Miami Herald

Leroy Griffith, the Miami businessman known for decades as South Florida's "adult theater king," died peacefully at his Miami home on Oct. 3 at age 94, his family said. Born in 1932 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Griffith entered show business as a teenager selling candy at St. Louis burlesque shows and later managed theaters across the Midwest before settling in Miami in the early 1960s. He built a chain of burlesque and X-rated film venues across Florida and beyond, best known for Club Madonna in Miami Beach and the Pussycat Theater in Miami.

His career was marked by repeated clashes with regulators and police, including efforts to circumvent nudity and liquor ordinances, dozens of police raids, and a 2013 incident involving a trafficked minor performing at Club Madonna, for which Griffith was never charged. He famously bought back his own foreclosed theater at a courthouse auction. Griffith outlasted 17 Miami Beach mayors and 16 city managers during his decades-long run. He is survived by his wife, four children, and several grandchildren.

Democratic candidate David Jolly and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds outlined contrasting positions ahead of Florida's gubernatorial election. Jolly said he would impose a moratorium on hyperscale data centers on his first day in office, citing health and environmental concerns and polling showing broad voter opposition. Donalds countered that siting decisions belong to local governments under existing law, pledging to guard against utility rate hikes and protect water supplies. On AI, Jolly called for guardrails around job displacement and classroom use, while Donalds argued the technology is already too widespread to regulate away and pointed to space-industry growth as an economic opportunity.

The candidates also diverged on Amendment 3, the property tax relief measure on next month's ballot. Jolly said he plans to vote no, warning it would strip funding from law enforcement, and favors targeted relief such as a homestead exemption for first-time buyers. Donalds backs the amendment, arguing property taxes have surged and that public safety funding is protected. Both campaigns have intensified outreach to Black voters in the closing weeks: Donalds unveiled a coalition of Black leaders and faced pointed questions from students during a visit to Florida A&M University, while Jolly has accused him of pursuing an "anti-Black agenda," citing past votes and remarks. A Donalds win would make him Florida's first Black governor; a Jolly win would end a decades-long Democratic drought in the governor's mansion.

Miami Herald readers are pushing back on proposed Florida property tax cuts, warning of steep funding losses for public health systems. Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County stands to lose roughly $64 million in annual tax funding, jeopardizing services such as emergency care, behavioral health, organ transplants, and labor and delivery, much of it provided regardless of a patient's insurance status or ability to pay. Broward Health could lose more than $100 million over three years, while Palm Beach County's Health Care District could lose about $66.5 million.

Letter writers argue that lawmakers and voters should demand a concrete replacement funding plan before enacting cuts that could force hospitals to scale back programs and staffing, disproportionately affecting residents with the fewest healthcare alternatives. The debate reflects a broader tension in Florida politics between delivering property tax relief to homeowners and preserving funding for public services, with public hospital systems across South Florida identified as among the most exposed to near-term budget shortfalls if cuts move forward without offsetting revenue measures.

Families of disabled Floridians say Hope Florida, the signature initiative of Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis, failed to deliver meaningful help even as a leaked grand jury report found the affiliated Hope Florida Foundation took part in a "sophisticated scheme" diverting $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds toward political campaigns. Parents and disabled adults described navigators sending generic lists of nonprofits, churches, and job boards instead of substantive assistance for needs like wheelchair transport, aides, or job placement. Reporting found the $10 million was part of at least $35 million in taxpayer funds steered toward efforts opposing a marijuana legalization measure and an abortion-rights ballot initiative.

James Uthmeier, DeSantis' former chief of staff and now attorney general, was found to have held authority over the settlement's arrangement; U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, then attorney general, advised approving the deal. A Florida House committee and a grand jury convened by a Tallahassee-area state attorney investigated, though witness silence discouraged charges. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities defended its record, saying it serves more than 60,000 Floridians, while the governor's and Uthmeier's offices did not respond to requests for comment.

Coral Gables is facing pressure from residents and civic leaders after balking at a funding request from The Underline, the nonprofit-run linear park built beneath Miami's Metrorail corridor. The request, part of a broader push to fund ongoing operations and maintenance, has already been met with multi-year funding commitments from Miami and South Miami, but Coral Gables has yet to follow suit.

Letters published in the Miami Herald from private donors, a board member, and residents argue that Coral Gables benefits from the park's pickleball and basketball courts, plazas, free programming, and rising property values along the corridor, and should share the maintenance costs. Critics warn that without comparable funding, the Coral Gables portion of the park risks falling behind in safety and upkeep compared to segments in neighboring cities, creating an uneven experience along the shared public space. The dispute highlights tension in the public-private partnership model underpinning The Underline, which relies on both government and private support to sustain the multi-city project.

Miami Herald readers this week raised concerns over Miami-Dade's "Better Bus Network" overhaul, which eliminated most bus routes serving North Miami, North Miami Beach, Biscayne Park and the Omni area, leaving only Route 9 in place. Residents say they now face walks of up to a mile to reach transit, even as roughly 1,000 new apartment units are under construction nearby, raising questions about how car-less residents will reach jobs, groceries and medical care.

The same letters section also featured reader reactions on unrelated topics, including a call for Congress to pass the Recycled Materials Attribution Act to standardize recycling claims as Miami-Dade landfills near capacity, criticism of federal deportation policy and immigration enforcement funding, debate over the definition of socialism, reactions to Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's Vatican visit, praise for the Miami Herald's Epstein investigation coverage, and a proposal for genetic eligibility testing in women's professional basketball.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking Wednesday in Orlando, weighed in on Florida's primary results and a scandal involving one of his own appointees. He dismissed Angie Nixon's chances against Sen. Ashley Moody in November, calling the progressive state lawmaker's Senate bid unlikely to succeed statewide, and touted Florida's growing GOP voter registration advantage. He also backed Ryan Elijah, who defeated embattled Rep. Cory Mills in the GOP primary, saying Mills' nomination would have put the seat at risk in the general election.

DeSantis called the arrest of Michael Caruso, whom he appointed Palm Beach County clerk of courts, a "gut punch." Caruso, 67, a former state representative once praised by DeSantis, faces five felony charges including kidnapping, molestation, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition, and child abuse. Authorities say the victim, Caruso's grandson under age 12, described abuse on three occasions, including during a Thanksgiving 2024 incident and aboard a cruise ship in August 2025. Caruso denied the allegations when confronted and is being held without bond in Orange County. DeSantis suspended Caruso and installed an interim clerk; Attorney General James Uthmeier said Caruso would "face the full force of the law," and reports indicate a daughter had previously made similar allegations.