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• WUFT News: Florida Standards Assessments’ replacement increases testing time. "...students across Alachua County Public Schools began taking standardized tests with the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking less than a month into the school year. Students in VPK through 10th grade will participate in this assessment three times a year."

• WUFT News: Program uses tennis to ace the graduation rate for east Gainesville students. "For the 2020-21 school year, AIM reports a 100% graduation rate for its primarily low-income, African American students, along with a 100% postsecondary institution acceptance rate. By comparison, the Florida Department of Education reported 86.4% of Alachua County students graduated for the 2020-21 school year. And for African American students, that number dropped to 82.5%."

• WUFT News: Two men arrested on charges related to running a human sex trafficking business in a Gainesville group home. "Two men accused of kidnapping and human sex trafficking in a Gainesville group home made their first court appearance Wednesday, according to court records. Police say they were able to arrest the suspects after the victim alerted staff at a local library branch to call for law enforcement."

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Around the state

• Fresh Take Florida: ‘Liveaboard’ survived Hurricane Ian on boat in storm-tossed marina; it nearly killed him. "Danny Ross has at least three lives. His life was nearly jolted out of him when he was struck by lightning. He came close to taking his last breath after suffering a punctured lung in a car wreck in the ‘80s. It almost washed away aboard a boat where Ross sought shelter from Hurricane Ian. With his own 30-foot boat destroyed, Ross now lives in the ruins of his neighbors’ 50-foot yacht."

• New York Times ($): Biden and DeSantis Pledge Lasting Support to Rebuild Florida. "In a closely watched joint news conference, the political rivals outlined state, federal and private aid for victims of Hurricane Ian. Biden said the two were in 'complete lockstep' in dealing with the crisis."

• Associated Press: Ian deals blow to Florida's teetering insurance sector. "The difficult environment has put many insurers out of business and caused others to raise their prices or tighten their restrictions, making it harder for Floridians to obtain insurance."

• News Service of Florida: Days after Hurricane Ian's landfall, plans to strengthen Florida's electric system get the go-ahead. "The state Public Service Commission approved, with some changes, plans submitted by Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Co. and Florida Public Utilities Co. The plans detail a wide range of projects, including increasing the number of underground power lines."

• NPR News: An 'army' of line crews is reconnecting the power in Southwest Florida. "Crews from 30 states have converged on Southwest Florida to restore power after Hurricane Ian devastated the area. The work is precise and dangerous."

• Naples Daily News ($): After taking big hit from Hurricane Ian, coastal resorts and hotels vow to rebuild. "Ian didn't just hammer luxury resorts sitting on or near the Gulf of Mexico. In downtown Naples, the small, quaint Lemon Tree Inn on U.S. 41 is closed indefinitely, reporting severe damage on its website."

• Fort Myers News-Press ($): First 12 hours back on Sanibel 'very successful,' city manager says. "A week after Hurricane Ian ravaged their island, Sanibel let residents and business owners back on to see what had happened. The first 12-hour shift went well, said City Manager Dana Souza at the evening Facebook Live update. 'I don’t know how many people went, but there were no injuries, which means it was very successful, considering the hazards.'"

• WFTS-Tampa Bay: Farmers are struggling after Hurricane Ian kills animals and destroys properties. "...farmers all across Eastern Manatee and Sarasota counties say they are in the same boat, dealing with destroyed structures and buildings and dead farm animals. Right now, many say they’re just trying to keep the animals that survived alive, and thankfully, there’s help."

• Tallahassee Democrat ($): Lone TV debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist postponed by Hurricane Ian. "WPEC-TV CBS 12 in West Palm Beach said the debate scheduled for Oct. 12 from Fort Pierce will be moved to later this month. A station official said discussions are underway with the campaigns to settle on a new date."

• News Service of Florida: DeSantis seeks to shield redistricting documents. "After pushing a congressional redistricting plan through the Legislature this spring, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is fighting to prevent the release of documents to plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the plan."

• City & State Florida: On the edge: Florida teachers struggling with burnout in the classroom. "With increased pressure from the pandemic and the culture wars, some educators are at the breaking point."

• WFLA-Tampa: Hurricane Ian’s stunning science lessons. "Ian was that rare hurricane which will be remembered for all three hazards: wind, rain and surge. But when the tallies are complete, the most catastrophic impacts will be from surge. And although the official maximum storm surge number is not known yet, it will likely be over 10 feet, perhaps closer to 15 feet, near Fort Myers Beach."

• News4Jax: How accurate were Hurricane Ian’s landfall forecasts? It’s complicated. "It is also important to note with the plethora of forecast models now available to the general public, meteorologists still must analyze the data and make their own analysis. Just like a doctor makes a diagnosis based on tests and lab results, meteorologists make predictions based on data from forecast models, hurricane hunter aircraft, and remote sensing data."

From NPR News

• Health: 66 clinics stopped providing abortions in the 100 days since Roe fell

• Education: Biden administration steps up protection against student loan forgiveness scams

• Business: Why worker productivity has fallen in the U.S.

• World: The diary of an Afghan girl killed in bombing reveals a list of unfulfilled dreams

• National: How some midwestern states are building a new frontline to help farmers with stress
Ethan Magoc curated today's edition of The Point.