News

How 1993 Hunger Strikes Prepare Florida For A Possible Haitian Exodus Today

Tim Padgett — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The rise in the number of Haitians being detained at sea, at airports and at border crossings this year has the international community scratching as well as turning its head. More than 70 picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard in the waters off Puerto Rico; 33 by authorities off Jamaica; almost 3,500 in or off the Dominican Republic; 65 as far away as Peru.

How Mexico's Tech Startups Are Overcoming Barriers To Growth

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:09:10 +0000

In the past decade, Mexico's tech industry has flourished, growing three times faster than the global average. Most of that growth has been fueled by demand from the United States. But as Mexico's startups strive to make it in foreign markets, they say they need more engineers and ways to finance their growth.

Softtek, Mexico's biggest technology services company, spans four continents and provides software support to a client base that includes Fortune 500 companies.

Venezuelan Joggers Find Safety In Numbers

Juan Forero — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:09:04 +0000

It's dusk on a recent day in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and for many, that's a signal to get inside. Crime and violence have become so widespread here, many people simply shut themselves in.

"Your house becomes your own prison," says Arturo Hidalgo. After about 8 or 9 at night, he says, "you better be home because otherwise you can get in trouble."

Hidalgo would know: He's been robbed before. The result, he says, is a deep-seated fear. For an avid runner, that's a problem.

But Hidalgo is fighting back, with 300 like-minded joggers.

Why Swimming The Florida Strait Has Become A Metaphor For U.S. Relations With Cuba

Tim Padgett — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

The strait doesn’t wanna be swum.

Last week, for the fifth time in two years, a swimmer’s attempt to become the first human to cross the Florida Strait between Havana and Key West without a shark cage was thwarted.

How I-95 Shattered The World Of Miami's Early Overtown Residents

Nadege Green — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When Naomi Rolle talks about her childhood home in Overtown, tears fall from her eyes.

Ready For Hurricane Season In South Florida? There's A Store For That

Karen Burkett — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:59:59 +0000

Whether or not a hurricane hits South Florida, residents pay a price. Insurance is the biggie for most people.

On the flipside, however, there are companies here that exist and even thrive specifically because of hurricane season.

Steve Sherman is CEO of the Hurricane Store, an online business based in Davie that sells emergency supplies and kits. He loves his product.

Reaction: The Huffington Post Celebrates Che Guevara's Birthday

Daniel Rivero — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:28:56 +0000

Quoting the revolutionary icon might not be such big deal in some media markets, but in South Florida it is a different story. Here, he is remembered mostly as a murderer and oppressor of political dissent in Cuba's Revolution.

Timeline: Shuckers Deck Collapses Into Biscayne Bay During NBA Finals

Daniel Rivero — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:45:10 +0000

The deck at iconic bayside bar Shuckers Bar & Grill in North Bay Village collapsed into Biscayne Bay around 9:45 p.m. Thursday night, as dozens of Miami Heat fans cheered on their team for Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Sunshine Economy Part Six: Hurricanes

Tom Hudson — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:30:00 +0000

L'Hermitage One Condominiums on Ocean Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale is in an enviable location right on the beach. But when a hurricane is brewing, it's on the front lines of the storm.

On Monday's Sunshine Economy, come along as we talk with the building's manager, engineer and residents about their investment in storm preparedness.

In South Florida, we live with the risk of a big storm for six months of the year... every year. Like no place else in the U.S., we know the devastation a hurricane can bring. And the expense to protect ourselves.

Carnival Cruise Ship Triumph Relaunches With Infamous Name Still Attached

Kenny Malone — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:15:50 +0000

Thursday was a big day for one of the largest publicly traded companies in South Florida.

Miami-based Carnival Corporation sent back to sea one of its more storied vessels: The Carnival Triumph.

In February an engine fire knocked out the Triumph’s power. No one was injured, but passengers complained of food shortages and a lack of working toilets.

Miami-Dade Knows Riots Too Well; Plans For Zimmerman Verdict

Rick Stone — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Miami-Dade County's Community Relations Board -- peacekeeper for the last half-century among the region's raucously contentious cultures and between the people and the police -- is getting ready for the aftermath of the George Zimmerman trial in Sanford.

The Not So Quiet Rebellion Against Florida's State Bird

Arianna Prothero — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Birding blogger Nicolas Lund recently argued in an article for Slate magazine that Florida should change its state bird to the Flamingo.

What You Need To Know About Changes Coming From Apple

Elise Hu — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:35:34 +0000

If you opt for the upgrade, changes are coming to your iPhone experience this fall. And if you want to shell out some cash right away, the latest line of MacBook Air computers boasts a lot more power and battery life, and the machines are available to ship today.

Apple chiefs announced their latest products and improvements Monday as part of the keynote at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

We kept an eye on the two-hour presentation so you didn't have to.

Here's A Brief Timeline Of The Trayvon Martin Case

Catherine Byerly — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:12:57 +0000

Jury selection begins this week in the trial of George Zimmerman, charged with shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

A Tour Of FAU's Technology Incubator In Boca Raton

Karen Burkett — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 19:09:50 +0000

In the world of technology, the idea is critical. But how to turn it into application and how to monetize it are how start-ups live and die.

The Sunshine Economy Part Five: Technology

Tom Hudson — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:10:36 +0000

South Florida may be known for its sun and sand, but software? There is a burgeoning effort to grow, encourage and attract the technology industry to South Florida.

Trayvon Martin's Uncle Says Media Should Have Challenged Pretrial Misinformation

Rick Stone — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Ever since a car crash that left him a quadriplegic 12 years ago, 50-year-old Ronald Fulton has been making the best of bad situations.

His experience as a patient led him to found a healthcare advocacy organization called You Are Knot Alone. Life in a wheelchair turned him into a campaigner for disability rights who also advises Miami-Dade County commissioners. But for one thing in his life, there is no upside: the loss of his nephew, Trayvon Martin.

Today's Florida Roundup: Immigration Policy, Absentee Ballot Scandal And The Heat In The Finals

Marva Hinton — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:59:15 +0000

On today's edition of The Florida Roundup...

Immigration:

Immigration reform is stalled in Congress.

Is Marco Rubio backing away from own bill?

When will there be resolution?

Has the issue been a net loser for the freshman senator, and when will there will a resolution in Washington?

Miami-Dade Taps Faith-Based Groups For A Bigger, Better Social Safety Net

Rick Stone — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:58:16 +0000

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is reaching out to religious groups to forge a social safety net that would be bigger and better than public or private sectors could achieve on their own.

Plans for the Engage305 project were announced Wednesday at a conference at Miami Dade College.

The main infrastructure of Engage305, according to Gimenez aide Lisa Martinez, will be a soon-to-launch county website where religious groups can create an on-line, faith-based network to deal cooperatively with social issues.

After Sandy, Crews Wrap Up Work On Fort Lauderdale's Stretch Of A1A

Christine DiMattei — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:24:06 +0000

The folks who live along a small stretch of Fort Lauderdale Beach just north of Sunrise Boulevard know the drill.

Actually, they spent the first part of 2013 hearing little else.

Nearly every day since early January, work crews have been out between Northeast 14th Court and Northeast 18th Street installing a new sea wall. The first phase involved a huge rig drilling 40 feet down to make way for 500 pieces of sheet metal pilings.

County Sees Ripple Effect From New Fort Lauderdale Streetcar

Daniel Hicks — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:02:02 +0000

More than four years ago, when Congress passed the Obama stimulus, nobody in Fort Lauderdale would have imagined that a ripple effect from the legislation might become a "Wave" for Broward County commuters and businesses.

"This is the beginning," said Diana Alarcon, director of the city's transportation and mobility department, smiling as she described the new Wave streetcar project for downtown Fort Lauderdale during a recent public workshop in Oakland Park.

Reporter Heads Back To Gitmo, Where Only Prisoners Outlast Her Tenure

Al Tompkins — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg has been covering the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba for twelve years.

“The only people who have been at Gitmo longer than me are the prisoners,” she said in a recent phone interview.

Rio Goes High-Tech With An Eye Toward Olympics, World Cup

Lourdes Garcia-Navarro — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:44:19 +0000

We are standing in front of a huge bank of screens, in the middle of which is a glowing map that changes focus depending on what the dozens of controllers are looking at.

The room looks like something straight out of a NASA shuttle launch. The men and women manning the floor are dressed in identical white jumpsuits.

The Delicate Art And Science Of Naming Hurricanes

Christine DiMattei — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:34:53 +0000

With all the unknowns attached to the 2013 hurricane season, there’s at least one thing that’s down in black and white: the 21 names chosen for this year’s tropical storms.

The first name up: “Andrea.”

Gulp.

Strike the last letter, add a “w” and you’ve got the name of the 1992 hurricane that killed 65 people and caused an estimated $26 billion worth of damage.

Miami Herald Opens New Doral Headquarters, Cow Fields And Loft-Style Decor Included

Eric Barton — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:19:00 +0000

Before the Miami Herald, WLRN's news partner, moved to Doral on May 20, there was a lot said about how the paper gave up an icon, a building on the bay in the heart of downtown.

But there’s an upside. The 150,000-square-foot building is sharp and modern, and, when it’s finished, it will be an impressive display of old media might.

Why Broward Is A Better Porn Market Than Miami Beach

Rick Stone — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 17:46:42 +0000

Exxxotica should be a familiar word to any South Floridian who regularly reads a "What to Do This Weekend" column.

It's a big sex-and-pornography convention that's been bringing fans annually to the Miami Beach Convention Center for the last seven years. But after a souring relationship with Miami Beach -- and a conclusion that Fort Lauderdale offers a much richer vein of porn consumers -- Exxxotica has moved to the Broward Convention Center where its inaugural weekend is underway.

The 2013 Hurricane Season Has Arrived: Here's How To Prepare Without Wiping Out Your Pocket Book

Mike Vidal — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:25:00 +0000

I learned a few things after Andrew. I did not have my supplies prepared and had to go through the hassle of getting some of the items needed for survival. So with hurricane season officially beginning today, the idea with the list below is that you can stock up during the early part of the season for all these items, and you'll be good to go when it hits.

Many of us who live in the tropics do not seem to bother to get ready for the season until a storm start to approach, and then watch out. The idea here is to get yourself ready without breaking the bank.

This Week's Florida Roundup: Hurricanes, Texting And Driving, And Education Policy

Marva Hinton — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Check Out The Emerging Arts Scene In Boynton Beach

Christine DiMattei — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:27:13 +0000

If you’re looking for Boynton Beach’s arts district, you won’t find it near any trendy restaurants or high-end boutiques. Actually, the closest business is an auto shop and the nearest place to grab a bite to eat is a gas station on the corner.

But if no one took this artists’ enclave seriously 18 months ago . . .

“ . . . they do now!” exclaims Rolando Chang Barrero.

WWII Ship Threatens Marine Sanctuary Off Key West

Arianna Prothero — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:21:38 +0000

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has identified a sunken ship off the coast of Key West as one of several nationwide that could pose a serious environmental problem.

The Joseph M. Cudahy sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II after it was torpedoed by a German U-Boat.