Memo to Patrick Murphy: If you want to win street cred with the 99 percent, don’t have Rush Limbaugh’s lawyer host your fundraiser.Murphy, the Democratic congressional candidate hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Allen West, has opened himself up to a lot of bad jokes with the fundraiser slated for tomorrow…
State records show that teachers at two Mavericks High public charter schools in Miami-Dade County earned less than $5,000 a year in 2010 and that many did not receive benefits.According to records submitted to the Florida Department of Education, 14 teachers at the Homestead campus of Mavericks earned $3,350 to…
Poor Lake Worth. The hippie, quirky, crunchy little stepchild of Palm Beach got a brief shout-out in the New York Times “Frugal Traveler” blog this week, but the fifteen minutes of fame only angered a city official.In a story about how to tour the town of Palm Beach on less…
Records show that the Mavericks in Education Florida charter schools, which have a high-profile lobbyist and cheerleader in Frank Biden, are not accredited high schools. This means their graduates may have trouble playing college sports or receiving federally funded grants or scholarships to college. The Fort-Lauderdale based, for-profit Mavericks currently…
UPDATE: In a report filed with the state on December 5 — two weeks after New Times broke this story– Biden is listed as president of Mavericks in Education Florida, and Attkisson is vice president.Nov. 25, 2011: Since we first introduced you to a Fort Lauderdale charter school chain headed…
UPDATE: The Palm Beach County School Board’s vote on three new Mavericks schools has been postponed. Read more after the jump.When owners of a for-profit charter school chain go before the Palm Beach County School Board tomorrow night seeking approval for three new high schools, they’ll have a celebrity spokesman…
For those darling kids who just turned 18 and have no idea how to operate themselves, the Florida Bar is here to help. The smarty-pants lawyers have released an exquisitely worded pamphlet to guide the state’s “new adults.” In a mere 30 pages, the booklet addresses pressing questions such as:”When Are You Under…
Every few years, our elected officials pretend to care about nutrition. This week, Congress is debating whether to keep counting the tomato paste on pizza as a serving of vegetables in school lunches. Makes you nostalgic for the days of mystery meat and rubbery nuggets, doesn’t it?For all the kiddies…
Herman Cain is stumping in South Florida today, attempting to revive his sputtering presidential campaign with a $999-a-head fundraiser at the home of Palm Beach Council President David Rosow and a public rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. But before he heads over to the island of the…
Stalking alligators in a swamp is not the only way veterans can bond and heal during outdoor adventures in Florida. In May, the Legislature passed a bill designating certain portions of state forests hunting areas for injured active-duty military members and veterans. So far, there are six forests slated to host…
In honor of Veterans Day and the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, New Times went alligator hunting with combat-wounded veterans in Melbourne. This video, produced by talented photographer Colby Katz, provides a taste of the action. Narrated by retired Army Sgt. Gary Horn, it shows retired Army Capt…
Of the three Riviera Beach police officers charged in a corruption scandal two years ago, Sgt. Michael Dodson’s case was the most bizarre. Early one morning in October 2009, following a retirement party for a fellow cop, Dodson returned home to Palm Beach Gardens, drunk. Soon afterward, a distress call came…
When a group of combat-wounded veterans went alligator hunting on the St. Johns River last month, ace photographer Colby Katz came along to document their journey. After you read this week’s cover story on the hunt, check out the incredible slide show Katz created…
The airboat captain is desperate to spot a gleaming pair of eyes. In the middle of the St. Johns River, in the redneck heart of Florida, darkness is deepening, and a chill envelops the swamp. For nearly five hours, six men have sat on thinly padded seats, wearing earphones to…
For this week’s cover story, New Times tagged along with a group of combat-wounded veterans on an alligator hunt in a Florida swamp. All the men were Purple Heart recipients injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. To gain perspective on their lives after the war, here are a few salient facts,…
Today is Election Day, and in case you were tempted to stay home because the candidates are all local nobodies, the City of Lake Worth is here to change your mind.Here in the Brooklyn of South Florida, we have a City Commission candidate who, in addition to being a respected…
Here’s a fun way to defend a racist restriction on voting rights: First, claim the new rule is colorblind. Then, when black legislators get angry, plead ignorance. Say you had no idea the rule was draconian compared to policies in most of the country.This is Gov. Rick Scott’s strategy when…
Four months ago, we brought you a sobering catalog of Rick Scott’s dirtiest deeds as chief executive of this fair state. There were a dozen items on the list — gems like outsourcing prisons to political donors, slashing funding for public education, and mandating drug tests for state workers.But a…
U.S. Rep. Allen West has already tried to end federal funding for National Public Radio. But if he needed another reason to hate NPR, yesterday’s “All Things Considered” segment should do the trick. The story explored West’s view of Islam as a “totalitarian, theocratic, political ideology” and his ongoing rhetorical battle…
Being a pro bono lobbyist sounds a little like being a volunteer stockbroker, but Merick Lewin says it’s true. The Republican state House candidate from Davie contends he did lobbying work for his uncle’s company,the 1-800-411-PAIN Referral Service, but wasn’t paid for it. Yep, he just kept an eye on state legislation…
The recent furor over Palm Beach State Attorney Michael McAuliffe’s decision to drop felony charges against two former West Palm Beach cops brings to mind the prosecutor’s other high-profile attempts to bust dirty cops. Considering his track record, one can understand why he might be gun-shy. In the West Palm case,…
Court documents call into question the timing of Palm Beach State Attorney Michael McAuliffe’s decision to drop felony charges against two former cops who kicked and beat a handcuffed suspect in the head.The memo an assistant state attorney wrote recommending that the charges be dropped is dated September 22, one…
