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• WUFT News: School district removes LGTBQ book over objection despite question whether complaint was validly filed. "The Alachua County school district removed another LGBTQ title from its libraries this week, despite issues about the complaint’s validity due to questions whether the woman who challenged the book was legally a resident of the county."

• Fresh Take Florida: Pro-Palestinian student group at University of Florida sues DeSantis to block shutdown orders. "A pro-Palestinian student organization at the University of Florida sued state officials Thursday in federal court over what it described as an illegal order by the DeSantis administration to shut it down."

• WUFT News: New road safety report shows reduced pedestrian fatalities using speed detection systems. "Six months after Florida state legislators passed House Bill 657, which approved speed detection systems to enforce school-zone speed limits, Altumint, a public safety technology company, completed a report on road safety."

• WCJB: Mayor Harvey Ward to pen letter to Biden supporting ceasefire. "After numerous emails and public comments, Commissioner Reina Saco motioned during Thursday’s city meeting to have Mayor Harvey Ward write a letter advocating for a humanitarian ceasefire and the humane treatment of Palestinians."

• Ocala Gazette: Teen pleads guilty to ‘stupid joke,’ Trinity Catholic High School bomb threat. "A 14-year-old boy accused of initiating a bomb threat on Aug. 25 against his high school, Trinity Catholic, on Thursday pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy charges under a plea agreement, calling his actions 'a stupid joke.’'"

• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU Authority plans for more meetings in first workshop. "The meeting was informational only, with no authority votes. But board members were able to share thoughts on big items that will come before the authority in the next year, like the integrated resource plan, general services contribution and the need for independent legal counsel for Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)."

• WUFT News: Alachua County residents unite to ‘Strike Out Hunger." "As cars lined up and around The Oaks Mall parking lot, residents from various counties awaited their two bags filled with an array of different foods: grapes, beans, nuts and other staple items to get them through the holiday season."

• The Alligator: ‘A magical connection’: Downward Goat brings goat yoga to Gainesville. "Eight years later, what began as a heartfelt gift has flourished into the healing-based organization Downward Goat, which provides goat and animal assisted yoga sessions throughout Florida while also working to support veterans, law enforcement, caregivers and first responders."

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Around the state

• Associated Press: The Supreme Court won’t allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appeal. "Florida had asked the court to allow its anti-drag show law to be enforced everywhere except at the Hamburger Mary’s restaurant in Orlando, which challenged the law’s constitutionality."

• News Service of Florida: A report spells out dire conditions in Florida's prison system. "Leaking roofs, corroded doors, broken windows and crumbling stucco were among the facility problems identified in the report by the consulting firm KPMG, which spent a year developing a 'master plan' for the state corrections system."

• WMFE-Orlando: A new campaign wants one million Black Floridians to vote in 2024. "Civil rights groups and local leaders are kicking off a campaign to register more Black Floridians to vote in the next election. The goal of the Power of the Ballot Campaign is to get a million Black Floridians to vote in 2024."

• WUSF-Tampa: Health officials encourage vaccination as cases of flu and RSV rise. "It's not uncommon for cases of respiratory illness to rise in the winter months, but health officials are still encouraging vaccination to protect folks during holiday gatherings."

• PolitiFact: Fact-checking Joe Biden on U.S. disaster costs. "In 2022, these disasters cost a cumulative $178.8 billion, right about what Biden said. That’s the third-highest annual amount since the statistic was first calculated and trails only 2017, when Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria made landfall, and 2005, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita took their toll."

• News Service of Florida: Florida lawmakers file proposals on mental health drugs. "Lawmakers, including Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman, R-Tampa, have filed proposals that would allow Medicaid beneficiaries with 'serious mental illness' to avoid a practice known as step therapy in receiving medications."

• WMFE-Orlando: Titusville fails to thwart a voter-approved "right to clean water." "The environmental advocates behind a 'right to clean water' referendum overwhelmingly approved last year by Titusville voters won in court for a second time Thursday, when a judge ruled in the advocates' favor, directing the city to certify the charter amendment."

• WUSF-Tampa: Teen, 14, faces gun charges as part of an investigation into the Ybor City shooting. "Tampa police say two officers saw a person, later identified as the teen, displaying a firearm before leaving the scene."

From NPR News

• Politics: Biden signs temporary spending bill that heads off a government shutdown

• Politics: Ethics report finds Santos used campaign funds to pay for OnlyFans, Botox, Sephora

• National: Suspect arrested in death of Jewish protester in Southern California

• Climate: "It feels like I'm not crazy." Gardeners aren't surprised as USDA updates key map.

• Health: WHO says we can 'write the final chapter in the story of TB.' How close are we?

• Books: Some authors are suing OpenAI. Will it backfire?

• World: World's oldest bond is gearing up for its 400th birthday. It's still paying interest
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.