Carlos J. Martinez 🇺🇸

The Public Defender, 11th Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade), former President Florida Public Defender Association. Member @CouncilonCJ

[The Husky @Mr_Husky1]

"Circa early 2018, somewhere in the quiet of his beloved Cornville, Arizona ranch, John McCain — living with the knowledge that his days were growing shorter — made a decision that was so perfectly, mischievously, achingly him that it made the whole country smile through their tears when they finally heard about it: he picked up the phone and called Barack Obama, the man who had defeated him for the presidency a decade earlier, and asked him to speak at his funeral. Obama later said that when that call came, he felt 'sadness and also a certain surprise' — and then, with the warmth that defined him, he recognized exactly what McCain was doing, telling mourners at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018 that the invitation showed McCain's 'irreverence, his sense of humor, a little bit of a mischievous streak' — because, as Obama put it to a cathedral that erupted in laughter through their grief, 'what better way to get a last laugh than to make George and I say nice things about him to a national audience?' It was John McCain's final act of political theater, and it was genius — choosing the two men who had each defeated him for the presidency to stand before the nation and celebrate his life, sending a message louder than any speech he could have given himself: that in America, rivalry and respect are not opposites, that the man you run against can still be the man you trust with your legacy, and that decency is not weakness but the most durable form of strength. Obama stood at that altar and told the packed cathedral that McCain had 'made this country better,' that he had made Obama a better president, and that when all was said and done, despite every disagreement, 'we never doubted the other man's sincerity or the other man's patriotism' — and in the front pew, Cindy McCain wept, because her husband had arranged, from the very edge of his life, one last beautiful lesson in what it means to be an American.

[The Husky @Mr_Husky1]

A dog failed his service dog exam, and was later seen at a train station carrying the reason why.

People at the station couldn’t stop staring when the dog walked onto the train with a stuffed elephant held proudly in his mouth.

At first, everyone thought it was part of his training.
But his owner started laughing and explained the truth.

The dog had been training to become a service dog, but during one of his final tests, he kept getting distracted by an elephant plushie nearby. Instead of staying focused, he tried to steal it like it was the only thing in the room that mattered.

That was the moment he failed.

But his owner said he couldn’t be mad. The dog had tried his best, and even if he wasn’t meant to be a service dog, he was still loyal, gentle, and full of love.

So before they left, he bought him the elephant toy.

That night, the dog didn’t pass the exam, but he still went home with the person who chose him anyway.

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank.

It just published a 30-year study showing immigrants paid 14.5 trillion dollars more in taxes than they received in government benefits.

Every single year. For thirty years. Without exception.

The country was lied to.

Here is what the study found.🧵

[Sia Baker Barnes @sia_bakerbarnes]

Congratulations HT🎉🎉🎉

[Sheila of the Most High @sheilatebra]

Anonymous

I witnessed something at a grocery store. Young man. Special needs. Bagging groceries. Proud of his job. Careful with every item. Older customer. Impatient. Rude. ���Can you go any slower? I don’t have all day.”
Young man’s face. Crushed. Trying not to cry. Kept working. Slower now. Hands shaking. Manager noticed. Came over. “Sir your groceries are free today.” Customer looked shocked. “Why?” “Because you just taught my employee that some customers don’t deserve his excellent service.
I won’t charge you. But I will ask you to leave.”
Customer left. Angry. Embarrassed. Good. Young man looked at his manager. “You didn’t have to do that.” “Yes I did. Nobody talks to you like that. Not in my store. Not anywhere.”
Other customers started clapping. Small applause. Support. Recognition. Young man smiled. Started bagging again. Confident. Protected. Valued.
Manager told me afterward. “He’s the best employee I have. Never late. Never complains. Treats every customer like they matter.
He deserves the same respect.”
Started shopping there exclusively after that. Watching that young man work. Always patient. Always kind. Always careful. Learned his name. We talk now. He remembers what I buy. Asks about my family. Makes every visit personal.
Saw him training a new employee last month. Teaching her how to bag. How to treat customers. Passing on what he learned. Kindness. Care. Excellence. “Everyone deserves respect. Customers and workers. That’s what my manager taught me.”.
Sometimes the best managers don’t just run stores. They build dignity.

[Ileana Garcia @IleanaGarciaUSA]

📍

[FLHSMV @FLHSMV]

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is warning motorists of an ongoing fraudulent scheme involving counterfeit court notices that falsely claim to originate from Florida county courts and related judicial offices.

[NYSDA @NYSDefenders]

NYSDA joins our public defense colleagues from around the country in celebrating Gideon Day and the right to counsel! Thank you to all of the advocates who work hard to make the right to counsel a reality in our courthouses. @NLADA @NACDL @NYSACDL NAPD https://t.co/D6vNprNKLe

[Perseus @PerseusLeGrand]

Si vous aimez mon travail, partagez-le !

Un like, un commentaire, un partage aide énormément à inonder les réseaux sociaux de belles choses.

C'est aussi un joli cadeau pour vous puisque plus vous interagissez avec du Beau, plus l'algorithme vous en montrera !

[Carlos J. Martinez 🇺🇸 @miamidefender1]

@AmandiOnAir I’ve been using Empower app for two weeks. Much better than Uber.

[Florida Politics @Fla_Pol]

.@KathyFndzRundle, Carlos J. Martinez (@MiamiDefender1): By focusing on children, from birth to adulthood, The @ChildrensTrust has made Miami-Dade safer

#FlaPol

https://t.co/dimdm8fe0Z

[RedPilledNurse @RedPilledNurse]

Britney Spears did something no one saw coming, with just 72 hours left.

The dog kennel was about to shut down.
Bills unpaid.
Final notice issued.
Forty-seven dogs faced removal.

Then Britney Spears walked in quietly.

No cameras.
No entourage.
No announcement.

She went straight to the last kennel and knelt beside Rusty, a 14-year-old golden retriever, weak after a stroke. Britney stayed there in silence, gently petting him.

“How many dogs?” she asked.
“Forty-seven.”

Britney nodded.
“All forty-seven deserve a forever home.”

She didn’t donate.
She bought the entire property.

The next morning, trucks arrived: new beds, medical care, food, toys.

Above every kennel, a sign appeared:

“Forever Home — Courtesy of Britney Spears.”

Then came the moment that broke everyone. Britney adopted Rusty herself. “He waited long enough,” she said softly. “Now I’ll wait for him.”

Forty-seven lives saved.
No spotlight.
Just heart.

[THIERRY D "ardéchois et français" @ThierryTout]

🇪🇸⛪️✝️
Si vous devez allez à Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, lieu d'inhumation de l'Apôtre saint Jacques et point d'arrivée du long chemin des pèlerins, profitez-en également pour admirer le maître-autel de la cathédrale.
Il est vraiment magnifique ! 🤩

[The Husky @Mr_Husky1]

The shelter volunteer told me something I’ll never forget: “He’s not trying to play — he’s trying to make a deal.” He believed that if he gave away the only thing he owned, someone might take him home.

That day, I went to the shelter with a clear plan. I wanted a puppy. I wanted something simple — a fresh start, no past, no emotional baggage. I walked past the older dogs, ignoring the barking and the paws reaching through the cages.

Then I saw him.

He was in Kennel 58 — a big, heavy-headed dog with a rough appearance. The kind of dog most people pass without a second look.

When I stopped in front of his kennel, he didn’t bark or jump. Instead, he ran to the back, picked something up, and hurried back toward me.

It was a stuffed teddy bear — dirty, torn, and barely holding together. He gently pushed it against the fence, his tail wagging, his eyes full of quiet hope.

I asked the volunteer if he wanted to play.

She slowly shook her head. “No,” she said softly. “He’s offering what he has.”

She explained that his previous family had given him up, and that worn-out teddy bear was the only thing he arrived with. Since then, whenever someone stopped by, he offered it — believing that giving away his favorite possession might earn him love and a new home.

As we spoke, a family approached his kennel. The dog immediately perked up, pressing the bear harder against the bars, letting out a soft whine as if begging to be chosen. But the family quickly walked away, saying he looked too intimidating.

I watched the light fade from his eyes. He quietly dropped the bear onto the cold floor, rested his head on it, and lay down in silence.

He had offered everything he had — and it still wasn’t enough.

In that moment, something changed inside me. I didn’t want perfection or a clean slate. I wanted a heart that knew what it meant to be overlooked and finally chosen.

I knelt down and spoke gently to him. “I’ll take your offer,” I said.

I told the volunteer I didn’t need to see the puppies. I wanted him — and his teddy bear too.

When the kennel door opened, he didn’t rush out. He carefully picked up his bear, looked at me, and waited. I clipped on his leash and told him it was time to go home.

That was two years ago.

Today, Walter — once known as Kennel 58 — is an eighty-pound bundle of love who sleeps on my bed and has more new toys than he could ever need.

But every night, he still curls up with that same old, worn teddy bear. The difference is, he no longer offers it to earn love — he keeps it close, knowing he never has to trade it again.

He gave me a broken teddy bear.
I gained the most loyal friend I’ve ever had.

Credit - born legend

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Sweden is committing more than €100 million to a sweeping classroom overhaul: replacing tablets and screens with traditional printed textbooks to help reverse falling student performance and sharpen focus.

After more than a decade of embracing digital-first education, Swedish authorities are now pivoting back to paper-based learning. Official data and recent studies cited by the Ministry of Education show that prolonged screen use in class has been linked to shorter attention spans, weaker reading comprehension, and reduced critical-thinking abilities.

Research consistently finds that reading on illuminated screens requires greater mental effort and invites more distractions compared to the calm, linear experience of physical books—factors believed to have contributed to declining academic outcomes in recent years.

Under the new plan, every student will receive printed textbooks for all core subjects, restoring books as the central learning tool. Digital devices and online resources will remain available as supportive tools, but they will no longer dominate daily instruction.

This bold €100+ million investment signals Sweden’s leadership in rethinking the role of technology in education. It underscores a broader, growing recognition worldwide: while screens provide speed and access, the hands-on, distraction-free engagement of physical books supports deeper concentration, stronger memory retention, and more effective long-term learning.

By choosing paper over pixels, Sweden is charting a path toward a more balanced, evidence-informed classroom future—one that puts proven pedagogical principles ahead of unchecked digital trends.

[Alejandra Oraa @alejandraoraa]

Por primera vez en la historia de los Grammy, un álbum completamente en español ganó el premio más importante de la noche. Pero Bad Bunny no ganó el Grammy por moda. Ganó porque hizo memoria colectiva.

Te explico más en el video

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

Shaboozey broke down in tears:

“Immigrants built this country. This is for them. For all children of immigrants. For anyone who came here searching for a better life.”

If that doesn’t move you, check your pulse.

[Brian Baez @MentallyDivine]

Everybody talked about Bad Bunny's Spanish victory speech and the award, but NOBODY talked about THIS MOMENT...

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

Remember when Google dropped this Black History Month commercial in 2020?

That’s what honoring Black history looks like, telling the truth loudly, not sanitizing it when it makes people uncomfortable.

Happy Black History Month.

[Carlos J. Martinez 🇺🇸 @miamidefender1]

@JShugs76 @wakenminds Almudena?