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Today's Florida stories
• Associated Press: Florida man charged with threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and his children. "Federal prosecutors say a South Florida man threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and his children in a series of voicemails left at the California Democrat’s Washington office last month."
• WCJB: Victim’s mother reacts to Susan Lorincz’s jail complaints at Ocala manslaughter hearing. "Susan Lorincz sent the judge a letter requesting a speedy trial. She says she feels she is going to die in Jail and claims her medical needs are not being met."
• News Service of Florida: Appeals court shields Musk from testifying in Broward fatal Tesla crash case. "The appeals court said Musk should be shielded from a deposition because of what is known as the 'apex doctrine,' which generally prevents high-ranking government and corporate officials from having to testify in cases if information can be gleaned in other ways."
• Mainstreet Daily News: High Springs opts not to fill empty seat until election. "The High Springs City Commission voted Thursday to continue with only four of its five commissioners until a special election in February or March."
• PolitiFact: DeSantis is right, Obama deported more people than Trump did. "Federal data — tracking removals, returns and expulsions — shows Barack Obama deported more people in each of his terms than Trump did."
• News Service of Florida: Palatka rep files proposal to lower gun-buying age. "A House Republican from Palatka is renewing an attempt to lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 for people to buy rifles and other long guns in Florida, potentially reversing part of a law that passed in the aftermath of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Publix breaks ground in Newberry. "The chain store bought the nine-acre plot on the corner of West Newberry Road and County Road 235 in August, and is working with Carolina Holdings to develop a 55,000-square-foot grocery store and 7,700 square feet of retail space."
• News Service of Florida: A bill would set aside land along I-4 for a potential rail service. "It would preserve a 44-foot-wide rail corridor in the interstate’s right-of-way, and comes as Brightline considers connecting Tampa with Orlando."
•Miami Herald: ‘Green’ energy, plant food from Florida’s stinky seaweed? Ideas will be put to test. "Turning seaweed into plant food is one of six proposals that Miami-Dade is considering as part of a county effort to find new ways to deal with a seaweed surge that scientists expect climate change will only make worse. Other potential pilot projects could explore converting sargassum into building material, types of 'green' fuel and even an additive that could help reduce erosion of the beaches where the sargassum winds up."
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From NPR News
• Politics: Foreign governments paid millions to Trump's companies while he was president
• National: Her reporting exposed Epstein. She tells NPR why documents naming powerful men matter
• Politics: The future of the Jan. 6 investigation may hinge on this year's presidential election
• National: A recent attack on a Las Vegas judge is very disturbing. But such cases are uncommon
• History: The U.S. Mint releases new commemorative coins honoring Harriet Tubman
• Health: Navigating the respiratory illnesses — including COVID — going around post-holidays
• World: A teenage British darts phenom astounds as runner-up in the world championship
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.