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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Miami.

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South Floridians got richer between 2019 and 2022

The area's median income was $70,769 in 2022.

News

Enjoy international cuisine, deals this Hispanic Heritage Month

Miami restaurants representing all types of international cuisines have special deals.

Food and Drink

Owner plans to replace Clevelander Hotel with residential building

40% of the units would be reserved for affordable housing rentals.

Development

New laws make teachers anxious about school year

New anti-"woke" education laws are stressing out Florida teachers.

Politics

Florida leads the country in book bans

Public school book bans nationally increased by 33% in the 2022–23 school year.

Florida surpassed Texas as the state with the most books pulled from shelves in public schools this year, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a report" data-vars-click-url="https://pen.org/report/book-bans-pressure-to-censor/" data-vars-content-id="0198bc4c-0add-42bc-9264-56ea1c8295f7" data-vars-headline="Florida leads the country in book bans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pen.org/report/book-bans-pressure-to-censor/" target="_blank">a report</a> released yesterday from literary nonprofit PEN America.What&#x27;s happening: The number of public school book bans across the country increased by 33% in the 2022–23 school year compared to 2021–22, the report found.

Illustration of a book wrapped in caution tape

Miami-Dade searches for new trash incinerator site

Building a new incinerator could cost over $1 billion.

Miami-Dade County is searching for a new place to burn its garbage after the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Doral trash incinerator was destroyed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/02/22/doral-trash-incinerator-fire-health-risks" data-vars-content-id="afd27146-f310-458a-9807-69c3168ccc36" data-vars-headline="Miami-Dade searches for new trash incinerator site" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/02/22/doral-trash-incinerator-fire-health-risks" target="_self">Doral trash incinerator was destroyed</a> in a fire earlier this year.Why it matters: The county needs a plan for the 1 million tons of garbage the Doral facility used to burn every year.

Firefighters battle a blaze at a Doral incinerator in February 2023.

Commission to discuss Díaz de la Portilla vacancy after arrest

The commission must either appoint a temporary replacement or call for a special election.

Miami commissioners are meeting Saturday to discuss how to fill the seat left vacant by the arrest and suspension of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/09/15/miami-commissioner-alex-daz-de-la-portilla-arrested" data-vars-content-id="b443d244-12ca-47ca-a4ec-4a632272e083" data-vars-headline="Commission to discuss Díaz de la Portilla vacancy after arrest" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/09/15/miami-commissioner-alex-daz-de-la-portilla-arrested" target="_self">Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla</a>.Catch up fast: Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Díaz de la Portilla from office Friday after his arrest on corruption charges, including alleged bribery and money laundering.

Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in 2021.

Miami commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla arrested on corruption charges

The charges include bribery, money laundering and more.

Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="arrested Thursday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wlrn.org/law-justice/2023-09-14/alex-diaz-de-la-portilla-miami-commissioner-money-laundering" data-vars-content-id="b52b116d-d30f-4753-8c74-58e8f0fbc79b" data-vars-headline="Miami commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla arrested on corruption charges" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wlrn.org/law-justice/2023-09-14/alex-diaz-de-la-portilla-miami-commissioner-money-laundering" target="_blank">arrested Thursday</a> on charges including money laundering, bribery and official misconduct.Driving the news: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="statement" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/News/2023/September/FDLE-arrests-Miami-Commissioner-on-money-launderin" data-vars-content-id="b52b116d-d30f-4753-8c74-58e8f0fbc79b" data-vars-headline="Miami commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla arrested on corruption charges" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/News/2023/September/FDLE-arrests-Miami-Commissioner-on-money-launderin" target="_blank">statement</a> that Díaz de la Portilla and local attorney William Riley Jr., who was also arrested, accepted more than $15,000 in payments from the Miami-Dade County judicial campaign of Díaz de la Portilla&#x27;s brother without reporting them.

Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla speaks at Miami City Hall in 2021. 

The race to become Miami Beach's next mayor

It's the No. 1 tourism destination in Miami-Dade County.

Miami Beach will soon be under new leadership, as voters are set to pick a successor to Mayor Dan Gelber, who is term-limited after six years in office.Why it matters: Miami Beach is the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="No. 1 tourism destination" data-vars-click-url="https://issuu.com/miamiandmiamibeachguides.com/docs/2022_visitor_industry_overview?fr=sNGVhZTU2MDk4OTk" data-vars-content-id="95b0fb11-9274-4106-9b76-4ce116583a79" data-vars-headline="The race to become Miami Beach&#x27;s next mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://issuu.com/miamiandmiamibeachguides.com/docs/2022_visitor_industry_overview?fr=sNGVhZTU2MDk4OTk" target="_blank">No. 1 tourism destination</a> in Miami-Dade County and at the forefront of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="battle against sea-level rise" data-vars-click-url="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article268202532.html" data-vars-content-id="95b0fb11-9274-4106-9b76-4ce116583a79" data-vars-headline="The race to become Miami Beach&#x27;s next mayor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article268202532.html" target="_blank">battle against sea-level rise</a>.

Surfside mayor faces censure vote over "Spanish" remark

Commissioners are expected to vote on formally condemning the comment.

Surfside commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to formally condemn a comment made by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Shlomo Danzinger about a Hispanic commissioner" data-vars-click-url="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-mayor-accused-racism-misogyny-exchange-hispanic-commissioner-later-apologizes" data-vars-content-id="4fc7baf6-645d-4760-8831-62f26805ae42" data-vars-headline="Surfside mayor faces censure vote over &quot;Spanish&quot; remark" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-mayor-accused-racism-misogyny-exchange-hispanic-commissioner-later-apologizes" target="_blank">Mayor Shlomo Danzinger about a Hispanic commissioner</a> that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="has been called racist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article277941978.html" data-vars-content-id="4fc7baf6-645d-4760-8831-62f26805ae42" data-vars-headline="Surfside mayor faces censure vote over &quot;Spanish&quot; remark" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article277941978.html" target="_blank">has been called racist</a>.Catch up fast: At a meeting last month, Danzinger and Commissioner Nelly Velasquez were debating over policy when Danzinger tried to stop Velasquez from interrupting him, asking &quot;Does anybody know how to speak Spanish to tell it to her?&quot;

Immigration policy that helped Haitians, Cubans on trial

The humanitarian parole program is a way the Biden administration is looking to deter refugees.

A federal immigration program that has allowed immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to apply for legal entry to the U.S. is on trial Friday after Florida and other Republican-led states sued to overturn it.Why it matters: The humanitarian parole program is one of the ways the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Biden administration is looking to deter refugees" data-vars-click-url="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article278485169.html" data-vars-content-id="fc897177-eb0c-47e5-bb4b-d7116928211d" data-vars-headline="Immigration policy that helped Haitians, Cubans on trial" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article278485169.html" target="_blank">Biden administration is looking to deter refugees</a> from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border or sailing to Florida by boat, the Miami Herald reports.

Florida teachers are feeling anxious about the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="start of school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/08/16/school-starts-miami-dade-aug-17" data-vars-content-id="ef36f860-2869-4290-baad-4ff14483c2c6" data-vars-headline="New laws make teachers anxious about school year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/08/16/school-starts-miami-dade-aug-17" target="_self">start of school</a> this year amid a slew of new education policies they say are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="making their jobs more difficult" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-teachers-start-school-year-uncertainty-new-policies-take-effec-rcna99243" data-vars-content-id="ef36f860-2869-4290-baad-4ff14483c2c6" data-vars-headline="New laws make teachers anxious about school year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-teachers-start-school-year-uncertainty-new-policies-take-effec-rcna99243" target="_blank">making their jobs more difficult</a>.Why it matters: Florida&#x27;s political &quot;culture wars&quot; are worsening the state&#x27;s teacher shortage and hurting students, United Teachers of Dade president Karla Hernandez-Mats tells Axios.

Illustration of a person sitting somberly on the edge of a giant pencil

Suarez won't debate after failing to qualify

His long-shot campaign is polling at 1% on average.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez cannot debate fellow Republican presidential candidates Wednesday night after failing to qualify for the first GOP primary debate.Driving the news: Suarez <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="claimed last week that he had qualified" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/francis-suarez-miami-mayor-republican-debate-president-5898b380b1d239a94d9de358e72253b7" data-vars-content-id="0f879daa-622d-4ac7-9160-3ae9a2ae610f" data-vars-headline="Suarez won&#x27;t debate after failing to qualify" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/francis-suarez-miami-mayor-republican-debate-president-5898b380b1d239a94d9de358e72253b7" target="_blank">claimed last week that he had qualified</a> by meeting both the fundraising and polling requirements, but he didn&#x27;t make the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="list of eight participants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gop.com/press-release/rnc-announces-participants-for-first-debate-in-milwaukee/" data-vars-content-id="0f879daa-622d-4ac7-9160-3ae9a2ae610f" data-vars-headline="Suarez won&#x27;t debate after failing to qualify" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gop.com/press-release/rnc-announces-participants-for-first-debate-in-milwaukee/" target="_blank">list of eight participants</a> released Monday night by the Republican National Committee.

Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami, speaks at the Republican Party Of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner

Survey: LGBTQ+ Floridians want to leave

Florida is estimated to have the second largest transgender population in the U.S.

A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new community survey" data-vars-click-url="https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/GAC-Ban-Memo-Final.pdf" data-vars-content-id="cbb29999-275c-4b96-9ede-44cce0162b27" data-vars-headline="Survey: LGBTQ+ Floridians want to leave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/GAC-Ban-Memo-Final.pdf" target="_blank">new community survey</a> from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) found that 80% of transgender or nonbinary Floridians either want to move away or have already made plans to do so.<ul><li>One in three LGBTQ+ residents who took the survey also responded the same way.</li></ul>

Politics 🇺🇸