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5 Things To Know on Monday, July 4, 2022

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While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!

1. Listeria outbreak linked to Florida ice cream
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak of Listeria infections linked to Florida-based Big Olaf Creamery, the agency said Saturday.

The CDC says consumers who have the ice cream at home should throw it away and clean areas, containers and utensils that may have touched the product.

The CDC reported 23 illnesses, 22 hospitalizations, one death and one pregnancy loss tied to the listeria outbreak.

Listeria outbreak linked to Florida ice cream

2. Judge won't delay Parkland school shooter's sentencing trial
A South Florida judge has refused to delay the sentencing trial of Nikolas Cruz in the 2018 shooting at a high school in which 17 people were killed.

Cruz's lawyers had argued that recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, unleashed "a wave of emotion" nationally that could bias the just-seated jury against him and that the scheduled July 18 start is too soon.

But Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said in a ruling dated Thursday that the lengthy process of seating a jury did not reveal any problems related to those recent massacres.

Judge denies delay in Parkland shooter's sentencing trial

3. Uvalde schools' police chief resigns from City Council
The Uvalde school district's police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Chief Pete Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News Friday that his resignation is "the best decision for Uvalde."

The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety told a Senate hearing last month that Arredondo made "terrible decisions" as the massacre unfolded on May 24 , and that the police response was an "abject failure."

Texas School Shooting
Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo, third from left, stands during a news conference outside of the Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

4. Kinzinger says "way more information" coming in Jan. 6 hearings
Rep. Adam Kinzinger says more evidence is emerging in the House's Jan. 6 investigation that lends support to recent testimony that President Donald Trump wanted to join an angry mob that marched to the Capitol where they rioted.

At least two more hearings are scheduled this month that aim to show how Trump illegally directed a violent mob toward the Capitol on Jan. 6, and then failed to take quick action to stop the attack once it began.

The committee also has been reviewing new documentary film footage of Trump’s final months in office, including interviews with Trump and members of his family.

Capitol Riot Investigation
A video of former President Donald Trump speaking is displayed as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, June 13, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)

5. Meningitis-causing giant African land snail detected in Florida
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services confirmed the detection of the giant African land snail in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County last week.

According to the FDACS, these snails "pose a serious health risk to humans by carrying the parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis in humans."

They're also known to cause extensive damage to Florida's agriculture and have twice been eradicated. The last live snail in Florida was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2017.

Meningitis-causing giant African land snail detected in Florida

Today's Forecast
Hot and humid, but mainly dry for fireworks tonight

First Alert Weather Forecast for Morning of Monday, July 4, 2022

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On This Day In History
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the independence of the United States of America from Great Britain and its king.

Remember, you can join Mike Trim and Ashleigh Walters every weekday on WPTV NewsChannel 5 beginning at 4:30 a.m. And you can always watch the latest news from WPTV anytime on your favorite streaming device. Just search for "WPTV."