Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m.

The stories near you

• Florida Storms: A polar vortex plunges temps Statewide, with the coldest weather Thursday AM. "A polar vortex is a stream of cold air that normally spins around the poles high in the stratosphere. The phenomenon blasts Arctic air across part of North America and can disrupt weather patterns."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Longtime community activist to be inducted into MLK Hall of Fame in Gainesville. "Albert White, who will be recognized Saturday as the newest inductee into the King Hall of Fame, is known for his love for his high school alma mater, Lincoln High School, his community and serving others."

• WCJB: Gainesville odor mystery solved, residents who live next to the source react. "Some residents who live next to the property describe the strong odor as unbearable."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Johnson decides to table new GRU bill, gather more input. "Johnson told Mainstreet on Tuesday that the draft bill seeks to clarify parts of the original bill, House Bill 1645 from 2023. The new bill, he said, specifically aimed to assure outside investors and bond rating agencies about the reliability and backing of the GRU Authority."

• Mainstreet Daily News: UF Health breaks ground for new orthopedic surgery center. "It is planned to allow joint replacement patients to go home on the day of their procedures and will house a new nerve reconstruction team performing micro-surgical procedures to restore function to extremities affected by trauma and disease."

• Mainstreet Daily News: “Finding Freedom” performance to highlight impact of human trafficking. "The performance will feature new choreography by Cristina Helena and a collaboration with Anew, an organization focused on restoration for trafficking survivors."

• Mainstreet Daily News: FMPA, Origis Energy finish Rice Creek Solar Energy Center. "The new solar center marks the first solar project for Newberry, New Smyrna Beach and the town of Havana, which are among the 12 utilities that will receive power from Rice Creek."

Today's sponsored message

Around the state

• News Service of Florida: Appeals court rules drug dog's alert insufficient for car search over marijuana distinction. "The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal in a Lake County case could add complexity to police searching vehicles without obtaining warrants."

• Central Florida Public Media: Central Florida shelters open, extend hours amid frigid temperatures. "Though the front hit the state Monday, Florida is set to experience the coldest temperatures in years throughout the week."

• Central Florida Public Media: Trump’s mass deportation plans could be a major blow to Florida’s economy. "An American Immigration Council report shows that the country’s GDP would shrink by 4.2% -- which hasn’t happened since the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009 -- and Florida will be among the top 3 states most affected."

• WUSF-Tampa: Experts say the recent boost to Social Security may not go far in Florida. "The Social Security Fairness Act was recently signed into law. The bipartisan legislation repeals a pair of decades-old provisions and increase monthly benefits for some retired public sector workers."

• WUSF-Tampa: Preventing first responder 'harassment' and expediting building permits among new 2025 Florida laws. "The so-called "halo law" requires you to stay back 25 feet if an on-duty law enforcement officer gives you a verbal warning, and local governments have to approve or deny permit applications within about 30 days to avoid automatic approval."

• Associated Press: Ex-police officer and Proud Boys member gets 14 months in prison for joining Capitol attack. "Nathaniel Tuck, 32, of Apopka, Florida, pushed past police officers to enter the Capitol and berated officers who were trying to hold off the crowd. He later posed with other Proud Boys members for a celebratory photograph outside the Capitol."

• WLRN-Miami: Outdoor hockey is coming to Florida. NHL will have games in Miami and Tampa next season. "The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play host to the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami — home of baseball’s Marlins — on Jan. 2, 2026, in the Winter Classic, with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026, in a Stadium Series game."

From NPR News

• Law: Justice Department wants to release only part of its report on Trump cases

• Health: A record 24 million people now get Obamacare health plans. Will it last under Trump?

• Health: After Helene's floods, North Carolina tries to tame trauma's lasting damage

• National: All 5 living presidents expected to attend Jimmy Carter's National Cathedral funeral

• National: DOJ tries to block plea agreement for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad

• World: Here's what's behind Russia cutting off its last gas line to Europe

• Health: Survival of the luckiest? New study hints at the potential role of luck in evolution

• National: How New Orleans is coping following the Bourbon Street attack that killed 14

Aileyahu Shanes curated today's edition of The Point.