News You Should Know

6 to Know: Community Excited as South Florida Named Among World Cup Host Sites

It’s Friday, June 17th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

It’s Friday, June 17th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.

No. 1 - A Florida correctional officer has been arrested in Miami-Dade after he was accused of sexual battery on a male inmate.

David Colin Thomas, 54, was arrested Wednesday on a sexual battery by a law enforcement officer charge, according to an arrest report and jail records. According to the report, the 27-year-old inmate said Thomas forced him to perform sexual act on him and tried to force him to have sex with him while they were in the dormitory at the South Florida Reception Center at 14000 Northwest 41st Street. The report said Thomas went to the police's Special Victims Bureau where he provided a statement, but the rest of his admission was redacted from the report. Thomas was arrested and booked into jail before being released on $10,000 bond, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.

No. 2 - Florida is the only state in the country that didn't order COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 from the federal government, as state health officials are recommending against vaccinations for young children.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisers endorsed vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for children as young as 6 months old. Final clearance for vaccines for young children could come as early as this weekend. But the Florida Department of Health said they would not be ordering the vaccines from the federal government, and would instead leave it up to doctors and hospitals to order vaccines themselves. The state health department had previously recommended against vaccinations for children under 5, saying the risks outweigh the benefits.

No. 3 - Miami-Dade County has reached a deal that will allow continued free COVID-19 testing for those without insurance.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced Thursday that the county would extend COVID testing past the July deadline after reaching an agreement with Nomi Health. Free testing for the uninsured was initially expected to end June 30th because of a lack of federal funds, but the deal with Nomi Health will allow free testing to continue. The mayor, along with representatives from Nomi Health, announced the continued partnership in a press conference Thursday afternoon.

No. 4 -First, it was events like the Super Bowl, college football title games and even a Formula 1 race. Now, Hard Rock Stadium can add another top sports event to its resume.

The Miami Gardens stadium was selected Thursday to host games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Florida was one of 16 sites selected. Miami joins other U.S. cities Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey in hosting games. The 2026 World Cup will be expanded to 48 countries taking part. In addition to the 11 sites in the United States selected by soccer's governing body, three other sites in Mexico and two in Canada were selected.

No. 5 - Prices are on the rise for everything from food to housing. It is forcing many to tighten their budgets, and some prospective retirees may be reconsidering their plans.

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show inflation accelerated in May, rising 8.6% from a year ago. A recent study from Nationwide Retirement Institute shows more than one in 10 people near retirement age have already postponed or are considering postponing plans to retire. More people retired during the COVID-19 pandemic than expected, said Mihaela Pintea an associate professor of economics at Florida International University. But rising inflation, a changing stock market, and a hot housing market are creating pause for those looking to retire in the near future. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Sasha Jones.

No. 6 - Broward County Animal Care, commonly known as the animal shelter, is full of dogs, and they’re almost all abandoned pets.

“We are over capacity,” said Emily Wood, director of the agency. “Animals left in backyards, animals whose caretakers are overwhelmed and they’ve gotten out of a fence, those sorts of things, we have almost 120 animals in our building, almost all of them are from situations like that.” Wood says Miami-Dade County is experiencing the same situation at their shelter. Lori Jacoby, an animal rescue volunteer, says it’s a sign of the times. The dogs at the shelter shouldn’t be there, but when rent goes sky high, sometimes pets get left behind when people move out. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Ari Odzer.

Contact Us