Only In Miami Show

This is an interview with Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber about his ties to developers and his plans for South Beach's world-famous Ocean Drive district.    It is a follow up to this audio recording: https://anchor.fm/only-in-miami-show/episodes/Miami-Beach-Mayor-Dan-Gelber-discusses-Ocean-Drive-PAC-with-former-Mayor-Phillip-Levine-e18vbiu

Grant spoke with Miami Book Fair author Jean Becker about her upcoming appearances at the Miami Book Fair 2021 at Miami-Dade College's downtown Wolfson campus this November 15th. In the first stretch of her book “The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H.W. Bush’s Post-Presidency,” Bush's post-presidency Chief of Staff Jean Becker makes clear how concerned Bush was about leaving a legacy of public service after departing the White House. He wanted to behave in a proper fashion and adopt the right perspective. He even wrote a sort of instruction manual for himself, listing his values and priorities. Disclosure: This post was recorded on Twitter Spaces on Nov. 11th and uses affiliate links.

Grant spoke with Miami Book Fair authors Craig Pittman and Paula Stone Williams about their upcoming appearances at the Miami Book Fair 2021 at Miami-Dade College's downtown Wolfson campus this November 14th-21st. Pittman is author of The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife whose Miami Book Fair appearance will be available on demand Tuesday, Nov. 16.  For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be. But first, Paula Stone Williams explains the deep insights from her new book As A Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy whose Miami Book Fair appearance will be in person on Sat. Nov. 20, a 4 pm in Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Campus, Room 2106.  As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion.  Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image? Disclosure: This post was recorded on Twitter Spaces on Nov. 2nd and uses affiliate links.

Grant spoke with Miami Book Fair authors Jerad W. Alexander and Dara Horn about their upcoming appearances at the Miami Book Fair 2021 at Miami-Dade College's downtown Wolfson campus this November 14th-21st.  Jerad W. Alexander wrote Volunteers: Growing Up in the Forever War.  His appearance at the fair will be available digitally on demand starting Friday, 11/19. The book takes readers deep into the "kingdom"—the insular realm of military families growing up on bases around the world—and vividly evokes a childhood infused with all things war. The minute he is old enough, he enlists, like his parents and stepfather and grandparents before him, and he, too, lands in Iraq as an eager Marine, desperate to see some action. Soon, though, he comes to realize he is fighting a lost cause, a skirmish in the ongoing war on terror that is really about a fruitless display of American might. Everything Alexander has based his life on, has obsessed over, he realizes, is a mirage.  Dara Horn wrote People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present which is currently the #1 selling book on the history of Judaism on Amazon. Her appearance at the fair will be available digitally on demand starting Thursday, 11/18. The book is a startling and profound exploration of how Jewish history is exploited to comfort the living. Dara Horn has been publishing penetrating essays since she was a teenager. Often asked by major publications to write on subjects related to Jewish culture—and increasingly in response to a recent wave of deadly antisemitic attacks—Horn was troubled to realize what all of these assignments had in common: she was being asked to write about dead Jews, never about living ones. In these essays, Horn reflects on subjects as far-flung as the international veneration of Anne Frank, the mythology that Jewish family names were changed at Ellis Island, the blockbuster traveling exhibition Auschwitz, the marketing of the Jewish history of Harbin, China, and the little-known life of the "righteous Gentile" Varian Fry. As Horn explores the (not so) shocking attacks on the American Jewish community in recent years, she reveals the subtler dehumanization built into the public piety that surrounds the Jewish past—making the radical argument that the benign reverence we give to past horrors is itself a profound affront to human dignity. This live recording was made November 1st on Twitter Spaces and uses paid affiliate links. 

A leaked recording of a call to raise funds for a PAC in the 2021 city of Miami Beach elections depicts Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber discusses Ocean Drive PAC with former Mayor Phillip Levine pitching donors on giving funds for a political committee with the promise of access to official city staff and the ability to request zoning changes.

MSNBC contributor and NY Times bestselling author Malcolm Nance joined the show at the Miami Book Fair to discuss his new book "The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It" which just came out: https://amzn.to/2KUxpdQ Gallant CEO Aaron Hirschhorn just launched an innovative pet health product that promises to improve the quality of life for aging pets and expand lifespans in your dogs. But before that, Aaron went on ABC's renowned Shark Tank. It's not his first pet startup either. His new company's innovative stem cell technology is affordable and intended for the mass market of new pet owners, which they just launched a few weeks ago at www.Gallant.com. Recorded: 11/25/19

Three authors appearing at the Miami Book Fair joined us on the Only in Miami Show this week. Find out more about their appearances in Miami at www.miamibookfair.com. George Will is a national conservative political columnist with the Washington Post who wrote "The Conservative Sensibility." He will be in Miami on Tuesday night 11/20 Philip Mudd is the former Deputy Director of the CIA's counterterrorism center and the author of "Black Sites," a book about the intelligence agency's response to the 9/11 attacks. Oscar Caceres is a professor and novelist whose book "Where we came from" is about a Brownsville, Texas family that is sucked into an operation trafficking undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Recorded: 11/19/19

Karina Sainz Borgo is an author invited to the Miami Book Fair whose novel "It would be night in Caracas" is coming out next month, and available on Amazon for pre-sale. https://amzn.to/2nb4TLS Sainz Borgo's novel is a fictional portrayal of escaping the real-life totalitarian regime in Venezuela. We spoke with The Blue Wave Coalition, which is a grassroots organizing committee that trains activists throughout the state of Florida and is holding an event in Miami Springs on Saturday, September 28th from 10 am-3 pm with more details on Eventbrite or at www.bluewavecoalition.org Blue Wave trains new activists and experienced community organizers with the goal of getting more Democrats in Florida's state and local offices in addition to supporting candidates in federal and statewide races. It is $25 to attend, which includes lunch. Note: This story uses Amazon affiliate links.

09/09/2019 - Make It Plain's Rev. Mark Thompson and The Joe Show's Hip Hop Lullabies by Only in Miami Show hosted by Grant Stern

Beatriz Martinez of Triumph Steps helps kids understand their emotions, the ability to listen to others, and to empathize with others, as well as the ability to express emotions productively. She teaches kids to be emotionally literate, to be able to handle emotions in a way that improves one’s “personal power” and to improve the quality of life around and to try and prevent the progression of our current mental health crisis. This really does help to improve relationships, creates loving possibilities between people, makes cooperative work possible, and facilitates being part of a “family”, of community. She is a psychotherapist with over 25 years with support from The Children's Trust. (10') CityGrader.com co-founder Tony Newell joined us on the program to discuss his website which is a civic network that allows taxpayers or any resident to write a review or grade the performance of their city hall, municipal or county employees, as well as teachers, and even police officers. It is to cities as Yelp is to restaurants. By reviewing the performance of public employees, residents can play an active role in improving government performance and their communities; a forum to facilitate dialogue between residents and their local governments, encouraging civic engagement. (30') Former State Rep. Robert Asencio (D) just declared his campaign for the Miami-Dade County Commission against 11th district incumbent Commissioner Joe Martinez (R) in 2020 election, which we discussed will feature a historic seven open seats and as well as an open mayoral seat. We discussed his plans to bring economic growth to West Kendall and Westchester in a bid to improve residents' quality of life by implementing a real solution for the area's endemic traffic problems. (45')

07/22/2019 - Miami-Dade Commission Candidate Johnny Farias & Miami Dems Exec. Dir. Aaron Bos-Lun by Only in Miami Show hosted by Grant Stern

Interview with city commission candidate Eleazar Melendez who is former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell's Chief of Staff. Melendez is running in District 1 covering Alapattah and Flagami.

Former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado critiques the new city administration. Lawyer and CRA expert Frank Schnidman explains Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell's attempt to pull a "bait and switch" with hundreds of millions of tax dollars at the Omni CRA to fool his constituents in the West Grove neighborhood.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmondson is the Chairwoman of the local governing body and represents District 3 including Miami, Miami Shores, and El Portal. We were also joined by Adam Ganuza of the Knight Foundation to talk about the Knight Arts Challenge with Marissa Alma Nick who is the founder of the Alma Dance Theater, who is a past recipient of a grant from the KAC. Find out more: www.knightarts.org www.almadancetheater.com

World-renowned pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht reviewed Sandra Bland's autopsy after she died in the Waller County, Texas county jail after being held over the weekend for a common traffic ticket when the Texas Trooper who pulled her over just outside of Praire View A&M University where she had recently taken a job. Bland suffered from epilepsy and as Dr. Wecht explained, there's a good chance it was the real cause of death by asphyxiation.

Only In Miami Show - Feb 4, 2019 by Only in Miami Show hosted by Grant Stern

An interview with Democratic Florida Attorney General Candidate Sean Shaw - 10/24/18 on Jacobs vs. Goliath with Miami foreclosure attorney Bruce Jacobs as aired live on 880 the Biz from 5-6pm on Wed. night October 24th, 2018. Interview starts at 16' and continues to end.

National security expert Bradley Moss called into the program from Washington, D.C. to explain the White House's latest politicization of law enforcement and counterintelligence is a really strong parallel for the abuse of power that got former President Nixon impeached. We spoke with Florida State House candidate James A. Harden (D-116) about his campaign in a district that goes from Doral to Killian Drive between Galloway and the Turnpike. We also interviewed Ian Lewis, the founder of legendary reggae band Inner Circle about his group's history and their appearance this Saturday in Wynwood at the 20th Annual Medical Marijuana benefit concert by Florida's NORML chapter and Ploppy Palace productions. Tickets: http://bit.ly/MMC20 Twitter :@MedMariConcert #MJC20 #MedicalMarijuanaConcert

We interviewed Democratic Candidates for Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried - who is seeking to be the first woman to hold this powerful statewide office - that touches every citizen's health, education and even concealed weapons permits, and Florida State House 113 candidate Cindy Polo who wants to represent her northwest Miami-Dade and southwest Broward Communities in Tallahassee.

Interview w State Senate candidate Jason Pizzo who is running in the District 38 race, whom the Only in Miami Show endorses for Tuesday, August 28th's election.

Hollywood Beach Commissioner Anabelle Lima-Taub just exposed that five women in her city have #metoo sexual harassment complaints, but are afraid to come forward publicly like she has, and face retaliation like she has from acting Hallandale Beach Mayor Keith London. Florida Senate candidate Jason Pizzo is running in the 38th district covering northeast Miami-Dade from Overtown to Aventura and all of the Beaches in a race that will be decided outright on August 28th. He is endorsed by the Only in Miami Show.

This episode of the Only in Miami Show contains rare political endorsements in addtion to an eclectic mix of political guests both local, statewide and national. Florida Ag. Commissioner R. David Walker is a scientist and former state environmental official running a progressive campaign against Democratic primary opponents financed by special interests. Tony the Democrat runs postcardstovoters.org which is a free service to connect regular people with the progressive Democratic candidates that postcards vets and lets them use people power to send postcards to voters. Florida State Senate candidate David Perez is seeking the Democratic nomination in northern Miami and Hialeah's District 36 in a winnable race for the right democrat. Perez's political career began twenty years ago, but he interrupted it for real life to become a paramedic and an activist (and a PTA President) before deciding to run for State Senate this year.

08/06/18 - Democratic Florida House candidates Cindy Polo (103) and Kubs Lalchandani (113) by Only in Miami Show hosted by Grant Stern

07/30/2018 - Miami-Dade Commission Candidate Maryin Vargas who is running as a Democrat to represent Central Miami's District 6. Find out more at https://www.maryinvargas2018.com/ Knight Foundation Miami program officer Adam Ganuza joined us talk about the New Work Miami performing arts challenge. Find out more kf.org/NewWorkMiami

Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes discusses the flawed MLS ballot referendum and with phone calls from the community with questions and comments against and for the plan to build a billion dollar development based on a 3-page plan.

Live from Shots Bar in Wynwood, the Miami Transit Townhall brought together four special guests with a live studio audience to discuss the future of rail and a Bus Rapid Transit lane vote upcoming this Wednesday in Miami-Dade County Hall. Joining us: Florida House Minority Leader Rep. Khionne McGhee Miami-Dade Commission Chair Esteban Bovo Miami-Dade Commission candidate Maryin Vargas Miami Transit Alliance co-founder Marta Viciedo

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A Miami MLS franchise fronted by Jorge Mas and David Beckham is asking the City of Miami Commission to place a special "no-bid" deal charter amendment onto the November ballot. There is a public meeting about it on Thursay, July 12th with public comment starting at noon in Miami's City Hall at 3500 Pan American Drive. I spoke Channel 10 sports anchor Will Manso about the MLS team's proposal, after his interview with frontman Jorge Mas and about the team's ownership and the numerous other alternatives that Beckham's group has explored to no avail. Then, Director BIlly Corben joined me for a free ranging conversation about the Miami MLS soccer proposal and why he is firmly opposed to Thursday's vote.

Miami-Dade's transit tax is funding the S.M.A.R.T. plan which uses trains and light rail to link the city's major corridors to downtown, Brickell and Beaches. But Miami-Dade's Mayor is now advocating for Bus Rapid Transit instead of trains. Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn, Cutler Bay Mayor Peggy Bell and former Florida Rep. & Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner joined me to discuss Miami's SMART plan and what's going on at County Hall.

A Coalition of 9 Miami-based organizations have come together to research, collect and share the facts behind the trauma, the law and the financial cost associated with President Trump's harmful new immigration policy. Guests: * Florida Immigrant Coalition, Melissa Taveras * Miami's Chapter of the League of Women Voters, Marisol Zenteno, President * The Women’s Fund, Laura Guitar, Vice Chair * The Children’s Trust, Maria-Paula García, Dir of Research & Evaluation * Juan Gomez, FIU law professor (details for his pro-bono legal clinic in the recording) The complete coalition: League of Women Voters, ACLU FLA, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Haitian Women of Miami, Miami Dade County Council of PTA/PTSA New Florida Majority, United Teachers of Das, The Women’s Fun, and The Children’s Trust

Find out what happened that shocked the Florida Governor's race and the moment that the Miami-Dade Commission election changed in this podcast. We discussed juvenile justice reform and the five most important issues that need to be reformed in the criminal justice system today in a studio interview with Miami-Dade County's elected Public Defender Carlos Martinez. You can also listen to Miami-Dade Commission Candidate Eileen Higgins explain why she's the right choice in the District 5 special election which is going on right now in Little Havana, downtown Miami, Brickell, Miami Beach, the Roads, and Shenendoah.

Matt Haggman joined us live in studio and asked why his opponent Donna Shalala stood up for the 2nd Amendment, "when we should be defending the kids that are being killed in our streets, our schools and our churches... Why is it that she feels the need to defend the 2nd Amendment...particularly now, when we see such momentum to bring common sense gun safety reform." Haggman is running for Congress as a Democrat in Miami's 27th district which covers Miami Beach and the east side of the city including Miami, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay.

Florida State Rep. David Richardson joined us live in studio and said that tomorrow, "the gloves come off" against his main congressional opponent Donna Shalala, who just agreed to three debates between now and August. Exepct a major campaign announcement on Tuesday, May 22nd. Richardson is running for Congress as a Democrat in Miami's 27th district which covers Miami Beach and the east side of the city including Miami, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay. We also aired part of our interview with Miami-Dade Commission D5 candidate Eileen Higgins, whose special election race goes to the polls tomorrow. Then, Elaine del Valle joined us on the program. She's known as Ladra and writes the quintessential Miami politics blog PoliticalCortadito.com . Elaine called into the program to discuss the Miami-Dade Commission special election tomorrow and also about critical State House races upcoming in November.

Democratic activist Eileen Higgins is running for Miami-Dade Commission in a special election on May 22nd in District 5 covering Brickell, Little Havana, Shenandoah and most of Miami Beach. Early voting has begun. www.eileenhiggins.com

Emmy winning Director Joe Cardona is releasing "Political Animals" on PBS on Wednesday, May 16th, at 8pm. He is also an opinion columnist at the Miami Herald. We spoke live on the Only in Miami Show.

Forst Museum representatives Kevin Arrow and Jorge Gallego, the brains behind the animated installation in the O, Miami Poetry Festival with poems by current poet laureate Tracy K Smith on the ceiling of the Frost Planetarium.

Democratic Florida House Candidate Michelle A. Garcia is running for an open seat in west Kendall's District 119 which spans from SW 8th Street to SW 120th Street from SW 137th Avenue to Krome Avenue. We also spoke with two event organizers for the O, Miami Poetry Festival. Yaddyra Peralta, Silence into Language In this poetry workshop, we will look at the various ways in which poets have written directly and/or imaginatively about trauma and its aftermath. Through various exercises, and in a small intimate setting, participants will learn and practice various techniques for expression and reclamation of the unspeakable through poetry. The workshop will be held at Center for Social Change on Sunday, April 29 at 10:00 AM, led by poet Yaddyra Peralta. This workshop is designed to be an inclusive and safe space, and we ask that participants remain mindful and respectful of the sensitive nature of this event. Foggy Windows is a new Miami-based radio show created and hosted by Jason Fitzroy Jeffers of the Caribbean artist collective Third Horizon. The podcast "decodes the mysteries of love through the history of sweet, sappy R&B." In this live version of the radio show, Jeffers hosts Hanif Abdurraqib and Eloisa Amezcuafor a discussion about their newest writing projects. Abdurraqib, poet, music critic, and author of the acclaimed cultural criticism book They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, is currently writing new poems through the voice of the ghost of Marvin Gaye. Amezcua, winner of the 2017 Shelterbelt Poetry Prize, has been writing as Bobby "Schoolboy" Chacon, a two-time world champion boxer, and as the wife who leaves Chacon when he won't quit the sport.

Anita Sharma & Mathew Webb have created an O, Miami event called Sangam Rice, an evening of poetry & rice. They are creating a zine of poetry coupled with a series of experiential meals that celebrate the presence of diverse rice cultures in Miami. The O, Miami Friday, April 21 event will be the first in the series, and will be an evening of rice & poetry…. During this evening guests will explore the landscape of South Indian rice culture - and ancient Indian Sangam poetry, which dates to around 3000 BC, describing the beauty and nature of ancient life in South India with the importance of rice and agriculture and daily life. Sitting on pillows, gorging on home-made six course plant-based meal that will explore the rice-based cuisine in South India, The food will fuse traditional and non-traditional forms of preparing, cooking & eating serenaded by beautiful poetry inspired by rice by Persian poets.

Former Miami Beach Commissioner Deede Weithorn is running for the Democratic nomination in Florida's State House district 113 representing North Bay Village, Miami Beach, Little Havana and Brickell. We also spoke with the founders of the National Water Dance and participants in the O, Miami Poetry festival which both have free events in Miami this weekend. Find out more at omiami.org

Democratic Congressional Candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez O, Miami Poetry Festival founder and director Scott Cunningham and "Check out a Poet" coordinator Amanda Valdespino joined us live in studio to discuss the month-long poetry festival which has 38 live events throughout South Florida. find out more at www.omiami.org and www.mdpls.org

Attorney Kubs Lalchandani is seeking the Democratic nomination for Florida House District 113 serving Miami Beach, Brickell and Little Havana. Find out more at www.kubsforflorida.com Marissa Alma Nick is the choreographer and founder of the Alma Dance Theater, performing this Saturday, March 31st at 8pm at the Miami-Dade Auditorium. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-rebel-in-venus-tickets-42848582263 Promo code: 10rebel Find out more at www.almadancetheater.com

An interview with Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo about what the state legislature passed during a chaotic 2018 session. Spoke with Democratic Coalition co-founder Scott Dworkin about the Trump Russia investigation and national politics.

Florida attorney Nikki Fried is considering a run for Florida's Gubernatorial seat as a Democrat. She's a Florida native, a child welfare advocate and presently works as a lobbyist fighting to expand Florida's Constitutional right of access to medical cannabis. She's @nikkifried on Twitter. We also spoke with Mr. Miami Marvin Tapia about his dogged work on the board of Viernes Culturales which happens every 4th Friday of the month on Calle Ocho between 13th & 17th Avenues. He brought Lia Seirotti who writes the blog agirlinher30s. Tapia has been working with Seirotti and the National Historic Preservation Trust and recently they designated Little Havana a "National Treasure." https://savingplaces.org/stories/pieces-of-history-reflecting-on-my-little-havana-home-lia-seirotti#.WqfQyJPwbxI

We spoke with Florida State House Candidate Stephanie Myers who organized the 2017 Miami Women's March and is a Democratic Candidate for Florida's State House of Representatives currently seeking the nomination in District 93 which covers northeastern Broward County.

Florida State Representative David Richardson visited the Only in Miami Show to discuss his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Florida's 27th district. Richardson lives on Miami Beach and has represented Fl. District 113 since 2012 in the state house. He believes that his background as an auditor and accountant will serve District 27's residents well in Congress. For example, Rep. Richardson's investigation of the Florida state prison and juvenile justice systems has uncovered systemic fraud and abuse, while serving his consitutents in Miami Beach, Brickell and Little Havana. http://www.davidforflorida.com/

This episode of the Only in Miami Show has three interviews about the Arts and Music in Miami and throughout South Florida. Angela Shlyakov's Freedom Colors Project is happening in downtown Miami and she works for the Great Artists Series by Judy Drucker to bring esteemed artists to venues throughout south Florida. Chana Sheldon is the new Executive Director of MOCA - the North Miami-based Museum of Contemporary Art - which brings modern art to a diverse audience in Miami-Dade. Jose Elias is the founder of Community Arts and Culture and the Afro Roots Festival which is in its 20th year, which it is celebrating by holding 20 events from Jupiter to Key West this year. Find out more: afrorootsfest.com

This Only in Miami Show featured a wide-ranging interview with newly elected Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora, who is proposing a whistleblower protection law to protect city employees who report corruption or official misconduct that will be heard Wednesday at City Hall. Pamela Keith is a Democratic candidate for Florida's 18th Congressional District covering the northern half of Palm Beach County, Martin County, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce communities.

This episode of the Only in Miami Show features Mary Barzee Flores, a Democratic Congressional Candidate seeking office in District 27. We also spoke with Phillip Bacon and Keon Williams of the Global 1000 Miami Hiring Event which has a countywide series of events happening this Friday through Sunday. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-1000-miami-hiring-event-tickets-41982183842?aff=eac2

This episode of the Only in Miami Show features an interview with Tito Puente Jr. and the Executive Director of the Virginia Key Grass Roots music festival.

Ken Russell is running for the Democratic nomination in Florida's 27th Congressional district, seeking to replace incumbent Republican Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen who is retiring. He's Miami's District 2 Commissioner representing Coconut Grove, Downtown Miami, and the Midtown area since 2015.