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By JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal case on Friday turned down the former president’s request to postpone his trial because of publicity about the case.

It’s the latest in a string of delay denials that Trump has gotten from various courts this week as he fights to stave off the trial’s start Monday with jury selection.

Among other things, Trump’s lawyers had argued that the jury pool was deluged with what the defense saw as “exceptionally prejudicial” news coverage of the case. The defense maintained that was a reason to hold off the case indefinitely.

Judge Juan M. Merchan wrote that Trump “appears to take the position that his situation and this case are unique and that the pre-trial publicity will never subside. However, this view does not align with reality.”

Pointing to Trump’s two federal defamation trials and a state civil fraud trial in Manhattan within the past year, Merchan wrote that the ex-president himself “was personally responsible for generating much, if not most, of the surrounding publicity with his public statements” outside those courtrooms and on social media.

“The situation Defendant finds himself in now is not new to him and at least in part, of his own doing,” the judge added. He said questioning of prospective jurors would address any concerns about their ability to be fair and impartial.

Messages seeking comment were left with Trump’s lawyers. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment.

Trump, meanwhile, said Friday that he planned to testify at the trial, calling the case a “scam.”

“All I can do is tell the truth,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “And the truth is, they have no case.”

Asked about jury selection, Trump said the process is “largely luck.”

“It depends who you get,” Trump said.

“It’s very unfair that I’m having a trial there,” he said, reiterating complaints he has made about the judge.

In a court filing last month, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche had argued that “potential jurors in Manhattan have been exposed to huge amounts of biased and unfair media coverage relating to this case.”

“Many of the potential jurors already wrongfully believe that President Trump is guilty,” Blanche added, citing the defense’s review of media articles and other research it conducted.

Blanche said the review found 1,223 articles published online about the case from mid-January to late February and that many of them “unfairly and improperly ‘demonized’” Trump. However, a chart included in a defense submission included many mentions of terms relevant to the case, such as 207 references to “Manhattan Trial” and 142 to “Hush Money Payments.”

Trump’s lawyers also blamed key prosecution witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels for driving negative coverage of Trump. They pointed to Cohen’s withering criticism of Trump on his podcasts and social media feeds and to publicity surrounding the release of a documentary about Daniels, which premiered last month on the NBC streaming service Peacock.

Prosecutors contended that publicity wasn’t likely to wane and that Trump’s own comments generated a lot of it. Prosecutors also noted that there are more than 1 million people in Manhattan, arguing that jury questioning could surely locate 12, plus six alternates, who could be impartial.

Trump’s hush money case is the first of his four criminal indictments slated to go to trial and would be the first criminal trial ever of a former president.

He is accused of doctoring his company’s records to hide the real reason for payments to Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer who helped the candidate bury negative claims about him during his 2016 campaign. Cohen’s activities included paying porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to suppress her story of an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier, which Trump denies.

Trump pleaded not guilty last year to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. His lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.

Trump’s lawyers had lobbed other, sometimes similar, arguments for delays at an appeals court this week. One of those appeals sought to put the trial on hold until the appellate court could give full consideration to the defense’s argument that it needs to be moved elsewhere, on the grounds that the jury pool has been polluted by news coverage of Trump’s other recent cases.

Trump’s lawyers also maintain that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces “real potential prejudice” in heavily Democratic Manhattan.

All this week’s appeals were turned down by individual appellate judges, though the matters are headed to a panel of appeals judges for further consideration.

Along with their claims about pretrial publicity, Trump’s lawyers took issue with the recent prosecution of former Trump Organization finance chief Allen Weisselberg for lying in the civil fraud case. They accused the Manhattan DA’s office of deploying “unethical, strong-armed tactics against an innocent man in his late 70s” while turning “a blind eye” to perjury allegations against Cohen.

Merchan, whom Trump’s lawyers accused of pressuring Weisselberg into a previous guilty plea, said the new claim “compels this Court — again, to express its continuing and growing alarm over counsel’s practice of making serious allegations and representations that have no apparent basis in fact — or at least are unsupported by a legitimate basis of knowledge.”

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Associated Press reporters Jill Colvin in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

Best Home Inspections in Orlando 2024: Expert Picked | U.S. News  U.S. News & World Report

General Daily Insight for April 12, 2024

First comes the fight, then comes the healing. The sensitive Moon squares harsh Saturn at 10:39 am EDT today, which can lead to unfortunate encounters with authority figures, parents, or isolation. Whether they’re actual fights or just unfortunate encounters, these issues can hurt. Luna also struggles with blunt Mars, bringing similar challenges as Saturn, but these challenges can be more aggressive, irritating, or fast-paced. Later, the Moon works with intelligent Mercury to help us figure out a solution to our obstacles. This too shall pass!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

What’s said can’t be unsaid. You could be struggling with someone who’s usually in your corner, but today they might be a little more critical or short with you. This may bring on some muddled, unpleasant emotions, which is fair. Still, do your best to avoid redirecting this energy right back at them, as that would throw fuel on the fire and lead you away from solving problems. If it becomes clear that they aren’t interested in finding a way forward, move on.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Your security may be rattled by the actions of others. A group that you’re normally a part of may make plans without you, or you may receive criticism that surprises you. This can be disheartening, but the right move is not to become defensive and dig in your heels. Instead, consider the benefits of analyzing their words. Ask yourself if they were truly coming from a good place and trying to provide you with tough love, or if this just isn’t the group for you.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Authority figures in your life could provide you with trouble. You might be feeling more independent or self-possessed today, but they might not believe that you’re capable of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. Maybe they’re acting controlling in an effort to prevent you from moving forward. This could be a boss that you’re butting heads with, parents who don’t understand your life goals, or another authority figure standing in your way. Do what you can to follow your soul’s compass anyway!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Confusion might be your true opposition at this time. You’re more prone to stumbling over small obstacles — maybe you’ll forget something vital or miscommunicate to the point that you create obstacles for yourself. Long-distance travel and higher education are extra likely to invite hassles during your day. To avoid any unnecessary pitfalls or detours, set aside some time to check and double-check your to-do list. The more prompt and organized you are ahead of time, the better your results can get!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You might be feeling isolated today. Your normal friend group might not be available to spend time with, or you may be forced into a situation with strangers that are decidedly unwelcoming. This can be alienating and stressful, especially when you want to make a good impression, but nothing that you do seems to be working! Remind yourself that this isn’t forever. If things just refuse to go the way you hoped, there will be more friends to make in life.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Public troubles could be coming your way. You might struggle with domineering authority figures in your workplace, whether upper management, owners, or anyone with more power or control than you. This can create tension for you and those on the same level as you. On the other hand, maybe the controlling energy is coming from outside of the workplace, mainly from peers attempting to lord their power or something that you owe them over you. Know your strength, and don’t let them push you around!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

The ideologies of your elders might not quite align with yours. There may be traditional practices or beliefs that you were raised with or that are expected from you by leaders in your family or in a spiritual practice that you are a part of, but you could feel drawn away from them. While going against the grain can be difficult, it’s important that you follow your unique path and avoid just falling into line. Follow what you truly believe in your heart.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Guilt can cause hurt feelings without warning. Whether you feel this guilt on your own or someone else is inciting it within you, it’s important to look at where it’s stemming from. Do you genuinely need to apologize, or is someone making you feel ashamed for unnecessary reasons? Be honest with yourself. True, it could be necessary to humble yourself and say sorry, but it’s also possible that guilt is being used to manipulate you. Make an effort to understand which one is happening here.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Family may wound your emotions. You may feel misunderstood by them, whether the issue is your hobbies, job, or the other people that you spend your time with. Just because you’re spending time with people that don’t necessarily align with your relatives doesn’t mean that you don’t align with them, and it doesn’t mean that you love your family any less, either. It’s important to know who is for you in this life, and if someone is for you, they’re worth hanging onto.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You might be struggling with relatives near your age — especially siblings. They may not understand your motives or goals, and because of this, they express confusion or suspicion regarding your actions and words. When it feels like you’re stuck walking on eggshells, it may be time to have a deeper conversation. If you have no siblings, a similar conflict could arise with cousins or close friends. Let everyone cool off, then try to have a neutral conversation where everyone has a chance to connect.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Risky choices could stress out you and others. While certain opportunities may seem good in the moment, it’s not a good idea to make rash decisions or jump into something that you haven’t researched properly. Keep in mind what’s at stake! Do your best to stay level-headed and make rational decisions, because impatience is likely to be your number one struggle. Once you’re able to breathe, count to ten and remind yourself that you don’t have to make a decision right now.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your emotions might not get the weight that they deserve. This can be hurtful, especially if a loved one dismisses your wounds, but they may be responding out of emotion themselves. If they were in a calmer place, they may be better able to explain their own reactions, but it may be a case where the high stress of the situation pushes both of you to argue with one another. Try to table this to discuss when you’re both in a clearer headspace.

By COLBY GUY (Associated Press)

SUNRISE — Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves to tie for the NHL lead with six shutouts, Sam Reinhart scored his 54th goal and the Florida Panthers defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Thursday night.

“The guys worked hard,” Bobrovsky said. “Sometimes, it’s not easy to play in those games, you know? But I thought the guys did a great job. They did the right things, played a great game and had a lot of offense.”

Bobrovsky, who has 44 career shutouts, is tied with Arizona’s Connor Ingram and Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry for the most this season.

“We’re all very happy for him,” Vladimir Tarasenko said. “He is one of the best goalies in the world and he is playing very well.”

Matthew Tkachuk, Evan Rodrigues and Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who moved within a point of the idle Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson had two assists after missing Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators to rest.

Florida has one fewer game on its schedule than Boston while holding a 40-35 lead in regulation wins, the top tiebreaker.

Jet Greaves stopped 42 shots for the Blue Jackets, who are mathematically locked into the fourth-best odds in the upcoming NHL draft lottery.

“They were the better team for 60 minutes. There is no doubt about that,” Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. “We could’ve done a lot better tonight. We didn’t manage the puck very well through the neutral zone and they three-quarter iced us the whole game.”

SPECIAL VOICE

The Panthers honored longtime Columbus play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer — the franchise’s original TV voice when it was founded in 1993 — with a video tribute during his final game in South Florida before his pending retirement.

Rimer was a part of Florida’s broadcast for 11 years (1993-2004) before spending the last 20 years of his 47-year broadcasting career in the Blue Jackets’ booth.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.

A man who was hit by a driver while riding his motorcycle in Deerfield Beach last month died 12 days after the crash, and investigators are still searching for the driver.

Clifford Jackson, 57, was riding a 2006 Honda CBR1000RR motorcycle shortly before 10:30 p.m. on March 11, in the area of Southwest 10th Street and South Dixie Highway in Deerfield Beach when the driver of a Hyundai Elantra entered into Jackson’s path in the intersection, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

The unidentified driver, while attempting to make a left turn onto South Dixie Highway, crashed into Jackson in the intersection, causing Jackson’s motorcycle to crash into the passenger side of the Hyundai, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Hyundai driver fled after Jackson was knocked off his motorcycle.

Jackson was pronounced dead at Broward Health North on March 23, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Detectives believe the car involved was a 2016 to 2019 silver Hyundai Elantra. The car’s passenger-side mirror and both doors on the passenger side were damaged in the crash, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Anyone with information on the driver or vehicle is asked to contact BSO Traffic Homicide Det. Michael Wiley at 954-321-4841, submit a tip through the SaferWatch app or anonymously contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org or by dialing **TIPS (8477) from any cell phone.

HOLLYWOOD — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has a busy offseason, between his foundation’s work with an array of charitable events, his training regimen and contract-extension talks.

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Tagovailoa has begun working with passing coach and former Dolphins quarterback John Beck and his organization, 3DQB, based in Southern California.

The specifics of it, Tagovailoa is keeping tight to the vest.

“For now, that’s all internal,” Tagovailoa said Thursday before his third annual Luau with Tua charity event at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “I want to keep that between me and John, but yes, everyone, I have a quarterback coach. I am working with John Beck.”

Social media video of apparent tweaked throwing mechanics indicate he’s incorporating more of a hip twitch into his motion. This could bode well for producing more power from the lower body on his throws and remaining consistent with his motion when facing pressure.

“There’s very specific things,” Tagovailoa said. “Am I going to share it? Probably not.”

Also appearing slimmer from when he was last seen in frigid Kansas City for the Dolphins’ playoff elimination in January, Tagovailoa opted not to delve into details on strength and conditioning training, which takes place in large part with South Florida-based trainer Nick Hicks.

“I’ve had many goals,” Tagovailoa said. “I’ve hit a couple of them, but outside of that, they’re all little goals that lead up to the bigger goal that I have.”

The team lists him at 227 pounds on the online roster in numbers that have not been updated since the end of the season.

The left-handed quarterback enters the fifth-year-option season on his rookie contract in 2024, and both he and the Dolphins brass have indicated they want to lock in terms of a long-term extension this offseason.

Tagovailoa is letting the contract talks play out.

“Just letting my agent deal with that and talk to the team about that,” Tagovailoa said. For me, my focus is, when OTAs come, go to OTAs, show up and be the best teammate I can be.”

Tagovailoa held his luau Thursday night in Hollywood after the Tua Foundation also put on a charity golf event and youth football camp in Hawaii last week.

Tagovailoa cited a Samoan saying and then translated it: “The pathway to leadership is through service.”

He added: “I love to give. I don’t look at any of that as time-consuming. That is time well spent.”

The Tua Foundation’s mission statement says it is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of youth initiatives, health and wellness, and other charitable causes.”

Tagovailoa wants to impact the  next generation through youth athletics, foster care and after-school activities. He focuses on giving back to the three places he has lived — Hawaii; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and South Florida.

The luau featured an array of Polynesian, Samoan and Hawaiian themes.

Dolphins greats Dan Marino and Jason Taylor were among those in attendance Thursday. Marino highlighted that fellow Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, of the rival Buffalo Bills but also a Miami Hurricane, showed up.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell were among those present.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Large U.S. airlines and some of their unions are asking the Biden administration to stop approving any more flights between the United States and China because of what they call “anti-competitive” policies that China imposes on U.S. carriers.

The airlines and unions said Thursday that China closed its market to U.S. carriers at the outbreak of the pandemic and imposed rules that still affect American operations and airline crews.

“These actions demonstrated the clear need for the U.S. government to establish a policy that protects U.S. aviation workers, industry and air travelers,” they said in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The letter was signed by the CEO of the Airlines for America trade group and the presidents of the Air Line Pilots Association, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents crews at American Airlines, and the Association of Flight Attendants.

The number of flights between China and the U.S. has been rising, although it remains far below pre-pandemic levels. The Biden administration increased the number of round trips that Chinese airlines can make from 35 to 50 per week, starting March 31, after China’s aviation authority promised to seek an increase in flights by U.S. carriers.

The U.S. airlines said Chinese airlines get an advantage by flying shorter routes through Russian airspace, which has been off-limits to U.S. carriers since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. They said Chinese airlines also get “certain protections” from China’s government because they are state-owned.

The U.S. industry groups said in their letter that without equal access to China’s aviation market, American carriers will lose flights to Chinese airlines.

By RONALD BLUM (AP Baseball Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) — Smash Burgers may become a favorite food for Miami Marlins fans, a meal popularized by an emerging star whose parents talked him out of quitting baseball five years ago.

Jake Burger hit a three-run homer on his 28th birthday, a drive off All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman that propelled the Marlins over the New York Yankees 5-2 on Wednesday night for just their second win this season. Burger leads Miami with three homers and 15 RBIs, reviving a career that was interrupted for nearly four years because of a foot injury and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Definitely had multiple nights where, like, `I’m done. I’m quitting,’” he recalled.

Burger said a turning point was a 2019 conversation with his mom, Shannon, at a Which Wich in St. Louis followed by a heart-to-heart at home in suburban Chesterfield, Missouri, with his dad, Mike.

“Fortunately, my parents had a more level head than I did and ended up talking me out of it, saying, `Don’t regret anything in life and if you quit, you’re going to regret it,’” Burger said. “And so I’m thankful for them. They’re a major part of the story and major part of me being where I’m at today.”

Obtained from the Chicago White Sox last summer, Burger is among the few bright spots on a team that is a major league-worst 2-11.

Burger already had a memorable game this year. He homered twice off Lance Lynn last Thursday during his first big league appearance in his hometown of St. Louis, where growing up he went to about 20 games annually dating to old Busch Stadium. He sat below the new ballpark’s Big Mac Land in left field with Little League buddy Kyle Kinner and watched the Cardinals rally in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings to beat Texas in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series en route to the title.

Burger’s parents were at last week’s game along with his sister Ellie, wife Ashlyn, 16-month-old son Brooks and grandfather Terry.

“That was really special,” Burger said. “First time I’ve played in front of my grandpa live. He watches every game, and he’s such a big supporter and a role model for me.”

Overlooked in the amateur draft out of Christian Brothers College High School, Burger went to Missouri State and was taken with the 11th overall pick in 2017 by the White Sox, who signed him for a $3.7 million bonus.

He was invited to big league spring training the following year and ruptured his left Achilles running to first base on an inning-ending groundout against Oakland’s Santiago Castillo during an exhibition game on Feb. 26, 2018. Ten weeks after surgery, Burger was cleared to wear sandals and retore the tendon while stepping out of a sandal in the backyard of his Arizona home.

Burger missed the 2019 season because of the heel injury.

“I don’t feel like I gave it enough time. I kind of pushed back a little quick,” he said.

Then there was no 2020 minor league season because of the coronavirus pandemic. He played instead on a summer team in Missouri’s CarShield Collegiate League.

Burger finally resumed his career at Triple-A Charlotte on May 4, 2021 — his first regular-season game in 1,339 days. He hit .322 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs in 42 games, earning a callup and his major league debut July 2 at Detroit, where he singled and doubled in a 2-for-4 night.

He was sent down in late July, then had two callups in 2022 and two more in 2023. He was hitting .214 with 25 homers, 52 RBIs and 102 strikeouts in 294 at-bats for the White Sox at the time of the Aug. 1 trade that sent pitching prospect Jake Eder to Chicago.

Burger batted .303 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 53 games with Miami. He’s hit third in the order 10 times this year, cleanup once and fifth twice, seeing time at third base and first.

“It’s his first real full season in the big leagues and we’re giving a lot on his plate with middle of the order and playing every day, and he’s doing a really nice job,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s a smart kid.”

Schumaker credited Burger’s work with coaches John Mabry and Brant Brown last year and Bill Mueller and Jason Hart this season.

“He’s a better hitter than just power hitter, and he’s showing how good of a hitter he is here,” Schumaker said.

When Burger arrived in Miami last summer, the Marlins offered $5 burgers to fans at his first game against Philadelphia, similar to a promotion he remembered at Missouri State.

“The Marlins organization and fans and city of Miami made me and my family really welcomed,” Burger said. “The guys in this clubhouse really accepted us with open arms and made the transition a lot easier.”

___

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

By STEPHEN GROVES (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is negotiating with the White House as he prepares for the treacherous task of advancing wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel through the House, a top House Republican said Thursday.

House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that Johnson had been talking with White House officials about a package that would deviate from the Senate’s $95 billion foreign security package and include several Republican demands. It comes after Johnson has delayed for months on advancing aid that would provide desperately needed ammunition and weaponry for Kyiv, trying to find the right time to advance a package that will be a painful political lift.

“There’s been no agreement reached,” Scalise said. “Obviously there would have to an agreement reached not just with the White House, but with our own members.”

Johnson, R-La., is being stretched between a Republican conference deeply divided in its support for Ukraine, as well as two presidential contenders at odds over the U.S.’s posture towards the rest of the world. President Joe Biden has repeatedly chastised Republicans for not helping Ukraine, saying they are doing the bidding of Russian President Vladimir Putin and hurting U.S. security. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate, has said he would negotiate an end to the conflict as he tries to push the U.S. to a more isolationist stance.

The Republican speaker is set to travel to the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Friday to meet with Trump and has been consulting him in recent weeks on the Ukraine funding to gain his support — or at least prevent him from openly opposing the package.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican who often works closely with House lawmakers, said this week he and Trump have spoken with Johnson “in depth” about how to advance Ukraine aid. It is not clear whether Trump would lend any political support, but Mullin said he was hoping to get the former president behind the package, especially now that Johnson’s job is at stake.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has threatened to try to oust Johnson as speaker and warned that advancing funding for Ukraine would help build her case that GOP lawmakers should select a new speaker.

Meanwhile, Johnson has been in conversations with the White House about legislation that would structure some of the funding for Kyiv as loans, pave the way for the U.S. to tap frozen Russian central bank assets and include other policy changes.

Johnson has also been pushing for the Biden administration to lift a pause on approvals for Liquefied Natural Gas exports. At times, he has also demanded policy changes at the U.S. border with Mexico.

“This becomes a more dangerous world with Russia in Kyiv,” said Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican who supports aiding Ukraine. “So we’re just got to find a the smart way to get a bill passed that we can get out and back to the Senate.”

Still, Johnson is facing a practically open rebellion from a group of hardline House conservatives who are dissatisfied with the way he has led the House. With a narrow and divided majority, Johnson has been forced to work with Democrats to advance practically any major legislation.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that the “only path forward” for the House was a vote on the Senate’s national security package. He also suggested that Democrats would help Johnson hold onto the speaker’s gavel if he did so.

While Democrats have pressured Johnson to put the Senate package to a vote, they also may be divided on a vote as a growing number oppose sending Israel offensive weaponry while it engages in a campaign in Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians.

The Biden administration, which would administer any military funding, has issued stern warnings to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that future U.S. support depends on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.

“If we want to prevent handing Putin a victory in Europe, the House should do the right thing for democracy and pass the Senate’s aid package now,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Thursday.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.

A brush fire that initially ignited in Boca Raton early Thursday morning and took over two hours to control re-ignited shortly before 6 p.m., according to fire rescue officials.

Boca Raton Fire Rescue said in a post on X that all directions of Congress Avenue at Clint Moore Road are shut down as of 8 p.m., more than 12 hours after it started burning in the area of 7400 Congress Ave. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.

A passerby alerted fire rescue to the blaze shortly before 5 a.m. after seeing smoke and flames while taking a walk on the El Rio Trail, Boca Raton Fire Rescue said in their post on X. The flames were “deeply entrenched” in the wooded area, which is located behind a Costco Wholesale.

Strong winds made it difficult to combat the flames, taking over two hours and as many as 50 firefighters to get it under control, the fire department said.

Palm Beach County is included in a wind advisory until 8 p.m. Thursday, where wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph, the National Weather Service Miami said.

Fire rescue officials said Thursday afternoon that four to five acres had burned since the morning. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

UPDATE 4/11/24, 5:57PM – Congress Avenue at Clint Moore Road is shut down in all directions due to a reignited brush fire at 7400 Congress Avenue. Crews are on scene. Please avoid the area. https://t.co/FpSydc3AAS

— Boca Raton Fire Rescue (@BocaFireRescue) April 11, 2024

 

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

GAINESVILLE — Florida will stage Billy Napier’s third Orange and Blue game Saturday at the Swamp, offering fans their first glimpse of the 2024 team during a pivotal time for the future of the program and its head coach.

Long a chance to give fans a sneak-peek behind the curtain, spring games provide even more intrigue and insight in the age of the transfer portal. Following a 5-7 season that ended on a five-game losing streak, the Gators have remade their roster, adding 30 newcomers, 12 of them transfers, and three assistant coaches.

The Gators’ final gathering prior to the offseason inspires many questions.

Will this Orange and Blue game be more watchable than 2023?

The 2023 game was an eyesore and short-sighted, leaving no one on hand excited or optimistic about the state of the Gators.

Trey Smack’s last-second field goal mercifully ended a 10-7 affair, the lowest-scoring spring game since the school began to keep records in 1996.

Billy Napier is 11-14 in two seasons with the Gators. He looks to avoid becoming the first coach since the 1940s to post three consecutive losing seasons. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

UF’s defense, coming off a woeful 2022 season, seized center stage with 9 sacks — an effort that ultimately proved fool’s gold under coordinator Austin Armstrong. Napier’s attack appeared to be caught by surprise, the kind of disjointed communication that hung like a stain over the season.

This time around, Napier would benefit from a new script with everyone on the same page. An exciting showcase would leave Gator Nation with some good feelings nearly five months before Miami visits Gainesville for the Aug. 31 season opener.

An exhibition game in April will not offset Napier’s 11-14 record or overcome a lack of quality football. But it can’t hurt. Another low-scoring slough would.

Is passing game more explosive?

Quarterback Graham Mertz was incredibly efficient in his Gators debut after a wildly inconsistent three seasons at Wisconsin. For UF’s offense to take the next step, he must make more big plays.

Mertz’s SEC-best 72.9% completion rate, 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions were a far cry from his numbers in Madison, where he completed 59.5% of his throws for 38 scores and 26 picks. But 14 completions of 30 yards or longer in 12 games is not going to cut it the days of high-octane offense.

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz takes instruction from coach Billy Napier during practice April 2 in Gainesville. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

The lack of explosiveness was a collaborative effort. The Gators’ offensive line and the inability of receivers to stretch defenses also played a role.

UF should improve at tackle with the addition San Diego State transfer Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound fifth-year senior with 37 starts, and third-year starter Austin Barber’s return to health after an injury-riddle 2023.

Receiver is less certain. Sophomore Eugene Wilson III is the one bonafide playmaker following Ricky Pearsall’s departure. Wisconsin transfer Chimere Dike spent three seasons with Mertz in Madison, while redshirt junior Marcus Burke, sophomores Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell and freshman Tank Hawkins have speed to burn.

Mertz needs to capitalize Saturday and show he can attack.

What about DJ Lagway?

The freshman quarterback arrived with a 5-star ranking, a sizable NIL deal and outsized expectations.

The 18-year-old has understandably experienced his share of growing pains, including three interceptions during last Saturday’s scrimmage, per Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.

Billy Napier works with freshman quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during an April 2 practice in Gainesville. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Lagway is learning every day. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Texan has running ability and a live arm. If coaches can harness them, Lagway will have a role in 2024 yet to be determined.

All eyes will be on him during the spring game. Whatever he does will be ultimately irrelevant. But best to avoid a Feleipe Franks repeat from 2016, when he threw three picks on four pass attempts.

Which newcomers are primed to make an impact?

The Gators’ defense added veteran transfers to all three levels.

South Carolina transfer Grayson “Pup” Howard, an imposing 6-4, 235-pound sophomore, has impressed in while veterans Shemar James (knee) and Derek Wingo (shoulder) recover from injuries. A pair of sixth-year safeties, Asa Turner (Washington) and DJ Douglas (Tulane), vie to line up alongside sophomore Jordan Castell, a former West Orange standout who led the Gators with 60 tackles.

The 6-3, 212-pound Turner offers physicality. Douglas displayed his playmaking ability during last weekend’s scrimmage with two interceptions, including a pick six. High-motor defensive tackle Joey Slackman (Penn) brings juice and experience up front.

Florida’s 5-star signee LJ McCray, the top nation’s top-rated defensive line prospect in the 2024 class, could step in and contribute during his first season with the Gators. (Courtesy of UF’s University Athletic Association)

Among UF’s true freshmen, 6-6, 274-pound LJ McCray, the nation’s top-rated defensive line prospect, looks the part.

Who will show up?

Fan apathy is high. But an idyllic Gainesville spring day and some Florida football should be a nice draw.

The Gators announced a crowd of 42,000 in 2023. While the total is debatable, much has changed since to dim enthusiasm.

The chance to set eyes Lagway, McCray and a host of new players should generate interest. If Napier can match or exceed last year’s turnout, it would be a victory — his first since Oct. 14 at South Carolina.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

If you go

UF’s Orange and Blue game

When: Saturday, 1

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Cost: Free

It’s well known that truckers are accustomed to very long journeys, but what about a line of 30,000 vehicles waiting for months on end to pass inspections and cross a border? If that sounds like beyond the realm of reason, it’s because it is. Unless, of course, you are a National Public Radio journalist prone to believing whatever anti-Israel tall tale comes your way no matter how far-fetched.

And, thus it came to pass that NPR’s Jane Arraf, who earlier this year blamed non-existent “Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque” for Iraqi militias targeting U.S. troops, repeated without any challenge a Jordanian official’s fantastical vehicular fib. In her March 27 “Morning Edition” broadcast, Arraf neglected to carry out any proper due diligence, reporting: “A Jordanian official says 30,000 trucks are backed up at the main border crossing with Egypt, waiting for Israeli approval to enter. He says some of Jordan’s own aid trucks have been waiting in line for two months there.”

Photo credit: AP photo/Ohad ZwigenbergA truck carrying aid destined for Gaza crosses through the Kerem Shalom Crossing in southern Israel, March 14, 2024. Photo credit: AP photo/Ohad Zwigenberg

The assertion garnered widespread ridicule. The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof deleted his X post citing Arraf’s report about the supposed line up of 30,000 trucks after he was widely mocked for parroting the impossible number. As many critics rightly noted, such a gargantuan line would appear on satellite images and would extend hundreds of kilometers long. Where are those images? In addition, an unprecedented jam of that nature would require massive infrastructure – the drivers would need to eat for instance – and yet we couldn’t find a published word anywhere about this phenomenon.

Notably, NBC reported March 30 that “hundreds” of aid trucks “sat idle on the roads heading into Gaza recently.” Did more than 29,000 trucks magically get through in the three days between NPR’s report of 30,000 and NBC’s subsequent article citing hundreds? If so, that truly amazing feat would be a global headline, and yet it’s only

Arraf who reported the line of 30,000 trucks, nevermind its miraculous diminishment in just days. NBC did publish a satellite image of the waiting trucks, and while it’s questionable as to whether the image shows “hundreds” of trucks, in no way does it show thousands, much less 30,000 trucks. Given that the crux of Arraf’s story is that Gaza’s reportedly dire hunger situation is singularly due to supposedly Israeli-imposed restrictions, the inflated backup is hardly a marginal point. Moreover, Arraf’s reporting gives no indication that other factors are creating difficulties obtaining food in the parts of the Gaza Strip. While she cites the States Department’s Matthew Miller saying the U.S. is “encouraging Israel to allow in more trucks,” she ignores the other points he made in the very same briefing: “So this is not a simple, one-faceted problem. There was a lot of aid going into Gaza before October 7th, before Hamas launched this war that has had such a dramatic impact on the Palestinian people. So anyone that says Hamas doesn’t also bear some responsibility in the tragic situation and in the inability of aid to get into Israel is ignoring the reality on the ground and ignoring the fact that it was Hamas that launched this war in the first place, and it is Hamas that has at times prevented aid from actually getting to the people it needed to inside Gaza.”

Significantly, Arraf neglected to report what the State Department identified as the primary obstacle to aid distribution. As Reuters reported: “The State Department official said one of the biggest issues limiting aid distribution was a scarcity of trucks inside Gaza and that Washington would work to help
acquire or help the U.N. acquire additional trucks.”

“They’re just about at the limit right now. There aren’t additional trucks in Gaza to be loaded from Kerem Shalom or Rafah or Gate 96 with food,” the official said, referring to various border crossings into the enclave.”

Moreover, Reuters coverage, unlike NPR’s lopsided reporting, includes the following information from Israel on the causes of food access problems:

“Israeli officials say they have increased aid access to Gaza, are not responsible for delays and that the aid delivery inside Gaza is the responsibility of the U.N. and humanitarian agencies. Israel has also accused Hamas of stealing aid.”

NBC, like Reuters (and unlike NPR), also includes the following information from Israel: “Israeli officials have repeatedly denied obstructing aid from entering Gaza, and instead blame the U.N. for acute shortages of life saving supplies in the strip – particularly in the north. . . . The Israeli government agency responsible for allowing aid into Gaza, Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, or COGAT, told NBC News that 995 of the aid trucks are approved after being screened. COGAT has said it places “no limit” on the amount of aid entering Gaza but subjects some items to higher security scrutiny. . . . Israeli officials have also blamed the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) for failure to distribute aid. According to COGAT, UNRWA has not requested convoys north for six weeks.”

Notably, Arraf does mention UNRWA, saying that Israel, “further limiting” aid, “recently told the U.N. agency for refugees it’s banning it from bringing food to the north of Gaza, where there’s the most urgent need.” Yet, she doesn’t share Israel’s complaints about UNRWA’s failures regarding aid distribution. Why is that?

Finally, in her eagerness to attribute any food shortfalls to Israel, Arraf falsely reports that “Israel, with Egypt’s cooperation, controls Gaza’s main border crossing.” Israel does not have any control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Egypt, together with Hamas, run that crossing. Other media outlets which have previously corrected after wrongly reporting that Israel controls Gaza’s crossing with Egypt include The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Haaretz. There is a unique, almost intoxicating quality about the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip prompting reporters to suspend their journalistic skepticism along with all reason and to accept as fact the most implausible scenarios: whether it’s that there are no MRI machines in the coastal territory, that the release of (non-existent) dams in southern Israel caused massive flooding in Gaza, that a mountain of toxic discarded batteries reached 50 meters high, that there are no swimming pools in the territory, or that the local population requires half a ton of flour per person daily.

On this growing list of dubious distinctions, NPR’s Jane Arraf makes her mark with 30,000 waiting trucks. And that’s one long load of exhaust and mirrors.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) is an international media-monitoring and educational organization founded in 1982 to promote accurate and unbiased coverage of Israel and the Middle East. CAMERA is a non-profit, tax-exempt, and non-partisan organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. To learn more or receive our newsletters please visit CAMERA.org.

MIAMI – There was a time when this was viewed as much as an experiment as a pathway to the postseason rotation.

Curiously, Nikola Jovic starting at power forward no longer comes off as a curiosity for the Miami Heat.

With efforts such as Sunday night’s against the Indiana Pacers, when he helped turn around a moribund Heat start with his 16 points second half, and then with his 23 points in Tuesday night’s double overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the 2022 first-round pick out of Serbia has made it look more possible and plausible that he also could be Erik Spoelstra’s starting power forward in the Heat’s postseason opener.

“It really just goes to show who Niko is,” said forward Jimmy Butler, who arguably stands as Jovic’s biggest supporter in the locker room.

“We’re going to need that guy for this run that we’re going to make.”

With Jovic in the starting lineup, it has provided the Heat with some of the shooting and ballhandling that the team had missed in the 20-game absence with Tyler Herro sidelined.

But now with Herro back, it could mean another adjustment for Spoelstra, who often alters his lineup and rotation in the postseason.

Still, with so much at stake for the Heat, the fascination with Jovic as a starter comes off as more than seasoning, at a point of the season when the Heat are beyond such concerns.

“I’m feeling good about where this is,” Jovic said ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at Kaseya Center.

The splits with Jovic are difficult to compare, considering he went into Wednesday averaging 21.5 minutes in his 35 starts, compared to 7.5 minutes in his eight reserve appearances. But his offensive rating is significantly better as a starter this season than as a reserve (with the Heat at 111 points per 100 possessions when he is a starter compared to  to 100 as a reserve), with his defensive rating also better as a starter than reserve (110 to 118).

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Of course, as a starter it means playing alongside the two-way skill sets of Butler and Bam Adebayo.

But it also means a higher-level initial challenge, with Jovic having grown comfortable against the upgrade in competition.

“For sure it’s different,” he said. “The starting lineup, everywhere star players are in it. You notice the difference. It’s hard, anyways, even in the second unit or first, but you know you have to take a challenge against the first team.”

The thought had been that when the postseason arrives, Spoelstra would turn to someone more polished, someone more mature than a 20-year-old who received only 13 minutes of playing time in the Heat’s postseason run last season through the NBA Finals.

That hinted toward a turn to Caleb Martin, last season’s playoff breakout star for the Heat, or perhaps Haywood Highsmith.

Instead, Jovic has shown staying power, with the type of 6-foot-10 length the Heat otherwise lack in their power rotation.

“He’s improved in so many of the areas. It started with his work ethic,” Spoelstra said. “I often have to remind myself that Niko is 20.

“But he’s getting better. He’s getting better each month. And offensively he just gives us a very unique skill set.”

He also has surprised with his defensive growth.

“He’s gotten a lot better with his defensive fundamentals,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t know how many more guys on our roster, other than our young guys, that have done more defensive drills the last two years than Niko, and that’s including during the summer and in preseason and all during the season. He’s big. He moves his feet well. And all those 10,000 reps have helped.

“He’s starting to be able to do multiple coverages, which definitely helps the versatility. More than anything, though, forget above moving feet, forget about schemes, forget about understanding our system, it’s more of a mentality and mindset to defend and do tough things. That’s probably where he’s grown the most.”

Jovic said, there now appears to be a genuine opposing recognition of his arrival as an NBA contributor.

“I think they know who I am, for sure,” he said of opposing starters. “I’ve played now against almost every one of them. And some of them saw me last summer (playing for Serbia in the World Cup).”

More significant is an awareness that he has landed on opposing scouting reports.

“Especially I’ve noticed it lately, because  they’ve been closing out really hard because they know I’m going to shoot it,” he said. “So I’m sure I’m somewhere on the scouting report.”

The counter has been more of an attack mode in recent games than previously seen from what largely had been a spot-up game.

“I think I have to attack now because of the way they’re close out,” he said. “And then, if I have to, I have to make the play for someone else.”

Which is a bit of a revelation, that opponents now are trying to force Jovic to give up the ball to the likes of Butler, Adebayo, Terry Rozier.

“I am seeing that so much more,” he said, with a flash of a smile, of opponents perceiving him as a threat. “I like that. It’s good.”

A Broward School Board member has proposed rescinding teacher raises that were just approved in February.

The request, called “No Employee Left Behind,” is scheduled to be discussed at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday. It was drafted by Torey Alston, an appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis who has been highly critical of how the School Board manages money.

The School Board has been facing a budget crisis due to the dwindling enrollment and the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief dollars. The School Board agreed 6-3 on Feb. 27 to use nearly $20 million in COVID dollars to pay for the raises averaging 3.96%. But that money won’t be available to pay for future years, meaning the district starts its next budget year needing to cut $20 million just to maintain the salaries.

Alston has requested the state conduct an investigation into whether the board’s actions were proper.

Alston said the board’s decision also left insufficient money for pay increases for other employees, including principals, assistant principals, bus drivers, maintenance workers and secretaries.

And since the board vote, the state Board of Education has told the School Board it owes about $80 million in retroactive payments to charter schools related to a 2018 voter-approved tax referendum.

So Alston is asking the School Board to rescind the Feb. 27 vote and to “utilize existing funds to include all employee groups and not pass board-supported unfunded obligations.”

“As the District 2 School Board member, School Board Member Torey Alston strongly believes in fiscal discipline while rewarding all employees,” Alston wrote in the agenda item. “All employees matter, all employee groups matter and no employee should be left behind!”

While the proposal may get support from the three Republican members on the School Board who voted against the raises the first time, it’s unlikely the six Democratic members would agree to take back a raise they’d just approved less than two months prior.

Teachers have already received the raises, including retroactive pay going back to the start of the school year.

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Five of the six Democratic board members have been endorsed by the Broward Teachers Union, either for their 2022 reelection or for this year.

“The dedication and excellence of our teachers and staff were recognized by the latest approved contract and raises. It was signed and sealed by everyone,” Union President Anna Fusco told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We teach our students to keep their word, promises and commitments. Our teachers in turn expect the School Board to honor the contract they signed and approved. We look to the District to keep its word and comply with the contract and the law.”

The Sun Sentinel asked Alston what would happen to the raises teachers had already received if the vote was rescinded.

“The administration will have to determine operational steps, the board sets policy and direction,” he responded in a message. He also questioned why disbursements were made prior to a vote Tuesday to formally approve the transfer of federal funds for the raises.

“We have a major process flaw, unfair compensation action by the board impacting 14,000 employees and an unfunded obligation leading to a $60+ million budget hole next year (on top of the charter payment and other liabilities),” he said.

This is one of the two controversial proposals the School Board will be asked to consider Tuesday, the other being a request by Board member Daniel Foganholi to fire General Counsel Marylin Batista over her handling of the charter school funding controversy.

Florida resident Oscar Hernandez is scrambling to ensure his 16-year-old terminally ill son, Llarell, will continue to receive medical care.

Llarell is paralyzed and relies on three life support machines and specialized nursing care for 16 hours per day. Hernandez thought his son would receive Medicaid coverage for the rest of his life, until late March, when he got a call from his son’s Medicaid plan telling him his coverage would soon be terminated.

“It’s been 16 years of taking care of a kid with a terminal disease. By the grace of God, he’s still with us. But we shouldn’t be dealing with situations like this. It is just wrong,” Hernandez said.

His son’s coverage was set to end March 31, Easter Sunday, but the state extended it to the end of April. He’s spent over a dozen hours on the phone trying to understand what he can do next.

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know which way to go. I call Medicaid, and they have no answers for me,” said Hernandez, of Kissimmee.  “I haven’t received any letters or anything. … So I don’t know what’s happening. I really have no clue.”

Oscar Hernandez teaches from Kissimmee home so he can take care of his 16-year-old son Llarell, who is paralyzed and terminally ill. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) 1.3 million dropped

Over the last year, Florida has dropped over 1.3 million people, including 460,000 children, from its state Medicaid program after the end of a pandemic-era policy that banned states from removing participants who became ineligible. In March, the state began redetermining eligibility for kids with chronic complex conditions, like Llarell. Reviews for these children were delayed until now.

The state says cases where the family didn’t find out about termination until it was already happening are an anomaly. Yet advocates point out that during the past month, when the state’s sickest kids had eligibility reviews, some Florida families found out their kids lost coverage with just days of notice and struggled to get answers from the state about what to next.

“It’s very troubling. It seems like there are a lot of very sick children who are now left out in the cold,” said Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

The Florida Department of Children and Families informed families throughout the eligibility review process through letters, emails, texts and calls, said spokeswoman Mallory McManus. She said the department called recipients two months before their redeterminations, successfully speaking with 93% of those affected.

If the department doesn’t get a response, it conducts additional outreach for those who might normally be terminated for being non-responsive, she said.

“This level of outreach goes above and beyond the requirements of the federal government and is further evidence of our commitment to supporting recipients through the process,” she wrote, adding that people no longer eligible are automatically referred to KidCare, a state health insurance option for families who make too much money for Medicaid.

Yet dozens of people have told the nonprofit Florida Health Justice Project they didn’t get advance warning and didn’t find out their coverage was up for review until they were already losing it, said Florida Health Justice Project founder Miriam Harmatz.

In some cases, the children were terminated not because they were ineligible but because their parents didn’t receive instructions from DCF on how to keep coverage, Harmatz said. Those families then faced high call center wait times and are not always given information about their right to appeal the termination, she added.

“A significant number appear to have fallen through the cracks,” Harmatz said. “We received a tremendous number of requests for advice and help from parents who only learned their child’s loss of Medicaid from their medical providers in late March. They tried to reach out to DCF and either could not get through or got incorrect information.”

Easter Sunday cutoff

On March 31, coverage for most children with complex chronic conditions was set to expire. Some, but not all, ended up getting an extension until the end of April, Harmatz said. But even those who got an extension are stumped on what to do or why they lost coverage, she added.

Kaitlin Maron found out her son was set to lose Medicaid coverage by chance at a routine doctor’s appointment. She, too, said she never saw any warnings despite thoroughly checking her inbox, mailbox, phone and MyACCESS state account. She didn’t realize she could appeal the decision until she talked to the Florida Health Justice Project.

Her son’s Medicaid was also originally set to end March 31 but was extended through the end of April. He didn’t experience a coverage gap and she has been told he will continue to qualify as long as he remains eligible for Supplemental Security Income, a program that provides cash payments to low-income and disabled people.

Yet after significant time devoted to addressing the situation, she still has “no explanation” as to why he was set to lose Medicaid in the first place.

“I spoke with both Medicaid and Social Security and there wasn’t any sort of notes. They were both stumped as to why he was canceled,” she said.

Harmatz said that some clients who appealed before their termination date still haven’t had all their coverage restored. She’s also heard about several severely disabled adults whose coverage was terminated on Easter Sunday without notice, leaving them without home health services that they depend on for their daily health and safety.

Seeking assurances

The Florida Health Justice Project has asked the state to ensure there’s no gap in coverage for people who never received notice they were up for redetermination or for medically complex kids. They are also pushing the state to post Florida’s plan for these kids on its website so advocates have somewhere to refer parents.

Right now, FHJP is referring families to the personal email of a KidCare staff member who said they could send parents directly to her for assistance. FHJP has also created a Q&A for parents of kids with complex medical conditions.

“We’re a small nonprofit. We’re struggling to keep up with responding to the people who email us, and we can’t deal with these cases one by one,” Harmatz said. “There needs to be a sustainable system fix.”

Oscar Hernandez takes care of his 16-year-old son Llarell, who is paralyzed and terminally ill, in their home in Kissimmee. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

Hernandez is at a loss about what to do next for his son.

The family now makes too much for traditional Medicaid. Llarell is still eligible for Florida’s medically needy “share of cost” program, which will allow him to receive Medicaid coverage each month after his medical bills exceed a certain amount based on income, $7,000 a month in this case. But many providers are unable or unwilling to provide care without guaranteed reimbursement.

“I told them that’s impossible because the only way that I can get $7,000 in invoices is if the nurses show up, and they won’t show up because they don’t have proof of payment,” Hernandez said.

Without nurses, Hernandez would have to quit two of his three jobs and work from home full-time to care for Llarell.

In the meantime, he has enrolled his son in Florida Healthy Kids, part of the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program. He has two daughters on Healthy Kids, and it’s better than nothing, he said, but he worries it won’t come close to meeting all his son’s care needs.

Healthy Kids does not provide as much coverage for medically complex kids as Medicaid does, Alker said.

“A child with serious health conditions is going to be much better served by the Medicaid benefits package,” she said.

DeSantis defends KidCare

During an April 1 news conference on toll relief, a reporter asked Gov. Ron DeSantis about the thousands of kids set to lose Medicaid coverage, and he defended KidCare.

“Well, but our KidCare has been very effective,” DeSantis said. “I mean, I think if you look at what the Legislature has done over the years, you know, they’ve really focused on helping working families make sure that their kids have access to health coverage.”

In 2023, the Legislature voted unanimously to expand KidCare to higher-income families, which was predicted to help 42,000 uninsured kids.

The expansion was supposed to take effect Jan. 1 but was delayed by paperwork issues. It has now been postponed indefinitely while the state sues the federal government over a new rule that would require states to keep children on KidCare for 12 months even if their families miss a premium payment.

A hearing on that suit is scheduled for April 18 in federal court in Tampa.

Ccatherman@orlandosentinel.com

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If you work with metal or regularly use chisels, blades or knives on the job, you need a reliable bench grinder to keep your implements in prime condition. You can extend the life of your tools with a bench grinder. This will ensure your tools are sharp enough to keep them working efficiently and safely and saves you money in the long run as you won’t need to replace tools as often.

What you can do with a bench grinder

Bench grinders are essentially motor-powered grindstones. While manual sharpening and buffing require a lot of time and repetitive motion, you can use a bench grinder to zip through such jobs with minimal effort. Some of the tasks you can accomplish with a bench grinder include:

• Sharpening lawnmower blades.
• Removing paint from metal tools.
• Polishing metal objects to a mirror finish.
• Shaping metal for making custom parts or art.
• Shortening, cleaning or otherwise modifying bolts, nails and screws.
• Sharpening kitchen knives. 
• Removing burs or damage from the blades of bolt cutters and pliers.

Choosing a bench grinder wheel size

There are two sizes of bench grinder wheels.

• Six-inch bench grinders will satisfy most users. The smaller wheel size allows for faster speeds and makes for a more compact tool. Six-inch bench grinders are also more affordable than 8-inch grinders with comparable features.
• Eight-inch bench grinders are better for industrial and commercial work. Because 8-inch wheels have more surface area than 6-inch ones, they last longer before needing to be replaced and can treat larger items. Their larger wheels also spin slower, lessening the chance of overheating your metal.

Bench grinder features to consider

• Lamp. Some bench grinders have a built-in lamp. This can be fitted with an LED or a standard bulb, depending on which grinder you choose. Even if your shop is well-lit, being able to directly illuminate the tool you’re working with is convenient.
• Variable-speed motor. The ability to choose the speed at which your grinder operates lets you work on different materials without them getting too hot. Slower speeds are also better for making more precise modifications.
• Motor power. The more powerful a bench grinder’s motor, the more torque it can deliver. High-powered motors add to the machine’s cost, so don’t splurge unless you’re sure you need the additional power. More torque also demands more care while grinding, because you can quickly remove more material than intended.
• Included wheel types. Most grinders include a coarse wheel on one side for heavy work, shaping and sharpening, and a fine wheel on the other end for polishing, buffing and fine detail. However, some offer a wire wheel that can scrape rust, paint and corrosion off of metal that is old or has been exposed to moisture.

Best bench grinders

Jet 8-Inch Industrial Metalworking Bench Grinder

A 1-horsepower motor makes this grinder a must for industrial jobs. Its base has pre-drilled holes for permanent mounting and enclosed ball bearings keep it running smoothly with minimal wear and tear.

Jet 6-Inch Bench Grinder With Wire Wheel

This grinder comes with a crimped wire wheel pre-installed, making it a good buy if you need a tool for paint and rust removal. Its pre-drilled base can be used to mount it to a table or stand.

DeWalt 8-Inch Bench Grinder

This grinder features a cast-iron base and motor housing for durability and stability. There are more than 12 inches of space between the two wheels, letting you sharpen or grind longer objects without the risk of accidentally hitting the stone you aren’t using.

DeWalt 6-Inch Bench Grinder

Removable spark deflectors keep dangerous metal shavings and sparks from becoming airborne on this speedy bench grinder. Great for heavy-duty jobs, this tool’s cast-iron construction keeps it firmly in place while you work.

Delta 6-Inch Variable-Speed Bench Grinder

A built-in lamp with a gooseneck and on/off switch lets you light up your workspace as needed. Variable speed settings mean you can choose how fast you want the wheels to spin, letting you treat different materials as you see fit.

Wen 8-Inch Slow-Speed Bench Grinder

This grinder’s low speed keeps the heat to a minimum and allows for careful precision grinding. A magnifying shield keeps debris from flying back at you and lets you get a close look at your work without having to lean over it.

Wen 6-Inch Single-Speed Bench Grinder

This grinder features a flexible lamp with an on/off switch. Its 2.1-amp motor and 6-inch wheels make it a great choice for zipping through small sharpening and shaping jobs.

Wen 8-Inch Bench Grinder With Lamp

This grinder’s 5-amp motor and 8-inch wheels make it a workhorse capable of treating everything from mower blades and machetes to drill bits and nails. Variable speeds allow maximum flexibility and a built-in lamp makes it easy to see wherever you work.

Ryobi 6-Inch Bench Grinder

This grinder has built-in LED lights a and its removable eye shields magnify the task at hand. Its steel base reduces vibrations and its 2.1-amp motor is built to last.

Shop Fox 8-Inch Variable-Speed Bench Grinder

A bright LED gooseneck lamp lets you direct light precisely where you need it and a dial lets you adjust this grinder’s speed according to your needs. A lock on its power switch prevents it from being accidentally turned on or off.

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

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https://tags.remixd.com/player/v5/index.js?cb=%%CACHEBUSTER%% Which Vegamour products are best?

The best Vegamour products address your hair concerns with sustainably sourced vegan ingredients that deliver scientifically backed results. The brand takes a holistic approach to improving your hair’s wellness with formulas that can help you address common hair concerns, such as hair loss, graying and dandruff.

Vegamour products also work together to improve the health of your hair and scalp, so you can use its solutions to address more than one concern at a time.

About Vegamour products

Founder Dan Hodgdon launched Vegamour in 2016 to build a hair care brand dedicated to improving the health of your hair, brows and eyelashes from the inside out. Vegamour products use plant-based ingredients to address your hair’s density, luster and smoothness with four key pillars.

• Bioavailability: Products can only work if your body can absorb them. Vegamour products use clean ingredients with biomolecular technology to ensure they can be synthesized and absorbed into your body.
• Vegan ingredients: All solutions are plant-based, and there are no toxic chemicals in the formulas.
• Holistic wellness: Vegamour products aren’t just topical solutions. They work from the inside out to help you address your hair care concerns.
• Science-backed results: The ingredients are clinically tested for efficacy.

Ethically sourced and clean

Vegamour uses a sustainable collective of communities to create ethically sourced products through fair trade practices. Its products are made with vegan ingredients that are also cruelty-free. They have no known long-term health risks or side effects, such as weight gain, typically associated with hair growth products. They are also free of synthetic hormones.

Concerns addressed by Vegamour products

Vegamour products are formulated and clinically tested to help you address four hair care concerns.

• Hair loss and growth: Vegamour sells nutritional and topical solutions to improve your hair’s growth, reduce fallout and repair follicle damage.
• Dandruff: The products work in as little as three days to improve your scalp’s health and reduce dandruff.
• Graying: The brand develops nutrient-rich products and supplements to slow graying and reduce the appearance of gray hair on new growth.

Value packs

Spending money on products is easier when you’re getting a deal. A great way to do that with Vegamour’s products is by purchasing them in bundles, so you can spend less and get more for your money.

Easy application

Hair treatments should be quick and easy to apply. Look for easy applicators such as droppers for serums, because you don’t want to waste them or mess up your freshly washed mane. You can also get fine-tipped brushes for lash and brow serums and narrow applicators for scalp formulas to deliver the ingredients directly to the areas you’re addressing.

Works as a system

Vegamour encourages you to address multiple hair concerns with its formulas, but be careful about addressing too many at once. For example, it’s good to stagger the use of its Gro Hair Growth Serum and its Gro Ageless Anti-Gray Hair Serum to avoid buildup. Beyond that, using the brand’s products together can improve your results.

What are the best Vegamour products to buy?

Vegamour Gro More Kit With Serum And Gummies

The hair serum and gummies work on all hair types and textures to address hair density, volume and shedding. This set is a one-month supply of each product.

Vegamour Gro Biotin Gummies For Thinning Hair

These vegan gummies are gluten-free, give you a one-month supply and are packed with powerful nutrients to promote your hair’s density and shine. They have biotin for growth with vitamins A, C and E to neutralize follicle-damaging free radicals and vitamins B-5, 6 and 12 to support your body’s production of keratin and collagen.

Vegamour Gro Hair Serum For Thinning Hair

This color-safe serum is vegan, chemical-free and clinically proven to help you address hair growth and reduce the signs of shedding. It comes with a dropper for easy application and works on all hair types.

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Shampoo For Thinning Hair

This color-safe shampoo is free of parabens and silicones and is clinically proven to address hair thinning, damage and frizz. It works with the brand’s other hair serums, has an easy squeeze bottle and works on all hair types.

Vegamour Gro Revitalizing Conditioner For Thinning Hair

This rich moisturizing conditioner uses vegan proteins to restore your hair and is clinically proven to address damage, frizz and promote hair growth. It works well with the line’s shampoo and serums and comes in a convenient squeeze bottle.

Vegamour Gro Ageless Anti-Gray Hair Serum

This serum is clinically proven to help reduce the appearance of gray hair on new hair growth. It also soothes and nourishes your scalp as it renews your shine, and can be used on all hair types and textures.

Vegamour Gro Volumizing Lash Serum

This clinically proven vegan eyelash formula can give you longer, thicker lashes without using harsh, harmful chemicals. It won’t change your eye color or eyelids and works on all skin types.

Vegamour Gro Volumizing Brow Serum

This plant-based eyebrow formula can help reawaken your hair follicles for thicker, fuller brows. It works on all skin types, comes with a convenient applicator and contains no synthetic hormones.

Vegamour Gro Ageless Gray Delay Hair Supplement

These supplements help delay gray hair growth as they support thickness, shine and the overall health of your hair from the inside out. They are clean, vegan and gluten-free, and work on all hair types.

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

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Dear Readers: I value hearing back from people who have had their questions published in this space.

Like you, I am curious about how people dealt with their dilemmas, and I wonder whether my advice was useful.

I’m happy to publish this update from a reader whose original question was published in June 2012.

The original Q&A is below, and the update follows.

Dear Amy: My husband and my father are both video gamers.

A new version of their favorite game just came out, and I became aware that it is rated M-Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

The two men believe it is perfectly acceptable for our boys, ages 4 and 6, to watch and play this game.

I equate an M rating with an R-rating for a movie and am insistent that the boys should not watch or play this game.

The men are arguing that the kids have played previous versions, also rated M (unbeknownst to me), and therefore no harm is being done.

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I am being accused of overreacting and being controlling.

The kids are also now angry at me for pulling the plug.

Am I overreacting? Should I allow “limited” playing?

– Unplugged Mom

Dear Unplugged: Did your husband and your father start their recreational lives as very young children playing violent video games intended for adults?

I’m going to guess not. I presume that when they were children these older men exercised their imaginations and bodies the old-fashioned way — out in the backyard, on the ball field, or down the block in the neighborhood.

Don’t they want the same for these kids?

I completely agree with you. Your children are way too young to play (or watch others play) these games.

It would be great if your kids had a dad and granddad who cared enough about them to get off the couch and take them outside to engage in play that is truly interactive. The number of letters I receive from parents of teens and young adults (mostly male, frankly), anguished over the hours, money and effort spent on video gaming would persuade any parent to delay this activity — or at least offer younger children something in the realm of age-appropriate.

These adults, who are basically co-opting the kiddies in order to do battle with you, are also providing an example of adolescent gamesmanship.

The kids should be left entirely out of this while the adults hash things out.

For more information on the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s rating system (including very helpful tips on how families can discuss this important issue), check ESRB.org. The site includes information on how to install parental controls on various branded gaming systems.

It sounds as if you could use some grandparental controls, too.

Dear Amy: Here’s my update. Twelve years on, I’m happy to report that after paring down our sons’ exposure to video games and eliminating the Mature material, they both grew into solid, well-adjusted young men.

Both still enjoy gaming with their father and grandfather but have many friends, hobbies and sport activities.

I was worried that I would raise social deviants due to the gaming influence but realized it was about balance.

Our oldest is soon heading to college on a full-ride merit scholarship with his gaming computer in tow.

– Less Unplugged Mom

Dear Less Unplugged: Time has demonstrated that true social deviancy continues to be very rare, regardless of the presence of video games and worried parents. Well done!

Dear Amy: A simple thank you from the bottom of my heart for your simple, thoughtful, compassionate and direct response to “Sad Mother and Grandmother,” whose daughter did not want to include her trans brother in family events.

These are tricky times for many of us trans people, and having compassion from our families and communities is very meaningful.

Last year my sister opted to not invite me to my niece’s first birthday party, out of fear I would be very uncomfortable around her more libertarian and conservative friends, who make up a large majority of her social circle.

After a very heartfelt comment from my mother informing my sister that she might consider letting me make that choice for myself, it seemed to help her.

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She now has a more nuanced approach to how she might navigate her protective feelings toward me.

Over this past weekend I received an invitation to my niece’s second birthday party. I can’t wait!

– Ada

Dear Ada: Congratulations to you and your family; you’ve created many reasons to celebrate.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.

Shawn Glenn never told his 13-year-old daughter, Symaria, that he was dying. He refused to explain to any of his children that he was going to kidney dialysis appointments three times a week.

He didn’t want them to worry, or worse, to research his condition themselves — and perhaps see the average life expectancy of five to 10 years, then decide to donate one of their kidneys to him.

“It was a sacrifice,” Glenn said at a news conference Tuesday in the transplant wing of Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. “Because they see you not working most of the time, I’m not gonna lie, I felt like a bum. I felt like that, but I would prefer them to think I was a bum than to know that I was dying.”

Symaria died about two months ago from a brain bleed. On Tuesday, Glenn wore a T-shirt with her name on it and two bracelets on his wrist: one she had made him for Christmas and another that the hospital gave him. Its letters read, “Hero Dad Match.”

“Tell us about your kidney donor,” said Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, Memorial Healthcare System’s senior director of corporate communications.

“That was my 13-year-old princess,” Glenn replied.

An undated photo of Symaria Glenn. The untimely passing of Symaria helped save five lives through Organ Donation, including her dad Shawn Glenn. (Memorial Regional Hospital/Courtesy)

Symaria had died suddenly at the end of January. One moment, the spunky teenager was performing monologues at Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and playing a video game, Grand Theft Auto, at her father’s house because her mother didn’t approve.

The next moment, Symaria was telling her mother, Dhima Martin of Wellington, that she had a headache after volleyball practice. Her condition quickly deteriorated. When her mother went to check on her, she was unconscious. Paramedics later airlifted her from a local hospital in Palm Beach County to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, next to Memorial Regional.

For a few days, Martin believed her daughter could still survive. Her room in the pediatric intensive care unit was her favorite color, purple, said Brittany Guttierez, the ICU’s nurse manager. Pictures of Symaria and Bible verses covered her hospital room and the operating room.

Her parents, both religious, kept saying “but God,” as a sort of mantra, Guttierez recalled: “But God, how,” and “but God, why.”

“Up until the operating room, I had hope,” Martin said Tuesday, adding that she told Guttierez and the surgical team, “if she wakes up on that table, y’all stop.”

But Symaria was soon pronounced brain dead.

It was Martin’s idea first, Glenn said, to see if he and Symaria were a match for a kidney donation. He was originally diagnosed with kidney failure in 2019 and didn’t get on the national kidney transplant list until 2020. With a wait list of more than 90,000 people, most Americans wait three to five years for a donation.

Symaria ended up donating six organs and has saved five lives including her father’s, according to the hospital. Another recipient was a young girl.

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“In making that decision, her body was that — just a body,” Martin explained Tuesday, seated next to Glenn on the couch in the same T-shirt, wiping away tears. “You know, she had went on to heaven at that point, so why not? Why not save somebody else’s child? Somebody else’s life?”

Doctors had to run tests to see if Glenn and his daughter were compatible, said Dr. Edson Franco, the surgical director of the Memorial Regional Pancreas Transplant Program. The chances of compatibility are about 50 percent between parents and children, according to the National Kidney Foundation. But the specific circumstances surrounding Symaria’s donation are very rare, Franco said.

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Knowing that Symaria loved to make her parents bracelets, when the hospital staff got the call that she and her father were a match, they gave him the bracelet to share the news.

Shawn Glenn wears a “Hero Dad Match” bracelet made by staff members at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood after he received his daughter Symaria’s kidney. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Glenn was able to have the surgery through Memorial’s Transplant Institute, the only center in Broward County that offers kidney and heart transplants, and to attend his daughter’s funeral. He returned to the hospital the following Monday.

Dr. Linda Chen, the surgical director of the Living Donor & Pediatric Abdominal Transplant Program, described Symaria’s kidney as a “bittersweet gift.”

“She’s continuing her journey through her dad,” Chen said.

Despite the good that has come out of the tragedy, Martin still struggles with the same question, “but God, why?”

“Accepting it is a lifelong journey,” she said. “But I know it in my heart. He allowed me to be her mother and I’m honored, blessed to be her mother. But she’s God’s child first, so she gets to save lives. She gets to save her dad’s life, and she gets to be home with him.”

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Two months later, with Symaria’s kidney inside of him, Glenn still hasn’t fully processed losing her. He tries to keep busy so he doesn’t have to be alone.

But “physically, I’m great,” he said. It’s still a battle to try to keep his levels right, and he often returns for doctor’s appointments if something is off. But he didn’t seem worried.

“I know this kidney won’t fail,” Glenn said. “I know it won’t.”