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Today's top Florida stories
• WUFT News: Falling Immunization Numbers Due To The Pandemic Could Threaten Children’s School Year. "According to the Florida Department of Health report on immunizations from the county health departments in the state, the statewide target for the previously listed childhood immunizations is 90% for children by the time they are two years old. In the 2021 report, 36 county health departments were included (because they had more than 10 children who received their immunizations from the health department). Out of those 36 counties, 21 achieved or exceeded the target. However, statewide coverage levels decreased from 93.4% in 2017 to 79.3% in 2021. Alachua County was among those health departments that maintained the 90% target."
• News4Jax: Florida AG Ashley Moody tests positive for COVID-19. "In a tweet, she noted that she was vaccinated earlier this year. Her symptoms, she said, were mild and her family is in good health."
• WUSF: DeSantis Dismisses Red Tide State Of Emergency, Says Progress Being Made. "DeSantis responded to criticism that he's failed to declare a state of emergency, saying the state established a dedicated funding source to fight red tide and blue-green algae since last year."
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Researchers say red tide is pushing sharks into Tampa Bay area canals. "Homeowners have spotted everything from small black tips to medium-sized bull sharks swimming around in their backyards."
• Miami Herald ($): Photos appear to show Surfside condo collapse site cleared of rubble. "Sen. Jason Pizzo tweeted images of the site Tuesday night that showed the recovery mission may be almost complete. A Miami-Dade County spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that the site of the collapse had been 'mostly cleared.'"
• WUFT News: Florida Ports, Travel Agencies And Passengers Await The Return Of Cruises. "Port Tampa Bay expects to resume its cruise embarkations in November. However, the exact date is prone to change based on the decisions from health officials and the state government."
• WGCU: UF Study Gives Strawberry Growers a Ray of (UV) Light at the End of Their Pest Tunnel. "Researchers with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are trying to reduce pests and diseases for Florida’s $300 million-a-year strawberry industry."
• WFSU: Non-Profit Group Assesses Private Wells Of Rural Floridians At No Cost. "Jennie Ford leads the group's well assessment program for Florida. She says the goal is to educate people on what could be contaminating their wells."
• ESPN: Bobby Bowden 'at peace' after being diagnosed with terminal medical condition. "Bowden did not disclose his condition in the statement. The 91-year-old Bowden coached the Seminoles for 34 seasons before retiring in 2009 and is the second-winningest coach in Division I history with 357 victories. His teams won national championships in 1993 and 1999."
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From NPR News
• Health: Worried About Breakthrough COVID Cases? Here's What To Know
• National: State Attorneys General Reach A $26 Billion National Opioid Settlement
• National: The Western Wildfires Are Affecting People 3,000 Miles Away
• Politics: Pelosi Rejects 2 GOP Nominees For The Jan. 6 Panel, Citing The Integrity Of The Probe
• Sports: A Women's Beach Handball Team Is Fined For Not Wanting To Wear Bikini Bottoms
• Sports: 1st U.S. Athlete Set To Compete In Olympics Tests Positive For Coronavirus In Japan
• Sports: UNC Becomes The First School To Organize Group Endorsement Deals For Its Players
• Business: Striking To End 'Suicide Shifts,' Frito-Lay Workers Ask People To Drop The Doritos
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.