The Point, July 2, 2024: Marion County Schools to install Knox Boxes (2024)

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• WUFT News: Marion County Public Schools install Knox Boxes on school campuses. "Knox Boxes, or a wall-mounted safe, hold a set of building keys. The Knox Box helps first responders access the school in the case of an emergency."

• Florida Storms: Historic start to the hurricane season. "Exceptionally powerful category 4 Beryl formed the earliest ever for a June Atlantic hurricane. But Beryl's, location, a few hundred miles southeast of the Windward Islands, is noteworthy, too."

• USA Today ($): Stripper, adult establishments sue Florida government over new age restriction. "Serenity Michelle Bushey was a nude dancer at Café Risque, a strip club near Gainesville in Alachua County. Since she's 19 years old, she's now out of a job, as are at least eight others at her former workplace, according to the lawsuit. She says that violates her First Amendment right to express herself."

• Mainstreet Daily News: Gainesville’s CWA union ”fighting to survive” with looming August deadline. "The CWA serves as the union for over a thousand workers in the city of Gainesville, the Alachua County Library District and Gainesville Housing Authority. Currently, each separate group of workers has its own unit under the CWA umbrella, and each unit needs 60% of workers to sign up for the union to survive."

• WCJB: Alachua County reminds residents of restrictions on fertilizers this summer. "The county prohibits using landscape fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus from July through February. The only exceptions are for vegetable gardens and fruit trees."

• WCJB: University of Florida graduate student wins Miss Florida 2024. "She has formerly held the titles of Miss Florida Citrus 2023, and Miss Gainesville 2022. Fink was also the 1st runner-up at the Miss Florida competition in 2023."

• The Alligator: Clowns and LGBTQ+ identity: An intersection of art and expression. "To some, however, within the vibrant world of clowns lies a profound connection to self-expression and identity, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. The fusion of flamboyant makeup and performance art can offer a unique avenue for exploring and celebrating queer identities."

• Central Florida Public Media: Florida students ace most recent statewide assessment. "This school year, 53% of students in grades 3 to 10 scored at or above grade level in English Language Arts, a 4% increase from the previous year. And 55% of students in grades 3 to 8 scored at or above grade level in math, a 4% percent increase from last year."

• News Service of Florida: Florida panel takes another look at abortion amendment's 'financial impact statement'. "A state panel Monday again analyzed potential financial impacts of a proposed constitutional amendment about abortion rights, with amendment opponents focusing on costs linked to lawsuits if the measure passes."

• Associated Press: Florida prosecutors knew Epstein raped teenage girls 2 years before cutting deal, transcript shows. "A circuit judge's release Monday afternoon of the approximately 150 pages came as a surprise as there's a scheduled hearing for next week on when and how to release them."

• Central Florida Public Media: Federal crackdown on elder care fraud snags four in Central Florida. "Several Central Florida residents are among 193 people charged by the U.S. Department of Justice recently in a nationwide fraud crackdown focused on health care for the elderly and disabled."

• Associated Press: The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms. "The Texas and Florida laws were signed by Republican governors in the months following decisions by Facebook and Twitter to cut then-President Donald Trump off over his posts related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters."

• WLRN-Miami: Panthers fans party through rain and lightning to celebrate their winning team. "Torrential downpours and lightning did not stop droves of Florida Panther fans in Fort Lauderdale from partying outside for hours to celebrate the NHL team’s championship."

• Associated Press: Female capybara goes to Florida as part of a breeding program for the large South American rodents. "Iyari’s move to South Florida began with a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The organization manages the total population of capybaras and other animals in each AZA facility, with the understanding that the animals' genetics could possibly contribute to wild populations in the future."

• Politics: Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for core acts only

• World: Here are key takeaways from France's election round 1, where the far right prevails

• Health: Why scientists who study noise pollution are calling for more regulation

• Health: Med schools face a new obstacle in the push to train more Black doctors

• Religion: A teen tech whiz nicknamed 'God's influencer' will become the first millennial saint

• World: Military horses ran loose through the streets of London once again

Kristin Moorehead curated today's edition of The Point.