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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Two months after UF discouraged use of TikTok, students remain on the social media platform. "On Jan. 12, the University of Florida sent out an email to all university students and staff discouraging the use of TikTok. In the email, UF Vice President and CIO, Elias Eldayrie, explained that TikTok is seen as a national security concern by experts."

• WUFT News: Program for school-age students seeking mentors. "The Education Foundation of Alachua County’s Take Stock in Children program, which begins again in the fall, is recruiting 61 mentors for the 61 new mentees in its upcoming class."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Final state committee approves Rex and Brody Act. "The bill, SB 404, prevents public access through the Florida Sunshine Law to autopsy information of minors killed through domestic violence incidents."

• WUFT News: How women of the Gainesville Giving Garden nurture their community. "Last year, it was able to grow and deliver over 400 pounds of fresh organic produce to those who otherwise couldn’t access it."

• WUFT News: Dusty’s Ragtime Circus showcases the circus arts to Gainesville residents. "In Gainesville, Dusty’s Ragtime Circus shows performances in silks, acrobatics, juggling, dance, theater and more, all while a live band plays ragtime versions of popular music."

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Around the state

• Associated Press: DeSantis to expand 'Don't Say Gay' law to all grades. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ' administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call "Don't Say Gay" as the Republican governor continues a focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run."

• News Service of Florida: The Florida Senate will vote to eliminate unanimous jury recommendations in death penalty cases. "The bill's sponsor says it's an effort to avoid one 'protest juror' from preventing a death sentence."

• News Service of Florida: A Florida bill targets rabid sports fans but won't impact celebrations. "The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday backed the proposal (SB 764), which also seeks to prevent people from benefiting financially from disrupting sports or entertainment events."

• WUSF-Tampa: Environmental groups are suing the federal government over slowing protections for gopher tortoises. "Elise Bennett, Florida director of the Center for Biological Diversity, based in St. Petersburg, said federal environmental regulators had previously found the tortoises required protection, but now say they will not be listed as a threatened or endangered species."

• Florida Politics: Senate bill legalizing fentanyl test strips clears final committee hurdle. "The Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill (SB 164) to legalize the products, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls a 'low-cost method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm.'"

• NPR: Uh-oh. A new tropical mosquito has come to Florida. The buzz it's creating isn't good. "Researchers with the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory first discovered it in a rural area near Miami in 2018. It's since spread to other counties in Southwest Florida."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: They marched to end modern day slavery in the agricultural fields. "They came to America in search of a better life. The work in the agricultural fields of Florida they knew would be tough. But it was much worse than that. And so they spoke out during a 50-mile march."

• News Service of Florida: Judges give go-ahead for class action against FPL in Irma outages. "Plaintiffs contend that the utility did not meet obligations to help prevent power outages, such as carrying out a storm 'hardening' plan, replacing aging poles and adequately clearing vegetation near lines."

From NPR News

• Economy: The Fed raises interest rates again despite the stress hitting the banking system

• Politics: The fight over the debt ceiling could sink the economy. This is how we got here

• Climate: Billions of people lack access to clean drinking water, U.N. report finds

• Health: It's not just Adderall: The number of drugs in short supply rose by 30% last year

• World: Uganda to jail people who identify as LGBTQ in one of world's most anti-gay laws

• Technology: It takes a few dollars and 8 minutes to create a deepfake. And that's only the start

• Science: Scientists sequence Beethoven's genome for clues into his painful past
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.