Free Republic

Teacher called student 'little chocolate boy': ComplaintA Pompano Beach high school teacher who's previously faced discipline for inappropriate conduct towards students is once again in hot water after she allegedly called a student "little chocolate boy," according to an administrative complaint. Leslie Rainer, a teacher at Blanche Ely High School, is facing suspension over the comments allegedly made last May, according to the Broward School Board complaint. Rainer attended a meeting before the school board Tuesday, where Superintendent of Schools Robert Runcie postponed making a decision on whether to recommend a three-day suspension without pay and require her to attend...

Fidencio Membrano, 36, was charged with three counts of attempted murder after he shot two women inside the Molino Rojo Bar, according to a City of Miami Police Department news release. Details of the release: Detectives say Jessenia Hernandez was approached by Membrano inside the bar in an unusual way — he pulled her hair.

Florida is among one of the key swing states that can make or break an election. A pivotal demographic in the Sunshine State is the Hispanic vote. Scott Pelley spoke with some of them to see what they want to hear out of the candidates.

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday that his government will close its consulate in Miami after the U.S. government expelled a diplomat. Chavez said he decided the consulate will shut its doors in response to what he called an unfair action by the U.S. State Department...Livia Acosta Noguera, Venezuela’s consul general in Miami, was ordered out of the U.S. last weekend followed an FBI investigation into allegations that she discussed a possible cyber-attack on the U.S. government while she was assigned to the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico. The allegations were detailed in a documentary aired by the...

The United States has ordered the expulsion of Venezuela’s consul general in Miami, AFP reported on Sunday. The expulsion comes amid reports linking the diplomat to an alleged Iranian plot to target sensitive U.S. facilities with cyber attacks. According to the report, the Venezuelan embassy in Washington was notified on Friday that Livia Acosta Noguera, the consul general in Miami, had been declared persona non grata and had until Tuesday to leave the country...

A mother has been arrested after trying to sell her eight month old son for $7,000. Kenia Quiala Bosque, 30, arranged to meet a prospective buyer in Miami to hand over her newborn son. Police were tipped off about the sale and an undercover officer went to the meeting posing as the buyer leading to her arrest, authorities told NBC Miami.

Times are tough, so many people are searching for hotels with free continental breakfasts. Problem is, some of those eating aren't guests, says Hampton Inn manager front desk clerk Alfonso Tobenas. That's right. Folks walk into tourist hotels and pose as guests to gain access to morning chow. Who would do such a thing? Lots of people, according to local hotel insiders. "It is what it is, bro, times are tough and they're hungry," Tobenas says. "They're just trying to beat the system and save a buck. The first time you're going to get away with it, the second and...

Hundreds of South Floridians lined up in Little Havana overnight for a chance to feed their families this holiday. As part of the Latin Chamber of Commerce’s annual holiday basket giveaway, representatives from the organization handed out food vouchers on Flagler Street between 14th and 15th Avenues in Little Havana. Some people began to line up last Friday. Many of those who waited in line for hours were either unemployed or they live on a fixed income and can’t afford any extras. “It’s very, very hard,” said Mosas Hernandez. “We need something free because right now, I lost my job,...

Stripteases, sexual favors, booze, porn mags, and fat stacks of cash would be run-of-the-mill in many Miami strip clubs. But at downtown's maximum security Federal Detention Center? Multiple attorneys interviewed by Riptide say the FDC visitor rooms have been taken over by South American pole dancers posing as paralegals for wealthy drug lords inside. Lawyers hired by the accused narco dons allegedly list the scantily clad women as "legal assistants," and the FDC lets them in. Meanwhile, attorneys who refuse to go along risk losing their clients to lawyers with busty beauties on staff. "They take off their tops and...

A Miami congresswoman is pressuring National Public Radio stations, the cable television network CNBC and others to stop airing sponsorships and advertising by a giant German insurer that collaborated with the Nazis. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who is pushing legislation that would allow Holocaust survivors to sue Allianz AG, has launched a letter-writing campaign aimed at blocking the insurer from advertising with any U.S. media until it pays off all Holocaust survivors’ life insurance claims. During World War II, Allianz insured concentration camp facilities and sent money to the Nazis instead of rightful Jewish beneficiaries. “Allianz is no ordinary insurance...

The recent executive director of the controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations’ South Florida chapter is a founder and spokesman of Occupy Miami, WND has learned. Mohammad Malik currently is as an activist with several other Islamic groups. He has led hate-filled anti-Israel protests in which participants were filmed wearing Hamas paraphernalia while chanting “Nuke Israel” and “Go back to the oven” – a reference to Jews being killed in the Holocaust. Malik has been widely quoted in the Florida news media in recent weeks speaking for Occupy Miami. The Miami Herald identified Malik as one of the organizers of Occupy’s...

The recent executive director of the controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations' South Florida chapter is a founder and spokesman of Occupy Miami, WND has learned. Mohammad Malik currently is as an activist with several other Islamic groups. He has led hate-filled anti-Israel protests in which participants were filmed wearing Hamas paraphernalia while chanting "Nuke Israel" and "Go back to the oven" – a reference to Jews being killed in the Holocaust. Malik has been widely quoted in the Florida news media in recent weeks speaking for Occupy Miami. The Miami Herald identified Malik as one of the organizers of Occupy's...

At 9:00pm Friday night, the Florida Marlins officially unveil their new logos and uniforms, transforming themselves overnight into the Miami Marlins.

It appeared as if the man died while trying to duct tape a hole in the wall so the bees wouldn't get out: CopsA Miami man was found dead in a room of his house with his body surrounded by about 60,000 swarming bees, authorities said Sunday. Miami Police said the man, who wasn't identified by authorities, was on a ladder trying to duct tape a hole in the wall where he had seen bees, and when the bees flew out of the wall, he got startled, fell and died. The man had been renovating a house that has been...

Yes, I know it is the Dolphins, but he did throw two touchdowns and coverted a 2pt conversion to send it into overtime. He was 13 for 27, 2-TDs and 0-Ints for QB rating of 91.70.

The growing tension was heightened Sunday when Sgt. Javier Ortiz, vice president of Miami’s Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the city’s 1,000-plus officers, attacked Watts and defended Lopez in a letter to union members. He accused Watts of just wanting to ticket a Miami cop. “Officer Lopez was extremely professional,” Ortiz wrote. “Many of us would have acted differently if a fellow cop pulled a gun on them. I would have thought she possibly was a Baker Act that stole an FHP car and a uniform,” he wrote, using a legal term for mentally unstable people who are considered...

A misspelled sign near an elementary school is raising eyebrows and leading to questions from parents. A Local 10 viewer sent us the photo of this sign, which spells "scohol" at the corner of 50th Street and Pine Island Road in Lauderhill. He noticed it while picking up his son from school Thursday. "Glad he didn't see it," said Christopher Robinson. Robinson thinks it's a bad lesson for all kids. "You know, especially after helping him with spelling and his homework," he said.

This is from NBC in FL.: Angry Fans Plan to Occupy the Miami Dolphins During Sunday's Game vs. Denver "No one is trying to get arrested like those folks in Occupy Wall Street," said angry Dolphin fan behind protest planned for Sunday By Janie Campbell | Saturday, Oct 22, 2011http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/132343108.html Here I copy a comment from that page:Why do we all smell a racist rat (the one interviewed by NBC - Ms. Nawaz Arabic name)? That aside, I am all for some of the good things some of the 'OCCUPY' members advocate for, but not the haters' agenda of hatred...

Five foreign men were arrested during a courthouse break-in early on Wednesday and police said they found photographs of public buildings, water systems and malls from various U.S. cities in their van. The men, at least three of whom were in their 20s, will be questioned by a joint terrorism task force including the FBI and immigration authorities, officials said. Bexar County spokeswoman Laura Jesse said three men were found inside the 120-year-old Bexar County Courthouse, a landmark in downtown San Antonio and two in a large recreational vehicle parked in front of the building. She said all five were...

Just noticed the story this Fox station did on the unemployed sleazebags across America. Viewers are informed the demonstrations are "peaceful"...no word on the reports of anti-semitic rhetoric or attacks on cops...also no report on how some demonstrators were HIRED. Then the occupy morons are given a free "here is where you gather today in Miami" info-graphic.

Police say Donald Marvin Jones tried to hire a prostitute just a few years after his first charge made national headlinesA prominent University of Miami School of Law professor who specializes in criminal procedure has been charged with soliciting a prostitute -- again. A misdemeanor charged of purchasing services from a prostitute was filed Monday against Donald Marvin Jones, 59. Jones was previously charged with misdemeanor solicitation of a prostitute after allegedly offering an undercover officer $20 for sex from his Mercedes SL500 in October 2007, a case that gained widespread attentioned when he sued the legal blog Above the...

The attorney for a man with Down Syndrome who was badly injured after a confrontation with Miami-Dade Police Saturday night says his family is shocked over what they say was an unnecessary attack. "The family is very upset and really shocked, to be honest," attorney Philip Gold said Wednesday. "They can't believe that this could have happened, let alone to their their son who is an innocent, sweet individual with Down syndrome." Gilberto Powell, 22, was stopped by officers in the area of Southwest 111th Place and Southwest 138th Street around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a Miami-Dade Police report....

...The main question posed to the mayor: Would he accept President Obama's proposed job package, which promises to offer tens of thousands of potential jobs? The mayor's response: "I would love to do that, but I'd also have to figure what's going to happen with the debt of the United States of America, and that's a problem for me."

SNIPPET: "Three Pakistani men pleaded guilty Monday to terrorism-related charges of supporting the Pakistani Taliban, according to a release from the U.S. Justice Department. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Bates in the District of Columbia, Irfan Ul Haq, Qasim Ali, and Zahid Yousaf pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to provide material support to the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Ul Haq, Ali, and Yousaf were arrested in Miami on March 13 and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The three men allegedly ran an alien smuggling operation out...

Miami football is in trouble. But reporters have known about the slime for decades. One told me ten years ago about the day he and other reporters caught the head coach with a urine test in his desk - in case any players needed a clean one. But nobody reported it. So the cheating continued.

MIAMI— In a first step to his possible firing, Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito was suspended from his job Tuesday morning following a closed-door meeting with City Manager Johnny Martinez. Exposito left the meeting with his attorney, Ruben Chavez, but declined to comment. The suspension could lead to Exposito being fired, but that will be up to the Miami City Commission, which will review the city manager's recommendations.

Charter School Accused of Becoming Adult Club at NightBy Kathleen McGrory, The Miami Herald 6:15 a.m. EDT, September 2, 2011 MIAMI-DADE COUNTY— By day, the Balare Language Academy is an A-rated charter school, home to children in kindergarten through middle school. But when the kids are tucked into bed, Balare apparently becomes a playground of a different kind. Party fliers, printed and on the Web, indicate that the campus at 10875 Quail Roost Dr. has been hosting raunchy, booze-soaked bashes into the wee hours. One flier for an upcoming party features a voluptuous, scantily clad woman posing with champagne bottles....

The "Push It To Da Limit: The Flossin Edition" late-night party is still scheduled to go off Saturday night — but it won't be at a south Miami-Dade charter school, as previously advertised. Miami-Dade School District officials on Friday were still trying to determine whether the Balere Language Academy — a charter school already facing financial free-fall and increased school district scrutiny — has also been doubling as an after-hours nightclub.

The honor code at West Point possesses an admirable directness: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." In those few words the United States Military Academy sends a clear message about what the institution expects of its cadets. Of its 12 words, the last five are the most difficult. Plainly it's not enough to behave honorably oneself. The code comes to mind while reading the sordid news about the University of Miami's football program. The Hurricanes have been in the headlines since last week, when Yahoo! Sports ran a story about a former booster—now serving...

​Harvard scientist Arkhat Abzhanov has done what dozens of drunk Miamians living near the Everglades have probably attempted in a cruder fashion at one point or another: successfully mixed the DNA of a chicken and an alligator. Unlike hypothetical local attempts, however, Abzhanov's method did not involve getting a gator to hump a chicken. Unfortunately. Also unfortunately, our streets are now doomed. Because many modern reptiles and birds evolved from shared ancestors, Abzhanov theorized he could undo evolution by getting chicken embryos to grow reptilian snouts instead of beaks. According to the Daily Mail, Abzhanov injected a small gloop of...

A Bronx boom-and-bust story shows why the nation hasn’t yet recovered from the financial crisis. As the American economy limps through its second “recovery summer,” hobbled by trillions of dollars in bubble-era debt, politicians and regulators should take a long look at an unlikely place: Kingsbridge, a neighborhood in the northwest Bronx. In some ways, Kingsbridge’s credit-bubble experience was no different from the rest of the nation’s. As the bubble reached its greatest size in late 2006 and early 2007, the financial system—aided by dizzyingly intricate instruments and coddled by the government, which had long kept investors from facing the...

The fired Miami Beach police officer accused of plowing his ATV into a man and woman during a drunken, on-duty joyride last month says he was illegally blood tested and deserves his job back. Derick Kuilan, who faces two felony counts of reckless driving with serious bodily injury and two of DUI with serious bodily injury, wrote in a grievance filed with the city of Miami Beach that investigators wrongly took his blood after the July 3 crash. Prosecutors say the blood test — taken more than five hours after the pre-dawn crash — showed Kuilan’s blood-alcohol levels were above...

Rapper, politician and longtime UM fan Luther Campbell weighs in on the NCAA's investigation of the Hurricanes program.

KEARNY, N.J. – Nevin Shapiro once lived in a $6.1 million, 6,432-square foot mansion on North Bay Road in Miami Beach. It came complete with views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline from the Spanish-themed pool. If he grew bored with that, he’d take out his $1.6 million Riviera yacht. Or just hit his usual South Beach haunts – Prime 112 or Mansion nightclub or the Mercury Hotel, where he occasionally threw wild, hooker-fueled parties. On more casual days maybe he’d hang out with a local celebrity such as Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade or any number of current or...

By Jack Dickey Aug 16, 2011 8:15 PM Yes, Donna Shalala Went Bowling With The Rogue Miami Booster And Sebastian The Ibis Once upon a time, Donna Shalala was a dignified cabinet member during the Clinton glory years. She was Secretary of Health and Human Services, the first female to miss the State of the Union as a designated survivor in case of an attack. Then she became president of the University of Miami. So, here, we have a photo of her a-bowlin' with Nevin Shapiro, the booster at the center of Yahoo's big U investigation, and Sebastian the...

This is from an actual listing (Devin Hester autographed card). Some people are lowering prices on junk that won't hold value -but- those who are not happy with the fiat dollar are not so anxious to swap it for something of value: "Due to treacherous monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, a prodigal Senate & reprobate US President colluding in the debasement of the US Dollar's purchasing power - The price has gone up $5.00 since the last time I listed this card and it WILL go UP at least ANOTHER $5.00 each time I relist it (unless you are...

Renegade Miami football booster spells out illicit benefits to players Charles Robinson By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports 2 hours, 34 minutes ago KEARNEY, N.J. – A University of Miami booster, incarcerated for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, has told Yahoo! Sports he provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010. In 100 hours of jailhouse interviews during Yahoo! Sports’ 11-month investigation, Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro described a sustained, eight-year run of rampant NCAA rule-breaking, some of it with the knowledge or direct participation of at least seven coaches from the Miami...

Just months after Miami-Dade's mayor was ousted through a recall, Miami's mayor could be facing the same fate. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado is being targeted and the people who want him out are the city's police force and firefighters. In a harshly-worded letter posted to the Miami Fraternal Order of Police Website Monday, FOP President Armando Aguilar said they've had enough of Regalado.

Jack McKeon is older than Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron. He’s older than Willie Mays, older than Ernie Banks. He’s older than Jim Bunning. He’s older than Whitey Herzog. He’s even older than Matt Stairs. He’s older than night baseball, older than televised baseball, older than the ground-rule double, older than the All-Star Game. He’s older than Bobby Cox — by 10 years. He’s older than Davey Johnson — by 12. We could do this all day. How about deceased people, you say? McKeon is older than Sparky Anderson, older than Mickey Mantle, older than Ted Kennedy, older than Barack...

MIAMI -- Two brothers were arrested after police said they attacked a pilot at Miami International Airport on Wednesday night. American Airlines Flight 1755 was about to take off from MIA to San Francisco International Airport when a flight attendant noticed that passenger Jonathan Baez, 27, was not wearing his seat belt. She tried to wake him up, but he was unresponsive so she called the pilot. The pilot then decided to turn the plane around and head back to the gate. Once at the gate, the pilot and flight attendant both tried to wake Baez. He finally woke up...

A Miami art school student is set to file a lawsuit against Alonzo Mourning claiming that the former Heat star crashed his Porsche into the student's car on the Julia Tuttle Causeway early Sunday morning before fleeing. Mourning did return to the scene, however, nearly an hour later in a separate car driven by his wife Tracy. William Candelario, 21, a student at Miami International University of Art and Design, claims he was driving back from Miami Beach on the Julia Tuttle in his 2010 Audi when he got into an accident with another car, and came to stop near...

Derick Kuilan, the Miami Beach police officer involved in a bizarre ATV accident that sent three citizens to the hospital, will be fired. Rolando Gutierrez, another officer who was not directly involved in the accident, will also be fired following a swift investigation. Kuilan was on-duty when he picked up an unauthorized female passenger, Adelee Sharie Martin, around 5 a.m. on Sunday morning and proceeded to take her on a high speed joy ride on a stretch of beach outside the Clevelander Hotel. Kuilan ended up running over a couple that was laying on the beach. The passenger and the...

Seven months after he was released from prison, Rosendo Betancourt helped Miami-Dade police infiltrate a gang of suspected home-invasion robbers with a penchant for torture and mutilation. The plan was to convince the gang there was a stash of marijuana inside a rural Redlands home that turned out to be owned by Miami-Dade County and set up for such a ruse. This was a tightly controlled, well-planned, late-night operation Thursday, with the police planning to nab the bad guys at the last moment.

Debbie Wassermann has been making an ass of herself for WEEKS in the national press....but Miami "news" outlets haven't been showing her idiocy. FINALLY today, anyone wondering where DWS has gone saw some "coverage" of the chair of the Democrat Party. What news did the Democrat poodle for Obama make? She spoke about wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, of course! She also flip flopped on the Weiner issue.

Can any FReepers in Miami area let me know how safe the downtown area is and the metro-mover? Should they use cabs or is the metro-mover safe? My son is going tonight (last minute) to watch the game tomorrow with a friend. He is a grown man(mid twenties), so I don't want to say too much other than watch out and keep your wits about you,etc. But I was reading about the 'good and bad areas' online and some said it was dangerous and others said it was fine. All the sites about 'good and bad' neighborhoods online are so...

Just hours after a Tallahassee man confirmed he was one of four people shot by police during Urban Beach Weekend, a crowd of more than 100 Miami Beach residents and activists gathered at City Hall demanding leaders end the popular but controversial annual Memorial Day weekend gathering geared mainly toward college-age African Americans. To cheers and supportive hoots and hollers, Miami Beach resident and rally co-organizer Herb Sosa asked the crowd, "How many of you truly felt comfortable walking over to Washington Avenue or Ocean Drive during Memorial Day weekend?"

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Seven people including three Miami Beach police officers are in the hospital after two early morning shootings on Collins Avenue. Sgt. Alejandro Bello says the officers' injuries are not life-threatening. Detective Jenny Velazquez tells The Miami Herald that details about Monday's shootings remain "very cloudy" due to the number of officers from different agencies helping patrol the South Beach crowds for the holiday weekend. Velazquez says police opened fire in one shooting just before 4 a.m. when a driver got into an altercation with an officer. The driver was killed and four bystanders were injured. In...

What the hell is going on over Memorial Day weekend among America's youts, specifically, "Eric Holder's People"?!IM SICK OF IT! Here in Little Rock, (which was just named No. 7 most dangerous city), I was talking to my friend yesterday, who is an LRPD officer. He asked if my wife and I were going to Riverfest that evening. I told him my son, age 9 mos. was sick, and we weren't planning to. He told me, "Good. There is a Rap artist playing at 9PM and there are not enough cops on duty so be very careful, and carry your...

A thief who tried to steal a WaveRunner from a lawyer's backyard was killed Saturday afternoon, Miami-Dade police said. At 2:31 p.m., police received a call about a shooting at a Miami Shores home at the 9200 block of North Bayshore Drive. The property belongs to attorney Jeffrey Davis and his wife Yasmin, according to Miami-Dade property records

Federal agents dubbed the case “Operation Cedar Sweep,” zeroing in on South Florida head-shop owners of mostly Lebanese descent. Some were suspected of selling “cut” for cocaine and sending profits to the Middle East for possible terrorist activities. But after a two-year FBI investigation with undercover police officers, Miami federal prosecutors lacked evidence to make terrorism support cases. And this week, prosecutors also decided to drop drug-related charges against 27 defendants, many of whom had been detained since their arrests early this year. (snip) “Dropping charges against 27 defendants connected together in one investigation is highly unusual.” The U.S. attorney’s...