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The stories near you
• WUFT News: UF student in custody after sheriff's office says he stabbed mother to death. "A pre-med student at the University of Florida is in police custody after he confessed to stabbing his mother to death over the weekend."
• WUFT News: Stigmas, formula-feeding and milk fairies: Gainesville moms discuss breastfeeding. "The journey can be highly rewarding, with some moms feeling closer to their babies through nursing. Other moms said breastfeeding can be painful, and the shame of being unable to nurse hovers like a cloud of poor parenting."
• Fresh Take Florida: Anatomy of a fall: Florida condo case to decide who to blame for dangerous balcony. "Eight years later, Casey is still seeking legal answers: In Florida, who is responsible for the upkeep and safety of balcony or deck railings – the developer, unit owner or condo association?"
• WCJB: ‘Bills are past due’: Financial concerns stir questions in Archer City Commission meeting. "City commissioner Joan White made the motion, stating she’s concerned about the city’s money. She confronted city accountant Cindy Thomas saying six of the eight checks she’s signed recently were past due."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Downtown churches start coordinating homeless outreach with focus on hunger. "The churches and a couple nonprofits have met twice and selected two co-coordinators for the group—Patrick Dodds with Bread of the Mighty and Pastor Gerard Duncan with Prayers by Faith Ministries."
• WCJB: Florida man arrested after device explodes during traffic stop, deputy sent to hospital. "The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is releasing new details about a traffic stop that sent a deputy to the hospital and blocked traffic on Friday. Sheriff’s deputies say a device exploded during the stop releasing an unknown substance."
• WUFT News: GALLERY: Partial solar eclipse sweeps Florida. "People gather at the UF Astronomy Teaching Observatory to see the solar eclipse through a telescope and protective lenses in Gainesville, FL, on Monday, April 8."
• The Point Podcast: The reason for the (above average) season. Tuesday's host, Serra Sowers, speaks with Nick Mesa, a graduate research assistant at Colorado State University about their latest 2024 hurricane season predictions and how Floridians can prepare.
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Around the state
• WUSF-Tampa: Budget cuts could 'cripple' a Gulf early warning system that monitors hurricanes and red tides. "Hurricanes and red tides could become more powerful as the Gulf of Mexico heats to record levels. But budget cuts are threatening a system that monitors conditions there — including programs based in St. Petersburg and Sarasota."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Floridians who’ve been arrested can now get their firearms back sooner. "Floridians who’ve been arrested, but released without being charged, can now get their firearms back sooner. The change comes from new legislation that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Friday."
• Associated Press: Disney is allowed to pause its federal lawsuit against DeSantis as part of a settlement deal. "An appellate court has granted Disney’s request for a two-month pause in its federal lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees to Walt Disney World’s governing district."
• WUSF-Tampa: In the Sarasota County school district, truancy court is in session. "The district is taking students and parents to truancy court to find the most hard-to-reach families in the midst of a national absenteeism crisis."
• WLRN-Miami: A consequence of a low jobless rate: not enough qualified workers in South Florida. "For every 40 people in the South Florida workforce, about one doesn't have a job. That gives the region the lowest unemployment rate in the nation among large areas, at 2.5%."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The travails of a third-party presidential hopeful. "A new national poll shows 3 in 10 voters don't want either Joe Biden or Donald Trump to be president. That would seem to open up the field for third-party candidates. But that's easier said than done. Especially in Florida."
• WUSF-Tampa: Tussock takeover: These fuzzy caterpillars native to Florida are bugging some residents. "These creatures are native to Florida and usually come from eggs laid on oak trees, which provide food for the caterpillars through their leaves."
From NPR News
• Climate: March is 10th straight month to be hottest on record, scientists say
• Politics: The most detailed look yet at the 'exodus' of local voting officials
• National: A rare solar eclipse darkened skies and dazzled viewers across the U.S.
• World: Brazil's Supreme Court judge opens an investigation of Elon Musk over misinformation
• Religion: The Vatican says surrogacy and gender theory are 'grave threats' to human dignity
• Health: Young adults who started vaping as teens still can't shake the habit
• Science: Watch your garden glow with new genetically modified bioluminescent petunias
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.