MIAMI (AP) — A rainbow-colored crosswalk meant to celebrate the history and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in Miami Beach has been removed from the city's iconic Ocean Drive entertainment district about two months after Florida officials ordered the removal of all street art throughout the state.
Workers with the Florida Department of Transportation began tearing up the colorful pavers Sunday afternoon, just two days after Miami Beach officials learned they had lost their appeal against the state order. By Monday, the intersection was paved over in asphalt.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez said city public works employees collected all of the removed paving stones so that they can be repurposed in the future.
“This represented decades of people who endured housing discrimination, expulsion from the military, workplace discrimination, the stigma of HIV and AIDS, the fight for marriage equality, all the hard-won battles that took the LGBTQ community from being marginalized to now being a visible, celebrated part of the community,” Fernandez said.
The Miami Beach crosswalk — a place to see for multiple tourist guides — was designed by the Savino & Miller Design Studio and installed in 2018. It featured multicolor terrazzo pavers arranged in an Art Deco pattern, a style with nearly a century of history in the city.
Fernandez said the crosswalk was designed following federal guidelines and noted that it's one of the safest intersections in the area, with half as many crashes as the closest intersection to the south since 2018.
The Department of Transportation under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis had ordered communities to remove the crosswalks and other street art by early last month and threatened to withhold state transportation funding for noncompliance.
Critics say it's the latest attack on the LGBTQ+ community by the DeSantis administration and Republican-controlled Legislature, including restrictions on gender-affirming care and Florida's measure commonly referred to as Don't Say Gay, which bans classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.
DeSantis has previously explained his administration's rationale: “I think the street art got out of hand. I think it’s much better that we use crosswalks and streets for their intended purpose.”
Not all of the street murals tapped for removal pay tribute to historically marginalized groups. A “Back the Blue” mural outside Tampa police headquarters, was painted over.
Among the first crossings to go was a rainbow one, honoring the victims of the 2016 massacre outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were killed. Work crews painted it over in the middle of the night in August, angering community members who restored its rainbow colors, only to see a state transportation department crew repaint it black and white.
Pedestrians walk over a crosswalk on Miami Beach's iconic Ocean Drive that used to be rainbow-colored celebrating the history and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Pedestrians walk over a crosswalk on Miami Beach's iconic Ocean Drive that used to be rainbow-colored celebrating the history and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr spoke with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the morning shootaround Thursday about the player's situation being out of the rotation for more than a month now with expectations he will be traded before the deadline next month.
“We talked this morning and that’s all private,” Kerr said. “I will keep coaching him, he’ll be part of the team, he’ll be here. It is what it is.”
Kerr discounted any issues between them as being reason Kuminga has reportedly requested a trade from the team after not being used in the last 14 games since Dec. 18 and 17 of 18 — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.
“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said before Golden State's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks. “There's not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, difficult situation for everybody and part of this league, part of the job. We just keep moving forward.”
Kuminga has been training much of the time on his own, shooting on the Warriors’ practice floor out of the eyes of fans at Chase Center. He wears a black hood over his head on the end of the bench during games. Perhaps Kuminga and the Warriors weren't a great fit from Day 1 — not that it's his fault — and he might be eager to leave and start fresh elsewhere. If so, the Golden State brass might want to make sure he doesn't get hurt before trying to trade him.
Yet nobody has taken issue with his work ethic, at least not publicly. Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft, has been known to stay long after games shooting on the arena's main floor.
“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a very unique situation but our job is just to keep playing, keep winning, it’ll resolve itself one way or the other,” Stephen Curry said.
The 23-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has appeared in just 18 games total with 13 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
On Sept. 30, he agreed to a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team were to exercise its option for 2026-27. Kuminga had had a $7.9 million qualifying offer in hand since June 29 but was also weighing other options and he missed media day.
He has long had the support and confidence of teammates — like Jimmy Butler saying he has been having Kuminga over and continuing to encourage him.
“We love JK in this locker room, that's not going to change,” Butler said postgame. “If he happens to not be in here, we'll still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. It doesn't change. We don't listen to the noise, I hope he don't listen to the noise he keep coming here with a smile doing what he's supposed to do and being the ultimate pro.”
Kuminga missed much of last season with a right ankle injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games with 10 starts. He also scored 15.3 points per game over eight playoff games while shooting 48.4% from the floor and making 40% of his 3-point attempts. That included a career-best 30-point performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kerr said the uncertainty around Kuminga's future “won't be a distraction.”
“Jonathan's a great young guy, his teammates like him,” Kerr said. "He's handling himself well.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, middle, sits near the team bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) swap jerseys after the Warriors defeat the Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
