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The Point, April 12, 2022: Florida lawmakers could be headed toward a special session on property insurance

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: ‘I finally did something about me’: Violence survivors art exhibit to be held in Gainesville. The Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center will host the exhibit – featuring six artists and approximately 20 pieces of artwork – in recognition of April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

• WUFT News: ‘That’s like my natural high’: This young bicycle rider is turning heads in Gainesville. “'K' McGlon is part of ‘One Wheel,’ a group of 15- to 24-year-olds also known throughout the area as the ‘Wheelie Boys,’ among other nicknames. Whether on University Avenue or at Depot Park, he enjoys making people smile as he rides by them with one wheel off the ground, or while standing on top of his bike as it moves at high speeds, a trick he calls ‘surfing.’

• WUFT News: Gainesville skateboarders gather for the city’s first skate contest in two years. The contest saw skateboarders, roller skaters and scooter riders all competing for a shot at the podium. Riders were split into three divisions by age: 12 & under, 13-16 and 17 & older, with another division designated for sponsored skaters.

• WUFT News: The Great Gainesville Car Show raises over $3,000 for Noah’s Endeavor. “Noah’s Endeavor, a non-profit that offers sports for disabled children, hosted the car show to raise funds for their activities. The group hosts activities like soccer, basketball and baseball where all kids have the opportunity to play. They raised over $3,000 for their events Saturday.


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We focus our legal attention on these practice areas: • Family Law • Business Law • Estate Planning • Probate • Guardianship

Visit  lawyergainesville.com or call 352-373-3334 today to learn more.


Around the state

• WMFE: Florida lawmakers back special session on property insurance. “(Jeff) Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg, didn’t wait for Gov. Ron DeSantis or Legislative leadership to line up lawmakers for a special session on property insurance.”

• WFTS - Tampa: Florida homeowners will pay the price if lawmakers don’t agree on a fix for property insurance. Currently homeowners whose insurers did not dump them are faced with a different kind of pain: skyrocketing rate increases. Companies who continue to write business in the sunshine state are jacking up rates by as much as 111 percent.

• News4JAX: DeSantis signs bill to provide $70 million to support fatherhood in Florida. “According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, there are 18.4 million children and 25% live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.”

• WUSF: Trial for Florida's opioid lawsuit against Walgreens begins in Pasco. The Florida Attorney General's office says Walgreens should have been "the last line of defense" to stop addictive drugs from getting into the wrong hands, but says that was not the case.

• First Coast News: Florida facing meningococcal disease outbreak, people urged to get vaccinated. Already this year, the number of cases statewide has surpassed the five-year average case count. Epidemiologists have been investigating the cases and doing contact tracing.

• Associated Press: Florida Legislature won't draw new congressional map, asks for plan from DeSantis.House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson sent a memo to lawmakers Monday ahead of a special session next week saying legislative staff will not draw new maps to be considered by the chambers. Instead, they're asking Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to give them one.

• Florida Politics: Disney donated $125K to Florida GOP at Session’s start. “The Walt Disney Company in January sent the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) two donations totaling $125,000 during the first weeks of this year’s Legislative Session. The contributions came before the entertainment giant announced a moratorium on political donations in the Sunshine State over Florida Republicans’ support for legislation targeting classroom discussions about LGBTQ topics.”

• WLRN: Climate change is affecting archaeological sites in Palm Beach County. "Long before Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida, native people called Palm Beach County home, and many archaeological sites related to these native people can be found throughout the county. But climate change may affect some of these sites."


From NPR News

• National: U.S. citizens can now choose the gender 'X' on their passport applications

• Health: Dr. Ashish Jha, new White House coronavirus czar, talks future of virus

• National: Philadelphia to reinstate its mask mandate after a rise in COVID cases

• World: Russia's war could shrink the Ukrainian economy by 45% this year, the World Bank says

• Health: U.S. orders consular staff to leave Shanghai amid COVID surge

• World: Mexico's president declares victory after recall vote, which critics say was rigged

• Health: Texas doctors are worried for their patients losing access to gender-affirming care

• Health: A shortage of baby formula is worsening and causing some stores to limit sales

About today's curator

I’m Gregorio Ruiz-Perez, a journalist at WUFT. Originally from Naples, Florida, I’ve always enjoyed running to clear my mind. I am a senior journalism major and am part of a team searching for local state news each week that’s important to you. Please send feedback about today’s edition of The Point or ideas for stories we may have missed to gruizperez@ufl.edu.

Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org