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Over the next few days, WUFT is bringing you the 2024 Year in Review, a compilation of the noteworthy stories from our newsroom over the last year. Today, we're diving into government and political reporting.

2024 election

During the 2024 election cycle, WUFT brought you news on local, state and national races and ballot issues that informed voters. Here are some of the highlights.

• Why Florida amendments require 60% of the vote to pass. "A majority of Floridians voted in support of Amendments 3 and 4, which would have legalized recreational marijuana and enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. But despite the majority votes, the amendments did not pass."

• ‘Who would ever thought we’d be here again’: 75-year-old protester marches for abortion rights a second time. "She’s 75 years old and for the second time in her life, she’s protesting for more reproductive rights. While marching down University Avenue, she reflected on what life was like before Roe."

• Which 2024 Florida ballot amendments passed, which failed? "Florida weighed in on six key amendments on election night. Voters made their decisions amid intense statewide campaigns on a variety of topics, from abortion to recreational marijuana access."

• Which Gainesville, Alachua and Marion counties' ballot amendments passed in the 2024 election? "Eight ballot amendments passed and none failed following Election Day across North Central Florida. Here’s a rundown of each."

• Early voting in Alachua County comprised part of a historic turnout percentage in 2024. "Since the 2016 General Election, early in-person voting has increased in Alachua County by roughly 42%. However, there are about half as many mail-in ballots since the 2020 Election."

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Fresh Take Florida

Fresh Take Florida is a news service run out of the University of Florida producing top-caliber investigative and political content. Hard-hitting coverage generally focuses on Florida’s state government, including the Legislature, or other issues of statewide, regional or national interest.

Ashleigh Lucas/Fresh Take Florida

• North Florida Regional hospital abruptly suspends surgeries amid concerns over sterile equipment

• Troubled Gainesville hospital removes surgical vice president, gets clean checkup from state regulators

• Sasse resigns unexpectedly as UF president, citing wife’s health

• UF senior staffers racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel costs after Sasse allowed them to work remotely

• Lavish catering under ex-UF president: $38,610 sushi bar, holiday party that cost nearly $900 per person

• UF employee, students implicated in illegal plot to ship drugs, toxins to China

• US says more to be charged in UF-China smuggling plot; participant receives light sentence

• Beautiful but highly destructive: On the hunt to kill elusive, invasive lionfish on Florida’s reefs

• Tampa man refusing to leave sailboat in Hurricane Milton once arrested over claim he tried to set woman on fire

• ‘Nowhere else to go’: Florida seniors struggle to recover from back-to-back hurricanes

• As early voting gets underway, Republicans across Florida quickly surpass Democratic turnout

• ‘Gatorwine’: Viral smash mixes sports drink, fruit of the vine

• Owner of the abandoned dog tied to pole on I-75 during hurricane arrested

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.