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General Daily Insight for July 19, 2024

Caution, roadblocks ahead! As the intuitive Moon struggles to work with fiery Mars, frustration with our passions may cause us to feel stuck. The Moon then squares confusing Neptune at 3:58 am EDT, making it hard to know what is really happening, potentially preventing positive plans from forming. Later, the Moon will slide into serious Capricorn, heightening our focus to figure things out. Still, the next struggle between the Moon and Venus may add more unexpected setbacks. Dig deep for patience and grace.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Past choices could have snared you in current issues. Your place of work (or wherever you put in the most effort) might be draining you, or you could have responsibilities that go beyond your capacity. Some things aren’t meant for one person to do! You need rest, especially when you’re putting in a lot of work. The more that you are able to understand this and live your truth, the more that you should be able to break free from being overworked.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You might be feeling stuck within your own head. You’re likely trying to learn or teach something right now, and the information just isn’t getting in or out. Getting stuck on a concept or stumbling over words on the tip of your tongue would both be frustrating. Don’t give up! The results should be worth the effort that you’re putting in to achieve them. If you don’t figure everything out today, that’s more than okay — it’s normal. Simply try again tomorrow.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Feeling someone else’s frustrations may be setting you back. Whether it’s their stressed emotions creating havoc for you, or their actions frustrating your plans in other ways, it’s important to remember that this is only a temporary situation. There are likely to be many stressors in your current life, especially coming from other people — intentionally or accidentally. Do your best not to let them get to you, as snapping at them risks damaging your cause more than theirs. Block out the chaos.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

The words of others could throw you off balance. Someone may not be telling you the whole truth — or they might not even be telling themselves the truth, choosing to live in a fantasy world while you’re trying to live in reality. It’s potentially impossible for you to go with what they’re saying. While they could be unhappy if you choose to ignore them, you can’t live in their fantasy world with them. Let them follow their path as you follow yours.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Issues with authority figures may force you to come to a standstill. You may be trying to convince your boss to help you with something, or maybe you’re attempting to explain something to your parents, but they’re just not understanding. Whether this is because they’ve completely closed off to communication and refuse to hear you, or they just can’t see past their own perspective despite trying to let you say your piece, you will probably struggle to get anywhere. Be prepared for opposition.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You’ve got big plans, but the risks that you take can create issues for you. You might understand the complexities of traveling with certain people in your life, but you choose to go on the vacation with them anyway for the destination. On the other hand, a dilemma may arise when you want to spend time with certain people, but aren’t very interested in the place that you’d have to meet them in. Only you can decide if the pros outweigh the cons.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You might feel stuck where you are. Whether your mode of transportation is not quite up to par, your work is forcing you to stay late, or you’ve been roped into a social situation that you can’t get out of, it’s likely that you’re going to be somewhere that you don’t totally want to be for the time being. Some emotional discomfort is likely, but you should be able to find a silver lining in one way or another. This too shall pass!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Someone may call in a favor. You may have been expecting a chill and relaxing day, but then a friend (or friend-of-a-friend) calls you up with a problem that you can plausibly fix. They are likely not to blame for why they’re in this predicament. Even though it probably wasn’t on your calendar, at least consider pitching in. This is what being a good friend is all about — and you might just need to call and ask them for help someday!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Struck by distraction or rerouted by the universe? It’ll be tricky to get things done today, whether you’re unusually prone to losing focus or your routine keeps throwing curveballs at you. For instance, you may run out of detergent when you need to do laundry, or maybe an irreplaceable ingredient for your dinner will be out of stock. It could be as simple as your least favorite song getting stuck in your head! Build extra wiggle room into your schedule to compensate for such issues.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

The need to express yourself could strike at an inopportune time. You may be trying to make things work with someone that you care about, but then blurt out something that causes them to feel judged or stressed. If you’re working on a group project, be aware of your attitude — even a small mistake might frustrate you to the point of genuine anger. It’s important to keep a cool head, otherwise you risk your words and actions creating extra havoc for you.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Hold on, or let go? This question can be arduous to answer in reality. The past might feel comfortable, but it could be what’s holding you back from achieving what you really want in life. Whether this is old clutter that’s collecting in your house or ideas that have since been disproven by updated knowledge, let go. You don’t have to throw away everything you’ve ever learned, but make sure that the place it takes in your life is a reasonably sized one.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

You might feel like you can’t say what you really want to say. Your mind is on your dreams — whatever you want to be a part of. Still, the people around you might not be receptive to your aspirations. Asserting your dreams in a world where everyone is telling you no can be difficult, but there are people on your side! Your loved ones may not be immediately around you, but they should still support you. Focus on yourself and those in your corner.

GAINESVILLE — University of Florida’s president, Ben Sasse, unexpectedly announced his resignation late Thursday after just 17 months at the helm of the state’s flagship university, citing his wife’s health issues and a need to spend more time with his family.

In a short statement emailed across campus, Sasse — the former Republican U.S. senator for Nebraska — said he would leave his job on July 31, less than two weeks away. The surprise announcement comes during a period of a fraught relationship between Sasse and the longtime chairman of UF’s board of trustees, developer Mori Hosseini, chairman of Daytona Beach-based ICI Homes Inc.

Sasse, 52, attributed his decision to a recent epilepsy diagnosis and new memory issues facing his wife, Melissa, who suffered an aneurysm and series of strokes in 2007. He said he also wanted to spend more time with his children, including his college-age daughters and 13-year-old son.

Sasse said he asked Hosseini earlier Thursday “after extensive prayer and lots of family tears” to search for his replacement. He called UF “the best dang public university in America.” Sasse’s employment contract — including a base salary of $1 million plus a performance bonus of up to $150,000 each year — guaranteed him the job through at least February 2028.

The same contract required six months’ notice for Sasse to resign unless Hosseini waived that provision.

“Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard,” Sasse said in a statement. “Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights. I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time.”

In a four-sentence statement, Hosseini thanked Sasse and wished him well. “Under his leadership, UF has continued to advance on the national and international stage, benefiting our students, faculty, alumni, community and state,” the statement said. “He has left a lasting impact on the university and all of those associated with it.”

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Sasse said his family would remain in Gainesville, and he will serve as president emeritus and teach classes as a professor at the university. As president, Sasse and his family have been living in a gated, multi-million-dollar mansion on campus next to the law school.

Sasse was the only finalist to replace the school’s previous president, Kent Fuchs, and become its 13th president. Sasse was president of a small private university for five years in Nebraska and holds a doctoral degree in history from Yale.

Fuchs, who remained at UF as president emeritus and taught classes, could be tapped as interim president.

The news of Sasse’s resignation was first reported by Florida Politics.

Sasse’s political positions – including his opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriages – were deeply troubling to some students and faculty on the campus in one of Florida’s most progressive cities.

Former President Donald Trump — who coincidentally was accepting his party’s nomination as the GOP presidential candidate later Thursday night just after Sasse’s announcement — is no fan of Sasse, once calling him a “grandstanding, little respected senator” following Sasse’s vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial.

Sasse drew national attention to the university over its aggressive handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus earlier this year. Campus police arrested nine protesters in April, including six current UF students who were suspended for years, banned from campus and now are fighting state criminal charges. In a statement, UF said it was “not a daycare,” and Sasse defended the actions on conservative cable news programs.

In the year since Sasse took over, the university fell one position to No. 6 among public universities in the annual, national rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, even as it climbed one spot to No. 28 in the magazine’s rankings of top public and private universities overall. Separately, in September, the Wall Street Journal named UF the No. 1 public university in the country.

Florida selected Sasse as the sole finalist for the job under a new state law passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that allowed the process — and the upcoming search for Sasse’s successor — to take place in secrecy.

This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at vivienneserret@ufl.edu. You can donate to support our students here.

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

An appeals court on Wednesday overturned a Broward judge’s order that the city of Miramar owed $3.6 million to Anthony Caravella, a man who was exonerated in 2010 after spending over two decades in prison for a murder and rape he did not commit.

Broward Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez late last year ordered Miramar to pay $2.5 million in compensatory damages and nearly $1.1 million in interest and attorneys’ fees after Caravella won a federal lawsuit in 2013 against the two now-retired Miramar officers who he argued coerced him into confessing to the 1983 murder of 58-year-old Ada Jankowski.

At 15 and with an IQ of 67, Caravella, who had past run-ins with law enforcement for theft, was arrested on a juvenile charge unrelated to Jankowski’s murder, according to the Innocence Project of Florida, a nonprofit that works with wrongfully-convicted inmates.

Caravella gave multiple recorded statements to officers while he was in custody that “were made on the backdrop of suggestive and coercive interrogation tactics by law enforcement,” according to the Innocence Project’s website on the case. Prosecutors during trial relied almost entirely on his statements.

“With each statement, Caravella’s theory of events was consistently at odds with the actual physical evidence and circumstances of the crime,” the Innocence Project’s site says. “Thus, detectives weaved accurate facts into Caravella’s statements through the use of very suggestive, leading questions. Caravella admitted a greater role in the murder/rape with each statement and finally confessed that he committed the crime alone.”

Accused officers George Pierson and William Mantesta denied the accusations that they coerced Caravella, the South Florida Sun Sentinel previously reported.

Caravella was freed by DNA evidence in 2009 and officially exonerated in 2010. Miramar Police and the Broward State Attorney’s Office identified a different man as a person of interest in 2010 — Anthony Martinez, who was 17 years old at the time of the murder and earlier a suspect. Martinez died of natural causes two months after authorities said he was a person of interest.

The federal jury found the officers intentionally violated Caravella’s civil rights under three separate constitutional amendments and awarded him $7.5 million, of which $4.5 million was against the officers personally. Caravella’s lawyers in 2022 took Miramar to Broward Circuit Court to force the city to pay the rest. Miramar’s attorneys with Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell appealed.

The 4th District Court of Appeal on Wednesday in its 9-page opinion agreed with the city’s argument, citing a Florida law that says a city can’t be required to pay a judgment where an officer was determined “to have caused the harm intentionally,” as the federal jury decided in Caravella’s case in 2013.

The court emphasized in its opinion the importance of the law stating “intentionally.” The federal jury was instructed in the 2013 lawsuit to specifically decide whether the officers’ actions were intentional.

“Because the jury found the officers liable on all three constitutional rights claims, the jury necessarily found the officers to have ’caused the harm intentionally”’ to Caravella, the court wrote in its opinion.

Miramar’s City Manager Dr. Roy Virgin said in an emailed statement Thursday evening: “This ruling reaffirms our commitment to upholding justice and the rule of law. We are relieved that the Appellate court recognized the error in the previous judgment and ruled in favor of the City.”

Donald Spadaro, an attorney acting as Caravella’s legal guardian in the case, did not return a voicemail seeking comment Thursday night.

Sun Sentinel staff writer Rafael Olmeda contributed to this report. Information from the Sun Sentinel archives was used in this report. 

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

Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor, a Hall of Famer who played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993, spent several hours in a Broward County jail this week after he was accused of failing to accurately file his current address as a registered sex offender.

Taylor, 65, was charged with one count of failure to comply with the sex offender registry law.

He is supposed to report address changes due to a plea agreement in a 2010 incident in which he had sex with a 16-year-old who he said claimed to be 19 years old. Taylor pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and sex with an underage prostitute, both misdemeanors, and was sentenced to six years’ probation.

The current charge is a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison.

Defense lawyer Mark Eiglarsh called his client’s recent failure to report a “significant misunderstanding” that should not require a prison term. “My client will be pleading not guilty,” Eiglarsh said. “As with the previous incident involving the same allegations [in 2022], Mr. Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense.”

Taylor was released from the Broward jail overnight. A court date for the latest charge has not been set.

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

Isabel Quintero purchased two $1,000 tickets for the Copa America final in Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium. Argentina and Colombia were facing off — and she wanted to treat her dad, who lives in Colombia, to a late Father’s Day celebration. But the festivities ended with her being denied entry — and she was pushed, trampled and slammed into objects, her attorneys say, by an unruly crowd that flooded the stadium’s gates, even slithering through vents.

Quintero is now one of at least five Copa America ticketholders who are suing after the stampede flooded the stadium before Sunday night’s highly anticipated matchup. After the swarm of ticketless soccer fans, security shut the gates, locking out hundreds and possibly thousands of ticket-holding fans — meaning a deluge of other lawsuits could be on the horizon.

The lawsuits named South Florida Stadium LLC, which operates the Hard Rock Stadium, and CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, as defendants.

Additionally, Jacqueline Martinez bought four tickets for more than $4,000 to attend the game with her husband, Nicolas Osorio, and her parents, Marta Pintos and Eduardo Martinez. The family, however, was barred from entering the stadium due to the mob.

To read the complete report, click here for miamiherald.com

 

By DAVID KLEPPER and FARNOUSH AMIRI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leader of a conservative think tank on Thursday misrepresented partisan differences in political violence in the United States, wrongly suggesting that people associated with left-wing causes commit more violence than those on the right.

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT KEVIN ROBERTS: “Most political violence in the last 25 years has been initiated by the left.”

THE FACTS: Roberts’ remarks came in response to questions about comments earlier this month in which he said the country was in the midst of “the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

He told reporters Thursday that he considers himself a historian of the American Revolution and that his comments about a second revolution were a reference to “ambitious policy plans” that Republicans have should former President Donald Trump win the 2024 election. Roberts’ organization has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the federal government known as Project 2025.

Roberts said his comments about political violence were meant to be seen in the historical context.

A deeper look at the available evidence, however, shows that right-wing groups have committed more acts of political violence in recent U.S. history.

Two years ago a team of researchers from four universities examined court records and other data relating to 3,500 extremists active in the U.S. between 1948 and 2022. The individuals were split into three groups — left wing, right wing and relating to Islamic extremism. While some in the database had committed violent acts, others had raised money for extremist groups, volunteered or spoken out in favor of them.

Right-wing extremists were just as likely to commit violent acts as those motivated by Islamic extremism, the researchers found. Left-wing extremists were a distant third.

Gary LaFree, a University of Maryland professor and one of the co-authors of the research, said violent acts by left-wing groups have been diminishing for decades following violence by radical groups like the Weather Underground, a far-left militant organization founded in 1969.

In recent years, violence by right-wing groups has far outpaced violence by left-wing groups, said LaFree, the founding director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, which studies extremism and political violence.

“There are very few left-wing cases these days,” LaFree said.

Increasingly, he said, many of those responsible for political violence espouse “muddled ideologies” combining a rejection of authority with conservative views, for instance, or supposed anarchists who say they also support authoritarianism. “Or they don’t have a strong ideological commitment at all,” LaFree added.

Questions about political violence and its place in American democracy are getting renewed attention following Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, a Republican. Some Trump supporters, including Trump running mate JD Vance, have blamed Democratic rhetoric for the shooting.

The attempt on Trump’s life, however, is just the latest in several cases of violence committed against elected officials over more than a decade.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was gravely wounded in a 2011 shooting outside an Arizona grocery store, had been threatened and windows of her congressional offices in Tucson knocked out after she voted in favor of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform. Although a motive for the shooting was never determined.

Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, now House majority leader, was shot in 2017 while practicing for a charity baseball game. His assailant was described as having grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan was the target of a foiled kidnapping plot uncovered in 2020.

In 2022, a man broke into the San Francisco home of then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bludgeoned her husband, fracturing his skull. Last year, a man with a history of mental illness went to the Fairfax, Virginia, district office of Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, looking to kill him with a baseball bat. Connolly wasn’t there, so the man attacked two staffers.

The largest single act of political violence in recent years is the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when a mob of Trump supporters fought with police, vandalized the Capitol and sought to block the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential win.

Trump’s own incendiary words and his baseless lies about the 2020 election were blamed for encouraging the Jan. 6 attack, as well as other violent acts by supporters. Trump also mocked the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, 80.

Years of surveys have consistently shown that Americans from both political parties strongly oppose political violence, according to Sean Westwood, a Dartmouth College political scientist who directs the Polarization Research Lab.

People typically overstate the violent intentions of those with different ideologies, too, Westwood said, with one party believing the other is far more willing to commit violence to further their political agenda. That’s one reason why it’s so important for leaders from both parties to come together to call for unity and peaceful discourse, Westwood said.

“Americans hate violence,” Westwood said. “Even the most polarized don’t support partisan violence.”

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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.

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The Miami Marlins resume play with the second half of the 2024 season on Friday with a four-game series against the New York Mets.

But if you’re a Marlins fan already looking ahead to next season — Miami, after all, is 33-63, 16.5 games out of a wild card spot and a whopping 29 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the National League East with 66 games left to play — the good news is MLB released its 2025 schedule on Thursday.

Opening Day is March 27 at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s the sixth time in eight years that the Marlins are opening at home and the second consecutive year Miami is opening at home against Pittsburgh. Pirates rookie righty strikeout machine Paul Skenes was named to the All-Star team after only two months in the majors.

The season-opening homestand continues with a three-game series against the Mets before Miami’s first road trip to the Atlanta Braves and Mets.

To read the full report, click here for miamiherald.com

Longtime conservative commentator Lou Dobbs has died at age 78, former President Donald Trump announced on social media Thursday.

“The Great Lou Dobbs has just passed away — A friend, and truly incredible journalist, reporter, and talent,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He understood the world, and what was ‘happening,’ better than others.”

Trump praised Dobbs as “unique in so many ways” and sent his condolences to the TV personality’s wife, Debi, and the Dobbs family.

“He will be greatly missed!” Trump wrote.

A short time later, an Instagram page tied to Dobbs confirmed the broadcaster’s death.

“It’s with a heavy heart we announce the passing of ‘The Great Lou Dobbs,’” the message read, remembering him as a “patriot and a great American” and “a fighter till the very end.”

A cause of death was not reported.

The former president’s Truth Social post appeared to be the first announcement of the death of Dobbs, who spent more than 20 years at CNN and a decade at the Fox Business Network.

Dobbs was a loyal Trump supporter known to promote conspiracy theories. His tenure with the Fox family ended in 2021 when “Lou Dobbs Tonight” was canceled in the throes of two defamation lawsuits filed by voting technologies companies against Fox News, which also named Dobbs.

CNN sources indicated at the time the lawsuits from Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems, the latter of which settled with Fox for $787.5 million, weren’t solely to blame for Dobbs’ severance from the right-wing media operation.

Dobbs, a Texas native who attended Harvard University, was with CNN at the cable news channel’s inception in 1980.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2005.

A 36-year-old man was arrested Monday after reporting to law enforcement that he was going to “blow up” HCA Florida Woodmont Hospital in Tamarac, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest.

Guerdouin Montimer, of Tamarac, called Crime Stoppers twice on Monday morning, the affidavit said.

“I am going to blow up this hospital,” he said in a call shortly before 11 a.m., and gave the hospital’s address in the 7200 block of North University Drive. “It was me, Guerdouin Montimer.” Montimer also told Crime Stoppers he was at his home address.

About 20 minutes later, he called again and made the same threat, the affidavit said.

Deputies surveilled Montimer at the home address he gave to Crime Stoppers and followed him to a gas station in the 7000 block of West Commercial Boulevard, half a mile away from his home, where he was arrested, the affidavit said. His home is about two miles away from the hospital.

After he was detained, Montimer told deputies that he called in the threat from his cellphone, the affidavit said. He is facing two counts of making a false report concerning the planting of a bomb, a second-degree felony.

He was held in the North Broward Bureau, a facility where people with special needs and mental health issues are held, as of Thursday afternoon.

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Today is Thursday, July 18, the 200th day of 2024. There are 166 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 18, 1976, at the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci of Romania became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10 from Olympic judges for her performance on the uneven bars.

Also on this date:

In 1536, the English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Union troops spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, made up of Black soldiers, charged Confederate-held Fort Wagner on Morris Island, S.C. The Confederates were able to repel the Northerners, who suffered heavy losses; the 54th’s commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw, was among those who were killed.

In 1918, South African anti-apartheid leader and president Nelson Mandela was born in the village of Mvezo.

In 1925, Adolf Hitler published the first volume of his autobiographical manifesto, “Mein Kampf (My Struggle).”

In 1944, Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister because of setbacks suffered by his country in World War II.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed a Presidential Succession Act which placed the speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.

In 1964, nearly a week of rioting erupted in New York’s Harlem neighborhood following the fatal police shooting of a Black teenager, James Powell, two days earlier.

In 1994, a bomb hidden in a van destroyed a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 85.

In 2005, an unrepentant Eric Rudolph was sentenced in Birmingham, Alabama, to life in prison for an abortion clinic bombing that killed an off-duty police officer and maimed a nurse.

In 2013, Detroit became the biggest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, its finances ravaged and its neighborhoods hollowed out by a long, slow decline in population and auto manufacturing.

In 2020, Canadian officials said the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team would not be able to play its home games in Toronto during the shortened 2020 season because it wasn’t safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States. (The Blue Jays would play “home” games in the ballpark of their minor league affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Skating champion and commentator Dick Button is 95.
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Tenley Albright is 89.
• Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 86.
• Singer Dion DiMucci is 85.
• Actor James Brolin is 84.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre is 84.
• Singer Martha Reeves is 83.
• Business mogul Richard Branson is 74.
• Actor Margo Martindale is 73.
• Musician Ricky Skaggs is 70.
• World Golf Hall of Famer Nick Faldo is 67.
• Actor Elizabeth McGovern is 63.
• Broadcaster Wendy Williams is 60.
• Actor Vin Diesel is 57.
• Author Elizabeth Gilbert is 55.
• Retired NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway is 53.
• Singer-songwriter M.I.A. is 49.
• Actor Elsa Pataky (“The Fast and the Furious” films) is 48.
• Movie director Jared Hess is 45.
• Actor Kristen Bell is 44.
• Actor Priyanka Chopra is 42.
• Actor Chace Crawford is 39.
• Boxer Canelo Alvarez is 34.
• Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles is 27.

General Daily Insight for July 18, 2024

Our limitations are being overcome. The confident Sun’s support of innovative Uranus at 10:00 am EDT is a lovely source of inspiration — it’s a good idea to write down any ideas. The intuitive Moon then collaborates with communicative Mercury, aligning our thoughts with our feelings and making them easier to talk about. Later on, Mercury will work with cautious Chiron, ensuring that we’re able to make lasting positive changes in our minds and our methods of expressing ourselves. Level up the communication.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Abundance could be more attainable than you think. Enticing avenues to manifest wealth might seemingly come out of the blue. You’ve probably put in effort that let you find such a beneficial opportunity without even realizing it. That doesn’t mean the work stops here — the universe needs your creative fire, and you’ll need to be able to trust your innate sense of style. Whether you’re aiming to bring in more income, extra resources, or something less literal, don’t shy away from the spotlight!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You’re making big plans, Taurus. Whether they involve a house, a car, or an investment opportunity, you likely have a knack for setting up structures that will benefit you for a long time to come. Don’t be afraid of thinking about the future! Take time to certify that everything is in order — that way, you’ll be able to continue progressing exponentially. People might not understand why you’re thinking so far ahead, but you appreciate that today’s hard work will make for a wondrous tomorrow.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

You might be pleasantly surprised by the emotional peace that you have access to today. There could be an opportunity for you to rest or heal your spirit, potentially by spending time in nature or in community with others. There’s a strong chance that you’ll be discussing how you feel and that you will feel lighter after you do so, even if you weren’t expecting to let that burden off of your shoulders so soon. Open up and let positivity flow in!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Positive news could arrive at your doorstep at any moment. Alright, it may not literally come to your home, but someone will probably connect with you regarding some happy information, possibly regarding a career or your sense of stability. Newfound security is ready to lay a foundation in your mind, bringing with it relief, so that you won’t have to be on edge when it comes to your lifestyle. Let yourself breathe, and don’t be overly afraid of what the future holds.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

A surprise is likely to make you feel appreciated. Other people might be elevating you today, encouraging you to celebrate yourself and to acknowledge all the hard work that you’ve put in on your way to where you are at this very moment, and you’re allowed to enjoy their appreciation. A party celebrating you would be short-lived if you refused to attend, after all! It’s important to remember that you are worthy of praise. Your achievements are often worth more than you know.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

“Spontaneous” is not your middle name, Virgo, but spontaneity can presently enrich your day. Specifically, if you get invited on any impromptu trips, don’t hesitate to accept! Even if you don’t know where you’re going at first, you can still have fun while letting someone else take the lead. You could discover that your bond with your fellow adventurers has grown in amazing ways as you explored the activities or locations they wanted to share with you. Hit the open road!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

People have nice things to say about you, Libra! You might not be ready for effusive praise from friends or your community, but when you do good work, others should acknowledge it. Accepting compliments may seem embarrassing or “cringe” at first, but think — wouldn’t you want to talk up the accomplishments of your loved ones? Even when you’re hesitant to be in the spotlight, let them celebrate you in the way you want to celebrate them in return. It’s a cycle of positivity!

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Someone may show that they know you better than you thought they did. Perhaps you mentioned something that you’re interested in offhand, and they actively learned about it in their free time. Maybe this friend remembered your favorite food and surprised you with it after you told them you had a difficult day. Unexpected acts of kindness, whether done for you or by you, are a great way to deepen social bonds. When someone does something that warms your heart, don’t forget to thank them!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You’re learning to be more consistent with your intuition. In the past, you may have ignored your gut feelings in favor of following the crowd or choosing what you thought was the most logical way forward, but that isn’t always the ideal path for you. At present, you’re ready to lean into your instincts — and it could pay off big time. Doing so is a learning process, but becoming more in tune with yourself should be totally worth it. Feel the vibes!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You’re ready to show the world what you can do. You might have been keeping your projects or talents a secret, but are now inspired to reveal what you’ve been working on. This is a good way to learn if you’re ready to take it to the next level or ought to go back to the drawing board. With today’s supportive energy (and potentially some assistance from the people who love you most), you could get the attention of others quicker than you think.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You’re becoming aware of how to be your true self. You might have been going against the grain to avoid being a follower, but now, you’re discovering ways to be yourself that wholly resonate with your soul. Rather than merely trying to stand out, you’re finding out what makes you who you are. It’s okay to like mainstream hobbies or basic things, as long as you genuinely like them. It’s not about being the only one, it’s about being honest with yourself!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Overthinking your words isn’t necessary, and you know it! That said, it probably isn’t easy to say what you’re thinking when you’re actively thinking of it, especially if you’ve trained yourself to filter every thought through layers of worry. This may lead to hours pondering things you should have said while mentally reliving an argument or wishing that you had spoken up when meeting a fascinating stranger. While it’s also true that you shouldn’t blurt out everything you’re thinking, make sure you’re not silencing yourself.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Rookie Federico Redondo scored the first two goals of his career in the second half after assisting on a first-half score by Diego Gómez and Inter Miami posted a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC on Wednesday night.

Neither team scored until Redondo fed Gómez for a goal in the 43rd minute to give Inter Miami (15-4-5) a 1-0 lead at halftime. It was the third goal for Gómez and the third assist for Redondo.

Redondo’s goals came in a six-minute span. The 21-year-old midfielder used an assist from defender Julian Gressel in the 53rd minute to forge a two-goal lead and found the net again — off passes from Gómez and Gressel — in the 59th to make it 3-0. Gómez has six assists this season, while Gressel has 12. Gressel has an assist in five straight matches. He and Lionel Messi are the second pair of teammates to pull off at least a five-match assist run in the same season in league history.

Toronto (8-14-3) avoided a shutout when Derrick Etienne Jr. scored in the 80th minute. Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty notched his third assist and Kosi Thompson picked up his first on Etienne’s third goal this season.

Drake Callendar finished with three saves in goal for Inter Miami, becoming the first player to make 100 appearances in club history. Striker Robert Taylor subbed in for Gómez in the 80th minute for his 100th appearance to make it a two-man club.

Sean Johnson saved two shots for Toronto.

Luis Suárez subbed into the match in the second half in his return to Inter Miami after playing in Copa America for Uruguay. Messi, who played in the event for Argentina, is out indefinitely after suffering a ligament injury in his right ankle in a victory over Colombia in the final.

Counterintuitively, Inter Miami have rolled through the MLS season without their superstar. Inter Miami, despite Messi having missed half the team’s games (12 of 24), own the best record in Major League Soccer, having 50 points with 10 regular-season games remaining. The 50 points represent the most points ever scored by the franchise in an MLS season, topping the 48 put up in 2022.

Inter Miami will host the Chicago Fire on Saturday.

DALLAS — Besides taking on college football’s toughest schedule, Florida faces one of the sport’s tallest orders: secure coach Billy Napier’s future with the Gators.

SEC Media Days in the Lone Star State spotlighted the looming challenge and the third-year coach’s job security — a common theme back home.

“When you’re on social media 24/7 … you see it,” quarterback Graham Mertz said. “You can’t help but not see it.”

But Napier and the Gators are not listening to the nay-sayers following a 5-7 season that ended on a five-game skid leading to sweeping offseason changes to UF’s staff and roster.

“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Napier said. “When we took the job, what we inherited, the work that needed to be done … we’re on schedule.”

Napier is far down the pecking order among SEC coaches, a star-studded lineup including Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and LSU’s Brian Kelly.

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz, speaking at SEC Media Days July 17 in Dallas, threw 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

But other than Nick Saban successor Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, no coach arrived in Dallas under a more intense microscope. Other than Arkansas’ Sam Pittman no coach’s seat is considered to be hotter in the SEC.

No team in the nation faces a more difficult slate of games, beginning with an Aug. 31 season-opening visit from Miami and ending with a November against five teams ranked in the top 12 of the AP’s season-ending Top 25.

“We see it as 12 opportunities to prove ourselves,” linebacker Shemar James said.

Napier’s message to his players is simple: “Ignore the noise and don’t believe the hype.”

Senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. said his teammates and coach are ready to silence their critics.

No Gator might be a bigger believer in Napier, who brought Johnson with him from Louisiana after a 12-1 season in 2021 that served as a springboard to the Florida job.

“What gives me the confidence is me seeing him do it at UL,” he said. “Just seeing how everyone was bought into that program.”

Florida head football coach Billy Napier, speaking July 17 at SEC Media Days in Dallas, is 11-14 in two seasons with the Gators. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

While it has taken time and roster turnover, Johnson sees buy-in everywhere.

“We’re working together as one,” he said, “In the past it was this guy over or this guy over here.”

A lack of cohesiveness and leadership spilled over to the field, especially in close games — Napier’s Gators are 4-5 in one-possession contests.

“When you get into those critical possessions in a game, that connection matters,” Napier said. “I was talking to our players a little bit about that on the way here. Every detail matters. The margin of error is small.

“We have to leverage the experience that we have, and their expectations rub off on the rest of the team.”

Leading the way will be Johnson, the team’s top rusher the past two seasons, Mertz, a 23-year-old, sixth-year player coming off his best season, and James, the team’s leading tackler in 2023 prior to a season-ending knee surgery.

Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr., speaks July 17 at SEC Media Days in Dallas, led the Gators in rushing in 2022 and 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

The veteran trio brings stability to a team with four new assistant coaches and 35 new players.

“We certainly are not the same team that we had last year,” Napier said.

All the changes, the schedule and Napier’s 11-14 record at UF lead many outside the program to wonder whether the 2025 Gators will have the same coach.

“In reality, we have no choice but to see it,” James said. “You go on Instagram or go on Twitter and you see Florida Gators, Florida Gators, Florida Gators. It’s a blessing and a curse. We have that privilege to get talked about, but talked about it in the wrong way.

“That lights a fire in us all.”

Mertz said the key will be not to look at the flame outside.

“It’s, what do you pay all your attention to?” he said. “Are you focused on everything coming in? Or are you focused on what you’re doing to help the team win?

“That’s where I have confidence in our team and the fact that that’s what they’re focused on.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

The Hurricanes have had a strong summer on the recruiting trail, but they could not land one of their top targets.

Five-star defensive back D.J. Pickett committed to LSU, choosing the Tigers over offers from Miami, Georgia and Oregon, among others. He announced his decision on his Instagram account.

Pickett, a 6-foot-4, 178-pound star for Zephyrhills High outside of Tampa, is listed as the No. 2 cornerback and No. 6 player in the 2025 class by 247Sports’ composite rankings. He is also rated the top prospect in Florida.

Pickett had 52 catches for 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense last season while making 31 tackles with an interception on defense.

Pickett has family ties to UM, as his cousin Booker Pickett Jr. signed with UM last year. Pickett’s father, Ryan Pickett, played defensive line at Ohio State and was a first-round draft pick.

TALLAHASSEE — An appeals court Wednesday rejected a request by abortion-rights supporters to allow a circuit judge to rule on the legality of a revised “financial impact statement” that would appear on the November ballot with a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion.

The 1st District Court of Appeal quickly denied a request filed Wednesday by Floridians Protecting Freedom, a political committee sponsoring the proposed constitutional amendment. The request came two days after a state panel issued a revised financial impact statement that Floridians Protecting Freedom contended was “highly politicized and unlawfully inaccurate.”

A lawsuit about an earlier version of the statement has been pending at the appeals court. After the revised statement was finalized late Monday, the appeals court on Tuesday ordered lawyers for the state and Floridians Protecting Freedom to file briefs this week about whether the case is moot.

Floridians Protecting Freedom, however, filed a motion Wednesday asking the Tallahassee-based appeals court to “relinquish jurisdiction” to the circuit judge for a ruling on the revised statement.
“In short, we are now weeks closer to the election yet no closer to a lawful statement,” attorneys for Floridians Protecting Freedom wrote in the motion. “The circuit court should have the opportunity to address this continued violation of the sponsor’s rights.”

The appeals court did not explain its decision for denying the motion but reiterated that the two sides should file briefs this week about whether the case is moot.

Financial impact statements, which usually receive little attention, provide estimated effects of proposed constitutional amendments on government revenues and the state budget. They are drawn up by a state panel known as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference.

The panel in November 2023 released an initial statement for the abortion proposal, which will appear on this fall’s ballot as Amendment 4. But on April 1, the Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling that allowed a six-week abortion limit to take effect.

Floridians Protecting Freedom filed a lawsuit in April arguing that the November financial-impact statement needed to be revised because it was outdated after the Supreme Court ruling. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper agreed with the committee, but the state appealed to the 1st District Court of Appeal, where the case has been pending.

Amid the case, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, directed the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to begin meeting again to revise the statement.

But the meetings became contentious, with representatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and the Florida House successfully pushing to include information in the revised statement about issues such as potentially costly lawsuits that could result if the amendment passes. DeSantis and other Republican leaders oppose the amendment.

The revised statement drew heavy criticism from Floridians Protecting Freedom and its “Yes on 4” campaign.

“What should have been an easy administrative fix on outdated (financial impact statement) language has become a dirty trick to mislead voters.” Lauren Brenzel, campaigns director for Yes on 4, said in a prepared statement.

In appealing Cooper’s ruling on the initial financial-impact statement, lawyers for the state contended that the circuit judge did not have legal jurisdiction to order a redrafted statement. If the case is not moot, that issue would need to be resolved by the appeals court.

The proposed constitutional amendment says, in part, that no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

In part, the revised financial impact statement says there is “uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate.”

By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from the infection, the White House said.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will fly to his home in Delaware, where he will “self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.” The news had first been shared by Unidos US President and CEO Janet Murguía, who told guests at the group’s convention in Las Vegas that president had sent his regrets and could not appear because he tested positive for the virus.

• US President Joe Biden, alongside Maritza Rodriguez (in white), a campaign advisor for the Biden Nevada state team, greets people as he arrives at Lindo Michoacan restaurant ahead of a radio interview in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 17, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

• US President Joe Biden greets people as he arrives at Lindo Michoacan restaurant ahead of a radio interview in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 17, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

• US President Joe Biden (L) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus visit Mario’s Westside Market grocery store in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

• US President Joe Biden (C) visits Mario’s Westside Market grocery store alongside US Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

• TOPSHOT – US President Joe Biden (C-L) greets a young girl during a visit to Mario’s Westside Market grocery store in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 16, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, said in a note that Biden “presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise.” After the positive COVID-19 test, Biden was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and has taken his first dose, O’Connor said.

Biden was slated to speak at the Unidos event in Las Vegas Wednesday afternoon as part of an effort to rally Hispanic voters ahead of the November election. Instead, he departed for the airport to fly to Delaware, where he had already been planning to spend a long weekend at his home in Rehoboth Beach.

Biden gingerly boarded Air Force One and told reporters traveling with him, “I feel good.” The president was not wearing a mask as he walked onto Air Force One.

The president had previously been at the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he was greeting diners and sat for an interview with Univision.