Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.
The stories near you
• Associated Press: Lake Mary, Florida, rallies to beat Taiwan 2-1 in 8 innings to win Little League World Series title. "Lathan Norton was sick and didn’t play on Saturday at the Little League World Series. But on Sunday he scored the winning run in the championship."
• WUSF-Tampa: Public meetings on a plan to add pickleball and golf to Florida state parks are postponed. "Reaction has been quite strong to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's plan to add golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels to 10 Florida state parks. Now, the public has a chance to weigh in — just a few days later than expected."
• The Alligator: Mori Hosseini: a trail of university power, past and present. "As part of his severance package, Sasse will also receive a $1 million base salary until 2028. However, the realization of Sasse’s plans and the future of his employees are all dependent on the approval of the UF Board of Trustees — and especially on Mori Hosseini."
• WCJB: Gainesville union workers have less than a month to organize or risk decertification. "Under a new state law, unions are no longer allowed to deduct dues from their member’s paychecks automatically and now need at least 60% of members to pay dues to remain certified."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville plan board OKs new hotel with traffic reservations. "The Gainesville Plan Board said the road network around the Robbinswood neighborhood has failed to work for residents, but in a quasi-judicial hearing and with professional staff giving a green light, the plan board voted 4-1 Thursday to approve a special use permit for a 109-unit hotel in the area—prompting more traffic concerns from residents."
• WCJB: Man who vandalized, threatened to bomb Gainesville City Hall arrested. "Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies said they’ve arrested the man who threatened to bomb Gainesville City Hall and committed several acts of vandalism earlier this year when he smashed official city buildings’ windows, including former Mayor Harvey Ward’s office."
• Gainesville Sun ($): Beer in space: UF/IFAS researchers study microgravity’s effect on fermentation. "While the concept may initially sound trivial, it has far-reaching applications, according to the study, a collaboration between researchers from the UF/IFAS food science and human nutrition department and the horticultural sciences department."
Today's sponsored message
Around the state
• NPR: The ex-Florida deputy who killed Roger Fortson has been charged with manslaughter. "The Okaloosa County, Fla., State Attorney’s Office confirmed to NPR on Friday that Eddie Duran, the former Okaloosa County sheriff who fired the shot that killed Fortson, will be charged with one count of manslaughter with a firearm."
• WUSF-Tampa: Survey finds most young women in Florida think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. "Expanding abortion access has broad bipartisan support, according to the KFF survey, which polled women of reproductive age. It also finds many women wouldn't know how to get an abortion now."
• Associated Press: Florida State, ACC complete court-ordered mediation as legal fight drags into football season. "Florida State and Clemson are both searching for an affordable way out of the ACC, challenging what they consider to be exorbitant exit fees and a contract that binds member schools to each other and the conference through media rights."
• NPR: NASA will bring stranded astronauts back on SpaceX — not Boeing's Starliner. "The long-awaited decision by NASA means the astronauts will have to cool their heels on the International Space Station until February. And it’s a stunning blow to Boeing's beleaguered Starliner program, which has been beset by delays and technical troubles."
• Health News Florida: Nemours' research into Zika virus as a cancer therapy gets a $7 million boost. "In recent years, researchers have discovered that virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, can be used to kill cancer cells. Zika infections in pregnant women can cause serious birth defects as the virus targets CD24, a developmental protein. Certain cancers expressing CD24 are also vulnerable to the virus."
• NPR: Inspired by the pandemic, a Florida beachside music festival tries something new. "People can hang out on the beach by day then catch three or four acts each night. It’s a small venue, with one stage, and an audience of just under 5,000, giving it an intimate, laid-back vibe."
• WUSF-Tampa: Charlie the owl went missing in Brandon. His search united a community. "Charlie was blind in one eye. He couldn't hunt on his own. He was raised in captivity. And he loved a good head-scratching. The great horned owl disappeared on Aug. 5, escaping his enclosure at the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay in Brandon during Debby. Soon, Charlie was all over the news."
From NPR News
• Politics: 12 misleading or lacking-in-context claims from Harris’ DNC speech
• Business: NLRB says Amazon is a joint employer of some 3rd-party delivery drivers in California
• National: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan could be nation’s first Indigenous woman to serve as governor
• Health: Finding a therapist who takes your insurance can be nearly impossible. Here's why
• Election: Robert F. Kennedy suspends his independent presidential campaign and backs Trump
• National: DOJ accuses real estate software company of helping landlords collude to raise rents
• Health: A new round of free COVID tests is coming soon
• Sports: Danny Jansen is set to make MLB history by playing on both teams in the same game
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.