WEATHER ALERT
Masses flee homes in Haiti as gangs ratchet up violence amid political turmoil
Read full article: Masses flee homes in Haiti as gangs ratchet up violence amid political turmoilMasses of residents are fleeing a running battle between gang members and police in one of the few neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital that hadn’t already been fully taken over by the gangs.
Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
Read full article: Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islandsOfficials are blaming illegal firearms for an increase or a record number of killings in a growing number of Caribbean islands this year.
Haiti replaces its prime minister, marking more turmoil in its democratic transition process
Read full article: Haiti replaces its prime minister, marking more turmoil in its democratic transition processA transitionary council created to reestablish democratic order in Haiti has signed a decree firing interim Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Haiti sees a rise in killings and police executions with children targeted, UN says
Read full article: Haiti sees a rise in killings and police executions with children targeted, UN saysU.N. officials say more than 1,740 people were killed or injured in Haiti from July to September, a nearly 30% increase over the previous trimester.
Police in Haiti battle a gang coalition trying to seize control of the entire capital
Read full article: Police in Haiti battle a gang coalition trying to seize control of the entire capitalPolice in Haiti are clashing with gunmen trying to take over one of the few communities in the capital, Port-au-Prince, that is not controlled by gangs.
Survivors of massacre in small Haitian town where 70 died point finger at government
Read full article: Survivors of massacre in small Haitian town where 70 died point finger at governmentAngry whispers have broken the heavy silence that fell over Pont-Sondé just days after a vicious gang attack left more than 70 dead.
Thousands survived a brutal gang attack in Haiti that killed 70. Now they face an uncertain future
Read full article: Thousands survived a brutal gang attack in Haiti that killed 70. Now they face an uncertain futureThousands of Haitians are facing an uncertain future after surviving a brutal gang attack last week in a small town that killed at least 70 people.
Gang violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 580,000 people, a new UN report says
Read full article: Gang violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 580,000 people, a new UN report saysA new report from the U.N. migration agency says that surging violence in Haiti from clashes with armed gangs has displaced nearly 580,000 people since March.
Haiti's new prime minister hospitalized days after being selected to lead country
Read full article: Haiti's new prime minister hospitalized days after being selected to lead countryHaiti's government says the country's newly selected prime minister has been hospitalized in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Biden praises Kenyan President Ruto for ‘his bold leadership’ as White House marks state visit
Read full article: Biden praises Kenyan President Ruto for ‘his bold leadership’ as White House marks state visitPresident Joe Biden has offered his deep appreciation to Kenyan President William Ruto for the coming deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police forces to help quell gang violence in Haiti.
Haiti’s main airport reopens nearly 3 months after gang violence forced it closed
Read full article: Haiti’s main airport reopens nearly 3 months after gang violence forced it closedHaiti’s main international airport has reopened nearly three months after gang violence forced authorities to close it.
Haiti police recover hijacked cargo ship in rare victory after 5-hour shootout with gangs
Read full article: Haiti police recover hijacked cargo ship in rare victory after 5-hour shootout with gangsHaiti’s National Police says it has recovered a hijacked cargo ship laden with rice following a gunbattle with gangs that lasted more than five hours.
Haitian community in Jacksonville demands urgent action on ongoing gang violence crisis
Read full article: Haitian community in Jacksonville demands urgent action on ongoing gang violence crisisHaitians in Jacksonville urged leaders to do more to help their community Thursday after the United Nations released new information saying gang violence in Haiti has killed over 1,500 people so far this year.
Florida emergency flight brings home 21 more Americans escaping crisis in Haiti
Read full article: Florida emergency flight brings home 21 more Americans escaping crisis in HaitiA second flight with Americans fleeing the ongoing political crisis and violence in Haiti landed in Central Florida Saturday night, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Haitian community in Jacksonville wishes more was being done to help with crisis in the Caribbean
Read full article: Haitian community in Jacksonville wishes more was being done to help with crisis in the CaribbeanMembers of the Jacksonville Haitian community are reacting to the crisis unfolding in the Caribbean and to what Governor Ron DeSantis said he’s doing to keep the state’s borders safe.
Looting is on the rise in Haiti. Among the victims: UNICEF and Guatemala's consul
Read full article: Looting is on the rise in Haiti. Among the victims: UNICEF and Guatemala's consulA number of government and aid agencies in Haiti have reported their facilities and aid supplies have been looted as Haiti spirals into another wave of gang violence.
Program that allows 30,000 migrants from 4 countries into the US each month upheld by judge
Read full article: Program that allows 30,000 migrants from 4 countries into the US each month upheld by judgeThe Biden administration can keep operating a program that allows a limited number of migrants from four countries to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds after a federal judge dismissed a challenge from Republican-led states.
Six nuns and two other people kidnapped in Haiti have been released, archbishop says
Read full article: Six nuns and two other people kidnapped in Haiti have been released, archbishop saysThe archbishop of Port-au-Prince says six nuns kidnapped in Haiti last week along with two other people have been released.
Gangs in Haiti have attacked a community for 4 days and residents fear the violence could spread
Read full article: Gangs in Haiti have attacked a community for 4 days and residents fear the violence could spreadGang members have raided a key community in Haiti’s capital that is home to numerous police officers and has been under siege for four days in an ongoing attack.
Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him
Read full article: Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated himAn attorney for former Haitian rebel leader Guy Philippe says he is being held by Haitian authorities at a police station a day after the U.S. repatriated him to Haiti.
Heavily armed Haitian gang surrounds hospital in capital and traps people inside
Read full article: Heavily armed Haitian gang surrounds hospital in capital and traps people insideA heavily armed gang surrounded a hospital in Haiti, trapping women, children and newborns inside until police rescued them.
Nicaragua is 'weaponizing' US-bound migrants as Haitians pour in on charter flights, observers say
Read full article: Nicaragua is 'weaponizing' US-bound migrants as Haitians pour in on charter flights, observers sayFlight data shows that more than 260 charter flights believed to be carrying migrants from Haiti have touched down in Nicaragua in recent months.
Kenyan opposition lawmakers say the Haiti peacekeeping mission must be approved by parliament
Read full article: Kenyan opposition lawmakers say the Haiti peacekeeping mission must be approved by parliamentKenyan lawmakers say that parliamentary approval is required before the deployment of police to the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti to combat gang violence that was approved by the U.N. Security Council this week.
Haiti police probe killings of parishioners who were led by a pastor into gang territory
Read full article: Haiti police probe killings of parishioners who were led by a pastor into gang territoryThe director of Haiti’s National Police is vowing to hold accountable those who encouraged hundreds of parishioners to take up machetes and sticks over the weekend to rid a community of gang members, only to be fatally shot by them.
Judge asks if poverty qualifies for Biden policy letting migrants from 4 countries into US
Read full article: Judge asks if poverty qualifies for Biden policy letting migrants from 4 countries into USA federal judge is questioning whether living in poverty would be enough to qualify someone for a key immigration policy from President Joe Biden.
Biden policy allowing migrants from 4 countries into the US is praised, criticized at Texas trial
Read full article: Biden policy allowing migrants from 4 countries into the US is praised, criticized at Texas trialA key portion of President Joe Biden’s immigration policy that grants parole to thousands of people from Central America and the Caribbean is being debated in a Texas federal courtroom.
UN chief urges deployment of police special forces and military support to combat gangs in Haiti
Read full article: UN chief urges deployment of police special forces and military support to combat gangs in HaitiThe United Nations chief is urging the international community to deploy a multinational force comprising “police special forces and military support units” to Haiti to combat gangs with sophisticated weapons and restore security to the impoverished Caribbean nation.
Germany, Brazil & Canada are out. Here's why this is the most open Women's World Cup ever
Read full article: Germany, Brazil & Canada are out. Here's why this is the most open Women's World Cup everChange is happening fast in women’s soccer and a leveling of the playing field is being showcased across the globe in the biggest Women's World Cup to date.
US needs win or draw to avoid risk of elimination in group play for first time in Women's World Cup
Read full article: US needs win or draw to avoid risk of elimination in group play for first time in Women's World CupThe United States arrived at the Women’s World Cup as the favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive title.
England hopes to be sharper in its next Women's World Cup match after underwhelming opener
Read full article: England hopes to be sharper in its next Women's World Cup match after underwhelming openerKatie Robinson knows England left many unimpressed with its underwhelming 1-0 victory against overmatched Haiti in its opening match at the Women’s World Cup.
Lack of funding forces UN to slash food program in Haiti amid a surge in malnutrition
Read full article: Lack of funding forces UN to slash food program in Haiti amid a surge in malnutritionThe U.N.’s World Food Program says it is facing a shortage of funds and won’t be able to help 100,000 people in Haiti this month who urgently need assistance.
Illegal border crossings plunge among Cubans, Nicaraguans
Read full article: Illegal border crossings plunge among Cubans, NicaraguansThe Biden administration says U.S. authorities have seen a 97% decline in illegal border crossings by migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela since Mexico began accepting those expelled under a public health order.
Haiti police to probe death of reporter during gathering
Read full article: Haiti police to probe death of reporter during gatheringHaiti’s National Police says it's been ordered to launch an investigation into the death of a journalist who witnesses say was struck in the head by a police tear gas canister.
WHO advises using 1 dose of cholera vaccine due to shortage
Read full article: WHO advises using 1 dose of cholera vaccine due to shortageThe World Health Organization and its partners are recommending that countries temporarily switch to using a single dose of the cholera vaccine instead of two due to a global supply shortage.
Calls for help, humanitarian corridor as gangs siege Haiti
Read full article: Calls for help, humanitarian corridor as gangs siege HaitiThe United Nations is proposing a “humanitarian corridor” in Haiti’s capital to help people get gasoline and aid amid a mounting crisis as gangs keep blockading roads and access to some areas, including to one key fuel terminal in Port-au-Prince.
Haitians launch protests, demand ouster of prime minister
Read full article: Haitians launch protests, demand ouster of prime ministerThousands of protesters have marched through Haiti’s capital and other major cities, blocking roads and shutting down businesses to demand that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down and call for a better quality of life.
Fatal boat trip highlights Haitians fleeing violence
Read full article: Fatal boat trip highlights Haitians fleeing violenceHaitians are fleeing in greater numbers to the neighboring Dominican Republic, where they step onto rickety wooden boats as they attempt to reach Puerto Rico — a trip in which 11 Haitian women drowned this week, with dozens of other migrants believed missing.
Haitians struggle to find food, shelter amid new gang battle
Read full article: Haitians struggle to find food, shelter amid new gang battleHeavy gunfire is echoing in a once quiet neighborhood in Haiti’s capital that has become ground zero in a gang fight that has killed at least 20 people, injured more than a dozen and forced thousands to flee their homes this week.
Jacksonville pastor will continue work in Haiti after gang kidnaps 17 missionaries
Read full article: Jacksonville pastor will continue work in Haiti after gang kidnaps 17 missionariesAs American officials work to rescue 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti, a Jacksonville pastor says his work in the troubled country will continue.
EXPLAINER: Biden uses Trump-era tool against Haiti migrants
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Biden uses Trump-era tool against Haiti migrantsThe Biden administration is relying on a contested Trump-era policy as it disperses thousands of Haitian migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in and around the small South Texas city of Del Rio.
Thousands of Haitian migrants flood U.S. southern border
Read full article: Thousands of Haitian migrants flood U.S. southern borderConfusion and chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border as thousands of Haitian migrants seek a better life. The issue has become an urgent matter for the mayor of Del Rio, Texas.
NAS Jacksonville crew part of relief effort in quake-stricken Haiti
Read full article: NAS Jacksonville crew part of relief effort in quake-stricken HaitiAs Haiti reels from a deadly earthquake over the weekend, the U.S. government and military have stepped up to assist with relief efforts in the wake of the devastation.
US Customs and Border Protection planes ‘eyes and ears’ in the sky for Haiti relief efforts
Read full article: US Customs and Border Protection planes ‘eyes and ears’ in the sky for Haiti relief effortsU.S. Customs and Border Protection planes are typically used to fight drug trafficking in South America, but this week they have been over Haiti.
In Haiti, close relation between the living and the dead
Read full article: In Haiti, close relation between the living and the deadHaiti’s unusually close relationship between the living and the dead has helped hide, in part, the huge toll of Saturday’s earthquake: people in Haiti want to be close to their deceased relatives, to the point of sometimes burying themselves in their front yards.
Oxygen plant among earthquake-damaged buildings in Haiti
Read full article: Oxygen plant among earthquake-damaged buildings in HaitiAs if Haiti’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake, a tropical storm and the coronavirus pandemic weren’t enough, the temblor has also damaged the only medical oxygen plant in southern Haiti.
Challenges & extensive damage remain in deadly Haiti earthquake
Read full article: Challenges & extensive damage remain in deadly Haiti earthquakeHaiti’s entrenched poverty, insecurity and lack of basic infrastructure are posing huge challenges to helping the victims of a powerful weekend earthquake.
Gangs abduct 2 doctors in Haiti, including a needed surgeon
Read full article: Gangs abduct 2 doctors in Haiti, including a needed surgeonOfficials say two doctors at hospitals treating earthquake victims in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince have been kidnapped, forcing one of the institutions to declare a two-day shutdown in protest.
Tropical Storm Fred strengthens slightly as it heads toward western Florida Panhandle
Read full article: Tropical Storm Fred strengthens slightly as it heads toward western Florida PanhandleThe National Hurricane Center said Fred has regained tropical storm status in the Gulf of Mexico as parts of the Caribbean are gearing up for impacts from Tropical Storm Grace.
Locals with ties to Haiti says latest earthquake brings back bad memories of 2010
Read full article: Locals with ties to Haiti says latest earthquake brings back bad memories of 2010Following Saturday’s earthquake in Haiti that led to the death of more than 300 people and a state of emergency declared by the Prime Minister, locals with ties to the country said it’s a sad day for their country.
Fred weaker, but likely to drench Florida as tropical storm
Read full article: Fred weaker, but likely to drench Florida as tropical stormTropical depression Fred is heading for a drenching of Cuba and the Bahamas on a forecast track that would carry it toward South Florida as a tropical storm by Saturday.
Biden: US will protect Haiti embassy, won't send troops
Read full article: Biden: US will protect Haiti embassy, won't send troopsPresident Joe Biden says the U_S_ will bolster security at its embassy in Haiti following last week’s assassination of that country’s president, but sending American troops to stabilize the country is “not on the agenda.”.
Vines lifts US over Haiti 1-0 in CONCACAF Gold Cup opener
Read full article: Vines lifts US over Haiti 1-0 in CONCACAF Gold Cup openerSam Vines scored his first international goal on a header in the eighth minute, and a U.S. team mostly of backup players opened the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-0 victory over Haiti.
Elsa remains a tropical storm as storm nears Jamaica, Cuba
Read full article: Elsa remains a tropical storm as storm nears Jamaica, CubaAt 8 a.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Elsa was located about 145 miles southeast of Cabo Cruz, Cuba, and moving west-northwest at 13 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.
Cuba evacuates 180,000 as Tropical Storm Elsa nears island
Read full article: Cuba evacuates 180,000 as Tropical Storm Elsa nears islandCuba has evacuated 180,000 people amid fears that Tropical Storm Elsa could cause heavy flooding as it passes over the island Monday, after battering several Caribbean islands, killing at least three people.
UNICEF says malnutrition spikes for Haiti kids amid pandemic
Read full article: UNICEF says malnutrition spikes for Haiti kids amid pandemicA UNICEF report says severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year in Haiti as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, a spike in violence and dwindling resources.
Officials: 400 escape, 25 dead after Haiti prison breakout
Read full article: Officials: 400 escape, 25 dead after Haiti prison breakoutFILE - In this Jan. 25, 2021 file photo, Arnel Joseph is returned to the National Penitentiary after being brought before a judge in handcuffs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File)PORT-AU-PRINCE – PORT-AU-Haitian authorities announced Friday that more than 400 inmates escaped and 25 people died in a prison breakout, making it the country's largest and deadliest one in a decade, with the prison director and a powerful gang leader among those killed. The prison is known for a 2014 breakout in which more than 300 of the 899 inmates being held there at the time escaped. At the time of Thursday's breakout, the prison held 1,542 inmates, nearly twice its capacity. Haiti's largest prison breakout in recent history occurred after the devastating 2010 earthquake in which more than 4,200 inmates fled the notorious National Penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince.
8 dead, including prison director, after Haiti jail break
Read full article: 8 dead, including prison director, after Haiti jail breakRecaptured inmates are led by police outside the Croix-des-Bouquets Civil Prison after an attempted breakout, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. At least seven people were killed on Thursday after several inmates tried to escape from the prison, eyewitnesses told The Associated Press. CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS – CROIX-DES-A prison director was among at least eight people killed on Thursday after several inmates tried to escape from a prison in Haiti’s capital, a police officer and witnesses said. AdAt the time of the 2014 breakout, the prison held 899 inmates, some 130 over its capacity. It wasn’t immediately clear if they were inmates.
Haiti braces for unrest as opposition demands new president
Read full article: Haiti braces for unrest as opposition demands new presidentOpposition leaders are demanding Moïse’s resignation and legislative elections to restart a Parliament dissolved a year ago. They claim that Moïse’s five-year term is legally ending — that it began when former President Michel Martelly's term expired in February 2016. He also said the constitutional referendum won't give Moïse more power but said changes are needed to the 1987 document. François said he won't take part in the “circus act” of voting in the referendum or elections. “This is a country of corruption.”Moïse has faced numerous calls for resignation since taking office, with protests roiling Haiti since late 2017.
Brunswick native Adam Wainwright wins MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award
Read full article: Brunswick native Adam Wainwright wins MLB’s Roberto Clemente AwardNEW YORK – Longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has won the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually by Major League Baseball for community involvement and philanthropy. The effort provided more than 4 million meals to prevent childhood hunger during the coronavirus pandemic and nearly 8 million meals in all. Let’s go there even more now.’”A 39-year-old right-hander, Wainwright is a free agent after spending all 15 of his big league seasons with the Cardinals. The award usually is announced during the World Series but was delayed this year until Monday because of the pandemic. Wainwright thought back to gathering donors at the ballpark back in 2013 when the foundation was just starting.
A decade after deadly cholera epidemic, Haiti awaits help
Read full article: A decade after deadly cholera epidemic, Haiti awaits helpCholera was introduced to Haiti’s largest river in October 2010 by sewage from a nearby base of U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal. Six years later, the U.N. acknowledged it played a role in the epidemic and had not done enough to help fight cholera in Haiti, but the organization has not specifically said it introduced the disease. One of the biggest concerns a decade after the epidemic began is the ongoing lack of funds to help those affected. In a recent letter to leaders around the world, the secretary-general asked for more contributions for cholera victims. Among them was 72-year-old Simon Louis, who also survived cholera and is a member of a local group pursuing reparations.
Fierce storm surge feared as Laura bears down on Gulf Coast
Read full article: Fierce storm surge feared as Laura bears down on Gulf CoastA girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast, where up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sea water storm surge could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, the hurricane center said. Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. We might have dodged a bullet with Marco, and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us.___Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia.
Storm Marco closes in on Louisiana as Laura buffets Cuba
Read full article: Storm Marco closes in on Louisiana as Laura buffets CubaA girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
Tropical Storm Isaias forms south of Puerto Rico
Read full article: Tropical Storm Isaias forms south of Puerto RicoJACKSONVILLE, Fla. The system weve been watching in the tropics for days has finally reached Tropical Storm strength and was declared Isaias by the NHC on Thursday evening. At 11 p.m., the disturbance was located about 155 miles south on Ponce Puerto Rico with 50 mph winds and a minimum pressure of 1005 MB. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within within 36 hours. Land interaction with Puerto Rico and Hispaniola could also disrupt the organization. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry on Tuesday said the city is prepared to cope with both tropical conditions and the pandemic.
More harm than good: Compassion is noble, but what does Haiti really need, 10 years after quake?
Read full article: More harm than good: Compassion is noble, but what does Haiti really need, 10 years after quake?“Deep down, I know there was an element of trying to get a pat on the back,” Albert said. “That’s when they completely blew me away with their response.”What the community leaders essentially told Albert and Zelaya was this: Thanks for your efforts and compassion, but you actually did more harm than good. The experience was such an eye-opener that it led Albert and Zelaya to a greater purpose and mission. “That goes back to the negative aid that is undermining the natural development of the Haitian people,” Albert said. The two discovered that nearly 80% of Haitian teachers haven’t been properly trained, and 60% of kids dropped out of classes during elementary school.
4 events worth checking out in Jacksonville this week
Read full article: 4 events worth checking out in Jacksonville this weekThere's a little something for everyone coming up on the events calendar this week. From a silent party to yoga, here's a roundup of options to help you get out and about in the days ahead. 80s for Haiti's ChildrenFrom the event description:The beautiful work being done by HaitiChildren (HC) is worth celebrating and supporting! HC is funding, motivating and loving thousands of our brothers and sisters in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When: Saturday, July 27, 7 p.m.Where: Murray Hill Theatre, 932 Edgewood Ave. SouthAdmission: $20 (General Admission); $50 (VIP).