A Florida man sentenced to death for the 1988 attack on a woman who was sexually assaulted and killed with a hammer, then set on fire in her own bed, is set for execution Thursday after dropping all his appeals and saying he was ready to die. James Phillip Barnes, …
Read More »‘Completely perverted the intent’: Sponsor of Florida’s presidential search shield law critiques universities’ approach
TALLAHASSEE — Amid a pause in Florida Atlantic University’s search for a new president, leaders of a First Amendment group and a national higher-education association are pointing to a controversial new law shielding presidential candidates’ identities as harmful to public trust and academic freedom. Meanwhile, a former state senator who …
Read More »Florida chosen as ‘birthplace of Guardians’ protecting the U.S.
The newest Guardians of our galaxy will not come from outer space. Rather, they will come from closer to home — Florida. And the location at Patrick Space Force Base near Cape Canaveral for the U.S. Space for Training Readiness Command is expected to bring significant uplift to the central …
Read More »The Point, May 9, 2023: Police in Gainesville have backed off of criminal penalties for underage drinking
The policy change began in 2018.
Read More »Gainesville drag community wary of Florida drag ban bill
Performers and venues worry about the implications — but believe that drag will survive For Gainesville-based drag queen Star Shine, drag has always been connected with family. Star, who asked to use her stage name out of fear for losing her job, was first introduced to drag by her mother …
Read More »Manatee sighting network in Alachua County kept track of the charismatic mammal at a time of statewide concern
Local volunteers for the Florida Springs Heartland Manatee Sighting Network, a citizen-science program started by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department in 2022, recently completed a six-month monitoring period to note the presence of manatees in area springs and rivers.
Read More »Community members speak up about new “forever chemicals” study
A new study by the Environmental Working Group compared its findings to data from the FDA that measured PFAS levels in seafood from grocery stores and found that the supermarket samples had a drastically lower concentration of PFAS compounds than freshwater fish.
Read More »Manatees eat more than 66,000 pounds of food in first month of supplemental feeding program
Hundreds of manatee swim in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) near the Cape Canaveral Energy Center. The power station discharges warmer water that manatees seek during the winter. The area also hosts the supplemental feeding program the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) launched in December 2021. Now in …
Read More »The Point, Dec. 27, 2022: A new total shows the insured losses from Hurricane Ian
They've now topped $12.5 billion.
Read More »By the numbers: County abortion totals in Florida during 2022
A new state report shows that, as of Dec. 2, Florida totaled 68,217 abortions this year. That was up from 61,956 abortions as of Nov. 1 and 57,067 abortions as of Oct. 4. Statewide, there were 79,817 in 2021 and 74,868 in 2020. Here are the counties with the most …
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