News
Senator says FAA administrator failed to sell multimillion-dollar airline stake as promised
By JOSH FUNK
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration has not sold off his multimillion-dollar stake in the airline he led since 1999 despite a promise to do so as part of his ethics agreement, according to a Democratic senator.
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In a letter to Bryan Bedford this week, Sen. Maria Cantwell said he vowed to sell all his shares in Republic Airways within 90 of his confirmation but 150 days have now passed. In Bedford’s financial disclosures, he estimated that his Republic stock was worth somewhere between $6 million and $30 million.
Republic completed a merger last month with another major regional airline, Mesa Air Group. Republic’s stock closed Thursday at $19.02, nearly double what it was before the deal was announced in April.
“It appears you continue to retain significant equity in this conflicting asset months past the deadline set to fully divest from Republic, which constitutes a clear violation of your ethics agreement. This is unacceptable and demands a full accounting,” Cantwell said in the letter.
Bedford declined a request for comment, and an FAA spokesperson said he plans to respond directly to Cantwell.
The agency has been in the spotlight since January, when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. The investigation has already highlighted shortcomings at the FAA, which failed to recognize an alarming number of close calls around Reagan National Airport in the years beforehand.
Then, in the spring, technical problems at the center that directs planes into New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport highlighted a fragile and outdated system relied on by air traffic controllers.
And in the fall, a longstanding shortage of controllers led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays during the longest government shutdown ever as more controllers missed work while going without a paycheck.
Bedford has pledged to prioritize safety and upgrade the nation’s outdated air traffic control system. Congress approved $12.5 billion for that project, and last week the FAA picked the company that will oversee the work.
New coins will commemorate 250th anniversary of American independence. Here’s how they’ll look
By JONATHAN J. COOPER
The U.S. Mint unveiled the designs for coins commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. They depict the founding documents and the Revolutionary War, but so far, not President Donald Trump, despite a push among some of his allies to get his face on a coin.
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The Mint abandoned designs developed during Joe Biden’s presidency that highlighted women’s suffrage and civil rights advancements, favoring classical depictions of America over progress toward a more inclusive society.
A series of celebrations are planned next year under the banner America 250, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. All U.S. coins show the year they were minted, but those made next year will also display 1776.
Trump, at least for now, isn’t getting a coinNo design was released for a $1 coin, though U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, whose duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint, serving as a liaison with the Federal Reserve and overseeing Treasury’s Office of Consumer Policy, confirmed in October that one showcasing Trump was in the works. A draft design showed Trump’s profile on the “heads” side, known as the obverse, and on the reverse, a depiction of Trump raising his fist after his attempted assassination, The words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” appear along the top.
By law, presidents typically can’t appear on coins until two years after their death, but some advocates for a Trump coin think there may be a loophole in the law authorizing the treasury to mint special coins for the nation’s 250th birthday.
Neither the Mint nor the Treasury Department responded when asked whether a Trump coin is still planned.
The new designs depict classical AmericanaNew designs will appear only on coins minted in 2026, with the current images returning the following year.
The nickel, dime and five versions of the quarter will circulate, while a penny and half dollar will be sold as collectibles.
Five versions of the quarter are planned depicting the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.
The dime will show a depiction of Liberty, a symbolic woman facing down the tyranny of the British monarchy, and an eagle carrying arrows in its talons representing America’s fight for independence.
The commemorative nickel is essentially the same as the most recent nickel redesign, in 2006, but it includes two dates on the head’s side instead of one, 1776 and 2026.
Two collectible coins are plannedA half dollar coin shows the face of the Statue of Liberty on one side. The other shows her passing her torch to what appears to be the hand of a child, symbolizing a handoff to the next generation.
The penny is essentially the same as the one in circulation, which was discontinued earlier this year and will be produced only as a collectible with two dates.
Prices for collectible coins were not released. The Mint sells a variety of noncirculating coins on its website, with a vast range of prices reflecting their rarity.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps founding, for example, a commemorative half dollar coin is available for $61, while a commemorative $5 gold coin goes for $1,262. Up to 750,000 copies of the former will be minted, but no more than 50,000 of the latter.
The abandoned designsCongress authorized commemorative coins in 2021. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose designs depicting the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights.
Those designs included depictions of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges, who was escorted to school by the National Guard at age 6 years amid opposition to racial integration at public schools.
Those designs represented “continued progress toward ‘a more perfect union,’” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, quoting a phrase from the preamble to the Constitution.
“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history,” Cortez Masto said in a statement.
Trump pardoned them for Jan. 6. Now they want millions of dollars
By Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — Almost 400 people pardoned or granted clemency by President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are now seeking millions of dollars in payouts from the federal government, according to their lawyer.
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Attorney Mark McCloskey on Wednesday delivered hundreds of claims in person, wheeling a cart with five bankers’ boxes into a Justice Department office building in Washington. The St. Louis-based lawyer declined to share copies, citing his clients’ privacy, but said most are seeking $1 million to $10 million for alleged injuries and property damage during their arrest, prosecution and, in many cases, imprisonment.
It’s the latest instance of Trump supporters and allies pressing claims for taxpayer funds since he reclaimed the White House a year ago. The Justice Department confirmed in court papers that it’s in settlement talks with Michael Flynn, an ex-Trump administration official and conservative activist, and Stefan Passantino, who served as a White House lawyer during Trump’s first term.
Trump previously told reporters that the Justice Department “probably” owes him “a lot of money” but said he’d give it “to charity” or use it to pay for White House renovations. The New York Times reported that he had filed administrative claims seeking $230 million for the now-defunct investigations into his 2016 campaign and his handling of classified material after he left the White House in 2021.
After Trump won the 2024 presidential race, he signed a proclamation on his first day in office granting pardons, sentence commutations and other clemency to the more than 1,500 people charged with playing a role in the riot that unfolded as Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.
Trump’s order described the prosecution effort — the largest in the Justice Department’s history — as “a grave national injustice.”
Earlier this year, U.S. officials agreed to pay nearly $5 million this year to settle a claim brought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The president’s Jan. 6 clemency action covered an array of crimes prosecuted by Biden’s Justice Department, from misdemeanor trespassing to felony charges for assaulting police — approximately 140 officers were injured, according to government reports — carrying guns and other weapons to the Capitol, and seditious conspiracy. Trump pardoned nearly everyone who had pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial and ordered pending cases dropped.
McCloskey said in an interview his clients deserved to be paid because they had “lost everything,” from jobs and professional licenses to their ability to travel freely and maintain bank accounts. McCloskey gained notoriety — and support from Trump — after he and his wife faced state charges for pointing guns at racial justice protesters passing their home in St. Louis in 2020. They later received gubernatorial pardons. He expressed optimism that Trump would aid the Jan. 6 defendants, noting the president’s record of public support before and after his November electoral win.
Mary McCord, a former senior Justice Department official, said that Trump’s clemency actions didn’t undermine the original legal foundations for Jan. 6-related charges, and that the bar generally is high to press claims against prosecutors and law enforcement officers.
“Because somebody was pardoned, that absolutely does not mean there wasn’t a basis for the prosecution,” said McCord, executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center.
The U.S. government and federal employees are largely immune from being sued for official actions, but there are exceptions for allegations of personal injuries or property damage. Under the Federal Tort Claims Act, individuals can sue in federal court if an agency denies their claim — known as a Standard Form 95 or SF 95 — or fails to act within six months.
Paul Figley, a former senior official in the Justice Department office that handles tort claims, said that presidential clemency shouldn’t affect how the government decides if a person has a valid case for government compensation.
“If they were convicted and had a good claim, they could still bring the claim,” said Figley, an emeritus professor at American University’s Washington College of Law and a visiting professor at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law.
McCloskey said the Justice Department rebuffed several Jan. 6-related claims he submitted earlier in the year for what he described as procedural defects, but that more recently he hadn’t received rejections. He said the collection of claims he brought to Washington on Wednesday — directed to the Justice Department, FBI, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Capitol Police — was the largest group he’d filed to date.
“I’m hoping this mass filing today will bring it to the attention of the powers that be,” McCloskey said.
©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Daily Horoscope for December 12, 2025
General Daily Insight for December 12, 2025
Our patience could be tested today. As the fussy Virgo Moon opposes frustrating Saturn, reaching agreements or firm answers might seem impossible. We may need to slow down to check facts and choose kinder words. Meanwhile, Luna’s opposition to dreamy Neptune can both blur signals and soften rough edges. Once the Moon enters diplomatic Libra at 11:04 am EST, we’re likely to end up with fair talk and simple choices. Taking the time to hear everyone out can build the trust we crave!
AriesMarch 21 – April 19
Keeping your brain turned on will be crucial for your relationships today. With the instinctive Moon entering your 7th House of Partnerships, you’ll have to weigh fairness in close connections at work or home before making firm commitments. Although your brave heart wants quick action, anxious Saturn in your perceptive 12th house nudges you to pause and notice worries. Suggest a middle option instead of quietly accepting a plan you don’t actually like. Thoughtful compromise keeps momentum strong without draining your energy or goodwill.
TaurusApril 20 – May 20
Keeping a steady rhythm can be especially nourishing now. As the observant Moon arrives in your 6th House of Work and Wellness, you’re in a good place to pin down what makes you most productive. Perhaps you’ll tidy your desk or renegotiate a deadline with a coworker — small choices like this can enhance focus and reduce distractions. If someone piles on tasks, calmly propose priorities that protect your energy and quality of output. Embrace consistency, because comfort grows where routines support you daily.
GeminiMay 21 – June 20
Fun returns as you follow your curiosity. Passion and self-expression are likely to beckon when the intuitive Moon lights your 5th House of Creativity and Romance. Perhaps you’ll pitch an idea and share a spark. If plans shift, your flexible mind can find a new path that still feels fun. Say yes to a game or brainstorm that sparks joy — the ensuing flow state might bring you genuinely unique insights. Still, remember that your words land most warmly when you listen first.
CancerJune 21 – July 22
Calm, comfortable connection is currently possible. With the sensitive Moon entering your 4th House of Home and Family, you may be in the mood for a long, relaxed talk with relatives or housemates. If reminiscing about the past gets too emotional, turn toward practical concerns like revising weekend plans or negotiating house rules. Even as disciplined Saturn in your dogmatic 9th house emphasizes duties, you can create warmth by focusing on nourishment. Protect your peace, because the roots you build now shape your future possibilities.
LeoJuly 23 – August 22
Your words are likely to carry extra weight today. With the moody Moon in your 3rd House of Communication, you may need to intentionally choose kinder phrasing and steadier pacing. A sibling, neighbor, or teammate might annoy you by pushing for instant answers. Asking for any clarification you need can help you maintain the generosity your sign is known for. To reduce confusion, offer a short phone call instead of adding to a long text thread. Addressing misunderstandings now can smooth everyone’s path forward!
VirgoAugust 23 – September 22
Making practical choices may be necessary at this time. The temperamental Moon in your 2nd House of Money and Values highlights the eternal dilemma of needs versus wants. Perhaps you’ll pause before buying or try to renegotiate a fee. With testy Saturn in your relationship zone, you might run into some resistance from another person involved in the situation. If you can keep your ego out of it, you’re likely to turn a tense chat into cooperation. Stay focused on finding the best long-term solution.
LibraSeptember 23 – October 22
Libra, your presence invites harmony and truth. Balance becomes personal as the instinctive Moon lights your 1st House of Self and Identity, encouraging you to set the tone and model collaboration with your actions. It might surprise you that your grace actually grows when you name your needs first and then ask for feedback. Being honest about your boundaries and intentions protects your peace and keeps relationships feeling equal. Lead with fairness, and others are likely to gladly meet you halfway!
ScorpioOctober 23 – November 21
Quiet spaces can help you hear the truth now. The unconscious Moon in your 12th House of Solitude and Closure is likely to pull you toward rest and reflection. Hidden worries like unsent email drafts or abandoned promises might rise to the surface, giving you an opportunity to choose whether to address them or release them. Journaling or taking a walk can help you process. Choose honest pauses and deliberate downtime over scrolling and indulgent distraction. Insight grows when noise finally fades away!
SagittariusNovember 22 – December 21
Support shows up when you join in. With the intuitive Moon visiting your 11th House of Social Networks, invitations to connect with others could feel especially meaningful. Getting involved with a project that gives you an opportunity for shared ownership might be rewarding, although it’s crucial to keep fairness in focus. Notice who shows up reliably, and then nurture those bonds, since friendship grows through small, steady contributions from each side. Saying yes to the right things can help you build the community you want!
CapricornDecember 22 – January 19
Clarifying your goals can currently bring you closer to meeting them. With the fluctuating Moon awakening your 10th House of Career and Status, you may need to admit that you’ve changed your mind about something. This doesn’t mean that you’ve failed, though. More likely, you’ve learned new information and adapted to it! You might as well outline your new priorities and take one visible step toward meeting them. Anyone who’s watching should see that your commitment to achieving a good outcome is not in question.
AquariusJanuary 20 – February 18
Reframing a frustrating debate has the potential to break you out of a rut now. As the emotional Moon activates your 9th House of Travel and Learning, you might simply realize that the world is a lot bigger than some situation you’re upset about. This won’t necessarily bring all the answers you seek immediately, but it is likely to give you a starting point for further research. Try sharing one thoughtful source and inviting others to test ideas with you. They may welcome the opportunity!
PiscesFebruary 19 – March 20
Gentle candor and care may be required at the moment. With the moody Moon in your 8th House of Shared Resources and Intimacy, tender topics (like money matters or hurt feelings) may surface with a loved one. You might name one fear and one wish, and then ask your companion to do the same in return. If numbers feel fuzzy, you can always review the facts and figures later. This opportunity to access the emotional heart of the matter is not one to pass up!
Oklahoma Black Lives Matter leader indicted for fraud, money laundering
By SEAN MURPHY
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal grand jury indicted the leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Oklahoma City over allegations that millions of dollars in grant funds were improperly spent on international trips, groceries and personal real estate, prosecutors announced Thursday.
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Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, was indicted earlier this month on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, court records show.
Court records do not indicate the name of Dickerson’s attorney, and messages left Thursday at her mobile number and by email were not immediately returned.
According to the indictment, Dickerson served since at least 2016 as the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, which accepted charitable donations through its affiliation with the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice.
In total, BLM OKC raised more than $5.6 million dating back to 2020, largely from online donors and national bail funds that were supposed to be used to post bail for individuals arrested in connection with racial justice protests after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer in 2020, the indictment alleges.
When those bail funds were returned to BLM OKC, the indictment alleges, Dickerson embezzled at least $3.15 million into her personal accounts and then used the money to pay for trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, retail shopping, at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children, a personal vehicle, and six properties in Oklahoma City deeded to her or to a company she controlled.
The indictment also alleges she submitted false annual reports to the alliance stating that the funds were used only for tax-exempt purposes.
If convicted, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison and fines for each count of money laundering.
In a live video posted on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon, Dickerson said she was not in custody and was “fine.”
“I cannot make an official comment about what transpired today,” she said. “I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team.”
“A lot of times when people come at you with these types of things … it’s evidence that you are doing the work,” she continued. “That is what I’m standing on.”
The Black Lives Matter movement first emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. But it was the 2014 death of Michael Brown at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, that made the slogan “Black lives matter” a rallying cry for progressives and a favorite target of derision for conservatives.
The Associated Press reported in October that the Justice Department was investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020. There was no immediate indication that Dickerson’s indictment is connected to that probe.
Angry and disgusted by new City Hall design, cost | Letters to the editor
(Editor’s Note: The Sun Sentinel invited our readers to voice their views on the proposed new Fort Lauderdale City Hall. The readers who responded strongly oppose the preliminary design and estimated cost of $344 million. We invited Mayor Dean Trantalis to respond to his own constituents’ criticism, including a lack of transparency in the posting of renderings online. He did not respond. We invite readers to send their opinions to letters@sunsentinel.com, and we will publish more letters soon.)
The new Fort Lauderdale City Hall looks like they’re trying to recreate the Taj Mahal.
It’s totally out of context. It’s ugly, the design is out of proportion. It’s inappropriate for our city — except for the part that resembles a sinking ship.
I saw no mention of any green initiatives, and I am doubtful it can get a LEED certificate. Surprisingly, for a city that says it wants to plant 246,000 trees, the rendering shows they managed to remove every single shade tree on the swale next to the property.
They apparently wanted to make sure no mature trees were anywhere nearby.
Pat Roth, Fort Lauderdale
I love Fort Lauderdale. I consider it my home.
A city hall is a government building. It’s supposed to be functional, resilient and sturdy. It shouldn’t break the budget.
I agree with Vice Mayor John Herbst that the P3 process is not appropriate for this project. The city should have listed specifications, and contractors should have competitively bid for the project. Instead, we seem to have contractors running the show and telling the city how much taxpayer money they want, and the majority of commissioners seem willing to hand it over.
Kathryn Summer lived in Fort Lauderdale for 37 years and is a member of the civic group Leadership Broward.This city has trouble with construction projects. A new fire station developed mold problems, a public parking lot’s exterior lighting feature failed and will require $3 million to replace. A new police headquarters with a cracked roof will cost $50 million more, all while infrastructure continues to fail as broken sewer lines pour waste into our waterways. Estimates are that Fortify Lauderdale (the city’s infrastructure resiliency program) is 10-15 years from completion.
The public should have had more time to review and comment on this extremely hot topic. I’d like to see the commission address flooding and infrastructure with the same fervor they have for dumping taxpayer money into projects like City Hall, the Swimming Hall of Fame and re-landscaping Las Olas. Yes, we need a city hall. We don’t need a $300+ million Taj Majal.
Kathryn Summer, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
The writer came to Fort Lauderdale in 1957 and was a permanent city resident for 37 years.
I think the new City Hall design is awful.
It’s wasteful, and the money would be better spent in so many ways. Infrastructure, affordable housing — anything but that ugly, ostentatious design. Why don’t the mayor and commissioners listen to the outcry of residents, from overdevelopment to ignoring residents’ needs? Please stop hurting our city.
Susan Lazarus, Fort Lauderdale
As a student of architecture and design, I have never seen a more unsuitable design than the one presented to our city commission.
I find it despicable. I respect our commissioners greatly, but must ask: Do they have any experience judging architecture?
This building will long outlast our current community and, I believe, we should strive to make this design live beyond our lifetimes. I totally agree with Commissioner John Herbst and I don’t see it as a serious civic building.
What are we saying with this design? To me, it looks like the last few minutes of the Titanic sinking.
I believe a cityscape should reflect its community, and at least nod to other structures around it. Take for example, the new county office building. It sits in the same sight line as the old jail, but it conforms beautifully. Well done.
I dislike the design immensely. For the love of and pride for my city, I would hate to see my tax dollars go to its construction.
We can do so much better!
Joanne M. Snead, Fort Lauderdale
It is a disgusting show of bad taste and an unmitigated waste of hard-earned tax dollars. At the very least, they could have put the design out to the citizens for input. I guess their only consideration was erecting a monument to their time in office.
In my view, it merely shows that their time in office should be cut short as soon as possible so we can replace them with people who have good taste in their decision-making and an honest desire to spend the people’s money wisely, as we all must do in these difficult times.
Maureen Solomon, Fort Lauderdale
It’s an ugly anachronistic disaster.
Any new construction should include renewable electricity generation. Where are the solar panels or wind turbines? Do the windows open? Will those windows attract migrating birds that fly into them and are killed? Will it generate glare? Does it add to a pedestrian lifestyle?
Isobel Sturgeon, Fort Lauderdale
Who really thinks it looks like the bow of the ship in a vertical position? Maybe to a drunken sailor with billions of tax dollars to spend.
To me, it’s an unimaginative architect’s vision of a cool, futuristic building.
While it’s nice to have a building with design flair, this deviates too far to be taken seriously, and it’s way too expensive.
The Broward County Courthouse, the new Fort Lauderdale headquarters and now Fort Lauderdale City Hall were all built, or will be built, on incredibly valuable downtown land that could have been sold to developers to offset their cost.
These buildings should be built away from the downtown core on more affordable property.
George Mulhorn, Fort Lauderdale
I hate it! And yes, it looks like a vagina — or a sinking ship!
Jennifer Sakaris, Fort Lauderdale
I enthusiastically support the proposed design of Fort Lauderdale’s new City Hall.
While I understand this bold, boat-hull-inspired structure has sparked debate, I believe it represents exactly the kind of forward-thinking vision our city needs.
Fort Lauderdale has long branded itself as the yachting capital of the world, and this design celebrates that identity in a meaningful way. Rather than settling for another forgettable glass box, our city has the opportunity to create a true landmark that reflects our maritime heritage and coastal character.
Iconic architecture has the power to define a city’s skyline and identity for generations.
Commissioner John Herbst’s concerns about cost and process are worth noting, but we should remember that great civic buildings are investments in our city’s future.
If this new structure can serve us well into the next century while making a bold architectural statement, the investment is justified.
Yes, the design is unconventional. That’s precisely what makes it exciting. Cities that embrace distinctive architecture, from Milwaukee’s art museum to Sydney’s opera house, create landmarks that residents grow to cherish and that attract visitors and new residents alike. I urge my fellow residents to embrace this opportunity for something truly special, rather than settling for the safe and ordinary.
Dr. Bret M. Ribotsky, Fort Lauderdale
It’s a welcoming and distinctive work of art. I love it!
Richie Baptista, Fort Lauderdale
I love it. It’s futuristic, eye-catching, bold. Not all that radical. We’re in 2025, not the 1900s.
Tomas L. Perez, Fort Lauderdale
As a Sun Sentinel subscriber and an old man of 85, I want you to know that I love, love, love it. It needs to happen. I’m tired of the same old brutalist designs for government buildings.
Geoffrey Calderone, Fort Lauderdale
It’s a waste of my tax dollars. A functional building can be built for much less. The things that need to be focused on are infrastructure and open space. Stop the sewage leaks and stop the building.
Traffic is out of control even before all the new construction from Searstown to Galleria Mall is completed. Do the mayor and commissioners actually drive on these roads?
I’ve been a Fort Lauderdale resident since 1973 and have seen many negative changes. I hope the powers-that-be rethink this foolish waste of tax dollars.
Carol Pundai, Fort Lauderdale
I do not think it’s attractive or appropriate. It should be a functional city government building, built at a reasonable price, since taxpayers are paying. I care more about service than looks. The boat design is trying too hard to be something the city is not interested in becoming.
Can we please see what the other options are?
Michelle Nassar, Fort Lauderdale
There’s no reason for such extravagance. My main concern is whether they are using all of a requested $88 million FEMA grant to fund this building.
I understand that City Hall suffered flood damage. But so did we, residents of the River Oaks and Edgewood neighborhoods. FEMA didn’t give people squat in relief dollars, and most of us didn’t have flood insurance because we’re not in a flood zone. Are we going to be victimized again?
Shirlee Sandler, Fort Lauderdale
The four City Hall renderings and their costs were on the city website since August, but were difficult to find.
Commissioner Herbst acknowledged there was no specific effort to present them to the public for input until the Dec. 2 conference meeting.
On that date, only three residents spoke (all were against the design, cost and lack of taxpayer input). It was obvious, very few knew of the options until the Sun Sentinel published the design and its costs, likely due to the ambiguity of where to find the renderings.
The mayor confirmed they were shown to civic association presidents, but there was no robust taxpayer input from HOA presidents, many of whom were not in attendance. In short, public outreach was practically nonexistent.
This is why residents responded in droves when they saw the selected top design and its cost. About 200 people commented negatively on Next Door. I forwarded those comments to commissioners to demonstrate how few people had any idea of these four choices, or that there were four choices.
The city commission now knows that its choice and its cost are unacceptable to many. It’s time for the commission to go back and make a robust effort to obtain public input on all four contenders.
It’s not too late — and it’s the right thing to do.
Nancy Thomas, Fort Lauderdale
Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.
[contact-form]Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
Here are the top stories for Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.
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Ask a real estate pro: Can condo board keep me from renting if my credit score is barely too low?
Q: I’ve been having an issue while trying to rent a condo apartment. I have a good job, drive a nice car and have a credit score of 690. The condo’s board has refused to let me rent in their building because they say the rules require a minimum credit score of 700. Are they allowed to deny my application for this reason? — Gordon
A: Yes, they probably can.
Condominium boards often have the authority to set rules and standards for who can rent or live in their building. These rules are outlined in the condo association’s governing documents, such as the bylaws or rental policies.
A minimum credit score requirement is a common way for boards to evaluate financial reliability and reduce perceived risks. If their rules clearly state that renters must have a credit score of 700 or higher, they are within their rights to enforce that rule.
That said, there are several steps you can take to understand your situation better and possibly challenge the decision.
First, review the condo’s rules and policies by requesting a copy of the condo association’s bylaws or rental policies. As a prospective renter, the landlord may need to do this part. Look for specific language about credit score requirements.
If the rule is clearly stated, the board is likely acting within its authority. However, if the rule is unclear or inconsistently applied, there may be grounds to question their decision.
Also, rules like this cannot be discriminatory. While condo boards can establish reasonable rules, they cannot discriminate against applicants based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, gender, disability, or familial status under Fair Housing rules.
Nor can it use any ‘rule’ as a pretext for discrimination, such as if the credit score requirement is only being applied against people in a protected class, for example, people of a specific religious affiliation.
Since your credit score seems to be the only issue, and is very close to the threshold, try reaching out to the board to explain the situation and supply evidence of your financial stability, such as proof of income, savings, or a history of on-time rent payments.
Some boards may be willing to make exceptions or reconsider their decision if you demonstrate reliability as a tenant.
If the board remains firm, exploring other rental options might be the best approach, as not all condos have the same requirements.
Another option is to speak with a reputable credit repair agency to see if they can quickly raise your score.
Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro.
Today in History: December 11, ‘Lufthansa Heist’ later immortalized in ‘Goodfellas’
Today is Thursday, Dec. 11, the 345th day of 2025. There are 20 days left in the year.
Today in history:On Dec. 11, 1978, nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry were stolen from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport; the ‘Lufthansa Heist,’ the largest cash robbery in history at the time, was immortalized in the film “Goodfellas.”
Also on this date:In 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th U.S. state.
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In 1936, Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson; his brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI.
In 1946, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established.
In 1972, Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan guided lander Challenger to a touchdown on the moon, where he and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt would become the last two Apollo astronauts to walk on the lunar surface. They returned to Earth three days later with astronaut Ronald Evans, who remained aloft in the command module.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation creating a $1.6 billion environmental “Superfund” to pay for cleaning up hazardous chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.
In 1997, more than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth’s greenhouse gases.
In 1998, majority Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, over Democratic objections.
In 2008, former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the life savings of thousands of people and wrecked charities. (Madoff died in April 2021 while serving a 150-year federal prison sentence.)
In 2020, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit backed by President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory, ending an attempt to get legal issues that were rejected by state and federal judges before the nation’s highest court.
Today’s Birthdays:- Actor Rita Moreno is 94.
- Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is 82.
- Singer Brenda Lee is 81.
- Singer Jermaine Jackson is 71.
- Rock musician Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) is 67.
- Actor-comedian Mo’Nique is 58.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson is 53.
- Rapper-actor Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) is 52.
- Author Colleen Hoover is 46.
- Actor Rider Strong is 46.
- Actor Alexa Demie is 35.
- Actor Hailee Steinfeld is 29.
Fallen alum and former NBA player Reid has jersey retired at Boyd Anderson
On Friday, Dec. 5, Ryan Reid, a former Boyd Anderson star who went on to play in the NBA, was remembered at the Lauderdale Lakes high school as his jersey was retired and a banner was hung from the rafters at the gymnasium.
Reid, a 2005 B.A. graduate who was a Sun Sentinel first-team All-County selection and went on to stand out at Florida State, died on July 9 of what only has been reported to have been a medical emergency.
In 2012, Reid joined Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond as the second Cobras alum to play in the NBA, logging five appearances with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before the Dec. 5 game between Boyd Anderson and Dillard, the memory of Reid, who also had been a member of the Jamaican national team, was honored with his family and friends on hand or offering long-distance remembrances.
Reid’s wife, Rebecca, and his two children traveled from Tampa to be on hand as Reid’s jersey was retired and an orange banner with his No. 42 was lifted up to the gym’s ceiling.
A force in the paint in high school, Reid averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game across his final three seasons.
According to Cobras assistant coach Johnny McCray, current and former NBA players Russell Westbrook, Nick Collison and Pine Crest grad Brandon Knight were among those who provided remembrances, and a number of Reid’s former FSU teammates also were on hand.
Westbrook, a 37-year-old playing in his 18th NBA season for the Sacramento Kings, said in a video that his former Thunder teammate was “a great human being and great individual.”
Members of Ryan Reid's family were on the Boyd Anderson court before the Dec. 5 boys game against Dillard to receive a framed jersey of the Cobras great, who died unexpectedly on July 9 at 38. (Courtesy/Broward County School District)AI slop ad backfires for McDonald’s
By Nilesh Christopher, Los Angeles Times
People aren’t lovin’ it.
McDonald’s was forced to pull down an AI-generated Christmas commercial from YouTube after some consumers said the AI-slop-filled tongue-in-cheek take on the holidays was distasteful.
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The ad, titled “It’s the most terrible time of the year,” was a satirical take on holiday realities. It showed a series of short, chaotic clips of people braving the winter, tripping while carrying overloaded gift bags, getting stuck in tangled lights, burning homemade cookies or starting an unexpected cooking fire during a family gathering.
The ad agency TBWANEBOKO collaborated with film production company Sweetshop, whose Los Angeles-based directing duo Mark Potoka and Matt Spicer shot the film. The 45-second ad was created for McDonald’s Netherlands.
It ends with a call to ditch the madness and hide out in McDonald’s till January. The ad, meant to spread cheer, irked viewers.
“Even without all the ai slop this ad feels incredibly odd,” said one comment on the commercial posted on YouTube. “Ditch your family and hide in mcdonalds because christmas sucks???”
Some said the ad was a sloppy move by one of the world’s largest advertisers.
“The McDonald’s ad emphasizes all that is negative about the holiday season, and the suggestion that McDonald’s is a respite from such negative experiences is not credible,” said David Stewart, emeritus professor of marketing at Loyola Marymount University. “It is likely that a very unhappy human came up with the idea of denigrating the holiday experience, even if AI was used to create part of the ad.”
After the McDonald’s backlash, the Sweetshop said it used AI as a tool for the commercial but a lot of human effort went into it as well.
“We generated what felt like dailies — thousands of takes — then shaped them in the edit just as we would on any high-craft production,” the company said in a statement. “This wasn’t an AI trick. It was a film.”
McDonald didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mainstream brands are gradually embracing AI-generated ads. Last month, Coca-Cola released a holiday ad in which a Coca-Cola truck drives through snow and forests, awakening animals and lighting up trees, then pulls up to a town square.
This is the second year in a row Coca-Cola has dropped an AI holiday ad despite widespread artist pushback.
“AI is gaining traction for the creation of ads because it is viewed as a way to save costs,” Stewart said.
More brands, including Google, Toys R Us and Under Armour, have produced synthetic ads. Proponents of AI ads see them as a change from traditional advertising.
“Whether we like the ad itself, McDonald’s is making a statement with this campaign: AI has changed the playbook. As one of the largest consumer brands on the planet, McDonald’s is reading the tea leaves of what’s to come for brand marketing and is aggressively indexing its brand for the new generative decision funnel,” said Justin Inman, chief executive of Emberos, a platform that monitors how brands appear inside major AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
AI-powered search could influence $750 billion in revenue by 2028, and half of consumers now use chatbots to discover brands, according to McKinsey & Co.
Such an association with AI may even boost McDonald’s visibility inside chatbots, surfacing its brand name ahead of others.
“Love it or hate it, expect to see more of it,” Inman said. “McDonald’s getting thousands of people to prompt McDonald’s + AI will greatly benefit their overall brand visibility.”
©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
New York Times, after Trump post, says it won’t be deterred from writing about his health
By DAVID BAUDER
The New York Times, attacked by President Donald Trump for reporting about his physical condition, said on Wednesday that it wouldn’t be deterred by “false and inflammatory language” that distorts the role of a free press.
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The president had posted on his Truth Social platform that he believed it was “seditious, perhaps even treasonous” for the Times and other media outlets to do “FAKE” reports on his health.
“They are true Enemies of the People, and we should do something about it,” Trump wrote.
The 79-year-old president wouldn’t specify, but the newspaper has posted a handful of reports about his health in recent weeks. In a Nov. 25 story headlined “Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities of Aging in Office,” reporters examined Trump’s public and travel schedules to conclude Americans were seeing less of him than they were used to.
A story on Dec. 2, accompanied by a video, said that Trump “appeared to be fighting sleep” during a Cabinet meeting that day.
Trump says he hasn’t slowed downColumnist Frank Bruni discussed these reports in a Dec. 8 opinion piece headlined “Trump’s Approval Ratings Have Declined. So Has His Vigor.” Bruni wrote that Americans “might want to brace ourselves for some presidential deja vu. He’s starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” Biden, who was in his early 80s, dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House after a disastrous debate with Trump that raised doubts about the then-incumbent’s fitness for office.
Trump, in his post, said he was history’s hardest-working president with a lengthy list of accomplishments. He said he went out of his way to do “long, thorough and very boring” medical examinations, including three cognitive tests that he “ACED.”
“The New York Times, and some others, like to pretend that I am ‘slowing up,’ and maybe not as sharp as I once was, or am in poor physical health, knowing that it is not true,” the Republican president said.
Show Caption1 of 4President Donald Trump dances to music after speaking at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) ExpandThe health of American presidents has long been a delicate and sometimes thorny issue between the White House and the press that covers it — from Grover Cleveland’s secret tumor surgery to Woodrow Wilson’s debilitating stroke to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s polio to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s heart attack. Trump has frequently critiqued the cognitive fitness of his predecessor, Biden.
Trump has fought back against some reportsTrump already has a $15 billion defamation lawsuit pending against the Times. In the suit, filed in September, Trump targeted four Times journalists about three articles that discussed his finances. He has also been involved in legal cases involving The Associated Press and CBS News, among others.
Nicole Taylor, a spokeswoman for The New York Times, said the outlet’s reporting on Trump’s health is heavily sourced, based on interviews with people close to the president and with medical experts.
“Americans deserve in-depth reporting and regular updates about the health of the leaders they elect,” Taylor said. “Mr. Trump welcomed our reporting on the age and fitness of his predecessors; we’re applying the same journalistic scrutiny to his vitality.”
Taylor said that “we won’t be deterred by false and inflammatory language that distorts the role of a free press.”
David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
Parent of student charged in shooting that killed teen at Kentucky State University
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A parent of a Kentucky State University student has been charged with murder in an on campus shooting that killed one student and critically injured another.
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Jacob Lee Bard was at the school’s campus in Frankfort on Tuesday and fired shots at the victims at a residence hall, police said in a statement.
Investigators said the shooting was isolated, but they have not publicly shared details of the circumstances or a possible motive. The shooting killed 19-year-old De’Jon Fox of Indianapolis. A second student who was shot remains in critical condition, but his name has not been released, police said.
Bard, 48, was booked into jail on murder and first-degree assault charges. Police said Bard is from Evansville, Indiana, which is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Frankfort.
Bard is being represented by a public defender at the Franklin County Department of Public Advocacy, which declined to talk about his case Wednesday.
University police officers were near the scene of the altercation that ended with the shooting and immediately arrested Bard, police said.
Investigators have watched video taken by others at the scene and surveillance footage.
Asked by reporters about alleged videos showing a fight involving Bard’s sons preceded the shooting or whether Bard might have come to campus to talk to administrators about his sons’ safety, Frankfort Assistant Police Chief Scott Tracy refused to say what may have led to the shooting.
“It’s really too early in the investigation right now to really give any details that led up to it. A lot of it would be speculation,” Tracy said Wednesday.
The shooting happened at Whitney M. Young Jr. Hall. It was the second shooting in four months near the student residence.
Someone fired multiple shots from a vehicle on Aug. 17, striking two people that the university said weren’t students. Frankfort police said one victim was treated for minor injuries and a second sustained serious injuries. The dorm and at least one vehicle were damaged by gunfire.
University President Koffi C. Akakpo said the school brought in more police officers after the first shooting and will evaluate whether more needs to be done to keep students safe once the investigation into the latest shooting is complete,
“The campus is a safe place,” Akakpo said at the news conference.
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university with about 2,200 students. Lawmakers authorized the school’s creation in 1886.
The school sits about 2 miles east of the Capitol building in Frankfort.
Florida killer makes emergency bid to halt execution next week
TALLAHASSEE — Raising issues about chronic health problems and Florida’s lethal-injection process, attorneys for condemned killer Frank Walls on Wednesday filed an emergency motion asking a federal appeals court to issue a stay of his scheduled Dec. 18 execution.
The motion, filed at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, came a day after U.S. District Judge Mark Walker refused to halt the execution of Walls, who was convicted in the 1987 murders of two people in Okaloosa County. Walls also has asked the Florida Supreme Court to stop the execution on different grounds.
The appeals-court motion is rooted in arguments that putting Walls to death by lethal injection would violate the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Walls’ attorneys cited a July medical exam that indicated the 354-pound Walls has conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, a thyroid disorder and chronic sleep apnea. It also alleged errors as the Florida Department of Corrections has carried out a record number of executions this year, including using expired drugs and preparing incorrect quantities of drugs.
The motion contends Walls could be at an increased risk during the execution of suffering pulmonary edema — a condition that involves too much fluid in the lungs — because of his medical problems.
“At issue here is the link between Walls’s complex health issues and the resultant increased risk of an intolerably painful death by pulmonary edema. … The gruesome details of pulmonary edema — and the fact that it has been documented in the autopsies of other prisoners executed by the (lethal injection) protocol and is therefore a known possibility — is crucial to the claim that Walls is in danger of intense pain and suffering, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, should the protocol be applied to him,” Walls’ attorneys wrote.
The motion also linked the health issues to allegations that the Department of Corrections has made errors in using the lethal-injection process in some of the modern-era record 18 executions this year.
“This is a case-specific challenge to defendants (the Department of Corrections) using their protocol to kill a medically vulnerable prisoner like Walls during a sloppy, breakneck pace of executions,” Walls’ attorneys wrote.
But in rejecting the arguments Tuesday, Walker said Walls could have raised the issues long before Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant on Nov. 18. Walker wrote that a law “does not permit a last-minute stay in this case when Mr. Walls’s claim could have been brought months, if not years, before his death warrant was signed.”
“In short, Mr. Walls has demonstrated that, for years, some states and federal courts have questioned the continued use of — or completely abandoned — a three-drug protocol like Florida’s to avoid cruel and unusual executions,” Walker wrote. “This history is publicly known, well-documented, and compelling evidence that Mr. Walls could have challenged the … protocol, as applied to him, well before his death warrant was signed in November 2025.”
Walls was convicted in the July 22, 1987, murders of Edward Alger and Ann Peterson, who died of gunshot wounds after Walls broke into their home, according to court documents.
In asking the Florida Supreme Court to halt the execution, Walls’ attorneys have argued, in part, that he is intellectually disabled and executing him would violate the Eighth Amendment for that reason.
Scores of government statisticians are gone, leaving data at risk, report says
By MIKE SCHNEIDER
The ranks of U.S. government statisticians have been gutted in the past year due to layoffs and buyouts. That along with diminished funding and attacks on their independence have put at risk the data used to make informed decisions about everything from the nation’s economy to its demographics, according to a new report from outside experts released Wednesday.
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One agency lost 95% of its staff, while others dropped by about quarter to more than a third, due to government downsizing this year during President Donald Trump’s first months in office, according to the report released by the American Statistical Association. Besides veteran employees with deep institutional knowledge, some of the cuts hit new hires meant to infuse new blood into the agencies, said the annual report.
“Things are getting a lot worse,” Nancy Potok, a former U.S. chief statistician during the first Trump administration who was on the team that produced the report, said Wednesday. “It’s kind of dropping off the cliff there and in a really dire situation.”
The administration’s Office of Management and Budget, home to the U.S. chief statistician who coordinates the system of gathering data, didn’t respond Wednesday morning to an e-mailed inquiry about the report.
However, when asked last month about concerns that the statistical agencies were getting politicized, Mark Calabria, who was appointed in July as the U.S. chief statistician, said: “Everything in government is embedded in politics and is embedded in accountability.”
“So these kinds of debates about independence and accountability, they’re oranges and apples to some extent,” Calabria said during a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. “What you have is wanting to make sure that the data gives you the right answer.”
In the first months of the second Trump administration, thousands of federal government workers were shown the door as part of efforts by the White House and its Department of Government Efficiency. The White House also offered a “deferred resignation” proposal in exchange for financial incentives, like months of paid leave, to almost all federal employees who opted to leave their jobs. It also moved to lay off probationary employees — those generally on the job for less than a year and who have yet to gain civil service protection.
“The statistical system is still functioning, but the threats are very serious,” said Beth Jarosz, vice president of the Association of Public Data Users, who was not involved in the report. “There are staffing reductions, contracted services that have been reduced. We’re seeing that showing up in the cancellation of data products, the reduction in data collection on things like consumer prices.”
The team behind the report noted that they had a “sparsity of information” about the detailed impacts of the cuts since the agencies wouldn’t provide them “perhaps out of caution or because they are not allowed to communicate with outside entities.”
The hardest hit agency was the National Center for Education Statistics, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, which lost 95% of its staff. The agency tracks educational trends with the goal of improving outcomes, and the staff losses halted most of its data collection earlier in the year, according to the report. Many outside contracts have since been restored but with a reduced scope, the report said.
The Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics’ workforce in the Social Security Administration was almost halved. The cuts eliminated retirement and disability research, among other things, the report said.
The Energy Information Administration, the Economic Research Service in the Department of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service each lost between 25% and 40% of their staff. The cuts have resulted in discontinued or delayed reports about the energy industry and the cancellation of a survey about farmworkers and some state-specific agricultural reports.
The nation’s largest statistical agency, the U.S. Census Bureau, lost at least 15% of its staff this year, according to the report.
Besides the staff cuts, some barriers to the statistical agencies’ political independence were removed this year. The Trump administration made unsubstantiated claims of biased data; removed the heads of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics; failed to fill key leadership vacancies; and named political appointees who hold other jobs to fill in leadership positions that had been held by career civil servants, according to the report.
“These actions undermine public trust in federal statistics,” the report said.
Follow Mike Schneider on Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social
