How Do You Solve a Problem Like Miami? DISINCORPORATION. feat. Billy Corben
Today we're tackling the real problems facing our magical home city, discussing the viability of election and political reforms across Miami like a new election calendar and district map, as laid out in a recent Miami Herald opinion piece. Our conclusion? It's all too far gone, and the entire city is no longer viable. What about... disintegrating Miami? Longtime Magic City raconteur and returning WAWLT guest Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys, The U, God Forbid) joins us to imagine a future where the city of Miami can no longer disenfranchise and shake down its residents -- because it no longer exists. But before that, a quick check-in with some of Florida's gubernatorial hopefuls and their steps (or missteps) toward the governor's mansion in 2026. You can follow Billy Corben on Twitter @billycorben.
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52:55
Honey I Shrunk the Economy
It's the stupid economy, you stupid idiot. Another week, another spate of economic uncertainty roiling markets and the nerves of our tender tummies. GDP has shrunk (shrank? shrinked?) and while it might SEEM like Florida's favorite president is to blame, it was actually previous president Joe Biden's fault. It just is! We also hear from Thomas about the end of a legislative session in Tallahassee that wasn't good, but also wasn't as bad as it could have been.
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32:28
I Hope You Had the Time of Your Wife
Hope Foundation is a Florida nonprofit that was supposed to help struggling Floridians on government assistance get back on their feet. Instead, the organization -- with profound ties to Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis -- is at the center of the first scandal threatening to affect the DeSantis family's waning political prospects.Today, we had returning guest Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) to talk about the burgeoning Hope Florida scandal, and the involvement of Governor DeSantis and, crucially, his then-chief of staff James Uthmeier. We also discuss Thomas' work with the family of Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Georgia who was detained by FHP and held in the Leon County Jail despite his family showing his documentation in open court. From there, we get into the crush of illegal detentions and deportations, and how the Trump administration finds itself at loggerheads with the Supreme Court and headed for a constitutional crisis. You can read Jason's Substack, Seeking Rents, here: https://jasongarcia.substack.com/
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1:00:26
Canadian Cake Wars & Corruption
For our main story this week, we're looking at a brewing scandal plaguing Gov. Ron DeSantis and Casey DeSantis. The Governor's Agency for Healthcare Administration is in hot water for allegedly directing a private healthcare company to shift a $10 million penalty to Hope Florida, a nonprofit with direct ties to his wife Casey. Before that, we look to the north and explore the de-Canadafication of the Sunshine State, as our northern snowbird neighbors swear off Florida en masse. We also talked about SB 7030, another Republican-approved assault on public schools which aims to significant reduce how much funding school districts receive for students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
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52:34
A Blessed Liberation Day To You
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.
Ireland