In a blatant attempt at a Friday-afternoon news dump, Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle quietly announced in March that no one would be punished for the death of Darren Rainey. Rundle couldn't keep the decision on the down-low, though. Condemnation soon exploded over the decision not to charge prison guards who'd locked Rainey, a schizophrenic man serving time for cocaine possession, in a steaming shower until he died on the floor, skin peeling off his body. But Rainey's grotesque death would never have been public knowledge without the work of Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown. In 2014, her front-page story about Rainey's agonizing last moments appalled readers, creating enough pressure that Rundle had to open an investigation. When Rundle's office inexplicably decided this past March not to press charges, Brown didn't back down. She followed up by obtaining thousands of pages of records, including, most striking, photos that showed the skin coming off Rainey's body. It was exactly the kind of hard-hitting reporting for which Brown is known. In more than a decade at the Herald, she has established a track record of exposing injustice, including suspicious prison deaths such as Rainey's and the now-infamous harassment of store clerk Earl Sampson, who was arrested by Miami Gardens cops at his workplace 258 times in four years. Brown's important work is journalism at its best, holding public officials accountable and giving a voice to the voiceless.

The world's cinephiles got a welcome reunion with their favorite Scottish ne'er-do-wells this year thanks to T2:Trainspotting, the long-awaited sequel to the iconic film about drugged-out Glaswegians. The film was also a wonderful reminder, though, that the man who created these colorful characters has made a winter home in South Beach for more than a decade. Though Irvine Welsh has stated in interviews that he's been loath to make the 305 his full-time residence — what with all the warm weather and cultural goings-on constantly distracting him from writing — Miami has been the place where he's recharged his batteries and done countless hours of people-watching as inspiration for his latest works chronicling fascinating mischief-makers. In recent years, Welsh has cranked out a novel a year, including 2014's The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins, 2015's A Decent Ride, and 2016's The Blade Artist. So all of that Dade County humidity must be doing something right for his creative juices.

The age of rogue bloggers making huge waves in the music and fashion worlds has, sadly, passed. But some independent Florida bloggers still have the social media heft to move the needle. And in the 305, one group of writers is changing the music scene while doing everything in its power to give Miami artists a voice online and in the streets. Meet Citrus Rap. Since its inception in 2015, the team of nearly a dozen writers has been repping tunes from top-charting natives and helping new artists make names for themselves. Citrus Rap has bolstered the rise of hometown icons such as Kodak Black, Pouya, Robb Banks, and Denzel Curry by spreading their talents to the blog's 27,500 combined followers on Twitter and Instagram. The well-crafted content ranges from interviews with Miami rappers and trending MCs like Post Malone to branded series such as Florida's Natural and The Juice. Though its specialty is music, Citrus Rap also boosts local fashion designers and their unique brands. Once festival season rolls around, Citrus Rap teams up with Rolling Loud and promotes local shows with headlining artists like Lil Pump, Wifisfuneral, Smokepurpp, XXXTentacion, and Ski Mask the Slump God. Miami is lucky to have such a thriving constellation of talent in our backyard — and we're equally lucky Citrus Rap is here to point us toward the next stars in the making.

Ask any Dade resident and they'll rattle off five problems with their hometown in a matter of seconds, but photographer Oasis Jae isn't here to focus on the negative. His timeline is filled with snapshots taken around Miami from unique angles that even longtime locals have never seen. Jae highlights the carrot-orange hue splattered among the clouds as the sun rises over the ocean in Miami Beach, and makes Metrorail look mighty as he catches a train car speeding through downtown. The gifted photographer can transform a flight of stairs inside Vizcaya Museum & Gardens into a work of art. His nearly 54,000 Instagram followers have taken notice. As a professional photographer for the University of Miami Hurricanes, Jae spends his days snapping sharp team photos on and off the field. But his Instagram page reflects his true passion for capturing the best of life in the 305. In his nighttime shots, a midnight-black sky is a striking backdrop for the crimson-red light beaming from the Freedom Tower. Oasis Jae can teach Miamians a thing or two about the true beauty of their metropolis.

Ana Navarro is a Republican strategist with a standing invitation on CNN, but it's her Twitter feed — in all of its Trump-bashing, MAGA-dismantling glory — that has rocketed the Miami resident to new levels of political fame. The Nicaraguan-American grew up idolizing Ronald Reagan and worked for Jeb Bush and John McCain. But horrified by the rise of the Donald, she became an early queen of the #NeverTrump handle. Now she spends hours every day striking out at the party hypocrites still backing the Cheeto Jesus, and she never pulls punches. When Newt Gingrich recently parroted Sean Hannity's insane conspiracy theories about a murdered Democratic National Committee staffer, she whacked him over the head with his wife's new gig as ambassador to the Holy See: "Good thing he'll have access to Vatican. Can squeeze in a confession & plea for absolution," she tweeted. When news leaked that Trump had called fired FBI head James Comey a "nut job" to the Russians, she tweeted, "Folks, Trump's best defense is dementia." And as the Donald's tweets have gotten ever more insane, she pulled from her Miami street cred to invent a new hashtag for the disaster-in-chief: #PresidentLoco. Got 'em!

Readers' choice: Billy Corben (@BillyCorben)

Parties: Fun. Finding party venues in Miami: Excruciating. Unless you want to get ripped off, you'll spend hours scouring reviews, mapping GPS sites, and making phone calls to check availability in this mecca of fiestas. Luckily, Villa Woodbine in Coconut Grove is a sure thing. Whether you're organizing a wedding, bar mitzvah, birthday party, or especially classy liquor-soaked soiree, Villa Woodbine provides a setting straight out of a high-budget rom-com — with a dash of Miami history worth the price (which varies depending upon how many guests you'll expect, though there's always a $3,000 deposit). Built in the 1930s as a winter retreat for a Wisconsin paper baron, the Mediterranean Renaissance building was designed by renowned architect Walter De Garmo, who peppered it with touches from Cuba such as handcrafted tiles shipped from the island. These days, the setting is bolstered by amazing catering and a pleasant staff. Woodbine isn't some warehouse for a rave; it's a place you'll make the kind of memories you want to hang onto for a lifetime.

Art Basel and Miami Art Week, at heart, are a rich person's playground, full of white tents housing bajillion-dollar works of art that you need a PhD to really appreciate. But then Superfine! hit the scene. The organizers of the 2-year-old fair devised a business model that reduces costs for exhibitors, allowing a broader and more diverse group of artists to participate. Visitors strolling through Superfine! in midtown Miami last year got to see local artists Jen Clay and Christin Paige Minnotte, among many others, selling pieces at prices far more affordable than those at nearby Art Miami and Scope. And Superfine! pulled it all off without dropping any of the flashy extras of your traditional white tent. An immersive, helium-based sculpture installation by Asser Saint-Val greeted visitors, while Miami collective Nice n' Easy created a psychedelic picnic party and seating lounge for guests. With all the perks of Art Basel but without the excruciating costs, Superfine! is a safe space for your wallet during Miami Art Week.

Thursday is so close yet still so far away from the weekend. So a Thursday-evening drink requires the Goldilocks standard of imbibing: enough booze to properly pregame for the weekend, but not so much that you're hung over for what is already the longest workday of the week. PAMM Third Thursdays, hosted by Poplife, are the perfect early transition to that weekend mood. The parties offer a chance to schmooze with other art lovers in a relaxed environment, all while overlooking some of the best views of the Magic City at dusk. Happy-hour drink specials are available from 5 to 7 p.m., and Poplife books world-class DJs such as Arthur Baker to spin on the shores of Biscayne Bay. Each monthly event also spotlights some of Miami's best musical talent, including acts like the Tremends, Native Youth, Psychic Mirrors, and Modernage. Admission is free for PAMM members and $16 for nonmembers.

Thanks to projects like Borsht Film Festival and its most famous offspring, Moonlight, a new, young indie film scene has evolved into a driving cultural force in the Magic City. But Miami Beach Cinematheque, the city's original alternative movie theater, precedes them all. The Miami Beach Film Society screened its first film, Sunset Boulevard, in 1993, a full decade before anyone would've described Miami as having a true film culture. Its members launched the permanent cinematheque ten years later, luring Miami film lovers to a cozy screening room on Española Way. And since MBC moved to a larger and more historic building in the heart of SoBe on Washington Avenue in 2011, the venue has remained as relevant as ever. Foreign films and domestic indies alike make their Miami premieres here every month. And director Dana Keith expands the filmgoing experience far beyond the screen by scheduling lectures and panel discussions with local film experts, bringing filmmakers and stars to make appearances at the theater, and hosting screenings and events for just about every film festival in town. There have never been more options for moviegoers in Miami, but with its combination of thoughtful programming, exciting events, and community support, Miami Beach Cinematheque remains at the top of indie fans' lists.

Readers' choice: O Cinema

When it comes to making Miami a Hollywood star, it's hard to match the staying power of an '80s TV show about an undercover narcotics detective who drove a Ferrari and lived on a sailboat with a pet alligator. Miami Vice framed the Magic City in vibrant pastel colors and B-roll footage of the city's skyline, Ocean Drive, and Biscayne Bay against the gritty fictionalized account of the heady Cocaine Cowboys era. But give HBO hit Ballers credit for taking that formula and running straight down the sideline with it. The dark comedy starring Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson about the crazy world of professional football channels Miami Vice in just about every episode. But instead of drug dealers and narcs, the main characters are football players and sports agents. Ballers is chock full of Miami clichés and stereotypes, but — just like Vice — pulls it off in a campy, gloriously over-the-top production that makes locals appreciate the glitzy façade that often lulls unsuspecting out-of-towners into a sense of security. For instance, Ballers has a lot of cocaine, exotic cars, beautiful people, and public sex romps. But the show also dives headfirst into the city's very real appetite for hucksters and bamboozlers looking to come up by any means necessary, including resorting to blackmail and double-cross deals. Unfortunately, Florida legislators have called an interference play that has led to Ballers' departure from our sunny place for shady people. After the state refused to renew film incentives, the show's brass decided to pack up for La-La Land. Though Ballers will still claim Miami, its future seasons won't ever quite capture the Magic City's Zeitgeist the same way.