Former journalist and exile from MSM who still reads newspapers.
Articles by Susannah Nesmith
Obit Achsah Nesmith
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Obit Achsah Nesmith
This photo taken March 14, 2024, in Alexadria, Va., shows a 1978 newspaper on which then-President Jimmy Carter wrote a personal note to one of his speechwriters, Achsah Nesmith. One of the first women to write speeches for an American president, Nesmith worked at the Carter White House for all four years of his presidency. She died March 5, 2024, in Alexandria, Va., at age 84.
Obit Achsah Nesmith
State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed...
Alabama Jack's in Key Largo: Food, Bikers, Water and Music
The couple from San Angelo, Texas, looked at each other as though they had found paradise, right there on the dance floor of Alabama Jacks in Key Largo. The Card Sound Machine was playing their usual honky tonk and Chris and Joana Heronema were dancing and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, their clashing Hawaiian shirts unable to intrude on that clearly connected vibe. Nearby, as the breeze blew off the water, some bikers argued, getting increasingly louder but not disruptive.
Are You Prepared for the Next One?
Six months after Hurricane Matthew skirted the Florida coast last fall, Nancy Sikes-Kline was finally able to move out of her temporary apartment and into a house—but it wasn’t her house. “It’s taking much, much longer than any of us ever imagined” to put her life back together, said Sikes-Kline, 60, a land use consultant and St. Augustine city commissioner. “For older people, it’s particularly difficult because we don’t have time in our lives financially to recover.
Red-Light Camera Ticket? What It Will Cost Depends On Where You Got It
Miami-Dade Traffic Magistrate Christopher Benjamin played a series of dramatic videos of crashes caught on tape by red-light cameras. The people in the audience gasped each time someone t-boned a car, flipped over a railing, struck a motorcyclist or nearly plowed through a line of kids crossing the street. “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise,” Benjamin told the audience after playing the videos. And then he surprised everyone. “Be safe out there. Case dismissed.
How bad is a red light camera ticket in South Florida? Depends on where
Miami-Dade Traffic Magistrate Christopher Benjamin played a series of dramatic videos of crashes caught on tape by red-light cameras. The people in the audience gasped each time someone t-boned a car, flipped over a railing, struck a motorcyclist or nearly plowed through a line of kids crossing the street. “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise,” Benjamin told the audience after playing the videos. And then he surprised everyone. “Be safe out there. Case dismissed.
Red light ticket? Enforcement depends on where you got it and how you try to resolve it
Miami-Dade Traffic Magistrate Christopher Benjamin played a series of dramatic videos of crashes caught on tape by red-light cameras. The people in the audience gasped each time someone t-boned a car, flipped over a railing, struck a motorcyclist or nearly plowed through a line of kids crossing the street. “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise,” Benjamin told the audience after playing the videos. And then he surprised everyone. “Be safe out there. Case dismissed.
Duane Morris Hires Six Real Estate Lawyers in Miami
Duane Morris announced Friday that six real estate lawyers from Carlton Fields Jorden Burt are joining its Miami office. Jay Steinman will be leading Duane Morris’ South Florida real estate practice with partners David S. Drobner and Elaina I. Sodhi. Special Counsel Rafael G. Moreno and associates Jesse Giusto and Cristina T. Sanchez went with them.
Family planning: Exploring Southeast Asia with the whole clan in tow
We were riding back to the hotel after a long day exploring a Cambodian island where women hand-weave colorful silk scarves on looms under their stilt homes. It was a fun excursion, and yet another opportunity to shop, which we’d done a lot of on this trip — for clothes and trinkets and the lovely textiles that are so abundant in Cambodian markets, and for wood. That’s what dad, a carver and woodworker in his spare time, does in foreign countries — he buys local lumber, wood he can’t get at home.
Florida Doctor Tied to Menendez Convicted of Medicare Fraud
With Melgen’s conviction, U.S. prosecutors may consider trying to gain Melgen’s cooperation in the New Jersey case against Menendez, said Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor. To do so, Melgen would have to plead guilty in New Jersey, and prosecutors in Florida would have to agree to seek leniency for him at sentencing for Friday’s conviction, Mintz said.
Florida Doctor Tied to Menendez Convicted of Defrauding Medicare
A South Florida eye doctor who is accused of paying bribes to New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was convicted in a separate case of defrauding Medicare of tens of millions of dollars.
Large Law Firm Opens ‘Alternative’ Services Office in South Africa
Aerial view of the city skyline in Johannesburg, South Africa . Photographer: Dean Hutton/Bloomberg Herbert Smith Freehills is expanding its alternative legal services’ business, opening a new office in Johannesburg, South Africa where five lawyers and 20 legal analysts will conduct document review and perform due diligence-related tasks for clients.
Trump Miami Resort Loses Suit to Paint Company That Was Stiffed
Before becoming president, Trump and his companies had been sued hundreds of times across the U.S., with many of the lawsuits claiming Trump had failed to pay contractors. One such claim in 2000 sought $10 million for unpaid consulting fees to renovate New York’s San Moritz Hotel. That case was settled. Another contractor filed a $348,000 claim for exterior stone work on Chicago’s Trump Tower, a case that Trump won.
Trump Miami Resort Loses Suit Over Paint It Didn't Pay For
One of President Donald Trump’s luxury golf resorts in Florida was ordered by an appeals court to pay a local supply company that wasn’t paid in full for paint used to spruce up the property’s 10 lodges in 2014.
Trump Miami Resort Loses Suit to Paint Company That Was Stiffed
One of President Donald Trump’s luxury golf resorts in Florida was ordered by an appeals court to pay more than $32,000 to a supply company that claims it wasn’t paid for paint that was used to spruce up the property.
Reed Smith Acquires Miami International Arbitration Boutique
Reed Smith is acquiring Astigarraga Davis, a boutique in Miami focusing on international arbitration. Seven attorneys and seven staff members — including three partners, one counsel and three associates — have joined Reed Smith to launch a Miami branch, its 27th office worldwide, the firms announced on Tuesday. “We are doing increasing business in Latin America and Miami is an excellent place to develop that business,” said Reed Smith chair Alexander “Sandy” Thomas, in an interview.
Newspaper guild offers to buy Philadelphia Daily News
This story, plus two Florida papers combine resources to investigate conditions at state mental hospitals, how paywall journalism limits the public’s access to government information and more, all in today’s news.
Nissan, Ford, BMW sue Takata over faulty airbag losses
Motor Co., of North America and Motor Co. accused Corp. of fraud in a lawsuit seeking to force the airbag manufacturer to cover losses they incur because of its faulty inflators that have been linked to at least 17 deaths worldwide. The automakers claim the embattled Tokyo-based company withheld information about the inflators, which have caused airbags to rupture and injure people. The carmakers are fighting consumer suits alleging they knew about the flawed devices.
Nissan, Ford, BMW Sue Takata Over Faulty Airbag Losses
“Ford (and other vehicle manufacturers) would not have purchased these airbag systems from Takata as they were had the true and accurate test data and information been communicated to Ford,” the Dearborn, Michigan-based company said in its court filing.
Nissan, Ford, BMW Sue Takata Over Faulty Airbag Losses
Nissan Motor Co., BMW of North America and Ford Motor Co. accused Takata Corp.
Menendez Donor Faces Florida Jury in Medicare Fraud Trial
A Florida jury heard conflicting accounts of Medicare-fraud allegations against a wealthy eye doctor, who is also charged separately with bribing U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat.
Menendez Donor Faces Florida Jury in Medicare Fraud Trial
Melgen will later face a trial in New Jersey, where he is accused of lavishing trips and campaign contributions on Menendez. Prosecutors said the senator intervened to help Melgen in a civil Medicare overbilling case and a contract dispute with the Dominican Republic, and assisted with visa applications for three girlfriends. Both men pleaded not guilty. Menendez has called the case an attempt to prosecute a 20-year friendship.
Miami-Dade School Superintendent Backs Off Plan To Take Over WLRN News Operations
WLRN News hired freelance reporter Susannah Nesmith to report the following story. WLRN News did not direct any of her reporting. That’s because WLRN News itself is a subject of the reporting. NPR edited the story. Miami-Dade School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has abandoned attempts by his staff to take over the news operations of WLRN.
Miami-Dade School District Abandons Attempts To Take Over News Operations Of WLRN
WLRN News hired freelance reporter Susannah Nesmith to report the following story. WLRN News did not direct any of her reporting. That’s because WLRN News itself is a subject of the reporting. NPR edited the story. Miami-Dade School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has abandoned attempts by his staff to take over the news operations of WLRN.
Trump to Appeal $5.7 Million Loss in Florida Golf Course Lawsuit
A golf course in Jupiter, Florida, now the Trump National Golf Club, when it was owned by Ritz-Carlton, Aug. 24, 2006.
Trump to Appeal $5.7 Million Loss in Florida Golf Club Case
In court, Trump and his son Eric initially argued that they hadn’t changed the membership rules and that they didn’t bar the former members from the club’s facilities, but Eric Trump admitted during an August trial in West Palm Beach that he was wrong and that some members had been banned. He also said the Trumps spruced up the club and "made it great again."
Miami-Dade Public School District Proposes More Control Over WLRN
WLRN News hired freelance reporter Susannah Nesmith to report the following story. WLRN News did not direct any of her reporting and the story was edited by NPR. That's because WLRN News itself is a subject of the reporting. The Miami-Dade School District has proposed taking over operations of WLRN, South Florida’s public radio and television stations.
Miami-Dade Public School Proposes More Control Over WLRN
WLRN News hired freelance reporter Susannah Nesmith to report the following story. WLRN News did not direct any of her reporting and the story was edited by NPR. That's because WLRN News itself is a subject of the reporting. The Miami-Dade School District has proposed taking over operations of WLRN, South Florida’s public radio and television stations.
Trump Golf Course Ordered to Pay $5.7 Million to Ex-Members
“It’s great to win the case,” said Norman Hirsch, one of the former members. “I was pretty confident that we would as long as the court was unbiased. I was assured that the judge would be, as long as he wasn’t scared he’d be attacked,” in the way Trump had attacked a San Diego judge in a lawsuit over his failed real estate seminars.
Trump’s ‘Great Again’ Golf Course on Hook for Member Fees
Trump told members to get lost if they didn’t like new rules Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the Trump National Golf Club Jupiter on March 8, 2016, in Jupiter, Florida.
Ex-Billionaire Batista Has $63 Million Frozen by Judge
Former Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista had $63 million of his assets frozen by a judge in the Cayman Islands at the request of two U.S. investors in his failed oil-exploration businesses.
Deutsche Bank Sued in U.S. by Jewish Trust Over $3 Billion
The charitable trust is an heir to the descendants of Joseph Wertheim, a family that amassed a fortune by building the KaDeWe department store in Berlin and a textile and manufacturing empire in Frankfurt, according to the complaint. One of those descendants, Karl Wertheim, feared the German rise of anti-Semitism in the 1920s, moved his businesses to Spain and opened an account at Credit Suisse in 1931.
Deutsche Bank Sued in U.S. by Jewish Trust Over $3 Billion
Deutsche Bank AG was sued in Florida by a Jewish charitable trust that claims the firm wrongly withheld as much as $3 billion from the heirs to a wealthy German family.
TV stations fight ‘sea of sameness’ with experimental local news
Tegna’s Atlanta television station, WXIA 11Alive, tried to break the local television mold last month with an investigation into a national issue: veterans denied benefits after being less-than-honorably discharged when they should have instead been offered treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
A chain of small newspapers hits on a formula for growth
By Susannah Nesmith, CJR December 5, 2016 Second-generation newsman Joe Smyth quietly did something extraordinary 25 years ago–he essentially gave away his family’s chain of small community newspapers. Smyth, now 75, tells CJR he was trying to protect the newspapers from the prevailing winds of large corporate ownership–as well as from the future decisions of his six children.
Paper makes audacious decision to highlight silent epidemic
The Palm Beach Post made the bold decision to profile all 216 people who died of an opioid overdose in its coverage area last year, risking the wrath of victims’ families, some of whom were horrified to have their private pain publicized. The stark display of photos of each of the dead, accompanied by brief profiles, effectively served The Post’s goal–drawing attention to the magnitude of the crisis in a way statistics simply could not, while bringing addiction out of the shadows.
75 Years After Pearl Harbor Attack, DNA Technology IDs Fallen Sailors
The task is complicated by the fact that the bones of those who died on board were comingled in 61 caskets buried after the ship was raised in 1943. To help identify the remains, the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency hired a genealogist to track down relatives who might be candidates for DNA comparisons. When Star Piskuran’s father — Rudy’s brother — got the call, Star was certain it was a scam.
The day Fidel Castro ceded power to his brother | Miami Herald
Cuban leader Fidel Castro, suffering from a serious illness, ceded power to his brother Raúl Castro in 2006. This report was originally published on August 1, 2006. Fidel Castro’s death was announced early Saturday.For two generations, Cuban Americans in Miami have waited patiently for the news that reached them through cellphones, televisions, BlackBerrys and radios Monday night: Fidel Castro is no longer the leader of Cuba. At least temporarily.
What Birmingham readers want: dig deep and be a 'witness'
Engaged readers appreciate deep and nuanced reporting on education and race relations in Birmingham, but they also wish news outlets had the resources to send reporters to all the board meetings of the area’s 25 school systems. That was one takeaway from a book-club style luncheon on Tuesday sponsored by BirminghamWatch, Columbia Journalism Review, and the Institute for Nonprofit News. “We need you to be a witness,” said Cameron Vowell, a semi-retired nonprofit manager.
Florida Told by U.S. Judge to Do More to Count Absentee Ballots
Florida election officials must do more to ensure absentee ballots are counted, a federal judge said in a ruling that called the state’s current practice of invalidating ballots where signatures don’t appear to match those on file an “obscene”...
Miami to Pay $1 Million to Settle SEC Municipal Bond Fraud Case
The city of Miami agreed to pay $1 million to settle a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit in which a federal jury ruled that the municipality defrauded bond investors by hiding the deteriorating condition of its finances.
Judge Extends Florida Voter-Registration Deadline by One Week
A federal judge extended Florida’s voter-registration deadline by a week, to Oct. 18, after damage and delays caused by Hurricane Matthew closed government offices in some counties for several days.
Federal Judge Extends Florida Voter Registration to Oct. 18
A Florida judge extends the voter registration deadline to Oct. 18 as state recovers from Hurricane Matthew. Florida Democratic Party filed lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee on Sunday to extend deadline.
7 questions to ask the doctor if you’ve learned you have breast cancer | Miami Herald
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 246,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, along with about 2,300 men. And while nearly 7 percent of all cancer deaths are attributed to breast cancer, hundreds of thousands of men and women have been successfully treated. The five-year survival rate is 89.7 percent. Doctors believe early detection is important, but once a cancer is discovered, patients need to educate themselves about it.
A pregnant reporter talks about covering the Zika outbreak in South Florida
By Susannah Nesmith, CJR September 21, 2016 Sammy Mack covers the health beat for WLRN, the NPR member station in South Florida. That means she’s been reporting on the Zika virus since early summer, when health officials began warning that they expected an outbreak to hit Florida. Locally acquired infections did appear in mid-summer, and Mack has been following the response from public officials ever since.
After a bitter contest, a Florida newsroom votes to unionize
After a contentious campaign within the newsroom, editorial employees of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune voted to form a union Thursday—becoming, along with the Lakeland Ledger, one of only two unionized newsrooms in Florida. Both papers are owned by Gatehouse Media, and the two union drives reflect common concerns about corporate management. But while the recent unionization effort in Lakeland went fairly smoothly, with an overwhelming vote in favor last month, the campaign in Sarasota was different.
Ex-UBS Banker Called Accounts ‘Toxic Waste,’ Jury Told
Raoul Weil, who once ran UBS AG’s global wealth-management business, referred to accounts hidden by U.S. clients from the Internal Revenue Service as “toxic waste,” a witness at his tax-conspiracy trial said.
Caribbean School Founder Faces Trial Over Swiss Accounts
Patricia Hough, according to her lawyers, is an altruistic psychiatrist who helped her husband build two Caribbean medical schools.
Ex-UBS Executive Weil Acquitted of U.S. Tax Conspiracy
Former UBS AG global wealth-management chief Raoul Weil was cleared of tax conspiracy charges despite the bank’s historic admission that it helped thousands of U.S. clients cheat the Internal Revenue Service.
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