News

By TIM REYNOLDS

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots, Sam Reinhart scored in the opening period and the Florida Panthers beat the New Jersey Devils 1-0 on Thursday night.

It was Florida’s first 1-0 regulation win in the regular season since Dec. 23, 2017, against Ottawa. The Panthers had a 1-0 overtime win at Columbus last season.

Bobrovsky has 51 shutouts, tied for 28th in NHL history. The Devils were blanked for the first time this season, wasting a 23-save effort from Jake Allen.

Reinhart collected the puck around the blue line, got around New Jersey’s Luke Hughes before beating Allen over the shoulder. It was Reinhart’s 11th goal of the season, and Bobrovsky made it stand up — staving off a flurry in the final minute to seal the win.

It marked the second time this season New Jersey failed to get a standings point in back-to-back games. The Devils lost at Tampa Bay on Tuesday; they also had consecutive regulation losses in Colorado and San Jose on Oct. 28 and 30.

The Panthers celebrated defenseman Jeff Petry’s 1,000th game — a milestone reached earlier this week — in a pregame ceremony.

Petry’s four children wore the sweaters of his four previous teams, Edmonton, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit, and the family was presented with a number of gifts from both the Panthers and the NHL. Every player on the Panthers warmed up for the game wearing a sweater bearing Petry’s No. 2 on the back instead of their own; those will be auctioned for charity.

The game was the NHL debut for Panthers rookie Jack Devine, a two-time national champion at Denver who was called up with Florida now missing seven would-be regulars in the lineup because of injuries.

Up next

Devils: At Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Panthers: Host Edmonton on Saturday night in a rematch of the last two Stanley Cup Finals.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

You’ll score great deals at these popular retailers

With can’t-miss sales on everything from socks to smart TVs, Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. It falls on Nov. 28 this year, offering exciting deals from nearly every retailer under the sun. However, not all Black Friday sales are created equal. To score the best deals, there are definitely some retailers you’ll want to keep an eye on.

Check out some of our favorite retailers with Black Friday sales — and some early deals you can take advantage of right now.

Best Amazon early Black Friday deals

It’s no surprise that Amazon, one of the largest and most popular online retailers, offers such excellent Black Friday deals. Whether you’re shopping for holiday gifts for your little ones or kitchen appliances to make cooking easier, Amazon has got you covered.

Apple Air Tag 4-Pack 34% OFF

Forget about losing your keys or bag ever again with these easy-to-use smart tags. They are easy to set up with your iPhone or iPad and feature a built-in speaker that plays a chime when you need to locate the item. You can share a tag with up to five people, so the entire family can find shared items.

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer 30% OFF

Power through all your holiday baking with this premium stand mixer. It features durable metal construction and 10 speeds that can handle nearly any kitchen task. Its 5-quart stainless steel bowl is also large enough to mix dough for up to nine dozen cookies at a time.

Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter 49% OFF

This fun 28-piece wooden set lets kids pretend to serve up their favorite ice cream treats. It includes a countertop that doubles as a storage box, an ice cream scooper, scoops, cones, toppings, utensils and more. It can inspire hours of imaginative play for kids ages 3 and up, providing the perfect break from screen time.

Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser 50% OFF

This easy-to-use water flosser has a large water reservoir that provides over 90 seconds of flossing time without refills. It offers 10 settings to help clean and massage your gums, as well as a timer to ensure you floss for as long as you should. It even comes with 10 tips, so the entire family can use it.

Best Walmart early Black Friday deals

Walmart is known for its everyday low prices, but it raises that bar for Black Friday. You can score great discounts on toys, TVs, vacuums and more.

Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum 45% OFF

This cordless vacuum provides up to 30% more power, so it rivals corded models. Its battery also provides up to 60 minutes of cleaning time, and the power button means there’s no trigger you need to hold down during vacuuming. It also features a special light to reveal hidden dirt and dust, ensuring your floors are as clean as possible.

Qunler Nugger Ice Maker 68% OFF

You won’t need to head to the drive-thru for chewable nugget ice with this convenient countertop ice maker. It can make ice in as little as 10 minutes and produce up to 44 pounds per day. It doesn’t make too much noise either, operating at just 45 decibels.

TCL 98″ Class Q6 4K UHD HDR QLED Smart TV 44% OFF

Enjoy your favorite TV shows and movies in stunning clarity with this 4K smart TV. It features Dolby Atmos Audio and DTS Virtual:X immersive audio, which brings media and video games to life. It also includes a hands-free voice remote that allows you to easily search for movies and TV shows.

Best Target early Black Friday deals

Target is another big box retailer that offers exciting discounts for Black Friday. You’ll find deals on countertop kitchen appliances, toys, holiday decorations and more.

Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fryer 28% OFF

This versatile air fryer oven frees up space on your counter by flipping up to store against your backsplash. It supports eight cooking functions, including air fry, roast, broil, bake, pizza, toast, bagel and dehydrate, and is large enough to cook for up to four people. Best of all, it cooks 50% faster than a traditional oven.

Barbie Dream House Pool Party Doll House 15% OFF

Any Barbie fan on your holiday shopping list will love unwrapping this 75-piece dollhouse. It can inspire hours of play with 10 different areas for Barbie to play, including a working elevator, a three-story slide and a balcony. There’s enough room to sleep up to four dolls, and it even includes accessories for Barbie’s furry friends, including a pet bed, a doggie door and a pet house.

Wondershop 36″ Christmas Bottle Brush Sculpture 30% OFF

This fun, glittery Christmas tree instantly adds festive cheer to any room. It features an attached base that allows you to set it on a floor, console table, or sideboard. You can choose from four colors, including a classic green and a fun pink.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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A Broward County man who portrayed himself as an international financial advisor for decades pleaded guilty last week to wire fraud and money laundering after amassing more than $94 million by misappropriating investor funds and orchestrating a Ponzi scheme, federal prosecutors said.

Andrew Hamilton Jacobus, 64, of Fort Lauderdale, founded two companies, Finser International Corporation and Kronus Financial Corporation, that he purported to use to invest funds to “various lucrative investments,” including Certificates of Deposit and shares of companies, for well above market averages, according to a factual proffer, the facts of the case agreed on by the defense and government.

“In reality, Jacobus forged account statements, falsified documentation, and diverted client funds to luxury personal expenditures and Ponzi payments,” the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida said in a news release Thursday.

He gave investors information booklets and presentations that included above average rates of return on the fund since 2012 and used some of the investors’ money to pay back others, the factual proffer said. He also managed investors already existing accounts and used some of the money for himself or to pay back other clients.

One victim was a nonprofit group in Venezuela that supports Venezuelan Catholic Church priests with health benefits and retirement funds, which Jacobus worked with since at least 2006, according to the factual proffer. The group invested more than $4 million with Jacobus, and he diverted that for his own use and to repay other clients.

A few months later, he resigned as the nonprofit’s financial advisor, admitting in a resignation letter that he owed them more than $6 million.

“This is just one example of Jacobus’ mismanagement of victim funds over the years,” the factual proffer said.

Jacobus entered a plea agreement Nov. 14 and faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. He will be sentenced in February.

The No. 13 Hurricanes have been hit hard by the injury bug in recent weeks, but some players may get back on the field when UM travels to play Virginia Tech this weekend.

Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. was not on Thursday’s injury report, cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. is probable and defensive tackle David Blay Jr. is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. However, linebacker Kellen Wiley Jr. was listed as out.

Fletcher has missed UM’s previous two games, and Frederique has missed the previous three games. Blay suffered an injury against Syracuse and did not play last week.

Additionally, wide receiver CJ Daniels, who has missed the last three games, was not listed on the injury report. Daniels was not listed on last week’s game-day injury report, but UM held him out of the game anyway.

Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said it was his call to keep Daniels out another week, but he expects him to play Saturday.

“I feel great about his availability this week,” Cristobal said.

Nickelback Keionte Scott is listed as out for the game, as expected. Cristobal said Monday that he did not think it was likely Scott would return this season.

“I don’t know,” Cristobal said. “Like we mentioned, it is a more significant injury. You certainly hope and pray for (him to come back). But it doesn’t look like it’s very likely. But I hate to rule it out completely because you just never know.”

The ACC is mandating its football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball teams report which players are available prior to each conference game. Football teams are required to submit an initial report two days before the game, an updated report one day before the game and a game day report no later than two hours before the game starts. Teams “must act in good faith to comply with this policy,” according to the conference.

The conference mandates teams announce which players meet certain designations.

-Available: Available to play

-Probable: likely to play or greater than 50 percent chance to play

-Questionable: uncertain to play or less than 50 percent chance to play

-Out: will not play or 0 percent chance to play

On game day reports, players can be listed as available, “game time decision” or out.

Here is the Hurricanes’ initial availability report before facing Virginia Tech on Saturday:

OUT

-DB Keionte Scott

-DE Hayden Lowe

-TE Brock Schott

-TE Jack Nickel

-LB Malik Bryant

-WR Tony Johnson

-LB Kellen Wiley Jr.

QUESTIONABLE

-DT David Blay Jr.

PROBABLE

-DB OJ Frederique Jr.

By REBECCA BOONE

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the release of 16 people detained by immigration officials during an FBI-led raid at a rural Idaho racetrack last month.

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U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Wednesday that keeping the migrants jailed without bond violated their due process rights, and he ordered that they be released while they wait for their immigration cases to be resolved. Many of them have lived in the U.S. for decades and lacked any criminal history, Winmill noted. Some are married to U.S. citizens or have children who are U.S. citizens, according to court documents.

In an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents lawfully arrested the detainees during the raid, and added that “an activist judge is ordering lawbreakers to roam free.”

“The Trump administration is committed to restoring the rule of law and common sense to our immigration system, and will continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who have no right to be in this country,” the department said.

The Oct. 19 raid at the privately operated outdoor track in Wilder was led by the FBI as part of an investigation into suspected illegal gambling. More than 200 officers from at least 14 agencies, including U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, participated in the raid, detaining around 400 people for hours, including many U.S. citizens.

Witnesses described aggressive tactics, including zip-tying children or separating young kids from their parents for an hour or more. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees Border Patrol and ICE, denied that children were zip-tied. FBI spokesperson Sandra Barker initially said no restraints or rubber bullets were used on children but later amended that statement, replacing “children” with “young children.”

The raid resulted in only a handful of gambling-related arrests, while 105 people were arrested on suspicion of immigration violations. Many of them signed voluntary agreements to leave the country before they were able to talk to immigration lawyers, said Nikki Ramirez-Smith, an immigration attorney whose firm is representing 15 of the people released this week.

Just 18 people detained in the raid have sought their release in the federal courts in Idaho, according to online court records. One of them had that request initially dismissed after a judge found that they did not include enough detail in their court filing, but the judge also gave them 30 days to try again. Another person is now pursuing release through a different federal court after they were transferred to a detention facility in a different state.

The federal judge in Idaho said that nearly all of his colleagues who have faced similar requests from immigration detainees have come to the same conclusion: That non-citizens who are detained while already present in the United States are entitled to due process rights.

“Treating the detention of noncitizens stopped at or near the border differently from noncitizens who reside within the country is not an anomaly. Instead, it reflects the long-recognized distinction in our immigration laws and the Constitution that due process protections apply to noncitizens residing within the country but not those stopped at or near the border,” Winmill wrote.

Ramirez-Smith said Winmill’s release orders do “a great job of putting into perspective what the issues are.”

“They’ll just stay home with their families, and we’ll file the applications for relief in immigration court, and they’ll get a court hearing. Those trial dates will probably be years out,” she said, because of a hefty backlog of more than 3 million cases in immigration courts.

Still, President Donald Trump has taken steps to reduce the backlog, instructing judges during his first term to deny entire categories of asylum claims such as for victims of gang or domestic violence.

During his current term, the Trump administration has fired dozens of immigration judges, and authorized about 600 military lawyers to work as temporary immigration judges. The administration has also frequently turned what would normally be routine immigration hearings into deportation traps, with government lawyers quickly dismissing asylum cases so the migrants who sought asylum can be immediately arrested in the courthouse halls.

By GARY D. ROBERTSON

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal judges on Thursday upheld several U.S. House districts that North Carolina Republicans drew in 2023 that helped the GOP gain additional seats the following year. They rejected accusations the lines unlawfully fractured and packed Black voters to weaken their voting power.

The order by three judges — all of whom were nominated to the bench by GOP presidents — didn’t rule on changes made last month to the 1st Congressional District that are designed to unseat Democratic Rep. Don Davis in 2026.

That alteration, completed at the urging of President Donald Trump as part of an ongoing national mid-decade redistricting fray, is still being considered by the panel. The judges heard arguments in Winston-Salem but didn’t immediately rule on whether they would block now the use of the 1st District and the adjoining 3rd District for next year’s election while more legal arguments are made. Candidate filing for the 2026 elections is set to begin Dec. 1.

Many allegations made by the state NAACP, Common Cause and voters cover both 2023 and 2025 changes, in particular claims of voter dilution and racial discrimination violating the U.S. Constitution and Voting Rights Act.

The 2023 map helped turn a 7-7 North Carolina delegation into one in which Republicans won 10 of the 14 seats in 2024. Three Democrats chose not to seek reelection, saying it was essentially impossible to get reelected under the recast lines.

Thursday’s ruling by 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Allison Rushing and District Judges Thomas Schroeder and Richard Myers rejected claims that GOP legislators drew lines in 2023 so skewed for Republicans that many Black voters could not elect their preferred candidates.

“We conclude that the General Assembly did not violate the Constitution or the VRA in its 2023 redistricting,” they wrote in a 181-page order.

The judges convened a trial several months ago hearing testimony for a pair of lawsuits that challenged portions of maps redrawn in 2023. Thursday’s decision focused on five congressional districts: three in the Greensboro region and two in and around Charlotte, as well as three state Senate districts. The judges also upheld the Senate districts.

The plaintiffs argued Republicans split and weakened the Greensboro region’s concentrated Black voting population within multiple U.S. House districts. Then-Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, decided not to run again last year because her district shifted to the right. They also cited what they called packing Black voting-age residents into a Charlotte-area congressional district that in turn helped Republican Tim Moore win an adjoining district.

Attorneys for Republican leaders argued that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform decision-making on the 2023 map. They pointed out that no information on the racial makeup of regions were used in drawing the lines. A 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision essentially neutered federal legal claims of illegal partisan gerrymandering going forward.

The judges’ order favoring the GOP lawmakers said “the circumstances surrounding the plans’ enactment and the resulting district configurations and composition are consistent with the General Assembly’s non-racial motivations, which included traditional districting criteria, North Carolina law, and partisan performance.”

The ruling can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Spokespeople for Republican legislative leaders didn’t immediately respond late Thursday to emailed requests for comment. A lawyers group representing the state NAACP and others said it was disappointed with the ruling.

Still at issue are the changes made to the 1st and 3rd Districts that GOP legislators said are designed to create an 11-3 seat majority in 2026. Davis continues a line of Black representatives elected from the 1st District going back more than 30 years. But he won his second term by less than 2 percentage points.

North Carolina is among several states where Trump has pushed for mid-decade map changes ahead of the 2026 elections. This week, a federal court blocked Texas from using a GOP-engineered map.

By VALERIE GONZALEZ

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge issued an order Wednesday requiring the Trump administration to again consider granting protection from deportation to certain vulnerable young immigrants.

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U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to again consider granting deportation protection under a 2022 program the agency rescinded in June. The decision will allow the program to continue while the lawsuit brought by plaintiffs in July continues.

Children and youth affected are those who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent and given Special Immigrant Juvenile status through a state court and the federal government.

SIJS, as it’s known, was created through congressional bipartisan support in 1990, and though it does not it grant legal status, it lets qualifying young people apply for a visa to become legal permanent residents and obtain a work permit. It can take years for a visa to become available due to annual caps. Under the Biden administration, USCIS could consider shielding designees from deportation while waiting for a visa.

Without the deferred action program, young people do not qualify for a work permit, face deportation and would no longer be eligible to become legal permanent residents if they’re returned to their country of origin.

“The crux of the court’s decision is that the government can’t just pull the rug out from under hundreds of thousands of young people like it did without considering how they built their entire lives around the policy that existed,” Stephanie Ellie Norton, an attorney for the plaintiffs working for the National Immigration Project.

USCIS and DHS did not immediately respond to a request for a statement.

Under the judge’s orders, applicants who had the protection as well as new applicants will be able to submit applications for consideration of this protection. USCIS will also be required to make decisions on the work permit requests for new applicants and designees with existing deferred action status.

The judge has not ruled on the certification of the class but litigation will resume.

Home Inspection Expert Bill Baughman of Midland Explains  GlobeNewswire

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Today is Thursday, Nov. 20, the 324th day of 2025. There are 41 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 20, 1945, 22 former Nazi officials went on trial before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. (Almost a year later, the International Military Tribune sentenced 12 of the defendants to death; seven received prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life; three were acquitted.)

Also on this date:

In 1910, Francisco Madero led a revolt against Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, marking the beginning of the decade-long Mexican Revolution.

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1947, Britain’s future queen, Princess Elizabeth, married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey.

In 1969, Native American activists began an occupation of Alcatraz Island that would last 19 months before they were forcibly removed by federal authorities.

In 1982, the University of California, Berkeley, football team defeated Stanford University by scoring a touchdown on a lateral-filled kickoff return on the last play of the game, despite the Stanford marching band entering the field of play, thinking Stanford had already won. In college football lore, the bizarre finish is often referred to simply as “The Play.”

In 1992, fire seriously damaged Windsor Castle, the favorite weekend home of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2003, music producer Phil Spector was charged with murder in the shooting of actor Lana Clarkson at his California home. (After a first trial ended with a hung jury in 2007, Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 and sentenced to 19 years to life; he died in prison at age 81 on Jan. 16, 2021.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Estelle Parsons is 98.
• Author Don DeLillo is 89.
• Comedian Dick Smothers is 87.
• Former President Joe Biden is 83.
• Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff is 79.
• Musician Joe Walsh is 78.
• Actor Bo Derek is 69.
• Actor Ming-Na Wen is 62.
• Rapper Michael “Mike D” Diamond (Beastie Boys) is 60.
• Actor-comedian Joel McHale is 54.
• Country singer Dierks Bentley is 50.
• Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Dominique Dawes is 49.
• Rapper Future is 42.

Q: When we bought our house almost 20 years ago, it had a concrete partition wall running along the property line between our house and our neighbors. We’re getting ready to move, and our neighbor told us that the fence is actually a foot onto his property, and we needed to move it before we sold the house. Is this something I need to be concerned about? — Charles

A: Things like fences, driveways, or landscaping that run along the property lines often lead to disputes between neighbors.

In your situation, the concrete fence has been there for decades without incident. Selling your home is already stressful enough, without this added complication.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to get through this dispute.

First, you need to verify the accuracy of your neighbor’s claim.

Property lines are usually established by a survey, which is a legal document that defines the features and boundaries of your land. If you don’t already have a copy of the survey from when you bought the house, you might need to hire a licensed surveyor to perform a new one.

This will help determine whether the fence is truly encroaching on your neighbor’s property.

Keep in mind that surveys are considered the most reliable evidence in boundary disputes, so having one is essential.

You should still get a survey of your own, even if your neighbor has one that seems to justify his complaint, as in my experience, I have seen different surveyors yield different results.

If the survey confirms that the fence is on your neighbor’s property, you will need to decide how to proceed.

It might make sense to come to an agreement without moving the wall.

If you and your neighbor cannot reach an agreement, it might make sense to take a pragmatic approach to your next step, factoring in the cost and time required to address the issue before selling your home.

If you decide it is worth the fight, consult a lawyer to see whether the fence’s placement has been legally “grandfathered” in. In some jurisdictions, if a structure has been in place for a certain number of years without objection, it may be protected under adverse possession or similar laws.

If you live in a community association, you will also want to check with the property manager to see whether your community’s documents address this issue.

Even if things quiet down with your neighbor, you should disclose the issue to potential buyers.

Transparency is key in real estate transactions, and failing to disclose a known boundary dispute could lead to legal trouble down the road.

Work with your real estate agent to determine the best way to address the situation in your listing and during the sale process.

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. 

Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan’s op-ed essay as we approached America Recycles Day was excellent (“A winning game plan for Broward’s waste future,” Nov. 12).

Individuals need to recycle more, but there are two steps you can take first.

One, reduce the amount of stuff you buy. This is especially relevant this holiday season. Our emphasis on new things often overshadows creating moments that cost little and will be remembered long after the holidays are over.

Second, reuse what you have or give it to a charity to resell it. Your “trash” may be someone’s perfect holiday gift.

Monica Elliott, Southwest Ranches

Broward’s waste crisis

I appreciate the Sun Sentinel’s support for recycling in its full-page graphic in the Nov. 16 issue.

Unfortunately, many are confused about what to recycle or not, and many who originally were enthusiastic about recycling have become cynical, asking: “Is that fill-in-the-blank item actually recyclable? I hear it isn’t.”

In Broward, different cities have different rules that contradict each other.

There’s no denying that Broward has a waste crisis. We produce millions of tons of trash a year with fewer places to put it.

We all need to reduce the amount of waste we create, and Broward needs one unified recycling program with simple, clear recycling instructions countywide.

We have the potential to do this with the county Solid Waste Authority, a very unsexy, unheralded but critically important development. The county and most cities have worked hard to create this new authority and a master plan, and it’s important that all Broward cities join.

It can lead to a day when we reduce the literal mountains of trash we produce by reducing the amount of waste we create and effectively recycling much of the rest.

Bonnie Gross, Fort Lauderdale

‘Grim reaper’ DeSantis

I’m not complaining about the existence of the death penalty, which is the victim’s family’s final form of retribution to compensate for its loss.

Some wrongly claim that the death penalty deters violent crime. But it is highly unlikely that a mentally or emotionally damaged person is thinking about the ultimate penalty when he or she pulls the trigger, strangles or rapes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis seems to silently delight in signing death warrants while refusing to commute a death sentence to life without parole. One can’t help believe he’s in a contest with the malignant Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for unofficial title of America’s 21st Century “grim reaper.”

If this is DeSantis trying to prove he’s a law-and-order presidential candidate, it’s just another of his many misjudgments.

Maid Joy Kahn, Boca Raton 

‘Lauderdale County’? No way

It is so sad that state Rep. Chip LaMarca has no better ideas to put forward then to change the name of Broward County.

During these times with so many people struggling, the fact that this is the only thing he can come up with shows the lack of care and how out of touch the Republican Party is with the citizens of Broward and the state of Florida.

Could a proposal to change the name of Broward County to Lauderdale County succeed? (Staff illustration)

It would be difficult enough for everyone and every company to change the name of the county everywhere.

And to think that Major William Lauderdale (for whom Fort Lauderdale is named) was involved in removing Seminole Indians from their native lands (in the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842).

It’s a no in my book — a big fat NO!

Diane Miller, Plantation

Please submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the online form below. Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters will be edited for clarity and length. 

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Here are the top stories for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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American Heritage junior Sohan Patel and Dwyer senior Hampton Beebe both captured boys individual titles while the Dwyer and Benjamin boys and American Heritage girls each won team titles at the FHSAA golf state championship at Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills.

The state championship featured a two-day, 36-hole format. The Class 3A championship was held Nov. 11-12, the Class 1A championship from Nov. 14-15 and the Class 2A competition from Nov 18-19.

Patel (70-69) captured his second consecutive Class 2A individual state title. He recorded a 139 total and won by one stroke.

“I have been really working hard on my game, which has led to a lot of good results this season,” Patel said. “It is always an honor to compete for a state title and I am proud to have gotten it done again.”

The Dwyer boys golf team (Courtesy, Dwyer Athletics)

Beebe (72-68) earned the Class 3A individual state title. He shot 4-under for a two-day total of 140. He trailed by one stroke after the first round and won the state title by two.

“Winning a state title has been on my list of things I wanted to accomplish before finishing high school,” Beebe said. “I finished fifth as an individual the last two years. Winning the individual and team title is something I will always have, and I am excited to also have pulled it off on the day I signed my commitment letter to play golf at Auburn University.”

Tsar, Woods Lift Benjamin to 1A Title

The Benjamin boys won the Class 1A state title with a 572 total (288-284). The Bucs won their fifth boys golf state championship and earned their second state title in the last three seasons.

Benjamin junior Andrew Tsar (68-71) finished as the Class 1A individual state runner-up as he stepped up with a 139 total.

“I am very proud of the way that I played to help the team win another state championship,” Tsar said. “We wanted to win the state championship very badly for us and our coaches. It was very rewarding to finish second to another great player. I am proud of my teammates and the season ending with this great win.”

The Benjamin boys golf team. (Courtesy/Benjamin Athletics)

Benjamin junior Charlie Woods (74-68) finished tied for fourth. He also finished tied for the lowest individual round on the final day. The Bucs were also led by junior Brooks Colton (72-72), who finished tied for ninth.  Freshman Clint Lewis (74-73) stepped up and finished tied for 17th. T

The Bucs finished with a 12-under rally on the back nine during the first day of competition to trail by just one stroke. They were able to set a record with a 4-under final round total of 284. The Bucs also previously won the district and regional title.

“I’m very proud of the season,” Benjamin coach Toby Harbeck said. “This team played with amazing confidence, poise and desire. They showed their true character on the last day at the state championship. Everyone was a star at some point during this season, but they always played as a team.”

Oxbridge Academy junior Joey Iaciofano (71-71) tied for fourth, senior AJ Colonna (74-72) tied for 14th and junior Ajax Lanasa (77-73) tied for 27th.

Dwyer Boys Capture 3A Title

The Dwyer boys finished with a 587 total (299-288) to earn the Class 3A state title for the first time in school history behind an impressive performance from Beebe. Dwyer senior Wylie Inman (75-72) tied for fourth, junior Tankhun Ritthisorn (76-73) tied for seventh) and sophomore William Cui (76-75) tied for 14th.

“Winning the state championship this year was a milestone,” Dwyer coach Eric Fasone said. “Not just for this team, but for the entire Dwyer golf program. We’re building something special here, a culture of excellence, and long-term success that will carry on beyond just this season.”

Boca Raton senior Henry Crowe (74-75) tied for seventh at the Class 3A state championship.

American Heritage Girls Earn 2A Title

The American Heritage girls won by 19 strokes at the Class 2A state championship. They led by one stroke after the first round and delivered an impressive second round for a 601 total (304-297). Sophomore Nicole Wu (73-74) placed eighth, senior Lilly Riegger (77-72) tied for ninth, junior Aryanah Ahmad (75-75) tied for 13th and sophomore Laura Monsalve (79-76) placed 21st.

“We overcame a lot of adversity this season with our kids injured and being sick,” American Heritage coach Mike Carlin said. “We needed to get our team back at full strength. We were building all season and learning from each tournament We put it together at the right time and everyone contributed.”

American Heritage girls golf team (Courtesy/American Heritage Athletics) FAU High’s Guertin Reaches Sudden Playoff

FAU High senior Valentina Guertin (69-68) finished tied for second with a 137 total at the Class 1A girls state championship. Guertin was among five players who reached the sudden playoff.

FAU High placed second at the state championship. Senior Kayla Bryant (70-69) placed seventh and sophomore Alexandra Phung (76-65) tied for ninth. Phung registered the lowest score during the final round of the tournament.

Benjamin freshman Reese McMillan (69-74) finished tied for 12th at the state tournament.

Dwyer’s Gram, West Boca’s Andino Lead 3A Girls

Dwyer sophomore Leah Gram and West Boca junior Catherine Andino both tied for fourth at the Class 3A girls state championship. Gram (75-70) and Andino (74-71) both finished with a 145 total.

The other top performers included Coral Glades senior Bianca Gibbs (74-73), who finished tied for eighth. Spanish River senior Gaelle Summers (75-75) and senior Jayden Loyacona (77-73) both tied for 16th.

Dr. Joaquin Garcia’s Baker and Mena Shine in 2A

Dr. Joaquin Garcia sophomore Jaime Baker (72-69) finished as the state runner-up with a 141 total at the Class 2A girls championship. Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior Daniel Mena (71-74) tied for fourth at the Class 2A boys championship.

Pompano Beach junior Liam Johnston (78-72) tied for 10th while Coral Springs Charter teammates Hudson Fee (76-77) and Bento Assis (72-81) both tied for 12th for the boys. Archbishop McCarthy’s Abigail Lee (79-73) tied for 17th for the girls.

By DAVID FISCHER

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of raping and fatally beating his former manager at a Florida convenience store in 1988 is scheduled to be executed Thursday evening.

Richard Barry Randolph, 63, is set to receive a lethal injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Randolph was convicted of murder, armed robbery, sexual battery and grand theft and sentenced to death in 1989.

It would be Florida’s 17th death sentence carried out in 2025, further extending the state record for total executions in a single year.

According to court records, Randolph attempted to break into the safe at the Handy-Way convenience store in Palatka, where he had previously worked, in August 1988. Randolph was spotted by the manager, Minnie Ruth McCollum, and the two began to struggle.

Randolph then beat, strangled, stabbed and raped McCollum before leaving the store and taking the woman’s car, the records show.

Three women witnessed Randolph leaving the store and called the sheriff’s office after seeing through the window that the store was in disarray. A deputy responded and found McCollum still alive. She was taken to a hospital in a coma and died six days later of severe brain injuries, according to doctors.

Randolph was arrested shortly after the attack at a Jacksonville grocery store while trying to borrow money and cash in lottery tickets stolen from the convenience store, according to deputies. Investigators said Randolph admitted to the attack and directed them to bloody clothing that he had discarded.

The Florida Supreme Court denied Randolph’s appeals last week. He had argued that a lower court had abused its discretion in denying him access to public records and that his own defense lawyers had acted without his consent. A final appeal was still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

A total of 43 men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and more than a dozen other people are scheduled to be put to death during the remainder of 2025 and next year.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976, the highest previous annual total of Florida executions was eight in 2014. Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas with five each. Two more executions are planned for next month in Florida under death warrants signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Mark Allen Geralds, 58, is scheduled for Florida’s 18th execution on Dec. 9. He was convicted of fatally stabbing a woman during home invasion robbery.

Frank Athen Walls, 58, is set for Florida’s 19th execution on Dec. 18. He was convicted of fatally shooting a man and woman during home invasion robbery, and he later confessed to three other killings.

Florida’s lethal injections are carried out with a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the state Department of Corrections.

___

Follow David Fischer on the social platform Bluesky: ‪@dwfischer.bsky.social‬

MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 110-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors:

– Yes, what was left of the Warriors fought the good fight for longer than could have been expected.

– Far longer.

– So, yes, there was an NBA level of competition on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center.

– But in the personality-driven NBA, fans come for more.

– They come for Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green.

– They got none of that.

– Yes, rest matters.

– Yes, three games in four nights for an older roster is challenging.

– But the NBA knew Curry was unable to play in Miami last season, and still scheduled the Warriors for the second night of a back-to-back in Miami this time around.

– It is one thing with an Eastern Conference opponent, where there typically is a second time around to see an absent star.

– New York already visited twice, with the Kaseya Center able to see Jalen Brunson at least once.

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– Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley sat last Wednesday at Kaseya Center for the Cavaliers, but at least were on display with the Cavaliers two nights earlier in the building.

– That’s not the case with a Western Conference opponent.

– Those teams visit only once.

– So in 2025-26 at Kaseya Center . . .

– No chance to marvel at Steph.

– No opportunity to jeer Jimmy.

– No time to taunt Draymond.

– That part of the NBA experience lost for another season.

– Increasingly, the NBA has become a television league, a streaming league.

– Seemingly aware of what was coming, ESPN pulled the plug on Heat-Warriors a week in advance.

– But it’s not as if fans at Kaseya Center had the opportunity to change the channel from what the Warriors offered Wednesday night.

– Again, the effort was laudable.

– But the NBA allowing such a star-less moment nonetheless lamentable.

– With Bam Adebayo back after a six-game absence, the Heat opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins, Noman Powell and Davion Mitchell.

– Before the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “we’ll monitor it,” when it comes to Adebayo’s playing time as he returns.

– The hope was Adebayo picking up where he left off.

– “He just continues to evolve and improve every year, and that’s a credit to him being open minded, and then also his work ethic,” Spoelstra said.

– With Spoelstra of the belief the Heat’s rapid-movement system plays to Adebayo’s strengths.

– “This allows him to get to different parts of the menu, as a playmaker, as a scorer, as an attacker, as a facilitator, depending on what the possession calls for,” Spoelstra said.

– Nikola Jovic was an active scratch.

– Inactive were Tyler Herro (ankle), Terry Rozier (not with team), Kasparas Jakucionis (G League) and Myron Gardner (G League).

– With the Warriors giving the night off to Curry, Butler, Green, Al Horford and others, Golden State opened with the eclectic lineup of  Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

– Jaime Jaquez Jr. again was first off the Heat bench.

– Kel’el Ware, Simone Fontecchio and Dru Smith followed together.

– This time without the emergency need for Keshad Johnson.

– Former Heat center Joel Anthony was among the faces in the crowd.

– Fontecchio made it six consecutive games with multiple 3-pointers, one game off the longest such streak of his career.

MIAMI — A week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers returned to Kaseya Center risking that they could win while giving Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley the night off.

They did, the Heat losing by 14.

Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors took the notion of opposing rest to a higher level, going without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and others on the second night of  their back-to-back set.

The expectations of victory might not have been there, but the fight was, arguably more than expected.

Until the Heat said enough was enough.

Trailing at the start of the final period after leading by 16 earlier, the Heat pushed to a 110-96 victory, lifting their home record to 7-1.

“I think it’s human nature,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of somewhat playing down to the competition. “We jumped out to an early lead and I think it creeps in that it’s going to be an easy game.”

With Bam Adebayo back in the mix, Spoelstra somewhat reshuffled the mix while mindful of Adebayo’s minutes after a six-game absence with a toe strain.

Adebayo closed with 20 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes.

“I felt good, just trying to find a rhythm, let the game come to me, and it did at some point,” Adebayo said.

The Heat also got 25 points from Norman Powell, 17 from former Warriors Andrew Wiggins and seven points and 16 rebounds from Kel’el Ware, who shifted back to a reserve role.

“In the end,” Spoelstra said, “I thought we wore on them.”

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday  night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat moved to an early 16-point lead amid an 0-for-12 start from the field by the Warriors, before settling in for a 29-20 lead at the end of the opening period. The play remained ragged from there, with the Heat going into the intermission up 49-45.

The Warriors then took their first lead of the game at 60-59 in the third period, up 74-72 going into the fourth.

The Heat pushed back to a 90-78 lead with 5:17 to play after Powell and Adebayo were inserted.

“In the second half I thought our efforts were much better,” Spoelstra said.

But back came the Warriors, closing within 91-85 with 4:16 to play.

Three baskets by Adebayo then quelled the Warriors rally, with Powell and Adebayo combining for 26 of the Heat’s final 29 points.

“Down the stretch he was just really good,” Spoelstra said of Powell. “We put the ball in his hands and ran the pick and roll basically with him and Bam.”

Powell scored 17 in the fourth quarter.

“You saw a more energized group to close out the game,” Powell said. “Tonight, in the fourth quarter I was a recipient.”

2. Adebayo back: Adebayo’s return moved Ware back to the second unit, with Spoelstra otherwise staying with Powell, Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson as his starters.

It was the fourth time Ware played off the bench in his 15 appearances this season.

“Kel’el was really good tonight,” Spoelstra said. “I mentioned that to the team, that it’s not easy to be starting, playing really well, and then come off the bench and have an impact.

“But it was more about the mindset.”

Adebayo essentially picked up where he left off when he converted a 3-pointer early in the first quarter, another in the third and then one in the fourth.

Adebayo had converted at least one 3-pointer in a career-high 19 consecutive games, dating to last season, before he was limited by his toe sprain to just the opening 8:12 on Nov. 5 in Denver.

“We definitely missed him and glad to have him back,” Powell said.

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3. Jovic out: Even with Adebayo back, Spoelstra was able to stay with his base rotation, with Nikola Jovic sidelined by a hip impingement.

That essentially had Ware cast in the role that had been held by Jovic.

“It started hurting yesterday in the morning before practice,” Jovic said of Tuesday’s practice. “I went through the practice and it was kind of getting worse and worse. I finished the practice and played some extra, just to go through the reps and I thought it was going to be better. But during the day it got a little worse.

“And today, I felt good. I got some shots up to see how it felt and it did not feel good.”

Jovic said the expectation is just a one-game absence, with the Heat next playing Friday in Chicago.

“Probably just one game, hopefully,” he said.

4. The Golden State who?: With Curry, Butler and Green out, the Warriors also were without Jonathan Kuminga and De’Anthony Melton due to ongoing knee injuries, with Al Horford given off the second night of the back-to-back set.

That had Golden State opening with a lineup of Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

The Warriors later cycled through the likes of Quinten Post and Pat Spencer.

Podziemski led Golden State with 20 points,

“I’m really proud of the guys, of the effort, of the fight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

5. On the road again: Next up is an NBA Cup game on Friday night in Chicago, with a loss eliminating the Heat from the opportunity to advance to the knockout round.

The two-game trip then concludes Sunday in Philadelphia.

Paul Rubelt stood staring at the blank whiteboard, pen in hand, and immediately knew he was in trouble.

As a freshman offensive lineman, Rubelt was asked by his UCF coaches to diagram the differences between an even and odd front. For someone born and raised in Germany, who didn’t grow up playing American football until his teens, it was all new to him.

“I was standing there thinking: I’m not going to last a year. I don’t know the simplest thing about football,” Rubelt said recently to the Sentinel.

Nearly six seasons later, Rubelt is one of 25 seniors to be honored as part of UCF’s Senior Day on Saturday before the Knights host Oklahoma State at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium in the home finale.

“I knew I wasn’t going to quit,” Rubelt recalled of those early days. “When I start a thing, I’m going to end it, but I did think I might get kicked off the team.”

Rubelt, 25, has gone from being a virtual unknown knocked on his backside in his first practice in 2020 to being a multi-year starter at tackle for the Knights. In an age when a player’s commitment to a school is more like a summer romance, Rubelt has been a cornerstone of the program, having played through three coaching changes and a move to a Power 4 conference.

Knightro may be UCF’s mascot, but Rubelt has been the face of the program throughout much of this season with a happy-go-lucky smile despite the hard times.

UCF offensive tackle Paul Rubelt poses for a photograph with his father, Andreas. Rubelt will be honored before Saturday's game against Oklahoma State as part of Senior Day. His parents and a dozen friends and family will be on hand to help him celebrate. (Photo courtesy of Paul Rubelt)

“He’s been a great anchor for us. He’s like an ambassador for UCF,” said coach Scott Frost. “I know the passion he has for UCF. He’s loved his time here, like most of the guys have, and we’ll be sad to see him go, but I think he has bright things ahead.”

“In the short time that I’ve known him, he’s almost like a brother to me,” said senior running back Myles Montgomery.

It’s hard to miss Rubelt.

At 6-foot-10, he typically stands a head taller than the rest of the UCF players on the practice field, and at 310 pounds, Rubelt is an imposing figure. Yet his cheery disposition and sense of humor also help him stand out.

When asked what fans will most remember him for, Rubelt said, “I’m tall,” followed by a bellowing laugh.

But he quickly gets serious.

“I don’t know what people will remember. Everybody’s different, but what I want people to remember me for is that I’m loyal to the program,” Rubelt said. “That I stand for my word and am a man of my word and I hope everybody thinks I’m a great guy.”

Rubelt’s athletic career began in his hometown of Frankfurt-Oder, where he joined a local swimming club. Eventually, he traded in the pool for the green grass of a football field, playing for the Red Cocks American football club.

He came to America and played his first tackle football at Hiawatha High School near Rockford, Illinois, before eventually earning an offer from former UCF coach Josh Heupel.

It was Heupel, who coached the Knights from 2018-20, who helped out Rubelt in those early days.

“He would give me confidence when I would talk to him,” Rubelt said.

A few years later, it would be head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive line coach Herb Hand who would trust him enough to make him a starter. Rubelt credits Hand’s tutelage for the player he is today.

On Saturday, Rubelt will celebrate his final home game with his parents and about a dozen family and friends who made the trip from Germany.

Rubelt’s father, Andreas, has been in Orlando over the past couple of weeks. He arrived in time to watch Rubelt play in UCF’s Space Game against Houston on Nov. 7. Since then, the 71-year-old musician has been taking in his son’s daily schedule, including watching practice and even enjoying a meal with the offensive line.

UCF offensive tackle Paul Rubelt poses for a photograph with his mother, Kerstin. Rubelt will be honored before Saturday's game against Oklahoma State as part of Senior Day. His parents and several family and friends will be on hand to celebrate the occasion. (Photo courtesy of Paul Rubelt)

“My dad’s not really big into smartphones and stuff like that,” said Rubelt. “I’ve sent him a couple of YouTube clips of game highlights that he can watch. Other than that, he can’t comprehend the game, but he wants to understand. He’s asking the right questions, but it’s hard.”

Still, Andreas remains a proud father.

“Am I the dad? Is this my son?” Andreas said with Rubelt translating. “I knew he was always athletic because he swam and had a pretty good time doing it. I was always with him when he had competitions and I noticed early on that he liked team sports.

“When he started playing football, you could see him starting to embrace it and it fit like a glove.”

Andreas, 71, participated in track and field before eventually choosing a musical career. He picked up a trumpet at 9 years old and has been playing ever since in a variety of bands.

“Because I know about embracing the grind, that’s how he knows I’m his son,” Rubelt added.

Rubelt’s mother, Kerstin, aims to arrive on Friday from Germany along with a group of nearly a dozen friends and family. She’ll be seeing her son play football for the first time, even though she previously attended the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa against Georgia Tech; Rubelt didn’t play in that game.

“My mom knows [football] a little bit and my uncle is trying to get into it,” said Rubelt.

It’s been tough for his family and friends back home to watch his games. They can occasionally catch them on a streaming service, but it can be difficult given the 6-hour time difference between the East Coast and Germany.

Rubelt admits he’ll have goosebumps before kickoff on Saturday, especially when taking the field with his parents during the Senior Day celebration.

“For me, football is the greatest thing in the world,” said Rubelt. “People from Germany, not everybody knows about football like that, but I know that when they see it, they’ll think this is just awesome. Everybody’s told me afterward that this is amazing. So let’s hope that’s the case this Saturday.”

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

By SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday that compels his administration to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bowing to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting those efforts.

Trump could have chosen to release many of the files on his own months ago.

“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” Trump said in a social media post as he announced he had signed the bill.

• Gary Rush, College Park, MD, holds a sign before a news conference on the Epstein files in front of the Capitol, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
• Sky Roberts, brother of prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, speaks as his wife Amanda holds her photograph during a news conference as the House prepares to vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., listen at right. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
• Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., leaves the U.S. Capitol after voting in favor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
• Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol after voting in favor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
• FILE – In this July 30, 2008, file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP, File)

Show Caption1 of 5Gary Rush, College Park, MD, holds a sign before a news conference on the Epstein files in front of the Capitol, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Expand

Now, the bill requires the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days. It allows for redactions about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but DOJ cannot withhold information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

It was a remarkable turn of events for what was once a farfetched effort to force the disclosure of case files from an odd congressional coalition of Democrats, one GOP antagonist of the president, and a handful of erstwhile Trump loyalists. As recently as last week, the Trump administration even summoned one Republican proponent of releasing the files, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, to the Situation Room to discuss the matter, although she did not change her mind.

But over the weekend, Trump did a sharp U-turn on the files once it became clear that congressional action was inevitable. He insisted the Epstein matter had become a distraction to the GOP agenda and indicated he wanted to move on.

“I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had,” Trump said in a social media post Tuesday afternoon, explaining the rationale for his abrupt about-face.

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The House passed the legislation on a 427-1 vote, with Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., being the sole dissenter. He argued that the bill’s language could lead to the release of information on innocent people mentioned in the federal investigation. The Senate later approved it unanimously, skipping a formal vote.

It’s long been established that Trump had been friends with Epstein, the disgraced financier who was close to the world’s elite. But the president has consistently said he did not know of Epstein’s crimes and had cut ties with him long ago.

Before Trump returned to the White House for a second term, some of his closest political allies helped fuel conspiracy theories about the government’s handling of the Epstein case, asserting a cover-up of potentially incriminating information in those files.

Dear Eric: I’ve got a family party in a few weeks that I look forward to every year, but I am dreading this one.

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Until recently my brother was extremely overweight due to eating far too much and taking no exercise. He was also a very heavy drinker. He’s turned that around now, which is great, although he still has a lot of weight to lose.

The trouble is he’s been criticizing what others eat and drink. Just the smallest comments occasionally about the calorie content of what you eat and what drinking does to you. He even occasionally comments on my size, telling me I have big hips, or I look fat in what I’m wearing.

He has a toxic personality and has always been jealous of everything I’ve done. He doesn’t say these things to be helpful; he says them to be hurtful (if he wasn’t criticizing what I eat and drink, it would be something else).

Obviously, a party has a lot of food and drink, things that you don’t have every day, and people indulge because it’s a rare thing. I intend to enjoy myself at this party and forget about it, just for one night.

I am dreading the comments he is going to make. I am self-conscious about my weight.

If I tell him to stop it the family will turn on me. It’s happened before, as he is the golden child for some reason. It will be made to look like I’m picking on him.

How should I deal with the inevitable comments without causing a scene?

– Wants to Party

Dear Party: It sounds like your brother has a long history of working out insecurity. Unfortunately, he chooses to work it out on others, particularly on you. This isn’t healthy and it won’t help him. But that’s a problem that’s on his side of the street.

In order to enjoy yourself, insulate yourself as much as possible. First, through self-coaching. Remind yourself that his words aren’t coming from a place of care or of truth. Every word is his own lack of self-confidence talking. Reframing the comments internally may lessen their impact slightly.

Second, bring backup. Bring a friend, brief them on your concerns and never leave their side. This may not stop your brother from making his comments, but they may feel different when you’ve got someone right next to you who supports and affirms you.

Dear Eric: My sister Olivia died unexpectedly about a year ago. I received the call. I in turn called my brother and other sister.

Of my family, only Olivia and I were close. My brother bullied us mentally and physically during our childhood.

She has an adult son, who decided to let the state take care of things, as they were both transient. There was no service.

I worked through a tremendous amount of grief and sadness, as well as guilt.

Almost a year later, my brother dropped this bomb that my other sister and I could purchase an urn and that he would make arrangements for a Mass and burial for Olivia. It was more of an order than a request. The bully rose again.

I did not want to do this. I had grieved my sister already and did not want to go through it again.

He went ahead with it. I was floored. Olivia had not been practicing in the faith for years.

My sister texted me asking for pictures for the Mass. I am so angry they are guilting me into this.

I decided to provide a picture display, attend the Mass and quietly leave. I will not attend the gravesite event. I couldn’t handle it.

Am I wrong about this decision?

– Grieving Sister

Dear Sister: We each grieve in our own ways. Often, especially in families, there’s an expectation that the expression of grief will be shared. People often want us to grieve in the ways that they’re grieving so that they feel validated or less alone.

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• Miss Manners: She was blatantly using the tablecloth as a napkin

Communal commemoration can be very healing. But if it’s not what you need right now, it doesn’t make sense for you to force yourself to go through it for your brother’s benefit.

Your brother and sister may be feeling guilt over not being more present in Olivia’s life. That’s understandable. And it’s kind of you to help them by providing photos. But your relationship to her in life, and in death, is unique. You’re not doing her a disservice by declining to attend the gravesite event.

You have and will continue to grieve her in your own way. Don’t let yourself be pressured into something that’s going to cause pain. If your brother and sister won’t take no for an answer, that’s on them. It’s not between you and Olivia.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.