It’s Tuesday, November 30th - and NBC 6 has your top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A heart-stopping video out of Davie last week shows a car jumping the curb and crash into two people leaving a store.
In the surveillance video, a man and a woman open the door and walk out of the America Latina Market, when suddenly, they’re staring into bright headlights and were violently hit by a car. The impact lifted them into the air before slamming them into the wall and door - tumbling on the ground. The driver then backs up and one of the victims stands up, seemingly confused. Seconds later, the driver gets out of the car, with her hand on her head - also confused, concerned, and looks like she's in disbelief. The store owner says the victims had minor injuries but were taken to the hospital and that the driver was given a ticket. Click here to see the heart stopping video.
No. 2 - Electric scooters are back in Miami, but not without some changes.
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The city of Miami had suspended electric scooters earlier in November, but commissioners voted 3-1 Monday to reinstate the old scooter program. Commissioner discussed several safety measures with the reinstated program, such as the number of scooters permitted at one time, requiring the use of helmets, and how many fines would be issued for those violating the new rules. The reinstated old scooter program ends on Jan. 5, but the new program is now in the works. The commission will reconvene on Dec. 9 to vote on the implementation of the safety measures for the new and improved scooter program, and then again on Jan. 13 for the final vote.
No. 3 - The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on the early evidence, saying the mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with “severe consequences.”
The assessment from the U.N. health agency, contained in a technical paper issued to member states, amounted to WHO's strongest, most explicit warning yet about the new version that was first identified days ago by researchers in South Africa. It came as a widening circle of countries around the world reported cases of the variant and moved to slam their doors in an act-now-ask-questions-later approach while scientists race to figure out just how dangerous the mutant version might be. Japan announced it is barring entry to all foreign visitors, joining Israel in doing so. Morocco banned all incoming flights. Other countries, including the U.S. and members of the European Union, have moved to prohibit travelers arriving from southern Africa.
Local
No. 4 - North Miami Beach Police detectives, working with the FBI, have located a missing 15-year-old girl hundreds of miles away, in Philadelphia, after she vanished Saturday morning.
Police Chief Richard Rand said in a news conference that Jeimy Henrriquez met a stranger online, and that man took the girl away while her mom was at work. Ana Quintanilla told us in Spanish she feels guilty that as a single mom, she has no choice but to leave her daughter alone while she works. Quintanilla said Jeimy was extremely unhappy and therefore, especially vulnerable. She said she was very happy and relieved when police told her they had found Jeimy alive. To hear more and to find out how you can keep your kids safe when playing online, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Ari Odzer.
No. 5 - Tablets, video games, and laptops are hot items this shopping season and may be among the gifts your child will receive this holiday.
As children become more connected, they may become easy targets for scammers. Child ID theft is becoming more common, according to a recent study. According to a study from Javelin Strategy and Research, $918 million in child identity fraud losses were reported in the last year during the pandemic. Parents can prevent their kids from becoming a victim of fraud by limiting their internet access, Tracy Kitten, the director of fraud and security with Javelin Strategy and Research, said. Click here for more tips in a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Sasha Jones.
No. 6 - Miami police know their off-duty employment program is ripe for abuse. Audits have found it can’t keep track of all hours worked or money paid, and it risks public safety as tired officers work more hours per day than allowed.
But, despite repeated warnings and promises by the city to address the problems, the city has once again reneged on its promise to reform an operation that has funneled an estimated $1.5 million a month to officers who work special events and private security jobs on the side. Since 2016, the city’s auditor general has twice revealed how defective and unaccountable the so-called “extra-duty employment program” is, and each time the city has vowed to make corrections, only to later fail to do so. Click here to find out why in a report from NBC 6 investigator Tony Pipitone.
