News

Today in History: February 14, Gang members gunned down in ‘St. Valentine’s Day Massacre’

South Florida Local News - 6 hours 37 min ago

Today is Saturday, Feb. 14, the 45th day of 2026. There are 320 days left in the year. This is Valentine’s Day.

Today in history:

On Feb. 14, 1929, the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone’s gang were gunned down.

Also on this date:

In 1779, English explorer James Cook was killed on the island of Hawai’i during a confrontation after Cook’s attempt to kidnap Hawaiian monarch Kalaniʻōpuʻu as leverage to recover a boat stolen from one of Cook’s ships.

In 1876, inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)

In 1984, 6-year-old Stormie Jones became the world’s first heart-liver transplant recipient when the surgery was performed at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The girl died in 1990 at age 13.

In 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of “The Satanic Verses,” a novel the ayatollah condemned as blasphemous against Islam.

In 2013, double-amputee Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, saying he mistook her for an intruder; he was later convicted of murder and served nearly nine years of a sentence of 13 years and five months before being released from prison in January 2024.

In 2017, a former store clerk, Pedro Hernandez, was convicted in New York of murder in one of the nation’s most haunting missing-child cases, nearly 38 years after 6-year-old Etan Patz (AY’-tahn payts) disappeared while on the way to a school bus stop.

In 2018, a former student opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people in the nation’s deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack in Newtown, Connecticut, more than five years earlier. (Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty to murder in October 2021 and was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.)

In 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that more than 35,000 people died in Turkey as a result of an earthquake on Feb. 6, making it the deadliest such disaster since the country’s founding 100 years earlier. (The combined death toll in Turkey and neighboring Syria would surpass 50,000 people).

Today’s birthdays:

Former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg is 84.
Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 83.
Journalist Carl Bernstein is 82.
Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 78.
Opera singer Renée Fleming is 67.
Actor Meg Tilly is 66.
Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly is 66.
Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio is 59.
Actor Simon Pegg is 56.
Rock singer Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) is 54.
Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe is 54.
Actor Danai Gurira is 48.
Actor Freddie Highmore is 34.
Actor Madison Iseman is 29.

Somerset Canyons boys soccer rallies by defending titlist American Heritage-Delray in PKs

South Florida Local News - 7 hours 45 min ago

BOYNTON BEACH — Somerset Canyons sophomore goalkeeper Jayden Rios didn’t play in Friday night’s 3A boys regional title game against defending state champion American Heritage-Delray until the final 1 minute, 45 seconds of the second overtime.

It was by design, as he and fellow sophomore goalie Massimo Valdepenas had split time for much of the season. Cougars soccer coach Eric De Sousa had committed to playing Rios in a penalty kick shootout to advance to the first final four appearance in school history.

“Massimo is a great keeper,” said Rios, who also had a penalty-kicks win last season. “Honestly, the save doesn’t compare to anything. Everybody was cheering the team and me on. This is the best.”

Rios, who didn’t touch the ball at all during overtime, got fingertips on three of the Stallions’ six penalty kicks in the shootout, but smothered the final shot by Oliver Pierro as Somerset Canyons stunned defending state champion American Heritage-Delray 3-2 (6-5 PKs) on Friday night.

“We knew Massimo was going to play this game,” De Sousa said. “We gave Rios the district championship final. We knew if it went to (penalty kicks), Rios was our guy.”

Mateo Kukcuoglu gave American Heritage-Delray (12-6) a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, but Juan Casillas equalized for the Cougars on a penalty kick with a little less than four minutes remaining in regulation.

The Stallions’ Michael Harris blasted home a goal just three minutes into the first overtime before Kingston Alexis saw to it that the game went an additional 20 minutes of overtime when he scored off a brilliant left-footed cross from Emmanuel Colmenares with a little more than four minutes remaining for Somerset Canyons.

“Man, I just had to figure out my movement and get by two defenders,” Alexis said. “I don’t remember much. I just went crazy. Last year, we couldn’t go, so we wanted to do it right here on our field.

“We did this for the girls, too,” Alexis said after the defending state champion Cougars girls lost in PKs in a similar fashion to North Broward Prep just hours earlier. “They gave us motivation because we didn’t want to lose out here, too. We did it for them because it is a whole family out here.”

The Cougars (15-2-2) face Santa Fe (14-4-3) in the 3A state semifinal at Lake Myrtle Sport Complex in Auburndale on Thursday at 4 p.m. Top-seeded Downtown Doral (17-1-3) plays Cocoa Beach (16-7-1) in the other semifinal at 7 p.m.

De Sousa said the team was committed to earning a higher seed this year than American Heritage-Delray after losing the regional final last year as the visitor.

“It was a roller-coaster ride,” De Sousa said. “We wanted to play them on our field, in front of our fans. It was the same way in the district final (a 2-1 loss): we were down, came back, tied it, and then they won in the last minute.

“We knew we had to be resilient today,” he added. “They are going to make a movie someday about American Heritage and us. It is a classic. We weren’t going to change tactics, and for a freshman (Angel Morales) to make his kick at the end was incredible.”

Morales said he just started taking more penalty kicks this season, his first in high school and for his club.

“I was just blurring everything out as I was walking up to take the penalty kick,” Morales said. “I just focused, picked a side, and made it. I am happy for my team, and I believe we can win (state).”

American Heritage-Delray coach Victor Sanchez credited Somerset Canyons with being a “resilient bunch of boys.”

“They were down, and they battled through,” Sanchez said. “It’s tough. Our boys were resilient as well. There were some definite lows in the game for us, but I think we did an amazing job.

“I felt pretty confident going into the PKs, but things just didn’t fall our way,” he added. “For these boys, it is about their journey, and my heart goes out to them. We battled injuries and adversity all year, and I am proud of them, but you have to give a lot of credit to Somerset.”

Regional finals

Friday

1. Somerset Canyons def. 3. American Heritage-Delray 3-2 (PKs)

1. Melbourne Holy Trinity def. 2. King’s Academy 3-2 (PKs)

1. Miami BridgePrep def. 3. Highlands Christian 3-1

According to FHSAA.com

Tuesday at 7 p.m. unless noted

3. Columbus at 1. Cypress Bay

3. Monarch at 1. St. Thomas Aquinas

7. Dr. Joaquin Garcia at 4. Pembroke Pines Charter

4. Mater Lakes at 2. American Heritage

State semifinals

In Auburndale

Somerset Canyons vs. Santa Fe, Thursday, 4 p.m.

Munoz, North Broward Prep stun defending state champ Somerset Canyons in 3A girls soccer regional final

South Florida Local News - 9 hours 39 min ago

BOYNTON BEACH — Ella Munoz has been a multisport star at North Broward Prep since she was in the sixth grade.

The senior defender’s star never shone brighter than Friday night as her goal with a little over a minute left in the second overtime tied the game, and her game-sealing penalty kick in the shootout lifted the visiting Eagles (19-1-3) to a come-from-behind victory over the defending state champion Somerset Canyons 2-1 (4-2 PKs) in the 3A regional championship.

“I normally play defense and don’t really get a chance to shoot,” said Munoz, a multi-time Sun Sentinel All-County first-team selection for both soccer and track and field. “I can’t believe I scored. It was crazy to have the girls celebrate with me twice. … We have unfinished business (at state).”

North Broward Prep senior Ella Munoz celebrates after scoring the game-tying goal in the closing minute to force overtime in the Class 3A girls soccer regional championship game on Friday night. Munoz also scored the game-sealing penalty kick in the shootout as the visiting Eagles took down defending state champion Somerset Canyons, 2-1 (4-2 PKs). (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

Munoz, whose only other trip to the state tournament came as an eighth grader when the team fell to Benjamin 4-2 in the state semifinal, will get another shot at a state championship as the No. 25-ranked Eagles face rival Cardinal Gibbons (20-0-2) at Lake Lytal Soccer Park in Auburndale on Thursday at 10 a.m.

The teams tied 1-1 on Nov. 6.

North Broward Prep has won 17 straight since a 2-1 loss to University School, including two wins over Somerset (14-3-1). The only other blemish on the Cardinal Gibbons’ record has been a 1-1 draw with Archbishop McCarthy in mid-November.

“They are an unbelievable team, unbelievably coached, and I wish them the best,” said Somerset Canyons coach Oscar Narvaez, whose only other loss was a 3-1 setback to Lourdes Academy. “It was a state championship atmosphere, and in the last minute, they stepped up. Ella Munoz is a helluva kid and a great player.”

Somerset Canyons, ranked 17th in the country by MaxPreps, had the Eagles on their heels most of the night, holding a 13-4 shot advantage.

North Broward Prep senior Lila Brown, right, battles Somerset Canyons senior Natalie Bruno in the Class 3A girls soccer regional championship game on Friday night. The visiting Eagles took down defending state champion Somerset Canyons, 2-1 (4-2 PKs). (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

The Cougars grabbed a 1-0 lead when senior midfielder and FAU signee Sephora Joachim found senior midfielder and Kennesaw State signee Natalie Bruno at the top of the penalty area, where she spun to her right and rifled a shot just past the outstretched arms of Eagles’ senior goalkeeper Zoie Brown.

As she did in the district championship win, Brown was called on to make several key saves. She turned away two shots by Bruno and Joachim in the first half and then made two saves in the penalty kick shootout. The Eagles converted all four of their penalty kicks in the shootout, by Lila Brown, Sienna Lopez, Kaiden O’Neill and Munoz.

Brown, who was teammates with Joachim in winning a national championship for Team Boca, said she tried to recall where Joachim favored in the shootout.

“Since the eighth grade, we wanted this to go full circle,” Brown said. “We worked so hard all season for this. I thought she would go right. I went with my gut. Winning a national title and going back to state in my senior year is about the same level.”

Trailing 1-0 with three minutes to go in the second overtime, North Broward Prep coach Tricia Amrhein pushed Munoz forward from her center back position. The decision was rewarded less than two minutes later on a 30-yard curling shot to the far post past Somerset Canyons senior goalkeeper Mia Castano.

Somerset Canyons senior Natalie Bruno brings the ball upfield as North Broward Prep senior Isabella Cancelier, left, and senior Sophia Souza defend in the Class 3A girls soccer regional championship game on Friday night. The visiting Eagles took down defending state champion Somerset Canyons, 2-1 (4-2 PKs). (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

“I told Ella to go up and play high and do what she can do,” Amrhein said. “And she put it in the back of the net. I know whenever Ella is involved in a play, something good is going to happen, and I knew once we went to PKs with Zoie that we would win it. If there was a group that I wanted it for, it was them.”

Somerset Canyons played without its leading scorer, Alexia Hansen, who was recently called in for the United States U17 National team training. Hansen was the co-Sun Sentinel 4A-1A player of the year last season and is an LSU commit.

Regional finals

Friday

2. North Broward Prep def. 1. Somerset Canyons 2-1 (PKs)

1. Cardinal Gibbons def. 6. Immaculata-La Salle 3-1

1. King’s Academy def. 3. Edgewood 1-0

1. Berean Christian def. 2. South Florida HEAT 3-2

Tuesday at 7 p.m. unless noted

According to FHSAA.com

2. Jupiter at 1. Lake Nona, 6 p.m.

2. Wellington at 1. Cypress Bay, 5 p.m.

3. Cooper City at 1. St. Thomas Aquinas

3. Pembroke Pines Charter at 1. Miami Lourdes Academy

2. Somerset Academy at 1. American Heritage

State semifinals

In Auburndale

North Broward Prep vs. Cardinal Gibbons, Thursday, 10 a.m.

King’s Academy vs. Lakeland Christian, Tuesday, 10 a.m.

Berean Christian vs. Canterbury, Friday, 10 a.m.

Ciscar, Sosa lead Hurricanes baseball to season-opening rout

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 20:26

CORAL GABLES — A combination of newcomers and returning standouts led Miami to a 13-2 season-opening victory over Lehigh at Mark Light Field on Friday night.

“We’re still undefeated, right?” UM coach JD Arteaga said. “We’re 1 and 0, so that’s a good way to start the season.”

Sophomore starting pitcher AJ Ciscar tossed five innings of one-run ball in the victory, and Miami got big hits from new catcher Alex Sosa and returning designated hitter Max Galvin.

After working a pair of relatively clean innings, Ciscar found himself in trouble in the third inning. Two infield singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Lehigh with two outs, and Lehigh then scored the game’s first run on an error by star third baseman Daniel Cuvet. Ciscar got the next batter to fly out to limit the damage.

Miami struck back immediately, though. After Lehigh starter Liam O’Hearen walked the first two batters of the third inning, the Mountain Hawks turned to reliever David Andolina, who promptly surrendered a two-run double to Galvin.

The Hurricanes kept pouring it on. Sosa, a transfer catcher from N.C. State, launched a three-run home run to right-center field to extend UM’s lead to 5-1. Fabio Peralta drove in a run with a single to push UM ahead 6-1.

“All preseason, all fall, the second I committed, I talked about, as a kid, coming to these games, watching Zack Collins hit him into the parking garage,” Sosa said. “And for me to get that away on the first one, that’s definitely super cool, and I’ll remember it forever.”

Although Ciscar got into trouble early in the game, he settled down in his last few frames. He finished his first start of the year with five hits allowed and seven strikeouts over five innings.

“He gave up a lot of soft-contact singles,” Arteaga said. ” … They might not be errors, but we’ve got to make plays, and we’ve got to get outs theres. So I think if one hit out into the outfield, however many hits he gave up. But he pitched well around the zone. Got a little cutter he’s been working on that that he got some outs on and some bad swings on, so we’re excited about that.”

After Ciscar came out of the game, Lehigh center fielder Dom Patrizi cut Miami’s lead to four runs with an RBI single against reliever Brixton Logren in the sixth inning.

Miami’s offense burst again in the bottom of the eighth inning. Shortstop Jake Ogden tacked on a run with an RBI triple, and Galvin picked up his third RBI with an infield single that scored Ogden. Sosa drove in his fourth run of the night to make it 9-2. Derek Williams added another RBI single to make it 10-2. Cian Copeland, making his Miami debut, drove in two more runs with a double in his first Hurricane at-bat. Jailen Watkins, making his freshman debut, drove in a run with a single, as well, to make it 13-2.

Miami faces Lehigh in the second game of the series at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

“Obviously, a win’s a win,” Sosa said. “Tomorrow, this win doesn’t matter. So to be able to bounce back and go right into it, that’s the most important thing. I guess the performance was cool up until the game ended, and then it really is a reset because any team can go out there the next day and get you. So we’ve got to prevent that from happening.”

Wellington’s Ciriaco takes home a second and fourth in state girls weightlifting

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 19:50

Wellington junior Amelia Ciriaco placed second in the 3A Olympic category and fourth in the traditional competition in the 119-pound weight class to earn two medals at the FHSAA girls weightlifting state championship at RP Funding Center in Lakeland from Wednesday through Friday.

The Olympic category consisted of the combined total of the clean-and-jerk and snatch. The traditional competition included the total of the bench press and clean-and-jerk.

Ciriaco recorded a 175 in the clean-and-jerk and 135 in the snatch for a 310 total in the Olympic competition. She also finished with a 145 in the bench press for a 320 total in traditional.

“I felt very accomplished with my performance,” Ciriaco said. “It was very nerve-wracking knowing that I could’ve placed as the state runner-up. It was very important to me to stay calm and keep my focus. My performance at states was one of the best I’ve put out as an athlete.”

Ciriaco placed first in both the Olympic and traditional categories at the regional championship earlier in the season.

Wellington senior Danielle Newell (110 pounds) finished third in traditional with a 285 total and fifth in Olympic with a 265 total while teammate Audrey DellaVecchia (129) placed 10th in traditional.

Wellington placed eighth in both the traditional and Olympic competitions in the 3A state championship.

“I’m so proud of how hard Amelia worked throughout the year to finish strong in a stressful environment,” Wellington coach Peter Callovi said. “Amelia and Danielle both competed so well to earn their medals to cap a championship season for the team.”

Dwyer’s McClean earns 3A Olympic runner-up

Dwyer senior Ianna McClean (129) placed second in the 3A Olympic category with a 335 total. She registered a 190 in the clean-and-jerk and 145 in the snatch. McClean placed ninth in the traditional competition with a 295 total.

Palm Beach Central senior Kimberly Berg (199) earned fourth in Olympic with a 370 total and placed fifth in traditional with a 410 total.

Park Vista senior Jayda Bell (110) placed fifth in traditional while Seminole Ridge’s Carrie Didio (183) placed seventh in traditional.

Pace captured the 3A championship in both the traditional and Olympic events.

St. John Paul II’s Hardy shines in 1A

St. John Paul II junior Faith Hardy (199) placed sixth in both traditional and Olympic at the 1A championship.

Oxbridge Academy’s Sienna Burroughs (101) placed fifth in Olympic and 10th in traditional. Pine Crest’s Cat Farrell (101) placed sixth in Olympic while teammate Maddie Lemieux (101) placed seventh in traditional.

King’s Academy’s Sasha Cousins (154) placed fifth in traditional while teammates Ashlyn Martin (139) placed eighth and T’Nesha Rasmussen (183) finished 10th.

Wewahitchka placed first in both traditional and Olympic at the 1A championship.

Boynton Beach has top performers in 2A

Boynton Beach’s Taikha Jean-Claude (199) placed seventh in the Olympic event at the 2A championship while teammate Clairisha Charles (169) finished ninth in the Olympic category.

Dr. Joaquin Garcia’s Keira Fritz (129) placed 10th in traditional while Atlantic’s Keymaya Louis (183) finished 10th in the Olympic event.

River Ridge won the 2A championship in traditional while Braden River captured the Olympic title.

Immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 17:54

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

Federal immigration officials plan to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds, a document released Friday shows, as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quietly purchases warehouses to turn into detention and processing facilities.

Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte posted the document online amid tension over ICE’s plans to convert a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing center.

It said ICE plans 16 regional processing centers with a population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees, whose stays would average three to seven days. Another eight large-scale detention centers would be capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days.

The document also refers to the acquisition of 10 existing “turnkey” facilities.

Plans call for all of them to be up and running by November as immigration officials roll out a massive $45 billion expansion of detention facilities financed by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-cutting law.

More than 75,000 immigrants were being detained by ICE as of mid-January, up from 40,000 when Trump took office a year earlier, according to federal data released last week.

The newly released document refers to “non-traditional facilities” and comes as ICE has quietly bought at least seven warehouses — some larger than 1 million square feet — in the past few weeks in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Warehouse purchases in six cities were scuttled when buyers decided not to sell under pressure from activists. Several other deals in places like New York are imminent, however.

City officials are frequently unable to get details from ICE until a property sale is finalized.

Tensions boiled to the surface after interim ICE Director Todd Lyons testified Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security “has worked with Gov. Ayotte” and provided her with an economic impact summary.

Ayotte said that assertion was “simply not true” and the summary was sent hours after Lyons testified.

The document mistakenly refers to the “ripple effects to the Oklahoma economy” and revenue generated by state sales and income taxes, neither of which exist in New Hampshire.

“Director Lyons’ comments today are another example of the troubling pattern of issues with this process,” Ayotte said. “Officials from the Department of Homeland Security continue to provide zero details of their plans for Merrimack, never mind providing any reports or surveys.”

DHS did not respond to questions about Ayotte’s comments or the new document. But it previously confirmed that it was looking for more detention space, although it objected to calling the sites “warehouses,” saying in a statement that they would be “very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.”

Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed.

A California photographer is on a quest to photograph hundreds of native bees

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 17:33

By JAIMIE DING

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the arid, cracked desert ground in Southern California, a tiny bee pokes its head out of a hole no larger than the tip of a crayon.

Krystle Hickman crouches over with her specialized camera fitted to capture the minute details of the bee’s antennae and fuzzy behind.

“Oh my gosh, you are so cute,” Hickman murmurs before the female sweat bee flies away.

Hickman is on a quest to document hundreds of species of native bees, which are under threat by climate change and habitat loss, some of it caused by the more recognizable and agriculturally valued honey bee — an invasive species. Of the roughly 4,000 types of bees native to North America, Hickman has photographed over 300. For about 20 of them, she’s the first to ever photograph them alive.

Through photography, she wants to raise awareness about the importance of native bees to the survival of the flora and fauna around them.

“Saving the bees means saving their entire ecosystems,” Hickman said.

Community scientists play important role in observing bees

On a Saturday in January, Hickman walked among the early wildflower bloom at Anza Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, a few hundred miles southeast of Los Angeles, where clumps of purple verbena and patches of white primrose were blooming unusually early due to a wet winter.

Where there are flowers, there are bees.

Photographer Krystle Hickman photographs wild bees as desert sunflowers blanket the valley floor at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Hickman has no formal science education and dropped out of a business program that she hated. But her passion for bees and keen observation skills made her a good community scientist, she said. In October, she published a book documenting California’s native bees, partly supported by National Geographic. She’s conducted research supported by the University of California, Irvine, and hopes to publish research notes this year on some of her discoveries.

“We’re filling in a lot of gaps,” she said of the role community scientists play in contributing knowledge alongside academics.

On a given day, she might spend 16 hours waiting beside a plant, watching as bees wake up and go about their business. They pay her no attention.

Originally from Nebraska, Hickman moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She began photographing honey bees in 2018, but soon realized native bees were in greater danger.

Now, she’s a bee scientist full time.

“I really think anyone could do this,” Hickman said.

A different approach

Melittologists, or people who study bees, have traditionally used pan trapping to collect and examine dead bee specimens. To officially log a new species, scientists usually must submit several bees to labs, Hickman said.

There can be small anatomical differences between species that can’t be photographed, such as the underside of a bee, Hickman said.

This photo, provided by Krystle Hickman, shows a Perdita californica male bee on May, 1, 2025 at Orange Hills Regional Park in Orange, Calif. (Krystle Hickman via AP)

But Hickman is vehemently against capturing bees. She worries about harming already threatened species. Unofficially, she thinks she’s photographed at least four previously undescribed species.

Hickman said she’s angered “a few melittologists before because I won’t tell them where things are.”

Her approach has helped her forge a path as a bee behavior expert.

During her trip to Anza Borrego, Hickman noted that the bees won’t emerge from their hideouts until around 10 a.m., when the desert begins to heat up. They generally spend 20 minutes foraging and 10 minutes back in their burrows to offload pollen, she said.

“It’s really shockingly easy to make new behavioral discoveries just because no one’s looking at insects alive,” she said.

Hickman still works closely with other melittologists, often sending them photos for identification and discussing research ideas.

Christine Wilkinson, assistant curator of community science at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, said Hickman was a perfect example of why it’s important to incorporate different perspectives in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

“There are so many different ways of knowing and relating to the world,” Wilkinson said. “Getting engaged as a community scientist can also get people interested in and passionate about really making change.”

Declining native bees

There’s a critically endangered bee that Hickman is particularly determined to find — Bombus franklini, or Franklin’s bumblebee, last seen in 2006.

Since 2021, she’s traveled annually to the Oregon-California border to look for it.

Photographer Krystle Hickman walks in a field of wildflowers while photographing wild bees at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

“There’s quite a few people who think it’s extinct, but I’m being really optimistic about it,” she said.

Habitat loss, as well as competition from honey bees, have made it harder for native bees to survive. Many native bees will only drink the nectar or eat the pollen of a specific plant.

Because of her success in tracking down bees, she’s now working with various universities and community groups to help find lost species, which are bees that haven’t been documented in the wild for at least a decade.

Hickman often finds herself explaining to audiences why native bees are important. They don’t make honey, and the disappearance of a few bees might not have an apparent impact on humans.

“But things that live here, they deserve to live here. And that should be a good enough reason to protect them,” she said.

Judge dismisses charges against 3 Connecticut officers accused of mistreating paralyzed prisoner

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 17:31

By DAVE COLLINS

A Connecticut judge on Friday dismissed criminal charges against three current and former New Haven police officers who were accused of mistreating prisoner Richard “Randy” Cox after he was paralyzed in the back of a police van in 2022.

Judge David Zagaja dropped the cases against Oscar Diaz, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera after granting them a probation program that allows charges to be erased from defendants’ records, saying their conduct was not malicious. Two other officers, Betsy Segui and Ronald Pressley, pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor reckless endangerment and received no jail time.

Cox, 40, was left paralyzed from the chest down on June 19, 2022, when the police van, which had no seat belts, braked hard to avoid an accident, sending him head-first into a metal partition while his hands were cuffed behind his back. He had been arrested on charges of threatening a woman with a gun, which were later dismissed.

FILE – This combo of photos provided by the Connecticut State Police, shows, from left, New Haven, Conn., police officers Oscar Diaz, Betsy Segui, Jocelyn Lavandier, Luis Rivera and Ronald Pressley. (Connecticut State Police via AP, File)

“I can’t move. I’m going to die like this. Please, please, please help me,” Cox said in the van minutes after being injured, according to police video. He later was found to have broken his neck.

Diaz, who was driving the van, brought Cox to the police department, where officers mocked Cox and accused him of being drunk and faking his injuries, according to surveillance and body-worn camera footage. Officers dragged Cox out of the van and around the police station before placing him in a holding cell before paramedics brought him to a hospital.

Before pulling him out of the van, Lavandier told Cox to move his leg and sit up, according to an internal affairs investigation report. Cox says “I can’t move” and Lavandier says “You’re not even trying.”

New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle Jr.’s office said prosecutors and Cox did not object to the charges being dismissed.

Defense lawyers said that while the officers were sympathetic to what happened to Cox, they did not cause his injuries or make them worse. The three officers whose cases were dismissed were scheduled to go on trial next month.

“We don’t think that there was sufficient evidence to prove her guilt or any wrongdoing,” said Lavandier’s attorney, Dan Ford. “This is a negotiated settlement that avoids the risk of having go through the emotional toll of a trial.”

Rivera’s lawyer, Raymond Hassett, called the decision to charge the officers “unjust and misplaced.”

“The actions of the Police Chief and City Mayor in targeting the officers were a misguided effort to deflect attention from the police department shortcomings in managing the department and ensuring proper protocols were in place and followed,” Hassett said in a statement.

Attorneys for Cox and Diaz did not immediately return phone and email messages Friday. Cox’s lawyer, Louis Rubano, has said Cox and his family hoped the criminal cases would end quickly with plea bargains.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said city officials disagreed with the judge’s decision to dismiss the charges.

“What happened to Randy was tragic and awful,” he said in a statement.

The case drew outrage from civil rights advocates including the NAACP, along with comparisons to the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Cox is Black, while all five officers who were arrested are Black or Hispanic. Gray, who also was Black, died in 2015 after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and shackled in a Baltimore police van.

The case also led to reforms at the New Haven police department as well as a statewide seat belt requirement for prisoners.

In 2023, the city of New Haven agreed to settle a lawsuit by Cox for $45 million.

New Haven police fired Segui, Diaz, Lavandier and Rivera for violating police conduct policies, while Pressley retired and avoided an internal investigation. Diaz appealed his firing and got his job back. Segui lost the appeal of her firing, while appeals by Lavandier and Rivera remain pending.

Some US schools cancel class pictures after online claims surrounding Epstein

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 17:23

By JOHN HANNA and KENDRIA LAFLEUR

MALAKOFF, Texas (AP) — Some school districts in the U.S. dropped plans for class pictures after widespread social media posts linked a billionaire with ties to Jeffrey Epstein to the photography giant Lifetouch, which on Friday called the claims “completely false.”

The disruption to school picture plans in Texas and elsewhere began after online posts linked Lifetouch, which photographs millions of students each year, to the investment fund manager Apollo Global Management. Apollo’s former CEO is billionaire investor Leon Black, who met regularly with Epstein and was advised by Epstein on financial matters.

Black led the company in 2019, when funds managed by Apollo bought Lifetouch’s parent company, Shutterfly. The $2.7 billion deal closed in September 2019 — a month after Epstein’s death by suicide behind bars as he awaited trial over allegations from federal prosecutors that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of girls.

Both Lifetouch and Apollo noted that timeline in statements Friday, two days after Lifetouch CEO Ken Murphy said in an Instagram post that neither Black nor any of Apollo’s directors or investors ever had any access to Lifetouch photos.

“No Lifetouch executives have ever had any relationship or contact with Epstein and we have never shared student images with any third party, including Apollo,” Lifetouch said in its statement Friday. “Apollo and its funds also have no role in Lifetouch’s daily operations and have no access to student images.”

The canceled school pictures are another ripple effect over the release of millions of files from the Epstein investigation, including documents showing Epstein’s regular contacts with CEOs, journalists, scientists and prominent politicians long after a 2008 conviction on sex crimes charges.

In the small Texas town of Malakoff, the local school district canceled a student picture day after several parents told the district they weren’t comfortable with Lifetouch photographing their children, spokesperson Katherine Smith said in a statement e-mailed Friday. Several other schools and districts in Texas also canceled or changed plans, as well as a charter school in Arizona, according to Facebook announcements posted by the schools.

“We decided our students and families would be best served by keeping all of our pictures in-house for the rest of this year, and we are looking at all of our options for the 2026-2027 school year,” Smith said.

Parents concerned about Lifetouch included MaKallie Gann, whose children attend schools in Howe, about 60 miles north of Dallas. She said she was worried about how much information Lifetouch collects on students.

“Whenever you order the pictures, it has their name. It has the age, of course. It has their grade, their teacher, the school that they’re in,” she said.

No evidence of Epstein or anyone in his orbit seeing Lifetouch photos has emerged from news organizations’ review of thousands of documents released this month by the U.S. Department of Justice, though there are at least 1.7 million records.

The review shows Black’s name appeared 8,200 times, though that figure likely includes some duplicate records. Black stepped down as Apollo’s CEO in March 2021, saying he wanted to focus on his family, health, and “many other interests.”

That was two months after a committee of the company’s board issued a report concluding that Epstein had advised Black personally on estate planning, tax issues, charitable giving and running his “family office,” but provided no services to Apollo or invested in no Apollo funds.

The report also said the review — which Black requested — found “no evidence” that he was involved with Epstein’s alleged criminal activities “in any way” or “at any time.” ___

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Also contributing was Associated Press writer Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Affordable housing residents near Portland ICE building ask judge to limit feds’ use of tear gas

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 17:08

By CLAIRE RUSH

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Multiple residents of an affordable housing complex in Portland, Oregon, have bought gas masks to wear in their own homes, to protect themselves from tear gas fired by federal agents outside the immigration building across the street. Others have taped their windows or stuffed wet towels under their doors, while children have sought security by sleeping in closets.

Some are now telling their stories to a federal judge Friday, as they testify in a lawsuit seeking to limit federal officers’ use of tear gas during protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building following months of repeated exposure.

The property manager of the apartment building and several tenants filed the suit against the federal government in December, arguing that the use of chemical munitions has violated residents’ rights to life, liberty and property by sickening them, contaminating their apartments and confining them inside. They have asked the court to limit federal agents’ use of such munitions unless needed to respond to an imminent threat.

FILE – Law enforcement officers stand in the street to allow vehicles to leave a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility during a protest in Portland, Ore., Oct. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

“They’re simply trying to live their lives in peace in their homes,” Daniel Jacobson, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said during the hearing. “Yet our federal government is knowingly putting them through hell, and for no good reason at all.”

The defendants, which include ICE and the Department of Homeland Security and their respective heads, say officers have deployed crowd-control devices in response to violent protests at the building, which has been the site of demonstrations for months.

”The conduct at issue, law enforcement’s use of crowd control tactics to disperse unlawful crowds, does not even come close to shocking the conscience,” Samuel Holt, an attorney for the federal government, said during the hearing.

The case comes amid growing concern over federal officers using aggressive crowd-control tactics, as cities across the country have seen demonstrations against the immigration enforcement surge spearheaded by President Donald Trump’s administration.

FILE – A view of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, top left, in Portland, Ore., Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

In testimony, tenants of the Gray’s Landing apartment complex described experiencing difficulty breathing, coughing, dizziness and other symptoms following exposure to chemicals from tear gas, smoke grenades and pepper balls.

“I have a gas mask in my bedroom. I have one in my living room. And I have one in my backpack,” said a plaintiff using a pseudonym due to being a domestic violence survivor. “I’ve slept with it on.”

She described how the chemical munitions triggered her post-traumatic stress and entered into her apartment. ”I could feel it, I could see it, I could taste it, I could smell it,” she said of the gas.

Gas canisters have hit apartments and been found in the building’s courtyard and parking garage, according to the complaint.

Another plaintiff, Susan Dooley, a 72-year-old Air Force veteran with diabetes and high blood pressure, was sent by a doctor to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with shortness of breath and mild heart failure, the complaint said. Whitfield Taylor, who has placed wet towels around his window air conditioning unit in a bid to block the gas from entering his home, had to take his two daughters, 7 and 9, to urgent care for respiratory symptoms. The girls sometimes sleep in his closet to feel safe, according to the complaint.

Of the affordable housing complex’s 237 residents, nearly a third are age 63 or older, according to court filings. Twenty percent of units are reserved for low-income veterans and 16% of tenants identify as disabled.

The plaintiffs filed an updated request for a preliminary injunction limiting federal officers’ use of tear gas late last month, after agents launched gas at a crowd of demonstrators including young children that local officials described as peaceful.

“As this brief is being filed, tear gas is once again inside the homes of Plaintiffs and other residents of Gray’s Landing,” the filing says, adding that it was launched by officers “despite facing no violence or imminent threats at all.”

The government said in court filings that federal officers have at times used crowd control devices in response to crowds that are “violent, obstructive or trespassing” or do not comply with dispersal orders.

It has also pushed back against the claims of tenants’ constitutional rights being violated, saying that under such an argument, “federal and state law enforcement officers would violate the Constitution whenever they deploy airborne crowd-control devices that inadvertently drift into someone’s home or business, even if the use of such devices is otherwise entirely lawful.”

The hearing comes after a federal judge in a separate Oregon lawsuit temporarily restricted agents’ use of tear gas during protests at the building. The temporary restraining order in that case, filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists, is set to expire next week.

Today in History: February 13, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia found dead

South Florida Local News - Fri, 02/13/2026 - 02:00

Today is Friday, Feb. 13, the 44th day of 2026. There are 321 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 13, 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia, the influential conservative member of the U.S. Supreme Court, was found dead at a private residence in the Big Bend area of West Texas; he was 79.

Also on this date:

In 1935, a jury in Flemington, New Jersey, found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was executed the following year.)

In 1945, Allied forces in World War II began a three-day bombing raid on Dresden, Germany, killing as many as 25,000 people and triggering a firestorm that swept through the city center.

In 1965, during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, an extended bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese.

In 1980, the 13th Winter Olympics opened in Lake Placid, New York.

In 1996, the rock musical “Rent,” by Jonathan Larson, premiered off-Broadway less than three weeks after Larson’s death.

In 2002, John Walker Lindh, who was captured by U.S. forces as an enemy combatant in 2001, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to conspiring to kill Americans and supporting the Taliban and terrorist organizations. (Lindh later pleaded guilty to lesser offenses and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.)

In 2017, President Donald Trump’s embattled national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned following reports he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia.

In 2018, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, said he had paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels), a porn actor who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump.

In 2021, Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate at his second impeachment trial -– the first to involve a former president -– in which he was accused of inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict, less than the two-thirds threshold required.

Today’s birthdays:

Actor Kim Novak is 93.
Actor Stockard Channing is 82.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is 80.
Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is 79.
Musician Peter Gabriel is 76. Musician Peter Hook is 70.
Singer-writer Henry Rollins is 65.
Hockey Hall of Famer Mats Sundin is 55.
Singer Robbie Williams is 52.
Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss is 49.
Actor Mena Suvari (MEE’-nuh soo-VAHR’-ee) is 47.
Actor Sophia Lillis is 24.

Matthew Kress rises to No. 1 as Florida hosts elite field at Gators Invitational

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 19:31

GAINESVILLE — Florida golfer Matthew Kress arrived as an unsung teenager lacking the pedigree, résumé and confidence of many fellow Gators.

Coach JC Deacon’s 2021 squad featured accomplished amateurs, blue-chip recruits and seasoned collegians brimming with potential. Behind the scenes, Kress quietly wondered whether he belonged.

Day by day, he became indispensable to Florida’s surge of success, including 17 tournament victories with Kress in the lineup.

If Deacon’s team extends its streak of six straight Gators Invitational titles this weekend, the fifth-year senior will lead the charge. After moving up, down and even out of the five-man lineup during three previous appearances in the program’s home event, Kress will occupy the No. 1 spot for the first time.

In a position he once never imagined, Kress is ready for whatever comes next.

“If you would have asked me what my goals were when I first started here, it’d be to make sure I had a spot on the team the next year,” Kress recalled. “But that’s changed quite a lot. I’m making stuff up on the fly, which is how life goes sometimes.”

Kress’ ascent has been anything but accidental.

“He’s one of the hardest workers on this team,” junior Jack Turner said. “In anything you do, if you’re persistent and work hard every single day, eventually the outcome is going to be good. It’s been huge for us.”

Before Turner arrived, Kress had already established himself as a grinder — and a winner.

Florida golfer Matthew Kress plays a tee shot during the 2023 NCAA Championships, won by the Gators at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images).

Following a redshirt season in 2021-22, Kress cracked the starting lineup prior to the 2023 Gator Invitational. Florida’s victory launched a historic run that culminated in SEC and NCAA championships — a double last achieved by the 2001 Gators.

Kress has proven at his best in the cauldron, going 5-1 in match play during Florida’s 2023 and 2025 SEC title runs. Low-key and reserved on and off the course, the 23-year-old rarely betrays emotion.

“There’s ups and downs to that,” he said. “There’s not a lot that will get me over the moon, but there’s also not a lot that’s going to drag me to the dumps. I try to stay pretty even-keeled.”

His ability to stay immersed in the process and ignore distractions was on full display during the Sea Best Invitational, the spring opener Feb. 2-3 in Jacksonville. In blustery, demanding conditions at Atlantic Beach Country Club, Kress birdied four of his final five holes to post a bogey-free 6-under 66 as Florida edged UNC Wilmington by a stroke.

The self-effacing Kress downplayed the moment.

“I can’t claim it was a super-clutch performance,” he said. “I wasn’t exactly aware of what the situation was coming down the stretch. My coaches knew. They didn’t fill me in, which probably helped.”

He won’t be able to avoid the high stakes this weekend at UF’s Mark Bostick Golf Course.

No. 5 Auburn and No. 11 Oklahoma State — the defending national champions — along with No. 20 Charlotte and No. 22 Notre Dame headline a field widely considered the tournament’s strongest in years.

“Our guys have definitely taken notice, and we know we’re going to be challenged,” Deacon said. “We’re going to have to play our best to win this tournament. They want to compete against the best teams and players. It’s a great opportunity to do it on our home course, in front of our home fans.

“Hopefully we can keep the streak alive.”

UF coach JC Deacon (right) shares a moment with golfer Matthew after the Gators SEC Championship win April 27, 2025, at Seaside Golf Course in St. Simon's Island, Georgia. (UAA Communications/Bella Rosa)

From the top spot, Kress will square off with Auburn phenom Jackson Koivun, the world’s No. 1 amateur, and Oklahoma State’s Ethan Fang, ranked No. 6.

“He’s the real deal,” Kress said of Koivun, who also hails from Northern California. “It’s always interesting to see how other people’s games stack up on your home course that you play every day. I have my own strategy. I’ve played thousands of rounds out here.”

Kress, ranked No. 53, is one of three Gators inside the top 60. Turner (No. 15) will man the No. 2 position ahead of sophomore Zack Swanwick (No. 57). Parker Sands slots in at No. 4, while highly touted Iowa transfer Noah Kent rounds out the lineup in his Florida debut after redshirting last spring and fall.

Even with No. 20 Luke Poulter sidelined by back tightness, the Gators remain loaded. Senior Parker Bell, ranked No. 86, sank the winning putt at last November’s East Lake Cup but will compete as an individual, as will sophomore Joshua Bai and freshman Trevor Gutschewski, who tied for 12th at Sea Best and shot 65 during qualifying on the par-70 UF course.

Deacon has options each week. Competition for lineup spots is fierce.

Kress once felt like the odd man out.

This weekend, he’ll stand at the front — with only fairways and greens ahead.

“He’s poured his heart and soul into this program, and to play No. 1 is an incredible honor,” Deacon said. “He worked his way up from being 13th out of 13 when he arrived to No. 1 out of 10 in his fifth year.

“I’m so proud to have him in that spot. I’m going to enjoy watching him this weekend.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

How turmeric water fights inflammation

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 18:33

Turmeric water is an anti-inflammatory drink that can relieve pain and swelling

Turmeric is a plant within the ginger family derived from Southeast Asia. It is often used as a cooking spice and in traditional medicine. This orange-colored spice tastes like a mixture of ginger and pepper. Turmeric powder is commonly found in curry and is used as a dietary supplement. One way to use this powder is to mix it with water to relieve inflammation from certain health conditions. We’ll discuss turmeric water benefits in more detail and the best turmeric powder options available.

In this article: Organic Spice Resource Organic Turmeric Root Powder, Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Turmeric Powder and Hqo High-Quality Organics Express Organic Turmeric Ground

Benefits of turmeric water for inflammation

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to an irritant by sending out cells to fight bacteria or heal an injury. Consuming turmeric can relieve swollen and painful joints for people with chronic conditions. Turmeric contains curcumin, an anti-inflammatory chemical that may reduce inflammation and swelling. It has been shown to assist with inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndromes and pain.

Other turmeric water benefits

There are other health benefits of turmeric worth noting, including:

Improves memory among older adults with dementia.
Reduces pain for people living with arthritis and other chronic conditions.
Protects the body from free radicals or unstable molecules that increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer.
Lowers the risk of heart disease.
Helps fight depression by increasing serotonin and dopamine levels. These neurotransmitters are considered “happy hormones” as they help regulate mood.
Helps prevent cancer growth and development.

Turmeric powder can be consumed as supplements, smoothies, golden milk, water or meals.

How to make turmeric water

Use a saucepan to bring water to a boil on a stove.
Turn the heat off and pour the water into a glass or mug.
Add turmeric powder, black pepper and honey and stir well.

You should drink warm water with turmeric in the morning on an empty stomach. A daily dose of turmeric powder should not exceed 8 grams. Be aware that the side effects of turmeric powder misuse can include gastrointestinal or liver problems.

Features to look for when purchasing turmeric powder

Organic. Ensure that the powder is made organically and is labeled non-GMO.
Color. Turmeric powder should have an orange, golden or yellow hue to it.
Smell. This spice has an earthy smell with hints of ginger and orange scents.
No preservatives. Rub some turmeric powder in your hand. Then, turn your hand over. If a lot of powder falls off your hand, it may include ingredients such as chalk.
Curcumin potency. The high potency of curcumin can increase the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric powders.

Best turmeric powder picks

Organic Spice Resource Organic Turmeric Root Powder

This turmeric powder is certified organic by the Department of Agriculture, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. It is lab tested for heavy metals and purity and is grown in India. It comes in a reusable bag to maintain freshness. It has no colors, additives, preservatives or ethylene oxide treatment.

Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Turmeric Powder

This 16-ounce pack of turmeric powder is USDA-certified organic, raw, Kosher-certified, vegan and non-GMO. It contains nutrients such as dietary fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. It comes with a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee if you aren’t satisfied.

Hqo High-Quality Organics Express Organic Turmeric Ground

This organic turmeric powder is USDA- and Kosher-certified and non-GMO. It is not grown with herbicides or pesticides to ensure quality and safety. It is sustainably farmed across more than 40 countries and is grown in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Dwarka Organic Turmeric Powder

The turmeric powder is organic, USDA-certified, non-GMO and chemical-free. It is derived from crushed, dried and organic turmeric roots. It contains curcumin to aid with inflammation.

Simply Organic Ground Turmeric Root

This powder comes from a turmeric root that contains a minimum of 4% of curcumin. It is non-GMO, certified organic by the Quality Assurance Institute, USDA- and Kosher-certified and does not contain ETOs. It has a golden-yellow hue with a strong, distinctive aroma.

Spice Train Certified-Organic Turmeric Powder

This 14-ounce bag of turmeric powder is USDA-certified organic, vegan and gluten-free. It contains turmeric created naturally and sourced from Indian harvest gardens. It does not have artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It contains 3% curcumin.

McCormick Organic Ground Turmeric

It is a USDA- and Kosher-certified organic and non-GMO Project-verified turmeric powder. It has a yellow, orange color with a subtle, earthy flavor. The powder is vegan -and vegetarian-friendly. It contains the ingredient curcuma. It has an easy-to-handle bottle to refill spice jars.

Jiva Organics Organic Turmeric Powder

The turmeric powder is USDA-certified organic and is 100% imported from India. It is batch-tested and has a 3% curcumin content. The powder comes from pure turmeric rhizomes and contains curcumin. It has no artificial colors, additives, preservatives or ethylene oxide (ETO) treatment. It comes in a resealable bag to maintain freshness.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Best NAC supplement

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 18:33

Which NAC supplements are best?

Taking NAC, or N-acetyl cysteine, as a supplement is growing in popularity. The supplement form of the amino acid cysteine, NAC is not found in food and not naturally produced by the body — but it’s still useful. It’s one of the few supplements proven to help mitigate kidney and liver damage. It can also be found in prescription drug format, but its supplement format is popular for home use.

A top NAC supplement is the Thorne NAC Capsules, a super high quality 500 milligram NAC supplement from a trusted brand that’s odorless and doesn’t oxidize quickly.

What to know before you buy NAC supplements Uses

NAC is a highly potent amino acid with a number of uses. It increases glutathione levels, assisting with liver detoxification; supports respiratory health; and can protect the kidney. It’s often used in conjunction with acetaminophen or other drugs that can damage the liver and is often prescribed by doctors for these uses.

As an amino acid supplement, it also has a large number of uses, from treating serious health conditions and addictions to being a post-workout supplement and general health protectant. As with many similar supplements, not all of its potential benefits are well researched or verified. It’s always best to be skeptical of outlandish health claims. If a supplement sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Brand

Because the regulation of supplements is minimal, the brand you purchase from can mean a great deal more than it does for prescription drugs. Look for a highly reviewed brand with a verifiable history and source. Ingredients should be clearly labeled on the packaging, and it should be easy to verify if the product includes common allergens. NAC is a popular supplement, so many brands have a version. Look for one you know and trust when purchasing.

What to look for in a quality NAC supplement Form

Capsule: Most NAC supplements come in capsule form. These are cheap to produce and easy to swallow due to their smooth texture. Most capsules are made of gelatin, though vegetable cellulose options are becoming more popular. Capsules often contain a lower supplement dose than tablets.
Tablet: Tablets are pressed into shape, rather than being contained. They’re cheap to produce, too, but they’re less popular as they can be difficult to swallow due to their shape and texture. They also often have a taste, because they’re not encased in a neutral material.

Dosage

Most NAC supplements offer a 500- or 600-milligram concentration. NAC is generally safe for adults to take up to 2,000 milligrams per day, though this is an unusually high dosage. Talk to a medical professional about the correct dosage.

Additives

Most supplements contain some additives for texture and taste, to prevent odor, or as preservatives. Look carefully at the additives used, their source, and how they might affect you, especially if you have health issues that might be exacerbated by unknown ingredients.

How much you can expect to spend on NAC supplements

Most NAC supplements cost between 10-30 cents per pill, depending on concentration, derivation and brand. As supplements go, these are affordable.

NAC supplement FAQ Do NAC supplements help prevent or treat COVID-19?

A. NAC supplements are occasionally used to help treat lung conditions, and there are some studies backing up NAC’s use to treat COPD and chronic bronchitis. But there is little to no medical evidence as to its efficacy in treating COVID-19. There are no miracle cures for COVID-19, including dietary supplements.

Are NAC supplements safe?

A. Generally speaking, though, as with all medical treatments and dietary supplements, it’s best to check with a medical professional before use. Many recommend that those who use NAC drink extra water while taking it. It can interact with some medications and can cause some mild side effects, such as an upset stomach or fatigue. Stop use of any supplements if serious side effects occur.

What’s the best NAC supplement to buy? Top NAC supplement

Thorne NAC Capsules

What you need to know: This is a 500-milligram NAC capsule with great reviews from a brand trusted for purity and effectiveness.

What you’ll love: Reviewers loved that it had no smell, as many capsules do. It doesn’t contain common allergens or gelatin, making it vegan-friendly.

What you should consider: It’s on the more expensive end of a generally affordable supplement. Thorne products, in general, are usually very expensive.

Top NAC supplement for the money

Now 600 Milligram NAC Capsules

What you need to know: These 600-milligram capsules come in bottles of either 100 or 250 capsules.

What you’ll love: They’re highly affordable, vegan and free of common allergens. Reviewers raved about the value for the price.

What you should consider: Some found that the capsules oxidized quickly and complained of dark spots in the capsules.

Worth checking out

Life Extension 600 Milligram NAC Capsules

What you need to know: This is a small bottle of high-quality 600-milligram NAC capsules.

What you’ll love: They’re free of many additives and vegan. They’re also relatively affordable.

What you should consider: They only come in bottles of 60 pills, meaning they’re a bit more of a pain to purchase in bulk.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Orlando judge suspects foul play by ICE agents, orders 2 Venezuelans freed

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:46

A federal judge in Orlando ordered two more Venezuelan migrants released from ICE custody on Thursday and said he suspected foul play by the agents involved in their detentions.

In one case, U.S. District Judge John Antoon, who released another detainee earlier this month, said the warrant ordering Junier Silva-Parucho’s arrest on Jan. 29 arrest was signed three hours after he was taken into custody. The warrant for Silva-Parucho, a construction worker with a pending asylum application and valid employment authorization, was therefore invalid, the judge ruled.

“If the court considers it an invalid warrant, I can concede that … we would no longer defend it,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Bloor said.

“I find that the detention was illegal based on the sequence of events,” replied Antoon, appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Following that hearing, Antoon ordered Fadya Contreras de Rondon, who was arrested Jan. 9 along with her husband, released because while her arrest warrant and her notice to appear in court bear the name of the same agent they have different signatures.

“You represent the United States, this is a serious matter,” Antoon told Bloor. “I can’t find that any of these are signed validly because these have been signed differently. I don’t know what’s going on with immigration personnel. There are only two explanations for this — and neither of them are good.”

The records Antoon cited are not publicly accessible in online court databases. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Antoon’s accusations.

The release of the two immigrants — and a third set free earlier Thursday in the same courthouse by another judge — is part of a national trend. Federal judges across the country, including in Orlando, have rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to detain everyone facing deportation. The judges have argued that the administration’s position violates longstanding legal practice as it would mean holding indefinitely migrants who are not charged with crimes.

Politico reported last month that more than 300 federal judges, appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, have been releasing people from ICE custody in recent months.

The two people released by Antoon reacted with emotion as they were unshackled, released and reunited with their loved ones. Silva-Parucho, whose handcuffs were ordered to be removed before his hearing began, broke into elated sobs as the judge read the order releasing him.

Contreras de Rondon flashed a smile and blew a kiss at her husband, Johnny Rondon-Rodriguez, who was released from ICE custody last week, as he observed anxiously from the gallery. The couple had not seen each other since they were arrested last month by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol while driving on Interstate-75.

Outside the courthouse, the two were inseparable as they spoke with reporters while celebrating their reunion. Her hand stroked his as he wrapped his arm around her.

“We told them we are Venezuelan, and that was enough for them to detain us even though we had valid documents,” said Contreras de Rondon. The two work in real estate and were on their way to show a house in Ocala when they were taken into custody. “What we suffered is very easy to say but very difficult to have lived,” she said.

In open court, she described being mocked by ICE and jail officials while in custody.

“They treated us badly,” she told reporters later, speaking of herself and fellow detainees to reporters. “They made us feel like we were garbage.”

Both of the people released Thursday were represented by Phillip Arroyo, a local attorney who has gotten 17 clients freed by filing habeas corpus petitions in federal court. These petitions require the government to explain their detentions.

He said he had not realized the paperwork and signature issue the judge flagged but it did not shock him.

“We don’t know if this is a scheme that was just discovered by the judge,” Arroyo said, “but it would not be surprising for us as attorneys to discover that ICE is incurring in these illegal practices when they violated court orders across the country.”

Miguel Rincon-Hernandez, another Arroyo client, was released Thursday after the government confirmed that he posted bond at a hearing, despite concerns that the payment had not been processed in time

Generally, the judges who’ve released detainees say the federal government is wrongly arguing that a statute that historically applied to migrants caught at the border applies to anyone seeking to gain legal status to remain in the United States.

The vast majority of judges, including five in the Middle District of Florida that partly covers Central Florida, have argued that detained migrants are entitled to bond hearings ahead of removal proceedings.

But last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision ruled in the government’s favor. Although it doesn’t impact migrants released in Florida, a similar case is being heard in the 11th Circuit, which would cover Florida and most of the southeast.

Arguments in that case are scheduled to be heard later this year.

Get the love part right: It’s about knowing each other, sacrifice and sticking around on bad days

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:37

By LAURIE KELLMAN and ALMAZ ABEDJE

LONDON (AP) — Love and bacon hovered in the air of the Smalley house one sunny morning when Annie, 7, came to breakfast.

A “baconaholic,” according to her father, Annie spied the last remaining strips of the intoxicating salty meat on a plate. She could easily have inhaled them all. But incoming was Annie’s sister, Murphy, 16, another bacon devotee. Annie paused and decided to offer one strip of crispy goodness to her sister. “Dad,” she declared, ““I just laid down my life for Murphy.”

Perhaps, Greg Smalley reminded his daughter, the pig had sacrificed more. But what struck him was the choice. The sisters had a history of generosity toward each other, but Annie had given up something important — a massive understatement for any bacon lover — for Murphy’s delight. “Love,” Smalley said by email, “is built on small, daily sacrifices that quietly say, ‘You matter.’”

In doing so, Annie arguably had gotten the love part right — a universal goal that’s been sought and debated across borders, politics and religions for as long as people have been writing things down.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day 2026, with the card and chocolate industries eager to help, loving someone well — a romantic partner, a parent, a child, a pet and especially yourself — can seem as perplexing as ever. It depends on what you want, and don’t, as well as what others want from you — now and in five minutes, relentlessly.

Love stinks, love bites, love hurts: What history says about loving well

Across traditions and philosophies, love is generally defined as an ongoing moral choice that requires truthfulness and accountability. What it’s not, those texts widely say: controlling, unconditional or abusive.

Valentine’s day Plush bears are displayed at a retail store in Lincolnshire, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Aristotle wrote that to love, a person “wishes and does what is good, or seems to, for the sake of his friend.” St. Thomas Aquinas taught that, “to love is to will the good of the other.” The Old Testament includes a famous directive, translated roughly: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Love,” wrote the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, “can be defined as a wish that others be happy.”

It’s all pretty lofty-sounding, so The Associated Press asked people around the world how they got love part right in real, contemporary life. Here’s what they said.

Las Vegas: Knowing each other well enough to give the right gifts

“Personally, I love gift-giving,” said Ally Fernandez of Las Vegas, a seamstress. “I make a lot of my items, and I love making something special and like custom to my person, and I do that for pretty much everybody.”

For her husband, Fernandez said she did “some really cool, patchwork…It’s just so unexpected when you get something that’s handmade like that.”

Her husband, meanwhile, has paid close enough attention to know she loves surprises. One recent date night, he took her to Area15, an immersive entertainment experience in Las Vegas.

“You walk through it…and you can interact with all the things around you,” she recalled. “I love things like that, like just things that are different and artsy.”

Budapest, Hungary: Suffering through Sephora with your makeup-loving lover A Valentine heart cushion is seen at a grocery store in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Back home in Budapest, Hungary, there are no Sephora stores. But there are multiples in Paris. So on a recent visit to the French capital, Lili Henzel, 25, couldn’t stay away from the cosmetics giant — and her husband, Bulcsu Alkay, 23, went along for the ride. Again. And again.

“Yesterday, we went to Sephora for five times,” Henzel said in an interview. “It’s not fun for him, obviously, so I appreciate that a lot.”

Alkay took it with good humor. “I guess it’s my second home, I would say,” he said. Turning to his wife, he empathized. “Because you have so much at Sephora and we don’t have it at home.”

They displayed admirable honesty, appreciation and clear communication.

“I love makeup, so we had to buy a lot of it,” Henzel explained.

“I’m not really interested in that kind of shopping,” Alkay said.

Replied Henzel: “Thanks again for that.”

Los Angeles: Spending enough time together to know when your person, or pet, feels down

Luis Mitre of Los Angeles says that “love is the most wonderful thing.” He tries to express how he feels to people, but his dogs seem to know automatically.

That might be because he takes them wherever he goes, even on travel. “They sense when you’re sad, when you’re happy, even when people don’t,” said Mitre, who also lives in Las Vegas, where he spoke to the AP. “I think they show their love in unexpected ways every single day.”

Colmar, France: Rooting for each other every day

Claudia Verdun and Francarlos Betancourt, French visitors to Rome’s romantic Trevi Fountain, took a quick selfie and kissed — then talked about love.

“For me, it is a daily test,” Verdun said. “Little attentions, respect, care for the other, to believe in the other pushing, for the best for him. I think that is important.”

Added Betancourt, love is “to help each other with some things, to always be together, starting with your differences — you have to love each other.

Colombia’s Ambassador in the United States Daniel García-Peña, right, hands out flowers from Colombia to pedestrians outside the Longworth House Office Building ahead of Valentine’s Day, as a symbol of the close partnership between Colombia and the United States, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Beijing: Accepting yourself

Yi Yi, a Beijing resident, thinks “no relationship is closer than that with oneself.”

“I think for many people, the most important is that you should really love yourself, fully accept yourself and accept your own vulnerability and shortcomings,” Yi said. “I think these are the most important aspects of love for oneself.”

Brussels: Choosing to keep talking

“What we do,” said Joel Stimpfig, 18, who visited Paris from Madrid, “is that we always have good communication and when we’re having a bad day, we always have a little moment to talk and discuss the relationship.”

Anke Verbeek, 40, and Jari Jacobs, 39, from Brussels, Belgium, “have difficult jobs.”

“She works late. I work early,” said Verbeek. “So communication is key for being together, for doing things together and keep the relationship alive.”

Brazil: Fighting to stand up a healthy family FILE – A man walks holding flowers and balloons on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

Rafael Almeida thinks love has to do with solid planning for the future.

“We have already married, and to have children was our big dream together, and we are planning to expand our family,” he said in Rome, on a visit from his home in Brazil.. “We are planning and fighting for that.”

But love is also the daily practice of showing “the respect and admiration we have for each other every day.”

Colorado Springs, Colorado: Making the bed just because it’s that important to her

Erin Smalley wanted the bed made. Her husband, Greg Smalley (Annie’s dad), didn’t see why when he’d just have to climb back under the covers in a few hours. Decades of marriage, several children and co-hosting a podcast did little to resolve this ongoing dispute. Until, that is, Greg watched Erin hobble around with a recent foot injury as she made the bed herself.

“I know it doesn’t make sense to you,” Erin explained, “But I really like our bed made. It makes me feel good.”

“I finally got it,” Greg Smalley, a vice president at Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based Christian nonprofit, wrote in his email. “I realized that this was an opportunity to sacrifice a little bit of my time in the morning for my wife.”

These days, he says, he makes the bed every day.

Contributing to this story were AP journalists Zheng Liu and Wayne Zhang in Beijing, Trisha Thomas and Silvia Stellacci in Rome, Alex Turnbull in Paris and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas.

Reddit sleuths are allies for Congress on Epstein files

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:28

When the U.S. Department of Justice late last month released more than 3 million new files from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, its redactions — widely criticized for being haphazard and sloppy — left many questions.

This week, members of Congress were able to visit the Department of Justice in Washington to review the unredacted documents in person, but had to make an appointment.

Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Orlando snagged a 2-hour slot Wednesday.

Frost’s staff knew they needed a targeted approach if they wanted to find something new.

So they asked Reddit for help.

“What specific files have you all seen that I should review unredacted?” Frost posted to the R/Epstein thread on Tuesday, putting the word “specific” in bold.

Within hours, he had hundreds of replies.

“It’s overwhelming the response that we got,” said Ariana Orne, Frost’s communications director.

The post went viral on the site, making it to the r/popular thread and becoming one of the top posts Tuesday. It generated more than 30,000 upvotes— a sign of approval from other Reddit users — and 2,700 comments, with many linking to specific files that the Department of Justice redacted.

“This entire file is completely blacked out, it’s ridiculous,” posted one user with a link.

“A law firm report with photographic evidence that is about a 5 year old girl being abused at Epstein’s NY house during a party,” another wrote.

“This is terrific. I was hoping a member of congress would approach this in such a collaborative way. Thank you in advance for this. I have a few,” another offered, linking to documents with dialogue “between redacted individuals saying things about children that I don’t want to repeat.”

Frost’s staff was glued to the thread for hours, Orne said, collecting document numbers for his visit.

“We kept hearing about the same documents, so we were interested in hearing from folks who were tracking ones that were different than what we’d been seeing,” she said.

They compiled 11 pages of file numbers for Frost to review at the Department of Justice. He was only able to get through the first two.

“I definitely just scratched the tip of the iceberg,” Frost said in an Instagram post Wednesday night about his visit. He said many documents remained redacted even when he clicked to unredact them.

He said the documents he was able to see left him confused as to why they were redacted in the first place.

“A lot of these did relate to Donald Trump,” he said.

He said he plans to return to review more and lay out what he saw on the House floor in the coming days.

Until then, he is waiting for the Department of Justice to approve his next appointment request, he said.

“The public has such a strong interest in this, obviously because it’s so egregious. If anything, that was the thought process behind the Reddit, just crowdsourcing,” Orne said. “We had no expectation it was going to land how it did.”

Puerto Rico governor signs law to recognize fetus as human being as critics warn of consequences

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:20

By DÁNICA COTO

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor on Thursday signed a bill that amends a law to recognize a fetus as a human being, a move doctors and legal experts warn will have deep ramifications for the U.S. Caribbean territory.

The amendment was approved without public hearings and amid concerns from opponents who warned it would unleash confusion and affect how doctors and pregnant or potentially pregnant women are treated.

The new law will lead to “defensive health care,” warned Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez, president of Puerto Rico’s College of Medical Surgeons.

“This will bring complex clinical decisions into the realm of criminal law,” he said in a phone interview.

He said that women with complicated pregnancies will likely be turned away by private doctors and will end up giving birth in the U.S. mainland or at Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital, noting that the island’s crumbling health system isn’t prepared.

“This will bring disastrous consequences,” he said.

Díaz noted that the amended law also allows a third person to intervene between a doctor and a pregnant woman, so privacy laws will be violated, adding that new protocols and regulations will have to be implemented.

“The system is not prepared for this,” he said.

Gov. Jenniffer González, a Republican and supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, said in a brief statement that “the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the unborn child as a human being.”

The amendment, in Senate Bill 923, was made to an article within Puerto Rico’s Penal Code that defines murder.

The government noted that the amendment complements a law that among other things, classifies as first-degree murder when a pregnant woman is killed intentionally and knowingly, resulting in the death of the conceived child at any stage of gestation. The law was named after Keishla Rodríguez, who was pregnant when she was killed in April 2021. Her lover, former Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo, received two life sentences after he was found guilty in the killing.

Some cheered the amendment signed into law Thursday, while opponents warned that it opens the door to eventually criminalizing abortions in Puerto Rico, which remain legal.

“A zygote was given legal personality,” said Rosa Seguí Cordero, an attorney and spokesperson for the National Campaign for Free, Safe and Accessible Abortion in Puerto Rico. “We women were stripped of our rights.”

Seguí rattled off potential scenarios, including whether a zygote, or fertilized egg, would have the right to health insurance and whether a woman who loses a fetus would become a murder suspect.

Díaz said doctors could even be considered murder suspects and condemned how public hearings were never held and the medical sector never consulted.

“The problem is that no medical recommendations were followed here,” he said. “This is a serious blow … It puts us in a difficult situation.”

Among those condemning the measure was Annette Martínez Orabona, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico.

She noted that no broad discussion of the bill was allowed, which she said is critical because the penal code carries the most severe penalties.

“There is no doubt that the measure did not undergo adequate analysis before its approval and leaves an unacceptable space for ambiguity regarding civil rights,” she said.

“The legislative leadership failed to fulfill its responsibility to the people, and so did the governor.”

House renames press gallery after Frederick Douglass in bipartisan recognition of Black history

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:02

By MATT BROWN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The press gallery overlooking the U.S. House chamber has been renamed after the abolitionist, writer and presidential adviser Frederick Douglass in a bipartisan move brokered by Black lawmakers.

The renaming of the press gallery, spearheaded by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., was conceived over the last year after the congressman said he brainstormed with his staff on ways to commemorate the history of prominent Americans, including Black Americans, across the Capitol.

“When we talk about Frederick Douglass, we are talking about a man who possessed a profound and unshakable faith in Americans, in America’s family,” Donalds said in remarks celebrating the dedication.

Douglass wrote about congressional proceedings from the chamber during the Civil War. His public speeches and letters to President Abraham Lincoln and northern Republican congressmen helped galvanize support among lawmakers and the public for the abolition of slavery.

“It’s an important thing for us to give honor where honor is due. That’s a biblical admonition,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said during the unveiling of a plaque that now overlooks the entrance to the gallery. “Frederick Douglass is certainly deserving of that honor.”

A bipartisan celebration in a divided Washington

Prominent Black conservatives, including activists, faith leaders and senior Trump administration officials, mingled with lawmakers at a ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol. Staffers from the Library of Congress displayed artifacts from Douglass’ life.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks during a formal dedication of the House Press Gallery in honor of Frederick Douglass on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb., 12, 2026, in Washington. Frederick Douglass was the first African American reporter admitted into the Capitol press galleries. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

The celebration, which came during Black History Month and the 100th anniversary of the earliest national observance of Black history, coincided with intense debate over how race, history and democracy are understood in the U.S.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year targeting the teaching of history in the Smithsonian Institution, which the order claimed had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” that “promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”

Another order signed by the president claimed that in U.S. K-12 schools, “innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors.” Trump ordered federal agencies to develop a comprehensive strategy to end “indoctrination” by teachers who may promote “anti-American, subversive, harmful, and false ideologies on our nation’s children.”

Critics argued that the orders, with the removal of some public displays by the National Park Service related to race and identity, and the White House’s ongoing efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, represented a whitewashing of history that could ultimately fuel discrimination against minority communities.

But the administration’s allies argue that the policies are a corrective to an overly critical narrative about America’s past. Black conservatives, in particular, have defended the moves and argued that more positive stories of individual triumph, like Douglass’ life story, need to be more widely told.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., left, shakes hands with Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, right, prior to a formal dedication of the House Press Gallery in honor of Frederick Douglass on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb., 12, 2026, in Washington. Frederick Douglass was the first African American reporter admitted into the Capitol press galleries. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

“This is what we did when I was growing up. We knew about our Black heroes,” said Rep. Burgess Owens, a Utah Republican who is Black and attended the dedication. “When we stop telling the good, then people start thinking that we’re not the country that is the promise that we gave. So we need to talk about our history, our success.”

Rep. Steve Horsford, a Nevada Democrat who worked with Donalds on the renaming, said it was important to find bipartisan agreement where possible.

“I wouldn’t be here if it were not for the desire to want to work across the aisle, to not just recognize our history and culture, but to solve our problems that people face today,” Horsford said.

The life and legacy of Frederick Douglass

Born in Maryland, Douglass escaped slavery by fleeing to New York as a young man. He become one of the most influential activists for abolition and later moved to Capitol Hill in Washington, where he advocated for civil rights.

An estate he bought after emancipation in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington is now a national park.

A plaque is seen for the dedication of the House Press Gallery to honor Frederick Douglass, during on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Feb., 12, 2026, in Washington. Frederick Douglass was the first African American reporter admitted into the Capitol press galleries. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Douglass, who taught himself to read and write, fiercely condemned the dehumanization of people of African descent and delivered numerous influential speeches throughout his life. His 1852 speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” denounced the contradictions of the country’s founding ideals with its embrace of slavery.

In an 1867 essay, Douglass urged Congress to allow Black men to vote and called for more aggressive Reconstruction efforts in the South to guarantee multiracial democracy.

“What, then, is the work before Congress? It is to save the people of the South from themselves,” Douglass wrote. “It must enfranchise the negro, and by means of the loyal negroes and the loyal white men of the South build till a national party there, and in time bridge the chasm between North and South, so that our country may have a common liberty and a common civilization.”

Douglass, who did not know the day he was born because records were rarely kept about enslaved people’s lives, celebrated his birthday on Valentine’s Day because his mother called him her “little Valentine” before he was separated from her as a child.

Donalds praised Douglass for his ability to “love this country enough to tell the truth about it.”

“His life story, from the field, from the slavery fields to the world stage, is one of the greatest narratives of perseverance in U.S. history,” Donalds said.

Daily Horoscope for February 13, 2026

South Florida Local News - Thu, 02/12/2026 - 17:00

General Daily Insight for February 13, 2026

Making a fresh start might require some thought now. With structured Saturn entering impulsive Aries at 7:11 pm EST, it’ll be necessary to carefully define the goals and projects that we want to pursue. As the emotional Moon stimulates expansive Jupiter, we’ll probably be drawn to a variety of possibilities. However, choosing fewer priorities and building momentum through small, consistent actions that actually stick is likely to have a better outcome than getting spread too thin. Keeping manageable promises can build our confidence!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Clear edges can help your courage aim true. As disciplined Saturn enters your sign, you may be ready to set firmer boundaries around your time and even your tone, channeling your brave drive into steady progress. Perhaps not everything that others ask you to do truly needs to be done by you. Being honest about your limits protects quality and momentum. Start a simple routine that strengthens your body and brand, like posting a helpful tip each morning, and let repetition shape a reliable impression.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Pausing long enough to hear your inner voice could be illuminating now. Karmic Saturn moves into your 12th House of Secrets and Solitude, asking you to close unfinished chapters with gentle honesty and real rest. If old worries surface while scrolling at night, write them down and name something you’ll do about them the next day, because limits protect your peace. You may also feel drawn to declutter emails or donate items. Clearing on any level frees your bandwidth for dreams that need your care!

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Flaky friends could really grate on you at this time. As serious Saturn enters your 11th House of Friendship and Community, you may want to pin down where you stand with your pals. Perhaps you’ll also grow more conscious of the value of your time. If a group chat keeps spiraling, try setting topics specific enough to require thought and commitment. That might sound a little uptight, but you risk checking out entirely if your clever mind doesn’t get the structure it needs to deliver!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Being respected could earn you trust and real options going forward. Your 10th House of Career and Status gains focus as authoritative Saturn arrives there. Perhaps people will finally notice that your caring nature consistently leads through reliability. Still, if a supervisor or elder raises the bar, ask for written priorities and set fair deadlines, because a clearly defined scope protects your reputation and home rhythm. Embrace the opportunity to update a resume or solidify a portfolio. Steady choices open doors you truly want.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Your horizon may look wide at the moment, but the intention you contribute is still crucial. As ambitious Saturn enters your 9th House of Travel and Learning, steady growth is possible if you’re clear about your priorities. Any administrative tasks associated with a course of study or big trip, like applications or visas, could become overwhelming. The push to get organized might ultimately benefit you, though. Feel free to share the insights you accumulate with a friend, because teaching what you learn strengthens your mastery.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Bringing order to an intimidating realm is possible at this time. Although subjects like shared finances might seem confusing, they ultimately just need the same sort of clear, simple plans you’d use in any other area of your life. As responsible Saturn enters your 8th House of Shared Resources and Intimacy, you’ll have to deal directly with any other people in the equation and make room for their perspectives. If you can stay calm, chances are they’ll follow your lead!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Seeing eye-to-eye with the significant people in your life is likely at this time. Your 7th House of Partnership steadies as boundary-setting Saturn arrives, encouraging clear agreements across your closest bonds so your diplomatic style can bring fairness without overgiving. In some cases, you might also have to get real about the bigger picture. If a friend cancels plans repeatedly, maybe they’re telling you something. Relationship endings are possible under this influence — don’t insist on forcing a connection that’s trying to fade.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Mindful structure could upgrade your schedule at present. Obligation-focused Saturn enters your 6th House of Daily Routine and Wellness, urging you to streamline tasks and conserve your energy for work that truly matters. Sometimes this might require you to set limits with others, but the bigger part is probably an inside job. Commit to small wellness anchors like stretching before emails or prepping lunch, allowing your intense focus to stay sharp without crashing later. Protect your energy so excellence feels sustainable.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Focused play might sound like a contradiction, but perhaps it’s just what you need these days. As restrictive Saturn enters your 5th House of Creativity and Play, pleasure is a priority, but you’ll have to put it on the calendar to make it happen. Choose a skill you want to cultivate, like playing guitar scales or writing pages, and track your progress each week so your adventurous spirit sees growth clearly. Give structure to fun, and joy can grow sturdy roots!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Cultivating a calm home environment could be a high priority now. Your 4th House of Home and Family firms up as crystallizing Saturn arrives, potentially turning your attention to needed repairs and nagging relationship frustrations. If relatives regularly expect you to drop everything and help them, you might need to be honest about whether that’s really working for you. Saturn has a reputation for saying no, but that doesn’t necessarily make its energy cruel. Boundaries keep love warm rather than stretched thin.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Seeing how you set the tone for conversations could currently be surprising. As frustrating Saturn arrives in your 3rd House of Communication, you might be annoyed that others seem to misread you. Although there may sometimes be issues on their end that are beyond your control, be realistic about whether you’re the common denominator in multiple situations with similar problems. Identifying what you’re doing that isn’t working doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Once you name it, you can start fixing it!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Making sure your purchases reflect what matters most could be a useful exercise now. Limiting Saturn enters your 2nd House of Resources and Self-Worth, encouraging careful budgets and sturdy values. The goal isn’t to feel unnecessarily deprived — rather, it’s to clarify priorities so your generous heart can give without draining reserves. If a sale tempts you, compare prices and sleep on it to determine whether it serves your life or just your mood. Your money can stretch further while your self-respect stays strong and steady.

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