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The stories near you

• WUFT News: GPD raids downtown Gainesville warehouse, 14 dogs seized and one man arrested afterward. "Since 2022, Gainesville residents have pleaded for local law enforcement to intervene and take action against the tenants of a downtown property. On Monday morning, their pleas culminated in the Gainesville Police SWAT team raiding the property and arresting one man on animal cruelty, drug and firearm charges."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville protesters crowd downtown sidewalks to oppose Trump, Musk. "Around 300 Gainesville protesters gathered on all four corners of the University Avenue and Main Street intersection on Monday, Presidents’ Day, to display their opposition to the current administration and steps President Donald Trump has taken since Jan. 20."

• WCJB: University of Florida faces medical research cuts due to Trump administration policy changes. "According to an estimate by the New York Times, UF received $254 million in grants from the NIH in 2024. Caping indirect costs at 15 percent would have resulted in the university receiving an estimated $45 million less in grant money that year."

• The Alligator: Black restaurant owners dish out their stories. "A few years later, Jefferson showed up for work only to be told he was fired. When he asked DeFilippo the reason why, DeFilippo said it was time for him to venture off on his own. He advised Jefferson to start a food truck. And so began Swamp Religion."

• Mainstreet Daily News: DeSantis appoints Ezzell to SF College Board of Trustees. "On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Dr. Tara Ezzell to the Santa Fe College District Board of Trustees. Ezzell is currently a partner and dermatologist at Dermatology Associates in Gainesville."

• Gainesville Sun ($): Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo's otter family moving to Memphis Zoo. "The otters were part of an interspecies communication program called FluentPet technology, according to a press release from SF. The program utilizes a system of buttons where animals can associate words with actions and objects like 'otter' and 'human.' The program is also used to train tortoises and capuchin monkeys."

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Around the state

• Associated Press: James Uthmeier, DeSantis' 'bulldog,' is sworn in as Florida's attorney general. "Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday officially named his former chief of staff, James Uthmeier, as Florida’s attorney general, handing the state’s top law enforcement role to a trusted aide who has helped orchestrate and defend some of his most divisive initiatives."

• Central Florida Public Media: Study: Evictions "are public health concerns," affecting children’s mental health. "In 2023, the Central Florida region saw a 10-year record-high number of eviction filings, and Florida ranked seventh nationally for the most cases against families with children. The latest homelessness Point-In-Time count, also from last year, showed an increase in the number of homeless children."

• News Service of Florida: After multiple hurricanes, FEMA is borrowing billions to pay flood claims. "FEMA, which manages the flood-insurance program, said the two hurricanes as of Feb. 6 had led to more than 78,000 claims, with estimated losses possibly topping $10 billion. FEMA is able to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay claims."

• WUSF-Tampa: After a crane collapse, St. Petersburg calls for statewide safety regulations. "Neither the state nor local government has authority over contractor cranes, even during hurricane preparations. But Gov. Ron DeSantis might not be on board. When he visited St. Petersburg in the wake of Milton, he said it should be 'common sense.'"

• WLRN-Miami: Parkland memorial will celebrate victims, community with 'gesture of love'. "Revealed in the run-up to the seventh anniversary of the tragedy on Friday, the memorial features 17 stone-clad obelisks — each with the name of one of the victims arranged in a circle around a central water feature. There are shade structures and 17 royal palm trees on the site as well as benches."

• WUSF-Tampa: With no Education Dept., how would Sarasota schools pay for programs for vulnerable kids? "An online tool from the Education Law Center shows how much is at stake, state by state. It says Florida receives over $1 billion in federal funding for Title I schools, which receive federal funds to help students from low-income families, and more than $850 million for special education."

• News Service of Florida: Up-and-down gasoline prices in Florida on a down moment. "Average gasoline prices in Florida continued a roller-coaster ride, dropping 14 cents during the past week, after a 10-cent-a-gallon increase the previous week and a 15-cent drop the week before that."

From NPR News

• Weather: Frigid temperatures and snow are expected across the U.S. this week

• World: Mexico's President Sheinbaum threatens to take legal action over the Gulf name change

• Health: Health agencies lose staff members in key areas as Trump firings set in

• Law: Is the Justice Department cutting breaks to people who seem loyal to Trump?

• National: In Chicago, cognitive behavioral therapy shows promise curbing youth violence

• Health: As sports betting has soared, more people search online for help with gambling addiction

• World: An ancient Roman basilica has been discovered below London's financial district

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.