DeSantis Wants Florida Schools To Crack Down On Explicit Books
(Orlando, FL) -- Governor Ron DeSantis is encouraging Florida schools to crack down on books featuring explicit content. The governor was in Orange County yesterday, where he emphasized that books are not being banned from the state, only from classrooms. The state Board of Education is working to ensure students are not presented with literature promoting sexual ideas and other topics deemed inappropriate. DeSantis says he is working with state lawmakers to address frivolous challenges to reading materials.
Orange County Fires Lobbying Firm
(Orlando, FL) --Orange County will no longer work with a lobbying firm that the mayor says had a disturbing connection with another client. Mayor Jerry Demings announced yesterday he has fired the firm GrayRobinson because of a conflict of interest. An employee with the firm was also working with Orlando Democratic State Senator Linda Stewart on legislation that Demings said went against the county's best interest. That bill would have made it harder for the county to cut Visit Orlando's funding, but it never made it out of the House. The county has been working with GrayRobinson since 2018, and the county was paying them 72-thousand dollars a year.
Brevard County Business Owner Grateful For Help Finding Thief
(Titusville, FL) --A Brevard County business owner is praising residents who helped catch a thief. A man was arrested Wednesday for robbing the Honeysuckle restaurant in Titusville. The sheriff's office says Titusville's Christopher McIntosh, was posing as a Door Dash driver waiting for an order on Monday. When employees went into the back to get his order, he allegedly grabbed a candy bar, a soda and over one hundred dollars from the tip jar and took off. Owner Mandy Amos posted surveillance video on Facebook to see if anyone recognized him, and she got what she calls an outpouring of responses in just a couple hours. She contacted deputies, who found McIntosh and arrested the 33-year-old on Wednesday. Amos tells Fox 35 News, the best part was the community was crazy with support, and we couldn't be more thankful.
Rideshare Drivers May Be Illegally Avoiding Toll Payments
(Orlando, FL) --Some rideshare drivers may be cheating their customers and the state. News 6 reported yesterday, that some Uber and Lyft drivers are using bike racks to cover their license plates. That makes the plates unreadable by cameras that need to read the plates to charge the drivers for the tolls. Customers, though, are still being charged the tolls through the rideshare apps, and that money is still going to the driver's account as reimbursement for the tolls they're supposed to be paying. Florida's Turnpike Enterprise tells News 6, what these drivers are doing is against the law. This also violates Uber and Lyft policies that state license plates have to be fully readable so customers can verify they're getting into the right car. Lyft tells News 6, drivers who intentionally obstruct their license plates could be deactivated.
Robbery Suspect Found In Reporter's Yard
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- A man is in custody after he was found hiding from police in a TV reporter's backyard in Broward County. Fort Lauderdale Police were looking for a robbery suspect yesterday when they showed up at NBC 6 reporter Marissa Bagg's house. Police say an officer found a man in her backyard and closed in with his gun drawn until Bagg told him the man was her husband. He went inside the home and police kept looking until they found the wanted man hiding near the shed. He was arrested for allegedly robbing a deli. Bagg's husband tells NBC 6 he's grateful everything turned out OK, and everyone is safe.
Items From Iconic Films Up For Grabs
(Los Angeles, CA) -- Costumes, props, and other items from iconic films are headed to auction this week. Items up for grabs include Hannibal Lecter's mask in "The Silence of the Lambs," Yoda's walking stick from "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," and a hoverboard used by Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future: Part II." Costumes and props from Marvel, Harry Potter and Jurassic Park franchises are also available for purchase. The live auction will take place Friday in Los Angeles and absentee bidding is already underway on Studio Auctions' website, which is the coordinator of the auction.
Today in History
2017, a federal judge tossed out a defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby by a woman claiming the comedian raped her. The woman said Cosby was defaming her by denying her accusations.
2011, IBM super computer Watson emerged as the big winner in a "man versus machine" showdown on TV's "Jeopardy!" Watson out-answered human competitors Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, both former "Jeopardy!" champions, by a wide margin to win the three-day trivia tournament.
1948, NBC Television presented the first daily newsreel telecast.