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Q: Why did the Heat favor Alec Burks over Delon Wright (and Patty Mills), as well as Thomas Bryant over Orlando Robinson? Also, doesn’t it seem like, with only slightly better maneuvering (Andy Elisburg?), we could have fit a 15th player under the second apron? – Austin, Miami.

A: A lot to unpack there, so I’ll start at the end. Yes, had the Heat brought Kevin Love back on a one-year minimum and gotten Josh Richardson to do the same opt-out/return maneuver as Thomas Bryant (for the same salary, but a lesser cap hit), then, yes, there would have been enough room under the highly punitive second tax apron to add another minimum-scale player. But Josh was under no such obligation. And the Heat clearly valued Kevin to the degree that they were appreciative enough of his opt-out/return still saving them more than $700,000 against the tax ledger. Beyond that, if in the first year of his new deal Haywood Highsmith had taken the slightest of shaves, that also would have opened the needed room for one more addition (Dennis Smith Jr.?). But plenty goes on behind the scenes that we don’t know about. As for Alec Burks, the thinking there seemingly was to get the best possible scorer who was available at the minimum, considering the Heat’s scoring struggles last season. And one thing Alec can do very well is score. As for Thomas Bryant, there clearly was some sort of implied guarantee to bring him back if there was not a significant outside offer. So Orlando Robinson basically got caught in the cap squeeze, more than any assessment of his ability against that of Thomas.

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• Miami Heat | Submit your “Ask Ira” question here!

Q: Some of today’s sports fans are absurd: Hoping your team sucks so that it might get to draft the next big college sensation in the hope that three years from now your team has a chance to be pretty good. They’re in need of therapy. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.

A: And fortunately that will not be the prescription ordered by the Heat, who have insisted that any potential playoff path is a path best taken. Plus, if they stay out of the 2025 lottery, then they finally can pay off the first-round pick owed to the Thunder and regain a bit more clarity on their draft future. The only way a tank is even considered is if the Heat are hopelessly out of the playoff race at midseason, which would be hard to fathom considering that bottomless pit that is the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Q: What piqued my curiosity was Caleb Martin saying there were things going on behind the scenes with the Heat that prompted his leaving. What was he referring to? –Linda, Port Saint Lucie.

A: I believe he was referring to the take-it-or-leave-it deadline imposed by the timing of his option clause, that the Heat only were able to offer their five-year, $65 million package if he opted in by that June 30 deadline and then extended. That deadline meant Caleb Martin would not have been eligible to explore free agency. Sometimes it is the rules, more than the relationships, that get in the way.

I ask my fellow citizens to understand a plan to severely alter our democratic system.

Project 2025, the “Presidential Transition Project,” would be carried out starting on Day 1 of the new administration. Its one intention is to concentrate power and authority of the three branches of government in the presidency, overriding checks and balances that would restrain presidential power.

This ultimate power play brings to the forefront what we have learned from other nations whose authoritarian leaders, initially supported by followers, ran countries into the ground by the abuse of power.

Project 2025 would replace government civil servants with loyalists to the president’s agenda. We only need to go 90 miles south of Florida to witness how that worked out.

Donald Trump claims to know nothing about Project 2025. The statement was made after the Heritage Foundation described Project 2025 as a “second American Revolution,” which will be bloodless as long as it is not opposed “by the left.”

The American Revolution gave us the freedoms we celebrate every July 4. Why would we roll over and give up the freedoms and rights our ancestors fought so hard for?

For the sake of our great country, spread the word about Project 2025’s threat to democracy. Check it out at democracyforward.org/the-peoples-guide-to-project-2025/.

Candy Banks, Jupiter

Our nation’s fate

Trump denies knowledge of the oppressive Project 2025, developed by the Heritage Foundation with far-right groups with ties to his campaign.

Project 2025 director Paul Dans ran the Office of Personnel Management in Trump’s presidency. A radical rewrite of traditional Republican principles, this is Trumpism as intended by Trump’s campaign.

It would upend democracy as we know it in offensive ways. It would establish an official state religion, ban reproductive health care and birth control, repeal the Affordable Care Act and outlaw public support of the homeless. The 920-page manifesto would gut at least 50,000 civil service jobs in what Trump and Dans ominously call the “deep state,” a thick conspiracy alleging that federal regulatory agencies assert partisan influence against conservative policy.

We who value American ideals can neuter Project 2025 through urgent, unprecedented voter turnout to deny Trump a return to the White House. Independents who do not support Trump or President Biden, disappointed Democrats, and reasonable Republicans eager to thwart an authoritarian reign can apply this preventative option. Call this combined effort “Project 2024” in a year in which our nation’s fate will be determined. The democratic spirit and rule of law can still prevail.

Paul Doell, Hollywood

How Biden must have felt

Trump continues to lie, lie, lie, never backing down or admitting fault. He won’t reveal that he’s fully on board with Project 2025 with its handouts for the ultra-wealthy, diminishing civil rights, voting rights, and freedom for women. It will do away with climate change regulations and remove checks on the former president, with a Supreme Court wholly owned by him bringing us closer to authoritarianism.

Why is the news media so focused on President Biden, when they should be focused on the vengeful, lying, convicted felon Trump, who’s trying to destroy democracy? I know how Biden felt during the debate because Trump’s constant barrage of lies and refusal to answer questions left me speechless, unable to utter sentences that didn’t include profanity.

Rosemary Blumberg, Plantation

(Editor’s Note: Project 2025 proposes to commercialize the National Weather Service, in part because of its view that the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which warns us about hurricanes, is seen as promoting climate change.)

‘Leftist garbage’

You print leftist garbage in your letters to the editor. Project 2025 is not Trump’s. He did not call dead service members suckers and losers. He will not put an end to democracy if elected. It’s a shame that no newspaper in South Florida presents both sides of an issue.

Osvaldo Valdes, Hollywood

Today is Saturday, July 13, the 195th day of 2024. There are 171 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 13, 1985, the “Live Aid” benefit rock concerts were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, raising millions for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Also on this date:

In 1793, French politician, physician and journalist Jean-Paul Marat was assassinated by Charlotte Corday, who stabbed him to death in his bath.

In 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City. (The insurrection was put down three days later.)

In 1923, a sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision (the last four letters were removed in 1949).

In 1930, the first FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination on the first ballot at his party’s convention in Los Angeles.

In 1973, former presidential aide Alexander P. Butterfield revealed to Senate Watergate Committee staff members the existence of President Richard Nixon’s secret White House taping system.

In 1999, Angel Maturino Resendiz, suspected of being the “Railroad Killer,” surrendered in El Paso, Texas.

In 2013, a jury in Florida cleared neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman of all charges in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice.

In 2018, a grand jury indictment, sought by special counsel Robert Mueller, alleged that the Russian government was behind a sweeping conspiracy to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

In 2020, Washington’s NFL franchise dropped the “Redskins” name and logo amid pressure from sponsors; the move followed decades of criticism that the name and logo were offensive to Native Americans. (The team was eventually renamed the Commanders.)

Today’s Birthdays:

• Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert (TV: “Jeopardy!”) is 96.
• Author and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka is 90.
• Actor Patrick Stewart is 84.
• Actor Harrison Ford is 82.
• Singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) is 82.
• Rubik’s Cube inventor Erno Rubik is 80.
• Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 78.
• Actor Daphne Maxwell Reid is 76.
• Sportswriter and talk show host Tony Kornheiser is 76.
• Actor Didi Conn is 73.
• Actor Gil Birmingham is 71.
• Singer Louise Mandrell is 70.
• Former boxing champion Michael Spinks is 68.
• Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 67.
• Comedian Tom Kenny is 62.
• Actor Ken Jeong is 55.
• Singer Deborah Cox is 50.
• Actor Aya Cash is 42.
• Former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is 42.
• Actor Colton Haynes is 36.
• Actor Steven R. McQueen is 36.
• Soul singer Leon Bridges is 35.
• Actor Hayley Erin (TV: “General Hospital”) is 30.

The One Thing Sellers Should Always Do Before a Home Inspection, According to a Real Estate Agent  Apartment Therapy

The One Thing Sellers Should Always Do Before a Home Inspection  Yahoo Life

The One Thing Sellers Should Always Do Before a Home Inspection, According to a Real Estate Agent  Apartment Therapy

General Daily Insight for July 13, 2024

To be polite or honest? With the gentle Moon supporting the communicative Mercury, we’re able to talk about our feelings and extend empathy to the people around us. Still, once the Moon snaps at the proud Sun at 6:49 pm EDT, our egos struggle against our hearts and make it hard to keep being true to ourselves. The Moon then faces off with sore Chiron, pushing us to avoid healing, because it may force us to stand alone. Try to balance safety with growth.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You might want to talk about the fun side of life rather than the serious side. Maybe when other people bring up a topic that isn’t as positive or upbeat as you’d like the conversation to be, you’ll jump in to steer the conversation back to more uplifting subjects. This may not be where the other person or group of people are emotionally! It could be insensitive to encourage them to smile, so make an effort to listen before cutting anyone off.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Your empathy may hinder your ability to do what’s right for you. When a loved one asks you to drop everything to be there for them, saying no can be difficult. Remind yourself that it would be more difficult to handle their struggles and your own, especially if they aren’t showing up for you the way they’re asking you to do for them. You might come across as selfish, but you deserve to focus on yourself when necessary. Be honest about your current capacity.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Talking about what you’re feeling may come across as less serious to others because of your delivery. You might feel the need to wrap your emotions in jokes to have them accepted by the people you’re expressing them to. Think twice — it could be having the opposite effect, potentially leading people to think that you don’t feel very intensely about what you’re going through because you’re able to laugh about it. It’s okay to talk about your feelings with some gravitas.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

What you say could start a chain reaction without warning. If you’re talking about what you want to happen, what you want to see appear in your life, or people that you want to impress, then you’re on the right track. On the other hand, if your mind is on your fears and worries, then you’re at risk of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for these problems you’d rather avoid. Put the focus on what you want to manifest, not what you don’t.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

People will respond to you the way you respond to them. While you might feel that you must express yourself emphatically to tell your side of the story, it’s a good idea to hold back somewhat. Your perspective could be too narrow, as you may have forgotten to account for an alternate point of view. As reasonable as your ideas are in a vacuum, they could still accidentally dismiss someone’s real-life struggles. Make an effort to avoid placing specific blame, and build a bridge instead.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Negative mindsets may trap you in a stagnant situation. Self-sabotage could be an ongoing obstacle at present. You’re standing at the door of a situation that you know you want to be a part of, but anxiety contends that you should reject it in order to protect yourself. Perhaps you’re tempted to reject the opportunity before it potentially rejects you. Don’t end your journey before it even begins! If you don’t try, you’ll never know how awesome the results could have been.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Not everyone is going to like you, Libra — and that’s okay! You likely have a group of friends that support you and know the real you, but take a look at your wider social sphere. There may be something about your reputation or your public persona that’s rubbing you the wrong way, especially if some acquaintances have developed the wrong idea about your philosophies. Avoid going along with their misconceptions to keep the peace. In the long run, it’ll be healthier to be genuine.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Uncertainty may trap you in endless preparation. You might want to travel or further your education. While those are valuable, your motivations for doing so matter. It’s possible that you’re concerned about your readiness to enter the next phase of your career or life in general, so you put it off with other things that seem productive. You’re probably much readier than you’d think! Your worries about experience or intelligence may melt away with time and experience. Learning by doing will show you irreplicable insights.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Anything worth doing is worth failing. There might be several options available at this time. Even when you’re certain that any of these openings could lead to your dreams, the fear of embarrassment might be holding you back from really going for it. Some aspects of your ambitions may require you to put a lot on the line. Worrying about losing valuable resources is understandable, but missing out might be a bigger loss in the end. You may fall, but you also might fly!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

A mentor might confide in you. Someone who always looked strong and on top of their game may seem as if they are lowering their defenses to show you their true self, which can be surprising if you’ve typically seen them as practically infallible. Remember — there is strength in their honesty about their inner emotions, not weakness. Pay attention to the example that they’re setting at this time, and know that acknowledging and sharing your feelings is the first step to healing.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You’re learning more about the inner lives of others. This could be connected to multiple people in your life, as one peer may open up to you about their appreciation of your friendship, while another person might confront you or make you aware of hurt feelings that they have regarding a conversation that you had in the recent past. Positive or negative, it will probably be a vulnerable conversation. Do your best to navigate these chats with sensitivity, even if they feel like emotional whiplash.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Routine can construct a space for healing past hurts. You may be struggling with chaos in your life due to a recent frustration, making it even harder to find the motivation to get your life back on track. The more that you allow beneficial habits and your sense of stability to unconsciously drift away from you, the more that you’re accidentally allowing the world’s ruckus to take over your home, your health, and even your mindset. Stop the snowballing in its tracks.

BY MITCH STACY

CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Rece Hinds hit his first career grand slam, Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario had first-inning solo shots and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 on Friday night.

Reds starter Carson Spiers (3-2) struck out his first seven batters and eight of the first 10 he faced and finished with a career-high nine in the opener of the final series before the All-Star break. Spiers allowed three runs and six hits through five innings.

The Reds, who took three of four from the Colorado Rockies this week, did their damage in the first three innings off Miami starter Yonny Chirinos (0-1), seizing a 7-0 lead.

India hit one out to center field, his first lead-off homer since May 7, 2023, and Candelario’s shot went out to right, his 15th of the season.

Will Benson hit a two-out RBI double in the second, and Hinds hit a bases-loaded shot into the first row of seats in center field in the third inning, his third homer in his first five games in the majors.

Chirinos gave up seven runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking four.

“A lot of pitches middle of the belt, waist-high, thigh-high, and not a ton of swing-and-miss,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “When you don’t have a ton of swing-and-miss, you have to have elite command or be on the ground a lot, and unfortunately, he was neither one of those.”

Jesús Sánchez hit a one-out, three-run homer for the Marlins in the fourth off Spiers. Vidal Bruján got his first career RBI with a two-out single in the ninth.

Reds All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz stole his major league-leading 46th base after singling in the sixth inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Sent SS Otto Lopez (back) on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Reds: Manager David Bell reported INF Christian Encarnacion-Strand had surgery on his fractured right hand. He likely will not return this season. … RHP Graham Ashcraft (elbow strain) will be out until September, if he’s able to come back at all, Bell said.

UP NEXT

Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (8-3, 3.30 ERA) will be on the mound facing Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers (1-9, 4.82) as the series continues Saturday afternoon.

A federal judge is allowing embattled former U.S. Rep. David Rivera to travel to Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention. The question is: does U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio want him there?

Rivera, who’s charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro’s government, has a decades-long personal and political relationship with Rubio. The two men have known one another for decades, and even owned a home together in Tallahassee at one point. They served alongside one another in the Florida state House and Rivera won his U.S. House seat the same year Rubio was elected to the Senate.  But their paths have diverged wildly since then.

The two men may find themselves in the same place again next week during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will formally accept the GOP’s presidential nomination and name his vice presidential pick. Rivera, an elected convention delegate, was freed up to attend the convention after Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres granted his request to travel to Milwaukee.

Go to Herald.com for the full report.

A Margate man who authorities said has threatened to carry out a mass shooting multiple times in the last decade was sentenced Friday to over two-and-a-half years in federal prison for making a false statement while attempting to buy a gun in 2019.

Robert Mondragon, 31, was most recently arrested in 2022 after he allegedly defaced the memorial at Pine Island Road and Holmberg Road for the victims of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland by leaving dead animals on a bench on three separate days. He has pleaded not guilty in that case, which remains pending.

After his arrest in 2022, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said at a news conference that authorities had interactions with Mondragon since 2013 and that he has a “desire to create an active shooter event in our school system.”

“He fits every classification that it’s coming,” Tony said at the news conference. “We’ve been lucky, and luck is not a strategy.”

Mondragon was sentenced Friday after a bench trial in connection with an attempt to buy a gun on June 18, 2019, according to federal prosecutors. An indictment was filed in federal court in October 2023, federal court records show.

He attempted to buy a Radical Firearms rifle at a gun shop in Miami and indicated on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives form that he did not use marijuana, according to federal court records. Federal prosecutors said in a news release Friday that there was a well-established history of Mondragon illegally using marijuana by the time he completed the form in 2019.

Man who left dead animals at Parkland shooting memorial is arrested in effort to halt school threat

As far back as 2014, Mondragon had been admitted numerous times to a hospital under the Baker Act, which allows for people experiencing mental health issues to be involuntarily admitted for up to 72 hours. He had tested positive for marijuana during several Baker Act hospitalizations between 2014 and 2019 and was admitted under the Baker Act 10 days before he attempted to purchase the rifle in Miami, according to a document of facts agreed on by prosecutors and the defense.

Mondragon was also charged with one count of illegally possessing a firearm stemming from a photo of him holding a different gun that was taken at someone’s home in Pembroke Pines in November 2021, the stipulated facts said. The photo was discovered after authorities obtained a warrant in August 2022 to search Mondragon’s father’s cellphone.

Mondragon also was served a temporary risk protection order in 2018 under Florida’s “red flag law” passed after the Parkland shooting, which prevented him from buying or possessing any guns, according to the order.

Detectives found a photo of Mondragon holding a rifle on his Facebook account posted in July 2022, and he was charged with violating the risk protection order stemming from the post. His defense attorney has argued in court documents that a final risk protection order was never issued and the temporary one requested by Coral Springs Police expired in 2019, so he was no longer under the order at the time.

Federal prosecutors said in the news release that the risk protection order was in place when he attempted to buy the rifle in Miami and is still in place now.

After his release from prison, Mondragon will be on supervised release for three years, federal prosecutors said in the news release. As of Friday night, he was held in the North Broward Bureau.

Broward School Board member Torey Alston is being accused by a fellow board member of violating state ethics laws by pushing for a vote that would give charter schools a windfall of more than $100 million before later disclosing his wife does business with some charter schools.

The allegation was filed with the State Ethics Commission this week by Allen Zeman, a Democrat who has become increasingly critical of Alston, a Republican appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Ethics Commission doesn’t confirm or deny the existence of investigations until they are completed, but Zeman provided a copy of the complaint Friday to the South Florida Sun Sentinel in response to a public records request to the Broward School District.

Alston’s wife, Candice Alston, owns Interim Healthcare of Pompano Beach, a medical staffing company that does business with charter schools. Alston was an initial owner but removed himself from the company after being appointed to the School Board in August 2022.

When Alston met with the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board recently, he was vague about the nature of the conflict, and which schools she works for.

“She has done some work with a few different (charter school) providers. Not here, just in general,” Alston said in the meeting.

In October, a series of lawsuits were filed by different charter schools to try to recoup money from a 2018 voter referendum to pay for teacher salary increases, safety and security and mental health. The School Board at the time decided to give charter schools a few million to hire safe school officers but not a proportional share of the revenues collected based on student enrollment.

But several courts later ruled in favor of charter schools collecting a proportional share in other districts that held referendums, giving the charter schools leverage to sue Broward as well. The district was trying to negotiate a settlement when the state Board of Education got involved, determining the district was out of compliance and must resolve the issue quickly or the state may withhold funds.

On March 20, Alston asked the School Board to approve a motion “to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the school district’s immediate compliance” with the state’s demands on charter schools. A modified version of the motion passed unanimously. Alston did not state any potential conflicts in that meeting. Zeman said in his complaint that Alston also advocated for the settlement in at least five closed-door meetings.

But when the School Board agreed to an initial settlement on April 16, Alston recused himself and said he would fill out a conflict of interest form. He didn’t say the specific reason.

“While there is no direct conflict, and out of an additional abundance of caution, including my communication with counsel in closed session, I will abstain and not vote on the item coming before the board,” Alston said prior to the April 16 vote. “I will file the appropriate document and step off the dais at this time.”

He recused himself again on May 21, when several contracts for individual charter schools came up, as well as a vote on June 18 when the School Board agreed to approve a $108 million settlement with charter schools. The settlements aren’t all finalized and the total bill is likely to be around $120 million, Zeman told the Sun Sentinel.

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At all three meetings, Alston filed conflict of interest forms that said it was related to “the special gain or loss of my wife, who is now the full owner and day-to-day administrator of a company; I was the initial investor in the business.”

“Torey Alston, as a member of the Broward County School Board, advocated multiple times in public and closed-door meetings for Broward County Schools to pay Broward charter schools roughly $120 million,” Zeman wrote in the complaint.

“At the same time, a company that he owned in 2022, and continues to be owned by an immediate family member, received revenue from at least one Broward County charter school,” Zeman wrote. “Thus, Torey Alston advocated for revenue to flow to charter schools when at least one of the charter schools was distributing funds to a company from which he derives financial gain.”

The complaint said Alston’s eventual recusal “does not excuse his repeated advocacy, over a six- month period, for payment and forms the basis for an ethics violation, using his public office for private gain.”

In a statement to the Sun Sentinel, Alston dismissed the complaint as political, tying it to a heated race he’s in. Zeman’s former assistant, Rebecca Thompson, is running to try to unseat Alston.

Alston noted that Zeman was the subject of an investigation after slapping the buttocks of an employee during a break in a School Board meeting in December 2022. The employee said he didn’t want to file a complaint, but the district’s Special Investigate Unit sent it to the state Ethics Commission. The commission dismissed the complaint, saying it didn’t fall within its purview.

The new complaint “was filed by my male colleague who used his right hand to hit a male district employee on the buttocks embarrassing him in front of other staff and witnessed by another board member,” Alston said in a statement. “I’m not surprised my ethically challenged colleague is attempting to rescue his former employee’s sinking campaign that isn’t focused on issues and our children.

“He’s a part of a coordinated effort to block a young, qualified Black man to remain on the school board,” Alston said. “The optics of this race is black and white and the voters will see his political games. I will be collegial but he’s politically over the edge.”

Zeman told the Sun Sentinel politics was not a factor in his complaint.

“Whenever I see someone doing something that’s against the law, I always report it to the appropriate authorities, and in this case, it’s the Florida Commission on Ethics,” he said.

If the state Ethics Commission finds probable cause of a violation, it can impose a range of sanctions, from reprimands to fines to referrals to law enforcement.

Alston is at least the fourth Broward School Board member to face state ethics complaints in the past two years. In addition to Zeman, Brenda Fam was investigated related to allegations of touching the buttocks of an 18-year old student, and Debbi Hixon was investigated related to a job she had with FTX, a cryptocurrency company that went bankrupt and whose founder went to prison. Those cases were all dismissed with no sanctions for the board members.

Earlier this year, Alston filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s inspector general alleging board members Hixon, Sarah Leonardi and Jeff Holness may have improperly colluded with the Broward Teachers Union to give raises. That department declined to open an investigation.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson announced Friday he will step down after nearly seven years leading the state’s only historically Black public university and plans to return to the faculty.

In a letter addressed to “FAMUly and Friends” that was posted online, Robinson did not detail his reasons for deciding to leave the presidency. But he described the decision as coming with “many emotions — pride, joy, gratitude, some sadness, of course, but at the same time, hope and anticipation.”

“The chance to serve our students, the state of Florida and our nation in this unique role has me more convinced than ever of the transformative power of education,” Robinson wrote in the letter. “These past few years have only strengthened my core belief in the unique power of HCBUs (historically Black colleges and universities) to shape lives and nurture critical talent that serve our families and communities. To play even a small part in this is the privilege of a lifetime.”

It was not immediately clear when Robinson will leave the presidency, with the university saying in a news release that the date will be “determined in consultation” with the school’s Board of Trustees. After taking a year-long sabbatical, Robinson plans to return to serving as a professor in FAMU’s School of the Environment, a position he held before becoming president.

Friday’s announcement came after a turbulent time at FAMU, which drew widespread attention after the school accepted — then ultimately rejected — a $237 million donation after questions arose about its legitimacy. The donation was announced at FAMU’s graduation ceremony in May, but it quickly drew skepticism and led to an investigation.

Robinson apologized to trustees during a May board meeting and said he ignored “warning signs” about the purported donation.

“I saw in this unprecedented gift the potential to serve our students and our athletic programs in ways unimaginable at that time. It would truly be transformational, I believed. I wanted it to be real and ignored the warning signs along the way. There was no personal gain, but the impact on our students and our university would have been extraordinary,” Robinson told the trustees.

In a statement Friday, trustees Chairwoman Kristin Harper praised Robinson, saying his “love for FAMU, steady leadership, and unwavering dedication to our students’ success will leave an indelible mark on this university’s history.”

Robinson became president in November 2017 after twice holding the position in interim roles. He also previously served stints as provost and vice president of academic affairs, chief executive officer and vice president for research.

Robinson’s resignation will continue widespread turnover in recent years in the top roles at state universities, with the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida, Florida International University, Florida Gulf Coast University, New College of Florida and Florida Polytechnic University all getting new presidents. Also, Florida Atlantic University has an interim president.

The longest-serving president in the system is University of West Florida President Martha Saunders, who became president of the Pensacola school in January 2017.

Four members of a six-person jury appealed to a Broward criminal judge Friday afternoon to show mercy to a man they had recently convicted for gunning down his cousin at a family birthday party.

Kenyon Key, 29, was convicted of manslaughter on May 31, a lesser charge than the first-degree murder sought by prosecutors.

(Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)Kenyon Key waits during his sentencing hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Key was convicted of manslaughter by a jury of six, and four of the jurors attended Friday’s hearing to ask the judge to show leniency. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Still, he could have been sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday, but four of the six jurors who had convicted him came to the courthouse to show support and ask the judge for leniency.

Only two of them spoke, a third explaining she was too afraid of the victim’s family to be identified publicly in court.

One juror who spoke, Gabriel Simpson, told the judge the jurors had made the best of the “available options of the ones we were given.”

A second juror told the judge that 30 years would be injustice. She asked the Sun Sentinel not to publish her name because the victim’s family swore at the group of jurors after the hearing, threatened to slap them, and made comments such as “I hope you get killed in front of your kids.”

“From the very beginning I have maintained that Kenyon did not ask for that incident; he was not the primary aggressor. He simply acted in self-defense,” she told the judge. She said she hoped “that my statement can make a difference in the outcome of a man’s life, simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Said Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra of the jurors who had either come to speak or just show up for the defendant: “It’s unique.”

Kollra agreed that a 30-year sentence was not appropriate, but was still grappling with evidence that showed seven shots had been fired, four of them hitting Key’s cousin, Corey Lane, in the back.

On Friday Key was sentenced to 124.6 months in prison, or 10.3 years, with credit for the nearly three years he has already served awaiting the sentencing. His defense attorney, Gabe Ermine, estimates Key will serve about 5½ years in prison after good behavior is factored.

The former jurors who huddled in the hallway after the hearing felt the sentence was still too harsh but hoped their presence had made a difference.

“We did something,” one of them said. The former jurors were escorted out of the courthouse by law enforcement.

But the victim’s family, including Corionna Lane, 22, was also unhappy with the sentence, saying it wasn’t strong enough. Lane told the judge she was at an arm’s length from her father when he was shot to death.

“I’m just so angry,” she told the judge. “My dad was a good person. He’s been the support system for his whole family. To pull out a gun and shoot my dad, it’s crazy to me.”

In 2021, Key, of Fort Lauderdale, was arrested for the shooting that occurred in the 5200 block of Southwest 21st Street near Southwest 52nd Avenue, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

According to records filed in court, the family event was Key’s grandmother’s 81st birthday party and Key had an argument with his uncle about a bicycle. Lane got involved, according to defense arguments filed in court. “In fact, he was the initiator of the fight” by telling Key to fight, records show.

Key’s mother told authorities that after Key shot Lane, he walked over to him and shot him two more times as he lay on the ground, according to the arrest report. Records show Lane was shot in his back.

“Mr. Key did not plan to argue or fight. His only intentions were to celebrate a family milestone with other family members,” according to defense filings in court. The fired shots “were out of fear and adrenaline while Mr. Key was shaking and fumbling.”

Key will still have to come back to court at a later date; Lane’s family is asking for $15,000 in restitution to pay for his funeral, an impossible number because Key is already indigent, Ermine said.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash

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