The Point

The Point, Sept. 21, 2022: Florida's governor sued over migrant flights

WUFT | By WUFT News

Published September 21, 2022 at 12:00 PM EDT

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Today's Florida stories

• NPR News: Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard have filed a lawsuit against Gov. DeSantis. "A civil rights law firm filed a federal class action lawsuit on Tuesday against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others for transporting around 50 immigrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Martha's Vineyard, without shelter or resources in place."

• City & State Florida: Four (or two) more years? What a DeSantis second term could look like. "Ron DeSantis hasn’t won reelection yet, but he heads into November with favorable odds to beat Democratic Party nominee and former Congressman Charlie Crist. Florida’s governor is working with an unprecedented campaign warchest of about $128 million in his campaign and political committee accounts, positive poll numbers and a hyper-energized Republican base ready to keep him in Tallahassee for another four years. Or possibly just two, should DeSantis topple Donald Trump as the GOP’s leading presidential contender and then win the White House in 2024."

• WUFT News: No evidence that widely circulated report is true about fentanyl stabbing near UF campus. "There is no evidence that a report circulating across the University of Florida is true, that a young woman was jabbed with a needle and unwittingly exposed to a high dose of the dangerous drug fentanyl inside a popular Midtown bar across the street from campus last week. Gainesville and UF police departments confirmed this week they were aware of the report – spread widely over social media and word of mouth in classrooms and on campus – about what would have been a sensational and likely fatal attack against a young woman."

• Associated Press: Developers push back on Surfside families' memorial expectations. "Dubai-based DAMAC purchased the 1.8-acre (1-hectare) beachside site for $120 million earlier this year. It’s not clear yet what structure will rise on the site, but DAMAC's business focuses on luxury residential, commercial and leisure properties. The town of Surfside has already set aside space for a memorial near the collapse site, but family members are hoping to have some kind of memorial on the site itself."

• WMFE-Orlando: Rabies season is not over yet in Florida despite waning summer months. "The peak of rabies season is winding down, but the Florida Department of Health is urging residents to remain alert as cases continue to pop up."

• WUFT News: Police: Car on fire, with only 3 tires driving through darkness near UF campus. "It was quite a sight: A witness called police to report someone in a silver station wagon on fire with only three tires being driven through the darkness along a city road bordering the University of Florida campus. 'It was missing its front driver’s tire and had sparks (and) smoke and occasional flames coming from the front of the vehicle,' Gainesville police officer Matthew Quinn wrote in his report."

• WUFT News: Not-for-profit gym gives muscle to weightlifting training. "In a landscape populated by corporate names like Planet Fitness, Gold’s Gym and Orange Theory, the Ark stands out as Gainesville’s only not-for-profit gym. Founded in 2012, the Ark’s goal is to create accessible fitness and wellness programs for people of all ages, skill levels and incomes."