Florida’s Republican-controlled House is holding the first meeting of its select committee on congressional redistricting on Thursday, as the state becomes the latest to consider redrawing electoral maps amid a partisan battle for every edge in next year’s midterm elections. The national wave of redistricting efforts was instigated by President Donald Trump, who hopes to buck the historical trend of the president’s party losing seats in midterms, and his allies are wagering that his adopted home state could yield three to five more seats for Republicans.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition is condemning the Trump administration’s decision to implement an abrupt shutdown of asylum protections and a sweeping halt on immigration from developing countries. In a statement, the Coalition called the administration’s actions "yet another step in a long-running campaign to dismantle every pathway — formal, lawful, and humanitarian—that allows Black and Brown immigrants to come to the United States safely."

Humans have more in common with animals than many would like to admit — even in how we move. A new three-day art activation in Miami highlights the connections between human migration and animal displacement through an array of murals. "Kindred Spirits," a Soul Basel public-art activation, draws parallels between wildlife habitat loss and the displacement of Black communities, such as the I-95 expansion in the 1960s that uprooted 12,000 Black residents.

Members of the Miami-Dade College Board of Trustees unanimously voted on Tuesday to give away a valuable lot of undeveloped land in downtown Miami for the ultimate purpose of creating a Trump Presidential Library, after an earlier vote became the subject of a lawsuit. The second public meeting, held at the college's Hialeah Campus, featured more than 100 members of the public speaking about the loosely defined plans for the presidential library.

Some of the first words out of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's mouth after Sunday's win over the New Orleans Saints were praise for running back De'Von Achane and Miami's defense. If not for the two, the Dolphins may not have been celebrating a victory at all. Achane's 134 yards rushing and the defense's three takeaways and pivotal stops down the stretch helped the Dolphins edge the Saints 21-17 after a lackluster showing from Tagovailoa and Miami's passing game.

Birder Alex Harper searches for birds at Dump Marsh near the Miami-Dade County landfill at sunrise, during the "dawn chorus" when many songbirds begin to appear. Calling all bird lovers. The National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count gets underway Dec. 14. Whether you’re a backyard birder counting avian visitors at your feeder or an avid birder with a Life List, now is your chance to contribute to one of the longest, most continuous scientific data sets in history.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially concluded Sunday and despite forecasts predicting a hyperactive year and the Atlantic Ocean generating historically powerful storms, the Sunshine State—and the entire continental U.S.—was spared a hurricane landfall for the first time since 2015. Tropical Storm Chantal hit northern South Carolina on July 6 as the only named storm to hit the continental U.S. The twin hurricanes of Humberto and Imelda caused widespread coastal erosion in the Southeast and toppled some homes.

Thomas Müller knows exactly what it is like to face Lionel Messi with a trophy at stake. And he knows what it takes to win in those moments, too. The 2025 MLS Cup final — Messi and Inter Miami vs. Müller and the Vancouver Whitecaps — is going to draw a few comparisons from a personnel standpoint to the 2014 World Cup final and 2010 World Cup quarterfinal matches between Argentina and Germany.

WEST PALM BEACH — President Donald Trump said Friday that he will be pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted for drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison. The president explained his decision on social media by posting that "according to many people that I greatly respect," Hernandez was "treated very harshly and unfairly."

WEST PALM BEACH — President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media. Earlier this week, the administration announced it was ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, effective Feb. 3. Trump's extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center faces a precarious future after months of legal and political wrangling over its right to remain on Crandon Park, leaders of the nonprofit told the Anti-Social podcast. “We’re going to move forward, but we’re hesitant,” said Executive Director Theodora Long, who said many harmful things have happened. “If the mayor really liked us, why did she send the letter in the first place?” 

A 55-year-old Key Biscayne woman was nearly scammed out of $30,000 cash earlier this month by thieves pretending to work for Bank of America. The Village continues to see an uptick in fraud cases with two of the most recent cases involving two village council members. Police Chief Frank Sousa has acknowledged the uptick to the Independent and cautioned residents to always take precautions and verify who’s asking and looking for things.

For 30 years, Gordon Spitler has been serving the Key Biscayne community. So saving two kayakers who ended up in the water off Hobie Island Beach Park was just a normal day’s work. Spitler received the agency's life-saving award for his “heroic actions” on Oct. 17, when the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office reported an emergency involving an overturned kayak. Key Biscayne received a call from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to respond to two distressed swimmers whose kayak had overturned.

BRASILIA, Brazil — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday started his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt, to the surprise of many in the South American nation who doubted he would ever end up behind bars. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has overseen the case, ruled Bolsonaro will remain in custody after being preemptively arrested on Saturday.

The death of a Florida teenager on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month has been ruled a homicide, the latest development in a case that has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media. Anna Kepner's cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia," according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, which said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."

The Florida Press Club nominated the Key Biscayne Independent in four categories, including best independent website, community coverage, public safety reporting and environmental writing. “We’re here to provide strong and independent accountability journalism on the hyperlocal level,” said Editor-in-Chief Tony Winton. “We’re grateful to be honored by the judges, and thankful to our supporters for making community-powered journalism a reality.”

Another GOP contender has launched a bid to succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida's next governor, teeing up a broader challenge to President Donald Trump 's chosen candidate to lead his adopted home state. James Fishback, a 30-year-old investor who lives in Florida's rural Panhandle region, formally announced his candidacy Monday, immediately taking shots at Republican Rep. Byron Donalds…

BELEM, Brazil — After two weeks of negotiations, this year's United Nations climate talks ended Saturday with a compromise that some criticized as weak and others called progress. The deal finalized at the COP30 conference pledges more money to help countries adapt to climate change, but lacks explicit plans to transition away from the fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas that heat the planet.

SAO PAULO — Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the preemptive arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday, with a judge claiming he was intent on escaping just days before he was set to begin his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. The 70-year-old politician was taken to the headquarters of the country's federal police in the capital, Brasilia, from his house arrest.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Millions of electricity customers in President Donald Trump's adopted home state of Florida will see their bills rise, after a regulatory board approved what environmental advocates say is one of the largest utility rate increases in the state's history. The price hike will affect an estimated 12 million Floridians — roughly half the state's population — at a time when voters are citing economic concerns as a top issue, and as Democrats and Republicans brace for a debate over affordability in the intensifying midterm battle to control Congress.

Gene Hogg grew up homeless for the first eight years of his life, as the family followed his alcoholic father from town to town as he got work as a painter. On Thursday, he was all about paying it forward. Hear nonprofit stories on the Anti-Social podcast:

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has further loosened tariffs on Brazil as part of his effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. The decision, released Thursday, affects coffee, fruit and beef, among other goods The White House said last week that Trump was rolling back some worldwide tariffs that were originally announced in April. However, Brazil said that didn't affect levies that Trump had enacted in July to punish the country for prosecuting his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

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