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Today's Florida stories

• Politico: Buddy MacKay, a Democrat who briefly served as Florida’s governor, dead at 91. "The former Democratic governor took a nap after lunch at his home in Ocklawaha, Florida, on Tuesday and never woke up, his son Ken MacKay told The Associated Press. All of the governor’s adult children were present at the time, he said."

• News Service of Florida: Florida Blue sues federal health agencies over star rating system. "Florida Blue, formally named Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida, filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., contending that lower federal ratings will cause it to lose tens of millions of dollars and can affect seniors’ enrollment decisions."

• Central Florida Public Media: Florida Board of Governors sets New Year's resolutions for state universities. "First, the board wants to see more Florida public universities and colleges improve in the yearly U.S. News & World Report rankings by 2030. ... Throughout the state, the board also wants Florida to be home to at least one top 10 liberal arts college, and top HBCU, which could be a Central Florida school."

• WUSF-Tampa: Study suggests manatees may be 'recent immigrants' to Florida. "The gentle sea cows are listed as threatened. But their numbers are far higher now than they have been historically. That's the conclusion from a new report co-authored by Thomas Pluckhahn, a professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida, in the journal Plos One."

• WFLA-Tampa: Frustration mounts as St. Pete residents await final storm debris cleanup. "Months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton left St. Petersburg buried under piles of debris; the city is finally preparing to wrap up its cleanup efforts. But for some residents, the process has been anything but quick."

• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU reports foul smell around Gainesville not emanating from its facilities. "According to a social media post sent late Thursday afternoon, GRU gave an update stating, 'We have walked local creeks, investigated areas where customers have reported foul smells and found no evidence that the odor is related to GRU’s facilities,' adding that GRU’s lift stations and reclamation facilities are all operating under normal conditions."

• Gainesville Sun: Gainesville social media star recovering after rattlesnake bite in Dixie County. "Gainesville wildlife enthusiast and social media star David Humphlett is recovering at UF Health Shands Hospital after being bitten in December by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Humphlett, 25, was bitten on Dec. 18 while searching for snakes with friends in Shired Island in Dixie County."

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News from NPR

• National: Photos: Bourbon Street reopens in New Orleans after truck attack

• National: An Arctic outbreak will send a chill through much of the U.S. Here's how to prepare

• Law: Still on the hunt, the FBI shares new details about pipe bombs placed ahead of Jan. 6

• Politics: How Jimmy Carter made a lasting impact on mental health policy in the U.S.

• Politics: Biden honors Liz Cheney, Bennie Thompson with top civilian award

• Business: Could 2025 be another game changing year for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

• World: Abandoned farmland is having a profound impact on ecosystems in Europe

• Science: DNA reveals secrets of Australia's elusive marsupial mole
Ethan Magoc curated today's edition of The Point.