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TRAVEL: Miami & Romantic Winter Vacations

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Because love is always in season, it’s a great time to take a trip and start or rekindle a romance. All kinds of couples are heading to Miami, exchanging -10 degree weather for 80 degree+ temps. Share a balmy climate with someone you love, warm your bodies and your hearts with a romantic winter vacation.

Published

6 years ago

February 24, 2019

Oakland Post

By NNPA Travel Writer/Photojournalist Dwight Brown

Because love is always in season, it’s a great time to take a trip and start or rekindle a romance. All kinds of couples are heading to Miami, exchanging -10 degree weather for 80 degree+ temps. Share a balmy climate with someone you love, warm your bodies and your hearts with a romantic winter vacation.

Romantic Sights and Things to Do

Experience a touch of Italy at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

VIzcaya Museum & Gardens

From 1910 to 1922 James Deering, VP International Harvester, built a winter home in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, modeling it after a classic Italian country villa. Set on the waterfront of Biscayne Bay, the large Main House with 24 decorated rooms was originally set on 180 acres. Deering and his winter guests, like Lillian Gish and President Warren Harding, stayed at Vizcaya every November to April.

An exquisitely sculpted barge sits in the back to break the waves. The scenic water views have the magical romance of Venice, the amazing gardens are reminiscent of the Tuileries and the name Vizcaya is Spanish. Collectively, Deering brought a touch of Europe to Miami and left his vision behind for visitors to enjoy at their leisure with audio guides or on guided tours.

Take a cruise from Deering Estate and fall in love again.

Deering Estate

The champagne and prosecco flow on the boat rides that launch from the Deering Estate, former home of Charles Deering (James’ brother) in the town of Palmetto Bay in Miami Dade County. Boats depart from the 450-acre estate with its museum and nature preserve. The vessels head by uninhabited keys populated by mangrove trees pelicans, gulls and ducks a place to perch. Passengers float past downtown Miami, Key Biscayne and South Beach.

The cruise heads to what remains of Stiltsville, a group of wood stilt houses one mile south of Cape Florida. The homes sit in the shallow waters of Safety Valve, a coral reef that at low tide is just one to three feet deep. History has it that “Crawfish” Eddie Walker built the first shack on stilts in 1933, to avoid the confines of prohibition and throw boozy parties. One of the last remaining homes, a pink and yellow one, was a set for the film Bad Boys II.

Learn how to play doubles on the friendly tennis courts at the Miami Beach Tennis Academy.

Northshore Miami Beach Tennis Academy

In mid Miami Beach, the crowds of tourists are thin, it’s more like a real neighborhood and folks like to gather at the Northshore Park on 72^nd Street. If you book time with the tennis pro Julio Avila, he’ll teach you how to play doubles on one of the 10 clay courts or two hard courts. Doubles, which requires negotiating, anticipation and working together, can strengthen your relationship with your better half and it’s a game people play well into their 80s. Julio and his fellow pro Alina will coach you at a tennis park that is frequented by Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova. Bring a racquet or borrow one and you can learn or fine-tune a sport that you can play anywhere in the world.

Gaze into your lover’s eyes across a table.

Brush shoulders with the in-crowd at the swanky Swan/Bar Bevy Restaurant.

Swan Bar Bevy Pavlova

Restaurateur David Grutman (LIV at the Fontainebleau, STORY, Kimodo) has partnered with music icon Pharrell and Chef Jean Imbert to open the trendiest restaurant in the Design District, the chicest neighborhood in Miami. Surrounded by Tom Ford, Givenchy and Burberry stores, the two-story restaurant, with the upstairs cocktail lounge Bar Bevy, attracts gastronomes and wheeler-dealers who network at lunch and play at night.

Dine outdoors in a courtyard among foliage and sunshine. Or, eat inside where pastel colors and handsome furniture set a swank tone. Make sure your menu choices include: Hamachi Tartare or Little Gem Salad (with pear slices) appetizers; Branzino or the delectable Spaghetti with Osetra Caviar for a main course. End it with the Pavlova dessert– looks like a macaroon Faberge egg.

Dine in elegance—pre-theater—at BRAVA by Brad Kilgore.

BRAVA by Brad Kilgore. N’duja & Potato Ravioli

If you’re headed to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts to see an opera, dance performance or traveling shows like The Lion King, Jazz Roots starring Sergio Mendes, Flamenco Festival Miami or Miami City Ballet’s classic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” prep yourself for a wonderful evening by dining at the lush BRAVA by Brad Killgore Restaurant. The stately ambiance of the center permeates the upscale eatery and its innovative cuisine.

Nibble on the BRAVA Brioche (rosemary parmesan crust and umami butter), before an appetizer of Roasted Bone Marrow or the very delicate N’duja & Potato Ravioli. Dinner will be well remembered if you order the Crab Arrabbiato (jumbo lump crab cake) or the succulent Bone-In Veal Chop. Before running off to the theater, feast on the Black Forest dessert, which looks like an oblong cubed chocolate bar with caramelized chocolate, cherry gelée, pistachio genoise and basil. Gorgeously crafted.

Dig into Brazilian cuisine at Boteco Copacabana on lively Española Way.

Boteco Copacabana Rasen Beer, codfish and chicken croquets

South Beach’s Española way is a short four block pedestrian mall, populated by outdoor cafes and looks like it belongs in Europe. Tourists parade up and down the cobblestone street providing high-caliber people watching. Among the Italian, Mexican and Cuban places to sit, gaze and dine, is the friendly Brazilian restaurant Boteco Copacabana. You will be greeted at the door, ushered to an outdoor seat and have your choice from the finest array of Brazilian beers. Cerpa is the gold standard, a very light ale bordering on the taste of ginger ale. If it isn’t available, go for the equally smooth Rasen. Sip on your beer and start with either the codfish or chicken croquets. So you don’t have to choose between meat and fish, order the Mar e Terra (Surf and Turf) entrée with perfectly seasoned and grilled sirloin, lobster tail, shrimp, salmon, beef ribs and chorizo. Then nurse an espresso, hold hands and watch the parade of people go by. FYI, Saturday nights at 8:30pm Boteco hosts mini-carnivals called “Samba Saturday.”

Nothing does it like a romantic spa treatment

The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami’s spa lets you languish in luxury.

The RItz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami Spa

Walking through the halls of The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami on the way to its spa, reminds you why the Ritz hotels are such a mainstay in the luxury accommodations market. Stately walls, impeccable interior design, attentive service, flattering lighting and you haven’t even made it to the front door of the spa. As soon as you do walk in, you’re shrouded in a calming serenity.

Get in the mood for love by trying the Honey Dream treatment (80 min $260). It touches the entire body, providing deep relaxation with rhythmic massage techniques using honey-based products that leave a sweet smell. Balance your body’s vital energy and boosts your immune system with a full body massage using a beeswax thermal pad, an organic honey masque treatment and tea served with local honey. Classy and sweet.

Get pampered at the Newport Beachside Hotel’s spa.

Newport Beachside Hotel Spa

Head up past North Miami to the neighboring town of Sunny Isles and the tourist crowds disappear. Here at the Newport Beachside Hotel, a place South American tourists love, the Aveda Seven Seas Spa & Salon is wiping out stress one treatment (or package) at a time.

Lovers are particularly attracted to the Restorative Package ($205) which includes: Elemental Nature massage (50 mins —pick your favorite aroma, add in acupressure and reflexology); Elemental Nature Facial (50 mins – customized based on your skin); manicure (45 mins); and pedicure (one hour). Request the manicurist Miriam for your mani-pedi; she has the golden touch and works well with women and calms skittish men. On your way out, dine at Kitchen 305, where the freshest fried whole red snapper in Miami is on the menu and the key lime pie is excellent.

Welcoming places to stay that have love in the house.

The intimate and black-owned Copper Door B&B welcomes everyone.

Copper Door B&B

Back in the ‘40s and ‘50s when black musicians performed at nightclubs in Miami Beach, but couldn’t stay there, they’d head over to the welcoming neighborhood of Overtown, in Downtown Miami. They’d hang their hats and trumpets at the Demetree Hotel, on NW 4^th Avenue and 5^th street. The lodging house was closed and abandoned for years until a very entrepreneurial couple—Jamila Ross and Akino West—renovated it and turned it into the prestigious Copper Door Bed and Breakfast. Twenty-two rooms and three suites in this ultra-friendly B&B attract guests from around the world.

Copper Door B&B Eggs Benedict

White walls exhibit paintings, like those by the famed Purvis Young of Overtown. Ross is quick to suggest places to eat and visit in the surrounding neighborhoods: Little Havana (Ball and Chain for Cuban food and live music; Azucar for ice cream); Casablanca Seafood restaurant for river views and fresh fish; and The Wharf, an outdoor venue noted for food trucks. Warning: Don’t miss the breakfast at The Copper Door. Akino was a chef at Noma in Copenhagen—he can throw down some very tasty morning concoctions: His eggs benedict and red velvet waffles made with beets and a side of beef sausage may easily be the best food you’ll eat in Miami.

The National Hotel Miami Beach will sing you to sleep.

The National Hotel

It’s not easy distinguishing yourself from the myriad of hotels that dot the shores of South Beach. But the National Hotel has done just that. It’s the perfect hybrid between a luxury and a boutique hotel. The fancy appointments, impeccable interiors and impressive exteriors go hand-in-hand with their amicable vibe, which makes a stay here perfect for lovers. Bed down in any of the 116 renovated city and direct ocean view guestrooms in the Historic Tower (dates back to 1939), or rest in any of the 36 luxurious cabanas and suites (originally built in the 1960s) for a Zen-like feeling.

Their infinity-edge pool, lined by cabanas that double as massage huts, is the longest in Miami Beach and is steps from the shoreline. For a completely private, moonlit evening, dine poolside in one of their three exclusive cabanas. The upgraded poolside dinner comes with a decorated cabana, candles, and a private guitarist who will serenade you throughout dinner. It’s comforting and cool to return to the hotel at night and find a crooner at the piano bar in the lobby singing love songs. He takes requests. Great time to sit back, nurse a Courvoisier and hold hands.

Cuddle up in an apartment at the reasonably priced and friendly Waterside Hotel Suites.

Waterside Hotel Suites

The neat thing about the hip Waterside Hotel is that it has two separate locations in Miami Beach’s North Beach. The one on Harding Avenue at 73^rd St. features vibrant colors with groovy ‘60s flair and rooms at great prices (as low as $59). The one at Harding Avenue and 67^th St. offers spacious apartment-suites (as low as $67) and a parking lot across the street.

If you like to jump in your rented car and explore Miami, this place makes that easy. Gray floors, flamingo wallpaper accent walls, expansive balconies and a small pool give the Waterside a contemporary look. It’s just a minute walk from the beach and the suites come with kitchenettes and have microwaves, mini-fridges, mini-stoves and washer/dryer combos. All the guests say hello—it’s that kind of hotel.

While Valentine’s Day is still on your mind and the polar vortex is producing subzero weather, find a way to feel some warm love in the air. Head to Miami for a romantic winter vacation

Visit travel writer Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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Recently Approved Budget Plan Favors Wealthy, Slashes Aid to Low-Income Americans

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The most significant benefits would flow to the highest earners while millions of low-income families face cuts

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown

BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

The new budget framework approved by Congress may result in sweeping changes to the federal safety net and tax code. The most significant benefits would flow to the highest earners while millions of low-income families face cuts. A new analysis from Yale University’s Budget Lab shows the proposals in the House’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution would lead to a drop in after-tax-and-transfer income for the poorest households while significantly boosting revenue for the wealthiest Americans. Last month, Congress passed its Concurrent Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025 (H. Con. Res. 14), setting revenue and spending targets for the next decade. The resolution outlines $1.5 trillion in gross spending cuts and $4.5 trillion in tax reductions between FY2025 and FY2034, along with $500 billion in unspecified deficit reduction.

Congressional Committees have now been instructed to identify policy changes that align with these goals. Three of the most impactful committees—Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means—have been tasked with proposing major changes. The Agriculture Committee is charged with finding $230 billion in savings, likely through changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Energy and Commerce must deliver $880 billion in savings, likely through Medicaid reductions. Meanwhile, the Ways and Means Committee must craft tax changes totaling no more than $4.5 trillion in new deficits, most likely through extending provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Although the resolution does not specify precise changes, reports suggest lawmakers are eyeing steep cuts to SNAP and Medicaid benefits while seeking to make permanent tax provisions that primarily benefit high-income individuals and corporations.

To examine the potential real-world impact, Yale’s Budget Lab modeled four policy changes that align with the resolution’s goals:

A 30 percent across-the-board cut in SNAP funding.
A 15 percent cut in Medicaid funding.
Permanent extension of the individual and estate tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Permanent extension of business tax provisions including 100% bonus depreciation, expense of R&D, and relaxed limits on interest deductions.

Yale researchers determined that the combined effect of these policies would reduce the after-tax-and-transfer income of the bottom 20 percent of earners by 5 percent in the calendar year 2026. Households in the middle would see a modest 0.6 percent gain. However, the top five percent of earners would experience a 3 percent increase in their after-tax-and-transfer income.

Moreover, the analysis concluded that more than 100 percent of the net fiscal benefit from these changes would go to households in the top 20 percent of the income distribution. This happens because lower-income groups would lose more in government benefits than they would gain from any tax cuts. At the same time, high-income households would enjoy significant tax reductions with little or no loss in benefits.

“These results indicate a shift in resources away from low-income tax units toward those with higher incomes,” the Budget Lab report states. “In particular, making the TCJA provisions permanent for high earners while reducing spending on SNAP and Medicaid leads to a regressive overall effect.” The report notes that policymakers have floated a range of options to reduce SNAP and Medicaid outlays, such as lowering per-beneficiary benefits or tightening eligibility rules. While the Budget Lab did not assess each proposal individually, the modeling assumes legislation consistent with the resolution’s instructions. “The burden of deficit reduction would fall largely on those least able to bear it,” the report concluded.

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A Threat to Pre-emptive Pardons

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — it was a possibility that the preemptive pardons would not happen because of the complicated nature of that never-before-enacted process.

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

President Trump is working to undo the traditional presidential pardon powers by questioning the Biden administration’s pre-emptive pardons issued just days before January 20, 2025. President Trump is seeking retribution against the January 6th House Select Committee. The Trump Justice Department has been tasked to find loopholes to overturn the pardons that could lead to legal battles for the Republican and Democratic nine-member committee. Legal scholars and those closely familiar with the pardon process worked with the Biden administration to ensure the preemptive pardons would stand against any retaliatory knocks from the incoming Trump administration. A source close to the Biden administration’s pardons said, in January 2025, “I think pardons are all valid. The power is unreviewable by the courts.”

However, today that same source had a different statement on the nuances of the new Trump pardon attack. That attack places questions about Biden’s use of an autopen for the pardons. The Trump argument is that Biden did not know who was pardoned as he did not sign the documents. Instead, the pardons were allegedly signed by an autopen. The same source close to the pardon issue said this week, “unless he [Trump] can prove Biden didn’t know what was being done in his name. All of this is in uncharted territory. “ Meanwhile, an autopen is used to make automatic or remote signatures. It has been used for decades by public figures and celebrities.

Months before the Biden pardon announcement, those in the Biden White House Counsel’s Office, staff, and the Justice Department were conferring tirelessly around the clock on who to pardon and how. The concern for the preemptive pardons was how to make them irrevocable in an unprecedented process. At one point in the lead-up to the preemptive pardon releases, it was a possibility that the preemptive pardons would not happen because of the complicated nature of that never-before-enacted process. President Trump began the threat of an investigation for the January 6th Select Committee during the Hill proceedings. Trump has threatened members with investigation or jail.

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Reaction to The Education EO

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Meanwhile, the new Education EO jeopardizes funding for students seeking a higher education. Duncan states, PellGrants are in jeopardy after servicing “6.5 million people” giving them a chance to go to college.

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

There are plenty of negative reactions to President Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order abolishing the Department of Education. As Democrats call yesterday’s action performative, it would take an act of Congress for the Education Department to close permanently. “This blatantly unconstitutional executive order is just another piece of evidence that Trump has absolutely no respect for the Constitution,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) who is the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee. “By dismantling ED, President Trump is implementing his own philosophy on education, which can be summed up in his own words, ‘I love the poorly educated.’ I am adamantly opposed to this reckless action, said Rep. Bobby Scott who is the most senior Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Morgan State University President Dr. David Wilson chimed in saying “I’m deeply concerned about efforts to shift federal oversight in education back to the states, particularly regarding equity, justice, and fairness. History has shown us what happens when states are left unchecked—Black and poor children are too often denied access to the high-quality education they deserve. In 1979 then President Jimmy Carter signed a law creating the Department of Education. Arne Duncan, former Obama Education Secretary, reminds us that both Democratic and Republican presidents have kept education a non-political issue until now. However, Duncan stressed Republican presidents have contributed greatly to moving education forward in this country.

During a CNN interview this week Duncan said during the Civil War President Abraham “Lincoln created the land grant system” for colleges like Tennessee State University. “President Ford brought in IDEA.” And “Nixon signed Pell Grants into law.” In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush which increased federal oversight of schools through standardized testing. Meanwhile, the new Education EO jeopardizes funding for students seeking higher education. Duncan states, PellGrants are in jeopardy after servicing “6.5 million people” giving them a chance to go to college. Wilson details, “that 40 percent of all college students rely on Pell Grants and student loans.”

Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) says this Trump action “impacts students pursuing higher education and threatens 26 million students across the country, taking billions away from their educational futures. Meanwhile, During the president’s speech in the East Room of the White House Thursday, Trump criticized Baltimore City, and its math test scores with critical words. Governor West Moore, who is opposed to the EO action, said about dismantling the Department of Education, “Leadership means lifting people up, not punching them down.”