Home
G.E.T. the real Picture
Serving South Florida's inspection needs.
 
 
 
 
 

News

Four UCF players set for Hula Bowl at Bounce House

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 16:29

The Hula Bowl college football all-star game, which is in its third year on the campus of UCF at FBC Mortgage Stadium, features four UCF players this year. The game kicks off at noon Saturday (CBS Sports Network).

Representing the Knights will be quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, defensive end Tre’mon Morris-Brash, linebacker Jason Johnson and cornerback  Decorian Patterson.

Every player in this game will be looking to either improve his NFL draft standing or create some draft attention. Numerous players from smaller FBC, Division II, Division III and NAIA schools are looking for their big break.

Plumlee (6-0, 200 pounds) will be hoping to move himself into the draft picture because his draft-ability at this point remains in question. In his two seasons at UCF, he  threw for 4,857 yards and 29 touchdowns. He completed  379 of 602 (63%) of his passes and tossed 16 interceptions.

The most draftable Knights player in the game is likely Morris-Brash (6-2, 245), who had 56 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks this past season. Johnson (6-2, 235) led the Knights in tackles with 114.

Also in the game will be Jones High product PJ Jules (6-1, 209), who had 109 tackles for Southern Illinois this past season.

Supreme Court agrees to hear Starbucks appeal in Memphis union case

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 16:24

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from Starbucks in a dispute with the National Labor Relations Board over efforts by workers to unionize at a store in Memphis, Tennessee.

The case has been among the most closely watched in the more than 2-year-old effort to unionize Starbucks’ company-owned U.S. stores.

Starbucks fired seven employees in Memphis in February 2022, citing safety. The Seattle coffee giant said they violated company policy by reopening a store after closing time and inviting non-employees — including a television crew — to come inside and move throughout the store.

But the NLRB intervened, saying the company was unlawfully interfering in workers’ right to organize and that the store had routinely allowed employees to gather there after closing time. The NLRB asked a federal judge for an immediate injunction requiring Starbucks to reinstate the workers.

In August 2022, a federal judge agreed and ordered Starbucks to reinstate the workers. That decision was later affirmed by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Starbucks appealed to the Supreme Court.

The legal issue in the case is the standard courts should use when deciding whether to issue an order against a business in the midst of a labor dispute. Starbucks said the lower courts in this case used a relaxed standard when deciding to grant the injunction to the labor board, while other federal courts have used a tougher standard.

“We are pleased the Supreme Court has decided to consider our request to level the playing field for all U.S. employers by ensuring that a single standard is applied as federal district courts determine whether to grant injunctions pursued by the National Labor Relations Board,” the company said Friday.

Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said the company is trying to weaken the labor board’s ability to hold companies accountable.

“There’s no doubt that Starbucks broke federal law by firing workers in Memphis for joining together in a union,” Workers United said. “The district court determined that, and the decision was affirmed by one of the most conservative courts in the nation.”

The Memphis store did eventually vote to unionize. It is one of at least 370 Starbucks stores that have voted to unionize since late 2021.

Help save democracy: Vote | Letters to the editor

South Florida Local News - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 03:00

We have always said that the 1930s German dictatorship could never happen here. Today, as an American history teacher (and student) for 30-plus years, I am very worried.

Our American democratic system is hanging by a thread.

I do not want to live in a country without our U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. I don’t want camps where government critics, immigrants, military, judges, media and teachers are singled out for imprisonment or execution by a president’s administration. All of this seems unbelievable, but Donald Trump has publicly stated that this is his agenda if he’s elected president in 2024.

We must vote this year. I taught my students that it does matter. It is our responsibility to have a government by the people.

If you disagree with the way things are, then run for office, vote, help the candidates you support and express your ideas. Americans do not sit back and let others decide for them.

Maureen Dinnen, Fort Lauderdale

MAGA on the move

First they came for the Blacks, and no one spoke up. Then they came for the Jews and no one spoke up. Then they came for the Latinos and no one spoke up. Then they came for the Asians and no one spoke up.

The white supremacist MAGA movement is on the move and getting stronger, hating anyone who’s not just like themselves. They can only be stopped at the ballot box, and it’s up to every decent, proud American to stand tall and replace the hatred with love and respect for all our neighbors.

Then we will be great again. Speak up with your vote!

Mark Lippman, Boca Raton

Rising above the noise

While the media and political pundits obsess over every tweet Donald Trump writes, President Joe Biden goes about the business of being head of state.

Facing political headwinds from the moment he was elected, Biden, with his many decades of experience in public service, rose above the noise and proceeded to do the work of we, the people.

More than just an introduction, the preamble to the Constitution is an affirmation that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens, not the interests of a particular political party or ideology, and certainly not those of a single individual.

Much like an insurance policy, the Constitution provides protection against a possible eventuality. That includes efforts to undermine democracy by anyone with designs on despotic rule. You cannot be the leader of the free world if you aspire to be a dictator — even if it is “for one day.”

Jim Paladino, Tampa

Blind obedience

It is interesting how Trump’s supporters have often used the dysphemism Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) when referring to Trump’s critics when they call him out for his attempts to undermine American democracy.

But it might be more appropriate to apply the term to Trump’s followers, as a symptom of their blind obedience and inability to recognize the truth of who and what Trump is: a lying, self-aggrandizing, bloviating bully who ignores the damage and divisiveness that he has brought to our country.

It was an astute move for Trump to avoid the Republican debates. His opponents would have exposed his cognitive decline, failures and unworthiness of the presidency (if they weren’t afraid to do so).

James Dunne, Coconut Creek

$10,000 Honor Guarantee, Backed by InterNACHI

Inspected once, inspected right. ® 

LogoUp.com
Thanks LogoUp.com for the best embroidered apparel!

G.E.T. Home Inspections, LLC is a top Coral Springs, FL home inspector on Inspectopia.com!

 
Admin Login