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The stories near you

• Mainstreet Daily News: Grand jury indicts man for 2010 Gainesville murder of Buchholz student. "The indictment comes after new evidence surfaced in 2021, leading investigators to charge Thomas with the murder and armed burglary. Gainey declined to elaborate on the new evidence at a Monday press conference."

• WUFT News: Ocala Police Department addresses increasing opioid abuse. "This month marks six years since the Ocala Police Department announced its Heroin/Opioid Amnesty program. The department launched the program in response to growing opioid overdoses in the city."

• Florida Storms: Florida observes Severe Weather Awareness Week. "Drawing attention to several weather hazards, the campaign aims to share information on how to prepare and respond to natural disasters."

• WUFT News: ‘A lot of invisible labor’: Reflecting on the Florida Museum of Natural History’s 2023 repatriation progress. "Thousands of Native American ancestors and cultural belongings at the Research and Collections facility for the Florida Museum of Natural History are being identified in the hopes of eventually reuniting them with their affiliated nations."

• Mainstreet Daily News: State investigating HCA surgery shutdown. "An undisclosed number of patients have had their surgeries put on hold since at least Jan. 17, when the hospital closed its operating rooms and told first responders to rush the critically sick or injured somewhere else."

• WUFT News: A look at Gainesville’s climate policy, one year after appointing Chief Climate Officer. "Since 2018, the City of Gainesville has broadened its plans to reduce its carbon footprint, most recently the January 2023 appointment of Dan Zhu as the city’s Chief Climate Officer."

• WUFT News: Back in the saddle: a peek into the perilous world of a 5 star equestrian. "Ashley Johnson, 48, is a professional equestrian rider, coach and a sport psychology professional. She says that in her profession you get banged up a fair amount."

• WUFT News: Shands patient showcases artwork alongside others raising medical funds. "The first weekend of every month, the Florida Vintage Market (FVM) hosts a pop-up shop featuring local vendors. But this month was different. FVM collaborated with Dance Marathon at the University of Florida."

• The Point Podcast: Turning pine into turpentine. Tuesday's host, Serra Sowers, speaks with Porshe Chiles, an equity specialist with the City of Gainesville about how Black farmers of North Central Florida were historically linked to the turpentine industry. Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Around the state

• PolitiFact: How many women live in states with abortion bans? Fact-checking Vice President Harris. "Harris’ statistic is close even when counting just the populations of states with abortion bans at six weeks or less. When adding in states that ban abortion after 12 or 15 weeks of pregnancy, the number of affected women grows to about 40%."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis backs legislation cracking down on homeless encampments. "During a Monday press conference in Miami Beach, he spoke in support of a bill that would ban cities and counties from allowing people to camp or sleep in public parks, sidewalks and streets. The measure also allocates money to shelter and mental health resources for the unhoused."

• WUSF-Tampa: Woodward and Bernstein talk implications of Trump's 2024 presidential run and Florida politics. "Woodward and Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal nearly 50 years ago. They discuss the impact of Donald Trump and his 2024 White House bid on the country, the Republican Party, and Florida politics."

• Associated Press: Disney wants its trade secrets kept confidential in a lawsuit with DeSantis' appointees. "Disney wants to keep confidential any proprietary information or trade secrets that comes out of its state court fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees over who controls the governing district at Walt Disney World."

• WMFE-Orlando: Brevard students plan protest over school board’s book bans. "There are currently dozens of books being challenged in Brevard County, with the county’s book reconsideration committee making recommendations of whether to keep, restrict or ban books in question."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Deadlines are approaching for Florida's primary election. "To participate in the primary election on March 19, Floridians have two more weeks to register to vote or change their party affiliation. The deadline is February 20."

• WUSF-Tampa: USF survey finds voters are unhappy going into this presidential election year. "A majority of those surveyed were dissatisfied with how President Biden has handled inflation, foreign policy and border security."

• New York Times: ​This South Florida mall has Gucci, Prada … and soon, affordable housing? "In Bal Harbour, an oceanside village north of Miami Beach, a luxury mall says it wants to help tackle one of the nation’s — and Florida’s — most intractable problems: a lack of affordable housing."

From NPR News

• World: King Charles is being treated for cancer

• Politics: Senate Republicans cast serious doubt on fate of bipartsian immigration deal

• World: A year after Turkey quakes, calls to hold officials accountable remain unanswered

• National: Black and Latina women helped propel gains for unions in 2023, finds a new study

• Education: Dartmouth will again require SAT and ACT scores, after a pandemic pause

• Health: As 'magic mushrooms' got more attention, drug busts of the psychedelic drug went up

• Science: A new purple tomato is available to gardeners. Its color comes from snapdragon DNA

• Culture: A piece titled 'As Slow as Possible' has been in performance for 21 years — so far

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.