Hundreds of people have already come together in the first few days of 10 Days of Connection. And we had a blast hanging out with you all at last night’s Political “Party” over at Ball and Chain.

Both in-person, and in the 10 Days Facebook group, we’ve already seen people learning a ton about our city, breaking out of their silos, and making connections through music, real talk, and some solid food and drink.

Earlier this week, there was an enlightening and emotional discussion on foster care, and a concert featuring more than 10 organizations performing everything from merengue to jazz to classical music.

Want to check something out today or this weekend? Here are a few suggestions:

• Use your lunch break to head to HistoryMiami and record your own unique Miami story.
• Check out a screening of the doc “Knock Down the House” and a discussion featuring local women leaders, organizers and elected officials hosted by Maven Leadership Collective.
• And on Sunday, take a trip up to Hollywood to see Chicano Batman live in concert.

Want to chart your own course? Here’s the full 10 Days of Connection calendar.

Inspire305, powered by United Way of Miami-Dade, has officially named five game-changing, innovative and inspiring nonprofit finalists eligible for its two grant awards.

The five finalists are: Food Rescue US – Miami, ICU baby, S.E.E.K Foundation, Strong Girls, Inc., and StudentsCare.

Now a public vote will decide which nonprofit will receive either the $25,000 Grand Innovator Award or the $10,000 Trailblazer Award.

Learn more about each finalist and vote for your favorite on the Inspire305 website. Head to our website to learn more about what they plan to do with the grant money.

PRODUCED BY THE NEW TROPIC CREATIVE STUDIO WITH INSPIRE305

The two-month legislative session in Tallahassee is set to wrap up this weekend, but even after the $91.1 billion budget is set, and bills have gotten final approval, there’s still a lot riding on the pen of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

He still has to sign off on the budget and has the power to veto several “wish list” items from state lawmakers, including millions in requests from our SoFlo elected officials.

Some of the notable items on that list include funding projects like the Underline, the 10-mile linear park under the Metrorail that broke ground last year. There’s about $1.5 million set aside in funding for the project, a far cry from the $7.5 million that the project’s developers requested.

And there are dozens of other projects that range in cost from the hundreds of thousands for things like stormwater and well improvements, to millions in funding for the SEED School of Miami.

In other news…

A bill to shut down the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, the agency that manages five of the county’s toll roads, looks like it could be approved before the state legislative session wraps up. But even if it makes it to the governor’s desk, Miami-Dade officials have already said that they plan to challenge the law in the courts. (Miami Herald)

Florida’s medical marijuana industry is growing faster than just about any other state. About 10,000 people a month are joining the state’s medical cannabis program, and despite the memes and stoner jokes, a big reason for the growth is Florida’s elderly population opting for medical marijuana as an alternative treatment for ailments like glaucoma and chronic pain. (Miami New Times)

And here’s a feel-good Friday story. Twin 16-year-old siblings at Miami Central High moved to Miami from Nigeria and have earned more than $1 million in scholarships. Their secret? Applying for literally every scholarship opportunity they saw, and determination to be the first in their family to graduate from college. (Miami Herald)

We’re not quite done exploring Little Havana and we want to celebrate the neighborhood with you. Come to our Living in Little Havana event on Wednesday, May 15, at Futurama 1637 Art Galleries for an evening of arts, snacks, and chocolate!

There will be some savory bites from El Cristo, a chocolate tasting by Guayaba y Chocolate, and a few more surprises. Get your tickets here.

Have a great weekend, Miami.

– The New Tropic