TWISF

An empty Miami-Dade County Commission seat has led to a runoff on the ballot this November.

It'll be back to the drawing board for state lawmakers later this month.

A proposed 3.5 trillion bill to expand the social safety net would fundamentally change what it does.

The masks are on, but the gloves are off as the Broward County School District has defied state rules on mandatory masking.

The exploding case load of COVID-19 this time around has been traced to the morphing variants.

South Florida's valuable real estate has always been ripe for scammers.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been taking a victory lap lately, touring the state and signing bills into law that were passed by the legislature.

Florida's 67 election supervisors opposed the state's new election law changes from the get-go, calling them unnecessary and requiring them to re-do vote-by-mail requests.

Two South Florida lawmakers joined This Week in South Florida to discuss some of the most controversial bills in play.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Another busy week in the news means more great topics for discussion on the This Week in South Florida roundtable. Melba Pearson is the Director of Policy and Programs for the Center for the Administration of Justice at Florida International University. Rafael Yaniz is also an attorney in Miami and a political analyst and writer. They joined TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg, and the roundtable discussion can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – There was an explosion of big stories in the news this week, which is perfect for the This Week in South Florida Roundtable. Invited were two of the best and brightest political minds in South Florida to help examine each one. Joining the TWISF Roundtable this week are attorney and former General Counsel to then-Gov. Jeb Bush Raquel ‘Rocky’ Rodriguez and attorney and former Democratic state Senator and Representative Chris Smith. The roundtable discussion with TWISF hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Joining the latest episode of This Week in South Florida are Congressman Ted Deutch and Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya. They joined TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg. The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – This week’s chaos at The Capitol is under layers of investigation. 147 members of Congress, all Republicans, voted to reject electors in Arizona and Pennsylvania, which would effectively have disenfranchised millions of voters. Among those voting to decertify were Florida Senator Rick Scott and Miami Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez. Only Gimenez accepted Local 10′s invitation to join This Week in South Florida, but he cancelled the morning of the show citing a medical emergency. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat from Boca Raton who represents Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, did join TWISF to discuss the week’s events, and their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Another busy week in Florida politics has provided great content for This Week in South Florida’s roundtable discussion. Juan-Carlos Planas is an attorney in Miami and a former Republican state Representative who has close ties to, and is advising some Democrats. Justin Sayfie is also a lawyear, as well as a political guru and former spokesman and policy advisor to former Florida Gov. They joined TWISF hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney, and their roundtable discussion can be viewed at the top of this page.

The investigation into who masterminded and funded the shill candidates now includes Frank Artiles, a former state Senator who resigned in disgrace and who is now asking to be appointed to the Miami-Dade Commission. Two people in a position to stop political manipulation are current state lawmakers, and two of them joined This Week in South Florida. Annette Taddeo is a Democratic state Senator representing Kendall and Southwest Miami-Dade. Chip LaMarca is a Republican representing Broward County’s coastal communities, from Hollywood to the north county line. They joined TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg, and their discussion can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Florida’s Stand Your Ground law is already controversial, and now Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis want to expand it to cover violence at demonstrations. That’s the reason the so-called anti-mob legislation pitched by the governor is the focus of debate. To get a sense of what it would do, and get beyond the politics of it, TWISF hosted Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, who in a former life was a federal prosecutor, and Jude Facciadomo, President-elect of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. They joined This Week in South Florida hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney to discuss the newly proposed legislation, and the discussion can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The predictions of another surge of COVID-19 seems to be coming to fruition. Florida’s positivity rate is back to nearly 10% this weekend. Hospitals are seeing a sharp rise in new patients and many are having to re-think plans for family gatherings. Dr. Aileen Marty, infectious disease specialist at Florida International University, has been at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus from the beginning. She joined TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg, and their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – With just days until the 2020 Presidential Election, there was no shortage of key issues to discuss on the latest episode of This Week in South Florida podcast. Joining the TWISF pod this week are attorneys and political strategists Ed Pozzuoli and Chris Smith, Amendment 2 proponent and attorney John Morgan, South Florida restaurant owner Carlos Gazitua and Florida State Senate candidate Javier Fernandez. Subscribe to the weekly TWISF Podcast on iOS or Android

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – This Week in South Florida’s roundtable discussions are a favorite part of the show for many. This week, Local 10 invited two of the best political reporters in town. Marc Caputo is covering the presidential race from Florida for Politico, and David Smiley is the political reporter for the Miami Herald. To view the entire roundtable discussion with TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg, click on the video at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A ballot question for the upcoming election could fundamentally change the way voters choose candidates for the general election. To choose candidates for state legislature, governor and cabinet. The two top vote-getters, regardless of party, would advance to the general election ballot. There are strong arguments for and against Amendment 3, and they were discussed on This Week in South Florida. Glenn Burhans is an attorney from Tallahasee and the chair of the All Voters Vote initiative that put Amendment 3 on the ballot.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Just days into reopening classrooms, the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in Miami-Dade schools. In Broward County, some parents and teachers wondered of the schools would be a safe and healthy learning environment. On This Week in South Florida, voices from every perspective were heard; those who head the teachers unions in both counties:Karla Hernandez-Mats represents United Teachers of Dade, Anna Fusco heads the Broward Teachers Union, and Joe Gebara is a parent activist and past president of the Miami-Dade Parent Teacher Association. They all joined TWISF hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg to discuss the ongoing situation. Their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

Thats what will make a difference at how overburdened hospitals are and when schools can welcome students safely in classrooms. We need to make sure that people are actually following the rules," City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said. Given the double digit infection rates that exists in Broward County, we dont see a feasible path to open our schools any other way on August 19, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said. And based on positivity rates, it looks like Miami-Dade schools will follow suit. The conditions are not appropriate for an immediate grand scale return to the schools, said Miami-Dade Superintendent Albert Carvalho.

Michael Putney came to Local 10 in 1989 to become senior political reporter and host of "This Week In South Florida with Michael Putney." He is Local 10's senior political reporter.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Local 10 News Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney is critical of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle’s handling of the case in the 2011 torture death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona in Miami-Dade. The cases against Nubia’s adoptive parents, Carmen Barahona, 69, and Jorge Barahona, 52, continued while her twin brother, Victor, who survived the abuse waited for justice. After Carmen Barahona pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges on Friday, Fernandez Rundle released a statement saying her sentencing will be deferred until she testifies against Jorge Barahona, who faces the death penalty if convicted.

The issue affects an estimated 1.4 million former convicted felons’ ability to vote in November. Neil Volz, the deputy director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, said he is worried about the partisan undertones that he believes have gotten in the way of the restoration of voting rights. It’s unclear how many ex-felons will end up registering as Democrats or Republicans since the litigation could take years. Ron DeSantis limited Amendment 4, Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) accused Florida Republicans of trying to establish a “poll tax” and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition didn’t join any of the lawsuits, but the organization has a fines and fees fund to help felons who want to register to vote.

Michael Putney came to Local 10 in 1989 to become senior political reporter and host of "This Week In South Florida with Michael Putney." He is Local 10's senior political reporter.

Roger Stone, a Broward County resident and longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, was sentenced to more than three years in prison Thursday for obstructing a congressional investigation. Attorney General William Barr took a public swipe Thursday at President Donald Trump, saying that the presidents tweets about Justice Department prosecutors and cases make it impossible for me to do my job. Barr made the comment during an interview with ABC News just days after the Justice Department overruled its own prosecutors. they had initially recommended in a court filing that President Donald Trumps longtime ally and confidant Roger Stone be sentenced to 7 to 9 years in prison. During the 2016 campaign, Stone mentioned in interviews and public appearances that he was in contact with founder Julian Assange through a trusted intermediary and hinted at inside knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – This Week In South Florida’s Round Table discussion on Sunday included two local attorneys and two South Florida political journalists who have strong opinions about the cost of the Super Bowl LIV that is imposed on taxpayers. THE ATTORNEYSStephen Hunter Johnson (Local 10 News)Stephen Hunter Johnson is with Lydecker Diaz and serves as the chair of the Black Affairs Advisory Board of Miami-Dade. Bernadette Norris (Local 10 News)Bernadette Norris is a partner at Austin Pamies Norris Weeks Powell and was legal counsel to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections. THE JOURNALISTSMarc Caputo (Local 10 News)Marc Caputo, a former Miami Herald reporter, covers the politics of the country’s key swing states for Politico. Steve Bousquet (Local 10 News)Steve Bousquet is a columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who has also written for the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times and formerly worked for WPLG-Local 10 News.

Co-hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney are joined by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried. SUBSCRIBE TO THE TWISF PODCAST - iOS | AndroidCopyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – On "This Week in South Florida," hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg discuss the week's top news stories with Politico Reporter Marc Caputo, Deputy Director of the ACLU of Florida Melba Pearson and Miami-Dade County GOP Chairman Nelson Diaz. SUBSCRIBE TO THE TWISF PODCAST - iOS | Android