Broward County rapper Samuel "Sam Stan" Stanley, 22, raps about his lived experiences dealing with love and making it as a rapper in South Florida. He describes his style as “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air feel-good music with tons of positive vibes.” "I just want to be a glass of lemonade on a hot day. I just want to be refreshing. Cool vibes and feel good music," Stan told Sundial. Stan has been rapping since he was 14 and is trying to break into hip-hop with what he calls “Happy Raps,” which is also

It's the time of year when residents from the Florida Keys can catch a glimpse of thousands of Peregrine Falcons on their way to South America. The falcons are considered the fastest animals on earth — reaching speeds up to 240 miles per hour. Spectators and professional birdwatchers from around the world will gather in the Florida Keys this weekend for the annual “Hawk Mania” event. Mark Hedden is the Executive Director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society and Rafael Gálvez is the Director of

A new musical examines the complex politics of Cuba in the 1950s through the lens of one couple's Cuban immigrant experience. "Havana Music Hall" follows the story of a husband and wife musical duo, Rolando and Ramona Calderon, who are close to getting a big break and hitting the world stage when Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba in 1959. Havana Music Hall takes the stage at Actors' Playhouse in Coral Gables on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m and will run until Nov. 18. The musical’s creator and lyricist is

In Miami-Dade County, convicted sex offenders often end up homeless. The Marshall Project, a Pulitzer Prize-winning online magazine focused on criminal justice, recently released a multimedia investigation examining the issue in depth. In partnership with Longreads, they looked at what life is like for nearly 500 of the county's 2,200 registered sex offenders and how they are navigating punitive residency laws while trying to rebuild their lives after incarceration in Miami-Dade County.

Author Patricia Engel first had the idea for her latest novel while driving in Miami with her mom more than 10 years ago. When they drove over a bridge, Engel's mother told her a story about a man who threw a baby off a bridge. But she didn’t know any more details about the tragedy. That left Engel wondering. This conversation led to what's now "The Veins of the Ocean," published in 2016, which tells a similar story. It's Sundial Book Club’s October pick. The story follows Reina, a young woman

In mid-September, the parents of two children killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School criticized a number of public agencies for failing to give them access to public records, such as meeting minutes, e-mails and police training exercise information related to the shooting. They called into question Florida's "Sunshine Law," designed to guarantee that the public has access to the public records of governmental bodies in Florida. The law gives citizens the basic right to access to any

Hurricane Michael is developing in the Gulf of Mexico and is planned to make landfall in Florida’s Panhandle on Tuesday night. In addition to rainfall from the hurricane, Floridians can expect king tide flooding. Governor Rick Scott declared a State of Emergency Sunday afternoon and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum canceled a planned campaign event in Key West. Cyndee O'Quinn is a meteorologist for the Florida Public Emergency Network. She joined Sundial to give the latest updates on the

A new documentary examines the role one retirement community in Broward County is playing in shaping Florida's politics. As the 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching, there’s a segment of the population in South Florida that will have a definitively large impact on the election -- seniors. The Wynmoor retirement community in Broward County is indicative of that power. They've hosted Joe Biden, Charlie Crist and many other high profile politicians on the campaign trail. " A Greater Society " is a

The electronic music festival Ultra has been located in Bayfront Park for the past 18 years. The three-day event has brought thousands of fans to Miami, but also major traffic congestion. Last week, the City of Miami Commission unanimously voted not to renew the festival’s contract for Bayfront Park. Miami Herald reporter Joey Flechas was at the City Commission meeting and joined Sundial to share details on the future of the event. Sundial continued the conversation about high school football in

In South Florida, high school football has seen a decline in participation amid growing health concerns. Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach recently shut down its program after the coach said they couldn’t get enough players to field a team. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, almost one in five high school football players could be suffering from some form of brain trauma, such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Sundial asked parents if they would let their