Florida
Radford scores 26, rallies Texas A&M to 67-66 victory over Florida
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Tyrece Radford scored 26, including the final three points of the game, and Texas A&M rallied to beat Florida 67-66 on Saturday.
Zyon Pullin hit a jumper to put Florida up 66-64 with 3:04 remaining, but the Gators would not score again. Radford made the second of two free throws with 2:37 to go and buried a go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds left. Florida had three shots at the winning basket on its final possession but could not get one to fall.
Radford made 10 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers and 4 of 7 free throws for the Aggies (13-8, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), adding five rebounds. Wade Taylor IV scored 15 but made just 5 of 18 shots, including 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. Solomon Washington had 10 points and Andersson Garcia pitched in with nine points and six rebounds off the bench.
Pullin led the Gators (15-7, 5-4) with 18 points and eight assists. Will Richard and reserve Riley Kugel both scored 12. Kugel added five rebounds and four assists.
Pullin had a hand in 20 first-half points, scoring 12 with four assists, and Kugel hit three 3-pointers and scored 10 as Florida took a 40-34 lead. Radford had 15 points to help keep Texas A&M close.
Richard hit a pair of 3-pointers to begin the second half and Florida upped its advantage to 12. Texas A&M whittled away at the lead until Taylor sank a 3-pointer and scored the last five in a 7-0 run to give the Aggies a 57-55 lead with 8:44 left to play.
Pullin hit a jumper to put Florida up 66-64 at the 3:04 mark, but the Gators would not score again.
Texas A&M has won five in a row over the Gators by a total of nine points.
Florida, which had a four-game win streak end, was coming off a 94-91 overtime victory at No. 10 Kentucky. Walter Clayton Jr. hit career-best seven 3-pointers and scored 23 to lead the way. It was the Gators’ first win over a top-10 team on the road since 2003. That year 11th-ranked Florida beat No. 7 Mississippi State 74-66. The Aggies held Clayton to eight points.
Texas A&M travels to play Missouri on Wednesday. Florida will host No 16 Auburn on Feb. 10.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Florida
Florida tattoo shop refuses service to military and veterans for being ‘war criminals’
A Florida tattoo shop is facing backlash following a social media post from the shop that said active-duty military members and veterans are not welcome at the company, prompting online criticism.
A June 23 post from Revival Tattoo Collective in Largo, Florida, read, “People all in their feelings because I expressed my opinion of the military and law enforcement. My opinion is that the military is a bunch of war criminals and law enforcement kills babies and unarmed citizens in the street. If you don’t like my opinion cool, but you’re not going to change it. Call me short, post records from 20 years ago, threaten the health dept, use homophobic slurs. That only proves my point and shows the true character of our military. Thanks for showing your true colors.”
The post added, “Once again for the slow ones the military. Pretty simple if you are ex military or currently serving just don’t come to the shop. You will be turned away.”
The shop was founded by Brady Martinson, who is described on the website as “a tattooist and sign painter — script, blackletter, and custom typography on skin. He treats every word as architecture: measured, weighted, and built to live a lifetime.”
A few of the replies to the controversial post appeared to agree with the sentiment, with one woman saying, “The military preys on underprivileged youth by luring them in with promises to pay for college and makes it sound like it’s their only opportunity to get ahead in life. ACAB.”
ACAB is an abbreviation for “all cops are b—-ds.”
But many of the replies were negative.
One person wrote, “This kind of thinking is disappointing and immature. Judging an entire group by the actions of a few is the same type of prejudice I’m sure you claim to oppose. (IE: Against a race, the lgbtq community, etc…) There are good and bad people in every profession and every walk of life.”
They added, “I’ve served alongside people of every background imaginable and some of the most selfless, compassionate individuals I’ve met wear a uniform. Reducing millions of military members and law enforcement officers to the worst examples among them isn’t being “woke” or smart — it’s just bias. If you are going to reject stereotypes, you should reject them consistently. Heal yourself and break this never-ending cycle of conflict among humans.”
Another person replied, “Lmao it must be so peaceful being this ignorant.”
“I don’t agree with your opinion, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight for your right to say it. Please keep in mind that the First Amendment merely proyects [sic] you from being punished by the government for your speech. It does not protect you from the consequences of what you say,” another commentator wrote.
One person replied to the post with a gif that said, “Stop breaking the law a–hole.”
Another posted a reply saying, “I’ll go and just wont tell you till after lmao,” and Revival Tattoo Collective responded to the post with, “No you won’t.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the shop said, “Yeah I’m booked up I can’t take any clients military or civilian. Thanks for your interest on my opinion.”
Florida
Aerial photos show sprawling algal blooms. What causes them in Florida?
Archive photos show a sea of green in Florida. What usually causes harmful algal blooms along the Sunshine State’s coasts?
Harmful algal blooms — out-of-control colonies of microscopic algae — are a “growing problem” in every “U.S. coastal and Great Lakes state,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
They affect the “health of people and marine ecosystems,” and can also have a detrimental effect on the economy, according to NOAA, especially in coastal communities that are particularly dependent on fishing and tourism.
Climate change, along with increases in nutrient pollution, could cause harmful algal blooms (HABs) to occur more frequently, according to the agency.
Harmful algal blooms can “produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds,” NOAA’s website states. Human illnesses caused by HABs are rare, but they can be “debilitating or even fatal.”
Sea of green? Aerial photos show toxic algae blooms, including in Florida waters
What are harmful algal blooms composed of?
Harmful algal blooms can be caused by a range of organisms, NOAA states, including “toxic and noxious phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, benthic algae, and macroalgae.”
Some HABs can make wildlife-killing toxins that negatively affect fish, mammals and birds, and can also cause human sickness or death in “extreme cases.” Other blooms, while nontoxic, can consume “all of the oxygen in the water as they decay, clog the gills of fish and invertebrates, or smother corals and submerged aquatic vegetation.” Additionally, some algae can discolor water, pile up on beaches or contaminate drinking water.
What usually causes harmful algal blooms along Florida’s coasts?
In the Gulf of Mexico, especially along the west coast of Florida, HABs are most often caused by Karenia brevis, which can turn the surface of the ocean a deep red.
Although there’s no way to predict exactly when a Karenia brevis overgrowth might occur, scientists can forecast the movement of a “red tide” when it does crop up by using wind and water data, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They can last “as little as a few weeks or longer than a year,” and how long a bloom persists in “nearshore Florida waters” depends on a variety of factors, including nutrients, salinity and sunlight, reads the FWC’s website.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
Florida
Gators among top-20 rated teams in EA Sports College Football 27
EA Sports released its official team ratings for College Football 27, and the Florida Gators checked in at No. 19 with an 84 overall rating.
Jon Sumrall’s team was granted an 84 offensive rating and a 83 defensive rating, indicating balance on both sides of the ball. Florida is one of 10 SEC programs to crack the top 25. Oregon leads the field with an overall rating of 91. The Ducks are followed by Ohio State (90), Indiana (90), Notre Dame (89) and Texas (89). UF joins nine other SEC teams rated inside the top 25.
The rating continues a major thrust of positive sentiment around Sumrall and the Gators. During this offseason, Florida has been pegged as a CFB playoff dark horse, an SEC wild card and one of sport’s biggest sleepers. The valuation is likely fueled by the Orange and Blue’s transfer portal additions and the retention of key pieces, including junior running back Jadan Baugh, who notched Second-Team All-SEC honors last season.
Sumrall’s cultural reset in Gainesville has started a buzz around college football that has continued to grow louder by the month. Despite a massive roster overhaul and the departure of a five-star quarterback, the Gators have seen a jolt in their national perception.
To reestablish a championship standard, UF will have to navigate an arduous nine-game conference schedule. The Gators face No. 17-rated Missouri (85) in Week 5, No. 5-rated Texas (89) in Week 7, No. 9-rated Georgia (87) in Week 8 and No. 10-rated Oklahoma (87) in Week 9.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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