The looming Brightline Bankruptcy: Of course we can’t have a rail system, have you SEEN our rail system?

CIS benders (of the truth) and Miami's "assimilation problem"

A spate of news you can use this week from the WAWLT boys, who will continue to stay posting on main. On tap this week: * What's going on with Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz, Maria Elvira Salazar, and the congressional district hopscotch being played across South Florida? * Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's confirmation and the the statistical subterfuge we are all living through. * The Atlantic has good news: The economy is all just bad vibes and Debbie downers! You're all actually doing great! * A look at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) recent report on how Miami is failing to assimilate. Yeah. Ok.

The looming Brightline Bankruptcy: Of course we can’t have a rail system, have you SEEN our rail system?

Is public rail designed to fail? We’re revisiting our favorite public-private partnership (aka privatization) and checking in on the Brightline rail system which seems to be teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after burning through billions of dollars and propping. How did they lose so much money? How did the venture fail so stunningly? And what will become of the valuable land where the downtown Miami station sits? Also, a new Miami-Boston rivalry, Ron DeSantis' soft national relaunch, Rick Scott's sneak-disses, Hondurasgate, Venezuela the US state, Aliens (sorry, too late), and Trump's golden pate.

LOL you call that a "Free" State? Palantir in Miami and 287(g) agreements in Florida

Two big stories on the docket today: First, Thomas has new reporting on TruthOut.org about how Miami and wide swaths of Florida have become a show-me-your-papers state, where fishing-while-Latino can get you stopped, frisked, and maybe detained. The proliferation of so-called 287(g) agreements with law enforcement, state agencies, municipalities and all manner of other organizations has become almost a virtue signal from those groups to let the most petty, vindictive governor in the country know that they're definitely on his side. Meanwhile, some cities have resisted signing onto these agreements, and somehow the sky didn't fall. After that, we dive into the wrongheaded notion espoused by many in the Miami tech, real estate, finance and commercial sectors that a bunch of billionaires buying mansion and moving their wealthy retinue of flunkies here to take advantage of our tax code is a boon for our city. We use surveillance monster Palantir and its CEO Alex Karp's announcement of their "move" to Miami as the exemplar, but they're far from the only ones sheltering their vast wealth in a city that's just happy to cede soft power and influence in exchange for a few shekels. Also, come stop by the City of Miami Commission meeting on May 14 at City Hall and let them know you don't support the Miami Forever Bond redux, and that these agencies should DEFINITELY not get bond money while signed onto these 287(g) agreements with ICE and DHS. You can also let your voice be heard on May 14 at 9 a.m. at Miami Dade College Wolfson Compus where the Florida Department of Education will hold a hearing into a state rule aimed at banning undocumented students from Florida public colleges. Here's Thomas' article from TruthOut: https://truthout.org/articles/miami-police-have-become-a-show-me-your-papers-patrol-despite-public-opposition/

The WAWLT Big Comeback After 4 Months Off

Florida ain't goin' anywhere! Why Are We Like This is back after an extended break, and we're talking about, well, just a whole slate of goings-on in the Sunshine State during our dark period, picking up with Thomas and David's trip to the Emerge Americas Conference last week and their interaction with some of Miami's new AI hologram ambassadors that will soon be gracing the halls of our finest airport dungeons and half-built soccer stadiums. From the episode: Here's the Mother Jones article Thomas mentioned about the death of the Florida Orange. https://www.motherjones.com/environme... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbENNS0swdzBOZ0tJM3NaSEdiTUJYNmtYVjFhd3xBQ3Jtc0tudmF2Q2ROQm1aLUQtZHhkeHk2LW1WQ01YazcyaDVDOHkxS092MVJ4ckNmSUhXcU5fVUFWNEpLX3hmMHA3cDJpVko2WFRQS2hfRWNNYXItMG9kbHhMcUtZeWFkalVHVUlEYWIwd1pqWHh1WFJ6eDEyYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fenvironment%2F2026%2F04%2Fflorida-orange-juice-industy-decline-death%2F&v=lMOimP6dQ0U] Here's the weird Florida 529 Plan AI commercials that David mentioned. Florida Prepaid | Detective [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlFOTvUy--0]

Back with Fresh Internet, Doppelgängers and Other Stories

We're back with a new season of Why Are We Like This?, and the guys play a round of catch-up on various topics, including the impact of good internet on media professionals, the intersection of sports and politics, the Venezuelan crisis, human rights violations in Alcatraz, conspiracy theories related to high-profile crimes, cultural commentary on nepo babies, crisis communications in politics, the rise of charter schools, Trump's presidential library, and the challenges of regulating artificial intelligence. The conversation highlights the complexities and nuances of these issues, providing insights into the current state of affairs in Florida and beyond. Time Codes: 00:00 Introduction and Internet Woes 02:49 Political Commentary and Sports Media 05:41 Venezuelan Boat Attacks and Military Intervention 08:24 Alcatraz and Human Rights Concerns 11:09 High-Profile Criminal Cases and Conspiracy Theories 16:37 Cultural Commentary on Nepotism and Celebrity 22:05 Corruption in Politics and Education Reform 26:29 Charter Schools and Privatization in Florida 35:08 The Miami Mayoral Race: Candidates and Predictions 49:21 Artificial Intelligence: Regulation and Implications