This Week in South Florida Full Episode: September 26, 2021
On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney are joined by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, North Miami City Councilmembers Alix Desulme and Mary Estime-Irvin, Haiti Consul General in South Florida Stephane Gilles, and FIU infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty.
This Week in South Florida Podcast: September 26, 2021
On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney are joined by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, North Miami City Councilmembers Alix Desulme and Mary Estime-Irvin, Haiti Consul General in South Florida Stephane Gilles, and FIU infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty.
Congresswoman ‘pissed’ about treatment of Haitians at Texas border, says some are being sheltered in Miami
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Florida held a news conference Thursday afternoon with other elected officials and community activists to discuss the treatment of Haitian migrants at the Texas border.
This Week in South Florida Podcast: June 20, 2021
On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by Rep. Frederica Wilson, Coconut Grove resident Shirley Gibson and her attorney, David Winker, and Rabbi Andrew Jacobs of Plantation's Ramat Shalom Synagogue.
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: June 20, 2021
On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by Rep. Frederica Wilson, Coconut Grove resident Shirley Gibson and her attorney, David Winker, and Rabbi Andrew Jacobs of Plantation's Ramat Shalom Synagogue.
Rep. Frederica Wilson on facing opposition over Juneteenth: ‘We need to be more tolerant’
Rep. Frederica Wilson witnessed history on Thursday at the White House. The congresswoman from Miami-Dade County did her part to help turn the freedom of Black slaves in the United States into a national day of celebration.
Democrat supports reopening detention center for unaccompanied migrant minors in Homestead
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The detention center for undocumented unaccompanied migrant minors in Homestead remains closed and a few protesters who want it to stay that way were standing outside on Monday. One said she was horrified when Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat, asked President Joe Biden’s administration to reopen the facility to house the migrant children. What may complicate the decision for the Biden administration: Then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris visited the site in June 2019, and she criticized the use of private detention facilities. “HHS has not had the capacity to intake the number of unaccompanied children we have been encountering.”HHS is supposed to hold the child for coronavirus testing, shelter, and placing with a sponsor. In the past administration and in the present administration, until we solve the problem at the border,” Salazar said.
11 Dem. members of Florida Congress want federal investigation into shill candidates
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The investigation into planting shill candidates in state legislative races may be widening. On Thursday, 11 Democratic members of Congress from Florida asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a federal investigation into the shill candidates and their dark money. If the request is granted, the investigation into the sham candidates could be turbo-charged and could uncover the source of the $500,000 spent on three sham candidates last fall. AdUnited States Representative Frederica Wilson was one of the Florida House members who sent the letter to the attorney general. In at least three Florida senate races, sham candidates were planted by political operatives and funded by dark money groups in order to sway the electoral outcome.”Wilson’s solution?
Miami-Dade gets 1 of 4 new federal COVID-19 vaccine sites in Florida
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The federal government is partnering with state and local leaders to open four new mass vaccination sites in Florida for vulnerable populations, including one at Miami Dade College’s north campus. The plan was formally introduced by the White House COVID-19 Response Team on Friday morning. Miami-Dade was highlighted as one of the areas in Florida with a significantly underserved or marginalized population, the White House said. “The county population is principally composed of minority residents and it has the third-highest SVI score of all counties examined. WATCH A REPLAY OF THE WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM NEWS CONFERENCE BELOW:
Miami-Dade mayor, other leaders urge COVID-19 precautions as Thanksgiving approaches
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava held her first virtual news conference Tuesday afternoon on the response to the coronavirus pandemic since taking office. Levine Cava started the news conference by reminding residents that the New Normal guidelines approved by former Mayor Carlos Gimenez remain in place at this time. Levine Cava and Paige also urged residents to be cautious during their Thanksgiving celebrations this week. [Residents may visit MiamiDade.gov/newnormal for the latest on the New Normal guidelines in Miami-Dade County.] “When you say 40 million doses, remember Pfizer takes two doses per person, one immediately and the other one in 21 days, so that brings it down to 20 million people,” he said.
Frederica Wilson will keep Florida Congressional District 24 seat
Frederica Wilson, the Democratic incumbent for the U.S. House of Representatives 24th district, ran on having history and experience behind her. That is serving her well as she is handily hanging on to her congressional seat. Since 2011, she has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 24th district. From 2002 to 2010, she Wilson was a member of the Florida Senate from the 33rd district, and from 1998 to 2002 she was a member of the Florida House. Florida Congressional District 24 is an electoral district located in South Florida and includes Miami, Miami Gardens, Opa Locka, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and Hollywood.
Last minute push: Sen. Kamala Harris stumps for Biden in South Florida
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – “The world knows, the nation knows, Joe and I know, that the path to the White House leads through Florida,” said Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris as she made three stops on Saturday in South Florida, two in Miami-Dade and one in Broward County. Drivers lined up before dawn at the Florida International Campus, waiting for hours for the drive-in event. There was a big turnout from Alpha Kappa Alpha chapters, the sorority of which Harris is a member. Florida’s been so hard hit,” Harris told the crowd. From FIU, Harris headed to Miami Gardens, where she spoke alongside State Representative Frederica Wilson and other South Florida public servants at Buccaneer Park, highlighting Miami Gardens as the largest Black-majority city in Florida and one of the largest in the United States.
Cemetery calls attention to COVID-19 deaths as virus cases rise in Florida
Florida has had over 4,000 new COVID-19 cases each of the past two days, with the state’s death toll passing 16,500. Broward County Public Schools is reporting nearly 150 cases across 93 sites in the past 30 days. On Wednesday, the teachers’ union received a donation of half a million masks for teachers. The union president says the number of cases reported in schools does not account for the hundreds of students and teachers who are now in quarantine. “That is the best way that I can describe it.”ALSO SEE: Coronavirus cases confirmed at nearly 500 schools across South Florida
Relatives of coronavirus pandemic victims in Miami participate in temporary memorial
MIAMI – Stephanie McKay was among the first mourners to arrive Wednesday at the public Simonhoff Floral Park in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. McKay was there to add her mother’s name to one of the hundreds of white plastic tombstone-shaped pieces that are part of a temporary memorial to Miami’s victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Her mother, Nellie Mae McKay, died in August after suffering from severe COVID-19 symptoms in a hospital bed for about three weeks. “We chose Liberty City for the memorial cemetery because this pandemic has also exposed inequities that make Black people and other people of color more vulnerable to COVID-19,” Wilson said. The temporary installation in Liberty City aims to use the 500 tombstones to allow Miami-Dade residents to add their loved ones' names until November.
Jamaicans in Florida energized by Harris on 2020 ticket
Florida has more than 974,000 people of West Indian ancestry — a Caribbean category that excludes Hispanic nationalities such as Cuban. A conservative estimate for the number of Jamaican voters in Florida stands at 91,000, because many may not report Jamaica as their country of origin. Haitian voters are estimated at about 115,000. Shawn Myers, a voter in Broward County who is Jamaican American, said he would vote for Biden and Harris, just to unseat Trump. Omphroy said she identifies with Harris as a first-generation daughter of immigrants, and she also thinks the candidate is easy to like.
2020 Watch: How much more damage can Woodward do?
FILE - In this April 29, 2017, file photo journalist Bob Woodward sits at the head table during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington. ___THE BIG QUESTIONSHow much more damage can Woodward do? There is no more expensive swing state on the 2020 map and there is no state more important to Trump's reelection than Florida. See it here: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/Every state allows voters to cast ballots before Nov. 3, either in person or by mail. ___2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election.
Social justice drive-in rally at FMU coincides with March on Washington
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. A hot day was sparked with heated and passionate words as the Florida Memorial University community joined groups across the nation to fight for social justice. As thousands gathered Friday near the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where the Rev. Impassioned speeches at FMU were delivered from the regional leadership of the National Action Network and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. The event included a livestream of the national event from Washington with attendees showing solidarity from a safe distance inside their vehicles. This isnt going to be a Black problem, it isnt gonna be a young problem or an old problem.
WATCH: 5000 Role Models scholarship signing ceremony virtual this year
In previous years, the 5000 Role Models College Scholars Awards Ceremony has been live, but this year the ceremony will be virtual with a presentation at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. (Watch the signing ceremony below)While serving on the school board of Miami-Dade County, Wilson began a challenge to the men of Miami-Dade County to intervene in the lives of at-risk youth. Given the increased enrollment of mentors and students it is now recognized as the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Projects Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Watch the 5000 Role Models Scholarship ceremony on YouTube.
President signs into law bill proposed by FL Congresswoman Wilson for federal racial equalities commission
The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act has been signed into law! Wilsons victory comes only days before her annual 5000 Role Models College Scholarship Awards Signing Ceremony. Given the increased enrollment of mentors and students it is now recognized as the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. Presently, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project services 105 schools within Miami-Dade County Public Schools (37 Elementary, 35 Middle/K-8, and 33 Senior High). Watch the 5000 Role Models Scholarship ceremony, Sunday at 2 p.m. on YouTube.
This Week in South Florida: Rep. Frederica Wilson
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. The focus on civil rights and addressing systemic racism came into sharper focus this week in Washington D.C. as congress created a commission to study and make recommendations to improve the lives of black men and boys. South Florida lawmakers took the lead, democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson in the House, republican Senator Marco Rubio in the Senate. She discussed the efforts during an appearance on This Week in South Florida. The full video can be seen at the top of this page.
Democrats prepare police reform bills after Floyd's death
Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, both former presidential candidates, are expected to announce a package in coming days, with a House bill coming soon. Both the Senate and House efforts are expected to include changes to police accountability laws, such as revising immunity provisions, and creating a database of police use-of-force incidents. We have a moral moment in our country, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the CBC, said on a conference call Wednesday. With Democrats in the majority, the bills will almost certainly pass the House. She acknowledged the opposition the bills will likely face, but called on fellow lawmakers to consider the option of doing nothing.
Singer/songwriter Betty Wright’s funeral fit for a superstar
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – One final goodbye Saturday at Bethel Apostolic Church for Miami music legend Betty Wright. It was a funeral fit for a superstar to celebrate a life so rich in talent and humanity honored in the town where she was born. In the age of coronavirus, everyone wore masks, pallbearers wore black masks emblazoned with a picture of Wright and the words The Life of a Legend. Hymns were sung, there was much music, and proclamations, one read bestowed upon Wright from Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Her final exit was made as her coffin was placed in a glass carriage pulled by two white horses.
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: Dec. 22
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: Dec. 22Published: December 22, 2019, 1:30 pmOn This Week in South Florida co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg talk with congresswomen Donna Shalala and Frederica Wilson about the impeachment of President Donald Trump, they also talk with Fort Lauderdale commissioner Ben Sorensen about the recent sewage leaks.
New 24/7 hotline intended to combat human trafficking ahead of Super Bowl
MIAMI - U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., brought her human trafficking awareness tour to Miami Norland Senior High School on Wednesday morning to educate girls about how to identify predators and develop strategies to protect themselves from exploitation ahead of Super Bowl LIV, which will take place not far from the neighborhoods where they live. In downtown Miami, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the Miami Super Bowl LIV Host Committee, law enforcement officials and women's advocacy partners gathered to highlight a new 24/7 hotline and a plan to attack sex trafficking in South Florida. Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and members of law enforcement gather to unveil a new hotline intended to combat human trafficking ahead of Super Bowl LIV in South Florida. "We need the community, when they see signs they're uncomfortable with, to reach out to us, to call this hotline, to text this hotline," Fernandez Rundle said. Super Bowl LIV will be played Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Ending the HIV epidemic: A plan for America
This article was written and paid for by Care Resource. On Aug. 23, Care Resource medical providers and staff participated in a roundtable to engage in meaningful discussion about Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, a major goal of the president of the United States and his administration. This roundtable afforded the opportunity to share best practices, address challenges, make recommendations and implement the initiative. Recommendations for CDC/HHS related to implementing the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, including thoughts about how funds from this initiative can best be spent in our community. Care Resource serves communities that otherwise confront financial, geographic, linguistic, cultural or other barriers to accessing health care.
Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson travels to Bahamas to meet prime minister, displaced residents
NASSAU, Bahamas - Florida Rep. Frederica Wilson traveled to the Bahamas on Sunday to meet with residents displaced by Hurricane Dorian. Wilson was in Nassau, meeting with people from Grand Bahama and Abaco, the parts of the Bahamas that suffered the greatest damage from the catastrophic storm. She also planned to meet with Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and other elected officials at some point Sunday. I am the first Bahamian elected to Congress so I want to help them." Wilson has deep roots in the Bahamas, with parts of her family coming from the Abaco Islands area.
Man threatens to kill U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, report says
Scott Olson / Getty ImagesWASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Florida, was the target of death threats made by a Pentagon contractor, the Daily Beast reports. The criminal complaint filed against Varnum in U.S. District Court transcribes a voicemail left to "congressperson #1" on June 28. "I will f___ing come down and kill your f___ing a__. While the complaint does not name Wilson as the target, the Daily Beast was able to verify Varnum's voicemail was left for the longtime South Florida congresswoman. Like the Cubans don't even know.The Vaccinate All Children Act was introduced by Wilson and would require all public schools to vaccinate students in order to receive federal funding.
Man threatens to kill S. Fla. congresswoman Frederica Wilson, report says
Scott Olson / Getty ImagesWASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D) of South Florida was the target of death threats made by a Pentagon contractor, the Daily Beast reports. The criminal complaint filed against Varnum in U.S. District Court transcribes a voicemail left to "congressperson #1" on June 28. Im gonna kill your a__ if you do that bill. I will f___ing come down and kill your f___ing a__. Varnum is an employee of Sealing Technology and is a cybersecurity contractor in the Pentagon.
Wilson-led delegation tours Homestead migrant facility
HOMESTEAD, Fla. - A congressional delegation led by U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., toured the nation's largest child migrant detention center in Homestead. Wilson was joined by U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., and several Democratic House members Tuesday as they got a firsthand look at the conditions under which the young migrants are living. The Democratic presidential candidates who were in Miami for last week's debates had also ventured to the Homestead facility. After their tour, Wilson and her colleagues had less to say about what they saw inside the facility and more about what they want, which is to get the facility closed down. We only see them coming," protester Tina Marie Davidson said outside the Homestead facility.