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Florida Legislature goes into O.T. without a budget. Here’s a look by the numbers
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is used to getting his way in the state capital, with a tight grip on the GOP-controlled Legislature, where once-pliant lawmakers hustled his priorities and helped him build his national brand. But not this year. DeSantis' second-to-last legislative session in Tallahassee has been defined by interparty squabbles that spilled out into the open, as the…
Brazilian police accuse 2 in plot targeting Lady Gaga concert
RIO DE JANEIRO — Police in Brazil said on Sunday that two people have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to detonate explosives at a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio event on Saturday was the biggest show of the pop star's career that attracted an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach and had crowds screaming and dancing along.
University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono from University of Michigan
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida plans to hire school president Santa Ono away from the University of Michigan. Ono was recommended as the search committee's only finalist to be considered by the board of trustees on Sunday night. "Dr. Ono's proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our…
Ode to the oyster: an evening of sommelier techniques and poetic inspirations
“I will say: I’ve never eaten an oyster more slowly,” joked Melody Santiago Cummings, Executive Director of O, Miami, at Gramps Getaway for their organization’s “Oysters: Taste & Ode” event. “I never savored being in a group and chewing on an oyster,” she said. “I really felt like something special was experienced today.”
The Panthers had to learn how to win. The Lightning helped show them the way
Winning in the Stanley Cup playoffs and becoming a championship-capable team, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said, is an art. It's something that has to be learned. Turns out, the Lightning were good teachers. And the Florida Panthers were really good students. The Lightning, unbeknownst to them at the time, planted the seeds for this run of postseason by their cross-state rival Panthers.
Hotel workers in Miami rally on ‘May Day’ for higher wages to keep up with high cost-of-living
Coinciding with ‘May Day’ protests across the country against the Trump administration, workers in Miami’s hospitality industry rallied Thursday for a union contract that would include increased workplace protections and fairer wages. Hundreds of workers and union supporters from Miami-Dade and Broward trotted into downtown Miami to support the rally. “I have a family, I have…
E-bike legislation passes in Tallahassee. What does it mean for Key Biscayne?
Key Biscayne Village Manager Steve Williamson has asked staff to review new state e-bike legislation that is part of a larger transportation bill heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. “Still need to understand it all,” Williamson said in a text exchange with the Independent. The measure allows municipalities to regulate e-bikes and other micromobility devices by instituting age restrictions.…
Chairwoman King eases homeownership process in Miami’s predominantly Black neighborhood
The northwest corner of 60th Street in Liberty City for more than 17 years stood vacant, nothing more than a repository for trash. Now there is a townhome on the site, the fruit of the First Time Homebuyer Program, sponsored by District 5 Commissioner Christine King. King lobbied her fellow commissioners to allocate $3 million to the program in 2022.
Venezuela’s dictatorship under scrutiny for human rights violations and corruption
Venezuela’s dictatorship is under more intense global scrutiny this week for both its human rights violations and multi-billion dollar corruption. The global watchdog Human Rights Watch has issued a scathing new report on the Venezuelan regime’s repression following the presidential election it stole last summer. It accuses dictator-president Nicolás Maduro’s security forces and street…
South Florida congresswoman wants speedy investigation of Haitian immigrant’s death in custody
A South Florida lawmaker is demanding the Trump administration conduct a “thorough investigation” into the death of a Haitian woman last week at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, where the 44-year-old was being detained as a suspected undocumented immigrant. Marie Ange Blaise was pronounced dead last Friday night, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs…
A bankruptcy battle is clouding the future of Miami’s Seaquarium, once home to Lolita and Flipper. It’s not clear who’s in charge (click profile on InstaGram for story)
Grand Slam Track brings a new era of track sports to South Florida
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson had often wondered what it would take for track and field to break out of its four-year, Olympics-centric cycle. His answer? A new, all-star racing league featuring 48 permanent racers and 48 other rotating challengers in a four-part series that cuts the field portion of the sport in its entirety. And to offer $3.15 million in prizes — one the highest ever…
South Florida chefs fight to save the country’s largest food assistance program
Eight South Florida chefs are joining more than 150 culinary colleagues nationwide in urging Congress to protect children from going hungry. They are speaking out against proposed deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, which helps low-income families buy groceries. “Cuts to SNAP will guarantee more hunger and hardship for families,” said Lorena…
Liberty City Youth Summit to educate youth on gun violence, gang prevention, interaction with cops
Rolando Hallmon said he became emotional when he learned about the death of 9-year-old Sherdavia Jenkins, who was shot while playing at her doorstep in Liberty City in 2006. “We have to start doing something,” Hallmon, a community activist and retired teacher, said at the time of the shooting. He started organizing prayer walks after speaking with pastors who met at the…
Florida poised to become 2nd state to ban fluoride from drinking water
TALLAHASSEE — Florida is poised to become the second state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, over the concerns of dentists and public health advocates who say the mineral is a safe, effective way to protect people of all ages from developing cavities. Florida lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Tuesday after Utah became the first state to pass a ban last month.
Amazon launches first satellites to compete against Musk’s Starlink
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Amazon's first batch of internet satellites rocketed into orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX's thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon's Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune. Once released in orbit, the satellites…
Miami Heat’s 55 point loss defeat for the ages
Game 3 against Cleveland was the worst loss in Miami Heat playoff history. Game 4 against Cleveland was worse. Much worse. Historic levels of worse, really. An up-and-down Heat season ended very down — on the receiving end of the worst loss in franchise playoff history. Cleveland rolled past Miami 138-83, finishing off a four-game sweep of their Eastern Conference first-round series Monday night.
Liberal party wins in Canada after Trump threats
TORONTO — Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party won Canada's federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation threats and trade war. The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament's 343 seats than the Conservatives, though it wasn't clear yet if they would win an outright majority, which would allow them to pass legislation without needing…
As Trump’s approval plummets, Mike Davey eyes another run for Congress against Salazar
Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey, who didn’t make it past a Democratic primary in 2024, is looking at making another run for Congress, motivated by a desire to reverse some of President Donald Trump’s assault on the rule of law. Trump’s approval has cratered, with a recent AP-NORC survey showing a historic low as he approaches his first 100 days in his second term, with a 59%…
Pizzo, a Democratic leader, leaves party
Florida Democratic Party leaders were shocked on Thursday when Jason Pizzo, the minority party's leader in the Senate, announced that he was leaving the party and registering as an independent. Pizzo represents parts of Broward and Miami-Dade and assumed leadership of Senate Democrats after the 2024 election. In a speech on the Senate floor, Pizzo said the party is “dead” and likened the current state of bipartisanship to “the…