By AMANDA SEITZ and STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial environmental lawyer turned public health critic, is set to find out on Tuesday if he has cleared the first hurdle to become the nation’s top health official when the Senate Finance Committee votes on his nomination.

Democrats are still raising concerns about Kennedy’s potential to profit from anti-vaccine advocacy and lawsuits, but Republicans appear to be rallying behind President Donald Trump’s health secretary nominee. On Monday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican once viewed as a possible “no” vote, announced he would back Kennedy.

Kennedy needs support from all but three Republicans if Democrats uniformly oppose him.

What will doctor and Republican Bill Cassidy do?

One key vote remains in question: Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana physician who sits on the finance committee that will vote on Kennedy’s confirmation. Last week, during Kennedy’s hearings, Cassidy repeatedly implored Kennedy to reject a disproven theory that vaccines cause autism, to no avail. He ended the hearing by saying he was “struggling” with the vote.

“Your past, undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments, concerns me,” Cassidy told Kennedy.

On Monday evening, Cassidy told reporters that he had “very cordial” conversations with Kennedy over the weekend but was “still working through” how to handle his vote.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky are all seen as potential no votes, too, because they voted against Trump’s defense secretary nominee and have expressed concerns about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine work.

In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, McConnell declined to say how he would vote on Kennedy’s nomination but reiterated “vaccines are critically important.”

Democrats still have questions for Kennedy

Democrats, meanwhile, continue to raise alarms about Kennedy’s potential to financially benefit from changing vaccine guidelines or weakening federal lawsuit protections against vaccine makers if confirmed as health secretary.

“It seems possible that many different types of vaccine-related decisions and communications — which you would be empowered to make and influence as Secretary — could result in significant financial compensation for your family,” Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote in a letter sent over the weekend to Kennedy.

Kennedy said he’ll give his son all of the referral fees in legal cases against vaccine makers, including the fees he gets from referring clients in a case against Merck. Kennedy told the committee he’s referred hundreds of clients to a law firm that’s suing Merck’s Gardasil, the human papillomavirus vaccine that prevents cervical cancer. He’s earned $2.5 million from the deal over the past three years.

As secretary, Kennedy will oversee vaccine recommendations and public health campaigns for the $1.7 trillion agency, which is also responsible for food and hospital inspections, providing health insurance for millions of Americans and researching deadly diseases.

Who are the wild card votes?

Kennedy’s allies are still holding out hope that they could entice a Democrat or two to their side. A pressure campaign has been focused on Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who has expressed support for Kennedy’s push to make American foods more healthy. Pennsylvania’s Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has also been a focus, although he told Fox News Channel this weekend that the nomination was “challenging.”

A Democratic-led opposition campaign, built around Kennedy’s anti-vaccine advocacy and influence in Samoa during a measles outbreak that left dozens of children and infants dead in 2019, has also narrowed in on Republican Sen. John Curtis, who represents Utah, home to one of the nation’s largest Samoan populations.

Tuesday’s vote is just the start

The Senate finance committee, made up of 25 senators, will vote on whether to recommend Kennedy for a vote on the Senate floor, where all 100 senators will have the chance to vote on the nomination.

The committee vote will be a strong indicator of where things are headed for Kennedy, but it’s not necessarily the final word. Even if the committee votes against his confirmation — seemingly unlikely — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could still push for a floor vote.

If Kennedy gets the committee’s recommendation, he could still have work to do to win over Collins, Murkowski and McConnell. Cassidy also could potentially vote against Kennedy’s final confirmation even if he votes in favor of him Tuesday.

What is ‘MAHA’?

Kennedy, a longtime Democrat, ran for president but withdrew last year to throw his support to Trump in exchange for an influential job in his Republican administration. Together, they have forged a new and unusual coalition made up of conservatives who oppose vaccines and liberals who want to see the government promote healthier foods. Trump and Kennedy have branded the movement as “Make America Healthy Again.”

By KEN MORITSUGU and HUIZHONG WU, Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China countered President Donald Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports Tuesday, as well as announcing an antitrust investigation into Google and other trade measures.

U.S. tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico were also set to go into effect Tuesday before Trump agreed to a 30-day pause as the two countries acted to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. Trump planned to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the next few days.

The Chinese response was “measured,” said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “I don’t think they want the trade war escalating,” he said. “And they see this example from Canada and Mexico and probably they are hoping for the same thing.”

This isn’t the first round of tit-for-tat actions between the two countries. China and the U.S. had engaged in a trade war in 2018 when Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods and China responded in kind.

This time, analysts said, China is much better prepared to counter, with the government announcing a slew of measures that cut across different sectors of the economy, from energy to individual U.S. companies.

Counter tariffs

China said it would implement a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars imported from the U.S. The tariffs would take effect next Monday.

“The U.S.’s unilateral tariff increase seriously violates the rules of the World Trade Organization,” the State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement. “It is not only unhelpful in solving its own problems, but also damages normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S.”

The impact on U.S. exports may be limited. Though the U.S. is the biggest exporter of liquid natural gas globally, it does not export much to China. In 2023, the U.S. exported 173,247 million cubic feet of LNG to China, representing about 2.3% of total natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

China imported only about 700,000 cars overall last year, and the leading importers are from Europe and Japan, said Bill Russo, the founder of the Automobility Limited consultancy in Shanghai.

Further export controls on critical minerals

China announced export controls on several elements critical to the production of modern high-tech products.

They include tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium, many of which are designated as critical minerals by the U.S. Geological Survey, meaning they are essential to U.S. economic or national security that have supply chains vulnerable to disruption.

The export controls are in addition to ones China placed in December on key elements such as gallium.

“They have a much more developed export control regime,” Philip Luck, an economist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former State Department official, said at a panel discussion on Monday.

“We depend on them for a lot of critical minerals: gallium, germanium, graphite, a host of others,” he said. “So … they could put some significant harm on our economy.”

The response from China appears calculated and measured, said Stephen Dover, chief market strategist and head of the Franklin Templeton Institute, a financial research firm. However, he said, the world is bracing for further impact.

“A risk is that this is the beginning of a tit-for-tat trade war, which could result in lower GDP growth everywhere, higher U.S. inflation, a stronger dollar and upside pressure on U.S. interest rates,” Dover said.

US companies also impacted

In addition, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said Tuesday it is investigating Google on suspicion of violating antitrust laws. The announcement did not mention the tariffs but came just minutes after Trump’s 10% tariffs on China were to take effect.

It is unclear how the probe will affect Google’s operations. The company has long faced complaints from Chinese smartphone makers over its business practices surrounding the Android operating system, Gong said.

Otherwise, Google has a limited presence in China, and its search engine is blocked in the country like most other Western platforms. Google exited the Chinese market in 2010 after refusing to comply with censorship requests from the Chinese government and following a series of cyberattacks on the company.

Google did not immediately comment.

The Commerce Ministry also placed two American companies on an unreliable entities list: PVH Group, which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and Illumina, which is a biotechnology company with offices in China. The listing could bar them from engaging in China-related import or export activities and from making new investments in the country.

Beijing began investigating PVH Group in September last year over “improper Xinjiang-related behavior” after the company allegedly boycotted the use of Xinjiang cotton.

Putting these U.S. companies on the unreliable entities list is “alarming” because it shows that the Chinese government is using the list to pressure U.S. companies to take a side, said George Chen, managing director for The Asia Group, a Washington D.C.-headquartered business policy consultancy.

“It’s almost like telling American companies, what your government is doing is bad, you need to tell the government that if you add more tariffs or hurt U.S.-China relations at the end of the day it’ll backfire on American companies,” Chen said.

Wu reported from Bangkok. AP writers Zen Soo in Hong Kong and Christopher Bodeen in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.

BERKLEY – The Royal Oak Ravens ground out a 37-25 win over the Berkley Bears in Monday’s Oakland Activities Association crossover contest.

It was a scrappy, defensive game from the start. Neither team could maintain any consistent offensive rhythm or string together any long runs as the defenses contested every shot, pass, and dribble from start to finish. Berkley made four field goals in the opening quarter and led 10-7 when the first quarter ended.

“That got away from us,” Berkley head coach Clay Shaver said. “We just came out okay, and then we kind of flattened out pretty quick. But credit to Royal Oak. Their coach is awesome.”

From there, the Ravens’ defense was smothering, only allowing the Bears just four more field goals over the final three quarters.

“We are going to live in the world of defend, defend, defend, and try to find enough offense to get the job done,” Ravens head coach Brian Sopata said. That’s a team that, if you look at their most recent scores, they’re putting up 50, 60 points a night. Holding them to that amount (25 points) was a heck of an effort on our end. I think our kids really executed what our game plan was.”

Royal Oak, meanwhile, scratched out just enough offense of its own and stretched the lead to 29-20 by the end of the third quarter before largely running out the clock in the fourth quarter.

Hannah Saunders had 11 points for Royal Oak, while Maddie Lawrence added nine and Lucy Freytag had eight for the Ravens, who spread the stats around a bit more.

“When you’ve got multiple kids scoring, even if it’s not a ton, they can feed off of that, feed off each other,” Sopata said.

Avery Weingarden had 11 points for Berkley, but no one else had more than six points for the Bears.

Similarly, Royal Oak outrebounded the Bears 30-20, but no Raven had more than the six rebounds collected by Lydia Dickens, and four Ravens had at least four rebounds. Berkley got 10 rebounds from Caleigh Tracey, but the rest of the team had just 10 rebounds as a group.

The win evens Royal Oak’s record at 7-7. The Ravens sit second in the OAA White and resume league play on Thursday with a trip to Troy to face the Colts, which kicks off a string of three straight divisional games for Royal Oak.

Photo gallery of Berkley vs. Royal Oak in OAA girls hoops action

“Our last two times out, we’ve played really well,” Sopata said. “It’s cliché, but it’s build for the next one. We’ve got to go to Troy Thursday. There’s nothing easy about that one.” He added that, “I’m really pleased at our girls stepping up, executing what we asked them to do, believing in it, and they worked their way through it in a game that was not pretty. But we’ll take it.”

Berkley (10-6, 6-2) remains second in the OAA Blue. The Bears are back into league play on Wednesday with a road test against Rochester Adams. After senior night on Friday against Detroit Voyager Prep, the Bears will then host Avondale next Tuesday in a must-win matchup if they are to have any chance of catching the first place Yellowjackets (12-2, 8-0).

“They (Adams) want to slow you down. (Adams head coach Joe Malburg) knows his personnel, and he knows right now they’re going to win by slowing you down and beating you with defense. So that will probably be a long night,” Shaver said. “We had that control your own destiny thing, and that kind of went by the wayside on Friday (by losing to Southfield A&T). But the good news is that there are a lot of good teams in the Blue so anything can happen on any night."

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate love and connection, and if you’re in Macomb or Oakland County, there’s no shortage of fun and unique experiences to enjoy with your special someone. Whether you’re looking for a cozy night out, a hands-on adventure, or a peaceful retreat, this list has something for every couple.

Savor a wine tasting experience

Where: Filipo Marc Winery, 39085 Garfield Road, Clinton Township

Wine lovers will adore a romantic evening at Filipo Marc Winery, where you can sip on expertly crafted, custom-blended wines in an intimate setting. Elevate your Valentine’s toast with a special bottle to take home. Filipo’s has a pre-Valentine’s event on Feb. 10. Visit filipomarcwinery.com for details.

Where: Michigan by the Bottle Wine Tasting Rooms, locations in Auburn Hills, Royal Oak and Shelby Township

Combining events like trivia, calligraphy classes, live music and more with tastings of fine wines, wine lovers can enjoy an evening of tasting and fun. A full schedule is available at mbtbtasting.com.

Where: OPC Social & Activity Center, 650 Letica Drive, Rochester

If you prefer an intimate dining experience, attend a wine pairing dinner with expert sommelier Christel Gaillard from Woodberry Wines from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20. This event features paired wines and gourmet dishes in a cozy, romantic setting. Tickets are $40 for OPC members and $45 for nonmembers. Call 248-659-1029 for reservations.

Enjoy a live show together

Where: Meadow Brook Theatre, 378 Meadow Brook Road, Rochester

Immerse yourselves in the magic of live theatre with a Broadway-style performance at Meadow Brook Theatre. This professional venue offers an enchanting date night experience, from musicals to dramas. Starting Feb. 12 is “The Angel Next Door.” It’s “a screwball comedy … about people in love with theater, who know that, sometimes, even reality needs a rewrite to reach a happy ending.”

Where: Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township

From musical performances to plays to dance, The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is often referred to as the cultural hub of Macomb County, and is a provider of year-round cultural enrichment experiences. Check out February attractions by visiting macombcenter.com.

Where: OPC Social & Activity Center, 650 Letica Drive, Rochester

Enjoy “A Night with the Stars: Rod Stewart & Elton John Tribute,” a high-energy tribute show featuring the singers’ legendary sounds. This romantic and lively event will have you singing along to timeless classics. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased by calling 248-659-1029. The show is 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 13.

Take a cozy winter stroll

Where: Stony Creek Metropark, 4300 Main Park Drive, Shelby Township

Bundle up and embrace the winter wonderland with a serene walk through Stony Creek Metropark. Enjoy the snow-covered trails, frozen lakes and peaceful wooded paths — perfect for a romantic escape into nature.

Get hands-on with a cooking class

Where: Sur La Table, 2801 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 264, Troy

Why go out for dinner when you can learn to cook a gourmet meal together? Sur La Table offers hands-on cooking classes where you can master everything from pasta-making to decadent desserts. Visit surlatable.com/cooking-classes.

Where: Mirepoix Cooking School, 1203 S. Main St., Royal Oak

A full schedule of February classes, including a Valentine’s Wine Pairing, can be found at mirepoixcookingschool.com. Both in-person and virtual events are held.

Unwind with couples’ yoga or meditation

Where: Your favorite studio

Find your Zen with a couples’ yoga session or meditative Tai Chi experience. These activities promote relaxation and wellness and strengthen your bond through mindful movement and connection.

See a classic movie on the big screen

Where: Your favorite theater

Transport yourselves back in time by catching a throwback movie screening at a local theatre. Many cinemas feature romantic classics or cult favorites around Valentine’s Day, making for a cozy and nostalgic date night. Emagine theater’s Flashback Cinema airs favorites such as “Casablanca,” “Gone with the Wind” and “Moonstruck.” A different movie is presented each week. Visit emagine-entertainment.com/flashback-cinema.

Try a unique artistic workshop

Where: Local artisan studios

Get creative with a painting, sculpture or even a glassblowing class, where you and your partner can craft a one-of-a-kind keepsake. Many studios in the area offer hands-on workshops, allowing you to create something memorable and personal. Check out Painting with a Twist, which has multiple locations throughout the area, or Hawaii Fluid Art, 1426 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, for Valentine’s special deals.

The Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township will present “Albert Kahn and Packard: Getting the Packards on the Road,” as part of its Historical Series at 1p.m. March 16.

This engaging event that’s sure to be a treat for anyone passionate about history, architecture or automotive innovation will explore how Albert Kahn’s architectural genius shaped Packard’s sales and service buildings between 1907 and 1930, structures that were functional and integral in defining Packard’s brand.

Albert Kahn was a pioneer among architects whose modern industrial designs can be seen in everything from office buildings and banks to city structures like the Belle Isle Aquarium and several factories.

As part of its historical speaker series, Heidi Pfannes and John Cole will discuss Kahn’s influence on Packard and its buildings, which played a crucial role in defining Packard’s reputation.

They weren’t just service centers.

Khan carefully designed spaces that projected sophistication and exclusivity, much like the cars they housed.

“Kahn understood that Packard’s customers weren’t just buying cars; they were investing in a legacy of quality and innovation,” said Mary Anne Demo, executive director of the Packard Proving Grounds. “His dealerships reflected that prestige, making them just as iconic as the automobiles themselves.”

Tickets are $5 for not-yet members and free for members.

To reserve your seat for this special presentation visit PackardProvingGrounds.org/March16HistoricalSpeakerSeries.

The Packard Proving Ground Historic Site is at 49965 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township.

Janek Bebout grinned as he cued up his instrument, as proud and prepared with his jar of hot-pink slime as any classically trained musician making an orchestral debut.

First, the 8-year-old explained, the slime is warmed with a short massage. Lift it slightly so an air pocket forms at the base of its container. Then, squish.

Flerrrrrrrp.

“And then comes the fart,” he said. “A pretty good one. I bet if you had let that one rip it would feel good.”

Cue the giggles.

The third-grader’s peal of laughter at the flatulent sound he made with a jar of slime was integral to a recent press conference at the children’s wing of Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak, where Janek and his grandmother Barbara Soffin donated 2,409 containers of slime to pediatric patients. Each container is topped with a sticker that says “Janek’s laughter.”

Janek, his 4-year-old brother, Julen, and their mother, Johanna Bebout, were among the nine people injured in a mass shooting last summer at a Rochester Hills splash pad. Janek’s injuries were severe, leading to major surgery, a two-week hospital stay and repeated tests, pricks and pokes from doctors. The Rochester Hills resident is blind as a result of his injury and uses a cane to navigate the world.

Janek’s effervescent attitude touched the medical team that took on the highly emotional job of caring for a child who had been among those injured in a mass shooting, said Amanda Lefkof, a child life specialist at Corewell in Royal Oak. She said Janek and his brother Julen were “an inspiration” to everyone who worked with them.

“Even though (Janek) was going through such a hard thing, he brought laughter and he brought smiles to every nurse and every doctor and every surgeon that walked in his room and took care of him,” Lefkof said. “It just made you want to keep going back.”

Slime was integral to the laughter and smiles, she said. One of her tricks for raising the spirits of hospitalized children, particularly boys, is to encourage them to find lighthearted ways to mess with their caregivers.

Janek appeared to be a natural.

He explained his method: “A doctor came in, or a nurse, and I put the slime under my blanket and then I made a fart noise, and they thought that I farted,” he said. “And then I pulled the slime out, and they were like, ‘Whoa.'”

Seeing Janek return to the hospital in good health and with a mission to share joy with other patients is moving, Lefkof said, although she’s not sure where she’ll store the thousands of jars of donated slime.

“I think our favorite thing is being able to see our patients come back doing well,” Lefkof said. “Not only is he doing well, just rocking it with his cane and feeling good, but wanting to give back to other children that are going through hard times. It’s such a meaningful, full-circle moment.”

Finding toys Janek would enjoy after he lost his sight was a learning curve for the family, said Soffin, Janek’s grandma. She scrambled to find something to entertain him in the hospital and landed on a little container of slime.

“He started playing with it, and he belly-laughed because it made ‘boy noises,’ like fart sounds, and he laughed so hard,” Soffin said, the sound of Janek making those “boy noises” echoing in the background. “When he laughed, my son hit his knees and he cried and said ‘Mama, you gave me my son’s laughter back.'”

After he was released from the hospital, Janek told Soffin he wanted to collect slime for the other kids who were hospitalized. She agreed, and before Christmas wrote a post on Facebook asking her friends to help Janek’s wish come true.

“I couldn’t even open my front door at one point in time,” Soffin said. “I think we cleaned Amazon out (of slime).”

Soffin said she hopes Nickelodeon, the children’s television network that cornered the market on slime entertainment in the 1980s, takes up the charge and donates slime to kids in hospitals around the country.

Soffin said Janek and his family are recovered from their physical injuries. They’re now focused on their emotional recovery.

“By laughing today and having fun with slime, it might be simple to some people,” she said. “It’s actually everything to us.”

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2025. There are 330 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 4, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, ordering Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

Also on this date:

In 1789, electors unanimously chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States.

In 1801, John Marshall took office as chief justice of the United States, a position he would hold for a record 34 years.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta.

In 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, 19, was kidnapped in Berkeley, California, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army.

In 1976, more than 23,000 people died when a severe earthquake struck Guatemala with a magnitude of 7.5.

In 2004, Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched “Thefacebook.”

In 2013, British scientists announced that the skeletal remains they had discovered during an excavation beneath a Leicester, England parking lot were, beyond reasonable doubt, the remains of 15th century monarch King Richard III.

In 2021, a voting technology company, Smartmatic USA, sued Fox News, three of its hosts and two former Trump lawyers — Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell — for $2.7 billion, for allegedly conspiring to spread false claims that the company helped “steal” the presidential election. (The case remains ongoing.)

Today’s birthdays:

• Former Argentinian President Isabel Peron is 94.
• Former Vice President Dan Quayle is 78.
• Rock singer Alice Cooper is 77.
• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is 72.
• Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor is 66.
• Country singer Clint Black is 63.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya is 52.
• Singer Natalie Imbruglia is 50.
• Rapper Cam’ron is 49.
• Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw is 48.
• Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Carly Patterson is 37.

Basketball action from the Berkley vs. Birmingham Seaholm co-ed unified game played on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 at Berkley.

The Royal Oak Ravens defeated the Berkley Bears 37-25 in the OAA crossover game played on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 at Berkley.

Which dip station is best?

One of the simplest, most effective pieces of home workout equipment is the dip station. This relatively compact device allows for an effective upper body and core workout through dips, holds and inverted pullups. As you lower and raise your body, you’re toning and strengthening your biceps, triceps, chest and shoulders.

Dip stations should be strong enough to support your weight while stable enough to stay in one spot. Some dip stations allow for more diverse workouts, while others, like the Trademark Innovations Fitness Training Dip Station, offer simplicity and strength.

This article was reviewed and approved by Judd NeSmith, the BestReviews Fitness Expert.

What to know before you buy a dip station

Weight capacity

The ability to support your weight is arguably the most important aspect of an effective dip station. Weight limits inform its durability and construction as well. Those with lower limits — anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds — may move around too easily or wear down over time. Consider not only your current weight but also whether you plan to incorporate any accessories, such as weighted vests.

Stability

It’s important both for the effectiveness of a dip station and your safety that the station doesn’t move when in use. Most dip stations come with rubber grips to adhere to the floor. Your center of gravity changes while using it, and if you’re adjusting your position, you may even tend toward one side, so be sure it doesn’t move or yield.

Base

The base of the dip station can vary or not exist at all.

• Two-piece: With two-piece dip stations, you can rearrange the base to stagger or alter the positioning of the handlebars. These target different muscles and allow for slight variations of exercises. However, this design offers less stability and durability since pieces come apart.
• One-piece: Dip stations with a solid, one-piece base offer better stability and a higher weight capacity than a two-piece station, though this limits the amount and variety of exercises.
• Wall-mounted: Some dip stations have no base, and instead can be mounted to the wall. These are best for commercial use or those with a designated home gym space as they require proper installation and are designed to be set in place for some time.

Space

While dip stations aren’t particularly large, they can take up a decent amount of space. You want a comfortable workout space as well as a convenient storage area.

What to look for in a quality dip station

Adjustability

Some dip stations let the user adjust their height and even their width. This caters to larger individuals while also allowing different exercises to be performed.

Grips

The positioning of grips can slightly alter the exercise, meaning you can target different muscles. Some dip stations add grips at the base so you can perform incline pushups.

What you can expect to pay for a dip station

Most quality dip stations range in price between $50-$80. These should accommodate most users and goals through a variety of workouts. More expensive models may feature more grips and higher weight limits.

Dip station FAQ

Q. Are dip stations safe to use?

A. Like any exercise, especially those done at home, it’s important to adhere to proper form to avoid injury. What’s more, stretch before and after working out, and incorporate rest days to allow your body to recover. Pushing yourself too hard too quickly can result in more harm than good.

Q. What are the benefits of dip stations?

A. Dip stations provide toning and strengthening exercises for your upper body, particularly your chest, triceps, shoulders and back. These workouts can be especially intense if you’re just starting off. Variations allow you to target your core as well.

Best dip stations

Top dip station

Trademark Innovations Fitness Training Dip Station

What you need to know: This is a simple, strong dip station offering stability, durability and comfort.

What you’ll love: This smartly designed dip station grips to the floor, features a high weight limit and is soft on the hands. It’s lightweight and easy to transport and store.

What you should consider: To add more exercises, you must buy accessories.

Top dip station for the money

ProsourceFit Dip Stand Station

What you need to know: It’s a versatile, adjustable two-piece base dip station for simple exercises and convenient storage.

What you’ll love: You can toggle the height and width to your needs, and the base adjusts to alter exercises. It’s sold at an affordable price.

What you should consider: There are some stability concerns with its two-piece base.

Worth checking out

Fuel Pureformance Deluxe Dip Station

What you need to know: Durable construction and versatile design make this an impressive fitness investment.

What you’ll love: The grip position and included rings allow for more varied exercises, and the pads offer comfort. Its steel construction resists rust and should last a long time.

What you should consider: It’s more expensive than other options.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Waterford Mott will be looking for a new head coach of its football program after Chris Fahr announced he would not be returning.

Fahr revealed the decision on Twitter/X on Thursday afternoon.

He posted the following: “I would like to say thank you to every player and coach that has been with me during my time as the Waterford Mott Head Football coach. I am grateful for you all. With that said today is my last day as your coach. Thank you very much and I am truly grateful for every second of it.”

When one user asked for a reason, Fahr responded, “Just my time brotha.”

Hired to take over the Corsairs’ program in 2012, Fahr’s team went 2-7 the first year, then increased by two wins each of the next two years, resulting in the program’s fifth playoff appearance in 2014. In 2016, Mott won its first playoff game under Fahr, and the following year helped the team capture its first LVC league title.

In 2021, Fahr directed Mott to a district title, and two years later to new heights with a regional championship and an appearance in the Division 2 semifinals.

Altogether, Fahr compiled a 73-56 record, including a pair of district and league titles.

“We’ve had that ‘Us against the world’ mentality since Day 1 when I got here in 2012, that chip on your shoulder attitude, that kind of mindset where you want the way you play to make a statement about who you are, where you’re from,” Fahr told the Oakland Press in 2023. “Being from Waterford means being tough, being resilient, being accountable. That how we’ve built this thing.”

A graduate of Meadowcreek High School (GA), Fahr previously spent a decade coaching at Birmingham Seaholm, including six as head coach. He led the Maples to their first road playoff victory in program history.

Mott finished the 2024 season with a 3-5 record.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Desmond Claude scored 19, Wesley Yates III had 15 and Southern California upset No. 7 Michigan State 70-64 on Saturday afternoon, snapping the Spartans 13-game winning streak.

Chibuzo Agbo added 14 points for the Trojans (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten), who led the entire game. It was their first win against a top 10 team since beating then fifth-ranked Arizona last March.

Michigan State trailed 65-61 and was looking to make it a one possession game, but was called for a shot clock violation with 39.3 seconds remaining.

Off the inbound, USC’s Saint Thomas threw a cross court pass to Yates, who dunked it to put the Trojans up six.

Jeremy Fears Jr. had 12 points and Jaden Akins 11 for the Spartans (18-3, 9-1). The 13-game run was tied for Michigan State’s longest win streak since 2018-19.

Takeaways

Michigan State: The Spartans came into the game leading the nation in fast-break points (18.5 per game), but were held to nine.

USC: The Trojans got the win despite being the visitors at times in their own building. Michigan State had a large contingent at the Galen Center. USC first-year coach Eric Musselman has remarked a couple times during conference home games about the crowd disparity.

Key moment

Michigan State got within 55-52 with 8:37 remaining on a 3-pointer by Akins, but USC countered with a 10-4 run to get back some breathing room.

Key stat

USC led 35-32 at halftime. It was the first time Michigan State had trailed after 20 minutes since being down by three points against Memphis at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 26, which was the Spartans’ last loss before Saturday. The Trojans are 10-2 when leading at the half.

Up next

Both teams have road games Tuesday. Michigan State is at UCLA while USC travels to Northwestern.

— By JOE REEDY, Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Danny Wolf scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Vladislav Goldin scored 14 points and Michigan won its second straight beating Rutgers 66-63 on Saturday.

Reserve Jamichael Davis scored 20 points for Rutgers, fellow back-up Tyson Acuff scored 14 and Ace Bailey was the only Scarlet Knight starter to reach double-digit scoring with 10 points.

Goldin’s layup with 4:42 before halftime gave Michigan a 22-21 lead and the Wolverines (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) led the rest of the way. Sam Walters and Will Tschetter each followed with 3-pointers and Roddy Gayle Jr. made a pair of foul shots to extend the lead to 30-21. Michigan led 32-25 at halftime.

Acuff made a jump shot with 15:06 left to play to get Rutgers within 40-35. Five minutes later, PJ Hayes IV made a 3 to get the Scarlet Knights (11-11, 4-7) within 44-41. Zach Martini brought Rutgers within its closest deficit margin — 46-44 — of the second half with a 3-pointer with 7:53 left.

Michigan stretched the lead to 57-50 with a pair of Goldin foul shots. Davis made a 3 to get Rutgers within four before Goldin added a layup and the Wolverines held on from there.

Davis made a 3 as time expired for the game’s final margin.

Michigan hosts 16th-ranked Oregon on Wednesday. Rutgers hosts No. 18 Illinois on Wednesday.

The family of a 5-year-old boy killed in a hyperbaric chamber explosion in Troy on Friday is raising money for costs associated with his passing, according to a GoFundMe page.

Thomas Cooper from Royal Oak loved life, according to the fundraiser, everything from running to swimming and playing video games.

“He was planning to try mountain BMX racing and karate in the summer,” the fundraiser said. “He had nature school last year and ran, jumped and rolled down hills. He loved mud. Loved to stomp on ice. Loved his mama and daddy so much.”

Troy Fire and Police responded to an explosion at the Oxford Center, a medical facility at 165 Kirts Boulevard near Livernois Road and Interstate 75, Friday morning. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a pressurized device that contains 100% oxygen gas, exploded with the five-year-old boy inside, law enforcement and fire officials said at a news conference Friday.

Firefighters and police contained the blaze quickly after arriving on the scene and extracted the boy, who was later pronounced dead. The boy’s mother was standing near the hyperbaric chamber at the time of the explosion and her arms were injured, according to police and fire officials. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Troy Fire Department.

Cooper loved video games like Minecraft and was excited to go home after his hyperbaric treatment Friday to play a new Yoshi game on his Nintendo DS that his father had gotten him the night before, according to the fundraiser.

“He was the smartest and cutest kid that liked to zoom, zoom, zoom,” the fundraiser said. “He asked to see pictures of germs, liked to know how things worked, he liked to make field journals and he had finally started adding facial features to his people drawings.”

Cooper had also recently received a red envelope with money, a tradition during Chinese New Year that symbolizes good luck for the upcoming year, according to the fundraiser.

“Before his passing, he asked for a Chinese red pocket money for the new year. He placed it underneath his pillow and declared ‘he’d have the best luck ever!’” the fundraiser said. “The day of his passing was the day he was planning to spend his red pocket with his little brother.”

The fundraiser did not specify why Cooper was receiving oxygen therapy in the hyperbaric chamber. It has raised over $10,000 in less than 24 hours.

Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon are ready to play, and “You’re Cordially Invited” has its moments, which is enough, probably, for home viewers in a five-or-six-laughs-will-do frame of mind. The comedy, written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, premieres Jan. 30 directly to Prime Video.

This one’s all over the place tonally, on purpose: Ferrell wrestles a fake alligator over here, while over there, Witherspoon bravely engages with her siblings and their intimidating mother to hammer out an honest reconciliation after too long. Male strippers in this corner, lonely-widower pathos in that one. A little of everything, just like life, if life were just like a movie like “You’re Cordially Invited.”

Set-up: A wedding venue has been double-booked! This comes as harsh news for Jim (Ferrell), who has poured his widower’s grief into Olympian-level doting on newly engaged daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan). The venue holds personal meaning for the father of the bride, who has spent too many happy hours attending to his child’s needs to have things messed up now.

The venue snafu is equally bad news, on the other narrative track, for Margot (Witherspoon), a Los Angeles-based reality show producer diving into wedding-planner mode for her sister (Meredith Hagner). Upon arriving at the island inn managed by smiley, panicky Jack McBrayer, Jim and Margot escalate things quickly after an initial agreement to share the tiny venue between their very different wedding parties.

Adults, young and older, acting like sociopathic, zero-impulse-control children: It’s a comedy mainstay, I suppose, and director Stoller himself has been there plenty, notably with the two “Neighbors” films. He’s actually one of the more reliable contemporary filmmakers in the sphere of freewheeling star-driven vehicles, some very good and nicely modulated (“Get Him to the Greek,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “The Five-Year Engagement,” “Bros”), some peculiarly brutal in the slapstick guise (“Neighbors” and its sequel).

This one’s in between. The pacing’s a little odd, its jumpy editing rhythms somehow making a lot of the scenes drag instead of trot. After an hour of being stuck at the inn, with everybody acting like maniacs, you start to notice things like the dim, bland lighting of the cinematography (never good for comedy).  As written, Jim is indistinct; when he starts acting out of character, the effect feels uncertain because we don’t have a sharp sense of what’s in character for this guy.

Stoller’s idea is that Margot and Jim loathe each other on one level, as they actively try to ruin the other’s hopes for a dream wedding by increasingly destructive means. They’re both also victims of contrived misunderstandings, and meantime they’re meant to be falling for each other against their will. Witherspoon’s timing is whip-crack good, and Ferrell’s is, too, on a different wavelength, even when the material’s settling for surprisingly witless profanity punchlines that don’t quiiiiite qualify as actual jokes.

The ringer — every middling ensemble comedy can use one — is comedian Leanne Morgan, as Margot’s sad-sack sister, reignited by the mere sight of Ferrell’s Jim (a “Redwood,” she calls him, salaciously) across a crowded floor. Her introductory mini-monologue consists of a laundry list of petty personal setbacks and woes, and it’s the kind of no-big-deal riff at which screenwriter Stoller excels. Morgan doesn’t grab the moment; rather, she deadpans her way through it, and it’s twice as effective as a result.

The auxiliary ringer? Celia Weston, as Margot’s passive-aggressive Southern Belle mother, makes hay with the more serious moments near the end. She’s a wonderful actor, on stage and on screen. If “You’re Cordially Invited” strains to bring its amped-up, often wearying feud to a satisfying conclusion, the stars give it their best shot, while the ringers do their thing with blithe assurance.

“You’re Cordially Invited” — 2.5 stars (out of four)

MPA rating: R (for language throughout and some sexual references)

Running time: 1:49

How to watch: Premieres on Prime Video Jan. 30

Michael Philips is a Tribune critic.

DENVER — A remarkable sight will appear in the southwestern sky an hour after sunset Saturday evening when Venus appears very close to a thin crescent moon.

This celestial phenomenon is called a conjunction, which means two or more heavenly bodies appear very close to each other. The moon Saturday night will be 15% illuminated, while Venus will be close to the brightest it gets, according to Jeff Hunt, a retired Illinois planetarium director whose website (whenthecurveslineup.com) tracks interesting celestial events for amateur sky gazers.

The crescent moon may strike observers as slightly larger than normal. The moon will be at its monthly perigee — its closest approach to Earth in a given month — so Hunt is calling it a “super crescent moon.” Monthly perigee distances vary, but for this one, the moon will be 228,000 miles from Earth, 10,500 miles closer than its average distance.

The moon’s closest approach to Earth this year will be 221,726 miles, and its farthest distance will be 252,706 miles. Both will occur in November.

To photograph Saturday’s conjunction, Hunt recommends mounting a camera on a tripod and setting exposures for a few seconds. That could capture a dim reflection of “earthshine” on the portion of the moon that is dark. Mobile phones could yield good results if they are held steady.

The next celestial event of note will be a total lunar eclipse on the night of March 13-14. The partial eclipse, when the moon begins to turn red, will occur beginning at 11:09 p.m. The total eclipse will occur from 12:26 a.m. to 1:31 a.m.

This year’s super full moons will occur on Nov. 5 and Dec. 4.

By Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times

As the Donald Trump administration rushes to cut spending and eliminate federal jobs, even the people who work at the national parks — among the country’s most beloved and least politicized institutions — find themselves directly in the crosshairs.

Last week, the seasonal workers who staff 433 national parks and historical sites, including Yosemite, Death Valley and Joshua Tree, began receiving emails saying their job offers for the 2025 season had been “rescinded,” with little further explanation.

The move set off panic in the ranks of park employees, and threw into limbo the vacation plans of hundreds of millions of people who visit the parks each year. On the chopping block are hundreds — and potentially thousands — of park rangers who respond to medical emergencies, as well as visitor center employees and the crews that clean bathrooms and empty garbage cans.

In many of the larger and most popular parks, seasonal workers outnumber year-round permanent employees, making it hard to imagine how the parks will function without them, according to one supervising ranger who asked that her name not be used for fear of retaliation.

“To me, it’s unfathomable that we would be able to run a large park without the seasonals,” she said. “They’re essential; they run the parks on an operational level.”

In 2021, Yosemite National Park had 741 employees working the summer season, compared with 451 in the winter off-season, according to the National Park Service website.

Scott Gediman, a spokesman for Yosemite, did not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment. Media contacts at the agency’s Washington, D.C., office also did not respond.

In addition to 63 named parks — nine of which are in California, more than any other state — the National Park Service administers 370 other sites, including national monuments, national historic sites and national battlefields. The total land mass under its supervision is more than 85 million acres.

And they are among the most revered and beautiful acres in the United States, drawing more than 325 million visitors in 2023.

The emails rescinding job offers for parks employees appear to stem from a broader Trump administration hiring freeze for federal agencies, part of a coordinated campaign to slash the federal budget and weaken a bureaucracy — Trump and his supporters call it the “deep state” — that he claims worked behind the scenes to thwart much of his first-term agenda.

While many government agencies are unavoidably enmeshed in the nation’s polarizing political tug of war, the parks are among the few public places where people of all stripes can escape. Exhausted by the bickering on cable news shows and social media feeds? Go camp beneath the stars in Yosemite, or stroll among the giant trees in Sequoia, or watch the sun rise over the silent desert in Joshua Tree. What could be more cleansing?

Certainly not a visit to a national park bathroom this summer, if the hiring freeze indeed holds.

In previous shutdowns stemming from congressional budget disputes or the COVID-19 pandemic, facilities inside the parks deteriorated at an alarming rate. Unauthorized visitors left human feces in rivers, painted graffiti on once pristine cliffs, harassed wild animals and left the toilets looking like “crime scenes”, the supervising ranger said.

“It’s just scary how bad things can get when places are abandoned with nobody watching,” she said.

Seemingly lost in the politics is how much people sacrifice to take the seasonal jobs now being rescinded. Many workers organize their whole lives around the temporary slots, hoping eventually to turn them into permanent careers. They do all kinds of side hustles in the off-season — ski patrol, driving ambulances — to make sure they are available when the summer tourist season comes around again.

As the dreaded emails started landing in their inboxes last week, many would-be workers were left scrambling, wondering if they needed to cancel travel plans, wriggle out of leases and line up other summer employment.

And it’s not like the park jobs are a path to riches. The pay is lower than in many private sector careers, and housing costs can be sky-high in remote gateway communities on the edges of the parks. People do it because it’s the career they’ve dreamed of since they were kids.

“We used to joke that we got paid in sunsets,” said Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, which represents over 3,100 current, former and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service.

Francis worked for the parks system for 41 years, including stints at Yosemite and Shenandoah National Park, before retiring as superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2013.

“The longer we’re on pause, the less probable it is that the parks are going to be able to open,” for the peak summer season, Francis said.

It’s not just the build-up of trash and graffiti that parks supervisors worry about when they don’t have enough employees. It’s the safety of the visitors. “People get hurt, they get lost,” Francis said, so there have to be enough rangers on hand to respond, “when things go wrong.”

There’s also the economic damage that could be suffered by the many hotels and businesses that rely on park visitors, and by the families who have already booked flights, rented cars and made hotel reservations on the assumption the parks would be open and functional this summer.

Francis said many of the families he met during his career saw trips to the national parks as a rite of passage, a way to get outdoors and celebrate one of the essential joys of being an American.

“There are some families who come every year for decades, who make it a tradition,” Francis said.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Robbie Sequeira, Stateline.org

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s City of Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling last June allowing localities to ban outdoor camping even if there is no homeless shelter space available, roughly 150 cities in 32 states have passed or strengthened such ordinances.

Another 40 or so local bans are pending, according to data sent to Stateline by the National Homelessness Law Center. The measures vary in detail, but they typically include prohibitions on camping, sleeping or storing property on public land. Many also include buffer zones near schools, parks or businesses.

Bans often allow for steep fines and jail time. In Indio, California, for example, people caught camping illegally could face a penalty of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. The ordinance in Fresno, California, bans sitting, lying, sleeping or camping on public property anytime, anywhere, with a penalty of up to a year in jail. Elmira, New York, includes sleeping in vehicles in its camping ban.

Housing advocates and experts anticipate the surge in camping bans to continue in 2025. Supporters of the bans argue that homeless encampments endanger nearby residents and businesses. Critics say the prohibitions will just criminalize visible street homelessness and move it somewhere else.

“The idea behind anti-camping laws is to make homelessness so uncomfortable that people won’t want to experience it. But homelessness is already incredibly uncomfortable, especially during disasters,” said Samantha Batko, a senior fellow in the Housing and Communities Division at the Urban Institute. “Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t solve the problem — it just punishes people, makes it harder for them to find housing or jobs, and keeps them stuck in a cycle of instability.”

California has the highest number of camping bans, with more than 40 ordinances either passed or introduced since July. It also has about 30% of the nation’s homeless individuals, followed by New York, Florida and Washington state, according to a U.S. Housing and Urban Development report to Congress in 2022.

California Democratic Gov. Newsom invested heavily in encampment clearance and housing, allocating $131 million to municipalities after the Grants Pass ruling. He also issued an executive order to cities to “urgently address homeless encampments.”

Elizabeth Funk, CEO of DignityMoves, a nonprofit that is helping California cities address unsheltered homelessness, anticipates a rise in anti-camping policies in 2025. Still, she said, the Grants Pass ruling could require cities to build more temporary shelters.

“It really is a policy decision, and we have chosen that the only valid use of taxpayer money is permanent housing. But the reality is … we can’t build our way out of this at a million dollars per unit,” said Funk. “Grants Pass removes the excuse that cities can’t act. Unsheltered homelessness is solvable — it starts with providing a roof.”

‘What do we do?’

Florida’s updated law, passed last year, requires counties and municipalities to ban sleeping or camping in public spaces such as parks, sidewalks and the state’s many beaches.

Many local governments scrambled to put local ordinances in place to comply with the law. And as of Jan. 1, residents and business owners have the right to sue municipalities if local efforts to address homelessness are deemed insufficient. The state has around 31,000 homeless residents.

Gainesville, Florida, Mayor Harvey Ward said the state’s requirements haven’t dramatically changed the city’s response to homelessness.

Gainesville city officials noted philosophical disagreements with the state when they passed an anti-camping ordinance in December to avoid any potential legal action for noncompliance. The ordinance carries no jail time but includes a fine.

Ward said in an interview that he’s seen a major decrease in visible chronic homelessness in the city’s community plaza from a decade ago, a shift he attributes to the opening of more shelter spaces over the years.

“The good news is we don’t have 100 people a night sleeping on the community plaza anymore. I can see progress. I’m just not sure how to make that sort of leap in progress again,” said Ward, who is a registered Democrat, though the mayoral position is nonpartisan.

He said the state’s ban mandate also complicates how Gainesville and other cities respond to chronic street homelessness, especially given Florida’s bottom-tier spending on mental health services.

“The idea that the problem is such a small number of people — fewer than 1,000 chronic homeless folks in any year — and no matter how much we spend on it, we’re not spending enough to actually fix it, is very frustrating,” Ward said.

“We’ve plateaued. There are folks who, for whatever reason, either can’t be admitted to a shelter because of past issues or refuse to go. But they’re not doing anything illegal, so what do we do? How do we help someone who refuses services and isn’t breaking the law?”

‘No one chooses to sleep outside’

The rise in anti-camping ordinances after the Grants Pass ruling was a predictable outcome, even in cities that have no other options for people who don’t have homes, said Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at the National Homelessness Law Center.

“A large misconception is that people choose to experience homelessness. But no one chooses to sleep outside. People are forced into homelessness because elected officials fail to ensure safe and affordable housing,” said Rabinowitz. “The Grants Pass approach — making cities inhospitable to force people to leave — has been tried before. It’s expensive, ineffective, and only prolongs homelessness.”

Yet the approach is quickly gaining ground.

In November, Arizona voters approved a ballot measure allowing property owners to apply for reimbursements for public nuisance expenses when the government fails to enforce laws related to camping and loitering.

A Republican-led bill in Washington state — where six municipalities have passed or strengthened anti-camping ordinances since the Grants Pass ruling — would require most local governments to ban encampments near schools and parks by May of 2027. It would offer grants for encampment sweeps, but also would pull funding from localities that don’t enforce the ban. The bill remains in committee.

Among the state’s cities with a ban in place is Spokane Valley, which updated its ordinance last fall. The updates include upgrading the violation of being in a city park after dark from a civil infraction to a misdemeanor, and changing the definition of “camping” to include sleeping overnight with or without camping gear.

Little has changed with enforcement in the interim months, wrote city spokesperson Jill Smith in an email to Stateline. The city also has several employees dedicated to connecting unhoused residents with services, she said, and it added a second outreach police officer in December.

Devon Kurtz, the public safety policy director at the Cicero Institute, a conservative think tank, argues that camping bans are necessary to address unsafe encampments and unsheltered homelessness, and that they can be part of a system that helps reluctant individuals receive help.

In a recently published interview with the Philanthropy Roundtable, which advises conservative philanthropists, Kurtz warned that “homeless encampments are toxic environments filled with waste and trash, and are often hotbeds of crime.”

Advocates in many states are pushing back. After a successful petitioning effort by local residents, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, will allow voters to decide in April whether to overturn a new camping ban passed last fall. As of November, the city had 28 shelter beds to serve an estimated homeless population of 150.

Do they work?

A 2024 RAND study found that policy changes — such as encampment sweeps and camping bans — in three Los Angeles neighborhoods temporarily reduced visible homelessness, but within months the unsheltered populations rose slightly in two of the communities and doubled in the third.

The survey found chronic mental and physical health issues and substance use disorders affecting more than half of respondents, with Skid Row residents being the oldest and least healthy.

Experts also argue that these laws are ineffective and costly, with a 2020 federal report finding sweeps in four cities cost $1,672 to $6,208 per unsheltered person annually.

Jeremy Ney, a data researcher who publishes the American Inequality newsletter, said that while a lack of affordable housing is a root cause of rising homelessness, responses to homelessness need to accompany policies that address other chronic barriers to stability.

“Housing alone is not enough. We also need employment, mental health, addiction and social service support systems that can ensure people stay in those homes,” Ney said.

©2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald

MIAMI — A Dubai-based developer has unveiled the details of an ultra-luxury project on the Surfside property where a building collapse in 2021 left 98 people dead and shattered a community.

In a press release, DAMAC said construction has begun on what it’s calling The Delmore, featuring 37 “mansions in the sky” starting at $15 million apiece, a “meditation garden” and the availability of “residential butlers.” The release makes no mention of the collapse.

On Tuesday morning, dozens of top Miami brokers were set to gather in Surfside to learn more about the condo project, which will be one of the most expensive in South Florida. The announcement comes with the launch of a website to promote sales and an estimated completion date of 2029.

The flashy launch didn’t sit well with some who were directly affected by the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021.

Martin Langesfeld, whose sister Nicole and brother-in-law Luis Sadovnic died in the collapse, told the Miami Herald it was “concerning to see this project marketed without acknowledging the collapse that killed 98 people.”

Langesfeld said the project shouldn’t begin until a federal investigation into what caused the collapse is finished.

“The focus must be on completing the investigation before allowing another development to proceed, while also ensuring a memorial is included to honor those we lost,” he said.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, who was in office when the collapse occurred and elected again last year, said he had hoped the developer would find a sensitive way to honor the site’s history in its marketing.

“The challenge for the developer is to be honest and blend their efforts to do whatever they have to do with a deep respect for the history of that site,” Burkett said. “They’ve got a real opportunity to see the reality that’s right in front of them and take it head on and deal with it.”

In an interview Tuesday, DAMAC spokesperson Jeffery Rossely acknowledged that the firm chose not to mention the collapse in its marketing materials, saying the project “represents a closure to the past and a new beginning.”

“We’re not hiding anything,” he said. “You just don’t necessarily, when you’re doing a marketing campaign, put (the collapse) out there as a lead of the campaign.”

Still, Rossely said DAMAC is being transparent about the collapse with potential buyers and that details of the tragedy will be included in a “memento” book given to each buyer at closing that talks about the history of the site.

“I would not say anybody would recommend featuring it in your marketing,” he said. “At the same time, we would not hide it if there’s a question asked.”

Eliana Salzhauer, a former Surfside town commissioner who was in office when the collapse occurred, said it seems like the developers “hope that people forget anything happened there.”

“They can pull out all their bells and whistles and their nice, slick marketing materials,” Salzhauer said. “It doesn’t change the fact that their entire site is a graveyard.”

The Delmore is the first foray into United States real estate for DAMAC founder Hussain Sajwani, an Emirati billionaire and business partner of President Donald Trump who recently pledged $20 billion in investment in U.S. data centers.

Sajwani was the lone bidder for the 1.8-acre property at 8777 Collins Ave., paying $120 million that went toward a settlement for unit owners and victims’ relatives.

Langesfeld and other family members of the victims protested a judge’s decision to have the Champlain site auctioned off after the collapse, saying it should have been turned into a memorial.

After the sale, some family members pressed DAMAC to allow a memorial on part of the site, but the developer said that wasn’t feasible.

Surfside officials have designated part of an adjacent roadway, 88th Street, for a memorial that remains in the planning stages. DAMAC has pledged $1.5 million toward the effort.

Rossely said the memorial could possibly be built before the new condo tower is complete but that it would be “far cleaner and easier” to wait until 2029 to avoid disruptions from construction that will include hauling in sand to raise the dunes next to the property.

“There’s going to be a significant amount of disruption if one tries to do it earlier,” Rossely said.

DAMAC is marketing the 12-story condo project to uber-wealthy buyers, touting Surfside as part of a “billionaire’s triangle” created by Surfside, Indian Creek and Bal Harbour, while boasting that the building will be “directed by a Residence Manager and served by residential butlers.”

Renderings show a 75-foot swimming pool suspended 125 feet in the air at the top of the building. A 20,000-square-foot “outdoor meditation garden,” Tuesday’s press release says, “will be a quiet hideaway, marked by cascading reflective pools, open-air spaces for healing and yoga, a fire pit, and botanical gardens with a serenity path.”

A private restaurant exclusive to residents and their guests “will be an additional piece de resistance,” the release says.

The units, which will be fully furnished and average 7,000 square feet with four or five bedrooms, are being designed for “permanent residents,” according to the announcement. Rossely said potential buyers have already been “chasing us.”

“We know there’s a clear interest in the site and the opportunity it represents,” he said.

The Douglas Elliman firm will broker sales for the building. On a website promoting the condo, the firm says the average unit price will be $33 million.

“Simply put, this is a spectacular, transformative property,” Jay Phillip Parker, the CEO of Douglas Elliman’s Florida brokerage, said in a statement. “There is significant demand for a product of this magnitude, especially in South Florida where the one percent continue to acquire ultra-high-end properties. For the most discerning of purchasers, this is going to be the next great retreat.”

A federal investigation into what caused the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South is ongoing, with a report on the findings anticipated in 2026. Investigators have said there is “strong evidence” that the collapse began in the pool deck of the 12-story, L-shaped building, echoing the findings of a Miami Herald investigation that found the deck collapsed several minutes before half of the tower fell.

The town of Surfside and Miami-Dade County also commissioned their own investigations into the collapse that have not concluded.

Rossely said DAMAC hired experts to conduct extensive testing on the below-ground conditions at the site to ensure that it was safe to build there. The subsurface conditions were “actually better than we expected,” he said.

The collapse triggered a scramble to determine whether Florida’s coastal buildings were safe, followed by new legislation to mandate more frequent inspections and funding for structural fixes.

The requirements have put a financial strain on condo owners. Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to amend the condo safety law, but lawmakers dropped it from their special session agenda Monday.

©2025 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.