Floridians will lose access to the world's most popular pornography site on New Year's Day.

Why it matters: That's one less freedom for those who live in the free state of Florida. The restriction comes as a protest from Pornhub against states that enact age verification laws.

Driving the news: "You will lose access to Pornhub in 13 days," says a popup that greets users in Florida, adding that "your government wants you to give your driver's license before you can access" the site.

• "We don't want minors accessing our site and think preventing that from happening is a good thing," the popup continues, "but putting everybody's privacy at risk won't achieve that."

Catch up quick: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 3 this year, which, in part, requires pornographic websites to implement age verification to block access to those under 18.

• The Free Speech Coalition filed a legal challenge to the law this week, arguing that it creates a "substantial burden on adults who want to access legal sites without fear of surveillance."

Zoom out: Pornhub has pulled out of at least eight states with similar laws, such as Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

What they're saying: Aylo argues "the best solution to make the internet safer, preserve user privacy, and prevent children from accessing adult content is performing age verification at the source: on the device."

The other side: State Rep. Chase Tramont, the Port Orange Republican who sponsored the age verification bill, told Florida Politics the site's decision to shut down rather than comply "tells us exactly who their real target audience is."

Tell ... a friend?

As the sun sets over Tampa Bay on Saturday, you can find Murray Hidary playing piano to a crowd of people on the sands of St. Pete Beach. 

• To passersby, it's completely silent. But through the headphones of each listener, Hidary transmits musical mindfulness. 

Why it matters: Hidary, the founder of MindTravel, believes music has the power to heal others like it did for him after the death of his sister.

• The Miami composer has built a loyal following, hosting sessions as far away as Antarctica and in his own backyard. 

What they're saying: Hidary tells Axios that it's important for us to process our trauma, big and small, at the risk of letting it seep into our everyday interactions. 

• Music — the "language of emotion" — acts as the perfect catharsis, he adds.

The beach concerts require listeners to wear headphones connected to Hidary's electric piano and microphone.

• Hidary improvises what he plays on piano and no two sessions are ever the same, he tells Axios.
• Participants can stay with the group, dip their toes in the water or walk over 300 feet away because the headphones are connected via radio transmitter, not Bluetooth.
• The headphones provide an intimate experience, but Hidary says participants feel a sense of community when they look around and see hundreds of people listening to the same thing.
• Each session ends with an open mic for participants to express themselves publicly. "It's probably the most powerful part of the night."

What's next: Hidary is hosting a beach concert Dec. 21 at Upham Beach Park.

• Tickets start at $50 ($25 for children) but there is also a pay-what-you can option.

Go deeper

🔄 In the month since she was elected, two top prosecutors and three attorneys in the special victims unit have left or are planning to leave Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez's office. (Tampa Bay Times)

• One of the departing attorneys was responsible for investigating wrongful convictions — the same process that exonerated Robert DuBoise after he spent 37 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit.

🔎 The House Ethics Committee has voted to release the results of a probe into whether former Panhandle Rep. Matt Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, used drugs and more. (Axios)

🏢 Developer Kolter Multifamily is under contract to buy St. Petersburg College's Allstate Campus on 34th Street South. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

👋 Kathryn here. Look, this is more of a gift to yourself, but I know from going through it this year how tough it is to find a good couch — especially one that matches your style.

State of play: After a search of many, many months, West Elm's Haven 2-Piece Bumper Chaise Sectional seemed to tick all the boxes:

• elegant and streamlined
• a zillion color options (including this beautiful blue, called Petrol)
• stain-resistant velvet (good for kitty claws)
• sooooo comfortable (there's a showroom in Hyde Park Village!)
• a long-enough chaise for Winston, at 6'2", to stretch out on.

The price ($3,613 total, including white-glove shipping) was also reasonable for a true investment piece like a daily-use sectional.

• My search led me to several seemingly comparable sofas going for $5,000 or more.

The latest: We've had it for about six weeks, and we still love it. It's still as comfy as day one, and the cushions have held their shape — I took the photo above yesterday!

The one downside: Our cat Rose loves it, too, and her gray fur is really visible.

Lightning round: A few more recs

This leopard is lurking at the Carrollwood Cultural Center!

• We stumped y'all on this one but we'll be back after the holidays with some fresh photos!