Court blocks order involving cruise ships

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pandemic restrictions on Florida-based cruise ships will remain in place after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a previous ruling that sided with a Florida lawsuit challenging the regulations. The one-paragraph decision by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was filed at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, just minutes before a Tampa judge’s previous ruling on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention restrictions was set to take effect. The judges’ issuance of a temporary stay keeps the CDC regulations regarding Florida-based cruise ships in place while the CDC appeals the June decision by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday.

Police: Candle thief used bear mace

MIAMI (AP) — A Florida man stole candles from a mall store and sprayed dozens of patrons with bear mace repellent before escaping, police said. The theft happened Saturday afternoon at a Bath and Body Works store in a mall in the Doral suburb west of Miami, investigators said. The unidentified suspect entered the store, filled a bag with candles and then started spraying people with mace. “This is an only in Miami story,” Doral Police spokesman Rey Valdes told the Miami Herald. “You can’t make this up.” About 35 people were affected. Some were taken to hospitals for treatment, including the store manager, but officials were not sure how many or whether any had to be admitted. Bear mace is a strong irritant to a person’s eyes and respiratory system.

6 shot in Chicago neighborhood

CHICAGO (AP) — Three teenagers and a 12-year-old were among six people who were shot outside a party in Chicago and treated at hospitals for their injuries, police said. Someone opened fire from an SUV on a group of people standing on a sidewalk late Saturday, news outlets reported. The injured included a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the hand; two girls aged 13 and 14 who were shot in their lower backs; a 15-year-old girl who was shot in the lower back and grazed on her head; a 19-year-old woman who was wounded in the lower back; and a 25-year-old man who walked into a hospital with a gunshot wound to the lower back and was treated and released.