🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Miami, FL
Jim Phillips puts College Football Playoff committee on blast for dropping Miami below Alabama
Miami was a win away from clinching not only a spot in the ACC Championship Game but also likely a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, the Hurricanes were upset by Syracuse last weekend to fall to 10-2 on the year.
The loss dropped Miami from the No. 6 team in the College Football Playoff rankings all the way to No. 12. It also eliminated the Hurricanes from CFP contention as Alabama moved up to No. 11 from No. 13.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips joined ESPN College GameDay Saturday morning and expressed his outrage with the CFP committee.
“I was stunned to see Miami, who went into the last weekend sixth-ranked team in the country, go to a top-25 team at Syracuse and lose by 4 and fall six spots, when an Alabama team went and played Auburn, a 2-6 team, and jumped up two spots – an eight-spot swing in one weekend was unbelievable, I think, to the ACC,” Jim Phillips said.
Miami slipped in the rankings after dropping two of its final three games in the regular season, losing at Georgia Tech and at Syracuse. The Hurricanes don’t have a ranked win on their resume, but they also don’t have a bad loss.
“Miami has two losses all year. A loss at Georgia Tech, who’s 7-3 with Haynes King as quarterback. And we all saw how good Georgia Tech was on that Friday after Thanksgiving [against Georgia],” Jim Phillips said. “And to a 9-3 Syracuse team who’s top-25 in the country. The committee has said on multiple times, ‘We really are about watching winning teams. We value winning.’ And that’s what our teams have done.”
Jim Phillips went on to point out how the ACC has fared against other conferences. Ultimately, Phillips made it clear that he believes Miami and the ACC were disrespected.
“We’ve had a winning record against the Big Ten. We’ve had a winning record against the Big 12. We’ve won more games against the SEC than any other conference. We have fulfilled that,” Phillips said. “And for Miami to be leapfrogged in the last weekend, eight spots, when on the same weekend you had Michigan play Ohio State, Ohio State was a huge favorite in the game. They lost the game to a 6-5 Michigan team and fell four spots. It doesn’t make sense.”
Miami, FL
Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun
If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.
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The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.
What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.
Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.
Miami, FL
Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.
“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.
They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.
Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.
“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”
Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Miami, FL
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