News

Showing 6381 - 6402 of 32016

After Irma Outages, Miami-Dade Commissioner Wants FPL to Bury Power Lines

By Jerry Iannelli

Miami is known for getting slammed by hurricanes, which tend to blow down power lines. So after Irma knocked out electricity for roughly 90 percent of Florida Power & Light’s customers in September, many residents asked why most of FPL’s lines are still above ground. The company is now reportedly “considering” burying more of its lines, but one Miami-Dade County commissioner thinks there’s a faster route to harden Florida against storms. She wants the state to force FPL to put lines underground.

After Mocking Rubio, Trump Sips Water Like Weird Baby Person on TV

By Jerry Iannelli

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will probably never be president because he once drank water like a doofus on national television four years ago. The moment, which came during a State of the Union rebuttal, was dissected with Zapruder-film-like intensity, Poland Spring got in on the action, and Rubio cemented his status as a frightened, sweaty weirdo who lost his cool over eight ounces of spring water.

Leader of La Corporación, Miami’s Infamous Cuban Mafia, Released From Federal Prison

By David Minsky

For decades, José Miguel Battle Sr. ran La Corporación, a ruthless organized-crime syndicate also known as the Cuban Mafia. It made more than a billion dollars on gambling rings and used arson, beatings, and assassins to deal with its enemies. His son, José Miguel Battle Jr., rose through the ranks to help run the criminal enterprise as the family became one of the richest in Miami.

Miami Federal Prison Guard Gets Eight Months in Jail for Raping Inmate

By Jerry Iannelli

Prison inmates — especially those awaiting trial — cannot legally consent to sex with guards, supervisors, or anyone else who holds that much power over their lives in government custody. That should be common sense, and it’s why the federal government defines sex between prison guards and inmates as rape. For that same reason, a prison guard at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Miami was sentenced Tuesday to eight months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to raping a woman under his care.

Huge Brawl at University of Miami-Notre Dame Game Caught on Film

By Jerry Iannelli

Perhaps don’t name your football team after a drunk ethnic stereotype hell-bent on violence. Notre Dame’s staggeringly drunk leprechaun mascot doesn’t seem to encourage great behavior. After the University of Miami Hurricanes laid a 41-8 beatdown on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, two drunk-looking Irish fans decided to…

FIU College Republican Leader Quits Over “Disgusting Hate” in Group Texts

By Joel Franco

At Florida International University, the fallout over a leaked group chat from the school’s College Republicans is still spreading. After New Times first reported Friday about the chats — which show the young GOP students joking about deporting classmates and making light of the attack by a white supremacist in Charlottesville — the school announced it was investigating the group.

Miami Blows $75,000 Defending Cops Who Stalked State Trooper

By Jerry Iannelli

Florida’s law enforcement community is staffed by far too many adult children. Just ask State Trooper Donna Jane Watts. In October 2011, Watts stopped a City of Miami cop traveling 120 mph on the highway and arrested him; in retaliation, 88 police officers used the confidential police driver database to stalk her.

Florida Farmworkers Say Publix Won’t Protect Workers From Sexual Violence

By Jerry Iannelli

Rape and sexual violence are a near certainty for poor, migrant women working in Florida fields. Workplace rape is frighteningly common — a New Times investigation in 2015 chronicled a horrifying case of mass rape at one Florida farm. Other studies have suggested 80 percent of female farmworkers experience sexual harassment or violence during their careers handling food and produce.

Chats Show FIU College Republicans Joking About Charlottesville, Deporting Classmates

By Joel Franco

Thursday morning, dozens of Florida International University students walked out of class in protest. They urged the government to protect young immigrants who might be kicked out of the United States by the Trump administration. While they were demonstrating, their classmates in the FIU College Republicans were cracking jokes about trying to get the students deported. The exchange happened in a private group chat provided to New Times.

Former Miami-Dade Baseball Coach Among 500 MLB Vets Blocked From Pension

By Jessica Lipscomb

On September 2, 1963, 18-year-old Stephen Hertz made a decision that changed his life forever when he signed as a third baseman with the Houston Colt 45s (now the World Series-winning Houston Astros). Fresh out of school at Miami Senior High, Hertz couldn’t help but feel starry-eyed as he walked onto the field for Opening Day against the Cincinnati Reds in the spring of ’64.

Former Standard and Raleigh Hotel Owner André Balazs Accused of Groping Women

By Jerry Iannelli

From 2002 until 2009, celebrity hotelier and jet-setter André Balazs owned Miami Beach’s historic Raleigh Hotel on Collins Avenue. And until this past March, he ran the world-renowned Standard Hotels brand, which included South Beach’s Standard Hotel, one of the best-known vacation properties in South Florida. Balazs is a regular on the Miami party circuit, popping up at celebrity get-togethers all over town and hosting events during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Fort Lauderdale Police Catch Serial Killer Who Wrote Message In Blood

By Tim Elfrink

John Jackson, a 50-year-old fast-food employee from Fort Lauderdale, was working on a broken-down car at a convenience store around 1 a.m. October 21 when a tall, lanky man in a white tank top approached. The two talked for a few minutes until the man suddenly pulled out a gun, shot Jackson once in the head, and calmly jogged away.

Five Signs the U Is Back

By Ryan Yousefi

It’s time to call it: The U is back. For real this time. No hyperbole. No bullshit. Facts only. After the Hurricanes’ 28-10 undressing of the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday night, the rest of the nation is finally in on the open secret that South Florida has known all season: The Hurricanes are true contenders, regardless of whether the talking heads respect the teams that UM has beaten.