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The stories near you

• WUFT News: Gainesville abortion clinic asks public’s help to identify vandalism suspect. "The clinic in Gainesville, known as Bread and Roses Women's Health Center, says the suspect has vandalized their center twice this year. That’s according to an Instagram post by the clinic, which says the most recent attack came this past week."

• WUFT News: Ironwood Golf Course sees financial improvement amid calls for modernization from consulting groups. "Ironwood Golf Course ended its 2024 fiscal year with notable financial improvements. Despite a lingering deficit, recent figures show a surge in revenue, driven by increased green fees and higher player turnout."

• WUFT News: What makes Gainesville punk? An overview of a city and a scene. "Since the 1980s, alternative fashion, art, music, culture and expression have carved out their own place against mainstream norms and standards. These themes are found in a UF honors class, 'Gainesville Punk: A History of a City and a Scene,' taught by Matt Walker and Regan Garner."

• WUFT News: ‘Funk to function’: Gainesville artist creates using found objects while fighting through physical pain. "Once inspiration strikes, he fashions the recycled objects into eclectic lamps. In one piece, he fused patio chair legs, the body of an acoustic guitar and a sink faucet onto a standing lamp; in another, he put a Christmas bulb in a pencil cup holder before putting both atop a vintage vacuum cleaner."

• Mainstreet Daily News: BOCC votes on rural broadband, dedicates $1M to Mill Creek development. "Concerning the elections, the commissioners approved $100,000 for future litigation to enforce the results of the vote in favor of at-large districts. A judge ruled in October that the ballot language was illegal, preventing Alachua County from changing to at-large districts after the vote."

• Mainstreet Daily News: The Village at Gainesville curbs information sharing about Fortress purchase. "Management at The Village at Gainesville retirement community removed packets of information about Fortress Investment Group, the organization’s new buyer, and follow-up questions regarding the sale that were distributed in residential mail cubbies on campus."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Newberry Publix site painted with lynching victims’ names. "The Publix roadside sign was marked with 'Gilbert & Mary Dennis were here,' and a storage container was tagged 'Stella Young was here.' The names belong to three African Americans who were lynched in 1916 at the former Newberry picnic grounds, approximately the same site as the Publix."

• The Alligator: UF’s employment boost, ‘Faculty 500,’ five years later. "In 2017, UF announced it would spearhead the initiative to hire 500 faculty members to push UF’s status as a top public research university. The new hires would join campus throughout 2018. The new hiring push would contribute to the 300 to 400 faculty members UF hires each year to fill positions left open by departing employees."

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Around the state

• Central Florida Public Media: After Trump selects Florida lawmakers for cabinet, what happens to their seats? "Republican Congressman Mike Waltz will serve as the national security adviser. Waltz represents District 6, which extends from Saint Augustine down to Leesburg and DeLand. Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is expected to be Trump’s Secretary of State."

• Central Florida Public Media: Winning big or hardly betting: legal sports betting marks one year in Florida. "It’s been a year since the Seminole Tribe slowly started to roll out mobile sports betting in the state, making the practice of placing wagers on teams more accessible via a smartphone app starting November 2023."

• Florida Storms: High chance for tropical storm formation over the Western Caribbean. "Currently, the National Hurricane Center gives it a high chance for this disturbance to develop into a tropical storm and gradually, and possibly, into a hurricane within the next seven days."

• Associated Press: Trump spends first week as president-elect behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago. "There have been no rallies, no press conferences, no speeches. Instead, Trump has spent most of his first week as president-elect behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, where he's working the phones, reconnecting with foreign leaders and building his new administration."

• Associated Press: Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report. "Eighteen of the ballpark's 24 fabric panels failed when Milton roared ashore Oct. 9, the report found. There was also damage to interior parts of the Trop, as it's known for short, from rainwater and other storm-related causes. The ballpark opened in 1990 and has been the Rays' home since their inception in 1998."

• Central Florida Public Media: Florida among ten states to receive federal funding for student veterans. "The federal funding will be used to bolster Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) that address the academic, financial, physical and mental health, and social needs of these students."

• Stet News: Furry friends displaced by Milton tornadoes find respite at the Kennel Club. "Homeless animals are nothing new. But October tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton left more than 140 dogs and cats without shelter when the Furry Friends ranch in Palm City was destroyed."

From NPR News

• Law: Supreme Court refuses legal lifesaver for former Trump chief of staff

• Law: Judge blocks Louisiana law requiring display of Ten Commandments in classrooms

• Politics: Trump taps Musk to lead a 'Department of Government Efficiency' with Ramaswamy

• National: Pentagon secrets leaker Jack Teixeira is sentenced to 15 years in prison

• National: A man told 911 a bear chased him off a cliff. Weeks later, he was arrested for murder

• Health: Alzheimer's timeline shows changes start as trickle, become torrent

• Health: Online yoga classes prove helpful for back pain in new study

• History: New DNA evidence upends what we thought we knew about Pompeii victims

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.