The Point

The Point, Oct. 24, 2023: Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near UF

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published October 24, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Pro-Palestinian protesters rally near UF entrance for Israel’s de-occupation of Palestine. "Laila Fakhoury, a Palestinian business owner, led the protest near the northwest entrance to the University of Florida campus near Heavener Hall using a megaphone to rally the crowd’s chants for Palestinian liberation."

• WUFT News: A UF fraternity’s pro-Israel banner was vandalized over the weekend. "UF Gators for Israel shared a statement about the vandalism to its Instagram condemning any acts of hate against the Jewish community."

• Mainstreet Daily News: JLAC rule nullifies state investigation into Gainesville bond delay. "The Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) voted 6-4 on Oct. 16 to launch a second investigation into conduct with the city of Gainesville, but the vote actually failed due to a committee rule that came to light later."

• WUFT News: Nonprofit recieves $1.73 million grant for broadband infrastructure training. "The five-year grant is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs program that helps people in the rural areas of North Central Florida get entry-level positions in the broadband industry."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Ben Shelton moves up to No. 15 in the men’s world tennis rankings. "This past Sunday, the former state and national champion advanced to the Japan Open final, his first at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) level, where he defeated Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1."

• WUFT News: Photos: Vocational programs give inmates at Lancaster Correctional Institution a second chance. "The Marine Service Technology Program is one of five vocational programs available to inmates."

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Around the state

• WUSF-Tampa: School librarians from across the nation speak about mounting pressures. "The American Association of School Librarians held their biannual conference in Tampa. Some painted a stark picture of the profession in a polarized political climate."

• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers will convene for a special session in November. "Florida lawmakers will hold a special session in November on a series of issues, including bolstering state sanctions against Iran and providing additional assistance to people after Hurricane Idalia."

• Inside Climate News: Fish and Wildlife Service proposes a sprawling conservation area in the Everglades watershed. "The proposal comes as explosive growth continues to pressure Florida’s natural spaces and as rising seas and more damaging hurricanes are expected to push development inland. The construction boom threatens not just wilderness but also working farms and ranches in the state’s heartland."

• NPR: The hospital ran out of her child's cancer drug. Now she's fighting to end shortages. "Like many Americans, Laura Bray had no idea the generic-drug market was broken until four years ago, when her then-9-year-old girl, Abby, missed treatment for leukemia because the hospital's supply of a $10 drug ran out."

• Associated Press: Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain. "The population of the North Atlantic right whale, which lives off the East Coast of the U.S., has been falling for several years. The number of the whales fell by about 25% from 2010 to 2020, and the 2021 estimate was recently recalculated to just 364."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: A Sanibel skyline? The island's homes and businesses will certainly be much taller. "Though no skyline is in the works, the city is mulling over allowing taller homes and businesses as residents rebuild after Hurricane Ian plowed over the island last year."