By Matthew Alvarez
MIAMI, FL- You wouldn’t know at first glance walking throughout Miami Dade College’s Kendall campus that the next potential leaders of the free world were about to arrive.
Other than a seemingly higher presence of police officers and little bit more traffic, the clues were subtle.
Students casually walked to and from their classes, people studied around tables and benches, nothing truly unusual.
It wasn’t until you headed out to the front of the campus – literally all the way into the sidewalk off of 104th St that you were able get a taste of the energy surrounding tonight’s significance.
Florida has been a notorious swing state over the last couple of presidential elections. This has to do with the fact that South Florida (Liberal) has a completely different political culture than North Florida (Conservative) and Central (Moderate).
For Democrats, one of the most important differences in South Florida is the large population of young voters that have an ethic connection to one of the dozens of different Latin and Hispanic ethnicities, something that both Democratic candidates want to capitalize off of.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
So far, it looks like Hillary is winning that fight.
In a Washington Post poll released on March 9th, Hillary Clinton led Bernie Sanders 68% to 21% among Hispanic Democrats in the Sunshine State. Among all Democratic voters in the state, she leads 64% to 24%.
With all this being said, it’s no coincidence that one of the hottest issues from the Miami debate was immigration policy.
Over half the population of the city of Miami are immigrants or are the literal children of immigrants.
The stakes are high as Sanders and Clinton play tug of war with Florida’s diverse electorate ahead of the March 15th primary election.
For such a large scale event at a college campus, the turnout wasn’t as huge as you would expect, but the lack of participants was made up for in passion.
The size of the rally fluctuated from a few hundred people to a few dozen by the time the debate started at 9:00 PM; at its peak the crowd spanned about two blocks.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
There wasn’t a single person not chanting, or yelling in many cases, for their respective candidates.
A small group of Clinton supporters had left the area earlier in the evening, leaving it as an nearly exclusive unofficial Sanders rally.
As heavy rush hour traffic slowly drove on by, protesters urged drivers to honk in support, creating a symphony of loud cheers and car horns that could be heard from the other side of the campus.
Spirits were high across the entire crowd.
Jamie Friend, being a mid-aged activist, felt optimistic about the rejuvenating spirit that Sanders has brought to the electorate.
Friend transformed recycled Styrofoam into light up boxes that spelled out “Bernie”, activated by the flashlight of your phone, and let anyone who wanted to borrow them.
Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
She plans on driving up to Tampa to continue lending out her light up boxes at the next Sanders rally.
Patrick Mesa came out with his own sign and high hopes, having complete confidence in Sander’s chances after his Michigan win.
“Truthfully speaking, I will not vote,” Mesa said, highlighting a fear of the Sanders campaign.
With the exception of about three Trump protesters (which I couldn’t tell if they were serious or just trying to pull a laugh out of the rally), there was an overwhelming grassroots support for Sanders outside of the debate venue.
People also took the opportunity of the mass exposure to express their own concerns and views, with marijuana legalization and anti-big-money sentiment being the major topics from the gathered activists.
Florida will become a deciding factor for the longevity of Sanders’ candidacy, and for the strength of Clinton’s campaign.
No matter who you support, you should get involved in the campaign. Create a sign, attend a rally, hold a fundraiser, annoy anyone that follows you on social media with political propaganda (actually try not to do that last one), maybe you’ll find a new appreciation for the political state of our country and its future.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us!
Cover Photo Credit: Matthew Alvarez/ RISE NEWS
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Fred Thompson, Law And Order Actor And Former US Senator Dies At 73
Fred Thompson, a former United States Senator and well known actor died at the age of 73 after a battle with leukemia.
The Thompson family broke the news to the media in a statement.
“It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of grief that we share the passing of our brother, husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully in Nashville surrounded by his family,” the statement read according to the Tennessean. “Fred was the same man on the floor of the Senate, the movie studio, or the town square of Lawrenceburg, his home,” the statement read in part.
From the Tennessean
“As an attorney, he helped lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. As a politician, he served the state of Tennessee for eight years as a conservative Republican in the U.S. Senate and briefly as a possible GOP presidential nominee. As an actor, he stared in some of the most prominent films and television series of his time.
At 6’5″ with a booming voice, Mr. Thompson and his larger-than-life persona played a role in several key moments that shaped the U.S. and Tennessee political landscape.”
Thompson was best known for his campaign for president in 2008 and for his role as the Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch in Law And Order. Thompson won 11 delegates in his 2008 race for the GOP nomination for the highest office in the land and dropped out after competing in 5 states.
Stay with Rise News as we continue to update this developing story.
Sad news from Tennessee: Fred Thompson died today in Nashville. A recurrence of lymphoma, per a statement. Quite a life.
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) November 1, 2015
Cover Photo Credit: IowaPolitics.com/Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Charlie Sheen Will Reportedly Announce He’s HIV Positive On TODAY Show
According to multiple media reports, well known actor Charlie Sheen will announce that he is HIV positive in a sit-down interview Tuesday on the Today show.
Sheen, 50 is the son of Martin Sheen and a Hollywood leading man who has stared in some very big productions from Platoon to Wall Street. He also stared in the television sitcoms Two and a Half Men and Anger Management.
“Charlie thought he was indestructible and took no precautions — even though he was indulging in high-risk sex practices,” a friend reportedly told The National Enquirer.
Separate reports by New York Daily News and People say the same thing.
The Today Show has been promoting the Sheen interview throughout the day but have not specified what it will be about.
Tomorrow On TODAY: @charliesheen talks to @MLauer in a live revealing interview https://t.co/LfCMr7nvk7 pic.twitter.com/cjVcR5XP8j
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 16, 2015
Cover Photo Credit: Matthew Straubmuller/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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When Hate Hits Home: This High School Student Says She Was Targeted For Being Jewish
Hana Epstein, a high school student living in Katonah, NY recently received something in her mailbox that wasn’t mail- but instead a painful reminder that hate is still alive in the world.
In the early morning hours of January 25, Hana’s father went out to get the mail out of the family’s mailbox. He realized their mezuzahs had fallen off near the front door.
Hana’s dad continued to the mailbox where he discovered a white object that he thought was some kind of food lid.
After further inspection, he suddenly realized what it really was; a white square covered in swastikas. The name “Hannah” is also written across the square, with the last h underlined twice with a blue pen. The connection suddenly became evident.
“I was basically numb, I couldn’t really let it sink it just yet,” Hana Epstein said. “I’ve always heard of hate crimes being committed against Jews, but never in a million years did I think this would happen to me particularly.”
Hana lives in a neighborhood that is predominantly Jewish, so it was very unusual for something like this to happen.
“I had a wide array of emotions,” Hana’s mom Mara Gross Epstein said in a phone interview with RISE NEWS. “I was upset and angry and concerned for my daughter’s well-being. I was also amazed that this happened in Katonah, of all places.”
It took time for Hana to realize that there are hateful people in the world.
The entire episode created a sense of unease in the young student. She wasn’t able to sleep in her own house that night.
She looked around her room, looking at her Israeli flags and other tokens that reminded her of who she was. She said she could never understand why someone would do this to her just because she was part of a different religion.
Hana was so upset she went to her cousin’s house and missed the next day of school.
Eventually Hana said that she realized there is a lesson to be taken away from this.
“I always have been as proud to be Jewish as I am,” Hana said. “I don’t hide the fact that I’m Jewish, Judaism means the world to me. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that I stand up for who I am.”
Hana wants to spread awareness about the terrible crimes committed by anti-semitic people all around the world.
She posted a picture on social media of her wearing a Tallit (a holy garment) on top of Masada in Israel; the caption was “I’ll always be proud to be Jewish.”
Hana Epstein wearing a tall it on top of Masada in Israel. Photo Credit: Submitted.
Starting in September, Hana will be spending a year abroad in Israel where she hopes to share her experience.
The family said that they have reported the incident to local police.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. Anyone can write for us as long as you are fiercely interested in making the world a better place.
Cover Photo Credit: Submitted.
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