Tag Archives: Miami

The Miami News Times reports: City of Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla was arrested Thursday afternoon on counts of money laundering, bribery, and criminal conspiracy in an alleged scheme to conceal political contributions. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) claims that among other misconduct, Díaz de la Portilla accepted bribes from William W. Riley Jr., a lobbyist …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: Following a prolonged debate, the Miami-Dade County Public School Board has voted against officially recognizing October as LGBTQ History Month within the district. The contentious decision, passed by a 5-3 vote, comes in the wake of the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law that was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last year. The debate over Initiative …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: Declaring an LGBTQ history month used to be routine at the Miami-Dade County School Board. Not anymore. “We have to uphold state law, and it’s very clear what that law is,” said board member Monica Colucci [photo] at Wednesday night’s committee meeting. “Matters of gender identity and sexual orientation are family issues and are parental rights, …

The Miami Herald reports: After laying low for a week, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said on Tuesday that he has suspended his presidential campaign. Suarez, an attorney and private equity executive, announced his decision on social media. Suarez, who was the only Hispanic candidate seeking the GOP nomination, launched his campaign on June 14 after teasing a run for months. …

The Associated Press reports: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Friday that he has qualified for next week’s Republican presidential debate, becoming the ninth White House hopeful to meet the fundraising and polling thresholds required to participate in the opening face-off of the 2024 campaign. Suarez, 45 and the only Hispanic in the field, will be perhaps the least-known Republican on …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: A group of “teachers, students, community members and Teamsters” marched to the Miami-Dade school board headquarters Wednesday in protest of Florida’s controversial Black history standards. The protest is being organized by the Miami Center for Racial Justice. At issue in particular is a state curriculum standard to teach middle school students “how slaves developed skills which, …

The Florida Phoenix reports: A campaign finance watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that unknown persons used an “obscure entity” to funnel half-a-million dollars to a super PAC supporting the presidential campaign of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. PassionForest, LLC was described in the complaint as “an obscure, eleven-month-old company whose only known activity …

Politico reports: The Republican presidential primary sweepstakes continue. In the dash to amass enough donors to make it onto the August debate stage, another GOP presidential candidate, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, is offering gift cards in exchange for donations. Anyone who donates $1 to Suarez’s campaign will receive a $20 gift card. The Miami mayor previously offered supporters a chance …

Axios reports: Hot, dangerous conditions that parts of the West, Texas and Florida have endured for weeks will expand across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. this week — starting in the north-central states and Plains, the National Weather Service warns. Nearly 78 million people were under heat alerts in the U.S. Monday morning, as health officials report a spike …

Axios reports: The weeks-long heat wave affecting a vast swath of the U.S. has been particularly noteworthy in one city that was not the subject of many extreme weather headlines this past week: Miami. The city is typically hot in June and July, but this spring and summer has been a different level of South Florida heat. According to meteorologist …

Florida Politics reports: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez may be lagging in early polls of the 2024 presidential race, but the Republican candidate says his fundraising is strong enough to meet the qualifications for the upcoming GOP debates. Candidate must have more than 40,000 donors, as well as having at least 200 donors in at least 20 states. Suarez says he …

The Messenger reports: Walt Nauta, Donald Trump’s personal assistant who was indicted with the former president in the federal classified documents case, finally hired a South Florida criminal defense attorney to represent him Thursday as he prepares to plead not guilty at his arraignment in Miami. Sasha Dadan, a 34-year-old Republican all-purpose criminal defense attorney who ran in 2018 for …

The Miami Herald reports: In his first term as mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez increased his personal net worth five-fold as he used his public office to court technology and real estate companies eyeing business opportunities in the Magic City. Financial disclosures filed annually with the city and state show Suarez’s net worth increased from $245,015 to $1,338,551 between mid-2017 …

The New York Times reports: As President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has pursued enemies abroad, his intelligence operatives now appear prepared to cross a line that they previously avoided: trying to kill a valuable informant for the U.S. government on American soil. The clandestine operation, seeking to eliminate a C.I.A. informant in Miami who had been a high-ranking Russian …

Florida Politics reports: A super PAC supporting Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s imminent run at the White House is running a new, multistate ad positioning him as a “tough-on-crime” alternative to President Joe Biden. The two-minute video will run in New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada, according to a press note from SOS America PAC, which will spend “six figures” on ad …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez filed paperwork Wednesday to launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, jumping into the crowded race just a day after GOP front-runner Donald Trump appeared in court on federal charges in Suarez’s city. The 45-year-old mayor, the only Hispanic candidate in the race, declared his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. …

Mediaite reports: After pleading not guilty on Tuesday to the 37 criminal federal charges he faces, Trump stopped at the Versailles cafe in Miami, where his supporters showered him with adoration as he held an impromptu event for himself. Reporters followed Trump to the gathering, including Sky News’ Sophie Alexander, who asked: “President Trump, are you ready to go to …

The Washington Post reports: Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges he broke the law by keeping and hiding top secret documents in his Florida home — the first hearing in a historic court case that could alter the country’s political and legal landscape. “We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said …

CNN reports: Former President Donald Trump has been arrested at the federal courthouse in Miami and will soon be arraigned on charges related to mishandling classified documents. Deputy marshals have booked the former president and take electronic copies of his fingerprints during Tuesday’s proceedings. They were not expected to take a mugshot of Trump, given his recognizability. Trump’s aide and …

The Daily Beast reports: As Donald Trump prepares for his arraignment on Tuesday, his advisers are quietly expressing some concern that the pro-Trump protesters already assembling in front of the courthouse aren’t helping the former president’s case. Those closest to the ex-president pointed to a rally organized by the Trump-adoring activist Laura Loomer—and promoted by longtime Trump ally Roger Stone—as …