It’s Thursday, June 4th - and NBC 6 has the top stories you should know for the day.
No. 1 - Weatherwise, rainy season is here with the wet weather rolling into the area as South Florida will be dodging heavier storms for the rest of the work week.
A flash flood watch has been activated for Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties until 8 a.m. Friday. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
No. 2 - Three more former Minneapolis police officers were charged Wednesday in the fatal arrest of George Floyd less than a week after another ex-officer was arrested on murder and manslaughter charges.
Prosecutors are elevating charges against that former officer, Derek Chauvin, to second-degree murder, according to criminal complaints filed by the state of Minnesota. Chauvin is seen on video pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as he pleaded for air. Minnesota's Attorney General, Keith Ellison, confirmed the charges against the former officers and the elevated charge against Chauvin during a press conference.
No. 3 - A woman described the moments she was hit by a foam rubber bullet fired by a Fort Lauderdale police officer during a protest over the weekend.
LaToya Ratlieff, with two black eyes and a bandage on her head, told the Miami Herald that she was brought to her knees when an officer in a police line fired the bullet at her on Sunday at a demonstration protesting George Floyd's death, police brutality and racial injustice. A video provided to NBC 6 by the publication shows Ratlieff being helped by other protestors and led into a car. She says the group took her to a nearby hospital, but officers did not try and help her.
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No. 4 - Bars and movie theaters across Florida will be able to open their doors for the first time in almost three months, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis when announcing the second phase of reopening. Missing from the plan, however, are South Florida counties Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
At a news conference at the NBC Sports Grill and Brew in Universal Orlando, DeSantis said the plan would go into effect this Friday. Both bars and theaters will be able to open at 50% capacity, while restaurants can now allow seating at bars. Gyms will also be able to operate at full capacity. While South Florida will not be included in the initial reopening date, county mayors can still send a written request to the governor asking to be added.
No. 5 - When you apply for unemployment benefits, your claim must go through a verification process. This process includes identity verification, fraud protection, and employer and wage verification.
Lindsey Blair says he submitted an application for state unemployment benefits back in March. But when he was deemed ineligible, he applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. When time passed without receiving money, he called the Department of Economic Opportunity. To hear what happened next and what you should do if you are dealing with the same delays, click here for the story from NBC 6 consumer investigator Sasha Jones.
No. 6 - Just moments after authorities in Minneapolis announced the upgraded charges in the death of George Floyd, South Florida made their views known about the action through a virtual town hall hosted by Florida International University.
The event, moderated by NBC 6 reporter Willard Shepard, featured experts who said what happened with Floyd is the worst example of police abuse caught on camera. FIU wants to keep this conversation moving forward about how the university can use its resources to be a force in South Florida to bring change not just in the criminal justice system, but also in all areas where there is unfairness and inequality. To hear more about what was said during the event, click on this link for the story from Shepard.
