Frederica Wilson

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Sat Next to Jay-Z and Beyonce at the Inauguration (and You Are Now Insanely Jealous of Her)

We're sure its an honor just to sit on the steps of capitol at the inauguration, but lets be honest, the hottest seat was next to Beyonce. Which, well, obviously was taken by Jay-Z, but seated directly next to them was South Florida congresswoman and DNC chief was Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who the e ... More >>

Fiscal Cliff Averted, No Thanks To Marco Rubio or Trio of South Florida Representatives

Today is going to be a real bitch, Miami. No question about it. You're back at work already, but those three bottles of champers you chugged on New Year's Eve are not done with you yet. Right now, your head feels like Deadmau5 is spinning a set on your cerebellum.But there is good news. While you we ... More >>

Miami-Dade Election Results Liveblog: Pit Bulls, Primaries, and County Hall

Miami-Dade voters went to the polls today to vote on a long ballot filled with primary battles for both federal and state level legislative races, and the first (and in some cases, possibly final) rounds of the county mayor race, and several county commission seats. Longtime Miami-Dade State Attorne ... More >>

Miami-Dade August 14 Election: A Haters Guide

The Five Worst Primary Candidates: Our Haters Guide To Next Tuesday's Election

With Miami's primary elections rolling in on August 14, Banana Republican decided to do Dade a solid by tallying up the worst scalawags, scoundrels, and scumbags who weaseled onto the ballot. Rock the vote, long live democracy, and all that jazz.But honestly, we'd rather you stay at home and watch D ... More >>

"Whereas... LeBron James Decided to Take His Talent to South Beach": The Awesome Congressional Resolution Congratulating The Heat

It seems that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen went all fan girl when drafting up a Congressional resolution to congratulate the Miami Heat on their NBA championship, because the thing is actually the rare Congressional measure that's a pleasure to read. It's basically a manifesto on why the Heat are just s ... More >>

Boring Moderate Bill Nelson's Stance on Gay Marriage is Vaguely Boring and Moderate

There are worse things for politicians to be than boring moderates, sure, but Bill Nelson is a boring moderate through and through. So, it's really no surprise that his stance on gay marriage is predictably off in some vague, boring, moderate middle land.

Gloria Romero Roses, Random Person, to Run Against David Rivera as Democrat

Democrats have finally found a candidate to take on vulnerable Republican incumbent congressman David Rivera. Her name is Gloria Romero Roses. She has no electoral experience, no name recognition, and doesn't even live close to the district. Oh boy.

Trayvon Martin Rally Planned for Sunday at Bayfront Park

​Thousands are expected to show up at Bayfront Park this weekend for a planned hometown rally to remember slain 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson is organizing the rally, and Rev. Jesse Jackson and singer Chaka Kahn are scheduled to attend.

Federal Trayvon Martin probe is just a coverup

Video: Rep. Bobby Rush Removed from House Floor for Wearing Hoodie for Trayvon Martin

​Congressman Bobby Rush III, a black Democrat from Illinois, was escorted off of the floor of the House of Representatives the morning after donning a hoodie to show his support from deceased Florida teen Trayvon Martin. The moment came just a day after House Democrats held a forum to discuss the ... More >>

The Federal Investigation Into Trayvon Martin's Murder Is Bound To Fail

​Uncle Luke, the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech, gets as nasty as he wants to be for Miami New Times. This week, Luke scoffs at the Justice Department's investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin.Ever since I heard the 911 tapes of 17- ... More >>

Rudy Moise, Rich Guy with Auto-Tuned Campaign Ads, is Back to Challenge Rep. Frederica Wilson

Guess who's back? Rudy! Rudy! Rudy Moise! Yes, the flashy millionaire who turned out one of the, uh, most memorable campaign ads of 2010 in his bid to capture Florida's 17th district is back to challenge the woman who defeated him last year, Rep. Frederica Wilson. He's already got his campaign websi ... More >>

David Rivera Has $8,000, Frederica Wilson is a Millionaire, and Local Politicos are Worth $170 Million

David Rivera, multi-thousandaire.​Muckraking site OpenSecrets.org decided to throw some fire on the Occupy Movement this week by estimating the net worth of every single member of Congress, from mighty Darrell Issa with his $700 million to Florida pauper Alcee Hastings, who owes nearly $5 million ... More >>

In Wake of FAMU Tragedy, Frederica Wilson to Draft Federal Anti-Hazing Bill

​About a month after the hazing-linked death of FAMU band member Robert Champion, Miami-area U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson has announced plans to introduce a bill that would clamp down on hazing on a federal level.

After Missing Almost a Month of Votes, Frederica Wilson Returns to DC Today After Minor Surgery

Today, The New York Times tallied up the list of U.S. Representatives who have missed the most votes so far this year. A local name popped up at 6th on the list: Frederica Wilson. The first term congresswoman from District 17 hasn't cast a vote since October 3rd. 

Regalado Asks Feds To Investigate MPD Just As Police Union Pushes His Recall

​Still doubt that the beef between Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and his police chief Miguel Exposito has reached Biggie-vs-Tupac-ian heights? Here's some more kerosene to toss on the campfire: Regalado has just sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to investigate the killing ... More >>

Best of Miami: People & Places

Best of Miami 2011: Best Politician

In anticipation of the upcoming Best of Miami issue hitting newsstands June 16, here is a sneak peek at one category and its winner.Photo by C. Stiles​Best PoliticianFrederica Wilson

Miami-Area Congressional District is the Most Suffering in America

via Firehouse2District 17's Liberty City​Gallup-Healthway's annual "Well Being Index" takes a wide-ranging reading of physical, emotional, and mental health of political districts on the state, metropolitan and congressional levels. The just-published statistics for 2010 don't give such a healthy ... More >>

Families of Seven Men Killed in Police Shootings Speak At Commission Meeting Today

​Willa Mae Reed cries when she remembers the last time she saw her grandson, Tarnorris Tyrell Gaye. "He said he was getting a haircut, and he kissed me goodbye," Reed tells Riptide. "I still got a lot of questions about what happened next."Gaye was shot and killed by Miami police in December -- on ... More >>

Rick Scott Owns the World's Ugliest Custom Cowboy Boots

via The Buzz These boots were made for gawking. ​This isn't Texas, and no one really expects our governor to tramp around in cowboy boots. Maybe wearing the "official" Florida shoe, the flip-flop, would be appropriate, but cowboy boots? Well, it turns out Rick Scott has a thing for boots th ... More >>

Miami Herald Endorses Loser Deadbeat for Second Time in Seven Months

Oscar Braynon II is a new state senator because he is not just like Joe Celestin.​Good thing voters choosing a successor to Frederica Wilson's old state Senate seat don't put much stock in the Miami Herald's editorial board.Yesterday, former state Rep. Oscar Braynon II easily defeated ex-North Mia ... More >>

Al Sharpton Wants Justice Department to Investigate Miami Police Department

​Mayor Tomás Regalado isn't the only powerful enemy Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito has made in his relatively short run atop the department. Now, national civil rights leader and former presidential candidate Al Sharpton is calling for a federal investigation into the Miami Police Department. ... More >>

Frederica Wilson Recalls When the Mafia Threatened Her Son's Life

​Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who owns perhaps the most stunning collection of hats since Isabella Blow, has finally landed on the cover of a magazine. Unfortunately for Anna Wintour, it wasn't on her Vogue magazine, but rather the Washington Post Magazine. Though the photo shoot cert ... More >>

What's Kendrick Meek Up to Now? Just Making Weird Twitter Updates

​We haven't heard much out of Kendrick Meek since he came in third place in the senate race behind Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. With the congressional seat he could have held for the rest of his life now held by the collection of hats known as Frederica Wilson, Meek hasn't made any formal announ ... More >>

Marco Rubio, Frederica Wilson Make List of Congressional Hotties

Marco Rubio Riptide, 4-eva!​It's widely accepted that, for a politician at least, newly minted Florida senator Marco Rubio is kind of a hottie. I mean, he doesn't quite have that Aaron Schock six-pack, but no one would be embarrassed& to be caught up in a D.C. sex scandal with him. So it's n ... More >>

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Leads Us Into Annoying New World of Live Tweets from House Floor

​Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen made history yesterday by making the first (semi-) authorized Tweet from the House Chamber of the U.S. Congress. The Republican congresswoman, whose Twitter is usually full of rooting for local football teams, live Tweeted a picture of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi handing ... More >>

Candidates Line Up to Replace Frederica Wilson in Special State Senate Election

​>While Frederica Wilson is up in D.C. preparing to be sworn into the U.S. Congress, her seat in the Florida Senate sits empty. Yesterday, outgoing Governor Charlie Crist announced that the primary election to replace Wilson will take place on February 8, while the general election will be Mar ... More >>

Letters from the issue of December 2, 2010

Rep. Frederica Wilson Joins Two-Person "Cowboy Hat Caucus"

via News-Leader​While freshman Rep. Frederica Wilson has more important things on her priority list she's still trying to get presumptive Speaker of the House John Boehner to let her wear her trademark hats while the House is in session. Well, she's found an unlikely alley in a conservative Republ ... More >>

Dave Barry: Bravely Navel-Gazing

Miami People 2010

The Magic City's 30 most interesting characters.

Frederica Wilson's First Act In Washington: Banning Cell Phones In Cars With Kids

​Lost among the noise of a thousand tea baggings at the polls yesterday was the runaway victory of Frederica Wilson, the cowboy-hat rockin' Democrat who picked up 86 percent of the vote to replace Kendrick Meek in Congress. Wilson has never shied away from a fight -- her political career started w ... More >>

2010 Election Results Live Blog

​Will Florida gets its first female Governor? Will the country's first female Speaker of the House be forced to turn in her gavel? Will Kendrick Meek somehow shock the world by winning? Did anyone bother to get to know enough about the CFO race to bother voting? Join us tonight as we live blog the ... More >>

Frederica Wilson's 25 Best Hats

Frederica Wilson was the winner of the Democratic primary in Florida District 17, and will almost certainly fill the vacancy left behind by Kendrick Meek in the next United States Congress. She is also a state legislator, mother, grandmother, founder of the 5000 Role Models program, former principal ... More >>

What We Learned From Frederica Wilson: People Love Silly Hats

Frederica Wilson and her hats won big last night.Prediction: Next election, silly hats are in. Rival school board candidates will rock diamond-plated mitres and Budweiser-stocked beer helmets. Marco Rubio will demolish Charlie Crist after finding a totally sweet plaid Tam O'Shanter at a garage sale ... More >>

Marleine Bastien, Frederica Wilson Leading Crazed Race For Meek's Seat, Poll Says

via Marleine Bastien for CongressBastien and Wilson have surged to the front in District 17, but the race is still wide open.​The crazed, Milwaukee sausage race of a contest to replace Kendrick Meek in Congress might finally be winnowing down to the real contenders, at least based on a poll releas ... More >>

Rudy Moise, Possibly Your Next Congressman, Writhes in a Straitjacket With Vivica Fox

Coming to a theater near you next month: Rudy Moise's latest self-financed action flick.​With a bumper crop of utterly shady rich guys threatening to run off with our Senate and governor's races, it's been easy to forget that South Florida also has open House seats to fill.But if political theater ... More >>

Florida Legislature Protects Gun Owners' Adoption Rights, Still Doesn't Care About Gays

​A senseless bill that would prevent adoption agencies from discriminating against gun owners overwhelming passed the state legislature, and is headed to Gov. Charlie Crist's desk.The problem: there's absolutely no evidence that prospective adoptive parents in Florida have ever been "discriminated ... More >>

Hats The Musical Starring Senator Frederica Wilson

State Senator Frederica Wilson has Practical hats. She has dramatical hats. She also has pragmatical hats, fanatical hats, oratorical hats, delphioracle hats, skeptical hats, dispeptical hats, romantical hats, pedantical hats, critical hats, parasitical hats, and so on and so forth.Herald/Times  ... More >>

News Roundup

LocalFinally, after ten long years, the Marlins will have a new home to lose in! Just kidding. Let's hope now they'll have the decency to build up a World Series-worthy team and then not sell off all of their star talent. [Herald]Patients at the Veterans Hospital might have been exposed to HIV and o ... More >>

To Serve and Protect and Intimidate

A school teacher is beaten senseless by Miami Beach police, then his life is allegedly threatened, now he's gone

Little Goes A Long Way

Immigration attorney Cheryl Little spent years banging her head against INS bureaucracy, until a Haitian boat cracked it open

A New Political Complexion

Come next week, the City of North Miami will be a very different place

Schoolhouse Knocks

Although the Liberty City Charter School helped make Jeb Bush governor, four years on it's barely passing

Chairman of the Board

Folks don't know much about school board chairman Solomon Stinson, but they do know this: Don't cross him

After the Brawl

Everybody heard about the tussle between white cops and black students but the discord at Coral Gables High goes far deeper than that

The Dynamic Duo

Their flocks have multiplied despite past controversy. But can the Revs. Victor Curry and Richard Dunn preach politics?