News

For the first time in its history, the Margaritaville at Sea cruise line will travel from its longtime home at the Port of Palm Beach to a destination beyond the Bahamas.

Since its founding as Bahamas Paradise in 2014, the company has only sailed to one place: Freeport, Grand Bahama. And the cruise line only recently expanded the length of its cruises.

While it spent years exclusively operating quick, two-night trips, it started taking reservations last November for three-night trips out of Palm Beach aboard its ship Paradise that will begin this August.

Last December, the cruise line announced the purchase of a larger ship, called the Islander, that in June will begin sailing four- and five-night trips out of the Port of Tampa to locations in Mexico and Key West.

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The idea of stopping in Key West must have been appealing to the cruise line’s guests and managers, because the island has been added to the Paradise’s itineraries beginning in September.

Key West will mark the first destination beyond Freeport for sailings by Margaritaville at Sea or its predecessor, Bahamas Paradise, out of the Port of Palm Beach.

In fact, it will be the first destination other than the Bahamas for any ship sailing out of the Port of Palm Beach since the 1990s, port spokesman Yaremi Farinas said.

Five voyages will sail on a Monday-through-Friday schedule. Embarkation dates are Sept. 19, Sept. 30, Oct. 14, Nov. 25, and Dec. 9.

Fares will start below $200 for interior staterooms on all except the Nov. 25 cruise, which will start at $330.

The cruise line, of course, is part of a vast hospitality company founded by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who died last year at age 76.

Buffett-inspired flourishes can be found all over its ships, from tropical art on the bows and in staterooms to signs that borrow song lyrics like “One Particular Harbour” and “It’s 5 ‘o clock somewhere.”

Key West was Buffett’s home in the early 1970s, when he supplemented his income as a recording artist and performer at the Chart Room Bar and Howie’s Lounge by working on a deep-sea fishing boat.

The Key West stop is being offered as a “limited edition release so that select Paradise guests can also experience (its) laidback charm,” a Margaritaville at Sea spokesperson said.

After the ship sets sail, guests will have to chill out for awhile before getting to the Conch Republic.

After departing on day one, day two will be spent at sea. The ship will arrive in Key West at about 7 a.m. on the third day and depart at about 4 p.m. — leaving about eight or nine hours to visit the Hemingway Home and Museum, the Truman Little White House, the Key West Lighthouse, Mallory Square, the bars on Duval Street, or the first Margaritaville restaurant, which opened in 1987.

Whether the Key West stops from the Port of Palm Beach will continue after December is not yet known. The stops to the place “where it all began for the Margaritaville brand” are expected to be very popular, the spokesperson said, adding, “we are continuing to evaluate our 2025 deployment.”

Michael Meekins, executive director of the Port of Palm Beach, said the port operators are “thrilled” by the addition. “I think it is great the cruise line is offering its cruise passengers different itineraries from Palm Beach, adding more days of fun,” he said Thursday.

Cruise line CEO Christopher Ivy emphasized the “limited capacity” of the Key West plans, saying, “these special sailings give both new and returning guests even more options from the beautiful Port of Palm Beach aboard Margaritaville at Sea.”

For more information, visit margaritavilleatsea.com.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

 

 

There was not a lot of finesse in the five games the Cavaliers and Magic have played in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, so why expect anything different now?

The Cavaliers grabbed a 3-2 lead in the series on April 30 when they edged the Magic, 104-103, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse without starting center Jarrett Allen, who was a pregame scratch because of bruised ribs. Allen was injured in Game 4 when an Orlando player smacked him in the side with an elbow.

Allen did not practice May 2. He will try to play in Game 6 when the Cavs and Magic meet for a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Kia Center in Orlando. But the simple fact he is dealing with such a painful condition is reflective of how physical the series has been and how physical Game 6 is likely to be.

There is no “smooth” way for the #Cavaliers to win Game 6 because it’s going to be “a fist fight,” says Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. pic.twitter.com/AzB7xogswE

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) May 2, 2024

“You’re just getting ready for a fist fight,” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after practice May 2 at Cleveland Clinic Court in Independence. “That’s what it’s going to come down to. It’s going to be a physical game. We expect that, but it’s one of those things where mentally you have to be prepared from the start. There’s no smoothing your way into this one.

“So it doesn’t just start at seven o’clock tomorrow night. It starts with our preparation today. The rest we get, the shootaround (May 3 in Orlando). This is a business trip. You’re going to take care of business. (Allen) is still working through some things, still getting treatment. He’ll be with us on the trip, obviously, and we expect him to give it a go if he can.”

This is the only series among the eight to start the 2024 NBA playoffs in which the home team has won every game — the Cavs three at the FieldHouse and the Magic two in Orlando. If the Magic win at home again, the winner-take-all Game 7 will be 1 p.m. May 5 at the FieldHouse.

“I think it’s the style which both teams play, ” Bickerstaff said. “Obviously playing in front of your home court means a ton, but I think people have just handled business. And when you’re a defensive minded team like both of us are, that gives you an opportunity to win. So we just have to go down there and be ready to do our job and not worry about the crowd.”

The Cavaliers know they have to slow down Orlando forward Paolo Banchero. Banchero scored 39 points in a losing cause on April 30. Banchero scored 31 when the Magic won Game 3, 121-83. He was held to nine points in Game 4, a 112-89 Orlando victory, but Franz Wagner scored 34 points.

Isaac Okoro is ready for the assignment of defending Banchero. He would love to have Allen back in the lineup to help stop the two-headed monster of Banchero and Wagner.

“J,A. is the anchor of our defense,” Okoro said after practice. “He’s out there controlling it, talkin, rebounding. He’s been great during the series, so not having him was tough that game. So everybody has to step up a little bit.

“I’m on the team for my defense, my energy. So I take pride in guarding the best players. Just probably be more physical. (Banchero) not let him get to his shots, making his shots a little more tough.”

Okoro played 23 minutes in Game 5 when Banchero went on his scoring spree. Putting Marcus Morris Sr. on Banchero part of the time is another option for Bickerstaff.

Marcus Morris Sr. could be called up on to help defend Orlando’s Paolo Banchero if Jarrett Allen is unable to play in Game 6 of the Cavaliers-Magic series on May 3. (Tim Phillis – For The News-Herald) Cavaliers at Magic

What: Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Game 6; Cavs lead, 3-2

When: 7 p.m., May 3

Where: Kia Center, Orlando

TV: Bally Sports Ohio, ESPN

Police were under no obligation to re-read a Miranda warning to a hospitalized murder suspect who confessed to killing two people, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday, finding that the defendant’s rights were read to him when he was placed under arrest four weeks earlier.

The decision derailed killer Zachary Penna’s effort to get a new trial in the Nov. 19, 2015, killings of Wayne Dixon, 58, and Freddy Sanchez, 49, inside their Greenacres home.

Prosecutors said Penna later committed other crimes, including robbing a woman, kidnapping a co-worker and stabbing a police dog. He was convicted in 2019. The Fourth District Court of Appeal tossed the conviction in 2022 after determining that incriminating statements Penna made to Brevard County Deputy Michael Nettles should not have been presented to the jury.

“Despite the horrible facts underlying these convictions, we are compelled to reverse these convictions and remand for a new trial due to a violation of the defendant’s Miranda rights,” the appeals court ruled two years ago. “Because those elicited, incriminating responses … undermined the defendant’s insanity defense, the trial court’s errors [in allowing the jury to hear the statements] were not harmless.”

But the Florida Supreme Court took a different view, finding that police had already advised Penna of his rights to remain silent and have an attorney present during questioning. That warning came at the time of Penna’s arrest, four weeks before he spilled his guts to Nettles.

A key issue is that Penna “reinitiated contact” with police, giving his statements because he wanted to even though he was not being interrogated. That amounted to a waiver of the Miranda warnings he had been given previously, the court ruled.

The decision against Penna overturned a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Shelly v. State, holding that police must remind defendants of their rights and give them again under identical circumstances.

That decision, the current court said, was “clearly erroneous.”

The Penna decision returns the case to the Fourth District, which must correct its finding that there was a Miranda violation and decide again whether Penna is entitled to a retrial.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.

By Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

With David Leitch’s love letter to stunt professionals, “The Fall Guy” hitting theaters, and rumblings of a potential Academy Award for stunts on the horizon (something Leitch has advocated for), it’s the perfect time to fire up some of the best movies with the finest stunts that you can find on streaming. Of course this is in no way a comprehensive list, just some suggestions to get the juices flowing during your pre- or post- “Fall Guy” streaming session.

Plus, stunts were an integral part to the early advent of cinema, over a hundred years ago. Audiences were so startled by the Lumiere Brothers’ film “The Arrival of the Train at the Station,” they ran out of the theater. And filmmakers have been thrilling audiences since then with action-packed feats of derring-do, from Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton to Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves.

Keanu Reeves, left, stars in John Wick: Chapter 4.” (Murray Close/Lionsgate/TNS)

It’s always a good idea to start at the beginning, so start with Buster Keaton’s own cinematic train opus, the 1926 silent film “The General,” about a stolen locomotive with his lady love on board. You’ll be dazzled by Keaton’s performance, and witness how modern stunts evolved from, and pay homage to his work. Stream it on Prime Video, Tubi, Kanopy, or rent it on other platforms. Another pioneering stunt performer, Harold Lloyd starred in the 1923 film “Safety Last!” which is streaming on Max, Kanopy, the Criterion Channel and Tubi, so add that to the list as well.

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Of course, modern Hollywood stunts would not be what they are today without the influence of Hong Kong action cinema, especially star Jackie Chan. After a disappointing Hollywood experience, Chan channeled his energy into the “Police Story” franchise, which became a massive blockbuster hit in Asia and Europe. Chan directed the first two films in the franchise, and utilized his Jackie Chan Stunt Team to create some of the most incredible stunts put to film. They are largely considered to be some of the best action films of all time. Stream “Police Story” and “Police Story 2” on Max.

We couldn’t talk about stunts on film without mentioning Tom Cruise and the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, which sees Cruise executing more and more daring stunts, including the eye-popping motorcycle mountain jump that he pulled off in the most recent film “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” Stream the entire franchise, all seven movies (it’s so worth it), on Paramount+.

Back in 1999, a stuntman named Chad Stahelski doubled Keanu Reeves on “The Matrix,” an action film that greatly advanced stunt work. Some 15 years later, Stahelski would direct Reeves in the “John Wick” franchise, their own love letter to stunt work, created in partnership with Leitch, who would go on to make his directorial debut with the chilly Cold War actioner “Atomic Blonde” (2017) starring Charlize Theron. Stream “The Matrix” on Netflix and Max, stream the “John Wick” franchise on Peacock and rent “Atomic Blonde” on all digital platforms to see a bit of “The Fall Guy” DNA.

Finally, no mention of stunt movies would be complete without a shout out to what may be the best action movie of the 21st century so far, George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” This mad dash across the desert involved hordes of war boys clinging to vehicles tearing across the Namibian landscape, leaping and battling from swinging poles and scaffolding, motorcycle grannies, feisty wives, a steely Theron and a taciturn Tom Hardy. The film won several Oscars and would have no doubt scored a stunt Oscar if that was an option. It’s always the right time to stream “Fury Road,” and it also serves as prep for the prequel, “Furiosa,” which roars into theaters on May 24. Stream “Mad Max: Fury Road” on Max or rent it elsewhere.

Katie Walsh is the Tribune News Service film critic and co-host of the “Miami Nice” podcast.

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Joe Field needed something to write about.

“I came up with the idea for Free Comic Book Day when I was a columnist for an industry trade magazine,” says Field, who is the owner of the Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff store in Concord. “I was scratching for ideas when my deadline was looming, looked out the front window of my shop to see a long line of people and none of them were coming into my shop. They were headed next door to Baskin Robbins for Free Scoop Night.

“I thought ‘comics are cooler than ice cream — let’s do this!’ So I wrote a column outlining the idea.”

That was 2001 and the first Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) was held in 2002. It was a massive hit right from Year One, with hundreds of comic book shops taking place in the promotion of giving out free publications to those who visited the participating stores. It now stands as, by far, the biggest annual event at comic book stores worldwide.

“The first FCBD was on May 4, 2002, so this year’s event, also on May 4, is the 23rd annual Free Comic Book Day,” Field says. “Over the last 22 years, FCBD shops have given away tens of millions of free comic books in more than 2,000 shops in more than 60 countries the world over.”

Yet, this year’s Free Comic Book Day — which just happens to coincide with the annual Star Wars celebration on May 4 (“May the Fourth Be With You”) — will also be the last one that will be held at the place where the idea was first hatched.

To the disappointment of comic book fans all over Contra Costa County, Field’s Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff store, at Treat Boulevard and Oak Grove Road in Concord, is set to close in early 2025.

“This year’s FCBD at Flying Colors will be the final one in the shop where the international pop culture event was founded,” Field says. “When our last lease expired, our landlord would only give us three years and gave no option to renew. That lease expires in January 2025, and I tried to get an extension, but was told the owners of this center really wanted to put in a bagel shop. I can’t tell you how many sleepless nights this has given me and my wife, Libby, the co-owner of Flying Colors.”

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: Flying Color Comics owner Joe Field, right, visits with customers at his shop on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Concord, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

So, what’s the next move? Field says that they are looking for a way to continue on with the business in a new fashion and new location.

“We’re very hopeful and now actually pretty excited by what the future of Flying Colors could be,” he says. “There are a lot of unknowns — like how many of our faithful customers will want to create a new habit of going to a different spot to support us? How many new customers can we cultivate moving to a different spot? How strong will the market for comics and graphic novels be over the next bunch of years? Can we afford to do this when we are already technically past the standard retirement date?

“Our hope, our prayer, really, is that we continue to build community and continue to spread happiness through our comic book business. That’s when everything will be a success.”

Yet, there will be time for planning for “what’s next” in the days to come. Right now, Field has to concentrate on hosting the final Free Comic Book Day at the place where it all began.

“This Saturday’s event will be bittersweet,” he says. “This shop has been our home for more than 35 years, so as the days, weeks and months wind down to the closing of this location, we’ll cherish all the good memories we’ve made here and hope that the next version of Flying Colors will be a fresh start to something wonderful.”

Whatever happens next for Flying Colors, Field’s legacy in the industry he loves so dearly is pretty much set in stone following the unmitigated success of Free Comic Book Day.

“For many stores, it’s their busiest day of the year and one real push for outreach to new customers,” says Ryan Higgins, owner of Comics Conspiracy in Sunnyvale. “If even one out of 100 people who stop by on FCBD picks up comics regularly after that, it’s a huge boon to the shop.

“The industry is forever indebted to Joe for the day.”

Free Comic Book 2024

When: May 4

Where: Celebrated at some 2,000 comic book stores in multiple countries. Check out with your local comic book for details.

Information: freecomicbookday.com

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: Flying Color Comics owner Joe Field with a display of graphic novels at his shop on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Concord, Calif.(Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)

Beth Dooley | Star Tribune (TNS)

“It’s impossible not to love someone who made toast for you,” Nigel Slater, in “Toast”

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Bruschetta is toast with a fancy Italian name. A wonderful appetizer at cocktail gatherings and backyard barbecues, in our home, it’s way more than finger food. Bruschetta for dinner is a simple and expeditious means of using up that half loaf of good bread topped with the odds and ends of delicious meals, and the last of the half-filled jars of condiments.

Don’t confuse bruschetta with crostini, or “little toasts” in Italian. Crostini are thin slices of baguette that are cooked until very crunchy. Bruschetta — derived from the Italian word “bruscare,” meaning “to roast over coals,” is drizzled with olive oil before toasting over a grill or under the broiler. The slices are typically bigger, thicker and softer than crostini.

While the typical topping for bruschetta is fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil layered over mozzarella cheese, there’s no reason to stop there, especially this time of year, when fresh tomatoes are found wanting. The key to good bruschetta is good bread and good oil.

With bread, ciabatta is my first choice. It has a sturdy crust and light crumb that absorbs the oil. Baguettes also work well; the crumb is denser so the slices are better suited to moist toppings. Sourdough bread has a lovely tang and can be dense and chewy. Whole wheat works wonderfully if the toppings are paired to the nutty flavor of the wheat.

Choose an oil you like. Some are peppery, others are grassy, others are smooth and buttery with hints of artichokes. The oil enriches the flavor of the bread and provides a finishing note.

Bruschetta is a spectacular weeknight dinner that’s as easy as making toast.

Bruschetta for Dinner

Makes 12 pieces.

Here’s the basic recipe with a list of suggested toppings. You can make the bruschetta ahead and store it in an airtight container for up to a week. It’s a handy way to put that odd end of good bread to use and have ready for a hurry-up dinner or unexpected guests. From Beth Dooley.

• 1 loaf ciabatta or baguette
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Coarse salt

Directions

Preheat the broiler or prepare a grill. Slice 12 pieces from the loaf on the bias and drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the slices until golden brown watching carefully that they don’t burn, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove, allow to cool, and set aside. When ready to serve, top with one of these suggestions, or create your own. After topping, finish with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Suggested toppings

• Cream cheese, flaked smoked salmon, drizzle of lemon juice, capers.
• Pitted, chopped green olives, chopped roasted red pepper.
• Chèvre, diced dried apricots, sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
• Diced avocado, crumbled cotija, spicy corn salsa.
• Smashed cooked white beans, garlic, chopped parsley, more olive oil.
• Sautéed mushrooms and garlic, lots of fresh thyme, serve warm.

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.

©2024 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

General Daily Insight for May 02, 2024

Inspiration could come to us today, but figuring out what to do with it might require actual effort. When the inquisitive Aquarius Moon squares brilliant Uranus and expansive Jupiter, big ideas may flow a mile a minute. However, slow-moving Pluto turns retrograde at 1:46 pm EDT, reminding us that change typically doesn’t happen overnight. After the Moon shifts into contemplative Pisces, we can relax and let our thoughts settle. Once inner transformation takes root, it should show on the outside soon enough!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Noticing subtle shifts in your recent social life could be immensely informative. Have you seen more or less of certain friends lately? You’ll naturally resonate with people who share your values, so any changing patterns might suggest that there’s a deeper process going on within you. That said, there’s no need to make a dramatic announcement to anyone else about where you stand with them at this point. Just continue to let things unfold while paying attention to your feelings along the way.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

A straightforward path to progress is presently unlikely. As deep-diving Pluto turns retrograde in your ambitious 10th house, it’s possible that your first steps toward an important goal have shown you that the process is more complicated than you’d thought. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean you’ve failed — it means you’ve already learned something, even if you only found out what you don’t want! Whatever you eventually decide to do with this knowledge, embrace the benefits of being an expert on your own experience.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Changes to your belief system could seem inconvenient now. At this point, you might be more aware of what you’re losing than what you stand to gain — you were potentially really committed to a political or spiritual viewpoint that no longer seems to be working. This shift hasn’t necessarily come out of nowhere, but maybe key pieces are finally starting to fit together in your mind. Keep thinking about it, and don’t feel obligated to make a statement before you’re ready.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

You may currently be dealing with deeper concerns than usual. Perhaps you’re not as alone as you feel. As the vulnerable Moon in your intense 8th house reaches out to surprising Uranus and benevolent Jupiter in your social sector, someone in your social network could be just the right person to help you process — and it’s probably not who you’d expect. You’ll only find out if you take a risk! Weigh the discomfort of exposure against the potential benefits.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Asserting yourself has the potential to disrupt a dysfunctional relationship dynamic. As perceptive Pluto spins retrograde in your 7th House of Partnerships, your connections might seem especially fraught. Maybe you’ve just suddenly become aware of an ongoing pattern that you used to take for granted. Speaking up could cause drama in the moment, as the other person doesn’t necessarily see what you see. Still, your leadership can make things more comfortable for everyone involved in the long run. Try to be patient.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Pride comes before the fall, Virgo — especially when it comes to important topics like personal health matters. With complicated Pluto turning around in your 6th House of Wellness, some things just don’t have easy answers. Being proved wrong isn’t the worst thing that can happen, though. What you’re learning right now can genuinely help you in the long run, even if questioning your assumptions hurts at first. Focus on what works rather than maintaining loyalty to a particular belief system.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

A creative project might push you to dig deep at the moment. Even if you’re totally fascinated with whatever direction your curiosity is leading you in, perhaps you’re also getting anxious because you’d hoped to have a final product ready sooner. While penetrating Pluto stations retrograde in your artistic 5th house, try to make a point of enjoying the journey instead of rigidly sticking to deadlines. Given enough time to properly unfold, the insights you encounter may turn out to be transformative!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Resolving a home or family matter may take longer than you think it should at this time. Finding the answer is not necessarily all on you — and that’s a good thing. While the open-minded Moon in your domestic zone engages with innovative Uranus and helpful Jupiter in your relationship sector, give someone else the chance to surprise you with their insight. Having had different life experiences, they’re likely able to provide a perspective you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Something you said in the past might come back to haunt you at any moment. When persistent Pluto turns retrograde in your 3rd House of Communication, you may be called upon to deliver on a commitment you made verbally — even if you didn’t think much of it at the time. Keeping the promise could be unexpectedly rewarding. Maybe you’ll learn some useful skills as a result of your efforts! Adventure is everywhere, not just in the most obviously exciting destinations.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Purging your possessions could push you toward clarity today. You may initially be motivated by a desire to clean up your space. Even so, deciding what to keep and what to toss will require some significant decisions. As the sentimental Moon in your resource sector challenges liberating Uranus in your 5th House of Pleasure, you might need to be honest with yourself about which activities you truly enjoy. Admitting you’re over an old hobby will free you to pursue something you like better.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Getting your needs met could presently feel like a high priority. With edgy Pluto turning around in your sign, you’re especially attuned to your longings — and any ways in which your current circumstances aren’t satisfying them. Demanding more from others in your life will probably have risks, though. Changing your attitude toward security might give you room to find what’s comfortable for you. You may need to do something you’re drawn to all by yourself, even if no one else comes along.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Finding a fresh perspective on a troubling incident from your past is possible. While the thoughtful Moon in your 12th House of Secrets winds up disruptive Uranus in your communication zone, your developing insights might edge into more difficult territory than some of the people around you are equipped to deal with. On the other hand, an appreciative audience could provide the validation you seek and even take your inquiry to the next level. Read the room carefully before you spill your guts.

BOSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 118-84 NBA playoff loss to the Boston Celtics:

– So what did we learn about the 2023-24 Heat?

– Not nearly enough.

– If anything.

– Be it because of Jimmy Butler’s indifference to the regular season.

– Or be it because of the injury-depleted state of the roster in the playoffs.

– Yes, there were a few feel-good stories along the way, from the development of Jaime Jaquez Jr. to the emergence of Nikola Jovic.

– But in the end? Only questions.

– And an empty feeling.

– What Boston showed is that no matter the state of this Heat roster, even when healthy, it wasn’t good enough to take down the Celtics.

– Not these Celtics.

– So perhaps better it simply ends, rather than some sort of delusion had the Heat wound up with a more favorable first-round matchup.

– Major work is ahead for Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and the front office.

– And major decisions will have to be made.

– Including:

–  What next with Butler?

– Whether Bam Adebayo is a leading man.

– Whether Tyler Herro is best as a reserve.

– What to make of Terry Rozier.

– And how to handle the free agency of Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith, after punting in a similar situation with the free agency last summer of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.

– It was a good run.

– Three Eastern Conference finals the previous four seasons.

– But this past week-plus has been sobering.

– Eye-opening.

– And now, mercifully over.

– With Jaquez out in addition to Butler and Rozier, the Heat this time opened with Adebayo, Jovic, Martin, Herro and Delon Wright.

– Wright started one game during the regular season.

– With Wednesday giving the Heat their 37th lineup when factoring both regular season and postseason.

– For their part, the Celtics opened with Al Horford in place of sidelined Kristaps Porzingis.

– Patty Mills and Highsmith entered together first off the Heat bench, with Highsmith called for two early fouls.

– Duncan Robinson followed.

– With Kevin Love making it nine deep in the opening period.

– Of the Heat plane leaving light for Boston in light of the injury absences, Adebayo said, “It is what it is. It’s part of life. It’s part of the NBA. Guys get hurt.”

– That reality hit home moments after Wednesday night’s opening tip.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went in appreciating the gravity of the moment, but also stressing the gravity of almost all playoff moments.

– “The playoffs are hard,” he said at the morning shootaround. “And that’s what the thing is, you just have to always remind yourself. It doesn’t matter 3-1, 3-2, 2-1. It’s all challenging unless you’re in a sweeping position. But you want to embrace it. You want to embrace the challenges of great competition.”

– It was a challenge ultimately overwhelming.

– Spoelstra entered 13-10 coaching elimination games, the fifth-highest all-time winning percentage in such situations, behind only, in order from top, Red Auerbach, Joe Lapchick, Lenny Wilkens and Phil Jackson.

– So now make it 13-11.

– As could be expected, Spoelstra bristled pregame when asked about his team’s injury absences.

– “We’re not talking about winning an 82-game regular season with this group,” he said.

– The Celtics during the pregame showed Butler’s TNT interview from Game 3 when he talked about too much Celtics praise during this series. Butler was not present, but nonetheless was booed.

– Herro extended his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 39, dating to the regular season. Herro’s longest such streak is 53 combined regular-season and playoff games, a run that ended March 2, 2021.

BOSTON — No, they didn’t have enough.

No, there wasn’t a next man up.

And perhaps most significantly, there was no Playoff Jimmy.

So, in the end, a playoff crash and burn for the Miami Heat, their season coming to an end with Wednesday night’s 118-84 loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

In retrospect, coming away even with their single win in the best-of-seven opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series probably was a degree of overachievement.

“We’re not going to put this on the fact that we had some injuries,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Let’s not take anything away from Boston. They’ve been the best team in basketball all season long.”

Lacking Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier for all five games of the series, and then also without rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Game 5, the Heat simply did not have nearly enough against the playoffs’ top seeds, with the Celtics this time getting 25 points apiece from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White and 16 from Jayson Tatum.

“You could sense they wanted this to end right now, tonight,” Spoelstra said.

While Heat center Bam Adebayo fought the good fight in playing every minute of the first three quarters, with 23 points, a 6-of-19 night from the field Heat guard Tyler Herro failed to provide the needed support system.

A year ago, with Butler at his Playoff Jimmy top of his game, the Heat stole away from a Game 7 at TD Garden with the Eastern Conference championship.

“They probably had something to motivate them against us,” Spoelstra said.

This time, Butler (knee), Rozier (neck) and Jaquez (hip) had only a distant view of Wednesday night’s carnage, remaining back in South Florida, where lockers soon will be cleared at Kaseya Center.

With the Celtics jumping to an 18-point lead at the end of the first period and then pushing the margin to the second, it left the Heat’s “we have enough’ and “next man up” mantras feeling as empty as the night and the series – and even the season.

“This,” forward Kevin Love said, “obviously is super painful.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s playoff game:

1. Game flow: Fresh off his 38-point performance in Monday night’s Game 4 victory, White scored 15 points in the first nine minutes to fuel Boston to a 41-23 lead going into the second period.

The Celtics then pushed their lead to 30 in the second period before going into halftime up 68-45, at 10 of 21 on 3-pointers at the intermission, compared to the Heat’s 3 of 16.

Boston’s lead then again reached 30 early in the third period, forcing Spoelstra to burn a timeout 2:10 into the quarter.

The Heat went into the fourth quarter down 98-86.

“We learned a lot of lessons,” Adebayo said.

Said forward Nikola Jovic, “It’s something that should motivate us.”

2. Another alteration: With Jaquez, Butler and Rozier out, the Heat opened with their 37th lineup (regular season and postseason combined), this time with Delon Wright receiving his second start of the season and first ever in the playoffs.

The Heat rotation was further muddled when Patty Mills entered first off the bench, after being held out of the first two games of the series.

Duncan Robinson then played as the Heat’s third reserve, as he pushed through an ongoing back issue.

It got more complicated from there, with Highsmith called for three fouls in his first 1:50 and Wright retreating to the locker room in the first quarter for stitches to the inside of his lower lip/chin.

Mills then started the second half in place of Jovic.

“I would say we’ve gained a lot of mental toughness going through ups and downs, learning how to win with 50 different starting lineups,” Adebayo said.

The Celtics also had to adjust, with Al Horford starting at center in place of sidelined Kristaps Porzingis.

3. His part: Adebayo was active and aggressive early, playing all 24 minutes of the first half and attempting 17 shots over the first two periods, his career high for any half, regular season or postgame.

He stood with 21 points at the intermission on 9-of-17 shooting, converting his lone 3-point attempt of that first half.

Adebayo closed the first quarter with 12 points, with none of his teammates scoring more than three in the period.

He finished his night 10 of 26 from the field.

“I had every intention of playing him 48 minutes tonight if the game was within reach,” Spoelstra said.

It was Adebayo’s 60th career game scoring in double digits in the postseason. The only Heat players to do it more in the playoffs are Dwyane Wade (166), LeBron James (85) and Chris Bosh and Butler (each at 61).

4. An off night: Herro missed his first seven shots and stood 3 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, at halftime.

Included in Herro’s uneven night was a first-period technical foul for complaining about a foul call that actually went in the Heat’s favor. He closed 1 of 8 on 3-pointers.

“They definitely got him out of his rhythm,” Adebayo said. “They just took him out of his rhythm.”

The Celtics also continually targeted Herro on the defensive end, particularly Tatum.

“I feel like I’m going to be able to take away a lot from how they guarded me throughout the whole series,” Herro said. “I thought they did a great job, But at the end of the day, it will make me better.”

5. What’s next: The Heat hold the No. 15 pick in the June 26 first round of the NBA draft. Free agency then follows a week later, with Highsmith, Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson, Thomas Bryant and Love among those on the season-ending roster eligible to test the market.

NBA teams are free to make trades once their season comes to a close, as is now the case for the Heat.

“We’ll have plenty of time to go through the autopsy on the regular season,” Spoelstra said, with exit interviews expected later this week. “It was super-competitive in both conferences, and two or three wins could have made monumental differences.”

In the end, while speaking about the series, Highsmith just as easily could have been referencing the season, when he said, “We just couldn’t put it together consistently.”

MIAMI (AP) — Roddery Muñoz pitched six strong innings to get his first major league win and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Making his second major league start, the 24-year-old Muñoz (1-0) gave up one run and three hits while striking out seven and walking two. After allowing two base runners in the first, Muñoz retired 11 straight before Elehuris Montero’s one-out single in the fifth.

“This is something I have always dreamed of and thank God, I am accomplishing it,” Muñoz said in Spanish. “It is very emotional not only for me but my family.”

Muñoz also had a solid debut, when he allowed two runs in five innings against the Chicago Cubs on April 20 but was optioned to Triple-A after his outing. He was recalled by the Marlins on Tuesday.

“That is normal, one knows how this works,” Muñoz said. “What you do is work even harder to return here.”

Emmanuel Rivera singled twice, walked and was hit by a pitch, while Luis Arraez and Bryan De La Cruz each drove in a run for the Marlins, who won their first series of the season. Dane Myers drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single in the eighth and has five RBIs over the last two games.

“We have a good group of guys, good ball players,” Rivera said. “We go out every time to try to win. Obviously, it is not always going to happen but we always come with that winning mentality.”

The Rockies are the first team since 1900 to have trailed at one point in each of their first 30 games. They lost their fourth straight since scoring six in the eighth and rallying from a five-run deficit to beat San Diego 10-9 April 25.

“We’ve got to keep on fighting,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “I think the youth on this team is being served. They’re learning and they learn that it’s hard in the big leagues with big league pitching. “

Arraez hit a two-out RBI single against Rockies starter Dakota Hudson and scored on De La Cruz’s double to put Miami ahead 2-0 in the fifth.

Elias Díaz’s run-scoring grounder in the sixth got the Rockies to 2-1 after Muñoz walked Brenton Doyle and allowed Ryan McMahon’s double.

Bryan Hoeing relieved Muñoz and got the next five outs. Tanner Scott completed the eighth and Anthony Maldonado closed with a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

“Some really good wins the last couple and it started with the starting pitching,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Roddery was amazing today. The slider was real. The fastball command was great. Excellent job by Roddery.”

Hudson (0-5) allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked two, struck out two and hit a batter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (left elbow strain) is improving and could progress to a throwing session soon.

Marlins: SS Tim Anderson (mild left thumb sprain) was scratched from the original lineup as a precaution. Anderson didn’t start Tuesday but entered as the automatic runner in the 10th inning and scored the tying run in Miami’s 7-6 win.

UP NEXT

RHP Peter Lambert (2-1, 4.67) will start the series finale for the Rockies on Thursday while the Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (1-1, 5.28).

___

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

UCF continued its impressive showing in the transfer market with a commitment from former East Tennessee State cornerback Sheldon Arnold II.

Arnold, an All-American with the Buccaneers, becomes the eighth transfer commitment for the Knights since the end of spring camp April 12. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound defensive back spent three seasons at ETSU, totaling 57 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions and a forced fumble in 30 games.

In 2023, he appeared in 11 games (five starts) and was third on the team in tackles (53), 2 interceptions and a forced fumble.

East Tennessee State capped a 3-8 season, including 2-6 in the Southern Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision last season.

A native of Loganville, Ga., Arnold was a two-sport star for the Red Devils, excelling in basketball and football. He played free safety and receiver on the varsity team, recording 94 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 3 passes defended as a senior.

Arnold’s commitment came at the end of a busy Wednesday, with the Knights securing two other pledges earlier in the day from Toledo running back Peny Boone and Ohio receiver Jacoby Jones. He joins former Cedrick Hawkins and Tre’Quon Fegans as defensive backs to commit to the program during the 30-day spring transfer window, which ended April 30.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

UCF spring transfer commits

Cedrick Hawkins, CB, Ohio StateJack Bernstein, LS, Georgia StateNyjalik Kelly, DE, MiamiTre’Quon Fegans, S, USCJacurri Brown, QB, MiamiPeny Boone, RB, ToledoJacoby Jones, WR, OhioSheldon Arnold II, CB, East Tennessee State

Fans of the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays who watch their teams through Xfinity cable will have to find other options.

A dispute between Diamond Sports Group, parent of Bally Sports, and Xfinity parent Comcast has resulted in the removal of all Bally Sports channels from Xfinity cable systems across the country.

Among the blacked-out channels are Bally Sports Florida, which broadcasts Florida Marlins games, and Bally Sports Sun, home to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The two channels also broadcast Miami Heat and Florida Panthers regular-season games. Headed into Wednesday night, the Heat were one playoff loss to the Boston Celtics from ending their season and the Panthers are headed to ESPN and TNT exclusively after dispatching the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night.

The channels are owned by Diamond Sports Group, which broadcasts 38 teams from Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL, in cities that include Atlanta, Indianapolis, Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.

Comcast is the second-largest cable company in the U.S., with 13.6 million customers.

The Washington Post reported that the impasse could impact Diamond’s ability to emerge from a years-long bankruptcy proceeding and have a significant financial impact on all three leagues.

The Post said that the dispute is focused on Comcast’s desire to place the channels to a more expensive tier, and require subscribers to pay more to get them. Prior to the blackout, Bally Sports channels were available as part of Xfinity’s basic tier.

According to some news reports, the channels went dark in the middle of games in several markets.

The two companies released statements on Tuesday blaming each other for the blackout.

The Diamond statement said: “Comcast has refused to engage in substantive discussions despite Diamond offering terms similar to those reached with much larger distributors of ours. We are a fans-first company and will continue to seek an agreement with Comcast to restore broadcasts.”

The company urged fans to access its networks through streaming platforms Fubo, DirecTV Stream, or by subscribing directly to Bally Sports+, its streaming app.

Comcast’s statement said: “We have been very flexible with Diamond Sports Group for months as they work through their bankruptcy proceedings, providing them with an extension on the Bally Sports Regional Networks last fall and a unilateral right to extend the term for another year, which they opted to not exercise. We’d like to continue carrying their networks, but they have declined multiple offers and now we no longer have the rights to this programming.”

Comcast said it would “proactively” credit customers for the costs associated with the channels. Most subscribers will receive $8 to $10 a month in credits, the company said.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

 

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper opened his end-of-season news conference Wednesday apologizing for making what he called an inappropriate analogy of putting skirts on goalies.

Cooper after the Game 5 loss that eliminated his team from the playoffs on Monday night vented about two questionable goaltender interference rulings that contributed to Florida’s 6-1 win. The Lightning had two goals disallowed when the NHL situation room deemed a player interfered with Sergei Bobrovsky each time.

The league’s longest-tenured coach said he was sincerely sorry especially as a father of two daughters who play sports and a supporter of women’s hockey.

“It’s one of those minutes if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would’ve,” Cooper said. “Quite frankly, it was wrong and I’ve got to go and explain myself to my girls. … I sincerely apologize to all I offended. It’s pained me more than the actual series loss itself.”

Jon Cooper opens his presser addressing the “girls in skirts” comment from Monday night.

He says this has been harder than the loss. #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/uilXVpnIeE

— Diandra Loux (@Diandra_loux) May 1, 2024

Tampa Bay has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons on the job and won the Stanley Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, so fruit salsas come to mind to complement any dish. This is the perfect time of year to find fresh, ripe, juicy pineapples, mangos, strawberries, and even avocados. Mango seasons tend to be from May through September whereas pineapple seasons tend to be from March through the summer.

Growing up in SoCal, I have eaten many salsas – mostly savory, but some on the sweeter side – but now salsas don’t just equal a tomato or tomatillo-base any more. Fresh in-season fruit is very popular in creating fruit salsas and condiments for dishes. Strawberries that are macerated with a pinch of sugar and salt, with thinly diced bell peppers, makes for a perfect salsa-condiment to add to vanilla or strawberry ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Growing up in SoCal, I was lucky enough to try the best authentic Mexican street food north and south of the border, and what I learned from a young age was an out-of-this-world salsa or marinade pushes a dish from being just good to being amazing and craveable.

Ingredients included in a fruit salsa are like Skittles: You can taste the rainbow. (Esther Kennedy/Contributed)

Macerating strawberries with a pinch or two of granulated white sugar and a pinch of salt creates a beautiful salsa and adding a slight kick from fresh peppers like jalapenos gives the perfect topping for vanilla bean ice cream. Sweet meets a tiny bit of heat is a perfect marriage of flavors. Fruit salsas with mango or pineapple at the forefront are amazing on fish tacos, carne asada burritos, nachos, as well as perfect just dipping chips into the salsa.

Pro tip: As much as homemade chips are used in recipes and fun to make, sometimes keeping it simple and using your favorite store-bought tortilla chips is the way to go.

When making a fresh, fruity salsa, use robust flavors like red or orange bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime zest and juice.

May the fruit salsa be with you!

Live zestier!

Esther Kennedy is a Myrtletown resident. She can be reached at estherthezester@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/estherthezester.

For eight years, supporters of the Historic Stranahan House Museum, the oldest house in Fort Lauderdale, have been trying to renovate the green-and-white landmark on the New River.

They completed an initial phase in 2018, when they added a patio. They were ready to move into the next phase when COVID-19 hit in 2020.

COVID abated, but more delays followed, including the construction of the city’s Tunnel Top Plaza next door, which limited access to the house for two years. The park finally had its grand opening in December.

So at last, renovations can begin. The house is close to its $2.7 million fundraising goal, with 67% already pledged. The campaign includes a matching grant of up to $100,000 from the Wayne and Lucretia Weiner Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward; the money for that part of the campaign must be raised by Sunday, May 5.

“We’ve been wanting to do this for a really long time,” said Jennifer Belt, the house’s executive director. “There have been so many stall-outs.”

Visitors take a guided tour of Stranahan House in Fort Lauderdale on April 25, 2024. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The renovations are much-needed, Belt said, to accommodate tourists and local residents seeking to connect with Fort Lauderdale’s early 20th-century history. The house offers tours, field trips and classes, as well as serving as a venue for weddings and other community get-togethers.

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The two-story wooden home, built in 1901, was Fort Lauderdale’s very first structure. Ohio native Frank Stranahan had moved south to transport travelers by ferry from one side of the New River to the other and trade goods with the native Seminole Indians. The house first served as a trading post and community hall, and later as a home for Stranahan and his wife, Ivy. The Stranahans became deeply involved in the life of the city, but in 1926, Florida’s land boom collapsed, creating severe financial difficulties for the couple.

In 1929, depressed and in ill health, Frank killed himself by tying a weight to his leg and jumping in the New River. After his death, Ivy continued to live in the house, moving upstairs and taking in boarders. She died in 1971 at age 90.

In 1973, the house, which is owned by the nonprofit Stranahan House Inc., was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Restoration began in 1980, and it opened as a museum in 1984.

There have been few updates since that 1984 opening, so supporters have had many years to brainstorm the best ways to improve the property while honoring its beginnings.

Stranahan House executive director Jennifer Belt in in the garden area, which will be turned into an event pavilion. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The current campaign will finance several construction projects, including a classroom for field trips and community gatherings and restoration of the 1,300-square-foot wooden front porch, which has suffered from wear and tear as visitors come and go from the main house. A welcome center with a gift shop and museum ticket window also is planned, as well as a catering kitchen and covered event pavilion to accommodate weddings, cocktail parties, rehearsal dinners and other receptions.

Above the catering kitchen, planners envision an archival storage center that will allow the museum to keep historic items and its large collection of Christmas decorations on the property, thus saving money they have been paying for commercial storage unit rent.

The house hosts about 25 weddings and other parties a year, Belt said, and hopes to increase this business in the next few years as a way to reduce appeals to the community for money.

“Once we have a catering kitchen and event pavilion, our rentals will probably double in two to three years,” Belt said. “We’re working toward self-sustainability.”

Historic Stranahan House Museum is at 335 SE Sixth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Admission is $13 for adults younger than 60, $11 for seniors and $8 for children age 5 to 17. Guided tours only. For more information or to donate, go to stranahanhouse.org.

 

Why can’t the Buyer do a Home Inspection?  Hawaii Business Magazine

As a Jewish alumnus of Columbia University (class of 1981), the latest news has been surreal.

The video scenes of the 116th Street gates do not drip with nostalgia. I now watch only with sadness.

Columbia is no stranger to student protest. However, when I was a student, the protests were against outside actors. The outside actors were South Africa or the United States government, and there was no distinction whether Democrats or Republicans were in power. Today, university students protest their fellow Jewish students as much as they do Israel.

Moreover, students who protest Israel, amazingly, are supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization that is currently holding American citizens hostage.

Support of an entity holding Americans hostage reveals a staggering difference between students of “my” era and those of today. I vividly recall the nights we spent at McSorley’s Old Ale House (New York’s oldest bar). Everyone drank and chanted epithets against the Ayatollah and Iran.

Supporting an entity holding fellow citizens hostage wasn’t even contemplated.

How the mighty have fallen.

Dr. Gene Klein, Deerfield Beach

A mob mentality

I have no doubt that the great majority of students who are participating in campus protests over Gaza are ignorant dupes who are getting a rush from mob mentality and the youthful experience of defying authority.

The spread of protests from university to university is a clear case of “monkey see, monkey do.”

For those who are truly sincere in their political beliefs, it’s one thing to protest peacefully, but quite another to brazenly call for extermination of Israel and for another Holocaust.

David Shifrin, M.D., Boca Raton 

Where’s the outcry?

There appears to be an organized effort by the far left in funding all the present campus protests, including organizing antisemitic hatred of Jewish students on Ivy League universities, and it seems the epicenter is Columbia University in New York.

Jewish students have been strongly advised to leave the campus for their own safety.

If this had been happening to African Americans or LGBTQ students, there would have been a tremendous outcry from President Joe Biden and the mainstream media. But now, with Jewish lives in danger, we hear only crickets. Only President Donald Trump stood up against antisemitism from his New York City courtroom at a hush money trial, where a Boston University legal scholar, as reported by New York Times, called his trial an embarrassment.

This series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations must be strongly condemned by all Americans. Columbia University’s president should be fired. Demonstrations of antisemitism and violence must end.

David G. Ellenberg, Pembroke Pines

A disingenuous article

It is getting monotonous reading a headline in the Sun Sentinel that has no bearing on reality.

sunsentinel.comThis Associated Press news article irked a Sun Sentinel reader.

The AP news article, “Trump’s minority outreach stalling,” is mostly disingenuous and was written to try and give hope to Joe Biden’s supporters that they will easily control the votes from minorities.

In this article, published April 29, you have to wade through five-and-a-half columns, almost to the end, to read this:

“Polls show that many Black and Hispanic adults are dissatisfied with Biden. According to polls by Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Biden’s approval among Black adults has dropped from 94% when he started his term to 55% in March. Among Hispanic adults, it dropped from 70% to 32% in the same period.”

That averages out to around a 45% drop overall.

Bottom line: If Biden loses even 25% of those voters, he’s toast.

This is because Biden’s economic and immigration policies hurt these two groups more than most. The only subject Biden can win on out of the top 10 for these two groups is on abortion, and it’s at the bottom of the issues they care most about.

Mark Goldstein, Boca Raton

By Jennifer Peltz and Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis, but wouldn’t legalize it for recreational use.

The proposal would move marijuana from the “Schedule I” group to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”

So what does that mean, and what are the implications?

WHAT HAS ACTUALLY CHANGED? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Technically, nothing yet. The proposal must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, and then undergo a public-comment period and review from an administrative judge, a potentially lengthy process.

Still, the switch is considered “paradigm-shifting, and it’s very exciting,” Vince Sliwoski, a Portland, Oregon-based cannabis and psychedelics attorney who runs well-known legal blogs on those topics, told The Associated Press when the federal Health and Human Services Department recommended the change.

“I can’t emphasize enough how big of news it is,” he said.

Budtender Rey Cruz weighs cannabis for a customer at the Marijuana Paradise on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

It came after President Joe Biden asked both HHS and the attorney general, who oversees the DEA, last year to review how marijuana was classified. Schedule I put it on par, legally, with heroin, LSD, quaaludes and ecstasy, among others.

Biden, a Democrat, supports legalizing medical marijuana for use “where appropriate, consistent with medical and scientific evidence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. “That is why it is important for this independent review to go through.”

IF MARIJUANA GETS RECLASSIFIED, WOULD IT LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL CANNABIS NATIONWIDE?

No. Schedule III drugs — which include ketamine, anabolic steroids and some acetaminophen-codeine combinations — are still controlled substances.

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They’re subject to various rules that allow for some medical uses, and for federal criminal prosecution of anyone who traffics in the drugs without permission.

No changes are expected to the medical marijuana programs now licensed in 38 states or the legal recreational cannabis markets in 23 states, but it’s unlikely they would meet the federal production, record-keeping, prescribing and other requirements for Schedule III drugs.

There haven’t been many federal prosecutions for simply possessing marijuana in recent years, even under marijuana’s current Schedule I status, but the reclassification wouldn’t have an immediate impact on people already in the criminal justice system.

“Put simple, this move from Schedule I to Schedule III is not getting people out of jail,” said David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs at the U.S. Cannabis Council.

But rescheduling in itself would have some impact, particularly on research and marijuana business taxes.

WHAT WOULD THIS MEAN FOR RESEARCH?

Because marijuana is on Schedule I, it’s been very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies that involve administering the drug. That has created something of a Catch-22: calls for more research, but barriers to doing it. (Scientists sometimes rely instead on people’s own reports of their marijuana use.)

Schedule III drugs are easier to study, though the reclassification wouldn’t immediately reverse all barriers to study, Culver said.

WHAT ABOUT TAXES (AND BANKING)?

Under the federal tax code, businesses involved in “trafficking” in marijuana or any other Schedule I or II drug can’t deduct rent, payroll or various other expenses that other businesses can write off. (Yes, at least some cannabis businesses, particularly state-licensed ones, do pay taxes to the federal government, despite its prohibition on marijuana.) Industry groups say the tax rate often ends up at 70% or more.

The deduction rule doesn’t apply to Schedule III drugs, so the proposed change would cut cannabis companies’ taxes substantially.

They say it would treat them like other industries and help them compete against illegal competitors that are frustrating licensees and officials in places such as New York.

Cloud 9 Cannabis employee Beau McQueen, right, helps a customer, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Arlington, Wash. The shop is one of the first dispensaries to open under the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board’s social equity program, established in efforts to remedy some of the disproportionate effects marijuana prohibition had on communities of color. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

“You’re going to make these state-legal programs stronger,” says Adam Goers, an executive at medical and recreational cannabis giant Columbia Care. He co-chairs a coalition of corporate and other players that’s pushing for rescheduling.

It could also mean more cannabis promotion and advertising if those costs could be deducted, according to Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Center.

Rescheduling wouldn’t directly affect another marijuana business problem: difficulty accessing banks, particularly for loans, because the federally regulated institutions are wary of the drug’s legal status. The industry has been looking instead to a measure called the SAFE Banking Act. It has repeatedly passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

ARE THERE CRITICS? WHAT DO THEY SAY?

Indeed, there are, including the national anti-legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana. President Kevin Sabet, a former Obama administration drug policy official, said the HHS recommendation “flies in the face of science, reeks of politics” and gives a regrettable nod to an industry “desperately looking for legitimacy.”

Some legalization advocates say rescheduling weed is too incremental. They want to keep the focus on removing it completely from the controlled substances list, which doesn’t include such items as alcohol or tobacco (they’re regulated, but that’s not the same).

Paul Armentano, the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said that simply reclassifying marijuana would be “perpetuating the existing divide between state and federal marijuana policies.” Minority Cannabis Business Association President Kaliko Castille said rescheduling just “re-brands prohibition,” rather than giving an all-clear to state licensees and putting a definitive close to decades of arrests that disproportionately pulled in people of color.

“Schedule III is going to leave it in this kind of amorphous, mucky middle where people are not going to understand the danger of it still being federally illegal,” he said.

Peltz reported from New York. Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZ, COLLEEN LONG and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — The first week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial was the scene-setter for jurors. This week, prosecutors are working on filling in the details of how they say he pulled off a scheme to bury damaging stories to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

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Prosecutors are setting the stage for crucial testimony from Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who arranged hush money payments on Trump’s behalf before going to prison for campaign finance violations and other crimes.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty.

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up so far this week at the historic trial:

JAIL THREAT

Six months before the 2024 presidential election, the presumptive Republican nominee is being threatened with possible jail time — even before jurors decide whether he is guilty in the hush money case.

Judge Juan Merchan raised the specter of time behind bars if Trump continues to violate a gag order barring him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and others connected with the case.

In a ruling Tuesday fining Trump $9,000 for repeated violations of the gag order, Merchan wrote that as a judge he was “keenly aware of, and protective of” Trump’s First Amendment rights, “particularly given his candidacy for the office of President of the United States.”

Former President Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche return to the courtroom after a break for his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

But Merchan said that the court would not tolerate “willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”

Trump was ordered to pay the fine by the close of business Friday. Ahead of a separate Tuesday deadline set by the judge, Trump deleted his posts that the judge ruled violated the order. The judge will hear arguments on Thursday on other alleged gag order violations by Trump.

NUTS & BOLTS

Prosecutors are using detailed testimony on email exchanges, business transactions and bank accounts to form the foundation of their argument that Trump is guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the hush money payments.

Jurors heard from Gary Farro, a banker who helped Cohen open the account Cohen used to buy the silence of porn actor Stormy Daniels in the weeks before the 2016 election. Daniels was threatening to go public with claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.

Farro also testified about helping Cohen create another account, which Cohen planned to use to buy the rights of former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story about an alleged affair with Trump. Trump denies both Daniels’ and McDougal’s claims.

Attorney Todd Blanche walks outside the courtroom during the trial of his client, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, at Manhattan criminal court Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP)

Cross-examining Farro, Blanche, the defense lawyer, underscored that Cohen made no mention that the accounts he opened in October 2016 had anything to do with deals involving then-candidate Trump or his company.

If Cohen had done so, “I would have asked questions,” Farro said.

Cohen told Farro the accounts were related to real estate. Farro testified that he might not have opened an account if he had known their intended purpose.

TRUMP VIDEOS

During the trial, Trump is being increasingly confronted with images and testimony on the very stories he tried to bury.

The judge has ruled that jurors won’t get to see the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump was caught on a hot mic describing grabbing women sexually without their permission. The tape from 2005 didn’t become public until Oct. 7, 2016, just weeks before election day.

That video is important because prosecutors are trying to make the case that Trump paid hush money to Daniels because he feared her claims about a sex encounter could further hurt him with female voters after the video leaked.

Prosecutors worked around that limitation on Tuesday by showing jurors C-SPAN clips of Trump on the campaign trail in 2016 forcefully denying allegations made by several women after the video became public. The prosecutors also asked witnesses to generally describe the “Access Hollywood” video.

“The stories are total fiction. They’re 100% made up, they never happened, they never would happen,” Trump said at a Oct. 14, 2016, rally in North Carolina.

THE DEAL MAKER

Keith Davidson, a lawyer who represented McDougal and Daniels in their negotiations with Cohen and the National Enquirer, took the witness stand Tuesday. The tabloid bought McDougal’s story to prevent her from going public with the claims about Trump.

Davidson’s testimony provided jurors with an inside look at the negotiations behind the two deals to keep the women quiet.

Davidson testified that the National Enquirer initially wasn’t keen on the idea of buying McDougal’s story because she “lacked documentary evidence of the interaction.”

But the talks between the tabloid and McDougal’s camp restarted weeks later. Eventually Davidson said they agreed that McDougal would receive $150,000 payment as well as the promise of magazine covers and regular columns for publications owned by the National Enquirer’s parent company American Media Inc.

Former President Donald Trump leaves the courtroom following the day’s proceedings in his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

Soon after the “Access Hollywood” tape leaked, Daniels’ agent reached out to the National Enquirer about buying the rights to Daniels’ story for $120,000. The tabloid, however, didn’t want to go through with the deal and told Daniels’ agent to call Cohen to deal with him directly, Davidson said.

Davidson said he stepped in to negotiate the deal, and raised the price to $130,000 to build in a fee for his work.

“In essence, Michael Cohen stepped into AMI’s shoes,” Davidson said, referring to the name of the Enquirer’s parent company at the time.

THE COURT CALENDAR

The trial is expected to last another month or more, with jurors hearing testimony four days a week. Trump — who has cast the prosecution as an effort to hurt his 2024 campaign — is required to be there, much to his stated dismay.

“They don’t want me on the campaign trail,” he said Tuesday.

The judge said Tuesday that there will be no court on May 17 so Trump can attend his son Barron’s high school graduation.

Court also won’t be in session on Friday, May 24 to accommodate a juror who has a flight that morning, the judge said. That means the trial will be off for four straight days for the Memorial Day weekend, resuming on Tuesday, May 28.

Long and Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Jennifer Peltz and Ruth Brown contributed from New York.

MIAMI — Dane Myers hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning as the Miami Marlins overcame a five-run deficit and beat Colorado 7-6 on Tuesday night, making the Rockies the first team since 1900 to trail in each of its first 29 games.

Miami (7-24) bounced back from a 5-0 first-inning deficit by scoring five times in the ninth, then rallied from down 6-5 in the 10th and ended a seven-game losing streak.

“For anybody that says that they don’t care, they don’t fight, they don’t work, that kind of proves everyone wrong,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “The results are the results. I get it. But it’s not for a lack of want or a lack of caring. Those guys really care. They want to win and they’re prepared to win every day.”

The Rockies (7-22) had lost Sunday and joined the 1910 St. Louis Browns as the only teams to trail in each of their first 28 games.

Colorado never was behind until after the final pitch.

Backed by a 5-0 first-inning lead, Ryan Feltner entered the ninth trying for his first professional complete game but allowed Vidal Bruján’s leadoff single, hit Christian Bethancourt with a pitch, then gave up Luis Arraez’s RBI double.

Justin Lawrence relieved and walked Bryan De La Cruz, gave up Myers’ two-run single, forced in a run when he hit Jesús Sánchez with a pitch with the bases loaded and allowed Emmanuel Rivera’s sacrifice fly.

“It’ll take me a while to think about my performance,” Feltner said. “Right now, I just feel like I let the team down. I got to finish that ninth inning out. Never been in a position like that before, and I’m hungry to get back there to the ninth and finish out next time.”

Ryan McMahon’s RBI double against Tanner Scott (1-4) put the Rockies ahead 6-5 in the 10th, but De La Cruz had a run-scoring double off Jalen Beeks (2-2) in the bottom half and scored when Myers’ grounded an opposite-field single to right. Hunter Goodman made a one-hop throw to the plate but the ball bounced out of Elias Díaz’s mitt as De La Cruz slid into the catcher.

“I was just looking for something over the plate,” Myers said.

Myers got his his first big league walk-off hit. He entered in the eighth after Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected by plate umpire Jansen Visconti for arguing a called third strike.

“He was the first one to thank me,” Myers said of Chisholm. “He’s a good clubhouse guy and teammate. It feels good to pick up a guy like Jazz and I’m glad I was able to do that.”

Jordan Beck, a 23-year-old Rockies outfield prospect, went 2 for 4 in his major league debut. He singled in his first big league at-bat.

Miami won a series opener for the first time this season.

Elehuris Montero hit a three-run homer in the first against Sixto Sánchez after McMahon and Charlie Blackmon had RBI singles.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF Nolan Jones (low back strain) was placed on the 10-day IL. … LHP Lucas Gilbreath (left shoulder soreness) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Marlins: INF Jake Burger (left intercostal muscle strain) and LHP Braxton Garrett (left shoulder impingement) will play with Triple-A Jacksonville on rehab assignments Wednesday.

UP NEXT

RHP Dakota Hudson (0-4, 6.57) will start the second game of the series for the Rockies on Wednesday. RHP Roddery Muñoz (0-0, 3.60) is scheduled to start for the Marlins.