WEATHER ALERT
Miami Beach sets spring break curfew after 2 fatal shootings
Read full article: Miami Beach sets spring break curfew after 2 fatal shootingsMiami Beach officials imposed a curfew beginning Sunday night during spring break after two fatal shootings and rowdy, chaotic crowds that police have had difficulty controlling.
Miami Beach, after shootings, extends spring break curfew
Read full article: Miami Beach, after shootings, extends spring break curfewMiami Beach city commissioners have voted to extend a curfew, a day after it was announced by the city manager in response to violent incidents surrounding spring break.
1 dead, 6 hurt when car drives onto Miami Beach outdoor cafe
Read full article: 1 dead, 6 hurt when car drives onto Miami Beach outdoor cafeAuthorities say one person has died and another six people, including a child, were taken to the hospital after an older woman drove her Bentley into the outdoor seating area at a Miami Beach restaurant.
Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapse
Read full article: Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapseA judge says victims and families who suffered losses in the collapse of a 12-story oceanfront Florida condominium will get a minimum of $150 million in compensation initially.
Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapse
Read full article: Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapseA judge says victims and families who suffered losses in the collapse of a 12-story oceanfront Florida condominium will get a minimum of $150 million in compensation initially.
Judge: All options on table for site of collapsed building
Read full article: Judge: All options on table for site of collapsed buildingA South Florida judge says all options remain on the table as a decision is made over what to do with the property where a 12-story condominium tower collapsed last month.
Doctors, mayors issue heartfelt plea: Wear your mask
Read full article: Doctors, mayors issue heartfelt plea: Wear your maskJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A group of Florida doctors united with mayors on Tuesday to deliver what they called a heartfelt plea for residents to remain vigilant in combating the coronavirus. Dr. Mohammed Reza, an infectious diseases specialist in Jacksonville, said he sees patients who are suffering from COVID-19 right now. More than 1,200 doctors throughout the country and state, most of them located in Northeast Florida, signed the letter to DeSantis. “I think we both think it’s really important to wear a mask. Clifton is pregnant, and she and her husband, Thomas, hope more people wear masks.
Florida nearly set precarious precedent for electors in 2000, former state leaders say
Read full article: Florida nearly set precarious precedent for electors in 2000, former state leaders sayThe same thing nearly happened in Florida during the 2000 recount. A resolution was proposed to appoint electors for president and vice president who would be ordered to vote for a specific candidate. John McKay was the Senate president at the time. What nearly happened in Florida 20 years ago likely would have set a precedent for today’s legislatures in contested states. And the window for any state legislatures to vote is narrowing.
Florida mayors plead with governor to take action on virus
Read full article: Florida mayors plead with governor to take action on virusST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Five Florida mayors on Wednesday said they were extremely concerned about the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, and begged Gov. Following a monthslong decline from its huge summer spike in the outbreak, Florida has seen a mid-autumn climb in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Still, the governor has resisted a return to statewide restrictions in place earlier in the year. “What Florida is doing right now isn’t working,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, during a sharply worded news conference on Zoom. Gelber was joined by the mayors of Hialeah, Miami Shores Village, Sunrise, and St. Petersburg.
Gov. DeSantis backs ‘anti-mob’ proposal in response to protests
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis backs ‘anti-mob’ proposal in response to protestsThe proposal titled “anti-mob legislation draft” would expand the list of “forcible felonies” under Florida’s self-defense law to include property crimes. “We don’t want to see our cities burning like across the nation without consequences, so Gov. Meanwhile, a rally to protest the proposal is planned for 1 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Duval County Courthouse. The first survey question by AP VoteCast found 42% of Florida voters surveyed have a gun in their household. Only 32% of Joe Biden voters have a gun in their house compared to 51% of President Donald Trump voters.
As 1st wave of Miami pupils return, some worry about safety
Read full article: As 1st wave of Miami pupils return, some worry about safetyMIAMI – As Florida's largest school district prepares for a first wave of students to return to physical classrooms on Monday, several teachers and parents say schools are struggling to be ready. Parents and teachers told the Miami Herald that the ventilation and air quality at some schools are concerning because of the way the schools are designed. A teacher told the newspaper that staff hadn't received face masks, wipes or hand sanitizer at one school in order to protect against the new coronavirus. A district spokeswoman said the school had given out cloth masks and the teacher was asking for a different type of mask. Gelber also told the governor in a letter that local governments should be able to enforce mask requirements.
In Miami Beach, live theater returns — in vacant storefronts
Read full article: In Miami Beach, live theater returns — in vacant storefrontsNEW YORK – This fall, the seven deadly sins will be found all along an iconic Miami Beach thoroughfare — but they'll be socially distanced, thankfully. “This pandemic has shown in stark light the fragility of our world,” said Miami New Drama Artistic Director Michel Hausmann. The Miami City Ballet recently took over a vacant storefront. The move by Miami New Drama is just the latest attempt by theatermakers to offer their art to the public despite the ongoing pandemic, which has stuttered traditional theater venues. The Public Theater in New York City has turned to audio plays, while the Vineyard Theatre plans digital and outdoor productions.
Miami Beach has issued $14,400 in fines to mask violators
Read full article: Miami Beach has issued $14,400 in fines to mask violatorsPolice and city officials in Miami Beach have issued $14,400 in fines to people who weren't wearing facial coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19. One man was issued a citation after he had taken his mask off to answer his phone, while another was walking alone and maskless on a quiet street, the Miami Herald reported. The city has issued 288 $50 fines since July 23, the newspaper reported. Body-camera footage from Miami Beach Code Compliance captured three stops from July 23, which offers a glimpse into how the city enforces its order, the newspaper reported. Each inspection began the same way, with a code officer taking a photo of the alleged violator, and then approaching to ask for ID to write the ticket.
Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governor
Read full article: Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governorFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, arrives for a roundtable discussion with Miami-Dade County mayors during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.
Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governor
Read full article: Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governorRon DeSantis, center, arrives for a roundtable discussion with Miami-Dade County mayors during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The coronavirus pandemic has become politically fraught for Florida Gov. The video ends with the governor declaring, "I'm a hundred percent confident we're going to get through this." Susan MacManus, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Florida, said the governor struck the right message of unity in turbulent times. Another Republican, state Rep. Rene Plasencia, called reopening campuses potentially catastrophic" in a letter earlier this week addressed to school board members.
The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks
Read full article: The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masksResidents wearing masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus line up for COVID-19 test outside the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Test sites have sprung up through the Chinese capital as test have become a daily normal after the latest outbreak of the coronavirus, (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks
Read full article: The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea -- South Koreas professional baseball league says it will require fans to wear masks, sit at least a seat apart and prohibit them from eating food in the stands as it prepares to bring back spectators in the coming weeks amid the coronavirus epidemic. The Korea Baseball Organization said Tuesday that teams will be initially allowed to sell only 30% of the seats for each game. South Korea has been actively tracing the contacts of virus carriers using credit card information, cellphone location data and surveillance camera footage. Virus cases worldwide hit 10 million and deaths have surpassed 500,000. Kansas health officials reported on Monday at least 14,443 confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of 905 since Friday.
Memorial Day tempts Americans outdoors, raising virus fears
Read full article: Memorial Day tempts Americans outdoors, raising virus fearsMany Memorial Day commemorations have been canceled or downsized, including concerts and fireworks shows. I know I am.In Virginia Beach, Virginia, the famed 40-block boardwalk and sandy shoreline reopened, but with spacing guidelines and groups limited to 10. For the hard-hit tourism and hospitality industry, there is modest hope Memorial Day will mark the start of something resembling recovery. Data and consulting firm Tourism Economics projects travelers will spend $4.2 billion on Memorial Day weekend, compared with $12.3 billion last year. Oklahoma resident Seth Rott this week boarded a plane for the first time since the pandemic to visit a friend in Washington for Memorial Day.