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Paradise Lost: Sky-high insurance premiums, required reserve funds and major repairs has some condo associations and owners in dire financial straits

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

As we continue our series on South Florida’s housing crisis, tonight we focus on condos. Some of the estimated 3.5 million Floridians living in condo units face a perfect storm of financial problems, with no easy fix. 7’s Karen Hensel has this special assignment report, “Paradise Lost.”The Palm Bay Yacht Club in Miami and Palm Lakes in Margate could not be any more different. One is 27 stories, the other just four. One overlooks Biscayne Bay, the other is west of the Turnpike.But what both condominiums have in common is financial strain set in motion by the condo collapse in Surfside more than two years ago.Robert Norris, president, Palm Bay Yacht Club: “I knew right then, you know, our lives were all changing immediately, because our building was built at the same time that the Champlain was built.”Robert Norris is the Palm Bay Yacht Club Board president.Robert Norris: “We’re looking at a $33 million project for our 40-year recertific...

Reinhart scores 15 seconds into overtime as the Panthers rally to beat the Capitals 4-3

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Evan Rodrigues was all smiles after his goal helped the Florida Panthers force overtime. That happiness continued after another come-from-behind victory.Rodrigues tied it early in the third period, Sam Reinhart scored 15 seconds into OT and the defending Eastern Conference champions rallied to beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Wednesday night for a second consecutive victory. Much of the core group that reached the Stanley Cup Final is back, and Rodrigues is a newcomer enjoying jumping along for this ride.“There’s definitely no quit in this team, and no matter what the score is we’re not going to roll over,” Rodrigues said. “When we’re down in games, the room doesn’t get quiet. It’s uplifting, it’s motivating and I think that’s why you see late in games so many comebacks.”Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and captain Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers. Two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves and was hardly to blame for t...

Bam Adebayo scores 30 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. hits late 3-pointer as Heat beat Grizzlies 108-102

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 30 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat held off the Memphis Grizzlies 108-102 on Wednesday night for their first road victory of the season.Adebayo had 16 points in the fourth as Miami weathered a pair of Memphis rallies. The Grizzlies cut it to 105-102 on Santi Aldama’s 3-pointer with 35.5 seconds left, but Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. countered with a 3 with 18.4 left to seal it.Kyle Lowery had 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for Miami, and Jimmy Butler added 15 points.Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 28 points. Desmond Bane had 15 points and Luke Kennard 13 as the Grizzlies remained winless at home.Although Memphis occasionally chipped away at the Miami advantage, particularly in the third quarter, the Heat would craft a run each time. But Memphis pulled to 77-76 heading into the fourth.That was part of a 17-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters where Memphis overtook the Heat. At that point, the teams settled in...

Deal over dim sum: China caves to EU on data to keep investors sweet

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

BRUSSELS — When EU digital chief Věra Jourová sat down in Beijing with a senior Chinese official in September, her complaint list was as long as the 11-course dinner her host had prepared.Sore points included Beijing’s disinformation campaigns, electoral interference, state control over Artificial Intelligence development, and ties with Russia. Predictably, Jourová didn’t get many straight answers from her counterpart, Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing. It’s a nail-biting time to be a politician in China, as major figures such as Qin Gang and Li Shangfu have recently been purged as foreign and defense ministers, and no one wants to be accused of making big concessions to the West. Then, in a sudden surprise initiative, Zhang said he was ready to offer a goodie to European businesses facing an increasingly hostile political environment in President Xi Jinping’s China. He explained Beijing was willing to move on data flows — a sphere where China has been trying t...

Israel’s friends must give it ‘hard truths’ over Gaza assault, says Greek PM

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Israel’s allies must speak “hard truths” about its “aggressive” military response against Hamas, as European countries show increasing concern over the “proportionality” of its retaliation in Gaza.“While we recognize that Israel has the right to defend itself, how it does so actually matters, and it matters considerably,” Mitsotakis told POLITICO’s Power Play podcast this week. While the EU has stood behind Israel since the beginning of its counteroffensive following Hamas’ violent attack on October 7 — which killed more than 1,400 people — member countries have expressed “an increased concern over the plight of innocent civilians and about the horrifying scenes that came out of Gaza,” Mitsotakis said. “As Israel continues with this very, very aggressive military campaign, yes, there will be an increased concern about the proportionality of the Israeli response,” Mitsotakis said.“I’m s...

Political will and collaboration needed to redesign plastics system

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Nobody is more aware of society’s complicated relationship with plastic than our industry.Europe’s plastics manufacturers share societal concerns about the plastics system’s contribution to climate change and the challenge of plastics waste, and the need to foster the sustainable use of plastics. However, and while this may not be popular, we know that plastics remain irreplaceable for many applications, and we understand how important they are to enabling the sustainability of transitions and supporting the competitiveness of many sectors in Europe.Our vision is to create a sustainable plastics system that continues to meet consumer and societal demands, while at the same time supporting the transitions of many downstream industries and supporting the competitiveness of the European economy. The ‘Plastics Transition’ roadmap sets out how this vision can be realized by making plastics circular, driving lifecycle emissions to net zero, and fostering the sustainable use of plastics.Am...

Is the EU falling behind in transforming lung cancer care?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

This is a paid editorial funded by Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG.The value of next-generation sequencingIn February 2021, the European Commission introduced the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan, championing a ‘modern approach’ to turning the tide against cancer.1 A cornerstone of the plan is next-generation sequencing, a revolutionary technology able to efficiently identify mutations from the simultaneous analysis of hundreds of thousands of genes. Traditionally, hospitals and diagnostic centers have relied on single-gene testing, only able to look for one known mutation at a time. Next-generation sequencing represents a significant step change in the diagnostic landscape, providing a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s specific tumor type.2This information is vital to guiding diagnosis, prognosis and treatment decisions, particularly for cancers associated with dense numbers of mutations, such as lung cancer. Next-generation sequencing  is the gateway to personalized ...

Suella Braverman is the most hated woman in British politics — and far nicer than you think

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

She’s the most divisive British politician of the age; the scourge of left-wing intelligencia whose fire and brimstone rhetoric on immigration makes even those within her own party flinch.Suella Braverman’s suggestion this week that charities be banned from giving tents to the homeless was only the latest radical policy proposal from the U.K. Home Secretary to receive widespread liberal criticism — with even Tory Cabinet colleagues distancing themselves from her remarks. For the second time in recent months, a number of fellow Tory MPs complained to the Conservative Party about her rhetoric; back in September, her claim that immigrants were pretending to be gay in order to be granted asylum drew condemnation by, among many others, the singer Elton John.In the past she has talked of migrant arrivals as “an invasion” — a phrase described by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as “dangerous rhetoric.”Some speculate the ambitious Braverman’s sole aim was to...

Wednesday’s high school roundup/scores: Brady Poor nets two goals, top-seeded Concord-Carlisle rolls on

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Brady Poor scored two goals for top-seeded Concord-Carlisle (17-0-1) in a 2-1 Div. 1 second-round boys soccer win over No. 16 Leominster.Zach Bello scored twice, and Will Morse added two assists as No. 3 Norwell (17-2-2) shut out No. 14 St. Mary’s of Lynn 4-0 in a Div. 3 second-round matchup.Joey Carney netted a hat trick to power No. 6 Oliver Ames (16-3-1) to a 3-0 Div. 2 second-round victory over No. 11 Masconomet. … Brayden Lawler scored the lone goal, and Jacob Riker secured the clean sheet in net for No. 3 Hingham (19-1-0) in a 1-0 win over No. 14 West Springfield.Girls soccerIn the Div. 2 second round, Taylor Bello scored twice as No. 8 Hingham (11-6-3) ousted No. 9 Minnechaug 3-0. … Emma Connerty, Bevan Doherty, and Sydney Comeau all scored as No. 4 Notre Dame of Hingham (13-6-3) blanked No. 20 Scituate 3-0.Anja Johnson, Hannah Morse and Ally Kelley netted the goals for No. 4 Norwell (20-1-1) in a 3-0 Div. 3 second-round win over No. 13 Auburn.Lily Mark struck for two goals, ...

Chicago Cubs need to ‘loosen their belts’ to keep Cody Bellinger, says agent Scott Boras

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The Chicago Cubs are expected to face plenty of competition if they want to bring outfielder Cody Bellinger back on a long-term deal.The organization knows that is the reality after Bellinger’s standout year in Chicago where enjoyed his time and regained his status as a middle-of-the-order threat.“Obviously, in the years prior to coming to the Cubs, he had a partial performance due to just lack of strength — he had surgery, broken leg, all those things,” his agent Scott Boras said Wednesday at the MLB general managers meetings. “But I think it’s pretty evident that when you have youth, you’re 28, you’re a rare free agent, you have a lot of options.”And then Boras added a trademark quip: “But when he came to Chicago he just feasted on major-league pitching. I think Chicago got the comforts of a full Belli so they’re gonna have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger.”The Cubs did make a qualifying offer of $20.3 ...