The Point

The Point, July 23, 2019: What To Know About The Push For A Citizen-Only Voting Law In Florida

WUFT | By Jasmine Dahlby

Published July 23, 2019 at 11:17 AM EDT

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Today's top stories

• UF chemistry professor Richard Yost will be inducted to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame in September for his life-changing device, the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, which is used to measure the weight of molecules. (The Alligator)

• The tropical depression east of South Florida is not expected to strengthen. It is predicted to remain off the east coast of Florida today and dissipate by tomorrow, bringing 1 to 3 inches of rain. (Palm Beach Post)

• Hundreds of people gathered Monday evening at Lake Eola Park in Orlando to protest Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló. Protesters chanted and sang and danced to traditional bomba and plena music. However, Rosselló said he will stay in office despite texts exchanged with Cabinet members making fun of minorities and victims of Hurricane Maria. (WMFE)

• The city of St. Augustine is testing its tap water and it may affect the water's taste or smell. The process, which began Friday, could take up to three weeks. The water is still safe to use and drink. (WJCT)

• A network of organizers is pushing to change the Florida Constitution to explicitly state that "only" citizens may vote. Although federal law bans noncitizens from voting, the Florida Constitution states that “every” citizen who is 18 can vote. (Tampa Bay Times)

• Over the last year, the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering has put together a team to find ways to protect dying coral reefs. These solutions range from gene editing to manipulating clouds."It's crucial coral systems survive," Stanford University marine biologist Steve Palumbi said. Reefs, in particular, are "not just highly, highly productive and diverse, but they're really basic to the way humans use natural ecosystem services." (WLRN)

• The seed of UF's 70-foot-tall Sycamore tree, the moon tree, was one of about 400 to 500 seeds brought in a capsule by astronaut Stuart Roosa and orbited around the moon in 1971 during the Apollo 14 mission. “The moon tree is essentially a living monument right here on campus that connects us with the wonder and mystery of space,” said Allison Vitt, spokesperson for UF’s Office of Sustainability. (The Alligator)

• At a meeting with law enforcement, mental health, and community leaders, Republican Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addressed the intersection between the criminal justice, mental health, and drug-addiction treatment systems, and the need to treat inmates for mental health. (Florida Pheonix)

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