It’s Thursday, May 6th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A neighbor’s home security cameras captured what appears to be an unprovoked attack in broad daylight Wednesday morning in Southwest Miami-Dade.
The incident happened at around 11:26 a.m. at SW 65th Terrace and SW 92nd Avenue, Miami-Dade Police said. The video shows a woman walking down the sidewalk when out of nowhere, a man comes running up from behind and tackles her. There is a very brief struggle. Then you see the man run away in the same direction he came from. What is evident from the video is the whole thing unfolds very fast and neighbors in this community are on edge. To view the video you can see Only on 6, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Alyssa Hyman.
No. 2 - Nova Southeastern University is no longer mandating that staff and students be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester.
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In a statement Wednesday, the university said its requirement for vaccinations will no longer be in effect due to a Florida law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and set to go into effect on July 1 that bans businesses from requiring vaccinations. The private university has more than 6,300 undergraduate students and over 14,500 advanced degree students at its main campus in Davie, and across campuses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens, Tampa and Puerto Rico.
No. 3 - Officials in South Florida are working to help residents and visitors know what to expect now that Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended all remaining COVID-19 restrictions imposed by communities across the state.
DeSantis signed into law on Monday freshly passed legislation giving him sweeping powers to invalidate local emergency measures put in place during the pandemic — including mask mandates, limitations on business operations and the shuttering of schools. Some municipalities had already lifted restrictions on their own before DeSantis' executive order. But Miami-Dade County, for example, had still required masks in all indoor public spaces and outdoors if people are within 10 feet of each other. The governor's executive order now rescinds those rules. In Broward County, officials said facial coverings and social distancing policies must be followed while indoors in any county building or property, including buses.
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No. 4 - Universal Orlando will stop doing temperature checks and reduce social distancing requirements starting Thursday.
Social distancing between parties have been reduced to three feet (1 meter). Guests are still required to wear a face covering throughout their visit, even if they are vaccinated. Sanitizing hands prior to boarding rides is still required. Park officials say their "dedication to cleanliness and sanitization" is ongoing. Walt Disney World announced they would be removing temperature checks for cast members on Saturday and for guests on May 16th. Universal Orlando is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of WTVJ-TV / NBC 6.
No. 5 - The Miami-Dade County Commission passed a resolution to create a cryptocurrency task force.
The 13-member task force will look at the feasibility of allowing the county to accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for taxes, fees and services. Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, who sponsored the resolution to create the task force, said the acceptance of cryptocurrency by Miami-Dade has the potential to attract highly skilled talent and high-paying jobs to the county. City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has already proposed paying workers and allowing residents to pay taxes and city fees in cryptocurrency. To see why this phenomenon is cashing in across the area, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Jamie Guirola.
No. 6 - Mariah remembers the day her ex-boyfriend tried to suffocate her. It’s pain she’s trying to leave behind now that she’s in a good place.
“Every day we’re getting survivors,” Somy Ali said. “Every day we’re getting referrals.” Ali is the founder of No More Tears, a nonprofit which helps victims of domestic abuse. She helped Mariah find a new home. Ali says they’ve had a huge uptick in people reaching out since last year, and it’s not slowing down. The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice reported an 8.1% jump in domestic violence incidents in the U.S. during the pandemic. It’s an increase seen in South Florida as well. To hear why, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Kim Wynne.
