Death Valley National Park is exactly what the name implies. It is one of the driest, hottest and most desolate areas in the world, with summer temperatures in the desert region reaching well into triple digits for days and sometimes weeks. The national park, which straddles the California-Nevada border, is one of the lowest in elevation, of all the parks, according to the National Park Service website, and is a “land of extremes.” The steady drought and record summer heat lead to... Read More
Who wants to fill the world with blues and silly love songs? Morgan Freeman at Beatles on the Beach
What better way to glorify the band that was “more popular than Jesus” than with the voice of God? The sonorous presence of actor Morgan Freeman will be one of the highlights of the Beatles on the Beach festival in Boca Raton on March 12-15, which will include a March 14 performance by Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience. As suggested by its name, the actor and ensemble tour the country to share new treatments of music from the Mississippi Delta and 100 years of storytelling... Read More
Vote in March or November? The pros and cons behind South Florida election dates
Many South Florida voters are heading to the polls this Tuesday, even though residents in other communities aren’t casting ballots until months from now, in November. Voters in cities and towns across Broward and Palm Beach counties may have municipal elections either on March 10 or Nov. 3, depending on where they live. So what difference does an election date make? Here are the pros and cons behind each election season. November elections Of the Broward cities holding contested municipal... Read More
Florida poll finds widespread affordability worries. Most voters ready to cut property taxes.
Florida voters, acutely concerned about affordability, are ready to vote in favor of a dramatic reduction in property taxes paid by residential homeowners. The conclusions about their sentiments come from a University of North Florida poll that asked voters about a range of issues. Affordability is top of mind for likely midterm election voters, UNF’s Public Opinion Research Lab reported in its March survey results. Asked a broad question about what they see as “the most important... Read More
Matthew Tkachuk has hat trick, Panthers beat Red Wings to end four-game losing streak
By DANA GAURUDER DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk had his sixth career hat trick and the Florida Panthers beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Eight points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East, two-time defending champion Florida is in danger of becoming the first Cup-winning team to miss the playoffs the following season since Los Angeles in 2014-15. Tkachuk had his first hat trick since Jan. 9, 2024, against St. Louis. He has... Read More
Former Davie firefighter accused of misdemeanor battery won’t be charged
A former Davie Fire Rescue lieutenant who was accused of battering his wife hours before she was found dead in Coral Springs last year will not be charged with any crime stemming from that day. Jeffrey Evans, 43, of Coral Springs, was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge after an argument with his wife became physical, according to a probable cause affidavit. Their fight on the morning of Aug. 25 about 11:30 a.m. was recorded on Ring surveillance video, which showed Evans... Read More
Pentagon’s chief tech officer says he clashed with AI company Anthropic over autonomous warfare
By MATT O’BRIEN A top Pentagon official said Anthropic’s dispute with the government over the use of its artificial intelligence technology in fully autonomous weapons came after a debate over how AI could be used in President Donald Trump’s future Golden Dome missile defense program, which aims to put U.S. weapons in space. U.S. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer, said he came to view the AI company’s ethical restrictions on the use of... Read More
Judge rejects Hollywood cop-killer’s bid to ditch his guilty plea
A man facing a life sentence after confessing to the murder of a Hollywood police officer will not be allowed to change his plea now that a jury rejected the death penalty, a Broward judge ruled Friday. Jason Banegas, 23, pleaded guilty last year in a decision that even surprised Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra, who presided over the case. But after a penalty-phase trial ended with a jury recommending a life sentence instead of the death penalty, Banegas had a change of heart, writing to... Read More
The US attack on an Iranian warship did not violate international law, experts say
By MARK SHERMAN, LINDSAY WHITEHURT, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and MOLLY QUELL WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. submarine’s deadly attack on an Iranian warship does not appear to have violated international or American military law, though it’s not yet clear whether the sub took sufficient measures to rescue nearly three dozen survivors, legal experts said. Legal questions are swirling about the underpinnings for the entire U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, and the... Read More
For US Muslims, immigration crackdown fears, new war worries and anti-Muslim rhetoric cloud Ramadan
By LUIS ANDRES HENAO and MARIAM FAM PATERSON, N.J. (AP) — Midway through Ramadan, Muslims across the United States are striving to maintain the holy month’s traditional mix of prayers and festive spirit under a cloud of worrisome events. The federal government’s immigration crackdown has affected many of their communities. Virulent anti-Muslim rhetoric is surging. And now the Middle East — where many have loved ones — is buffeted by the Iran war. In Paterson, New Jersey — home to... Read More