Shane Gandee, 1992-2013

In February, New Times reported on the arrest of Salwa Amin, one of the stars of MTV's teen redneck reality series, Buckwild.

But Amin's possession charges were only the beginning of gray skies for the network's latest Jersey Shore-style stereotype-driven television.

Cultist is sad to report that 21-year-old Buckwild cast member Shain Gandee has been found dead, along with his uncle and an unidentified friend.
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Billy Corben has proven he knows Miami well. As the director of Cocaine Cowboys and the ESPN 30 for 30 special The U, Corben has forevermore associated himself with two things all Miamians know and love: University of Miami football and blow.

But now, a former UM fullback is hoping to associate Corben another Miami trademark: cheapness.

See also:
- Billy Corben Will Have to Explain His Jury Duty Tweets in Court
- Exclusive: Billy Corben Tells All Following Jury Duty Hearing
- Billy Corben on Miami Corruption, the Next Installments of Cocaine Cowboys , and Courtroom Tweets (Sort Of)
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Angels at War

An unassuming group of young "angels" report for service wearing modest street clothes similar to that of their peers from Juarez, Mexico. Soon, however, they'll ditch their humble garb for elaborate DIY costumes, transforming from everyday teens and pre-teens to remarkable fearless champions of peace.

Unlike a great deal of the city's people, the group of 11 to 19-year-old boys and girls isn't affiliated with a drug cartel or on assignment from an organized crime kingpin.

These few "Messenger Angels," as the New York Times reported in 2011, are doing what many Juarenses have wanted to do for a long time; They're resisting the drug trade and speaking out against the senseless violence that makes Juarez one of the world's most dangerous cities.

It's working.

See also:
- Strike: Joey Daoud's Bowling Documentary Goes Down the Lanes With Bill Fong
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Wikipedia CC

Prominent anti-gun activist Tara Lipinski.

When the NRA publishes a list of "Organizations with Anti-Gun Policies," or what's being called its "Enemies List," there are certain names you expect to see. The American Firearms Association? Check. College Democrats of America? Check. Alec Baldwin? Check.

Then, however, there are other, more bizarre inclusions: Boyz II Men, for instance. Yeah, they're in there. Also: N*Sync. And Gloria Estefan. And Tara Lipinski. Yes, that's Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski striking terror into the hearts of the gun lobby.

Y'know who else the NRA isn't so fond of? The Miami Herald.

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Few people are as well-informed as Miami native and famed Cocaine Cowboys director Billy Corben. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter and you'll know exactly what's going on in Miami. His blog The Billy Pulpit features a series of controversial news stories centered around and relevant to the residents of Miami. Cultist recently sat down with the documentary filmmaker to discuss his top documentary-worthy Florida news stories of the year.

"I was interested when I read the question," said Corben about our inquiry. "Its much different asking what news story is documentary worthy then just asking what the top news story is. For a news story to be documentary worthy, it has to have certain qualities allowing you to be able to really get into the topic."

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To say the web ties worlds together seamlessly with invisible streams of data would be a gross understatement. So New Times is celebrating Miami's greatest with our first annual South Florida Web Awards.

We've scoured online media from news, to arts and culture, to food and music, and Twitter and Instagram, Miami's finest have another opportunity to show the city their stuff.

You've already voted, and the tallies are in, but as we gear up for our sick celebration at Green Room this Saturday (which, you're invited to, by the way), we'll be rolling out intros to South Florida's nominees throughout the week.

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Brian Smith Photography

Robert "Raven" Kraft will run his 110,000th mile on Miami Beach August 23.

When I first heard about the Raven, I was fascinated. Most people seem to be. What could keep a man motivated to run eight miles on the same stretch of sand every single day for decades? That's every single day, despite hurricanes, concussions, pneumonia, and pain that stretches into every cell "from hair to toes," as he says -- for 37 years.

On August 23, the total distance covered by Raven's 37-year streak will reach 110,000 miles. He'll have warmed up with his pull-ups and pushups at the outdoor gym at the 9th Street beach and strolled over to the 5th Street lifeguard stand 13,750 times. That's where he meets the pack of runners who will join him for his run each day. Some of these runners are just looking for sporty camaraderie. Others are looking for life answers. And then there are times when no one shows up, and the Raven starts his daily voyage alone.

On the surface, it's an amazing story of dedication to athleticism. Born Robert Kraft, Raven, who is so-nicknamed for his black attire and long raven-hued locks, began his running streak January 1, 1975, when he resolved to run eight miles on the beach every single day for the entire year. It was an attempt to mend what he perceived as a defect of character. "I never stuck with anything," Raven said in a recent interview. "Jobs, relationships -- I was a quitter. I wanted to change that. The first year [of my running streak] I caught pneumonia, I stepped on nails. Food poisoning." But he kept going, no matter what.

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Photo by Jipsy

Anthony Spinello

Read also: "100 Creatives: Anthony Spinello," "Anthony Spinello Opens New Space With Three Solo Shows," and "Kulturpark Project Revives a Forgotten European Wonderland."

Calling Anthony Spinello a nomad is an understatement. Since he burst on the local scene at the helm of the now defunct Liquid Blue Gallery at the ripe age of 20 back in 2003, the peripatetic dealer has gone on to christen half a dozen spaces throughout Wynwood and the Design District while representing some of the 305's top emerging talent and building a program that has placed him alongside South Florida's top tier gallery names.

Representing artists such as Agustina Woodgate, Santiago Rubino, Typoe, Farley Aguilar, Sinisa Kukec and others, the 28 year-old dealer snagged New Times Best Gallery honors in 2010 and was recognized in our Best Of Issue this year for best International Art Project by Locals for his contributions with Berlin's KulturPark in which he helped turn an abandoned Cold War Era amusement park this summer into a sprawling interactive arts arcade.

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Briana Saati

The scene at City Hall yesterday.

See Burn Notice: City Commissioners Plan to Evict Production from Coconut Grove.


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Wikipedia CC

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud," Anderson Cooper writes in an open letter to Andrew Sullivan, published this afternoon.

Cooper's coming out won't be a surprise to anyone who's paid attention to the career of the silver fox of TV journalism. But it is a reversal of a long-held policy of privacy about the intimate details of the anchor's life.

"As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn't matter," Cooper writes. "I've stuck to those principles for my entire professional career, even when I've been directly asked 'the gay question,' which happens occasionally."

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