Politics & Government

A contingent of Parkland moms was outside the Arsht Center in Miami Thursday night.

A subset of workers at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — two of the largest economic engines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties — announced this morning that they will go on strike to demand better wages and working conditions at their respective airports.

June 26 and 27, a whopping 20 Democratic candidates for president will take the stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts just north of downtown Miami in the first debates of the 2020 election cycle. They will bicker, slam Donald Trump, and almost certainly embarrass themselves by…

June is Pride Month. The 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub, which occurred three years ago today, killed 49 people at an event held for gay Latino men. Yet Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — or someone in his administration — decided it was necessary this year to scrub mentions of the LGBTQ community from the state’s yearly Pulse Memorial Day proclamation.

Almost immediately, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for Hill to apologize. But instead of simply admitting he’d callously made light of anti-gay violence, Hill dug his heels in and repeatedly refused to say he was sorry.

Fair warning: This article about American foreign policy and potential acts of war contains spoilers for the fantasy HBO TV show Game of Thrones, because we live in the bleakest and most hellish political timeline imaginable.

The Dania Beach City Commission received swift backlash from its constituents after approving a 344 percent travel budget increase for its members last Tuesday, May 14. Now, at least one commissioner is backtracking on the decision.

In a bizarre, cryptic announcement, Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said this afternoon the Trump administration plans to begin shipping migrants from the U.S./Mexico border to Broward and Palm Beach Counties “on a weekly basis without designated shelters or funding to house them, feed them, and keep them safe.”

South Florida counties may prohibit teachers from carrying weapons.

The Florida Legislature today passed a bill legalizing the use of self-driving cars statewide. Naturally, Uber — which could save gobs of money by replacing human drivers with robots — is quite pleased.

Since his son’s death at MSD, Manuel Oliver has been traveling the country painting murals. On Saturday he featured Matt Gaetz gripping an assault rifle.

On April 17, Gruters held a news conference to support SB 168, the anti-“sanctuary city” bill he’s pushing that would force towns to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigrant-rights groups say the bill, if it became law, would rip apart families just to appease some racist Republican voters.

State Sen. Joe Gruters has a hideously racist sign outside his office that purports to show the “Faces of Criminal Illegals Deported from Sarasota County.” According to a video posted online yesterday by activist Thomas Kennedy, Gruters apparently saw no issue with keeping this abominable sign up while a child begged him not to pass a bill that would hurt his family.

According to a recently departed staffer, Wayne Messam’s campaign team didn’t receive their paychecks Monday as expected. As a result, multiple staffers have resigned this week, the source says.

Democratic presidential candidate Wayne Messam has condemned Joe Biden, who has been accused of inappropriately touching women. But during his tenure as mayor of Miramar, Messam supported two top city administrators who have also been accused of harassing women.

Besides the public’s opposition to arming teachers, there’s plenty of evidence it can be downright dangerous. New Times has identified a litany of troubling incidents involving Florida educators and guns, including many that have gone previously unreported.

Eric Swalwell’s first stop on the campaign trail will be a town hall at the BB&T Center in Sunrise with Parkland families.

On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union cautioned immigrants and people of color about traveling to Florida. The travel advisory comes in response to two “anti-sanctuary” bills currently moving through the state Legislature.

In response to the Green New Deal, Rep. Matt Gaetz is proposing a competing plan, snarkily titled the “Green Real Deal.” The problem with the plan, however, is that it sucks. If America relies solely on the provisions in Gaetz’s plan, the planet will cook and the seas will swallow us whole.

Pastor Allen B. Jackson is one of the few community leaders who still support former Sheriff Scott Israel. But he has a very strong financial reason — $36,000 a year in taxpayers’ money to be exact — to praise the former sheriff.

Last month, GOP legislators introduced bills that would require offenders to pay back court fees before they become eligible to vote. The Florida ACLU will hold sit-ins to urge lawmakers to oppose any further restrictions on felon voting rights.

A Florida bill that would force minors to get parental consent for abortions passed the House Judiciary Committee yesterday. The ACLU warns the bill will hurt underage girls if enacted.