After years of environmentally focused government and nonprofit work, self-described “extroverted environmentalist” Loren Parra will take on an expanded job as Miami-Dade County’s new Chief Resilience Officer.

She’ll take the post instead of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s first pick for the post, Curtis Osceola, who was arrested last month following an alleged domestic violence incident. Prosecutors have since dropped all charges.

Parra will oversee a restructuring of the Miami-Dade Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience. She’ll also keep her prior responsibilities as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer while assuming the added duties of Chief Heat Officer, a previously separate and individually staffed position.

“My administration is updating our approach to making our people and property more resilient across Miami-Dade,” said Levine Cava, who is working to reduce her administration’s spending ahead of a tight budgeting year.

“This new structure will empower our resilience experts to work directly on critical projects within our departments, reducing risks and costs for residents and County operations and better protecting our community now and in the long term.”

The Mayor’s Office announced Parra’s promotion Friday, roughly a month after she named Osceola, then the Chief of Staff for the Miccosukee Tribe, for the Chief Resilience Officer position. Less than a week after announcing Osceola’s hiring and mere days before he was to begin working for the county, police booked Osceola on charges of battery against his fiancée and resisting arrest without violence.

An arrest report the Miami Herald obtained said officers arrived on the scene and witnessed “various signs of disturbance” at the couple’s apartment and that he and the woman had visible but superficial injuries.

Osceola’s lawyer said his client was innocent of wrongdoing, was wrongly arrested and that Ring security footage would exonerate him. Levine Cava said at the time that her office would review the situation and that Osceola’s starting date would “be delayed while the legal process takes course.”

Prosecutors dropped charges against Osceola on Friday, the same day Parra’s selection was announced.

Parra, a 32-year-old Democrat, comes to her new position with more than a decade in government and nonprofit roles. Her work history includes close to five years in different roles at the Everglades Foundation, two years as Regional Director for former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, two years as Director of Public Affairs for the Miami Foundation and two years as Levine Cava’s Senior Director of Communications.

She holds an MBA and bachelor’s degree in political science and sustainable studies from the University of Florida.

A county press note said that in her most recent post, Parra helped the county to increase its state and federal lobbying efforts to restart the Biscayne Bay Southern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration project and integrate the county’s flood-reduction and water quality-improvement work.

“I am honored to step into this role at such a critical time for Miami-Dade County,” Parra said in a statement. “Our residents are facing a changing climate each day — with sunny day flooding, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms. Now is the time to take bold action to protect our neighborhoods, our economy and our natural resources. I look forward to working with residents, businesses and experts across the county to build a more prepared and sustainable future.”

Parra replaces Interim Chief Resilience Officer Patricia Gomez, who took over for Jim Murley, the first person in the role, after his retirement last year. The job is a top post within the county’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.

County records show Parra earned an annual salary of $171,770 as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer. Gomez’s salary is listed as $214,173.

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Republican Rep. Shane Abbott wants the state to pay less for prescription medications to serve Medicaid patients.

Abbott has filed a bill (HB 657) that would require drug manufacturers to sell certain medications to Medicaid pharmacies at discounts available under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.

His bill would apply to medications on the Medicaid preferred drug list that are covered under 340B, which includes most commonly prescribed medicines as well as those for chronic illnesses and diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and diabetes.

If passed, the measure would reduce costs for the state by lowering the cost of drugs purchased for Medicaid patients.

Under the bill, the state would essentially be guaranteed to pay lower prices. It includes language that would require drug manufacturers, if they sell a medication to a Medicaid pharmacy at a price higher than the 340B Drug Pricing Program discount, to pay a rebate to the state to comply with the negotiated price.

The 340B program is part of federal legislation requiring manufacturers to sell discounted prescription drugs to certain health care organizations. Passed in 1992 as part of the Public Health Service Act, it does not directly require the reduced costs for Medicaid.

Abbott’s legislation would ensure that drugs purchased for use among Medicaid recipients would receive the same discounts under the federal pricing program.

If passed, the bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Abbott expects companion legislation in the Senate soon. He doesn’t anticipate any partisan squabbles, either.

“This is a nonpartisan issue where everyone looks at it and goes, ‘if we’re saving money we’re saving money,” said Abbott, himself a pharmacist.

He described 340B prices as “bottom of the barrel,” and said his bill would extend those lower prices to the state as it facilitates Medicaid, rather than only applying to drug prices for those without insurance.

While he acknowledged the prescription drug industry will no doubt push back against his bill, Abbott said it is a potential huge cost savings to taxpayers, though he also noted it would be up to state health officials to determine exactly how much the legislation would save.

“340B pricing is typically always going to be the cheapest price,” Abbott said. “So I’m going to hold drug manufacturers accountable to the Florida taxpayers to make sure we’re getting the cheapest prices out there.”

He said the “long-term goal is to put several millions of taxpayer dollars back into” the state’s general revenue fund.

While the measure is expected, if passed, to save the state — and by proxy, taxpayers — money, Medicaid recipients would not notice a difference. Medicaid patients already pay reduced or no-cost fees for prescription medications.

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The Donald Trump administration’s proposal to cut half of federal workers at the nation’s housing agency is targeting employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers, according to two documents obtained by The Associated Press.

More than a dozen programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) portfolio would be affected by the loss of some 4,000 positions detailed in the documents, raising concerns among former HUD officials and housing advocates who say a skeletal staff could slow or even stall the department’s critical work.

HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett on Thursday said the leaked documents “should not be taken as final” as staffing is evaluated throughout the agency. The documents, which aren’t clearly dated but were circulated this week, include total staffing numbers, expected resignations, as well as a projected “Day 120 Headcount” and reduction percentage of staff at individual HUD offices.

Such dramatic staffing cuts are in line with the administration’s broader push to gut government spending, with HUD Secretary Scott Turner in recent days touting his new Department of Government Efficiency task force inspired by billionaire Elon Musk while also announcing $1.9 billion in “misplaced funds” as well as $260 million identified as “wasteful contracts.”

“HUD is following direction from the administration while also ensuring the department continues to deliver on its critical functions, mission to serve rural, tribal and urban communities and statutory responsibilities,” Lovett said in a statement.

Here’s a look at some of the significant staffing cuts under consideration and how it could impact HUD’s most wide-reaching work:

Disaster relief

The Office of Community Planning and Development — which the documents propose cutting by 84% of its staff — is the arm of HUD that helps repair homes and infrastructure after natural disasters, administering $1.65 billion sent to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.

It also oversees homelessness initiatives and the Community Development Block Grant that funnels billions of federal dollars to local governments for community development programs, such as libraries or affordable housing.

Staff across HUD offices also answer questions, offer guidance and technical support, helping communities navigate federal rules and plan, develop and manage projects.

The proposed cuts outlined in the documents would reduce the office from 936 employees to just 150.

“That would lead to significant delays in funding getting out to communities nationwide,” said Ann Oliva, who worked as a HUD official for a decade and is now CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“We’ve already heard from programs that have said, ‘We are going to go ahead and pause taking new folks for right now until we understand what’s happening to our funding,’” Oliva said.

Lovett said “disaster relief efforts will not be impacted” in an email, but did not elaborate.

Rental assistance

At the Office of Public and Indian Housing, which facilitates rental assistance subsidies for more than 3.5 million households and supports public housing for roughly 1 million, the headcount could be slashed by half in the coming months, from 1,529 employees to 765 people, according to the documents.

Georgi Banna, General Counsel for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, said there’s been lots of questions but little information from the administration on how exactly any reduction in staff will be carried out and what the plan will be for HUD’s work if there are mass layoffs.

Banna said cuts to Public and Indian Housing staff could slow down payments for the Section 8 vouchers program that provides rental assistance to millions of low-income people.

The tenants themselves have protections as long as they pay their portion of the rent to the landlord per their lease agreements, but they could ultimately be displaced if landlords quit the voucher program altogether over any breach of contract.

“This program only works well when landlords are involved,” Banna said. “Without landlords, this program can’t exist.”

First-time homebuyers

The Office of Housing, which could face a 44% cut in staff, provides counseling for first-time homebuyers and mortgage insurance, which makes it easier for middle- and lower-income Americans to qualify for a home loan through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

The loss of over 1,000 employees could slow down those opportunities for homeownership, said Antonio Gaines, who’s worked at the department for over two decades and is president of AFGE National Council 222, which represents HUD workers.

“There are going to be consequences all the way across the board,” Gaines said.

On X, the department said it will prioritize “the critical role FHA plays in the mortgage market.”

Housing discrimination

As the enforcer of the nation’s fair housing laws, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity could see hundreds of employees eliminated, including the administrative staff that investigates discrimination complaints.

“They are struggling to do some of the basic functions of the agency,” said Shamus Roller, Executive Director of the National Housing Law Project.

The proposal to trim the department from 572 employees down to 134 people would mean a nearly 77% reduction to the program — the type of bone-deep cut that many housing advocates had long expected as part of the Trump administration’s crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Though Turner has previously committed to upholding the Fair Housing Act, which includes a statutory mandate for HUD to fight discrimination, his administration can remake how the agency carries out the spirit of the law. On Thursday, Turner said on X that HUD had cancelled $4 million in DEI contracts.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

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