The Point

The Point, July 7, 2023: Forecast amended, above-average hurricane season expected

By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published July 7, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• Florida Storms: Hurricane season forecast update: Above average activity expected. "One month into the Atlantic hurricane season, researchers at Colorado State University have again amended their seasonal forecast for tropical cyclone activity. They now call for an above-average season."

• Ocala Gazette: No charges for officers involved in inmate death. "The months-long investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) concluded in April, when the findings were passed on to the state attorney, who stated in a recent memorandum that 'no criminal laws were violated' in the events surrounding the inmate’s death."

• Florida Politics: Supreme Court decision changes the rules for medical malpractice lawsuits. "The court rejected a motion by the University of Florida Board of Trustees to dismiss a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against the school. But at the same time, the court issued a related ruling that changes court rules to give appellate courts the ability to review non-final orders that deny a motion to dismiss a medical malpractice claim based on the qualifications of corroborating witnesses."

• Mainstreet Daily News: UF to start second phase of safety enforcement. "On Monday, the UF Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) will start placing a notice on university and department vehicles not complying with safety regulations to help correct unsafe behaviors."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Federal funds aim to protect local bird habitats. "Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) and Alachua County earned a $1 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, allowing the purchase of key tracks to expand the North Florida Wetland Connector Conservation project."

• WCJB: Tom Petty Muralist Battling Rare Blood Cancer. "An artist from Gainesville who is best known for touching up paintings of the city’s number one son is still battling a rare form of blood cancer."

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Around the state

• Associated Press: DeSantis defends anti-LGBTQ video shared by his campaign and calls it a ‘fair game’ attack on Trump. "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending an anti-LGBTQ video his campaign shared online that attacks rival Donald Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people, despite some of his fellow Republicans calling it homophobic."

• WLRN-Miami: Soaring temps and record-breaking heat signal Florida’s steamy future. "On Monday, the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction found that the world experienced the hottest global average day since at least 1979, a record that lasted until Tuesday, when it was broken again."

• WUSF-Tampa: Florida is one of two states declining federal waivers to help with Medicaid unwinding. "Federal health officials are urging states like Florida to make it easier for people to renew their Medicaid coverage as a mass unwinding following the COVID-19 public health emergency continues."

• News Service of Florida: Biden administration points to the US Supreme Court in a Florida immigration fight. "The Biden administration this week argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling should block Florida legal challenges to federal immigration policies."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Florida’s bald eagles rebounded after Hurricane Ian’s destruction. "Despite nest destruction from Hurricane Ian, resilience proved to be the theme of the 2022-23 bald eagle nesting season, according to end-of-season data compiled by the Audubon EagleWatch program."