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OC supes approve audit  LAist

OC supes approve audit  LAist

Q: I  predict that Jimmy Butler will not opt out of the last year on his contract. I can’t see any team making a significant trade offer for him this season with the possibility that he will opt out of his contract. And based on his recent injury history, age and play, I don’t see any team giving him a big multiyear deal at the money he will make next season from the Heat. – Joel, Fort Lauderdale.

A: And that is the $52 million elephant in the room (Butler’s play-option salary for 2025-26, should he opt in). But let’s also not be knee jerk from Monday’s absence, especially an injury that came with Jimmy Butler trying to desperately help the Heat try to salvage Sunday night’s game in Toronto. Look, this is a very real conversation to have at some point. But since the Heat did not have the conversation in the offseason, there is no reason not to take time to sort this out a bit more, perhaps even build value. So that makes the 3 p.m Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline D-day. And as much as what the Heat might or might not want to do, it could come down to an outside team dictating the matter with enough interest to present a proposal that works for the long-term interests of both Jimmy and the Heat. But Jimmy also has to play better to entice, with the majority of Sunday’s game, particularly on the defensive end, leaving plenty to be desired.

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Q: Ira, before the season began, I had already resigned myself to the fact that the Heat would be a mediocre team. Now it has become so that I don’t even want to watch. Game after game, the opposing team drives the ball right down the lane for easy layups with no resistance. If they don’t get a layup, they pass it out to a wide open 3-point shooter, and there always seems to be plenty of them open. On offense, we use up the shot clock too frequently and wind up taking a desperation shot. There is no longer the crisp passing from years before. Too many times, several Heat players wind up in the same space. Passes are forced or fumbled. Jimmy Butler is supposed to be our top player but is frequently not involved in the offense. He just stands off to the side. I”m not sure if it is his choice or he is getting frozen out. Maybe we should start thinking of rebuilding the team soon and trade off some guys. Oh, and somebody should tell Tyler Herro that you don’t get extra points for shooting out near half court. – Rich Plantation.

A: To your first point, the lack of resistance at the rim, that was the thought with Kel’el Ware. So you can’t on one hand be disappointed about bypassing Dalton Knecht and Jared McCain and then complain about addressing the shot-blocking area of need. As for the offense, it has been a mess for years, even when there were deep playoff runs. But, yes, it does seem as if Jimmy Butler only becomes involved when he aggressively makes himself involved. As for the depth of Tyler Herro’s shots, at this point he should be immune from criticism. He has been the sole positive constant to this stage, even with the occasional struggle like Monday night.

Q: This year is last year is the year before. Love these guys. Jimmy Butler has given us his very best, Bam Adebayo belongs and Tyler Herro looks terrific this year, but this ain’t good enough. If Erik Spoelstra is the best coach in the league, as we and many GMs seem to think, then why do we keep losing to lesser talent and lesser teams? Let’s stop the charade and just admit we’re a mid-tier team on a good day. We should have a similar record, maybe 45-50 wins, to last year, though maybe it’ll be easier to avoid the play-in and we’ll be the 5th or 6th seed. Maybe we win a first-round series, but really, unless we’re getting Playoff Jimmy, the version without frequently sore knees, that’s what we are. – Phillip, San Francisco.

A: I don’t think the Heat are losing to lesser talent and lesser teams. I think in many, if not most, games the Heat are the less-talented team, at least the way Jimmy Butler has been playing and Bam Adebayo has been off with his offense. Outside of Tyler Herro, the opposition has the majority of the five best players available on a nightly basis. You can only coach up a talent deficit to a certain degree.

The Democratic Party in Florida is experiencing a perilous decline in voter participation, membership and political victories. Having participated in Democratic organizations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, I am well acquainted with successful political strategies.

In the four years I have lived in Broward, I have seen a visible lack of leadership at the local level, with one or two exceptions.

One is Alfredo Olvera, who has demonstrated fundraising and get-out-the-vote acumen as president of the Dolphin Democrats, of which I am a member. In recent election cycles, he implemented strategies that had measurable goals, succeeded in large-scale fund-raising and engaged voters.

The time is now for bold new thinking and strategies. Broward Democrats have a decision to make if they wish to increase their victories at the ballot box, and the person to accomplish this is Alfredo Olvera.

John Lazar, Wilton Manors

It’s Nikki Fried’s fault

The article about a Democratic leader moving to oust Broward Democratic Party chair Rick Hoye should have focused on the failures of state Chair Nikki Fried, who promised messaging, merchandising and fundraising and did absolutely nothing — except send Democratic voters five emails a day asking for money.

To add insult to injury, her post-election speech featured the same tired promises. Broward received zero dollars from the state, while local party chairman Rick Hoye raised over $300,000 to fund Everybody Votes events, which started in 2022. Hoye recruited 1,987 volunteers, hosted 567 events that focused on vote-by-mail, voter registration and connecting with over 2,000 new supporters, 80% of them first-timers.

Nikki Fried has not shown leadership. She should resign.

Victoria Olson, Oakland Park

(Editor’s Note: The author has been a Broward County Democratic party precinct committeewoman).

Netanyahu’s leadership

The Sun Sentinel editorial hit piece on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was inaccurate and not reflective of the reality on the ground.

Israel has been fighting wars on many fronts after the brutal atrocities by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. It has been bombarded daily by rockets. Tens of thousands of northern Israelis have fled their homes and many more have gone to bomb shelters with literally seconds of warning. If the U.S. faced the same pressures, I am sure the response would be as strong.

Israel has used 2,000-pound bombs in attempts to destroy Hamas hiding places deep underground. Israel has supplied food, water and electricity to Gaza — in what other war has a victim state done that? Thankfully, during this time of war, Israel has a strong leader in Netanyahu.

Mark Keller, Miami

Sloppy on the sidelines

Somebody needs to tell Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel to clean up his act.

The way he dresses for games, he looks like he should be under a bridge holding a cardboard sign that reads, “Anything helps. God bless you.”

Peter Eckert, Plantation

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

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Here are the top stories for Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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

Fort Lauderdale landmark Hot Dog Heaven reopens with new owner, fresh dressing

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s legal troubles expand with two South Florida lawsuits

50+ rodent droppings in kitchen, roaches behind fortune cookies: 10 South Florida restaurants shut

Protester shot by cop’s rubber bullet may get $2 million to settle Fort Lauderdale lawsuit

From the editor: Help Sun Sentinel continue our important local journalism

Fight over new trash-burning incinerator will linger into 2025. Here’s the latest.

One victim in Hollywood shooting identified as former FSU football player, South Florida native

Dolphins Deep Dive: Perkins, Furones discuss if McDaniel should be fired Tuesday at noon

They farm Florida’s clams. To survive climate change, they’re counting on Republicans.

Miss Manners: Some friends act like attending our holiday party is a big chore

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 3, the 338th day of 2024. There are 28 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 3, 1984, a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant operated by a Union Carbide subsidiary in Bhopal, India, causing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 deaths and more than 500,000 injuries.

Also on this date:

In 1947, the Tennessee Williams play “A Streetcar Named Desire” opened on Broadway.

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In 1967, a surgical team in Cape Town, South Africa, led by Dr. Christiaan Barnard (BAHR’-nard) performed the first human heart transplant on Louis Washkansky, who lived 18 days with the donated organ from Denise Darvall, a 25-year-old bank clerk who had died in a traffic accident.

In 1979, 11 people were killed in a crush of fans at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum, where the British rock group The Who was performing.

In 1989, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev concluded two days of positive bilateral discussions in Malta in a symbolic end to the Cold War.

In 2015, Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the armed services to open all military jobs to women, removing the final barriers that had kept women from serving in combat.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Singer Jaye P. Morgan is 93.
• Rock singer Ozzy Osbourne is 76.
• Rock singer Mickey Thomas is 75.
• Actor Daryl Hannah is 64.
• Actor Julianne Moore is 64.
• Olympic figure skating gold medalist Katarina Witt is 59.
• Actor Brendan Fraser is 56.
• Singer Montell Jordan is 56.
• Actor Holly Marie Combs is 51.
• Actor/comedian Tiffany Haddish is 45.
• Actor Anna Chlumsky (KLUHM’-skee) is 44.
• Actor Amanda Seyfried is 39.
• Rapper Lil Baby is 30.
• Actor Jake T. Austin is 30.

General Daily Insight for December 03, 2024

Stable doesn’t have to mean uninteresting. The Moon in Capricorn is pushing you to chase your goals to the best of your ability, and this energy gets boosted into hyperdrive when the Moon nudges Mars in Leo. Fortunately, you can find a useful outlet for all this energy when the Moon sextiles stoic Saturn in Pisces at 4:17 pm EST, making your intuition your strongest guide. One last lunar quincunx to Jupiter in Gemini will round things out with a dose of positivity.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Sometimes the best way to win is by not trying too hard. This is just one of those times, as the Moon in your ambitious 10th house makes a supportive sextile to masterful Saturn in your subtle 12th house, encouraging you to tune out any excess noise in favor of tuning in to your intuition. That gut feeling you sometimes ignore potentially has all the answers. If it’s currently telling you to slow down and avoid rushing into anything, do just that!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

People can be stepping stones, but they are not to be stepped on. Instead, there is an emphasis on working together and doing your part in your relationships as the Moon in your expansion sector aligns with karmic Saturn in your friendship sector. Your loved ones can help you grow, provided you’re willing to assist them in return. Don’t expect things as a matter of fact, and be ready to show other people how much you value them and their input.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Extreme feelings can be used to your advantage, Gemini. You may indeed be feeling somewhat hot under the collar while the Moon visits your 8th House of Deep Bonding, which is hardly a light-hearted sector of your chart. Fortunately, you can put this energy to good use as the Moon sextiles masterful Saturn in your career sector, invigorating you to roll up your sleeves and put your nose to the grindstone in the name of productivity. Get to work and the results should be stunning!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Good relationships are rarely static. There is an emphasis on growing together right now, thanks to a helpful sextile between the Moon in your 7th House of Relationships and Saturn in your high-minded 9th house. One person may be the catalyst for broadening your world in ways you never dreamed of, but you can also help another person see life differently. Regardless, remember that healthy relationships are a two-way street. Whether friends, lovers, or business partners, there is always room to grow.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

The simplest tasks could have a major payoff at any moment. The Moon in your 6th House of Practicality is sextiling Saturn in your 8th House of Intensity, making it more likely that the chores you check off your list will result in a promising advancement of some kind, be it financially or emotionally. Don’t worry about trying to make huge leaps of progress or completing every task on your to-do list! Luna is encouraging small changes, so there’s no need to overwhelm yourself.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You can attract more attention with a partner than on your own, Virgo. The Moon in your creative 5th house is driving you to put your talents on display, but its reassuring sextile to Saturn in your relationship sector is underlining the importance of working together in order to express your full artistic ambitions. Perhaps you’ll find the perfect writing partner, or a patron will appear to boost you toward places you always dreamed of. Be open to all kinds of collaborations.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

There is satisfaction to be found in being your most efficient self. It may not sound very exciting, but with the Moon in your feelings-focused 4th house, you are especially intuitive regarding your ongoing emotions. Couple this with a lunar sextile to Saturn in your responsible 6th house, and the best way to feel good about yourself at the end of the day is to simply tackle the work in front of you. Don’t overthink things: just take them one step at a time.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Free and open self-expression is imperative for you today. The Moon is in your 3rd House of Communications, making it difficult to keep quiet. You can make something useful with that talkative energy as the Moon sextiles responsible Saturn in your artistic 5th house. Saturn wants you to focus on projects and ideas that bring value to your life. Even if you’re not concocting your magnum opus, make a point of dedicating your time to projects that feel authentically you.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Your homestead requires a bit of TLC. Thanks to a helpful angle between the Moon in your materialistic 2nd house and Saturn in your foundational 4th house, it’s a good day to devote some time and attention to your abode. Perhaps you can make a few improvements while you’re at it! Saturn doesn’t encourage frivolous spending or wasting your time, so make sure that you’re only making useful changes or spending money wisely in the name of feeling more at home in your space.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Say what you mean and mean what you say. It’s a simple rule to follow while the Moon in your precise sign makes a careful sextile to Saturn in your conversation zone, making it important to abstain from as much frivolous chit-chat as possible. People may be paying more attention to you than you realize! If you show them your most competent self, it could come back to benefit you in a big way. Don’t be scared to be the adult in a situation.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Unexpected ideas can have wonderfully productive results. A special alignment between the Moon in your subconscious sector and Saturn in your income sector is making it easier than ever to brainstorm and come up with a project or two that may prove very lucrative in the long run. The key is to let your ideas come as they will rather than trying to force them out. When you live life as normal, you allow those eureka moments space to strike, bringing bounty in their wake.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

People can expect a lot from you now. You’re in a social mood while the Moon spins through your 11th House of Community, but a sextile to Saturn in your visionary sign will show other people you at your most capable and self-sufficient. That is technically fine, but people may then rely on you because of this presumed stability. If you’re happy to be a rock for others, then be one — just make sure you aren’t doing it at your expense.

BOSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 108-89 loss to the Boston Celtics:

– This is why you don’t let one get away on Sunday night in Toronto.

– Not with a schedule now this unforgiving.

– No, the expectation hardly was of the Heat, no matter the physical state of their roster, striding out of TD Garden with a victory.

– But the previous portion of the schedule allowed the Heat to position themselves so it wouldn’t be an exit with a losing record.

– As it is now, at 9-10.

– With LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers up next.

– And then Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.

– And then the good-enough-to-beat-the-Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers

– This would have required the Heat at their healthiest best.

– Instead, in the injury absence of Jimmy Butler, there was no one to pick up the pieces.

– As much as Jaime Jaquez Jr. tried.

– Especially with Bam Adebayo in his ongoing offensive funk.

– Instead, it was Thomas Bryant and Dru Smith coming through that door.

– And the Heat exiting stage left with another loss.

– With Butler out due to Sunday night’s knee injury in Toronto, the Heat opened with Jaquez in his place, alongside previous starters Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.

– The game was Robinson’s 367th career regular-season appearance, tying him with Tim Hardaway for 15th on the Heat all-time list.

– Robinson then in the first quarter recorded his first dunk of the season.

– In addition to being without Butler, the Heat also were without Kevin Love (back), Kel’el Ware (foot), Nikola Jovic (ankle), Josh Richardson (illness) and Josh Christopher (G League).

– The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser.

– Jaylen Brown had been listed as questionable due to illness just prior to game time, but he was available for the Celtics.

–  Bryant entered first off the Heat bench, just as Love had been in recent games.

– Terry Rozier and Pelle Larsson followed together.

– With Alec Burks making it nine deep.

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– And then an appearance by Dru Smith, who had not played in the previous three games.

– That left two-way player Keshad Johnson as the lone available Heat player not to see action in the opening period.

– Johnson later entered in the third period, his first NBA action, with his first NBA points coming on a dunk.

– Asked pregame if he still considers Heat-Celtics a rivalry, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla replied, “I would like to consider every game a rivalry.”

– But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he remains all on Heat-Celtics, even on nights when diluted like Monday.

– “It always makes you feel alive,” he said pregame.

– The game concluded Heat’s third back-to-back set of the season, after losing Sunday in Toronto.

– The Heat had split their previous two back-to-back sets, with a total of 15 this season.

– Herro extended his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 53, 16 games off Robinson’s Heat record.

– Herro made it 49 consecutive games scoring in double figures. His previous longest streak had been 38.

– Adebayo’s fourth defensive rebound moved him past Dwyane Wade for second place on the Heat all-time list.

BOSTON — All the perspective you need about this one is this: Thomas Bryant was first off the bench, with Dru Smith shortly thereafter given the keys to run the offense.

No, this is not how the Miami Heat envisioned the approach to the first meeting of the season against the Boston Celtics.

But with injuries decimating the rotation, that’s what they got in Monday night’s 108-89 loss at TD Garden.

Unable to keep pace with Jaylen Brown or the Celtics’ 3-pointers, the Heat found themselves overmatched against a Celtics roster that was without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser. That had Boston opening not only with mainstays Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, but also with Jordan Walsh and Luke Kornet.

No matter, not even as Boston cycled through the unlikely likes of Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman and Drew Peterson.

“You have to have a lot of things working,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the keys to success against the Celtics that his team lacked. “Offensively, too, you have to put points on the board.

“You hold them under 110, you feel like on the road that should be enough.”

As was the case in last season’s 4-1 Heat first-round ouster, the Celtics had too much. And with Jimmy Butler out with the knee injury sustained a night earlier in the road loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Heat did not have nearly enough, particularly with center Bam Adebayo in the midst of his ongoing offensive struggles.

While the Heat got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Butler lineup replacement Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 19 points from Tyler Herro, that was about it for Spoelstra’s offense.

“We missed a lot of shots that we normally make,” said Adebayo, who close with 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting.

Brown, who had been questionable pregame due to the illness that had him out a night earlier in the road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, led the Celtics with 29 points, supported by 25 from Payton Pritchard, on a night Tatum closed with 18.

Up next for the Heat are LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at Kaseya Center.

Five Degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Celtics led 28-25 after the first quarter and 60-45 at halftime, after beginning to find their range on their 3-point shots.

The Heat then opened the second half with a 7-0 run to move within eight, before the Celtics pushed their lead to 16 with an 8-0 run of their own.

From there, Boston took an 85-63 lead into the fourth, with the Celtics building the lead even further from there.

“They get matchups and hunt those matchups until they get what they want,” Spoelstra said of the Celtics.

2. Can’t score: Adebayo teased at the outset, converting an 18-foot jumper on the game’s first attempt, 25 seconds in.

And then his recent reality came back to slap him in his face, not scoring again until 1:43 remained in the second period, on a putback basket that followed seven consecutive misses.

Those two baskets were his only points of the first half.

He then missed his first two attempts of the second half before heading to the bench with 4:19 to play in the third period at 2 of 12, replaced at that stage by Keshad Johnson, the undrafted forward on a two-way contract.

Adebayo finally found his touch when he returned in the fourth quarter, including making it nine games out of the past 10 with a 3-pointer.

Adebayo entered without a 20-point game since scoring 24 on Nov. 17 in a road victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“It’s just one of those stretches that sometimes you can’t explain,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo. “But I think the beauty of his game, he’s still able to make an impact.”

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3. Plan Bs: With Butler out, Spoelstra moved Jaquez into the starting lineup alongside Herro, Adebayo, Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith.

It was Jaquez’s first start of the season, after starting in 20 of his 75 appearances last season as a rookie.

The Heat also were without big men Kevin Love (back spasms), Kel’el Ware (foot tendinitis) and Nikola Jovic (ankle sprain). That opened time in the power rotation for Bryant, who entered as the Heat’s first reserve.

It was Bryant’s first action since the Nov. 8 road loss to the Denver Nuggets, with Love returning to the rotation following that game, after missing the start of the regular season due to personal reasons.

Bryant had been held out of the previous 10 games prior to Monday.

4. Plan C: The tinkering then continued for the Heat, with Spoelstra opening the second half with seldom-used Smith in place of Robinson.

Robinson had been on the injury report over the weekend with a glute issue, but the Heat said injury was not the reason for the switch. He did not enter in the second half until 3:59 remained in the third quarter.

Robinson was among those the Celtics targeted defensively in the first half. He closed 0 for 6 on 3-pointers, finishing with five points.

“A lot of that was some of the defensive stuff we saw in the first half,” Spoelstra said of the switch. “We were just trying to get some better matchups.”

Smith had not played in the previous five games, missing two with a bone bruise.

5. Attack mode: While he often found himself faced with bigger bodies at the rim, Jaquez consistently played in attack mode. He stood at 7 of 8 from the foul line at halftime, at a stage the rest of his teammates had a total of three attempts.

“Coming into this game, I knew I had to be aggressive.” Jaquez said. “I was just trying to find my way to the line.”

Jaquez closed 5 of 14 from the field and 9 of 12 from the line, also with three assists.

“He gives us something downhill with force, at the rim,” Spoelstra said.

GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Billy Napier’s best recruiter could turn out to be the true freshman quarterback who spearheaded a November turnaround.

Following a 31-11 win Saturday night at Florida State, DJ Lagway said he was ready to get to work building on UF’s momentum to strengthen his supporting cast in 2025.

“I’m definitely going to be involved in the transfer portal and the recruiting class,” the 19-year-old said. “But the biggest thing is keeping the guys that we have here … just making sure that everyone’s locked in.”

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway scrambles away from Florida State linebacker Shawn Murphy during a 31-11 win in Tallahassee. (Colin Hackley/AP)

With Early National Signing Day set for Wednesday, some top prospects in the 2025 class have shifted their focus to Florida during a season-ending three-game winning streak. Since a 27-16 upset of No. 22 LSU on Nov. 16 in the Swamp, UF has earned commitments from 11 players to rise from No. 45 to 10th in 247Sports team rankings.

The latest is Jacksonville Mandarin safety Hylton Stubbs, the nation’s No. 57 prospect per 247Sports composite rankings and a Miami verbal commitment. Stubbs’ decision Monday evening followed former UF defensive tackle commit Joseph Mbatchou’s returning to the fold Sunday night from Texas. A 4-star defensive lineman from Grayson (Ga.), the 6-foot-4 1/2, 275-pound Mbatchou is the nation’s No. 296 overall prospect.

Hours before the Gators’ victory at FSU, Florida flipped 4-star offensive tackle Tavaris Dice from Auburn a day after 4-star edge rusher Jayden Woods changed his commitment from Penn State.

Dice, Stubbs and Woods became the third-, fourth- and fifth-highest ranked commits in the Gators’ 2025 class. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Woods, who hails from Shawnee, Kan., ranks No. 10 at his position and No. 130 overall while the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Dice of Fairburn, Ga., is the No. 18 offensive tackle and No. 159 overall prospect.

Orlando Jones standout receiver Vernell Brown III headlines the Gators’ 2025 recruiting class. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)

Still headlining the class are two legacy Gators: Orlando Jones standout receiver Vernell Brown III and Miami Booker T. Washington cornerback Ben Hanks Jr., the Nos. 33 and 76 prospects.

The Gators have plenty to sell given their recent success. Yet the Lagway lure cannot be ignored.

Similar to incoming true freshman Chris Leak’s impact on nation’s top-ranked class in 2003, Lagway aims to have a Pied Piper Effect on the incoming class, along with potential transfers when the portal opens Monday.

Beyond the physical tools, the 6-foot-3, 239-pound Texan has shown leadership, poise, big-play ability and a sense of the moment. Lagway’s latest feat was escaping the grasp of FSU’s 6-foot-5, 330-pound defender Darrell Jackson Jr. to complete a 17-yard pass to a tightly covered Chimere Dike.

“I was sitting on the sideline and I’m like, ‘No way he gets out of this,’” senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. said. “Then he gets out of this and he throws a dart to Chim.

“That man is great.”

The Gators hope players looking for a new home were watching.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By JILL COLVIN

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.

The cathedral is set to reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019 that engulfed and nearly destroyed the soaring Paris landmark. The ceremonies being held Saturday and Sunday will be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend.

Trump announced that he will be among them in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening.

“It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago,” he wrote. “President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!”

The trip will be Trump’s first abroad since he won November’s presidential election. He traveled to Scotland and Ireland in May 2023, as a candidate, to visit his local golf courses.

Trump was president in 2019 when a massive fire engulfed Notre Dame, collapsing its spire and threatening to destroy one of the world’s greatest architectural treasures, known for its mesmerizing stained glass.

Trump watched the inferno in horror, along with the rest of the world.

“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he wrote on what was then named Twitter, offering his advice to the city.

“Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!” he wrote.

French officials appeared to respond shortly after, nothing that “All means” were being used to extinguish the flames, “except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”

Trump also spoke with Macron and Pope Francis at the time to offer his condolences and said he had offered them “the help of our great experts on renovation and construction.”

Trump and Macron have had a complicated relationship.

During Trump’s first term in office, Macron proved to be among the world leaders most adept at managing the American president’s whims as he tried to develop a personal connection built in no small part on flattery.

Macron was the guest of honor at Trump’s first state dinner and Trump traveled to France several times. But the relationship soured as Trump’s term progressed and Macron criticized him for questioning the need for NATO and raising doubts about America’s commitment to the mutual-defense pact.

As he ran for a second term this year, Trump often mocked Macron on the campaign trail, imitating his accent and threatening to impose steep tariffs on wine and champagne bottles shipped to the U.S. if France tried to tax American companies.

After Trump won another term last month, Macron rushed to win favor with the president-elect. He was among the first global leaders to congratulate Trump — even before The Associated Press called the race in his favor — and beat UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the punch in delivering a congratulatory phone call.

“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” Macron posted on X early on Nov 6. “Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”

Macron and other European leaders are trying to persuade Trump not to abandon America’s support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s nearly three-year invasion. European leaders hope to convince Trump that a victory by Russia would be viewed as a defeat for the U.S. — and for the incoming president, by extension — hoping to sell him on the need to pursue an end to the war more favorable to Kyiv than he might otherwise seek.

Trump over the weekend announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.

The reopening of Notre Dame will be an elaborate, multi-day celebration, beginning Saturday.

Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich will preside at a reopening service that afternoon, banging on Notre Dame’s shuttered doors with his staff to reopen them, according to the cathedral’s website.

The archbishop will also symbolically reawaken Notre Dame’s thunderous grand organ. The fire that melted the cathedral’s lead roofing coated the huge instrument in toxic dust. Its 8,000 pipes have been painstakingly disassembled, cleaned and retuned.

Macron will attend and address the VIP guests.

After the service, opera singers Pretty Yende, from South Africa, and Julie Fuchs, from France; Chinese pianist Lang Lang; Paris-born cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Benin-born singer Angelique Kidjo; Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji and others will perform at a concert Saturday evening, according to the show’s broadcaster, France Télévisions.

On Sunday morning, the Paris archbishop will lead an inaugural Mass and consecration of the new altar.

Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will join the celebration, along with priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese. The Mass will be followed by a “fraternal buffet” for the needy.

Ile de la Cité, where the cathedral sits in the middle of the River Seine, will be blocked off to tourists for the events. A public viewing area with room for 40,000 spectators will be set up along the Seine’s southern bank.

___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report from Washington.

One of two people killed in a shooting outside of an event hall in Hollywood early Sunday morning was former Florida State University football player Octavious Jackson, a South Florida native, a relative told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Hollywood Police arrived at Jaycee Hall in the 2900 block of Hollywood Boulevard about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, where they found four people who had been shot. One person was pronounced dead there, and a second person died at Memorial Regional Hospital, the police department said.

As of Monday evening, one of the surviving victims was in the intensive care unit at Memorial Regional Hospital, and one had been released from the ICU but is still recovering, the department said in a news release. The police department has not released the names of any of the victims.

No one has been arrested, but police have “several persons of interest,” the news release said. Detectives are looking for a car and its passengers that might have been involved. Police did not release additional information about the car or the investigation.

Jackson, 44, was attending an old friend’s wedding anniversary party at the venue, his sister Taneshia Jackson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Monday night. He knew the friend from growing up in the Carol City area of Miami-Dade County, she said.

“We don’t know real details … I have no clue. But hopefully he gets justice because he was a great, amazing person. I just want him to get justice for this senseless violence,” she said.

Debra Gronvold, manager of Jaycee Hall, said in a statement to the Sun Sentinel on Monday night that she incorrectly first said the event was a baby shower. The shooting happened on a road next to the property, she said.

“… we have no further comments at this time, because it is an ongoing situation,” the statement said. “The name of our client can not be released.”

Four shot, two fatally, outside Hollywood event hall

In 1998, Jackson was recognized as a stand-out football star at Miami Carol City Senior High. The Sun Sentinel reported that he was a top prospect for FSU that year. Multiple newspapers in the state reported in early 1998 that the defensive lineman had committed to FSU.

“It was just a way out for a better life, and he just always wanted everybody to find a way out. To make it for yourself and for your family,” his sister said of Jackson’s passion for football.

His sister said he received a full scholarship to FSU and to the present remained “very connected” to people who went on to play in the NFL. He often volunteered and mentored youth at his former high school, she said.

Jackson was living in South Florida and working as an air-conditioning technician. He was the father of a teenage girl and well-known in the community, she said.

“He helped everyone. Not selfish at all. He kind of stayed to (himself) but he knew everybody. He was a father, amazing father. Amazing brother. Just really great overall … He was just a great person,” his sister said.

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

Today is Monday, Dec. 2, the 337th day of 2024. There are 29 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 2, 1982, in the first operation of its kind, doctors at the University of Utah Medical Center implanted a permanent artificial heart in the chest of retired dentist Dr. Barney Clark, who lived 112 days with the device.

Also on this date:

In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France in a coronation ceremony at Notre Dame de Paris cathedral.

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In 1823, President James Monroe outlined his doctrine opposing European expansion in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1859, militant abolitionist John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry the previous October.

In 1942, an artificially created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated for the first time at the University of Chicago.

In 1954, the U.S. Senate passed, 67-22, a resolution condemning Republican Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin, saying he had “acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute.”

In 1993, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was shot to death by security forces in Medellin (meh-deh-YEEN’).

In 2015, a couple loyal to the Islamic State group opened fire at a holiday banquet for public employees in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people and wounding 21 others before dying in a shootout with police.

In 2016, a fire that raced through an illegally converted warehouse in Oakland, California, during a dance party killed 36 people.

In 2018, Israeli police recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery charges, adding to a growing collection of legal troubles for the longtime leader.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Film director Penelope Spheeris is 79.
• Author T. Coraghessan Boyle is 76.
• Actor Dan Butler is 70.
• Actor Steven Bauer is 68.
• U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is 64.
• Actor Lucy Liu is 56.
• Rapper Treach (Naughty By Nature) is 54.
• Tennis Hall of Famer Monica Seles is 51.
• Singer Nelly Furtado is 46.
• Pop singer Britney Spears is 43.
• Actor-singer Jana Kramer is 41.
• Actor Yvonne Orji is 41.
• Actor Daniela Ruah is 41.
• NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 41.
• Actor Alfred Enoch is 36.
• Pop singer-songwriter Charlie Puth is 33.

Tekashi 6ix9ine might soon be released from a New York prison, but a growing number of problems await him back in South Florida.

The controversial rapper, whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, is currently facing several accusations, including that he abused, drugged and stole from an ex-girlfriend and skipped out on millions of dollars of payments to a vape company.

The Broward-based vape company QR Joy filed a lawsuit against the rapper earlier this month, saying it foot the bill for the song, “Shaka Laka,” including a $1 million payment to Kodak Black — but Hernandez didn’t hold up his end of the deal, according to a complaint.

Meanwhile, Hernandez faces a separate lawsuit in South Florida federal court from his ex-girlfriend and fellow Latin rapper Yailin La Mas Viral, who alleges he physically and emotionally abused her, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her, and at one point held her hostage at his home in Palm Beach County.

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The accusations are also linked: QR Joy, which is behind the popular Fume vapes, claims Hernandez used Yailin La Mas Viral, whose legal name is Jorgina Lulu Guillermo Diaz, as a negotiating tactic to get more money from them.

Hernandez’s attorneys, in recent court filings, have denied the claims made by Diaz. He has not yet responded to the vape lawsuit, as he is currently in prison in New York over a probation violation. He is set to be released on Dec. 12, according to his attorneys.

The South Florida saga is a continuation of Hernandez’s many legal dramas. The rapper is known for testifying against his fellow gang members in 2019 in exchange for a shorter prison sentence, which earned him the derogatory label of a “snitch” within the rap world.

“It’s like no good deed goes unpunished,” Josh Kon, one of the attorneys for QR Joy, the vape company, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “They tried to help him, tried to rehabilitate his reputation. I think Kodak Black got a lot of flack for what he did.”

‘Violate all possible bounds of decency’

Diaz filed her lawsuit against Hernandez in September, only a month after the two broke up but over a year since she began to endure his abuse, according to her attorneys.

The lawsuit is an effort to “hold Defendant accountable for his long history of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse and exploitation of Plaintiff, his former girlfriend, as well as financial fraud that he has committed,” attorneys wrote in the complaint.

The two began talking in April 2023 after Hernandez approached Diaz while she was in the middle of divorcing Latin music star Anuel AA, with whom she has a daughter, according to the complaint. “Anuel AA had once been a close friend of Defendant’s, until Defendant became a federal informant,” attorneys wrote.

Diaz and Hernandez began to collaborate, including on the viral hit “Pa Ti,” which has garnered over 100 million views, though Diaz never received compensation for it, attorneys argue in the complaint.

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The complaint says Hernandez soon began to isolate Diaz from her family and friends, telling her that people around her were exploiting and stealing from her. Meanwhile, he began to beat her, drug her, and steal from her, according to the complaint. One of the attacks allegedly occurred on a private plane from New York to Florida, another at a Miami nightclub.

Then, in December 2023, the complaint argues, Hernandez and his security “effectively imprisoned” Diaz at his Palm Beach County home, taking her passport and money.

A “distraught” Diaz “lashed out” and damaged his car and scuffled with him, according to the complaint. Hernandez then called the police. He told them she had begun hitting him when he tried to leave the house during a daylong fight, which originated out of her thinking he was looking at other women, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Diaz on aggravated domestic battery with a deadly weapon and other charges. The charges were later dismissed; Hernandez’ attorneys say he chose not to pursue them. In January, Hernandez was arrested in the Dominican Republic on domestic violence charges after authorities say he assaulted Diaz.

In a statement Saturday, Strebnick and Guerrero said Diaz had been violent towards Hernandez, calling her accusations “baseless.”

“When Daniel met Yailin, she and her baby had been abandoned,” the statement said. “Out of compassion and love, Daniel provided them emotional and financial support, playing a pivotal role in advancing her career. Yailin repaid his kindness with violence, documented in multiple videos online, leading to her arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon — charges that Daniel chose not to pursue. His heartbreak inspired a song about their relationship. Now, instead of showing gratitude, Yailin has filed a lawsuit full of baseless accusations to exploit him for financial gain. These claims are outrageous and transparently opportunistic.”

In March 2024, the complaint states, while Diaz was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Hernandez and his brother convinced her to sign an agreement that allowed them to act as managers for her. It also made Hernandez the beneficiary of her life insurance policy.

“This clause gave Plaintiff’s violent abuser a perverse financial interest in Plaintiff’s death — an appalling threat to her personal safety,” her attorneys wrote.

After Diaz signed the management agreement, Hernandez began to use his position to ask her label for hundreds of thousands of dollars, which he would then claim he was spending on her as if it were his own money, according to the complaint.

He also told Diaz multiple times that he was “unsatisfied with her looks” and persuaded her to get multiple plastic surgeries, the complaint states.

Finally, in August, Diaz’s attorneys say she learned of the “fraud, theft, and deception” and ended the relationship. In response, attorneys argue that he posted revenge porn of the two of them on X, and that, without a court order, he will continue to do so.

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The lawsuit against Hernandez almost ended in a default judgment in favor of Diaz when he failed to respond. But on Nov. 25, attorneys Lisandra Guerrero and Howard Strebnick with the firm Roy Black filed a motion to vacate the judgment, saying Hernandez “was confined under 24-hour lockdown in the Special Housing Unit at MDC Brooklyn on an unrelated matter with limited communication to the outside world” at the time the default was entered.

Hernandez “categorically denies, and intends to fully disprove, the serious accusations in the Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint seeking millions of dollars in damages,” his attorneys wrote.

A judge granted the motion and gave Hernandez 30 days to respond.

The vape lawsuit

In addition to the lawsuit from Diaz, the Broward vape company QR Joy says Hernandez owes it over $2 million after failing to abide by the terms of their contract.

“He’s kind of gone rogue,” Kon said.

About the same time as his relationship with Diaz began, the rapper had sought to improve his image, which was still tainted by the controversy over his serving as an informant, according to the Broward lawsuit filed by QR Joy.

The company had reached out to Hernandez, asking about starting up a relationship. However, at the time, Hernandez was already working with a rival vape company, Dummy Vapes, which prohibited him from working with them. (The two vape companies had also sued each other over their relationships to 6ix9ine, and the lawsuit was later settled, attorneys say).

Since Hernandez could not work with them right away, he directed  QR Joy to start a relationship with Diaz instead, who began marketing vapes for them, according to the complaint.

Eventually, in July 2023, the company signed an agreement with Hernandez that would allow them to use his likeness in their projects, excluding vapes.

A month later, Hernandez “expressed concerns about his public image,” the complaint states, “which had suffered due to his legal troubles, including his past cooperation with law enforcement. To help restore his reputation, he proposed a collaboration with the well-known artist Bill Kahan Kapri, known professionally as Kodak Black, suggesting that the visibility from the collaboration, along with QR Joy’s vape brand featured in the music video, could improve his standing.”

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Through a mutual friend, Hernandez made the collaboration happen. The “Shaka Laka” music video, which features Kapri, Hernandez and Diaz and depicts Diaz and Hernandez smoking Fume vapes, has garnered over 70 million views.

QR Joy ended up spending over $2.6 million on the song and other expenses, including $1 million to Kapri alone, according to the lawsuit. In return, the company was supposed to receive full rights to the song, and Hernandez was supposed to market the vapes in various ways, including sending gift boxes to influencers and attending events. He was also forbidden from using his likeness to market any other products.

But Hernandez did not abide by these agreements, the complaint states. On top of that, he began interfering with the company’s relationship to Diaz, threatening to stop her from promoting the vapes unless QR Joy gave him additional payments. Because Diaz does not speak fluent English and relies on Hernandez for translation, the complaint argues, he was “manipulating communication and potentially mispresenting information to both parties.”

Asked whether Diaz and QR Joy ever repaired their relationship, Kon said he didn’t think so.

“I know it soured it,” he said.

Both lawsuits are further complicated by the fact that Hernandez is currently in prison.

“We’re going to try to serve him there and see where it goes,” Kon said.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Here are the top stories for Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Get the weather forecast for today here.

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Ten things we learned from the Hurricanes’ loss to Syracuse

 

Joseph Cannon was glued to the TV until the early morning hours of Nov. 6, when it had become clear that Donald Trump would be the next president. “People were so happy,” the tall, passionate Army vet recalls. He, too, was feeling a sense of hope he hadn’t felt in a while.

For the past 25 years, Cannon has been farming clams in the shallow Gulf off Cedar Key, the small island where he grew up with fish sandwiches for breakfast and fried mullet for dinner. But last week, he had to get away from the destruction and despair four hurricanes had caused in just 14 months, opting to spend some time with family in Illinois.

He needed distance, he said, because he had to contemplate the future, and whether he’d once again reinvest in the Florida’s battered clam industry. “I’m a Republican, but I believe in climate change,” Cannon said last month in his office, a place where he’d been coming to cry, and to help fellow farmers fill in yet another application for disaster relief.

Until recently, some 200 Cedar Key farmers produced virtually every clam consumed in Florida, pulling in 120 million mollusks a year. Clamming had allowed them to fend off over-development and retain the island’s Old Florida charm that’s become so hard to find.

Hurricane Helene shattered that economic backbone. Cannon knows that not every single storm or the heat waves that have suffocated his clams in bathtub-warm waters can be attributed to climate change, but he sees how it’s made things worse. It’s impossible to deny the impact, he said, “if you’ve lived here any amount of time.”

As these impacts are set to become worse, Cedar Key’s backbone can’t just be restored as it was. It’ll need to be fortified. It can’t happen without help from the government – business loans and more disaster aid in particular, Cannon says.

Whether they’ll receive it now hinges on the Republican party, set to lead the House and Senate, and President-elect Donald Trump.

Cannon doesn’t worry about the president-elect calling climate change a “scam” or his plans to repeal climate legislation that is pumping $390 billion into mostly Republican districts. “The one thing that Republicans believe in is they believe in business,” he said. And his personal belief is that that they will “fix the situation, address the situation, but don’t give climate change the credit.”

The son of a local fisherman, Cannon joined the Army at 17, served in Haiti and Korea, and returned to make a living off the water. Out on one of his boats, it was easy to see why he loves his job: Spoonbills scraped for shrimp that will hue their feathers pink, and as Cannon zipped past pockets of mangroves imbued by warm morning sun, one dolphin popped its head through the surface, then another, and another.

Clam farmer Jeffrey Schleede takes the boat out at dawn on Oct. 2 in Cedar Key. (Courtesy Miami Herald, Ashley Miznazi)

“You get to watch the world come alive, and it’s God’s creation,” he said. Today, he has five kids – four of them stepchildren – 13 grandchildren, one great grandchild, a broken back and knee, and lots of pride and love for his work. He couldn’t have asked for more – if it wasn’t for the storms.

Early last month, Cannon’s crew dove into an aquatic mass grave with millions of casualties. Helene’s storm surge had pelted the island’s clam farms with such unprecedented force that almost none survived.

“Over to the left,” he directed 19-year-old Jeffrey Schleede, the son of another clammer, and 24-year-old Blake Buckley, who gave up a college baseball scholarship to clam. Clad in wetsuits and with PVC-coated gloves to protect them from cuts – though not the stingrays that have pierced through their fingers – Schleede found one of the nylon mesh bags in which the clams grow from microscopic to chowder-ready.

He poured thousands of clams out on the stern. They would have sold for $120, Cannon said, but he found just two survivors. “We’re looking at maybe 26 cents…maybe $1, if I keep looking.” Any clams that had survived Hurricane Debby in August, Hurricane Helene had finished off.

Across the globe, farmers know that any crops they grow can fail. Every once in a while, flooding will kill Spain’s tomato harvest, and a drought will leave Brazil’s coffee plants parched. In Cedar Key, farmers expect hurricanes to come in roughly seven-year cycles. It’s part of their risk assessment. Something they can account for.

Though last year’s Hurricane Idalia cost him $400,000 worth of clams, the hit was expected. “We were due for a storm,” Cannon said. “We looked at it and said, hey, it’s a storm. Let’s get cleaned up and get back to work.”

Jeffrey Schleede brought a mesh bag back to the boat with what should’ve be filled with clams ready to harvest, but all but a few were dead after the hurricane. (Courtesy Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald)

Any school kid in Cedar Key will tell you that storms are always followed by a period of calm and quiet, a truce nature offers to allow them to recover their losses. Cannon and his colleagues followed that wisdom. They went all in, invested millions back in the industry. Within 16 months, they’d have new clams to harvest. Another hit? “It doesn’t happen. It never happened.”

What farmers have been doing isn’t dissimilar from calculations made on a much grander scale. Insurance companies, banks, and FEMA all use historical data to project chances of future catastrophes.

But the temperatures in which the weather forms are now much warmer than in decades past. Over a 12-month period this year, they rose more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above levels observed before humans started burning industrial-levels of oil, gas and coal. The patterns we’ve observed – the climate – are unraveling.

Without the past to inform the future, projections are impossibly difficult.

Some farmers were still waiting for their disaster relief payments from last year’s Idalia. The programs need to work faster, a federal grant that has covered the paychecks for the five men he employs needs to be extended, and federal and state loans need to be adapted to ensure that clam farmers won’t have to repay them until they’re making profits, Cannon says.

That could be a long time. Clams take between 14 to 16 months to grow, exposing them to two hurricane seasons, give or take. On top of that, they died during heat waves, when oxygen levels in the Gulf drop so low they essentially suffocate, and struggle when increasingly common torrential rainfall dilutes the Gulf’s salinity.

Cannon hopes that the government will start treating them like other farms, that their risks will be mitigated by extending crop insurance to clams, and that the Farm Bill, currently stuck in Congress, will help put money into developing a more resilient GMO clam.

Whether the government will be willing to do so is a pressing question, particularly in Florida, the state whose economy and people are more threatened by the warming climate than anywhere else in the US.

Sen. Marco Rubio met with locals in Cedar Key on Oct 1., including Joseph Cannon, who expressed the clam industry would need government support to rebound after the hurricane. (Courtesy Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald)

On a tour of Cedar Key just days after Hurricane Helene, Sen. Marco Rubio, dressed in beige pants and a blue shirt, the go-to uniform politicians often don when they tour disasters, addressed the challenges.

Any effort to rebuild would need to “take into account that these events are becoming more common,” said Rubio, a fellow Republican likely to be influential with the incoming Trump administration. Cannon, his back facing the gulf, was intent on making the senator understand that it wasn’t just buildings that would need to be rebuilt better, but the clam industry that supports the island community.

It would be a “mammoth undertaking – I’m not sure it’s something that’s ever been done yet. But it’s something we should aim for,” Rubio said, who is now President-elect Trump’s nominee for secretary of state.

Economic considerations will make things difficult, David Letson, an environmental economist who researches the social impacts of climate change at the University of Miami, said. Investments need to take a long-term view, “because every time you make investments – it may sound inhumane, but yeah, you’re doubling down. And you have to ask yourself: Is that wise?”

Four hurricanes in 14 months have already caused between $3 and $4 billion in damages on Florida’s farms, and the state is already bleeding taxpayers’ money into other programs, from windstorm insurance to a reinsurance entity, taking on enormous financial risks that will only become riskier. “Do you want to do something that further extends that?” Letson asked.

What’s clear is that the government’s – and taxpayers’ – pockets are finite. “You’re not going to be able to protect everything, unfortunately,” Letson said. Will Cedar Key and its clam farmers get the support they need? “It sounds like a really nice community,” Letson said, “but these are hard questions.”

Last month, Cannon drove his pickup past friends and colleagues, greeted each by name — Denis and young Brian, the old mayor and Phil — and wondered who’ll be able to stay. The word “purge” came to his mind.

Throughout its history, Cedar Key survived the loss of other industries. Its cedar mills, the railroad, and the whisk broom industry were all destroyed by hurricanes. Each time, the community reinvented itself. The latest hit was back in the 90s, when 72 percent of Floridians voted in favor of banning gill nets, which ended the type of commercial fishing that had kept Cannon’s and other families in Cedar Key.

“Son, don’t come home,” his father told him. Many left in bitterness, and Cannon stayed in the Army. Others, including Cannon’s father, gave the state’s proposal to start clamming a chance. Cannon was elated when he heard that it was working.

Clam farming wasn’t fishing, but he’d still get to make a living off the water, right here in Cedar Key. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years now, and I ask myself, Do I know what I’m doing?” He looks at Schleede and Buckley. They’re young, he says. “Am I going to help these guys further their lives, or do I need to get out of their way, and let maybe a new idea come in?”

Seagulls fly over Cedar Key’s coast on the morning of Oct. 2. (Courtesy Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald)

Last week, he decided that it wasn’t time to give up yet. The election of Donald Trump lifted his spirits. He feels that a federal grant that has covered his employees’ paychecks will get extended, and that the farm bill will finally be passed. When land grabbers call, Cannon answers with expletives. In Cedar Key, new clams are already being put out in the Gulf. He feels confident about the future, he says. “In 16 months, I know I’ll be harvesting clams.”

This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.

This story was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.

 

I’m astounded that the voters of America could elect a convicted felon with rock-bottom morals to the nation’s highest office. Nevertheless, this is America. That was the people’s choice.

The current administration promises a peaceful transfer of power to this wannabe dictator. He owns the Supreme Court and he will control both houses of Congress. What happened to the checks and balances envisioned by our founding fathers?

He’ll politicize the Department of Justice. He promises to pardon violent criminals. He is guaranteed immunity from the most seditious of actions. His choice of a Fox commentator as Secretary of Defense is beyond belief. It’s almost as big of an insult to the military as having a draft dodger as commander-in-chief.

His other cabinet choices are based strictly on loyalty. Let’s hope that when his term is up, there will be another peaceful transfer of power after the next election — if there is one.

Alan Greenberg, Delray Beach

No recess appointments

There comes a time, now, when the members of the U.S. Senate (Republicans, Democrats
and independents) need to take their oath of office seriously by supporting the Constitution and specifically Article II, Section 2, regarding Advise and Consent of the Senate.

Agreeing to bypass the right and responsibility of the Senate to vote on nominees by allowing recess appointments is outrageous and will affect we, the people.

Stand upright, Senators, and do not bend.

Ron Field, Boynton Beach

The people have chosen

Here’s a thought: Let Trump make his own mistakes.

Democratic senators who sanctimoniously object to some of his picks for Cabinet positions, who also argue that recess appointments are not constitutionally contemplated under these circumstances, might just as well let it play out — however it does.

The people have chosen, so let them live with their choice.

Each federal agency has its own bureaucracy, which is fully capable of objecting to plans its new leaders might have. No Cabinet secretary is remotely capable of doing the trench work on his or her own. The quality of their work will speak for itself, so let them have at it.

The divisions that have permeated American life recently are simply being given another life by the actions of the Democrats. It’s time to let the people have their way, even if it disrupts life as we know it. Do we trust them, or not? I do.

Michael Peskoe, Fort Lauderdale

Dogs in parks? Uh-oh

I read with interest that dogs are now allowed in public parks in Fort Lauderdale.

What was the reason they weren’t allowed before? Have those issues been corrected? I think not.

Take a walk around the hundreds of apartments in Flagler Village, a pricey new community not far from Las Olas Boulevard, a nice community with nice, young outdoors-type people.

Now, try to find a sidewalk without dog poop smeared all over it, and I mean all over it. I am also convinced that the residents think those green bags are leash decorations. And I really believe that these folks think that when their little dog squats, it is praying.

As for rules, will there be doggie police with doggie handcuffs? Nonsense. My suggestion is for walkers to start wearing rubber boots. P.S.: Dogs are not allowed in parks in many major  American cities for exactly the aforementioned reasons.

Peter Beshouri, Fort Lauderdale

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Q: Ira, do you agree that we now have a large enough sample to strongly suggest that the Heat is a .500 team? – Bill, Palm Beach Gardens.

A: I do not, because based on the upcoming schedule, including the Celtics, Lakers, Suns and Cavaliers as the next four, with games thereafter against the Thunder, Rockets and Magic twice, standing at .500 at midseason would almost be a significant accomplishment. But what is stark, truly stark is the lack of consistent and committed effort. Look, by now the players and coaching staff have to know where they are in terms of talent. The flaws in terms of size and athleticism are ample. But what long has masked such deficiencies has been sustained and relentless effort. Now? Not so much. With this roster, it’s either overachieve or perish. And at the moment, after Sunday in Toronto, it is difficult to get away from what came off as rancid.

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Q: Injuries are part of the game, but, like most, I cringe when Jimmy comes up limping, because it’s usually going to require some time off.  We’ll see. The Heat just have to play the year out. I do think they are figuring some things out like Terry Rozier being a good piece off the bench. – Douglas.

A: But this team is not in position to take one step forward and one step back. For the past five years, the key to success has been Jimmy Butler being great when it mattered most, particularly as a two-way player. He’s not that at the moment, even before this latest knee issue. And if he’s not, then I’m not sure the best of Terry Rozier or even Tyler Herro can mask that.

Q: Ira, I’m not surprised that Boston has pulled up on Cleveland in the standings. But I still think the Heat know what it takes to beat the Celtics. Monday night would be a good message. – Pete.

A: Since the teams’ 2023 playoff series, the Celtics have consolidated their talent to a level that I’m not sure even if Jimmy Butler was available for last season’s playoff series that it would have made a significant difference in what turned into Boston’s resounding 4-1 win. This is not just about seeing how the Heat’s Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo measure up against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. This also is about the reality that the Celtics then can hit you with Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. It is that depth of talent that has significantly swung the pendulum. As it is, it is looking like a good chance of no Butler again.

General Daily Insight for December 02, 2024

Our emotions won’t be predictable today! Conversational Mercury in truth-telling Sagittarius begins the day with a trine to healing Chiron in Aries, encouraging open communication. Next, a fabulous trine between loving Venus in Capricorn and excitable Uranus in Taurus at 9:43 am EST will take center stage, inspiring us to express ourselves in invigorating ways. Meanwhile, the Moon will square off foggy Neptune in Pisces before slipping into Capricorn, creating a space for us to settle down after a wonderful but wild ride.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Your reputation is positively sparkling. Venus in your public-facing 10th house is boosting your ability to wow others in professional situations, and its trine to rebel Uranus in your money-loving 2nd house is encouraging you to try something different in the name of advancement. Go ahead and throw your usual playbook out the window! As long as you don’t try to blow up anyone’s spot in the process, your unusual approach to a matter could turn out to be fabulously lucrative.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

A little change won’t hurt, even for your stability-loving sign. Your ruler Venus is dancing through your adventurous 9th house, giving you a taste for all things exotic and new. You’ll want to bring more of this spice into your life when Venus trines eclectic Uranus in your luxurious sign, encouraging you to wrap yourself in color and exciting experiences. Dive into anything that resides outside of the bounds of your “normal” or “usual,” and the results should be delightfully stimulating.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Expect the unexpected, but expect it to be positive. A comforting trine between Venus in your 8th House of Depth and change-maker Uranus in your 12th House of the Subconscious is bathing you in cosmic warmth — it may even come with a financial bounty attached. You probably won’t see this coming until it arrives and is staring you right in the face, but don’t think you haven’t earned this reward. Quite the opposite, in fact, so enjoy this abundance.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Allow people to surprise you today. Venus in your partnership sector is bringing pleasant interactions with plus-ones your way, and this influence grows even broader when Venus trines Uranus in your social sector. All kinds of friendly faces are being brought into the mix! A friend-of-a-friend could turn out to be pivotal to your plans, or maybe you’ll meet someone cool who’s very different from your usual acquaintance, but brings a lot of joy into your life. Be open to the possibilities.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Progress doesn’t need to feel like pulling teeth. Happily, it should be easier than normal to make advancements and improvements with Venus in your 6th House of Productivity forming a harmonious trine to Uranus in your 10th House of Career. Their collaboration offers you hidden loopholes and unexpected boosts up life’s great ladder. Don’t follow the same old path that you’re used to — instead, explore any options available to you. You can discover something special when you take the time to look.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

The further you go, the more joy you can uncover. Venus in your 5th House of Pleasure is reminding you of life’s silver linings, and that energy takes on global proportions as Venus trines Uranus in your 9th House of Expansion. A world of possibilities awaits you! Make an effort to accept the guidance of your heart, whatever direction it chooses. Its path should take you somewhere that brings a smile to your face, literally, metaphorically, or a satisfying mix of both.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You have more people on your side than you may realize. Your ruler, gentle Venus, is in your domestic sector, making this moment ideal for surrounding yourself with loving and supportive people. In addition to this, Venus’s beneficial trine to Uranus in your 8th House of Shared Resources could bring more support and help your way than you would have ever anticipated. A relative or roommate might make all the difference, so don’t think you have to handle life all by yourself.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You don’t need to control the reins right now. You can actually hand them off to someone else, knowing you’ll enjoy the ride. This is all thanks to Venus in your communications sector making a gorgeous trine to Uranus in your connection sector, inspiring you to appreciate any surprises from well-meaning peers. Even if you normally prefer to be the one captaining the boat on a daily basis, a little change is just what the doctor ordered. Try to go with the flow for today!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Go forth and get your money’s worth! Luxury-loving Venus is in your 2nd House of Income, blessing your revenue stream, and it is trining Uranus in your 6th House of Daily Work, bringing updated chances to increase your finances. Whether it’s a raise at your job, or you come up with a side hustle that will pay off handsomely, focus on solutions and projects that are a bit outside the box. The more you color outside the lines, the better off you can be.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

It’s the perfect day to do as you please. Venus is dancing through your sign, making it easy to lean into the pleasantries of life. This encouragement is majorly amplified when Venus trines Uranus in your fun-loving 5th house. This alignment is all about doing as you please and letting your creative side out to play! There’s no need to follow your traditional rules at this time. Break out of any ruts and go dance in the sun, because you’ve earned it.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

It’s a wonderful day to spend cozied up at home. A special trine between Venus in your dreamy 12th house and Uranus in your domestic 4th house is going to make it almost impossible not to enjoy yourself. If you’re in a social mood, then consider playing host and sending out a few last-minute invites, because people could be more than happy to come and warm your space. Since this should be a relaxed chill session, don’t worry about cleaning things perfectly for any guests.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

What’s happening in your world, Pisces? Whatever’s going on, you can likely have more fun when you add some socializing to it, especially as Venus in your 11th House of Networking aligns with Uranus in your 3rd House of Local Community. They’re adding an extra dose of fun and positivity to all encounters. Consider exploring some local spots, because you could find a place that becomes a favorite haunt for you and your friends. A little curiosity can lead you somewhere very exciting.

TORONTO – Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday night’s 119-116  loss to the Toronto Raptors:

– There have been times in recent seasons when the onus on Jimmy Butler seemed overwhelming.

– There have been times when that same could be said the past few years with Bam Adebayo, and his bucketload of responsibilities on both ends.

– And then you have a night like this and wonder if, maybe, Tyler Herro could get a bit of help.

– Herro carried the Heat in the first half.

– Was active while others were anemic.

– And then in the third period, a driving layup . . . that wasn’t.

– Because of basket interference on Adebayo.

– And a pinpoint pass for a 3-pointer . . . that wasn’t

– As Duncan Robinson bobbled the ball out of bounds.

– This team, of course, wasn’t built this way.

–  But for Adebayo, scoring has been an ongoing struggle.

– And for Butler, it’s just not an every-night thing anymore.

– Instead, Herro heroics have defined the best of the Heat to this stage.

– As he returns Monday to Boston, where he last season produced a tour de force in the Heat’s lone playoff win.

– In October, who had Herro as the Heat’s leading All-Star candidate?

– In December, who doesn’t?

– The concern is he also is the only current candidate.

– All or nothing.

– With his late 3-point miss in this one costly.

– But also the player who got the Heat into that position.

– The Heat opened for a sixth consecutive game with a lineup of Herro, Adebayo, Butler, Robinson and Haywood Highsmith.

– Entering 4-1 with that lineup.

– Robinson was called for his second foul 1:19 into the game.

– With the Heat’s options somewhat limited, with Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Josh Richardson (illness) not with the team.

– The Heat were without rookie center Kel’el Ware, with the first-round pick out of Indiana sidelined by right foot tendinitis.

– Kevin Love and Pelle Larsson entered together in the Heat’s first substitution.

– Terry Rozier followed.

– Then Jaime Jaquez Jr.

–  With Alec Burks, at the start of the second quarter, making it 10 deep for the Heat.

– That left Thomas Bryant and Dru Smith as the only available players out of the mix.

– Adebayo’s first conversion from the foul line moved him past Rony Seikaly and into fourth on the Heat all-time list.

– The double-double was the 201st of Adebayo’s career. Only Rony Seikaly (221) and Alonzo Mourning (205) have had more with the Heat.

– The Heat were coming off Friday night’s 54 3-point attempts in their home victory over the Raptors.

– “We just want to have a profile that makes sense, the most sense for our team,” coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame.

– But Spoelstra also stressed it also cannot just be 3-pointers.

– “We’ve said all along it’s not one being more important than the other,” he said. “We also have to be aggressive. We also have to have our paint attacks.”

– This time the 3-point volume was way down.

– Raptors coach Darko Rajaković for the second consecutive game spoke pregame about the Heat’s zone defense.

– Miami is a team that plays zone quite a bit,” he said. “They play more than other teams, they found over the years success with that zone.”

– So the Raptors got R.J. Barrett into the heart of the Heat defense and the former Knick went to work from there.

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• Miami Heat | Heat come up short 119-116 in Toronto as Butler sits late, with greater challenges now ahead
• Miami Heat | Heat’s Rozier catching on to more catch-and-shoot; Butler embraces impending challenges
• Miami Heat | Scarred but not daunted, Heat’s Tyler Herro reveals the inside story of his heady moment
• Miami Heat | ASK IRA: What next for Heat’s Jovic after a whirlwind three weeks?

– The game concluded the second of the three times the Heat will face the same opponent in consecutive games, with the Heat defeating the Raptors 121-111 Friday night at Kaseya Center.

– The Heat split the first such pairing against the Pacers, winning the first and losing the second, both in Indiana.

– The final such occurrence will be at Atlanta on Feb. 24 and home against the Hawks on Feb. 26.

– The game also opened the Heat’s third back-to-back set of the season, to conclude Monday night at TD Garden against the Celtics.

– The Heat have split their previous two back-to-back sets, with a total of 15 this season.

– Meanwhile, down in the G League, Heat two-way players Keshad Johnson and Josh Christopher both had their moments in a Sunday victory over the Pistons’ affiliate in Detroit.

– Johnson, who closed with 28 points in that Sioux Falls Skyforce victory over the Motor City Cruise, is expected to join the Heat for Monday night’s game in Boston.

– Christopher had 22 points in that 133-110 Skyforce victory.

– The Skyforce also got 25 points from Heat camp invitee Nassir Little as well as 11 assists from Heat summer and camp standout Isaiah Stevens. Little and Stevens are free to be signed by any NBA team.