News

SoundGround Homes Enhances Home Inspection Services in Northern California  clarionledger.com

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a new employee at a large company. How do I respond to nosy co-workers asking about where I previously worked?

Related Articles

• Miss Manners: A new volunteer behaved unforgivably toward me. I want her fired
• Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore
• Miss Manners: My father cares more about his outfit than being in my wedding
• Miss Manners: I told my wedding guests ‘no gifts’ but I didn’t expect this to happen
• Miss Manners: What do I tell the restaurant staff when the ladies’ room is too gross to use?

I want to be polite, but I feel my privacy is being invaded.

GENTLE READER: Expecting your co-workers to stick to business is entirely reasonable, and Miss Manners would understand if you found questions about your personal life to be intrusive.

But questions about previous employment seem a reasonable way of getting to know the people with whom you will be spending a great deal of time. Remember that how much information you divulge when answering such questions is up to you.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Strangers want to make small talk with me while waiting in grocery checkout lines, at bus stops, at the bank, during flights, etc. I do not want to make friends with strangers every time I step outside my house.

When this happens, I can’t bring myself to tell these people, “I’m sorry, but I don’t really want to talk,” because it is considered rude.

I attempt to drop gentle hints that I want to be left alone, through body language and short answers to their questions, but most of these people seem to be immune to hints.

So, I am forced to think up innovative ways to avoid talking while being careful not to hurt their feelings. For instance, in order to avoid a chatty lady who wants to become my friend at my regular bus stop, I go to another stop that is slightly out of my way. Once on a nine-hour flight, I was seated next to a talker, and I craned my neck the other way for the entire nine hours in order to avoid catching their eye, which would have led to a long conversation.

First, the obvious question: How can I let these well-meaning folks know, without being rude, that I do not wish to have a conversation?

The second part of my question is more philosophical than practical. Why is it not considered rude to engage me in conversation against my will, but it IS considered rude to tell people you don’t want to talk? Why is their desire to talk to me more valid than my wish not to talk to them? Is there an etiquette rule that says I must suffer instead of them?

Related Articles

• Asking Eric: Friends are shunning me for questioning the HOA
• Miss Manners: A new volunteer behaved unforgivably toward me. I want her fired
• Asking Eric: She shows up late and then says I’m uptight
• Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore
• Asking Eric: I won’t let her smoke in my yard. She says I’m being unreasonable

GENTLE READER: Our ideas about rules and laws are inevitably shaped by major ones like the Ten Commandments and the Bill of Rights, which are short and pithy. But as a species, we don’t like to read (or take) instructions. Even the big rules are understood to include fine print, like killing in self-defense or not shouting “fire” in a crowded theater.

Yes, it is impolite not to respond when spoken to. But it is also impolite to engage someone in conversation against that person’s inclination.

Miss Manners assures you that you are not being impolite if, after one or two short responses, you find something to do that won’t give you a stiff neck and instead say, “Excuse me, I’m going to return to my book now.” Or “my thoughts.”

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: My partner and I have been together for a few years and have been living in a rented house. It’s time for us to buy our first house. Do you have any recommendations on what we should be looking for in our new home? — Christine

A: There is no shortage of advice when you are looking to buy your first home.

The first thing to understand is that the concept of a perfect home is a myth. There is no such thing, and what you should be looking for is the best home you can afford that fits your family and lifestyle.

The reality is that you need a home in good repair, at the right price, and in the best location for your family.

Start by making a list of the features most important to you, such as proximity to work or good schools, a certain number of bedrooms, large closets, or a garage. Try to find a home that checks as many of those boxes as possible.

Then consider the area you want to live in. If you know the general area well, perhaps because it is close to where you live now, this shouldn’t be too hard.

But if you’re new to an area or not finding what you’re looking for locally, you can branch out and explore other areas.

If you go this route, try to visit the area you’re considering at different times of the week and at different times of day. What might be a quiet neighborhood on a Tuesday at 3 p.m. can be absolute chaos on a Saturday night.

Finally, be realistic about who you are and what you want to do.

It may seem like a good idea to live in a community with lots of activities at the recreational center, but if you aren’t someone who likes that sort of thing or the idea of a strict homeowners’ association telling you what color to paint your mailbox, it’s not going to work for you.

For example, if you’re just not the person who goes to a farmers’ market, even if you like the idea of doing so, don’t choose an area with farmers’ markets, because in reality, you haven’t been going to one for all these years for a reason. It’s just not your thing.

While it’s good to be aspirational, you should look for a home that suits who you are, not necessarily who you hope to become.

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. 

The vote got us into this mess, and the vote will get us out.

There isn’t space enough on our bumpers, our lapels or this page for all the stickers, buttons or words to express opposition to what is wrong with the actions of this administration. Their policies are literally killing us, and if we don’t vote like hell, to paraphrase the twice-impeached president, we won’t have a country anymore.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently dismissed a journalist by declaring that the real world is governed by strength, force and power. I agree with the words, if not the intent. Our collective vote in November has the strength, force and power to hold the line and stop the trauma we see and feel from this callous, indifferent administration.

The vote. All over the world, people fight like hell to get it. Florida’s deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation is July 20, 2026.

Nancy S Cohen, Lighthouse Point

(Editor’s Note: To register to vote online or update your registration, go to registertovoteflorida.gov.)

Honored in Lauderhill Susie Davidson Samuel Wilkerson, who marched in St. Augustine in 1964 with MLK and helped secure passage of the Civil Rights Act, receives the first John Lewis Good Trouble Award from Lewis' daughters, Angela Lewis Warren and Sheila Lewis O'Brien. Mrs. Wilkerson is at right.

In a night of commemoration, admiration and inspiration, Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter, spoke at MLK Legacy Night at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center on Jan. 17.

The late U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ daughters Sheila Lewis O’Brien and Angela Lewis Warren were also honored onstage.

The lineup of speakers was truly breathtaking at the event, dedicated to the memories of former Lauderhill Commissioner M. Margaret Bates, who died in November, and former Lauderhill City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith, who died in September.

Also representing the city were Mayor Denise Grant, Vice Mayor Richard Campbell, Commissioners Melissa Dunn, John Hopson and Ray Martin and City Manager Kennie Hobbs, Jr.

The inaugural Lauderhill John Lewis Good Trouble Award was presented to city resident Samuel L. Wilkerson, who marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in St. Augustine at the historic Last March for the Civil Rights Act in June 1964, weeks before it was signed into law.

Susie Davidson, Fort Lauderdale

The writer is a freelance journalist.

The sad state we’re in

I did not vote for Donald Trump, but I respect the fact that he won a majority of electoral votes and is president for three more years.

I watch CNN, and at times Fox News, to better understand another viewpoint. At times, I sit back and try to make sense of the tumult in our country and throughout the world.

Our president, in spite of his shortcomings, has made some very positive changes in a very short time. But it’s a very sad state when listening to him every day, because you have to separate the facts from overt fiction, and how he makes an untruth and builds a case around it.

It’s a sad state when his staff members have to kowtow to him in front of the cameras to keep their jobs, or when his press secretary spews lies to the press to satiate her boss. My only salvation is that election day is around the corner. Make your voices heard!

Neil Levine, Boca Raton

A total fiasco

A summary of Donald Trump’s speech at the Davos, Switzerland World Economic Forum: It was insulting, offensive, belittling, humiliating and defaming of our long-time allies. A scurrilous, scandalous, diabolical diatribe.

Donald Kogan, Boca Raton

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]

Here are the top stories for today. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Coldest in 15 years: One-two polar punch could break South Florida records this weekend

Broward schools will hold graduations in the same venues as last year

What’s the most romantic restaurant in South Florida? Nominate the ones you love here

Tri-Rail leader David Dech resigns to head Midwest commuter railroad

Weekend things to do: Bailey Zimmerman, Greek festivals, Riverdance, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter party

Union workers rally at Fort Lauderdale airport to extend protection status for Haitian immigrants

Saks closing Miramar support center, laying off all workers

Detainees at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ say they were punished for seeking legal help

AIDS Healthcare Foundation seeks ruling against DOH’s proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS treatment, meds

Miss Manners: A new volunteer behaved unforgivably toward me. I want her fired

Today is Thursday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2026. There are 336 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 29, 2002, in his first State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America — and warned of “an axis of evil” consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

Also on this date:

In 1891, following the death of her brother Kalākaua, Lili‘uokalani was sworn in as the first and only queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. (Her reign would end two years later when the Hawaiian monarchy was abolished following a U.S. military-supported coup d’état.)

Related Articles

• TikTok star Shirley Raines, known for bringing meals and respect to people on LA’s Skid Row, dies at 58
• Gerber recalls arrowroot biscuits that might contain pieces of plastic or paper
• Tesla made smallest annual profit since the pandemic, plans to spend big on robotaxis and robots
• Union workers rally at Fort Lauderdale airport to extend protection status for Haitian immigrants
• Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyer who helped prosecute the George Floyd case

In 1936, the first five inductees of baseball’s Hall of Fame — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson — were elected in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping (dung shah-oh-ping) to the White House, following the establishment of full diplomatic relations.

In 1995, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team in NFL history to win five Super Bowl titles, beating the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX.

In 1998, a bomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, killing a security guard and critically injuring a nurse. (The bomber, Eric Rudolph, also admitted to carrying out the deadly bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and other attacks and is serving multiple life sentences.)

In 2013, the Justice Department ended its criminal probe of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with a U.S. judge agreeing to let London-based oil giant BP PLC plead guilty to manslaughter charges for the deaths of 11 rig workers and pay a record $4 billion in penalties.

In 2017, six people were killed in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque during evening prayers. (Alexandre Bissonnette, who was arrested nearby, pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges and drew a life prison sentence.)

In 2025, a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft as the jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy Potomac River.

Today’s birthdays:

• Feminist author Germaine Greer is 87.
• Actor Katharine Ross is 86.
• Actor Tom Selleck is 81.
• R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 73.
• TV host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey is 72.
• Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis is 66.
• Football Hall of Famer Andre Reed is 62.
• Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hašek is 61.
• Actor-director Edward Burns is 58.
• Actor Sara Gilbert is 51.
• Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert is 44.
• Actor Jakob Davies is 23.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Malik Reneau scored 20 points, Tre Donaldson added 18, and Miami pulled away inside the final seven minutes to beat Stanford 79-70 on Wednesday night.

Miami used an 11-2 run to tie it at 51-all with 9:35 to play. About two minutes later, Dante Allen’s 3-pointer sparked another 11-2 surge that gave the Hurricanes a 67-58 advantage with 2:46 remaining before they sealed it from the free-throw line.

Shelton Henderson and Tru Washington added 12 points apiece for Miami (17-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which has won consecutive games since a two-game skid ended a 10-game win streak.

Ebuka Okorie scored 19 points and Benny Gealer added 17 to lead Stanford (14-7, 3-5). Ryan Agarwal chipped in with 11 points and AJ Rohosy scored 10.

Okorie scored 11 points and Agarwal added nine to help give Stanford a 40-35 halftime advantage. The Cardinal hit 7 of 14 from distance and shot 52% (16 of 31). Donaldson and Reneau scored 13 points apiece in the first half for the Hurricanes.

Miami made half of its 28 field goals after the break while Stanford shot 35.5% (11 of 31) from the floor.

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thomas Haugh scored 18 points while Rueben Chinyelu had 14 points and 11 rebounds as No. 19 Florida pounded South Carolina 95-48 on Wednesday night.

The Gators (15-6, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) came in off a disappointing home loss to Auburn this past Saturday and, once they got going, took it out on the Gamecocks (11-10, 2-6).

Neither team look sharp early, with Florida missing five of its first seven shots and South Carolina going 1 of 6 as the Gators led 12-8. Then Florida turned it into a rout with a 36-12 run.

Urban Klavzar got things going with back-to-back 3s. Haugh made four straight shots — the Gators had a stretch of 10 in a row — including a three-point play and a 3 to put Florida up 46-18.

Florida finished by matching its largest margin of victory in an SEC road game, according to ESPN.

South Carolina fans began heading to the exits with about 30 seconds until halftime. Most did not return as the Gamecocks lost for the fifth time in six games and dropped their third straight to Florida.

Gators freshman Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, entered for the final 1:49 after the Florida bench got supporters to call for him. The 7-foot-9 Rioux never came close to scoring.

Chinyelu shot 7 of 7 from the field in his 12th double-double of the season. Alex Condon finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Gators.

Eli Ellis led South Carolina with 13 points.

Up next

Florida: Hosts No. 23 Alabama on Sunday.

South Carolina: Hosts LSU on Saturday night.

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 133-124 loss to the Orlando Magic:

– As the entire league’s focus turned to the potential availability of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat was among the teams drawn into the debate.

– Now with the NBA trade deadline a week away, on Feb. 5.

– “We don’t really give it any time,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The veteran players understand that so much of it is just conjecture.”

– But is it also a distraction?

– One would have to wonder after this performance.

– “It’s just a bunch of BS. But it is part of our business,” Spoelstra said pregame of the conjecture. “That’s what we all sign up for. You have to be a professional all the way through.”

– What matters, Spoelstra said, are these games ahead of the deadline.

– “The most important thing is we’re at an opportunity right now,” he said. “With all these games that are in front of us, it’s an opportunity to play well and move up.”

– Or there could be a second-half collapse, as there was in this one.

–  Between now and the deadline, the Heat play at the Bulls on Thursday night, at home against the Bulls on both Saturday and Sunday night, and then against the visiting Hawks on Tuesday night.

– Winnable? Sure.

– But supposedly so was this one.

– Davion Mitchell missed his fourth consecutive game and six overall with his shoulder sprain.

– And, yes, Spoelstra said, he has been missed.

– “He’s our point-of-attack defender and our pace is great with him,” Spoelstra said,

– The minutes in the interim have gone to Kasparas Jakucionis and Dru Smith.

– “While he’s been out,” Spoelstra said of Mitchell, “I think Kas and Dru have done a very good job with both of those things. They just do it in a different way. We miss him, but we want to be smart about it.”

– Jackucionis was limited in this one.

– But Smith again was good.

– As for where Mitchell stands with the shoulder, Spoelstra said, “I think if he was just doing non-contact right now, he’d be fine. So we’re just going to continue to treat him and then he’s doing more and more on the court. And when he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”

Related Articles

• Heat continue to be at a loss vs. Magic, falling to 0-4 vs. Orlando with 133-124 setback
• Heat next enter revised portion of their schedule created by Chicago postponement
• Ira Winderman: At maximum, what could Heat offer Bucks for Giannis? This
• ASK IRA: Is Heat starting role something Tyler Herro will have to earn back?
• Heat, Spoelstra celebrate Ware’s Rising Stars selection, with center poised for return from hamstring

– Of opening the stretch of four games in five nights on Wednesday night Spoelstra said, “I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves. We’ll manage our energy the best that we can.”

– It was almost as if they paced themselves out of the second half.

– With Mitchell missing his sixth game with a shoulder contusion, the Heat opened for the fourth consecutive game with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson and Jakucionis.

– That lineup entered 3-1.

– It was Larsson’s 25th start.

– Adebayo was good.

– The rest of the starting lineup?

– Not so much.

– The Magic opened with a lineup of  Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.

–  Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic entered together first off the Heat bench.

– Smith followed.

– With Simone Fontecchio making it nine deep.

– And then Kel’el Ware as 10th man.

– The limited use of Ware was curious, to say the least.

MIAMI — Yes, the Orlando Magic have the Miami Heat’s number.

So make it 4-0 for the Magic against the Heat this season with their 133-124 victory Wednesday night at Kaseya Center, a run that also includes an NBA Cup victory.

Actually, make it 6-0 if you choose to add a couple of Heat preseason losses to the Magic.

As in the case of the previous regular-season losses to the Magic, there were moments of Heat dominance. As in those previous losses, there also were moments in the second half when the Magic simply brushed the Heat aside.

“In all four games, we’ve had great first halves,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just have not been able to sustain it against that team.”

So the momentum of those weekend victories at the end of the five-game western swing lost, instead another miserable third quarter and precious few quality Heat performances on a night the Magic scored 62 points in the paint.

“We struggled to defend them, so that stacks up their paint points,” Spoelstra said.

Bam Adebayo did his part for the Heat, with 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, with Simone Fontecchio adding 23 points for the Heat and Norman Powell 20.

Otherwise, too many flat performances to produce anything tangible.

“We can’t keep having games where we have an opportunity to get a good win, a signature win, and we don’t seize that opportunity,” Powell said.

The Heat again played in the injury absences of Tyler Herro (ribs) and Davion Mitchell (shoulder), with the Magic without Franz Wagner (ankle).

The Heat meet one more time this season, March 14 at Kaseya Center.

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Magic led 34-27 after the opening period, with the Heat then storming back to a 68-59 halftime lead. The Magic then reversed the momentum in the third, taking a 99-88 lead into the fourth.

“I mean, that’s our Achilles heel. I mean, it sucks, honestly,” Powell said of yet another third-quarter collapse. “This season we’ve come out very flat, knowing that we’ve come out flat in the third quarters, and we haven’t changed it as a team.”

The Heat then went down 13 early in the fourth, before closing within 107-104 with 8:27 to play on an Adebayo 3-pointer.

From there, the Magic pushed back to a 121-104 lead with 5:47 to play, with the Heat closing within 128-122 with 1:25 to play on a Powell three-point play, points that ultimately proved too little too late.

The Heat closed with 18 turnovers to seven for the Magic.

“We didn’t take care of the ball,” Adebayo said.

2. Where’s Ware?: After Kel’el Ware missed the previous four games with a hamstring strain, returned to practice Tuesday, and then was cleared two hours prior to tip-off, he was utilized as a 10th man, not entering until 7:36 remained in the second period.

Instead, Nikola Jovic entered initially in place of Adebayo and later played alongside Adebayo. In addition to starting Adebayo, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis, Spoelstra then played Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith and Fontecchio off the bench ahead of Ware.

Ware played only 4:25 in the first half, then getting a three-minute stint in the third quarter.

He closed with four points and four rebounds in seven minutes.

“It was just easing him back,” Spoelstra said. “We’ll see where that goes. We’re just going to go with the normal rotation we did on the road trip. We’ll just see where it goes.”

Related Articles

• Winderman’s view: Heat’s minds elsewhere in loss to Magic as trade deadline looms?
• Heat next enter revised portion of their schedule created by Chicago postponement
• Ira Winderman: At maximum, what could Heat offer Bucks for Giannis? This
• ASK IRA: Is Heat starting role something Tyler Herro will have to earn back?
• Heat, Spoelstra celebrate Ware’s Rising Stars selection, with center poised for return from hamstring

3. Simone sizzle: Fontecchio scored 14 points in his opening 10-minute stint, shooting 3 of 4 on 3-pointers during that run.

Fontecchio also was active on the boards, as he has been recently, with four rebounds during that initial stint.

Fontecchio stood with 17 points at halftime.

He now has scored in double figures in six of last seven appearances, after failing to do so in his previous 11.

4. Bench boosts: With Powell showing the drain of being the sole wing scoring focus for most of the season in Herro’s absence, the Heat got needed bench boosts from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Dru Smith.

Jaquez again was solid in attack mode, while Smith outplayed Jakucionis, earning the late minutes at point guard.

Jaquez and Smith each closed with 13 points.

Of his play, Powell said his defense has to be better.

“Coach called me out about it, specifically being in the help position in the low-man area and making a stand,” Powell said. “So I’ve got to be better on that end, as well, and come out with a better defensive approach and intensity to the game.”

5. And now non-stop Bulls hit: The focus will be singular for the Heat the balance of this run of four games in five nights, with a Thursday night game in Chicago and then home games against the Bulls on Saturday and Sunday nights.

The Bulls also will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back set on Thursday night, after losing 113-110 Wednesday night in Indiana, a game that was over before the Heat began their fourth quarter against the Magic.

“This is where all the positioning and seedings and stuff start to take place if we want to do something in the playoffs and get out of the play-in,” Powell said. “We’ve just got to have a better collective approach and energy.”

‘Madness’ at home inspection as Albo scheme backfires  News.com.au

By REBECCA BOONE

Shirley Raines, a social media creator and nonprofit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died, her organization Beauty 2 The Streetz said Wednesday. She was 58.

Related Articles

• Today in History: January 29, Bush warns of ‘axis of evil’
• Gerber recalls arrowroot biscuits that might contain pieces of plastic or paper
• Tesla made smallest annual profit since the pandemic, plans to spend big on robotaxis and robots
• Union workers rally at Fort Lauderdale airport to extend protection status for Haitian immigrants
• Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyer who helped prosecute the George Floyd case

Raines was known as “Ms. Shirley,” to her more than 5 million TikTok followers and to the people who regularly lined up for the food, beauty treatments and hygiene supplies she brought to Los Angeles’ Skid Row and other homeless communities in California and Nevada.

Raines’ life made an “immeasurable impact,” Beauty 2 The Streetz wrote on social media.

“Through her tireless advocacy, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment, she used her powerful media platform to amplify the voices of those in need and to bring dignity, resources, and hope to some of the most underserved populations,” the organization said.

Raines’ cause of death was not released, but the organization said it would share additional information when it is available.

Raines had six children. One son died as a toddler — an experience that left her a “very broken woman,” Raines said in 2021 when she was named CNN’s Hero of the Year.

“It’s important you know that broken people are still very much useful,” she said during the CNN award ceremony.

That deep grief led her to begin helping the homeless.

“I would rather have him back than anything in the world, but I am a mother without a son, and there are a lot of people in the street that are without a mother,” she said. “And I feel like it’s a fair exchange — I’m here for them.”

Raines began working with homeless communities in 2017. On Monday, Raines posted a video shot from inside her car as she handed out lunches to a line of people standing outside her passenger window. She greeted her clients with warm enthusiasm and respect, calling them “King,” or “Queen.”

One man told her he was able to get into an apartment.

“God is good! Look at you!” Raines replied, her usual cheerfulness stepping up a notch. In a video posted two weeks earlier, she handed her shoes to a barefoot child who was waiting for a meal, protecting the girl’s feet from the chilly asphalt.

California’s homelessness crisis is especially visible in downtown Los Angeles, where hundreds of people live in makeshift shanties that line entire blocks in the notorious neighborhood known as Skid Row. Tents regularly pop up on the pavement outside City Hall. Encampments are increasingly found in suburban areas under freeway overpasses. A 2025 survey found that about 72,000 people were homeless on any given night across Los Angeles County.

Crushow Herring, the art director of the Sidewalk Project, said Raines was both sentimental and protective of the homeless community. The Sidewalk Project uses art and peer empowerment programs to help people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been getting calls all morning from people, not just who live in Skid Row but Angelenos who are shocked” by Raines’ death, Herring said. “To see the work she did, and how people couldn’t wait to see her come out? It was a great mission. What most people need is just feeling dignity about themselves, because if they look better, they feel better.”

Raines would often give people on the street a position working with her as she provided haircuts or handed out goods, Herring said.

“By the time a year or two goes by, they’re part of the organization — they have responsibility, they have something to look forward to,” he said. “She always had people around her that were motivational, and generous and polite to community members.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 21: Shirley Raines poses in the press room during the 56th NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors on February 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for NAACP)

In 2025, Raines was named the NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Social Media Personality. Other social media creators lauded her work and shared their own grief online Wednesday.

“Ms. Shirley was truly the best of us, love incarnate,” wrote Alexis Nikole Nelson, a foraging educator and social media creator known as “blackforager.”

“In shock,” wrote Upworthy. “Thank you for lifting so many up. May you rest in peace and power.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a freelance journalist who has been living, off and on, in a private room at a hostel off the beaten path.

Related Articles

• Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore
• Miss Manners: My father cares more about his outfit than being in my wedding
• Miss Manners: I told my wedding guests ‘no gifts’ but I didn’t expect this to happen
• Miss Manners: What do I tell the restaurant staff when the ladies’ room is too gross to use?
• Miss Manners: One rude woman is ruining my grandmother’s get-togethers

I love the place because it’s gorgeous and usually has excellent vibes, but there are basically 15 of us keeping it in business. It is unfortunately quite close to a war zone.

Anyway, the most recent time I visited, there was a new volunteer at the hostel. After I had checked out and said my goodbyes, I walked through the gate to catch my ride to the airport.

This volunteer then blocked my way and cornered me. She went on a yelling, screaming rant, saying that I hadn’t left my private room (which I paid $100/night for) clean enough for her liking, and that it’s “not her job” to clean up after me.

I hadn’t even been aware she was a volunteer, as I hadn’t seen her work at all before, and certainly didn’t know she was making up my room. I calmly explained to her that I had tried to clean it a bit (to which she responded, in a mocking tone, “Oh, you tried???”), that most guests don’t clean their rooms in hostels at all, and that when I was a hostel volunteer, I changed something like 200 people’s beds in a day — and that it was, in fact, her job.

She continued to argue with me and corner me, attempting to prevent me from accessing my ride.

What was most upsetting was that the owner refused to fire her because it would be “bad for morale.” He fully expected me to come back a week later — which was originally the plan — but didn’t even offer an apology for the way I was treated, or any assurances as to consequences for her behavior.

I’m so furious. My loyalty, my money, my friendship over the past year … it’s meant nothing, I guess. I want to go back, but this experience has been extremely upsetting. What do I do now?

GENTLE READER: One would have thought yelling at the clients was bad for morale, but these days, Miss Manners is not so sure.

Related Articles

• Asking Eric: She shows up late and then says I’m uptight
• Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore
• Asking Eric: I won’t let her smoke in my yard. She says I’m being unreasonable
• Miss Manners: My father cares more about his outfit than being in my wedding
• Asking Eric: Prices are skyrocketing. Do we tip less or just stop dining out?

There are, no doubt, a number of ways to voice your displeasure to a wider audience online, but that will neither restore the status quo ante nor get you an apology — which is presumably the goal.

Either or both of those outcomes may be possible with a private note to the owner, expressing your disappointment and saying that you won’t be returning since you no longer feel welcome or safe.

It is then up to him to make matters right. Once things have calmed down and the volunteer has moved on — and once he realizes he has lost one of his 15 core customers — the owner will no doubt see things in a different light.

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.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2026. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 28, 2011, protesters opposed to Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule of Egypt seized the streets of Cairo, battling police, burning down ruling party headquarters and defying a military curfew. Hundreds of protesters would be killed in ensuing days in attempts to crush the uprising before Mubarak stepped down as president that February.

Also on this date:

In 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died at age 55; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

Related Articles

• Video shows flames flying from NASA plane that touched down without landing gear
• Mountain lion roams posh San Francisco neighborhood before being captured
• DeSantis administration sends investigators to probe marijuana referendum petitions in Broward
• UPS retires fleet of MD-11 aircraft involved in deadly Kentucky crash
• TikTok faces app deletions, censorship claims and glitches in days after its ownership change

In 1813, the novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen was first published, anonymously, in London.

In 1922, 98 people were killed when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C., collapsed under the weight of nearly 2 feet of snow.

In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on “Stage Show,” a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats; the events were later dramatized in the film “Argo.”

In 1985, to raise funds in support of famine relief in Ethiopia, the supergroup USA For Africa recorded the song “We Are the World.”

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

In 2017, Serena Williams won her record 23rd Open Era Grand Slam singles title, defeating her sister Venus at the Australian Open for what would be her final major championship.

In 2024, three American troops were killed and 25 were injured in a drone strike in Jordan near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by the groups against American forces across the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Today’s birthdays:

• Actor Alan Alda is 90.
• Former NBA coach Gregg Popovich is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Nick Price is 69.
• Film director Frank Darabont is 67.
• Singer Sarah McLachlan is 58.
• Rapper Rakim is 58.
• Humorist Mo Rocca is 57.
• R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is 55.
• Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is 54.
• Rapper Rick Ross is 50.
• Singer Joey Fatone Jr. (’N Sync) is 49.
• Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys) is 46.
• Actor Elijah Wood is 45.
• Rapper J. Cole is 41.
• Actor Ariel Winter is 28.

Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Former condo property manager charged in HOA thefts after Pembroke Pines investigation

A new hotel planned in downtown Boca Raton moves closer to reality. Here’s the latest.

20 dead roaches in oven; live insects in dry macaroni: 1 South Florida restaurant shut

DeSantis administration sends investigators to probe marijuana referendum petitions in Broward

Florida lawmakers look to boost security on college and university campuses

Jazz season in South Florida: 20 concerts to see, from Terence Blanchard to Montreux and Pink Martini

Mystery tech firm revealed: D-Wave Quantum to relocate headquarters to Boca Raton

Florida’s lawmakers back adding Trump name to Palm Beach County airport

A Delray Beach commission seat will remain empty after a repeat deadlock

Miss Manners: Why ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ aren’t appropriate anymore

 

SUNRISE — Mikhail Sergachev scored in the third period to put Utah ahead to stay, and the Mammoth held on for a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Nick Schmaltz, Sean Durzi and Barrett Hayton also scored goals for the Mammoth, who have won nine of their last 11 games and played without top goal-scorer Dylan Guenther, who has a lower-body injury. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves and Durzi also had an assist.

Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe scored goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves for Florida, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Sergachev’s goal with 8:55 to play gave Utah a 3-2 lead and Hayton made it 4-2 with an empty-netter with 56 seconds to play. Verhaeghe scored with 16 seconds left to pull the Panthers within 4-3, setting up a frantic final few seconds.

Schmaltz scored an unassisted short-handed goal with 4:14 to play in the first period when he picked up a loose puck just inside his own blue line, skated in alone and backhanded it past Bobrovsky.

The second short-handed goal of Schmaltz’s NHL career (the first was on March 26, 2024, against Columbus) gives him 15 points in his last 14 games (7 goals, 8 assists).

Vilmanis’ goal 2:52 into the second was the first of his NHL career and tied it at 1-1. The team’s fifth-round draft choice in 2022 was playing in his ninth NHL game.

The Panthers went scoreless on the power play in four chances.

Florida’s A.J. Greer played in his 300th career game.

Up next

Panthers: Visit St. Louis on Thursday night.

Darian Mensah is Miami’s next quarterback, and he is bringing along a top teammate.

Former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate committed to the Hurricanes Tuesday night, according to multiple reports, joining his former quarterback on the road to Coral Gables.

Barkate was the Blue Devils’ top wide receiver in 2025. He led the team with 72 catches, 1,106 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. He was a second-team All-ACC selection.

Barkate, a 6-foot-1 outside wide receiver, had a 76.6 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.

Barkate played three seasons at Harvard before transferring to Duke. While at Harvard, he had 113 catches for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdown catches.

Barkate is the third wide receiver transfer to commit to UM this offseason. He joins former South Carolina wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs and former West Virginia wide receiver Cam Vaughn.

First, the Miami Hurricanes brought in Cam Ward. Then they added Carson Beck. Darian Mensah is next.

The Hurricanes picked up a major transfer portal addition on Tuesday night, securing a pledge from Mensah, the former Duke quarterback. Mensah will almost certainly be Miami’s starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

Mensah has signed with UM, according to multiple reports.

Mensah’s commitment comes amid a legal battle with Duke. The university sued Mensah in order to keep him from transferring to another school. The judge in the case ruled that Mensah could enter the portal but granted a temporary restraining order, keeping Mensah from enrolling in a new school until a Jan. 9 hearing.

On Tuesday, Mensah’s agency, Young Money APAA Sports, announced the quarterback and Duke had reached a settlement agreement that would allow Mensah to transfer. Mensah arrived on UM’s campus for a visit on Tuesday.

Mensah played one season at Duke after transferring from Tulane, helping lead the Blue Devils to an unexpected ACC championship. He threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He was second in the nation in passing yards and tied for second in touchdown passes.

Mensah, a second-team All-ACC selection, had the second-best passing grade in the conference (85), trailing only FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Mensah ranked 13th in the nation.

The Hurricanes looked at several transfer quarterbacks to replace Beck next season. They were reportedly in the mix for Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech. Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt also considered UM, taking a visit to Miami before committing to LSU. Miami also offered Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson over $6 million to forego the NFL draft and play for the Hurricanes, Simpson told On3.

Related Articles

• Hurricanes land transfer Cooper Barkate, Mensah’s top target at Duke
• Kugel scores 17, Burks hits late 3 and UCF rallies late to beat Arizona State
• Dave Hyde: Miami’s shrewd, new way as Rent-A-Quarterback U
• Gators seek bounce-back win at South Carolina amid shooting woes, Condon’s struggles
• Analyzing Miami’s 2026 schedule: Is Notre Dame UM’s toughest opponent? Who could upset Hurricanes?

Mensah made news when he transferred from Tulane to Duke last year, reportedly signing a two-year contract worth $8 million. In December, he said he planned to return to Duke.

The Hurricanes have two returning quarterbacks for next season: redshirt sophomore Judd Anderson and redshirt freshman Luke Nickel. They also have newly enrolled freshman Dereon Coleman.

One or more of those quarterbacks could transfer in the wake of Mensah’s arrival. UM players have up to five days after the national title game to enter their name in the portal.

ORLANDO — Riley Kugel scored 17 points, Jordan Burks hit a late 3-pointer and finished with 15 points, and UCF rallied to beat Arizona State 79-76 on Tuesday night.

UCF used a 14-2 run to tie it 72-all with 2:30 remaining. Burks’ 3 gave the Knights a 78-76 lead with 34 seconds left, and he forced a turnover on the next possession. Themus Fulks split a pair of free throws for UCF with six seconds to go before Bryce Ford missed a 3-pointer to end it.

Jamichael Stillwell added 14 points and Fulks finished with 12 for UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12). John Bol grabbed 10 rebounds, and Kugel and Stillwell had nine apiece.

Maurice Odum made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for Arizona State (11-10, 2-6). Anthony Johnson scored 12 points and Ford added 11.

An Odum 3-pointer with about six minutes left in the first half sparked a 15-6 surge to give Arizona State a 33-28 advantage, and the Sun Devils took a 39-35 lead into the break. Arizona State used a 23-11 run to take its largest lead, 70-58, with 6:09 remaining.

It was Arizona State’s first game at Orlando in the series.

Up next

UCF: At home against No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

By LISA MASCARO

WASHINGTON (AP) — A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.

Related Articles

• Trump administration announces 15 new drugs for Medicare price negotiation program
• DeSantis administration sends investigators to probe marijuana referendum petitions in Broward
• Judge issues temporary order barring removal of boy, 5, and father who were detained in Minnesota
• Judge rules Massachusetts offshore wind project halted by Trump administration can continue
• Judge finds Virginia Democrats’ redistricting resolution illegal; Gov. Moore backs map in Maryland

From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy. At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.

“The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately,” the Democrats said, “or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

Republicans and Democrats call for Noem to step down

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security secretary, and a longshot move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto impeachment legislation in the Republican-controlled House, has morphed into an inflection point for Noem, who has been the high-profile face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime.

Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism” — have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account. Her alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who was recalled from the Minnesota operation Monday as border czar Tom Homan took the lead, has left her isolated on Capitol Hill.

“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “It probably is time for her to step down.”

Trump stands by Noem and praises her work

President Donald Trump defended Noem on Wednesday at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.

Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pressed later during an interview on Fox News if he had confidence in Noem, the president said, “I do.”

“Who closed up the border? She did,” Trump said, “with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border. The border is a tremendous success.”

As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.

The Republican leadership of the House and Senate committees that oversee Homeland Security have demanded that department officials appear before their panels to answer for the operations that have stunned the nation with their sheer force — including images of children, including a 5-year-old, being plucked from families.

“Obviously this is an inflection point and an opportunity to evaluate and to really assess the policies and procedures and how they are being implemented and put into practice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, where Noem had been the state’s House representative and governor before joining the administration.

Asked about his own confidence in Noem’s leadership, Thune said, “That’s the president’s judgment call to make.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem listens as President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during a meeting with the White House task force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Noem a “liar” and said she must be fired.

The fight over funding

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS enforces the laws from Congress, and if lawmakers don’t like those laws, they should change them.

“Too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s leadership.”

The ability of Congress to restrict Homeland Security funding is limited, in large part because the GOP majority already essentially doubled department funding under Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law.

Instead, Democrats are seeking to impose restraints on Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as part of a routine annual funding package for Homeland, Defense, Health and other departments. Without action this week, those agencies would head toward a shutdown.

To be sure, Homeland Security still has strong defenders in the Congress.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus said Tuesday in a letter to Trump that he should invoke the Insurrection Act, if needed, to quell protests. The group said it would be “ready to take all steps necessary” to keep funds flowing for Trump’s immigration enforcement and removal operations.

On the job for a year, Noem has clashed at times with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and Democrats have sought greater oversight and accounting of the department’s spending and operations.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Noem has kept a low profile since the Saturday press conference following Pretti’s death, though she appeared Sunday on Fox News. She doubled down in that interview on criticism of Minnesota officials, but also expressed compassion for Pretti’s family.

“It grieves me to think about what his family is going through but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out in the streets with the violence they face,” she said.

Once rare, impeachments now more common

Impeachment, once a far-flung tool brandished against administration officials, has become increasingly commonplace.

Two years ago, the Republican-led House impeached another Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, in protest over the then-Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies that allowed millions of immigrants and asylum seekers to enter the U.S. The Senate dismissed the charges.

On Tuesday, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said if the Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, does not launch an impeachment probe, he would.

Raskin said he would work with the top Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees to immediately launch an impeachment inquiry related to the Minnesota deaths and other “lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

More than 160 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment resolution from Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana, Kevin Freking and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this story.