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DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a freelance journalist who has been living, off and on, in a private room at a hostel off the beaten path.

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I love the place because it’s gorgeous and usually has excellent vibes, but there are basically 15 of us keeping it in business. It is unfortunately quite close to a war zone.

Anyway, the most recent time I visited, there was a new volunteer at the hostel. After I had checked out and said my goodbyes, I walked through the gate to catch my ride to the airport.

This volunteer then blocked my way and cornered me. She went on a yelling, screaming rant, saying that I hadn’t left my private room (which I paid $100/night for) clean enough for her liking, and that it’s “not her job” to clean up after me.

I hadn’t even been aware she was a volunteer, as I hadn’t seen her work at all before, and certainly didn’t know she was making up my room. I calmly explained to her that I had tried to clean it a bit (to which she responded, in a mocking tone, “Oh, you tried???”), that most guests don’t clean their rooms in hostels at all, and that when I was a hostel volunteer, I changed something like 200 people’s beds in a day — and that it was, in fact, her job.

She continued to argue with me and corner me, attempting to prevent me from accessing my ride.

What was most upsetting was that the owner refused to fire her because it would be “bad for morale.” He fully expected me to come back a week later — which was originally the plan — but didn’t even offer an apology for the way I was treated, or any assurances as to consequences for her behavior.

I’m so furious. My loyalty, my money, my friendship over the past year … it’s meant nothing, I guess. I want to go back, but this experience has been extremely upsetting. What do I do now?

GENTLE READER: One would have thought yelling at the clients was bad for morale, but these days, Miss Manners is not so sure.

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There are, no doubt, a number of ways to voice your displeasure to a wider audience online, but that will neither restore the status quo ante nor get you an apology — which is presumably the goal.

Either or both of those outcomes may be possible with a private note to the owner, expressing your disappointment and saying that you won’t be returning since you no longer feel welcome or safe.

It is then up to him to make matters right. Once things have calmed down and the volunteer has moved on — and once he realizes he has lost one of his 15 core customers — the owner will no doubt see things in a different light.

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, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2026. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 28, 2011, protesters opposed to Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule of Egypt seized the streets of Cairo, battling police, burning down ruling party headquarters and defying a military curfew. Hundreds of protesters would be killed in ensuing days in attempts to crush the uprising before Mubarak stepped down as president that February.

Also on this date:

In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died at age 55; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

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In 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published, anonymously, in London.

In 1922, 98 people were killed when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., collapsed under the weight of nearly 2 feet of snow.

In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats; the events were later dramatized in the film “Argo.”

In 1985, to raise funds in support of famine relief in Ethiopia, the supergroup USA For Africa recorded the song “We Are the World.”

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

In 2017, Serena Williams won her record 23rd Open Era Grand Slam singles title, defeating her sister Venus at the Australian Open for what would be her final major championship.

In 2024, three American troops were killed and 25 were injured in a drone strike in Jordan near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by the groups against American forces across the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Today’s birthdays:

• Actor Alan Alda is 90.
• Former NBA coach Gregg Popovich is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Nick Price is 69.
• Film director Frank Darabont is 67.
• Singer Sarah McLachlan is 58.
• Rapper Rakim is 58.
• Humorist Mo Rocca is 57.
• R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is 55.
• Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is 54.
• Rapper Rick Ross is 50.
• Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (’N Sync) is 49.
• Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 46.
• Actor Elijah Wood is 45.
• Rapper J. Cole is 41.
• Actor Ariel Winter is 28.

Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Former condo property manager charged in HOA thefts after Pembroke Pines investigation

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SUNRISE — Mikhail Sergachev scored in the third period to put Utah ahead to stay, and the Mammoth held on for a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Nick Schmaltz, Sean Durzi and Barrett Hayton also scored goals for the Mammoth, who have won nine of their last 11 games and played without top goal-scorer Dylan Guenther, who has a lower-body injury. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves and Durzi also had an assist.

Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves for Florida, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Sergachev’s goal with 8:55 to play gave Utah a 3-2 lead and Hayton made it 4-2 with an empty-netter with 56 seconds to play. Verhaeghe scored with 16 seconds left to pull the Panthers within 4-3, setting up a frantic final few seconds.

Schmaltz scored an unassisted short-handed goal with 4:14 to play in the first period when he picked up a loose puck just inside his own blue line, skated in alone and backhanded it past Bobrovsky.

The second short-handed goal of Schmaltz’s NHL career (the first was on March 26, 2024, against Columbus) gives him 15 points in his last 14 games (7 goals, 8 assists).

Vilmanis’ goal 2:52 into the second was the first of his NHL career and tied it at 1-1. The team’s fifth-round draft choice in 2022 was playing in his ninth NHL game.

The Panthers went scoreless on the power play in four chances.

Florida’s A.J. Greer played in his 300th career game.

Up next

Panthers: Visit St. Louis on Thursday night.

Darian Mensah is Miami’s next quarterback, and he is bringing along a top teammate.

Former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate committed to the Hurricanes Tuesday night, according to multiple reports, joining his former quarterback on the road to Coral Gables.

Barkate was the Blue Devils’ top wide receiver in 2025. He led the team with 72 catches, 1,106 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. He was a second-team All-ACC selection.

Barkate, a 6-foot-1 outside wide receiver, had a 76.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

Barkate played three seasons at Harvard before transferring to Duke. While at Harvard, he had 113 catches for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdown catches.

Barkate is the third wide receiver transfer to commit to UM this offseason. He joins former South Carolina wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs and former West Virginia wide receiver Cam Vaughn.

First, the Miami Hurricanes brought in Cam Ward. Then they added Carson Beck. Darian Mensah is next.

The Hurricanes picked up a major transfer portal addition on Tuesday night, securing a pledge from Mensah, the former Duke quarterback. Mensah will almost certainly be Miami’s starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

Mensah has signed with UM, according to multiple reports.

Mensah’s commitment comes amid a legal battle with Duke. The university sued Mensah in order to keep him from transferring to another school. The judge in the case ruled that Mensah could enter the portal but granted a temporary restraining order, keeping Mensah from enrolling in a new school until a Jan. 9 hearing.

On Tuesday, Mensah’s agency, Young Money APAA Sports, announced the quarterback and Duke had reached a settlement agreement that would allow Mensah to transfer. Mensah arrived on UM’s campus for a visit on Tuesday.

Mensah played one season at Duke after transferring from Tulane, helping lead the Blue Devils to an unexpected ACC championship. He threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He was second in the nation in passing yards and tied for second in touchdown passes.

Mensah, a second-team All-ACC selection, had the second-best passing grade in the conference (85), trailing only FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Mensah ranked 13th in the nation.

The Hurricanes looked at several transfer quarterbacks to replace Beck next season. They were reportedly in the mix for Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech. Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt also considered UM, taking a visit to Miami before committing to LSU. Miami also offered Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson over $6 million to forego the NFL draft and play for the Hurricanes, Simpson told On3.

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Mensah made news when he transferred from Tulane to Duke last year, reportedly signing a two-year contract worth $8 million. In December, he said he planned to return to Duke.

The Hurricanes have two returning quarterbacks for next season: redshirt sophomore Judd Anderson and redshirt freshman Luke Nickel. They also have newly enrolled freshman Dereon Coleman.

One or more of those quarterbacks could transfer in the wake of Mensah’s arrival. UM players have up to five days after the national title game to enter their name in the portal.

ORLANDO — Riley Kugel scored 17 points, Jordan Burks hit a late 3-pointer and finished with 15 points, and UCF rallied to beat Arizona State 79-76 on Tuesday night.

UCF used a 14-2 run to tie it 72-all with 2:30 remaining. Burks’ 3 gave the Knights a 78-76 lead with 34 seconds left, and he forced a turnover on the next possession. Themus Fulks split a pair of free throws for UCF with six seconds to go before Bryce Ford missed a 3-pointer to end it.

Jamichael Stillwell added 14 points and Fulks finished with 12 for UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12). John Bol grabbed 10 rebounds, and Kugel and Stillwell had nine apiece.

Maurice Odum made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for Arizona State (11-10, 2-6). Anthony Johnson scored 12 points and Ford added 11.

An Odum 3-pointer with about six minutes left in the first half sparked a 15-6 surge to give Arizona State a 33-28 advantage, and the Sun Devils took a 39-35 lead into the break. Arizona State used a 23-11 run to take its largest lead, 70-58, with 6:09 remaining.

It was Arizona State’s first game at Orlando in the series.

Up next

UCF: At home against No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

By LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.

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From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.

“The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately,” the Democrats said, “or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

Republicans and Democrats call for Noem to step down

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security secretary, and a longshot move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto impeachment legislation in the Republican-controlled House, has morphed into an inflection point for Noem, who has been the high-profile face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime.

Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism” — have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account. Her alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who was recalled from the Minnesota operation Monday as border czar Tom Homan took the lead, has left her isolated on Capitol Hill.

“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “It probably is time for her to step down.”

Trump stands by Noem and praises her work

President Donald Trump defended Noem on Wednesday at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.

Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pressed later during an interview on Fox News if he had confidence in Noem, the president said, “I do.”

“Who closed up the border? She did,” Trump said, “with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border. The border is a tremendous success.”

As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.

The Republican leadership of the House and Senate committees that oversee Homeland Security have demanded that department officials appear before their panels to answer for the operations that have stunned the nation with their sheer force — including images of children, including a 5-year-old, being plucked from families.

“Obviously this is an inflection point and an opportunity to evaluate and to really assess the policies and procedures and how they are being implemented and put into practice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, where Noem had been the state’s House representative and governor before joining the administration.

Asked about his own confidence in Noem’s leadership, Thune said, “That’s the president’s judgment call to make.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem listens as President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during a meeting with the White House task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Noem a “liar” and said she must be fired.

The fight over funding

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS enforces the laws from Congress, and if lawmakers don’t like those laws, they should change them.

“Too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership.”

The ability of Congress to restrict Homeland Security funding is limited, in large part because the GOP majority already essentially doubled department funding under Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law.

Instead, Democrats are seeking to impose restraints on Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as part of a routine annual funding package for Homeland, Defense, Health and other departments. Without action this week, those agencies would head toward a shutdown.

To be sure, Homeland Security still has strong defenders in the Congress.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus said Tuesday in a letter to Trump that he should invoke the Insurrection Act, if needed, to quell protests. The group said it would be “ready to take all steps necessary” to keep funds flowing for Trump’s immigration enforcement and removal operations.

On the job for a year, Noem has clashed at times with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and Democrats have sought greater oversight and accounting of the department’s spending and operations.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Noem has kept a low profile since the Saturday press conference following Pretti’s death, though she appeared Sunday on Fox News. She doubled down in that interview on criticism of Minnesota officials, but also expressed compassion for Pretti’s family.

“It grieves me to think about what his family is going through but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out in the streets with the violence they face,” she said.

Once rare, impeachments now more common

Impeachment, once a far-flung tool brandished against administration officials, has become increasingly commonplace.

Two years ago, the Republican-led House impeached another Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, in protest over the then-Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies that allowed millions of immigrants and asylum seekers to enter the U.S. The Senate dismissed the charges.

On Tuesday, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said if the Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, does not launch an impeachment probe, he would.

Raskin said he would work with the top Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees to immediately launch an impeachment inquiry related to the Minnesota deaths and other “lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

More than 160 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment resolution from Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana, Kevin Freking and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this story.

By ALI SWENSON

NEW YORK (AP) — Drugs that treat Type 2 diabetes, HIV and arthritis are among 15 new medications chosen for a Medicare drug price negotiation program that allows the federal government to haggle directly with drug manufacturers, the Trump administration said Tuesday.

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The drugs selected include some of the medications on which Medicare spends the most money. That means the deals negotiated this year have the potential to deliver significant savings to taxpayers when they go into effect in 2028.

“For too long, seniors and taxpayers have paid the price for skyrocketing prescription drug costs,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement Tuesday. “Under President Trump’s leadership, CMS is taking strong action to target the most expensive drugs in Medicare, negotiate fair prices, and make sure the system works for patients — not special interests.”

The federal government had until Feb. 1 to announce its list of 15 drugs. The negotiations take place under a 2022 law that allows Medicare to haggle over the price it pays on the most popular and expensive prescription drugs used by older Americans.

The government already has negotiated prices for 25 prescription drugs covered by Medicare, including the massively popular GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. This year’s negotiations mark the third round of the program and would mean a total of 40 drugs with lower prices for Medicare enrollees.

This year also marks the first time drugs payable under Medicare Part B are eligible for inclusion in the program. Medicare Part B drugs are outpatient prescriptions, such as medications infused or injected at a doctor’s office. Retail prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D are also eligible, as they were in past years.

The newly announced drugs up for negotiation include the popular Type 2 diabetes drug Trulicity and an HIV medication called Biktarvy. The neurotoxin Botox, frequently used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, will also have its price negotiated, but only for Medicare-covered uses, such as treating migraines or overactive bladders.

Among the other drugs selected are treatments for psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, chronic lung disease, depression and various cancers.

Over the past year, some 1.8 million Medicare Part B or Part D enrollees used the 15 drugs, according to the Trump administration. They accounted for about 6% in total Part B and Part D spending, CMS said.

CMS also stated that one Type 2 diabetes drug, whose price was previously negotiated under the program, Tradjenta, will undergo renegotiation.

AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan called Tuesday’s announcement a “significant step forward.”

“Older Americans across the political spectrum consistently say that lowering drug prices is a top priority, and we thank the Administration for protecting Medicare’s ability to meet that need,” she said in a statement.

The leading trade association for pharmaceutical companies, meanwhile, criticized the law that put the program into effect, the Inflation Reduction Act, and argued policymakers wanting to lower costs should instead rein in insurers and third-party pharmacy benefit managers.

“The IRA continues to show why government price setting is the wrong approach for Americans,” PhRMA Executive Vice President of Policy and Research Elizabeth Carpenter said in a statement.

CMS in November announced negotiated drug prices for 15 drugs that would go into effect in 2027. Reduced prices for the first 10 drugs negotiated by the Biden administration in 2024 went into effect at the start of this year.

The full list of new medications that will be negotiated this year under the program includes: Anoro Ellipta, Biktarvy, Botox and Botox Cosmetic, Cimzia, Cosentyx, Entyvio, Erleada, Kisqali, Lenvima, Orencia, Rexulti, Trulicity, Verzenio, Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR and Xolair.

By JESSE BEDAYN

A NASA research plane malfunctioned and had to touch down in Texas without landing gear on Tuesday, sliding across the runway on its belly and sending plumes of flame behind it, a video posted to social media showed.

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The crew landed the plane at Ellington Airport, southeast of Houston, and are “all safe at this time,” NASA said in a post on X. The federal space agency added that there was “mechanical issue” that will be investigated.

The aircraft with its distinct thin fuselage is the NASA WB-57. The plane with two crew seats is capable of flying for about 6 1/2 hours at high altitudes — beyond 63,000 feet.

Video shows the plane slowly descending toward the runway, then touching down with a jolt, its wings bouncing as yellow fire and white smoke bursts from beneath it. It steadily slides down the track, the flames bursting and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The aircraft begins to slow before the video ends.

• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Show Caption1 of 4A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Expand

Local news footage from KHOU 11 shows the plane at a stop, the cockpit hatch open, fire trucks flashing nearby and emergency responders working around the black nose of the aircraft.

The NASA WB-57 has flown research missions since the 1970s and continues to be an asset for the scientific community, according to the agency’s website.

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The Miami Dolphins don’t yet have their defensive coordinator in place, but a position coach who was under new coach Jeff Hafley in Green Bay will now be joining the staff.

The Dolphins are hiring Ryan Downard as defensive backs coach, according to a league source Monday night. He held the same position with the Packers while Hafley was defensive coordinator with them.

Downard had been with Green Bay since 2018, so new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan was there his whole tenure with the Packers and Hafley the past two years.

He was defensive backs coach the past three seasons, safeties coach in 2022, assistant defensive backs coach from 2019 through 2021 and a defensive quality control coach in 2018.

Downard, 37, was also director of football operations for Bowling Green in 2016 and 2017, and an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015.

Veteran Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had an exceptional 2025 season in Miami, was in Green Bay with Downard coaching in the secondary in the 2021, 2022 and part of the 2023 seasons.

Hafley and the Dolphins have interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, a former Miami Hurricanes player and assistant coach, for defensive coordinator but have not made a hire.

Hafley has his offensive coordinator (Bobby Slowik), special teams coordinator (Chris Tabor) and wide receivers coach (Tyke Tolbert) to go with Downard on staff.

Weeks after a jury rejected the death penalty for Jason Banegas in the murder of Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino, the 23-year-old is asking a judge to vacate his guilty plea on the grounds that he was “coerced” into doing so by his trial attorneys.

Banegas, 23, pleaded guilty to shooting Chirino, 28, in the city’s Emerald Hills neighborhood on Oct. 18, 2021, as the two struggled over a gun. Banegas told investigators he was trying to shoot himself when he shot Chirino in the face.

Banegas filed a motion to vacate his guilty plea on Wednesday, asserting that he would not have confessed if he weren’t misled and pressured by his trial attorneys with the Office of Regional Counsel.

In the motion filed by attorneys Mitchell Polay and H. Dohn Williams, who did not previously represent him, Banegas argued his attorneys told him “the State would target (his) family for deportation” if he maintained he was innocent and that he would be put to death quickly given Florida’s increasing pace in executions.

Jury rejects death penalty for confessed Hollywood cop killer

The guilty plea was entered in October without any agreement on a sentence from the state, which still sought the death penalty, and meant Banegas was forgoing any argument of justifiable homicide. In December, the jury rejected the death penalty, choosing instead a life sentence.

The motion also asserts that Banegas expressed to his attorneys wanting to vacate his plea before the penalty phase began on Dec. 9 and that Banegas’s sister also asked his attorneys about the possibility of withdrawing the plea but “was told that it was too late.”

Polay told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he and co-counsel Williams were brought into the case solely to represent Banegas on the motion to vacate the plea because it alleges ineffective counsel by Banegas’s current legal team.

“They would have a conflict of interest representing him for that purpose, so we were appointed as conflict-free counsel,” he said.

Joseph Kimok, one of Banegas’s trial attorneys, could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for March 6.

At a hearing on Monday, Banegas’s trial attorneys asked to withdraw from representing him, which the judge denied, State Attorney’s Office spokesperson Paula McMahon said in an email to the Sun Sentinel. The judge also denied a motion Banegas filed himself claiming those attorneys were ineffective.

Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra has given Banegas until next week to decide if he will keep his same trial attorneys for sentencing, represent himself or if he will hire an attorney at his own expense, McMahon said.

Banegas’s sentencing hearing that was initially scheduled for February has been moved to April.

TALLAHASSEE — A Senate committee Monday narrowly approved a bill that would create a new path for parents who don’t want their schoolchildren vaccinated, with the proposal’s sponsor saying parents should be in the “driver’s seat” — but opponents warning of public-health consequences.

The bill (SB 1756), sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, includes creating an exemption to vaccination requirements for parents who say the shots conflict with their “conscience.” It would add to an already-existing exemption for parents who cite conflicts with religious beliefs.

“The main thrust of this bill is that parents be in charge of the decisions of their children’s health care,” Yarborough said, adding it was similar to other moves by the state in recent years to expand parental rights in areas such as health care and education.

But opponents, including physician groups, warned that creating another exemption could lead to the spread of diseases that would harm children and affect other people, such as cancer patients, who have compromised immune systems.

“We are about to go down a road that’s going to create a major problem for children, but also for seniors and those who cannot be vaccinated,” Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said. “I had a conversation with my primary-care doctor I’ve had (as) a good friend for many, many years, and she said, ‘Gayle, I don’t want to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio.’ And that’s where we are going.”

The Senate Health Policy Committee voted 6-4 to approve the bill, which comes amid widespread debates in Florida and nationally about vaccines. Part of that debate has been fueled by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, with physicians and health groups pushing back.

Yarborough’s bill also would make other changes, including requiring that health-care providers give information to parents “on the risks, benefits, safety and efficacy of each vaccine being administered” before children get shots. The health-care providers would use materials developed by the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

In addition, the bill would allow the sale of the drug ivermectin without prescriptions. Ivermectin, which is designed to treat parasitic conditions, drew heavy attention — and controversy — during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some people contending it helped treat the virus. Under the bill, ivermectin would be treated as what is known as a “behind the counter” medication that pharmacists could provide without prescriptions.

State law requires children entering school to be vaccinated against polio, measles, mumps and rubella and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is frequently called “MMR,” while the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine is frequently called “DTaP.”

In addition to the requirements in law, the Florida Department of Health has vaccination requirements for hepatitis B; varicella, commonly known as chickenpox; Haemophilus influenza type b, or Hib, which can cause meningitis; and pneumococcal conjugate, which can cause pneumonia and meningitis.

But with state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo a vaccine critic, the Department of Health in December held a workshop about eliminating those four vaccination requirements. A Senate staff analysis said the department has not formally published a rule to move forward with the elimination.

Yarborough’s bill, which is titled “Medical Freedom,” would need approval from two more committees before it could go to the full Senate. Rep. Jeff Holcomb, R-Spring Hill, has filed a similar bill (HB 917) in the House.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York police officer who fatally shot a raccoon that aggressively charged toward people has been placed on modified duty while the matter is reviewed.

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The shooting occurred around 7:45 a.m. Thursday in Rockaway Beach, shortly after someone called 911 to report a vicious animal, a police department spokesperson said in an emailed statement Monday.

Officers were trying to usher the racoon from a boardwalk to a safe location when the animal suddenly charged. An officer fired his weapon, striking the animal. No people were injured, police said.

The officer’s name has not been released. The department’s Force Investigation Division, which reviews incidents when an officer discharges their weapon, is leading the department’s probe.

It wasn’t clear Monday if officials planned to test the raccoon for rabies.

MIAMI — A year after failing to make the cut as a rookie, Miami Heat 2024 first-round pick Kel’el Ware has been selected to appear in the Rising Stars competition for first- and second-year players during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

The No. 15 pick in 2024 out of Indiana, Ware currently is dealing with a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the final four games of the Heat’s just completed five-game western swing.

The Rising Stars competition is scheduled for Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. That event will come two days after the Heat play on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ware, a second-team NBA All-Rookie selection last season, becomes the 13th player over the Heat’s 38 seasons selected for the Rising Stars competition following Khalid Reeves (1995), Kurt Thomas (1996), Caron Butler (2003), Dwyane Wade (2004), Udonis Haslem (2004), Wade (2005), Haslem (2005), Michael Beasley (2009), Beasley (2010), Norris Cole (2012), Kendrick Nunn (2020), Tyler Herro (2020), Precious Achiuwa (2021), Herro (2021), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2024) and Alondes Williams (2024).

Ware has appeared in 43 games this season, including 27 starts, averaging 11.6 points, a team-high 9.8 rebounds and a team-best 1.12 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game, shooting a team-best 54% from the field, .415 on 3-pointers and .815 from the foul line. He has scored in double-figures 24 times, including seven 20-point games, and has grabbed double-figure rebounds on 19 times, posting 14 double-doubles.

On Dec. 21 against the New York Knicks, he scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds and connected on a team-high five 3-pointers, becoming the first Heat player to record each of those totals in a game and just the eighth player in NBA history to do so.

Earlier this season, Ware grabbed multiple offensive rebounds in a career-best 18-straight games, blocked a shot in a career-best 11 consecutive games and registered a career-best 20 rebounds vs. Cleveland on Nov. 10.

Additionally, Ware has connected on 51 3-pointers this season, the second-most by a 7-footer in team history, three shy from tying the franchise record of 53 by Meyers Leonard.

The Rising Stars features 21 NBA first- and second-year players, as well as seven G League players, to be divided into four teams.

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Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tournament, while Austin Rivers will coach the G League Rising Stars team.

As for the Feb. 15 All-Star Game itself, the Heat’s leading candidate is guard Norman Powell, with selections of All-Star reserves to be announced Sunday, with those selections made by conference coaches.

The Heat did not have an All-Star starter selected in the combined fan/player/media balloting, with those selections announced last week.

The Heat are in the midst of a two-day break, with their schedule resuming Wednesday against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.