DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I respond to some common shaming I get from people I know? For background, I am a female member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and have many dear friends who are members of other marginalized communities. My rights and the rights of the people I love are important to me. Some people I know openly support politicians who want to strip rights away from me and from others I care deeply about. I do not ask people about their political, social, religious or moral beliefs,... Read More
Heat go bust in NBA Cup: No trip to Vegas after 117-108 loss to Magic extends skid to four
ORLANDO — At the outset Tuesday night, it was as if the Heat already had passage booked to Las Vegas for the final two rounds of the NBA Cup. A 15-0 lead can do that. Not so fast . . . as Vegas baby turned into Vegas maybe and then, ultimately, leaving Las Vegas. In the end, Erik Spoelstra’s team crapped out, snake eyes of a lost opportunity the ultimate result of a 117-108 loss to the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. So on to the NBA Cup and the Vegas Strip for the Magic, and back to the... Read More
Winderman’s view: NBA Cup mattered to Heat but more to Magic, and it showed
ORLANDO — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 117-108 NBA Cup loss to the Orlando Magic: – Yes, this was a different look for the NBA Cup. – That’s because the Magic’s Cup court was damaged in storage, so the regular-season court was utilized. – But in his pregame comments, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said the Cup matters very much within the NBA, no matter any outside skepticism. – “The guys want to win, they want to get to Vegas, they want the... Read More
Lawmakers target ‘crypto ATM’ scams
TALLAHASSEE — With a law-enforcement officer citing examples of seniors getting scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars, a House panel Tuesday began moving forward with a proposal that would place regulations on “crypto ATMs.” The issue stems from scams in which seniors are convinced to withdraw cash from banks or credit unions and put the cash into the ATMs, which are more technically called virtual currency kiosks. The cash then is converted to virtual currency and cannot be... Read More
Broward dogfighter sentenced to two years probation for running training, fighting ring
A Deerfield Beach man who was considered one of South Florida’s biggest dogfighters was sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation. Alex Benefield, 54, an instructor at Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, was “one of the top dog fighting trainers and dog fighters in South Florida,” according to federal court records. Federal agents had raided his home in January and found 36 pit bulls in cages, many of them injured. In September, Benefield pleaded guilty to two counts of... Read More
McCann Named D2CIDA National Player of the Week
Story Links FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern’s Bridie McCann was named WBCA D2CIDA National Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. The junior earned this honor on the heels of being named SSC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday by the league office. McCann is coming off a stellar week, having dropped a career-high 29 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Sharks’ 65-57 victory over ninth-ranked Embry-Riddle on Saturday. Prior to that,... Read More
Gift of patience proving rewarding for Heat’s Simone Fontecchio
ORLANDO – Ahead of his 30th birthday Tuesday, Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio felt he already had been gifted a career reprieve. After stops with the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons, Fontecchio said the trust from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has not gone unnoticed, able to play without the concern that the next missed 3-point attempt might be the final opportunity of the night. So after a recent run when he went just 9 of 49 from beyond the arc, Fontecchio still found himself operating... Read More
Supreme Court weighs Republican appeal to end limits on party spending in federal elections
By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is considering a Republican-led drive, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century-old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting the president’s power to fire independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday is... Read More
Miss Manners: I’m so disgusted by begging that I don’t tip anyone, anywhere
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Why is tipping expected? I was under the impression that it was up to the customer. In my state, servers are paid minimum wage, so it’s not a question of being underpaid. And why am I expected to supplement a stranger’s income? If you’re not making enough money, get a different job! I’m so disgusted by this begging that I don’t tip anyone, anywhere. Is tipping really a requirement? GENTLE READER: You are mighty cavalier about the livability of the minimum wage,... Read More
DeSantis declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S. a “foreign terrorist organization,” following a similar step by Texas last month. The directive against the Council on American-Islamic Relations comes in an executive order DeSantis posted on the social media site X. It also gives the same label to the Muslim Brotherhood. Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the... Read More