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Today is Saturday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2025. There are 11 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 20, 1986, three Black men were attacked by a group of white youths in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York, resulting in the death of one of the men, Michael Griffith.

Also on this date:

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States.

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In 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on a vote of delegates at a secession convention, emboldening other Southern states to follow suit and helping to trigger the American Civil War.

In 1946, the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City.

In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Doña Paz (DOHN’-yuh pahz), a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island.

In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

In 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 from Miami to Cali, Colombia, crashed into a mountain near Buga, Colombia, at night while descending into the Cali area, killing all but four of the 163 passengers and crew aboard.

In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020.

In 2024, a car slammed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, killing six people and injuring more than 200. The suspect, who was arrested, was a doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support on social media for a far-right party.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Rock drummer Peter Criss (Kiss) is 80.
• Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 79.
• Musician Alan Parsons is 77.
• Author Sandra Cisneros is 71.
• Actor Michael Badalucco is 71.
• Rock singer Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 59.
• Filmmaker Todd Phillips is 55.
• Actor Jonah Hill is 42.
• Soccer player Kylian Mbappé is 27.

GAINESVILLE — New UF coach Jon Sumrall arrived from Tulane to resurrect a program coming off a 4-8 season, the Gators’ fourth losing season in five years — including the past four under Billy Napier.

After signing a 2026 recruiting class ranked 16th nationally while he still coached the Green Wave, Sumrall and his evolving staff turned their attention to preparing for the 15-day transfer portal window Jan. 2-16.

Sumrall and Co. aim to retain top talent from the 2025 Gators and add players from other schools seeking a new opportunity. Meanwhile, players themselves are making moves.

Here are players who have made known their intentions to enter the portal when it opens:

QB DJ Lagway

Vitals: 6-3, 247 pounds

Resumé: Lagway was a 5-star prospect out of Willis (Texas) High School who was named 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year after he accounted for 73 touchdowns and led his team to an unbeaten season until losing in the third round of the 6A state playoffs to top-ranked defending champion DeSoto.

Role: Lagway was 6-1 as a starter as a true freshman in 2024 after he replaced injured veteran Graham Mertz during an overtime loss Oct. 11, 2024, at Tennessee. But Lagway struggled after an injury-riddled offseason prevented him from throwing during spring practices and limited him much of fall camp. He threw 16 touchdowns and an SEC-leading 14 interceptions. A season after his passer rating was second in the SEC to Ole Miss’ Jaxon Dart, Lagway had a 127.0 rating — lower than all but one quarterback in the conference. Expected to be a dual threat, Lagway rushed for just 237 yards and a score in two seasons.

Outlook: Lagway’s departure leaves UF with three scholarship quarterbacks: Trammel Jones Jr., Aidan Warner and Will Griffin. A former 4-star prospect from Jacksonville Mandarin, Jones appeared in two games, including the loss to Kentucky after interim coach Billy Gonzales benched Lagway. Warner is a former walk-on and Yale transfer from Winter Park who stepped in for Lagway when he injured his hamstring during a 2024 loss to Georgia. Warner started a week later at Texas, a 49-17 beatdown by the Longhorns, but that was his last appearance at UF. Griffin is a 4-star recruit out of Tampa Jesuit tabbed the nation’s No. 14 quarterback in the 2026 class by 247Sports composite rankings. A starter since he was an eighth-grader, Griffin compiled 12,299 passing yards and 143 touchdowns throws, including 37 on just 246 attempts in 2025, during a record-setting career.

WR Aidan Mizell Vitals: 6-1 ½, 185 pounds

Resumé: Mizell was ranked No. 13 in Sentinel’s 2023 Central Florida Super60 out of Orlando Boone, he was the nation’s No. 16 wide receiver and No. 204 overall prospect, according to 247Sports composite.

Role: Mizell leaves UF with 38 catches for 404 yards and three touchdowns, but injuries limited him to seven games in each of the past two seasons. Mizell had touchdowns of 41 yards against Samford and 43 yards against Georgia in 2024, while continuing to establish a connection with Lagway. But in 2025, Mizelll managed just three receptions longer than 15 yards, including a 23-yard catch during a 40-21 win Nov. 29 against Florida State.

Outlook: Mizell would have faced a logjam at receiver because Vernell Brown III  and fellow true freshman Dallas Wilson. Wilson appeared in only four games, but had 12 catches for 174 yards and three scores — or Mizell’s career total in 15 appearances including one in 2023. The Gators also welcome of Davian Groce, rated the nation’s No. 4 “athlete” and No. 47 overall recruit, out of Frisco, Texas. The future of redshirt sophomore Tre Wilson is murky after injuries ended consecutive seasons. After sophomore Tank Hawkins opted out, redshirt freshman TJ Abrams stepped in and proved to be a crisp route-runner who produced — highlighted by three catches for 76 yards at Ole Miss. First-year receiver Naeshaen Montgomery, who is expected to remain, possesses impressive top-end speed.

S Jordan Castell

Vitals: 6-2, 213 pounds

Resumé: Castell was an Under-Armour All-American ranked No. 7 in Sentinel’s 2023 Central Florida Super60 out of West Orange High in Orlando. Playing cornerback in 2023, Castell posted 39 tackles, five interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

Role: Aiming to shore up the back end of the defense, coaches moved Castell to free safety to capitalize on his length, range and ball skills. Castell responded in 2023 with a team-high 60 tackles, along with an interception, and leaves UF 168 stops, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack. While his production was solid, Castell rarely made game-changing plays. In 2025, he did not record a pass breakup.

Outlook: Bryce Thornton, Castell’s sidekick and a rising senior, is coming off this best season. He recorded 56 tackles, second on the team to linebacker Myles Graham, a team-leading six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. A 37-yard scoop and score were the 2025 Gators first points during a 55-0 season-opening win against Long Island University. Drake Stubbs of Jacksonville was the nation’s No. 6 safety prospect in the 2025 class, but managed just three tackles in eight appearances. Fellow true freshman Lagonza Hayward, rated No. 15 at his position among 2025 prospects, also played nickel back. He finished with 12 tackles and two QB hurries last season. UF signed two safeties in the ’26 class, 2025 Under Armour All-American Kaiden “KD” Hall of Milton, on the Florida Panhandle, and Dylan Purter of Alabama, who flipped his commitment from LSU. Hall compiled 129 tackles with 11 for loss, four interceptions and two pass breakups during 29 career games. Rated the No. 20 safety in the 2026 class, Purter is more slightly built (6-0, 170) than Hall but is instinctive and able to line up anywhere in the secondary. He compiled 148 tackles with eight for loss, two interceptions and 11 breakups in 2023-24.

DT Michai Boireau

Vitals: 6-4 ½, 349 pounds

Resumé: Boireau was a 3-star prospect out of Creekside High in Fairburn, Ga., where he compiled 87 tackles, including 12 for loss (five sacks) to rank as the No. 116 defensive tackle prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Boireau had a rough start to this college career after he led police on a high-speed chase in Monroe County, Ga., topping speeds of 150 mph and hitting another car while carrying marijuana in his car, according to police reports. He spent multiple nights in jail before returning home to Gainesville. Given a chance Boireau proved to be a solid rotational player as a true freshman, compiling 15 tackles in 12 appearances in 2024. He then registered 20 tackles, including two sacks, in nine games as a sophomore battling a knee issue. He also made the game-winning interception during a 23-21 victory Oct. 18 against Mississippi State.

Outlook: Baylor transfer Brendan Bett’s production (40 tackles, three sacks) and the emergence of true freshman Jeremiah McCloud (13 tackles) and Joseph Mbatchou (11) offer the Gators interior defenders to build around. UF also signed Kendall Guervil, a 4-star prospect out of Fort Myers, where he tallied 88 stops, including 12 for loss, in 2024.

TE Hayden Hansen

Vitals: 6-6 ¼, 269 pounds

Resumé: Hansen was a 3-star prospect out of Weatherford (Texas) High, who converted from quarterback to tight end and was rated No. 128 prospect at his position in the 2022 class, Napier’s first at UF.

Role: Hansen’s size allowed him to soon contribute as a blocker in two-tight end sets, while catching 12 passes for 150 yards and two scores in 2023 as a redshirt freshman. He steadily improved as a target in the passing game, finishing with 30 catches for 254 yards and two scores in 2025. Despite his size, though, Hansen was not a physical runner after the catch, averaging 10.7 yards on 57 catches (611 yards) at UF. He caught five touchdowns in 37 games.

Outlook: The exodus of Hansen and Amir Jackson leaves UF with only one experience scholarship tight end, rising senior Tony Livingston, along true freshman tight ends Micah Jones, out of Madison, Miss., and Cameron Kossman, who hails from Chesterfield, Missouri. UF has yet to sign a tight end for the 2026 class. Kekua Aumua of Hawaii changed his commitment to Washington during the early signing period.

LB Grayson “Pup” Howard

Vitals: 6-4, 236 pounds

Resumé: Was a 4-star prospect out of Jacksonville’s Andrew Jackson High rated the nation’s No. 9 linebacker prospect and No. 115 overall player in 2023, according to 247Sports. In 2022, Howard recorded 106 solo tackles, including three sacks, and five pass breakups in 11 games.

Role: After he totaled 19 tackles during 11 appearances at South Carolina in 2023, Howard had 37 tackles including two for loss (one sack), two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in 2024 as a sophomore before he missed the final three games with a leg injury. Howard’s injury limited him to three tackles in three appearances in 2025, the last Sept. 20 at Miami. .

Outlook: Florida returns defensive leader Myles Graham, the Gators’ leading tackler with 76 stops as a sophomore, including seven for loss, to go with seven quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. Aaron Chiles had 52 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and two QB hurries in his second season, while Jaden Robinson recorded 50 tackles, four for loss, four hurries and three PBUs in his third season. Myles Johnson had five tackles in 12 appearances while fellow true freshman Ty Jackson had one tackle in eight appearances. Johnson’s speed and Jackson’s production at Seminole Ridge in Fort Lauderdale bode well.

RB KD Daniels

Vitals: 5-11 ½, 203 pounds

Resumé: Daniels was a 4-star prospect rated the nation’s No. 14 running back in the 2024 class by 247Sports composition rankings. Named Mississippi’s Class 5A Mr. Football, Daniels rushed for 2,737 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2023, highlighted by a 253-yard performance in the state-title game.

Role: Daniels began his career down the depth chart, behind senior Montrell Johnson Jr., true freshman Jadan Baugh and redshirt junior Ja’Kobi Jackson. The sole highlight of Daniels’ first college season was his heady 27-yard touchdown after he scooped a fumble by Lagway during the UFs 33-8 win in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl against Tulane. When Jackson suffered a season-ending injury in 2025, Daniels battled true freshman Duke Clark for touches. Daniels leaves UF with just 185 yards and two scores on 39 carries.

Outlook: Baugh’s 266-yard day during UF’s 40-21 season-ending win against FSU cemented the sophomore’s place the Gators’ key offensive weapon entering 2026. The 6-foot ½, 210-pound Clark had 58 yards on 14 carries, along with two catches for 14 yards in four appearances. Redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb, a former top recruit, did not play in 2025 after missing all but four games in 2024 following an injury. Byron Louis is a former Plantation American Heritage standout and a 4-star prospect in 2025 who rushed 2,943 yards and 34 scores in 2024-25. Fellow true freshman Chad Gasper Jr., was a 3-star recruit from Katy, Texas who did not see game action.

TE Amir Jackson

Vitals: 6-4 ¾, 235 pounds

Resumé: Jackson was a 4-star prospect from Portal High in Georgia, rated the No. 9 tight end prospect and 139th overall recruit, per 247Sports. As a senior in 2023, he recorded 44 catches for 727 yards and 12 touchdowns while also making 57 tackles, six for loss. During his basketball career, Jackson averaged 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in 88 games.

Role: Jackson was among the more versatile athletes and intriguing playmakers in the 2024 class but needed to build strength and become more physical. Despite noticeable games in the weight room, Jackson did not factor as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He managed just three catches for 29 yards and a score.

Outlook: Sumrall and his staff aim to improve the production and explosiveness at a position where top players cause mismatches. Hansen started 34 straight games and did not often leave the field under Napier, but following Jackson into the portal. Livingston had 11 catches for 119 yards and scores in 10 games. The 6-foot-4 ¾, 260-pound junior has yet to fully capitalized on his athletic ability. A former high school basketball standout, Livingston averaged 24.3 points and 10.9 rebounds in 2021-22 at Tampa King. True freshmen Jones and Kossman were 3-star prospects in the 2025 class.

WR Tanks Hawkins

Vitals: 5-9 ½, 178 pounds

Resumé: Known for his blazing speed, Hawkins was a 4-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton who 247Sports ranked the nation’s No. 37 receiver and No. 241 overall prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Hawkins appeared in just four games, catching two passes for 16 yards after he recorded 10 receptions for 100 yards and a score as a true freshman in 2024. The sophomore opted out prior to a Nov. 8 visit to Kentucky despite injuries to Brown, Dallas Wilson and Tre Wilson.

Outlook: After Hawkins opted out, Abrams shined. Hawkins was the Gators’ fastest offensive player, along with Mizell. But Montgomery can stretch the field.

CB Jamroc Grimsley

Vitals: 6-foot-2 ¼ ,198 pounds

Resumé: Grimsley was the nation’s No. 24 cornerback prospect in the 2024 class out Tampa Catholic who committed to Alabama over Florida, Florida State, Penn State and others. After Nick Saban retired after the 2023 season, Grimsley left for Gainesville.

Role: Despite his prototypical size and pedigree, Grimsley appeared in just five games and played 67 snaps in two seasons at UF, recording just one tackle and one pass breakup.  ACL revision surgery on his right knee after the 2024 season limited him to three appearances in 2025.

Outlook: The Gators lose senior Devin Moore, but are in line to return veterans with much to prove, Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain. Johnson suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Sept. 20 loss at Miami. McClain had an interception at Miami, but otherwise just one pass breakup in 2025 along with 18 tackles. Ja’Vari Flowers had four breakups in 10 appearances and saw his role increase. Fellow true freshman Ben Hanks Jr. appeared in just three games, but finished with a flourish against FSU. He made two tackles, two pass breakups and his first career interception, returning it for 48 yards. UF’s 2026 class features CJ Bronaugh, a top-100 prospect from Windemere, and 4-star cornerback CJ Hester of Cocoa High.

CB Teddy Foster

Vitals: 6-foot ¾, 188 pounds

Resumé: Foster was a 3-star prospect out of Cardinal Mooney in Sarasota, where he the nation’s No. 69 cornerback prospect in the 2024 class.

Role: Foster managed four tackles in five appearances and allowed a 24-yard reception on the only target he faced in 2024. In 2025, he recorded two tackles in nine appearances.

Outlook: Foster would have struggled to get on the field because of Johnson and McClain’s experience, the promise of Flowers and Hanks, and the arrival of Bronaugh and Hester.

S Josiah Davis

Vitals: 6-foot ½, 199 pounds

Resumé: Davis was a 3-star prospect out Nashville, Ga., rated the nation’s No. 44 prospect at safety in 2024 after recording 159 tackles and two interceptions in three seasons.

Role: Davis recorded one tackle, during a win at Mississippi State in 2024, but none in 2025.

Outlook: Castell’s departure leaves Thornton as the leader on the back end of the defense, while 2025 true freshmen Stubbs and Hayward could have larger roles in 2026. Hall and Purter also could factor as first-year freshmen.

OT Marcus Mascoll

Vitals: 6-foot-4 ¾, 308 pounds

Resumé: Mascoll was a 3-star prospect out of Snellville, Ga., who 247Sports rated the nation’s No. 88 offensive tackle prospect.

Role: Mascoll did not appear in a game during his two seasons. He did make the SEC academic honor roll in the 2024-25 school year.

Outlook: Mascoll is one of many young offensive tackles the Gators pushed to develop. Among them on scholarship are redshirt freshmen Fletcher Westphal, Noel Portnjagin and Enoch Wangoy, and true freshmen Daniel Pierre-Louis and TJ Dice Jr. UF will return veterans Caden Jones and Bryce Lovett, while four-year starter Austin Barber moved on.

WR Muizz Tounkara

Vitals: 6-3, 208 pounds

Resumé: Tounkara was a 3-star prospect out of Clear Springs High in League City, Texas, rated the No. 73 wide receiver in the 2025 class and the No. 75 player in Texas by 247Sports. He caught 30 passes for 455 yards and five scores during his senior season.

Role: During eight appearances at UF in 2025, Tounkara recorded two receptions for 12 yards on 49 offensive snaps.

Outlook: Tounkara, like Mizell, would have faced a logjam at receiver and was likely even more have limited opportunities going forward because of Brown III’s fast rise, Wilson’s production in limited action, Abrams’ emergence down the stretch and Groce’s arrival.

Tarvorise Brown

Vitals: 6-6 ¾, 296 pounds

Resumé: Brown was an unranked prospect out of Heritage High in Palm Bay who went to Hutchinson C.C. in Kansas, where he became the nation’s No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 43 overall prospect in the 2024 transfer portal.

Role: Brown arrived during fall camp in 2024 and struggled to catch up. He logged 26 snaps in three appearances. Brown, though, did not factor much again this past season. He recorded four tackles in three appearances.

Outlook: Brown would have found himself in a logjam behind Bett, McCloud and Mbatchou, along with Boireau until he too entered the portal.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored extra-attacker goals in the final minutes to lead a furious comeback, Evan Rodrigues got the winning goal in the shootout and the Florida Panthers stunned the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-3 victory on Friday night.

Brad Marchand also scored for Florida, which trailed 3-0 midway through the third and still was down 3-1 with less than five minutes left.

But with the teams playing 4-on-4, Panthers coach Paul Maurice pulled Sergei Bobrovsky for an extra skater. Bennett scored soon after to make it 3-2, and Reinhart connected with 41.8 seconds left to knot the game at 3-3.

It was Florida’s second three-goal comeback in less than two weeks. The Panthers also rallied from three down to top Columbus 7-6 on Dec. 6.

Sebastian Aho scored two third-period goals for the second consecutive game for the Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak was snapped. Jordan Staal also scored for Carolina.

Goaltender Brandon Bussi — who was in camp with the Panthers this fall before being claimed by the Hurricanes — had 38 saves and lost for just the second time in 13 starts this season.

Marchand’s goal was his 20th of the season for Florida, making him the third-oldest player to reach that number with the Panthers. Jaromir Jagr did it at 43, Joe Nieuwendyk did it at 39. Marchand, in his first full season with Florida, is 37.

Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for Florida, which now has won seven of its last eight games.

Staal scored at 11:53 of the first put Carolina up 1-0, and it stayed that way until Aho scored on a breakout early in the third. Aho struck again on the power play with 12:26 left, about a minute after Marchand was called for cross-checking — a play that left the Panthers bench in disbelief.

Marchand scored midway through the third, and the rally was on.

Up next

Hurricanes: Visit Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Panthers: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NEW ORLEANS — Tulane coach Jon Sumrall mourned the death of his father on Friday, a day before the No. 17 Green Wave make their College Football Playoff debut against No. 6 Ole Miss.

Sumrall said his father died in his sleep on Thursday night after lengthy health issues. George Sumrall was 77.

“God gave us more time with my dad than we thought we would get,” Sumrall said in a message posted on social media. “Dad was a fighter. I learned so much from him … being a man of faith, grit, hard work, attitude, service and more.”

Sumrall said he will always remember how his father was well enough to attend Tulane’s 34-21 win over North Texas in the American Athletic Conference championship two weeks ago, and the news conference held at Gainesville announcing Sumrall’s hiring as Florida’s coach.

“He was always there for me and I know he will be watching,” said Sumrall, who is staying on as Tulane’s coach through the playoffs. He then credited his parents for setting great examples and closed his note by writing, “Love you always Dad!”

Tulane (11-2) will play at Ole Miss (11-1), with the winner advancing to face No. 2 Georgia at the Sugar Bowl.

BOSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 129-116 loss to the Boston Celtics:

– Yes, a loss.

– But not a lost night.

– Not after seeing this Kasparas Jakucionis.

– For real, even in defeat.

– Another first-round find?

– Yes, just one night, but able to do it on both ends in his first NBA start.

– In only his second career rotation action, a night after his first.

– The 3-point shooting? His shots consistently true.

– For this team, that helps. A lot.

– But also the defensive tenacity to stand up to all Celtics’ challenges.

– The Heat’s crowded backcourt rotation just got more crowded.

– In a good way.

– It’s going to be hard, very hard, to not feature the kid.

– Think about the last three drafts: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis. (Jaquez was better than his numbers indicated in this one.)

– There has to be a heck of an incoming Christmas bonus for Adam Simon.

– The draft hits keep on coming, even as the search for wins remains ongoing.

– As for what the Heat were forced to roll out in this one … NBA back-to-backs suck.

– Especially ones that include travel.

– Especially ones that make no sense, with the Heat leaving their Manhattan hotel on Thursday for their Thursday night game in Brooklyn against the Nets, then flying to Boston for Friday night’s against the Celtics, only to return Saturday to New York for Sunday night’s game against the Knicks.

– Does that mean with more commonsense scheduling that Andew Wiggins (back) and Davion Mitchell (ankle) otherwise might have been available in Boston, without the back-to-back, without the travel?

– We’ll get a better read when the Heat turn in their lineup card Sunday in New York.

– But treatment and travel aren’t necessarily an optimal combination.

– And neither is a lack of recovery time, as the NBA packs its schedule to allow for its event scheduling, such as the NBA Cup and the All-Star break.

– And so, a Heat roster that on Friday lacked Wiggins, Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic, among others.

– Desperation to the degree that a night after getting his first rotation minutes,Jakucionis was in the starting lineup.

– Desperation to a degree that coach Erik Spoelstra, who prefers to protect his rotations, had no choice but to give Jaquez his first start of the season.

– Beyond those two, rounding out the starting lineup were Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware.

– This time it wasn’t Spoelstra making a value judgement of whether Ware should start.

– This time, there was no other choice.

– It was Ware’s second consecutive start.

– And now likely to start going forward, regardless of who else is available.

– He has been that good lately.

– Powell was called for his second foul with 7:56 left in the opening period. Spoelstra tried to send in Dru Smith, but Powell insisted on playing through.

– Smith and Simone Fontecchio eventually were the first two off Spoelstra’s bench.

– Followed by … Myron Gardner.

– Wiggins attempted to warm up before the game, before being scratched.

– “I went out there to see what I can do.,” he said. “I don’t think I’m ready to go out there right now.”

– He said he did not know when the back issue developed during Thursday night’s game in Brooklyn.

– “Man, it just happens sometimes. Couldn’t tell you,” he said in the locker room pregame. “Maybe it was when I fell late in the fourth.”

– He then offered words of hope.

– “This is the definition of Miami Heat basketball,” he said. “Whoever you put out there, it’s going to be a game.”

– The Heat entered with their offense having cratered even before the rash of injuries.

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• Winderman’s view: Even in victory, math still not working with Heat’s 3-point game

– Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was asked before the game if it was as simple as scouting catching up to a system.

– “That’s a good question,” he said. “I think the stuff that is trends last a decent amount of time. But I think you’re always having to evolve, 10, 15, 20 games in small ways. I still think their offense is good, and they have the ability to play fast, they have the ability to spread you out, those driving gaps that they have.”

– He added, “So sometimes, it’s you may not see the result every game, but the process of how you play is still there. And I think you have that case with their offense. I think their 3-point percentage has gone down a little bit from where it was when they started out. But they’re generating good looks and now that have driving gaps for guys to be able to drive every time down the floor. So it still presents a lot of challenges.”

– Spoelstra before the game addressed the 3-point struggles, which also has included low attempt totals.

– “There’s some different things that factor into that,” he said. “We want our guys shooting with a clear mind and to let it fly. The guys’ hearts are in the right place. Sometimes we turn down some open ones, and then we drive it and sometimes that doesn’t turn into something better. Oftentimes it doesn’t. But we can correct all that.”

– Spoelstra added, “We’ve also been in a stretch where we’ve played some very good defensive teams.”

– Seven of the Heat’s first eight shots were threes.

– And they kept going from there.

– Adebayo is now four games from tying Alonzo Mourning on the Heat’s all-time regular-season games list.

– Powell extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 26 in a row, dating to last season with the Clippers. His career-best such streak is 35.

– The game concluded the fifth of the Heat’s 15 back-to-back sets this season, entering with a 3-1 record on the second nights of such sets.

“King of Pop” Michael Jackson was among the rich and famous figures whose relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light on Friday when the Justice Department finally began releasing records related to its investigation into the late sex offender.

One photo featuring Jackson shows the “Beat It” singer standing alongside Epstein in front of a painting of woman lying topless on a beach.

Another shows Jackson with singer Diana Ross and former President Bill Clinton on what appears to be a private plane.

Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton and Diana Ross are pictured in a photograph contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. (DOJ)

Epstein, 66, died behind bars at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019, while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

Jackson died from an overdose-induced cardiac arrest in 2009 at the age of 50. The pop music superstar was investigated for possible child molestation between 1993 and 1994, and again between 2004 and 2005, according to the FBI. He was never charged with any crimes.

Little has been reported about Epstein’s relationship with Jackson. The disgraced financier was known to rub elbows with many highly influential figures, including President Trump, filmmaker Woody Allen and billionaire businessman Leon Black. None of those individuals have been accused of involvement in Epstein’s wrongdoing.

A photo of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was also included in the DOJ’s file dump. The 82-year-old rock star is pictured dining with Clinton, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Jagger’s name was among the celebrities listed in a contact book already released by the Justice Department, but he has been accused of nothing nefarious involving Epstein.

Mick Jagger is pictured in a photograph contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice on Dec. 19, 2025. (DOJ)

President Trump said before taking office in January that he’d promptly order the release of the federal files pertaining to the Epstein investigation, though the process has been met with numerous delays.

The DOJ was compelled by Congress in November to make the trove of documents available by Friday. While they promised a batch was coming, they said it would take several more weeks to roll out the full array of files. Democrats have threatened to take legal action, calling the delay a “violation of federal law.”

With News Wire Services

By JACK DURA

A nearly 100-year-old bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin was imploded Friday, an unusual spectacle that clears the way for a modern replacement.

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The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, was completed in 1931. It connects Lansing, Iowa, to Wisconsin. The landmark stood out for its unique cantilever design — a center arch and two towerlike trusses.

People gathered near the snow-covered riverbank under a sunny sky and cheered when explosives fired off. Black smoke and white spray flew up as the center span and a truss dropped into the water below. The spans rested half-submerged in the river.

Lansing Mayor Michael Verdon, who watched the demolition from a houseboat dock, called it “pretty bittersweet, actually.”

“Every time I looked at the river, I saw that bridge profile in the horizon,” the Lansing native said. “On a personal level, it’s sad to see that it’s gone.”

This combo of images provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows, top, the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin and, bottom after the bridge was emploded on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)

The bridge, which closed in October, was the only one for about 30 miles in each direction and carried about 2,100 vehicles per day, according to the Iowa transportation department. Drivers can use a ferry service while a new crossing is under construction. The planned $140 million replacement is expected to be in service in 2027.

Though it was beloved, the narrow bridge made for a harrowing experience when two large trucks met, Verdon said. Barges sometimes struck the bridge because of the river geography and configuration of the bridge piers.

Another implosion, for the bridge’s eastern ramp, was set to follow the main event later on Friday, the mayor said. Officials plan to disassemble the bridge’s western section in the future because parts of it extend over homes and the railroad.

• This photo provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the implosion of the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)
• This image provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)
• This undated photo provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, shows the Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Black Hawk Bridge, in Lansing, Iowa. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP)

Show Caption1 of 3This photo provided by Iowa Department of Transportation shows the implosion of the 94-year-old Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River between Iowa and Wisconsin on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Iowa Department of Transportation via AP) Expand

Some parts of the bridge had already been removed, but an implosion was the most efficient way to remove the largest portions of the superstructure, Iowa Department of Transportation spokesperson Daniel Yeh said.

Residents plan to salvage material for keepsakes and to construct a tribute to the bridge in the city, Verdon said.

Lansing, population 968, has deep roots as a river town with a history of steamboats, fur trading and commercial fishing, the mayor said.

Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said Friday she trusts the Trump-appointed chairman of a federal planning commission to do his job and give serious review to President Donald Trump’s proposal to add a ballroom to the White House.

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Carol Quillen said in an interview that she takes Will Scharf, chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, “at his word” after he said at the panel’s December meeting that the review process would be treated seriously once the White House submits the plans.

Scharf said at that meeting that he expected to receive the plans sometime this month, and the panel’s review process would happen at a “normal and deliberative pace.”

Quillen said she trusted that would be the case.

“I take him at his word that the process will be conducted as it always is, deliberately and seriously, and that the commission will do its job,” she said.

The White House has not responded to multiple queries about when the ballroom plans will be shared with Scharf’s panel as well as the Commission of Fine Arts. The planning commission on Friday released the agenda for its January meeting and the “East Wing Modernization Project” is listed for an “information presentation,” often the first step in its review of a project.

The National Trust last week asked a federal court to halt the ballroom construction until it is subjected to multiple independent reviews, public comment and wins approval from Congress. The government argued in court that the lawsuit was premature.

A federal judge this week denied the National Trust’s request for a temporary restraining order but scheduled a January hearing on its motion for a preliminary injunction. Such a step would halt all construction until the reviews, which could take months, are completed.

Quillen said her private nonprofit organization was not asking for the Republican president’s proposal to go through reviews just for the sake of doing so. She said the process inevitably leads to a better project because multiple independent parties get to comment on it.

The National Trust was chartered in part to ensure the public participates in decisions that affect the country’s historic resources, she said, “and the White House is arguably the nation’s most iconic building.”

She said the organization did not sue earlier because legal action is “our last resort” and because of its history of working with administrations.

In Trump’s first term, the administration submitted plans to the National Capital Planning Commission for new fencing for the White House perimeter and a tennis pavilion on the south grounds.

Quillen declined to speculate about why Trump had not already done so for a White House ballroom he has long desired and has moved quickly to build since he returned to office. He complains regularly that the East Room and State Dining Room — two of the largest public spaces in the White House — are too small and has criticized the practice of hosting foreign leaders at state dinners in tents on the south grounds.

Trump has proposed building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, big enough to accommodate 999 people, where the East Wing of the White House stood for decades until he had it torn down in October in a move that “caught us by surprise,” Quillen said.

He recently upped the construction cost estimate to $400 million, double the original $200 million price, and has said no public money will pay for it. The White House has said the ballroom will be ready before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.

The National Trust asserted in its lawsuit that the ballroom plans should have been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and Congress before any action.

The lawsuit notes that the organization wrote to those entities and the National Park Service, which oversees the White House grounds, on Oct. 21, after the East Wing demolition began, asking for the projects to be paused and for the administration to comply with federal law. It received no response, the lawsuit said.

The government said in its written response that the ballroom plans have not been finalized despite continuing demolition and other work to prepare the site for eventual construction, which is not expected to begin until April 2026, at the earliest.

The administration also argued that Trump has authority to modify the White House and included the extensive history of changes and additions to the Executive Mansion since it was built more than 200 years ago. It also asserted that the president is not subject to statutes cited by the National Trust.

By STEVEN SLOAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the first batch of files released Friday by the Justice Department stemming from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the White House sought to move the focus of the highly anticipated documents from President Donald Trump.

There were several photos of Clinton among the thousands of documents made public. Some showed him on a private plane, including one with a woman whose face was redacted from the photo sitting on his lap. Another photo shows him in a pool with Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and a person whose face was also redacted.

This undated, redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton with an unknown person. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

Another photo shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face was redacted. The files do not say when the photos were taken and there was little context surrounding them.

Clinton’s association with Epstein and Maxwell in the late 1990s and early 2000s is well documented and the images released on Friday are just a slice of the “several hundred thousand” documents Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said are tied to the investigation. Yet the images could complicate Democratic efforts to keep Trump tied to the Epstein files, an issue that has had strong resonance with Trump’s base despite the president’s efforts to encourage his supporters to move on.

After the photos were released, several White House officials, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and top aide Steven Cheung, made social media posts highlighting them. Trump didn’t talk about the issue as he left the White House late Friday on his way to deliver a speech in North Carolina.

This undated, redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows former President Bill Clinton with an unknown person. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

In a statement, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the Epstein investigation “isn’t about Bill Clinton.”

“There are two types of people here,” he said. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships after that. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.”

Clinton has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s known victims.

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Long before the Department of Justice’s release of case files on Jeffrey Epstein included several photos of Clinton, Republicans had zeroed in on the former president and his association with the wealthy financier.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed both Bill and Hillary Clinton for depositions earlier this year, but received a response that the Clintons wanted to provide a written statement of what “little information” they had on Epstein.

The Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, has demanded they appear for in-person testimonies and threatened to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings if they don’t.

Multiple former presidents have voluntarily testified before Congress, but none has been compelled to do so.

When Clinton was president, Epstein visited the White House multiple times, visitor logs show. After he left office, Epstein assisted with some of the former president’s philanthropy. Clinton flew multiple times on Epstein’s private jet, including on a humanitarian trip to Africa with actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker in 2002.

Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report

Two decades after Jeffrey Epstein was first reported to police, the Justice Department has started to release its investigative files on the late millionaire, who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing underage girls.

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Enacted last month, the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires disclosure of government records on Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell by Friday — though it’s possible more records will be released on a rolling basis.

Among questions surrounding the release: how much light the documents shed on Epstein’s crimes, his interactions with influential friends in business, politics and academia and whether anything in the documents will support — or debunk — one accuser’s claims that other powerful men participated in or knew about Epstein’s misconduct.

Here is a timeline of the Epstein investigations and the efforts to open up the government’s files:

The investigation begins

March 2005: Police begin investigating Epstein after the family of a 14-year-old girl reports she was molested at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Multiple underage girls, many of them high school students, would later tell police Epstein hired them to give sexual massages.

May 2006: Palm Beach police officials sign paperwork to charge Epstein with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, but the county’s top prosecutor, State Attorney Barry Krischer, takes the unusual step of sending the case to a grand jury.

July 2006: Epstein is arrested after a grand jury indicts him on a count of soliciting prostitution. The relatively minor charge upsets Palm Beach police leaders, who publicly accuse Krischer of giving Epstein special treatment. The FBI begins an investigation.

2007: Federal prosecutors prepare an indictment, but for a year Epstein’s lawyers engage in talks with the U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, about a deal that would avoid a federal prosecution. Epstein’s lawyers decry his accusers as unreliable.

Secret deal leads to a light jail term

June 2008: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges: one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is sentenced to 18 months in jail. Under a secret arrangement, the U.S. attorney’s office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes. Epstein serves most of his sentence in a work release program that allows him to leave jail during the day.

May 2009: One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, files a lawsuit claiming Epstein and Maxwell arranged for her to have sexual encounters with “royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen” and others. The lawsuit doesn’t name the men.

July 2009: Epstein is released from jail. For the next decade, Epstein’s accusers wage a legal fight to get his federal non-prosecution agreement voided.

News media and lawsuits keep public interest high

March 2, 2011: The Daily Mail publishes an interview with Giuffre in which she describes traveling with Epstein to London at age 17 and spending a night dancing with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Prince Andrew. The story and a photo of the prince with his arm around Giuffre creates a crisis for the royal family. FBI agents subsequently interview Giuffre.

Dec. 30, 2014: Giuffre’s lawyers file court papers claiming she had sexual encounters with Mountbatten-Windsor and other men, including “foreign presidents, a well-known Prime Minister, and other world leaders.” All those men deny the allegations.

November 2018: The Miami Herald revisits the handling of Epstein’s case in a series of stories focusing partly on the role of Acosta — who by this point is President Donald Trump’s labor secretary. The coverage intensifies public interest in Epstein.

New York prosecutors revive case

July 6, 2019: Epstein is arrested on sex trafficking charges after federal prosecutors in New York conclude they aren’t bound by the terms of the earlier non-prosecution deal. Days later, Acosta resigns as labor secretary.

Aug. 10, 2019: Epstein kills himself in his jail cell in New York.

July 2, 2020: Federal prosecutors in New York charge Maxwell with sex crimes, saying she helped recruit and abuse Epstein’s victims.

Dec. 30, 2021: After a monthlong trial, a jury convicts Maxwell of sex trafficking and other crimes.

June 28, 2022: Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

January, 2024: Public interest in the Epstein case surges again after a judge makes more court records public in a related lawsuit. Conspiracy theories flourish, pushed by people who believe Epstein ran an international sex traffic network that served rich and powerful men.

A new president and a fresh political crisis

Jan. 20, 2025: Trump, who was friends and neighbors with Epstein for years, becomes president again. During his 2024 campaign, he had suggested that he’d seek to open more government files on Epstein.

February 2025: Attorney General Pam Bondi suggests in a Fox News Channel interview that an Epstein “client list” is sitting on her desk. The Justice Department distributes binders marked “declassified” to far-right influencers, but much of the information had long been public.

April 25, 2025: Giuffre dies by suicide.

July 7, 2025: The Justice Department says Epstein didn’t maintain a “client list” and it won’t make any more files related to his sex trafficking investigation public.

July 15, 2025: Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

July 17, 2025: The Wall Street Journal describes a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday. Trump denies writing the letter and sues the newspaper.

July 24-25, 2025: In an effort to put a political crisis to rest, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviews Maxwell. She denies wrongdoing and says she never saw Trump involved in any sexually inappropriate activity. Afterward, she is moved from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas.

A prince loses his royal title This redacted photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual offender registration form, documented on Aug. 12, 2019, during a search of Epstein’s home on Little St. James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

Oct. 21, 2025: Giuffre’s posthumous memoir is published. In it, she revisits her claims that Epstein and Maxwell sexually trafficked her to powerful men, including Mountbatten-Windsor.

Oct. 30, 2025: King Charles III strips Mountbatten-Windsor of his remaining titles, meaning he can no longer be referred to as “prince,” and evicts him from his royal residence.

Nov. 12, 2025: A House committee releases a trove of email correspondence between Epstein and others, including Mountbatten-Windsor, Trump ally Steve Bannon, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. In one 2019 email to a journalist, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls” but didn’t explain what he meant by that.

Nov. 14, 2025: At Trump’s urging, Bondi announces that the U.S. attorney in Manhattan will investigate Epstein’s ties to some of the Republican president’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat; Summers; and Hoffman, a prominent Democratic donor. None of those men has been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s victims.

Nov. 18, 2025: Congress passes the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Trump signs it into law the next day.

Dec. 19, 2025: The Justice Department begins releasing records.

Follow the AP’s coverage of Jeffrey Epstein at https://apnews.com/hub/jeffrey-epstein.

It should be painfully clear that since Donald Trump took office, he has displayed serious deterioration both mentally and physically.

It’s both alarming and troublesome for an American president, as leader of the free world, to be in such a condition. He’s not running the country as he should, and he’s ranting and raving about menial subjects while insulting and demeaning reporters who ask him relevant questions that he refuses to answer — or doesn’t know the answer to.

Congress must perform its constitutional duty and challenge this president, who continues to damage the country, which will take years to repair, if that’s at all possible.

Sandy Shuster, Boynton Beach

The Galleria’s traffic nightmare

Regarding the proposed development of the Galleria mall site in Fort Lauderdale, 3,144 rentals units will be built, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

If every housing unit has one car, there will be 3,144 more cars in the area on a regular basis.

If every unit has two cars, there will be 6,288 more cars. That’s somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 more cars there.

The existing roads cannot handle that many cars. It will be like Aventura Mall with gridlock every day.

Traffic will back up into Coral Ridge, north through Bayview Drive, and onto Sunrise Boulevard going west and Federal Highway (U.S. 1) going north, and onto State Road A1A, going north and south.

Has the developer crunched these numbers?

Anthony Billera, Fort Lauderdale

Spirit of the season

My wish for this holiday season is that people celebrating the teachings of their religion will say many prayers and protest their leaders in government in an effort to stop our current administration and the military from continuing to kill people in the Caribbean with no due process and to stop them from sending ICE to target and terrify communities based on their skin color or their spoken language.

My wish for 2026 is that the majority of people in our country, regardless of political party or religion, follow the religious principle of acting with kindness to repair the world.

I am married to a fisherman. The idea of two people clinging to a sinking boat being murdered instead of rescued hits close to home. Most importantly, it is not in line with the religious instructions I received growing up.

Isn’t saving someone in distress an expression of your love for God?

I will continue to pray, protest and donate to organizations that fight these cruel, evil actions. History tells us clearly that we must speak out for others. If you don’t speak out, then eventually it will hit home. Please listen to your heart.

Candice Clausell, Jupiter

A nagging question Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick addresses Broward Democrats at the Obama Roosevelt Legacy Gala, May 31, 2025. (Jim Rassol/Contributor)

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick represents me in Congress. People are calling for her resignation (because of her indictment for stealing federal disaster funds). The reported facts do not look good, but I’ve never heard her side of the story.

As someone whom she is asking to continue to represent in Congress, I deserve a straight answer: Congresswoman, why did you keep $5,057,850 when you billed the government $50,578.50? And did you use any of that overpayment to fund your 2021 campaign?

Tom Bolf, Plantation

Where’s my monthly check?

Remember Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s TV ads regarding giving a certain demographic $1,000 per month for her “People’s Prosperity Plan”?

I’m still waiting.

Sherry Wipplinger, Fort Lauderdale

Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length. 

Q: Well, well, well, Kel’el Ware was on the floor and Bam Adebayo was on the bench when the Heat won. What does that tell you, Ira? It tells us that’s when a coach should do it again. – Larry.

A: Look, this is where I could drop in the reality that it was against the Nets, who also were their own worst enemies at the close on Thursday night. But, no, not going to do that, because Kel’el Ware not only played well late in Brooklyn, he also played well early. So, yes, the Heat have to find a way for more Kel’el minutes. Kel’el played 30 Thursday night, which seems reasonable. So it might just come down to having to start him alongside Bam Adebayo. But that leads to the other question of when Tyler Herro returns and who sits. Considering Davion Mitchell sat late in Brooklyn, perhaps that’s your answer.

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Q: Now that the rest of the league has figured out the Heat’s new fast-paced offense, do you see Erik Spoelstra reverting back to the old “grind it out, win in the mud” style of play.  – Greg, Jacksonville.

A: Yes. Once the Heat, always the Heat. (Unless the Heat can find enough 3-point shooting to make the “wheel” offense work.) In fact, you already are starting to see the shift in this direction. But just as the Heat have shown a lack of 3-point shooting to sustain their early-season offensive pace, the question is whether the defensive chops are ample enough on this roster to go in a defensive direction. This very much feels like a crossroads.

Q: Ira, I’m wondering what the point is of bouncing the G League players up and down and then not playing them. Wouldn’t it be better to leave them in the G League and let them play? Call them up when really needed. They can only play in so many games with the Heat. Better that they are playing, learning and ready.– Jeff, Rochester, N.Y.

A: Which is fine, until injuries get in the way, such as when Davion Mitchell, Dru Smith and Tyler Herro all were on the injury report at the same time last week, and now Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic this week. But, yes, an extended run would be highly beneficial for the Heat’s prospects. But the injury situation has dictated otherwise.

Here are the top stories for Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here.

Florida’s new license plate law leads to immigration detention and a wrongful arrest in Broward

New 801-room Omni Fort Lauderdale, one of Broward’s biggest hotels, opens

Florida man executed for killings of man and his girlfriend during home invasion

Florida CFO pitches standardizing budgets of cities and counties

Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s strengthens its push north into Broward and Palm Beach counties

Fed crackdown on Florida nursing school ‘diploma mills’ leads to 3 guilty pleas

Legalized marijuana proposal goes to Florida Supreme Court

New specialty unit to investigate animal abuse underway for PBSO with six arrests

Ask a real estate pro: How can we get neighbor to deal with constantly barking dog?

Miss Manners: What should I say to a snide comment about my Christmas decorations?

Today is Friday, Dec. 19, the 353rd day of 2025. There are 12 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 19, 2008, citing imminent danger to the national economy, President George W. Bush ordered a $17.4 billion emergency bailout of the U.S. auto industry.

Also on this date:

In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, Gen. George Washington led his army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to camp for the winter.

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In 1907, 239 workers died in an explosion at the Darr coal mine near Van Meter, Pennsylvania.

In 1960, fire broke out on the hangar deck of the nearly completed aircraft carrier USS Constellation at the New York Naval Shipyard, killing 50 civilian workers.

In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program of crewed lunar landings.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice. (He was subsequently acquitted by the Senate.)

In 2011, North Korea announced the death two days earlier of leader Kim Jong Il; North Koreans marched by the thousands to mourn while state media proclaimed his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, as the nation’s new leader.

In 2016, a truck rammed into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. (The suspected attacker was killed in a police shootout four days later.)

In 2023, a strong earthquake rocked a mountainous region of northwestern China, killing 131 people, reducing homes to rubble and leaving residents outside in below-freezing winter weather.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Tim Reid is 81.
• Singer Janie Fricke is 78.
• Actor Jennifer Beals is 62.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis is 61.
• Olympic skiing gold medalist Alberto Tomba is 59.
• Actor Kristy Swanson is 56.
• Model Tyson Beckford is 55.
• Actor Alyssa Milano is 53.
• Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is 53.
• Actor Jake Gyllenhaal (JIH’-lihn-hahl) is 45.
• Actor Annie Murphy is 39.
• Journalist Ronan Farrow is 38.

NEW YORK — Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 106-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets:

– Even with a needed win, the math problem continues.

– The Heat simply don’t take enough 3-pointers.

– With the other part of the equation is they don’t have many to make 3-pointers.

– This time 9 of 28.

– Nine.

– With Tyler Herro out, it’s basically Norman Powell or bust.

– Because it’s not Simone Fontecchio and hasn’t been for a while.

– Yes, the occasional Jaime Jaquez Jr. 3-pointer is heartening.

– As is a 41-footer from Powell at the halftime buzzer.

– Or even the now unexpected from Andrew Wiggins.

– But this roster is not built for the 3-point game.

– Or at least not now, with Herro out.

– The Heat need his 3s.

– And could have used Nikola Jovic’s.

– Where is Alec Burks when you need him?

– In this one, it was a case of allowing the Nets to hang around with 3-pointers while the Heat were loading up on twos.

– Somehow it worked.

– This time.

– Next up are the Celtics, who take 43.3 3-pointers per game, third in the NBA.

– The Heat went into Thursday night 21st on that list.

– Don’t expect Herro back Friday.

– And don’t expect another Powell midcourt 3-pointer.

– But the Heat have to find a way to baskets that are worth more.

– Or else the math problem will follow.

– Because up Sunday are the Knicks, who are seventh in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game.

– With Herro missing a fourth game with a toe contusion, the Heat returned to their big lineup, opening with Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo, Wiggins, Powell and Davion Mitchell.

– It was Ware’s first start in three games.

– The Nets opened with a lineup of  Egor Dëmin, Terance Mann, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton.

– Jaquez, Dru Smith and Kasparas Jakucionis entered together first off the Heat bench.

– With Fontecchio making it nine deep.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra entered with the perspective amid the five-game losing streak his team carried into the night.

– “Yeah, we have been working through it,” he said pregame. “Look, this league is not easy. Even when you’re on a stretch like this, we’re closer than what it would appear. But we just haven’t been able to come away with a win, and that’s all we’re focused on.”

– He added, “You always say you want to be worthy enough to win. These practices and sessions together don’t guarantee anything, but you just keep on stacking up good days. You want to have your team feel like they’re worthy enough to win, and I feel like we are. But we have to do the work in the game.”

– Spoelstra said steeling his team remains an ongoing process.

– “We have to have a will to overcome, to handle some things that happen through competition,” he said.

– He added, “We take pride in, as an organization and with this team, to be able to, as competitors, find a way to win. Bottom line.”

– Going in, Spoelstra said of getting the team’s game right on the road, “Anything right now. The focus is just on this game. Just to put it together for 48 minutes, if not more, to be able to do enough to win the game.”

– On that subject, Adebayo said, “This is an important road trip for us. This is a road trip where it can define how we obviously are seeded. But more importantly, how we are about to fight.”

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–  Of the Heat needing to get more shots up, Adebayo said, “Just take care of the ball. Taking care of the ball makes it easier for us to get shots on goal. So, yeah, that’s the most important thing.”

– The game gave the Heat a reunion with forward Haywood Highsmith, who was offloaded in the offseason in a salary-cap move.

– Highsmith is recovering from August knee surgery and has yet to play for the Nets.

– Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said Highsmith has been doing on-court work but has yet to begin five-on-five work.

– “He’s in a good place, shows up every day and does his job, is an ultimate pro,” Fernandez said. “But he’s done a good job. And the most important thing to me is his veteran leadership, and how important he is to the rest of the group, especially the young guys.”

– Spoelstra addressed the parting pregame.

– “The fact that he initially joined our team during that COVID year, when we really only had seven players during that Texas trip. He made enough of an impression on us that we gave everything we had as a staff to develop him,” Spoelstra said.

– He added, “He gave us everything he had, and he’s carving out a nice role in this league. It shows a lot of perseverance on his part. He had to go through the G League for several years before he even had that opportunity. You just really respect guys that take that kind of journey.”

– The Nets after the first quarter paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach Hanukkah Massacre. As  part of the solidarity event, a giant “basketball menorah” was lit by the 14-year-old nephew of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was killed in the attack.

NEW YORK — Little has been easy for the Miami Heat lately and little will be easy for the remaining two games of this trip, on Friday night against the Boston Celtics and Sunday night against the New York Knicks.

So if there was a moment for Erik Spoelstra’s team to make things right, to snap a season-worst five-game losing streak, this assuredly was it, against a Brooklyn Nets team that entered 7-18.

But just as the losing streak included a home loss to the now 6-20 Sacramento Kings, nothing was a given about this one.

And nothing was given by the Nets.

So with offense again a struggle, it took a late closing kick before the Heat were able to shed the skid, emerging with a 106-95 victory Thursday night at Barclays Center.

In what stood as a three-point game midway through the final period, the Heat finally put it away even with Bam Adebayo in foul trouble.

“It wasn’t, again, a stellar offensive game for us,” Spoelstra said. “But I think these are important. I think this is different. Our guys wanted it so bad.”

Norman Powell led the Heat with 24 points, with Adebayo contributing a season-high 17 rebounds. The Heat also got 22 points and 12 rebounds from Kel’el Ware, in his return to the starting lineup.

Mostly, the Heat offense was choppy and uneven, a night salvaged only at closing time, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. providing late scoring punch in his 19-point performance.

Those numbers helped the Heat overcome the 28 points of Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

“Scoring 140 is great. Everybody loves it. It looks good. You’re breaking records, whatever it is,” Powell said of the Heat turning to their defense for salvation. “But we know it’s not going to happen every single night, especially in this league.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Thursday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat pushed to an early 11-point lead, with that advantage down to 30-27 going into the second period. After the Nets briefly took their first lead in the second period, the Heat went into halftime up 54-49.

The Nets also went ahead in the third, before the Heat went into the fourth up 77-73.

It then got further dicey for the Heat when Adebayo was called for his fifth foul with 7:20 to play, leaving Spoelstra no choice but fourth-quarter trial by fire with Ware.

A pair of solid defensive possessions followed, staking the Heat to an 84-77 lead, with a Ware 3-pointer later helping put the Heat up 95-84, matching their largest lead to that point.

2. Ware again: With Tyler Herro missing a fourth game with a toe contusion, the Heat reverted to their big lineup, with Ware back in the opening mix alongside Adebayo, in a first five rounded out by Powell, Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins.

Ware opened 4 of 4 from the field, also with four rebounds in that opening stint, consistently providing a scoring target at the rim.

Ware tied his career-best streak with a blocked shot in a 10th consecutive game, matching a streak from earlier this season.

“I feel like I had to step up,” Ware said of his performance.

Mostly significantly, he succeeded as closer.

“Bam felt that it was good too for Kel’el to have that opportunity to finish a game where there’s a little bit of context to it,” Spoelstra said. “So I think that’s all really important for his growth and improvement.”

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3. Bam’s boards: For his part, Adebayo was up to 10 rebounds with 8:04 left in the second period, helping to compensate for a 1-of-7 start from the field.

Adebayo had 11 rebounds by the intermission, but only two points at that stage, missing both of his first-half free throws.

“You’re going to have those types of games,” Adebayo said. “Ball just won’t go in the rim. But it’s one of those games where you find a way to impact winning.”

Adebayo’s second conversion did not come until 53 seconds into the second half, amid yet another uneven offensive performance.

“It just shows you in this modern NBA, you can impact a win without having a 40-point game that everybody notices,” Spoelstra said. “That was about as impactful an eight-point game as you can have in terms of how it impacted winning, but also impacted a locker room.”

4. Powell play: Powell went from the injury report with calf soreness to 10 of the Heat first 19 points, opening 4 of 4 from the field, including 2 of 2 on 3-pointers.

Powell then was up to 15 points by halftime, including a 41-foot heave that beat the halftime buzzer, with three of the Heat’s seven first-half 3-pointers.

“I just take whatever shot is open,” Powell said of his successful heave. “But I always like to give myself a chance.”

Powell scored in double figures for the 25th consecutive game, the second-longest such streak of his career (35 in 2020-21 with Toronto and Portland).

Of Powell’s late relief baskets, Spoelstra said, “There were key moments in that second half where we just had a place for the ball to go.”

5. Jakucionis time: First-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis received the first rotation minutes of his career when he entered with 4:20 to play in the opening period, cast alongside point guard Dru Smith.

Jakucionis’ only previous NBA action had been 54 seconds of mop-up duty in the Dec. 1 home rout of the Los Angeles Clippers.

His first NBA points came on a 3-pointer with 2:10 to play in the opening period.

“I thought he gave us a good boost,” Spoelstra said.

Jakucionis’ night was limited to his 7:30 stint in the first half, with the 3-pointer his lone attempt.

Jakucionis’ time came with the Heat without Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson, as well as Herro.

“I’m trying to be ready always and do what I can do, control what I can control,” Jakucionis said. “And every time I have a chance, I’m trying to use it.”

By BEN FINLEY, ERIC TUCKER, KEVIN FREKING and JOSHUA GOODMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast is raising new questions about the legality of his military campaign in Latin America, while fueling concerns that the U.S. could be edging closer to war.

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The Trump administration says its blockade is narrowly tailored and not targeting civilians, which would be an illegal act of war. But some experts say seizing sanctioned oil tied to leader Nicolás Maduro could provoke a military response from Venezuela, engaging American forces in a new level of conflict that goes beyond their attacks on alleged drug boats.

“My biggest fear is this is exactly how wars start and how conflicts escalate out of control,” said Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. “And there are no adults in the room with this administration, nor is there consultation with Congress. So I’m very worried.”

Claire Finkelstein, a professor of national security law at the University of Pennsylvania, said the use of such an aggressive tactic without congressional authority stretches the bounds of international law and increasingly looks like a veiled attempt to trigger a Venezuelan response.

“The concern is that we are bootstrapping our way into armed conflict,” Finkelstein said. “We’re upping the ante in order to try to get them to engage in an act of aggression that would then justify an act of self-defense on our part.”

Republicans largely are OK with the campaign

Trump has used the word “blockade” to describe his latest tactic in an escalating pressure campaign against Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the U.S. and now has been accused of using oil profits to fund drug trafficking. While Trump said it only applies to vessels facing U.S. economic penalties, the move has sparked outrage among Democrats and mostly shrugs, if not cheers, from Republicans.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Trump going after sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela is no different from targeting Iranian oil.

“Just like with the Iranian shadow tankers, I have no problem with that,” McCaul said. “They’re circumventing sanctions.”

The president has declared the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels in an effort to reduce the flow of drugs to American communities. U.S. forces have attacked 26 alleged drug-smuggling boats and killed least 99 people since early September. Trump has repeatedly promised that land strikes are next, while linking Maduro to the cartels.

The campaign has drawn scrutiny in Congress, particularly after it was revealed that U.S. forces killed two survivors of a boat attack with a follow-up strike. But Republicans so far have repeatedly declined to require congressional authorization for further military action in the region, blocking Democrats’ war powers resolutions.

Sen. Roger Wicker, Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, has essentially ended his panel’s investigation into the Sept. 2 strike, saying Thursday that the entire campaign is being conducted “on sound legal advice.”

Venezuela pushes back

Trump announced the blockade Tuesday, about a week after U.S. forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast. The South American country has the world’s largest proven oil reserves and relies heavily on the revenue to support its economy.

The U.S. has been imposing sanctions on Venezuela since 2005 over concerns about corruption as well as criminal and anti-democratic activities. The first Trump administration expanded the penalties to oil, prompting Maduro’s government to rely on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains.

The state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, has been largely locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions. It sells most of its exports at a steep discount on the black market in China.

Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Maduro’s son and a lawmaker, on Thursday decried Trump’s latest tactic and vowed to work with the private sector to limit any impact on the country’s oil-dependent economy. He acknowledged that it won’t be an easy task.

“We value peace and dialogue, but the reality right now is that we are being threatened by the most powerful army in the world, and that’s not something to be taken lightly,” Maduro Guerra said.

Pentagon prefers the term ‘quarantine’

It wasn’t immediately clear how the U.S. planned to enact Trump’s order. But the Navy has 11 ships in the region and a wide complement of aircraft that can monitor marine traffic coming in and out of Venezuela.

Trump may be using the term “blockade,” but the Pentagon says officials prefer “quarantine.”

A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to outline internal reasoning about the policy, said a blockade, under international law, constitutes an act of war requiring formal declaration and enforcement against all incoming and outgoing traffic. A quarantine, however, is a selective, preventive security measure that targets specific, illegal activity.

Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he was unsure of the legality of Trump’s blockade.

“They’re blockading apparently the oil industry, not the entire country,” said Smith, who represents parts of western Washington state. “How does that change things? I got to talk to some lawyers, but in general, a blockade is an act of war.”

The U.S. has a long history of leveraging naval sieges to pressure lesser powers, especially in the 19th century era of “gunboat diplomacy,” sometimes provoking them into taking action that triggers an even greater American response.

But in recent decades, as the architecture of international law has developed, successive U.S. administrations have been careful not to use such maritime shows of force because they are seen as punishing civilians — an illegal act of aggression outside of wartime.

During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, President John F. Kennedy famously called his naval cordon to counter a real threat — weapons shipments from the Soviet Union — a “quarantine” not a blockade.

Mark Nevitt, an Emory University law professor and former Navy judge advocate general, said there is a legal basis for the U.S. to board and seize an already-sanctioned ship that is deemed to be stateless or is claiming two states.

But a blockade, he said, is a “wartime naval operation and maneuver” designed to block the access of vessels and aircraft of an enemy state.

“I think the blockade is predicated on a false legal pretense that we are at war with narcoterrorists,” he said.

Nevitt added: “This seems to be almost like a junior varsity blockade, where they’re trying to assert a wartime legal tool, a blockade, but only doing it selectively.”

Geoffrey Corn, a Texas Tech law professor who previously served as the Army’s senior adviser for law-of-war issues and has been critical of the Trump administration’s boat strikes, said he was not convinced the blockade was intended to ratchet up the conflict with Venezuela.

Instead, he suggested it could be aimed at escalating the pressure on Maduro to give up power or encouraging his supporters to back away from him.

“You can look at it through the lens of, is this an administration trying to create a pretext for a broader conflict?” Corn said. “Or you can look at it as part of an overall campaign of pressuring the Maduro regime to step aside.”

Goodman reported from Miami. Associated Press reporters Stephen Groves and Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

By FERNANDA PESCE

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A blunt critique of Mexican bread by a British baker sparked a cascade of social media outrage, ultimately leading to a public apology.

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In an interview for a food-themed podcast that resurfaced online, Richard Hart, the co-founder of Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City and a well-known figure in international baking circles, said Mexicans “don’t really have much of a bread culture,” adding that “They make sandwiches on these white, ugly rolls that are pretty cheap and industrially made.”

His comments quickly rippled across Instagram, TikTok and X, with many Mexicans accusing him of being dismissive and insulting of Mexico’s traditional breads.

What began as a dispute over bread soon ignited a national debate over food identity — not only over who defines Mexican culinary traditions, but also over the growing influence of foreigners in a capital already tense from a surge of U.S. expatriates and tourists.

“He offended the community of bakers in Mexico and all the people in Mexico who like bread, which is almost everyone,” said Daniela Delgado, a university student in Mexico City.

‘Don’t mess with the bolillo’

Social media was soon flooded with memes, reaction videos, and passionate defenses of Mexican bread. Users took to social media to praise everyday staples — from the crusty bolillos used for tortas to the iconic conchas found in neighborhood bakeries. In many cases, these simple street foods act as a uniting factor across social groups and classes, and often cut to the core of the country’s cultural identity.

While wheat bread was introduced to Mexico during the colonial period, the classic food staple evolved into a distinct national tradition, blending European techniques with local tastes and ingredients. Today, small neighborhood bakeries remain central to daily life in cities and towns, serving as social hubs as well as food sources.

People buy pastries at a bakery in Mexico City, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

The incident prompted many to question why a foreign entrepreneur would publicly disparage a staple so deeply embedded in Mexican life. For many, Hart’s remarks echoed long-standing frustrations over foreign chefs and restaurateurs receiving disproportionate prestige, as well as concerns over gentrification in the capital.

“Don’t mess with the bolillo,” warned one viral post on X.

‘An opportunity to learn’

As criticism mounted, Hart issued a public apology on Instagram, saying his comments were poorly phrased and did not show respect for Mexico and its people. He acknowledged the emotional response and said he didn’t behave as a “guest.”

“I made a mistake,” Hart said in his statement. “I regret it deeply.”

The Associated Press reached out to Green Rhino, but representatives of the bakery declined to comment.

Hart previously worked at high-profile bakeries in the United States and Europe and has been part of Mexico City’s growing artisanal bread scene. That market caters largely to middle and upper-class customers, many of them foreigners, seeking sourdough loaves and European-style pastries, often at prices far above those of neighborhood bakeries.

The apology did little to immediately quiet the debate. While some users accepted it, others said it failed to address deeper concerns about cultural authority and who gets to critique Mexican traditions.

Bolillos, a traditional Mexican bread, sit for sale at a street stand in Mexico City, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

“If you want to be part of Mexican culture by owning a restaurant or bakery, you have to educate yourself,” Delgado said.

Others, like Josué Martínez, a chef at the Mexican Culinary School, said he was happy that the debate was happening because it opened the door for a more robust and nuanced discussion.

Mexican bread has long been criticized domestically for its industrialization and reliance on white flour and sugar. But many like Martínez say those conversations are different and more nuanced when led by Mexicans themselves rather than by a foreign entrepreneur.

“It’s an opportunity to learn about the culture of Mexican breadmaking and pastry, to take pride in it, to highlight the richness of our ingredients, and to stop thinking that the so-called first world represents the ultimate standard,” Martínez said.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

By HOLLY RAMER

Even the most dedicated doomscrollers smile once in a while. Here’s a look back at some of the Associated Press stories that captured attention around the world and provided moments of brightness throughout 2025:

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Art and intrigue

The brazen heist at the world’s most visited museum in November wasn’t just a whodunit, it was a “who wore it.” Hours after thieves snatched the French crown jewels from the Louvre, an AP photographer snapped a picture of a sharply-dressed young man striding past police.

Who was this mysterious “Fedora Man?” A 15-year-old boy who favors elegant clothing inspired by history and fictional detectives.

“I didn’t want to say immediately it was me,” Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux said a week later. “With this photo, there is a mystery, so you have to make it last.”

September marked the solving of another art-related mystery when scientists confirmed the source of the blue color in one of Jackson Pollock’s iconic paintings. While the origins of the reds and yellows splattered across the abstract expressionist’s “Number 1A, 1948” were well known, it took chemistry to confirm the rich turquoise as manganese blue.

FILE – David Brenneman, director of collections and exhibitions at the High Museum, talks about Jackson Pollock’s painting “Number 1A” on display as part of an exhibit in Atlanta on Oct. 6, 2011. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, a cat called Leonardo da Pinchy had more in common with the Louvre thieves than the artist who inspired his nickname. The felonious feline with expensive taste in clothing spent a year stealing laundry from clotheslines before his embarrassed owner posted photos of his hauls on Facebook. Those who showed up to claim their belongings in July included a woman who recognized her pink and purple underwear.

“He only wants stuff he shouldn’t have,” said Leonardo’s owner, Helen North.

Tales — and fins and feathers — of survival

Also in the animals behaving badly category: a humpback whale that briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia in February.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián Simancas said. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”

Simancas’ father captured the moment on video while encouraging his son to remain calm, and they both returned to shore uninjured.

Animals elsewhere this year were often facing their own challenges.

FILE – Hundreds of chicks mill around a stall at First State Animal Center and SPCA on May 16, 2025, in Camden, Del. (AP Photo/Mingson Lau, File)

Roughly 7,000 baby chickens and other birds perished in an abandoned postal service truck in Delaware in May. But another 5,000 chicks who endured three days without food and water were rescued by a local animal shelter, where workers spent weeks caring for them and finding them new homes. Some of the adopters took hundreds, hoping for egg-laying hens, while others took them as pets.

And though they weren’t in mortal danger, elephants at a San Diego zoo showed off their survival skills in April when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California. Video from their enclosure showed three older, female elephants scrambling to encircle and shield two 7-year-old elephants, named Zuli and Mkhaya.

“It’s so great to see them doing the thing we all should be doing — that any parent does, which is protect their children,” said Mindy Albright, curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Celebrating girls, goddesses and the wise

For some parents in Nepal, child-rearing involves competing to have their daughters selected and sequestered as living goddesses. In October, 2-year-old Aryatara Shakya was celebrated as the new Kumari, or “virgin Goddess,” a position she will hold until she reaches puberty.

FILE – Nepal’s newly appointed living goddess, Kumari Aryatara Shakya, is carried toward Kumari Ghar, the temple palace where she will be residing in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)

“She was just my daughter yesterday, but today she is a goddess,” her father, Ananta Shakya, said.

Another father’s involvement in his daughter’s milestone came in August, when 2,000 people turned out for 15-year-old Isela Anahí Santiago Morales’ quinceañera in Axtla de Terrazas, Mexico.

After few guests showed up to mark her symbolic passage from childhood to womanhood, Isela’s father posted about the leftover food on Facebook. An outpouring of support ensued, leading to a redo in August with a dozen music groups performing on two stages. Wearing a sparkly tiara and glittering pink ballgown, the soft-spoken Isela asked attendees to donate toys for vulnerable children instead of bringing gifts.

Meanwhile, some women elsewhere turned away from glamorous looks and ditched makeup altogether in 2025, perhaps inspired by actor Pamela Anderson’s barefaced appearance at fashion shows and film premieres.

FILE – Deborah Borg discusses how to pull off the no makeup makeup look at the women’s clothing store Dalya on Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

“I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room,” Anderson told Vogue during Paris Fashion Week. “I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s like a relief.”

While experts in September offered tips for going makeup-free, the world’s oldest woman offered more universal advice in the spring.

Ethel Caterham, 116, became the world’s oldest living person earlier this year. She described her method for longevity from her nursing home in Surrey, southwest of London:

“Never arguing with anyone,” she said. “I listen, and I do what I like.”

By CLAIRE SAVAGE

The head of the U.S. agency for enforcing workplace civil rights posted a social media call-out urging white men to come forward if they have experienced race or sex discrimination at work.

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“Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas, a vocal critic of DEI, wrote on X Wednesday evening. The post urged eligible workers to reach out to the agency “as soon as possible” and referred users to the agency’s fact sheet on “DEI-related discrimination” for more information.

Lucas’ post, viewed millions of times, was shared about two hours after Vice President JD Vance posted an article he said “describes the evil of DEI and its consequences,” which also received millions of views. Lucas responded to Vance’s post saying: “Absolutely right @JDVance. And precisely because this widespread, systemic, unlawful discrimination primarily harmed white men, elites didn’t just turn a blind eye; they celebrated it. Absolutely unacceptable; unlawful; immoral.”

She added that the EEOC “won’t rest until this discrimination is eliminated.” Neither the agency nor Vance responded immediately to requests for additional comment.

Since being named acting chair of the EEOC in January, Lucas has been shifting the agency’s focus to prioritize “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” aligning with President Donald Trump’s own anti-DEI executive orders. Trump named Lucas as the agency’s chair in November.

Earlier this year, the EEOC along with the Department of Justice issued two “technical assistance” documents attempting to clarify what might constitute “DEI-related Discrimination at Work” and providing guidance on how workers can file complaints over such concerns. The documents took broad aim at practices such as training, employee resource groups and fellowship programs, warning such programs — depending on how they’re constructed — could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender.

Those documents have been criticized by former agency commissioners as misleading for portraying DEI initiatives as legally fraught.

David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the NYU School of Law, said Lucas’s latest social media posts demonstrate a “fundamental misunderstanding of what DEI is.”

“It’s really much more about creating a culture in which you get the most out of everyone who you’re bringing on board, where everyone experiences fairness and equal opportunity, including white men and members of other groups,” Glasgow said.

The Meltzer Center tracks lawsuits that are likely to affect workplace DEI practices, including 57 cases of workplace discrimination. Although there are instances in which it occurs on a case-by-case basis, Glasgow said he has not seen “any kind of systematic evidence that white men are being discriminated against.”

He pointed out that Fortune 500 CEOs are overwhelmingly white men, and that relative to their share of the population, the demographic is overrepresented in corporate senior leadership, Congress, and beyond.

“If DEI has been this engine of discrimination against white men, I have to say it hasn’t really been doing a very good job at achieving that,” Glasgow said.

Jenny Yang, a former EEOC chair and now a partner at law firm Outten & Golden, said it is “unusual” and “problematic” for the head of the agency to single out a particular demographic group for civil rights enforcement.

“It suggests some sort of priority treatment,” Yang said. “That’s not something that sounds to me like equal opportunity for all.”

On the other hand, the agency has done the opposite for transgender workers, whose discrimination complaints have been deprioritized or dropped completely, Yang said. The EEOC has limited resources, and must accordingly prioritize which cases to pursue. But treating charges differently based on workers’ identities goes against the mission of the agency, she said.

“It worries me that a message is being sent that the EEOC only cares about some workers and not others,” Yang said.

The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.