The majority of them are Chiefs fans who attended the team’s frigid playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.

Dr. Megan Garcia, Grossman’s medical director,  told FOX4 in January she’d already seen dozens of frostbite patients. Many of those were Chiefs fans who attended the playoff game against the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 13, where the temperature was minus-4 degrees with a wind chill of minus-27 degrees at kickoff.

To read the full report, click here for FOX4KC.com

According to the Florida Department of Health, the two new patients are a child younger than 5 years old, and a child between the ages of 5 and 9.

“We are living through a disease that was eradicated in the early 2000s,” Luisa Murcia said.

Read the full story at Local10.com.

What you need for Nintendo Switch Sports

The Nintendo Switch is a gaming console that can host many games across different categories and difficulty levels. One popular title is Nintendo Switch Sports, a game that has six sports in one. The game can be played locally or online by one to four players, making it fun for friends and family members.

What is Nintendo Switch Sports

Consider the spiritual successor to 2006’s popular Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports is a new video game that launched in April 2022. It takes advantage of motion control to get a player moving around physically and is designed so people can play with others either in person or online. Similar to Wii games, it also has the option for players to customize their character and screen name.

Some of the games, such as volleyball, bowling and tennis, require three to four players. But with one or two players, you have access to the following games:

• Soccer
• Badminton
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Bowling
• Chambara

Most of these sports are straightforward and play similarly to their real-life counterparts. One lesser-known game is chambara, which is a Japanese sport that’s a cross between jousting and fencing.

Although Nintendo Switch Sports only includes six sports right now, more are planned for the future. In fall 2022, the company plans to add golf to the game.

Gaming console and equipment

Switch Dock

When you purchase a basic Nintendo Switch, you receive a Switch Dock. This lightweight device lets you connect the console to a television so you can play video games on the big screen. Since Nintendo Switch Sports is both a party game and designed to encourage physical activity, it’s more playable and fun when displayed in this way.

The Dock comes with an HDMI port that can be connected to a television with an HDMI cable, which the standard bundle for the Nintendo Switch also comes with. However, if you want a shorter or longer cord, or if something happens to the original one, you need to get a separate cable. Once you have it, simply connect the cable to the ports on the Dock and the television and play.

Joy-Cons

Several items come with the standard Nintendo Switch console bundle, including two basic Joy-Cons. These small controllers can be connected on the left and right sides of the console, as well as used separately when the console is docked in the Switch Dock.

The Joy-Con controllers come with motion control. Not every Nintendo Switch game requires this, but it’s essential for Nintendo Switch Sports. If you don’t have controllers with motion controllers, the game won’t be able to detect your movements, making the game difficult to play or even unplayable.

The standard Joy-Cons come in red and blue, but you can also buy new ones separately if you want specific colors or themes. Common options include:

• Standard gray
• Zelda blue
• Neon pink and neon green
• Pokemon yellow
• Neon orange and purple
• Luigi green
• Mario red
• Yellow and blue
• Transparent purple

Choosing controllers that match the game or your personality are a great way to add to the fun. Also, if you want to play with four people locally, you need to get additional Joy-Cons since the original package only comes with two.

Joy-Con straps

Joy-Con straps are a recommended accessory for those playing active games such as Nintendo Switch Sports. When you’re using the Joy-Cons separately from the console, you can connect straps to each controller. This makes it easier to press the SL and the SR buttons while keeping them from flying out of your hands while playing.

Another useful accessory is the Nintendo Leg Strap. This connects around the player’s leg and can hold either the left or right Joy-Con controller to detect leg movements. This is helpful when playing Soccer Shoot-Out! on Nintendo Switch Sports.

Nintendo Switch case

A Nintendo Switch case is another useful accessory. Not only is it designed to protect the console, but it can also add to the entertainment value by adding a specific color or theme while playing.

Multiplayer subscription

Nintendo has a subscription service, Switch Online, that gives you access to different games and features. With it, you can play certain games online with other people. Although it’s not required for local gameplay, you need a subscription to play Nintendo Switch Sports online with other people.

Once you have a subscription, you can set up a room for other people with the code to play the game. Or you can join an existing room that someone else has made. Alternatively, you can choose to play with anyone without being invited. If you have a subscription and play online, you can also earn items to customize your in-game avatar.

Nintendo offers memberships ranging from one to 12 months. It also has options that give you access to other games. There are also family membership options at a discount.

8 best things you need to enjoy Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo Switch — OLED Model With White Joy-Con

This is the seven-inch OLED version of the Nintendo Switch Console. It comes with 64 GB of internal storage, the white Nintendo Dock and two white Joy-Con controllers and straps. The screen can be converted into tabletop mode by flipping the back side, which is ideal for those who prefer smaller displays. The crisp display and large storage space are the two biggest upgrades over the original Switch console.

Nintendo Switch With Neon Blue And Neon Red Joy‑Con

If you want a basic Nintendo Switch Console with a Dock and two Joy-Con controllers, this one is for you. It comes with four color options and either 64, 128 or 256 GB memory.

Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo Switch)

This video game has six interactive games to choose from, including bowling, tennis and football, making it perfect for enjoying an afternoon with friends either locally or online.

Two-Pack Leg Strap Compatible With Nintendo Switch Sports

These leg straps are designed to be used with the Nintendo Switch Sports game, specifically for soccer. Each strap can hold one Joy-Con controller. They also have Velcro that’s easily adjustable to fit around most leg sizes.

Nintendo Joy-Con

This pack includes two Joy-Cons, the left and the right, with seven color options, including neon pink and neon green. They can be used on their own or connected to the console. They come with a gyro-sensor and an accelerometer, making them perfect for Nintendo Switch Sports. They also come with Joy-Con grips, so it’s easy to secure them to your wrists.

Wrist Strap For Switch Joycon — One Pair Lanyard Attachments

If you want separate wrist straps, these come with a secure lanyard and can be tied around your wrist to keep you from losing the controllers while playing games. They’re compatible with Joy-Con controllers.

Nintendo Switch Dock Set

This separate Nintendo Switch Dock is the perfect replacement for anyone whose original Dock was broken or lost. It can take compatible games and display them on the big screen. It comes with an HDMI cable.

Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership

This digital code gives you a year-long online membership so you can play video games with other players remotely through an internet connection. It also gives you access to many classic games from the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

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Which smart TVs are best?

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when you needed an external device to stream content to your TV. Although some TVs still require one, smart TVs are now the standard. But which one is right for you?

There are several premium features to look out for, but it’s best to consider which ones are worth it to you, so you get a TV that suits your budget and needs.

What should I consider before buying a smart TV?

Size

Big-screen smart TVs are fantastic, but they only work well if you have ample space to put one. TVs in the 50-inch to 65-inch range are ideal for large rooms such as living rooms and basements. 40-inch to 50-inch TVs are more diverse and go great in most rooms, but if you’re working with a smaller area such as a kitchen or a bedroom, it’s best to get something under 40 inches.

Screen panel type

The most common screen type is a light-emitting diode display, but two enhanced versions are more prevalent nowadays. Quantum LEDs display vibrant colors and are cheaper than organic LEDs, but they don’t reproduce deep blacks, making some dark scenes in movies and TV shows lack visibility. OLED TVs aren’t as standard as QLED TVs, but they’re considered superior, more expensive and offer the best picture quality.

What can I do with a smart TV?

Smart TVs can give you access to thousands of streaming apps where you can stream music and watch the latest TV shows and movies in high definition. TVs with ultra-high-definition resolution can stream 4K content and accurately display content from 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray players.

Top smart TV features

High-dynamic range

TVs equipped with HDR technology display more vivid and detailed images. They also help balance out the contrast and reproduce truer blacks, so you’ll be able to notice the difference when watching exceptionally dark or bright scenes in a TV show or movie.

Multifunctional remote

The remote should have plenty of dedicated buttons for quick access to the most popular apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Spotify. Some smart TVs also have an integrated voice assistant, such as Google Assistant or Alexa, and have a button on the remote you can use to access them. You can use a voice assistant to play music, launch apps and even control other smart devices.

Refresh rate

The standard refresh rate on most TVs is 60 hertz, but if you plan on using your new TV for gaming or watching sports, it’s best to get one with a 120-hertz or higher refresh rate. A higher refresh rate significantly reduces blur and makes for a smooth image, which is beneficial for watching fast-paced content.

The best smart TVs

Best smart TVs under $500

TCL 55-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD Smart Android TV

Get access to thousands of streaming apps with this TV, all in stunning HD picture quality. The interface is smooth, and the built-in Chromecast lets you cast photos and videos straight from your smartphone or tablet.

Insignia 42-inch F20 Series HD Smart Fire TV

If you’re working with a budget, this TV offers excellent value and is adequately sized for most bedrooms. The built-in Fire TV streaming service provides access to thousands of streaming apps.

LG NanoCell 80 Series 55-inch Alexa Built-in 4K Smart TV

This TV has a dimming function for reproducing deep blacks and a quad-core 4K processor that delivers bright visuals. An automatic low-latency mode makes it suitable for gaming, and you can access voice assistants from the remote.

Vizio 43-inch D-Series Full HD Smart TV

You can add some entertainment to a bedroom or the basement with this affordable 43-inch TV. It has a V-Gaming engine for enhanced gaming, full-array LED backlights and an IQ picture processor for reproducing a smooth picture.

Best smart TVs for $500-$100

Sony X80J 55-inch Smart Google TV

Google fans will love this smart TV thanks to the integrated Chromecast and Google Assistant. It has Dolby Vision, a high dynamic range processor for crisp visuals and the 4K X-Reality Pro database upscales content to ultra-high-definition resolution.

Samsung 60-inch Class QLED Q60A Series

This sleek QLED TV from Samsung offers smooth motion for a clear, vivid picture and millions of vibrant colors. It has dual-LED warm and cool backlights for contrast, a Quantum Processor 4K Lite feature for upscaling resolution and built-in Alexa.

Amazon Fire TV 65-inch Omni Series 4K UHD Smart TV

If you’re looking for a high-resolution TV loaded with Amazon smart functions, look no further than this large, 65-inch TV. You can control it hands-free with Alexa and an HDMI eARC port for audio equipment.

Best smart TVs for $1,000-$1,600

Samsung 50-inch Class The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV

Spruce up your home with this Samsung Smart TV featuring a sophisticated art portrait mode. The visuals are dazzling, and the frame is customizable with your preference for bezel and color. Plus, it comes with a slim-fit wall mount.

LG OLED C1 Series 65-inch Alexa Built-in 4K Smart TV

Some TVs have difficulty displaying accurate contrast, making some scenes appear lackluster, but you won’t have that problem with this model. Each pixel on the LG OLED is illuminated independently, and the processor calibrates settings based on the environment for the best picture possible.

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There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to making Valentine’s Day plans, but taking your valentine to a posh restaurant isn’t your only option. Spending Valentine’s Day at home can be just as romantic or as fun as a night out on the town.

Whether you want an intimate celebration with your partner, a cozy, relaxed night with a significant other, or a fun, anti-romance night with friends, check out these essentials for celebrating Valentine’s Day from the comfort of your home.

Romantic at-home Valentine’s Day essentials

Light In The Dark Votive Candles

Set the perfect mood for a romantic Valentine’s Day at home with these votive candles. Each box contains 72 red candles that are perfect for the holiday. They’re also made of high-quality wax that burns cleanly and lasts for up to 10 hours. They fit in most standard votive holders, too.

Benevolence LA Highly Scented Candles for the Home

These scented candles can create the perfect vibe for a romantic night. They’re infused with natural essential oils and made of natural soy wax. They come in various scents, but the rose and sandalwood fragrance is ideal for Valentine’s Day. These candles also burn for up to 45 hours.

Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker

Play your favorite romantic songs for Valentine’s Day with this portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s made of durable materials and is waterproof, making it perfect for use around the bathtub. It has a long-lasting battery, too, so it can run for up to six hours on a single charge.

Artestia Electric Fondue Pot Set

There’s a reason fondue is such a popular choice for romantic dinners, and this electric pot makes it easy to prepare at home. It comes with a 2-quart pot and fondue forks with heat-resistant handles. The ceramic inner pot is also removable for easy cleaning.

Godiva Chocolatier Signature Truffles Assorted Chocolate Gift Box

Chocolates are essential for a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration, and these chocolate truffles offer an assortment that can appeal to nearly everyone. The box includes 24 candies with fillings, including fruit, caramel and more. The striking black-and-gold packaging is perfect for gifting, too.

Fox Envy Massage Oil

This lightweight, vanilla-scented oil is perfect for giving your partner a soothing massage. It absorbs quickly and glides effortlessly across the skin for smooth, frictionless massaging. The easy-to-use pump dispenser allows you to dispense the right amount of oil every time, too.

Cozy at-home Valentine’s Day essentials

NY Threads Women’s Fleece Bathrobe

Get cozy for a relaxed Valentine’s Day at home in this super-soft fleece bathrobe. It has a long hem for added coverage and an adjustable belt for the perfect fit. The front also has two pockets to carry your phone and other essentials.

Fruit of the Loom Men’s Signature Fleece Raglan Sleep Top and Plaid Pants Set

This comfy pajama set is ideal for a relaxed Valentine’s Day at home. The top is made of soft, skin-friendly fabric and features long raglan sleeves. Both the top and bottoms are lined with fleece, too, so they’re perfect for cold weather.

Chanasya Faux Fur Throw

Cuddle up with your partner under this luxurious faux fur throw. It’s extremely soft and thick, so it’s ideal for winter. It’s also machine washable to make cleaning easier. You can choose from multiple sizes and colors, too, making it easy to match your existing decor.

Roku Ultra Streaming Device

Spend Valentine’s Day watching your favorite romantic movies with this easy-to-use streaming device. It offers extremely quick operation with its quad-core processor that supports 4K HDR. It also boasts a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to find your favorite streaming services and movies. Its remote has a “lost” feature that helps you track it down if you misplace it, too.

Betty Crocker Pizza Maker

You and your valentine can whip up homemade pizzas with this convenient countertop pizza maker. It heats up in just five minutes and takes only 10 minutes to cook the pizza. You can also use it to make flatbreads, quesadillas, cookies and more.

Anti-Valentine’s Day at-home essentials

Single and Happy Coloring Book for Adults

Celebrate your single status this Valentine’s Day with this fun adult coloring book. It includes 25 geometric patterns to color in and is suitable for all skill levels. It also features sarcastic and funny quotes about being single on each page.

Cards Against Humanity Party Game

This adult fill-in-the-blank game is perfect for an anti-Valentine’s Day party. It has simple rules that lead to plenty of silly, raunchy jokes. It also lends itself to replaying again and again because the base game comes with 600 cards. You can purchase expansion packs, too.

Microsoft Xbox Series X

Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day, host a video game tournament for your friends with this top-of-the-line gaming console. It offers 4K and 8K HDR gaming with near-instant loading times. It also comes with a controller and is compatible with games for previous models, such as the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

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General Daily Insight for April 30, 2023

Dark clouds make way for sunshine! We begin with a gloomier aspect, as the emotional Moon standing off with critical Saturn fogs our lives with loneliness. Luckily, the mist clears up as the Moon harmonizes with the ego-boosting Sun, showing us the silver lining and allowing us to pick ourselves back up. Finally, the Moon works hand-in-hand with communicative Mercury at 3:05 pm EDT to make our path forward clearer, increasing our intuition as blue skies roll in. The light always returns.

Get your FREE cosmic profile at Tarot.com.

Aries

March 21-April 19

Low energy can make things seem worse than they really are. You might begin with some despair, feeling like you’re all on your own and left to pick up the pieces, but you may simply be exhausted or not properly caring for yourself. Eating a meal, taking a shower, and taking a nap could be all you need to turn things around! Afterward, the optimistic side of things should become more apparent. Give yourself some grace and rest before getting back to the grind.

Taurus

April 20-May 20

Fears may be dramatized. Catastrophizing any action that you take is a pitfall for you now, with you coming up with dreary future consequences that might happen, branching off of small mistakes made in the present. It’s easier to see the potential negative outcomes from your actions than the positive ones, but taking no action isn’t going to bring you the future you want either. Take the initiative, because even if you stumble, your vision won’t be brought to life without you!

Gemini

May 21-June 20

Trying to adhere to tradition might be holding you back. You could be trying to live up to a cultural standard, but that may bog you down in stagnation and leave you unfulfilled. The standards and dreams of the people that are important to us are worth exploring, but if they’re intuitively not for you, then you have the cosmic green light to take the path less traveled by. You’ve got a lot of life to live, so don’t be afraid of detours.

Cancer

June 21-July 22

Healthy competition is one thing, but always comparing yourself to others isn’t beneficial. You might be learning everything you can to change yourself in ways that you’re already just fine, or you may be envious of what someone else has. Leaning into your natural beauty and talents should help you feel more authentic, and the direction to take will likely become obvious. Find ways that you and the people around you are already alike and appreciate how your different strengths complement each other.

Leo

July 23-August 22

Security can currently feel claustrophobic. You may have made a conscious decision that allowed you to mature and progress toward your future. Even so, you might worry that you’ve made the wrong choice or that you can’t turn back. Making commitments and having others depend on you can be scary, but keep your own authority in mind and trust yourself as much as possible. Maybe the past you couldn’t have handled this amount of responsibility, but the present you can get the job done.

Virgo

August 23-September 22

Life can feel like it’s you versus them right now. A disagreement could make you feel shut out by the other person, and despite the fact that it’s likely hurting them too, you might be more wounded than they are. Going to the other person with a willingness to learn from your mistakes is the most authentic way to end this disagreement, and they are likely to meet you with humility as well. Your connection means more than being right or wrong in this instance.

Libra

September 23-October 22

Anxiety can color your viewpoint now. What’s really going on and what you think is going on might be two different circumstances entirely, due to fear or miscommunication. The people around you may be exacerbating your anxiety instead of helping — consider doing some deep breathing or reaching out to someone who understands you on a deeper level than most people do. Finding your center will make space for all those worries to melt away, and having someone you trust around can’t hurt.

Scorpio

October 23-November 21

Loneliness might find you in a crowd of people. You may feel different from the other people in a group that you’re in today, leading you to doubt or talk down to yourself, but try contemplating the idea that you’re retreating before anyone has really had a chance to connect with you. You might be withdrawing out of self-judgment, while they believe you’re backing away because you’re judging them. Once you open up and meet them where they’re at, you could make new friends.

Sagittarius

November 22-December 21

Authority figures may hurt your feelings. You might have been scolded or shown disappointment from someone like your boss or your parents, which shakes your judgment and invites personal doubt — whether you’ve actually made a mistake or they’re faultily accusing you. While it would be easy to let their mood dictate your feelings, it’s wiser to fix as much as you can today and try again next time without dwelling for too long on the mistakes that you may or may not have made.

Capricorn

December 22-January 19

Your mindset might be based on some faulty knowledge. You possibly believe certain things about yourself that were told to you by authority figures, but this may have been misinformation that they didn’t know was false — or their own projections that they placed on you. Unlearning this knowledge about who you were supposed to be and reinventing yourself in your own way can upgrade your philosophy and let you look at yourself through a new lens. Don’t box yourself into their vision.

Aquarius

January 20-February 18

Self-isolation is frequently a self-fulfilling prophecy. You may have guarded your heart for good reason, but doing so also blocks you from potential friendships and opportunities to connect with people who will be positive influences. It might seem like if you want something done right that you have to do it yourself, based on people hurting you in the past, but you likely can’t reach your goals completely solo! Open your heart, because the connections that you find can last a long time.

Pisces

February 19-March 20

Someone could be about to emotionally desert you. They may have insulted you in a way that feels irreparable, and while that does hurt, remind yourself that they’re actually telling you something about themselves. They might be trying to make you feel lonely because they feel alone, and reaching through their defense with an attempt at a kinder conversation should increase your understanding of them. Not everyone will let you in, but at least you tried to create a better dialogue.

Get your FREE cosmic profile at Tarot.com.

The Ag Reserve is active farmland between Hypoluxo Road and Atlantic Avenue. It has maintained this status with zoning that prevents development. This is based upon the existing comprehensive plan that requires preservation of 60% of land as conservation or agriculture for any development. This rule change would permit conservation easements from outside the Ag Reserve into the Reserve to permit new development. This will undo all the existing protections.

We need to save these areas. They provide farm to table vegetables. They provide long term employment. They reduce flooding. These lands are essential to saving us from flooding during serious storms. Our county depends upon saving these lands.

Contact your commissioners and ask them to vote no on the GL land swap.

Drew Martin, Lake Worth Beach

The writer is Conservation Chair of the Loxahatchee Group, Sierra Club

Just say no to GL Homes

GL Homes is promising 100 acres of parks with walking, jogging, and equestrian trails and ball fields. All Palm Beach County has to do is turn over thousands of acres of the Agricultural Reserve so it can build multimillion dollar mansions for out-of-state millionaires.

Palm Beach County is wealthy and could build those parks itself without sacrificing the Ag Reserve which county voters paid for to preserve the agricultural nature of this area. In the last election, six less wealthy counties (Alachua, Brevard, Indian River, Nassau, Pasco, and Polk) voted to pay higher taxes to save undeveloped land.

What has Palm Beach County done to preserve our undeveloped land? They appear on the verge of destroying it.

The county can use its cash revenues or issue bonds to build these parks, and perhaps tax some of the super-wealthy who inhabit this area. GL Homes is a proven bad actor, a kingpin that undermines workforce housing in the county. Do they deserve to destroy the Ag Reserve, given their rapacious behavior? No. Let’s see if county commissioners have the spine to say no to them.

Bruce Rocheleau, Delray Beach

How we cause inflation

As I drink my coffee at Starbucks and listen to patrons whining about “Biden’s inflation” while bragging about how they increased rental income on their properties by over 30%, added fees to their professional billings, reduced portion size and increased prices on their menus, a thought occurs to me: We citizens may be the biggest cause of inflation.

In fact, 42% of all rental units in South Florida are owned by “Mom and Pop” investors who jubilantly raised rents on their tenants by hundreds of dollars per month (32%) in the past two years. Many small businesses tacked on “fuel surcharges” and fees for all forms of delivery and repairs that will remain in perpetuity regardless of fuel costs, even when inflation eases. The truth is, business owners increased prices on anything and everything.

So it should be no surprise that inflation has actually been a boon to some. Next time you place an order for $300 running shoes or order a new car, feel blessed in all your abundance and leave the whining at home.

Peter Beshouri, Fort Lauderdale

Godliness can defeat guns

Four teens were killed and 28 injured at a birthday party in Alabama on April 15. Five were killed and eight injured by a shooter in Louisville.

These tragic deaths are a daily reality. Would banning guns stop more killing? It is naïve to think so because those bent on killing people will find a way to get them. More than 40% of weapons are bought on the black market. The way to stop gun violence and crime is to “train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6).

Children need to be taught how to have God in their lives. When that happens, they will not do evil things. In like manner, evil will always fill godless hearts. When people are filled with His love, grace and mercy, there is no room for evil.

Jim Black, Fort Lauderdale

The people of East Palestine, Ohio, are suffering greatly from the toxic spill from the railroad derailment with long-term disastrous health concerns. By stark contrast, President Joe Biden has been missing in action from helping out to visit the people who are greatly suffering there, and on the southern border, from Fentanyl poisoning — except for a briefly staged event.

President Obama once said there were no red states and no blue states, only the United States. It’s a shame that Biden doesn’t follow Obama’s precept and caters to his far-left radical base. Action is what counts in this world, not empty words.

By his actions, or inaction, to American’s suffering, President Biden speaks volumes. Remember this very clearly in 2024.

David G. Ellenberg, Pembroke Pines

Thoughtless legislation

To my Florida neighbors on the right side of the political aisle, how many of you are pleased if not overjoyed with recent bills enacted by the Republican majority in the state House and Senate and signed by Gov. DeSantis?

One of them is the permit-less carry gun bill which allows nearly everyone, without a permit or background check, to conceal the carrying of guns.

Will anyone wager with me that this law will not exponentially increase the murder rate in our state? Does it not make every one of us more susceptible to random acts of violence, such as the elderly Broward woman recently shot critically merely for sunning herself on her condo balcony?

What about the six-week abortion ban which the governor felt was needed to replace a 15-week ban? When women do not even know if they are pregnant at six weeks, can you imagine the burden on their doctors who fear for their licenses when having to make critical decisions impacting women’s lives in such an abbreviated span?

I ask you to recall the Declaration of Independence’s guarantee of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is seriously undermined and jeopardized by these egregious, thoughtless bills.

Sid Sussman, Hallandale Beach

Read the Bible, Rep. Barnaby

Claiming to be a proud Christian conservative, Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, said he had “religious indignation” against transgender people.

“The lord rebuke you, Satan, and all of your demons and all of your imps who come parade before us,” Barnaby said in a House committee meeting. “That’s right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world.”

Perhaps instead of talking to Satan, the representative should put his prejudice and hate aside, pick up the Bible, and read for himself what God calls all of us to do. As in John 13:34, which states “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Remember: Pride goeth before a fall, Rep. Barnaby.

Jaime B. Parent, Deerfield Beach

Did he grab the tab?

I am inclined to think that not many people agree with the description of “very best friends” that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas uses for his relationship with billionaire Harlan Crow. I would like to know how many times the justice has picked up the check when they socialized over the past 20 years.

My best guess would be never.

Jerry Utter, Lake Worth Beach

In Florida, the GOP has overwhelming supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature. They control the Governor’s Mansion and all three Cabinet seats. Republicans in Tallahassee can do whatever they want — and they do.

The 2023 session has been grotesque for many reasons, but when the dust clears, the session will be remembered for the ways lawmakers punished working people. Every chance they get, they stand with big corporations over little people. Here are three of the most glaring examples.

Stealing wages. A shameful stealth amendment that surfaced in the session’s next-to-last week would repeal local “living wage” ordinances in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Orlando and elsewhere. Living wage laws acknowledge that the cost of living is much higher in Fort Lauderdale or Miami than it is upstate.This assault on workers took hold in the House Commerce Committee where Republicans, including Broward’s Chip LaMarca, enthusiastically voted to stick it to their constituents. Waving his finger at witnesses who oppose the bill (HB 917), LaMarca chided them for never having signed the front of a paycheck.

Living wage ordinances apply to local government contracts for services, such as at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The Florida minimum wage is $11 an hour, the highest it has ever been, but still impossible to support a family of four. Broward requires a living wage for certain jobs of $15 an hour plus benefits. These are low-wage, necessary jobs in food preparation, maintenance, security, landscaping and clerical work.

Repealing living wage laws will make it much harder to fill these jobs locally. Bob McKee of the Florida Association of Counties offered lawmakers some simple math. For a family of four, the federal poverty level is $30,000 a year. Divide that by 2,080 hours of work (that’s 52 40-hour weeks) and the wage is $14.42 is an hour.

“Hundreds of thousands of workers are going to be forced to take a pay cut,” Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO told House members. “When you go home, you are going to have to explain why you voted to cut the wages of your constituents.”

Hurting tenants. You have to grudgingly give this cold-hearted crowd of lawmakers credit for persistence. A year ago, they failed to pass a bill that allowed landlords to charge nonrefundable monthly fees instead of a one-time, refundable security deposit. All you need to know about this issue (HB 133) is that one of the forces behind it is a California company, LeaseLock, that offers this service and can now lock in its profit model in a huge state where the housing affordability crisis is so severe that renting will be a reliable profit center, probably forever.

It gets worse. A separate bill (HB 1417) has dire long-term implications for tenants because it preempts all landlord-tenant regulation to the state. That’s driven by a Republican effort to repeal so-called “tenants’ bill of rights” ordinances in Democratic cities and counties. Regrettably, eight House Democrats voted for this predatory measure. It’s one more case of the state punishing cities and counties. The worst possible group of people who should control the fate of renters is this Legislature.

Busting unions. The Republican majority resents public employee unions because they are well-organized, they vote, and they vote for Democrats. And they really don’t like Gov. Ron DeSantis. So lawmakers want to crush those unions, even in a right-to-work state where union membership is not compulsory. A bill headed to the governor’s desk with his support (SB 256) ends a decades-old practice of public sector employers automatically deducting union dues from members’ paychecks, with those employees’ approval. Public sector employers will continue to make automatic deductions for health and life insurance, charitable contributions or deposits to a credit union or 401(k) — everything but the union dues.

The bill requires workers to write monthly checks to their union. The proof that this legislation is nakedly partisan is that unions for police, firefighters and correctional officers that have supported Republicans are not affected. Under the bill, public employee unions also must conduct expensive audits and secure membership from 60% of eligible employees or apply for state certification. This is anti-union, anti-worker and un-American. It is so hostile to workers that in an era in which lawmakers rarely stray from the party line, five Republican senators refused to vote for it.

Welcome to Florida in 2023.

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.

Across America, Republicans are winning more and more Hispanic votes, cutting into the Democratic Party’s longstanding advantage. Democrats have grown complacent with voters from Cuba, Venezuela and other Latin American countries. They made the mistake of not realizing (or just ignoring) that Hispanics are not a monolithic community. There are many, many different kinds of Hispanics, all with different perspectives and unique interests.

Making matters worse for Democrats, they have become more radical and left-wing than ever before. Today’s far-left Democrats simply cannot appeal to a Hispanic population that is culturally conservative at its core.

Hispanics are patriotic people. Their faith in God and family is strong, and they love America. They came to the United States for a reason — not to hear America’s name dragged through the mud, but to live the American dream. And millions of Hispanics are living that dream on a daily basis. I’m one of them, proudly enjoying life in America’s freest state (Florida) and its most exciting city (Miami).

If you’re looking for a strong work ethic, look no further than Hispanic communities. Hispanics admire and strive for wealth rather than demonizing it. They want to experience prosperity for themselves, and they want their children to live it, too. Hispanics also believe in school choice because they care about what students are taught in the classroom. They are concerned about new-age education that favors left-wing brainwashing over actual teaching. The future workforce needs to be educated in artificial intelligence, programming and data analytics, not the garbage that we see in many classrooms across America.

Hispanics are not “woke.” Liberal politicians may use words like “Latinx” or play gender politics, but the Democratic platform is a fringe worldview in the eyes of Hispanics themselves. Just 3% of Hispanics use “Latinx” to describe themselves.

Unfortunately, many Americans have come to take the United States for granted — its many gifts and the many privileges it bestows upon those who live here. Too many have lost sight of real adversity, complaining about relatively insignificant problems or inventing them out of thin air. Young Americans, for example, embrace socialism and communism because they simply have it too good in a free-market system. They have lost perspective.

But Hispanics are not losing that perspective, not when they know the alternative from personal experience. Many Hispanics came to the United States to escape the horrors of socialism and communism. Hyper-inflation, starvation and political persecution are not just buzzwords to them; they are cold, hard realities. And they’re slowly seeing them play out in the United States.

The more Democrats promote socialism and communism as the cures to our (contrived) ills, the more Hispanic votes they lose. The further left the Democratic Party moves, the greater that divide grows.

Momentum is on the side of Republicans. But they cannot take that momentum for granted either. With 2024 around the corner, Republicans can’t make the same mistake that Democrats have made for decades. The Republican Party needs to make an affirmative case for Hispanics to vote in their favor, and they can do it by empowering leaders who resonate most with them.

There is no better example than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican Party’s best chance to win the White House and a beloved conservative champion among Hispanic voters. Last November, DeSantis won nearly 60% of the Hispanic vote in his state, including over two-thirds of Cubans. Time and time again, Florida’s governor has championed conservative policies and turned them into laws. DeSantis doesn’t just talk the talk; he walks the walk — through leadership and good governance. Along the way, he defends the very same American dream that millions of Hispanics hope to live — in Florida and around the country. And Hispanics are rewarding him for it.

Knowing Hispanics, it’s not surprising to see them abandon Democrats en masse. Nor is it a surprise to see Hispanics embrace true leaders like DeSantis. What’s surprising is that some Republicans don’t realize the opportunity they have in 2024, while Democrats who fear a DeSantis candidacy clearly do.

If Republicans are serious about winning the Hispanic vote, they’ll support a leader with the proven track record of winning it before. That’s Ron DeSantis. If they’re not, then Republicans are in danger of losing out on a generational opportunity.

Gabriel Llanes serves as executive director of Ready for Ron.