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The stories near you
• Florida Storms: Two-week tax break on hurricane supplies begins Saturday. "Consumers can purchase qualifying supplies, including dog or cat food, ice, generators, radios and more."
• WUFT News: Hernando County considers canal management feasibility study. "The Aquatic Services and Waterways Department wants to evaluate areas of concern west of U.S. Highway 19 and develop a dredging plan where appropriate."
• The Alligator: UF President Ben Sasse warns faculty of necessary advances in State of the University Address. "Standing at a lectern in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom, UF President Ben Sasse addressed an audience of dozens of UF faculty and staff members, mirroring his strategic plan for the university and detailing proposed changes to core curriculum, tenure review and the expansion of off-campus opportunities."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Downtown road sections may permanently close. "The Gainesville City Plan Board approved a developer petition on Thursday to vacate two sections of road downtown to accommodate the new Alachua County court complex."
• Ocala Gazette: Marion County ranked among the least healthy counties in Florida. "The County Health Rankings National Findings Report, created by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranked Marion County 53rd out of 67 counties in the state for overall length and quality of life."
• Mainstreet Daily News: DeSantis appoints 3 GNV leaders to Academic Board. "Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three Gainesville people to the Florida School for Competitive Academics Board of Trustees on Thursday."
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Around the state
• Florida Storms: Tropical system possible in Gulf next week; Franklin likely to intensify. "Confidence is usually not high in tropical models tracking a system that does not yet exist, so expect much uncertainty to continue until these signals turn into an actual system."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A state judge hears arguments over Florida's congressional map. "A state judge in Leon County will soon issue a ruling on whether to block Florida’s congressional map after hearing final arguments in the case on Thursday."
• WMFE-Orlando: Bunnell Elementary principal, one other teacher on leave after contentious assembly. "Two staff members at Bunnell Elementary School have been put on administrative leave after they held an assembly singling out Black students and blaming them for the school’s poor test performance."
• WUSF-Tampa: Transgender students fear 'backlash' over the new college bathroom rule. "He said there's a limit to how many gender-neutral and single-stall unisex restrooms exist on campus, and students and employees may have to go out of their way to find one on a different floor or in a different building."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Court records stolen in Gadsden County, cause still under investigation. "An initial assessment showed some of the records stolen contained "personal identifying information," but the extent of the breach remains unknown."
• WMFE-Orlando: MPOX was a big problem. Now, not so much. What happened? "A total of 2,856 cases were reported in Florida last year. This year, the state has documented 48."
From NPR News
• Law: Judge in Trump trial has a tough sentencing record in Jan. 6 cases
• World: Worries over seafood safety mount as Japan releases Fukushima water into the Pacific
• World: What we know — and don't — about the Russian crash that possibly killed Prigozhin
• National: Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for damages from disastrous fires
• National: Why are so many school districts struggling to find good bus drivers?
• Business: T-Mobile is laying off 5,000 employees
• Environment: How a week's worth of plastic adds up
• Culture: Billy McFarland went to prison for Fyre Fest. Are his plans for a reboot legal?
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.