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Florida Panthers on a roll as they sweep road trip, notch 8 straight wins: CBS News Miami’s Steve Goldstein

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Florida Panthers on a roll as they sweep road trip, notch 8 straight wins: CBS News Miami’s Steve Goldstein


FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers went west to face tough opponents and simply swept them all away.

Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk, left, is unable to score past St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in St. Louis.

Jeff Roberson / AP

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They won all four games, in Arizona, Vegas, Colorado and St. Louis, and extended the win streak to eight, the third longest winning streak in franchise history.

The Cats were clicking in all phases of the game, dominating on special teams, scoring in bunches and getting strong goaltending. Forty games into the season, the Panthers are one of the top handful of teams in the league and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. 

Defense dominates

It has been a true team effort to become one of the top 3 defensive teams in the NHL. Starting with the goalies making the key saves, the Panthers have allowed two goals per game during the streak. Sergei Bobrovsky has won six in a row and is likely heading to the All Star game.

Anthony Stolarz has won two games during the streak, allowing one goal each game. Both have benefited from a stingy defense which is helped immensely by the forwards coming back to help. Defense wins championships and the Panthers have the right formula.

Sizing up the streak

The Panthers have outscored the opponents 36-15 the last 8 games. In the third period, it is a staggering 18-5. The last 5 games they are averaging 5 goals a game and allowing less than 2.

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The Panthers get better as the games go on and have not trailed after getting the lead. They will try to make it nine Thursday against Los Angeles at Amerant Bank Arena.

Chucky is back

Look out NHL. 

As if the defending eastern conference champions solid play so far this season wasn’t enough, Matthew Tkachuk has caught fire. While playing well and contributing, he wasn’t producing his usual offensive numbers. Until the last couple of weeks. Tkachuk scored a natural hat trick in the third period Tuesday in St. Louis. 

He grew up there and had numerous family members and friends in the stands. He has a remarkable 15 points in his last 6 games
and has scored in every game in 2024. The Panthers are virtually unstoppable when he is scoring at the rate he is.

Reinhart the All Star

Sam Reinhart will be heading to Toronto for All Star weekend for the first time in his nine-year career. It’s a family event so to speak.

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His father Paul was a terrific NHL defenseman and made the All Star game twice: in 1985 and 1989.

Sam wasn’t born yet, so he now gets to experience the All Star game for himself. Reinhart is having one of the best goal scoring seasons in Panthers history. He’s scored 29 in the first 40 games. Reinhart is second in the league goals and leads the NHL in power plays goals, game winners and shooting percentage.

Barkov assisting

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov may be the most unselfish superstar in sports. The man literally wouldn’t care if he scored 5 goals and had 95 assists. 

He may even welcome it. 

Barkov can shoot and score, he’s had 39 in a season, but his elite hockey sense leads to Barkov setting up teammates more often. Reinhart is having a great season and part of it is Barkov being his center man. During the current eight-game winning streak, Barkov has 14 assists 

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South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open

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South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open


On Monday, more than 800 faith leaders and community activists from across South Florida, crowded into the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami to demand the Miami Dade County Commission move forward with opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery.

“Are we OK with being told to wait when lives are on the line?” said Quanda Dupree, of the St. Peters Missionary Baptist Church. “Or do we believe real accountability means keeping your word? Even when things aren’t guaranteed. We believe our communities deserve more than a delayed response. We deserve action.”

The center – which was promised to voters back in 2004 – would take mentally ill individuals out of the jail and move them into a place where they can receive comprehensive treatment and support. The county has spent more than $50 million renovating the building and two years ago, a pair of non-profit groups were selected to operate the facility while numerous local groups and agencies have pledged their support, including the Homeless Trust. Funding for the first two to three years of the center is already in place.

And yet, the center remains empty – not helping anyone.



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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday

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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday


New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.

What we know:

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These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.

Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.

Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.

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“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”

Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.

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“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”

The other side:

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This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

What they’re saying:

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Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.

“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.

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This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.

“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”

The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.

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Big picture view:

The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.

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The Source:  Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.

Hillsborough CountyHealth



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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

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Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



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