NEWS BRIEFS

BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

PTSA SELLS UNIFORM FOR ONLINE LEARNING

Between July 31 and Aug. 27 the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will be selling school polos and spirit shirts on their website. Despite the school year resuming virtually, students are encouraged to attend online classes in school uniform. Uniforms are available for pickup between Aug. 24-27 where PTSA members will issue the uniforms in a contactless delivery. “We have had almost 100 orders placed so far,” PTSA President Kristina Jackson said. “Uniform sales really do support the school, because we raise money to put up programs that are really being supported by outside funding.”

MIAMI PORT LOSES 30 MILLION

This past year, PortMiami has lost $30 million in revenue sales and investments. Shortly after the city of Miami invested $700 million into a project that included five new cruise terminals and two new headquarters for cruise ship companies, construction had to stop due to COVID-19 Additionally, ships are also no longer able to dock and sail from Miami ports. Companies such as Carnival Corporation, Mediterranean Shipping Company Cruise, Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean Cruises agreed to repay Miami-Dade County $5.8 billion over the upcoming 20 to 62 years.

IMMIGRATION FEES INCREASE

Following a recent reassessment, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services increased immigration fees. The 20% increase in additional fees now covers immigration benefit requests and limiting the amount of beneficiaries for certain forms. The reassessment also removes select fee exemptions, changes requirements for fee waivers, adds a $50 fee for each asylum application and removes the proposal to transfer money from ICE. “A lot of people already have a hard time with the current system and the fees will just make it harder,” junior Victoria Benedetti said.