Tallahassee

Miami Dolphins Stadium Renovation Was Failing at the Polls Before Tally Killed It

When the House spiked a bill two weeks ago to let the Miami Dolphins raise bed taxes to fund a stadium renovation, team owner Stephen Ross went ballastic, lashing out at Speaker Will Weatherford for taking away Miami voters' chance to have a say on the project. He shouldn't have bothered. Results r ... More >>

Florida Lawmakers Poised to Ban Texting While Driving, "OMFG GTFO" Say Teenagers

Yesterday the Florida Senate unanimously approved a bill to ban texting while driving. The vote makes it pretty damn likely that the Sunshine State will join 39 others in curbing your right to type witty quips while steering with your crotch.For you teenagers out there who need a translation: GOTDPW ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar and Karmaloop's College Tour Kicking Off at Florida Atlantic University

When Kendrick Lamar throws a college kegger, there's gonna be "Swimming Pools" filled to the brim with drank. Everybody'll be wilding out like they're "A.D.H.D." And Karmaloop, eMuze, and Neff Headwear will be footing the bill. This Thursday, Kendrick and Karmaloop's Verge Campus Tour 2013 kicks of ... More >>

Florida Legislator Trying To Legalize Growlers So You Can Drink More Good Beer

Ever had a sinking feeling that something isn't quite right while surveying the beers at your grocery store? Sure, the selection is fine -- maybe not as many local craft beers as you'd like to see, but hey, this is Miami after all. But wait. Why are all the beers SO SMALL?Turns out there's a 45-year ... More >>

Bill Filed to Keep Florida on Daylight-Saving Time Year-Round

Finally! Frivolous legislation out of Tallahassee we can finally get behind!State Sen. Darren Soto, an Orlando-area Democrat, has filed legislation that would keep Florida on daylight-saving time (DST) all year long.

Ten Best NSFW Album Covers

Remember when people used to buy music? We all convinced ourselves the packaging was actually part of the experience. Especially when someone made an album cover so titillating, stores couldn't even put a record on the shelf without special censors. Well, even in today's digital music age, some cl ... More >>

Miami May Start Using Inmates For Cheap Labor

It's a common scene in prison movies set in the deep South: A line of inmates, chained together and decked out in bright orange jumpsuits, dutifully picking up trash or digging a ditch by the side of a dusty road as a shotgun-toting sheriff watches over them through tinted aviator sunglasses.The cha ... More >>

Miami Beach Elects Florida's First Openly Gay State Legislator, David Richardson

Until last night, Florida was the largest state in the union to have never elected an openly gay candidate to its state legislature. Yes, even Texans elected an openly gay representative all the way back in 1991.That changed last night as voters in Florida 113th House district, which encompasses par ... More >>

FAMU Band's Suspension Extends to Next Academic Year

The famed Florida A&M University's Marching 100 will remain on suspension for the entirety of the 2012-13 school year. The announcement comes just a week after longtime band director Dr. Julian White announced his retirement, and months after the hazing death of member Robert Champion. Eleven b ... More >>

Miami Rapper J. Nics Releases SNAS: The Product

Miami-Dade's Pit Bull Ban is Heading to the Ballot in August

It's official: the decision about whether or not to overturn Miami-Dade County's controversial 23-year-old ban on pit bulls will be decided by voters in August. County commissioners voted 11-1 to last night to put the referendum on the August 14 ballot.

J. Nics on Miami Rap, The Tribute, and The Product: "Southern Niggas Ain't Slow"

J. Nics has the kind of voice that always sounds cool. Gravelly and guttural, it's as forceful and blunt as it is smooth and soothing. Fortunately, the rapper (appropriately nicknamed "Polar Bear Mack") has something to say. The acronymic title of his latest mixtape, SNAS: The Product, stands for " ... More >>

Black Caucus Doesn't Appreciate Florida Senator Going Around Talking About Hanging People with Ropes

​An old Southern folk saying has ignited a new political controversy in Tallahassee. While referencing the fight over redistricting, Republican state Sen. Don Gaetz used the old phrase, "Some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope." Turns out black politicians don't exactly like he ... More >>

Miami-Dade's pit bull ban might finally be killed for good

Miami-Dade's Pit Bull Ban May Finally End With Bills in Florida Senate and House

​When the Miami Marlins splashed $58 million last month to land ace Mark Buehrle, diehard Fish fans weren't the only ones celebrating. Pit bull advocates in the Florida's only county that bans the breed also did cartwheels, because Buehrle -- who owns a pit bull named Slater and lamented publicly ... More >>

Medical marijuana's unlikely Florida hero is 64-year-old Larcenia Bullard

They All Scream

Rep. Erik Fresen, Pro-Gambling Lawmaker, Owes Thousands To The IRS

Rep. Erik FresenOver the past six months, state Rep. Erik Fresen has established himself as the go-to-politician for the gambling industry tycoons who want to bring gargantuan casino resorts to the Magic City. The lawmaker from Coral Gables is the mastermind behind one of two proposed bills that wou ... More >>

No Sex on the Nude Beach

Richard Mason, president of South Florida Free Beaches, has a message for you: No sex on the nude beach!"The 78 year old, who helped start the nude beach at the north end of Haulover Park 20 years ago, called to complain about our recent story that said the facility was a great place to get it on."W ... More >>

Rick Scott Pays Just $360-a-year For His Taxpayer-Subsidized Health Insurance

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average health plan costs an American family $13,770 in premiums a year. Governor Rick Scott pays just $360 to insure himself and his wife thanks to a state Government plan he's enrolled in. Yep. the average American pays 38.25 percent more for their he ... More >>

Do Florida Democrats Have a Hispanic Outreach Problem?

​Democrats in Florida have a huge registered voter advantage over Republicans, but you couldn't tell that by looking at the leadership in Tallahassee and the Republican super majorities in both house of the state legislature. There's a few reasons for that situation (including the Republican-contr ... More >>

Esteban Bovo: The New Natacha Seijas

​Thought the recall election would change things at county hall? Think again. If campaign money is any indication, former state Rep. Esteban Bovo is a shoo-in for the Miami-Dade Commission seat representing northwestern parts of the county vacated by Natacha Seijas. And he is beholden to a lo ... More >>

Most Anticipated January Indie Music Releases

Tennis' debut, Cape Dory, drops on January 18​There were a lot of great albums in 2010, and we caught a lot of great shows too. But what's in store for 2011? Will Katy Goodwin leave the Vivian Girls after La Sera's full-length drops in February? Will Alex Ebert's (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic ... More >>

Florida Legislature Sponsoring Showing of Biased and Inaccurate Education Documentary Waiting for "Superman"

​We wouldn't expect state government debate on health care to include a screening of Michael Moore's Sicko anymore than we would debate on teen pregnancy to include a viewing of MTV's Teen Mom, so why are both houses of the Florida legislature sponsoring a viewing of the biased and inaccurate educ ... More >>

What the Hell is Wrong with the Florida Democratic Party?

​The Florida Democratic Party has nearly 600,000 more registered voters in the state than the Republicans, yet last night they failed miserably in delivering on a single important race. Their Governor candidate lost to a man who ran a company involved in the biggest Medicare fraud case in American ... More >>

Crocodiles Cancel Its November 3 Show at Grand Central and Rest of US Tour

Photo by Alexandra Kacha​Only this morning, Crossfade hyped the upcoming Crocodiles concert at downtown cool kid club Grand Central with a hyperactive blurb about the San Diego band's recent single "Kill Joe Arpaio" and the Arizona sheriff's angry, Twitter-driven counterattack. This evening, thou ... More >>

University of Miami Ranked in Top Ten Schools For Students Looking to Get Laid

via​The University of Miami has a lot of recent rankings to celebrate. They recently overtook UF to become the

Lawmakers Propose Full Casinos on Florida Beaches

​A full service casino resort may someday soon find itself on Miami Beach. Ironic considering the lawmaker baking the new gambling rules, Fort Lauderdale Republican State Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, campaigned on an anti-gambling platform.Bogdanoff, backed by Las Vegas mogul Sheldon Adelson, wants to al ... More >>

Win Over Wake Forest Puts Miami Basketball in the Polls

Despite the fact UM Basketball has only lost one game this season they've lingered in the "also receiving votes" section of the AP's college basketball poll. Most likely because detractors pointed to the team's relatively easy early season schedule. But Saturday's win against ACC rival Wake Forest s ... More >>

Jeb Bush's Future Is So Bright You Have to Wear Shades

So, um, yeah, a movement to draft Jeb Bush to again run for governor in 2010 is actually happening. As many as 34 Floridians support the move, as evidenced by the above photograph -- 22 of whom are actually voting age. But why are almost all the adults wearing dark sunglasses? Is this s ... More >>

Unequal Justice

At federal prisons across the country, guards are preying on inmates. FDC Miami is no different.

Pam the PTO Mom Fed Up With School Cuts, Ron Book

Meet Pamela the PTO Mom. If more media covered state politics with the same passion and obsession as national politics and more people cared, she'd be Florida's anti-Joe the Plumber. Pamela Hennan, a St. Augustine Realtor and dedicated school volunteer drove all night to address the House Finance an ... More >>

State Officials to Put Thousands of Piscine-Americans out of Work

Riptide used to be under the impression that in America, anyone could get a job and work his or her way to the top. And even when the pay was low, employment was noble because even the lowliest jobs kept the engine of America rolling, and the satisfaction of a good day's labor was reward enough. It ... More >>

Last Night: Adult Swim Presents Tim and Eric Live

Ian WitlenTim and Eric backstage at Revolution Sunday night. Click here to view the full slideshow.Adult Swim Presents Tim and Eric LiveRevolution, Ft. LauderdaleSunday, February 8, 2009Better Than: Grammys, ShmammysThe Review: It takes an, um, special sensibility to really get into the Cartoon Netw ... More >>

Get Ready to Care About Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp

Did anyone really care about Lt. Gov Jeff Kottkamp before, say, a few weeks ago? You know, when those rumors surfaced that Charlie Crist might resign to run for Senate, leaving Kottkamp as our 45th governor. All of a sudden, media attention bumped up ever so slightly. The Sun-Sentinel did a little d ... More >>

News Roundup

State Farm, the State's largest private property insurer, will stop insuring property in Florida. [NY Times]This seems to be a major thing, but Gov. Charlie Crist is just saying things like, "I don't really care." [Naked Politics]But, that's ok, he was too busy vetoing budget cuts today. Schools get ... More >>

With Sink's Senate Hopes down the Drain, Gelber Gears Up

Alex Sink's decision not to enter the Senate fray was big news, but not all that shocking. We wrote yesterday it seemed she was much more keen on staying in Tallahassee, possibly running for governor in either 2010 or 2014. What is shocking is that now both sides of the field are more or less wide ... More >>

State Looking to Make Cuts in Medicaid

So the brain trust up in Tallahassee has found itself with a $2 billion hole in the budget (yeah, yeah, financial crisis; more like yeah, yeah overzealous tax cuts), and one of the areas they're looking to make cuts in is Medicaid, which provides healthcare to the state's poorest citizens, according ... More >>

News Roundup

Hairgelz Carvalho will actually be suing the state for $35 million, thank you very much. [CBS4]Rep. David Rivera won the chairmanship of Miami-Dade's Republican party by just one vote. Outgoing chair Mary Ellen Miller moved the vote, leaving state legislators who favored Rivera's opponent, Carlos Cu ... More >>

Fie On You, Castle of Poop and Inconvenience

Stephen Marley

Mind Control (Tuff Gong/Universal)

This Kitty Got the Cream

No Horse Race

The past, present, and future of horse racing are all in South Florida

Florida's Mean Season

Overriding minimum wage guarantees at MIA

FIU, too! All right?

Why Mitch Maidique and Armando Codina hate Amendment 11

Rockin' MAM

Rock & Roll/JAM at MAM

An Uneasy Alliance

The real story behind Alex Penelas's secret dealings with Republicans

Take Me Out to the ... Parking Lot?

Open spaces: check. Sewer runoff: check. Locked gate: check. Yep, this is indeed a Miami park!

How to Succeed in Education Without Really Studying

Superintendent Roger Cuevas and a few dozen of his top administrators received graduate degrees from diploma mills. No wonder Dade's schools are in such great shape.

Odor in the Court

By state law, judges get elected just like politicians -- a system so idiotic it's criminal. Will somebody please reproach the bench?