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Today is Thursday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2026. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 5, 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, Mississippi, of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963 and was sentenced to life in prison.

Also on this date:

In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, an act that severely curtailed Asian immigration and mandated immigrant literacy testing.

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In 1918, more than 200 people were killed during World War I when the Cunard liner SS Tuscania, which was transporting over 2,000 American troops to Europe, was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell stepped onto the moon’s surface in the first of two lunar excursions.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty in the Vietnam War before a ceasefire took effect.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act, granting workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family emergencies.

In 2008, an outbreak of 87 tornadoes fired up across nine states, killing 57 people in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama during a span of 12 hours. One Arkansas twister left a 122-mile path of damage along the ground.

In 2017, Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, highlighted by a spectacular Julian Edelman catch that helped lift New England from a 25-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to the Patriots’ fifth Super Bowl victory, 34-28; it was the first Super Bowl to end in overtime.

In 2020, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial. Most senators expressed unease with Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine that prompted the impeachment, but just one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, broke party ranks and voted to convict. In 2021, the Senate acquitted Trump in a second trial for allegedly inciting the violent Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol.

In 2023, Beyoncé won her 32nd Grammy to become the most decorated artist in the history of the award.

Today’s birthdays:

• Tony-winning playwright John Guare is 88.
• Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach is 84.
• Film director Michael Mann is 83.
• Racing Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip is 79.
• Actor Barbara Hershey is 78.
• Actor-comedian Tim Meadows is 65.
• Actor Jennifer Jason Leigh is 64.
• Rock musician Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) is 62.
• Golf Hall of Famer Jose Maria Olazabal is 60.
• Actor-comedian Chris Parnell is 59.
• Actor Michael Sheen is 57.
• Country singer Sara Evans is 55.
• Actor-singer Darren Criss is 39.
• Actor Henry Golding is 39.
• Soccer star Neymar is 34.

As a voter in Oakland Park in the 23rd congressional district, I am deeply concerned that Rep. Jared Moskowitz has not stated whether he supports impeaching Donald Trump. I’ve contacted his office multiple times without receiving a response. This silence, in the face of such a clear threat to our democracy, is unacceptable.

Trump’s threats to cling to power and his open contempt for the rule of law are not partisan opinions — they are facts. He told NBC News that he does not know whether a U.S. president is required to follow the Constitution.

If Congress fails to impeach, convict and remove a president who so plainly disregards constitutional limits, our democracy may not survive the damage.

I urge my fellow citizens to contact Rep. Moskowitz’s office and demand that he publicly support and cosponsor articles of impeachment.

Defending the Constitution from tyranny is not optional; it is the job he was elected to do.

The voters are watching.

Derek Manzella, Oakland Park

Editor’s Note: The Sun Sentinel invited Rep. Moskowitz to respond to his constituent’s concerns. His office declined to comment.

For energy security

As a Floridian, I have watched energy bills rise while extreme heat and storms put more strain on our power grid.

What’s frustrating is that solutions already exist but are stuck in red tape.

Across the U.S., more than 95% of projects waiting for approval are clean energy developments that could lower costs, strengthen grid reliability and create jobs. But outdated permit rules mean critical infrastructure like transmission lines take years to build. The delays keep families dependent on older, more expensive and more polluting energy sources.

Permitting reform isn’t about politics; it’s about common sense. Modernizing it would help communities access affordable power faster, improve resilience during extreme weather and keep the U.S. competitive with countries rapidly investing in clean energy.

I urge Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Jared Moskowitz to prioritize bipartisan permitting reform that unlocks clean energy projects and delivers real savings and security for Florida families.

Sonia Socorro, Coral Springs

Hold Trump to account

I’ve delayed writing this letter, but I feel that it is overdue.

Trump will declare that he’s the dictator and will not relinquish the presidency in 2028. We can slow him down by voting one or both houses of Congress to the opposition (Democratic) party in November of this year, unless he somehow tries to void that election.

Alan B. Wackerling, Plantation

McCarthyism at its best

I never thought I would see the Sun Sentinel stoop to McCarthyism. Shame on you.

“Why is Trump compiling lists of Jews?” screamed an Opinion page headline.

The first two paragraphs recalled the Holocaust, and noted that compiling a list of Jews as precedent thereto. It then posits “a government encouraging antisemitism under the guise of opposing it.”

Simple question: Is the Sun Sentinel’s editorial position that the Trump administration is antisemitic, with evil designs on Jews and Israel?

Are you willing to come out from under the rock you have most disappointingly crawled under and say you truly believe that, or is this simply an effort to smear the administration by innuendo? Surely you have other ample areas of complaint based on reality, as opposed to this claptrap.

Such a position plainly cannot be sustained by the facts, wherein the Trump administration has been pilloried long and hard domestically and internationally for its steadfast support of Israel. But facts don’t stand in the way of the Sun Sentinel’s insinuation and whispering. McCarthyism at its best. Shameful. And sad.

Tom Bolf, Plantation

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.

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Here are the top stories for Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

South Florida lawmakers concerned about name change for Fort Lauderdale airport

Music teacher faces child pornography charges months after arrest on sex crimes against girl

5 p.m. dinner? A new wave of South Florida diners say yes to early meals

‘Today Show’ host Savannah Guthrie posts message to her mother‘s kidnapper asking to provide proof she is alive

Weekend things to do: Super Bowl commercials, Reverend Horton Heat, free Nutella pizza

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After 80 years, Minute Maid’s frozen canned juices are getting put on ice

HOUSTON — Kingston Flemings had 18 points and six assists while Chris Cenac Jr. added 14 points plus 10 rebounds as No. 8 Houston beat UCF 79-55 on Wednesday night.

Cenac and Flemings combined for 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting in the first half as Houston (20-2, 8-1 Big 12) took a 33-19 lead into halftime.

The duo finished 15 of 25 from the field.

Milos Uzan scored 12 points for the Cougars, who shot 55% from the floor despite going 3 for 19 from 3-point range.

Houston had a 40-29 advantage in rebounds and outscored the Knights 42-14 in the paint.

The Cougars won their 17th straight at home and have won 50 of their last 51 home games.

Houston also won its 11th straight over UCF.

“They’re a terrific team,” Knights coach Johnny Dawkins said. “They play at such a high level that you have to be prepared to match their intensity, match their physicality, and we were not able to do that this game.”

The victory gave the Cougars their 11th straight 20-win season under coach Kelvin Sampson.

Dr. Phillips alum Riley Kugel paced the scoring with 9 points for the Knights (17-5, 6-4), who had won three in a row.

The Knights shot 31% and were 6 of 21 on 3-pointers.

The Knights fell to 2-3 this season against ranked teams and 4-5 in Quad 1 games as they look to shore up their NCAA Tournament resume.

Leading by one, Houston went on an 18-5 run over an eight-minute span to open a 27-13 advantage on Cenac’s jumper with 3:50 left in the first half.

UCF shot 2 for 13 during the Cougars’ spurt.

Houston’s lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way.

Up next

UCF visits Cincinnati on Sunday.

Houston plays at No. 16 BYU on Saturday.

SUNRISE — The Panthers got much-needed reinforcements from previously injured players, and those players helped Florida snap a four-game losing streak and pick up a crucial 5-4 shootout victory over Boston at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night.

Despite surrendering a two-goal lead in the third period, the Panthers got the edge in the shootout with a winning goal from Brad Marchand. The win gives the Panthers two points, and they moved into a tie with Ottawa in the Atlantic Division. Florida is two points behind Toronto and eight behind the Bruins. Florida has one more game — a road contest against rival Tampa Bay on Thursday — before the Olympic break.

“It’d be good to finish on a good note here before the break, and it’d be great opportunity for the guys to have a really good rest,” Marchand said. “The last number of years has been tough on this team. Played a lot of hockey, a lot of injuries. And when we get back, we’re going to have pretty much everybody back. So it’ll be nice.”

Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell and Marchand all returned to the ice on Wednesday. Bennett left Monday’s loss to the Sabres with an injury, Lundell had missed two games with an upper-body injury and Marchand had missed two games with an undisclosed injury.

Bennett appeared to score early, but the goal was overturned on a coach’s challenge. The Panthers did get on the board with 15:38 left in the first period; Eetu Luostarinen corralled a turnover from Boston forward Morgan Geekie and fired it past goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who will be Luostarinen’s teammate on the Finnish Olympic team.

But Florida’s lead did not last long. Boston winger Michael Eyssimlont had a clear path to the goal when Brad Marchand and Uvis Balinskis collided on defense, and the Bruins forward buried his chance.

Even a power play came back to bite the Panthers. Florida could not convert on several chances with a man advantage, and when Eyssimlont came out of the penalty box, he found empty space behind the Panthers’ defense, received a pass and scored on a breakaway to put Boston ahead 2-1.

Florida found a tying goal at the start of the second period, as Balinskis scored on a power play.

Matthew Tkachuk put Florida in the lead with a power-play goal from the side of the goal that deflected off Korpisalo and into the net. Lundell, back from an upper-body injury, netted Florida’s fourth goal and put the Panthers ahead 4-2 late in the second period.

“(Lundell is) incredible,” Marchand said. “So far beyond his years and such an important piece to this team with (Aleksander Barkov) out right now. And this year, he’s really had a chance to take a big step and play a lot more minutes. He just shows that he’s ready to be a No. 1. This team is very lucky to have him.”

The Bruins cut their deficit to one as Boston forward Mark Kastelic deflected a shot from star defenseman Charlie McAvoy past Sergei Bobrovsky — who notched his 450th NHL win — 7:51 into the third period.

The Panthers survived five Bruins power-play opportunities, killing off each one and getting a short-handed goal from Lundell. But the sixth Boston power play was the charm for the Bruins, as Casey Mittelstadt scored to tie the game with just under 10 minutes left in the third period.

Both teams had opportunities in overtime, but neither could convert. The teams were knotted at one goal apiece through the first three rounds of the shootout before Marchand scored the go-ahead goal, and Bobrovsky ended it with a save on the shot by Mittelstadt.

Florida got three key players back on Wednesday, but the Panthers could not completely escape the injury bug. Fourth-line winger Sandis Vilamanis left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return, but Maurice said he thinks Vilamanis is “good” for Thursday against the Lightning. Maurice said reserve forward Tobias Bjornfot will likely miss the Tampa game.

“We’ve got really good leadership and we’ve got really good men that — they’ve been through it,” Maurice said. “This stretch that we’re on is asinine. To go into the Central Division, come back home for a game, go back into Central to come back home, go into back-to-back on the front and the back end. That’s why we have 10 guys out of our lineup. … You can’t sustain it. So we needed to win one of these last two games.”

 

TUCSON, Ariz. — NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie sent a public message to her 84-year-old mother’s kidnapper on Wednesday saying that her family is ready to talk but wants proof that she is alive.

Guthrie said in a recorded video posted on social media that her family has heard media reports about a ransom letter for Nancy Guthrie, who authorities believe was taken from her home in Arizona against her will.

“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,” Savannah Guthrie said while reading from a prepared statement. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”

She was last seen Saturday around 9:45 p.m. when she was dropped off at home by family after having dinner with them, the sheriff’s department said. She was reported missing midday Sunday after she didn’t appear at a church.

The family posted the message after police conducted a search in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home for several hours Wednesday.

Kevin Adger, a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, said investigators had been at the home earlier in the week for a couple of days and then turned it back over to the family with the understanding they could go back if they needed to.

“This is a follow up investigation,” he said in reference to officials returning Wednesday.

Adger said the sheriff’s department was not commenting on the video released by the family.

Multiple media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes Tuesday that they handed over to investigators. The sheriff’s department had said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further.

The family’s message for Nancy Guthrie
Savannah Guthrie was at times emotional during the recording, with her voice cracking. She smiled and looked into the camera when addressing her mother directly, saying that the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her.

“Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God’s precious daughter,” she said.

Savannah Guthrie described her mother as a “kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light” and said she was funny, spunky and clever.

“Talk to her and you’ll see,” she said.

Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron who both also spoke. Annie called their mother their beacon and said they need her.

“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.

Investigators work to piece together what happened before and after disappearance
Authorities on Wednesday offered no detailed update on their search. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos’ office said detectives still were speaking with anyone who had contact with Nancy Guthrie last weekend but that no suspect or person of interest had been identified.

Nanos suggested there was video from some cameras, though he didn’t elaborate, adding: “That’s all been submitted and we’re doing our best with the companies that own those cameras or built those cameras.”

There were signs of forced entry at the home in the Catalina Foothills neighborhood. Guthrie has limited mobility, and officials do not believe she left on her own. A sheriff’s dispatcher talking to deputies during a search Sunday indicated that she has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com.

Jim Mason, longtime commander of a search-and-rescue posse in Maricopa County, isn’t involved in the search for Guthrie but said desert terrain can make looking for missing people difficult. He said it can be hard to peer into areas that are dense with mesquite trees, cholla cactus and other desert brush.

“Some of it is so thick you can’t drive through it,” Mason said.

Supporters around the country
On the other side of the country, Victory Church in Albany, New York, said it’s offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Nancy Guthrie.

“Me and my wife, we watch Savannah every single morning. We’ve heard of her faith. We’ve heard of her mom’s faith. And she’s got such a sweet spirit,” Pastor Charlie Muller said.

The White House said President Donald Trump called and spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday.

“I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely.”

For a third day, “Today” opened with Guthrie’s disappearance, but Savannah Guthrie was not at the anchor’s desk. NBC Sports said Tuesday that she will not be covering the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics “as she focuses on being with her family during this difficult time.”

The “Today” host grew up in Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a reporter and anchor at Tucson television station KVOA. Her parents settled in Tucson in the 1970s when she was a young child. The youngest of three siblings, she credits her mom with holding their family together after her father died of a heart attack at 49, when Savannah was just 16.

___

Sejal Govindarao reporting. Jacques Billeaud reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Michael Hill in Albany, New York, Darlene Superville in Washington and Julie Walker in New York City contributed.

By DAVID KLEPPER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Close the cover on the CIA World Factbook: The spy agency announced Wednesday that after more than 60 years, it is shuttering the popular reference manual.

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The announcement posted to the CIA’s website offered no reason for the decision to end the Factbook, but it follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don’t advance the agency’s core missions.

First launched in 1962 as a printed, classified reference manual for intelligence officers, the Factbook offered a detailed, by-the-numbers picture of foreign nations, their economies, militaries, resources and societies. The Factbook proved so useful that other federal agencies began using it, and within a decade, an unclassified version was released to the public.

After going online in 1997, the Factbook quickly became a popular reference site for journalists, trivia aficionados and the writers of college essays, racking up millions of visits per year.

The White House has moved to cut staffing at the CIA and the National Security Agency early in Trump’s second term, forcing the agency to do more with less.

The CIA did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday about the decision to cease publication of the Factbook.

By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CLAIRE SAVAGE

NEW YORK (AP) — The federal agency for protecting workers’ civil rights revealed Wednesday that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against white employees through its diversity policies.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disclosed the investigation in a motion filed in Missouri federal court demanding that Nike fully comply with a subpoena for information.

The EEOC sought the company’s criteria for selecting employees for layoffs, how it tracks and uses worker race and ethnicity data, and information about programs which allegedly provided race-restricted mentoring, leadership, or career development opportunities, according to court documents.

In a statement, Nike said the company has worked to cooperate with the EEOC and the subpoena “feels like a surprising and unusual escalation.”

“We have shared thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses to the EEOC’s inquiry and are in the process of providing additional information,” Nike said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.”

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has moved swiftly to target diversity and inclusion policies that she has long criticized as potentially discriminatory, tightly aligning the agency with one of President Donald Trump’s top priorities.

Nike appears to be the highest profile company the EEOC has targeted with a publicly confirmed, formal anti-DEI investigation. In November, the EEOC issued a similar subpoena against financial services provider Northwestern Mutual.

“When there are compelling indications, including corporate admissions in extensive public materials, that an employer’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-related programs may violate federal prohibitions against race discrimination or other forms of unlawful discrimination, the EEOC will take all necessary steps — including subpoena actions — to ensure the opportunity to fully and comprehensively investigate,” Lucas said in a statement.

FILE – Andrea Lucas, nominee to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, June 18, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

The disclosure comes two months after Lucas posted a social media call-out urging white men to come forward if they have experienced race or sex discrimination at work. The post urged eligible workers to reach out to the agency “as soon as possible” and referred users to the agency’s fact sheet on DEI-related discrimination.

The investigation against Nike, however, does not stem from any worker complaint against the company. Rather, Lucas filed her own complaint in May 2024 through a more rarely used tool known as a commissioner’s charge, according to the court documents. Her charge came just months after America First Legal, a conservative legal group founded by top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, sent the EEOC a letter outlining complaints against Nike and urging the agency to file a commissioner’s charge.

America First Legal has flooded the EEOC with similar letters in recent years urging investigations into the DEI practices of major U.S. companies. It is unclear how many other companies the EEOC may be targeting through such commissioner’s charges. The EEOC is prohibited from revealing any charge — by workers or commissioners — unless it results in fines, settlements, legal action or other such public actions.

Lucas’ charge, according to court filings, was based on Nike’s publicly shared information about its commitment to diversity, including statements from executives and proxy statements. The charge, for example, cited Nike’s publicly stated goal in 2021 of achieving 35% representation of racial and ethnic minorities in its corporate workforce by 2025.

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Many U.S. companies made similar commitments in the wake of the widespread 2020 racial justice protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. Companies have said such commitments are not quotas but rather goals they hoped to achieve through methods such as widening recruitment efforts and rooting out any bias during hiring process.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are prohibited from using race as a criteria for hiring or other employment decisions. Lucas has long warned that many companies risk crossing that line through DEI efforts that would pressure managers to make race-based decisions.

In its statement, Nike said it follows “all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination. We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously.”

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

By BERNARD CONDON and MATT O’BRIEN

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk vowed this week to upend another industry just as he did with cars and rockets — and once again he’s taking on long odds.

The world’s richest man said he wants to put as many as a million satellites into orbit to form vast, solar-powered data centers in space — a move to allow expanded use of artificial intelligence and chatbots without triggering blackouts and sending utility bills soaring.

To finance that effort, Musk combined SpaceX with his AI business on Monday and plans a big initial public offering of the combined company.

“Space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale,” Musk wrote on SpaceX’s website Monday, adding about his solar ambitions, “It’s always sunny in space!”

But scientists and industry experts say even Musk — who outsmarted Detroit to turn Tesla into the world’s most valuable automaker — faces formidable technical, financial and environmental obstacles.

Here’s a look:

Feeling the heat

Capturing the sun’s energy from space to run chatbots and other AI tools would ease pressure on power grids and cut demand for sprawling computing warehouses that are consuming farms and forests and vast amounts of water to cool.

But space presents its own set of problems.

Data centers generate enormous heat. Space seems to offer a solution because it is cold. But it is also a vacuum, trapping heat inside objects in the same way that a Thermos keeps coffee hot using double walls with no air between them.

“An uncooled computer chip in space would overheat and melt much faster than one on Earth,” said Josep Jornet, a computer and electrical engineering professor at Northeastern University.

One fix is to build giant radiator panels that glow in infrared light to push the heat “out into the dark void,” says Jornet, noting that the technology has worked on a small scale, including on the International Space Station. But for Musk’s data centers, he says, it would require an array of “massive, fragile structures that have never been built before.”

Musk is undaunted.

“You can mark my words,” Musk said in a preview of a Cheeky Pint podcast episode airing Thursday. “In 36 months, but probably closer to 30 months, the most economically compelling place to put AI will be space. And then it will get ridiculously better to be in space.”

Floating debris

Then there is space junk.

A single malfunctioning satellite breaking down or losing orbit could trigger a cascade of collisions, potentially disrupting emergency communications, weather forecasting and other services.

FILE – A SpaceX logo is displayed on a building, May 26, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Musk noted in a recent regulatory filing that he has had only one “low-velocity debris generating event” in seven years running Starlink, his satellite communications network. Starlink has operated about 10,000 satellites — but that’s a fraction of the million or so he now plans to put in space.

“We could reach a tipping point where the chance of collision is going to be too great,” said University at Buffalo’s John Crassidis, a former NASA engineer. “And these objects are going fast — 17,500 miles per hour. There could be very violent collisions.”

No repair crews

Even without collisions, satellites fail, chips degrade, parts break.

Special GPU graphics chips used by AI companies, for instance, can become damaged and need to be replaced.

“On Earth, what you would do is send someone down to the data center,” said Baiju Bhatt, CEO of Aetherflux, a space-based solar energy company. “You replace the server, you replace the GPU, you’d do some surgery on that thing and you’d slide it back in.”

But no such repair crew exists in orbit, and those GPUs in space could get damaged due to their exposure to high-energy particles from the sun.

Bhatt says one workaround is to overprovision the satellite with extra chips to replace the ones that fail. But that’s an expensive proposition given they are likely to cost tens of thousands of dollars each, and current Starlink satellites only have a lifespan of about five years.

Competition — and leverage

Musk is not alone trying to solve these problems.

A company in Redmond, Washington, called Starcloud, launched a satellite in November carrying a single Nvidia-made AI computer chip to test out how it would fare in space. Google is exploring orbital data centers in a venture it calls Project Suncatcher. And Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin announced plans in January for a constellation of more than 5,000 satellites to start launching late next year, though its focus has been more on communications than AI.

Still, Musk has an edge: He’s got rockets.

Starcloud had to use one of his Falcon rockets to put its chip in space last year. Aetherflux plans to send a set of chips it calls a Galactic Brain to space on a SpaceX rocket later this year. And Google may also need to turn to Musk to get its first two planned prototype satellites off the ground by early next year.

Pierre Lionnet, a research director at the trade association Eurospace, says Musk routinely charges rivals far more than he charges himself —- as much as $20,000 per kilo of payload versus $2,000 internally.

He said Musk’s announcements this week signal that he plans to use that advantage to win this new space race.

“When he says we are going to put these data centers in space, it’s a way of telling the others we will keep these low launch costs for myself,” said Lionnet. “It’s a kind of powerplay.”

General Daily Insight for February 05, 2026

It may be tough to stay on top of things today. Tension could spike with little warning, even with the Moon entering thoughtful Libra. This is due to Mercury squaring unpredictable Uranus at 7:13 am EST, putting diplomacy and change at odds with one another. We may wake seeking fairness, then face frustration that makes it hard to say anything nice. Potential conflict can be avoided by grounding innovative ideas with realistic goals. Today is meant for laying the foundation more than completing the project.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Pay attention to the ebb and flow of group energy. Your 11th House of Collaboration holds chatty Mercury, which squares sudden Uranus in your 2nd House of Supplies. Watch out — this means that big plans may collide with budget realities. Friendliness could tempt you to empty your wallet, so set clear limits before you commit. Clarify who pays for what, and suggest an option that fits your means, like hosting at home this time. Set terms kindly, because boundaries protect genuine camaraderie.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Today isn’t a race. Intellectual Mercury in your 10th House of Career squares radical Uranus in your committed sign, pressing you to explain your methods without letting anyone undercut your voice. Of course, everyone’s wrong sometimes, but you’re the only one who truly understands what works best for your life. Be prudent about your indulgences, but don’t feel the need to repress them for the sake of a wider audience who was never going to get it. Trust yourself and move deliberately.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

What could widen your world in this moment? Clever Mercury is in your 9th House of Progress, where it squares unconventional Uranus in your 12th House of Secrets, stirring restlessness and hidden doubts (especially if sleep has been a struggle lately). You may crave a short trip to stretch your mind, but be stuck at home. Try to let your mind travel in some way, perhaps by reading nonfiction or watching a foreign film. Journaling is also a great way to explore your deeper thoughts.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

The outside world is being temporarily muted. The nurturing Moon glides into your 4th House of Home and Family, heightening feelings about your past. Think of the places you’ve felt most comfortable — if your current residence doesn’t make the cut, how can you make it more like those places? This is a good time to meander down Nostalgia Lane or calmly discuss shared spaces. You could also create a small ritual that soothes your system, like lighting a scented candle before doing your chores.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

People watch how you handle competing demands. Mercury stretches from your bonded 7th house to shove shocking Uranus in your 10th House of Ambition. Be wary of neglecting your personal life for your professional one! This balance will naturally shift over time, but here and now, you’re at risk of going too far to one end of the spectrum. Don’t let anyone pressure you into neglecting either half of your life. Once you draw that line in the sand, you can move forward with honor.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Upcoming plot twists will reward flexibility. Your 6th House of Labor hosts mental Mercury, which squares rebellious Uranus in your 9th House of Journeys, stirring tension between tradition and modernization. You may face a surprise software update while you prepare a presentation under a tight training deadline at work. At home, a typically reliable appliance could crash out at any moment. In either scenario, simplifying your checklist should give you a buffer of extra time. Prioritize flow, because smart pacing safeguards quality.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Your mood sets the tone for others. The intuitive Moon is in your sign, lighting your 1st House of Identity and inviting you to show gentle leadership through presence rather than pressure. You might sense people mirroring your energy in various conversations throughout the day, so choose the tone you want echoed. Balance candor with kindness, and be willing to ask for help or information when you need it. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease! You can be calm without being a doormat.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Strong feelings may surface in unexpected circumstances. Your 4th House of Comfort and your 7th House of Affinity are hyped up by Mercury squaring Uranus — for better or for worse. Things that need to change at home could seem excruciatingly clear to you, yet a roommate may resist any change whatsoever. Even if you live alone, neighbors or friends could be vocally judgmental. Start by specifically naming the problem and proposing a trial period for your ideal solution (and hear out potential compromises).

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Little signals cross wires around your plans. Your 3rd House of Transmissions carries mischievous Mercury, bouncing off of reactive Uranus in your 6th House of Everyday Effort, challenging your rhythm with a last-minute task. Your optimism may want to assist your peers, yet outside influences could entangle you in myriad complications. Ask for specifics and offer a doable window, then block out time to actually do the essential parts of your responsibilities. Guard your time in order to ensure you have enough of it.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Resisting impulse purchases isn’t easy at present. Today’s Mercury-Uranus square energizes your money zone and your 5th House of Temptations, pinging you back and forth between budget plans and spontaneous delights. You might plan a fun outing when a bill reminder pops up, forcing you to consider window shopping rather than actually shopping. Look for ideas that support joy while respecting your goals, like visiting secondhand stores or seeing a matinee showing rather than a full-price one. Spend mindfully to forge long-term security.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Today could speed by in the blink of an eye! Mercury is in your sign, squaring breakthrough Uranus in your 4th House of Roots, challenging you to consider new ideas while guarding your foundations. You might want to announce a personal shift, yet an emergency may force you to delay your statements. Unless it’s a real emergency, make a point of finding space to speak up for yourself. You deserve to be heard (and you’re smart enough to know when you ought to wait).

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

People may not say what they mean at the moment. Mercury in your karmic 12th house is talking a lot but saying very little as it squares chaotic Uranus in your 3rd House of Conversations. You may rehearse a speech that gets canceled at the last minute, or a friend could swear they aren’t upset but refuse to answer your calls. Take a deep breath — this storm won’t last forever. Even if others aren’t reliable, you can speak your truth into existence.

Does the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles really think that non-English reading drivers will refrain from driving if they can’t take the driving exam in their native language?

This decision will diminish safety on Florida’s already-perilous roads.

Taking the exam in one’s native language permits the driver to be knowledgeable about the rules of the road while mastering English proficiency, as many immigrants do.

The decision is suspect, as many elected Republican officeholders in Florida support the anti-immigrant actions undertaken by the federal government.

Let’s be honest about the message being delivered here: If you are not a white, English-proficient person, there is no welcome mat for you in the state of Florida.
 
John E. Lazar, Wilton Manors

State of FloridaThe official statement announcing Florida's policy of English-only driving tests. The framework of a fix

Natural-born U.S. citizens are about twice as likely to commit violent crimes as undocumented immigrants (National Institute for Justice study, Texas, all arrests, 2012-2018).

President Trump did an excellent thing by controlling our border. According to Trump, at least 15 million undocumented immigrants are in the U.S. It will take about 10 years to deport them, using due process.

A suggestion: Make it clear that undocumented immigrants must report to local immigration offices within the next six months. If they have no serious criminal offenses, they will receive a five-year blue card protecting them from being deported, as long as they remain free from serious crime. They must take courses in English and U.S. citizenship, and they may not vote.

After five years, they may start a process leading to citizenship. A reduced ICE force, working with local law enforcement, will continue to search for undocumented immigrants with violent records and arrest and/or deport them. This may be the framework of a solution to our immigration issue. Of course, a complete overhaul of the existing system is needed.

Mark Lippman, Boca Raton

Drop the masks, ICE

Except for the Lone Ranger, masked men with guns roaming America were feared as violent robbers, killers and other criminals, trying to hide their identity to protect themselves.

Glendale News PressThe Long Ranger (actor Clayton Moore) wore a mask, sort of.

Under the many chaotic, hypocritical perversions of the Trump administration, this is now topsy-turvy, with masked ICE agents — federal law enforcement — terrorizing and killing our citizens. This is wrong and unprecedented in our democracy, as it should be. We have never tolerated a secret police like the Nazis or the communists have.

While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security can claim it’s necessary to protect its officers, such actions are not protecting the American people. It makes it difficult, if not impossible, to hold these agents responsible for their illegal acts.

They must follow the rule of law or pay the price. Those masks have got to go!

Elin Shusterman, Boynton Beach

A tragedy lingers

Forty years ago (on Jan. 28, 1986), as I was driving north on University Drive toward Broward Boulevard in Plantation, my business associates and I witnessed the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger through my car windshield.

At the time, we thought we were witnessing the jettisoning only of the rocket’s first stage.

I turned east on Broward Boulevard, and upon walking into a restaurant for lunch, saw a crowd in the bar area watching the same scene.

We had learned just moments before that it exploded. It still gives me pause anytime it is replayed as I imagine how it may have affected all the children who watched it live from their classrooms that day.

How inexcusable that a few professionals ignored a serious issue and went forward with the launch, costing seven brave American their lives and likely traumatizing a generation. God bless America and those seven Americans.

Richard C. Russell, Port Charlotte

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. 

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Today is Wednesday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2026. There are 330 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 4, 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, 19, was kidnapped in California by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army. Hearst was caught on camera participating in a bank robbery with the extremist group that April and subsequently found guilty of bank robbery and sentenced to seven years in prison. (President Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence, and she was later pardoned.)

Also on this date:

In 1789, electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.

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In 1801, John Marshall took office as chief justice of the United States, a position he would hold for 34 years.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta.

In 1976, more than 23,000 people died when a severe earthquake struck Guatemala with a magnitude of 7.5.

In 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, ordering Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

In 2004, Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched “TheFacebook.”

In 2013, British scientists announced that skeletal remains they had discovered during an excavation beneath a Leicester, England parking lot were, beyond reasonable doubt, the remains of 15th century monarch King Richard III.

In 2023, the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, saying it was equipped with high-tech gear for a military-linked aerial surveillance program. China denied the balloon was used for spying on sensitive North American military sites, insisting the flyover was an accident involving a weather balloon.

Today’s birthdays:

• Former Argentine President Isabel Peron is 95.
• Rock singer Alice Cooper is 78.
• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is 73.
• Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is 67.
• Country singer Clint Black is 64.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya is 53.
• Singer Natalie Imbruglia is 51.
• Rapper Cam’ron is 50.
• Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is 49.
• Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Carly Patterson is 38.
• Actor Edvin Ryding is 23.

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 127-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks:

– So Chicago decided enough of the fool’s errand of play-in purgatory. So Nikola Vucevic was dealt Tuesday.

– Before that, Atlanta decided something had to change from their play-in pointlessness, so they dealt Trae Young.

– And now here stand the Heat, after a week of toe-to-toe against the Bulls and the Hawks, again tracking toward the play-in, as if inescapable.

– The next two days, prior to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, decisions will have to be made.

– Is this good enough?

– Can it get better in the short run?

– Or teardown to follow?

– The Bulls and Hawks basically cried “uncle.”

– For the Heat, such is a loser’s lament.

– Insisting there can be something more from this season.

– And yet, here they are, looking up from their familiar perch in the Nos. 7-10 portion of the East.

– Good, perhaps.

– But not good enough.

– A bad loss Saturday against the Bulls.

– A struggle Tuesday night against the Hawks.

– More pretender than contender.

– Back here again.

– Stuck in the middle.

– As the other East middling teams decide time for change.

– With the Heat now assuredly on the clock.

– With Andrew Wiggins (hamstring), Norman Powell (personal) and Tyler Herro out, the Heat moved to their 17th starting lineup of the season, opening with Bam Adebayo, Simone Fontecchio, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell and Myron Gardner.

– It was Fontecchio’s third start, Gardner’s second.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. was first off the Heat bench.

– Kel’el Ware and Dru Smith then followed together.

– Then Kasparas Jakucionis for nine deep.

– With Nikola Jovic then entering in the second quarter.

– Powell was in the building, but not in uniform.

– The game was part of the Heat’s celebration of their initial title team in 2006, amid the 20th anniversary season.

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– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it was a meaningful commemoration and tribute to the fact that management and ownership remains intact.

– “I hope that, and I sense that our group really kind of felt the legacy and felt the history and felt how different and unique we feel like our franchise is,” Spoelstra said of the current roster.

– “It just brings you back,” Spoelstra said. “That’s like an instant time machine. And it was an amazing run. And it kind of obviously put our franchise on a different kind of map in this league.”

– “I do hope our team just sees how special that is,” Spoelstra said. “And then imagining that 20 years from now, you know, what that could be like, coming back to celebrate something really special as a group.”

– With trades at center stage in the league ahead of Thursday’s NBA trading deadline, Hawks coach Quin Snyder was asked pregame about his team’s adjustment from the Young trade to the Wizards.

– “It’s something that I think from a coaching standpoint, that’s what you spend your nights thinking about,” he said. “How to acclimate those guys, and how to get them to where the whole can become greater than the sum of the parts. Try to be patient with it. There’s not always a lot of time to do that.”

– Heat two-way player Jahmir Young has been selected to participate in the 2026 NBA G League Next Up Game during NBA All-Star Weekend. Young also has been selected for the G League 3-Point Contest.

MIAMI — Bodies were lacking and so was the inspiration.

Shorthanded yet again, not even a celebration of the team’s 2005-06 championship season could provide needed motivation as the Heat fell 127–115 Tuesday night to the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center.

So 27-25 it is, with the Heat now idle through Thursday’s 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.

“We just have to conquer this,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We have to get better with it. We have to get better with our consistency.”

By the third quarter, with the deficit in double digits throughout most of the night, chants began of “We want Giannis!” as if a recognition of what currently is on display simply is not good enough.

Granted, the Heat this time were without Andrew Wiggins (hamstring), Tyler Herro (ribs) and Norman Powell (personal reasons). But this also was against a Hawks team that this season already had punted on Trae Young and entered 24-27.

So while Hawks All-Star forward Jalen Johnson was going for 29 points, Heat All-Star Powell was merely a spectator on the bench, missing his third consecutive game.

The Heat got a 16-point, 14-assist double-double from Bam Adebayo, but little of overall substance, save for 21 points from Jaime Jaquez Jr., as they simply proved unable to keep up with Atlanta’s 21-of-51 3-point shooting.

“We basically won in almost every category except for threes,” Adebayo said.

“We’re continuing to try to find solutions,” Jaquez said. “So far, we haven’t gotten them.”

So the struggle continues.

“I see the potential with our team. I really do,” Spoelstra said. “But that ability to sustain our game and get a quality win and then do it again and then rinse and repeat and do it again, that’s what all the very good teams are able to do.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat trailed 33-23 at the close of the opening period and 67-50 at halftime.

“Our defense that was lacking,” forward Pelle Larsson, who closed with 18 points.

Unlike previous games when it had gone south for the Heat in the third period, the Heat this time clawed within seven midway through the quarter. But that is when the rally ended, with the Heat down 98-81 entering the fourth.

“They had us scrambling,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t think we really helped ourselves defensively.”

From there, the Heat got within 11 with 8:52 to play, but by the time 6:33 remained, the Hawks’ lead was back up to 20, sparked by guard CJ McCollum, the player acquired in the trade of Young. McCollum closed with 26 points, 6 of 9 on 3-pointers.

“Frustrating, frustrating loss,” Jaquez said. “We just couldn’t get it done defensively tonight. They  lit us up from the three, something that’s kind of been a theme for us in the last couple games. We just got to continue to get better.”

2. Minding Myron: The Heat’s lack of available bodies had Myron Gardner in the Heat’s lineup with his second career start.

Once again the two-way player energized with his attacking style and 3-point stroke.

Based on the Heat’s roster composition, they could transition Gardner from his two-way deal to a standard contract as soon as the passing of Thursday’s trading deadline.

Gardner now has scored in double figures in three of the past four games, after doing so just once previously this season. He closed with 14 points and six rebounds.

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3. Another rough one: It again was a rough go for Kel’el Ware in his opening stint, the Heat outscored by 11 in his first 8:17.

In the wake of recent tough love with the 2024 first-round pick, Spoelstra this time stopped to speak with Ware as he came off the floor following that stint, with assistant coach Malik Allen also offering words to Ware as he made his way to the bench.

Ware was 1 of 6 from the field during that initial action.

It got worse from there, with the Heat -19 when Ware left after his second stint, in the third quarter.

He closed with nine points and eight rebounds, closing during mop-up duty.

4. Uneven ride: It was another uneven start for Adebayo, who opened 1 of 8 from the field.

But, as with many of his recent performances, he bounced back to close with his 20th double-double of the season.

That made it seven seasons with at least 20 double-doubles for the 2017 first-round pick, the most in the franchise’s 38 seasons. Alonzo Mourning had six such seasons, Rony Seikaly and Hassan Whiteside five apiece, Udonis Haslem four.

As captain, Adebayo now has to lead the team through the trading deadline.

“For us, it’s Thursday, see what happens,” he said. “But control what you can control. Can’t control what happens up there.”

5. Halftime commemoration: The Heat had an extended halftime commemoration to honor the 20th anniversary of the 2005-06 title team, the franchise’s first championship.

“This is the standard,” Dwyane Wade said of that team during the courtside ceremony.

Before the game, Wade said he hoped the commemoration could inspire this Heat iteration.

“We believed in each other, and we accomplished something that no one thought we could,” he said of the 2006 title team. “They will be doing the same thing. And so I hope there’s some inspiration to be pulled and I hope you want to come back and celebrate with your teammates, celebrating something that is as incredible as winning a championship. So, yes, damn right, they better be inspired.”

Just not on this night, and not after the team’s annual charity gala celebration the 2006 champions.

“I don’t think it took anything away from that celebration,” Spoelstra said, “but man, it would have been awesome to have that gala, that celebration last night, have a kick-ass win tonight and have the halftime, you know, that we’re able to have. It would have been a perfect, perfect 24 hours.”

By MEGAN JANETSKY

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Historians and observers accused the Trump administration of trying to rewrite American history to justify its own foreign policy decisions toward Latin America by posting a “historically inaccurate” version of the Mexican-American war.

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The Monday statement from the White House commemorating the anniversary of the war described the conflict as a “legendary victory that secured the American Southwest, reasserted American sovereignty, and expanded the promise of American independence across our majestic continent.” The statement drew parallels between the period in U.S. history and its own increasingly aggressive policies toward Latin America, which it said would “ensure the Hemisphere remains safe.”

“Guided by our victory on the fields of Mexico 178 years ago, I have spared no effort in defending our southern border against invasion, upholding the rule of law, and protecting our homeland from forces of evil, violence, and destruction,” the statement said, though it was unsigned.

In the post, the White House makes no mention of the key role slavery played in the war and glorifies the wider “Manifest Destiny” period, which resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans from their land.

Sparking criticism

Alexander Aviña, Latin American history professor at Arizona State University, said the White House statement “underplays the massive amounts of violence that it took to expand” the U.S. to the Pacific shore at a time when the Trump administration has stuck its hand in Latin American affairs in a way not seen in decades, deposing Venezuela’s president, meddling in elections and threatening military action in Mexico and other countries.

“U.S. political leaders since then have seen this as an ugly aspect of U.S. history, this is a pretty clear instance of U.S. imperialism against its southern neighbor,” Aviña said. “The Trump administration is actually embracing this as a positive in U.S. history and framing it – inaccurately historically – as some sort of defensive measure to prevent the Mexico from invading them.”

On Tuesday, criticisms of the White House statement quickly rippled across social media.

Asked about the statement in her morning news briefing, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum guffawed, quipping and noting “we have to defend sovereignty.” Sheinbaum, who has walked a tight rope with the Trump administration, has responded to Trump with a balanced tone and occasionally with sarcasm, like when Trump changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Historical sticking point

The Mexican-American war (1846–1848) was triggered by long-running border disputes between the U.S. and Mexico and the United States’ annexation of Texas in 1845. For years leading up to the war, Americans had gradually moved into the then-Mexican territory. Mexico had banned slavery and U.S. abolitionists feared the U.S. land grab was in part an attempt to add slave states.

After fighting broke out and successive U.S. victories, Mexico ceded more than 525,000 square miles of territory — including what now comprises Arizona, California, western Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah — to the U.S.

The moment turned Texas into a key chess piece during the U.S. Civil War and led former President Ulysses S. Grant to write later that the conflict with Mexico was “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.”

The Associated Press was formed when five New York City newspapers funded a pony express route through Alabama to bring news of the Mexican War — as it is sometimes known in the U.S. — north faster than the U.S. Post Office could deliver it.

The war continues to be a historical sticking point between the two countries, particularly as Sheinbaum repeatedly reminds Trump that her country is a sovereign nation whenever Trump openly weighs taking military action against Mexican cartels and pressures Mexico to bend to its will.

Rewriting history

The White House statement falls in line with wider actions taken by the Trump administration to mold the federal government’s language around its own creed, said Albert Camarillo, history professor at Stanford University, who described the statement as a “distorted, ahistorical, imperialist version” of the war.

Aviña said the statement serves “to assert rhetorically that the U.S. is justified in establishing its so-called ‘America First’ policy throughout the Americas,” regardless of the historical accuracy.

The Trump administration has ordered the rewriting of history on display at the Smithsonian Institution, saying it was “restoring truth and sanity to American history.”

The administration has scrubbed government websites of history, legal records and data it finds disagreeable. Trump also ordered the government to remove any signs that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living,” including those making reference to slavery, destruction of Native American cultures and climate change.

“This statement is consistent with so many others that attempt to whitewash and reframe U.S. history and erase generations of historical scholarship,” Camarillo said.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, DAVID A. LIEB and MORGAN LEE

Federal immigration officials are scouting warehouses and beginning to purchase some of them to transform into detention and processing facilities.

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Some warehouse owners have decided not to sell to Immigration and Customs Enforcement under pressure from elected officials and advocates. Some cities are issuing statements urging ICE to look elsewhere, and Kansas City has passed a moratorium on non-city-run detention facilities.

ICE has offered few specifics, even to the cities, but said in a statement that the sites wouldn’t be warehouses but “well structured detention facilities” and said it should come as no surprise that the agency is working to expand detention space.

Here is a look at what’s happening:

Arizona

ICE paid $70 million last month for a vast warehouse facility on the northwestern outskirts of Phoenix, according to a deed filed with Maricopa County.

The city of Surprise said in a statement released Friday that it was not aware that there were efforts underway to purchase the building, was not notified of the transaction by any of the parties involved and has not been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security or any federal agency about the intended use of the building.

The statement said federal projects are not subject to local regulations, such as zoning.

Florida

In Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a statement last month that the city was advised that it has no legal options to halt a possible ICE facility from opening.

The statement said the city has not been informed by the federal government of potential plans, but a TV reporter spotted a group of private contractors and federal officials touring a 439,945-square-foot industrial warehouse last month. ICE senior advisor David Venturella told a reporter with WFTV at the time that the tour was “exploratory” and that nothing had been decided yet.

City attorney Mayanne Downs said in a letter that “ICE is immune from any local regulation that interferes in any way with its federal mandate.”

Indiana

The town council in Merrillville passed a resolution last week in opposition of ICE converting a warehouse into a processing or detention facility.

The city said it was aware of a tour of the newly constructed, 275,000-square-foot warehouse. But it said it had received no notice or communication from ICE, the Department of Homeland Security or any federal agency about any possible plans.

An earlier statement said that the town was reviewing zoning, land use and occupancy requirements.

Maryland

ICE purchased a warehouse in a county about 60 miles northwest of Baltimore for $102.4 million, a deed signed last month shows. The deed was unearthed by Project Salt Box, a Maryland ICE watchdog.

Officials in Washington County said in a Facebook post that the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter beforehand that it was considering purchasing the warehouse for use as a “new ICE Baltimore Processing Facility.” Cafeterias, bathrooms, health care spaces, tents and guard shacks could be part of the project, according to the letter that was addressed to historic and planning officials in the county.

The county said there wasn’t much they could do because the federal government generally does not need to respect local zoning regulations that conflict with federal mandates.

“Washington County is not able to legally restrict the federal government’s ability to proceed,” the post said.

Minnesota

In the suburbs of Minneapolis, the owners of two warehouses have pulled out of possible ICE deals amid a public outcry.

In Woodbury, Mayor Anne Burt said in a Facebook post last month that city staff had confirmed that a warehouse in the city isn’t being sold or leased to the federal government. She also confirmed at a council meeting that ICE had been interested in the property.

Owners of another warehouse in Shakopee also decided not to move forward, state Rep. Brad Tabke announced last month in a Facebook post.

“They heard you, they listened,” Tabke said.

Mississippi

Federal officials were spotted last month scouting a building in Marshall County, the county’s board vice president, Neil Bennett, told The Commercial Appeal.

Bennett said he was not aware of the visit beforehand because it is a privately owned building, but he heard about it “later on.” The building is listed as available for sale and lease on the website of JLL Properties, a purveyor of commercial real estate.

Bennett told The Associated Press that he didn’t have time to discuss the situation when contacted Tuesday because he was dealing with ongoing power outages in the area. A woman who answered the phone at the county government building said the county isn’t commenting at this time.

Missouri

In Kansas City, the city council passed a five-year moratorium on non-city-run detention facilities on the very day that ICE officials were spotted touring a warehouse.

Manny Abarca, a Jackson County lawmaker, was initially threatened with trespassing when he showed up Jan. 15 at the nearly 1-million-square-foot (92,903 square meters) building on the outskirts of Kansas City.

He said he was eventually allowed inside where Shawn Byers, the deputy field office director for ICE in Chicago, told him that they were scouting for a 7,500-bed site.

Abarca announced last week he was introducing a similar detention moratorium at the county level.

“When federal power is putting communities on edge, local government has a responsibility to act where we have authority,” he said in a statement.

New Hampshire

The town council in Merrimack — population 30,000 — expressed its opposition to an ICE immigration detention and processing center in a January letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, without receiving a direct response.

Council members fear federal acquisition of a commercial warehouse in Merrimack, 45 miles northwest of Boston, would undermine the city’s property tax base by more than $500,000 a year, shifting costs to other property owners.

The Department of Homeland Security told New Hampshire’s congressional delegation that ICE is “reviewing its detention structure and acquisition strategy to address a historic operational tempo and increasing arrests” and had no new detention centers to announce. The ACLU of New Hampshire said Tuesday that public records show ICE has consulted with state historic preservation officials about development of a 43-acre site at Merrimack.

Democratic state Rep. Rosemarie Rung of Merrimack said her constituents worry about the strain of an immigration detention center on local emergency services and public infrastructure.

“I really suspect that the silent treatment is deliberate so that they can avoid any protests regarding this facility,” Rung said. “It makes us all very suspect.”

New Jersey

In Roxbury, council members passed a resolution saying that they aren’t in support of an ICE facility after township manager J.J. Murphy spotted ICE officials touring a warehouse there last month. The council also pointed out that the township’s zoning regulations prohibit using the warehouse as a detention facility.

ICE’s plans for the site are unclear. Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press Monday that the township has received no information from federal officials about their plans for the site despite repeated emails.

That hasn’t stopped the township from sharing an internal memo from the city’s engineer about water and sewar issues at the site with the owner of the warehouse. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker also has toured the site.

New York

Elected officials are pushing back after the Department of Homeland Security posted a notice announcing a proposal to purchase a vacant warehouse in Chester, a town more than an hour north of New York City, for “ICE operations.” ICE said the proposed improvements would include a small guard building and outdoor recreation area.

The notice was needed because the former distribution center for the aftermarket automotive chain PepBoys is in a 100-year flood plain.

New York state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat, said in a statement that she would support the town and village boards as they use “every legal, zoning, and environmental tool available” to block the facility.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma City, Mayor David Holt announced Thursday that he has been informed that the Department of Homeland Security is no longer in talks to acquire a warehouse after the city council urged federal officials to take part in the city’s permitting process.

The department had told the city in a letter last month that it intended to purchase a nearly 27-acre warehouse in the city for ICE operations.

But as crowds opposed to the facility packed a city council meeting this week, the council said the city was exploring legal options. Holt said the property owners then informed him that they are no longer engaged with Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease of this property.

“I commend the owners for their decision and thank them on behalf of the people of Oklahoma City,” Holt said. “As Mayor, I ask that every single property owner in Oklahoma City exhibit the same concern for our community in the days ahead.”

Pennsylvania

ICE paid $87.4 million for a nearly 520,000-square-foot warehouse, according to a deed that was recorded Monday in Berks County.

Real estate developers promoted it as a “state-of-the art logistics center” located 45 minutes from Allentown, an hour and a half from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City.

The county spokesman, Jonathan Heintzman, said in an email that the county was informed Monday by the recorder of deeds of the purchase. Heintzman said the county had no prior knowledge of the sale and had no information on future plans for the property.

Texas

In El Paso County, commissioners on Monday formally expressed opposition to the construction of detention facilities amid reports that ICE is eying a warehouse in the county. Commissioners also said they working with other officials to try to get more details.

Other cities in Texas also have been named in unconfirmed reports, but officials haven’t heard any information from federal officials.

Utah

In Salt Lake City, Mayor Erin Mendenhall expressed gratitude last week in her State of the City address that the owners of a warehouse that ICE was eying as a detention facility had announced plans not to sell or lease the property to the federal government.

The announcement from the Ritchie Group, a Utah real estate developer, came after Mendenhall sent a letter saying that the building would need to address a host of requirements before obtaining an occupancy permit.

“But let me be clear: this isn’t just about zoning restrictions,” Mendenhall said. “Such a facility has no place in our city. Whether at that site or anywhere else.”

Virginia

In the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, officials in Hanover County are asking their attorney to evaluate legal options after the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter confirming its intent to purchase and operate an ICE processing facility in an area that includes retail, hotels and restaurants.

Sean Davis, the county’s board of supervisors chair, said the facility would cut into tax revenue but acknowledged at a packed meeting last week that there was only so much it could do to oppose it.

“The federal government is generally exempt from our zoning regulations,” he said.

Dozens of speakers turned out — some in support of the facility and others opposed.

“You want what’s happening in Minnesota to go down in our own backyard, build that detention center here and that’s exactly what will happen,” Kimberly Matthews of Mechanicsville told supervisors.

Orlando-based Darden Restaurants announced Tuesday it would be closing all of its remaining Bahama Breeze locations nationwide, ending the brand after 30 years.

Half of the 28 Bahama Breeze locations across the country will be converted into Darden’s other restaurant brands over the next 12 to 18 months and are expected to continue operating until any temporary closures are needed to convert them, the company said. The other 14 will be permanently closed as of April 5.

Darden said it doesn’t expect the closures to have a material impact on its financial results.

“The company believes the conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio,” Darden said. “Going forward, the primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio.”

The first Bahama Breeze location opened on International Drive in 1996 and was an instant hit.

“This creative Caribbean restaurant proves that mega-corporations can do good food if they want to,” wrote the Orlando Sentinel’s food critic at the time, Scott Joseph.

Industry analysts in 1998 said Bahama Breeze’s Florida locations averaged sales of at least $6 million a year, twice the average at each of Darden’s more established chains, Red Lobster and Olive Garden.

But the brand has recently been in trouble.

Darden closed 15 Bahama Breeze locations across the eastern United States in May, saying that it would allow the brand to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the its overall performance. But its nine locations in the Orlando metro area had been spared.

John Gordon, a longtime industry analyst based in San Diego, said Bahama Breeze’s fall is in part due to the relatively limited popularity of Caribbean food in the U.S. It was also about balancing real estate costs versus profitably — a major problem for Darden, since the chain is one of the larger brands in its portfolio in terms of square footage per location.

But he said larger industry-wide problems are also to blame, including consumers who make less than $50,000 annually spending less due to inflation. Consumers in their mid-to-late twenties are also not able to financially establish themselves and spend as much as previous generations were able to do at that age.

Gordon said Darden’s priorities right now are taking care of their existing brands and finding new, exciting brands that they can bring on board.

“They know that Olive Garden is growing older,” he said of the Italian chain’s aging customer base.  “Some of the customers are transitioning when they get older, they don’t go out to eat as much. … So they know that they have to be investing in other hot up-and-coming concepts.”

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — A deal was reached between lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed after the government began releasing millions of documents last week, a lawyer told a federal judge on Tuesday.

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Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan cancelled a hearing scheduled for Wednesday after he was notified by Florida attorney Brittany Henderson that “extensive and constructive discussions” with the government had resulted in an agreement.

Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards had complained to Berman in a letter Sunday that “immediate judicial intervention” was needed after there were thousands of instances when the government had failed to redact names and other personally identifying information of women sexually abused by Epstein.

Among eight women whose comments were included in the lawyers’ Sunday letter, one said the records’ release was “life threatening” while another said she’d gotten death threats and she was forced to shut down her credit cards and banking accounts after their security was jeopardized.

The lawyers had requested that the Justice Department website be temporarily shut down and that an independent monitor be appointed to ensure no further errors occurred.

Henderson did not say what government lawyers said to ensure identities would be protected going forward or what the agreement consisted of.

“We trust that the deficiencies will be corrected expeditiously and in a manner that protects victims from further harm,” she wrote to the judge.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The judge wrote in an order cancelling the Wednesday public hearing that he was “pleased but not surprised that the parties were able to resolve the privacy issues.”

On Monday, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in Manhattan wrote in a letter filed in Manhattan federal court that errors blamed on “technical or human error” occurred on redactions during the document release.

He said the Justice Department had improved its protocols to protect victims and had taken down nearly all materials identified by victims or their lawyers, along with many more that the government had found on its own.

Mistakes in the largest release of Epstein documents yet included nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.

Most of the materials that were released stemmed from sex trafficking probes of Epstein and his former girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted in December 2021 at a New York trial.

Epstein took his life in a federal jail in New York in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

General Daily Insight for February 04, 2026

Kind conversations can open almost any door at the moment. Thanks to romantic Venus sextiling healing Chiron at 5:23 pm EST, care and courage will both be necessary to mend relational wounds. Getting started will be the hardest part, but once the chatter begins to flow, we’ll all be able to share our hurts without blame. Later, Luna trines unpredictable Uranus, bringing inspiration that makes changes feel doable (especially regarding shared tasks or collaborative efforts). We’ll all be blessed when we each choose empathy.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Honesty is a talent, and today’s your moment to practice it. Venus in your friendly 11th house and Chiron in your bold sign are embracing, empowering you to speak up. Others are most likely to welcome your ideas when you lay out your goals, motivations, and requirements. Should conflict arise from a jealous onlooker, pay them no heed. They don’t need to approve of this collaboration if they aren’t involved! Of course, if they are, you may need to craft an alternative suggestion.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Change doesn’t have to be painful. Your 5th House of Inspiration is warmed by the Moon’s trine with advanced Uranus, which is presently in your sign. You might revive a favorite hobby and share a piece of it with someone else, because showing your genuine style invites warm attention. Avoid self-conscious stumbles by picking your confidant carefully. Even if their tastes differ from yours, true friends shouldn’t insult your honest self-expression. Let your soul guide you toward steady joy without overthinking it.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Good news could be just around the corner! Social butterfly Venus and pensive Chiron are waltzing through your learning zone and your social sector, showing off just how much your friends can teach you — purposefully or not. A thoughtful message may connect philosophical dots, or a playful question can naturally bring up an ideological discussion. If a friend challenges your beliefs, engage them respectfully, because they might point out something you hadn’t yet noticed. Your shared insights could enlighten the rest of the group.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Healing grows as you share your truth. Your 8th House of Intimacy welcomes romantic Venus, who sextiles vulnerable Chiron in your 10th House of Career, inviting conversations about shared responsibilities and power dynamics. In any role you hold, clear agreements reduce tension because your protective nature prefers security and expectations. If topics feel heavy, suggest a pause and return with notes so feelings stay honored while plans keep moving toward real stability that everyone understands. Open the books gently to strengthen shared trust today meaningfully.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Wobbly plans or uncertain schedules are no match for you today. The Moon-Uranus trine unites your 2nd House of Logistics and your 10th House of Reputation, so your success here could become widely known. That doesn’t mean combing out the tangles of an overly complicated idea will be easy, but it’s definitely possible. Whether you’re explaining costs at work or financing a personal project, don’t lie to yourself about the numbers. Just take what you have and do what you can with it!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Peace can presently be found in imperfect places. It may be hard to acknowledge the progress you’re making if you aren’t finished yet, but that’s no way to sustain your efforts. Cut yourself a break! During this alignment of the temperamental Moon in your sign and chaotic Uranus in your exploration sector, minor successes are still worthy of celebration. You’re allowed to want more, of course, but be wary of getting stuck in the quagmire of self-pity. You’re moving forward, and that’s what matters.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

When did you last talk to your closest friend? Even if the answer is “five minutes ago,” consider connecting with them again at some point today. Just as Venus and Chiron are bonding, you’ll benefit from bonding with those who matter most. This could be romantic, but it definitely doesn’t have to be — friendly hang-outs should be just as satisfying as fancy dates. Even if the rest of your day sucked, you can enjoy laughing at an in-joke with your buddies.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Changing perspectives may transform an issue into something far different than you’d imagined. Group dynamics are especially vulnerable to such drastic shifts. Once the Moon and Uranus come to an agreement from your friendly 11th house and amicable 7th house, it should be much easier to find common ground across your social circle. You might renegotiate expectations for an event or project with more sympathy on all sides. The best outcome can — and should — be built without power struggles, second-guessing, or undercutting.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Where would a fresh approach feel most exciting? Momentum builds as the Moon in your 10th House of Obligations trines breakthrough Uranus in your 6th House of Determination, inviting you to vault over a wall that once seemed insurmountable. Combining your own research with advice from a mentor could set you on a course for amazing success. Be willing to explain your plan and let teammates know when you anticipate seeing results. You’re about to make the kind of progress that everyone can applaud!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Caring for someone may require unusual amounts of courage. Your 2nd House of Assets hosts loving Venus, who sextiles therapeutic Chiron in your 4th House of Support, encouraging choices that protect family stability and personal dignity. If possible, set aside some time to plan for the financial future. Setting up those guidelines in advance will make it easier to stick to your day-to-day budget. Your decisions should be grounded rather than rushed or reactive. Choose values that make your house feel like a home.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Aquarius, your presence changes the room. With free-loving Venus in your sign, sextiling tender Chiron in your 3rd House of Dialogue, you can draw the good kind of attention as you speak up and show your style. Introduce yourself with poise — you know who you are, and you’re ready to declare it! This boldness helps people understand what you care about. Don’t let doubts pressure you into silence. You can phrase your truths gently, but stand by them confidently.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Gentle waves carry honest words ashore. Your 7th House of Bonding opens as the Moon trines Uranus in your chatty 3rd house, inviting talks that clear confusion in close relationships. You could suggest a gentle walk-and-talk with someone you trust, because moving together helps shy truths emerge without pressure. Doing errands or visiting a local park could have a similar effect. It’s okay if you struggle to find the words — your loved ones should give you time to gather your thoughts.

By CLAIRE RUSH

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal officers are temporarily restricted from using tear gas at protests outside a Portland immigration building, a judge in Oregon ruled Tuesday, just days after agents fired gas into a crowd of demonstrators that local officials described as peaceful and which included young children.

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U.S. District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal officers to not use chemical or projectile munitions unless the person targeted poses an imminent threat of physical harm. Simon also limited federal officers from firing munitions at the head, neck or torso “unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person.”

The temporary restraining order will be in effect for 14 days.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists covering demonstrations at the flashpoint U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

The suit names as defendants the Department of Homeland Security and its head Kristi Noem, as well as President Donald Trump. It argues that federal officers’ use of chemical munitions and excessive force is a retaliation against protesters that chills their First Amendment rights.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Courts elsewhere have also considered the issue of federal agents’ use of chemical munitions against protesters, as cities across the country have seen demonstrations against the Trump administration’s surge in immigration enforcement.

Last month, a federal appeals court suspended a decision that prohibited federal officers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota who aren’t obstructing law enforcement. An appeals court also halted a ruling from a federal judge in Chicago that restricted federal agents from using certain riot control weapons, such as tear gas and pepper balls, unless necessary to prevent an immediate threat. A similar lawsuit brought by the state is now before the same judge.

The Oregon complaint describes instances in which the plaintiffs — including a protester known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists — had chemical or “less-lethal” munitions used against them.

In October, 83-year-old Vietnam War veteran Richard Eckman and his 84-year-old wife Laurie Eckman joined a rally that peacefully marched to the ICE building. Once there, federal officers launched chemical munitions at the crowd, hitting Laurie Eckman in the head with a pepper ball and causing her to bleed, according to the complaint. With bloody clothes and hair, she sought treatment at a hospital, which gave her instructions for caring for a concussion. A munition also hit her husband’s walker, the complaint says.

Jack Dickinson, who frequently attends protests at the ICE building in a chicken suit, has had munitions aimed at him while posing no threat, according to the complaint. Federal officers have shot munitions at his face respirator and at his back, and launched a tear-gas canister that sparked next to his leg and burned a hole in his costume, the complaint says.

Freelance journalists Hugo Rios and Mason Lake have similarly been hit with pepper balls and tear gassed while marked as press, according to the complaint.

“Defendants must be enjoined from gassing, shooting, hitting and arresting peaceful Portlanders and journalists willing to document federal abuses as if they are enemy combatants,” the complaint says. “Defendants’ actions have caused and continue to cause Plaintiffs irreparable harm, including physical injury, fear of arrest, and a chilling of their willingness to exercise rights of speech, press, and assembly.”

Local officials have also spoken out against the use of chemical munitions. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson demanded ICE leave the city after federal officers used such munitions Saturday at what he described as a “peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces.”

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,” Wilson wrote in a statement Saturday night. “To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.”

The protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed.