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When Johnny Dawkins was recently asked about his future at UCF, the Knights basketball coach pointed out the banners hanging in the rafters of Addition Financial Arena.

Above the court were three banners signifying the program’s postseason trips: two to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

“The guys this year can put up a banner for being in the NIT,” Dawkins said following his team’s loss to USF in the first round of the NIT. “We’ve established four banners in this arena in eight years, and I know we can be better and do better.”

After a 17-16 record, including a 7-11 mark during UCF’s first season in the Big 12 and a program-best three wins over ranked opponents, some observers contended that the Knights may have overachieved this season. However, with one season remaining on Dawkins’ contract, there were questions about  his future with the school.

UCF offers basketball coach Johnny Dawkins a contract extension

UCF officials answered that question by offering Dawkins a contract extension this week.

Terms are still being finalized, but the new deal will keep the 60-year-old coach at the school for the foreseeable future.

With his future stabilized, Dawkins can focus on his team heading into Year 2 of the Big 12.

The Knights will once again undergo massive changes.

Starters Antwann Jones (4.3 points per game), Shemarri Allen (7.3 ppg), Omar Payne (4.2 ppg) and Ibrahima Diallo (5.6 rebounds per game) have exhausted their eligibility. And since the end of the season, C.J. Walker (7.8 ppg), Marchelus Avery (7.6 ppg), DeMarr Langford Jr. (1.6 ppg) and Michael Kalina have entered the transfer portal.

That leaves about 54% of the team’s offensive production remaining, mainly from the return of starting guards Darius Johnson (15.2 ppg) and Jaylin Sellers (15.9 ppg) and reserve forward Thierno Sylla (4.3 ppg).

Sellers said Dawkins made his decision to return to the Knights next season easier.

“Coach is perhaps the best coach I’ve ever had,” Sellers said. “With him believing in me, I never want to play for another coach in college basketball. He’s  another father figure to me. When I look into his eyes, I see me, and I’m pretty sure he sees a little bit of himself.”

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The Knights should also benefit from a strong recruiting class that includes transfer Mikey Williams, a former five-star prospect from Memphis. Williams was the No. 26 player in the nation for the Class of 2023.

UCF basketball has also seen increased resources away from the court, especially from the school’s collective, The Kingdom, which recently received two six-figure commitments for the program.

“Despite the South Florida game and maybe the last couple of games, there’s a lot of momentum around basketball that hasn’t happened before,” said SJ Tuohy, the executive director of the Kingdom. “Record sellouts and attendance … there was record interest, so we want to keep the momentum going.

“For us, it’s all about helping him. There’s no point in bringing him back if you won’t get him the help he needs to compete so we can try to improve.”

UCF unveils new details, timeline for football stadium expansion

Tuohy said the basketball program went from having one player under a name, image and likeness (NIL) contract in the 2022-23 season to 12 players with deals last season. He added that while UCF isn’t last in the Big 12 in NIL funding for basketball, the Knights are in the bottom four. But the program is narrowing that gap.

“We don’t have to be the top team in the Big 12; we don’t have to be the middle team in the Big 12. But we have to give Johnny enough so that he can get players that he can recruit, develop and enjoy their experience here,” Tuohy said. “I’m not hellbent on being at the top of the Big 12 [in basketball NIL]; I’m hellbent on giving our coach a chance.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

By SUSAN HAIGH (Associated Press)

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in the disputed 2000 election and who almost became Republican John McCain’s running mate eight years later, has died, according to a statement issued by his family.

Lieberman died in New York City on Wednesday due to complications from a fall, the statement said. He was 82.

The Democrat-turned-independent was never shy about veering from the party line.

Lieberman’s independent streak and especially his needling of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential contest rankled many Democrats, the party he aligned with in the Senate. Yet his support for gay rights, civil rights, abortion rights and environmental causes at times won him the praise of many liberals over the years.

“In an era of political carbon copies, Joe Lieberman was a singularity. One of one,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat. “He fought and won for what he believed was right and for the state he adored.”

Over the last decade, Lieberman helped lead No Labels, a centrist third-party movement that has said it will offer as-yet-unnamed candidates for president and vice president this year. Some groups aligned with Democrats oppose the effort, fearing it will help presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump win the White House.

The group on Wednesday called Lieberman’s unexpected death a “profound loss,” describing him as “a singular figure in American political life who always put his country before party.”

Lieberman came tantalizingly close to winning the vice presidency in the contentious 2000 presidential contest that was decided by a 537-vote margin victory for George W. Bush in Florida after a drawn-out recount, legal challenges and a Supreme Court decision. He was the first Jewish candidate on a major party’s presidential ticket and would have been the first Jewish vice president.

Gore said in a statement Wednesday night that he was profoundly saddened by the death of his one-time running mate. He called Lieberman “a truly gifted leader, whose affable personality and strong will made him a force to be reckoned with” and said his dedication to equality and fairness started at a young age, noting Lieberman traveled to the South to join the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

“It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail,” Gore said.

Lieberman sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 but dropped out after a weak showing in the early primaries. Four years later, he was an independent who was nearly chosen to be McCain’s running mate. He and McCain were close pals who shared hawkish views on military and national security matters.

McCain was leaning strongly toward choosing Lieberman for the ticket as the 2008 GOP convention neared, but he chose Sarah Palin at the last minute after “ferocious” blowback from conservatives over Lieberman’s liberal record, according to Steve Schmidt, who managed McCain’s campaign.

Lieberman generated controversy in 1998 when he scolded President Bill Clinton, his friend of many years, for “disgraceful behavior” in an explosive speech on the Senate floor during the height of the scandal over his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Yet Lieberman later voted against the impeachment of Clinton.

While he had a tortured relationship with Democrats, Lieberman defended his partisan switches as a matter of conscience, saying he always had the best interests of Connecticut voters at heart. Critics accused him of pursuing narrow self-interest and political expediency.

In announcing his retirement from the Senate in 2013, Lieberman acknowledged that he did “not always fit comfortably into conventional political boxes” and felt his first responsibility was to serve his constituents, state and country, not his political party.

During his final Senate speech, Lieberman urged Congress to look beyond party lines and partisan rancor to break Washington gridlock.

“It requires reaching across the aisle and finding partners from the opposite party,” said Lieberman. “That is what is desperately needed in Washington now.”

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who served as Senate Democratic leader, once said that while he didn’t always agree with the independent-minded Lieberman, he respected him.

“Regardless of our differences, I have never doubted Joe Lieberman’s principles or his patriotism,” Reid said. “And I respect his independent streak, as it stems from strong convictions.”

Privately, some Democrats were often less charitable about Lieberman’s forays across party lines, which they saw as disloyal. He bolted his party and turned independent after a 2006 Senate primary loss in Connecticut.

Lieberman’s strong support of the Iraq War had hurt his statewide popularity. Democrats rejected Lieberman and handed the 2006 primary to a political newcomer and an antiwar candidate, Ned Lamont, who is now serving a second term as Connecticut governor. Citing his Senate experience, congressional clout and support for the state’s defense industry, Lieberman went on to win reelection to a fourth term as an independent.

Many of his Democratic allies and longtime friends, including former Sen. Chris Dodd, had supported Lamont in that election. Lieberman was candid about what he considered a betrayal by old pals such as Dodd, but the two men later reconciled.

In a statement issued Wednesday expressing condolences, Lamont said he and Lieberman eventually became friends after their grueling and contentious race.

“While the senator and I had our political differences, he was a man of integrity and conviction, so our debate about the Iraq War was serious,” Lamont said in a statement. “I believe we agreed to disagree from a position of principle.”

“When the race was over, we stayed in touch as friends in the best traditions of American democracy. He will be missed,” he added.

After his rebound reelection in 2006, Lieberman decided to caucus with Democrats in the Senate, who let him head a committee in return because they needed his vote to help keep control of the closely divided chamber. But it wasn’t long until Lieberman was showing his independent streak and ruffling his Democratic caucus colleagues.

He was an enthusiastic backer of McCain in the 2008 presidential contest, and his speech at the 2008 GOP presidential nominating convention criticizing Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, struck a deep nerve.

Lieberman cast Obama as a political show horse, a lightweight with a thin record of accomplishment in the Senate despite his soaring eloquence as a speaker.

“In the Senate, during the 3 1/2 years that Sen. Obama has been a member, he has not reached across party lines to … accomplish anything significant, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party to get something done,” Lieberman said at the convention.

“Eloquence is no substitute for a record,” he said.

Lieberman campaigned heartily across the country for McCain. Many Democrats considered it a betrayal of Obama and his former party colleagues.

“Joe Lieberman has said things that are totally irresponsible when it comes to Barack Obama,” House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said in a radio interview during the 2008 race. In a message posted Wednesday on X, Pelosi called Lieberman a “leader of integrity and patriotism” while acknowledging they often disagreed on politics.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Lieberman’s death was “devastatingly sad” and speculated that McCain, who died in 2018, was “giving him an earful about how screwed up things are.”

After the election, there was speculation Senate Democrats might strip Lieberman of his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as payback. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chair of the Judiciary Committee, was among those who said Lieberman should lose his chairmanship. Leahy branded Lieberman’s attacks on Obama as “beyond the pale.”

But at Obama’s urging, Senate Democrats decided not to punish Lieberman for supporting McCain and the GOP ticket. Obama was eager to strike a bipartisan tone for his presidency and giving Lieberman a pass helped reinforce that message. On Wednesday, Obama acknowledged they “didn’t always see eye-to-eye,” but noted Lieberman had an “extraordinary career in public service.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent and staunch liberal, called Lieberman’s convention comments a “slap in the face” for millions of Americans who backed Obama.

Connecticut Democrats considered censuring Lieberman. Longtime friend Nick Balletto, former chairman of the state party, acknowledged many were unhappy with Lieberman and noted that the discontent overshadowed everything he had done for the state. Before the U.S. Senate, Lieberman served in the state Senate and as Connecticut Attorney General.

“He was the most genuine, honest, straightforward politician you’d probably ever meet. What you saw is what you got,” said Balletto. “His issues were the issues of the people. … He didn’t move because it was where the wind wanted to be today. He stayed strong in what he believed in his heart and his mind.”

Lieberman was known in the Senate for his hawkish foreign policy views, his pro-defense bent and his strong support for environmental causes.

Five weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he became one of the first politicians to call for the ouster of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and later voted in favor of the military invasion of Iraq. His vocal support for the war would later help doom his candidacy in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary.

Lieberman tended to vote with Democrats on most issues and was a longtime supporter of abortion rights, a stance that would have proved problematic with conservatives had McCain chosen him as his running mate in 2008.

He played a key role in the legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security.

Lieberman grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, where his father ran a liquor store. Lieberman graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School in New Haven. As Connecticut’s attorney general from 1983 to 1988, he was a strong consumer and environmental advocate. Lieberman vaulted into the Senate by defeating moderate Republican incumbent Lowell Weicker in 1988.

After leaving the Senate in 2013, Lieberman joined a New York City law firm. His funeral will be held Friday at Congregation Agudath Sholom in his hometown of Stamford. An additional memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah, have four children.

___

Former Associated Press writer Andrew Miga contributed to this report.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jon Berti could be at third base for the banged-up Yankees in their opener against Houston on Thursday after New York acquired the infielder as part of a three-team trade with Miami and Tampa Bay.

New York sent catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays and minor league outfielder Juan Cruz to the Marlins, while outfielder Shane Sasaki moved from the Rays to Miami.

The 34-year-old Berti could fill in at third base while DJ LeMahieu is on the injured list because of a bone bruise in his right foot. The former batting champion has been sidelined since fouling a ball off his foot on March 16 and is to undergo more testing Friday. In addition, the Yankees said on March 9 that infielder Oswald Peraza wouldn’t throw for six to eight weeks because of a strained right shoulder.

“Obviously with DJ being down, he very much figures in at the third base mix,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said during a Zoom news conference on Wednesday. “Hopefully once we’re whole, serves as a guy that can play all over the infield, even play some outfield — quality hitter bat to ball, can steal a base.”

Boone said he wanted to wait until Berti arrived in Houston to determine whether he starts against the Astros and said Gleyber Torres likely will lead off. Oswaldo Cabrera is his other third base option.

The Yankees are coming off an 82-80 season, their poorest since 1992. The Yankees’ .227 batting average was 29th among the 30 teams.

“I’m hoping that the offense is more in line with what we expect it to be,” Boone said. “Tomorrow we get to go find out how good we think we are.”

Boone is entering the final season of his contract.

“All my energy and all my focus is trying to help us play my part in helping us be the best possible team we can be, and our goal is to be a world champion,” Boone said. “So I don’t know if I look at it as this has to happen for me to save this job.”

Berti hit .294 with seven homers, 33 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year, down from a major league-high 41 steals in 2022. He batted .229 with one homer and six RBIs in spring training, striking out 12 times in 35 at-bats. Berti has a $3,625,000 salary and is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

Rortvedt, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, was out of options and behind Jose Trevino and rookie Austin Wells in the Yankees’ catching plans. Trevino will start Thursday.

Acquired from Minnesota in a March 2022 trade along with third baseman Josh Donaldson, Rortvedt missed much of 2022 because a strained right oblique muscle and was limited to 48 minor league games that season. He had surgery during spring training last year to repair an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder, delaying his minor league season debut until April 21. Rortvedt joined the Yankees on May 20 and hit .118 with two homers and four RBIs in 32 games.

Rortvedt could split time with right-handed-hitting René Pinto.

“In theory it kind of complements our catching situation and really our overall lineup, being a lefty hitter. We got a couple of lefties down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s coming from a really good organization. He’ll transition over here really well. … We don’t mess with too many guys that we don’t think are good defensively. And we do think highly of him defensively.”

Cash said infielder/outfielder Austin Shelton will be on the opening-day roster, putting the 26-year-old in position to make his big league debut.

Cruz, 18, signed with New York in 2022 for a $75,000 bonus. He hit .294 with 10 homers, 47 RBIs, nine steals and a .907 OPS last year for the Florida Complex League Yankees.

Sasaki, 23, was taken by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft with the 99th pick. A native of Hawaii, Sasaki hit .299 with seven homers, 39 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year for Class A Bowling Green and the Florida Complex League Rays.

Juan Soto heads into his Yankees debut after going 5 for his last 28 (.179) in spring training with no RBIs.

Infielder Jorbit Vivas was to be examined by an ophthalmologist in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday and additional specialists on Friday after sustaining a left orbital fracture before Monday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets.

Outfielder Oscar González has been discharged from a Mexico City hospital after sustaining a right orbital fracture in Monday’s exhibition at Diablos Rojos. González also is to see an ophthalmologist Thursday and could return to Tampa this weekend, Boone said.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

A Coral Springs man was found guilty Wednesday of the 2011 killing of a restaurant worker whose body was surrounded by enough blood for investigators to piece together who committed the offense.

Kadian Andre Garfield Roper, 43, will learn his fate May 1, when Broward Circuit Judge Tim Bailey imposes his sentence. Life in prison is possible but not mandatory for the second-degree murder conviction. Bailey ordered a pre-sentencing investigation to determine the fairest possible sentence.

Roper told investigators after his arrest in 2017 that he and his friend, Jason Martinez, had planned to commit a burglary at the home of a woman who was a suspected marijuana dealer on July 11, 2011. When they broke in, they were surprised to see Michael Todd Hamilton at home and ready to fight.

Most of the blood at the scene belonged to the victim, but police found two samples that did not belong to him. One sample matched Martinez, while the other matched Roper, jurors were told.

Martinez was convicted last year and is serving a life sentence.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. 

What Do Home Inspectors Look For?  Bankrate.com

By COLBY GUY

SUNRISE — Pavel Zacha scored the winning goal with 2:21 remaining in the game and the Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night.

“It gives us confidence in three weeks when it starts for real,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said, referring to the playoffs. “We were down three times, we kept coming back. So we can believe in our process, believe in our identity and keep playing.”

The Bruins also broke a tie with Florida atop the Atlantic Division and now hold a two-point lead although the Panthers have played one less game. Boston is also in second place in the Eastern Conference with 99 points, one point behind the New York Rangers, who beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 in overtime on Tuesday night.

“I thought it was a good effort by our group,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand said. “It was a playoff-type game there, the teams played hard, they didn’t really have any holes, so it was a good character win.”

Charlie McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic also scored for the Bruins. Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves, and also had an assist on Federic’s tying goal that came on the power play with less than five minutes to play.

Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers while Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves. Rodrigues scored just 27 seconds into the game, and three times the Panthers took a one-goal lead.

Florida lost for the fifth time in its last six games, going 1-4-1 since losing star defenseman Aaron Ekblad to a lower-body injury on March 9.

“It was a really good hockey game and you want to win it,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said. “You get the lead like that and you want to be able to close it out, but suffering is sometimes good. It’s good for you to put that much effort in and come away with nothing.”

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov picked up an assist 27 seconds into his return from a five-game absence from a lower-body injury.

Panthers star defenseman Gustav Forsling also returned from an illness while Ekblad remains day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Host NY Islanders on Thursday night.

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Tuesday night’s 113-92 loss to the Golden State Warriors:

– Basically this simple: The Warriors had weapons, the Heat didn’t.

– Or at least not enough available.

– It’s not that the Heat don’t, just that they weren’t in uniform.

– Which kind of matters.

– Not only again without Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love.

– But this time without Jimmy Butler, as well, due to illness.

– Not exactly how you want to go into it against Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and the rest of the Warriors who showed up.

– Patty Mills, Thomas Bryant and Delon Wright only get you so far.

– Particularly against an opponent in a desperate scramble for playoff position.

– What the Heat fielded Tuesday night arguably is not a playoff team.

– More of having to do this, and the Heat as whole might not be, either.

– With Butler out, the Heat this time opened with Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Terry Rozier, Mills and Jaime Jaquez Jr., giving them their 35th lineup of the season. The previous franchise record had been 31 in 2014-15.

– Apparently Love was not as close to a return as his upgrade in status to questionable meant.

– With Love again out with his heel bruise, coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame of Love’s designation on the NBA injury report, “I don’t follow that. We just have to give those classifications for the league so they don’t come down on us and fine us. But I never thought he was going to play tonight.”

– One would have thought doubtful would have been closer to the requisite designation.

– Also again out for the Heat were Herro, Robinson and Josh Richardson.

– As for Butler, Spoelstra said, “He’s sick. He doesn’t feel well at all today. So we’ll evaluate him tomorrow, see how he feels.”

– The Heat next play Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

– For his part, even with his Warriors healthy, Golden State coach Steve Kerr did not want to hear about the Heat’s depleted roster.

– “We’re not falling for that trick,” he said. “We’ve fallen for that trick many times in the past.”

– No trick.

– For the Warriors, Thompson returned to their starting lineup, with Golden State opening with Thompson, Curry, Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Green.

– The Warriors entered having won 17 of their past 27.

– Spoelstra entered with the requisite respect for the Warriors.

– “They’re in the battle just like so many of the teams are,” he said. “This is what the league has wanted. I think it’s great for the league. I think it’s great for competition. There’s a lot more parity. So it’s bringing out a lot of different emotions league-wide.”

– Spoelstra added, “You can’t hide. These things get decided between the four lines. And reputations don’t matter. What teams have done the previous year, none of that matters. It’s just where you are right now and how you’re managing these games and trying to find wins.”

– Caleb Martin, who had been questionable with an ankle issue, was first off the Heat bench.

– Haywood Highsmith followed.

– And then Wright.

– With Bryant making it nine deep.

MIAMI — One team arrived Tuesday night to Kaseya Center fully loaded, the other significantly shorthanded.

It played out as expected.

On a night the Miami Heat not only were without Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kevin Love, but this time also lacked Jimmy Butler, Erik Spoelstra’s team ultimately was no match for Stephen Curry and his fully ambulatory friends.

So Golden State Warriors 113, Heat 92.

“We could never get it to the moment of truth,” Spoelstra said.

It basically a night of Heat center Bam Adebayo looking for a friend and most of his friendly faces out of view, Butler due to illness, Herro with the foot problem that has had him out since Feb. 23, Love because of the heel issue that has had him sidelined since Feb. 29, and Robinson now a week into an absence with back problems.

Adebayo closed with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Otherwise from the Heat there were 15 points from Haywood Highsmith, 15 from Terry Rozier, 12 from Jaime Jaquez Jr., 11 from Nikola Jovic and 10 from Caleb Martin.

“We were manufacturing other opportunities as much as we possibly could,” Spoelstra said of ultimately what was not good enough.

By comparison, on a relatively benign, by his standards, 17-point night, Curry got the support of 28 points from Klay Thompson, as well as 18 from Jonathan Kuminga and 17 from Andrew Wiggins.

“We had it in a wheelhouse defensively for a while,” Spoelstra said, “then Curry and Thompson hit some threes.”

So make it three losses in the past five for the Heat, who dropped into a tie for the No. 7 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Our guys understand,” Spoelstra said of the playoff situation. “Our guys are not ignorant.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

1. Closing time: The Heat led 26-24 at the end of the opening period and 55-53 at halftime.

The Warriors then moved to a 13-point lead in the third quarter and went into the fourth up 85-75.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he felt his team changed the energy after halftime.

“In the second half,” he said, “I thought we turned that around.”

The Heat moved back within six early in the fourth, only to see Curry convert a 3-pointer with 7:51 to play for a 94-82 Warriors lead, with Golden State pulling away from there, their lead moving into the 20s.

“If we could have kept it to four to six points, then I think it had a chance to be one of those games that are really gratifying,” Spoelstra said.

“These are must wins for both teams going down the stretch, and they were able to get it done tonight.”

2. Last man standing: As essentially the last man standing among the Heat’s scoring leaders, Adebayo eventually settled in against the defense of Draymond Green, up to 13 points, six rebounds and four assists by halftime.

Adebayo’s first half included remaining on the court at one point in the second period after taking an elbow to the head, having to be helped to the bench, but continuing on without missing time.

“I had to make sure I was all right,” Adebayo said of staying down. “So shook it off and got back to the game.”

Adebayo converted a 3-pointer on his first attempt of the night after his five-game streak with at least one 3-pointer was snapped Sunday against the Cavaliers, when he was able to sit out the fourth quarter.

“We were playing through Bam quite a bit through the post,” Spoelstra said, with Adebayo closing 10 of 21 from the field.

Adebayo said he appreciated the need to try to will offense for his shorthanded team.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go get a tough bucket,” Adebayo said of the required workload.

3. Highsmith again: With Herro and Robinson out and the 3-point game limited, the Heat again saw ample possessions of zone, just as they did against the Pelicans and Cavaliers, their two opponents since Robinson was sidelined.

The initial response was a 4 of 10 first quarter from beyond the arc, with Highsmith picking up where he left off Sunday against the Cavaliers, converting his first three 3-point attempts after going 4 for 4 from beyond the arc Sunday.

Highsmith closed 6 of 7 from the field, 3 of 3 on 3-pointers.

“He’s just playing to his strengths and he’s inspiring right now,” Spoelstra said.

The Heat closed 8 of 33 on 3-pointers.

“We just wanted to find a way to rally around each other,” Highsmith said. “We’re just trying to find a way to get wins.”

4. Foul play: Without Butler’s attack mode, the Heat did not get to the foul line until Jaquez Jr. made it there with 7:11 to play in the third period, converting a pair of free throws after a foul by Thompson.

Jaquez then got back to the line with 5:35 left in the third, for only the Heat’s second trip to the line.

The Heat stood 5 of 8 from the field through three periods. As a means of comparison, Butler this season is averaging 7.9 free throw attempts and 6.8 conversions.

The Heat closed 10 of 13 from the line.

5. The Curry factor: After being limited to 3-of-15 shooting in the teams’ previous meeting, a 114-102 Heat victory Dec. 28 at Chase Center, Curry this time stood 2 of 9 on 3-pointers through three periods.

Highsmith was among those who helped shut down Curry, with the Heat struggling to contain Thompson.

Curry closed 7 of 15 from the field and 3 of 10 on 3-pointers.

UCF has offered a contract extension to men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins.

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 Network was the first to report the extension on Tuesday evening. UCF officials confirmed the report but said terms were still being finalized.

Dawkins, 60, just wrapped up his eighth season with the Knights, who finished 17-16 overall and 7-11 in the Big 12. It was the first season with the program transitioning from the American Athletic Conference.

As UCF focuses on its future, coach Johnny Dawkins faces uncertainty going into contract’s final year

Under Dawkins, UCF is 148-103 (59%) and 72-72 in conference play.

This upcoming season would have been his last under his current contract, amended in 2019 and paid him $1.7 million annually. This was near the bottom of the Big 12 coaches’ salaries per USA Today’s coaches salaries database.

Dawkins has taken UCF to the postseason in four of his eight seasons, including this year, as the Knights earned a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. The program previously played in the NIT in 2017 and ’23 and was within a point of upsetting No. 1 Duke in the second round of the ’19 NCAA Tournament.

UCF was picked to finish last in the Big 12 this season, but the Knights exceeded those expectations, including a program-best three wins against ranked teams: then-No. 3 Kansas, then-No. 23 Oklahoma and then-No. 23 Texas Tech.

The program set records for ticket sales and attendance this season.

UCF recorded its first win in the Big 12 Tournament on March 12, defeating Oklahoma State 77-62. The Knights lost in the second round to BYU 87-73. On March 19, they lost their first-round NIT game to instate rival USF 83-77.

After the season-ending loss, Dawkins was asked if he felt he did enough to return in 2023-24.

“I expect to be back here,” he said. “I have loved coaching UCF since Day 1, and I’ve put my whole heart into this university because they allowed me to be the coach here. I think the administration and everyone believe in me and what we’re doing here, and yet it will never end right for you unless you win a championship.”

Tim Harris relishes return to UCF as offensive coordinator

The Knights return several key pieces, including guard Darius Johnson and Jaylin Sellers. Sellers, who led the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game, is sticking by his coach.

“Coach Johnny Dawkins is perhaps the best coach I’ve had in my life,” he said. “With him believing in me, I never want to play for another coach in college basketball. He’s like another father figure to me. When I look into his eyes, I see me, and I’m pretty sure he sees a little bit of himself.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed Orlando entrepreneur Craig Mateer to the district that oversees Disney World, filling a spot left open after Chairman Martin Garcia resigned earlier this month.

Mateer is the founder and CEO of CCM Capital Group, which provides hospitality, real estate and logistics services. He also founded the luggage handling business Bags Inc., which he sold for $275 million in 2018.

Mateer, a graduate of Florida State University, has been a generous donor to DeSantis’ campaigns for governor and president and to the Florida Republican Party. DeSantis previously named Mateer to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority in March 2021 and to the Florida Board of Governors a year later.

The Disney district board is scheduled to meet Wednesday to consider hiring DeSantis adviser Stephanie Kopelousos as its new administrator, replacing Glen Gilzean, whom the governor appointed as interim Orange County elections supervisor on March 4.

The governor, who under state law appoints every member of the oversight board, has recommended that it put Kopelousos into the job, which paid Gilzean $400,000 a year.

DeSantis revealed Mateer’s appointment in a brief news release sent shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

 

To all of those “exploited” college athletes and to the many critics of the NCAA who are lauding the recent landmark decision by the Dartmouth basketball team to unionize so they can be considered employees of the university, just remember this:

Be careful what you wish for.

You may think you are fighting for the future of college athletes everywhere, but more likely you will end up costing countless athletes a chance at a brighter future.

For most big corporations, paying your employees a good salary with benefits is a noble idea, but it doesn’t really work in the current business structure of college athletics. If college athletes want to be treated like other employees in the real world then they are in for a rude awakening.

The Dartmouth basketball team, for instance, has had 24 straight losing seasons, finished last in the Ivy League again this year and is a consistent money-loser for the school’s athletic program. In the real world, do you know what happens to the employees in the branch of a company that continually loses money and underperforms? Those employees get laid off and are out of work.

Likewise, this is what might happen to many of the non-revenue Olympic sports at colleges throughout the United States. If there comes a day when college athletic programs are responsible for paying all of their student-athletes then you know what’s going to happen, right? Athletic directors will start cutting and slashing programs like tennis, track, swimming and golf in order make their budget.

Even if colleges end up having to pay only the athletes on their football and men’s basketball teams, which are the only sports on most campuses that turn a profit, even the largest athletic programs are going to have to drastically rework their budgets.

“That money [to pay players] is not currently available,” University of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin says bluntly. “Something would have to give; whether it’s fewer people on staff, fewer services for our student-athletes or — what we don’t want to have happen but what some people envision — having fewer sports.”

Says UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir: “I’m very concerned about the collateral damage to the Olympic sports, if there’s a new revenue model in college athletics. I worry when we have to start making triage decisions on cost. I hope we can figure this out without eliminating sports and educational opportunities.”

Sadly, in today’s world, most of the discussion about college sports focuses on players jumping from school to school chasing NIL money while schools are jumping from conference to conference chasing TV money. Whatever happened to the true mission of college athletics — providing educational opportunities for kids who might not otherwise be able to afford it?

As Mohajir often points out, “Besides the G.I. Bill, there has never been a scholarship program to help the youth of America change their family’s circumstances more than intercollegiate athletics.”

Did you know that NCAA institutions provide nearly $4 billion in athletic scholarships annually to more than 180,000 student-athletes? Many of these athletes would not have the financial wherewithal or academic credentials to get into college without sports. And 99% of these athletes will not play professionally and therefore will go into the real-world job market after graduation.

“I know first hand the benefit of a college scholarship,” Mohajir says. “I wasn’t an elite athlete, but I was able to get a football scholarship to a smaller school [Arkansas State]. If not for that scholarship, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college. Do you know how many millions of kids through the years were able to change their circumstances in life because they were able to get a college scholarship through playing sports?”

If and when colleges start cutting sports just to pay for the football team, what happens to all of those Olympic sport athletes who suddenly don’t get a college scholarship? And what happens to the United States Olympic movement, which has vastly benefitted from a collegiate feeder system whereby Division I schools spend an estimated $5 billion annually on Olympic sports, according to Stricklin?

“We’re the only country in the world that combines higher education with athletics,” Stricklin says. “That’s why our Olympic program is the best in the world — because we have this unbelievable development system that no other country can pay for.”

The dilemma, of course, is that all of these Olympic sports and the entire athletic operation — the coaching staffs, the support staffs, the strength and conditioning departments, the orthopedic surgeons, the nutritionists, the tutors, the facilities, et al — are being paid for mainly from the revenue produced by the football team.

“It’s certainly not a business model you would design from scratch,” Stricklin says. “It doesn’t quite fit in the for-profit box and it doesn’t quite fit in the non-profit box. But as Winston Churchill once said about democracy: ‘It’s the worst form of government — except for all the others.’ College athletics is similar. It has a lot of issues, but it provides a lot of opportunities for a lot of student-athletes.”

College athletic leaders, state politicians and the federal government have to answer very big question in the very near future.

Do they really want to blow up the entire system to benefit powerhouse football programs while destroying the dreams of thousands of student-athletes across many different sports?

Be careful what you wish for.

Those unionized players on the Dartmouth basketball team may think they are fighting for the future of college sports, but, more likely, they are contributing to the demise of them.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

 

Fort Lauderdale and Miami are featured prominently in the newly released first trailer for “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the upcoming movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

The trailer was released Tuesday, just a few weeks after camera crews closed roads and recorded scenes across South Florida, and drew the public’s attention.

Aerial shots of South Florida are on display, and various scenes feature a Porsche heading down State Road A1A along Fort Lauderdale beach, as well as stretches of Miami.

The movie, the fourth installment of the “Bad Boys” movie franchise, is scheduled to be released in theaters June 7.

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost on Tuesday called for extending protected status for Haitians fleeing the violence in their country and slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis for suggesting he might call a special session to arrest and detain Haitian refugees who come to Florida.

“Imagine the Haitian people in our community waking up every morning to see the devastation in Haiti,” said Frost, D-Orlando, at a press conference at his Orlando office. “And [then they] turn on the TV and see their bigoted governor use his power not to console the people, not to tell them he’s going to do what he can to help the island and to help Haiti, but to demonize and dehumanize them. It’s disgusting.”

DeSantis has organized flights out of Haiti for Floridians and other Americans but also launched Operation Vigilant Sentry to prevent Haitians from landing boats on the state’s coast. He told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Sunday he could seek a special session to increase the state’s powers to detain Haitian migrants as a “disincentive” to keep them out of Florida.

Florida has not seen a major influx of Haitian refugees this year.

At a roundtable discussion beforehand, Haitian Americans from Central Florida told Frost of their concerns and worries about Haiti and what the U.S. government can do to help their families. They also stressed Haitian distrust of the United States because of centuries of exploitation and invasion.

“For me, Haiti is down the street,” said Isaie Marc, a member of the hospitalities union UNITE-HERE. “There are a lot of things that we can do to fix what’s going on in Haiti. [But] I’m trying to understand what the plan is right now.”

Nattacha Wyllie said she spoke with a friend on the phone the night before, well into the morning.

“They stay up just so they can secure their neighborhood from the gangs and from the people running, leaving their homes to come and sleep under tents or wherever they possibly can,” Wyllie said.

Marie Jose Francois, a Center for Multicultural Wellness and Prevention representative, speaks to the room during the roundtable to discuss the ongoing unrest in Haiti in Orlando, on March 26, 2024. The roundtable was organized by U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Marie Jose Francois said she has had an application for her brother to immigrate from Haiti since 2020.

“Please, if anybody can rescue my only brother for me,” she said. “… I don’t know what else I’m going to do.”

She added she was “not ashamed to say that I am a Haitian and proud to be a Haitian. … They are talking about how we are the poorest [country]. To me … it’s the richest country in the world because it’s my country.”

Others called for the appointment of a special envoy to Haiti, with one suggesting former President Barack Obama, and transferring the embassy to outside the gang-ravaged capital.

More than 500,000 Haitians lived in Florida in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s survey, making up nearly half of all Haitians in the U.S. That includes more than 40,000 Haitians living in the Orlando area.

“Any committee that’s going to be making those decisions [needs] to bring in voices from the diaspora,” said Kelly Clerveau of the immigration group IDiginity.

Frost said the U.S. “must use every tool at our disposal to help restore stability, ensure aid and protect innocent patients while centering the Haitian people.”

He said extending protections for Haitians in the U.S. was “a matter of life or death for thousands of Haitians who rely on this designation for protection and stability.”

“We believe that this country has a duty to help fight innocent migrants fleeing instability and violence,” Frost said. “But unfortunately, we have leaders like Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would rather use inhumane policies and rhetoric to treat those seeking refuge without the dignity and compassion that they deserve.”

Frost added that his office is planning a town hall in the coming weeks to connect Haitian Americans with important resources, stressing that the help will continue even when the crisis fades.

“Obviously, things have unraveled and it seems quickly to a lot of folks,” Frost said. “But for the people here, they’ve seen it unraveling for a long time. There [have] been mistakes made by Democrats and Republicans. So we’ve got to make sure that we don’t let our government forget about Haiti.”

Marc cited the economic importance of his community, saying most of the 19,000 workers in UNITE-HERE Local 737 were Haitian.

“Without our people, I’m talking about the Haitian people, there is no hospitality industry,” Marc said. “We run that. Without the Haitian sisters and brothers, we don’t have hotels, we don’t have restaurants. … It’s time for us to step up with the Haitian people, to give them the respect that they deserve.”

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. (AP Entertainment Writer)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer said Tuesday that the searches of the rapper’s Los Angeles and Miami properties by federal authorities in a sex trafficking investigation were ”a gross use of military-level force” and that Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name.

It’s the first public statement from the music mogul’s team since Monday’s raids of his homes by Homeland Security Investigations agents.

“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” said the statement from attorney Aaron Dyer. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”

The searches were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Combs was not detained and spoke to authorities, and neither he nor any family members were arrested, nor has their travel been restricted, according to Dyer’s statement.

Dyer said the “unprecedented ambush” has led to a “premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” Dyer said. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

Combs’ sons, Justin and Christian “King” Combs, were handcuffed during the raid at their father’s residence in Los Angeles. King, 25, is a music artist whose song “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” with Kodak Black topped Billboard’s Mainstream R&B Hip-Hop charts in 2022.

Law enforcement conducted the raid Monday at Combs’ multimillion-dollar mansion in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles and his Miami waterfront home. Along with a heavy presence of officers, command trucks were parked outside both properties.

The criminal investigation is a major escalation in the scrutiny of Combs, who has been the defendant in several sexual abuse lawsuits in recent months.

In a lawsuit Combs settled the day after it was filed in November, his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

Combs and his attorneys have denied all of the lawsuits’ allegations.

The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie did.

It is not clear whether the search is related to any of the allegations raised in the lawsuits.

Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

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This story has been updated to correct that Christian “King” Combs’ song “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” topped Billboard’s Mainstream R&B Hip-Hop charts in 2022, not last year.

To renovate or to demolish? That is the question City of Miami Beach commissioners are asking themselves when it comes to The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, the beloved yet deteriorating performing arts venue.

In the ‘50s, when it was known as the Miami Beach Auditorium, it was home to TV’s “The Jackie Gleason Show.” After it was renovated and renamed in the mid-’70s, the venue hosted touring Broadway shows, Elvis Costello concerts, boxing matches and a Madonna residency. The Fillmore has survived demolition discussions in the past, and in 2022, after Miami Beach voters approved $159 million in bonds to invest in local cultural institutions, $29 million was allocated to renovate it.

Now, commissioners are weighing the pros and cons of using the $29 million to upgrade the existing building or start anew.

Go to Herald.com for the full report.

A teenager died Monday evening after a shooting in Pompano Beach that injured three others, officials said.

Broward Sheriff’s deputies found one minor boy who had been shot about 5 p.m. in the 1800 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, authorities said.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue took the teen to Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach in critical condition, said Sandra King, a spokesperson for the fire department. The teen was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release shortly before 8:30 p.m.

Three others who were shot are hospitalized, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office did not release their ages or their genders.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue did not take them to the hospitals. The Sheriff’s Office did not say Monday night if they arrived at the hospitals on their own.

Homicide detectives are investigating. The Sheriff’s Office did not release additional information.

Three people were injured in a shootout in December near Monday’s shooting, in the 1700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Two men were arrested in January in connection with the shooting, and one of the alleged shooters is a member of the “1800 BLK Boyz,” which is a gang in the area, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Decades ago, police established a “special problems tactical unit” at an outreach center in an attempt to reduce the specific block’s crime-ridden notoriety.

Authorities ask anyone with information to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

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

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Open champion and third-seeded Coco Gauff is out of the Miami Open, beaten in three sets by No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Monday.

In the men’s draw, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Gael Monfils.

Garcia defeated her second straight Grand Slam champion to reach Miami’s quarterfinals. She ousted four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 7-5 on Sunday.

Garcia said it had been a while since she had a victory over a top-10 opponent like Gauff.

“You keep working and trying to stay positive about what’s coming, that it’s going to pay off,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s very hard. But I’m lucky enough to have very good people behind me to help me and stay positive when I’m struggling.”

“It means a lot to have this little reward and keep going in the tournament,” she said.

Also moving into the quarterfinals was No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 17th-seeded American Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5.

Rybakina will next face No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari, who advanced to her second Miami Open quarterfinal when Anna Kalinskaya, seeded 22nd, withdrew with a right thigh injury.

Victoria Azarenka, who’s won the Australian Open twice, made the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Katie Boulter.

Yulia Putintseva also advanced, defeating No. 27 seed Anhalina Kalinina straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula both play Monday night.

Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, defeated Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (4), 6-3 to advance into the third round.

No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 6-4.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

By MIKE STOBBE and JONEL ALECCIA (Associated Press)

Milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu, U.S. officials said Monday.

Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows in those states and in New Mexico, causing decreased lactation and low appetite.

It comes a week after officials in Minnesota announced that goats on a farm where there had been an outbreak of bird flu among poultry were diagnosed with the virus. It’s believed to be the first time bird flu — also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza — was found in U.S. livestock.

The commercial milk supply is safe and risk to people is low, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairies are required to only allow milk from healthy animals to enter the food supply, and milk from the sick animals is being diverted or destroyed. Pasteurization also kills viruses and other bacteria, and the process is required for milk sold through interstate commerce, the agency said.

“At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health,” the USDA said in a statement.

The federal government said its tests in the cattle did not detect any changes to the virus that would make it spread more easily to people.

Dairy farmers in Texas first became concerned three weeks ago when cattle started falling ill with what officials called “mystery dairy cow disease,” Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. Milk production fell sharply and the cows were lethargic and weren’t eating much.

“We hadn’t seen anything like it before,” he said. “It was kind of like they had a cold.”

The state’s animal health commission began an investigation that included tests for bird flu, spokeswoman Erin Robinson said. Based on findings from Texas, USDA officials think the cows got the virus from infected wild birds.

Experts say livestock appear to recover on their own within seven to 10 days. That’s different than bird flu outbreaks in poultry, which necessitate killing flocks to get rid of the virus. Since 2022, outbreaks in have led to the loss of about 80 million birds in U.S. commercial flocks.

So far, the virus appears to be infecting about 10% of lactating dairy cows in the affected herds, said Michael Payne, a food animal veterinarian and and biosecurity expert with the University of California-Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.

“This doesn’t look anything like the high-path influenza in bird flocks,” he said.

Bird flu was detected in unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas. The virus was also found in a nose and throat swab from another dairy in Texas.

Officials called it a rapidly evolving situation. The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are involved, along with officials in the three states. Another dairy-heavy state, Iowa, said it is monitoring the situation.

Dairy industry officials said that producers have started enhanced biosecurity efforts on U.S. farms, including limiting the amount of traffic into and out of properties and restricting visits to employees and essential personnel.

Bird flu previously has been reported in 48 different mammal species, Payne noted, adding: “It was probably only a matter of time before avian influenza made its way to ruminants.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Two properties belonging to music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were searched Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

It’s not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.

Messages to Combs’ lawyers and other representatives seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Federal agents raided the Star Island home of rap mogul Sean Combs, better known as Diddy, reports say. Diddy is shown in 2022. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

A police line was set up around the Los Angeles house in the wealthy Holmby Hills neighborhood near Beverly Hills. Helicopter video from KABC-TV showed a group of agents with vests that indicated they were from Homeland Security Investigations gathered in the home’s backyard near the pool. A command post was set up outside the house and agents were still entering and leaving hours after the search began.

There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months.

In February a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”

Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie did.

A law enforcement agent carries a bag of evidence to a van as federal agents stand at the entrance to a property belonging to rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, Monday, March 25, 2024, on Star Island in Miami Beach, Fla. Two properties belonging to Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were searched Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Combs had said in a December statement, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney who represents Cassie and another woman who sued Combs, said in a statement Monday, “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

It is not clear whether the search is related to any of the allegations raised in the lawsuits.

Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

Combs created the fashion clothing line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a focus on music, and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.

His latest album, “The Love Album — Off the Grid,” was released last year days after Combs was honored at the MTV VMAs. It was nominated for best progressive R&B album at February’s Grammy Awards, which the rapper-mogul did not attend.

The entertainment industry has been beset with a steady stream of career-ending sexual misconduct allegations in the years since stories about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein spawned the #MeToo movement in 2017. Weinstein and “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson are each serving prison sentences after rape convictions. Dozens of civil lawsuits have been filed against prominent figures.

The music industry has not faced a reckoning to the same degree, but singer and producer R. Kelly is serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing young fans, seven women have sued hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons alleging he raped them and two women have sued Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault.

Weinstein, Masterson and Kelly are appealing their convictions, and Simmons has denied all of the allegations against him. One lawsuit against Tyler has been dismissed and he is contesting the other.

As gang violence continues in Haiti, Royal Caribbean has extended the suspension of its port calls to a private day resort it operates in the island nation’s northern tip.

Fourteen sailings that were scheduled to stop at Labadee will be rerouted through the end of April, the cruise line said Monday.

“The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority,” Royal Caribbean said in a prepared statement. “Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly.”

International news reports state that violence and killings continue in and around the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Flights into and out of the city’s airport remain suspended, and gangs have overrun the nation’s main port, hindering entry of food and medicine.

Related Articles

• Travel | Royal Caribbean shuts down trips to Haiti. Here’s where its cruise ships are going instead.
• Travel | DeSantis wants more power to arrest migrants in Florida amid Haiti crisis

Royal Caribbean has been leasing the 260-acre Labadee attraction, built on a peninsula accessible only to the cruise line’s guests and employees, since the 1980s. It is located 130 miles north of Port-au-Prince and has remained unscathed during other periods of unrest.

The suspension will affect itineraries of three ships: Oasis of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, traveling from Port Miami, and Symphony of the Seas, leaving from Port Everglades.

Alternative destinations that were not announced during the first week of reroutings in mid-March include George Town, Grand Cayman; Bimini, Bahamas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Labadee stops on some sailings will be replaced by an extra day at sea or a stop at one of Royal Caribbean’s other private resorts, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Here are the affected sailing dates and alternative port calls:

Symphony of the Seas:

March 23 sailing — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 31 sailing — Replaced with Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 2 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Scheduled stop at Falmouth, Jamaica, will now be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 6 and April 20 sailings — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 14 sailing — Replaced with Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 5, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica is now on Day 3.

April 28 sailing — Replaced with a day at sea. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica will now be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Independence of the Seas:

April 4 and April 18 sailings — Replaced with stop at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April 8 sailing — Replaced with George Town, Grand Cayman, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. New call time for stop in Nassau, Bahamas, is 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 22 sailing — Replaced with Bimini, Bahamas, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nassau, Bahamas is now on Day 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Perfect Day at CocoCay has been added to the itinerary on Day 5, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oasis of the Seas:

March 24 sailing — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Perfect Day at CocoCay will now stop from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 31 sailing — Replaced with an extra day at Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 4 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica will now run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 7 sailing — Replaced with Philipsburg, St. Maarten on Day 4, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 14 sailing — Replaced with a day at sea. New call time in Perfect Day at CocoCay will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica, will now be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.