Latest news with #Miami-DadeCollege
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
To that Miami-Dade College teacher, thank you. Too all educators, we got you
Affecting eternity I still vividly remember my high school journalism teacher trying to find the right room one weekday evening at Miami-Dade College. She had driven all the way from her classroom in North Miami-Dade to Downtown Miami to take a weekly Dreamweaver class with me — this, after a full day of teaching, lesson plans, talking to students and never having a real lunch break. At the time, I was trying to create a website — from scratch — for our school newspaper. She had no prior website design experience, but wanted to aid in my pursuit. Mrs. Sullivan shaped the trajectory of my (still young and kicking) professional career. Educators today are often at the brunt of every social, political, economic and mental health crisis. There is no handbook for why a student's domestic trauma causes them to act up in class. Or, why a district muzzles certain teaching topics. Or, even the rightfully concerned, but sometimes overzealous, parents seemingly shouting into an echo chamber of empty, revolving rhetoric at school board meetings. Teachers just want to teach, free from bureaucratic red tape and whether they need to buy a bulletproof vest on top of the classroom materials they are already underpaid to provide for students. When I think about that MDC classroom, I think about a teacher who literally went the extra mile in providing me with a quality education. So, Mrs. Sullivan, thank you. And, to educators everywhere, the work you do behind-the-scenes does not go unnoticed. Anthony Cave, graduate assistant, Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV Showing patriotism Re: Mary Anna Mancuso's May 25 op-ed, 'Florida ranks low on patriotism? I don't believe it.' Democrats may be less jingoistic and not as 'rah-rah' as Republicans. We just show our patriotism more subtly and, perhaps, more sincerely. Carrie Hunter, Miami Rich get richer I appreciate the Miami Herald's May 27 editorial, 'Is a designer purse worth stealing from the indigent?' However, there is a much more important question to ask the Trump administration and its Republican backers. Their 'Big Beautiful Bill' gives billionaires, millionaires and corporations trillion dollar tax cuts while slashing funding for healthcare for almost 15 million people, the elimination of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to 42 million people, ending school lunches for poor children during the summer, funding of rural hospitals and all aid for pregnant women and infants. Are more private planes, yachts, limousines and designer purses worth stealing from the indigent? Doug Mayer, Coral Gables Healthy license The May 25 letter, 'Medical advice,' regarding Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, was excellent. Kennedy not giving medical advice is an understatement — on steroids. He is not a doctor, has no formal medical training and obviously lacks a medical degree and license. As a lawyer, he is aware that a license is required to practice medicine. He should secure a medical degree, take a four-year residency in internal medicine and two-year fellowships in virology and infectious disease before giving opinions on medical subjects. Mark Wickman, North Miami Venezuelan oil The United States is the largest producer of oil liquids in the world, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia at 21 million barrels per day, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Our largest source of imported crude oil is our 'next door' neighbor Canada, supplying more than 63% of our imports via the dependable and secure Keystone pipeline, per EIA. We do not need Venezuelan crude oil imports to safeguard our national security or maintain our market dominance of the world's hydrocarbon supply demand balance. As a former oil executive, I clearly understand the strategic advantage of Chevron Corporation maintaining competitive control over its Venezuelan minority owned (40% Chevron, 60% PDVSA) crude oil production assets, particularly within a post-Maduro scenario. Long term, this is good for Chevron and good for the United States. However, let us be aware that Chevron, by continuing its presence in Venezuela, also supports the continuation of Maduro's dictatorial government and its support of Cuba's tyrannical regime. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's position is very well focused; he understands the short-term political risks associated with Chevron's continuous presence in Venezuela. Jorge R. Piñon, former president, Amoco Oil Latin America, Visiting research fellow, The Energy Institute, University of Texas, Austin, TX Unhappy hunting The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) decision to reinstate a black bear hunt is as reckless as it is cruel. Although public polling showed 81% of Floridians opposed a bear hunt, the Commission sided with the tiny, but vocal minority pushing for trophy hunting. Even worse, they bought into the hunting lobby's false narrative that hounding bears is 'humane.' There's nothing humane about unleashing packs of dogs to chase terrified bears for miles, often separating mothers from cubs. It's not uncommon for hounds to get into fights with the bears, leading to serious injuries — and sometimes death — to both species. This decision won't make anyone safer. Killing bears, especially by baiting them with food or chasing them with hounds, does nothing to reduce conflicts when humans and wildlife meet. If anything, it increases risk by disrupting bear behavior and drawing them closer to people. Floridians want real solutions, such as better trash management, public education and non-lethal conflict prevention, not a slaughter disguised as conservation. I'm dismayed by FWC's actions, but Floridians opposed to this hunt are not defeated. In August, we'll return to the Commission and demand a science-based, ethical approach to bear management, not one rooted in cruelty and misinformation. Valerie Howell, Coral Gables Foreign students Travel, especially for education, is the ultimate instrument to create tolerance. In singling Chinese students, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hurl the United States back to a Cold War mentality of 'everyone is the enemy.' Imagine the opposite: a welcoming embrace of Chinese — and indeed, all — foreign students in our great universities. Those students would see firsthand that Americans are not the devil, that we do not 'kill people in the streets' (as I've heard some express during my travels). On the contrary, admitting and welcoming foreign students has the immediate side effect of making us important allies everywhere. Students who can afford full tuition at Harvard and similar universities come from important families. By creating a hostile environment for foreign students, especially those from China, Rubio has managed to transform a revenue-generating positive program into a costly, hate-mongering one that communicates an awful image of our country. Marcelo Salup, Coral Gables Too weak notice President Donald Trump says that in two weeks, we will know about a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. Are these the same two weeks that would have given us an excellent healthcare plan, that we still don't have? And wasn't that eight years ago? As Trump says, if he had been president in 2014, the war in Ukraine never would've happened. Well, he is president now and Russian President Vladimir Putin is thumbing his nose, telling the world that Trump's voice means absolutely nothing. Priscilla Fregger Adler, Cutler Bay Danger zone Re: the May 29 Miami Herald story, 'Miami International Airport announces plans for $600 million in improvements.' Any chance we will get a designated pickup ride-share area at MIA anytime soon? Maybe the folks who run the airport will get the message after some of us get hit by cars as we try to negotiate the exit gauntlet on our way to Uber and Lyft rides. Leo Bueno, Coral Gables
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump envoy warns of ‘short-term pain' as administration cracks down on Cuba, Venezuela
A senior Trump administration official warned Cubans and Venezuelans on Thursday to brace for 'short-term pain' from measures aimed at increasing pressure on the authoritarian regimes in Havana and Caracas. Speaking at an event at Miami-Dade College, Mauricio Claver-Carone, special envoy for Latin America, defended President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, in particular its emphasis on deporting Tren de Aragua gang members, as part of a larger strategy to put pressure on Venezuela's strongman Nicolás Maduro. Claver-Carone suggested the Maduro regime is following the playbook used by Fidel Castro when he freed criminals from Cuban prisons and sent them as part of the about 125,000 Cubans who came to Florida during the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Unlike other presidents, who were not 'resolute enough' to send the criminals back, he said, 'President Trump is, so we're calling bullshit.' 'We understand there are challenges, and it's painful. There's short-term pain,' he added, speaking of emotions running high because of generalizations from administration officials depicting Venezuelans as criminals. 'But the other thing all of these regimes and dictators have also learned, starting with Cuba, is that the easiest thing to do is export your problem,' he said. 'So the way you have totalitarian control is, you don't like it, you leave. And that's what happened in Venezuela. That's what's happening in Nicaragua.' 'I can tell you this as a member of the Cuban American community, and it's been now 60 years. If you don't want to be 60 years in exile, then cut it off now, do the short-term sacrifices now, because if not, they're not going anywhere,' he said. Claver-Carone declined to comment on plans for a potential travel ban that would bar Cubans and Venezuelans from traveling to the United States, adding that the plans are still under discussion. Trump administration weighs barring Cubans, Haitians from U.S. as part of new travel ban The special envoy also said the administration is planning to ramp up pressure on the Cuban military as part of a more 'surgical approach' to sanctions and spoke of using more effective tools than those already written into the decades-old U.S. embargo. 'The Cuban government needs to understand that our tools and President Trump's will in this regard are different from what they have seen in the past,' he said, underscoring that leaders at the State Department, the Treasury Department and the Pentagon are aligned with Trump on Latin American foreign policy. The comment came after Miami Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez sent a letter Thursday to the Treasury Secretary asking him to halt 'all travel to and from communist Cuba and eliminating remittances to the island.' When asked about the letter at the event organized by the World Affairs Council of Miami, Claver-Carone said he had not seen it. 'It's something that's always been talked about, and it's about the old tools,' he said. ' I think we can be more creative, but obviously, I understand. And it comes from a good place,' he said in reference to Giménez, the only Cuban American in Congress born on the island. However, throughout his remarks, Claver-Carone made clear that the administration is pursuing the 'maximum pressure' approach advocated by Giménez in dealing with Cuba and Venezuela. Speaking of lessons learn during the first Trump administration, in which he was involved in crafting U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela at the National Security Council, Claver-Carone said officials in the second Trump administration will try to avoid 'plaguing whatever policies we do with loopholes. 'There's still going to be disagreements. There's always commercial interests,' he added. 'But it's either short-term pain for long-term gain, or you'll have long-term pain and no gain. In the short term, there are things that may seem upsetting or disruptive. But honestly, if you don't do it, it doesn't work. So we have to be all in, go big, or go home.'
Miami Herald
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump envoy warns of ‘short-term pain' as administration cracks down on Cuba, Venezuela
A senior Trump administration official warned Cubans and Venezuelans on Thursday to brace for 'short-term pain' from measures aimed at increasing pressure on the authoritarian regimes in Havana and Caracas. Speaking at an event at Miami-Dade College, Mauricio Claver-Carone, special envoy for Latin America, defended President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, in particular its emphasis on deporting Tren de Aragua gang members, as part of a larger strategy to put pressure on Venezuela's strongman Nicolás Maduro. Claver-Carone suggested the Maduro regime is following the playbook used by Fidel Castro when he freed criminals from Cuban prisons and sent them as part of the about 125,000 Cubans who came to Florida during the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Unlike other presidents, who were not 'resolute enough' to send the criminals back, he said, 'President Trump is, so we're calling bullshit.' 'We understand there are challenges, and it's painful. There's short-term pain,' he added, speaking of emotions running high because of generalizations from administration officials depicting Venezuelans as criminals. 'But the other thing all of these regimes and dictators have also learned, starting with Cuba, is that the easiest thing to do is export your problem,' he said. 'So the way you have totalitarian control is, you don't like it, you leave. And that's what happened in Venezuela. That's what's happening in Nicaragua.' 'I can tell you this as a member of the Cuban American community, and it's been now 60 years. If you don't want to be 60 years in exile, then cut it off now, do the short-term sacrifices now, because if not, they're not going anywhere,' he said. Claver-Carone declined to comment on plans for a potential travel ban that would bar Cubans and Venezuelans from traveling to the United States, adding that the plans are still under discussion. The special envoy also said the administration is planning to ramp up pressure on the Cuban military as part of a more 'surgical approach' to sanctions and spoke of using more effective tools than those already written into the decades-old U.S. embargo. 'The Cuban government needs to understand that our tools and President Trump's will in this regard are different from what they have seen in the past,' he said, underscoring that leaders at the State Department, the Treasury Department and the Pentagon are aligned with Trump on Latin American foreign policy. The comment came after Miami Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez sent a letter Thursday to the Treasury Secretary asking him to halt 'all travel to and from communist Cuba and eliminating remittances to the island.' When asked about the letter at the event organized by the World Affairs Council of Miami, Claver-Carone said he had not seen it. 'It's something that's always been talked about, and it's about the old tools,' he said. ' I think we can be more creative, but obviously, I understand. And it comes from a good place,' he said in reference to Giménez, the only Cuban American in Congress born on the island. However, throughout his remarks, Claver-Carone made clear that the administration is pursuing the 'maximum pressure' approach advocated by Giménez in dealing with Cuba and Venezuela. Speaking of lessons learn during the first Trump administration, in which he was involved in crafting U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela at the National Security Council, Claver-Carone said officials in the second Trump administration will try to avoid 'plaguing whatever policies we do with loopholes. 'There's still going to be disagreements. There's always commercial interests,' he added. 'But it's either short-term pain for long-term gain, or you'll have long-term pain and no gain. In the short term, there are things that may seem upsetting or disruptive. But honestly, if you don't do it, it doesn't work. So we have to be all in, go big, or go home.'
Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Miami-Dade was set to get millions for new electric car chargers. Trump pulled the plug
The fear of long charging times — or finding a safe place to plug in — are major deterrents keeping drivers from buying electric cars. In the rollback of former President Joe Biden's climate policies, the Trump administration pumped the breaks on more than $4.7 worth of charging station projects in Miami-Dade and put an end to a plan for a nationwide, interconnected charging network designed to ease those fears. Florida has already slow-rolled the rollout of its $200-million federally funded charging plan for more than a year, but Trump's executive order appears to be the killing blow for the program. In total, more than $205 million in funding for electric car chargers in Florida is now suspended or 'indefinitely paused.' The charging market in the U.S. will need to grow nearly tenfold to satisfy the needs of an estimated 27 million EVs on the road by 2030, according to a PwC accounting firm analysis. The grants were the Biden administration's idea to fill in the gaps and aid in the expensive new field of EV charging. The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI), which was part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, was created to help local neighborhoods, in particular, 'underserved and disadvantaged communities,' increase the number of chargers in areas that would be easy for everyone to drive to — like schools or parks. Miami-Dade planned to use its $4.7 million award from the Federal Highway Administration to install new charging ports at county facilities, Miami-Dade College and City of Miami Gardens facilities. As part of the flurry of first-day actions, President Donald Trump signed the 'Unleashing American Energy' executive order which calls for 'the elimination of unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions that favor EVs over other technologies' and directed an immediate pause of the funds. Florida has already submitted its report on its plan for following that executive order, however, Miami-Dade County does not know the future of its EV charging grant. 'In the meantime, the county has been working over the last several years to make EV charging accessible to the community,' wrote Sandra St. Hilaire, the county's resilience coordinator spokesperson, in an email. 'Charging stations are available at several county-owned buildings and facilities.' The CFI funding grants didn't only cause delays in getting more EV chargers for Miami-Dade. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which was earmarked to receive $933,600 to install EV charging in seven locations across four reservation areas in Florida, also had its funding indefinitely paused. The state's Republican leadership, led by Ron DeSantis, has a history of rejecting federal plans and money. It turned down, for example, two climate initiatives —$320 million to help reduce tailpipe emissions and another $3 million to come up with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create green energy jobs, lower energy costs for families and reduce air pollution. READ MORE: 'A baffling decision': DeSantis vetoes bipartisan bill to buy Florida more electric cars In line with that, higher ticket EV charging grants in Florida disappeared before businesses even had the chance to apply for funding. The state received $200 million worth of federal funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, a $5 billion initiative to build a network of EV chargers across the US that would've allowed businesses, government agencies, universities and others to apply for money to cover 80 percent of the installation costs to build a network of fast chargers every 50 miles on the interstate. Despite pressure from gas giants like Buc-ee's and Wawa, Florida was one of a handful of states that never opened up applications to use the funding. Instead, the Florida Department of Transportation created a website called 'Roads are not for Politics' that criticized the Biden administration for focusing on combating climate change instead of road congestion. Then, in February, the U.S. Department of Transportation told states in a memo to suspend the NEVI program, putting an end to any chance of the $200 million being distributed. 'It's not really just a big handout to green groups or anything like that, which it might be portrayed as, but the money's primarily going to gas stations, community stores, truck stops. Folks that are serving drivers already and want to expand in this market,' said Ryan McKinnon, a spokesperson for the Charge Ahead Partnership, which represents gas stations and businesses. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and one of President Donald Trump's closest advisors, has a complicated relationship with the NEVI program. He has criticized federal incentives for EVs but also received the third-largest amount of rewards from the NEVI program totaling $31M, according to a database that tracks the program using data from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Other states, like Ohio, which put out their applications and got the money into the hands of businesses, are allowed to finish out their existing contracts. Gas stations, convenience stores and truck stops are still 'perfectly situated' to be leaders in the field despite the funding cuts, McKinnon said. 'A lot of them, despite NEVI going away, are still excited about it and are still looking for ways to get into electric charging,' McKinnon said. Some electric vehicle grants are still safe in the county. Miami-Dade Public Schools still has the green light for the 'Clean School Bus Program' to bring around 125 electric buses to the road by 2026 and recently won a grant to start replacing the districts trucks and heavy duty vehicles, according to Karly Pulido, Miami-Dade Public School's sustainability officer. Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
CBS News
31-01-2025
- Business
- CBS News
AI's rapid rise: How Miami-Dade College is preparing the next generation
MIAMI - DeepSeek made headlines this week when the China-based AI technology sent the U.S. stock market into a tailspin. As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in everyday life, it continues to spark confusion - and even fear - about its expanding influence. CBS News Miami's Austin Carter visited Miami-Dade College's Artificial Intelligence Center, the first institution in Florida to offer a bachelor's degree in AI. Jazmin Evendorra, a student at MDC, is learning how to navigate the fast-evolving AI landscape. "I was interested in digital art, but I never imagined technology would be creating the art for me," she said. "You can apply for a job in marketing and say, 'I can use AI to improve your marketing,' or even in software development." Technology-related roles are among the fastest-growing jobs in the country. The World Economic Forum's 2025 Future of Jobs Report highlights AI and machine learning specialists as key players in the evolving job market. Dr. Ernesto Lee, a professor of AI and Data Analytics at MDC, sees AI as a powerful tool for professionals. "You can multiply your capabilities tenfold with AI. That's why it's gained so much traction," he said. "If you're a programmer, AI can help you write code. Ultimately, you're still responsible, but you're AI-empowered." Beyond programming, AI is revolutionizing business operations, streamlining tasks that once took days into mere minutes. "There are massive efficiency gains in terms of time and money," Dr. Lee said. However, AI isn't perfect. It relies on the data it's trained on, which can introduce significant challenges. "If we have poor data, that's reflected in the personality of the AI and this has huge ramifications," Dr. Lee said. Ethical concerns are also a critical part of AI education at MDC. "We need to ensure data is free from bias and misinformation so AI can be used ethically. Over time, enforcement and safety measures will develop—just like they did with the internet." Adriana Delore, an expert in AI's impact on human experience, believes there's no reason to fear artificial intelligence. "AI will never be as authentic or creative as humans," she said. "When you turn to someone with a problem, the way they make you feel is different from reading something generated by AI. True art, entertainment and emotions are uniquely human. We were given those talents for a reason—now we get to go use them." Florida projects more than 1,000 AI-related job openings in South Florida each year, with an average salary nearing $95,000. As AI reshapes industries, Miami-Dade College is ensuring its students are ready to lead in this rapidly changing field.
