Key Biscayne Independent

Military base shootings have ranged from isolated incidents to workplace violence and terrorism ATLANTA — The shooting of five U.S. Army soldiers at  Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday is the latest in a growing list of violent incidents at American military installations over the years. Shootings have ranged from isolated incidents between service members to attacks on bases to mass-casualty events, such as the shooting by an Army psychiatrist at Texas's Ford Hood in 2009 that left 13 people dead.

Military base shootings have ranged from isolated incidents to workplace violence and terrorism

ATLANTA — The shooting of five U.S. Army soldiers at  Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday is the latest in a growing list of violent incidents at American military installations over the years.…

“We’re going to end up shooting some of them.” ICE bonus plan scuttled as Florida video goes viral

It appears the plan to pay bonuses to incentivize law enforcement to ramp up arrests of illegal immigrants hit a practical -- and social media -- wall. Immigration and Customs Enforcement briefly…

He’s known as the ‘Haitian Dave Chappelle’ and part of the global rise of Haitian comedy

Haitians will find humor anywhere — at funerals, after an earthquake, during a divorce, you name it. That’s how the culture captures reality, says SeJoe, the first Haitian-American comedian to ever release…

With Levine-Cava floated as Congressional challenger, DeSantis’ DOGE attacks The same day news of a poll came out showing Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava could -- if she ran -- very well unseat MAGA darling U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis targeted the Democrat with his new DOGE unit. Florida Department of Government Efficiency -- patterned after President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's federal one -- sent a letter personally to Levine Cava on Monday that it was asking Miami-Dade County for additional documents due to "excessive spending at the local level."

With Levine-Cava floated as Congressional challenger, DeSantis’ DOGE attacks

The same day news of a poll came out showing Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava could -- if she ran -- very well unseat MAGA darling U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis targeted the Democrat…

Judge orders officials to produce ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ agreements ORLANDO — Federal and state officials in Florida must produce agreements showing which government agency or private contractor has legal authority to detain people or perform immigration officer roles at "Alligator Alcatraz," the immigration detention facility in the Everglades, a federal judge said Monday. Officials must provide by Thursday all written agreements and contracts showing who has legal custody of the hundreds of detainees at the facility that was hastily constructed more than a month ago on an isolated airstrip in South Florida's Everglades wilderness, said U.S.

Judge orders officials to produce ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ agreements

ORLANDO — Federal and state officials in Florida must produce agreements showing which government agency or private contractor has legal authority to detain people or perform immigration officer roles at "Alligator Alcatraz," the…

Key Biscayne residents pay more, get less with public EV charging on the island Federal tax credits for EVs will expire next month, and national sales data is showing customers are rushing to scoop up the $7,500 incentive before it disappears. And while that might mean more EV’s on Key Biscayne streets, new owners might be surprised to learn the island’s public chargers are among the most expensive in Florida.  Republicans in Washington and Tallahassee have waffled on the adoption of EVs, but Floridians can’t get enough of them.

Key Biscayne residents pay more, get less with public EV charging on the island

Federal tax credits for EVs will expire next month, and national sales data is showing customers are rushing to scoop up the $7,500 incentive before it disappears. And while that might mean more EV’s on Key Biscayne…

Messi has a ‘minor’ muscle injury, Inter Miami says timeline for return is unknown FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is dealing with a minor muscle injury in his right leg after being hurt in the opening minutes of Saturday's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, the club said Sunday. Messi underwent tests on his right leg after experiencing discomfort following a play in which he fell while being challenged by a pair of Necaxa defenders, …

Messi has a ‘minor’ muscle injury, Inter Miami says timeline for return is unknown

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is dealing with a minor muscle injury in his right leg after being hurt in the opening minutes of Saturday's Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, the club said…

Marlins beat Yankees 7-3: First sweep of NY in club history Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins completed the first sweep of the New York Yankees in franchise history a 7-3 victory on Sunday. The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for the first time since April 15. They became the first major league team to go from 16 or more games under .500 to a .500 record since the Rays in 2014.

Marlins beat Yankees 7-3: First sweep of NY in club history

Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins completed the first sweep of the New York Yankees in franchise history a 7-3 victory on Sunday. The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for…

Dignity? Don’t buy Salazar’s branding Isn’t it a little adorable when members of Congress dress up immigration bills like they’re offering you a free spa day instead of a seven-year parole sentence with no chance of freedom? Actually, no. It’s sickening. OPINION Under fire for having absolutely no spine when it comes to Donald Trump‘s mass deportation fiesta in the U.S., Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar — a former TV host moonlighting as a lawmaker — is touting the “Dignity Act of 2025” like she’s Mother Theresa of the Migrants.

Dignity? Don’t buy Salazar’s branding

Isn’t it a little adorable when members of Congress dress up immigration bills like they’re offering you a free spa day instead of a seven-year parole sentence with no chance of freedom? Actually, no. It’s sickening. OPINION Under fire for having absolutely no…

Miami jury orders Tesla to pay more than $200 million in Autopilot crash case MIAMI -- A Miami jury decided that Elon Musk’s car company Tesla was partly responsible for a deadly crash in Florida involving its Autopilot driver assist technology and must pay the victims more than $200 million in punitive damages. The federal jury held that Tesla bore significant responsibility because its technology failed and that not all the blame can be put on a reckless driver, even one who admitted he was distracted by his cell phone before hitting a young couple out gazing at the stars.

Miami jury orders Tesla to pay more than $200 million in Autopilot crash case

MIAMI -- A Miami jury decided that Elon Musk’s car company Tesla was partly responsible for a deadly crash in Florida involving its Autopilot driver assist technology and must pay the victims more than $200 million in…

Video released of barge hitting sailboat, second victim identified NBC and its affiliates have released surveillance video that shows the barge hitting the sailboat with five children in a day camp near Miami Beach. The video -- broadcast by television stations affiliated with the CBS and NBC networks-- is grainy but shows the 60-foot barge hitting the 17-foot Hobie Getaway on Biscayne Bay on Monday. One child killed was a 7-year-old girl…

Video released of barge hitting sailboat, second victim identified

NBC and its affiliates have released surveillance video that shows the barge hitting the sailboat with five children in a day camp near Miami Beach. The video -- broadcast by television stations affiliated with the CBS and NBC…

Little Haiti’s Villain Theater marks 10-years of alternative comedy in South Florida Reaching a 10-year milestone in Miami is no joke. In a transient city where longstanding businesses and organizations find themselves pushed out by rising costs, longevity can feel like the real luxury. In the time that Villain Theater has been operating, the comedy club in Little Haiti has dealt with tenuous leases, limited resources and of course, a global pandemic. Now it’s marking a decade of making people laugh in South Florida.

Little Haiti’s Villain Theater marks 10-years of alternative comedy in South Florida

Reaching a 10-year milestone in Miami is no joke. In a transient city where longstanding businesses and organizations find themselves pushed out by rising costs, longevity can feel like the real luxury. In the…

Florida set to execute man for killing wife, 2 kids in new state death sentence record for 1 year STARKE, Fla. — A Florida man convicted of killing his wife and two children with a machete in 1994 is set for execution Thursday, which would be the ninth death sentence carried out in 2025 to set a new state record for a single year. A 10th execution is scheduled for Aug. 19 and an 11th on Aug. 28.

Florida set to execute man for killing wife, 2 kids in new state death sentence record for 1 year

STARKE, Fla. — A Florida man convicted of killing his wife and two children with a machete in 1994 is set for execution Thursday, which would be the ninth death sentence carried out in 2025 to set a…

Trump envoy arrives as famine grips Gaza while Israel denies starving Palestinians, genocide DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — President Donald Trump’s special envoy arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the disintegrating humanitarian situation in Gaza, as the death toll of Palestinians waiting for food and other aid continued to climb. Amnesty International earlier in July said it has gathered evidence of Israel's starvation of civilians "as a weapon of war ... deliberately impose conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction as part of its ongoing genocide."

Trump envoy arrives as famine grips Gaza while Israel denies starving Palestinians, genocide

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — President Donald Trump’s special envoy arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the disintegrating humanitarian situation in Gaza, as the death toll of Palestinians waiting for…

Did you attend drag show? DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ attorney general wants to know your name Florida's statewide prosecutor has subpoenaed records of a popular restaurant after it hosted an LGBTQ Pride event last month that the prosecutor's office says was open to all ages, even though a recent state law that restricts venues from admitting children to “adult” performances has been blocked by courts. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier claimed in a statement Tuesday that the event at the Kilted Mermaid in Vero Beach had “adult, sexualized performers in front of children." His office on Tuesday did not respond to repeated inquiries asking which laws may have been violated.

Did you attend drag show? DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ attorney general wants to know your name

Florida's statewide prosecutor has subpoenaed records of a popular restaurant after it hosted an LGBTQ Pride event last month that the prosecutor's office says was open to all ages, even though a recent state…

Unpacking Florida’s immigration trends − demographic experts take a closer look Matt Brooks, Florida State University and Karin Brewster, Florida State University share their research on immigration demographics in the Sunshine State. Immigration has dominated recent public discourse about Florida, whether it be the opening of Alligator Alcatraz, a migrant detention facility in the middle of the Everglades, or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declaring an “immigration emergency” for the state…

Unpacking Florida’s immigration trends − demographic experts take a closer look

Matt Brooks, Florida State University and Karin Brewster, Florida State University share their research on immigration demographics in the Sunshine State. Immigration has dominated recent public discourse about…

Miami woman arrested after allegedly crashing car into EmeraldBay wall, fleeing A Miami woman faces multiple charges, including resisting arrest and leaving the scene of an accident, following a chaotic incident where police say she ran into a wall at EmeraldBay condominium. Sage Imbesi Roatta, 30, was taken into custody after crashing her vehicle, attempting to flee, and then physically resisting officers. Roatta's 2012 white Chevrolet Colorado collided with a wall at 151 Crandon Boulevard at Emerald Bay Condominium on July 15 at 10:40 a.m., according to a Key Biscayne Police Department incident report.

Miami woman arrested after allegedly crashing car into EmeraldBay wall, fleeing

A Miami woman faces multiple charges, including resisting arrest and leaving the scene of an accident, following a chaotic incident where police say she ran into a wall at EmeraldBay condominium. Sage Imbesi Roatta,…

Coast Guard begins salvage operation and investigates cause of boat collision that killed two girls The U.S. Coast Guard said it was beginning a salvage operation on Tuesday while investigating the cause of a boat collision near Miami that left two girls dead, one of whom was identified by family friends as the granddaughter of prominent Argentine television producers. Capt. Frank Florio, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami, assured the victims' family members during a news conference that the Coast Guard and its partners would do everything in their power to learn what caused the crash.

Coast Guard begins salvage operation and investigates cause of boat collision that killed two girls

The U.S. Coast Guard said it was beginning a salvage operation on Tuesday while investigating the cause of a boat collision near Miami that left two girls dead, one of whom was identified by family…

Tri-Rail chief sees a ‘path forward’ despite DeSantis’ $30m in cuts that could end services in 2027 Tri-Rail has 'a path forward' despite a $30 million shortfall in state funding that counties appear unable to bridge, the chief of the agency overseeing the service told WLRN. The future of the train operation, which had 4.5 million riders last year, has been in jeopardy ever since the Gov. Ron DeSantis slashed funding to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), which manages the service, in June…

Tri-Rail chief sees a ‘path forward’ despite DeSantis’ $30m in cuts that could end services in 2027

Tri-Rail has 'a path forward' despite a $30 million shortfall in state funding that counties appear unable to bridge, the chief of the agency overseeing the service told WLRN. The future of the…

Can it get any hotter? Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US SAVANNAH, Ga. — Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to heat in the summertime, but this week's sweltering hot weather set at least one record and has forecasters urging residents to limit time outside on Tuesday if possible — and stay hydrated. The all-time high temperature at Tampa International Airport was broken on Sunday when the thermometer hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can it get any hotter? Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to heat in the summertime, but this week's sweltering hot weather set at least one record and has forecasters urging residents to limit time outside on Tuesday if…

Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos Outdoor lighting for buildings, roads and advertising can help people see in the dark of night, but many astronomers are growing increasingly concerned that these lights could be blinding us to the rest of the universe. An estimate from 2023 showed that the rate of human-produced light is increasing in the night sky by as much as 10% per year…

Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos

Outdoor lighting for buildings, roads and advertising can help people see in the dark of night, but many astronomers are growing increasingly concerned that these lights could be…

Bodycam video appears to show Florida officer aiming a gun at Black student during brutal arrest A Florida police officer had his gun aimed at a Black college student shortly before the driver was pulled from his car and beaten in a recorded encounter that recently sparked widespread outrage, civil rights lawyers said Tuesday. The officer standing in front of William McNeil Jr.'s car appeared to have the 22-year-old at gunpoint as another officer who had just shattered his windshield began to drag him from the vehicle, according to one of the other officers' body cameras.

Bodycam video appears to show Florida officer aiming a gun at Black student during brutal arrest

A Florida police officer had his gun aimed at a Black college student shortly before the driver was pulled from his car and beaten in a recorded encounter that recently sparked widespread outrage,…

Minkah Fitzpatrick looking for long-term future with Dolphins after trade from Steelers MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It has been about a month since Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dolphins team that drafted him, and the All-Pro safety hopes to remain in Miami long term. Fitzpatrick spoke to reporters Monday for the first time since he returned to Miami, which drafted him in 2018 and traded him away at his request…

Minkah Fitzpatrick looking for long-term future with Dolphins after trade from Steelers

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It has been about a month since Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dolphins team that drafted him, and the All-Pro safety hopes to remain in Miami long term.…

Heartbreak after fatal Biscayne Bay boat collision that killed two children. The U.S. Coast Guard extended its deepest sympathies Monday night following a tragic collision on Biscayne Bay that claimed the lives of two young girls and critically injured two others. The incident involved a barge and a sailboat participating in a summer sailing camp near Hibiscus Island. "Our hearts are with the families of those lost and all who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Capt.

Heartbreak after fatal Biscayne Bay boat collision that killed two children.

The U.S. Coast Guard extended its deepest sympathies Monday night following a tragic collision on Biscayne Bay that claimed the lives of two young girls and critically injured two others. The incident involved a barge and…

Assault on the arts: Miami cultural organizations reeling as Republican budget cuts pose existential threat With a series of government funding cuts over the past two years, Miami arts and culture organizations are struggling to stay afloat. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $32 million in art and culture grants last year from the state budget. President Donald Trump called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency that provides hundreds of millions of dollars to fund arts and culture nationwide.

Assault on the arts: Miami cultural organizations reeling as Republican budget cuts pose existential threat

With a series of government funding cuts over the past two years, Miami arts and culture organizations are struggling to stay afloat. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $32 million in art…

Dream season for dream team ends for Key Biscayne U15 Elite at nationals The Key Biscayne SC Boys U15 Elite team's magical run ended at nationals -- but that hardly diminishes their accomplishments at the USYS National Championship this past week in Orlando. While not national champions, the team went toe-to-toe with other elite athletic academies and marked a historic milestone in Key Biscayne Soccer Club history.  The team made the Final 8 but could not get out of their grouping, losing 2-1 in a nail-biter against TKO Premier SC from Kalamazoo, Mich.

Dream season for dream team ends for Key Biscayne U15 Elite at nationals

The Key Biscayne SC Boys U15 Elite team's magical run ended at nationals -- but that hardly diminishes their accomplishments at the USYS National Championship this past week in Orlando. While not national champions, the team…

Two dead after barge strikes sailboat off Miami Beach, children rescued MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Two individuals died Monday after a barge collided with a sailboat off Miami Beach, an incident that tragically threw several children into the water, according to various news reports. The sailboat, carrying an adult woman and five children, was near Hibiscus Island in Biscayne Bay when the collision occurred, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Two dead after barge strikes sailboat off Miami Beach, children rescued

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Two individuals died Monday after a barge collided with a sailboat off Miami Beach, an incident that tragically threw several children into the water, according to various news reports. The sailboat,…

Attorneys: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees held without charges, barred from legal access MIAMI, Fla. (AP) - Civil rights lawyers seeking a temporary restraining order against an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades say that “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been barred from meeting attorneys, are being held without any charges and that a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings. The immigration attorneys argued Monday during a virtual hearing that the detainees' constitutional rights were being violated and that 100 detainees already…

Attorneys: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees held without charges, barred from legal access

MIAMI, Fla. (AP) - Civil rights lawyers seeking a temporary restraining order against an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades say that “Alligator Alcatraz” detainees have been barred from…

When it comes to birth control, Florida is among the most restrictive Florida stands as the third-most restrictive state in the nation for birth control access, trailing only Kansas and Mississippi, Tallahassee's public radio station WUSF is reporting Monday. A new scorecard published by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), a nonpartisan health research organization, evaluated states based on policies affecting contraceptive access, separate from abortion restrictions. "Your access to reproductive health care currently depends on where you live, which is a reality that is really unfortunate," said Cathryn Streifel, senior program director at the Population Reference Bureau.

When it comes to birth control, Florida is among the most restrictive

Florida stands as the third-most restrictive state in the nation for birth control access, trailing only Kansas and Mississippi, Tallahassee's public radio station WUSF is reporting Monday. A new scorecard published by the…

Dolphins sign former Raiders and Patriots cornerback Jack Jones to one-year deal

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins added needed help to their secondary on Saturday, signing cornerback Jack Jones to a one-year deal. Jones had 69 tackles, three interceptions— one returned for a touchdown…