on this project,” Trantalis told the Sun Sentinel. “A bridge would totally destroy the value of the project. The bridge would probably run within feet of the east side of the building. Putting a bridge through the spine of the city makes no sense whatsoever.”
Commissioner Warren Sturman, whose district includes the neighborhood, could not be reached for comment.
Vice Mayor Steve Glassman says he plans to listen closely to what members of the Planning and Zoning Board have to say when they vote on the Nautica project. He agrees that a bridge would ruin the project.
“There is no way you can do a bridge with this project,” Glassman said. “You just can’t. But you can do a tunnel. A tunnel alleviates all those problems.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
Trump: ‘You won’t have to vote anymore’ | Letters to the editor
At a gathering of religious conservatives in West Palm Beach, Donald Trump said: “It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Is that really what Trump’s people want?
I’m not sure even his MAGA followers want this to happen — total control over their lives with unconditional loyalty. Anybody who wonders what Trump meant must be dead. Trump is telling us he will end democracy in an obvious, final way. He’ll be a dictator, a puppet of Putin. We can’t let this happen.
The presumptive Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and her soon-to-be-chosen vice president will carry us over the finish line, as enthusiasm for her builds daily. It’s not too late to change course for those blinded by the light. No one will know if they vote for democracy, as we still have a secret ballot with no fraud.
I hope voters don’t let stubborn conviction for a person with no conscience or morals force them to give up their ability to change their mind. It’s better to be on the right side of history. There’s still time.
Linda Gefen, Boca Raton
Birds of a featherIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after addressing Congress and meeting separately with President Biden and Vice President Harris, travelled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump.
Since when do private citizens do business with a foreign leader?
Netanyahu was trying to bolster his image back home as someone who could meet with Trump, and Trump was trying to bolster his image that a foreign leader would still meet with him. They are birds of a feather. Can you imagine the outrage on the right if former President Obama met with a foreign leader at his private residence?
In a speech at Turning Point Action, a conservative religious group in West Palm Beach, Trump’s words indicate that he knows all about Project 2025, even though he denied it. Trump told them to get out and vote in November, and followed up with: “You won’t have to do it anymore … It’ll be fixed! It’ll be fine! You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Vote Blue to save our democracy.
Ray Belongie, Sunrise
An offer he couldn’t refuseThose Democrat party elites kicked the guy to the curb who got 80 million votes in favor of the person nobody voted for.
Now, preach to us again how Trump is the threat to democracy.
Remember “The Godfather”? Get real. Biden didn’t graciously step down. They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. To think anything else is quite naive, to put it nicely.
Neal Bluestein, Boca Raton
America’s final examFive simple questions.
Would you vote for someone who said this: “Christians, get out and vote. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four years, it will be fixed, it will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore.”
Do you believe that the Founders were correct that citizens’ ignorance would be a threat to the longevity of the Republic?
Do you regularly contact your local and national representatives and senators and provide critical guidance to them?
Do you want children to grow up in a free society that retains the ability to constantly improve, or do you want them to grow up enslaved under a dictator?
Will you vote to defend democracy this November by voting for someone who stands up for you and against someone who has stated that his goal is to “dismantle the administrative state” (your democracy) and has a plan to do so (Project 2025)?
Rick Soskis, Havana, Fla.
Bull riding is coming to South Florida. Here’s how to watch it this weekend.
South Florida’s new team of bull riders, the Florida Freedom, are making their debut this weekend in Sunrise.
You can watch the team take on the New York Mavericks, Oklahoma Wildcatters and Missouri Thunder in “their inaugural homestand” at the Amerant Bank Arena, an event that’ll run from Friday, Aug. 2, to Sunday, Aug. 4.
The team is relocating to Florida from Oklahoma City, where they competed as the Oklahoma Freedom.
The Florida Freedom, under the leadership of 2024 Ring of Honor inductee Paulo Crimber, compete in the Professional Bull Riding Teams league, formed in 2022, which turned bull riding from an individual sport into one where riders compete on teams.
According to Crimber, “expect to see the best bull riders in the world against the best bulls in the world. It’s going to be a lot of excitement.”
Crimber coaches his son, John Crimber, who the team selected with the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft. At just 18 years old, John Crimber finished No. 2 in the race for the 2024 PBR World Championship this past May.
The league, with 10 teams across the country, will begin its third four-month season of five-on-five bull-riding matches in July, culminating with the 2024 Teams Championship in Las Vegas in late October. The PBR Camping World Team Series league is broadcast nationally on CBS.
“It’s how hard the bull bucks, and how well the rider rides him,” Crimber said. “It’s almost like a dance. You’ve got to match every move — be smooth.”
It’s not lost on the team that they’ll be in Sunrise, where the Florida Panthers have long played: “The Panthers brought the cup this year, and we want to bring it home also and maybe we’ll make you guys proud,” Crimber said.
The Florida Freedom is owned by Heath Freeman, who bought the team in December 2022. Freeman is also chairman of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“I couldn’t be more excited to bring to Florida a professional sports team,” Freeman said in a statement last year. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the PBR’s exponential growth.”
Crimber, originally from Brazil, says the South Florida environment reminds him and his team of “home.”
“It’s the coconut trees, the mango trees, the birds,” Crimber said. “They’re so impressed and excited about seeing it. That’s what makes it so special — how everybody feels home.”
The Freedom’s current roster includes Alex Cerqueira, from Iguatemi, and Thiago Salgado, from Naviraí, both in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in southern Brazil. They ride alongside World Finals qualifiers Caden Bunch, Casey Roberts and Conner Halverson.
The Freedom finished the 2023 regular season in fourth place with a 14-14 record. The team was led by Caden Bunch’s breakout campaign, successfully making the eight-second mark on nine of his 14 bulls, and rookie Elizmar Jeremias (7-for-18).
Other teams include the Nashville Stampede, Kansas City Outlaws, Austin Gamblers, Texas Rattlers (based in Fort Worth), Arizona Ridge Riders (Glendale), Carolina Cowboys (Greensboro, N.C.) and Missouri Thunder (Ridgedale).
More than 800 bull riders from around the world — including the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico — are members of PBR. The PBR World Finals champion receives a golden world championship belt buckle and a $1 million prize. For more information, visit PBR.com.
Tickets for the event can be bought for individual days starting at $30 as well as a three-day package starting at $99. Advance parking for $40 is available for purchase on SeatGeek.com. Doors open 60 to 90 minutes before showtime.
The Amerant Bank Arena is now cashless and enforces a “no bag policy, only small clutches 4”x 6” and under will be permitted,” according to its website.
Staff writer Ben Crandell contributed to this news article.
Inspected once, inspected right. ®
LogoUp.com
Thanks LogoUp.com for the best embroidered apparel!
G.E.T. Home Inspections, LLC is a top Coral Springs, FL home inspector on Inspectopia.com!
