TAMPA, Fla. – Lluvia and her calf Morado glide to the bottom of their habitat to munch on romaine lettuce; this is hour one of the eight they spend eating daily. They are the lucky ones, survivors from what wildlife experts are worried could be another year full of unusually …
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 »Large-scale alligator farming affects Florida tanneries and small businesses
Alligator farming has become a critical source of skins for the leather industry. The skins are more pristine and can be raised in the most optimal conditions and many more of them can be supplied. Alligator farming has also played a role in conservation efforts for the species. But a consequence of the advent of farming has been an oversupply of skins that has made their value plummet. This oversupply has mainly come from large-scale industrial farms that can slaughter thousands of animals every week and have chomped smaller operations out of business.
Read More »The Point, Dec. 1, 2022: Gators backup quarterback arrested on child porn charges
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Florida Gators backup quarterback faces child pornography charges, suspended from team indefinitely. “Gainesville police said Kitna, 19, of Burleson, Texas, shared two illegal images with other internet users over the …
Read More »The Point, Nov. 30, 2022: Voters unclear on Gainesville’s Complete Streets program
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Voter clarity on Gainesville’s Complete Streets program still evolving post-election. “Gainesville’s Vision Zero program, a part of the national Complete Streets movement, was introduced to the city commission in 2018, …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 27, 2022: Alachua NAACP wants to pursue legal action for ‘deceptive’ political ads
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Local NAACP to pursue legal action for ‘deceptive’ political advertisements on single-member districting; GOP rejects accusations. “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s chapter for Alachua County announced …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 14, 2022: Parkland parents upset after school shooter receives life sentence instead of death penalty
“What is the death penalty for if not for the murder and killing of 17 people?” asked one parent.
Read More »Florida wildlife agency expected to shoot down commercialized turtle breeding proposal
The U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers of Florida wants the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to approve captive breeding of Diamondback terrapins. The move would combat declining populations of the species of turtle due to high demand as both low-maintenance pets and poachable commodities. The program will be discussed at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting Wednesday, but FWC’s staff report, slated to be presented during discussion, recommends maintaining current rules.
Read More »The Point, Sept. 1, 2022: Charlie Crist leaves Congress ahead of general election
Crist will take on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.
Read More »The Point, Aug. 16, 2022: The history of Black beaches in Florida
A new audio documentary from WUFT shows how Black Floridians found ways to enjoy the coast during the Jim Crow era.
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