Home
 
 
 
 
 
Home

News

China’s rare golden monkeys debut at European zoos, a possible successor to ‘panda diplomacy’

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 16:20

By CHRISTINA LARSON

With their distinctive shaggy orange manes, pale blue faces and dense fur covering their hands and feet, it’s hard to mistake China’s endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys for any other animal.

Related Articles

These rare and charismatic monkeys, unique to the frigid mountains of central China, have recently joined the country’s famous pandas as furry envoys to zoos in Europe for the first time — on loan for 10 years from the same government-overseen group that coordinates official panda exchanges.

As with “ panda diplomacy,” some observers cheer new opportunities for scientific and conservation collaboration, while others raise concerns about the welfare of individual animal ambassadors transported around the world.

Leaping among red and gray-tiled roofs

Three golden monkeys arrived at France’s Beauval Zoo in the city of Saint-Aignan this April, following an agreement to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and France.

Another trio of golden monkeys arrived at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Hainaut, Belgium, in May. The zoo distributed Belgian and Chinese hand flags to visitors on the day the monkeys arrived.

After a monthlong quarantine, the two sets of monkeys made their public debuts. So far, they appear to be in good health, according to the two zoos, adapting to new climates outside Asia for the first time.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys sit together in the Shennongjia National Park in Shennongjia in central China’s Hubei province on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

At Pairi Daiza, the habitat enclosure for Liu Yun, Lu Lu and Juan Juan includes traditional Chinese gazebos with red columns and gray-tiled roofs, where the monkeys spend much of their time jumping between logs and rope ladders and scrambling over roofs.

“The diplomatic aspect comes from this cultural awareness,” said Pairi Daiza spokesperson Johan Vreys.

The hope is to build longstanding scientific exchanges between the zoos and Chinese authorities, said Anaïs Maury, the communications director for the Beauval Zoo.

The zoo is in discussions with China to launch joint research and conservation programs “similar to those already in place for other emblematic species like pandas,” Maury said.

A short history of modern animal ambassadors

Both giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys are endangered animals that are unique to China and they can only be moved outside the country with approval from the central government, said Elena Songster, an environmental historian at St. Mary’s College of California.

While both species are considered national treasures, only monkeys have deep roots in Chinese art and culture, appearing in countless paintings and as characters in classic literature, including the wily Monkey King in the 16th century novel “Journey to the West.”

In this photo provided by Pairi Daiza, a golden snub-nosed monkey from China is transported in Brugelette, Belgium, in May 2025. (Pairi Daiza via AP)

When pandas stepped, rolled, scratched and stumbled onto the world stage in recent decades, they quickly became symbols of modern China — in part to due to their own “cuddly cuteness” and deft diplomatic presentation, said Susan Brownell, a China historian at the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

The original soft power couple from post-war China was a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Qi Qi, sent to the Soviet Union in 1957 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, which led to the establishment of the world’s first Communist state.

In 1972, a pair of pandas was sent to the U.S. for the first time, following President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing. In 1984, China switched from gifting pandas to loaning them.

Following outcry from animal-rights activists, China ended the practice of short-term loans and began longer leases, usually around a decade. In this arrangement through the China Wildlife Conservation Association, part of the money that an overseas zoo pays annually to China must be earmarked for habitat conservation or scientific research to benefit the species.

Still, what benefits a species may not be beneficial to an individual animal. Transporting animals over long distances and sending their offspring back to China, as the agreements require, may highly stress animals, said Jeff Sebo, an environmental and bioethics researcher at New York University.

“Animal health and welfare matters,” he said, “not just for geopolitical or strategic aims.”

Habitat conservation in China

Within China, the golden snub-nosed monkeys today live across a swath of central and southwestern China that includes parts of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei provinces.

A baby golden snub-nosed monkey climbs on a branch in the Shennongjia National Park in Shennongjia in central China’s Hubei province on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

At the Shennongjia National Park in Hubei, conservation efforts since the 1980s have helped increase the region’s population threefold to around 1,600 monkeys today, said Yang Jingyuan, president of the Academy of Sciences at the park.

It’s unclear exactly how to evaluate the diplomatic track record of furry ambassadors.

Still, in an era of rising global tensions, “I think pandas are a really useful entryway,” said James Carter, a China historian at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “Pandas open up an opportunity for people to think something positive about China — they’re cute, they don’t do anything bad.”

A golden snub-nosed monkey is seen in the Shennongjia National Park in Shennongjia in central China’s Hubei province on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

The golden snub-nosed monkeys now at zoos in France and Belgium are so far the only ones outside of Asia.

“China’s golden snub-nosed monkeys aren’t globally iconic yet,” said Brownell, “but there may be potential for them to be in the future.”

Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang, in Shennongjia National Park, contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Ten people face trial accused of cyberbullying French president’s wife Brigitte Macron

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 16:10

By NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAGNY and SYLVIE CORBET

PARIS (AP) — Ten people went on trial on Monday accused of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron after they allegedly made “malicious” comments online spreading claims that President Emmanuel Macron ‘s wife is a man.

Related Articles

Brigitte Macron did not show up at the two-day trial in Paris that started on Monday afternoon.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the eight men and two women are accused of spreading “numerous malicious comments” online about the first lady’s gender and “sexuality” and of mentioning the age gap with her husband as “pedophilia.” Seven of the defendants were in court Monday, while three others were being represented by their lawyers.

Some of the defendants, aged between 41 and 60, are very active on social media, with posts sometimes accumulating tens of thousands of views.

Delphine Jegousse, 51, known as Amandine Roy, who describes herself as a medium and an author, is considered as having played a major role in spreading the rumor after she released a 4-hour video on her YouTube channel in 2021.

Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, 41, known as Zoé Sagan on social media, has seen his X account suspended last year after his name was cited in several judicial investigations.

Others include an elected official, a teacher and a computer scientist.

The chief judge said they are all accused of cyberbullying the first lady, which led to “a deterioration of her physical and mental health.”

The Macrons have for years been dogged by conspiracy theories that Brigitte was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux, who supposedly then took the name Brigitte as a transgender woman. Jean-Michel Trogneux is the name of Brigitte’s brother.

Show Caption1 of 4Defendant Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, center, arrives at the courtroom as ten people go on trial over cyberbullying of Brigitte Macron after they allegedly made “malicious” comments online spreading claims that President Emmanuel Macron ‘s wife is a man. Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) Expand

The two-day trial in Paris comes after the Macrons filed a defamation suit in July in a Delaware court as their lawyer said they’ll be seeking “substantial” damages from U.S. conservative influencer Candace Owens if she persists with claims that Brigitte is a man.

Owens is a right-leaning political commentator whose YouTube channel has about 4.5 million subscribers. In 2024, she was denied a visa from New Zealand and Australia, citing remarks in which she denied Nazi medical experimentation on Jews in concentration camps during World War II.

A verdict in the Paris case will likely be issued at a later date.

In September 2024, Brigitte and Jean-Michel Trogneux won a defamation suit against Jegousse and another woman who were sentenced by a Paris court to fines and damages for spreading the claims about the first lady online. A Paris appeals court overturned the ruling in July. Brigitte and her brother have since turned to France’s highest court to appeal that decision.

The Macrons, who have been married since 2007, first met at the high school where he was a student and she was a teacher. Brigitte Macron, 24 years her husband’s senior, was then called Brigitte Auzière, a married mother of three.

Emmanuel Macron, 47, has been France’s president since 2017.

Trump administration narrows list of potential Federal Reserve chairs to 5

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 15:46

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday confirmed the names of five candidates to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the powerful Federal Reserve next year.

Related Articles

On an Air Force One flight to Asia with President Donald Trump, Bessent said he would engage in a second round of interviews in the coming weeks and present a “good slate” of candidates to Trump “right after Thanksgiving.” Trump said he expected to decide on Powell’s replacement by the end of this year.

The five people under consideration are: Federal Reserve governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman; former Fed governor Kevin Warsh; White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett; and Rick Rieder, senior managing director at asset manager BlackRock.

The names suggest that no matter who is picked, there will likely be big changes coming to the Federal Reserve next year. Bessent, who is leading the search for Powell’s replacement, last month published extensive criticisms of the Fed and some of the policies it has pursued from the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 to the pandemic.

Trump on Monday, meanwhile, repeated his long-standing attacks on Powell, charging that he has been too slow to cut interest rates.

“We have a person that’s not at all smart right now,” Trump said, referring to Powell. “He should have been much lower, much sooner.” The Fed is expected to lower its key rate Wednesday for the second time this year.

Trump’s goal of selecting a new chair by the end of this year could reflect some of the tricky elements surrounding Powell’s status. His term as chair ends next May, but he could remain on the Fed’s board as one of seven governors until January 2028, an unusual but not entirely unprecedented step. Such a move would deprive Trump of an opportunity to nominate another governor for several years.

Still, current governor Stephen Miran was appointed by Trump Sept. 16 to finish an unexpired term that ends next Jan. 31. Trump could nominate his candidate to replace Powell for that seat, and then elevate that person to chair in May after Powell steps down.

Hassett is currently the chair of the National Economic Council at the White House and was also a top Trump adviser in the president’s first term, and a frequent defender of the administration’s policies on television. His longtime loyalty to the president could give him an edge, some Fed watchers say.

Warsh is a former economic advisor in the George W. Bush administration and was appointed to the Fed’s governing board in 2006 at age 35, making him the youngest Fed governor in history. He left the board in 2011. Warsh is now a fellow at the Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Waller was appointed to the Fed by Trump in 2020, and quickly established himself as an independent voice. He began pushing for rate cuts in July and dissented at that meeting in favor of a quarter-point cut, when the Fed decided to leave its key rate unchanged. But he voted to reduce rates just a quarter-point in September, along with 10 other Fed officials, while Miran dissented in favor of a half-point.

Michelle Bowman is the Fed’s vice chair of supervision, making her the nation’s top banking regulator. She was appointed by Trump in 2018, and before that was Kansas’ state bank commissioner. Bowman also dissented in favor a rate cut in July, then voted with her colleagues last month for a quarter-point reduction.

Rieder has the most financial markets experience of any of the candidates and has worked for Wall Street firms since 1987. Rieder joined BlackRock in 2009. His focus is in fixed income and he oversees the management of roughly $2.4 trillion in assets.

Bessent has set out a wide-ranging critique of the Fed while interviewing for Powell’s replacement. In particular, he has criticized the central bank for continuing unconventional policies, such as purchasing Treasury bonds in order to lower longer-term interest rates, long after after such steps were justified, in his view, by emergency conditions.

“It is essential the Fed commit to scaling back its distortionary impact on markets,” Bessent wrote. “It also likely requires an honest, independent, and nonpartisan review of the entire institution and all of its activities.”

Bessent’s criticisms aren’t entirely new, but they have gained greater traction in the wake of the 2021-22 inflation surge. The Fed is mandated by Congress to seek stable prices as well as maximum employment.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, speaks to reporters as President Donald Trump, right, listens aboard Air Force One while traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Bessent’s critiques have also inevitably been tangled up with Trump’s insistent calls for lower interest rates, which have threatened the Fed’s independence from day-to-day politics. Trump has also taken the unprecedented step of trying to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook, a Biden appointee, to open another seat on the board for him to fill.

Cook has sued to keep her seat and the Supreme Court has allowed Cook to remain on the board while it considers the case.

Trump’s attacks on the central bank have left some longtime Fed critics skeptical of the Trump administration’s approach.

Peter Conti-Brown, a Fed historian and professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, cautioned against placing “loyalists” on the Fed “who are there to push the president’s narrative.”

“Those are the ones that we want as his advisers and spokespeople and his lawyers, not his central bankers,” he said.

Foreclosures are up. Here’s why experts aren’t worried

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 15:39

By Andrew Dehan, Bankrate.com

If you remember the turmoil of the global financial crisis, hearing that foreclosure activity is up might make your knees weak and palms sweaty. I know I can’t help it.

Related Articles

After reading recent reports of climbing foreclosures, I spoke with experts ranging from real estate data companies to non-profit debt counselors to foreclosure auction sites. Their opinion? The national foreclosure rate is still quite low.

So take a deep breath. This isn’t 2008. The housing market isn’t about to crash. The picture is much more complex than one statistic lets on. Here’s why they aren’t panicking and neither should you.

There’s actually less foreclosure activity now than before COVID-19

Current foreclosure numbers aren’t quite as scary when you give them a little historical context. It’s like turning on the lights in a dark basement. We remain at foreclosure activity levels that are well below the national average prior to the pandemic.

Still, it’s true that national foreclosure activity is up since last year — and historical context is cold comfort for any homeowners facing the possibility of losing their home. According to real estate data company ATTOM, there was a 17 percent year-over-year rise in the third quarter of 2025.

In September 2025 alone one in every 3,997 housing units (or 0.025 percent) were in foreclosure proceedings vs. one in every 4,750 housing units (or .021 percent) last September. That’s an increase of 20 percent from one year to the next.

But compare this to February 2020 — the month before lockdowns started — when one in every 2,841 housing units (or 0.035 percent) were at some point in the foreclosure process. That’s 34 percent more foreclosure activity than what we’re seeing now.

One thing’s for sure: The pandemic left a mark on mortgage servicers that still shows to this day. Notably, the federal government instituted foreclosure moratoriums that halted progress on foreclosures from March 2020 until July 31, 2021.

“When COVID hit and incomes dropped suddenly, mortgage servicers hit pause,” says Andy Manthei, associate business development manager for GreenPath, a debt counseling nonprofit. “That delayed things and opened up options for people who otherwise would have lost income and perhaps their homes.”

Even though the moratoriums ended over four years ago, there could be a lingering effect on the data.

“Foreclosures can take more than a year to work their way through the process so the end of the moratoriums could still be affecting foreclosure rates to a degree,” says Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “But we already saw a rise in foreclosures in the two years after the moratoriums were lifted, and other economic and market factors such as higher interest rates, persistent affordability challenges and household financial strain are now likely contributing to the continued year-over-year increases.”

Timeframe to foreclosure

It’s unnerving to see foreclosure rates rise, but keep in mind that sometimes a rise is simply a return to normal.

According to Daren Blomquist, vice president of market economics for Auction.com — an auction site for foreclosures and bank-owned properties — current foreclosure activity is more about reaching equilibrium than it is about crisis.

More reasons not to worry about the current foreclosure activity

There are other reasons foreclosures remain lower than before the pandemic, says Blomquist. These include:

  • Loss-mitigation strategies: During COVID-19, mortgage servicers began offering more options for struggling homeowners to avoid foreclosure. “Those lessons stuck and are still being applied,” says Blomquist.
  • A rise in home equity: Rising home prices have translated to rising home equity for many homeowners. This means they’re more likely to come out ahead if they sell, which gives them more flexibility.
  • Underwriting is stronger: Lenders have been more stringent on who they lend to, which has lowered the risk for foreclosure.
  • The job market: “Until recently we’ve had a relatively strong economy and job market,” says Blomquist. “Unemployment is the biggest trigger for foreclosure, and it’s been low.”
Home affordability is also pumping the brakes on foreclosure

Buying a home is more difficult than it’s been in a long time. The typical mortgage payment was just over $2,200 in 2024 — when adjusted for inflation, that’s a full $800 a month more than what it was in 2020, according to Bankrate’s analysis.

Furthermore, income has not kept up with rising home prices. In 2024, the national median single-family home price was five times higher than the median household income, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. That’s compared to the price-to-income ratio of 4.1 in 2019, and dwarfs the price-to-income ratio of 3.2 seen in the 1990s.

Income increases aren’t keeping up with climbing home prices

Along with rising prices and interest rates, property taxes and homeowners insurance premiums have gone up, too. Right now, many homeowners have the benefit of equity, making it easier for them to sell if homeownership costs get too high. For buyers, these rising costs mean that the bar to get a mortgage right now is high, and those who are able to clear it are more financially qualified. That could continue to translate to fewer-than-average foreclosures in the future.

But some foreclosure activity actually helps the housing market. Vacant real estate owned (REO) auctions (properties that have been foreclosed and are now owned by the bank) are at a five-year high, says Blomquist. A lot of these properties were abandoned during COVID and are now being bought by investors and brought back to the market.

“Foreclosures are never ‘good,’ but in a healthy market you do need some,” says Blomquist. “I like to think of foreclosures as the wolves of the housing ecosystem — not pleasant, but necessary to keep balance.”

Some metro areas are driving more foreclosure activity than others

The national foreclosure activity data doesn’t tell the whole story. Some metros are being hit harder than others, particularly in regions like the southeast. Out of the top 20 metros for foreclosure activity, 55 percent of them are in the southeast, with 35 percent in Florida alone.

“Many of those markets overheated during the pandemic boom,” says Blomquist. “Prices rose fast as people moved in, and some buyers ended up purchasing at the top. Now, as prices cool, some are underwater.”

There are other issues at play, too.

“In cities like Cleveland and Las Vegas, for example, unemployment rates are above the national average,” Barber syas. “Some of today’s elevated foreclosure levels may reflect a response to wider financial stress in the economy.”

On the other side, many major metros saw significant year-over-year declines in foreclosure activity. These include:

  • Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN: -42.31 percent
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY: -41.67 percent
  • Tulsa, OK: -30.71 percent
  • Columbus, OH: -28.00 percent
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: -18.14 percent

Another thing to keep in mind is that in ATTOM’s list of 225 metros, 180 are experiencing less foreclosure activity than the national average in February 2020. That’s 80 percent of metros now that have less foreclosure activity than in the healthy housing market leading up to the pandemic.

The foreclosure activity leading up the pandemic wasn’t historically elevated, either. So, in reality, most metro areas are still experiencing very few foreclosures.

Still concerned? Here’s what you should look out for

Whether you’re thinking of buying a home or you currently own one, it makes sense to monitor the health of your investment. There are several key factors to keep in mind to maintain a solid financial picture.

  • Your debt: Whether you’re buying a home, or you already own one, managing your debt is essential. That means paying all of your bills on time and intentionally paying down higher interest debt.
  • Your emergency savings: Owning a home costs more than your mortgage. It’s not unusual to have to fork over money for repairs and maintenance. It’s crucial to have emergency savings.
  • Your income: Steady income will help you anticipate and pay your bills. Secure employment and mobility in your field will help you buy a home and stay in it.
  • The macro economy: Weakening in the job market, both in terms of unemployment and job creation, is an early warning sign that conditions could be worsening, says Blomquist. Similarly, rapidly dropping mortgage rates — while a boon for potential buyers — are a sign of a major economic issue.
  • Your local real estate market: “If homes start sitting longer and listings jump, that market’s softening,” says Blomquist. That could spell an opportunity if you’re buying, but isn’t good news if you’re trying to sell.

While economic concern is understandable, let’s temper it. It’s likely the housing market is still rebounding from the effects of COVID, in more ways than one. We’re still coming out of the effects of the foreclosure moratoriums. And now we’re in an environment where most homebuyers have to be more financially well-off to qualify for a mortgage. Even if foreclosure activity slowly rises in the coming years, we still have a lot of headroom before things turn toxic.

“We’re still below 2019 [foreclosure] levels, which were healthy,” says Blomquist. “So while foreclosures are rising, I see it as returning to balance, not entering another crisis.”

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Flight disruptions continue as air traffic controllers brace for their first full missing paychecks

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 15:24

By RIO YAMAT

A shortage of air traffic controllers caused more flight disruptions Monday around the country as controllers braced for their first full missing paycheck during the federal government shutdown.

Related Articles

The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays on Monday afternoon averaging about 20 minutes at the airport in Dallas and about 40 minutes at both Newark Liberty International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The delays in Austin followed a brief ground stop at the airport, meaning flights were held at their originating airports until the FAA lifted the stop around 4:15 p.m. local time.

The FAA also warned of staffing issues at a facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that could cause some problems.

Just last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had predicted that travelers would start to see more flights delayed and canceled as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the shutdown, which is nearing the one-month mark.

During a weekend appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job.

“And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said.

Earlier Monday, flights were also briefly delayed at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. The disruptions emerged a day after the FAA had issued a temporary ground stop at LAX for about two hours due to a shortage of controllers. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said about 72% of the flights scheduled Sunday at LAX took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times.

Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Monday. That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick to the FAA.

Union members were expected to gather Tuesday at major airports across the U.S., including in New York City and Atlanta, to pass out leaflets to passengers detailing how the shutdown is negatively impacting the national aviation system and the workers who keep it running safely. The action coincides with controllers’ first full missing paycheck since the shutdown began.

Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, has said the agency had reached “the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800.”

Federal food benefits and preschool aid to run dry starting Saturday if shutdown continues

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 14:59

By JONATHAN MATTISE

Federal funds could begin running dry Saturday that help tens of millions of Americans to buy food for their families and send their toddlers to preschool if Congress doesn’t reach a deal by then to end the U.S. government shutdown.

Related Articles

Funding for another program that helps mothers care for their newborns could run out the following week.

Barring a resolution to the shutdown, the U.S. will have a gaping hole in its safety net, particularly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. Benefits under the program known as SNAP run dry starting Saturday.

Funding for a group of Head Start preschool programs and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, also could run out soon.

Here’s a look at what would happen to each program.

SNAP benefits could leave millions without money for food

Lower-income families who qualify for SNAP receive debit cards loaded each month by the federal government used only for buying groceries at participating stores and farmers markets. The debit cards are recharged in slightly different ways in each state. Not everyone receives their benefits on the first day of the month, though many beneficiaries get them early in the month.

The average monthly benefit is $187 per person. Most beneficiaries have incomes at or below the poverty level.

There’s also uncertainty about whether benefits left on cards on Nov. 1 can be used. Arkansas officials suggest people who have balances on their cards should use the funds this month on shelf-stable foods. Missouri and Pennsylvania officials expect previous benefits will remain accessible and are telling beneficiaries to save for November if they can.

President Donald Trump’s administration has rejected the idea of using some $5 billion in contingency money to keep providing the federal cash for food, saying that reserve is limited to expenses such as help after disasters.

That decision contrasts with a report late last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that said a contingency fund could cover SNAP benefits if government funding lapsed.

Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have urged the Trump administration to tap into that fund to provide partial benefits into November.

Some states seeking to fill void of SNAP benefit cuts

Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia have pledged to backfill food aid for recipients even while the shutdown stalls the federal program, though state-level details haven’t been announced.

The map above shows the percentage of U.S. households in each county that receive SNAP food assistance benefits. (AP Digital Embed)

 

In Republican-led Louisiana, the House has voted unanimously for a resolution urging the state’s health department to use $150 million in its budget to avoid an interruption in SNAP benefits to nearly 800,000 residents. The measure awaits Senate action, and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has said it’s a top priority.

More funding for food banks and pantries is planned in states including New Hampshire, Minnesota, California, New Mexico, Connecticut and New York, where Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday that she is “fast tracking” $30 million in emergency food assistance funds to help keep food pantries stocked.

Officials from some other states have said they looked into backfilling SNAP benefits with state funds but found they couldn’t because states have no way to load funds onto recipients’ cards.

A store post signs accepting WIC payments on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California deployed the National Guard to help his state’s food banks, though some have declined to use the troops. He is also quickly making $80 million available for food banks.

The USDA advised Friday that states won’t be reimbursed for funding the benefits.

The Trump administration is blaming Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation.

Early childhood education

More than 130 Head Start preschool programs won’t receive their annual federal grants on Nov. 1 if the government remains shut down, according to the National Head Start Association.

Centers are scrambling to assess how long they can stay open, since nearly all their funding comes from federal taxpayers. Head Start provides education and child care for the nation’s neediest preschoolers. When a center is closed, families may have to miss work or school.

A sign indicates EBT cards are accepted at a market on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

With new grants on hold, a half-dozen Head Start programs have already missed federal disbursements they were expecting Oct. 1 but have stayed open with fast-dwindling reserves or with help from local governments. All told, more than 65,000 seats at Head Start programs across the country could be affected.

Food aid for mothers and young children

Another food aid program supporting millions of low-income mothers and young children already received an infusion to keep the program open through the end of October, but even that money is set to run out early next month.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents purchase nutritious staples such as fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and infant formula.

A shopper shows their WIC card on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The program, known as WIC, was at risk of running out of money in October because of the government shutdown, which occurred right before it was scheduled to receive its annual appropriation. The Trump administration reassigned $300 million in unspent tariff proceeds from the Department of Agriculture to keep the program afloat. But it was only enough money for a few weeks.

Now, states say they could run out of WIC money as early as Nov. 8.

Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. AP contributors include Moriah Balingit in Portland, Oregon; Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey; David Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California.

Hurricane Melissa: Here’s how to help the Caribbean

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 14:49

As Hurricane Melissa loomed last week, Hollywood resident Mark McKenzie tried to persuade his mother, who lives in Jamaica part of the year, to fly to Miami.

McKenzie described his mother, Julette Richards, a retired hospice nurse, as strong-willed and “willing to see things through.” She said no.

“Now it’s too late,” McKenzie, 52, a media consultant born in London to Jamaican parents, said on Monday as he scrutinized the storm’s path. “This is deeply personal to me. I’m annoyed and worried.”

Heather Ireland, a cashier at Irie Jerk Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, also keeps checking on Melissa’s expected route. Ireland’s mother, brother, sister-in-law, aunts and uncles are in Kingston, the nation’s capital.

Her Jamaican family’s internet and phone service were spotty as the storm neared, so she had trouble receiving the full picture on their preparations, making her even more fearful.

She said there’s little more she could do than pray: “Only God can change the direction of the storm.”

McKenzie and Ireland are among the thousands of people of Jamaican ancestry in South Florida with family on the threatened island. Florida has one of the largest Jamaican-born populations in the United States.

Jamaica is not the only Caribbean island likely to be affected by the hurricane. According to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast track, Melissa was expected to move over Jamaica through Tuesday, across southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and the southeastern Bahamas on Wednesday.

Related Articles

South Florida cities with large Caribbean populations, including Miramar and Lauderhill, have been mobilizing to gather clothing and other essentials that will likely be needed post-hurricane.

Nonprofit organizations are also gathering their volunteer troops. Members of South Florida Caribbean Strong, which has been assisting with Caribbean disasters since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, began assembling family emergency kits over the weekend, said Marlon Hill, a Miami attorney and lead mobilizer for the group.

“We have gone through this many times,” Hill said, remembering donation mobilizations for hurricanes Maria and Ivan.

But Melissa hits especially personally for Hill: He grew up in Kingston, and this hurricane is expected to make landfall near Treasure Beach, where his grandfather drowned many years ago.

“I have a high level of anxiety,” Hill said. “There’s no escaping this one.”

Below, find a sampling of ways that South Floridians can contribute to community relief efforts.

DONATE

U.S. Caribbean Strong Relief Fund, managed by The Miami Foundation, supports disaster preparedness and long-term recovery efforts: miami.fcsuite.com/erp/donate

Global Empowerment Mission, based in Doral, delivers aid to people around the world: globalempowermentmission.org

Food for the Poor, a Coconut Creek-based nonprofit that provides aid to the people of Latin America and the Caribbean: foodforthepoor.org

American Friends of Jamaica, supports Jamaican charities: theafj.org

VOLUNTEER

Help assemble emergency kits at Global Empowerment Mission’s warehouse, at 1850 NW 84th Ave, No. 100, Doral. Hours are:

  • 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Oct. 28-31
  • 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 1
PROVIDE RELIEF ITEMS

The City of Miramar requests items such as tarps, generators, canned foods and hygiene kits. No used clothing or linens. Visit miramarfl.gov/News-articles.

Drop off at:

Fire Station 19: 6700 Miramar Parkway
Fire Station 70: 9001 Miramar Parkway
Fire Station 84: 14801 SW 27th St.
Fire Station 100: 2800 SW 184th Ave.
Fire Station 107: 11811 Miramar Parkway
Miramar Police Headquarters: 11765 City Hall Promenade

The City of Lauderhill is looking to donate new tarps, sleeping bags, yard waste bags, unexpired canned and nonperishable foods, new work gloves, solar powered lights/flashlights, industrial sponges, professional first aid kits, personal hygiene kits, new wash cloths, baby diapers and wipes. For more details, visit lauderhill-fl.gov.

Drop-off locations:

  • Lauderhill City Hall, 5581 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
  • St. George Community Park, 3501 NW Eighth St.
  • Veterans Park, 7600 NW 50th St.
  • John Mullin Park, 2000 NW 55th Ave.
  • Westwind Park, 4550 NW 82nd Ave.
  • Lauderhill Historical Museum, 1080 NW 47th Ave.
  • Joy’s Roti Delight, 1205 NW 40th Ave.

 Food for the Poor is accepting items through Nov. 1 at their warehouse at 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek. Collection hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

They are looking for the following new items in the sizes listed:

  • Wash cloths (12 inch-by-12 inch)
  • Soap (3 ounces)
  • Unscented deodorant (2 ounces)
  • Shampoo or body wash (8 ounces)

Today in History: October 27, ‘Curse of the Bambino’ reversed

South Florida Local News - Mon, 10/27/2025 - 01:00

Today is Monday, Oct. 27, the 300th day of 2025. There are 65 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 27, 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. The team’s 86-year championship drought was known as the “Curse of the Bambino.”

Also on this date:

In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.

Related Articles

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr.

In 1995, a sniper killed one soldier and wounded 18 others during an outdoor physical training session at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (Paratrooper William J. Kreutzer was convicted in the shootings and condemned to death; the sentence was later commuted to life in prison.)

In 1998, powerful Hurricane Mitch cut through the western Caribbean, pummeling coastal Honduras and Belize; the storm caused several thousand deaths in Central America before eventually making U.S. landfall in southwest Florida as a tropical storm.

In 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 congregants and wounded six others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in the deadliest domestic attack on Jews in U.S. history; authorities said the suspect, Robert Bowers, raged against Jews during and after the rampage. (Bowers was convicted and sentenced to death in 2023.)

In 2019, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died by detonating a suicide vest as U.S. special forces raided his compound in northwest Syria. He once commanded tens of thousands of fighters who had carved out a territorial caliphate for a time in parts of Syria and Iraq and carried out a wave of atrocities.

In 2023, Israel knocked out communications and created a near-blackout of information with stepped-up bombardment and artillery fire in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it was expanding ground operations in the territory ahead of a planned invasion as it sought to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack and hostage-taking in southern Israel.

Today’s Birthdays:
  • Actor-comedian John Cleese is 86.
  • Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 85.
  • Country singer Lee Greenwood is 83.
  • Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is 80.
  • Author Fran Lebowitz is 75.
  • Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 73.
  • Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 69.
  • Singer Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) is 67.
  • Internet news editor Matt Drudge is 59.
  • Author Anthony Doerr is 52.
  • Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 47.
  • TV personality Kelly Osbourne is 41.

Winderman’s view: Jaquez again an example of efficient versatility in Heat victory

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 17:42

MIAMI – Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday night’s 115-107 victory over the New York Knicks:

– This Jaime Jaquez Jr. thing is real.

– Cast one moment Sunday at power forward.

– Another at point guard.

– Versatility on demand.

– And efficient versatility.

– He has made it very easy at the start of this season to forget who he is not.

– (Enough about the 3s.)

– (And enough about the comparisons to Jimmy Butler.)

– He has made it about what he stands as.

– An embraceable attacking presence.

– The very type of energy this roster and this system needs.

– Of all the factors in the Heat’s opening week, Jaquez might be the most encouraging.

– The Heat for the second consecutive game opened with a lineup of Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell.

– With Miles McBride not with the team due to personal reasons, the Knicks opened with a lineup of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ariel Hukporti.

– Inactive for Heat were Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Terry Rozier, Vlad Goldin and Myron Gardner.

– That saved the Heat one game apiece on their limit for two-way players Goldin and Gardner.

– Jahmir Young was the lone active Heat two-way player, with only 12 in uniform, three shy of the active-roster game limit.

– Jaquez was first off the Heat bench, entering midway through the first period for Ware.

– Dru Smith entered when Ware returned, after Mitchell was called for his second foul while defending Brunson.

– With Nikola Jovic third off the Heat bench.

– Followed by Simone Fontecchio for nine deep.

– Eventually the Heat made it 10 deep, when Pelle Larsson entered midway through the second period.

– Albeit only for a token appearance.

– That left Keshad Johnson and Young as the only available players out of the rotation mix.

– Adebayo in the second period connected on a 3-pointer in a career-best 15th consecutive game.

– Powell addressed the crowd just before tipoff,  “It’s going to be a great year. Let’s get it.”

– Powell then converted the Heat’s first two 3-point attempts.

Related Articles

– Introductions opened with a chant of “Let’s Go Knicks!” that then was drowned out by “Let’s Go Heat!”

– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra welcomed the rivalry when asked about being poised for another home opener.

– “For me,” he said, “I think for everybody in our locker room, it’s exciting and it’s even better that it’s the Knicks.”

– Of the Knicks, Spoelstra said of the night’s opponent and Brunson, “They’re a well-schooled team. They know how to win games. So even if they don’t necessarily play well, they know how to put themselves in position to win, and that’s because they have an elite decision-maker that can control the tenor of the game at any point.”

– Spoelstra was asked pregame about the Heat announcing Saturday that longtime public-address announcer Mike Baiamonte would be retiring at season’s end.

– “My kids and my household, when we’re trying to leave or go somewhere, ‘Dos Minutos!’ in our house,” Spoelstra said of one of Baiamonte’s signature calls. “Yeah, it’s awesome for him. I’m happy for him. Hopefully we can convince him otherwise. We’ve got a season to convince him to stay.”

– Spoelstra added, “But, yeah, what an iconic voice. It’s been a lot of fun over the years. He’s really a special guy and I’m glad we’ll be able to celebrate him for a whole season. Kind of sad about it, too.”

– Former Heat guard Goran Dragic was among those in attendance.

– Videos in the first quarter honored Heat owner Micky Arison for his Hall of Fame induction and Spoelstra for two weeks ago being named USA Basketball Olympic coach.

– Baiamonte was honored with a video in the second quarter.

Heat race to 115-107 victory over Knicks in home opener behind Powell’s 29

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 17:40

MIAMI — The brutal opening schedule for the Miami Heat?

So far more than under control.

First a competitive loss in Orlando. Then a record-setting blowout victory in Memphis. And then Sunday at Kaseya Center, a 115-107 smackdown of the rival New York Knicks in the home opener.

At 2-1 with the Charlotte Hornets up next at home on Tuesday night, the Heat continue to evolve with their running game even as they play in the absence of sidelined All-Star guard Tyler Herro.

“There was a competitive spirit from our guys,” coach Erik Spoelstra. “Guys are fulling committing to that, our collective competitive edge.”

With Norman Powell pacing that starters and Jaime Jaquez Jr. juicing the bench, the Heat held off a late Knicks rally and withstood 37 points from Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.

“It wasn’t a great game on our part,” Spoelstra said, “but that competitive spirit, you can do a lot of great things with that.”

Powell led the Heat with 29  points, with Heat center Bam Adebayo, on an uneven 5-of-15 shooting night, adding 19 points and 13 rebounds from the first unit.

Off the bench, there were 17 points from Jaquez and 14 from Simone Fontecchio.

“We like winning,” Jaquez said. “I think it’s that simple. The vibes are good.”

The Heat closed with a 31-10 edge in fastbreak points.

“We’ve got a great group,” Adebayo said. “We’ve all bought into the system.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday’s night’s game:

1. Closing time: The Knicks led 27-24 at the end of the opening period, before the Heat moved to a 57-54 halftime lead and 88-81 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Heat then pushed their lead to 15 midway through the fourth quarter, with Powell from there converting a 3-pointer with 6:09 to play for a 105-87 Heat lead, forcing a Knicks timeout.

“We were able to make hustle plays, key plays to keep the momentum going in our direction,” Spoelstra said.

Still, there were a few moments that rekindled thoughts of last season’s failed finishes, with a driving Brunson layup with 1:32 to play drawing the Knicks within 110-105.

But that’s when Heat forward Andrew Wiggins stepped up with a dagger 3-pointer.

“It definitely was a way to settle the atmosphere,” Wiggins said.

2. Either or: The notion of a really big thing with the Heat lineup seemingly will largely remain illusory.

Yes, Adebayo and Kel’el Ware started together for the second consecutive game. But then it got interesting. Ware sat out only 90 seconds in the Heat’s first substitution, before returning in place of Adebayo. Adebayo then entered for Ware with 2:10 left in the first quarter.

The preference remained to play Jaquez  or Nikola Jovic alongside one of the Heat big men.

The Heat trended smaller to the degree that 7-footer Vlad Goldin was inactive for the first time this season on his two-way contract.

Ware closed with five points and eight rebounds.

“I just like we kept fighting through, man,” Adebayo said. “That’s a fun Miami Heat win.

“The vibes are high right now.”

3. Plan C: If ever there was a game when Terry Rozier might have gotten a shot, this might have been it.

With Tyler Herro still working back from his September ankle surgery and Kasparas Jakucionis still sidelined by his preseason groin issue, Spoelstra had to get creative when Davion Mitchell was called for his third foul with 5:39 left in the second period.

Related Articles

With Dru Smith seemingly on a minutes restriction in his return from December’s Achilles tear, Jaquez then was shifted to point guard.

“It’s whatever I can do to help the team win,” Jaquez said of his positional versatility.

Rozier remains on indefinite NBA leave following last week’s arrest in a federal gambling probe. He again formally was listed as “not with team.”

4. Norm!: Powell energized the Heat offense at the outset by converting the Heat’s first two 3-pointers.

He kept going from there with his attacking guile, working his way to the foul line and working the Knicks into foul trouble.

“He’s a crafty veteran skilled offensive talent,” Spoelstra said. “He just finds a way to get it in a bunch of random situations.”

At one point in the fourth quarter, Powell and Adebayo were a combined 20 of 20 from the line when the entire Knicks roster was 15 of 19.

Powell closed 7 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers, and 12 of 12 from the line.

“This playing style plays directly to my strengths,” Powell said of playing at pace.

5. Dual threats: Jaquez and Fontecchio, in their own ways, provided a constant bench boost.

“It’s a really gritty group. It’s a competitive group,” Spoelstra said of his bench. “It’s really a fun group to watch.”

With Jaquez it was constant pressure with his cuts and attacks on the rim.

With Fontecchio, it was his 3-point threat and interior bulk.

“In that second unit,” Jaquez said, “I just try to be that guy.”

Chris Perkins: Dolphins’ run defense made plays, and good things followed

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 16:24

ATLANTA — If you knew a few days ago that one team, either the Miami Dolphins or Atlanta Falcons, would rush for 141 yards and that same team would hold its opponent to 45 yards rushing you’d have bet every dollar you had that it’d have been the Falcons producing the good statistics.

But it wasn’t the Falcons that did the damage Sunday, it was the Dolphins. Stopping the run was absolutely huge.

Stopping the run led to the Dolphins playing their best game of the season in a 34-10 blowout win over the Falcons.

“Monumental,” is how coach Mike McDaniel described that aspect of the game. 

“Stopping the run not only changed the time of possession,” he said, “but it was also an assistant to the third-down execution where we could be a little bit aggressive.”

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game with the NFL’s worst rushing defense, allowing 159.3 yards per game. Every opponent had rushed for at least 100 yards against the Dolphins, whose front seven had been having a disappointing season, to put it kindly.

Conventional wisdom said Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who entered the game as the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher with 524 yards on 97 carries, was going to run all over the Dolphins. But it didn’t happen. Robinson ended with 25 yards on nine carries. 

“Our game plan was just really focused around him and stopping him and kind of making their offense one dimensional,” rookie defensive tackle Kenneth Grant said.

Related Articles

It seemed like the things defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has been preaching all season —doing your job, trusting that your teammate will do his job, being sure to tackle instead of trying to punch the ball out — finally resonated.

Linebacker Jordyn Brooks (team-best 10 tackles, three tackles for losses) led a swarming attack that seemed to always have more than one man tackling Robinson.

“It allowed us to make them play one dimensional, and it allowed us to be great on third down by being great on first and second down,” he said. “And that’s how you play great defense.”

The Dolphins almost doubled up on the Falcons in time of possession, 37 minutes, 58 seconds to 22:02. 

The Dolphins dominated on third downs, holding the Falcons to 2 of 11.

It’d be hard to underestimate the value of shutting down Atlanta’s running game.

“We just emphasized it all week, that was the thing — gang tackle, swarm to the ball,” outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips said. “I thought we executed that.”

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

Here’s the good news about what the Dolphins did on Sunday — it’s repeatable.

What the Dolphins showed Sunday is what I thought their front seven would show all season, which is to say they lived up to their potential. No one did anything special. No one had the best game of their career. There were no radical defensive formations. They simply did their jobs and trusted each other. The Dolphins did what they should have done in each of the previous seven games.

The momentum the Dolphins acquired Sunday by stopping the run eventually led to offensive success and special teams success.

And now they carry that confidence and momentum into Thursday’s game against Baltimore (2-5).

It should be a different Dolphins team that takes the field Thursday. No one is expecting another blowout victory. But the Dolphins, even with their 2-6 record, should feel good about themselves. 

“If anything, it’s just the first one of many,” Phillips said of the win. “We’ve just got to keep rolling and still improve. It’s not like we can hang our hat like, ‘Oh, we did it.’ We still have a long way to go. But I think we’re getting there.”

McDaniel had the same sentiment. He’s encouraged, but not overly encouraged.

“But you can replicate the things for this team that produce results,” he said.

If the Dolphins can merely improve their run defense they might be able to do good things for the rest of the season. Stopping the run, as this game showed, seems to have widespread results.

Dave Hyde: What? How? Who was this Dolphins team that dominated Atlanta, 34-10?

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 16:04

Back from the dead?

Sentenced to life this season again?

Let’s start with something less sweeping than such big themes after the Miami Dolphins’ 34-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Let’s just say the following people won’t be publicly hung by their thumbs again on the day after:

Mike McDaniel, whose capri pants looked a little better Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa, who had an efficient game for the first time this season after the worst of his career.

Anthony Weaver, whose defense was the star this game.

What did the Dolphins (2-6) serve at the pregame meal, a defibrillator?

This team that dominated Atlanta wasn’t the team that stumbled and bumbled in through their previous seven games, winning just once. The defense actually stopped the run Sunday. The offense actually ran the ball. This team actually was who they expected to be all year.

Has anyone been this surprised by so many people rising for their graves since the barn scene in Walking Dead?

Most points scored this season.

Least points given up.

Least rushing yards allowed.

Related Articles

Most smiles afterward, too. It was just one game. Hey, the New York Jets even won for the first time this season Sunday. But the Dolphins’ idea is one game can become two Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. At the very least they saw what must be done and hasn’t been all year.

“We knew coming into the game if we could (not) win or didn’t feel good about our line of scrimmage play, we’d be facing the same result,” McDaniel said.

This has to be especially gratifying to Weaver, the defensive coordinator who has been on the defensive all season. The Dolphins entered Sunday as the league’s worst rushing defense and faced Atlanta’s fourth-ranked rushing offense.

Who saw Atlanta having 15 carries for 31 yards on Sunday? Or Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson, who entered the game averaging 5.2 yards a carry, have 2.8 yards a carry against the Dolphins?

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

This was a defense that turned around the careers of Kimani Vidal and Rico Dowdle in recent weeks. And it suddenly turned one of the league’s best backs into who Vidal used to be?

You can pick your star of the game. But linebacker Jordyn Brooks was the best player on the unit that set the tone of the day. His 10 tackles don’t tell the story, considering too many Dolphins tackles have been across state lines some plays.

Three of Brooks’ tackles were for minus yardage, including a sack. Three others came within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. Do you see the impact from a defense needing just that?

Sure, Atlanta had backup quarterback Kirk Cousins out there. So what? The Dolphins defense has been carved up by backup running backs, receivers and offensive lines all year. Why not a quarterback, too?

“This whole week I think guys were upset, as we’ve been all season,” Brooks said “Using that anger for preparation, that’s something we did.”

That must go for the offensive line, too. The Dolphin not only ran the ball, but McDaniel had the strategy to do it. Reserve guard Daniel Brunskill was added to the line in the spot injured tight end Julian Hill would be used.

More beef. More power. More of big running back Ollie Gordon II to go with the speed of De’Von Achane, too. Achane gained 67 yards. Gordon had 46 yards. Jaylen Wright even got his first nine carries of the season in gaining 28 yards.

Brunskill wasn’t the only offensive wrinkle Sunday. Offensive coordinator Frank Smith moved from the press box to the field to talk to players during the game.

“Frank is a problem-solver, a solution man,” McDaniel said. “He invested in the players. They respond to him.”

Hey, bring our Chris Perkins down from the press box if it helps. What helped perhaps more is on their first touchdown drive of 13 plays in the first quarter, they had nine effective runs. Three were third- or fourth-down, short yardage runs by Gordon for the first down.

“He’s a big dawg,” center Aaron Brewer said of Gordon.

On this day, everyone qualified as a big dawg. Everything the Dolphins did worked — and some things they didn’t even need to do, like when Robinson’s knee knocked the ball out of his hands for a fumble when Atlanta looked to be going in for a score to cut the game to 17-10.

It was that kind of good day for the Dolphins. The question becomes if this flicked some switch in the Dolphins or they’ll just run this game as their full highlight reel for 2025.

Sunday changed the feel around this team for day. But the season is 2-6. The hole still looks far to deep to dig out of.

As much as whipping Atlanta felt good for the Dolphins, it also showed what could have been this season. That’s something to think about. But don’t think too long. Baltimore comes to town Thursday.

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 14:46

In this Dolphins Deep Dive video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Chris Perkins and David Furones discuss Miami’s upset of the Falcons in Atlanta and how what the Dolphins did Sunday to get the victory is sustainable and can lead to more wins.

(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1&cid=38d5daa3-18ac-4ee1-a905-373c67622f25'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "40bacbdb-084a-4980-bafa-92da3b5cd8f1" , mediaId: "25c03a3b-c2e6-47f6-8c9e-e1d835e32a9e" }).render("8039be2a841843b7b84d86b1baef7c1e"); }); Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa looks to pass against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025 in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

UCF basketball drops exhibition game against LSU

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 13:58

If UCF coach Johnny Dawkins wanted to get a better understanding of his team, he got a good glimpse over a two-game exhibition schedule that featured No. 6 Duke and LSU.

The Knights, which open the season against Hofstra on Nov. 3, held a double-digit lead in the first half only to watch it disappear in a 75-68 loss over visiting LSU on Sunday at Addition Financial Arena.

“I get a lot more information, and I get my players to start to adjust to the level that we are at,” Dawkins said of the purpose of the exhibition games. “Some of my players have never played at this level before, so there’s no way around it. The only way you can have them understand how intense it’s going to be, or how physical [it is], or what the pace is going to look like, is for them to face those types of opponents. The last two games were intentionally designed to do that.”

UCF is coming off a 96-71 exhibition loss at Duke on Tuesday.

After a slow start on Sunday, the Knights went on a 13-2 run midway through the first half, helping build a double-digit lead before LSU cut it to 36-29 at the half.

Poor shooting coming out of intermission helped the Tigers go on a 10-2 run, retaking the lead at 50-42. UCF put together a run of its own, tying the game at 58 with 7:46 left.

But once again, the Knights went ice cold from the floor, going scoreless over a six-minute stretch that allowed LSU to go on a 15-6 run to cruise to the win.

UCF guard Riley Kugel had 17 points in the first half before finishing with a game-high 21 points and 7 assists.

The Knights leaned heavily on their bench with George Beale Jr. and Devan Cambridge stepping up. Beale had 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 on 3-pointers, while Cambridge added 6 points and four rebounds.

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

Things we learned in Miami Dolphins’ 34-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 13:25

ATLANTA — The Miami Dolphins traveled to Atlanta to take on the injury-depleted Falcons on Sunday. and they came away with their second victory of the season, a 34-10, win.

The Dolphins (2-6) played their best, most complete game of the season in dispatching the Falcons and ending a three-game losing streak. Coach Mike McDaniel utilized some seldom-seen strategies such as using six offensive linemen and the run defense finally showed up and played up to its potential.

This was a timely victory too, considering the Dolphins host Baltimore on Thursday, meaning they could get two wins in a five-day stretch.

Here’s what we learned in the win over the Falcons:

Ross, lots of Dolphins fans in da house

Dolphins owner Steve Ross was spotted on the sideline before the game, as usual. At one point Ross chatted with a group that included Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, team vice president Nat Moore and team president Tom Garfinkel. It might have been encouraging for Ross that there was a large, vocal Dolphins contingent at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. You saw it walking into the stadium and heard them early in the game. Twice in the first half there were chants of “Let’s Go Dol-phins!” The same chant went up again in the fourth quarter. — Chris Perkins

McDaniel rises above .500 mark

McDaniel improved his regular-season record to 30-29 (.508) with the victory, and his overall record, including his 0-2 mark in the playoffs, to 30-31 (.492). McDaniel is 11-31 (.355) on the road in the regular season and 11-33 (.333) on the road overall. Sunday’s win snapped a five-game road losing streak and interrupted a stretch of losing seven of the past eight road games.

Tua plays great game

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 20 of 26 for 205 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 138.6 passer rating. It was his best showing since a 34-15 win over New England last year when he was 29 of 40 for 317 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 128.9 passer rating.

Run defense

The Dolphins run defense, led by linebacker Jordyn Brooks (10 tackles, three for loss), made its best showing of the season, holding the Falcons to just 31 yards yards rushing on 15 carries. The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game with the league’s worst run defense, allowing at 159.3 yards per game. Brooks almost recorded a safety in the second quarter when running back Tyler Allgeier barely got the ball out of the end zone on a run up the middle. The run defense swarmed Sunday the way many thought it would swarm all season. The Falcons had just eight carries for 11 yards in the first half. They only had 58 yards of offense in the first half.

Related Articles Zach Wilson gets backup QB designation, and plays

Veteran quarterback Zach Wilson earned the backup job over rookie Quinn Ewers, a reversal from last week, which was a reversal from training camp. Wilson got playing time Sunday because the Dolphins were ahead, 31-3, in the fourth quarter. McDaniel didn’t name his backup quarterback during the week, saying he wanted to see Friday’s practice.

Storm Duck finds a role . . . but then sustains injury

Second-year cornerback Storm Duck, a starter who sustained an ankle injury in the opener, entered the game in the second quarter in place of cornerback Jack Jones. Unfortunately he left the game in the fourth quarter on a cart with a knee injury. It was Duck’s first action since the opener against Indianapolis.

CB Kendall Sheffield gets playing time

Cornerback Kendall Sheffield, who was signed on Oct. 18 after being released in August, also found a role in the second quarter in the slot. At one point in training camp it appeared Sheffield might open the season as a starter but his inconsistent play eventually got him cut. Sheffield could be needed Thursday considering Duck’s knee injury and starting cornerback Rasul Douglas sustaining an injury in the fourth quarter.

Great first half for Dolphins

The Dolphins took a 17-3 first half lead due to playing perhaps their best half of the season. The Dolphins were 4 of 8 on third downs in the first half and they held the Falcons to 0 of 5. Atlanta had just two first downs in the first half. The Dolphins had a 169-58 yardage advantage and a significant time of possession edge — 19 minutes, 22 seconds compared to just 10:38 for the Falcons. The Dolphins scored on three of their five first-half possessions.

Dolphins win coin toss and elect to receive

The Dolphins won the pregame coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Often the Dolphins elect to defer and receive the second half kickoff when they win the coin toss. Return man Dee Eskridge, who later left the game with a shoulder injury, returned the opening kickoff 32 yards to the 34-yard line. The Dolphins went three-and-out on the possession as Tagovailoa was sacked by an unblocked blitzer on third down. But it’s interesting that McDaniel has chosen tor receive the opening kickoff at least twice this season after winning the coin toss. McDaniel had been committed to receiving the second-half kickoff.

Daniel Brunskill gets playing time at sixth OL

Guard Daniel Brunskill was on the field as the sixth offensive lineman and tight end for plenty of running and passing plays. Brunskill, who previously got snaps at right guard against Buffalo, was meticulous about reporting as an eligible receiver to referees. The Dolphins were down to the bottom of the barrel for tight ends with Darren Waller (pectoral) on injured reserve and Julian Hill (ankle) sidelined. The Dolphins signed tight end Greg Dulcich from the practice squad and elevated tight end Hayden Rucci from the practice squad during the week to play alongside with Tanner Conner.

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

Chop, Chubb, Phillips and Judon rush QB together

Outside linebackers Bradley Chubb, Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips and Matthew Judon were on the field together twice Sunday, once in the first quarter and once in the third, both on third-and-3 situations and both resulted in incompletions.

In the first quarter the foursome produced an incomplete pass by quarterback Kirk Cousins as Phillips, who entered the game with 2.0 sacks, was hot in pursuit of Cousins on the play. In the third quarter Robinson dropped into coverage on the incomplete pass.

The Dolphins haven’t used the Chubb-Phillips-Robinson-Judon foursome together very often.

When was the last time a Dolphins team so dominated a competent team on the road?

Dominant Dolphins wins against teams on the road who are .500 or better have been RARE. There was a 31-3 pummeling of the 4-3 Chiefs at Arrowhead in 2011, but there were no turnovers in that one, and the yardage was fairly similar between the teams. No, this shocking hammering, I think, goes back to the Tony Sparano Special of 2008: The 38-13 Wildcat rout of Bill Belichick and the 2-0 Patriots in Foxborough. Every aspect fired on every cylinder. Incredible, incredible performance. — Steve Svekis

Brooks lays down his hammer

Jordyn Brooks came into Atlanta with three tackles for loss on the season. The tackle-machine linebacker matched that total in the game’s first 25 minutes, hauling down Bijan Robinson for a loss of a yard on a run, almost hauling down Tyler Allgeier for a safety on a negative-3-yard carry and then putting down Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins for a 5-yard sack.

Tua Tagovailoa refound his dome game

As spry, decisive and accurate as he has been this season, Tagovailoa got back on track with his indoor game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 138.2 passer rating spectacular after a few off performances under the roof, primarily in Houston late last year and Indianapolis in this season’s opener. His first seven dome games, Tagovailoa had gone 144-219 for 1,726 yards with 12 touchdown passes and only two interceptions for a stellar 104.2 passer rating. Sunday’s game far exceeded even any of that brilliance.

The Dolphins offense got its wakeup call in Georgia

Miami almost doubled their first-half scoring output on the season, having come in to the Falcons game with 20 points in the first 30 minutes of their previous seven contests. Tagovailoa pushed the offense to 85% of that point total in Atlanta.

Kyle Pitts has been underwhelming in his career, but not against Miami

Pitts, the fourth pick of the 2021, has averaged 100 receiving yards a game against only one opponent, the Miami Dolphins, albeit in only two matchups, but still, that is amazing. He had a stunning 163-yard game at Hard Rock Stadium in 2021. Sunday was more muted but, still, after a 59-yard outing Sunday, he retained his triple-digit average against that solitary foe, at 111 yards per game.

On deck: Baltimore Ravens, Hard Rock Stadium, Thursday, 8:15 p.m.

The Dolphins get a Ravens team in desperation de facto playoff mode with them likely getting superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson back into the fold. Jackson has largely torched the Dolphins over his career with him piling up a passer rating of over 140 in three of the teams’ four games with him also running wild for 162 yards on 16 non-kneeldown rushes (10.1 yards per carry) as the Ravens’ offense piled up 146 points (48.7 points a game), but the one stark exception was the one time Jackson faced the Dolphins at night, a Thursday night 2022 game at Hard Rock Stadium. In that one, Miami won 22-10 on a night Jackson was saddled with a 73.6 passer rating and needed nine runs to churn out only 39 rushing yards. Incredibly, this was also the last time Tagovailoa ran for a touchdown in a game.

Hyde10: Defensive gem, Tua’s Visor Day, big-back Gordon — 10 thoughts on Dolphins’ upset of Falcons

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 13:08

Surprise, surprise, surprise.

There were things that made you rub your eyes all game Sunday in the Dolphins’ 34-10 win against Atlanta.

Here are 10 thoughts on their best day of a struggling season:

1. Everyone agreed Sunday was a lopsided matchup between the Dolphins’ league-worst rushing defense (159.3 yards allowed) against Atlanta’s fourth-ranked rushing offense (136.3 yards). It played out lopsided, too, in a manner no one expected.  Atlanta had nine carries for 11 yards in the first half when the game was effectively settled. It had 31 yards on 15 carries for the game. Bijan Robinson was expected to have a big day, considering he entered averaging 5.4 yards a carry. He had nine carries for 28 yards, a 2.8-yard average Sunday. Anthony Weaver’s defense hasn’t stopped opposing backs or continuous questions this year, but it made a stand on Sunday.

2. Call it the Visor Game. Tua Tagovailoa played with a visor for the first time as a pro, probably because of a swollen eye that might’ve been caused by an illness the team reported him to have Sunday morning. After the worst game of his career in Cleveland, what could all this mean? Whatever, it worked. Tua had his best game in completing 20 of 26 passes for four touchowns. He didn’t start especially strong with three completions in seven passes, he completed 17 of his next 19. Of course, this was a game where he was immeasurably helped by ….

3. Quote of the day: “We can’t stop the run,” Atlanta coach Raheem Morris said to CBS at halftime. Who expected to hear that? The Dolphins entered Sunday with the 28th-ranked rushing attack. McDaniel often sets the running game on the side of the road at games. Not Sunday. McDaniel kept running the ball to set the tone as the Dolphins finished with 141 rushing yards on 37 carries. On their first touchdown drive that went 13 plays and 79 yards, they had nine rushes and four passes. They had 66 yards on 14 carries (4.1 a carry) at half that led Morris to say they had to stop the run. It wasn’t all De’Von Achane, either, though he had 18 carries for 67 yards. Jaylen Wright, who didn’t have a carry this year, had nine for 28 yards Sunday. And …

4. A big, power back? How long have the Dolphins needed one? Well, Ollie Gordon provided that idea on Sunday with a 10-carry, 46-yard day. On that opening touchdown drive, he converted three short-yardage first downs — a third-and-2, third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 (the drive ended with Tua’s 3-yard pass to Achane for a 7-0 lead). Late in the first half, on third-and-3, Gordon bounced from the middle to run for 11 yards to keep alive a field goal drive. He was a power back in an offense that’s needed one.

5. Atlanta started quarterback Kirk Cousins in place of Michael Penix (knee), but let’s not overdo that. The Dolphins have faced backup running backs, tackles, receivers — everything this year and they’ve had big days. Why not Cousins? He completed 21 of 31 passes for 173 yards, but that doesn’t tell how dominant the Dolphins were. Atlanta didn’t score its touchdown until 5:01 left in the game. It had 11 first downs (to the Dolphins’ 24) and was 2 of 11 on third-down conversions (the Dolphins were 6 of 13).

Related Articles

6. Player of the game: Linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Dolphins linebackers have made a lot of tackles this season, but too many are after good gains. Here’s where Brooks’ six tackles of the first half were made in relation to the line of scrimmage: minus-1 yard, 2 yards, minus-3 yards, 3 yards, 4 yards and a minus-5 yard sack. Want to know how Atlanta had three points and was 0 for 5 on third downs at half? Brooks finished with 10 tacles.

7. Stat of game: Their 17 first-half points were three shy of the 20 first-half points they had totaled in the first six games.

8. “No. 64 reports as eligible,” was a regular line from the referee before plays. One question was how the Dolphins would replace injured tight end Julian Hill’s blocking (another was how they’d replace Darren Waller’s receiving). To replace Hill, they brought guard Daniel Brunskill in a sixth offensive linemen. That gave more power to the running game.

9. Quick Hits:

For the second straight game, a backup quarterback finished for the Dolphins. It was Zach Wilson in a blowout win this time, though.

After not playing a snap last week, rookie Dante Trader broke up what would’ve been a nice Atlanta completion in third quarter.

Someone cue the Kevin Harlan factor, considering the CBS announcer’s link to good times. But even he didn’t expect this. “What is going on here?” he said as Waddle ran into the end zone with a third-quarter TD to make it 24-3.

Robinson’s knee caused a fumble without any Dolphins touching him, as if to tell what kind of a day it was for both teams.

10. Next week: Baltimore at Dolphins. The dreaded short week for a Thursday night game at Hard Rock Stadium. It’s not as dreaded as it once was as Baltimore entered Sunday’s game against Chicago at 1-5. Lamar Jackson didn’t start Sunday, but was limited in practice last week suggesting he’d be ready for Thursday after missing a few weeks with injury. The real problem for Baltimore is its 32nd-ranked defense.

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

Instant Analysis: Miami Dolphins 34, Atlanta Falcons 10

South Florida Local News - Sun, 10/26/2025 - 12:55

Quick thoughts from South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers on the Dolphins’ stunning victory over the Falcons on Sunday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as Miami improves to 2-6 on the season:

Dave Hyde, Columnist

Where did that team come from? Most points this year. Least points given up. Let’s not go as far as to say the season is saved, but for one Sunday it was good to watch the Dolphins look like the team everyone hoped they could be at their best this year.

Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist

The Dolphins ended a three-game losing streak and a five-game road losing streak by playing their most complete game of the season. The much-maligned run defense was the star of the show but let’s give credit to the offense and special teams for playing clean games. The Dolphins weren’t happy to be 2-6 last year but they can feel a little better about being 2-6 at this moment.

David Furones, Dolphins Writer

These Dolphins, man. Just when you think they’re done, they look like world beaters. A landslide victory in Atlanta is good to hold people over for a week — or, in this case, a few days before Thursday night against the Ravens. The coming slate will tell us if this is a team that can seriously build toward a season turnaround or if this was a one-off occurrence. Let Tua play every game with his visor, and put Kevin Harlan on every Dolphins game!

Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor

Maybe Tua Tagovailoa may never toss that visor. In his most decisive start-to-finish game in since 2023, the Dolphins quarterback saw everything perfectly and surgically annihilated the Falcons. Having that performance complemented by Jordyn Brooks and a swarming defense made the Dolphins look like a potentially problematic spoiler in the season’s second half.

Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor

Where has this Tua Tagovailoa been? This Dolphins defense? That was as decisive a Dolphins dispatch of a .500 or better team on the road likely since the 38-13 Wildcat domination of the Patriots … 17 years ago. An incredibly incongruous performance compared with Weeks 1-7.

Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Visor Tua’, complementary football … breaking down Miami’s win over Falcons | VIDEO

  
Admin Login