The Point Archives - WUFT News: Recent Episodes
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The stories near you• News Service of Florida: Prosecutors urge prison sentence for former Rep. Joe Harding. “With a sentencing hearing scheduled Sept. 11, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday that former state Rep. Joe Harding, R-Ocala, should be sent to prison for fraudulently applying for business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
• WUFT News: World Equestrian Center Ocala opened free stall space for equine owners during Idalia. “Nearly 2,000 horses across northern Florida sought refuge from the threat of Hurricane Idalia Wednesday after the World Equestrian Center opened its stalls in Ocala to equine evacuees.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville Eight anti-war activists honored 50 years after historic local trial. “Last week, the five surviving defendants of the 1973 Gainesville Eight trial − one of several Nixon-era conspiracy trials aimed at suppressing anti-war activism − returned for another group photo on the courthouse steps.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Pump prices remain steady in wake of Hurricane Idalia. “Fuel consumption is projected to increase as people prepare to travel during Labor Day Weekend.”
• Ocala Gazette: County commission to discuss school board’s impact fee recommendation. “The school board has pushed for impact fees, suspended in 2011 because of the recession, to be reinstated so developers will pay a one-time fee for each new home they build to help offset the financial strain development imposes on school capacity by funding the construction of new schools.”
• The Alligator: Remembering David Flagg – former Gainesville mayor, Florida House representative. “When he wasn’t jumping from planes as an 82nd Airborne lieutenant, the Gainesville native, history buff and diehard Gators football fan served as a Gainesville city commissioner and mayor-commissioner from 1985 to 1988, followed by two terms in the Florida House from 1988 to 1992.”
• Ocala Gazette: Sparr Elementary launches Future Aviators Academy. “For students at Sparr Elementary School, the sky is the limit for careers thanks to a new aviation program that recently took flight.”
• Scheduling note: The Point will return to your inbox on Tuesday, Sept. 5, following the Labor Day holiday.
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: A long recovery begins for rural Taylor County, Florida. “Several hours after Hurricane Idalia hit, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday went to rural Taylor County, where debris, downed trees and some power lines littered the roads.”
• Florida Politics: Duke Energy expects to wrap most restoration efforts this weekend. “With Hurricane Idalia now passed, Duke Energy has completed its damage assessment and determined almost all customers in the hardest hit areas — 95% — will have power back no later than 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Who will pay? OnePULSE stops footing the bill for memorial site upkeep. “OnePULSE terminated its lease for the property earlier this month. The temporary memorial is now back in the hands of its original owners including Barbara Poma.”
• Associated Press: After Jacksonville shootings, historically Black colleges address security concerns, remain vigilant. “The shooting came amid a spate of recent threats to historically Black colleges and universities nationwide.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Flesh-eating bacteria expert says warm water may fuel bacteria. “The bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus is endemic to Florida’s brackish waters and has lived there for many years. The bacteria can cause skin tissue to deteriorate, but infection is rare in humans.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Avoid scams in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, Florida Attorney General warns. “Officials stated that the Price Gouging Hotline and No Scam app remain activated for consumers to report extreme price increases and scams related to recovery efforts.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida, Feds Tangle Over Drug Importation Plan. “With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expected to decide this fall whether Florida can import prescription drugs from Canada, the state this week lashed out after federal officials raised issues such as a requirement for a secured warehouse in Michigan.”
• Miami Herald ($): A Broward ‘Mother Theresa,’ her cronies — and, the feds say, a $190 million Ponzi scheme. “Things have gotten worse for North Lauderdale’s Johanna Garcia in the year since one of her MJ Capital Funding cronies was charged criminally and civilly for being part of a $190 million Ponzi scheme that Garcia is accused of orchestrating.”
From NPR News• Law: Trump pleads not guilty to Georgia election interference charges
• Law: Proud Boys leaders sentenced to a combined 32 years for Jan. 6 riot
• Politics: Age ain’t nothing but a number but for aging lawmakers, it’s raising questions
• Law: Now-released forms reveal more trips gifted to Justice Clarence Thomas by Harlan Crow
• Health: Fact check: Do lower drug prices make it harder for companies to find new treatments?
• National: Marijuana could soon be downgraded from a Schedule 1 drug
• World: Archaeologists in Turkey have identified massive structures below a Roman-era castle
• World: 5 million bees fall off a truck near Toronto and drivers are asked to close windows
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Hurricane Idalia• WUFT News: Photos capture aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Perry and Cedar Key. “WUFT photojournalists made their way to Cedar Key and Perry to report on the damage following the arrival Wednesday morning of Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Idalia survivor of storm’s fury near landfall: ‘Don’t ever want to go through that again.’ “The hurricane struck one of the state’s least populous regions, but people who make their living and reside in the shadow of Apalachee Bay faced ruin from seawater that surged as much as 15 feet and winds that exceeded 125 mph.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Historic Florida fishing village sees record storm surge. “Residents of this historic, Gulf Coast fishing village renowned for its waterfront seafood restaurants and quaint stores watched live newscasts of water reaching up to the second floor of most Gulf-front businesses and homes Wednesday afternoon.”
• WUSF-Tampa: What to do with sandbags after Hurricane Idalia. “It’s not safe to keep sandbags that came in contact with floodwater, but officials encourage residents to reuse ones that did not.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County schools to reopen on Thursday. “Announcements were made Wednesday afternoon after Hurricane Idalia passed through Alachua County with little damage compared to surrounding counties.”
• Florida Politics: Florida will likely need federal relief after Idalia. But will any funding be there? “DeAnne Criswell, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), signaled concerns last week that federal Disaster Relief Fund had nearly been exhausted.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Flooding from Hurricane Idalia brings some people dreaded reminders of Ian. “People in a neighborhood in South Fort Myers are relieved, but still anxious, as they endured the second major flooding threat in the past 11 months.”
• NPR: What’s the connection between climate change and hurricanes? “It has been a summer of disasters–and many of them were made worse, or more intense, by human-caused climate change.”
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More Florida stories• WLRN-Miami: ‘Clock is ticking’ on Miami−Dade jails to reduce high number of inmate deaths. “A full decade after the federal government ordered Miami-Dade County to take better care of jail inmates who have mental illnesses, the county corrections department — among the nation’s largest jail systems — has still seen record high deaths and suicides within its facilities.”
• Associated Press: Abortion anecdote from Ron DeSantis at GOP debate is more complex than he made it sound. “When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked during last week’s GOP presidential debate whether he would support nationwide abortion restrictions, he instead offered a startling anecdote.”
• WLRN-Miami: Two jobs to pay for a bed: FAU students struggle to find affordable housing. “Skyrocketing rental prices in the U.S. are hammering Americans across the board — and they are hitting college students hard.”
• PolitiFact: The facts and the myths around puberty blockers. “PolitiFact wanted to cut through the noise and answer some of the big questions around these controversial drugs: What are they, when and why are they prescribed to minors, what do we know about their potential adverse effects, and what is the medical community’s perspective?”
• New York Times ($): Canada Issues Travel Warning for L.G.B.T.Q. Citizens Visiting U.S. “Advice that travelers to the U.S. “check relevant state and local laws” came in response to rules this year restricting transgender care, drag shows and sports participation.”
• The Alligator: Florida looks for signature start in season opener. “The Gators open the 2023 season with a daunting road trip to the No. 14 Utes. This is Florida’s first regular season game west of Texas since a 1983 trip to the University of Southern California. And like those Trojans 40 years ago, Utah will provide an early litmus test for UF.”
From NPR News• Law: Rudy Giuliani is liable for defaming 2 Georgia election workers, a judge says
• Law: Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentencing delayed in Jan. 6 case
• Economy: Millions of additional salaried workers could get overtime pay under Biden proposal
• Health: As COVID cases increase, mask mandates are making a comeback
• Culture: Indigenous nations still feel the devastating effects of bison’s near extinction
• Religion: Former cardinal McCarrick found not competent to stand trial for sex abuse
• Science: An AI quadcopter has beaten human champions at drone racing
• National: ‘Barbie’ sets even more records
• National: Meet Peanut, the world’s oldest chicken
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Hurricane Idalia• Associated Press: Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm. “Hurricane Idalia has made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm on Wednesday and threatens to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida evacuates 4,000 prisoners from 35 facilities ahead of Hurricane Idalia. “The Department of Corrections said Tuesday some of the smaller prisons, work release centers and work camps, including the Cross City Work Camp in Dixie County along Florida’s Big Bend and the Tallahassee Community Release Center in the state capital, are directly in the path of the storm.”
• WUFT News: Florida Museum of Natural History staff safeguard butterflies for Hurricane Idalia. “Many Gainesville residents prepare for Hurricane Idalia by stocking up with water, food and gasoline, but staff at the Florida Museum of Natural History are doing something different to prepare for the storm: catching butterflies.”
• WUFT News: A small Florida town on the Gulf Coast braces for Idalia’s impact. “Prepare for the worst and pray for the best is the mantra of those in Steinhatchee, a riverside town that meets the Gulf just north of Cedar Key.”
• WMFE-Orlando: At Duke’s Hurricane Idalia staging area south of The Villages, hundreds of lineworkers are ready. “In a field some miles south of The Villages on Tuesday, Duke was lining up a thousand bucket trucks, corporate and contractor crews from Florida, the Southeast and the Midwest.”
• WUFT News: Photos: Gainesville residents fill sandbags ahead of Hurricane Idalia. “A long line of cars wait to pick up sandbags at the Public Works administration building in preparation for Hurricane Idalia on Tuesday, Aug. 29th, 2023.”
• Associated Press: Supermoon could team up with Hurricane Idalia to raise tides higher just as the storm makes landfall. “The moon will be closest to the Earth on Wednesday night, the same day Idalia is expected to make landfall in Florida. While a supermoon can make for a spectacular backdrop in photos of landmarks around the world, its intensified gravitational pull also makes tides higher.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Expert says Florida’s insurance market is better prepared for Idalia. “The state’s property insurance market took a huge hit last hurricane season. Mark Friedlander, with The Insurance Information Institute, said there are new changes that homeowners should pay attention to.”
• WTSP-Tampa: What can the ‘Waffle House Index’ tell you about storms? “After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area in 2005, Waffle House moved fast to bolster its post-disaster plans. Its hurricane playbook explains how to reopen a restaurant, what to serve if there is gas but no electricity, or a generator but no ice.”
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More Florida stories• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC closes GRACE budget gap, studies larger role. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted Monday to provide $150,000 for GRACE Marketplace’s emergency shelter, allowing full services for the next fiscal year and covering a shortfall from the city of Gainesville.”
• The Alligator: Alachua County seeks to expand drug rehabilitation efforts. “When a local Alachua County farmer had shoulder surgery at 42, she didn’t expect to get addicted to oxycontin. Nine years ago, it wasn’t believed to be an addictive drug.”
• WCJB: Springs Lovers protest at FLDEP workshop meeting to protect Florida Springs. “In 2016, a law was passed requiring the department to adopt uniform rules for issuing permits that prevent groundwater withdrawals harmful to water resources. However, spring activists said the department has failed to come up with substantial rules and abide by them leading to the overpumping of the springs.”
• NPR: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suspends his campaign for president. “After failing to gain national traction, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced in a statement that he is suspending his campaign to run for the GOP nomination for president. This comes after Suarez did not meet the criteria to appear on stage at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee.”
• Associated Press: What does Florida’s red flag law say, and could it have thwarted the Jacksonville shooter? “Saturday’s shooting raises questions about whether so-called red flag laws in Florida and other states are used effectively. They are designed to seize guns from those in mental health crises, or who threaten violence, before they harm someone.”
• USA Today ($): Lolita the whale’s remains to be returned to Pacific Northwest following necropsy. “At 56, Lolita was one of the oldest orcas in captivity. Animal activists fought for her freedom for decades, arguing that she deserved to return to her home in the Pacific Northwest while she was alive.”
From NPR News• Environment: The EPA removes federal protections for most of the country’s wetlands
• World: Uganda starts charging people under extreme anti-LGBTQ law, raising execution fears
• National: Can we make college campuses safer? Expert advice after recent shootings
• Politics: Here are the first 10 drugs that Medicare will target for price cuts
• World: More than 6 months after Turkey’s quake, people who lost homes still await new ones
• World: Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia, appears in a new video
• Education: An Alaska district aligns its school year with traditional subsistence harvests
• Business: Yes, people often forget to cancel their monthly subscriptions — and the costs add up
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Florida counties prepare for Hurricane Idalia. “Hurricane Idalia is expected to strengthen and make landfall somewhere on the Gulf Coast by Wednesday. Here’s how counties in Florida are preparing for the storm.”
• Florida Storms: Find your county: Watches, warnings, evacuations and closures ahead of Idalia. “Current watches, warnings, evacuations and closures for Florida counties as Idalia closes in.”
• Florida Politics: UF cancels classes most of Tuesday, all of Wednesday. “University officials announced it will close the campus beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and continuing through Wednesday. Aug. 30. That means in addition to classes, there will be no student activities during that time. Online classes are also canceled.”
• Associated Press: Florida football team alters its travel plans with Idalia approaching the state. “A team spokesman said Monday that the Gators will practice in Gainesville on Tuesday, fly to Dallas and spend the night there, and then travel to Salt Lake City on Wednesday.”
• WUFT News: Vehicle fire near Pugh Hall briefly closes Buckman and Fletcher drives Monday. “Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive were temporarily closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic Monday while firefighters with Gainesville Fire Rescue responded to the scene of a van that caught fire near Pugh Hall at around 1:30 p.m.”
• Ocala Gazette: UPDATE: OPD officer remains hospitalized following double traffic crashes. “An Ocala Police Department (OPD) sergeant injured in a head-on collision with a driver who was fleeing after fatally striking a pedestrian the night of Aug. 26 in southwest Ocala has been released from intensive care but remains hospitalized.”
• The Alligator: Swamp Kings inspires current players, leaves viewers wanting more. “The new Netflix docuseries ‘Untold: Swamp Kings’ follows Florida’s championship football team under head coach Urban Meyer from 2005 to 2010.”
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Around the state• WMFE-Orlando: As a hurricane approaches, here are common mistakes you should avoid. “Orange County has some advice for new Florida residents who might fall into making common mistakes in preparation for a storm and the clean-up after.”
• News Service of Florida: Some Florida tolls are being lifted to help aid Idalia evacuations. “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he’s directed the Department of Transportation to stop collecting tolls in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Pasco, Pinellas and Sumter counties.”
• Associated Press: Florida prays Idalia won’t join a long list of destructive storms with names starting with ‘I.’ “Since 1955, 13 Atlantic storm names beginning with ‘I’ have been retired, according to the National Weather Service. That happens when a storm’s death toll or destruction is so severe that using its name again would be insensitive.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Demand for gas in Florida ahead of Idalia could lead to a shortage, but it would be temporary. “We speak with a AAA Auto Club spokesperson about current gas prices and potential fuel hoarding ahead of a storm. Plus, Florida’s ag and consumer services commissioner gives an update on the contaminated gas which came out of Port Tampa this weekend.”
• NPR: ‘You’re not welcome here!’ DeSantis booed at vigil for Jacksonville shooting victims. “DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, and his wife were among those who gathered in Jacksonville’s Grand Park neighborhood to commemorate the victims of the Saturday shooting. But not everyone was pleased that the governor was there.”
• Florida Politics: The cost of inflation: Survey shows Floridians buy, eat less food due to rising food prices. “The survey showed more than half of Floridians have modified their eating habits in at least some way to accommodate higher grocery prices, with low-income families disproportionately affected by those financial decisions.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Two Florida women at the March on Washington 60 years ago share their stories. “Two Central Florida women who were part of that march agreed to share their stories.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Dispatch from Kimberly’s Reef: The Artificial Reef Finally Becomes Reality. “Weather dictates much of what people are able to do outside in Florida. Storm events, like Hurricane Ian, obviously halt business as usual. But even an off-shore breeze can prevent a job on the water from getting done. That was the next hurdle when it came to deploying FGCU’s newest artificial reef complex in the Gulf of Mexico.”
From NPR News• Law: Judge sets March 4, 2024, as Trump trial date in election interference case
• Sports: With her her 8th U.S. Championship win, Simone Biles is still the gymnastics GOAT
• Health: Distrust undermined the U.S. pandemic response. Now, it continues to erode healthcare
• Health: Medicaid warns 5 states that they’ve made it too hard for residents to keep coverage
• National: There’s a labor shortage in the U.S. Why is it so hard for migrants to legally work?
• Business: U.S. fines American Airlines for dozens of long tarmac delays
• Technology: Anonymous protestors immobilize driverless cars using traffic cones
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Police launch investigation after 12-year-old girl fatally shot in Lake City home. “A 12-year-old girl died in Lake City after an unknown assailant opened fire into a residence on Northwest Long Street.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): City of Gainesville proposed to cut 125 jobs as officials look to finalize budget. “About half of the cuts are currently filled positions and will affect 40 jobs at the Regional Transit System (RTS) and 27 other jobs across various city departments, according to a Gainesville news release.”
• WCJB: CCSO arrest two men with guns at a highschool football game. “Officials say the pair jumped a fence near the south side of the stadium.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Homeless shelter’s Street Outreach program at risk of elimination due to City Hall cutbacks. “While the city of Gainesville has funded $1.35 million of the necessary $1.5 million needed to operate Grace’s shelter, homeless advocates say they still need to find $350,000 to fund its community outreach program.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Semi hits, kills Gainesville teen walking on I-75. “Upon further investigation, FHP troopers discovered the Gainesville man was walking on I-75 during the night and was struck by the tractor-trailer.”
• Ocala Gazette: OPD officer injured in crashes involving two fatalities. “A 44-year-old man who fled after he struck and killed a pedestrian Saturday night on Southwest 17th Street later died after he crashed into an Ocala Police Department (OPD) vehicle involved in his pursuit, causing serious injuries to the officer, according to an OPD spokesman.”
• WCJB: Activists hold rally for air conditioning in Florida prisons, hoping to expand Lowell pilot program. “With heat advisories affecting people across the nation, activists say one group that is feeling it more than most is prisoners.”
• The Alligator: UF Midtown favorites The Rowdy Reptile and Fat Daddy’s to be replaced by Lil Rudy’s. “The two neighboring bars have become a staple in Midtown nightlife, and many students view it as a rite of passage to visit after turning 21.”
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Around the state• NPR: People mourn victims of the Florida shooting as a hate crime investigation begins. “Crowds gathered on Sunday at church services and at prayer vigils in Jacksonville, Fla., to mourn the weekend shooting deaths of three victims that the Justice Department is investigating as a hate crime.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: DeSantis urges residents along the gulf to prepare for Idalia. “He says anyone along the Gulf Coast could be impacted by the storm, even if they’re outside the cone.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Storm season poses risks for Central Florida’s homeless. “Kate Santich, communications director at the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, said community members in need of shelter can count on emergency resources during inclement weather, but only when it comes to named storms.”
• News Service of Florida: A lawsuit over Florida prison Ramadan meals is revived. “Akeem Muhammad filed the lawsuit in 2018 while an inmate at Florida State Prison, where he said officials did not provide meals before astronomical twilight.”
• Florida Politics: Fuel contamination caused by ‘human error’ potentially found at Port Tampa Bay. “The department is cautioning consumers who may have purchased contaminated gas. It could cause engine damage or affect a motor vehicle’s operability.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Florida might allow students to use classics test for college admissions. “The test assesses verbal reasoning, grammar, writing, and quantitative reasoning using passages drawn from the Western canon. Think Aristotle and Jane Austen.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Experts urge be on lookout for predatory yellow-legged hornets; state task force being formed. “To track the spread of the yellow-legged hornet, scientifically named Vespa velutina, UF/IFAS honey bee experts are working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to spread the word on what residents can do if they see or catch one of these hornets.”
From NPR News• National: Thousands march to mark the 60th anniversary of MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech
• World: The Kremlin denies causing the plane crash thought to have killed Prigozhin
• National: Lahaina was expensive before the fire. Some worry rebuilding will price them out
• Politics: Presidential photographer says Trump Mugshot will be ‘most published photograph ever’
• Health: Coronavirus FAQs: How worrisome is the new variant? How long do boosters last?
• Sports: Spain’s soccer chief Luis Rubiales is temporarily suspended after World Cup kiss
• Technology: AI is biased. The White House is working with hackers to try to fix that
• Obituaries: Longtime ‘Price Is Right’ host Bob Barker dies at 99
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Florida Storms: Two-week tax break on hurricane supplies begins Saturday. “Consumers can purchase qualifying supplies, including dog or cat food, ice, generators, radios and more.”
• WUFT News: Hernando County considers canal management feasibility study. “The Aquatic Services and Waterways Department wants to evaluate areas of concern west of U.S. Highway 19 and develop a dredging plan where appropriate.”
• The Alligator: UF President Ben Sasse warns faculty of necessary advances in State of the University Address. “Standing at a lectern in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom, UF President Ben Sasse addressed an audience of dozens of UF faculty and staff members, mirroring his strategic plan for the university and detailing proposed changes to core curriculum, tenure review and the expansion of off-campus opportunities.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Downtown road sections may permanently close. “The Gainesville City Plan Board approved a developer petition on Thursday to vacate two sections of road downtown to accommodate the new Alachua County court complex.”
• Ocala Gazette: Marion County ranked among the least healthy counties in Florida. “The County Health Rankings National Findings Report, created by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranked Marion County 53rd out of 67 counties in the state for overall length and quality of life.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: DeSantis appoints 3 GNV leaders to Academic Board. “Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three Gainesville people to the Florida School for Competitive Academics Board of Trustees on Thursday.”
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Around the state• Florida Storms: Tropical system possible in Gulf next week; Franklin likely to intensify. “Confidence is usually not high in tropical models tracking a system that does not yet exist, so expect much uncertainty to continue until these signals turn into an actual system.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A state judge hears arguments over Florida’s congressional map. “A state judge in Leon County will soon issue a ruling on whether to block Florida’s congressional map after hearing final arguments in the case on Thursday.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Bunnell Elementary principal, one other teacher on leave after contentious assembly. “Two staff members at Bunnell Elementary School have been put on administrative leave after they held an assembly singling out Black students and blaming them for the school’s poor test performance.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Transgender students fear ‘backlash’ over the new college bathroom rule. “He said there’s a limit to how many gender-neutral and single-stall unisex restrooms exist on campus, and students and employees may have to go out of their way to find one on a different floor or in a different building.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Court records stolen in Gadsden County, cause still under investigation. “An initial assessment showed some of the records stolen contained “personal identifying information,” but the extent of the breach remains unknown.”
• WMFE-Orlando: MPOX was a big problem. Now, not so much. What happened? “A total of 2,856 cases were reported in Florida last year. This year, the state has documented 48.”
From NPR News• Law: Judge in Trump trial has a tough sentencing record in Jan. 6 cases
• World: Worries over seafood safety mount as Japan releases Fukushima water into the Pacific
• World: What we know — and don’t — about the Russian crash that possibly killed Prigozhin
• National: Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for damages from disastrous fires
• National: Why are so many school districts struggling to find good bus drivers?
• Business: T-Mobile is laying off 5,000 employees
• Environment: How a week’s worth of plastic adds up
• Culture: Billy McFarland went to prison for Fyre Fest. Are his plans for a reboot legal?
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• The Alligator: Rep. Kat Cammack files late financial disclosure. “U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), who serves Florida’s third congressional district and represents Alachua County, failed to submit her annual financial disclosure on time for the second year in a row.”
• WUFT News: The Fun(d)’s Over: 50% of college graduates aren’t getting hired in their field of study. “The current job market has proven that competition for employment is extremely high, and even those overqualified for a position may not even land an interview.”
• The Alligator: Rosewood man found guilty of hate crime against Black historian. “Emanuel’s conviction by an all-white jury helped restore Dunn’s faith in the U.S. justice system, he said.”
• Florida Storms: East Coast and West Coast hurricanes, explained. “Hurricane season for people on the East Coast is a familiar six-month-long event, but for people on the West Coast, seeing a tropical cyclone is an unusual site.”
• The Alligator: Gainesville homeless population suffers through record-breaking heat. “The local homeless population, which often lacks reliable access to resources like air conditioning and water, has become especially vulnerable due to the recent heat waves slamming Florida. GRACE Marketplace is scrambling to address the increased need for its resources.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: SF Teaching Zoo raises admission prices. “According to an SF College press release, the admission increase is being made to provide animal care and continued conservation efforts the zoo is involved with.”
• WCJB: FDOT officials educate students to set a different pace for pedestrian safety. “School leaders partnered with University of Florida Police Department and FDOT for the second year to educate students on the dangers of the road.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County Library to hold Fandomonium. “The Alachua County Library District will be hosting an all-ages comic con style event known as Fandomonium.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: State Board of Education approves a college bathroom rule. “Florida public colleges will be required to update policies on restrooms and changing rooms to have separate facilities ‘based on biological sex at birth,’ under a rule approved Wednesday by the State Board of Education.”
• WUSF-Tampa: How to combat Florida’s wildfire risk? Fight fire with fire. “The horrific wildfire that raged in Hawaii last week has put the idea of preventing wildfires in the national spotlight. We go to Flatwoods Park, a recreation area and wellfield near New Tampa, to show how fire is being fought — with fire.”
•WMFE-Orlando: Flagler interim superintendent apologizes for assembly that singled out Black students. “Black students were separated from their peers and lectured about low standardized test scores. Students were 10- and 11-year-olds, and some of the students had passed the tests.”
• News Service of Florida: The chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics steps down for ethical reasons. “Glen Gilzean stepped down Tuesday as chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics, while maintaining his $400,000-a-year job as administrator of a revamped special district that includes Walt Disney World properties.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A plan to consolidate the number of Florida circuit courts is getting pushback. “The speaker of the Florida House, Republican Paul Renner of Palm Coast, has asked the state Supreme Court to reduce the number of courts, as a way to make the system more efficient and cut costs.”
• Associated Press: How Ron DeSantis used Florida schools to become a culture warrior. “DeSantis was not always a culture warrior. Experts who follow DeSantis’ policies say after he was elected to his first term in 2018, by a slim margin, there was no sign education policy or courting controversy would become his hallmarks.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida researchers are exploring how climate change makes health disparities worse along the Gulf. “They’re looking at Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for evidence of how extreme heat, air pollution and tropical cyclones or hurricanes are adversely impacting health.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approves 2 new property insurance companies. “Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation said the property insurance market is seeing signs of positive growth with the announcement of two new insurance companies entering the Florida market, bringing the total to four new companies this year.”
From NPR News• Law: Rudy Giuliani surrenders in Georgia to face election interference charges
• Elections: 5 takeaways from the first Republican primary debate
• Politics: Trump is likely to finally get a real mug shot. Does it matter?
• World: The richest countries in the world guarantees paid vacation — except the U.S.
• Science: These experimental brain implants can restore speech to paralyzed patients
• Technology: Apple might equip the upcoming iPhone 15 with a USB-C charging port
• Education: Schools could be getting millions more from Medicaid. Why aren’t they?
• National: The return of Fyre Fest? Billy McFarland is selling tickets for a relaunch
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Mainstreet Daily News: Split BOCC kills meat processing plans. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) ordered staff to stop all work on a county-owned meat processing center, killing the controversial project after several special meetings and previous split votes.”
• Florida Storms: Above average temperatures predicted for the next 3 months. “Warm water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico have contributed to high humidity and what feels-like triple digit temperatures.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Stormwater pipe plant breaks ground in Alachua. “Once completed, the Alachua site will produce high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) and poplypropylene pipe (PP).”
• WCJB: Ocala doctor faces $5k fine after missing signs of sepsis, causing woman’s hands and feet to be amputated. “Dr. Crowe ran several blood tests. According to lab results, the woman showed signs of sepsis but instead was given IV fluids and pain medication.”
• Florida Storms: TS Harold makes landfall in TX; Franklin likely a hurricane this weekend. “According to Colorado State University’s Phil Klotzbach, only 6 other years on record had 9 or more named storms by Aug. 22.”
• Ocala Gazette: New golf cart rules for Ocala. “In order to comply with a new state statute, the Ocala City Council approved an amendment to the city code that requires all people from ages 16 to 17 to have a driver’s license to operate a golf cart, but people 18 and older no longer need to be licensed drivers.”
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Around the state• NPR: Two families sue Florida for being kicked off Medicaid in ‘unwinding’ process. “A toddler with cystic fibrosis living in Jacksonville, Fla. missed weeks of her medication after she and her mother were cut off from Medicaid. And in Miami-Dade county, a one-year-old missed a routine vaccination – her mother got a call the day before the appointment informing her the check-up was canceled because the child no longer had insurance.”
• News Service of Florida: Democrat announces challenge to Sen. Rick Scott in Florida. “Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, an immigrant born in Ecuador who served one term in Congress, entered the race Tuesday to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in 2024.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Frustrated by Florida’s changes to Black history curriculum? A scholar urges people to speak up. “Experts like James Stewart say broad participation is needed to push back against Florida’s changes to Black history standards.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Is leprosy endemic in Central Florida? Experts argue yes. “In July, a report showed Central Florida accounted for 81 percent of leprosy cases in Florida and almost one-fifth of nationally reported cases in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
• News Service of Florida: Nondisclosure agreements are required in Florida university president searches. “Months after the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a law that shields parts of searches, state university system officials added an additional layer of secrecy that requires nondisclosure agreements.”
• Associated Press: Free Disney World passes are the latest target of DeSantis appointees. “Board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District submitted a complaint to the state Inspector General, claiming that the millions of dollars in season passes, as well as discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages, that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided governing district employees amount to unethical benefits and perks.”
• WLRN-Miami: Water, breaks and limits: Miami-Dade schools will enforce temperature protocols for athletes. “The district follows guidelines from the Zachary Martin Act, a 2020 bill that requires schools to monitor heat stress and modify athletic activities based on heat stress guidelines.”
From NPR News• Politics: How to watch the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday night
• World: Japan to release treated water from Fukushima nuclear plant later this week
• Education: Arkansas drops AP African American Studies course
• Climate: Some of Canada’s wildfires likely made worse by human-driven climate change
• Health: 1 in 5 women report mistreatment from medical staff during pregnancy
• Books: Harvard’s Drew Gilpin Faust says history should make us uncomfortable
• Health: Milkshakes from a Tacoma burger joint tied to listeria outbreak that killed 3 people
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Today’s Florida stories • Mainstreet Daily News: GRACE Marketplace to reduce services. “GRACE Marketplace lost $150,000 in funding when the city of Gainesville slashed its budget to accommodate state-required cuts to the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) general fund transfer.” • WFSU-Tallahassee: Parties …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Ocala Gazette: Senator Rick Scott makes a campaign stop in Ocala. “At a private campaign stop Aug. 10 at the downtown Ocala Hilton Garden, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott received a warm welcome from approximately 100 citizens …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Today’s Florida stories • Mainstreet Daily News: Mayor provides swing vote on open container motion. “The ordinance, created by general government and police department staff, aimed to break a commission stalemate from March while helping law enforcement deal with late-night crowds and …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Storms: Forecasters are watching three areas in the tropics, two could be named soon. “The National Hurricane Center has given these two areas a moderate chance to develop in the next several days.” • WCJB: Newberry …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • The Alligator: DeSantis appoints UF alum as chief of staff. “After graduating from UF with a master of arts in political science in 2000, (Alex) Kelly began his career as a campaign manager for state Sen. Anna …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Storms: NOAA predicts ‘Above-Normal Level’ activity for 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. “Current ocean and atmospheric conditions like record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures have the potential to counteract El Niño conditions.” • Gainesville Sun ($): State pulled …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Clay County Commissioner Kristen Burke offers her voice to Russell Landing contamination concerns. “Residents worried that Solite’s operations left behind carcinogenic chemicals and heavy metals that made their way into the community’s water and soil …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: 988 hotline, one year later: mental health professionals talk positives and pitfalls. “Erin Brooker Lozott has worked in the field of autism and mental health for 29 years. She answers calls from people in crisis …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Day 2 of Gainesville’s gun violence summit closes with much work ahead. “Community leaders, gun violence prevention experts and the general public gathered to discuss possible policy options and try to find some sort of …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: More than 400 people gather at first Gainesville gun violence summit. “Sunday, the first day of the event, was open to the general public and featured a panel discussion about the role of the community …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Death of Ocala woman motivates gun law reformation conversation at community vigil. “Dozens of residents gathered for a candlelight vigil on Wednesday at the GNV Bridge Community Center to commemorate the life of Owens, a …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Need-to-know: Be prepared for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. “The start of a new school year is just around the corner, and the tax-free week on buying school supplies in Florida ends on Sunday. Here …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: AC Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. announces retirement. “Watson sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declaring that he would step down from his elected term early due to health reasons.” • WCJB: …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WCJB: Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson deposition scheduled in racial discrimination lawsuit. “An employee claims he was passed over for a promotion because he is white.” • WUFT News: Bearing the burden: Marion County Fire Rescue holds …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: What’s happening with GRU? Here’s an explainer as its control shifts to new authority. “If the headlines about GRU from the last few months have left you scratching your head wondering how we got here, …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • News Service of Florida: Florida Supreme Court will hear case stemming from UF’s 2020 COVID shutdown. “The state Supreme Court on Thursday said it will take up a dispute about whether the University of Florida should return …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville Police Advisory Council reviews 9 internal investigation reports. “Two investigations resulted in officer suspensions of over a week. One case stemmed from a K9 attack on a Gainesville man.” • WUFT News: Code of …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville police need your help identifying this armed robbery suspect. “The department says he is a suspect in an armed robbery in which he and two others targeted victims in two separate hotel rooms.” • …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Another ‘broken promise’: Blues Creek Residents wait, oppose proposed rezoning development plan. “Flooding has been an issue in the Blues Creek neighborhood since its beginning. Now, residents must wait even longer to have their concerns …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WCJB: I-75 shut down, then reopened after deputies say murder suspect took their own life. “ASO deputies learned about a potential murder suspect coming from Columbia County. Deputies closed off all highway lanes between Newberry Road and …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Cox Communications extends its high-speed internet coverage to Archer. “Cox Communications made waves in Archer on Wednesday morning touting its launch of high-speed internet access to the rural community. Its expansion efforts are part of …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: FDLE investigates GPD in-custody death. “According to the GPD release, the circumstances of the event are under investigation and the identity of the prisoner will not be released until his next of kin have …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: State funding renews effort to save historic Priest Theatre in High Springs. “The state budget includes $1,040,450 to purchase and renovate the building, but it requires the city to match the appropriation with $250,000.” • …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • First Coast News: Swimming reopens at Blue Spring State Park. “Around 2 p.m. Saturday, the spring head at the park collapsed due to a sinkhole. The water turned brown, with silt and sediment flooding the water.” • …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Fresh Take Florida: One night, two lives changed forever: Case against shooter of neighborhood burglar ends in plea deal. “A man who saw a teenager burglarizing a neighbor’s vehicle in the middle of the night and shot …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Agritourism conference tours north central Florida farms. “Sarah Harris, one of the association’s directors, said they were expecting around 100 to 150 people to sign up for the conference. Instead, they got over 250 people …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC pauses meat processing plant until August. “The County Commission voted 4-0 in support of the decision at Tuesday’s regular meeting—less than 12 hours after holding a Monday joint meeting with the Newberry City …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Alachua County realtor, veteran enters treatment court after threatening city commission officials. “A Gainesville man will enter a diversionary veterans treatment court after threatening Gainesville city commissioners via email and Facebook posts.” • Mainstreet Daily …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Storms: Hurricane season forecast update: Above average activity expected. “One month into the Atlantic hurricane season, researchers at Colorado State University have again amended their seasonal forecast for tropical cyclone activity. They now call for an …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Associated Press: Ex-Florida QB Jalen Kitna agrees to plea deal that drops 5 felony child porn charges. “Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Susan Miller-Jones placed Kitna on six months’ probation for each count but did not levy a …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: UF to begin $400M renovation process for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. “The University Athletic Association is this month beginning the hunt for an architect suitable to undertake the task; an exact timeline for the bidding …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Doctor urges Fourth of July revelers to practice safety and avoid an ER visit. “Around 10,200 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries in U.S. hospital emergency departments during the 2022 calendar year, according to the …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Today’s Florida stories • Associated Press: Deputy acquitted of all charges for failing to act during deadly Parkland school shooting. “A Florida sheriff’s deputy was acquitted Thursday of felony child neglect and other charges for failing to act during the 2018 Parkland …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: DeSantis signs bill changing GRU control. “The bill cuts the City Commission out of the decision-making process, placing GRU General Manager Tony Cunningham under the authority’s purview. The authority will also set rates, issue …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: White woman who killed Black neighbor will face manslaughter charges, state attorney confirms. “The prosecutor on Monday announced he also dropped charges of misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor culpable negligence.” • WUFT News: Gators …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Alachua County School Board chair discusses new position, goals for the district. “Alachua County School Board Chair Tina Certain was sworn into a new role as president of the Florida School Boards Association this month. …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Marion County approves $21 million fire union contract agreement. “The contract, approved unanimously by the commission, raises the starting pay of all firefighters and emergency services employees and includes a two percent annual cost of …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center hosts annual Juneteenth Breakfast. “Filer said she believes that every state that belonged to the confederacy should acknowledge their ‘birthdays’ as she calls them. For her, the month of …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • News Service of Florida: DeSantis vetoes $1.75M in state money for Newberry meat processing facility. “Gov. Ron DeSantis trimmed $510.9 million from a record-high state spending plan signed Thursday, with nearly one-fifth of the cuts coming from …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville business builds homes out of shipping containers. “Alachua County Commissioner Mary Alford met with Alfonzo earlier this year to discuss using these container homes for affordable housing for people transitioning out of homelessness.” • …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. Today’s Florida stories • Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville expected to cut funding for homeless services in half. What does it mean? “Jon DeCarmine, the executive director of Grace Marketplace, said city leaders estimate a 50% budget cut for the Grace shelter, removing …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Recreational marijuana to be reviewed by Florida Supreme Court after voter petition. “Randy Rembert started growing hemp four years ago at his Hawthorne farm. In April 2022, he applied for a medical marijuana cultivation license. …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • News Service of Florida: Florida universities see potential and pitfalls of AI on campus. “The University of Florida Board of Trustees, for example, received an update Thursday from the school’s Provost Joe Glover on artificial intelligence, or …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News Special Report: Today WUFT News continues The Price of Plenty, a special report on the fertilizer industry by student journalists from the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. Funded by a grant from …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News Special Report: Today WUFT News continues The Price of Plenty, a special report on the fertilizer industry by student journalists from the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. Funded by a grant from …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News Special Report: Today WUFT News continues The Price of Plenty, a special report on the fertilizer industry by student journalists from the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. Funded by a grant from …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News Special Report: Today WUFT News continues The Price of Plenty, a special report on the fertilizer industry by student journalists from the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. Funded by a grant from …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News Special Report: Today WUFT News launches The Price of Plenty, a special report on the fertilizer industry by student journalists from the University of Florida and the University of Missouri. Funded by a grant from the Pulitzer …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Storms: Tropical disturbance in Gulf will keep organizing and impacting Florida into this weekend. “The area of low pressure is becoming better organized and now has a 50% chance of tropical formation.” • Mainstreet Daily News: …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Alachua County student competes in Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Martin made it through to the semifinals on Wednesday afternoon, where he spelled the word “molasse” incorrectly. He is the first Alachua County student to make …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • Florida Storms: Potential tropical disturbance will bring heavy rain and flash flood threat to Florida. “A system in the Gulf of Mexico will bring periods of heavy rain and gusty winds to much of Florida in time …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville’s Evergreen Cemetery hosts Memorial Day service to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. “Gainesville’s Evergreen Cemetery Memorial Day service held on Monday offered a chance for community connection to veterans, active-duty servicemen and …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WCJB: Judge rules against Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson in employee lawsuits. “Eighth Circuit Judge Donna Keim issued an order granting ‘extraordinary relief’ in three cases involving employees of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office who claimed the agency violated Florida’s Officers’ Bill of Rights while conducting internal affairs investigations.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV to cut parks, positions as budgets tighten. “Cuts came from 22 unfilled and 8 filled positions, along with programs like youth services and the Ironwood Golf Course. The parks and recreation department took the largest hit with a $3.1 million decrease.”
• The Alligator: Sasse announces new Strategic Enrollment Management Taskforce. “The taskforce will assess a broad set of issues related to undergraduate enrollment, including academic programs, physical learning spaces, digital delivery and residential housing, according to the release.”
• WUFT News: Water management districts want visitors to enjoy springs, rivers responsibly. “Before Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer, Florida’s water management districts want to remind visitors to springs and rivers to leave no litter and protect nature.”
• WCJB: UF researchers excavate prehistoric elephant graveyard in NCFL. “Intact remains from a 10,000-pound, four-tusk relative of the elephant were found in Montbrook, south of Williston. The animal is called a gomphothere.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Elections bill draws First Amendment challenges. “After Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a major elections bill Wednesday, legal battles immediately began about new restrictions on voter-registration groups.”
• Florida Storms: NOAA and National Hurricane Center predict a near average hurricane season. “The preliminary forecast from the Nation Hurricane Center predicts 12 to 17 named storms, five to nine of which are hurricanes, and one to four of which are major hurricanes.”
• WLRN-Miami: Protesters slam DeSantis outside Miami meeting with campaign donors. “About 200 protestors gathered Wednesday across from a downtown Miami hotel where campaign donors met with Gov. Ron DeSantis before he formally announced he was running for president.”
• News Service of Florida: DeSantis signs a package of tax breaks. “The package includes a series of tax holidays, reducing a commercial-lease tax and providing permanent sales-tax exemptions for such things as diapers and incontinence products and baby and toddler items.”
• NPR: Fla. businesses aim to counter any backlash from the governor’s conservative policies. “As Memorial Day nears, businesses that rely on tourism worry about travel advisories issued by the NAACP and Human Rights Campaign following Gov. DeSantis policies on diversity, race and identity.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Sterile Insect Technique reduces Lee County mosquitoes. “What is the Lee County Mosquito Control District doing to bring down their numbers? Believe it or not, last month they released more mosquitoes – 30,000 more, as a matter of fact.”
From NPR News• Law: The Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act
• Law: Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers founder, sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy
• National: Why predicted border chaos after Title 42’s end didn’t pan out
• Health: Virtually ouch-free: Promising early data on a measles vaccine delivered via sticker
• Climate: Vietnam’s human rights record is being scrutinized ahead of $15 billion climate deal
• World: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy surprises Johns Hopkins grads as their commencement speaker
• Media: HGTV renovates ‘Brady Bunch’ house and lists it for $5.5 million
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Duke Energy Florida reaches milestone; One gigawatt of energy thanks to High Springs solar facility. “To put that into perspective, that amount can power around 350,000 households according to Duke Energy senior communications consultant Audrey Stasko.”
• WUFT News: County commissioners approve list of roads for construction. “The 10-year program includes five different sections to focus on, including improvement and widening of roadways and pavement management with minor improvements.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC aims to host three-week athletics competition. “The World Masters Athletics would draw in 4,000 athletes and around 2,500 other visitors for three weeks in the spring of 2025, and County Manager Michele Lieberman said the opportunity allows Alachua County to gain early international renown for its sports and event center at Celebration Pointe.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Florida-Georgia game extended two years. “The Gators and Bulldogs have agreed to extend their agreement to play in Jacksonville for two more years, the city announced Wednesday. The two universities were already signed for 2023.”
• WCJB: Gun violence concerns rising again after another incident in Gainesville. “Two members of the city’s police advisory board shared their frustrations about inaction over gun violence in the city.”
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Around the state• NPR: Ron DeSantis debuts presidential bid in a glitch-ridden Twitter ‘disaster.’ “It was supposed to be a historic moment for Twitter: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would smoothly kick off his presidential candidacy on the social media platform.”
• WLRN-Miami: Top education official defends decision to restrict presidential inauguration poem. “Local officials pulled Amanda Gorman’s poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ from the elementary grades section of the library at the Bob Graham Education Center after a parent claimed it was meant to ’cause confusion and indoctrinate students.'”
• News Service of Florida: State board of education approves library book objection list. “The state Board of Education on Wednesday approved a new rule that will lead to Florida officials publishing an annual list of library books and instructional materials that have drawn public objections, in a move that the board’s chairman said will ‘provide transparency for our families.'”
• News Service of Florida: State Pushes Back on Transgender Athletes Rule. “The State Board of Education on Wednesday adopted a statement condemning a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Education that is geared toward allowing transgender athletes to participate on teams consistent with their gender identity.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis signs ‘Greyson’s Law’ safeguarding children at risk of parental harm. “The measure (SB 130), which goes into effect July 1, provides several additional factors courts must weigh in determining guardianship and time-sharing, including evidence of domestic violence, sexual violence, neglect, abuse or abandonment — or reasonable belief by a parent that they or their child is in imminent danger.”
• Florida Politics: Memorial Day holiday weekend is expected to break travel records in Florida, AAA says. “Nearly 2.4 million Floridians plan to travel at least 50 miles for the holiday weekend, the agency said. According to AAA, that figure is 172,000 more people compared to 2022’s holiday and about 96,000 more travelers than pre-pandemic 2019.”
From NPR News• National: A typhoon just lashed Guam. What does federal relief look like for a U.S. territory?
• Law: Richard Barnett, who put his feet on Nancy Pelosi’s desk, is sentenced to over 4 years
• Politics: Poll: Most Americans say curbing gun violence is more important than gun rights
• Business: Target removes some Pride Month products after threats against employees
• World: What are realistic expectations for Ukraine’s military offensive?
• National: Baby bison euthanized after being handled by a Yellowstone guest, rejected by herd
• Economy: 3 ways to protect your money if the U.S. defaults on its debt
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Marion County Sheriff arrests 20 in undercover online predator investigation. “An undercover investigation in Marion County last week resulted in the arrest of 20 online sexual predators trying to meet underage children for sex or sending explicit photos or messages.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry to cut electric bills. “The average Newberry electric customer will see a $20 drop in their bills starting in June as the city lowers its power cost adjustment (PCA) charge.”
• Ocala Gazette: Marion County Commissioner, Jeff Gold resigns. “Marion County Commissioner Jeff Gold tendered his resignation to the board chair on Tuesday, effective after the last board meeting in July.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Semi trailer catches fire at I-75 Alachua exit. “A tractor-trailer caught fire and emergency crews shut down the northbound 399 Interstate 75 exit ramp Tuesday.”
• WCJB: UF ranks in the top 25 for producing volunteers for the Peace Corps in the last 20 years. “Since the Peace Corps founding in 1961, nearly 1,500 volunteers are UF alumni.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: State agrees to protect nearly 40,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands. “Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday voted to spend nearly $100 million to help protect nearly 40,000 acres within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.”
• NPR: DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential run on Twitter with Elon Musk. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his run for president on Wednesday during a Twitter Spaces event alongside Twitter’s Executive Chairman Elon Musk.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Thousands of Floridians kicked off Medicaid, experts say most of them were still eligible. “State data show that 10% of those who lost coverage were terminated because they were ineligible or hadn’t used Medicaid over the past 12 months. However, 82% of people lost coverage for procedural reasons, also known as ‘red tape’ reasons, such as not having responded to mail, having outdated contact info, or computer glitches.”
• CNN: Florida school system has closed investigation into teacher who showed Disney movie with gay character. “The Hernando County School Board has closed its investigation into a Florida teacher who showed the Disney film ‘Strange World’ to her fifth-grade class, according to a copy of the district’s final report provided to CNN by Jenna Barbee, the educator.”
• NPR: The new Twitter account @DeSantisJet tracks the Florida governor’s air travel. “Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old who created the popular Twitter page tracking billionaire Elon Musk’s private jet, recently debuted the new account following the Florida governor.”
• Florida Politics: Hurting a police dog in Florida will soon be punishable by up to 5 in years prison. “This week, DeSantis signed HB 1047, which makes ‘maliciously touching, striking or causing bodily harm’ to a police or fire rescue dog a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or up to $5,000 in fines.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Mysterious disease leaving some Florida panthers disoriented, wobbly, confused; others dead. “Researchers say the disease is for life, but the disabilities make it harder for panthers to hunt and easier for them to be hit and killed by a vehicle, so the question remains how much shorter is that life, and at what quality?”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Red tide? Seaweed blob? Nope, scientists are watching a different algae off Tampa Bay. “Scientists are monitoring a patchy cloud of ‘sea sawdust’ that has ebbed and flowed in the Gulf of Mexico for nearly a week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The blue-green algae species, known as Trichodesmium, is often found in tropical waters and blooms off Southwest Florida.”
From NPR News• Politics: In Iowa, voters are already sizing up the 2024 GOP presidential field
• National: A year after Uvalde, lawsuits will test firearms industry’s immunity protections
• Education: A Georgia school district’s book bans may have caused a hostile environment, feds say
• Economy: So would a U.S. default really be that bad? Yes – And here’s why
• National: A suspect is charged after crashing a truck into barriers near the White House
• Health: People with disabilities aren’t often seen in stock photos. The CPSC is changing that
• Business: Ford reverses course and decides to keep AM radio on its vehicles
• Business: Netflix has officially begun its plan to make users pay extra for password sharing
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville Police arrest man after seven-hour armed standoff. “Gainesville Police say an armed man barricaded himself inside a home in the Anglewood subdivision off Newberry Road early Monday morning.”
• WCJB: Judge to rule on injunction in lawsuit against Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. “A hearing was held on Monday as the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office faces three lawsuits regarding the treatment of employees.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): University of Florida suspends research study that resulted in dogs’ deaths. “Newly released documents uncovered by a watchdog group show that the University of Florida suspended a research study after the death of two animals. The group is now asking for the university and its president to terminate the program entirely.”
• WUFT News: Florida counties battle home improvement program. “The agency allows private companies to make home improvements with no up-front cost to homeowners.”
• Ocala Gazette: County looks into new misdemeanor probation solutions. “Marion County’s Salvation Army gave the Marion County Board of Commissioners 180-day notice of their intent to discontinue providing misdemeanor probation services.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV eliminates Reichert House after 30 years. “The city of Gainesville will cut loose the Reichert House Youth Academy, its flagship youth intervention program, after more than three decades of management by the police department.”
• The Alligator: Looking back at UF’s Asian American Pacific Islander history. “Wong attended UF when the total number of Asian students remained in the single digits. Over a century later, UF is home to nearly 5,500 AAPI students, an Asian American student union, and an Asian American studies minor.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Signature Deadline Nears for Disaster, ‘Freedom’ Holidays. “Retailers are awaiting action by Gov. Ron DeSantis as two of the six sales tax ‘holiday’ periods included in a nearly $1 billion proposed tax-relief package are scheduled to begin this weekend.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Medicaid soon to drop 900,000 Floridians in post-pandemic reorganization. “More than 900,000 Floridians could soon lose their Medicaid health insurance after a federal waiver for the COVID-19 pandemic expired. Now the state is reviewing eligibility — and trying to minimize the number of people who are dropped from the program.”
• News Service of Florida: Questions abound following changes to Florida’s school start times. “Under the law, which goes into effect in July, middle schools will be prevented from beginning the ‘instructional day’ earlier than 8 a.m., while high schools will be barred from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Trial ends in lawsuit over Florida’s ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. “Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they’re being denied access to medically necessary treatments. They expect the judge will rule on this case and another suit challenging the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors at the same time.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Jacksonville’s anti-panhandling law still hasn’t taken effect. “The reason for the delay: City officials say it takes time to update existing laws and to train police.”
• WUWF-Pensacola: The threats of lionfish on the Gulf of Mexico. “Indigenous to coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, lionfish are an invasive species in the region that prey on native fish. Due to their venomous spines, lionfish have no known predators, making them a potential threat to commercial and recreational fisheries.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Orlando plastic study aims to reduce waste, protect waterways. “The City of Orlando is partnering with a team of local environmentalists to study the main sources of the city’s plastic pollution with the goal of reducing it.”
From NPR News• National: Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI
• Politics: Treasury Department prepares for the worst — if the debt ceiling isn’t raised
• National: Ground will be broken this summer on a new school in Uvalde, Texas
• Health: Abortion bans drive off doctors and close clinics, putting other health care at risk
• Elections: Republican Sen. Tim Scott is officially running for president
•Technology: European watchdog fines Meta $1.3 billion over privacy violations
• Science: Want to understand your adolescent? Get to know their brain
• Health: He visited the U.S. for his daughter’s wedding — and left with a $42,000 medical bill
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Special Report: UFxFAMU19631963 was a pivotal year in the Civil Rights Movement. The Children’s Crusade and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Gov. George Wallace trying to block efforts to integrate the University of Alabama, the assassination of Medgar Evers in Mississippi, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his “I Have A Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – they all helped to stir the nation’s consciousness.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of those events, 11 students – seven from the University of Florida and four from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University – spent their 2023 spring break reporting from across the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The students recount their eight-day, 2,800-mile journey through Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee, with personal reflections and multimedia reporting outcomes in a WUFT News special report.
“The history I have learned along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Gabriela Rodriguez, a UF senior journalism major from North Miami Beach, Florida, wrote in her reflection. “I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with others and, hopefully, they too can learn from my experiences.”
They have also produced a 25-minute documentary, “UFxFAMU1963: Reporting From the U.S. Civil Rights Trail,” premiering at 10 p.m., Tuesday, on WUFT-TV.
Today’s Florida stories• Florida Politics: NAACP says no-go to Florida travel. “The Florida NAACP made a push for this advisory earlier this year saying that the Governor put a ‘bullseye’ on the backs of Black people, an assertion derided at the time by Gov. DeSantis.”
• Florida Politics: Claiming bias, Gov. DeSantis wants a new judge on the bench for Disney federal lawsuit. “Walker, whose office declined to comment Friday, has previously ruled against DeSantis, including when he partially blocked the “Stop WOKE Act” last year from taking effect at Florida’s public universities.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville celebrates Florida’s Emancipation Day. “Blue pinwheels lined the half-mile route from Depot Park to the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, but the 40 or so people making the ‘Freedom Walk’ trek Saturday allowed Vivian Filer to lead the way. They sang when she sang, and they paused when she paused.”
• Ocala Gazette: North Marion wins Class 4A state baseball championship. “The win improved North Marion to 27-5 on the season and earned the Colts the first baseball state championship in school history. The victory also avenged a loss in the state championship game in 2021.”
• NPR: Disney World is shutting down its $2,500-a-night Star Wars-themed hotel. “The hotel, which is marketed as a two-night immersive experience, will take its last bookings Sep. 28 to 30. New bookings are being paused until May 26 to first accommodate those who made reservations after September.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Environmental groups press DeSantis to veto a summer fertilizer budget item. “The provision would prohibit cities and counties from enacting new summer bans on applying fertilizer. The ban has been promoted as a way to reduce nutrients that cause algae blooms and red tide from flowing into waterways.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: After Hurricane Irma ravaged parts of Florida, victims are still waiting for the state’s help. “HUD has given Florida $615 million since 2018 to repair and rebuild properties for under and uninsured Irma victims like Ruiz-Arzola. Now, five years later, hundreds like her are still waiting on help from the Rebuild Florida program.”
• WCJB: Volunteers and archeologists cleanup historic cemetery in Micanopy. “The event was organized by Micanopy Mayor Jiana Williams. Members with Florida Public Archeology Network said it’s the first event of its kind.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Young goat survives rare bone infection after visiting UF Large Animal Hospital. “Almost three months after a young goat named Daisy Mae came to the University of Florida’s Large Animal Hospital unable to walk due to a rare disease, she is now a dress- and diaper-wearing ‘house goat’ at home in The Villages, where she continues to recover.”
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From NPR News• Politics: Biden and McCarthy set to meet again Monday for debt ceiling talks
• Politics: In Iowa, voters are already sizing up the 2024 GOP presidential field
• National: Federal inquiry details abuses of power by Trump’s CEO over Voice of America
• Business: Target is recalling nearly 5 million candles that can cause burns and lacerations
• Business: The latest workers calling for a better quality of life: airline pilots
• Politics: What barriers do Black women face in seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate?
• Politics: With growing abortion restrictions, Democrats push for over-the-counter birth control
• Health: Once ‘paradise,’ parched Colorado valley grapples with arsenic in water
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WCJB: State appeals court has no standing to judge a dispute between Alachua County and three of its cities. “Newberry, Alachua, and Archer filed suit after voters approved a charter amendment allowing the county to regulate growth management. In 2021 a circuit court judge ruled against the cities’ primary complaint.”
• WUFT News: UF group holds memorial service for one of campus’ oldest residents, the Bicentennial Tree. “There’s no evidence indicating the Bicentennial tree was the oldest tree standing in UF. Still, the curiosity to discover UF’s oldest tree started with (Terry) Harpold’s literature on sustainability class.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: City to close T.B. McPherson Park on Sundays. “The city of Gainesville will start closing T.B. McPherson Park on Sundays starting this week in response to improper park usage during Peaceful Sunday events. In a press release sent Thursday, the city said that the park closure is in the interest of public safety. The Sunday closure will remain in place until further notice.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville youth football coach takes plea deal in animal cruelty case. “Landis J’Marcus Finch will spend two years in a state prison and five years probation on eight misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, two felony aggravated animal cruelty charges and two felony animal fighting charges.”
• WUFT News: Rev. Milford Griner has personal experience with gun violence. It’s driven him toward solutions for 54 years. “Griner, who lives in Gainesville, said his activism goes back about 30 years. He was a pastor for 38 years in 14 churches across Alachua and Marion County, and he was also a former police officer. Now that he is retired, he said he has more time to dedicate to his activism.”
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Around the state• NPR News: Disney cancels plans for $1 billion Florida campus. “The announcement comes a week after Disney CEO Bob Iger said an ongoing dispute with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised questions about the company’s continued investment there. In a conference call with analysts, Iger said actions by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers amounted to a ‘campaign of government retaliation’ against Disney.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): At New College of Florida, a show of defiance as grads say goodbye. “Hundreds of students, family members and friends gathered at a Sarasota art gallery Thursday evening for an ‘alternative commencement’ that gave New College of Florida graduates a chance to both celebrate their milestone and defy the state officials who are altering the character of their school.”
• News4Jax: Defense for man charged with murdering Nassau County deputy aims to challenge Florida’s new death penalty law. “The attorneys for a man who pleaded guilty to killing a Nassau County deputy in 2021 told the judge Thursday that a motion would be filed arguing that Florida’s newest death penalty law was unconstitutional.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Orlando-area home builders monitor workforce impacts of new immigration law. “Some construction workers are foreign labor. And despite videos of empty worksites on social media, like TikTok and YouTube videos from a housing development in Davenport, (Chasity) Vega said she isn’t seeing that happening in Central Florida — yet.”
• WUSF-Tampa Bay: New law makes changes to high school sports in Florida and allows prayer before games. “A new law overhauls the Florida High School Athletic Association, essentially giving Gov. Ron DeSantis control over the nonprofit that largely governs high school sports in the state. It also gives some student athletes more choices about where to play and allows schools to offer ‘opening remarks,’ like prayer, before games.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Tampa Pride on the River event canceled amid new laws condemned by LGBTQ+ community. “Its president, Carrie West, acknowledged the decision amid fear over the new laws. ‘We do not want to be picked up or arrested and then taking away our license,’ West said.”
• WLRN-Miami: Lawmakers want to temporarily block new local fertilizer bans. Will DeSantis allow it? “Environmental groups and local governments are battling state legislators over the fate of the fertilizer in Floridians’ lawns. The outcome could sway the health of Florida’s beaches and waterways, which have been plagued by fish kills and algae blooms.”
• NPR News: Checking in with Joseph Dituri on his 79th day living underwater. “He is studying how extreme pressure affects the human body over long periods of time from his base in Jules’ Undersea Lodge. It’s a tiny suite deep in the tropical waters of the Florida Keys. And he’s teaching online classes, spreading his love for science, technology, engineering and math with thousands of students.”
From NPR News• National: An 8-year-old girl died after being detained by U.S. Border Patrol
• Health: FDA advisers support approval of RSV vaccine to protect infants
• Business: Soaring pasta prices caused a crisis in Italy. What can the U.S. learn from it?
• Business: Montana banned TikTok. Whatever comes next could affect the app’s fate in the U.S.
• Climate: Arizona’s farms are running out of water, forcing farmers to confront climate change
• World: The G-7 is tightening up economic sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine
• Science: An ‘extremely rare’ rainbow sea slug was spotted along the coast of England
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• News Service of Florida: Small details fill Florida’s big state budget. “Here are examples of some of the details included in the budget: $1.75 million for a meat-processing and training facility in Newberry. A funding request by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, and Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, said the purpose is ‘to serve small cattle, pig, sheep and goat ranchers within a 100-mile radius. It will also provide high-skill workforce training in butchery and other value-added meat processes in coordination with UF/IFAS and Santa Fe College.'”
• Mainstreet Daily News: New law cuts funding to local immigrant ID program. “Under the bill, the city of Gainesville and Alachua County will be prevented from continuing to fund the Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County’s community ID program. Both local governments recognize it as valid identification to use for programs.”
• WUFT News: SRWMD Board recommends state funding for springs protection projects. “The Suwannee River Water Management District is recommending $4.6 million in projects designed to improve and protect the water quality of Poe Springs. One project totals $3 million to expand the City of High Springs wastewater treatment facility and complete the creation of wetlands.”
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Around the state• Associated Press: DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, transgender kids and the use of bathrooms and pronouns. “DeSantis has made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his agenda as he prepares to seek the Republican presidential nomination. He signed the bills in front of a cheering crowd at the evangelical Cambridge Christian School in Tampa. The ceremony had a campaign-like feel, with DeSantis tossing Sharpies to a crowd, as opposed to when he privately signed measures on abortion and gun rights.”
• Politico: Florida Democrats think the unthinkable: We’re in play. “Former TV anchor Donna Deegan’s win Tuesday night in the state’s biggest city is giving the party — which doesn’t hold a single statewide office — a glimmer of hope heading into 2024, when there’s a good chance that the GOP challenger to President Joe Biden will come from Florida. Democrats say Deegan’s win is both a repudiation of DeSantis and a sign that all is not lost for them in the Sunshine state.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Brightline tickets from South Florida to Orlando on sale for Labor Day weekend and beyond. “Officials are confident the intercity rail routes to Orlando will be ready by the Labor Day weekend. One-way and round-trip tickets between South Florida stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport can be bought at gobrightline.com or by downloading the app.”
• NPR News: A free speech group is suing a Florida school district over book bans. “The largest book publisher in the country has joined free speech group PEN America, parents and authors to push back against book banning, filing a federal lawsuit in Florida’s Escambia County.”
• Pensacola News Journal ($): Florida has 1 billion tons of phosphogypsum that could pave way for ‘radioactive roads.’ “HB 1191, which landed on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk last week, would allow the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to study the use of phosphogypsum in paving projects as ‘construction aggregate material,’ leading to what many have dub ‘radioactive roads.'”
• Fort Myers News-Press ($): Is there something in the water? Scientists suspect pollution impacting panthers. “Thirty years ago it looked like the panther was headed toward extinction, but the population has grown several fold since the cougar genetic introduction. But this neurological disease, which isn’t found in domestic animals or any other species besides bobcats, may be decimating panther numbers.”
From NPR News• Climate: How a European law might get companies around the world to cut climate pollution
• National: Montana becomes the first state to completely ban TikTok
• Health: Beyond the ‘abortion pill’: Real-life experiences of individuals taking mifepristone
• Science: A terminally ill doctor reflects on his discoveries around psychedelics and cancer
• Business: If you haven’t logged into your Google account in over 2 years, it will be deleted
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Three teenagers indicted in Marion County triple homicide. “The State Attorney’s Office for the 5th Judicial Circuit announced on Tuesday that 17-year-old Robert Robinson, 16-year-old Tahj Brewton and 12-year-old Christopher Atkins are all charged as adults. Robinson and Brewton were indicted on three counts of first-degree murder. Atkins faces one count of first-degree murder.”
• WUFT News: Swamp Car Wash shooter convicted of murder, sentenced to life in prison. “Nearly two years after a man was shot and killed at a car wash in Gainesville, a six-person jury on Monday night convicted Eugene Javon Patrick of second-degree murder. Circuit Judge James Colaw immediately sentenced him to life in prison.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County law enforcement agencies seek recruiting solutions. “With dozens of vacancies across different local agencies, Alachua County has not been immune to national law enforcement recruitment challenges. As local law enforcement applicant pools dwindle, agencies in Alachua County are launching new efforts to combat recruiting struggles and strengthen their relationship with the community.”
• News Service of Florida: Gainesville challenged a Florida law about police budgets, but lawmakers just revised it. “Part of the 2021 legislation enhanced penalties and created new crimes for protests that turn violent. But the law also created a process in which state attorneys or certain local elected officials could appeal decisions by municipalities to reduce funding for police departments.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Human Rights Board perseveres amid cancellations. “After months of canceled meetings and missing members, the Gainesville Human Rights Board has begun to find its footing this year. Of the 29 Gainesville city advisory boards, the Human Rights Board is one of the two sole quasi-judicial boards, meaning it can hear legal cases and enforce rulings. It has jurisdiction over cases brought to the city involving many different identities, including race, sexuality, religion and disability.”
• WUFT News: Gun instructors offer their perspectives as Florida becomes a ‘constitutional carry’ state. “The permitless carry bill, House Bill 543, also dubbed ‘constitutional carry’ by proponents, goes into effect July 1. The bill allows for the concealed carry of firearms without the need for a Concealed Weapon and Firearm License, which is acquired through a course.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Environmentalist: Better enforcement on Weeki Wachee River could have saved taxpayers millions of dollars. “This month, the Southwest Florida Water Management District is overseeing a dredging project along the river, outside of the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park boundaries. Crews will use machinery on the river’s bottom to suck out harmful sand and sediment.”
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Around the state• WJCT-Jacksonville: Donna Deegan tops Daniel Davis for Jacksonville mayor. “Deegan, who will be the city’s first female mayor, framed herself as a voice of opposition who will clean up what she asserts is a widely viewed culture of corruption in city government and bring in those who have historically been ‘left behind’ when it comes to economic development. Her priorities are infrastructure, public health and small business.”
• Politico: DeSantis snaps back at Trump over Florida’s 6-week abortion ban. “DeSantis — in some of his strongest comments to date on the topic — also defended his decision to sign a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy even though it has been criticized by some Republicans as too strict. The comments set up a potential fault line for DeSantis when he officially jumps into the race for president, which could come as soon as next week.”
• Florida Politics: Disney seeks to dismiss lawsuit filed by DeSantis-appointed tourism board. “The lawsuit centers around development agreements Disney made with its outgoing Reedy Creek board in the weeks before the state took it over and DeSantis appointed five new members. In the state lawsuit, the new board members accused Disney of making “11th-hour deals” that stripped them of their power to regulate Disney World’s special taxing district.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): New College students spurn changes by holding their own graduation. “In one final act of defiance, New College of Florida students plan to hold their own graduation ceremony Thursday, eschewing an official commencement that organizers said felt disrespectful to the college community.”
• News Service of Florida: Adult-use pot proposal goes to Florida Supreme Court. “Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday formally submitted a proposed recreational-marijuana ballot initiative to the Florida Supreme Court — and signaled she will argue that the proposal doesn’t meet legal requirements to go before voters in 2024.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: One of Florida’s biggest Ponzi schemes sees $80 million lost, 700 victims impacted. “Charismatic, wildly successful and spouting investment jargon like a pro. That’s how federal agents and victims of a Sarasota-based Ponzi scheme describe the man at the center of one of the IRS’s biggest fraud cases of 2022.”
From NPR News• Politics: What you need to know about the debt ceiling as the deadline looms
• Education: The case for financial literacy education
• Business: The IRS is building its own online tax filing system. Tax-prep companies aren’t happy
• National: A ride with Boot Girls, 2 women challenging Atlanta’s parking enforcement industry
• World: Same-sex couples will now have full adoption rights in Taiwan
• Sports: She finished last, but this runner won fans for not giving up in a pounding rain
• Business: Taco John’s trademarked ‘Taco Tuesday’ in 1989. Now Taco Bell is fighting it
• Politics: House Democrat introduces resolution to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• News Service of Florida: DeSantis signs bill prohibiting colleges and universities from spending money on ‘DEI.’ “The governor also signed a separate bill that will prevent colleges and universities from requiring ‘political loyalty’ tests for students and employees as a condition of admission or employment.”
• WUFT News: Sen. Rick Scott laying the groundwork for re-election campaign. “Scott was in Gainesville Monday morning, speaking to Republican party officials and supporters. He updated them on issues in Washington, D.C., and asked for their early support.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU to cut unfilled positions, reduce maintenance. “Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) presented its plan to reduce $3.4 million of expenses as part of the city’s overall efforts to cut $315 million in GRU net debt over the next 10 years.”
• The Alligator: Sasse meets with LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee. “Sasse’s May 11 meeting with the UF LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee fulfilled his seven-month old promise made during his first visit to UF campus, where he acknowledged the committee’s value and said he would meet with them.”
• CNN: Human DNA can now be pulled from thin air or a footprint on the beach. Here’s what that could mean. “The researchers from the University of Florida, who were using environmental DNA found in sand to study endangered sea turtles, said the DNA was of such high quality that the scientists could identify mutations associated with disease and determine the genetic ancestry of populations living nearby.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Hernando County teacher under investigation for showing 5th graders Disney movie. “The movie, ‘Strange World,’ is at the center of the Department of Education’s investigation. The teacher who played the movie is Jenna Barbee. She’s a new teacher at Winding Waters K-8 in Brooksville, Florida.”
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Around the state• City & State Florida: DeSantis vs. Disney: Will they ever agree on a ceasefire? “It wasn’t always like this: Disney started out on DeSantis’ good side, pursuing state tax breaks with the help of DeSantis’ office and getting a carve-out on a tech censorship bill he championed. Florida politicians, former lobbyists and various experts generally agree the fall from grace is temporary. They predict there will be a return to form for Disney’s influence in the Legislature and in the governor’s office.”
• WLRN-Miami: How the state’s new immigration crackdown will affect South Florida. “Florida’s sweeping immigration bill, signed into law by Gov. DeSantis, includes requiring companies to use a government program to report their employee’s status, declaring it a criminal offense to transport undocumented people into Florida, and making it easier for the governor to expel them from Florida.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Federal dollars will help Florida schools hire, train more mental health professionals. “The announcement comes on the heels of a new CDC report that finds suicide deaths are on the rise among high school students and more people have thought about taking their own lives.”
• Florida Storms: National Hurricane Center issues first 7-Day Tropical Weather Outlook Monday. “Starting this year, the graphical outlook tool from the NHC will be extended from five to seven days. Compared with other severe weather events, tropical cyclones already have a substantially longer lead time.”
• WUSF-Tampa Bay: Florida gas prices continue to trend downward in the lead up to a busy Memorial Day weekend. “Florida gas prices dropped 8 cents per gallon last week. The state average has now declined three consecutive weeks, for a total discount of 24 cents per gallon, since mid-April.”
From NPR News• Health: Think the COVID threat is over? It’s not for these people
• Health: Hospitals create police forces to stem growing violence against staff
• World: Latest on Ukraine: Zelenskyy made a spring diplomatic offensive in Europe (May 15)
• National: Trump-era special counsel’s final report criticizes FBI’s Russia probe
• National: 3 generations of trans Americans reflect on what has (and hasn’t) changed
• Politics: Congress wants to regulate AI, but it has a lot of catching up to do
• Business: Vice Media, once worth $5.7 billion, files for bankruptcy
• Science: Butterflies originated in North America after splitting from moths, new study suggests
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Ahead of MLB Draft, Wyatt Langford is living out his dreams as a Gator. “Major League Baseball’s annual player draft is set for July 9 to 11, and prospect rankings will start to be released more frequently. Langford, now 21, is ranked as the third overall prospect in the entire class according to MLB’s most recent prospect rankings. If taken third, this would tie him with Mike Zunino as the highest Gator picked in the MLB draft. Zunino was also taken third overall in 2012.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: DeSantis signs Rex and Brody Act into law. “The bill prevents access to autopsy photos and reports of minors killed through domestic violence, access previously allowed under Florida’s public records law. Unless a surviving parent not involved in the deaths gives permission, the records can be kept sealed under the new law. The bill remembers Rex and Brody Reinhart, Alachua County residents known well in the baseball community.”
• WUFT News: Live Oak to residents: sheds aren’t houses. “The City of Live Oak wants to stop people from using backyard sheds for housing. Council Member Lynda Owens says she’s received several complaints from residents.”
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Around the state• NPR News: Florida businesses could be required to verify employees have legal work permits. “Parts of the new law require all businesses in Florida with 25 or more employees to use E-Verify. That’s the federal online system where employers can confirm whether someone is eligible to work in the U.S. Supporters of the law say it will help curb illegal immigration to Florida, but opponents say it will hurt the economy.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis signs measure to shift hundreds of millions in taxes to charter schools. “Charter schools are going to tap into the pot of money that has so far been dedicated to capital costs at traditional public schools, according to legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis signed. The bill (HB 1259) was one of a slew of bills the governor signed Thursday and represents something of a sea change in school funding.”
• Politico: 5 things that went well for DeSantis in Iowa on Saturday. “Though Trump is trouncing DeSantis in national polls, the gap isn’t quite as massive in Iowa. If the Florida governor can convince Iowans he’s the better bet to beat President Joe Biden — and parlay that momentum into strong performances in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — the current national polls may not matter much.”
• USA Today Network ($): DeSantis gets millions in taxpayer money to fight lawsuits over hard-right policies. “Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate tucked an unprecedented almost $16 million into the state’s $117 billion budget for litigation costs to defend policies DeSantis just advanced or to cover battles already underway, like his yearlong clash with the Walt Disney Company.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers have included a $107 million expansion plan for the Florida State Guard. “This year, lawmakers approved funding to help the State Guard triple in size and gave some members the right to carry firearms and make arrests. Additionally, members would deploy alongside the National Guard and serve as substitutes for state agencies including law enforcement, environmental protection, or highway safety.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: How wildfires begin in Florida and their benefits to the forests. “In Florida, more than eight of ten wildfires are caused by people. Some are on lit purpose, but most are due to a lack of maintenance on equipment, such as an out-of-tune lawn mower or a vehicle’s catalytic converter.”
• WLRN-Miami: Miami’s hearty urban coral could help ailing reef. “Urban coral that have thrived near bustling Port Miami — despite ship traffic churning up pollution and bay bottom — are more resilient than their cousins along Florida’s reef, a new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found. Scientists say the findings, which established a baseline for conditions, could help them heal ailing reefs battling impacts from climate change.”
• Associated Press: He likes to be, under the sea: Florida man sets record for living underwater. “A university professor broke a record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization this weekend at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers.”
From NPR News• Health: Coronavirus FAQ: ‘Emergency’ over! Do we unmask and grin? Or adjust our worries?
• Business: How a default on the debt ceiling would affect the average American
• National: Fear and confusion, but not chaos, along the southern border after Title 42 ends
• Health: ‘No violins’: Michael J. Fox reflects on his career and life with Parkinson’s
• World: George Santos confessed to stealing checks in Brazil in a deal to drop charges
• Law: The Supreme Court outlawed split juries, but hundreds remain in prison anyway
• National: Meet the school custodian who has coached the chess team to the championships
• National: Funeral directors in 15 states can now offer the eco-friendlier ‘water cremation’
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• WUFT News: Bitter taste: The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted. “UF’s shrinking orchard is an emblem of the statewide groves its researchers are trying to save. Last year, Florida citrus inventory stood at 361,656 acres of orange and grapefruit trees statewide. That’s less than half the 1996 acreage, when more than 800,000 acres of sweet-smelling trees stretched across the state.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers pass a $117 billion budget to end the 2023 legislative session. “While (Gov. Ron) DeSantis has line-item veto power, the budget passed Friday would be 6.4 percent higher than the spending plan for the current fiscal year, which will end June 30.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers send two bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis targeting Disney. “Now, two bills are heading to the governor, and one of them requires state inspections of Walt Disney World’s monorail system. No transportation system would be impacted by the bill except Disney’s monorail.”
• Politico: How DeSantis gave Democrats the ‘session from hell.’ “The relatively lightweight final day was in contrast to the frantic and emotionally charged moments that had dominated the 59 days of the annual session — one of the most productive stretches of right-wing lawmaking any state’s seen in years. Week after week, legislators pushed through measures dealing with abortion, guns, the death penalty, immigration, schools and gender identity, sometimes amid protests inside the capital.”
• WLRN-Miami: In Miami, U.S. Education Secretary blasts ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law expansion. “Florida students deserve to feel safe at school — that was U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona’s message during a stop in Miami on Thursday.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Food, fertilizer, fuel? The hunt is on for solutions to the Caribbean’s exploding seaweed problem. “The floating brown seaweed known as sargassum has exploded in record-setting mass throughout the region. There is increasing commercial and research interest in developing ways to put it to use.”
• New York Times ($): Submerged Island Off Florida Reveals Secret: Civil War-Era Cemetery. “The site, discovered by marine archaeologists about 70 miles from Key West, Fla., once held a quarantine hospital and cemetery for those stationed at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: One dies in downtown Gainesville shooting. “According to a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) release, officers on foot patrol in downtown Gainesville heard gunshots around 1:07 a.m. (Saturday) and responded to 100 S. Main Street where they located a male victim located on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound.”
• WUFT News: Ben Sasse attends his first graduation as UF president. “As his first semester leading the university came to a close, he spoke mainly of Tom Petty, whom the school awarded a posthumous doctoral degree in music.”
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From NPR News• Health: CDC to stop reporting new COVID infections as public health emergency winds down
• National: Authorities identify the shooter who opened fire at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday
• National: String of horse deaths before the Kentucky Derby reignites scrutiny about the sport
• World: Ukraine buries a ‘brave son’ from America
• World: Photos: The coronation of King Charles III
• Space: SpaceX wants this supersized rocket to fly. But will investors send it to the Moon?
• Business: Unsold Yeezys collect dust as Adidas lags on a plan to repurpose them
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Gainesville Sun: Florida Senate sends GRU takeover bill to Gov. DeSantis’ desk for signature. “The bill creates a five-member authority board appointed by DeSantis to make all GRU-related decisions, stripping away the Gainesville City Commission’s century-long control of the municipal utility.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): US News ranks Florida No. 1 for education. “The ranking, announced this week, was largely based on Florida’s public higher education system, which scored above other states on metrics including graduation rates, cost of degrees and student debt. The state’s pre-K-12 system ranked No. 14, based on high school graduation rates, preschool enrollment rates and results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, among other measurements.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: High Springs chemical plant explosion injures four. “A High Springs chemical plant explosion at Air Liquide injured four people on Thursday morning. High Springs Fire Department firefighters responded to the incident at 4:01 a.m. at 17526 High Springs Main St. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and four people were injured.”
• WUFT News: UF’s concrete canoe team aims for fourth national title. “…UFCC placed first overall at the Southeast Conference ASCE Student Symposium at the University of North Florida this past March. The team simply dominated the other schools in the region, which is made up of Florida schools, Georgia schools and Puerto Rico schools. Now, the team aims to win its fourth national title at the 2023 ASCE Championships, which will be held June 10 to 12 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Andrew Gillum found not guilty on FBI lying charges, judge declares a mistrial. “Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has been cleared of lying to the FBI about a trip to New York where undercover agents purchased tickets for the mayor and his associates to see the play ‘Hamilton.'”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers pass a treatment ban for trans minors. “Teeing up the issue for Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida lawmakers on Thursday passed a plan that would prevent doctors and other health-care providers from offering treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender minors.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers approve the next step in the fight against human trafficking. “The measure would require the state Department of Children and Families to conduct more oversight of adult safe homes and tighten standards for hotels and motels where trafficking may be taking place.”
• Politico: New College scores millions in Florida’s budget amid DeSantis revamp. “Florida GOP lawmakers this week supported the drastic changes Gov. Ron DeSantis is seeking to transform New College of Florida into a conservative-leaning school by agreeing to send more than $34 million to the school and backing a slate of controversial trustees who are now leading it.”
• Florida Politics: Push to lower Florida’s gun-buying age dead in Session’s final days. “Florida’s minimum gun-buying age will remain at 21 years old. A proposal to return the minimum age to 18 is officially dead this year. The House in April passed a bill (HB 1543) on a 69-36 vote that would have reduced the purchase age for rifles and long guns. But no such legislation was ever filed in the Senate, and the clock has run out on the bill finding another vehicle to reach the Senate floor.”
• Axios: Florida moves to restrict foreigners from property buys. “Real estate professionals and Asian American groups are alarmed at a Florida bill that’s designed to prevent operatives in hostile nations from acquiring sensitive American land but could actually impact a much wider immigrant population.”
• WPTV-West Palm Beach: Transgender teachers leaving Florida after bill on pronouns passes. “Two Palm Beach County teachers said they’re ready to move out of the state after the passage and expansion of what critics call the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.”
• NPR News: Advocates in Florida clamor for a fix for the formerly incarcerated who want to vote. “In 2019, legislators passed a law requiring returning citizens to pay all the fees and fines associated with their sentence before they can vote again. But lawmakers never created a system to find out who owes what, says Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic leader of the Florida House.”
• Miami Herald ($): Flood insurance costs soar in South Florida. New rates to double, even triple for many. “FEMA has changed the way it calculates flood insurance prices. Instead of relying on old flood zone maps covering broad areas, it’s now basing premium prices on a wider range of factors, like an individual property’s distance from the ocean, rainfall levels and the cost to rebuild a home.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Sheriff Judd calls Florida law banning texting and driving “useless,” but is it? “…between July 2019 (when the state’s new texting & driving law took effect) and 2021, Florida law enforcement agencies issued just over 8500 citations for texting and driving. In a state with some 15 million licensed drivers at the time, that’s equivalent to just about nine tickets per day statewide.”
From NPR News• Law: Jury convicts Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys on seditious conspiracy charge
• Business: He’s trying to fix the IRS and has $80 billion to play with. This is his plan
• Business: 2 states launch an investigation of the NFL over gender discrimination and harassment
• Race: John Legend knows the obstacles of life after prison. He wants you to know them too
• National: Library funding becomes the ‘nuclear option’ as the battle over books escalates
• National: Financier buys Jeffrey Epstein’s private islands, with plans to create a resort
• Science: Think you’re a Taurus? Earth’s wobble sees things differently
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Celebration Pointe set to open May 27. “Construction of the $38 million Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Celebration Pointe was funded by the county’s Tourist Development Tax. The facility will work with the state of Florida and Viking Inc. to host sports and events.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers ban political ‘loyalty’ tests at state colleges and universities. “Senate sponsor Keith Perry. R-Gainesville, and other bill supporters have cited an example of the University of Florida College of Medicine using what they characterize as political loyalty tests.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Former death row inmates slam new Florida law making it easier to impose capital punishment. “With Florida making it easier for juries to impose the death sentence, two formerly condemned inmates who are still behind bars are warning that the change gives too much power over life and death to elected prosecutors. Their concerns are at odds with some families of murder victims.”
• Rolling Stone: That’s Dr. Tom Petty to You. “The University of Florida is posthumously recognizing Tom Petty’s contributions to music by honoring the late Heartbreakers leader with an honorary Doctor of Music degree. His brother Bruce will accept the diploma at the school’s spring commencement on Thursday.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Archer Library to double in size, add programs. “From the parking lot, the Archer Library appears the same as when it opened in 1993. After a few steps inside, clues like bare 2x4s and plastic coverings indicate the internal remodeling is underway.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida is adding restrictions to pronoun use in schools and expanding book challenges. “Senate Bill 1069 creates a process for people to challenge public school library books — an expansion of last year’s parental rights in education law, which critics have dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay.’ It also limits pronoun use for students and employees to the ones that align with a person’s biological sex.”
• Politico: Florida Republicans pass bill targeting transgender bathroom use. “Florida Republicans passed legislation Wednesday that would make it a misdemeanor trespassing offense for someone to use certain bathrooms that don’t align with their sex at birth. The bill, now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature, is limited to people using restrooms and changing facilities in state and local government buildings, schools, colleges and detention centers.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Legislature approves Tyre Sampson Act to improve safety of amusement park rides. “It is named after a 14-year-old boy who died in March 2022 when he fell from a drop tower at ICON Park in Orlando.”
• USA Today Network: About a dozen protesters arrested while singing in DeSantis’ office during sit-in. “The protest was organized by human rights group the Dream Defenders, which nearly a decade ago hosted a similar sit-in protest, this one a non-stop month long, at then-Gov. Rick Scott’s office.”
• Florida Politics: Ron DeSantis again decries ‘anonymous sources’ after anti-defamation bill fails. “Gov. Ron DeSantis remains on the offense against ‘anonymous sources’ after controversial legislation making it easier to sue media outlets for defamation failed.”
• Associated Press: Man executed in Florida for woman’s 1986 stabbing death. “A Florida man was executed Wednesday for breaking into a woman’s home and stabbing her to death in 1986, a crime committed months after he was released from prison for rape. Darryl B. Barwick, 56, was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. Wednesday following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison, the office of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said.”
• WLRN-Miami: Bill threatens hundreds of Florida’s historic buildings with demolition. “State senators just passed a bill to prevent local governments from blocking the demolition of structures on coastal areas – where many of Florida’s most historic buildings are. Supporters say it’ll protect people from structures that are potentially vulnerable to natural disasters, but preservationists worry developers will swoop in and destroy iconic areas.”
• Yahoo Finance: Florida’s Retirees Are Fleeing: Here’s Where They’re Going Instead. “Once thought of as the ideal place to live out one’s golden years, Florida is quickly losing favor with retirees. Remote workers and the wealthy are flocking to the state and driving up home prices, leaving those on a fixed income feeling the pinch.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Pulse memorial to move after onePulse, property owners fail to reach a deal. “A national memorial remembering the 49 people killed during the Pulse shooting will no longer be located at the South Orange Avenue location of the nightclub.”
• New York Times ($): ‘Bone Valley’ Podcast Subject Denied Parole Again in Wife’s Murder. “For 34 years, Leo Schofield Jr. has been imprisoned in Florida for the murder of his wife, Michelle Schofield. He has maintained his innocence and has been denied parole three times, even after another man convicted of murder in a separate case admitted to the killing.”
From NPR News• Business: The Fed raises interest rates again in what could be its final attack on inflation
• Politics: Biden and congressional leaders will face off in a high stakes debt ceiling meeting
• National: There’s a toxic brew of mistrust toward U.S. institutions. It’s got real consequences
• National: These states are narrowly defining who is ‘female’ and ‘male’ in law
• National: Tyre Nichols’ autopsy reveals brain injuries from blunt force trauma, attorneys say
• Education: Schools ended universal free lunch. Now meal debt is soaring
• Science: This star ate its own planet. Earth may share the same fate
• World: From ‘the other woman’ to Queen: how Camilla turned her image around
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WCJB: Alachua County School Board members vote to keep superintendent until June 2024. “After hours of discussion, Alachua County School Board members voted to postpone superintendent search until January 2024.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV project to narrow NW 8th Avenue, add bike lane. “If the project moves forward, the modifications would impact around one third of a mile of NW 8th Avenue that forms a part of State Road 20, from the Gainesville Police Department headquarters at NW 6th Street to U-Haul Moving and Storage at Main Street.”
• FOX35 Orlando: No backpack procedure instituted at Marion County school after first-grader brings airsoft gun to school. “On Monday night, a recorded message went out to parents to let them know that a first-grade student had brought an Airsoft gun to Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary, which is part of Marion County Public Schools.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville’s CBS4 to cease local broadcasts, staff laid off by Sinclair. “Beginning May 15, WGFL-CBS4 will cease all local news broadcasts, according to an emailed statement sent to The Gainesville Sun on Tuesday from the station’s owner, Sinclair Broadcasting Group.”
• WUFT News: Gator Motorsports team transitions to an electric car for the Formula SAE competition in June. “For the first time in program history, the team is racing an electric car, which marks a significant milestone for the team and highlights the growing trend toward electric vehicles in motorsports. For over two decades, the Gator Motorsports team, a student-run organization, has competed in the Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) design competition.”
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Around the state• Fresh Take Florida: ‘Stop being racist:’ Tickets for loud music nearly 3 times more likely for Black drivers under new Florida law. “The figures showed that Black drivers received almost 37% of the tickets, despite Black people making up only about 16% of Florida’s driving-eligible population. White non-Hispanic drivers received about 46% of the tickets, with white non-Hispanic people making up 56% of the state’s driving-eligible population. Police officers and deputies issued the rest of the tickets for loud music to drivers identified as Hispanic, ‘other,’ such as multiracial, or Native American.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s new proposed budget hits record $117 billion. “Flush with cash, Florida lawmakers on Tuesday released a $117 billion budget for the fiscal year that will start July 1. The record budget would be about $7 billion larger than the spending plan for the current fiscal year. House and Senate negotiators finished working out details Monday.”
• Politico: Florida GOP passes sweeping anti-immigration bill that gives DeSantis $12 million for migrant transports. “Florida Republicans on Tuesday handed Gov. Ron DeSantis another legislative victory after lawmakers signed off on a sweeping anti-immigration measure that will guarantee millions of dollars more for a controversial program the governor used to fly migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.”
• Action News Jax: DeSantis expresses support for proposed downtown UF graduate campus. “The state’s proposed budget includes $75 million for this campus project. The city had already committed $20 million with an additional $30 million likely over the next two years. While the governor said that he has not looked at the state’s part of the budget just yet, he is in favor of the project’s proposed vision.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Giant mats of seaweed lurk off Florida coast and have beached in spurts but will peak soon. “A massive seaweed bloom expected to grow to record proportions before peaking in June is assaulting Florida beaches in hit or miss fashion depending on the way the wind blows.”
• New York Times ($): Florida Legislature Moves to Shield DeSantis’s Travel Records. “Though the law purports to shield Mr. DeSantis’s and other top officials’ travel records under the umbrella of increasing threats and operational security, it also includes a sweeping retroactive clause that would block the release of many records of trips already taken by Mr. DeSantis and other officials, as well as those taken by their families and staff members.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Pay raise makes budget for state workers in Florida; but union bill sparks fears. “The House accepted the Senate plan to spend $389 million to boost the average pay for 97,000 workers in the state personnel system by about $2,300 annually, and to spend another $108 million to reward select employees and recruit new ones.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida’s skating rinks look for insurance relief from Legislature. “The House voted 117-0 on Tuesday – after the Senate passed the bill last week – on a measure that would require consumers to accept “inherent risks” that come with roller skating. The bill was expected to be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign into law. The effort was the latest in Florida to limit damages that can be recovered in liability lawsuits, which Republican lawmakers said makes the state a better environment for businesses.”
• WLRN-Miami: Consultant: Florida politics are driving away Broward superintendent candidates. “Florida’s education politics are keeping qualified candidates from applying to be the next superintendent of the state’s second largest school district. That’s according to a search consultant hired by Broward County Public Schools to help find the district’s next leader.”
• Associated Press: Homosassa man charged with throwing explosive at Capitol riot. “Daniel Ball, 38, of Homosassa, Florida, was arrested in Inverness, about 60 miles west of Orlando, according to court documents. He is charged with multiple felonies, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon.”
• NPR News: Amid anti-trans bills targeting youth, Dwyane Wade takes a stand for his daughter. “Dwyane Wade is a retired NBA player, who starred for the Miami Heat and won 3 NBA championships there. Wade is also the father of 15-year-old Zaya Wade, a transgender model and activist who came out in 2020, with the vocal support of Dwyane and his partner Gabrielle Union.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Cars, trucks and bears? The plan to keep wildlife off Interstate 4. “The Florida Department of Transportation is developing an $11.9 million wildlife overpass across a section of I-4 that’s designed to protect wildlife from the threats posed by the highway. The overpass will connect their habitats on both sides of the interstate, which is important to their survival.”
• FLKeysNews ($): A grave under the ocean? Team finds what could be submerged hospital off Florida Keys. “Archaeologists have found a submerged gravestone in Dry Tortugas National Park near the Florida Keys, and they say the discovery could also mean there’s a cemetery and hospital in the area. The site could have been used for quarantined yellow fever patients on a small island that has since eroded into the sea.”
From NPR News• National: The Texas man accused of killing 5 neighbors is in custody, authorities say
• National: Writers Guild of America goes on strike
• National: Police discover 7 bodies at the home of a sex offender on his scheduled court date
• Health: America has a loneliness epidemic. Here are 6 steps to address it
• Business: Digital news sites fight to survive as online ad dollars dry up
• Politics: Dueling narratives at the Senate hearing on the Supreme Court
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Six former Florida Gators selected during NFL Draft. “It was a great weekend for Florida Gator football, as six former players were selected in the NFL Draft, including Gainesville local Anthony Richardson getting picked fourth overall.”
• Florida Storms: Hurricane Preparedness Week begins in Florida. “Prepping for hurricane season starts with knowing your risks. Hurricanes are much more than just a coastal problem, so knowing what types of water and wind hazards could happen where you live is critical to your safety.”
• WCJB: Alachua County School Board discusses bringing on a new superintendent. “School board members met with a representative of the Florida School Boards Association to discuss the logistics of bringing on a new superintendent.”
• WUFT News: Resilient Cedar Key flooding vulnerability map. “A grant from the Resilient Florida program funded the online program that allows users to explore flood vulnerability maps on and around Cedar Key.”
• The Alligator: Gainesville residents protest ‘countries of concern’ real estate bills. “The bills would restrict the ownership of property in Florida by some Chinese government agencies, private businesses and individuals. The bills target Florida residents born and raised in the People’s Republic of China who aren’t lawful, permanent residents.”
• WCJB: Alachua County commissioners consider plan to divert trash from landfills. “On Tuesday, commissioners will discuss whether they need to update this plan, or consider projects that fall within the guidelines.”
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Around the state• Associated Press: Florida LGBTQ+ lawmaker to GOP: ‘I’m literally trying to exist.’ “More than 200 LGBTQ+ lawmakers across the country feel just like Jones, at a time when anti-gay and anti-transgender legislation is flourishing — as if they are under personal attack, and that they need to continually defend their community’s right to exist.”
• News Service of Florida: School board members face 8-year term limits under a bill headed to DeSantis. “The Legislature and DeSantis last year approved a measure that capped board members’ terms at 12 years. During discussion Monday, Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Hollywood, questioned why lawmakers were coming back with eight-year term limits this year.”
• WUSF-Tampa: DeSantis signs a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions. “The governor, who is expected to announce a run for president in the coming weeks, has leaned into an aggressive conservative agenda on crime and other issues ahead of his expected candidacy as he seeks to bolster support among the Republican base.”
• News Service of Florida: Clinics Say Privacy Clause Protects Abortion Rights. “With the future of abortion rights in Florida potentially hinging on the case, attorneys for abortion clinics and a doctor are pushing back against arguments that the state Supreme Court should reject decades of legal precedents about a privacy clause in the Florida Constitution.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Board appointed by DeSantis votes to sue Disney in state court. “The five-member Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board will seek to invalidate a previous board’s pre-emptive agreement that surrendered much of its authority to Disney.”
• Florida Politics: Legislature puts its stamp on phosphogypsum road reuse. “The chances are better than they were yesterday that phosphogypsum will be included in future Florida roads, despite concerns about the material’s radioactivity.”
• NPR: A Florida principal who was fired after showing students ‘David’ is welcomed in Italy. “Hope Carrasquilla, a Florida principal who was asked to resign in March after sixth-grade students were taught about and shown a picture of Michelangelo’s David statue, traveled to Florence, Italy to see the sculpture in real life.”
• News Service of Florida: The Florida House and Senate nail down a spending plan. “After what they called the ‘smoothest’ budget negotiations in years, House and Senate leaders on Monday finished working out details of a spending plan that is expected to top $116 billion.”
From NPR News• Politics: The Senate holds its Supreme Court ethics hearing this week — with no justices
• Business: This company adopted AI. Here’s what happened to its human workers.
• National: More communities are deciding to fight the expansion of dollar stores
• Health: Advocates for addiction treatment say Narcan should be made available everywhere
• Sports: Why an NBA star’s response to a reporter’s question about losing hit a nerve
• National: Arkansas woman pleads not guilty to selling over 20 boxes of stolen human body parts
• Art: The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville city commissioners seek clarity about Ironwood Golf Course finances. “After years of substantial operational losses and an audit from the state, the Gainesville City Commission wants more transparency about the Ironwood Golf Course.”
• WUFT News: Schools request more foster grandparents as program approaches 50th anniversary. “The program, which began in July 1973, is for low-income people aged 55 or over, providing them opportunities to assist children with ‘special or exceptional needs’ on a case-by-case basis in local schools, daycares and related settings.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Rex and Brody Act unanimously passes Legislature. “Following unanimous support in the Florida House and Senate, the Rex and Brody Act will continue to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for final approval.”
• The Alligator: Sasse fires top UF official. “After more than nine years with UF, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charlie Lane was fired by UF President Ben Sasse — his first major leadership change since taking office in February.”
• WUFT News: How Oak Hall School’s lacrosse team has become one of the region’s best. “The lacrosse team only had one win in two years before Montes took over the program, and he transformed the team into a national powerhouse.”
• WUFT News: Eighth Circuit Court Judge Sean Brewer sworn in at investiture ceremony. “A former assistant state attorney for the eighth and fifth judicial circuits, Brewer has a legal career spanning nearly 25 years.”
• Florida Politics: Budget conference: Jax UF campus will get $75M in state funds. “The University of Florida’s (UF) Jacksonville campus will get $75 million in state money, with the Senate meeting the House offer Saturday night, coming up from a much more modest $5 million.”
• WUFT News: Acrosstown Repertory Theatre makes a comeback. “Nine months after losing its home, a Gainesville theater company has embarked on a new adventure as a nomadic troupe. The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre is touring around the city and raising money for a new building in the process.”
• WUFT News: Photos: Skaters compete at 2023 Possum Creek Skate Jam. “The competition consisted of multiple divisions of varying skill levels all leading up to the highest division, the sponsor division.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers pass elections bill, setting up change to the ‘resign-to-run’ law. “The Florida House on Friday gave final approval to a major elections bill that would place additional restrictions on voter-registration groups and help clear the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis to potentially run for president in 2024.”
• WLRN-Miami: Florida bill would require patients to share their immigration status. “The bill, which is awaiting a floor vote, would require hospitals that accept Medicaid to change their admission or registration forms. It would mean more than 320 Florida hospitals would need to include a question asking patients whether they’re United States citizens, or whether they are lawfully or not lawfully in the country.”
• NPR: Critics say Florida’s historic monuments are under threat with a new bill. “Florida lawmakers want to weaken historic preservation in coastal areas, worried about old buildings in natural disasters. Critics worry that developers will destroy iconic towns and neighborhoods.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers passes security deposit alternative bill for renters. “A bill (HB 133) that lets landlords charge fees instead of security deposits heads to the governor’s desk Friday. Senators voted to pass the bill 31-7.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida Senate votes to block DEI spending in higher education. “The Republican-dominated Senate voted 27-12 along near-party lines to pass the bill (SB 266) despite arguments by Democrats that it could hurt the reputation of Florida’s higher education system.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Permanent tax-free diapers, incontinence products a bipartisan beacon during legislative session. “Rep. Anna Eskamani said the bipartisan legislation now awaiting the governor’s signature includes diapers, incontinence undergarments, incontinence pads, and incontinence liners.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Jury deliberations in Andrew Gillum’s trial are set to resume. “Jurors began deliberations after closing arguments ended on Friday afternoon in the federal trial against the two defendants, who pleaded guilty last year after they were first indicted.”
• Florida Politics: Hemp bill with no THC caps passes Senate, looks likely to become law. “A hemp bill that once imposed onerous THC caps and a controversial ban on synthetic derived cannabinoids was changed in the House, and now the Senate version matches that bill.”
From NPR News• National: Authorities are offering $80K for information about the suspected Texas shooter
• National: Federal prisons want inmates to pay victims, before making phone calls or buying shoes
• National: More people are getting away with murder. Unsolved killings reach a record high
• Law: A North Carolina court overrules itself in a case tied to a disputed election theory
• Economy: The weight bias against women in the workforce is real — and it’s only getting worse
• Business: Calls to shut down Shein, a Chinese fast fashion company, are growing
• Space: NASA is keeping Voyager 2 going until at least 2026 by tapping into backup power
• World: A forgotten peace petition started after WWI has resurfaced and is inspiring hope
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville City Commission votes to partially restore Boltin Center. “The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted Thursday to spend $5.6 million on a partial restoration of the Thelma A. Boltin Activity Center, a historic recreation center in downtown Gainesville.”
• WUFT News: P.K. Yonge lockdown cleared. “A group message had P.K. Yonge parents, school officials and the University of Florida Police Department on high alert Thursday morning. The school was placed on lockdown for about two hours.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Florida House passes GNV bill with debate. “A slate of local bills passed through the Florida House on Thursday with the majority earning unanimous approval and no debate, but the local bill concerning Gainesville caused an hour of discussion, five proposed amendments and an 81-33 vote along party lines.”
• The Alligator: Anthony Richardson drafted by Colts with fourth overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft. “Anthony Richardson became the highest-drafted Gator since Kyle Pitts — the fourth overall pick in the 2021 National Football League Draft — Thursday.”
• WCJB: UF-IFAS hosted a field day to connect fruit producers with consumers. “Multiple doctors from the horticultural sciences department spoke about the production process of certain fruits.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis signs law cracking down on hate speech, says Florida ‘led the way’ fighting antisemitism. “On the same day he delivered a keynote speech at the Museum of Tolerance in Israel, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law designed to curb a disturbing rise in antisemitism across Florida.”
• News Service of Florida: New restrictions on unions in Florida are headed to Ron DeSantis for approval. “The Florida House on Wednesday gave final approval to a controversial plan that would place additional restrictions on public-employee unions, teeing up the issue for Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• Florida Politics: Legislature increases financial disclosure requirements for city, county elected officials. “The bill would require city and local government elected officials to reveal their entire net worth, including income sources, assets, property and business ownership, and debts.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida leaders have agreed on a $350m fund to cover public schools amid voucher cost uncertainty. “Florida Republican lawmakers voiced confidence in their estimated costs for the state’s newest expansion of school vouchers, but they’re setting aside money just in case those estimates are off.”
• Florida Politics: Radioactivity concerns not enough to derail phosphogypsum bill on path to Senate. “One person’s innovative waste reuse plan is another’s health and environmental concern as a potentially dangerous material could be included in road building for limited suitability studies with an aim toward wider use.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Orange County School Board considers suing social media giants. “School boards in Florida and across the US are suing Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok for damages they say students incurred on the platforms.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida’s Attorney General launches a program to help domestic violence survivors. “The program will provide free doorbell cameras to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking and sexual violence.”
From NPR News• National: The U.S. unveils plan to discourage border crossings when pandemic restrictions lift
• National: One way to prevent suicides: limit access to guns
• National: Prosecutors say suspected leaker of Pentagon documents had a weapons cache
• Technology: AI-generated deepfakes are moving fast. Policymakers can’t keep up
• Health: Disability groups claim California’s assisted suicide law discriminates against them
• Agriculture: Precision agriculture technology helps farmers – but they need help
• Books: Photographer’s decade-long, 600,000-mile journey shows Indigenous life in new book
• World: ‘Pelé’ now officially means ‘exceptional,’ a Brazilian dictionary declares
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: After family murders, suicide, Florida nears passage of bill to shield kids’ autopsy details. “The bills would ban the public release of autopsy reports for minors killed by domestic violence – and also ban release of photographs, audio or video, such as police body camera recordings or in reports by child abuse investigators, in cases when a minor is killed, no matter the circumstances.”
• Florida Storms: Significant severe weather expected across Florida today through this weekend. “The SPC has placed most of the Peninsula from Jacksonville down to Miami in a Slight Risk for severe weather. The greatest storm coverage is expected in the Enhanced Risk area from Ocala through Orlando and into Fort Pierce.”
• The Alligator: Living in the CO2 Capitol: UF professor studies Indigenous issues in the Amazon. “A UF anthropology professor for over two decades, Heckenberger has authored several books on Amazonian Indigenous peoples as a result of living with the Kuikuro tribe in Brazil for two years.”
• WCJB: Bradford County Fire Rescue puts out fire on Florida State Prison property. “Bradford County Fire Rescue crews want to know what started a fire on Florida State Prison property.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Interactive indoor playground opens near downtown. “The family-friendly playground holds more than 2,200 square feet of indoor play space that is divided into four spacious, air-conditioned activity rooms and more than 3,500 feet of outdoor play space.”
• WCJB: Alachua elementary school celebrates 30th anniversary. “Hundreds of current students and alumni from Irby Elementary School gathered to celebrate the occasion, listening to live music performances and poetry readings.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Florida House approves bill that would change rules around campus free speech. “The Florida House on Wednesday passed a measure that would put new requirements on universities related to debates and other campus forums, with supporters saying it would bolster free speech but critics arguing it could have unintended consequences.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida Senate passes controversial elections changes. “The proposed bill would place additional restrictions on voter-registration groups and help clear the way for a potential White House bid by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• Florida Politics: House passes ‘Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act.’ “Underage sales of kratom would be punishable by an up to $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The Andrew Gillum corruption trial may wrap up sooner than expected. “Gillum and co-defendant Sharon Lettman-Hicks are charged with several counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gillum is also charged with lying to the FBI.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A rising number of working Florida families are unable to afford basic necessities. “A report released Wednesday by United Way Suncoast and United for ALICE has found that nearly half of Florida households are struggling to afford basic needs, such as food, housing and healthcare.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A bill to protect the habitat and food source of Florida manatees has the Senate’s okay. “The full Florida Senate okayed a bill Wednesday aimed at addressing the state’s alarming rate of seagrass loss and record breaking manatee deaths.”
• News Service of Florida: A Florida Senate panel backs a bathroom bill as drag queens protest. “A key Senate committee on Tuesday approved a scaled-back proposal aimed at requiring transgender men and women to use restrooms that line up with their sex assigned at birth, as protesters marched to the Capitol to speak out against bills targeting the LGBTQ community.”
• WMFE-Orlando: The Mouse strikes back: Disney sues DeSantis, new district board over alleged retaliation. “In the complaint filed in federal court on Wednesday, Disney alleges, ‘a targeted campaign of government retaliation.'”
From NPR News• Politics: House Republicans overcome internal divisions to pass debt ceiling bill
• Space: SpaceX is grounded after rocket explosion caused extensive environmental damage
• National: Montana House votes to formally punish transgender lawmaker, Rep. Zooey Zephyr
• Politics: Biden says his own age doesn’t register with him as he seeks second term
• Animals: 2,000 ‘near threatened’ white rhinos are up for auction
• Religion: In a historic shift, Pope Francis allows women to vote at bishops’ meetings
• World: 10 years after the deadliest garment factory accident
• Health: She was pregnant and had to find $15,000 overnight to save her twins
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: 2021 Swamp Car Wash murder case defendant changes plea again. “Under the former plea deal, Patrick was facing up to 15 years in prison. Now, if he is found guilty at trial, the minimum sentence is 25 years.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Public Schools seeks to build better future for Westwood Middle. “Community leaders, parents and teachers gathered at Westwood Middle School on Monday morning to celebrate the school’s ‘Raising the Wall’ ceremony.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz alum looks to set a trend for Alachua County football players. “In December, he became one of the few players from Alachua County to sign a letter of intent to attend the University of Alabama on a football scholarship.”
• The Alligator: Sasse’s semester of selective silence. “Since UF President Ben Sasse took office in early February, he’s been selective about his public appearances. But behind the scenes in Tigert Hall, his first semester in Florida has featured a complicated state legislative session, a potential graduate campus in Jacksonville and meetings with faculty leaders.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville’s largest TNR program Operation Catnip makes waves for community cat welfare. “The main function of the program is to allow caregivers to bring community cats into the clinic so that they can get fixed, vaccinated and returned to where they were found.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: UF to offer screenings for service animals. “The University of Florida’s Small Animal Hospital will offer free eye and heart exams for service animals on May 19.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville’s Kind Kitty Rescue takes on critical cases involving neonatal kittens. “Every two hours, they enter their designated “kitten room” to bottle-feed newborns who are without a mother.”
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Around the state• Fresh Take Florida: Behind the scenes of Florida’s efforts to purge schools of books deemed improper. “With a scanner like ones used at grocery stores plugged into her computer, Paula Stephens spent her 30-minute planning period scanning two boxes of books from her classroom library.”
• Florida Politics: Amendment would clear up ambiguity about need for Ron DeSantis to resign-to-run for President in 2024. “If Sen. Travis Hutson’s proposal is approved, the language will exempt anyone who is running for President or Vice President from resign-to-run requirements.”
• WMFE-Orlando: COVID Booster shots, will they cost you money with the end of the PHE? “The second COVID-19 bivalent booster shot is now available to certain people, including those over 65 and people who are immune-compromised. But The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is set to expire on May 11th, which means the federal government will transition out of certain policies, such as free COVID tests.”
• WUSF-Tampa: How limits on demonstration at the Florida Capitol affect free speech. “Requests to reserve space inside the capitol have to be made through the head of a state agency, legislative leaders or the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. People violating the rules can be removed by police.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Will the TikTok ban on Florida Universities affect athletes’ NIL deals? “In March, the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities, issued an emergency regulation banning TikTok and WeChat. This move came about two years after the NCAA started allowing athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, or NIL.”
• News Service of Florida: Monorail becomes the latest target in the Disney feud. “Disney’s iconic monorail system would face periodic state inspections, as Republican lawmakers continue to back Gov. Ron DeSantis in his clash with the entertainment giant.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Karla Luzardo’s dream of becoming a lawyer could be crushed by Florida immigration bill. “A bill that would ban undocumented people from being admitted into the Florida Bar, is getting its second committee reading in the Florida Senate on Tuesday.”
From NPR News• Politics: House Republicans hope their debt limit bill will get Biden to the negotiating table
• World: Warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a temporary truce
• National: Book bans are getting everyone’s attention — including Biden’s. Here’s why
• Law: Chief Justice Roberts declines to testify before Senate panel
• Science: What lessons have we learned from the COVID pandemic?
• Health: Diet culture can hurt kids. This author advises parents to reclaim the word ‘fat’
• Culture: Mattel unveils a Barbie with Down syndrome
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: The Rise of the Red. “The Williston Middle High School Red Devils football team went 1-8 in the 2021 football season. They also averaged about 30 fans a game according to Reyce Knauff. Since then, a lot changed.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Hidden violence: Elder abuse was already hard to track – then a pandemic made it more difficult. “Amy Thomas wasn’t new to social work. She had been helping vulnerable children and adults for more than 20 years when she started working at Elder Options, a Gainesville-based nonprofit designated by the government to serve elders in 16 north-central Florida counties.”
• WUFT News: Plans move forward for construction of meat processing facility in Newberry. “The plans for the county to build and own this meat processing facility stemmed from concerns about the nationwide supply chain issues that occurred since the beginning of COVID-19.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville stocks public restrooms with free menstrual products. “After facing initial supply shortages, the City of Gainesville now says it has 85% of public restrooms stocked with free menstrual products.”
• WUFT News: Upcoming General Policy meeting to provide updates on Thelma A. Boltin Center. “In December 2020, the roof over the auditorium of the Boltin Center was found partially collapsed. A structural engineering firm recommended that either the entire building be demolished or the auditorium be demolished and replaced causing the building to potentially lose its historic charm.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Floridians flock to Newberry to discuss Farm Bill. “From across the state, Floridians impacted by the Farm Bill flooded into Newberry on Monday in order to speak to congressional members of the House Committee on Agriculture.”
• The Alligator: UF says goodbye to oldest campus tree. “UF’s first resident wasn’t a person, but a tree. Sprouting before the university was founded, a longleaf pine near Keene-Flint Hall has watched UF grow into what it is today. In April, the tree was declared dead.”
• WUFT News: The Brazilian community in Gainesville: bringing culture and investment into the area. “Brazil is one of the largest sources of immigrants that live in Alachua County. There are a little under 1,000 foreign-born Brazilians in Gainesville, making Brazil the 9th country with the highest number of immigrants in the city.”
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Around the state• Politico: Florida surgeon general altered key findings in study on Covid-19 vaccine safety. “Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo personally altered a state-driven study about Covid-19 vaccines last year to suggest that some doses pose a significantly higher health risk for young men than had been established by the broader medical community, according to a newly obtained document.”
• Florida Politics: Senate committee OK’s conservatives to state Board of Education. “Members of the Ethics and Elections committee gave their OK to Esther Byrd of Neptune Beach, who has supported Q-Anon and Jan. 6 insurrectionists in the past, and Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a Miami radiologist who has spoken out forcefully against trans care for children.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A Florida Senate committee recommends the confirmation of New College trustees. “Despite some controversy, a Florida Senate committee has recommended the confirmation of seven trustees recently appointed to guide New College. But those trustees didn’t receive broad support from parents and students who spoke during the hearing.”
• NPR: The 2-year-old boy who was found in an alligator’s mouth was drowned, police say. “Taylen Mosley was found dead in Lake Maggiore in St. Petersburg on March 31. A search for the young boy had begun the day before, when his mother, Pashun Jeffery, 20, was found stabbed to death in her apartment.”
• WLRN-Miami: Flipping the script: Will Floridians now travel to Latin America for abortions? “Some of the region’s largest countries have recently legalized abortion, now allowing it up to 14 weeks of pregnancy in Argentina and 24 weeks in Colombia, for example.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Bill would strip Orlando of the power to make its contractors pay workers a higher minimum wage. “The House Commerce Committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would strip Orlando and other local governments of the power to make their own contractors pay workers more than the minimum wage.”
• WLRN-Miami: Caribbean comeback: The region’s post-pandemic tourism rebound leads the world. “Few regions saw their tourism industries suffer more during the COVID-19 pandemic than the Caribbean did. But the region is now rebounding more strongly than any other — and for some surprising reasons.”
From NPR News• Media: Tucker Carlson ousted at Fox News following network’s $787 million settlement
• Politics: Biden has announced his bid for a second presidential term
• National: 5 things to know as E. Jean Carroll’s civil trial begins against Donald Trump
• Media: CNN announces it’s parted ways with news anchor Don Lemon
• National: Louisville officer who killed Breonna Taylor hired by police force in nearby county
• Business: Rideshare drivers raise questions about how algorithms set drivers’ pay rates
• Business: Fire-breathing dragon at California’s Disneyland caught fire over the weekend
• Books: Judy Blume was banned from the beginning, but says ‘It never stopped me from writing’
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Photos: 100-year-old house moved across Gainesville. “The project was organized by Tyler Smith and Roberta Lopez to move the more than 100-year-old home two miles to a plot of land where Cora Peterson Roberson once lived.”
• WUFT News: Plans for new solar farm generate heat among Newberry residents. “After visiting Newberry all her life, Monica Lerew permanently moved to her 10-acre property three years ago excited to live in the peaceful countryside. But this peace is now being threatened as plans for a new solar farm are in place.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Opponents sound off on GRU bill at city meeting. “The city of Gainesville and its Utility Advisory Board organized a special meeting at 6 p.m. Friday to discuss the local utility authority bill, and adjectives flew from opponents of the bill, from authoritarian and power grab to disrespectful and sloppy.”
• WUFT News: Fundraiser seeks to aid farmers with limitations. “The heat is not the only battle Florida farmers face. When farmers are disabled, they have no choice but continue working for food and income.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County releases algae health alert. “The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County has released a health alert warning residents to refrain from activities in Orange, Lochloosa and Newnans lakes.”
• WUFT News: Theatre of Memory offers a collection of worldwide stories in the middle of Gainesville. “In the heart of Gainesville, there is a place where time stops, rewinds and folds over itself.”
• WUFT News: Actor, Author, and Activist: Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age in Gainesville. “WUFT-FM Morning Edition host, Glenn Richards, recently spoke with the acclaimed, multi-talented, actor, author, and activist, Alan Cumming, who Time Magazine called one of the three most fun people in show business.”
• WCJB: Ocala Police arrested a man after he set five separate fires at a Marion County hospital. “Firefighters put the fires out before any injuries occurred, but a few patients were relocated.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida Republicans are pushing more restrictions around voting. “Despite a series of problem-free elections in Florida, proposed legislation would create more restrictions around the voting process. Republicans want to add to already-restrictive election laws that have been strengthened in recent years.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: 1,600-acre wildfire burns in Nassau County. “A wildfire is burning over 1,600 acres in Nassau County, and firefighters are in position to protect homes if necessary.”
• WUFT News: Fort Lauderdale residents scramble to recover from flash flood. “Alina Mihaila, a single mom with four cats, said her home submerged under water. ‘[There is] no help from nowhere. Not from city, not from the government. I feel like nobody cares,’ Mihaila said.”
• Florida Politics: Kamala Harris announces $78.7M in Florida projects to fight climate change. “Kamala Harris picked a week when the Florida Governor was most everywhere but Florida, including in Washington D.C., to visit Miami to roll out $78.7 million in spending for 16 climate change initiatives affecting the Sunshine State.”
• News Service of Florida: Lawmakers look to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. “The issue has drawn heavy lobbying as pharmacy benefit managers play a central — and big-dollar — role in the health-care system.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A new report shows Florida ranks second in nation among spike in book bans. “Between July and December 2022, the free speech advocacy group PEN America reports Florida school districts banned 357 titles.”
• Associated Press: Gay pride parade canceled after anti-drag show law passes. “Officials in a southwest Florida city have canceled a gay pride parade and restricted other pride events to people 21 years and older in anticipation of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a bill meant to keep children out of drag shows.”
•NPR: The N.C. man accused of shooting a 6-year-old and her parents was arrested in Florida. “The North Carolina man accused of shooting a 6-year-old and her parents after a basketball rolled into his yard has been arrested in Florida following a two-day manhunt.”
From NPR News• National: U.S. says it ‘infiltrated’ the Sinaloa drug cartel in the fight against fentanyl
• World: Russia says its air force accidentally bombed its own city near Ukraine
• National: Crump says Kaepernick to pay for autopsy for inmate who died in ‘appalling conditions’
• Space: Why SpaceX staff cheered when the Starship rocket exploded
• Business: Homeware giant Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for bankruptcy
• Sports: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s soccer team wins promotion to professional league
• World: The ‘Champagne of Beers’ gets crushed in Belgium
• Sports: Edgy or insensitive? The Paralympics TikTok account sparks a debate
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville drag community wary of Florida drag ban bill. “For Gainesville-based drag queen Star Shine, drag has always been connected with family.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV reapproves solar after redactions revealed. “On Thursday, the Gainesville City Commission approved the exact same contract with Origis Energy for solar power that it unanimously supported in February.”
• WUFT News: Florida emergency managers explain what went wrong to cause early morning alert. “At 2:30 p.m., the Florida Division of Emergency Management offered this explanation in a press release.”
• WUFT News: Disaster to opportunity: How Gainesville turned a Puerto Rican chef’s life around. “After the effects of Hurricane Maria, Perez decided to move to Gainesville. However, he said the city has allowed him to chase his lifelong dream of owning his own restaurant.”
• WUFT News: New owners and a new name for Gainesville olive oil and vinegar tasting room. “Stainless steel containers that hold different types of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasonings, jars of olives, and cooking utensils that read ‘I can’t olive without you’ and ‘Olive I ever wanted,’ is what you will find at The Treasured Olive.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: A bill ending DEI programs in universities is headed to the full Florida Senate. “A measure that seeks to prevent colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is ready to go before the full Senate amid strong objections from Democrats, with one Black senator calling the proposal ‘racist at its core.'”
• News Service of Florida: DeSantis signs major death penalty change. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill eliminating a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before judges can impose death sentences.”
• Florida Politics: Controversial defamation bill now dead in House and Senate. “The legislation, which drew criticism from media voices across the political spectrum, would have lowered the threshold to sue media outlets and others.”
• Associated Press: SpaceX giant rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas. “Elon Musk’s company was aiming to send the nearly 400-foot (120-meter) Starship rocket on a round-the-world trip from the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexican border. It carried no people or satellites.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Florida Lawmakers discuss hemp bill on 4/20. “Florida lawmakers are considering a bill (SB 1676) that will modify regulations around hemp-derived products.”
• WUWF-Pensacola: Keeping military bases secure from climate change. “Designing and fortifying military bases against the effects of climate change is not some far-off concept, it’s happening right now.”
• Florida Politics: More details emerge about Ron DeSantis’ international trade mission. “Similar to his pre-pandemic trip in 2019 to Israel, the Governor will travel with Enterprise Florida to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom.”
From NPR News• Politics: McCarthy proposes changing access to food stamps as part of debt limit debate
• National: A suspect is wanted in the shooting of a 6-year-old after a ball rolled into his yard
• Politics: Roberts invited to testify at Senate hearing on Supreme Court ethics
• Media: BuzzFeed shutters its newsroom as the company undergoes layoffs
• National: The Boy Scouts are out of bankruptcy and will pay $2.4 billion to sex abuse survivors
• World: Khartoum’s hospital system has collapsed after cease-fire fails
• Health: Is gray hair reversible? A new study digs into the root cause of aging scalps
• Science: An overlooked brain system helps you grab a coffee — and plan your next cup
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: GRU control bill gets House committee approval. “The House State Affairs Committee approved Representative Chuck Clemons’ bill giving the state of Florida control of Gainesville Regional Utilities on Wednesday.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville commissioners continue undoing single-family zoning laws. “On Wednesday night, the commission met for a special meeting to discuss the highly debated laws passed last October that eliminated the single-family zoning category and added residential zoning districts.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: ACPS begins rezoning with first input meeting. “Just over 100 parents and students sat in the Panther Palace, aka the cafeteria, for the board members to listen to concerns on how the rezoning along with other concerns like long bus rides, losing magnet programs, student discipline and facility expansion.”
• WUFT News: Lake Forest Elementary School inaugurates new playground that will double as public park. “Lake Forest Elementary School in Gainesville hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning for its refurbished playground, which will also be used as a public park for the local community during non-school hours.”
• WUFT News: Small business owners at the new Ocala Mall say they are thriving and plan to expand. “It has been almost two weeks since the new Ocala Mall opened where the Kmart used to be on East Silver Springs Boulevard. The mall has close to 160 new small business vendors and already has plans to expand.”
• WUFT News: Universities plan future of research around AI. “When NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky approached University of Florida Provost Joe Glover with the idea of implementing an AI supercomputer at UF in the summer of 2020, Glover said he was caught ‘flat-footed.'”
• WUFT News: From graffiti to fine art: The journey of Gainesville-based artist 444 IDK. “The artist who goes by the name 444 IDK has done graffiti from West Palm Beach, where he grew up, down to Miami. He said he has tagged highways and street signs in various locations. But he said he enjoys tagging trains the most because he considers them to be giant steel canvases for his work.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida’s education board issues near-ban on gender identity and sexual orientation instruction in public schools. “The Florida Board of Education has approved a new rule that says schools ‘Shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction to students in grades 4 through 12 on sexual orientation or gender identity unless such instruction is expressly required by state academic standards.'”
• Fresh Take Florida: Hit snooze: Bills would delay middle, high school start times. “The House bill, introduced by Rep. John Paul Temple, R-The Villages, would require middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m by 2026.”
• WUFT News: Senate committee approves increased electricity bills for natural gas expansion. “SB 1162 would allow utility companies to purchase and use natural gas and hydrogen as fuel sources for electricity.”
• Ocala Gazette: Partisan school board elections go on ballot. “The proposal (HJR 31) will go on the 2024 ballot and, if approved by voters, would do away with a requirement that school-board candidates run without party labels. Partisan elections could begin in 2026.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida’s abortion laws protect a pregnant person’s life, but not for mental health. “Under a new six-week abortion ban signed late Thursday by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, and under the state’s active 15-week abortion ban, there are exceptions when the life of the pregnant person is at risk, but not if the danger stems from a psychological condition.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A newly discovered type of orange tree may offer hope to the Florida citrus industry. “Officials say the Donaldson tree could offer relief to citrus growers across the state whose latest crop was the lowest since World War II.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Central Florida Tourism Oversight District now has supreme authority over Reedy Creek. “The vote was unanimous in setting up the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District as the local planning agency for any future land developments within the district.”
• News4Jax: Unexpected 4:45 a.m. wake-up call across Florida with emergency alert test. “People living in Florida woke up to a sound louder than their alarm clocks on Thursday morning.”
From NPR News• National: 2 Texas cheerleaders were shot after 1 tried to get in the wrong car after practice
• National: Oklahoma county commissioner accused of making violent, racist remarks on tape resigns
• Law: Generic abortion pill manufacturer sues FDA in effort to preserve access
• Politics: McCarthy’s bill for the looming debt limit would slash federal spending
• Health: Rural grocery stores are dying. Here’s how some small towns are trying to save them
• Law: Facebook users can apply for their portion of a $725 million lawsuit settlement
• Business: Behold the tax free bagel: A New York classic gets a tax day makeover
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: University of Florida removes years of campus crime data online. “The University of Florida removed nearly eight years’ worth of crime data online without public notification, leaving only limited details about crimes that occurred on or near campus during the past 60 days.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville organizations react to proposed bills targeting illegal immigration. “Under these legislations, hospitals would be required to collect a patient’s immigration status on admission, private employers would have to verify a person’s employment eligibility through the E-Verify system, and counties would be banned from providing funds to organizations issuing identification documents to individuals who do not provide proof of lawful presence and more.”
• WUFT News: FBI, sheriff’s offices in central Florida team up to help prevent elder fraud. “Federal data show Florida’s older population is susceptible to internet scams. In 2021, the state ranked second in the nation with 9,645 victims of elder fraud. Combined, those individuals lost $224,205,716.”
• WCJB: ACPS Board Members discuss search process for new superintendent. “Shane Andrew has been interim superintendent since May of last year, after Carlee Simon was fired in March of 2022.”
• WCJB: Florida House State Affairs Committee reviews a substitute for Representative Chuck Clemons’ GRU governance bill. “The substitute bill would also give the board the power to name GRU’s general manager, taking that authority from the city commission.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Local felon voting program defies expected turnout. “But the surge never showed. Instead, Kramer said the Eighth Judicial District, covering the counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union, received a stream of about two applications per month and less than 30 since the start.”
• The Alligator: Students, faculty fear UF won’t meet 2025 carbon neutrality goal. “Experts say UF hasn’t made any meaningful efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuel.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Attorneys in the Andrew Gillum trial give opening statements. “Gillum is facing federal charges of lying to the FBI and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charges stem from a 19-count federal grand jury indictment against him and his business associate Sharon Lettman-Hicks, who’s also on trial.”
• News Service of Florida: Judge rejects lawsuit against ‘intellectual freedom’ surveys on college campuses. “Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 22-page decision Monday that said plaintiffs, including the United Faculty of Florida union and individual professors, did not establish legal standing to challenge the law.”
• Florida Politics: Legislature unanimously passes bill restricting social media, student phone use in school. “A bill banning TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter and other social media platforms on public school devices and requiring schools to teach kids about the perils of the internet is now primed for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Budget snafu leaves agencies serving Florida’s poor without a safety net. “The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has informed more than 30 social service providers statewide that the department lacks the budget authority to pass on federal funds meant for low-income families in crisis.”
• NPR: Florida Gov. DeSantis said he may put a prison next to Disney parks amid dispute. “The dispute between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney has ratcheted up this week. The governor said he might build a prison next to their theme parks near Orlando.”
• WLRN-Miami: As residents struggle with aftermath of storms, Broward schools’ damage hits $8 million. “The floods are not done with Broward County. On the back of last week’s historic deluge, three more inches of rain fell Monday — and flights were temporarily grounded again at Fort Lauderdale airport. As of Tuesday, inches of water and mud still covered some streets.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A rare, naturally formed mineral has been found in the aftermath of a lightning bolt. “The perfect storm of events led to the creation of a never-before-seen, naturally-occurring mineral.”
From NPR News• Media: Fox News settles blockbuster defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems
• Law: Supreme Court conservatives seem divided in major religion case
• Climate: Special Series: Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice
• Sports: Damar Hamlin is cleared to play football, 4 months after his on-field cardiac arrest
• National: A woman was fatally shot by a N.Y. homeowner after she went up the wrong driveway
• Race: Having diverse doctors saves lives, but students of color face barriers to med school
• Law: The Supreme Court ponders when a threat is really a ‘true threat’
• Sports: The story behind the longest baseball game ever
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Two people hospitalized following collision on West University Avenue. “Two people were taken to the hospital around 6 p.m. Monday after the driver of a red Ford F-150 truck lost control of the vehicle on West University Avenue and Northwest 24th Street, crashing into a red Nissan Altima and sending the car into a ditch, according to witnesses at the scene.”
• The Alligator: Gainesville solar plans in Archer shed light on nuances of renewable energy. “After over a year of contract negotiations, the Gainesville City Commission has decided to temporarily halt plans to build a solar plant, called the Sand Bluff Solar Project, until it receives approval from a state committee.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV spring book sale readies for opening weekend. “The Friends of the Library will open its door on Saturday and allow customers to peruse more than half a million items—from 25 cent books to one worth $900 along with artwork, music, movies, puzzles, games and a crocheted angel.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Police Department says noise is the No. 1 complaint. “Gainesville has a sound ordinance with quiet hours between 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., meaning you are not permitted to disrupt the peace of any reasonable person during this time. In the last month, GPD received 360 noise complaints. An officer was dispatched to 253.”
• WUFT News: LGBTQ+ student DJs are redefining the music scene at their Florida college towns. “Post-COVID-19, several LGBTQ+ student DJs from the University of Florida and Florida State University have successfully organized various queer-friendly parties and infiltrated the DJ booths of popular local nightclubs.”
• WUFT News: Grammy Award-Winning Musician Angélique Kidjo Shares Insights on Life and Music Prior to Gainesville Appearance. “WUFT Morning Edition host, Glenn Richards, spoke with five-time Grammy Award-winning musician Angélique Kidjo. NPR has called her ‘Africa’s greatest living diva.'”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Driver of stolen hearse causes 5-vehicle collision. “A 54-year-old man was arrested Sunday when he stole a Cadillac hearse and caused a five-vehicle crash in Gainesville.”
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Around the state• Fresh Take Florida: ‘Radioactive roads’? Environmentalists want brakes on Florida plan to reuse toxic mining waste. “With much less notice than the Florida abortion, guns and education culture wars, a battle between environmentalists and a Fortune 500 mining giant is playing out in Tallahassee that critics fear could have devastating long-term health consequences.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Legislation would exempt Florida Gov. DeSantis’ movements from public records. “A bill is poised for passage in both chambers of the Legislature that would exempt the travel of top state officials from public records requests. It would erase all public records of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s movements — including in his office at the Capitol and his home in the Governor’s Mansion.”
• WMFE-Orlando: DeSantis wants development agreements nullified between Disney, Reedy Creek. “Gov. Ron DeSantis says a bill is in the works that would revoke the previous agreement made between the Reedy Creek Improvement Board and Disney before being taken over by the state.”
• Florida Politics: Bill banning citizen’s arrests in Florida goes unheard for second straight year. “The bipartisan legislation (SB 812, HB 25) has yet to receive a single hearing during the 2023 Legislative Session. Now 41 days in, subcommittees are no longer meeting and bills that have yet to be introduced typically won’t be.”
• WLRN-Miami: The ‘bias’ behind higher death rates for Black pregnant women – and how to tackle it. “Regardless of education level or income, CDC data shows that Black women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white, Asian or Latina women.”
• News Service of Florida: Property-insurer insolvencies are going to hit Florida policyholders in the wallet. “State insurance regulators last week signed off on a plan that will lead to policyholders throughout Florida paying extra on their bills because of property-insurer insolvencies.”
• WUSF-Tampa: AI is the future of Florida’s agriculture, says an industry leader ahead of an Orlando conference. “Agriculture lags behind most other major industries in terms of integrating data management through artificial intelligence, but it’s catching up very quickly, according to J. Scott Angle, the senior vice president at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.”
• WLRN-Miami: Will Gov. DeSantis win his battle to dismantle DEI programs at state universities? “Widely viewed as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, DeSantis has been on a path to dismantle university DEI programs as part of his plan to overhaul publicly funded higher education.”
From NPR News• National: After days of outrage over the shooting of a Black teen, officials charge the gunman
• National: Officials have identified the 4 people who died in the Alabama shooting
• Politics: Congress returns from recess with a big to-do list
• Politics: Speaker McCarthy outlines GOP debt limit plan, Democrats pan demands as extreme
• Business: Tax deadline arrives as the IRS embarks on a 10-year, $80 billion makeover
• National: Sewage often becomes fertilizer, but the issue is it’s tainted with PFAS
• Economy: Where Are Interest Rates Going?
• World: A Spanish athlete spent 500 days alone in a cave — for science
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: GRU, Gainesville City Commission work to find way out of debt issues. “GRU General Manager Tony Cunningham opened the meeting by stating that he and other utility officials had worked closely with Gainesville’s city manager, Cynthia Curry, to develop a method and formula to address the debt issues.”
• The Alligator: Gators face most stubborn opponent yet: rising temperatures. “Projections show the number of days over 95 degrees per year could reach 40 to 50 days as soon as the 2030s, according to The Climate Explorer, an interactive toolkit managed by NOAA. The heat serves as an advantage on the field for the Gators, but health risks could soon outweigh the draw of The Swamp.”
• WUFT News: Chuck Bell takes the helm of Buchholz football program after long journey back to Gainesville. “For the first time in over a decade, the Buchholz High School football program will have a new head coach in Bell. Former head coach Mark Whittemore retired after the team’s 42-35 loss to Venice High School during the final four competition last season.”
• The Alligator: Feeding Florida in a changing climate. “Amy Van Scoik is driven by her passion for feeding people, but this mission grows harder each year as the climate becomes more unpredictable. It’s never clear what extreme weather to expect during the next season.”
• WMFE-Orlando: As Tax Day nears, free help is available through AARP and United Way. “AARP volunteers provide in-person and virtual assistance, especially for people over 50. But there’s no age or income requirement.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Board approves Water Conservation Month proclamation. “According to a publication by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), in Florida ‘the average home would use at least 991 gallons of water each time they watered their yard.’ This equates to around an eight-hour shower with a water-efficient showerhead.”
• WUFT News: ‘Super kind and friendly’: Meet some of the Gainesville Jeepers, rubber ducks and all. “’Gainesville Fl Jeepers,’ a Facebook group, has brought together more than 1,500 people solely based on having a Jeep. It offers a place for local Jeep owners to not only share exciting moments with their Jeeps but also to ask for help with their vehicles in addition to celebrating a passion for Jeeps.”
• WUFT News: Students from Alachua County middle schools learn about government during sixth annual civics challenge. “The competition consisted of a written test and a fast-paced family-feud-style trivia game where students use a buzzer and answer civics questions.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: Andrew Gillum wire fraud trial kicks off week of intrigue. “Accusations include the tale of FBI agents posing as would-be Southern Pines project developers offering Gillum up to $100,000, for which he suggests methods to anonymize, like making a ‘dinner contribution.'”
• WLRN-Miami: After historic floods, some Fort Lauderdale residents say they’ve lost nearly everything. “Some residents in the hardest-hit parts of Fort Lauderdale say what little they had is ruined, after unprecedented rains sent dangerous flash floods through their homes. Some say they’re just grateful they made it out alive.”
• News Service of Florida: The future of abortion rights in Florida hinges on a state Supreme Court decision. “Seven abortion clinics and a physician filed a lawsuit arguing the 15-week limit violates a privacy clause in the Florida Constitution that has protected abortion rights since a 1989 Supreme Court decision.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: After a lawmaker made an anti-trans statement in committee others warn words are powerful. “After Rep. Webster Barnaby (R- Deltona) called transgender and LGBTQ audience members in a House committee ‘demons and imps,’ he’s faced pushback from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who say Barnaby’s religious beliefs don’t reflect their own.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Graduating seniors ask: Would I have attended a Florida school if DEI was banned? “As WMFE’s Danielle Prieur reports, while some students are now reevaluating whether Florida is right for them, for others, the proposed legislation is a step in the right direction.”
• WLRN-Miami: Sea rise could wipe out coastal nesting grounds for endangered Everglades sparrow within decades. “A new study that modeled both rising sea levels and restoration efforts to move more water into Everglades National Park concluded that in just 50 years, the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow could likely disappear from coastal nesting grounds.”
From NPR News• Law: Supreme Court leaves student loan settlement in place
• National: What we know about Jack Teixeira, the suspected leaker of Pentagon documents
• Law: U.S. charges El Chapo’s sons and other Sinaloa cartel members in fentanyl trafficking
• Space: Watch Live: Space X to launch Starship, the world’s largest rocket
• National: How the Boston Marathon bombings changed Twitter, media and how we process tragedy
• Science: New York City’s newly appointed rat czar faces a tall order
• Business: 12-year-olds can’t buy cigarettes — but they can work in tobacco fields
• National: An Oregon man threw money from his car, littering a highway with $100 bills
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Abortion rights activists lament six-week abortion ban approved by Florida Legislature. “Senate Bill 300, a bill sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall (R-Vero Beach), provides exceptions to the six-week ban for up to 15 weeks for victims of rape, incest or if the woman’s life is at serious risk.”
• WUFT News: Santa Fe High School girls’ soccer coach Ricardo Morales defies youth stigma. “On a day destined for final goodbyes, Ricardo Morales’ prismatic cleats were symbolic of his energy and enthusiasm as he led team warmups in giggled German.”
• WUFT News: Defendant in 2021 Swamp Car Wash murder case pleads guilty to manslaughter charge. “The man accused of murdering 36-year-old Bobby Bernard Hopkins in May 2021 at a car wash in east Gainesville pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to a manslaughter charge.”
• Florida Storms: CSU forecast: Slightly below average hurricane season predicted for 2023. “If the forecast pans out, it will be the first season since 2014, almost 10 years ago, with below-normal activity.”
• WUFT News: Monkey Island receives close to $100,000 for repairs. “Three monkeys call a historic island deep in Homosassa, Citrus County, home. But they’ve been relocated to Brooksville since their home is in disrepair.”
• WUFT News: Residential ordinance lawsuit brought by realtors against city of Gainesville to continue. “The lawsuit, filed in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court for Alachua County, comes after the city of Gainesville adopted a new rental ordinance in April 2021 that introduced efficiency guidelines and random mandatory inspections for rental properties in Gainesville to ensure standards were being followed.”
• WUFT News: Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation falls short of fundraising goal at spring open house. “The Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation hoped to raise $20,000 at a March fundraiser. But donations from the foundation’s open house have fallen short of the goal, which is putting a strain on supplies and employees, said Christine Janks, the group’s president and co-founder.”
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Around the state• NPR: Florida governor signs bill banning abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy. “The six-week ban will take effect only if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives.”
• Florida Politics: House passes supermajority jury verdict execution bills. “Two bills that would allow a supermajority jury decision to suffice for state executions were passed by the Florida House Thursday.”
• WLRN-Miami: Health care providers worry judge ruling imperils preventive HIV drug. “A federal judge’s ruling last month to eliminate free coverage for many basic preventive care services and medications under the Affordable Care Act has health care providers nationwide concerned about its potential implications for patients.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Democrats react to Florida lawmakers’ proposed budget. “The Republican-led Florida House and Senate have passed record high budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, with each one totaling about $113 billion. Negotiations are underway.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): City of Largo sold contaminated fertilizer for months, records show. “More than a year after Mushaben raised red flags, both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Florida environment regulators are lobbing penalties at the city after an investigation proved the city illegally sold more than 1,000 tons of contaminated fertilizer.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida State University reaches a milestone at an archeological dig in Italy. “Florida State University students have been conducting archeological digs at Cetamura del Chianti in Italy since 1973. Their work is atop a hill in Tuscany.”
From NPR News• National: Biden moves to expand DACA recipients’ access to government-funded health insurance
• Politics: Feinstein asks to be temporarily replaced on Judiciary Committee amid calls to resign
• Law: Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to restore full access to abortion pill
• World: South Korea reacts to U.S. document leaks
• Health: Why do some people get UTIs over and over? A new report holds clues
• Space: A rare fireball flew over Maine. Now there’s a $25K reward for pieces of space rock
• Health: ‘Therapy speak’ is everywhere, but it may make us less empathetic
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Louis Gaskin executed for 1989 killings as anti-death penalty protestors gather. “Gaskin, who was nicknamed the ‘ninja killer,’ shot and killed Robert and Georgette Sturmfels on Dec. 20, 1989. This is Florida’s 101st execution since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.”
• WUFT News: The Replica Dilemma: The ethics of fake designer products. “Also known as fakes or knockoffs, replicas are close copies of original items created without the consent of the original manufacturer. The illegal trade centers around the consumers who purchase replica apparel.”
• WUFT News: Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says cold case solved after 7 years. “On Monday, a grand jury indicted Lorenzo Hudson on first-degree murder charges for the death of a pregnant woman, Shaquierra Pickney, the Putnam County sheriff said during a press conference on Tuesday.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV concept plan aims to reduce $315M of debt. “Gainesville staff will present a plan at Thursday’s General Policy Committee to reduce debt at Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) by $315 million over the next 10 years.“
• WUFT News: Alachua County School Board addresses magnet schools and overcrowding. “Each zone is determined with the population of each school in mind. However, magnet schools, which allow hundreds of students who come from a different zone to attend, have skewed the numbers.”
• WUFT News: Battle over Dollar General coming to a close: Alachua County places conservation easement on land. “Since December 2020, there has been a quiet controversy stirring in Micanopy, a controversy that is finally nearing its end.”
Correction appended: The previous headline and preview text for the story on Louis Gaskin’s execution stated he was the 100th execution since Florida reinstated the death penalty in 1976. It was actually the 101st. We regret the error.
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: The Florida Senate passes a bill aimed at blocking children from attending drag shows. “Critics say the bill, if passed, could effectively shut down local pride parades.”
• NPR: Fort Lauderdale airport and schools closed due to 20 inches of rain in some areas. “A sudden flash flooding event in southern Florida brought up to 20 inches of rainfall and closed down the Fort Lauderdale airport and Broward County Public Schools Wednesday.”
• News Service of Florida: DeSantis signs wildlife corridor expansion; $200M provided. “A priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, the bill (SB 106) will expand Florida’s Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network with the wildlife corridor.”
• Florida Politics: Flurry of ‘amicus’ briefs; outside parties intervene in Florida Supreme Court pivotal abortion case. “The Florida Supreme Court fight over the state’s 15-week abortion ban has attracted a dizzying number of interventions from outside parties who want a say in a case whose outcome will reverberate throughout the country.”
• NPR: Ed. Dept. says college chain took advantage of students, cuts off student loan access. “A private, for-profit college chain with a dozen campuses across Florida and Texas will lose access to federal student aid. The move comes after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) found the chain, Florida Career College, violated federal rules and failed to meet basic standards required to access federal loans and grants.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A recently concluded clean-up of an FSU radioactive waste site has a history. “A waste-dumping permit granted to Florida State University scientists in the 1950s led to the discovery and recent clean up of radioactive contaminants in the groundwater of the Apalachicola National six decades later.”
• Florida Politics: Equality Florida, Florida Immigrant Coalition warn against travel to Sunshine State. “That’s the message from Equality Florida, which is issuing an ‘advisory warning for travel’ which is ‘warning of the risks posed to the health, safety and freedom of those considering short- or long-term travel, or relocation to the state.'”
• News4Jax: International travel bookings up 200% from last year, according to AAA data. “The spike in demand for these international trips is driving up airfares. Ticket prices for international trips are up more than 30%.”
From NPR News• Law: U.S. appeals court preserves partial access to abortion pill, but with tighter rules
• National: An ‘absurd’ law will put the Louisville shooter’s gun back on sale, mayor says
• Race: Tulsa Race Massacre investigators say they’ve sequenced DNA from 6 possible victims
• Media: Judge rebukes Fox attorneys ahead of defamation trial: ‘Omission is a lie’
• Business: Juul is paying $462 million to settle yet another case
• Media: NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as ‘state-affiliated media’
• Environment: Swimming pools and lavish gardens of the rich are driving water shortages, study says
• Animals: The world’s shortest dog is Pearl, a dollar-sized diva who loves dressing up
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: New group emerges to pay UF athletes; Gator Collective dissolves after mishandled QB deal. “A new player in the big money race to pay University of Florida athletes emerged Tuesday to replace the Gator Collective, months after a mishandled deal led a top quarterback prospect to walk away from UF’s football program.”
• WUFT News: Florida Highway Patrol asks for the public’s help in Marion County hit-and-run investigation. “On Wednesday night, along NE 31st Street, a bicyclist was traveling west across NE Jacksonville Road as the car was driving south down the same road. The car driver struck the bicyclist and fled.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Grand jury indicts two on murder charges. “Parker and Walker both received a True Bill, meaning they will now be arraigned and face a trial at a later date.”
• WUFT News: Number of women with a concealed weapons license is on the rise. “Gun safety experts in Gainesville and neighboring communities say they have noticed a significant increase in the last four months in the number of women who wish to obtain a concealed weapons license.”
• WUFT News: Orange Park and Keystone Heights voters adopt amendments and reelect incumbent. “Clay County voters adopted two amendments and reelected an incumbent back into council on Tuesday.”
• WUFT News: Florida is H2O: The Water State Festival looks to protect Florida’s springs. “From a refreshing drink in the hot Florida sun to the makeup of every living thing, The Water State Festival hopes to show Floridians the pivotal role water plays in their lives.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County student heads to National Spelling Bee after winning regional competition. “Martin outlasted 13 students in the First Coast Spelling Bee in Jacksonville this month to win his qualifying spot.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Prison time could be deferred for pregnant women in Florida. “A measure that moved forward Tuesday in the House would allow pregnant women convicted of felonies to seek to delay going to prison for up to three months after giving birth — a move that one supporter said will ‘save babies.'”
• WUSF-Tampa: Why Ladapo’s withholding of Florida COVID vaccine data ‘seems irresponsible at best.’ “Tampa Bay Times reporter Chris O’Donnell discusses his findings from a report that key data was withheld when Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo recommended that young men not get the shot.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A plan to for more hemp regulations in Florida has some worried it’ll put them out of business. “Florida’s hemp industry is upset over a legislative plan they say will hurt their business. The measure’s sponsor says the bill is meant to keep companies ‘in your lane.'”
• WUSF-Tampa: Auto loans for new cars reach their highest interest rates since 2008. “Interest rates reached 7% during the first quarter of 2023, meaning borrowers are facing costs that haven’t been seen since the Great Recession.”
• WLRN-Miami: Florida and Gulf coasts could see more hurricane strikes as planet warms, new study finds. “The study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and published last week in the journal Science Advances is among the first to explain the mechanics and role winds play on a warming planet as they make hurricanes more dangerous.”
• WLRN-Miami: LGBTQ parents think of moving from Florida. Blame ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. “A survey of more than 100 LGBTQ parents in Florida found more than half are thinking about leaving the state because of the law that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida gun sales may be off-limits to future credit card trackers. “A proposal to ban merchant codes for gun and ammunition sales in Florida is ready for the full House. It’s already been approved by the Senate, largely along party lines.”
From NPR News• National: Louisville authorities release police body camera footage from the shooting
• Law: DA Bragg sues Jim Jordan claiming ‘an unconstitutional attempt to undermine’ the case
• Health: Long COVID may be due the virus sticking around after infection, some researchers say
• Climate: The big reason why the U.S. is seeking the toughest-ever rules for vehicle emissions
• World: How the war in Ukraine has forever changed the children in one kindergarten class
• Economy: What is the cause of bank runs?
• National: Gen Z is the most pro union generation alive. Will they organize to reflect that?
• National: PHOTOS: See the wildflower ‘superbloom’ happening across California
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Clemons files GRU control bill in Florida House. “HB 1645 allows the governor, rather than the Gainesville City Commission, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the utility company.”
• The Alligator: Downtown Gainesville shut down after 2 late-night shootings. “The Gainesville Police Department deployed caution tape, swept crime scenes and ordered confused onlookers exiting the Main Street clubs to leave downtown in the aftermath of two shootings that occurred within minutes of each other early Monday morning.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County strives to improve youth literacy rates. “There is a significant reading gap between white and Black students in Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS).”
• Florida Times-Union ($): UF and UNF in running for Jacksonville campus work. What’s the latest in Legislature? “A possible University of Florida graduate campus in Jacksonville picked up support for $50 million from the state House of Representatives, but it’s a different story in the Senate where the campus got $5 million in the budget version approved by that chamber.”
• WUFT News: MusicGNV and Little Wing Rehearsal Studios come to the rescue of the Gainesville music scene. “On Feb. 16, the bands at MiniMaxi found eviction notices taped to their doors, ordering them to move out by March 18. To their surprise, all the other tenants who were not in bands were allowed to stay.”
• WUFT News: A Gainesville muralist brings together community through her artwork. “Horner is a Gainesville local and has worked on more than 30 murals across the city. You might have seen these large pieces of work at popular locations like 4th Ave Food Park, Cilantro Tacos in Tioga Town Center, Luke’s New York Bagel Shop and First Magnitude Brewing Company.”
• WUFT News: High Springs art fair draws artists from out of town. “With one artist making the trip to High Springs from Atlanta, Georgia, another from Jacksonville and another from Fort White, each artist came with the same intention of sharing their art with a new community and meeting other artists.”
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Around the state• WUFT News: Florida passes permitless carry law. “Some call it permitless carry. Others call it constitutional carry. But Moms Demand Action calls it ‘a very dangerous law.'”
• News Service of Florida: State can face Medicaid class-action suit over supplies for adults with disabilities. “The claimants say the state stops providing incontinence supplies to Medicaid beneficiaries older than 21.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A Florida bill to increase penalties over releasing or selling venomous reptiles now exempts natives. “Daniel Parker, the director of media for the United States Association of Reptile Keepers Florida, said the original wording of the legislation would have made the releasing of live, native venomous snakes for conservation, humane relocation, or research a third-degree felony.”
• News Service of Florida: House backs disaster bill to aid communities after hurricanes. “In part, the bill would allow people to remain on their property as they rebuild after storms, require quicker approval of building permits and set more-exact time frames on removing destroyed boats from state waters.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Is seafood safe to eat during red tide outbreaks? We asked an expert. “The sight of hundreds of dead fish washing ashore on local beaches over the last five months is more than enough to make even an iron stomach turn. But is the same thing that’s killing marine life a cause for concern at your favorite seafood spot?”
• WLRN-Miami: Latinos, Hispanics are more likely to get certain leukemias, but why? “Cancer is the leading cause of death for Latinos and Hispanics in the U.S. One rare form of the disease strikes those groups at a greater rate and at a much younger age than the rest of the population.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: The crucial role gopher tortoises play in our ecosystems & the threats they face from humans. “There have been efforts in recent years to have them federally protected, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently denied a petition to protect them under the Endangered Species Act.”
From NPR News• National: The latest on the Louisville mass shooting that left 6 dead and 9 wounded
• National: Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones returns to Capitol after Nashville Council reinstates him
• National: What to know as Gov. Abbott pushes to pardon a man who was just convicted of murder
• Health: Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here’s how it works
• Law: Senate panel will hold a hearing on the Supreme Court’s ethical standards
• National: Biden ends COVID national emergency after Congress acts
• World: The Dalai Lama apologizes for asking a young boy to suck his tongue
• Health: The dream of wiping out polio might need a rethink
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Third teen connected to triple murder in SE Marion has been arrested. “For now, the teen is charged with carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer and tampering with an electronic monitoring device. Sheriff’s Office officials said additional charges are forthcoming.”
• WUFT News: A Santa Fe College student creates a community for nontraditional students. “Bright, 30, began class in fall 2021 and immediately knew she wanted to meet students she could relate to — people who have taken nontraditional paths to get their college degrees.”
• The Alligator: Gainesville immigrant groups protest proposed state legislation. “Gainesville residents gathered Wednesday afternoon to protest proposed state legislation House Bill 1617, which would increase penalties for those working with undocumented immigrants and survey collection on them.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville resident appointed to Florida Bar Board. “In a Florida Bar press release, the Wednesday announcement said Shore will replace Joseph ‘Jody’ D. Hudgins of Naples to serve a two-year term as one of two public members on the Bar’s 52-member governing board. Hudgins’ term will expire in June.”
• WUFT News: Students react to UF banning TikTok on the university network. “UF VP of Communications Steve Orlando says there will be no policing but access to the app will be blocked through the university network.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Veterans celebrate new GNV medical facilities. “A year ago, COVID-19 restrictions rendered dedication of Gainesville’s two newest Veteran Affairs clinics impractical. On Friday, however, patients who have benefitted from services offered by these facilities since they opened in 2022 were able to personally take part in the celebration.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: DeSantis fast-tracks an I-75 expansion to make room for Buc-ee’s in Ocala. “Before tossing bags of Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets to the audience, DeSantis announced money will go from the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund to the city of Ocala and the Florida Department of Transportation to increase the pace of work on the interchange.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Families of trans youth weigh leaving Florida as more bans on gender-affirming care loom. “One Tampa Bay area mom says she’s preparing to move her family out of state if lawmakers make it harder for her daughter to access health care. But they also want to fight for the families who can’t.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Wildfire off Interstate 75 near Bonita Beach Road destroys one home; firefighters remain at site. “Firefighters from across Lee County returned to a section of land off the east side of I-75 near East Terry Street in Bonita Springs Sunday morning that was the scene of multiple wildfires Saturday and were dealing with remaining spot fires in the same area.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida elections bill would further restrict voter registration groups. “Voting rights advocates in Florida are expressing concern that an elections bill in the state Senate would make it harder for community groups to register voters, but elections supervisors have called for stricter rules.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida gas prices are at a 2023 high after OPEC cuts oil production. “According to a release from AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas rose 12 cents, to $3.58 a gallon as of Sunday.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Widening I-75 could cost more than $2 billion and take 20 years. “The agency’s interstate project manager, Joshua Jester, said the area needs more interstate lanes by 2045 at the latest. And it needs better traffic flow at the interchanges along the way.”
From NPR News• Law: Justice Thomas explains why he didn’t report trips paid for by billionaire
• Health: Judges’ dueling decisions put access to a key abortion drug in jeopardy nationwide
• Economy: The job market is cooling as higher interest rates and a slowing economy take a toll
• Politics: Former Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones says he lost a seat, but voters lost their voice
• Politics: Nebraska hasn’t passed a single bill this session, amid filibusters over trans rights
• Culture: Why a portrait artist from Ireland started making comics about U.S. police brutality
• Science: Mark your calendars! A total solar eclipse is coming one year from now
• Health: More pollen, more allergies: Exposure therapy in several forms treats symptoms
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• A WUFT News documentary: “Slept on Eastside” follows the journey of Eastside High School alumni Harold “Gator” Hoskins as he returns to his alma mater in Gainesville to revitalize the football program. The Rams had a record of 5-25 over the last three seasons, but the former football standout took on the challenge to change the culture and reunite his community. The program that was once slept on is starting to make some noise. Don’t miss the inside story from reporter Trey Johnson about the success and heartbreak of Hoskins’ first year as head coach.
• Gainesville Sun ($): GPD investigating after human remains found off Southwest 13th Street. “The remains were found while workers were clearing the lot directly north of the Gator Town Inn, 3820 SW 13th St.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC aims for free jail calls with uncertain route. “After a delayed meeting in March, three motions with additional modifications, multiple presentations, a passing of the gavel and a five-hour meeting, Alachua County voted 4-1 on Thursday to make phone calls at the jail free for all inmates and terminate its contract with the phone provider.”
• Fresh Take Florida: UF bans TikTok on campus amid broader social media crackdown in Florida’s Capitol. “The University of Florida’s decision this week to ban TikTok effective immediately from its campus networks and college-owned devices occurred amid broader bipartisan efforts in Florida’s Legislature to limit or prohibit students in public schools from using social media.”
• WCJB: City commissioners approve ‘Gainesville 121’ mixed-use development. “The property that developer Weyerhaueser is now calling “Gainesville 121″ will include a mixed use central district, a mixed residential area, and conservation land.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers may replace local rental ordinances with state ones. “A bill moving in the Legislature, Senate Bill 1586, would override most aspects of the relationship between Florida landlords and tenants.”
• News Service of Florida: Supporters of confederate monuments could sue over their removal under a new proposal. “Under a proposal continuing to move forward in the Florida Senate, the act of damaging or removing monuments or memorials would be open to civil lawsuits.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Floridians are urged to be vigilant against wildfires with much of the state ‘dry or near drought.’ “State Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan spoke during a news conference in Hillsborough County about what has already proven to be a busy fire season.”
•NPR: Florida’s political climate caused lawmakers to stop push to ban forced prison labor. “Democratic lawmakers in Florida who thought they could get an anti slavery law through the legislature halted their efforts after Gov. Ron DeSantis ramped up the culture wars.”
• Florida Politics: Mother can give COVID-19 to fetus, causing brain damage, UM case study shows. “In both cases, the mothers contracted the infection in their second trimester and cleared the virus; however, one had a repeat infection in her third trimester, suggesting an unusual maternal and/or fetal immune response may have been a factor.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Feds, Florida headed for collision on transgender athlete rules for school sports. “A Biden administration proposal would forbid schools from enacting outright bans on all transgender students but would offer schools some flexibility.”
From NPR News• Politics: Report on Justice Thomas’ trips renews calls for a Supreme Court code of ethics
• Politics: Tennessee House votes to expel 2 of 3 Democratic members over gun protest
• Health: FDA pulls the only approved drug for preventing premature birth off the market
• Media: The fate of local news: America’s largest newspaper company is creating news deserts
• World: 8 bold agenda items for the World Health Organization as it turns 75
• National: No, the IRS isn’t calling you. It isn’t texting or emailing you, either
• Culture: Auschwitz Memorial calls WWE ‘shameless’ for using its image in a match promo
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• The Alligator: UF bans TikTok, other platforms on university network following other universities. “Conducting university marketing or advertising through the apps and their installation on university-owned devices is also prohibited.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: School board halts elementary rezoning. “According to ACPS data, seven elementary schools in the district are operating with more than 100% of the school’s seats filled, while five elementary schools are underutilized with fewer than 80% of their seats filled.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU’s financial reporting earns clean audit. “The audit by independent firm Baker Tilly examined key transactions, as well as the areas in GRU’s financial reports that contain a significant number of estimates and the utility’s implementation of new accounting standards.”
• WUFT News: Dog training program at Lowell Correctional Institution changes inmates’ lives. “Fueled by anger without a shred of ambition, Digiacomo was prepared to keep her head down and get through her three-year sentence, until an unexpected furry friend entered the picture two years ago and started to soften her outlook on life.”
• WUFT News: Manatee sighting network in Alachua County kept track of the charismatic mammal at a time of statewide concern. “The network encourages citizens to report when and where they see manatees in springs and rivers in and surrounding Alachua County. The project monitors manatees from October to March.”
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Around the state• WUFT News: Florida House Bill threatens gender-affirming care for minors, adults alike. “The bill would not only continue to prevent minors from starting these treatments for gender transitions but stop treatments for those who have already begun the process. It would also ban public expenditures of all gender-affirming healthcare for those over 18, outside of Medicaid.”
• Florida Politics: Bills that would end last remaining breed-specific dog bans head to House, Senate floors. “Senate legislation (SB 942) that would overturn Miami’s prohibition on pit bulls unanimously won a third Senate committee approval. And identical legislation (HB 941) awaits a full House vote.”
• WLRN-Miami: UNGUARDED: Buying Guardianship homes turns into family affair. “The Guardianship Program’s real estate transactions are currently being reviewed and investigated by the Miami−Dade County Inspector General’s Office.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers crack down on catalytic converter thefts. “Catalytic converters include precious metals such as palladium and platinum. Supporters of the Senate bill (SB 306) and an identical House bill (HB 185) say thieves quickly cut catalytic converters off vehicles and sell the devices because of the metals.”
• WLRN-Miami: Conservationist Jane Goodall tells younger generation to promote hope. “World renowned conservationist Jane Goodall recently spoke to a sold out crowd at Florida International University with a very clear message: don’t give up hope.”
From NPR News• National: Judge orders Stormy Daniels to pay Donald Trump another $120,000 in legal fees
• Politics: Stacey Abrams is chosen as Howard University’s first chair for race and Black politics
• Media: Twitter labels NPR’s account as ‘state-affiliated media,’ which is untrue
• Business: Four key takeaways from McDonald’s layoffs
• World: He felt the slither of a venomous snake in the cockpit — then turned the plane around
• Science: Check out the deepest-swimming fish ever caught on camera
• Health: A card game for people with dementia and their loved ones has no rules
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Protesters march to City Hall a day after Gov. DeSantis signs permitless carry bill. “Dozens of protestors associated with Moms Demand Action walked from the Alachua County Public Schools District Office to City Hall in response to a new bill signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday that allows Floridians to carry a concealed loaded weapon without a permit.”
• WUFT News: One of Gainesville’s most dangerous intersections is bound for changes. “Florida Traffic Online said the intersection’s annual daily traffic volume is 26,500 vehicles going west and 20,400 going east of Northwest 39th Avenue. That’s more than any other road located in the northern Gainesville area.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC continues slaughterhouse plan in Newberry. “The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted 4-1 on Tuesday to take the next steps, with Commissioner Ken Cornell in dissent. The public was also divided on the issue with 26 commenters in support and 31 in opposition.”
• WUFT News: Dana Hill interviews NPR’s Ari Shapiro. “In their conversation, they discussed the acceleration of the news cycle over Shapiro’s time at NPR, how he navigates the extreme contrasts each story brings, and whether it’s challenging covering stories that hit close to home.”
• WUFT News: Live Oak Plantation in Ocala hosts jumping event for 32nd year. “Live Oak International began as a horse-driving event 32 years ago and is now a world-class equestrian competition. It’s the only tournament in the United States to offer both international combined driving and show jumping in the same competition.”
• Ocala Gazette: Third teen dies from gunfire injuries: Sheriff holds press conference. “The Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday afternoon stated in a news release that a teenage girl has succumbed to the gunshot injuries she sustained last week.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Buchholz team advances to international math finals. “The team advanced through the first two rounds of the competition after judges examined their work. The group has one more hurdle on April 24 when a panel of professional mathematicians will validate the team’s findings.”
• WUFT News: What’s great about Gainesville. “The Gainesville city commission and housing authority met Tuesday afternoon to discuss just this: What makes this city great?”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: Florida has the most lead pipes in the U.S. and is getting $376 million for drinking water upgrades. “Florida has emerged as the state with the most lead service lines in the nation with 1,159,300, according to survey results recently released by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
• Florida Politics: Senate passes bill banning gender-affirming care for minors and limiting it for adults. “The Senate voted 27-12 to advance a bill (SB 254) that would codify rules passed by the state’s two medical boards to ban the procedures for minors. The bill would also codify a Medicaid rule banning reimbursement for the procedures for people of all ages.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The Florida Legislature may get more power in a public health emergency. “Under Rudman’s bill, the Florida surgeon general could declare such an emergency for 60 days. It could be extended for 30 days with approval from the governor. After that, each 60-day extension would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.”
• Florida Politics: Deadline to apply for Florida Supreme Court vacancy extended after only 3 apply. “Once the applicant pool is set, the JNC, a nine-member panel, will interview and vet candidates before submitting a slate of three to six names to Gov. Ron DeSantis to select.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A new report is out on Hurricane Ian’s destructive path. The numbers are horrific. “Hurricane Ian caused $112.9 billion in damage and at least 156 deaths as it forged a path of destruction across Florida, the Caribbean and southeastern United States, according to a report released Monday by the National Hurricane Center.”
• WLRN-Miami: Human drugs found in popular Florida fish, from coast to coast. “The study from the Bonefish Tarpon Trust and Florida International University found redfish, a copper-colored sportfish that inhabits waters from St. Augustine to Pensacola, contaminated with the pharmaceuticals often leaked into coastal waters from failing septic tanks.”
From NPR News• Law: In a historic first, former President Donald Trump is charged with 34 felony counts
• National: Protests continue about the tens of thousands incarcerated for ICE
• National: Washington state stockpiles thousands of abortion pills
• Politics: For the first time in 15 years, liberals win control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
• World: Finland joins NATO over Russia’s objection
• Environment: Hawaii’s lawmakers mull imposing fees to pay for ecotourism crush
• Sports: After outcry, Jill Biden’s office says White House invitation is for LSU women’s team
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry board OKs zipline site plan. “Newberry’s Planning and Zoning Board approved plans on Monday for a zipline park and residential neighborhood with 12 commercial parcels along State Road 26.”
• Florida Storms: NHC introduces seven-day outlooks, among other changes ahead of the 2023 hurricane season. “Those in the path of tropical cyclones will now have two more days to prepare. Beginning this year, the graphical outlook tool from the National Hurricane Center will be extended from five to seven days.”
• WCJB: Dunnellon Police Chief announces his department will shut down and join MCSO. “Chief McQuaig announced he and the 10 officers are resigning and moving over to the sheriff’s office by July.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: ACT purchases 84 acres around Orange Lake. “The new purchase doubles the size of the preserve and will include access to Orange Lake through conservation land owned by Marion County.”
• WUFT News: Photographer and conservationist Gabby Salazar shares her love of nature with a global classroom. “She is quick to dismiss the deserved attention, crediting the influence of her colleagues and mentors who encouraged her to use her platform to display her passion: conservation.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: Democratic politicians Lauren Book, Nikki Fried arrested in abortion rights demonstration. “Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book and Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried were among 11 reproductive rights protesters arrested and cuffed outside Tallahassee City Hall Monday night.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Gov. DeSantis signs a permitless carry bill into law in Florida. “DeSantis signed the bill in front of more than a couple dozen supporters, including Republican legislative leaders, the bill’s sponsors, law enforcement officers and gun rights advocates.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida ranked 8th for highest electric bills across the U.S. in 2022, according to a study. “In 2022, U.S. consumers faced the highest electricity costs in more than 40 years, due to inflation, a rebounding economy and fuel-related repercussions from the Ukraine conflict, according to home valuation company Ownerly.”
• The Alligator: Changes to House Bill 999, explained. “The Florida Legislature has made significant edits to the sweeping higher education reform bill between its original filing Feb. 21 and its most recent update March 15 — notably concerning majors and minors that will be removed if the bill becomes law.”
• Spectrum News: NASA, CSA reveal astronauts for Artemis II mission. “NASA has revealed the names of the astronauts who will be sent on the Artemis II mission to orbit the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: First Harriet, now the eaglets; Eagles vanishing at North Fort Myers nest — one may be back. “Monday dawned on an empty eagle nest along Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers. Over the weekend both recently-fledged eaglets departed.”
From NPR News• Politics: Trump has arrived in New York for his arraignment. What’s next?
• World: 5 things to know about Saudi Arabia’s stunning decision to cut oil production
• Politics: Other countries have prosecuted their leaders. What took the U.S. so long?
• Sports: How a hand gesture dominated a NCAA title game and revealed a double standard
• Business: Women now dominate the book business. Why there and not other creative industries?
• Technology: The father of the cellphone predicts we’ll have devices embedded in our skin next
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Living on the Edge: Solutions. For the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ian, we’re publishing Living on the Edge, a series on Florida’s barrier islands in an era of climate change. Today’s stories look at solutions: Hurricane Ian was ‘The Ultimate Test’ for southwest Florida’s inland solar city Babcock Ranch, says its developer. It came through unscathed. We also explore Better Buildings; fortification strategies for barrier islands in Buying Time; and efforts underway to hold back the sea on the island that’s home to Kennedy Space Center and the city of Cape Canaveral in Climate, the Cape and Community.
• WUFT News: Alachua County Commission sets maximum towing rates for unincorporated county residents. “These new rates were recalculated and decided by county staff after a public meeting with several Alachua towing companies to best accommodate for the fees required.”
• WUFT News: Gallery: High school, collegiate athletes compete at 2023 Pepsi Relays. The University of Florida hosted this year’s Pepsi Florida Relays, one of the top high school and collegiate meets held in the United States.
• WUFT News: Hillel looks to grow student mental health and wellness initiative. “The primary goal of the initiative is in its mission statement: to promote the implementation of mental health practices in the lives of students, especially within the Jewish community.”
• WUFT News: Coding club for girls looks for more members and facilitators. “Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization that was founded by Reshma Saujani in 2012 with the goal of increasing the number of women in the field of computer science.”
• WUFT News: 9-year-old finds unique way to honor first responders. “Easy may not be in the job description of a first responder. But their selfless duties don’t go unnoticed by one 9-year-old in Marion County.”
• WUFT News: Hippodrome’s ‘Basement Sessions’ build support for Gainesville’s arts community. “Since January, the theater has presented a monthly show in the basement. There, attendees can take in live music, art, drinks, collaborative discussions and markets.”
• WUFT News: Anthony Richardson takes center stage at UF football Pro Day. “The quarterback’s arm strength and ability to throw deep was put on display on Thursday as he launched multiple 60-plus-yard throws, one even hitting the roof.”
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Around the state• WUFT News: Six-week abortion ban moves through Florida Senate despite Democratic efforts. “Florida Senate Democrats attempted to ease restrictions during session Thursday on a bill proposing a six-week abortion ban, but 18 amendments failed.”
• Florida Politics: New standards for sex education pass House, wait for Senate approval. “The bill restricts the use of pronouns and defines marriage as ‘heterosexual.'”
• News Service of Florida: Later school start times gets Florida House approval. “Under the bill, middle schools would begin the ‘instructional day’ no earlier than 8 a.m., while high schools would be barred from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m.”
• Florida Politics: Legislature passes bill requiring lactation spaces at courthouses. “The spaces must be clean, shielded from public view, free from intrusion while occupied and have at least one electrical outlet.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers try again to get alimony changes across the finish line. “In the last decade, lawmakers have sent legislation to the governor three times, and it was vetoed all three times. Now they’re trying again, with one notable change involving retroactivity.”
• Florida Politics: Senate unanimously passes wrongful incarceration compensation revamp. “After hours of debate over contentious issues such as permitless carry and new abortion restrictions, the bill’s introduction and passage produced a moment of bipartisan accord.”
• WLRN-Miami: Police chief says Broward district isn’t paying its school resource officers. “Eight months into the academic year, law enforcement agencies in Broward County are still waiting for the school district to reimburse them for the work of their school resource officers (SRO).”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Spider lightning sparks scientific research for FGCU student/instructor team. “Gilbert Green is not an ordinary storm chaser. A software engineering major at Florida Gulf Coast University, who is also minoring in physics and mathematics, Green spent the summer of 2022 chasing and photographing lightning around Southwest Florida.”
From NPR News• Economy: Social Security is now expected to run short of cash by 2033
• Climate: The EPA’s watchdog is warning about oversight for billions in new climate spending
• Politics: The Nashville school shooting highlights the partisan divide over gun legislation
• National: In a supreme court race like no other, Wisconsin’s political future is up for grabs
• Health: Millions may lose free preventive health care after ruling by federal judge in Texas
• Politics: Grief and tangled politics were at the heart of Kentucky’s fight over new trans law
• Law: One-time supporter of Guantánamo’s military court now says it was ‘doomed’
• Sports: LSU beats Iowa to win 1st NCAA title, posting record triple-digit point game
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report:Living on the Edge: Animals.Forthe six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ian, we’re publishing Living ontheEdge,a five-part series on Florida’s barrier islands in an era of climate change. Today’s stories look at animals that make their home on barrier islands. Humans helped draw animals to these fragile habitats. Now, we’re squeezing them out. And: should humans rescue animals from the perils of climate change?
• WUFT News: Former church official ordered to pay restitution for sexual battery of fellow church member. “A senior official at a non-denominational Christian church in Gainesville has been sentenced to jail and ordered to pay for counseling for a fellow church member after assaulting her, according to police.”
• WUFT News: UF Law professor weighs in on the Reedy Creek-Disney agreement prior to DeSantis-backed board’s takeover. “A University of Florida law professor says there might not be many good legal options for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to fight Walt Disney World.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: UF: Chances to get COVID not race-based. “Whether your ancestors were Black or white makes no difference in your susceptibility to COVID-19, according to a new University of Florida study comparing two types of ancestral origins of patients from a Florida population infected with COVID-19.”
• WUFT News: “Carmen” performance addresses ageless struggles of race, social class and gender. “The University of Florida Opera Theatre, UF Symphony Orchestra and UF Performing Arts bring Georges Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ to the stage at the Phillips Center Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.”
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Around the state• Fresh Take Florida: Florida Senate passes bill that would undermine most of state’s teacher unions. “The Senate voted 23-17 on Wednesday to pass a measure that would increase the required percentage of union members who pay dues from 50% to 60% for all public sector employees excluding police, firefighters and correctional officers.”
• News Service of Florida: Permitless gun carry passes the Florida Senate and now awaits DeSantis’ signature. “It allows people to carry concealed weapons without having to meet requirements such as firearms training and background screening.”
• Florida Politics: Senate approves lowering death penalty threshold. “Florida is one step closer to allowing death sentences by an 8-4 vote of a jury — instead of the current requirement that the vote be unanimous — after the Senate voted in favor of SB 450.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Health advocates help Floridians navigate Medicaid unwinding. “Now that pandemic protections are expiring, millions of Floridians will have to reapply for Medicaid and some could lose coverage. But families don’t have to go through the process alone.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: DeSantis signs Passidomo’s $711M affordable housing bill. “The bill would provide incentives for private investment in affordable housing and encourage mixed-use development in struggling commercial areas, while barring local rent controls and pre-empting local government rules on zoning, density and building heights in certain circumstances.”
• NPR: After 50 years, a Florida aquarium plans to return Lolita the orca to her home waters. “Nearly five decades after being captured and held in the Miami Seaquarium, Lolita the orca will finally be able to return to the Pacific to live out the rest of her days.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Big Cat Rescue’s merger means a new Arkansas home for the animals and a property sale. “In announcing the plans, Howard Baskin, husband of owner Carole Baskin, cited finances, a declining cat population and a desire to continue their focus on rescuing other cats from abuse and extinction.”
From NPR News• Politics: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury
• Politics: As debt ceiling talks stall, Speaker McCarthy says GOP may move its own bill
• World: The U.S. condemns Russia’s arrest of a Wall Street Journal reporter
• National: A train carrying ethanol derails and catches fire in Minnesota, evacuation lifted
• Health: A therapist has advice for how to cope with repeated mass shootings: Lean into family
• Religion: The Vatican repudiates ‘Doctrine of Discovery,’ which was used to justify colonialism
• Technology: All new cars in the EU will be zero-emission by 2035. Here’s where the U.S. stands
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Living on the Edge: Growth Goes On. For the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ian, we’re publishing Living on the Edge, a five-part series on Florida’s barrier islands in an era of climate change. Today’s installment is about continued growth: A new analysis shows that population growth continues to climb on barrier islands. Florida politics and policies champion it. Our story Shifting Sands looks at whether, on the islands hit by Ian, the new growth can retain beach character and affordability.
• Ocala Gazette: Heated debate over “book banning” takes over school board meeting. “Thirty-seven speakers addressed the board to either oppose the banning of books in the district’s libraries, what many called censorship, or support the removal of what some deemed ‘pornographic’ books from schools.”
• The Alligator: Alachua County Commission approves cottage village ordinance. “Cottage villages are clusters of homes that all face inward on one lawn, a method to include more houses per acre than a traditional neighborhood.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: LifeSouth seeks rare blood to help patient. “LifeSouth Community Blood Centers are searching for rare blood donors to help a patient suffering from an acute sickle cell disease crisis.”
• The Alligator: DragonBox Theatre ignites Gainesville’s imagination with performances, puppetry. “Shoppers at the How Bazar Night Festival Saturday night watched in wonder as Griffin Wulf hung from ribbons, performing her aerial routine.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: A ban on abortions after 6 weeks is ready for a full Florida Senate vote. “The bill passed a Senate committee after emotional testimony from both sides. It will next go before the Senate floor on Thursday.”
• Florida Politics: House panel approves bill granting pregnant prisoners maternal rights. “A bill that would protect pregnant women who have been arrested has cleared its first hurdle in the House.”
• Associated Press: Florida sees fewer manatee starvation deaths as a feeding program ends. “The effort to feed thousands of pounds of lettuce to starving manatees in Florida manatees officially ended for the winter season Wednesday, as deaths of the marine mammals appear to be slowing despite the long-term threat of pollution to their main food source, seagrass.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida cities wary of bill that would cap transfers from municipal utilities to general revenue. “Florida’s city- and county-run utilities could be limited in the amount of money they can transfer under a bill moving in the Legislature. The measure would cap transfers from a city’s utility to its general fund.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: WMO’s hurricane committee retires Fiona, Ian from names. “The World Meteorological Organization Hurricane Committee has retired Ian, and his equally odious female friend Fiona, from the rotating lists of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction they caused in Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada.”
From NPR News• National: The Biden administration sells oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico
• Health: The FDA approves the overdose-reversing drug Narcan for over-the-counter sales
• World: Pope Francis has been hospitalized after having breathing trouble, the Vatican says
• Politics: Senate votes to repeal Iraq War authorization
• National: 74 people have been killed or injured by guns at American schools this year
• Economy: These are the states with the highest and lowest tax burdens, a report says
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Living on the Edge: Risk. For the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ian, we’re publishing Living on the Edge, a five-part series on Florida’s barrier islands in an era of climate change. Today’s installment is about risk: Learn why people defy evacuation orders. And read the story of an entire town of Floridians who abandoned their barrier island in the wake of a major hurricane in the 19th century.
• WUFT News: Clay County begins construction on Regional Sports Complex. “Clay County’s new $7.2 million sports complex should be ready for use early next year. Officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking March 28.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU announces rate adjustments. “Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) announced it will reduce its purchased gas and electric fuel adjustments starting Saturday.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County to buy 650 acres for conservation. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously authorized spending around $2.5 million to buy more than 650 acres of conservation land.”
• WCJB: Starke receives $700,000 grant for RJE Community Center renovations. “The work involves replacing the building’s roof, restrooms, and windows. An emergency generator will be installed and on-site grading will be done to control storm water runoff.”
• WUFT News: Carillonneurs carry on a UF tradition in Century Tower. “The carillon in Century Tower is a 61-bell instrument that can reach up to five octaves. It is one of four carillons in Florida, and there are less than 200 of them across North America.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: DeSantis signed a massive school voucher expansion into law. Here’s what parents need to know. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed House Bill 1, a major expansion of Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship, into law.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s law restricting instruction on gender identity goes to an appeals court. “A challenge to a 2022 law restricting classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation has gone to a federal appeals court, as state lawmakers and education officials look to expand the restrictions.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Eatonville preservation association sues Orange County Schools in battle over Hungerford School site. “In 1951, the then 300-acre plot was acquired by the school board with an important restriction: that the land could only be used as a public school for Black children.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Proposal to make Holocaust Remembrance Day an official state holiday clears Senate committee. “No arguments were made against SB 832 as it swept through a Senate Education Committee with unanimous support Monday.”
• News Service of Florida: Duval student loses appeal over teacher ‘kill list.’ “With judges divided about what it means to post threats, a state appeals court upheld the detention of a Duval County public school student who had a ‘kill list’ of teachers.”
•NPR: South Florida gives Republicans a playbook for the 2024 election. “Republicans did not see the red wave they were betting on during last year’s midterms, so now they’re setting their sights on expanding success stories that did break through, such as the big gains they made in South Florida.”
• Florida Politics: Bottoms up: House panel cheers on bill uncorking wine bottle sizes. “Members of the House Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee agreed that grape minds drink alike (sorry again) and voted unanimously for LaMarca’s bill (HB 523) to uncork wine bottle size limits statewide.”
From NPR News• Politics: President Biden pushes for assault weapons ban, but GOP leaders remain opposed
• Media: Judge to Fox News: Don’t make me ‘look like an idiot’ over Rupert Murdoch testifying
• Economy: SVB collapse could have ripple effects on minority-owned banks
• Business: Union showdown: Starbucks’ Howard Schultz faces Bernie Sanders in the Senate
• Health: The FDA is considering authorizing a spring COVID-19 booster
• Health: How poverty and racism ‘weather’ the body, accelerating aging and disease
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Living on the Edge: Hurricane Ian barreled into the barrier islands of Southwest Florida six months ago, on Sept. 28th 2022. Beginning today, we’re publishing “Living on the Edge,” a five-part series investigating Florida’s barrier islands in the wake of Ian. Part 1 begins with history, including a story on the Calusa people who survived a massive hurricane around 300 A.D. Their adaptations can teach modern Floridians about coastal change.
• WUFT News: Neglected former golf club prompts county to get tough on overgrown lawns. “Anyone having grass over 12 inches will have to cut it or pay for it to be cut. And Merihelen Wheeler, District 3 Alachua County Commissioner, said enforcement starts now.”
• WUFT News: Nonprofit seeks funds to establish reentry program for formerly incarcerated people in Alachua County. “Local activists have created a nonprofit meant to support people recently released from incarceration readjust to life in Alachua County.”
• The Alligator: ‘Grog was home’: UF community says goodbye to iconic freshman bar. “After 27 years in business, Grog House Bar and Grill announced March 21 it will close its doors May 6 — leaving behind a legacy of sticky floors, Pink Whitney hats and early 2000s music.”
• WUFT News: Walldogs murals enrich culture of downtown High Springs. “From Kentucky to Scotland, over 100 volunteer artists have joined from across the world to bring color to downtown High Springs during the Walldogs Dive Into High Springs mural and history festival.”
• WUFT News: Marion County seeks election workers for 2024. “Starley Ard, public relations coordinator with the Supervisor of Elections Office, says they need poll workers for the 2024 election cycle.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: Research shows high-rent burden negatively impacts mental health. “Residents who spend more than 30 percent of their paycheck on rent are shown to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Lawmakers look to increase penalties for people who attack hospital personnel. “Hospital workers regularly face verbal and physical attacks while on the job. Data shows those attacks are on the rise and nurses are most likely to be the victims.”
• Florida Politics: Lawmakers want to stop left lane drivers who won’t move over. “At a hearing, the Senate Transportation Committee approved SB 464, which would make it illegal for drivers to operate their vehicles in the furthermost left lanes when the speed limit is at least 65 mph and there are at least two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.”
• WLRN-Miami: Florida’s ‘anti-illegal immigration bill’ targets more than just undocumented migrants. “SB 1718 proposes harsh punishments not just for undocumented migrants who are in the state, but for anyone who hires or helps them.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Toddler drowns, infant left in hot car less than a year apart at grandma’s house. “Tracey Nix was practicing the piano while her infant granddaughter was dying in the back seat of an SUV.”
• NPR: A principal is fired, invited to Italy after students are shown Michelangelo’s ‘David.’ “Every year, sixth-grade students at Tallahassee Classical School have been taught and shown a picture of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ statue, but this month, things went awry — sparking an apology letter to parents, an emergency school board meeting and a principal’s resignation.”
From NPR News• National: 3 children and 3 adults are dead in a shooting at a Christian school in Nashville
• Media: Fired Fox News producer says she’d testify against the network in $1.6 billion suit
• Law: Immigration fraud case brings tough First Amendment questions to the Supreme Court
• Health: Volunteer pilots fly patients seeking abortions to states where it’s legal
• National: Can a newly installed cellphone tower help preserve a language?
• Health: Pay up, kid? An ER’s error sends a 4-year-old to collections
• Technology: Panera rolls out hand-scanning technology that has raised privacy concerns
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gator Fly-In returns to Gainesville for Armed Services Day. “Members of the media got a chance to fly in the clouds above The Swamp. It’s a day meant to commemorate the sacrifice of those in the military and show off Gainesville Regional Airport.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz High School teen arrested after online threat. “A statement from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said she posted on Instagram threatening to ‘shoot up the school.'”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Commission addresses GRU at meeting. “Gainesville Regional Utilities continues to loom over Gainesville City Commission business.”
• Florida Politics: Alachua County Republican arrested for voting illegally in 2020. “He faces charges of fraudulent voting by an unqualified elector and perjury.”
• WUFT News: The Beatles in Florida in 1964: ‘Good Day Sunshine State.’ “WUFT’s Morning Edition host Glenn Richards speaks with retired broadcast journalist and author Bob Kealing about his latest book, Good Day Sunshine State: How the Beatles Rocked Florida.“
• The Alligator: Latin festival unites community in celebration of music. “Between salsa songs and giveaways for the guests with the best rhythm, Tu Fiesta Radio presented an unforgettable night with their Latin festival Saturday.”
• WUFT News: Photo gallery: Indie Live. “Swamp Records, in collaboration with Heartwood Soundstage, put on the concert in Gainesville Fla., March 24, 2023.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Sisters Helping Sisters in Need donates prom dresses, gowns for all occasions. “The Gainesville-based nonprofit donated more than 400 gowns to Alachua County Public Schools’ Partners in Education program. The gowns will be available for Santa Fe High School and Eastside High School students to choose from to wear to their proms this year.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Efforts to add open carry to a permitless carry bill in Florida fail. “Florida House lawmakers have passed a measure that would allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit or training, but the measure didn’t include open carry.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A bill that targets drag queens seeks to ban kids from what bill supporters call adult performances. “A bill from Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) for would punish establishments like restaurants and hotels for ‘knowingly’ letting kids in such events, but opponents say the measure smacks of an anti-LGBTQ agenda.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): A mystery: 16,000 previously uncounted COVID cases added to Florida’s total. “Representatives for the CDC and the Florida Department of Health did not explain Friday why those infections have gone uncounted for months.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida considers the death penalty for sex crimes against children. “Should Florida execute criminals who don’t kill anybody? That’s been a hotly debated question as the legislature considers whether child rapists should be sentenced to death.”
• Florida Politics: Ron DeSantis makes ‘a few selective edits’ about role in force-feeding Guantánamo Bay detainees. “As he edges closer to announcing a run for President, Gov. Ron DeSantis is downplaying the influence he had on the decision to force-feed Guantánamo Bay detainees.”
• Jacksonville Today: How Duval Schools’ book debate wound up on the floor of Congress. “U.S. House members voted 213-208 on Friday to pass a federal ‘Parents Bill of Rights,’ after multiple Democratic lawmakers highlighted Duval County as an example of the ‘chilling effect’ of schoolbook laws.”
• Florida Politics: Scott Franklin, Debbie Wasserman Schultz lead push to change orange juice standards. “The bill would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to alter the required ratio of sugar and solids in not-from-concentrate orange juice.”
From NPR News• Health: ‘Live free and die?’ The sad state of U.S. life expectancy
• Politics: Don’t call them ‘witch hunts.’ Most Americans say investigations into Trump are fair
• National: Idaho is the latest state to permit execution by firing squad
• National: A judge sided with publishers in a lawsuit over the Internet Archive’s online library
• National: After nearly 200 years, the Yuchi Tribe of Oklahoma reconnects with bison
• Law: GEO Group sickened ICE detainees with hazardous chemicals for months, a lawsuit says
• National: Colorado becomes the first state to open wheelchair repair for users
• Music: Afroman put home footage of a police raid in music videos. Now the cops are suing him
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: Effort to protect abandoned African American cemeteries stalled last year; things are different now. “The House bill unanimously passed its second committee vote Tuesday as it winds its way through the legislative process.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville police hold community meeting about its K9 unit. “It’s under scrutiny after an incident last July with a police dog, and community discussion on Tuesday quickly turned hectic as neighbors clashed over the unit’s suspension.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: City readies lobbyists, counsel against GRU bill. “Commissioners voted unanimously to call on its Tallahassee lobbyists and prepare to hire outside legal counsel to defeat or alter legislation that could hand over control of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) to a five-member board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• WCJB: ‘It’s rushed’: ACPS members seek parent input on possible rezoning plan for schools. “Overcrowding in some Alachua County schools may cause possible spot zoning changes in the 2023-2024 school year. Alachua County School board members heard from parents in the community input session at Terwilliger Elementary.”
• WUFT News: From painters and sculptors, Venezuelans begin to make art history in Gainesville. “Every time he visits the United States, Romero seeks to exhibit his art because, in his home country, he said he feels it is more difficult to work as an artist due to the lack of local support.”
• WCJB: Markers added to Cedar Key Cemetery for 90 unmarked burials. “A process that began over two years ago is now seeing physical results this week at the Cedar Key Cemetery.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: A universal school choice plan is heading to the governor’s desk. “Florida is the latest state to expand its school voucher program to all students, regardless of their family income and whether they’re in private school or homeschool.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers send a lawsuit limits bill to the governor. “The Florida Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a far-reaching bill aimed at helping shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits, with supporters saying it will rein in ‘billboard lawyers’ and opponents saying it will harm consumers.”
• WLRN-Miami: Report: Surging population, rising seas could lead to more of Florida being paved over. “As Florida’s population swells to more than 26 million people and more land is lost to rising seas, about 1 million more undeveloped acres could be paved over in less than two decades, according to a new study released Wednesday by the University of Florida and 1000 Friends of Florida.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Tampa International Airport sets a daily passenger record as spring break travel heats up. “In fact, the top three days for passenger traffic overall have taken place in the last two weeks.”
• Florida Politics: Disney World union workers reach tentative deal to $18 an hour starting pay. “Union members chanted, ‘Disney workers got a raise!’ during a press conference to announce the proposed deal which would eventually increase the starting pay to $20.50 by October 2026.”
• NPR: A 3D-printed rocket launched successfully but failed to reach orbit. “A rocket made almost entirely of printed metal parts made its debut launch Wednesday night, but failed after three minutes of flight — far short of reaching orbit.”
From NPR News• National: Where the cases stand for the 1,000 people charged for the Capitol riot
• Business: Still trying to quit that gym membership? The FTC is proposing a rule that could help
• Media: NPR cancels 4 podcasts amid major layoffs
• Politics: Lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Chew for 5 hours in a high-stakes hearing about the app
• Health: 80-hour weeks and roaches near your cot? More medical residents unionize
• Law: New York DA investigating Trump calls GOP requests ‘unprecedented’ and ‘unlawful’
• World: The happiest country in the world wants to fly you in for a free masterclass
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Two months after UF discouraged use of TikTok, students remain on the social media platform. “On Jan. 12, the University of Florida sent out an email to all university students and staff discouraging the use of TikTok. In the email, UF Vice President and CIO, Elias Eldayrie, explained that TikTok is seen as a national security concern by experts.”
• WUFT News: Program for school-age students seeking mentors. “The Education Foundation of Alachua County’s Take Stock in Children program, which begins again in the fall, is recruiting 61 mentors for the 61 new mentees in its upcoming class.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Final state committee approves Rex and Brody Act. “The bill, SB 404, prevents public access through the Florida Sunshine Law to autopsy information of minors killed through domestic violence incidents.”
• WUFT News: How women of the Gainesville Giving Garden nurture their community. “Last year, it was able to grow and deliver over 400 pounds of fresh organic produce to those who otherwise couldn’t access it.”
• WUFT News: Dusty’s Ragtime Circus showcases the circus arts to Gainesville residents. “In Gainesville, Dusty’s Ragtime Circus shows performances in silks, acrobatics, juggling, dance, theater and more, all while a live band plays ragtime versions of popular music.”
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Around the state• Associated Press: DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to all grades. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘ administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues a focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run.”
• News Service of Florida: The Florida Senate will vote to eliminate unanimous jury recommendations in death penalty cases. “The bill’s sponsor says it’s an effort to avoid one ‘protest juror’ from preventing a death sentence.”
• News Service of Florida: A Florida bill targets rabid sports fans but won’t impact celebrations. “The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday backed the proposal (SB 764), which also seeks to prevent people from benefiting financially from disrupting sports or entertainment events.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Environmental groups are suing the federal government over slowing protections for gopher tortoises. “Elise Bennett, Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity, based in St. Petersburg, said federal environmental regulators had previously found the tortoises required protection, but now say they will not be listed as a threatened or endangered species.”
• Florida Politics: Senate bill legalizing fentanyl test strips clears final committee hurdle. “The Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill (SB 164) to legalize the products, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls a ‘low-cost method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm.'”
• NPR: Uh-oh. A new tropical mosquito has come to Florida. The buzz it’s creating isn’t good. “Researchers with the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory first discovered it in a rural area near Miami in 2018. It’s since spread to other counties in Southwest Florida.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: They marched to end modern day slavery in the agricultural fields. “They came to America in search of a better life. The work in the agricultural fields of Florida they knew would be tough. But it was much worse than that. And so they spoke out during a 50-mile march.”
• News Service of Florida: Judges give go-ahead for class action against FPL in Irma outages. “Plaintiffs contend that the utility did not meet obligations to help prevent power outages, such as carrying out a storm ‘hardening’ plan, replacing aging poles and adequately clearing vegetation near lines.”
From NPR News• Economy: The Fed raises interest rates again despite the stress hitting the banking system
• Politics: The fight over the debt ceiling could sink the economy. This is how we got here
• Climate: Billions of people lack access to clean drinking water, U.N. report finds
• Health: It’s not just Adderall: The number of drugs in short supply rose by 30% last year
• World: Uganda to jail people who identify as LGBTQ in one of world’s most anti-gay laws
• Technology: It takes a few dollars and 8 minutes to create a deepfake. And that’s only the start
• Science: Scientists sequence Beethoven’s genome for clues into his painful past
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• The Alligator: University Police Department investigates targeted letter sent to UF Chief Diversity Office. “The University Police Department investigated a “concerning” letter sent to UF’s Office of the Chief Diversity Officer Feb. 6, in an case that has since been suspended due to a lack of evidence and information, according to the incident report.”
• Florida Politics: Joe Harding pleads guilty to charges related to COVID-19 loans. “The Ocala Republican changed his plea months after federal prosecutors indicted him. U.S. Attorney Jason Coody announced the plea change.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: High Springs Walldogs Festival to arrive this week. “Artists and residents will set to painting 10 murals throughout High Springs on Wednesday, kicking off the five-day Walldogs Dive into High Springs Festival.”
• WUFT News: Brooksville to preserve, protect brick streets. “The City of Brooksville wants to preserve its historic brick streets. The city council gave initial approval to an ordinance that outlines a district where the roads are or are likely to be.”
• WUFT News: A Gainesville-based non-profit seeks volunteers to work in Colombia’s poor neighborhoods. “Andrea Ortega said she found her purpose in the non-profit sector while helping children.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Longest living BCU Wildcat celebrates her 105th birthday in southeast Gainesville museum. “Jackson was born on March 14, 1918 in Rochelle, a small community in southeast Alachua County.”
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Around the state• WUFT News: Bill seeks big changes to Florida defamation laws. “Florida Republican lawmakers are hoping to pass a bill that could eventually overturn several precedents set by the Supreme Court on First Amendment rights.”
• Florida Politics: Senate panel OK’s term limits for County Commission, School Board. “County Commission members aren’t currently term-limited statewide, although some counties have term limits.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida EV owners may get their own version of a gas tax. “Electric vehicle owners in Florida may join drivers in 31 other states who now pay the equivalent of a gas tax. A proposal in the Florida Senate would create a fee for drivers of most hybrid and electric vehicles.”
• News Service of Florida: Year-round school in Florida to address COVID-19 learning losses? A pilot program could address that. “A House subcommittee approved a bill that would set up a pilot program for four years, with a goal of studying ‘benefits’ of a year-long school schedule.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Lawmakers say CNAs taking more responsibility is one way to address nursing home worker shortage. “In an effort to address the ongoing worker shortage at Florida’s nursing homes, lawmakers are looking into a plan that would let Certified Nursing Assistants get trained as medication aides.”
From NPR News• Politics: Meet the Manhattan DA who would bring criminal charges against Trump
• Law: Supreme Court hands victory to public school students with disabilities
• National: Private opulence, public squalor: How the U.S. helps the rich and hurts the poor
• Education: What we do (and don’t) know about teacher shortages, and what can be done about them
• Economy: Janet Yellen says the U.S. is ready to protect depositors at small banks if required
• Climate: Climate activists target nation’s big banks, urging divestment from fossil fuels
• National: FDA gives 2nd safety nod to cultivated meat, produced without slaughtering animals
• Health: Meet the ‘glass-half-full girl’ whose brain rewired after losing a hemisphere
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: UF President Ben Sasse on strategic plan. “University of Florida President Ben Sasse says the process to craft a new strategic plan will begin this summer. He made the announcement at Friday’s board of trustees meeting.”
• The Alligator: First Black Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton works to restore trust. “Growing up in a segregated Memphis, Tennessee, a young Kim Barton would go door to door with her family, asking neighbors if they needed a ride to the polls.”
• WCJB: Family of four-year-old who drowned in retention pond considering legal action. “A bill currently being discussed in the Florida Senate could prevent the family from receiving damages for his death.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): City Council member Wally Dunn is the new Dunnellon mayor. “The mayor’s job has been vacant since January, following the sudden resignation of Bill White, who cited health reasons for leaving.”
• WUFT News: Believing ‘Inn’ Community: Sweetwater Branch celebrates its 30th year. “At 15 years old, Cornelia Holbrook dreamed of opening her own inn. Born into a family of travelers, she spent years accompanying her parents on trips and becoming inspired by inns around the world.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: Lawmakers open to study whether radioactive phosphogypsum can be used for road construction. “The Senate Transportation Committee approved SB 1258 to consider using the waste from fertilizer manufacturing despite objections from environmentalists during the hearing.”
• WLRN-Miami: DeSantis’ election police have largely flopped in Florida voter prosecutions. A new law aims to change that. “A new Florida law gives Gov. Ron DeSantis’ prosecutors power to pursue more election-related cases – a move explicitly designed to circumvent recent judicial scrutiny of the state’s highly politicized voter prosecutions.”
• Florida Politics: Jacksonville files motion to dismiss challenge to LGBTQ rights law. “The legislation was passed in expanded form in 2017 to protect the rights of housing, employment, and public accommodations for LGBTQ+ people.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida’s voter registration signature law draws a federal lawsuit. “The complaint argues the law disproportionately affects seniors, minorities and low-income residents.”
• Florida Politics: Jason Brodeur environmental protection package takes aim at septic tanks. “SB 1632 takes aim at advanced wastewater treatment and septic tanks to help develop better infrastructure and limit nutrient pollution.”
• WLRN-Miami: Broward County man exonerated after serving 34 years for armed robbery. “Sidney Holmes went to prison when he was 23 years old based on one faulty eyewitness identification. Now, at 57 years old, Holmes is free.”
From NPR News• Politics: Biden has vetoed his first bill. Here’s how that compares to other presidents
• Law: The Supreme Court wrestles with questions over the Navajo Nation’s water rights
• Politics: Is Trump actually getting arrested this week? Here’s what we know
• Health: The potentially deadly Candida auris fungus is spreading quickly in the U.S.
• Media: The FBI raided a notable journalist’s home. Rolling Stone didn’t tell readers why
• Business: Got a question for Twitter’s press team? The answer will be a poop emoji
• World: U.S. aid worker and French journalist freed after years in captivity in West Africa
• Animals: Giant African snails, a voracious invader, are intercepted at Detroit’s airport
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• Mainstreet Daily News: Local legislators back bill to alter GRU control. “If passed by the Florida House and Senate, the bill would hand Gov. Ron DeSantis the power to create a five-member board that would control Gainesville Regional Utilities’ (GRU) operations instead of the City Commission.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The Florida House passes a bill to expand school voucher eligibility. “The Florida House on Friday passed a bill that would make nearly every K-12 student in the state eligible for a state-funded school voucher, despite not having a clear estimate for how much it would cost.”
• WCJB: Judge orders Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. to respond after employees file lawsuits. “Eighth Circuit Judge Donna Keim is giving the sheriff’s office 30 days to file a response to allegations he refused to hold Compliance Review Hearings for two employees disciplined after Administrative Investigations.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Republicans are again targeting local labor and teachers unions. “A proposal to raise the membership threshold to 60% and prevent automatic withdrawals for union dues is moving in the legislature over accusations that it targets some of Republicans’ most vocal critics.”
• WCJB: First two black Florida Gator football players in program history honored during endowment ceremony. “For the second year in a row, Jackson and George were honored through an endowment funded by former players who raised $100,000 in scholarships for gator football players.”
• Florida Politics: Major changes to Florida tort laws clear House; Senate could vote on final passage next week. “The omnibus bill makes substantive changes to how lawsuits are filed and litigated in the state, all but eliminating the longstanding statute that allows a policyholder who successfully sues their insurance company on a coverage denial claim to recoup attorney fees.”
• Associated Press: Florida may ban girls’ period talk in elementary grades. “The bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Stan McClain would restrict public school instruction on human sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and related topics to grades 6 through 12.”
• WLRN-Miami: Miami-Dade public schools will observe National Day of Prayer for second year in a row. “Observing the National Day of Prayer is meant to give students and educators the opportunity for ‘all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders’, according to the language of the proposal approved on Wednesday.”
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From NPR News• Politics: Trump claims that he will be arrested this week
• National: Read the transcript: What happened inside the federal hearing on abortion pills
• World: Turkey says it will ratify Finland’s bid to join NATO
• World: The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Putin
• Health: California enters a contract to make its own affordable insulin
• Education: With gun control far from sight, schools redesign for student safety
• Health: WHO calls on China to share data on raccoon dog link to pandemic. Here’s what we know
• National: Canadian leaders in Quebec want a popular unofficial border crossing closed
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• WUFT News: Labor union leaders speak out against a bill giving the state control over GRU. “The bill was drafted by Rep. Chuck Clemons (R-Newberry), who will present it to legislators on Friday. Clemons cited issues with customer representation in local government as well as the city’s debt for drafting the bill.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A lawsuit says Florida went too far with training that led some schools to clear bookshelves. “The administrative legal challenge seeks to force the Florida Department of Education to roll back its media specialist training and follow the language of HB 1467.”
• News Service of Florida: Removing Confederate monuments could become illegal. “Local governments would be blocked from removing historic monuments from public locations and could face lawsuits, under a controversial proposal that started to advance Wednesday in the Florida Senate.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry approves new resident impact fees. “The fees only apply to new residents within Newberry city limits. Marlowe said existing residents will not have to pay the fees, nor will developers who already have approved construction plans.”
• Florida Politics: Federal appeals court allows injunction against ‘Stop WOKE Act’ to stand. “Florida’s attempts to crack down on instruction regarding race and gender issues will have to remain on pause — at least for now — according to a federal court ruling against Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Some on Pine Island still live in a post-Ian disaster zone. “Crews still are rebuilding the electrical grid, and some people are living in trailers or campers. Others on the island are focused on rebuilding and regaining some sense of normal.”
• WUFT News: The Priest Theatre in High Springs still stands, but with no projected path forward. “The Priest Theatre was slated to be demolished in 2022. But the treasured building still stands today, desolate since its last screening of Disney’s ‘Onward’ in March 2020.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Exploring Long COVID Part 3: How do we treat it? “While doctors aren’t sure how to prevent Long COVID from developing there has been success in treating individual symptoms as they manifest.”
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From NPR News• World: The U.S. military releases footage of Black Sea drone crash with Russian jet
• Security: Senate advances a bill to repeal Iraq war authorizations
• World: Poland will send fighter jets to Ukraine, the first NATO country to do so
• National: A train carrying corn syrup derails in Arizona
• National: ‘Back to one meal a day’: SNAP benefits drop as food prices climb
• Law: Drag queen (and ordained minister) Bella DuBalle won’t be silenced by new Tenn. law
• National: This Girl Scout is a vocal critic of the Girl Scout cookies and is making her own
• Science: Volcanic activity on Venus spotted in radar images, scientists say
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: 400 pride flags planted in Micanopy on town’s election day. “LGBTQ+ issues were not on the ballot in Micanopy, but they were certainly on the minds of voters as they elected two new town commissioners.”
• WUFT News: Fahrenheit 352? What Alachua County educators are saying about book banning. “Even as national attention focuses on Florida’s and other states around controlling what books students can read, some Alachua County teachers haven’t faced any issues with book banning.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Proposed bill could change GRU ownership. “As Gainesville commissioners discuss restraining fiscal budgets, a proposed bill by state Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-District 22, would hand control of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) to a five-person board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• WUFT News: High Springs Commissioners postpone talks on residents’ request to ban single-use plastic. “Supporters of the much-maligned plastic straw celebrated a victory last week after the High Springs City Commission postponed discussion on whether to ban the use of plastic straws and carry-out containers in all establishments in the city.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Jacksonville approves $20 million for new UF campus. “City Council voted 16-1 on Tuesday to put the money toward a health and financial technology campus. The city intends to give the school $30 million more over the next three years.”
•News4Jax: Controversial Narcan vending machines aim to reduce overdoses in Putnam County. “A health care facility that treats addiction and behavioral issues recently installed Narcan vending machines throughout several areas of Putnam County.”
• WUFT News: Muralist transforms Gainesville Starbucks wall. “Complete with huge, juicy oranges, meandering butterflies and a splash of bright colors, the new Starbucks mural has touched not just the walls, but the hearts of the Gainesville community.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: UF scientist takes aim at tuberculosis. “Dr. Luiz Pedro Carvalho is on a quest to find new medicines for treatment-resistant diseases, including tuberculosis, which is again the world’s deadliest infectious disease, after briefly falling behind COVID-19.”
• WUFT News: Women discuss their journey working in professional sports across Florida. “There is no doubt that the sports industry has made progress since the early days of sports broadcasters Gayle Gardner and Robin Roberts. But there is still more work to be done to create a level playing field for women working in a male-dominated industry.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Historians express ‘horror’ at Florida’s HB 999. They say it threatens academic freedom. “The American Historical Association’s Council issued a statement earlier this month urging lawmakers to oppose HB 999, which passed its first committee stop on Monday along party lines.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Over 100 start march across Florida to protest modern slavery in the agricultural fields. “They are calling on retail food giants like Wendy’s, Publix and Kroger to join the Fair Food Program, a human-rights initiative that many of their competitors joined over a decade ago.”
• WUSF-Tampa: These U.S. universities are offering New College students incentives to transfer. “Two northeastern universities have gone public with plans to recruit students from New College amid changes to move the liberal institution in a more conservative direction.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: South Florida’s wading birds nested at near-record numbers. “Wading birds, long-considered sentinel species because the health of their populations track closely with the well-being of the environment they inhabit, nested throughout the Florida Everglades in vast numbers not seen since the 1930s.”
• Florida Politics: Kathleen Passidomo says Senate won’t consider lowering minimum age to buy guns. “The Naples Republican made her position clear days after House Speaker Paul Renner said he wants to roll back restrictions in place since the 2018 Parkland shooting.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida teacher union leaders and book authors are rallying together amid new state laws. “Hundreds of people turned out to downtown Tallahassee as Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar and partners gave out more than 25,000 books.”
• Florida Politics: After suing influencers for copyright infringement, Disney has now banned them from theme parks. “Christopher Martin livestreamed getting banned from Disney World on his social media account, then used the videos as an advertisement to sell more items from his online store.”
From NPR News• Technology: The Biden administration demands that TikTok be sold, or risk a nationwide ban
• Politics: The truth is there’s little the government can do about lies on cable
• Business: T-Mobile buys Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile in a $1.35 billion deal
• Health: Sickle cell patient’s success with gene editing raises hopes and questions
• National: Only New Mexico lawmakers don’t get paid for their time. That might change this year
• National: Press 1 for more anger: Americans are fed up with customer service
• Law: A lawsuit picks a bone with Buffalo Wild Wings: Are ‘boneless wings’ really wings?
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• WCJB: ‘These dogs do essential stuff’: Dozens of residents and GPD officers discuss K-9 unit in heated meeting. “Since last Thursday, Alachua County Sheriff’s officials have been lending their K-9 unit to Gainesville police after City Manager Cynthia Curry took the unit off-duty.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: As a bill to ban gender affirming care for kids moves forward the transgender community pushes back. “Later this week, a Florida Board of Medicine rule that bans gender affirming care, such as puberty blockers, for most transgender kids goes into effect. Monday, a bill that codifies those rules got its first committee hearing.”
• WLRN-Miami: Coming soon to Florida beaches: Massive, messy and maybe record mounds of seaweed. “A giant blob of seaweed, spanning 5,000 miles and weighing an estimated 6.1 million tons, threatens to blanket Florida beaches and Caribbean islands with smelly piles of decaying brown goop.”
• Florida Politics: New study shows Florida drivers zoom through school zones. “A bill that would use cameras to make sure drivers pump the brakes in school zones is speeding through committee, and a new study shows it could make an immediate impact.”
• WUFT News: Volunteers on a Gainesville farm find joy in the harvest. “It’s harvest day. Daniel Robleto and his wife, Aviva Asher, wake up at 7 a.m., brush their teeth, eat their breakfast and begin their morning harvest.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A Florida House panel okays a bill making it easier to sue journalists. “Sponsors argue there needs to be a greater check on the press amid the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation. But bill critics say lawmakers have the wrong approach.”
• WLRN-Miami: After a pandemic boom, Florida lawmakers seek to regulate ‘ghost kitchens’ and food trailers. “When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered restaurants, some entrepreneurs turned to this business model to provide takeout or delivery-only options by preparing meals in shared spaces or portable structures.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Exploring Long COVID Part 2: What’s it like to have it? “One year after first testing positive for COVID-19, Mount Dora resident Tanya Balyeat still has weakened lungs and the short-term memory loss phenomenon known as brain fog.”
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From NPR News• Health: The U.S. has a high rate of preterm births, and abortion bans could make that worse
• Business: Justice Department opens probe into Silicon Valley Bank after its sudden collapse
• Politics: Biden wants to boost background checks on gun buyers. But it’s hard without Congress
• National: The U.S. said a Russian fighter jet hit American drone over Black Sea
• Politics: Ron DeSantis says backing Ukraine is not in the U.S. interest, a sign of a GOP divided
• National: So you began your event with an indigenous land acknowledgement. Now what?
• Science: Neurotech could connect our brains to computers. What could go wrong, right?
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• WUSF-Tampa: Exemptions for sexual assault survivors in Florida’s proposed 6-week abortion ban require proof. “Many assault survivors feel like they can’t report the abuse due to safety concerns or other reasons, abortion rights advocates say.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville’s kratom community weighs in on state legislation to raise the minimum age to 21. “Supporters of the bill argue that kratom has the potential to be addictive, while opponents say it is a healthier alternative to most recreational drugs.”
• WCJB: Detours start on I-75 in Marion County as FDOT crews work to fix SW 66th St. overpass. “Florida Department of Transportation is working on the overpass on Southwest 66th Street after a semi-truck hauling an oversized load crashed into the bridge on February 22 blocking lanes going northbound for more than 12 hours.”
• Ocala Gazette: Change of plea scheduled for Joe Harding. “Harding, an Ocala Republican who previously represented District 24, resigned the seat in December following a six-count indictment for wire fraud and other charges related to the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.”
• Florida Politics: Orlando lawmaker wants to make amusement rides safer, add public record exemption after teen’s death. “A Central Florida lawmaker’s bill adding more safety rules on amusement rides passed through the Senate Agriculture Committee Monday in the wake of a teenager’s falling death from an Orlando attraction last year.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Exploring Long COVID Part 1: Why don’t we know more about it? “More than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19 since President Donald Trump declared it a national emergency three years ago. That includes 87,000 Floridians. Among the survivors, are those with long-haul COVID, or Long COVID, a phenomenon still not fully understood.”
• News4Jax: Bank collapse has some Florida business owners on edge. “Silicon Valley Bank in California collapsed on Friday forcing the United States federal government to step in and guarantee that customers get their deposits back, making it the biggest U.S. bank failure since the global financial crisis in 2008.”
• WUFT News: Extension of the Archer Braid Trail connects to a bigger community. “The extension of the trail will connect the Archer Historical Society Railroad Museum to the existing trailhead. The Railroad Museum is housed in the historic Seaboard Air Line depot and is a vital part of Archer’s history and important to its residents.”
•NPR: In Florida, an invasive snail is helping save an endangered bird. “In Florida’s Everglades, few species are more closely tied to the habitat’s health than an endangered bird, the snail kite. The Everglade snail kite is a raptor, similar to a hawk, that eats just one thing: snails.”
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From NPR News• Business: The Collapse Of Silicon Valley Bank
• Climate: The Biden administration approves the controversial Willow drilling project in Alaska
• Politics: Biden is selling U.S. nuclear submarines to Australia to counter China
• National: Landmarks fall, memories fade. Civil rights tourism may protect Mississippi history
• National: New FBI data show reported hate crimes in the U.S. jumped in 2021
• National: It’s Equal Pay Day. The gender pay gap has hardly budged in 20 years. What gives?
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Gainesville Sun ($): 2 arrested after protesting anti-abortion displays on University of Florida campus. “Taylor, 26, and Dinkla, 21, were protesting the large graphic images of aborted fetuses on display by the traveling organization Created Equal.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: ACFR breaks ground on new station. “The new building – located just west of The Rock School – will be the home for the district chief and will include an advanced life support engine and a future advanced life support ambulance.”
• WUFT News: Jewish community backs Florida House bill that would make antisemitic acts a felony. “According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number of antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism.”
• WUFT News: Dragonslayers walk among us: Gainesville players discuss the rise and benefits of Dungeons and Dragons. “From the doorway, the senior teaching lab specialist in ceramics looks normal. However, Derek Reeverts, 47, is anything but that. He has played Dungeons and Dragons for 41 years.”
• WUFT News: High pollen levels return to Gainesville. “A steady stream of cars queues at the Take 5 Car Wash this month on Archer Road in Gainesville.”
• WUFT News: The Harn’s ‘HERstory’ highlights female artists in a male-dominated space. “In 2019, one study audited 18 major U.S. art museums and identified that only 13% of artists named across the collections identified as female — even fewer women of color.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: High inflation and housing costs force Americans to delay needed health care. “In a recent Gallup poll, 38% of Americans surveyed said they had put off medical treatment last year due to cost, up from 26% in 2021. The new figure is the highest since Gallup started tracking the issue in 2001.”
• Florida Politics: Amendment to bill banning gender-affirming care for minors allows court intervention. “Yarborough’s amendment allows the state’s courts broad discretion about when and how to intervene in gender-affirming treatment when one parent supports it and the other does not.”
• Health News Florida: House panel moves forward on telehealth recertifications for medical marijuana. “Gov. Ron DeSantis temporarily suspended the face-to-face requirement because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only for patients who were renewing medical marijuana certifications with the same doctors they had seen previously.”
• WUFT News: House bill proposes to drop gun-buying age to 18. “Eric Ly, a 17-year-old Gainesville high school senior, may be able to legally buy a gun before he can drink a beer if a new proposal is passed this session by the Florida State Legislature.”
• News Service of Florida: Panel dismisses Nikki Fried ethics case. “The Florida Commission on Ethics on Friday dismissed a long-running dispute about whether former Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried violated state law by not properly disclosing financial information.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: When being sold ten acres of swamp land is a good thing. “Ten acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed is slated for purchase by Lee County, and despite the parcel’s small size what it does for the environment is huge.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Tons of dead fish from red tide are being removed from Gulf beaches before spring breakers arrive. “In the past two weeks, 3 1/2 tons of of dead fish and marine life was collected in Manatee County alone. And in Pinellas, half a ton was removed from beaches in three days.”
From NPR News• Business: Janet Yellen says the federal government won’t bail out Silicon Valley Bank
• Politics: Pence says Trump was ‘wrong’ about Jan. 6 and that history will hold him accountable
• National: In military academies, 1 in 5 female students said they experienced sexual assault
• National: Texas man sues ex-wife’s friends for allegedly helping her get abortion pills
• Politics: What we know about Trump possibly facing criminal indictment in New York City
• National: Texas officials have told residents Mexico is too dangerous to visit for spring break
• Music: Vinyl records outsell CDs for the first time since 1987
• Health: Changing our clocks is a health hazard. Just ask a sleep doctor
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: Former UF quarterback faces years in prison, sex offender status if convicted. “Even for someone with a previously clean record, no one who was convicted of five counts of child pornography escaped prison time, according to the review of cases in Alachua County Circuit Court dating to 1996.”
• The Alligator: Rezoning controversy in Alachua County Public Schools, explained. “One-third of the district’s elementary schools are operating over capacity. The district has two options: spot rezoning, which rezones only a few schools, and comprehensive rezoning, which impacts the entire district.”
• WUFT News: Williston City Council considers four-day workweek for public works field staff. “The employees currently work the standard five-day, 40-hour workweek, but the public works department proposed a four-day, 40-hour workweek. The proposal suggests employees would work 10-hour shifts and would be given an extra day off.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville music scene upset after Santa Fe College Foundation’s MiniMaxi Warehouse evicts all bands. “In fact, an era is coming to a close, as these bands are losing the space where they have met and practiced for over 20 years — the MiniMaxi Warehouse, a storage facility off Waldo Road in northeast Gainesville.”
• WUFT News: ‘Eco Chase Challenge’ seeks to further conservation and sustainability. “The Alachua County Office of Waste Alternatives is inviting residents to participate in a two-month environmental scavenger hunt that began Feb. 22 and will conclude on April 22, which is Earth Day.”
• WUFT News: Get ready for the Marion County Master Gardeners’ 2023 Spring Festival. “For 16 of the years of the Spring Festival’s existence, Laura Perdomo and her business, the Peacock Cottage, have been attending the Spring Festival as a vendor. The Peacock Cottage offers house plants and specializes in African Violets.”
• WUFT News: Former UF and NFL football player teaches children about kindness. “Major Wright, a former University of Florida standout and NFL star has been visiting schools in Alachua County to get students excited about spreading kindness.”
• WUFT News: ‘Native Gardens’ play blossoms at the Hippodrome Theatre starting Friday. “Under the beaming suburban sun, two newly neighboring couples appreciate the pleasure and beauty of gardening. However — as revealed through a property-line dispute that spirals into an evaluation of vast cultural differences — every rose has its thorn.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: A plan to build more affordable housing in Florida could pass soon. “The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan plan to create more affordable housing for the state’s residents on the second day of the 60-day lawmaking session. The measure is now heading to the House, where it’s expected to pass.”
• Florida Politics: Federal appeals court upholds Florida’s post-Parkland ban on under-21 gun buys. “Florida’s law passed in the wake of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018 that prohibits the sale of rifles and long guns to people under the age of 21 remains in effect after a federal appeals court upheld the law.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A bill to change Florida school start times passes its first committee. “School start times for many of the state’s middle and high schoolers would shift under a bill that has passed its first committee. The goal is to get teenagers more – and better – sleep.”
• Florida Politics: House asks feds to put ‘soft drinks’ on same list as alcohol, tobacco advances. “What groceries people buy and their role in society’s ills came under lengthy debate, as a House Memorial advanced asking the feds to prohibit soda purchases with government food assistance.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Too much polluted agricultural water threatens Everglades’ engineered wetlands, study says. “The report says the water is stressing engineered wetlands aimed at improving water quality in the fragile river of grass.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Have bats in your home? Exclusions should occur before April bat maternity season starts. “During that time, it is illegal to block bats from their roosts. If bats are excluded during maternity season, flightless young can be trapped inside the structure and die, which isn’t good for you or the bats.”
From NPR News• Politics: Breaking down President Biden’s latest budget proposal
• National: Biden administration releases Guantánamo inmate, its fourth transfer in a month
• Business: General Motors is offering buyouts in an effort to cut $2 billion in costs
• Politics: Personal information of members of Congress exposed in health data breach
• National: The push to rebuild the U.S.’s nuclear stockpile
• National: Former NBA star Shawn Kemp is released from jail after arrest in a drive-by shooting
• Science: The first wiring map of an insect’s brain hints at incredible complexity
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Earleton man alleges abuse at the Alachua County Jail. “More than a year after his arrest on Dec. 2, 2021, Juan Sterk said his experiences at the Alachua County Jail never leave his mind and consume his day-to-day life.”
• WUFT News: How the Big Cat Public Safety Act affects a Melrose animal facility. “Carl Bovard, owner of Single Vision, calls his establishment an animal sanctuary. Others regard it as a roadside zoo.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Revamping Gainesville’s ‘Field of Dreams.’ “For 50 years, Citizens Field has been just that—a place for Rams, Bobcats and Hurricanes to cheer and support their teams. The field has crushed dreams and fulfilled them for scores of athletes.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Land of the fee? Costly permits now required to film some YouTube, TikTok videos in national parks. “Social media mavens may need to think twice before pulling out their iPhones, GoPros or other video equipment when they’re recording in breathtaking national parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon or the Everglades.”
• WCJB: Alachua County Sheriff Watson agrees to lend K-9 Unit to Gainesville Police when needed. “According to the statement, the police department will operate its K-9 Unit in a ‘limited capacity’ under newly established guidelines. Chief Scott will now approve any use of the unit.”
• WUFT News: UF’s David Canton reflects on his career in African American Studies. “New to the University of Florida campus, Dr. David Canton leads the African American Studies program during a time when politicians ask: Why does this matter?”
• WUFT News: Students organize protests against Florida governor’s proposed changes to education diversity programs. “College students across Florida are organizing a protest campaign against a new proposal backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would remove degree programs that teach critical race theory and gender studies.”
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Around the state• WUFT News: Florida’s 2023 Legislative Session begins with lawmakers emphasizing on education changes. “After Gov. Ron DeSantis’ State of the State Address on the first day of the 2023 Florida Legislative Session on Tuesday, multiple proposals will be brought forth within the next couple of months.”
• WUFT News: Florida residents being dropped by private insurance companies turn to state-backed insurer. “Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance predicts to hit a record with nearly 2 million policies in 2023.”
• WLRN-Miami: As other states ban unpaid ‘slave’ prison labor, lawmakers drop plans to tackle issue in Florida. “It’s in your civics classes. The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. But there was one glaring exception clause: if convicted by state courts, incarcerated Americans can be slaves of the state.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida Republicans are leading efforts to revamp state’s lawsuit environment. “The legislation is even backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but critics have doubts over whether the bill will improve the state’s insurance markets.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida senators await estimates from state economists on a voucher expansion as cost concerns grow. “Now some lawmakers are expressing more hesitation about the potential price tag as other states with similar programs begin to face big problems.”
• Florida Politics: Report: New Disney governing board looks at hiring special counsel with ties to Reedy Creek law. “The new members of Disney World’s governing board said they wanted to make ‘big changes’ as they met for the first time since Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed them.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Fishing boat captains score privacy victory. “About three years ago, Captain Allen Walburn of A&B Charters in Naples learned that to renew the federal fishing permit he needed to run his business, he would be required to install a tracking device on the vessel.”
• Spectrum News: Alligator expert says warmer weather is causing increased gator activity. “Fisher said alligators spend a significant amount of energy to move around on land, but the 1.5 to 2 million alligators in Florida are getting more lively earlier this season.”
From NPR News• National: A judge blocks the release of additional footage of the beating death of Tyre Nichols
• Health: The 4 kidnapped Americans are part of a large wave of U.S. medical tourism in Mexico
• Politics: GOP leader Mitch McConnell is hospitalized after fall, his spokesman says
• Law: Justice Department report faults Louisville police for civil rights violations
• National: There are about 3 U.S. train derailments per day. They aren’t usually major disasters
• Health: Bindi Irwin is shining a light on this painful, underdiagnosed condition
• Health: Where there’s gender equality, people tend to live longer
• Science: Ethical concerns temper optimism about gene-editing for human diseases
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Ryan Chamberlin secures bid to general election for Florida House District 24 seat in crowded primary election. “Republican candidate Ryan Chamberlin won the primary election for the Florida House District 24 seat. He will now face Republican write-in candidate Robert Fox at the general election on May 16.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV audit finds some issues with purchasing cards. “An internal Gainesville city audit did not find any fraudulent purchases in a review of purchasing card transactions but did identify potential issues in the review, including three declining balancing cards each with spending limits in excess of $250,000.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry, BOCC to discuss meat processing facility. “Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said the city is in process of finalizing an interlocal agreement with Alachua County over a proposed meat processing plant to share the 93-acre property Newberry purchased for a new wastewater facility.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County talks roads, cancels jail meeting. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) discussed road maintenance at a special meeting on Tuesday and also postponed its second meeting of the day to the disappointment of public commenters.”
• WUFT News: Patriot Service Dogs are wagging their tails after international service award win. “The award, which is sponsored by Land Rover and presented by Chase Bank, honored 25 finalists across the U.S. and Canada. The five winners were based on a public vote and won a Land Rover Defender 130 along with $25,000.”
• WUFT News: Two Gainesville researchers to host workshop on how to trace your ancestors. “In the workshop, Peterson will share the journey of tracing her ancestry back to the 1800s. Kirkman will provide guests with information on how to use Alachua County’s Ancient Records and other free resources to trace their own lineage.”
• WUFT News: UF underwater hockey team making a splash. “Students find community and exercise through the non-traditional sport of underwater hockey.”
• WUFT News: Choosing to suffer: Patrick Gallagher builds ultramarathon community in Gainesville. “When Gallagher’s body protests against the strain of ultramarathon races, he talks to his body parts like a ‘1970s parent on a long road trip.'”
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Around the state• WUFT News: ‘Ain’t seen nothing yet’: DeSantis touts making Florida attractive destination, largely tempers firebrand style. “DeSantis urged lawmakers to pass new laws preventing immigrants in the U.S. illegally from finding jobs, ban hormone treatments and surgeries for transgender minors and allow residents to carry guns without permits.”
• News Service of Florida: The Florida Legislature will consider a 6-week abortion ban. “The bills (SB 300 and HB 7), filed by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, and Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers, came after the Republican-controlled Legislature last year passed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.”
• News Service of Florida: Proposal would scrap 2018 law that raised age for buying ‘long’ guns from 18 to 21. “Five years ago, lawmakers increased the minimum age to purchase “long” guns after a 19-year-old used a semi-automatic rifle in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre. A bill would drop the age back to 18.”
• Florida Politics: Bill more closely regulating on-campus speakers advances. “The bill (HB 931) would create an Office of Public Policy Events through the Board of Governors and the State University System that would put a satellite office on each campus that would ensure that speakers representing ‘multiple, divergent and opposing’ viewpoints be presented on each campus.”
• Florida Politics: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns blasts Florida higher education bill banning DEI, certain curricula. “Filmmaker Ken Burns, known for his documentaries chronicling American history and culture, is weighing in on Florida bill (HB 999) that would ban funding for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at state colleges, give boards of trustees more power on hiring and firing, ban critical race theory and remove gender studies classes from curricula.”
• WLRN-Miami: UNGUARDED: The Guardianship Program of Dade sells properties of ‘incapacitated’ people to a Miami realtor, who reaps big gains. “Following a monthslong review of probate court records, real estate sales data and other public documents, a WLRN investigation found that the Guardianship Program has been selling homes of those under its care for years to the same realty company, Express Homes.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Ever see this activity? Write it down and file it online to help the horseshoe crab thrive. “It’s easy to see what horseshoe crabs are often busy doing on South Florida shorelines, but less apparent is that the ubiquitous creature saves an untold number of lives every year.”
From NPR News• Politics: Despite McConnell’s rebuke, McCarthy defends Jan. 6 tape release to Fox News
• Politics: Biden says his budget plan would extend Medicare to 2050 without adding to the deficit
• World: 2 surviving Americans who were kidnapped in Mexico are back in the U.S.
• Business: DOJ sues to block JetBlue-Spirit merger, saying it will curb competition
• Health: Moderna’s COVID vaccine gambit: Hike the price, offer free doses for uninsured
• National: 5 Texas women denied abortions sue the state, saying the bans put them in danger
• Economy: How we went from near record savings to record debt in just two years
• National: NYC Mayor Eric Adams is telling stores to have customers remove their face masks
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• The Alligator: UF Health complies with state audit, reports increase in gender-affirming care patients. “UF reported a steady increase of patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria or who received gender-affirming care at UF Health since 2018, according to an audit requested by the governor’s office and obtained by The Alligator.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Municipal elections move forward in Levy County. “In Levy County, three cities will move forward with elections on April 4 and three others will sidestep the ballot box after candidates ran unopposed.”
• Florida Times-Union ($): UF campus in Jacksonville clears first vote by City Council committee. “The proposal faced a slew of questions from council members. Al Ferraro ended up casting the lone vote against it, saying it had too many unknowns.”
• WLRN-Miami: What’s next for the stalled UF campus in West Palm Beach? “In a statement that raised eyebrows, the university blamed the impasse over the planned 12-acre campus on ‘some regrettable divisions in the local community.'”
• WUFT News: Sunrise Movement Gainesville stages march for climate action. “This march focused on the solar regulations enacted by the Florida Public Service Commission regarding solar power purchase agreements.”
• WUFT News: Jewish holiday of Purim is ‘relevant in a different way this year,’ says UF Hillel rabbi. “Despite the discourse, Hillel and Chabad anticipate proceeding with plans for the holiday, beginning with the Jewish Student Union’s (JSU) Purim Carnival on Sunday.”
• The Alligator: Gator Marching Band gears up for performance in Ireland. “About 340 out of the roughly 400 students who comprise the Pride of the Sunshine will spend Spring break performing in the Cork St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Limerick International Band Championship and Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Festival.”
• WUFT News: Gallery: GRU participates in Florida Lineman Competition. “The GRU journeymen team participated in the Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando this weekend. The event hosted nearly 150 competitors.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida parents weigh in on how a universal school choice plan will impact them. “Florida lawmakers have proposed bills to remove income caps from the state’s school voucher programs. That would make every school-aged child in the state eligible for a private school scholarship or to get funding for other education-related expenses.”
• Florida Politics: Senate panel advances measure allowing death penalty without unanimous jury. “Under the bill, eight out of 12 jurors — a ‘supermajority’ — would have to agree for a defendant to face the death penalty, according to SB 450.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Environmental groups sue feds over Gulf of Mexico oil, gas leases. “The lawsuit alleges the lease sale would jeopardize the survival of endangered marine life and prolong the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.”
• Florida Politics: Brightline hits 130 mph during testing, making it fastest train in Florida. “Brightline reached the milestone during recent testing along the new 35-mile rail corridor between Orlando International Airport and Cocoa. The company’s previous record was 110 mph, set in the Treasure Coast.”
• WLRN-Miami: LED streetlights are energy efficient, but are they environmentally friendly? It’s complicated. “LEDs use significantly less energy, so they’re seen as a tool in the fight against climate change. And it costs local governments less money to power and maintain them. But medical experts and scientists warn that, if not used correctly, LEDs can have harmful effects on people, wildlife and the environment.”
• News4Jax: Looking back at the life of the last founding member of Jacksonville’s legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd. “The last founder of the Jacksonville-based rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd died Sunday, according to a statement put out by the band’s official Facebook account.”
From NPR News• National: Biden may revive detention of migrant families caught crossing the border illegally
• National: Another Norfolk Southern train derails in Ohio
• World: What to know about the new U.N. high seas treaty — and the next steps for the accord
• Health: Frozen cells reveal a clue for a vaccine to block the deadly TB bug
• National: The anti-drag bills sweeping the U.S. are straight from history’s playbook
• Business: How Barnes & Noble turned a page, expanding for the first time in years
• Business: Toblerone is no longer Swiss enough to feature the Matterhorn on its packaging
• Business: Why we usually can’t tell when a review is fake
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville again pulls police K-9 unit. “Two weeks after returning to regular duty, the K-9 squad at the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) will again leave regular service as the city reevaluates the unit amid community concern and financial scrutiny.”
• WCJB: Gainesville City Commissioner pay raise reversed. “Due to important budget decisions looming, most Gainesville City Commissioners have changed their mind about doubling their pay.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville residents contemplate people mover system. “Streetcar routes can have high frequency, be integrated into existing rail networks and require a smaller capital investment.”
• WUFT News: Liftoff: Science projects by students from 5 Florida schools headed to space. “Collins Sheldon, 11, proposed testing whether microgravity in space affects the production of E. coli proteins that can be made into medicines, possibly speeding up the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.”
• WUFT News: House of Hope in Gainesville is giving ex-convicts a second chance. “The House of Hope started in the spring of 1994 when a group of men and women from a local church in Gainesville formed a council to assist men and women transitioning back into society from prisons.”
• WUFT News: Retired author and Mississippi farmer shares personal stories of her childhood life from the 1950s. “The book ‘Delta Strength’ is a project that Johnson has rewritten several times over the span of 50 years.”
• WUFT News: Strawberry festival helps rebuild an Ocala man’s life. “Joanne Black, development director for Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, said the purpose of the festival is to raise money to build the ‘Strawberry House,’ an affordable home for a low-income family.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Bill before Florida Legislature would ban nonpartisan municipal races. “HJR 405 would ask voters to approve making all local government elections partisan, meaning candidates for city and county commissions would have to disclose their party affiliations in order to run.”
• News Service of Florida: Legislation would make it illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to transgender youths. “The Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine last month moved forward with rules that would prevent doctors from providing such treatments to minors. But the bills would go further by placing a prohibition in state law.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A new rule on recreational blue crab traps to protect Florida’s terrapins went into effect this week. “A new Florida rule aimed at protecting diamondback terrapin turtles from drowning in recreational blue crab traps went into effect on Wednesday, but advocates said they want the same regulations for the commercial fishery.”
• Florida Politics: Revenue changes for Court Clerks proposed to close funding gap. “State lawmakers are again proposing changes to address the funding woes of Court Clerks whose yearly budgets have barely budged in the last decade.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Hurricane Irma exposed many in Immokalee to deplorable living conditions; Finally, there’s something being done about it. “Irma didn’t create the substandard living conditions. It’s been that way for decades.”
• Health News Florida: High risk, maximum profits: Regulators worry about Florida’s butt lift boom. “But such surgical offices are often owned by corporations that can offer discount prices by contracting with surgeons who are incentivized to work on as many patients per day as possible, in as little time as possible, according to state regulators and physicians critical of the facilities.”
• WLRN-Miami: From tragedy to triumph: A community marching band formed after a shooting looks to wow crowds in Europe. “For its members, activities surrounding the band serve as a safe haven to study music and culture, receive math tutoring, and create synergy with students from various schools within Palm Beach County.”
• NPR: A man dies of a brain-eating amoeba, possibly from rinsing his sinuses with tap water. “Naegleria fowleri has not been shown to spread through water vapor, aerosol droplets, person-to-person transmission or drinking water, a fact that Florida health officials emphasized this week.”
From NPR News• National: Biden had skin cancer removed from chest during his physical, White House says
• World: Garland supports effort to hold Russia accountable for war crimes
• Health: Walgreens won’t sell abortion pills in red states that threatened legal action
• Law: Alex Murdaugh is sentenced to 2 life terms for the double murder of his wife and son
• Business: A U.S. federal agency is suing Exxon after 5 nooses were found at a Louisiana complex
• National: How bills restricting drag could impact high school theatre productions
• Obituaries: Activist Judy Heumann led a reimagining of what it means to be disabled
• Business: A new Ford patent imagines a future in which self-driving cars repossess themselves
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Lawtey police threatened to arrest a traffic stop bystander. What we can learn from the incident. “Lawtey Police Capt. Nathan Blom backed the officers’ response. He said (Jessica) Kreitzer could have observed from another area, but her direct interaction with the stopped person was distracting and did constitute an obstruction of justice.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV passes first motions to address debt woes. “The Gainesville City Commission approved three motions at its regular meeting on Thursday to tighten budgets following demands for change from the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) last week.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville signs off on radio system sale. “The trunked radio system is used by law enforcement, emergency services and public works across Alachua County. Users include the cities of High Springs, Alachua and Newberry, along with Santa Fe College, UF and others.”
• WCJB: Open-container ordinance remains after Gainesville city leaders couldn’t find middle ground. “Gainesville city leaders hit a brick wall on scaling back open container hours and now there are concerns about rising violent crime.”
• WUFT News: Despite generational differences, the “corazon” of Latin music beats strong for all Latinos. “Not only is Latin music becoming mainstream, but it’s also actually changing between generations. And while trending artists like Bad Bunny have millions of fans, some older generations of Latinos don’t approve of Latin music’s rising stars.”
• WUFT News: Zip line at Haile Quarry hopes to create economic growth. “Spain Development LLC projects their newest project will bring over $800,000 a year worth of jobs to the city of Newberry.”
• WUFT News: Food deserts leave lasting impact on local community health. “Imagine having to walk more than 20 minutes to buy some fruit. This is the reality of nearly 40% of the U.S. population living in food deserts.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Lawmakers propose allowing the death penalty for cases involving rape of a child. “The bills, which would require eight of 12 jurors to recommend death, conflict with longstanding decisions by the U.S. and Florida Supreme Courts that bar capital punishment in such cases.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A proposed law in Tallahassee could stifle not only journalists, but everyone. “A bill making its way through Tallahassee would make it easier to sue media outlets and target the use of anonymous sources. It has a good chance of passing in the Republican-controlled legislature.”
• Florida Politics: Ron DeSantis flip flops on Medicare, Social Security cuts. “When he was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, he called for ‘market forces’ and privatization to replace the current entitlements.”
• News Service of Florida: FPL proposes lower fuel costs that could trim electric bill hikes. “With Florida regulators poised to consider proposals that would increase monthly electric bills, Florida Power & Light said lower-than-expected natural gas prices this year could somewhat soften the blow.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: FGCU begins creation of artificial reef in Gulf of Mexico. “The conditions are seemingly perfect to be out on the water: Clear blue skies, bright shining sun, minimal wind. Yet hundreds of bloated fish and decaying marine life littering the water’s surface serves as a putrid reminder of the need for environmental solutions.”
• WUSF-Tampa: A USF researcher attempts to break a world record by living underwater for 100 days. “A researcher from the University of South Florida is searching for ways to revive marine environments and test medical technology that could prevent a myriad of diseases in people. But there’s one catch: he’s doing it all 30 feet underwater — and he’s trying to do it for 100 days.”
From NPR News• Politics: President Biden is expected to soon use his veto authority for the first time
• Environment: Here’s why it’s hard to clean up toxic waste from the East Palestine train derailment
• National: Plea deal talks are in limbo for the five men accused in the 9/11 attacks
• Health: Moderna announced a free COVID vaccine program. But will that be accessible enough?
• Economy: Why price gouging can seem obvious to consumers but hard for economists to identify
• Education: 3 years since the pandemic wrecked attendance, kids still aren’t showing up to school
• Science: Toothed whales use ‘vocal fry’ to hunt for food, scientists say
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Woman accused of animal cruelty faces potentially never owning another animal. “Patricia Garibaldi is accused of cruelty toward animals — her 15 cats — which were found living in ‘deplorable’ conditions in her home: debris stacked to the ceiling, roaches in the cats’ food and water bowls, feces and urine on every surface.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Fire Rescue’s day-off policy credited with attracting new recruits. “Alachua County Fire Rescue celebrated its largest pinning ceremony to date as the department welcomed nearly 45 new firefighters, EMTs and paramedics to the team.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC approves $8M radio purchase, waits for GNV. “Alachua County voted on Tuesday to accept a contract with the city of Gainesville that would transfer ownership of the city’s trunked radio system for $8 million.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: FDOH initiates recall of Cedar Key oysters. “The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) reported on Tuesday that eight cases of Salmonella in three states were linked to raw oysters harvested in Cedar Key.”
• WUFT News: Pickleball is growing on Florida’s college campuses. “To those who may be unfamiliar with the sport, it could best be explained as a combination of ping pong, badminton and tennis.”
• WUFT News: A goodbye letter from reporter Katie Hyson. “The moments spent sitting across from you, listening, were some of the most sacred of my life.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: A proposal would expand Florida’s controversial education law on teaching about sexual orientation. “A House Republican on Tuesday filed a proposal that would bar instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity through eighth grade, expanding a controversial 2022 law that prohibited such instruction in early grades.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A state senator proposes a plan to cancel the Florida Democratic Party. “If passed, the bill would de-certify any political party and its affiliates, that previously advocated for slavery on their party’s platform.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Move to take wood stork off federal endangered list putting environmental groups at odds. “A proposal to delist a species from the protections of the Endangered Species Act almost always riles the environmental community.”
• NPR: Soccer’s Orlando Pride ditches players’ white shorts over period concerns. “The Orlando Pride is the first National Women’s Soccer League team to changes its uniforms to account for period concerns. The team unveiled its new look this week.”
• WMFE-Orlando: On second try, SpaceX launches multinational crew on mission to International Space Station.“The nine engines of SpaceX’s Falcon rocket roared to life at 12:34 a.m ET, lighting up the Florida sky and launching the multinational crew on a 25-hour trip to the International Space Station.”
From NPR News• Health: Eli Lilly cuts some older insulin prices and caps out-of-pocket costs
• Politics: China is buying up more U.S. farmland. Some lawmakers consider that a security threat
• World: The quake in Turkey and Syria left at least 50,000 dead. What about the survivors?
• Religion: What’s next for the Southern Baptist Convention after it ousted 5 female-led churches?
• Science: NASA made history by knocking an asteroid off course. Now, it’s publishing the data
• Technology: TikTok sets a new default screen-time limit for teen users
• History: Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong commemoration by Jimmy Carter in 1980
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: East Gainesville residents clarify their needs for new urgent care center. “Chanae Jackson came to Lincoln Middle School ready to voice her dissatisfaction. ‘We don’t trust you, and we don’t trust you for a good reason,’ she said.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV public safety committee holds first meeting. “The committee decided to focus on Gainesville Police Department’s K-9 team for its next meeting to be held on March 27.”
• Ocala Gazette: Three Ocala government positions are up for election this year. “The city elections are nonpartisan and open to qualified candidates registered under the district they live in, regardless of their party affiliation. The city elections will be using new district boundary maps, redrawn after the 2020 census.”
• Florida Politics: UF hits pause on West Palm Beach campus. “Progress stalled out amid disagreements between UF and Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene. Greene, a former U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidate who earned his fortune in real estate, owns five acres of land that connects to the parcels UF secured from the city and county governments.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Veterans resource fair to be held on Friday. “The fair will provide veterans with housing resources, medical screenings, education, veterans benefits assistance, employment assistance, VA medical enrollment, legal services, clothing resources, food stamp information and applications, social services and more.”
• WUFT News: Through fires and a pandemic, Satchel’s Pizza approaches 20 years of serving up slices. “For Satchel Raye, Satchel’s Pizza was never about the pizza. He wanted guests to experience new, fresh art in their daily lives.”
• WUFT News: Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary welcomes baby animals. “As the largest bovine farm sanctuary in the country, Critter Creek is home to 161 cows, 22 pigs, 10 donkeys, 10 horses, three water buffalo, two turkeys and one bison.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: A train derails in Manatee County while carrying propane tankers. “County officials say the derailment, involving one propane tanker and five rail cars, occurred Tuesday afternoon in an industrial area just east of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.”
• Associated Press: The suspect in a fatal shooting of an Orlando TV journalist faces more murder charges. “Orange County Sheriff’s officials released an arrest warrant Tuesday morning that included two new murder charges against Keith Melvin Moses in the attack in an Orlando neighborhood last Wednesday.”
• WMFE-Orlando: How policies impact families in Florida. “Lawmakers will meet in Tallahassee in one week on March 7 for the start of this year’s legislative session.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Conservation groups brace for “session of sprawl,” as Legislature convenes next week. “The groups say multiple bills would undermine smart development as Florida experiences explosive growth and the 2022 hurricane season illustrates the need for sustainability.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Understanding the data behind a Tallahassee hospital’s low safety grade. “The hospital’s current safety grade according to Leapfrog is a D. That’s up from an F in the spring of 2020, and down from a C in the Spring of 2021.”
• WLRN-Miami: Blackface incident at Miami preschool shows “desperate need” to educate against anti-Blackness. “Earlier this month, photos emerged from a preschool in Little River where toddlers’ faces were painted black. According to the Miami Herald and others, the incident was apparently part of a Black History Month lesson.”
From NPR News• Media: Rupert Murdoch says Fox stars ‘endorsed’ lies about 2020. He chose not to stop them
• Health: Wray publicly comments on the FBI’s position on COVID’s origins, adding political fire
• Politics: Congress zeroes in on China — as economic and security threats loom
• Agriculture: A USDA commission issues recommendations on racial equity for farmers
• Law: Biden’s student loan relief faces its biggest test yet at the Supreme Court
• National: Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end
• Business: You may have heard of the ‘union boom.’ The numbers tell a different story
• Health: People who think they’re attractive are less likely to wear masks, a study shows
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV: All options on table to deal with debt. “The Gainesville City Commission said at a Monday workshop that it’s placing all options on the table to tackle debt at Gainesville Regional Utility (GRU) after demands for action by state lawmakers at a proceeding meeting in Tallahassee last week.”
• Associated Press: DeSantis takes over Disney district, punishing company. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney World’s self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. The bill requires DeSantis, a Republican, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the government services that the Disney district provides in its sprawling theme park properties in Florida.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): DeSantis’ book is part memoir, part policy paper, part airing of grievances. “In ‘The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,’ which is being released publicly Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis depicts himself as a singular figure capable of combating unelected elites in academia, government and media who are hellbent on eroding the country’s foundational values.”
• WUFT News: A specialized ambulance for stroke patients is on the way at UF Health. “Strokes are leading causes of long-term disability. These statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are exactly why officials at UF Health Shands Hospital are forming specialized stroke ambulances.”
• Associated Press: Judge upholds acquittal in 9 hurricane nursing home deaths. “A Florida judge rejected a prosecutor’s impassioned plea Monday, saying he would not reconsider his acquittal of a nursing home administrator in the overheating deaths of nine patients after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility’s air conditioning in 2017.”
• NPR News: Why hurricanes feel like they’re getting more frequent. “When sequential storms do happen, it’s deadly, like when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005 or when Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas in quick succession in 2017. But by 2100, such consecutive shocks will become relatively commonplace, according to the new analysis (from scientists at Princeton University).“
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Expect ‘a summer of slime’ on Lake Okeechobee; Caloosahatchee River. “…what is ‘usual’ has changed in South Florida since Hurricane Ian. Stronger tropical cyclones caused by warming ocean waters due to rising temperatures worldwide are tilting environmental conditions in favor of worsening natural disasters, and that includes harmful algae blooms such as blue-green algae and red tide.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Florida man known as ‘Sedition Panda’ arrested for allegedly storming Capitol. “USDOJ said Jesse James Rumson, 37, of Lecanto, Fla., faced charges for multiple felonies, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, obstruction of law enforcement during an official proceeding, and engaging in physical violence.”
• WUFT News: Mobile home donated to deter crime in Marion County. “An anonymous donor gifted a mobile home to the Friends of Marion County Parks and Recreation Foundation Inc. They then gave the residence to the county to serve as a home for law enforcement.”
• WUFT News: Cycling event raises awareness of sex trafficking. “University of Florida student Caroline Murray is gearing up to bike 1,700 miles this summer to create awareness of sex trafficking. She will be biking along the Pacific coast.”
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From NPR News• World: Janet Yellen visits Ukraine and pledges even more U.S. economic aid
• Health: Energy Dept. says with ‘low confidence’ that lab leak may be origin of COVID-19
• National: Supreme Court to hear case that threatens existence of consumer protection agency
• National: Native Americans seized Wounded Knee 50 years ago. Here’s what 1 reporter remembers
• Climate: Here’s why Arizona says it can keep growing despite historic megadrought
• World: Why Brexit’s back in the news: Britain and the EU struck a Northern Ireland trade deal
• Sports: How a new MLB rule could change baseball games this season
Ethan Magoc curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Fresh Take Florida: Mystery solved? Feds name man they say lived under another’s identity for 3 decades. “The mystery of the bizarre identity case that spanned the Eastern seaboard is a step closer to being solved. Federal prosecutors in Tampa quietly revealed that they have determined the name of the man they said had been pretending for more than a generation to be Johnson.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Schools see ESOL population bounce back from the pandemic. “In Gainesville High School, the only high school that offers the ESOL program in the county, 80% of the ESOL students speak Spanish as their first language.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Retired cop never forgot unsolved case, helped convict rapist decades later. “Twenty-three years after he retired from the police department in Atlantic Beach – just east of Jacksonville, Florida – VanderWal, now 76, is being lauded for his diligence and tenacity on behalf of a traumatized victim who had been denied justice for so long.”
• WUFT News: Calligraphy in contemporary Chinese art speaker frames the relationship between mortals and murals. “Kuiyi Shen, who has a doctorate in art history, adored art since his childhood in China. Fitted in a Neptune-blue shirt and charcoal blazer, he stepped into the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida prepared to teach. Not about brushstrokes, but about creativity.”
• WUFT News: Invasive Cuban treefrog extends its presence in Florida. “The species was found in the Florida panhandle in January and has invaded areas of Georgia and Louisiana. Isolated sightings have also been reported from 29 other states and some Canadian provinces.”
• Ocala Gazette: Dunnellon Man Breaks Florida Skydiving Record. “On Sunday, Feb. 26, Dave Bosanko’s 31st birthday, he broke the state of Florida’s record for the most skydiving jumps in a 24-hour period, with 77 tumbles from a perfectly good airplane.”
• The Alligator: UF students befriend Riker Hall cat colony. “The six tabbies and two black cats may have different names depending on who’s visiting that day. As somewhat-strays, each person interested enough to come close calls them differently.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Permitless carry is likely to pass in Florida, despite broad pushback. “Despite opposition from gun rights advocates and proponents of stricter gun laws, the measure is headed to the House floor, with one more committee stop before it gets taken up in the full Senate.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: State economists say a school choice expansion will cost $210 million. Not everyone buys it. “The state has come out with its estimate for how much a massive expansion of the state’s school choice program will cost: about $210 million. That’s far below the number put out by an independent group. So why are the numbers so far apart?”
• News Service of Florida: State senate proposal bolsters legal challenges to city and county ordinances. “The Florida Senate could quickly pass a proposal that would bolster legal challenges to city and county ordinances, with supporters saying it would help small businesses and opponents contending it would hamper local governments.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Public records lawsuit filed against New College and Board Trustee Christopher Rufo. “In its complaint, the nonprofit government accountability group said it sought public records made, received and sent by Board of Trustees member Christopher Rufo during a 17-day period in January 2023, but no records have been produced.”
• News Service of Florida: Bill to shield business, insurance companies from lawsuits is backed in Florida House. “In a high-stakes debate, the Florida House on Friday began moving forward with a controversial plan designed to shield businesses and insurance companies from costly lawsuits.”
• Florida Politics: Nikki Fried wins race to lead Florida Democrats. “She repurposed a slogan from her campaign last year for Governor, and promised Democrats she will provide ‘something new.'”
• WMFE-Orlando: 1-year since Russia invaded Kyiv, Ukraine soldiers seek ‘new legs’ in Orlando. “Last year, 26-year-old Alexander Bugko, was a barista in Rivne, Ukraine, planning to work as a graphic designer by the start of March. One year later, Bugko is a double amputee army soldier, living in Orlando, and stands on two prosthetic legs.”
From NPR News• Law: How a Supreme Court justice’s paragraph put the Voting Rights Act in more danger
• Health: FDA authorizes the first at-home test for COVID-19 and the flu
• National: Democratic state attorneys general sue Biden administration over abortion pill rules
• Race: Malcom X’s family is suing the CIA, FBI and NYPD
• National: Brittney Griner urges the return of U.S. detainees abroad at NAACP Image Awards
• Business: Child labor violations are on the rise as some states look to loosen their rules
• Economy: Despite high inflation, Americans are spending like crazy — and it’s kind of puzzling
• National: Newspapers have dropped the ‘Dilbert’ comic strip after a racist rant by its creator
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Protestors sang and prayed outside Florida State Prison as Donald Dillbeck was executed. “Schoolchildren, teachers, advocates and attorneys gathered across the street from the prison holding red and black signs and wearing shirts that read ‘we oppose the execution this week.'”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Police Advisory Council plans to revisit the future of K-9 Unit. “Having already voted to keep the K-9 unit working, the council had planned to wait until May to meet again to discuss the future of the unit.”
• WUFT News: Lake City debates new public records policy. “At the meeting, council members discussed whether 30 minutes was enough time for an employee to search for a record.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry cancels April election. “Newberry opened its qualifying period on Monday for candidates to run for mayor and two city commissioner positions. But after qualifying closed at noon on Thursday, only the incumbents had filed.”
• WUFT News: Ukraine’s heart in Florida: How loved ones bring people together thousands of miles away. “In a home computer are hundreds of pages of letters sent to the Whartons. Their contents are heartstrings extending from Ukraine to Florida since Russia invaded the country a year ago.”
• WUFT News: UF students and faculty hold ‘Can’t Ban Us’ teach-in about Black history. “Students and faculty gathered at the teach-in to highlight the rapidly growing African American history and Black studies resources housed at George A. Smathers libraries.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County’s Human Rights Board has a new member, and she is seeking change. “Erin Field cannot walk, but she has never had more power.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Migrant flights lawsuit is dismissed after new migrant transport bill passes. “During a late-afternoon hearing, Circuit Judge John Cooper dismissed the lawsuit after Pizzo’s attorney, Mark Herron, acknowledged that it should end.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Clean energy advocates educate Floridians about electric rate hikes, ahead of campaign launch. “Clean energy advocates held an online event this week to educate Florida residents on why their electric bills have been increasing so much in recent years: as the cost of fossil fuel goes up, so do rates.”
• Florida Politics: Bill to preserve historic cemeteries wins unanimous House subcommittee approval. “The bill would create a state program to guard the eternal rest of African Americans buried during the era of segregation.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Students hold statewide campus walkouts to protest DeSantis’ ‘attack on education.’ “They did so as part of a movement called “Stand for Freedom” — a protest of the DeSantis administration’s probe into college diversity, equity and inclusion programs, requests for health records for trans students and faculty, the restructuring of New College of Florida, and more.”
• Florida Politics: Penalty hikes for fans who run onto football fields, concert stages advance with extra sanctions for sponsors. “Event disrupters could receive a year in jail and $2,500 in fines. Those paying them to do it would face even steeper penalties.”
• WLRN-Miami: Everglades reservoir underway, but there’s new concerns over whether it will work. “The reservoir, along with treatment marshes already under construction by the South Florida Water Management District, are intended to help repair ailing Everglades wetlands and reduce polluted discharges from Lake Okeechobee fouling coastal estuaries.”
From NPR News• Health: The number of mothers who die due to pregnancy or childbirth is ‘unacceptable’
• Politics: This group gets left-leaning policies passed in red states. How? Ballot measures
• Business: Hybrid cars are still incredibly popular, but are they good for the environment?
• World: Nigerians are furious as the country switches currencies, creating a cash shortage
• Law: Alex Murdaugh denies killing his wife and son — but admits he lied about his alibi
• Space: Every space crew needs a mission patch. This company has designed NASA’s for 50 years
• National: This selfie above China’s balloon was taken over Missouri. Here’s how we know that
• Technology: Sci-Fi magazine stops submissions after flood of AI generated stories
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Terrell Bradley seeks settlement from City of Gainesville after K9 mauling left him with more than $250,000 in medical debt. “The July 2022 police K9 mauling took Bradley’s right eye and left him with with broken bones and spinal fluid leakage.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Public Schools extend school fee waivers to homeless and low-income students. “The new Waiver of School Fees policy establishes prohibitions on school fees for students experiencing homelessness, students who qualify for free lunch or breakfast, and any student whose family is experiencing a severe loss or generally does not have the ability to pay charges due to any reason Superintendent Shane Andrew or a designee deems legitimate.”
• The Alligator: Suspected hit-and-run leaves grandmother, 2 year old in hospital. “The driver didn’t stop and left both pedestrians with serious injuries. They were transported to UF Health Shands Hospital, GPD spokesperson David Chudzik said.”
• WCJB: “It’s been over three hours”: Semi-truck crash causes I-75 to shut down, stranding drivers. “Florida Highway Patrol troopers say the crash was reported at 9:14 a.m. on I-75 near mile marker 347 in Marion County. Troopers say a vehicle was too big to pass under the overpass and hit the structure.”
• WUFT News: Antique mall owner in Lake City follows in his father’s footsteps. “Webb essentially invented the style of the antique mall by bringing multiple dealers together so the public can shop in a single space.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: When Florida foster kids go missing they can face danger. Lawmakers are considering a bill to help. “As of December, nearly 200 children were missing from Florida foster care or group homes.
• Spectrum News: Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons killed in Pine Hills shooting. “Orange County Sheriff John Mina said a 9-year-old girl was also killed in a separate, but related, random shooting.”
• Florida Politics: Kathleen Passidomo priorities on affordable housing, wildlife corridor advance in Senate. “Both measures passed unanimously and will now head to the Senate floor ahead of the 60-day Regular Session, which starts March 7.”
• WLRN-Miami: Credit card companies targeted for tracking gun sales in Florida under new measure. “The Republican-controlled Senate Banking and Insurance Committee voted 7-3 along party lines to approve a bill (SB 214) that would target yet-to-be-enacted plans by some credit-card companies to create a separate ‘merchant category code’ for sales at firearm businesses.”
• Florida Politics: Florida lawmakers look to the future to get roads ready for driverless cars. “One section of HB 425 requires the Florida Department of Transportation to establish updated rules for the Florida State Highway System.”
• WLRN-Miami: Florida seaports to see a cargo boost and rebound in cruising. “Global supply-chain issues last year helped push cargo traffic at Florida’s 16 seaports slightly ahead of pre-pandemic numbers, while the cruise industry is expected to return to pre-pandemic passenger counts this year.”
• NPR: A proposed bill in Florida would ban dogs from hanging their heads out of car windows. “A new bill has been proposed in Florida that would enact a series of animal protections and guidelines, such as banning cat declawing, animal testing for cosmetics and dogs hanging their heads out of windows.”
From NPR News• National: Prosecutors in Colorado lay out their case for hate crime charges in Club Q shooting
• National: A doctor near East Palestine, Ohio, details the main thing he’s watching for now
• World: Israeli raid leaves 11 dead and 100 wounded, Palestinians say, as violence rises
• Politics: Democrats are warning against the release of Jan. 6 tapes to a Fox News host
• Health: Many people with ADHD can’t get their medication amid Adderall shortage
• Science: Clues to Bronze Age cranial surgery revealed in ancient bones
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Archeologists encourage community involvement in cemeteries. “While people looked to the living for comfort during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigel Rudolph turned to stories of the dead as a way to ride out the worst of spring 2020.”
• Florida Times-Union ($): UF requests $50 million from Legislature for graduate campus in Jacksonville. “The University of Florida is seeking $50 million from the state Legislature to help create a graduate-level education center in Jacksonville that would specialize in teaching about high-skilled technology in the fields of health care and financial services.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry selects firm for wastewater engineering. “A Newberry wastewater plant expansion took its next steps this week as the City Commission agreed to award a $2.5-3M engineering contract to a local firm.”
• WUFT News: GPD K-9 unit resumes regular duty following hiatus. “Community organizer Danielle Chanzes, 30, has led protests about the K-9 unit and Bradley’s attack since the incident last year. She said she now calls for City Manager Cynthia Curry and the city commission to do what they can to establish a moratorium on hiring for the unit.”
• WUFT News: Marion County Commissioners unanimously approve construction of Buc-ee’s in Ocala. “County commissioners approved a plan to build an 80,000-square-foot store with three fuel centers, 120 fuel stations, and a 125-foot sign.”
• WUFT News: Retirement for one couple means running The Blackberry Pig Farm in Hawthorne. “The Claytons, owners of The Blackberry Pig Farm in Hawthorne, have created a special bond with their pigs and take pride in practicing humane raising.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: The U.S. Supreme Court is asked to halt a Tallahassee killer’s execution. “With Florida poised to carry out its first execution since 2019, attorneys for convicted murderer Donald David Dillbeck went to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to try to prevent Dillbeck from being put to death.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A panel of Florida lawmakers only heard arguments against gender affirming care. “Florida lawmakers heard from a one-sided panel of medical professionals and advocates Tuesday as they argued against gender affirming care for kids.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Out-of-state patients fuel an increase in abortions in Florida. “More people got abortions in Florida last year despite the state’s decision to ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with people traveling from out of state largely fueling the increase.”
• News Service of Florida: A proposal would permit Floridians to grow their own medical marijuana. “A political committee has started moving forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow medical marijuana patients and patients’ caregivers to grow cannabis at home.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Florida voting rights group nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. “The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which pushed for the passage of Amendment 4 in Florida, has been nominated this year for a Nobel Peace Prize. Amendment 4, which passed in 2018, restores the voting rights of people with felony convictions after they complete the terms of their sentence.”
• News4Jax: Substitute teacher fired over video of empty bookshelf, DCPS says video doesn’t show the full story. “A Jacksonville substitute teacher was fired after a Jan. 27 video he posted on social media showing rows of empty bookshelves in Mandarin Middle School’s library, an action the Duval County Public School later deemed a violation of the ESS social media and cell phone policy.”
• WLRN-Miami: ‘They couldn’t break our souls,’ says released Nicaraguan political prisoner who’s back in Miami. “This month, under U.S. and international pressure, Nicaragua’s authoritarian regime released 222 political prisoners.”
From NPR News• National: The maker of Enfamil recalls 145,000 cans of infant formula over bacteria risks
• World: Putin says Russia will stop participating in its last nuclear treaty with the U.S.
• National: The EPA steps in to take over the East Palestine train derailment cleanup
• National: Mexico’s former public security head is convicted in the U.S. of taking cartel bribes
• Law: Supreme Court hears case about a law that shields social media sites from lawsuits
• National: Seattle makes history: First U.S. city to ban caste discrimination
• Science: A citizen-science project asks the public to identify the birds in your backyard
• Technology: She left her 2007 iPhone in its box for over a decade. It just sold for $63K
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Mainstreet Daily News: GPD K-9 unit resumes regular duty. “In a GPD press release sent Monday, the unit resumed duty after being moved to patrol duty on Jan. 9.”
• The Alligator: UF, Alachua County Public Schools grant to improve mental health services. “The $4.8 million grant, called Gator Connect, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and will place the trainees into elementary and middle schools that are in high need of mental health services.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville police host rape aggression defense classes. “The class was designed to give women strategies for risk awareness, prevention, reduction and physical self defense.”
• WUFT News: University Avenue receives $8M grant for new safety measures. “The project will affect a 4.15-mile stretch, including improvements for slower traffic, raised crosswalks and narrower lanes. Construction is set to begin in March 2024.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Perry pushes elementary music bill after UF study. “After financing a UF study, the Florida Legislature will consider financing twice weekly music classes for kindergarten through second grade students in a proposal brought forward by State Sen. Keith Perry.”
• The Alligator: Alachua County slaughterhouse plan finds support in farmers, animal rights groups. “In a time when political agreement has become more of an idea than a reality, Alachua County’s proposed meat processing facility has proven an unlikely unifier.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Using Florida’s new migrant transport law, DeSantis wants a lawsuit dismissed. “Arguing that the case is ‘moot’ because of a bill passed during a special legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed after the state flew about 50 migrants from Texas to Massachusetts in September.”
• Health News Florida: New COVID case count in Florida is the lowest in weeks, but deaths top 86,000. “The report said more than 86,000 Florida residents have died with COVID-19 since the pandemic started in 2020, with 77 percent of the deaths involving people 65 or older.”
• Florida Politics: Senate panel Ok’s bill exempting Medicaid patients with mental health disorders from ‘step therapy.’ “A Senate panel approved a measure allowing Medicaid beneficiaries with serious mental illness to bypass ‘fail first’ procedures, which require people to try less expensive options before “stepping up” to drugs that cost more.”
• WLRN-Miami: Researchers turn to possums with GPS collars to track invasive pythons. “Wildlife researchers studying mammals in Key Largo have discovered a potentially groundbreaking — if not heartbreaking — way to locate and kill invasive Burmese pythons, especially the big ones.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida’s trend of declining gas prices continues. “According to a news release from AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas dropped for the third straight week, to $3.29 a gallon.”
From NPR News• Politics: Biden hears Zelenskyy’s plan for peace with Russia during surprise visit to Kyiv
• World: A new earthquake hits Turkey, as teams still respond to earlier catastrophic quake
• Space: Russia is launching a mission to give stranded space station crew members a ride home
• Science: New research could help nurses, police detect bruises on people with dark skin
• National: A new museum will be built in the cavernous space beneath the Lincoln Memorial
• Science: Researchers watch and worry as balloons are blasted from the sky
• Books: Changes to new editions of Roald Dahl books have readers up in arms
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Alachua County Commission moves forward with plans for surtax revenue. “Alachua County’s elected leaders have approved two new plans on how they will use $188 million in taxpayer money.”
• WUFT News: Florida Springs Council announces big legal win. “In a Facebook post, the council said the Florida First District Court of Appeal had reversed a lower court’s decision in a legal battle that has been ongoing since 2019.”
• WUFT News: Hawthorne student-athletes and coaches reflect on the mental health conversation. “‘These kids show up here at 8 o’clock in the morning, most of the time they don’t leave until 5 in the afternoon. So we’re spending more time with players, student-athletes than parents,’ Hawthorne’s Head football and girls basketball coach Cornelius Ingram said.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville plots repeal path for zoning changes. “Mayor Harvey Ward clarified the city’s current exclusionary zoning position at Thursday’s meeting after public commenters said they thought the issue had been repealed and resolved in January.”
• Ocala Gazette: MCPS releases updated data on mental health and discipline. “Behavior specialists from Marion County Public Schools studied trends in mental health and discipline over the past year and have identified primary concerns with student drug use and fighting.”
• WUFT News: Digital couponing attracting younger shoppers. “The only F-word in the Zimmer household is ‘full-price.’ Anne-Charles Zimmer is a true believer in couponing. Instead of paying the full fare for groceries, the Zimmer family uses scannable coupons to get discounts on groceries.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville church helps prisoners find hope behind bars. “Plain walls surround Lynn Paden as she says a prayer at the Alachua County Jail, hand-in-hand with a prisoner.”
• WUFT News: Photos: UF hosts annual step show. “Members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity are seen during their performance at the 34th Annual Florida Invitational Step Show at the University Auditorium at the University of Florida.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Justices refuse to block the execution of a Tallahassee killer. “The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected appeals by a Death Row inmate who is scheduled to be executed next week in the 1990 murder of a woman during a carjacking in a Tallahassee mall parking lot.”
• Florida Politics: Before recent interest in train safety, Marco Rubio wanted DOT to loosen rail inspection rules. “The Miami Republican was among 22 Senators who signed onto a letter requesting the Federal Railroad Administration to waive testing and allow more automation.”
• News Service of Florida: State expanding services to deal with opioid recovery. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced an expansion of opioid treatment and recovery services, using more than $205 million coming to the state from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors.”
•NPR: Parents raise concerns as Florida bans gender-affirming care for trans kids. “As for existing patients such as Liz, who may want to proceed on to cross-sex hormones (estrogen in her case; testosterone for transgender males), the language of the new rules is vague.”
• Florida Politics: Mike Beltran files bill to end debt-based driver’s license suspensions, ease fine payment. “Florida lawmakers have tried for years to end the state’s policy of suspending driver’s licenses for court debt. This year, Republican state Rep. Mike Beltran hopes to break through the gridlock.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Advocates say immigrants could help Florida ease health care worker shortage. “Foreign-trained medical professionals could help Florida address a workforce shortage and meet the growing demand for care. But they often face barriers to getting certified in the U.S.”
• News Service of Florida: College athlete endorsement deals bill is signed into Florida law. “The bill repeals a prohibition in Florida’s athlete-pay law that prohibited colleges and universities from causing “compensation to be directed” to athletes.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Nevermind. Property appraiser says FEMA was in error when it cautioned against using county home value figures. “FEMA’s letter warned that should building officials use home values provided by the property appraiser, it could result in residents losing discounted flood insurance premiums and municipalities could be suspended from the national flood insurance program.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Manatee releases bring cheer as unprecedented die-off continues. “Bianca was a mere calf when she was rescued in 2021 from Florida’s ailing Indian River Lagoon. After a long recovery at SeaWorld she finally swam back into the wild, one of a huge number of rehabilitated manatees to be released this month in the state.”
From NPR News• World: The U.S. says Russian actions in Ukraine are ‘crimes against humanity’
• National: All 5 ex-Memphis officers plead not guilty in the beating death of Tyre Nichols
• National: Colorado enacted a red flag law 3 years ago. One family says it prevented a tragedy
• Climate: An activist group is spreading misinformation to stop solar projects in rural America
• Education: How grown-ups can help kids transition to ‘post-pandemic’ school life
• Science: The hunt is on to discover a COVID vaccine that wouldn’t require freezers for storage
• Race: 1 side owned slaves. The other side started Black History Month. How a family heals
• Politics: Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, enters hospice care
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Conversation about antisemitism promotes expression and equality for UF Jewish students and allies. “This event sought to expose some of the university’s authority figures to the fears that the Jewish community and friends of the Jewish community are currently facing.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Only in Florida? Family’s pool shaped like six-shooter gun. “The swimming pool in the backyard of Louis Minardi’s home near Tampa may be distinctive to Florida: The custom-built pool is shaped like a six-shooter revolver, in a state made famous – sometimes infamous – by guns, gun politics and gun culture.”
• WUFT News: The early learning center at Metcalfe Elementary aims to narrow the achievement gap in east Gainesville through increased access to education. “The center will be accepting children as young as 6 weeks old, while also offering services for their families and providing job opportunities for members of the community. Its main goal is to give Black students an equal opportunity to succeed through early intervention.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV signs new solar contract, increases size. “The city commission rejected two alternative options in favor of altering the terms of its existing contract with Origis Energy, keeping the project on its original timeline.”
• Ocala Gazette: Deadline nears to file for special property tax exemption. “Marion County property owners who meet age and income criteria are eligible to receive a property tax exemption that could provide significant savings on their annual tax bills, but they must apply by March 1.”
• WUFT News: Garden of Love: A final home for cherished pets. “Vixen was Lori Landry’s first pet, a Pomeranian her parents gave her as a Christmas present when she was 10 in remembrance of her brother who had recently passed away.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Another challenge to Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ law has been thrown out. “For the second time in less than five months, a federal judge has rejected a lawsuit seeking to block a controversial Florida law that restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
• Florida Politics: Water quality spending in Gov. DeSantis’ budget again questioned. “The targeted improvements include infrastructure work and nutrient reduction in the waterways.”
• WUSF-Tampa: More middle-income Florida households are facing food insecurity. “More than a third of Floridians earning $50,000 to $100,000 reported experiencing food insecurity over the past year, according to a survey published by No Kid Hungry.”
• Florida Politics: FEC records show Occupy Democrats gave $80K to a Donald Trump-backed Republican Congressman (they didn’t). “Somewhere, somehow, a mistake was made, making it looks like the progressive media outlet Occupy Democrats gave more than $80,000 to a Donald Trump-backed Republican Congressman from Michigan.”
• News Service of Florida: Space launches, cruise ships face conflicts. “With launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral expected to approach 100 this year, Dale Ketcham, Space Florida’s vice president of government and external relations, said talks are underway to address increasing issues involving cruise ships arriving and departing at Port Canaveral.”
• Florida Politics: Lauren Book files ‘Death with Dignity Act’ allowing terminally ill people to self-euthanize. “The bill comes less than a month after 76-year-old Ellen Gilland shot and killed her terminally ill husband in a Daytona Beach hospital bed. Gilland now faces first-degree murder charges.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A colony of “beach bees” brings new vitality to the hives of a Northwest Florida Tupelo honey producer. “All commercial honey producers have been challenged in recent years as parasites, viruses and pesticides have devastated their bee populations. But the fresh infusion of nutrition and genetics should help the Rish’s hives be more productive and resilient.”
From NPR News• Politics: Biden gets a clean bill of health as he mulls a 2024 run — where his age is a concern
• Media: Off the air, Fox News stars blasted the election fraud claims they peddled
• National: Kentucky high court upholds state abortion bans while case continues
• National: A portion of the Georgia special grand jury report on election fraud is out
• Politics: Biden says the 3 aerial objects shot down were not Chinese spy balloons
• Education: AP exam drops ‘Roe v. Wade’ questions, upsetting some students and teachers
• Science: Japan recounted its islands. Now geographers say there may be 7,000 more of them
• Culture: Newly released footage of a 1986 Titanic dive reveals the ship’s haunting interior
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Residents asked to review Santa Fe Watershed Flood Risk maps. “The Suwannee River Water Management District has completed a flood-risk review of the Santa Fe River Watershed.”
• WUFT News: Local governments tackle pedestrian safety, panhandling. “In the past 10 days, three local governments have started taking measures to keep pedestrians safe.”
• The Alligator: Alachua County Commission clarifies position on meat processing facility, passes clean water resolution. “The discrepancy came from Commissioner Anna Prizzia’s Feb. 9 statement regarding the plans for the new facility. In it, she wrote the commission ‘supports a local meat processing facility’ due to its value to county ranchers.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU receives $22M wastewater grant. “The facility will be modernized to improve nutrient removal and accommodate future growth in the community by expanding its capacity from 7.5 million gallons per day to 10 million gallons.”
• WUFT News: This cemetery’s flowers are planted, not placed. “Perhaps one would not expect musicians playing, artists creating and kids running through the grass meadows at a loved one’s burial. However, for Eleanor Blair, this was the reality of the first burial she attended at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC).”
• WUFT News: Shana Banana will teach at the Hippodrome Theatre spring break camp in March. “Shana Banana is a Gainesville-based singer, songwriter, author and educator who has been, as she calls it, ‘edutaining’ people of all ages for over two decades.”
• WUFT News: Read FPREN’s full severe weather awareness series here. “The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network recently compiled a series on the dangers of severe weather in the state and the value of residents being aware of weather safety best practices.”
• WUFT News: The ‘Citrus Coffee Coalition’: How a minority party finds strength in tiny numbers. “For the small, outspoken liberal minority in Citrus County, death threats, bullying and harassment are common occurrences for their vocal opposition to conservative beliefs in the area.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: A move for partisan Florida school board races takes a step forward. “A Florida House panel on Tuesday took a first step toward shifting to partisan school-board elections and backed a proposal that would limit school-board members to eight years in office instead of the current 12.”
• Florida Politics: Matt Gaetz will face no charges in federal sex trafficking investigation. “The public first became aware that Gaetz had become the target of a federal investigation when The New York Times published details in March 2021. At that point, the investigation was already underway.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Hundreds in Tallahassee protest the state’s ban on AP African American studies. “Civil rights leader Al Sharpton led a march on Wednesday, to the Florida Capitol building to combat Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration over the halt of an Advanced Placement course in African American studies in public classrooms.”
• Florida Politics: Measures to lower cap on property tax hikes clear first committee hurdle. “Voters could get the chance to reduce the size of property tax increases in the 2024 election, as one Senate panel gave its approval to a ballot measure that would cut the cap on annual property value hikes from 3% to 2%.”
• WLRN-Miami: ‘People got screwed.’ Despite troubles, green energy lender seeks restart in Florida. “Late last year, Ygrene, the state’s most high-profile green energy finance company, suddenly vanished from the Florida market — a move that left contractors in the middle of projects unpaid and homeowners scrambling to pay big unexpected bills.”
• WMFE-Orlando: “The Voice of NASA” Hugh Harris has died. “Harris spent 35 years at NASA, including more than two decades as a public affairs officer at Kennedy Space Center. He was known for his Shuttle launch commentary — including the broadcast of the first Space Shuttle launch in 1981.”
From NPR News• National: The Buffalo Tops shooter has been sentenced to life in prison without parole
• Economy: The U.S. could run out of cash to pay its bills between July and September
• National: Dozens of inmates have died in a Houston jail since 2021. Now the FBI is investigating
• Politics: Congress presses acting head of FAA on safety lapses and computer system failure
• National: A penitentiary unit will shut down after deaths, exposed by NPR and Marshall Project
• National: Texas considers a bill banning people from 4 countries from buying real estate
• Education: High-paying jobs that don’t need a college degree? Thousands of them sit empty
• Animals: An owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo is still loose — and hunting on his own
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward delivers 2023 State of the City Address. “During this annual keynote, Ward reflected on accomplishments in 2022 related to housing programs, the local economy, sustainability efforts, neighborhood services, and inclusivity.”
• WUFT News: UF students gather for the five-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting. “It’s been five years, but memories of her peers’ screams ringing through the halls of her high school still echo in Rachel Taylor’s mind.”
• WUFT News: Former elected official gets pretrial diversion in burglary case. “Daniel ‘Danny’ Gordon, 41, held the District Four seat on the board and was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor larceny in September.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua BOCC backs clean water amendment. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday became the first county in Florida to pass a resolution in support of a proposed state constitutional amendment related to clean water.”
• The Alligator: Remembering Kaleb Boateng, former Gators offensive lineman. “On the field, he was a quiet leader who attracted scouts and gave others an opportunity to shine. Off the field, he had a penetrating smile and a giving nature.”
• WUFT News: Senior Valentine’s Day Ball hosts friends and couples of all ages in High Springs. “Organized by Deeper Purpose Community Church in High Springs, Pastor Adam Joy said it is important the event, which entertained more than 40 North Central Florida residents of all ages, was hosted on Valentine’s Day.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Florida’s police chiefs back a proposal for permitless gun carry. “They say proper training in handling and storing a gun is more crucial to gun safety than carrying a permit.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: DeSantis announces lawsuit reforms to protect against ‘billboard attorneys.’ “Appearing in Jacksonville, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida is known as a ‘judicial hellhole’ for the way some attorneys misuse the legal system for their own benefit at the expense of clients.”
• WUSF-Tampa: The New College Board of Trustees offers Richard Corcoran a nearly $700,000 salary. “New College has approximately 700 students, which means Corcoran is earning about $1,000 per student in base salary.”
• Florida Politics: Lauren Book seeks formal apology for Joseph McCarthy-era ‘Johns Committee.’ “For the sixth year running, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book is calling for a state apology for a Cold War-era legislative committee that targeted LGBTQ Floridians, civil rights leaders and academics.”
• Florida Politics: Scientists working on compounds to combat red tide. “How do you deal with an algae bloom without damaging other creatures and releasing its toxins? That’s something the scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium have been working on.”
• WMFE-Orlando: The Everglades’ wood stork to lose Endangered Species Act protections, under proposal. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the bird’s rebounding population represents a major conservation milestone after decades of restoration work in the river of grass.”
From NPR News• National: Mass shooting at Michigan State University leaves 3 students dead and 5 injured
• Politics: Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announces run for president
• Business: After a profitable year, some oil companies are slowing their pivot to renewables
• World: Videos show Turkey’s Erdogan boasted letting builders avoid earthquake codes
• World: Russia deports thousands of Ukrainian children. Investigators say that’s a war crime
• Health: How do pandemics begin? There’s a new theory — and a new strategy to thwart them
• Books: Book sales are declining, but not in the romance genre
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Why women and racial minorities are underrepresented in the US Foreign Service. “WUFT’s Report for America Corps Member Katie Hyson spoke with two African American women in the service – both with Florida ties – about why that is, why it matters, and how to change it.”
• WUFT News: Community members speak up about new “forever chemicals” study. “A new study by the Environmental Working Group, an activist group focused on research, revealed that eating a single freshwater fish is equal to drinking water with high PFAS levels for a month.”
• WCJB: City of Alachua to receive more than $1.8M after a company never turned in its site plan. “Harvest DCP of Florida LLC, a cannabis dispensary, purchased building “C” on the Phoenix property off Hwy 441, in the City of Alachua.”
• WUFT News: City survey seeks resident feedback on state of downtown parking. “When the City of Gainesville tested a paid parking framework in 2022, Hear Again Records saw a sharp decrease in revenue. As much as it hurt, Andrew Schaer, the store owner, hoped the lack of foot traffic would send a message to the city that people didn’t want the new parking arrangement.”
• WUFT News: Mill Creek Farm: Where horses get a second chance at life. “The Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm is home to more than 130 elderly horses, some seized by law enforcement agencies and others rescued by SPCA or humane societies.”
• WUFT News: Photos: Oldies But Goodies Classic Car And Bike Show visits Williston. “This is the second annual car show and about 3,000 people were expected to attend.”
• WUFT News: 15 years of beer: Swamp Head Brewery celebrates its 15-year anniversary with Swamp Fest 2023. “Luke Kemper says that even after 15 years, the goal is to always make awesome beer.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: DeSantis floats a replacement for the College Board as both sides continue fighting over an AP Black studies course. “The College Board could lose more than a political fight with Florida over its Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested the state should seek alternatives.”
• News Service of Florida: A former state leader has launched a bid to lead Florida Democrats. “In a prepared statement Monday, Fried said she would ‘commit to rebuilding our party from the ground up’ after Democrats in 2022 lost every statewide race and lost seats in the Legislature and the state’s congressional delegation.”
• Florida Politics: Giffords blasts Florida GOP for scheduling permitless gun carry hearing close to five-year mark of Parkland shooting. “On Monday, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo scheduled the Senate Criminal Justice Committee to take up a bill (SB 150) on Feb. 20 eliminating the license requirement for Floridians to carry a concealed firearm.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: House Bill 269 seeks to curb rash of anti-Semitic incidents in Florida. “Across Florida, anti-Semitic sentiments have been projected onto buildings, hung from an overpass, tossed into yards in the night. A bill before the Legislature would toughen the penalties for some of this.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: FDOT urges drivers to secure their loads after two workers were hit collecting debris on I-75. “The large amount of debris on I-75 has FDOT employees working around-the-clock to clear the roadway while subjecting them to danger from motorists cruising at speeds up to 70 mph.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Duval Schools scolded over youth risk survey. “The controversial federally funded Youth Risk Behavioral Survey for 2023, which was about to get underway in Duval County Public Schools, has been canceled at the urging of the state Department of Education.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Highly endangered Florida panther has more space in South Florida. “The Hendrie Ranch in Highlands County sold the rights to develop – in this case never develop – 661 acres along the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which is 18-million-acre network of public and private lands, waterways, and wildlife habitats that stretches from the Everglades in the south to the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.”
From NPR News• Politics: A judge blocks the release of most of a grand jury report in Georgia election probe
• Politics: GOP is calling to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
• Environment: Health concerns grow in East Palestine, Ohio, after train derailment
• Health: Teen girls and LGBTQ+ youth plagued by violence and trauma, survey says
• National: The issues that arise when federal agencies define child homelessness differently
• Science: For these virus-hunting scientists, the ‘real gold’ is what’s in a mosquito’s abdomen
• National: UFOs? Airborne objects? What we know about 4 recent shootdowns
• Health: Is chocolate good for your heart? Finally the FDA has an answer – kind of
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: ‘Head Ball Coach’ celebrates the unveiling of Steve Spurrier Way in Celebration Pointe. “Spurrier — alongside family, friends, former players, coaches and other dignitaries — on Friday evening celebrated the renaming of SW 31st Place to Steve Spurrier Way outside of his restaurant.”
• The Alligator: Gainesville man arrested in connection with double homicide shooting. “Dallvion Parker, 28, is being charged with two counts of premeditated first degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree for discharging a firearm causing injury and attempted murder in the first degree for possession of a firearm.”
• WUFT News: TikTok controversy continues amid recent security issues with China. “Amid the controversy of Chinese balloons flying above the United States, Congress is discussing a bill that would warn users of the risks that come with using TikTok.”
• Ocala Gazette: MCSO to conduct random K9 drug, firearm classroom searches. “Schools and classrooms will be selected at random for weekly searches through a computer program.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC backs meat processing facility, local ranches. “The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has already dedicated $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to build the site, but on Thursday BOCC Chair Anna Prizzia released a full position statement on behalf of the commission.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County cities awarded nearly $30 million. “Three Alachua County cities will receive nearly $30 million for wastewater projects following Florida’s release of $240 million for 36 projects across the state.”
• WUFT News: Former UF football player dies from self-inflicted gunshot near campus. “Gainesville police said Boateng, 21, of Pompano Beach, Florida, was found by his father.”
• WUFT News: Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches – and so is spending. “Feb. 14 is highly anticipated in retail environments each year, and Gainesville’s local economy is ready to reap the financial benefits of love.”
• WUFT News: Southbound 441: The ‘highway’ to rock. “Zane Borenstein, 19, spent months telling his roommate, Myles Salustro, 19, how badly he wanted a bassist to back him while he played guitar.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: First Amendment advocates say DeSantis’ media defamation stance would hurt free speech on all sides. “Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to make it easier to sue media outlets for defamation. But Florida’s First Amendment Foundation says that would have a chilling effect on free speech.”
• WLRN-Miami: Parkland: The movements for change that came out of tragedy. “Tuesday, Feb. 14, marks five years since the tragic mass shooting that left 17 people dead and 17 others injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.”
• WUSF-Tampa: New EPA guidance on clean water payments still unfairly burdens low-income residents, advocates say. “Communities face significant costs adhering to standards set by the federal Clean Water Act, which governs pollution control and water quality in the nation’s waterways.”
• Florida Politics: Jason Pizzo elected to lead Senate Democrats in 2024. “The move comes less than three months after party members uniformly voted to elect Pizzo as Leader Pro Tempore for the 2022-24 term alongside current Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, a fellow South Floridian.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: After Martha’s Vineyard, lawmakers give DeSantis $10 million more to move migrants. “In a party-line vote, state GOP lawmakers passed the bill that gives the state broad authority to find and move migrants in other states to so-called immigrant ‘sanctuary cities’ outside Florida.”
• News Service of Florida: Legislation will give Florida’s statewide prosecutor more power to investigate voter fraud. “It led to a renewed debate about measures that Democrats contend are aimed at suppressing voting — and Republicans contend are designed to prevent fraud.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Federal agency working with FWC on unauthorized feeding issue at North Fort Myers eagle nest. “Harriet’s absence since late Feb. 2 has raised concerns and comments from the thousands of online viewers of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam. As of Friday afternoon, Harriet remained vanished.”
From NPR News• National: Over Lake Huron, the U.S. downs a 3rd unidentified object in 3 days
• Sports: Former NFL players are suing the league over denied disability benefits
• Politics: Republicans say they won’t cut Social Security. So why does it keep coming up?
• Politics: The Pence subpoena could set up a showdown over executive privilege
• National: The U.S. needs more affordable housing – where to put it is a bigger battle
• World: In Turkey, a U.S. rescue team helps recover the dead while respecting local customs
• Health: Are there places you should still mask in, forever? Three experts weigh in
• World: Antisemitic text was projected onto the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: East Gainesville neighbors fight the expansion of a landfill in their backyard – again. “To the west of the landfill is Showers of Blessings church. To the north, an organic farm that has provided produce to the county’s schools. To the south, Prairie View Elementary School, Paynes Prairie and Boulware Springs.”
• WUFT News: Medical community hopeful following FDA’s accelerated approval for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. “Local doctors and nurses say they are encouraged by Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, an Alzheimer’s disease treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Buchholz student named finalist in music competition. “Sophomore Madelyn Urbine will be traveling to Washington, D.C., later this week to compete in the final round of the competition, where she will perform an ensemble selection with the Navy’s Concert Band.”
• Ocala Gazette: BOCC budget strategic planning workshop focuses on inflation costs. “The Marion County Board of County Commissioners received presentations from county staff about various budget projections and projects in the pipeline with a focus on emergency services, traffic and roadway needs and a general review of development in its Jan. 30 workshop meeting.”
• WCJB: North Central Florida rural communities slated to receive COX fiber-optic internet. “Parts of Alachua, Gilchrist, Marion, and Putnam counties will be receiving all-fiber networks, reaching around 7,000 homes in the area.”
• Ocala Gazette: Marion’s Teacher of the Year. “Ocala Springs Elementary’s first-grade language students trickle into a colorful and well-ordered language arts classroom. Their teacher, Lindsey Bigelow, stands at the door and greets each of them with a good morning, and they provide a salutation in return or a special greeting unique just to them.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida senators are backing an affordable housing plan by Kathleen Passidomo. “A priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to make housing more affordable for workers started to move forward Wednesday despite some questions about issues such as preventing rent controls.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Bill would require sellers to disclose a property’s flood history. “The measure would require sellers to disclose ‘water or moisture-related damage caused by a natural flood event within the last 10 years,’ according to the bill’s language.”
• Florida Politics: Walt Disney Company cutting workforce by 7,000 jobs. “Iger announced the layoffs that amount to about 3% of the company’s employees during his first earnings call since he returned to lead the company in November.”
• WUSF-Tampa: President Biden will speak at University of Tampa following his State of the Union. “The topics will be his plan to ‘protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare and lower healthcare costs,’ according to a news release.”
• WMFE-Orlando: About a million Floridians are getting kicked off Medicaid, here’s how that could affect the state. “Estimates on how many Floridians will be no longer eligible vary between 900,000 and 1.75 million residents.”
• News Service of Florida: GOP senators support DeSantis’ migrant flights plan. “The Florida Senate will likely take up a plan that would bolster Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to send migrants to ‘sanctuary’ cities and states, as Republicans and Democrats battle over the issue.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Fear and hopelessness growing among Duval students. “Students in Duval Schools have reduced dangerous behaviors in many ways, but a new survey shows alarming increases in suicide risk, hopelessness, fighting and weapons.”
From NPR News• World: Hopes fade as rescuers press search for quake survivors in Turkey and Syria
• Politics: Romney tells Santos ‘you don’t belong here’ in a tense State of the Union run-in
• Business: Southwest’s COO will tell senators ‘we messed up’ over the holiday travel meltdown
• Business: Zoom is the latest tech firm to announce layoffs, and its CEO will take a 98% pay cut
• Climate: Why the EPA puts a higher value on rich lives lost to climate change
• Sports: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflects on his strained relationship with LeBron James
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: University of Florida proposes new graduate campus in Jacksonville. “It would focus on programs in medicine, business, and engineering, according to UF administrators.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC sets surtax split between conservation, parks. “Commissioner Ken Cornell presented a five-part motion that kept the priority on conservation lands with 80% of the estimated $193 million that the WSPP half of the surtax will generate over the next 10 years.”
• The Alligator: UF graduate assistants seek more pay, better living conditions. “Graduate assistants are continuing to advocate for higher pay, with Garcia Ferres citing the rising cost of living as an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed by universities.”
• WUFT News: Human Library comes to Gainesville to socially educate the community. “Getting more people to let go of initial assumptions is the Human Library’s mission.”
• WUFT News: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. “Public health experts cite racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care system as reasons some Black people do not seek or receive HIV prevention services.”
• WUFT News: The missing photo: How a former UF student body president built a nearly forgotten legacy. “On the third floor of the Reitz Union at the University of Florida, there is a display of photos of every past student body president since 1909, except one.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville souperstars compete in the return of the Souper Fun Sunday competition. “Gainesville residents gathered at Saint Francis Catholic Academy for the first time in two years for the Souper Fun Sunday event to try different soups from around the county on Sunday.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: House subcommittee seeks to give Florida springs a hand. “The House Water Quality, Supply and Treatment Subcommittee received a briefing on the situation with the state’s springs this week, and what needs to be done to restore and enhance them.”
• Miami Herald ($): Doctors raise concerns about student athletes’ privacy in menstrual questions. “The initial proposal called for a mandatory series of questions related to a girl’s menstrual cycle. If the student did not answer them, they could have potentially been banned from playing high school sports.”
• WUSF-Tampa: What’s next after federal wildlife officials missed a deadline to protect Florida’s ghost orchids. “Ghost orchids are found in Southwest Florida and Cuba, but are incredibly rare, due to a number of threats, including climate change, habitat degradation and poaching.”
• Florida Politics: Just a fraction of those now eligible for school vouchers get them. “Around 71% of the state’s current prekindergarten through 12th grade students qualify for the state’s scholarship programs now offered, but only around 6% of the total population is receiving those scholarships, according to a presentation a House subcommittee heard Tuesday.”
• Florida Storms: Severe Weather Awareness Week: Rip Currents and Marine Hazards. “Rip current deaths often go unreported, but this weather phenomena can be just as deadly as hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning or flooding.”
From NPR News• Politics: 5 takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union address
• Health: COVID test kits, treatments and vaccines won’t be free to many consumers much longer
• Technology: AI-generated images breach copyright law, artists say
• World: In a first, South Korea must compensate a Vietnam War massacre survivor
• Sports: LeBron James breaks the NBA career scoring record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Business: Some movie lovers aren’t happy about AMC’s plan to charge according to seat placement
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Photos: Protesters greet Ben Sasse’s first day as UF president. “The crowd consisted of students, faculty members and members of the UF community, many of whom disapprove of Ben Sasse’s appointment.”
• WUFT News: University of Florida students, faculty offer opinions on UF President Ben Sasse as he takes office. “Tensions ran high on the University of Florida campus on Monday as the state’s flagship higher education institution welcomed President Ben Sasse on his first day in office.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville City Commission approves purchase of technology to investigate gun crimes. “The purchase of the equipment is part of the city’s One Community Initiative, which includes support for community-oriented policing, community education efforts and the hiring of a public safety coordinator.”
• The Alligator: City attempts to address East Gainesville needs with $14 million plan. “Next year, the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area Project is set to finish its new transit center, which will serve as a major stop for several bus routes, similar to the Rosa Parks Bus Station near Depot Park.”
• Florida Politics: Raemi Eagle-Glenn launches bid to succeed Chuck Clemons in HD 22. “Eagle-Glenn, a Gainesville Republican, briefly served on the Commission after Gov. Ron DeSantis selected her to replace Mary Alford, who resigned her seat after it was discovered she did not live within the Commission district she was elected to represent.”
• The Alligator: DeSantis appoints home developer Patrick Zalupski as new UF trustee. “Of the trustees, six are appointed by the governor and five are appointed by the Board of Governors; the student body president and the faculty senate chair are also members.”
• WUFT News: Wild Spaces and Public Places funding increases accessibility at Sweetwater Wetlands Park. “Sweetwater Wetlands acquired a 10-passenger electric tram to cater to those with mobility challenges as part of an initiative aimed at improving Gainesville’s remarkable wild spaces and public places.”
• WUFT News: Disability Resource Expo returns after three-year break caused by pandemic. “More than 90 organizations gathered at Trinity United Methodist Church on Feb. 4 for the fourth annual Disability Resource Expo, which started as a Facebook group where parents could share information about services for their children.”
• WUFT News: Competitiveness on and off the field helps Johnny Wiggs build top junior college baseball program at Santa Fe. “Although he has yet to win a national championship, he has won nine Mid-Florida Conference Championships, two FCSAA State Championships and led Santa Fe to the JUCO World Series in 2009, finishing as the runner-up.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida requires safety training to carry a gun. That’s set to change. “The bill — HB 543 — would eliminate permitting requirements to carry a concealed weapon. Those include completion of a gun safety course and an attestation that the concealed carry permit is desired for lawful self defense.”
• Florida Politics: College student-athlete branding deals get top billing at Special Session. “A bill that would update the rules of engagement between student-athletes and their ability to make money might have died in committee last Session, but now it’s on the Special Session fast track.”
• News Service of Florida: A special session proposal would give DeSantis control the over Reedy Creek district. “The state created the Reedy Creek district in 1967 and essentially gave Disney control over issues such as land use, fire protection and sewer services that are typically handled by local governments.”
• Florida Politics: New effort providing four-legged support launched in honor of MSD victim. “At the approach of the five-year anniversary when Jaime Guttenberg left for school and didn’t come back, her family is confronting the rest of those anniversaries with new resolve — and a new mission.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Florida still leads in global shark attack tally. “Florida remains a world leader in shark bites, even as the number of bites globally declines, according to a new report by the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.”
• Florida Storms: Severe Weather Awareness Week: Lightning. “Often considered the country’s lightning capital, Florida experienced 285 lightning events per square mile in 2022.”
From NPR News• World: Rescuers work for second day to find quake survivors as death toll surpasses 5,000
• World: Latest on Ukraine: EU just banned Russian diesel and other oil products (Feb. 6)
• Security: This wasn’t the first Chinese balloon over the U.S. Why were the others ignored?
• National: Immigration fees may go up and green card applicants could be hard hit
• National: Ohio crews conduct a ‘controlled release’ of toxic chemicals from derailed train cars
• Science: What’s the fairest way to share cosmic views from Hubble and James Webb telescopes?
• Technology: Need a new credit card? It can take almost two months to get a replacement
• Culture: With Grammy win, Viola Davis earns EGOT
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Vigil held at Bo Diddley Plaza following man’s death at Alachua County Jail. “One hundred people gathered Thursday night at Bo Diddley Plaza for a moment of silence in the wake of an inmate’s death at the Alachua County Jail in late January.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville City Commission vows to end gun ‘crisis’ after 3rd Avenue shooting. “The plan would rely heavily on community involvement, public safety research, improving access to opportunity and housing, and fine-tuning or developing programs aimed at preventing and stemming gun crimes.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville residents want state investigation into GRU; city credit rating gets downgraded, “Members of a Gainesville Facebook group described the relationship between Gainesville Regional Utilities and the people of Alachua County as toxic.”
• WUFT News: Teachers from Putnam County reflect on mentor-mentee program. “The highs and lows of teaching are the only guarantees in a school day. But new Putnam County teachers do not have to navigate them alone.”
• The Alligator: Commission approves zoning for affordable housing units in complex to be built in Innovation District. “The apartment would be one of the first in Gainesville to place affordable housing within walking distance of a grocery store, Willits said.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Ward talks UF relationship, Sasse start. “Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said he hopes for a pleasant and conversant relationship with incoming UF president Ben Sasse, who starts Monday.”
• WUFT News: Community gives back to Gainesville waiter after he survives motorcycle accident. “One wrong turn from an uninsured driver left him with 30 staples in his neck, nine broken ribs, a broken wrist — and no way to pay for it.”
• WUFT News: Marion Therapeutic Riding Association celebrates 40 years of service in the community. “The celebration — at the College of Central Florida Vintage Farm in Marion County — highlighted the association’s mission of helping those who live with physical and mental challenges in Marion County and nearby communities by offering equine-assisted learning and therapeutic horseback riding for all ages.”
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Around the state• WUSF-Tampa: President Biden is set to speak in Tampa on Thursday. “The stop is happening two days after the president delivers his State of the Union speech at the Capitol.”
• News Service of Florida: Health officials move forward on marijuana licenses. “Florida health officials will accept applications for 22 medical-marijuana licenses in late April, in a long-awaited move announced Friday by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Another Florida special session starts Monday. Here’s what’s on the schedule. “Typically, a special legislative session focuses on just one—maybe two—subjects. This time, lawmakers are tacking a full slate of issues.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: UF Health and Flagler Health+ work toward merger. “The two health systems announced this week that they have entered into a nonbinding letter of intent that would make Flagler Health+ part of UF Health. “
• Florida Politics: Disney World union rejects latest contract offer. “Disney World’s biggest union coalition overwhelmingly rejected the company’s contract offer Friday for $1 annual raises as some cast members said that’s not enough money to earn a living wage at a time when Disney parks generate record profits.”
• WUFT News: The baby formula shortage crisis is not over. “Today, the issue continues to make its impact as parents find themselves walking up and down aisles of empty shelves, looking for the formula they need to feed their infants.”
• News Service of Florida: Visit Florida takes aim at tourism ‘misperceptions’ left by Hurricane Ian. “Visit Florida is set to move into the final phase of a $5 million marketing effort aimed at offsetting ‘negative’ impressions the tourism marketing agency says were created by media coverage of Hurricane Ian.”
• News Service of Florida: The Florida Supreme Court drops fairness and diversity courses for judges. “The Supreme Court, which determines rules for the system, issued a decision on Thursday that revised continuing-education requirements. Part of the decision dealt with a requirement that judges receive training in judicial ethics.”
•NPR: A Black History Month-themed police car in Miami draws criticism. “The newly designed cruiser has been under criticism since its debut on Thursday, with critics calling it tone deaf and ill-timed in light of the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by police officers in Memphis, Tenn., last month.”
From NPR News• World: More than 1,000 are reported dead from an earthquake that has struck Turkey and Syria
• Economy: U.S. employers added 517,000 jobs last month. It’s a surprisingly strong number
• National: What’s next in the saga of the suspected Chinese spy balloon
• Politics: As the nation has changed, so has the State of the Union speech
• Education: The USDA wants to limit added sugars and sodium in school meals
• Politics: Gen Z’s political power: new data gives insight into America’s youngest voters
• Science: An unusually high number of whales are washing up on U.S. beaches
• Animals: A Portuguese pooch that was almost killed at birth has become the world’s oldest dog
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: All clear after bomb squad called to UF’s campus to investigate suspicious package. “University of Florida classes were brought to a screeching halt when students in Turlington Hall were evacuated Thursday amid fire alarms and police sirens and a bomb squad caused confusion and panic.”
• WUFT News: University of Florida students “Chomp Hate” in Plaza of the Americas. “Representatives from UF Hillel, Chabad, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) and other student organizations met a group of antisemitic protestors.”
• WUFT News: Micanopy divided over pennant flag displays. “These weeks have raised questions about the town’s ordinance regulating pennant flags, equal enforcement and whether the place that’s believed to be Florida’s oldest inland town is welcoming to the LGBTQ community.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): University of Florida students, faculty plan to protest Monday as Sasse begins presidency. “Incoming University of Florida President Ben Sasse will be greeted by protestors Monday afternoon outside the school’s administration building as he officially takes the helm of the top-5 public university.”
• WCJB: Communities across North Central Florida set to receive money for broadband services. “Some rural areas of North Central Florida are about to get broadband internet. The state is awarding $144 million for broadband services.”
• WCJB: Dozens of people shut down the streets in downtown Gainesville demanding justice for inmate who died in jail. “Today marks a week since Alachua county sheriff’s deputies confirmed that 32-year-old Marcus Goodman died in jail due to a medical emergency. Family members were invited to a vigil to honor him but what was supposed to be a quiet event turned into an active protest.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville man seeks compensation for home destroyed by flooding. “On July 7, 2021, Mark Dake’s home was flooded with 36 inches of water during Hurricane Elsa. Dake lived in the Emerald Woods neighborhood in north Gainesville from 2011 until the flood left him homeless for two weeks.”
• WUFT News: Egg shortage cracks down on Gainesville consumers and businesses. “A person can call their friends to ask if they have any eggs, but restaurants do not have that luxury at a time like this. The bistro has to get its food from a distributor, in adherence to regulations, even if the prices have gone up.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: DeSantis proposes another $12 million to transport migrants. “This time, the provision states the governor may use those dollars to transport migrants living in other states to any jurisdiction.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida’s voucher bill could cost taxpayers $4 billion. “The proposal — called House Bill 1 — would mean basically everyone would be eligible for Florida Empowerment Scholarship vouchers, which are now awarded only to low-income families.”
• Florida Politics: Florida congressional leaders seek help for seasonal crop producers. “U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott re-introduced the Defending Domestic Produce Production Act. The Republicans’ bill would grant seasonal fruit and vegetable growers the ability to seek relief from unabated foreign imports.”
• WUWF-Pensacola: Book ban in Florida’s public schools rankles many. “House Bill 1467, which became law in July, requires public schools to provide age-appropriate books. A qualified school media specialist — trained by the state — must give their approval.”
• Florida Politics: Disney World fights back against annual passholder lawsuit. “Palm Beach County resident Erica Kelly and Orange County resident Marilyn Paone sued Disney in October after they said they couldn’t find open reservations when they wanted to go to the parks even though they had passes without blockout dates.”
From NPR News• Business: Amazon reports its first unprofitable year since 2014
• Health: Who’s most likely to save us from the next pandemic? The answer may surprise you
• Climate: Climate change and a population boom could dry up the Great Salt Lake in 5 years
• Health: Manufacturer recalls eye drops after possible link to bacterial infections
• Science: Yale honors the work of a 9-year-old Black girl whose neighbor reported her to police
• World: How Asia’s ex-richest man lost nearly $50 billion in just over a week
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville awarded $8M in federal funds to overhaul University Avenue. “The rework of the road will affect areas of high foot traffic, including the border of the University of Florida campus, Downtown Gainesville and the surrounding apartment complexes.”
• The Alligator: UF Jewish community, Fuchs react to antisemitic ‘Ye’ Kanye West messages. “UF campus will have increased police presence this week after members of the UF community discovered multiple antisemitic messages written in chalk on campus in support of Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.”
• WUFT News: Mark Oppenheimer speaks at UF against antisemitism. “The event included a display of antisemitic material from the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica. It showcased content from as back as the 1800s and as recent as five years ago.”
• WUFT News: High Springs remains divided over Walldogs Murals coming to town in March. “An international group of artists is scheduled to paint a series of murals in High Spring in March. But residents remain at odds over the historic themes of the murals and whether they want them painted at all.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): School district equips 125 buses with free Wi-Fi for students. “The internet connection will be active throughout September, including the summer months. The funding may allow for an extension of service.”
• WUFT News: Photo gallery: Ocala police celebrate Alice Faison, the first African American woman sworn into the force. “Alice Faison expresses her gratitude toward everyone who came to celebrate this moment with her as she was honored at the Ocala Police Department.”
• WUFT News: New traffic lights installed on University Avenue, and a UF student was hit riding a scooter a block away. “Some students who frequently walk to campus believe the new traffic changes along University Avenue won’t have much impact.”
• WUFT News: Bringing back bingo: One way the American Legion supports veterans. “The American Legion offers bingo every Tuesday and Thursday. It is a place where veterans and their families can gather to support each other and have fun.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: DeSantis unveils a $115 billion budget proposal for Florida. “The governor’s budget proposal includes permanent sales tax cuts on baby and toddler necessities, cribs and strollers, over-the-counter pet medications and gas stoves.”
• NPR: College Board’s revised AP African American studies course draws new criticism. “The College Board released the official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month.”
• Florida Storms: 2022 ranks as Florida’s fifth warmest year on record. “While the Southeast in general did not trend too far from the average, according to Gleason, Florida saw significant warming in 2022.”
• Florida Politics: Budget plan details teacher apprenticeship reducing college requirements. “The Governor announced the Teacher Apprenticeship Program in August as one way to open new avenues for filling classroom vacancies.”
• NPR: Tom Brady retires from the NFL, 1 year after retiring from the NFL. “It’s not quite Groundhog Day — but yes, you’ve heard all this before. Quarterback Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL — for real this time, he said in a video posted to social media on Wednesday morning.”
• WUSF-Tampa: This teacher says Black history is American history. “‘I think it is important, especially for African American students, to understand that their history did not start at slavery. That’s because as a student, it’s hard to find value in yourself when you look in the mirror when you start at such a violent start to history.'”
• NPR: Twenty years after the Columbia disaster, a NASA official reflects on lessons learned. “It’s been exactly 20 years since the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it returned to Earth, killing all seven astronauts on board: commander Rick Husband, pilot Willie McCool, mission specialists Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, David Brown and payload specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel.”
From NPR News• National: 4 of the 5 officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death had prior violations at work
• National: SNAP recipients will lose their pandemic boost and may face other reductions by March
• Politics: In first GOP-led hearing about the border, witnesses paint sharply different pictures
• Politics: Congress takes reins of prayer breakfast from secretive Christian evangelical group
• World: How ‘modern-day slavery’ in the Congo powers the rechargeable battery economy
• Race: Does the IRS audit some people more often than others?
• Science: A recent deep sea expedition in the Indian Ocean revealed a plethora of new species
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: City of Gainesville holds corridor walks as it declares a traffic ‘crisis’. “According to a document that outlines the city’s project limits, about 86% of the crashes resulted in an injury or fatality.”
• WUFT News: The ground of their practice field is too hard for tackling. The Hawthorne Hornets won the state football championship anyway. “An Alachua County Public Schools spokesperson says facilities county-wide will soon be reviewed. Hawthorne Middle/High didn’t wait on upgrades to win.”
• WUFT News: Williston businessman sentenced to prison for defrauding federal government. “The CEO of Williston-based Airsign Airship Group was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for defrauding the federal government of about $7.8 million meant to help average Americans during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville hires first chief climate officer. “(Dan) Zhu works as a city planner in the Department of Sustainable Development and liaison for the Development Review Board. She’ll step into the new role on Feb. 27.”
• WUFT News: Florida Department of Transportation continues to increase pedestrian safety on University Avenue. “Construction continues on University Avenue as two new traffic signals have been installed along the busy road as part of new safety plan.”
• Ocala Gazette: Local businessman says he was tricked into being a write-in by Chamberlin’s campaign team. “Robert “Foxy” Fox, a Republican whose candidacy effectively closed the March 7 special election for Florida House District 24 to Republican voters only, says he now realizes he was duped by GOP political operatives who led him to believe they represented the republican party but instead are tied to candidate Ryan Chamberlin.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Forever eyes new property in Lochloosa Creek Flatwoods. “After two-and-a-half hours of deliberations on Thursday, the board voted to place the property in a pool to be publicly acquired by Alachua County.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville looks to launch free menstrual product program in coming weeks. “In October 2022, the Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted to place free menstrual products in all municipal public restrooms as a way to combat rising costs, affordability and access issues.”
• WUFT News: Holocaust survivor rocks the Chabad with Klezmer music. “Four days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Saul Dreier, founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band on Tuesday made a special visit to Gainesville at the University of Florida’s Chabad and Jewish Student & Community Center.”
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Around the state• Fresh Take Florida: Lawmakers propose making it easier to impose death penalty in Florida. “The changes – which would allow a jury to recommend the death penalty even when only eight of 12 jurors agree – align with plans endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
• News Service of Florida: DeSantis wants to scrap college diversity programs. “DeSantis’ announcement came weeks after his administration directed leaders of the college and university systems to collect information from schools about diversity, equity and inclusion-related expenditures.”
• WLRN-Miami: Four more Moïse assassination defendants are brought from Haiti to face charges in Miami. “The U.S. Attorney’s office in Miami said Solages, Vincent and Rivera are directly charged with conspiring in Florida to commit crimes — including Moïse’s abduction — that led to his brutal murder in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021.”
• News Service of Florida: Wait times for visas are hurting international tourism in Florida. “While Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency, boasts that Florida is the top U.S. destination for overseas travelers based on market share, numbers of international visitors to the state and nation remain far below pre-pandemic totals.”
• Florida Politics: Trustees fire Patricia Okker as New College President. “The parting of ways with the administrator comes after significant upheaval on the board. Gov. Ron DeSantis this month appointed six new members to the board and promised to remake the college more like Hillsdale College.”
• WMFE-Orlando: College Board will unveil new AP African American Studies framework in Black History Month. “The College Board will roll out a revised version of the course that was already piloted in 60 schools throughout the country, including one in Florida.”
• Florida Politics: NOAA pleads for urgency in right whale conservation, lobster gear changes. “The number of deaths caused by fishing gear and vessel strikes far exceed the number allowable for a sustainable population.”
From NPR News• Business: Exxon announced record earnings. It’s bound to renew scrutiny of Big Oil
• Politics: Rep. George Santos voluntarily steps down from House committee assignments
• Health: Native Americans left out of ‘deaths of despair’ research
• Politics: Trump sues Bob Woodward for releasing audio of their interviews without permission
• Health: AbbVie’s blockbuster drug Humira finally loses its 20-year, $200 billion monopoly
• Technology: Congress tightens U.S. manufacturing rules after battery technology ends up in China
• Climate: Cleaner, healthier gas burners were developed decades ago. Why aren’t they available?
• Culture: The controversy surrounding Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nomination
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Stranded killer whale to be buried in Gainesville. “However, the skeleton of the killer whale found at Palm Coast will not remain in Gainesville. Instead, after the tissue decomposes, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History will add the skeleton to their collection in Washington D.C.”
• The Alligator: ChatGPT: UF community navigates a new frontier. “The student, interviewed under the condition of anonymity, uses ChatGPT so she can focus on subjects she feels are a better use of her time.”
• WCJB: Gov. DeSantis announces plan to spend $479M on road work between Ocala and Wildwood. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday pitched a $7 billion proposal to speed completion of 20 highway projects as a deadline nears for him to roll out a budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year. One of those projects would add auxiliary lanes on Interstate 75 in Ocala.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville partners with nonprofit to boost bee populations. “The city of Gainesville announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with a nonprofit to participate in a nationwide initiative to protect local bee populations. Let’s find out what all the buzz is about.”
• WUFT News: Newberry High School celebrates high graduation rate. “On May 27, 2022, soon-to-be Newberry High School graduates lined the Exactech Arena as they waited for their names to be called during their commencement ceremony. Little did they know, their class of 135 graduates would be the most successful 2022 graduating class.”
• WUFT News: Anti-abortion demonstrators gather at annual Roe v. Wade memorial service in Inverness. “On Jan. 22, demonstrators marched nationwide to campaign for abortion rights. But the following day in Inverness, demonstrators gathered in protest of abortion rights at the annual Roe v. Wade Memorial Service.”
• WUFT News: A cancer survivor, Jo Carver rededicates his life to cleaning the Santa Fe River. “‘The river saved him,’ said Terri Carver. ‘Now, he’s going to save it back.'”
• The Alligator: Free library boxes spring up in Gainesville. “Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that works with local community members from over 100 countries to provide free and easy access to literature using sharing boxes.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida could soon allow concealed carry without a permit. “HB 543 would allow anyone who may purchase a gun in the state, including people who live outside the state, to carry their weapon without a permit. It’s likely to pass in the GOP-controlled legislature.”
• WLRN-Miami: State commission wants to roll back a key part of post-Surfside condo safety law. Lawmakers are not so sure. “At the core of the new bill was the creation of a two-tiered schedule of structural inspections for buildings across the state — with a stricter cadence for those located near the coast.”
• Florida Politics: New College board trustee wants to find new President, fire all faculty. “Eddie Speir, one of six new trustees appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the New College board this month, wrote a blog post about his intentions for his first trustee meeting.”
• News Service of Florida: A judge has dismissed the migrant records case against Florida. “A Leon County circuit judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the Florida Department of Transportation and a contractor did not fully comply with public-records requests about controversial state-funded flights of migrants to Massachusetts.”
• WUSF-Tampa: USFWS will finalize critical habitat for endangered bonneted bats in Florida within the next year. “The public had until Jan. 23 to comment on a proposal for endangered bonneted bat habitat in Florida. On that final day, more than 20 environmental organizations asked the federal government for additional protections.”
From NPR News• Health: The White House plans to end COVID emergency declarations in May
• World: Sec. Blinken had a plan for his visit to Jerusalem. Then he had to pivot
• Law: Police statements tell the first version of an incident. Then video footage comes out
• Health: COVID-19 is a leading cause of death among children, but is still rare
• Law: Manhattan DA presenting evidence in Trump-Stormy Daniels investigation to grand jury
• Politics: The CEO of TikTok will testify before Congress amid security concerns about the app
• Health: Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients
• Obituary: Lisa Loring, the original Wednesday Addams, is dead at 64
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: The University of Florida holds the remains of thousands of Native American ancestors – the 11th largest holding in the U.S. “These are not artifacts, challenge those seeking their return. They are human beings with family members. It’s time to bring them home.”
• WUFT News: University of Florida Provost Joe Glover intends to step down after record 15-year tenure. “Glover will officially step down at the end of July. He will remain on campus as a senior advisor to UF’s new president, Ben Sasse.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): UF Health hospital fined $14,500 after federal investigation into employee safety. “The labor department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a $14,502 penalty to UF Health after discovering employees had suffered bone fractures, concussions and other serious injuries from patient interactions.”
• The Alligator: Inmate dies at Alachua County Jail from ‘medical emergency,’ sheriff announces. “The case was transferred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the cause of death.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV focuses on education as road redesign proceeds. “Gainesville’s Corridor Walks finished Thursday after taking six groups up and down the intersection of University Avenue and 13th Street, but the Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) Study using the input from the walks will continue through 2023 and into 2024.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz science teacher named ACPS Teacher of the Year. “Cheers erupted from the crowd on Thursday night as Karen Kearney, a science teacher from Buchholz High School, was named Alachua County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year.”
• WUFT News: UGA Director of the Willson Center for Humanities & Arts visits the Gators. “Allen, the Director of the Willson Center for Humanities & Arts at the University of Georgia (UGA) discussed the connection between humanities and environmental humanities on Jan. 26, 2023.”
• WUFT News: A 40-year career as the rat catcher at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire. “For three weekends in January, Jim Greene smears his face in green paint, adopts medieval inflections and transforms into Emrys Fleet, the Rat Catcher at Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville.”
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Around the state• Florida Politics: Lawmaker refiles bill letting businesses sue local governments over ‘arbitrary or unreasonable’ ordinances. “Supporters cheered it on as the preemption to end all government preemptions. Detractors decried it as a litigious tarpit.”
• NPR: Local election officials in Florida call for scrapping new ID rules for mail voting. “In a report sent to the Florida Department of State earlier this month, a working group of local elections officials warned that the new identification requirements — which will require voters to provide a driver’s license number or partial Social Security number on their ballots — will create significant election reporting delays and a slew of costs for local election offices, and could disenfranchise large numbers of voters.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Commissioner Jeremy Matlow drops his bid to lead Florida Democrats. “The party will choose a new leader next month. Former Chairman Manny Diaz resigned a couple of week ago following Republican sweeps of all statewide races in November.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Here are some reasons why Florida leads the nation in Affordable Care Act enrollment. “Over 3.2 million people in the state signed up for the benefits through the Marketplace. That’s nearly 500,000 more than last year.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Leon’s school board chair says the district won’t defend teachers accused of violating state law. “Alva Swafford Smith’s (formerly Striplin) comments were made earlier this month during a school board meeting after Leon Superintendent Rocky Hanna reportedly told board members that he was under investigation by the Florida Department of Education.”
• Florida Storms: Central Florida suburb named the lightning capital of the U.S. “According to environmental technology company Vaisala, Four Corners ranked first in lightning density this year with 474 lightning events per square kilometer, or 1,229 lightning events per square mile.”
From NPR News• National: PHOTOS: See protests unfold across the country after release of Tyre Nichols video
• Health: FDA proposes easing restrictions on blood donations, seeks public comment
• Politics: The U.S. farm bill is up for renewal this year. Here’s what’s at stake
• National: What Biden’s new immigration policies mean for the United States — and Latin America
• Health: COVID flashback: Here’s how NPR reported on the coronavirus at a turning point
• World: Second gentleman Emhoff visits Auschwitz, part of a push against antisemitism
• Economy: If the U.S. can’t borrow more money, why not just mint a coin to fund the government?
• World: Marie Kondo revealed she’s ‘kind of given up’ on being so tidy. People freaked out
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Behind the bet: consequences. “Because illegal sportsbooks are run on credit, bettors are less inclined to bet responsibly. ‘Sometimes, people will bet with money they don’t even have,’ said one student at the University of Florida who bets illegally often. ‘And then at the end of the week, they can’t pay.'”
• WUFT News: Putnam County School District’s Novice Teacher Retention Program rebounds after a pandemic. “The program allows teachers new to the district an opportunity to integrate into their new role. Former highly experienced teachers mentor those in the program.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Karen Kearney named ACPS Teacher of the Year. “During her remarks for the 2023 Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year Program, Buchholz High School teacher Karen Kearney reflected on her love of teaching, which began when she was child and taught her first class to a small group of stuffed animals.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Year starts with high numbers of manatee deaths across Florida. “Already, state officials reported late Wednesday at least 56 manatees dead so far during 2023 – compared to 39 during the same period last year, which was the second-deadliest year on record.”
• WCJB: ‘It’s so tragic:’ 13-year-old boy hospitalized after being struck by SUV while riding bicycle. “A teenage boy is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle while riding his bike in Gainesville. It comes as the city initiates a pedestrian and cyclist safety study following recent deadly crashes.”
• WUFT News: Do you have what it takes to join the Alachua County Crisis Center? “The crisis center is now seeking new volunteers to join its first training session of the year on Saturday.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): City officials, residents aim to eliminate unnecessary trash during ‘Zero Waste Week.’ “The Gainesville City Commission at its Jan. 19 meeting announced the proclamation declaring Jan. 22-29 as Zero Waste Week, where city officials host a series of events and education initiatives highlighting an effort to divert 90% of waste from landfills by 2040.”
• WUFT News: Levy County couple give abused animals another chance at life. “Cindy Kingsley Frazier’s two-bedroom house sits on 5 acres of land at the end of a long dirt road in Chiefland, Florida. It’s guarded by a locked gate, security cameras and a dog that sees everything.”
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Around the state• WLRN-Miami: DeSantis team aims to ‘curb’ DEI at universities. But a top official says some programs have value. “Florida’s public universities recently had to report to Gov. Ron Desantis’ office any DEI-related efforts on campus and what the initiatives cost. According to public records, the programs account for a fraction of the universities’ overall budgets but total in the millions statewide.”
• Florida Politics: Rick Scott bill would block Joe Biden from forgiving student loans. “Scott’s bill comes as the previous Biden plan to write off $10,000 in federal student loan debt and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients awaits Supreme Court review.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida’s school choice bill clears first hurdle on its way to passage. “HB 1 — ‘School Choice’ — passed its first committee stop on Thursday. It passed the House Subcommittee on Choice and Innovation (13 – 4) along party lines.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: State law would combat antisemitic acts like Jacksonville’s. “Under the bill (HB 269), people who take actions such as defacing or damaging religious cemeteries, projecting images of religious ‘animus’ on property without permission or harassing others because of religious-based garments could be charged with third-degree felonies.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s secretary of state wants more money to probe election crimes. “In his budget request for the legislative session that will start March 7, Byrd proposed $3.15 million for the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which was created last year and is staffed by five people.”
• Florida Politics: Florida law enforcement seeks $20M to replace, expand biometrics system. “Florida’s aging fingerprint-searching system could be headed to an overdue replacement capable of handling future upgrades to manage other biometrics, including facial recognition and iris scans, if lawmakers decide to finance the overhaul.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Florida gets an ‘F’ on tobacco control report card, Lung Association says. “Florida was given failing grades on nearly all groupings of tobacco control in the 2023 report card, including pouring more money into Prevention Funding, enforcing more taxes, and restricting flavored products.”
• WUFT News: NBA teams travel to Paris to showcase the game internationally. “The Chicago Bulls faced off against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 19 at Accor Arena in Paris, France, for the second international NBA game since 2020.”
From NPR News• Health: An FDA committee votes to roll out a new COVID vaccination strategy
• National: 5 Memphis ex-police are charged with murder and jailed over the death of Tyre Nichols
• Politics: Friction within the GOP causes some Republicans to question what their philosophy is
• Race: New ‘Latino’ and ‘Middle Eastern or North African’ checkboxes proposed for U.S. forms
• Law: There’s no whiskey in mini bottles of Fireball, so customers are suing for fraud
• Space: A recently discovered asteroid had ‘a very close encounter’ with Earth
• Health: Why inventing a vaccine for AIDS is tougher than for COVID
• Climate: We need native seeds in order to respond to climate change, but there aren’t enough
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Behind the bet: the rise of sports betting. “Because sports betting has become normalized in most states, it’s increasingly harder to keep students at colleges and universities in Florida, where the practice is illegal, from taking part.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua County commissioners share support for Restless Mommas owners, request meeting with Micanopy officials. “At the Alachua County Commission meeting Tuesday, officials said they wanted answers from town officials and asked to schedule a discussion on the topic with the neighboring municipality leadership.”
• WUFT News: The American Dream goes to the mat in “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity,” Friday at the Hippodrome. “Flashing lights, larger-than-life personalities and intoxicating energy. As the fighters take the ring, audiences are consumed by the vicious rivalries and suddenly forget they are at the theater.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV festival to celebrate prescribed fire use. “The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the UF/IFAS Austin Cary Forest Campus, 10625 NW Waldo Road, halfway between Gainesville and Waldo.”
• WCJB: Day two of the Ocala Breeders Sale’s Winter Mixed Sale nets a little more than $2 million. “Totals for the session nearly mirrored the same day last year, with 183 head sold for a little more than $2 million.”
• Ocala Gazette: The sheriff’s turkey trouble. “Marion County’s top law enforcement officer broke a state law during the early days of Florida’s spring gobbler season in 2021.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers are considering more oversight of local utilities. “The Public Service Commission regulates for-profit utilities such as Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida but has little oversight of municipal utilities.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Tallahassee attorney Ben Crump announces plans for lawsuit over AP African American Studies course. “A crowd gathered in the Florida Capitol to hear state lawmakers, Crump and the three students who will participate as plaintiffs in the lawsuit should it be brought.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Projected messages outlawed in Jax. But could the new law be challenged? “Any time the government tries to restrict speech, especially political speech, the legislation has to be narrowly tailored, said Jacksonville attorney Edward Birk, who handles communications, copyright and labor and employment cases among others.”
• Florida Politics: House panel advances bill to require greater financial disclosure from Mayors, City Councilmembers. “The bill (HB 37) would make local officials fill out a Form 6 financial disclosure, which requires disclosure of their total net worth and all assets and liabilities worth more than $1,000.”
•NPR: Florida Power CEO implicated in scandals abruptly steps down. “Under the leadership of Eric Silagy, 54, the company has been tied to allegations of campaign finance violations, media manipulation, and the surveillance of critical journalists. Silagy, CEO since 2014, will depart the company in April.”
• Florida Politics: Driver safety has deteriorated post-pandemic, with crashes and shootings rampant on Florida roads. “With 22.9 million vehicles currently in the state, and difficulty filling the ranks of Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers, issues abound on Florida roads, including nearly documented 110,000 hit-and-run crashes and 700,000 crashes in the last year.”
From NPR News• World: U.S., Germany pledge tanks to Ukraine, signaling heavy fighting ahead
• National Security: A look at key takeaways in a Secret Service report on mass attacks from 2016-2020
• Legal: Boeing faces a criminal charge of fraud related to deadly 737 Max crashes
• National: Former President Donald Trump can return to Facebook. Will he?
• World: The number of journalist deaths worldwide rose nearly 50% in 2022 from previous year
• Religion: Pope Francis says homosexuality is not a crime in a new interview
• Health: UV nail dryers may pose cancer risks, a study says. Here are precautions you can take
• Economy: What tracking one Walmart store’s prices for years taught us about the economy
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Behind the bet: how illegal online books work. “When it comes to legal online books, placing bets and receiving payouts is done on the same platform. There are no middlemen. No risk of not being paid.”
• WUFT News: Newberry Elementary students gain understanding about Treacher Collins Syndrome. “First graders at Newberry Elementary recently read a book based on a child with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the development of facial bones and tissues. On Tuesday, a child who lives in Alachua County and was born with the rare condition paid them a visit.”
• WCJB: ‘Safety is just not there’: Gainesville officials host guided walks to notify about redesign plans. “City of Gainesville Transportation officials walked and talked along with residents, in ‘Corridor Walks’, to get their input to create safer roads.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC OKs plans for two subdivisions. “The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved two preliminary development plans on Tuesday for subdivisions in the Jonesville area.”
• The Alligator: Muralist husband and wife duo brightens Gainesville’s artistic landscape. “From alligators to Tom Petty, the murals strive to represent Gainesville and artistically bring the aspects that define the city to life. There’s just one common factor: the hands behind them.”
• WUFT News: Howard Bishop Middle School celebrates becoming a UCF-Certified Community Partnership School. “HBMS fluctuated between A and B grades from 2000 to 2013 before dropping to a C grade in 2014. After four-straight years of being a B school, HBMS dropped back to a C in 2022.”
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Around the state• WFSU-Tallahassee: Controversial ‘anti-protest’ bill temporarily blocked. “HB1 establishes a definition for rioting in state law and increases penalties against those convicted of the crime.”
• WMFE-Orlando: A look ahead to Florida’s legislative session. “WMFE’s Talia Blake caught up with Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, to talk about the state budget, what bills she’s watching this session, and more.”
• Florida Politics: Randy Fine says there’s a lot to learn as Legislature considers measure on pharmacy benefit managers. “Health care and health insurance lobbyists were out in force as the House Health and Human Services Committee held a meeting on pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and the role they play in Florida’s health care delivery system.”
• WUSF-Tampa: The balance of power is changing in the workplace. “A study shows 31 percent of the global workforce is now working remotely and 26 percent of them say they would quit if forced to return to the workplace.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis signs death warrant for Tallahassee man convicted of murder. “If Dillbeck is executed, it will mark three and a half years since the last one, the longest Florida has gone between executions since 1983.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: The history and science behind Florida’s long-running strawberry industry. “It all began with entrepreneur and railroad magnate, Henry Plant, who settled Plant City near Tampa and constructed a rail line to link the region to Tampa about 23 miles away so local farmers could develop a market for their winter strawberry crops.”
From NPR News• World: The Doomsday Clock moves to 90 seconds to midnight, signaling more peril than ever
• National: America’s relationship with guns
• Technology: U.S. files second antitrust suit against Google’s ad empire, seeks to break it up
• Politics: Classified documents found at Pence’s Indiana home
• Health: The FDA proposes new targets to limit lead in baby food
• Politics: The Senate’s Ticketmaster hearing featured plenty of Taylor Swift puns and protesters
• World: How ancient seeds from the Fertile Crescent could help save us from climate change
• Science: Do you use these words when you apologize? It’s time to stop, researchers say
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Behind the bet: Stories of illegal sports betting on the University of Florida’s campus. “For this three-part series, Alexis Ashby of WUFT News talked with betters, bookies and experts to understand why and how sports betting is so prevalent on college campuses.”
Mainstreet Daily News: GNV, BOCC declare traffic violence crisis. “Mayor Harvey Ward brought up three pedestrian and bicyclist deaths in the past three weeks. While engineering has dominated past discussions, Ward said the city can only advocate for change along state roads like University Avenue, 13th Street and NW 39th Avenue.”
• The Alligator: LGBTQ-owned Micanopy business forced out by commissioner, owner alleges. “Shortly after moving in, their landlord received a letter from the town commission deeming the Pride flag they’d displayed on their store as a zoning issue and requested its removal. Despite neighboring businesses flying American and “Police Lives Matter” flags, they complied with the ordinance.”
• WCJB: Alachua County conducts annual count of homeless population. “‘We pick one night a year, usually the end of January, and we have tons of volunteers come out and help us really gauge what the population is right now in our community,’ said organizer Patrick Dodds.”
• The Alligator: Pandemic learning losses lead to reading struggles. “Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced students and teachers into remote learning, data shows more students are struggling to read and comprehend grade-level texts in Florida due to instructional gaps.”
• Florida Politics: UF repeats as No. 1 in U.S. News online bachelor’s rankings. “The rankings organization also named UF as the country’s No. 1 university for veterans and active-duty service members to earn an online bachelor’s degree.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Justices ask for input in cases involving social media laws in Florida and Texas. “The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday called on the U.S. solicitor general to file briefs about the federal government’s position in two high-profile cases about efforts by Florida and Texas to crack down on major social-media companies such as Facebook and Twitter.”
• Florida Politics: Could there be bipartisan support for changes to Florida’s death penalty laws? “Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants to scrap the requirement that a jury must unanimously recommend the death penalty before a judge can impose it. And the Governor’s suggestion could have bipartisan support.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida Supreme Court declines to temporarily stop 15-week abortion law. “Justices, in a 4-1 decision, turned down a motion by seven abortion clinics and a doctor for a stay of a ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that kept the law in place. The one-paragraph decision did not detail the Supreme Court’s reasoning.”
• NPR: Florida’s AP African American studies ban should raise alarm elsewhere, lawmaker says. “(State Sen. Shevrin Jones) told Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep that Florida is ‘just the testing ground.'”
• Florida Politics: Proposal would expand Bright Futures Scholarship eligibility. “New legislation would add Pre-Advanced Placement to the coursework that gets special consideration in awarding Bright Futures Scholarships and would elevate the prestige of taking a particular track of Advanced Placement courses in considering a students’ eligibility for Bright Futures.”
• NPR: Disney World’s Splash Mountain runs dry, as the iconic ride closes for good. “Fans had one final run down Splash Mountain in Florida’s Disney World on Sunday, before it closed for good. It had been in operation since 1992.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Fake ‘Queen of Soul’ caused a stir at Dunbar night club in 1969. “The woman belting out some of the most popular songs of the time looked like Franklin, dressed like Franklin and sounded like Franklin … but she wasn’t Franklin.”
From NPR News• National: A gunman killed 7 people in shootings in Half Moon Bay, California
• National: The suspected Monterey Park attacker was 72. Here’s why older shooters are rare
• Elections: A Georgia judge weighs release of a grand jury report into 2020 election interference
• Economy: A recession might be coming. Here’s what it could look like
• Law: A former high-level FBI agent faces charges for aiding a sanctioned Russian oligarch
• National: An Alabama farmer secretly helped strangers pay their pharmacy bills
• Culture: The real-life refugees of ‘Casablanca’ make it so much more than a love story
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: GPD endeavor to lead the fight against child exploitation. “In 2022, Gainesville Police completed 96 investigations of child exploitation. Those investigations produced 17 arrests and over 325 subpoenas.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: New GNV commission confirms its salary raise. “The new salary formula, set to begin in October 2023, will increase the annual salary for commissioners from around $37,000 to an estimated $71,000.”
• WCJB: Farm Share holds a food distribution in Gainesville. “The event will be held at 635 NW 6th St in Gainesville, and it starts at 9 a.m.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Dunnellon Mayor Bill White resigns, citing health reasons. “White made the surprise announcement after meeting with City Clerk Mandy Odom on Thursday afternoon.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV asks for input on parking, traffic safety. “Redesigning University Avenue and 13th Street remains a top priority for Gainesville, and the city looks to collect community input through six corridor walks next week on Jan. 24, 25 and 26.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: The Florida House proposes a major expansion of vouchers. “Calling it a move toward ‘universal choice,’ House Speaker Paul Renner on Thursday announced a proposal that would make every student in Florida eligible for school vouchers — a move that Democrats blasted as a Republican attack on public education.”
• USA Today ($): Florida rejects Advanced Placement African American Studies course, saying it ‘lacks educational value.’ “Cassie Palelis, press secretary for Florida’s education department, did not immediately respond to a question about which section of Florida law the proposed course was contrary to.”
• Florida Politics: State estimates 1.75 million Floridians could lose benefits once state begins purging Medicaid rolls. “Appearing before House and Senate health care panels, officials in the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida will focus its efforts on removing 900,000 residents who no longer qualify for the program, either because they aged out, left the state, or earn too much to qualify for the safety net program for the poor, elderly and disabled.”
• WMFE-Orlando: What a state email about abortion pills to all Florida medical providers could mean for the future. “Last week, the Agency of Healthcare Administration sent an email to many, if not all, state medical providers warning if they provide or assist in providing anyone with abortion medication they would face criminal penalties.”
• Florida Politics: State Supreme Court rejects local governments’ suit against penalties for local gun control laws. “The court refused to throw out a law that local officials can be fined for passing gun control ordinances, and that cities can be sued for having these local laws on the books. The statute, called a preemption law, which limits local regulation, was passed in 2011.”
• WJCT-Jacksonville: Dueling bills seek to prohibit hate speech in Jacksonville. “Less than a week after the towering image of a cross and swastika were projected onto the CSX Transportation building Downtown, the City Council will have two emergency bills to review Tuesday night to fight similar actions.”
• WUSF-Tampa: School superintendents blame unions for a snag in teacher pay raises. “They say union negotiations are why they did not meet the Oct. 1 deadline to submit an approved salary distribution plan to the state.”
From NPR News• Economy: U.S. hits its debt limit and now risks defaulting on its bills
• Law: SCOTUS says it was unable to find who leaked the draft decision overturning ‘Roe’
• National: FAA contractors deleted files — and inadvertently grounded thousands of flights
• National: Alec Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in ‘Rust’ shooting death
• World: New Zealand’s prime minister has announced she’s leaving office
• Health: Thinx settled a lawsuit over chemicals in its period underwear. Here’s what to know
• Health: Is it time for a reality check on rapid COVID tests?
• National: A new private sponsorship program lets everyday Americans help refugees settle in
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: Gainesville’s equity director gives update on the city’s efforts. “Folston described demand for immediate community-wide equity, but said it’s a long game and the first step is addressing the issue within the city’s own staff.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: North Florida Hospital opens outpatient pharmacy. “NFH’s outpatient pharmacy offers access to numerous services, including new prescriptions, prescription refills and transfers, medication counseling, vaccines, and medical supplies.”
• The Alligator: UF reports spending $5 million, less than 1% of budget on diversity initiatives, critical race theory to state. “The spending makes up about 0.14% of the projected 2022-2023 budget, according to data from the Florida State System.”
• WUFT News: Two former Gainesville mayors died in last week. “James ‘Jim’ Painter died Thursday from cancer at the age of 71, and Craig Lowe was found dead Saturday morning at the age of 65.”
• The Alligator: UF legacy of racism at forefront of task force report. “The report, commissioned by UF President Kent Fuchs to investigate issues of race following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, revealed a long history of racism at UF and looked at the university’s efforts to become more diverse.”
• WCJB: Gainesville City Commission meets to discuss pay raise approved by previous commission. “In a letter to the mayor and other commissioners, City Commissioner Ed Book wrote, the city commission salaries should be discussed since the current city commission changed in membership and responsibilities.”
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Around the state• WLRN-Miami: State considers greater scrutiny of school library books, warns staff that ‘violations’ could be crimes. “School librarians risk committing a crime if they loan out materials that are considered ‘harmful to minors’, the Florida Department of Education has warned.”
• The Alligator: DeSantis administration mandates audit of Florida universities’ gender-affirming care. “The memo, issued by Chris Spencer, director of the office on policy and budget on behalf of DeSantis, requests the number of students who received various types of gender-affirming care at campus facilities.”
• Florida Politics: State park reservation bill likely expanding, covering more amenities. “A bill that would open up state park reservations to Florida residents one month before anyone else could receive some amendments in coming weeks expanding on the concept.”
• News Service of Florida: Judge denies Florida’s request to do mental exams of 12-year-old transgender plaintiffs. “A federal judge has rejected a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to conduct ‘mental examinations’ on a pair of 12-year-olds who are plaintiffs in a challenge to a state rule prohibiting Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender people.”
• WUWF-Pensacola: ‘It sounds like the ship is screaming’: Okaloosa sinks large vessel to join artificial reef system. “Built in 1976 for oil exploration, the MANTA joins hundreds of sunken boats, barges, and other objects as part of Okaloosa County’s artificial reef system.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): A Florida taxidermist takes clients nobody else will: grieving pet owners. “Doty, who bills herself as Florida’s only professional pet taxidermist, is used to helping others grieve. She’s there at all hours when her customers drop off beloved hamsters, Chihuahuas and once, a 6-foot monitor lizard. She cries with them.”
From NPR News• Business: Behind your speedy Amazon delivery are serious hazards for workers, government finds
• National: In some states, an unpaid foster care bill could mean parents lose their kids forever
• Business: Why the high forgiveness rate of PPP loans is troubling to many people
• World: U.K. blocks Scottish gender ID bill
• Sports: NCAA wants Congress’ help to stabilize collegiate sports
• National: The Navy has raised its age limit as the U.S. military faces a deep recruiting slump
• Business: Party City files for bankruptcy to get its debt under control
• World: The world’s oldest person, Sister André of France, dies at age 118
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News: After Taliban takeover, a former Afghan Air Force pilot recounts his journey from Kabul to Jacksonville. “It has been a year since Hakimullah Hamim, an Afghan refugee, arrived in Jacksonville. Adjusting to a new home and a new job as a data analyst for Stillwater Insurance Group, the 30-year-old has found a new life with his wife in North Florida. But he remembers the tough journey it took to get there.”
• WUFT News: How one fisherman is sustaining his livelihood through environmental advocacy. “Steve Friedman, 52, always thought he’d spend his days in a cubicle surrounded by buttoned up shirts and staplers. Instead, he passes the time in a rash guard and polarized sunglasses on the waters of the Florida Keys.”
• The Alligator: US Rep. Kat Cammack co-sponsors ‘Born Alive’ abortion bill. “The bill proposes to ensure health care practitioners take proper care of a child who survives an attempted abortion. Practitioners who don’t follow the bill’s requirements could be subject to fines or up to five years in prison.”
• WCJB: Former Gainesville Mayor Jim Painter dies at age 71 after battle with cancer. “Shortly after the death of Craig Lowe, another former mayor of Gainesville has died. Jim Painter, who served on the city commission from 1990 to 1996, died after a battle with cancer.”
• The Alligator: UF lecturer’s film ‘Americanish’ acquired by Sony Pictures. “When Iman Zawahry walked into the one-woman show “Dirty Paki Lingerie” in New York City September 2013, she didn’t know she’d also be embarking on a nine-year-long film project with the play’s star.”
• Ocala Gazette: It Stinks! Part Two. “D.R. Horton, the developer who a number of Marion County homeowners say duped them into buying new homes and lots adjacent to a 1990’s-era sewage treatment plant, is facing similar complaints and lawsuits from Louisiana to Largo.”
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Around the state• WMFE-Orlando: USDA predicts another hard year ahead for Florida citrus growers. “It puts orange production at about 18 million boxes. That’s down 10% from the December forecast. And if that forecast holds, that will be about 56% less than last season’s final production.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida name, image and likeness law moves closer to change Tuesday. “Florida schools soon could see a potential competitive disadvantage in name, image and likeness (NIL) wiped away after a legislative subcommittee hearing Tuesday.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Veterans in suicidal crisis can now seek care from anywhere at no cost. “The VA says starting this week, veterans will have free access to inpatient crisis care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days from VA and non-VA facilities.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis backs permanent ‘freedom of speech’ protections for docs, anti-vax mandates. “Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for sweeping new COVID-19 legislation that would make permanent bans on vaccine and mask mandates, while blocking anyone from taking actions against doctors who disagree with ‘the preferred narrative of the medical community.'”
• News4Jax: New FDA rule coming to reduce illness and deaths from food poisoning. “Now the Food and Drug Administration is trying to reduce the number of illnesses with its Food Traceability Rule, which covers food through the entire supply chain.”
• Florida Politics: New appellate court up and running, but faces hiring, facility issues. “Florida’s new 6th District Court of Appeal is up and running two weeks after coming online thanks to legislation passed by lawmakers last year, but the new bench doesn’t have a suitable courthouse to hold oral arguments and neighboring districts are struggling to recruit staff attorneys.”
• WGCU-Fort Myers: FWC tries turning invasive water hyacinth into organic fertilizer. “Right now there is a box-shaped, metal contraption sliding along the surface of Lake Okeechobee. It’s called a boat, but it resembles an aluminum scooper that doesn’t look like it should float. It moves with paddlewheels and sports a pitchfork.”
From NPR News• National: A losing Republican candidate in N.M. is charged over shootings at homes of Democrats
• World: Greta Thunberg was detained by German police while protesting a coal mine expansion
• World: American Siamak Namazi is on a hunger strike in Iranian prison. Why now and for what?
• Technology: This 22-year-old is trying to save us from ChatGPT before it changes writing forever
• Health: Social isolation linked to an increased risk of dementia, new study finds
• Science: Is music an exclusively human thing? A new study says no
• Art: French museum finds a missing painting in Madonna’s personal collection
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• Mainstreet Daily News: Former Gainesville mayor dies. “According to a city of Gainesville release, Lowe, 65, served as the District 4 commissioner from 2003-10 and then made history as the city’s first openly gay mayor, serving until 2013.”
• The Alligator: Former Buchholz High School nurses face felony for failing to report sexual battery of 15-year-old. “A 15-year-old student at BHS stated she disclosed the incident of her sexual battery to the nurses but pleaded with them to not tell members of her family out of fear, according to the affidavit.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: ACPS on-time graduation rates increase. “The Alachua County Public Schools’ (ACPS) on-time graduation rate for high schools increased in 2022 from 90.9% to 91.4%, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).”
• WUFT News: Photos: Actors rehearse ahead of Hippodrome’s opening of ‘The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.’ “The show takes place at the Hippodrome in downtown Gainesville, Fla., and will run on the mainstage from Jan. 27 to Feb. 12.”
• The Alligator: Beyond the headlines: Cotton Club Museum hosts panel on local race relations news coverage. “The event took the audience through the late 1800s and early 1900s of Black news not covered by the Sun and how southern newspapers are trying to make up for their mistakes.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville expands offerings with new electric tram. “A new electric tram is allowing people with mobility issues a chance to explore the more than 3 miles of trails at the 125-acre Sweetwater Wetlands Park in Gainesville.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Judge refuses to dismiss migrant flights case. “Judge John Cooper’s ruling set the stage for a full hearing in the constitutional challenge filed by state Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Eatonville residents speak out against sale of land where oldest Black school used to stand. “Some residents want the town of Eatonville to regain ownership over the historic site, while a developer plans to turn it into mixed housing.”
• Florida Politics: Legislation pending to stop hate speech on Jacksonville buildings. “Currently, local ordinance lacks a mechanism to impose criminal penalties on responsible parties. But one Jacksonville City Council member says change is coming.”
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): LGBTQ+ families mull leaving Florida in wake of new culture laws. “Others are weighing leaving Florida, citing a shift in tolerance and policies they view as marginalizing the LGBTQ+ community as reasons they’re looking for friendlier communities in new states – and even different countries.”
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The typical peak for Florida’s flu season comes in February, which means there’s still time to get a flu shot. “Florida is about three months into its official flu season, but there are still about four months left. And Pharmacist and co-founder of Healthy Men, Inc, Salvatore Giorgianni says the season’s peak hasn’t come yet.”
• NPR: First orca whale to be stranded in southeast U.S. in decades showed signs of illness. “The first orca whale to beach itself in the southeast U.S. in nearly 70 years died shortly afterward of an illness in Palm Coast, Fla., officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries division said.”
From NPR News• Legal: The Trump Organization has been ordered to pay $1.61 million for tax fraud
• National: Biden becomes the first sitting president to deliver a Sunday sermon at MLK’s church
• Race: A cousin of a prominent Black Lives Matter founder died after being tased by police
• National: The U.S. could hit its debt ceiling within days. Here’s what you need to know.
• Security: The U.S. has an overclassification problem, says one former special counsel
• National: What’s behind the recent streak of billion-dollar jackpots in lotteries?
• Culture: A decade on, the ‘This is fine’ creator wants to put the famous dog to rest
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Advocates stress gun storage practices to prevent unintentional shootings. “Florida’s safe storage laws, if strengthened, could prevent these tragedies, experts say. But where state and federal legislation may stall, county school districts and Florida activists across the spectrum of gun ideology are promoting the safe storage of firearms in hopes of better protecting families.”
• WUFT News: UF ‘strongly discouraging’ the use of social media app TikTok. “The university has been monitoring developments on TikTok and encouraged students to delete the app to protect their personal information and university data.”
• WUFT News: UF history professor on the significance of Rosewood. “WUFT’s Kristin Moorehead spoke to University of Florida history professor Steve Noll about the significance of this event.”
• WCJB: Jury recommends death for Michael Wayne Jones accused of murdering his wife, four children in Marion County. “On Thursday, the jury found that Michael Wayne Jones should be sentenced to death on four counts of murder. The judge will take that recommendation and sentence Jones at a later date.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV zoning hearings postponed to allow for repeal. “The Florida Division of Administrative Hearings has delayed hearings about Gainesville’s exclusionary zoning after the City Commission started down a path of repeal on Jan. 5.”
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Around the state• News Service of Florida: Federal appellate panel asks Florida Supreme Court for help in defining ‘riot.’ “A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case to the Florida court because of what it called a ‘novel’ issue: how to determine the meaning of the word ‘riot’ in the law.”
• Florida Politics: Legislative fight over pharmacy benefit managers ahead; Gov DeSantis enters the fray. “Gov. Ron DeSantis, who lashed out at federal regulators and said they continue to stonewall his plan to import drugs from Canada into Florida, says he will push the Legislature to impose new regulations on prescription drugs in an effort to bring down prices.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida professors accuse Gov. DeSantis of violating a court order blocking the Stop WOKE Act. “Plaintiffs challenging a state law restricting how race-related concepts can be taught in higher education accused Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Wednesday of violating a federal judge’s order that blocked parts of the law from being enforced.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Orlando International Airport named worst airport in the country. “Family Destinations Guide used data from the Bureau of Transportations Statistics to determine which airports had the most delays in the U.S.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Egg prices have more than tripled from a year ago, putting pressure on local businesses that survive off eggs. “Right now, the average (wholesale) price for a dozen of eggs is $4.33. That’s a massive increase from a year ago when that average cost was just $1.33. This is where businesses are feeling the impact of rising costs.”
From NPR News• National: The latest on the tornado that struck Selma, Ala.
• National: California moves ahead with efforts to dismantle the nation’s largest death row
• Politics: Biden’s lawyer says additional classified documents found, GOP calls for new probes
• Politics: With a debt ceiling fight expected, McCarthy suggests a possible deal with Democrats
• Business: Stay-at-home dad takes on telemarketing companies targeting him and his family
• Health: Sitting all day can be deadly. 5-minute walks can offset harms
Scheduling note: The Point will be taking a break Monday for the holiday. We will return to your inbox Tuesday morning.
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you• WUFT News Special Report: Adam Van Allen: ‘Perfect human’ credited with saving lives after his death. “Another time, his family asked him what he wanted to do as an adult. ‘I’m not going to be around for very long,’ he said.”
• Fresh Take Florida: UF to spend $300,000 on new pool for incoming university president. “Construction on the expensive addition to the 7,400-square-foot, four-bedroom mansion – provided to Sasse at no cost – started in November and is nearly complete, ahead of his first day as UF’s new president on campus next month.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: SBAC discuses December ABC reports. “The ABC Scorecard summarizes trends across the district, while the ABC Report includes more detailed and specific information regarding the academic performance of Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) students.”
• Ocala Gazette: Florida House District 24 special election gets more crowded. “After growing up in a family centered around politics, Justin Albright decided it was finally time to run for an elected public office once the District 24 seat of the Florida House of Representatives was vacated.”
• Ocala Gazette: CF receives $17 million boost to its nursing program. “The College of Central Florida has received a $17 million infusion to bolster its nursing program, thanks to an incentive from the state legislature and the Citrus County Hospital District. It is one of the largest gift and grant commitments in the college’s history.”
• WUSF-Tampa: Citrus County wants state funding to study traffic congestion during hurricane evacuations. “During a hurricane evacuation, the Suncoast Parkway can be a major artery, delivering residents north. But Citrus County commissioners are worried about what happens when all the evacuees reach the end of the road.”
• WCJB: A veterinarian raises money for a horse rescue by living in a horse stall. “PARR moved its operation to Ocala from Pennsylvania and people with the organization and Langlois said they need money now more than ever.”
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Around the state• WGCU-Fort Myers: FAA lifts ground stop prompted by system glitch; Feds check into possibility of cyberattack. “An issue with FAA computer systems affected flights across the U.S. early Wednesday. Some airports, in Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, were shut down. Airports in Tampa and Orlando reported experiencing delays.”
• News Service of Florida: As background check proposals are filed, Florida seeks to shield gun purchase information. “In September, Visa joined Mastercard and American Express in moving forward with plans to categorize gun shop sales, a step gun-control advocates say will help track any suspicious sales tied to potential mass shootings.”
• WMFE-Orlando: New report ranks Ian as third-costliest hurricane on record. “Hurricane Ian was the most costly disaster of the year, causing nearly $113 billion dollars in damage and 152 deaths. Only hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2017 were more costly.”
• Florida Politics: More than 3.1 million Florida residents have signed up for Obamacare. “The number is significantly higher than the 2.7 million-plus who enrolled in Obamacare during the 2022 Open Enrollment period.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): ‘I’m being targeted’: Proctor joins legal challenge to Florida amendment barring lobbying. “Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor signed onto a federal challenge to a 2018 constitutional amendment, which created restrictions barring former elected officials from lobbying their former governmental bodies.”
• Florida Politics: Space Florida expects humans in space will double in next decade. “A total of 639 humans have flown to space. Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello expects that number to double in the next 10 years.”
• WLRN-Miami: ‘There’s no safe level’: Glades sugarcane burns continue despite link to tenfold mortality increase. “The pre-harvest burning season in the western part of the county occurs from October through April, with farmers setting fire to nearly 400,000 acres of sugarcane fields to strip the plant down to the stalk, which make it easier to harvest.”
From NPR News• Law: Sloppy handling of classified documents is very serious, ethics lawyer says
• Science: The FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials
• Education: During the pandemic many Americans chose not to go to college, but high schoolers did
• National: Addiction treatments in pharmacies could help combat the opioid crisis
• National: Here’s where your money goes when you buy a ticket from a state-run lottery
• World: “It’s like gold”: Onions now cost more than meat in the Philippines
Kristin Moorehead curated today’s edition of The Point.
The storm has moved on from Florida, but its impacts are here to stay in many communities.
The storm has Florida in its cone of uncertainty and is expected to reach hurricane status soon.
A storm by the same name blew through the Gulf of Mexico in 2016. This year, a different system could follow a similar path.
The people flown from Texas to Massachusetts filed a class-action suit on Tuesday against Ron DeSantis.
Caring & Sharing Learning School has become an A-rated school with the highest learning gains in the district.
What happens when crushing numbers of visitors harm the natural environment that draws them?
A new audio documentary from WUFT shows how Black Floridians found ways to enjoy the coast during the Jim Crow era.
Florida's largest metropolitan areas have become the least affordable for seniors on Social Security benefits.
Here's a rundown of what each one is, along with a preview of one of Alachua County's August school board races.
Timed to the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, it explores the state's ongoing struggle for clean water.
Police say Terrell Bradley ran a stop sign and then ran from them, necessitating a police K9 chase.
A third of recent survey respondents said they wouldn't spend over $50 to prepare for a storm.
Tropical disturbances form closer to land but often give forecasters less time to warn the public.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WCJB TV20: Alachua County School District reverses clear backpack rule after backlash from parents. “One day after announcing clear backpacks will be required for middle and high school students, Alachua County Public Schools is eliminating the rule. …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • The Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua County school district to require clear bags for middle, high school students. “The decision to have clear backpacks also comes after a rise in youth violence this past year, school officials said, …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • The Alligator: Gainesville protests overturn of Roe v. Wade. “Protestors left the courthouse to march. They passed the attorney general’s office on their way to the Community Pregnancy Clinic, a crisis pregnancy center in midtown.” • The …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you WUFT News: She gave her life to serve international students. They gave her a new life in return. “Anderson retired this summer after 22 years of working for the University of Florida’s International Center (after successfully demanding the …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT: First day of summer brings high temperatures and warnings of heat-related illness. “With soaring temperatures comes high heat that could prove a danger to vulnerable people like young children, the elderly and those exposed to the …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: UF students express frustration due to ongoing construction projects and campus closures. “UF’s Director of Construction Frank Javaheri said that UF currently has $1 billion worth of projects. Some are in the planning and design …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • CBS4: Gov. Ron DeSantis signs HB 1493 regarding Alachua County and twelve other bills. “Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1493, which amends Alachua County’s Home Rule Charter to require election of county commissioners in single-member districts …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Florida higher education union decries new ‘anti-WOKE’ law. “In the wake of an anti-WOKE legislative session distinguished by controversial education bills, one Florida union representing university faculty members is pushing back against a law going …
The Panhandle and north central Florida are most likely to see the highest heat indices.
Joshua Figueroa was in the hospital Wednesday and not in a courtroom to receive his sentence.
Summer camp began in Hawthorne this week, a return of programming to the rural area after a decade.
The report was released Monday and said the numbers were inaccurate, incomplete and delayed.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WCJB TV20: A unit at Alachua County Fire Rescue is being taken out of service due to a lack of firefighters. “The department has relied on mandatory overtime to make up for staffing shortages but now, Rescue …
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • The Alligator: Santa Fe college admissions on the rise. “The college’s reputation for successful transfers makes it an attractive option for students who wish to attend UF. According to UF, the university’s acceptance rate for the class of …
The package of bills is designed to stabilize policy premiums and protect against another tragedy like Surfside.
The session lasted three days and saw swift action on insurance policies and condo safety.
The goal is now to address both property insurance and prevent future Surfside-level tragedies.
The creation of a new program to stabilize the insurance market calls for $2 billion from the state's general fund.
Lawmakers begin meeting in Tallahassee Monday morning to resolve rising premiums and other issues.
Prosecutors believe that he scammed at least 21 women across eight states and amassed over $750,000 through years of schemes.
Edible Arrangements has stopped offering deliveries to most customers outside of Gainesville.
Mohamed Fathy Suliman is charged with a felony, attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Florida lawmakers voted in April to cancel the corporation's special status in the state.
Board members raised concerns about spending at other schools like the one in Hawthorne.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Newberry residents respond to a collection center coming to the city. “Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said a new recycling center would decrease the time and gas it takes local residents to drive to the next closest center: about a half hour away.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry moves ahead on $4M-$6M city hall building. “Mayor Jordan Marlowe said the city is growing by 300 to 500 a year, meaning approximately 3-5 new staff members if the city wants to keep its level of service. The commission hopes to construct a complex with plenty of room to expand and fund future additions down the line.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville considers creating ombudsman office to address residents’ complaints. “A proposal to create a new department within the city of Gainesville that would act as an ‘independent oversight agency’ for residents and city employees to air their concerns about city government is being considered.”
• CBS4: ACPS launches new internet connectivity survey. “ACPS Public Information Officer Jackie Johnson said the goal is to ensure students have access to devices and internet connection at home so they can work on their homework.”
• WUFT News: UF Health Shands puts up pinwheels for child abuse prevention. “These pinwheels are a part of Pinwheels for Prevention. This national campaign was designed by Prevent Child Abuse America in 2008 to increase awareness of child abuse prevention efforts.”
• WCJB: Gainesville pastor calls on community to renovate a historic Black church. “He’s been partnering with the city of Gainesville, University of Florida architecture students and UF’s historic preservation program. The church is a monument in the Pleasant Street neighborhood as it once served as a safe haven for the Black community.”
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Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • WFSU: Florida lawmakers to tackle rising home insurance costs in May. “This year’s second special lawmaking session is scheduled to begin on May 23 and could last through May 27. That’s days before the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1.”
• New York Times ($): Parents File Lawsuit Over Son’s Fatal Fall From Amusement Ride. “Tyre Sampson, 14, died after falling from the 430-foot-tall Free Fall ride at an amusement park in Orlando, Fla., last month. The lawsuit says a seatbelt could have saved his life.”
• NPR News: Florida man asks schools to ban Bible following the state’s efforts to remove books. “His petitions cited a bill signed into law last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which lets parents object to educational materials. That bill came about after some parents complained about sexually explicit books being taught in Florida schools.”
• Lakeland Ledger ($): Florida’s book bans: Which titles are being pulled from school media centers? “Approved on March 25 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, HB 1467 gives parents and members of the public increased access to the process of selecting and removing school library books and instructional materials.”
• News Service of Florida: State of Florida and voter groups battle over elections ruling. “After a federal judge blocked parts of a 2021 elections law that he said discriminated against Black voters, the state and opponents of the law are battling about whether the ruling should be put on hold while an appeals court considers the case.”
• WFSU: Diaz says he wants to change the tone around what it means to be a teacher amid statewide shortages. “Diaz was recently recommended by Gov. Ron DeSantis to become state education commissioner. He’ll replace Richard Corcoran, who steps down at the end of this month. Diaz says while he’s no longer in the classroom, the experiences stick with him.”
From NPR News • Health: Most Americans have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, the CDC reports
• Health: Vice President Harris has tested positive for COVID-19
• Health: Pfizer asks FDA to authorize booster shots for kids ages 5 through 11
• Health: Older adults shouldn’t start a routine of daily aspirin, task force says
• World: Vaccine-derived polio is on the rise. A new vaccine aims to stop the spread
• National: Biden takes his first actions on clemency with 3 pardons and 75 commutations
• Business: Shares continue to slump as fears about the economy and earnings grip Wall Street
• World: Poland and Bulgaria say Russia is suspending their natural gas supplies
• World: How does Ukraine keep intercepting Russian military communications?
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Residents prepare for what’s to come after Alachua County $10 million land purchase. “Alachua County Forever, the county’s environmental land acquisition program, paid $10.6 million for 3,936 acres between the Lochloosa Slough Preserve and the Fox Pen Tract against the Putnam County line. It was the program’s largest single land purchase ever, according to a news release.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Students, families gear up for in-person graduations with no covid restrictions in 2 years. “Approximately 1,700 students are expected to graduate this year from Alachua County’s seven high schools between May 24 to 27, though the figures may change based on each student’s state testing results. To house all the students and families, some graduation ceremonies this year will include the University of Florida’s Stephen C. O’Connell Center and the Curtis M. Phillips Center of Performing Arts.”
• WUFT News: Q&A: Upcycling furniture is making its mark in Newberry. “Hardwood & Honey, a Newberry upcycling furniture store, is addressing a desire for this style of home furnishings in smaller cities in the region, according to customers. WUFT sat down with Hardwood & Honey owner Kristina Zebley, 33, to ask about the work that goes into refurbishing old furniture.”
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• Family Law
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Around the state • NPR News: Voting groups sue Florida, saying congressional map violates state constitution. “Voting rights groups are suing Florida over congressional maps that eliminate two Black voting districts. Even if successful, it’s uncertain whether new maps will be imposed before the election.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: DeSantis signs bill creating police force tasked with investigating elections crimes. “DeSantis on Monday took the time to praise Florida’s performance on election night but said that there was still ‘a lot that needs to be addressed.'”
• Associated Press: Error forces redo of Parkland school shooter’s jury selection. “The judge overseeing jury selection for a man who murdered 17 people at a Florida high school declared that the process will start over Monday, conceding that she should have questioned 11 potential jurors who said they would not follow the law before she dismissed them.”
• Miami Herald ($): As lawmakers avert their eyes, condo insurers flee Florida or jack up prices post-Surfside. “The retreat by insurance companies has left the condo associations steering aging buildings up and down the Miami-area coastline and throughout the state to deal with insurers in the lesser-regulated surplus market, for customers that can’t get standard policies because the potential loss is unacceptably high. How high? In the case of Champlain Towers South, Great American Insurance Company announced it would tender its full policy limits and additional payments totaling more than $30 million. The upheaval is translating to massive price hikes on premiums and Swiss-cheese carve-outs for policyholders.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Fla. publisher reacts to ‘rejected’ status over math instructional material. “As the wait continues to learn exactly why 41% of math textbooks submitted by publishers to Florida’s Department of Education were rejected by the evaluators who reviewed them, Link Systems International is among those publishers who landed on the state’s rejected list.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Florida honors 30 deputies who fell in the line of duty; 23 of them died of COVID. “The granite Memorial Wall was established in 2002 to honor fallen sheriffs and deputies in Florida. … To date, there are more than 400 names engraved on the wall with at least one officer from 63 of Florida’s 67 counties.”
• WGCU: Florida Prepaid offers new incentives for college savings. “The Florida Prepaid College Board is urging families to lock in the future cost of college with a Florida 529 Prepaid Plan. The program is the largest and the longest-running prepaid college program in the nation, and for the first time ever it is offering families an incentive for enrollment.”
• WMFE: Lawsuit filed in Orlando FreeFall drop tower death. “The father of a teen who fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall drop tower at ICON Park has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Orange County Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges that while most drop towers include both a shoulder harness and seatbelt, this one had only a shoulder harness to secure riders.”
From NPR News • World: Biden plans to nominate Bridget Brink as the next ambassador to Ukraine. Who is she?
• Health: Biden will make Paxlovid, a highly effective COVID drug, available to more pharmacies
• Health: Brain scans may reveal a lot about mental illness, but not until studies get bigger
• Business: Elon Musk bought Twitter. Here’s what he says he’ll do next
• National: A judge holds Donald Trump in contempt of court and fines him $10,000 per day
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • WUFT News: Tiny home owners across Florida are seeking peace with local governments. “In 2021, Maine passed a law granting tiny homes the same status as single-family dwellings. However, no such statewide law exists in Florida, meaning current and prospective tiny home owners are often at the mercy of where they wish to live in or pass through.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): It’s law: In just days, Ron DeSantis dismantles Disney’s special tax district operating since 1967. “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to strip the Walt Disney Co. the authority to govern its 37-mile Central Florida entertainment empire Friday afternoon. And there could be more consequences coming, DeSantis warned, if Disney does not adjust its diversity and inclusion program by Monday.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Sparks fly at latest ACSO-union negotiation. “In March, the disagreements between the union and sheriff’s office peaked when the PBA filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. for unfair labor practices that centered on the union negotiations.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Downtown Gainesville has seen major changes in recent years. It’s just the start. “The City Commission on Thursday received its $150,000 strategic downtown Gainesville study that was partly funded by the University of Florida. It included feedback from more than 700 residents who say they want the area — so much of which is in transition — to have a unified identity.”
• USA Today Network ($): Al Lawson responds after DeSantis upends district: ‘My plan right now is to be on the ballot.’ “Under the direction of DeSantis, the Republican majority in the state legislature changed the lines of the district he represents from one that gave President Joe Biden 62% of the vote into one where 54% of the vote went to former President Donald Trump.”
• WCJB: Marion County Commissioners approve septic-to-sewer conversion plan to reduce pollution. “The program intends to convert homes with existing septic systems to sewer systems and is meant to reduce pollution into water sources. The county is using a portion of its $72M American Rescue Plan funds on the conversions and officials say converting cuts the cost of septic tank maintenance out of a monthly utility bill.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Florida’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising again as BA.2 subvariant starts to spread. “Coronavirus-positive patients are filling up Florida’s hospitals once again, but their numbers remain smaller than before the original omicron wave engulfed the state.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): As inflation rises, Floridians say it’s hard to pay their bills. “Nearly half of Floridians included in a recent survey say inflation has impacted their ability to pay essential bills. The finding comes from a survey conducted by the University of South Florida, asking 600 Floridians how price hikes have impacted their spending — and their attitudes on various related policy issues.”
• FOX 35 Orlando: Abandoned African-American cemetery in Groveland getting facelift. “The Oak Tree Union Colored Cemetery of Taylorville is overrun with invasive trees and out-of-control vegetation. It’s also the final resting place of about 70 souls.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
From NPR News • Health: Their mom died of COVID. They say conspiracy theories are what really killed her
• Health: Giving a stranger a new life: One student’s story about donating stem cells
• World: See how Kharkiv’s bomb squad neutralizes cluster bombs in Ukraine
• World: The U.S. promises to gradually reopen its embassy in Ukraine
• National: A historic court martial ends with the first conviction of an Air Force general
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Nonprofit organizations in Gainesville awarded more than $6M in federal funds. “The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which President Joe Biden signed in 2021, provided the City of Gainesville with more than $6 million to give aid to local nonprofit organizations and programs that benefit the Gainesville community. The funding is meant to offer financial support to nonprofit agencies that are serving residents who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that are actively providing critical services to citizens.”
• Fresh Take Florida: College stories: Florida students share their (sometimes) rocky roads to graduation. “For the class of 2022, their time was split in halves – virtual and in-person. College students adapted to ‘distanced’ and classroom learning while routinely being administered COVID-19 tests. Students traded their extracurricular activities, sports games and parties for endless Zoom meetings and masks. Some dealt with academic responsibilities while sick with the virus. Many lost loved ones. Despite maneuvering through college classes during a global health crisis, graduates across Florida universities pushed toward the finish line. While the coronavirus injected “what ifs” into their memories, others adapted, pivoted and realigned their goals.”
• WUFT News: Developer’s proposal to build houses on former West End Golf Course gets denied. “The weeds at the former West End Golf Club property will continue to grow after its would-be developer hit a roadblock this week. The Alachua County Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to deny a land-use change for the golf course on Newberry Road.”
• Ocala Gazette: Marion County School Board tackles concerns over racial disparity in discipline. “Reports highlighting an explosion of disciplinary referrals at all grade levels in Marion County schools, and the alarming racial disparity contained in the numbers, led a group of school district social workers on Tuesday to plead with the Marion County School Board for help.”
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Around the state • Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald ($): Florida Democrats stage sit-in on House floor over congressional redistricting map. “Florida Republicans powered through shouts and protests from their Democratic colleagues Thursday, putting an abrupt end to a sit-in on the floor of the chamber by voting to end debate and send the governor a congressional redistricting map.”
• WMFE: Legislature votes to repeal Disney World’s self-governing Reedy Creek district in Central Florida. “Brevard County State Rep. Randy Fine sponsored the House version of the bill repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District and five other independent special districts as of June 2023. The Republican lawmaker says Disney ‘kicked the hornet’s nest’ when it opposed a law banning talk of gender identity and sexual orientation through third grade and limiting instruction to what’s deemed ‘appropriate’ after that. GOP leaders disagree with calling it ‘Don’t Say Gay.'”
• WMFE: Orange County residents’ property taxes could jump by 20 percent after Reedy Creek dissolution. “WMFE’s Danielle Prieur spoke with Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph about the financial implications of such a decision for the Central Florida area.”
• WFSU: Manny Diaz is slated to become Florida’s new education commissioner. “Diaz has long been rumored to be a frontrunner for the job of heading the Florida Department of Education. He has carried several major pieces of education legislation during his time in the Senate — this year, he sponsored HB 7, which restricts how subjects like race can be discussed and taught in public schools and discussed in workplaces.”
• Miami Herald ($): After week of suspense, Florida reveals why some math texts are too woke. “One example: A colored bar chart showing how levels of racial bias can vary by age group. It is part of a mathematical brain teaser involving polynomial models and is nestled on the bottom right-hand corner of page 56 in a pre-calculus online textbook consisting of more than 1,000 pages. The book is not identified on the state’s website. That’s not allowed, the (Florida Department of Education) indicated, adding that the complaint about the chart originated with a member of the public.”
• Florida Politics: What would Uncle Walt think? A Disney historian explains. “If Walt Disney were alive today, what would he think of the Florida Legislature threatening to dissolve Disney World’s government? Disney historian Richard Foglesong hypothesized Uncle Walt fuming at lawmakers for even considering to strip Reedy Creek Improvement District of its powers after all — in Walt’s mind — Disney World had done for Florida.”
• WJCT: St. Johns County gets $62 million to repair nor’easter damage. “St. Johns County will receive up to $62 million in federal funding to repair erosion damage from a nor’easter in November. The storm caused massive erosion along the shoreline with winds up to 63 mph and waves reaching 16 feet, some of the highest water since Hurricane Irma in 2017.”
From NPR News • Health: To wear a mask, or not, on public transportation? Which is the right move for you?
• World: Putin orders troops not to storm Mariupol’s last holdout
• National: A civil rights memorial in Alabama expands to document lynching victims’ stories
• National: Why your USPS mail package delivery is about to get slower
• Business: Elon Musk says he has secured the money to buy Twitter
• Business: What the shutdown of CNN+ might indicate about the future of streaming TV
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The stories near you • WUFT News: A Gainesville city department is trying to help fight for affordable housing in historic Pleasant Street. “Pleasant Street neighborhood had until recently offered an affordable and intergenerational area of Gainesville for renters and homeowners alike. Those who live there are now facing expensive housing and demolition.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville Police Department looks to fill vacancies with new recruitment incentives. “As a part of GPD’s recruitment incentive, new hires can receive between $8,000 to $11,000, depending on certification status and experience, in bonuses with a three-year commitment. Individuals planning on relocating can also receive an additional $2,000.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): UF’s Black Thursday remembered at Matheson. “On April 15, 1971, which became known as “Black Thursday,” about 70 students marched into President Stephen C. O’Connell’s office at Tigert Hall with a list of demands, including having the university address the shortage of Black faculty and students at UF.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Life in prison for man and woman found guilty of killing informant with meth and fentanyl. “Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II imposed the sentences at the Ocala federal courthouse. Holding his cane, a shackled David Chappell Fey, 57, of Belleview, was sitting beside his lawyer, Joseph R. Johnson, a private attorney from Ocoee, when the judge announced his decision.”
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Around the state • News Service of Florida: Florida targets treatments for trans youth. “A news release from the Department of Health said the guidance addresses treatment of gender dysphoria, which the federal government defines as clinically ‘significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.'”
• USA Today Network ($): Senate votes to strip Disney of power to self govern its Florida empire. “The 23 to 16 vote on SB 4 came one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wanted the Legislature to repeal the governing structure for Disney’s Florida properties.”
• Associated Press: Decades of fruitful relations between Disney, Florida at risk. “Before Reedy Creek became Disney’s government, it was a drainage district created to help manage the 27,000 acres that the company secretly acquired parcel by parcel in the mid-1960s.”
• New York Times ($): Florida Senate Passes Congressional Map Giving G.O.P. a Big Edge. “Florida Republicans are poised to adopt one of the nation’s most aggressive congressional maps, pressing forward with a proposal from Gov. Ron DeSantis that would most likely add four congressional districts for the party while eliminating three held by Democrats.”
• Florida Politics: Nikki Fried sues Joe Biden administration over marijuana, gun rights. “In Miami Wednesday, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried discussed her Department’s lawsuit against the federal government over what she sees as infringement on the rights of medical cannabis patients via “conflicts” between state and federal laws.”
• WMFE: On 4/20, it’s high time to talk about Florida seniors and medical marijuana. “For some seniors, it’s like a miracle drug that reduces pain or anxiety or helps them sleep. But medical experts are concerned that the stuff they buy at dispensaries has not been studied and approved like other medicines.”
• The Palm Beach Post ($): Florida schools grapple with questions after state rejects historic number of math books. “School districts — including some that already adopted books for the fall semester — scrambled to adjust their plans. Meanwhile, one lawmaker questioned who evaluated the books, and the statewide teacher’s union called for more transparency.”
• WLRN: Different voices around the state sound off on Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. “Ambiguity, lawsuits and the case that may have sparked it all. These stories highlight the joys and difficulties of claiming an identity — especially in a time where a state culture war threatens the community.”
From NPR News • National: The DOJ will appeal the recent mask ruling by a federal judge
• World: The number of people fleeing Ukraine has surpassed 5 million
• National: A Connecticut trooper who shot a Black driver to death is charged with manslaughter
• National: Amid high gas prices, N.J. weighs lifting its self-service gas ban
• National: Alex Jones’ trial to determine payments to Sandy Hook families is delayed
• Culture: Hollywood has found a favorite new subject — the failed CEOs of tech companies
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • News Service of Florida: Bradford County Development Authority could be among the special districts dissolved after Florida legislature’s special session. “The legislation would dissolve special districts that were created before November 1968 and have not been reapproved in state law. A state Constitution was ratified in November 1968. A House staff analysis said the legislation would apply to five special districts: the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Bradford County Development Authority, the Sunshine Water Control District in Broward County, the Eastpoint Water and Sewer District in Franklin County and the Hamilton County Development Authority.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua County planning board to discuss residential development of West End Golf Club. “Alachua County officials are set to consider a controversial proposal by a developer that would rezone approximately 75 acres in the Newberry area from recreational use to residential, while also creating one of the largest parks in the county.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Ocala City Manager Sandra Wilson fired in 3-2 vote; Assistant City Manager Pete Lee steps in. “Wilson’s firing was not a complete surprise. Last year, when then-Fire Chief Shane Alexander was let go, Wilson was blamed for what some saw as a bad move. There were a few times when the previous council and the present body tried to remove her, but she survived. Tuesday was different.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida quarterback Richardson was driving faster than 105 mph, deputy says in newly released video. “Anthony Richardson, the young University of Florida quarterback who has electrified fans, could have been ticketed for driving faster than 105 mph earlier this month, but the sheriff’s deputy’s pickup that briefly pursued him couldn’t go any faster, according to newly released video of the traffic stop.”
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We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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Around the state • USA Today Network ($): Gov. Ron DeSantis expands special session to take on Disney after ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law criticism. “The legislation, HB 3C and SB 4-C, the ‘Independent Special Districts’ bill, quickly advanced in the House and Senate shortly after the governor’s announcement. Republicans on the House State Affairs Committee slammed Disney as ‘perverted by a woke mob’ and ‘goofy with power’ before the measure passed by a 14-7 vote.”
• Florida Politics: Disney could lose Big Tech carve-out in Gov. DeSantis-backed bill. “Lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to end a theme parks carve-out from last year’s social media bill as Republicans crack down on Disney’s influence.”
• NPR News: What to know about Judge Kathryn Mizelle, who struck down the travel mask mandate. “Mizelle sits on the District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She was nominated by former President Donald Trump in September 2020 at age 33 and confirmed by a 49-to-41 Senate vote later that year.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): DeSantis signs bill limiting tenure at Florida public universities. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it harder for faculty at state universities to retain tenure, framing the legislation as another way that he and the Legislature are working to prevent educators from bringing their political views into the classroom.”
• WFSU: Florida’s public colleges and universities have to try to find new accreditors. “The bill initially began as an effort to require schools to switch accreditors, following high-profile spats between the state’s current accreditor—the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools—and the boards of Florida State University, and the state university system. That fight saw SACS weigh in on FSU’s presidential search and its consideration of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran for the role. SACS noted that consideration could be seen as political interference which is barred under the agency’s rules.
• Miami Herald ($): Here’s the list of the math textbooks that Florida rejected. “A press release from the Department of Education said that 54 of the 132 textbooks submitted were ‘impermissible with either Florida’s new standards or contained prohibited topics — the most in Florida’s history.’ No specific passages from those rejected books have been provided as examples.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Robotic strawberry picker created in Tampa Bay to deal with shrinking labor force. ”
• WMFE: Disney drops face mask mandate. Mickey Mouse ears still encouraged. “Face coverings are now optional for vaccinated guests including in indoor locations as well as aboard Disney transportation.”
From NPR News • World: How daily life in Russia has changed since the country invaded Ukraine
• World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 19)
• World: A Ukrainian family finds solace in America but cannot escape heartbreak
• Climate: Climate change fueled extreme rainfall during the record 2020 hurricane reason
• Health: Despite effective treatments, HIV drags on. Experts warn COVID may face the same fate
• Education: Student loan borrowers will get help after an NPR report and years of complaints
• Business: The IRS misses billions in uncollected tax each year. Here’s why
• National: Finishing the Boston Marathon had special significance for Henry Richard
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • News Service of Florida: DeSantis will ask legislators to hold a special session on property insurance. “DeSantis said the special session could address other issues that did not get resolved during the regular legislative session, which ended March 14. Among the high-profile issues that did not pass were a plan to put additional requirements on condominium buildings after the deadly collapse last year of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside.”
• NPR News: TSA will no longer enforce travel mask mandate after a federal judge strikes it down. “The federal travel mask mandate will not be implemented as the Biden administration reviews a Florida federal judge’s ruling against it.”
• Fresh Take Florida: FBI investigating whether Florida prisoner sent threatening letter to US judge. “A federal grand jury has indicted a self-described gang member with a violent criminal history in a Florida prison, accusing him of mailing a ruthless threat to a senior federal judge in Jacksonville – and trying to frame one of his fellow prisoners, according to court records.”
• Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida still won’t explain why it rejected math textbooks. “Days after rejecting dozens of math textbooks for including what the state Department of Education claimed were ‘indoctrinating concepts,’ Florida officials on Monday continued to refuse requests for examples.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s jobless rate dips to 3.2 percent as workers have unprecedented opportunities. “Florida’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.2 percent in March, as workers shift away from gigs at hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues for higher-paying jobs in manufacturing, warehousing and logistics.”
• News4Jax: Relief at the pump: Florida gas prices continue to drop. “The state average has now declined nearly 25 cents per gallon over the course of a little more than two weeks. The average price in the state is now $4.01 for a gallon of regular gas. That’s 27 cents less than a month ago, and the lowest price since Russia invaded Ukraine.”
• WFSU: Gadsden County residents voice opposition to likely removal of Rep. Lawson’s district. “Florida lawmakers are meeting in Tallahassee this week to pass a new congressional map as part of the once-a-decade reapportionment process. Republican legislative leaders have said that they plan to pass a map that the governor will sign and that can stand up in court.”
• Florida Times-Union ($): Gov. Ron DeSantis approves $80 million for new trauma center at UF Health Jacksonville. “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday in Jacksonville he will keep $80 million in the budget approved by the state Legislature for a new UF Health Jacksonville trauma center that will be named in honor of the late Leon Haley Jr., who died a year ago while serving as the hospital CEO.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Judge overseeing Nikolas Cruz death penalty trial sheds anonymity for national spotlight. “Elizabeth Scherer has been a Broward County circuit court judge since 2012, but her tenure had been mostly unnoteworthy until she was randomly selected to oversee the trial of Nikolas Cruz.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): What is going on with Florida’s first 3D printed house? Find out why it’s still not completed. “The three-bedroom, two-bath house, which will have a listing price of $225,000, still needs electric wiring, appliances, paint, flooring and kitchen furnishings before being ready for its first open house.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Over 700 license plates banned in Florida. “According to FLHSMV, license plates with ‘obscene or objectionable words’ are rejected. If a plate is issued that is later found to be obscene or objectionable, the plate will be recalled. Staff in the tax collectors’ offices or FLHSMV offices screen vanity plates for potentially obscene options.”
• The Alligator: Hawks plunge at pedestrians in the Norman Hall area. “The hawks are back for their annual mating season, ready to dive-bomb anyone near their babies. This is the third year that the same set of hawks has nested, UF’s Assistant Vice President of Facilities Services Mark Helms said. They come every spring for six weeks and leave once they have their babies.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 18)
• World: A charity kitchen in Ukraine linked to chef José Andrés was destroyed by a missile
• Health: Some major U.S. airlines are dropping mask mandates for travelers
• Business: InfoWars files for bankruptcy in the face of lawsuits over Sandy Hook shooting denial
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: North central Florida schools and parents face challenges due to bus driver shortages. “School districts across north central Florida – and across the nation – are dealing with an urgent lack of bus drivers, which means each morning many students are left alone or in groups hoping their bus comes. Often, they are stranded at busy traffic intersections, and too often, their parents say, families must scramble to get them to their schools.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Controversial development project planned for Suburban Heights area. “Real estate agents for Colliers International are now leasing mixed-use space for a project that’s planned for the corner of Northwest 23rd Avenue and 43rd Street, on what was once the St. Michael’s Episcopal Church property. The plan has been hotly debated for at least the past four years, as residents complained it would lead to more noise and traffic in the Suburban Heights neighborhood — an already densely populated part of town.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: UF announces advisors for presidential search. “Morteza Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, announced the 13 advisors who will assist UF’s Presidential Search Committee in a Friday announcement. While not members of the committee, the advisors will offer their expertise to Hosseini and the chair of the search committee, Rahul Patel.”
• WUFT News: Operation Green Light succeeds in helping people get their driver’s licenses reinstated. “The program allows Florida residents to pay overdue fines, traffic tickets and court-ordered obligations, while saving on additional fees.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville church’s donations make their way to Ukraine. “The University City Church of Christ in Gainesville is among the area churches mobilizing to send material goods and money to the war-torn country. It prepared five-gallon buckets filled with antiseptic supplies and snacks that are being shipped with the help of Healing Hands International. The ministry raised $30,000 in one Sunday alone to put together 25,000 buckets.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Estate Planning
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• Guardianship
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Around the state • Miami Herald ($): Florida targets school math textbooks over critical race theory objections. “The Florida Department of Education on Friday said the state will not include dozens of math textbooks in a list used by school districts to buy books for classrooms because their content included references to critical race theory and other ‘prohibited topics’ and ‘unsolicited strategies.'”
• Fresh Take Florida: Here’s what Florida’s lawmakers didn’t do: notable failed bills in 2022. “In the House and Senate, lawmakers proposed 3,685 pieces of legislation, but only about 285 passed in both chambers, slightly higher than the number since at least 2016, according to legislative records. Lawmakers passed a $112 billion state budget, as the session ended after votes on controversial legislation aimed at cultural issues unsettled between conservatives and progressives.”
• New York Times ($): Disney, Built on Fairy Tales and Fantasy, Confronts the Real World. “…the entertainment giant has also found itself dragged into the fray, as with the recent imbroglio over a new Florida law that among many things restricts classroom instruction through third grade on sexual orientation and gender identity and has been labeled by opponents as ‘Don’t Say Gay.'”
• Florida Today ($): Will Florida dodge a major hurricane strike again in 2022? Forecast shows increased risk. “Odds of a major hurricane striking within 50 miles of Florida in 2022 are 44% amid a busier-than-normal Atlantic season, Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project predicted last week. During an average season, CSU forecasters peg the odds of a major hurricane strike within 50 miles of Florida at 29%, based on the 1880-2020 climatological average.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Tampa Bay has dodged Florida’s catastrophic hurricanes, but for how much longer? “It’s been over a century since a major hurricane (category 3 or greater) has made landfall in the Tampa Bay Area. That was the 1921 Tampa Bay Hurricane. And while the area has been hit by multiple damaging storms since then, Tampa Bay has somehow avoided the big one.”
• Fort Myers News-Press ($): Humans make red tide worse, nitrogen flows ‘systematically intensify blooms’ study says. “For years there was an ideological tug of war: Some argued that red tide is a natural phenomenon for which people aren’t responsible. After all, they said, mariners in the 1700s documented the toxic overgrowth, long before the state was densely populated. That may be, said others, but dense population definitely makes it worse.”
• WFSU: Brandes questions whether a lawmaker poll can be done in time for an insurance special session. “A poll of lawmakers is underway to determine if they will consider property insurance in addition to redistricting. A three-fifths majority is needed in order to move forward. The results are due Tuesday when the session begins, and outgoing Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican, suggests the state took its time surveying members, who got the surveys Thursday.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: More convicted sex buyers added to Florida’s public database following I-Team report. “Florida’s Soliciting for Prostitution Public Database currently lists 28 convicted sex buyers. The update comes after the I-Team revealed that one year after its launch the database listed a grand total of one sex buyer for the whole state.”
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 17)
• National: 2 people are dead, 8 others shot and injured at a house party in Pittsburgh
• Health: It’s time to screen all kids for anxiety, physicians’ task force recommends
• Business: Even home appraisers are doing their jobs remotely
• Business: The Ever Forward is finally free from the Chesapeake Bay — one month later
• Business: How to make customer service interactions work in your favor
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville’s autonomous shuttle incorporates new technology. “Now, thanks to a radio traffic technology installed by Gainesville’s Regional Transit System along the shuttle’s route, the autonomous vehicle is relieved of one former liability: identifying when the light changes on the road’s traffic lights.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua County school district subpoenaed for records in federal grand jury probe. “The probe stems from a nearly $4 million land purchase of 37 acres in 2020 that involved two Gainesville real estate agents, Daniel Drotos and Michael Ryals. Drotos and Ryals, who are facing criminal charges in a separate case, are accused of pushing the price higher to boost their commission. The agents deny any wrongdoing.”
• WUFT News: UF rises to fourth place for most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in the nation. “Seven University of Florida scholars received Fulbright grants for 2021-2022, placing the university in a tie for fourth place for most Fulbright U.S. scholars this year.”
• First Coast News: UF researchers study crop that could be used as jet fuel. “The crop (called carinata) is seen as beneficial for additional environmental reasons, according to researchers. The winter crop could also lead to increased revenue for farmers and is considered to be a viable option for producers.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Associated Press: Abortion ban after 15 weeks signed into law in Florida. “The new law, which takes effect July 1, contains exceptions if the abortion is necessary to save a mother’s life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow for exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking, despite several Democratic attempts to amend the bill. Under current law, Florida allows abortions up to 24 weeks.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis’ map reshapes Tampa Bay and eliminates a battleground. “DeSantis’ Office submitted a map (P 0109) on Wednesday as Republican leaders in the Legislature signaled they would support the plan. The proposal is one that would alter the makeup of Tampa Bay and likely leave it with one Democratic Congressman instead of two.”
• Miami Herald ($): Florida universities could lose funding if they violate ‘anti-woke’ law. “If approved, public universities and colleges could be accused of and sued for discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex if a student or employee objects to instructional materials or training sessions that they believe don’t meet a new set of ‘individual freedom’ principles laid out by Republican lawmakers.”
• CBS Miami: Polling Starts On Homeowners Insurance Special Session. “For a special session to be held, Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, would need to get support from three-fifths of the members of both legislative chambers — 24 senators and 72 House members.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Man behind most Florida insurance company ratings paints grim picture if crisis isn’t addressed. “Joseph Petrelli, the president of Demotech, Inc., controls the financial rating of 60 percent of Florida’s insurance companies. He’s now urging lawmakers to hold not one, but two special sessions to address Florida’s skyrocketing property insurance premiums.”
• WFME: New report: opioid overdoses at historic highs. “The report from Project Opioid says that overdose deaths in Florida have increased by 190% since 2015, although the rate slowed some between 2020 and 2021.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida city with infamous racial stain earns surprise state grant to repair its abandoned Black cemetery. “It was almost like a miracle touched the abandoned, historic Black cemetery in Groveland, just west of Orlando. After the state rejected the city’s application for $499,000 to restore a graveyard where 70 souls are believed to be buried, Groveland unexpectedly got word a few weeks ago the funds were suddenly available. A surprise $30 million was put into the pool of grant money for African-American projects around Florida that lawmakers added at the last minute to the final budget.”
• WSVN-Miami: Florida leaders call on DeSantis for condo reform as anniversary of Surfside collapse approaches. “As the one-year anniversary of the collapse approaches a group of state leaders gathered Thursday to hold a news conference demanding a call to action by the governor.”
• NBC 2-Fort Myers: Florida’s state shell at higher verge of extinction than scientists thought. “If we aren’t careful, we may not find these on the beach or in the water anymore. Instead, we may only see these invertebrates in museums.”
From NPR News • Politics: Republicans say they’re quitting the ‘biased’ Commission on Presidential Debates
• Energy: For the first time, wind power eclipsed both coal and nuclear in the U.S.
• National: Millions of Americans are resorting to risky ways to buy an affordable home
• Business: Judge cuts the payout in a Black former Tesla contractor’s racial discrimination suit
• World: As the war in Ukraine continues, so does the threat to a global food crisis
• Science: The first known interstellar meteor hit Earth in 2014, U.S. officials say
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • Politico: DeSantis to push through new Florida map that will bring big GOP gains. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a move that will likely trigger a huge legal fight, is pushing ahead with a new congressional map for his state that could allow Republicans to pick up an additional four seats this year.”
• Click Orlando: ‘As long as I sit in the chair:’ Florida Gov. DeSantis rules out COVID restrictions as cases rise. “At a news conference in Miami on Tuesday — while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks an emerging dominant strain of COVID-19 that now accounts for 72% of new infections in the U.S. — Gov. Ron DeSantis quashed any potential for further state-supported COVID-19 restrictions in Florida, as the state once again experiences an upward trend in cases.”
• News Service of Florida: The federal government says Florida has no legal standing to challenge its immigration policies. “The state’s lawsuit says the Biden administration has violated immigration laws through policies that have led to people being released from detention after crossing the U.S. border with Mexico.”
• Miami Herald ($): There’s a meningitis outbreak in Florida. Here’s who is at risk and what you need to know. “So far this year Florida has confirmed 21 cases of meningococcal disease, far outpacing annual averages, said state health officials, who are encouraging high-risk groups — including gay and bisexual men, people with HIV and college students — to get vaccinated against the often severe and sometimes deadly illness.”
• WUFT News: Two UF students are working to end their rare disease, Friedreich’s Ataxia. “Christian Maugee, 22, and Shandra Trantham, 24, dreamed of finding a cure for the neuromuscular disorder Friedreich’s Ataxia, or FA, since they found out they were diagnosed. Maugee and Trantham both have the disease that affects one in 50,000 people in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins HealthCare, symptoms begin showing between ages 5 and 15. The disease causes muscle weakness and a loss of balance and coordination.”
• WUFT News: City of Gainesville looking for performers for busker focus group. “The City of Gainesville is looking for performers to take part in a focus group that will help create guidelines for a new city initiative that would allow creatives to perform street shows in downtown Gainesville. The city commission has set aside $25,000 to start the program, which would be managed by the Gainesville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department.”
• WJCT: Will Jacksonville remove Confederate monuments? Voters may decide. “Dueling legislation from the Jacksonville City Council provides two possible paths for settling the issue of Confederate monuments on public land, and one of them would leave it up to the public.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Jury trial ordered in Petito family lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s parents. “In the lawsuit, Petito’s family claims that Laundrie’s parents knew he murdered their daughter and were attempting to help him escape. However, the Laundrie family’s lawyer, Steven Bertolino, called those accusations ‘baseless’ and ‘frivolous.'”
• Washington Post ($): Two Florida men at The Villages admit to voter fraud in 2020 election. “Charles F. Barnes and Jay Ketcik, residents of The Villages in Sumter County, Fla., pleaded guilty to casting more than one ballot in the election. Voter fraud is a third-degree felony that can result in a maximum five-year prison sentence.”
Today’s sponsored message
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From NPR News • World: Images of Zelenskyy show the physical toll that trauma and stress can have on the body
• World: These intricately decorated eggs are raising money and good wishes for Ukraine
• Health: CDC extends transportation mask mandate until May 3
• Science: The Hubble telescope confirms the largest comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers
• National: Police have arrested Frank R. James, the Brooklyn subway shooting suspect
• National: How much energy powers a good life? Less than you’re using, says a new report
• National: Will electric pickup trucks get rural America to switch from gas to electric?
• Politics: The Biden administration is regulating ‘ghost guns.’ Here’s what the rule does
• Sports: Alyssa Nakken becomes the first woman to coach on the field in MLB history
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: North central Florida newspapers attempt to remedy Gilchrist County news desert. “With a bill on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk proposing to strip local papers of legal notices, which often fill lots of pages, the future of small town journalism across Florida is uncertain.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County School Board eyes changes to Camp Crystal Lake, former superintendent calls for external investigation. “At a school board workshop Tuesday, Chief of Finance Alex Rella presented possible changes to make the summer camp self-sufficient and isolate district funds for the school year educational programs only. Board members advised the camp to raise both summer camp and out-of-county camper fees.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville residents are feeling the impact of high gas prices. “The U.S Department of Labor reported in March that the consumer price index increased 1.2% across the board. The data show gasoline, shelter and food were the largest contributors to this swell.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Ocala judge sets bail for man charged with murder; defense says state’s case is ‘weak.’ “Circuit Judge Robert Hodges set bail at $50,000 for Fontil, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Kobe Bradshaw.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): UF Athletics set to receive its single-largest donation of $12.6M for facility renovations. “The record-setting amount comes from Hugh Hathcock, a longtime supporter of Gator Boosters and owner of Velocity Automotive Solutions.”
• WUFT News: Santa Fe College to host Spanish inclusion event. “The event, called Sigue Soñando, which is the Spanish term for “keep dreaming,” will be hosted completely in Spanish. Representatives from the admissions office, international studies department, academic affairs department and the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program will be there to help prospective students and their families learn about the admissions process at Santa Fe College.”
• WUFT News: A Lafayette County couple acts as Noah’s Ark for the county’s surrendered animals. “Many small, rural counties lack funding for animal services, which makes it difficult for residents who need to surrender livestock or pets. In Lafayette County, the Pearce’s ad-hoc animal sanctuary — known as Where Every Animal Has A Home — has spread through word of mouth.”
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Around the state • WJCT: Civil rights legend Bill Sheppard dies. “Attorney Bill Sheppard, a civil rights legend who wielded the U.S. Constitution in his nearly six-decade fight to transform Jacksonville and Florida, died Saturday. He was 80.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s 24-hour abortion waiting period law can go into effect, says judge. “Judge Angela Dempsey issued a ruling Friday that upheld the constitutionality of a 2015 law that called for women to wait 24 hours after initial visits with physicians before having abortions.”
• Pensacola News Journal ($): Marco Rubio stumps in Pensacola; advocates for burn pits health care bill for veterans. “Speaking to reporters Tuesday at a campaign event in Pensacola, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said a bill that will provide health care coverage for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in warzones will get a floor vote in the Senate before August.”
• WLRN: DeSantis signs law expanding financial aid for foster care youth, caregivers. “At a bill signing event at Miami Dade College on Tuesday, DeSantis said the measure is meant to give kids in the foster system a better chance at independence and to incentivize more Floridians to become caregivers.”
• Miami Herald ($): After Surfside collapse, Miami-Dade drafts reforms that fall short of recommendations. “The most substantial package of reforms, which would reshape the way buildings are inspected and regulated in Miami-Dade County, gets its first public hearing on Wednesday.”
• WLRN: Some South Florida teachers say ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law is making them consider leaving the classroom. “It’s an incredibly difficult decision to make, especially for LGBTQ educators: Work under conditions they feel are wrong or leave their students behind?”
• FLKeysNews ($): Nearly 90 Haitian migrants returned four days after they were stopped at sea. “The group of men, women and children are part of an ongoing migrant surge from both Haiti and Cuba to South Florida that has been keeping the Coast Guard, Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations units busy in the region for more than a year.”
From NPR News • Politics: Biden accuses Putin of committing a ‘genocide’ in Ukraine
• Business: Credit firm TransUnion used deceptive marketing and ‘dark patterns,’ lawsuit alleges
• Health: The new White House COVID czar calls for calm as cases rise, driven by BA.2
• Health: Teen drug overdose deaths rose sharply in 2020, driven by fentanyl-laced pills
• National: NYPD identifies a person of interest in the Brooklyn subway shooting
• Business: 3 things to know as Russia heads to a historic debt default
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: ‘I finally did something about me’: Violence survivors art exhibit to be held in Gainesville. “The Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center will host the exhibit – featuring six artists and approximately 20 pieces of artwork – in recognition of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”
• WUFT News: ‘That’s like my natural high’: This young bicycle rider is turning heads in Gainesville. “’K’ McGlon is part of ‘One Wheel,’ a group of 15- to 24-year-olds also known throughout the area as the ‘Wheelie Boys,’ among other nicknames. Whether on University Avenue or at Depot Park, he enjoys making people smile as he rides by them with one wheel off the ground, or while standing on top of his bike as it moves at high speeds, a trick he calls ‘surfing.’”
• WUFT News: Gainesville skateboarders gather for the city’s first skate contest in two years. “The contest saw skateboarders, roller skaters and scooter riders all competing for a shot at the podium. Riders were split into three divisions by age: 12 & under, 13-16 and 17 & older, with another division designated for sponsored skaters.”
• WUFT News: The Great Gainesville Car Show raises over $3,000 for Noah’s Endeavor. “Noah’s Endeavor, a non-profit that offers sports for disabled children, hosted the car show to raise funds for their activities. The group hosts activities like soccer, basketball and baseball where all kids have the opportunity to play. They raised over $3,000 for their events Saturday.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • WMFE: Florida lawmakers back special session on property insurance. “(Jeff) Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg, didn’t wait for Gov. Ron DeSantis or Legislative leadership to line up lawmakers for a special session on property insurance.”
• WFTS – Tampa: Florida homeowners will pay the price if lawmakers don’t agree on a fix for property insurance. “Currently homeowners whose insurers did not dump them are faced with a different kind of pain: skyrocketing rate increases. Companies who continue to write business in the sunshine state are jacking up rates by as much as 111 percent.”
• News4JAX: DeSantis signs bill to provide $70 million to support fatherhood in Florida. “According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, there are 18.4 million children and 25% live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.”
• WUSF: Trial for Florida’s opioid lawsuit against Walgreens begins in Pasco. “The Florida Attorney General’s office says Walgreens should have been “the last line of defense” to stop addictive drugs from getting into the wrong hands, but says that was not the case.”
• First Coast News: Florida facing meningococcal disease outbreak, people urged to get vaccinated. “Already this year, the number of cases statewide has surpassed the five-year average case count. Epidemiologists have been investigating the cases and doing contact tracing.”
• Associated Press: Florida Legislature won’t draw new congressional map, asks for plan from DeSantis.“House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson sent a memo to lawmakers Monday ahead of a special session next week saying legislative staff will not draw new maps to be considered by the chambers. Instead, they’re asking Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to give them one.”
• Florida Politics: Disney donated $125K to Florida GOP at Session’s start. “The Walt Disney Company in January sent the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) two donations totaling $125,000 during the first weeks of this year’s Legislative Session. The contributions came before the entertainment giant announced a moratorium on political donations in the Sunshine State over Florida Republicans’ support for legislation targeting classroom discussions about LGBTQ topics.”
• WLRN: Climate change is affecting archaeological sites in Palm Beach County. “Long before Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida, native people called Palm Beach County home, and many archaeological sites related to these native people can be found throughout the county. But climate change may affect some of these sites.”
From NPR News • National: U.S. citizens can now choose the gender ‘X’ on their passport applications
• Health: Dr. Ashish Jha, new White House coronavirus czar, talks future of virus
• National: Philadelphia to reinstate its mask mandate after a rise in COVID cases
• World: Russia’s war could shrink the Ukrainian economy by 45% this year, the World Bank says
• Health: U.S. orders consular staff to leave Shanghai amid COVID surge
• World: Mexico’s president declares victory after recall vote, which critics say was rigged
• Health: Texas doctors are worried for their patients losing access to gender-affirming care
• Health: A shortage of baby formula is worsening and causing some stores to limit sales
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Fresh Take Florida: Homeless man described by sister as mentally ill is first arrest in Florida voter fraud investigation. “The first of 10 felons charged with election fraud is back in the county jail where he was first accused of signing up as an ineligible voter during a jailhouse registration drive in 2020. Kelvin Bolton, 55, of Gainesville, was arrested at a local homeless shelter, St Francis House, court records showed. He was being held Thursday in the Alachua County jail on a $30,000 bond on third-degree felony charges of perjury and fraud.”
• WUFT News: Inside the effort to bring healthcare to Gainesville’s uninsured. “While Chen said the clinic’s patients are often migrant workers and those without housing, more than 12% of Gainesville residents under 65 were uninsured according to the last census. WUFT’s Katie Hyson spoke with Chen about his experiences working with the clinic.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Former school board member Diyonne McGraw files to run for seat she was removed from. “With new district lines, McGraw’s home falls within District 2, making her qualified to seak the seat she once held.”
• WUFT News: Dixie County is still recovering from flood damage with hurricane season around the corner. “The county bore the brunt of a stormy summer punctuated by Tropical Storm Elsa in July and lingering rainfall that lasted well until September. Local roads closed, residents evacuated from their properties and into shelters, and by October, around 200 houses held standing water.”
• Ocala Gazette: Marion county to consider ordinance mandating sewer connection. “The ordinance would also only apply to properties in Marion County service areas and does not include sewer lines that might be available nearby from municipalities.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): What’s up with all those caterpillars? Experts explain Ocala area’s fuzzy insect outbreak. “If you’re in Florida and have ventured outside lately anywhere with oak trees, you may have encountered a unique caterpillar — or hundreds. The ubiquitous insect undergoing its annual outbreak is the fir tussock moth, or Orgyia detrita for those who prefer the scientific nomenclature. The creatures, which are abundant throughout the state, can cause skin irritation…”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Fresh Take Florida: Florida’s largest Medicaid payment vendor must pay nearly $9.1 million after missing deadline to challenge government fine. “The deadline set by Florida lapsed for its largest Medicaid payment vendor to challenge a nearly $9.1 million fine over the company’s failure for nearly three months to pay tens of thousands of health-care claims for the state’s sickest and neediest children. Sunshine State Health Plan Inc. of Tampa had until 5 p.m. Thursday to dispute the large fine imposed last month by its government regulator, the Agency for Health Care Administration, leaving the company with only the option to concede to pay.”
• Politico: Florida’s Scott exposes fissures with DeSantis. “Scott’s less combative tone over Disney is another reminder of the stylistic and policy differences between the two Florida Republicans, with both being seen as potential 2024 challengers if former President Donald Trump does not run again. It also highlights other areas where the two Florida Republicans diverge, including on using federal aid and the current Russian invasion in Ukraine.”
• New York Times ($): Crypto Industry Helps Write, and Pass, Its Own Agenda in State Capitols. “In the Florida House last month, legislators swiftly gave final approval to a bill that makes it easier to buy and sell cryptocurrency, eliminating a threat from a law intended to curb money laundering. One of the few pauses in the action came when two House members stood up to thank crypto industry ‘stakeholders’ for teaming with state officials to write a draft of the bill.”
• Associated Press: Florida has 3rd largest number of school book ban incidents. “PEN America says Florida had 204 instances of book banning in seven school districts between July 2021 and March 2022. Only Texas and Pennsylvania had higher numbers.”
• NPR News: Disney and Universal will build affordable housing in Florida, where need is acute. “Anyone looking for affordable housing in central or southern Florida is in for a wild ride — and that’s why two Florida theme parks are pledging to devote around 100 acres of land to ease the housing crunch. In places like Orlando and Tampa, rent has been rising faster than nearly every other part of the U.S. The average rent in Orlando jumped by 21% in just one year, from 2020 to 2021.”
• NPR News: Not just Florida. More than a dozen states propose so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills. “Across the United States, at least a dozen states are considering new legislation that in several ways will mirror Florida’s new controversial law, referred to by some opponents as ‘Don’t Say Gay.’ The specific details regarding the bills vary between states. But overall, they seek to prohibit schools from using a curriculum or discussing topics of gender identity or sexual orientation.”
• Florida Today ($): Thousands of scallops wash up on Satellite Beach, leading many to ask: ‘what’s happening?’ “Countless calico scallops washed ashore Friday, scattering a mystery over a mile-long stretch of Satellite Beach. Local beachgoers say they’ve never seen anything like it, while state biologists — as they investigate the matter — speculate wind and waves brought them in. Others aren’t so sure.”
From NPR News • Health: What to do if you test positive for COVID at this point in the pandemic
• Health: CDC weighs new opioid prescribing guidelines amid controversy over old ones
• World: From Nuremberg to Darfur, history has seen some war criminals brought to trial
• World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 10)
• Race: After 232 years, Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Black woman on the Supreme Court
• Politics: More details emerge in federal investigation into Hunter Biden
• Climate: Snow crabs in the Bering Sea have been hard to find — partially due to climate change
• Business: Money from the COVID Paycheck Protection Program was allegedly largely misspent
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office employees cleared of wrongdoing in voter fraud probe. “An eight-month, Florida criminal voter fraud investigation has cleared all current and former employees at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, prosecutors said Thursday.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Corners cut in hiring Ladapo at UF according to Faculty Senate investigation. “University of Florida administrators cut corners in the rush to hire Dr. Joseph Ladapo with tenure in the College of Medicine last fall, an investigative committee of the UF Faculty Senate concluded.”
• WUFT News: ‘Better together’: Minority women-owned businesses flourish in Gainesville. “The University of Florida Warrington College of Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center hosted its annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Summit virtually Friday. Around 150 attendees tuned in to listen to keynote speakers, panelists and female entrepreneurs.”
• WUFT News: High Springs is working to finalize a contract with its canoe post operator. “The City of High Springs has taken on a partnership with Andersons Outdoor Adventures to run a canoe outpost that the city acquired in 2021.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • NBC 6 South Florida: LGBTQ Groups Sue Florida Over So-Called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law. “The challenge filed in federal court in Tallahassee on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality alleges that the law violates the constitutionally protected rights of free speech, equal protection and due process of students and families.”
• Associated Press: Judge strikes down parts of Florida election law; cites race. “The law tightened rules on mailed ballots, drop boxes and other popular election methods — changes that made it more difficult for Black voters who, overall, have more socioeconomic disadvantages than white voters, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote in his ruling.”
• WINK – Fort Myers: Under new Risk Rating 2.0, Florida flood ins. premiums are about to go up for most. “The bad news: 80 percent of Floridians will see a price increase.”
• CBS Miami: State Taking Walgreens To Court For Its Alleged Role In Opioid Crisis. “So far the state has recovered more than $3 billion from other pharmaceutical companies in its opioid litigation, but Walgreens was not one of the companies.”
• News4JAX: DeSantis announces another round of $1K bonuses for first responders. “Citing inflation and higher gas prices, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s giving first responders another round of bonuses.”
• Florida Politics: Law enforcement recruitment package hits Gov. DeSantis’ desk. “The bill (HB 3), passed 114-3 in the House and unanimously in the Senate, would provide recruits a bundle of perks. Among them is a one-time $5,000 bonus for first-time officers and a $1,000 reimbursement program for out-of-state officers who relocate to Florida. It would also bump the base pay for county sheriffs by $5,000.”
• WFTS – Tampa: New Bucs head coach Todd Bowles faces championship expectations in Tampa. “Not surprisingly, Bowles said that he’s not coming in and changing what’s been working for the Bucs. Instead, Bowles said he and the coaching staff will try to “add on” to the foundation Arians left with the team.”
• News4JAX: 1st elected Black female judge in Duval County commemorates 1st year in office with ceremony. “Duval County Judge Rhonda Peoples-Waters commemorated her first year in office with a historic investiture ceremony Thursday.”
From NPR News • Politics: House passes bill to cap insulin prices
• Business: What to know about the U.S. emergency oil stash as Biden gears up to tap the reserves
• Health: COVID-19 infection increases your risk for diabetes, a new study says
• Politics: Jared Kushner provided ‘helpful’ details to the Jan. 6 committee, a panel member says
• Business: Food prices are going up — and at levels Americans haven’t seen in decades
• Business: Labor groups close in on Amazon in 2 tight union elections
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • WUFT News: Five inmates indicted on voter fraud charges following jailhouse registration drive in Alachua County. “All the men charged this week had listed the county jail on their voter forms as their home address, according to registration records. At least four voted in the 2020 elections. Each owed a few hundred dollars in unpaid court fees in prior felony cases when they registered as voters or cast ballots in the last presidential election, according to court records, which would have made them ineligible under Florida law.”
• WUFT News: University of Florida students, professors hold teach-in on academic freedom. “Professors and students began protesting the university in November for infringing academic freedom after three UF political science professors were barred from testifying in a voting rights lawsuit against Florida. The professors were later allowed to testify but filed suit against UF for the conflict-of-interest policy that originally stopped them from testifying.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida’s Board of Governors is at odds with the state universities’ accreditor over ‘undue influence.’ “During a meeting Tuesday, Alan Levine, chairman of the Board of Governors’ Strategic Planning Committee, suggested that tensions with the current organization have been building for some time. ‘I’ve held my tongue on this for a year now,’ Levine said, before listing examples that he said gave him ‘grave concern’ about the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC. Levine pointed to SACSCOC writing letters to higher-education officials on three issues at Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.”
• WMFE: Manatee feeding program ends Friday after serving up 96 tons of lettuce. “A supplemental feeding program that served up more than 193,000 pounds of lettuce to hungry manatees in the Indian River Lagoon is expected to end on Friday. A record 1,101 manatees died in Florida last year, many from starvation in the sprawling lagoon. In winter, they gather near power plants. But excess nutrients from homes and farms have clouded the water with algae and killed much of the sea grass they eat.”
• News Service of Florida: DeSantis expects legislators to make changes in property insurance system this year. “The governor did not include property insurance issues as part of a special session that he called Tuesday, but said more legislative action is needed after lawmakers passed a property insurance bill in 2021.”
• St. Augustine Record ($): St. Augustine receives more than $26.5M for flooding, other resilience projects. “The city of St. Augustine has been awarded more than $26.5 million in federal grants for seven resilience projects, and a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on flood mitigation is moving forward.”
• Miami Herald ($): Judge hears passionate arguments from Surfside victims but OKs $83 million settlement. “Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman listened to emotional arguments on both sides and ruled that an agreement reached in mediation would stand, paying owners of the 136 units of Champlain Towers South in proportion to the size of their units but substantially less than the appraised or market value.”
• WUSF: Cruises leaving from Florida are getting more crowded as bookings are twice as strong as last year. “AAA’s research shows that over 20% of Americans are considering a cruise in the next two years, with 41% of those people claiming that they better understand the COVID-19 risks presented by cruises. Additionally, Americans are more confident in cruise lines and their responses to the pandemic.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
• Business Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 30)
• Health: Ivermectin does not prevent COVID-19 hospitalization, a new study says
• Health: Understanding aphasia, the condition impacting Bruce Willis’ acting career
• Health: CDC drops its COVID-19 risk advisory for cruise ship travel
• National: After closing for 2 years, tours begin at the U.S. Capitol
• National: Pink Floyd, a flamingo on the lam from a Kansas zoo since 2005, is seen again in Texas
• Science: ‘Eee!’ Male dolphins whistle to stay in touch with distant ocean pals
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville becomes first community in Florida to publicly launch blueprint to become a certified welcoming city to immigrants. “The plan was unveiled at the Matheson History Museum to a room packed with city and county officials and community members. Surrounded by illustrations of the city’s history, speakers described a chapter still unfolding: an influx of immigrants. More than 10% of people in Gainesville are foreign-born, and this number is likely to grow. Almost a quarter of the city’s total population growth between 2014 and 2019 is attributable to immigrants.”
• WCJB: A 14-person committee was announced by UF officials to find the university’s new president. “UF officials have announced the members of the 14-person committee tasked with finding a new president of the university before President Kent Fuchs steps down at the end of the fall semester.”
• WUFT News: Delay in spending American Rescue dollars is leaving Gainesville’s homeless community in limbo. “Gainesville received half of its federal stimulus funds in July of last year and expects to receive the remaining funds by July, according to Mayor Lauren Poe.”
• WUFT News: Florida’s Appleby entering transfer portal; police name him as possible witness in sex assault case against roommate Keyontae Johnson. “Appleby, 23, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was among five people listed by name as involved in the case on a Gainesville police incident report made available this week.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville’s immigration inclusion blueprint unveiled to community on Tuesday. “The document lists more than 70 action items to build “a more inclusive, accessible and welcoming community for all Gainesville immigrant neighbors,” though there was no anticipated cost for implementing the changes.”
• The Villages Daily Sun: State parks get a boost in restoration funding. “The Florida Legislature recently approved nearly $233 million — a record amount — in the 2022-23 state budget, dedicated to maintenance and improvement projects at state parks.”
• News4Jax: 1-year-old Jose Lara’s body found in Putnam County. “The Sheriff’s Office says there is nothing to indicate foul play, but it is still an active investigation.”
• WUFT News: The owner of the new Swamp Restaurant aims to bring a Gainesville tradition back to life. “This summer, the Swamp Restaurant will reopen in a new location on Southwest Second Avenue, and the new owner Ryan Prodesky wants to maintain what made the old location so special.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • News Service of Florida: Florida AG files suit challenging federal rules on COVID mask wearing for travelers. “In Florida’s latest salvo against the Biden administration over COVID-19 restrictions, Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging requirements that people wear masks in airports and on planes, trains and buses.”
• USA Today Network ($): Gov. DeSantis vetoes congressional map, calls Florida lawmakers back into session. “The Republican governor specifically targeted Congressional District 5 as unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered. Stretching from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, it’s where voters have elected Black Democratic U.S. Rep. Al Lawson since 2016.”
• WFSU: Cabinet meets over Florida’s dysfunctional insurance market and lingering Russian investments. “Florida’s top insurance regulator tried to get out in front of a fast-moving story – a dysfunctional property insurance market with dramatic increases in premiums for homeowners, two months before the start of another hurricane season.”
• Politico: DeSantis says Disney ‘crossed the line’ in calling for ‘Don’t Say Gay’ repeal. “DeSantis, a Republican who signed the bill into law on Monday, was reacting to a tweet from Disney calling on the state Legislature to repeal the law or for the courts to strike it down.”
• Panama City News Herald ($): 70+ mph winds, tornadoes possible: Bay County expecting severe storms Wednesday and Thursday. “Karleisa Rogacheski, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Tallahassee office, told The News Herald on Tuesday that the biggest threat from the cold front pushing through the area will be damaging winds in excess of 70 mph, embedded tornadoes and heavy rainfall.”
• WLRN: Four years after the Parkland shooting, advocates urge lawmakers to take action on gun control. “Survivors of the Parkland shooting and their families members wanted to send lawmakers a message they couldn’t ignore. So last week they used more than 1,000 body bags to spell out the words ‘thoughts and prayers’ on the National Mall.”
• WJCT: Looking to buy a house? This may be the worst time. “Despite rising interest rates, the scorching housing market in Florida has not cooled, a surprising development that should concern people looking to buy a home, new research suggests.”
• FLKeysNews ($): Coast Guard makes a different kind of rescue — and 2 turtles are now at a Keys hospital. “On Monday, Coast Guard crews from Station Key West rescued two injured green turtles in separate discoveries off the Lower Florida Keys.”
From NPR News • World: Russia vows to reduce Ukraine attacks after talks, but the U.S. is skeptical
• Health: Do I really need another booster? The answer depends on age, risk and timing
• Health: The more contagious BA.2 version of omicron is now the most common in the U.S.
• Politics: Lynching is now a federal hate crime after a century of blocked efforts
• Politics: As medication abortion becomes dominant, red states restrict pills
• Politics: The 2022 midterms are underway. Here’s the calendar of primary elections
• National: Federal Trade Commission accuses Intuit of deceptively advertising TurboTax as free
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Joshua Figueroa pleads guilty in the hit-and-run that caused Maggie Paxton’s death. “A judge on Monday rejected a plea deal in the criminal case stemming from a University of Florida student’s 2020 hit-and-run death in Gainesville.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: City seeks input on latest redistricting map. “The Gainesville City Commission is asking for community input into another redistricting map – one that conforms more closely to proposed new voting precincts from the county elections office.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Large mixed-use development planned for land behind Publix at Steeplechase in Jonesville. “The ‘Jonesville Business Park PD Redevelopment’ will initially include 554 multi-family units and 160,000 square feet of non-residential development spread out across almost 70 acres, according to the documents.”
• Florida Storms: Midweek severe threat for northern half of Florida. “A squall line of thunderstorms along a cold front is expected to sweep through the Panhandle from west to east on Tuesday night and portions of North Florida and Central Florida on Wednesday. Environmental conditions could enable storms to produce damaging straight line winds, large hail and a few tornadoes too.”
• News4Jax: State Department of Corrections van backs into correctional officer inside Union County facility: FHP. “A correctional officer was hurt in a crash involving another correctional officer Monday at the Florida Department of Corrections Reception and Medical Center in Union County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.”
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Around the state • Associated Press: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a policy that has drawn intense national scrutiny from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ people. The legislation has pushed Florida and DeSantis, an ascending Republican and potential 2024 presidential candidate, to the forefront of the country’s culture wars, with LGBTQ advocates, students, Democrats, the entertainment industry and the White House denouncing what critics have called the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.”
• Politico: How a lawsuit over a teen spurred Florida Republicans to pass the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. “Florida’s fight over contentious LGBTQ legislation — dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by opponents — had its genesis nearly two years ago, not in the halls of the state Legislature but in a September conversation between a Tallahassee mother and her 13-year-old teen.”
• WUSF: Gas prices across Florida continue to drop, but are expected to level off. “Gas prices across Florida continued inching down last week, with some areas falling below $4 a gallon. But that trend may not last long.”
• WFTS – Tampa Bay: Tampa-based company helps transport dolphin from Texas to Florida Keys. “The Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys was picked for his permanent home.”
• Spectrum News: NASA test of Moon-class rocket pushes launch date of 1st all-private astronaut mission to the Space Station. “The Ax-1 mission had also been scheduled to launch on April 3, but will now launch no earlier than Wednesday, April 6.”
• Nexstar Media Wire: 161 people detained, 75 guns seized over rowdy spring break weekend in Panama City Beach. “Law enforcement officials in a popular Florida spring break destination say criminals were among the massive crowds that poured into town over the weekend.”
• CBS Miami: Walmart To Stop Selling Cigarettes In Select US Stores, Including Florida. “Public health advocates have long urged retailers to stop selling tobacco products, and some cities and states have also banned tobacco sales in pharmacies.”
• FLKeysNews ($): How are migrants traveling to South Florida? The pictures of their boats tell the story. “Boats barely seaworthy and often homemade — many still just offshore, beached or wedged into the mangroves of the Keys — serve as floating monuments to the desperation of Cubans and Haitians escaping their homeland for South Florida.”
• New York Times ($): Bobcats With a Taste for Python Eggs Might Be the Guardians of Florida’s Swamp. “The voracious appetite of the invasive Burmese python is causing Florida’s mammal and bird populations to plummet. With little natural competition to control the big snake’s numbers, the situation looks desperate. But new observations suggest that the bobcat, a wildcat native to Florida, might be able to help.”
From NPR News • Politics: Biden’s new budget calls for funding police and taxing billionaires
• Politics: Trump ‘likely’ committed crime trying to stay in power, judge says in records dispute
• Politics: Jan. 6 committee chairman to recommend inviting Ginni Thomas to appear
• Politics: Jan. 6 panel votes to recommend the House hold ex-Trump advisers in contempt
• Health: Free COVID tests and treatments no longer free for uninsured, as funding runs out
• World: Biden says he was expressing ‘moral outrage’ when saying Putin shouldn’t stay in power
• World: Ukraine is willing to become a neutral country as part of a peace deal with Russia
• Climate: Misinformation is derailing renewable energy projects across the United States
• Business: NIL contracts are changing the landscape of all collegiate sports
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Olympian Brittany Bowe returns to Ocala alma mater. “Nearly 500 students, faculty and alumni welcomed the 34-year-old Olympic ice speedskater back to the very halls she walked 16 years ago. The event included a speech delivered by Bowe and the opportunity for former faculty and friends to reconnect with the Ocala Olympian.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Parade of champions: Ocala’s three Olympians honored with parade and downtown ceremony. “Ocala’s three Winter Olympians, enjoying a whirlwind celebratory tour since arriving home Thursday afternoon, were part of another huge event Saturday evening when they rode in a downtown parade and then received keys to the city during a grand ceremony on the square.”
• WUFT News: Man accused of killing UF student in a hit-and-run expected to change plea Monday. “Six days after University of Florida student Margaret ‘Maggie’ Paxton was killed in a high-profile hit-and-run accident, Gainesville police traced the ownership of the car suspected of striking her to a man who worked at a local auto repair shop. Paxton, 18, of Jacksonville, was hit by a blue BMW on Dec. 9, 2020, as she was crossing West University Avenue at Gale Lemerand Drive. The driver drove away without stopping to offer her aid, according to police reports. Only its discarded fog light parts remained.”
• WUFT News: Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson accused in sexual assault. “Keyontae Johnson, the University of Florida basketball star forward praised for his resilience after he collapsed during a game in December 2020, is being formally accused by police of sexual assault of a drunken young woman at a pool party in an incident last month, according to interviews and court records.”
• News Service of Florida: FDLE Commissioner Swearingen Stepping Down. “The head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is stepping down after 38 years with the agency. Commissioner Rick Swearingen advised members of the agency on Friday he will leave the post this summer.”
• WUFT News: A UF student from Ukraine worries for her friends and family back home dealing with the Russian invasion. “Anastasiia Zaitseva, an international business student at the University of Florida is from a small town in east Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of her home country, she has been afraid for her friends and family back home. Zaitseva said she texts her friends in Kyiv daily.”
• News4Jax: Report states condition of Rodman Dam changed from low to high hazard. “A leaking dam that forms a world-class fishing reservoir in Putnam County is showing its decades-old age with hairline cracks, corrosion and rust. The condition of the Rodman-Kirkpatrick Dam, near Palatka, is at ‘high hazard,’ according to a new report released by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.”
• Florida Times-Union ($): Still without feds’ final report, panel seeks lessons from Jacksonville coal ash spill. “Jacksonville should look for ways to prepare better for marine accidents like last year’s offshore spill of 5,000 tons of coal ash, members of a Jacksonville Waterways Commission panel said Friday. The review committee — formed months after the barge Bridgeport struck a jetty at the mouth of the St. Johns River in March 2021, then was grounded offshore south of Hanna Park — didn’t discuss details of the accident.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Mayoral race heats up after candidate accuses opponent of ‘anti-immigrant’ views. “The debate boils down to the city’s recent decision to move forward with a language access program, which, if approved, could bridge the language barrier between non-English speaking residents and local government. The estimated annual cost is about $316,000.”
• Miami Herald ($): ‘This was a bust.’ South Beach vacations rattled by city’s last-minute curfew rules. “Announced Wednesday morning, the midnight curfew south of Dade Boulevard brought another evening of thinned out crowds Saturday on Ocean Drive as visitors and locals headed across Biscayne Bay for clubs in downtown Miami, Wynwood and beyond.”
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WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
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From NPR News • Health: The FDA is expected to authorize 2nd boosters for people 50 and up
• World: Biden says of Putin: ‘For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power’
• Business: Avian flu is infecting U.S. poultry flocks. It could affect the price of chicken, too
• Business: Gas prices got you wanting an electric or hybrid car? Well, good luck finding one
• Education: Law students praise Ketanji Brown Jackson’s poise at the Senate hearings
• National: ‘CODA’ brings home the Oscar for best picture, a historic win for the Deaf community
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville police never called an interpreter for the questioning and arrest of a deaf man. He was found guilty this week. “The case highlights gaps in the local legal system to provide equal footing to people who are deaf.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County School District will lose out on $2 million for defying a ban on mask mandates. “The original proposal would have cut $200 million from the budgets of 12 Florida districts that defied the state’s mask mandates ban put in place during the height of the Delta variant outbreak. Now, the state is implementing a revised version of the Florida School Recognition Program, which allocates money from a $200 million fund to only the 55 districts who abided by DeSantis’ ban.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County fines owner of West End Golf Club as residents’ frustrations grow over upkeep. “The property had accrued fines totaling $37,500 from code enforcement violations since its closure in 2019. The debt forced Alachua County to issue a lien on the 75-acre plot, barring it from being sold and effectively obstructing any tentative plans for new development. Peter Min, who manages the property, requested the fine be reduced and the lien be released during the March 3 hearing. Terry Zinn, the special magistrate who presided over the hearing, reduced the fine to $15,000. Min now has until April 9 to pay the reduced fine or it will revert to its original amount.”
• WCJB: 660 loads of debris hauled off to landfill during tornado clean-up, more still to clean. “Since March 12, clean-up efforts have been underway and Marion County Engineer Elton Holland said they expect those efforts to continue for the rest of the month. Roughly 660 loads of debris have already been hauled off to the Baseline landfill. Holland said that’s about 20% so far.”
• WMFE: Ocala prepares to celebrate its three Olympic medalistS in speed skating. “The city of Ocala will celebrate its trio of speed skating Olympic medalists with a parade on Silver Springs Boulevard and a downtown ceremony Saturday evening.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
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Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • WLRN: A study finds Florida has highest number of polluted lakes in the U.S. “Florida has climbed to the top of another ignominious list, thanks to hundreds of thousands of acres of lakes fouled by algae blooms fed by farm run-off and dirty stormwater. In a new study examining water quality across the U.S., Florida ranked first for the highest total acres of lakes too polluted for swimming or healthy aquatic life. That means water can have high levels of fecal matter and other bacteria that can sicken people or low levels of oxygen or other pollution that can harm fish and other aquatic life. The state ranked second for polluted estuaries.”
• Miami Herald ($): ‘We’re back at square one.’ Spring break curfew evokes Miami Beach history on Black visitors. “Miami Beach issued a state of emergency due to ‘clear and present danger of a riot or other general public disorder’ and imposed a daily midnight to 6 a.m. curfew on the South Beach area that starts Thursday night and ends Monday morning. Critics say those measures cast a negative light over a city that has a history of mistreatment of Black visitors.”
• Florida Politics: No state had a bigger gap last year between deaths and births, but migration kept Florida’s population growing. “Florida deaths outnumbered births during the height of the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic by more than 45,000 people, slowing the Sunshine State’s otherwise impressive population growth, according to new estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Homeowners insurance crisis: Some Florida seniors worry they’ll lose property. “As the market gets smaller, the remaining insurers are increasing rates. Some rates have doubled in a single year.”
• News4Jax: Want to buy a fixer-upper in St. Augustine? This 1-bedroom house is for sale for $349,000. “If you are looking for good examples of just how wild the housing market has become in Northeast Florida, look no further than St. Johns County. Two so-called major fixer-uppers in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine that just came onto the market are getting lots of attention because of their steep price tags and run-down conditions.”
• USA Today Network ($): Gov. Ron DeSantis orders flags at half staff in Florida for Madeleine Albright. “The U.S. and state flags will be ‘flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida immediately until sunset on Sunday, March 27, 2022,’ a memo from the governor’s office said.”
• Bradenton Herald ($): Florida man who took Pelosi’s lectern in Capitol riot is hosting ‘going to prison’ party. “Before surrendering to serve 75 days in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol, including taking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern, Adam Johnson is hosting a ‘going to prison’ party. ‘Come help me celebrate my last Friday of freedom before I go to prison for the lamest charge in history,’ the Facebook event states.”
From NPR News • World: A month into the Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 24)
• World: Biden promises Western allies would respond if Russia uses chemical weapons
• Politics: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings: What happened Thursday
• National: The U.S. will take in up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war
• Health: U.S. airline CEOs call on President Biden to end the federal mask mandate on planes
• Race: People of color helped Hollywood through another pandemic year, a new study says
• Business: Welcome to the wedding boom. How couples are handling the busiest season in 40 years
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC allows pay increase, 609-acre land purchase. “Prompted by inflation levels, the county decided to advance a pay increase for employees instead of waiting until the end of the fiscal year in October when raises usually happen. Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman said the raise would be $1,000 a year to each employee’s salary, but because the county is halfway through the fiscal year, employees will see $500 in the six months left.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Commissioner eyes big plans for east Gainesville sports complex after Alabama tour. “City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut has big dreams for her recently proposed sports complex in east Gainesville. Chestnut, who is in her second month on the job, said she would like to incorporate features from event centers that she toured while in Birmingham and Hoover, Alabama, earlier this week.”
• The Alligator: UF no longer expects masks on campus. “Now, the university supports and welcomes masks if people choose to wear them. Masks will still be required in health care centers where patients are treated, like UF Health Shands Hospital.”
• WUFT News: One Gainesville student’s journey through childhood illness and Dance Marathon. “Elizabeth ‘Elie’ Chapman is a 15-year-old freshman at Gainesville High School. She’s a setter on the junior varsity volleyball squad and currently plays for the Gainesville Juniors Volleyball club team. She enjoys school. She dreams of traveling the world one day.”
• WUFT News: High Springs receives $3 million in relief money. “During the workshop, the city commission listened to community comments that ranged from the police department, fire department, public works, and even parks and recreation. Each department spoke about what they needed in order to continue to serve the residents of High Springs.”
• Florida Politics: Citrus County commissioners say tax hike may be needed. “Citrus County’s property tax rate, which has dropped steadily the last six years, could be jumping to pay for high-profile programs that citizens say they want. During a preliminary budget discussion Tuesday, county commissioners said they generally supported increasing the property tax by nearly a half mill to help fund mental-health services, residential road resurfacing and emergency medical services.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Elementary school music program extended in some Florida classrooms. “Richard Corcoran, the commissioner of education, selected school districts based on the school district’s proximity to the University of Florida and what was described as needs-based criteria established by the State Board of Education. The program is possible through a bill that passed unanimously through the House and Senate. Gov. Ron DeSantis was expected to sign the latest appropriation.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Fresh Take Florida: Florida fines largest Medicaid payment vendor nearly $9.1 million over billing glitches. “The payment problems left families in Florida with critically ill children who relied on Medicaid-paid health providers stranded. They affected children receiving care under the company’s Sunshine Health Medicaid program and the Children’s Medical Services Health Plan it operates on behalf of the Florida Department of Health, for patients under 21 who are eligible for Medicaid and who have serious, chronic conditions.”
• WUSF: Florida university faculty react to legislation that would change tenure requirements. “The provision would let the Florida Board of Governors adopt a uniform standard for post-tenure reviews that would be done every five years. It was added in the final days of this year’s session to a bill that would also require the state’s public universities to change accreditors every cycle.”
• Fresh Take Florida: After defeat, Tampa lawmakers vow to push abandoned Black cemeteries bill in next session. “The state senator who proposed a bill to catalog and restore abandoned African American cemeteries across Florida said she is disappointed the legislation died in the just-ended session at the Capitol but isn’t giving up the fight.”
• WMFE: Warm weather boosts manatees, prompts wind-down of supplemental lettuce. “The program will be discontinued in about two weeks. By then some 200,000 pounds of lettuce will have been provided at a Cape Canaveral power plant, where the cold-sensitive manatees gather for warmth during the winter.”
From NPR News • World: U.S. officially declares that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine
• World: Putin demands ‘unfriendly countries’ pay for Russian gas in rubles
• Health: Evidence grows that vaccines lower the risk of getting long COVID
• National: Idaho prepares to ban most abortions in the state as governor signs Texas-style law
• National: Madeleine Albright, the first woman to become U.S. secretary of state, has died
• Politics: GOP questions for Jackson in her hearings were about midterm messaging — 4 takeaways
• Technology: Beloved creator of the GIF dies following complications from COVID, wife confirms
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: How a Black marching band style was erased from Gainesville’s fields, and why it matters decades later. “Alachua County desegregated 52 years ago, but education remains unequal. Today, the county has the largest achievement gap between Black and white students in the state. The story of this high school band reflects a much larger history of who the school system serves, and how the consequences of old decisions still ripple through the community decades later. It shows how choices that may seem small — like how high school students march on the football field at halftime — are not small to the people most affected.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Plane that crashed on SR 200 in Ocala in 2019, killing two, had no mechanical issues. “Investigators said the plane, both engines and the fuel transducers were examined, but ‘no mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operations’ were found.”
• CBS4: Alachua County Commissioners pass resolution in support of the LGBTQ+ Community. “The resolution said the board finds the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is detrimental to the health and welfare of Alachua county youth and urges governor Ron DeSantis to veto the bill.”
• WUFT News: International tensions renew emphasis on online security. “While a sea separates the United States from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, cyberwarfare capabilities transcend physical distance.”
• WUFT News: Potential turnpike extension risks historic Black community. “That community may be halved by potential construction on the Florida Turnpike. The Northern Turnpike Extension, a proposed project that would expand the road, could run through Royal, among other areas of Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties.”
• WCJB: Ocala’s hot housing market explained, where cash is king. “Data from the real estate brokerage site Redfin show that on average, homes are selling in just 15 days after being put on the market.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Florida gas prices dip 18 cents per gallon. “Both the Gainesville area and statewide, prices plummeted 18 cents per gallon since last Monday to $4.17.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • WMFE: Saving starving manatees will mean saving this crucial lagoon habitat. “The Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, estimates a comprehensive restoration of the lagoon would cost $5 billion and take some 20 to 30 years to complete.”
• New York Times ($): Disney Employees Walk Out Amid Furor Over Florida Legislation. “Hoping to avoid controversy, the company initially shied away from taking a public stance on the anti-L.G.B.T.Q. bill. Now, an internal outcry has stretched into its third week.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida Democrats move party fundraiser after controversy over Disney, timing. “The Florida Democratic Party said it is moving venues and rescheduling its annual fundraising gala and organizing event after facing criticism over its timing and its decision to host the event at Walt Disney World.”
• WUSF: USF names Rhea Law as its new president. “Rhea Law, a Tampa lawyer who previously served as chair of USF’s Board of Trustees, is the first alum to lead the university.”
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): DeSantis proclamation: Sarasota swimmer who lost to transgender athlete ‘rightful winner’. “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation Tuesday declaring Emma Weyant, a collegiate swimmer who grew up in Sarasota, the ‘rightful winner’ after she lost to a transgender opponent in the NCAA 500-yard women’s freestyle swimming championship event.”
• WLRN: Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination is changing how Palmetto High students see themselves. “It put her on the path to success in law and in life. That’s how U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson has described her time on the speech and debate team at Miami Palmetto Senior High School.”
From NPR News • Politics: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings: What happened on Tuesday
• World: With war on its doorstep, Germany plans a major military buildup
• World: China’s search for survivors from crashed jetliner turns up nothing so far
• National: How to keep yourself safe during a tornado
• Politics: 50 years ago sex equality seemed destined for the Constitution. What happened?
• Health: Pfizer launches a recall of blood pressure drugs due to a potential carcinogen
• National: Governors in Indiana and Utah veto transgender sports bans
• Culture: Former child star Amanda Bynes is freed from conservatorship
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • First Coast News: Gov. DeSantis announces $800 million toward increased teacher pay. “He detailed efforts Florida has made over the past three years to support educators, including the $1,000 bonuses that every teacher and principal in the state received last year. DeSantis highlighted the importance of teachers in the education of our children, especially the extra efforts they took during the pandemic to accommodate virtual learning and quarantine periods.”
• WUSF: Sea level rise may gentrify Florida’s inland regions, according to a recent study. “A recent report on climate change examines how sea level rise could cause gentrification, as wealthy residents along Florida’s coast move inland. Researchers have highlighted the need for clear policies to address the looming issue.”
• News Service of Florida: Planned spending approved by Florida lawmakers ranges from airplanes to zoos. “The budget and a series of accompanying bills include spending on everything from new state planes to zoos. Gov. Ron DeSantis has line-item veto power, so it’s too early to know everything that will be in the budget when the fiscal year starts July 1.”
• News4JAX: North Florida housing market showing signs of moderation, industry expert says. “A lack of housing inventory and increased demand continue to fuel the market, but according to industry experts, the North Florida market is showing signs of moderation.”
• WSVN: Miami Beach declares state of emergency following multiple spring break shootings. “Officials with the City of Miami Beach have declared a state of emergency after a weekend that included shootings and overwhelming spring break crowds in South Beach’s entertainment district.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Disney vs. DeSantis: A timeline of Florida’s bill dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ by critics. “The two have nearly become synonymous with discussion surrounding Florida’s controversial “Parental Rights in Education” bill that limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
• Sun Sentinel ($): As Haitian migrants try to come to South Florida, officials urge end to COVID immigration policy. “There’s been a recent influx of Haitians making the treacherous trip to Florida. On Saturday, U.S. Coast Guard officials stopped 189 Haitian migrants, including children, at sea. Last Monday, 140 Haitians migrants landed in Summerland Key. And since Oct. 1, 2021, Coast Guard officials said they have interdicted 1,577 Haitian migrants.”
• WFLA-Tampa: 16% of Florida homes sold in February were in Tampa metro. “According to Florida Realtors data, 15.98% of homes sold in Florida were in the Tampa Bay. Of the 23,661 single-family homes sold in February, 3,782 were in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan statistical area.”
• Florida Politics: Federal government refiles $2.8M lien against Tampa Bay Times after seizing control of paper’s pension fund. “The Times Publishing Company Pension Plan covers about 3,300 former and retired employees of the paper as well as the Poynter Institute. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or PBGC, refiled the liens against the Times Thursday. The PBGC announced in November it had seized control of the Times’ pension fund after the paper racked up more than $100 million in debt in its own fund.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
From NPR News • Politics: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings: What happened Monday
• Business: The SEC wants companies to disclose how climate change is affecting them
• Health: A third of trans youth are at risk of losing gender-affirming care, study says
• National: Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama brace as storm approaches
• Science: Astronomy’s contribution to climate change rivals the emissions from some countries
• National: Guantánamo prosecutors are exploring plea deals in 9/11 case after years of setbacks
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Cornelius Ingram is helping to spark a sports and youth revitalization in Hawthorne. “His football team has evolved from a group that won just three games in three years to a perennial playoff contender. His girl’s basketball squad has elevated from a middle-of-the-pack team to a powerhouse program that consistently reigns atop the district standings. However, Ingram’s impact also stretches into the academic, social and economic fabric of the small town where he grew up.”
• News Service of Florida: Here’s how a new law is quickly playing a part in searches for new Florida university presidents. “The new law creates a public-records exemption for information that could identify applicants until near the end of searches, when information about finalists would be released. Information about other applicants would remain shielded.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Alachua County leaders look to shame businesses that sell tobacco products to underage smokers. “In Alachua County, the legal age to buy tobacco-related products was raised to 21 in 2019, an effort intended to curb minors from smoking. But last year, the state Legislature preempted counties and cities from regulating tobacco sales, even though the minimum age to purchase tobacco in the state was also raised to 21. Since the new law, county officials say enforcement of underage tobacco sales by the Food and Drug Administration has been almost nonexistent.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville commissioners vote to end call-in comment system that cost over $100,000 annually. “The decision was made at Thursday’s city commission meeting, with the majority voting in favor of its demise. The expense of the calls was the main issue, with the price reportedly exceeding $100 per call. Dial-in comments alone would have cost taxpayers in Gainesville over $100,000 by the end of 2022.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: State redistricting complicates city efforts. “…the way the Legislature draws House and Senate boundaries will require a modification to the city’s proposed districts, which displeased city commissioners.”
• Ocala Gazette: DeSantis visits Marion County and announces more than $29.5 million in aid. “After visiting Ocala on Friday … for an unscheduled stop, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that more than $29.5 million in funding and resources would be made available to assist income-qualified individuals and families in Marion County impacted by recent severe weather events in Central and Northeast Florida, according to a press release from the Governor’s office.”
• News4Jax: Deputies search for man accused in deadly triple shooting in Lake Butler. “The Union County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a Lake Butler man accused of shooting three people Saturday night. One of the victims died, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies said Anthony George, 56, was involved in a shooting in an area west of S.W. 1st Terr around S.W. 8th Lane around 10 p.m. Investigators said it was a domestic relations situation involving George, his significant other and two other people.”
• Citrus County Chronicle ($): Massullo drops Senate run to seek re-election to House. “The local political landscape changed overnight when Rep. Ralph Massullo abandoned plans to run for the Florida Senate and instead will seek reelection for a fourth term to the District 34 state House of Representatives.”
• WUFT News: Lake Wauburg overcomes obstacles and celebrates centennial with Music at the Lake. “Neither tornado nor pandemic could stop Lake Wauburg’s centennial celebration. September will mark 100 years since the University of Florida gained ownership of the lake’s North Shore, an outdoor recreation center and community staple eight miles south of campus.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
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• Estate Planning
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Around the state • Palm Beach Post ($): Fed COVID data shows indoor masking not needed in Florida, but virus may again be on rise. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention effectively lifted indoor masking recommendations this week for all of Florida’s counties even as parts of the state are detecting spikes of coronavirus levels in their sewage.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Budget, hundreds of bills await governor’s signature as 2022 legislative session wraps. “Lawmakers passed 275 bills this year. DeSantis has yet to receive and act on most of them. That includes controversial measures like the 15-week abortion ban, restrictions on critical race theory education in schools and businesses, and what critics call the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. It bans instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in K-3 classrooms.”
• Panama City News Herald ($): Tornado confirmed: NWS specialists say St. Andrews damage was from EF-2 twister. “National Weather Service meteorologists from Tallahassee on Sunday confirmed the St. Andrews area was hit by an EF-2 tornado on Friday that left extensive damage in its wake.”
• WMFE: Florida DOH addressed ‘compliance issues’ before Dr. Pino could return as Orange County’s health officer. “Pino was placed on leave in January following an email he sent to staff members urging them to get vaccinated against COVID-19.”
• WJCT: At long last, Jacksonville to dedicate first public marker to Gullah Geechee community. “A new park tells the story of the Cosmo neighborhood in Jacksonville, a coastal community built by formerly enslaved people more than a century ago along McCormick and Fort Caroline in Arlington.”
• News4Jax: Jacob Panetta, player accused of making racial gesture, returns to Icemen following suspension. “Jacob Panetta, who was suspended following claims that he used a racial gesture directed at a Black player during a game in Jacksonville, has accepted an offer from the Icemen and was expected to rejoin the team Friday evening. Panetta was released after the brother of longtime NHL player P.K. Subban accused the minor league defenseman of making ‘monkey gestures’ in his direction.”
From NPR News • World: Ukrainian women are volunteering to fight — and history shows they always have
• World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 20)
• Health: U.K. COVID cases are rising. Health officials are watching to see if the U.S. is next
• Politics: Confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson begin Monday. Here’s what to expect
• Politics: The House passes the CROWN Act, a bill banning discrimination on race-based hairdos
• Politics: The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time in the 1970s — then quickly rejected it
• Business: Here are 3 reasons why Big Oil can’t just drill more to ease the pain at the gas pump
• Education: Skilled trade programs are booming after college enrollment dropped in the pandemic
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • WFSU: Property insurance companies are struggling. Some say a special session isn’t out of the question. “House Speaker Chris Sprowls said he’d like to give legislation lawmakers passed last year more time to work. ‘Everybody in the insurance space that you talk to always say reforms take 18 months, you know, we’re not 6 months in,’ Sprowls said.”
• Miami Herald ($): UF investigation finds no merit to allegations COVID-19 data were suppressed. “The allegations were made anonymously and included in a December 2021 report from the UF Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Freedom. The faculty report alleged that some researchers said they felt pressure to destroy COVID-19 data for fear of upsetting state officials. But the UF staffers who made the accusation refused to cooperate with the investigation, forcing the university to rely on documents and the testimony of others familiar with the situation, said UF Vice President for Research David Norton, who helped lead the probe.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville receives $10 million to update transit. “Gainesville will buy 12 new buses and build a new Eastside transfer station as part of a $10.6 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.”
• Politico: Poll: Americans split over Florida’s controversial bills on gender identity and race. “A slim majority of U.S. voters who were polled — 51 percent — support ‘banning the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade’ while 35 percent are opposed, according to the poll results.”
• WFLA-Tampa: 420 manatees dead in Florida, supplemental feeding trial likely ‘in its last weeks.’ “Manatees are dispersing from the site at the Florida Power and Light electric plant as water temperatures continue to rise.”
• WLRN: South Florida’s coral reef is being overfished. Nearly a dozen species are nearing unsustainable numbers. “A new study has found that 85 percent of popular grouper and snapper species have been overfished and fallen below sustainable numbers. The study, by researchers from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, modeled 20 years’ worth of survey data on 15 species to determine levels needed for the fish to survive.”
• NPR News: Families of Parkland shooting victims are awarded $127.5 million. “The United States has agreed to pay the families impacted by the 2018 Parkland mass school shooting millions of dollars, years after attorneys first filed claims against the government alleging an FBI agent’s negligence prior to the shooting.”
• New York Times ($): Voters Oust Mayor of Florida Town Where Condo Tower Collapsed. “The mayor who led the seaside town of Surfside, Fla., through the traumatic aftermath of the collapse of a condominium tower in which 98 people were killed last year was voted out of office on Tuesday night. The mayor, Charles Burkett, who was elected in 2020, placed third in the three-way race and lost by 33 votes to the winner, Shlomo Danzinger, according to an unofficial tally.”
• WUFT News: ‘That was amazing’: Gainesville eyebrow threader breaks her own Guinness World Record. “With onlookers nervous and thrilled amid the chaos, (Ziba) Ahmadi threaded 102 pairs of eyebrows within the allotted hour, breaking her official tally of 90 she set at the salon on June 16. The prior record was 62 pairs and set by a woman named Pratiksha Bharati of India in 2018.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
• Business Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
From NPR News • World: Biden pledges $800 million to Ukraine after Zelenskyy’s plea for more U.S. aid
• World: Biden calls Putin a war criminal
• World: A Russian oligarch’s superyacht is stuck in Norway because no one will sell it fuel
• World: Russia’s strike on Ukraine maternity hospital is part of a terrible wartime tradition
• Science: The James Webb Space Telescope is working as well as astronomers dreamed it would
• Business: Netflix plans to start charging for password sharing, and customers aren’t happy
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Here are the projects around north central Florida that lawmakers funded in the 2022 budget. “Among the billions of dollars in state appropriations are hundreds of millions in local funding. Gov. Ron DeSantis is now reviewing the budget and could use his line-item veto power to cancel individual projects. The new budget takes effect July 1. Here’s a county-by-county breakdown of what got funded and in what areas.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: ACPS cut from Tallahassee recognition program. “The new education budget prevents those 12 districts, including Alachua County, from participating in the Florida School Recognition Program. The program gives recognition and monetary awards to schools that keep an ‘A’ rating or improve their rating.”
• WCJB: Alachua County school board names Shane Andrew interim superintendent. “It happened in a 3-2 vote, with board members Mildred Russell and Gunnar Paulson in dissent. Each board member brought one to two suggestions to the table, ultimately electing Chief of Operations Shane Andrew.”
• The Alligator: UF’s presidential search will be held behind closed doors under new Florida bill. “The search for UF’s next leader is expected to begin this month, UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez wrote in an email. Senate Bill 520 and its companion bill, House Bill 703, will keep the identities of presidential candidates out of public records for most of the process. Students and faculty will be able to research and meet with finalists 21 days before a new campus leader is chosen.”
• Florida Politics: UF announces Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center. “UF said the center will coordinate and develop programs and certificates; identify opportunities for faculty and students to engage with AI; co-organize seminars and conferences; develop an AI Scholars program; and partner with UF’s Career Connections Center, the Florida College System and private industry to promote an AI-ready workforce and help businesses integrate AI into their current processes.”
• FOX35 Orlando: NOAA report acknowledges ‘tornado dead zone.’ “The ‘Tornado Dead Zone’ includes parts of Marion, Sumter and Putnam counties where there is a lack of low level radar coverage to spot tornadoes. On top of this, the Jacksonville radar that should cover that area is down for routine maintenance for another week.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • NPR News: The Senate approves a bill to make daylight saving time permanent. “For those wishing for an end to annual clock shifting, this most recent push in Congress is perhaps better late than never. ‘We don’t have to keep doing this stupidity anymore. And why we would enshrine this in our laws and keep it for so long is beyond me,’ Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the sponsors of the bill, said on the Senate floor.”
• Treasure Coast Newspapers ($): Homeowners insurance: Florida Legislature fails to pass major reform bills. What happens now? “Three property insurance bills intended to alleviate skyrocketing premiums statewide failed to pass the 2022 Florida legislative session that ended Friday. This comes at a time when homeowners and insurance companies alike are desperately seeking remedy, as property insurance premiums are up nearly 25% in the last year and businesses report billions in underwriting losses.”
• News4Jax: Gov. DeSantis signs bill that eliminates FSA in public schools, but state teachers union not happy. “Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill that is ending the Florida Standards Assessments and replacing the standardized exams with a ‘progress monitoring system’ that would test students three times a year. The bill, SB 1048, makes it so students will be required to take progress-monitoring tests at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.”
• Miami Herald ($): Florida lawmakers OK payments to parents of children who died of brain injuries. “Following up on action taken last year, the Legislature voted to give $150,000 stipends to parents whose children were once enrolled in a state program called the Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA) but had been dropped from the rolls when the children succumbed to their birth injuries.”
• Florida Politics: Marianna adults with autism program to launch at former Dozier School for Boys site. “NextStep at Endeavor Academy, a program helping adults with autism develop employment and independent living skills, launched its 12-week pilot program out of Chipola College in late January. The program’s future home is Endeavor Park, a mixed-use development currently being renovated at the former site of the infamous Dozier School for Boys.”
• WLRN: Almost a century later, remnants of the Overseas Railroad are still an integral part of the Keys. “The Overseas Railroad ended its working life in 1935, when the Labor Day Hurricane destroyed part of the tracks. But the railroad is still a living part of the Keys. Monroe County just pulled up one of the last mile markers remaining, still near its original location on Big Pine Key. The marker will be restored and placed at the new Big Pine Key swimming hole near Pine Channel Bridge.”
• Northwest Florida Daily News ($): A 196-square-foot home in Santa Rosa Beach is listed at $1 million. “The home has one bathroom and functions as a studio, with one room making up the entire living space. There is not a fully equipped kitchen, but photos of the property show a mini fridge, microwave and sink.”
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 15)
• World: Why so many Russian billionaires are called oligarchs
• World: Russia says it’s sanctioning Biden, Hillary Clinton and top U.S. officials
• Health: Pfizer-BioNTech will seek authorization for second COVID booster for older adults
• Health: The White House says it’s running out of money to cover COVID tests and vaccines
• Health: Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tests positive for COVID-19
• Race: Man arrested for the violent hate-crime beating of an Asian woman in N.Y., police say
• Education: A major shortage of substitute teachers has some districts training new subs in 1 day
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: SBAC gathers names for superintendent search. “Only 15 months removed from its last superintendent transition, the Alachua County school district is once again in search of a leader after the School Board of Alachua County fired Superintendent Carlee Simon on March 1.”
• News4JAX: Tim Tebow to speak at UF’s 2022 spring commencement. “Former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who went on to play professional football and baseball and is known for his philanthropy and motivational leadership, will serve as UF’s university-wide commencement speaker this spring in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the university announced.”
• Citrus County Chronicle: DeSantis endorses Ingoglia over Massullo. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is endorsing Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, for State Senate District 11.”
• WCJB: Marion County officials estimate tornado damage nears $12 million. “Marion County officials estimate the EF-1 tornado caused more than $12 million in property damage. The twister developed around Dunnellon and moved 25 miles east into Ocala around State Road 200.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • News Service of Florida: Lawmakers pass $112.1 billion budget to end session. “Only three lawmakers voted against the election-year spending plan, which was pumped up by federal stimulus money and higher-than-expected state tax collections. It funnels money to myriad issues, including higher funding for public schools and pay raises for state employees, and is a 10.4 percent increase from a budget approved for the current year.”
• NBC 6 South Florida: Florida Ends Legislative Session Marked by Culture Wars. “The session was largely driven by DeSantis’ agenda on cultural issues. Lawmakers sent him bills aimed at keeping immigrants illegally in the country out of Florida, and limiting the way race can be discussed in classrooms and at businesses’ race sensitivity training. Other bills sent to the governor would add further limits on abortion and also prohibit discussions on LGBTQ issues with young students.”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Florida limits COVID data to every 2 weeks, state says via meme. “Florida officials have again rolled back access to the state’s COVID-19 data, and will now only release key pandemic metrics such as the number of people who have been infected, died and vaccinated once every two weeks instead of every week.”
• WFSU News: Florida voters look to courts to implement new congressional map. “Voters and voting rights groups have filed two lawsuits seeking an injunction to prevent the state’s current congressional map from remaining in effect and the implementation of a court-ordered map that’s fair and constitutional.”
• Florida Politics: U.S. Surgeon General Warns Parental Rights bill hazardous to Florida kids’ health. “Yet another member of the Joe Biden administration has raised concerns about Florida’s newly passed Parental Rights in Education legislation, saying that it could harm the very youth it purports to protect.”
• ABC7 Southwest Florida: Home insurance rates continue to rise across Florida. “Rates across the state are skyrocketing, but lawmakers in Tallahassee did nothing to address the matter this year.”
• CBS Miami: ‘They Deserve To Be Heard’: Community Leader Says Haitian Migrants Who Risked Their Lives To Reach US Should Be Given Chance To Stay. “‘It is horrible, it’s a country at war,’ said community leader Marleine Bastien, describing the horrific conditions in Haiti that she says prompted the migrants to attempt coming into the country.”
• WGCU: Fans are heading to the stadiums now that the baseball lockout is over. “This is the third straight year the Grapefruit League has been truncated after COVID canceled half the season two years ago, and fans were kept out of stadiums last season due to health concerns. An economic impact study commissioned by Lee County in 2018 found MLB games here typically bring in nearly $70 million annually, with $57 million spent outside of stadiums.”
From NPR News • World: White House tells China of its ‘deep concerns’ about providing assistance to Russia
• World: Squatters took over a London mansion linked to a Russian oligarch
• Politics: Sen. Joe Manchin says he’ll oppose Sarah Bloom Raskin’s nomination to a key Fed role
• Business: High gas prices present another hurdle in bringing workers back to the office
• Business: Uber and Lyft add fuel surcharges to rides as gas prices surge nationwide
• World: Pakistan is accusing the Taliban of letting militants conduct cross-border attacks
• World: India court upholds a ban on hijab in schools and colleges
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Ocala Gazette: Tornado damage in parts of SW Ocala, Marion County. “Ocala Police Department officials said they did not have any reports of personal injury. The damage to buildings, however, was evident at locations such as the Paddock Park Animal Care Center at 3931 SE 42nd St., Ocala.”
• Florida Politics: Ralph Massullo secures $83M for Citrus, Hernando projects in state budget. “Lecanto Republican Rep. Ralph Massullo sought more than $80 million in funding for projects in Citrus and Hernando counties, and he got nearly all of it. Massullo’s largest request was $20.7 million for upgrades to Turkey Oak Drive, a Citrus County road east of Crystal River that connects State Road 44 to U.S. 19.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville commissioners hope to tap $70 million fund to rebuild Citizens Field area. “City officials have discussed building a senior center and sports complex on the property, along with space for stores and homes.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: RTS bus hits, kills pedestrian on West University. “According to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) spokesperson Graham Glover, the RTS bus was traveling north on NW 13 Street and the pedestrian was crossing from west to east at the West University intersection around 7:45 p.m. ‘There’s no charges or citations right now,’ Glover said.”
• The Alligator: The Mike White tenure comes to an end. “Now, White has elected to step away from Florida, taking the vacant head coaching position at the University of Georgia. … White is leaving Gainesville due to a toxic environment created by the fanbase and fear it would begin to affect his five young children, according to a tweet from the Associated Press’ Mark Long.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • News Service of Florida: The Florida Legislature hammers out a deal on a record $112.1 billion budget. “Florida lawmakers will vote Monday on a record $112.1 billion state budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, up 10.4 percent from a spending plan approved for the current year.”
• WFSU: What’s next after firefighters contain massive blaze in northwest Florida? “Forestry crews and firefighters have made progress on containing a massive blaze in northwest Florida, with the help of recent rainfall.”
• Spectrum News: Florida supervisors of election weigh in on latest election reform bill. “The most significant provision of the bill creates the Office of Election Crimes and Security under the auspices of the Florida Department of State. It will review fraud allegations and conduct preliminary investigations. That office will also be required to present an annual report to the governor, the Senate president and the House Speaker detailing the number of election fraud complaints as well as the number of investigations launched.”
• Miami Herald ($): Many condo owners can’t agree on funding reserves for repairs. Legislature can’t, either. “In the end, legislators couldn’t face the prospect of forcing thousands of condominium owners across Florida to be subjected to massive fees for repairs of their aging buildings.”
• Politico: Why Florida is ground zero for America’s ‘culture war.’ “It was a session in which the GOP-led Legislature’s constant focus on ‘culture war’ issues resulted in lawmakers approving policies to grant more power to parents over what their children learn, heighten scrutiny on school instruction and books, and ensure there will be turnover among local school boards, which have been frequent targets of the state GOP.”
• WFSU: An officer-involved shooting case from Tallahassee continues to divide law enforcement agencies. “The Pinellas County Sheriffs’ office wants to weigh in on a case that will decide whether officers can use the state’s crime victims law to shield themselves if they’re involved in a shooting while on duty.”
• WMFE: Disney will pause all political contributions after “Don’t Say Gay” controversy. “CEO Bob Chapek expressed concerns about the bill that would limit conversations about gender and sexuality in K-3 classrooms earlier this week.”
• NPR News: One person was arrested after West Point cadets on spring break overdosed on fentanyl. “One person was arrested Saturday in connection with an incident involving several people, including cadets from the West Point military academy, overdosing on fentanyl on Thursday in Wilton Manors, Fla., police said.”
• WUSF: Tom Brady is ending his retirement and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “His retirement lasted all of six weeks — Tom Brady is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
From NPR News • Health: Coronavirus FAQ: What does endemic mean — and are we there yet?
• World: Russia’s wars in Chechnya offer a grim warning of what could be in Ukraine
• World: The humble bravery of a young neurologist from Kyiv
• Business: High inflation is an annoyance for some. Others make painful choices of what to cut
• National: A Texas judge blocks the state from investigating parents of transgender youth
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: Senate clears way for BOCC ballot initiative. “The Florida Senate passed a bill Thursday that could change the way Alachua County residents vote for county commissioners, confirming a House vote and sending it to Gov. Ron DeSantis. If the governor signs the bill, HB 1493, it would place a charter amendment before Alachua County voters to restructure its board of county commissioners from five at-large seats to five single-member districts.”
• Florida Politics: ‘We will be back fixing this’: Legislature passes amended bill addressing higher ed accreditors. “The legislation (SPB 7044) would restrict state colleges and universities from being accredited by the same agency for consecutive accreditation cycles. It also would require additional information about textbooks and instructional materials from state universities and colleges, mandating such information be posted at least 45 days before the start of class and kept public for five years. The Senate cleared the bill in a 22-15 vote on Monday.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Major medical marijuana distributor Trulieve to close Alachua County grow facility. “Trulieve has announced it will be closing its marijuana grow facility in Alachua County at the end of the month. The move appears to be the latest setback in a series of high-profile issues affecting the company, which has seen stock prices drop over the past year.”
• News4Jax: Putnam County Sheriff DeLoach asks Palatka Mayor Hill to resign at commission meeting. “According to the Palatka Daily News, Deloach addressed the Putnam County Republican Club Tuesday night and accused the mayor, who is an attorney, of going to crime scenes and interfering with deputies’ duties. Hill has called those allegations baseless and defamatory. DeLoach addressed the mayor’s comments during the meeting.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz High School track and field teams boosted by new track. “The Buchholz track and field team began training at its $543,000 new facility last month. Alachua County Public Schools approved the project in September, and the high school agreed to pay $12,000 per year for 12 years to satisfy the rest of its $158,000 portion, according to Jackie Johnson, a spokeswoman for the school district.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
• Business Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • USA Today Network ($): Record-setting budget: Florida spending plan weighs in at $112B, vote set for Monday. “The budget was finalized and put before lawmakers at 1:53 p.m. Thursday, starting a constitutionally required three-day waiting period before a vote can be taken on the plan. Lawmakers will lurch into overtime after failing to complete the budget in time for a vote Friday, the last scheduled day of the two-month session. They will return Monday to the Capitol to approve the budget and officially end the session.”
• NPR News: Florida lawmakers back the creation of an election crimes investigative office. “The measure, which the GOP-led House passed along party lines Wednesday evening, would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Department of State to probe ‘allegations of election law violations or election irregularities.’ Election fraud is exceedingly rare, and DeSantis had praised Florida’s election administration in the wake of the 2020 election.”
• News Service of Florida: Lawmakers do away with the Florida Standards Assessments and pass a new testing system. “It will be replaced with a ‘progress monitoring system’ that would test students three times a year.”
• Politico: Florida lawmakers limit how race can be taught in classrooms and companies. “Florida’s GOP-led Senate delivered a major piece of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2022 agenda on Thursday by passing legislation to root out any possible traces of critical race theory within the state school system while also targeting ‘woke’ corporate trainings.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Richard Corcoran to step down as Florida education commissioner. “Corcoran, a lawyer who was appointed by DeSantis in December 2018, will return to private life and ‘looks forward to spending more time with his wife Anne and their six children,’ the press release said. The state’s salary database shows he was paid $284,280 a year as commissioner.”
• Miami Herald ($): Is that school book objectionable? Or this one? Legislature wants more people involved. “Parents and community members could soon have an enhanced role in helping pick books in schools, under legislation approved Thursday that comes as a growing number of titles are under fire in school board meetings around the state and country.”
• WFSU: Wildfire crews focus efforts on protecting homes and businesses, while working to contain the blaze. “Making progress on containing the largest fire (in Bay, Gulf and Calhoun counties) hasn’t been easy for firefighters. They’re struggling against conditions that are extremely conducive to large wildfires: high-winds, dry air and tons of Hurricane Michael tree debris piled on the ground.”
• WTSP-Tampa: FHP trooper recalls stopping accused drunk driver while protecting Skyway 10k runners. “When Florida Highway Patrol Master Trooper Toni Schuck positioned her cruiser in an attempt to stop an accused drunk driver from reaching participants in the Skyway 10K, she said she was just doing her job. Other people have since given the 47-year-old trooper a title for her bravery and rising above the call to service: a hero.”
• Lakeland Ledger ($): Former Commissioner Michael Dunn reportedly reaches plea deal in 2nd-degree murder case. “Former Lakeland city commissioner Michael Dunn has reached a plea deal with prosecutors in his second-degree murder case, according to his lawyer and court officials. Dunn, 51, is expected to officially enter his plea Friday at 8:30 a.m. in Bartow.”
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 10)
• Business: Wall Street banks Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are pulling out of Russia
• National: Jussie Smollett will serve 150 days in jail for lying about an attack on him
• National: The 2020 census had big undercounts of Black people, Latinos and Native Americans
• Health: TSA extends the travel mask mandate through April 18
• Sports: MLB owners and players reach a tentative agreement
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • USA Today Network ($): With work on state budget not done in time, Florida legislative session goes into overtime. “Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, on Wednesday confirmed that work on the 2022-23 state budget would not be done in time for the 60-day session’s scheduled last day on Friday. Instead, lawmakers will adjourn for the weekend and return to Tallahassee Monday to debate and vote on the over $100 billion spending plan that goes into effect July 1.”
• WUFT News: Police Benevolent Association chapter feuds with Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson. “There is an ongoing dispute between the North Central Florida Police Benevolent Association and Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson over labor laws. The association’s leadership accuses Watson of violating the labor laws, saying he has not been fair on negotiations for new contracts, offering deputies benefits and policies that had already been declined by the organization.”
• Politico: DeSantis agrees to meet with Disney CEO amid ‘Don’t Say Gay’ fallout. “Bob Chapek, the head of the California-based Walt Disney corporation, said he called DeSantis expressing ‘disappointment and concern’ over the legislation and that the Republican governor agreed to meet with him and LGBTQ company leaders over the impact the bill could have, according to a readout of Chapek’s comments provided to POLITICO by Disney.”
• Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times ($): DeSantis wanted six months without gas tax. Legislature is giving him — and us — one. “Florida will suspend collection of its gas tax in October, saving motorists about $0.27 for every gallon of fuel they buy. … Despite record gas prices currently, state lawmakers are choosing to wait until October, they said, because it’s one of the months when the state has the fewest tourists.”
• Panama City News Herald ($): Wednesday rain helps firefighters get better handle on 3 wildfires of the Chipola Complex. “According to a press release on Wednesday evening from the Florida Forest Service, the Bertha Swamp Road Fire, which still covered more than 33,000 acres, was 20% contained — a 10% jump from that morning.”
• WFSU: A bill that lets businesses sue municipalities over rules that cause lost profits goes to the governor. “The measure, titled The Local Business Protection Act, applies to businesses that have been operating for at least three years and that see at least a 15 percent reduction in profits because of a local government rule.”
• News Service of Florida: A bill that makes changes to the state’s alimony rules is on its way to the governor’s desk. “Continuing a decade-long effort to rewrite the state’s alimony laws, the Florida House on Wednesday approved a contentious measure that would do away with permanent alimony and set up maximum payments based on the duration of marriage. The measure, now set for action by Gov. Ron DeSantis, drew emotional debate from people on both sides of the issue during committee meetings in recent weeks.”
• Jacksonville Daily Record: Zahn, Wannemacher plead not guilty to federal charges linked to attempted JEA sale. “Escorted into the courtroom in handcuffs and chains, former JEA Managing Director and CEO Aaron Zahn and former CFO Ryan Wannemacher pleaded not guilty March 8 to federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges linked to the attempted sale of the city-owned utility in 2019.”
• WUSF: Brightline says a plan for high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando is in the works. “Brightline spokeswoman Christine Kefauver told members of the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization they are currently working with Tampa officials to determine where a terminal should be located, along with the best route. It would likely come through Ybor City, close to I-4.”
• Fresh Take Florida: Large alligator killed that menaced Florida paddleboarder in viral video. “Florida wildlife officials have now killed a nearly 12-foot alligator that swam within inches of a frightened paddleboarder in a popular state park during an encounter in September recorded on video that went viral. The male alligator – 11 feet, 10 inches long – was shot in the head one evening near dusk last month by a trapper contracted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, according to agency records and a witness.”
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From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 9)
• World: High-level talks between Russia and Ukraine end with no breakthrough
• World: Russia’s war on Ukraine has hurt oil prices, and now the U.S. is talking to Venezuela
• Health: Many are frustrated that kids under 5 still don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine
• Politics: Violence Against Women Act reauthorization is added to a $1.5 trillion spending bill
• Politics: 1 in 5 local election officials say they’re likely to quit before 2024
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Whether the Walldogs visit High Springs to paint murals remains an open question. “The Walldogs call themselves a group of hundreds of highly skilled sign painters and mural artists, who for nearly 30 years have helped small towns to boost their tourism by leaving behind beautiful, handcrafted works of art depicting local history. And yet the idea of allowing the Walldogs to paint murals on the walls of buildings in High Springs has divided residents, artists and city officials.”
• WUFT News: Josh Hart and the Gatornationals are coming to Gainesville. “…with two Top Fuel wins under his belt, Hart heads into the 2022 Gatornationals — set for Thursday through Sunday at the Gainesville Raceway — aspiring to repeat history in front of an even bigger fanbase. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) hosts races around the United States bringing in people from around the world, with its three biggest events being held in Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Gainesville.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Employers can’t hold arrest records against job seekers if no conviction, proposal says. “Businesses in Gainesville with 15 or more employees would not be able to reject a job applicant based on their past arrests under a new law proposed by city officials. … Employers would be barred initially from asking about someone’s criminal record. After a conditional offer of employment is made, the employer could do a criminal background check on applicant.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): FHP: Driver not at fault in crash that killed 10-year-old walking to bus stop in NW Marion. “Ja’Siah was a fifth-grade student at Reddick Collier Elementary. His mother, Ebony White, said she would consult with her lawyer before making a comment about the FHP report.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: City land use to grow to include urban farms. “Gainesville residents will soon be able to engage in two types of urban farming and some will be able to potentially increase their chicken flocks under a revision to the city’s land use code.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Fresh Take Florida: After emotional debate, GOP-led Florida Senate passes ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill,’ awaits DeSantis’ signature. “If it becomes law, the measure takes effect July 1 and will impact planned or official classroom instruction for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. It will restrict conversations on sexual identity and gender in any way that is not age-appropriate, but would not affect spontaneous discussions of such topics, Republican lawmakers have said.”
• NPR News: Disney employees furious the company won’t denounce Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. “According to the accountability news site Popular Information, ‘in the last two years, Disney has donated $197,162 to members of the Florida legislature that have already voted for the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation,’ including to sponsors of the bill, Florida Rep. Joe Harding (R) and state Sen. Dennis Baxley (R).”
• WQCS News: Feds Hint at Possible Legal Action Over Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” Bill. “U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has hinted at possible legal action against Florida following approval of the ‘Parental Rights in Education’ bill, a measure that opponents have dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.”
• Panama City News Herald ($): In 3rd visit in 4 days, Gov. DeSantis says money on way to help displaced families of Florida Panhandle wildfires. “The programs include a $6.1 million grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to help residents who were displaced or had their homes damaged, a business damage assessment survey for impacted businesses to apply for additional state or federal funds and a family resource center at the Bay County Fairgrounds for displaced families.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Which abortions are legal and illegal in Florida after Gov. DeSantis signs the new bill? “The Florida Legislature approved the ‘Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction’ act (HB 5) on a party-line vote March 3. What does this mean for pregnant people in Florida?”
• Miami Herald ($): Lawsuit settlement by law firm, engineers to pay Surfside victims $55.55 million. “The law firm Becker, which represented Champlain South’s condo association before the deadly June 24 collapse, will pay $31 million, the filing states. Engineering firm Morabito Consultants, hired to inspect Champlain South for its 40-year recertification, will pay $16 million.”
• WLRN: Florida lawmakers revamp nursing home staffing standards. “The debate has centered on changes involving certified nursing assistants, who provide much of the hands-on care to nursing home residents.”
• News Service of Florida: Strawberry shortcake gets the nod as Florida’s official state dessert. “The law, which will take effect July 1, describes strawberry shortcake as ‘consisting of a base of shortcake, which resembles a biscuit with a touch of cake, a layer of sweet, sliced strawberries, and a healthy dollop of whipped cream.'”
From NPR News • National: Congress passes bill to shore up the Postal Service without cutting back on delivery
• Law: Enrique Tarrio, who led the Proud Boys, is arrested over the U.S. Capitol attack
• World: Stalled and frustrated, Putin will likely ‘double down’ in the coming weeks, CIA says
• Business: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Starbucks join a corporate exodus from Russia
• Health: ‘Test to Treat’ gets COVID pills to at-risk patients fast but its reach is limited
• Science: NASA is just now opening a vacuum-sealed sample it took from the moon 50 years ago
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville city commissioners are split on how to tackle municipal broadband. “The city commission discussed three options for municipal broadband at a Thursday meeting. They include broadband as an amenity through fiber optic cable, as a public utility through wireless overlay or a private-public partnership between the city and a company. The initiative to bring municipal broadband to the city has been in the works since 2017.”
• WUFT News: ‘The threat to the whole globe’: A Gainesville art curator from Ukraine reacts to attack on nuclear power plant. “From an art curator in Gainesville to scientists along the U.S., people everywhere were still concerned about Russia capturing the Zaporizhian nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine. Shelling caused a fire to break out at the power plant on Friday, and although none of the reactors or essential components were damaged, the incident raised concerns worldwide.”
• News4Jax: Taylor County deputy shot 2 weeks ago is now home. “The Alachua County Sheriff’s office announced Monday that Troy Anderson, the Taylor County deputy shot on February 22 is now recovering at home. A ‘Florida Blue Alert’ was issued after Anderson was shot three times during a traffic stop on U.S. 19 South. Anderson was treated for gunshot wounds to his jaw, neck, and hand.”
• Citrus County Chronicle ($): ‘Unprecedented’ amount of evidence delays Dunnellon woman’s Capitol-riot trial. “In their motion, defense attorneys argued the ‘unprecedented’ amount of evidence from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington being continuously shared by the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been hampering their trial preparations.”
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Around the state • WFSU: Bay County residents fear losing homes in wildfires. “(Hurricane) Michael made landfall in the county more than 3 years ago. Since then, the county has been at an increased risk of wildfires due to the thousands of acres of tree debris that remain on the ground. The county’s largest fire is burning most actively in an area that intersected with the storm’s direct path.”
• NPR News: Florida Senate to vote on measure that critics dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. “Florida’s Senate is preparing to pass a bill that bans any discussion of sexual orientation in schools from kindergarten through third grade. Republican supporters say it’s about parental rights.”
• News Service of Florida: Controversial changes to Florida’s rooftop solar rules are going to the governor. “The Florida Senate on Monday gave final approval to a bill that would make major changes in rules for rooftop solar energy, after weeks of attempts by the solar industry and environmental groups to head it off.”
• Politico: Florida’s controversial surgeon general recommends against Covid-19 vaccination for kids. “Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo, speaking at a roundtable Monday with Gov. Ron DeSantis and medical professionals who oppose much of the CDC’s recommendations, did not elaborate.”
• Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald ($): Late bill change would weaken tenure at Florida universities, faculty say. “Under the proposal, the Board of Governors may establish a requirement for each tenured faculty member at a state university to undergo a ‘comprehensive post-tenure review’ every five years. The review would need to address faculty members’ accomplishments; their assigned duties in research, teaching and services; their evaluations and ratings; and their compensation. It could also include ‘consequences for underperformance.'”
• News4Jax: Federal grand jury indicts former JEA executives, accuses them of conspiracy, wire fraud. “Federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment Monday. It all stems from allegations of an attempt to take millions in personal profits from a proposed sale of the utility through a controversial bonus plan, which would have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”
• WLRN: New superintendents of Florida’s two largest districts take over as public education becomes increasingly political. “Broward and Miami-Dade counties took very different paths for picking their next top bosses, who are taking the helm at a time when public schools are finding themselves at the center of partisan political fights.”
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): FHP: Trooper stood ‘as the last line of defense’ on bridge crash. “The Florida Highway Patrol on Monday afternoon credited the actions of Trooper Toni Schuck for acting ‘as the last line of defense’ and putting “herself in harm’s way to protect others” during a collision near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. A 26-year veteran of the agency, Schuck aimed her patrol vehicle into the path of an oncoming car that had veered around barricades and headed onto the Sunshine Skyway Bridge approach packed with runners Sunday.”
• FOX35 Orlando: Streets flood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after rare March downpour in Central Florida. “Like much of Central Florida, the rain came pouring down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Monday night. Guests were seen running for cover in social media posts as streets became flooded.”
From NPR News • World: We’re trying everything to avoid WWIII, acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine says
• Business: Gas prices surge to above $4 a gallon, near a national record
• Health: You can order free COVID tests from the government again
• National: Senate passes anti-lynching bill and sends federal hate-crimes legislation to Biden
• Books: Sandy Hook took place as ‘alternative facts’ muscled out objective truth
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: UF law student from Ukraine hopes his brother makes it out safely. “University of Florida law student Volodymyr Boitchouk says he just wants his best friend – his brother, an American citizen and Ukrainian national stuck in that country – to come home safely. Myroslav Boitchouk on Feb. 24 FaceTimed his family as they sat alone inside a cold train station in Chop to tell them that Russia had attacked Ukraine, and that he was refused refuge in Hungary.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show builds life skills in competitors. “The event, which began with animal weigh-ins and camper check-ins on Thursday and runs through Tuesday, seeks to build confidence and responsibility in students through livestock and other agricultural projects. The students participate in Future Farmers of America and 4-H, two youth agriculture programs available to students through Alachua County Public Schools and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).”
• WUFT News: Agriculture and equestrian center arena named for former Alachua County Commissioner. “Lee Pinkoson had one last piece of business to finish before retiring from the Alachua County Commission in 2018: the Agriculture and Equestrian Center in Newberry. Pinkoson, who served 16 years on the commission, made sure the county would purchase the center for $3.9 million in 2019 and then invest another $8.4 million for improvements. On Friday, more than 100 people gathered in the open-air competition space within the center to see it renamed the Charles Lee Pinkoson Arena.”
• Florida Politics: Putnam port measure sails through the Legislature. “Putnam County might be an inland county, but lawmakers are clearing the way for the county to board the state seaport council. A bill from Sen. Keith Perry (SB 1038) would allow Putnam County to request a grant to conduct a port feasibility study and add the county to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development (FSTED) Council.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: City could get second minority-majority district. “The Gainesville City Commission on Thursday approved a preliminary redistricting map that would create two minority-majority districts in the city in advance of the August election.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Children’s Trust fires executive director in Alachua County after investigation findings. “The executive director of the Children’s Trust of Alachua County has been terminated following an investigation spurred by an employee. The board’s 5-1 decision on Friday to fire Colin Murphy also follows a poor evaluation and offensive comments made in recent months.”
• News Service of Florida: A bill shielding public college and university presidential searches awaits the governor. “The measure passed as five Florida universities are in various stages of the process of searching for new presidents. Those schools are the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of Florida, Florida International University and Florida Gulf Coast University.”
• Interested in a weekly podcast spotlighting some of the best journalism from this space? We proudly introduce to you “The Rewind,” released into your feeds each Friday afternoon.
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Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • WFSU: Second wildfire moves into Bay County forcing more residents to evacuate. “Firefighters continue to work toward containing wildfires in Bay County as more residents are ordered to evacuate. At a news conference (Saturday) evening, the county’s Emergency Services Chief Brad Monroe described it as a ‘very dangerous situation.'”
• Politico: House lawmakers who sided with DeSantis in map fight see their priorities stalled. “Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to insert himself into Florida’s redistricting process is sending shockwaves through the state’s final budget negotiations, leading House Republican leaders to punish their GOP rank-and-file members as the governor’s office lobbied them to vote against their own leadership.”
• WUSF: Coronavirus cases in Florida plummet as omicron wave continues its sharp decline. “Coronavirus cases in Florida dropped sharply again this week, along with the case positivity rate, as the omicron wave continued its steep decline. The drop-off took much of Florida out of the high-risk category for COVID-19, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
• Miami Herald ($): Empty Champlain Towers garage offers rare window into impact of sea rise underground. “Whether rising seas played a role in the collapse of the doomed Surfside condominium is unclear — and perhaps, unlikely — but the new research from Florida International University provides the data for what regular passersby have witnessed in the now-empty parking garage floor: Water rises and falls not just with rain but with the tides.”
• WMFE: Orlando resident goes viral with “donation hack” to get money & support to Ukrainians. “Randa Black of Orlando had the idea of getting money into the hands of individual Ukrainians through ‘booking’ their short-term vacations rentals on websites like Airbnb or VRBO…of course, without planning an actual visit.”
From NPR News • World: Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (March 6)
• World: Thousands have been detained in anti-war protests across Russia
• Health: For some patients, cardiovascular problems persist long after COVID
• National: This tribe has fought for years to get federal recognition. It’s about their identity
• National: Press 3 for a pep talk from kindergartners. A new hotline gives you options for joy
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County HB 1493 passes Florida House 80-35. “If passed, the bill would place a question on the Nov. 8 ballot that asks Alachua County residents if they want to switch the BOCC to single-member districts instead of all county citizens voting for all commissioners.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County, Gainesville approve funding for East Side Urgent Care facility. “Alachua County and City of Gainesville commissioners met at a joint meeting to approve funding for an urgent care center extension to UF Health Shands Hospital. The agreement was unanimous, but the decision did not come without its fair share of questions.”
• WUFT News: A Bronson high school student with one hand is excelling as a three-sport athlete. “Stanley lost her right hand in an all-terrain vehicle accident at the age of 8. But her passion for sports never waned; it only intensified. She said it’s taught her about having determination in life.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz High School theater plays aim to highlight a realistic teenage experience. “Two of the three plays are original student creations, which the theater arts teacher and performing arts chair Ted Lewis said has been a tradition for 16 years. In prior years, his students have written comedies, hard core dramas, musicals and other genres.”
• News4JAX: Documents show fractured relationship between fired Alachua County superintendent, school board. “Performance reviews from school board members submitted last month show there was ongoing tension between former Alachua County schools superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon and board members — and that tension may have played a part in her dismissal.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • Associated Press: Florida Republicans send 15-week abortion ban to governor. “Abortions after 15 weeks would be banned in Florida under a bill Republican senators sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis late on Thursday, capping a bitter debate in the statehouse as a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision may limit abortion rights in America. DeSantis, a Republican, has previously signaled his support for the proposal and is expected to sign it into law.”
• Miami Herald ($): Senate passes bill seeking to keep ‘unlawful’ migrants from being brought to Florida. “Florida Republicans are poised to bar the state from doing business with companies that bring undocumented immigrants into the state, a move that Democrats and faith leaders across the state worry will complicate the resettlement of unaccompanied minors who come to Florida to be reunified with their families.”
• WFSU: Florida Supreme Court upholds new state legislative districts. “Unlike the proposed congressional districts, the state legislative maps have drawn little controversy. In its ruling, the court explained that there were no opponents challenging the maps for the first time since the existing rules governing judicial review of the maps were put in place more than 50 years ago. Democrats, however, have expressed opposition to the maps, which would favor Republicans.”
• WQCS: AAA: $4 a gallon is “a real possibility” in Florida. “AAA of Florida predicts that $4 a gallon gas may soon be coming to the sunshine state. Sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine have effectively removed Russian oil from the market, and OPEC on Wednesday agreed to only modest increases in supply. The resulting shortage has prompted prices at the pump to surge.”
• WUSF: Plan to close the troubled Piney Point phosphate plant is released. “It’s now up to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to determine whether the plan meets state regulations. It would permanently close four gypsum stacks formerly used to store toxic wastewater from the production of fertilizer.”
• Florida Storms: Areas of drought are expanding across Florida. “Although the winter months are considered Florida’s dry season, the past few months have been exceedingly dry. Year to date rainfall departures from the Panhandle to interior South Florida range from about 2 inches below normal to up to 10 inches below normal.”
• WLRN: Florida passes new rules on two iconic fish. One’s now easier to catch. “As expected, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a controversial rule for goliath grouper that will allow limited fishing for the first time in 30 years. The giant fish nearly went extinct in the 1980s following decades of heavy fishing on reefs where they hunker down and grow to several hundred pounds or more, invincible to most predators.”
• The News Service of Florida: Around-the-clock alligator hunting supported. “The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday directed staff members to set up rule changes that will ensure more daylight hours for alligator hunting in most parts of the state. The commission also supported allowing pre-charged pneumatic airbows with tethered lines as part of the equipment that alligator hunters can use.”
• FOX35 Orlando: Deadly I-95 crash eerily similar to scene 10 years ago on I-75. “Thick fog was difficult to distinguish from smoke from burning trucks, mangled after a 17-car pileup early Thursday morning. Three people were killed. The fog is being blamed for drivers having little to no visibility. The site is eerily similar to another deadly pileup 10 years ago. In 2012, 11 people were killed in crashes when thick fog combined with smoke from a nearby fire on I-75 near Gainesville.”
• WJCT: Fort Mose and other African American historical sites approved for state grants. “A handful of historic sites in the Jacksonville area are receiving millions in African American Cultural Grants from the Florida Department of State. The awards include more than $900,000 toward building a representation of what St. Johns County’s Fort Mose looked like around 1738, when it was the first legally sanctioned free settlement of formerly enslaved people.”
From NPR News • Science: Striking new evidence points to seafood market in Wuhan as pandemic origin point
• World: Russians seize nuclear plant after attack, Ukrainian officials say
• Politics: Biden wants more COVID relief funds. The GOP wants to know where previous relief went
• National: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians can stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation
• National: Ex-officer found not guilty on charges for raid into Breonna Taylor’s apartment
• Health: Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach $6 billion deal with state attorneys general
• Sports: The NFL and players’ union agree to suspend COVID protocols for the 2022 season
• Space: In a first, a mysterious rocket part is about to slam into the moon — by accident
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: University of Florida receives $750,000 grant to collaborate with historically Black neighborhoods. “Unlike many traditional research projects, the researchers for this three-year effort will be the neighborhood residents themselves. The team will pay residents to talk with their neighbors and create ‘countermaps,’ stories and photos that reflect both the community’s needs and its assets. The grant’s lead investigator, Dionne Champion, hopes the project will provide a new model for how the university can engage with the community.”
• Ocala Star-Banner ($): Drama at Marion school board meeting: One audience member arrested, two others removed. “One audience member was arrested Tuesday night at a Marion County School Board meeting and two others were escorted off the property after a bizarre incident involving two women who announced they are suing school board members. The lawsuit demands that the district withdraw ‘illegal’ COVID-19 mandates. It also seeks an order that all schools, including charter schools, stop teaching children about critical race theory, the LGBTQ+ community and some other issues.”
• WUFT News: Citrus County residents are concerned over proposed toll roads. “The Florida Department of Transportation proposed building several toll roads in Citrus County that would run through the south corridor road and connect cities such as Inverness to Wildwood. Citizens raised concern that these roads could force residents from their homes, lead to environmental issues and potentially slice revenue from local businesses.”
• WTSP-Tampa: How UF’s first Black football player changed the game in Tampa. “Leonard George made history and broke racial barriers when he became the first Black football player signed by the University of Florida. In the 1960s, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, George also broke barriers … in Tampa. He was the first Black player on Jesuit High School of Tampa’s football team. He led the team to its first state championship.”
• Citrus County Chronicle ($): Citrus Memorial Hospital to change name in March. “Citrus Memorial Hospital is changing its name to HCA Florida Citrus Hospital.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
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Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • Politico: Florida Senate approves DeSantis’ controversial pick for surgeon general. “The Senate voted 24-15 in favor of Ladapo after about 40 minutes of debate, mostly from Democrats who criticized the Harvard-trained medical doctor for not fully supporting Covid-19 vaccines. State Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Miami) said Ladapo’s reluctance to offer definitive answers about the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines or wearing face masks left him convinced the nominee posed a threat to the state’s 21 million residents.”
• WFSU: A man suspected of shooting a Taylor County deputy has been shot dead. “Gregory Miedema, the suspect in the shooting of a Taylor County Sheriff’s deputy, is dead. Law enforcement confirmed his death at a news conference Wednesday. Miedema was shot and killed by a Dixie County homeowner while trying to break into the person’s house as law enforcement was searching for him.”
• News Service of Florida: St. Augustine senator revamps controversial elections bill. “The amendment would keep one of the highest-profile parts of the bill — creating a state Office of Election Crimes and Security to investigate election irregularities. Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for creation of the office.”
• NPR News: Florida has become the GOP’s favorite destination, and not just for its beaches. “Florida is a big draw for snow birds from around the country looking for warm weather in the depths of winter. But Republicans are flocking to the state to pick up connections and campaign cash year-round.”
• Florida Politics: Bob Saget autopsy photos case echoes Dale Earnhardt’s. “When the family of the late comedian Bob Saget sued Orange County officials last week to prevent public release of autopsy and death scene photos, the action echoed a similar high-profile case and lawmaking from 21 years ago. After NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in the 2001 Daytona 500, Florida’s famously-broad open records laws were tested — and changed — in a prolonged, high-profile, bitter battle involving various news outlets, Earnhardt’s family, Gov. Jeb Bush and Senate President Jim King.”
From NPR News • World: Russia invades Ukraine; explosions are heard in Kyiv and other cities
• Race: The U.S. looks to replace a derogatory name used hundreds of times on federal lands
• National: Colleyville, Texas, is among dozens of U.S. cities blanketed with antisemitic flyers
• Climate: The first step to preparing for surging climate migration? Defining it
• Art: Meet the security guards moonlighting as curators at the Baltimore Museum of Art
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s top Florida stories • Fresh Take Florida: US appeals court reconsiders Florida transgender rights case. “The case challenged a decision by the St. Johns County School Board in St. Augustine not to allow Adams to use the boys’ bathroom when he attended high school. Adams was born a biological female and originally enrolled in the district as one, but he transitioned starting in eighth grade.”
• USA Today Network ($): Florida Republicans in Legislature ready to set limits on race discussions at schools, work. “DeSantis set guidelines for the measure (HB 7) in December, when he proposed his “Stop Woke Act,” which he said is aimed at fighting back against racial “indoctrination” in academia and corporate America.”
• WFSU: Proposal to set aside $400M for broadband stripped from FL Senate bill. “The two chambers have now diverged on specifying the amount of funding in the legislation.”
• WGCU: Legislation Aims to Update Baker Act Protocols for Children. “Florida’s Baker Act, formally referred to as the “Florida Mental Health Act,” passed into law 50 years ago. It allows for the involuntary institutionalization and examination of people — generally with mental illness — who are in danger of becoming a harm to themself, doing harm to others, or are self-neglectful.”
• USA Today Network ($): Lawmaker behind Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill yanks amendment requiring schools to out students. “The amendment by Rep. Joe Harding, R-Williston, was to be debated and voted on the House floor Tuesday afternoon.”
• CBS4: Alachua County to drop Covid-19 mask requirement for employees and the public. “County Manager Michele Lieberman said the new policy goes into effect next Monday. On that date, masks will be recommended, not required.”
• WCJB: Gainesville City Commissioners vote against proposed land use and zoning changes. “This could allow the construction of high rise apartments, retail and restaurants. Some residents fear this could change the historic nature of this part of Gainesville, as well as create environmental and social issues.”
• CBS4: Republican state leaders speak out on local house bill. “The bill adds a referendum on the November ballot to change how county commissioners are elected. If the referendum gets approved, you would only vote for a commissioner to represent your district. Alachua County Senator Keith Perry (R) supports it.”
• WJCT: Most Floridians oppose Legislature’s push to restrict abortion, UNF poll finds. “A large share of Floridians disagree with the Legislature’s push to restrict abortion and classroom discussion of sexual orientation, according to a new poll from the University of North Florida.”
• WMFE: After 10 years, young activists remember Trayvon Martin’s killing like it was yesterday. “Orlando activist Miles Mulrain Jr. and Angela Herrera, who helped organize Orlando’s 2020 protests over George Floyd, speak about how the Martin case impacted their lives and the role of social media.”
• The Daytona Beach News-Journal ($): Jury finds accused Daytona Beach serial killer Robert Hayes guilty on all 3 murder counts. “Hayes, 39, was accused of killing three women in Volusia County in 2005 and 2006 while he was a criminal justice major at Bethune-Cookman University from where he graduated in 2006. He was also a cheerleader at the school.”
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From NPR News • National: Biden says Russia’s military moves are the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine
• Health: Who might benefit from a 4th shot — and who might not
• World: No medals for 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Games drew their lowest U.S. ratings ever
• National: Garland confirms classified material found among records taken from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
• Politics: The IRS is allowing taxpayers to opt out of facial recognition to verify accounts
• Law: Supreme Court to reconsider religious objectors’ refusal to serve same-sex couples
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Emergency services in north central Florida slammed after record high responses. “The high number of calls means emergency medical services are constantly out responding, which means the truck is completely unavailable until it has completed that call. This causes delayed response to other locations where patients are sometimes facing serious and life-threatening medical emergencies. Just last month, ACFR added an additional rescue unit to compensate for the rising call load.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County students, organizers form youth activities advisory council. “The group consists of nearly 20 middle and high school students from every corner of Alachua County, most of whom go to school outside of Gainesville. Along with other programs like the Gainesville Police Department’s One Community initiative, it aims to provide a space for young adults to participate in group activities to help curb rising youth gun and gang violence.”
• WUFT News: Here’s how Florida’s winter Olympians performed. “The U.S. finished fourth on the medal table, earning a collective 25 medals (8 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze) across all winter sports. Of the 225 athletes competing for the U.S., at least six were also representing Florida.”
• WUFT News: A man serving life sentence in a 1991 Gainesville murder is now charged in a second slaying. “In late 2019, GPD Det. David Blizzard and State Attorney Investigator Bennie Smith were summoned to Liberty Correctional Institution after an assistant warden told them an inmate had information concerning a 1990 Gainesville murder. During the interview, 57-year-old Terry Lee Mack confessed to repeatedly stabbing 84-year-old Essie Camps on Feb. 28, 1990.”
• Florida Politics: Lobbying compensation: Ballard Partners collected $19M at the state level last year. “The firm’s top legislative client in 2021 was Shands, a teaching hospital situated on the University of Florida — also a Ballard Partners client — main campus in Gainesville. Shands paid the firm $292,000 in retainers, which was well beyond the cap on range reporting. The hospital tossed in another $50,000 for executive branch lobbying for an overall total of $342,000. UF proper tossed the firm an additional $60,000.”
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Around the state • NPR News: Florida Republicans unhappy over Everglades restoration. “The massive project to restore Florida’s Everglades is getting new money from the infrastructure law. But some state Republicans are unhappy, saying a key part of the project was left out.”
• Daytona Beach News-Journal ($): COVID: Florida out of Top 10 list where virus spreads fastest, reports 42,373 cases and 1,330 deaths. “Florida ranked 32nd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. The week before, the state reappeared in the Top 10 list, ranking No. 8.”
• Associated Press: Bernie Madoff’s sister and her husband have died in a suspected murder-suicide. “The sister of Wall Street fraudster Bernie Madoff and her husband were found dead in what investigators said was an apparent murder-suicide in Florida, according to news reports.”
• Northwest Florida Daily News ($): Despite ‘startling’ racial statistics, controversial ‘stand your ground’ laws withstand scrutiny. “It was concluded the number of homicides of Black people deemed legally “justifiable” more than doubled in “stand your ground” states between 2005, when Florida’s law went into effect, and 2011. Alternatively, it was revealed that in cases involving a white shooter and Black victim, homicides were ruled justified 45 percent of the time, as compared to 11% of the time when the roles were reversed.”
• WUSF: Gas prices in Florida reach a nearly eight-year high over concerns of a Russian invasion. “Last week, gas prices in Florida reached their highest levels in nearly eight years. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas climbed to $3.51.”
From NPR News • World: The U.S. warns that Russia has a ‘kill list’ of Ukrainians to be detained or killed
• World: Condemnation for Putin at U.N. as he orders ‘peacekeepers’ to Ukraine
• Business: Hollywood relies on China to stay afloat. What does that mean for movies?
• National: Jury begins deliberations in hate crimes trial of Arbery’s killers
• National: U.S. census director says bureau is strengthening ‘firewall’ after Trump meddling
• Sports: 9 moments that resonated at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
• Health: Global health champion Dr. Paul Farmer has died
About today’s curator
I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Soil ceremony honors five lynching victims in Waldo. “Residents from across Alachua County joined city officials Saturday to honor five lynching victims from the Waldo, Hawthorne, Campville and Rochelle areas. The event drew about 100 people of all ages and backgrounds. The Rev. Marie Herring with Dayspring Missionary Baptist Church had a reminder for the residents in attendance. ‘When we forget, we have a tendency to repeat,’ Herring said.”
• WUFT News: Protesters decry Florida bill aiming to ban discussion of sexuality and gender in schools. “Proponents say bills HB 1557 and SB 1834 aim to bolster the rights of parents in education. They would ban the discussion of sexuality and gender identity in elementary schools and prevent its encouragement in all schools in a way not deemed ‘age-appropriate.'”
• WUFT News: Gainesville residents are concerned about this affordable housing development. “Royal Park Apartments is a $45.4 million affordable multifamily housing development planned for construction in the wooded area located between Northwest Eighth Avenue and West University Avenue, east of Northwest 39th Road and west of Northwest 36th Drive. Construction on the development could start as early as March and would take about 15 months to complete.”
• WUFT News: Ocala to build second parking garage downtown in a church’s existing parking lot. “After reviewing seven sites, the city manager and other city officials decided that the lot at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, located at 55 SW 3rd Ave, would be the perfect fit.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville Black artists say city should offer more support and appreciation for their services. “Black artists said … they must routinely take it upon themselves to build their platform and grow their representation in Gainesville. They also questioned whether the city was doing all it could or should in terms of helping them to promote Black artists and their work.”
• WUFT News: Buchholz High School student discovers and publishes new calculus technique. “What (Glenn) Bruda had concocted turned out to be an entirely new calculus technique to solve integral equations. He cross checked it with mathematics professors at Santa Fe College and the University of Florida, who later encouraged him to submit his discovery for publication. On Jan. 30, 2022, it was published to Cornell University’s ‘arXiv,’ an open-access archive for scholarly scientific articles.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Fresh Take Florida: Some signatures of Florida voters whose registration changed to Republican different than prior samples. “The differing signatures add to mounting circumstantial evidence of shady political tricks, suggesting that unidentified canvassers during the weeks around Thanksgiving may have changed the party affiliation without permission of mostly elderly, Hispanic voters living in public housing in the area to make them Republicans.”
• Palm Beach Post ($): Florida reports steep drop in new weekly COVID cases as deaths top 1,000 again. “Florida’s COVID-19 case count grew by at least 42,373 this week, state health officials reported Friday, the lowest seven-day sum since Dec. 17. That’s a massive drop from the 122,000 new cases counted in the week ending Feb. 11, a sign that the airborne pathogen’s omicron variant is well on the way out.”
• WFSU: Democrats blast Gov. DeSantis’ congressional map, praise GOP legislature’s redistricting efforts. “Unlike DeSantis’ map, both the Senate and House plans keep (U.S. Rep. Al) Lawson’s district largely intact. The Senate has already passed its map, and the House plan is still under review in committee.”
• WMFE: MLB spring training games in Florida, Arizona postponed through March 5th. “Games were supposed to start February 26th in Florida and Arizona.”
• WLRN: Marathon orders tenants out of apartment building after engineer finds it unsafe. “Marathon passed a law in January that requires all multi-story buildings 17 years and older to be recertified. Property owners have to hire state certified structural engineers and file a report to the city. The engineer’s report said that concrete beams, columns, walls and slabs in the building showed ‘widespread cracking and spalling.'”
• Tampa Bay Times ($): Orlando-based St. Johns Insurance in trouble as rating is pulled. “One of Florida’s largest property insurers could be going out of business after a ratings agency withdrew its assessment of St. Johns Insurance Co. on Thursday. Without its ‘A’ rating, St. Johns’ 140,000 customers in Florida could be forced to find new coverage.”
• News4Jax: City of Jacksonville installs sensors to figure out source of terrible smells around town. “Over the last two years, the city received 2,869 complaints of terrible smells and the complaints started picking up in the summer of 2020 …”
From NPR News • World: President Biden agrees to a tentative meeting with Putin to discuss Ukraine
• Sports: The — at times complicated — 2022 Beijing Winter Games come to a close
• Health: U.S. surgeon general says he and his family have all tested positive for COVID-19
• Business: Inflation has many retirees worried about outliving their savings
• Business: First-time homebuyers are getting squeezed out by investors
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories • WUFT News: ‘There is always room for growth’: Cynthia Chestnut rejoins Gainesville City Commission. “Chestnut, 72, assumed the position previously held by Gail Johnson, who announced her resignation in August. Chestnut first ran for the seat in the November special election, but it wasn’t until the Jan. 25 runoff that she won over newcomer Matt Howland.”
• WFSU: Senate President is open to talks on House plan to punish school districts that kept mask mandates. “(Wilton) Simpson said he expects part of the debate to center on whether there’s a difference between running afoul of an executive order compared to a law. After some districts defied Desantis’ order, lawmakers met in a special session to codify the order in state law.”
• WUFT News: New research suggests delays in autism diagnosis for Black children may reflect providers’ racial biases. “Black children usually obtain a diagnosis for autism one and a half years later than white children, after many more provider visits. They are also more likely to get misdiagnosed first with intellectual disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders, creating an even longer delay. Torica Exume leads a team of researchers at the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida Atlantic University who have dedicated the last year to answering the question: Why?”
• USA Today Network ($): A $3.3 billion gulf: Here are the budget fault lines dividing the Florida House and Senate. “A $3.3 billion gap sounds like a lot. But it’s easier to grasp – and for lawmakers to narrow – when viewed as smaller differences scattered across scores of spending priorities and involving a few million dollars here and there.”
• News Service of Florida: Senate passes revamped water bill. “With a key lawmaker saying he wanted to clarify and counter ‘purposeful misinformation,’ the Senate on Thursday changed a controversial measure that critics said could affect Everglades restoration projects.”
• Florida Politics: Gov. DeSantis signs emergency rainy day fund into law. “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the first bills of the 2022 Legislative Session on Thursday — two proposals creating a $500 million rainy day fund in the Governor’s name. … The fund will provide DeSantis — and subsequent governors — with a designated pot of money to use during a state of emergency.”
• Politico: ‘Bad blood’: Florida Republicans defy DeSantis. “According to more than a dozen state lawmakers, members of the governor’s administration and Florida political operatives, the conflicts stem from DeSantis using hard-nosed tactics to strong-arm the Legislature, disagreements between lawmakers and the governor’s new chief of staff and DeSantis’ lobbying campaign to pressure Simpson to pass a long-stalled anti-union bill. That effort peaked after conservative groups contacted by the governor’s team bought $75,000 in ads against Simpson in his own district.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): Remote public comment is on pace to cost Gainesville taxpayers $130K this year alone. “Gainesville officials, however, haven’t publicly said yet whether they will follow Alachua County’s decision to scrap the service, a useful tool that has allowed people to have their voices heard in government meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
• Associated Press: Florida transportation secretary Kevin Thibault resigns to take airport job. “Florida’s secretary of transportation is stepping down to take over as CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, officials said.”
• Miami Herald ($): In Florida, home of the 97-year-old inmate, prison healthcare costs spiraling. “The average age of Florida prisoners has climbed from 32 in 1996 to 42 today, according to Florida Department of Corrections records. At the moment, Florida is currently incarcerating inmates as old as 97, prison officials said. They would not identify the 97-year-old.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
• Family Law
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• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
From NPR News • World: How a Russian invasion of Ukraine could affect you
• Politics: President Biden warns that the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is ‘very high’
• Business: Why we’ll probably see avocado prices rise soon in the U.S.
• Sports: Minimum ages for figure skaters? Some at the Beijing Olympics say it’s a good idea
• National: N.Y. Supreme Court justice orders the Trumps to testify under oath
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Ocala Gazette: Judge orders Ocala to send out notices to all who paid illegal fire fee tax about final hearing and their refunds. “A judge last week provided some clarity to the burning question of how Ocala residents and businesses, past and present, will be able to get back almost $80 million in fire fees they were made to pay years ago under a tax that was later found to be illegal.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua schools will share spring break with UF. “The School Board of Alachua County made the decision at its regular meeting, making this the first time that UF and ACPS align the week off. According to the calendar, the break will be a week earlier than usual for the ACPS, running from March 13 to March 17, 2023.”
• WUFT News: Gainesville advisory board members didn’t like parts of the first proposal to redesign West University Avenue’s traffic flow. “The board’s vice chair, Michael Palmer, said he felt the designers overlooked the transportation needs of Gainesville residents in favor of University of Florida students and staff.”
• WUFT News: Traveling exhibit sheds light on the Holocaust during visit to north central Florida. “The freight car’s U.S. leg of the North American tour began in December and made its way Monday and Tuesday to the outside of Jewish organization University of Florida Hillel’s building across University Avenue near Ben Griffith Stadium.”
• WUFT News: Supply shortages are impacting Gainesville-area hunger relief programs. “With vastly cheaper prices than other suppliers, food banks are a go-to spot for many hunger relief programs. But price increases and grocery store shortages serve as a reminder that the amount and type of product available at food banks is variable, said Raquel Simon-Petley, the director of advocacy and strategic planning at Feeding Florida.”
Do you value local journalism?
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Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • WFSU: A bill that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks passed on the House floor just after midnight as protestors were blocked from the chamber. “House speaker Chris Sprowls instructed the sergeants to clear the chamber and after a brief recess lawmakers returned to vote—passing the bill 78-39.”
• Florida Politics: Florida Supreme Court won’t need to hear oral arguments on legislative maps. “The Senate on Feb. 3 passed a bill that combined both the Senate map (S 9058) and the House map (H 8013) in a single piece of legislation. Attorney General Ashley Moody on Feb. 9 petitioned the Supreme Court for a high-level review of the maps and asked for a summary judgment.”
• News4Jax: Publix says fully vaccinated workers don’t have to wear masks. “Publix does not require customers to wear face coverings but does encourage all to ‘do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.’ Publix isn’t the only one loosening protocols. Fully vaccinated Walmart and Sam’s Club employees were also told they will not have to wear a mask.”
• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Florida bill that penalizes districts could cost Tallahassee schools their security chief. “Leon County Schools administrators have started tallying up which jobs might be at risk if Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature yank millions from the school district for defying the governor’s ban on mask mandates. One would be the person in charge of keeping students safe.”
• Pensacola News Journal ($): Northwest Florida solar companies say new bill will pull the plug on their growing industry. “As the cost of solar panels has come down in recent years, Florida’s regulations surrounding net metering have made it financially feasible for many people to begin installing them on their homes. Net metering allows people with solar panels to ‘sell’ back excess energy they generate to the electric utility provider.”
• Associated Press: Recent deaths have railroads pleading for people to stop dangerous crossings. “Tuesday night’s death was the ninth involving Florida’s privately owned passenger railroad since it resumed operations in November after an 18-month shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the 57th since Brightline began test runs in 2017, giving it the worst per-mile fatality rate in the nation, according to an ongoing Associated Press analysis that began in 2019.”
• WMFE: Osceola County public school teachers get Spring Break bonus, raises in an attempt to slow turnover. “The Osceola County School Board voted this week to approve the one-time $500 bonuses and a $15 dollar minimum wage for employees. The bonuses will be handed out ahead of Spring Break and the raises will take effect July 1, 2022.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Local businesses anticipate economic impact as MLB lockout delays spring training. “Local businesses, fans, and part-time stadium workers are fearing disputes between Major League Baseball players and team owners will get in the way of the much-anticipated spring training games.”
• WJCT: At long last, recycling will return April 4 in Jacksonville. “Curbside recycling pickup will return to Jacksonville on April 4, exactly six months after the city suspended the service to focus on missed garbage and yard waste collections.”
• WLRN: Blocking ‘Bikini Beach’? Keys officials want to screen the view from part of U.S. 1. “‘They call it up there bikini beach and they also call it lookie-loo beach,’ said Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay. ‘We have people that are in a 55-mile-an-hour zone and are dropping down to 30, 35 miles an hour just for that, to look at the boats and, presumably, the swimmers.'”
From NPR News • Health: The politics of getting to the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic
• Business: Companies tell employees it’s time to return to the workplace
• World: Russia’s claim that it was pulling troops back from Ukraine is ‘false,’ official says
• Politics: U.S. investigation finds that former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused position
• Politics: The John Durham filing that set off conservative media, explained
• National: Racist, violent evidence presented in federal trial against Ahmaud Arbery’s killers
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • WUFT News: Rainbow Family members and Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods pray for resolution in murder case. “Just days after the one-year anniversary of his death, a dozen people gathered in front of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon with handwritten signs that said, ‘Help Us Find Larry “Frank” Dugger’s Killer.’ The Rainbow Family of Living Light is an alternative-living group that has gatherings yearly in the Ocala National Forest, and the shooting that killed Dugger took place at last year’s gathering.”
• WUFT News: The opioid epidemic continues to plague north central Florida communities. “Since 2018, the Ocala Police Department has responded to over 1,000 overdose incidents, which have resulted in the deaths of 139 Ocala residents. OPD Public Information Officer Jeff Walczak said the police department’s investigations have shown the drugs responsible for many of the overdose deaths enter the U.S. from Mexico.”
• USA Today Network ($): Florida Gov. DeSantis sides with House in penalizing school districts that required masks. “After earlier downplaying the idea, Gov. Ron DeSantis now has endorsed a House proposal to cut $200 million in education money from a dozen Florida counties that defied him by issuing mask requirements last year for students and school staff.”
• The Gainesville Sun ($): Political organizer, environmental entrepreneur run for seat on Gainesville commission. “Bryan Eastman, 33, is president of the Alachua County Young Democrats. He has run the campaigns of numerous local candidates and ballot initiatives. Christian Newman, 53, has taught high school science and founded various environmental consulting firms.”
• WUFT News: Three Ocala Natives compete for gold at Beijing Olympics. “Among the world’s best skaters and leading medal contenders, Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia are all from the same city: Ocala, Florida, of all places.”
• WUFT News: Inflation causes small businesses to grapple with changes. “The Greater Gainesville Chamber doesn’t measure local data related to inflation. But the consumer price index, which measures average price changes over time, rose 7% nationally and 7.4% in the South in 2021. Inflation increases the cost of doing business and reduces income, according to Staci Bertrand, the chamber’s vice president of economic development. That’s particularly exasperating for small businesses and their limited profit margins, Bertrand said.”
• CBS4 News: Gainesville Police Department faces staff shortage. “Like the rest of the nation, the Gainesville Police Department is facing consistent staffing issues, but they hope a new agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police will help them alleviate the situation.”
• Main Street Daily News: Local hospitals see ‘dramatic’ COVID case decline. “After plateauing the past two weeks, local COVID-positive hospitalization cases are finally declining.”
Today’s sponsored message
We focus our legal attention on these practice areas:
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• Business Law
• Estate Planning
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• Guardianship
Visit lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.
Around the state • Miami Herald ($): New U.S. sea rise projections are lower but still forecast grim future for Florida. “As attention and urgency ramp up around the world over the looming dangers of climate change, a major new federal report released on Tuesday offers a surprising forecast: It actually reduces the amount of sea level rise the world is expected to see as the Earth warms.”
• USA Today Network ($): Florida House poised to approve 15-week abortion ban with no rape, incest exceptions. “The Florida House Tuesday positioned a 15-week abortion ban (HB 5) for final passage Wednesday. That came after two hours of intense questioning by Democrats about how it will impact women pregnant by rape, incest and coercion, and those trapped in poverty.”
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): DeSantis leads Democratic challengers in new poll. “Among the three Democrats vying to take on DeSantis, Congressman Charlie Crist has the most support in the Democratic primary, according the Mason-Dixon poll, which found that 44% of Florida Democrats back Crist while 27% back Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and 3% support state Sen. Annette Taddeo. A significant number of Democrats – 26% – are undecided.”
• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers are considering a change in excused absences for students. “Only physicians currently are allowed to write notes attesting to illnesses or conditions that would excuse students’ absences. The House proposal would permit any “other licensed professional as determined by school board policy” to write such notes on behalf of students.”
• WJCT: Masks coming off at Disney World, but only if you’re vaccinated. “The changes come as COVID-19 continues to wane in Florida, as the number of people hospitalized continued to drop Tuesday.”
• WUSF: LGBTQ authors and advocates say Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill could hurt teens. “School districts across Florida — and the country — have received attention for pulling LGBTQ books out of their libraries or placing them under review. And the battle over regulating conversations in schools continues in the Florida Legislature, where what’s referred to as the “don’t say gay” bill is being debated.”
From NPR News • National: Neighbors recall Ahmaud Arbery’s death in hate crimes trial of his killers
• National: Families of Sandy Hook victims reach settlement with Remington
• World: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny faces a new trial, this time in prison
• World: Life in the Beijing Olympic bubble
• Politics: Biden speaks about Russia-Ukraine tensions
• Politics: GOP candidates and leaders subpoenaed as Jan. 6 panel dives into fake electors scheme
• Health: FDA chief has been confirmed despite concerns over his pharmaceutical industry ties
• Health: When moms get vaccinated during pregnancy, babies get protection too, study shows
About today’s curator
I’m Melissa Feito, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Miami, I got my start in public radio covering religion stories like the spiritual roots of Afro-Brazilian music and modern communities of pagans. I’m a graduate student getting my master’s degree in mass communication and am part of a team searching for local and state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to mfeito2@ufl.edu.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
Today’s Florida stories • Fresh Take Florida: Meltdown: Florida failed for nearly 3 months to pay tens of thousands of health claims for sickest, neediest children. “Families with critically ill children who relied on Medicaid-paid health providers were stranded in some cases. A father in Lake Worth was forced to cut back his contractor work to remain home and care for his son when payments stopped. A mother in Ocala said the company that helped care for her 15-year-old disabled son temporarily shut down because of the payment problems.”
• WLRN: Four years after Parkland school shooting, the pain feels ‘just as fresh’ for one victim’s family. “Chris Hixon was killed four years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He was the athletic director who ran into the building that day to try to stop the shooter. He was 49.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County explores ways to curb reliance on ER for mental health conditions. “During crises, law enforcement is mostly called to help with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and substance abuse, said Kamelia Klejc, program coordinator for the Gainesville Fire Rescue Community Resource Paramedicine Program. Substance abuse cases are some of the most common calls the program receives.”
• Florida Politics: Bill giving voters choice to reshape Alachua County Commission passes second committee. “HB 1493, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Clemons, passed the House Public Integrity and Elections Committee. The legislation would place a ballot initiative in front of Alachua County voters in 2022 to change the county’s five commissioners from at-large seats to single-member districts. Instead of representing the whole district, each Commissioner would only represent voters within the boundaries of their district.”
• The Alligator: Santa Fe College creates new charter school. “Santa Fe College is launching a new STEM-focused charter school at the college’s northwest campus in Fall 2023. With a $2 million grant from the State of Florida, the school will offer high school students training in information technology and health sciences, according to a press release. The college received the grant Feb. 2 as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $89 million plan to enhance workforce initiatives across the state.”
• Gainesville Sun ($): New Gainesville sales tax could pay for several safety improvements. Here’s a list. “They include things like: adding cyclist and pedestrian safety features to roads such as University Avenue, repairing city buildings where roofs have collapsed, building new fire stations, buying property for affordable housing projects and funding road improvement projects in East Gainesville.”
• News Service of Florida: A judge is set to rule on a lawsuit by environmental groups over the Piney Point wastewater spill. “After the state scrambled last spring to prevent a potential catastrophe at a former former phosphate-plant site, a federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday about whether he should toss out a lawsuit filed by environmental groups alleging ‘malfeasance’ in the handling of hazardous waste.”
• WTSP-Tampa: Final autopsy reveals what medical examiner found in Brian Laundrie’s death. “The District Twelve Medical Examiner’s Office earlier confirmed Laundrie, who the FBI said claimed responsibility for killing his fianceé, 22-year-old Gabby Petito, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.”
• WUFT News: A Gainesville record label is trying to empower independent hip-hop artists. “FARO, whose real name is Jamari Boothe, is one of seven artists signed to Gainesville record label Dion Dia. Founded in March 2019, the label attracts forward-thinking artists who dabble in electronic, hip-hop and R&B music. The label won a 2021 Business Arts Award from the Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board on Jan. 31.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
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From NPR News • Business: It’s not just home prices. Rents rise sharply across the U.S.
• Business: Judge to dismiss Sarah Palin lawsuit against ‘New York Times’
• Health: Confused about how worried to be about the pandemic? You’re not alone
• Health: Republicans call on Biden to end COVID’s public health emergency designation
• World: Canadian government is invoking its Emergencies Act to try to quell COVID protests
• National: Trump’s longtime accountant says a decade of his financial statements are unreliable
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • Associated Press: Golden moment: Ocala’s Erin Jackson becomes 1st Black woman to win speedskating medal. “It was an immensely personal moment for an inline skating champion from balmy Ocala, Florida, who traded her wheels for blades in order to chase an improbable Olympic dream. But it meant so much more than that. Jackson’s skin color makes her an anomaly at the speedskating oval. She joined fellow American Shani Davis as the only Black athletes to win long-track medals at the Olympics.”
• WUFT News: Rainbow Family gathers in the Ocala National Forest despite shooting last year. “The first Rainbow Gathering took place in Colorado in 1972 as a means to pray for peace, according to the original invitation found on an unofficial website. Since then, the Rainbow Family has grown into an alternative lifestyle community consisting of thousands of people across the U.S. and other countries. They adopt Rainbow names in the woods. They trek from national forest to national forest, setting up camp for up to four weeks at a time before they move on. Like the snowbirds who arrive in the South every year, they arrive in their winter location: Ocala.”
• WFSU: DeSantis rejects a proposed budget cut to schools that defied his mask mandate ban and floats extending it to private schools. “Gov. Ron DeSantis says he does not support stripping funding from the dozen Florida school districts (including Alachua County) that defied his ban on mandatory student masking. But he would support allowing parents to sue those districts if they could prove their children were harmed by the policy.”
• WUSF: Florida’s new chief resilience officer visits Hernando Beach as part of this statewide tour. “In November, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Wesley Brooks as the state’s new chief resilience officer, after nearly two years of not having a full-time person in the position. Brooks was director of federal affairs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and he also worked with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on environmental initiatives.”
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Around the state • Fresh Take Florida: Landmark Florida case challenging transgender athlete law to depend on related case before US appeals court, judge says. “The entire group of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta will hear oral arguments Feb. 22 in the lawsuit over high school bathrooms at Nease High in Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville. A three-judge appeals panel previously ruled that the school violated the equal-protection rights of the student, Drew Adams, but the full court is reconsidering the case.”
• NPR News: Gov. DeSantis may stop Florida migrant shelters from caring for unaccompanied kids. “For years, the U.S. has treated children who cross the border without their parents differently from other migrants, caring for them in special shelters around the country until they can be reunited with a parent or another sponsor. A record number of unaccompanied children arrived this way last year, and there’s a growing backlash among Republicans, including the governor of Florida.”
• USA Today Network ($): Hinting veto, DeSantis pressures lawmakers to reduce Black-held congressional districts. “Gov. Ron DeSantis is heightening tension over Florida’s congressional redistricting, indicating he still wants fellow Republican leaders in the Legislature to craft new boundaries that would eliminate half of the state’s districts now held by Black members of Congress.”
• Miami Herald ($): Far-right groups find that Florida provides fertile ground — and a national stage. “Some of the most prominent figures in the far-right so-called ‘patriot movement’ live in Florida, making the state not just fertile ground for recruitment but a national stage for extremists with ambitions beyond school boards and statehouses.”
• Fort Myers News-Press ($): Florida hides data showing how many tourists and snowbirds contract COVID-19 in the state. “When an out-of-stater catches the potentially deadly respiratory disease in Florida, state health officials don’t report it to the public. Instead, they follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by sending that data to the person’s home state. Officials from the nonresident’s state report the data to the CDC, which adds the case to the home state’s infection tally, not Florida’s.”
• New York Times ($): How a Tawdry Steakhouse Melee Transfixed Miami Politics. “The Morton’s affair — tawdry, overblown and involving a cast of characters who are largely unknown outside of Florida — offers a window into Miami’s dynastic and often impenetrable politics, run by generations of Cuban American families that have been in power for decades. Understanding them requires detailed family trees and the patience to track long-unfolding feuds.”
• WJCT: They call it a ‘turbo roundabout’; drivers may call it confusing. “If you hear ‘Turbo Roundabout’ around Jacksonville, it’s not a Mario Kart level. It’s the newest traffic pattern from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. The special roundabout, which the JTA says is the first of its kind in the country, features multiple lanes, a spiral pattern with dividers and widened multiuse paths.”
• The Weather Channel: Why Are So Many Scooters in Tampa River? “Volunteers cleaning up the Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida, find a shocking number of electric scooters.”
From NPR News • National: Bridge linking U.S. and Canada reopens after police remove last protesters
• World: Biden speaks with Ukraine’s leader as U.S. officials warn of imminent Russian attack
• Sports: How did the anti-doping system for the Beijing Olympics break down so badly?
• Health: Kids with autism struggle to adapt to adulthood. One doctor is trying to change that
• Health: Coronavirus FAQ: What’s the best way to protect school-age kids from COVID?
• National: It took a village, but a dog that fled a car accident is home
• Business: This is what was happening 40 years ago, the last time inflation was this high
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.
Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you • News Service of Florida: UF appeals in professor testimony fight. “Lawyers for UF President Kent Fuchs, Provost Joseph Glover and the university’s board of trustees filed a notice Tuesday that is a first step in appealing a January decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who called the policy ‘pernicious’ and a violation of First Amendment rights.”
• WUFT News: Florida school districts that resisted DeSantis’ mask ban could lose millions. “In a written statement, Dr. Carlee Simon, superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, said the proposal would eliminate jobs of employees working in districts where mask policies were implemented. Per the proposed budget, Alachua County stands to lose over $2 million in education funding.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County to open first dual language immersion school. “Terwilliger Elementary School, located at 3999 SW 122nd St., will become the first school in the district to offer both English and Spanish instruction in the classroom. Crystal Marull, University of Florida’s coordinator of online Spanish courses, was disappointed to find limited availability for language education in the county.”
• WUFT News: Alachua County schools are working to increase accessibility of local food for students. “The Good Food Purchasing Program has helped Alachua County Public Schools invest nearly $1 million to increase nutrition in school cafeterias. That figure includes a $107,297 direct investment to local family-owned farms that helped raise nutritional standards at public schools 20% beyond the program’s baseline, said Kelli Brew, the county coordinator for Good Food Purchasing.”
• Florida Politics: Putnam port study measure sets sail for the House. “Palatka, along the St. Johns River, is home to the Putnam County Barge Port. The Putnam County Commission has plans, with help from the Army Corps of Engineers, to dredge a 12-foot-deep, 5,000-foot-long channel to improve vessel navigation and safety and increase the number, size and capacity of vessels using the barge port.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: Keepers send 20 million bees to CA almond farms. “The young bees have a job to do pollinating the blossoming almond trees in the California central valley next week. It’s known as the Super Bowl of Beekeeping and Florida is one of the biggest players in the effort to make sure 30 billion bees and their beekeepers accomplish the task of pollinating more than 18,000 square miles of almond orchards.”
• WUFT News: Newberry plans to establish a precedent for new infrastructure. “Thursday marked the first of a 150-day goal to adopt concise regulations into Newberry’s set of legal ordinances for future infrastructure. Over the next six months, a blueprint for the expectations of the future of Newberry should be clear to the city, consultants said.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Former animal shelter director, husband accused of using shelter’s money to buy house, boat, car. “The former director of the Humane Society of the Nature Coast and her husband cheated the non-profit animal shelter of at least $1 million for purchases of boats, cars and a house, authorities allege.”
• WUFT News: Beautyberry from the backyard: How McCarty Woods is getting back to its roots. “On Saturday, volunteers will take to McCarty Woods in the latest update of a year-long effort to conserve the two acres of University of Florida land from development. The volunteer movement, spearheaded by faculty members Lucas Majure and Pam and Douglas Soltis, will again return to the woods. This time, they will be planting.”
Do you value local journalism?
WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong.
Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.
Around the state • Politico: Florida Supreme Court rejects DeSantis’ redistricting push. “The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday shot down Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to get the high court to rule on whether Rep. Al Lawson’s 200-mile congressional district linking Black neighborhoods must be kept intact during the state’s redistricting process.”
• WFSU: The Florida Senate votes to shield public college and university presidential searches from public view. “Florida lawmakers are steps from closing the search process for public colleges and university presidents. Right now, most of those considerations are done publicly, with committees holding interviews and vetting candidates in meetings open to anyone.”
• Florida Politics: House votes to impose term limits on all school boards. “Along party lines, the Florida House voted 78-40 Thursday to impose term limits on all school boards in the state. CS/HB 1467, introduced originally by Rep. Sam Garrison, would cut salaries for school board members newly elected or re-elected after August 2022.”
• Florida Today ($): Nature gap: Black people strive to overcome history of recreational barriers, reconnect with Florida land. “(Brandon) Thompson is one of many trying to encourage others who look like him to explore the nation’s parks and green spaces. It’s a move to break through the legacy left behind from Jim Crow-era rules, segregationist attitudes, and economic barriers that kept many Black people away from Florida’s most sought-after outdoor spaces.”
• WFLA-Tampa: Lakeland’s Peloton facility to close as company lays off 2,800 workers globally. “Fifty-eight workers are losing their jobs at Peloton’s Lakeland facility amid shakeups at the top of the at-home exercise bike company.”
• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay Bandits return with new USFL. “The Tampa Bay Bandits led the original USFL in attendance and the team is back with the new league. The eight-team league includes the Bandits, Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers.”
From NPR News • World: A Canadian judge has frozen access to donations for the trucker convoy protest
• National: Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin got her day in court in ‘New York Times’ lawsuit
• Politics: The economy is strong but voters aren’t feeling it. That’s a problem for Biden
• Books: ‘Cost of Living’ considers the real price of the U.S. health care system
• Health: Bob Saget’s death shows how dangerous an untreated head injury can be, experts say
• Science: The hamsters of Hong Kong offer a cautionary COVID tale
• Sports: Shaun White finishes fourth in men’s halfpipe, wrapping up storied Olympic career
About today’s curator
I’m Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I’ve found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today’s edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.