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

Today's Florida stories

• Florida Storms: Hurricane Ernesto: rough surf, high rip current risk across Florida's East Coast. "Ernesto has left over half a million customers without electricity in Puerto Rico. The rainbands will continue to brush over the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico through Thursday afternoon or early evening."

• Ocala Star-Banner ($): The state has rested its case in the Susan Lorincz manslaughter trial. The defense begins. "Lorincz, 60, is charged with manslaughter with a firearm. She has pleaded not guilty and is standing trial this week. If convicted, Lorincz could face up to 30 years in prison."

• Gainesville Sun ($): University of Florida denies appeal of pro-Palestinian student protester's suspension. "The student in question, Keely Gliwa, was supposed to graduate in May with a master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. But that all changed when she decided to participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in late April."

• Mainstreet Daily News: UF Health cuts ribbon on Eastside urgent care center. "'Partnership' was the buzzword at Wednesday morning’s ribbon cutting for the UF Health Urgent Care Center — Eastside. Local officials from the city, county, state and UF Health attended to celebrate the clinic, which will open for business on Thursday."

• WCJB: ‘Resources become severely strained’: Florida Democrats urge state to sign up for summer EBT food assistance program. "Florida could miss out on $259 million to feed children across the state next year. That’s the state’s portion of the federal 2025 summer EBT food assistance program."

• WLRN-Miami: Citizens wants to hike insurance rates 14%. They would have to double them to be competitive. "Citizens Property Insurance policies continue to be significantly underpriced compared to private carriers, according to a company presentation to state regulators earlier this month. It estimates the average homeowner's insurance premium would need to be increased by 96.8% to better match competitors."

• Health News Florida: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital appeals the $208 million award in 'Maya' trial. "Lawyers for the St. Petersburg hospital are arguing that the damages were excessive and that testimony by Maya Kowalski emotionally inflamed the jury. The case was profiled in a 2023 Netflix documentary."

• WUSF-Tampa: As a popular coffee bean is threatened by rising temperatures, Florida researchers try a replacement. "Climate change might be coming for your favorite cup of coffee, as rising temperatures are affecting production of Arabica, the most popular coffee bean. Arabica production is expected to decrease 80% by 2050."

Today's sponsored message

From NPR News

• Health: WHO declares 2024 mpox surge a 'public health emergency of international concern'

• World: Ukrainian forces attack a second border region in western Russia

• World: What to know about Thursday's Gaza cease-fire talks

• National: Disney wants a wrongful death lawsuit thrown out because the plaintiff had Disney+

• Politics: Trump touts historic deportation plans, but his own record reveals big obstacles

• Politics: Why false claims that a picture of a Kamala Harris rally was AI-generated matter

• National: Texas attorney general threatens lawsuit over the State Fair banning guns

• National: Wally Amos, creator of Famous Amos cookies, has died

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.