Author: terrep263@gmail.com

By MARK KENNEDY

Ten years or so between installments of a successful Hollywood franchise is a lifetime. When it comes to the third “Now You See Me” movie — poof! — time doesn’t matter. These magicians still got it.

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” does what sequels apparently must do these days — load up the characters, return to favorite bits and go global — but nails the trick, a crowd-pleasing return that already has a fourth in the works.

“It is very good to be back,” says Jesse Eisenberg as the egotistical, perfectionist J. Daniel Atlas, the brains behind the magician-robber outfit. It’s hard to argue with that sentiment on the strength of this outing, directed with assurance by Ruben Fleischer.

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” acts as a sort of pivot, bringing back the veterans — all of them, in various forms — as well as introducing three Gen Z eat-the-rich magicians played by Dominic Sessa, Justice Smith and Ariana Greenblatt. They’re clearly the future. It’s in good (sleight of) hands.

The movie starts off with a clever rip-off of nasty crypto bros in Brooklyn and expands to scenes in Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, France and South Africa. It’s got Nazis, “Harry Potter” vibes and some Louvre museum heist energy. We didn’t need the F1 chase through Abu Dhabi, but no one’s complaining.

The original Four Horsemen — Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher — are supplemented by Lizzy Caplan, who had replaced Fisher in the second installment. Morgan Freeman returns as the gravel-voiced mentor.

The prize at the movie’s heart is a diamond — but no mere bauble. It’s the Heart Diamond, the largest ever discovered, with a price tag of half a billion dollars. It’s the size of a smoked turkey leg.

The diamond is owned by a particularly vile South African diamond mine scion who uses her ultra-wealth to launder money for warlords and arms dealers. She is played deliciously by Rosamund Pike with a snide disdain and a nifty Afrikaner accent.

The secretive magic society known as The Eye unites the old Horsemen and the new trio (the Three Ponies?) to steal the diamond, stored in one of those multilevel, biometric “Mission: Impossible”-style bunkers.

Capturing it won’t enhance their bank statements. Remember, they’re all really anti-capitalist, share-the-wealth magicians — most likely democratic socialists, in vogue right now. “This is a chance to drive a stake through the devil herself,” Eisenberg’s character says.

Hollywood is funny that way, creating a multimillion-dollar franchise on the back of heroic left-wing activist characters and convincing the UAE to set it on their streets.

At first, it’s hard, with eight heroes rushing around, to figure out the primary dynamics. The older Horsemen are strangely muted here — except for Caplan, a hoot — and the young need some seasoning. Intergenerational bickering keeps the movie alive.

There’s a quick stop at a French chateau where some real magic takes place, literally. The last two “Now You See Me” installments got very green-screen and CGI when it came to effects, but the third very refreshingly steps back into old-fashioned trickery. In a single take, we see each of the heroes try to top the others with a card trick, misdirection or illusion.

There’s also a hall of mirrors, an upside-down room, an infinity staircase, a perspective-warping room and a nifty escape from a chamber filling with sand. Kudos to the filmmakers for embracing physical tricks over digital trickery. Also, cute use of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”

All this leads to a huge showdown between the diamond princess and our motley magicians. You won’t guess who’s been pulling the strings all this time. Seriously, you won’t. And a new generation of magician-thieves are minted. That was a hard trick to pull off.

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” a Lionsgate release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for some strong language, violence and suggestive references. Running time: 112 minutes. Three stars out of four.

By GLENN GAMBOA, AP Business Writer

NASHVILLE (AP) — Richard Casper shakes his head as he touches one of the boarded-up windows in the once-abandoned church he plans to transform into a new 24-hour arts center for veterans.

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient said he was an arm’s length away from military officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at Marine Barracks Washington when he learned the former church his nonprofit CreatiVets just purchased had been vandalized.

The physical damage to the building and its stained glass windows saddened Casper. But what worried him more was that the church had remained empty since 2017 without damage. That vandalism came just weeks after CreatiVets bought it, suggesting that maybe he and the veterans in his program were not welcome.

“I almost just left,” Casper said. “It put me in a weird headspace.”

However, Casper, 40, a CNN Heroes winner and Elevate Prize winner, needed more support for the center — “a place to go when the PTSD hits.” Like so many veterans, he said his PTSD, caused by seeing a close friend die on patrol in Iraq, would generally come in the middle of the night, when the only places open are bars and other spaces that can be ”destructive.”

He figured a 24-hour center where veterans could engage in music, painting, sculpture, theater and other arts could help. It could “turn all that pain into something beautiful.” The artistic element factored in when Casper, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Iraq, returned home and found it hard to be in public — unless he was listening to live music.

So he completed his mission that night in Washington, introducing new people to CreatiVets’ work. Then, Casper returned to Nashville to practice what he has preached to hundreds of veterans since his nonprofit opened in 2013. He asked for help.

And help came.

Within weeks, CreatiVets’ Art Director Tim Brown was teaching a roomful of volunteers how to create stained glass pieces to replace those that were vandalized. Brown said the volunteers wanted to give back to the organization, “but also because of the impact that these activities have had on them.”

Gary Sinise believes in art’s impact

Gary Sinise values that impact. The actor, musician and philanthropist had already signed on to donate $1 million through his foundation to help CreatiVets purchase the building. Sinise’s involvement encouraged two other donors to help finalize the purchase.

The “CSI: NY” star said he believed in CreatiVets’ work and had already seen a similar program in his hometown of Chicago help veterans process their wartime experiences.

“In the military, you’re trained to do serious work to protect our country, right?” Sinise said. “If you’re in the infantry, you’re being trained to kill. You’re being trained to contain any emotion and be strong.”

Those skills are important when fighting the enemy, but they also take a toll, especially when veterans aren’t taught how to discuss their feelings once the war is over.

“Quite often, our veterans don’t want any help,” Sinise said. “But through art – and with theater as well – acting out what they are going through can be very, very beneficial.”

David Booth says he is living proof of how CreatiVets can help. And the retired master sergeant, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army as a medic and a counterintelligence agent, wishes he participated in the program sooner.

“For me, this was more important than the last year and a half of counseling that I’ve gone through,” said Booth. “It has been so therapeutic.”

After years of being asked, Booth, 53, finally joined CreatiVets’ songwriting program in September. He traveled from his home in The Villages, Florida, to the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, to meet with two successful songwriters – Brian White, who co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “Blame It on You,” and Craig Campbell, of “Outskirts of Heaven” fame – to help him write a song about his life.

Booth told them about his service, including his injury in Iraq in 2006 when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device and detonated it.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury in the explosion, and it took months of rehab before he could walk again. His entire cervical spine is fused. He still gets epidurals to relieve the nerve pain. And he still suffers from nightmares and PTSD.

In Iraq, Booth’s unit was once surrounded by kids because American soldiers used to give them Jolly Rancher candies. Snipers shot the children in hopes the soldiers would become easier targets when they tried to help.

“Things like that stick in my head,” Booth said. “How do you get them out?”

He also told them about his desire for a positive message and Combat Veterans to Careers, the veteran support nonprofit he founded. Those experiences became the song “What’s Next.”

Booth hopes “What’s Next” becomes available on music streaming services so others can hear his story. CreatiVets has released compilations of its veterans’ songs since 2020 in cooperation with Big Machine Label Group, Taylor Swift’s first record label. This year’s collection was released Friday.

“It’s almost like they could feel what I was feeling and put it into the lyrics,” said Booth, after hearing the finished version. “It was pretty surreal and pretty awesome.”

Why Lt. Dan from ‘Forrest Gump’ launched a nonprofit

Sinise has seen the unexpected impact of art throughout his career. His Oscar-nominated role as wounded Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump” in 1994 deepened his connection to veterans. His music with the Lt. Dan Band expanded it. In 2011, he launched the Gary Sinise Foundation to broadly serve veterans, first responders and their families.

“I think citizens have a responsibility to take care of their defenders,” he said. “There are opportunities out there for all of us to do that and one of the ways to do it is through multiple nonprofits that are out there.”

Sinise immediately connected with CreatiVets’ mission. When the idea came to dedicate the performance space at the new center to his late son Mac, who died last year after a long battle with cancer, Sinise saw it as “a perfect synergy.”

“Mac was a great artist,” he said. “And he was a humble, kind of quiet, creative force… If Mac would have survived and not gone through what he went through, he’d be one of our young leaders here at the foundation. He would be composing music and he’d be helping veterans.”

Mac Sinise is still helping veterans, as proceeds of his album “Resurrection & Revival” and its sequel completed after his death, are going to the Gary Sinise Foundation. And Gary Sinise said he discovered more compositions from his son that he plans to record later this year for a third album.

After the new center was vandalized, Casper said he was heartbroken, but also inspired knowing part of the center was destined to become the Mac Sinise Auditorium. He decided to take pieces of the broken stained glass windows and transform them into new artwork inspired by Mac Sinise’s music.

“I told you we’re going to go above and beyond to make sure everyone knows Mac lived,” Casper told Sinise as he handed him stained glass panes inspired by Mac Sinise’s songs “Arctic Circles” and “Penguin Dance,” “not that he died, but that he lived.”

Sinise fought back tears as he said, “My gosh, that’s beautiful.”

As he examined the pieces more closely, Sinise added, “I’m honored that we’re going to have this place over there and that Mac is going to be supporting Richard and helping veterans.”

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

“The neighborhood is very unique, everyone is very friendly. I love that there’s a yoga studio that I can walk to, to take a class and teach with seasoned teachers. The walkability is amazing in itself.”

Seated in an intimate wine bar on a random weekday evening, Brittney Coates is talking about the area surrounding the new downtown residential building that she moved into days before.

The building, which hasn’t even formally opened, has all the sweet amenities — including a skybridge to the parking garage across the street — but appealed to her for its proximity to a variety of restaurants, bars, breweries, shops, art galleries and a yoga studio.

And the neighborhood is only getting more interesting: Coming soon will be a record shop with some secondhand celebrity glow — the owner knows Madonna very well.

But Coates’ new home is not in Brickell or Wynwood, Flagler Village or Mizner Park. She’s a “LoakL,” a resident of Oakland Park, where her 136-unit downtown building, The Sky, is the latest addition to one of South Florida’s most underappreciated night-out destinations.

Located across Dixie Highway from Funky Buddha Brewery and Jaco Pastorius Park, The Sky includes ground-floor retail and the new home of Oakland Park City Hall, and is scheduled for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The old City Hall property nearby will house Horizon of Oakland Park, a 311-unit, residential-retail building, with work slated to begin in December.

Among South Florida cities that have gained a certain cachet with everyone from chic Negroni sippers to nightcrawling shot chasers, the most well-established corridors of cool run west-east, toward the water. Think Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Lucerne and Lake avenues in Lake Worth Beach, and Clematis Street in West Palm Beach.

Downtown Oakland Park has gone in a different direction.

Along eight blocks on either side of parallel streets Northeast 12th Avenue and Dixie Highway, from 38th Avenue to Oakland Park Boulevard, the north-south spine of the city’s central business district is lined with nearly 20 unique destinations, all within an easy stroll from each other. From sophisticated dining to celebrated burgers, four breweries and a high-end distillery, it’s an interesting and inviting collection made even more distinctive by its unpretentious, small-town vibe.

And perhaps the most notable difference maker: Parking is free. That includes the new garage adjacent to The Sky.

‘This is the best-case scenario. I’m sooo happy to be here.’ — Brittney Coates, new downtown Oakland Park resident

A software professional and yoga instructor who moved to Oakland Park from Pompano Beach, the 30-something Coates lived in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village when that popular neighborhood was in the early stages of development more than a dozen years ago. With the move that took her to Oakland Park, she was looking for an area that was sociable, with restaurants, “but wasn’t as busy and bustling as Las Olas can be.”

“Just being able to walk out my door, put airpods in and have the ability to have different personalities and destinations, based on how I was feeling that day,” Coates says. “It was a lot of persuading to get my husband [to move], but we made it. This is the best-case scenario. I’m sooo happy to be here.”

For many residents, the makeover of downtown Oakland Park began when craft-beer pioneers Ryan and KC Sentz opened the 18,000-square-foot Funky Buddha Brewery in 2013.

Encouraged by the Oakland Park Community Redevelopment Agency, the slow transition of nearby warehouses into a hospitality zone called the Culinary Arts District has picked up steam in the past 18 months with the opening of the restaurant Red Sea Eritrean and Ethiopian Cuisine, Satellite Pinball Lounge, Moon Pizza Pie, Tripping Animals Brewing, Voodoo Brewing Co., BMC Smash Burgers and FMS Creamery, among others.

They join places that have already earned a passionate fan base over the last few years, including Nour Thai Kitchen, Rebel Wine Bar, Black Flamingo Brews & Kitchen, The Butcher’s Barrel and Bulegreen Cafe Yard.

Neysa Herrera, Oakland Park CRA and economic development director, says the city is leaning into the affordability and authenticity of the area, while also citing its creativity and walkability. Lampposts have signs urging passersby to “Live Like a #LoakL,” and the city has T-shirts, too.

“[It] has an organic feel for people looking for a unique destination,” Herrera says. “We liken ourselves to the Brooklyn of Broward.”

One unique way to experience the scene is during the quarterly Oakland Park Art Walk, hosted by Art Fusion Galleries on Saturday, Nov. 15, when shops and galleries will throw out a welcome mat from 6 to 9 p.m.

Until then, here is a quick tour of some of the reasons to make downtown Oakland Park a stop on your next night out on the town.

Dining: ‘It’s more diverse’

With food from Eritrea and Ethiopia, next to Thai cuisine, drive-worthy pizza and “best-of” burgers, there is so much good flavor in Oakland Park’s Culinary Arts District, it’s hard to know where to begin.

Red Sea Eritrean & Ethiopian Cuisine (RedSeaRestaurantFL.com) was opened almost nine months ago by Yoseph Kidane, who was raised in Addis Ababa before coming to the United States almost 40 years ago on a tennis scholarship to Barton College in North Carolina. By day an aquatic biologist, Kidane is a partner in the restaurant with his brother and two sisters, one of whom is the chef.

The menu is a fragrant survey of staples from northeast Africa, with lamb, chicken, beef and assorted vegetables appearing in stews and other dishes traditionally eaten by hand using injera, a traditional gluten-free flatbread. An alcove off the dining room is dedicated to three sinks for washing your hands. Yes, they also have silverware for the less dexterous among us.

Your waiter will be well-versed in explaining what to expect, including the varying heat level of the berbere, a spice fired by the berbere pepper that Kidane sources from Ethiopia.

“Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine is one of the healthiest,” Kidane says. “And the flavor is completely different than people expect.”

For after dinner, Red Sea has coffees made with a Nuova Simonelli, the Lamborghini of espresso machines. In December, Kidane plans to introduce exclusive coffee from Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region, which he calls “the best in the world.”

Kidane opened in the slow time of year last spring, but he says this season is “looking very promising.” He’s bullish on the area, too.

“The city has done an unbelievable job, you know, creating this Culinary Arts area. And with Wilton Manors being a neighbor city, it’s more diverse. The people are more accepting, to try different kinds of food,” Kidane says. “This area is turning. I’m very optimistic.”

A few doors down, Nour Thai Kitchen (NourThai.com) is a destination unto itself, with a flurry of five-star reviews on Yelp and a peaceful patio out front. “It’s just, notably, fantastic. It definitely gives Larb Thai [in Fort Lauderdale] a run for its money,” Coates says.

Across Dixie Highway, Dwight Slamp’s Moon Pizza Pie (Instagram.com/moonpizzapie_florida) is a popular stop for pie-zans, located next to Slamp’s retro bar-game room Satellite Pinball Lounge (Instagram.com/satellitepinballlounge), which opened in 2024.

“I’m here all the time, every couple of weeks,” says Troy Gambell, of Davie. “It’s a ride over here, but it’s the best pizza in Broward, for sure. Plus, there’s pinball.”

On the opposite corner of Northeast 35th Street, revered food trucker Jason “Jay Rok” Smith opened his brick-and-mortar BMC Smash Burgers (Instagram.com/eat.bmc) in 2024, and his reputation followed. In May, the Burger Beast named BMC’s Patty Melt to his list of “The 10 Best Burgers in Broward.”

Last month, seeing a void in Oakland Park’s menu, he opened FMS Creamery (Instagram.com/fms.creamery) next door to his burger spot. Along with scoops, he has the fixings to create your own float, selling more than 10 different root beers, a bacon-chocolate soda, as well as bottles flavored with peanut butter and jelly, buffalo wings and more.

Drinking: ‘Just way more inviting’

Rebel Wine Bar (RebelWineBar.com) is the perfect antidote to South Florida glare — intimate, dark and chill, by day or night. Enclosed in evergreen walls, a few stools surround a small L-shaped bar, with four-top tables in a line leading back to a seating area arranged around a velvet mauve loveseat that, rumor has it, is the best in the house.

The vibe is friendly and conversational, the tapas are tasteful, the wine list broad and thoughtful (Spanish red recommendation: The plummy and surprisingly smooth 2022 Castillo de Monjardín Garnacha). Here, old-school R&B is the jam. Worth checking out is Rebel’s happy hour, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday (yes, Saturday), offering select wines for $6 to $10, beers for $3, and mini hummus or cheese plates for $5.

Bartender Rebecca Guido, 29, formerly of Uncommon Path Brewing in Fort Lauderdale’s Thrive Art District, says the area around Rebel Wine Bar is “definitely a hidden gem.”

“There’s a lot of different restaurants and little shops and places to get drinks, grab a good bite to eat. Everything is in nice walking distance. The area is really safe, too, and not overcrowded, in comparison to downtown Fort Lauderdale and Las Olas. And way less expensive, too,” she says. “Parking is free, and everything is just way more inviting.”

Rebel Wine Bar owner Larissa Castelluber was running a marketing company when she turned her tiny storefront into a cozy boîte four years ago, partially to get more involved in the community. Last week, Rebel provided free sandwiches for local SNAP recipients.

“This spot has given me an ability to meet people I never would have met before in my life, and to have special moments and a platform to be able to help,” Castelluber says. “Some people, all they do is complain about things and not do anything. I’m happy to be able to at least contribute a little bit.”

Castelluber acknowledges that downtown Oakland Park was a “dead zone” for a while, and says even its current energy may not last, citing the government shutdown and tariffs.

“This year has been very hard for us. Everyone is just kind of bootstrapping it. We’re all trying to work together. We all try to collaborate with each other. It is a community effort at the end of the day,” she says.

If you’re looking for another place in the area to stop for a drink, create your own brewery tour — there are, count ’em, four nearby: The cavernous Funky Buddha Brewery (FunkyBuddha.com); Tripping Animals Brewing (TrippingAnimals.com), with a sprawling beer garden and sous-vide chicken wings; more great food at Black Flamingo Brews & Kitchen (BlackFlamingoBrewing.co); and Voodoo Brewing (OaklandPark.VoodooBrewery.com), bright and welcoming, with three styles of mussels.

Also nearby is ChainBridge Distillery (ChainBridgeDistillery.com), a Hungarian mom-and-pop shop that offers housemade gin, brandy, rum and vodka. In the tasting room (closed Mondays), look out for the Florida Basil Vodka (infused with basil grown on Florida farms) and Florida Ginger Vodka.

If you’re in the mood for a dive bar (no judgment), Big Dog Station Sports Bar & Cafe (Facebook.com/BigDogStationFL) and Tenth Level Tavern (Instagram.com/tenthleveltavern), “built, owned and [run] by gamers, nerds & geeks,” keep things real.

Shopping: ‘Oh, that’s cute’

On the opposite corner from restaurant Red Sea, a tidy gray building with smart black awnings and a second-floor patio sits empty, but filled with promise. Pending final approval from the city, it is the future home of Jellybean’s Funhouse Record Store.

That would be Jellybean Benitez, the DJ and producer who was a pivotal figure in the early career of Madonna, his girlfriend at the time, after they met when he was spinning at New York nightclub Fun House. Benitez produced Madonna’s breakout hits, “Holiday” and “Lucky Star.”

Plans for the record store feature two floors of retail, including coffee, kava and juice bars.

Benitez and wife Carolyn Effer visited the area recently, dining at Red Sea, owner Yoseph Kidane says.

“He’s been here a couple of times. Great guy, great couple,” Kidane says. “Once that opens up, we hope it brings in a new kind of crowd.”

The CRA’s Herrera says that in conversations with Benitez, he remarked on how charming and clean the downtown area was.

“We are super-excited. We do believe that it will be a great addition to the vibrant downtown that the city is committed to building,” Herrera says. “It adds to the mix and the environment, the hub of culture and entertainment that we are trying to build here.”

As for shops that are currently open, it is hard to walk past the window of The Wander Shop (TheWanderShop.com) without someone saying, ‘Oh, that’s cute.” The shop specializes in women’s and kids’ fashion and lifestyle items curated by the discerning eye of owner Marisa Folz (you may remember her Airstream pop-ups back in the day). Heads-up: Folz hosts a Small Business Saturday tent event after Thanksgiving that typically turns into a mini festival. Check Instagram.com/tothewandershop for updates.

Art Fusion Galleries (ArtFusionGalleries.com) is a bold and colorful presence on the downtown strip, but also an active participant, as host of the Oakland Park Art Walk on Saturday, Nov. 15. What’s more, the gallery is holding a competition during Art Walk, with selected artists creating original pieces live on site. Details at Instagram.com/artfusiongalleriesoaklandpark.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Oakland Park Art Walk

WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15

WHERE: Northeast 12th Avenue, between Northeast 36th Street and 34th Court

COST: Free

INFORMATION: OaklandParkFL.gov/OPAW

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell. 

Communities across South Florida are preparing their annual salutes to all who helped defend and protect the United States through their military service.

They will mark Veterans Day — officially observed on Tuesday, Nov. 11, to honor the end of World War I — at events that provide the opportunity to pause, reflect and say thanks to veterans while celebrating their courage and commitment.

Throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties, plans include ceremonies, music, guest speakers, honor walls and more scheduled to take place before and on the federal holiday. Here’s a city-by-city guide.

BROWARD COUNTY

Coconut Creek

Dignitaries, guest speakers, the Coconut Creek Police Department Honor Guard and the Monarch High JROTC will be part of a Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, 3550 Lyons Road. The city is participating in the Stars for Our Troops program, which repurposes U.S. flags in honor of veterans. Donate worn flags (3-by-5 feet and made in the U.S. with embroidered stars) at the ceremony or drop off at City Hall, 4800 W. Copans Road. Visit coconutcreek.gov.

Cooper City 

Show your appreciation for veterans past and present during the city’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Memorial Park, 9001 SW 51st St. Visit coopercity.gov.

Coral Springs

The city has planned two events to honor veterans:

• A Patriotic Community Concert is set for 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at City Hall Lawn, 9500 W. Sample Road, with Eagles tribute band Hotel California and Coldplay tribute band Life in Technicolor. Veterans and their families will have a designated VIP area with free refreshments, commemorative lanyards and gifts. The Honor Walk will recognize local heroes for their service and sacrifice. A letter-writing station will be set up to send messages to active-duty service members. Food trucks will be on site. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Free admission. Visit coralsprings.gov.
• The Veterans Day Ceremony takes place at 10:45 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, 8601 Royal Palm Blvd., in partnership with the Veterans Coalition of Coral Springs. Visit coralsprings.gov.

Deerfield Beach 

The city will have its Veterans Day Ceremony — A Tribute of Gratitude and Remembrance at 9 a.m. Nov. 11 at Johnny L. Tigner Community Center, 435 SW Second St. A ceremonial three-round volley, Presentation of Colors, guest speakers and patriotic music are planned. Visit deerfield-beach.com.

Fort Lauderdale 

The city and William C. Morris American Legion Post 36’s Veterans Day Ceremony honors all who served at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Sandy Nininger statue along the Riverwalk, by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. A paver will be unveiled in memory of U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Willis Rozelle Hall. Visit fortlauderdale.gov.

Hallandale Beach

The Veterans Day Salute will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Cultural Community Center, 410 SE Third St., followed by refreshments. Visit cohb.org/veteransday.

Hollywood

The city is having two food-focused gatherings for veterans and their families:

• A Centennial Celebration: Veterans Day Barbecue starts at noon Nov. 11 at TY (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park, 3300 N. Park Road, Corporate Pavilion 12. Veterans and active-duty service members can enjoy barbecue foods, music and entertainment. There will also be a banner plane flyover and recognition ceremony. Participants must present a military ID, driver’s license with veteran status or DD Form 214.  Free for veteran with ID and one guest; TY Park’s gate fee will apply ($3 per vehicle) for everyone else. Call 954-921-3404 to RSVP. Visit Facebook.com/cityofhollywoodfl.
• The seventh annual Honoring Our Veterans buffet dinner, organized by the Hollywood Hills Civic Association and the Rotary Club of Hollywood, will offer food, drinks, a raffle, color guard salute and music from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the club’s headquarters, 2349 Taylor St. Veterans will share their experiences, including Honor Flight trips. Wear red, white and blue, and bring a nonperishable canned good for the food pantry. Free. Visit hollywoodfl.org.

Lauderhill 

Vice Mayor S. “Ray” Martin and the Northwest Lauderhill Neighbors Association will present the Veterans Day Ceremony from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, 7600 NW 50th St. The city is accepting nominations for veterans to be honored. Visit lauderhill-fl.gov.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

The town will give thanks during its Veterans Day Celebration from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at El Prado Park, 4500 El Mar Drive. Visit lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov.

Miramar 

A guest speaker and Honor Guard Presentation of Colors will highlight the city’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Memorial Park, 6405 Arbor Drive. Refreshments will follow. Visit miramarfl.gov/events.

Oakland Park

The city and American Legion Post 222 will honor all who served at a Veterans Day Ceremony set for 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the post’s headquarters, 4250 NE Fifth Ave. Visit Facebook.com/americanlegion222.

Parkland 

The community will gather at the city’s Veterans Day Ceremony from 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, 6620 University Drive. Visit cityofparkland.org.

Pembroke Pines 

The Presentation of Colors, musical performances and guest speakers will be part of the Veterans Day Ceremony at noon Nov. 11 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center Memorial Park, 601 City Center Way. Visit ppines.com.

Plantation 

Elected offIcials and other dignitaries will speak during the Veterans Day Service set for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, 1776 Lauderdale West Drive. The ceremony also will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/cityofplantationfl. Visit plantation.org.

Sunrise

Veterans from all branches of the military are invited to the third annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Feeding South Florida is partnering with the Florida Panthers, Publix, Publix Charities, Link Logistics, Morgan Stanley, the Friedlander Group and North Miami Beach City Commissioner Daniela Jean for the event, which includes a chef-prepared meal, entertainment and recognition. Admission is free for veterans and one guest each. Visit feedingsouthflorida.org/vets to RSVP by Nov. 9.

Tamarac

A Veterans Honor Wall will be unveiled during the city’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans’ Park, 7825 Southgate Blvd. There will be music, remarks from dignitaries, bagpipe selections by the Celtic Bagpipe Team and a keynote address by Army Sgt. Maj. Joseph J. Hissong. Attendees are asked to bring donations of toiletries, nonperishable food, socks and hand towels for the Veterans Affairs Committee. Fill out an application at tamarac.me/honorwall to be included on the wall. Visit tamarac.org.

Wilton Manors 

A Veterans Day Ceremony will honor everyone who has served the country from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 11 at Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive. Visit wiltonmanors.gov.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Boynton Beach 

The community will come together for the city’s Veterans Day Ceremony from 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 11 at Veterans Memorial Park, 411 N. Federal Highway. Visit boynton-beach.org.

Boca Raton

Red, White & Boca: A Veterans Day Celebration will feature speakers, music and a JROTC Presentation of Colors from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 11 at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real. Other activities include the Veterans Marketplace providing connections to service organizations, veteran-owned businesses and sports teams, and a Classic Car Show with vintage vehicles on the east lawn. Food vendors will be on site. Veterans can present their military or veteran ID for a free food ticket at the City of Boca Raton booth. Visit myboca.us.

The Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10556 will present a Veterans Day Observance at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Memorial Park, 9400 W. Palmetto Park Road. The schedule includes a Procession of Colors, guest speakers, patriotic music and memorial wreath laying. Visit discover.pbcgov.org.

Delray Beach

The community will join the Veterans Day Ceremony at 9 a.m. Nov. 11 at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., to pay tribute to those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Visit delraybeachfl.gov.

Greenacres 

The city’s Veterans Day Tribute at 9 a.m. Nov. 11 will feature a Presentation of Colors, patriotic music and guest speakers at at Greenacres City Hall, 5800 Melaleuca Lane. Visit greenacresfl.gov.

Lake Worth Beach

The Veterans Day Ceremony of Honor will have guest speaker Army Maj. Andres Grisales at 2 p.m. Nov. 8 at Bryant Park at Lake Avenue and Golfview. The Lake Worth High School JROTC Color Guard will participate, and there will be a jump demonstration by the All Veteran Group freefall team at 3 p.m. At another event, from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 11, Mayor Betty Resch will lead Lights Across the Bridge with the community to light up the Lake Worth Beach Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. Bring flashlights and meet at the Bryant Park Bandshell. Visit Facebook.com/LakeWorthBeachPBC.

Lantana 

The town’s Veterans Day Celebration will include a short ceremony to honor and recognize “the brave men and women who have served our country” at 10 a.m. Nov. 11 at Bicentennial Park, 321 E. Ocean Ave. Visit lantana.org.

Wellington

The Wellington and American Legion Post 390’s Veterans Day Parade steps off at 8:15 a.m. Nov. 11 at Village Hall, 12300 Forest Hill Blvd., and ends at the Veterans Memorial on the corner of Forest Hill and South Shore boulevards. The Veterans Day Ceremony starts at 8:30 a.m. with remarks by the Village Council and the placement of memorial wreaths. Active or retired veterans may register that morning at the Wellington tent to have their name recognized during the ceremony. Visit wellingtonfl.gov.

The Mall at Wellington Green, 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., has teamed with Stand Down, a nonprofit that supports veterans and their families, for three initiatives:

• Through Nov. 8, post an American flag on the Honor Wall in the City Furniture Court to honor a veteran or active military member.
• Come to the Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 in City Furniture Court featuring the Palm Beach Lakes Community High School Ram Regiment Band, the posting of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and remarks from a guest speaker. Light refreshments will be served.
• The Tree of Joy, another partnership with Stand Down, in Grand Court will display tags listing the names, ages, sizes and holiday wishes of children from veteran families across Palm Beach County. Shoppers can select a tag, purchase a gift and drop off their donations at Starbucks by Dec. 10.

Visit shopwellingtongreen.com.

It’s a festival, but it’s also a helping hand.

As part of this Sunday’s 23rd Annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, guests are asked to bring relief supplies — especially nonperishable foods — to be sent to devastated communities in the Caribbean nation after Hurricane Melissa. Also needed: water, clothing and hygiene essentials.

“The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival has long been a cherished gathering for Jamaican and Caribbean culture, and this year’s festival means more than ever,” said Eddy Edwards, president and CEO of Jerk Festivals USA. “As our island home recovers from unimaginable devastation, we’re calling on South Florida to stand with Jamaica.”

All donations collected through this “Bring a Can, If You Can” initiative, in partnership with Connex Air Cargo and SSMC Xpress International couriers, will go to hurricane relief efforts in Jamaica, especially the rural areas on the Western side that bore the brunt of Melissa, one of the most devastating hurricanes in the island’s history.

“The need is urgent — for food, shelter and the rebuilding of lives,” Jamaican Consul General Oliver Mair said. “I urge everyone in South Florida to give what they can, to help our families and communities rebuild an even stronger Jamaica.”

Festivalgoers are asked to drop off their donations at the SSMC Xpress International couriers booth, or to contribute through the event’s website at jerkfestival.com. Miami’s Connex Air Cargo will airlift shipments into Kingston.

“The welfare of our communities is our utmost priority, especially during challenging times like the present,” said Christopher Morris, Florida operations manager for SSMC Xpress International. “We are committed to deploying our resources and working diligently to provide and support for hurricane relief efforts. Together, we will facilitate rebuilding and recovery. It is the right thing to do.”

Added Luke Hamilton, chairman of Connex Air Cargo: “Our hearts are with our brothers and sisters in Jamaica. This partnership is more than logistics — it’s about community, compassion and connection. We’re honored to use our network and aircraft to help deliver hope where it’s needed most.”

True to its name, the festival will offer all kinds of island fare such as jerk pork, jerk fish and jerk veggies, as well as Jamaican favorites including oxtail, curry goat, escovitch fish and roasted corn. There will also be cooking demonstrations, cook-offs and an entertainment lineup with the Code Red Band, Destra, Romain Virgo, Mr. Vegas, Bro Gary, The Wailers, and DJ Supa Sound featuring Supa Twitch.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: 23rd annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival

WHEN: 1-10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9

WHERE: Miramar Regional Park,16801 Miramar Parkway

COST: $49.92 for general admission, $188.38 for VIP

INFORMATION: jerkfestival.com

ANOTHER FUNDRAISER THIS WEEKEND

Also on Sunday, a free concert will raise money, food and clothing for Jamaican hurricane relief.

Steve Higgins and the South Florida Caribbean Chorale will perform at 3 p.m. at St. Benedict’s Episcopal-Anglican Church, 7801 NW Fifth St., Plantation.

In addition to monetary donations, they will collect nonperishable canned goods and gently used clothing.

“People are devastated and many have lost everything they had,” Higgins said. “We need South Florida to step up and be generous for the people of Jamaica.”

For more information, visit stevehigginsproductions.com or call 954-670-3499.

By MARIA SHERMAN, AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Not like us? More like him: Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations, announced Friday.

The rapper is up for nine trophies at February’s ceremony: record, song and album of the year — marking the third time he’s had simultaneous nominations in those big categories — as well as pop duo/group performance, melodic rap performance, rap song and rap album. He’s also nominated twice in the rap performance category.

Lamar, who is riding the success of last year’s blockbuster “GNX” album, has 22 Grammy career wins and 66 nominations. “GNX” is his fifth consecutive studio album to be nominated for album of the year, something no other artist has ever done. If it wins, it will be his first win in the category. And it will be only the third rap album to win the top prize, following Outkast in 2004 for “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” and Lauryn Hill in 1999 for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut follow Lamar with seven nominations each.

Lady Gaga is up for song, record and album of the year — her first time receiving nominations in all three categories simultaneously. She could also score potential wins in the pop solo performance, pop vocal album, dance pop recording and traditional pop vocal album categories.

Antonoff is nominated in the record, album and song of the year categories twice, for his work with Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter. He’s also nominated for rap song for the first time. That’s for “tv off” with Lamar, featuring Lefty Gunplay.

Antonoff and Cirkut will face off in the producer of the year, non-Classical category. If Antonoff wins, he will tie Babyface’s record of most career wins in the category, with four.

That’s not all. Cirkut is up for both record and song of the year, twice — for Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” and Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” — as well as album of the year and best dance pop recording.

In addition to Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem” and Lamar’s “GNX,” the album of the year category is rounded out by Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend,” Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Justin Bieber’s “Swag,” Clipse, Pusha T & Malice’s “Let God Sort Em Out,” Leon Thomas’ “Mutt” and Tyler, the Creator’s “Chromakopia.”

This is the first time three albums have been up for both rap album and album of the year: “GNX,” “Let God Sort Em Out” and “Chromakopia.”

Additionally, Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” is only the second time an all-Spanish language album has been nominated for the top prize. The first was also a Bad Bunny release — in 2023, for “Un Verano Sin Ti.” Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” won that year.

Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas and Serban Ghenea all boast six nominations. Andrew Watt, Clipse, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile and Tyler, the Creator have five each.

Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Aug. 31, 2024 through Aug. 30, 2025 were eligible for nominations. The final round of Grammy voting, which determines its winners, will take place Dec. 12 through Jan. 5.

In the best new artist category, global girl group Katseye, Olivia Dean, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young will all go head-to-head.

The record of the year category is made up of Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Lamar and SZA’s “luther,” Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” and Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.”

Rosé, perhaps best known as one-fourth of the juggernaut girl group BLACKPINK, is the first K-pop artist to ever receive a nomination in the record of the year field.

Some may be surprised to see Eilish included in the bunch, as “Wildflower” was released on her spring 2024 album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” ahead of the eligibility window. However, there is a Recording Academy rule that allows albums released during the previous ceremony’s eligibility period to be considered, “provided the same tracks were not entered the previous year and the album did not win a Grammy,” with a few exceptions. By that rule, Eilish’s “Wildflower” — which was not previously entered — is eligible.

Song of the year — an award for a track’s songwriters, which sometimes include the performer but not always — is made up of an almost identical list to record of the year, except Roan is replaced by “Golden” from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack.

“The Grammy Awards are our opportunity to honor the people who make this community so vibrant and this year’s nominees remind us of the incredible talent that is driving music forward,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. in a statement. “From emerging talent to influential icons, these nominees reflect today’s broad and diverse musical landscape, and I am excited to celebrate them in the coming weeks ahead.”

There are a number of first-time nominees as well this year, including Tate McRae, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, JID and Timothée Chalamet. You read that correctly.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 1 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Salman Rushdie’s new book, his 23rd, is also a resetting of his career.

“The Eleventh Hour,” which includes two short stories and three novellas, is his first work of fiction since he was brutally stabbed on a New York lecture stage in 2022. His recovery has been physical, psychological — and creative. Just finding the words for what happened was a painful struggle that culminated with his memoir “Knife,” published in 2024. Fiction, the ability to imagine, was the last and crucial step, like the awakening of nerves once feared damaged beyond repair.

“While I was writing ‘Knife,’ I couldn’t even think about fiction. I had no space in my head for that,” Rushdie told The Associated Press last week. “But almost immediately after I finished the book, before it came out, it’s like this door swung open in my head and I was allowed to enter the room of fiction again.”

Two of the pieces in his book out Tuesday, “In the South” and “The Old Man in the Piazza,” were completed before the attack. But all five share a preoccupation with age, mortality and memory, understandable for an author who will turn 79 next year and survived his attack so narrowly that doctors who rushed to help him initially could not find a pulse.

“The Eleventh Hour” draws from Rushdie’s past, such as his years as a student in Cambridge, and from sources surprising and mysterious. The title character of “The Old Man in the Piazza,” an elderly man treated as a sage, originates from a scene in the original “Pink Panther” movie, when an aging pedestrian looks on calmly as a wild car chase encircles him. The novella “Oklahoma” was inspired by an exhibit of Franz Kafka’s papers that included the manuscript of “Amerika,” an unfinished novel about a European immigrant’s journeys in the U.S., which Kafka never visited.

For “Late,” Rushdie had expected a straightforward narrative about a student’s bond with a Cambridge don, an eminence inspired by author E.M. Forster and World War II code-breaker Alan Turing. But a morbid sentence, which Rushdie cannot remember writing, steered “Late” to the supernatural.

“I had initially thought that I would have this friendship, this improbable friendship between the young student and this grand old man,” Rushdie explained. “And then I sat down to write it, and the sentence I found on my laptop was, ‘When he woke up that morning, he was dead.’ And I thought, ‘What’s that?’ And I literally didn’t know where it came from. I just left it sitting on my laptop for 24 hours. I went back and looked at it, and then I thought, ‘You know, OK, as it happens, I’ve never written a ghost story.’”

Rushdie will always carry scars from his attack, notably the blinding of his right eye, but he has otherwise reemerged in public life, with planned appearances everywhere from Manhattan to San Francisco. A native of Mumbai, he moved to England in his teens and is now a longtime New Yorker who lives there with his wife, the poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths.

His most celebrated novel is “Midnight’s Children,” his magical narrative of the birth of modern India that won the Booker Prize in 1981. His most famous, and infamous, work, is “The Satanic Verses,” in which a dream sequence about the Prophet Muhammad led to allegations of blasphemy, rioting and a 1989 fatwa from Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini that called for Rushdie’s death and drove him into hiding. Although Iran announced in the late 1990s that it would no longer enforce the decree, Rushdie’s notoriety continued: The author’s assailant, Hadi Matar, was not even born when “Satanic Verses” was published. Matar, found guilty of manslaughter and attempted murder in a state trial, was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison. A federal trial is still pending.

Rushdie also spoke with the AP about his legacy, his love of cities and how his near-death experience did not make him any more spiritual. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: Age is obviously a theme throughout this book, and something you had been thinking about it before the attack, the idea of “Will I be valued at the end?” “Does it matter that whatever knowledge I have accumulated?” These are things that you think about?

RUSHDIE: I think about what maybe all of us think about. What do we amount to in the end? What did our life add up to? Was it worth it or was it trivial and forgettable? And if you’re an artist, you have the added question of will your work survive? Not just will you survive, but will the things you make endure? Because certainly, if you’re my kind of writer, that’s what you hope for. And, it would be very disappointing to feel that they would just vanish.

But I really love the fact that “Midnight’s Children,” which came out in 1981, is still finding young readers, and that is very pleasing to me. That feels like a prize in itself.

AP: Something else that struck me about the book was how much it was a book of stories about stories. The conscious art of storytelling.

RUSHDIE: Yes, and much more than in the others. I think particularly the story called “Oklahoma” is very much a story about storytelling and about truth and lies.

According to (Kafka’s friend and literary executor) Max Brod, Kafka had this idea that when his character arrived in Oklahoma, he would find some kind of happiness. He would find some kind of resolution, some kind of fulfillment there. And I often thought the idea of a Kafka book with a happy ending is kind of hard to imagine, so maybe it’s just as well he didn’t write the last chapter. The Oklahoma in the story is entirely fictitious. I mean, he never went anywhere. He never came to America, Kafka. But it becomes like a metaphor of hope and of fulfillment.

AP: Was America like that for you?

RUSHDIE: It’s why I came to live here, because I was excited by a lot about America. New York City was a place that excited me enormously when I first came here in my 20s, when I was still working in advertising. But I just thought, “I just want to come and put myself here and see what happens.” I just had an instinct that it would be good for me. And then, you know, life intervened and I didn’t do it for a long time. And then around the turn of the century, I told myself, “Well, if you’re ever going to do it, you better do it, because otherwise, when are you going to do it?”

AP: I remember after the fatwa that people would refer to you as reclusive. But that is clearly not true.

RUSHDIE: I like being in the world. You know, one of the things that I have often said to students when they’re following the kind of “write what you know” mantra, I said, “Yeah, write what you know, but only if what you know is really interesting. And otherwise go find something out, write about that.” I always use the example of Charles Dickens, because one of the things that impresses me about Dickens is how broad the spectrum of his characters is, that he can write about all walks of life. He could write about pickpockets and archbishops with equal credibility, and that must mean that he went to find things out.

AP: Is there a part of you that likes the idea of being that old man in the piazza that people come to?

RUSHDIE: I don’t want to be a kind of guru or oracle. I don’t have answers. I have, I hope, interesting questions.

AP: Does writing fiction feel different to you than it did before what happened three years ago.

RUSHDIE: No, it just feels like I’m so glad to have it back. I hope that people reading the book feel a certain kind of joy in it because I certainly felt joyful writing it.

AP: Did any of that make you more spiritual?

RUSHDIE: I’m afraid it hasn’t. It has not performed that service.

AP: You are still in agreement with your friend Christopher Hitchens (the late author of “God Is Not Great”)?

RUSHDIE: Hitch and myself are still united in that zone of disbelief, aggressive disbelief.

‘The Tutor’ by Courtney Psak; Hodder & Stoughton; 304 pages; $17.99

Normally, a mystery that appears to be filled with stereotypical characters and a predictable plot isn’t off to a good start. But, as mystery readers know, looks can be deceiving.

Or in the case of Courtney Psak’s “The Tutor,” the anticipated can quickly spin into the unexpected.

Psak delivers a surprising plot filled with characters who emerge as believable set against the background of Palm Beach.

Rose Grant is the unassuming young widow with a smart 15-year-old son, James. They both miss Ian, who was a good husband and caring father. His death left them both adrift, with Rose losing herself in her artwork. Enter Grant Caldwell, the rich, pampered scion of a family with deep roots in Palm Beach and New York City. Grant and Rose marry quickly, and he seems to be a good fit for Rose and James. Isabel, the titular tutor, is hired to help James and quickly bonds with the teenager.

But Grant’s mother, Evelyn, is against the marriage and appears to hate Rose, though she’s nice to James. Evelyn seems to make it her mission to make Rose uncomfortable enough to want to divorce Grant. In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, Evelyn convinces Grant, Rose and James to move from their Central Park apartment to her large home in Palm Beach. When the plot takes a fatal twist, it is surprising but not unexpected.

Psak, who lives in Palm Beach, shows characters who would be at ease shopping on Worth Avenue and would disapprove of Rose and her background. Each of the characters have deep secrets, and Psak keeps their twists fueling “The Tutor.”

Readers will find many teachable moments in “The Tutor.”

Meet the author

Courtney Psak will discuss her novel “The Tutor” with Asha Elias at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. The event is free, but reservations are requested. For more information, visit booksandbooks.com or call 305-442-4408.

‘Hollywood Kills: An Anthology,’ edited by Adam Meyer & Alan Orloff; Level Short; 270 pages; $18.95

Themed short story anthologies continue to be the trend — collections based on the works of playwrights, musicians’ specific albums, films, holidays, the weather, even menu offerings and customers at the Waffle House.

The result: some outstanding short story collections.

“Hollywood Kills” has a double theme. Each author has worked in the entertainment business in some aspect — as a performer, producer, writer, or even in catering. The second theme is that each contributor’s proceeds is being donated to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund.

Adam Meyer and Alan Orloff have assembled a terrific group of writers, many of whose link to the entertainment business will be surprising. “Hollywood Kills” also includes a mixture of styles, from the hard-boiled to the cozy. Many stories feature well-known landmarks and favorite sites such as the Larry Edmunds Bookshop.

Ellen Byron, whose TV credits include “Wings” and “Just Shoot Me,” offers “Billy Wilder’s Ghost,” a darkly humorous look at the director’s influence over writers that has much in common with her light, funny mysteries. Scriptwriter Gary Phillips, whose recent novels have centered on Black history in Los Angeles, offers a look at production values in the noirish “What Ned Said.”

Shawn Reilly Simmons, president of Level Best Books, uses her background as a movie set caterer, to bring the right ingredients to the filming of a horror movie in “Craft and Consequences.” Alan Orloff, who lives in Boca Raton, and his actor son, Stuart Orloff, team up to explore family issues and misplaced ambition in “A Role to Kill For.”

By MARIA SHERMAN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The Recording Academy will announce the 2026 Grammy Award nominees on Friday. It’s as good a reason as any to take a beat and examine how the institution makes it decisions. Who selects the nominees? Who votes? Can anyone nominate any recorded release for a Grammy?

We’ve got you covered. Read on to get a crash course on how Grammy voting works.

How does Grammy voting work?

Members of the Recording Academy and record labels submit artists in certain categories, which are then vetted for eligibility. Currently, there are 95 Grammy Award categories.

After submissions have been screened, voting members help determine who the final nominations will be — typically in the fall — using a membership dashboard. They can only vote for music that has been submitted and vetted.

Once the nominees are determined and announced in November, a period of final round voting takes place. This cycle, that runs from Dec. 12 through Jan. 5.

Winners are announced live at the award show in February.

And don’t get it twisted — voting members do not vote in all 95 categories. They’re permitted to vote in up to 10 categories across three genre fields, as well as the six general field categories, which include record, album, song, producer, non-classical and songwriter, non-classical of the year, and best new artist. That allows experts to focus on their expertise.

How does someone become a voting member?

There are three types of Recording Academy memberships: Grammy U, professional and voting memberships. The latter includes performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and beyond. Those are the members who determine Grammy winners each year.

Voting members have to provide a proof of a primary career in music, two recommendations and certain verifiable credits.

But there are a few ways around some of those requirements: If you are a current year’s Grammy winner or nominee, you do not need to provide a recommendation from someone in the industry. If you’ve been nominated for a Grammy in the last five years, you do not need to provide proof of your credits.

What determines Grammy eligibility?

Entries must adhere to the specific qualifications of the categories they are submitted into. Rules and guidelines can be found at Grammy.com.

There are also frequent changes made to categories and fields. In 2026, there have been a few: best country album has been divided into best contemporary country album and best traditional country album. The best recording package and the best boxed or special limited edition package categories have also been combined into the best recording package category, with best album cover spun out on its own.

Most importantly: Recordings and music videos must also be submitted within the Grammy eligibility window, which for the 2026 award show means work released between Aug. 31, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2025.

How does a musician qualify for best new artist?

The category of new artist is constantly evolving, trying to capture the zeitgeist each year as the process of categorizing fame gets more complicated. The Grammy rules currently say nominations hinge on whether “the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence” — and it delegates that determination to a screening committee. Eligible artists must have released at least five singles or one album, but there is no longer a maximum. That’s why someone like, say, Sabrina Carpenter — who broke out in the summer of “Espresso” — found herself up for the best new artist trophy in 2025 despite being on her sixth full-length release.

And this year, the category has also been expanded to include acts who were featured on previous album of the year nominees, so long as they fall below 20% of the album’s music.

When are the 2026 Grammys?

The Grammys will be held Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with nominations announced on Friday. It will be broadcast live on CBS and can be streamed on demand via Paramount+.

This is traditionally the weekend when the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival would begin, an annual unspooling of 100+ film titles over more than two weeks dotted with parties and actor appearances at multiple locations across Broward County.

But this year’s FLIFF has been postponed (until Feb. 20-28, details pending) — and in its place is something lighter, faster and possibly more appealing to the modern entertainment consumer: the Savoir-faire Shorts Film Festival.

Much like FLIFF, this festival (can we call it SFSFF?) will screen dozens of comedies, dramas, thrillers, sci-fi, animation and documentaries from around the globe, including more than 40 shot in South Florida. But their run times can be measured in minutes, with multiple films grouped into themed blocks of 90 to 120 minutes each, screening Thursday through Sunday, all at Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Each block of films costs $10.

Hal Axler, managing director of the Broward County Film Society, said the “overwhelming response” to SFSFF’s debut earlier this year made a second edition a no-brainer.

“These concise, bite-sized films have grown in popularity and proven themselves as powerful storytellers, captivating audiences with their inventive genres and brevity, leaving lasting impressions along the way,” Axler said in a statement.

While there will be compelling stories shared from Paris, Poland, Israel, Iran, Brazil and The Bronx, SFSFF also thinks locally.

Opening night begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday with a pre-screening courtyard party and a rare local set by revered Fort Lauderdale jazz guitarist Randy Bernsen. After an opening program of eight short films — the shortest 3 minutes, the longest 19 minutes — the evening will conclude with an after-party with wine, a chocolate fountain and more music. Tickets for the opening-night event cost $30.

Among the films being shown on Thursday will be “N.I.L.ionaires,” written and produced by former University of Miami and NFL football star Phillip Buchanon. The cast includes former Hurricanes teammate Clinton Portis.

On Friday at 7:30 p.m., a group of humorous films called The Comedy Club will be hosted by beloved Fort Lauderdale comedian, screenwriter and director Wil Shriner (“Hoot,” “Frasier,” “Becker,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”).

Saturday’s 10 a.m. block of documentaries will include “Fiddler on the Moon,” a 30-minute short that ponders the question: Will Judaism survive in space? — with help from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman and Jessica Meir.

Among three blocks of films screening on Sunday under the Made in Broward flag, the first group at 1 p.m. will include “Pastorius.” The 11-minute documentary, written and directed by Jorge Cereghino, profiles Oakland Park-raised jazz genius Jaco Pastorius, featuring interviews with local bassist Kilmo Doome (mentored by Jaco) and former Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine.

Sunday also will include “Practice Squad,” another film written by Phillip Buchanon, screening with a group titled Sunshine Celluloid #2 at 5 p.m. Inspired by the NFL experiences of Buchanon’s brother, ex Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Ed Gant, the film features former UM and NFL star Bryant McKinnie, among others.

Local filmmakers and others will gather on Sunday for the free Taste of Florida reception and panel discussion in the courtyard at 2:30 p.m., where filmmakers can get information on how to finance a project. Participants will include Max Geschwind (Creative Artists Agency), Janet Ellison (Broward Cultural Division), Christy Andreoni (Film Lauderdale) and moderator Dana DellaCamera (Arts Accelerator). Perhaps most important, the buffet will be provided by local favorite Southport Raw Bar & Restaurant.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Savoir-faire Shorts Film Festival

WHEN: Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 6-9

WHERE: Savor Cinema, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; parking is free via the entrance to the Broward County Courthouse Garage at the north end of Southeast Fifth Avenue

COST: Films will screen in blocks of 90-120 minutes, with $10 tickets for each block. Tickets to opening-night films at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with pre-screening reception and after-party, cost $30.

INFORMATION: FLIFF.com/shorts

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.