Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed every year on Jan. 27. While Florida has mandated Holocaust education since 1994, the state took the step of labeling the date a “legal holiday or special observance,” effective July 2025. This new legislation makes Jan. 27 permanent on government calendars and explicitly requires schools to teach “anti-semitism and contributions of the Jewish community” on that day. The fact that legislators felt the need to expand these protections last... Read More
Mega ticket alert! 20 concerts on sale: Bruno Mars, A$AP Rocky, Pitbull, Diana Ross, James Taylor
Here are 20 shows coming to South Florida stages in 2026 that have put tickets on sale in the past several weeks (or are about to), including A$AP Rocky, Pitbull, James Taylor, Bruno Mars, Luke Bryan, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Miranda Lambert, Charlie Puth, Bush and Madison Beer — all recommended in an efficient 10 words. We Belong Here: DJ festival featuring Tiësto, Kaskade, Lane 8, Elderbrook and more. Feb. 27-March 1, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami. WeBelongHere.world Miranda... Read More
Trendy brunch spot Café Bastille brings pistachio pancakes, French breakfast burritos to west Broward
Two years after setting up their French-style brunchery on the picturesque banks of Fort Lauderdale’s New River, young Parisians Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem are betting they can deux it again in west Broward County. Café Bastille, their casual breakfast-lunch spot at 1660 Market St., debuted in the Weston Town Center on Friday, Jan. 16, with 54 seats indoors and 18 more on the patio. At 2,200 square feet, it occupies a high-traffic storefront in the open-air mall’s northwestern... Read More
Tri-Rail board authorizes fare increase by August as railroad lobbies state lawmakers for funding
The governing board of Tri-Rail, South Florida’s publicly subsidized commuter line, took a step toward making the railroad’s fares a stronger revenue contributor Friday by greenlighting a potential increase by August. No hard dollar amounts were proposed. But Tri-Rail’s fares — between their rock-bottom levels and a convoluted zone system — have been a nettlesome issue for a management that has been traveling over dual tracks during the past year: Working to restore some or... Read More
Domino effect? Live Local lawsuit could bring big change to Hollywood beach
A Live Local lawsuit making its way through the courts could bring dramatic change to the Hollywood beach skyline, potentially paving the way for taller towers far north of Hollywood Boulevard if the developer wins. And if the city wins, the case would shed light on the limitations of the state’s controversial Live Local law. In late 2024, Hollywood rejected a developer’s plan to build a 17-story tower several blocks north of Hollywood Boulevard on the barrier island, a section of the... Read More
Today in History: January 24, suicide bomber kills 37 at Moscow airport
Today is Saturday, Jan. 24, the 24th day of 2026. There are 341 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 24, 2011, a suicide bomber attacked Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 37 people; Chechen separatists claimed responsibility. Also on this date: In 1835, a major slave rebellion began in Bahia, Brazil, leading to the deaths of dozens of enslaved people in clashes with troops, police and armed civilians in the provincial capital of Salvador. The uprising was seen as influential in... Read More
Broward schools back down on plan to hold graduations in gymnasiums
The Broward School District has agreed to return most graduation ceremonies to rented venues after a plan to move them to three high school gymnasiums generated a firestorm of controversy. Superintendent Howard Hepburn issued a memo to Broward School Board members late Friday announcing the change in plans. The School Board heard from numerous students, parents and elected officials at a Wednesday meeting opposing the use of high school gyms. Public speakers questioned why some classes got... Read More
Prosecutors allege gang members tried to kill Indiana judge to derail domestic abuse trial
By TODD RICHMOND Members of a motorcycle club and a street gang worked together in an attempt to kill an Indiana judge in hopes of derailing a domestic abuse case against one of their own, prosecutors alleged Friday, hours after police announced they had arrested five people in connection with the investigation. Steven Meyer, a Tippecanoe County Superior Court judge, and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, were injured Sunday afternoon in the attack at their Lafayette home. Steven Meyer suffered an... Read More
Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version
By JACK BROOK and SARAH RAZA, Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church released her own video of her arrest Friday after the White House posted a manipulated image online. The White House on Thursday posted a picture on its X page of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong crying with her hands behind her back as she was escorted by a blurred person wearing a badge. The photo... Read More
Broward teacher who was ‘top’ dogfighter fired from school district after probation sentence
One of South Florida’s most prominent dogfighters and trainers has been fired from his teaching post at Boyd H. Anderson High School, a little more than a month after he was sentenced to two years probation. Alex Benefield, of Deerfield Beach, had been involved in the dogfighting realm since 2014 and was well-known as one of the “top” in the region, according to a federal criminal complaint. The FBI raided Benefield’s home and the home of another prominent fighter and trainer Tramaine... Read More