Parkland families, school district reach $25 million settlement
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The families of 52 people killed, injured or traumatized during the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High have reached a $25 million settlement with the Broward School District, the lawyer for the families confirmed Monday.
While the terms have been reached, the settlement agreement is still being drafted, said attorney David Brill. The largest payments will go to the 17 families whose children or spouses were killed, and they will each receive an equal amount. Brill would not provide further detail on amounts or how the money will be divided.
The settlement could end a 3 1/2 year battle between the school district and family members of victims, who alleged the school district’s negligence contributed to a troubled former student walking onto the campus on Valentine’s Day 2018 and killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.
“It’s a fair and frankly remarkable result,” Brill said. “It gives the families a measure of justice and accountability.”
The office of Kathy Koch, chief communications officer for the Broward School District, acknowledged a request for comment. “A member of our staff will follow up with you as soon as possible.”
Brill said the parties have worked out an arrangement that will enable the families to collect without having to wait for approval from the Florida Legislature, which is the normal process for a government settlement over $300,000. He declined to provide specifics.
The settlement is “painful money” that provides little solace, said Andrew Pollack, who became a fierce critic of the school district after his daughter Meadow was killed.
“It’s hard to talk about money because your daughter was murdered,” he said. “How could you be happy about it?”
—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Unrestricted online gambling begins Tuesday in Connecticut
HARTFORD, Conn. — Unrestricted online gambling in Connecticut begins Tuesday, inaugurating the broadest expansion of legalized wagering in the state since the two Native American casinos opened in the 1990s.
The state Department of Consumer Protection authorized the launch of online sports wagering and iCasino to begin at 6 a.m. Tuesday following a one-week limited trial.
The Connecticut Lottery Corp., Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribe may begin offering online wagering to adults 21 and older through their online gaming operating partners. The Lottery has partnered with Rush Street Interactive, the Mohegan Sun is working with FanDuel, and Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequots, has partnered with DraftKings.
The two tribes also may offer iCasino. More than 130 games have been approved by the Department of Consumer Protection for both the FanDuel and DraftKings apps.
Gov. Ned Lamont, who negotiated the terms of the broadened gambling rules with the two Native American tribes, said it’s one of the “fastest state implementations of online gaming and sports wagering of any state in the nation.”
The Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots agreed to a change in their compacts with the state that had guaranteed exclusive gambling rights in exchange for a 25% tax on slot machine revenue.
—Hartford Courant
Florida police officer, 28, killed in clash with teenage suspect
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Officer Yandy Chirino, 28, a four-year veteran of the Hollywood Police Department, died after being shot Sunday night during an altercation with a teenage suspect.
Police Chief Chris O’Brien’s voice broke as he shared the news of the young officer’s death at a news conference Monday morning.
Chirino had been recognized multiple times in his career and was Officer of the Month in June 2020, O’Brien said, adding that there are no words that can provide comfort for what Chirino’s family is feeling now.
Few details were provided by police about the overnight shooting in the area around the 4000 block of North Hills Drive. They identified the suspect as Jason Banegas, 18.
According to Elliot Kugelman, who lives in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, police had been warning residents that one and possibly two people on bicycles were going through the streets, testing car doors in order to rummage through them.
Kugelman said his son-in-law was contacted to say his car had been rifled through at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
About 2 1/2 hours later, Hollywood police, their SWAT team and officers from neighboring agencies canvassed the area, knocking on doors and going through yards with dogs, searching for suspects.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel
Reps. Price, Doyle join Democrats who won’t be back after 2022
WASHINGTON — The number of House Democrats who won’t be running for reelection next year grew to 13 on Monday with the news that North Carolina’s David Price and Pennsylvania’s Mike Doyle will retire after their current terms.
Price, 81, is a veteran appropriator who used his position to steer federal funding back to universities in his state’s Research Triangle. Doyle, 68, might be best known as the longtime manager for the House Democrats’ baseball team in their annual game for charity against Republicans.
The departures come as Democrats face headwinds in the upcoming midterm election cycle. Republicans need a net gain of five seats to take the majority, and the president’s party traditionally loses seats in the midterms.
Price announced his decision Monday on WRAL-TV. He is chairman of the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee.
First elected to the House in 1987, he has served there since then for all but one term. He lost his 1994 election, but was reelected in 1996. He also serves on the House Budget Committee.
Doyle announced his decision Monday afternoon at a news conference in Pittsburgh.
“I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation,” he said, noting that he chose now to reveal his plans to give potential candidates time to build their campaigns. He said had weighed retirement most of this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic “accelerated” his plans to retire and spend time with his wife.
—CQ-Roll Call
