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The stories near you
• Associated Press: No testimony from Florida white woman accused of manslaughter in fatal shooting of Black neighbor. "Susan Lorincz told Marion County Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges that she opted not to testify after consulting her lawyers, adding that she was not coerced into the decision."
• The Alligator: DeSantis administration calls for investigation into former UF President Ben Sasse’s ‘exorbitant spending’. "The Alligator first reported Monday that Sasse, a former Nebraska Republican senator, more than tripled spending under the president’s office compared to his predecessor. A majority of the surge in spending was driven by lucrative consulting contracts and high-paid, remote positions for Sasse’s GOP allies."
• Florida Storms: Headed In A New Direction: National Hurricane Center Debuts New Forecast Cone. "The new cone includes inland watches and warnings to highlight the inland risk of damaging wind gusts from landfalling tropical systems."
• WCJB: The NARS settlement agreement will not only affect real estate agents but also home buyers and sellers. "The real estate industry is changing some of its practices and many people, including homebuyers and sellers, may not be aware of what’s in store."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville OKs $3M downtown ambassador program, sale of fire station. "(Rick Smith, GCRA director) said the downtown zones will have a mix of safety engagements (circulating for visibility, reporting suspicious activity, escorting people to vehicles), interacting with homeless individuals and cleaning litter and weeds."
• Florida Storms: August's rare cold front brings a less humid, sunnier weekend. "A rare cold front is pushing through Florida and we can expect the humidity to drop a tad across much of the state. Keep in mind we’re still in summer, so temperatures will be hot."
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Around the state
• WUSF-Tampa: Florida opts out of summer food assistance for kids, once again. "The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT), also known as Sun Bucks, is designed to help parents cover grocery bills in the summer, when school-provided free and reduced meals are less available."
• WLRN-Miami: Florida doctors want more children to get vaccinated against infectious diseases. "As the new school year begins, health care providers in South Florida are raising vaccine awareness to avoid having clusters of under-vaccinated children that lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases."
• WUWF-Pensacola: Credit recovery gives students a second chance, but skeptics worry it's the easy way out. "For secondary schools in Northwest Florida and around the state, credit recovery is for students who do not pass a class on the first try ... and if they pass it, it’s as good as if they passed the original, year-long class."
• WLRN-Miami: Home buying deals are dying amid mortgage rates and condo reform concerns. "A record number of home buying contracts were canceled nationwide in June. Fifteen percent of deals ended before they could be finished. The cancelation rate is higher in several Florida areas, though, including Miami-Dade County."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: A former OCSO deputy will not face criminal charges for alleged street racing. "The former Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) deputy was fired in July after his arrest in Fort Walton, for allegedly racing his personal motorcycle and tampering with evidence."
• WUSF-Tampa: Here comes the Sun. Tampa's first pro women's team is generating some hype. "The Rowdies were planning to introduce a women’s alternative to the area years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down that momentum."
From NPR News
• Politics: Water treaty between Mexico and U.S. faces biggest test in 80 years
• World: A grim milestone: More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza
• Politics: Harris unveils an economic plan focused on housing and grocery prices
• Business: TikTok fights for survival in latest filing as ban approaches
• Law: 4 ex-law enforcement officers charged in $37 million extortion scheme
• Culture: 2 doctors are charged in connection to 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry’s ketamine death
• Science: To save wild crocodiles in Australia, scientists gave them food poisoning
• World: Researchers say they've found the surprising source of a key piece of Stonehenge
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.