WLRN | Miami, Ft Lauderdale, South FL: WLRN Miami Herald News, Events, Radio.

DeSantis Suspends Palm Beach Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday suspended Susan Bucher as Palm Beach County's supervisor of elections, abruptly ending the tenure of the elections chief under criticism for her handling of last year’s midterm election recounts.

Broward County Artist Discovers Family History Through Her Work For The Sistrunk Art Fair

Carolyn Kaster / AP via The Miami Herald

DeSantis Rejects Parkland Father's Appointment To Board of Education

South Florida In The Spotlight During First Days Of Gov. DeSantis Term

By Alexander Gonzalez & Tom Hudson • Jan 18, 2019

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.

Fleeing Crisis, Some Venezuelans Are Recruited By Rebel Forces Fighting In Colombia

By editor • Jan 18, 2019

About one-third of the more than 3 million Venezuelans who have fled their nation's deep economic crisis have settled in next-door Colombia. But some of these refugees, instead of finding safe haven, are being recruited into Colombia's guerrilla groups, human rights and military officials tell NPR.

Mueller's Office Disputes BuzzFeed Report That Trump Told Cohen To Lie To Congress

By Laurel Wamsley • Jan 18, 2019

Updated Jan. 19 at 1:05 p.m. ET

The office of special counsel Robert Mueller made a rare statement on Friday night to dispute the report by BuzzFeed News that President Trump had instructed his former lawyer to lie to Congress.

The Justice Department announcement appeared not quite 24 hours after the explosive story from Thursday night. Although it didn't go into detail, the response suggested the story didn't correctly reflect the special counsel's dealings with Trump's ex-fixer.

State Commission Should Not Have Had Parkland Shooter's Medical Records, Defense Argues In Court

By Caitie Switalski • Jan 18, 2019

The legal team defending the confessed-Parkland shooter argued in front of a Broward Circuit judge Friday morning that the state commission investigating the shooting should not have had access to Nikolas Cruz's confidential medical and mental health records.

The team of public defenders, led by attorney Melisa McNeill, asked Judge Elizabeth Scherer to hold the Broward Sheriff's Office in contempt of court for releasing Cruz's confidential medical and mental health records to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission.

Hearing Set On Abortion Waiting Period

By News Service of Florida • Jan 18, 2019

A state appeals court will hear arguments in March about the constitutionality of a 2015 law that would require women to wait 24 hours before having abortions.

With Higher Stakes In The Abortion Debate, Activists March On Washington

By Sarah McCammon • Jan 18, 2019

Updated at 1:20 p.m. ET

On Friday, as they have for decades, anti-abortion rights activists marched through Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Supreme Court – a location that symbolizes the long-held goal of reversing the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized the procedure nationwide in 1973.

But this year's rally comes at a moment when many anti-abortion activists are feeling more hopeful about that goal, on the heels of the confirmation and swearing-in of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Attempts To Make Shutdown 'Painless' May Stretch Limits Of Federal Law

By Ayesha Rascoe • Jan 18, 2019

In its quest to blunt the effects of the partial government shutdown, the Trump administration is using broad legal interpretations to continue providing certain services.

Critics argue that the administration is stretching — and possibly breaking — the law to help bolster President Trump's position in his fight with Democrats over funding for a border wall.

Even with the creative use of loopholes and existing funds, though, the actions the administration is taking will be hard to sustain if the shutdown continues to drag on.

Town Of Jupiter's Flood Insurance Costs Decline Thanks To Management Efforts

By Sam Turken • Jan 17, 2019

As South Florida communities search for ways to combat sea level rise, efforts to improve flood drainage in the town of Jupiter have saved residents about $500,000 in flood insurance costs over the past year, according to the town’s utility services manager.

The National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System reduces flood insurance premiums in municipalities across the country that undertake floodplain management activities.

George Gershwin 1930s Opera 'Porgy and Bess' Comes To South Florida

By Alejandra Martinez • Jan 17, 2019

The South Florida Symphony Orchestra's Maestra Sebrina Alfonso is bringing the groundbreaking George Gershwin 1930s opera “Porgy and Bess” to the region for a series of performances.

The opera follows the story of poor African Americans struggling to survive and make money in the fictional neighborhood of Catfish Row in South Carolina. The opera was significant for shining the spotlight on black art in America by featuring an all-black cast.