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Today is Friday, July 27, the 209th day of 2024. There are 157 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting on the Korean peninsula that killed an estimated 4 million people.

Also on this date:

In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State.

In 1866, Cyrus W. Field finished laying out the first successful underwater telegraph cable between North America and Europe.

In 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army’s first airplane, Orville Wright flew himself and a passenger, Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer, Virginia, for one hour and 12 minutes.

In 1940, Billboard magazine published its first “music popularity chart” listing best-selling retail records. In first place was “I’ll Never Smile Again” recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with featured vocalist Frank Sinatra.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case.

In 1980, on day 267 of the Iranian hostage crisis, the deposed Shah of Iran died at a military hospital outside Cairo, Egypt, at age 60.

In 1981, 6-year-old Adam Walsh was abducted from a department store in Hollywood, Fla., and was later murdered (Adam’s father, John Walsh, subsequently became a victim’s rights activist and, in 1988, launched and hosted the television show “America’s Most Wanted”).

In 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person and injuring 111. (Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to the bombing, exonerating security guard Richard Jewell, who had been wrongly suspected.)

In 2012, Britain opened its Olympic Games in a celebration of Old England and new, even cheekily featuring a stunt double for Queen Elizabeth II parachuting with James Bond into Olympic Stadium.

In 2013, security forces and armed men clashed with supporters of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohammed Morsi, killing at least 80 people.

In 2015, the Boy Scouts of America ended its blanket ban on gay adult leaders while allowing church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.

In 2018, the White House announced that North Korea had returned the remains of what were believed to be U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War, with a U.S. military plane making a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve 55 cases of remains.

In 2020, the world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study began with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc.

In 2021, American gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of the gymnastics team competition at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental well-being, saying she realized following a shaky vault that she wasn’t in the right headspace to compete.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry is 82.
• Actor-director Betty Thomas is 77.
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming is 76.
• Singer Maureen McGovern is 75.
• Comedian-actor-writer Carol Leifer is 68.
• Comedian Bill Engvall is 67.
• Actor-martial artist Donnie Yen is 61.
• Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 61.
• Rock musician Juliana Hatfield is 57.
• Actor Julian McMahon is 56.
• Former professional wrestler Triple H is 55.
• Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (NIH’-koh-lye KAH’-stur WAHL’-dah) is 54.
• Comedian Maya Rudolph is 52.
• Rock musician Abe Cunningham (Deftones) is 51.
• Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn is 50.
• Former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez is 49.
• Actor Jonathan Rhys (rees) Meyers is 47.
• Actor/comedian Heidi Gardner (TV: “Saturday Night Live”) is 41.
• Actor Taylor Schilling is 40.
• MLB All-Star pitcher Max Scherzer is 40.
• Golfer Jordan Spieth is 31.

Here is the Paris Olympics TV schedule for Saturday, July 27. Highlights include the start of swimming events (men’s & women’s 400 free finals at 2:30 p.m., NBC), the U.S. men’s soccer team vs. New Zealand (1 p.m., USA), men’s rugby gold medal games (1:45 p.m., NBC), the U.S. women’s water polo team vs. Greece (9:30 a.m. USA), and the start of beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower (8 a.m. NBC).

Saturday, July 27 BADMINTON

4:30 a.m. EST

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

7:30 a.m. EST

• E! — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

9 a.m. EST

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

12:05 p.m. EST

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

BASKETBALL

5:30 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Group A: Australia vs. TBD

11:15 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Group B: France vs. TBD

3:15 p.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Group A: TBD vs. Canada

8 p.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Group B: Germany vs. Japan

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

8 a.m. EST

• NBC — Pool Play

4 p.m. EST

• NBC — Pool Play

11 p.m. EST

• USA — Pool Play

BOXING

5 p.m. EST

• CNBC — Women’s Bantam Eliminations & more

CANOEING

Noon EST

• E! — Slalom: Women’s Kayak Heats

9:30 p.m. EST

• USA — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Heats

CYCLING

9 a.m. EST

• NBC — Women’s Time Trial

10:45 a.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Time Trial

5 p.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Time Trial

DIVING

6 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Clavados y Voleibol

11 p.m. EST

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

EQUESTRIAN

3:30 a.m. EST

• USA — Eventing: Dressage

4:30 p.m. EST

• E! — Eventing: Dressage

FENCING

5 p.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Epee & Men’s Sabre Bronze/Gold Finals

FIELD HOCKEY

1:30 p.m. EST

• CNBC — Women’s Group: USA vs. Argentina

GYMNASTICS

5 a.m. EST

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 1

9:30 a.m. EST

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 2

11 a.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 2

2 p.m. EST

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 3

11 p.m. EST

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

HANDBALL

10 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Group Play

ROWING

3 a.m. EST

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

7:15 a.m. EST

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

10:15 p.m. EST

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

RUGBY

9:35 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Semifinals

10 a.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Semifinal

1 p.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Bronze Final

1:45 p.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Bronze, Gold Finals

7 p.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Bronze, Gold Finals

SHOOTING

5 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Mixed Team Air Rifle Final

5:30 p.m. EST

• CNBC — Mixed Team Air Rifle Final

SKATEBOARDING

6:45 a.m. EST

• CNBC — Men’s Street: Preliminary Round

11:30 a.m. EST

• NBC — Men’s Street: Final

SOCCER

9 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Fútbol Paris 2024 – República Dominicana vs. España
• UNIVERSO — Fútbol Paris 2024 – Argentina vs. Irak

11 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Fútbol PaUcrania vs. Marruecos
• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaUzbekistán vs. Egipto

1 p.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Fútbol PaNueva Zelanda vs. Estados Unidos
• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaIsrael vs. Paraguay
• USA — Men’s Group A: New Zealand vs. USA

3 p.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Fútbol PaFrancia vs. Guinea
• UNIVERSO — Fútbol PaJapón vs. Malí

SWIMMING

5 a.m. EST

• USA — Heats: Men’s & Women’s 4x100m Free & more

10:30 a.m. EST

• NBC — Heats: Men’s & Women’s 4x100m Free & more

2:30 p.m. EST

• NBC — Finals: Men’s & Women’s 400m Free & more

11 p.m. EST

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

TABLE TENNIS

1:10 p.m. EST

• E! — M&W Singles: Prelims & more

VOLLEYBALL

6 a.m. EST

• TELEMUNDO — Clavados y Voleibol

7:45 a.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Pool Play

3 p.m. EST

• USA — Men’s Pool Play

WATER POLO

8 a.m. EST

• E! — Women’s Group: Netherlands vs. Hungary

9:30 a.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Group: USA vs. Greece

12:45 p.m. EST

• NBC — Women’s Group: Greece vs. USA

6 p.m. EST

• USA — Women’s Group: USA vs. Greece

Here is the Paris Olympics TV schedule for Saturday, July 27. Highlights include the start of swimming events (men’s & women’s 400 free finals at 11:30 a.m., NBC), the U.S. men’s soccer team vs. New Zealand (10 a.m., USA), men’s rugby gold medal games (10:45 a.m., NBC), the U.S. women’s water polo team vs. Greece (6:30 a.m. USA), and the start of beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower (5 a.m. NBC).

BADMINTON

1:30 a.m.

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

4:30 a.m.

• E! — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

6 a.m.

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

9:05 a.m.

• USA — Group Play: Singles, Doubles

BASKETBALL

2:30 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Group A: Australia vs. Spain

8:15 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Group B: France vs. Brazil

12:15 p.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Group A: Greece vs. Canada

5 p.m.

• USA — Men’s Group B: Germany vs. Japan

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

5 a.m.

• NBC — Pool Play

1 p.m.

• NBC — Pool Play

8 p.m.

• USA — Pool Play

BOXING

2 p.m.

• CNBC — Women’s Bantam Eliminations & more

CANOEING

9 a.m.

• E! — Slalom: Women’s Kayak Heats

6:30 p.m.

• USA — Slalom: Men’s Canoe Heats

CYCLING

6 a.m.

• NBC — Women’s Time Trial

7:45 a.m.

• USA — Men’s Time Trial

2 p.m.

• NBC — Men’s Time Trial

DIVING

3 a.m.

• TELEMUNDO — Diving and volleyball

8 p.m.

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

EQUESTRIAN

12:30 a.m.

• USA — Eventing: Dressage

1:30 p.m.

• E! — Eventing: Dressage

FENCING

2 p.m.

• USA — Women’s Epee & Men’s Sabre Bronze/Gold Finals

FIELD HOCKEY

10:30 a.m.

• CNBC — Women’s Group: USA vs. Argentina

GYMNASTICS

2 a.m.

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 1

6:30 a.m.

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 2

8 a.m.

• NBC — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 2

11 a.m.

• E! — Men’s Qualifying Subdivision 3

8 p.m.

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

HANDBALL

7 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Group Play

ROWING

Midnight

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

4:15 a.m.

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

7:15 p.m.

• USA — Heats: Double, Quadruple & more

RUGBY

6:35 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Semifinals

7 a.m.

• NBC — Men’s Semifinal

10 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Bronze Final

10:45 a.m.

• NBC — Men’s Bronze, Gold Finals

4 p.m.

• USA — Men’s Bronze, Gold Finals

SHOOTING

2 a.m.

• CNBC — Mixed Team Air Rifle Final

2:30 p.m.

• CNBC — Mixed Team Air Rifle Final

SKATEBOARDING

3:45 a.m.

• CNBC — Men’s Street: Preliminary Round

8:30 a.m.

• NBC — Men’s Street: Final

SOCCER

6 a.m.

• TELEMUNDO — Dominican Republic vs. Spain
• UNIVERSO — Argentina vs. Iraq

8 a.m.

• TELEMUNDO — Ukraine vs. Morocco
• UNIVERSO — Uzbekistan vs. Egypt

10 a.m.

• TELEMUNDO — New Zealand vs. USA
• UNIVERSO — Israel vs. Paraguay
• USA — Men’s Group A: New Zealand vs. USA

Noon

• TELEMUNDO — Franci vs. Guinea
• UNIVERSO — Japan vs. Malí

SWIMMING

2 a.m.

• USA — Heats: Men’s & Women’s 4x100m Free & more

7:30 a.m.

• NBC — Heats: Men’s & Women’s 4x100m Free & more

11:30 a.m.

• NBC — Finals: Men’s & Women’s 400m Free & more

8 p.m.

• NBC — Primetime in Paris (July 27)

TABLE TENNIS

10:10 a.m.

• E! — M&W Singles: Prelims & more

VOLLEYBALL

3 a.m.

• TELEMUNDO — Diving and volleyball

4:45 a.m.

• USA — Men’s Pool Play

Noon

• USA — Men’s Pool Play

WATER POLO

5 a.m.

• E! — Women’s Group: Netherlands vs. Hungary

6:30 a.m.

• USA — Women’s Group: USA vs. Greece

9:45 a.m.

• NBC — Women’s Group: Greece vs. USA

3 p.m.

• USA — Women’s Group: USA vs. Greece

General Daily Insight for July 27, 2024

Digging in our heels can lead to butting heads. The intuitive Moon enters sensual Taurus at 1:23 pm EDT, gently tugging us down to earth, but possibly heightening our stubbornness. The Moon then snaps at intense Pluto, bringing chaos out of the blue and making it difficult to avoid change, which can get even more challenging with the steadfast Taurus energy. The Moon also trines Mercury to let communication and change flow in, without quite as much resistance. After all, what we resist, persists.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Stability is a focus for you now. While you may be trying to turn over a new leaf or maintain a sense of stability, chaos might throw a wrench in your plans. This can be jarring, but it’s nothing that you can’t handle! Even if you worry that you’re lacking support when it comes to maintaining your stability or creating it in the first place, everything is going according to the universe’s plan. Sometimes, what you least expect will be exactly what you need.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

It might be hard to talk you out of doing anything today. You are likely to have your mind made up, which can make it difficult to accept positive change. Tradition and routine are important, but so are flexibility and understanding. You can’t control everything that happens in life! At this moment, you probably just have to roll with the punches. The more that you stay out of your own way, the more success that you’ll be able to create today.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

A lack of rest may catch up with you imminently. You can’t run on an empty tank for too long! Everyone needs rest, and although you might feel like you have an endless to-do list, it’s important to make time for rest. Remember, if you don’t schedule time for self-maintenance, your body will schedule it for you by falling sick or mentally burning out. Centering your needs will let you begin each day refreshed and ready to blaze through your to-do list!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

You’re breaking past expectations. You might have been convinced that you were going in one direction, but suddenly, life has presented you with a fork in the road. Make a point of paying attention to how you’re really feeling in each moment, rather than thinking about what you “should” do or what someone else wants you to do. This doesn’t mean that you have to throw away everything that you’ve done up until now, but a pivot might be in order.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Responsibilities may bring you down to earth without warning. You might have made personal plans, but your duties can throw you a curveball and force you to focus on them instead. It is likely that you will feel frustrated or caged in in some way. Do your best to be patient — these responsibilities are yours for a reason. Everyone has to do their part, and there should still be time for you to have fun later. You can balance your work and personal lives.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You might be fighting your past knowledge to learn improved information. This updated knowledge may go against what you’ve known in the past to be true, or it may simply be an unpleasant fact that you are struggling to reckon with. It might even take the form of a skill that you’re struggling to comprehend, as the activity could require some finesse and practice. Be compassionate with yourself while you’re learning, and don’t rush things. You’ll get there in the end.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Listen to yourself. You may be someone who normally likes to go to other people to answer certain problems, seeking out those with experience or wisdom in service of achieving the best possible outcome. Is this a topic that really needs their input? Think about the intimate nature of things like putting your internal affairs in order, answering personal questions, or creating art like writing in a journal and building a thesis project. These things could require you to act without outside opinions.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Communication rules the day. You’re likely to find yourself in many different conversations, though you may be talking with one person for a long time, going over all sorts of topics. Make sure that you are saying what you need to say, but be wary of speaking too harshly. It’s also important to watch for when a conversation is going too far, being too rash, or somehow isn’t beneficial. Make communication a priority, but don’t let your words fly without using your head.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Shocking events could threaten your routine. You might feel like you’re in the swing of things but are right on track to stay in a stable routine, when a surprise strikes like lightning. This can be enough to throw you off your patterns, leading you to throw up your hands and just do whatever feels right. If you do end up leaving your habits behind today, make an effort to pick them back up tomorrow — without beating yourself up for letting things slip.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You might be living in the future. This doesn’t mean that you’re actually a time traveler, but that you might be thinking so much about the future that you forget to live in the present. This is risky behavior, because you never know when you’ll miss out on whatever’s happening right now. Since it is a good thing to plan for the future, it’s fine to ponder the topic for a period of time — just don’t live there full-time. That’s not where you are.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Tapping into your emotions can show you ideal ways to resolve obstacles. You might have been stuck mentally, unsure where to go next. Be wary of ignoring your emotions for any reason — that’s a fast way to get yourself even more stuck. Your feelings act as a valuable window into your subconscious. When you listen to them, you could realize that you’ve been living with something that makes you unhappy or hinders your goals. Let go of what is not serving you.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your friends and family may bring you back down to earth. You might be so fixated on an area of your life that you are letting the other aspects of your current situation slip through your fingers. When any of your loved ones make you aware of this, you’ll have a choice between reacting defensively and reacting with consideration. Make sure that directing all of your attention on one facet of reality isn’t creating rifts with people that you care about.

By STEVE MEGARGEE

MILWAUKEE — Bryan De La Cruz and Jake Burger homered off Freddy Peralta in the first inning to put the Miami Marlins ahead for good in a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

Miami’s Josh Bell also went deep with a ninth-inning drive against Janson Junk for his 1,000th career hit. Bell received a standing ovation when he returned to the locker room after the game.

“Definitely a special moment for me,” Bell said. “Thinking back to the good and the bad of my career so far, it definitely makes up for all the bad times getting to 1,000 there.”

Miami’s Trevor Rogers (2-9) allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings to become the first Marlins starting pitcher to earn a win since June 11, when Jesús Luzardo gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets.

“I had no idea until one of the coaches told me,” said Rogers, who struck out just one batter but walked nobody to get his first win since May 15. “We were getting up there, so I’m glad that’s back to zero.”

Rhys Hoskins homered for Milwaukee.

The Marlins took a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and stayed in front the rest of the way despite leaving 10 runners on base. Although Miami entered Friday with the NL’s worst record, the Marlins (38-66) are 5-3 since the All-Star break while facing the Mets, the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles and the NL Central-leading Brewers.

“We’re just trying to embrace the role of a spoiler,” Bell said.

After Jazz Chisholm walked to start the game, De La Cruz hit a one-out blast into the left-field stands for his team-leading 18th homer. Two batters later, Burger also sent a shot into the left-field seats.

Burger and Bell each hit their 13th homers of the season, matching Chisholm for second on the team.

The Marlins capitalized on Milwaukee’s sloppiness to score two unearned runs in a second-inning rally that began with two outs and nobody on.

After Nick Fortes singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Peralta walked Chisholm and Xavier Edwards to load the bases. De La Cruz then hit a bouncer that shortstop Willy Adames bobbled before throwing late to first.

Two runs scored on Adames’ error, with Chisholm racing home from second.

Hoskins hit a solo shot in the third for his 16th homer, tying Adames for the Brewers’ team lead. William Contreras hit a leadoff double and scored on a Gary Sánchez sacrifice fly in the fourth to cut Miami’s lead to 5-2.

But the Brewers couldn’t get any closer.

“I didn’t feel like we had a great effort one through nine,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I’m not saying they weren’t trying. I’m just saying that I don’t think overall it was a good game for us.”

Peralta (6-6) gave up five runs, three earned, and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and matched a season high with five walks.

YELICH UPDATE

Murphy said that OF Christian Yelich inevitably will need to undergo surgery at some point, but added, “I fully believe” the three-time All-Star will play again this season. Yelich is on the injured list due to a back issue for the second time this season.

“Obviously he’s going to need surgery,” Murphy said. “Anything he does between now and then is a bonus. I think he wants to play very badly.”

Yelich said Thursday at his annual charity event that no surgery is planned at this point as he tries to work his way back this season. Yelich went on the injured list Wednesday.

MARLINS MOVE

The Marlins recalled LHP Austin Kitchen and RHP Emmanuel Ramírez from Triple-A Jacksonville and optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to Jacksonville.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers LHP Rob Zastryzny went on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with left elbow tendinitis. The Brewers recalled Junk from Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

RHP Max Meyer (2-0, 2.12 ERA) starts for the Marlins and RHP Aaron Civale (2-7, 5.17) pitches for the Brewers on Saturday night.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

The Piper PA28 that crashed into a pond at an airport in northern Palm Beach County earlier this month had just taken off from the runway when it disappeared behind the trees and was last recorded just 25 feet above the water before its data ended, according to a preliminary investigation report released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Stephen Taylor, 59, of Hollywood, and Gojko Damjanic, 58, of Fort Lauderdale, were doing an instructional flight across the state in a Piper PA-28-161 on July 10. An NTSB investigator previously told reporters that one of the men was training for his Instrument Rating, which is learning to fly solely by referencing instruments. It is not known which man was flying the plane; one was a flight instructor, and the other was a private pilot.

The plane left Sarasota Bradenton International Airport shortly before 11:30 a.m. and headed east, performed some maneuvers over the ocean near Satellite Beach in Brevard County and then performed a touch-and-go landing at Melbourne Orlando International Airport shortly before 1 p.m., the NTSB report released Friday said.

At North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport, west of Palm Beach Gardens, Taylor and Damjanic performed another touch-and-go landing before the crash shortly after 2 p.m. The plane took off and reached a height of 75 feet above ground, turned right and then was 25 feet above the pond at the last moment flight data was recorded, according to the report.

Flight instructor, pilot from South Florida killed in north Palm Beach County plane crash

A witness at the airport told the NTSB investigator that he saw the plane land, take off and make a 180-degree descending right turn before it disappeared behind trees. The witness said he then heard a splash, the report said. He and another person drove to the pond to attempt to help.

In 911 calls released to the South Florida Sun Sentinel earlier this week, a man described to first responders how two people at the scene swam out into the muddy water but could not swim deep enough to reach the body of the plane. The men were removed from the water by a basket hanging from a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office helicopter by about 3:30 p.m., Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Tom Reyes told reporters at the scene.

‘They have not gotten out’: 911 calls describe Palm Beach County plane crash that killed flight instructor, pilot

When officials found the plane, it was submerged about 15 feet underwater, about 600 feet to the right of the departure end of one of the runways. The impact ripped off the plane’s right wing, which was found on the north end of the pond, according to the NTSB report.

A mechanic had replaced its engine on July 2 and also installed a backup battery system, the report said.

The continuing investigation will identify any safety issues and underlying causes of the crash. The NTSB will review flight-tracking data, recordings of any air-traffic control communications, the plane’s maintenance records, electronic devices, weather, any surveillance video available and the pilot’s license, ratings, experience and 72-hour background to identify any issues that could have affected his ability to fly safely.

It could take up to two years for the NTSB to issue its final report, which will detail the probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors.

Coco Gauff and Lebron James during Olympic opening ceremonies in Paris, France on Friday, July 26, 2024.

Palm Beach County child care centers on Friday drew a visit from leaders who highlighted the goal of fostering small-business growth and the need to provide affordable child care.

Stopping by the centers were Congresswoman Lois Frankel and Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed.

In the past three years, the Small Business Administration has helped over 18 million new businesses get back on their feet, supporting them with nearly a trillion dollars of COVID relief loans, Syed said during a visit to Learning Wonderland Preschool in Palm Springs.

“It’s good news, and we love to share good news,” U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said as she walked through the colorful learning center.

The preschool was one of the many businesses in Florida to receive a loan from the Small Business Administration to keep doors open during the pandemic. Not only did the SBA cover six months of loan payments during the pandemic, but funding and guidance from the local SBA chapter also helped Alina Shubov achieve her dream of opening the child care center eight years ago.

“Without the SBA, none of this would have happened,” Yakov Shubov, her husband and co-owner, said. “The SBA kept us afloat during the hardest times.”

Frankel and Syed on Friday also visited Super Kidz West Palm Beach.

According to Syed, the state of Florida has the highest number of small businesses created in the past three years.

Congresswoman Lois Frankel, left, and Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, listen to Jacob and Alina Shubov, owners of Learning Wonderland Preschool in Palm Springs on Friday, July 26, 2024.(Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Many of these small-business owners come from underserved communities. Knowing this, the SBA opens its doors to these entrepreneurs and small-business owners, offering guidance and funding to those who face challenges receiving approval from banks.

“When you start a business, that’s just the first step,” Syed said. “You need funding, resources, support and advice. That’s where our team comes in. We work with partners to make sure that if you are looking for funding, we can support you with that.”

Omega Footman Velez, left, owner of SuperKidz Prep Academy in West Palm Beach, listens to Congresswoman Lois Frankel as Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, and Malcolm Richards, District Director of SBA, looks on during a visit on Friday, July 26, 2024. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

In Florida, a lack of affordable child care continues to burden working families.

Parents or guardians “can’t go to work if they don’t have a safe, nurturing place for their children,” Frankel said. “Because of this women are having to leave the workforce, which has a negative effect on the economy.”

According to Frankel, continuing to support child care centers with SBA funding is one way to combat affordable child care shortage in Florida.

“It’s important for the families that the children have a place to go so that parents can go to work. It’s also important for teachers to have a job, because they’re also supporting their families,” Shubov said. “If the place shuts down it affects a lot of families, a lot of individuals.”

PARIS (AP) — The identity of the person who would light the Olympic cauldron for the Paris Games on Friday night (spoiler alert: Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner) was up in the air … and so, it turns out, was the cauldron itself: a ring of fire carried by a hot-air balloon.

Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec watch as the cauldron rises in a balloon in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Instead of the usual ground-bound cauldron used at most Summer and Winter Games, the special edition for the Paris Olympics is intended as a tribute to the first ride taken in a hydrogen-filled gas balloon — made in 1783 by two of that balloon’s French inventors.

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They departed back then from the Tuileries Garden, which is near the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris — and where the 2024 Olympic cauldron was lit before appearing to float into the sky.

Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the cauldron is meant as a symbol of liberty — an element in the national slogan of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”

The ring is 7 meters in diameter (about 23 feet), and the balloon is 30 meters (about 100 feet) tall and 22 meters (about 72 feet) wide.

GAINESVILLE — World champion hurdler Grant Holloway hails from a little corner of the world with sizable footprint in track and field circles.

Holloway and his fellow Florida Gator hope to stand tall on the Olympic podium in Paris, even if Gator Nation won’t officially show up in the medal count.

If all goes according to plan, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” could serve as encore to the “Star Spangled Banner.”

“We dominate,” Holloway told the Orlando Sentinel. “We could be our own country.”

A passport to coach Mike Holloway’s track and field fiefdom requires talent, drive and resilience. Citizens routinely become champions — the best of them Olympic medalists.

UF coach Mike Holloway does the Gator chomp June 7 at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., following the third straight national title for his men’s program – the 14th national title overall for his program. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/Mallory Peak)

Grant Holloway, an eight-time national champion at UF from 2017-19, headlines a pack of 15 Gators past and present expected to compete in the 2024 Games Aug. 1-11.

One of eight Olympic medalists coached by Mike Holloway, the younger Holloway hopes to become the sixth to capture a gold medal after he settled for silver during the 110-meter high hurdles in 2021 when upset Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment by .05 seconds at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“I’m there to win an Olympic gold,” Holloway said. “Any other medal is fine and dandy, but my main goal is to win.”

The Holloways, who no relation, will arrive to the iconic Stade de France in lockstep. The two have trained together ever since Grant Holloway left Chesapeake, Va., for Gainesville in 2016.

“He’s the main ingredient,” the 26-year-old, three-time world champion said of his longtime coach. “We take our wins and losses the same.”

Former Florida star Grant Holloway wins the men’s 110-meter hurdles final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials June 28 in Eugene, Ore., making the three-time world champion a favorite to win the gold medal on Aug. 8 in Paris. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

This time of year is winning time for Mike Holloway.

On June 8, his men’s team completed a three-peat at the NCAA Championships with a one-point win against Auburn.

Later in the month, Grant Holloway became the first hurdler in 2024 to run faster than 13 seconds, bettering the mark during two preliminary heats and the finals.

“What he did there it’s unheard of,” Mike Holloway said. “The big thing is we just got to keep grinding.”

Meanwhile, Jasmine Moore became the first woman in American history to qualify for the Olympics in both the triple jump and long jump; Anna Hall won the heptathlon; Grace Stark prevailed in the 100 high hurdles; Malcolm Clemons finished runner-up in the long jump; and 2023-24 SEC Female Athlete of the Year Parker Valby finished runner-up in the 10,000.

Hall, who is favored to medal Aug. 8-9 in Paris, pushes to continue an impressive comeback. The 23-year-old broke her foot at the 2021 U.S. Trials, and in January underwent knee surgery.

Anna Hall celebrates after winning the women’s 800-meter run event and the overall in the heptathlon during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials June 24 in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“The plan was to make the team,” Holloway said. “Now we’ve made the team, the plan is to go there and be healthy.”

Hall, the 2022 national champion, returned with a vengeance surrounded determined teammates.

“It’s so inspiring and seeing them work through things,” she told The Sentinel. “We see each other have bad days, good days and can watch how other great athletes handle it — and then you kind of learn from that.”

Moore, who won her seventh NCAA title in June during the triple jump, also could reach the podium, as could boyfriend Joseph Fahnbulleh running in 4X100 relay.

“This is nothing new, she’s been doing this for a long time,” Holloway said of Moore. “The biggest thing with Jasmine is to get to Paris and believe she belongs.”

Jasmine Moore competes in the women’s long jump final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials June 29 in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

If Moore has any doubt, she can look around and quickly feel at home.

“We generally say Gainesville’s our little country,” Holloway said. “We want to go there represent well again.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Today is Friday, July 26, the 208th day of 2024. There are 158 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA, prohibiting discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities.

Also on this date:

In 1775, the Continental Congress established a Post Office and appointed Benjamin Franklin its Postmaster-General.

In 1847, the western African country of Liberia, founded by freed American slaves, declared its independence.

In 1863, Sam Houston, former president of the Republic of Texas, died in Huntsville at age 70.

In 1945, Winston Churchill resigned as Britain’s prime minister after his Conservatives were soundly defeated by the Labour Party. Clement Attlee succeeded him.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act, which reorganized America’s armed forces as the National Military Establishment and created the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the U.S. military.

In 1953, Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista (fool-HEN’-see-oh bah-TEES’-tah) with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba. (Castro ousted Batista in 1959.)

In 1971, Apollo 15 was launched from Cape Kennedy on America’s fourth successful manned mission to the moon.

In 2002, the Republican-led House voted to create an enormous Homeland Security Department in the biggest government reorganization in decades.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In 2018, the last six members of a Japanese doomsday cult who remained on death row were executed for a series of crimes in the 1990s, including a gas attack on Tokyo subways that killed 13 people.

In 2020, a processional with the casket of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, where Lewis and other civil rights marchers were beaten 55 years earlier.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard is 85.
• Football Hall of Famer Bob Lilly is 85.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love is 83.
• Singer Brenton Wood is 83.
• The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger is 81.
• Actor Helen Mirren is 79.
• Rock musician Roger Taylor (Queen) is 75.
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill is 68.
• Actor Kevin Spacey is 65.
• Actor Sandra Bullock is 60.
• Actor Jeremy Piven is 59.
• Actor Jason Statham is 57.
• Actor Olivia Williams is 56.
• Actor Kate Beckinsale is 51.
• Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is 44.
• Actor Juliet Rylance is 44.
• Actor Monica Raymund is 38.
• Actor Francia Raisa is 36.
• Actor-singer Taylor Momsen is 31.
• Actor Elizabeth Gillies is 31.
• Actor Thomasin McKenzie is 24.

NHS and care regulator 'not fit for purpose'  BBC.com

NHS and care regulator 'not fit for purpose'  BBC.com

NHS and care regulator 'not fit for purpose'  BBC.com

General Daily Insight for July 26, 2024

Healing isn’t always a straight line. With the wounded Chiron entering its retrograde period in fiery Aries at 9:59 am EDT, old grudges, emotional wounds, or frustrations can reawaken, asking to be reexamined and soothed. Perfectionist Venus struggles with critical Saturn, encouraging the negatives to overtake the positives in our eyes. We could be quick to share criticism when it isn’t useful. Nervous Mercury then has issues with chaotic Pluto, leading to hasty decisions that only add fuel to the fire. Proceed with patience.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

What you feel about yourself could discourage you from progress. Your personal frustrations may be especially noticeable to you at present, but focusing on your perceived shortcomings would just add salt to the wound. Someone could ask you for help or pay you a compliment, and in your haste to reply, you might put yourself down or try to negate what they’re telling you, distancing you from them. Your insecurities don’t deserve to sabotage your connections! Accept kind perspectives on yourself with grace.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

What irks you, Taurus? Annoyances from your past and nagging emotional struggles may reenter your life without warning, and you could miss the silver lining on the dark cloud with frustration stealing your focus. Family or friends might try to sway you in one direction or another, but these offerings of advice may come served with unpleasantly pointed deliveries. Make an effort to remember that there’s a good chance that they’re projecting! You’ve got cosmic permission to do what makes you happy anyway.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

You might be reexamining your connection with someone else. Whether this involves a friend, an acquaintance, or even a group of people, a rift could have begun noticeably growing between you. This will likely be confusing or even painful to deal with. It might even feel like they’re criticizing you in an effort to get a reaction out of you or to try and discredit you in front of others. Do your best to stay cool in these situations. Take the high road!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Chaos may erupt when you share a bit too much. The comments that you make without thinking might create more problems for you than you’d expect. Be aware of how the people around you could be receiving the words that you are saying, because speaking too quickly or being brutally honest can end up with your words having painful unintended consequences. It’s okay to make mistakes, but it’s better to be patient and say what you need to say the right way.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You might be refusing to learn a lesson. This lesson may be related to your friendships and relationships. Take a look at any social patterns you’ve experienced, either with multiple people or as part of a self-focused behavior. Something needs to give! When you’re able to be honest with yourself about whatever it is you need to change or let go of, you are then able to make more stable plans for your future. Otherwise, the lesson might just keep repeating itself.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You might be making decisions too quickly just to get them over with. Instead of thinking through decisions, this means you’re gambling on random chance or letting someone else make the decisions for you. This is not a good strategy for success! No matter how stressful you perceive the decisions to be, it may be more stressful to deal with the consequences of the ones you didn’t make. Make sure that you have a say — and one that you have thought through.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Holding a grudge may be holding you back. It’s important to be aware of what’s consuming your thoughts right now. If you find that you are consistently in a mental argument with someone who frustrated you in the past, or that you are going over someone else’s actions in conversations with multiple people, it might be that this person is consuming too much of your time. Make sure that you are living your life for you and your happiness, not wallowing in the hurtful past.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Frustrations with someone else could lead to disorganization. You might believe that someone is not doing their fair share or the right thing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It becomes problematic if you focus so much on their flaws that you forget your duties! It’s easier to criticize than it is to pitch in, after all. That said, it’s important to focus on what you yourself are doing. Shine in your own way and rise above! You don’t need to highlight their mistakes.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Unwanted criticism could be hurtful. There’s a chance that your creativity or your ideas are getting shot down by someone in your life. This person might be a teacher or a mentor — someone you respect. They may not realize what their opinion means to you or that their well-meant critique sounds much more destructive than constructive. Do your best to see what you can gain from whatever they have said to you, and let the rest roll off your back.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Long-held emotional wounds may make themselves known at any moment. You likely already remembered them — maybe you believe that hanging onto such aches means that they won’t be able to surprise you or injure you in the future. The truth is that the more that you hold on, the more that you are likely to hurt yourself with knife-sharp memories. To avoid becoming bitter, it may be best to move on from the situation entirely, even if it temporarily pains you to do so.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Social connections are currently coming under a cosmic microscope at this time. It may be that when you speak with certain people in your life, you leave feeling more afraid of the world around you. This might be their influence on you, and despite how much you care about them, don’t downplay such dampeners of your hopefulness and positivity. Do what you can to focus on the positive with them — if they refuse, it could be time to move on.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

It’s important to fill your cup first. You may be someone who wants to create stability for yourself as well as for others. Unfortunately, they may not want such security for themselves, which could throw your life into chaos as well. Although you can offer your peers advice and resources, you cannot change their perspective on life or how they approach their specific goals. Prioritize building a firm foundation for yourself, then see if they’re willing to grow with you or not.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report on Thursday night that the Miami Marlins had traded left-handed relief pitcher A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two prospects.

According to Passan, the Marlins got 21-year-old power-hitting prospect Deyvison De Los Santos, a corner infielder, and 23-year-old center fielder Andrew Pintar in return.

De Los Santos, who turned 21 on June 21, has had a big year in Double-A and Triple-A this season, crushing 28 home runs in 342 at-bats and piling up a 1.011 on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS) to go with his .325 batting average.

In 551 career at-bats in the minor leagues, Pintar has hit .266 with a .768 OPS.

Puk, 29, hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past 16 2/3 innings, and while his 4.30 ERA looks pedestrian, it was decimated in the first month of the year when, miscast as a starting pitcher, he opened games for his first four appearances of the season, getting hammered for 14 earned runs in those 13 2/3 innings (9.22 ERA).

Since then, Puk has a 2.08 ERA in 30 2/3 innings.

In two seasons in Miami, Puk had a 4.11 ERA in 100 2/3 innings.

More than a dozen South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers were awarded eight prizes in the statewide Florida Society of News Editors contest for their reporting on numerous beats and their photography and video work.

The awards were presented at the annual luncheon in Orlando Thursday afternoon. The Sun Sentinel was among winners in the contest’s largest division, which includes the Orlando Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, the Miami Herald and the Palm Beach Post.

Winning first place in the niche site category were magazines editor Mark Gauert, Cassie Armstrong and Anderson Greene for “Explore Florida & the Caribbean,” and Gauert, Anderson and features editor Melina De Rose placed second in the category for their magazine, City & Shore PRIME.

Breaking news and public safety reporter Shira Moolten earned second place for her enterprise reporting “Across the Fence,” an investigation that found South Florida’s smaller airports top the country in lead emissions.

Moolten, senior reporter Rafael Olmeda and breaking news reporter Angie DiMichele won second place in the breaking news category for their reporting on a Georgia deputy who shot and killed Leonard Cure, the first man to be exonerated by the Broward State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit after serving more than 16 years in prison.

Health reporter Cindy Krischer Goodman earned second place in beat reporting for her coverage of abortion, a story on how surviving a gunshot often depends on what happens in the first five minutes after being wounded and for reporting on the lasting trauma five years after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Reporter Ron Hurtibise placed third in the business category for his reporting on the shutdown of Boston Market restaurants across South Florida, car insurance premiums sharply increasing and why and Florida spending $1.5 million developing smartphone ID apps that hardly anyone is using.

In the photo story category, photographer and videographer Joe Cavaretta placed second for his coverage of the historic storm in April 2023 that dumped 26 inches of rain on Fort Lauderdale in a matter of hours.

Feature and entertainment writer Ben Crandell, senior staff photographer Mike Stocker and photography director Sean Pitts placed third for their video feature on how a rat scampering into the Florida Panthers’ dressing room decades ago led to the fan rat-throwing tradition and the man who started it.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JIM SALTER

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man who was on the verge of walking out of prison this week after a judge found evidence of “actual innocence” and overturned his murder conviction now faces a fresh legal hurdle.

The person blocking Christopher Dunn’s freedom is Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is fresh off an unsuccessful battle to keep another woman whose murder conviction was reversed imprisoned.

Political scientists say Bailey’s efforts are a way to appear tough on crime and shore up votes in advance of a tough primary race. Judges and defense attorneys are voicing frustration.

“His actions are causing undue harm to this innocent individual and is a stain on our legal system,” Michael Heiskell, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said when asked about Bailey’s opposition to Dunn’s release.

Here are some things to know:

Who is Christopher Dunn?

Dunn, who is Black, was 18 in 1990 when 15-year-old Ricco Rogers was killed. Among the key evidence used to convict him of first-degree murder was testimony from two boys who were at the scene of the shooting. Both later recanted their testimony, saying they had been coerced by police and prosecutors.

Judge Jason Sengheiser on Monday overturned the murder conviction of the now 52-year-old and ordered his immediate release. Bailey’s office appealed, and prison officials declined to release Dunn.

Sengheiser then held an emergency hearing Wednesday and threatened to hold the warden in contempt if he didn’t free Dunn within hours. Dunn was signing papers, preparing to walk out the door, when the Missouri Supreme Court agreed to consider Bailey’s objections and halted his release, a corrections department spokesperson said.

“That is not justice,” the Midwest Innocence Project, which is representing Dunn, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bailey defended the attorney general in an email Thursday night.

“Throughout the appeals process, multiple courts have affirmed Christopher Dunn’s murder conviction,” the statement said. “We will always fight for the rule of law and to obtain justice for victims.”

Dunn’s case marks the second “actual innocence” ruling in the state in recent weeks. Sandra Hemme, now 64, spent 43 years in prison for the fatal 1980 stabbing of a library worker before a judge overturned her conviction.

Appeals by Bailey — all the way up to the Missouri Supreme Court — kept Hemme imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for more than a month after that initial ruling. During a court hearing last Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman scolded an attorney in Bailey’s office for telling the warden not to release Hemme on her own recognizance pending an appellate court review.

“To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong,” Horsman said. He said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court with contempt of court on the table.

Hemme, whose attorneys with the Innocence Project described her as the longest held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., was released later that day.

“The court has to be obeyed,” said Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and chief justice.

Bailey’s opposition to innocence claims

A Missouri law adopted in 2021 lets prosecutors request hearings when they see evidence of a wrongful conviction.

The law was passed after another judge, William Hickle, found in 2020 that a jury would likely find Dunn not guilty based on new evidence. But Hickle declined to order Dunn’s release, citing a 2016 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that only people on death row could make a “freestanding” claim of actual innocence.

In 2023, Bailey opposed the release of Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for murder. Another St. Louis judge overturned Johnson’s conviction, and he was freed.

Stakes are even higher for a hearing next month. St. Louis County’s prosecutor believes DNA evidence shows that Marcellus Williams didn’t commit the crime that landed him on death row. DNA of someone else — but not Williams — was found on the knife used in the 1998 killing, experts said.

A hearing on Williams’ innocence claim begins Aug. 21. His execution is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Bailey’s office is opposing the challenge to Williams’ conviction, too.

Bailey’s appointment as attorney general

When Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson appointed Bailey, who at the time was serving as the governor’s lawyer, as Schmitt’s replacement.

Bailey’s first election test comes in next month’s primary. Ken Warren, a professor emeritus of political science at Saint Louis University, said fighting the release of people in custody advances Bailey’s agenda.

“This will only help him with his base,” he said.

Bailey’s opponent, Will Scharf, a former federal prosecutor who recently served as an attorney for former President Donald Trump, has been attacking Bailey as liberal, said Steven Puro, professor emeritus of political science of St. Louis University.

Puro said Bailey is balancing the need to look tough while avoiding being perceived as uncaring and not obeying the law.

“Most other prosecutors have thought the risk was not worth the reward,” Puro said.

Bailey’s use of the courts

Since taking office, Bailey has sued Planned Parenthood and President Joe Biden, tried to force clinics that provide gender-affirming care to hand over their records, and pushed a liberal prosecutor to resign.

When debate over transgender minors’ access to gender-affirming health care reached a fever pitch in Missouri in 2023, Bailey tried to restrict access to both minors and adults by regulation — a move typically reserved for the state’s health department.

He later pulled the rule amid legal battles and action from the Legislature. Most recently, Bailey sued the state of New York over its prosecution of Trump, arguing that Trump’s conviction constitutes election interference.

Richard Serafini, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, called the lawsuit against New York “one of the silliest things that I think I’ve ever heard of in the practice of law.”

And Lindsay Runnels, an attorney who serves on the board of the Midwest Innocence Project, questioned the fight to free people once judges have ruled.

“The system doesn’t work if our highest law enforcement officer in the state flouts the court system and believes that they are not accountable to them for their orders and following orders,” she said. “It’s insane.”

___

Summer Ballentine contributed to this report from Columbia, Missouri. Hollingsworth reported form Mission, Kansas.

In preparation for the upcoming school year, 73 armed guardians participated in a back-to-school training program at Keiser University Pembroke Pines on Thursday, using a training simulator to practice responding to extreme scenarios.

In a dark classroom, two armed guardians held guns that pointed a laser onto a projected screen in front of them. With over a thousand different scenarios, the guardians navigated videotaped active shooter calls, having to communicate with a partner and quickly make “shoot or don’t shoot” decisions, according to Kevin Nosowicz, Broward County Public Schools Police Chief.

After each scenario, Detective Carl Schlosser discussed the approach the guardians took in their response and then the correct ways each scenario should be handled.

“We told him to drop the weapon. He didn’t, so I eliminated the target,” armed guardian Shalon Jackson said, explaining his response to address one shooter scenario.

Broward school armed guardians Shalon Jackson, left, and Franco Fernandez train with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, as Keiser University Criminal Justice program director Carlos Vesco, second from left, and Broward County Public Schools Police Detective Carl Schlosser look on. The Multiple Interactive Learning Objective system can simulate active-shooter situations so guardians can train in what feels like real life. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

With the sixth-largest school district in the country, Broward County uses “more guardians than anyone else in the state,” Nosowicz said. “And the program’s only gotten stronger.”

Led by the Broward Schools Police, the training included instruction in firearms use, tactics and de-escalation, with the goal of providing safety to Broward County schools. The simulation training is in addition to the annual training the guardians receive two weeks before the start of the school year.

“Law enforcement — it’s always changing. The more training you get, the better off you’re going to be,” Robert Ung, a retired law enforcement officer with over 20 years of experience, said.

The guardian program was created in 2018 in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Before that, only sworn law enforcement officers were allowed to carry guns on school campuses, but the state Legislature passed a law requiring every school to have at least one armed officer per school, and guardians were an option.

The school district considered phasing out the guardian program last school year and creating a full-fledged police department, but the School Board rejected that. They could be used at more schools as cities like Pembroke Pines say they can’t afford to provide police at the current rate the district pays.

The armed guardians are the men and women in bright yellow shirts equipped with the necessary skills to act as the first line of defense in the school district’s efforts to protect students and staff. They are veterans, former law enforcement officers and former security personnel.

“I saw this as an opportunity to protect people. To protect the children and protect the future of our country,” Dwayne Jiles, a veteran who spent 20 years in the Army Military Police, said. “That’s really important to me, because I also have children and for them I would want someone that’s willing to sacrifice themselves for others.”

Broward Schools armed guardian Armando Acosta trains with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

In a partnership with Keiser University, Broward Schools Police used the new Multiple Interactive Learning Objective Range simulator for Thursday’s training. The MILO system, a simulation learning tool, is designed for critical incident training, de-escalation tactics, decision support training, traditional tactical judgment training, and firearms proficiency training.

Jiles, who will be going into his seventh year as a guardian and has children of his own, has seen first-hand how the guardians benefit the school system.

“The kids, they come to you, they rely on you,” Jiles said. “They let you know if anything is going on.”

Broward Schools armed guardian Simona Burges trains with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, as Keiser University Criminal Justice program director Carlos Vesco, center, and Broward County Public Schools Police Detective Carl Schlosser look on. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

TALLAHASSEE — A political committee leading efforts to pass a constitutional amendment on abortion rights has asked the Florida Supreme Court to invalidate a revised “financial impact statement” that would appear on the November ballot with the initiative.

The Floridians Protecting Freedom committee on Wednesday filed a petition contending that House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, did not have the authority to direct a panel to revise the statement after a circuit judge rejected an earlier version.

Financial impact statements provide estimated effects of proposed constitutional amendments on government revenues and the state budget. A panel known as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference issued a revised statement July 15, but Floridians Protecting Freedom contends the statement is politicized and inaccurate.

The petition filed at the Supreme Court said the statement could have only been revised after a court order, not because of direction from state leaders.

“The state’s lack of authority to unilaterally revise a financial impact statement does make good sense,” Floridians Protecting Freedom attorneys wrote. “Consider the chaos caused by the alternative: The state could change financial impact statements on a whim, at any time, for any reason — providing sponsors, litigants, and the public little or no time to digest the statements or to challenge them before they are irrevocably placed on the ballot.”

The Financial Impact Estimating Conference released an initial statement for the proposed amendment in November 2023. But on April 1, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that allowed a six-week abortion limit to take effect.

Floridians Protecting Freedom filed a lawsuit on April 5 arguing that the November financial-impact statement needed to be revised because it was outdated after the Supreme Court ruling. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper agreed and ordered the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to draft a new version.

State lawyers appealed, arguing that Cooper did not have legal authority to issue such an order. Amid the appeal, Renner and Passidomo directed the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to revamp the statement.

The revised statement led the 1st District Court of Appeal on Monday to dismiss the pending legal case, saying it was moot.

“The result is that, absent this (Supreme) Court’s intervention, the state intends to place a Financial Impact Statement on the ballot that is plainly misleading in contravention (of a Supreme Court precedent and a section of state law) and the circuit court order,” Wednesday’s petition said. “But here’s the thing. This (Supreme) Court need not — and should not — sanction this unlawful outcome, for one very simple reason: The state never had the power to reconvene the conference and revise the statement outside the parameters established by the circuit court.”

The proposed constitutional amendment will appear on the ballot as Amendment 4. It says, in part, that no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state Republican leaders are fighting the proposed amendment. Representatives of DeSantis and the House spearheaded controversial revisions in the financial impact statement.

In part, the revised statement says there is “uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate.”