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Hurricane Idalia

• WUFT News: Photos capture aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Perry and Cedar Key. "WUFT photojournalists made their way to Cedar Key and Perry to report on the damage following the arrival Wednesday morning of Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend."

• Fresh Take Florida: Idalia survivor of storm’s fury near landfall: ‘Don’t ever want to go through that again.' "The hurricane struck one of the state’s least populous regions, but people who make their living and reside in the shadow of Apalachee Bay faced ruin from seawater that surged as much as 15 feet and winds that exceeded 125 mph."

• Fresh Take Florida: Historic Florida fishing village sees record storm surge. "Residents of this historic, Gulf Coast fishing village renowned for its waterfront seafood restaurants and quaint stores watched live newscasts of water reaching up to the second floor of most Gulf-front businesses and homes Wednesday afternoon."

• WUSF-Tampa: What to do with sandbags after Hurricane Idalia. "It's not safe to keep sandbags that came in contact with floodwater, but officials encourage residents to reuse ones that did not."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County schools to reopen on Thursday. "Announcements were made Wednesday afternoon after Hurricane Idalia passed through Alachua County with little damage compared to surrounding counties."

• Florida Politics: Florida will likely need federal relief after Idalia. But will any funding be there? "DeAnne Criswell, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), signaled concerns last week that federal Disaster Relief Fund had nearly been exhausted."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Flooding from Hurricane Idalia brings some people dreaded reminders of Ian. "People in a neighborhood in South Fort Myers are relieved, but still anxious, as they endured the second major flooding threat in the past 11 months."

• NPR: What's the connection between climate change and hurricanes? "It has been a summer of disasters–and many of them were made worse, or more intense, by human-caused climate change."

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More Florida stories

• WLRN-Miami: 'Clock is ticking' on Miami−Dade jails to reduce high number of inmate deaths. "A full decade after the federal government ordered Miami-Dade County to take better care of jail inmates who have mental illnesses, the county corrections department — among the nation’s largest jail systems — has still seen record high deaths and suicides within its facilities."

• Associated Press: Abortion anecdote from Ron DeSantis at GOP debate is more complex than he made it sound. "When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked during last week’s GOP presidential debate whether he would support nationwide abortion restrictions, he instead offered a startling anecdote."

• WLRN-Miami: Two jobs to pay for a bed: FAU students struggle to find affordable housing. "Skyrocketing rental prices in the U.S. are hammering Americans across the board — and they are hitting college students hard."

• PolitiFact: The facts and the myths around puberty blockers. "PolitiFact wanted to cut through the noise and answer some of the big questions around these controversial drugs: What are they, when and why are they prescribed to minors, what do we know about their potential adverse effects, and what is the medical community’s perspective?"

• New York Times ($): Canada Issues Travel Warning for L.G.B.T.Q. Citizens Visiting U.S. "Advice that travelers to the U.S. “check relevant state and local laws” came in response to rules this year restricting transgender care, drag shows and sports participation."

• The Alligator: Florida looks for signature start in season opener. "The Gators open the 2023 season with a daunting road trip to the No. 14 Utes. This is Florida’s first regular season game west of Texas since a 1983 trip to the University of Southern California. And like those Trojans 40 years ago, Utah will provide an early litmus test for UF."

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• Economy: Millions of additional salaried workers could get overtime pay under Biden proposal

• Health: As COVID cases increase, mask mandates are making a comeback

• Culture: Indigenous nations still feel the devastating effects of bison's near extinction

• Religion: Former cardinal McCarrick found not competent to stand trial for sex abuse

• Science: An AI quadcopter has beaten human champions at drone racing

• National: 'Barbie' sets even more records

• National: Meet Peanut, the world's oldest chicken
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.