Conexión Miami / A newspaper’s fantasies

Let me give you an example: Ernesto Hernández allegedly prescribed medicine without a license, charged for services that were not necessary and scammed Medicare in 2008 to the tune of nearly $4 million. Hernández’s practice is common in Miami, a city known sadly as the capital of Medicare fraud. To such an extent that federal authorities in the past three years have captured at least 25 fugitives who, like Hernández, were caught at Miami International Airport on flights from Cuba, in some cases traveling under false identities.

To avoid responsibility by fleeing to Cuba — which has no extradition treaty with the United States — is something that Hernández has tried, like many others, at the risk of being returned by the Cuban authorities. But from there to suppose (like the Diario las Américas just did) that these fraudulent fellows “do not adapt to Cuba” and therefore return in the end to face their sentences like gentlemen, is a bit too much, don’t you think? This reminds me of a David Lynch movie, “Blue Velvet” maybe.

Marijuana for medical purposes

The Senate voted and the bill passed, so a strain of marijuana that does not damage the brain will not only be authorized in Florida but also be recommended to treat cancer and epilepsy. The variety, known as “Charlotte’s Web,” contains small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance. When Republican governor Rick Scott signs the bill — and he said he would — Florida will become the 22nd state, in addition to the District of Columbia, to adopt cannabis for medical purposes.

Have you downloaded ‘Selfies4Reform’ yet?

Jared Leto (who doesn’t know Jared Leto?) recently said, “I support immigration reform because the immigrants significantly enrich our culture. We must celebrate this fact and push reform through as soon as possible.”

However, what’s really significant about Leto’s words is not what he said — we know that Leto can stand up, be applauded, receive an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor and dedicate it to “all the dreamers” in Ukraine or Venezuela — but the fact that he said it through a new platform, the so-called “Selfies4Reform,” available in the iOS and Android systems.

Launched by FWD.us, the initiative was supported by Marc Zuckerberg, president of Facebook. Through it, you can send a selfie to the members of Congress in Washington to insist on a discussion of immigration reform.

Microsoft announces an Innovation Center in Miami

A “latest-generation building,” the Miami Innovation Center (MIC) will be built in downtown Miami, the first of a series that Microsoft will open in the United States. With it, the company wants to turn the city not only into a technological center but also a bridge connecting South Florida with Latin America, especially with travel and tourism agencies. To be inaugurated in late spring, the building will be constructed with support from the startup accelerator Venture Hive, on whose site it will be erected. The MIC will comprise more than 5,000 square feet.

Why Biden came to Miami

Joe Biden — arms folded and half-smiling — was seen Saturday on the Kendall campus of Miami Dade College with Eduardo Padrón and Ángel Cabrera, presidents of MDC and George Manson University, respectively. “The key to our success lies in accepting immigrants, keeping the best of other countries,” the vice president said in his commencement speech.

The statement was anything but dishonest, because, just observing the origin of the United States we realize that — other than the American Indians — this country does not have native men and women. Biden’s words were so true that, coming from a politician, had a startling impact.

The Veep’s presence was justified by the graduation of 15,000 students from 39 countries. In his speech, Biden not only regurgitated the description of The American Dream (even quoting García Márquez) but also supported the recent passing by the Florida State Senate of the Dreamers Bill, which enables undocumented students to pay for their tuition at the rate paid by established state residents.