Industry stakeholders ask for help to keep ports growingBy Arlene Satchell, Sun SentinelOfficials at South Florida airports and seaports are seeking federal government assistance to ensure pertinent infrastructure is in place to keep growing and serving travelers to the region.On top of the wish list is the need for more U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to process travelers… Read more »
By Ted ScoutenMIAMI (CBS4) – Miami International Airport now has the most international passengers in the country and traffic is growing each year.That can mean backups when passengers check in at customs.“How long did it take for you to get through customs?” CBS 4′s Ted Scouten asked international traveler Solme Hernandez.“Not too long this time,” she… Read more »
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. - U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz held a roundtable discussion Tuesday with gun control advocates and medical professionals in Pembroke Pines.Last month, Wasserman Schultz met with South Florida police chiefs, mayors, and others to discuss ways to curb rising gun violence. She also met with gun owners at separate roundtable."Keeping children and Americans safe… Read more »
By Donna Gehrke-White, Sun SentinelBy day, Salita St. Simon worked as a senior clerk at the Palm Beach County Health Department.But federal prosecutors said last week she put in a second shift of stealing patients' names and Social Security numbers to funnel to fraudsters to use the identities to seek fraudulent federal income tax returns. St. Simon, 30, of Belle Glade was arrested… Read more »
By Howard FinemanI was playing the role of hard-boiled -- not to say cynical -- reporter on the Hill when I got into a conversation with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz after the president's State of the Union address Tuesday night."So," I asked, "do YOU have your own personal victim of gun-violence with you tonight?"The Florida Democrat, an important party leader,… Read more »
By Ihosvani RodriguezOAKLAND PARK - A group of South Florida gun rights advocates said they are in favor of universal background checks for all gun buyers and agreed there is enough common ground between all sides of the gun control debate to establish some new reforms.The group of nine men, led by retired South Florida businessman and lifetime National Rifle Association member Jim… Read more »
By Ira WindermanThe East Room commemoration of their 2012 NBA championship was heartfelt, yet brief, according to the White House lasting from 1:44 p.m. to 1:52 p.m. Monday.But there also were private moments that left the Miami Heat appreciative of just what their 2 1/2 hours at the White House meant, including 10 minutes alone with President Obama."We spent a lot of time looking… Read more »
by Eric Hal SchwartzWashington, D.C., was very busy last weekend. The inauguration alone brought in half a million visitors and filled the city with bustling crowds. Then, there were the people who did not have work because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.As part of honoring Dr. King and his legacy, President Obama declared Saturday the National Day of Service, a time for people to… Read more »
By Donna Gehrke-White, Sun SentinelA small South Florida city has attracted the attention of federal investigators looking into tax refund fraud and identity theft, according to an independent watchdog agency that oversees the Internal Revenue Service.In Belle Glade, nestled along Lake Okeechobee, 741 tax returns worth more than $1 million in refunds were filed from a single address last… Read more »
By William E. Gibson, Washington BureauAlarmed by Iran's nuclear ambitions, the spread of child pornography and a rising tide of tax fraud, South Florida representatives are pushing legislation through the U.S. House this week to confront these challenges of special concern to their constituents.The House overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday – pushed by U.S. Reps. Ted… Read more »
