5 things to start the day: Death of an iconic editor, 'Hall of Shame,' and South Florida wants to secede

Enlarge Photo

Amanda Gordon

Benjamin "Ben" Bradlee, former executive editor of the Washington Post, died Tuesday.

Pam Huff

Director of News Operations- Tampa Bay Business Journal

Email  |  LinkedIn  |  Google+  |  Twitter

I read every word of the New York Times' obituary for Ben Bradlee last night. The inspiring former editor of the Washington Post died Tuesday at the age of 93. The Post also produced a can't-miss tribute video.

Could South Florida secede? I was skeptical of this story making the social media rounds last night. But a proposal by the leaders of the city of South Miami calls for the southern part of the state to break away from the rest of Florida and become the 51st state in the Union, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel said. The proposed state would include about 24 counties, including Polk, Hillsborough and Pinellas. Read more from the Sun-Sentinel.

Speaking of South Florida, our counterpart there has created a "Hall of Shame" of notorious white-collar criminals from that part of the state. Check it out here.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn is planning on having a big cup of joe this morning. Buckhorn will tour Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Co.'s roasting facilities with the CEO and head roadmaster to help the company celebrate its 30-year anniversary. The mayor will even unveil his own "Buckhorn Blend." Think it's regular or decaf?

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is warning the drivers of more than 4.7 million cars that their air bags may be dangerously defective. Air bags manufactured by the Takata Corp. of Japan can rupture, causing metal pieces to fly out during crashes, Fox News said. The air bags have reportedly caused four deaths and multiple injuries. The warning and recall affects vehicles made by Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, General Motors and Ford. NHTSA encouraged people to check the website: https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/ and type in their vehicle identification number.

Pam Huff is Director of News Operations for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.