Local Politics · Miami, FL
A report obtained by Miami New Times alleges that social media influencers hired through a $2.35 million political committee promoting Miami's Nov. 3 Referendum 3 posted racist, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ content targeting opponents of the Virginia Key marina redevelopment. Campaign finance records show Dallas-based Suntex Marina Investors LLC was the sole donor to Help Save Virginia Key PC between July 20 and Oct. 9, with about $1.12 million directed to Miami firm Big Tuesday Media. The report does not establish that Suntex or its partners authorized the offensive posts, nor does it document direct payments to individual influencers. RCI Group VP Robert Christoph said he was unaware whether RCI or Suntex funded the influencer payments but defended the campaign's message; Big Tuesday Media owner Jorge Bustamante declined comment.
Local Politics · North Miami, FL
North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme has been disqualified from running for re-election this November after court records showed he used a cashier's check instead of a direct check from his campaign account to pay qualifying fees, and was 80 cents short. Miami-Dade County published a notice stating the remaining candidate is deemed elected by law, making the race unopposed. Desulme's attorney Benedict P. Kuehne said the mayor followed all requirements of the North Miami Code and accused his opponent of filing late to sabotage the election process. The mayor intends to appeal the ruling.
Local Politics · North Miami, FL
A lawsuit over cashier's checks used to pay candidate qualifying fees has disqualified incumbent North Miami Mayor Alix Desulme from next month's election, effectively handing victory to his sole opponent, George Morgan. Morgan filed an emergency complaint in Miami-Dade County court on Oct. 8, alleging Desulme paid with two TD Bank cashier's checks rather than from his "candidate campaign account." Desulme disputed the premise, saying the check was drawn from his campaign account.
Crime · New York, NY
Twins Alon and Oren Alexander, 39, and their older brother Tal Alexander, 40—luxury real estate agents in New York and Miami—face sentencing on Oct. 27 in Manhattan federal court after being convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy spanning 2008 to 2021. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences and fines up to $1.75 million per brother, while the defense requests 15 years each. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni denied nearly all defense objections at a Monday conference hearing and will hear victim impact statements from women who did not testify during trial. Oren Alexander also faces two pending state rape cases in Miami-Dade court, with a status hearing rescheduled to mid-November.
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Crime · Miami-Dade County
A Miami-Dade County jury on Tuesday recommended the death penalty for Alberto Sierra, who admitted to suffocating his wife Gladys Machado and her two young stepdaughters, Julia (6) and Daniela (3), with a grocery bag during a November 2012 trip that prosecutors said began as planned shopping. Jurors heard closing arguments Monday; all but one voted for death on the mother's murder, all twelve for the 6-year-old's murder, and eight for the 3-year-old's murder. Prosecutors alleged Machado was bound, tortured, and sexually assaulted before being killed, while the defense cited a childhood brain injury in urging life imprisonment. Machado's son Michael Padrino, who survived by staying with his great-grandmother, testified about the family members lost. The judge will next hold a Spencer hearing, the defense's final opportunity to seek life in prison before sentencing.
Social Events · Miami Beach, FL
Miami Beach will hold its 18th annual Veterans Day parade on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, starting at 11:11 a.m. along Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Street, organized with VFW Post 3559. A post-parade ceremony at Lummus Park at 12:15 p.m. will include a 21-gun salute, wreath-laying, and remarks from U.S. Southern Command and elected officials. Related activities include bugle calls at sunset Nov. 7–10 at three locations, a digital VFW Letters of Gratitude campaign beginning Nov. 2, and an in-person letter drop-off with commemorative hats on Nov. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at Lummus Park.
Community News
Preventive full-body scans, costing $1,000 to $2,500 out of pocket and typically not covered by insurance, are growing in popularity across South Florida, with Prenuvo operating at Boca Raton's Mizner Park and Coral Gables, Function/Ezra in nine area cities, and Baptist Health offering whole-body MRIs as outpatient services. Swedish company Neko Health plans to open a screening center at Aventura Mall on Dec. 9, using proprietary imaging devices and a 53-biomarker blood panel rather than MRI or CT technology. Medical experts including Dr. Atif Hussein of Memorial Cancer Institute caution that routine scans can uncover harmless findings leading to unnecessary biopsies and anxiety, while noting they do not replace standard screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms. Boynton Beach resident Paul "Cid" Ceresa credits a Prenuvo scan with early detection of aggressive prostate cancer.
Crime · Miami-Dade County
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday state charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 95, related to the Feb. 24, 1996 downing of Brothers to the Rescue planes near Cuba. The state complaint alleges Castro, then Minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces, authorized Cuban MiGs to destroy two unarmed Cessnas departing Opa-Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County, killing four occupants. The charges build on a federal indictment announced in May by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. An arrest warrant was issued restricting Castro's travel to countries with U.S. extradition agreements. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected the charges as having no legal basis.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
Multiple South Florida law enforcement agencies have posted warnings about scammers calling residents while impersonating police officers to demand payment for fake warrants, bonds, or missed jury duty. The fraudsters use real officer names, badge numbers, and spoofed caller ID to appear legitimate, according to authorities in Sunny Isles Beach, Homestead, Hialeah, and Palm Beach County. In one Sunny Isles Beach case, a fraudster posing as a police lieutenant sent a fake notice attempting to obtain money, but the potential victim contacted the department before paying. Agencies stress they will never call demanding payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, and urge residents to hang up and report suspicious calls to non-emergency lines.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
A converted trailer and box truck caught fire around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in the area of Northwest 81st Street and 13th Avenue in Northwest Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Sheriff's Office crews responded to the first-alarm blaze, which took nearly two hours to contain before specialized foam was applied to prevent reignition. MDFR officials said a transformer explosion may have caused the fire, though the cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported, but flames damaged belongings in an adjacent trailer owned by Vladimir Aguirre, whose pets—two dogs and two bunnies—were confirmed safe.
Public Safety · Hialeah, FL
Hialeah Police and city officials held a news conference announcing a new specialized traffic enforcement unit of five officers to target speeding, aggressive driving, and DUI. The team began patrolling Hialeah streets the day before the announcement, according to Mayor Bryan Calvo. Officials said the unit aims to reduce crashes by creating an enforcement mechanism for dangerous drivers. Authorities also introduced a department-branded Corvette seized in a previous police sting, which will be used exclusively for community engagement, education, and outreach events.
Social Events · Orlando, FL
The Banana Ball Open tournament will return to ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World in Orlando from April 15-18, with all six teams attending and the top four competing in the venue's 9,500-seat stadium. This marks the second year Walt Disney World hosts the entertainment-first baseball league, which was founded by the Savannah Bananas. Fans can enter a ticket lottery at BananaBall.com before Oct. 31 for a chance to purchase tickets starting at $35. Additional Florida stops include Jacksonville in March, Tampa Bay and Pensacola in May, and Miami in September.
Community brief · Miami Beach, FL
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will perform his show "The Search for Life in the Universe" at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, on Monday, March 15, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. The venue announced the booking on Instagram Tuesday morning. VIP and Citi cardmember presales begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, via Ticketmaster; a Live Nation All Access presale follows Thursday, Oct. 22, with general onsale Friday, Oct. 23.
