Miami-Dade County officials are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take action following allegations from two whistleblowers linked to the Miami Seaquarium.

As the contentious debate over rebuilding a trash incinerator near Doral continues, Miami-Dade commissioners voted Tuesday to postpone the decision until next year.

Despite having the support of millions of Guatemalans, newly installed President Bernardo Arévalo has a clear obstacle — the attorney general’s office and its leader, Consuelo Porras.

Guatemala's Aug. 20 presidential election has been bogged down in court and legal challenges despite the fact the results were clear: Progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo won about 61% of the vote to conservative Sandra Torres' 39%.

Guatemalan police arrested the country’s prosecutor for crimes against migrants Friday, accusing him of alleged abuse of authority.

A court in Guatemala has convicted former President Otto Pérez Molina and his vice president, Roxana Baldetti, on fraud and conspiracy counts.

Once the envy of Central America for anticorruption efforts that took down a sitting president, Guatemala’s attorney general’s office has more recently been accused of blocking corruption investigations, protecting powerful interests and persecuting those who pursued the corrupt.

As is the norm, people from across the globe have come to Miami-Dade County to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Guatemalan officials say they're trying to arrest a former anti-corruption prosecutor whose ouster led the U.S. to reduce cooperation with the Central American nation’s legal system.

Thousands of Guatemalans have taken to the streets in protest, blocking highways and calling for a national strike over the government’s apparent unwillingness to tackle corruption.

Anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval has fled Guatemala, arriving in neighboring El Salvador just hours after he was removed from his post.

FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2017 file photo, Constitutional Court President Jose Francisco de Mata Vela leads a press conference in Guatemala City. Selecting the new members of the Constitutional Court has roiled Guatemalan politics since last year. The members will hold their seats for five years and the selection process has been filled with accusations of collusion and corruption. One was for the rector of University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Murphy Paíz, one of those who would help choose new Constitutional Court members, for allegedly colluding on votes. In Guatemala’s justice system, everything can eventually arrive at the Constitutional Court, he said.

MIAMI BEACH, – Miami Beach will have an interim city manager starting Saturday after the city commission officially voted unanimously for its city attorney to step into the role as they conduct a national search for a permanent replacement. Raul Agulia, who has been city attorney for Miami Beach since 2014, was appointed to replace City Manager Jimmy Morales who announced his resignation two months ago. Aguila was unanimously named city attorney in 2014 by the mayor and commission after having served in the City Attorney’s Office for 23 years. Deputy City Attorney Rafael Paz will step into the role of interim city attorney during Aguila’s interim role. His last day in his role in Miami Beach is Friday.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A longtime South Florida politician is calling it quits. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales has announced that he is resigning from his post. Morales, who has been leading the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon. The former Miami-Dade County Commissioner has served as the city manager for the past seven years. His last day will be Feb 1, he said, so that he can explore the “next chapter of his life.”

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. Local, state, and federal emergency management teams have been adjusting their hurricane plans to take into account the current New Normal. "Obviously, the rules of social distancing are challenging during these kinds of emergencies," Morales said. There are a range of considerations that will be different this season from maintaining social distancing during sandbag and food distribution events to pre-storm staging for landfall teams. It is going to involve a significant level of manpower and infrastructure to have the social distancing level to try and reduce the risk. Once there, wash your hands regularly while maintaining social distancing.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Parking employees in Miami Beach last week received messages notifying them that their full-time position is being converted to part-time status at 28 hours/week, blaming the drastic measures on COVID-19s economic impact. John Woodruff, the citys chief financial officer, says they are not privatizing the parking department and that the plan is to offer displaced employees jobs in other departments, while also bringing in part-time staff from outside companies. I hate the thought of anything privatized as far as parking, Miami Beach resident Jean Kulick said. But city leaders assured all affected parking employees will be offered jobs at the same pay rate. Were losing parking, City Manager Jimmy Morales said.

With the departure of the United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission last year that supported a war against some of the countrys most powerful political, business and criminal leaders, Guatemalas pursuers have become the pursued. The U.N.-sponsored International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala left the country in September, after then-President Jimmy Morales decided not to renew its mandate. Both prosecutors are in the United States, which is also where Guatemalas former Attorney General Thelma Aldana went after leading Guatemala's anti-corruption fight. It is a clear attempt by criminal and corrupt networks to take control of the justice system to obtain impunity and protection for themselves," she said. With the justice system under attack from outside forces and from within, President Alejandro Giammattei has remained on the sidelines even though its his party that controls Congress.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. The city of Miami Beach is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union, which accuses mayor Dan Gelber and city manager Jimmy Morales of violating an artists right to free speech by taking down a painting from a publicly funded exhibit. The piece from artist Rodney Jackson was a portrait memorial of Raymond Herisse. The lawsuit claims the city had no right to take down the artwork from the ReFrame exhibit that was paid for by taxpayers on Memorial Day weekend 2019. We felt as though it was important to include an image of Raymond in the show, the artist Jackson said. A Miami Beach spokesperson said they cannot comment because the city has yet to be served with the lawsuit.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Officials in Miami Beach are temporarily restricting panhandling outside businesses and restaurants. The order signed Saturday by City Manager Jimmy Morales restricts anyone from panhandling within 50 feet of the door or service window of a business or restaurant. The citys legal staff says without a pandemic the order would likely be struck down in court on free-speech grounds. But during the coronavirus outbreak the city could mount a defensible case in court for the temporary measures. While the rest of the county enters Phase 1 of reopening Monday, essential businesses can reopen in Miami Beach on Wednesday.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Big changes are coming Monday across South Florida and it already began on Saturday on Ocean Drive on Miami Beach. The oceanside street is now closed to vehicle traffic and open for foot and bicycle traffic until further notice. These are just some of the ways that cities and the businesses within them are getting ready to reopen in Phase 1. On Friday, Miami-Dade County Mayor County addressed a variety of questions from expanding transportation services to salons and barber shops. In Broward County, only gyms in apartment buildings, condominiums and HOA associations can open.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Pedestrian friendly is popping up around South Florida streets as more people want to get outdoors since cities and counties are encouraging joggers, bikers, walkers and family strolls to get out after being cooped up indoors. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales wrote in a memo to the City Commission instructing that, beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday and until further notice, Ocean Drive will be closed to vehicles. When Miami Beachs restaurants open in Phase One on Wednesday, May 27, the cafes on Ocean Drive will have the ability to set up into the street for more outdoor dining capability. Please be advised that the City of the Miami Beach will be closing Ocean Drive to vehicular traffic beginning Saturday, May 16, at 7 a.m. In Broward County, the city of Hallandale Beach began Friday at 2 p.m., to convert its eastern lane of northbound A1A for pedestrian use only.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach, a mecca that draws tourists, is already feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, from the closures of local businesses and beaches to curfews designed to keep the community safe. On Friday, the city of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County took even larger emergency measures by closing all commercial lodging establishments. This means hotels, suite hotels, hotel units within apartment-hotels, hostels, dormitories, motels, and temporary vacation/short term rentals are ordered to shut down operations and tell guests they must leave. But right now, as painful as it may be, the reality is we just cannot be a tourist destination,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber in a statement. Miami Beach mayor declares state of emergency to deal with COVID-19 threatGelber apologized to the operators and employees of the properties.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – In a blow to the tourism industry in Miami Beach, Mayor Dan Gelber said Thursday large crowds of spring breakers are not welcome during COVID-19 pandemic. City Manager Jimmy Morales declared a state of emergency and will not be granting any permits for special events, Gelber said. “To the extent that anybody can declare spring break is over, it is over this year,” Gelber said. The Miami Beach Pride 2020 is postponed. City officials are working on finding strategies to help soften the blow on local businesses.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - One of the co-stars of a spoof-arrest video getting national attention said she is sorry it got an officer in trouble. The video in question shows a uniformed Miami Beach police officer walking behind three lingerie-clad women in handcuffs in front of the Miami Beach police station. "Him being in it just made our video great," Instagram model and content producer Maddy Belle said. The fake-arresting officer is identified in an official statement by the Miami Beach Police Department as 11-year veteran William Beeker. Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales called the videos "highly offensive."

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Miami Beach officials were beginning preparations Thursday for Hurricane Dorian. "We're not taking a chance," City Manager Jimmy Morales said. The city manager said the city's focused on public assets -- all the buildings and resources it needs to have ready to get through the storm and recover from it as quickly as possible. An Emergency Operations Center is set up at one Miami Beach fire station just down the street from the ocean. Miami Beach is a barrier island, and city officials warn that should an evacuation order be issued, everyone is encouraged to follow those orders.