The South Florida Roundup

Juanes. Luis Fonsi. Maluma.

Tensions continued mounting in Venezuela. The issue even came up at President Trump’s State of the Union speech. “We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime,” he said on Tuesday. The U.S. and several countries have recognized President Nicolas Maduro’s regime as illegitimate. They’re instead supporting interim president Juan Guaidó, who recently called on soldiers to allow humanitarian aid to enter Venezuela. The country

Tensions continued mounting in Venezuela. The issue even came up at President Trump’s State of the Union speech.

The environment has marked much of Governor Ron DeSantis’s first month in office. He signed a sweeping executive order that pledges $2.5 billion over four years for Everglades restoration and improving water quality. To that end, he’s demanded the entire board of the South Florida Management District to resign. Seven members of the nine-member board have announced their resignations. Two remaining board members’ terms expire in March. This week, DeSantis announced two appointments : Chauncey

U.S. embassy staff in Venezuela are required to leave the country on Saturday – the deadline imposed by President Nicolás Maduro. Some American diplomats and their families have been leaving . The White House said it would reduce staff levels but keep the embassy open . This week, the U.S. recognized a different leader Juan Guiadó , the leader of the National Assembly, which holds no power under Maduro. Guaidó made his first public appearance Friday morning, giving a speech to urge the military

Gov. Ron DeSantis has spent a lot of time in South Florida recently. He made several announcements across the region during his first week and a half in office. On Friday, DeSantis issued two executive orders that address South Florida's role in the dramatic elections recount last fall. They suspend Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher and acknowledge the resignation of former Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes, who was challenging her suspension by former Gov

Floridians passed Amendment 6 this past election . It was one of those bundled amendments that sandwiched together questions about judges with what’s known as Marsy’s Law. The law is a version of one that’s been passed in several states and adds a more detailed list of victims rights to the Florida constitution. Despite that detailed list, everyone from public defenders to sheriffs to Department of Corrections find the law to be vague. Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle

Code Reds, hard corners, and arming teachers are some of the recommendations made by the state commission investigating the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The commission submitted its report to the state Legislature a day after the New Year. It’s more than 400 pages long and goes into detail about what led to Feb. 14th, 2018 – and what could be done to prevent a school shooting in the future. In the months after the shooting, Florida schools have worked to meet a new school

Much of the past year in South Florida can be traced to Feb. 14, when tragedy struck the Parkland community. The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School reignited the conversation around gun control and fueled a wave of youth activism across the country. Shooting survivors organized March For Our Lives rallies and challenged NRA-backed lawmakers . Listen: Anguish and Activism: The Students of Stoneman Douglas High The students’ message is ultimately about healing – epitomized in the

Better law enforcement and stronger school security are the big takeaways from the draft report released this week by the state commission investigating the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. “We know that bad things will happen anywhere, and that no school is exempt," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who heads the commission, said at the commission meeting. "The idea that ‘it can’t happen to me’ is dangerous and for those who don’t take this seriously and genuinely