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Joshua Perez, 35, is facing seven charges that include aggravated battery on law enforcement officers, resisting arrest with violence, aggravated fleeing and eluding law enforcement with property damage, and leaving the scene of a crash, court records show. ... Read More

Too much power is in too few hands in Tallahassee. It’s not democratic (with a small d), it makes life easy for lobbyists, which is wrong, and it’s often not in the public interest. But that’s how it works, and it’s why elections for every seat in the Legislature matter and why it’s important who chairs every legislative committee. Two developments this week illustrate the situation. ... Read More

The requirement that a jury unanimously recommend a sentence of death comports with the overwhelming majority of states that have the death penalty. At the time that Hurst v. Florida was decided, of the 31 states that legalized capital punishment, only three states — Florida, Alabama and Delaware — did not require that a unanimous jury recommend the death penalty. Since that time, the Delaware Supreme Court declared the state’s capital sentencing statute unconstitutional, and we held... Read More

When she took office a year ago, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody pledged, “I will fight for all Floridians.” She challenged the media to hold her accountable. Our first-year assessment: Moody has made some positive steps, but she is too often guided by partisan politics, rather than the greater good. ... Read More

Clockwise from top-left, Von D. Mizell (formed the first South Florida NAACP chapter), Joseph A. Ely (first principal of Dillard High School and later Crispus Attucks High School), Eula Johnson (civil rights activist known as the Rosa Parks of Broward County) and segregation at the beaches. The paintings, made by Kyle Harris of Harris Art Studio, are part of “Ode to South Broward,” a new exhibit at Old Dillard Museum spotlighting the pioneers of four historically black... Read More

Cruise passengers and cargo volumes at Port Everglades have grown exponentially over the past 20 years, and are forecast to almost double over the next 20 years, say Port Everglades officials, who are planning for the boom in traffic. (ABOVE) A cruise ship, the Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess, arriving last month to Port Everglades. (Port Everglades) ... Read More

State Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, In Tallahassee, is sponsoring so-called the Vulnerable Child Protection Act. His bill would make it a felony for doctors to provide hormonal therapies, gender reassignment surgeries and other medical treatment for minors who identify as transgender. “We have a responsibility in protecting children,” Baxley told ABC News. “I’m very concerned about protecting children from medical procedures that could be damaging to them physically.”(AP Photo/Steve... Read More

It’s the start of a new decade and the greatest population shift in Broward will occur within the next five to 10 years when 236,663 older adults go from ages 55-64 to 60–74. Leaders in Miami and Fort Lauderdale need to be doing more to anticipate the needs of an aging population and create a smart city that is also age-friendly. (Taimy Alvarez / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ... Read More

Fisher Island, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, is a 216-acre private community. The private membership Fisher Island Club boasts a beach club, luxury hotel, championship golf course, 17 tennis courts, two deep-water marinas, multiple dining venues, a full-service spa, salon, fitness center, theater and aviary. The island is also home to the Fisher Island Day School. ... Read More

A: In Florida, along with most states, short term, or “transient,” rentals of less than six months are taxed. In addition to this state tax, counties can add a “tourist development tax” and other types of local taxes to raise the rate further. The property owner is responsible for collecting and remitting the funds to the revenue collector. Failing to do so can result in significant penalties. ... Read More