The Miami Independent

The DSA's Ongoing Love Affair With a Butcher: Castro's Centenary Exposes the Communist Rot The Democratic Socialists of America marked Castro's 100th birthday by praising him as a "champion of humanity." Castro's firing squads and 65 years of totalitarian rule say otherwise. The communist rot is showing. https://miamiindependent.com/international/2026/08/14/the-dsas-ongoing-love-affair-with-a-butcher-castros-centenary-exposes-the-communist-rot/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dsa-castro-communist-rot&utm_content=20260814_dsa-castro-communist-rot

Your Miami Design District Summer Guide Miami summers run hot, but Miami Design District still runs cool. Between restaurant-grade air conditioning, the city’s best tables, and enough art to fill an afternoon, there’s no better neighborhood to wait out the summer heat. The second floor of Kith runs brunch every day of the week — which, once school’s out, is the move any day of the week. Sadelle’s brings the New York deli menu south with items like House Salmon on your choice of bagel, French Toast, Blueberry Pancakes, a Fried Chicken Sandwich on brioche with buttermilk and dill pickles. @SenAshleyMoody @TB_Times @marcorubio Source: Miami Design District

Here are the best things to do in Miami this weekend, August 14 to 16 This list is refreshed every Friday. Bookmark this page for weekly updates on arts and culture happenings around Miami. Zedric Bembry and his Live and In Color Dance Company are taking the stage to celebrate hip-hop’s origins. Part of the Joseph Caleb Auditorium’s Black Birth of Music Series, the production features extended drum breaks, two turntables and the music of DJ Grandmaster Flash, including “Rapper’s Delight.” 7 p.m. at the Sandrell Rivers Theater, 6103 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 305-284-8872. Tickets cost $10 via ftfshows.thundertix.com . @SenAshleyMoody @WSVN @TB_Times Source: Miami New Times

50,000 look at historic county courthouse on auction site, no bids yet The historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse on Flagler Street downtown, now up for auction on GovDeals, has drawn nearly 50,000 views and visits but no bids yet, according to Frank Borowski, a business client development manager with GovDeals. The seller’s terms and conditions state that the county is seeking bidders with experience and the capacity to own and operate a large-scale historic property in compliance with national and local historic preservation regulations. @CarlosGimenez @MiamiMayor @orlandosentinel Source: Miami Today News

How Florida Cities and Counties Waste Your Tax Dollars Florida Cities and Counties waste money, yet public officials sound the alarm whenever property tax cuts are proposed. On this episode of the Florida Daily Show, hosts Ed Dean and Lindsay Randall are joined by Matt O’Hern of New South Politics to discuss various examples of bloated county and city budgets across the Sunshine State. If you are a developer or just a local Florida homeowner, expect your property taxes and fees to go up.In South Florida, the Port... @marcorubio @CarlosGimenez @GregSteube Source: Florida Daily

Florida’s property tax amendment rewritten following court order, circuit judge’s claims that it’s misleading This comes after a circuit court judge said the wording was misleading and at times political. If approved by voters, the amendment would slash property taxes. The plan would raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027, then to $250,000 in 2028, cutting billions of dollars that fund local government. @NBC6 @CBSMiami @GovRonDeSantis Source: WSVN Miami

Louis Vuitton’s New Women’s Store Is the District’s Most Colorful Opening Yet Louis Vuitton just opened a new Women’s temporary store in the Miami Design District, and you’ll be able to spot it before you read the name. The hard-to-miss façade ripples in iridescent blue-green, wrapping the building like fabric caught mid-wave, thanks to 2D3D Miami (2026), a commission from London’s Raw-Edges Design Studio and it sets the stage for the rest of the store experience. Step in and the first thing you see is a bright orange spiral staircase, winding up through the center of the store. It takes guests up to the upper level, where ready-to-wear and shoes get an open, sun-filled salon of their own. @pbpost @SunSentinel @marcorubio Source: Miami Design District

Where Chic Meets Flavor: Septimo & Nuna at Four Seasons Miami What are the best bars in Miami? Of course it depends on your criteria which could be many. To me a “best bar” is classy, chic, and with some glamour, great service and special touches I dub “amenities”. It’s the kind of bar you find in some of the world’s finest landmark hotels. I’ve just found my favorite in Miami, Septimo at the Four Seasons Miami that has a lovely restaurant, Nuna, as well with some exciting dishes. And if you want to make it a day, the hotel offers day pool passes. To find out more, look for the link at the end of this post. Both were superb. Another intriguing one was the silk blossom with Roku gin, Mancino Sakur vermouth, lychee,hibiscus, citrus and coconut saline which I’d like to try when we go back for an after dinner drink. @OrlandoMagic @InterMiamiCF @GregSteube Source: Miami Curated

Trump family's World Liberty Financial delay plans to sell Maldives resort token The token was planned to go on sale next year, giving investors a share of revenue from loans financing the Trump-branded resort, but this has been pushed back due to the Iran war disrupting travel in the region, according to the report, citing people familiar with the matter. World Liberty Financial tapped real-world asset (RWAs) platform Securitize in February to help represent loan interests tied to the resort’s development as a digital token that could be traded onchain. @GovRonDeSantis @MiamiNewTimes @MichaelWaltz Source: CoinDesk

To save trees, Brickell pocket park gets a reprieve County commissioners have stripped 11,000-square-foot Allen Morris Park from legislation they passed that added two other properties, including Mary Brickell Village, to new high-density transit zoning under county control. Unlock the full story and the entire edition with a Miami Today subscription! @NBC6 @BillPosey @TB_Times Source: Miami Today News

Florida Attorney General Announces Milestone of 2,000 Child Predators Arrested; Charges Middle School Teacher with Possession of Child Abuse Material These prosecutions are part of a broader surge in results. Since February 2025, the Office of Statewide Prosecution’s Crimes Against Children efforts have secured nearly 693 years of prison sentences—more than four times the previous monthly rate—while case filings have increased dramatically. Below is an official statement from the Office of the Attorney General of Florida: Attorney General James Uthmeier announced charges against Giorgio Dominique Mucelli,... @MiamiHEAT @OrlandoMagic @NBC6 Source: Florida Daily

South Florida attorney reignites passion for music in band of 1,000 musicians The daily work of South Florida attorney William R. Scherer is pretty serious. He followed his father’s footsteps and joined the family law firm, Conrad & Scherer Trial Lawyers, in Fort Lauderdale. @MiamiHerald @SenRickScott @orlandosentinel Source: WSVN Miami

Alaïa Opens Its First Miami Boutique in the Miami Design District Alaïa just gave Miami its main character moment. The Parisian house opened its first Miami boutique on June 30 at 171 NE 39th Street, and good luck missing it – since the entire building is wrapped in pink mosaic tile, inside and out, floor to ceiling. Cher Horowitz said it best decades ago: “It’s an Alaïa!” Now the line finally has a Miami address to match. Swedish studio Halleroed designed the space, using Miami’s Art Deco history as a starting point and filtering it through Alaïa’s own vision of curves and precision. “We wanted to create a dialogue between the identity of Alaïa and the character of Miami,” said Ruxandra Halleröd of the studio. @GregSteube @BillPosey @MiamiHerald Source: Miami Design District

Miami, here’s how to help Colombia after deadly earthquake More than 130 people are dead and hundreds more are injured after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday. The quake, centered near San José del Palmar on Colombia’s Pacific coast, was the strongest to hit the country in a decade, according to the Colombian Geological Service. At least 61 buildings collapsed, and 52 schools, 18 health centers, 17 community centers, and six airports were damaged, President Abelardo de la Espriella told reporters in a press conference. Neighboring Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela, where twin earthquakes in June killed thousands of people, also felt the shaking. @VisitMiamiBeach @GreaterMiamiCVB @GovRonDeSantis Source: Miami New Times

Two Cups of Coffee a Day May Harm People with High Blood Pressure Coffee is part of the daily routine for millions of people, and many studies have linked moderate coffee drinking with possible health benefits. But research suggests that people with very high blood pressure may need to be more careful about how much coffee they drink. @EaterMiami @WynwoodWalls @TB_Times Source: South Florida Times

Is LATAM Next? CDM Espanol's Willie Lora - CDM CLIPS CDM Espanol's Willie Lora gives the rundown on possible US military action looming in Latin America. https://miamiindependent.com/international/2026/08/13/is-latam-next-cdm-espanols-willie-lora-cdm-clips/

Museum of Miami to relive the 1926 Miami hurricane Starting Sept. 18, the new exhibition at 101 W Flagler St. will open exactly 100 years after a powerful hurricane tore through the young, rapidly growing city and forced Miami to rebuild from the ground up. A century later, the museum brings alive the 12-hour disaster through curated photographs, film, newspapers, and personal letters providing firsthand accounts of those who experienced it. Drawn from the museum’s archives, “Caught in the Eye” also explores the earliest recorded hurricanes in the Atlantic and Caribbean, placing Miami’s story within the region’s much longer history of devastating storms. Firsthand and secondhand accounts recount the 35-minute deceptive calm before landfall, the fury of the winds, and the false hope of the eye’s passage that caught so many residents off guard. @SunSentinel @SenAshleyMoody @pbpost Source: Miami Today News

More Florida Cities and Counties Proposing Tax and Fee Increases If you are a developer or just a local Florida homeowner, expect your property taxes and fees to go up. In South Florida, the Port St. Lucie City Commission has proposed higher fees for developers. The city wants developers to bear more of the cost of city services, claiming the higher fees ensure developers pay their fair share. But it’s not just existing fees that will jump; the city also will establish new fees when it comes to construction plan reviews, engineering inspections, site plan reviews, right-of-way permits, accessory use reviews and occupancy reviews. @TB_Times @SunshineStateNews @CBSMiami Source: Florida Daily

Grandmother of 5-year-old girl who was shot by her brother speaks out as children’s mother faces judge after arrest FLORIDA CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - - The grieving grandmother of a 5-year-old girl who authorities said was accidentally shot by her 4-year-old brother inside their Florida City home is speaking out following the arrest of the children’s mother . Laticha Ellison wiped away tears as she talked to 7News on Thursday morning about the tragedy that claimed the life of her granddaughter Ja’nova Parks. @MayorDaniella @MiamiNewTimes @FLVoiceNews Source: WSVN Miami

The Miami Design District in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Florida debuted early this summer, and seven Miami Design District restaurants made the list: two stars for L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, one star each for Le Jardinier and COTE Miami, and Bib Gourmands for Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, El Turco, and Mandolin Aegean Bistro. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is still the only two-star restaurant in Miami, a distinction it has held for five consecutive years. The counter seats along the open kitchen offer front-row views of the team plating seared scallops in cilantro broth with coconut foam, or halibut in a wasabi-lime champagne emulsion. Save room for le chocolat sensation. @WSVN @MiamiHerald @TB_Times Source: Miami Design District