Florida
Pitbull Is Paying Over $5 Million to Name Florida International's Football Stadium After Himself
For the next five years, whenever Florida International University’s players step into their stadium, they’ll be reminded of Mr. 305 himself: Pitbull. The rapper has locked into a deal with the Miami-based academic institution that grants him naming rights to its football stadium for the price of $1.2 million per year, as well as some social obligations. Beginning this fall, the location will officially be renamed Pitbull Stadium.
“What we’re doing here is groundbreaking. We’re making history. This is history in the making,” Pitbull shared, per ESPN. “You’re going to see that every other university is going to want to do the same thing. But the difference is, we don’t do this for propaganda, we do it from the heart. We do it because it’s meaningful. We do it because I’m from the crib. I’m 305. I’m from the bottom. This is my backyard.”
The Florida International University board of trustees approved the five-year deal on Tuesday, with an option to extend the name for another five years. Pitbull’s yearly obligations as the stadium’s namesake include a minimum of 12 social media posts about the university, as well as at least one appearance at a fundraising event for an athletic team at the school. He’ll also have to get in the studio to cut a new Florida International University anthem.
“For me, what it boils down to is, Miami is always known for being underdogs, no matter what we do and what level we take it to,” Pitbull added. “Being underdogs is what I always felt about FIU — fighting, clawing their way to just be seen, to be recognized whether it be from education, business, through sports.” The idea, he explained, emerged from that spirit of being underestimated. “It came about just like a Miami-Dade County, 305 idea would come about — nobody would believe in it,” he said. “All we had to do was, just like we say in Miami, take it to the house.”
The football stadium has been open since 1995 but began hosting FIU games in 2002. It boasts a capacity of 20,000 attendees. The Panthers’ first game in Pitbull Stadium will be on Sept. 7, when they face Central Michigan University.
“This is a historic day for FIU athletics to uniquely partner with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community,” athletic director Scott Carr shared about the musician born Armando Christian Perez. “Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but him providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand.”
It’s proving to be beneficial to Pitbull’s brands as well — the deal grants him access to the stadium for 10 days per year and marks his alcohol company Voli 305 Vodka as the stadium’s preferred brand. His more than $5 million investment might actually be money well spent.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
-
World6 minutes agoPope Leo says remarks about world being ‘ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ were not aimed at Trump: report
-
Politics12 minutes agoTrump renews bridge, power plant threat against Iran in push for deal, mocks ‘tough guy’ IRGC
-
Health18 minutes agoLoneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals
-
Sports24 minutes agoESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd
-
Technology30 minutes agoChinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
-
Business36 minutes agoCivil case against Alec Baldwin, ‘Rust’ movie producers advances toward a trial
-
Entertainment41 minutes agoKarol G at Coachella was a global hit. Yet other foreign acts fear touring the U.S.
-
Lifestyle47 minutes agoL.A.’s unofficial Statue of Liberty is a Fashion Nova billboard off the 10 Freeway