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An outside lawyer hired to review allegations of ethical breaches by three Broward School Board members found no evidence of wrongdoing.

The inspector general’s office for the State Department of Education ordered the school district to conduct an “independent review” of allegations made against board members Jeff Holness, Sarah Leonardi and Allen Zeman.

The district submitted the findings to the state Wednesday afternoon.

Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, a longtime volunteer with the district as well as one of its most vocal critics, filed a series of complaints with the state this year alleging improper relationships between the three board members and vendors. She also alleged the School Board improperly used federal COVID dollars to pay for teacher raises.

But Continental Attorneys-At-Law, a Coral Gables firm hired by the district to review the complaints, recommended the complaints be dismissed.

Lynch-Walsh’s concerns “appear to be driven by disagreements with the Board’s exercise of its judgment and policymaking. To the extent her concerns over the motivation underpinning an individual Board members’ vote is framed as an ‘improper influence’ due to political contributions, there is no record evidence to support such an allegation,” Continental lawyers Jesus M. Suarez and Marianne Arellano wrote.

“The matters raised by the Complainant are all policy considerations within the Board’s lawful discretion and no evidence of waste, fraud, or mismanagement has been uncovered,” the lawyers wrote. “Complainant may disagree with the Board’s wisdom in the way it chose to address contract, staffing, and budget issues, but her recourse lies in persuasion and the democratic process.”

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Lynch-Walsh, reached Thursday, said the assertion that her complaint was based on a policy difference “is absolutely incorrect.” She said she witnessed board members do what appeared to be lobbying from the dais.

But she said she wasn’t surprised the lawyers were unable to prove unethical behavior since they had no subpoena power, nor did they have the authority to take statements under oath. “I can’t say I’m surprised by the outcome,” Lynch-Walsh said.

Lynch-Walsh told state officials and the law firm that she witnessed troubling interactions between board members and subcontractors for AECOM, the company hired to manage the district’s $800 million bond for school construction. She said Zeman and Holness shared information about the subcontractors at a June 2023 Board meeting that she alleged were “too specific and detailed to have been the result of anything other than insider information.”

Lynch-Walsh also alleged the board members may have been influenced by political contributions by the subcontractors. The investigators said the three board members “unequivocally” denied having improper relationships, and the investigators said they found the denials credible.

The complaint also questioned whether there was anything improper about Zeman’s brother getting a land-surveying contract. The investigators determined there was no evidence that the school board member had any influence over the contract, and determined that he properly recused himself during the vote.

The investigators also said the School Board’s decision to use federal COVID relief dollars for teachers’ raises, a move that was opposed by three Republican members on the School Board, was allowed by the state Department of Education.

Leonardi said she was happy to cooperate with the investigation “and am not surprised it illustrates that these allegations were clearly false.

“At a time of division in both our county and our country, now is the time for us to set aside petty political grievances and personal vendettas and replace them with unity and leadership,’ she said. “As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have a responsibility to end this pattern of waste and abuse based on divisive politics and fraudulent allegations. Our residents and students are counting on us to be better, and I hope the end of this investigation allows us to move forward.”

Zeman told the Sun Sentinel “there’s tremendous value” in the public being able to file complaints if they have concerns with the School Board’s actions. But he voiced concern about frequent accusations of unethical behavior that come from Lynch-Walsh.

“There’s a limit to an abuse of that authority,” he said. “There was significant expense to the district and significant duress by three School Board members. It’s also a significant distraction. These accusations had no basis in fact.”

Holness voiced similar sentiments.

“It is unfortunate that a member of several of our advisory committees finds it appropriate to express their disagreement with board action by alleging wrongdoing,” he said. “These unfounded allegations required the board to allocate financial and time resources to investigate and defend its actions, diverting well-needed funds away from our students’ education priorities.”

Today is Thursday, Dec. 5, the 340th day of 2024. There are 26 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first Black president, died at age 95.

Also on this date:

In 1848, in an address to Congress, President James K. Polk sparked the Gold Rush of ’49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.

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In 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

In 1952, the Great Smog of London descended on the British capital; the unusually thick fog, which contained toxic pollutants, lasted five days and was blamed for causing thousands of deaths.

In 1955, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.

In 1994, Republicans chose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades.

In 2009, a jury in Perugia, Italy, convicted American student Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, of murdering Knox’s British roommate, Meredith Kercher, and sentenced them to long prison terms. (After a series of back-and-forth rulings, Knox and Sollecito were definitively acquitted in 2015 by Italy’s highest court.)

In 2017, Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan resigned from Congress after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job amid the sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation’s workplaces.

In 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she had asked the relevant House committee chairs to begin drawing up articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, saying his actions left them “no choice” but to act swiftly. (Trump would be impeached by the House on charges of obstruction and abuse of power, but the Senate voted to acquit in the first of two Trump impeachment trials.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Author Calvin Trillin is 89.
• Opera singer Jose Carreras is 78.
• Musician Jim Messina is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins is 75.
• Football Hall of Famer Art Monk is 67.
• Rock singer-musician John Rzeznik (REZ’-nihk) (The Goo Goo Dolls) is 59.
• Country singer Gary Allan is 57.
• Comedian-actor Margaret Cho is 56.
• Actor Paula Patton is 49.
• Singer-songwriter Keri Hilson is 42.
• Actor Frankie Muniz is 39.

This real-estate feature from the South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights the latest plans for new construction as demand rises for more housing, offices and stores across the region. You can submit questions by emailing buildings@sunsentinel.com, if you’re wondering about “what’s being built there?” in your community. Here’s one of the latest projects.

The location? The site is located at the southeast part corner of Lake Worth Road and 120th Avenue South, behind the Therese De Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington.

What’s planned? DiVosta, the luxury-home brand offered by PulteGroup, closed on Nov. 21 on 22.5 acres of unused church land for a new development of 42 luxury homes called Canter. It’s an equestrian-inspired name for the horse gait that’s faster than a trot but slower than a gallop.

Canter will be in a gated community, and the homes will be one-story and two-story luxury farmhouses and coastal-style homes ranging from 3,301 to 5,376 square feet.

Despite the name, there won’t be barns or horses, but each house will be on about one-quarter acre of land.

“We expect most buyers will put a pool in, and we will be putting that in for them,” said Andrew Maxey, PulteGroup’s vice president of Land Acquisition for the Southeast Florida Division.

How will the homes be priced? Prices are expected to start at $1.5 million.

What is the luxury market doing now? The homes are about 70 and 80 feet wide by 150 feet deep, and Maxey said that’s “unique for this market. There’s not a lot of new home construction on 70- and 80-foot lots.”

“The luxury single-home market is strong,” he said, pointing to their new Bridgewater community in Jupiter where 107 homesites are in the $2 million to $3 million range. That community sold at a clip of about two and three a month and there are only seven left.

Maxey said the demand for new homes is being driven from the dynamic of the “lock-in effect” where current interest rates are creating a strong disincentive for homebuyers to sell and give up their current mortgage rates, “which is constraining the overall supply of resale homes on the market.”

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“Because of that, new home construction is creating the supply,” he said.

Who is the buyer that’s being marketed to? “They’ll be a range of buyers but we think it will be a local buyer looking for new, and they want to be in the Wellington schools. The appeal of Wellington is what’s going to be the driver here.”

Polo Park Middle School is right across the street, he said.

What’s being replaced? The space was unused church land. The Diocese of Palm Beach sold the property to DiVosta.

What are some features of the homes? Buyers can personalize their homes with designer options, including gourmet kitchens.

When will construction begin and end? The developer expects to break ground in early 2025, begin sales in early 2026, and homes should be move in ready in mid-2026.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash

Whether you’re a renter, homeowner or potential buyer in South Florida, the new year may present you with some favorable changes in the housing market, according to real estate experts.

This could include better prices in 2025, as well as more options to choose from when deciding where to live, whether that’s renting an apartment or buying a house.

South Florida will remain a high-cost, high-demand region. But many renters and buyers — both current and prospective — still could look forward to leaving behind a real estate market marked by the presidential election and anxiety about a potential market crash.

What’s to come

Prices have actually begun to level off, by dropping altogether or rising at a rate that isn’t as high as it was in previous years, and that is expected to continue into the beginning of 2025.

“We’re actually seeing this in both the buying and the renting,” said David Serle, Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors’ president. “We’re looking at more renters coming into the market and more buyers coming into the market as they perceive that this is a good time to buy or a good time to rent.”

In Palm Beach County, for example, the median sale price for a single-family home in October of this year was $621,500, as opposed to being $622,733 in October of 2023, according to data from the Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors.

Similarly, the median price for a townhome or condo was $305,000 in October of this year, which is a decrease from the median price in October 2023 of $315,000.

“The properties that are priced right and are renovated or new have been still flying off the shelves, and it continues to be a robust market,” Serle said.

Whitney Dutton, the residential sales director for Native Realty, a South Florida real estate agency, agreed with the notion that prices are becoming more palatable, particularly in the rental market.

Dutton used an example of the Waverly, a residential building in Fort Lauderdale, to illustrate this trend. In February, a two-bedroom was renting for about $3,200; now, a two-bedroom at the Waverly is renting for about $3,000, he said.

“Between now and in January, yes, I think that prices have absolutely relaxed a little bit,” he said.

The driver behind the favorable price conditions has a lot to do with increasing inventory and supply. Earlier in the year, more than 14,000 new apartments were forecast to enter the South Florida market by the end of year.

And the months’ supply of inventory — which is how many months it would take for an area to reach “zero inventory” if no new listings were added — increased in both Palm Beach and Broward counties this year in comparison to 2023, according to the Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors.

Homes also are staying on the market longer on average, which means buyers have more flexibility, Dutton said.

“If you can put your buyer hat on or your shoes on, you could say, ‘Oh OK, I went out and looked at three homes this week, and I didn’t really like any of them, but I’ve been noticing there’s more properties coming on. I see more signs up,'” Dutton said. “It completely removes a sense of urgency and fear of loss from the market. And when you remove sense of urgency and fear of loss, the buyer gets to be a little more picky.”

This “pickiness” can lend itself to more negotiating power for a buyer or renter, Dutton said.

“I’m telling a lot of our buyers, don’t be afraid to make offers,” he said.

Edgardo DeFortuna, the president, CEO and founder of Fortune International Group, a South Florida real estate firm, said that even though buyer urgency has slowed, demand has not, and he predicts that will continue into the new year.

“The demand has really increased very significantly since the end of the pandemic,” he said.

“And it continues to a great degree, having a more balanced market, meaning that we have a lot of U.S. buyers in addition to the typical foreign buyer that was always present in the Miami, especially in the South Florida market,” he said.

He added, “More importantly, people are moving here to both work and reside in, in South Florida. So it’s significantly more stable and creating jobs and economic activity.”

What’s getting left behind

Dutton believes two primary factors influenced market conditions in 2024: high interest rates and the election.

Political speculation led to hesitancy in buyers and sellers, he said, and while people are still waiting to see how the economy might shift under Donald Trump’s administration, the real estate market will no longer heave under the weight of an upcoming election.

Interest rates have lowered slightly in recent months, and are hovering around the “low-to-mid sixes,” Dutton said, and what it’s led to is houses taking longer to sell.

“Whenever houses are taking longer to sell, sellers get more motivated and buyers get better deals,” he said.

For the next several months, Dutton doesn’t see the market changing much for sellers.

“I don’t think waiting right now is going to help sellers out. I think if you cannot sell your house today in this market, I don’t necessarily know that in six months it’s going to be worth 5% more,” he said. “If you can sell now, sell now.”

What’s still lacking in both the rental and housing market the most is supply of medium- and low-income housing, DeFortuna said.

“We need to try to address that because a lot of the people that are moving to Miami, especially the middle-range people, not the top executives, but the people that are really working in these company need housing and need places to live,” he said.

DeFortuna is hopeful, though, that initiatives such as Florida’s Live Local Act, which provides financial incentives to developers who allocate portions of residential projects to workforce or affordable housing, will help alleviate that problem in the new year.

Overall, DeFortuna is optimistic about the state of the real estate market in 2025 with persistent demand, a tapering of prices, rental availability and the announcement of more development projects.

“The market is going to continue to do very well here in South Florida,” he said.

Is the weekend after Thanksgiving Weekend the most enjoyable weekend on the calendar? The twinkling joy of the holiday season is present and filled with promise, but without all the immediate pressure of the to-do list. You’ve got plenty of time. (My wife is still allowing me to get by with a concept of a plan.)

This is also Art Basel Weekend in greater Miami, the annual tsunami of creativity and product placement that, at the very least, encourages valuable conversations across the region. It’s impossible to ignore, but we do our best up here, because there is so much else to do. But, no pressure.

THURSDAY

Because the night: When it opened last year on a quiet canal in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, daytime brunch-lunch spot Café Bastille was instantly one of the most attractively hidden of hidden gems among South Florida eateries. But as lovely as it was during the day, you may have wondered how it might look even more beautiful at night. Well, co-owners Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem thought the same thing, and this weekend the restaurant will launch L’Apéro by Café Bastille, offering a new nighttime tapas menu, wine and French aperitifs. Dishes will include Coffee-Rubbed Steak Skewers ($12), Mussels à la Marinière ($10) and Patatas Bravas ($7), to name a few. Hours will be 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with live music on Fridays. Visit Instagram.com/cafebastillemiami.

Estelle Bellegy and Benjamin Amsallem this weekend will debut nighttime service on the lovely patio at Café Bastille in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)

Eat Burmese: Boca Raton-based chef May Aungthet, who specializes in a style of Asian cuisine rarely seen or tasted, has a new food truck with Ahmay’s Burmese Street Food emblazoned on the side. This weekend, you’ll find her at NOBO Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, at Orchestrated Minds Brewing in Fort Lauderdale from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday; and at Pompano Beach Brewing Co. from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Visit Instagram.com/ahmays_.

Curb your enthusiasm: If you are looking for seasonal warm-and-fuzzies, writer-actor Larry David (“Seinfeld,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), appearing at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday, is not your man. But humbug? He’s got your humbug. In announcing the tour, he described the show, titled “A Conversation With Larry David,” as “a total waste of your time.” I’m ready for it. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show start at $155+ at MyHRL.com.

Lights on the water: The annual Water Taxi Holiday Lights Cruise begins touring the waterways around downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, with nightly sailings through Jan. 4. The 90-minute cruises depart from Stop No. 1 at the Riverside Hotel each night at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. (get there early). Tickets start at $45, $15 for children age 3 to 11, and free for guests younger than age 3. New this season is the VIP Captain’s Holiday Pass, which includes an open bar, for $59 (plus 18% tip per guest). Visit WaterTaxi.com/tickets.

Fantastic voyage: The Arsht Center in Miami and South African visual artist William Kentridge, who collaborated on “The Head and the Load“ during Art Basel 2022, align again this weekend on “The Great Yes, The Great No.” This surreal, based-on-true-events adventure — part stage play and part chamber opera — is set on a 1941 sea voyage from Vichy France to Martinique. The ship’s passenger list included 20th-century thinkers such as anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss and Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, which Kentridge enhances with famous figures of his own imagination, such as famed French entertainer Josephine Baker and Martinican philosopher Frantz Fanon. Conceived and directed by Kentridge, the show will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $50+ at ArshtCenter.org.

“The Great Yes, The Great No,” a collaboration with South African visual artist William Kentridge, will be performed at Miami’s Arsht Center this Thursday through Saturday. (Monika Rittershaus/Courtesy)

FGO magic: For Florida Grand Opera’s season-opening production of Mozart’s timeless opera “The Magic Flute,” director Jeffrey Marc Buchman has created a world that takes cues from fantasy role-playing board games. FGO brings the production to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale for performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. Tickets start at $25+. Visit FGO.org.

Dude perfect: Thursday is movie night at kitschy-cool restaurant-bar Revelry Plates & Potions in Pompano Beach, featuring a screening of that cultural touchstone “The Big Lebowski” at 8 p.m., right after a bout of Lebowski trivia. White Russians, all around! Visit RevelryFla.com.

FRIDAY

Holiday stroll: Busy weekend in Delray Beach, where the first holiday edition of the First Friday Art Walk will bring festive themes to galleries and studios across downtown from 6 to 9 p.m. A roving band of carolers will spread holiday cheer from 6 to 8 p.m. beginning at the Cornell Art Museum and finishing back at Old School Square at the 100-Foot Christmas Tree, which had its lighting ceremonies this week. On Saturday and Sunday, the 24th annual Downtown Delray Beach Art Festival returns to East Atlantic Avenue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit DowntownDelrayBeach.com/events.

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Yes, snow: Oakland Park will light its 40-foot Christmas tree during festivities that will turn Jaco Pastorius Park into the annual Holiday Village on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Events will run from 5:30 to 10 p.m., kicking off a weekend of live entertainment, ice skating, a snow slide, carousel, plus food and drink (cash bar for adults). Saturday hours are 1 to 9 p.m. There will be visits from Santa each day. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/OaklandParkCRA.

Visions of sugar plums: Ballet Palm Beach will offer another staple of the season with performances of “The Nutcracker” at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $25+ at Kravis.org.

The place to chill: If this chilly week has you in the mood for a campfire and s’mores, the popular Lake Worth Beach Bonfires series returns on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., accompanied by live music from Ashleigh Antolini Trio. Reminder: They have added a new Night Market this season. The bonfires take place near the Lake Worth Beach Casino on the first and third Fridays of the month through February. Bring your own chair, blanket and s’mores fixings. Visit Instagram.com/lakeworthbeachpbc.

Weekend cocktails: Moxies restaurants in Fort Lauderdale on Las Olas and in Miami‘s Brickell district are offering a trio of new holiday cocktails through Jan. 1. They include the Peppermint Mocha Martini (Caffè Borghetti Italian espresso coffee liqueur and Ketel One vodka in a glass adorned with peppermint sugar and chocolate curls; $16), the Old Fashioned Christmas cocktail (High West bourbon, cranberry simple syrup and orange bitters, garnished with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary; $16) and the Winter Aperol Spritz (Aperol, Ruffino prosecco and housemade cranberry syrup, garnished with floating cranberries and rosemary; $14). Visit Moxies.com.

Future laughs: Comedian Nate Bargatze will bring his Big Dumb Eyes World Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on June 13, 2025, with tickets (starting at $65+) on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at MyHRL.com. For presale information, visit Facebook.com/hardrockholly.

Weekend movie: The Movies of Delray will host the theatrical premiere of “Bad Shabbos,” a screwball comedy that took first place in audience awards at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. Set in New York’s Upper West Side Jewish community, the film follows an engaged interfaith couple whose parents meet for the first time during a Sabbath dinner that goes terribly wrong. Delivering “pure comedic gold” (Tribeca Film Festival), the ensemble cast includes Kyra Sedgwick, Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man, David Paymer, Catherine Curtin and Milana Vayntrub. Director Daniel Robbins and producer Adam Mitchell will lead Q&A sessions during select screenings Friday through Sunday. Tickets cost $8+. Visit MoviesOfDelray.com.

The dark screwball comedy “Bad Shabbos,” an audience favorite at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, will make its theatrical debut this weekend at the Movies of Delray. (Menemsha Films/Courtesy)

Florida music: North Florida swamp poet JJ Grey & Mofro will be at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Friday (doors at 6 p.m.) to share music from his first album in nine years, the critically praised “Olustee.” It’s a popular show, with general-admission resale tickets going for around $50+ at Ticketmaster.com. Grey also is part of the excellent lineup bound for the Orange Blossom Revue in Lake Wales on Friday and Saturday, including Robert Earl Keen, The War and Treaty, Steep Canyon Rangers and others. Worth the drive. Visit OrangeBlossomRevue.com.

SATURDAY

Romper rooms: The wacky, wiggy, costumed bar crawls known as the Mrs. Roper Romp will take over Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors on Saturday, beginning with 2 p.m. cocktails at LIT, then moving on to Hunters Nightclub, Pub on the Drive and parts unknown. You will know the Rompers by their glorious muumuus, wigs and unrelenting positivity, all in loving memory of the iconic “Three’s Company” fashion plate. If that sounds like your thing, feel free to just show up and join in. For information, visit the South Florida Chapter of Mrs. Roper Romp on Facebook.com.

The South Florida Chapter of Mrs. Roper Romp, fans of the beloved TV sitcom character, will gather in Wilton Manors on Saturday. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)

Men of the people: Classic-rock leading man Bret Michaels brings the Parti-Gras Holiday to Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., joined by special guests Warrant. Another special guest will be South Florida radio icon Paul Castronovo of BIG 105.9-FM, celebrating his 40th year on local airwaves. He is threatening to sing. Tickets start at $39.50+ at PompanoBeachArts.org/amp.

Seven years of beers: Mathews Brewing Co. in Lake Worth Beach will celebrate its seventh anniversary on Saturday with Brewapalooza, an afternoon of special beer releases, food (Mathews Brewing Co. Scratch Kitchen and Silver Spork Mobile Eatery) and a strong lineup of local bands. The schedule includes Jordan Richards (noon-2 p.m.), Maximum Friction (2:30-4 p.m.), Jane’s Addiction tribute band Jane’s Affliction (5-6:30 p.m.), Alice in Chains tribute In a Nutshell (7-8:30 p.m.), Tool tribute 46 & Tool (9-11 p.m.) and Reverse Oreo (playing between sets). Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing.

Party like it’s 1999: Speaking of tribute bands, local Red Hot Chili Peppers simulators The Chili Poppers will be at Fort Lauderdale brewery LauderAle on Saturday at 8 p.m., dedicating their first set to RHCP’s 1999 album “Californication.” Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/lauderale.

Take the kids: The touring Rock and Roll Playhouse brings its show Music of Grateful Dead + More for Kids to Backyard in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee District on Saturday at noon (doors open at 11 a.m.). Tickets for the all-ages show cost $17 at the box office (no fees). Tickets for the original date, postponed by Hurricane Milton, will be honored. Visit JoinTheRevolution.net.

SUNDAY

Memorable music: Some of the most revered bands of a particularly rich moment in South Florida indie music history will unite on Sunday at Tarpon River Brewing in Fort Lauderdale to raise money for the 12th annual Dan Hosker Music Continuum. The DHMC is a scholarship that awards grants to local high school musicians in memory of Hosker, a respected guitarist and shaper of the local scene who died after a 2012 car accident. The family friendly event will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a bill that includes Charlie Pickett & The Eggs, Black Janet, Quit, Shark Valley Sisters, The Livid Kittens and many more. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/DanHoskerMusicContinuum.

Country on the block: Country-music block party Boots on the Boulevard is coming to downtown Hollywood on Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m., lining Hollywood Boulevard between 19th and 20th avenues with outdoor bars, vendors, line dancing and family friendly entertainment. The headliners will be Shaw Davis & The Black Ties and Lucian White and The White Rabbit. Admission to the event, which also serves as a showcase for recently completed streetscape upgrades on Hollywood Boulevard, is free. Visit BootsOnTheBoulevard.com.

A new brunch: Steak 954 on the oceanfront in Fort Lauderdale will debut its new Bossanova Brunch series on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with dining accompanied by live sets from Brazilian singer Lelê Barros. A performer best known as Samba Lelê, Barros has developed a following with an engaging fusion of samba, bossa nova and Brazilian jazz. For reservations, visit Steak954.com.

Sunny forecast: Sunny Side Up Market on Sunday will celebrate five years of helping people shop local and small in the MASS District near downtown Fort Lauderdale, where vendors will be set up from noon to 4 p.m. The family and pet-friendly fifth anniversary market will include free pictures with Santa, kids’ activities, live music, DIY classes and $5 holiday mimosas. There also will be premarket BYOMat yoga on the lawn across the street at The Parker (donation-based $5 or more). Visit Instagram.com/sunnysideupmarket.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and X @BenCrandell.

Q: We want to sell our condo in Florida, but traveling is getting more difficult because of our age. Is it possible to do this without being there in person? — Anne

A: Yes, many people sell property remotely. Selling from afar requires a bit more planning and some additional caution.

The easiest option would be to use a trusted relative or friend near the property.  This person can act on your behalf, finding and dealing with the real estate agent and closing attorney. You can even give them the legal power to act on your behalf by signing a “limited power of attorney,” a legal document that creates a legal relationship.

You would be the “principal,” and your designated “agent” would be able to act on your behalf in your interest. With this method, your agent could even sign the paperwork at closing.

Of course, since you are granting your agent a lot of power over your property, make sure you only choose someone you can trust.

There are other options if you are uncomfortable with this method or do not know anyone you can trust who lives near the property.

You can communicate with your real estate agent by email and phone and even sign the purchase contract with an online signing program. When this sort of transaction occurred in the past, the closing attorney would send you the closing documents and have you sign with a notary public where you live, returning the signed documents by overnight mail.

Things have gotten even more manageable over the last few years as most states have adopted laws allowing “remote online notarization.”

With this method, you would use a laptop or tablet with a camera and log on to a secure online notarization platform that analyses your photo ID and asks you a short series of questions based on your credit history to confirm your identity. Then, the notary walks you through signing the necessary documents. The entire process, including video of everyone involved, is recorded for security. Once complete, the entire proceeding, including the electronically signed and notarized deed, is returned to the closing attorney who completes your sale.

When dealing with real estate, watch out for fraud, especially if not in person. Trust your instincts and be alert to unusual requests. For example, it’s rare for a title company to change bank accounts during closing. If asked to send money to a different account or pay long before closing, be suspicious. Criminals exploit your lack of experience, so stay informed and vigilant.

Board-certified real estate lawyer Gary Singer writes about industry legal matters and the housing market. To ask him a question, email him at gary@garysingerlaw.com, or go to SunSentinel.com/askpro. 

Q: We are back! – Jurgis.

A: No. Do. Not. Do. That. No single game defines an NBA season, nor even any short-term move in either direction. What the 82-game regular season is about is defining yourself. Through the first 20 games, the Heat are the definition of meh, at 10-10. On Monday in Boston they were pretty close to hapless and helpless. On Wednesday in Miami, they had enough answers to make the Lakers look hapless and helpless. For now, they are what their record says they are. Overall, the longest winning streak is two and the longest losing streak is three. There is a 5-4 record at home and 5-6 record on the road. There have been three victories over teams with winning records. So instead of, “We are back!” it’s more like, “We are back to .500.” Which in most sports leagues is among the least desirable of locations.

Related Articles

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Q: So in order to see Kel’el Ware play I have to watch the G League? Do they have League Pass? – Elliott.

A: Fortunately, FanDuel Sports have picked up most Sioux Falls Skyforce games, including Kel’el Ware’s expected G League debut Thursday against the Bulls’ affiliate. And yet, as has been offered previously in this space, I’m not sure that even domination against the undersized big men in the G League means much. We’ve already seen Kel’el dominate in summer league. We’ve seen him dominate in the preseason. But until he does it against NBA-level beef, it will only mean so much. Still, players need to play. And at least now, Kel’el gets to play.

Q: Who do the Heat thank for the Raptors and Pistons being selected as the teams they play in their NBA Cup consolation games? – Sam, Coral Gables.

A: The fact that those were two of the six Eastern Conference teams they had been scheduled to play only three times before the schedule was filled following elimination from the NBA Cup. As for the home game added against the Raptors on Dec. 12, it just as easily could have been the Bulls or Nets, the other teams previously scheduled for only one visit this season. So the Heat seemed safe in that regard, when it came to the level of competition added. As for the road game added at the Pistons on Dec. 16, it had to be the Pistons or Cavaliers, two of the three the Heat had been scheduled to visit only once, because the third such team, the Knicks, advanced in the Cup. So, yes, Detroit would seem preferable to Cleveland (although are either truly preferable in December?).

The media takes the bait, again.

Oh, the outrage! How dare President Joe Biden pardon his son for charges that should have never been brought in the first place?

Of course, our newly crowned “King,” who pardoned his son-in-law’s criminal father, Charles Kushner, and now honors him with an ambassadorship to France, well, that’s just fine.

That Trump pardoned allies who were convicted felons, like Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, and promises to pardon the Jan. 6 criminals who attacked the U.S. Capitol, beat police officers, attempted to overthrow our government and defamed the halls of Congress — that’s just Trump being Trump.

When will the media learn to stop chasing the bright shiny object and report the facts? The public, it turns out, is not very well-informed, the result of which was this election. Maybe if we had more balanced reporting, voters would make better decisions.

Any loving father in President Biden’s position would have done the same thing, saving his son from endless political prosecution. So let’s stop doing the Republicans work for them and give the president the respect he deserves.

Linda Ribner, Lauderhill 

A loss of credibility

Joe Biden said he would never pardon his son.

Just like he said he never talked business with him, that he was Israel’s best friend, and that COVID was under control, and on and on.

Biden learned during 50 years in office that the media leaned left, and that they would defend a Democrat. That reality became his “get out of jail free” card. He broke his promise not to pardon his son.

Moreover, the period covered by this pardon dates back to 2014, and absolves Hunter of crimes known and unknown. By this act, Joe Biden destroyed what little credibility he earned in 50 years in D.C.

Richard Klitzberg, Boca Raton

Time to move on

I’m tired of news networks making a big deal about President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter. Their double standard is unreasonable and unfair.

As a friend reminds me, it’s not out of the historical norm for presidents to pardon family members. George H. W. Bush pardoned his son Neil. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger and Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father.

It’s time for the media to stop obsessing over Biden’s decision. He has been an excellent president at a time when the country desperately needed someone who could empathize with Americans and bring civility and rationality back to the White House.

Historians, I predict, will document that Biden was an outstanding president, and pardoning his son will not prejudice this assessment or stain his reputation. I can’t recall a president who accomplished as much as Biden has. It’s time to allow Biden and his family to move on with their lives.

Richard Cherwitz, Ph.D., Austin, Tex.

Pardon was justified

Joe Biden’s pardon of his son was justified. Otherwise Trump, who has stated his intent to use the Department of Justice to go after his opponents, would surely have used his power to persecute Hunter. Trump has demonstrated his lawlessness. It would be worse in a second term.

Joe Biden risked sacrificing his legacy by pardoning his son. He previously stated he would not pardon Hunter but would allow the DOJ to perform its lawful duty. Perhaps if Kamala Harris had won, the DOJ would have been left to deal with Hunter Biden in a lawful way.

Carl Schneider, Delray Beach

You can submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters can be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

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Here are the top stories for Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

A gambling underworld: Federal COVID aid went to illegal Florida casinos

Florida’s insurance commissioner urging legislators not to enact any more reforms next spring

Nautica, a 3-tower project with yacht valet, sails through approval in Fort Lauderdale

Gretchen Day-Bryant named next executive editor of the South Florida Sun Sentinel

State senator seeks to keep golf courses, pickleball courts out of state parks

Who is Jeanette Núñez? The first in line to replace Ron DeSantis as Florida governor

Donald Trump’s win may sink quest for a modern trash incinerator

Florida axes Boy Scouts and other low-selling specialty license plates

Trump’s tariff tantrums will hurt consumers | Editorial

Don’t overdo it: Here’s what not to fix when selling a house

GAINESVILLE — Walter Clayton scored 27 points, Alex Condon added 19 points and 8 rebounds and No. 13 Florida beat Virginia 87-69 in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten.

Clayton hit five 3-pointers, including a four-point play in the second half, as the Gators (9-0) matched their best start since the 2005-06 season. That one ended with a national championship. This one looks promising, especially considering Florida has won every game by at least 13 points.

“I’m proud of our program, proud of our guys,” UF coach Todd Golden said. “To be 9-0 is hard to do. I thought the first five or six minutes of the game we weren’t playing as well as we needed to. I didn’t think we guarded with enough urgency on the perimeter. I didn’t think we rebounded well enough, and it led to us having a nine-point deficit early, but from that point forward, obviously outscored them by 27. It’s really hard to do and I thought we kicked it up a gear.”

Turnovers had a lot to do with the latest victory. The Gators scored 20 points off 15 turnovers, forcing the Cavaliers (5-3) into mistake after mistake.

Virginia was a 17.5-point underdog, according to BetMGM, and held tough early. But the Gators showed their talent and depth while pulling away in the second half.

Alijah Martin chipped in 16 points for Florida and Denzel Aberdeen added 12.

Elijah Saunders led Virginia with 19 points. Isaac McKneely finished with 12 points, 7 boards and 5 assists.

Takeaways

Virginia: The Cavaliers have lost their three toughest games by double digits, including 64-42 to Tennessee and 80-55 to St. John’s.

Florida: A day after expressing little concern about Virginia’s defensive prowess or McKneely — “I ain’t worried about him” — Clayton proved to be the best player on the court. He hit 10 of 19 shots.

Key moment

The Gators hit three 3-pointers to spark a 15-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead in the first half. Aberdeen hit two shots from long range.

Key stat

Florida had nine steals, giving them 74 in nine games.

Up next …

Florida vs. Arizona St.

When: 3:30, Dec. 14, Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta

TV: SEC Network

 

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 4, the 339th day of 2024. There are 27 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 4, 1991, after being abducted and held for nearly seven years as a hostage by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson was released from captivity.

Also on this date:

In 1783, Gen. George Washington bade farewell to his Continental Army officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York.

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In 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, dubbed the “Million Dollar Quartet,” gathered for the first and only time for a jam session at Sun Records in Memphis.

In 1964, police arrested some 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, one day after the students stormed the administration building and staged a massive sit-in.

In 1965, the United States launched Gemini 7 with Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Borman and Navy Cmdr. James A. Lovell aboard on a two-week mission. (While Gemini 7 was in orbit, its sister ship, Gemini 6A, was launched on Dec. 15 on a one-day mission; the two spacecraft were able to rendezvous within a foot of each other.)

In 1969, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark of the Black Panther Party were shot and killed during a raid by Chicago police.

In 1997, the NBA suspended Golden State Warriors guard Latrell Sprewell for one year after Sprewell attacked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo three days earlier.

In 2016, a North Carolina man armed with an assault rifle fired several shots inside Comet Ping Pong, a Washington, D.C., pizzeria, as he attempted to investigate an online conspiracy theory that prominent Democrats were harboring child sex slaves at the restaurant; no one was hurt, and the man surrendered to police. (He was later sentenced to four years in prison.)

In 2018, long lines of people wound through the Capitol Rotunda to view the casket of former President George H.W. Bush.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Game show host Wink Martindale is 91.
• Actor-producer Max Baer Jr. is 87.
• Actor Gemma Jones is 82.
• Actor Jeff Bridges is 75.
• Actor Patricia Wettig is 73.
• Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson is 69.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Bernard King is 68.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Lee Smith is 67.
• Olympic pole vault gold medalist Sergey Bubka is 61.
• Actor Marisa Tomei is 60.
• Actor-comedian Fred Armisen is 58.
• Rapper Jay-Z is 55.
• Actor-model Tyra Banks is 51.
• Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas is 40.
• Musician Jelly Roll is 40.

Here are the top stories for Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

A gambling underworld: Illegal casinos thrive in Florida despite raids

Go behind the tiki at renovated Mai-Kai, with drone footage and insights from the creative team

What’s being built there? Fort Lauderdale to see new 45-story and 47-story Viceroy towers

Christmas on Las Olas rings in the holidays

As FPL recovers storm costs, here’s how much your monthly electric bill may go up

New twist in $1 million gold treasure at sea: Florida looks into alleged coin theft

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be a disaster for American health care | Debbie Wasserman Schultz

There’s a big new Baptist Health emergency center in West Boca. Here’s when it opens.

Search on for man accused of shooting and killing his stepfather in Plantation

Miss Manners: To the person behind me on the airplane, I’ll recline if I want to

Q: I’m going to say it. The Heat need a reboot. No tweaks. They are not fun to watch. Same old, same old plays. Boring basketball. – Pipsy.

A: But when you get down to it, have the Heat truly been a “fun” team since the Big Three years? Instead, it just as often has been boasting about winning in the mud and winning with defense. And then you get to the stage  of this preseason, when there was hope of something faster paced, higher scoring. And then the regular season started. This team is not built to necessarily be exciting. It was built with the expectation of winning. On that count, the Heat have come up short, as well. I doubt many would consider this a fulfilling season to this stage.

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Q: This is who most of us thought they would be bringing back the same team.  This team should beat very bad teams in the league, struggle against middle-of-the-pack teams like Toronto and others, and lose most nights against the really good teams. No surprise at all Monday night for me. – Douglas.

A: Nor to most others, either. Again, this is a team that more often than not faces a talent deficit on a nightly basis. Yes, you can compensate with energy and effort, precision, and pride. But in the end, talent prevails. And on most nights, it is rare that the Heat have more than two of the top five players on the court. And that gets the results that you elucidate.

Q: Could the lack of consistent effort by the players be an indication that they are tuning out their coach and that time for a change of either coach or players should come soon? – Luis, Boca Raton.

A: This is the risk when you return a core for a sixth consecutive season. The argument from above is that enough of the other pieces have changed to refresh the roster. But it does have a feel of being stale. This team needs an injection of something. But what is clear is that Erik Spoelstra is as into it as when this process and his overall process began. Just take a glance as he marches on the court calling timeouts after listless possessions on either end.

Polk County Judge John Flynn’s campaign message included his intention to be tough on criminals. He said, “If someone is found guilty, the punishment should sting enough for the person to learn criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”

His statements led the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to conclude that it would undermine public confidence in the judge’s ability to give a fair hearing. The judge was suspended by the Florida Supreme Court for 25 days without pay and will receive a public reprimand (as recommended by the Judicial Qualifications Commission).

I find this unfair. It is evident that they did not understand exactly what the judge said. He did not intend to punish accused defendants, only those found guilty.

When guilty people walk free, or are given lenient punishment, they tend to repeat their crimes and in some cases walk free, and may even become President.

Tracy Anton, Hollywood

Praise him instead

Instead of a Polk County judge being suspended for saying he would impose the maximum penalty on guilty defendants, he should be praised.

I was the victim of a misdemeanor battery last year. My attacker received one year of probation, anger management and no contact. I wanted 364 days in jail. I was his third victim in our condo building. I needed surgery and had screws implanted in my neck.

What a joke the judge was, as well as the assistant state attorney who went behind my back without consulting me. Fast forward to 16 days after his conviction: He committed another battery on a maintenance man at our complex who was too scared to press charges. But police were called and a case was opened.

Fast forward again to Nov. 25 at the same address. The same man committed felony strangulation battery on his girlfriend, fled and committed a misdemeanor battery of one of our security guards. Police were called, and charges filed. He’s still on the run in violation of his probation.

If we had a tough-on-crime judge, this man would have been in jail and the other three battery incidents would not have happened.

Multiple battery incidents, all at the same address. What’s wrong with our judicial system? Our board of directors and management company swept them under the rug and never informed residents about the violent person among us. We’re lucky he didn’t kill someone. Reinstate Judge Flynn, apologize to him and get tough.

Paul Tallberg, Fort Lauderdale

Catching the Heat

As a longtime Miami Heat fan, I have been unable to watch any of their games unless I pay a monthly fee to subscribe to FanDuel Sports Network, which has a contract saying FanDuel and no other network or station can broadcast its games or repeats. That means unless fans subscribe to FanDuel they are out of luck. How many teams will lose viewers who don’t have the wherewithal to pay FanDuel or get to games?

Well, the recent Heat-Milwaukee Bucks was telecast on TNT, so I was finally able to watch my Heat players. Thank you for the privilege.

Peggy Muschett, Fort Lauderdale

Keep those comics

After reading the front-page news and the Opinion section, I always turn to the comics to cheer me up. I particularly enjoy Garfield, Red and Rover, Blondie, Peanuts, Hagar the Horrible, Mother Goose, Beetle Bailey and Zits.

They usually give me a laugh. Please keep them if possible!
 
Martin Menter, Pompano Beach

You can submit a letter by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or by filling out the form below. Letters should be about 200 words and must be signed. Please include your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

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MIAMI – The Miami Heat do not have a spot in the NBA Cup knockout round but with that preliminary round of the second-annual in-season tournament competed on Tuesday night, they now have a full regular-season schedule.

Because of the uncertainty of which eight teams would advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the season schedule that was released in August included only 80 of the 82 games. Wednesday, the teams not advancing received their remaining two games for 2024-25.

For the Heat, that means a home game against the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and a road game against the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 at Little Caesars Arena.

The NBA attempted, when possible, to add a road game against an Eastern Conference rival previously scheduled to have been visited only once, a home game against an East opponent that had been scheduled to visit only once.

That proved to be the case for the Heat, who otherwise could have been positioned to add a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers (the New York Knicks, the third team the Heat was scheduled to play at only once this season, advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals). The other options for the additional home game were the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, who remain teams that will only visit Kaseya Center only once this season.

While it would appear the Heat got a favorable break, with the Raptors 7-15 and the Pistons 9-14 after Tuesday’s play, each team has defeated the Heat within the past three weeks.

Because of the dates blocked out for the NBA Cup and the NBA’s desire to solely have Cup games on  Cup nights, the Heat’s updated schedule will include only two games over an 11-day span after Erik Spoelstra’s team completes this weekend’s back-to-back set of home games on Saturday night against the Phoenix Suns and Sunday night against the Cavaliers.

The Heat went 2-2 in pool play in the Cup’s group stage, with those results also counting in the regular-season schedule, defeating the Indiana Pacers and Raptors, and losing to the Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks advanced from the Heat’s group into the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

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A year ago, added to the Heat schedule in the wake of failing to qualify for the knockout ribs of the initial in-season tournament, was a game at the Raptors and a home game against the Cavaliers.

By failing to advance, the Heat were eliminated from collecting from the player pool in the Cup, with payments on a scale of $51,000 per player for making the quarterfinals to $515,000 per player on the team that wins the NBA Cup championship, which is the lone game of the tournament that does not count in the regular-season standings.

As for the NBA Cup, advancing to the knockout round in the East were group winners Milwaukee, New York and Atlanta, with Orlando securing the conference’s wildcard. Winning groups in the West were Houston, Oklahoma City and Golden State, with Dallas securing the wildcard.

All other teams, like the Heat, then had two regular-season games added to their schedules.

The games inserted into the Heat schedule come ahead of a challenging schedule that follows, a schedule that includes a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, two road games against the Orlando Magic, and a road game against the Houston Rockets. Then, the second week of January, there is a six-game trip that has games against the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.

“You can’t hide,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said of the challenging schedule ahead. “That’s the thing I love about the NBA. You’re going to play people. You’re going to play the good teams, you’re going to play the bad teams and then you’ll see where you are.”

General Daily Insight for December 04, 2024

Today might feel like bumper-to-bumper traffic. We may want to dive into things as Mercury opposes excitable Jupiter, but we’ll be forced to sit back down and wait as the Sun forms a tough square to Saturn at 11:18 am EDT. This aspect can create roadblocks at the best of times. Fortunately, Venus will sextile Neptune, encouraging us to find grace in the face of difficulty. We can think our way forward when, last but not least, the Moon finally settles into cerebral Aquarius.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

It’s not always easy to know where you’re heading. Wanting to race off toward the horizon is natural while the Sun is flying through your 9th House of Adventure, but be wary of getting lost along the way — particularly when the Sun squares Saturn in your 12th House of the Subconscious. Hidden pitfalls could appear when you least expect them, or perhaps the direction you thought you were going in leads you somewhere else entirely. There is no need to rush.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Today is potentially weighing heavily on your shoulders. You’re in a rather intense phase while the Sun tours your all-or-nothing 8th house, but a solar square to Saturn in your outgoing 11th house could make it feel like everyone is the life of the party — everyone except you, that is. If you have social obligations, it could be difficult to meet everyone else’s energy, so if you’re in no mood to circulate then consider requesting a raincheck until sunnier skies arrive.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Your professional obligations could be at loggerheads with your relationships for the time being. The Sun is locking into one of its two annual squares with Saturn. With the Sun in your partnership sector and Saturn in your career realm, it will be only too easy to feel pulled in multiple directions. No matter what you have planned for the day, it’s likely you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and do your part. Prepare yourself to clock in and get to it!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

There is a temptation to overthink everything right now. You can get your mind focused on the details while the Sun tours your capable 6th house, but that energy may become a bit overbearing as the Sun squares Saturn in your 9th House of Growth. The feeling that there must be more to this, more to life and your world, could begin to overwhelm you. Careful — don’t try to compensate with a dramatic, sudden shift. Small steps should lead you in the right direction.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Fun requires effort, at least for now. There is a juxtaposition overhead as the Sun in your exciting 5th house pushes Saturn in your extreme 8th house, forcing you to deal with a few serious subjects before you can turn around and kick back. Get real about the work in front of you! If you have to put on your game face, then so be it. You can only get the exciting rewards once you’ve cleared your plate of anything more pressing.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

An overemotional reaction won’t solve anything at this time. You may be tempted to wallow in your feelings, thanks to the Sun hanging out in your sensitive 4th house. Unfortunately, your heart probably isn’t going to prove very helpful as the Sun snaps at Saturn, forcing you to face facts and get serious. You’d do especially well to avoid expecting anyone else to cater to your whims, because with stolid Saturn in the picture, that’s just about the last thing that will happen.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

There’s no ignoring your responsibilities right now. The stars are forcing you to roll up your sleeves and get serious as the Sun in your clear-thinking 3rd house squares Saturn in your competent 6th house. This is a chance to face much of the clutter and chaos in your life and finally clear it up in a way that lasts. It may not sound very fun, but the most useful projects rarely are — you should definitely reward yourself once you’ve completed all your tasks.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

A little creativity can’t hurt! In fact, creativity may be the solution to your problems as the Sun in your income sector connects to karmic Saturn in your expressive 5th house. Let this act as a reminder that sometimes the best way to succeed is simple — be authentically yourself! Don’t remove all sense of the personal or niche influences from your work. Instead, put as much creative flair into your projects (and your life) as possible. That way, you can get maximum satisfaction from all your efforts.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

There’s a blockage quite close to home today. You’ve got more energy and firepower than usual, due to the Sun touring your 1st House of Self for the time being, but its debate with Saturn in your 4th House of Feelings could create a sense of emotional dissonance. Things may seem rather heavy, or maybe you’ll have to take on someone else’s emotional burdens. That could speedily create extra stress for you. Avoid becoming a doormat, but don’t put up impenetrable walls, either.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

The usual path forward looks a bit different right now. It isn’t all that surprising if you feel rather checked out from life while the Sun tours your sleepy 12th house, but you could experience something of a jolt when the Sun squares Saturn in your chatty 3rd house. Someone may say or do something that shakes you out of your slumber, or perhaps you wind up with a longer to-do list than you were prepared for. This is no time for peace and quiet!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Social pleasures must come second to current work expectations. That hardly sounds exciting, but it is cosmically mandated as the Sun in your group-oriented 11th house argues with Saturn in your budget-centric 2nd house, forcing you to put any get-togethers on ice until you accomplish whatever is in front of you. You may also feel that these get-togethers cost a bit more than you would like, so don’t be shy about suggesting a cheaper alternative that should bring just as much excitement.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

No one controls today as much as you, Pisces. The Sun, currently in your career sector, is making one of its two annual squares to Saturn, which is moving along through your own 1st House of Action, which is both an assignment and a superpower. You can move major mountains if you are willing to try, but you must put in the effort. Don’t lean into any old behaviors or ways of doing things that won’t benefit future you. Show everyone how much you’ve grown!

PITTSBURGH — Bryan Rust scored 1:31 into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins avoided another late collapse by beating the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Tuesday night.

The Penguins let a three-goal third-period lead evaporate when Florida’s Sam Bennett, Adam Boqvist and Matthew Tkachuk scored within a 4:32 span to pull the Panthers even at 4.

Rust, however, extended Pittsburgh’s winning streak to four by flipping a wrist shot from the right by Spencer Knight for his eighth goal of the season.

Rookie defenseman Owen Pickering scored the first goal of his career for the Penguins, and Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson also scored for Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry made 37 saves on a night the Penguins spent mostly pinned in their own end.

Tkahuck scored twice for Florida, but the Panthers saw their three-game winning streak snapped as Knight stopped just 11 of the 16 shots he faced.

Takeaways

Panthers: Florida dominated everywhere but the scoreboard. If not for a shaky performance from Knight, who was coming off his first shutout of the season, the Panthers would have cruised.

Penguins: the 20-year-old Pickering has more than held his own since making his NHL debut on Nov. 16. His first goal — a shot from the point that threaded its way through traffic — should serve as another confidence boost.

Key moment

Rust’s winner allowed the Penguins to exhale. It’s been a rocky opening two months for Pittsburgh, which has made a habit of blowing multiple-goal leads. Not this time.

Key stat

The Penguins have won their last five home games against the Panthers that have gone to overtime.

Up next

The Panthers play at the Flyers on Thursday.

Here’s how 247Sports ranked the 2024 football recruiting classes for national leaders and Florida’s top college teams. The ratings are based on commitments heading into Wednesday’s early NCAA signing period:

1. Georgia

2. Alabama

3. Oregon

4. Miami

5. Ohio State

Other Florida schools

12. Florida State

13. Florida

39. UCF

50. USF

79. FAU

110. FIU

Here’s the worst part:

The Miami Hurricanes can only blame themselves.

Oh, it can point at the College Football Playoff committee for voting it out of the playoffs. Miami can say its two losses are less than Alabama’s three  and talk about Southeastern Conference conspiracy and NCAA hierarchy.

Maybe that’s true to a degree. But the full truth is Miami let this come down to judges ranking style points and swimsuit competitions because it didn’t do enough at the end of the season to take it out of the committee’s gnarled hands when they should have.

It had a limp schedule, the 55th ranked one in the land, and then lost two of its final three games to mediocre Georgia Tech and Syracuse. That opened the door not just to some local second-guessing, but to some national debating of whether they were playoff worthy.

What’s their defining win, Duke?

Maybe Louisville?

Nice wins, sure. But neither is in a top 25. No Miami opponent was. That was Miami’s void on its portfolio, especially compared to Alabama beating No. 5 Georgia and No. 14 South Carolina. Those Alabama wins were enough for the committee to overlook its losing to the likes of Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

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So, Miami was ranked 12th in the 12-team playoff. But 15th-ranked Arizona State as a conference winner would get an automatic berth, knocking Miami to unlucky, unfortunate and until-next-season 13th unless there’s another miracle ending after this weekend’s conference championship games.

You can argue Alabama isn’t deserving. It has warts, too. Throw in Mississippi and South Carolina too, and all the teams making closing arguments for the final playoff spot gave the look and feel of just what college football was trying to avoid with this expanded playoff.

They did avoid it for the most part, too. It says something is working out that the debate isn’t an undefeated Florida State not getting into the four-team playoff last season. It’s all these flawed teams fighting for the 12th spot this year.

“It came down to a difference in their body of work as we evaluated Alabama and Miami,” CFP committee chairman Warde Manuel said Tuesday night. “Not just wins. Not just losses. But the totality of the season and how those teams performed.”

You can make a case for Miami if you want. Ten wins. Two losses on the road. Quarterback Cam Ward is as big a talent as the college game has. Miami still has some value as a brand name, too, even if it hasn’t been on the big stage in years.

It’s not Miami’s fault too, the weak schedule meant every week became a warning not to overlook a lesser team. It’s also not its fault Florida and Florida State were doormats this season.

But all that logic only stretches so far when you know Miami stood 9-0 with every goodie laid out before it if it could beat a couple mediocre teams. That brings up another part of this Miami season. It had more thrills than a carnival ride, even when it didn’t need to like with the Hail-Mary replay win against Virginia Tech and the rally from 35-10 against Cal.

So, it wasn’t like the loss to Georgia Tech was shocking. Even that could have been shrugged off as a hiccup, the expected off day, if not for the season finale last Saturday.

When you have a chance to close it out like Miami did in Syracuse, you can’t let a 21-0 lead slip away. You can’t give up 42 points in the final three quarters. And what makes it hurt even more is you walk away second-guessing a fourth-and-goal from the Syracuse 9-yard line with three minutes left and down, 42-35.

Coach Mario Cristobal kicked a field goal there. That’s what analytics said. It wasn’t an easy decision. But that wasn’t a field goal Miami needed, it took the game out of Ward’s hands and, if Miami hadn’t got the touchdown, Syracuse still would have been pinned deep in its own territory.

Maybe that wouldn’t have mattered. Maybe Miami’s defense would have broke in the mystifying way it did again that game.

As it is, Miami lost the game and lost its spot in the playoffs. Two late losses led to Tuesday’s final one. A good season wasn’t good enough.

Miami can blame it on the committee being wrong or big, bad Alabama getting another break. Maybe so. But ideas about the Ghost of Nick Saban only go so far.

The harder truth for Miami is it had a playoff spot and a great season locked up and left Syracuse without either of them.

CORAL GABLES — Boogie Fland had 18 points and six assists, D.J. Wagner added 14 points and Johnell Davis scored 11 of his 12 in the second half Tuesday night to help Arkansas beat Miami 76-73 in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Zvonimir Ivisic scored 11 points for Arkansas (6-2).

Nigel Pack scored 22 points for Miami. Matthew Cleveland added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jalen Blackmon scored 12.

Ivisic hit a 3-pointer before Fland followed with two free throws and then a corner 3 to give Arkansas a 74-71 lead — it’s first since the opening minutes — with 1:47 to play. Pack answered with a jumper 25 seconds later but Fland made a pull-up jumper to make it 76-73 with 52 seconds remaining.

Adou Thiero missed two free throws with 11 seconds left and, after a Miami timeout, Blackmon missed a potential tying 3-point shot as time expired.

Pack hit a 3-pointer that made it 6-3 with 16:47 left in the first half and the Hurricanes led until the closing minutes.

Wagner sandwiched a pair of layups around a 3 by Ivisic to pull Arkansas within two with 14:07 to play before Billy Richmond III hit a jumper to trim the deficit to 55-54 about 3 minutes later. Brandon Johnson and Blackmon answered with back-to-back 3-pointers.

The Razorbacks’ only losses this season have come against opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25 at neutral sites. Arkansas lost to No. 15 Baylor in Dallas and to No. 19 Illinois on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Miami (3-5) has lost five games in a row, including and 83-79 loss against 2-7 Charleston Southern last time out — the Buccaneers’ only win over a Division-I opponent this season.