Americans like to think Florida is an outlier: hanging off the bottom of the country, full of extremes, its own strange world with little relevance to the rest of American life. The truth is, Florida is the country’s bleeding edge, foretelling changes from the political to the social, the environmental to the economic. Understanding how the state is changing — or refusing to change — can tell us a lot about where we are all headed.
Examining the Sunshine State’s outsized role in American culture. Americans like to think Florida is an outlier: hanging off the bottom of the country, full of extremes, its own strange world with little relevance to the rest of American life. The truth is, Florida is the country’s bleeding edge, …
A third-generation Floridian reflects on the state’s unofficial, unwanted mascot. There’s a game people like to play online. In fact, there’s an entire website dedicated to it. It’s called the “Florida Man Birthday Challenge” and the premise is simple enough: You type your birthday into the site’s …
These monkeys, reptiles, and birds don’t belong in Florida. Should we kick them out? FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — I was told the monkeys would be here, although nothing about this spot seemed particularly suitable for wildlife. On a stifling morning in late July, I stood in a large parking lot near …
Why Florida went red — and will probably stay that way. Follow all of Vox’s coverage of the 2024 election here. MIAMI — Carlos Campos came to Miami from Venezuela in 1979, before dictator Hugo Chávez’s socialist revolution brought about the unraveling of the oil-rich country. But it wasn’t until 2016 …
One of the fastest-growing states in the nation is also one of the most complicated. BOYNTON BEACH, Florida — Moving to Florida was never part of Andrew Ford’s life plan. “I angered some deity, and ending up here was my punishment,” the 35-year-old says wryly. In early 2022, Ford was living in …
The happiest place on earth, explained by the numbers. There’s no place on earth like Disney World. To call it merely “big” is like saying Warren Buffett is “financially comfortable” — such an understatement that it’s almost inaccurate. It’s far and away the largest and most visited theme park on …
Could you build a company like Publix today? LAKELAND, Florida — The lore around Publix goes as follows: George Jenkins was working as a store manager at a Piggly Wiggly in Winter Haven, Florida, when he tried to meet with the grocery chain’s new owner to talk business and introduce himself. The guy …
The coastal city wants to build its way out of climate change. Is that smart? A shrill industrial alarm buzzes inside the dimly lit hangar, warning everyone that an 8,400-horsepower machine made of 12 towering yellow fans is about to power up. Normally that’s a cue for everyone to get out of the …
