We marked our first Liberation Day with a breakdown of the special election results in Wisconsin and Florida. We also checked in on some of our favorite mayors, NYC's Exonerated Eric Adams and Miami-Dade's belt-tightening Daniella Levine Cava.By Why Are We Like This?

We talked about the intersection of scamming, regulation, and public corruption against the backdrop of a recent petty scandal where Miami-Dade health inspectors were caught extorting restaurants for clean reports. After that, we get into recent news including more tariff chaos, DOGE moves, and the latest from Tallahassee.…

We check in with our roving reporter Thomas Kennedy on the latest bile pouring from the state capital and try to figure out exactly where the priorities lie. It's a short one folks, enjoy it!By Why Are We Like This?

On January 1, the so-called HALO Law went into effect across Florida, limiting and in many cases criminalizing citizens' ability to record police in public. The law is part-and-parcel with an ever more reactionary and authoritarian drift in a state that purports to support freedom but is, in practice, one of the least free places in the country. We…

He's back, and boy does he have some opinions about how to Make America Great Again. That's right, we're once again talking about our favorite invented demographic cohort, the Miami New Guy, who has spent the past few Joining us is author, amateur mangrove trash collector, and professional Cuban Andrew Otazo, who shares his own experience growing u…

When's a rug not a rug? When it's pulled right out from under ya, ya dummies. Fans of Javier Milei recently learned that hard lesson when they dropped millions of dollars of (presumably not) hard-earned cash into a meme coin fraud sponsored by the famously sister-curious Argentine president. We invited Andres Fidanza, editor-in-chief of El Observad…

"Nothing Ever Happens" is a classic shit-poster meme about the phenomenon of crisis-based media hype cycles and how we ingest them as people who might not be on the immediate frontlines of the crisis. It's a useful lens for us to examine the onslaught of this month's top headlines, so that's what we do!…

Happy MLK Jr. Day! Happy Inauguration-They're-Gonna-Write-About-In-History-Books-But-For-All-The-Wrong-Reasons Day! The WAWLT Boys return from a protracted break to bring you up to date on America's speed-run into full Florida status. We talked about the spasmodic, seemingly hourly new developments surrounding the TikTok ban and its implications fo…

So it turns out Florida -- and every swing state -- wasn't in play after all. Following a tectonic collapse that saw Florida Democrats somehow lose even more ground, we discuss the fallout and what it means for the future of our state, our nation, and the world.By Why Are We Like This?

Over the summer, Redfin released a report analyzing rent trends across the country and while the national average ticked up 1%, analysts were surprised to find many major metros across Florida cratering due to increased inventory, slowing migration, and myriad other factors. In this episode, we examine whether this is good news, bad news, or maybe …

There is a cognitive dissonance when trying to pin down exactly what constitutes a “quality” education in Florida. Is it a critical understanding of the world imparted during your most formative years? Is it technical training and job placement, ensuring your economic well-being into adulthood? Is it a ranking in a defunct magazine that few people …

***Here's the Change.org petition we mentioned*** https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-great-outdoors-initiative-save-florida-s-state-parks-from-harmful-developments?source_location=tag_ Rising costs associated with so-called special assessments and maintenance have always been a sore spot for Miami homeowners, but add in the recent spate of ill-consi…

After nearly 13 years of bringing cutting-edge multicultural contemporary dance productions to North Miami, the Peter London Global Dance Company is unsure whether it will be able to go on. It isn’t just a result of regular old “show biz,” either. Artistic director and founder Peter London is used to that. This is something different. “It’s typical…

Primary elections are upon us on August 20th and mail-in voting has started. This guide is intended to help you make sense of things. In January, Biscayne Times raised the curtain on 2024 with the headline: “Welcome to a High-Stakes Election Year.” That puts things mildly in this unprecedented year when Donald Trump survived an assassination attemp…

Miami Shores' interim planning and zoning director, Joseph Corradino, says the village is in the middle of a six-month long overhaul of the residential zoning code. Property owners looking to build a house in Miami Shores Village have a new set of regulations to follow now that council members have taken steps to curb big homes... Thanks for listen…

Today, the WAWLT fellas get to the bottom of the AI bubble roiling the all-important Dow Jones Industrial Average, what makes a nepo-politico heir endeavor to mistreat a bear cub, and (briefly) discuss the failed disaster that was the season finale of the Dragons and Houses show. As our main story, we dive into the, well, weird proclivities of GOP …

A lot has happened since last we met, dear listeners. With a maelstrom of political upheaval, a historic Republican National Convention, a Presidential assassination attempt gone awry, and more, we make the choice to devote the lion's share of this episode to JD Vance's fasc-adjacent, off-putting interpretation of JRR Tolkien's classic series, The …

The WAWLT Boys reviewed that devastating Biden debate performance and what the seemingly rudderless Democratic Party could or should do faced with a leader who resembles the Benadryl Hat Man. We also dived into the outrageous recent Supreme Court decisions that threaten to undermine democracy as we know it, unleash heretofore unseen environmental d…

We’re talking congestion pricing this week and we refuse to kowtow to the powerful, influential diner lobby that has place New York Governor Kathy Hochul firmly in its pocket. To help us clear the congestion, we welcome back our very own antihistamine Jordan Zakarin (@JordanZakarin), publisher of Progress Report (www.progressreport.news). But befor…

“If an institution has not made it after 10 years, it shouldn’t be around anymore,” said auto dealership magnate and art collector Norman Braman in a 2014 interview with The New York Times. Ten years later, the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA) is still standing. More than that, it’s thriving. After receiving a reported 1 million visitors a…

The Upper East Side’s most beloved neighborhood restaurant is moving, expanding into a new, larger space. Will this tiny, hidden gem – our go-to spot for comfort food – lose its charm? Before we answer that, let’s take a look back at its origin story... Thanks for listening! For more local news visit BiscayneTimes.com.…

The LGBTQ+ community has become Florida’s political battleground over the past two years. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis waged a heavily publicized war against drag queens performing in Wynwood. Last year, he signed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ bills from the Florida Legislature. Most recently, the governor expressed a clear intent to challenge federal protec…

What was thought to be a victory for the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in a monthslong digital billboard debate has since turned into something quite different. Rather, the real battle has only just begun. In a recent reversal by the Miami City Commission at its May 23 meeting, the body voted to…

In this jam-packed summer spectacular we have two interviews that tell the story of Florida governmental ineffectiveness and evil, first on the state level and then locally. First, we welcome back McKenna Schueler (@SheCarriesOn), staff writer for the Orlando Weekly, who shares her recent reporting on Florida’s legislation doing away with local mun…

The guys talked about the recent proposed fair increases on the Brightline train system, which has been the source of much controversy in its brief tenure as Florida's de facto rail transit system. Along with the hefty price tag that taxpayers mostly carried, the private company that began as a patronage project for former-Gov. Rick Scott has been …

Belle Meade is at a turning point in its long-winding history, but as is the case with most evolutions, it’s being preceded by a war. There are two camps developing in the Upper East Side neighborhood: those who want to preserve the eclectic character of the community, and those who want to preserve their rights as property owners to remodel and re…

City of Miami commissioners voted 3-2 April 25 to ban future construction of oversized, digital billboards in the municipality. But to be clear, residents will still stumble upon these very structures during their downtown walks or drives. The vote puts the city one step closer to rescinding an ordinance passed in 2023 that allows 100-foot LED bill…

The Miami City Commission has voted unanimously to approve increased height limits in the MiMo Biscayne Boulevard Historic District under certain conditions. The final language adopted last month through the approved ordinance allows 20 feet of additional height for a project on a one-acre lot or larger, if that project includes a public benefit by…

The best thing about baseball is the legends that build up around the game. There’s always a story, and it always has a whiff of the unreal, whether it’s Yogi Berra’s leaps in logic, Dock Ellis’ psychedelic-fueled no-hitter, Bo Jackson’s left-handed homer or the Curse of the Billy Goat on the Cubs (the bad vibes only being broken by a goat-eating c…

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced a $2.5 billion bond proposal at her State of the County address Jan. 24, 2023. A little more than two months after Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava floated a $2.5 billion general obligation bond (GOB) referendum during her State of the County address to pay for a series of expansive…

This week we are reviewing the latest film from Alex Garland, Civil War, and considering what it would take to get this wonderful, fully functional, definitely real country to descend into the kind of madness where violent rural weirdos embrace guns as a cultural identity. We also touched on friend of the show Billy Corben's brief run to lead the M…

Beginning in May, abortion will be effectively banned in Florida with a strict new law making the six-week mark the limit for those seeking care. However, voters will have the chance to vote on Amendment 4 in November to codify abortion throughout the state, and organizers are amping up to get the vote out. Dani Martins, a reproductive rights advoc…

In the first half of this episode we catch up with our friend Jordan Zakarin and talk about the media narrative around squatting, the eclipse, Florida's future, and more. Then, we talked with another friend, Yareliz Mendez Zamor from the Florida Immigrant Coalition about the Florida Supreme Court's ruling that will put abortion on the ballot this y…

It’s a familiar story: Haiti is currently experiencing extreme social strife, and the opportunists are lining up to take advantage. We talked with Florida Immigrant Coalition co-executive director Tessa Petit about her home country’s history as a target for the Western powers and how Florida and Ron DeSantis are using the current conditions as a pr…

We spent this week talking about the endless supply of disarray that the Florida Dems seem almost preternaturally capable of concocting around their wheezing party, this time in the form of a completely manufactured controversy wherein our state party has suspended the chairmen of three county parties, including Democrat strongholds Miami-Dade and …

We welcome back Jason Garcia (@jason_garcia), the publisher of Seeking Rents, for a discussion about State Sen. Linda Stewart's recent scandal wherein she was caught advancing industry-written legislation that would prevent Orlando being able to rein in taxpayer spending on Visit Orlando. Jason stuck around to guide us through the Florida legislati…

The WAWLT Boys analyzed President Biden and Democrats' controversial immigration bill, what it gets wrong, why it's good that it's doomed, and how it represents a negative shift in the Overton Window, acquiescing to the far-right at the expense of real people's lives. We also touched on Ron DeSantis' (ahem) beef with lab-grown meat and where the Fl…

Folks, they're calling it the Worst Run Campaign in History, and we had a front row seat to its demise. Joined by Ryan Ray (@RyanRay_fla) we joined in with the rest of America in celebrating and ridiculing the death of Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, discussed what went wrong, and tried to chart a future for Florida's 46th governor.…

We're joined for this episode by longtime friend and guest Ryan Ray (@ryanray_Fla) who talked through the latest spates of Miami corruption and local politics, the changes afoot at New College of Florida, and Iowa caucus predictions. Ryan stuck around as we talked with Ida Eskamani (@Ida_v_e) to preview the toxic legislative calendar coming out of …

The WAWLT Boys begin today's episode sharing their culture by taking the listeners on a tour through history of Santa's Enchanted Forest, a uniquely Miami-Dade working class holiday experience. From there, we dive into the release of the Jeffrey Epstein flight log list and what was really happening there. We then head to Argentina to check in on ho…

The WAWLT boys catch up ahead of the holiday and discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez, who faces the chopping block on January 11th for her and her husband's rampant, blatant, predatory corruption. Don't worry, of COURSE we talked about Christian and Bridgette Zielger's recent throuple issues and the sexua…

We talked with Adrian Madriz of Struggle for Miami's Affordable and Sustainable Housing Incorporated (SMASH Miami) about their new campaign to overhaul the unfair and predatory practices of Homeowners Associations and insurance companies in Florida. Be sure to sign their petition and learn more by visiting SMASH Miami. Afterwards, the boys get into…

Arch Creek Park is in trouble – dirty trouble – and local activists are organizing once again to save a historic landmark in North Miami they began fighting for more than 40 years ago. In 1972, environmental lawyer Maureen Harwitz read in a newspaper that Chrysler Automobile Corporation sought to convert historic Arch Creek Park into a used auto lo…

Conservationists have been trying to incentivize environmental preservation for more than a century in Florida. If history has made one thing clear, however, it’s that it’s not an easy feat. Indeed, not everyone sees – or cares about – nature’s intrinsic value, focusing rather on how it extrinsically serves our needs. Even then, amid high-rises, of…

The city of North Miami Beach’s special mayoral race is in high gear. Now that the qualifying period has officially closed, residents have one month to weigh out potential candidates before the Dec. 5 election. Although pickings are slim in quantity, residents may find that both names on the ballot hold some weight. Evan Scott Piper and Paule Villa…

Things keep getting spooookier here in Florida, as all the worst people continue moving here for all the wrong reasons. We took a deep-dive into the forces behind the Great MAGA Migration to the Sunshine State and how Florida became the homing beacon for transplants who have irrevocably changed our cultural and political landscape.…

We've got a two-pack of WAWLT topics today. First, we talked with Hernan Reyes, a public opinion analyst based in Buenos Aires, about the ascendance of political figure Javier Milei, Argentina's very own Donald Trump, a Libertarian radical running as an outsider promising change, including an economic policy that would pin the Argentine peso to the…

This week, we focus on a name that not many folks know outside of the hyper-targeted world of lobbyists, consultants, pollsters, and special interest groups in Florida. Florida Politics at first blush looks like a finely tuned news-gathering machine, stepping in to provide deep, often well-reported coverage of the political landscape here during a …

Saddest four words in podcasting: It's just the boys! We've got a lot to say about Florida Man Matt Gaetz's inevitable path to Florida governor, the current governor's qualities that would make him an awful Speaker of the House, and our favorite topic: Miami Mayor Frances Suarez, who's out with a fresh pair of scandals. We also play a quick round o…

To celebrate a year of WAWLT, we welcomed back three-time returning guest Billy Corben to talk about the recent arrest of Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and to help tell the inside story behind our own Thomas Kennedy's ethics complaint against Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. We also talked about New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez's conte…