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. Florida judge voids US travel mask mandate
A federal judge in Florida has voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials.
The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking.
The CDC recently extended the mask mandate until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus that is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the U.S.
2. Florida rejects 41% of new math textbooks, citing critical race theory among reasons
In a news release, the Florida Department of Education stated 54 out of 132 of the math textbook submissions would not be added to the state's adopted list because they did not adhere to Florida's new standards or contained prohibited topics.
Reasons for rejecting textbooks included references to critical race theory, "inclusions of Common Core, and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics," the release states.
The highest number of books rejected were for grade levels K-5, where an "alarming" 71% were not appropriately aligned with Florida standards or included prohibited topics, the release said.
3. Rent in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach market up 57%
Realtor.com tracks rent prices across the country and recently released data showingthe Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach market had the largest increase in the county.
The median rent in South Florida was just under $3,000 per month in March. That's a 57.2% jump from the previous year and by far the largest percentage increase in the nation.
The median price for a two bedroom rental in South Florida is closer to $3,400 per month.
4. Teen who fell to death from Orlando ride 'not properly secured' in seat
Tyre Sampson, 14, was visiting Central Florida with his friend's family when he fell from the Drop Tower FreeFall ride at ICON Park on March 24.
Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services hired a forensic engineer — Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis — to assist with the investigation. That company has determined the ride's operator made "manual adjustments" to the attraction, resulting in it being "unsafe."
State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said Monday the maximum weight limit for the Drop Tower FreeFall ride is 250 pounds per seat, but Sampson weighed "in excess of 300 pounds."
Thompson added the seat adjustment was made to presumably allow for larger riders, like Sampson, to fit in the seat.
5. Palm Beach County dog earns Guinness World Record
A 21-year-old Chihuahua in Greenacres, Fla., was confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest living dog.
TobyKeith was born on Jan. 9, 2001. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Gisela Shore adopted TobyKeith as a puppy and Shore has housed the dog since it was just a few months old.
TobyKeith still goes on short walks, but has a manageable heart condition.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest dog ever recorded was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey who lived from 1910 until 1939. Bluey died at the age of 29 years and five months.
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On This Day In History
Just after 9 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a massive truck bomb explodes outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The blast collapsed the north face of the nine-story building, instantly killing more than 100 people and trapping dozens more in the rubble. Emergency crews raced to Oklahoma City from across the country, and when the rescue effort finally ended two weeks later the death toll stood at 168 people killed, including 19 young children who were in the building’s day-care center at the time of the blast.
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