Broward.US

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

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

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

The dining scene in Broward and Palm Beach counties is aglow with restaurants expected to make their debut this March and April. Here are some buzzy newcomers about to open their kitchens. Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Cafe, 3334 N. University Drive, Suite 8, Coral Springs; MitchsDowntown.com. Knishes, babka, pastrami and corned beef handhelds, black-and-white-cookies and scratch-made bagels of every stripe (even rainbow) are offered at this New York-style deli, the fourth in co-owner Adam... Read More

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 126-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets: – With the Heat now past the quarter pole of their remaining games, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked pregame about the balance of getting his players on the court while also being mindful of not having nagging injuries linger. – “We’re going for it,” Spoelstra said, as if reiterating his team’s every-game-matters mantra. – He added, “I know at this time of year,... Read More

MIAMI — On many other nights, the Miami Heat might have reached the point of peril. Against the Brooklyn Nets, adversity merely proved to be an inconvenience Thursday night for Erik Spoelstra’s team. So even with Bam Adebayo in foul trouble, with Norman Powell sidelined, and with an unexpected deficit in the third period, ultimately a 126-110 victory over the tanking Nets, the Heat’s sixth victory in their last eight games. With Adebayo mostly a second-half spectator, the Heat got... Read More

By LAURA UNGAR Last year, President Donald Trump told pregnant women not to take Tylenol as he promoted unproven ties between the fever reducer and autism and touted an old generic drug as a treatment for the developmental condition. For nearly three months after that, new research found, Tylenol orders for pregnant women showing up in emergency rooms dropped and prescriptions of the generic drug for children rose. This happened despite sharp criticism of the president’s message from... Read More

In the last months of his life, attorney Richard Rosenbaum knew that other attorneys would need to step in to finish the cases he could not. His son, Ryan, was tasked with reaching out to Rosenbaum’s colleagues to find attorneys who could argue as passionately as he did against the death penalty. Good luck with that. “They told me, ‘Your dad is a unicorn. We can’t replace him,’” said Ryan Rosenbaum. Richard Lawrence Rosenbaum, 67, died Tuesday after fighting cancer for the last... Read More

Why all the secrecy? Two months after Project Tango erupted in controversy, the tech user behind the proposed massive Palm Beach County data center has not been officially identified. The investigative news site Seeking Rents reports that the developers are Palm Beach Aggregates, a rock-mining company, and Phillips Inc., a Tennessee-based infrastructure contractor. But the end user remains unknown. Legislation in Tallahassee might stall development by requiring studies, buffers and... Read More

South Florida’s bar scene is constantly spoiling us. When you’ve had your fill of carefully curated posh cocktail dens, a new breed of tapas bars awaits around the corner, with wine flights, sangria and Basque burnt cheesecake. Palomas and classy Aperol spritzes are in, mocktails and nonalcoholic beers are rising, and espresso martinis aren’t disappearing anytime soon. In conclusion, the state of our drinking union is strong. The newest class of bars calling the shots in our region... Read More