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On President Trump’s behalf, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shamelessly ordered the killings of non-combatant and presumably foreign civilians.

We likely will never learn the identities of those who occupied all of those small boats operating in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific waters, but the count so far totals 83 dead. None of the boats was operating near U.S. territory. The administration’s justification is as phony as a three-dollar bill. These killings were illegal murders.

Most informed Americans realize we’re not at war with the sovereign nation of Venezuela, despite claims by Trump and Hegseth that we are. Moreover, the specific order to kill survivors of one of the strikes violated, at the very least, the laws of war and U.S. military regulations.

If the command to kill the two survivors was given by Adm. Frank Bradley, it was surely illegal. He should be court-martialed.

If the evidence proves that Hegseth ordered the illegal killings that Admiral Bradley should have disobeyed, then Hegseth should be fired by Trump (“You’re fired!”) or impeached by Republican senators who ignored multiple indicators of his unfitness and still recklessly confirmed him.

David Kahn, Boca Raton

Too dangerous at Defense

If there were any doubt about Hegseth’s gross ineptitude, his “fog of war” remark in explaining the shooting of survivors of a sunken ship made it all too clear.

“Fog of War,” as credited to Carl von Clausewitz in the early 19th century, referred to the overall confusion and frenzy found on the battlefield, not literal fog caused by our exploding weapons.

How dangerous that this Fox News talking head, who berated our generals for being overweight, knows so little but has his finger on the trigger that could send us to war.

Harvey Starin, Boca Raton

Justices, playing politics

President Trump pledged to deport all the dangerous people who illegally enter this country.

These people, who aren’t hard to find, work at jobs most Americans find beneath them. They are also easy to identify because they are dark-skinned. Having legal status and documents to prove that often means little to federal agents confronting them.

Racial profiling is illegal — or it was until this Supreme Court ruled that it wasn’t.

Why should any of us be surprised? The Supreme Court just upheld its tradition of being on the wrong side of discrimination. It seems like those renown justices on the court bend the law to adhere to the prevailing whims of the government. Something needs to be done about that.

Scott Shampaner, Coral Springs

A horrific bear hunt

The tragedy of the Florida bear hunt is that it is horrific and unnecessary.

As in the Western U.S. and suburban Orlando’s Seminole County, there are ways of peacefully living with these magnificent creatures. I don’t know what’s behind the cruel decisions of the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and why they persist, despite the public outcry. It would be nice to see behind the curtain as to why they don’t listen or transparently communicate their reasons.

They should consider taking the word “conservation” out of the FWC’s name.

Stuart Himmelstein, Lake Worth Beach

Trump and national harmony

Richard Klitzberg wrote a letter to the editor full of unsubstantiated assertions that concluded with the possibility of shredding the harmony the U.S. has known for 150 years.

I’m not sure of the 150 years part. Our nation is almost 250 years old and the Civil War ended 160 years ago. But I think I figured it out. The 150 years of harmony in question fits nicely between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of Trump’s first term.

I have to agree with Mr. Klitzberg: Trump and harmony cannot possibly co-exist.

Bob Chaban, Boynton Beach

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 Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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The 10 South Florida restaurants we’re sad closed in 2025

Broward School Board supports closing seven of nine proposed schools

Dolphins Deep Dive: Perkins, Furones discuss Tua’s reduced role and answer viewers’ questions Tuesday at noon

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DeSantis declares Muslim civil rights group a terrorist organization

Boca Raton firms up the ballot language for downtown redevelopment project

Cold case inquiries hampered after genealogy site revisits terms of use

Defense says convicted killer’s intellectual disability should halt Florida execution next week

Miss Manners: I don’t want to be stuck at a party with women who don’t like me

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 9, the 343rd day of 2025. There are 22 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 9, 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the first animated TV special featuring characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, premiered on CBS.

Also on this date:

In 1979, scientists certified the global eradication of smallpox, a disease which killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century.

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In 1990, Solidarity founder Lech Wałęsa (lek vah-WEN’-sah) won Poland’s first free presidential election since 1926.

In 1992, the first U.S. Marines made a predawn beach landing in Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope; they were met by hundreds of reporters awaiting their arrival.

In 2006, the space shuttle Discovery launched on a mission to add to and rewire the International Space Station.

In 2013, scientists revealed that NASA’s Curiosity rover had uncovered signs of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars.

In 2019, an island volcano off New Zealand’s coast called Whakaari, or White Island, erupted, killing 22 tourists and guides and seriously injuring several others. Most of the 47 people on the island were U.S. and Australian cruise ship passengers on a walking tour with the guides.

In 2021, a cargo truck jammed with migrants crashed in southern Mexico, killing at least 53 people and injuring dozens more.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Judi Dench is 91.
• Actor Beau Bridges is 84.
• World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite is 76.
• Actor John Malkovich is 72.
• Singer Donny Osmond is 68.
• Actor Felicity Huffman is 63.
• Empress Masako of Japan is 62.
• Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is 59.
• Rock singer-musician Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers) is 56.
• Actor Simon Helberg is 45.
• Olympic gymnastics gold medalist McKayla Maroney is 30.
• Actor Nico Parker is 21.

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of stabbing a woman to death during a home invasion robbery more than 30 years ago is scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.

Mark Allen Geralds, 58, is set to receive a lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Geralds was convicted of murder, armed robbery, burglary and stealing a car and was sentenced to death in 1990. The Florida Supreme Court later vacated the sentence but affirmed the conviction, and Geralds was resentenced to death in 1992.

It would be Florida’s 18th death sentence carried out in 2025, further extending the state record for total executions in a single year.

According to court records, Tressa Pettibone’s 8-year-old son found his mother beaten and stabbed to death on the kitchen floor of their Panama City home in February 1989. Geralds was a carpenter who had previously done remodeling work at the home.

Geralds ran into Pettibone and her children at a shopping mall about a week before the killing, and Pettibone mentioned that her husband was away on business. Geralds later approached Pettibone’s son at the video arcade and asked when the boy’s father would return and what time he and his sister left for and returned from school each day, according to court records.

Investigators found that Geralds pawned jewelry with traces of Pettibone’s blood on it, and plastic ties used to bind Pettibone matched ties found in Geralds’ car.

After a death warrant was signed last month and his execution date set, Geralds told a judge he did not wish to pursue any further appeals. The judge signed off on that decision.

A total of 44 men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and a handful of executions are scheduled for the rest of the year.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976, the highest previous annual total of Florida executions was eight in 2014. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year. Another execution is planned for next week in the state under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Frank Athen Walls, 58, is scheduled for Florida’s 19th execution this year on Dec. 18. He was convicted of fatally shooting a man and woman during a home invasion robbery and later confessing to three other killings.

Florida’s lethal injections are carried out with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

MIAMI (AP) — A candidate backed by President Donald Trump and one supported by national Democratic figures face off Tuesday to be the next Miami mayor, in this sun-kissed city shaped by immigrants where both major parties are watching for a glimpse into their standing ahead of next year’s midterms, particularly among Hispanic voters.

If elected, Eileen Higgins would become the first Democrat to lead the city of 487,000 in nearly three decades. A win by Emilio Gonzalez could help calm the GOP as it seeks to maintain a grip in Miami and show its strength in a Hispanic-majority place.

The Miami mayoral runoff — one of the final electoral battles before the 2026 midterms — comes on the heels of Trump’s influence in shifting the city’s political landscape markedly to the right. That has made Higgins’ candidacy a test for Democratic prospects in Florida and among Latinos in other places.

Big-name Florida Republicans such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott have weighed in for Gonzalez, the former city manager, in the otherwise nonpartisan race. Well-known Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have joined the campaign trail to help Higgins, a Democrat who served on the county commission before winning a runoff spot last month.

A Democratic victory would add to the party’s momentum heading into a midterm election following successes in November’s elections and a closer-than-expected loss in a special election last week for a Tennessee congressional district that Trump won by double digits last year. The Miami contest is in an area that has increasingly shifted toward Republicans and the site where Trump intends to build his presidential library.

Higgins has proudly identified as “La Gringa,” a term Spanish speakers use for white Americans, but she also speaks Spanish and has represented the Cuban enclave of Little Havana as part of a district that leans conservative. Higgins has focused her campaign on local issues such as the cost of housing, but has also mentioned national ones, including the arrest of immigrants under the Trump administration in a city with sizable Hispanic and foreign-born populations.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez has campaigned on repealing Miami’s homestead property tax and streamlining permits for businesses. A former director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under Republican President George W. Bush, he said during a debate that he supported immigration arrests against those who committed crimes. When pressed that most of those arrested had not committed violent offenses, he said it was “a federal issue.”

Miami is Florida’s second-most populous city, behind Jacksonville, and considered the epicenter of the state’s diverse culture. It’s part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, handily defeating Democrat Kamala Harris after losing the county to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. He had lost by 30 percentage points here to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S. a “foreign terrorist organization,” following a similar step by Texas last month.

The directive against the Council on American-Islamic Relations comes in an executive order DeSantis posted on the social media site X. It also gives the same label to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

The order instructs Florida agencies to prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet agency.

In an emailed statement, CAIR and its Florida chapter said the organization plans to sue DeSantis in response to what it called an “unconstitutional” and “defamatory” proclamation.

Founded in 1994, CAIR has 25 chapters around the country.

CAIR last month asked a federal judge to strike down Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation, saying in a lawsuit that it was “not only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any Texas law.”

The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt nearly a century ago and has branches around the world. Its leaders say it renounced violence decades ago and seeks to set up Islamic rule through elections and other peaceful means. Critics, including autocratic governments across the Middle East region, view it as a threat.

By MATTHEW DALY and JENNIFER McDERMOTT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, saying the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and violates U.S. law.

Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order blocking wind energy projects and declared it unlawful.

Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, that challenged Trump’s Day One order that paused leasing and permitting for wind energy projects.

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Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes fossil fuels to produce electricity.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell hailed the ruling as a victory for green jobs and renewable energy.

“Massachusetts has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into offshore wind, and today, we successfully protected those important investments from the Trump administration’s unlawful order,” Campbell said in a statement.

“This critical victory also preserves well-paying green jobs and access to reliable, affordable energy that will help Massachusetts meet our clean energy and climate goals,″ she added.

The coalition that opposed Trump’s order argued that Trump doesn’t have the authority to halt project permitting, and that doing so jeopardizes the states’ economies, energy mix, public health and climate goals.

The government argued that the states’ claims amount to nothing more than a policy disagreement over preferences for wind versus fossil fuel energy development that is outside the federal court’s jurisdiction. Justice Department lawyer Michael Robertson said in court that the wind order paused permitting, but didn’t halt it, while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reviews the environmental impact of wind projects.

A previous judge in the case allowed it to proceed against Burgum, but dismissed an action against Trump and other Cabinet secretaries. Judge William Young allowed the states to proceed with claims that blocking permits for wind energy projects violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which outlines a detailed process for enacting regulations, but not the Constitution.

Wind is the United States’ largest source of renewable energy, providing about 10% of the electricity generated in the nation, according to the American Clean Power Association. The coalition includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state and Washington, D.C.

The Interior Department and the White House didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, but the White House previously accused the Democratic attorneys general of using lawfare to stop the president’s energy agenda.

Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said wind energy is a key component of powering the nation’s electric grid.

Wind “is currently one of the most cost-effective ways to generate power and is being used successfully not only in the United States, but across the world,” she said. “With this ruling behind us, projects can now be judged on their merits. We thank the attorneys general who helped us get this case over the finish line.”

Kit Kennedy of the Natural Resources Defense Council called the decision a win for consumers, union workers, U.S. businesses, clean air and the climate.

“From the beginning of its time in office, the Trump administration put a halt to the wind energy projects that are needed to keep utility bills in check and the grid reliable,” Kennedy said.

The wind order “has been a devastating blow to workers, electricity customers, and the reliability of the power grid,” she said, adding that the Trump administration “should use this (ruling) as a wake-up call, stop its illegal actions and get out of the way of the expansion of renewable energy.”

General Daily Insight for December 09, 2025

Small choices shape a bigger, braver day. The radiant Sun receives a smooth lunar trine, so we start optimistic and ready to share ideas without forcing anything. As the emotional Moon harmonizes with fiery Mars at 7:06 pm EST, courage blends with care, so action feels warm, purposeful, and kind. As the day winds down, we can follow sparks toward one doable step that protects relationships while advancing plans we truly believe in. Choose heartfelt effort — kindness moves us toward our goals.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You’re looking for a playful, brave outlet. The intuitive Moon lights your 5th House of Romance and Creativity, forming a smooth trine to ambitious Mars in your 9th House of Exploration. Your courage pairs with curiosity, so inviting someone to hang out or tackle a project with you suddenly feels easy and enjoyable. If a mentor cheers you on, let their faith steady your nerves. Patience keeps the fun from burning out too fast. Let joy lead, and momentum will follow soon enough.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Comfort grows when you tidy your space. Your 4th House of Home and Family glows as the nurturing Moon forms a trine with action-oriented Mars in your 8th House of Shared Resources. A simple chore chat with someone you live with — or even a friend who can give helpful tips — feels supportive, because everyone wants to feel relaxed at home. Move slowly as you declutter a drawer or tackle an overdue repair. Steady steps protect boundaries and keep your generous heart relaxed. Choose calm progress so safety can bloom again.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Conversations flow when curiosity leads the way. Words gain warmth as the sensitive Moon forms a harmonious trine to passionate Mars, lighting your 3rd House of Communication and your 7th House of Partnerships. A chat with a nearby friend could spark a plan — your quick mind hears both needs and possibilities. Frame the invitation clearly, and leave space to listen. A shared schedule or simple boundary makes cooperation smoother for everyone. Speak kindly, and check facts to build trust.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Security grows when you honor your needs. The protective Moon energizes your 2nd House of Money and Self-Worth through a flowing trine to warrior Mars in your 6th House of Daily Work today. You may have an opportunity negotiate a better rate for yourself in a professional realm. Feeling valued helps you care for others without resentment, and your steady tone keeps the talk constructive. Tend your body with a good meal and a calm walk, letting steady routines anchor you.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Your presence naturally rallies people around you. Authentic expression feels natural as the instinctive Moon in Leo brightens your 1st House of Self and forms a trine to decisive Mars, supporting brave, generous leadership. Share a sincere compliment — your warmth with others makes teamwork feel safe and fun. Your playful flair turns ordinary meetings into warm, creative moments. Dress in something that feels like you, then smile into the room and watch doors open. Lead with kindness so your influence truly lands.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Quiet helps you hear what truly matters. Your 12th House of Solitude and Closure features the tender Moon today, in a supportive trine with energetic Mars in your 4th House of Home. A brief nap restores focus, and a small home repair can soothe your thoughtful mind and bring you a sense of relief. Tidy one small area at home, and you will feel your inner critic soften. A gentle boundary around your phone helps your nervous system loosen up.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Friends seem ready to meet you halfway. Teamwork flows as the affectionate Moon makes a trine with driven Mars, activating your 11th House of Social Networks and your 3rd House of Communication. A group chat turns cooperative when you balance viewpoints and invite concrete next steps. Share one specific ask and a timeline you know you can honor. If one person dominates, name the goal and ask for short updates. Your calm tone keeps the air clear and sets a strong example.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Your steady focus quietly shifts the room. The reflective Moon crowns your 10th House of Career, forming a supportive trine with bold Mars in your 2nd House of Money. You may need lead a meeting or propose an adapted timeline — you have a way of seeing what’s essential and what’s wasteful. Negotiate calmly for resources, and let grounded facts carry your point. Your firmness earns respect, Scorpio. A small win with pay or genuine praise builds long-term confidence today.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

New horizons call with a friendly smile. Your 9th House of Travel brightens as the Moon forms a trine to vigorous Mars in Sagittarius, activating your 1st House of Self. Share a belief with care — your enthusiasm can come on strong, but a little moderation keeps people engaged. A little consideration for others makes the adventure sustainable. A truly helpful guide may appear when you ask clear questions and stay faithful to what you want. Share your joy gently so others can come along.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Serious plans feel easier with some much-needed support. Healing honesty flows as the compassionate Moon activates your 8th House of Shared Resources and trines motivated Mars in your 12th House of Rest and Release. You might discuss a joint expense and how you plan to pay for it. Sincerity helps you transform a sticky topic into workable steps today. Give yourself space afterward to breathe and sit in silence, taking time to integrate what changed for you. Quiet care today lays bricks for durable trust.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Friendship works best with playful flexibility. Your 7th House of One-on-One Bonds brightens as the caring Moon trines go-getter Mars in your 11th House of Collaborations. In any relationship shape, an honest talk about expectations and time can refresh the connection. Plan a small joint errand, and let shared laughter loosen any old tension before you sort out the practical details. If plans shift suddenly, stay curious and suggest an adjustment that suits both schedules. Stay open to compromise — friends are worth the trouble.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Small routines bring waves of peace. The comforting Moon highlights your 6th House of Daily Work, creating a supportive trine with assertive Mars in your 10th House of Public Life. You may streamline your to-do list. A new structure frees your imagination for projects that matter. If a boss contacts you about a surprise assignment, reply promptly and ask for details. Stretch your body and hydrate to support steady, reliable focus today. Tend to the small details as a favor to future you.

By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday justified the U.S. military’s decision to fire a second missile in a heavily scrutinized attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea by claiming that two suspected drug smugglers were trying to right the vessel after it had capsized in the initial strike.

Trump also backtracked on whether he was open to releasing the video footage of the second strike. Last week, Trump told reporters he saw “no problem” in releasing the footage, but on Monday he said he would leave the decision to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The Republican administration is facing calls from Democratic lawmakers to release footage of the Sept. 2 operation in the Caribbean Sea, which killed nine people aboard the boat in an initial strike and then two more who managed to survive.

“They were trying to return the boat back to where it could float, and we didn’t want to see that because that boat was loaded up with drugs,” Trump said on Monday.

When asked by a reporter about his comments last week suggesting he was open to releasing footage of the second strike, Trump denied that was his position and bitterly attacked the reporter as “obnoxious” and “terrible.”

“Whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do is OK with me,” Trump said.

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Trump, however, last Wednesday in an exchange with reporters about the strike footage said: “Whatever they have we’d certainly release.”

The Sept. 2 operation was the first in what has become a monthslong series of American strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean that the administration says are targeting drug smugglers working on behalf of cartels, including some controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes.

Trump has broadly justified the campaign as necessary for his administration to stem the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States. He claims the U.S. is in armed conflict with narco-terrorists.

Hegseth said in a Fox News interview Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that officials were reviewing the video, but he did not commit to releasing it. “Whatever we were to decide to release, we’d have to be very responsible” about it,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon on Monday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of Hegseth’s review or confirm Trump’s assertion that the suspects appeared to be trying to turn over the vessel before the second strike was fired.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are demanding that the Pentagon hand over “unedited video of strikes” against drug cartels to Congress, threatening to withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel budget if it doesn’t. The provision is included in the $900 billion defense bill the House is expected to vote on later this week.

Over the weekend, Sen. Tom Cotton, the Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he would not oppose public release of the footage.

But Cotton, among the top lawmakers on national security committees who were briefed by the Navy admiral commanding those strikes, is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in carrying out the second strike to kill the two survivors.

“It’s not gruesome. I didn’t find it distressing or disturbing,” he said, explaining why he does not have a problem with releasing all the footage. “It looks like any number of dozens of strikes we’ve seen on jeeps and pickup trucks in the Middle East over the years.”

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the video “was profoundly shaking.” And Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said it “did not appear that these two survivors were in any position to continue the fight.” Both Himes and Smith, who spoke separately on Sunday talk shows, have viewed the video.

The classified sessions on Capitol Hill came after a report that Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley had ordered the follow-on attack to comply with Hegseth’s demands.

Bradley told lawmakers there was no “kill them all” order from Hegseth, but a video of the entire series of attacks left some lawmakers with serious questions. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the laws of military warfare.

AP writers Konstantin Toropin, Ben Finley and Bill Barrow contributed reporting.

Seven Broward schools will likely be on the chopping block next school year, as the district faces a dire budget year that officials say is only getting worse.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn told the School Board on Tuesday that the district is facing a $94.7 million shortfall, about $33 million more than earlier this year, as district enrollment continues to plummet.

He said the district is implementing a hiring freeze and eliminating most travel, as well as curbing overtime. Hepburn also said he expects to cut 1,000 positions before next school year. The district has lost about 20,000 students in the past five years.

“These steps are difficult but they are necessary to ensure we remain financially responsible and continue delivering high-quality education to our students,” Hepburn told the School Board at the start of Monday’s workshop. “This budget reality makes something very clear: It is now more critical than ever that we right-size our district and remain in control of our future.”

In addition to budget challenges, the district also is trying to reduce its footprint and find new uses for schools to try to stave off “Schools of Hope,” which are special charter schools that are allowed under a new state law to operate rent-free on district campuses.

Board members plan to make final decisions in January. Superintendent Howard Hepburn plans to issue his formal recommendations on Friday, which he said after the meeting will largely mirror the proposals supported Monday by the School Board:

— Close Sunshine Elementary in Miramar and move students to nearby Fairway Elementary.

— Close Panther Run Elementary in Pembroke Pines and move those students to Chapel Trail Elementary.

— Close Palm Cove Elementary in Pembroke Pines and move those students to Pines Lakes Elementary.

— Close Plantation Middle and move those students to Plantation High, which would become a 6-12 school.

—  Close North Fork Elementary in Fort Lauderdale. Most board members supported a proposal to send all those students to Walker Elementary or to split them between four schools.

— Close Bair Middle in Sunrise, with students attending Westpine Middle.

— Close Seagull Alternative High School in Fort Lauderdale and move those students to Whiddon Rogers Education Center.

Two schools that had been proposed for closure appeared to get at least a temporary reprieve after Monday’s meeting.

Most board members are supporting a proposal for Glades Middle, championed by Rebecca Thompson, who represents the Miramar school, to convert it into a K-8. Hepburn told reporters after the meeting that the K-8 school may take a couple of years to implement, and the district may close at least one more elementary school in the next couple of years if the district moves forward with this plan.

It’s unclear whether the district would move forward with a proposal to add a new branch of Sheridan Technical College, which had been suggested for the Glades Middle campus.

The School Board plans to allow Walter C. Young Middle in Pembroke Pines to operate for another couple of years. The school is owned by the city of Pembroke Pines, and a lease says the property reverts back to the city in 2037. Thompson proposed delaying closure for two years in order to implement a transition plan. She has proposed converting Charles Flanagan High, also in Pembroke Pines, into a 6-12 school.

The school closure plan is more aggressive than one supported by a district-appointed boundary committee, which only supported closing four schools: Sunshine, Palm Cove, North Fork and Plantation Middle. The committee wasn’t asked to consider Seagull since the proposal didn’t require any boundary changes.

The proposals were all discussed in a series of community meetings, where attendees were largely opposed to closing schools in their own neighborhoods.

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“I know the decision that we face ultimately in January will be challenging, and for many families, it will be heartbreaking,” Thompson said. “However, I do believe that there’s an opportunity for us to come out on the other side stronger than ever.”

Broward County School Board member Allen Zeman speaks during a workshop at school district's headquarters in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. He said the School Board should have already closed dozens of schools, based on enrollment declines, but has only closed one in recent years. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Most board members did not favor a proposal from Board member Allen Zeman to consider at least five more schools to close, including Forest Glen Middle in Coral Springs. Forest Glen was on an initial list of possible closures, but the School Board removed the school from its list in early October, after Board member Lori Alhadeff, who represents the school, said it is far less underenrolled than many other middle schools in the county.

Zeman said the School Board should have already closed dozens of schools, based on enrollment declines, but has only closed one in recent years, Broward Estates in Lauderhill, which was converted into an early learning center this year.

“We cannot continue to spend money on buildings that we could spend on the students we have or the students we want to win back,” Zeman told the board.

But several board members said putting Forest Glen back into consideration would erode trust in the district.

“I think it is completely disingenuous to the entire community,” Alhadeff said. “We’ve gone through these community meetings. I get that we need to save money, and there’s a process to do that. But you lose public trust when you just make these decisions off the top of your head.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do you gently decline Christmas invitations from a friend when the people they invite are all couples, and the women don’t really like you? We are all seniors.

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• Miss Manners: How do I explain to other parents that I don’t want my kids making gift wish lists?
• Miss Manners: This guest commandeers my kitchen to prepare the simplest potluck item
• Miss Manners: Why would our daughter refuse a surprise vacation? The tickets are nonrefundable
• Miss Manners: My chatty co-workers are disturbing my productivity
• Miss Manners: My mother-in-law’s holiday-card habit is insulting, sexist

GENTLE READER: Why don’t they like you?

Never mind; that is none of Miss Manners’ business. Nor need it be mentioned when you simply express gratitude for the invitation and regret that you cannot accept.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Sometimes when I receive an invitation to an event, the sender writes “By Hand” in the lower right-hand corner of the envelope. Obviously, this means that they delivered the invitation to my house themselves, without using the postal service.

Is this a true form of etiquette? I cannot find a single reference to it in any etiquette book. It seems a bit pretentious to me, and I have always wondered if, in fact, it is really correct to use the term.

GENTLE READER: Pretentious? Miss Manners would think the opposite, as it tells you that the sender made an extra effort. And also perhaps that the sender does not trust the postal service.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do you set the table when the salad is served at the same time as the rest of the meal?

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I went to a friend’s house and she put the salad fork to the left of the regular fork. We used two forks during the meal: one for salad and one for the rest of the food.

Was this correct, or is a regular fork used for both the salad and the main course if served at the same time?

GENTLE READER: Please do not encourage the libel that etiquette is a conspiracy to humiliate innocent people by providing confusing forks. One fork to a course, Miss Manners assures you.

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.

Here are the top stories for Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

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Today is Monday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2025. There are 23 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 8, 1980, rock star and former Beatle John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman.

Also on this date:

In 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Imperial Japan a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty at the White House calling for the destruction of intermediate-range missiles.

In 2012, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

In 2014, the U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government.

In 2016, John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died in Columbus, Ohio, at 95.

In 2017, Japanese pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani announced that he would sign with the Los Angeles Angels.

In 2022, Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a high-profile prisoner exchange with the U.S. that released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner had been detained for nearly 10 months.

In 2024, insurgents completed their occupation of the Syrian capital of Damascus as a half-century of Assad family rule swiftly crumbled. Russian state media reported that President Bashar Assad was in Moscow after fleeing the rebel advance.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Flutist James Galway is 86.
• Author Bill Bryson is 74.
• Actor Kim Basinger (BAY’-sing-ur) is 72.
• Commentator and columnist Ann Coulter is 64.
• Actor Wendell Pierce is 63.
• Actor Teri Hatcher is 61.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon is 60.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Mussina is 57.
• Actor Dominic Monaghan is 49.
• NASCAR driver Ryan Newman is 48.
• Singer Nicki Minaj is 43.
• Country singer Sam Hunt is 41.
• Actor AnnaSophia Robb is 32.

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe stayed red-hot with his sixth goal in his last six games, Seth Jones scored for the second consecutive game and the Florida Panthers closed a homestand by topping the New York Islanders 4-1 on Sunday.

Uvis Balinskis got a rare goal for the Panthers, who finished off a three-game, four-day stint with five points — going 2-0-1. Florida wrapped up a stretch where it played 11 out of 12 games at home, going 5-5-1 in those home contests.

Sam Reinhart added an empty-netter for Florida.

Mathew Barzal got his ninth goal for the Islanders, who had won three straight and were 7-1-0 in games when he had scored this season. No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer had an assist on that goal, giving him 21 points through 30 games of his rookie season.

Balinskis sent the puck toward the net from the left point and it sailed past screened Islanders goalie David Rittich for a 1-0 lead. It was the first goal of the season for Balinskis and just the seventh of his career — including playoffs — in 126 NHL games.

Verhaeghe made it 2-0 at 7:05 of the second period off an assist from Jeff Petry. Verhaeghe — who got his 146th goal as a member of the Panthers, breaking a tie with Stephen Weiss for seventh on the team’s all-time list — has six goals and five assists in his last six games, by far his most productive stretch of the season.

Jones made it 3-1 with 6 minutes left, scoring for the second straight game — the first time he’s done that as a Panther.

The Islanders fell to 3-10-0 in games where they score two goals or fewer this season.

Up next

Islanders: Host Vegas on Tuesday.

Panthers: Visit Utah on Wednesday.

___

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

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was a very businesslike Miami Dolphins locker room after Sunday’s dominant 34-10 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. 

That’s because no one was surprised by what happened on the field. The resurgent Dolphins, a team with a four-game winning streak, an emerging physical presence, a consistent running game and a big-play defense, expect to win nowadays. That type of confidence is huge, and it stems from one thing.

“Belief, man,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said.

Their steadfast belief is now being rewarded. The The Dolphins (6-7), who remain playoff longshots despite their winning streak, seem on the verge of shocking the world.

One big key to that is that the Dolphins, after starting the season 0-3, then 1-6, and then 2-7, now believe they should win. And that type of bedrock belief has become part of the Dolphins’ newfound identity. 

“I really love this team because they’ve made the choice, the hard choice, to not only believe in themselves, but put in the work,” coach Mike McDaniel said, later adding, “they were well aware they were the only people that really believed in themselves.”

It was easy to discount the Dolphins at the start of the season. There were injuries, ugly losses, bone-headed mistakes and lots and lots of frustration. All of that is vanishing. The Dolphins are now getting healthier and playing better. It shows.

You could contend the Dolphins, due to flaws in their game, should have lost either the Washington or New Orleans games recently. You can’t say that about the Jets game. It was a complete victory.

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The Dolphins rushed for a season-best 239 yards led by Jaylen Wright’s career-best 107 yards and De’Von Achane’s 92 yards before he went out with a rib injury in the second quarter.

Defensively, the Dolphins, who were 29th in the league in run defense entering the game, held the Jets, who were No. 7 in rushing offense, to 65 yards rushing. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler had 2.5 sacks. The back end of the defense produced three interceptions.

There were few signs of slippage Sunday save for the punt team, which surrendered a 78-yard punt return touchdown and allowed a first down on a fake punt.

Believing is paying dividends.

Now, it should be noted that the Dolphins are trying not to get too caught up in the hoopla of being one of the NFL’s hottest teams. They’re trying to stay level-headed and look at the big picture.

“We’re just playing ball, man,” said cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had one of Miami’s three interceptions against the Jets. “We’re all playing together, that’s all.”

And they’re getting used to winning. They’re expecting to win.

When the Dolphins defeated Buffalo a few weeks ago to start their current four-game winning streak the locker room featured a wild celebration with players racing each other in laundry carts and 60-year-old wide receivers coach Robert Prince break dancing. 

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘This is what you want to see’ . . . breaking down win over Jets | VIDEO

There was none of that Sunday. There was music, a few jokes here and there, lots of smiles and even more good vibrations. But there was no carnival atmosphere.

This is very different from a few weeks ago when the Dolphins were struggling with a 2-7 record and trying to figure out how to win games. 

This Dolphins team, with its fringe status as an AFC wild-card contender, is confident. It’s aggressive. It’s ascending.

The Dolphins’ new identity as a run-first team has fostered lots of belief that they can finish the season as the team they’ve developed into the past few weeks, the team that has won five of its past six games.

The Dolphins probably aren’t headed for the playoffs. In fact, it would be a miracle if they made the postseason. But you never know what can happen if you believe.

“It’s just the mental battle, keep doing details,” right tackle Austin Jackson said. “Keep doing the right things, the little things.”

In other words, keep believing.

General Daily Insight for December 08, 2025

When action meets limits, patience is our greatest power. The emotional Moon opposing transformative Pluto may surface control issues or power struggles, yet it also reveals truth that helps us decide what matters. Later on, warmth returns and conversations smooth out, which helps us shape one realistic plan from the friction we faced earlier. With combative Mars squaring restrictive Saturn at 7:16 pm EST, our drive meets firm walls, so we need to pace ourselves and choose strategy over speed. Restraint multiplies our successes.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Aries, your courage wants a clear path. Fiery Mars challenges disciplined Saturn in a square, focusing your 9th House of Travel and Learning on real timelines and workable resources. You may want to book a trip on a whim, but plans like that require patience, so your move needs to become a phased plan that respects your limits. Even as Saturn in your 12th House of Solitude and Closure introduces pressure, you can turn reflection into guidance that steadies bold choices.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Steady ground helps you pace your steps. Your 8th House of Shared Resources takes the spotlight as ambitious Mars squares responsible Saturn, pressing you to handle debts, shared bills, or promises to loved ones. A calm budget talk with the key person works best when you present a clear plan and a realistic timeline. Even as Saturn in your 11th House of Social Networks adds group obligations, your steady tone invites support instead of resistance. Steady plans invite trust and cut down on stress.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

It’s time to negotiate, Gemini. Partnership dynamics ask for clear agreements as warrior Mars squares authoritative Saturn, activating your 7th House of One-on-One Relationships with boundaries and fair expectations. A colleague may ask for help, but bandwidth and time limits are real considerations. What can you give without resentment? Even as Saturn touches your 10th House of Career and Status, your quick mind frames a plan that supports respect on both sides. Clear terms save goodwill and prevent mixed assumptions.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Progress appears after you honor your feelings. Aggressive Mars clashes with structured Saturn in a square that targets your 6th House of Work and Health today, so daily routines deserve attention. If a boss piles on tasks or you feel a little overwhelmed, you can revise the schedule and include breaks that support your sensitive rhythms. Even as Saturn activates your 9th House of Travel and Learning, you can follow the rulebook without ignoring your body’s messages. Gentle pacing helps you heal while staying productive.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Today starts out bold (and slightly dramatic). Your 5th House of Creativity and Joy lights up as action-oriented Mars squares limiting Saturn, asking you to shape creative sparks into a plan that respects commitments. If a date night or rehearsal clashes with a promise, you can set a playful boundary and keep the moment fun without overextending. As Saturn touches your 8th House of Shared Resources, make sure to honor budget realities while still offering warm attention. Structure supports fun, if you do it right.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

A push meets a pause today. Logistics on the home front require great care as passionate Mars squares karmic Saturn, directing your 4th House of Home and Family toward careful repairs. Don’t rush the process. A calm talk with the person sharing your space works when you show clear steps and make a point of respecting everyone’s space. Even as Saturn charges your 7th House of One-on-One Relationships, your precise tone and thoughtful check-ins can invite teamwork rather than friction.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Harmony grows through honest boundaries, Libra — you know that better than most. Combative Mars squares disciplined Saturn today, activating your 3rd House of Communication, so the day works better with clear lanes and fair timing. If someone nearby requests a favor, you can agree but also let them know about other obligations you need to handle. This kind of forthrightness helps them respect your time. As Saturn highlights your 6th House of Work and Health, keep conversations kind. Balanced wording invites cooperation.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Intense focus finds a worthy target. Your 2nd House of Money and Self-Worth centers the day as fiery Mars squares responsible Saturn, asking you to treat every purchase with sober intention. A client may press for a discount, or a friend may ask for a loan — you can respond with info about fair market value or get more details on what the money’s for. As Saturn weighs on your 5th House of Creativity, meaningful fun doesn’t require expensive plans.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Now’s the time to turn momentum into mastery. Ambition meets reality as go-getter Mars squares authoritative Saturn, centering your identity and the way you direct energy toward one clear aim. Choose the priority you care about most right now and give it steady attention without chasing side quests that scatter your win. Saturn in your 4th House of Family might prompt you to get into a petty argument, but that’s just another needless distraction. Focused effort is the way to measurable progress.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Your ambition might need guardrails today, Capricorn. Warrior Mars locks horns with structured Saturn in a square that steers you toward your 12th House of Solitude and Closure, where inner work guides your choices. Step back from the chatter for a bit and name the fear underneath your current hurry, then think about ways you can answer that fear directly instead of tangentially. Saturn stifles your 3rd House of Communication, so think about quality over quantity in texts or conversations.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

This day calls for thoughtful collaboration. Your 11th House of Social Networks gains emphasis as aggressive Mars squares karmic Saturn, asking you to lead groups with firm agendas and realistic pacing. If a meeting starts to sprawl or spiral out of control, you can shorten the agenda and focus on one outcome, protecting attention and keeping contributions focused. Your 2nd House of Money and Self-Worth is grounded today, thanks to Saturn. Clear goals keep projects healthy and people energized.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Effort meets structure, and dreams find form. As action-oriented Mars squares limiting Saturn, your 10th House of Career and Status gets some focused attention. Credible goals and clear boundaries take precedence. A decision-maker in your life may ask for more from you — present a realistic timeline and one concrete deliverable that shows commitment without risking burnout. Even as Saturn emphasizes self-respect in your home sign, firm posture reads as competent leadership. Set fair limits, Pisces, to safeguard your reputation.

McCOOK, Neb. — The inmates housed at the minimum-security state prison in McCook, Nebraska, could often be seen around town, working on road paving, weeding cemeteries, taking down Christmas lights and mowing the high school football field before games. They took classes at the local community college, and an art gallery displayed work from 13 prisoners this summer.

For more than two decades, the prison, known as the Work Ethic Camp, was Nebraska’s only state prison geared solely toward rehabilitation. The facility held nonviolent felony offenders who were nearing the end of their sentences and prepared them, with counseling, schooling and job training, to return to the outside world.

That changed this fall, after state officials announced that the Work Ethic Camp would be replaced with a 300-bed, high security Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center to support President Donald Trump’s national crackdown on illegal immigration.

And so a place that had been devoted to second chances now had a very different mission, and a new name to go with it: “The Cornhusker Clink.”

In McCook, a conservative town of about 7,500 that voted overwhelmingly for Trump, some residents have objected. Many said they support Trump’s stance on illegal immigration but also liked what they had before: A prison that didn’t feel like a prison. With its close ties to the community, it was a place that helped Nebraskans get back on their feet.

Other residents said they were in favor of the new ICE facility, viewing McCook as doing its part for the president’s agenda and potentially benefiting from 50 to 60 added jobs. But opponents said they were frustrated by Gov. Jim Pillen’s unilateral decision to change the facility and turn it into a place to detain immigrants. City officials are also worried about the potential strain on resources if hundreds of detainees are transported in and out through the town’s small airport, which has one full-time employee.

“Now when people think of McCook, this is all it is — it’s ICE detention,” said Nate Schneider, the city manager and a registered Republican who said he has voted for both parties over the years. “But for us, it’s a lot more than that. McCook is home. McCook is a place that I want my kids to think is a good place to live. We’ve been working so hard to make McCook a draw, and now this.”

The Trump administration, aiming to deliver on a campaign promise of deporting 1 million people this year, has sought to expand its detention capacity. Federal authorities took the rare step of seeking detention space in state prisons, signing agreements with Indiana, Louisiana, Florida and Nebraska, all states where Republican governors have agreed to assist.

McCook officials said they were given no advance notice of the state’s decision to repurpose the Work Ethic Camp, nor have they been told that the city can expect any revenue from the ICE agreement with the state, which Pillen has said will bring in about $14 million annually, after expenses to run the facility.

Thirteen McCook residents and a former state legislator sued the governor, arguing that the facility was designated and funded by the Nebraska Legislature for the purposes of rehabilitating state inmates, and that Pillen did not have authority to change that. In October, a judge declined to grant the residents an injunction but also declined the governor’s request to dismiss the case, which is proceeding.

“I have no problem with prosecuting immigrants who commit crimes,” said Bruce McDowell, a retired telecommunications technician and a plaintiff in the suit. McDowell, a Democrat, said he viewed Pillen’s decision to turn the facility over to federal authorities as a political calculation. “He’s trying to curry favor with Donald Trump, and that carries a lot more weight than a few of us down here,” he said.

Pillen’s office did not respond to requests for comment, but the governor has previously said that the facility would benefit the state, calling it “good for Nebraska’s taxpayers” and a way to ensure that Nebraska is “doing all that we can to keep criminal, illegal aliens off our streets.”

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said that the department’s leadership was “grateful for Gov. Pillen’s partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country.” The ICE facility began housing detainees in early November and has only held about 28 men, on average, each day.

‘A wake-up call’

In 1997, the Nebraska Legislature approved the Work Ethic Camp, so named to reflect the facility’s stated philosophy that “positive work ethics can be learned and transferred to other areas of an individual’s life.” Its purpose was to prepare low-level offenders to return to the community and to reduce a perpetual overcrowding problem in Nebraska prisons. The state’s prison system regularly ranks among the nation’s most overcrowded.

The Work Ethic Camp housed fewer than 200 people at a time and cost the state around $10 million annually. Its programming included vocational and educational courses, as well as classes to contend with substance abuse and domestic violence. McCook did not receive any direct revenue from the work camp but many residents were employed there, and the inmates worked low-paying jobs around town.

Over the years, a few prisoners escaped, but in many ways, the camp was seen as accomplishing its stated goals. A 2024 corrections department report touted that of 369 people held there last year, more than 90% successfully completed requirements that allowed them to be released from the camp.

Over 48-cent coffee at Arby’s, where a group of men gathers most mornings, residents were divided over whether McCook should have had a say in the decision to convert the facility into an ICE detention center.

“Who are we to say, ‘No, you can’t bring them here, you’ve got to go somewhere else,’” asked Brad Gillen, who owns a carpet cleaning business in McCook and voted for Trump. “If this is our part we have to do, that’s fine.”

But others took issue with Pillen for choosing to partner with federal authorities without seeking input from the community most affected, McCook.

“He did it to us, not with us,” said Dale Dueland, a semiretired farmer and rancher, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Pillen and describes himself as nonpartisan.

“If you’d come before this all happened, most people here would say that what happens in Washington is so far away, it doesn’t affect us,” Dueland added. “All of a sudden it’s like a wake-up call that what happens in those faraway places can directly affect us here.”

From Washington to McCook

In mid-March, Pillen and his staff members traveled to the White House to attend one of Trump’s executive order signing ceremonies. The following week, David Lopez, Pillen’s chief of staff, exchanged emails with DHS officials, thanking them for meeting with him. He also inquired about how Nebraska might assist in immigration enforcement.

It is not clear exactly how Pillen and the corrections department landed on offering up the Work Ethic Camp, one of nine state correctional facilities, in the months that followed. But in August, in a joint statement with DHS, the governor announced the plan. That was the first time most people in McCook learned that the camp would be repurposed.

“I am pleased that our facility and team in McCook can be tasked with helping our federal partners protect our homeland,” Pillen said in the announcement. In addition to a new detention facility, Pillen announced that the Nebraska State Patrol and 20 Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers would assist ICE officials.

Pillen later announced the state’s new contract with the federal government: ICE would pay Nebraska a one-time fee of $5.9 million for renovations, and monthly payments of $2.5 million over a contract period of two years.

In its final months, about 186 men were held at the Work Ethic Camp. As the camp was closing, about 100 of them were moved to even less restrictive correctional facilities that allow inmates to leave daily and seek full-time employment. Ten others were released altogether, some on parole and others on supervision.

Still, 76 inmates were moved to more secure facilities, most to the Nebraska State Penitentiary, the state’s oldest prison, in Lincoln.

One of them was Jeff Smith, who is now serving his seven-year sentence for felony drug possession and other charges at the Nebraska State Penitentiary after being moved from the Work Ethic Camp.

“There’s no outside jobs here, no self help classes here, no chance to go out every day and work in the garden,” Smith said in an exchange over a messaging system that prisoners can access.

“Consider us collateral damage,” he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Since online genealogy services began operating, millions of people have sent them saliva samples in hopes of learning about their family roots and discovering far-flung relatives.

These services also appeal to law enforcement authorities, who have used them to solve cold case murders and to investigate such crimes as the 2022 killing of four University of Idaho students. Crime-scene DNA submitted to genealogy sites has helped investigators identify suspects and human remains by first identifying relatives.

The use of public records and family-tree building is crucial to this technique, and its main tool has been the genealogy site Ancestry, which has vast amounts of individual DNA profiles and public records.

More than 1,400 cases have been solved with the help of so-called genetic genealogy investigations, most of them with help from Ancestry. But a recent step taken by the site is now deterring many police agencies from employing this crime-solving technique.

In August, Ancestry revised the terms and conditions on its site to make it clear that its services were off-limits “for law enforcement purposes” without a legal order or warrant, which can be hard to get, because of privacy concerns. This followed the addition last year to the terms and conditions that the services could not be used for “judicial proceedings.”

Investigators say the implications are dire and will result in crucial criminal cases slowing or stalling entirely, denying answers to grieving families.

“Everyone who does this work has depended on the records database that Ancestry controls,” said David Gurney, who runs Ramapo College’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in New Jersey. “Without it, casework is going to be a lot slower, and there will be some cases that can’t be resolved at all.”

Before the August revision, Gurney said, the terms and conditions language remained vague enough that law enforcement officials, medical examiners and investigators believed Ancestry did not object to their use of the site’s collaborative platform, which allows family-tree building and easy access to public records.

For the Ramapo center, those records have helped solve dozens of cases, including the exonerations of two men last year, Gurney said. But the center got an email last month saying its account had been canceled for violating the company’s terms and conditions.

In its letter to Ramapo, Ancestry said it had recently “become aware that your account is soliciting DNA samples to be used for cold cases.”

Without that one-stop clearinghouse for public records, investigators’ work will slow drastically, Gurney said, adding that law enforcement authorities were now avoiding Ancestry because of the revised terms.

In a statement, Ancestry spokesperson Gina Spatafore said the company had merely clarified a long-standing policy.

“Ancestry is intended solely for family history research, not law enforcement,” Spatafore said. The company, she added, has long prohibited “law enforcement, or those acting on its behalf, from using Ancestry to investigate crimes except through due process.” She did not elaborate on why the clarification had been issued this summer.

The development highlights a tension between privacy concerns and the push to solve crimes when it comes to genetic material, said Natalie Ram, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law and a genetic-privacy expert.

Millions of people willingly enter their DNA into consumer databases. But exposing an identity’s basic code also exposes its secrets. Some people are leery of giving others, including those with badges, free access.

Years ago, DNA found at a crime scene was useful as evidence if it could be directly matched in a law enforcement database to a specific suspect or close relative. Now, investigators can upload that DNA to direct-to-consumer sites with vast troves of genetic information that has been voluntarily shared.

The use of public genealogy sites to solve cold cases had a breakthrough moment in 2018, when authorities used GEDmatch to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. Personal genetic testing was taking off, and millions of Americans were buying inexpensive DNA kits to learn more about their backgrounds.

Ancestry, already hugely popular, offered customers the ability to augment their genetic results with access to the site’s huge public records database and tools for building family trees and finding links to other users.

A private, for-profit company, Ancestry has more than $1 billion in annual revenue and more than 3 million paying subscribers, according to its website. It is owned by private equity behemoth Blackstone, which bought it in a $4.7 billion deal in 2020.

“Ancestry has made part of its pitch to consumers that it doesn’t cooperate with law enforcement,” Ram said. “If it’s getting calls from users saying, ‘You said you don’t cooperate with law enforcement, so why am I getting an email from someone claiming to be an investigator?’ — that could be a problem for business.”

Suggesting a possible explanation for Ancestry’s clarification of its terms, she added: “We’ve seen some people in law enforcement playing fast and loose with following terms of service for consumer genetics platforms, or outright flouting them.”

Law enforcement authorities’ use of genetic material came under scrutiny this year when court records revealed that FBI investigators had compared a crime-scene DNA profile with GEDmatch and another consumer database, MyHeritage, to identify Bryan Kohberger as the killer of the University of Idaho students. Kohberger’s defense team argued the access to the site without a warrant violated his client’s constitutional rights, but the judge in the case rejected the argument.

Some officials have proposed laws to curtail the use of DNA databases for law enforcement purposes, but it has been largely left to the companies themselves to regulate investigative genetic genealogy.

Like some other companies, including 23andMe, Ancestry bars authorities from accessing its DNA database without a court order, which can be difficult to obtain because of judges’ privacy and evidentiary concerns, and because the searches can seem overly broad.

CeCe Moore, a prominent genetic genealogist who serves as a researcher for the television series “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates Jr., said it would be “impossible for anyone to quickly re-create” Ancestry’s invaluable stockpile of information.

“Over 99% of all genetic genealogy investigations have used public records from Ancestry,” said Moore, who has, with the assistance of genetic genealogy, also helped authorities identify suspects in hundreds of criminal cases.

Lauren Robilliard, a staff genealogist with the Toronto Police Service’s investigative genetic genealogy unit, said Ancestry’s database, which includes census, death and cemetery records from 88 countries and more than 140 million family trees, has been critical in the more than 50 cases the unit has solved in the past five years.

“It’s like a huge library across the world, and we can’t physically go to all these places to access the records,” she said.

At the Ramapo center, where staff members, volunteers and trainees must now rely on smaller databases, Gurney said his investigators had never sought to search Ancestry’s genetic database. It would not be useful in any case because genetic profiles from crime scenes or human remains cannot be uploaded to the site.

It was Ancestry’s wealth of public records, he said, that had helped investigators solve 38 cases since the center opened three years ago.

Family trees and genealogy records found on Ancestry by Ramapo investigators helped lead to the arrest last year of the killer in a 1974 cold case in Wisconsin. Ancestry’s newspaper archives and census records helped lead the Ramapo team to the real killer in a 1987 murder for which two brothers were wrongly imprisoned for nearly 25 years.

Barring access to that kind of information, the professor said, would thwart efforts to “catch dangerous criminals and bring justice” to crime victims and families of the missing.

Gurney said that, for help with family tree analysis, members of his team had sometimes contacted Ancestry users through the site’s messaging service to ask if they might agree to genetic genealogical searching to help an investigation by transferring their genetic profiles to another site, GEDmatch Pro, that offers users the ability to opt in to such searches.

Ramapo team members, he said, always told those they contacted “exactly who we were and why we were asking.”

The New Jersey State Police have used Ancestry to help solve 15 cold cases since 2023, according to Lt. Rick Kuhrt, the cold case unit’s commander.

Ancestry information helped the unit identify, from a foot inside a shoe found in the Delaware River, the remains of a Pennsylvania woman who disappeared in 2014, he said. The unit also determined that bones that washed up on South Jersey beaches belonged to the captain of a schooner that sank in 1844.

“Most of these cases, honestly, would never have been solved without Ancestry,” he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

In this Dolphins Deep Dive video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss Miami winning its fourth game in a row on Sunday by beating the Jets in New York and this late-season push. They also touch on the Dolphins’ run game, business-like approach and the improved defense.

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Palm Beach County’s sole bowl game will host a pair of teams from up north.

Louisville (8-4) and Toledo (8-4) will face off in the Dec. 23 bowl game at FAU’s Flagler Credit Union Stadium in Boca Raton on Dec. 23, the bowl organizers announced Sunday.

The Cardinals, an ACC team, were last in South Florida in October when they upset then-No. 2 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. Louisville dropped three consecutive games as it dealt with injuries at the end of the year, but the Cardinals concluded their season on a high note with a blowout win against rival Kentucky.

The Cardinals, who are making their first-ever appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, are led by talented running backs Isaac Brown (a Homestead native who led the team with 782 rushing yards despite playing eight games) and Keyjuan Brown (592 yards, six touchdowns).

Louisville has seven players from South Florida on its team: Brown (Homestead High), Stanquan Clark (Miami Central High), T.J Capers (Miami Columbus High), JoJo Evans Jr. (Riviera Beach, Dwyer High), Shai Kochav (Fort Lauderdale, TRU Prep), Jimmy Williams III (Miami Gardens, American Heritage), Bobby Golden (Miami Palmetto)

Toledo has played in the Boca Raton Bowl twice previously: once in 2015 and again in 2022. The Rockets won both games.

Toledo went 8-4 this season and finished tied for third in the Mid-American Conference. The Rockets are currently on a four-game winning streak and feature quarterback Tucker Gleason (2,515 yards, 21 touchdowns, nine interceptions) and running back Chip Trayanum (950 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns).

However, Toledo coach Jason Candle just left the Rockets to take the UConn head coaching job. Co-Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach Robert Weiner will lead the team in the bowl game, according to the Toledo Blade.

Toledo has four players on its roster from South Florida: Andre Fuller (Loxahatchee, Seminole Ridge High), Hyajah Miller (North Lauderdale, Coconut Creek High), Wayne Peart II (Pembroke Pines, Chaminade-Madonna Prep) and Jeremiah Peters (Miami, Booker T. Washington High).

University of Louisville and University of Toledo are BUSH’S BOCA RATON BOWL OF BEANS BOUND!