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. Rallies in support of protesters in Cuba spring up in South Florida
Cuban Americans voicing their support for the Cuban people amid protests on the island nation blocked the southbound lanes of I-95 in West Palm Beach for nearly an hour on Tuesday.
The rally backed up traffic for hours as approximately 150 to 200 people gathered holding signs, Cuban flags, and asked for a "Free Cuba." They're protesting against the Cuban government as the island suffers through worsening conditions, a deadly wave of COVID-19 pandemic, along a lack of food, medicine, and basic essentials.
Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Miami Tuesday afternoon where he held a roundtable discussion that focused on the ongoing protests in Cuba. DeSantis didn't answer questions about how his championed "anti-riot" law prohibits protesters from blocking roads, but expressed his support for protesters in Cuba.
2. Indian River County becomes 'Second Amendment sanctuary'
County commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution that they say reaffirms they will not enforce any laws that they feel could threaten gun rights.
Indian River County joins 44 other Florida counties that have taken similar action.
The resolution doesn't have teeth like a law, but supporters still hope it sends a strong message to Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., about where their community stands when it comes to gun rights.
3. President Biden calls on lawmakers to protect 'sacred right to vote'
President Joe Biden warned Tuesday that the country was facing a choice between "democracy or autocracy" following the passage of restrictive voting laws by nearly two dozen states and took direct aim at former President Donald Trump's role in spreading misinformation about the 2020 election.
"More than 80 judges, including those appointed by my predecessor, heard the arguments. In every case, neither cause nor evidence was found to undermine the national achievement of administering this historic election in the face of such extraordinary challenges," said Biden.
Calls for the White House to do more intensified after Senate Republicans blocked voting rights legislation last month, laying bare the limited options Democrats in Congress have without removing the filibuster, which would allow them to use their narrow majority to pass a voting rights bill.
4. Pope Francis seen leaving hospital 10 days after surgery
Pope Francis left the hospital in Rome on Wednesday where he had planned intestinal surgery 10 days ago, the Vatican said in a statement.
The pontiff, who is 84 years old, stopped to pray at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on his way home, Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni said in the statement.
Francis had half of his colon removed for a severe narrowing of his large intestine on July 4, his first major surgery since he became pope in 2013.
5. Palm Beach County schools Superintendent Dr. Donald Fennoy resigning
In a letter to parents and staff members on Tuesday, Fennoy said he will step down effective Oct. 11, roughly two months after the 2021/22 academic year begins on Aug. 10.
A spokeswoman for the School District of Palm Beach County said Fennoy is resigning to spend more time with his family, not to take another job.
School Board Vice Chair Karen Brill hinted the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on Fennoy, who drew the anger of parents who were against his mask mandate in schools.
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On This Day In History
Today is Bastille Day! On July 14, 1789, Parisian revolutionaries and mutinous troops storm and dismantle the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs. This dramatic action signaled the beginning of the French Revolution.
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