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Over the next few days, WUFT is bringing you 2024 in Review, a collection of noteworthy stories from our newsroom over the past year. Today, we delve into government and political reports.
During the 2024 election cycle, WUFT has brought you news on the local, state and national races and ballot issues informing voters. Here are some highlights.
• Why Florida amendments require 60% of the vote to pass. “A majority of Floridians voted for Amendments 3 and 4, which would have legalized recreational marijuana and enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. But despite the majority vote, the amendments did not pass.”
• “Who would have thought we’d be here again”: A 75-year-old protester is marching for abortion rights for the second time. “She’s 75 years old, and for the second time in her life, she’s protesting for more reproductive rights. As she walked down University Avenue, she thought about what life was like before Roe.”
• Which 2024 Florida ballot amendments passed, and which failed? “Florida introduced six key amendments on Election Night. Voters made their decisions amid intense statewide campaigns on a variety of topics, from abortion to access to recreational marijuana.”
• What ballot amendments for Gainesville, Alachua and Marion counties passed in the 2024 election? “Eight amendments were approved on the ballot and none failed after Election Day in North Central Florida. Here’s a summary of each.”
• Early voting in Alachua County was part of historic 2024 turnout. “Since the 2016 general election, early in-person voting in Alachua County has increased by approximately 42%. However, there are approximately half as many mail-in ballots cast since the 2020 election.”
Fresh Take Florida is a news service operated by the University of Florida that produces high-quality investigative and political content. Strong coverage generally focuses on Florida state government, including the Legislature, or other issues of regional or national interest at the state level.
Ashley Lucas/Fresh Take Florida
• North Florida Regional Hospital abruptly halted surgeries amid concerns about sterile equipment
• Troubled Gainesville hospital removes vice chief of surgery, gets clean check from state regulators
• Sassi unexpectedly resigned from the position of President of the United Front, due to his wife’s health
• Senior UF employees incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel costs after Sasse allowed them to work remotely
• Lavish catering under former union president: $38,610 sushi bar, holiday party costing nearly $900 per person
• A United Front employee and students were involved in an illegal conspiracy to ship drugs and poisons to China
• The United States says more charges will be brought in a United Front-China smuggling plot. The participant receives a mild sentence
• Beautiful but extremely destructive: On a fishing expedition to kill invasive and elusive lionfish on a Florida coral reef
• Tampa man refuses to leave sailboat during Hurricane Milton, was once arrested for claiming he tried to set a woman on fire
• ‘There’s nowhere else to go’: Florida seniors struggle to recover from back-to-back hurricanes
• As early voting begins, Republicans across Florida are quickly outpacing Democratic turnout
• ‘Gatorwine’: A viral blend of a sports drink and the fruit of the vine
• Owner of abandoned dog tied to pole on I-75 arrested during tornado
Christine Moorhead Sponsored Today’s edition of The Point.
