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5 Things To Know On Thursday, December 9, 2021

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Posted at 7:09 AM, Dec 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-09 07:09:27-05

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. Boyfriend of abducted Miami-Dade pregnant woman charged with murder
Police have arrested the boyfriend of a pregnant woman who was abductedin Miami-Dade.

Xavier Johnson has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and battery.

Human remains were found Wednesday during the search, but the Medical Examiner's Office has not positively identified the remains as Andeae Lloyd's.

Boyfriend of abducted Miami-Dade pregnant woman charged with murder

2. Officials approve experimental plan to feed Florida's starving manatees
Manatee populations throughout the Sunshine State are at risk of dying and researchers say lack of food is to blame.

More than 1,000 manatees, about 15 percent of the state’s total population, have died this year.

The record-setting number has sparked a massive response effort from state and federal agencies to feed the manatees lettuce in a way that hydrates them.

Officials approve experimental plan to feed Florida's starving manatees

3. Palm Beach County creates Hispanic majority district
Big changes are coming for District 3 in Palm Beach County now that county commissioners have approved a new boundary map.

The district, which used to include only part of Greenacres, will now include the entire city of Greenacres, Palm Springs, Lake Clare Shores and parts of Lake Worth Beach.

The majority of District 3 is now made up of Hispanic residents, making it the Hispanic majority district.

Palm Beach County creates Hispanic majority district

4. Nikki Fried reprimanded by Florida Commission on Ethics
A state ethics panel found probable cause Florida's agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried violated the law by failing to initially disclose more than $400,000 in lobbying income while announcing a bid for governor.

The Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Fried did not correctly disclose lobbying income on financial forms from 2017 and 2018. A Republican Party official filed a complaint with the ethics board in June after Fried amended her filings to reflect the previously unreported income.

Spokesman Drew Godinich said Fried voluntarily amended the information after her accountant brought it to her attention. He said Fried intends to appeal the decision.

Nikki Fried reprimanded by Florida Commission on Ethics

5. Jury begins deliberating in Josh Duggar child porn trial
A federal jury in Arkansas has begun deliberations in the trial of former reality TV star Josh Duggar, accused of receiving and possessing child pornography.

He was featured on TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," which was pulled in 2015 over revelations that Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter.

Duggar was charged in April after child pornography was discovered on a computer at his workplace.

Josh Duggar
FILE - This is an Aug. 29, 2014 file photo of reality TV star Josh Duggar. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

Today's Forecast
Muggy weather continues through the weekend

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On This Day In History
On December 9, 1979, a commission of scientists declare that smallpox has been eradicated. The disease, which carries around a 30 percent chance of death for those who contract it, is the only infectious disease afflicting humans that has officially been eradicated.

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