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The stories near you
• WUFT News: Expression on the street: How Gainesville residents use art and more to cope with homelessness. "Homelessness is projected to climb in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2024 Point-in-Time Count. How those tens of thousands of people spend their days varies, but conversations with a few of them in Gainesville during recent weeks point to a desire on their part to participate in and give back to society, even if they don’t rent or own a home."
• WUFT News: How Stonewall Sports in Gainesville seeks to unite the queer community. "The Gainesville chapter of Stonewall Sports League, a 21+ nonprofit sports organization, hosted kickball and trivia nights, providing a space for queer Gainesville residents to play sports in a noncompetitive fashion once a week during its seasons. It's a way for participants to exercise and bond in a state where athletes might be otherwise shunned in competitions."
• Florida Storms: Florida's weather is gradually improving; rainfall totals. "The wide low-pressure system combined with the cold front will continue to push east, and drier weather will continue to filter over Florida on Tuesday and for the rest of the week. The low-pressure system will continue to bring heavy rounds of rain across the Atlantic and the northeast through the middle of the week."
• Mainstreet Daily News: Former Gainesville mayoral candidate, Rosenthal, indicted for murder in Tennessee. "Rosenthal, a 2022 Gainesville mayoral candidate, went missing in 2024, with a report filed with the Gainesville Police Department. Then, Tennessee law enforcement arrested Rosenthal in December for the death of Darren Cody Gambrel."
• WCJB: Newberry city leaders pitch road partnership to Alachua County amid concerns over scenic route. "Newberry city leaders are asking Alachua County to help pave and improve Southwest 15th Avenue, a road they say can’t handle the region’s growth—but their proposal is raising concerns about cost and environmental impact."
• UF/IFAS: UF research shows seaweed lowers methane output in cows. "As they digest grass and hay, cows produce significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas. In the quest to identify an alternative livestock feed, seaweed has emerged as a promising contender...But are consumers willing to pay extra for low-emission milk and low-emission beef?"
• WCJB: Ocala doctor recognized for doing 2,000 surgeries with robotic arms. "He controls a mechanical surgery robot with four arms that allows him to get up close and personal to patients and make tiny incisions. He says the process makes surgery easier, quicker and faster."
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Around the state
• WFSU-Tallahassee: The alleged Florida State University gunman has been released from the hospital. "The man accused of opening fire last month at Florida State University, killing two people and injuring six others, has been released from the hospital. Officials say 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner has been transported to a detention center in Wakulla County, where he is awaiting his first court appearance."
• WUSF-Tampa: These Florida 'Dreamers' say they're scrambling as a tuition hike could put college out of reach. "Florida lawmakers are getting rid of a waiver that lets students without legal status pay in-state tuition. We hear from two students about what this means for their future."
• News Service of Florida: Group seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida joins challenge to initiatives law. "Smart & Safe Florida, the political committee behind the 2024 marijuana proposal, is trying to place a similar recreational weed measure on next year’s ballot, and has about 219,000 valid signatures for the effort."
• WFSU-Tallahassee: Why are so many Tallahassee homes still waiting for repairs after last year's tornadoes? "Some people it took months, while others are still waiting to go home a year after the May 10th tornadoes smashed through Tallahassee. For many, it’s hard to understand why the recovery is taking so long. An experienced contractor explains some of the delays."
• WGCU-Fort Myers: Despite deluge, Southwest Florida's drought continues. "Downpours over the weekend and into Monday, the first of their kind in months, inundated a parched Southwest Florida mired in its worst drought in nearly a quarter-century."
• Associated Press: Miami museum opens exhibit chronicling a century of swimwear and its connection to Florida. "The immersive, dynamic experience allows visitors to explore the history and evolution of swimwear, from the heavy wool suits that were still required by law in many places during the early 20th century to modern swimsuits that leave little to the imagination."
From NPR News
• Politics: Trump tried to fire Corporation for Public Broadcasting board members. Then came DOGE
• Culture: The President has named a new Acting Librarian of Congress. It's his former defense lawyer.
• Politics: Ethics experts worry about the implications of Trump accepting Qatar's luxury plane
• World: White South African Afrikaner refugees arrive in U.S. on a government-chartered plane
• World: Hamas has released U.S.-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, held in Gaza since 2023
• Education: The future of student loan repayment, explained
• Science: Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language
• Space: A Soviet-era space probe crashed back to Earth after more than 50 years in orbit
Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.