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The Point, April 14, 2022: Legal battles may again entangle one of Florida's redistricting maps

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Today's top Florida stories

• Politico: DeSantis to push through new Florida map that will bring big GOP gains. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a move that will likely trigger a huge legal fight, is pushing ahead with a new congressional map for his state that could allow Republicans to pick up an additional four seats this year."

• Click Orlando: ‘As long as I sit in the chair:’ Florida Gov. DeSantis rules out COVID restrictions as cases rise. "At a news conference in Miami on Tuesday — while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks an emerging dominant strain of COVID-19 that now accounts for 72% of new infections in the U.S. — Gov. Ron DeSantis quashed any potential for further state-supported COVID-19 restrictions in Florida, as the state once again experiences an upward trend in cases."

• News Service of Florida: The federal government says Florida has no legal standing to challenge its immigration policies. "The state's lawsuit says the Biden administration has violated immigration laws through policies that have led to people being released from detention after crossing the U.S. border with Mexico."

• Miami Herald ($): There’s a meningitis outbreak in Florida. Here’s who is at risk and what you need to know. "So far this year Florida has confirmed 21 cases of meningococcal disease, far outpacing annual averages, said state health officials, who are encouraging high-risk groups — including gay and bisexual men, people with HIV and college students — to get vaccinated against the often severe and sometimes deadly illness."

• WUFT News: Two UF students are working to end their rare disease, Friedreich’s Ataxia. "Christian Maugee, 22, and Shandra Trantham, 24, dreamed of finding a cure for the neuromuscular disorder Friedreich’s Ataxia, or FA, since they found out they were diagnosed. Maugee and Trantham both have the disease that affects one in 50,000 people in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins HealthCare, symptoms begin showing between ages 5 and 15. The disease causes muscle weakness and a loss of balance and coordination."

• WUFT News: City of Gainesville looking for performers for busker focus group. "The City of Gainesville is looking for performers to take part in a focus group that will help create guidelines for a new city initiative that would allow creatives to perform street shows in downtown Gainesville. The city commission has set aside $25,000 to start the program, which would be managed by the Gainesville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department."

• WJCT: Will Jacksonville remove Confederate monuments? Voters may decide. "Dueling legislation from the Jacksonville City Council provides two possible paths for settling the issue of Confederate monuments on public land, and one of them would leave it up to the public."

• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Jury trial ordered in Petito family lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents. "In the lawsuit, Petito's family claims that Laundrie's parents knew he murdered their daughter and were attempting to help him escape. However, the Laundrie family's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, called those accusations 'baseless' and 'frivolous.'"

• Washington Post ($): Two Florida men at The Villages admit to voter fraud in 2020 election. "Charles F. Barnes and Jay Ketcik, residents of The Villages in Sumter County, Fla., pleaded guilty to casting more than one ballot in the election. Voter fraud is a third-degree felony that can result in a maximum five-year prison sentence."


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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.

Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org