Tag Archives: Miami

Via press release from the Justice Department: A Florida couple was sentenced to prison today for their participation in a scheme to file four fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $1.1 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Latoya Stanley, 38, and …

The Miami Herald reports: A Miami boat captain and his sister were driving on a street near Coconut Grove on Thursday afternoon when they saw a group of men using markers to scrawl on a van with swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs. Shocked, they turned around to video-record them — and at least six men began raising their arms in the …

ABC News reports: A Miami anesthesiologist is accused of attacking a Hispanic man at a grocery store, vandalizing his car and calling him a racial slur, authorities said. Jennifer Susan Wright, 58, of Miami Springs, was charged with criminal mischief, tampering with a victim and battery with prejudice, according to Miami-Dade County court records. The latter charge was classified a …

Law & Crime reports: A uniformed Miami police officer was photographed Tuesday morning at a Florida polling location wearing a “Trump 2020: No More Bullshit” face mask, a move the department said is an “unacceptable” violation of MPD policy. The photo of Officer Daniel Ubeda wearing the pro-Trump mask at the Government Center in Downtown Miami immediately went viral, causing …

Politico reports: The Republican mayor of Miami said Donald Trump shouldn’t come to his city for the Oct. 15 debate with Joe Biden if the president is still testing positive with Covid-19. “I don’t think it’s safe, not for him and anybody else, anywhere or anyone he interacts with,” Mayor Francis Suarez told POLITICO. “Remember, this thing is highly contagious,” …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: An emerging hospital capacity crunch is prompting cities in Miami-Dade County to release new counter-measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Miami on Wednesday boosted the penalties for people caught not wearing facial coverings in public. The first offense is a $50 fine, second offense is $100, third is $500 and any additional offenses comes …

Politico reports: Miami’s Republican Mayor Francis Suarez refused to commit on Wednesday to voting for President Donald Trump in November. “I want to see what both candidates have to offer for the urban communities before making up my mind on who I’m going to support,” Suarez said in an interview with POLITICO Nightly author Renuka Rayasam. The non-committal answer from …

The New York Times reports: Poolside at President Trump’s resort near Miami, dozens of guests sunned on lounge chairs and chatted in cabanas. Golfers fanned out across multiple courses, and the hotel lobby hummed with activity for the first time in months. But the reopening of Trump National Doral, the most important source of revenue for the president’s strained family …

Complex reports: It’s been two months since the cruise industry closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than 100,000 workers are still trapped on ships, with many going unpaid. According to the Miami Herald, crew members don’t know when they’ll be able to go home. While cruises allowed most passengers to disembark the ships, employees have been left …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Mayor Carlos Gimenez released Miami-Dade County’s new guidelines on Wednesday afternoon aiming to reopen some nonessential businesses on Monday. The 184-page document is a proposal that Gimenez sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis in an effort to allow some people to get back to work. DeSantis still has to approve Gimenez’s plan. DeSantis’ first reopening order …

Miami’s NBC News affiliate reports: A man who was stopped at a Miami Beach Publix for not wearing a mask was caught on body camera footage going on a profanity-laced rant. On Sunday night, just before the Publix closed, an unidentified man was denied entrance to the store. And it set him off. “You are in violation of my f—— …

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: On Wednesday, Miami-Dade and Broward counties began the first phase of what could be a long process of re-opening South Florida. Most parks, waterways, boat ramps, and other public areas have reopened to residents who spent weeks staying at home and social distancing. The re-opening, however, comes with a lot of restrictions. Everyone must wear …

The Miami Herald reports: About 6 percent of Miami-Dade’s population — about 165,000 residents — have antibodies indicating a past infection by the novel coronavirus, dwarfing the state health department’s tally of about 10,600 cases, according to preliminary study results announced by University of Miami researchers Friday. The study, spurred by Miami-Dade County officials, will be an ongoing weekly survey …

The Miami Herald reports: The homeowners’ association for Fisher Island, an exclusive enclave near Miami that recently bought enough COVID-19 antibody tests for all of its residents and workers, has been approved for a $2 million loan through a federal program intended to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, according to an email the association sent Wednesday, the …

The Miami Herald reports: Miami-Dade’s emergency arm was close to taking possession of 1 million N95 masks last week, but the shipment was “taken” by the federal government, WLRN reported. Frank Rollason, Miami-Dade’s director of Emergency Management, described the shipment as “hijacked” by federal authorities during a desperate dash to secure medical-grade masks needed to protect first responders and front-line …

The Miami Herald reports: Fisher Island — an exclusive enclave of multimillion-dollar condos and homes and one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country — has purchased thousands of rapid COVID-19 blood test kits from the University of Miami Health System for all of its residents and workers. The private island, set along Government Cut and nestled between Miami …

The Miami Herald reports: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez confirmed to NBC 6 Friday that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus. Suarez, 42, had announced Thursday that he would be in self-quarantine after it was learned he may have been in contact with the communications director for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who tested positive for the new coronavirus after …

Miami’s PBS affiliate reports: Miami elected officials and administrators are announcing that this year’s the annual Calle Ocho Festival, part of Carnaval Miami and sponsored by Kiwanis of Little Havana, will be canceled over the potential spread of coronavirus. Calle Ocho Festival, which was scheduled for March 15, attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year to heart of Little …

The Miami Herald reports: The 2020 Ultra Music Festival will be postponed — possibly for a full year, which would effectively cancel this year’s edition of Miami’s marquee electronic dance music event, the Miami Herald has learned. The decision to postpone, which sent shock waves through the electronic dance music community on social media, was made in a meeting Wednesday …

Entertainment Tonight reports: Rest in peace, Walter Mercardo. The legendary astrologer and actor has died, Telemundo Puerto Rico reports. He was 87. A family spokesperson, Omar Matos, reportedly confirmed that Mercado died on Saturday at the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in San Juan. Mercado’s cause of death was reportedly renal failure. Mercado, born on March 9, 1932, was known as an …