Conexion Miami / Hurricane intensity taking a break

A Sun Sentinel report asked recently: Is the era of hurricane intensity drawing to a close? These “eras” last from one to three decades, they report. Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said an era is over only when there is “some convincing evidence that conditions have reversed.” He cautioned that it’s too early to come to that conclusion. He did say there are some hints the Atlantic basin might be calming down. We’re keeping fingers crossed.

Cell phones in prison

Cell phones have become a hot commodity in prison black markets. Florida Dept. of Corrections spokesperson Jessica Cary says they can be used “to commit more crimes or victimize people inside and outside [and could be used for] formulating escape plans. It’s dangerous to the public.” Florida in 2013 housed about 100,000 inmates in its private and publicly run prisons. The Department of Corrections confiscated 4,681 cell phones in 2013, plus 1,863 chargers, 674 battery packs, and 184 SIM cards.

Flooding Miami Beach streets

Miami Beach streets often become flooded at high tide in the spring and fall. A recent NY Times story blames rising sea levels. Gov. Rick Scott has been asked many times whether he believes in man-made climate change. A typical response: “I’m not a scientist.” At a recent meeting with climate scientists he was shown maps and projections – including the one that shows much of Miami-Dade County underwater by 2048. Unfazed, his reaction, according to the Miami Herald, was to ask them “to explain their backgrounds, describe the courses they taught, and where students in their academic fields get jobs.”

Conserving Florida land and water

Amendment 1, on the ballot this November, is worth voting favorably for. If approved, it forces the state to set aside a third of taxes collected on real estate transactions over the next 20 years to conserve land and protect water. Ten billion dollars would be raised over that span of time. It’s been more than two decades since politicians identified conservation and water protection as key for the future of Florida. The problem, though, is that politics and lobbyists got in the way. Voters now have a chance to remedy the problem.

Governor’s race money tally

Gov. Rick Scott has raised a total of $50.2 million for his reelection. Having spent $36.1 million so far, as of Sept. 19, Scott had $10.2 million left to spend. As we wrote this column, Charlie Crist’s campaign had yet to file its latest report, so it’s unclear how much he has left to spend. We can tell you that Crist has spent at least $18.4 million, including $2 million his committee paid the Florida Democratic Party on Sept. 15. His committee had raised $20.6 million through Sept. 19.

Reimagining Asia

Trendy Studios in Miami, 196 N.W. 24th St., will exhibit a selection of photos by Nicolas Stipcianos and Jacob Bacallao titled “Reimagined: A Journey to Southeast Asia.” Stipcianos and Bacallao are Colombian-born and Miami-based. Proceeds from the show will go to Style Saves, an organization that works to raise funds through fashion-focused events in order to provide underprivileged students with clothing, shoes, and accessories; as well as Elephant Hospital Thai Elephant Conservation Center, an elephant orphanage in Thailand. See you on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 7 to 11 p.m.

Jeb vs. Hillary not likely

NBC News reported that “While a broad, deep coalition of Democrats is urging Hillary Clinton to run for president, Republicans so far aren’t rallying behind the politician in their party from a famous political family: Jeb Bush.” A Bush candidacy complicates potential runs by Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who would compete for the same donors, strategists and voters in a 2016 contest. And conservative activists could make winning the nomination difficult for Bush, whose supporters say he is unlikely to woo the Tea Party because of his stands on immigration and education.

Bob Graham’s daughter a Dem star

Speaking of Florida political families… Gwen Graham, the daughter of former Sen. Bob Graham, is challenging GOP Rep. Steve Southerland in a conservative-leaning north Florida district. The 51-year-old lawyer is considered the Democrats’ top new House candidate this cycle. There may be a problem, though. Graham is competing in a part of Florida that Romney won in 2012. There’s little polling available on the race, but experts suggest a close contest. Graham had $1.5 million on hand, while Southerland reported $1.4 million, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings.

Scott-style intimidation

About 200 people attended an event held for Charlie Crist at the home of Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant. When they arrived at the home in an upscale, secluded neighborhood in Tallahassee, they were met by Republican Party of Florida and Rick Scott campaign staff holding anti-Crist signs and dressed in prisoner costumes. Guests were photographed and videotaped getting out of their cars or walking into the event and some license plates were photographed. “It was some sort of silly attempt to intimidate,” Tant told reporters. Reminds us of Cuba haters who used to do the same thing to Cuba travelers once upon a time at MIA.

Failing at education

A Sunshine State Survey poll of 1,875 randomly selected Floridians by the University of South Florida in Tampa showed that 31 percent believe the state is not very successful at preparing students for the global economy. Just 9 percent believe the education system is “very successful” at preparing students for the workforce. Those with children in school have an even dimmer view of how the system is performing. About 39 percent of respondents with a child in school said the schools are not very successful at preparing students for the new economy.

Florida tourism

Florida tourism leaders are hoping to lure more millennial and international visitors.

Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, aims to reach a younger audience by inserting marketing material into a popular motocross video game that has been downloaded more than 4 million times. The agency also expects a partnership with National Geographic, and an aggressive marketing campaign at Fashion Week in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in April, will bring more international tourists to the state. Nearly 95 million people visited Florida last year. State leaders intend to boost that number to 127 million visitors by 2020 – a push that is expected to create 315,000 new jobs.

FIU booty smacker

There’s a bike-riding butt grabber haunting Florida International University students. The Miami Herald reported that “after two incidents of a man on a bike groping female students’ behinds were reported earlier this summer, the serial squeezer struck again this weekend, according to a university-wide alert.” Students seem to be shrugging of news of the booty grabber. But university police that they take every incident as “serious.”

Justice on the job

This from a Jobs with Justice release: After waiting 40 years, nearly two million home-care workers finally secured the right to earn a minimum wage and overtime. But these workers may be forced to wait even longer for their new rights to take effect – unless you help. The rule that grants home-care workers these important protections is supposed to go into effect January 1, 2015. But corporate home-care agencies are lobbying the Department of Labor and states to delay implementing it. Click here for JWJ on Facebook and for more info.

11-year-old shot in Miami bar

Strange occurrences for a Sunday… Fifteen people, ranging in age from 11 to 25, were shot and wounded – at least one critically – at a party early Sunday morning at a Miami nightclub, according to Miami police. The shooting happened at The Spot on Northwest 64th Street at Seventh Avenue at about 1 a.m. A police spokeswoman said: “This has baffled everybody … we are just trying to figure out what’s going on.” Our reaction: What the heck is an 11-year-old doing in a Miami bar after midnight? At any time for that matter…

Same-sex marriage gains steam

Good news as Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage crumbles. Miami Beach first wrote what’s known as an amicus curiae brief to support overturning the state’s ban. St. Petersburg was added recently and Tampa appears on the way. Already part of the brief are Orlando, Broward County, Wilton Manors and Biscayne Park. On the other side, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has defended the ban, which was added to Florida’s Constitution by 62 percent of voters in 2008.