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. Doctor living in South Florida arrested in Haiti president's assassination
Investigators said one of the masterminds behind the assassination of the Haitian president was a doctor living in South Florida. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, is accused of being one of the ringleaders.
Haiti's police chief said Sanon flew to Haiti in June on a private plane with political objectives. The chief said Sanon was working with a private firm to recruit Colombian mercenaries, and Sanon was the first person the attackers called after the president was shot last week.
Investigators said the killers posed as DEA agents, and at least 29 people were involved, including 18 Colombians and three Haitian-Americans with ties to Florida
2. Rallies held across South Florida for Cuba
Demonstrators have taken to the streets in Cuba protesting against the government of Miguel Diaz Canel as the island suffers through worsening conditions, a deadly wave of COVID-19 pandemic, along a lack of food, medicine, and basic essentials.
In turn, authorities blocked social media sites in an apparent effort to stop the flow of information into, out of and within the beleaguered nation.
The demonstrators appear to have American support as several rallies have taken place across South Florida and President Joe Biden called the protests in Cuba “remarkable” and a “clarion call for freedom.”
3. At least 94 dead in Surfside condo collapse as recovery operation continues
Nearly three weeks after the deadly and devastating collapse of a Surfside condominium building, authorities on Monday said it's getting more difficult to identify the remains of victims as time goes on.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said four additional bodies were found in the rubble since Sunday, bringing the death toll to 94. Of those, 83 victims have been identified.
Officials said they're estimating that all of the victims will eventually be pulled from the rubble over the next 14 to 21 days. The unrelenting search has resulted in the removal of more than 14 million pounds of concrete and debris.
4. Florida breaks annual manatee death record in first 6 months
More manatees have died already this year than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, state officials said.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that 841 manatee deaths were recorded between Jan. 1 and July 2, breaking the previous record of 830 that died in 2013 because of an outbreak of toxic red tide.
The TCPalm website reports that more than half the deaths have died in the Indian River Lagoon and its surrounding areas in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
5. Texas Democrats leave state to try to stop GOP voting bill
The cross-country exodus was the second time that Texas Democratic lawmakers have staged a walkout on the voting overhaul, a measure of their fierce opposition to proposals they say will make it harder for young people, people of color and people with disabilities to vote.
Democrats’ decision to hole up in Washington is aimed at ratcheting up pressure on President Joe Biden and Congress to act on voting at the federal level.
Biden is set to deliver a major address on the issue Tuesday in Philadelphia, after facing growing criticism for taking what some on the left call too passive a role in the fight.
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On This Day In History
On July 13, 2013, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter first appears, sparking a movement. Outraged and saddened after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed a Black teenager in 2012, Alicia Garza posts a message on Facebook containing the phrase "Black lives matter," which soon becomes a rallying cry and a movement throughout the United States and around the world.
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