Monday, May 13, 2024
America Welcome to Florida's Sanctuary City
Where DeSantis rejects are Welcome!
It’s late morning in Ybor City, and the streets are awakening as you walk to a local coffee shop to start your day discovering this “city within a city” in Tampa. Beyond the door to Blind Tiger Café, the aromas of freshly brewed coffee and right-out-of-the-oven pastries fill the air. Within moments, you're seated at a table, and a brimming cup of café con leche is set in front of you, as well as a healthy portion of hot, buttered Cuban toast. you take a sip from the steaming mug while plotting out the day ahead.
Back outside, Ybor City’s streets and buildings evoke a sense of the late-1800s. Shopkeepers open their storefronts along the narrow streets. The merchants and signs have changed since the 19th Century, but the buildings and vibe endure. Stopping in front of King Corona Cigars & Cafe, you're quickly reminded that Ybor City was once the “Cigar Capital of the World.” Factories within just a few miles of where you're standing produced hundreds of millions of cigars per year, and all of those cigars were hand-rolled in the Cuban tradition.
It’s afternoon when you emerge once again into the Florida sunshine, and decide it’s time to do a bit of window-shopping. As you continue your stroll, roaming roosters crow, certainly late for any wake-up call. Maybe they’re still sleepy from the night before.
As the evening descends on Ybor City, people begin to gather to celebrate the happiest of hours with cold pints poured at local breweries. Live music fills the night air from open doors of venues dotted throughout Ybor City: there’s Crowbar, The Ritz Ybor and a number of nightclubs scattered along 7th Avenue, all of which welcome both local and national bands to take their stages. And tucked inside The Columbia Restaurant, the state’s oldest restaurant, colorful flamenco dancers showcase their talents six nights a week to the delight of an inspired audience.
Mostly though, Historic Ybor City is a Sanctuary for everyone. People from all walks of life are welcome there without judgement. It is a haven of friendship, acceptance and tolerance in a world filed with hatred and ignorance. In a world where bigotry has become the norm, where history is buried to appease those in power, where books are banned and religious fanaticism is esteemed and where blacks, gays, migrants, everyone but white men are kept underfoot, Ybor City is a welcoming and safe place. It is a gem filled with a wealth of flavors, culture and history tucked on the outskirts of downtown Tampa.
"All who come to this happy place, welcome"
Walt Disney
Mayor Castor: Brightline, high speed rail service to Tampa is critical
Talks of a high-speed rail service to Tampa continue among city leaders. Many in the area believe a Brightline extension from Orlando to the Cigar City is a necessity.....Read More
Get ready to see Trump go to jail
We’ve seen politicians go to jail. We’ve seen a vice president of the United States — Spiro Agnew — resign to avoid any chance of going to jail. We have seen President Richard Nixon pardoned in order to keep him out of jail.
What we have never seen is a former president of the United States in jail. But now that is a real possibility, because Donald Trump can’t shut up and abide by a simple gag order.
Shapeshifter: Sunset Rick Scott
Here in Florida, a self-serving shapeshifter lurks, fueled by greed and political ambition. His name is Rick Scott.
Help Debbie Mucarsel-Powell defeat Rick Scott HERE
Israelis killing Palestinians ‘in cold blood’ in occupied West Bank
Nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been unlawfully killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in the past 16 years – 98 percent of them civilians, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Each of them, like Taha and Ibrahim, has a story and loved ones who mourn them.
The frequency of the killings have spiked in recent years with Israel killing 509 Palestinians in 2023. That is more than double the number recorded by OCHA in any previous year.
In the first three months of this year, 131 Palestinians were killed, a higher rate of killing than the previous year, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Sunday, May 12, 2024
UN votes in favor of Palestinian membership: What does it signify?
Today, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a Palestinian bid to become a full member, recommending the Security Council reconsider the matter. The motion, which grants the Palestinians significantly more rights to participate in General Assembly sessions, but not regular voting rights, was supported by 143 countries. The US vetoed a Security Council resolution last month that would have paved the way for that. Ahead of today's vote, Israel's ambassador to the world body shredded the UN charter, saying that was what countries who support Palestine's bid to join the UN were doing.
How to build a disaster supplies kit at Walmart
It's National Hurricane Preparedness Week, and with an "extremely active" season on the horizon, scouting for supplies now can save you headaches later.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management created a disaster supplies kit checklist that includes food and water, first aid supplies, insurance documents, flashlights, batteries and medicine. The checklist recommends over 60 items, which can seem intimidating, if not expensive.
Pro-Palestine supporters march in Downtown Sarasota
Demonstrators said they are showing solidarity with Palestinians as Israel prepares its latest assault in its war against Hamas.
“I want to make sure that everybody is happy— Jews, Palestinians and Muslims and Christians live, I still go there, my family is there, outside of Gaza, they are not in Gaza, but everyone is suffering somehow over there,” onlooker Missam Younis said.
Michael Cohen stands to make-or-break Trump hush money case
In the first four weeks of former President Trump’s hush money trial, his one-time personal attorney, Michael Cohen, has been called a “jerk,” an “asshole” and challenging to work with – to the point that some sought to actively avoid him.
But when Cohen takes the stand on Monday – billed as a star witness for the Manhattan district attorney’s office – he’ll be tasked with convincing the jury hearing the former president’s first criminal case that he’s also something else: a credible witness.
As Israeli forces advance on Rafah, State Department report is critical of Israel
The State Department criticized parts of Israel's war effort in a new report to Congress, as Israeli forces advanced on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Children were among those injured by an Israeli strike in Rafah.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Pro-Palestine supporters march in Downtown Sarasota
Amid the escalating tensions in the region, calls for a ceasefire continue. People lined the streets in Downtown Sarasota, chanting and waving banners demanding an end to violence in Gaza.....Read More
Pro-Palestine student protests continue at weekend commencement ceremonies
Jacob Hamilton/Ann Arbor News
Pro-Palestine protests have continued at multiple universities this weekend, with students attempting to send a message during their commencement ceremonies.....Read More
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