🌱 The Riverside Wharf Coming Soon + South Florida Cruise COVID Outbreaks Continue

Hello, people of Miami! Happy Monday! Carlos Hernandez here with today's Miami Daily. Let's get this last week of 2021 started off right.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and comfortable. High: 78 Low: 68.

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Here are the top five stories in Miami today:

1. Cruise lines continue to experience interruptions as COVID-19 spreads with outbreaks reported on at least three South Florida cruise ships over the Christmas holiday week. The outbreaks are causing ships to be denied entry into several islands and being forced to turn around. (Miami Patch)

2. The Coast Guard picked up 39 Cuban migrants near the Florida Keys over the past week, during four different interdictions. The migrants received food, water, and medical attention and then were sent back to the island. (WSVN)

3. The Riverside Wharf will soon be the newest entertainment attraction along the Miami River with a 2022 planned groundbreaking. It will be anchored by a 165-room Dream Miami luxury hotel. (Miami Today)

4. A 12-year-old girl has become the youngest student to graduate from Broward College. In January, she will move on to the University of Florida to study microbiology and cell science. (NBC Miami)

5. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is collaborating with other organizations in January 2022 to offer “GENEuary 2022,” a month-long program to promote understanding of the role of genetics and genetic testing in diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nicklaus is a leader in the genomic revolution in medical care, especially in pediatrics. (Miami's Community News)

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Today in Miami:

• Organic Sculptures at The Bass (8:00 AM)
• Winter Camp: Science Of You at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. (9:00 AM)
• DripCon at Drip Gallery Miami. (1:00 PM)
• Market Mondays at The Arsht Center For The Performing Arts. (4:00 PM)
• Mambo Mondays at Ball & Chain. (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Carnival Freedom returned to Miami on Sunday after passengers tested positive for COVID-19. (WPLG Local 10)
• North Miami Councilman Alix Desulme tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday and is now isolating himself. He said he has mild symptoms and is boosted against COVID-19.
• University of Miami's basketball team concluded non-conference action tied for the third-best overall record in the ACC. The Miami basketball team is on a five-game winning streak as of Sunday. (FanSided)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.