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The stories near you
• WUFT News: Meeting Mary Jane: How does Florida feel about marijuana ahead of 2024 election? "A statewide ballot initiative proposed by political group Smart and Safe Florida could potentially put legalizing marijuana before voters in November 2024. The state Supreme Court has until April 1 to decide whether to let that measure onto ballots in the general election."
• WUFT News: Alachua County plans multi-use trail for southeast Gainesville community. "The loop, which comprises portions of Southeast 15th Street, Southeast 41st Avenue and Southeast 27th Street, has little pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Combined with the cracked, bumpy pavement and blind hills and corners, it makes for a dangerous journey by bike or foot."
• WUFT News: Gainesville's first Food Community Tour shows local cultivating, empowering and assisting. "Attendees learned about the goals, effects and contributions of each organization to the regional food system. They rotated between GROW HUB and Giving Garden, participating in thought-provoking and hands-on activities that showcased localized seed-to-plate production."
• WUFT News: Catholic family band makes tour stop at east Gainesville church. "MJM7, a Catholic family band from Effingham, Illinois, was started in 2012 by Michael James Mette, a 44-year-old musician. Mette and his wife Michelle have eight children, three of whom are currently part of MJM7."
• Gainesville Sun ($): Community Health and Healing Fair offers free acupuncture and massages in Gainesville. "East Gainesville residents learned about wellness and financial literacy on the first Saturday of Black History Month."
• WUFT News: Micanopy community gathers to celebrate 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off. "The proceeds from the event go to a non-profit called Florida Cares. It is a non-profit that supports prison reform. The cost to try the chili was $5."
• WUFT News: Hidden Brain releases new series, US 2.0, on the American political divide. "WUFT's Kristin Moorehead sat down with Vedantam to ask him about this series. The first episode, "What We Have In Common," is already available wherever you get your podcasts."
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Around the state
• WUSF-Tampa: Clearwater community stunned by plane crashing into home. "Police on Saturday released the names of the pilot and the two people on the ground who died after a small plane crashed into a waterfront community in Clearwater."
• Associated Press: New tropical storm forecasts are going inland, where damage can outstrip coasts. "The 'cone of uncertainty' produced by the National Hurricane Center to forecast the location and ferocity of a tropical storm is getting an update this year to include predictions for inland areas, where wind and flooding are sometimes more treacherous than damage to the coasts."
• News Service of Florida: Lawmakers are again attempting to regulate vacation rental plans. "The full Senate approved a proposal that would allow local governments to create vacation-rental registration programs, which many municipalities already do."
• WUSF-Tampa: Local governments in Florida would have a harder time regulating plastic under proposal. "Local governments could not ban single-use plastics or polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, on their properties under companion bills filed in the Florida Legislature. This measure would be retroactive, so rules already in place in about 20 municipalities across the state would be affected."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Florida lawmakers discuss a possible study into eliminating property taxes. "A proposal that would start the ball rolling toward eliminating property taxes in Florida was heard this week in a House committee. It seeks a study to determine how much money would disappear and how local governments might recoup that revenue elsewhere."
• WLRN-Miami: Space conference in South Florida tackles a new frontier in international cooperation. "High-level military officials and space agency leaders from 11 nations in the Americas discussed new ways to address international security by collaborating in space."
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Mystery of Harriet's 'vanishing' never solved; M15, F23 continue the legacy with one eaglet. "This time last year the area was embroiled in a mystery of sorts — the vanishing of Harriet the eagle from the nest she shared with partner M15."
From NPR News
• Weather: Hundreds of thousands are without power as atmospheric river churns down California
• Law: Atlanta DA admits to a relationship with Trump case prosecutor but defends her actions
• Politics: Negotiators release $118 billion border bill as GOP leaders call it dead in the House
• World: Biden attends the dignified transfer at Dover for service members killed in Jordan
• Race: Target pulls Black History Month book that misidentified 3 civil rights icons
• Health: A big idea for small farms: How to link agriculture, nutrition and public health
• National: How one city took on rising car thefts — and brought the numbers down
• Health: Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.