It’s Thursday, January 7th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Congress affirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election early Thursday morning after a long and tense day on Capitol Hill.
Earlier Wednesday, a violent mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol and forced lawmakers into hiding, in a stunning attempt to overturn America’s presidential election, undercut the nation’s democracy and keep Biden from replacing Trump in the White House.
The nation’s elected representatives scrambled to crouch under desks and don gas marks, while police futilely tried to barricade the building, one of the most jarring scenes ever to unfold in a seat of American political power. A woman was shot and killed inside the Capitol and three others died after suffering medical emergencies nearby. Washington’s mayor instituted an evening curfew in an attempt to contain the violence.
No. 2 - Florida lawmakers reacted to the news with criticism and condemnations on social media.
"There is nothing patriotic about what is occurring on Capitol Hill. This is 3rd world style anti-American anarchy," Republican Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted.
Fellow Sen. Rick Scott thanked law enforcement for protecting the lawmakers from the demonstrators while also condemning the violence.
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"Everyone has a right to peacefully protest. No one has a right to commit violence. What happened today at the Capitol is disgraceful and un-American. It is not what our country stands for," Scott said.
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No. 3 - The Broward County School Board has legislative priorities, and to communicate its wishlist, the board members invited Broward legislators to a meeting Wednesday to hear their concerns.
It was a chance for board members and school district officials to discuss a variety of issues with the county’s state representatives and state senators, including a call for school staffers to be next in line, after the elderly and frontline health care workers, to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We absolutely believe that our teachers should be near the top of that list as well so they can have the confidence to continue to do their work,” said Superintendent Robert Runcie.
No. 4 - Florida shattered its single-day record for COVID-19 cases, reporting more than 17,700 infections Wednesday.
The 17,783 new confirmed COVID-19 cases brought Florida's total to 1,409,906 since the outbreak began, according to figures released by the state's department of health.
Another 129 virus-related deaths among Florida residents were reported, bringing the total to 22,317 Wednesday. An additional 330 non-resident deaths have been confirmed in the state to-date, three more than were reported on Tuesday. Most of the newly confirmed deaths occurred days or weeks earlier.
No. 5 - A rioter who was fatally shot Wednesday by U.S. Capitol Police when a violent mob loyal to President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol has been identified as a San Diego woman.
Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Ocean Beach resident, was in Washington, D.C., protesting Trump's election defeat, according to her brother-in-law Justin Jackson.
Jackson said he has been in contact with Washington, D.C., Metro Police Department, but said they didn't tell him exactly what happened and said he doesn't know what would have warranted the shooting.
No. 6 - Weatherwise, humidity is still low and winds are light, so get out there and enjoy the day! Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.
