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Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
What's making us sick in Miami? Take a look at these health challenges
Health Care What's making us sick in Miami? Take a look at these health challenges These articles reveal common challenges in Miami related to public health and safety. Heavy rains in Miami lead to mosquito invasions, heightening concerns over diseases like dengue and West Nile. Officials increase mosquito control efforts to manage the outbreak. A survey of Black Miamians identifies the need for secure jobs, affordable housing and mental health services. Miami hospitals show mixed results in a patient safety report, with several facing challenges in preventing medical errors and infections. And the decline in childhood vaccinations in Florida raises fears of disease outbreaks. Experts cite politics and misinformation as factors reducing trust in vaccines. No image found Florida's healthcare system has 'worse-than-average performance' for women, according to a 2024 report. By Carl Juste NO. 1: WHY IS WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE IN A 'PERILOUS PLACE'? TAKE A LOOK AT THE FLORIDA RANKINGS Women in the state are struggling with health issues and access. | Published July 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Adlai Coleman No image found A worker finishes spraying the grass with a pesticide to kill floodwater larvae during a media event at Miami-Dade County's Mosquito Control unit in Doral, FL on June 17, 2024. By Michelle Marchante NO. 2: HOW DO YOU STOP A MOSQUITO INVASION IN MIAMI AFTER THE RAINS AND FLOODS? TAKE A LOOK Mosquitoes can spread disease and just be annoying. | Published June 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante No image found The Black Collective surveyed more than 10,000 Black residents in Miami to understand the needs of the community. NO. 3: MORE THAN 10,000 BLACK MIAMIANS WERE SURVEYED ABOUT THEIR NEEDS. HERE'S WHAT THEY SAID Black Miamians want jobs, affordable housing and mental health services, according to survey | Published October 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Raisa Habersham Florida legislators considering making it harder for teachers, healthcare professionals to organize. NO. 4: WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITALS FOR PATIENT SAFETY? SEE THE RANKINGS What to know about the grades. | Published January 16, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante No image found A nurse double-gloves before handling and preparing doses of the measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccine at a pop-up clinic at the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Administration Building in Carrollton, Texas, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Liz Rymarev/The Dallas Morning News/TNS) NO. 5: WHY FEWER KIDS ARE GETTING VACCINATED IN FLORIDA — AND HOW THAT COULD AFFECT OUTBREAKS 'I have seen a growing rise in parents who are concerned.' | Published March 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
The other side of the track: Miami's Black residents live with F1's fallout
On a humid Sunday afternoon in 2022, a who's who of Hollywood's rolling credits, Silicon Valley tech tycoons and the internet's favorite micro-celebrities sat comfortably in shaded trackside VIP suites as 20 cars jolted past. Formula One, America's latest sporting obsession, had finally carved out a home in South Florida and it fit Miami's over-the-top image. Four years into F1's 20-year stay in the 305, the event has solidified itself as a place to see and be seen: Elon Musk has stopped by the Red Bull garage while Jeff Bezos sat on McLaren's pit wall. Everyone from Kardashians to A-list actors to sports stars has lined up for a joy ride around the turquoise circuit's 19 corners. This Sunday's race will be no different from its usual star-studded affair. But a few hundred feet outside Hard Rock Stadium's walls sits a different side of Miami, one that isn't even within city limits. And Hard Rock's history is an example of how much stadiums can have an effect on the people who live near them in the US. Miami Gardens, 16 miles north of downtown Miami, is a thriving African-American city – an economic haven for Black Miamians forced out of other neighborhoods as Miami built up and out. In Miami Gardens, households, on average, bring in $60,000 a year and more than 13% of the city's 110,000 people live in poverty. About 70% of residents are Black, according to the US Census Bureau. So when Joe Robbie, the founder of the Miami Dolphins, drew up plans for a stadium in the center of Miami Gardens in 1985 after downtown Miami raised the team's rent, locals feared they would be pushed out of Miami Gardens. Then F1 came knocking on residents' doors nearly 35 years later, setting up a race track attached to Hard Rock Stadium in the center of Miami Gardens. Locals uncapped sharpies and took to the streets with signs reading 'Formula One 'Millions,' Our Health 'Priceless''. While residents may not position themselves outside the stadium this Sunday, concerns never entirely ceased. F1's move to Miami Gardens followed a pattern: events that whiter and wealthier neighborhoods opposed – like the world's largest hip-hop festival – ended up at Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Grand Prix is just the latest example. F1 proposed a race in downtown Miami in 2018, just as the sport began to swell stateside. Residents in a majority-white neighborhood filed a cease-and-desist order citing traffic and noise concerns. The potential for an F1 grand prix down Biscayne Boulevard was quickly squashed by the city council. Organizers pivoted their sights to Miami Gardens, the largest predominantly Black neighborhood in the state of Florida. Treating working class, historically redlined communities as a dumping ground for undesirable spectacles is routine across the US and is 'the path of least resistance', Timothy Kellison, an associate professor at Florida State University who centers his research on how stadiums exacerbate environmental inequalities, said. 'The decision doesn't escape me that [the Miami GP] was proposed downtown and they said, 'No, this will be too much disruption.'' Residents with addresses lining the stadium sued then-Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez, F1, Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Dolphins for racial discrimination. Neighbors of Hard Rock Stadium, led by former county commissioners Betty Ferguson and Barbara Jordan, raised similar arguments as downtown Miami homeowners, including traffic and public health concerns. 'We really believe it's environmental racism,' Ferguson said at the time. But after failing to prove racially motivated malice, noise pollution was their smoking gun that never quite fired. Residents dropped their second lawsuit after their data didn't point toward evidence that the GP could lead to hearing loss. The judge ruled that any potential harm was 'speculative' and 'avoidable'. He recommended locals who had concerns stay inside their homes and wear earplugs. The Miami GP's promoter, South Florida Motorsports, has measured air quality and noise across the circuit's campus each year. The results show that noise and air pollution from 2022 to 2024 passed EPA and OSHA industry standards. 'The air pollution figures are actually lower following the Miami GP than other events because we provide so many alternate transportation and ride-share options to reduce cars on the local roads,' a race spokesperson said. 'That doesn't mean that therefore there is no effect because they were unable to show noise pollution,' Kellison says. Despite locals saying they would continue to work within the political system for justice, the protests stopped. Facebook groups, like Miami Gardens Families Unite, haven't posted since the inaugural grand prix. The Guardian spoke to a number of people who said they oppose the race, but none were willing to go on record. Equally, others say they are unbothered by, or support, the race. 'The political system is probably not in [people who oppose the GP's] favor right now,' Madeleine Orr, a sport ecologist who founded the Sport Ecology Group with Kellison, said. Over the past two years, Miami mayor Francis Suarez garnered backlash for attending the Miami GP, once with Florida's wealthiest man and a second time with his private equity firm. Some of the same county commissioners who voted against F1's presence in the community officially declared 4 May 'Formula One Day' last year. One of those elected officials included Oliver Gilbert who, in 2019, said: 'It's not a place to dump events that are toxic to people.' It should be pointed out that even without the Miami GP, Hard Rock Stadium would still affect Miami Gardens. The jury is still out on how US sports stadiums, most of which are in cities, affect their surrounding neighborhoods. Supporters make the economic impact argument: stadiums funnel money into the local community through job creation and tax revenue boosts, along with transforming cities into more livable and desirable spaces by bringing more efficient buildings and natural disaster prevention to neighborhoods. Hard Rock Stadium is a top employer in the city and the 2025 F1 race will credential 18,000 people, the majority from Miami Gardens, to work the event. Fifteen locally owned restaurants will partner with the track. The first three years brought more than $1bn in economic impact and boosted bottom lines for the sport – the 2024 Miami race shattered F1's viewership record. The F1 ruling body's current environmental standards do not require circuits to think about a race's impact on host communities, Orr said. However, she believes the sport is working in good faith to consider how its presence could affect locals. Orr will join the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) University as a visiting sustainability professor this year. There have been efforts to make sure the race benefits the local community. Before Hard Rock started hosting the grand prix, the stadium and the event promoter outlined a set of conditions with the Miami-Dade County Commission. The Community Benefits Agreement requires F1 to host the race 'in a manner that provides substantial economic and community benefits that directly support city residents and locally-owned businesses to participate in the event and promote the city as the first majority African-American city to host a Formula 1 race.' That means providing $5m in community funding and committing to noise mitigation, air quality monitoring and racing outside of school hours. 'F1 in Schools' included opening the sport's paddock to local students and interns for STEM programming. Since the document was drawn up in 2021, the partnership has settled into a rhythm of community engagement: hosting a 'Business of F1 Community Workshop,' creating scholarships for students at Miami Gardens' two local universities, handing out 1,500 free tickets per year for residents and diverting food waste to local food banks. The stadium lessened traffic concerns with a $17m investment in tunnels and pedestrian bridges. Since the stadium moved to Miami Gardens, it has allocated a portion of parking revenues to a local neighborhood association. Ray Reyno, a Miami Gardens resident who moved to the area before the stadium was built, doesn't mind the noise, claiming it could be worse, and focuses instead on the benefits the stadium has brought to the community. 'It's not like the [engines] that used to be loud,' Reyno said. 'It's not that loud.' Orr says bringing a grand prix to a city raises questions. 'If we come to this place, we are going to necessarily have a carbon footprint,' she says. 'But what are the exchanges we can have with the community? What kinds of tech transfer can we bring and then leave here? What kinds of solutions can be implemented at this place?' But not everyone was convinced by the Community Benefits Agreement. Kellison says some questioned whether the agreement was 'enough to compensate for the disruption that [the race] is going to cause, environmentally, economically, just quality of life for a weekend.' Two county commissioners voted against the agreement. And those objections raise wider issues about stadiums, not just those that host F1 races. Critics claim they often exacerbate environmental and social inequality by aggravating air pollution, and limiting access to green space and water – issues that already disproportionately impact neighborhoods of color (across the US, predominantly Black zip codes tend to be more polluted and hotter on average than other areas). Miami Gardens residents argued F1's presence would amplify these issues. Even before the starting lights go out on Sunday afternoon and engines screech to life, locals will feel F1's presence. For some, like Reyno, the stadium's community efforts have righted its reputation. 'I admire what they're doing,' he says. 'Makes the place more alive.' Orr is more circumspect. 'Even given what I know and who I work with, I will probably side with residents on this,' she says. 'I don't know that I would want it in my backyard.' Kellison, who wrote and edited a book about the topic, draws a blank when it comes to the ideal place for a stadium. 'I've been thinking about this for as long as I've been studying sport, and I don't have an answer,' he said. Some locals proposed that the GP take place 47 miles south, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. But residents there have also raised noise and public health concerns. 'I think it's important to recognize the fact that this is not just an isolated group of naysayers who are 'not my backyard' people and would oppose everything,' Kellison says. 'If they've been talking about events at the stadium or around the stadium site for a number of years, a number of decades, perhaps they're on to something.' Calling in from his office on Florida State University's campus, Kellison pauses and recalls a line he read once that stuck with him: 'Race tracks aren't meant to be in neighborhoods.'
Miami Herald
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
These Miami leaders left a legacy of generosity and kindness. They can inspire us all
Leave a legacy Life comes at you fast, but death can come even faster. Sadly, the ranks of Greater Miami's community stalwarts have suffered heavy losses in recent years, many of them unexpected. In the summer of 2022, we lost Jason Jenkins, a legendary Miami Dolphins executive who revolutionized philanthropy in sports. Jenkins grew last weekend's record-breaking Dolphins Cancer Challenge, now chaired by his wife, Liz, into an event so successful another NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles, used it as a template for their annual Eagles Autism Challenge. One of the first calls they made when planning their event was to Jenkins and the Dolphins team, who immediately lent a helping hand. Less than two years later, we lost two more behemoths of community building: Dr. Enid Pinkney and Merrett Stierheim. Pinkney unearthed, preserved and shared rich stories of Black Miamians who played such a vital role in settling and incorporating our hometown. Stierheim was one of the most decorated and impactful government officials in Miami history, serving our county, city and school board in times of growth and strife, leaving a lasting and positive legacy on all. Most recently, we lost the gentle giant of Coral Gables, Mark Trowbridge, who was quite literally everything to everyone. He was never too busy, too tired or too sick to assist a friend or business in need. Just last year, while battling illness and extreme fatigue, he emceed a luncheon for CityYear Miami's Champions of Mentorship, his trademark wit somehow unaffected. While our biologically-constrained earthly existences must come and go, legacies live on. Generosity of spirit bears fruit for generations, provided the tree is watered. Pause your busy life to do something for 'the 305' that carries forward the tradition of togetherness that makes this meltiest of melting pots such a special place to live. I know Jason, Enid, Merrett, Mark and countless others will be smiling on you from above. Marcus Bach Armas, Miami Safety monitors Protecting the rights and safety of our most vulnerable citizens — seniors and people with disabilities residing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities — should be a priority for all of us. That's why AARP Florida strongly supports legislation allowing residents to install an electronic monitoring device in their rooms at their own expense. Far too often, concerns about abuse, neglect or mistreatment arise in long-term care settings, yet without clear evidence, families are unaware and law enforcement faces challenges in proving or disproving allegations. A simple, cost-effective solution is to give residents the right to install electronic monitoring devices. This would deter potential abuse, protect caregivers from false accusations, provide families peace of mind and would be a critical tool for law enforcement to investigate incidents fairly and accurately. If a resident or their family wants this added layer of security, they should have the right to make that decision. This legislation is about accountability, safety and ensuring that every person in long-term care is treated with dignity and respect. We urge lawmakers to support this common-sense measure. Zayne Smith, senior director of advocacy, AARP Florida, Tampa Bay How'd that happen? Re: the Feb. 25 story, 'Gov. DeSantis to create a Florida Doge to audit universities and local governments.' DeSantis has been governor since 2019 (though it seems like decades). How is this government-alleged bloating happening under his watch? Irony is officially dead. Monica Harvey, Miami Shores Rocket science A quick and easy win for Elon Musk's DOGE would be to cut the budget for NASA's Deep Exploration program, which focuses on traveling from the moon to Mars. What is the real value of this effort, when the 2025 NASA budget request for this program was $7.44 billion and increases annually — to an estimated $8 billion-plus by 2029? Makes me wonder why Musk has not attacked this area, which has little impact on citizens' daily lives, while he slashes and burns programs that harm the most needy. Maybe the richest man in the world should self-fund his pet projects and be the first traveler to Mars. Dennis Brandt, Miami No landslide Gov. Ron Desantis often mentions that he was elected with stronger support than any previous governor. He and Floridians who parrot his claim, as if it's some unfathomable achievement, would do well to remember who he ran against: Charlie Crist. Crist was a Republican who lost so bad he became an independent. As an independent, he lost so bad he became a Democrat. And as a Democrat, he lost badly, too. A cardboard cutout of Mickey Mouse would have gotten more votes. Therefore, DeSantis has no reason to get carried away with all the chest-thumping. Ryan P. Gallagher, Saint Cloud American values? In the Feb. 24 Miami Herald, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien stated that ending TPS for Haitians 'undermines the values of compassion and fairness that this country stands for.' Unfortunately, it seems fairness and compassion were never values of this country. For example, the seizure of Native American children in the late 1800s for 're-education' to erase their history and culture; the 1902 Chinese immigrant ban and requirement of Chinese residents to register; our unwillingness to admit more than 900 passengers of the St. Louis, the ocean liner carrying Jewish refugees in 1939, many of whom perished in German concentration camps; and the 1942 Executive Order authorizing removing people of Japanese descent from their homes and placing them in internment camps. This year, President Trump issued an Executive Order erasing transgender people, who have always lived among us. Our legacy seems to be one of violence and hatred, as expressed by today's executive branch of government. Irene Pilinger, North Miami Beach Our best interest Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and killed thousand of civilians and destroyed buildings and cities in a war that happened because the Biden administration was weak, just as the Obama administration was weak regarding Crimea. The Trump administration is trying to end the war and at the same time trying to get some economic advantage from that country. Russia is a nuclear power friendly to China, our major enemy. We would be wise to keep Russia close. Julian Darío Miyares, Miami Home insurance Re: the Feb. 24 story, 'State study found Florida insurers sent billions to affiliates while crying poor.' Why does fraud seemingly only occur in Florida? What do other states do to prevent it? Apparently, Gov. DeSantis has decided to crack down on it, but what measures is he taking? Will they be effective? Insurance companies' practice of artificially raising rates after shifting reserve funds to different subsidiaries should be illegal. How do they get past state and federal auditors and regulators? Are the regulators being paid off? How are rates impacted by the risk of hurricane damage? Could this be reduced by increased building standards? Why should buildings with new hurricane-proof construction pay the same rates as old buildings, constructed to lower standards? The largest cost in my modern, well-built condo building by far is structural insurance — and it has risen the fastest. Cornelius Bond, Miami Rubio's beliefs As a U.S. senator, Marco Rubio never had a problem shedding his beliefs, so why would he be different as secretary of state? After all, Rubio is now working for the 'con man' (his description of Donald Trump in their 2016 debate). Doug Kostowski, Kendall Blind spot Last November, too many voters were seemingly focused on the price of bacon and eggs. Apparently, they missed considering the price of democracy. Ossie Hanauer, Miami
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
The Only Black Police Precinct in U.S. History: How Miami Was Policed During Segregation
All products featured on Teen Vogue are independently selected by Teen Vogue editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. HistoryMiami Museum When you think of the Deep South, Miami isn't always the first place that comes to mind. Known today for its beaches, nightlife, and vibrant Latin American influences, Miami's reputation often overshadows its history as a Southern city that was deeply entrenched in segregation. But Miami was very much part of the Jim Crow South in the 20th century, with all the hallmarks of racial injustice — segregated schools, neighborhoods, and businesses, voter suppression, and rampant discrimination in employment and policing. Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take Although Miami shared the rest of the South's racial inequity, it had a thriving Black community, complete with its own Black-led community police force. The Black Police Precinct, which opened in 1944 and operated until its closure in 1963, was the only one of its kind in the United States, existing as both a response to exclusion and a testament to the resilience of Miami's Black community. Today, it functions as a museum, preserving the complex history of Black law enforcement, and highlighting an era when Black officers served their community amid segregation. During the early 20th century, Black Miamians primarily lived in Colored Town, later known as Overtown, one of the only areas where Black residents were allowed to live. Redlining and restrictive housing covenants kept Black families from moving into white neighborhoods, while discriminatory laws limited economic opportunities. Despite these challenges, Overtown thrived as a cultural and economic hub, home to Black-owned businesses, churches, and entertainment venues that hosted legends like Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. But being an economic center didn't shield Overtown from the harsh realities of segregation. Black Miamians were frequently subjected to police violence, and law enforcement often reinforced racial boundaries rather than protect all citizens equally. Additionally, Black citizens were also left unprotected from crime in their own neighborhoods. In response to growing demands for safety and self-governance, Miami officials established the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse in 1944, hiring the city's first Black officers. Miami's Black police officers had to follow a different set of rules. They were restricted to policing only Black neighborhoods and were not allowed to arrest white citizens. Black officers were also not permitted to refer to themselves as policemen, but rather as patrolmen. The courthouse within the precinct also played a pivotal role in Black Miami's justice system. In its first year alone, it processed hundreds of cases, offering Black citizens a legal space where they could seek justice without the immediate racial bias present in white-dominated courtrooms. It was here that Miami's first Black judge, Lawson E. Thomas, made history. Appointed in 1950, Judge Thomas presided over cases that were previously handled by white judges who often disregarded the rights of Black defendants. His courtroom provided a rare opportunity for Black citizens to receive fair legal proceedings, marking a significant step forward in racial justice. Though the precinct was primarily established to police Black neighborhoods, it also became a crucial touchpoint for other marginalized groups in Miami. Five Jewish judges served at the Black Precinct and Courthouse, working alongside Black officers and judges in a legal system that often excluded both groups from mainstream institutions. At a time when Miami's beaches, clubs, and businesses enforced exclusionary policies against both Black and Jewish residents, these judges played a vital role in ensuring that justice was at least more attainable for those facing systemic bias. This intersection of discrimination highlights how Miami's history of segregation impacted multiple communities, making the precinct's role even more significant. Despite working in a deeply flawed system, these early officers engaged directly with the community, building trust and relationships that became a model for modern-day policing reforms. And the success of Miami's Black Police Precinct did not go unnoticed — reports of its effectiveness in crime reduction and community trust spread nationwide, leading cities across the country to consider establishing their own Black police forces. Miami's model of community-focused policing and legal representation became a reference point for cities dealing with similar issues of segregation and racial discrimination in law enforcement. None followed through with fully independent Black precincts, but the conversations it sparked helped push forward discussions about reform and representation in police departments across the country. While the precinct was a symbol of progress for many, it was also a stark reminder of the inequalities that led to its creation. The Black officers, despite their dedication to their jobs, were paid less than their white counterparts and could not join police unions. Their training facilities and resources were subpar, and Black officers had fewer opportunities for advancement. Even their leadership remained under the control of white supervisors, illustrating the deeply ingrained structures of racial hierarchy. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the slow push toward integration, the precinct was shut down, and only a few of its officers merged into the larger Miami Police Department. But with that closure came the loss of a space that had provided a sense of safety and representation for Miami's Black community and a greater fight for equality within the department. The building, once a symbol of both segregation and empowerment, sat largely forgotten for decades. Today, the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse has been transformed into a museum, which examines modern issues of race, policing, and justice. Visitors not only learn about the officers who served in a segregated system, but also discover the tactics and practices these officers developed, which laid the foundation for what we now know as 'community policing.' Exhibitions like 'Grief Not Guilty: Reclaiming My Time' shed light on the experiences of the incarcerated and their families, using art to tell deeply personal stories of resilience and injustice. Featuring the works of artist Gary Tyler, who was wrongfully convicted as a teenager and spent over 40 years in prison, the exhibition shows how incarceration disproportionately affects Black communities and challenges narratives around guilt and punishment. Overtown, once known as the Harlem of the South, remains a crucial part of Miami's Black history. The neighborhood has undergone significant changes due to what's known as climate gentrification, or the trend of historically Black, lower-income neighborhoods drawing new residents and development because they're less prone to flooding. While urban renewal projects that displaced many of Overtown's original residents, its legacy as a center of Black culture, activism, and resilience endures. The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum stands as one of the few remaining structures preserving this history, ensuring that the stories of those who fought for justice are not forgotten. It is not just a relic of the past — it is a living testament to the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in America. This article was produced with Made By Us, a coalition of more than 400 history museums working to connect with today's youth. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Want to read more Teen Vogue history coverage? 6 of the Most Famous Cults in U.S. History This Deadly Georgia Lake Holds Secrets About U.S. History Helen Keller's Legacy Has Been Sanitized Why We're Still So Obsessed With the Salem Witch Trials
