Politics & Government

Politically, Alan Grayson is progressive Floridian’s wet dream. Many are still holding out hope that he’ll jump into the Senate race against establishment favorite and boringly moderate Rep. Patrick Murphy. There’s just one little problem with Grayson: his personality.  The hot tempered Orlando-area Democrat is currently in the process of…

As he nears $100 million in fundraising and an official announcement he’s trying to follow his father and brother into the White House, countless sentences are being written about Jeb Bush every single day. But not many look like the description of a new tome for sale on Amazon about…

It’s pretty clear that gay marriage is not Jeb Bush’s favorite issue to talk about on the campaign trail. He opposes it, but exactly how much he opposes has been up for debate. He’s said that it’s a decision that should be left up to the states, and that if…

The Florida legislature didn’t pass a budget this year. They haven’t decided what to do about Medicaid expansion. But they did finally settle the debate on 64 oz beer growlers in Florida this year after three year of debate. The bill was passed by both houses and signed into law…

The very nasty public squabbling over homeless toilet needs continues. Yesterday the Downtown Development Authority, the agency in charge of  “As the chief advocate for downtown Miami’s growing base of residents, businesses and visitors from around the world, the Miami DDA has been making the case that homelessness is having…

The signs have been there all along: The obsession with Nicky Minaj. The naive belief that he will someday rule the free world. His love of ornamental swords. Marco Rubio is a teenage dude stuck in a U.S. senator’s body. And judging by his speech last night, he’s been binging…

The video begins with an image of feces next to a brick building. Then it cuts to an image of feces in a bucket. For the next two and a half minutes, many more images of feces. And urine. And that’s it. Called “Homeless May 2015 Feces & Urine”, the…

Cuban migration to Miami has risen sharply following President Obama’s historic December announcement that he plans to restore diplomatic relations between the two nations, Customs and Border Protection stats obtained by Miami New Times show. In the first three months of the year, 2,701 Cubans arrived to Miami. That’s up…

Dozens of union workers sporting red, purple, and yellow T-shirts file into a sweltering auditorium on the grounds of the Greater Bethel AME Church in Overtown. As a speaker whips the crowd into a chant — “Fight for ’15! Fight for ’15!” — a pudgy, olive-skinned man in black slacks…

Back in 2013, Governor Rick Scott made one of the biggest political reversals of his career. Fiercely anti-Obamacare, he announced that he’d agree to a deal to expand Medicaid in Florida as long as the federal Government footed the bill.  “A few months ago, my mother passed away, and I…

Susan Maurer began working as an abortion clinician 40 years ago at a Philadelphia hospital. For the past 22 years, she’s helped South Florida women through what might be an agonizing moment. The soft-spoken 63-year-old nurse administers anesthesia and assists doctors. At one point way back when, she recalls, abortions…

Just over a year ago, Carlos Lopez-Cantera was Miami-Dade’s property appraiser — not exactly a low-profile gig in a town built on real estate, but also hardly a launching pad for big-time political careers. However, Lopez-Cantera looks ready to make a Marco Rubio-esque leap from small-time South Florida politics onto…

Rep. Ron DeSantis has only been up in elected office for two and a half years, but the Sophomore congressmen from Jacksonville has decided he’s ready for the next step up. Today, DeSantis announced his campaign for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by Marco Rubio, and becomes the…

If not for the Spanish-speaking 60-somethings lounging about, the room could pass for the lobby of a Ramada Inn: flat-screen TV set on one wall, nature art adorning another, plush furniture arranged throughout. But it’s no hotel. The newly renovated apartment building in Miami’s Shenandoah neighborhood is actually a publicly…

If the Democratic establishment has it their way, actual Florida Democratic primary voters won’t get much of a choice as to who their nominee is. Rep. Patrick Murphy, a former registered Republican and Florida’s most conservative House Democrat, announced his candidacy for Marco Rubio’s soon-to-be-abandoned Senate seat back in March, and…

The rivalry between Miami and Tampa’s Cuban American populations isn’t just about who makes the truest Cuban sandwich. The idealogical differences between the two city’s approach to Havana has never been more apparent now that the Obama administration has begun to normalize relations with the county; a divide explored in…

Despite being one of the larger states by population and an important swing state in national election, Florida doesn’t have much of a history of churning out serious Presidential candidates. Senator Bob Graham was believed to be on Al Gore’s VP shortlist in 2000, and then had an ill-fated presidential…

You probably thought that the Florida House was done embarrassing itself for the year. After all, House Republicans grabbed their ball and went home on Tuesday, canceling the rest of the session rather than dealing with an impasse with the Senate over Medicare. But it’s never wise to underestimate Florida…

Revenge porn may finally become illegal in Florida. The Florida Senate passed a new anti-revenge porn law, and its now headed to the desk of Governor Rick Scott. Though, the final bill is quite limited compared to what the bill sponsor’s originally envisioned. The bill has passed in the Senate,…

This past March 3, local officials gathered to celebrate the opening of a 34-unit affordable-housing apartment complex in the leafy, middle-class Miami neighborhood of Shenandoah. County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro and Cuban radio personality Martha Flores snipped the red ribbon. “A lot of families are going to be happy here,” Miami…

We elect our state legislators to do one thing: go up to Tallahassee for a few months every year to make laws. The Republican leaders of the Florida House announced today that they have no more interest in doing that right now. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, abruptly adjourned the…