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Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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Broward schools provide new details about layoffs and job cuts

Unnamed couple agrees to genetic testing in embryo mix-up case

‘We’re expecting a huge hug’: Delray Beach Garlic Fest to make stinky, bittersweet return to Old School Square

Breeze adding eight cities from Fort Lauderdale, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville

‘We’re winning so much.’ Trump’s State of the Union seeks to calm economic jitters ahead of midterms

Delray Beach suspends Coco Market for three months after reported dog attack

Former Plantation mayor sentenced to probation

Man put to death for killing grocery store owner in Florida’s second execution this year

Maxwell: Florida’s property tax cut plan is flailing. Here’s what should happen

Miss Manners: I’m not enthusiastic about attending my son’s ‘wedding’ party

Boca Raton residents are inundated daily with propaganda promoting “One Boca,” set for a March 10 vote.

“One Boca” is actually seven acres of 12-story buildings controlled by a developer over a 99-year lease. The drawings show mature trees along a central walkway, omitting buildings on both sides, blocking out the sun.

The flyers take credit for Memorial Park across the street, claiming they will honor veterans and enhance existing park amenities, but this is not the project being voted on. The flyers do not mention the density of the 12-story complex of residences, hotel, offices and garages.

Our park will be in the shadow of 12-story buildings and won’t get enough sun to evaporate the dew until early afternoon. And $4 billion in new revenue for the city? Experts see severe flaws in the calculation, suggesting little net benefit. This is over 99 years, with minimal amounts in the first 30 years. Vote no.

Pam Paschke, Boca Raton 

Investing in Boca’s future

Opinion Editor and columnist Steve Bousquet’s recent commentary noted that Boca Raton was considered an elite place to live. He didn’t specifically endorse this as what Boca should aspire to maintain, but rather contrasted it with what it shouldn’t be.

Boca and similarly idyllic communities are sarcastically referred to as “God’s waiting room,” where people buy homes many times bigger than they need and where they may spend a couple of productive hours a day buying and selling investment assets from their desktop computers.

As an octogenarian whose working days have ended, I migrated here to where the living is easy. I praise to my friends the good weather and no personal state income tax as reasons why they should join me. I have no other metric to apply as to the desirability of relocating here.

The future of Boca as a place where young generations come to build their careers and raise families depends on how others invest capital in the city. Investors risking their own and other investors’ capital do so with confidence, and a positive view of Boca’s economic future.

Sheldon I. Saitlin, Boca Raton

Cost comparisons needed

Your editorial correctly states that the current Boca Raton police station is not hurricane-proof. Has a study compared improvements that could be made at the current location compared to a new station? Plenty of land is adjacent to the existing station to expand. The cost to develop land near Spanish River Boulevard should be reviewed and compared.

The study that the city used to demonstrate the billions of dollars that would eventually be generated from this project is not complete, in my opinion. For example, if the same development now being contemplated on city land is built a few blocks east on private commercial land, what percentage of the promised billions would still be generated?

My guess is it would be a majority. Plus, improving old commercial buildings would be better-looking and safer while generating more taxes with no debate pitting citizens against each other.

Noah Silver, Boca Raton

Bondi and Trump

Americans may need a refresher on why Attorney General Pam Bondi continues to embarrass herself and her office.

More than a decade ago, Bondi reached out to Donald Trump to solicit a donation for her 2014 re-election for Florida Attorney General. Trump donated $25,000 through a nonprofit charity, a disbursement in violation of federal tax law. The payout coincided with Bondi’s office weighing whether to join a fraud investigation of Trump University. Bondi’s office dropped the case, fueling allegations of “pay-to-play” politics.

Bondi won re-election, and her relationship with Trump morphed into a deeply personal, cult-like advocacy. To this day, she remains an unshakeable surrogate, proving that when qualifications for Cabinet posts are subordinate to ideology and blind allegiance, democratic norms erode and America’s security is compromised.

Jim Paladino, Tampa 

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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.

[contact-form]

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While I have many friends, I enjoy traveling and dining by myself on occasion. When I ask for a table for one, the response is usually, “Are you all by yourself?” Or, “Are you waiting for someone?”

Then I am offered a seat at the bar, or a table near the restroom or kitchen door, which I decline. Once seated, it’s the same: “Is it just you?” Or, “Do you want to wait for someone before ordering?”

Is there a polite response to this, other than saying, “I’m all alone; isn’t that sad and pathetic?”

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GENTLE READER: As the recipient of Gentle Readers’ mail, Miss Manners is all too aware of the deluge of rudeness in the modern world. But the transgressions of waitstaff — who live in hope of generous tips — usually take the form of ill-judged humor, not intentional put-downs.

The subtext you infer is most likely not intended to suggest that you are unpopular, but only to know the size of your party. This merits nothing more than saying you prefer a table elsewhere, and noting when you are ready to place your order.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I work in a fast-food restaurant, in which we only go by our first names.

Often, when customers decide that I am the cause of whatever is not going their way, they ask me for my name. My first name is clearly spelled out on my name tag, but I always say it for them anyway, as it is difficult to pronounce. It is an unusual name, and no one else in the store has it.

However, they also often ask for my last name, which I decline to give them. I don’t feel that it is any of their business. I just politely tell them that I don’t give out my last name.

Often, they take this as rudeness on my part.

Am I in the wrong?

GENTLE READER: The reason stores use first names — or first names and last initials — on name tags is to balance two reasonable, but competing, requirements.

A customer is entitled to lodge a legitimate complaint through normal channels about inadequate performance by a salesperson. So the tag has to give enough information to uniquely identify the alleged offender.

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But the salesperson also has to be protected against illegitimate complaints or unwarranted approaches outside of normal channels. This is why name tags do not include a full name, which could be used to look up and harass the salesperson away from the store.

From your letter’s calm tone, Miss Manners likes to think that it is the complainant who is being unreasonable. But she nevertheless suggests you give this answer: “I am sorry that you are dissatisfied, but you do not need my last name to identify me to management. If you want to lodge a formal complaint against me, just give my first name and the time of my shift. I assure you that they will know how to find me.”

This response appeals to Miss Manners both for its politeness and because it calls out the customer’s attempt to intimidate.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2026. There are 309 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 25, 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; opposition leader Corazon Aquino — the first woman to lead the country — assumed the presidency.

Also on this date:

In 1870, Republican Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as a U.S. senator, becoming the first African American member of either house of Congress.

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In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1956, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev railed for hours against the brutality and “cult of personality” of his late predecessor, dictator Josef Stalin, in a speech to a Communist Party congress.

In 1964, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion for the first time as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 American soldiers were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers.

In 1997, a jury in Media, Pennsylvania, convicted chemical fortune heir John E. du Pont of third-degree murder, deciding he was mentally ill when he shot and killed world-class wrestler David Schultz. (Du Pont died in prison in December 2010 while serving a 13- to 30-year sentence; he was 72.)

In 2024, the U.S. and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike that set fire to a cargo vessel.

Today’s birthdays:

• Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 91.
• Actor Tom Courtenay is 89.
• Film director Neil Jordan is 76.
• Rock musician-actor John Doe (punk band X) is 73.
• Comedian Carrot Top is 61.
• Actor Tea Leoni is 60.
• Actor Sean Astin is 55.
• Singer Daniel Powter is 55.
• Comedian-actor Chelsea Handler is 51.
• Actor Rashida Jones is 50.
• FBI Director Kash Patel is 46.
• Actor Jameela Jamil is 40.
• Golfer Hideki Matsuyama is 34.
• Actor Isabelle Fuhrman is 29.
• Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is 26.

By Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Guillermo Zambrano faced at least 10 years in federal prison if convicted of working with Sinaloa cartel associates — but then ICE sought to deport him last June. Now he faces none.

Zambrano, a Venezuelan citizen in the midst of political asylum proceedings in the U.S., pleaded not guilty to charges of helping conceal drug trafficking proceeds. For 17 months, he remained free on a $60,000 bond with an ankle monitor while awaiting trial in the Central District of California.

But amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown last summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers came to Zambrano’s home, removed his ankle monitor and took him into custody. The move surprised everyone, including prosecutors. If convicted, Zambrano would have faced deportation after serving a prison sentence.

When ICE didn’t release Zambrano from custody this month, U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee dismissed the criminal indictment with prejudice, barring the government from refiling the same charges. Gee cited “an ongoing violation of Zambrano’s right to pretrial release.”

The dismissal underscores how the administration’s aggressive deportation push has begun to collide with federal prosecutions and exposes a clash of priorities between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. In recent months, immigration authorities have taken undocumented defendants into custody, and in at least one case deported the accused, while criminal proceedings were underway.

That case drew outrage because the deported man was awaiting trial in what authorities called the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history: an estimated $100-million theft of a Brinks semitruck’s haul. Prosecutors said they were unaware the defendant had been deported to Ecuador and victims were left indignant, as much of the loot has not been recovered.

“They wanted to deport a million people in the first year and this is how they do that,” said John Targowski, a defense attorney representing Zambrano. “Ultimately we invite the idea that somebody can go out and commit an offense, not be here lawfully and accept pretrial deportation instead of punishment.”

Federal defense attorneys have filed motions to dismiss indictments, citing difficulties accessing their clients in immigration detention centers and, in at least one case, struggling to locate them at all.

In December, a federal judge dismissed with prejudice a separate case against Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a TikTok streamer charged with assault on a federal officer after he was shot during an immigration operation. The judge found that Parias had been denied access to counsel while in immigration detention and that the government failed to comply with discovery deadlines. The government is appealing that order.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told the Los Angeles Times that “those who enter our country illegally and break our nation’s laws will be held fully accountable for their actions, despite the best efforts of activist liberal judges who would rather see violent illegal aliens walk free.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. The U.S. attorney’s office in L.A. declined to comment. Prosecutors are appealing Gee’s dismissal order. Zambrano remains in custody at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

John Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under President Obama, said there have been cases over the years involving victimless crimes, where authorities opted for deportation instead of a prosecution, finding that “it’s cheaper, easier, it’s better for the taxpayer.”

But historically, Sandweg said, the agency deferred to federal prosecutions.

“There was a perception that a criminal prosecution is more important from a public safety perspective than a deportation,” Sandweg said. “You have victims who want justice, you have people who maybe are entitled to restitution orders, you have all sorts of good reasons to say, ‘Hey, the criminal prosecution takes priority over the deportation.’”

Targowski said he has two clients facing federal charges currently being held in ICE custody. In the past, he said, “DHS would routinely wait until criminal proceedings were over” before taking a defendant into custody.

“By not doing that or selectively not doing that, I think they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face,” he said. “They’re willing to remove somebody before justice is pursued against them, at the expense of victims.”

In Zambrano’s case, Gee scolded the government over how the detention unfolded.

“This Court joins other District Courts that have concluded that the Executive Branch must choose between taking a noncitizen into custody for the purpose of removing and deporting that individual or temporarily declining to do so while criminal proceedings are maintained against that person,” Gee wrote in her order.

::

The charges against Zambrano came into question after his ICE detention on June 24. The following month, an immigration judge denied Zambrano’s request for bond.

In November, Targowski filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Zambrano, or order him released, citing the conflict between his client’s immigration and criminal proceedings and the fact that “he cannot effectively prepare for trial while in immigration detention.”

In response, prosecutors argued in a court filing opposing dismissal that the law “permits the government to simultaneously initiate removal proceedings and criminal proceedings.”

“The existence of ongoing criminal proceedings is not a basis to require ICE to release an individual from immigration custody,” the prosecutors wrote.

They cited Zambrano’s charges, which include conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Prosecutors alleged that Zambrano “was observed ferrying bulk quantities of cash drug trafficking proceeds between co-conspirators.”

“In this case, defendant actively worked to launder, transport, and conceal drug trafficking proceeds belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel, whose activities have caused untold devastation in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” prosecutors wrote. “In doing so, defendant intentionally facilitated the financial lifeline that makes the Sinaloa Cartel’s nefarious activities possible.”

At a Feb. 5 court hearing, Assistant U.S. Atty. Jeremy Keller Beecher told the judge the prosecution team’s efforts to undo Zambrano’s detention “were unsuccessful.” Beecher argued Zambrano could eventually be granted asylum and “receive a real windfall” if the court were to dismiss with prejudice.

Targowski told the judge it had been “a real Kafkaesque experience for my client in this case from its origin.”

“We have the inability of the DHS and the DOJ, which are both members of the Cabinet, to effectively communicate with each other as it relates to Mr. Zambrano and that has clearly affected my ability to communicate with him, to represent him,” Targowski said.

Judge Gee told the government she would dismiss the indictment with prejudice unless Zambrano was released from custody within seven days under the conditions of the previous bail order.

“This is not a one-off. This is happening repeatedly,” Gee said, according to a court transcript. “The only way that I can see to effect some sort of meaningful change is for both agencies to see that this is causing friction and that this needs to be harmonized in some way. And without some sort of remedy that makes that clear, it’s not going to happen.”

Gee said she hoped Beecher would “communicate this shot over the bow to those who have the authority to make changes in this regard.”

::

The judges are not all aligned in dismissing these cases. On Feb. 12, U.S. District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato denied a motion to dismiss a case against Mandeep Singh, who is charged with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

Singh, a citizen of India who lacks legal status in the U.S., was detained by ICE after a magistrate judge ordered him released on bond. He has been held in Adelanto since November.

Kato found that Singh’s placement in immigration detention has not jeopardized the court’s ability to try him. However, she ordered the government to transport Singh to a courthouse to meet with his attorney, Targowski, and warned about the government’s need to address access issues.

“I imagine if you continue to have these cases, after the government having been put on notice that this is a problem, dismissals are going to become more frequent and common,” Kato said at the hearing in Riverside.

Last Friday, in a downtown L.A. courtroom, Claire Kennedy, a deputy federal public defender, argued for a judge to dismiss the case against her client, Manuel Basmadjian, due to access issues in immigration detention.

Basmadjian was set to go to trial in less than a month on charges including possession with intent to distribute meth and heroin, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He was ordered released on bond in August, but was instead picked up by ICE and transferred to Adelanto, where Kennedy said her client’s access to counsel “steadily deteriorated.”

In her motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, Kennedy told the judge that for weeks no appointments were available through Adelanto’s online scheduling system. In January, Basmadjian was transferred to ICE detention in Texas, Kennedy said.

“The amount of time I have spent just trying to find Mr. Basmadjian, keep up with the ever-changing rules, keep track of which state he’s in, which facility he’s in — I have spent more time doing that than on the substantive work that needs to be done on his case,” Kennedy told the judge at the Friday hearing.

U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera pressed the prosecutor on why Basmadjian had been transferred out of state. Assistant U.S. Atty. Brenda Galván said ICE planned to deport Basmadjian, but Armenia was unwilling to accept him.

“So the government basically has no interest, or at least DHS didn’t have any interest, in having him prosecuted for this crime?” Vera asked.

“The prosecution team in this case is very interested in prosecuting Mr. Basmadjian,” Galván said.

“I’m sure you are, you’ve put in a lot of work for it,” Vera said.

But he questioned why he shouldn’t dismiss the case, given the fact that Kennedy couldn’t meet with her client. “And that’s not her fault, it’s the government’s fault for moving him,” he said.

At the end of the roughly hourlong hearing, Vera said he was granting Kennedy’s motion to dismiss with prejudice, finding a violation of Basmadjian’s right to counsel. Vera stressed that he was not placing the blame on Galván personally, “but the circumstances here are beyond unacceptable.”

©2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A helicopter pilot wounded in the raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro received the Congressional Medal of Honor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, who appeared using a walker, was the pilot of the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” that held Maduro during a raid that, while successful, left seven U.S. service members with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.

“While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another,” Trump said, adding that Slover “absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover receives a Medal of Honor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Months of covert planning led to the brazen operation that plunged the South American country’s capital into darkness as troops infiltrated Maduro’s home and whisked him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

Trump’s description of Slover’s actions that night offer a new, detailed glimpse into the military action that has been largely shrouded in secrecy since it was carried out in the early hours of Jan. 3.

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As Slover prepared to land his helicopter, he was confronted with “two machine gunners who escaped the wrath of the previous planes,” according to Trump.

“Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat,” Trump said, “saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory.”

The president said “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.”

Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, presented Slover with the Medal of Honor in the gallery overlooking the House chamber.

Slover was in his dress uniform and used a walker to steady himself. Trump said the soldier was still recovering from his wounds.

Trump also said 10 other service members who took part in the operation will be receiving medals at a private ceremony soon to be held at the White House.

First lady Melania Trump presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to World War II Navy pilot Capt. Royce Williams as President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In addition to Slover, Trump also presented the Medal of Honor to retired Capt. E. Royce Williams, a Navy pilot who shot down multiple Soviet jets during the Korean War, upgrading his existing award of a Navy Cross.

Trump called the 100-year-old former fighter pilot “one of the last living legends.”

By MATTHEW LEE and DÁNICA COTO

Secretary of State Marco Rubio flies into the Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday for talks with regional leaders who, like others around the world, are unsettled and uncertain about Trump administration policies.

After President Donald Trump ordered a military operation last month to remove and arrest Venezuela’s then-leader, Nicolás Maduro, stepped up aggressive tactics to combat alleged drug smuggling and turned up pressure on Cuba, Rubio will attend a summit of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump called Maduro’s capture “an absolutely colossal victory for the security of the United States. And it also opens up a bright new beginning for the people of Venezuela.”

Leaders from the 15-nation bloc are gathering to debate pressing issues in a region that Trump has targeted for a 21st century incarnation of the Monroe Doctrine meant to ensure U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump said his administration is “restoring American security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere, acting to secure our national interests and defend our country from violence, drugs, terrorism and foreign interference.”

CARICOM leaders have complained about administration measures that include demands for nations to accept third-country deportees from the U.S., reject Cuban medical missions and chill relations with China.

Godwin Friday, newly elected prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, echoed the fears of many European leaders when he said the Caribbean is “challenged from inside and out. International rules and practices that we have become used to over the years have changed in troubling ways.”

Caribbean leaders point to shifting global order

During Tuesday’s opening ceremony, Terrance Drew, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and CARICOM chair, said the region “stands at a decisive hour.”

“The global order is shifting,” he said. “Supply chains remain uncertain, energy markets fluctuate and climate shocks intensify.”

Like other leaders, Drew spoke about changing geopolitics and said the humanitarian situation in Cuba must be addressed and taken seriously, something also stressed by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“It must be clear that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba,” Holness warned. “It will affect migration, security and economic stability across the Caribbean basin.”

Holness said Jamaica “stands firmly for democracy” and that his country also “supports constructive dialogue between Cuba and the U.S. aimed at de-escalation, reform and stability.”

Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell told The Associated Press on Tuesday ahead of the summit that he doesn’t know if individual topics will come up in talks with Rubio but said he expects a full discussion on the nature of the relationship with the U.S.

“It is about mutual respect and a rules-based order,” he said. “Those are some of the things we would expect from the meeting, and we are also available for any private dialogue with Mr. Rubio.”

The State Department has not said which officials Rubio will meet with Wednesday but that he intends to discuss ways to promote regional security and stability, trade and economic growth in group and bilateral meetings.

Caribbean leaders also are expected to talk about other issues like security, reparations, climate change and financing, and a single market economy.

US policy in the Caribbean

Rubio’s visit comes more than a month after the U.S. captured Maduro and brought him to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges.

The U.S. also has killed at least 151 people in strikes targeting small boats accused of smuggling drugs since early September. The latest attack Monday killed three people in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. has not provided evidence that the targeted boats are ferrying drugs.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister, has previously praised the attacks. Tuesday was no exception as she thanked Trump, Rubio and the U.S. military “for standing firm against narcotrafficking” and for their cooperation in national security matters.

“The crime is so bad, I cannot depend on just my military, my protective services,” she said.

Cuba’s situation also is expected to dominate talks at CARICOM’s summit.

Cuba’s U.N. resident coordinator Francisco Pichón told AP on Monday that the U.S. oil embargo is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those still struggling to recover from Hurricane Melissa, which struck eastern Cuba in late October as a Category 3 storm.

He noted that the energy blockade and fuel shortages “affect the entire logistics chain involved in being able to work in Cuba at this time, anywhere in the country.”

___

Lee reported from Washington, and Coto from San José, Costa Rica. Associated Press reporters Bert Wilkinson in Georgetown, Guyana, and Andrea Rodríguez in Havana contributed to this report.

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ, REBECCA BOONE and HALLIE GOLDEN

NEW YORK (AP) — Snowplows cleared the way for ambulances and fire trucks in Rhode Island. New York City workers geared up to dump massive basins of warm water on piles of snow and ice. And in Boston, officials tried to clear sidewalks coated in packed snow that cut off access for people using wheelchairs.

The gigantic snowstorm this week across the Northeast U.S. dropped piles of powder from Maryland to Maine and left cities on Wednesday scrambling to clear towering heaps that were not showing signs of melting anytime soon.

By Tuesday evening, New York City had spread 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of salt, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and signed up at least 3,500 people as emergency shovelers. The $30-per-hour shifts involve clearing snow across public streets and bus stops.

But with another storm expected Wednesday, there was plenty more work left to do, especially for the many people with disabilities.

Jeff Peters, spokesperson for the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, described parts of the city as impassable islands.

“You’ll find a portion of a sidewalk that is clear, and then there’s maybe a 6-inch (15-cm) pathway that can only be walked with one foot in front of the other and no room for a stroller, rollator, walker or crutches,” Peters said. “Then you get to the corner and not only is it unshoveled, but you have basically a glacier at the end of it.”

Tina Guenette, who uses a motorized wheelchair, had to shovel out her yard this week after more than 33 inches (84 centimeters) fell in Harrisville, Rhode Island, a town about 17 miles (27 kilometers) northwest of Providence.

“I really have no choice if my service dog wants to go outside,” Guenette said Tuesday. Harrisville has a volunteer snow-shoveling program, but it hasn’t had volunteers for the last few years, she said.

The National Weather Service warned another storm originating in the Great Lakes could push into the Northeast on Wednesday. The clipper storm brings the prospect of a combination of rain and some snow, though it’s not forecast to be nearly as severe.

NYC Emergency Management warned Wednesday morning commuters that the forecast light snow and freezing temperatures could bring slick roads and sidewalks as well as black ice.

Monday’s storm blanketed the region with snow, canceled flights, disrupted transit, downed power lines and killed at least one person. More than 3 feet (0.9 meters) fell in Rhode Island — surpassing snow totals from the historic Blizzard of 1978 that struck the Northeast, the National Weather Service said.

Meteorologist Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said if all of the snow that fell from Maryland to Maine fell just on Manhattan, the snow would tower over a mile high.

In Newport, Rhode Island, Joseph Boutros, 21, was found unconscious inside a vehicle covered in snow Monday night, the city’s police department said in a statement. The Salve Regina University student was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead due to carbon monoxide poisoning, police said.

Some large school districts moved back to in-person classes on Wednesday, including Philadelphia, which had switched to online learning during the first two days of the week.

In New York City, more than 900,000 students in the nation’s largest public school system had a regular day Tuesday. Many students and their caregivers scrambled over mountainous snow banks and dodged salt spreaders during the morning drop-off.

Power had returned for many of the hundreds of thousands who had lost electricity in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware and Rhode Island. But about 173,000 customers in Massachusetts were still without power early Wednesday.

Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been canceled in recent days. By Wednesday, the disruptions seemed to be subsiding, with only around 150 grounded, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

When Jamie Meyers’ flight landed in New York from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday evening, the cabin full of relieved passengers burst into applause. The Manhattan resident was supposed to arrive home Sunday but faced a cancellation and significant delay.

The weather service referred to Monday’s storm as a “classic bomb cyclone/nor’easter off the Northeast coast.” A bomb cyclone happens when a storm’s pressure falls by a certain amount within a 24-hour period.

___

Golden reported from Seattle and Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Michael R. Sisak and Philip Marcelo in New York; Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed.

TALLAHASSEE — Malik Reneau scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Tre Donaldson had 21 points, six assists, and six rebounds, and Miami held on late to defeat Florida State, 83-73 on Tuesday night.

The Hurricanes (22-6, 11-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) led by 11 points with 3:16 remaining in regulation, but FSU cut the deficit to four points down the stretch. Miami ended the game on an 8-2 run to prevent the comeback.

Reneau has scored 20 or more points in 16 games this season, and picked up his eighth double-double of the year. He ranks fifth in the ACC in scoring.

Miami shot 53% from the floor and 43% from beyond the arc. They entered tonight’s game sitting atop the ACC and 11th nationally in field goal percentage.

The ‘Canes closed the first half up 38-32, and Tru Washington scored 10 of his 11 points in the opening frame. Washington also had a game-high four steals.

For the Seminoles (14-14, 7-8), Lajae Jones scored 21 points (8-of-14 shooting), and Chauncey Wiggins added 14 points and five rebounds.

Up next

Miami: hosts Boston College on Saturday.

By JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who survived a gunshot wound to the head while patrolling with the National Guard in Washington last year, was presented the Purple Heart medal during Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Trump honored Wolfe and his colleague, U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom during his speech, before pausing so Gen. James Seward, head of the West Virginia National Guard, could pin the medal on Wolfe’s civilian suit.

“With God’s help, Andrew has battled back from the edge of death—and we’re talking about the edge—on his way to a miraculous recovery,” Trump said.

“Nice to see you,” he added, looking up at Wolfe in the gallery.

West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is awarded a Purple Heart during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump recalled his mother’s determination that he would recover, even as others doubted it would be possible to survive his severe injuries. She buried her head in her son’s chest as the president spoke.

Wolfe and Beckstrom, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were shot in an ambush on Nov. 26 while deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s executive order to battle what he said was rampant crime. Beckstrom died on Thanksgiving Day.

Evalea and Gary Beckstrom, the mother and father of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, receive a Purple Heart on behalf of their daughter during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe watches at left. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Trump also spoke directly to Beckstrom’s parents in the gallery.

“Your daughter was a true American patriot and she will be greatly missed,” Trump told Evalea and Gary Beckstrom.

The tributes prompted several minutes of bipartisan applause.

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Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was wounded in the attack, has been charged in connection with the shooting. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. Authorities say he drove across the country from his home in Washington state to execute the attack.

Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, officials said. The Biden administration program evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.

Trump, who halted asylum decisions in response to the shooting, said during his speech that the gunman “shouldn’t have been in our country.”

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Here are the top stories for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Pompano Beach to weigh whether to cut off Broward Sheriff’s Office

Broadway blockbusters at Broward Center next season: ‘Death Becomes Her,’ ‘The Outsiders,’ ‘Hamilton’ & more

Broward, Palm Beach trail Miami in affordable housing, survey says; effort isn’t lacking, advocates counter

Sports betting drives jump in calls to Florida problem gambling helpline

Pembroke Pines election: Two commission seats up for grabs

Winter freezes hit Florida growers with $3.1 billion tab, state says

Florida faculty union, profs decry ‘censored’ state sociology textbook

US military strikes alleged drug boat in Caribbean Sea, killing 3

Domestic travel drives record Florida tourism in 2025

Miss Manners: My sons-in-law have offensive table manners. Now my grandchildren do, too

I have always considered Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) my favorite airport and first choice when making travel plans.

But now that the bootlickers want to rename it after our current president, whose accomplishments are nowhere near the 11 presidents whose names are on airports, I will make my flight plans elsewhere.

I refuse to support anything with Trump’s name on it.

It is apparent that his main goal is enriching himself and his family through his cryptocurrency, Trump-branded items, licensing, media ventures and other business activities that have generated well over $1 billion so far. He has also trademarked his name in connection with future Trump airport names, which no other president has done.

Those who support him turn a blind eye to his incessant lies, mistreatment of the media and everyone who opposes him, and his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Republican sycophants currently in office, out of fear, won’t stand up to him. He’s ruining our country and everything we stand for.

I am more horrified with each passing day and cannot wait for him to leave office.

Joan Blakesberg, Boca Raton

What’s the rush?

To Florida lawmakers: Surely you can a find better use of $5.5 million than to rename Palm Beach International Airport after this president.

That usually takes place after a president leaves office. So what’s the rush?

Further, this president is very divisive and was deemed the worst U.S. president ever, per 125 presidential scholars. I’m hoping the Florida Legislature will abandon this very costly — and might I say very unpopular — proposal.

Beth Kaye, Boynton Beach

An outlandish assault

Our feckless Florida legislators, in their infinite wisdom, have approved renaming PBI for a convicted felon, an inveterate liar, a man who has pardoned the insurrectionists who attacked our Capitol on Jan. 6, a grifter who uses the Presidency as his personal ATM, who created chaos with ICE tactics and had a long-term relationship with a guy named Epstein, whose name will be the first thing visitors will see as they approach the formerly-named Palm Beach International Airport.

Do I have it right? And who do you think will foot the bill for this outlandish assault on our sensibilities?

Norman Berkowitz, Boynton Beach

All through with PBIA Scenes from Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

I live roughly equidistant from all three major airports in South Florida: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Miami and West Palm Beach.

I often double-check the airports to see which one offers the best times to fly or might be offering the best prices for flights and destinations.

If Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) agrees to change the name to the 34-time convicted felon and twice-impeached president, I will move forward looking to Fort Lauderdale and Miami as the airports I will use.

I will never set foot in PBIA if this name change goes through — and I would think that I’m not alone, either.

Jack Bloomfield, Coral Springs

Shame, not honor

Florida should be proud of having a president whose residency is in Florida. But if the person is a convicted felon, an admitted sexual predator, a bully, a proven liar and grifter, should he receive any honors?

His actions have undermined our democracy and made America a laughingstock.

I am ashamed to tell my grandchildren that this state is thinking about honoring someone not for his integrity or service, but for cruelty and corruption, enabled by leaders too timid to stand for principle.

I respectfully urge the Florida Legislature not to name any airport, street or public facility after an individual whose legacy brings shame rather than honor.

Helen Fleischman, Lake Worth Beach

The pursuit of profit

As the Sun Sentinel reports, the president finally realizes that the U.S. Constitution can be a good thing.

He and his family have filed papers to protect the Trump name in anticipation of the Florida Legislature’s naming of Palm Beach International Airport in his honor.

These protections are in Art. I, Sec. 8 of the Constitution:  ” … to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”

I find it interesting that the president feels he needs protection to do what he wants to whomever he wants, without any accountability or consequences. Could it be that he needs to follow the law in order not to have someone steal his big beautiful name so he can profit from it?

Jay Rechtman, Boynton Beach

So name everything for Trump

Who elected these bozos in the Legislature?

Let’s just name Palm Beach County for Trump. Name every airport after him. All the bridges, too.

I will never take a flight out of PBIA again if it is renamed for this unfit narcissist.

I say, let’s give him the airport — if the town of Palm Beach is renamed Pedophile Beach. So much history is wrapped up in molesting young women and then covering it up behind iron gates and foliage.

Take your blinders off, people — you’re being taken advantage of once again.

Mark Walker, Boca Raton

A highly polarizing figure

The naming of public buildings after individuals is a significant gesture that typically reflects a consensus on their positive impact, legacy and public service.

Donald Trump remains a highly polarizing figure in American politics. Opinions about his actions and leadership are sharply divided. Associating a public building with his name could risk alienating members of the community and fostering controversy rather than unity.

Public buildings should ideally represent values such as inclusivity, respect and civic pride. Given the contentious debates surrounding Trump’s tenure and public statements, naming a building after him might undermine these principles and provoke disputes.

It’s important to prioritize those figures whose contributions are broadly recognized as beneficial and unifying, when considering such honors. With Trump’s name now registered as a copyrighted logo, using it for anything else would require paying a fee.

Rob O’Neill, Lighthouse Point

A question for Palm Beach

Why would the people of Palm Beach County want to name their airport after a man who has had 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records, etc.; was found liable in federal court for sexual abuse and defamation; settled a lawsuit with New York state over misuse of charitable funds; agreed to settle a class action suit to resolve fraud claims over Trump University; and was a known bestie to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein?

Does this make any sense to anyone? If it does, we’re in more trouble than we know.

Karyn Rhodes Dornfield, Boca Raton

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.

[contact-form]

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Last year, our son married his longtime girlfriend in a lovely ceremony followed by a large reception.

This year, they’re planning an even bigger party. This next party is somehow about their wedding — but we already had the wedding!

I’m finding it difficult to be enthusiastic about attending a party when I don’t know what I’m celebrating. To have a second celebration seems to make the first one less meaningful.

Of course I can decline with a simple “no, thank you,” but I would like to hear your comments.

GENTLE READER: Would you feel better if they called it an anniversary party?

In today’s casual world, it puzzles Miss Manners that people seem to think a wedding is the only formal event they are entitled to throw or attend — unless they are up for an entertainment award.

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People crave a bit of formality, if only for a rare change from near-universal grunge. Thus the urge to have multiple weddings — if not multiple marriages.

Boycotting this event would be a hostile move. Are you not in a position to have a gentle conversation with the couple, in which you support their idea but discuss modifying it? Calling it an anniversary party would make it their first big attempt at entertaining, instead of a wedding rerun.

Then again, perhaps they should not call it that. Surely they don’t want their friends thinking, “Do we have to give them presents AGAIN?”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: People want to feel loved and cherished. An invitation to share a meal in your home is a special example. So when dinner guests ask me what they can bring, I tell them something specific: “Oh, I would love some pink peonies. Those would be so beautiful.”

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Or I might request a bottle of maple syrup, or a recipe card for the wonderful cookies the guest baked on a previous visit.

Offering these suggestions lets your friends love you back.

GENTLE READER: Please do not make the idea of bringing something — or, as it is now phrased, “not showing up empty-handed” — more of a chore than it already is.

Miss Manners pictures your guests, looking forward to a pleasant evening with you, being confronted with your suggestions.

“Pink peonies?” they say in despair. “Where in the world are we supposed to find those? Even if there’s a florist open, they’re not likely to have those on hand.” Or: “Maple syrup? We could stop at the grocery store on the way, but they probably expect some kind of gourmet version.” Or: “What cookie recipe? Maybe they’re thinking of those cookies that Aunt Lucy sent us, and I didn’t correct their assumption that I’d baked them. How do I know what the recipe was?”

Miss Manners would not describe this as making someone feel loved.

It is not the job of hosts to dictate any presents the guests may bring. And bringing something is not an easy job for the guests. Many used to bring flowers or chocolates, but would now risk running into allergies and diets, so they bring wine instead — to the annoyance of hosts who do not drink.

Miss Manners only wishes everyone would calm down. A token present is fine, but the real show of appreciation from a guest is responding to the invitation immediately, engaging other guests in friendly conversation, thanking the host and reciprocating soon.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 24, the 55th day of 2026. There are 310 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 24, 1988, in a ruling that expanded legal protections for parody and satire, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned a $200,000 award that the Rev. Jerry Falwell had won against Hustler magazine and its publisher, Larry Flynt.

Also on this date:

In 1803, in its landmark Marbury v. Madison decision, the U.S. Supreme Court established the foundational principle of judicial review of the constitutionality of laws and statutes.

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In 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Andrew Johnson by a vote of 126-47 following his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton; Johnson was later acquitted by the Senate by a single vote.

In 1942, the SS Struma, a charter ship attempting to carry nearly 800 Jewish refugees from Romania to British-mandated Palestine, was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine in the Black Sea; all but one of the refugees died.

In 1981, a jury in White Plains, New York, found Jean Harris guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of “Scarsdale Diet” author Dr. Herman Tarnower. (Sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, Harris was granted clemency by New York Gov. Mario Cuomo in December 1992.)

In 1991, the United States began ground operations in the Gulf War by entering Iraqi-held Kuwait.

In 2008, Cuba’s parliament named Raul Castro president, ending nearly 50 years of rule by his brother, Fidel, who announced days earlier that he would not seek reelection. Raul Castro served as president until April 2018.

In 2011, Discovery, the world’s most traveled spaceship, thundered into orbit for the final time, heading toward the International Space Station on a journey marking the beginning of the end of the shuttle era.

In 2020, Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York and was led off to prison in handcuffs in a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. An appeals court later threw out the verdict and ordered a new trial, but Weinstein remained behind bars after other convictions.

In 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launching airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions.

Today’s birthdays:

• Actor Dominic Chianese is 95.
• Nike co-founder Phil Knight is 88.
• Actor Barry Bostwick is 81.
• Actor Edward James Olmos is 79.
• Musician George Thorogood is 76.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Murray is 70.
• Actor Billy Zane is 60.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is 49.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Lleyton Hewitt is 45.
• Actor Daniel Kaluuya is 37.
• Singer-songwriter Domenic Innarella is 15.

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By JOHN LEICESTER

PARIS (AP) — France’s spat with the U.S. ambassador to Paris took another turn Tuesday with the French foreign minister saying the top U.S. diplomat in France must respond to a summons and won’t have access to French government officials until he complies.

French authorities had summoned Ambassador Charles Kushner — the father of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner — for a meeting on Monday evening over comments from the Trump administration that France objected to. French diplomats said Kushner did not show up.

Speaking Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the failure to attend the meeting as “a surprise” that flew in the face of diplomatic protocol and will dent Charles Kushner’s ability to serve as an ambassador.

“It will, naturally, affect his capacity to exercise his mission in our country,” Barrot said, speaking to public broadcaster France Info.

He said that Kushner “is bringing difficulties on himself. Because for an ambassador to be able to do his job he needs access to members of the government. That’s the basics.”

“When these explanations have taken place, then the U.S. ambassador in France will, naturally, regain access to members of the French government,” the minister said.

The U.S. Embassy did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on Monday and a follow-up request on Tuesday morning also got no immediate reply.

France’s foreign ministry had summoned Kushner over Trump administration tweets relating to the beating death in France of a far-right activist, Quentin Deranque. The 23-year-old student, described as a fervent nationalist, was beaten by a group of people earlier this month in the city of Lyon, in fighting that erupted between far-left and far-right activists. He later died of brain injuries.

In a post last week on X, the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau said “violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety.”

The U.S. Embassy in Paris posted the same statement, in French.

Barrot said France needs to discuss the comments with Kushner.

“We must have an explanation with him,” Barrot said. “We don’t accept that foreign countries can come and interfere, invite themselves, into the national political debate.”

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a grocery store owner during a robbery is set Tuesday evening to become the second person executed in Florida this year.

Melvin Trotter, 65, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Trotter was initially convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1987. However, the Florida Supreme Court found the trial court had erred in handling aggravating factors in Trotter’s case and ordered a new sentencing, and Trotter again drew the death penalty in 1993.

Tuesday’s planned execution and another earlier this month in Florida follow a record 19 executions in the state last year. In 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. in 1976. The previous Florida record was eight executions in 2014.

According to court records, Trotter strangled and stabbed Virgie Langford at her store in Palmetto in 1986. A truck driver found Langford alive after the attack, and she was able to describe her attacker before eventually dying at a hospital.

Besides recalling Trotter’s physical appearance, Langford said her attacker had a Tropicana employee badge with the name “Melvin” on it. According to court records, police later found a T-shirt with Langford’s blood type at Trotter’s home and the man’s handprint on a meat cooler at the grocery store.

Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Trotter. His attorneys had argued that Florida corrections officials had mismanaged its own death penalty protocols. Attorneys also argued that Trotter’s advanced age of 65 should exempt him from execution.

Trotter’s final appeals were still pending Tuesday before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each last year.

So far this year, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida have carried out one execution each.

On Feb. 10, a man convicted of killing a traveling salesperson who he and his brother had met at a bar become the first person executed in Florida this year. Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in the 1989 killing of Michael Sheridan.

Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for next month: Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on March 3, and Michael Lee King, 54, on March 17.

All Florida executions are carried out by injecting a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.