It’s Tuesday, July 13th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - South Florida leaders and members of the Cuban exile community continued their calls Monday for support of protesters in Cuba following one of the biggest anti-government demonstrations in the island's recent history.
Thousands marched in Havana and other cities and towns throughout Cuba this weekend, chanting "Freedom," "Enough" and "Unite" to protest against the government of Miguel Díaz Canel as the country is going through its worst economic crisis in decades. As the protests took place in Cuba, supporters flooded the streets of Miami's Little Havana neighborhood Sunday to show their support. The show of support continued Monday at the Cuban restaurant Cafe Versailles, where supporters gathered for a "liberty" rally.
No. 2 - The staggering economic crisis in Cuba made worse by the coronavirus pandemic is spurring local celebrities and artists to speak out, demanding an end to food shortages and high prices that are plaguing the island.
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Thousands of demonstrators have been protesting Cuba's communist dictatorship since Sunday, calling for the removal of President Miguel Díaz-Canel amid a severe lack of resources during the coronavirus pandemic. Rallies have been held from Havana’s Malecon promenade to the streets of Little Havana in South Florida. Several public figures and celebrities are voicing their support for Cuba on social media using the hashtag #SOSCuba. To see the reaction, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Laura Rodriguez.
No. 3 - Authorities searching for victims of a deadly collapse in Florida said they hope to conclude their painstaking work in the coming weeks as the death toll continued to rise closer to 100.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Monday that four more deaths have now been confirmed in last month's collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South, bringing the death toll to 94. Among them are 83 bodies that have been identified, and their families have been notified, she said. Some 22 people remain listed as missing. Crews continued to search the remaining pile of rubble, peeling layer after layer of debris in search of bodies. The unrelenting search has resulted in the recovery of over 14 million pounds of concrete and debris, Levine Cava said while adding there were brief interruptions in the search late Sunday and early Monday due to lightning.
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No. 4 - As crews keep searching for the last missing remains of the souls who perished in their collapsing beachfront condos nearly three weeks ago, the question is swirling across the ruins of the Champlain Towers South: What will become of the ground that bears so much pain?
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett suggested Monday that with scores of families still processing their losses, it's too soon to come up with anything specific, but he said the tragedy — now with 94 people confirmed dead and 22 others still missing — compels that something be placed on the site to remember them. Many more personal items have been removed along with twisted steel rebar and shards of concrete, kept in storage for investigators who are gathering clues as to what made 12 stories plunge to the ground on June 24.
No. 5 - Angelica Delgado is a force to be reckoned with as she's competing in her second Olympics for USA Judo.
The 30-year-old competed in Rio in 2016 and while she didn't get a medal, the small, but mighty fighter has grown as an athlete since then. She is ranked in the top 14 in the world for the Japanese sport of Judo and has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the Women's 52kg. Delgado has been rising up in Judo for a long time and she started in the sport at just nine years old. The Cuban American powerhouse is also making Miami proud. To see how the 305 native is doing that, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Amanda Plasencia.
No. 6 - The Tokyo Olympics are just a week and a half from starting and NBC 6 is welcoming the Olympic Rings to South Florida on Tuesday.
The six rings will be at Bayfront Park for the event as part of the NBC Universal's Rings Across America promotion of the games, which start July 23rd on the networks of NBC. Kelly Blanco will be at the event, where you can take pictures with the rings and also see live performances as well as an exclusive live screening of America's Got Talent and NBC's new hit show Capital One College Bowl.
