Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The top stories near you
• Dog adoptions at the Alachua County Animal Shelter are on hold after six were euthanized when they were found to have the canine distemper virus. The rest are under quarantine for the rest of the month. (Gainesville Sun)
• The Gainesville City Commission is moving forward with selling a long-vacant downtown parking lot to be developed as a six-story hotel. In other news from the commissioners, their relationship with the city auditor is at a difficult point at the moment. (WUFT News, Gainesville Sun)
• The University of Florida is hiring a Disney Imagineer to help run a master's program in architectural studies in Orlando. (UF News)
• A solidly tatted UF political science lecturer recently discussed the changing perceptions of tattoos in the workplace. A supervisor once told him "only criminals and sailors get visible tattoos and that I’m ruining my life and throwing away everything.” If that was ever the case, it isn't any longer. (WUFT News)
Today's sponsored message
There's no denying the importance of a good education.
Millhopper Montessori is one of only two area private schools accredited by FCIS, due in part to our highly-credentialed teachers and STEAM-enhanced curriculum. Millhopper’s unique methods allow each preschool through middle school student to explore and learn, all in a safe and secure environment. Millhopper students develop into poised, compassionate and creative leaders who are prepared for the next level. Call 352-375-6773 or visit <a href="http://millhopper.com" target="_blank" link-data="{"link":{"attributes":[],"linkText":"millhopper.com","target":"NEW","url":"http://millhopper.com","_id":"0000018b-8bbc-d33b-ab8b-fffc94480009","_type":"ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a"},"_id":"0000018b-8bbc-d33b-ab8b-fffc9448000a","_type":"809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288"}">millhopper.com</a>today to schedule your tour.
Around the state today
• Politico reports Washington County in the Panhandle was one of the counties Russia successfully targeted in 2016. NPR News has reactions from some in Florida's Congressional delegation who are frustrated with the FBI's secrecy of the county names.
• Palm Beach and Broward counties could receive up to 1,000 immigrants per month from federal authorities. Locals areunamused. (Palm Beach Post)
• Gov. Ron DeSantis now has the legislature-approved texting and driving ban on his desk and will have until month's end to make a decision about it. (News Service of Florida)
• It's often not the coastal storm surge flooding that kills people during a hurricane, but rather the inland flooding. That can be as true in Florida as any other state to recently experience this, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Florida Today)
• Researchers near Sarasota just discovered a Native American burial ground there is at least 1,000 years older than previously known. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
• Planting season for certain crops has begun in the Panhandle, and farmers there can now apply for emergency no-interest loans to help bounce back from Hurricane Michael. (WFSU)
• Officials in the Tampa area aren't ready to let the dream of a new baseball stadium die and have paid tens of thousands of public dollars this year to keep it alive. (Florida Politics)
From NPR News
• National: Trump Announces New Immigration Plan
• Science: Oil Spill Seeping Into Gulf Of Mexico Contained After 14 Years, Coast Guard Says
• Science: Remote Island Chain Has Few People — But Hundreds Of Millions Of Pieces Of Plastic
• Science: Smartphone App And Paper Funnel Could Help Diagnose Ear Infections
• Health: It's Not Just Salt, Sugar, Fat: Study Finds Ultra-Processed Foods Drive Weight Gain
• Health: The Generic Drugs You're Taking May Not Be As Safe Or Effective As You Think
• National: Chelsea Manning Sent Back To Jail For Refusing To Testify Before Grand Jury
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.