University of Miami President Julio Frenk is leaving South Florida to lead a prominent West Coast university.

The race to represent Florida in one of its congressional districts has been extremely closely contested.

Voters in heavily Hispanic parts of South Texas cast record numbers of ballots in the state’s Republican primary last week, leaving the GOP excited about a growing shift toward their party.

Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's Cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.

Also pictured is Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from right, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, third from right. Among Biden’s 23 nominees with Cabinet rank, just 13 have been confirmed by the Senate, or a little over half. On Tuesday, Biden's cabinet was thrown into further uncertainty when his nominee to lead the White House budget office, Neera Tanden, withdrew from consideration after her nomination faced opposition from key senators on both sides of the aisle. That must change.”The Biden administration has prioritized confirming those nominees who are key to national security, the economy and public health decisions. The Biden administration has not been completely hamstrung by the slow pace of confirmations, however.

MIAMI – During a live appearance Sunday on Local 10′s “This Week in South Florida,” new Congresswoman Maria Salazar accused her predecessor Donna Shalala of “refusing” to transfer constituents’ case work in the transition between offices after the November election. “Not in any moment in time [was there a refusal to help in the transition],” Shalala’s former deputy chief of staff Raul Martinez, Jr. said. AdSalazar said Shalala’s office notified her office of just two or three cases. While there is no indication Shalala’s office willfully refused to transition the cases, Salazar stands by her accusation. Salazar’s interview on “This Week in South Florida” can be watched below:

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – A South Florida congresswoman elected just four months ago is already the target of a tough attack ad. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Miami, is being targeted by Democrats who accuse her of supporting QAnon and the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Shalala is now getting help from the ad from congressional Democrats, which has aired on Local 10 and other South Florida TV stations. Ad“Republicans like Maria Elvira Salazar voted to protect Trump, letting the QAnon mob win,” the ad says. “Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar: She stood with Q, not you,” the ad says.

President-elect Joe Biden is eyeing several Democrats who lost congressional reelection races last month for key positions in his administration. President-elect Joe Biden is eyeing several Democrats who lost congressional reelection races last month for key positions in his administration. Their consideration continues a long Washington tradition of defeated politicians seeking shelter in a new White House. A decade later, he headlined a rally for her winning congressional campaign. “More than helping the president, these people can help the White House staff dealing with members of Congress,” said Card.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – New members of Congress Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar were both endorsed by President Donald Trump, and they’re not about to cut him loose. And, in fact, the Trump campaign Friday dropped its legal challenge to the vote results in Arizona, which President-elect Joe Biden won. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2020Miami Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican re-elected without opposition, is totally behind the president. “We should let the legal and vote counting process continue, let the states certify their results,” he said. Gimenez says Biden should get the daily intelligence briefings, but that Trump doesn’t need to concede until all the votes are counted.

And even in Nevada, where Democrats' strength among Latinos had powered the party to dominance, there were some signs of new Trump support among Latinos frustrated at the economic toll of coronavirus-related shutdowns. Democrats had hoped this would be the year when their strength among Latino voters would translate into victories in Florida and Texas, a game-changer that would reshape presidential politics. But Trump's margins dashed those hopes and prompted debate on whether the party was taking Latino voters' support for granted. Forty-one percent said they approved of the way Trump has handled the public health crisis, compared with 34% of Latinos nationally. The most dramatic shift in Latino voters came in Florida.

MIAMI, Fla. – Democratic incumbent Debbie Mucarsel-Powell had not been heard from after one of the biggest upsets in South Florida when former Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez unseated her by winning the election to U.S. House in Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Mucarsel-Powell still hasn’t formally conceded the race, but on Thursday she did congratulate Gimenez, a Republican, on his victory in a statement. "My campaign continues to closely monitor as all ballots, including potentially undelivered mail ballots, are counted in this race. Meanwhile, I want to congratulate Carlos Gimenez on his victory. Florida’s 26th Congressional District runs from Kendall to Key West.

As election postmortems go, the one that began in Florida Wednesday was especially wrenching for Democrats. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Perhaps only in Florida is a loss by fewer than 4 percentage points considered a public drubbing. Democrats zeroed in on two clear explanations: Biden didn't connect with the state's Latino voters, performing particularly poorly with Cuban voters in South Florida. Some Democrats also give Republicans credit for registering thousands of new voters and narrowing the voter registration advantage Democrats have long had. For Taddeo, the Democratic state senator, it means going back to basics.

MIAMI – Two Cuban-American Republicans will be walking into the U.S. House next year after unseating two Democratic incumbents who outspent them during their campaigns. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is preparing to represent Florida’s 26th congressional district after defeating Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. District 27 includes an area of Miami-Dade that includes the cities of Miami, Miami Beach, South Miami, West Miami, Coral Gables, and North Bay Village. FEC records from January 2019 to October, show Mucarsel-Powell raised more than $6 million and Gimenez raised about $1.96 million. Shalala raised $3.4 million, and Salazar raised about $3.1 million.

“They were all wrong," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters about Democrats' assumptions of adding to their House numbers. She declared that Democrats had won the House majority, which seemed highly likely but hadn’t been officially determined by The Associated Press. Democrats lost a majority Hispanic district in West Texas they expected to win after the GOP incumbent retired. In a district between Austin and San Antonio, freshman GOP Rep. Chip Roy withstood a challenge from Democrat Wendy Davis. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and the three other members of the so-called squad of young progressive women of color were easily reelected.

She soundly defeated Tipton, a co-chair of President Donald Trump’s Colorado reelection campaign, in the Republican primary in June. Republican state Sen. Stephanie Bice earned a reputation as a political moderate in her two terms in the Oklahoma Senate. ___11:20 p.m. TuesdayRepublican Maria Elvira Salazar has defeated Democrat Donna Shalala for a House seat in Florida. Republican Ronny Jackson has won a House seat in West Texas, where he moved after leaving the White House in 2018. The solidly Republican district is currently held by Mac Thornberry, one of six GOP congressmen in Texas retiring this year.

U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, an Oklahoma City lawyer, faced Republican state Sen. Bice for the Oklahoma City-area House seat. President Donald Trump supported Mace on Twitter and she once worked on the president’s campaign. Fischbach contended that Peterson was too close to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other liberals. Republican Ronny Jackson has won a House seat in West Texas, where he moved after leaving the White House in 2018. They are banking on anxiety over the pandemic, suburban indignation with President Donald Trump and a fundraising advantage.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The choice on the ballot for Miami-Dade County’s 27th Congressional District was the same in 2020 as it was in 2018. Miami-Dade’s voters have spoken, and Maria Elvira Salazar defeated Democratic incumbent Donna Shalala in the race for Florida District 27′s congressional seat. Shalala was the longest serving U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Miami-Dade Congressional District 27 includes Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Kendall and Key Biscayne. CLICK HERE and follow reporter Alex Finnie, who is covering Donna Shalala tonightCLICK HERE and follow reporter Sanela Sabovic, who is covering Maria Elvira Salazar tonight

MIAMI – With only 16 days until the 2020 Presidential Election, both candidates are drumming up support in South Florida. On Sunday, the day before early election voting begins in Florida, supporters of both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden held several rallies. Supporters of Democratic candidate Joe Biden were also busy Sunday. “To spread a message of joy and culture and music to convey the message that Latinos are with Joe Biden,” said Serena Perez with New Florida Majority. >GET ELECTION READY: For complete information and resources, visit Local 10′s 2020 Voter Guide.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla – Two years ago, there was a fierce political battle for the seat in Congress that was being vacated by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She defeated Republican candidate Maria Elvira Salazar by 15,000 votes. She is a veteran broadcast journalist based in South Florida, with stints at Telemundo, Univision and CNN Español. She also earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She joined This Week in South Florida host Michael Putney to discuss the upcoming election and her plans if voted into office.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Rep. Donna Shalala, Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers and attorneys Raquel Rodriguez and Chris Smith join This Week in South Florida. The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – When she ran for congress two years ago, Donna Shalala told voters that if elected, she would be ready to go on day one. Boy was she. Two years later, Shalala has an incumbent’s record to run on as she faces a re-match with the same Republican opponent in an election year dominated by the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Shalala joined Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney on This Week in South Florida to discuss, and their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)MIAMI – Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick says an NFL crowd of 13,000 is enough to be heard. “Look, we’ve been watching sports on TV," DeSantis said during a news conference at the Dolphins' stadium to announce their plan. The Dolphins are one of at least eight teams hoping to have a limited number of spectators, while many teams haven’t announced plans. “I know the Dolphins organization is going to do it the right way in terms of the safety guidelines,” Fitzpatrick said. ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve_Wine

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Numerous Democratic members of the Florida Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday, calling for the governor to issue a statewide stay-at-home order and mask order. Florida is now the global epicenter of this pandemicOver the past week, Florida reported its highest daily COVID-19 deaths twice and averaged 90 deaths per day. The county is also cracking down on those violating the countys orders, by fining non-compliant businesses. Broward County has not yet scaled back its reopening, but Broward officials say they may have to in the near future.

(Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)AUSTIN, Texas When Texas began lifting coronavirus restrictions, Republican Gov. He pointed out that the White House backed his plan and gave assurances there were safe ways to go out again. Doug Ducey, also a Republican, did the same, declaring the state on pause as hospitals accelerate toward capacity. But the Republican governor has resisted calls to require them, arguing that it would be difficult to enforce in a rural state. Hutchinson also says hes concerned such a mandate could spark a backlash, with people refusing to wear masks.

MIAMI, Fla. – In one camp, a push for more restrictive "use of force policies" to reduce deadly police encounters. Others are marching, demanding for the defunding and disbanding of police departments entirely and using the money to reinvest in communities. State Representative Donna Shalala hosted a virtual roundtable discussion Wednesday that dealt with these issues about race relations. Join me TODAY for a roundtable discussion on community and police relations. We'll be discussing recent demonstrations across the nation and searching for solutions with community, faith and police leaders.

COCONUT GROVE, Fla. On Friday, the state of Florida is expected to release numbers for COVID-19 antibody testing. These numbers will come from data collected at drive-thru sites in Miami Gardens, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Jacksonville. We need very accurate tests, and the FDA let too many tests that were not accurate, says U.S. Rep Donna Shalala, D-Fla.As state numbers are being made public, Coconut Grove is opening a new antibody testing site at the Frankie Rolle Community Center. People would love to know that theyve had the virus and overcome it, Miami-Dade commissioner Xavier Suarez said at the new testing site. Suarez says this site will be reporting results to the state, and they expect to test about 100 people for COVID-19 and administer about 20-30 antibody tests Friday.

Four of the five members of the Congressional Oversight Commission have been appointed, but Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have not agreed on who should chair the panel. The four members have not met as a group since the economic rescue law was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in late March. So far, its a non-oversight, oversight commission, added Kimberly Wehle, a visiting professor at American University Law School. Even as both sides acknowledge the importance of overseeing the sprawling economic rescue law, lawmakers are immobilized by a larger political fight, with no resolution immediately in sight. It was a shining moment when it first came out," Wehle said of the economic rescue law.

“We’re very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba, but you know you’ve got...it’s unfair to say everything is bad. When Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did. Is that a bad thing?”These are words that many say will likely have political repercussions and come back to haunt Sanders, especially in South Florida. Democratic Strategist Fernand Amandi said he was horrified at Sanders’ comments. While Sanders’ comments are not new, Amandi said Sanders had a chance to renounce the Cuban regime.

This Week in South Florida Full Episode: Dec. 22Published: December 22, 2019, 1:30 pmOn This Week in South Florida co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg talk with congresswomen Donna Shalala and Frederica Wilson about the impeachment of President Donald Trump, they also talk with Fort Lauderdale commissioner Ben Sorensen about the recent sewage leaks.

"These are Cuban American citizens who want to bring their relatives to the United States under existing laws," U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., said Friday. In 2017 the State Department decided to partially shut down the American Embassy in Cuba following the alleged health attacks on embassy workers. U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., is pushing a bill in Congress that would force the State Department to start processing applications within 30 days of the bill becoming a law. The bill, which is co-sponsored by Shalala, also gives the government the option to process the application by video conferencing. "Castigating Cuban families for what an oppressive and dictational regime has done for decades is not the answer," Mucarsel-Powell said.

MIAMI - Join co-hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney as they welcome Rep. Donna Shalala, journalist Marc Caputo, attorney Chris Smith and attorney Saman Movassaghi-Gonzalez on the "This Week in South Florida" podcast. SUBSCRIBE TO THE TWISF PODCAST - iOS | AndroidCopyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, has received the prestigious NCI designation from the National Cancer Institute. It emanates from the dedication of every member of the cancer center and the leadership of Dr. Stephen Nimer. This is just the beginning.Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute is the federal governments principal agency for cancer research and training. The NCI Cancer Centers Program leads, conducts and supports cancer research across the nation through a network of elite cancer centers. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has seven locations in Miami, Kendall, Coral Gables, Hollywood, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs and Plantation.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The University of Miami has joined the ranks of the nation's top cancer centers. University president Julio Frenk, along with Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Miami Rep. Donna Shalala and health professionals, announced Monday that university's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has received National Cancer Institute designation. Frenk said South Floridians now "have access to the absolute top cancer center in the world." Officials said the designation, which authorizes the university's hospital to offer advanced and restricted cancer treatments, will also stimulate the local economy by luring patients from across the world to the center. The university will also receive a $10 million grant from the federal government to support its cancer treatment and research efforts.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The University of Miami has joined the ranks of the nation's top cancer centers. University president Julio Frenk, along with Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Miami Rep. Donna Shalala and health professionals, announced Monday that university's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has received National Cancer Institute designation. Frenk says South Floridians now" have access to the absolute top cancer center in the world." Officials say the designation, which authorizes the university's hospital to offer advanced and restricted cancer treatments, will also stimulate the local economy by luring patients from across the world to the center. The university will also receive a $10 million grant from the federal government to support its cancer treatment and research efforts.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - A congressional delegation led by U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., toured the nation's largest child migrant detention center in Homestead. Wilson was joined by U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., and several Democratic House members Tuesday as they got a firsthand look at the conditions under which the young migrants are living. The Democratic presidential candidates who were in Miami for last week's debates had also ventured to the Homestead facility. After their tour, Wilson and her colleagues had less to say about what they saw inside the facility and more about what they want, which is to get the facility closed down. We only see them coming," protester Tina Marie Davidson said outside the Homestead facility.