The Point

The Point, May 23, 2023: Retailers await DeSantis' signature on tax holidays

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published May 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Gainesville Police arrest man after seven-hour armed standoff. "Gainesville Police say an armed man barricaded himself inside a home in the Anglewood subdivision off Newberry Road early Monday morning."

• WCJB: Judge to rule on injunction in lawsuit against Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. "A hearing was held on Monday as the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office faces three lawsuits regarding the treatment of employees."

• Gainesville Sun ($): University of Florida suspends research study that resulted in dogs' deaths. "Newly released documents uncovered by a watchdog group show that the University of Florida suspended a research study after the death of two animals. The group is now asking for the university and its president to terminate the program entirely."

• WUFT News: Florida counties battle home improvement program. "The agency allows private companies to make home improvements with no up-front cost to homeowners."

• Ocala Gazette: County looks into new misdemeanor probation solutions. "Marion County’s Salvation Army gave the Marion County Board of Commissioners 180-day notice of their intent to discontinue providing misdemeanor probation services."

• Mainstreet Daily News: GNV eliminates Reichert House after 30 years. "The city of Gainesville will cut loose the Reichert House Youth Academy, its flagship youth intervention program, after more than three decades of management by the police department."

• The Alligator: Looking back at UF’s Asian American Pacific Islander history. "Wong attended UF when the total number of Asian students remained in the single digits. Over a century later, UF is home to nearly 5,500 AAPI students, an Asian American student union, and an Asian American studies minor."

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Around the state

• News Service of Florida: Signature Deadline Nears for Disaster, ‘Freedom’ Holidays. "Retailers are awaiting action by Gov. Ron DeSantis as two of the six sales tax 'holiday' periods included in a nearly $1 billion proposed tax-relief package are scheduled to begin this weekend."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Medicaid soon to drop 900,000 Floridians in post-pandemic reorganization. "More than 900,000 Floridians could soon lose their Medicaid health insurance after a federal waiver for the COVID-19 pandemic expired. Now the state is reviewing eligibility -- and trying to minimize the number of people who are dropped from the program."

• News Service of Florida: Questions abound following changes to Florida's school start times. "Under the law, which goes into effect in July, middle schools will be prevented from beginning the 'instructional day' earlier than 8 a.m., while high schools will be barred from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m."

• WUSF-Tampa: Trial ends in lawsuit over Florida's ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. "Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they're being denied access to medically necessary treatments. They expect the judge will rule on this case and another suit challenging the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors at the same time."

• WJCT-Jacksonville: Jacksonville's anti-panhandling law still hasn't taken effect. "The reason for the delay: City officials say it takes time to update existing laws and to train police."

• WUWF-Pensacola: The threats of lionfish on the Gulf of Mexico. "Indigenous to coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, lionfish are an invasive species in the region that prey on native fish. Due to their venomous spines, lionfish have no known predators, making them a potential threat to commercial and recreational fisheries."

• WMFE-Orlando: Orlando plastic study aims to reduce waste, protect waterways. "The City of Orlando is partnering with a team of local environmentalists to study the main sources of the city’s plastic pollution with the goal of reducing it."