As the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) claims it needs at least $1.2 billion in taxpayer funding to avoid furloughing about 70 percent of its workforce, the agency chose the last day of July 2020 to announce an exorbitant increase in fees for some of the most common immigration procedures.

MIAMI — Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces in partnership with The Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) is excited to announce a new public engagement survey now giving residents the opportunity to participate in the development of a countywide “Waterfront Recreation Access Plan” (WRAP). The intent of the WRAP is to develop a community-informed strategic plan to improve public access to the county’s waterways, while protecting the marine environment and waterfront businesses, increasing recreational and eco-tourism opportunities, implementing adaptations for climate change, and expanding connectivity to the bay.

Jamaica’s national flag was named the winner of the recent World Cup of Flags 2020, a global online competition on the social media platform Twitter.

Tim Strauss has been named the new chief executive officer for Amerijet International, Inc., an air transportation company headquartered in Miami, Florida which serves the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Kalia Dodd (9), a Girl Scout inMiramar, Fla.,speaks with representatives from NextEra Energy, Inc.(NEE), Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) parent company,during NEE’s virtual Renewable Energy STEM Patch programheld Aug. 3-9, 2020. Guided by industry professionals, each of the 46 registered Girl Scouts had the opportunity to learn about renewable energy and the option to build a solar-powered car or a wind turbine. Upon completion, each girl received a NEE Renewable Energy Patch. FPL partnered with Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida to offer the annual workshop as a virtual learning experience amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aims to encourage girls to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) career paths.  Photo credit: Huchani Dodd

The Bahamas lies 50 miles off the coast of Florida, United States.

BROWARD COUNTY, FL - The SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR BROWARD – CENSUS WORKFORCE CAMPAIGN in August helped increase Broward County’s self-response rate from 58.7% to 60.4% – so the campaign has been extended into September, in hopes of increasing it further.

Port-of-Spain. Caribbean Airlines advises that the borders of Trinidad & Tobago remain closed to regular scheduled passenger flights.As such, the airline is not operating commercial flights out of or intoTrinidad & Tobago at this time.

MIAMI —Today the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners approved the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). This $10 million program is intended to help families who are having problems paying their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will provide a one-time benefit to assist with their rent.

MIAMI —Security screening at Miami International Airport in the post-COVID-19 era just got easier, thanks to the installation of seven state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) scanners at six Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. Passengers traveling through a lane with a CT scanner will now be permitted to leave laptops and other electronic devices in their carry-on bags.

The 2020 Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival New York will now be held next year.

MIAMI —To help provide relief for Miami-Dade County’s pet owners and help them feed their furry family members during the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department will host its sixth Drive-Thru Pet Food Bank on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (or while supplies last), at Larry & Penny Thompson Park, located at 12451 SW 184th Street, Miami, FL, 33177. The dog and cat food distribution is made possible through a grant from the Petco Foundation as part of their Pledge to Save Pet Lives during the COVID-19 crisis.