Sun Sentinel (South Florida)

The lawyer for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, accused of orchestrating the USS Cole bombing, seeks a military court evaluation of his mental competence due to alleged torture-induced brain injury. The trial is set to begin this month at a U.S. Navy base in Cuba.

Josh Wander, co-founder of Miami-based 777 Partners, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in New York, admitting to falsifying financial information to secure loans. He faces up to 40 years in prison and has agreed to pay $500 million in restitution to investors.

A shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, resulted in at least two hospitalizations and the death of the shooter. The incident prompted a lockdown and evacuation of the school, which serves students from kindergarten to fifth grade.

Darryl Kogan, a 68-year-old retired attorney from Boca Raton, pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain sexually explicit images of a minor. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his actions involving online communication with someone he believed to be a 16-year-old girl.

California has ordered mortgage lenders to report on their handling of insurance payouts to survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires. This move aims to expedite the release of funds to homeowners who have faced delays in rebuilding their homes.

The National Retail Federation forecasts a 4.2% increase in holiday spending this year, totaling $1.01 trillion. This growth is driven by higher consumer prices and the spending habits of wealthier shoppers despite ongoing inflation concerns.

As South Florida school districts prepare for a property tax referendum renewal on Nov. 3, education leaders worry voters may confuse it with Amendment 3, which seeks to reduce property taxes. The outcome is crucial for funding teacher pay and school resources across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.