Regional News Briefs — Feb. 12, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Just when you thought Jimmy Butler v. Miami Heat had traversed every pathway of the absurd came background issued Thursday, a day after the Heat suspended Butler for two games for missing a team flight. As for the rest of the story? That followed from a subject line of: Jimmy Butler unexpectedly attends Reserve Cup Draft Dinner amid suspension. As in the Reserve Cup in Miami, a championship event for padel, a racquet sport that is similar to tennis but played in an enclosed court with walls, one that Butler has played and promoted over the years. The background on Butler’s day away, in its entirety, as supplied Thursday by the event’s promotion, along with a photo of the event held the same day as the Heat’s team flight to Milwaukee: “While the ongoing Drama with Jimmy Butler and The Miami HEAT continues amid his most recent two game suspension that started last night, it does not seem to be affecting his mood. “Jimmy Butler showed up unexpectedly to the Reserve Cup draft and dinner hosted by Moncayo Ocean Club at a private residence in Miami.

By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Thursday that she will vote against confirming Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, becoming the first Republican to oppose one of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks ahead of a crucial test vote. Murkowski, of Alaska, said in a lengthy statement that allegations of excessive drinking and aggressive actions toward women, which Hegseth has denied, show that his behaviors “starkly contrast” with what is expected of the U.

By ALI SWENSON and LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — After President Donald Trump pardoned around 1,500 Jan. 6 Capitol rioters on Monday, far-right activists cheered the move and said it strengthened their loyalty to him. Some also borrowed from the president’s own rhetoric, calling for retribution. “We’ll never forget, we’ll never forgive.

MILWAUKEE — The delicate dance continued for the Miami Heat at Thursday morning’s shootaround at Fiserv Forum, the ongoing discussion about Jimmy Butler’s absences amid the team stressing in advance that coach Erik Spoelstra would not be taking questions on the subject. So a few more zigs, a few more zags, and the reality that Butler again is away from the team, this time on a two-game team suspension for as the team phrased it in a statement, “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing (Wednesday’s) team flight to Milwaukee.” For Spoelstra, it has meant seven games without Butler, the term of the initial unpaid team suspension, the three games back by the former All-Star forward, and now this two-game sanction that includes Thursday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and Saturday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets that concludes this two-game trip. “The point that I made to our team is you get used to it,” Spoelstra said in a measured tone, agreeable to taking the question.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press An executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day back in office offers a new federal government definition of the sexes that could have a major impact on transgender people nationwide. The order calls for the federal government to define sex as only male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents such as passports and policies such as federal prison assignments.

U. S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick reported lending her campaign some $6.2 million to win a 2022 special election for Congress and defend the seat 10 months later. Voters who rightly wonder how this Democratic politician came into so much money had no clue before she won the coveted District 20 seat in parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Her financial disclosure, filed late with the Clerk of the House, showed that she took $5.7 million in “consulting fees” from a firm wholly owned by her and at the same Miramar address as the family-owned home health care company she managed. That’s not all.