South Florida Local News

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a freelance journalist who has been living, off and on, in a private room at a hostel off the beaten path.

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I love the place because it’s gorgeous and usually has excellent vibes, but there are basically 15 of us keeping it in business. It is unfortunately quite close to a war zone.

Anyway, the most recent time I visited, there was a new volunteer at the hostel. After I had checked out and said my goodbyes, I walked through the gate to catch my ride to the airport.

This volunteer then blocked my way and cornered me. She went on a yelling, screaming rant, saying that I hadn’t left my private room (which I paid $100/night for) clean enough for her liking, and that it’s “not her job” to clean up after me.

I hadn’t even been aware she was a volunteer, as I hadn’t seen her work at all before, and certainly didn’t know she was making up my room. I calmly explained to her that I had tried to clean it a bit (to which she responded, in a mocking tone, “Oh, you tried???”), that most guests don’t clean their rooms in hostels at all, and that when I was a hostel volunteer, I changed something like 200 people’s beds in a day — and that it was, in fact, her job.

She continued to argue with me and corner me, attempting to prevent me from accessing my ride.

What was most upsetting was that the owner refused to fire her because it would be “bad for morale.” He fully expected me to come back a week later — which was originally the plan — but didn’t even offer an apology for the way I was treated, or any assurances as to consequences for her behavior.

I’m so furious. My loyalty, my money, my friendship over the past year … it’s meant nothing, I guess. I want to go back, but this experience has been extremely upsetting. What do I do now?

GENTLE READER: One would have thought yelling at the clients was bad for morale, but these days, Miss Manners is not so sure.

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There are, no doubt, a number of ways to voice your displeasure to a wider audience online, but that will neither restore the status quo ante nor get you an apology — which is presumably the goal.

Either or both of those outcomes may be possible with a private note to the owner, expressing your disappointment and saying that you won’t be returning since you no longer feel welcome or safe.

It is then up to him to make matters right. Once things have calmed down and the volunteer has moved on — and once he realizes he has lost one of his 15 core customers — the owner will no doubt see things in a different light.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2026. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 28, 2011, protesters opposed to Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule of Egypt seized the streets of Cairo, battling police, burning down ruling party headquarters and defying a military curfew. Hundreds of protesters would be killed in ensuing days in attempts to crush the uprising before Mubarak stepped down as president that February.

Also on this date:

In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died at age 55; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

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In 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published, anonymously, in London.

In 1922, 98 people were killed when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., collapsed under the weight of nearly 2 feet of snow.

In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats; the events were later dramatized in the film “Argo.”

In 1985, to raise funds in support of famine relief in Ethiopia, the supergroup USA For Africa recorded the song “We Are the World.”

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

In 2017, Serena Williams won her record 23rd Open Era Grand Slam singles title, defeating her sister Venus at the Australian Open for what would be her final major championship.

In 2024, three American troops were killed and 25 were injured in a drone strike in Jordan near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by the groups against American forces across the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Today’s birthdays:

• Actor Alan Alda is 90.
• Former NBA coach Gregg Popovich is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Nick Price is 69.
• Film director Frank Darabont is 67.
• Singer Sarah McLachlan is 58.
• Rapper Rakim is 58.
• Humorist Mo Rocca is 57.
• R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is 55.
• Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is 54.
• Rapper Rick Ross is 50.
• Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (’N Sync) is 49.
• Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 46.
• Actor Elijah Wood is 45.
• Rapper J. Cole is 41.
• Actor Ariel Winter is 28.

Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Former condo property manager charged in HOA thefts after Pembroke Pines investigation

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Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore

 

SUNRISE — Mikhail Sergachev scored in the third period to put Utah ahead to stay, and the Mammoth held on for a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Nick Schmaltz, Sean Durzi and Barrett Hayton also scored goals for the Mammoth, who have won nine of their last 11 games and played without top goal-scorer Dylan Guenther, who has a lower-body injury. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves and Durzi also had an assist.

Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves for Florida, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Sergachev’s goal with 8:55 to play gave Utah a 3-2 lead and Hayton made it 4-2 with an empty-netter with 56 seconds to play. Verhaeghe scored with 16 seconds left to pull the Panthers within 4-3, setting up a frantic final few seconds.

Schmaltz scored an unassisted short-handed goal with 4:14 to play in the first period when he picked up a loose puck just inside his own blue line, skated in alone and backhanded it past Bobrovsky.

The second short-handed goal of Schmaltz’s NHL career (the first was on March 26, 2024, against Columbus) gives him 15 points in his last 14 games (7 goals, 8 assists).

Vilmanis’ goal 2:52 into the second was the first of his NHL career and tied it at 1-1. The team’s fifth-round draft choice in 2022 was playing in his ninth NHL game.

The Panthers went scoreless on the power play in four chances.

Florida’s A.J. Greer played in his 300th career game.

Up next

Panthers: Visit St. Louis on Thursday night.

Darian Mensah is Miami’s next quarterback, and he is bringing along a top teammate.

Former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate committed to the Hurricanes Tuesday night, according to multiple reports, joining his former quarterback on the road to Coral Gables.

Barkate was the Blue Devils’ top wide receiver in 2025. He led the team with 72 catches, 1,106 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. He was a second-team All-ACC selection.

Barkate, a 6-foot-1 outside wide receiver, had a 76.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

Barkate played three seasons at Harvard before transferring to Duke. While at Harvard, he had 113 catches for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdown catches.

Barkate is the third wide receiver transfer to commit to UM this offseason. He joins former South Carolina wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs and former West Virginia wide receiver Cam Vaughn.

First, the Miami Hurricanes brought in Cam Ward. Then they added Carson Beck. Darian Mensah is next.

The Hurricanes picked up a major transfer portal addition on Tuesday night, securing a pledge from Mensah, the former Duke quarterback. Mensah will almost certainly be Miami’s starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

Mensah has signed with UM, according to multiple reports.

Mensah’s commitment comes amid a legal battle with Duke. The university sued Mensah in order to keep him from transferring to another school. The judge in the case ruled that Mensah could enter the portal but granted a temporary restraining order, keeping Mensah from enrolling in a new school until a Jan. 9 hearing.

On Tuesday, Mensah’s agency, Young Money APAA Sports, announced the quarterback and Duke had reached a settlement agreement that would allow Mensah to transfer. Mensah arrived on UM’s campus for a visit on Tuesday.

Mensah played one season at Duke after transferring from Tulane, helping lead the Blue Devils to an unexpected ACC championship. He threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He was second in the nation in passing yards and tied for second in touchdown passes.

Mensah, a second-team All-ACC selection, had the second-best passing grade in the conference (85), trailing only FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Mensah ranked 13th in the nation.

The Hurricanes looked at several transfer quarterbacks to replace Beck next season. They were reportedly in the mix for Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech. Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt also considered UM, taking a visit to Miami before committing to LSU. Miami also offered Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson over $6 million to forego the NFL draft and play for the Hurricanes, Simpson told On3.

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Mensah made news when he transferred from Tulane to Duke last year, reportedly signing a two-year contract worth $8 million. In December, he said he planned to return to Duke.

The Hurricanes have two returning quarterbacks for next season: redshirt sophomore Judd Anderson and redshirt freshman Luke Nickel. They also have newly enrolled freshman Dereon Coleman.

One or more of those quarterbacks could transfer in the wake of Mensah’s arrival. UM players have up to five days after the national title game to enter their name in the portal.

ORLANDO — Riley Kugel scored 17 points, Jordan Burks hit a late 3-pointer and finished with 15 points, and UCF rallied to beat Arizona State 79-76 on Tuesday night.

UCF used a 14-2 run to tie it 72-all with 2:30 remaining. Burks’ 3 gave the Knights a 78-76 lead with 34 seconds left, and he forced a turnover on the next possession. Themus Fulks split a pair of free throws for UCF with six seconds to go before Bryce Ford missed a 3-pointer to end it.

Jamichael Stillwell added 14 points and Fulks finished with 12 for UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12). John Bol grabbed 10 rebounds, and Kugel and Stillwell had nine apiece.

Maurice Odum made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for Arizona State (11-10, 2-6). Anthony Johnson scored 12 points and Ford added 11.

An Odum 3-pointer with about six minutes left in the first half sparked a 15-6 surge to give Arizona State a 33-28 advantage, and the Sun Devils took a 39-35 lead into the break. Arizona State used a 23-11 run to take its largest lead, 70-58, with 6:09 remaining.

It was Arizona State’s first game at Orlando in the series.

Up next

UCF: At home against No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

By LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.

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From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.

“The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately,” the Democrats said, “or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

Republicans and Democrats call for Noem to step down

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security secretary, and a longshot move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto impeachment legislation in the Republican-controlled House, has morphed into an inflection point for Noem, who has been the high-profile face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime.

Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism” — have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account. Her alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who was recalled from the Minnesota operation Monday as border czar Tom Homan took the lead, has left her isolated on Capitol Hill.

“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “It probably is time for her to step down.”

Trump stands by Noem and praises her work

President Donald Trump defended Noem on Wednesday at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.

Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pressed later during an interview on Fox News if he had confidence in Noem, the president said, “I do.”

“Who closed up the border? She did,” Trump said, “with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border. The border is a tremendous success.”

As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.

The Republican leadership of the House and Senate committees that oversee Homeland Security have demanded that department officials appear before their panels to answer for the operations that have stunned the nation with their sheer force — including images of children, including a 5-year-old, being plucked from families.

“Obviously this is an inflection point and an opportunity to evaluate and to really assess the policies and procedures and how they are being implemented and put into practice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, where Noem had been the state’s House representative and governor before joining the administration.

Asked about his own confidence in Noem’s leadership, Thune said, “That’s the president’s judgment call to make.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem listens as President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during a meeting with the White House task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Noem a “liar” and said she must be fired.

The fight over funding

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS enforces the laws from Congress, and if lawmakers don’t like those laws, they should change them.

“Too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership.”

The ability of Congress to restrict Homeland Security funding is limited, in large part because the GOP majority already essentially doubled department funding under Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law.

Instead, Democrats are seeking to impose restraints on Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as part of a routine annual funding package for Homeland, Defense, Health and other departments. Without action this week, those agencies would head toward a shutdown.

To be sure, Homeland Security still has strong defenders in the Congress.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus said Tuesday in a letter to Trump that he should invoke the Insurrection Act, if needed, to quell protests. The group said it would be “ready to take all steps necessary” to keep funds flowing for Trump’s immigration enforcement and removal operations.

On the job for a year, Noem has clashed at times with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and Democrats have sought greater oversight and accounting of the department’s spending and operations.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Noem has kept a low profile since the Saturday press conference following Pretti’s death, though she appeared Sunday on Fox News. She doubled down in that interview on criticism of Minnesota officials, but also expressed compassion for Pretti’s family.

“It grieves me to think about what his family is going through but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out in the streets with the violence they face,” she said.

Once rare, impeachments now more common

Impeachment, once a far-flung tool brandished against administration officials, has become increasingly commonplace.

Two years ago, the Republican-led House impeached another Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, in protest over the then-Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies that allowed millions of immigrants and asylum seekers to enter the U.S. The Senate dismissed the charges.

On Tuesday, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said if the Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, does not launch an impeachment probe, he would.

Raskin said he would work with the top Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees to immediately launch an impeachment inquiry related to the Minnesota deaths and other “lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

More than 160 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment resolution from Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana, Kevin Freking and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this story.

By ALI SWENSON

NEW YORK (AP) — Drugs that treat Type 2 diabetes, HIV and arthritis are among 15 new medications chosen for a Medicare drug price negotiation program that allows the federal government to haggle directly with drug manufacturers, the Trump administration said Tuesday.

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The drugs selected include some of the medications on which Medicare spends the most money. That means the deals negotiated this year have the potential to deliver significant savings to taxpayers when they go into effect in 2028.

“For too long, seniors and taxpayers have paid the price for skyrocketing prescription drug costs,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement Tuesday. “Under President Trump’s leadership, CMS is taking strong action to target the most expensive drugs in Medicare, negotiate fair prices, and make sure the system works for patients — not special interests.”

The federal government had until Feb. 1 to announce its list of 15 drugs. The negotiations take place under a 2022 law that allows Medicare to haggle over the price it pays on the most popular and expensive prescription drugs used by older Americans.

The government already has negotiated prices for 25 prescription drugs covered by Medicare, including the massively popular GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. This year’s negotiations mark the third round of the program and would mean a total of 40 drugs with lower prices for Medicare enrollees.

This year also marks the first time drugs payable under Medicare Part B are eligible for inclusion in the program. Medicare Part B drugs are outpatient prescriptions, such as medications infused or injected at a doctor’s office. Retail prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D are also eligible, as they were in past years.

The newly announced drugs up for negotiation include the popular Type 2 diabetes drug Trulicity and an HIV medication called Biktarvy. The neurotoxin Botox, frequently used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, will also have its price negotiated, but only for Medicare-covered uses, such as treating migraines or overactive bladders.

Among the other drugs selected are treatments for psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, chronic lung disease, depression and various cancers.

Over the past year, some 1.8 million Medicare Part B or Part D enrollees used the 15 drugs, according to the Trump administration. They accounted for about 6% in total Part B and Part D spending, CMS said.

CMS also stated that one Type 2 diabetes drug, whose price was previously negotiated under the program, Tradjenta, will undergo renegotiation.

AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan called Tuesday’s announcement a “significant step forward.”

“Older Americans across the political spectrum consistently say that lowering drug prices is a top priority, and we thank the Administration for protecting Medicare’s ability to meet that need,” she said in a statement.

The leading trade association for pharmaceutical companies, meanwhile, criticized the law that put the program into effect, the Inflation Reduction Act, and argued policymakers wanting to lower costs should instead rein in insurers and third-party pharmacy benefit managers.

“The IRA continues to show why government price setting is the wrong approach for Americans,” PhRMA Executive Vice President of Policy and Research Elizabeth Carpenter said in a statement.

CMS in November announced negotiated drug prices for 15 drugs that would go into effect in 2027. Reduced prices for the first 10 drugs negotiated by the Biden administration in 2024 went into effect at the start of this year.

The full list of new medications that will be negotiated this year under the program includes: Anoro Ellipta, Biktarvy, Botox and Botox Cosmetic, Cimzia, Cosentyx, Entyvio, Erleada, Kisqali, Lenvima, Orencia, Rexulti, Trulicity, Verzenio, Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR and Xolair.

By JESSE BEDAYN

A NASA research plane malfunctioned and had to touch down in Texas without landing gear on Tuesday, sliding across the runway on its belly and sending plumes of flame behind it, a video posted to social media showed.

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The crew landed the plane at Ellington Airport, southeast of Houston, and are “all safe at this time,” NASA said in a post on X. The federal space agency added that there was “mechanical issue” that will be investigated.

The aircraft with its distinct thin fuselage is the NASA WB-57. The plane with two crew seats is capable of flying for about 6 1/2 hours at high altitudes — beyond 63,000 feet.

Video shows the plane slowly descending toward the runway, then touching down with a jolt, its wings bouncing as yellow fire and white smoke bursts from beneath it. It steadily slides down the track, the flames bursting and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The aircraft begins to slow before the video ends.

• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
• A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Show Caption1 of 4A NASA aircraft sits near a runway at Ellington Airport after making a belly landing on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Expand

Local news footage from KHOU 11 shows the plane at a stop, the cockpit hatch open, fire trucks flashing nearby and emergency responders working around the black nose of the aircraft.

The NASA WB-57 has flown research missions since the 1970s and continues to be an asset for the scientific community, according to the agency’s website.

The Miami Dolphins don’t yet have their defensive coordinator in place, but a position coach who was under new coach Jeff Hafley in Green Bay will now be joining the staff.

The Dolphins are hiring Ryan Downard as defensive backs coach, according to a league source Monday night. He held the same position with the Packers while Hafley was defensive coordinator with them.

Downard had been with Green Bay since 2018, so new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan was there his whole tenure with the Packers and Hafley the past two years.

He was defensive backs coach the past three seasons, safeties coach in 2022, assistant defensive backs coach from 2019 through 2021 and a defensive quality control coach in 2018.

Downard, 37, was also director of football operations for Bowling Green in 2016 and 2017, and an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015.

Veteran Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had an exceptional 2025 season in Miami, was in Green Bay with Downard coaching in the secondary in the 2021, 2022 and part of the 2023 seasons.

Hafley and the Dolphins have interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt, a former Miami Hurricanes player and assistant coach, for defensive coordinator but have not made a hire.

Hafley has his offensive coordinator (Bobby Slowik), special teams coordinator (Chris Tabor) and wide receivers coach (Tyke Tolbert) to go with Downard on staff.

Weeks after a jury rejected the death penalty for Jason Banegas in the murder of Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino, the 23-year-old is asking a judge to vacate his guilty plea on the grounds that he was “coerced” into doing so by his trial attorneys.

Banegas, 23, pleaded guilty to shooting Chirino, 28, in the city’s Emerald Hills neighborhood on Oct. 18, 2021, as the two struggled over a gun. Banegas told investigators he was trying to shoot himself when he shot Chirino in the face.

Banegas filed a motion to vacate his guilty plea on Wednesday, asserting that he would not have confessed if he weren’t misled and pressured by his trial attorneys with the Office of Regional Counsel.

In the motion filed by attorneys Mitchell Polay and H. Dohn Williams, who did not previously represent him, Banegas argued his attorneys told him “the State would target (his) family for deportation” if he maintained he was innocent and that he would be put to death quickly given Florida’s increasing pace in executions.

Jury rejects death penalty for confessed Hollywood cop killer

The guilty plea was entered in October without any agreement on a sentence from the state, which still sought the death penalty, and meant Banegas was forgoing any argument of justifiable homicide. In December, the jury rejected the death penalty, choosing instead a life sentence.

The motion also asserts that Banegas expressed to his attorneys wanting to vacate his plea before the penalty phase began on Dec. 9 and that Banegas’s sister also asked his attorneys about the possibility of withdrawing the plea but “was told that it was too late.”

Polay told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he and co-counsel Williams were brought into the case solely to represent Banegas on the motion to vacate the plea because it alleges ineffective counsel by Banegas’s current legal team.

“They would have a conflict of interest representing him for that purpose, so we were appointed as conflict-free counsel,” he said.

Joseph Kimok, one of Banegas’s trial attorneys, could not be reached for comment Monday evening.

A hearing on the motion is scheduled for March 6.

At a hearing on Monday, Banegas’s trial attorneys asked to withdraw from representing him, which the judge denied, State Attorney’s Office spokesperson Paula McMahon said in an email to the Sun Sentinel. The judge also denied a motion Banegas filed himself claiming those attorneys were ineffective.

Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra has given Banegas until next week to decide if he will keep his same trial attorneys for sentencing, represent himself or if he will hire an attorney at his own expense, McMahon said.

Banegas’s sentencing hearing that was initially scheduled for February has been moved to April.

TALLAHASSEE — A Senate committee Monday narrowly approved a bill that would create a new path for parents who don’t want their schoolchildren vaccinated, with the proposal’s sponsor saying parents should be in the “driver’s seat” — but opponents warning of public-health consequences.

The bill (SB 1756), sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, includes creating an exemption to vaccination requirements for parents who say the shots conflict with their “conscience.” It would add to an already-existing exemption for parents who cite conflicts with religious beliefs.

“The main thrust of this bill is that parents be in charge of the decisions of their children’s health care,” Yarborough said, adding it was similar to other moves by the state in recent years to expand parental rights in areas such as health care and education.

But opponents, including physician groups, warned that creating another exemption could lead to the spread of diseases that would harm children and affect other people, such as cancer patients, who have compromised immune systems.

“We are about to go down a road that’s going to create a major problem for children, but also for seniors and those who cannot be vaccinated,” Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said. “I had a conversation with my primary-care doctor I’ve had (as) a good friend for many, many years, and she said, ‘Gayle, I don’t want to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio.’ And that’s where we are going.”

The Senate Health Policy Committee voted 6-4 to approve the bill, which comes amid widespread debates in Florida and nationally about vaccines. Part of that debate has been fueled by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, with physicians and health groups pushing back.

Yarborough’s bill also would make other changes, including requiring that health-care providers give information to parents “on the risks, benefits, safety and efficacy of each vaccine being administered” before children get shots. The health-care providers would use materials developed by the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

In addition, the bill would allow the sale of the drug ivermectin without prescriptions. Ivermectin, which is designed to treat parasitic conditions, drew heavy attention — and controversy — during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some people contending it helped treat the virus. Under the bill, ivermectin would be treated as what is known as a “behind the counter” medication that pharmacists could provide without prescriptions.

State law requires children entering school to be vaccinated against polio, measles, mumps and rubella and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is frequently called “MMR,” while the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine is frequently called “DTaP.”

In addition to the requirements in law, the Florida Department of Health has vaccination requirements for hepatitis B; varicella, commonly known as chickenpox; Haemophilus influenza type b, or Hib, which can cause meningitis; and pneumococcal conjugate, which can cause pneumonia and meningitis.

But with state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo a vaccine critic, the Department of Health in December held a workshop about eliminating those four vaccination requirements. A Senate staff analysis said the department has not formally published a rule to move forward with the elimination.

Yarborough’s bill, which is titled “Medical Freedom,” would need approval from two more committees before it could go to the full Senate. Rep. Jeff Holcomb, R-Spring Hill, has filed a similar bill (HB 917) in the House.

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York police officer who fatally shot a raccoon that aggressively charged toward people has been placed on modified duty while the matter is reviewed.

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The shooting occurred around 7:45 a.m. Thursday in Rockaway Beach, shortly after someone called 911 to report a vicious animal, a police department spokesperson said in an emailed statement Monday.

Officers were trying to usher the racoon from a boardwalk to a safe location when the animal suddenly charged. An officer fired his weapon, striking the animal. No people were injured, police said.

The officer’s name has not been released. The department’s Force Investigation Division, which reviews incidents when an officer discharges their weapon, is leading the department’s probe.

It wasn’t clear Monday if officials planned to test the raccoon for rabies.

MIAMI — A year after failing to make the cut as a rookie, Miami Heat 2024 first-round pick Kel’el Ware has been selected to appear in the Rising Stars competition for first- and second-year players during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

The No. 15 pick in 2024 out of Indiana, Ware currently is dealing with a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the final four games of the Heat’s just completed five-game western swing.

The Rising Stars competition is scheduled for Feb. 13 at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. That event will come two days after the Heat play on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ware, a second-team NBA All-Rookie selection last season, becomes the 13th player over the Heat’s 38 seasons selected for the Rising Stars competition following Khalid Reeves (1995), Kurt Thomas (1996), Caron Butler (2003), Dwyane Wade (2004), Udonis Haslem (2004), Wade (2005), Haslem (2005), Michael Beasley (2009), Beasley (2010), Norris Cole (2012), Kendrick Nunn (2020), Tyler Herro (2020), Precious Achiuwa (2021), Herro (2021), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2024) and Alondes Williams (2024).

Ware has appeared in 43 games this season, including 27 starts, averaging 11.6 points, a team-high 9.8 rebounds and a team-best 1.12 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game, shooting a team-best 54% from the field, .415 on 3-pointers and .815 from the foul line. He has scored in double-figures 24 times, including seven 20-point games, and has grabbed double-figure rebounds on 19 times, posting 14 double-doubles.

On Dec. 21 against the New York Knicks, he scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds and connected on a team-high five 3-pointers, becoming the first Heat player to record each of those totals in a game and just the eighth player in NBA history to do so.

Earlier this season, Ware grabbed multiple offensive rebounds in a career-best 18-straight games, blocked a shot in a career-best 11 consecutive games and registered a career-best 20 rebounds vs. Cleveland on Nov. 10.

Additionally, Ware has connected on 51 3-pointers this season, the second-most by a 7-footer in team history, three shy from tying the franchise record of 53 by Meyers Leonard.

The Rising Stars features 21 NBA first- and second-year players, as well as seven G League players, to be divided into four teams.

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Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will serve as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars mini-tournament, while Austin Rivers will coach the G League Rising Stars team.

As for the Feb. 15 All-Star Game itself, the Heat’s leading candidate is guard Norman Powell, with selections of All-Star reserves to be announced Sunday, with those selections made by conference coaches.

The Heat did not have an All-Star starter selected in the combined fan/player/media balloting, with those selections announced last week.

The Heat are in the midst of a two-day break, with their schedule resuming Wednesday against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center.

MOBILE, Ala. — The focus of this week’s Senior Bowl will be the practices that start Tuesday, four days ahead of Saturday’s game. But don’t discount the value of in-person interviews NFL teams will conduct this week. These interviews could be difference-makers.

Miami Dolphins left tackle Patrick Paul thought he left a bad initial impression on offensive line coach Butch Barry two years ago during his in-person interview at the NFL scouting combine. Paul thought he came across as arrogant, an account that Barry didn’t dispute.

Fortunately, Paul won over former general manager Chris Grier during his interview at the Senior Bowl.

“Chris Grier, he loved me from the Senior Bowl,” Paul said last season. “(Former coach) Mike McDaniel, he loved me. … (Barry) had to get to know me a little bit. And then he started liking me.”

As it turned out, Barry and Paul ended up getting along so well that they did pilates classes together last offseason.

Score one for Paul and his magnetic personality.

So, yes, building the trenches will be a priority for the Dolphins, according to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. And that process will continue in earnest at the Senior Bowl.

Still, the interview process can’t be understated.

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“I can say this — information is power in this profession,” said Joel Thomas, the New Orleans Saints’ running backs coach who is coaching the American team at the Senior Bowl.

“We’re always trying to get together information so it might be the second, the third, the fifth interview where all of a sudden something pops and it might be the thing like you talked about that takes him over the edge and we’re like, ‘That’s our guy.’ Where we’re sitting right now, I’d say it’s the first leg, it’s the first gate so to speak.”

Players can make lasting impressions by interviewing well with teams this week. And they’re aware of that fact.

“I’m looking forward to some of those meetings, just having fun being myself,” Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia said. “But I want them to know whatever organization I go to, they’re going to get all I’ve got and more. Whoever takes a chance on me, we’re going to win.”

Pavia, who is listed at 5 foot 9, 198 pounds, thinks he can win hearts and minds with good interviews and good play.

“My size has been doubted my whole life,” he said. “I feel like the only thing the NFL cares about is can you win.”

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, a projected first-round pick in April’s NFL draft, said he looks forward chopping it up with team officials.

“It’s definitely more of a conversation and guys just talking about football,” he said.

Rodriguez, a former quarterback, said he’ll definitely ask questions of the teams.

“Everything’s a relationship so asking them kind of where they see me fitting on the defensive side of the ball, and also where I fit on special teams and anything they’d expect from me I’d like to know,” he said.

The Dolphins will undoubtedly do their due diligence this year under they new regime as they have in previous years.

Last year New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, the first-round pick who was a finalist for Rookie of the Year honors, refused to disclose whether he interviewed with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl.

“I’m gonna keep that in between our meetings,” he said with a slight smile. “I appreciate the question. I’m sorry.”

Cleveland quarterback Dillon Gabriel was a draft prospect from Oregon a year ago when he interviewed with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl.

“(We had) great conversations,” said Gabriel, a third-round pick by the Browns. “They learned a lot about me, but I also learned a lot about them so it was really good.”

The interview process can work to a player’s advantage if he has the right personality and knowledge. It can also possibly right a wrong or two.

Texas safety Michael Taaffe wants to enhance his image during the team interviews at this week.

“I think there’s a lot of stereotypes around me as a player,” said Taaffe, who is White. “I hope a lot of them are good. But I want to show more than just those stereotypes. I want to, first of all, be real. I think GMs, I think scouts, I think coaches can see through the fake.”

Taaffe said he can play nickel/slot, safety and cornerback.

“I can do it all,” he said.

He hopes that includes nailing his in-person interviews with NFL teams.

Hurtt hasn’t heard from Dolphins

Clint Hurrt, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach who is coaching the National Team, interviewed with the Dolphins to become their defensive coordinator Saturday.

Hurrt, the former Miami Hurricanes player and defensive line coach who served as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator for two seasons, said he hasn’t yet heard back from the Dolphins.

The Dolphins most recently hired wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert from the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

By LISA MASCARO, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — The shooting deaths of two American citizens during the Trump administration’s deportation operations in Minneapolis have upended the politics of immigration in Congress, plunging the country toward another government shutdown.

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Democrats have awakened to what they see as a moral moment for the country, refusing funds for the Department of Homeland Security’s military-style immigration enforcement operations unless there are new restraints. Two former presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, have broken from retirement to speak out.

At the same time, Republicans who have championed President Donald Trump’s tough approach to immigration are signaling second thoughts. A growing number of Republicans want a full investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti and congressional hearings about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

“Americans are horrified & don’t want their tax dollars funding this brutality,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., wrote on social media. “Not another dime to this lawless operation.”

The result is a rapidly changing political environment as the nation considers the reach of the Trump administration’s well-funded immigration enforcement machinery and Congress spirals toward a partial federal shutdown if no resolution is reached by midnight Friday.

“The tragic death of Alex Pretti has refocused attention on the Homeland Security bill, and I recognize and share the concerns,” said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the GOP chair of the Appropriations Committee, in brief remarks Monday.

Still, she urged colleagues to stick to the funding deal and avoid a “detrimental shutdown.”

Searching for a way out of a crisis

As Congress seeks to defuse a crisis, the next steps are uncertain.

The White House has indicated its own shifting strategy, sending Trump’s border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to take over for hard-charging Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, which many Republicans see as a potential turning point to calm operations.

“This is a positive development — one that I hope leads to turning down the temperature and restoring order in Minnesota,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune posted about Homan.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Behind the scenes, the White House is reaching out to congressional leaders, and even individual Democratic senators, in search of a way out of another government shutdown.

At stake is a six-bill government funding package, not just for Homeland Security but for Defense, Health and other departments, making up more than 70% of federal operations.

Even though Homeland Security has billions from Trump’s big tax break bill, Democrats are coalescing around changes to ICE operations. “We can still have some legitimate restriction on how these people are conducting themselves,” said Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

But it appears doubtful the Trump administration would readily agree to Democrats’ demands to rein in immigration operations. Proposals for unmasking federal agents or limiting their reach into schools, hospitals or churches would be difficult to quickly approve in Congress.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that while conversations are underway, Trump wants to see the bipartisan spending package approved to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown.

“We absolutely do not want to see that funding lapse,” Leavitt said.

Politics reflect changing attitudes on Trump’s immigration agenda

The political climate is a turnaround from just a year ago, when Congress easily passed the Laken Riley Act, the first bill Trump signed into law in his second term.

At the time, dozens of Democrats joined the GOP majority in passing the bill named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by a Venezuelan man who had entered the country illegally.

Many Democrats had worried about the Biden administration’s record of having allowed untold immigrants into the country. The party was increasingly seen as soft on crime following the “defund the police” protests and the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the the hands of law enforcement.

But the Trump administrations tactics changed all that.

Just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, down from 49% in March, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in January, shortly after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by a ICE officer in Minnesota.

Last week, almost all House Democrats voted against the Homeland Security bill, as the package was sent the Senate.

Then there was the shooting death of Pretti over the weekend in Minneapolis.

Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, who was among the seven Democrats who had voted to approve the Homeland Security funds, reversed course Monday in a Facebook post.

“I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that,” Suozzi wrote.

He said he “failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis.”

Voting ahead as shutdown risk grows

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday the responsibility for averting another shutdown falls to Republicans, who have majority control, to break apart the six-bill package, removing the homeland funds while allowing the others to go forward.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the Senate Democrat policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

“We can pass them right away,” Schumer said.

But the White House panned that approach and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has blamed Democrats for last year’s shutdown, the longest in history, has been mum. The GOP speaker would need to recall lawmakers to Washington to vote.

Republicans believe they will be able to portray Democrats as radical if the government shuts down over Homeland Security funds, and certain centrist Democrats have warned the party against strong anti-ICE language.

A memo from centrist Democratic group Third Way had earlier warned lawmakers against proposals to “abolish” ICE as “emotionally satisfying, politically lethal.” In a new memo Monday it proposed “Overhauling ICE” with top-to-bottom changes, including removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her job.

GOP faces a divide on deportations

But Republicans also risk being sideways with public opinion over Trump’s immigration and deportation agenda.

Republicans prefer to keep the focus on Trump’s ability to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, with illegal crossings at all-time lows, instead of the military-style deportation agenda. They are particularly sensitive to concerns from gun owners’ groups that Pretti, who was apparently licensed to carry a firearm, is being criticized for having a gun with him before he was killed.

GOP Sen. Rand Paul, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Oversight Committee, demanded that acting ICE director Todd Lyons appear for a hearing — joining a similar demand from House Republicans over the weekend.

At the same time, many GOP lawmakers continue to embrace the Trump administration’s deportation strategy.

“I want to be very clear,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in a post. “I will not support any efforts to strip DHS of its funding.”

And pressure from their own right flank was bearing down on Republicans.

The Heritage Foundation chastised those Republicans who were “jubilant” at the prospect of slowing down ICE operations. “Deport every illegal alien,” it said in a post. “Nothing less.”

GAINESVILLE — Florida will visit Florida State on Friday for the second time in the Gators’ past three visits to Tallahassee to accommodate ACC television scheduling.

Instead of playing Nov. 28, the game will take place the Friday after Thanksgiving. Time and TV designation for the game will be announced at a later date.

The 2022 game at Doak Campbell Stadium, a 45-38 Florida loss, also was played on a Friday night. The move caused consternation because of the conflict with high school football playoff games.

The Gators’ last visit to Tallahassee ended in a 31-11 Florida win as the Seminoles finished 2-10 after going 13-1 in 2023. The Gators routed the Seminoles 40-21 behind 266 rushing yards by Jadan Baugh on Nov. 29 in the Swamp. One of only four Florida wins in 2025 left FSU 5-7 and out of contention for a bowl game.

The Gators’ struggles led the school to fire Billy Napier Oct. 19, and eventually hire Tulane’s Jon Sumrall Nov. 30. Despite calls outside the program for a change, FSU ultimately decided to keep Mike Norvell for another season, his seventh with the Seminoles.

The two longtime rivals have split their past four meetings after the Gators had won three straight games in a series dating to 1958. The schools did not play in 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic led the SEC to play a 10-game regular-season schedule within the conference.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The death toll from the Trump administration’s strikes on alleged drug boats is up to 126 people, with the inclusion of those presumed dead after being lost at sea, the U.S. military confirmed Monday.

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The figure includes 116 people who were killed immediately in at least 36 attacks carried out since early September in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Southern Command said. Ten others are believed dead because searchers did not locate them following a strike.

Eight of the presumed dead had jumped off boats when American forces attacked a trio of vessels accused of trafficking drugs on Dec. 30, the military said. The number was not released previously, though the military said when announcing those strikes that the U.S. Coast Guard had searched for survivors. The two other people presumed dead were on boats that were attacked on Oct. 27 and last Friday.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. overland from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The campaign also drew intense criticism following the revelation that the military killed survivors of the very first boat attack with a follow-up strike. The Trump administration and many Republican lawmakers said it was legal and necessary, while Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the killings were murder, if not a war crime.

The boat strikes began amid one of the largest buildups of U.S. military might in Latin America in generations, in a pressure campaign that culminated with the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges after the Jan. 3 raid by American forces.

There has been one boat strike since then, although the U.S. has been more focused on seizing oil tankers connected with Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Republicans in Congress have defeated Democratic-led efforts to rein in Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks in Venezuela.

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The CEO of a Los Angeles homeless services charity faces federal and state fraud charges after prosecutors said he lived a luxury lifestyle that included lavish vacations and designer clothes paid for with $23 million in public money meant to keep people off the streets.

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Alexander Soofer, 42, was arrested Friday at his $7 million home that investigators believe he afforded using funds that were supposed to support his nonprofit Abundant Blessings, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

The charitable group was contracted with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a county agency, to use taxpayer money to find shelter and provide three meals a day for more than 600 homeless residents.

Instead, prosecutors said Soofer bought a $125,000 Range Rover, a $2,450 Hermes jacket, a vacation home in Greece and a trip to Hawaii, where he stayed at the Four Seasons hotel that was famously the setting for the HBO TV show “The White Lotus.”

“He was living the high life while the people suffering, the homeless, lived on the streets with no shelter, no food,” Essayli said during a Friday news conference with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

If convicted as charged, Soofer could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, Essayli said. An email was sent Monday seeking comment from Soofer’s attorney, Hilary Potashner.

According to the indictment, Soofer falsified invoices to claim he was serving fresh meals and renting out rooms while homeless people were instead fed canned beans and bulk packs of microwavable ramen noodles.

Investigators found Soofer falsified records to cover up the fact that he paid himself to “rent” properties for homeless people that he already owned, the indictment said.

“Mr. Soofer called his company Abundant Blessings, but the only abundant blessings were the blessings he gave himself,” Hochman said.

During the news conference, the prosecutors pointed to concerns that billions spent to combat homelessness haven’t brought enough people off the streets. The number of homeless residents across Los Angeles County dropped 4% last year, according to the annual count released last July. The tally estimated that some 72,000 people were living in shelters or in sidewalk encampments countywide.

Los Angeles County officials last March moved to take control of hundreds of millions of dollars in spending, citing two scathing audits that found that the homeless services authority spent it recklessly and without transparency.

FILE – A tarp covers a portion of a homeless person’s tent on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Between 2018 and 2025, Soofer received more than $23 million in homeless housing funding. Of that, more than $5 million came directly from the county homeless services authority and more than $17 million came through a Los Angeles-based nonprofit called Special Service for Groups Inc., the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. None of the money came directly from the state.

Soofer is charged federally with wire fraud and the state charges include 11 felony counts of conflict of interest, two felony counts of offering false evidence and five felony counts of forgery.

Soofer appeared in court Friday but did not enter a plea. He was released on $1.5 million bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Feb. 26. His arraignment on state charges was not yet scheduled.

The arrests became fodder for the ongoing war of words between President Donald Trump’s administration and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. After a conservative commentator placed blame for the fraud on Newsom, the Democratic governor’s press office pushed back.

“This case was uncovered by local investigators working with law enforcement — exactly the kind of accountability and oversight the state has pushed for,” Newsom’s office said.

That prompted a response by Essayli, who again blamed Newsom.

“You and the California legislature facilitated this fraud by handing out billions in tax dollars to these nonprofits with zero vetting and zero state oversight,” Essayli said Friday on social media.