A look at some of the top stories making the news today, January 13, across your Caribbean-American community in South Florida.
Local advocacy group Haitian Women of Miami hosted a prayer vigil and silent march yesterday, commemorating the 6th anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Local government leaders and earthquake survivors also attended the vigil, which also called for political unity in Haiti as the election fraud debate continues.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has filed legislation seeking to curb welfare abuse by newly arrived Cuban immigrants. The presidential candidate says too many collect welfare, only to return to Cuba. The bill would require immigrants to provide proof of persecution before accessing services such as food stamps and Medicaid. Cuban immigrants are the only group automatically presumed as refuges, with immediate access to welfare services.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Caribbean Cultural Coalition and City of Sunrise is hosting a special “Night of the Arts” concert this Sunday, starting 6 pm at the Sunrise Civic Center. The event will include an exhibit of paintings by Charles Mills, live music from the Valerie Tyson Band, the Hope band, and saxophonist Gary Palmer, and a performance of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech.
In his first interview since his 2009 fraud indictment, former Caribbean T20 Cricket sponsor Allen Stanford expressed regret for the damage his arrest did to the sport. But Stanford maintained his innocence, calling the charges against him “overzealous and wrongful prosecution. The founder of the popular Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament in the West Indies is serving a 110-year sentence in Florida.
What’s trending:
The Miami-based Jamaican born artist Sean Kingston stopped by in August Town, meeting with students in the area.
For Today’s Weather Forecast:
Partly cloudy in Broward County with a high of 73 and a low of 59. For Miami-Dade, mostly cloudy with a high of 74 and a low of 62.
For more information on these and other stories, visit caribbeannationalweekly.com.
