The Point

The Point, Nov. 13, 2023: Universities push back on DeSantis over pro-Palestinian student group

WUFT | By WUFT News,

WUFT News

Published November 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM EST

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The stories near you

• Fresh Take Florida: Citing legal fears, Florida universities push back on DeSantis order to shut down pro-Palestinian campus groups. "In a highly unusual move, two of Florida’s biggest universities are pushing back against the DeSantis administration over its orders to shut down pro-Palestinian student organizations on campus, citing lawyers’ advice warning that administrators could face personal legal liability if they followed what might be an unconstitutional directive."

• WUFT News: Universities must provide exclusive bathroom facilities under new regulation. "It’s official: State universities in Florida must designate restrooms and changing facilities with options for exclusive use by males, exclusive use by females, or unisex facilities."

• Fresh Take Florida: University of Florida bans from campus teaching assistant accused of vandalizing pro-Israel flag. "The University of Florida banned a graduate student who is a teaching assistant from campus for three years after campus police accused him of vandalizing a pro-Israel sign by a predominantly Jewish fraternity."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville to transition defunct utility board into sustainability advisors. "The Gainesville City Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to turn the Utility Advisory Board, purposeless following the creation of the Gainesville Regional Utility Authority, into a sustainability board instead."

• WUFT News: Future of Thelma Boltin Center dominates Historic Preservation Board meeting. "The Gainesville Historic Preservation Board spent more than half an hour at its Tuesday meeting hearing concerns from the community about the future of the Thelma A. Boltin Center even though the center was not on the meeting agenda."

• WUFT News: Residents upset after southwest Gainesville apartment catches fire. "Gainesville Fire Rescue is investigating a fire at a southwest Gainesville apartment building that burned down early Thursday morning."

• WUFT News: Belgium native Tom Di Maria adjusts to life as a Santa Fe student-athlete. "Tom Di Maria has traveled a staggering 4,520 miles to play basketball in a new country. For many, this might seem crazy. For Di Maria, the move allows him to continue to grow playing the game he loves."

• The Alligator: Me’Arah O’Neal, daughter of Shaquille O’Neal, commits to Gators women’s basketball. "She also chose the Gators over the reigning national champions, LSU, which is Shaquille O’Neal’s alma mater."

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Around the state

• NPR: A tiny deer and rising seas: How far should people go to save an endangered species? "Rising seas created the Key deer. Rapidly rising seas, a symptom of human-caused climate change, are challenging its continued existence and raising tough questions for the people trying to keep the nation's more than 1,300 other threatened and endangered species alive."

• WLRN-Miami: Florida politics and its national influence; Special session recap. "The session was called by Gov. DeSantis to support Israel in its war against Hamas. Other items were added to the agenda, including Hurricane Idalia relief and school vouches for students with disabilities."

• Inside Climate News: In the Florida Everglades, a greenhouse gas emissions hotspot. "Drainage has exposed the fertile soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area, a region responsible for much of the nation’s sugar cane."

• WMFE-Orlando: To arm or not to arm? Brevard considers arming teachers, staff. "The board members will be presented with data from districts across the state, illustrating how different schools implement their school guardian program."

• WLRN-Miami: Two years after roof collapse at Broward school, students and staff are still in portables. "The school district broke ground on the construction of the new Rickards Middle School building earlier this month — more than two and a half years after the roof collapse that traumatized teachers and has forced some students to spend nearly their entire middle school experiences in makeshift portable classrooms."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida veterans are backing legislation to make November Veteran Appreciation Month. "The month of November is technically already observed, but only on the federal level. Each year, since 1966, the President of the United States give a proclamation, tapping the month as National Veterans and Military Families Month."

• WLRN-Miami: Study: Black youth are still being arrested at higher rates in Miami-Dade County. "The number of arrests of young people in Miami-Dade County has fallen significantly over the past decade, but young Black residents — despite the overall decrease — are being arrested in disproportionately higher numbers compared to white or Latino juveniles."

• News Service of Florida: Florida 'Margaritaville' license plate is proposed to raise funds for Jimmy Buffett charity. "Jimmy Buffett fans would be able to help a charity the late singer founded by paying for a specialty license plate, under a proposal filed Thursday for the 2024 legislative session."

• WUSF-Tampa: Foraging food in Florida: do’s and don’ts from naturalist Roger L. Hammer. "Hammer, an award-winning naturalist, botanist, nature photographer, and survivalist, chats about guidelines for foraging legally, ethically, and safely."