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• WUFT News: Inside the grassroots ‘plant rescue ops’ to save Florida’s native species. "For 30 years, developers and conservationists fought over the flowered sand banks of Castle Hill in Lake County. As construction crews move in, a driven group of plant experts and retirees races to salvage the area’s native plants."
• WUFT News: City of Gainesville, UF propose to drop one RTS route and modify four others in spring 2025. "According to a UF public release on Friday, four RTS route modifications will take effect Jan. 3, 2025, if agreed upon by the city and UF."
• WUFT News: UF student reflects on serving in the Israeli Defense Forces during the Israel-Hamas war. "This month marks the one-year anniversary of the war in Gaza. The conflict has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians and about 1,200 people in Israel."
• Florida Storms: For the record: Milton set a state record for the most tornadoes in one day. "If you’re keeping score, Hurricane Milton set Florida’s state record for the most tornadoes in a given day. There were at least 46 tornadoes confirmed in the State, that’s more than twice any other day in Florida’s modern recorded history."
• WUFT News: Magnolia B. Jackson’s legacy lives on in the co-naming of a Gainesville street. "Jackson spent over 40 years as a teacher and principal in Alachua County at historically Black institutions. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1936, which was then the only public high school in Alachua County that Black students were allowed to attend."
• WUFT News: Photo gallery: 2024 Florida Bat Festival. "The 20th anniversary version of the Florida Bat Festival took place at Lubee Bat Conservancy, 1309 NW 192nd Ave. north of Gainesville, on Saturday."
• WUFT News: Photo gallery: 2024 Micanopy Fall Festival. "The 49th annual Micanopy Fall Festival took place Saturday and Sunday in downtown Micanopy."
• The Alligator: The removal process of the Norman Hall oak tree begins. "The century-old tree, which stood at the center of the Norman Hall courtyard, was a central part of UF. When the tree fell during Hurricane Helene, the College of Education did not have enough time to remove the tree before Hurricane Milton made landfall."
• Florida Times-Union ($): The future of Florida-Georgia? Can tradition outweigh college football's dash for more cash. "Gators and Bulldogs will play in Jacksonville for two more years, then will move to neutral sites or the campus stadiums for two years. What happens next is the big question."
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Around the state
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Voting early may slow but not stop political spam texts. "Has your phone been buzzing non-stop with unsolicited political text messages since election season began? Voting early may quiet most of them, but bad actors may keep blowing up your cell until election day passes."
• News Service of Florida: Florida nurseries may have bleak holidays after multiple hurricane hits. "Greenhouse and nursery-grown plants, particularly holiday poinsettias, might be in short supply and cost more because of damage in Hurricane Milton."
• Associated Press: Spirit Airlines plans to cut jobs and sell some planes amid looming financial struggles. "Spirit did not specify a number for the layoffs or what positions would be impacted. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment further when reached by The Associated Press Friday."
• The Tributary: Red Lights, Green Cash: How a Florida legislator boosted school bus cameras and benefited her family. "Personal connections, aggressive lobbying and hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions fueled the rapid rise of an obscure school bus camera vendor, BusPatrol, which quickly became a major player in a niche industry that didn’t exist in Florida until last year."
• WUSF-Tampa: Eckerd College reopens after a month-long closure due to Helene and Milton. "Mandatory evacuations were put in place for Hurricane Helene at Eckerd College on September 25th. What students and faculty thought would only be a half a week move turned into something much longer."
• Associated Press: Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk is charged in murder-for-hire conspiracy. "Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Durk has been arrested in Florida on federal charges that he paid for the attempted 2022 revenge killing of rapper Quando Rondo at a Los Angeles gas station, a shooting that resulted in the death of Rondo's cousin."
• WGCU-Fort Myers: FWC encourages residents to follow these tips as Florida black bears increase their activity. "Bears start consuming more calories in the fall, so residents may see an increase in animal activity. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it’s important to follow certain steps this time of the year."
From NPR News
• Media: 'Washington Post' won't endorse in White House race for first time since 1980s
• National: Former model Stacey Williams is latest woman to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct
• Election: A judge orders Virginia to restore registered voters purged too close to Election Day
• National: Army releases report about Trump campaign incident at Arlington National Cemetery
• National: Many state abortion bans include exceptions for rape. How often are they granted?
• Education: 'We need you': Fewer Black men are enrolling in HBCUs. Here's what is lost
• Election: Russia is behind fake video of ballots being destroyed, U.S. officials say
• Health: McDonald's E. coli outbreak grows, with 75 people sickened in 13 states
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.
