South Florida Local News

Today is Friday, Dec. 5, the 339th day of 2025. There are 26 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 5, 1952, the Great Smog of London descended on the British capital; the unusually thick fog, which contained toxic pollutants, lasted five days and was blamed for causing thousands of deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1848, in an address to Congress, President James K. Polk sparked the Gold Rush of ’49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.

Related Articles

• US military conducts strike on another suspected drug boat as probe into the first strike begins
• Grand jury rejects new mortgage fraud indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James
• Stress of Houthi combat was a key factor in series of costly Navy mishaps, investigations show
• 4-day school weeks are growing in popularity, despite a lack of data on the effects
• After shutdown, federal employees face new uncertainty: affording health insurance

In 1933, Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

In 1955, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.

In 1994, Republicans chose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades.

In 2008, O.J. Simpson was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison after being convicted of 12 criminal charges in connection with a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel. (Simpson was released on parole after serving nine years; he died in 2024).

In 2009, a jury in Perugia, Italy, convicted American student Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, of murdering Knox’s British roommate, Meredith Kercher, and sentenced them to long prison terms. (After a series of back-and-forth rulings, Knox and Sollecito were definitively acquitted in 2015 by Italy’s highest court.)

In 2013, Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first Black president, died at age 95.

In 2017, Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan resigned from Congress after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job amid sexual misconduct allegations sweeping the nation’s workplaces; Conyers denied wrongdoing.

In 2023, Peru’s constitutional court ordered a humanitarian release for imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence in connection with the death squad slayings of 25 Peruvians in the 1990s. (Fujimori died in September 2024 at age 86.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Author Calvin Trillin is 90.
• Opera singer Jose Carreras is 79.
• Musician Jim Messina is 78.
• Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins is 76.
• Football Hall of Famer Art Monk is 68.
• Rock singer-musician John Rzeznik (REZ’-nihk) (The Goo Goo Dolls) is 60.
• Country singer Gary Allan is 58.
• Comedian-actor Margaret Cho is 57.
• Actor Paula Patton is 50.
• Singer-songwriter Keri Hilson is 43.
• Actor and stock car driver Frankie Muniz is 40.
• Singer-songwriter Conan Gray is 27.

Senior Jayden Moore and Caleb Butler saw to it that Dr. Joaquin Garcia’s debut in a state championship game was a successful one.

Butler completed 11 of 20 passes for 167 yards and a 19-yard TD to Moore, while Gavin Floyd added a 24-yard field goal as the Bulldogs downed Tate, 10-0, on Thursday night in the inaugural Florida Invitational Tournament (FIT) 7A-4A South Division Championship game at HG Morse Stadium at The Villages Charter School near Orlando.

Bulldogs senior linebacker Dominic Luchina had a game-high 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as Dr. Joaquin Garcia (11-3), winners of six straight, recorded its sixth shutout of the season and second straight in the playoffs. It is also the school’s first state championship in any sport.

Dr. Joaquin Garcia opened three years ago to a 1-9 season and has gone 7-3 the past two years during the regular season. After missing out on a FHSAA playoff bid this year, Bulldogs’ coach Brandon Walker said his team has come a long way.

“This means everything,” Walker said by phone. “You know, if you’d asked me if we’d have been playing for any kind of championship when we opened the doors three years ago, I would have laughed you out of the building.

“Our kids are all about the work; this is all their hard work. My staff’s hard work and our school’s belief in our football program,” Walker added. “This means that the bar has been set; it’s been set high. We’ve had success, so we have to set the bar higher because we have big challenges in front of us. It is only the first step, and we have many, many miles to go. We have mountains to climb.”

Butler connected with Morton to give Dr. Joaquin Garcia a 7-0 lead with 8:30 left in the third quarter to cap a seven-play, 73-yard drive to open the second half.

“I don’t think, for the first half, we came out full gas like we usually do,” said Butler, who threw for 11 TDs in the postseason and finished with 28 for the year.  “Usually, during our games, when we start fast, we end the game really quickly. Tonight, our defense held the ground. I am really proud of them.”

Morton caught his seventh TD of the season in the corner of the end zone as the Bulldogs drew first blood in the game.

 

“We trusted each other, and made some mistakes in the beginning of the game, and we knew how to work through it and overcome the struggles,” Morton said. “The touchdown was magical. I saw where the cornerback was playing, and Caleb threw a beautiful ball. Winning a state championship senior year doesn’t get any better than that. We wanted to go out with a bang, and we did.”

The Bulldogs put together another 73-yard drive to extend the lead to extend the lead to 10-0 on a 24-yard field goal by senior kicker Gavin Boyd. It was his 11th field goal of the season. Dr. Joaquin Garcia benefited from two personal foul penalties that kept the drive alive, including a roughing the punter penalty on a fourth down.

The Aggies took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Dr. Joaquin Garcia 9-yard line, where junior Ethan Priest, who was short on an earlier 40-yard attempt, had his 28-yard field goal attempt blocked by junior defensive end John Georges with 3:38 remaining in the contest.

Morton closed out the game with an interception to seal the game with 1:26 remaining, and the Bulldogs ran out the clock for the win.

Jupiter Christian rolls by Mount Dora

Jupiter Christian jumped out to a 27-7 halftime lead and coasted to a 41-19 victory over Mount Dora Academy in the recent Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 5A state championship game at Villages High School.

It marked the Eagles’ second straight 11-man state championship, and the Eagles soared to a 12-1 record and their 11th consecutive win and 22nd victory of the past 26 games. They defeated St. Joseph Academy last season 37-35 in the title game of the Orlando Health Sunshine State Athletic Association Football, Florida’s Independent High School Athletic Association.

Junior Christian quarterback Dorian Fauntleroy completed 12 of 14 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns, and carried four times for 90 yards and one score to lead the Eagles to their second straight championship. It also ended a 12-game streak by the Bulldogs.

Senior running back RJ Wilkerson carried 19 times for 134 yards and a TD as the Eagles rolled to the title. Junior Luke Beach (77 yards receiving, 2 TDs) and senior Cayden Alula (55 yards receiving, TD) also played well. Alula was also a monster on defense with 11 tackles.

“Winning this year’s championship was a testament to all the hard work we put in during the offseason,” said Jupiter Christian coach Baz Alfred. “From the start of the season, we set a goal, and that was to return to the championship game and win another one… For me personally, it’s not about the trophies. I enjoy seeing the boys develop into athletes, leaders, and young men while in our program.”

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE — Steven Stamkos scored with 57 seconds left in overtime, and the Nashville Predators beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Stamkos’ goal came with the net appearing to be off its moorings, but it held up after a brief review and gave the Predators their fourth win in five games. It was his 53rd goal all-time against Florida, including playoffs, the most by any player against the Panthers.

Carter Verhaeghe scored two days after the birth of his son and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots for the Panthers, but the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions lost their fourth game in a row and their fifth straight at home.

The last time the Panthers had lost as many as five home games in a row was in March of 2020.

Verhaeghe missed Tuesday’s loss to Toronto because his wife was giving birth to their new son Rory, but returned in time for morning skate on Thursday and then the game.

Ryan O’Reilly scored with 6:19 left in the third period to tie the game for Nashville, and Stamkos scored on a rush to win it in the extra period.

Jusse Saros stopped 30 shots for Nashville.

Verhaeghe was asked earlier Thursday if becoming a father compared at all with the feeling of being part of three Stanley Cup championships — one with Tampa Bay, and the last two with Florida over the last two seasons.

“Not even close,” Verhaeghe said. “This one, it’s the best feeling in the world. It doesn’t even come close to any anything. It’s the greatest thing in the world.”

Bobrovsky got some help in the second period. Stamkos actually beat Bobrovsky with a shot from the circle to the right of the Panthers’ net, but defenseman Niko Mikkola got his stick near the goal line and was able to knock the puck away.

Up next

Predators: Visit Carolina on Saturday.

Panthers: Host Columbus on Saturday.

___

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

By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Southern Command announced that it had conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, following a pause of almost three weeks.

It is the 22nd strike the U.S. military has carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs.

There were four casualties in Thursday’s strike, according to the social media post, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people.

Related Articles

• Today in History: December 5, Great Smog of London descends
• Grand jury rejects new mortgage fraud indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James
• Stress of Houthi combat was a key factor in series of costly Navy mishaps, investigations show
• 4-day school weeks are growing in popularity, despite a lack of data on the effects
• After shutdown, federal employees face new uncertainty: affording health insurance

In a video that accompanied the announcement, a small boat can be seen moving across the water before it is suddenly consumed by a large explosion. The video then zooms out to show the boat covered in flames and billowing smoke.

The strike was conducted the same day Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers began an investigation into the very first strike carried out by the military on Sept. 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands.

Bradley told lawmakers there was no “kill them all” order from Hegseth, but a stark 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.

Bradley spoke to lawmakers alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, in a classified session. His testimony provided fresh information at a crucial moment as Hegseth’s leadership comes under scrutiny, but it did little to resolve growing questions about the legal basis for President Donald Trump’s extraordinary campaign to use war powers against suspected drug smugglers.

Lawmakers offered differing accounts of what they saw on the video.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said he saw the survivors “trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for United States back over so they could stay in the fight.”

Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service.”

“You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel,” he said, adding they “were killed by the United States.”

Washington Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the survivors were “basically two shirtless people clinging to the bow of a capsized and inoperable boat, drifting in the water — until the missiles come and kill them.”

After a three-day trial this week, a federal jury found a Broward County woman guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with her role in a scheme that sold thousands of fraudulent nursing diplomas to people across the U.S.

Stephanie Dorisca, 57, was the director of nursing at Techni-Pro Institute LLC in Boca Raton, which offered a practical nursing program and an associate of science in nursing, according to a superseding indictment filed in federal court in November. Charges against her and 11 others were announced in September, nearly three years after federal authorities first announced charges in the scheme where thousands of hopeful nurses bought fake diplomas and transcripts.

Despite never having taken the required courses and clinicals, the documents the aspiring nurses purchased showed that they had, allowing them to take national board exams and land jobs in healthcare if they passed.

Palm Beach School of Nursing in Palm Beach County, Siena College in Lauderhill and Sacred Heart International Institute in Fort Lauderdale also participated in the scheme, federal prosecutors said in 2023. More than 7,600 fake diplomas were sold by those three schools, which are now closed.

The diplomas were sold on average for $15,000, garnering a total of $114 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida previously said.

Thousands have fake nursing diplomas after scam involving three South Florida schools, prosecutors say

Between 2020 and 2023, Dorisca was among the defendants who sold fraudulent diplomas, transcripts and other documents that falsely represented that the purchasers had completed the required courses and trainings at the Boca Raton school when they never had, according to the indictment.

The fraudulent documents “created and distributed” by Dorisca and others allowed those who purchased them to gain employment at and be paid salaries by healthcare providers throughout the country, the indictment said.

Messages included in the indictment showed Dorisca communicating about “nursing student
information” for three different people, an email she sent to someone identified only as J.L. in Texas “arranging a meeting in Texas to discuss processing nursing students” and a text message that discussed a $5,000 bank deposit “as payment for the processing of nursing students.”

At a November court hearing, Dorisca “expressed unequivocally” that she wanted to proceed to trial, according to federal court records.

Trial began Monday, and the jury returned its verdict Wednesday, finding her guilty of all charges: One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be held in March.

She faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years as to each count, according to the indictment.

General Daily Insight for December 05, 2025

A gentle steadiness returns after early friction. We start with the emotional Moon opposing fiery Mars, stirring debates and quick reactions that ask us to breathe and choose softer words. By contrast, action-oriented Mars trines healing Chiron at 5:03 pm EST, opening lanes for repair where brave steps and honest apologies turn misunderstandings into trust. As the nurturing Moon enters Cancer later, home comforts steady us, so evening plans feel calmer and our hearts stay generous. Choose patience now so it can speed tomorrow’s progress.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

When effort meets healing, paths open easily. Learning expands as a flowing trine lights your 9th House of Travel and Higher Learning, encouraging brave plans and honest questions that open new doors. Even as Chiron in your 1st House of Self and Identity exposes old doubts, you can share a bold idea with warmth and still be clearly heard. Consider asking for something you need right now — your steady courage turns curiosity into real movement. Small steps today make next week easier.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

This afternoon favors heartfelt, practical choices. Your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources receives supportive flow from a Mars-Chiron trine, making brave talks about money and trust feel doable and surprisingly warm. Even as your 12th House of Solitude and Closure surfaces private worries, you can slow the pace, breathe, and suggest one clear next step. You may agree on a shared account rule for gifts today. Clear boundaries keep connection warm without draining resources. Choose clarity over speed to protect precious energy.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

How can you turn conflict into progress? Tensions soften into teamwork as a supportive trine lights your 7th House of Partnerships, inviting honest words that aim to repair rather than win. You may suggest a check-in with a coworker over coffee. Negotiated agreements protect care and keep projects moving smoothly. Even if old misunderstandings echo, your 11th House of Friends offers backup, so a trusted ally can mirror your point and ease the conversation. Your patience will encourage others to meet you halfway.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Cancer, your caring nature finds brave footing today. Fiery Mars trines healing Chiron from your 6th House of Work and Health, turning effort into gentle progress and making routines easier to adjust without guilt. You may renegotiate a deadline by explaining your bandwidth. Your body knows its limits and deserves kind scheduling that supports your whole self. Even as your 10th House of Career pushes for perfection, you can prioritize rest and still deliver consistent results that make everyone feel supported. Protect your rhythm so results arrive without strain.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Warm courage melts worry into useful focus. Warrior Mars in your 5th House of Creativity and Romance trines wise Chiron, turning nervous jitters into enthusiastic spark and helping you share your talents with heart. You might pitch your idea in a meeting, because generous attention shines when you relax into authentic expression. Even if your 9th House of Big Ideas tempts you to overpromise, you can choose one fun deliverable and wow people without overwhelm. Lead with warmth and watch support gather quickly.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Clarity lands as small steps build confidence. Home choices feel easier as a harmonious trine focuses your 4th House of Home and Family, inviting steady fixes that protect comfort and restore order. You may rearrange a room or start a gentle budget talk at dinner. A thoughtful structure supports care and lowers stress. Even as your 8th House of Shared Resources stirs deeper feelings, you can move slowly and still create firm, fair boundaries that everyone respects. Keep your options open and heart steady.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

When courage softens pain, bridges appear. Ambitious Mars trines tender Chiron from your 3rd House of Communication, helping you say hard truths with kindness and turn a sticky thread into useful dialogue. You might call a sibling to resolve a mix-up Appreciation and truth together open doors honesty alone could not. Even as your 7th House of Partnerships holds a different viewpoint, you can outline shared goals and leave room for style differences. Balance truth with care to keep bridges strong.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Scorpio, your insight cuts through the noise. Your 2nd House of Money and Values gains a boost from a flowing trine today, helping you choose quality over impulse and recommit to what matters. You may cancel a subscription after checking usage. Focused attention protects resources without sacrificing goodwill or momentum. Even as your 6th House of Work and Health adds new tasks, a simple budget routine keeps momentum and lets you feel in control. Invest in quality so daily life feels easier.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Are you ready to lead with heart? Fiery Mars trines therapeutic Chiron through your identity and first impressions, energizing your voice and giving courage to act on a vision without second-guessing. Pitch a plan to the right person, and go bold with it! Your natural optimism lands as confidence rather than pressure. Even as your 5th House of Creativity invites many playful options, you can focus on one direct expression and let it set the tone. Say yes bravely, because courage invites good company.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

By evening, resolve comes with steadiness. Quiet work goes further than loud hustle as a trine supports your 12th House of Solitude and Closure, making private repair feel unexpectedly productive and kind. You may take a quiet walk before replying, because reflection turns raw feelings into clear, calm choices gently. Even as your 4th House of Home asks for caretaking, small boundaries around chores or visits protect your energy and keep care sustainable today. Gentle pauses now will sharpen tomorrow’s drive.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Confidence grows as friends rally behind you. Your 11th House of Social Networks receives supportive flow today, inviting community help and making it easy to coordinate plans that move causes forward. You might post a call for volunteers on your social channels — coordination beats going solo and saves time for meaningful work. Even as your 3rd House of Communication buzzes with side chats, you can simplify threads and set one agenda everyone can follow. Lean on allies so momentum builds at the right speed.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Soft feelings guide bold, simple choices. Your 10th House of Career and Status benefits from an easy trine, helping you share your work with quiet confidence and set a clear public goal. Request specific feedback from a trusted mentor, because clarity makes your gifts visible and guides your next brave step. Even as your 2nd House of Money nudges practical concerns, you can choose one step that honors both your values and your current bandwidth. Name your goal kindly and let trust grow.

GAINESVILLE — Former Florida coach Billy Napier has reportedly found a new home in a familiar spot, landing at James Madison University of the Sun Belt Conference.

Napier, according to multiple reports, will replace Bob Chesney, who will head to UCLA after the No. 25 Dukes (11-1) host Troy in Friday night’s Sun Belt championship game.

UF fired Napier Oct. 19, the day after a 23-21 homecoming escape against Mississippi State left him 22-23 during four seasons with the Gators. His 48.9 winning percentage is the lowest at UF since the 1940s.

Meanwhile, JMU, based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is 39-10 since joining the FBS level in 2022, including 19-5 under Curt Cignetti. Cignetti left after five seasons with the Dukes for Indiana, where he has turned the No. 2 Hoosiers (12-0) into one of the nation’s top teams.

Chesney replaced Cignetti in 2024 and is 20-5.

Napier will have big shoes to fill, a high standard to meet and improvement to make after his tenure in Gainesville.

The Gators were 12-16 in SEC play, 5-17 against ranked opponents, including 0-14 away from home under Napier.

Florida averaged 21.6 points while going 4-8 in 2025, scoring a single touchdown each in losses to USF, LSU, Miami, Kentucky and Tennessee.

In 2024, UF finished 12th in the SEC in total offense, leading Napier to enter the offseason expected to make an outside hire at offensive coordinator. But he ultimately continued to call plays.

Meanwhile, new UF coach Jon Sumrall hired Georgia Tech’s Buster Faulkner Thursday to energize the Gators’ attack.

Napier, though, could find success again in the Sun Belt Conference. During four seasons at Louisiana 40-12 and winning the 2020 and 2021 conference titles.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and OLIVIA DIAZ, Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department failed Thursday to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge dismissed the previous mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

Prosecutors went back to a grand jury in Virginia after a judge’s ruling halting the prosecution of James and another longtime Trump foe, former FBI Director James Comey, on the grounds that the U.S. attorney who presented the cases was illegally appointed. But grand jurors rejected prosecutors’ request to bring charges.

It’s the latest setback for the Justice Department in its bid to prosecute the frequent political target of the Republican president.

Prosecutors are expected to try again for an indictment, according to one person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

James was initially charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020. Lindsey Halligan, a former White House aide and Trump lawyer, personally presented the case to the grand jury in October after being installed as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia amid pressure from Trump to charge Comey and James.

James has denied any wrongdoing and accused the administration of using the justice system to seek revenge against Trump’s political opponents. In a statement Thursday, James said: “It is time for this unchecked weaponization of our justice system to stop.”

“This should be the end of this case,” her attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement. “If they continue, undeterred by a court ruling and a grand jury’s rejection of the charges, it will be a shocking assault on the rule of law and a devastating blow to the integrity of our justice system.”

Related Articles

• US military conducts strike on another suspected drug boat as probe into the first strike begins
• Supreme Court allows Texas to use a congressional map favorable to Republicans in 2026
• Stress of Houthi combat was a key factor in series of costly Navy mishaps, investigations show
• An NCAA-backed effort to reshape college sport regulations has hit a wall in Congress
• After shutdown, federal employees face new uncertainty: affording health insurance

The allegations related to James’ purchase of a modest house in Norfolk, where she has family. During the sale, she signed a standard document called a “second home rider” in which she agreed to keep the property primarily for her “personal use and enjoyment for at least one year,” unless the lender agreed otherwise.

Rather than using the home as a second residence, James rented it out to a family of three, allowing her to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, prosecutors alleged.

It’s the latest example of pushback by grand jurors since the beginning of the second Trump administration. It’s so unusual for grand jurors to refuse to return an indictment that it was once said that prosecutors could persuade a grand jury to “indict a ham sandwich.” But the Justice Department has faced setbacks in front of grand juries in several recent cases.

Even if the charges against James are resurrected, the Justice Department could face obstacles in securing a conviction against James.

James’ lawyers separately argued the case was a vindictive prosecution brought to punish the Trump critic who spent years investigating and suing the Republican president and won a staggering judgment in a lawsuit alleging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements. The fine was later tossed out by a higher court, but both sides are appealing.

The defense had also alleged “outrageous government conduct” preceding her indictment, which the defense argued warrants the case’s dismissal. The judge hadn’t ruled on the defense’s arguments on those matters before dismissing the case last month over the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie took issue with the mechanism the Trump administration employed to appoint Halligan to lead one of the Justice Department’s most elite and important offices.

Halligan was named as a replacement for Erik Siebert, a veteran prosecutor in the office and interim U.S. attorney who resigned in September amid Trump administration pressure to file charges against both Comey and James.

The following night, Trump said he would be nominating Halligan to the role of interim U.S. attorney and publicly implored Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against his political opponents, saying in a Truth Social post that, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility” and “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Comey was indicted three days after Halligan was sworn in by Bondi, and James was charged two weeks after that.

The Justice Department had defended Halligan’s appointment but has also revealed that Bondi had given Halligan a separate position of “Special Attorney,” presumably as a way to protect the indictments from the possibility of collapse. But Currie said such a retroactive designation could not save the cases.

Richer reported from Washington.

Palm Beach County government spending has surpassed inflation and population growth by more than $344 million this year, Florida’s chief financial officer argued Thursday.

As part of what CFO Blaise Ingoglia called “the wasteful spending exposing tour,” he held a news conference in West Palm Beach to call attention to his office’s findings, holding up placards with large numbers on them.

“Palm Beach County needs to do better. The taxpayers deserve better,” Ingoglia said. “If government didn’t grow, it wouldn’t need all that money. If it didn’t need all that money, you would not have to be taxed to pay for it.”

Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida, is the eleventh location that Ingoglia has visited to call out what he says is wasteful spending by municipal governments. Ingoglia said the $344 million figure is the largest “raw number” DOGE has identified as overspending in the state so far.

Ingoglia visited Broward County on Sept. 30, claiming government officials there overspent by about $190 million this year. These numbers come from analyses conducted by the state’s Department of Governmental Efficiency, following trips the DOGE team took to municipalities across the state earlier this year to audit budgets.

During his news conference, a sign at the lectern read, “FAFO audit,” a reference to the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight, another term being used as part of the initiative.

DOGE ran calculations that looked at fiscal years 2019-2020 to 2024-2025, factoring in inflation and population growth, and incorporating buffers, to determine how much larger governments’ budgets are nowadays than where they “should be” or “could be.”

“Local governments are going to say that they need all this extra revenue. They don’t. They want the extra revenue, but they don’t need it. You know who needs it? You, the taxpayers who are footing the bill for large, bloated, excessive government,” Ingoglia said on Thursday.

Newly appointed Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter, who attended Thursday’s news conference, agreed with Ingoglia’s conclusion: “I think we can do better,” she said.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia holds a news conference at the Okeechobee Steakhouse on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. He points to a graph with the amount of money he claims is being wasted by local government in Palm Beach County. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Ingoglia declined to offer examples of Palm Beach County’s overspending, instead referring to reports issued by DOGE that are set to come out in the future with specific line items. Originally, Ingoglia said these audits would be out around October.

“It’s a bunch of stuff,” Ingoglia said Thursday. “It’s the growth in government itself. Most of government is personnel costs, so a lot of the growth in government over time, adding full-time equivalents, new people, full hires and giving people raises year after year.”

In early October, Ingoglia made a brief remark about how Palm Beach County’s paratransit costs tripled in the last two years during a news conference in Jacksonville with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Local leaders responded saying the paratransit costs had not risen as much as Ingoglia claimed.

Ingoglia also had offered reporters in August some early remarks about what DOGE inspectors had found so far during in-office visits in Palm Beach County.

The DOGE team “identified some things, some area of opportunities here in Palm Beach County, some things that, quite frankly, when I heard it were a little eye-popping,” Ingoglia told reporters outside the county government building on Aug. 19. “I don’t think that the voters in Palm Beach County would agree that that’s probably the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

Part of the DOGE efforts is to advocate for property tax relief, and Ingoglia has frequently referenced the expectation that there will be a referendum question on the November 2026 ballot, possibly to eliminate taxes for homesteaded properties.

“Everyone is feeling the pinch, and this is why property taxes, and it relates to affordability, is going to be such a big issue on the 2026 ballot,” Ingoglia said Thursday. “It’s going to be a big issue for constitutional amendment purposes. It’s going to be a big issue for people running for office. We’re going to have to solve this problem.”

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Thursday came to the rescue of Texas Republicans, allowing next year’s elections to be held under the state’s congressional redistricting plan favorable to the GOP and pushed by President Donald Trump despite a lower-court ruling that the map likely discriminates on the basis of race.

With conservative justices in the majority, the court acted on an emergency request from Texas for quick action because qualifying in the new districts already has begun, with primary elections in March.

The Supreme Court’s order puts the 2-1 ruling blocking the map on hold at least until after the high court issues a final decision in the case. Justice Samuel Alito had previously temporarily blocked the order while the full court considered the Texas appeal.

The justices cast doubt on the lower-court finding that race played a role in the new map, saying in an unsigned statement that Texas lawmakers had “avowedly partisan goals.”

In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal justices that her colleagues should not have intervened at this point. Doing so, she wrote, “ensures that many Texas citizens, for no good reason, will be placed in electoral districts because of their race. And that result, as this Court has pronounced year in and year out, is a violation of the Constitution.”

The high court’s vote “is a green light for there to be even more re-redistricting, and a strong message to lower courts to butt out,” Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Los Angeles law school, wrote on the Election Law Blog.

The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

The Texas congressional map enacted last summer at Trump’s urging was engineered to give Republicans five additional House seats.

Related Articles

• US military conducts strike on another suspected drug boat as probe into the first strike begins
• Grand jury rejects new mortgage fraud indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James
• Stress of Houthi combat was a key factor in series of costly Navy mishaps, investigations show
• An NCAA-backed effort to reshape college sport regulations has hit a wall in Congress
• After shutdown, federal employees face new uncertainty: affording health insurance

The effort to preserve a slim Republican majority in the House in next year’s elections touched off a nationwide redistricting battle.

Texas was the first state to meet Trump’s demands in what has become an expanding national battle over redistricting. Republicans drew the state’s new map to give the GOP five additional seats, and Missouri and North Carolina followed with new maps adding an additional Republican seat each. To counter those moves, California voters approved a ballot initiative to give Democrats an additional five seats there.

The redrawn maps are facing court challenges in California and Missouri. A three-judge panel allowed the new North Carolina map to be used in the 2026 elections.

The Trump administration is suing to block the new California maps, but it called for the Supreme Court to keep the redrawn Texas districts in place.

The justices are separately considering a case from Louisiana that could further limit race-based districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. It’s unclear how the current round of redistricting would be affected by the outcome in the Louisiana case.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Supreme Court’s order “defended Texas’s fundamental right to draw a map that ensures we are represented by Republicans.” He called the redistricting law “the Big Beautiful Map.”

“Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state,” Paxton said in a statement. “This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying: “We won! Texas is officially — and legally — more red.”

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that the court’s decision “to allow Texas Republicans’ rigged, racially gerrymandered maps to go into effect is wrong — both morally and legally. Once again, the Supreme Court gave Trump exactly what he wanted: a rigged map to help Republicans avoid accountability in the midterms for turning their backs on the American people.”

In the Texas case, U.S. District Judges Jeffrey V. Brown and David Guaderrama concluded that the redistricting plan likely dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters in violation of the Constitution. Trump appointed Brown in his first term while President Barack Obama, a Democrat, appointed Guaderrama.

“To be sure, politics played a role in drawing the 2025 Map,” Brown wrote. “But it was much more than just politics. Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map.”

The majority opinion provoked a vituperative dissent from Judge Jerry Smith, an appeals court judge on the panel.

Smith accused Brown of “pernicious judicial misbehavior” for not giving Smith sufficient time before issuing the majority opinion. Smith, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, also disagreed strenuously with the substance of the opinion, saying it would be a candidate for the “Nobel Prize for Fiction,” if there were such an award.

“The main winners from Judge Brown’s opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom,” Smith wrote, referring to the liberal megadonor and California’s Democratic governor. “The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Thursday’s Supreme Court stay, posting on X, “Federal courts have no right to interfere with a State’s decision to redraw legislative maps for partisan reasons.”

The new map eliminated five of the state’s nine “coalition” districts, where no minority group has a majority but together they outnumber non-Hispanic white voters. The total number of congressional districts in which minorities make up a majority of voting-age citizens dropped from 16 to 14.

Yet Republicans argued the map is better for minority voters. There’s a new, eighth Hispanic-majority district, and two Black-majority districts instead of none.

But critics consider that the Hispanic or Black majority in each district is so slim that white voters, who tend to turn out in larger percentages, will control election results.

Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed to this report from Topeka, Kansas.

DALLAS — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 118-108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks:

– So much for the notion of overstated concern.

– Can the Heat make it work with both Tyler Herro and Norman Powell?

– As Wednesday night showed, it ultimately might be the only way.

– Herro did his part, at least in the first half, against the Mavericks.

– Powell was just a spectator, sidelined by an ankle sprain.

– Yes, when Herro returned last week from his September ankle surgery, it initially was an either/or approach by Herro and Powell.

– Understandable.

– Acclimation takes time.

– But few teams go anywhere with just one go-to scorer.

– Except maybe the play-in round.

– In today’s how-high-can-you-go NBA it takes more than one 20-something scorer.

– The Heat have two.

– Getting them and keeping them on the court is the challenge.

– So far with just three games together, Powell sidelined for two others.

– Last week, the Heat made it work with Herro and without Powell against the Mavericks.

Related Articles

• Nothing easy this time for Heat in 118-108 loss in Dallas, as Powell sits out
• Volatility of NBA hits home with Heat when it comes to Davis, Paul; Powell out vs. Mavs
• Window about to open for Heat to add a player, but is there a need or hurry?
• ASK IRA: Can Heat small ball still foster bigger minutes for Kel’el Ware?
• With highs in the 140s, Heat offense continues to sizzle

– But with Anthony Davis back and the game on the Mavericks’ court, more was needed.

– Like the best of Herro. (Check.)

– And the best of Powell. (Street clothes.)

– Can the Heat make it work with Herro and Powell side by side?

– They have to, if they want to take it to another level.

– With Powell out, Heat opened with a lineup of Herro, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, and Davion Mitchell.

– The Mavericks opened with a lineup of Ryan Nembhard, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall and Davis.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. again played as sixth man for the Heat.

– Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio and Kel’el Ware then followed together off the bench for a quick nine deep.

–  Ware reached 100 career blocks shortly after entering.

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reiterated before the game that the Heat’s league-leading pace could still evolve.

– “We still want to do better, some different things,” he said. “And if we need to pivot a little bit, we will. But that’s where we are right now.”

– It was of no matter to Spoelstra that the Mavericks entered 7-15.

– “You have to respect how many close games they’ve been in and how they play, particularly at home,” he said at the morning shootaround at SMU. “It is not indicative of their record at all. I mean, I think one of the more impressive things is they’ve been able to sustain a top-five, top-six defense with that record.”

– The difference between last week’s game against the Mavericks was this time Davis was in uniform for Dallas.

– “He’s a Hall of Fame player,” Spoelstra said, “Look, that’s basically what’s happened with their team. They haven’t been able to fully realize what it could look like with all of their guys healthy and in the right spots.”

– Spoelstra added of his Team USA work with Davis, “I got to know him with USA Basketball. And I love him. I just think he’s about the right things. He impacts winning. He’s a Hall of Fame talent, but he plays the right way on both ends of the court.”

– As he did before last week’s matchup against the Mavericks that the Heat won at Kaseya Center, Spoelstra gushed pregame about Dallas’ Cooper Flagg.

– “He just has a great maturity about him,” Spoelstra said. “He’s not even 19 years old. I just can’t even fathom that. My oldest son is seven, and if I project him, it just doesn’t make sense. And if I was 19 in his shoes, I would stat hunt and not play the right way. He just has a great, competitive spirit, plays the right way, competes to win. That’s an extremely hard thing to teach young players.”

– Flagg then thrived despite three early fouls.

– As for the emergence of undrafted Mavericks point guard Ryan Nembhard, Spoelstra joked about Gonzaga coach and fellow USA Basketball coach Mark Few, “I don’t want to hear from Mark Few anymore about any of the Nembhards. I’ve been hearing about Nembhards forever, just pounding me to get one on our team. But he’s a Gonzaga guy and you’ve got to love those competitive guys, the Mark Few guys, and he’s one of them. Just super competitive. We love those stories, two-way guys who are starting to break through. But he’s doing it with a competitive spirit for sure.”

– Having the opportunity to get to .500 on the road was of no small matter to Spoelstra, with the Heat entering 4-5 away from Kaseya Center.

– “It is because we started out slow on the road,” he said. “Our guys are a competitive group, an ambitious group. We want to have a better road record, with the understanding that it’s tough going on the road. You have to do even more and be even more intentional.”

– Said Adebayo, “We’re taking care of home, but now we’ve got to go on the road and take care of business. It’s harder to win on the road, but we got what it takes. We’ve got to keep playing the same way we’ve been playing at home and take it to the road.”

– Next up is at Orlando on Friday night.

– Wednesday night’s matchup marked the earliest the season series against the Mavericks has concluded in the franchise’s histories, beating the previous earliest date by one day, Dec. 4 during the 1996-97 season. The Heat have now completed the series against Dallas before yet facing Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Indiana, Toronto, Washington, Houston, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah.

DALLAS — Even after Monday night’s 3-for-all against the Los Angeles Clippers, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra knew the 3-pointers were going to be harder to come by on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

So, no, there was no easy button in this one, at least for the visiting team, nothing like Monday’s 24 of 46 from beyond the arc.

Instead, for the second time in a week against the Mavericks, 3-pointers and points in general were hard to come by for the Heat, this time resulting in a 118-108 loss at American Airlines Center.

Last week, in defeating the Mavericks at Kaseya Center, the Heat found a way despite closing 5 of 27 on 3-pointers.

This time, it was 11 of 37 from beyond the arc, not enough to offset Dallas’ 16 of 32.

“I felt like it was an opportunity that slipped for us to be able to have that gratification of winning a game where we weren’t making shots,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We made a good comeback there at the end. But through three quarters, there was more discouragement from our missed shots that was affecting our concentration level and resolve defensively.”

And so one game after 140 points against the Clippers, again forced to play in the mud against the Mavericks, with little in the way of offense beyond 22 points from Kel’el Ware, 21 from Bam Adebayo and 20 from Tyler Herro, all in the first half. Ware also had 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks this time had Anthony Davis back after he was out last week with a calf strain. He closed with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Mavericks rookie guard Ruben Nembhard, who began his emergence last week against the Heat, added 15 points and 13 assists.

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat led 33-28 after the first quarter, with Herro scoring 12 in the period.

Both teams went for extended stretches with zone defense, with the difference being the Mavericks converting their 3-point attempts, putting them up 64-54 at halftime.

Then, when the Mavericks pushed their lead to 17 in the third quarter, it was their largest lead of the season to that stage, with Dallas taking a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

Through it all, the Heat moved within seven midway through the fourth quarter, sparked by backup point guard Dru Smith.

“I think when we went in there in the second half, that second unit, we were just trying to cut into that lead however we could,” Smith said. “Every time out we’re talking about get it to 10, maybe get it to six.”

A driving Adebayo layup later brought the Heat within 110-106 with 2:54 to play, but that’s when the rally stalled.

“We had several breakdowns and then you could feel our lack of resolve from the discouragement of missing shots,” Spoelstra said. “Yeah, we had a rough night shooting the basketball, but that’s going to happen in this league. And you still have opportunities to find a way to win and I think that was an opportunity that was missed. It would have been a really gratifying win to find a way to get the job done.”

2. Herro early: With Powell out and with Andrew Wiggins limited to a 1-of-7 start, the keys to the offense were handed to Herro, who offered an effective  balance of floaters and 3-pointers in the first half, on the way to 20 points over the first two periods.

With that effort, Herro extended his career-best streak of games with at least 20 points to 15, dating to last season. Herro’s previous longest such steak was seven.

Herro shot 8 of 12 in the first half, with the balance of the Heat 11 of 41. The problem was after a 20-point first half, Herro did not score again.

“They were in the zone a lot, so you have to have the right execution a lot of times,” Spoelstra said. “There was a segment where they finally went back to man. I probably could have done a better job getting the group organized to get him some space and places where he could operate.”

Since returning from September ankle surgery, Herro has scored 24, 29, 24, 22 and then Wednesday night’s 20.

But there was a tangible air of disappointment afterward in not getting more second-half touches.

“I didn’t really have the ball in the second half,” Herro said. “It just didn’t find me. It’s all good.”

Adebayo acknowledged as much, as well.

“We understand the kid can go get a bucket at any time,” he said of Herro. “Just understand that.”

Related Articles

• Winderman’s view: In Powell’s absence, Heat show it can’t be Herro alone
• Volatility of NBA hits home with Heat when it comes to Davis, Paul; Powell out vs. Mavs
• Window about to open for Heat to add a player, but is there a need or hurry?
• ASK IRA: Can Heat small ball still foster bigger minutes for Kel’el Ware?
• With highs in the 140s, Heat offense continues to sizzle

3. Rotation revision: With Powell held out, the Heat not only got Pelle Larsson back after he was sidelined for the second half on Monday night by a foot sprain, but Larsson was in the starting lineup. It was Larsson’s 16th start of the season.

It was the fifth absence of the season for Powell, who missed four previous games with groin strains.

“He’s not quite ready to play,” Spoelstra said, “so we think more treatment will be more helpful.”

The starting lineup was rounded out by Herro, Wiggins, Adebayo and Davion Mitchell, which kept Ware in reserve.

As for the remainder of the rotation, Spoelstra primarily went with a bench unit of Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Simone Fontecchio and Smith.

Ware then played as a closer in place of Larsson.

“He did some good things,” Spoelstra said of Ware, “so we’ll focus on that and then we’ll continue to develop him on all those finer details.”

4. But then . . .: Held out three games ago and then limited to one minute of mop-up duty on Monday night, Nikola Jovic got a chance to play as 10th man, as the Heat offense sputtered beyond Herro.

Jovic entered for the first time with 6:07 left in the second period and played the balance of the half, going scoreless.

He did not return in the second half, as his tumble from the rotation continues.

5. Orlando squared: Up next is the first of two games in Orlando over a five-day span.

Friday night’s game at Kia Center will be a mundane regular-season game, with Tuesday night’s game an NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup, for the right to advance to Las Vegas for the semifinals of the in-season tournament. (Both of the matchups will count toward the regular-season standings.)

“That’s what you look forward to in this league,” Adebayo said of the matchups against the Magic. “You look forward to the competition and the high stakes.”

The Heat lost their season opener in Orlando 125-121 on Oct. 22, with the upcoming matchups giving the Heat three games in Orlando by Dec. 9.

Here’s a look at how the Miami Dolphins (5-7) and New York Jets (3-9) match up in six key areas ahead of Sunday’s Week 14 game at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m., CBS):

When the Dolphins run: Miami goes the way of its run game. In the stretch of four wins in five games, the Dolphins have rushed for at least 141 yards in the games won and at least 164 during the three-game winning streak. Running back De’Von Achane is on a tear of 100-yard performances that have now put him at 1,000 yards on the season. Rookie Ollie Gordon II and second-year back Jaylen Wright are now both being used sparingly behind him.

Right tackle Austin Jackson’s return to the lineup for the first time since Week 1 brought more tenacity to the run game from his side, and right guard Cole Strange may have had his best game with Miami in the win against the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Patrick Paul continue to do their thing, while the package of Daniel Brunskill as a sixth offensive lineman presents something the Jets didn’t see in the first meeting.

New York’s run defense is tied for 25th and no longer has Quinnen Williams on the defensive line after the trade with the Dallas Cowboys. Miami rushed for 123 yards against the Jets earlier this season. Expect them to do it even more this time around, especially in the first cold-weather game the Dolphins have played this year. Edge: Dolphins

When the Jets run: The Dolphins’ run defense has gone from consistently poor to on and off in recent weeks. They stopped the run in wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills and against the Saints. They did not stop the run last time they faced the Jets, giving up 197 yards on the ground, but they did force the ball out for three fumble recoveries.

Running back Breece Hall remained on the roster after the trade deadline, and he has 834 rushing yards on the season, with a 4.5 average of yards per carry. It’s also Tyrod Tayler at quarterback for the Jets this time instead of Justin Fields. Taylor is still a run threat, although not as much as Fields.

New York’s No. 7 rushing offense goes against the Dolphins 29th-ranked run defense that, as mentioned, has been better in recent weeks. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks leads the NFL with 137 tackles. It’s just a matter of how much he’s making up for others in the wrong lanes or missing tackles and the defensive line helping keep blockers off of him. Edge: Jets

When the Dolphins pass: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is trying to rebound from a rough performance against the Saints in which he was 12 of 23 for 157 yards and an interception while being largely inaccurate. He’s up to 14 interceptions on the season, tied for the league lead.

Related Articles

• Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa reflects on sliding short on key third down: ‘I got to be better’
• Dolphins Deep Dive: Prediction time — Can Miami continue winning streak vs. Jets? | VIDEO
• Dolphins Deep Dive: Should Grier get more respect after win streak? | VIDEO
• Dolphins Deep Dive: After slow start to season is mediocrity the goal? | VIDEO
• Dolphins Deep Dive: Can Miami continue to win in December? | VIDEO
• Dolphins Deep Dive: What’s wrong with Tua? | VIDEO
• Dolphins Q&A: Why has Tua Tagovailoa regressed? Anthony Weaver still a head coach candidate?

Last time against the Jets, the game in which Tyreek Hill was lost for the season, Darren Waller debuted for Miami and scored two touchdowns. He’s in his second game back from missing four games on IR with a pectoral injury. The Jets’ 10th-ranked pass defense, which no longer has cornerback Sauce Gardner in the secondary, should be varying its coverages to shift attention between Waller and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. New York has not intercepted a pass all season, so something’s got to give.

Will McDonald has seven sacks to lead the Jets pass rush, as he and fellow edge rusher Jermaine Johnson can get after it. Jackson has his second game back protecting Tagovailoa’s blind side, and he shook some rust off in pass protection against New Orleans. Tagovailoa was sacked four times in the game, some of it coming down to coverage sacks. Edge: Jets

When the Jets pass: The Dolphins faced Fields last time and Taylor this time. Taylor is 1-2 in three starts this season, completing 60.8 percent of passes for 773 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. Against the Falcons last Sunday, he was 19 of 32 for 172 yards and a touchdown.

Top Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is on injured reserve, but Adonai Mitchell, whom the Jets picked up in the trade with the Colts, had eight catches and 102 yards and a touchdown last Sunday. He will be a focal point for cornerbacks Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas, depending on which side he’s on, as one and then the other intercepted a pass for the first time with the Dolphins in the past two games. Hall must be accounted for out of the backfield. Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, the son of Dolphins great Jason Taylor, as well, after he had five catches for 65 yards in the first meeting.

The Dolphins pass rush finally has Chop Robinson going after he had 1 1/2 sacks against the Saints in his first start of the season and second of his career. He and Bradley Chubb can win on the edge against the Jets’ young first-round tackles they’re trying to develop in Olu Fashanu on the left side and Armand Membou at right tackle. Edge: Dolphins

Special teams: Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson continues to make his kicks, Jake Bailey is among the league’s best in punting this season, and Malik Washington is a solid returner. But the last special teams play we saw from Miami was the onside kick surrendered.

Now, the Jets have had two return touchdowns this season. Nick Folk has made all but one kick this season and hit the game-winner against the Falcons. And they blocked a field goal earlier this season. Edge: Even

Intangibles: Miami’s the team on a three-game winning streak and still holding on to slim hopes. The Dolphins are also visiting the site where their 2024 season was torn to shreds, so those coming back should remember that. It’ll be below 40 degrees, which Miami hasn’t played in this season. New York has traded some of its top players but is still playing hard. Edge: Dolphins

PREDICTION: Dolphins 20, Jets 17

Dolphins Deep Dive: Prediction time — Can Miami continue winning streak vs. Jets? | VIDEO

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and GARY FIELDS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace after President Donald Trump and has planted the president’s name on the organization’s headquarters despite an ongoing fight over the institute’s control.

Related Articles

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Republicans as debate over intensifying AI race rages
• US opens massive $796M consulate in Irbil to strengthen Kurdish ties
• A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief
• A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island

It’s the latest twist in a seesaw court battle over who controls the U.S. Institute of Peace, a nonprofit think tank that focuses on peace initiatives. It was an early target of the Department of Government Efficiency this year.

On Wednesday, the State Department said it renamed the organization to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace to “reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history.” The new name could be seen on its building, which is near the State Department.

Trump has spent months openly lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize even though he was passed over for this year’s installment — arguing he had a hand in easing a series of conflicts around the world. But Trump has also ordered strikes on suspected drug vessels off the coast of Venezuela and repeatedly threatened that attacks on land could be coming, which would be an act of war against that country.

The takeover of the Peace Institute was also anything but peaceful, with his administration seizing the independent entity and ousting its board before actually affixing his name to the building.

Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, said: “The United States Institute of Peace was once a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace. Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after a President who ended eight wars in less than a year, will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability.”

She added, “Congratulations, world!”

George Foote, a lawyer for the former Institute leadership and staff, said the renaming “adds insult to injury.”

“A federal judge has already ruled that the government’s armed takeover was illegal. That judgment is stayed while the government appeals, which is the only reason the government continues to control the building,” Foote said.

Since March, the headquarters has switched hands multiple times in court actions related to the DOGE takeover. A final decision on its fate is pending in federal appeals court.

USIP has maintained the organization is an independent creation of Congress and outside the president’s executive authority. The administration argues it is an executive branch organization.

After Trump fired the institute’s board in the the spring, the staff was fired as well and the building was turned over to the General Services Administration.

A federal district court overturned the action in May, putting the headquarters back into the hands of USIP leadership. But that action was reversed weeks later by a federal appeals court.

Employees at this juncture have been fired twice and the building is in GSA’s possession.

The building is expected to be the backdrop for the signing of a peace agreement Thursday between Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame. High-ranking officials from the African Union, Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Togo, Qatar, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates are also expected to attend the signing, according to Yolande Makolo, a senior adviser to Kagame.

The USIP website remained unchanged Wednesday night, but its lead item was headlined, “President Donald J. Trump to Sign Historic Peace Agreement at USIP Headquarters,” followed by a write-up of the deal between Congo and Rwanda that Trump was overseeing at the institute on Thursday.

The Institute of Peace was created by Congress in the 1980s. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law in 1985. Described as an independent, nonprofit think tank funded by Congress, its mission has been to work to promote peace and prevent and end conflicts while working outside normal channels such as the State Department. It was operating in 26 conflict zones, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali and Burkina Faso, when DOGE shut the operation down.

There is also broad speculation that Trump will be awarded a new peace prize from FIFA on the sidelines of the World Cup draw, happening in Washington on Friday.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert contributed to this report.

By MATT BROWN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met separately with President Donald Trump and Republican senators Wednesday as tech executives work to secure favorable federal policies for the artificial intelligence industry, including the limited sale of Nvidia’s highly valued computer chips to U.S. rivals like China.

Related Articles

• Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building
• US opens massive $796M consulate in Irbil to strengthen Kurdish ties
• A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief
• A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island

Huang’s closed-door meeting with Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee came at a moment of intensifying lobbying, soaring investments and audacious forecasts by major tech companies about AI’s potential transformative effects.

Huang is among the Silicon Valley executives who warn that any restrictions on the technology will halt its advancement despite mounting concerns among policymakers and the public about AI’s potential pitfalls or the ways foreign rivals like China may use American hardware.

“I’ve said repeatedly that we support export control, that we should ensure that American companies have the best and the most and first,” Huang told reporters before his meeting at the Capitol.

He added that he shared concerns about selling AI chips to China but believed that restrictions haven’t slowed Chinese advancement in the AI race.

“We need to be able to compete around the world. The one thing we can’t do is we can’t degrade the chips that we sell to China. They won’t accept that. There’s a reason why they wouldn’t accept that, and so we should offer the most competitive chips we can to the Chinese market,” Huang said.

Huang also said he’d met with Trump earlier Wednesday and discussed export controls for Nvidia’s chips. Huang added that he wished the president “a happy holidays.”

The Trump administration in May reversed Biden-era restrictions that had prevented Nvidia and other chipmakers from exporting their chips to a wide range of countries. The White House in August also announced an unusual deal that would allow Nvidia and another U.S. chipmaker, Advanced Micro Devices, to sell their chips in the Chinese market but would require the U.S. government to take a 15% cut of the sales.

The deal divided lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where there is broad support for controls on AI exports.

A growing battle in Congress

Members of Congress have generally considered the sale of high-end AI chips to China to be a national security risk. China is the main competitor to the U.S. in the race to develop artificial superintelligence. Lawmakers have also proposed a flurry of bills this year to regulate AI’s impact on dozens of industries, though none have become law.

Most Republican senators who attended the meeting with Huang declined to discuss their conversations. But a handful described the meeting as positive and productive.

“For me, this is a very healthy discussion to have,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican. Rounds said lawmakers had a “general discussion” with Huang about the state of AI and said senators were still open to a wide range of policies.

Asked whether he believed Nvidia’s interests and goals were fully aligned with U.S. national security, Rounds replied: “They currently do not sell chips in China. And they understand that they’re an American company. They want to be able to compete around the rest of the world. They’d love to some time be able to compete in China again, but they recognize that export controls are important as well for our own national security.”

Other Republicans were more skeptical of Huang’s message.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican who sits on the upper chamber’s Banking Committee, said he skipped the meeting entirely.

“I don’t consider him to be an objective, credible source about whether we should be selling chips to China,” Kennedy told reporters. “He’s got more money than the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and he wants even more. I don’t blame you for that, but if I’m looking for someone to give me objective advice about whether we should make our technology available to China, he’s not it.”

Some Democrats, shut out from the meeting altogether, expressed frustration at Huang’s presence on Capitol Hill.

“Evidently, he wants to go lobby Republicans in secret rather than explain himself,” said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee.

Warren added that she wanted Huang to testify in a public congressional hearing and answer “questions about why his company wants to favor Chinese manufacturers over American companies that need access to those high-quality chips.”

By STELLA MARTANY

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The United States inaugurated a massive new consulate compound Wednesday in Irbil, the capital of northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region.

Related Articles

• Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Republicans as debate over intensifying AI race rages
• A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief
• A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island

The move highlighted Washington’s diplomatic and strategic engagement in the Kurdish region, particularly as the U.S. moves troops that had been stationed elsewhere in Iraq as part of a mission against the Islamic State group, under an agreement with the central government in Baghdad.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas joined Kurdish leaders for the inauguration of the sprawling complex — planned as the largest U.S. consulate in the world — built on a 206,000-square-meter (50-acre) site along the Irbil–Shaqlawa highway at a cost of $796 million.

“America’s investment in this new consulate provides a secure platform to advance the interests of the United States,” Rigas said. “It demonstrates the value that a sovereign, secure and prosperous Iraq, in mutually beneficial partnership with the United States can deliver for its own people and for America.”

The opening comes amid ongoing challenges in Iraq, including regional tensions and attacks on energy infrastructure. A drone strike last week on the Kormor natural gas field caused widespread power outages.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Rigas appeared to cast blame on Iraq’s politically powerful Iran-backed militias.

He urged both Baghdad and Irbil to “disempower and dismantle Iran-aligned militias that continue to engage in violent and destabilizing activities and only serve to harm Iraqi sovereignty.”

Kurdish regional President Nechirvan Barzani referred to the consulate as a “clear political message regarding the importance of Irbil and the Kurdistan region.”

He said the facility underscores the deep partnership between the U.S. and the Kurdish authorities and will serve as a hub for diplomatic, economic and security cooperation.

Follow AP’s Middle East coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/middle-east

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and LAURA UNGAR

WASHINGTON (AP) — A dozen prior leaders of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — appointed by Republicans and Democrats alike — issued a scathing denunciation of new FDA assertions casting doubt on vaccine safety.

Related Articles

• Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Republicans as debate over intensifying AI race rages
• US opens massive $796M consulate in Irbil to strengthen Kurdish ties
• A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island

The former officials say the agency’s plans to revamp how life-saving vaccines for flu, COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases are handled — outlined in an internal FDA memo last week — would “disadvantage the people the FDA exists to protect, including millions of Americans at high risk from serious infections.”

“The proposed new directives are not small adjustments or coherent policy updates. They represent a major shift in the FDA’s understanding of its job,” the officials, former FDA commissioners and acting commissioners, wrote Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The internal memo by FDA vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad hasn’t been publicly released but a source familiar with the document confirmed its authenticity. The document claimed — without providing evidence — that COVID-19 vaccines caused 10 children’s deaths. It went on to outline planned agency changes in handling those and certain other vaccines, and said that FDA staff who disagreed should resign.

FILE – In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Vinay Prasad smiles for a portrait. (U.S. FDA via AP)

Among Prasad’s plans were revising how yearly flu shot updates are handled and focusing more on “the benefits and harms of giving multiple vaccines at the same time.” A common message of vaccine skeptics is that too many shots may overwhelm kids’ immune systems or that ingredients may build up to cause harm — although scientists say repeated research into those claims has turned up no concerns.

On Wednesday, the former FDA leaders wrote that Prasad’s claim about child deaths related to COVID-19 vaccines had been reported to a surveillance system that doesn’t contain medical records or other information sufficient to prove a link — and that government scientists had carefully combed through those reports in previous years, reaching different conclusions. They also noted that “substantial evidence” shows COVID-19 vaccines reduce children’s risk of severe disease and hospitalization.

But the bigger picture, the former FDA leaders argued, is that the new proposals would reject long-standing science about how to evaluate vaccines being updated to better match virus strains, slow innovation to replace older vaccines with newer, potentially better ones, and make the process less transparent to the public.

An administration spokesman didn’t immediately comment.

Many doctors and public health experts also have expressed alarm about the memo.

“Vaccines save lives, period,” Dr. Ronald Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement. “It is a sad day when FDA creates confusion and mistrust without supplying evidence, spreading propaganda that makes lifesaving vaccines harder to access and that creates additional confusion and mistrust for the public.”

The FDA’s planned vaccine changes come at a time when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who helped lead the anti-vaccine movement for years — is seeking to broadly remake federal policies on vaccines.

FILE – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)

Kennedy already ousted a committee that advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine recommendation and replaced it with handpicked members. And in August, he fired Susan Monarez 29 days into her tenure as CDC chief over vaccine policy disagreements. The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will meet Thursday and Friday to discuss h epatitis B vaccinations in newborns and other vaccine topics.

Ungar reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — One of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell ‘s most vocal accusers urged judges on Wednesday to grant the Justice Department’s request to unseal records from their federal sex trafficking cases, saying “only transparency is likely to lead to justice.”

Related Articles

• Trump is fighting the Institute of Peace in court. Now, his name is on the building
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Republicans as debate over intensifying AI race rages
• US opens massive $796M consulate in Irbil to strengthen Kurdish ties
• A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by the agency’s current vaccine chief
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island

Annie Farmer weighed in through her lawyer, Sigrid S. McCawley, after the judges asked for input from victims before ruling on whether the records should be made public under a new law requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his longtime confidante, who sexually abused young women and girls for decades.

Farmer and other victims fought for the passage of the law, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Signed last month by President Donald Trump, it compels the Justice Department, FBI and federal prosecutors to release by Dec. 19 the vast troves of material they’ve amassed during investigations into Epstein.

The Justice Department last week asked Manhattan federal Judges Richard M. Berman and Paul A. Engelmayer to lift secrecy orders on grand jury transcripts and other material from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case and a wide range of records from Maxwell’s 2021 case, including search warrants, financial records and notes from interviews with victims.

“Nothing in these proceedings should stand in the way of their victory or provide a backdoor avenue to continue to cover up history’s most notorious sex-trafficking operation,” McCawley wrote in a letter to the judges.

The attorney was critical of the government for failing to prosecute anyone else in Epstein and Maxwell’s orbit.

She asked the judges to ensure that the orders they issue do not preclude the Justice Department from releasing other Epstein-related materials, adding that Farmer “is wary” that any denial could be used “as a pretext or excuse” to withhold information.

Epstein, a millionaire money manager known for socializing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite, killed himself in jail a month after his 2019 arrest.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 by a federal jury of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of Epstein’s underage victims and participating in some of the abuse. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

In a court filing Wednesday, Maxwell’s lawyer again said that she is preparing a habeas petition in a bid to overturn her conviction. The lawyer, David Markus, first mentioned the habeas petition in court papers in August as she fought the Justice Department’s initial bid to have her case records unsealed. The Supreme Court in October declined to hear Maxwell’s appeal.

Markus said in Wednesday’s filing that while Maxwell now “does not take a position” in the wake of the transparency act’s passage, doing so “would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial” if her habeas petition succeeds.

The records, Markus said, “contain untested and unproven allegations.”

Engelmayer, who’s weighing whether to release records from Maxwell’s case, gave her and victims until Wednesday to respond to the Justice Department’s unsealing request. The government must respond to their filings by Dec. 10. The judge said he will rule “promptly thereafter.”

Berman, who presided over the Epstein case, ordered victims and Epstein’s estate to respond by Wednesday and gave the government until Dec. 8 to reply to those submissions. Berman said he would make his “best efforts to resolve this motion promptly.”

Lawyers for Epstein’s estate said in a letter to Berman on Wednesday that the estate takes no position on the Justice Department’s unsealing request. The lawyers noted that the government had committed to making appropriate redactions of personal identifying information for victims.

Last week, a lawyer for some victims complained that the House Oversight Committee had failed to redact, or black out, some of their names from tens of thousands pages of Epstein-related documents it has released in recent months.

Transparency “CANNOT come at the expense of the privacy, safety, and protection of sexual abuse and sex trafficking victims, especially these survivors who have already suffered repeatedly,” lawyer Brad Edwards wrote.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

A former suburban St. Louis police officer admitted that over several months last year, he pulled over 20 women’s vehicles and searched their phones for nude photos and videos.

Related Articles

• Ex-missionary from Ohio charged with sexually abusing 4 children in Haiti
• Americans gave $4B on GivingTuesday 2025 as donations and volunteering gain big over last year
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island
• Monkey who escaped Mississippi highway crash has new permanent home at New Jersey refuge
• A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds

In a deal with federal prosecutors entered Tuesday, former Florissant Officer Julian Alcala pleaded guilty to 20 counts of willfully depriving someone of their right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a felony obstruction count.

The count he pleaded guilty to is punishable by up to a year in prison. Alcala, 30, remains free on bond pending his March 11 sentencing.

According to the plea deal, Alcala pulled over a woman in February 2024 and took her cellphone to his vehicle, saying he needed to do so to confirm her insurance information. Instead he found a video of the woman engaged in sexual activity on her phone and texted it to his own phone. He also found a nude photo of the woman and used his phone to take a picture of the image.

Over the next three months, he took 19 other women’s phones back to his vehicle during traffic stops, purportedly to confirm their insurance or vehicle registration, the plea deal states. He then looked for nude images and took photos of ones he found.

He was caught after the first victim looked in her deleted texts and learned that the video of her engaged in sexual activity had been sent to an unknown number. She called the FBI, which traced the number to Alcala. The FBI then executed a search warrant and found the other nude photos, according to the plea agreement.

Alcala’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, didn’t immediately respond to a Tuesday email seeking comment.

By PETER SMITH and JULIE CARR SMYTH

A former missionary with an Ohio-based ministry has been indicted on federal charges of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with four different minors in Haiti over multiple years.

Related Articles

• Ex-Missouri officer pleads guilty to searching women’s phones for sexual photos during stops
• Americans gave $4B on GivingTuesday 2025 as donations and volunteering gain big over last year
• Newly released photos show ‘disturbing look’ into Epstein Island
• Monkey who escaped Mississippi highway crash has new permanent home at New Jersey refuge
• A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds

Jeriah Mast, 44, of Millersburg, Ohio, was indicted for alleged actions during his multiple visits to Haiti between 2002 and 2019. Mast — who according to authorities admitted to abusing about 30 victims in Haiti and more in Ohio — worked for part of that time for the Millersburg-based Christian Aid Ministries, which coordinates missionary activities for Amish, conservative Mennonite and related groups.

It marks the second court case against Mast, who was sentenced in Holmes County court in 2019 to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two minors in Ohio.

Mast received an early judicial release in October after serving just under six years, according to Ohio’s inmate database. As a condition of his release, he was placed on three years’ supervised probation and required to complete an intensive supervision program, including sex-offender specific programming.

Court records indicate that presiding retired Judge Edward Emmett O’Farrell of Tuscarawas County granted Mast’s release based on “an exemplary record” behind bars and “most importantly, the Defendant’s stated and demonstrated remorse for the crimes he committed, and the emotional and psychological pain and suffering he inflicted upon the child victims and their families in this case.”

Mast was arrested on the federal charges on Nov. 5 and formally indicted on Tuesday. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in federal court in Cleveland.

“Crimes against children, like those mentioned in these allegations, are reprehensible,” U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio said in a statement. “Such appalling and morally corrupt behavior will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We commend the work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, whose thorough work led to these federal charges being filed today.”

The charges are based on a U.S. law that prohibits citizens from “traveling in foreign commerce and engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person,” according to court filings.

The court docket indicates Mast is represented by a public defender, who did not immediately return email and phone messages seeking comment late Wednesday.

The Mast scandal came into public view in 2019 after he abruptly returned home from Haiti. In a subsequent interview with Holmes County authorities, he admitted to molesting about 30 children in Haiti between about 2003 and 2019, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court by Special Agent Jason M. Guyton of Homeland Security Investigations. Details of his admission indicate many if not all of the reported victims were boys.

The federal charges accuse Mast of abusing four different minors in 2004, 2007 and 2011. One was a 13-year-old boy Mast met through his missionary work and allegedly molested in a tent, according to the criminal complaint.

The case was among those that drew attention to issues of sexual abuse in Amish and related, plain-dressing church communities such as conservative Mennonites and the Charity churches that Mast belonged to. Advocates have said victims have been pressured to forgive abusers and not to seek prosecution outside the disciplines of the largely closed religious communities.

Holmes County, where Christian Aid Ministries is based, is the hub of one of the nation’s largest Amish settlements. In 2019, CAM placed two of its managers on leave amid revelations that they knew as early as 2013 that Mast had confessed to sexual activity with young men, yet kept him on the job.

A CAM spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

CAM’s work in Haiti came into the spotlight in 2021 when 17 missionaries and their children were kidnapped by a gang. They went free later that year, some ransomed by a third party, CAM acknowledged. CAM said most of the rest escaped.

On Wednesday, Joly Germine, alleged to be the founder and leader of the gang, was sentenced in federal court in Washington to life in prison for orchestrating the kidnapping.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.