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The top stories near you
• WUFT News: UF Announces Enforcement, Upgrades For University Avenue Near Campus After Traffic Deaths. "The University of Florida is working with city and state officials to address traffic safety in and around campus. The changes, which UF announced to the full campus in an email Wednesday morning, follow crashes on West University Avenue that killed two students and a faculty member over the past two months."
• WCJB: Former University of Florida researcher accused of defrauding $1.1 million, lying about relationship with China. "A Department of Justice (DOJ) complaint, unsealed in federal court Wednesday, accuses (Dr. Lin) Yang of transferring intellectual property to China while working in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He worked at the university between August 2014 and December 2019. During that time he received a grant from the National Institutes of Health for $1,750,906 for his research."
• Gainesville Sun ($): Gainesville mulls fines for business owners if patrons don't wear masks. "A proposal to fine business owners when patrons don’t wear masks is on the table for discussion at the Gainesville City Commission meeting on Thursday. Alachua County has not discussed and is not contemplating such a law, officials said."
• WUFT News: After A Year Of Silence, The Beat Is Back: Live Music Slowly Returns To Gainesville. "2020 was a challenging year for most Gainesville music venues. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced non-essential businesses to shut down in March of 2020, music venues were left in the dust."
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Around the state today
• Miami Herald ($): ‘As fast as possible.’ Florida’s COVID vaccine rush operates on uneven playing field. "The lead agency running Florida’s COVID vaccine rollout has one main goal in mind: speed. Other considerations, like which areas have been hit hardest by the virus, are secondary."
• Sun Sentinel ($): Florida reports fewer new cases, but new deaths from the coronavirus remain at high levels. "Florida on Wednesday reported fewer new cases than the previous day but new deaths from the coronavirus remain at high levels. Florida reported 6,979 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and another 197 new resident deaths linked to COVID-19. The state has now reported 1,744,619 cases since the pandemic began."
• New York Times ($): Killing of F.B.I. Agents Comes Amid Explosion of Child Sex Abuse Reports. "As tips about online child sexual abuse have spiked, the F.B.I. is investigating the case of a Florida technology contractor who the bureau said shot two agents executing a search warrant at his apartment."
• First Coast News: Faith, community leaders propose 80+ vaccination sites in marginalized communities across Florida. "The group said it is not political, rather they are focusing on saving lives. They say Publix grocery stores, which are providing the vaccine, are not located in enough of the minority communities."
• WUSF: Florida Forever Funding Could Be Cut In Half. "Some of the state's main environmental programs are on the chopping block, including Florida Forever, a key fund to acquire conservation land. Governor Ron DeSantis' proposed budget includes $50 million for the preservation program - half of what it received last year."
• Orlando Sentinel ($): SpaceX sends 1st Starlink launch up overnight, targets 2nd launch Friday morning. "A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a mission to send another 60 Starlink satellites into orbit while a second Falcon 9 awaits its chance to follow suit from Kennedy Space Center one day later."
• Local 10: Man with Florida-shaped tattoo on forehead calls 911 to ask for ride home. "A 22-year-old man from Port Richey is making sure no one takes the 'Florida man' title from him."
• NPR News: Palm Beach Town Attorney Says Trump Can Live At Mar-A-Lago Full Time. "The town attorney of Palm Beach, Fla., John Randolph, has sent a memo to the mayor and Town Council backing former President Donald Trump's claim that nothing prevents Trump from living full time at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. At least one of Trump's neighbors has asked town officials to enforce an agreement that prohibits any club members from living there full time."
• Travel Awaits: 5 Incredibly Charming Small Towns To Visit In Florida. "These five Florida towns have a common thread running through them: They are each unique with walkable downtowns."
From NPR News
• Health: 5 Hacks And Tips To Make Your Face Mask More Protective
• Health: Oxygen Industry Scrambles To Keep U.S. Patients With COVID-19 Breathing
• Health: Inside The World Health Organization's Investigation Into How Pandemic Began
• Politics: House Republicans To Keep Rep. Liz Cheney In Leadership Position
• World: Canada Lists Proud Boys As A Terrorist Group, Alongside ISIS And Al-Qaida
• Education: San Francisco Vs San Francisco School Board: A Push To Get Students Back In School
• Business: Parler CEO Is Fired After 'Constant Resistance' Inside The Conservative-Friendly Site
• National: Love In Lockdown: How's It Going And How Could It Be Better?
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.