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• Florida News Service: DeSantis signs bill banning colleges and universities from spending money on ‘DEI’. “The governor also signed a separate bill that will prevent colleges and universities from requiring proof of ‘political allegiance’ for students and employees as a condition of admission or employment.”
• WUFT News: Sen. Rick Scott laying the groundwork for re-election campaign. “Scott was in Gainesville Monday morning speaking with Republican Party officials and supporters. He updated them on issues in Washington, DC, and asked for their early support.”
• Mainstreet Daily News: GRU to cut unoccupied positions, reduce maintenance. “Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) unveiled its plan to cut $3.4 million in expenses as part of the city’s overall efforts to reduce GRU’s $315 million in net debt over the next 10 years.”
• The alligator: Sasse meets with the LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee. “Sasse’s May 11 meeting with UF’s LGBTQ+ Presidential Advisory Committee fulfilled a seven-month promise made during his first visit to the UF campus, where he acknowledged the value of the committee and said that he would meet with them.”
• CNN: Human DNA can now be extracted from the air or from a footprint on the beach. Here’s what that could mean. “University of Florida researchers, using environmental DNA found in sand to study endangered sea turtles, said the DNA was of such high quality that scientists could identify mutations associated with diseases and determine the genetic ancestry of populations living nearby.”
• WTSP-Tampa Bay: Hernando County teacher is under investigation for showing a Disney movie to 5th graders. “The film, ‘Strange World,’ is the focus of the Department of Education’s investigation. The teacher who performed in the film is Jenna Barbee. She is a new teacher at Winding Waters K-8 in Brooksville, Florida .
• City and State of Florida: DeSantis vs. Disney: Will they ever agree to a ceasefire? “It wasn’t always this way: Disney got off to a good start with DeSantis, seeking state tax breaks with the help of DeSantis’ office and getting a rollback of a technology censorship bill he championed. Politicians in Florida, former lobbyists and several experts generally agree that the fall from grace is temporary. They predict a return to form for Disney’s influence in the Legislature and the governor’s office.”
• WLRN-Miami: How the state’s new immigration crackdown will affect South Florida. “Florida’s sweeping immigration bill signed by Governor DeSantis includes requiring businesses to use a government program to report the status of their employees, making it a crime to transport undocumented people into Florida and make it easier for the governor to expel them from Florida.”
• WMFE-Orlando: Federal dollars will help Florida schools hire and train more mental health professionals. “The announcement comes after a new CDC report finds that suicide deaths are on the rise among high school students, and more people have thought about taking their own lives.”
• Florida storms: The National Hurricane Center releases the first 7-day tropical weather outlook on Monday. “Beginning this year, the NHC’s graphical outlook tool will be extended from five to seven days. Compared to other severe weather events, tropical cyclones already have a substantially longer lead time.”
• WUSF-Tampa Bay: Florida gas prices continue to trend lower ahead of a busy Memorial Day weekend. “Florida gas prices fell 8 cents per gallon last week. The statewide average has now declined three weeks in a row, with a total discount of 24 cents per gallon, since mid-April.”
• Health: Do you think the threat of COVID is over? It’s not for these people
• Health: Hospitals create police forces to curb rising violence against staff
• World: Latest on Ukraine: Zelenskyy launched diplomatic spring offensive in Europe (May 15)
• National: Trump-era special counsel’s final report slams FBI’s Russia probe
• National: 3 generations of trans-Americans reflect on what has changed (and not changed).
• Politics: Congress wants to regulate AI, but it has a lot of catching up to do
• Businesses: Vice Media, worth $5.7 billion, files for bankruptcy
• Science: Butterflies originated in North America after splitting from moths, a new study suggests
