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The stories near you

• WUFT News: A citrus comeback is budding in North Florida. "Orange production in Central and South Florida fell 92% between 2003 and 2023. In the past five years, the region has lost acreage the size of Atlanta. Yet in the same span, citrus acreage in north Florida – from Levy to Escambia County – has doubled."

• WUFT News: ‘It brings everybody together’: The woman fueling the Horseshoe Beach hurricane recovery. "While relief efforts have been both massive and slow – with county waste crews still collecting debris, and waterlogged plywood still lining the cattle break – residents and volunteers continue to turn to Coe to satisfy their hunger for food and quest for community."

• Florida Storms: The 2024 hurricane season ranks 3rd in hurricane spawned tornado outbreaks. "178 tornadoes were spawned from tropical cyclones this year. The 2005 season ranks 2nd with 237 tornadoes and the historic 2004 hurricane season holds the top spot with 317 tropical cyclone induced tornadoes."

• Mainstreet Daily News: FLDOE email contradicts ACPS story on teacher VAM scores. "An email obtained by Mainstreet Daily News shows a state official disputing school district claims that it had to remove teachers from struggling schools mid-semester due to a state delay in teacher ratings."

• WUFT News: Cold temperatures have returned, and with them Gainesville's Cold Night Shelter Program. "Grace Marketplace and St. Francis House are opening their doors at night to anyone in need from Thursday through Monday. The program provides temporary shelter for individuals or families during cold nights. Upon arrival, guests can expect a bed and a warm meal."

• WUFT News: UF program offers international students a way to join Gainesville families for Thanksgiving. "The program pairs international students with Gainesville families during the holidays. It's called Friendship Families and started in 2023 through UF’s International Center."

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Around the state

• NPR: Florida health official advises communities to stop adding fluoride to drinking water. "He called it 'public health malpractice' despite widespread consensus among public health experts that fluoridation has dramatically improved dental health in the U.S., saved billions in dental costs, and prevented millions of childhood cavities."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Now that former Congressman Matt Gaetz has stepped down, who wants his old seat? "President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General, but the congressman withdrew from consideration amid calls for the House of Representatives to release the findings of a sex trafficking investigation with Gaetz at the center."

• News Service of Florida: Court hears arguments on Florida's restrictions on trans care. "The lawsuit challenged a state Agency for Health Care Administration rule that barred coverage of hormone treatment and puberty blockers. It was later updated to include a state law that similarly prevented Medicaid reimbursement for the treatments."

• WFSU-Tallahassee: Will 2025 be the year Florida passes an open carry law? "Second Amendment groups have long sought an open-carry law in Florida. Yet the state’s newly elected Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, on Tuesday shot down the likelihood of passing an open carry bill next year. He said he stands with the Florida Sheriff’s Association, which opposes open carry."

• Jacksonville Today: UF Health begins expansion of trauma center. "The $90 million Leon L. Haley Jr. Emergency and Trauma Center will expand the trauma center’s 78 beds to 125. The first phrase should take 18 months to complete."

• Miami Herald: They produce Florida’s clams. To survive climate change, they’re counting on Republicans. "Until recently, some 200 Cedar Key farmers produced virtually every clam consumed in Florida, pulling in 120 million mollusks a year. Clamming had allowed them to fend off over-development and retain the island’s Old Florida charm that’s become so hard to find."

• Associated Press: Earth bids farewell to its temporary 'mini moon' that is possibly a chunk of our actual moon. "The harmless space rock will peel away on Monday, overcome by the stronger tug of the sun's gravity."

From NPR News

• Law: Judge indefinitely postpones sentencing in Trump's hush money case

• Climate: With talks teetering, climate negotiators struck a controversial $300 billion deal

• National: Trump's deportation vow alarms Texas construction industry

• Health: What to know about Trump's picks for CDC, FDA and surgeon general

• Weather: Atmospheric rivers aren't new. Why does it feel like we're hearing about them more?

• Education: University of Texas, MIT and others announce free tuition for some undergraduates

• National: Bringing Thanksgiving food on a plane? Here is what you should know

• Books: Books We Love

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.