Florida
Florida Panthers, with help from NHL, push to grow hockey in Latino communities
The spark in Leo Jungerman’s eyes when he watched his first hockey game was different.
He’d tried other sports like soccer and tennis, his father Alex said. But a hockey game featuring the Toronto Marlies — the Toronto Maple Leafs’ minor league team — is where an 8-year-old Leo’s love truly began for the sport.
“When we were watching the game, I spent a big chunk of the time looking at him,” Alex Jungerman said, “and it was kind of fascinating. So when he expressed interest in trying the game, I jumped right in.”
Alex, who had moved his family from Brazil to Florida that year in 2015, started looking for youth hockey programs for Leo, who knew nothing about hockey and couldn’t even skate.
That’s when he came across the Florida Panthers Learn to Play initiative — a program designed to introduce boys and girls to hockey while reducing barriers to entry for the sport. It’s part of the Panthers’ overall effort to grow the game in untapped communities, particularly the rapidly growing Hispanic market.
Almost 30% of Floridians are Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, higher than the national average of about 19%. There are more than 500,000 Hispanic residents in Broward County, Florida, where the Panthers’ Amerant Bank Arena is located. That number increases to more than 1.7 million in neighboring Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county.
“The demographic makeup in Florida certainly expresses an interest that it’s extremely important to connect to the Latino community,” said Rob Knesaurek, the NHL’s senior vice president of community development and industry growth. “They’re deeply rooted in sports. Why wouldn’t they pick our sport?”
Knesaurek added the NHL is more intentional in popularizing the sport in Latino communities, where the league hasn’t been traditionally proactive. That started with league-wide efforts to connect with Hispanic fans as well as those in underserved communities, and it trickles down to grassroots initiatives by individual teams.
The NHL and NHL Player’s Association’s industry growth fund has spent more than $180 million over the past decade on programs that bring hockey to communities across North America. It focuses largely on combating the barriers of access and cost.
Through the fund, many clubs can offer a fixed, affordable amount for equipment and lessons — some offer them for free — and coaches who speak both Spanish and English.
Alex Jungerman estimated he spent around $300 for the Panthers’ Learn to Play program. Leo got full equipment, including skates and six lessons, to start his hockey journey.
Instructors could translate hockey lingo to the Jungermans. Leo said the Panthers made him feel welcomed, especially in moments when learning hockey felt scary.
“There were several times I wanted to quit, especially because of the skating,” Leo said, “like you’re balancing your whole body weight on two little edges. It’s hard to learn.”
He stuck with it. Now at 16, he’s on Florida’s Junior Panthers travel hockey team.
“Leo’s just a perfect example of a family that could have easily walked away from this if they didn’t feel welcomed or part of this,” said John Colombo, the Panthers’ vice president of community relations. “And I think that’s important. I think too often hockey culture gets that reputation of being very exclusive.”
Overall, the NHL said over $4 million in industry growth fund grants have been given to support the Panthers’ initiatives to grow the game.
The team’s floorball PE program has reached over 300,000 students across 450 schools in Florida — introducing kids to the sport and the Panthers’ brand with the goal of creating lifelong fans.
The Panthers during the season hold a “¡Vamos Gatos!” night, which celebrates South Florida’s Hispanic and Latino community. They’ve hosted the LATAM Cup — a three-day tournament featuring Latin American and Caribbean countries — since its inception in 2018. And they’ve also expanded into the entertainment arena, inviting more Hispanic and Latino artists to perform at Amerant Bank Arena. The arena hosted the Latin Billboard Music Awards in 2020 and Latin American Music Awards in 2021.
“(We) are not looking for the next NHLer,” Knesaurek said. “What we are looking for is to build good, healthy, vibrant communities through good citizens.”
The Panthers recent success on the ice has certainly helped with their popularity. Florida has a 3-1 lead over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, which the Panthers are competing in for the second straight year.
“The popularity of the sport and how the team has progressed over the last three or four years, I think you’re going to see an uptick,” said Bryan Smolinski, a former NHL player and regional director with the league’s industry growth fund.
Hispanic and Latino participation in Florida’s Learn to Play program increased 15% from 2023 to 2024.
Leo Jungerman was featured on the team’s first Learn to Play poster from 2015. The Jungermans have that poster displayed at the entrance of their home as a reminder of how far he’s come.
“We make sure that everyone that comes to the house for the first time, we stop them from in front of the poster. We explain the story,” Alex Jungerman said. “We are really proud.”
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Florida
‘I feel like Bin Laden,’ Florida man arrested by FBI for planning to bomb NYSE to 'reboot' US government
A Florida man has been arrested and charged in connection with a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange in an effort to “reboot” the US government, according to the FBI.
Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, from Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce.
The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip that he was storing materials related to bomb-making in a storage unit. Agents searched the area after obtaining a search warrant. They found “bomb-making sketches, numerous watches with timers electronic circuit boards and other electronics that can be utilised to build bombs.
According to the FBI, Yener had also been conducting online searches about bomb-making since 2017.
In March, Yener admitted to authorities during questioning that he had knowledge of making “rockets” and “bombs” and had previously tried to join a “domestic extremist group.” He also revealed that in 2015, he had considered travelling to Iraq to join ISIS but ultimately decided against it because he doubted the group’s ability to meet its objectives.
Yener allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to detonate the bomb during the week before Thanksgiving, targeting the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan. Court documents state that his goal was to “reboot” the US government.
‘I feel like Bin Laden’
“There is one place that would be hella easy… the stock exchange, that would be a great hit. Tons of people would support it. They would see it and think dude, this guy makes sense, they are [profanity] robbing us. So that’s perfect,” he told the agent.
“I feel like Bin Laden,” he told the undercover agent.
Weeks before his arrest, Yener had modified two-way radios to function as remote triggers for explosives. He also planned to wear a disguise while planting the device, according to court filings.
Yener appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, where it was decided he would remain in custody while awaiting trial.
(With inputs from agencies)
With the early national signing period approaching quickly, the USC Trojans have been working hard on the recruiting process. The Trojans have lost some key recruits but gained some big names. One target to watch for is defensive lineman Joseph Mbatchou, who is set to visit USC on Nov. 30.
Mbatchou is a class of 2025 four-star defensive lineman playing for Grayson (Ga.). On3 ranks Mbatchou as the No. 22 defensive lineman in the nation and the No. 36 player from Georgia. The four-star recruit was once committed to the Florida Gators but re-opened his recruitment in October.
Mbatchou is predicted to commit to the Texas Longhorns, but after another visit with the Florida Gators, Florida has jumped into the top two. The Auburn Tigers have also been a top team in the running for the four-star recruit. One last school to watch out for is the USC Trojans.
Mbatchou is considering visiting the USC Trojans on Nov. 30, when they face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final regular-season game. Mbatchou announced this visit in October and is still considering it. As he narrowed down his decision, there was a chance he would no longer meet with USC, but the official visit is still set.
On3 ranks the USC Trojans class of 2025 as No. 13 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten. Though they may have lost a couple of big names, they were able to flip five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet after a big push for him.
USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans’ staff must work hard to flip Mbatchou. The visit will be the most important way to convince the four-star recruit, as that is how Florida rose back into the top two. Visiting USC during the final weekend of November could help the Trojans with the game being right before national signing day.
Mbatchou is expected to make his decision during the early signing period. Texas is the top prediction for now, but expect the USC Trojans to make a final push for the four-star defensive lineman.
This week, USC will take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 23. The game will be broadcast on NBC and kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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A massive check fraud conspiracy resulted in the arrests of three gang members following a yearslong investigation, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The alleged crimes victimized 200 people and businesses in Polk County, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Back in June 2022, Polk County Sheriff’s office deputies responded to a call at a gas station resulting in the search for Tyler Jacob, a convicted felon known to be a member of the “Trap Boys” gang.
Although Jacob had tried to run away when he was apprehended, he was found with a handgun, ammunition, numerous fraudulent checks, checks that had been returned as altered, personal information of other people written in a notebook, 27 debit cards in other people’s names, a computer and a cell phone, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.
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Polk County Sheriff’s Office and other agency investigators share evidence located in “Operation Spin Cycle,” resulting in the arrest of three gang members. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
The checks Jacob was found with allegedly belonged to businesses that had reported fraud on their checking accounts, and had been deposited into the accounts associated with the debit cards, U.S. Attorney Mark Handberg said.
Following a search warrant execution on Jacob’s computer, investigators found check-writing software and copies of fraudulent checks, Handberg added.
Deputies later determined the information in the notebook was stolen and belonged to dead people, people who lived in assisted living facilities and people who were mentally incompetent, FOX 13 reported.
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The three gang members were arrested for their alleged involvement in a massive check fraud conspiracy. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Suspect Jaquavious Green was stopped on gun charges when he was discovered to have blank checks, blank check paperwork and debit cards. Green also belongs to the “Trap Boys” gang, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
A similar story ensued when a third alleged gang member, Daquan Carey, was arrested on murder charges following a shooting in Lake Wales.
“When we arrested him, we fought with him,” Judd said during the presser. “Our deputies put their lives on the line, and they got a gun out of his waistband. What else did he have? Checks, credit cards, and so we saw that we have the beginning of a large operation here.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the “Trap Boys” gang was “flushed” down the toilet. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
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Jacob and at least 19 conspirators are believed to have worked from July 2021 to November 2023 defrauding banks, credit unions and businesses throughout central Florida.
“These guys were kind of instrumental for this gang they call the ‘Trap Boys’,” Judd said. “In fact, Tyler Jacob was known as the ‘Money Man’. He kind of perfected the scheme and was teaching it and bringing people in…. But, guess what? We flushed the ‘Trap Boys.’ They cease to exist. They’re in the toilet and down in the sewer. We’re going after their accomplices now. There are more flushes for this toilet.”
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