Florida
Luther Campbell, aka rapper Uncle Luke, running for Florida politics
The rapper is running in the August primary for the 20th Congressional District that includes portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties.
Miami-based rapper Luther Campbell, known best as Uncle Luke during his days with the iconic hip-hop group 2 Live Crew, is running for political office.
Campbell made the announcement Feb. 15 on WPLG’s show “This Week in South Florida.” He plans to run in the August primary for Florida 20th Congressional seat, which includes parts of Palm Beach and Broward counties and is currently held by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
“It is a very underserved community,” Campbell said while making his announcement. “The representation of the community is not there. People want to engage with their congressperson.”
The Democrat said he has good relationships with politicians on both sides of the aisle and claimed to have Secretary of State Marco Rubio on speed dial.
“Who’s going to be able to talk to Marco Rubio? Who’s going to be able to talk toDonald Trump? Me. I’m the only one who can do that,” Campbell said.
Luther Campbell stepped down from coaching high school football
Campbell, a South Florida fixture, has been a successful high school football coach at Miami Edison Senior High since 2018 but announced last month he was stepping down to explore a political career.
“I can’t coach and run at the same time because I’m going to be in a race with a whole bunch of people and I need to be able to get my ass up to Belle Glades, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes,” Campbell, also known as Uncle Luke, announced on social media. “I need to be able to get my ass up to Tamarac, I need to go to damn Riviera Beach and I need to be able to be amongst these people and ask these people what the issues are in their community before I make a decision of yes or no.”
In 2024, Campbell told The Miami Herald he was considering a run to unseat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
The Democratic congresswoman is currently accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds and making illegal campaign contributions. She was indicted in November of last year and her arraignment is set for next month.
Campbell previously ran for political office in Florida
This is not Cambell’s first run for political office.
Back in 2011 he ran in a special election for Miami-Dade County mayor. He came in fourth with nearly 11% of the votes.
This time, Campbell said his campaign will have the support and financial backing from all artists he has worked with over the years.
“I’m going to have a lot of money,” he said. “Every artist, every artist that I produce, and every artist by creating Southern hip-hop will be donating to this campaign.”
Campbell’s group 2 Live Crew gained national attention in the 1990s when they became a First Amendment activists after their music was deemed obscene by a federal judge. An appeals court eventually overturned the ruling.He, along with fellow band members, also were arrested on obscenity charges for performing at a South Florida club. A jury found them not guilty.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
Florida
Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip
Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.
“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.
“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.
Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”
The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.
“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”
That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.
Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.
This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.
According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.
A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.
Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.
A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.
Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.
Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
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