WUFT-TV/FM | WJUF-FM
1200 Weimer Hall | P.O. Box 118405
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 392-5551

A service of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

© 2024 WUFT / Division of Media Properties
News and Public Media for North Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Point, July 17, 2024: See coverage from Day 2 of the Republican National Convention

Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.


The stories near you

• Our reporters in Milwaukee offered coverage Tuesday from the Florida delegation's reaction to former President Donald Trump's running mate selection, the belief in a recent divine intervention among those gathered at the Republican National Convention and a photo gallery showing some of the sights and stakeholders at the event.

• WUFT News: Marion County Commission adopts Health Freedom Bill of Rights. "In an effort to 'safeguard healthcare rights and freedoms,' Marion County residents and visitors will no longer be required to wear masks, take a COVID-19 test or present proof of vaccination to enter facilities. The ordinance aligns with Florida House legislation that went into effect in June 2022, stating that the measures are a 'protection from discrimination based on health care choices.'"

• Mainstreet Daily News: School board settles with solar company on Old Terwilliger panels. "The School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) unanimously approved a $17,100 settlement with a solar company to remove solar panels from Old Terwilliger so the buildings can be demolished. The settlement leaves Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) in possession of the solar panels."

• WUFT News: City holds open house for dog park at Greentree Park. "Gainesville residents gathered under the pavilion at Greentree Park on Tuesday evening to discuss plans for a new dog park in the area. ... According to Pete McNiece, project manager for Wild Spaces & Public Places, the two-acre parcel of land has remained unused for years, though it has been upkept in that time. Since the local community did not have a dog park nearby and the project would be simple and inexpensive, McNiece said, plans to make the dog park had been discussed for over a year."


Today's sponsored message


Around the state

• USA Today ($): Ron DeSantis, in fiery speech, says America can't afford four more years of Biden. "The governor, who ran against Trump in the Republican primaries and later dropped out, has had a rocky relationship with the former president who at one point gave him the nickname 'DeSanctimonius.' But after his failed White House bid, DeSantis has stood by Trump."

• Florida Politics: Marco Rubio RNC speech addresses fragility of life in wake of Donald Trump rally mass shooting. "He spent his speaking time lauding 'the people in the red hats' at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, delivering a meditation on the fragility of life in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump at a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania."

• Politico: Florida abortion rights brawl transforms normally boring budget committee into a battleground. "A normally prosaic budgeting process for proposed constitutional amendments in Florida ended in frustration — and legal threats — after Gov. Ron DeSantis and another state Republican leader tapped anti-abortion advocates to sit on a panel overseeing the state’s abortion-rights ballot measure that will be in front of voters in the fall."

• WUSF-Tampa: The case for and against partisan school board elections. "School board elections have been nonpartisan in Florida since 2000. That’s because voters here approved a constitutional amendment on the issue back in 1998. But now there’s a proposal to make school board races partisan again: a constitutional amendment to reverse the one decided 25 years ago. Floridians will get to vote on Amendment 1 in November."

• WGCU-Fort Myers: Drivers slow down, be patient, and buckle Up. FHP's Operation Southern Slowdown starts this week. "Florida Highway Patrol kicked off Operation Southern Slow Down. It’s part of a regionwide effort to reduce the number of speeders, aggressive drivers and crashes on Florida roads and highways. Statistics from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles show there have been more than 175,000 crashes on Florida roads in the first half of 2024. More than 1,400 people died because of those crashes."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: A hearing has been set between AG Ashley Moody and the ACC over media-rights contracts. "Another hearing has been set in the ongoing legal battle over Florida State University’s efforts to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey will hear from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday about a public records complaint she filed back in April."

• Tampa Bay Times ($): As critics decry religion in classrooms, some fear how far Florida will go. "As the national debate churns over the role of religion in public schools, Florida, too, stands near the center of the storm. Its law to permit chaplains in classrooms, which took effect July 1, has gained wide attention — particularly after Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wouldn’t allow The Satanic Church to participate."

• WFLA-Tampa: St. Pete leaders discuss updates to Rays stadium deal ahead of final vote. "On Monday, council members will meet to go over updates to the plans for the new $1.3 billion ballpark. If approved, the city could contribute more than $287 million for the new stadium and redevelopment of the historic Gas Plant District."

From NPR News

• Politics: Biden is eyeing big changes for the Supreme Court. But he needs Congress to make them

• Politics: Leaked video shows Trump criticizing vaccines on phone with RFK Jr.

• Politics: Where J.D. Vance stands on key issues

• National: Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts in bribery trial

• Sports: Tracing USA Gymnastics' journey from rock bottom back to Olympic dominance

• Education: As discrimination complaints soar, parents of disabled students wait for help

Ethan Magoc curated today's edition of The Point.