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Column: F1 drivers unhappy with Miami’s pomp, circumstance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The stars of Formula One stood under the hot Florida sun mingling with LL Cool J, the chosen A-list celebrity tasked with hosting an elaborate pre-race ceremony ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. The festivities in the 30 minutes leading up to the start of the race featured a new single by Will.I.AM called “The Formula” created specifically for F1. The performer led an orchestral performance — yes, there was a symphony assembled on the starting grid — that played his new tune as LL Cool J hyped each of the 20 drivers as he introduced them to the crowd. It was all so very American. And it irked many of the F1 stars.George Russell, the director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, was the first to take the issue public following Sunday’s race. The Mercedes driver said drivers met two days before the race and expressed their displeasure with the pomp and circumstance, which far exceeded the normal ride around a circuit while waving to the fans as the trad...

49ers sign QB Brandon Allen, 2 others to 1-year deals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Brandon Allen, defensive lineman Marlon Davidson and tight end Troy Fumagalli to one-year deals on Monday.San Francisco was looking for an extra quarterback for the offseason program with projected starter Brock Purdy recovering from elbow surgery and found one in Allen.Allen was drafted in the sixth round by Jacksonville in the 2016 draft and has spent time with the Jaguars, Rams, Broncos and Bengals since then.Allen has played 15 games and made nine starts, throwing for 1,611 yards, 10 TDs, six interceptions and a 78 rating.Davidson has played 19 games for Atlanta after being drafted in the second round in 2020. He has 29 tackles, two passes defensed, one interception, one fumble recovery and one sack. Fumagalli sent time with the Niners last offseason. In 19 career games with Denver, he has 14 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLSource

Letecia Stauch found guilty of murdering stepson Gannon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) -- The jury in the Letecia Stauch murder trial reached a verdict on Monday afternoon. Stauch was found guilty of all charges related to murdering her stepson, 11-year-old Gannon, including first-degree murder after deliberation, first degree murder of a child under 12 years old by a person in a position of trust, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence.Stauch will be sentenced on Monday afternoon."The family has been thinking about this day for three years. They are ready for sentencing," the judge shared with the court.FOX31's Nicole Fierro has been following this case from the beginning and has been monitoring the trial since it began. She was in court for the reading of the verdict. Closing arguements made in Letecia Stauch murder trial Stuach is charged with murdering her stepson, 11-year-old Gannon Stauch, in January of 2020.On Jan. 27, 2020, Stauch called the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and report...

Disney updates lawsuit against DeSantis to add new events

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney on Monday amended its free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis to add recent developments in the tit-for-tat fight between the entertainment giant and the Florida governor, such as a new law granting the state unprecedented authority to inspect a monorail system at Disney World.Disney’s amended complaint filed in federal court in Tallahassee is updated with developments since the entertainment giant almost two weeks ago sued DeSantis and an oversight board for the Disney World governing district that is made up of members newly appointed by the governor.The new complaint references legislation passed last week by Florida lawmakers that rescinds agreements that Disney and a previous oversight board consisting of Disney supporters made earlier this year, giving the entertainment giant control over design and construction at Disney World. The amended lawsuit also includes the new measure passed last week by Florida lawmakers giving the state autho...

Gov. DeSantis signs three laws aimed at limiting China’s influence in the state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

(CNN) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed several bills Monday, aimed at limiting China’s influence in the state.One bill bans China and other nations referred to as “foreign countries of concern” from buying land for farming or land that is within 10 miles of critical infrastructure like airports, power plants and military installations. Another law bans TikTok and other foreign-owned apps from government devices and networks. The ban applies to state, county and local governments, as well as state universities. The third piece of legislation prohibits state universities from accepting grants from certain countries.“Today, Florida makes it very clear: we don’t want the CCP in the Sunshine State,” Gov. DeSantis said. “We want to maintain this as the free state of Florida and that’s exactly what these bills will do.”The “countries of concern” listed on the legislation are China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and Syria.

Man arrested after leading police on slow-speed chase in stolen vehicle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

A man is now in custody after leading police on a slow-speed chase in what, police said, was a stolen vehicle out of Miami-Dade County. According to Miami-Dade Police, units noticed the stolen vehicle in the area of Little River Dr. and NW 7th Avenue, Monday afternoon. Officers attempted to stop the Honda Pilot but the driver refused and fled onto the Palmetto Expressway. 7Skyforce flew over the vehicle just after 2:30 p.m. as it crawled on the westbound lanes of the 826. As the SUV slowly swerved across the highway, its right passenger tire blew and began running on its rim. The blowout, however, did not stop the vehicle despite being pursued by multiple police officers. The SUV managed to get off the expressway in Opa Locka and after a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop at 134th St. and NW 37th Ave where police were able to safely take the driver into custody. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Attorneys for Trump and E. Jean Carroll dispute character and evidence in closing arguments of civil rape trial

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

(CNN) — E. Jean Carroll‘s civil battery and defamation trial against Donald Trump neared a close Monday with closing arguments as her attorney told a federal jury in New York that no one is above the law, while Trump’s lawyer said not to hold any negative feelings about the former president against him.“In this country, even the most powerful person can be held accountable in court,” said attorney Roberta Kaplan. “No one, not even a former president, is above the law.”Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said he knows Trump is a divisive figure, but that shouldn’t matter to jurors when reaching a verdict.“People have very strong feelings about Donald Trump. That’s obvious,” Tacopina said. “There’s a time and a secret place to do that: it’s called a ballot box during an election.”“They want you to hate him enough to ignore the facts,” Tacopina added. “All objective eviden...

Florida woman sentenced for stealing drugs from Boston-area hospitals while working as nurse

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

A former nurse has been sentenced to several years of probation for “diverting opioids” from two hospitals in the Boston area, according to federal officials.In a news release, the Department of Justice announced the sentencing of Lisa Tarr, 33, on Monday morning.The sentencing came months after the St. Petersburg, Fla., resident pleaded guilty in October 2022 to four counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge.Officials said the charges stemmed from incidents in 2018 and 2020 in which Tarr was said to have stolen narcotics while working at two “Boston-area hospitals” that were not named by the DoJ.The first case involved Tarr when she worked as a student nurse in August 2018. According to authorities, she admitted to investigators at the facility that she stole and used fentanyl belonging to the hospital.Two years later at another Boston-area hospital, the DoJ said Tarr stole an infusion bag that contained fentanyl...

Leon Rose deserves credit for the Knicks success

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

MIAMI — No matter how the Eastern Conference semis unfolds for the Knicks, accomplishment will and should matriculate into the postseason narrative.After all, their optimistic projection was for the play-in tournament. The over-under to start the year was 38.5. Then the Knicks won 47 games and advanced to the second round for the first time in a decade.And much of the congratulations belongs to the man behind the scenes.For Leon Rose, the team president of silence and mystery, it was a needed redemption campaign. His summer of 2021 was a disaster, an 0-fer in free agency with copious cap space wasted on Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose.The pre-deadline trade for Cam Reddish was also a waste of a first-round pick.Today, all those players are either gone or out of rotation. Rose’s failing grade for 2021 is settled.But he hit a reversal with his 2022 summer (and into February). Forgetting Rose’s two home runs for a second, the les...

How Dave Barry mixes Florida weirdness, TikTok and treasure in ‘Swamp Story’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:33 GMT

I read 18 pages of Dave Barry’s new novel “Swamp Story” before I began laughing uncontrollably. I’m not going to tell you what prompted this outburst, but you’ll recognize the scene when you get there.At age 75, Barry remains the grand master of American humor writing, having produced more than 50 books, mostly involving anecdotes from his own life. He’s written about wine tasting, skiing and floating in the Dead Sea.Now he’s turned his attention to the Everglades in his adopted home state of Florida in his just-published novel “Swamp Story,” published by Simon & Schuster. The author explained the difference between his fiction and nonfiction writing.“When I write nonfiction, it’s supposed to be funny, so I’m thinking about that and not thinking long-term,” he says. “When I’m writing fiction, I mainly want it to be a good story.”During a phone interview, Barry said he got the idea for the novel after visiting the Everglades, which is the largest subtropical wilderness in the Uni...