Comment on Senate readies for vote on defense bill to raise troop pay, bar trans care for minors

TALLAHASSEE — Saying the “Constitution does not mandate comfortable prisons,” Florida corrections officials want a federal judge to toss out a potential class-action lawsuit alleging the state has violated inmates’ rights because of hot conditions at a Miami-Dade County prison. Lawyers for the Florida Department of Corrections, Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon and Dade Correctional Institution Warden Francisco Acosta filed a motion Tuesday seeking dismissal of the lawsuit filed in October. The lawsuit, which names three Dade Correctional Institution inmates as plaintiffs, alleges violations of the U.

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — China is expanding its nuclear force, has increased military pressure against Taiwan and has strengthened its ties with Russia over the past year, according to a Pentagon report Wednesday that details actions accelerating key areas of conflict with the United States. The report, however, also notes that the recent rash of corruption allegations within China’s powerful Central Military Commission, which oversees the People’s Liberation Army, is hurting Beijing’s military growth and could slow its campaign to modernize. The impact, said a senior defense official, is a bit of a mixed bag because while there has been progress in some programs, China has slid back in others. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the U.

Wednesday will see the likelihood of heavy rain across South Florida, particularly in Broward and Pam Beach counties. The city of Fort Lauderdale had already received 3 inches of rain as of Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., according to city officials, and was experiencing flooding. The high tide happened at 10:20 a.m., exacerbating the flooding.

By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting Wednesday on final passage of a sweeping defense bill that will authorize significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members and boost overall military spending to $895 billion while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members. The annual defense authorization bill usually gains strong bipartisan support and has not failed to pass Congress in nearly six decades, but Pentagon policy in recent years has become a battleground for cultural issues.

The Hurricanes sured up their 2025 wide-receiver room with a solid portal addition on Wednesday. Former LSU wide receiver C. J. Daniels committed to Miami, his representative told On3. Daniels, who 247Sports rates as a four-star transfer, is the second portal addition for Miami this offseason, joining safety Zechariah Poyser after the defensive back committed Tuesday. Daniels, who is listed at 6-2 and 205 pounds, was not a highly recruited prospect.

‘Booked For Murder’ by P. J. Nelson. Minotaur, 336 pages, $28 Madeline Brimley had a decent but not brilliant career as an actress, briefly in New York, then for about 20 years in Atlanta. Acting was all she ever wanted to do since majoring in theater at Florida State University. “Booked For Murder” by P.