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The top stories near you
• AP: ‘Everyone Should Show Respect To One Another’: Controversy Swirls Around Ted Yoho’s Confrontation With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "The No. 2 House Democrat demanded that Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, who represents the Gainesville area and is one of the House's most conservative members, apologize to Ocasio-Cortez, one of the House's most progressive, over Monday's confrontation. A spokesperson for Yoho denied that the lawmaker had used a sexist slur, saying the Florida congressman had instead muttered 'bull——' to himself to describe Ocasio-Cortez’s policies."
• Florida Politics: UF, NVIDIA partner to build fastest AI supercomputer in academia. "The state’s flagship university is making a $20 million investment in the venture. A combined $50 million will come from NVIDIA, a Silicon Valley-based tech company, and UF alumnus Chris Malachowsky, by way of hardware, software, training and services."
• Bay News 9: Hernando County Schools Push Back Start Date to August 31. "With a unanimous vote in the Monday morning school board meeting, Hernando school board members made it more comfortable for students to go back to school this fall."
• WUFT News: Cattle Prices Mooving Up Slowly During COVID-19 Economic Turndown. "Cattle prices across the country felt the punch that COVID-19 dealt. Livestock markets in Florida were no exception. Casey Clemons, owner of North Florida Livestock Market, said COVID-19 caused prices to drop in March and prices have not rebounded much since then."
• Gainesville Sun ($): COVID-19: 54 new Alachua County cases Tuesday. "With 9,440 new statewide cases Tuesday, Florida’s total COVID-19 case count stands at 369,834."
• WUFT News: Anti-Racism Books See Spike In Readership Locally, Nationwide. "The week of June 21, Amazon’s top 20 bestsellers list was dominated by 13 titles addressing race and social justice — only one of which was released in 2020. The online retail giant even temporarily ran out of stock on at least six of those books. However, many Black Lives Matter activists urged people on social media to direct their shopping toward independent bookstores."
• Are you a parent of a child in an Alachua County public school? One of our reporters is working on a back-to-school story and would love to know your specific questions and concerns about schools reopening to help guide our coverage. Please email her at sdrussell97@ufl.edu.
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Around the state today
• Orlando Weekly: Florida just recorded more COVID-19 deaths than any other state. "The total number of lives lost statewide to COVID-19 since March 1 is now 5,206. The state’s daily death average for the past week is now 115."
• Florida Politics: Rick Scott’s grandchildren will be ‘distance learning’ when school starts. "The Senator was sure to praise state’s Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who roiled parents statewide when he ordered schools to fully open when the new school year begins in August."
• NPR News: Florida's Oyster Beds Devastated By Years Of Drought, Other Pressures. "The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission proposes a five-year ban on harvesting wild oysters from Apalachicola Bay to give a popular oyster fishery time to recover from harsh conditions."
• WLRN: Number of Vote By Mail Ballots In Miami-Dade Is 'Historic,' Says Election Supervisor. "In Miami-Dade County, Supervisor of Elections Christina White has been preparing for the elections for months. Federal money received from the coronavirus relief law, the CARES Act, was spent by her office to send vote-by mail voting applications to every registered voter in the county."
• St. Augustine Record ($): St. Johns County Commission votes to require masks in county government facilities, again rejects countywide mandate. "Commissioner Jeb Smith voted against the motion. Commissioner Paul Waldron has been absent as he battles the effects of COVID-19. He was hospitalized about two weeks ago and was in critical condition, though he is reported to be gradually improving."
• Daytona Beach News-Journal ($): Volusia postpones school start date; Flagler will vote next week. "The Volusia County school district will delay its start date for students to Aug. 31, as it joins numerous other Florida districts in trying to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers are still scheduled to start on Aug. 11."
Tallahassee Democrat ($): Leon County School Board's appeal to parents: Choose digital learning for fall if you can. "Leon County School Board members made an impassioned appeal to parents Tuesday night that they should reconsider their choice for in-person instruction because of COVID-19."
• FLKeysNews ($): Release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys put on hold. "The five-member commission of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District voted unanimously to postpone a decision on the experiment for a month in hopes the COVID-19 pandemic situation improves by then."
• Florida Storms: The Tropics are Coming Alive, but There are No Immediate Threats. "The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two tropical waves for potential development, but neither are a significant or direct threat to Florida over the next five days."
From NPR News
• Politics: In Reversal, Trump Urges Mask Use, Warns Coronavirus Pandemic Will Get Worse
• National: Minnesota Lawmakers Ban Police Chokeholds, 'Warrior-Style Training'
• National: U.S. Disaster Response Scrambles To Protect People From Both Hurricanes And COVID-19
• Health: Houston's COVID-19 Cases Level Off After Sudden Surge In Late June
• Business: Record Low Mortgage Rates Put More Cash In Pockets, But May Not Boost Economy Much
• Business: It 'Looks Very Scary For Renters' As Federal Eviction Relief Expiration Nears
About today's curator
I'm Ethan Magoc, a news editor at WUFT. Originally from Pennsylvania, I've found a home telling Florida stories. I’m part of a team searching each morning for local and state stories that are important to you; please send feedback about today's edition or ideas for stories we may have missed to emagoc@wuft.org.