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Today's top Florida stories
• Fresh Take Florida: Florida Supreme Court Affirms Governor’s Emergency Powers During Pandemic. "Florida’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday against a former used-car salesman and restaurant employee who challenged the authority of Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue virus-related shutdown orders."
• WUFT News: From The Front Lines Podcast: "Revisiting With Past Guests As COVID-19 Cases Spike In Florida."
• St. Augustine Record ($): UF looks to remove St. Augustine memorial to Confederate Gen. William Loring. "In light of the George Floyd protests happening across the country, UF President Kent Fuchs issued a statement on June 18 promising that the school would take steps to end racism. Along with stopping the school’s “Gator Bait” cheer at sporting events and discontinuing the use of prison labor in UF’s agricultural operations, Fuch specifically mentioned removing the monuments."
• Florida Storms: Dust is Approaching the Florida Panhandle, Not South Florida. "Hazy skies, lower rain chances, and hotter temperatures are the typical meteorological effects from the Saharan air when it arrives in Florida. This event is particularly strong, and it could also lead to unhealthy air quality for those with sensitive respiratory conditions."
• Florida Politics: Florida receives $250 million from CARES Act for affordable housing COVID-19 relief. "Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that Florida will receive $250 million in CARES Act funding to provide rental and mortgage assistance for families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."
• Sun Sentinel ($): Gov. DeSantis signs bill to expand voucher program."This scholarship gives middle-income families more access to state funds to attend private schools. It was designed to help families on the wait list another of the state’s voucher programs for low-income families, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships."
• Miami Herald ($): Federal judge considers having ICE jails inspected by the court following live testimony. "The Glades detainees, who both tested positive for the coronavirus, told Cooke ICE is still placing COVID-positive detainees with people who are healthy or have yet to be tested, which would be a direct violation of her June 6 court order."
• Florida Today ($): Port Canaveral Coast Guardsmen seize over 3 tons of cocaine in Caribbean Sea."Coast Guardsmen stationed in Cape Canaveral returned to port Wednesday after busting drug smuggling operations off the coast of Costa Rica worth more than $118 million."
• Florida Politics: Ousted COVID-19 dashboard manager Rebekah Jones to file whistleblower complaint. "Central to Jones’ firing is what she says was her denial to manipulate data showing which counties met the state’s reopening criteria. She has accused Roberson of asking her to change data and the department of replacing her with an outside vendor after her refusal."
• Miami Herald ($): Miami Gardens police officer arrested after video shows him with knee on woman’s neck. "The arrest also comes as protests against police brutality have unfolded across the nation following the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis cop pressed his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes."
• WMFE: Disney changing Splash Mountain, ride tied to Jim Crow film. "Disney officials said the ride would no longer be tied to the 1946 movie, 'Song of the South,' which many view as racist. Instead, the revamped ride will be inspired by the 2009 Disney film, 'The Princess and the Frog,' which has an African-American female lead."
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From NPR News
• National: Nearly $1.4 Billion In Coronavirus Relief Payments Sent To Dead People.
• National: Supreme Court Sides With Trump Administration In Deportation Case
• Health: Dutch Minks Contract COVID-19 — And Appear To Infect Humans
• National: Education Dept. Rule Limits How Schools Can Spend Vital Aid Money
• Health: CDC: At Least 20 Million Americans Have Had Coronavirus. Here's Who's At Highest Risk
• National: Texas Governor Hits 'Pause' On Further Reopening Amid COVID-19 Surge
• National: Virus-Skirting U.S. Warships Set Navy Record: 23 Port Call-Free Weeks At Sea
• World: COVID-19 Infection Rate In Rio's Favelas Far Exceeds Official Count, A New Study Says
• Science: Dolphins Learn Foraging Tricks From Each Other, Not Just From Mom
• National: NASCAR Completes Noose Investigation; Can't Determine How It Got Into Driver's Garage
About today's curator
I’m Katie Hyson, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Lutz, Fla., I’m obsessed with true stories, creatively told. I graduated from UF with a master's degree in mass communications 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 khyson@ufl.edu.