News

Pages

Norman Van Aken's A Word On Food
12:24 pm
Sun May 12, 2013

Hobo Packs: A Culinary Treat For Old Time's Sake

Credit Norman Van Aken
Janet's 'hobo pack' designer beans

We flew up to join the family to celebrate my Mother-in-Law’s 90th (!) Birthday Celebration. When our family gets together we, like many families, get straight to the heart of the matter. What are we cooking?! What are we eating?!

Read more
Arts
2:39 pm
Fri May 10, 2013

New Broward Center Lounge Offers Taste Of High Life

Credit C. DiMattei
A theater patron enjoys a drink inside Club Level at the Broward Center while a Miami Heat game plays on one of the lounge's two flat-screen TVs.

At the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, it's intermission during a production of "War Horse."

Eric Chirinsky stands at the bar of the Broward Center's new lounge Club Level, drink in hand, watching the Miami Heat battle the Chicago Bulls on a flat-screen TV.

"I just figured I'd check it out and see how our home team was doing tonight," he says.

But his wife, Katarina, isn't focused on pro basketball right now.  She's sitting alone, enjoying a plate of hors d'oeuvres and a glass of bubbly.

Read more
Session 2013
2:38 pm
Fri May 10, 2013

The 7 Things To Know About Florida's Legislative Session

So many issues made the headlines during the state's 60-day legislative session.  But if you haven't been following the ins-and-outs of Tallahassee, we have you covered.  Here are the 7 main events from Florida’s recently concluded legislative session.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
2:36 pm
Fri May 10, 2013

Why Florida Has The Most Invasive Species

Credit Jeff Wright/Flickr
Originally from Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Bahamas, Cuban treefrogs are one of more than 130 invasive amphibians and reptiles in Florida.

Florida has a big problem with invasive species, and the idea of chowing down on the pests has been gaining in popularity. So far, there’s a cookbook dedicated to lionfish, an invasive species cooking contest and even an invasive species sampler tent at The Grassroots Festival on Virginia Key this past February. 

As Lanette Sobel with the Fertile Earth Foundation said, “If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em.”

Unfortunately, that tactic, however appetizing, is probably not enough to outpace the invaders wreaking havoc on Florida’s ecosystem.

Read more
The Florida Roundup
12:00 pm
Fri May 10, 2013

Winners And Losers From Florida's Legislative Session

    

Join us for The Florida Roundup today at noon for a special look back at the 2013 state legislative session and a follow-up with participants from our WLRN-Miami Herald Town Hall in February.

Below you can be part of a live, online discussion curated by our social media editor, Danny Rivero.

Click here for The Seven Most Important Things You Should Know About Florida's Legislative Session

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
11:14 am
Fri May 10, 2013

How to Make Burmese Python Nuggets

Credit Maurice Cohn Band / Miami Herald
Chef Kris Wessel and his python display at an invasive species dining event.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

BURMESE PYTHON

Origin: Southeast Asia

Read more
Session 2013
7:30 am
Fri May 10, 2013

How Did The Arts Fare In Session 2013?

Credit Ines Hegedus-Garcia/flickr
Compared to other states, Florida's legislators are middle of the road when it comes to funding the arts.

Over the course of the recently concluded legislative session, we approached lawmakers with questions from South Florida residents that came out of last February's WLRN-Miami Herald Town Hall.

Here's one:

What's being done to promote and protect development of local artists across the state?

The short answer is: not much.

Read more
The Media
7:00 am
Fri May 10, 2013

Fort Lauderdale Mayor: 'The Onion Did Not Make Me Cry'

Credit Eric Barton
The New River at sunrise: Apparently The Onion hasn't seen this.

Chances are you have a friend who forces you to make excuses for him. He’s just not good in big crowds. Or he’s like that because of the tough boss he has at work. He’s late all the time, but then, he’s just from Miami.

Living in Fort Lauderdale is like having one of those friends. It’s a city that’s often the punch line of a joke in a state that just can’t seem to stay out of late-night monologues.

Read more
Miami Dish
9:48 am
Thu May 9, 2013

Borderless Latin American Cooking With Maricel Presilla

Credit W.W. Norton & Company

When she won a James Beard award for her cookbook, Gran Cocina Latina, Maricel Presilla felt gratified to be acknowledged for the "work of a lifetime," as well as for "the collective work of millions of Latin Americans that live on two continents, in the Caribbean Islands, and also in the U.S."

Read more
Environment
7:03 am
Thu May 9, 2013

Enjoy Florida's Wetlands Before They Disappear

Credit Tricia Woolfenden / WLRN
Wildlife hotspots like Green Cay Nature Center in Boynton Beach are ideal places to mark American Wetlands Month.

The recently-wrapped 2013 Florida Legislative session was an active one for those who track environmental issues in the Sunshine State.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:30 am
Thu May 9, 2013

Some Health Risks With Eating Giant African Land Snail

Credit Andrew Derksen, Florida Cooperative Pest Survey Program
The giant African land snail can grow up to eight inches long.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:00 am
Thu May 9, 2013

How To Make Wild Boar Tacos With Tomatillo Salsa

Credit wildflorida.com
???

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

Read more
Elections Bill
3:41 pm
Wed May 8, 2013

How The Elections Bill Will Impact South Florida Voters

Credit gdcphoto/flickr
Miami voters wait - and wait - on Election Day 2012.

Many South Florida voters were still in line to cast ballots during the 2012 election hours after President Barack Obama had been declared the winner.

Twelve years after hanging chads and the infamous election recount, Florida was again a national punchline last November.

Elections supervisors blamed the length of the ballot and fewer days for early voting as reasons for the long lines in some areas.

Read more
Texting Ban
3:40 pm
Wed May 8, 2013

Simulator Offers Crash Course On Dangers Of Texting

Credit C. DiMattei
"It Can Wait" Tour Manager Griffin Hagler shows 16-year-old Park Vista High School student Webster Jean how to work AT&T's Texting-While-Driving Simulator.

Sixteen-year-old Webster Jean is driving around on city streets, left hand on the wheel, right hand holding a smartphone.  As he reads and responds to his text messages, he repeatedly veers across the double-yellow lines.

And then --  wham.

"I crashed,"  says Jean with a chuckle.

Jean tee-bones another car – but he’s fine.  The teenager is just taking a spin in a texting-while-driving simulator brought to Park Vista High School by wireless carrier AT&T. 

Read more
No Socks Day
12:00 pm
Wed May 8, 2013

Going Sockless In South Florida Can Be A Bit Hazardous

Credit nick farnhill

Socks.

Those wonderful cotton foot huggers which absorb our sweat and decorate our ankles, are taking the day off.

At least for those who observe it, May 8 is No Socks Day.

But living in South Florida should make you think twice:

Read more
Flawed But Fabulous
7:30 am
Wed May 8, 2013

How Much Do You Walk? Livability In South Florida

Credit Carl Juste/Miami Herald Staff
A pedestrian walk across the crosswalk as a vehicle makes a right turn heading west on SW 13 Street in Miami's Brickell area on Wednesday, May 30, 2012.

Have you ever tried to cross US-1 on foot? Both in South and North Miami, all the way through Broward and even in parts of the Florida Keys it’s a harrowing experience. People are driving fast and not expecting pedestrians. It has the feel of an action movie to it and one you’re definitely not starring in.

There are other roads that have this same feel in South Florida. Brickell, Calle Ocho and the Macarthur Causeway are streets you take to get from point A to point B and pray you avoid running into a $200,000 luxury car or uninsured $500 car.

Read more
Everglades National Park
7:00 am
Wed May 8, 2013

Read About New Boating Guidelines For The Everglades

Credit Tricia Woolfenden / WLRN
The public is asked to weigh in on proposed changes to boating regulations inside Everglades National Park.

Proposed changes at Everglades National Park have put anglers at odds with environmental groups. The park's draft general management plan, which includes several variations (or "alternatives"), is currently up for public comment. This Sunday is the deadline to weigh in on proposed measures, which include prohibiting traditional boating in about one-third of Florida Bay. 

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:30 am
Wed May 8, 2013

Eating Invasive Species Comes With A Side Of Caution

Credit David Samayoa
Chef Kris Wessel used the imposing python in the foreground to make smoked and braised python for Fertile Earth Foundation's Underground Miami fund-raiser.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

To accompany our Invasive Species Cookbook , we are also posting the potential health risks of eating certain invasive species and how to possibly mitigate those risks.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:00 am
Wed May 8, 2013

How To Make Snakehead Fish With Mango-Avocado Salsa

Credit criticalmiami.com
Snakehead fish reproduce like rabbits, but in water.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

Read more
Local Elections
2:06 pm
Tue May 7, 2013

North Miami: A City Divided Along Racial Lines

Credit City of North Miami - http://www.northmiamifl.gov/#
North Miami as seen from Keystone Point on the city's east side.

The city of North Miami holds key mayoral elections this month.

But the new mayor will have the difficult job of reuniting a city divided between east and west. 

Read more
Florida Legislature
1:25 pm
Tue May 7, 2013

What Tallahassee Lawmakers Failed To Do in 2013

Credit Wikipedia


Editor's Note: Be sure to check out an interactive bill tracker of this year's session from the Miami Herald.

It's curtains for Session 2013 in Tallahassee but a feeling persists that not much was accomplished during the last two months.

Dolphins Stadium

Here in South Florida, the clock ran out on the Miami Dolphins' 2-minute drill for state help on renovations to Sun Life Stadium.

Read more
Business
7:00 am
Tue May 7, 2013

Miami Agency Enjoys Sweet Spot Of Gay Advertising

Credit tinsley.com
The creative team at Tinsley Advertising. Chief Creative Officer Dorn Martell is in the front row, third from left.

Dorn Martell doesn't act surprised to hear gay culture is hot right now after a perfect storm of recent events from legal rulings on same-sex marriage to headlines of professional athletes coming out.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:00 am
Tue May 7, 2013

How To Make Watermelon Gazpacho With Lionfish

Credit NOAA's National Ocean Service/Flickr
Don't judge a book by its cover. The beautiful colors of the lionfish hide an extremely toxic poison.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

Read more
Florida Legislature
2:41 pm
Mon May 6, 2013

List Of Florida Legislation That Passed, Failed In 2013

Credit StateImpact Florida
The Florida Capitol

Lawmakers have gone home. The following is a partial list of bills that were passed or failed to pass during the 2013 Florida Legislative session. (Please note: This is NOT a comprehensive list.)

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out an interactive bill tracker of this year's session from the Miami Herald.

Read more
Community Contributor
2:21 pm
Mon May 6, 2013

Early Miami Pioneer Recalls Early Days Of South Florida

Flagler Street in downtown Miami in 1935.

  I was born Martha Anne Peters in Victoria Hospital on Dec. 20, 1937, a second generation native-born Miamian.

Read more
Invasive Species Cookbook
6:00 am
Mon May 6, 2013

How To Make Stew With Giant African Land Snails

Credit Andrew Derksen, Florida Cooperative Pest Survey Program
The giant African land snail get get up to eight inches long.

Editor's note: In the hunt for what to do about the various mix of invasive species found in Florida, we are running a series that not only describes the problems caused by these plants and animals but, well, offers a culinary solution. Tweet us (@WLRN) your ideas and tips or email us a recipe: WLRNMIA@gmail.com.

Read more
Sunday Arts Breakfast
8:00 am
Sun May 5, 2013

Masters of Music Series - Ennio Morricone

Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone

Caroline Breder-Watts and critic and author Scott Eyman discuss the work of legendary film composer Ennio Morricone.  To learn more about  Scott Eyman, visit www.  scotteyman.com.  To hear the complete conversation, log onto www.artsradionetwork.com.

Read more
News
12:59 pm
Sat May 4, 2013

Negotiation Is Key For Women Seeking Equal Pay

Credit C. DiMattei
Equal-pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter signs her new book for a fan at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

The woman whose name is synonymous with the fight for equal pay for women brought her message to South Florida this week.  And Lilly Ledbetter has some advice for working women at any stage of their careers:  learn how to negotiate.

A study released last month by the National Partnership for Women & Families shows that South Florida women are earning 86 cents for every dollar their male co-workers earn.  Although that's better than the national average of 77 cents, Ledbetter responds to that statistic with three words:

"Not good enough."

Read more
Norman Van Aken's A Word On Food
8:00 am
Sat May 4, 2013

A Brief Taste Of The Latin American Tamale

We love to pack a little carry on of food before getting on a plane. It’s a fine way to pass the time and avoid the bland, predictable and unhealthy!

Read more
Editorial
7:29 pm
Fri May 3, 2013

Stadium Story: An Open Letter To The Miami Dolphins

Credit sunlife.com
That's So Miami? The way a private sports team is trying to obtain public financing for renovations to Sun Life Stadium is raising eyebrows.

Pages