A Category 1 Hurricane Isaias gusts reach South Florida, makes landfall in Bahamas as it begins to reorganize. High winds will start lashing South Florida in the middle of the night, working their way up the coast as what’s expected to be Hurricane Isaias makes its long-awaited march up the coast. Northern Palm Beach County may see the worst of it, with forecasts calling for gusts of up to 90 mph. Wind speeds and rain are expected to climb through the night, with Broward County experiencing the worst of it around dawn Sunday and Palm Beach experiencing peak winds through the morning and...…A Category 1 Hurricane Isaias gusts reach South Florida, makes landfall in Bahamas as it begins to reorganize. High winds will start lashing South Florida in the middle of the night, working their way up the coast as what’s expected to be Hurricane Isaias makes its long-awaited march up the coast. Northern Palm Beach County may see the worst of it, with forecasts calling for gusts of up to 90 mph. Wind speeds and rain are expected to climb through the night, with Broward County experiencing the worst of it around dawn Sunday and Palm Beach experiencing peak winds through the morning and...WW…

At 10 p.m. one day in October, the raspy, high pitched voice of Cuban radio journalist Maria Laria welcomed a woman she identified as an elections official to her popular late night radio show. “Absentee voting ...” began Beatriz Perez, Laria’s guest. "What you’re doing is throwing your ballot into a tomb. What assurance do you have that your ballot is getting counted? There is so much, .” Advertisement Whether that speaker was an actual elections worker is open to question. A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade elections department said they have no record of a “Beatriz Perez” among their...…At 10 p.m. one day in October, the raspy, high pitched voice of Cuban radio journalist Maria Laria welcomed a woman she identified as an elections official to her popular late night radio show. “Absentee voting ...” began Beatriz Perez, Laria’s guest. "What you’re doing is throwing your ballot into a tomb. What assurance do you have that your ballot is getting counted? There is so much, .” Advertisement Whether that speaker was an actual elections worker is open to question. A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade elections department said they have no record of a “Beatriz Perez” among their...WW…

The longstanding goal of two Broward County commissioners to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings will give Gov. Ron DeSantis the opportunity to place two Republicans on the county commission. Currently, all nine commissioners in the overwhelmingly Democratic county are Democrats. Advertisement But commissioners Dale Holness and Barbara Sharief want to replace Hastings, who . Sharief formally announced her candidacy months ago. Holness hasn’t officially done so, but he’s been informally running for months as well. If Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard runs for Congress, the...…The longstanding goal of two Broward County commissioners to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings will give Gov. Ron DeSantis the opportunity to place two Republicans on the county commission. Currently, all nine commissioners in the overwhelmingly Democratic county are Democrats. Advertisement But commissioners Dale Holness and Barbara Sharief want to replace Hastings, who . Sharief formally announced her candidacy months ago. Holness hasn’t officially done so, but he’s been informally running for months as well. If Palm Beach County Commissioner Mack Bernard runs for Congress, the...WW…

Broward County Jail inmates diagnosed with COVID-19 are reporting alarming conditions, according to the county Public Defender’s Office. Among the allegations: Advertisement The issues were raised in a letter dated Friday night to Sheriff Greg Tony from Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes. “We are in receipt of very disturbing information regarding the treatment of persons in the Broward County Jail who have been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Finkelstein and Weekes said in the letter to Tony in which they listed the series of issues. Given that there is...…Broward County Jail inmates diagnosed with COVID-19 are reporting alarming conditions, according to the county Public Defender’s Office. Among the allegations: Advertisement The issues were raised in a letter dated Friday night to Sheriff Greg Tony from Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes. “We are in receipt of very disturbing information regarding the treatment of persons in the Broward County Jail who have been diagnosed with COVID-19,” Finkelstein and Weekes said in the letter to Tony in which they listed the series of issues. Given that there is...WW…

A surging number of patients requiring treatment for coronavirus is threatening to push . With a limited number of beds — especially intensive-care beds — the state’s hospital system is after years of cost cutting, under staffing and an emphasis on high-profit procedures. The state began tracking available beds with data self-reported by hospitals. Check the map below to see how each county is handling the growing demand. The data updates every hour. Last updated Hover or tap on a county for more info. Advertisement Advertisement…A surging number of patients requiring treatment for coronavirus is threatening to push . With a limited number of beds — especially intensive-care beds — the state’s hospital system is after years of cost cutting, under staffing and an emphasis on high-profit procedures. The state began tracking available beds with data self-reported by hospitals. Check the map below to see how each county is handling the growing demand. The data updates every hour. Last updated Hover or tap on a county for more info. Advertisement AdvertisementWW…

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony’s general counsel is emphatically denying allegations from the county public defender that jail inmates are being mistreated and concerns about the coronavirus are being ignored. In a blistering letter, Broward Sheriff’s Office general counsel Terrence Lynch told Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, that their claims amounted to no more than “unsubstantiated, misleading, or outright false allegations which you apparently made no effort to investigate.” Advertisement Lynch’s response, dated Wednesday and released by the...…Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony’s general counsel is emphatically denying allegations from the county public defender that jail inmates are being mistreated and concerns about the coronavirus are being ignored. In a blistering letter, Broward Sheriff’s Office general counsel Terrence Lynch told Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, that their claims amounted to no more than “unsubstantiated, misleading, or outright false allegations which you apparently made no effort to investigate.” Advertisement Lynch’s response, dated Wednesday and released by the...WW…

Many people have started demanding refunds on everything from their college tuition to theme park passes to theater and sports tickets. Now, as the coronavirus quarantine drags on, many of these complaints are bound to end up in court, some attorneys say. Advertisement Universities appear to be among the first in line. Students from at least a half-dozen U.S. colleges, including one at the University of Miami, want their money back for tuition and service fees they paid for a semester derailed by the coronavirus crisis. At least six federal lawsuits have been filed — three in New York and...…Many people have started demanding refunds on everything from their college tuition to theme park passes to theater and sports tickets. Now, as the coronavirus quarantine drags on, many of these complaints are bound to end up in court, some attorneys say. Advertisement Universities appear to be among the first in line. Students from at least a half-dozen U.S. colleges, including one at the University of Miami, want their money back for tuition and service fees they paid for a semester derailed by the coronavirus crisis. At least six federal lawsuits have been filed — three in New York and...WW…

Most out-of-work homeowners frightened by the thought of suspending their mortgage payments can rest easy. Regardless of what their mortgage servicer tells them, the 70% of borrowers with federally backed loans won’t be on the hook to repay those missed payments all at once at the end. Advertisement But that's not what many are being told when they reach out to hit the pause button on their monthly payments. Many, if not most, loan service companies are telling borrowers they can stop making payments for only up to three months and will have to repay it in a lump sum on the fourth month....…Most out-of-work homeowners frightened by the thought of suspending their mortgage payments can rest easy. Regardless of what their mortgage servicer tells them, the 70% of borrowers with federally backed loans won’t be on the hook to repay those missed payments all at once at the end. Advertisement But that's not what many are being told when they reach out to hit the pause button on their monthly payments. Many, if not most, loan service companies are telling borrowers they can stop making payments for only up to three months and will have to repay it in a lump sum on the fourth month....WW…

Governor Ron DeSantis says South Florida's next phase of the coronavirus pandemic may look different than rest of state. Getting back to some semblance of normalcy might take longer in South Florida than in other parts of the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday. Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have of coronavirus cases — more than 14,000 of Florida’s 24,753 cases as of Friday evening. Advertisement In some less populated areas, the disease spread has been tiny. Just west of Palm Beach in Hendry County, with its population of just over 42,000, there have been only 28 cases. In...…Governor Ron DeSantis says South Florida's next phase of the coronavirus pandemic may look different than rest of state. Getting back to some semblance of normalcy might take longer in South Florida than in other parts of the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday. Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties have of coronavirus cases — more than 14,000 of Florida’s 24,753 cases as of Friday evening. Advertisement In some less populated areas, the disease spread has been tiny. Just west of Palm Beach in Hendry County, with its population of just over 42,000, there have been only 28 cases. In...WW…

The next two weeks will be crucial in Florida’s struggle with coronavirus, as we learn if the produce a sharp increase in deaths and whether new government restrictions succeed in slowing the disease’s spread. Here are two scenarios, based on interviews with experts: Advertisement The worst case: The disease jumps from younger people, who account for most new cases, to older people, who are most likely to die. Deaths start to take off again. and other control measures prove insufficient, and the number of new cases continues soaring. The best case: New cases remain largely confined to...…The next two weeks will be crucial in Florida’s struggle with coronavirus, as we learn if the produce a sharp increase in deaths and whether new government restrictions succeed in slowing the disease’s spread. Here are two scenarios, based on interviews with experts: Advertisement The worst case: The disease jumps from younger people, who account for most new cases, to older people, who are most likely to die. Deaths start to take off again. and other control measures prove insufficient, and the number of new cases continues soaring. The best case: New cases remain largely confined to...WW…