Set beside the aquamarine waters of Whale Harbor in the Keys is Theater of the Sea, one of Florida’s oldest marine mammal parks. For nearly 70 years it has attracted thousands of visitors with its diverse assortment of animals, many of whom are rescued and bear colorful names, like “Aphrodite,”…
Animal rights activists for years have complained that an orca named Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium has been held in unsafe conditions. Now, an investigation by federal authorities into the safety of the trainers who perform with the killer whale has lead to a big change at the park. A…
The proposals for a new supermall called American Dream Miami have caught international headlines, especially since the mega-project is set to include a roller-coaster, water park and even a ski-slope. The plan has also caught plenty of flak from everyone from politicians to economists. But now a new wave of…
On Monday, history was made in Florida. Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel lifted her stay on Pareto v. Ruvin in the morning, allowing same-sex couples in Miami to marry one day before the rest of Florida. The first same-sex couple to marry in the Sunshine State was Catherina Pareto…
Today, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel has lifted a stay on her decision to invalidate Florida’s prohibition of gay marriage. The decision, in a case called Pareto v. Ruvin, means Miami-Dade County is the first place in the state to have marriage equality. The first marriage will likely take…
Update: Today, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel has lifted a stay on her decision to invalidate Florida’s prohibition of gay marriage, which means Miami-Dade County is the first place in the state to have marriage equality. Friday night, Aaron Huntsman and his partner, William “Lee” Jones, relaxed in their…
Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel has scheduled a hearing for next Monday at which time LGBT rights advocates expect she will clarify whether her stay on Pareto, a local lawsuit challenging Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage, will continue past January 5, the day a federal judge’s stay on…
With the expiration of a federal stay, January 6th is poised to be the day marriage equality makes its debut in the Sunshine State. But there is lingering confusion whether clerks can issue same-sex couples marriage licenses, with one petitioning for clarification this week. An attorney in one of the…
Same-sex marriages are likely to start in the Sunshine State on January 6. That is thanks to an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision today denying the state’s motion to extend U.S. Federal Judge Robert Hinkle’s stay on his summertime ruling that held Florida’s ban on gay marriage to be…
Today, the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami denied a motion by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to freeze the marriage equality cases in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties from advancing through the court system. “The Third District Court denied her the motion to stay briefings, which was seen as…
Two bills to prohibit red-light traffic cameras failed to pass Florida’s legislature this spring. And now Miami-Dade officials have taken the initiative to place an additional 150 cameras at intersections throughout the county. See also: Rick Scott Signs Bill To Make Red-Light Cameras Slightly Less Bogus…
After three weeks of deliberation, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel has ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in the Pareto v. Ruvin lawsuit, ruling that same-sex couples in Florida’s most densely populated county can receive marriage licenses. That order has been stayed, however, pending an appeal by the…
Across Florida, same sex couples are anxiously awaiting rulings on three lawsuits challenging the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. But couples are already planning out where to gather when the rulings finally land, which could happen any day. “Melanie and I have been on pins and needles all week hoping…
On Wednesday afternoon, Miami Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah Zabel presided over a hearing regarding an issue that has torn many Floridians apart– whether lesbian and gay couples should be allowed to marry. In 2008, 62 percent of Florida voters amended the state’s constitution to only recognize marriages between a…
