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The stories near you
• Mainstreet Daily News: Hundreds march in 40th Annual MLK Jr. Parade in downtown Gainesville. "Kicking off at noon, the marchers strode down University Avenue before heading north on Waldo Road to Citizens Field. The Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida then hosted a post-parade celebration at Citizens Field with the Eastside Alumni Marching Band and Little Jake and the Soul Searchers."
• The Tributary: Costs overwhelm UF Health in care for poor and inmates. "Northeast Florida’s largest hospital and central caregiver for its neediest patients is in dire straits due to a deepening hole of debt, a costly deal with Jacksonville’s jail and a worsening deficit it faces for treating poor people, according to the Jacksonville Council Auditor’s Office."
• WCJB: ‘Our hearts are broken’: Father encourages gun safety lessons after losing his son. "Garrett Koepke’s son Chase was shot in his home by a friend December 30. He wants to highlight gun safety to prevent another incident like this from happening again."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Alachua County Public Schools bus changes to begin. "District officials hope for the routes to improve the timeliness of arrivals and departures, and to use funds more efficiently."
• WCJB: Former library employees raise concerns about work environment. "Former Alachua County library employees are coming forward with concerns about the mistreatment of LGBTQ+ staff."
• Tampa Bay Times: New UF report says it’s unclear if fertilizer bans stop pollution. Not everyone agrees. "Environmental groups fear that possible study could be the reason lawmakers may push to extend an ongoing pause on any new fertilizer bans, which was approved last summer and runs until July 1 this year."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Just Income starts second year with funds for recently released inmates. "Started by Community Spring, the program provides $7,600 over the course of a year with no limitations on how the funds are used. The funds come in monthly installments, and the new group – all are residents from Alachua County – marks a transition for Just Income from its pilot program last year."
• The Alligator: ‘I am her voice, she is my heart’: UF alumni dedicate their lives to daughter with rare disorder. "Diagnosed at 2 years old with Rett syndrome, a rare neurological and developmental disorder, Julianne Espinosa has lost the ability to talk, eat or walk without assistance. As her condition has progressed, her parents have dedicated themselves to her care while working to raise awareness and funds for the often unknown disorder."
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Around the state
• NPR: Ron DeSantis takes second place in Iowa Republican caucuses. "The Florida governor went all in on Iowa and tried the traditional ground game that has paid off for past caucus winners — campaigning in all of Iowa's 99 counties."
• PolitiFact: DNA fragments in mRNA COVID-19 vaccines won’t harm you, as Ladapo suggests. "Florida’s top health official suggested without evidence that tiny DNA fragments in mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous and said the shots should not be used, but epidemiologists and vaccine researchers disagree."
• Miami Herald: Thousands of Florida homes flood repeatedly. You’re not allowed to know which ones. "Between “rain bombs” and drenching from no-name storms, hundreds of homes in South Florida have experienced damaging flooding in the last year alone. But an exact count of flood-prone homes in South Florida — and where and how often they flood — has been all but impossible to pin down."
• Fresh Take Florida: Newly elected GOP lawmaker asks Florida judge to throw out lawsuit challenging his election. "Redondo, R-Miami, this week filed a motion to dismiss the case, saying that a county judge or state circuit judge doesn’t have authority to rule in the matter. He said under Florida’s Constitution and state law such disputes are settled by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives."
• Tampa Bay Times: Here are the environmental bills to watch as Florida’s legislative session starts. "Like last year, there’s no shortage of environmental issues Florida’s elected officials could address with their proposals, some of which seek to wrest control of environmental regulation from local governments."
• WUSF-Tampa: What to know about Florida's plan to import prescription drugs from Canada. "Florida is now the first state authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The program hasn't begun yet, and it won't be eligible for all Floridians at first."
• Jacksonville Today: More organ donors needed despite record transplants. "Dr. Shennen Mao, a transplant surgeon with Mayo Clinic, said the number of people waiting for organs is increasing faster than the number of people added as possible donors."
• Associated Press: A Florida State assistant football coach has been suspended for 3 games. "A Florida State assistant coach has been suspended for the first three games of the 2024 season for violating recruiting rules by connecting a potential transfer with a representative from an NIL collective during an official visit, the NCAA announced on Thursday."
• News4Jax: Report: Hulk Hogan helped rescue teen following Florida car crash. "Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, helped rescue a 17-year-old girl following a car crash near where he lives in Florida, according to reports."
From NPR News
• Politics: 5 takeaways from the Iowa Republican caucuses
• Business: Warning of higher grocery prices, Washington AG sues to stop Kroger-Albertsons merger
• World: 3 things to know about the genocide case against Israel in The Hague
• Weather: Nearly 100 million Americans are facing extreme cold this week
• National: 215 people have been buried behind a Mississippi jail since 2016, attorney says
• Space: Peregrine moon lander heads back toward Earth and should burn up in the atmosphere
• Business: As the auto industry pivots to EVs, product tester Consumer Reports learns to adjust
• Science: Again! Again! Here's why toddlers love to do things on repeat
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.