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Today's top Florida stories

• Florida Storms: NOAA Still Expects This Year's Hurricane Season To Be Active. "Despite the already busy start to the 2021 season, the historically active part of the season is yet to come. More than two-thirds of the accumulated energy of all tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes occur between August 15 and October 15 in the Atlantic Basin, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea."

• WESH-Orlando: 'Do not delay care': Gov. DeSantis holds roundtable discussion with hospital CEOs. "One of Florida's health leaders during the discussion stated that those who are getting hospitalized are not as sick as patients they were seeing last year, however, since the virus is more contagious, the number of positive cases is increasing, as well as the current number of people getting hospitalized."

• Panama City News Herald ($): 'I'm standing in your way.' Gov. DeSantis claps back at President Biden on COVID-19 restrictions. "Gov. Ron DeSantis openly defied President Joe Biden on Wednesday, saying he would 'stand in the way' of any federal COVID-19 restrictions that would hurt businesses or take away Floridians’ rights to choose. During a press conference in Panama City, DeSantis responded to a speech Biden made Tuesday, calling for the Florida governor to 'get out of the way' of people trying to fight the recent surge of COVID-19 cases."

• WUFT News: Big Businesses, Little People. "The COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly infected every area of people’s lives. The spread of these small droplets created a massive ripple in what we knew to be normal and its effects are still being felt today. In this documentary, we highlight how, because of COVID-19, big businesses have become extremely dependent on the little people that run them, support them, and build them."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Leon superintendent pleads with Gov. DeSantis to allow temporary, targeted mask mandate. "(Superintendent Rocky) Hanna on Wednesday morning specifically said he wants to temporarily mandate masks in schools for teachers and students pre-K through 8th grade "who are not eligible to receive a vaccine."

• WJCT: Catholic Schools In Northeast Florida Reverse Mask Mandate After DeSantis Order. "On Friday, DeSantis signed his executive order blocking public schools from instituting mask mandates for students. Many school districts, including Duval County Public Schools, backed off of planned mask mandates as a result. Private schools have changed course as well, citing the possibility of state funding being cut off due to the executive order."

• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Citrus County Schools finalize learning options, safety protocols for 2021-2022 school year. "The district is not mandating masks but says they will be available at all school sites and on all school buses for anyone who wishes to wear one."

• Bradenton Herald ($): Florida ‘backing off’ from Piney Point cleanup, pressures site owner for shutdown plan. "Florida’s top environmental leaders have taken a step back from managing the cleanup of the troublesome Piney Point industrial site, according to an update from Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes."

• WFLA-Tampa: Tampa Bay’s Bobby Finke returns home a two-time gold medalist. "Dozens of young fans lined up Wednesday afternoon at the North Shore Aquatic Center for a chance to meet and take pictures with Clearwater’s Bobby Finke and his two gold medals from the Tokyo Olympics."

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From NPR News

• Health: Arkansas Governor Wants To Reverse A Law That Forbids Schools To Require Masks

• Health: LA Lawmakers Consider Requiring People To Be Vaccinated In Indoor Public Spaces

• Business: Facebook Boots NYU Disinformation Researchers Off Its Platform And Critics Cry Foul

• World: A Year After The Beirut Explosion, Victims' Families Continue To Push For Justice

• World: Why WHO Is Calling For A Moratorium On COVID Vaccine Boosters

• National: Slain Pentagon Officer Was Stabbed Without Provocation, The FBI Says

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.