Music, movement, jaw-dropping talent. Check it out and see why families are already planning their weekend around Ringling’s one-weekend hometown event. Press play for a first look at the music-powered, all-ages celebration that brings families together for one unforgettable weekend.
Step right up! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is bringing big top fun to South Florida with two shows –at the Kaseya Center in Miami, January 9–11, and at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, January 23–25.
Reimagined for a new generation, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®’s larger-than-life production features new acts, jaw-dropping talent, and the high-flying excitement that has defined The Greatest Show On Earth® for more than 150 years.
Guests will experiencea high-energy, music-driven experience with bold circus performances, unforgettable characters, and a nonstop party vibe. This new production moves at the speed of today’s world: fast-paced, dynamic, and full of energy – bringing audiences closer than ever to the talent. It’s an adrenaline-packed celebration of human talent, where world-class athletes and performers from around the globe showcase extraordinary, jaw-dropping skills that make Children Of All Ages feel like they’re part of The Greatest Party On Earth! Music powers every moment of the tour with beat drops, live drumming, dance battles, and DJ-led moments, driving the action from start to finish.
Tickets are on sale now at Ringling.com. Use Offer code: 20MB26
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For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Fort Lauderdale Police are continuing their investigation into a shooting over the weekend in the city’s entertainment district that left five people injured.
Police said the shooting occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday in the 300 block of Southwest Second Street, in an area known as Himmarshee, which is home to multiple bars and nightclubs.
Officers responding to the scene found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds, who were then transported to Broward Health Medical Center.
Police have not released details on the victims’ conditions or the suspect’s identity, but investigators said the shooting appears to be an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public.
Tips, photos, or videos can be submitted to the department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 954-828-4900, to the FBI tip portal or anonymously to Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
Rewards of up to $5,000 may be offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Photo Credit: @CanesHoop via X // Miami Hurricanes true freshman guard Shelton Henderson matches up one-on-one with FIU’s Ashton Williamson on Dec. 16, 2025.
Despite an early deficit, Miami Hurricanes Men’s basketball fought back to open up ACC play with a big win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, 76-69.
Jai Lucas and the Hurricanes (12-2), open up ACC play with a statement win, showcasing resilience in a hard-fought comeback in Watsco Center.
Miami got off to a hot start, opening the game with a 25-15 lead with Malik Reneau leading the charge. From there, though, the Hurricanes went cold, going six and a half minutes without a single point, and as the offense could not get going, Pitt’s offense started to pull away.
Pittsburgh was able to score at ease, shooting 53% from the field and nearly 42% from three in the first half. Forwards Cameron Corhen and Barry Dunning Jr. combined for 23 points with just two missed shots in the first half. With that, the Panthers were able to pull away in a 20-0 run in the half and held a double-digit lead over the ’Canes, 43-33, at halftime.
Going into the second half, several of the Hurricanes’ key starters found themselves in foul trouble. Miami’s leading scorer Malik Reneau only played 10 minutes in the first after racking up three fouls, and Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson notched two each.
It seemed like a hot start to the season would have been halted by a rout in the opening of conference play.
Despite the rough end to the half and the foul trouble this Hurricanes team faced, there was confidence that they could find their way back into the game.
“I knew we were struggling a little bit, but I never felt like we were out of it,” said Head Coach Jai Lucas after the game.
UM head coach Jai Lucas talks to his team during a timeout versus BYU on Nov. 27 2025. Photo Credit: University of Miami Athletics
Coach Lucas was right, as in the second half Miami started to click on both ends, led by their veteran transfers.
Out of the gate it was Miami’s guard duo that stepped up and did some damage. Tre Donaldson and Tru Washington took turns getting buckets as the two went on a 9-2 run and forced a timeout as Miami closed the gap to three. A few plays later and the Hurricanes had the lead back just about six minutes into the second half.
Dishing to teammates and creating his own shot, Donaldson led the resurgence for the Hurricanes in the second half. His early buckets got the Hurricanes going, and as the half went on, Donaldson finished with 17 second-half points, tied for the most on the team after going 0-5 in the first half. As he got going for Miami, he and this team found the confidence that they needed.
“Confidence. It’s what I do. That’s just plain and simple. I mean, my guys trust me. When they’re open, I’m going to get it for them no matter where it’s at,” said Donaldson.
Donaldson was just one part of the solution for the Hurricanes in that second half.
Defensively the Hurricanes also started to click, and the Panthers started to slow down. Miami allowed just one 3-point make on 13 attempts from Pittsburgh and held them to just 36.7% shooting in the second half.
And more so, Miami was able to stay out of foul trouble, giving up just six free throw attempts in the second half compared to 11 in the first half. This allowed Malik Reneau to play 19 of the 20 second-half minutes and dominate the game for Miami. He brought in another 17 points himself in the second half, combining with Donaldson for 34 of Miami’s 43 second-half points.
“That’s why you go find guys in the portal who’ve played big-time basketball in big environments,” said Lucas after the game.
The Panthers fought back from the Hurricanes’ second-half surge, taking the lead, and the two teams traded blows, with four lead changes in the second half alone. With seven minutes left in the game, the Hurricanes were able to make their run to truly take over the game. Following a putback layup from Reneau, Donaldson scored nine straight points for the Hurricanes, and with a six-point lead, Miami built enough cushion to run away with the game, winning the game 76-69.
It’s the first test in what will be a long road in conference play, and through the second half we saw the identity the Hurricanes need to play with to establish themselves as a potential contender for the conference.
“A big part of us is going to be our offensive rebounding. It’s always going to be our points in the paint. We did a great job tonight of free throws,” Lucas said.
“We saw that was the difference.”
Miami is going to need to play physical, effort-filled basketball and continue to win games on the boards and in the paint. The ’Canes next ACC matchup will be at Wake Forest to take on the 9-4 Demon Deacons. Tip-off is Jan. 7, at 7:00 p.m. EST.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/Senior Forward Malik Reneau takes the tip-off for the Hurricanes against Elon on November 20, 2025.
The key issues expected to drive the political conversation in 2026 – CBS News
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CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe breaks down the major political stories likely to dominate 2026, from the economy to the midterms.
After Florida’s open carry ban was struck down, there is nothing in state law requiring a license to carry a gun openly.
YASUYOSHI CHIBA
AFP via Getty Images
TALLAHASSEE
For the first time in nearly four decades, Floridians can openly carry firearms.
How that looks in public may play out a little differently than in other states where it is allowed. Each state has its own rules.
A Florida court decision led to the new gun access; the state had largely banned open carry since the 1980s.
Attorney General James Uthmeier, who applauded the court’s decision to strike down that statute, acknowledged that there now may be “cleanup” needed for the state’s gun laws.
Florida’s legislative leaders have so far been coy about what, if any, legislation they plan to bring forward to regulate how and where guns can be carried in public.
Reinstating another broad ban doesn’t seem possible — the Florida appeals court that struck down the state ban said ordinary, law-abiding citizens can’t be forbidden from openly carrying a firearm.
But the court noted that open carry is not “immune from reasonable regulation.”
Here are some of the laws in other states and how they may differ from what Florida now allows.
Requiring permits
Some states, like Hawaii and Minnesota, only allow people to openly carry weapons if they have a government-issued permit.
But the majority of states don’t require a carry permit.
After Florida’s open carry ban was struck down, there is nothing in state law requiring a license to carry a gun openly. (The state in 2023 passed a law that dropped training requirements and licensure for most people wanting to carry a concealed weapon.)
Holsters
In Texas, people can openly carry firearms without a permit, but the state penal code requires the weapons to be in holsters.
Spencer Myers, a state and local policy attorney at the gun safety group Giffords, said Texas’ laws are the most explicit about how people can physically carry firearms.
But Myers noted that most states have laws that prohibit using or carrying a gun in a reckless or threatening manner — meaning a person likely wouldn’t be able to walk around with their gun drawn without being stopped by law enforcement.
Florida has a prohibition on carelessly carrying a gun.
Local rule
Other states that allow open carry leave it up to local government to regulate.
In Colorado, for example, the city of Denver has a rule in its municipal code that broadly bans carrying firearms.
The city’s rule carves out a few people who can carry firearms openly, including law enforcement officers, members of the United States Armed Forces, people on their own property, people with “valid authorization” from the city and people transporting a weapon in their car to go hunting.
Missouri also leaves wiggle room for cities to set their own firearm laws. In St. Louis, a 2024 ordinance bans people from openly carrying a firearm without a concealed carry permit. The city also recently banned open carry for people under the age of 19.
And in Pennsylvania, most residents don’t need a permit to openly carry. But state law treats the largest city, Philadelphia, differently. Residents there must get a permit in order to openly carry a firearm.
Florida law prohibits guns in places like police stations, schools, bars, courthouses and polling places.
But since the open carry ruling, some Florida lawmakers and observers have been concerned about a perceived loophole.
The law says no person can “openly carry a handgun or carry a concealed weapon” into any of the listed sensitive spaces.
Myers said it would be “crucial” for Florida to make clear that long guns, like rifles, are also prohibited in those spaces. He noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has pointed to restrictions on guns in sensitive spaces as appropriate under the Second Amendment.
Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, and Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, have filed a bill to change that language and prohibit the carrying of any gun in sensitive spaces.
MIAMI (WSVN) – Two families got to cut the ribbon outside of their new homes in one neighborhood as part of an affordable housing program.
The Wilson and Lott families are now neighbors at new homes in Buena Vista. They were joined by Miami Commissioner Christine King and other city officials to commemorate the opening of the new affordable homes.
“Each of our families today are so deserving of this; they’ve worked so hard to get where they are today,” said King.
King joined the new homeowners to mark the completion of the homes in Miami.
“We have taken what was a vacant lot, overgrown, an eye sore in the city, and turned it into someone’s forever home,” said King.
These account for two of the six homes that have been built to date, with 16 more currently in development.
“Every week, me and my team meet to make sure these projects don’t go off the rails, and I’m happy to say there’s more to come,” said King.
Both families who moved into the new homes were all smiles throughout the day.
Shemeka Wilson, a chef and mother of three, said the emotions from the day were overwhelming.
At one point, she was choked up and embraced the commissioner as she reflected on her journey.
“It’s overwhelming because when my mom passed, I was young and I had a 2-year-old son, and I was homeless for awhile before, and I was moving around from family members to family members,” said Wilson.
For Patricia Lott, another new homeowner, she shared the moment with her family on the special day.
“This is the epitome of generational wealth,” Lott said. “Because today is my birthday and I’m turning 70.”
Lott, who works as a Miami-Dade County employee, was eternally grateful to be able to take in every moment.
“I’m just so happy to live this dream because this is definitely the American dream,” said Lott.
Both of the new homeowners qualified for assistance through Miami’s First-Time Homebuyer Program.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it has frozen federal child care funding for the state of Minnesota, citing viral fraud allegations.
Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill announced the move in a post on X, writing that “blatant fraud … appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.”
“We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” he wrote.
O’Neill cited a video in which conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley alleged nearly a dozen Minnesota day care centers that receive state funds aren’t actually providing services. O’Neill said the agency has identified the centers mentioned in a video and demanded that the state carry out a “comprehensive audit” of them, including “attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.”
CBS News conducted its own analysis of day care centers mentioned by Shirley. All but two have active licenses, according to state records, and all active locations were visited by state regulators within the last six months. The analysis found dozens of citations for safety, cleanliness and other issues, but no recorded evidence of fraud.
Some of the day care centers featured in Shirley’s video have pushed back against the fraud allegations. One of the facilities, ABC Learning Center, shared surveillance videos with CBS News that showed parents dropping children off on the same day as Shirley’s visit.
A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement: “The governor has been combating fraud for years while the President has been letting fraudsters out of jail. Fraud is a serious issue. But this is a transparent attempt to politicize the issue to hurt Minnesotans and defund government programs that help people.”
Starting immediately, O’Neill said, all payments from HHS’s Administration for Children and Families nationwide “will require a justification and a receipt or photo evidence before we send money to a state.”
The Administration for Children and Families sends some $185 million in child care funds to Minnesota annually, the agency’s head, Alex Adams, said in a video shared by HHS.
Minnesota receives hundreds of millionsof federal dollars per year to support its Child Care Assistance Program, which subsidizes day care services for roughly 23,000 children from low-income families. In the current fiscal year ending in September 2026, the federal government’s share of the program was expected to total $218 million, with the state kicking in $155 million, according to state projections.
The moves by O’Neill came one day after agents from the Department of Homeland Security visited dozens of sites in Minneapolis, part of what DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described as a “massive investigation on child care and other rampant fraud.”
In recent years, Minnesota has grappled with a litany of alleged fraud schemes targeting the state’s public assistance programs. Dozens of people have been convicted as part of a scheme to bilk nearly $250 million from a federally backed child nutrition program during the pandemic, and federal prosecutors have charged people with defrauding Medicaid-supported autism services and housing stabilization programs.
Federal prosecutors have estimated that fraudulent payments made by Minnesota’s Medicaid service in recent years could total $9 billion or more, a figure that Walz has disputed.
The fraud issues have drawn the attention of President Trump, who has focused on the fact that many — though not all — of the defendants are of Somali descent.
Walz has defended the state’s handling of the situation but vowed to crack down on fraud.
Lt. Erik Martin was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of both the criminal and internal investigations, Hialeah Police Department Lt. Eddie Rodriguez said.
Miami Herald File
A Hialeah police lieutenant was arrested Tuesday morning, accused of driving under the influence while off-duty, authorities said.
Lt. Erik Martin was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of both criminal and internal investigations, Hialeah Police Department Lt. Eddie Rodriguez said.
Martin, who has been an officer with the agency since 2006, is assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division, Rodriguez said.
He was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, which is outside of Hialeah’s jurisdiction, according to police.
Hialeah police Chief George Fuente called the allegations surrounding Martin’s arrest “deeply disappointing.”
“Such incidents tarnish the badge and distracts from the tireless work of the men and women who serve this community with integrity every day,” Fuente said in a statement. “We do not condone this behavior; however, we recognize that our officers are human.”
Goodyear Tire’s statue of Sebastian the Ibis holds up the “U.” // Photo courtesy of Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company revealed a one-of-a-kind tire sculpture of beloved UM mascot Sebastian the Ibis to celebrate the team’s appearance in the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 31.
A tire statue of Brutus Buckeye, Ohio State’s mascot, will join Sebastian at AT&T Stadium on game day.
The hand-painted and clear-coated Sebastian the Ibis tire sculpture stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds.
The sculpture was made using around 160 Goodyear tires, with special attention dedicated to Sebastian’s feathers, that took two full days to cut by hand. The feathers are held in by 4,000 crown staples.
It took more than 560 hours across 16 days to create the sculpture.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Goodyear’s tire art sculptures at the Cotton Bowl Classic. The sculptures represent a creative tradition and celebration that honors each team.
Both the UM and OSU Goodyear Tire mascots stand on a football field. // Photo courtesy of Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
Fans will be able to take pictures with the Sebastian the Ibis tire sculpture at AT&T Stadium on game day. After the game, the sculptures will be donated to the University for display on campus.
As for the location, each school is given two options for where their mascot sculpture could go.
Goodyear can gift the sculpture to the participating university and arrange shipping with each school’s athletic department to transport it back to campus.
In another option, Goodyear can house the sculpture in their Goodyear Vault where it can then be auctioned off. The proceeds would then be donated to a charity of the school’s choosing.
The University has not announced their plan for the Sebastian sculpture yet.
Fans can watch the Miami Hurricanes face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at AT&T Stadium at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
The winner will advance to the CFP semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) – Several Miami Hurricanes fans heading to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl game faced a flight cancelation at the Miami International Airport just hours before takeoff for their trip.
Miami Hurricanes fans who were heading on a flight to Dallas to see the Miami Hurricanes face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes found out that their flight, Frontier Flight 2675, was canceled two hours before takeoff.
One Canes fan who spoke with 7News said she found out about the cancelation while she and her husband were in line to get their bags tagged.
She said they felt helpless and had to scramble to figure out what happened with Frontier officials.
She went on to say officials gave them a card with a QR code, and that the next flight that was offered would land a day after the Cotton Bowl ended.
In a statement shared with 7News, Frontier Airlines said that “several earlier disruptions across our network, including [air traffic control] constraints, reduced our available crew in Miami and necessitated the cancelation of this flight to comply with safety and regulatory guidelines.”
Another fan who spoke with 7News said she was very upset.
“Distraught, because, I mean, you have this sense of excitement that you’re going to see this bucket list type event, it’s a college bowl game, so you’re hype, you’re excited for the game, but then you get here and then automatically, it’s almost as if the rug has been pulled from underneath you, you know, it’s shock, it’s borderline desperation because you’re trying to figure out what you’re gonna do,” she said.
That fan did manage to book another flight heading to Texas through Delta.
A picture shared by that fan showed her onboard the flight packed with several other Canes fans.
Frontier officials said they are offering refunds along with a $100 voucher for future travel for the passengers and the option of rebooking the flight with another airline.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of late President John F. Kennedy, has died shortly after announcing she had a terminal cancer diagnosis, the JFK Library Foundation said Tuesday.
“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” read a message from her family on the institution’s Instagram account, alongside an image of Schlossberg.
Schlossberg, 35, who had a career as an environmental journalist, wrote in an essay published by The New Yorker last month that she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2024, shortly after the birth of her second child. She underwent grueling treatment, including chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants, but the cancer returned and she was eventually given a prognosis of one year to live, she wrote.
Tatiana Schlossberg speaks at an event in New York City in on Sept. 9, 2019.
This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida’s only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with Miami’s Community News. Read more at WLRN.org.
Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN’s Morning Edition. The National Weather Service says a cold front moving through the region today will bring in cooler air overnight. A Democratic Congresswoman from South Florida accused of stealing millions in COVID-19 relief funds is maintaining her innocence, and other local news.
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For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com
On Coming Out, host Gabriel Páez speaks with Monica Matteo Salinas, candidate for Miami Beach Commission, Group 1, about her campaign, community priorities, and the strong voter response behind her run. Salinas discusses earning support from over 70% of voters, the issues shaping Miami Beach, and her vision for effective local leadership. This episode highlights civic engagement and grassroots momentum in Miami Beach politics.
Miami Community Newspapers is your go-to source for Miami community news, offering daily updates, podcasts, and multimedia content. Covering local events, business updates, and lifestyle features across Miami-Dade County, our family-owned media company publishes a variety of neighborhood publications both online and in print. Explore Miami’s culture through our exclusive community podcasts, magazines, and newsletters
Wanda Paul, the Broward schools official overseeing construction and operations for the district, submitted her resignation late Sunday, hours after a school board member demanded leadership changes amidst two controversies.
Paul sent a resignation letter to Superintendent Howard Hepburn Sunday evening, saying she would step down as chief operations officer. Earlier in the day, School Board member Adam Cervera posted a statement on X that cited “operational failures” related to a canceled office lease agreement and a failed effort to secure a company to oversee more than $1 billion in school district construction, the latter of which is causing the district to take emergency actions to manage the construction work.
Cervera called for Paul’s “immediate resignation.”
Photo Editor Brian Mulvey // The Canes celebrate scoring against Bethune Cookman on Nov. 6, 2025.
After spending decades as a perennial basketball powerhouse, the Atlantic Coast Conference hit rock bottom last year.
Heading into the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the ACC had sent a record-low four out of 18 schools (22.2%) to the 68-team field — its lowest percentage of bids in the league’s entire history. Out of those four teams, only one survived the first weekend, with Clemson, Louisville, and North Carolina falling in the first round and Duke being the sole program to advance to the Round of 32.
Last year’s dismal showing marked the first time the conference had one or fewer teams alive past the first game since the expansion of March Madness in 1975.
Fortunately, the shortcomings appear to be short-lived, and as the ACC gears up to tip off conference play on Dec. 30, its overall success over the first two months of the season have indicated it will return to its former perch as one of college basketball’s most elite leagues.
Miami is one of the reasons why.
Not even halfway through this year’s schedule, the Hurricanes (11-2) have already shattered their win total from their catastrophic 2024-25 season, when they finished with a 7-24 record, tying for the most single-season losses in the program’s lengthy history.
They are one of the many teams in the conference that have performed a complete turnaround from last year, helping to restore the ACC’s national prominence after taking a backseat to the SEC in 2025, which sent a record-breaking 14 out of its 16 member teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Under new head coach Jai Lucas, whose roster approach of assembling a sunshine syndicate of local Florida talent injected the tonal shift in culture and chemistry the group had been lacking last season, Miami was humming through November and December. In 13 non-conference games, the ‘Canes have won 11 of them, a complete turnaround under Lucas.
UM head coach Jai Lucas talks to his team during a timeout versus BYU on Nov. 27 2025. Photo Credit: University of Miami Athletics
With its only losses coming to current national champions Florida and No. 10 BYU and its offensive and defensive dominance highlighted in key statistical categories, the Hurricanes seem to be checking all the boxes of an NCAA Tournament-caliber team early on.
But the true test still awaits.
For Miami, the full picture won’t be painted until it begins conference play, which will provide the real measuring stick to determining the team’s true ceiling as to if they’ll be capable of playing into March.
As it stands, not a single team enters its ACC schedule below .500, proving just how unforgiving and cutthroat the league remains. With that in mind, here’s a comprehensive look at the juggernauts that lie ahead for Miami over its final 18 regular-season games.
The teams to watch Duke
The Duke Blue Devils are still at the top of the totem pole and will once again be the team to beat in the ACC.
Fortunately for Miami, the reigning ACC champions are the only team not on the Hurricanes’ schedule this season, meaning Jai Lucas’ reunion with his former team will have to wait another year.
The Blue Devils were by far the conference’s most successful representative last year, advancing to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament while being led by Cooper Flagg, the generational freshman sensation who garnered ACC and National Player of the Year accolades.
Despite losing a player of his pedigree, Duke hasn’t missed a beat, sitting at 11-1 and ranked No. 6 in the country after non-conference play.
A major factor of their sustained dominance from one season to the next has been their ability to replace the irreplaceable. To the rest of college basketball’s chagrin, Duke has seamlessly transitioned from one NCAA superstar to another, swapping Flagg for Cameron Boozer.
The highly-touted freshman and Christopher Columbus High School product is picking up right where ‘The Maine Event’ left off, leading the race as the clear-cut favorite for Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year.
Boozer has been a force on both ends of the court, profiling as one of the nation’s most complete prospects in terms of both output and skillset. The son of longtime NBA star Carlos Boozer, Cameron leads the country in scoring and has proven to be a winner at every level he’s competed.
Although not one of the flashiest players in this year’s loaded freshman class, the domineering forward entered the scene with top-three expectations and has lived up to all of the hype. If he can continue to produce at the same rate over the remainder of the season, Boozer has a legitimate path to becoming the number one overall pick in next year’s NBA draft.
The Blue Devils looked invincible through their first 11 games, going unbeaten while rolling past four elite programs in Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, and Michigan State. But they couldn’t stay undefeated through Christmas, choking a 17-point second-half lead against Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden to suffer their first loss of the season in the final tune-up before their ACC opener.
It remains to be seen if the late-game implosion was a microcosm of what’s to come down the line for Duke or if it was just an inexplicable fluke. Nevertheless, they are yet again positioned to be a national contender and the outright ACC title favorites for the second straight year.
Third-year sophomore guard Nijel Pack drives to the basket during Miami’s game against Duke University on March 10 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Photo credit: Alexandra Carnochan
North Carolina
Following a tumultuous 2024/25 season that thrust North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis onto the hot seat, the Tar Heels are back to playing up to its expected level as one of college basketball’s most fabled blue blood programs.
UNC was unceremoniously bounced from the first round of March Madness nine months ago after a lackluster 23-13 regular-season record was controversially just enough to earn them a spot in the dance as the No. 11 seed.
However, it has become eminently clear that this year is a different story.
North Carolina is 12-1 and off to their best start in 17 years. The No. 12 Tar Heels have not had 11 wins in their first 12 games since they won the national championship in the 2008/09 season. Over this stretch, they’ve defeated the likes of Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio State, each of which were ranked within the preseason top 30.
While Cameron Boozer continues to be one of the best players in the country and projects as a top-3 draft pick, the gap between him and UNC’s five star freshman Caleb Wilson is not as wide as one might think.
The 6’10, 216 pound forward leads the Tar Heels in points and has registered an ACC-best 11 rebounds per game. He has also recorded nine games with more than 20 points, the most by any freshman in the country. Based on his performances up to this point, Wilson could easily challenge Boozer as the top first-year player across all leagues as the season progresses.
Last season’s adversity clearly lit a fire under Davis and North Carolina, and the group is playing with a new sense of energy and urgency because of it. The Tar Heels are more dangerous than ever, and they are rapidly emerging as a team that no other ACC school will want to play against over the ensuing months.
Fourth-year junior forward Norchad Omier goes up for a shot in the second half of Miami’s game versus the University of North Carolina in the Watsco Center on Feb. 10, 2024. Photo credit: Jared Lennon
Louisville
If Duke and North Carolina are the traditional blue bloods that have long reigned at the top of the ACC, the Louisville Cardinals are the new kids on the block looking to disrupt the natural balance of power.
Second-year head coach Pat Kelsey has transformed Louisville from rags to riches, going from an ACC-worst 8-24 in 2023-24 to challenging for the conference title with a 27-8 overall record last year in his first season at the helm.
Entering ACC play, the No. 16 Cardinals are 10-2 with ranked wins against Kentucky and Indiana.
Elite freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. and transfer portal acquisitions Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely have led the charge over this 12-game span.
Kelsey and his squad will look to take the next big leap for the program and capture their first ever conference regular season or tournament title in school history.
As for The Big Dance, Louisville will aim to seek its first tournament win since 2017 after a first-round exit left a sour note on an otherwise resoundingly successful 2024/25 season.
Fourth-year junior guard Harold Beverly dunks on Louisville in the second half of Miami’s game against the Cardinals in the Watsco Center on Saturday, Feb. 11. Photo credit: Sam Peene
Virginia
It’s a new era in Charlottesville, and year one of the Ryan Odom regime is off to a promising start.
Virginia was thrown into turmoil in its 2024/25 campaign, stumbling to a losing record after the sudden retirement of legendary head coach Tony Bennett just a week before the season began.
For his replacement, the Cavaliers turned to former UMBC coach Ryan Odom, the man responsible for the first 16-over-1 upset in NCAA Tournament history, stunning top-seeded UVA and forever etching his name into March Madness lore and Virginia infamy.
That is, until the school hired him on March 21.
Through the first two months, the Hoos have found lightning in a bottle on the scoring end, leading the ACC in three-point shooting and ranking third in field goal percentage.
Much of Odom’s first-year success can be attributed to Virginia’s influx of talent over the offseason. The Cavaliers added key contributors in Malik Thomas, Dallin Hall, and Jacarri White by way of the transfer portal along with true freshman standouts Chance Mallory and Johann Grünloh to the rotation, amplifying their offensive firepower.
But possibly their biggest impact player this season has been Thijs De Ridder, the star freshman forward from Belgium who leads the team in scoring. De Ridder headlines the latest wave of international players to make the jump from professional leagues overseas to the collegiate ranks of NCAA Division I basketball in America.
Standing at 11-1 before their first conference clash against in-state rivals Virginia Tech, No. 21 Virginia will look to build on their early momentum in the hopes of punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament in March.
Miami will begin ACC play on Tuesday, Dec. 30 against the Pitt Panthers (7-6). Tipoff at the Watsco Center is set for 7 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network.
David Lebowitz, Staff Photographer/Senior Guard Tre Donaldson races toward a loose ball against Elon on November 20, 2025.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin died and his mother was critically injured after a weekend fire heavily damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday.
Firefighters arrived Sunday night at a two-story home near Stanley that was mostly engulfed in fire, with flames showing through the attic, the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services said in a news release.
Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the home, suffering from catastrophic injuries, officials said. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at a hospital, officials said.
Mary Lou Hamlin was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, where she was being treated Monday, officials said.
The fire caused the structure to collapse. The cause is under investigation.
Stanley is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Charlotte.
The home is owned by a company called Won One Real Estate that lists Denny Hamlin as its manager, according to local property tax records and a business document filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.
Representatives for Hamlin had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.
Hamlin is one of the marquee drivers in NASCAR’s top circuit, having won 60 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times.
The 45-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has yet to win a Cup points championship. He fell short of the title during this season’s final race in Arizona last month.
Weeks earlier, Hamlin said his father — who nearly went broke with financial sacrifices to try to get his son into NASCAR — was battling a serious illness, and that he didn’t have much time left to live.
“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment,” Hamlin told The Associated Press.
Hamlin also mentioned his dad in emotional testimony this month at the start of a federal antitrust trial against NASCAR brought in part by 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. NASCAR, 23XI Racing and another race team reached a settlement during the trial before jurors ever deliberated.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The Beaux Arts Festival of Art draws more than 25,000 visitors each year offering artwork in a variety of media and price points.
The 75th annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art is set to return Jan. 17-18, 2026, bringing more than 200 juried fine art exhibitors to the beautiful University of Miami campus.
Recognized as one of South Florida’s leading art shows, the festival attracts acclaimed artists from all over the country, and awards more than $20,000 in prizes to exhibiting artists. The two-day outdoor festival is hosted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Stanford Drive in front of the Lowe Art Museum, and admission to the festival is free thanks to the generous support of presenting sponsor UHealth Jackson Urgent Care.
A South Florida tradition bringing families together with art since 1952, the Beaux Arts Festival of Art draws more than 25,000 visitors each year offering artwork in a variety of media and price points. In addition to museum-quality fine art, the festival will feature live music, interactive art experiences for both children and adults, a marketplace featuring local vendors and fabulous dining – making this event ideal for art enthusiasts and families alike.
Returning once again to the festival are two patron-favorites: The Children’s Art Park sponsored by UHealth Jackson Urgent Care, where children of all ages will have the opportunity to create their own art, and The Community Art Tent sponsored by TD Bank, which will have an art activity for the whole family to enjoy.
The festival also will feature a beer and wine garden presented by Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen, which will offer local brews and delicious wines for festival patrons to enjoy during the festival.
“Celebrating 75 years of the Beaux Arts Festival of Art is truly remarkable,” said Francesca Valdes, Beaux Arts president 2025-26. “This event has become a cherished community tradition, bringing people together through creativity year after year. We’re honored to mark this milestone and continue sharing exceptional art with South Florida.”
Proceeds from the festival benefit free admission to the University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum and Beaux Arts’ educational programs. For over seven decades Beaux Arts has been committed to expanding arts education, appreciation and access in South Florida.
Through the organization’s signature outreach programs, HandsOn! and Student Artist Showcase, thousands of children from underserved communities have been introduced to the world of art. Additionally, Beaux Arts’ support of the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami each year allows the museum to offer free admission to all patrons year-round.
Beaux Arts was founded in 1952 by a small group of women and has grown to an organization of more than 100 active members and 350 associates with a common purpose, to increase art appreciation in the community and support the Lowe Art Museum.
The festival continues to be 100 percent volunteer run, and is co-chaired this year by Amber Seidle-Lazo and Kaitlyn Rieder.
In addition to presenting sponsor UHealth Jackson Urgent Care, the 75th annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art is generously sponsored by Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen, TD Bank, Bill Seidle Auto Group, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Community Grants, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Tourist Development Council, Lowell International Realty, Alexander Montessori School, The Gordon School, Kiddos Magazine, Revive Surgical Institute, Bask Suncare, Pardo Yachts, South Florida Integrative Medicine, Evensky & Katz / Foldes Wealth Management, Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices / EWM Realty, Caitlin and Bailey Hallingby, BLICK Art Materials, JRG Construction, Jam with Jamie, Life Time Fitness Coral Gables, Bagel Emporium, and the Palley Family Foundation.
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
Japanese premiere Sanae Takaichi may have extra trouble sleeping after she moved into the prime minister’s official residence, where ghosts of Japanese soldiers from a century ago are reputed to reside.
Japan’s first woman prime minister transferred on Monday into the stone-and-brick mansion, which adjoins her offices in central Tokyo, more than two months after taking office.
This picture taken on December 18, 2025 shows the official residence of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo. Takaichi may have more trouble sleeping after she moved into the prime minister’s official residence, where ghosts of Japanese soldiers from a century ago are said to reside.
JIJI PRESS / AFP via Getty Images
She had been staying in accommodations for members of parliament but drew criticism for taking 35 minutes to get to her office after a big earthquake in early December.
Takaichi, 64, came to power with pledges to “work, work, work, work and work” and has said that since taking office that she’s too busy to sleep more than two to four hours a night.
Opened in 1929, her new surroundings — its style inspired by U.S. architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s since-demolished Imperial Hotel across town — might also keep her awake.]
Sanae Takaichi in October 2025.
CBS News
It was the site of two attempted coups in the 1930s when several top officials including a prime minister were assassinated by young military officers.
In addition to at least one bullet hole, the ghosts of those who were involved are believed by some to have roamed the hallways ever since.
Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, also lived at the residence, which was renovated in 2005, and said he wasn’t afraid of ghosts.
Before him, Fumio Kishida reported seeing no phantoms and sleeping soundly.
Former premier Shinzo Abe — Takaichi’s former mentor — and Yoshihide Suga both lived elsewhere, leaving the supposed ghosts without company for nine years until 2021.
An F-18E fighter jet is seen on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford while it sails during NATO’s Neptune Strike 2025 exercise on September 24 in the North Sea.
JONATHAN KLEIN
AFP via Getty Images
Maracaibo
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States has destroyed a docking area used by suspected drug traffickers in Venezuela, marking what would be the first publicly acknowledged U.S. ground strike inside the country amid escalating tensions with the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said U.S. forces targeted a coastal facility used to load drugs onto boats bound for international markets.
“There was a big explosion in the dock area where they load the boats with drugs,” Trump said. “So we hit all the boats, and now we hit the area. It’s the staging area. And that’s gone now.”
The president did not specify whether the operation was carried out by U.S. military forces or intelligence agencies, nor did he identify the precise location of the strike, saying only that it occurred “along the coast.” He also declined to say whether there were casualties.
Trump’s remarks, first made during a radio interview on Friday and reiterated Monday, have not been confirmed by U.S. defense officials. The White House has issued no formal statement, and the Pentagon referred questions to the president’s office.
Venezuelan authorities have likewise remained silent. State-controlled media have not reported any attack, although social media users in western Venezuela circulated images and videos over the weekend of a large fire at what appeared to be a warehouse near the city of Maracaibo. The cause of the blaze has not been independently verified.
The blaze erupted early Tuesday morning at the Primazol facility in the city of San Francisco, in Zulia state, roughly 700 kilometers west of Caracas and near Lake Maracaibo, one of the largest bodies of water in South America. Local authorities said the incident was unrelated to any foreign military action.
According to Mayor Héctor Soto, a political ally of strongman Nicolás Maduro, the fire was caused by an electrical failure. Speaking to local media, Soto said no one was injured and dismissed suggestions that the incident was linked to an external attack. He added that agents from Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency, along with police and firefighters, responded immediately to the scene.
“Let the Americans — the gringos, in this case Donald Trump and all his people — continue to dream,” Soto said. “We will defend the homeland of Bolívar.”
Primazol dismissed in a statement the unofficial versions that linked the fire to President Trump’s statements, calling it an “incident.”
If confirmed, the strike would represent a significant escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against the Maduro regime and the first known instance of a U.S. military strike on Venezuelan territory in the current standoff.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro and senior officials of leading what it calls the “Cartel of the Suns,” a network of military and political figures allegedly involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking. U.S. authorities have offered a reward of up to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy.
Trump said Monday that he had spoken “very recently” with Maduro by phone but characterized the conversation as unproductive. “Not much came of it,” he said.
The alleged strike comes amid an intensifying U.S. campaign against drug trafficking networks operating in the Caribbean and along South America’s northern coast. Since September, U.S. forces have increased maritime and aerial patrols in the region, targeting vessels suspected of transporting narcotics.
According to U.S. officials, at least 107 people have been killed in operations tied to what the administration has dubbed Operation Southern Spear, a sweeping effort aimed at disrupting transnational drug networks. Washington has described the campaign as one of the largest U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean in decades.
The Pentagon has recently surged additional assets into the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and several guided-missile destroyers. U.S. officials say the deployments are intended to bolster interdiction efforts in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific.
Human rights organizations, however, have raised concerns about civilian casualties and the legal basis for some of the operations. Several groups have accused the United States of carrying out extrajudicial killings, allegations the administration has firmly denied, insisting all actions comply with international law and are conducted in self-defense.
The reported strike also comes as Washington tightens economic pressure on Caracas. The Trump administration has expanded sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector and recently ordered the seizure of vessels linked to sanctioned entities. U.S. officials argue that oil revenues are being funneled into drug trafficking, corruption, and the financing of armed groups.
The Maduro regime has repeatedly rejected those claims, accusing Washington of waging economic warfare and seeking to justify regime change. Venezuelan officials insist that the country is the victim of an international disinformation campaign aimed at undermining its sovereignty and seizing control of its vast oil reserves.
Trump, however, struck a defiant tone, suggesting that the operation marked a turning point. “They’re loading the ships with drugs,” he said. “So we attacked the ships, and now we’re attacking the area. That area no longer exists.”
Galardonado periodista con más de 30 años de experiencia, especializado en la cobertura de temas sobre Venezuela. Amante de la historia y la literatura.
