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The stories near you

• News Service of Florida: Plaintiffs urge federal appeals court to uphold injunction on Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act.’ "'Not since the anti-communist measures of the McCarthy era has a state legislature interfered so directly with the academic freedom of university instructors,' said one of the briefs, filed on behalf of six instructors at Florida A&M University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and Florida State University."

• FOX35 Orlando: Massive 30-foot hole opens up inches away from Ocala home. "Traci Rogers lives in the duplex directly impacted by the hole. She was at work Wednesday morning when her next-door neighbor texted her a picture of the hole. When she arrived, she couldn't believe what she saw in front of her."

• WUFT News: Ocala opens sandbag stations over flooding fears. "The City of Ocala has begun to open sandbagging stations around the city to prepare for severe weather and flooding."

• Gainesville Sun ($): UF opens new $26M public safety facility to serve as community hub. "Prior to its construction, the UF Police Department staff were spread throughout five buildings. Now, the department is centrally located in two adjacent buildings that allow UFPD officers to quickly access necessary resources, such as security footage and card-reader access points."

• WUFT News: Gainesville City Commission resolution in support of gender-affirming care a sign of solidarity with Florida’s LGBTQ community. "While the non-binding resolution does not carry the weight of law, the written statement serves as an outlet for the city commission to show solidarity with Florida’s LGBTQ community, (City Commissioner Reina) Saco said."

• WUFT News: GPD officers receive written warnings after measuring women’s underwear at gentlemen’s club. "Alison Robbins was one of the women involved in the police inspection. She was one of three dancers who spoke with WUFT about that night. 'It was disgusting …honestly,' Robbins said, 'and it really made me feel like I can’t feel protected with the police department here in this town.'"

• WRUF: Gators Baseball Advances to College World Series Finals. "The Orange & Blue came away with a 3-2 victory over TCU, securing a sweep of their side of the bracket. The Gators will now advance to the College World Series best-of-three Championship series on Saturday."

Around the state

• Politico: Federal judge knocks down Florida’s Medicaid ban on gender-affirming treatment. "U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Wednesday ruled against the ban by using some of the same conclusions and language that he used in another recent decision where he determined three Florida transgender minors could receive “puberty blockers” and other types of gender-affirming care despite a state-enacted prohibition on such treatment for those under the age of 18."

• Reuters: Donor bought pricey golf simulator for Ron DeSantis, raising ethics questions. "...it was funded by a wealthy donor and prominent businessman, Morteza Hosseini, according to four sources familiar with the matter and state government records. The donation, previously undisclosed, was never reported as a gift by DeSantis, the top rival to former President Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination."

• Florida Phoenix: Malaria in Sarasota-Manatee area triggers broad insecticide response. "Mosquito-borne illness alerts in the counties remain in effect after a second person was infected in less than a month, according to the Florida Department of Health. The case was reported during the week of June 11-17. The first was reported the week of May 21-27."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Chronic wasting disease prompts an emergency order in North Florida. "The state is taking action after a positive test sample for chronic wasting disease (CWD) was confirmed in the Florida Panhandle. The disease was found in a 4-year-old female white-tailed deer that had been hit by a car in Holmes County."

• USA Today ($): Giant African land snails put parts of Florida under quarantine. "Under the quarantine, which spans an area including Pembroke Road and South University Drive in Broward County, it is illegal to remove a giant African land snail from the designated area and to otherwise relocate or move it even within the area."

• News4Jax: ‘Good first step’: Florida resident applauds new law raising legal age to drive golf cart on public roads. "Anyone under the age of 18 will soon need to have a permit or driver’s license to drive a golf cart. Under the current law, you must be at least 14 years old to drive a golf cart on public roads."

From NPR News

• National: Experts raised safety concerns about OceanGate years before its Titanic sub vanished

• Politics: House votes to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff

• Science:Monarch butterflies' white spots may help them fly farther, scientists say

• Health: 'No kill' meat, grown from animal cells, is now approved for sale in the U.S.

• Business: FTC sues Amazon for 'tricking and trapping' people in Prime subscriptions

• National: A year after Yellowstone floods, fishing guides have to learn 'a whole new river'
Ethan Magoc curated today's edition of The Point.