UF Student Government Senators asked for major changes to university-wide pedestrian safety at the joint annual Gainesville City Commission meeting. Five pedestrians have died in Gainesville so far this year, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. At the meeting, commission members heard students’ demands for …
Read More »Federal appeal of Florida education law put on hold
TALLAHASSEE — A federal appeals court has put on hold a battle about a 2022 Florida law that restricts instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, after attorneys said they were in settlement talks. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a stay of an …
Read More »The Point, Aug. 15, 2023: Rounding up the changes to Florida education as school year begins
NPR reviews the changes students, parents and educators will see.
Read More »Federal judge rejects Florida’s ban on Medicaid coverage on gender-affirming care
TALLAHASSEE — Calling the state’s policy “invidious discrimination” against transgender people, a federal judge ruled that Florida’s prohibition against Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s ruling Wednesday largely echoed a decision he issued earlier this month in …
Read More »State seeks to end voter registration lawsuit
TALLAHASSEE — In a dispute rooted in a 2018 constitutional amendment designed to restore voting rights for convicted felons, a judge Tuesday heard arguments in an attempt by the state to end a lawsuit that alleges a voter-registration form violates federal law. Attorneys for Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd …
Read More »In Miami, Trump’s ardent backers are a sign of the city’s rightward shift
MIAMI — Florida’s shift to the right is perhaps nowhere more notable than in this vibrant swath of the state’s southeast coast where the latest Donald Trump drama is unfolding. Republicans have made steady inroads in this former Democratic stronghold in recent years, culminating in the GOP carrying Miami-Dade County in last year’s …
Read More »Florida universities see potential and pitfalls of AI on campus
TALLAHASSEE — As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly high-profile topic in higher education, Florida universities are holding discussions about how to harness the technology’s power — and stave off the potential for academic malfeasance. The University of Florida Board of Trustees, for example, received an update Thursday from the school’s …
Read More »The Point, May 10, 2023: Wrapping up the 2023 Florida legislative session
Here's a look back at how over a dozen prominent pieces of legislation settled.
Read More »Here’s how 18 big issues settled from the 2023 Florida legislative session
TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers ended the 2023 legislative session Friday. During the 60-day session, the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed numerous high-profile bills that lined up with priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Here are snapshots of 18 different issues, with links to relevant WUFT coverage over the past several months: …
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.
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