South Florida Local News

By MARK ROSNER

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Alex Condon scored 23 points, Boogie Fland had 22 and No. 7 Florida beat Texas 84-71 Wednesday night for its eighth consecutive victory.

Florida (22-6, 13-2 Southeastern Conference) has won seven straight SEC road games. The Gators have outscored their last eight opponents by an average of 20.5 points, rounding into form as they seek to defend their national title.

The 6-foot-11 Condon converted 10 of 12 shots from the field. He had five points and an assist during a 14-1 run gave the Gators a 75-65 lead with 4:16 remaining. Fland hit 7 of 10 shots and scored seven during the game-changing burst. Xavian Lee scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.

Florida, a poor 3-point shooting team most of the season — 30% accuracy — has heated up to 36% during the winning streak. Coach Todd Golden’s Gators made 6 of 9 from long range during the second half against Texas, finishing 8 of 18.

Meantime, the Longhorns (17-11, 8-7) went without a field goal for the final 7:27.

Texas has lost two in a row after winning its previous five. Dailyn Swain led the Longhorns with 21 points, including 15 in the second half. Tramon Mark scored 15 points and Jordan Pope had 14.

Mark scored 13 points in the first half as Texas took a 39-36 lead at the break. He made some difficult, contested shots, finishing 5 of 7 from the field and making three 3-pointers. But Mark attempted just two shots in the second half.

Up next

Florida: Hosts No. 20 Arkansas on Saturday.

Texas: At Texas A&M on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The no-parking zone around the home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother where journalists and social media streamers have stationed themselves over the past three weeks since her disappearance is being widened in response to bitter complaints from neighbors about congested roads, trespassing and trash left alongside roadways.

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Pima County officials say an effort over the weekend to have one-way traffic flow on the road in front of Nancy Guthrie’s house hasn’t worked as they hoped, leading to expanded parking restrictions.

The new restrictions take effect Thursday. Authorities say journalists and streamers can still have access to the area, but they will have to park elsewhere and get dropped off in the neighborhood. Violators would face a $250 fine. The constant presence of news crews, bloggers and curious onlookers has drawn mixed reaction from neighbors. Some appreciated the attention the case has been getting. Others have placed traffic cones and signs on their properties to keep people off.

Authorities say the tents, generators and satellite trucks set up along the road have created congestion and safety concerns.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just outside Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. Drops of her blood were found on the front porch, but authorities haven’t publicly revealed much evidence.

• A sign posted along the road to Nancy Guthrie’s home on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz., asks media to work elsewhere. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
• A sign that reads “No Press” is posted outside the home next door to Nancy Guthrie Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
• Photographers take images of sheriff’s deputies outside the home of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Ariz., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)

Show Caption1 of 3A sign posted along the road to Nancy Guthrie’s home on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Tucson, Ariz., asks media to work elsewhere. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca) Expand

Despite the sheriff’s request for people not to search on their own, volunteers have continued to look. A small group reported finding a black backpack on Sunday, but it wasn’t the same brand as one identified in video surveillance that the FBI released of a masked person at Guthrie’s home the night she disappeared.

Journalists and streamers aren’t the only people to go into the neighborhood. Supporters of the Guthrie family have showed up outside of the home to drop off flowers, yellow ribbons, crosses and prayers.

By PHILIP MARCELO

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general has sued video game developer Valve, claiming the “loot boxes” found in Counter-Strike and other popular video game franchises illegally promote gambling.

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State Attorney General Letitia James said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York state court that games such as Counter-Strike 2, Team Fortress 2 and Dota 2 illegally charge users for the chance to win rare items held in the virtual containers.

In Counter-Strike, the process even resembles a slot machine, with an animated spinning wheel that eventually rests on a selected item, James’ office said.

“Valve has made billions of dollars by letting children and adults alike illegally gamble for the chance to win valuable virtual prizes,” James said in a statement. “These features are addictive, harmful, and illegal.”

Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday for the Bellevue, Washington-based company.

“Loot box” items are generally cosmetic, such as a hat for a player’s character or an artistic skin for weapons. They usually don’t serve any vital function in the games, but James’ office said the items can still be sold online for significant sums.

Some of the rarest items can go for thousands of dollars online, according to James’ office. One item, an AK-47 Counter-Strike skin, recently sold for more than $1 million.

James’ suit says Valve is violating New York’s constitution by promoting gambling in its games. It wants the company to stop the practice and pay restitution and damages to users, as well as a fine worth three times the amount of its profits from the features.

The attorney general argues that research has found children introduced to gambling are four times more likely to develop a gambling problem later in life than those who are not.

“Loot boxes, like other forms of gambling, can lead to addiction and result in real harm,” the suit reads. “But Valve’s loot boxes are particularly pernicious because they are popular among children and adolescents, who are lured into opening loot boxes by the prospect of winning expensive virtual items that convey status in the gaming world.”

James’ office said demand for “loot box” prizes has drawn interest not just from online speculators and investors that have helped values soar, but also thieves targeting third-party, online marketplaces where the virtual items can be sold for cash.

Valve facilitates those third-party marketplaces, as well as operating its own, the Steam Community Market, where players can sell their items and use the proceeds to buy other video games, gaming hardware or other virtual items.

A day after President Donald Trump demanded Congress impose new rules governing elections, Republicans in the Florida House of Representatives passed a state-level measure Wednesday that mirrors much of what Trump wants on the national level.

The legislation would make multiple changes in Florida election law. The provisions with the biggest potential impact on voters would require citizenship verification of registered voters and eliminate some forms of identification that have long been accepted for voting in Florida.

Supporters said House Bill 991 would keep Florida at the forefront of well-run, honest elections. Opponents said the new rules, if they become law, would prevent some citizens from voting in future elections with the greatest impact on students, seniors and women.

Jessica Lowe-Minor, president of League of Women Voters of Florida, said in a statement that the House-passed bill “will make it harder for eligible Americans to vote. By tying the right to vote to possession of costly documents that many citizens don’t have easy access to, it undermines Floridians’ freedom to vote and moves us away from the concept of a free and fair democracy.”

In her final pitch for passage, state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the Fort Myers Republican who sponsored the bill, invoked Trump’s comments from his State of the Union address. “You heard our president last night,” she said, adding that, “Floridians want election integrity.”

State Rep. Dana Trabulsy, R-Fort Pierce, the chief co-sponsor, rejected opponents’ warnings about the impact.

“This bill is not voter suppression. This bill is not driving us to a dictatorship,” she said. “I hear you saying, ‘We have had and do have the safest elections in the United States,’ and maybe we do. Our governor said we do and I believe we do. But that doesn’t mean we always will … We have to keep ahead of the people who want to game our system.”

Over the course of a two-hour debate on the legislation, Democrats argued against it and sought to scale back some of its provisions. Vastly outnumbered, the Democrats’ efforts failed. The bill passed 83-31.

All Broward and Palm Beach county state representatives voted on party lines, with Republicans voting “yes” and Democrats voting “no.”

Several Democrats delivered emotional pleas to their Republican colleagues not to pass the bill.

State Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Miami-Dade County Democrat, expounded on what she’s previously said about one of her aunts, who was born in South Carolina in the Jim Crow era in the 1950s to a mother who wasn’t allowed in a whites-only hospital because she was Black.

Consequently Gantt’s aunt has no birth certificate. Her aunt is a retired federal worker who has been voting for years but has been unable to get a driver’s license renewed because she can’t satisfy the requirements for REAL ID without a birth certificate. The main way the legislation calls for checking voters’ citizenship is by cross-referencing with driver’s license agency citizenship records, something that could snag Gantt’s aunt.

“Our policy has serious consequences. And to be the descendant of people who built this country, and not be able to do something as fundamental as vote because she can’t get her ID, I don’t think y’all understand how much rage that makes me feel for my aunt,” Gantt said.

And, Gantt said, after previous news media coverage of her aunt’s story, she said she’s been contacted by many voters in the same situation.

“We are debating access and equity and who gets to participate in the democracy that we cherish,” said state Rep. RaShon Young, D-Orlando. “Security and access are not opposing values. When we elevate one while eroding the other, we are not advancing democracy … This is fear mongering and disenfranchisement and voter suppression dressed up as security.”

Senate Bill 1334 covers many of the same subjects but differs from the House bill in some ways. In order to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature, the two bills would need to be synched before the scheduled March 13 adjournment of the annual legislative session.

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Citizenship

Citizenship is already required to vote in Florida. And in legislative committees and in debate on Wednesday, sponsors of the new requirement didn’t cite evidence of more than scattered cases in which non-citizens may have voted.

At a House committee hearing, Persons-Mulicka pointed to what a state report about 2025 election investigations described as 198 “likely noncitizens who illegally registered and/or voted in Florida.” That works out to less than 1 possible noncitizen for every 70,000 registered voters.

Sponsors said the citizenship verification, long sought by Trump who claims droves of non-citizens are voting, would keep it that way.

“This shouldn’t be a problem if you are an American citizen,” Trabulsy said.

Voting rights advocates said verification could cause problems for some voters.

The Brennan Center for Justice has reported that 9% of American citizens — like Gantt’s aunt — don’t have immediate access to the type of documents the legislation would require to prove citizenship. The League of Women Voters said that could translate to more than 1 million Florida voters “who could get caught in this bureaucratic web to prove their citizenship to vote.”

Voting advocates said women would run into compliance problems far more than men, because women are more likely to change their names when they get married and divorced.

Persons-Mulicka said there wouldn’t be problems. “If you are on the voter rolls and you are a U.S. citizen … you should not have any fear that you will be removed,” Persons-Mulicka said. “We want to make sure we know who you are.”

Pressed by opponents about the implementation, which would require coordination between election officials and the state driver’s license agency, Persons-Mulicka said she has “not spoken with anybody” at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles about her bill.

Voter ID

The ID issue isn’t about whether voters should have to show identification to vote.

That question is controversial in many states, but Florida has long required people to show identification to vote. Most people use their driver’s licenses, with others using state-issued ID cards.

For people without those forms of ID, state law has permitted multiple other forms of identification.

Under the legislation, student IDs, even issued by state colleges and universities, debit or credit cards and retirement center, neighborhood association or public assistance identification would no longer be accepted.

State Rep. Marie Woodson, D-Hollywood, told her colleagues that many of the college students they represent don’t drive. And the new restrictions would prevent some from voting.

Other provisions

House Bill 991 has several other provisions, including changing the system of election recounts in close elections and instituting audits of all elections.

Democrats offered multiple amendments in an attempt to alter the legislation before its final passage. Republicans rejected them all.

One amendment, sponsored by state Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, would have banned people from carrying firearms inside polling places, within the 150-foot no politicking zone around polling places, and at drop-off locations for mail ballots.

“I don’t think somebody should be able to go to a polling place with an AR-15 because I think that will make other people afraid to go there and exercise their American constitutional duty of voting. Why would we want that?” Hunschofsky said.

State Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, urged her colleagues to support Hunschofsky’s amendment. “We all been to the polls,” she said. “We see how hot it gets. We have an opportunity to prevent something from happening.

Political writer Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.

By JOSHUA GOODMAN

The Trump administration is blocking Venezuela’s government from paying for the cost of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s defense against drug trafficking charges in New York, a move that potentially interferes with his constitutional right to counsel, his lawyer says.

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Attorney Barry Pollack told a Manhattan federal judge in an email last week that the U.S. Treasury Department had blocked the authorization of legal fees that the government of Venezuela is required to pay for Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores under its law and custom. The email was entered into the public court record on Wednesday.

Maduro and his wife have been jailed in New York without bail since they were seized from their Venezuelan home Jan. 3 in a stealth nighttime raid by U.S. military forces. They have both pleaded not guilty.

The stunning capture following a monthslong military buildup in the Caribbean has paved the way for the Trump administration to assert enormous influence over Maduro’s replacement, his vice president and now acting President Delcy Rodriguez. Under pressure from the U.S., Rodriguez has moved swiftly to open up Venezuela’s oil industry to American investment, free political prisoners and reestablish direct communications with Washington — something unseen since the first Trump administration shuttered the U.S. embassy in Caracas in 2019.

In the email, Pollack said that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers sanctions against Venezuela, had granted permission on Jan. 9 approving the payment of legal fees by the Venezuelan government.

Less than three hours later, though, the Trump administration snatched back the authorization “without explanation,” though it left in place a license granting permission for Maduro’s wife’s lawyers to be paid, Pollack said.

The dispute over Maduro’s legal fees is intimately linked to U.S. foreign policy. The first Trump administration cut ties with Maduro in 2019, recognizing the then opposition head of the National Assembly as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. The Biden administration hewed closely to the same policy.

However, allowing Rodriguez’s government to pay for the cost of Maduro’s defense could complicate prosecutors’ efforts in court to counter the deposed leader’s argument that his capture was illegal and that as the foreign head of a state he is immune from prosecution under U.S. and international law.

A 25-page indictment against Maduro accused him and others of working with drug cartels and members of the military to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. Both he and his wife face life in prison if convicted.

As part of the purported conspiracy, Maduro and his wife allegedly ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money, according to the indictment. It said that included the killing of a local drug boss in Caracas.

Messages seeking comment from the Treasury Department, White House and the Justice Department were not immediately returned.

Pollack said he asked the Office of Foreign Assets Control on Feb. 11 to reinstate the original license and clear the way for Venezuela to meet its obligation to pay Maduro’s defense costs.

The lawyer added that Maduro “cannot otherwise afford counsel” and will request help from the judge to pay for his defense.

Pollack said the United States was “interfering with Mr. Maduro’s ability to retain counsel and, therefore, his right under the Sixth Amendment to counsel of his choice.”

Goodman reported from Miami. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Fatima Hussein in Washington and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

By REBECCA BOONE

Researchers say seven seal pups have tested positive for an avian flu virus at California’s Año Nuevo State Park and several more are showing signs of the illness. The outbreak has prompted park officials to cancel the park’s popular seal-watching tours for the remainder of the seal breeding season.

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Researchers with University of California-Santa Cruz and University of California-Davis made the announcement Wednesday, calling it the first detected outbreak of the virus among marine mammals in California.

The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of millions of domesticated birds and spread to wildlife around the world, and seals and sea lions appear to be particularly vulnerable to the disease. The virus has led to the deaths of thousands of sea lions in Chile and Peru, thousands of elephant seals in Argentina, and hundreds of seals in New England in recent years.

The virus is considered to be a low risk to humans, but officials said people should avoid approaching the seals and keep pets away from the animals.

Thousands of elephant seals come to Año Nuevo State Park, about 90 minutes south of San Francisco, every winter to fight, mate and give birth. The annual spectacle draws tourists and wildlife watchers eager to see the largest seals on the planet, some watching from public viewing areas and others signing up for docent-led guided walks through the breeding grounds, known as rookeries.

But for now, the viewing area is closed, and tours at Año Nuevo have been canceled “out of an abundance of caution,” said Jordan Burgess, the deputy district superintendent of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials hope the move will help prevent any spread of the disease that might be caused by people tracking through the areas where the elephant seals are living, she said.

“We’re definitely not panicking about human exposure at this point,” but rather trying to ensure the health of the seals and people in general, Burgess said.

• FILE – A female elephant seal watches visitors on a tour of Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)
• FILE – People watch as elephant seals rest on a beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)
• FILE – Elephant seals rest on a beach at Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File)
• FILE – Red Star chickens feed in their coop, Jan. 10, 2023, at Historic Wagner Farm in Glenview, Ill.(AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Show Caption1 of 4FILE – A female elephant seal watches visitors on a tour of Año Nuevo State Park, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Pescadero, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez,File) Expand

Christine Johnson, the director of the Institute for Pandemic Insights at UC Davis’ Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, said the outbreak was spotted quickly because researchers have been on high alert in recent years, watching for any sign of the arrival of the disease. After sick and dead animals were spotted on Feb. 19 and 20, researchers collected samples for testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. The screening showed the animals were infected with HPAI H5N1 virus.

Tests on samples from about 30 more animals are still pending, Johnson said.

The university researchers are working with state and federal wildlife managers and The West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network to monitor the animals.

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Wednesday that it was looking into whether it improperly withheld documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files after several news organizations reported that some records involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against President Donald Trump were not among those released to the public.

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The announcement followed news reports saying that a massive tranche of records released by the Justice Department did not include several summaries of interviews that the FBI conducted with an unidentified woman who came forward after Epstein’s 2019 arrest and claimed to have been sexually assaulted by both Trump and Epstein when she was a minor in the 1980s.

“Several individuals and news outlets have recently flagged files related to documents produced to Ghislaine Maxwell in discovery of her criminal case that they claim appear to be missing,” the Justice Department said in a post on X. “As with all documents that have been flagged by the public, the Department is currently reviewing files within that category of the production.” Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime confidant, is serving a 20-year prison sentence on a sex trafficking conviction.

It said that if any document is found to have been improperly withheld and is responsive to the federally enacted law mandating the files’ release, “the Department will of course publish it, consistent with the law.”

At issue is a series of interviews said to have been conducted in 2019 with a woman who made an allegation against Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. News reports from recent days say the accuser was interviewed four times but a summary of only one of those interviews was included in the publicly released files.

The missing records were earlier reported by the journalist Roger Sollenberger on Substack and NPR, and have since been documented by other news organizations, including The New York Times, MS Now and CNN.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement that his panel would investigate the withheld records. He said he had reviewed unredacted evidence logs and “can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews” with the accuser.

The Justice Department last month said it was releasing more than 3 million pages of records related to Epstein, who took his own life in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The department said at the time that, though it was attempting to be transparent, it was also entitled to withhold records that exposed potential abuse victims, were duplicates or protected by legal privileges, or related to an ongoing criminal investigation.

“Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the department said in a statement last month as it released the records.

The redaction process was quickly revealed to have been flawed, with the department withdrawing some materials identified by victims or their lawyers, along with a “substantial number” of documents identified independently by the government.

Lawyers for Epstein accusers told a New York judge last month that the lives of nearly 100 victims had been “turned upside down” by sloppy redactions in the government’s latest release of records. The exposed materials include nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.

Other uncorroborated claims against Trump and other public figures were included in the publicly available files. The department did not say in its social media post Wednesday why records related to this specific accusation might have been withheld.

General Daily Insight for February 26, 2026

Soft focus helps us hear quiet truths. As the nurturing Moon enters Cancer, we lean toward comfort, choosing slower steps and kinder words in the early hours. Soon after, Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces at 1:48 am EST, asking us to review messages and renegotiate plans while intuition steadies tricky conversations. We can tidy calendars, revisit promises, and reply with patience, allowing knowledge to unfurl as we take the time to rewrite what no longer fits. Slow fixes today make future choices feel lighter.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

What stories do you tell yourself about your past? As adroit Mercury starts reversing through your contemplative 12th house, its retrograde invites you to press pause on the cosmic movie in favor of reviewing what’s already happened. Old issues can clutter your mind, making it tough to move forward. Protect the time you have to rest! If you must be busy, try to work on less immediately visible tasks or refine your next move. Quiet prep strengthens your courage for clearer starts.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Progress returns as you slow plans down. Your 11th House of Connected Communities calls for review as cerebral Mercury goes retrograde, so group efforts may stall around demands for clearer roles. Your steady nature helps people breathe while you confirm who does what (and when, and where). Don’t push through mixed signals — stop and clear them up! You could also revisit a long-range dream with an ally, because practical pacing protects the friendship’s shared goal. Choose patience to keep teamwork solid.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Thinking fast doesn’t always mean you make great decisions (not right now, at least). Mercury whirls retrograde in your 10th House of Purpose, pulling attention to your long-term goals and how you talk about them. Be wary of technology, especially if you’ve got big presentations to make. Ready yourself for some glitches! You may also need to accept a few edits, because otherwise you could write something that sounds clever to you, but confuses everyone else. Remember: measure twice, cut once!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

This morning invites a thoughtful pause. Your 9th House of Growth receives the oft-muddled energy of Mercury Retrograde — travel plans, watch out! You’d be wise to spend this time planning a trip rather than actually booking or actively beginning one. When trying to learn something new, keep a careful eye on your sources to avoid accidentally memorizing false information. You can shine by helping others through this confusing time, particularly those who are learning or traveling at your side. Take your time.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Shared truths grow when fertilized with trust and patience. This may look like nothing much is happening as clever Mercury goes retrograde in your 8th House of Mutual Bills, inviting you to review agreements and analyze trust. If a legal document looks off, don’t hesitate to get the details and ask respectful questions before you propose a fair fix. It’s okay to have personal rules about lending money or avoiding other, similar risks. Keep collaborating and communicating, and solutions will eventually come to light.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Limits are a universal factor in every connection at this time, but they don’t have to be painful. Partnership thrives when messages stay kind, even as mental Mercury goes retrograde in your 7th House of Partnerships. If a partner or a client misunderstands you, don’t let it go unacknowledged. Show them you get their concerns, then explain how you’d handle them. Your eye for detail becomes an even greater gift when you’re willing to improve your process. Choose transparency to strengthen shared plans.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Where can simplicity bring harmony back? Small fixes prevent messes as information-gathering Mercury turns retrograde in your 6th House of Wellness, nudging you to refine routines and rest your body and mind. Be wary of double-booking yourself (or your entire group)! You may need to rework your schedule and send out a few apologies for missed commitments. Small adjustments brighten the day and let you enjoy working as a team without unfair stressors. Handle all details with care to support a continued steady peace.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Welcome honesty as soon as it knocks. Mischievous Mercury spins retrograde in your 5th House of Charm, which makes this a better time for second drafts and continued efforts rather than fresh starts or totally new ideas. Be wary of the temptation to read between the lines — even if someone isn’t saying everything, it’ll be extra tough to tell what, exactly, they do mean. Your depth helps you swim through confusion into a rich pool of connection. Don’t settle for half-truths; seek meaningful joy.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You love possibilities, so retrace your steps to find some extra ones. You may be in and out the door all day long with Mercury reversing course through your family-centric 4th house. Factor in excess time for deliveries or errands, because you never know when you’ll have to adjust your timeline during Mercury Retrograde. You can still dream big while you tidy your base camp, because a lighter home makes room for fresh adventures. Organize first to help freedom feel more spacious.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Clear structure returns as you review messages. Your 3rd House of Day-tripping needs buffers as chatty Mercury goes retrograde, insisting upon all sorts of edits to plans you once thought were solid. Don’t take it too hard — just avoid making any particularly time-sensitive plans for this evening. Do your best to keep moving and stay level-headed. Your careful planning turns complex detours into smooth reroutes because you know the reliability of patience over speed today. Double-check directions to protect your responsible reputation.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Morning checks help money choices stay clear. Your 2nd House of Self-Worth requests a review as studious Mercury twirls retrograde, prompting checks on prices and subscriptions while you choose what deserves your hard-won resources. If a charge looks odd, contact support and keep screenshots to prove your point. Be willing to pause a purchase until the details line up! Search for smarter ways to save or share with style without losing your spark. Spend with intention to feel grounded and free.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your voice strengthens as you turn inward. Mercury is moving retrograde in your sign, shifting attention to how others perceive you in varying circumstances. You may feel unusually sensitive, so do your best to find time to recharge your social batteries as necessary. Otherwise, you risk running on empty in a very visible way! Practice a script that protects your needs and honors your generous spirit. Gaining this space should let you be a social butterfly and get the rest your heart needs.

By JOE REEDY

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comments on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services.

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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the request for comment Wednesday. The comment period runs through March 27 and replies to the comments are due April 13.

“For decades, Americans enjoyed turning on their TV & quickly finding the game they wanted to see. Yet watching your favorite team play isn’t as easy these day. Many games are still on broadcast, but an increasing number are on a range of different online platforms,” Carr posted. “Today, the FCC asks for comment on sports rights and broadcasting. We want to understand the marketplace today, the experience of consumers, and how the changes impact the ability of broadcast TV stations to continue delivering local news, information, and other programming.”

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB on whether antitrust exemptions should still be granted for coordinating their broadcast television rights.

The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other mediums, including cable, satellite and streaming.

The Sports Broadcasting Act includes a rule allowing blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the leagues. The NFL ended local TV blackouts, which applied to games within 75 miles of a team’s market if they did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff, after the 2014 season.

The public notice Wednesday said NFL games aired on “10 different services, which, according to some estimates, could cost a consumer over $1,500 to watch all games.”

The NFL aired games last season on CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube TV.

Forbes estimated the cost of watching every NFL game via streaming last season at $765.

The NFL also offers most of its games on broadcast television, including options for all local games on cable or streaming.

“The NFL has the most accessible, fan-friendly distribution model across all of sports and entertainment, with over 87% of our games shown on free broadcast television in addition to numerous, popular digital platforms,” the league said in a statement to AP.

All four of the major North American professional sports leagues have deals with streaming platforms.

The NBA is in the first season of an 11-year deal where games on Monday nights are shown on Peacock, while Amazon Prime Video also has games, mostly on Thursday and Friday nights.

MLB agreed to three-year deals with Netflix and Peacock that begin this season.

The NHL is in the fifth season of its seven-year rights deal where some games appear on ESPN+ and Hulu.

The FCC is asking the public to answer a wide range of questions, including:

• With respect to the sports media marketplace, how have recent developments in the marketplace affected the ability of broadcasters to obtain media rights to sports programming?
• How have changes in the marketplace affected viewers’ ability to watch nationally televised live sports, as well as their local team(s), on broadcast TV?
• How prevalent are sports media rights deals between local TV broadcasters and local sports teams and what are their terms and conditions?
• How have changes in the marketplace impacted costs to consumers?

The last two questions are becoming increasingly significant due to the demise of regional sports networks.

Diamond Sports Group was the largest owner of regional sports networks when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2023.

At the time of the filing, Diamond operated 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner and had the rights to 42 professional teams (14 baseball, 16 NBA and 12 NHL).

The networks emerged from bankruptcy last March under Main Street Sports Group, with their networks rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network. However, they are on the verge of insolvency and could go out of business if a new majority owner or investors are not found.

MLB will handle production and distribution for 15 of its 30 teams this season after Main Street Sports Group failed to make scheduled rights payments to seven teams.

Main Street currently has 15 owned-and-operated networks under the FanDuel banner, with rights to 20 pro teams: 13 NBA and seven NHL. It has committed to airing games for its remaining teams through the end of the regular season but is likely to go out of business after that.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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Broward schools provide new details about layoffs and job cuts

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Maxwell: Florida’s property tax cut plan is flailing. Here’s what should happen

Miss Manners: I’m not enthusiastic about attending my son’s ‘wedding’ party

Boca Raton residents are inundated daily with propaganda promoting “One Boca,” set for a March 10 vote.

“One Boca” is actually seven acres of 12-story buildings controlled by a developer over a 99-year lease. The drawings show mature trees along a central walkway, omitting buildings on both sides, blocking out the sun.

The flyers take credit for Memorial Park across the street, claiming they will honor veterans and enhance existing park amenities, but this is not the project being voted on. The flyers do not mention the density of the 12-story complex of residences, hotel, offices and garages.

Our park will be in the shadow of 12-story buildings and won’t get enough sun to evaporate the dew until early afternoon. And $4 billion in new revenue for the city? Experts see severe flaws in the calculation, suggesting little net benefit. This is over 99 years, with minimal amounts in the first 30 years. Vote no.

Pam Paschke, Boca Raton 

Investing in Boca’s future

Opinion Editor and columnist Steve Bousquet’s recent commentary noted that Boca Raton was considered an elite place to live. He didn’t specifically endorse this as what Boca should aspire to maintain, but rather contrasted it with what it shouldn’t be.

Boca and similarly idyllic communities are sarcastically referred to as “God’s waiting room,” where people buy homes many times bigger than they need and where they may spend a couple of productive hours a day buying and selling investment assets from their desktop computers.

As an octogenarian whose working days have ended, I migrated here to where the living is easy. I praise to my friends the good weather and no personal state income tax as reasons why they should join me. I have no other metric to apply as to the desirability of relocating here.

The future of Boca as a place where young generations come to build their careers and raise families depends on how others invest capital in the city. Investors risking their own and other investors’ capital do so with confidence, and a positive view of Boca’s economic future.

Sheldon I. Saitlin, Boca Raton

Cost comparisons needed

Your editorial correctly states that the current Boca Raton police station is not hurricane-proof. Has a study compared improvements that could be made at the current location compared to a new station? Plenty of land is adjacent to the existing station to expand. The cost to develop land near Spanish River Boulevard should be reviewed and compared.

The study that the city used to demonstrate the billions of dollars that would eventually be generated from this project is not complete, in my opinion. For example, if the same development now being contemplated on city land is built a few blocks east on private commercial land, what percentage of the promised billions would still be generated?

My guess is it would be a majority. Plus, improving old commercial buildings would be better-looking and safer while generating more taxes with no debate pitting citizens against each other.

Noah Silver, Boca Raton

Bondi and Trump

Americans may need a refresher on why Attorney General Pam Bondi continues to embarrass herself and her office.

More than a decade ago, Bondi reached out to Donald Trump to solicit a donation for her 2014 re-election for Florida Attorney General. Trump donated $25,000 through a nonprofit charity, a disbursement in violation of federal tax law. The payout coincided with Bondi’s office weighing whether to join a fraud investigation of Trump University. Bondi’s office dropped the case, fueling allegations of “pay-to-play” politics.

Bondi won re-election, and her relationship with Trump morphed into a deeply personal, cult-like advocacy. To this day, she remains an unshakeable surrogate, proving that when qualifications for Cabinet posts are subordinate to ideology and blind allegiance, democratic norms erode and America’s security is compromised.

Jim Paladino, Tampa 

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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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DEAR MISS MANNERS: While I have many friends, I enjoy traveling and dining by myself on occasion. When I ask for a table for one, the response is usually, “Are you all by yourself?” Or, “Are you waiting for someone?”

Then I am offered a seat at the bar, or a table near the restroom or kitchen door, which I decline. Once seated, it’s the same: “Is it just you?” Or, “Do you want to wait for someone before ordering?”

Is there a polite response to this, other than saying, “I’m all alone; isn’t that sad and pathetic?”

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GENTLE READER: As the recipient of Gentle Readers’ mail, Miss Manners is all too aware of the deluge of rudeness in the modern world. But the transgressions of waitstaff — who live in hope of generous tips — usually take the form of ill-judged humor, not intentional put-downs.

The subtext you infer is most likely not intended to suggest that you are unpopular, but only to know the size of your party. This merits nothing more than saying you prefer a table elsewhere, and noting when you are ready to place your order.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I work in a fast-food restaurant, in which we only go by our first names.

Often, when customers decide that I am the cause of whatever is not going their way, they ask me for my name. My first name is clearly spelled out on my name tag, but I always say it for them anyway, as it is difficult to pronounce. It is an unusual name, and no one else in the store has it.

However, they also often ask for my last name, which I decline to give them. I don’t feel that it is any of their business. I just politely tell them that I don’t give out my last name.

Often, they take this as rudeness on my part.

Am I in the wrong?

GENTLE READER: The reason stores use first names — or first names and last initials — on name tags is to balance two reasonable, but competing, requirements.

A customer is entitled to lodge a legitimate complaint through normal channels about inadequate performance by a salesperson. So the tag has to give enough information to uniquely identify the alleged offender.

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But the salesperson also has to be protected against illegitimate complaints or unwarranted approaches outside of normal channels. This is why name tags do not include a full name, which could be used to look up and harass the salesperson away from the store.

From your letter’s calm tone, Miss Manners likes to think that it is the complainant who is being unreasonable. But she nevertheless suggests you give this answer: “I am sorry that you are dissatisfied, but you do not need my last name to identify me to management. If you want to lodge a formal complaint against me, just give my first name and the time of my shift. I assure you that they will know how to find me.”

This response appeals to Miss Manners both for its politeness and because it calls out the customer’s attempt to intimidate.

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.