By JOSHUA GOODMAN

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — A U.S. Navy admiral who oversees military operations in Latin America handed off command responsibilities Friday as scrutiny increases over the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region.

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Adm. Alvin Holsey has retired one year into a posting that typically lasts three to four years and transferred leadership duties to his top military deputy, Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, during a ceremony at U.S. Southern Command headquarters near Miami.

In farewell remarks, Holsey did not mention the military operations or the reasons for his early retirement. But he urged his successor to uphold longstanding partnerships in the region by standing firmly behind the shared values of democracy and support for the rule of law.

“To be a trusted partner, we must be credible, present and engaged,” Holsey said.

Holsey’s shock retirement was announced by the Pentagon in October, over a month into the Trump administration’s strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean that have killed at least 87 people. With the campaign facing growing scrutiny by Congress, Holsey briefed key lawmakers earlier this week.

The ceremony Friday was more subdued than past retirements, held outdoors amid a small crowd of mostly Southern Command staff and without Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, because President Donald Trump has yet to nominate Holsey’s replacement.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made no mention of the military operations in Latin America as he thanked Holsey on for his 37 years of service. Caine referred to Holsey as a “stoic” leader and “quiet professional” who always leads with his heart and head.

“It’s never been about you, it’s been about people, it’s been about others,” Caine said. “You’ve never said ‘I’ in all the conversations we’ve had. You’ve always said ‘we.’ … The impact you’ve had will last for a long time.”

Holsey is departing as Congress has launched bipartisan investigations into the boat attacks, including one that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of an initial strike. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and other top officials have given classified briefings at Capitol Hill this week.

Holsey also spoke this week to key lawmakers overseeing the U.S. military by classified video call. Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said afterward that Holsey answered senators’ questions but that “there are still many questions to be answered.” Reed later added that Holsey did not give a reason for his retirement other than saying it was a personal decision.

Experts in the rules of warfare, human rights groups and even some of Trump’s allies in Congress have questioned the legality of the attacks on those accused of ferrying drugs who for decades were arrested at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard and brought to the U.S. for criminal prosecution.

The 22 strikes against vessels are being supported by a giant flotilla of warships, attack helicopters, thousands of troops and even the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier.

Trump’s Republican administration has defended its aggressive tactics, declaring drug gangs in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico as “narcoterrorists” and relying on a legal argument that gained traction after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that the U.S. is in armed conflict with drug cartels.

The administration’s campaign has ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. In a sharp escalation Wednesday, U.S. forces seized control of a sanctioned oil tanker that the administration has accused of smuggling illicit crude. Sale of that oil on global energy markets is critical to Maduro’s grip on power.

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.

Holsey’s departure is the latest in a long line of firings and sudden retirements that have befallen the military’s top ranks since Hegseth took charge of the Pentagon.

A fighter jet pilot, with combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, Pettus had been serving as Holsey’s top deputy since late 2024. However, it’s unclear how long the Arkansas native will remain in the job. Whoever Trump nominates must be confirmed by the Senate.

By PETER SMITH

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication.” The holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem nearly 2,200 years ago after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.

With the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple, they lit the menorah. According to the Talmud, it miraculously remained lit for eight days. The ritual of lighting a nightly candle and the emphasis on cooking foods in oil, such as potato pancakes called latkes, memorialize this holiday.

Variations in the starting date

Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.

But the Jewish calendar, which is based on lunar cycles, is not in sync with the commonly used Gregorian calendar. Depending on the year, Hanukkah falls at various times between late November and late December.

This year, Hanukkah starts at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 14, and lasts through Dec. 22.

Traditionally, Hanukkah has not been a major holiday on the Jewish calendar, but it has taken on cultural prominence because it occurs at a time when many other people are preparing for Christmas.

Bringing light into the darkness

Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.

The Talmud, an ancient compendium of commentary and teachings on Jewish law, customs and Scripture, reflects a dispute over the order of lighting. But most people start with one candle and increase the lighting by an additional candle each night while reciting or chanting special blessings.

The candles are added from right to left, but lit from left to right on the menorah, thus always starting with the newest light. The special menorah used for Hanukkah has eight branches, with a ninth place for the candle called shamash from which all others are lit.

The tradition calls for candles with a real flame, although some also use electric ones in public displays, such as in hospitals, for safety reasons.

Celebrating by charitable giving and spreading the light

A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.

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The lighting of menorahs in city streets and parks has become more prominent in recent years in countries around the world, including in front of public landmarks.

In addition to menorah lightings, giving to charity and social works are also part of the celebration for many, reflecting the belief that the Jewish people are called by God to help make the world better for all.

Associated Press religion coverage 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.

The post Strangest State: Drones, Drugs, Deer, and a Dutiful Dog appeared first on The Texas Observer.

It has become increasingly evident to our whole community that Saint Paul needs a strong, vibrant and growing downtown for the health and wellbeing of the entire city.

Before the pandemic, Downtown St. Paul carried only 12% of the citywide tax revenues compared to peer cities, which had an average of 22% of tax revenues. The goal should not be to simply recover these tax revenues, but to dramatically increase the percentage of the tax load carried by downtown.

Strategic investments will unlock a tremendous benefit to the whole city. It’s exciting to see the City of Saint Paul make a meaningful commitment to moving this work forward. The approved $5 million increase to the Department of Planning and Economic Development budget dedicated to downtown vitality and housing in the core signals that we’re treating this issue with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.

The reality is straightforward: We can’t afford to let obsolete and underused towers sit empty, dragging down confidence in the heart of our city. At the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, we anticipated the necessity of this transition and started preparing. In March 2024, we released the Downtown Investment Strategy — a blueprint to dramatically increase density, vitality and desirability in downtown St. Paul. We also commissioned a feasibility study showing that many of downtown’s buildings have floor plates and infrastructure that make them strong candidates for more efficient conversion. That gives St. Paul a competitive advantage over many other cities wrestling with similar challenges.

And we’ve already seen what’s possible. Landmark Towers’ recent transformation and the nearly completed Stella Apartments, along with the dozens of conversions in Lowertown, show that converting obsolete office space into housing doesn’t just fill buildings, it fuels street-level activity, supports small businesses and strengthens the case for essential amenities like cafes, restaurants, grocers and pharmacies. With Hamm Building’s conversion tracking toward 2026, and the Galtier conversion not far behind, momentum is building.

But we know these projects and the activity and tax base they fuel are only the start toward advancing the health and wellbeing of our entire city.

Our Downtown Investment Strategy calls for adding 20,000 new residents to the core. With apartment occupancy rates at 96%, demand is clearly there. More people living downtown means a broader tax base, healthier retail and restaurant ecosystems and more activity on our sidewalks — one of the most effective ways to enhance safety.

This new investment is critical because it helps attract a wider range of developers and investors.

Downtown’s recovery won’t happen on the backs of a few committed partners. It will take a broad coalition. That’s why the Downtown Alliance is deeply involved in a community engagement process right now, gathering input, listening and shaping a shared vision for the future of our downtown. That work will guide not only us, but also future development teams looking to understand what our community wants for their city’s center.

When community, business, government and investment work in sync, we unlock real progress toward improving our city for the good of our residents, businesses and the entire region.

To be clear, this $5 million commitment is not enough to stimulate a strong and rapid recovery of tax base for downtown that is critical for the health and wellbeing of our city. We’ll need more resources from the City, County and State in order to realize the full economic power for our city and region. Our Downtown Investment Strategy specifically calls out key development strategies and assets critical to this effort, such as developing RiversEdge, renovation of the Grand Casino Arena Complex, and the development of Central Station for example. However, this important start sends a clear signal that Saint Paul is ready to do the hard and creative work needed to build a stronger, more resilient downtown and city as a whole.

If you want to get involved with this vision, the Downtown Alliance just launched Reimagine Downtown Saint Paul: Transforming the Core — a comprehensive, community-driven initiative designed to inform the future of downtown’s economic vitality and urban experience. Learn more and provide input in an online survey at downtownstpaul.com/reimagine.

Joe Spencer is president of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, a nonprofit organization that represents downtown businesses, nonprofits, government entities, residents and entrepreneurs.

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