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Updated: 11 hours 23 min ago
Questionnaire: Alex Cull, candidate for Lake Worth Beach mayor
Name: Alex Cull
Age: 32
Website: alex4mayor.org
What distinguishes you most from your opponent(s)?
I am the only individual running for Mayor of Lake Worth Beach with genuine executive leadership, and I am the only candidate who has managed projects and programs in the multi-million dollar ranges. Over my last 11 years, working at one of the largest insurance brokerages in the nation, and now as a Senior Strategist at Amazon Business, I have honed the skills necessary to manage stakeholders across multiple time zones to achieve results, even when those stakeholders don’t necessarily see eye to eye with each other.
Every day, I coordinate stakeholders across the world to get large projects out of the gate, while being accountable for the results of each and every one, managing a pipeline that at times reaches half a billion dollars, with programs and projects affecting millions of end users. Mayor Betty Resch and former Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso bring an attitude to the commission that would see me fired from any of my present or prior employers. While Mayor Resch and former Vice Mayor Amoroso are known for confrontation, eye rolling and inefficiency, I hope to be elected and be known as the individual who brought genuine professionalism to the deus. I hope to be known as the individual who brought a new voice, and solutions over anything else. Fresh blood, and younger eyes, are needed to modernize and bring forward the professionalism and institutional efficiency demanded. We will get nothing done if we don’t have a chair who can lead, and who doesn’t put solutions over bickering and ideology.
List in reverse chronological order, starting with most recent, colleges and universities attended with years of attendance and degrees held.
University of Pittsburgh, 2010 – 2013
Studied Bioinformatics (Now known as Computational Biology at PITT) to earn a Bachelors of Science
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Amazon Business – Managed Spend Strategy Leader, 2022 – Present
Brightway Insurance, Managing P&C Broker / Sales Director 2014-2022
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details and disposition.
I am the plaintiff in a civil lawsuit against my previous employer, Rand Insurance Group, Inc dba Brightway Insurance. I am seeking damages against my prior employer for withholding approximately $32,000 of unpaid commissions and withheld 401(k) matching contributions.
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
Not applicable.
Would you have supported the firing of former City Manager Carmen Davis, and why?
The city manager was fired in a special meeting, drawing wide attention and many eyes. The performance of the city manager was under scrutiny for well over a year; her required performance reviews were not completed, and the majority of commissioners found themselves frustrated by the inefficiencies of the deus and called a special meeting.
What we’re leaving out of this conversation is the chain of events that lead to a special, high attention meeting that leads to the firing of a public employee. The city manager’s contracted performance reviews were not completed, and the only performance reviews on file for Carmen Davis prior to those shared during the special meeting were performance reviews she had completed herself as a self evaluation. This outlines a failure of policy, and a failure of institutional efficiency. Public leaders with a significant payroll of public funds (Carmen was making ~$200K a year) must be subject to mandated, regular, performance reviews to encourage accountability.
The chair of the commission — the mayor — is uniquely positioned to ensure that the institution that is the city government operates efficiently and addresses the demands of the commission. Our mayor’s performance has been marked by a failure to lead, to bring efficiency to our commission, and to roll her eyes at opposition rather than collaborate or bring together the key stakeholders necessary to get the job done.
It is my opinion that if we had a mayor, a chair, which drove efficiency and productivity, collaboration over bickering, time would have been made to address her mandated performance reviews. This would have given our city leadership the opportunity to consider a performance improvement plan with measurable metrics to encourage her growth as an employee of the city, the same process done in the private sector regularly and without fail. In the absence of that leadership, in the absence of duty to perform, in the absence of efficiency as a result of a chair who fails to lead a meeting, our city was again put to the mercy of a special meeting filled with dramatics.
If elected, I promise to run the commission just as I do my board meetings each and every single day at work. With collaboration, with listening, with understanding, and with efficiency. I will advocate for policy requiring established performance review mechanisms for employed city leaders that are fair, just and allow our city staff to grow. In the absence of actual metrics — which performance review mechanisms like this yield — it is difficult to comment on Carmen Davis’ firing without leaning more into opinion than fact. With that in mind, Carmen Davis left multiple applications sit, and we lost valuable candidates for much needed positions within the city. In the background, outside of public view, Carmen Davis worked with Sarah Malega to non-renew the lease of Head Start, the only publicly funded pre-k option available for our city in which the majority of children who attend public schools live below the poverty line. These are grave concerns. Given these facts, I did and continue to support the action taken by the majority of our elected body to remove Carmen Davis as city manager, and hope that we can solution moving forward to ensure a theatrical special meeting like this is driven by metrics, facts and professionalism.
Do you support or oppose a proposed state law that would make panhandling a crime, subject to 30 days in jail, and why?
I am not in favor of the proposed state law for one simple reason: It is unconstitutional, and a violation of one’s first amendment rights. This is not an opinion; this has been established by countless lawsuits, all across the United States. If this bill is passed, the state of Florida will be sued, the state of Florida will lose, the state of Florida will squander more tax dollars while doing nothing to create solutions that address the reasons why Floridians are panhandling to begin with.
What changes are needed to improve regulation of short-term vacation rentals?
There is very little to do to improve the regulation of short-term rentals without the repeal or revision of Section 509.032(7)(b), which is another action taken by the state to limit the power of local governments. The bill prohibits the city from creating additional regulations to improve the market of short-term rentals within the city of Lake Worth Beach. This leaves the city with two options: 1) We can enforce our existing ban on short-term rentals (defined as leases of 60 days or less), or 2) We can remove that ban, and have no regulation whatsoever.
Given the black and white choice, and how short term rentals proliferated after the city opted to stop enforcing these rules, it is vital that the ban on leases of 60 days or less be maintained. Unregulated short term rentals remove valuable housing stock, force locals who wish to put down roots in the town they grew up in to compete against an international market of property investors, while further damaging the charm each neighborhood brings.
If Section 509.032(7)(b) were revised or altered to allow local municipalities to pass common sense regulation, this would not be my stance, and I would prefer a means of regulation to limit them but still allow them within city limits. However, when faced with the two options of all or nothing, I choose nothing.
Questionnaire: Mimi May, candidate for Lake Worth Beach City Commission District 3
Name: Mimi May
Age: 48
Website: mimimay.com
What distinguishes you most from your opponent(s)?
I would like to see a prosperous Lake Worth Beach with a vibrant Downtown Business District with clean and welcoming streets, safe open spaces, and events that attract tourists to our city. I want to showcase our amazing resident artists and market LWB as a destination. In order to do that, I would like to see our Code Compliance Department enforce the City Code uniformly throughout the city. I would like to hire a Park Ranger to patrol our parks and keep them safe, clean and available for residents to use. I would like to see PBSO crack down on quality-of-life crimes. I am proud of Lake Worth Beach. I see such potential, and I want to be there to lead the city into its next chapter.
List in reverse chronological order, starting with most recent, colleges and universities attended with years of attendance and degrees held.
2000-2001: M.ed Canisius College, Buffalo, New York
1992-1996: B.A. Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
2007-present: Teacher at School District of Palm Beach County
2017-present: Bak Middle School of the Arts
2015-2017: Palm Springs Community Middle School
2007-2015: Lantana Elementary
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details and disposition.
No
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
No
Would you have supported the firing of former City Manager Carmen Davis, and why?
I have never worked directly with the former City Manager. I was at the meeting (and all other City Commission meetings) where she was fired. The meeting was advertised as an evaluation. The way in which she was fired was one of the most heartless and humiliating situations to put another human being into. She was not even thanked for her service or for moving her entire family here. I found that appalling. The Commission had every right to fire the City Manager, but the way it was done was inexcusable.
Do you support or oppose a proposed state law that would make panhandling a crime, subject to 30 days in jail, and why?
I think it is dangerous for people to panhandle at busy intersections and offramps. I also know that there have been legal issues with banning panhandling because of the First Amendment right to free speech. I also find 30 days in jail too heavy of a sentence for panhandling. I would be open to having a conversation about the issue if it was something the residents of Lake Worth Beach were interested in discussing.
What changes are needed to improve regulation of short-term vacation rentals?
It is the commission’s responsibility to discuss issues that are important to the residents of Lake Worth Beach. The citizens have been asking for conversations on the issue of STRs (and other issues) to be opened up to public comment and workshops for a long time. I believe it is time to open the conversation. The City can regulate the STRs in ways that allow for them to be good neighbors. The only thing the law states can’t be regulated is how many STRs there are and where they are. They are too vital to our City’s economy to ban them. Without short term rentals, there is nowhere for visitors to stay until the Gulfstream is opened.
FSU holds off Boston College after steal just before final buzzer
BOSTON — Jamir Watkins scored 10 points, Cam Corhen made a steal just before the final buzzer and Florida State held off Boston College 63-62 on Tuesday night.
Florida State opened the game on a 16-2 run and led by 11 points early in the second half before BC rallied. The Eagles pulled into ties at 52 and 54 but never took the lead.
FSU has turned former ACC commissioner John Swofford’s son into Hunter Biden | Commentary
Jalen Warley gave the Seminoles a 63-60 lead with 1:24 left. But Warley missed a 3-pointer from the corner and BC raced the other way for a layup by Devin McGlockton, off a nice assist by Jaeden Zackery, to get within 63-62 with 16 seconds left.
FSU forward Darin Green Jr. missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 10.1 seconds left. BC got it to Zackery in the corner, but Corhen poked it away from behind to deny a shot before the buzzer.
Florida State (13-9, 7-4 ACC) finished with 13 steals. Green and Corhen each had eight points.
Quinten Post led Boston College (13-9, 4-7) with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Mason Madsen added 12 points, Zackery scored 11 and McGlockton had 10. Post went over 1,000 career points.
Post and McGlockton combined to score 18 of Boston College’s 31 first-half points. The Eagles trailed by six points at the break.
Florida State returns home to host Virginia on Saturday. BC travels to play No. 9 Duke on Saturday.
Miami Heat defeat Orlando Magic 121-95 | PHOTOS
Hurricanes will reportedly hire USF’s Matt Merritt as new running backs coach
The Miami Hurricanes are expected to fill the lone gap in their coaching staff, poaching someone from an in-state rival.
Miami will hire USF’s Matt Merritt to be their new running backs coach, according to multiple reports.
Merritt comes to Miami with seven years of assistant coaching experience at the college level after spending the 2023 season as an associate head coach and running-game coordinator with the Bulls. He previously served as a running backs coach at Georgia Southern for a year, James Madison for two years, Elon for two years and Ohio Dominican for one season.
Under Merritt, the Bulls ran for 182.8 yards per game, which was 33rd in the nation and third in the American Athletic Conference. At James Madison, his rushing offense was 10th in FCS in 2019.
Merritt also worked as a graduate assistant at Ohio State and as an offensive analyst at Tennessee.
Miami had a proficient running game under Tim Harris Jr. last season. UM ran for 173.2 yards per game, which was 45th in the nation. Henry Parrish Jr. led the team with 625 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, and freshman Mark Fletcher Jr. emerged and ran for 514 yards with five touchdowns. Miami also returns Ajay Allen, who rushed for 361 yards and five scores last season.
Harris left the Hurricanes after one season to become the offensive coordinator at UCF. Harris left the Knights after the 2022 season to coach at UM.
Although the Hurricanes lost Miami native Don Chaney Jr. to Louisville via the transfer portal, they also added four-star running back Jordan Lyle and three-star running back Chris Wheatley-Humphrey in their high school recruiting class.
Winderman’s view: Everyone eats in victory over the Magic, as Heat adopt new diet
MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 121-95 victory over the Orlando Magic:
– This is where the talk of a Heat Big Three largely should be reserved as a lower-case description.
– Because for all that (regular-season) Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro provide, it is a trio that also requires ample support.
– In this one, they got it.
– Because at least during the regular season, an ensemble is what best suits the mix.
– It keeps everyone engaged on offense.
– Which also makes it easier to keep everyone engaged on defense.
– So at the end of the third period, Adebayo, Herro and Terry Rozier all had 14 points and Butler 13.
– Along with 11 from Caleb Martin, 10 from Jaime Jaquez Jr., nine from Josh Richardson and seven from Kevin Love.
– Something from everyone.
– With Everyone largely this team’s super power.
– At least until playoff time.
– When Butler very much emerges as The One.
– So, to the credit of Erik Spoelstra, a rotation reset.
– With one more game, Wednesday against the Spurs, to further polish before the nationally televised Super Bowl Sunday game against the Celtics.
– When the previous approach only led to abject failure last month at Kaseya Center.
– On a day the Heat got Duncan Robinson and Herro back from the injury report, they unveiled their 27th lineup in their 51st game.
– This time Martin started in place of Haywood Highsmith, in a lineup rounded out by Adebayo, Butler, Rozier and Herro.
– Butler’s sixth shot was the 10,000th of his career.
– For Spoelstra, having a roster that was whole and injury free presented welcomed challenges.
– “I actually had to fill out my board with all the different plans and possibilities,” he said pregame. “Yeah, hopefully it’s a good thing.”
– The Magic opened with Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.
– With Fultz making his first 3-pointer of the season in the first quarter.
– Jaquez played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– Love, Richardson and Robinson then followed together.
– That nine deep left Haywood shuffled out of the rotation.
– Similar to how Nikola Jovic was shuffled out when Highsmith was inserted in the starting lineup.
– A Heat focus going in was improving the home record. The Heat entered 13-12 at Kaseya Center.
– “We’ve been saying that for a while now,” Spoelstra said. “Right now, it’s about doing whatever we had to do to take care of business.”
– Magic coach Jamahl Mosely had ample praise going in for Spoelstra.
– “Spoelstra does a great job of keeping these guys playing hard, disrupting things defensively, and changing defensive coverages, Mosley said. “So, you never know exactly what you’re going to see from the offensive side of the floor. They keep you guessing, and they keep you off-balance.”
– He added, “Offensively, they move without the basketball, they’ve got shooters everywhere, and they’ve got guys who can get to the free-throw line.”
– Multiple reports Tuesday had Jaquez confirmed as a participant in the All-Star Saturday dunk contest, something he previously hinted, along with Jaylen Brown, Jacob Toppin and last year’s winner, G League player Matt McClung.
– In addition teams were drafted Tuesday from the playoff pool for the Rising Stars event the Friday before the All-Star Game.
– Jaquez was drafted onto a team that also includes Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Brandin Podziemski, Jabari Smith Jr., Cason Wallace and Bilal Coulibaly.
Heat ride rotation reset to 121-95 rout of Magic behind Butler’s 23
MIAMI — It probably is too early to say whether the Miami Heat definitively have found a better way.
But Tuesday night, coach Erik Spoelstra made clear it was time for a different way.
So he changed his starting lineup, altered his rotation, redefined some responsibilities and saw his team put together one of its best performances in weeks.
With Jimmy Butler leading the way, and with Terry Rozier finding his way, the Heat pushed past the Orlando Magic 121-95 Tuesday night at Kaseya Center, their third victory in the past four games.
“We were playing with much more of a motor,” Spoelstra said. “We looked fast out there, which is good to see.”
Butler, playing more as a point guard than previously this season, closed with 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“I think everybody was ready for what was going to happen,” Butler said of the revised rotation. “I like it. Guys were more comfortable.”
The Heat also got 18 points from Rozier, and 14 apiece from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Those efforts, which helped fuel a 40-point third period, allowed the Heat to move past Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at the start of this four-game homestand that continues Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs.
“That’s four games in a row now,” Spoelstra said, “where we look a lot more consistent and closer to our identity defensively.”
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat lead 26-19 at the end of the first period, went up 20 with 3:45 left in the second, but were reduced to a 56-49 lead at the intermission.
After Orlando closed within five early in the third, the Heat pushed back to a 24-point lead, before going into the fourth up 96-75.
Then, in continuing with the night’s theme of a rotation, reshuffle, Butler opened the fourth quarter on the court, instead of his typical bench mode at the start of the period.
From there, the Magic closed within 10 early in the fourth, before consecutive Butler 3-pointers as part of his personal 8-0 run pushed the Heat ahead 106-88.
The Heat kept it safety ahead from there.
“I was in a slump in the first half,” Butler said, “so I had to make those two threes.”
With his 3-pointers, Butler extended his career-best streak with at least one to nine games.
Butler closed 6 of 9 from the field, 9 of 12 from the line.
“Jimmy was able to, at really key points of the game, he was able to control with time, score, context,” Spoelstra said. “He can control a game as well as anybody in this Association.”
2. And another one: A game after unveiling their 26th lineup of the season, the Heat this time moved to lineup No. 27 in their 51st game.
The change had Caleb Martin opening in place of Haywood Highsmith, who had started the previous seven games.
Martin’s previous start was the Jan. 21 road loss to the Magic, with Martin apparently Spoelstra’s preferred defender against the Magic’s size.
The rest of the starting lineup remained Adebayo, Butler, Herro and Rozier.
The new starting group then moved to a 12-point lead before the Heat’s first substitution.
3. With a twist: The revised alignment in the returns of Herro and Duncan Robinson from absences had Butler exiting early and then returning to close out the first period with a reserve unit of Kevin Love, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Josh Richardson and Robinson.
Butler played as the de facto point guard in that alignment, as both Herro and Rozier sat.
That unit also started the second period.
“This is where we are,” Spoelstra said of the rotation revision. “We have basically our full contingent right now. So we’re working through things and trying to have some role definition and get a consistent rotation.”
4. The Terry tracker: Rozier did not allow his recent shooting struggles to temper his aggression, in what turned into one of his most efficient performances since joining the Heat in his trade from the Charlotte Hornets.
Playing more off the ball, Rozier stepped into his 3-pointers with confidence, playing well in tandem with Herro, and then later with Butler.
‘We’re tough to beat when we play like that,” Rozier said.
He closed 7 of 12 from the field, including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers, with seven assists and six rebounds.
“Still getting there. Still getting there,” he said. “Trying to get acclimated.
“These guys are doing a great job of making me feel comfortable. We know everything’s going to fall into place. We just gotta ignore the outside noise and stay true to ourselves.”
5. The tiebreaker: The victory not only extended the Heat’s franchise record to a ninth consecutive home victory over the Magic, but also secured a 3-1 win in the season series.
In a competitive Eastern Conference playoff race, that not only stands as a tiebreaker advantage over the Magic, but also for a potential Southeast Division title.
While a division winner is not necessarily guaranteed a playoff berth, a division championship serves as a leading playoff tiebreaker beyond head-to-head record.
“Overall,” Spoelstra said, “that’s a quality win over a very good opponent.”
Flyers top Panthers, snap Florida’s four-game win streak
By COLBY GUY
SUNRISE — Noah Cates scored the go-ahead goal 2:36 into the third period, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Tuesday night.
Cates’ goal was his first since Oct. 24, snapping a 22-game drought for the 25-year-old forward. He picked up a loose puck near the high slot, skated in alone and scored unassisted for what became the game-winner.
“When you don’t score for a while, you feel like you never will again,” Cates said. “To get on the board and get that confidence is big for me.”
The Flyers snapped their five-game losing streak in their first game since Jan. 27 following the NHL’s All-Star break.
“It’s the way we have to play,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “The way we’ve been successful is checking forward and not being safe. In the first period, we felt we were checking but we were letting them play. We didn’t close anybody out, we didn’t take any ice away from them, and in the last two periods, we played better.”
Travis Konecny also scored for Philadelphia, and Samuel Ersson made 20 saves.
Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers. Anthony Stolarz, who got the start to give All-Star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky a little more rest, stopped 23 shots.
Florida’s four-game win streak came to an end, as well as Sam Reinhart’s 13-game point streak, which was tied for the second-longest in franchise history.
“I didn’t like the way we supported the puck,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “I thought we got stretched in the game that we didn’t need to. They flipped a lot of pucks, we couldn’t get a handle on them, we started to stretch our game out and we couldn’t generate anything because of it. We looked like we haven’t been out on the ice in about a week.”
Flyers forward Owen Tippett played his first game in South Florida since the Panthers traded him to Philadelphia in 2022. He also returned to the lineup from a lower-body injury which kept him out of the team’s past four games.
Panthers forward Nick Cousins played his first game since Jan. 2 after missing 12 games while in the concussion protocol.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host Washington on Thursday night.
SWAT team sniper kills bank hostage-taker armed with a knife, Florida sheriff says
FORT MYERS — A deputy shot and killed a man Tuesday after he took people hostage and claimed to have a bomb at a Fort Myers bank, authorities said.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Bank of America branch in Fort Myers shortly before noon, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Officials deployed a robodog, the SWAT team, electronic surveillance and drones.
As deputies entered the bank, dozens of people ran out, Marceno said. A man armed with a knife, later identified as 36-year-old Sterling Ramon Alavache, still had two hostages and claimed to have a bomb, the sheriff said.
Negotiators were called to talk with Alavache, but at some point, the man put a hostage in a headlock and held a knife to her throat, Marceno said. That’s when a SWAT sniper fatally shot Alavache, officials said.
No injuries were reported to any hostages or deputies.
Officials didn’t immediately say whether Alavache actually had a bomb.
The deputy who killed the man was placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation, which is normal department policy.
Bill to restrict flags on public buildings stalls in Senate after DeSantis signals support
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday supported a proposal that would restrict what flags can be flown at schools and other public buildings, as critics of the bill — and Senate analysts — questioned prohibiting flags that represent a “political viewpoint.”
The bill (SB 1120), however, stalled, in a Senate committee hours after the governor backed it.
Under the bill, government agencies, public schools, colleges and universities would be prohibited from flying any flag that “represents a political viewpoint” including any “politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.” Debate has focused heavily on the potential that it could bar LGBTQ pride flags at public buildings.
Answering questions from reporters, DeSantis said he had not seen the bill but signaled that he would back it.
“If you take a position that, we’re going to fly the American flag and the state of Florida flag, and that’s it, it’s not targeting anybody. It’s basically saying that we’re not going to get into this business of doing this. So I think that’s totally fine,” the governor said during an appearance in Orange City.
“I don’t think you could say, you can fly any flag you want except one or two. Then I think that would be maybe content-based discrimination,” DeSantis added.
Hours after DeSantis made the comments, the Senate Governmental Oversight Committee heard from members of the public — most of whom opposed the bill — before adjourning Tuesday evening without voting on the bill. That could put the bill in jeopardy in the Senate midway through the legislative session.
“The committee is not scheduled to meet again,” Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said in an email. “If a bill remains in a committee that is no longer meeting, it is procedurally very difficult for the issue to advance.”
Members of the LGBTQ-advocacy group Equality Florida were among opponents who spoke against the measure, arguing it singles out LGBTQ people by banning pride flags.
Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, pointed to the measure barring flags that would represent a “political viewpoint.” She argued that prohibitions listed in the bill involve groups of people, not inherently political viewpoints.
“Race, gender, sexual orientation, religion are not political unto themselves. So, we should be as inclusive as possible. Not exclusive,” Polsky said.
Florida GOP lawmakers seek to ban rainbow flags in schools, saying they’re bad for students
Polsky also questioned bill sponsor Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, about whether flags of other countries would be prohibited at public buildings.
“Other flags of other countries, let’s say somebody is visiting the city of Fort Lauderdale, and you put up a foreign nation’s flag to welcome them to come. These days that could be potentially political. So, if they flew the Israeli flag and someone complained, would that be political? And who gets to make that decision?” Polsky asked.
“That’s not covered in this bill, but I’m happy to discuss an amendment with you, to make sure that we can honor our friends who are visiting from other countries,” Martin replied.
A Senate staff analysis of the bill released before the meeting also appeared to point to potential confusion about what would actually be prohibited.
“While the bill provides examples of what represents a ‘political viewpoint’ for purposes of the bill, it does not define the term. Similarly, while the bill clearly regulates governmental speech, which is not limited by First Amendment regulations, it is unclear where government speech (or that undertaken by a ‘governmental entity’) ends and private speech begins for purposes of this regulation,” the analysis said.
The analysis provided multiple examples of the proposal’s potential gray area about the line between public and private speech, including a scenario in which a “university-approved French club may be uncertain of the legality of its display of the flag of France at its club meetings on university property.”
The proposal stalled in the Senate committee for the second time. Chairman Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs, adjourned a meeting last week before a vote was taken.
A similar House bill (HB 901) needs approval from the State Affairs Committee before it could go before the full House.
If you think you’ve spotted a panther in Palm Beach County, think twice — it’s likely a bobcat
When residents in a West Delray community received an email with the subject line “Florida Panther Sighting,” they were encouraged to ensure their pets stayed safe. And it raised the question: Was the large cat really an endangered Florida panther, or maybe something else?
Would a 150-pound wild cat with a passion for avoiding humans leave the seclusion of the Everglades to trek through golf courses, barking dogs and subdivisions? The sighting of the wild feline was reported at Addison Reserve, a vast “lifestyle country club” development with spacious nine-hole golf courses, groves of trees and twisting bird-friendly waterways that’s five miles away from the wilderness to the west.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel asked some wildlife experts about the odds of a panther slinking into suburbia.
Related Articles“If you were telling me it was a panther, it would not surprise me,” said Brian Dowling, director of wildlife at Lion Country Safari west of West Palm Beach. “The populations have been increasing. As that happens, it’s going to push animals out of their normal range. As young males get older they get pushed out by their mother or by dominant males in the area. It wouldn’t surprise me, but I think it’s unlikely.”
If not a panther, then what? A bobcat?
Dowling, who regularly sets up trail cams around the perimeter of the Lion Safari property, said he understands any confusion. “I’ve seen some surprisingly large bobcats in the area — had I not had a good picture with the trail camera, I could see a bobcat being mistaken for a different kind of cat.”
He said Central Palm Beach County has a “very healthy” population of bobcats. “If I set up a trail cam I’ll get bobcats on it several times a week,” he said. But he’s never spotted a panther. “Frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t,” he said.
Jen Steele, director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, felt it was highly unlikely that the animal was a panther.
“For a Florida panther to get all the way over to Addison Reserve (from the Everglades) they’re going to have to cross two really busy roads (the four-lane U.S. 441 and the six-lane Florida’s Turnpike).” She also said there’s a lack of green space and places for a big cat to hide. Adults need a territory of between 100 to 200 square miles.
The wild felines are driven by scent markers from other cats, she said. “When you have juveniles that are leaving their moms at a year, year and a half old, if it’s male he’s going to be searching for scent markers where females have been urinating, and for a female, she’s going to be searching for scent markers from females to go far away from them.”
“Since we don’t have any resident Florida panthers in the Boca area … there’s not going to be any scent markers to draw them or push them away. They’re going to be more inclined to go north or south or west.”
In a notice to residents in recent days, a team at Addison Reserve indicated it “proactively reached out” to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the sighting. As of Tuesday, there were no details released about which species it was.
Neither the FWC nor Addison Reserve provided additional information to the Sun Sentinel despite requests for comment.
Previous Palm Beach PanthersA panther in Palm Beach County wouldn’t be as far-fetched as it sounds, but it really depends on which part of the county you’re talking about.
In 2013, the FWC released an orphaned male panther weighing 123 pounds into the southwest corner of Palm Beach County, in Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area, adjacent to the Seminole Tribe’s Big Cypress Reservation.
Biologists chose the location, which is farther east than most Florida panther habitats, in hopes that the young male would not encroach on the territory of an older, larger male — territorial conflicts can be deadly for the big cats.
Though technically in Palm Beach County, the release site was close to the sugar cane fields south of Lake Okeechobee, and insulated from the bustling sector of Palm Beach County to the east by 37 miles of wilderness.
Bobcat success and panther strugglesThough a panther would be a longshot, it’s not surprising that a bobcat might stroll through a backyard in central Palm Beach County.
Dowling said bobcats have lots of dining options within a golf course environment.
“They’re good hunters, so there’s a lot of things they can prey upon,” Dowling said. “Meals could range from native squirrels, rabbits and rats to non-native species such as Egyptian geese and Muscovy ducks, even people’s chickens.”
The FWC says on its website that bobcats only need a range of 5 or 6 square miles of wilderness areas, and only 1 or 2 square miles in suburban areas.
Endangered Florida panthers have had a much rougher go of it.
Panthers were decimated by Florida’s 20th century human population. By the 1970s biologists estimated only 30 or so remained in the wild, and they began to suffer from inbreeding.
In 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released eight female Texas cougars into South Florida in an effort to diversify the genetic stock and produce more robust cats. It worked.
Today there are just over 200 in the wild, according to the National Wildlife Federation. The leading cause of death is combat with other panthers, and vehicle strikes.
In 2023, vehicles killed 13 Florida panthers — five of those deaths occurred in November. In 2022, there were 25 vehicle-related panther deaths in the state, and in 2021, 21 vehicle deaths.
So far this year there have been five panther deaths, four by vehicle, and one by train. The deaths occurred to the west, in Hendry, Lee and Glades counties.
Who will run the US House in 2025? Once again, control could tip on California swing districts
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD (AP Political Writer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heavily Democratic California might appear an unlikely national battleground, but a string of competitive U.S. House contests is again poised to play a crucial role in determining control of the chamber as Republicans look to maintain their fragile majority in a deeply divided nation.
The state that was once home for Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan has become so solidly Democratic that a GOP presidential candidate hasn’t won a general election in California since the 1980s. Democrats hold every statewide office and dominate the Legislature, while Democratic voters outnumber registered Republicans by an overwhelming 2-to-1.
Yet pockets of conservative strength remain, particularly in the Southern California suburbs and the Central Valley farm belt. As in 2022, the most competitive contests are concentrated in Republican-held districts that were carried by then-candidate Joe Biden in 2020 — genuinely competitive territory is diminishing nationally.
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Leaders in both parties agree that the outcome in California could be the lever that determines who holds the gavel in 2025, after GOP wins in 2022 helped the party gain control. Currently, the House has 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is among those raising money to help his party retake the House. He’s warning of a “disastrous future” if former President Donald Trump wins the White House and Republicans take charge in the Senate. Under that scenario, Democrats must have the House to have any chance of blocking Trump’s agenda, Newsom warns.
If Democrats win four GOP-held districts in the state “we’re going to flip the House in November,” Newsom wrote in a recent fundraising pitch. “And each of them has a very good chance.”
With the state’s Democratic tilt, Republicans hold only 11 of the state’s 52 House seats. In all, about 10 districts appear to be in play statewide and in some cases the primary election could end up resulting in rematches from two years ago. No incumbents appear in imminent peril.
Voting is about to start, with a Monday deadline for counties to mail ballots.
In the emerging fray, fear of the opposition animates the sales pitch. Democrats are warning about Trump’s possible return to Washington, threats to abortion rights and unchecked gun violence. Republicans fault the party that dominates state politics for high taxes, inflation, vexing crime rates and an out-of-control homeless crisis.
It’s unknown to what degree the presidential contest will trickle into House races. Turnout could be depressed if President Joe Biden and Trump appear assured of the nominations. Biden’s popularity has faded in the state and nationally, and Trump is widely loathed in California outside his loyal base.
Under California election rules, Democrats and Republicans appear on the same primary ballot and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party.
THE SURVIVOR: A GOP CONGRESSMAN IN DEMOCRATIC LA COUNTYRep. Mike Garcia is the last Republican congressman anchored in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County. The once-conservative 27th District running through suburbs and high desert north of Los Angeles has become one of the country’s most competitive battlefields.
Matt Mauney / Orlando SentinelFILE – Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite,File)The district has a 12-point Democratic registration edge but over three elections Garcia has shown an uncanny ability to overcome the odds and confound rivals. It hasn’t been easy — Garcia was reelected in 2020 by 333 votes.
The former Navy fighter pilot and Trump supporter with a reliably conservative voting record was first elected running against California’s liberal-leaning government: “I don’t want my country to turn into what my state has become.”
Garcia’s military service — he flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom — would play well in a district that is home to defense industries and popular with veterans and Los Angeles police officers and firefighters. The son of a Mexican immigrant father, his Hispanic surname is likely a benefit in a district with a significant Latino population. He also has displayed a keen ear for local issues, including concerns over crime and illegal marijuana cultivation.
The leading Democrat in the primary is George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff supported by the campaign arm of House Democrats. He’s been stressing abortion rights and environmental protection and labeling Garcia as out of step with the district.
A TOSS-UP DISTRICT THAT WAS ONCE THE HEART OF ‘REAGAN COUNTRY’Orange County’s 47th District runs along the California coast southeast of Los Angeles and was once the heart of “Reagan Country,” a region long synonymous with conservative politics and known for its ties to the former president. But the county that was once largely white and Republican has grown demographically diverse and increasingly Democratic, and the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a U.S. Senate candidate, is up for grabs.
Republicans consider it a top target.
Former legislator Scott Baugh, who narrowly lost to Porter in 2022, is the leading Republican, while two Democrats are dueling to get on the November ballot, state Sen. David Min and Joanna Weiss, who founded an organization that promotes progressive candidates.
A STRONGLY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT THAT VOTES REPUBLICANThe Central Valley farm belt is a political conundrum. Districts in the sprawling region sometimes called America’s salad bowl typically have significant Democratic registration edges, but those seats are often held by Republicans.
A case in point is Rep. David Valadao, a Republican who has endured despite facing steep registration deficits. Democrats hold a 16-point advantage in his 22nd District. He held his seat from 2013 until January 2019, lost it for a term, then won it back in a 2020 rematch with Democrat T.J. Cox.
He might be headed toward a rematch in November with Rudy Salas, the Democrat he defeated in 2022 who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats. Valadao has stressed an independent streak, while spotlighting his efforts to secure more water for farmers, a perennial issue in the Central Valley. Salas, considered a moderate, has depicted Valadao as a Trump acolyte masquerading as a centrist.
Both Salas and Valadao are facing rivals from within their own party on the primary ballot. Republican rancher Chris Mathys is looking to surprise Valadao and state Sen. Melissa Hurtado is competing for Democratic votes with Salas.
ROUND TWO IN THE CENTRAL VALLEYRepublican John Duarte defeated Democrat Adam Gray in 2022 in what was then a new House district in the Central Valley. He won by only 564 votes, the closest congressional contest in the state that year.
They are the only candidates on the March 5 primary election ballot, setting up a rematch in the 13th District, which has a prominent Democratic tilt and a large Latino population. But the most likely voters tend to be white, older, more affluent homeowners, as is the case statewide.
Gray, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, argues that his party can’t reclaim the House majority without winning his district.
ANOTHER POTENTIAL REMATCH EAST OF LOS ANGELESRep. Ken Calvert, the longest-serving Republican in the California congressional delegation, held off Democrat Will Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, in a district east of Los Angeles by about 5 points in 2022. That district, the 41st, is about equally divided between Republicans and Democrats.
Chris Sweda, Chicago TribuneFILE -Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee arrives for a closed markup hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill for the Pentagon, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite,File)This year could see a rematch.
Calvert brings the advantages of incumbency but his conservative credentials and support from Trump could be liabilities in a district that includes many transplanted Los Angeles residents and the city of Palm Springs, which has a large concentration of LGBTQ voters. Rollins is gay.
Rollins, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, says it’s time for new leadership and has depicted Calvert as an extremist.
SOUTH KOREAN IMMIGRANT LOOKS FOR ANOTHER TERM IN DISTRICT CREATED TO EMPOWER ASIANSRepublican Rep. Michelle Steel, a South Korean immigrant, is looking for another term in a Southern California district specifically drawn to give Asian Americans a stronger voice on Capitol Hill. Asian Americans comprise the largest group in the 45th District, anchored in Orange County. Democrats hold a modest registration edge.
Steel first won the seat in 2020, then prevailed in 2022 with a 5-point win in the district, which includes the nation’s largest Vietnamese community.
Four Democrats are competing this year, including Kim Nguyen-Penaloza, the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee father and a Mexican immigrant mother who was endorsed by the state Democratic Party, and lawyer and worker rights advocate Derek Tran, the son of Vietnamese refugees.
In Congress, Steel has been outspoken in resistance to tax increases, says she stands strongly with Israel in its war with Hamas and sponsored a bill that would expand oversight related to foreign money in higher education, which passed the House last year.
The race will be watched nationally for hints about the preferences of Asian American voters.
DEMOCRAT DEFENDS COASTAL DISTRICT WITH STRONG MILITARY TIESFour Republicans are on the ballot in the 49th District running through Orange and San Diego counties, where Democratic Rep. Mike Levin is looking for another term.
Coastal California typically leans Democratic, but the race is seen as competitive. In 2022, Levin got a late-hour visit from Biden in hopes of boosting his chances and notched a 5-point win.
In Congress, Levin has focused on veterans affairs, as well as climate change and the environment, in a district that straddles Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Key issues in the race have included immigration, housing and inflation.
“The American people need leadership from Congress, not continued Republican chaos,” Levin said in a tweet. “House Democrats are ready to find common ground and a bipartisan path forward.”
Virginia holds Miami Hurricanes to 38 points, wins NCAA-leading 23rd straight game at home
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Reece Beekman had 16 points and seven assists, Jacob Groves added 12 points and Virginia stymied Miami 60-38 on Monday night for its NCAA-leading 23rd straight victory at home.
Virginia (18-5, 9-3 ACC) has won seven straight games overall, the longest active streak in the conference. The Cavaliers improved to 114-2 when allowing 50 points or fewer in the Tony Bennett era.
It was Miami’s fewest points scored in any game since 1985. It was also the program’s fewest in an ACC game, with the previous low of 40 set on Feb. 25, 2014, at Virginia.
Beekman gave Virginia a double-digit lead with 4:08 remaining in the first half and Miami trailed by at least 12 the entire second half. The Cavaliers started the second half with an 18-4 run, and then held Miami to just five field goals the rest of the way.
Miami finished 14 for 49 (28.6%) from the field, including going 0 for 10 from distance in the second half.
Isaac McKneely had nine points, six rebounds and four assists for Virginia. Ryan Dunn added eight points and eight rebounds. The Cavaliers had 20 assists on 26 field goals.
Norchad Omier had 11 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season for Miami (15-8, 6-6). Wooga Poplar added eight points.
Virginia goes on the road to play Florida State on Saturday. Miami hosts No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday.
General Daily Insight for February 06, 2024
General Daily Insight for February 06, 2024
Fantasy is likely to give way to focus at any moment. The Moon, shaking off a square to dreamy Neptune, moves into grounded Capricorn at 7:08 am EST, pushing us toward a serious attitude. As Luna sextiles practical Saturn, we’re equipped to find a comfortable balance between meeting our emotional needs and honoring the limits of reality. The Moon then trines fortunate Jupiter, so we’ll probably get back, at minimum, as much as we put in — if not a bit more!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Making progress toward your goals is possible now. While the eye-catching Moon in your public 10th house aligns with abundant Jupiter in your money zone, the people around you may be surprised to see some of the bold financial choices you make in service of that end. However, they probably aren’t fully aware of all the structure you’ve built up behind the scenes. As long as you’re personally confident you can survive whatever you’re doing, don’t take any judgmental comments too seriously.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
You may currently appreciate the stability of a friend group or community that has been part of your life for a long time. That said, you’re probably not the same person you were when you first got involved with them, and it’s easy to get stuck in an old role. As the curious Moon in your adventurous 9th house supports informative Jupiter in your sign, you have an opportunity to show your pals what you’ve been learning lately. They might be happy to join you!
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Receiving help to reach your goals is presently possible. Due to the perceptive Moon in your sharing sector noticing focused Saturn in your ambitious 10th house, the effort you put in is likely obvious to potential collaborators, making the prospect of working with you extra appealing. Once you join forces with someone else, you might no longer have full control over your project. That’s not necessarily a bad thing! Stay open to insights you wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
A friend may currently guide you toward some needed perspective on your political or spiritual beliefs. You don’t necessarily have to abandon the main tenets that provide structure to your life, but there could be a less restrictive way of viewing the details as the compassionate Moon in your relationship zone trines expansive Jupiter in your visionary 11th house. A judgmental attitude, no matter how well-intentioned, usually doesn’t help you connect with others — do your best to appreciate their humanity instead.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
You’re equipped to deliver focused effort with careful attention to detail today. As the anxious Moon in your responsible 6th house looks to inhibited Saturn in your sharing sector, you could be hoping to impress a collaborator who seems stern and hard to please. True, it’s probably difficult to avoid getting caught up in the intimidating atmosphere they create, but they might be surprisingly open to a proposal that quantifiably gets better results than the current strategy. Consider working smart and not just hard.
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Bringing a close relationship out of a rut may be necessary at any moment. You possibly appreciate being able to rely on this person’s stability, but sometimes you need more than that! Fortunately, as the spontaneous Moon in your 5th House of Pleasure stimulates confident Jupiter in your expansive 9th house, you’re well positioned to find an adventure that would be fun to share. Even if your idea greatly differs from your usual joint routine, give your companion the chance to decide whether they’re interested.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
You’re likely looking for security at this time, and your willingness to work hard could help you achieve it. That said, you shouldn’t have to rely exclusively on your own effort. While the nourishing Moon in your protective 4th house cooperates with helpful Jupiter in your sharing sector, make an effort to let others surprise you. You might be able to get more of what you want once you let go of your expectations for it to manifest in a very specific way.
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Feeling like you’re not having enough fun could weigh on you at the moment. While the connection-seeking Moon in your communication zone aligns with repressive Saturn in your 5th House of Entertainment, you might benefit from airing your frustrations to a loved one. Even if you think your lack of pleasure seems like an issue too trivial to complain about, your companion may actually appreciate having a relatively easy problem to solve. Give them the opportunity to show you a good time!
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Reining in your money worries is presently possible. While the nervous Moon in your finance zone reaches out to stable Saturn in your security sector, you could notice that you’re already doing better than you thought you were. Once your expectations come to align more closely with reality, you might not be far from meeting them! Minor adjustments to your routines can improve things further, but you’ll be best positioned to determine what those are when you’re in a calm mental space.
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Your emotions are potentially close to the surface right now. While the sensitive Moon in your sign leans on solid Saturn in your communication zone, you’re equipped to express your feelings in a way that you have control over. Knowing that you’re not going to air every single thought you have will probably be clarifying for you. When you acknowledge that there are limits to your audience’s capabilities, you should find it easier to identify where you need their feedback the most.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Digging deeper into your roots could presently be rewarding for you. As the inquisitive Moon in your 12th House of Secrets nudges stuck Saturn in your finance sector, learning about your background may help you shed inhibitions regarding money issues. It’s possible that you’ve long believed things have always been a certain way for your family and will forever continue to be so. Ups and downs are more common than you might think! Now that it’s your turn, embrace the possibility of positive change.
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
The chatter could currently be wild in a friend group or organization you belong to. As the impulsive Moon in your social sector connects to restrained Saturn in your sign, you might feel the need to tell others that they’re being unrealistic. You may worry that this will cause them to think poorly of you — on the other hand, they might want to be reined in. Embrace the role if you’re up for the challenge, but be clear about which opinions are truly yours.
Social media ban for kids moves in Florida Senate, despite DeSantis’ concerns
Florida senators moved forward late Monday with a proposed social media ban for children that has drawn concerns from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The measure (SB 1788) seeks to block users under 16 from using social media platforms with addictive features, regardless of parental approval.
The Florida House overwhelmingly approved the proposal (HB 1) in a 106-13 vote last month. The Senate’s Judiciary Committee advanced the bill Monday in a 7-2 vote.
DeSantis hasn’t committed to signing the proposed ban as it’s presently written. He said he has concerns about its “breadth” and whether it would pass legal review. Similar bans in other states are being challenged in the courts on First Amendment grounds.
Supporters say action is needed to protect children from social media platforms with addictive features, such as infinite scrolling, that are hurting young people’s mental health. They have likened social media to smoking or gambling.
“This is beyond any one family and any one parent-child relationship,” said Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, the bill’s sponsor. “This is something that the magnitude of has reached such a level we have to step in as a government.”
Opponents argue a ban overrides parental rights, runs afoul of the First Amendment and ignores the positive aspects of social media, such as fostering a sense of community.
“SB 1788 is a government censorship bill, and it is aimed at stifling the freedom of expression online and requiring all users, including adults, to verify their age by providing a photo ID or other age verification documentation,” said Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the ACLU of Florida.
The bill doesn’t list specific social media platforms, but it targets outlets that track user activity, allow children to upload content and contain “addictive” design features. Social media companies would need to use a third-party age verification system and terminate the accounts of underage users.
The legislation includes numerous exemptions, including for email, news outlets, direct messaging and streaming services.
Platforms that violate the law could face fines of up to $50,000 per violation. Parents could also bring private legal actions with fines of up $10,000 per violation.
House Speaker Paul Renner, who has made social media one of his top priorities, has said he expects the bill will be revised before it is sent to DeSantis for his signature.
A reporter asked why a building wasn’t on the tax rolls. Now the one next door is.
The relocation of Fort Lauderdale’s police department to a building off Cypress Creek Road had unintended consequences for the building next door.
It’s now going back on the tax rolls after not getting a property tax bill for years.
How did that happen?
The South Florida Sun Sentinel played a role when one of its reporters asked why one of the buildings wasn’t getting billed.
Kaplan University once occupied two buildings, one at 1515 and the other at 1525 W. Cypress Creek Road. Both buildings sit on land owned by the city of Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale’s police department moved into the 1515 building in September and will remain there until a new $140 million headquarters opens. The station, expected to open in 2025, is being built near the old headquarters on Broward Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar began looking into whether taxes were owed on both buildings after getting a call from the Sun Sentinel last August inquiring about their tax history.
The 1515 building was put on the tax rolls in 2004, but had not gotten a tax bill since 2010, the Sun Sentinel learned after checking the Property Appraiser website.
Kiar initially told the Sun Sentinel he had no idea why the bills had stopped.
“Our office was under the impression this was only municipal property used for municipal purposes,” Kiar said at the time. “We didn’t know otherwise until (the Sun Sentinel) called. We were never provided with any of the leases. If it does turn out there is money owed, that has to be paid.”
After months of research by Kiar’s legal team, he finally has the answer.
The 1515 building can retain its tax-exempt status because it’s being used for a public purpose. That’s good news for Fort Lauderdale. If not, the city would have faced future taxes for as long as the police department remains in the building.
The second building, located next door at 1525 Cypress Creek Road, is going back on the tax rolls because a healthcare company moved in a few years ago.
The 1525 building should have gone back on the tax rolls in 2022 because it was subleased to Envision Healthcare, said Mila Schwartzreich, general counsel for the Property Appraiser’s Office.
The back taxes owed from 2022 come to $304,258.45, Schwartzreich said. That bill is due at the end of February.
“They did appeal to the (county’s) Value Adjustment Board,” Schwartzreich said of Kaplan’s attorneys. “For our purposes, we were very firm. This is what’s owed.”
For 2023, the current tax year, the taxes come to $371,437.05. That bill is due March 31.
Martin Press, the attorney for Kaplan University, says the Property Appraiser’s Office has sent a bill for back taxes for 2022.
“All I can tell is that’s where we are at the moment,” Press said. “The bill is due at the end of this month.”
Who will pay the taxes?
Press said he didn’t know.
One thing’s for sure, it won’t be the city, Commissioner John Herbst says.
“The city would not owe the taxes,” Herbst said. “We own the land, not the building. At the end of their lease (in 2073), we’ll own the building.”
Leaseholder Sheldon Gross could not be reached for comment despite three calls and two texts over the course of several days.
Gross bought the lease in 2019.
Construction got underway on the new police headquarters in July 2023.
Soon after, the agency’s 750 employees abandoned their old headquarters due to the ear-splitting construction noise next door. That’s when the hunt began for new space.
As a subtenant of the 1515 building, the City Commission had agreed to pay taxes on the building in the event it went back on the tax rolls.
Gross initially told Fort Lauderdale commissioners the taxpayers would have to pay 48% of the tax bill if the building lost its tax-exempt status.
Mayor Dean Trantalis, negotiating from the dais, got that down to 36%.
The city’s portion of the tax bill would have been close to $130,000.
Herbst says he pushed for the police department to move to the Kaplan building because it was offering less expensive space than downtown.
The rent for the first two years will cost taxpayers around $3 million.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
Dave Hyde: Florida Panthers start up after break with an eye toward another big postseason
FORT LAUDERDALE — They’re refining their game, not searching for it like a year ago.
“Last year was just fighting and crawling to get in the playoffs,’’ center Sam Bennett said.
They’ve built off their magical postseason, not lived off it like some teams in town.
“The core that we have, we know what it takes,” defenseman Brandon Montour said.
There’s never been a Florida Panthers team that had management, coaching and playing talent more aligned to a winning timeline than this one. There’s no team in hockey that’s taken a bigger step forward over the past year than these Panthers.
There are also no teams in town like the Panthers and Inter Miami, as far as being closer to titles among our pro teams. Look around. The Miami Heat have shown signs of life in the last week, but no one’s thinking they can recreate a unicorn’s run from another possible play-in game to getting by heavyweights Milwaukee and Boston again.
The Dolphins took their shot and ended in the same winless playoff spot as last year. The Marlins start up next week, but they are the only major-league team to do nothing this offseason but lose players.
Meanwhile, the Panthers start up after the All-Star break Tuesday night against Philadelphia with the idea of polishing the playoff product they took to the Stanley Cup Final last spring. They’re deeper, thanks to general manager Bill Zito’s work. They survived the first part of the season with a few key player still mending from last spring. They’ve won enough while playing tough enough to put them up with any team in hockey.
Now come 33 games before the playoffs to refine who they are.
“It’s really important that we become elite on the one or two things that drive our game,’’ coach Paul Maurice said. “There’s so many elements to any sport, but in the game of hockey I don’t think you have time to focus on 100 things.
“What you need to do is find the two or three really important things for your team, and then what will happen is all those other things will fall in place without you having to deal with them too much. Usually, those one or two things are hard things to do. And they’re usually defense.”
Sam Reinhart is second in the league with 37 goals. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe rank in the top 25 for points. The Panthers rank in the top 10 in power-play scoring and penalty killing. But the one area they’re elite this year is with the defensive system Maurice thrust on a high-scoring team last season.
Behind goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers give up the third-fewest goals against (2.57 per game). That’s also the prism through which you can see Maurice’s view of how champions are built.
“We want to defend a certain way,’’ Maurice said. “It’s not a passive defense. It’s a very aggressive defense. Because if you defend aggressively, then that aggression stays with you when you have the puck. You attack with it. It becomes your mindset in all aspects of the game.
“It’s also the hardest part to be aggressive at. It’s the least fun. Grinding defensively is the most team-oriented, least-individually fun part of hockey. So, that’s where we want to be at.”
Winning titles is never easy. No one’s done it in South Florida since the back-to-back rings by the Miami Heat’s Big Three in 2013 and 2014. The Marlins won in 2003. The Dolphins don’t have a playoff win since — all together now — 2000, or a title since 1973.
The Panthers have never won a title in a sport with the most random of postseasons. Low seeds like the Panthers were last year make regular runs. Playoff hockey is a narrower game that rewards toughness and defense. It’s defined by big moments.
“We know what it takes,’’ Montour said.
A year ago this time, the Panthers sat in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with the annual question about whether they’d make the playoffs. Now they sit in second place and will have their chance to catch Boston. The rest of the season isn’t so much about that, though.
It’s about refining their game and eyeing who they might meet in the playoffs.
“I think we have a winning product,’’ Maurice said.
That’s proven. The question advances to whether they have a championship one.
Senate Republicans resist advancing on border policy bill, leaving aid for Ukraine in doubt
By STEPHEN GROVES, MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a torrent of criticism from conservatives, Senate Republicans on Monday resisted advancing on a bipartisan proposal intended to clamp down on illegal border crossings, signaling a likely defeat in Congress that would leave leaders with no clear path to approve wartime aid for Ukraine.
In a dramatic turnaround, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell recommended to GOP senators in a closed-door meeting that they vote against the first procedural vote Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the meeting who were not authorized to talk publicly about it and spoke anonymously.
It came just hours after the Kentucky Republican had urged colleagues on the Senate floor that “it’s now time for Congress to take action.” McConnell has struggled to marshal his conference to move on the package of $118 billion package of border enforcement policy and funding for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
Senate negotiators on Sunday night released the text of the bill, hoping that the details would win over skeptics. The carefully negotiated deal represented a rightward tilt in Senate negotiations over border measures, yet the backlash was intense from conservatives. They savaged the border policy proposal as insufficient, with former President Donald Trump leading the charge.
“This is a gift to the Democrats. And this sort of is a shifting of the worst border in history onto the shoulders of Republicans,” Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, said Monday on “The Dan Bongino Show.” “They want this for the presidential election so they can now blame the Republicans for the worst border in history.”
Many Senate Republicans — even those who have expressed support for Ukraine aid and the contours of the border policy changes — raised doubts Monday they would support advancing the package. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has planned to hold a key test vote Wednesday.
“The actions here in the next few days are an inflection point in history,” the New York Democrat said in a floor speech. “The security of our nation and of the world hangs in the balance.”
Schumer worked closely with McConnell on the border security package after the Republican leader had insisted on the pairing as a way to win support for Ukraine aid. The Democratic leader urged his colleagues across the aisle to “tune out the political noise” and vote yes.
“For years, years our Republican colleagues have demanded we fix the border. And all along they said it should be done through legislation. Only recently did they change that when it looks like we might actually produce legislation,” Schumer said.
Republicans expressed deep divisions on the legislation. During a 90-minute, closed-door meeting of Republicans on Monday evening, the discussion turned to shouting.
“Time out!” said Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a retired lieutenant general in the Iowa Army National Guard, during one exchange. “At ease!”
GOP senators emerged saying they were not likely to vote to move forward during the Wednesday test vote and wanted to debate changes to the bill — a demand that would further delay any definitive action on the legislation.
“I think there’s a very real concern that there hasn’t been adequate time,” said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the second-ranked Republican leader. “I think the Wednesday vote is going to be, for most of our members, too early.”
Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, predicted that the Wednesday tally would fall short of the 60 votes needed. After exiting an earlier meeting with other GOP leaders, he told reporters, “I think the proposal is dead.”
Both McConnell and Schumer have emphasized for months the urgency of approving tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine’s fight, saying that the U.S.’s ability to buttress democracies around the world was at stake. Yet with the funding stuck in Congress, the Defense Department has halted shipments of ammunition and missiles to Kyiv.
Biden, speaking to reporters at a Las Vegas meeting with members of a culinary union, noted that Congress has not approved his funding requests for more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges to handle the number of migrants. “We need help,” he said. “Why won’t they give me the help?”
“Everything in that bipartisan bill gives me control,” Biden said, adding that he was disappointed the border legislation does not address the fate of immigrants who as children entered the U.S. without authorization.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has already called the proposal “dead on arrival” if it passes the Senate, but Biden urged the Republican speaker to “pay attention to what the Senate’s doing.”
The White House has also said Biden would veto a House bill that would only send military aid to Israel, criticizing it as a “cynical political maneuver” that excludes funding for Ukraine, the border and other national security needs.
Johnson, along with the rest of the House’s top GOP leaders, said in a joint statement Monday they were opposed to the legislation because “it fails in every policy area needed to secure our border and would actually incentivize more illegal immigration.”
The statement from Johnson and Reps. Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer and Elise Stefanik pointed to a provision in the bill that would grant work authorizations to migrants who qualify to enter the asylum system. They also argued that it would endorse a “catch and release” policy by placing migrants who enter the asylum system in a monitoring program while they await the final decision on their asylum claim.
Under the proposal, migrants who seek asylum would face a tougher and faster process to having their claim evaluated. The standard in initial interviews would be raised, and many would receive those interviews within days of arriving at the border. Final decisions on their asylum claims would happen within months, rather than the often years-long wait that happens now.
But the House Republican leaders said, “Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time.”
Still, the GOP’s chief negotiator on the bill, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, implored his colleagues to take another look at the legislation and consider the ramifications beyond the presidential election.
“My focus is what can we do right now — regardless of who’s president now, four years from now, or 10 years from now — what can we do to be able to fix problems in the law to be able to make sure long-term we have a better border,” he said.
The National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents Border Patrol agents, on Monday endorsed the proposal and said it would drop illegal border crossings nationwide. The group in 2020 endorsed in Trump and has been highly critical of Biden’s border policies.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the Arizona independent who was central to crafting the proposal, said, “For me, this is a very simple choice: Do you want to secure the border or do you not?”
Several Democrats have also come out against the bill and take issue with the restrictions on asylum seekers. Immigration advocates have also said the bill would cut off important due process rights for people who have fled to the U.S. to escape often harrowing violence.
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator for the bill, said, “I think this country is crying out for the parties to stop fighting over immigration and just get something done that’s going to better control the border and fix our broken immigration system.”
___
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville in Las Vegas and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed.
Florida State Guard director’s approval moves forward as deployment nears
TALLAHASSEE — As the state prepares to send members of the Florida State Guard to Texas, the Senate began moving forward Monday with confirming the State Guard’s director.
Meanwhile, a House panel revised a bill that deals with background-check requirements for members of the State Guard, which DeSantis revived in 2022 after it was dormant for decades.
State Guard Director Mark Thieme told members of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee, which unanimously backed his confirmation, that he is preparing to start the deployment process to Texas next week to help with border-security issues.
“I’m prepared to offer up to a platoon and sustain that for a period of months,” Thieme told the committee. “What I cannot say with certainty — in front of the committee today sir — is exactly what Texas is going to ask for. It may be a squad. It may be a platoon.”
Thieme said he anticipates members sent to Texas will be involved with checkpoint operations, supporting patrols, distribution and logistics.
“Those types of activities where the Texas National Guard and Texas State Guard and the Texas authorities are under capacity in various areas,” Thieme said.
DeSantis on Thursday announced he was sending members of the State Guard and offering additional members of the Florida National Guard to Texas.
“I believe that a state has a right to fortify its own borders,” DeSantis said during an appearance at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville.
“And, so, if Texas is helping to erect barriers, putting up razor wire, doing other things to keep illegal aliens out, I want to be helpful with them doing it,” DeSantis added. “I don’t want to be part of the federal government trying to tear down these barriers and let more people in illegally.”
Appointed in October, Thieme said he wasn’t involved in the governor’s decision and was advised a day before the deployment was announced.
He is the third person to hold the director position since DeSantis re-established the State Guard.
Thieme served more than 35 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, most recently as a senior operations officer.
In supporting the confirmation, Sen. Victor Torres, D-Orlando, expressed some caution about the deployment.
“I don’t want men and women to go to another state and be caught in something that could be dangerous for them or be involved in some kind of shooting or something,” Torres said.
Thieme said the State Guard is under an “emergency activation authority.”
The State Guard is approved for up to 400 members and has about 170. Thieme said a challenge is that timelines ahead of the hurricane season for recruitment, equipment procurement and training are not fully synchronized.
“I’m staring very intently at the May and June timeframe,” Thieme said, referring to the start of hurricane season.
Thieme must still go before the Ethics and Elections Committee before his confirmation is put before the full Senate.
The revamped House bill (HB 1551) was unanimously supported by the House Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee. It was amended to remove part of the bill that drew questions from Democrats. That part would have expanded the governor’s power to activate the State Guard such as during periods of civil unrest and “at any other time deemed necessary and appropriate.”
State law says the State Guard shall be used “exclusively” within Florida while adding that it can be deployed to support other states.
“I would suspect — I don’t know for fact — that we do have mutual-aid agreements with other states,” House bill sponsor Mike Giallombardo, R-Cape Coral, said. “They can send people here, we can send people there. It’s done with the National Guard all the time.”
The State Guard was initially set up during World War II to replace Florida National Guard members who were deployed abroad. It became inactive in 1947. But DeSantis revived the volunteer force in 2022, and lawmakers provided increased funding last year.
Florida has been sending members of the National Guard and state law-enforcement officers to Texas since May.
Eviscerating ethics oversight in less than a dozen words | Editorial
Florida legislators sometimes make it impossible to earn the public’s respect.
Case in point: The Senate’s 39-0 vote for a bill to cripple the Commission on Ethics.
The ethics commission has never been popular with lawmakers or with local officials, but the Florida Constitution protects it from being abolished. The credit for that goes to Reubin Askew, the governor in the 1970s and an anti-corruption crusader who embedded it in an ethics initiative that nearly 80% of voters approved in 1976.
From the outset, the Legislature hobbled it by allowing it to act only in response to sworn complaints from others.
Now its enemies would further weaken the watchdog by requiring complaints to be “based on personal knowledge or information other than hearsay.”
Ethics destruction in 11 wordsThe crippling provision is just 11 words long and would also apply to local ethics commissions in Palm Beach County, Miami and elsewhere.
By “hearsay,” they mean media exposés, which will bar nearly all the commission’s complaints.
“I’ve never seen a power grab like this,” says Ben Wilcox of the nonprofit watchdog group Integrity Florida. “This legislation will do away with ethics enforcement in Florida.”
“Incredibly destructive and corrosive,” Carolyn Klancke, a past deputy executive director and general counsel for the commission, told the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
Klancke, who now heads the Florida Ethics Institute, said it would prevent the commission from acting even on official audit and inspector general reports, which are not sworn complaints.
“Wrongdoing by public officials rarely takes place at times and in places accessible to the general public,” wrote Bonnie Williams, a former executive director of the commission, in an e-mail to the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. “Rather, it occurs in the rarefied air of political culture or within the confines of officials’ private lives. Of necessity, citizens rely on documents and reports, investigative journalism, information from persons close to the potential violation or violator, or other indirect means.
“Restricting filers of complaints to those with direct knowledge restricts citizens’ participation, will significantly restrict the number of complaints filed, and will abridge public faith in enforcement of the ethics laws,” Williams said.
It should extinguish what remains of public faith in the Legislature.
A dirty deed on the Senate floorHow this was done is as odious as the outcome. The “personal knowledge” provision was one of four amendments in the Senate, filed a day before by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills. He chairs the committee that crafted the bill (SB 7014), which otherwise consists mainly of deadlines for action on commission cases and a questionable supermajority requirement for votes to reject or deviate from a staff recommendation.
Only two senators seemed to recognize the damage that “personal knowledge” would do, but they swallowed their concerns as the Senate passed the bill with only desultory debate. They were Sens. Jason Pizzo, D-Hollywood, and Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach.
Pizzo even described it accurately as a “poison pill.”
Burgess conceded it would shut the commission’s “front door” to citizens attempting to file complaints based on what they had read or heard.
A chilling effectThere was no recorded vote on any of the amendments — another black mark against the Senate’s lack of transparency.
Billy Townsend, a Polk County activist who blogs as Public Enemy Number 1, posted that the “personal knowledge” rule would have barred his complaint against a school board member who had been publicly identified as a “preferred vendor” of required school uniforms. The ethics commission recently voted probable cause to proceed on his complaint.
Townsend argues that journalists should file ethics complaints over apparent violations they report. He wrote that he thinks that’s what the “personal knowledge” amendment is daring them to do.
That may be, but the Sun Sentinel — like most news outlets — strongly disagrees with it. To file an official complaint makes the journalist a part of the story with a personal interest in the outcome, which is properly against virtually every ethics code in our profession.
Another destructive amendment to SB 7014 would bind municipal and county ethics commissions to the same “personal knowledge” rule. It would entitle candidates, like officeholders, to recover costs and legal fees for complaints filed with “malicious intent” or “reckless disregard” of the truth. Those findings would be made by political bodies rather than the courts, which is wrong.
Another destructive Burgess amendment would allow attorneys who are required to file as public officials to withhold the identity of clients by claiming disclosure would violate attorney-client confidentiality. He said that answers the complaints of local officials who say they are resigning rather than reveal their clients. Florida is better off without them.
The Florida League of Cities has eight lobbyists registered on CS/HB 1597, the companion bill in the House, which presently lacks the Senate’s changes. Asking whether they are supporting what the Senate did, a spokesperson said they are simply “watching” for amendments.
The Legislature has shown no interest on what the commission itself asked for this year, such as whistleblower protection for citizens who file complaints.
We call on the Broward and Palm Beach delegations in the House to defend the ethics commission rather than betray it as the Senate did. The public is watching.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
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