South Florida Local News

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a family member who has done well for herself. She and her partner are in their early 50s and never had kids. They have a massive oceanfront home and travel extensively — and she mentions it in every conversation.

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No matter what the topic is, there’s usually a mention of the price of her home, car and other belongings (including whatever she’s wearing), the cost of their latest trip and their salaries.

Even just a text wishing her a happy birthday is met with a photo of her oceanfront view and talk of how blessed she is to have such a wonderful home, partner and career.

Another family member, who is financially comfortable but not wealthy, has gently teased her about this bragging, and she just says she’s proud of all she’s achieved.

I’ve had some recent career and financial setbacks, and it’s to the point where I dread talking to her. Is there a polite way to get her to stop talking about how much money she has?

GENTLE READER: Memorize this phrase and repeat it after every brag: “How nice for you.” For some reason, Miss Manners finds the emphasis on “for” to be effective, along with the repetition.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A very long time ago, my husband and I were invited to dinner at a restaurant by a colleague of his. I had not met the colleague or his wife prior to the dinner.

The men promised they wouldn’t talk shop, but they did — throughout the entire meal. There was no inclusion of us women.

I tried to initiate a conversation with the wife, and she shut me down immediately with something along the lines of, “I’d rather listen to what the men are talking about.”

Gobsmacked, I just shrank back in the seat and ate my dinner. As my husband and I were leaving, I told him what had happened and he (rightfully) said that we’d never do that again.

I should have gotten over this by now, but I fantasize about having left the table in some way. What should I have done? I didn’t want to be rude myself.

GENTLE READER: Are you talking about a very, very long time ago? Because Miss Manners remembers those days — when wives, if invited at all, were treated as table decorations to be talked around.

But didn’t we have a successful rebellion against that?Apparently not successful enough, if it is now a wife who treats her guest like that. She need only have said, apologetically, “Sorry, I’m listening to them.”

There is no need for you to fantasize about reacting effectively, and yet not rudely, because you already did: first by your silence, and then by your and your husband’s resolving never to socialize with them again.

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• Miss Manners: Another mother chided me for group-texting a cute photo. Was I wrong?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a quick cough, just a tickle. Do I have to apologize to the people around me? I didn’t do it intentionally. Same with a sneeze.

I could maybe give an “excuse me,” but I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I apologize!”

GENTLE READER: The preferred statement is now, “It’s not COVID.”

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.

Q: The Hawks have lapped us. So much for the division. – Carl.

A: The division? Hopefully that never is an ultimate goal. But even in that regard, the Magic also already have lapped the Heat this offseason. Still, yes, the Hawks are a much better team at the moment than the team the Heat defeated in overtime in that winner-take-all play-in game in April. Kristraps Porzginis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and their other moves? The type of action that puts the Heat’s inaction into even greater perspective.

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• Submit your “Ask Ira” question here!

Q: Will the Heat now do what they always do, feed the media hope that they will get Giannis Antetokounmpo? – Paul.

A: Arguably no team in sports “feeds the media” less than the Heat (and, no, not talking about pregame media meals, although that is another story for another day for those who crave middle-school meals). And, to be fair, that is not something the Heat do or control. That is the media machine that assuredly will rev back up regarding Brook Lopez leaving the Bucks for the Clippers in free agency. The bottom line is that it practically is an exception when the Heat are not linked to a star who might shake free. So, yes, more likely Giannis Antetokounmpo Heat talk

Q: So much consternation over Miami not making moves, but if a move isn’t going to make you appreciably more competitive – never mind an actual contender – why make a move? So they’re punting on this next season, but why doesn’t anyone talk about the fact that sometimes punting is the prudent move?  – Aram, Raleigh, N.C.

A: The hope is that some of that has been noticed in this space in recent mailbags. But if the approach is forward thinking, then why rush into locking Davion Mitchell into a 2026-27 salary or potentially doing the same with Duncan Robinson (which we still don’t know about at the time of this posting). Absolutely no issue here about an extended look at Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Pelle Larsson, even Jaime Jaquez Jr. Young teams are fun. So if that’s the approach, simply acknowledge it and move forward. No, not tanking, but growing from within. Such an approach has created some of the most fun Heat seasons.

“Boy, we just got under the line.”

So said Columbia Pictures director Earl McEvoy in July 1950 about capturing a stretch of virgin beach on film just before new construction began.

The movie was “The Barefoot Mailman,” based on a novel by South Florida writer Theodore Pratt. Known as the “Literary Laureate of Florida,” Pratt was tasked with finding an on-location filming site. Biscayne Bay was the best he could come up with, and there would be only a narrow window to shoot.

Taylor Hagood is a professor of American literature at Florida Atlantic University. (courtesy, Invading Sea)

Ironically, Pratt’s novel itself dramatized rapid changes on the coast all the way back in the late 1880s. Inspired by the real-life mail deliverers who walked the coast before railroads were built, the novel takes its particular story from James E. Hamilton, who died mysteriously along his mail route in 1887.

Pratt did extensive research to write the book, which follows the fictional Steven Pierton as he learns the proper technique of beach-walking, fights off dangerous “beach combers,” falls in love with his first “foot-passenger” and even names Palm Beach.

To some extent, Steven himself represents the intrusion of human community on the South Florida landscape. But like the Seminoles he sympathizes with, Steven respects land and sea and seeks to live with nature, not harm or alter it.

By the novel’s end, though, the Celestial Railroad threatens the barefoot route with more development soon to come.

Curiously, Steven and his bride never appear in Pratt’s other “Florida Trilogy” novels, “The Flame Tree” and “The Big Bubble.” Like the real-life barefoot mailmen, Steven remains confined to a short-lived idyllic moment in history when the South Florida environment and its human inhabitants still lived in a manageable degree of balance and harmony.

Pratt himself railed against the crushing encroach of profit-driven “civilization” in the 1950s.

He and his wife, Jackie, fled their home in Old Floresta in Boca Raton and bought a house in the piney woods west of Delray Beach. Florida had become “unnatural,” he complained to a Fort Lauderdale News reporter in 1958. Meanwhile, his already well-established relationship with famed environmentalist writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas deepened.

A few years later, Pratt wrote “Tropical Disturbance,” a novel about a hurricane destroying the puny constructions of humankind. Nature is not exactly vengeful in that story — it is just done with the whole thing.

Finding virgin beach now in 2025 for filming would mean serious camera angle manipulation. Or simply making the reality of human encroachment part of the story.

The latter happens in the 2024 Apple TV series “Bad Monkey,” adapted from Carl Hiaasen’s novel of the same name. Andrew Yancy (portrayed by Vince Vaughn) wages a one-man war on the architectural monstrosity next door while doing his part to protect turtles and baby Key deer.

Hiaasen has picked up the torch Pratt, Douglas and others carried, creating a cast of environmental warriors. The most famous is ex-Florida governor turned loner-warrior, Clinton Tyree, known as “Skink.”

Hiaasen will surely further the cause with his new novel, “Fever Beach.” Literary warfare can seem futile against the immense power of commerce, and the South Florida coast continues to bear the brunt of development. But literature has its own strength. Words shape opinion.

Hundreds of people attended Hiaasen’s appearance at the Boca Raton Arts Festival in March, and hundreds of thousands read his words.

As he wrote when he signed one of his books for me: “Skink Lives!”

Taylor Hagood is a professor of American literature at Florida Atlantic University and the author of “Theodore Pratt: A Florida Writer’s Life.” This essay was distributed by The Invading Sea website (theinvadingsea.com), which publishes news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.

Invading Seas / CourtesyInvading Seas

Paid parking in Wilton Manors is a deeply unpopular issue.

So it’s not surprising that when the parking lot at Shoppes of Wilton Manors was taken over by a new company and parking went from free to paid, the owners became villains to many residents of the community.

But even supporters of their right to charge might feel differently after an incident that took place on Friday, June 20.

The Aids Health Foundation (AHF) truck that has long parked in the lot and offered free HIV testing was ordered to move.

When workers from AHF pointed out that they had paid for the parking and were happy to continue to pay, they were still ordered to move. Whether the owners had the legal right to refuse parking to AHF is for a court to decide. But clearly, the business was morally wrong.

This kind of discrimination will only make the owners seem more callous and less likely to be good neighbors.

Randy Fair, Wilton Manors

Back to the dark ages

Given his family history, it is difficult to accept U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comments or opinions.

It would be inhumane to accept his comments as unbiased. Has it been proven without question that immunization shots really cause autism?

To eliminate immunizations would set us back to the dark ages and cause untold disasters, harm and epidemics. So think twice where his comments and opinions come from and look at them with skepticism.

It behooves the medical profession to speak out and set the record straight.

Audrey Frieman, Pembroke Pines

The real poster child

I would like to respond to the recent (and gleeful) letter writer Joy Frank on the “downfall” of ABC newscaster Terry Moran.

I wish to remind Ms. Frank that our own President of the United States has disparaged so many Americans with his vile, repugnant rhetoric, securing him as “the poster child for the definition of world-class hater,” to use her words.

George Winters, Delray Beach

Respect the Stanley Cup Holding up the Cup: The Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk at the Elbo Room on Fort Lauderdale beach on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Stop the abuse of the Stanley Cup, once and for all!

This revered championship trophy is manhandled each year by inebriated or raucous fans and players. Instead, it should be prominently displayed at the champion’s facility, where it can be viewed by the public.

It should not be allowed in bars, restaurants, and other unsupervised venues.

Show it some respect!

Scott Albin, Sunrise

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

[contact-form]

In 1975, Palm Beach County and Broward County faced a garbage dilemma: How do we deal with the millions of tons generated each year? Palm Beach County went one direction. Broward County went another. Today, Palm Beach County is achieving important fiscal and environmental goals. Broward County has failed and is in a crisis. But we have an opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past if we can work together.

Broward County generates nearly 5 million tons of garbage a year. We rely on landfilling far too heavily, which increases environmental damage and falls short of our mandate to divert, reuse and recycle. Aside from a disposal crisis, we also face a serious and threatening economic crisis because, unlike Palm Beach County, we do not own the trash infrastructure. We ceded our economic strength and destiny to market forces and the trash industry.

Sun SentinelMike Ryan is the mayor of Sunrise.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County is a special district created by the Florida Legislature in 1975. It now owns most of the trash infrastructure, including recycling centers, transfer stations, two waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, a biosolids processing facility and a landfill that is their last resort for waste disposal. For a mature system, it spends $4 million per year reinforcing educational efforts. As a result, in 2023, it reported an 80% recycling rate. Broward is below 40%.

Unlike Palm Beach’s countywide Solid Waste Authority, Broward chose instead to organize itself through contractual agreement between cities and county designed to expire in 2013. Like Palm Beach County, the residents and businesses of Broward paid for two WTE facilities. However, in Broward, after we paid off the bonds, astonishingly, we handed the keys over to the private operator. We own nothing.

Prior to expiration in 2013, there was interest in trying to extend the agreement. However, because of high pricing offered by the market for WTE, landfilling and recycling, the cities became fragmented and dissolved the agreement, with little to show for the past 50 years. Every trash and recycling metric then headed in the wrong direction.

Realizing the failure of fragmentation, most cities and the county came back together and created the Solid Waste Authority of Broward County, which was tasked with crafting a Draft Master Plan to address this crisis and for the next 50 years. The Draft Plan is the product of accumulated analysis including 11 task-specific and publicly available white papers comprising thousands of pages of information and analysis. We have held public meetings every month and received comments from residents, elected officials, corporate leaders and the trash industry.

The Draft Master Plan is full of details, data and policy choices. In short, it concludes that, because we do not own the trash infrastructure, if we are to divert from landfills and WTE and protect our financial future, we must start immediately with behavioral change in how we process our garbage, and cities must begin exerting maximum economic strength to achieve the best pricing from the market by combining our trash tonnage.

We cannot landfill or burn our way out of this crisis. In fact, the Draft Plan does not call for any new WTE plants or landfills in Broward. As I wrote last year in this paper, it is inconceivable economically, environmentally, socially or politically that we would build a new billion-dollar waste incineration facility on the edge of the Everglades and so close to communities.

But there are things we can do now. For example, we must divert and recycle construction and demolition debris and yard waste. These are the most highly divertible commodities in the waste stream. We can replicate proven strategies from other counties to reduce dramatically the tonnage going to landfills.

We must be focused on changing our behavior, from how our suppliers package goods, to how we take home our goods and what we do with waste streams. Single-use plastic reduction, harmonizing recycling messages and implementing organic composting with existing partners are all initiatives we can start today.

When we exercise our economic strength by combining our trash tonnage, we give the next generation of residents, businesses and policy makers the best potential to achieve not only the paramount public policy mission of diverting from landfills and WTE but also the economic stewardship that was taken away from us 50 years ago.

Mike Ryan is the mayor of Sunrise, an attorney and the chair of the Solid Waste Authority of Broward County’s executive committee. The Draft Master Plan and opportunities for comments can be found at BrowardSWA.org.

Unbelievably, members of a far-right militant group, the Proud Boys, who were convicted in the Capitol riot and then pardoned by President Trump are suing the Justice Department for $100 million dollars because they say their rights were violated.

Just as unbelievable, the Justice Department has agreed to pay almost $5 million dollars to the family of Ashli Babbitt. Babbitt was the individual shot during the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol while crawling through a broken window into the Speaker’s Lobby, where some members of the House were trapped on the balcony. Although Babbitt was warned several times to “get back,” she continued to force her way in and was shot as a last resort by a Capitol policeman.

Author Patsy Neal lives in Matthews, N.C.

As tragic as the death was, it is hard to comprehend that Babbitt’s family is going to receive a settlement after the Justice Department and the Capitol Police had cleared the officer of wrong-doing in earlier investigations.

It is also hard to comprehend that the government is paying $1,000 to illegal immigrants who are willing to leave the country on their own — another example of rewarding unlawful acts.

Yet, rewarding individuals who have committed criminal acts should not be surprising. President Trump gave clemency and pardons to over 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, including members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and 379 individuals who had been convicted of assaulting police and members of the media.

Trump also indicated that some restitution fees should be reimbursed as part of the voided convictions, and that compensation might be considered for those given clemency, opening the door to lawsuits.

Trump has changed the scales of justice in many ways. In the Babbitt case, he called the police officer who shot Babbitt “a thug,” praised Babbitt for her role in the Jan. 6 violence, and falsely described what happened by saying, “she was innocently standing there.”

Rewarding criminal behavior makes a mockery of Trump’s claim to be for “law and order.” Once we lose sight of right and wrong, everything else falls apart. We cannot reward lawbreakers without putting all of us in danger. When we elevate those who have broken the law, we give them more power to hurt us. And when there are no consequences, we encourage more criminal activity.

So, what can be done about law-breakers being rewarded? Most vitally, Congress must take back its role as a co-equal branch of government and help stop illegal acts through legislative action. The judicial system, regardless of political affiliations, must impartially prevent unlawful acts based on the Constitution. And the executive branch must be pressured to respect the rights of the other two branches of government, fairly enforce the laws and stay within legal boundaries.

As individual citizens, we cannot continue to sit silent. Each silent voice gives more momentum to lawlessness. All of us — “We the people” — must emphatically but peacefully demonstrate that enough is enough. Remember, everyone, what the Declaration of Independence says: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Patsy Neal has had several books, articles and op-eds published, and has received four Freedom Foundation Awards for her essays. She lives in Matthews, N.C.

Here are the top stories for Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

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Miss Manners: We were yelled at in a Paris opera house. Were we in the wrong?

Today is Tuesday, July 1, the 182 day of 2024. There are 183 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On July 1, In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated federal appeals court judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, beginning an ultimately successful confirmation process marked by allegations of sexual harassment.

Also on this date:

In 1863, the pivotal, three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania.

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In 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain as the British North America Act took effect. Called Dominion Day until 1982, the national holiday is now known as Canada Day.

In 1903, the first Tour de France began. (It ended on July 19, won by Maurice Garin.)

In 1944, delegates from 44 countries began meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where they agreed to establish the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

In 1963, the U.S. Post Office inaugurated its five-digit ZIP codes.

In 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration was established.

In 1984, the first movie rated PG-13 (“Red Dawn,” starring Patrick Swayze) debuted.

In 1997, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony.

In 2004, actor Marlon Brando died in Los Angeles at age 80.

In 2015, after more than a half-century of hostility, the United States and Cuba declared their intent to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals, leading to a historic full restoration of diplomatic relations between the Cold War foes.

In 2018, LeBron James announced that he would be signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving Cleveland for the second time in his career.

In 2019, 15-year-old Coco Gauff, the youngest player to qualify at Wimbledon in the professional era, defeated 39-year-old Venus Williams in the first round.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor-dancer Leslie Caron is 94.
• Actor Jamie Farr (TV: “M*A*S*H”) is 91.
• Dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp is 84.
• Actor Genevieve Bujold is 83.
• Rock singer Deborah Harry (Blondie) is 80.
• Actor Terrence Mann is 74.
• Rock singer Fred Schneider (The B-52s) is 74.
• Pop singer Victor Willis (Village People) is 74.
• Actor-comedian Dan Aykroyd is 73.
• Actor Alan Ruck is 69.
• Mystery novelist Louise Penny is 67.
• Singer Evelyn “Champagne” King is 65.
• Olympic track champion Carl Lewis is 64.
• Actor Dominic Keating (TV: “Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 62.
• Actor Pamela Anderson is 58.
• Actor Henry Simmons is 55.
• Hip-hop artist Missy Elliott is 54.
• Actor Julianne Nicholson is 54.
• Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens is 50.
• Actor Liv Tyler is 48.
• Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla is 48.
• Actor Hilarie Burton is 43.
• Actor Lea Seydoux (LEE’-uh say-DOO’) is 40.
• Actor-singer Chloe Bailey is 27.
• Actor Storm Reid is 22.

By LISA MASCARO, MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is slogging through a tense overnight session that has dragged into Tuesday, with Republican leaders buying time as they search for ways to secure support for President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts while fending off proposed amendments, mostly from Democrats trying to defeat the package.

An endgame was not immediately in sight. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota is reaching for a last-minute agreement between those in his party worried the bill’s reductions to Medicaid will leave millions without care and his most conservative flank, which wants even steeper cuts to hold down deficits ballooning with the tax cuts.

Thune declared at one point they were in the “homestretch” as he dashed through the halls at the Capitol, only to backtrack a short time later, suggesting any progress was “elusive.”

At the same time House Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled more potential problems ahead, warning the Senate package could run into trouble when it is sent back to the House for a final round of voting, as skeptical lawmakers are being called back to Washington ahead of Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.

“I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please keep it as close to the House product as possible,” said Johnson, the Louisiana Republican. House Republicans had already passed their version last month.

It’s a pivotal moment for the Republicans, who have control of Congress and are racing to wrap up work with just days to go before Trump’s holiday deadline Friday. The 940-page “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as it’s formally titled, has consumed Congress as its shared priority with the president.

In a midnight social media post urging them on, Trump called the bill “perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind.” Vice President JD Vance summed up his own series of posts, simply imploring senators to “Pass the bill.”

The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities in both chambers. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who warns people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who opposes raising the debt limit — have indicated opposition.

Attention quickly turned to key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have also raised concerns about health care cuts, but also a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions.

Murkowski in particular was the subject of the GOP leadership’s attention, as Thune and others sat beside her in conversation. Then Paul drew eyes after he returned from a visit to Thune’s office.

And on social media, billionaire Elon Musk was again lashing out at Republicans as “the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for including a provision that would raise the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion, which is needed to allow continued borrowing to pay the bills.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said his side was working to show “how awful this is.”

“Republicans are in shambles because they know the bill is so unpopular,” Schumer said as he walked the halls.

A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law. The CBO said the package would increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade.

Senators to watch

Few Republicans appear fully satisfied as the final package emerges, in either the House or Senate.

Tillis said it is a betrayal of the president’s promises not to kick people off health care, especially if rural hospitals close.

Collins had proposed bolstering the $25 billion proposed rural hospital fund to $50 billion, but her amendment failed. And Murkowski was trying to secure provisions to spare people in her state from some health care and food stamp cuts while also working to beef up federal reimbursements to Alaska’s hospitals. They have not said how they would vote for the final package.

“Radio silence,” Murkowski said when asked.

At the same time, conservative Senate Republicans proposing steeper health care cuts, including Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, filed into Thune’s office for a near-midnight meeting.

The Senate has spent some 18 hours churning through more than two dozen amendments in what is called a vote-a-rama, a typically laborious process that went on longer than usual as negotiations happen on and off the chamber floor. The White House legislative team also was at the Capitol.

A few of the amendments — to strike parts of the bill that would limit Medicaid funds to rural hospitals or shift the costs of food stamp benefits to the states — were winning support from a few Republicans, though almost none were passing.

One amendment was overwhelmingly approved. It would strip a provision barring states from regulating artificial intelligence if they receive certain federal funding. It was approved 99-1.

What’s in the big bill

All told, the Senate bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, according to the latest CBO analysis, making permanent Trump’s 2017 rates, which would expire at the end of the year if Congress fails to act, while adding the new ones he campaigned on, including no taxes on tips.

The Senate package would roll back billions of dollars in green energy tax credits, which Democrats warn will wipe out wind and solar investments nationwide. It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states.

Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants.

Democrats fighting all day and night

Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress are using the tools at their disposal to delay and drag out the process.

Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took 16 hours, and they have a stream of amendments.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern at the start of debate late Sunday about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump’s first term are now “current policy” and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits.

She said that kind of “magic math” won’t fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books.

___

Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Michelle L. Price, Kevin Freking, Matt Brown, Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.

General Daily Insight for July 01, 2025

Equilibrium might be hard to find. The sensitive Moon moves into Libra at 5:16 pm EDT, which normally helps to create a sense of balance within us. Unfortunately, today holds more challenges to this idealized inner peace. Such issues arise once the Moon opposes Saturn, creating stubborn obstacles and delays that frustrate our attempts to create harmony. Later, the Moon wrestles with Neptune as well, adding further potential layers of confusion, miscommunication, and exhaustion. Let’s give ourselves some grace if we’re knocked off balance.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You might be getting in your own way. Someone may push your buttons, leading you to act out of character and speak out of turn, potentially when you really want to make a good impression. Being aware of what’s setting off your feelings can help you take note of when you’ve let your emotions or preconceived notions get in the way of thinking ahead. The more grounded you are when you approach any obstacle, the better of an outcome you’re likely to see.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Mustering up motivation may currently be challenging. You might find that you’re running on empty despite still having the normal amount of everyday tasks to accomplish, or there may be an issue that pops up to stand in the way of your regularly-scheduled progress. With your determination and optimism, you’re unlikely to be stuck in one place for long, unless you’re unable to break free from your usual approach. Make sure to think outside the box in order to make some real headway.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Trying to go in many directions risks stalling you. You might struggle to know where to go next due to the paradox of choice — you simply have too many appealing options for your future! Doing some pondering of your opportunities is wise, but you can only think about it without taking action for so long. This could be a good time to just pick one and move forward. Too much deliberation can lead to missing out on all of them.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

It may be hard for others to see past their personal perception of you. The way that you see yourself is what it is due to the time that you’ve spent living in your own skin, but others only know what you’ve shown them. Plus, that gets mixed with their preconceived ideas and anything they’ve heard from others. Instead of going silent when you know that you’re being projected upon, make it clear who you are, and that your word is your bond.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Miscommunication can speedily send you down the wrong path. This information that you learn can come from someone close to you and could be relevant to you or someone you know personally. Conversely, it may be broad-scope trivia that you learn about the outside world. Regardless of the subject matter, it’s likely to be incorrect in some way, shape, or form, and it should be carefully scrutinized before you share it with more people or act on it. Get the source!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Be aware of how much energy you’re putting into a single matter. You may feel as though you’re in the right headspace, only to turn around and realize that you’ve been putting all of your efforts into one place, letting the rest of your life fall apart. It could have been an area of life that was very demanding, and possibly still is, but this doesn’t mean that you can let everything else tumble down. If you need to, ask for help.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Someone close to you may be blocking your vision. They could be trying to make you believe that you’re thinking for yourself. Meanwhile, you’re likely noticing that they’re casting doubts on your intuition and leading you in the direction that they want to go, rather than a direction that you agreed on together. It’s frustrating for someone to try to put you in the sidecar of their life just because you don’t want to create conflict, so speak up for yourself and maintain your boundaries.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

A lack of planning may have resulted in a lack of direction. You might feel as though you are struggling to figure out where to go next, and it might seem as though there are no good options — or no options at all. Don’t be discouraged! It’ll potentially take just a little more digging to find the right path. There’s no need to fear the idea of taking baby steps in one direction to see if it’s the right one. It’s okay to explore.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Taking a risk might result in something immensely shocking. You may find that the information that you’ve been given surrounding this gamble is not quite accurate — specifically, it could be too good to be true. Find your footing and realize that the urgency others involved are trying to impose upon you is created by them, not sourced from your reality. The truth is, you have time to figure out what you want to do. You shouldn’t have to rush yourself for them.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Confusion regarding how you feel in this moment can lead to confusion for others. It might be difficult for you to identify how you’re feeling right now, but that won’t stop others from being able to see that you are reacting to something. They may ask you why you’re behaving the way that you are, and you may not have an immediate answer for them — and that’s okay! You’re allowed to wait and fully feel your feelings before trying to analyze them.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Not saying what’s truly on your heart may be holding you back. You might find that there are people in your life who are doing their best to figure out what’s on your mind, but they could be struggling because no communication is being given to them. Alternatively, it may be the reverse of this situation, where you are attempting to figure out what’s on their mind, and they are stonewalling you. Don’t let the conversation end without finding — or offering — clarity.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Stability can start to feel stifling. The security that you’ve been trying to create may be harder to see right now, as it may seem like more of a cage than a fortress. Be wary of the temptation to tear it all down and start over in the name of feeling free. Instead of acting on this impulse, take a few breaths and think it over. What takes a long time to build can be torn down quickly, so make sure it’s what you want.

Today is Monday, June 30, the 181st day of 2025. There are 184 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On June 30, 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his “blood purge” of political and military rivals in Germany in what came to be known as the “Night of the Long Knives.”

Also on this date:

In 1918, labor activist and socialist Eugene V. Debs was arrested in Cleveland, charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 for a speech he had made two weeks earlier in which he denounced U.S. involvement in World War I. (Debs was sentenced to prison and disenfranchised for life.)

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In 1921, President Warren G. Harding nominated former President William Howard Taft to be chief justice of the United States, succeeding the late Edward Douglass White.

In 1936, Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone With the Wind” was released.

In 1958, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill.

In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that the government could not prevent The New York Times or The Washington Post from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

In 1971, A Soviet space mission ended in tragedy when three cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 11 were found dead of asphyxiation inside their capsule after it had returned to Earth.

In 1985, 39 American hostages from a hijacked TWA jetliner were freed in Beirut after being held for 17 days.

In 1994, the U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the national championship and banned her for life for her role in the attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.

In 2009, American soldier Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl went missing from his base in eastern Afghanistan, and was later confirmed to have been captured by insurgents after walking away from his post. (Bergdahl was released on May 31, 2014, in exchange for five Taliban detainees; he pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, but was spared a prison sentence by a military judge.)

In 2012, Islamist Mohammed Morsi was sworn in as Egypt’s first freely elected president during a pair of ceremonies.

In 2016, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that transgender people would be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military, ending one of the last bans on service in the armed forces.

In 2019, Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea, meeting Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.

In 2020, then-Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a landmark bill retiring the last state flag bearing the Confederate battle emblem. Boston’s arts commission voted unanimously to remove a statue depicting a freed slave kneeling at Abraham Lincoln’s feet.

In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in to the U.S. Supreme Court, shattering a glass ceiling as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Lea Massari (“L’Avventura”) is 92.
• Actor Nancy Dussault (doo-SOH’) is 89.
• Olympic track champion Billy Mills is 87.
• Oceanographer Robert Ballard is 83.
• Singer-songwriter Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band) is 81.
• Jazz musician Stanley Clarke is 74.
• Actor David Garrison (“Married…with Children) is 73.
• Actor-comedian David Alan Grier is 69.
• Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen is 67.
• Actor Vincent D’Onofrio is 66.
• Actor Deirdre Lovejoy (“The Wire”) is 63.
• Actor Rupert Graves is 62.
• Boxer Mike Tyson is 59.
• Actor Monica Potter is 54.
• Actor Rick Gonzalez is 46.
• Actor Lizzy Caplan is 43.
• Country music singer-songwriter Cole Swindell is 42.
• Singer and actress Fantasia is 41.
• Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps is 40.
• Baseball player Trea Turner is 32.

General Daily Insight for June 30, 2025

The month is wrapping up on a helpful note. The Sun isn’t even halfway through its tour of Cancer, and yet the last week has already brought one pivotal angle our way after another! Today should be a terrific opportunity to catch our collective breath and take stock of our situation. The Moon is in capable, no-nonsense Virgo, so we finally have a chance to make sense of any big moments we’ve dealt with recently. A little careful analysis should make everything seem worlds simpler.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Take time to check in with your body. The Moon is in your wellness sector, so it couldn’t hurt to focus on nurturing yourself and making sure you are getting proper rest and relaxation tonight. You don’t need to completely overhaul your routine. In fact, it would be wise to avoid trying to accomplish too much at once. Instead, listen to what your body needs, such as more sleep, greens, exercise, or something else entirely. Don’t put off giving it a proper dose.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Go on and enjoy yourself, Taurus. You aren’t going to be in the mood to focus on serious topics while the Moon is dancing its way through your fun-loving 5th house, so there’s little point in attempting to roll up your sleeves when you’d rather go kick up your heels. There’s no need to crowdsource any opinions about what you should do or how you should spend your time. That’s entirely up to you right now, so pursue your pleasures without fear!

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Settle into your domestic side, Gemini. There is no need to go running out the door first thing, thanks to the Moon gently spinning through your 4th House of Comfort. Even if you do find that you can’t entirely ignore the outside world, you will likely want to set aside time this evening to chill out on the couch, enjoying the company of loved ones or a bit of well-deserved solitude, if that’s more your thing. It’s your place — you make the rules.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

There is no need to rush today. The Moon is in your busy 3rd house, but just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you must get overwhelmed or have no time for fun. Take things one at a time, making a point not to force yourself to hurry through anything. That way, you should be able to maintain a gentle equilibrium without causing yourself undue stress. If others attempt to rush you, feel free to firmly (but politely) let them know where your boundaries are.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Being productive shouldn’t require working yourself to the bone. You can make adequate progress without burning the midnight oil while the Moon is in your money sector, where it is upping your focus on the work that matters most. Keep in mind that this sector also loves to indulge your senses, so there isn’t any reason you can’t treat yourself for a job well done come the end of the day. If you’ve earned a reward, then by all means, give yourself one!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Turn your attention inward. The Moon is currently in the midst of its monthly tour of your motivated sign, pointing out the benefits of checking in with yourself and making sure that all your internals are on the up-and-up. As June comes to an end, this would be an ideal moment to think about what you want July to look like. Consider listing what you would like to achieve by the time the Moon arrives in your sign again in four weeks.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Easy does it, Libra. You are being given the cosmic green light to take it easy and move at a glacial pace while the Moon is in your quiet 12th house. This sector does not encourage action or radical change — it’s more like an opportunity to detox anything from your life which no longer serves you. Call it an early night and get your fair eight hours, perhaps even longer, so you’ll be fully energized when the Moon enters your sign soon enough.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Check in with the people in your life. The Moon’s presence in your 11th House of Networking sets the stage for socialization, helping you touch base with old friends while also making new acquaintances along the way. This sector puts a real emphasis on working together in any capacity, for a big group project or simply a communal aim to have fun. Remember that many hands make light work; there has rarely been a better time to be your friendliest self.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Accomplish what you want within your desired timeframe. The Moon is in your 10th House of Success, so you are more than happy to let your ambitions guide you. Still, the Moon won’t be making any major aspects today, so there is no need to try and move mountains when the process won’t be any easier than usual. Wait for the planets to give you a bit more oomph before attempting anything major. For the moment, keep your concentration bound to any tasks at hand.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Being adventurous is not the same as being reckless. It is absolutely natural if you want to dive into life and swim around more than normal while the Moon is in your curious 9th house, but you should make sure it’s safe to jump before you do so. This doesn’t mean you need to be overly cautious or wrap yourself up in red tape. Simply do your best to consider any important moves before you make them, and not after.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Today is covered in a layer of fog. It is tempting to think you need to read between the lines while the Moon is undercover in your secretive 8th house. That being said, the Moon is void-of-course, so won’t be making any angles, be they useful or otherwise. With that knowledge in your pocket, hold off on making any important decisions or attempting to crack open any major issues. The results likely won’t pan out in a way that is favorable for anyone, including you.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Life isn’t meant to be faced alone. The stars are reminding you of the benefit of forming partnerships as the Moon moves along through your one-on-one sector. They’re guiding you to align yourself with people who are on the same page as you, or at least want to be. The nature of the connection is not all that important. All that matters is coming together to pursue a shared objective, regardless of whether you’re chasing fun, finances, or something else entirely.

By DAVID BRANDT

PHOENIX — Otto Lopez hit a go-ahead, two-run single and Kyle Stowers added a three-run double during an eighth-inning rally and the Miami Marlins completed a three-game sweep by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 on Sunday.

The streaking Marlins have won seven in a row.

The Diamondbacks took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but lefty Jalen Beeks walked the bases loaded with two outs. Lopez then hit a line drive into left that scored Liam Hicks and Dane Myers for a 3-2 lead. Agustin Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases again and Stowers hit a bases-clearing double to push the advantage to 6-2.

Arizona’s pitchers walked 10 batters and the team dropped its fourth straight game to fall below .500 at 41-42.

Beeks (2-1) gave up five earned runs and recorded just two outs, one day after giving up three earned runs and recording one out in an 8-7 loss.

D-backs lefty Eduardo Rodríguez had another good outing, giving up one run on four hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five. The 32-year-old had a 1.98 ERA over 27 1/3 innings in June.

Miami’s Cal Quantrill gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over five innings, striking out five. Lake Bachar (4-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and Ronny Henriquez handled the ninth for his third save.

Ketel Marte’s solo homer in the third put the D-backs up 2-1. It was his 17th homer of the season.

Key moment

The D-backs cut it to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth, but Calvin Faucher struck out Jake McCarthy with runners on first and second to end the threat.

Key stat

Arizona’s bullpen is one of the worst in baseball with a 5.22 ERA coming into Sunday’s game.

Up next

The Marlins return home to face the Minnesota Twins and RHP Joe Ryan (8-3, 2.86 ERA) on Tuesday.

The D-backs continue their homestand on Monday when RHP Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.71) takes the mound against the San Francisco Giants and RHP Logan Webb (7-5, 2.52).

MIAMI GARDENS — Despite a loud crowd of Flamengo supporters that made Hard Rock Stadium sound like it had moved to Rio de Janeiro, German powerhouse club Bayern Munich survived its Round of 16 bout with the Brazilian side and advanced to the Club World Cup quarterfinals with a 4-2 win on Sunday.

Bayern will face reigning Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, which eliminated Inter Miami on Sunday, in the quarterfinals in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday.

Superstar forward Harry Kane scored Bayern’s second and fourth goals of the match, giving his club an insurance goal each time. His second goal put Bayern ahead 4-2 and took the wind out of Flamengo’s sails when it was attempting a comeback.

“It was a tough game, for sure,” Kane said. “I think it was a great experience to play against these type of teams. The game can be very physical at times. Every ball is contested, every draw is a big challenge, and you have to be ready to fight and to try and help the team in many different ways. So they were a good side today. They had some really dangerous players. They had some fast players. So we had to be focused the whole game.”

Bayern Munich secured a quick lead, scoring on a sixth-minute corner when Flamengo’s Erick accidentally headed the kick past his own keeper.

It would not be long before Bayern got a goal on its own merits, though. Kane, fresh off his first-ever trophy, extended Bayern’s lead to two with a strike from just outside the 18-yard box in the game’s 10th minute.

Flamengo nearly got a goal back about 15 minutes into the match, but Bayern’s long-time star keeper Manuel Neuer denied the shot from Flamengo forward Luiz Araujo.

After sustaining pressure on Bayern’s defense, Flamengo got on the board in the 33rd minute with a shot from inside the penalty box by midfielder Gerson, cutting the German club’s lead to one and sending the large section of Flamengo fans into raucous cheers.

Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka put his team back ahead, scoring a long-range goal in the 41st minute to push his squad ahead 3-1.

However, Flamengo came out strong in the second half. After a Bayern handball in the penalty box, Flamengo star Jorginho scored a penalty to put the Brazilian side within a goal again.

Kane scored his second goal in the 73rd minute, halting Flamengo’s momentum and securing the win for Bayern.

“It’s the hardest thing to coach,” Bayern manager Vincent Kompany said. “It really is. I’ve been a player myself. In these moments, you take responsibility. It doesn’t matter how good your coach is. … The main thing is you have to stay calm. So it’s something that the players did. It’s the experience, as well, but it’s also something we talk about. It’s like we know if it happens, we can’t lose the game in five minutes because we have a bad period.”

By PAUL NEWBERRY

ATLANTA — João Neves scored a pair of goals for Paris Saint-Germain and the world’s best team overwhelmed one of the game’s greatest players, embarrassing Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 4-0 in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup on Sunday.

With Messi facing the team where he spent two seasons before moving to Major League Soccer in the twilight of his stellar career, the European champions quickly erased the Herons’ hopes of pulling off a monumental upset before a crowd of 65,574 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Neves scored his first goal just six minutes into the match, converting a header at the back post off a free kick. The Portuguese midfielder added another in the 39th minute before Inter Miami totally fell apart in the closing stages of the first half, surrendering an own-goal and then watching helplessly as Achraf Hakimi tacked on another in stoppage time to send PSG to the locker room with a four-goal cushion.

It was reminiscent of PSG’s historic 5-0 rout of Inter Milan a month ago in the Champions League final, when the Paris club won its first European title and established itself as the clear favorite heading into the expanded Club World Cup.

The pink-clad fans tried to stir No. 10 with occasional chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!” but it did little good. The Argentine star spent most of the first half just lingering in the midfield, surrounded by PSG players and barely getting a chance to touch the ball.

Inter Miami’s best chance came early in the second half. A pass to Luis Suárez sent him clear at the side of the net, but the ball slid harmlessly off his foot without a shot. The 38-year-old striker kicked a water bottle over the barrier in frustration, summing up the day for the Herons.

Messi finally connected with Inter Miami’s first shot on goal in the 63rd minute, but it was easily scooped up by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Messi had another chance on a header with about 10 minutes remaining, forcing Donnarumma to make a diving save in the only real threat to his third shutout of the tournament.

PSG advanced to a quarterfinal match next Saturday, also in Atlanta, against either Flamengo or Bayern Munich.

Key moment

The European powerhouses came into this tournament showing little enthusiasm for the added workload at the end of a grueling season. But, right from the opening kick, PSG played like a team that appears intent on capping its already brilliant campaign with a Club World Cup title.

Takeaways

Even with aging international stars such as Messi and Suarez, the MLS club wasn’t in the same league with the European champs.

Facing fierce pressure from PSG, Inter Miami struggled simply to get the ball out of its own half.

PSG held 73% possession in the first half and outshot the Herons 10-0, including six attempts on goal.

Two more property insurers have been approved to serve Florida’s beleaguered homeowner market, the state Office of Insurance Regulation announced.

The office on Friday identified the two new companies in a news release as Incline National Insurance Company, headquartered in Texas, and Florida Insurance and Reinsurance Company, a Florida-domiciled company that Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky said will primarily offer coverage for condominiums and condo associations.

More companies will be announced in the “near future,” Yaworsky was quoted in the release as saying.

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The two new carriers are the 13th and 14th to enter Florida’s market since lawmakers enacted reforms in 2022 and 2023 that have decreased financial incentives for policyholders, repair contractors, roofing companies and plaintiffs attorneys to file what insurers contend are “frivolous lawsuits.”

The others are Apex Star Reciprocal Exchange, Mangrove Property Insurance Company, ASI Select Insurance Corp., Trident Reciprocal Exchange, Ovation Home Insurance Exchange, Manatee Insurance Exchange, Condo Owners Reciprocal Exchange, Orange Insurance Exchange, Orion180 Select Insurance Company, Orion180 Insurance Company, Mainsail Insurance Company, and Tailrow Insurance Exchange

New companies, even those formed by existing insurers, start out with clean slates, unburdened by claims and lawsuits that predate the reforms. Many of the new companies build their initial books of business by participating in depopulation of state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. because there are no initial acquisition costs.

As of Sunday, a database of depopulation approvals on the office’s website does not include either of the new companies announced on Friday.

Incline National has been approved to write coverage in Florida for homeowners multi-peril, allied lines, inline marine, workers compensation and private passenger auto. The company, in business for more than 75 years, intends to offer policies statewide, the release said.

In addition to condominiums, Florida Insurance and Reinsurance plans to offer coverage for smaller, multi-tenant office buildings, according to the release. A specialist in reinsurance, or insurance that insurers must buy, the company will offer reinsurance products designed to provide exposure management support, enhance underwriting capacity and optimize capital efficiency, the release added.

The news release also included several statistics that point to stabilization of rates and a return to profitability across the Florida industry.

Companies incorporated and headquartered in the state reported $944 million in net income in 2024, up from $292 million in 2023 and a $741 million net loss in 2022, the release said.

Since January 2024, 27 companies filed for a rate decrease and 41 requested no change or a 0% increase, according to the release. While many states throughout the nation are experiencing rate increases similar to those that have bedeviled Florida homeowners in recent years, Florida led the nation with the nation’s lowest increase of just 1% in 2024, S&P Global reported.

The news release also invited more companies to apply to sell insurance in the state.

“Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and (the Office of Insurance Regulation) strives to conclude the review process of all complete applications within 60 days of submission,” it said.

Companies can be approved to state insurance companies by raising $2.5 million to $5 million, the office’s website states.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071 or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

 

MIAMI — In a somewhat surprising but also likely strategic move, Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson on Sunday invoked the early termination clause on his contract, moving into NBA free agency.

The immediate ramification is Robinson’s $20 million salary for 2025-26 being removed from the Heat books.

In essence, Robinson effectively opted out of the $10 million guaranteed money for 2025-26, with the second half of his 2025-26 salary non-guaranteed until July 8.

With the move, it positions Robinson to move on to another contract with the Heat, one that would replace the $10 million bypassed by opting out, plus allow for additional seasons to be added to his Heat tenure.

Sunday’s move also leaves open the possibility of a sign-and-trade deal moving Robinson elsewhere, perhaps to a team in need of shooting that then could compensate the Heat with assets.

As part of the five-year, $90 million contract signed by the 3-point specialist in the 2021 offseason, Robinson negotiated the right to terminate his contract ahead of the $20 million salary deadline on the final year, with that deadline at 5 p.m. Sunday.

With Robinson invoking his termination option, it allowed the Heat to move below the luxury tax for next season, even with the two-year, $24 agreement reached Saturday with guard Davion Mitchell.

It is against the backdrop of Robinson’s move that the Heat will enter Monday’s 6 p.m. start of NBA free agency, standing as a team more likely to trade than outright sign a free agent.

When it comes to trade capital, the Heat’s primary asset at the moment appears to be Andrew Wiggins, the forward acquired along with Mitchell and Kyle Anderson in the Feb. 6 deal at the NBA trade deadline that sent forward Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.

Already Wiggins has been linked to numerous potential trade possibilities, including ones for Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan, Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal and Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent who is expected to be on the move in a sign-and-trade agreement.

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While teams can open negotiations with outside free agents Monday, such deals cannot become official until the July 6 close of the NBA offseason signing moratorium.

That nonetheless will have Monday as the starting point of a busy offseason stretch, with Tuesday the first day the Heat can negotiate an extension with forward Nikola Jovic and Saturday the start of Heat summer-league play.

The Heat got ahead of free agency on several levels, with teams allowed to negotiate with their own free agents in advance of Monday’s start of the leaguewide period. That not only had the team reaching the agreement with Mitchell that will be finalized on July 6, but also guaranteeing the salary of 2024 undrafted forward Keshad Johnson and extending a qualifying offer to Dru Smith, the guard who spent last season on a two-way contract.

Among the incumbent free agents from the Heat’s season-ending roster eligible to be signed elsewhere beginning on Monday are Alec Burks, Josh Christopher and Isaiah Stevens, with the latter two finishing last season on two-way deals.

While the NBA utilizes the upcoming week to finalize the 2025-26 salary cap, certain agreements are allowed to be consummated in the interim starting Tuesday, including agreements with first-round picks on the pre-set rookie scale, minimum-scale contacts and the extending of offer sheets to restricted free agents.

For the Heat, factoring into any moves will be a standard roster already at 14 players against the NBA regular-season limit of 15 players under standard contract: Mitchell, Wiggins, Anderson, Jovic, Johnson, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love, Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson and Wednesday night’s first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis. A Robinson return would make that total 15, as would a return by Burks.

Teams also are allowed to carry up to three players under two-way contracts during the regular season, with former Florida Atlantic University center Vlad Goldin agreeing to such a Heat deal after going undrafted out of Michigan on Thursday. Smith also is expected to return on such a deal once his qualifying offer is converted into a contract.

Teams are allowed to carry a maximum of 20 players under contract during the offseason, a total that does not include those on summer tryout deals, such as a significant portion of the roster the Heat will take into summer-league play.

Tropical Storm Barry formed off the east coast of Mexico on Sunday, becoming the second named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.

On Sunday evening, Barry was 35 miles east-southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds at 45 mph. The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in area of steep terrain.

Here’s the updated forecast cone:

A 57-year-old Central Florida woman was arrested for aggravated animal cruelty after the discovery of dead pets in an abandoned home on Friday, according to a release from the Edgewater Police Department.

Officers responded to a call in the 3100 block of Pine Tree Drive in the southeast Volusia County city following a report related to possible animal abuse, the release stated. Access to the property had been granted to stakeholders of the home after a long-standing civil dispute. The residence had been vacated over a year ago by Danielle McGinnis, police said.

Upon entering the home, officers found remains of two dogs, two cats and three birds all in advanced stages of decomposition. Police said there was no sign of food or water for the animals, and investigators believe the animals died from prolonged starvation or dehydration, according to the release.

Police said they also found deplorable living conditions such as widespread animal feces and severe disrepair, rendering the property uninhabitable.

Neighbors confirmed they had not seen McGinnis at the residence in nearly a year, police said.

McGinnis was later located in Daytona Beach and was interviewed by officers, the release stated. During the interview, she admitted to leaving the animals inside of the home when she moved out a year ago. She claimed to have asked a friend to look over the animals but couldn’t provide a name or contact information.

McGinnis was arrested and charged Saturday with seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty resulting in death, the release said. She was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail with a bond set to $70,000.

Edgewater Animal Control removed the dead animals from the property for respectful handling and appropriate final disposition.

By Amanda Hernández, Stateline.org

After years of pressure over lost or untested sexual assault kits, a growing number of states are adopting systems to track the kits — giving survivors a way to follow their evidence through the justice process.

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But despite nearly $400 million in federal support since 2015, backlogs persist, and some states still lack basic oversight. And now, advocates fear such financial support is on shaky ground.

There are an estimated 49,248 untested kits across the country, according to data collected by the Joyful Heart Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group. Although the exact number of backlogged kits nationwide is unknown, a 2022 report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service that summarized existing research found backlog estimates ranging from 90,000 to 400,000 kits.

After a sexual assault, a survivor may choose to undergo a forensic exam, during which a trained health care professional collects evidence over the course of several hours.

That evidence — which may include clothing, photos of injuries, blood, urine and DNA samples — is compiled into what’s commonly known as a rape kit or sexual assault kit. The kit is then sent to a crime lab for further testing.

Test results are sometimes returned to investigators who check for DNA matches in national or state databases. A match could connect the case to other sexual assaults or link a suspect to another crime.

But processing a single kit can take days, months or even years, depending on when they are submitted and how much other work crime labs have. In some states, there are no laws requiring law enforcement to send rape kits to a lab within a specific time frame or mandating how quickly those kits must be tested.

Survivors are often left in the dark. They may not know if their kit was tested, whether a suspect was identified, or if their case is moving forward.

That silence — the uncertainty about what happened to the kit — has long been the norm in many parts of the country.

“We have betrayed at least a generation of survivors in the way that the criminal justice system and the larger public have responded to sexual assault,” said Rachel Lovell, an associate professor of criminology and the director of the Criminology Research Center at Cleveland State University. Lovell has conducted extensive research on the impact of untested rape kits in Ohio.

The goal of tracking systems is straightforward: bring transparency to a process that for decades left survivors without answers. These systems allow victims to log in and track the status of their kits — from collection to testing to storage — and offer law enforcement agencies a tool to identify and prevent testing backlogs, and strengthen criminal investigations.

At least 37 states and Washington, D.C., have established or committed to establishing a rape kit tracking system, according to the End the Backlog website run by the Joyful Heart Foundation. The foundation supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

Two more states — New Jersey and Pennsylvania — announced plans this year to build their own tracking systems. In New Jersey, a new law gives the attorney general’s office until Aug. 1 to set up the tracking system. Pennsylvania officials are preparing to launch a statewide inventory of kits to better understand the scope of the backlog before developing their system.

A handful of other states have also enacted or are considering legislation to support their sexual assault kit tracking programs.

In Arizona, for example, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill into law in May requiring all police departments in the state to use a system called “Track-Kit.” The new law primarily affects the Phoenix Police Department, which opted out of using the system in 2016. That department is expected to launch the platform later this year.

At the federal level, support for kit testing and tracking has often come from the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, which has awarded nearly $400 million to 96 grantees, including local and state agencies, across 44 states since 2015.

But the program’s future has not always been certain.

In January, the federal Office of Management and Budget had listed the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative as a program whose funding would be frozen, before walking back the widespread freeze amid legal challenges.

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 would maintain funding for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative at $51.5 million, according to a new report from the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice.

But a separate round of federal Department of Justice grant cuts in April has raised concerns about the stability of broader support services for survivors. That round of cuts affected a variety of grant programs, including domestic violence shelters, trauma counseling, legal assistance and hospital advocacy.

The timing is especially concerning, advocates say, as victims of crime face growing obstacles to accessing state-provided support. In many states, victims seeking financial compensation encounter long delays, burdensome paperwork or are disqualified entirely by narrow eligibility rules.

Police investigations and funding

In jurisdictions that have worked to clear their backlogs, testing sexual assault kits has helped identify serial offenders, solve cold cases and connect assaults or other crimes to the same perpetrator.

Nationwide, testing supported by the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has contributed to at least 1,538 convictions. Still, these types of crimes are vastly underreported to police.

Rapes and sexual assaults are notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute, said Lovell, of Cleveland State University. But testing all rape kits can reveal patterns of criminal behavior over time and provide deeper insight into how, when and to whom these crimes are happening — ultimately helping improve support and case outcomes for survivors.

“By prosecuting sex offenders, you can also work to address violent crime more generally and solve past or future crimes with the addition of evidence and DNA,” Lovell told Stateline.

In her research on untested rape kits in Ohio, Lovell has found that since 2015 — when the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative launched — cases overseen by the Cleveland Police Department have been more likely to move forward in the investigative and prosecutorial process, with fewer being labeled as unfounded. Police reports, she said, also have become more detailed and trauma informed.

The initiative itself may not be the sole reason for these changes, Lovell said. Other factors, such as departmental policy changes or officer training, may also have played a role.

Although SAKI grants remain one of the primary sources of support for testing backlogged kits and building tracking systems, communities may face challenges sustaining progress once the federal dollars run out.

Capt. Tim Hegarty, division commander of the Office of Professional Standards at the Glynn County Police Department in Georgia, said local agencies must push through potential funding cuts.

“It falls back on agencies to do the job that they say they’re going to do, even when the money has dried up,” Hegarty said in an interview. “Doesn’t matter who’s in the (presidential) administration.”

Hegarty added that many departments across the country are still catching up when it comes to interviewing victims with sensitivity and investigating sex crimes.

“Law enforcement really has not advanced a great deal when it comes to dealing with these types of crimes,” Hegarty said. “It’s not the universal language when it comes to policing across the country.”

New statewide tracking systems

Other states are looking to strengthen existing programs through new oversight measures and stricter processing timelines.

Maine is one of the 11 states without a statewide rape kit tracking system. But state lawmakers are considering a bill that would create one and require law enforcement agencies and the state’s crime lab to inventory and test backlogged kits. The bill passed the House in mid-June and is currently under consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill in early June aimed at improving the state’s capacity to process sexual assault kits. The new law establishes the Colorado Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Evidence Review Board, which will evaluate the state’s medical, legal and criminal responses to sexual assault.

The governor and attorney general have until Aug. 1 to appoint board members. A preliminary report is due to lawmakers by Dec. 15.

The law also strengthens oversight of kit processing timelines. Law enforcement agencies must now provide survivors with updates on the status of their kits every 90 days. It also sets a new 60-day goal for crime labs to process forensic medical evidence, shortening the current 90-day goal.

As of May 31, 1,324 kits were backlogged, with an estimated testing turnaround time of about a year and a half, according to the state’s dashboard.

Alaska, which launched its statewide rape kit tracking system in 2023, considered a bill this year that would have expedited processing timelines for sexual assault kits. The bill passed the House without opposition but failed to advance through the Senate before the legislative session ended in May.

Although the number of untested kits has significantly declined since the state began inventorying them in 2017, 254 kits remained untested at the state’s crime lab in 2024 — up from 113 the previous year but well below the 3,484 recorded in 2017.

In Georgia, lawmakers considered a similar bill that would have established new rules for collecting, testing and tracking evidence from sexual assault kits. The bill did not advance before the legislature adjourned in April.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported in December that 2,298 kits were tested between July 2023 and June 2024, with 480 kits still awaiting testing. Another 1,612 older cases submitted before 1999 were flagged for DNA testing, of which 837 had been tested as of June 2024.

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