Subscribe to The Point to invite us into your inbox with the most important Florida news from Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.

The stories near you

• WUFT News: Gainesville City Employees Granted Temporary Injunction Against Vaccine Mandates. "(Judge Monica) Brasington’s ruling cited the privacy rights afforded to Florida residents by the state’s constitution. She said the City of Gainesville did not present evidence to justify the vaccine mandate and infringing on the plaintiffs’ right to privacy."

• WFSU: A Judge Tosses A Mask Lawsuit Filed By Florida School Districts After The Department Of Health Rewrites The Rules. "The Florida Department of Health’s rule change has short-circuited a lawsuit filed by several school districts over COVID-19 mitigation protocols. The districts sued the department over language in the rule giving parents the ability to opt their children out of mask wearing."

• WUFT News: College Students Are Facing Increased Mental Health Issues With The Return Of In-Person Classes. "For many college students, the pandemic has taken a toll on their mental health. The transition from online classes at home to almost fully in-person classes has made it even more difficult for some to adjust to a new routine. The UF Health adult outpatient psychiatric clinic is seeing an increase in patients over 18, UF Health spokesperson Ken Garcia wrote in an email."

• WUFT News: Alachua County Residents Can Request Legislation Or State Funding At Upcoming Meeting. "The event will be Monday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Santa Fe Northwest Campus, 3000 NW 83rd St. in Gainesville."

• Correction from Tuesday's edition: Our subject line and our Tallahassee public media member station's story misspelled the name of the new Florida surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo. We regret the error.

Do you value local journalism?

WUFT is here for you with vital coverage during complex times. We exist to serve north central Florida and are committed to keeping you up to date with the latest news from your community, the state and the world. If you’re able to do so, please consider making a donation to WUFT to keep us going strong. Support WUFT and your trusted journalism source.

Around the state

• Florida Politics: Florida lawmaker files Texas-style abortion bill. "(State Rep. Webster) Barnaby’s bill doesn’t have a Senate companion measure yet. However, Senate President Wilton Simpson first said earlier this month that legislative leadership was already looking into a fetal heartbeat bill."

• News Service of Florida: State Representatives Choose Rep. Paul Renner As The Next Speaker Of The Florida House. "Rep. Paul Renner formally became the next speaker of the Florida House on Tuesday, as the Palm Coast Republican prepares to move into one of the most-powerful positions in the state after the 2022 elections."

• Sarasota Herald-Tribune ($): Brian Laundrie 'living in hell' if he's indeed in Carlton Reserve, survival expert says. "Alligators, black bears, clouds of gnawing insects. Two different types of rattlesnakes. Coyotes, bobcats and panthers. Everything is wet, almost nothing is edible, and safe drinking water is nowhere to be found. If Brian Laundrie actually is deep in the Florida wilderness, a survival expert in Sarasota said that by now, he's either dead or in very bad shape."

• Fresh Take Florida: Florida Bartender Set To Collect $70,252 In Sexual Harassment Case After Five Days on Job. "U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor was waiting until after Thursday to see whether anyone in the case objected to the proposed judgment against the small roadside restaurant, the Landshark Seafood & Oyster Bar in Cottondale, Florida, about 75 miles west of Tallahassee."

From NPR News

• Health: Is The Worst Over? Modelers Predict A Steady Decline In COVID Cases Through March

• Health: The U.S. Is Donating More COVID Vaccines And Wants Other Rich Nations To Pitch In

• Health: Methamphetamine Deaths Soar, Hitting Black And Native Americans Especially Hard

• Race: With A Spotlight On Gabby Petito, The Parents Of 2 Missing Black Men Call For Action

• World: Here's What Haitians Are Finding When They Get Off U.S. Expulsion Flights

• Science: Birds Thrived Where Humans Feared To Tread During The Pandemic, Scientists Say

• National: An Emancipation Statue Debuts In Virginia Two Weeks After Robert E. Lee Was Removed

• National: At 100, The National Park Service's Oldest Active Ranger Is Still Going Strong

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.