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El Paso home inspector recognized as Affiliate of the Year  El Paso Inc.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I frequently attend team lunches and dinners with my immediate department members, both supervisors and associates.

These dining experiences are mostly personal affairs and come after a week of hard teamwork. We work in an industry where we will be in one location for a few months, and then move on to another city. We all get along and have each other’s back.

But here is the problem: There are two members of our team who are in their 20s, and they both have the worst table manners! They set their bread on the bare table, as well as any soiled cutlery. They cut up their entire meal into tiny pieces like they are toddlers. I could go on, but you get the idea.

These are nice young women! They are college-educated. Each one complains that they never get a second date after dining at a nice restaurant, and I understand why.

I am well aware it is not my duty to advise them of how to butter a dinner roll. But I feel sorry for them and am frequently embarrassed for them. Should I just accept there is nothing any of us can do?

GENTLE READER: Although there is, today, too much blurring of the professional and personal spheres, it was always understood that an otherwise promising mentee who did not know how to speak or behave in polite company would be at a disadvantage in a professional career — and that a good mentor might have to help make up this deficiency.

Perhaps you can identify a senior member of the team who might act in this more general capacity for these two — as a professional mentor, that is, knowing that finding opportunities for them to improve their table manners will be only a part of their extracurricular education. This might make a positive difference for their careers — while not putting anyone in the position of promising that any second dates hinge upon the superior etiquette discernment of 20-something males.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A good friend asked me to join her and a few other people for lunch. This was not something I wanted to do, so I claimed to have conflicts on the two dates she suggested.

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Then she said, “Well, what would be a good day for you?”

I said something about just not being sociable, but it didn’t feel very good. What could I have said, short of “never”?

GENTLE READER: “Let me get back to you.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My niece worked at a well-known retail store in the 1980s. She told me they were required to greet customers because research has shown that people are less likely to steal after a personal exchange.

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• Miss Manners: I’m shocked that my family is making me feel guilty about my wedding

Now I bristle a bit and feel insulted when I am greeted at a store.

GENTLE READER: Rest assured that in a few years, new research will show that the original research was incorrect for any number of reasons. Miss Manners has stopped following the details.

Admittedly, though, the next time a hostess greets Miss Manners by name at the door, she may stop to wonder if it is a nefarious way to discourage her from pocketing the silverware.

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

Q: Can my neighbor point cameras into my courtyard that capture all my comings and goings? —Rachel

A: Privacy concerns can arise no matter where someone lives. Sometimes it is a nosy neighbor; other times it involves a business with security cameras or drones flying overhead.

While laws vary depending on where you live, the general principles of privacy and surveillance remain consistent.

Your privacy is always a priority, especially when it comes to where you live. While technology can enhance security, it can also create uncomfortable situations when it feels invasive.

If your neighbor’s cameras appear to be pointed toward your courtyard, it’s important to assess the situation carefully.

First, determine whether the cameras are capturing areas where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as your courtyard or windows.

Public areas, like sidewalks or streets, are generally fair game for surveillance, but private spaces are a different matter.

Generally, if a member of the public passing by your house cannot see what you are doing, it is considered a private area.

The next step is to have a polite conversation with your neighbor. They may not realize their cameras are capturing your comings and goings. Explain your concerns calmly and ask whether they are willing to adjust the camera angles.

If the conversation does not resolve the issue, document everything. Take photos of the cameras, note their placement, and keep a record of your interactions with your neighbor.

This documentation will be helpful if you need to escalate the matter.

Review your local laws on surveillance and privacy. Some jurisdictions have specific regulations on where cameras can be pointed, especially in residential areas.

If you live in a community association, contact the property manager or the board of directors for help.

You can also contact your local municipality to see if they can assist.

If none of this helps, consult an attorney to better understand your rights and options.

While you work through the situation, stay patient and persistent.

Privacy disputes are frustrating and can take time to resolve, but keeping a detailed record and following the proper steps will help you protect your rights.

As with most legal matters, persistently working the system to protect your rights will yield the best result.

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. 

Re: Holiday Park to get fancy garage with vertiport by 2027, News article, Jan. 9

I may be old fashioned, but I think a city park should be 90% real park, without more and more private businesses operating in “our” public parks.

At the rate the city of Fort Lauderdale is going with the revamped Holiday Park, there will be little park left.

James Clements, Fort Lauderdale

Stop the fireworks

Kudos to those in Fort Lauderdale who sought to replace hazardous explosives with safe, humane, eco-friendly drone shows on the Fourth of July.

As someone who volunteers at an animal shelter and routinely witnesses the despondent, withdrawn eyes, quaking back legs and abject panic experienced by these incredibly fragile, abandoned souls, I can confirm that a fireworks display with its deafening explosions is the absolute last thing these sensitive, frightened, confused animals need.

Fireworks cause dogs and cats to flee their homes, injure themselves or become lost. Birds panic and crash into buildings, and forest animals sprint into busy roads. Toxic firework debris litters the ground and waterways with poisons, leading to internal injuries or death if consumed. These explosions can spark wildfires, permanently destroying habitats and disrupting ecological balance.

It’s time for cities to respect all living thing with this logical, economical choice. Fort Lauderdale can and should lead the way.

Blair Patrick Schuyler, Tampa

Sending the wrong message

No city should have fancy, expensive public buildings when it has hundreds or thousands of homeless people.

It sends the wrong message.

A rendering of a proposed new Fort Lauderdale City Hall proposed by a development team ranked as No. 1 by city commissioners. (PALMA/Courtesy)

The culture of city government in Fort Lauderdale is toxic. A new building won’t help that. The leadership of the city needs changing.

The mayor insists on spending far more for a tunnel than a bridge. We will end up with neither because Broward County is paying (for part of it) and refuses to spend so much.

I say no to the new City Hall. It’s embarrassing.

Mary Kay Kleinpeter-Zamora, Pembroke Pines

Leave the Fed alone

I don’t know much about the qualifications of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, but Donald Trump thought he was qualified: He appointed Powell in 2017.

What I do know is that the U.S. has the strongest economy in the world, and our economic success is partly the result of policies implemented by the Federal Reserve.

Ask any intelligent economist about our economy and its reliance on the Fed. All will say that the Fed is the gold standard that the world has envied for over 100 years.

Trump wants to tinker with this system for two reasons. One, midterm elections are approaching and he feels the economy is not working in his favor. Two, he believes he has unlimited power to do what he wants, regardless of whether it’s legal or in the national interest.

I can only hope that the Fed remains out of the reach of politicians. I don’t want anyone changing a system that has worked successfully for so long.

Jay Rechtman, Boynton Beach

Proud to be a RINO

The time has come for me to come clean and declare that I’m officially a RINO (“Republican in Name Only”).

For years, I was proud to be a member of the party of Lincoln. However, I can no longer support my party of choice. No, it’s not due to sleepless nights of soul-searching — it’s simply from watching the evening news.

Actions by the leadership in and out of the United States go against the basic tenets of the Republican Party. I keep waiting for a member to put forth a glimmer of hope for a bright future but all I see are subservient minions jockeying for political advantage.

There, I’ve said it. I feel a certain sense of relief — at least until the DOJ initiates an investigation of me.

Dale Geisler, 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. 

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Today is Thursday, Jan. 15, the 15th day of 2026. There are 350 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 15, 1919, in Boston, a tank containing an estimated 2.3 million gallons (8.7 million liters) of molasses burst, flooding the city’s North End and killing 21 people in what was later dubbed the “Great Molasses Flood.”

Also on this date:

In 1559, Elizabeth I was crowned queen of England and Ireland in Westminster Abbey.

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In 1929, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta.

In 1943, work was completed on the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of War (now Defense).

In 1967, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League 35-10 in the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, known retroactively as Super Bowl I.

In 1991, Sean Lennon’s remake of his father’s “Give Peace A Chance” was released to coincide with the United Nations’ midnight deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The lyrics were updated to reflect concerns of the 1990s.

In 1992, more than two dozen European nations formally recognized Croatia and Slovenia as independent nations amid the breakup of Yugoslavia.

In 2001, Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia maintained by volunteer editors, made its debut.

In 2009, US Airways Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed an Airbus A320 safely in New York’s Hudson River after striking a flock of birds that disabled both engines shortly after takeoff; all 155 people aboard survived the emergency water landing, which became known as “The Miracle on the Hudson.”

In 2019, extremists stormed a luxury hotel in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi, setting off explosives and gunning down people at cafe tables in an attack claimed by Africa’s deadliest Islamic militant group, al-Shabab. At least 21 people were killed in the attack and 28 others wounded.

In 2022, an undersea volcano erupted in the Pacific island nation of Tonga, shooting millions of tons of water vapor high into the atmosphere. A handful of deaths were blamed on the eruption, and scientists studied the blast afterward seeking to determine whether the water vapor acted as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas.

Today’s birthdays:

• Actor Andrea Martin is 79.
• Football Hall of Famer Randy White is 73.
• Actor-director Mario Van Peebles is 69.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins is 61.
• Actor-director Regina King is 55.
• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is 49.
• Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is 47.
• Rapper-reggaeton artist Pitbull is 45.
• Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro is 42.
• DJ-music producer Skrillex is 38.
• Actor-singer Dove Cameron is 30.
• Singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal is 22.

Here are the top stories for Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Spirit pilots appeal to lenders to back airline’s overhaul in bankruptcy, reject liquidation

Dolphins owner Steve Ross reveals succession plan, says he has received stunning offer for team

Weekend things to do: Kevin James, Pam Ann, remembering Bob Weir, new BBQ in Delray

Florida high schools post ‘historic’ graduation rates

DeSantis picks new Florida Supreme Court justice, his sixth appointee to seven-member court

Researchers study ‘scary’ amount of seaweed that could clog South Florida beaches this year

Battle of the Bands? More like a benefit: HBCU marching bands to perform in Boca on MLK Weekend

Cherfilus-McCormick lawsuit against campaign rival dismissed

Appeals court rejects class-action lawsuit over data breach at Broward Health

Miss Manners: My cheap husband complains about money in front of our dinner guests

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Riley Kugel scored 19 points, Jamichael Stillwell added 18, and UCF weathered Kansas State’s comeback bid to win 82-73 on Wednesday night.

The Knights (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) shot 53% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc. Themus Fulks had 13 points (6-for-11 shooting) and dished 12 assists for his fifth game with 10 or more assists this season. Devan Cambridge chipped in with 11 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting.

UCF won the rebound battle 35-34, paced by seven rebounds each from Kugel and Stillwell.

A 20-6 run near the midway point of the first half put UCF up by double figures, and the Knights led 42-28 at halftime.

K-State cut the lead to one point in the second half but could not pull ahead in the frame. Their last lead came with 15:24 remaining in the first.

PJ Haggerty scored 23 points (9-for-18 shooting) for the Wildcats (9-8, 0-4), and Khamari McGriff added 15 points. Nate Johnson racked up 10 assists. K-State struggled from beyond the arc, converting on just six of their 30 3-point attempts.

UCF won its second straight game after an 11-game winning streak was snapped by Oklahoma State on Jan. 6. Kansas State has dropped four straight contests after winning four straight to end its non-conference schedule.

Up next

Kansas State: visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.

UCF: hosts No. 1 and unbeaten Arizona on Saturday.

An appeals court Wednesday rejected a class-action lawsuit filed against the North Broward Hospital District after a 2021 data breach.

A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal upheld a circuit judge’s ruling that the district, also known as Broward Health, was shielded by sovereign immunity, which helps protect government agencies from liability.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of patients whose private information was exposed in the data breach, alleged negligence and breach of contract by the hospital system.

But the appeals court, in a ruling written by Judge Robert Gross and joined by Judges Caroline Shepherd and Alan Forst, rejected both claims.

As an example, in addressing the breach-of-contract issue, the opinion said there was not an “express written contract” that could have led to waiver of sovereign immunity.

By AMY TAXIN

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A demonstrator was hit in the face with a projectile fired by a federal officer at close range during a Southern California protest, leaving him bloodied and with serious injuries, according to video and accounts from fellow protesters and family on Tuesday.

The Friday gathering outside the federal immigration building in the city of Santa Ana was in response to the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis by a federal agent, which has kicked off a wave of protests around the country.

Hundreds of people had marched in the streets in Santa Ana until a smaller group was left outside the federal building by evening, shouting expletives through megaphones about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, video showed. At one point, they burned what appeared to be an American flag on the steps of the building while shouting “Justice for Renee Good.”

The demonstrators came up onto the plaza, where a handful of agents stood in riot gear and held crowd-control gear. At one point, officials forcefully move a demonstrator back down onto the steps, and the group continues to chant as the agents appear to urge them to move back. Later, an orange cone can be seen rolling up onto the plaza, and officers begin firing munitions as they walk toward the crowd. It is not clear if the cones were thrown and by whom.

The injured demonstrator, identified as 21-year-old Kaden Rummler by his aunt, is seen on video shouting through a megaphone along with others outside the building, where several officers are stationed in riot gear. The officers approached the crowd then grabbed another demonstrator by the arm, identified in a federal criminal complaint as Katelyn Skye Seitz, pulling them onto the steps.

In response, Rummler and a few other demonstrators step forward shouting. One of the officers fires a crowd-control weapon, striking Rummler from several feet away. Rummler grabs his face and falls to the ground. An officer grabs Rummler by the shirt and drags him backward across the ground, the video shows. His face is bloody and other demonstrators shout “leave him alone.” Officers take Rummler into the federal building, and later video appears to show him face down on the ground being handcuffed.

In this image taken from a video provided by OC Hawk, a federal officer drags a demonstrator hit in the face with a projectile fired from close range by an officer during a protest in Santa Ana, Calif., Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (OC Hawk via AP)

Video of the incident was taken by OC Hawk, which films breaking news in Orange County.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, called the group violent rioters and said that two officers were injured. Two protesters were arrested and charged with assault on a federal officer and disorderly conduct, she said. She did not respond to questions about the nature of the officers’ injuries or the injury of the protester.

Protester says he lost sight in his left eye

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security didn’t answer questions about what type of projectiles were fired, but another protester said Tuesday they were pepper balls.

Rummler was blinded in his left eye, according to his aunt, Jeri Rees.

• This Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 selfie, provided by Kaden Rummler, shows an eye injury he sustained after being hit with a projectile fired by a federal agent during a protest outside an immigration building in Santa Ana, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Kaden Rummler via AP)
• This Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 selfie, provided by Kaden Rummler, shows an eye injury he sustained after being hit with a projectile fired by a federal agent during a protest outside an immigration building in Santa Ana, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Kaden Rummler via AP)
• This Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 selfie, provided by Kaden Rummler, shows an eye injury he sustained after being hit with a projectile fired by a federal agent during a protest outside an immigration building in Santa Ana, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Kaden Rummler via AP)

Show Caption1 of 3This Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 selfie, provided by Kaden Rummler, shows an eye injury he sustained after being hit with a projectile fired by a federal agent during a protest outside an immigration building in Santa Ana, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Kaden Rummler via AP) Expand

Rees said her nephew, a college student, was in the hospital for two days and underwent six hours of surgery to his left eye.

She said he was released from the hospital Tuesday while doctors work to determine what the fragments are made of to assess whether additional procedures are needed to remove them. Rees said he was hit in the left eye and suffered skull fractures.

“He’s completely blind” in that eye, she said. “There’s a hole in his eyeball.”

Rees said her nephew was given a citation for disorderly conduct.

In a statement read by another protester Tuesday, Rummler said he felt ringing and pressure around his skull and was dragged toward the building bleeding while struggling to breathe.

“I will never see through my left eye again, not even light,” he said in the statement. “I’m just glad I’m alive to tell my story.”

Christina Castillo, center, with Dare to Struggle, speaks during a news conference outside the Santa Ana Police Department in Santa Ana, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, following a recent protest outside a federal building in the city. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

It was not immediately possible to independently confirm details of the injuries. The fellow protesters, from the group Dare to Struggle, declined to say what hospital he had been taken to.

Seitz, one of the arrested protesters, said the group was there to “rightly protest the brutal execution of Renee Good, and the government agencies that uphold ICE’s ongoing brutality.” Seitz identified themselves at the news conference as Skye Jones.

A federal complaint alleges Seitz failed to leave the property despite warnings and threw an orange cone at officers, then resisted arrest and struck an officer on the shoulder and in the groin. Details weren’t immediately available about the second set of charges filed, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond to questions about them.

Additional video shows demonstrators still gathered and shouting at agents after the confrontation breaks out. Some officers are standing at the door to the building, and another demonstrator approaches. Officers can be heard firing more rounds. The protester walks back toward the group covered in a white powder. He appears to have a cut on his face, and other demonstrators call for a medic.

A South Florida native is now among the candidates for the Miami Dolphins’ vacant head coaching position. He’s also been leading the offense of a Dolphins rival in recent years.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was born in Pembroke Pines, has been requested for an interview, according to a league source Wednesday night.

That brings Miami’s list of candidates they’ve reached out to up to 11, after the team requested to talk to former linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, now the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator, earlier Wednesday.

Incidentally, Brady’s Bills offense just faced Campanile’s Jacksonville defense in a playoff game Sunday.

Brady, an alumnus of Everglades High in Miramar, has held that role with the Bills full-time for the past two seasons, building off his success when he took over the job in the interim upon the firing of Ken Dorsey, former Miami Hurricanes national championship-winning quarterback, during the 2023 season.

Under Brady, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen won league MVP in 2024. This season, the Bills ranked fourth in total offense and points per game.

After high school in South Florida, Brady was a wide receiver at William & Mary. He was linebackers coach at his alma mater in 2013 and 2014, a graduate assistant at Penn State in 2015 and 2016 and an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and 2018.

But it was the following year, staying in Louisiana, that Brady burst onto the coaching scene in a big way. He became passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU under Ed Orgeron. He helped quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase to a national title on a 15-0 team.

That led him back to the NFL, as offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021 before joining Buffalo as quarterbacks coach, which later got him back into a coordinator job when Dorsey was later fired.

Brady was a hot name in last year’s head coach hiring cycle, as well, but ultimately returned to the Bills.

Buffalo plays at the Denver Broncos on Saturday after advancing in the playoffs against the Jaguars.

Along with Brady and Campanile, Miami coach candidates include former defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who has held that role with the Las Vegas Raiders the past four seasons, and former Dolphins linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who is Detroit Lions defensive coordinator.

Miami, as of Wednesday, has completed interviews Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski.

Others whom Miami has reached out to are former Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

This story will be updated.

By DAVID RISING

BANGKOK (AP) — Iranian demonstrators’ ability to get details of bloody nationwide protests out to the world has been given a strong boost, with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service dropping its fees to allow more people to circumvent the Tehran government’s strongest attempt ever to prevent information from spilling outside its borders, activists said Wednesday.

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The move by the American aerospace company run by Elon Musk follows the complete shutdown of telecommunications and internet access to Iran’s 85 million people on Jan. 8, as protests expanded over the Islamic Republic’s faltering economy and the collapse of its currency.

SpaceX has not officially announced the decision and did not respond to a request for comment, but activists told The Associated Press that Starlink has been available for free to anyone in Iran with the receivers since Tuesday and that the company has gone even further by pushing a firmware update to help circumvent government efforts to jam the satellite signals.

The moves by Starlink came two days after President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was going to reach out to Musk to ask for Starlink help for protesters, a call later confirmed by his press secretary, though it’s not clear if that is what prompted Musk to act.

“Starlink has been crucial,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, an Iranian whose nonprofit Net Freedom Pioneers has helped smuggle units into Iran, pointing to video that emerged Sunday showing rows of bodies at a forensic medical center near Tehran.

“That showed a few hundred bodies on the ground, that came out because of Starlink,” he said in an interview from Los Angeles. “I think that those videos from the center pretty much changed everyone’s understanding of what’s happening because they saw it with their own eyes.”

Since the outbreak of demonstrations Dec. 28, the death toll has risen to more than 2,500 people, primarily protesters but also security personnel, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Starlink is banned in Iran by telecommunication regulations, as the country never authorized the importation, sale or use of the devices. Activists fear they could be accused of helping the U.S. or Israel by using Starlink and charged with espionage, which can carry the death penalty.

Cat-and-mouse as authorities hunt for Starlink devices

The first units were smuggled into Iran in 2022 during protests over the country’s mandatory headscarf law, after Musk got the Biden administration to exempt the Starlink service from Iran sanctions.

Since then, more than 50,000 units are estimated to have been sneaked in, with people going to great lengths to conceal them, using virtual private networks while on the system to hide IP addresses and taking other precautions, said Ahmad Ahmadian, the executive director of Holistic Resilience, a Los Angeles-based organization that was responsible for getting some of the first Starlink units into Iran.

Starlink is a global internet network that relies on some 10,000 satellites orbiting Earth. Subscribers need to have equipment, including an antenna that requires a line of sight to the satellite, so must be deployed in the open, where it could be spotted by authorities. Many Iranians disguise them as solar panels, Ahmadian said.

After efforts to shut down communications during the 12-day war with Israel in June proved to be not terribly effective, Iranian security services have taken more “extreme tactics” now to jam Starlink’s radio signals and GPS systems, Ahmadian said in a phone interview. After Holistic Resilience passed on reports to SpaceX, Ahmadian said, the company pushed its firmware update to avoid jamming.

Security services also rely on informers to tell them who might be using Starlink, and search internet and social media traffic for signs it has been used. There have been reports they have raided apartments with satellite dishes.

“There has always been a cat-and-mouse game,” said Ahmadian, who fled Iran in 2012 after serving time in prison for student activism. “The government is using every tool in its toolbox.”

Still, Ahmadian noted that the government jamming attempts had only been effective in certain urban areas, suggesting that security services lack the resources to block Starlink more broadly.

A free Starlink could increase the flow of information out of Iran

Iran did begin to allow people to call out internationally on Tuesday via mobile phones, but calls from outside the country into Iran remain blocked.

Compared to protests in 2019, when lesser measures by the government were able to effectively stifle information reaching the rest of the world for more than a week, Ahmadian said the proliferation of Starlink has made it impossible to prevent communications. He said the flow could increase now that the service has been made free.

“This time around they really shut it down, even fixed landlines were not working,” he said. “But despite this, the information was coming out, and it also shows how distributed this community of Starlink users is in the country.”

Musk has made Starlink free for use during several natural disasters, and Ukraine has relied heavily on the service since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It was initially funded by SpaceX and later through an American government contract.

POKROVSK, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY 9: A Starlink device is pictured which connects the brigade to the internet as servicemen of the 155th Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine operate a French-made CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers on the frontline near Pokrovsk on February 9, 2025 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. The 155th Brigade has been trained by the French Armed Forces. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Musk’s involvement had raised concerns over the power of such a system being in the hands of one person, after he refused to extend Ukraine’s Starlink coverage to support a planned Ukrainian counterattack in Russian-occupied Crimea.

As a proponent of Starlink for Iran, Ahmadian said the Crimea decision was a wake-up call for him, but that he couldn’t see any reason why Musk might be inclined to act similarly in Iran.

“Looking at the political Elon, I think he would have more interest … in a free Iran as a new market,” he said.

Starlink’s moves to circumvent Tehran’s efforts to shut down communications is being watched closely around the world. The satellite service has expanded rapidly in recent years, securing licenses in more than 120 countries, including some with authoritarian rulers who have persecuted journalists and protesters.

Julia Voo, who heads the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Cyber Power and Future Conflict Program in Singapore, said there is a risk of activists becoming reliant on one company as a lifeline, as it “creates a single point of failure,” though currently there are no comparable alternatives.

China has been exploring ways to hunt and destroy Starlink satellites, and Voo said the more effective Starlink proves itself at penetrating “government-mandated terrestrial blackouts, the more states will be observing.”

“It’s just going to result in more efforts to broaden controls over various ways of communication, for those in Iran and everywhere else watching,” she said.

Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this report.

People Are Sharing The Subtle Red Flags They Look For When Seeing A Home For The First Time  BuzzFeed

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 127-121 victory over the Phoenix Suns:

– We appear to have reached the crossroads again where Erik Spoelstra does not believe Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo can play together.

– At least not on a highly productive basis.

– Which many metrics confirm.

– But with Adebayo back with his offense in this one, it again appears to be nothing more going forward than Short Minutes Theater for Ware.

– Which is fine if the thought is he solely is capable of contributing as a backup center.

– Performances this season say otherwise.

– It is one thing to protect Ware on the trade market as a valued asset.

– It is another thing not to play him as one.

– No, it doesn’t mean Ware has to start.

– But it might mean that the Nikola Jovic minutes also go to Ware.

– There has to be a way to carve out more.

– If even solely for development.

– Which means Spoelstra at least relenting for some Adebayo-Ware.

– Instead, Adebayo back in and Ware out early in the fourth.

– With Ware with just 16 minutes of action.

– Nonetheless with 10 points and five rebounds.

– Double the minutes and the math speaks for itself.

– Yes, Adebayo was good, very good in this one. But it’s not as if Ware was minimal-minutes bad.

– With Norman Powell back after missing a game with lower-back soreness, the Heat went back to a lineup of Powell, Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell.

– That lineup entered 2-3.

– The Suns opened with a lineup of Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale and Mark Williams.

– Booker then was forced to the locker room with an injury late in the third period, before returning in the fourth.

– With Mitchell retreating earlier to the Heat locker room with a game-ending shoulder contusion.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. again was first off the Heat bench.

– With Pelle Larsson and Ware then following together.

– That again had Dru Smith out of the initial mix, before entering for the first time with 54.2 seconds left in the first half.

– As Kasparas Jakucionis looked on, again a spectator.

– In entering on a three-game losing streak, Spoelstra said one priority was clear.

– “We just have to be better at sustaining,” he said, lamenting recent third-quarter struggles.

– Didn’t happen, with a 20-4 Suns run at the top of the third.

– Spoelstra added, “I would say the largest part of our team right now is being able to sustain our style of play.”

– Spoelstra then clarified to avoid misconception.

– “That doesn’t just mean the pace, what everybody thinks about,” he said. “It is our type of defense, the activity level, the physicality. And then, yes, offensively doing things with a fullcourt pace and a halfcourt pace and intention, when we do get forced into the halfcourt.”

– The sky, Spoelstra said, is not falling.

– “We’ve shown more times a game that we can play well, and then there’s these pockets where we just haven’t been able to sustain,” he said. “But I would say the last month or five weeks, we’ve only had two duds of games.”

– As in the losses to the lowly Kings and Pacers.

– “The rest of them,” he said, “we’ve played really well for large stretches of games.”

– Spoelstra added, “To me, that says we should have more wins than we have right now. But this inability to really sustain and have that consistency more throughout the course of the game has really, really hurt us. And we have to grow from that.”

– Through it all, a level of hope.

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– “I think we will. Our guys understand that. We have a competitive group,” he said. “We have a group that has big aspirations, that wants to win, wants to move up in the East.”

– Spoelstra was asked before the game why this has worked so well this season with Powell.

– “He still has that kind of chip on his shoulder and willingness to play a role of who he used to be, but an ambition to try to do more and be more, given opportunities,” Spoelstra said. “He’s found a nice balance in that.”

– Spoelstra said the Suns, in exceeding expectations, are where the Heat thought they could be.

– “We view them as probably similar to us. I just think they’ve done that at a higher level and more consistent,” he said. “I think they’ve been pretty steady and steadfast in who they are. They defend at a higher level, they share the ball, they play a collective game, and they don’t fatigue. They do it night in and night out, and that’s given them the opportunity to be plus nine, where we hoped we would be at this point.”

– He added, “They’ve done it, and that’s a good example for us.”

– Of the Heat’s offense, Suns coach Jordan Ott was complimentary.

– “Kind of similar to OKC in a different way, but they’re going to come right to you, and they’re going to be aggressive,” he said. “They’re physical, trying to get to the rim.”

MIAMI — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra began the night speaking about recent quality pockets of play, even as his team entered on a three-game losing streak. He also warned of how third-period lulls had produced that skid.

So again on Monday, quality pockets of play.

And, again, a third-quarter lull.

This time, though, a different final chapter, with Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell draining late 3-pointers to end the skid and produce a 127-121 victory Tuesday night over the Phoenix Suns at Kaseya Center.

“It was good to see us overcome the third quarter. There was a little bit of a glitch there,” a relieved Spoelstra said afterward.

From a 20-point lead early in the third period, the Heat had to fight to the finish, with the fight there on a night Adebayo found his shooting stroke and Powell returned from a one-game absence due to back pain.

Adebayo led the Heat with 29 points and nine rebounds, supported by 27 points from Powell and 23 from Tyler Herro.

“It was good to see us come out on the winning side versus a very competitive team that was making plays,” Spoelstra said.

Up next on this three-game home stand is a Thursday night game against the Boston Celtics.

“We had the right intentions coming out, trying to play the right way, play with the right energy,” Powell said. “I just liked our mentality and the way we stuck together and kept fighting and didn’t cave in.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat led 36-28 after the first quarter, went up 18 in the second period before taking a 71-54 lead into the intermission.

But that is when the Suns outscored the Heat 20-4 to open the third period, ultimately resulting in a 92-92 tie going into the fourth.

With 9:11 to play, the Suns then took their first lead, at 101-99, eventually pushing their lead to seven.

A pair of Adebayo 3-pointers then cut the deficit to 114-113 with 2:27 to play, with another putting the Heat up 116-114 with 1:49 left.

“The ball found the right karma,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo’s 3-pointers. “I thought he earned it, to have a great night. He just really did.”

From there, it was tied twice, before a Powell 3-pointer put the Heat up 121-118 with 48.2 seconds to play.

“I thought tonight we did a great job of holding on to the rope,” Powell said, “trusting one another, continuing to fight, continuing to make winning plays down the stretch of the game.”

A pair of Suns turnovers followed, leaving the Heat in possession up three with 11.5 seconds to play, effectively ending it.

“The fourth quarter was terrific,” Spoelstra said, “just from a competitive standpoint and the mental toughness to come back.”

2. Bam back: After a miserable stretch of low scoring and missed shots, Adebayo took and made the Heat’s first two shots, then moving to 4 of 4 from the field and 2 of 2 on 3-pointers, scoring 10 of the Heat’s first 21 points.

Adebayo entered having scored in single digits in two of his three previous games, including six points in Sunday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Adebayo’s 16 points at halftime match his high over the previous 11 appearances.

Spoelstra also noted the defense and leadership at the moments of truth.

“He was basically doing everything,” Spoelstra said. “So he filled up the box score in all the statistical ways, but then all the winning and tangible ways, as well. And that’s why I say the karma of the game, it found him.”

Adebayo said he had no doubts of better days ahead.

“It feels great to see the ball go in,” he said. “I’ve been through a slump two weeks, and you don’t overreact to it.”

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• Blow it up? Spoelstra has strong thoughts on such a notion for Heat
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• ASK IRA: Is Heat solution starting Ware and moving Mitchell to second unit?
• Rescheduled Chicago game leaves the Heat with a Bulls-a-palooza

3. Tyler time: Meanwhile, Herro continued with his ease of offense in his fourth game back after being sidelined since Dec. 9 with a toe contusion.

Herro then got a chance as the focus of the Heat offense when Powell was forced to the bench with his fifth foul with 5:02 to play.

Herro closed 8 of 18 from the field, and made it work alongside Powell.

“The synergy will be there if we just can consistently play the way we know we need to play,” Spoelstra said of the Herro-Powell pairing.

Of continuing to regain his stride, Herro said, “Just continuing to play the right way and just making the right plays for each other, leaning on each other.”

4. Powell plays: Sidelined Sunday by lower-back soreness, Powell returned to the mix, which required another Spoelstra shuffle.

This time it was Powell back into a starting lineup alongside Adebayo, Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell.

Pelle Larsson had started Sunday in place of Powell.

The revised mix had Dru Smith out of the initial rotation, as was the case when Powell last played, in Saturday’s loss in Indiana.

Through it all, Kel’el Ware played his third consecutive game off the bench.

As for working alongside Herro, Powell said he sees only positives.

“We’re just going to keep working,” Powell said. “We’re both confident, not only in our own abilities, but in each other. We’re talking to each other out the course of the game. We’re talking to each other on the bench.”

5. Mitchell goes out: Mitchell took a jolt to his left shoulder fighting through a screen early in the third quarter. With his left arm hanging at his side, he then scored in transition on the next possession.

But with 9:07 left in the third quarter, after being called for his fourth foul, Mitchell went to the locker room, replaced by Smith.

He closed with nine points and six assists in his 19 minutes.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tre Donaldson scored 23 points, Malik Reneau recorded a double-double and Miami took control in the second half to beat Notre Dame 81-69 on Tuesday night.

Reneau scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with five steals, Shelton Henderson added 17 points and Dante Allen had 11 points for Miami (15-2, 4-0 ACC), which shot 50% (29 for 58).

Jalen Haralson scored 18 points and reserve Sir Mohammed had 15 points for Notre Dame (10-7, 1-3), which has lost four of its last five.

The Hurricanes used a 17-5 run in the first six minutes of the second half to turn a 39-all halftime score into a 56-44 advantage. Donaldson made 4 of 5 shot attempts and scored nine points during that span.

It took nearly 10 minutes for the Irish to score 10 points in the second half. Notre Dame could only get within seven points on two occasions in the last nine minutes.

The Hurricanes won their 10th straight game, the first time the program has accomplished the feat in eight seasons.

Up next

Miami travels to face 22nd-ranked Clemson on Saturday.

By ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Multiple Americans who were detained in Venezuela have been released, the Trump administration said Tuesday.

“We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” the State Department said.

“This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.” It comes after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid earlier this month.

The head of Venezuela’s national assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, said last week that a “significant number” of Venezuelan and foreigners imprisoned in the country would be released as a gesture to “seek peace” following the military operation that deposed Maduro.

As of Tuesday evening, the Venezuela human rights group Foro Penal had confirmed 56 prisoners it said were detained for political reasons had been freed. The group criticized the lack of government transparency over the releases. Venezuela’s government negated the organization’s count, and reported a far higher figure of 400 Tuesday afternoon.

But the government did not provide evidence of the releases or a time range in which they were carried out, nor did it identify those freed, making it impossible to determine whether those freed were behind bars for political or other reasons.

In July, Venezuela released 10 jailed U.S. citizens and permanent residents in exchange for getting home scores of migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

NEW YORK — Left-hander Ryan Weathers was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Miami Marlins on Tuesday for four prospects, a move to bolster a rotation that will be missing Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón when the season starts.

Miami received outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis and infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus.

Weathers, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts last year in his second straight injury-shortened season. He missed time with a strained left flexor, made his season debut on May 14, then didn’t pitch for Miami between June 7 and Sept. 11 because of a left lat strain.

He was 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA over 16 starts in 2024, when he was sidelined by a strained left index finger. He is a son of former Yankee David Weathers.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Weathers agreed last week to a $1.35 million, one-year contract. He is on track to become eligible for free agency after the 2028 World Series.

New York’s rotation projects to include Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil.

Cole is expected to return to the Yankees in May or June following Tommy John surgery on March 11, and Rodón is projected back in late April or May after surgery on Oct. 15 to remove loose bodies in his left elbow and shave a bone spur.

The Yankees re-signed Ryan Yarbrough for pitching depth and have a pending agreement to re-sign Paul Blackburn.

Miami dealt its second pitcher in a week after sending Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs.

By GRAHAM LEE BREWER

The president of Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota on Tuesday called for the immediate release of tribal members who were detained at a homeless encampment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota last week.

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Three of the four Oglala Sioux Tribe members who were arrested in Minneapolis on Friday have been transferred to an ICE facility at Fort Snelling, President Frank Star Comes Out said in a statement released with a memorandum sent to federal immigration authorities.

“The Oglala Sioux Tribe’s memorandum makes clear that ‘tribal citizens are not aliens’ and are ‘categorically outside immigration jurisdiction,’” Star Comes Out said. “Enrolled tribal members are citizens of the United States by statute and citizens of the Oglala Sioux Nation by treaty.”

Details about the circumstances that led to their detention were unclear.

In the memorandum sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Star Comes Out said the when tribal nation reached out to the agency it was provided with only the first names of the men. Homeland Security refused to release more information, unless the tribe “entered into an immigration agreement with ICE.”

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.

Star Comes Out said the tribe has no plans enter an agreement with ICE.

In a post to his Facebook page, Star Comes Out said that the four detained tribal members are experiencing homelessness and living under a bridge in Minneapolis. One of the members was released from detention.

In the press release, he demanded information on the status of the three men in detention, the release of all tribal citizens in ICE custody and a meeting between the tribe and the government.

By CEDAR ATTANASIO

SEATTLE (AP) — Six puppies in rural Washington state will soon be up for adoption after being revived after a suspected drug overdose — and some of them might go home with the fire-station staff who saved them.

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Two people dropped off three of the sickened puppies at Sky Valley Fire, about an hour’s drive northeast of Seattle, on Sunday. Officials believe the animals either breathed or ate fentanyl.

Firefighters sprayed the anti-overdose medication naloxone up their noses, and also treated them with oxygen and even performed CPR. It wasn’t long before their tails started wagging, Battalion Chief Brandon Vargas said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputies tracked down the people believed to have dropped off the dogs and found three more puppies that also needed treatment. An animal cruelty or neglect investigation is underway. The pair claimed they were caring for the puppies temporarily, authorities said.

There have been a number of other cases nationally where pets have been saved after being exposed to fentanyl or other opioids.

The puppies have a clean bill of health, but are being quarantined for about one more week before being released for adoption, said David Byrd, manager of Snohomish County Animal Services.

The Everett animal shelter that has been monitoring their health has been overwhelmed with adoption offers, and asked people to not call the shelter with questions about the puppies.

“We definitely have some personnel that are interested in wanting to adopt those,” Vargas said.

Louie Bossi, the chef, partner and namesake of Louie Bossi’s Ristorante in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, was arrested Monday on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, court records show.

Bossi’s wife called police after an argument with Bossi, 58, in which she said her husband pushed her and threatened her at their Palm Beach County home, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest.

As the two were arguing in their bedroom, Bossi allegedly threw a water bottle at his wife and missed, the affidavit said. His wife told deputies that he then came toward her aggressively, grabbed her by her hair on the back of her head and pushed her against a wall, the affidavit said.

Bossi’s wife told deputies she held out her hand to try to prevent her face from hitting the wall, and her husband then grabbed her right wrist and pulled her toward the door, “screaming for her to get out of the house,” the affidavit said.

Louie Bossi: From heroin addict to kitchen kingpin

While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, Bossi’s wife said he was shouting: “I’m going to kill you,” according to the affidavit.

A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy who responded to the call wrote in the affidavit that Bossi’s wife had bruising and scratches on her right wrist. She declined to be medically treated at the scene, the affidavit said.

Bossi told the deputy he and his wife had an argument over his wife’s medication and that she had “aggressively approached him so he put his hands on her shoulders” to prevent her from getting to him, according to the affidavit.

He was handcuffed and put in the back of the deputy’s patrol car. Jail records show he was released Tuesday afternoon after posting bail on a $1,000 bond.

South Florida restaurateur and chef Louie Bossi was arrested Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge. (Courtesy/Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)

Bossi and representatives of Big Time Restaurant Group, which operates the restaurants, did not respond to phone and email messages on Tuesday evening.

Louie Bossi’s Ristorante first opened in Fort Lauderdale on Las Olas Boulevard in 2015. The second location in Boca Raton was forced to close in April 2025 after a kitchen fire. It reopened in November with an updated look.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel in 2017 chronicled Bossi’s troubled upbringing in Queens, N.Y. and New Jersey and his rise in the South Florida service industry after overcoming a heroin addiction.

Staff writer Phillip Valys contributed to this report. 

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.