South Florida Local News

Today is Friday, May 16, the 136th day of 2025. There are 229 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 16, 1966, the Chinese Communist Party issued the May 16 Notification, a document that criticized “counterrevolutionary revisionists” within the party and marked the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.

Also on this date:

In 1770, Marie Antoinette, age 14, married the future King Louis XVI of France, who was 15.

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In 1868, having already been impeached by the House of Representatives, President Andrew Johnson narrowly avoided impeachment by the Senate, which voted 35-19 in favor of impeachment—one vote shy of the required two-thirds majority.

In 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented. “Wings” won the award for Outstanding Picture, while Emil Jannings and Janet Gaynor were named Best Actor and Best Actress.

In 1943, the nearly monthlong Warsaw Ghetto Uprising came to an end as German forces crushed the Jewish resistance and blew up the city’s Great Synagogue.

In 1960, the first working laser was demonstrated at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California, by physicist Theodore Maiman.

In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton publicly apologized for the notorious 40-year Tuskegee Experiment, in which government scientists deliberately allowed Black men to weaken and die of treatable syphilis.

In 2018, officials at Michigan State University said they had agreed to pay $500 million to settle claims from more than 300 women and girls who said they were assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar.

In 2022, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 reached 1 million.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Danny Trejo is 81.
• Actor Pierce Brosnan is 72.
• Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Olga Korbut is 70.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Jack Morris is 70.
• Actor Debra Winger is 70.
• Olympic marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson is 68.
• Actor Mare Winningham is 66.
• Rock musician Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) is 60.
• Singer Janet Jackson is 59.
• Football Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas is 59.
• Singer Ralph Tresvant (New Edition) is 57.
• Actor David Boreanaz is 56.
• Political commentator Tucker Carlson is 56.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Gabriela Sabatini is 55.
• Actor Tori Spelling is 52.
• Actor Melanie Lynskey is 48.
• Actor Megan Fox is 39.
• Actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster is 35.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Summer time came a little bit early for the St. Thomas Aquinas softball team on Thursday night.

Given the nickname “Summer Time” when she was a U8 softball player, when host St. Thomas Aquinas needed a big hit, senior catcher Summer Givens delivered.

Behind Givens’ three-run triple, the Raiders who had rallied from an early deficit, got some insurance and then thumped visiting South Fork 10-1 for the Class 5A regional championship, sending St. Thomas Aquinas (16-12) to its first state softball final four since 2017.

The senior delivered the bases-clearing triple off the right-field fence in the bottom of the fifth inning, extending the Raiders’ lead to 5-1 amid a seven-run outburst and leading to St. Thomas Aquinas’ fifth straight win.

“It feels great and I did it for my team,” Givens said. “When my teammate (junior Sara Wrzosek) got walked before me, it hyped me up. We knew we couldn’t let down and had to keep going. I was able to get the hit.”

Senior Christina D’Agostino and junior Brianna Sims both reached on bunt singles, and after a fielder’s choice and a walk to Wrzosek, Givens cleared the bases with her hit that chased Bulldogs starting pitcher Mackenzie Brown (10-5). St. Thomas Aquinas made it 6-1 on an RBI single by junior Ashlyn Ward.

“We have to stay as a team, and we created a family atmosphere,” D’Agostino said. “We are all in this together. I know I could use my feet to get on, so I just decided to lay down a bunt because the people behind me could hit me in. I did it on my own. Coach didn’t know.”

St. Thomas Aquinas freshman pitcher Lavinia Miller (10-1) settled down after allowing two hits and a run in the first inning as the host Raiders downed South Fork 10-1 for the Class 5A regional softball championship on Thursday night (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

D’Agostino and junior Jessica Sacca are the only two members of the team who have been to the state tournament as they both reached the final four when they were members of Coral Springs Charter. They transferred two years ago.

A base-loaded double off the left-field wall by D’Agostino extended the lead to 9-1. The hit scored freshman Melanie Sweet, freshman Reese Randall and senior Victoria Brunette as St. Thomas sent 11 batters to the plate.

“Once we got a runner on, we knew we could ride that train to the win,” D’Agostino added. “This is it. It’s our last chance. We have three seniors, and we have all graduated. It would be the greatest to win.”

The Raiders closed out the scoring on a solo blast by Wrzosek in the bottom of the sixth over the left-center-field wall to make it 10-1.

“I am so proud of my teammates for getting this win,” said Wrzosek, who clubbed a home run in her third straight playoff game, giving her four for the season. “Honestly, we were a little down at the start, but once we started jacking the ball, we got really excited.

“I just changed my mindset and started picking the right pitch,” Wrzosek said of her late-season power surge. “I have confidence now in hitting the ball the way I can.”

South Fork (17-7), which entered the contest on a seven-game winning streak, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Elliana Hernandez that drove in Emma Ortiz, who led off the game with a double.

St. Thomas tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI double by Brunette. Sweet led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Randall, setting the stage for Brunette.

The Raiders loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with no outs, yet they could only plate one run on a bases-loaded walk by Ward, which scored Sacca, who led off the inning with a double. It gave the Raiders the lead for good at 2-1.

St. Thomas Aquinas coach Bryan Baucom coaches at third base as the host Raiders downed South Fork 10-1 for the Class 5A regional softball championship on Thursday night (Gary Curreri/Contributor)

During his 31-year career, St. Thomas Aquinas coach Bryan Baucom has led the Raiders to four state champions, the most recent coming in 2014. They have also won two slow-pitch state titles.

“When Covid hit in 2020, we kind of hit a wall as a team,” Baucom said. “The kids have been grinding, and the kids have been great. At this school, there is a standard, and that is to get to state, and we haven’t been holding up our end for a while.

“I am just so proud of these kids,” Baucom added. “They have worked so hard. Christina and Jessica both know what it is like to go to states, but these other kids don’t. I know we are a good-hitting team, but we just haven’t put it together in a game yet. We showed it tonight, and if we can do that for a whole game, pitch well and get good defense…we have a chance.”

Raiders’ freshman pitcher Lavinia Miller (10-1) settled down after allowing two hits and a run in the first inning. She scattered two more hits over the next six innings before running into a little trouble in the seventh.

South Fork loaded the bases with one out with three straight singles before Miller struck out Shelby Yetter and enticed Zoe Wilson to pop out to second to end the game. St. Thomas Aquinas will play in the state semifinals in Longwood on Thursday.

Game times and sites provided by FHSAA.com

Regional finals

Thursday

7A

2. Western 5, 4. West Broward 4

1. Wellington 4, 2. Jupiter 0

6A

1. Doral Academy 15, 2. South Plantation 0

5A

1. St. Thomas Aquinas 10, 2. South Fork 1

4A

1. American Heritage 9, 3. Key West 0

3A

2. Somerset Academy Silver Palms 4, 1. Coral Springs Charter 3

State semifinals

In Longwood

7A

Western vs. TBA, Friday, May 23, 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.

Wellington vs. TBA, Friday, May 23, 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.

5A

St. Thomas Aquinas vs. TBA, Thursday, 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.

4A

American Heritage vs. TBA, Thursday, 10 a.m. or noon

 

GAINESVILLE — At a glance, Florida’s return to the Final Four in women’s lacrosse is hard to figure based on who the Gators lost and what it takes to get back.

Coach Amanda O’Leary credited her players’ determination for her program’s continued success after No. 4 UF beat No. 15 Duke 11-9 during Thursday’s Elite Eight matchup at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.

“It just is a testament to how hard they worked,” she said. “It wasn’t a rebuild, it wasn’t a reload, it’s just, let’s go. Just super proud of this team and their effort.”

Riding a 17-game winning streak, the Gators (20-2) now push to make the next step and play for the national title during their third trip the national semifinals and second straight appearance — this time at Gillette Stadium May 23-25 in Foxborough, Mass.

“We’re feeling pretty confident as a team,” said midfielder Gabbi Koury, one of five Gators with two goals against Duke. “It’s awesome that we made it to the Final Four, but that’s not our goal. We want to get to the next level. We’ve been working really hard, nothing’s stopping us.

“We want to stay undefeated from here on out.”

UF midfielder Jennifer Markey challenges a Duke defender during the Gators' 11-9 win against the Blue Devils during the Elite Eight Thursday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville. (UAA Communications/Catherine McCarthy)

Florida pounced on Duke (15-5), but an 11-2 lead slipped away as the Blue Devils found their stride to reel off seven unanswered goals during the third and fourth periods.

Yet after senior attacker and leading scorer Carly Bernstein cut the lead to 11-9 with 6:28 to go, UF sealed the deal behind a critical three-minute stretch featuring a close-call for the Blue Devils, a stellar defensive possession by the Gators and a charging call on Duke’s Chloe Hunter with 3:18 remaining.

Midfielder Caitlin Barrett’s shot with 05:35 to go ricocheted off the post to a collection of gasps, sighs and “a jolt” to the nervous system in the words of O’Leary.

“That’s the way this game goes sometimes,” said Duke coach Kerstin Kimel, who came up shy of her eighth trip to the Final Four in 29 seasons.

Two Blue Devils’ possessions later Florida forced a 90-second shot violation to enliven a defense on its heels.

“It gave us a lot of energy,” sophomore defender Ashley Dyer said. “We really needed to stop at that moment.”

Following Hunter’s foul on the next possession, the Gators were able to run out the clock, leading to a celebration on the field and among the crowd.

Despite her share of anxious moments, O’Leary, who moved to 3-6 in the national quarterfinals, said she never doubted the outcome.

“I believe in in this team,” she said. “They’re they’re too competitive. They want to win too badly.”

This drive to succeed allowed a team with plenty of new faces and veterans in new roles to build on a record-setting season in 2024.

Florida lost 78.5% of its scoring and 16 seniors from a 20-3 squad that fell 15-11 to defending national champion Northwestern, an eventual 14-13 loser to Boston College in the final.

Florida midfielder Kaitlyn Davis (5) and teammates gather during the Gators' 11-9 win against Duke to advance to the Final Four Thursday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville. (UAA Communications/Catherine McCarthy)

A a 55-minute rain delay with the Gators trailing 10-9 stalled their momentum against the Wildcats.

“Not to make excuses, but it wasn’t great,” Koury recalled. “We just need to finish games.”

Florida finished off Duke Thursday during a rematch of a 2011 Elite Eight matchup in O’Leary’s second season with a program she help start in 2007.

A 2012 trip to the Final Four appeared to be her big break. A decade later and heading to consecutive Final Fours, O’Leary’s program is at last among the nation’s elite.

A lacrosse outlier from the Deep South now aims to win a championship long reserved for traditional powers. This, during a season with all the makings of a rebuild.

“That honestly motivated us more,” Koury said. “We knew that we had so many people capable of stepping up on this team. We have a great team chemistry, we work really hard on our own time and when we’re at practices.

“Everybody’s just super motivated to reach that next level.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans claim is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.

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In an Instagram post earlier in the day, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”

Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, claimed that Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.

The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.

“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.

James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.

“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.

Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”

He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.

By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations on Thursday forecast slower global economic growth this year and next, pointing to the impact of the surge in U.S. tariffs and increasing trade tensions.

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U.N. economists also cited the volatile geopolitical landscape and threats of rising production costs, supply chain disruptions and financial turbulence.

“These days, there’s so much uncertainty in the air,” said Shantanu Mukherjee, director of the Economic Analysis and Policy Division at the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

“It’s been a nervous time for the global economy,” he told reporters while launching the midyear forecast. “In January this year, we were expecting two years of stable — if subpar — growth, and since then, prospects have diminished, accompanied by significant volatility across various dimensions.”

The U.N. is now forecasting global economic growth of 2.4% this year and 2.5% next year — a drop of 0.4 percentage point each year from its projections in January. Last year, the global economy grew 2.9%.

Mukherjee said the slowing is affecting most countries and regions, but among the most severely hit are the poorest and least developed countries, whose growth prospects have fallen from 4.6% to 4.1% just since January.

“That translates into a loss of billions in economic output for the most disadvantaged of countries,” which are home to over half the global population living in extreme poverty, he said.

The world’s developed and developing countries also are projected to suffer, according to the U.N. report.

Economic growth in the United States is now projected to drop significantly, from 2.8% last year to 1.6% this year, it said, noting that higher tariffs and policy uncertainty are expected to weigh on private investment and consumption.

China’s growth is expected to slow to 4.6% this year from 5% in 2024 as a result of subdued consumer sentiment, disruptions in its export-oriented manufacturing companies, and continuing challenges in its property sector, the report said.

The European Union’s growth is forecast to remain the same this year as it was last year — just 1%, the report said, citing weaker net exports and higher trade barriers. The United Kingdom’s economic growth of 1.1% last year is projected to fall to 0.9%.

Weakening trade, slowing investments and falling commodity prices are also forecast to erode growth in other major developing economies, including Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

India will remain one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies, but the U.N. forecast said its growth is expected to drop from 7.1% in 2024 to 6.3% this year.

The U.N.’s global economic growth forecast is lower than the International Monetary Fund’s.

On a more positive note, Mukherjee said the U.N. is expecting that bilateral negotiations will lead to lower tariffs, although he said they won’t return to the levels before U.S. President Donald Trump’s February announcement.

Nonetheless, Mukherjee said, resolving uncertainties would help individuals and businesses move forward with economic decisions and that would have a positive impact on the global economy.

General Daily Insight for May 16, 2025

Figuring out a logical course of action is presently possible. The grounded Capricorn Moon trines careful Mercury at 1:29 pm EDT, bolstering us to attend to practical details without getting bogged down by them. Ultimately, committing to the best plan may require us to shed some of our individual preferences as Luna reins in desirous Venus and then demanding Mars. As we hash it out together, we’ll have to distinguish between needs and wants without resorting to personal attacks. Efficiency is necessary, but so is empathy!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Bringing your goals into line with reality might be required at the moment. As the vulnerable Moon in your ambitious 10th house trips over appealing Venus in your sign, you may be attached to a particular goal because you believe that achieving it would make you look good. In contrast, you could potentially build more sustainable financial results from following a slightly different path. Don’t dig in your heels just to be right — figure out what’s really going to serve you.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

The reality of a grand adventure could be a little disappointing for you today. While the inquisitive Moon in your 9th House of Exploration disputes idealistic Venus in your dreamy 12th house, a destination you’ve long been awaiting might, once you get there, turn out to be very different from the picture you had in your mind. Still, you may end up learning a lot about yourself through this experience. You can acknowledge that it’s not what you expected while also enjoying whatever comes next.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

A private conversation could be especially informative today. While the perceptive Moon in your 8th House of Intimacy supports thoughtful Mercury in your secretive 12th house, you’re in a good position to use confidential knowledge wisely — even if you can imagine how much some of your friends would love to hear everything you’re hearing. Make a concerted effort to listen rather than talk. The situation you’re discussing is potentially very different from your preconceived ideas about it, so bring an open mind.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

A busy day in your social network could ultimately result in fulfilling connections for you. As the nourishing Moon in your relationship sector sings along with frenetic Mercury in your community zone, you might interact with more people than usual. Perhaps you’ll see a new side of an acquaintance who isn’t your usual type! Although you may worry that opening up to them will affect your reputation, the world is probably less interested than you think. Just make sure you’re still aligned with your values.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Your devotion to your craft may pay off at any moment. While the attentive Moon in your 6th House of Responsibilities reaches out to broadcaster Mercury in your reputation sector, someone might tell others about your expertise. As the discussion continues, try to give your audience a realistic idea of how you got to be where you are. You’ve potentially sacrificed leisure time or other opportunities over the years in order to cultivate your skills. There’s no shame in not being an overnight success!

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Changing your approach to a current travel plan might be helpful. While the candid Moon in your playful 5th house checks on whirlwind Mercury in your adventure sector, you may need to step back from trying to optimize every little thing so you can hear what’s fundamentally calling to you. If there are others involved in the trip, take a moment to get your perspective clear within your own head before you loop them in. You’re probably on to something important!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Becoming more comfortable at home might require some extra thought. As the cozy Moon in your domestic 4th house cooperates with analytical Mercury in your 8th House of Sharing, perhaps you need to take a look at how the dynamic between you and someone you live with has shifted over time. Redrawing certain boundaries may be necessary to accommodate this change. Even if you want something different from the other person on an emotional level, you should both feel better with any practical concerns addressed.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Opening up to a trusted confidant could help you get past a recent mental block. While the emotional Moon in your 3rd House of Communication engages with observant Mercury in your relationship zone, you’re probably too deeply embedded in a situation to see it clearly yourself. The answer will potentially be more obvious to an outside observer. Unfortunately, fixing the problem might require you to give up a practical convenience you’ve come to rely on. Figure out what’s really worth the trouble.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

A longing for the easy way out could lead you into trouble. While the hungry Moon in your money zone goads lucky Venus in your speculative 5th house, you may be drawn to a scheme that promises to solve your financial problems with little effort on your part. This might also appear to bring you closer to the adventure you crave. You’re probably closer than you think to finding clarity on a much more practical level! Focus your efforts there and see what develops.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Expressing your creative side can be fruitful today. While the passionate Moon in your sign harmonizes with articulate Mercury in your artistic 5th house, you may have some genuinely good ideas — as well as the ability to communicate them to others. You still might ruffle a few feathers by proposing to do things differently than they’ve been done in the past. In that case, don’t be too rigid on the details. Allowing reasonable compromises should make the prospect of change more palatable.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Making room for a fantasy to grow could nourish you now. As the inspirational Moon in your dreamy 12th house stimulates intelligent Mercury in your 4th House of Nurturing, you probably have an idea worth pursuing. Although you might be tempted to tell everyone you know about it right away, that’s not the wisest move. At this tender stage, others’ opinions are likely to throw you off track. Work a little harder to figure out your plans before you bring anyone else into them.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Spending time with friends could be fun for you today. However, as the spontaneous Moon in your social 11th house clashes with value-seeking Venus in your finance zone, the group activity on offer may conflict with your budget. You might as well say something! You’re not necessarily the only one who would prefer to change the plan, for a variety of reasons. Try to offer an idea of what you’d like in its place — don’t leave everyone hanging in limbo.

By MICHAEL HILL

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — For decades, a carveout in New York’s child labor laws allowed kids as young as 11 to legally partake in the time-honored tradition of a paper route.

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Flipping papers into suburban hedges, bicycling through snow squalls, dodging dogs and getting stiffed for tips became a rite of passage for generations of youths.

But a change to the law quietly made via the state budget this month makes clear the job is now not allowed for anyone under 14 years old. The move was first reported by Politico.

The change comes even though paper boys and girls have mostly gone the way of phone booths, mimeograph machines and their urban “newsie” forebears who shouted “Extra! Extra!” on street corners.

While many teens used to take on paper routes as after-school jobs, that became rarer decades ago as more daily newspapers switched to early morning deliveries. Newspapers are now increasingly online and tend to rely on adults with cars to make home deliveries, according to industry watchers.

“The need for a workforce of kids to go throwing newspapers on stoops is just a thing of the past,” said attorney Allan Bloom, an employment law expert with the Proskauer firm.

Lawmakers made the change as part of a broader update of child labor laws. Bloom likened it to a “cleanup” as lawmakers streamlined the process for employing minors and increased penalties for violating child labor laws.

Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association, said she was not aware of any newspapers in New York using youth carriers.

Christopher Page recalled buying his first guitar on earnings from a paper route started in the late ’70s in suburban Clifton Park, north of Albany.

“I just had a 10-speed that I destroyed,” said Page. “It was truly rain or shine, I’m out there riding the bike. Or even in the winter, I would still ride the bike in the snow through all the potholes and the ice.”

When dogs chased him on his bike, Page would ward them off with his shoulder bag full of newspapers.

At age 13, Jon Sorensen delivered the Syracuse Herald-American on Sunday with his 11-year old brother in the Finger Lakes town of Owasco from the back of their mother’s Chevy station wagon.

“That was back when papers were papers — a lot of sections and a lot of weight,” recalled Sorensen, now 68 and Kennedy’s partner. “I can remember trudging through the snow. … I don’t think I ever dropped one, because if you did you had to be heading back to the car and pick up another copy.”

Sorensen stayed in the newspaper business as an adult, covering state government and politics for papers including New York Daily News and The Buffalo News.

“The hardest part of the job wasn’t delivering the paper, it was collecting,” Sorensen recalled. “It wasn’t always easy to get people to pay up.”

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the Vermilion Valley Resort in California’s eastern Sierra shut down for the winter, the staff left cabin doors unlocked just in case a wayward hiker needed shelter during the frequent mountain snowstorms. That decision may have saved the life of Tiffany Slaton, the 27-year-old Georgia woman who was missing for nearly three weeks in remote wilderness.

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Owner Christopher Gutierrez spotted a cabin door ajar and a pair of shoes nearby when he arrived Wednesday morning to begin reopening the resort for spring. Suddenly, a young woman appeared in the doorway.

“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said during a Wednesday evening news conference. “It was a pretty surreal moment, and that’s when I realized who this was.”

It was Slaton, whose parents had reported her missing on April 29 after not hearing from her for more than a week. The Fresno County Sheriff’s office launched a search, and deputies and volunteers scoured more than 600 square miles of the Sierra National Forest, with no luck. Searchers were hampered by heavy snow blocking many roads.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office had announced it was scaling back the search effort. Two days later, she emerged from the cabin.

Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and called authorities, who brought her to a hospital for evaluation. She was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, sheriff’s officials said.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Tony Botti said it was the longest period of time he’s seen someone be missing in the wilderness and survive.

“Three weeks, it’s unheard of,” he said. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.”

Thanks to tips from the public, investigators determined that Slaton had been spotted around April 20 near Huntington Lake, more than 20 miles to the southwest through rough terrain. But authorities didn’t provide details about when or where Slaton’s trek began, what her plans were, and what route she took to end up at Vermilion Valley Resort, which sits the Sierra Nevada about halfway between Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon national parks.

This image provide by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, shows Tiffany Slaton, of Jeffersonville, Ga., when she was rescued in Fresno County, Calif., Wednesday, May 14, 2025 after being reported missing in the High Sierra for three weeks. (Fresno County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Botti said sheriff’s officials planned to interview Slaton to learn the details of her experience, and how she survived in icy conditions at elevations topping 6,500 feet.

Across the country in Jeffersonville, Georgia, her parents were out shopping when they got word that their daughter had been found.

“I just grabbed somebody and I said, ‘Can I hug you?’ And I did,” said her mother, Fredrina Slaton. “I was crying and hugging.”

Tiffany’s father, Bobby Slaton, said “a ton of weight has been lifted.” He thanked the search-and-rescue team and all the community members who helped in the effort to find her.

Sheriff’s officials said snowplows cleared a key mountain pass earlier Wednesday, which allowed Gutierrez to access the resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year. Gutierrez said he had to spend about an hour and a half breaking up ice before he could get into the property.

Slaton’s parents said Tiffany was raised with a love of the outdoors, and they always stressed the importance of being able to fend for yourself in a tough situation.

“So it’s nice to know, as parents, that all the things that we’ve taught her, she actually did,” her mother said. “We believe that life is an adventure.”

By MATTHEW BROWN

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Three Montana Army National Guard members face trespassing charges after authorities said they landed a Black Hawk helicopter in a mountain pasture on a private ranch to take several elk antlers before flying away.

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A witness saw the May 4 landing and the person who owns the property reported it to officials, who tracked down the three guard members, Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg said Thursday.

The guardsmen had been on a training flight from the city of Billings to Helena, the state capital, said Major Ryan Finnegan with the Montana National Guard. The helicopter landed briefly in the pasture located in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, where the crew members picked up two individual antlers and an old elk skull with antlers still attached, the sheriff said.

Elk antlers — which grow and drop off male animals annually — are highly prized and can be sold by the pound. They also are collected from the wild as keepsakes.

The antlers and skull taken by the guardsmen were worth a combined $300 to $400, according to Ronneberg. They were later turned over to a state game warden.

Trespassers taking antlers from private land is not uncommon in Montana and other western states.

“This an odd one,” Ronneberg said. “Usually somebody parks on the side of the road and crosses into private ground and picks up a shed,” he said, referring to an antler that’s been shed by an elk.

Citations issued to two of the guardsmen said they “entered posted private property that was posted as trespassing for the purpose of elk antler removal.” The citation for the third again mentioned trespassing and also that “subject landed military helicopter on private property.”

The Sweet Grass County Attorney and Sheriff’s Office are considering additional charges related to the taking of the antlers themselves but no decision has been made, Ronneberg said. He said those discussions center on whether the antlers were the property of the landowners.

Reached on Thursday by telephone, one of the three guardsmen, Michael Vincent Bray of East Helena, Montana, referred questions to his attorney, who did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The other two guardsmen — Perry Wray Woodland of Great Falls and Deni Lynn Draper of Clancy — could not be reached.

They face charges of criminal misdemeanor trespass, which comes with a $185 fine, and do not have to appear in court, said Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Taking antlers from state-owned land is legal in Montana for people with an $8 state conservation license, Lemon said.

Montana National Guard Adjutant General J. Peter Hronek said in a statement he was aware of the case and it was being investigated.

“Appropriate adverse and/or administrative action will take place if the allegations are determined to be true,” Hronek said. “Misuse of military equipment erodes the trust we strive to uphold with the people of Montana.”

Finnegan said a Montana National Guard representative reached out to the owner of the ranch “to provide an update and coordinate for an in person return of the items.”

By MATT O’BRIEN

Much like its creator, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok was preoccupied with South African racial politics on social media this week, posting unsolicited claims about the persecution and “genocide” of white people.

The chatbot, made by Musk’s company xAI, kept posting publicly about “white genocide” in response to users of Musk’s social media platform X who asked it a variety of questions, most having nothing to do with South Africa.

One exchange was about streaming service Max reviving the HBO name. Others were about video games or baseball but quickly veered into unrelated commentary on alleged calls to violence against South Africa’s white farmers. Musk, who was born in South Africa, frequently opines on the same topics from his own X account.

Computer scientist Jen Golbeck was curious about Grok’s unusual behavior so she tried it herself, sharing a photo she had taken at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show and asking, “is this true?”

“The claim of white genocide is highly controversial,” began Grok’s response to Golbeck. “Some argue white farmers face targeted violence, pointing to farm attacks and rhetoric like the ‘Kill the Boer’ song, which they see as incitement.”

The episode was the latest window into the complicated mix of automation and human engineering that leads generative AI chatbots trained on huge troves of data to say what they say.

“It doesn’t even really matter what you were saying to Grok,” said Golbeck, a professor at the University of Maryland, in an interview Thursday. “It would still give that white genocide answer. So it seemed pretty clear that someone had hard-coded it to give that response or variations on that response, and made a mistake so it was coming up a lot more often than it was supposed to.”

Musk and his companies haven’t provided an explanation for Grok’s responses, which were deleted and appeared to have stopped proliferating by Thursday. Neither xAI nor X returned emailed requests for comment Thursday.

Musk has spent years criticizing the “woke AI” outputs he says come out of rival chatbots, like Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and has pitched Grok as their “maximally truth-seeking” alternative.

Musk has also criticized his rivals’ lack of transparency about their AI systems, but on Thursday the absence of any explanation forced those outside the company to make their best guesses.

“Grok randomly blurting out opinions about white genocide in South Africa smells to me like the sort of buggy behavior you get from a recently applied patch. I sure hope it isn’t. It would be really bad if widely used AIs got editorialized on the fly by those who controlled them,” prominent technology investor Paul Graham wrote on X.

Graham’s post brought what appeared to be a sarcastic response from Musk’s rival, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

“There are many ways this could have happened. I’m sure xAI will provide a full and transparent explanation soon,” wrote Altman, who has been sued by Musk in a dispute rooted in the founding of OpenAI.

Some asked Grok itself to explain, but like other chatbots, it is prone to falsehoods known as hallucinations, making it hard to determine if it was making things up.

Musk, an adviser to President Donald Trump, has regularly accused South Africa’s Black-led government of being anti-white and has repeated a claim that some of the country’s political figures are “actively promoting white genocide.”

Musk’s commentary — and Grok’s — escalated this week after the Trump administration brought a small number of white South Africans to the United States as refugees Monday, the start of a larger relocation effort for members of the minority Afrikaner group as Trump suspends refugee programs and halts arrivals from other parts of the world. Trump says the Afrikaners are facing a “genocide” in their homeland, an allegation strongly denied by the South African government.

In many of its responses, Grok brought up the lyrics of an old anti-apartheid song that was a call for Black people to stand up against oppression and has now been decried by Musk and others as promoting the killing of whites. The song’s central lyrics are “kill the Boer” — a word that refers to a white farmer.

Golbeck believes the answers were “hard-coded” because, while chatbot outputs are typically very random, Grok’s responses consistently brought up nearly identical points. That’s concerning, she said, in a world where people increasingly go to Grok and competing AI chatbots for answers to their questions.

“We’re in a space where it’s awfully easy for the people who are in charge of these algorithms to manipulate the version of truth that they’re giving,” she said. “And that’s really problematic when people — I think incorrectly — believe that these algorithms can be sources of adjudication about what’s true and what isn’t.”

Q: Our mother recently passed away in Florida. I live in another state, so the last year before she died, my brother moved in with her to be able to help. The house was owned for decades by both our parents, and our father passed away some time ago. My sister and I want to sell the house, but our brother wants to keep living there. We get along well enough, but are at a deadlock on this issue. Our mother did not have a will. What will happen to the house? — Ralph

A: After a person passes away, the legal process known as “probate” comes into play. This court-managed process involves gathering and distributing the deceased’s assets, including their home.

When an individual passes away with a will, their probate process is termed “testate,” with the will serving as guidance for the distribution of their assets.

Conversely, if no valid will exists, the estate is considered “intestate,” and the law offers standard instructions for distribution.

Determining heirs can sometimes be complicated, but typically, the spouse inherits first, followed by children, and then grandchildren. If none of these relatives are available to inherit, the decedent’s parents are next in line, then siblings, and so on, according to a statutory order.

Florida and several other states have special rules dealing with the inheritance of someone’s primary residence, known as their “homestead.” Because she was a widow when she died, ownership of her home passed to you and your siblings.

You will need to take some steps to deal with your situation.

First, you need to hire an attorney to help you probate your mother’s estate. Her financial situation will determine how complex or straightforward this process is, but in the end, you and your siblings should end up equal owners of her home.

The three of you should work together to either allow your brother to buy out his two siblings’ share of the property or sell the property and split the proceeds.

However, if you cannot work together to complete this, you can petition the court to step in and force the buy-out or sale in a “partition” lawsuit.

Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro. 

Removing fluoride from our water supply, which for decades dental and medical experts have credited with improving our dental health, will result in mass suffering of millions of children.

The cost of dental care for families will soar and there will be lost productivity due to time off to address dental disease. Children will suffer the most, by experiencing unnecessary levels of tooth decay, requiring painful dental procedures. The personal and financial costs of such bad policy are just too high.

I can foresee a new industry developing: Businesses will sell fluoridation systems to homes. But who will regulate them to assure that home water supplies are not getting too much or too little fluoride? Will doctors and dentists prescribe fluoride supplements to their patients for the prevention of disease?

Florida Department of Health Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a public event where Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would sign a bill banning the use of fluoride in public water systems, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Wealthy families can bear these extra costs, but what about those who are not wealthy? Those families will surely suffer. Our water systems are calibrated to assure safe and effective levels of fluoride. The citizens of this state receive yearly notifications of the analysis of their local water.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his conspiracy theorist, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, say it’s a personal choice not to have a drug that prevents tooth decay jammed down our throats.

They site studies where fluoride levels many times higher than in Florida’s water has caused a drop in children’s IQ levels. They’re doing the bidding of conspiracy theorist-in-chief RFK Jr.

Those who don’t want fluoridated water can buy bottled water. The rotting teeth of our children because of this fluoride ban is a metaphor for the rot in our government.

Shari Somerstein, Plantation

Look, Ma, too many cavities

As silly as DeSantis was to sign the bill outlawing water fluoridation, there’s a silver lining to all this.

Investing in dental products such as Polident, false teeth adhesives and dental drilling manufacturers could become very profitable. Also, the makers of anesthesia products might become more profitable because more and more children, so often terrified of dentists and their drills, will need to be sedated before cavities can be filled, now that their teeth won’t have automatic fluoridation protection.

Seriously, perhaps a future legislature will heed the example of Calgary, Alberta, which after a disastrous rise in cavities following elimination of water fluoridation, reversed course about a decade later.

John Countryman, Plantation

Alternative facts

It’s amusing to no end watching Republicans say that Democrats are trying “to steal the power they didn’t win at the ballot box” (to quote a letter to the editor from Elizabeth Hinesley of Delray Beach, published May 5).

I would remind the letter writer that Democrats didn’t storm the U.S. Capitol in January, and they didn’t in January 2017 either.

Only Republicans have tried to prevent a peaceful transition of power when they didn’t get their way. There’s plenty of evidence to support that — but then again, evidence and the facts have never been their strong suit.

Greg Harris, Margate

Transgender truth test

Why are trans people considered too tough and dominant and strong to play sports, but they are too weak to serve in the military?

Larry Baum, Boca Raton

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

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Debra Case lost more than $2 million to cybercriminals who persuaded the former Hollywood commissioner and her husband to liquidate nearly all their assets and transfer them into Bitcoin — only to have them stolen, a lawsuit claims.

Case filed a complaint with the FBI and the Hollywood Police Department, then turned to attorney Larry Davis for help.

“Debra and Terrence Case were victimized due to the negligence of financial institutions who owe a duty to protect their clients from fraudsters,” Davis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel this week. “As a result of this negligence, our clients lost over $2 million that had been earned from a lifetime of hard, honest work.”

The lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Broward Circuit Court, names four defendants: Bank of America, headquartered in North Carolina; Regions Bank, headquartered in Alabama; UBS Financial Services, headquartered in New Jersey; and Fisher Investments, headquartered in Texas.

The lawsuit claims that all four institutions were in breach of duty by failing to prevent fraud.

None of the defendants have yet responded formally to the lawsuit, court records showed.

The Sun Sentinel reached out to representatives for all four.

Bank of America and UBS Financial Services declined to comment.

Naj Srinivas, executive vice president of Fisher Investments, sent this response: “This claim is without merit and we look forward to defending ourselves in the appropriate venue.”

Regions Bank made this statement: “While we will not comment on pending litigation, we can confirm Regions Bank has a strong commitment to fraud prevention, including raising awareness of common scams like gift card scams. We also caution against imposter scams, where fraudsters pose as legitimate professionals and try to convince people to move money around. In addition, we participate in the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign, informing people of the types of information a legitimate bank, including Regions, will never request.”

Case, a former Hollywood restaurant owner and former city commissioner who is now retired, isn’t the first to be taken in by a cyberscam and unfortunately, won’t be the last.

“The financial devastation caused by the pervasive and widespread scamming of our most vulnerable Americans is a national disgrace,” Davis said.

A long and winding ruse

Here’s what happened, according to the lawsuit:

Case, 67, got an email from someone claiming to be a Microsoft employee. The email claimed her computer was compromised and provided a phone number to call for more information.

Case called the number.

A woman claiming to be a Microsoft employee named Amy Flores gave her yet another number to call.

Case called that number and spoke to a man who falsely claimed to be a Bank of America employee named Ryan Connor. Unbeknownst to her, he provided her with a fake employee ID number and fake case number.

Connor told Case the IP addresses on her and her husband’s computer and phones were compromised and that their electronic and financial accounts were at risk. He assured Case he would take care of the financial accounts and that Flores would take care of the electronic devices.

After gaining remote access to the couple’s computer, the cybercriminals told Case they found a computer virus from China and proof that hackers had gained access to their electronics.

Case also was told that tens of thousands of dollars had been charged to their credit cards. The scammers then instructed her to buy gift cards to max out the lines of credit on their credit cards as a way to preserve their assets.

Case did as instructed, using her credit cards to purchase tens of thousands of dollars in gift cards from various Apple, Home Depot and Sephora stores. She then sent the images of the gift cards to Connor.

Trickster gave fake name

Bank of America quickly flagged the purchases as being potentially fraudulent and called Case to inquire about what was going on.

Case informed the bank that she was making the gift card purchases at the instruction of one of their employees, a man named Ryan Connor. She provided the employee ID and case number he’d given her, both of which were fraudulent.

“Bank of America should have recognized that Debra Case was actively being victimized in an ongoing fraud,” the lawsuit says. “Bank of America should have escalated the situation to require further investigation. This is especially true since Ryan Connor was not a legitimate Bank of America employee, and neither the employee number nor case number actually existed.”

In their next phone call, the person claiming to be Connor informed Case he was working with the government and inquired further about her assets.

Case told him the couple had $1.97 million in investments and $200,000 in a savings account at UBS Financial Services, all of which was managed by their financial advisors at Fisher Investments.

Connor instructed Case and her husband to open a new bank account to avoid being further compromised.

Connor also told the couple that transferring their money into Bitcoin would be the most secure way to protect their savings. The couple did as told, opening accounts at Regions Bank for the purpose of transferring money out of UBS Financial Services so that the funds could then be transferred into Bitcoin.

According to the lawsuit, the Regions branch manager asked why they were opening the accounts. Case explained that she was liquidating nearly all of their assets, transferring them into Regions, and then immediately transferring them into Bitcoin.

“This should have been alarming for a financial institution to hear,” the lawsuit says. “However, instead of taking any action … to determine the presence of and to prevent fraud, the branch manager explained that he is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. Not only did the Regions branch manager take no action to investigate or halt the opening of the new accounts, he actually encouraged Debra Case’s stated course of action.”

Retirement savings gone

Case then contacted her investment adviser at Fisher Investments, the firm that managed their accounts.

Following instructions provided by Connor, Case told Fisher Investments she was going to lend out the money to fund a condominium assessment on behalf of many of their neighbors, and that the money would be returned to Fisher and UBS in six to eight weeks.

Neither Fisher nor UBS looked further into the reasons for the withdrawals, the lawsuit claims.

After opening the accounts at Regions Bank, the couple began liquidating their assets at Fisher Investments and UBS and transferring them to Regions.

“Over the course of approximately one month, plaintiffs then transferred approximately $2 million from Regions Bank to various Bitcoin wallet platforms over the course of numerous transactions, as directed by Ryan Connor, thereby wiping out their retirement accounts,” the lawsuit states.

Connor told the couple he would transfer their money out of Bitcoin and into a savings account at Bank of America. He also told them they needed new Social Security numbers and said he would take care of that. He informed them they’d have access to their money when they got their new Social Security numbers.

Connor then transferred the money out of their Bitcoin wallets, but instead of moving it into the couple’s account, the money was stolen.

The couple contacted Bank of America after Connor stopped returning phone calls.

“It was at this point that (they) learned from Bank of America that there was no Ryan Connor at Bank of America, no alerts on any of their accounts, no claim numbers, and no account with the funds that (they) had believed was transferred to them from the Bitcoin wallets,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit seeks attorneys’ fees and damages, with interest.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan

Here are the top stories for Thursday, May 15, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

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Today is Thursday, May 15, the 135th day of 2025. There are 230 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 15, 1970, less than two weeks after the shooting at Kent State University, two Black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi were killed and 12 were injured when police opened fire during student demonstrations.

Also on this date:

In 1800, President John Adams ordered government offices to relocate from Philadelphia to the newly-constructed city of Washington, in the federal District of Columbia.

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In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.

In 1928, the Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time in front of a public audience in a test screening of the short “Plane Crazy.” (Mickey made his formal screen debut with the release of “Steamboat Willie” six months later.)

In 1940, brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald’s fast-food restaurant, in San Bernardino, California.

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its In re Gault decision, ruled that juveniles accused of crimes were entitled to the same due process afforded adults.

In 1972, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and left paralyzed while campaigning for president in Laurel, Maryland, by Arthur H. Bremer, who would serve 35 years in prison for the attempted murder.

In 2015, a jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv) to death for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three and left more than 260 wounded.

In 2020, President Donald Trump formally unveiled a coronavirus vaccine program called “Operation Warp Speed,” to speed development of COVID-19 vaccines and quickly distribute them around the country.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Artist Jasper Johns is 95.
• Counterculture icon Wavy Gravy is 89.
• Actor-singer Lainie Kazan is 85.
• Basketball Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson is 85.
• Musician Brian Eno is 77.
• Actor Chazz Palminteri is 73.
• Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett is 72.
• Rapper Melle Mel is 64.
• Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz is 58.
• Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith is 56.
• Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is 50.
• Actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 44.
• Tennis player Andy Murray is 38.

That’s who they are.

That’s what they do.

That’s how the Florida Panthers have played on their good nights for three springs now. And Wednesday was one of their best nights, a hockey clinic where the Panthers did something more humiliating to the Toronto Maples Leafs than connect with some punches, as they willingly do any night.

They shut down Toronto’s stars for a second consecutive game, chased its goalie, caused one of hockey’s big arenas to start booing in the second period and empty out in the third and now stand one game from advancing to a third straight Eastern Conference finals.

It felt by any measure except their 3-2 series lead like the Panthers won more than just Game 5 in Toronto, 6-1.

It felt like they broke Toronto.

The Panthers would never say that. Not now. Not with one win still needed. And we’ll see if this was a one-off for Toronto and it can recover back to the previous four games that were tight, trip-wire affairs the whole way.

“Tonight was not a good game for anybody — all of us,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said.

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You don’t have to know the NHL to know Toronto’s plight. They’re the Miami Dolphins. Popular team. Great history. But Toronto hasn’t won it all in so many sports generations its 1967 Stanley Cup needs carbon dating. It’s spent money, signed stars, revolved regimes, but has made it past the first round twice in 20 seasons.

Again, sound familiar, South Florida (except the second-round trips)?

Did Wednesday look familiar, too?

This is was the Panthers at their suffocating best. They made Game 5 in Toronto look like a similar and exaggerated Game 4 in Sunrise.

Toronto’s offensive rush speed of the first few games — did anyone see it? And the Panthers’ defense-first system — only a trash goal near game’s end prevented two shutouts in a row. As it was, Toronto went 143 minutes between goals.

Oh, Toronto had its chances Wednesday. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had a game-changing save on William Nylander’s breakaway midway through the first period when it was 0-0. He made another peg-leg save when a puck ricocheted hard off the boards to tee up for Toronto’s Matthew Knies by the net.

Two Toronto shots hit the crossbar on the same shift early in the second period. If either scores, maybe the night changes. So, even blowout wins have their moments.

But the past two games followed full form of the Panthers’ defensive identity, just as this series followed the Panthers’ three-year blueprint as it’s advanced, as they mucked up play with their forecheck, as their physicality took its toll, as they rolled out three talent-rich lines and a physical fourth line.

The numbers were even Wednesday night on shots (thought the Panthers had a 14-4 first-period lead) and hits and face-offs. The telling number was turnovers Toronto had 20 to the Panthers’ nine. Four of the Panthers goals came on their forecheck leading to Toronto turnovers.

Take the Panthers’ first goal. Toronto star Auston Matthews had the puck behind his net, had it taken away. As the Panthers moved the puck that possession, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly could have got it. But Sam Reinhart grabbed it and dropped the pass to Aaron Ekblad, whose wrist shot made it 1-0.

Or take the Panthers’ third goal. Toronto star Mitch Marner tried a silly, spin pass in mid-ice that was intercepted. A pass later, Reinhart made a nifty, cross-ice pass that Jesper Boqvist tucked in the net.

Do you see how one team feels like its found its game this series and the other is crumbing?

Boqvist, by the way, came off the bench to start on the first line for the injured Evan Rodrigues. Again: From the bench to the first line. And scored. Do you see the depth at work here?

Because the recipe is easier to see. The Panthers got away from it at series’ start. But now everything is in order again. Wednesday was what the Panthers do. It’s how they look.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice doesn’t believe in momentum. And for good reason considering how quickly things turn. But he believes in strangling defense. He believes in physicality adding up. He believes in dumping in the puck and chasing it down and turning such play into goals.

That’s who the Panthers were again Wednesday. They need one more of those to move on. Friday in Sunrise sounds about right.

By MATT CARLSON

CHICAGO — Kyle Stowers hit a pair of solo home runs and tripled, Ryan Weathers tossed five strong innings in his return to Miami’s rotation and the Marlins topped the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Wednesday night to end a three-game slide.

Agustín Ramírez also homered and doubled to help Miami avoid being swept at foggy Wrigley Field and win for just the fourth time in 17. Stowers homered for the second straight game to increase his season total to 10.

Seiya Suzuki homered for one of two hits off Weathers (1-0), who made his first start this season. The left-hander struck out five and walked one before exiting after 76 pitches. He strained his left flexor muscle during spring training, then rehabilitated it in the minors.

Four Miami relievers combined for four shutout innings. Jesús Tinoco tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save after blowing a two-run lead Tuesday in Chicago’s 5-4 win.

Jameson Taillon (2-3) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked none.

Stowers gave Miami a 1-0 lead in the second on a drive to the left-center bleachers.

Ramírez and Stowers added solo shots in the fourth to make it 3-0. Stowers pulled his second homer just inside the right foul pole.

Suzuki cut it to 3-1 in the bottom half with his homer to left-center.

Key moment

Pete Crow-Armstrong reached on an infield hit — loading the bases with two outs in the sixth — when he popped up a bunt that landed between pitcher Calvin Faucher and third baseman Connor Norby. Faucher struck out Nico Hoerner to end the threat.

Key stat

Stowers has four homers in his last six games and three career multihomer games, all this season.

Up next

The Marlins host Tampa Bay on Friday. Neither team had named a starter. The Cubs host the crosstown White Sox on Friday. Neither team had named a starter.

Jesper Boqvist has not been one of the Florida Panthers’ main players in the postseason, playing an average of about seven minutes in the seven playoff games he played in entering Wednesday night’s Game 5.

But with Evan Rodrigues out due to an injury he sustained in Florida’s Game 4 win, Boqvist got the call to play alongside captain Aleksander Barkov and top scorer Sam Reinhart. Boqvist matched the stars’ play, scoring his first career playoff goal as the Panthers rolled to a resounding 6-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“It was a good opportunity for me and obviously, enjoyed every second of it,” Boqvist said. “Obviously, it helped playing with two of the best players in the world.”

Florida has a chance to clinch the series in Game 6 at home on Friday.

“We’re just focused on one at a time,” Reinhart said. “We had one job to do today. Now it’s (time) to recover and get ready for the next one, get back home and get in front of our fans again.”

The Panthers peppered Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll in the first period, while Toronto rarely threatened Sergei Bobrovsky in the first 10 minutes. Bobrovsky, with help from defenseman Gustav Forsling, stopped the Maple Leafs’ best early chance, stopping a William Nylander breakaway.

“They’re going to get some looks; they’re a dangerous team,” Reinhart said. “You try and defend tight, for the most part. Countless times, time and time again, he makes those big stops for us.”

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad opened the scoring, notching his fifth consecutive game with a point and scoring after a flurry of shots in front of the Maple Leafs’ net 14:38 into the first period.

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The Panthers’ defensemen provided more offense in the second period, as a Dmitry Kulikov shot deflected off Scott Laughton’s stick and past Woll to put Florida up 2-0. Boqvist scored the third goal off a pass from Reinhart, and the Panthers pushed the lead further with a slapshot goal by defenseman Niko Mikkola.

A.J. Greer kept the unlikely-scorer theme going, putting Florida ahead 5-0 with his first career playoff goal. The Panthers’ first five different goal-scorers on Wednesday scored only 31 goals through the whole regular season.

“Depth scoring in the playoffs is extremely important,” Ekblad said. “To have (defensemen) get in on that as well as guys like (Boqvist) and a lot of guys, it’s been great. We love it.”

Sam Bennett, Florida’s leading goal-scorer in the postseason so far, added a third-period goal for good measure, giving the Panthers a 6-0 lead with a power-play goal.

Florida’s defense picked up where it left off in Game 4. The Panthers had 14 shots on goal to the Maple Leafs’ five, and Florida had 33 shot attempts to Toronto’s 10. Although Toronto caught up in shots, they could not find the back of the net.

Bobrovsky nearly notched his second consecutive shutout, but Toronto’s Nick Robertson scored with 1:06 left in the third period. The goal ended a 143-minute scoring drought for the Maple Leafs.

“We trust in Bob like you wouldn’t believe,” Ekblad said. “It’s unwavering, as a team, and we’re proud every night to play in front of that guy because he’s going to give his best effort and put his best foot forward every night. There’s no worries when you’ve got Bob behind you.”

Here’s the Miami Dolphins’ full 2025 schedule with TV info and game times. All games are on Sunday, unless noted otherwise:

Preseason

Week 1: AT Chicago Bears Soldier Field, TBA; CBS Miami

Week 2: AT Detroit Lions Ford Field, TBA; CBS Miami

Week 3: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, TBA; CBS Miami

Regular season

Week 1: AT Indianapolis Colts, Sept. 7, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 2: vs. New England Patriots, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 3: AT Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 18, 8:15 p.m.; Amazon Prime Video

Week 4: vs. New York Jets, Monday, Sept. 29, 7:15 p.m.; ESPN

Week 5: AT Carolina Panthers, Oct. 5, 1 p.m.; FOX

Week 6: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 12, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 7: AT Cleveland Browns, Oct. 19, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 8: AT Atlanta Falcons, Oct. 26, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 9: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Thursday, Oct. 30, 8:15 p.m.; Amazon Prime Video

Week 10: vs. Buffalo Bills, Nov. 9, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 11: vs. Washington Commanders (in Madrid, Spain), Nov. 16,  9:30 a.m.; NFL Network

Week 12: BYE

Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints, Nov. 30, 1 p.m.; FOX

Week 14: AT New York Jets, Dec. 7, 1 p.m.; CBS

Week 15: AT Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Dec. 15, 8:15 p.m.; ESPN/ABC

Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Dec. 21, 8:20 p.m.; NBC/Peacock

Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dec. 28, 1 p.m.; FOX

Week 18: AT New England Patriots, Jan. 3 or Jan. 4, Time/TV TBA

* Note: Dates for exhibition games will be announced at a later date.

Dolphins’ leaked schedule shows five prime-time games in 2025

By JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A former model reproached one of Harvey Weinstein ’s lawyers for suggesting that her sexual abuse allegations against the ex-studio boss are lies.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Kaja Sokola retorted. In her fifth and final day of testimony at Weinstein’s sex crimes retrial, she maintained that she was telling the truth and that Weinstein’s alleged conduct in her teens had changed the course of her life.

“It changed the course of your life in that you got $3.5 million from false accusations?” defense lawyer Mike Cibella pressed, referring to compensation she was awarded through civil proceedings in recent years.

“No. That’s very unfair,” Sokola said softly. “That’s not true.”

Kaja Sokola appears state court in Manhattan to testify in the sex assault case against Harvey Weinstein, Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)

During her days on the witness stand, she said Weinstein repeatedly offered to foster her acting ambitions but then made unwanted physical advances, beginning when she was 16 in 2002.

Weinstein, 73, faces a sexual assault charge related solely to her allegation that he forced oral sex on her when she was 19. He also faces charges based on two other women’s claims. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and his attorneys assert that his accusers had consensual sexual encounters with the Oscar-winning producer because they wanted movie and TV work.

Weinstein’s lawyers grilled Sokola about her requests for career help from him after the alleged assault, her motives for her civil lawsuits and criminal trial testimony, as well as her personal struggles, and even a private journal she kept for an alcohol-abuse program in her native Poland.

After apparently getting the decade-old writings via the witness’ sister, the defense was allowed to bring up portions in which Sokola said two other men had sexually assaulted her over the years but didn’t say the same about Weinstein. Instead, she wrote that he promised her help but didn’t deliver.

Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in New York. (Curtis Means/Pool Photo via AP)

Sokola testified Wednesday that she had left out Weinstein’s alleged sexual abuse partly because she couldn’t come to terms with it at the time. Also, she said, her sponsor was in the film business in Poland and knew who Weinstein was.

Cibella questioned that explanation, noting that the text mentioned only “Harvey W” and nothing about his profession. Sokola said her sponsor nonetheless knew his identity because they talked about it.

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Tearing up as she spoke, she said she hadn’t seen the black notebook for 10 years, never gave anyone permission to share it and was stunned and appalled to be confronted with it in court.

“I felt very violated,” said Sokola, now 39 and a psychotherapist.

She was the second of Weinstein’s accusers to testify at the retrial, and the only one who wasn’t involved in his first trial in 2020. That proceeding led to a landmark #MeToo-era conviction that was subsequently overturned, setting up the retrial. Prosecutors decided to add Sokola’s allegations to it.

Another woman, Miriam Haley, already has told jurors at the retrial that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in 2006. The third accuser, Jessica Mann, is expected to testify in the coming days or weeks. She alleges that Weinstein raped her in 2013.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission to be identified. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.