Upgrades are coming to Miami International Airport amid criticism — and finger pointing — about the current state of disrepair at the airport.

Driving the news: At a press conference yesterday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava touted $1.7 billion in deferred maintenance projects and another $7 billion in capital projects.

• She blamed previous administrations for delaying needed improvements, though she has been in county office — now as mayor and previously as a commissioner — since 2014.

Why it matters: MIA is the county's biggest economic driver, and in the past, local leaders have expressed fears over the possible threat of a state takeover.

The problems: MIA's Skytrain, which transports passengers around the mile-long Concourse D, shut down in September due to structural issues. (It has forced some passengers to walk as much as a mile to their gates, though a free shuttle is also available.)

• The first repair phase is expected to be completed by the end of March, Levine Cava said, which would bring about two-thirds of the elevated train system back online.
• Phase two is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The total cost of the repairs to the 13-year-old train is over $4 million, according to an MIA presentation.

What else: About 7% of MIA's over 600 elevators, escalators and moving walkways are out of service on any given day, the Miami Herald reports.

• Ralph Cutié, director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, told the Herald he hopes to cut that figure in half.
• The commission approved nearly $700 million in contracts last year to repair or replace aging systems, the newspaper reported.

Go deeper

Levels of respiratory illnesses, including COVID, the flu and RSV, are "high" in Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

• Around 5% of people who visited an emergency room across the state had the flu in the weeks leading up to Christmas. That's up from 4% for the same time last year.

Zoom in: Luckily, flu activity in Miami-Dade County is decreasing, according to the Florida Department of Health's latest "Flu Review."

What they're saying: "The influenza season usually peaks in February, and at the moment, flu activity continues to be high," Jill Roberts, associate professor for the USF College of Public Health, tells Axios.

Be smart: It's not too late to get a flu or COVID vaccine to protect yourself against serious illness and complications.

• RSV vaccines for adults ages 60 and older and pregnant people are available for the first time. The latter passes antibodies to a fetus during the third trimester.

Plus: Every household in the U.S. can order eight free at-home COVID tests from the federal government.

🎦 Miami-Dade commissioners voted this week to install traffic cameras in over 200 school zones. (WPLG Local 10)

🗑️ Miami-Dade is considering a "trash train" to ship its excess garbage to Georgia after last year's trash incinerator fire in Doral. (Miami Herald)

🚫 Florida is among 15 Republican-led states opting out of a federal summer food program that would give eligible families $120 per child. (Politico)

🧢 Amazon Prime will be streaming Marlins games beginning this season after Amazon bought a minority stake in the parent company of Bally Sports. Heat and Panthers games are likely coming to Prime soon, too. (Miami Herald)

🎤 Rapper G-Eazy performs at E11EVEN tonight.

• Tickets start at $40.

🍻 Magic 13 Brewing Co. celebrates its one-year anniversary tomorrow with bands, food and axe throwing.

• Free parking.

🍹 The Coconut Grove Rum Festival is tomorrow in Regatta Grove.

• Free entry, but a "rum experience pass" is $90.

🍋 The first annual Vivo! Margarita Fest! is tomorrow at the Dolphin Mall with cocktails and a mariachi band.

• Tickets start at $20.

😆 Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler visit Seminole Hard Rock on their Restless Leg Tour Sunday.

• Tickets start at $95.

Tell a friend

A Miami-based startup has developed a pair of "smart" glasses that play music, take phone calls and connect to ChatGPT.

Driving the news: Innovative Eyewear claims to be the first company to provide ChatGPT-enabled smart glasses, which it debuted last year.

• The local tech company sells sunglasses and prescription glasses under its Lucyd Smart Eyewear brand, and it has also partnered with Nautica and Eddie Bauer.

How it works: Built-in Bluetooth speakers allow users to ask questions to the AI chatbot through the free Lucyd app they can download on their phone.

• Small buttons on the glasses frame enable users to speak to the chatbot, take calls and play music.
• To get a true hands-free ChatGPT experience, you'll need to add Lucyd as a shortcut and tell your voice assistant to connect to the Lucyd app.

Martin's review: Innovative Eyewear loaned me a pair of Lucyd Lyte Antimatter polarized sunglasses that retail for $229 (now on sale for $169).

• Sound: The quality was good, even when walking along busy roads. Because my ears weren't covered by headphones, I could still hear passing cars.
• AI: It was a bit of a hassle to get the hands-free ChatGPT function to work, and the responses the chatbot gave were not entirely reliable. It did draft me an email asking my editor for an extension on my deadline.
• Value: Especially at its price point, this is a fun luxury gadget that offers a glimpse into the future of wearable technology.

🤔 My takeaway: It definitely makes a statement, but I can get by with the sunglasses and AirPods I already own.

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