This past weekend the Rolling Loud Festival took over the 305 and brought some of the biggest names in the world of hip hop to Miami Gardens. Even Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus were on hand to perform the remix to “Old Town Road.”

But the festival is still experiencing some growing pains in its second year at Hard Rock Stadium. In fact, Rolling Loud was the first of three major events in the past 14 months — including a planned Formula 1 race and the Ultra Music Festival — to leave Downtown Miami after concerns from residents and misgivings from city officials.

The biggest names at the fest put on a great show, but critics still noted some issues like providing ample water to attendees, and some inconsistent performance quality.

And several incidents took attention away from the actual show, including a string of shootings over the weekend — one that involved an artist set to perform at the fest, and two others that ended with the death of another rapper and a bystander.

In other news…

Jorge Pérez is giving his money away. Well, about $1 million of it every year. The billionaire developer’s foundation announced a partnership with the Miami Foundation to create the CreARTE grant program. The $1 million will be awarded to local visual arts groups, and applications are now open. (Miami Herald, Miami Foundation)

Gov. Ron DeSantis officially vetoed his first bill last week. And it was a huge win for local governments as he denied a law that would’ve placed a five-year ban on cities and counties looking to prohibit plastic straw use. (Tampa Bay Times)

And in not-so-cool news. The beloved Wynwood Yard closed earlier this month, and someone out there decided to steal the “magical space” sign that sat near the entrance. The Yard’s owner Della Heiman owns the sign and said in an Instagram post that the Yard won’t pursue charges or involve police if the sign is returned by noon today. (Miami Herald)

Miami has been called the gateway to the Americas and a melting pot for years now, but there are still challenges in making our region truly inclusive of all of diverse population.

Our tech and startups scenes are emerging but there are still so many residents struggling to make ends meet.

So this Friday, experts from Florida International University, the Aspen Institute, and beyond, are coming together for the Inclusive Republic Summit to talk through potential strategies for making Miami more inclusive.

Check out this Your View from Saif Ishoof, vice president of engagement at FIU, and Cordell Carter, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Program, to learn more. And to see why they’re taking cues from the Broadway hit “Hamilton.”

Today is Election Day if you’re a North Miami or Sweetwater resident!

Sweetwater voters, this is where you can find your polling place and a sample ballot. And here’s the poll info and ballot if you live in North Miami. Cheers to doing your civic duty!

We’ll see you tomorrow, folks.

– The New Tropic