It’s Monday, July 26th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - The United States wins gold in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday night posting a time of 3:08.97.
Team USA has now won back-to-back golds after winning the 4x100m freestyle relay in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Italy won silver - closely behind the U.S - as they finished with a time of 3:10.11 and Australia finished third posting a time of 3:10.22 to claim bronze. The Americans had a .20-second lead going into the final leg, and Zach Apple pulled away to secure the gold. Dressel was a dominating force in the men's relay and he made it clear after the race that Team USA is not to be counted out.
No. 2 - Cuba has not been the same since July 11, when historic protests sprung up all over the island nation demanding an end to the dictatorship and access to food and Covid-19 vaccines.
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Two weeks into the uprising, the people in Cuba have lost their fear and although to a lesser extent, they are still in the streets fighting for their rights. Now, a caravan is making its way to Washington, D.C to show their support for the protests. A protest is scheduled for Monday in Washington, on the anniversary of what is believed to be the beginning of the Cuban Revolution when Fidel Castor led a failed attack in Santiago de Cuba. "We want support for a humanitarian intervention in our country," Yoan David Gonzalez, a member of the caravan said.
No. 3 - As the sun set on the beach in more than 100 sound healers gathered for a candlelight vigil and sound bath. The hope is to heal, process and uplift the community.
“It’s kind of like therapy without talking," sound healer Jen Rose said. "It is very blissful, very calming.” A white rose blessing was also part of the ceremony symbolizing rebirth. “Sometimes we don’t have words to express our grief or the right words to say to comfort one another but music transcends all words,” Rose said. Nearly 100 names were read aloud, an emotional and touching moment to remember all those who passed in the collapse one month ago. Organizers said they hosted the concert on the beach at 96th Street as a sign of strength and unity with the Surfside community following the collapse of Champlain Towers South.
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No. 4 - The United States is in an "unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday.
"We’re going in the wrong direction,’’ said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as "very frustrated.” He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is "under active consideration’’ by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said. Fauci, who also serves President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he has taken part in conversations about altering the mask guidelines. He noted that some local jurisdictions where infection rates are surging, such as Los Angeles County, are already calling on individuals to wear masks in public regardless of vaccination status.
No. 5 - A building in Coral Gables is hoping mitigation efforts will stop an evacuation scheduled for Monday.
The building is set to be evacuated Monday because of structural concerns pending an inspection. Residents at 730 Coral Way have until Monday to leave, according to notices placed in the front entrance of the building on July 19 and 20. A statement from the City of Coral Gables said that the evacuation will be enforced Monday if emergency measures were not taken. Something the condo is trying to avoid by shoring up the structure. A letter addressed to the condo association Saturday called the final notice of emergency action for the 11 unit building.The notice said the Greenways Condo Association had not submitted the report from a structural engineer advising whether or not the building is safe to live in. According to the notice, the city asked for the report twice.
No. 6 - Robert Parris Moses, a civil rights activist who was shot at and endured beatings and jail while leading Black voter registration drives in the American South during the 1960s and later helped improve minority education in math, has died. He was 86.
Moses, who was widely referred to as Bob, worked to dismantle segregation as the Mississippi field director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the civil rights movement and was central to the 1964 “Freedom Summer” in which hundreds of students went to the South to register voters. Moses started his “second chapter in civil rights work” by founding in 1982 the Algebra Project thanks to a MacArthur Fellowship. The project included a curriculum Moses developed to help struggling students succeed in math.
