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The Point, May 6, 2022: First lawsuit emerges following repeal of Disney World's special district

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: North central Florida principals are reporting widespread stress. "Four out of five secondary school principals reported frequent job-related stress during the 2020-2021 school year in the U.S., according to a 2022 RAND Corporation study. Women principals, principals of color, principals serving high-poverty schools, and principals primarily overseeing student students of color especially felt the burn. WUFT News spoke with five principals across north central Florida and found that trend holds firmly in the Sunshine State."

• Gainesville Sun ($): UF to change teachings on racism or risk $100M in funding due to 'Stop WOKE' bill. "Though instructors can still discuss topics of race, color, national origin and sex, they must ensure it is done so in an objective manner. They are forbidden from suggesting or asserting that one group is morally superior to another and shouldn't attempt to make others feel guilty about past actions that were committed by those of other classes or races. Instructors who frequently discuss topics of slavery, oppression and racism must now walk a tight rope in the classroom."

• WCJB: Gainesville City Commission approves ordinance to ban open containers. "After less than two years, Gainesville city commissioners are bringing back the city’s open container ordinance. The ordinance was repealed during the pandemic in an effort to allow people to gather safely. Since then, commissioners have heard numerous reports of people carousing into the morning hours."


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Around the state

• WMFE: Orange, Osceola residents sue in federal court over Reedy Creek repeal. "(The lawsuit) claims the law violates Disney’s right to free speech, breaks statutory obligations and could leave taxpayers on the hook for a billion dollars or more of Reedy Creek debt."

• Politico: Florida Republicans won't let go of Disney's campaign cash. "(Gov. Ron) DeSantis and most Republicans in Florida, where Disney operates its flagship theme park, won’t return hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign cash they received from the entertainment giant. Most won’t even discuss it."

• News Service of Florida: A federal judge says Florida's immigration lawsuit against the Biden administration can proceed. "The lawsuit accuses the Biden administration of violating immigration laws through policies that have led to people being released from detention after crossing the U.S. border with Mexico."

• Associated Press: FAA offers fix for snarled Florida air travel this summer. "Federal officials are promising to add air traffic controllers and take other steps to improve the flow of planes in Florida, which airlines say has become a weak link in the national airspace."

• Miami Herald ($): Reviewers of math textbooks make comments on race, climate change, Federalist Papers. "Florida rejected 54 of those books because state officials said they contained 'prohibited topics' from critical race theory to social-emotional learning. The Department of Education made the announcement in a press release that claimed publishers were attempting to 'indoctrinate students' — and has only provided four textbook pages that show the content to which it objected."

• New York Times ($): Why Climate Change Makes It Harder to Fight Fire With Fire. "Even in humid Florida, changing conditions are forcing land managers to get creative about when they burn, said J. Morgan Varner, the director of fire research at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee. Heavy rains derailed plans in March, which is usually prime season for burning in the state. 'We’re dealing with a really dynamic climate that makes planning difficult,' Dr. Varner said."

• Florida Politics: Tampa was told it was under federal investigation at the end of 2021. The City Council just found out. "The investigation was launched to see if Tampa’s Crime-Free Housing Program violated the Fair Housing Act by denying access to or creating separate terms to certain applicants or tenants. (Mayor Jane) Castor implemented the Crime-Free Multi Housing program in 2013 when she was chief of police. It was supposed to help keep violent crime, drugs and gang activity out of rental properties."

• WUSF: Walgreens settles with Florida in a lawsuit over the opioid crisis. "Walgreens agreed to pay the state $683 million, most of which will be paid out over the next two decades, with a smaller portion going toward legal fees. The funds bring the total Florida has collected from opioid lawsuits to more than $3 billion."

• Associated Press: SpaceX brings 4 astronauts home with midnight splashdown. "SpaceX brought four astronauts home with a midnight splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, capping the busiest month yet for Elon Musk's taxi service. The three U.S. astronauts and one German in the capsule were bobbing off the Florida coast, near Tampa, less than 24 hours after leaving the International Space Station."


From NPR News

• World: How a massive steel plant became the center of Ukraine's resistance in Mariupol

• Health: Nearly half of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide, survey finds

• Health: Governments have undercounted the COVID-19 death toll by millions, the WHO says

• Politics: Karine Jean-Pierre will become the 1st Black White House press secretary

• Politics: Here's why Democrats are making the abortion debate about more than abortion

• Education: Good news for college seniors: The job market is booming

• Books: In the battle over books, Nashville library's response? 'I read banned books' cards

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