Home

Miami Beach officials press ahead with plans to control spring break crowds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

Miami Beach officials have announced new plans to control spring breakers, after two murders and mayhem were caught on camera last weekend on South Beach.On Monday, this from the mayor…“Most cities in Florida that have created a spring break, have tried to get rid of spring break, and I’d like to get rid of ours if we could,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.But that isn’t happening this year, and this will be another big spring break weekend, plus several music events are set to take place in Miami Beach, part of Miami Music Week.The city manager and the mayor wanted to end the overnight party for the upcoming weekend with a curfew but didn’t get the support of the city commission.“I think, in this case, we made a mistake,” said Gelber.Instead, the commission voted for lights out early for South Beach parking garages and package liquor stores.Thursday to Sunday. Grab-and-go liquor shops will be closing at 6 p.m. and garages will close at 9...

Plantation man arrested in connection to Sarasota hit-and-run that injured police officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Authorities have arrested a South Florida man in connection to a hit-and-run in Sarasota that sent a police officer to the hospital.The Broward Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday evening confirmed they took 22-year-old Mark Thomas into custody at a probation office in Broward County.According to Sarasota Police, Thomas was behind the wheel of a white Mercedes-Benz S-Class that was captured on surveillance video flying down Bird Key, swerving the victim’s parked patrol car and hitting the officer, flipping him over the vehicle.Thomas, a Plantation resident, faces a charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, as well as fleeing and eluding with disregard for safety, in connection to the hit-and-run.Stay tuned to WSVN 7 News and wsvn.com for updates on this developing story.

Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and other celebrities charged $400,000 for violating disclosure rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

(CNN) — The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and several other celebrities with failing to disclose that they were paid to promote crypto.The celebrities agreed to pay $400,000, including fines, and return what they were paid for the promotion.Lohan was paid $10,000 to promote Tronix tokens offered by Justin Sun’s company Tron.“Exploring #DeFi and already liking $JST, $SUN on $TRX. Super fast and 0 fee. Good job @justinsuntron,” Lohan tweeted on February 11, 2021. The SEC said Lohan failed to disclose that the tweet was a paid endorsement.A spokesperson for Lohan said the celebrity “was contacted in March 2022 and was unaware of the disclosure requirement. She agreed to pay a fine to resolve the matter.”Similarly, Paul was paid $25,000 for an endorsement of Tronix, which he tweeted a day after Lohan.Other celebrities that agreed to settle their charges include Michele Mason (also known...

Mets Notebook: Kodai Senga avoids throwing ghost fork as precaution in final Grapefruit League start

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

PORT ST. LUCIE — Kodai Senga’s infamous ghost fork is tough to see (hence the nickname for the pitch), but if you were watching the Mets’ 5-2 Grapefruit League loss at Clover Park on Wednesday, you didn’t see any at all.Senga didn’t throw any splitters in his final Grapefruit League start of spring training. He threw 58 pitches, most of which were fastballs and cutters. He allowed two earned runs on two hits over four innings, walked three and struck out three in a start that he said felt good at some points, but at others, “not so much.”“A lot of things to work on, a lot of adjustments to make,” Senga said through a translator. “It went OK.”Senga held off on the splitter in an attempt to avoid re-aggravating the tendinitis in his right middle finger that bothered him a few weeks ago. The right-hander skipped a start because of tendinitis that he feels was the result of changing his grip on the Major League baseball. ...

Maura Healey’s proposed Massachusetts budget includes $10M for inmate education ahead of reentry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

A portion of Gov. Maura Healey’s first proposed budget aims to help ex-cons with roughly $10 million set aside for expanded educational programs for reentering society.To see what that money could be going toward, the governor sat down with the state Department of Correction and Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) in a discussion for the needs of that community and took a tour of the School of Reentry housed in a minimum-security prison, the Boston Pre-Release Center, in Roslindale.“Our investment in quality educational opportunities and reintegration planning will improve the transition from incarceration to community by increasing access to sustainable employment, improving economic equality, and tearing down structural barriers,” Healey said.More than half — $5.1 million — of that $10 million in the governor’s budget proposal will go toward personal tablets for reentry program students to use in the programs. The remaining funds break down into $3.4 milli...

New Matt Damon and Casey Affleck film takes over the North End

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

The North End’s Bova’s Bakery is spending the week serving up stars instead of its well-loved selection of handmade Italian specialty cakes and traditional pies.The Salem Street bakery will remain closed through Friday to accommodate filming there for a new film under the working title “Quincy” and starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.“Get your Bova’s fix today for the week & stock up,” the bakery posted on Facebook Sunday. “We appreciate your loyalty, patience, & understanding. We will see you all on March 25th.”The closing of the bakery, however, was a “mixed blessing” to several fans of the shop commenting on social media.“It does give your location worldwide publicity … it is a huge hassle too,” said one Twitter user. Another bemoaned the sudden fame: “Great now the tourist will know about you and the lines will be around the block. Hoping to keep it the best kept secret.”Matt Stone/Boston HeraldOnlooker on Wednesday took in the filming of scenes...

From playoff hopes to lottery picks, Magic season has been perfect | Commentary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

Running off at the typewriter …First and foremost, let me just stress that I am absolutely NOT comparing the 2023 Orlando Magic to the 1972 Miami Dolphins, but I do believe this has been a “perfect” season for the Magic.Bianchi, you moron, the Magic are 13 games below .500 and have the fifth-worst record in the league. How can you say this has been a perfect season?!!!Because I’m not talking about a perfect season by Boston Celtics standards; I’m talking about a perfect season by Orlando Magic standards.Whether intentional or not, the Magic have masterfully choreographed this season. They have walked that fine line between flirting with the playoffs and falling into the lottery. They have played meaningful games for much of the season to develop their young players and keep their fan base engaged, but now they are almost certainly a lottery team and right now would have a 10.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick (7-foot-5 French phenom Vict...

‘Rick and Morty’ creator has domestic abuse charges dropped

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California prosecutors on Wednesday dropped domestic violence charges against Justin Roiland, who created the Cartoon Network animated series “Rick and Morty” and provided the voices of the show’s two title characters.Orange County district attorney’s spokeswoman Kimberly Edds said the two felony counts involving a former girlfriend were dropped “due to a lack of sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.” Roiland responded to the dismissal on Twitter. “I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come,” he said. “I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.” He added that he is “disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of a bitter ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.’” Roiland, 43, had been await...

Farmers struggle in Argentina as drought withers their crops

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

URQUIZA, Argentina (AP) — The ground crackles as Guillermo Cuitino walks across dry farmland that should be green and lush this time of year. He grabs a soy plant and easily disintegrates its leaves with his hands.“This year’s drought was extreme,” the agricultural engineer said this week at the farm where he works in Urquiza, a town about 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Argentina’s capital. Cuitino normally has a policy of not walking on cultivated land, but everything is so dry now that there is absolutely nothing to damage — even weeds aren’t growing. That scene is repeated in farms across Argentina, where harvesting should be in full swing but months of dry weather has ruined. Farmers are scrambleing to make ends meet, and a sharp drop in expected revenue from exported farm products will deal a severe blow to Argentina’s shaky economy.“This drought is unprecedented,” farmer Martín Sturla said, standing in the middle of his dustry fields in nearby San Antonio de Areco. “It’...

Escape-artist Missouri bear heads to Texas zoo with moat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — An escape-artist bear from Missouri is headed to a Texas zoo with a moat in hopes that it will put an end to his wandering.The St. Louis Zoo cited the “specific and unique personality” of the Andean bear named Ben in announcing the move Tuesday. His soon-to-be home at the Gladys Porter Zoo near South Padre Island in Brownsville, Texas, has a long history of working with Andean bears. But it’s still adding some extra security measures. “We’re confident it’s going to be good for Ben,” said Walter Dupree, the Texas zoo’s curator of mammals.Ben gained notoriety in February by busting out of his habitat twice.The first time, the 4-year-old, 280-pound (127-kilogram) bear tore apart clips that attached stainless steel mesh to the frame of a door. But he was recaptured before the zoo opened for the day.Zoo workers then added zip tie-like attachments made of stainless steel that had 450 pounds (204 kilograms) of tensile strength. But Ben managed to escape through...