Florida

Like Cubans fleeing Castro, Venezuelans leery of their country's future under socialist President Hugo Chavez are hightailing it to the US—mainly Florida. Venezuelan expats are raising kids, investing money, and opening businesses in South Florida, the New York Times reports. Asked about returning to Venezuela, “I won’t consider it, as long as there’s that guy there," replies one new Floridian. More »

At least five anti-Castro paramilitary groups are operating on US soil, planning to overthrow the Cuban regime—and getting a free ride from Washington despite bolstered anti-terrorist laws that would back a crackdown. Holed up in Florida training camps, the Cuban exiles have been linked to commando raids, hotel bombings, and even downed airliners, Salon reports. More »

Florida shivered last night  last night as a cold snap set new lows—35 degrees in Ft. Lauderdale—and threatened serious damage to crops. Farmers spent the night in the fields, spraying strawberries and oranges with water to create a protective glaze of ice. In  Plant City, dubbed the winter strawberry capital of the world, temperatures hit freezing at midnight, and dropped to 28 by 2:30am. More »

Mike Huckabee vowed yesterday that he'll strengthen the embargo against Cuba—an about-face from a 2002 letter he wrote President Bush seeking to lift the ban for economic reasons, reports the Los Angeles Times. The change, presented in Miami to a Cuban audience, is just part of the candidate's recent toughened stance on immigration. More »

Art Basel Miami Beach opens to the public today, but yesterday's VIP preview saw the now-traditional mad dash of collectors to snatch up works. Many people attending the preview were complaining about high prices, the Miami Herald reports—not least at those galleries that are pricing work in euros. Despite the crush of visitors, some are saying that this year's fair has got off to a slow start. More »

You know a great bar when you're in one, Esquire posits. The magazine knows more than a few, from "Christ-this-is-a-dive" dives to classy cocktail lounges. He're a sample of their favorites, from around the country: Mac's Club Deuce, Miami Beach, Florida Callaghan's Irish Social Club, Mobile, Alabama The Globe, Athens, Georgia More »

The case against Lisa Nowak, the former astronaut accused of stalking and pepper spraying a rival in a fit of jealousy, took a hit yesterday when a Florida judge threw out evidence recovered from her car and recorded statements she made to the police. The judge ruled that Nowak, facing charges of attempted kidnapping, had not fully understood and waived her Miranda rights, CNN reports. More »

An $8 billion effort to reverse generations of destruction of Florida's Everglades is faltering because federal financing has slowed to a trickle. Despite a much-heralded bipartisan agreement in 2000, the 40-year project to save the subtropical marsh is already far behind schedule, and thousands of acres of wildlife habitat continue to be lost to developers and rock miners for the construction industry, reports the Times . More »

Five state delegations will lose half their votes if they hold their primaries, as currently scheduled, before the official start date of February 5, the RNC ruled yesterday. The party’s national chairman said the penalty shouldn’t come as a surprise, because the 2008 rules were adopted at the 2004 convention, Congressional Quarterly reports. More »

Republican presidential hopefuls fought bitterly over who has the best conservative credentials in an Orlando, Fla., forum last night. Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee cited their conservative executive experience, while John McCain and Fred Thompson touted conservative Senate voting records. Giuliani generally sparred with Thompson, and McCain with Romney. More »

A camera-shy Florida surfing champ with super model in tow was detained and released following a row with photographers in Israel, reports AP. Eight-time world champion Kelly Slater was spotted outside a hotel near Tel Aviv with model Bar Refaeli; when photogs started snapping, Slater pushed them, police said. A similar incident occurred earlier this year when Refaeli was spotted with former beau Leonardo DiCaprio, and the actor's bodyguards scuffled with paparazzi. More »

Mel Martinez has quit as RNC general chairman after only 10 months in the post. The US  Senator from Florida, a Cuban refugee, publicly split with GOP hardliners over immigration reform. Martinez was also left to explain why the party’s presidential hopefuls were no-shows at a bilingual forum, the Washington Post reports. More »

Poor Florida. Seven years after the 2000 election fiasco, the state is overhauling its election system yet again, this time chucking touch-screen voting booths for a system that combines old-fashioned pen-and-paper ballots with optical scanning. And with many other states also ditching touch screens, no one wants to buy Florida’s now useless—and expensive—machines, the New York Times reports. More »

In a case that led to reforms in the state's controversial juvenile justice system, eight former Florida boot camp workers were acquitted of manslaughter today in the death of a 14-year-old boy. "You kill a dog, you go to jail. You kill a little black boy and nothing happens," said the family's lawyer, echoing the frustrations of many outside the courthouse. More »

Police raided the homes and offices of two doctors who prescribed medication to Anna Nicole Smith today as part of an ongoing investigation into the circumstances of the heiress' death in Florida in February, the LA Times reports. California AG Jerry Brown said investigators had developed evidence of violations of the state's medical code and possible criminality. More »

With upstarts Florida and Michigan threatening to crowd New Hampshire's sacred kickoff primary, the Granite State's secretary of state is shaking campaigns by dangling a December 2007 polling date. Endowed with god-like election powers, Bill Gardner can do whatever he needs in order to make sure candidates pay his tiny state heed. And he's keeping his options wide open. More »

Florida Gators' safety and captain Tony Joiner was arrested and charged with felony burglary after attempting to retrieve his girlfriend's car from a towing lot. Joiner becomes the eighth Florida player since April to become entangled in legal trouble. The owner of the car lot, however, believes the incident involving Joiner was a misunderstanding. More »

Americans’ 80-year love affair with Florida is on the rocks, says the Wall Street Journal. With housing prices up 64% compared with five years ago and property taxes skyrocketing, the magnetic effect of the long-time fastest-growing state is weakening. “I thought it would be like a vacation," said one transplant. "It turned out to be a hurricane.” More »

Defiant Florida Democrats are poised to flout national party rules and push forward with a state primary on Jan. 29. The move means the DNC will strip Florida of its 210 nominating convention delegates and major Democratic candidates will not campaign in the state, reports the AP. "I'm not concerned with the DNC," one Florida party leader said. More »

Two University of Florida police officers who used a stun gun on a 21-year-old student at a campus forum with John Kerry have been placed on paid leave pending an investigation, CNN reports. Disturbing video of the incident, in which the student pleaded with police not to taser him, has been viewed around the world. More »