Miami-Dade Transit struggled in 2017. Ridership dropped, and so did revenue. So when Mayor Carlos Gimenez drafted his proposed 2017-18 budget, he cut transit by about $25 million.

But Miami-Dade residents said “no way.” Transit Alliance Miami rallied against the cuts and got dozens to speak out against them at public budget hearings. The commissioners refused to pass the budget until Mayor Gimenez found money for transit. So he did. Civic activism, FTW.

The county commission abandoned Miami-Dade’s unofficial sanctuary city status in February. That means that if an undocumented immigrant is stopped or arrested by local police for something like a traffic violation, they can now be handed over to federal immigration authorities for deportation. That’s a BFD for Miami, a city of immigrants. And it’s already changing the way that undocumented immigrants exist in our city.

The Trump administration also announced the end to Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Central Americans. That means those with TPS – 32,500 Haitians  in South Florida alone – have to return by a July 2019 deadline.

#Winning. Chef Niven Patel, the man behind farm-to-table Indian hotspot Ghee Indian Kitchen, is in the New York Times for his incredible desserts. Never again will we eat too much pakora and naan and leave no room for sweets.

Started from the bottom now we here. Take a look at Monad Terrace, one of Miami Beach’s new luxury towers – and also one of the most hurricane-resilient buildings in the whole city, with its “ground floor” more than 11 feet off the ground.  As concerns about severe storms and sea level rise grow, all eyes are on developments like Monad Terrace. (Bloomberg)

Ace. Tennis fans are gonna be all 😍  over the renderings of the Miami Open’s new space at Hard Rock Stadium. TL;DR: “more courts, double the parking, double the suites, plush amenities for the players, and easier access” than its current home at Crandon Park. (Miami Herald)

Bad math. Yesterday, the GOP passed the tax bill, which included an elimination of the requirement that everyone have health care. What does that mean for Florida? According to one study, 873,000 Floridians will either lose their coverage or choose not to buy any because the costs will have gotten too high. (Miami New Times)

The suspense is over. Broward-based Magic Leap has finally unveiled the super secret new VR technology it’s been working on for three years. Magic Leap One is a headset that will allow the wearer to see and interact with things not in the room with them. Let the hot takes begin. (Miami Herald)

More tropical fruits. There’s nothing more classic for Christmas than the Nutcracker, but there’s only so many times you can watch the same Sugar Plum Fairy dance. That’s why the Miami City Ballet has given the classic performance a very Miami update this year. You can catch it at the Arsht Center through Sunday. (WLRN)

#MeToo. Republican Sen. Jack Latvala, the uber powerful budget committee chairman, has resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment. For weeks he’s been saying that none of it is true, but a new independent report says that he traded legislative favors for sexual contact and sexually harassed and assaulted several women. He resigned pretty much immediately after it came out. He’s the first high-profile Republican in Florida to resign amid #MeToo allegations. (Miami Herald)

THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY.

Go kick some ass.