It’s Tuesday, April 19th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A man wanted for allegedly gunning down his ex-wife and teen daughter outside their North Lauderdale home last week took his own life Monday, authorities said.
An arrest warrant was issued for 34-year-old Andre Odaine Anglin after a Wednesday morning shooting that claimed the lives of the two victims, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said. On Monday, Anglin committed suicide at a gas station at 901 W. Sunrise Boulevard, officials said. The initial investigation showed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, BSO officials said. Friends identified the victims as Jennifer Bellony and her 15-year-old daughter, and said Anglin was Bellony's ex-husband and the father of the teen.
No. 2 - Face masks are no longer required at Miami and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airports.
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"Mask wearing is now optional at Miami International Airport until the federal government directs otherwise," MIA spokesperson Greg Chin said in an emailed statement Monday evening FLL tweeted out Monday evening they are not enforcing the federal mask mandate but noted that the situation is still developing. American, Delta, Alaska, United and JetBlue airlines all announced Monday that masks are now optional for employees, crew members and customers aboard aircrafts. The news comes as a federal judge in Florida on Monday vacated the Biden administration's national mask mandate for planes and other forms of public transportation, ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had overstepped its authority.
No. 3 - The Florida Department of Education on Friday announced that they'd rejected dozens of math textbooks that included references to Critical Race Theory and for having other issues that don't meet their standards.
The department said they rejected 54 textbooks out of the 132 submitted, about 41%. In addition to references to CRT, the books were rejected for inclusions of Common Core and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics, according to the department. The highest number of books rejected were for grade levels K-5, where 71% were not appropriately aligned with Florida standards or included prohibited topics and unsolicited strategies, the department said.
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No. 4 - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that he will call a special session of the legislature to address rising property insurance rates in the state.
The Republican governor said the special legislative session will occur in May and focus mainly on the “reform of the property insurance market" but could address other topics. He said he would sign a proclamation this week containing meeting dates and additional details. DeSantis said the goal on property insurance would be to “bring some sanity and stabilize and have a functioning market.” The announcement comes amid growing consensus among lawmakers to address spiking rates and other problems in the state's property insurance market. Attempts to pass legislation around property insurance failed during the regular legislative session in the GOP-controlled statehouse earlier this year.
No. 5 - Cruise customers were rocked in 2020 by the pandemic. At the time, no sail orders were issued, cruise operations began to delay expeditions and some cruises were canceled altogether.
Many passengers received cruise refunds, but NBC 6 Responds heard from consumers who had difficulty receiving refunds from previously purchased cruises. The Federal Maritime Commission also heard from frustrated customers. The commission is tasked with regulating US-based sea travel across the globe. As a result, the FMC is amending its regulations governing non-performance by Passenger Vessel Operators and establishing new requirements for when cruise passengers should be provided refunds for canceled or delayed voyages. Click here for more on what this means in a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Sasha Jones.
No. 6 - The marching band at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has been selected to perform in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
A Macy's spokesperson announced Monday that the Eagle Regiment will represent the state of Florida in its first appearance at the annual parade in New York City. Macy's also presented the Eagle Regiment with a $10,000 fundraising kickoff. The band will spend the next 18 months planning for their appearance through rehearsals and creative fundraising events.
