The Point

The Point, July 20, 2023: Florida has new standards for teaching Black history

By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published July 20, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• News Service of Florida: Florida’s Black history education standards were approved amid criticism. "The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved new academic standards for instruction about African American history, after numerous teachers from across Florida objected to the changes and asked the board to put the proposal on hold."

• WCJB: Gainesville City Commission to vote on large property tax increase Thursday. "Agenda documents show that city staff is proposing a 17% increase in the millage rate over the current year. The increase over the rollback rate, which is the millage rate that would bring in the same income as last year, would be 29%."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Sheriff's office suspends captain following court win, reinstatement. "An employee of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office has been suspended less than two months after her employment was reinstated following a lawsuit against the sheriff."

• Ocala Gazette: Lt. Gov. announces record Alzheimer’s funding during event in Ocala. "(Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez) visited the Hospice of Marion County Elliott Center in Ocala on Wednesday, July 19, for a media event to announce 'record funding' earmarked for Alzheimer’s and dementia research and care. The new state budget allocates more than $65 million for Alzheimer’s care and research, $12.5 million more than last year."

• WUFT News: Brooksville expands community redevelopment area. "Brooksville is more than doubling the size of its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan area. That will allow properties in the new area to benefit from projects specifically designed to address blight conditions. The existing CRA is approximately 119 acres, and the target area is approximately 128 acres."

• Associated Press: 4th overall pick Langford’s $8 million signing bonus largest ever for Texas Rangers draftee. "Fourth overall draft pick Wyatt Langford, the catcher-turned-college outfielder who hit 47 homers at Florida the past two seasons, signed a contract Tuesday with an $8 million bonus that is the largest ever for a player drafted by the Texas Rangers."

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Around the state

• WGCU-Fort Myers: After devastating 2022 hurricane season, AAA not renewing some insurance policies in Florida. "AAA said in a statement that it wasn’t leaving Florida, but that last year’s devastating hurricane season had led to an 'unprecedented' rise in reinsurance rates, making it more costly to operate."

• Politico: Florida and DeSantis blasted over voter eligibility in new federal lawsuit. "Florida Rights Restoration Coalition — along with four Florida residents who had been previously convicted of felonies — filed a federal lawsuit in Miami that asserts the current process surrounding voter eligibility in the nation’s third most populous state is unconstitutional and violates federal voting laws."

• Miami Herald ($): Calls for change after Florida farmworker, 29, dies in heat. ‘Is that what we deserve?’ "Efraín López García survived eight sweltering summers as a farmworker in Homestead. But on July 6 — the hottest day recorded on earth since at least 1979 — López García died on the job."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Some Chinese citizens may not buy a home in Florida. A federal judge weighs arguments. "Dozens of advocates against anti-Asian discrimination packed a courtroom in Tallahassee on Tuesday as a federal judge heard arguments over a new state law that makes it a crime for certain Chinese citizens buy a home in Florida."

• WLRN-Miami: As seas get hotter, South Florida gets slammed by an ocean heat wave. "An ocean heat wave in waters around Florida has scientists worried about cascading disasters, from fueling hurricanes and coral bleaching to exacerbating record heat on land. Ocean temperatures have soared five degrees above normal since early July. This warming has been ignited by an El Nino weather pattern that's collided with human-caused climate change."

• WJCT-Jacksonville: St. Augustine seeks answers on homelessness. "St. Augustine is developing a plan to address unsheltered homeless people, and officials want help from the public. Five meetings are scheduled next week to get ideas from residents, business owners and service providers."

• WTSP-Tampa: 'It's going to be a rocky year': New College of Florida facing high faculty turnover. "At a recent board of trustees meeting, New College of Florida leaders revealed several faculty members have left or will soon leave. 'Thirty people either are resigned, on leave or retired,' Richard Corcoran, interim president at New College of Florida, said. School officials said out of around 100 full-time teaching positions, 36 are currently vacant."

• Spectrum News: Diapers now permanently tax-free in Florida. "The tax break is part of historic relief package HB 7063 signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis. State leaders estimate the break will provide $2.7 billion in relief to Florida families."