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A federal judge is set to hear closing arguments Wednesday over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as she considers whether it violates environmental laws.U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a two-week halt on new construction last Thursday as witnesses continued to testify in a hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case.The temporary order doesn’t include any restrictions on law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity at the center, which is currently holding hundreds of detainees. The center, which was quickly built two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport, is designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures.The order temporarily barred the installation of any new industrial-style lighting, as well as any paving, filling, excavating, fencing or erecting additional buildings, tents, dormitories or other residential or administrative facilities.Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe want Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction, which they say threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars’ worth of environmental restoration.Plaintiffs presented witnesses Wednesday and Thursday who testified that the facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of major construction projects.Attorneys for the state and federal government have said that although the detention center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation of the facility is entirely under the state of Florida, meaning the federal environmental review wouldn’t apply.The judge last week said the detention facility was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government. Witnesses describe environmental threats Witnesses for the environmental groups have testified that at least 20 acres (8 hectares) of asphalt have been added to the site since the Florida Division of Emergency Management began construction. They said additional paving could lead to an increase in water runoff to the adjacent wetlands, spread harmful chemicals into the Everglades and reduce the habitat for endangered Florida panthers.Amy Castaneda, the Miccosukee Tribe’s water resource director, testified Tuesday that nutrient runoff from the detention center could flow into tribal lands, changing vegetation growth. That could lead to fish kills and block humans and wildlife from moving throughout certain areas, she said.Marcel Bozas, director of the Miccosukee Tribe’s fish and wildlife department, said tribe members hunt and fish for subsistence and cultural reasons. Sustained human activity can drive away game animals, like whitetail deer, as well as protected species, like Florida panthers, wood storks, eastern black rails and bonneted bats, he said. State official says Florida runs center Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles executive director David Kerner testified that the 1,800 state troopers under his command are authorized to detain undocumented migrants under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He said the federal government doesn’t tell the state where to detain immigrants, and that the Everglades facility was built to alleviate overcrowding at federal immigration detention facilities, as well as state and county facilities with agreements to hold federal immigration detainees.Kerner couldn’t say how many of the “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been charged with violent crimes or whether any other sites besides the middle of the Everglades were considered for possible detention centers.Attorneys for federal and state agencies last month asked Williams to dismiss or transfer the injunction request, saying the lawsuit was filed in the wrong jurisdiction. Even though the property is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida’s southern district is the wrong venue for the lawsuit because the detention center is in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state’s middle district, they said.Williams had yet to rule on that argument. Facility faces a second legal challenge In a second legal challenge to “Alligator Alcatraz,” a federal judge over the weekend gave the state more time to prepare arguments against an effort to get the civil rights litigation certified as a class action.U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz in Miami said he will only consider a motion by detainees’ lawyers for a preliminary injunction during an Aug. 18 hearing. He set a Sept. 23 deadline for the state to respond to the detainee’s class action request. The second lawsuit claims detainees’ constitutional rights are being violated because they are barred from meeting lawyers, are being held without any charges, and a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings.The lawsuits were being heard as DeSantis’ administration apparently was preparing to build a second immigration detention center at a Florida National Guard training center in north Florida. At least one contract has been awarded for what is labeled in state records as the “North Detention Facility.” David Fischer, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Cava Group is not having a good week. On Tuesday, August 12, the fast casual restaurant chain announced its second-quarter results and a decline in net income to $18.4 million from $19.7 million year-over-year (YOY). The drop brought Cavas earnings (NYSE: CAVA) to 16 cents per share. Notably, this was above Wall Streets predicted 13 cents per share, but other figures missed the mark, according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC. Take Cavas revenue, which increased to $280.6 million from $233.5 million YOY. Despite the growth on paper, it fell short of the $285.6 million figure predicted. Then theres the companys same restaurant sales, which grew 2.1%, compared to a projected 6.1%. This low single-digit increase represented a significant decline from 2024s fourth-quarter jump of 21.2% and even quarter ones 10.8%. Protein sets a high bar Cava attributes the 2.1% to menu price and product mix, while foot traffic was stagnant. Meanwhile, in a post-earnings report call, Cava CEO Brett Schulman attributed the slow growth YOY in part to 2024s successful launch of steak, our most significant protein launch in a number of years. Investors dont seem to accept last years steak addition as a good enough excuse. But crucially, Cava also cut its sales outlook for the full year. Cavas stock plummeted over 24% after-hours and into premarket trading on Wednesday morning. Its a significant turnaround from last November, when Cava led most of its competitors with an impressive 255% stock growth year-to-date for 2024. Schulman also acknowledged an uncertain macroeconomic climate, which he described as a “fog,” noted Restaurant Business. Still, the CEO had a full-speed-ahead attitude when discussing the second-quarter results. He noted that Cava opened 16 new restaurantswith a total of 398and that long lines and warm welcomes in new markets gave him confidence that Cava will have 1,000 restaurants by 2032. He also highlighted the successful testing of chicken shawarma in Dallas and Tampa. Schulman further shared that Cavas Project Soul prototype should be done this fall. The fast casual chain announced Project Soul in 2024, an initiative focused on warmer color palettes, comfier seating, greenery, and an overall more welcoming environment in its restaurants. Its expected to launch across new restaurants starting in 2026. Cava will have to wait until then to see if the redesign parlays into another boost in same restaurant sales.
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E-Commerce
U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday to unveil its 2025 honorees for artistic excellence and tout a major renovation as lawmakers push to rename the venue for the Republican president. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump teased the announcement, saying, “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS.” Trump also teased a physical overhaul of the center in Washington, D.C., saying he planned to restore it to the “absolutely top level of luxury, glamour, and entertainment.” No details were immediately available. Since returning to power in January, Trump has sought to put his stamp on American culture and institutions to align them closer with his political and personal preferences. His administration has ordered a review of some Smithsonian museums and exhibitions to “remove divisive or partisan narratives.” At the White House, Trump has added gold leaf to the Oval Office, paved over the Rose Garden, and embarked on plans for a $200-million ballroom. Trump did not attend events at the Kennedy Center during his first term but has taken a keen interest in it during his second, vowing to overhaul an institution he and his “Make America Great Again” supporters view as too liberal. He pushed out its chairman in February and took on the role himself, fired its longtime president, and installed his former ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as interim president. In a post on X, the Kennedy Center said its building which opened in September 1971 would undergo renovations thanks to Trump’s advocacy aimed at restoring its “prestige and grandeur.” The arts facility also hinted at the 2025 winners: “A country music icon, an Englishman, a New York City Rock band, a dance Queen and a multi-billion dollar Actor walk into the Kennedy Center Opera House.” Republicans recently voted as part of a sweeping tax cut and spending bill to earmark $257 million for the building’s renovation, conditional on the opera house being named after first lady Melania Trump. Republican Representative Bob Onder in July introduced a bill that would rename the modernist building the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts. Trump last visited the Kennedy Center in June for a performance of “Les Miserables,” where he and his wife were met with a loud mix of boos and cheers. Ticket and subscription sales have fallen since Trump’s conservative takeover of the venue, and some shows, including the hit “Hamilton,” have canceled their engagements. Under his leadership, the center has sought to add conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ. Andrea Shalal, Reuters
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E-Commerce
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