Thomas Francis

Deerfield Beach Pastor Anthony Davis Ordered to Pay $50,000 Fine for Overbilling Federal Government

There are plenty of passages in the Bible that tell us not to lie, but they don't say jack about fudging invoices or grant applications! On December 21, a Deerfield Beach pastor, Anthony Davis, was hit with $50,000 in civil fines for having overbilled the government. Davis' organization, Brotherly L ... More >>

Jared Chase, Brent Betterly, and Brian Church, "NATO 3," Charged with Terrorism in Chicago

Cops Say South Florida Protesters Busted in Chicago Are Terrorists; Friends Call Bullshit Three men formerly associated with Occupy Fort Lauderdale were charged today in Chicago with 11 counts including conspiracy to commit terrorism, possession of explosives, and attempted arson. Each is being held ... More >>

Newt Gingrich's Broward Co-Chair Was Alleged to Be a Tea Party Faker

​Local political blogger Javier Manjarres was in the thick of the heckling drama at the Newt Gingrich rally in Coral Springs yesterday and claimed that one of Gingrich's staffers "assault[ed]" him in the incident he caught on tape.Turns out, that Gingrich staffer is the campaign's Broward co-chair ... More >>

Allen West Interview: Florida Tea Party Favorite Talks About Islam and Donald Trump (Part 1)

Photo by Michael McElroy​The light is dim and smoky inside the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8182 in Pompano Beach. Red, white, and blue slogans brighten the low walls and ceilings, urging patrons to "Thank a Vet" and to remember "Freedom Is Not Free." At the far end of the small, bunker-sized roo ... More >>

Exclusive Tower Club Teases Us With Offer, Then Rescinds

Photo by Flickr user hanneorlaThe Tower Club remains hidden atop One Financial Plaza.​This blog was supposed to be a food review about eating lunch at the Tower Club. The plan was to go as guests to Broward County's high-rollers club, have a two martini lunch, and file a piece on our Clean Plate C ... More >>

The Caravan of Tow Trucks Speeding Down Federal Highway...

If you were on U.S. 1 in Broward County about 2 p.m. today, chances are you saw the caravan of speeding tow trucks racing south, mixed in with a number of BSO cruisers, lights flashing, sirens blaring.There were at least 30 trucks in total and a half-dozen or so police cars. They weaved in and out o ... More >>

Dog Racing Done in Wisconsin; What This Means for Florida

Thomas Francis​It wasn't so long ago that Wisconsin had five dog tracks, second only to Florida in terms of total live-racing facilities. This week, the operators of the Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha announced that the track will end racing on New Year's Eve. This will mark the end of greyh ... More >>

Conflict of Interest? Scandal-Plagued Goren Sees No Evil in Pembroke Pines

Flickr user: clar@bellConflict? What conflict?​This summer, the Juice raised ethical questions about the City of Pembroke Pines' decision to outsource its building department to a private, Fort Lauderdale-based company, Calvin, Giordano & Associates. Because the firm also handles multimillion- ... More >>

Letters From the Issue of September 17, 2009

Letters From the Issue of August 27, 2009

Color Bind: Are Police Looking for Johnny Cash?

flickr.com Johnny Cash: Dressed in Black We've written about the local media's awkward refusal to mention the race of violent, uncaptured suspects in police stories a few times. (Here and here.) It's odd that a newspaper would inform its readers how violent an individual might be and menti ... More >>

Letters From the Issue of June 18, 2009

Letters From the Issue of April 23, 2009

Broward's Royalty Talk About Feds, Gifts

    You must listen to this (courtesy of Scott Wyman). It's simply not getting enough views (75 after two days? Who says Broward County is apathetic about local politics?). And while listening remember that both Stacy Ritter and Ken Keechl are both at least tangentially subjects ... More >>

"Beerfest"?? Leaked Emails Reveal Media Conspiracy to Intoxicate Fort Lauderdale

>>> Thomas Francis 4/15/2009 4:36 PM >>>Hi Whittney,Let me start by saying that you're doing a terrific job as the Beerfrau of Beerfest. Not an official title, I know; but certainly more fun than "Marketing Manager." I am excited about Saturday night's soiree, and I think Juice rea ... More >>

Ritter's Last Refuge: The Condo Circuit

When Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter goes out in public, she feels the eyes on her -- and they're telling her she's on her way to jail. So yesterday afternoon she escaped into the last refuge of any corrupt Broward politician -- the retirement condo circuit. There, as the intrepid Thoma ... More >>

Letters From the Issue of February 26, 2009

Capellini's Cronies Expose, um, Themselves

It appears that Capellini's Cronies are undoing themselves at a remarkable rate. First it was disgraced former Deerfield Beach Mayor Al Capellini's Republican brethren. At a recent meeting they fawned over Capellini, who was removed from office by Charlie Crist after the State Attorney's Office cha ... More >>

The Cuts Keep Coming

I've been documenting the downsizing of newspapers here for the past couple of years, so I guess it was bound to happen. My newspaper, which has largely avoided the carnage, has been cutting not just empty positions, but people. And the bloodletting has happened at several other newsp ... More >>

Florida Is Cleaner

No sale!

Politicians in Sunrise have plenty of mud to sling

Letters from the issue of November 27, 2008

Letters for November 20-26, 2008

Barack Obama wins -- and So Does South Florida

It's a victory just to have an election pass without a local embarrassment

Letters for October 2-8, 2008

Green Eyeshade Award Winners

Letters for June 12-18, 2008

Letters for May 22-28, 2008

Letters for May 15-21, 2008

Letters for April 3-9, 2008

Mama's Boy

Letters for January 31-February 6, 2008

Letters for January 3-9, 2007

Letters for November 22-28, 2007

Letters for August 9-15, 2007

The Sameness of It All

Las Dull-as

Letters for June 14 to 20, 2007

Letters for June 7 to 13, 2007

Letters for May 31 to June 6, 2007

Mitch Ceasar Gets (Borscht) Belted

Letters for March 15-21, 2007

Letters for March 8-14, 2007

Letters for February 22-28, 2007

Letters for February 15-21, 2007

Letters for December 28, 2006-January 3, 2007

Letters for December 14-20, 2006

Letters for November 30-December 6, 2006

Letters for November 23-19, 2006

RIP, Silver

Landfill Memorial

Letters for November 16-22, 2006