Jess Swanson

Jess Swanson is a staff writer at New Times. Born and raised in Miami, she graduated from the University of Miami’s School of Communication and wrote briefly for the student newspaper until realizing her true calling: pissing off fraternity brothers by reporting about their parties on her crime blog. Especially gifted in jumping rope and solving Rubik’s cubes, she also holds the title for longest stint as an unpaid intern in New Times history. She left the Magic City for New York to earn her master’s degree from Columbia University School of Journalism, where she spent a year profiling circumcised men who were trying to regrow their foreskins for a story that ultimately won the John Horgan Award for Critical Science Journalism. Terrified by pizza rats and arctic temperatures, she quickly returned to her natural habitat.

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Extreme Bare-Knuckle Fighting Returns to South Florida

By Jess Swanson
Aug 8, 2023

Raw, homegrown Miami brawling has hit the mainstream.
Wet Weekend: Tropical Storm Warning Issued for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties

By Jess Swanson
Jun 3, 2022

The National Hurricane Center expects that a low-pressure system off the Yucatan coast will soon strengthen into Tropical Storm Alex.
The Deadliest Mile Strikes Again: Fatal Crash on I-95 in Fort Lauderdale

By Jess Swanson
Mar 31, 2022

A 31-year-old man from Davie was killed after his pickup truck plunged off the entrance ramp to I-95 from State Road 84.
Study: I-95 in Fort Lauderdale Is the Deadliest Mile in America

By Jess Swanson
Mar 2, 2022

Twenty-four people died in fatal car crashes on I-95 between I-595 and State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale between 2000 and 2019.
Why FIU Wants to Build a "Category 6" Hurricane Prototype Facility

By Jess Swanson
Feb 23, 2022

Hurricanes are getting stronger and more frequent. FIU aims to create a new facility to prepare for them.
Ron and Rita Are the Feel-Good Bird Story Miami Needs Right Now

By Jess Swanson
Nov 29, 2021

Thousands tuned in to the the ZooMiami Eagle Cam to watch the mating pair of bald eagles lay two eggs.
Does Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos Haunt This Florida Dive Bar?

By Jess Swanson
Oct 29, 2021

After Aileen Wuornos was executed, staff and patrons at the Last Resort near Daytona began experiencing what they consider "paranormal activity."
The Emery Co-Working Space Is the Creep-Free Workplace South Florida Women Need

By Jess Swanson
Jun 12, 2018

Strange stares in the break room. Uncomfortable small talk by the printer. A boss who insists on hugging you. For far too long, women have grown accustomed to awkward and distracting interactions at work, especially in a city such as Miami, which can at times seem like the unofficial capital of catcalling, leering, and sexual innuendo. “At Starbucks, older men are constantly hitting on you,” sighs Aileen Lavin, a Miami mom who works in real estate. “I was tired of going to networking events and feeling uncomfortable.”
Three Years After Kayla Mendoza's Wrong-Way Crash, the Victims' Families Fight to Save Lives

Three years after the nation's most infamous wrong-way crash, the victims' families fight to save lives.

By Jess Swanson
Dec 13, 2016

Gary Catronio stands in the middle of his daughter Marisa's small bedroom inside a tidy Coral Springs home. A portly New Yorker with a head of white hair and a trimmed white beard, he is careful not to bump or knock anything over. He points to a pile of women's...
All Saints Soup Kitchen Will Feed More Than 250 People on Thanksgiving

By Jess Swanson
Nov 23, 2016

While feeding the needy each day at 2 p.m., All Saints Catholic Mission has racked up more than $10,000 in fines for dodging a cease-and-desist order. This Thanksgiving, Father Bob Caudill and his congregation plan to serve turkey meals to more than 250 people. "I'm thankful that we’re still here," Caudill...
Black Broward Student Schools Teacher for Racist Comments About Latinos

By Jess Swanson
Nov 21, 2016

Emboldened by the President-elect's crusade to make America great again (for white people), Donald Trump's followers seem to be celebrating the election by harassing minorities. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that the number of hateful incidents toward immigrants, Muslims, women, blacks, and LGBTQ folks (including swastika vandalism) has spiked since...
Activists Protest Sabal Trail Pipeline to Save Florida's Water Supply and the Environment

By Jess Swanson
Nov 18, 2016

As thousands gather at Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, closer to home, activists are actively trying to stop construction of the $3 billion, 515-mile Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline slicing through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Not only does it put the environment and water supply at risk, but activists fear the flammable...
After Fatal Wrong Way I-95 Crash, Victims' Father Faces Driver in Court

By Jess Swanson
Nov 16, 2016

It has been 11 months since investigators say Franklin Chavez drove the wrong way on I-95 and caused a high-speed, head-on collision that killed 23-year-old Carmen Criales and seriously injured her mother and brother. Chavez has been charged with vehicular homicide and manslaughter while driving under the influence. Now the victims'...
Trump Protestor Picked Up at Fort Lauderdale Rally Claims Wrongful Arrest

By Jess Swanson
Nov 15, 2016

Thousands took to the downtown Fort Lauderdale streets Sunday night to protest the hatred and bigotry that President-Elect Donald Trump represents. Though it was a mostly peaceful demonstration, there was some conflict with a few pro-Trump counterprotesters. They were allegedly carrying a banner and chanting "Build a wall!" and "Hillary...
Nine Ways South Floridians Can Resist Trump's Fascist Bigotry

By Jess Swanson
Nov 14, 2016

As the shock of Hillary Clinton's defeat settles in, it's easy to feel powerless and hopeless. Though her supporters weren't able to keep Trump's backers from showing up to the polls in record numbers, it's crucial...
Fort Lauderdale Attorney Bradford Cohen Posting Giant "Congratulations President Trump" Sign

By Jess Swanson
Nov 9, 2016

Broward is Florida's largest Democratic county. The day after election night will surely be a somber one as residents pluck their "Clinton-Kaine" and "I'm With Her" signs from their yards. But at least one person in the county is celebrating. After Donald Trump fired him on The Apprentice 12 years...
Trump Supporters With Bullhorns Intimidate Voters at West Palm Beach Polling Site

By Jess Swanson
Nov 8, 2016

Over the weekend, Donald Trump supporters showed up at early voting sites in West Palm Beach. Videos show them at the West Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections office shouting with bullhorns at voters and breaching the 100-foot electioneering line mandated by Florida law. It got so bad that the Palm...
#NeverTrump App Pairs Florida's Third-Party Voters With Blue-State Clinton Supporters

By Jess Swanson
Nov 7, 2016

As election day (and the possibility of ending up with an orange-faced, pussy-grabbing baboon as president) nears, a new Tinder-like app is bringing Hillary Clinton and Jill Stein supporters together. It's called #NeverTrump, and it pairs Hillary Clinton supporters in blue states with Jill Stein supporters in swing states so they can swap votes to...
Delray Mayor Dresses as Donald Trump, Proposes Building a Wall at Boca Border

By Jess Swanson
Nov 4, 2016

Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein made an entrance at Tuesday night's commission. He was wearing a shaggy blond wig and a red cap that read "Make America Great Again" — except "America" had been crossed out and "Delray" had been scribbled above it. The audience chuckled and snapped photos. Glickstein didn't break...
At Clinton's Sistrunk Rally, Former Gay Activist Bob Kunst Assails "Vagina Voters"

By Jess Swanson
Nov 2, 2016

At 4 p.m. yesterday, three white men cheered for Donald Trump outside the Hillary Clinton rally at Delevoe Memorial Park, near Sistrunk. They held signs calling Hillary a liar and stating that she belongs in prison. It was a demonstration organized by Shalom International, a Jewish group led by controversial activist Bob Kunst.
Convert Palm Beach's Abandoned Black Hospital Into a Memorial for Police Shooting Victims

By Jess Swanson
Nov 1, 2016

As activists took to the streets to protest the police shooting deaths of Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and others, two Palm Beach law partners wanted to do more. Malik Leigh and Danielle Watson were frustrated that only these victims' deaths were discussed. Now they're working to convert an...
Heroin Overdoses Are Good Advertising for Drug Dealers

By Jess Swanson
Oct 31, 2016

October has been the deadliest month for drug overdoses in Delray Beach. As of October 19, the city's police force reported 38 overdoses, nine of them deadly. Though cops, firefighters, and experts continue to warn about the dangers of mixing heroin with fentanyl and carfentanil, it seems...

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Jess Swanson