WRONG-WAY COMBAT: The Florida Department of Transportation is to take wrong-way driving countermeasures at five locations in Miami-Dade beginning in January after county commissioners last week OK’d an agreement with the state, which will fund the work on South Miami Avenue south of the I-95 southbound offramp, Southeast First Avenue near the I-95 on and off ramps, North Miami Avenue just south of State Road 112/I-95, Northwest Sixth Avenue south of State Road 932/Northwest 103rd Street, and the eastbound William Lehman Causeway Loop to East Country Club Drive. The state will install “One Way” signs, sod medians, add “No U/Left Turn” signs, place pavement guidelines and more.
A JOBS BEACON: Miami-Dade is asking the legislature to appropriate funds for a Beacon Council program the council is calling simply “TalentBridge: Empowering Florida’s Workforce, Strengthening Florida’s Economy.” The project would create a centralized platform with real-time labor market data on trends and hiring needs and would map programs, credentials and funding options. It would also offer targeted job training, internship opportunities and workforce readiness programs, including options to get jobs for disabled workers. County commissioners voted 12-0 last week to support a measure by Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis seeking the state funding.
MILITARY DEGREES: Applicants for some of Miami-Dade County government’s 30,000 jobs could substitute military experience for formerly required college degrees under legislation that passed 12-0 last week. The resolution requires Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to list all county job classifications for which it’s feasible to allow veterans seeking those jobs to substitute active-duty military experience for traditional college degree requirements. She then must change county rules to make it happen. Excluded are department directors, physicians, jobs exempt by law from the county’s classified service system, elected officials, and unpaid appointees.
HOME SWEET HOME: As commissioners last week debated how to find anyone to buy the near-century-old Dade County Courthouse to help fund use of the soon-to-open Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center nearby, Chairman Anthony Rodriguez suggested “Why don’t we do a straw poll to see if we convert it into a commissioners’ mansion?” Responded Juan CarlosBermudez, “You say that and it’s funny, but the City of Detroit has a mayor’s mansion.” So for Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Mr. Rodriguez replied, “We’ll give her the main courtroom.”
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A massive search operation continued Wednesday in West Virginia, where officials said crews were “working around the clock” and continuing “aggressive” efforts to locate a missing coal miner who became trapped in a flooded coal mine Saturday afternoon.
“There is nothing that we would spare to try to save the life of the miner,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told reporters on Monday.
Morrisey said Tuesday that about 6,000 gallons of water were being pumped out of the mining complex every minute, which he called “a significant increase from earlier efforts as additional pumps became available.”
A simultaneous drilling operation could allow rescuers to reach the miner a different way, the governor previously said.
“While estimates from setup and completion vary for each method, using both approaches together offers the clearest path to success,” he said.
In an update Tuesday night, Morrisey said the effort was still a rescue mission and rescuers were trying to give the miner a “chance to live,” adding that diving teams and mine safety teams were taking part.
The miner is the foreman of a 17-person team that struck a pocket of water inside of south-central West Virginia’s Rolling Thunder Mine, causing water to rush into the complex, said Nicholas County Commissioner Garret Cole, citing information from the local emergency management and homeland security agency as well as reporting by CBS News affiliate WOWK. Rolling Thunder Mine is in Nicholas County.
All of the other miners were accounted for in the aftermath of the flood, Cole said on Facebook late Sunday. Officials believe the foreman helped the team escape the flooding and that he is about three-quarters of a mile into the mine.
Morrisey said in a statement that “a section of the mine operation flooded after an old mine wall was compromised.”
Multiple local, state and federal agencies were involved in the search, in addition to specialized mining, cave diving and drilling crews attempting to pump water out of the mine, Cole said. By 8:45 p.m. local time Sunday, dive teams had entered the mine for a third time.
“From reporting from homeland security and media, it is amazing to see the mobilization of these many agencies getting to work so quickly and working around the clock in order to move as quickly, and safely as humanly possible,” he said.
In an update Monday, Nicholas County Commissioner Cole said the governor said there had been concerns about removing water while dive crews are simultaneously deployed, so crews were trying to remove the water as fast as possible.
Cole said that coal seams inside the mine have “created air pockets in the ‘peaks’ of the mine,” and that officials hope the miner was able to find them.
“It was stated to me that the air and water is approximately 52-54 degrees, which means the miner would be less likely to suffer hypothermia, but would more be tasked in trying to become dry and keep in an open air pocket of the mine,” Cole said.
The commissioner called the emergency response “a learning experience” for him, in part because of the challenges the mine’s terrain presents to search and rescue crews, and the fact that “it takes so much time to safely and properly” reenter it.
“This is a waiting game, in a most unfortunate way,” Cole said.
The children of today have lost the art of the “awkward phase.” All too often I see 12 year olds buying products for their Drunk Elephant skincare routine, buying outfits from Garage and listening to Sombr.
There is a huge lack of pre-teen media, leading to a loss of the true cringey “childhood experience” so many of us had. A rise in the use of social media and exposure to more mature content at increasingly younger ages has caused many children, more specifically young girls, to want to “fix” their insecurities rather than embrace them and discover who they truly are.
The early 2000’s saw the peak of pre-teen culture: Disney stars like Hannah Montana and the Sprouse Twins, stores like Justice and Claire’s and of course, a bedazzled flip phone filled with lipgloss.
As opposed to embracing their quirkiness, pre-teens are now being pushed to mature faster due to social media. According to Omega Pediatrics, children are now being introduced to social media as young as eight years old, with the average age being 12.
“The overuse of social media can actually rewire a young child or teen’s brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification, leading to obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors,” said Dr. Nancy Deangelis, Director of Behavior Health at Jefferson Health Abington.
Children who are being exposed to social media so early on in their development are negatively affected, both mentally and physically. They begin to mature at a much quicker rate than younger generations who were able to experience each phase of childhood.
“My little sister missed out on the world of magazines, toys and shows made specifically for pre teens,” said freshman student Audrey Booher. “She went straight from Cocomelon to scrolling on TikTok and there was no in between.”
The blame is not all on social media platforms though. As it turns out, there are no outlets for pre-teens to express themselves anymore.
Justice, marketed as one of the largest tween clothing brands, began closing its stores in 2020 and 2021. Claire’s now has a new owner, and it has resulted in the shut down of almost 300 stores nationally.
Today, young shoppers go to places like Brandy Melville or Hollister. While there’s no explicit issues with this, it raises some alarms when an eight-year-old is in the checkout line buying the same outfit as a 24-year-old.
Recently, there was also controversy surrounding artist Sombr’s recent tour, highlighting the need for pre-teen music.
According to one TikTok user @meganator_, the 20-year-old artist’s concert was filled with thousands of shrieking pre-teens who “lacked decorum.” That wasn’t the worst part though. Sombr reportedly made inappropriate comments for the age group present, telling them to “bark for me” and asking a member of the audience to get on stage and call their ex.
The incident caused many on TikTok to criticize the artist, stating his behavior is inappropriate when he knows he has a much younger fan base. The point was also made that nowadays, there is little to no appropriate music for children ages 11-14 to listen to, so they begin listening to much more mature content like that of Sombr or Sabrina Carpenter.
In the mid to late 2000’s, children had musical talents like Taylor Swift and One Direction, who curated music for audiences in the preteen and teen years just like them. It allowed children a safe outlet for music that was appropriate but still relatable to them and their experiences.
A recent TikTok trend also dubbed this “new age” of pre-teens the “Sephora ten year olds,” pointing out that extremely young children are shopping around Sephora for expensive makeup and skincare that they honestly don’t need and shouldn’t be using.
“Kids don’t even need most of what Sephora sells and they are ruining their skin in the process,” said one TikTok user @ashley_g1287.
“Why did they take all the Claire’s and teen stores away,” said another.
It’s time for there to be a new age of pre-teen media. Rather than forcing them to be stuck between choosing a Disney cartoon or a Netflix drama series, we need to curate media that fits them. It’s so important to allow younger audiences to retain their innocence, but also still allow them to feel seen and heard through the media they are watching and listening to.
We’ve all seen the embarrassing online apologies: the notes app explanations, the ukeleles, the very obvious practiced speech.
So, why do we continue to ask for apologies from influencers, even when we know they don’t really mean it?
Cancel culture doesn’t do anyone any good. Yes, the influencer might apologize for their actions and move on, but nobody else does. They’re still trolling the influencer’s comment sections, condemning them for their actions and inevitably still giving them attention they desired in the first place.
Let’s consider James Charles. He had an insane media presence in the late 2010’s, but struggled for years to remain relevant. One viral video he took in Disney recently made him a meme again, giving him the traction he had been chasing for years since he first went viral.
People have even begun to change their minds on social media, asking why he was ever hated in the first place.
“Almost every influencer has been cancelled at some point. They do something controversial and then everyone forgets about it after like a week, and it makes cancelling them pretty much pointless,” said freshman student Gabrielle Walsh
This year, Cierra from Love Island was also under fire for using a racist slur in an old TikTok post.
At first, everyone in her comment section left hateful comments, urging her to apologize for her actions. However, only four months later, people are now beginning to feel bad for her and saying she has paid her dues and no longer deserves hate.
What was the point of “canceling” her?Who decides when it has been a sufficient amount of time for her to be hated on and bullied?
TikTok content creator Chris Olsen said it best: “Cancel culture doesn’t work because people love it too much. It has become a form of entertainment.”
TikTok’s internet trolls sit back and wait for someone to go viral, dig up dirty secrets or slip ups from when they were 14 years old, and then hold it over their head until the next person messes up.
It’s no longer a form of accountability. It’s just something fun for (unemployed) people with parasocial relationships to do every now and then.
According to findapsychologist.org, parasocial relationships are one-sided, and occur between one person who is deeply emotionally invested, while the other has no idea the person exists.
With the rise of social media influencers and the concept of “authenticity” in the media, parasocial relationships are thriving more than ever.
However, what your every day TikTok or Instagram user seems to forget is that they have no idea who that person truly is or what they stand for. They remove the humanity from the person, replacing it with this idolatry and raising their expectations for how that person should act.
Yes, cancelling someone can be great for accountability purposes. Someone who is consistently hateful or does not deserve fame should be removed from the public eye. But the art of “cancel culture” has become less about responsibility and more about amusement.
Rather than going around digging for dirt on someone in the public eye, I think it’s time we go outside, touch some grass and focus on ourselves.
Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown was extradited from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to face trial for an attempted murder stemming from shooting in May, Miami police say.
Miami-Dade Jail
Former NFL star Antonio Brown on Tuesday returned to Miami, as he now sits behind the bars of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, after spending months on the lam in the Middle East to evade an attempted murder case in May.
Brown was extradited to Miami from Essex County, New Jersey, where law enforcement took him Thursday after apprehending him in Dubai.
Mark Eiglarsh, his attorney, told the Miami Herald that he filed a written plea of not guilty to the attempted murder charge. Brown is set to appear in Miami court for a bail hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
“The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim’s violent behavior. Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself,” Eiglarsh said in a press release.
Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown was extradited from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to face trial for an attempted murder stemming from shooting in May, Miami police say. Essex County Department of Corrections
On May 16, Brown got into a dispute at a boxing event hosted by influencer Adin Ross. The former All-Pro wide receiver said on X he was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me.” Video posted to social media showed Brown appearing to hold a gun and running out of frame. Seconds later, gunshots were heard.
Brown allegedly punched Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a 41-year-old, during the scuffle before the shooting. An off-duty lieutenant with the Florida Highway Patrol broke up the fight.
Brown, the warrant says, was detained and searched. No firearm was found on him, although police found two spent shell casings and a damaged right-handed holster outside the venue. He was released because the man shot, later identified as Nantambu, was no longer at the venue.
When the warrant was issued for the Miami native’s arrest in June, he had an attorney who secured him a $10,000 bond, including house arrest. But as months went by, Brown never turned himself in — and police would not divulge whether they planned on extraditing him.
Miami Herald staff writer Grethel Aguila contributed to this report.
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office. Support my work with a digital subscription
Proud to Honor the Brave: Grant Miller Here at the Doral’s Veterans Day Ceremony
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2025 Endowed Teaching Chair Awards Ceremony at Padron Campus on November 6, 2025. Photo credit: Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College (MDC) proudly announces the selection of seven exceptional faculty members as recipients of the 2025 Endowed Teaching Chairs, the College’s highest distinction for teaching excellence. The honorees were formally recognized at an awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 6.
The Endowed Teaching Chairs program is one of MDC’s most prestigious traditions, celebrating faculty members who exemplify teaching excellence and unwavering dedication to student success. Each year, select professors are nominated and chosen by their peers for this distinguished honor.
Since the program’s inception in 1992, more than 300 faculty members have been recognized as Endowed Teaching Chairs. Honorees receive a $7,500 annual stipend for three years to support professional growth, including the exploration of innovative teaching strategies, research initiatives, and the development of cutting-edge instructional tools. The program is made possible through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and organizations in partnership with the Miami Dade College Foundation.
“At Miami Dade College, our faculty are the heartbeat of our institution,” said MDC President Madeline Pumariega. “The Endowed Teaching Chairs not only celebrate our educators’ extraordinary commitment to teaching but also empower them to further enrich the learning experiences of our students. Their passion and innovation continue to shape the future of our community.”
2025 Endowed Teaching Chair Awards Ceremony at Padron Campus on November 6, 2025. Photo credit: Miami Dade College
2025 Endowed Teaching Chairs Honorees:
Ruth & Jack Kassewitz Endowed Teaching Chair Eduardo Araujo-Pradere, Senior Associate Professor
Homestead Campus
Gordon Foster & Thelma Peters Endowed Teaching Chair Wendy Goodwin, Senior Associate Professor Homestead Campus
Wells Fargo Bank Endowed Teaching Chair Shannon Kennedy, Senior Associate Professor Homestead Campus
Dr. German Munoz Endowed Teaching Chair Nayrie Smith, Senior Associate Professor Kendall Campus
Sylvan E. Myers Endowed Teaching Chair Sharon Plotkin, Associate Professor North Campus
Rosenberg-McIntosh-Leigh Endowed Teaching Chair Diego Tibaquirá, Professor Padrón Campus
Spillis Candela & Partners, Inc. Endowed Teaching Chair Varun Ramberran, Assistant Professor West Campus
About the Miami Dade College Foundation
Founded in 1965, Miami Dade College Foundation raises essential private funds to support scholarships, academic programs, and support services so MDC students have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. MDC Foundation also supports world-class arts and cultural programming at MDC that enriches the community. In 2022-2023, MDC Foundation distributed $26.8 million to benefit the students and programs of MDC. Known as Democracy’s College, MDC changes lives through accessible, high-quality teaching and learning experiences that prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce. Miami Dade College is the largest degree-granting institution in the nation. The college’s eight campuses offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways, including several baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences, engineering, data analytics, information systems technology, education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film, and others. For more information about the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame, please visit www.mdc.edu/halloffame
At a party Monday night to celebrate Sergio Gor’s swearing-in as President Trump’s new U.S. ambassador to India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials told party attendees stories about the top aide who until recently held one of the most powerful — if largely anonymous — roles in government.
Gor served as director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, vetting and hiring thousands of officials to work in the Trump administration.
Vice President JD Vance (L) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio participate in a swearing-in ceremony for U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 10, 2025.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Rubio recalled sitting in a London restaurant with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Gor during President Trump’s state visit in September.
“All of a sudden this guy walks in,” Rubio recalled. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Mick Jagger.’”
The lead singer of the Rolling Stones sat down two tables away.
“And Sergio’s like, ‘I’m going go up to him. I’m going to get his picture,’” Rubio said. “I go, ‘Don’t go up to him.’ I looked it up online immediately — he’s not like an enormous fan of the president. So, I’m like, ‘Sergio, this might be really bad. We’re in the guy’s country. He’s a legend in this country. I mean, I don’t know how he’s going react.’”
Rubio said he gave Gor one instruction. “‘OK, whatever you do, don’t mention me — he doesn’t even know who I am. And if he knows who I am, it isn’t because he likes me.’”
Gor approached Jagger and chatted with him, Rubio said. “All of sudden I hear: ‘Marco Rubio would love to meet you. He’s sitting right over there.’”
Rubio said Gor introduced them, and Jagger “couldn’t have been nicer.” And he said that’s when it occurred to him that Gor was “going to be a good ambassador.”
Gor’s ascension to U.S. ambassador to India follows a career in Republican politics with stints at the Republican National Committee and Congress, where he worked for conservative lawmakers. More recently, Gor was the CEO of a publishing company and political organization with ties to the Trump family.
As personnel director, Gor helped choose who made it into the administration — and who didn’t.
Earlier Monday, the president made reference to friction Gor has had with some of his aides.
“Some people, when they don’t like Sergio, they don’t like him. But when they like him, they like him more than anybody. But most of them really are in the ‘like’ category.”
There were just enough “likes” in the Senate to confirm Gor to his new role along party lines earlier this month.
Partygoers on Monday included Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Mr. Trump’s White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
“I do the cooking; they come and play,” Pirro told the crowd.
“Sergio — and this is where we’re really going to miss you — Sergio cheats at cards,” Pirro said, to laughter. “Sergio, may your diplomatic deals be as unbeatable as your poker face.”
Rubio took the microphone and deadpanned: “I didn’t know about the card cheating thing. … That was not on the application. We cannot have that. Is anybody here from India? You did not hear that.”
The ambassador from India, as well as ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were also in the crowd.
Rubio said some U.S. ambassadors have a direct line to the president, and Gor will be among the few who do.
“When Ric was in Germany, he could call the president,” Rubio said, referring to former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell, “and when Sergio is in India, he can call the president. And that it’s an enormous sign of respect to the country you’re sending them to.”
Rubio said he’s been on four international trips with Gor.
“People ask, ‘Why is the personnel director from the White House with you on these trips?’
And I say, ‘It’s very important. We’re talking about positions.’ But in fact, it’s because there isn’t a country I’ve gone to yet that Sergio hasn’t been (to) at least six or seven times. It’s actually highly suspicious. We honestly try to ignore those things — ‘Why has Sergio been in this country 18 times?’”
Rubio said Gor claimed he already knew her. “How does he know all these people?” Rubio said, to laughs. “This is very, very mysterious. I’m telling you, one day we’ll know the answers.”
Maxwell Pholton pointing to the mark that he says the firework shell left on his face on Friday, Nov. 7 during the Homecoming celebration. Photo credit: Courtesy of Maxwell Pholton.
More students have come forward about being injured during UM’s firework shows for the 2025 Homecoming celebration on Friday, Nov. 7, and the Centennial celebration on April 8, 2025.
Maxwell Holton, an alum who graduated in December of 2024, came back to campus for the 2025 Homecoming celebration. During the fireworks show, Holton said he was standing on Fate Bridge with his back to the UC pool when a firework shell hit him in the face.
“All of a sudden, it felt like somebody elbowed me in the face. I thought someone hit me with their phone or something,” Holton said. “But then I felt my face and it was hot so I looked down.”
Holton said that he was looking around to see if anyone else felt anything and noticed a “shotgun-shell looking item” on the ground.
“It was a firework shell, so I tried to pick it up,” he said. “It was piping hot so I dropped it, but then I picked it up again.”
Maxwell Pholton holding the firework shell that he says hit him in the face on Friday, Nov. 7 during the Homecoming celebration. // Photo credit: Courtsey of Maxwell Pholton.
Holton said that the shell narrowly missed his eye and he had blisters on his face. He did not seek medical treatment or report the incident at the time, but added he will likely report it this week.
“The University advises that if a student was impacted by a firework on Friday, they should report the incident to the Division of Student Affairs at 305-284-4922, and/or UMPD at 305-284-6666,” the University of Miami said in a statement to The Hurricane.
The Hurricane’s Instagram posted on Saturday, Nov. 7 asking for information about anyone allegedly hit by the fireworks. The Hurricane also published an article about freshman Isabella Ramharakh who sent The Hurricane a video showing her being burned by the fireworks.
Since then, multiple people have come forward about injuries resulting from UM’s fireworks shows.
Daniela Herbert, an alum who graduated in 2025, said that she was burned during the Centennial celebration in April. She remembers sitting in the grassy area next to the Eaton Residential College near the trees.
“I mean it wasn’t too bad, just a couple of burns, but the fireworks looked like they were calibrated wrong and shot off at an angle instead of straight up,” Herbert said. “So the sparks fell on all of us and we all started running toward Eaton.”
A current UM architecture student who wishes to remain unnamed said that she witnessed people get injured by the fireworks last year during the Centennial celebration.
“I know people were burned because right after the first strike last year the people who were hit moved away from the area. I also decided to back up to a different spot, sitting on the architecture building stairs instead,” she said.
She was originally standing on the path between Eaton Residential College and Lake Osceola — similar to where Ramharakh and Herbert were standing when they said they were burned.
User @lisset17c commented under TMH’s Instagram post, “I was burn[ed] too, how do I report it!” The Hurricane reached out via direct message and email and has not yet received a response.
Both the unnamed student and Herbert said they saw rope around the lake this year, but they did not notice other additional safety measures.
“I feel like if this has happened twice in a row now … I can’t say [UM] handled safety well,” said Holton. “I know [UM] wants to make it special for everybody, but if they can’t make it special without securing people’s safety, they have to look into that.”
Holton encourages UM to acknowledge the safety errors and share its safety plans moving forward.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
U.S. Navy
The world’s largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has entered the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, further expanding what is already the biggest U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in decades, the Navy said Tuesday.
The deployment — officially framed as a mission against narcotics trafficking and transnational crime — comes as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Venezuela, where the Nicolás Maduro regime is rushing to reinforce a troubled Russian- and Iranian-backed air defense network.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group arrives as new antiaircraft platforms surface across Venezuela. Last week, Russian-made Buk-M2E medium-range surface-to-air missile systems were spotted inside Caracas’ La Carlota military airport, following an urgent appeal by Maduro for Moscow and Beijing to help prepare for what he describes as the threat of a U.S. invasion.
The Buk-M2E, known by NATO as the SA-17 Grizzly, can engage multiple aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles simultaneously with its 9M317E interceptor, which has a range of up to 28 miles.
Major U.S. buildup
The Ford strike group, consisting of guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill, was ordered into the region after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed additional forces to support President Donald Trump’s mandate to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and counter narco-terrorism threatening the U.S. homeland.
“The enhanced U.S. force presence in the SOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a Navy press release. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”
With more than 4,000 sailors and dozens of tactical aircraft, the Ford gives U.S. commanders unmatched reach for sustained operations at sea. Its electromagnetic catapult and advanced arresting gear allow simultaneous launches and recoveries of aircraft, offering a significant edge in both combat and surveillance missions.
The carrier will operate alongside the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its Marine Expeditionary Unit, under a joint task force said to be focused on dismantling criminal networks using maritime routes in the Caribbean and along the coasts of Central and South America.
“Through unwavering commitment and the precise use of our forces, we stand ready to combat the transnational threats that seek to destabilize our region,” said Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of the Doral-based Southern Command.
What the Ford brings to the table:
The Ford Strike Group carries a formidable mix of air, surface and electronic-warfare assets. Its embarked Carrier Air Wing 8 includes:
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
• E/A-18G Growlers
• E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes
• MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawks
• C-2A Greyhounds
The accompanying destroyers bring layered air, surface and submarine defenses through the Aegis Combat System. The USS Winston S. Churchill, serving as Integrated Air and Missile Defense Commander, provides protection against long-range aerial threats.
Venezuela builds its own shield
The U.S. show of force has further strained relations with Caracas, with Maduro accusing Washington of planning “acts of aggression” under the guise of counter-narcotics missions. Since late September, Venezuela has been in a state of emergency, mobilized its armed forces and Bolivarian Militia, and unveiled what analysts describe as one of the most integrated—though unevenly functioning—air defense networks in Latin America.
At its core are Russian-built S-300VM long-range missile systems capable of intercepting aircraft and ballistic missiles more than 125 miles away. Analysts believe three battalions protect Caracas and key industrial corridors. Buk-M2E, Pantsir-S1, upgraded S-125 Pechora-2M, and newly delivered Iranian Bavar-373 missile systems add medium- and short-range capacity.
For close-range defense, Venezuela has distributed thousands of Igla-S MANPADS, Russian-made shoulder-launched surface-t0-air missile systems, across the country.
Russian and Iranian lifelines
Despite Venezuela’s crippling maintenance issues, Russia, Iran and China continue to support Maduro. Russian military transport aircraft reportedly delivered fresh missile components and Pantsir batteries in late October, and Russian advisors are assisting local operators. Iran has supplied Bavar-373 systems and cruise-missile technology; China contributes radars and electronic-warfare platforms.
Even with the new hardware, experts estimate that only 25–40% of Venezuela’s radar and missile network is fully operational due to financial sanctions and a chronic shortage of spare parts. Still, the systems could challenge U.S. air operations near Venezuelan airspace.
A recent Washington Post report said Maduro urgently asked China, Russia and Iran for additional radars, drone technology, aircraft repairs and potentially more missiles. It remains unclear what Beijing has promised.
Strike speculation intensifies
Reports over the past week indicate the U.S. military is expanding its presence in the Caribbean, fueling speculation about potential strikes inside Venezuela. The Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal have reported that the Trump administration has identified Venezuelan military sites allegedly tied to drug-trafficking networks as possible bombing targets.
As Washington amasses what regional diplomats have described as an “armada,” anxiety is rising across Venezuela. Many citizens view the Ford’s arrival as a symbolic turning point that could signal the next phase of Trump’s pressure campaign.
Speaking last week by video at the America Business Forum in Miami, top opposition leader María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, endorsed Trump’s approach, calling it “absolutely correct” and a watershed in the hemisphere’s fight against tyranny and organized crime.
In August, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million, calling him “one of the world’s biggest drug traffickers” and the leader of the Cartel de los Soles. Bondi said he works with groups including Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other transnational criminal networks.
Gus Aspilaga, Contributing Photographer // Miami guard Tre Donaldson goes for a score against Stetson on Nov. 10
A well-rested Miami squad took on the Stetson in dominant fashion Monday night, taking down the Hatters in a 102-61 victory at the Watsco Center.
Forward Malik Reneau led the way for the ’Canes with a double-double, with his 20 points and 10 rebounds leading the team in both scoring and rebounds on the night.
Guards Tru Washington and Tre Donaldson both also had standout games as Washington scored 17 points, and Donaldson picked up a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.
Stetson came into this game after they had just blown out University of Fort Lauderdale 106-77 with sophomore guard Jamie Phillips Jr. leading the team averaging an impressive 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists through the first two games.
The Hatters took the lead early and looked to be carrying some solid momentum from their prior game, forcing UM first-year head coach Jai Lucas to call an early timeout.
Gus Aspilaga, Contributing Photographer // Miami center Ernest Udeh Jr. finishes a dunk against Stetson on Nov. 10.
At around the 12 minute mark, the Hurricanes found themselves down by six, but after clawing their way back with about nine minutes to go they tied things up at 20-20
The ’Canes would end the half strong, outscoring the Hatters 35-16 and taking a 55-36 lead into halftime.
Although the team has had some struggles shooting from beyond the arc so far this season, Miami was able to drain eight three’s on the night.
Continuing their momentum towards the end of the first half, the Hurricanes woke up as they started the second half on a 12-2 run forcing an early Stetson timeout after a Malik Reneau steal and score.
Following that timeout, there wasn’t much the Hatters could do. Miami kept up their relentless defense as the Stetson offense couldn’t do much of anything.
And with about 5 minutes to go Miami subbed out its starters as UM coasted to a 3-0 start to the season.
As this happened, freshman forward Timotej Malovec caught fire as he hit three three-pointers and ended the game with 12 points for the ’Canes as they won 102-61.
Miami (3-0) will look to continue the win streak on Sunday, as the Hurricanes play No. 10 Florida (1-1) on a neutral court in Jacksonville.
The Hurricanes will look to upset the defending national champions this weekend, in what could be Lucas’ first signature win as a head coach at Miami.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 and will air on ESPN.
Gus Aspilaga, Contributing Photographer // Miami Hurricanes bench celebrates as freshman Timo Malovec hits a three pointer against Stetson on Nov. 10
It’s hard for most people to believe that a boxer known for knocking out 32 of 49 opponents could be the victim of domestic violence, but that is what Christy Salters-Martin lived to tell a jury and CBS News contributor David Begnaud. Her husband tried to kill her, she says, but she refused to die. “I told him, ‘You cannot kill me,’ and I meant it. Just like the sun came up this morning, I meant it.”
Christy Martin was a worldwide sensation in the boxing ring and was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Getty Images
Christy Salters-Martin says she is an advocate for women in abusive relationships because of what she survived. On Nov. 23, 2010, after 19 years of marriage, Christy says she was sitting on her bed putting on her running shoes when her husband, Jim Martin, entered the bedroom armed with a knife and gun.
About an hour later, Christy managed to flag down a stranger on her street in Apopka, Florida, who rushed her to a nearby emergency room. Christy had been stabbed four times in the chest, her left lung was punctured, her left leg was cut to the bone, and there was a bullet lodged three inches from her heart.
She says she was able to get up off the floor and escape when Jim decided to take a shower. “I would love to see the look on his face when he got out of the shower, came back to the room and I was gone.”
While doctors worked to save Christy’s life, Jim Martin disappeared. Police found him seven days later not far from the crime scene. Martin, who still had the knife used to stab Christy, declared himself innocent. He said he was the victim of a vicious attack by his wife and ran in fear to a neighbor’s shed, where he says he slipped in and out of consciousness until just before police dogs found him.
Martin’s defense attorney Bill Hancock tells Begnaud that his client was a loving and devoted husband who would never have attacked his wife. “There is not convincing evidence in this case, beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Martin intended to kill Christy,” he says.
Orange County prosecutors Ryan Vescio and Deborah Barra disagree. They believe Jim was the heavyweight in the marriage and that he turned a champion boxer into an abused wife. Vescio describes Martin as manipulative, cruel and controlling: “Jim’s control and abuse led to psychological abuse, physical abuse. … He started to provide her with controlled substances and … put Christy in a very compromised position to where she had to rely on Jim or else her career would be over.”
Christy Salters met Jim Martin when she was just 22 and he was 47. She was a rarity — a promising female boxer. He was a well-regarded coach and, while Martin didn’t believe that women belonged in the boxing ring, he agreed to train the young phenom. Christy says Jim saw dollar signs. “He thought … ‘It’ll be a sideshow, but I think I can get her in a position where we can make some money,’” she tells Begnaud.
As the two grew closer, the relationship turned romantic. A year later, they were married, but according to Christy, it was more business partnership than love story. She also says it was a way to finally please her parents, who had spent years trying to turn her into someone she is not.
Christy was in the fifth or sixth grade when she says she realized she was a lesbian. “Did you confide in anyone?” asks Begnaud. “No,” says Christy, not until she met high school sweetheart Sherry Lusk. Christy tried to keep her dating life a secret, but her parents eventually found out and their disapproval pushed her from the family home. Jim Martin knew all of that and more, and Christy says he used it to control her. “He would always say, ‘I’m gonna tell the world you’re a lesbian.’ And for whatever reason, you know, I just wasn’t strong enough in me to say, ‘Go ahead.’ I know that people think that I should be strong and tough and all those things. But … I didn’t have that same type of mental strength to overtake him.” Christy says she lived in fear of her husband’s threats to expose or kill her if she ever left him, so she stayed. Just days before the attack, knowing it would cause a life-or-death battle, Christy says she finally told Jim Martin she was leaving him for her high school sweetheart, Sherry.
“I think it’s a remarkable story because you have a world-famous champion boxer and she could still be in a domestic violence relationship,” says prosecutor Deborah Barra. “Because that isn’t about physical strength. It’s about mental abuse.”
Barra and Vescio say they fully expected Jim Martin to plead not guilty by reason of self-defense. At the time of the attack, Jim Martin was 66 years old and had recently had heart surgery. Christy was 42 and training for a big comeback fight. Pleading self-defense against a professional boxer was Martin’s best shot at winning, says Vescio. A jury might believe that Christy was the bigger threat — one that had required excessive force.
In his interview with Ryan Vescio, Begnaud set the stage for the trial that the prosecutor calls the most memorable of his career: “Christy was the boxer. Jim was the opponent. The jury was the audience. And the judge was the referee.” Vescio responded: “And what was the most interesting thing was, Christy had always talked about she wanted to win 50 fights in her life. Well, Christy won 49 professional boxing matches in her career. That courtroom was the 50th fight.”
Christy sees it differently, “Finally, I have been able to come to terms with, I got the 50th win, when I got up off the floor November 23, 2010, and got out of my house. That was my 50th win.”
In 2012, Jim Martin was found guilty of attempted murder, but not pre-meditated, and sentenced to 25 years.
On Nov. 26, 2024, Jim Martin died in custody. He was 80 years old.
The fireworks, part of UM’s annual Homecoming tradition, were being launched from the center of Lake Osceola. Ramharakh was standing on the path between Eaton Residential College and the lake with her friends when they noticed that a firework was coming in their direction.
“We were like, oh my God, that looks like it’s coming to hit us,” said Ramharakh. “And then, it literally came to hit us.”
In a video taken by Ramharakh’s friend, the firework appears to hit a palm tree and burst apart above the crowd, sending sparks directly toward those gathered. Multiple people scream and after the sparks stop one girl can be heard saying, “Are you ok? Are you ok? That was really scary. You got hit?”
The sparks burned holes in Ramharakh’s tank top and she says she has two burns and blistered areas on her stomach.
“I wasn’t the only one who got hit, but I was the only one who got burns from it,” she said.
Ramharakh added that she saw paramedics before the firework show and would have asked for ice or bandages, but she could not find anyone to help her during or after the fireworks show.
“Afterward, everyone was in such a rush to get everyone out and make sure all the stuff was picked up, it didn’t feel like they cared so much about the students,” she said. “It was kind of a concern for me, honestly, that I couldn’t even find a faculty member. There was literally no one there who was in charge of anything, near me, that I could be like, ‘Oh my God, this happened to me.’”
The University said in a statement to The Hurricane that it received one report of a “potential incident” with a firework.
“UMPD and Environmental Health and Safety immediately responded, but there were no injuries reported or additional calls regarding the incident,” the statement read. “The University encourages all members of our community to report any safety or security incident by calling UMPD at 305-284-6666.”
This was Ramharakh’s first Homecoming at UM, and she isn’t sure if she will attend another. If she does go to similar celebrations in the future, Ramharakh said she will sit very far away.
While Ramharakh is treating her burns and blisters with over-the-counter ointments and was not hospitalized, she expressed that the situation could have been much worse if the sparks had hit the children or elderly sitting near her.
“It’s just really heartbreaking to see that this could even happen, because this is Homecoming,” said Ramharakh. “I don’t know how much money [UM] put into this, or how much security and all of the precautions they go through — like they have so much security and everything — but nevertheless this still happened. It’s just sad, honestly.”
The Hurricane contacted members of the Homecoming Executive Committee in the late afternoon on Saturday and has not yet received a response.
This article was updated at 7:10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 to include the statement from UM to The Hurricane.
Law enforcement officers from different cities and members of the Miami-Dade Fire fighters paid tribute outside of the HCA Florida Kendall Hospital as the fire rescue unit carrying the body of Miami-Dade Deputy Devin Jaramillo who was ambushed as he responded to a traffic accident and was shot to death, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.
Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified a 21-year-old Saturday afternoon as the man who gunned down Deputy Devin Jaramillo on Friday before killing himself. Online databases show he may be connected to high-speed police chase in New York.
Around 3:50 p.m., Jaramillo, 27, was randomly selected to respond to a routine, minor traffic crash in the Kendall area, near Southwest 122nd Avenue and 128th Street.
Jaramillo and Steven David Rustrian, a 21-year-old involved in the crash, got into an argument for unknown reasons and then a physical scuffle began between them, the sheriff’s office said. During the tussle, Rustrian grabbed Jaramillo’s gun and shot the deputy several times.
Deputy Devin Jaramillo, 27, was working a traffic crash when he was shot and killed by a man Friday afternoon, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said. Moments before his death, video shows him struggling with an unidentified man. Courtesy to the Miami Herald
Rustrian then went into his own car and fatally shot himself. Jaramillo was rushed to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital but died of his injuries.
Mauricio Rustrian, the 21-year-old’s father, spoke with the Herald and shared how heartbroken he was when his wife and Steven’s brothers broke the news to him.
“I’m so sorry for the deputy’s family,” he said.
He did not wish to comment further on the case or his son, saying he is waiting to see the official sheriff’s office report and for the investigation to be closed.
Rustrian was listed as living in a home near South Miami Heights, the sheriff’s office said. The house is owned by a different person, records show, who did not answer a call for information.
Rustrian does not appear to have a South Florida-connected criminal record, according to court records.
According to online databases, Rustrian previously lived in Jamestown and Shirley, New York.
The Town of Colchester Police Department, also located in New York, posted on Facebook that a Steven Rustrian from Shirley was arrested on May 16 for reckless driving during a police pursuit.
It’s unclear if this man is the same man who took Jaramillo’s life, but online databases show the 21-year-old as the only person with that name in New York.
During that May night pursuit, Rustrian of Shirley, New York, was driving 90 mph in a 55 mph zone. When officers began to chase him, Rustrian turned off his car’s lights to try to escape police. He was unsuccessful.
Officers later learned he was driving with a suspended license and charged him with misdemeanors of aggravated unlicensed operator and reckless driving. He was additionally issued traffic summons for unlicensed operator, possession of a fictitious license, failure to obey a police officer, having only one license plate, failure to signal, failure to stop at a stop sign, and speed over 55 mph.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said Saturday that her office would not be sharing any of Rustrian’s possible criminal history until the investigation proceeds further.
This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 3:22 PM.
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office. Support my work with a digital subscription
A speeding car fleeing police slammed into a crowded bar early Saturday, killing four people and injuring 11 in a historic district of Tampa, Florida, known for its nightlife and tourists.
An air patrol unit with the Tampa Police Department spotted the car driving recklessly on a freeway at about 12:40 a.m. after police said the silver sedan had been seen street racing in another neighborhood, according to a police department statement.
The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the vehicle and tried to perform a maneuver that involves bumping a rear fender of a fleeing vehicle to cause it to spin out, known as a PIT or precision immobilization technique, but it was unsuccessful.
Highway patrol officers “disengaged” as the vehicle sped toward the historic Ybor City district near downtown, Tampa police said. Ultimately the driver lost control of the car and hit more than a dozen people outside the bar, police said.
Three victims died at the scene and a fourth victim died at a hospital. As of Saturday morning, a fifth victim was hospitalized in critical condition, and eight additional victims were being treated at local hospitals but were listed as stable, police said. Two other victims experienced minor injuries and declined treatment at the scene. All 15 victims are adults.
“What happened this morning was a senseless tragedy, our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims and all those who were impacted,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement.
Officers identified the suspect as 22-year-old Silas Sampson, who was booked Saturday and is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail.
Court documents showed Sampson has been charged with four counts of vehicular homicide and four counts of aggravated fleeing or eluding with serious bodily injury or death. All are first degree felonies. No attorney was listed for Sampson.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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OVIEDO, Fla. (WSVN) – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a Florida Missing Child Alert for 16-year-old Darionna Hunter, who was last seen Friday in Seminole County.
Investigators said Hunter was last seen in the area of the 600 block of King Street in Oviedo wearing a blue shirt, blue shorts and low-top navy Converse sneakers. She may have blue and blonde dreadlocks.
Hunter is described as having black hair and brown eyes, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 112 pounds.
Authorities urge anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact the Oviedo Police Department at 407-971-5700 or call 911.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfoEANPGivk[/embed] A Salute to Service: Grant Miller Here Veterans Appreciation Luncheon Hosted by the Milton Family Foundation
