South Florida Local News

The cruise industry continues to ramp up its offerings for the anticipated 21.7 million Americans expected to embark on ocean cruises in 2026. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line have one new ship each coming online this year, plus newsworthy developments for both companies’ private resorts.

The headliners of the brand-new ships coming to Florida in 2026 are the Prima Plus-class Norwegian Luna and Royal Caribbean’s third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas. In destination news, Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau is now open and Norwegian Cruise Line is unveiling upgrades to its private island, Great Stirrup Cay.

These changes support a growing audience of cruisers sailing from Florida, which is home to the world’s three busiest cruise ports, in order: Port Canaveral, PortMiami and Port Everglades.

Here’s a rundown of the latest cruise news to follow in Florida and beyond in 2026.

This rendering shows Sukhothai, a Thai restaurant coming to Norwegian Luna when it debuts out of Miami in 2026, but also found on Norwegian Aqua. (Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line) New Florida-bound vessels

Norwegian Luna: Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 156,300-gross-ton ship builds on the success of the Prima class, bringing modern design, infinity pools, the Aqua Slidecoaster and plenty of outdoor spaces for passengers sailing from PortMiami. The vessel begins sailing weeklong Caribbean voyages from South Florida in early April.

In addition to featuring the same hybrid rollercoaster and water slide that can be found on the Prima Plus-class Norwegian Aqua, Luna will have a 10-deck free-fall slide called The Drop and a top-deck sports and outdoor gaming space called The Stadium. Similar to all Prima-class vessels, the ship will feature Ocean Boulevard, a 46,000-square-foot outdoor walkway wrapping around the ship and Indulge Food Hall with 10 different food stations.

In the realm of entertainment, Luna showcases “ELTON: A Celebration of Elton John,” a concert-style production, and HIKO, which blends “mixed reality with Cirque-style artistry.”

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, the company’s third Icon-class ship, is set to arrive in Fort Lauderdale in November 2026. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean)

Legend of the Seas: Royal Caribbean’s successful Icon class is welcoming a new member this year. The 248,663-gross-ton behemoth, which is set for its North American debut out of Port Everglades in November, is tied for the title of world’s largest cruise ship with its sister ships, Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas.

The ship features 28 ways to dine, including the Hollywoodland Supper Club and an immersive railroad-themed dining experience. Guests can also enjoy the Broadway hit Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” while sailing on the new megaship.

Around the ship, other Icon-class staples will feature prominently on Legend, including the Category 6 waterpark, the Crown’s Edge skywalk and zipline, mini golf, the FlowRider surf simulator and the Adrenaline Peak rock-climbing wall. The array of pools will also be similar to the other two Icon-class ships, with the adults-only Hideaway infinity pool, the kid-friendly Splashaway Bay and the large Royal Bay pool.

Legend of the Seas debuts out of Port Everglades with a three-night sailing on Nov. 11 before alternating six- and eight-night Caribbean itineraries.

The Seven Seas Prestige, the newest ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, provides guests with just shy of 9,000 square feet of combined indoor and outside space with plenty of natural light in the Skyview Regent Suite. The first level has spacious common areas, a bar and a dining area. The price tag starts at $25,000 per night. (Courtesy Regent Seven Seas Cruises)

Regent Seven Seas Prestige: The luxury cruise line’s newest and largest vessel begins sailing out of Miami at the very end of 2026. The ship, which has room for 822 passengers, has experienced enough demand that the first voyage out of Miami shows as waitlisted on the cruise line’s website.

On the new vessel, the Skyview Regent Suite is an option for the wealthiest guests at $25,000 per night. For that price, guests enjoy 8,794 square feet of space in a sprawling two-level suite. Luckily, all of the ship’s suites have a balcony, even in the 440-square-foot Deluxe Veranda Suite.

This rendering shows an aerial view of Royal Caribbean's Royal Beach Club Paradise Island resort in Nassau, Bahamas. (Courtesy Royal Caribbean) Private destination updates

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island: The first of Royal Caribbean’s beach clubs is now open in Nassau, welcoming vacationers to 17 acres of tropical relaxation to enjoy. Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is designed as a daytime experience for cruise passengers to spend a day in port.

After a short tender boat ride from the port, guests can enjoy three neighborhoods: Family Beach, Party Cove and Chill Beach. Visitors can explore two beaches, three pools, including the world’s largest swim-up bar. Food and drink offerings can be found at three beach grills and 10 bars. Day passes include food, beverages, WiFi, transportation and beach day amenities.

Pricing may vary based on demand, but Royal Caribbean advertised starting prices at $109.99 for guests ages 4-12, $129.99 for passes with nonalcoholic drinks and $169.99 for packages with drinks.

Royal Beach Club expands in Cozumel, Mexico, and Santorini, Greece, in 2026 and with a new destination in Lelepa, an island in the South Pacific, slated to open in 2027 for Australian cruisers. In addition, Royal Caribbean is eyeing a new Perfect Day destination in Mexico. Set to open in late 2027, the new private enclave is set in Mahahual in the state of Quintana Roo — home to the port of Costa Maya — and will have double the amount of guest-facing space as the existing Perfect Day offering in the Bahamas.

This rendering shows the 1.4-acre Great Life Lagoon, a massive heated pool that is part of Norwegian Cruise Line's private Bahamas island, Great Stirrup Cay. (Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line)

Norwegian Cruise Line Great Stirrup Cay: This Bahamian destination recently received upgrades, including a brand-new pier, a 28,000-square-foot heated pool with swim-up bars, and a kids’ splash area. The newly-opened Vibe Shore Club presents a new adults-only experience with cocktails from a private bar.

This summer, the destination will boast a massive waterpark with 19 water slides, an 800-foot “dynamic river,” a cliff-jumping experience and a family slide that can accommodate four sliders simultaneously. From the Great Tides Waterpark, it will be possible to catch a glimpse of the waterpark at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Spectators watch the departure of the Disney Adventure cruise ship from the MV Werften shipyards at the harbor in Wismar, Germany, Sept. 1. The ship has been delayed by several months. (Markus Schreiber/Associated Press) Around the globe

Disney Adventure: The first in Disney’s Global class will be the cruise line’s eighth and largest ship at 208,000 gross tons. With room for more than 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members, the ship has seven themed areas, including the Disney Imagination Garden, Disney Discovery Reef, Toy Story Place and Marvel Landing.

This Disney Adventure started as the partially-built Global Dream, a ship originally ordered by Genting Hong Kong, a now-bankrupt Chinese holding company that owned several cruise lines. Star Cruises was the original line that planned to sail this ship until Disney Cruise Line purchased the partially-built ship in 2022.

Now the ship is outfitted for family-friendly themed adventures with signature entertainment, premium service and accommodations fit for a princess or prince.

The Disney Adventure will sail three- and four-night itineraries in the South China Sea beginning on March 10.

Courtesy/MSC CruisesThe forthcoming MSC World Asia features distinct theming and a suspended dragon sculpture. (Courtesy MSC Cruises)

MSC World Asia: MSC’s third and newest World-class ship begins cruising the Mediterranean in December. Similar to the Miami-based MSC World America, the World Asia features the Cliffhanger mechanical swing, a twisting dry slide, seven pools and themed districts that separate the massive 215,863-gross-ton ship into distinct areas.

The ship’s biggest distinction can be found in its Asian theming and restaurant offerings, including the new Pan-Asian Street Food as one of more than 40 bars and restaurants to choose from. Another touch of Asia can be found on the World Promenade with a large suspended dragon sculpture. On such a large ship, MSC even found room for a roller-skate arena.

Looking ahead, Port Canaveral will welcome the MSC World Atlantic in November 2027.

Other cruise news

Oceania Cruises, a culinary-centric luxury cruise line under the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings umbrella, recently announced that it would transition to only welcome passengers ages 18 and older. All existing reservations made prior to Jan. 7, 2026, that include travelers younger than 18, will be fully honored. The change was made to enhance the “tranquil environment” aboard the cruise line’s ships and to “enhance the very essence of the Oceania Cruises journey.”

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

Today is Friday, Jan. 16, the 16th day of 2026. There are 349 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 16, 1996, Wayne Newton performed his 25,000th Las Vegas show. Newton had performed more shows as a headliner in Las Vegas than any other entertainer.

Also on this date:

In 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman decreed that 400,000 acres of confiscated land in the South would be divided into 40-acre lots and given to former enslaved people. (The order, later revoked by President Andrew Johnson, inspired the expression, “40 acres and a mule.”)

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In 1942, actor Carole Lombard, 33, her mother, Elizabeth Peters, and 20 other people were killed when their plane crashed near Las Vegas, Nevada, while returning to California from a war-bond promotion tour.

In 1989, three days of rioting began in Miami when a police officer fatally shot a Black motorcyclist, causing a crash that also claimed the life of his passenger. (The officer was convicted of manslaughter, but later acquitted in a retrial.)

In 1991, in a televised address to the nation, U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced the start of Operation Desert Storm, a combat operation that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

In 2001, Congolese President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was fatally shot by one of his own bodyguards.

In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first elected female head of state in Africa when she was sworn in as president of Liberia.

In 2018, authorities in Denmark charged inventor Peter Madsen with killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall onboard his private submarine. (Madsen would be convicted and sentenced to life in prison.)

Today’s birthdays:

• Opera singer Marilyn Horne is 92.
• Hall of Fame auto racer A.J. Foyt is 91.
• Country musician Ronnie Milsap is 83.
• Filmmaker John Carpenter is 78.
• Actor-dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen is 76.
• Singer Sade (shah-DAY’) is 67.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. is 57.
• Model Kate Moss is 52.
• Actor-producer-songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is 46.
• Baseball great Albert Pujols is 46.
• Singer-Songwriter Yebba is 31.

We may have a player account of Mike McDaniel’s final moments as coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Tight end Darren Waller revealed he was in the middle of his exit interview with McDaniel to wrap up their 2025 season together before owner Steve Ross entered the ex-Dolphins coach’s office to break him the bad news.

“I think I was the last person that saw him before he got fired,” Waller told former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel on the Glory Daze podcast.

“My exit meeting was that Thursday morning, and he’s like, ‘Definitely want you back next year.’ We’re just reflecting on the year.”

It was at that moment that Ross interrupted, in possibly slightly less dramatic fashion than how Waller explained.

“Stephen Ross kicks the door in,” Waller continued. “He comes in, we start talking, reflecting on the year. Then, the conversation kind of hits a lull. And I’m sitting across the desk from Mike. Stephen Ross is just standing there, and he’s kind of looking at me like (nods his head).”

Manziel responds: “It’s time for you to get the hell out.”

“I look at Mike, and he was like, ‘We’ll finish this conversation later,’” Waller continued. “I know they had the GM search in full flow. I know they had big business to talk about.”

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Waller said he left the meeting to get a massage, and by the time he left his massage and checked his phone, he saw the news that McDaniel had been fired.

McDaniel, at the conclusion of his fourth season as Miami’s coach, held his normal end-of-season news conference the Monday afternoon, Jan. 5, following the Dolphins’ season-ending loss at the New England Patriots on Jan. 4. He’d usually be flanked by ex-GM Chris Grier, but he was fired Oct. 31.

McDaniel said that day he’s coaching the Dolphins until he’s told otherwise and spoke about the following season’s outlook as if he was bound to return. He even said he would be involved in the team’s search for its next GM.

As for Waller, 33, he said on locker cleanout day, he will consider going back into retirement and wants to make a decision within January, so he has time to train for the coming season if he does return.

His account of his conversation with McDaniel make it clear Miami’s previous regime would’ve welcomed him back, but new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan was hired the following day and the team is currently seeking McDaniel’s replacement.

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Thursday night’s 119-114 loss to the Boston Celtics:

– It has been a recurrent theme from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra in recent days.

– The Heat’s play has been better than its record.

– Stated again before Thursday night’s game.

– “Based on everything I’m seeing,” he said, “we should have a handful more wins than what we have right now.”

– So maybe the record doesn’t say who the Heat are.

– But it does say where they stand.

– In play-in-ville.

– It is why this mattered.

– Entering the midpoint of their season only one game above .500.

– With the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder up next on Saturday, to conclude this three-game homestand.

– With a five-game western swing then to follow.

– And now, just 21-20.

– A team stuck in the middle.

– With a middling record.

– And no sense of urgency.

– Managing to fall in this one from 19 up.

– Boston may not have Jayson Tatum.

– But they still carry that pedigree.

– Stealing into the South Florida night at 25-15.

– Because their record also says who they are.

– In a similar theme, Spoelstra was asked pregame about only now Tyler Herro and Norman Powell having the opportunity to build extended continuity.

– “Just give us more time,” Spoelstra said. “I think it’s going to look better and better. We need all of our weapons. And getting that continuity and ability to play off each other’s strengths, that comes from actual time out there together. But I’ve been encouraged by what I’m seeing.”

– Again, as the play-in clock continues to tick.

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

– Kasparas Jakucionis was the replacement starter in the previous game Mitchell missed against the Celtics.

– So for the fourth consecutive game, Kel’el Ware played off the bench.

– And barely played.

– In his case, not given time.

– With it the Heat’s 13th lineup in their 41 games.

– The Celtics opened with a lineup of Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta.

– With Jaime Jaquez Jr. out, Jakucionis was first off the Heat bench.

– Nikola Jovic followed.

– With Ware making it eight deep.

– And Dru Smith fourth to enter off the bench.

– Smith reached his 100th career steal in the first quarter.

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– There even were first-half minutes for Simone Fontecchio.

– Who then played ahead of Jovic in the second half.

– The Heat reported pregame that the MRI taken on Jaquez’s sore knee showed only irritation.

– “He’s already starting to feel a little bit better,” said Spoelstra, who said the injury occurred in Tuesday night’s victory over the Suns. “Not good enough to play tonight. We’ll continue to treat him, but we’re all pretty encouraged by how he responded.”

– Spoelstra again before the game tackled the question of whether the league had caught up to the offensive system and approach the Heat instituted this season.

– “Things that we put together for us we felt made sense for us to be able to maximize our roster,” he said. “And I think there’s a lot more good things going on with what we’re doing. We just need to be consistent with it and ultimately find ways to win games.”

– Of Celtics forward Jaylen Brown taking his game to another level this season, Spoelstra said pregame, “He’s putting a lot of pressure on defenses, driving, attacking, getting to the line, shooting really well. I think he’s just really sharpened up all the tools in his kit. You’ve got to be prepared for his physicality.”

– Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway was among the faces in the crowd.

MIAMI — At midseason … mediocrity personified.

So make it a 21-20 record for the Miami Heat at the midpoint of the schedule, this time blowing an early 19-point lead and then double-digit fourth-quarter advantage in falling 119-114 Thursday night to the Boston Celtics at Kaseya Center.

Playing in the injury absences of Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaquez Jr., Erik Spoelstra’s team ultimately had no answer for Celtics sixth man Anfernee Simons, who led Boston with 39 points, supported by 27 from Jaylen Brown.

After torrid early 3-point shooting and offense sparked by Celtics turnovers, the Heat again stalled against quality competition.

“We are what our record is right now,” Spoelstra said. “That’s the bottom line. If you play games on paper, I think right now we’ve got a better record. But that’s, that’s not the case right now.”

While the Heat scoring leaders led, there simply wasn’t enough, with Norman Powell closing with 26 points, and Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo with 22 apiece.

“Honestly, it’s not like we have to re-invent the wheel,” Powell said of the Heat’s record and the need to do the little things that translate into success. “It’s right in the margins for us. Are we going to do it or not? We can go up and down, win two games, lose three, win a game, whatever. It’s on us to win the game within the margins.”

At the moments of truth, though, Simons and Brown were the difference makers.

Five Degrees of Heat from Thursday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat went up 19 early before taking a 36-25 lead into the second period. The Heat’s lead then was cut to six in the second period, before they took a 64-54 advantage into the intermission.

After pushing their lead to 15 in the third period, the Heat went into the fourth up 93-83.

No matter, with the Celtics taking their first lead, at 101-100 midway through the fourth quarter.

The moment of truth then came when a basket interference call on the Celtics’ Sam Hauser was overruled upon replay with 1:38 to play, putting the Celtics up 113-107.

“Down the stretch,” Spoelstra said, “the last four minutes, I thought we had a bunch of open looks. We just  happened to miss them. That happens.

“And then you’re in the moments of truth, and that’s where we pride ourselves, they they came up big.”

2. Revised rotation: As the Heat’s wheel of injuries continues to spin somewhat out of control, this time with Mitchell and Jaquez out, it led to a 13th starting lineup and more twists to the rotation.

Pelle Larsson started in place of Mitchell in a lineup that ostensibly had Herro cast as the starting point guard. The opening unit was rounded out by Adebayo, Powell and Andrew Wiggins.

That again had Kel’el Ware playing off the bench, and again only the minutes of rest for Adebayo, without any action in the second half, Ware’s night limited to 8:49 of first-half action.

“With Kel’el, I know that’s a lightning-rod topic,” Spoelstra said. “He needs to get back to where he was eight weeks ago, seven weeks ago, where I felt, and everybody in the building felt, he was stacking days, good days. He’s stacking days in the wrong direction.”

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• ASK IRA: Is Ja merely a smokescreen for the Heat’s get-Giannis goal?
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3. Bam back (again): A game after breaking out of his months-long slump with 29 points in Tuesday night’s victory over the Suns, Adebayo this time had 10 early points, including a first-period 3-pointer.

Prior to Tuesday night, Adebayo had been limited to single-digit scoring in three of his previous eight games.

He was up to 17 points by the intermission, closing 8 of 19 from the field, including 3 of 7 on 3-pointers.

But it was about the loss to Adebayo, more than the numbers.

“Until all of us commit to doing role-player things, we’ll keep being in the middle of the pack, mediocre,” he said.

4. Herro happens: Herro continued to show his value as a reliable scorer, with his ninth 20-point game in his 11 appearances this season.

Herro’s first 15 points came in 13 minutes of action.

Spoelstra worked his rotations to often also get Herro on the floor with the second unit.

“I mean, we all know what we’re capable of,” Herro said of the midseason record. “We’ve got to, you know, collectively get these wins.

“We have to close games better, sustain leads better.”

5. Rookie orientation:  With Jaquez out, rookie Kasparas Jakucionis played as sixth man, having started against the Celtics when Mitchell also was out of the teams’ previous meeting. He closed with 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Jakucionis helped compensate with the absence of Mitchell’s team-leading 7.3 assists per game, playing as backup point guard ahead of Dru Smith.

“That was one of the bright spots for sure,” Spoelstra said of Jakucionis. “He’s been ready basically every time he’s been given an opportunity out there.”

Jakucionis’ previous high for assists was four. He had five in Thursday night’s third quarter, alone.

“Whenever I get the chance,” Jakucionis said. “I just try to embrace it.”

By SAFIYAH RIDDLE, SARAH BRUMFELD and HALLIE GOLDEN

A U.S. citizen on her way to a medical appointment in Minneapolis was dragged out of her car and detained by immigration officers, according to a statement released by the woman on Thursday, after a video of her arrest drew millions of views on social media.

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Aliya Rahman said she was brought to a detention center where she was denied medical care and lost consciousness. The Department of Homeland Security said she was an agitator who was obstructing ICE agents conducting arrests in the area.

That video is the latest in a deluge of online content that documents an intensifying immigration crackdown across the midwestern city, as thousands of federal agents execute arrests amid protests in what local officials have likened to a “federal invasion.”

Dragged from her car

Rahman said that she was on her way to a routine appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury Center when she encountered federal immigration agents at an intersection. Video appears to show federal immigration agents shouting commands over a cacophony of whistles, car horns and screams from protesters.

In the video, one masked agent smashes Rahman’s passenger side window while others cut her seatbelt and drag her out of the car through the driver’s side door. Numerous guards then carried her by her arms and legs towards an ICE vehicle.

“I’m disabled trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I didn’t move,” Rahman said, gesturing down the street as officers pulled her arms behind her back.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed that account in an emailed statement on Thursday, saying that Rahman was an agitator who “ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene.” She was arrested along with six other people the department called agitators, one of whom was accused of jumping on an officer’s back.

The department did not specify if Rahman was charged or respond to questions about her assertion that she was denied medical treatment.

Barrage of viral videos draw scrutiny

The video of Rahman’s arrest is one of many that have garnered millions of views in recent days — and been scrutinized amid conflicting accounts from federal officials and civilian eyewitnesses.

Often, what’s in dispute pertains to what happened just before or just after a given recording. But many contain common themes: Protesters blowing whistles, yelling or honking horns. Immigration officers breaking vehicle windows, using pepper spray on protesters and warning observers not to follow them through public spaces. Immigrants and citizens alike forcibly pulled from cars, stores or homes and detained for hours, days or longer.

In one video, heavily armed immigration agents used a battering ram to break through the front door of Garrison Gibson’s Minneapolis home, where his wife and 9-year-old child also were inside. The video shot inside the home captures a woman’s voice asking, “Where is the warrant?” and, “Can you put the guns down? There is kids in this house.”

Another video shows ICE agents, including Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, detain two employees at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. Both are U.S. citizens who were later released, according to social media posts from family members.

Monica Bicking, 40, was leaving the homeless shelter where she works as a nurse when she took a video that appears to show a federal agent kneeing a man at least five times in the face while several other agents pin him facedown on the pavement in south Minneapolis.

Bicking works full time, so she says she doesn’t intentionally attend organized protests or confrontations with ICE. But she has started to carry a whistle in case she encounters ICE agents on her way to work or while running errands, which she says has become commonplace in recent weeks.

“We’re hypervigilant every time we leave our houses, looking for ICE, trying to protect our neighbors, trying to support our neighbors, who are now just on lockdown,” Bicking said.

‘I thought I was going to die’

Rahman said in her statement that after her detainment, she felt lucky to be alive.

A person is detained by federal agents near the scene where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

“Masked agents dragged me from my car and bound me like an animal, even after I told them that I was disabled,” Rahman said.

While in custody, Rahman said she repeatedly asked for a doctor, but was instead taken to the detention center.

“It was not until I lost consciousness in my cell that I was finally taken to a hospital,” Rahman said.

Rahman was treated for injuries consistent with assault, according to her counsel, and has been released from the hospital.

She thanked the emergency department staff for their care.

“They gave me hope when I thought I was going to die.”

By TED ANTHONY and FU TING

BEIJING (AP) — In China, the names of things are often either ornately poetic or jarringly direct. A new, wildly popular app among young Chinese people is definitively the latter.

It’s called, simply, “Are You Dead?”

In a vast country whose young people are increasingly on the move, the new, one-button app — which has taken the country by digital storm this month — is essentially exactly what it says it is. People who live alone in far-off cities and may be at risk — or just perceived as such by friends or relatives — can push an outsized green circle on their phone screens and send proof of life over the network to a friend or loved one. The cost: 8 yuan (about $1.10).

It’s simple and straightforward — essentially a 21st-century Chinese digital version of those American pendants with an alert button on them for senior citizens that gave birth to the famed TV commercial: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

Developed by three young people in their 20s, “Are You Dead?” became the most downloaded paid app on the Apple App Store in China last week, according to local media reports. It is also becoming a top download in places as diverse as Singapore and the Netherlands, Britain and India and the United States — in line with the developers’ attitude that loneliness and safety aren’t just Chinese issues.

“Every country has young people who move to big cities to chase their dreams,” Ian Lü, 29, one of the app’s developers, said Thursday.

Lü, who worked and lived alone in the southern city of Shenzhen for five years, experienced such loneliness himself. He said the need for a frictionless check-in is especially strong among introverts. “It’s unrealistic,” he said, “to message people every day just to tell them you’re still alive.”

A woman looks at her smartphone outside a restaurant in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) A reflection of life in modern China

Against the backdrop of modern and increasingly frenetic Chinese life, the market for the app is understandable.

Traditionally, Chinese families have tended to live together or at least in close proximity across generations — something embedded deep in the nation’s culture until recent years. That has changed in the last few decades with urbanization and rapid economic growth that have sent many Chinese to join what is effectively a diaspora within their own nation — and taken hundreds of millions far from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Today, the country has more than 100 million households with only one person, according to an annual report from the National Bureau of Statistics of China in 2024.

A woman looks at her smartphone in a cafe in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Consider Chen Xingyu, 32, who has lived on her own for years in Kunming, the capital of southern China’s Yunnan province. “It is new and funny. The name ’Are You Dead?’ is very interesting,” Chen said.

Chen, a “lying flat” practitioner who has rejected the grueling, fast-paced career of many in her age group, would try the app but worries about data security. “Assuming many who want to try are women users, if information of such detail about users gets leaked, that’d be terrible,” she said.

Yuan Sangsang, a Shanghai designer, has been living on her own for a decade and describes herself as a “single cow and horse.” She’s not hoping the app will save her life — only help her relatives in the event that she does, in fact, expire alone.

“I just don’t want to die with no dignity, like the body gets rotten and smelly before it is found,” said Yuan, 38. “That would be unfair for the ones who have to deal with it.”

Is the app tapping into a particular angst?

While such an app might at first seem best suited to elderly people — regardless of their smartphone literacy — all reports indicate that “Are You Dead?” is being snapped up by younger people as the wry equivalent of a social media check-in.

The app Are You Dead? is seen on a smartphone in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

“Some netizens say that the ‘Are you dead?’ greeting feels like a carefree joke between close friends — both heartfelt and gives a sense of unguarded ease,” the business website Yicai, the Chinese Business Network, said in a commentary. “”It likely explains why so many young people unanimously like this app.”

The commentary, by writer He Tao, went further in analyzing the cultural landscape. He wrote that the app’s immediate success “serves as a darkly humorous social metaphor, reminding us to pay attention to the living conditions and inner world of contemporary young people. Those who downloaded it clearly need more than just a functional security measure; they crave a signal of being seen and understood.”

That name, though.

Death is a taboo subject in Chinese culture, and the word itself is shunned to the point where many buildings in China have no fourth floor because the word for “four” and the word for “death” sound the same — “si.” Lü acknowledged that the app’s name sparked public pressure.

A man looks down near his smartphone in Beijing, China, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

“Death is an issue every one of us has to face,” he said. “Only when you truly understand death do you start thinking about how long you can exist in this world, and how you want to realize the value of your life.”

A few days ago, though, the developers said on their official account on China’s Weibo social platform that they’d pivot to a new name. Their choice: the more cryptic “Demumu,” which they said they hoped could “serve more solo dwellers globally.”

Then, a twist: Late Wednesday, the app team posted on its Weibo account that workshopping the name Demumu didn’t turn out “as well as expected.” The app team is offering a reward for whoever offers a new name that will be picked this weekend. Lü said more than 10,000 people have weighed in.

The reward for the new moniker: $96 — or, in China, 666 yuan.

Fu Ting reported from Washington. AP researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed.

President Donald Trump honored the NHL champions Florida Panthers for winning the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row.

The team, led by Matthew Tkachuk, presented Trump with a custom jersey that said “Trump 47” for the second year in a row. They also gave the president a golden hockey stick and a ring.

The team all donned red ties, imitating a look Trump has worn so often it has become a signature look.

But Trump on Thursday wore a deep burgundy tie.

President Trump Participates in a Visit of the 2025 Stanley Cup Champions The Florida Panthers https://t.co/TOkX1ls0RX

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 15, 2026

By CLAIRE RUSH

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter Thursday to the U.S. Postal Service, voicing concern that mail processing changes could affect postmark dates for mail-in ballots during an election year that will determine control of Congress.

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Updated agency policy says postmarks might not indicate the first day the Postal Service received the mail but rather the day it was handled in one of its processing centers. Those centers are increasingly likely to be further away from certain communities because of recent USPS consolidations, which could further delay postmarks, the 16 senators wrote.

“Postmark delays are especially problematic in states that vote entirely or largely by mail,” they wrote to Postmaster General David Steiner, noting that many states use postmark dates to determine whether a mail ballot can be counted. “These changes will only increase the likelihood of voter disenfranchisement.”

The consequences could be particularly acute in rural areas where mail has to travel farther to reach regional processing centers, they added.

“In theory, a rural voter could submit their ballot in time according to their state law, but due to the changes you are implementing, their legally-cast ballot would not be counted as it sits in a local post office,” they wrote. “As we enter a year with many local and federal elections, the risk of disrupting this vital democratic process demands your attention and action.”

The Postal Service has received the letter and will respond directly to those who sent it, spokesperson Martha Johnson said.

The agency addresses the issue on its website.

“While we are not changing our postmarking practices, we have made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mailpieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed,” its website says. “This means that the date on the postmarks applied at our processing facilities will not necessarily match the date on which the customer’s mailpiece was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a retail location.”

Johnson said the language in the final rule “does not change any existing postal operations or postmarking practices.” She added that the agency looked forward to “clarifying the senators’ misunderstanding.”

“Our public filing was made to enhance public understanding of exactly what a postmark represents, its relationship to the date of mailing and when a postmark is applied in the process,” she said.

People dropping off mail at a post office can request that a postmark be applied manually, ensuring the postmark date matches the mailing date, the Postal Service’s website says. Manual postmarks are free of charge.

The agency said the “lack of alignment” between the mailing date and postmark date will become more common as it implements its initiative to overhaul processing and transportation networks with an emphasis on regional hubs. The aim of the initiative is to cut costs for the agency, which has grappled with losses in the billions of dollars in recent years.

Under the plan, the Postal Service got rid of twice-daily mail dispatches from local post offices to regional processing centers. That means mail received after the only transfer truck leaves sits overnight until the next daily transfer, the senators wrote.

Election officials in states that rely heavily on voting by mail expressed concern with the change.

“Not being able to have faith that the Postal Service will mark ballots on the day they are submitted and mail them in a timely manner undermines vote-by-mail voting, in turn undermining California and other elections,” California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement.

She said her office will “amplify messaging to voters” who use mailed ballots that they must return their ballots early if they plan to use the post office.

Election officials in Washington state, where voting is done almost entirely by mail, are recommending that those who return their ballot within a week of Election Day do so at a drop box or voting center.

“Given the operational and logistical priorities recently set by the USPS, there is no guarantee that ballots returned via mail will be postmarked by the USPS the same day they are mailed,” the secretary of state’s office said in a statement.

The senators urged Steiner to restore “timely postmarks” and fully stand up an election mail task force. The lawmakers who signed the letter represented California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland. All are Democrats but one, an independent who typically aligns with the Democratic Party.

By JONATHAN J. COOPER

PHOENIX (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema had a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail that led to the breakup of the man’s marriage, his ex-wife alleges in a lawsuit seeking at least $75,000 from Sinema.

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Matthew and Heather Ammel had “a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered, pursuing Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married, Heather Ammel alleges in her lawsuit.

The Arizona lawmaker’s head of security hired Matthew Ammel after he retired from the Army in 2022, according to the lawsuit, which says he accompanied her on travels to destinations including Napa Valley, California; Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia.

In early 2024, Ammel’s wife discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages he’d exchanged with Sinema over the Signal messaging app. That summer, he stopped wearing his wedding ring and Sinema gave him a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work for her campaign as a bodyguard, the lawsuit alleges.

Sinema also paid for psychedelic treatment for Ammel, who has struggled with post-traumatic stress, substance abuse and traumatic brain injuries tied to his military deployments in Afghanistan and the Middle East, according to the lawsuit.

Sinema and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit was quietly filed late last year in Moore County, North Carolina. It captured global attention this week when it was moved to federal court.

North Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow jilted spouses to sue for “alienation of affection” to seek damages from a third party responsible for the breakup of their marriage.

Sinema left Congress after the 2024 election. She declined to seek reelection to the Senate, capping a tumultuous single term in which she alienated liberals and left the Democratic Party to become an independent.

She now works for the Washington-based legal and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. She has lobbied for data center development and research funding for the psychedelic drug ibogaine.