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MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE DEEP-WATER HORIZON DUMPED MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF OIL INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO--
FLORIDA IS MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO RESTORE THE HARDEST HIT AREAS.
NBC-2'S CHARLIE KEEGAN HAS MORE ON THIS UNPRECENDENTED PROGRAM--
TO REIMBUSE COUNTIES ALONG THE GULF COAST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DAMAGE FROM the SPILL.
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OIL SPEWING FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR AND TAR BALLS WASHING ON SHORE, RUINED AN ECOSYSTEM AND BROUGHT THE GULF COAST TO ITS KNEES.
"we were very worried about them being able to cap off the well. Once that occurred, we then sat back and realized there were going to be some ecological and, certainly, financial issues." Christopher Constance, Charlotte Co. Commissioner
COMMISSIONER CHRISTOPHER CONSTANCE IS JOINING FORCES WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM FLORIDA'S 23 GULF COAST COUNTIES TO MANAGE A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT.
"this is their chance to control their destiny when it comes to the RESTORE Act." Doug Darling, Florida Association of Counties.
THE RESTORE ACT ALLOCATES BETWEEN FIVE AND 20 BILLION DOLLARS TO STATES ALONG THE GULF.
EACH COUNTY IN FLORIDA IS GUARANTEED A CUT. CHARLOTTE COUNTY WILL GET BETWEEN 4 AND 12 MILLION DOLLARS BASED ON ITS POPULATION AND DISTANCE FROM THE OIL RIG.
"This RESTORE Act will be really a shot in the arm to help Florida get back where it needs to be." Doug Darling, Florida Association of Counties.
ON TOP OF THE GUARANTEED MONEY, EACH COUNTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR A PORTION OF THE ADDITIONAL 500 MILLION DOLLARS DIVIDED UP BY A CONSORTIUM OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
"if we don't do this, our fear is the legislature will do it for us which means a lot of this money will go to the state. We want to keep it local with the affected counties." Christopher Constance, Charlotte Co. Commissioner
TODAY, COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO APPOINT CONSTANCE TO THAT CONSORTIUM.
"it is critically important all of the gulf counties stick together and come up with this comprehensive restoration plan." Doug Darling, Florida Association of Counties.
THE FEDERAL government WILL ISSUE GUIDELINES ON HOW THE MONEY CAN BE USED.
IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, CHARLIE KEEGAN, NBC-2.
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SPOKE TO THE UNITED NATIONS TODAY.
HE STARTED BY CONDEMNING THE KILLING OF U-S AMBASSADOR CHRIS STEVENS IN LIBYA.
THE PRESIDENT ASKED WORLD LEADERS TO BE UNITED IN THE PREVENTION OF MORE ATTACKS
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"The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America. We are grateful for the assistance we received from the Libyan government and the Libyan people. And there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice."
MR OBAMA ALSO TALKED TOUGH ON IRAN AND ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS--
AND SAID THE TIMETABLE FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION IS RUNNING OUT.
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MITT ROMNEY LAID OUT HIS VISION FOR FOREIGN AID--
DURING AN ADDRESS TO THE CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE TODAY.
ROMNEY RECEIVED A WARM INTRODUCTION.
HE EVEN JOKED THAT A FEW WORDS FROM THE FORMER PRESIDENT--
CAN GIVE A CANDIDATE A BOUNCE IN THE POLLS!
ROMNEY ANNOUNCED HIS PLANS FOR A "PROSPERITY PACT"- LINKING FOREIGN AID TO NATIONS ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO A POSITIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE.
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THAT FAST-GROWING WILDFIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS TURNED DEADLY.
FIREFIGHTERS PULLED THE BODY OF A MAN--
OUT OF HIS CHARRED HOME.
SO FAR THE FIRE HAS BURNED MORE THAN 3-THOUSAND ACRES--
DESTROYED AT LEAST 25-HOMES.
AND FORCED HUNDREDS INTO EMERGENCY SHELTERS.
HERE'S BRANDI HITT.
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NATS -
FAST MOVING FLAMES FROM THE SHOCKEY WILDFIRE.
NATS -
. HAVE KEPT FIRE CREWS IN SOUTHEASTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ON THEIR TOES FOR
THREE DAYS.
SOT- Russ Adams, Resident / "It was just flames that came up over the top.
. I couldn't believe it. I thought I was dead."
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS FIRE HAS TURNED DEADLY.
FIREFIGHTERS RECOVERED THE BODY OF A MAN FOUND INSIDE HIS BURNED HOME.
NEIGHBORS SAY 82-YEAR-OLD CARSON ROBINSON ONLY HAD ONE LEG AND REFUSED TO
LEAVE, DESPITE EVACUATION ORDERS.
SOT- Robbie Richard San Marcos Fire Department / "Looks like they tried 3
times to do reverse 911 calls. A neighbor might've actually tried
to bang on his door to get them, to get the gentleman to evacuate." 7
AND *THIS* FIRE SEASON. IS ON TRACK TO BECOME THE WORST IN A DECADE.
SO FAR. MORE THAN 8.6 MILLION ACRES HAVE BURNED.
SOT - Bernie Rayno, AccuWeather "There's no question drought has played a
role in the fires. I think the big thing about how dry it's been is that the
fires have been much bigger." 8
AND THE *COST* OF BATTLING THE FIRES OUT WEST IS SKYROCKETING.
UTAH WASHINGTON. AND CALIFORNIA HAVE ALREADY BURNED THROUGH THEIR
FIREFIGHTING BUDGETS
.WITH CALIFORNIA'S FIRE COSTS TOPPING 143 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE LAST
THREE MONTHS.
NATS -
MANY FAMILIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ARE NOW RETURNING HOME. TO FIND THEY'VE
LOST EVERYTHING.
SOT- Woman / "It's hard. We don't have nothing to come back to.
" 3
WITH DOZENS OF HOMES. STILL IN THE WILDFIRE'S PATH.
SOT- Man / "It's heartbreaking, ya know? It's heartbreaking." 2
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BRANDI HITT REPORTING.
WILDFIRE SEASON IN CALIFORNIA IS FAR FROM OVER.
TYPICALLY OCTOBER IS ONE OF THE WORST MONTHS FOR FIRES.
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POLICE MADE AN ARREST IN THE CASE OF THE MISSING UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT.
A FORMER CLASSMATE--
PEDRO BRAVO APPEARED IS CHARGED WITH "DEPRIVING A CRIME VICTIM OF MEDICAL CARE".
AUTHORITIES SAY BRAVO LAST SAW AGUILAR ON THURSDAY--
AND HAS CHANGED HIS STORY *THREE* TIMES--
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY AGUILAR DISAPPEARED.
THE JUDGE ORDERED HIM HELD ON 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND.
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THE U-S SUPREME COURT WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF BLOOD ALCOHOL TESTS.
AT ISSUE--
IS WHETHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MUST GET A WARRANT--
BEFORE ORDERING A BLOOD TEST ON AN UNWILLING DRUNKEN DRIVING SUSPECT.
THE ISSUE HAS DIVIDED FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS.
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MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING SO FAST--
IT'S MADE OPERATIONS ONCE CONSIDERED DIFFICULT
EASY FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE.
A NEW STUDY PROVES THAT.
THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS GETTING TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS HAS "SKYROCKETED"--
AND AS ERIKA EDWARS REPORTS THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT.
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THIS IS HOW A LOT OF AGING ADULTS WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THEIR FREE TIME.
BUT A GOOD JUMP SHOT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE WITH THE INTENSE PAIN OF ARTHRITIS.
NOW NEW RESEARCH FINDS THE NUMBER OF TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS HAS SHOT UP IN THE PAST 20 YEARS -- MAINLY BECAUSE OF AN AGING BUT ACTIVE POPULATION.
"They have limitations in distance that they can walk, and the ability to do stairs."
DR. BRIAN WOLF AND COLLEAGUES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUND THE NUMBER OF TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS AMONG MEDICARE PATIENTS WENT FROM 93-THOUSAND IN 1991. TO MORE THAN 240-THOUSAND IN 2010. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 161-PERCENT.
"How's it feeling?"
THE STUDY ONLY LOOKED AT MEDICARE PATIENTS. AND BECAUSE KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERIES ARE ALSO PERFORMED ON THOSE YOUNGER THAN AGE 65 -- WHEN MEDICARE KICKS IN -- MANY EXPERTS SAY THE NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY QUITE HIGHER.
"The numbers in the study, while impressive, really only represent a small portion of what we're actually going to be seeing down the road in terms of these procedures."
WITH AN INCREASE IN SURGERIES. COMES AN INCREASE IN COSTS. MEDICARE COVERS THE MAJORITY OF EXPENSES RELATED TO TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS.
"This is part of the overall baby boomer dilemma that medicine is facing not only with knee replacements but with a lot of medical issues that are going to be coming forward over the next 20 years."
BUT 20 YEARS IS OFTEN THE ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM LIFESPAN OF A KNEE REPLACEMENT -- RAISING THE LIKELIHOOD MANY PATIENTS WILL NEED ADDITIONAL SURGERIES.
ERIKA EDWARDS, NBC NEWS.
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NO ONE IS BEHIND THE WHEEL.LITERALLY.
THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA TODAY SIGNED A BILL TO MAKE *DRIVERLESS* CARS "STREET LEGAL"!
GOOGLE'S SELF-DRIVING CAR HAS COMPUTER CONTROLLED PEDALS AND STEERING--
WHICH ARE GUIDED BY CAMERAS, GPS AND OTHER SENSORS.
RIGHT NOW--
SOMEONE STILL HAS TO BE IN THE CAR TO TAKE OVER IF NEEDED.
BUT TESTS SHOW THAT'S *RARE*!
THE STATE IS IN THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING *RULES*--
TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION OF A VEHICLE OPERATOR.
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DADDY DAUGHTER DANCES ARE AN AMERICAN TRADITION.
BUT *NOT* IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT JUST BANNED THEM!
WHY?
ONE WOMAN.
FORGET MEGA MANSIONS.
LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING LIKE HOTCAKES IN SAN FRANCISCO--
MICRO HOMES!!!
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DADDY DAUGHTER DANCES ARE NOW A THING OF THE PAST AT ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN RHODE ISLAND.
THE DISTRICT BANNED THEM LAST NIGHT--
AFTER *ONE* WOMAN COMPLAINED THAT THE DANCE WAS "GENDER SPECIFIC".
THAT ALSO MEANS THE MOTHER SON BASEBALL GAME IS GONE TOO.
AS T-J WINICK EXPLAINS--
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALLY UPSET.
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Just like in the former ABC TV Show "According to Jim".
NATS
I'm not a very good dancer. Sorry if I step on one of your toes.
Father-Daughter dances have been a slice of Americana.
NATS Camera clicks or flashbulbs
SOT CRANSTON PARENT
I've attended the father daughter dances. my wife has done mother son
bowling.
But don't go looking for those activities in Cranston, Rhode Island.after
they were all officially banned.
That's because the school district was sued by the ACLU. after a single
mother took issue with the gender specific nature of a dance that happened
in May.
SOT CAROLYN MARK/HELPED FILE COMPLAINT
I think we really do a disservice to the kids when we create gender
stereotypes or when we create any event that might make a family feel
excluded
In response to that challenge earlier this year the school district changed
policy and declared an end to gender specific dances, and last night the
committee upheld that ban.though they did pass a resolution asking the
State legislature to change the law.
Even so, the Rhode Island General Assembly doesn't reconvene until January.
SOT DR. JUDITH LUNDSTEN/CANSTON SUPERINTENDENT
We were the ones the aclu decided to take to task for it, and rightly so if
that's the law, and we will now abide by the law.
So far, the state's governor has remained non-committal.
SOT GOVERNOR LINCOLN CHAFEE/ RHODE ISLAND
Times are changing and we just have to be sensitive to all of the issues.
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T-J WINICK REPORTING.
FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATION ON THE BASIS OF GENDER--
BUT THE LAW PROVIDES AN EXCEPTION FOR "MOTHER-DAUGHTER" AND "FATHER-SON" ACTIVITIES.
RHODE ISLAND'S STATE LAW HAS NO SUCH EXEMPTION.
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THE FINISH TO LAST NIGHT'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME HAS *EVERYONE* TALKING!
04;53;02 Come on, have some humanity. For goodness sakes, put them out of their misery!
OK.HAS EVERYONE SCREAMING.
WE'LL SHOW YOU THE PLAY THAT SPARKED THIS OUTRAGE!
AND DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOUR CHILD WANTS AN ALLIGATOR AT HIS OR HER NEXT BIRTHDAY PARTY!
THEY ARE ALL THE RAGE IN FLORIDA!
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THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.
IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.
CLOUDS CONTINUE - SHOWERS ON THE WAY
A lot of moisture continues to ride over south Florida and we can expect skies to stay mostly cloudy tonight. The temperatures will drop to the lower 70's tonight as only a few showers pop up on radar after sunset. There is a frontal boundary still draped across the area and this front will gradually move toward us tomorrow. This would argue for more showers on Wednesday, and possibly a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Although it's not clear-cut in the computer models for tomorrow, I would not be surprised to see a few showers before noon as well. Our warm and humid weather will continue tomorrow with a high in the upper 80's - just shy of 90 degrees.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week it appears that we have several more days of variably cloudy skies and scattered rain showers or storms. With a bit more sunshine in play we should top out around 90 on Thursday, Friday and through the weekend. The long-range forecast shows another front moving in on Monday next week. Right now it looks like this would mean more showers next week but not cooler weather or a drop in humidity.
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NOW TO A STORY THAT HAS JUST ABOUT EVERYONE TALKING TODAY -
TAKE A LOOK -
IT'S THE CONTROVERSIAL ENDING TO LAST NIGHT'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AND SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
LAST PLAY OF THE GAME.
2 REFS SIDE BY SIDE - ONE SAYS IT WAS AN INTERCEPTION.THE RIGHT CALL - THE OTHER REF SAID IT WAS A GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN FOR THE SEAHAWKS.
NBC2 ANCHOR HEATHER TURCO HAS MORE ON THE NFL'S INTEGRITY CRISIS.
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THE NFL AND IT'S COMMISSIONER ROGER GOODELL ANNOUNCED TODAY - THE SCORE STANDS.
BUT AS YOU SAID COACHES, PLAYERS AND FANS *CAN'T STAND IT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE SCORE WON'T CHANGE - IT DOESN'T MEAN THE NFL OR THE REFS GOT IT RIGHT.
AND IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME.
AND *THAT'S MAKING FOR SOME EMPHATIC OPINIONS FOR LOCAL SPORTS TALK GUYS.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH ESPN SPORTS RADIO HOST, DAVE MOULTON OF THE MILLER AND MOULTON SHOW.
DESPITE THE AGGRAVATION, DAVE BELIEVES THERE'S A LOT OF COMPASSION FOR THESE REPLACEMENT REFS.
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TC 04:50:53-04
DAVE/it's not their fault they're doing these games.this shouldn't have happened.i mean I feel badly for these guys.getting humiliated on monday night football.national tv.
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AND DAVE'S NOT ALONE IN HIS THINKING.
REFS ARE PAID TO GET IT RIGHT - AND IN THE NFL - THERE'S A LOT AT STAKE.
AND WHILE THE FOOTBALL SEASON MAY HAVE STARTED OUT OK - IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD NOW, AND MANY BELIEVE IT'S GETTING WORSE.
AND AS YOU'VE SEEN - IT COST A TEAM A WIN.
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Jon Gruden
This is comical to me really/these are two of the worst calls at the end of
a football game I can remember.
AFTER THE GAME, PACKERS HEAD COACH MIKE MCCARTHY DIDNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE OFFICIATING.
Mike McCarthy SOT
I know it's been an unusual week in the NFL, and I guess we're part of it
now.
BUT HIS QUARTERBACK DIDN'T HOLD BACK:
Aaron Rodgers SOT
It was awful. Just look at the replay.
THE CONTROVERSIAL CALL BY THE REPLACEMENT REFS IS JUST THE LATEST TO ENRAGE
PLAYERS, COACHES AND FANS.
THE NFL IS LOCKED IN A LABOR DISPUTE WITH THE REGULAR REFEREESSO THE LEAGUE
HAS BEEN USING REPLACEMENTS WHO CAME FROM THE COLLEGE LEVEL AND ARENA LEAGUE
.
Ron Jaworski SOT
they're just no way in a short period of time, they can develop the skill
set that is absolutely necessary to be consistent with officiating an nfl
game
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LAST NIGHT--
A GREEN BAY PLAYER PUT THE LEAGUE COMMISSIONER'S PHONE NUMBER ON
FACEBOOK - AND TOLD FANS TO SPEAK OUT.
EVEN THE PRESIDENT VOICED HIS OPINION.
HE SAID ON TWITTER--
"NFL FANS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HOPE THE REFS' LOCKOUT IS SETTLED SOON.".
WISCONSIN IS A SWING STATE--
SO SUPPORTING GREEN BAY FANS IS IN POLITICALLY IMPORTANT!
MEANTIME - LAS VEGAS ODDSMAKERS SAY MORE THAN 300 MILLION DOLLARS CHANGED HANDS BECAUSE OF THE BLOWN CALL.
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HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PICK UP YOUR PACKAGES AT YOUR LOCAL 7 ELEVEN?
IT'S AN IDEA THAT COULD BE COMING TO A CONVENIENCE STORE NEAR YOU.
ON LINE RETAILER IS AMAZON THINKING ABOUT SETTING UP LOCKERS LIKE THESE IN STORES.
WHERE CUSTOMERS COULD PICK-UP THEIR AMAZON ORDERS.
SECURITY IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE IDEA--
SINCE A FRONT PORCH IS TEMPTING TO THEIVES.
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"Security is a big appeal as well as peace of mind for consumers saying, you know what, I don't have the pressure now that I have to be home between 9 and 5 PM. I can have it delivered, I have this special pass code and I'll get it when I'm ready."
THE IDEA STARTED IN SEATTLE--
BUT ARE NOW UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST.
YOU ONLY HAVE 3 DAYS TO PICK UP YOUR ORDER--
OR IT'S SHIPPED BACK.
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CHECK OUT WHAT SAN FRANCISCO IS DOING TO FIND EXTRA LIVING SPACE.
THEY'RE CALLED *MICRO* APARTMENTS.
THEY'RE ONLY 220-SQUARE FEET!
THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PARKING SPACE!
THE CITY'S BOARD OF SUPERVISERS CLAIMS IT PROVIDES CHEAPER HOUSING--
FOR RESIDENTS WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE THERE.
NEW YORK CITY AND BOSTON ARE CONSIDERING SIMILAR HOUSING OPTIONS.
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FORGET THE MAGICIAN--
OR THE PONY--
HOW ABOUT AN ALLIGATOR AT YOUR CHILD'S NEXT BIRTHDAY PARTY!!
MARK RUBENSTEIN LET'S PARENTS *RENT* HIS 4-FOOT BABY ALLIGATOR FOR POOL PARTIES!
THE GATOR'S NAMED "BURGER"--
AND HIS MOUTH IS TAPED SHUT.
RUBENSTEIN SAYS HIS IDEA IS A REALLY BIG HIT WITH THE PARENTS AND OF COURSE THE KIDS.
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you've got the chuck-e- cheese party, you've had the clown party, the bounce party. Well when you say you're going to have a party, that's nice, you say you'll have a pool party, that's nice, but when you say you'll have a pool party with a gator, everyone comes!
EACH OF THE KIDS MUST TAKE A COURSE IN GATOR SAFETY.
RUBENSTIEN DEVELOPED THE IDEA--
AS A WAY TO MAKE MONEY DURING THE SLOW SUMMER SEASON.
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CITIZENS INSURANCE IS BACKED BY THE STATE.
DESIGNED TO TAKE CARE OF FLORIDIANS AFTER A DISASTER--
NOW IT'S TRYING TO DUMP POLICY HOLDERS BY MOVING THEM INTO THE PRIVATE MARKET!
IT'S DESIGNED TO HELP THE STATE--
BUT IS IT RIGHT?
AND ARRESTED FOR ABUSING 9-1-1--
TWO PEOPLE NOW LOCKED UP IN LEE COUNTY IN JUST THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
NEXT AT SIX, WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT TO VALUABLE POLICE RESOURCES.
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THE *FINANCIAL* PICTURE FOR THE U-S POSTAL SERVICE IS DOWNRIGHT DISMAL.
BY SUNDAY--
THE SERVICE IS REQUIRED "BY LAW"--
TO PAY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEARLY *SIX* BILLION DOLLARS.
THE MONEY FUNDS HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR RETIREES.
THIS IS THE *SECOND* TIME THE POST OFFICE HAS DEFAULTED ON A PAYMENT.
IF CONGRESS DOESNT ACT SOON--
THE POST OFFICE WILL BE FORCED TO LAYOFF COURIERS AND SLASH DELIVERY DAYS.
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PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MAIL IF YOU HAVE A POLICY WITH CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE.
STATE REGULATORS RECENTLY APPROVED THE REMOVAL OF THOUSANDS OF POLICIES.
BUT AS NBC-2'S ELIZABETH BILLINGSLEY REPORTS--
YOU HAVE TO ACT IN 30 DAYS OR YOUR POLICY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED TO A PRIVATE INSURER.
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60-THOUSAND FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS NEED TO WATCH THEIR MAILBOXES.
BY OCTOBER 1ST, IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE WITH CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE COMPANY - THEY COULD GET A LETTER LIKE THIS.
THE LETTER WARNS IT IS THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE SENT -- AND IF YOU DON'T RESPOND IN 30 DAYS' YOUR PROPERTY INSURANCE -- COULD BE ASSUMED BY ONE OF THESE COMPANIES.
IT'S PART OF THE LARGEST EFFORT IN YEARS TO "TAKE-OUT" POLICYHOLDERS FROM CITIZENS' ROLLS.
"Frankly, it's probably a good thing to get the state out of the insurance business, and that's what this is all about."
THAT'S LYNNE MCCHRISTIAN WHO WORKS FOR A NON-PROFIT INSURANCE EDUCATION ORGANIZATION - SHE SAYS FLORIDIANS FLOCK TO CITIZENS INSURANCE BECAUSE OF ITS BELOW MARKET RATES, BUT THAT HAS PUT A STRAIN ON THE STATE-RUN INSURANCE COMPANY - WHICH IS SOLVENT ONLY BECAUSE THE STATE HAS DODGED DISASTER.
AND IF DISASTER DOES STRIKE - THEN ALL FLORIDIANS WILL PAY THE PRICE.
-- PAYING FOR THE SHORTFALL AT CLAIMS TIME.
FOR CITIZENS POLICY HOLDERS - THAT MEANS PAYING A PREMIUM UP TO 45 PERCENT HIGHER FOR A YEAR IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR STORM.
"If you have coverage with Citizens Property Insurance, you're at risk to be assessed first, so that the price that you're paying now may not be the final price."
CITIZENS SAYS IT
MCCHRISTIAN NOTES PRIVATE INSURER RATES MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE HIGHER THAN CITIZENS' RATES.
BUT YOU DO NEED TO TAKE ACTION IF YOU WANT TO STAY WITH CITIZENS.
IN LEE COUNTY, ELIZABETH BILLINGSLEY, NBC-2.
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A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL, ATTACKED BY A STRANGER WHILE RIDING HER BIKE.
TONIGHT, HER ATTACKER IS STILL ON THE RUN.
AND IN JUST 90-SECONDS--
TWO NAPLES TEENS SQUARE OFF FOR A FIGHT AFTER SCHOOL.
BRAND NEW VIDEO OF THE FIGHT THAT LANDED ANOTHER PERSON IN JAIL.
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