The top stories of 2017

Michael Dennis, M.D., chairman, Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine

Despite our ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, political, and other differences in identifying characteristics, there’s one common denominator of personal status that concerns everyone; our health. Fortunately, 2017 was a productive year. Gene therapies that harness the immune system to fight cancers worked extraordinarily well. America’s first successful uterine transplant produced a child, giving hope to those who have lost that organ. Sales of home DNA testing kits surged, allowing many to learn more about their risks for disease and establish preventive measures. And new drugs were approved for multiple sclerosis and ALS. Hopefully congressional budget manipulations will not hinder further advances.

Ted Deutch, member, U.S. House of Representatives

This year was a moment of reckoning for our country. Our eyes were opened to the pervasive sexual abuse happening right in front of us. In every region and every sector, from rural America to Capitol Hill, this is an emotional and significant problem that cuts through our society. We saw brave women and men come forward to share their stories in the hopes that they can protect others from similar abuse. With sharp awareness of these abuses, the responsibility is on each of us to listen to victims and take action to help end sexual harassment.

Irela Bagué, president, Bagué Group

No doubt, the story of 2017 is the presidential election. Not surprisingly, the Trump administration immediately launched an attack on science. They rolled back policies that protect our air and water, annulled the Paris Climate agreement, allowed drilling on national lands and reduced national monuments, all while we’ve experienced the worst wildfires in U.S. history and the wrath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, whose environmental and economic impacts will be felt for decades. Climate change is the Grinch that stole Christmas, and this administration is already inviting him back for years to come.

J. David Armstrong Jr., president, Broward College

Politics, elections, economic expansion (for some) and scandals will undoubtedly be on the minds of many as top stories for 2017. For me, a lesser remembered story from March was the U.S. News and World Report ranking of Florida’s higher education system as No. 1 in the nation, based on a number of measures of university and community college performance. In fact, Florida’s 28 state colleges helped significantly in this ranking, with Florida receiving a No. 2 ranking in the nation for low tuition and fees, along with an 11th ranking in amount of debt at graduation. Our college’s also contributed significantly with a third place national ranking in associate degree completion.

Katie Edwards, member, Florida House of Representatives

May 2017 mark the year that the widespread acceptance and trivialization of sexual assault and misconduct ended, giving rise to a powerful recognition that what was previously tolerated and even normalized will no longer be the status quo. We must not lose sight of the need for due process, for workplace protections, for reporting, and for training. We must also not let the #MeToo movement set women back because employers are reluctant to hire, promote and advance women in the workplace.

Anna Fusco, president, Broward Teachers Union

The year 2017 will be remembered as the year the American political process was dramatically transformed. Candidate conduct that previously would have prompted abrupt exits was met with a wink and labeled “locker room talk.” Hard evidence of foreign intervention into our sacred electoral process produced patriotic disdain while examples of collusion were simply denied. Unflattering facts became “fake news.” Major tax legislation zipped through Congress, ignoring opinions of more than 60 percent of Americans, economists, experts, and even the Congressional Budget Office in a blind quest to “pass something.” Finally, and most disturbing, civil rights were trampled, all in favor of smug partisan approval.

Richard Stark, member, Florida House of Representatives

Florida dodged a bullet this year when what could have been the most devastating hurricane in our history, Hurricane Irma, only impacted a few areas in the state severely. Due to the fact that the entire state was in the path of this storm, the devastation could have been widespread and unimaginable. Planning and preparedness are now the hallmark of the state Legislature, as we analyze the issues that have arisen in what worked and what did not in how Florida prepared and dealt with the storm. I am one of several legislators who have been appointed to serve on the Florida House of Representatives Hurricane Preparedness Committee, and we will have recommendations when we return to Tallahassee in January. The areas in discussion include: evacuation, energy, shelters, health care facilities, agriculture, housing and beach erosion.

John “Jack” P. Seiler, mayor, Fort Lauderdale

Hurricane Irma, the airport shooting and Fort Lauderdale’s economy topped the news in 2017. Fort Lauderdale’s extraordinary response to Hurricane Irma was a shining example of preparation, teamwork, and organization, and neighbors helping neighbors made us all proud. The airport shooting reminded our region about the importance of mutual aid, collaboration, and cooperation during a crisis. Our economy continues to shine, as property values have risen for six straight years, unemployment (3.3 percent) is at its lowest level in a decade, tourism is flourishing, private investment is surging, the marine industry is thriving, and our millage rate is the lowest among Florida’s 25 largest cities.

Tracey Grossman, chairperson, Florida Anti-Defamation League

The re-emergence of white supremacy this year was pivotal. Charlottesville was a flashpoint — the largest white supremacist gathering in over a decade. The participants claimed to preserve “southern heritage,” yet were soon shouting Nazi-era slogans and “Jews will not replace us.” And they did not stop with anti-Semitism. To effectively move the needle, we cannot compartmentalize our compassion. If there is a lesson from 2017, it must be that hatred and bigotry against any of us must be an affront to all of us. If there is a lesson for 2018 — we can only rise if we do so together.

Marlon A. Hill, partner, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel

In 2017, the biggest story with the most social impact across our nation has been the wave of sexual misconduct and harassment revelations. This story has permeated boardrooms, courtrooms, legislative halls, and the most private corners of our society. Though this shift in American social dynamics may be felt for generations, it remains to be seen whether we will revert to our old ways or whether women will be afforded safe spaces of respect and value more than mere objects of desire. The balance of power in our places of employment, business and politics needs recalibration. It is highly unlikely that this year was a singular moment in time.

Maria Sachs, former member, Florida Senate

In 2017, we’ve seen that the restrictions placed on women in our culture are fast eroding. When I was in high school, I wanted to become Student Body president, but was relegated to vice president because I was a woman. In college, I was the first woman ever to serve as class president in its 150 year history. Today, these exclusions may be against the law, but they do still exist in our culture. What we’ve been witnessing recently in the news is not a change of regulations, but more importantly, a change in expectations. Long overdue, women must now seize this opportunity to take our place at the table. In high school, I may have accepted the second seat, but in college, I was the president. The time is now.

Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser

Broward County’s increase in job growth is this year’s biggest story. Broward County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.3 percent in October 2017 as compared to 4.7 percent a year ago. The October economic numbers show that over the year Broward added 25,200 jobs, including 15,500 non-agricultural jobs. It should be noted that Broward’s unemployment rate is lower than the state average of 3.6 percent and significantly lower than Miami Dade’s 4.5 percent jobless rate. More recent numbers, which may vary slightly, are being released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity in late December and can be viewed at Floridajobs.org.

Ghenete Wright Muir, attorney. Realtor. LGBTQ advocate

The news in 2017 was filled with one disaster after the other. From political disaster to violent attacks to natural disasters of biblical proportions. The biggest news story here was Hurricane Irma. I have never seen Floridians so panicked over a hurricane. The panic led to pandemonium — long lines for water and gas, empty supermarket shelves, and highways deadlocked with people evacuating. In the end, her bark was much bigger than her bite and we had to quickly turn our attention to Puerto Rico, Dominica and other countries devastated by hurricanes. As 2017 ends, we can only go up from here — we hope.

Burnadette Norris-Weeks, attorney, Austin Pamies Norris Weeks, LLC

Led by black women, voters in Alabama proved that even when unexpected, decent people will hold others accountable for bad acts and deplorable actions that support and promote the exploitation of our most vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, we are at a critical point in this country where intolerance, sexism and racism are being celebrated. There will be many more Alabama moments before this Trump presidency is over, however, Alabama showed us that even in the deep South, people are capable of voting their conscience.

Nan Rich, member, Broward County Commission

The #MeToo movement, in which victims of sexual harassment and assault voice their stories and demand accountability, must be the news story of 2017. Powerful names in business, politics, the film industry, media, and academia are implicated. I can’t help but think this moment was at least partly spawned by the release of the infamous 2005 video of Trump bragging about sexual assault. Women are responding by running for office in historic numbers: 354 female candidates in the U.S. House, and 38 in the U.S. Senate. Gender equality in politics can only make for a fairer and more robust democracy.

Dwight Bullard, former member, Florida Senate, political director, the New Florida Majority

The sentencing of former officer Michael Slager in the shooting death of Walter Scott in South Carolina may be the biggest news story of 2017. From the NFL protests to grassroots activism around the country, many were highlighting the humanity of black lives. The conviction of an officer in one of these cases sends a message that those actions have not been in vain.