Longing for the Softer Side of Hurricanes

A Continent Away from Horrible Destruction, I Miss the Familial Routines of My South Florida Childhood

After school, whenever I walked into my family’s home in Davie, Florida, I was always reminded of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, which decimated nearly 64,000 homes some 60 miles away in the city of Homestead. Andrew—all Floridians are on a first name basis with their hurricanes—still lived on via the duct tape my uncle had applied to our jalousie windows. Even after the tape was removed, a large X of residue remained that my mother never bothered to scrub off.

Two things are funny about this: First, I didn’t actually experience …

How the NRA Made Florida the “Gunshine State”

Decades Before the Orlando Shooting, Lobbyists in the State Helped Redefine Americans’ Constitutional Right to Bear Arms

Ever since the brutal mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando in the early morning hours on June 12, Florida has become the focus of nationwide concerns about easy …

California Needs More Old People

Let's Transform the Golden State Into a Global Destination for Retirees in Their Golden Years

Florida Governor Rick Scott is traveling to California this weekend with designs on stealing away some of our state’s businesses. So why don’t we return the favor by developing our …

flower parade

oh florida
I love your rain
& venetian blinds:

red parade of tiny flowers in the pool
open yesterday closed today
blown off your stems by the storm:

dead bees float along

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart

This Florida Representative Is Sticking With His Bad Habits

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart is a Republican representative from Florida who has served in the House since 2003. Before participating in a panel on what immigration reform would mean for Miami, …

Post-Undocumented Miami

Who Would Be South Florida's Big Winners After Immigration Reform?

The most obvious beneficiaries of immigration reform are undocumented migrants and their families. But the sweeping legislation on the table has the potential to transform not just individual lives but …