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Heat’s Arison speaks at Hall induction of initial ownership doubts, roses from Shaq, perseverance of Spoelstra
Micky Arison insisted that his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame would be about more than his three-decade tenure as owner of the Miami Heat.
So as he spoke Saturday night at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass., not far from the sport’s shrine, he remained true to that vow.
Instead, he put the focus on those who helped engineer the franchise success that led to three championships, seven NBA Finals appearances, seven Eastern Conference championships, 10 Eastern Conference Finals appearances and 16 division titles.
At the start, that meant words of appreciation for Heat President Pat Riley and Heat icons Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning, as those three sat alongside as his hand-selected presenters.
But there also were moments of candor and backstory that offered a window into the meaning of the moments and the relationships cultivated since taking over stewardship of the franchise in February 1995.
At the outset, even before he took over controlling interest, he said there were doubts about whether his father, initial franchise owner Ted Arison, should pursue such a business interest beyond the family’s Carnival cruise line.
The Hall of Fame is filled with HEAT legends, and there are many more to come pic.twitter.com/MMgtdGAkql
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 7, 2025
“In 1988, my father was part of the group that brought the Miami Heat to Miami. Ironically, when I found out that he was talking to David Stern, I tried to convince him not to get involved,” Arison said of that meeting with the late NBA commissioner. “We had tremendous success in the cruise business and valued our privacy. But the Miami Heat and the game of basketball quickly became an all-consuming passion for our family.”
And, Arison acknowledged, the Heat became family, as he related a story about Heat championship center Shaquille O’Neal.
“During the time,” he said of O’Neal’s Heat tenure, “my 90-year-old mother-in-law joined us for every single home game. Shaq sent her a red rose with a funny little note and had it delivered to her seat before every game.”
Never change, @SHAQ
USF, up next for Miami Hurricanes, stun No. 13 UF in Swamp
GAINESVILLE — Another early season no-show in the Swamp by the Gators.
Another season on the brink for Florida coach Billy Napier.
A week after UF was virtually flawless against an overmatched FCS foe, the No. 13 Gators fell apart Saturday night during an 18-16 loss to unranked USF that put Napier back in familiar spot — behind the 8-ball and on the hot seat.
A 20-yard field goal by USF sophomore Nico Gramatica silenced a sellout crowd of 89,909 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and sent the Gators (1-1) reeling before the season has even started — and will get only tougher.
“There’s no excuse here,” he said about his latest stunning loss at UF. “I’m not here to make excuses.”
When a 17.5-point home favorite doesn’t score even 17.5 points, there are problems.
Having been through it during each of his three previous season, Napier — now 20-20 at UF — said he’s prepared for an upcoming cacophony of criticism.
“We created it. We deserve it,” he said. “If you play football like that, you’re going to get criticized.”
UF coach Billy Napier, left, argues with head linesman Ralph Green during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)Napier and the Gators will have to block out the noise while addressing a laundry list of concerns. If Florida cannot find some answers quickly, a season filled with high expectations could end up in free-fall.
Next up is one of the toughest four-game stretches over five weeks in program history, beginning with trips to No. 3 LSU Saturday and No. 5 Miami on Sept. 20. After a Sept. 27 bye week, the Gators host No. 6 Texas Oct. 4 followed by a trip to Texas A&M.
The Gators will have to improve in every way to have a chance against any of them.
“We can do much better. We can coach better. We can play better.” Napier said. “We have to do much better.”
Show Caption1 of 51USF kicker Nico Grammatica (7) is hoisted by teammates after kicking the winnng field goal as time ran out during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel) Expand
Facing a Group of Five program visiting one of college football’s toughest environments, Napier’s Gators could not finish drives, committed costly penalties and struggled to get the Bulls offense off the field.
“I don’t want to discredit South Florida,” Napier said. “Give them some credit for hanging around and finding a way to win the game.”
Florida could do no wrong in Week 1.
Napier’s team didn’t commit a penalty during a 55-0 trouncing of Long Island University. But against USF (2-0), UF had 11 for 103 yards, including two costly flags on the game-winning drive. Starting from their 11-yard line, the Bulls went 87 yards in eight plays to earn their first win in five meetings with the state’s flagship university.
A second-down pass interference on Dijon Johnson first cost UF 13 yards. On the next play, officials flagged Baylor transfer defensive tackle Brendan Bett 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after he spit on USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner.
“He made a mistake there,” UF QB DJ Lagway said. “That doesn’t identify his character at all. He’s such a nice guy. He was in there crying and stuff like that, feeling bad, talking to the coaches, talking to the players, and apologizing for it.”
On the next play, Alvon Isaac, a sophomore from Hawthorne just east of Gainesville, took a screen pass from quarterback Byrum Brown 29 yards to the Gators’ 39. A 12-yard completion to sophomore Joshua Port of Sebring put the Bulls well within Gramatica’s range.
USF picked up 18 more yards on four plays to set up a chip shot for Gramatica. The son of the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica came up several yards short from 58 yards with 2:52 remaining and USF going for the upset win.
The Gators, though, ran just 27 seconds off the clock. A third-down incompletion by Lagway throwing to true freshman Vernell Brown III of Orlando forced UF to punt to the Bulls with 2:25 remaining.
“We got ourselves into a good play,” Napier said. “We had a chance on third down to put the game away basically.”
Things had begun to look bleak when the third quarter ended with the Gators trailing 15-9. The “Won’t Back Down” tradition played before the fourth quarter rang hollow for a Florida team at that point on its heels.
Florida receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) comes down with a touchdown catch in front of USF cornerback De'Shawn Rucker (22) during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)But the Gators and the Swamp soon came alive.
Fresh off a breakout performance in his debut, Brown III again ignited his team and sellout crowd, this time with a 40-yard punt return that ended with a shove in the back out of bounds from USF punter Chase Leon to tack on another 15 yards to the USF 24.
Three runs totaling 16 yards by sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh set up Lagway’s 4-yard scoring pass to Tre Wilson, a Tampa native once recruited by USF.
UF promptly forced a three-and-out with a second-down pass break-up by Aaron Chiles and third-down tackle in the flat by Myles Graham.
The Bulls, though, did not fade away after stunning Group of Five heavyweight Boise State 34-7 last week in Tampa.
Florida did not make the key plays on a night when Lagway was so-so, going 23 of 33 for 222 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
“Got to make the plays when I need to make the plays and when my guys are counting on me,” he said. “So I put all that on me.”
Meanwhile, the Gators defense could not contain Brown, who finished with 263 passing yards — including a 66-yard touchdown to Keshaun Singleton for a 13-9 lead — and 66 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Four of UF’s seven second-half possessions ended in punts, another with an interception, another with a USF safety and only one with a touchdown, when Lagway found Wilson to give UF a 16-15 lead with 12:29 remaining.
But the Gators could not hold on to their slim lead to prevent another inexplicable loss for Napier and tough scene in the team’s locker room.
“We were definitely heartbroken, sad, mad,” Lagway said. “We could have played a lot better. We left a lot of points on the drawing board.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Harper homers and NL East-leading Phillies beat Marlins 4-2
MIAMI (AP) — Bryce Harper homered, Brandon Marsh doubled twice and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Saturday.
Jesús Luzardo struck out eight over six innings of two-run ball for the NL East-leading Phillies. Luzardo (13-6) allowed five hits and walked four.
Phillies star slugger Kyle Schwarber went 0-for-3 and was hit twice. Schwarber remains at 49 homers since he went deep four times against Atlanta on Aug. 28. He hit a drive to the warning track in the ninth that was caught by centerfielder Jakob Marsee.
After winning three of four at the New York Mets Aug. 28-31, the Marlins have lost five straight.
Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto threw out Agustín Ramírez and Maximo Acosta on unsuccessful stolen base attempts in the second and sixth.
Harper gave the Phillies a quick lead with a two-run homer in the first. He drove a fastball from Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara over the wall in center for his 24th home run.
Philadelphia padded the lead in the fourth on Harrison Bader’s run-scoring single and Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly.
Miami narrowed the deficit in the bottom half, when Eric Wagaman doubled and Javier Sanoja added an RBI infield single.
David Robertson and Matt Strahm followed Luzardo with scoreless innings each before Jhoan Duran closed for his 27th save.
Alcantara (8-12) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out four.
Key momentAfter he issued walks to Wagaman and Sanoja, Luzardo ended his outing by retiring Troy Johnston on a flyout for the third out in the sixth.
Key statHarper has 33 RBIs over his last 50 games.
Up nextRHP Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.92 ERA) will start the series finale for the Phillies on Sunday while the Marlins have not announced a starter.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Jaden Nixon’s career night powers UCF past North Carolina A&T
Jaden Nixon looked skyward as a slow rain pitter-pattered its way onto the field at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium.
Among the drops of rain falling from the black sky was a football, which quietly landed into Nixon’s arms before the talented UCF running back took one step, then another and another as the redshirt senior picked up speed.
He dodged one tackle and then another and soon the only thing in front of Nixon was green grass and open space. Thirteen seconds and 96 yards later, he found himself in the end zone for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.
It was the first of what would be three touchdowns on the night for Nixon, whose big performance led UCF to an impressive 68-7 win Saturday over North Carolina A&T.
It’s the third consecutive year in which UCF has opened a season 2-0.
It was Nixon’s second career kickoff return for a touchdown and the first kickoff return for a touchdown by the Knights since Mike Hughes achieved the same feat on Nov. 24, 2017.
Show Caption1 of 24UCF Knights fans show their resilience on the night of a rain delayed football game against North Carolina A&T Aggies at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) Expand
Ironically, Scott Frost was the head coach at UCF during the last kickoff return for a touchdown.
“It looked eerily similar. I actually thought about it instantly when he came up the hash and broke left and ran about the same track as Mike did back in the day,” said Frost. “It was a little bit of deja vu for me, but it’s a good way to start the game.”
“I had one before, but I’ve been wanting to go get another one ever since then and now I want to go get another one after that,” Nixon added jokingly. “I know the guys on the team feel the same way, so we’re going to keep putting in the work even after this week.”
UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson earned his first start of the season on Saturday, leading the Knights to a 68-7 win over North Carolina A&T. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)Tayven Jackson took his first snaps as the starting quarterback, leading the Knights on an 8-play, 64-yard scoring drive that was highlighted by a 49-yard completion from Jackson to receiver Duane Thomas Jr. at the goal line. Two plays later, Jackson burst through the NCAT defense for a 1-yard score.
Jackson earned the start in place of Cam Fancher, who missed the game after suffering an injury early in the second quarter in the team’s 17-10 win over Jacksonville State a week ago Thursday.
“There was some good and there’s some bad,” Jackson said of assessing his performance. “We could be better at some things and as a team, we want to be great, so we’re going to go in the film room and fix what we did wrong, but also enjoy the win, because it’s hard to win football games.”
With UCF facing a bye week before hosting North Carolina on Sept. 20, Frost wasn’t willing to commit to any one quarterback moving forward.
“We’ve got a bye week to think about it, see who’s healthy and who’s available and we’ll talk as a staff, but I don’t think it’s going to be tough,” Frost indicated.
After an interception by UCF linebacker Jayden McDonald on the Aggies’ next possession, Jackson scampered 4 yards for another touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
Severe weather in the area delayed the start of the game by an hour. This marked the second consecutive game for the Knights to experience a weather delay. Their opener against Jacksonville State had been pushed back by more than two hours due to nearby lightning.
UCF Knights wide receiver Marcus Burke (3) can’t hold onto the pass during the college football game against North Carolina A&T Aggies at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)UCF’s defense got in on the scoring as well, as edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly forced a fumble after sacking NCAT quarterback Champ Long in the end zone. Defensive end Rodney Lora recovered it for a touchdown.
It was the first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Demari Henderson’s 87-yard return for a score against Baylor on Sept. 30, 2023.
The Knights held the NCAT (0-2) to just 200 yards of offense, while forcing an interception and a fumble.
“We talked about getting turnovers all week,” said Kelly, who finished with 4 tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble. “We talked about starting fast early. So it was a blessing that we were able to get interceptions early and get two sacks early.”
Nixon added an 87-yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter that pushed the lead to 34-0. It was UCF’s third-longest run from scrimmage, tying him with Kevin Smith (2007) and Adrian Killins (2016).
Noe Ruelas added a pair of field goals (34 and 36 yards).
Nixon added another touchdown run — a 66-yarder midway through the third quarter — to push the UCF advantage to 47-0. He finished the game with four carries for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jackson went 12 of 21 for 189 yards with a pair of rushing touchdowns. He was replaced in the second half by Jacurri Brown, who added a pair of rushing touchdowns.
UCF, meanwhile, finished with a season-high 560 yards of offense, fueled by 356 rushing yards. It was the most rushing yards by the Knights since totaling 384 against Sam Houston State last season.
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.
FSU honors Ethan Pritchard and his dad during and after Saturday victory
Father Earl Pritchard and Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard were honored during and after FSU’s 77-3 victory over East Texas A&M on Saturday.
The younger Pritchard was shot this past Sunday in Havana, a town about 16 miles northwest of Tallahassee. Ethan Pritchard remains stable but in critical condition at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where he had surgery for a gunshot to the back of the head.
Seminole LB Ethan Pritchard stays true to mother he never knew, commits to FSU
On Saturday, Earl Pritchard was on the sidelines during the Seminoles’ victory, decked out in a gold FSU jersey with Ethan’s No. 35 and Pritchard embroidered across the back. After the win, Earl Pritchard was honored with being the one to break the victory “rock” in the FSU locker room, a traditional custom after FSU victories.
In the locker room, coach Mike Norvell told his players before handing Earl Pritchard the game ball: “Ethan’s dad came to spend the day with us. He told me the other day this is where his boy wants him to be. We got it done for him,” Norvell said, handing the game ball to Earl. “I want you to take that to him.”
Norvell has been trying to keep his players abreast of Ethan’s situation and had this to say on Tuesday:
“I talked to Ethan’s dad this morning. I’m trying to check on him, check on Ethan. I was able to go by yesterday for a short period of time with limited visitation, just getting a chance to be there for a handful of minutes. It was good to be with him,” Norvell said.
Seminole High coach Karl Calhoun set up a GoFundMe page for the Pritchard family and as of Saturday at 5 p.m., $116,552 had been raised.
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
Chaminade-Madonna finishes rally past American Heritage on Leonard-to-Lopez TD with 2:42 left
PLANTATION — Freshman quarterback Malik Leonard engineered a 15-play, 98-yard drive and hit senior Jasen Lopez in the corner of the end zone with 2:42 left as Chaminade-Madonna stunned host American Heritage 28-24 in a battle of nationally ranked, defending state champions on Friday night.
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Leonard, who split snaps with junior Tyler Chance throughout the game, was 5 for 6 on the decisive drive for 85 yards and the winning 12-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score.
Until then, Leonard had completed just 2 for 7 for 49 yards. The drive wouldn’t have been possible had the 34th-ranked Lions (2-1) not stuffed No. 7-ranked American Heritage on a goal-line stand four times from a yard out.
American Heritage wide receiver Jeffar Jean-noel (8) picks up a first down in the third quarter against the Chaminade-MadonnaFriday, Sept. 5, 2025 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).Chaminade-Madonna coach Dameon Jones, who has led the Lions to nine consecutive state championship games, winning seven, was impressed with his freshman signal-caller.
“We just have to stay with the guy who is hot,” Jones said. “Sometimes it’s your night and sometimes it’s not.”
“He definitely showed how composed he is, especially being a freshman in such a big game,” added Lopez, who is an FSU commit. “We needed him to step up for us and make those big throws and that’s what he did. Derrek (Cooper) had a great game setting the tone early. He set up the run plays for us to be able to air it out and we did just that.”
American Heritage (1-1), who had battled back from a 28-point deficit to win its opener 31-28 over St. Joseph’s Prep, had one final chance to rally needing to go 80 yards against Chaminade-Madonna.
Five-star senior quarterback Dia Bell led the Patriots down to the Chaminade-Madonna 18 before the drive stalled. Bell was sacked for a 6-yard loss by Lions sophomore defensive end Alexander Beltran on third down, and Bell’s fourth-down pass with 29 seconds remaining was incomplete and Chaminade-Madonna ran out the clock for its fourth straight win over the Patriots to even the series between the two teams at 9-9 dating back to 2004.
American Heritage quarterback Dia Bell (3) gains a few tough yards against the Chaminade-Madonna in the fourth quarter. Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).“Early on we couldn’t really get anything going as an offense,” Lopez said. “(During) halftime the coaches adjusted and put me to outside to try to get me more touches so that’s really what it was.”
On the previous drive, with the Patriots up 24-21, Bell led American Heritage from their own 20 to the Lions’ 1 as Bell had a key 27-yard run to the 1.
Junior running back Jonathan Bueno, who scored three times in the Patriots’ opening-game win, was stopped three times inside the 1. Bell was then dropped for a 1-yard loss and Chaminade-Madonna took over, going the distance for the winning score.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity, we just couldn’t execute,” said American Heritage coach Mike Smith. “We didn’t take advantage of a golden opportunity. We had the ball exactly where we wanted it at the one inch line and they stopped us. You have to give them credit. They stopped us when they had to and went the distance for the win.”
Next season, it could be Bell handing the ball off to Lions running back Derrek Cooper at the University of Texas, where they are both 5-star commits.
Even though they were on opposite sidelines, both figured in the scoring as Bell threw for three touchdowns, while Cooper struck paydirt three times on the ground and finished with 51 yards rushing.
Chaminade-Madonna Derrek Cooper (1) breaks free for a big gain against the American Heritage in the second half. Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).“This just makes us go back to the drawing board. We’ve got a lot to work on,” said Bell, who finished the first half 15 of 17 for 147 yards and wound up 28 for 35 for 303 yards.
“We have a long season ahead of us and a lot to learn from,” Bell added. “We have to score there, no doubt about it. They took advantage of getting the ball back. They are a great football team and when they get the ball, they capitalize and make plays.”
The host Patriots grabbed a 14-6 halftime cushion as Bell had scoring throws of 20 yards to Coi Jean-Noel and 71 yards to Jamar Denson. Denson finished with 190 yards on 10 catches, while Jean-Noel had nine catches for 80 yards before leaving the game with cramps in the fourth quarter.
Four-time defending Class 1A state champion Chaminade-Madonna, answered on the first of Cooper’s scores, a 14-yard run. He would later add runs of six and a 1-yard plunge as the Lions battled back twice from two score deficits.
“(The win) was great,” Cooper said. “We all connected together and said we needed to get it done, so we locked In and drove down the field.”
American Heritage, thanks to the 71-yard scoring play, had 169 yards of offense in the first half, while the Lions were held to just 63 yards. They finished with 273 total yards.
Chaminade-Madonna Derrek Cooper (1) scores a touchdown in the third quarter against the American Heritage. Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).Chaminade-Madonna found their offensive rhythm in the second half, but the defense kept them in the game with six sacks to go along with the goal-line stand.
American Heritage pushed the lead to 17-6 with 8:13 left in the third on a 36-yard FG by Kade Bailey.
The Lions cut into the deficit to 17-14 with 4:57 left in the third on Cooper’s 6-yard run. Cooper pitched to Elijah Henry who ran it in for the two-point conversion.
Bell threw his third touchdown of the night, and his second to Jean-Noel, covering a yard, for a 24-14 advantage with 45 seconds left in the third. Chaminade-Madonna cut it to 24-21 with 11:57 left in the game on Cooper’s third TD run of the night. The Lions benefited from two costly Patriots personal foul penalties on the drive.
“We had our opportunities,” Smith added. “We had opportunities to put them away at the end, two times, but we didn’t get it done. We had the chance for the touchdown and then we had them pinned and we didn’t get it done.”
“We have been playing each other the last five years and it has come down to the wire every time,” Jones said. “Our defense has been playing all year and I am just so proud of them. They continue to do what they do. That’s a heckuva football team and when you come in here, you know it is going to come down to the wire. They took some stuff away early, but we just tried to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands and we did.”
American Heritage wide receiver Jeffar Jean-noel (8) celebrates a touchdown in the third quarter against Chaminade-Madonna. Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 (Jim Rassol/Contributor).Martinez throws three TD passes as Atlantic roars to 3-0 at Dr. Joaquin Garcia
Atlantic sophomore quarterback Pedro Martinez had three touchdown passes and the Eagles defense created four turnovers as they rolled past Dr. Joaquin Garcia 44-7 on Friday night.
Atlantic (3-0) won their third straight road game this season. The Eagles defeated Palm Beach Gardens 49-19 in the season opener and had a 26-20 victory in overtime at Jonesboro (Georgia).
“It’s a good start and it’s definitely been positive,” Atlantic coach Jamelle Murray said. “We’re young and developing. We just need to keep building and make progress each week. The guys played with good energy tonight.”
Martinez, a first-year starter, delivered a strong performance in the first half as the Eagles jumped out to a 20-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter and led 26-0 at halftime.
“I think he has done well,” Murray said. “He holds himself to a high standard. He played behind Lincoln [Graf] last year. Lincoln set the bar pretty high as a quarterback in this program. He is doing a good job managing it. He is a young kid, and he is leading us to wins.”
Martinez has accounted for 10 touchdowns through the first three games.
“We’re just worrying about doing things right and executing,” Martinez said. “I feel like we have a lot of potential. We are not fully there yet and have work to do. Every receiver can make plays at any time. I just need to get the ball to my playmakers.”
Atlantic seniors James Jones, Mark Hanniford and Gavin Mesidort each scored in the victory.
“We had to come out here and go fast,” Jones said. “The goal was to put up a bunch of points. Our energy is getting better, and everybody is coming together.”
Garcia (2-1) had previously outscored their opponents 85-0 through the first two games of the season. Atlantic also tacked on four interceptions. Sophomore Terry Gammage had an interception in the second quarter, senior Damian Jones and senior Tyrelle Owens each recorded interceptions in the third, and Owens also added a pick-six in the fourth.
“We are doing good, and we have all the players that can make plays,” Owens said. “I know we can be way better.”
Atlantic jumped out to an early 8-0 lead on the opening drive as junior running back Omari St. Fort rushed for a score and the Eagles converted a two-point conversion.
The Bulldogs marched downfield on their opening possession behind senior quarterback Caleb Butler. Atlantic’s defense made a stop on fourth-and-1 at the Eagles 23-yard line.
Martinez fired a 30-yard scoring pass to Jones in the right corner of the end zone to push the lead to 14-0 with 4:21 left in the first.
Mesidort raced down the left sideline for a 27-yard catch-and-run for a score to extend the lead to 20-0 with 1:48 remaining in the first.
On fourth-and-2, Martinez had an 8-yard touchdown run called back on a holding penalty. The Eagles failed to convert after an incomplete pass on the next play.
Garcia’s defense registered two turnovers in the second quarter. Senior Vincent Lewis made a diving grab for an interception in the end zone, and they also recovered a fumble at their own 35.
The Bulldogs missed a 39-yard field goal attempt late in the second. The Eagles capitalized on the ensuing drive as Martinez tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Hanniford with two seconds left in the first half.
Junior Dereion Darby had a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 32-0 with 7:34 left in the third quarter.
Garcia freshman quarterback Mason Gonzalez threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior Jayden Morton with 11:05 left in the fourth.
Owens had an interception return for a touchdown to make it 38-7 with 6:50 remaining. Freshman Tyrelle Gammage added a 47-yard touchdown run late in the fourth.
Phillies go deep four times, pummel Bellozo, Marlins
By ALANIS THAMES
MIAMI (AP) — Bryson Stott hit a three-run homer, Brandon Marsh added a two-run shot and the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 9-3 on Friday night.
The Phillies went deep four times, including solo shots from Max Kepler and Harrison Bader. Every Phillies starter had at least one hit, and they finished with 16 total.
Trea Turner, a graduate of Lake Worth’s Park Vista High School, went 4 for 5, his second time recording four hits against the Marlins this season.
Cristopher Sánchez (12-5) pitched seven effective innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out five and walking one. Tanner Banks relieved Sánchez in the eighth.
Stott broke the game open in the seventh when he lined a shot into the Phillies’ bullpen against reliever George Soriano to make it 9-1.
Brian Navarreto, an eighth-inning defensive replacement, pulled the Marlins within 9-3 with his first career home run, a two-run drive to center against Banks.
Kepler hit a solo shot into the second deck off Marlins starter Valente Bellozo (1-4) in the second. Marsh drilled a 420-foot, two-run shot to left-center off reliever Lake Bachar in the fourth, and Bader went deep in the next at-bat to put Philadelphia ahead 5-1.
NL homer run-leader Kyle Schwarber (49) singled twice. He hasn’t homered in the seven games since his four-home run outing against Atlanta on Aug. 28.
Javier Sanoja hit an RBI double in the third, Miami’s only run scored against Sánchez.
Bellozo allowed two runs and four hits in three innings, striking out two.
Key momentBachar replaced Bellozo in the third with the Marlins trailing 2-1, but gave up three straight hits — including the homers by Marsh and Bader — as Philadelphia extended its lead.
Key statSánchez’s 12 wins are a career high, surpassing his previous career-best 11 wins in 2024.
Up nextPhiladelphia LHP Jesús Luzardo (12-6, 4.06 ERA) will start the second game of the series Saturday against Miami RHP Sandy Alcantara (8-11, 5.66).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Thousands of newborn stars dazzle in the latest snapshot by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope
By MARCIA DUNN
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Thousands of newborn stars sparkle and dazzle in the latest snapshot by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope.
This image provided by NASA on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, shows a scene of star birth in Pismis 24, a young star cluster about 5,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius taken by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope. (NASA via AP)Released this week, the picture provides a breathtaking view of a nearby star-birthing center, 5,500 light-years away. A single light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.
Besides baby stars in a variety of sizes and colors, the photo reveals a dramatic cloud of star-forming dust and gas. This cloud — the so-called Lobster Nebula — is so massive that it spills beyond the camera lens. The cluster of infant stars, named Pismis 24, is located deep inside.
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Launched in 2021, Webb is the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space. It views the universe in the infrared, spending more than five hours to capture this one shot.
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.
Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC
By PHILIP MARCELO
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration said Friday that it is exploring whether the federal government can take control of the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City.
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The site in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center’s twin towers were destroyed by hijacked jetliners on Sept. 11, 2001, features two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets with the names of the dead, and an underground museum. Since opening to the public in 2014, the memorial plaza and museum have been run by a public charity, now chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a frequent Trump critic.
The White House confirmed the administration has had “preliminary exploratory discussions” about the idea, but declined to elaborate. The office noted the Republican pledged during his campaign last year to make the site a national monument, protected and maintained by the federal government.
But officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum say the federal government, under current laws, can’t unilaterally take over the site, which is located on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The U.S. government shouldering costs and management of the site also “makes no sense,” given Trump’s efforts to dramatically pare back the federal bureaucracy, said Beth Hillman, the organization’s president and CEO.
“We’re proud that our exhibitions tell stories of bravery and patriotism and are confident that our current operating model has served the public honorably and effectively,” she said, noting the organization has raised $750 million in private funds and welcomed some 90 million visitors since its opening.
Last year, the museum generated more than $93 million in revenue and spent roughly $84 million on operating costs, leaving a nearly $9 million surplus when depreciation is factored in, according to museum officials and its most recently available tax filings.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, voiced her own concerns about a federal takeover, citing the Trump administration’s recent efforts to influence how American history is told through its national monuments and museums, including the Smithsonian.
The takeover idea also comes just months after the Trump administration briefly cut, but then restored, staffing at a federal program that provides health benefits to people with illnesses that might be linked to toxic dust from the destroyed World Trade Center.
“The 9/11 Memorial belongs to New Yorkers — the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades and ensured we never forget,” Hochul said in a statement. “Before he meddles with this sacred site, the President should start by honoring survivors and supporting the families of victims.”
Anthoula Katsimatides, a museum board member who lost her brother, John, in the attack, said she didn’t see any reason to change ownership.
FILE – A woman holds up a photo of a New York City Police officer during the 9/11 Memorial ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)“They do an incredible job telling the story of that day without sugarcoating it,” she said. “It’s being run so well, I don’t see why there has to be a change. I don’t see what benefit there would be.”
The memorial and museum, however, have also been the target of criticism over the years from some members of the large community of 9/11 victims’ families, some of whom have criticized ticket prices or called for changes in the makeup of the museum’s exhibits.
Trump spokespersons declined to respond to the comments.
In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed when the hijackers crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvania during the Sept. 11 attacks. More than 2,700 of those victims perished in the fiery collapse of the trade center’s twin towers.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
Raid on upstate New York food manufacturer leads to dozens of detentions
By MICHAEL HILL
CATO, N.Y. (AP) — Federal law enforcement officers forced open the doors of a snack bar manufacturer and took away dozens of workers in a surprise enforcement action that the plant’s owner on Friday called “terrifying.”
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“There’s got to be a better way to do it,” Lenny Schmidt said at Nutrition Bar Confectioners, a day after officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies raided the family-owned business in Cato, New York, about 30 miles west of Syracuse.
The facility’s employees had all been vetted and had legal documentation, Schmidt said, adding that he would have cooperated with law enforcement if he’d been told beforehand.
“Coming in like they did, it’s frightening for everybody — the Latinos, Hispanics that work here, and everybody else that works here as well, even myself and my family. It’s terrifying,” he said.
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck said his deputies were among those on scene Thursday morning after being asked a month ago to assist federal agencies, including U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, in executing a search warrant “relative to an ongoing criminal investigation.”
He did not detail the nature of the investigation, referring questions to HSI, which he said was leading it.
HSI did not respond to requests for information.
The explanation left state Sen. Rachel May, a Democrat who represents the district, with questions.
“It’s not clear to me if it’s a longstanding criminal investigation why the workers would have been rounded up,” May said by phone Friday. “I feel like there are things that don’t quite add up.”
Briefly detained worker describes surprise raidVideo and photos from the scene showed numerous law enforcement vehicles outside the plant and workers being escorted from the building to a Border Patrol van.
A 24-year-old worker who was briefly detained said Friday that immigration agents ordered everyone to a lunchroom where they asked for proof they were in the country legally.
The worker, who declined to be named for fear of retribution, said that after showing the agents he is a legal resident, they wrote down his information and photographed him.
“Some of the women started to cry because their kids were at school or at day care. It was very sad to see,” the worker, who arrived from Guatemala six years ago, said.
His partner, who lacks legal status, was among those taken away.
The two of them started working at the factory about two years ago. He was assigned to the snack bar-wrapping department and she to the packing area. He said he couldn’t talk to her before she was led away by agents. He still doesn’t know where she is being detained.
“I could tell she was sad,” the worker said. “What they are doing to us is not right. We’re here to work. We are not criminals.”
In this photo provided by Rural & Migrant Ministry, law enforcement officers gather outside during a raid on a snack bar manufacturer Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Cato, N.Y. (Ana Mendez-Vasquez/Rural & Migrant Ministry via AP)Schmidt said he doesn’t believe his plant was specifically targeted and that immigrations enforcement agents are singling out any company with “some sort of Hispanic workforce, whether small or large.”
The raid came the same day that immigration authorities detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, at a manufacturing site in Georgia where Korean automaker Hyundai makes electric vehicles.
Without his missing employees, Schmidt estimated production at the food manufacturer would drop by about half, making it a challenge to meet customer demand. The plant employs close to 230 people.
“We’ll just do what we need to do to move forward to give our customers the product that they need,” he said, “and then slowly recoup, rehire where we need.”
Dozens still held a day laterDemocratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was outraged by the raid and said those detained included parents of “at least a dozen children at risk of returning from school to an empty house.”
“I’ve made it clear: New York will work with the federal government to secure our borders and deport violent criminals, but we will never stand for masked ICE agents separating families and abandoning children,” she said in a statement.
The advocacy group Rural and Migrant Ministry said between 50 and 60 people, most of them from Guatemala, were still being held Friday. Among those released late Thursday, after about 11 hours, was a mother of a newborn child who urgently needed to nurse her baby, the group’s chief program officer, Wilmer Jimenez, said. He said she was told to report in later.
Jimenez said employees were in a panic during the hours law enforcement officers were on site.
“The way they went into the factory was very aggressive,” Jimenez said. “They used crowbars to open the doors in many directions and it was just something that people were not expecting.”
The worker who was briefly detained said he has been helping to support his parents and siblings who grow corn and beans in Guatemala. He became a legal resident two years ago after working with an immigration attorney.
He said he took Friday off but plans to get back to work on Monday.
“I have to go back because I can’t be without work,” he said.
Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco and Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y. contributed to this report.
States move to protect vaccines in the face of attempts to remove mandates
Now that Florida is taking steps to be the first state to get rid of school vaccine mandates, some states are looking at following its lead while others are promising to protect vaccines for children and adults.
Florida’s announcement on Wednesday along with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s attempts to advance anti-vaccine policies have widened the debate over vaccine mandates — long a centerpiece of fighting infectious diseases.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that roughly 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide by childhood vaccinations.
While most Americans say kids should be vaccinated to attend school, adults nationwide are now less likely to think those immunizations are important. At the same time, routine childhood vaccine rates are falling.
Here is a rundown of what states are saying about vaccine mandates:
Massachusetts moves to protect access to vaccines FILE – Pharmacist Kenni Clark injects Robert Champion, of Lawrence, Mass., with a booster dosage of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at City of Lawrence’s “The Center,” Dec. 29, 2021, in Lawrence, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)The state’s Democratic governor issued a bulletin Thursday saying that Massachusetts insurance carriers will be required to cover vaccinations recommended by the state’s department of public health regardless of whether those vaccines are endorsed by the federal government. Gov. Maura Healey said she wants to make sure the state’s residents can afford the vaccines they want. Vaccinations that Massachusetts insurers would be required to cover include routine shots for children, like measles, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. Healey said her state is also leading a bipartisan coalition of eight Northeast states that met over the summer to discuss coordinating vaccine recommendations.
West Coast governors band togetherThe Democratic governors in Washington, Oregon and California announced this week that they have created an alliance to establish their own recommendations for who should receive vaccines. They plan to coordinate their vaccine recommendations and immunization plans based on science-based evidence from respected national medical organizations, according to a joint statement.
Illinois seeks advice from medical expertsThe state health department in Illinois said it plans to issue specific guidance by the end of September that will help health care providers and residents make informed decisions about vaccinations. The state’s health director said they will consult with medical experts.
New Mexico plans to “remove obstacles” to vaccinesThe state’s chief health official says New Mexico is updating its protocols to allow pharmacists to consider recommendations from the state’s health department when administering vaccines rather than just the federal government’s immunization advisory committee. Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie said the order “will remove obstacles to vaccination access.”
Pennsylvania, Colorado and Washington protect COVID-19 shots Co-owner Marc Ost at Eric’s Rx Shoppe, and Michelle Santo unpack and log a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the store in Horsham, Pa., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)Pennsylvania’s pharmacy board voted this week to protect the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for those most in need and make it accessible across the state, at the urging of Gov. Josh Shapiro. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also directed health officials to make sure residents are able to be vaccinated against the virus. A new order that went into effect Friday allows pharmacists in Colorado to provide the vaccines without individual prescriptions. Health leaders in Washington state on Friday issued a similar order that it said covers COVID-19 shots for most residents.
Attorneys general warn OpenAI and other tech companies to improve chatbot safety
By MATT O’BRIEN and THALIA BEATY
The attorneys general of California and Delaware on Friday warned OpenAI they have “serious concerns” about the safety of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, especially for children and teens.
The two state officials, who have unique powers to regulate nonprofits such as OpenAI, sent the letter to the company after a meeting with its legal team earlier this week in Wilmington, Delaware.
California AG Rob Bonta and Delaware AG Kathleen Jennings have spent months reviewing OpenAI’s plans to restructure its business, with an eye on “ensuring rigorous and robust oversight of OpenAI’s safety mission.”
But they said they were concerned by “deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions between” chatbots and their users, including the “heartbreaking death by suicide of one young Californian after he had prolonged interactions with an OpenAI chatbot, as well as a similarly disturbing murder-suicide in Connecticut. Whatever safeguards were in place did not work.”
The parents of the 16-year-old California boy, who died in April, sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, last month.
The chair of OpenAI’s board, Bret Taylor, said in a statement Friday that the company was “fully committed” to addressing the concerns raised by the attorneys general.
“We are heartbroken by these tragedies and our deepest sympathies are with the families,” Taylor said. “Safety is our highest priority and we’re working closely with policymakers around the world.”
Founded as a nonprofit with a safety-focused mission to build better-than-human artificial intelligence, OpenAI had recently sought to transfer more control to its for-profit arm from its nonprofit before dropping those plans in May after discussions with the offices of Bonta and Jennings and other nonprofit groups.
The two elected officials, both Democrats, have oversight of any such changes because OpenAI is incorporated in Delaware and operates out of California, where it has its headquarters in San Francisco.
After dropping its initial plans, OpenAI has been seeking the officials’ approval for a “recapitalization,” in which the nonprofit’s existing for-profit arm will convert into a public benefit corporation that has to consider the interests of both shareholders and the mission.
Bonta and Jennings wrote Friday of their “shared view” that OpenAI and the industry need better safety measures.
“The recent deaths are unacceptable,” they wrote. “They have rightly shaken the American public’s confidence in OpenAI and this industry. OpenAI – and the AI industry – must proactively and transparently ensure AI’s safe deployment. Doing so is mandated by OpenAI’s charitable mission, and will be required and enforced by our respective offices.”
The letter to OpenAI from the California and Delaware officials comes after a bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general warned the company and other tech firms last week of “grave concerns” about the safety of children interacting with AI chatbots that can respond with “sexually suggestive conversations and emotionally manipulative behavior.”
The attorneys general specifically called out Meta for chatbots that reportedly engaged in flirting and “romantic role-play” with children, saying they were alarmed that these chatbots “are engaging in conduct that appears to be prohibited by our respective criminal laws.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, declined to comment on the letter but recently rolled out new controls that aim to block its chatbots from talking with teens about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating and inappropriate romantic conversations, and instead directs them to expert resources. OpenAI also said it would roll out new parental controls, including a method to notify parents “when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress.”
The attorneys general said the companies would be held accountable for harming children, noting that in the past, regulators had not moved swiftly to respond to the harms posed by new technologies.
“If you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it,” the Aug. 25 letter ends.
The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP’s text archives.
Trump administration says Kilmar Abrego Garcia is ineligible for asylum
By BEN FINLEY
The Trump administration is fighting Kilmar Abrego Garcia ‘s bid to apply for asylum in the United States, arguing that he’s ineligible as a member of the MS-13 gang.
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The Department of Homeland Security on Friday released immigration court documents that outline its arguments against Abrego Garcia applying for asylum or receiving it.
A primary argument is that Abrego Garcia is a member of a designated foreign terrorist organization, MS-13, an allegation that Abrego Garcia denies and for which he hasn’t been charged.
Abrego Garcia, 30, became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies when he was wrongfully deported to his native country of El Salvador in March. The U.S. returned him in June, but only to face federal human smuggling in Tennessee, which his lawyers have called preposterous and vindictive. He has pleaded not guilty.
Abrego Garcia filed a motion in Baltimore immigration court last month to reopen his 2019 immigration case and apply for asylum again. He was denied the first time because his request came more than a year after he arrived in the U.S.
Abrego Garcia had fled threats of gang violence in his native El Salvador around 2011 to join his brother in Maryland. And while his first asylum request was denied, he was granted protection from deportation to El Salvador because he had established a well-founded fear of gang violence there.
Abrego Garcia was released in 2019 under federal supervision and continued to live with his American wife and children. He checked in with ICE each year, received a federal work permit and was working as a sheet metal apprentice earlier this year, his lawyers have said.
Immigration experts have said that Abrego Garcia’s new asylum application could lead to a green card and a path to citizenship. But by reopening his 2019 case, he also risks being sent back to El Salvador.
The Trump administration stated in court documents this week that it would pursue returning him to his native country if he successfully reopens his previous immigration case.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawyers are playing with fire,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Friday. It added: “As a member of a designated foreign terrorist organization, MS-13, he is no longer eligible for his previous immigration relief.”
Abrego Garcia and his attorneys have repeatedly denied the MS-13 allegation. It stems from a day in 2019 when he was detained by local police in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Abrego Garcia had arrived outside a Home Depot in search of work as a day laborer, according to court documents. Authorities had been told by a confidential informant that Abrego Garcia and other men outside the store could be identified as members of MS-13 because of their clothing and tattoos.
Abrego Garcia was never charged. He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and subsequently applied for asylum and ultimately received protection from being deported to El Salvador.
In February, the Trump administration designated MS-13 to be a foreign terrorist organization and wrongfully deported Abrego Garcia to a notorious El Salvador prison, where he claims he was beaten and psychologically tortured. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has denied those allegations.
Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s lead immigration attorney, said in a statement Friday that Abrego Garcia would likely get asylum if he gets a fair trial.
“The only reason he was denied asylum in 2019 was because he did not file within one year of entering the United States, a problem which the government has now solved,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said. “If Mr. Abrego Garcia is allowed a fair trial in immigration court, there’s no way he’s not going to prevail on his claim for asylum.”
President Donald Trump to attend US Open men’s singles final as a client guest
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is planning to attend the men’s singles final at the U.S. Open on Sunday as a client guest and will watch the match from that client’s suite, a spokesperson for the U.S. Tennis Association said Friday.
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The USTA did not identify which client Trump will be a guest of. It’s set to be Trump’s first appearance at the Grand Slam tournament in New York since 2015.
Trump frequently attended in the years before that when he lived in New York and before he launched his political career. He now primarily lives at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, when he’s not in Washington.
It’s the latest high-profile sporting event for Trump after the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, as well as UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey, the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia and the FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Trump Organization once controlled a suite at the U.S. Open which was adjacent to the television broadcasting booth in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but suspended it in 2017, during the first year of Trump’s first term.
Despite Trump’s past association with the tournament, having a sitting president at the U.S. Open is unusual. It hasn’t happened since Bill Clinton attended in 2000. Former President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle, attended the opening night in 2023.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Miss Manners: She won’t shut up about how fat I am. I’m 9 months pregnant!
DEAR MISS MANNERS: How should you respond to a mother-in-law who always calls you fat?
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We only see my MIL a few times per year, either when we fly her here to visit or we fly to visit her. Every time, I jokingly make a bet with my husband on how long she will last before making a rude comment about how much weight I’ve gained.
She said I was fat when I was in great shape. She said I was fat when I was carrying baby weight from giving her two perfect grandchildren.
Before we visited her last summer, I worked hard and lost some weight. She still said I had “gotten fat.” I corrected her, saying I had actually lost weight and was wearing size 10 jeans, which was a great accomplishment for me. She thought I was exaggerating and said that I can’t wear a 10 because she wears a 14-16 and is “not that much bigger” than me.
Now I’m nine months pregnant, and she has arrived to help with the older two children when we go to the hospital. It only took about a half-hour before she started laying into how much weight I’ve gained, saying she’s never seen me this big before.
I never thought she would be so insulting when I am literally days away from delivering. It’s getting under my skin this time, and I have been crying over it.
Next time she comments, I think I need to put her in her place. What should I say?
GENTLE READER: Miss Manners suggests starting with, “I’m nine months pregnant!”
When this response is no longer accurate, you may say, “Please do not comment on my weight. I would never dream of saying something about yours.”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: When flying, I often find myself subjected to the unintentional elbow jabs of my seatmate.
I always make a conscious effort to remain within the boundaries of my seat, carefully avoiding encroaching on anyone else’s space. However, on my last flight, I was elbowed repeatedly while attempting to sleep. (For the record, I have been assured I am not a snorer!)
I’m certain my fellow passengers aren’t doing this on purpose, but the repeated nudging is becoming unbearable.
I don’t wish to create a scene or risk being removed from the flight, but I’d also love to know if you have any elegant, perhaps even quippy, way to handle this situation without resorting to calling a flight attendant.
Also, I wonder whether your advice would change depending on the seat I’m in. I am typically a window-seat traveler, though I’ve found myself in the middle seat more than once, much to my dismay.
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GENTLE READER: The annoyance is the same no matter which seat you are sitting in. It just feels more injurious when you are suffering in the middle already.
Miss Manners suggests you react to the jabs by looking startled and even producing a small yelp. When your seatmate realizes what caused this, you may say good-naturedly, “We’re packed pretty tight in here.”
And if you are awoken? Add, “I hope my being asleep wasn’t bothering you.”
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.
Morning Update: South Florida’s top stories for Friday, Sept. 5, 2025
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Miss Manners: My rude neighbor constantly texts and is irked when I don’t have what she wants
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