As Miami's Haitian and Venezuelan communities grapple with the end of Temporary Protected Status, immigration activists hope that a bipartisan House bill could help those who lost their legal status.

The big picture: In South Florida, which has the largest concentration of Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S., those with expired TPS now live in fear of deportation.

• Last year, the Trump administration ended TPS for about 650,000 Venezuelans.
• This summer, an estimated 350,000 Haitians lost their TPS.

Driving the news: The American Dream and Promise Act would give permanent residency to eligible TPS holders, along with certain immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

• Miami Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar and other co-sponsors of the bill are trying to force a vote in the House through a discharge petition, which currently has 210 of the needed 218 signatures to call a vote.

How it works: The bill would give permanent residency to TPS beneficiaries who were eligible for TPS in 2017, have lived three years in the U.S. and follow other requirements.

• It would also give residency to eligible immigrants brought to the country as children who have been living in the U.S. since 2021 and pursued their education here.

What they're saying: Salazar tells Axios she signed the discharge petition "because the situation is dire, and we cannot allow Congress to keep avoiding the issue."

• She said conditions remain unsafe in Venezuela and Haiti for TPS recipients to return.

Zoom in: Adelys Ferro, executive director of the South Florida-based Venezuelan American Caucus, said in a video posted to Instagram that the bill is the best current legislative path for TPS holders to stay in the country.

• She tells Axios that Venezuelan TPS holders in Miami are living in hiding because they no longer have legal status.
• Many have stopped working, sold their businesses and houses, and now live with friends and family members, she said.
• "People are terrified to leave their houses, people are terrified to open the doors to their houses."

Meanwhile, Haitian TPS holders are living a similar reality.

• Farah Larrieux, a South Florida TPS recipient, told NPR last month that she had stopped working and planned to live off her savings while applying for asylum.

Isaias Guerrero, director of advocacy and mobilization at the Center for Popular Democracy, tells Axios that he's heard cases of Haitian TPS beneficiaries skipping medical appointments and not sending their kids to school.

• "The situation is one of complete desperation and uncertainty."

What we're watching: Even if the bill passes the House, it would then head to a Senate that recently blocked a proposed extension of Haitian TPS.

• "We're gonna fight, we're not giving up until we find a way to help them," Ferro says.

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A national blood crisis is making headlines, and Floridians can help make a difference.

Why it matters: The blood supply crisis could delay surgeries, trauma care and other treatments that depend on blood transfusions.

Context: Blood donations fell to a four-year low this summer, creating a national blood shortage for only the second time in history, the Red Cross said last week.

• The current supply isn't keeping up with the demand, which increases in the summer, according to the Red Cross.
• The U.S. Surgeon General's office said donation levels had declined "at an alarming rate."

Between the lines: The Red Cross attributed the low donor turnout to extreme heat, bad air quality and "widespread foodborne illnesses" hitting the country.

Zoom in: OneBlood coordinates blood donation in much of Florida and also recently declared a shortage, particularly of type O-positive and O-negative.

• Find a blood drive near you by entering your ZIP code online.

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🏡 Miami commissioners recently approved new zoning rules to allow developers to build small affordable stand-alone cottage houses on certain residential lots. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)

👻 Factory Town released the lineup for its annual Hocus Pocus Halloween weekend, a three-night music event featuring over 100 artists.

💧The Florida Department of Health closed the pools at Bucky Dent Water Park in Hialeah for operating without a valid permit. The closure came five days after the city held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate its reopening. (Miami Herald)

🚔 The Broward County State Attorney's office is investigating Sean Lozano, Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback's running mate, over his conduct while a police officer. (WLRN)

A handful of South Florida hospitals ranked among the best in the country, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals 2026-2027.

Why it matters: The ranking, which measures several factors, including cancer care, eye care, rehabilitation, neurology and other specialities, evaluated upward of 4,500 hospitals around the country.

The big picture: Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital earned the top-rated spot in the South Florida region, with "high performing" marks in two adult specialities and across 20 procedures and conditions.

• The University of Miami Hospital and Clinics-UHealth Tower ranked second, earning a "high performing" rating in five specialties and 17 procedures and conditions.
• Both were nationally ranked in five specialties.

By the numbers: South Florida's other top hospitals on the list include:

• No. 3: Baptist Health Baptist Hospital
• No. 4: Mount Sinai Medical Center
• No. 5: Memorial Hospital West
• No. 6: Baptist Health South Miami
• No. 7: HCA Florida Kendall Hospital
• No. 8: HCA Florida Mercy Hospital

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The winner of this year's Florida Python Challenge caught 96 Burmese pythons from Everglades National Park.

By the numbers: Across the 10-day event, intended to raise awareness about invasive species, hunters removed 280 pythons from South Florida's ecosystem.

• With nearly 100 removals, Tom Rahill won the $10,000 grand prize, per the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

👀 The longest python of the competition — caught by Rahm Levinson — measured over 16 feet.