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• WUFT News: Florida lacks language laws for disaster communications, leaving counties, residents on their own. "Floridians speak more than 130 different languages at home, led by English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. But a WUFT by-county analysis reveals inconsistency in emergency communications that leads to confusion. Most rural, agricultural counties in north central Florida lack in-house interpreters and multilingual social media outreach. More than a third don’t have bilingual staff or call-in language lines."

• WUFT News: Live updates: Florida prepares for Tropical Storm Helene. "Two more counties along Florida’s Big Bend region have ordered all residents to evacuate ahead of the approaching storm."

• Florida Storms: As Helene approaches Florida, here's what you need to know. "Helene is forecast to be a major hurricane when it makes landfall near the Big Bend late Thursday. Helene is also expected to grow in size and scope."

• WUFT News: Alachua County declares local state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Helene. "Alachua County is still squarely in the cone, according to Mark Sexton, Alachua County Communications Director. 'We are definitely not out of the path of the storm right now, and the storm can still shift,' Sexton said."

• WUFT News: Citizens Field project planning underway, with hopes of revitalizing East Gainesville. "The concrete seating is stained, no parking is available and the scoreboard is obsolete. Bryan said if the scoreboard were to break, he wouldn’t be able to fix it because the parts aren’t available."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Emergency motion filed against Gainesville’s November election ballot. "The lawsuit claims that the city of Gainesville has no ability to place a question on the ballot for voters that contradicts state law."

• Fresh Take Florida: UF slips one spot to No. 7 among public universities in US News ranking. "The state’s flagship university was tied at 7th with the University of Texas-Austin among all public schools, and tied at 30th with New York University nationally out of 436 schools. UF was ranked as high as No. 5 among public schools two years ago."

• WUFT News: Athletes begin to compete at the Gainesville Senior Games. "The 23rd Annual Gainesville Senior Games are now in full swing. They began Friday and will end Oct. 6. On Saturday, the archery competition showcased a community of archers, some newer to the sport than others."

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Around the state

• WUSF-Tampa: Helene could bring up to 8 feet of storm surge for Tampa Bay. "Although Helene could potentially bring up to 8 feet of storm surge for Tampa Bay, the storm's quick pace may actually limit the amount of rainfall. There could be up to 15 feet of storm surge for the Panhandle."

• Central Florida Public Media: Hotly-contested bid to grow Orlando’s city limits moves forward. "Orlando city commissioners voted 6-1 Monday in favor of Farmland Reserve’s request to greatly expand the city limits, advancing an ordinance that, if approved, would annex more than 52,000 acres of unincorporated, East Orange County land into the city as soon as next month."

• Associated Press: Man who staked out Trump at Florida golf course charged with attempting an assassination. "Ryan Wesley Routh had been initially charged with two federal firearms offenses. The upgraded charges contained in a five-count indictment reflect the Justice Department's assessment that he methodically plotted to kill the Republican nominee, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery surrounding Trump's West Palm Beach golf course on an afternoon Trump was playing on it."

• Central Florida Public Media: Construction projects can have short term loss, but long term gains for surrounding businesses. "The impact of construction on surrounding businesses can vary depending on the length of the project, but Crossman said businesses that do survive often see a boost in revenue once construction is completed."

• Central Florida Public Media: College students in Central Florida face poverty and homelessness. "Data on this demographic is scant, but a U.S. Department of Education survey found that at least 8% of college students experience homelessness at one point or another. Another study by researchers from the University of Michigan puts the number closer to 11%."

• Stet News: Homeless deadline: Palm Beach County considers tiny houses. "Shunning the prospect of large homeless encampments or the construction of massive shelters to get the county’s estimated 2,100 homeless people off the streets, Sachs instead is turning to an option popularized by HGTV: tiny houses."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Tallahassee's Trinity United Methodist Church prepares to enter its 3rd century. "Tallahassee is marking its bicentennial this year. And the religious congregation that calls itself the city's oldest, is doing the same."

From NPR News

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• National: Three Mile Island nuclear plant will reopen to power Microsoft data centers

• Economy: Could you live without GPS? It's OK, the economy can't, either

• Technology: Human reviewers can't keep up with police bodycam videos. AI now gets the job

• National: Going once … going twice: Alex Jones’ cameras, mics, Infowars show, vitamin site

• Space: The moon will get a temporary sidekick. It's called a mini-moon but it's an asteroid

• National: How a catchy tune became the soundtrack to TikTok's silliest videos

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.