Episodes
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On tonight's program: Florida’s leading GOP gubernatorial candidate visits the state’s panhandle and finds a responsive audience for his message; The line item vetoes fly as Governor DeSantis works his way through the new state budget; It seems not all of Florida’s local enforcement agencies are following their agreement with the feds to help out with immigration enforcement; Not all of those connected with Florida’s higher education system are excited about the prospect of the state’s institutions adopting a new accrediting body; As more and more people opt for fun on the water, the incidence of accidental drowning is also on the rise. Children are often the victims, so grownups need to be watchful; Florida’s latest citrus crop is more abundant than last year’s: And a beach isn’t really a beach without sand. So the push is on to replenish those Florida beaches that are lacking in that department.
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On tonight’s program: Governor Ron DeSantis signed the budget for the new fiscal year that started this week he also exercised his line-item veto power; More than 100 new laws went into effect at the start of July, including one to protect residents from footing the bill for AI data centers’ energy needs; Candidates, elected officials and activists are gearing up for the August Primary elections. They met this past weekend at the Sunshine Showdown; A new transportation law could change how people buy cars in Florida; And smelly brown seaweed called sargassum is washing up on shores. Forecasters are tracking where it will go next.
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Missing episodes?
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On tonight’s program: Florida’s much-maligned Alligator Alcatraz is shutting down. Now what?; A Republican candidate for Florida governor announces his pick for lieutenant governor pick. And faces immediate pushback over what some say is that pick’s anti-Black bias; Florida has always had a special relationship with its Caribbean neighbors. As that region suffers natural and man-made problems, that relationship now seems more important than ever; Are you worried about your kids losing academic ground during the summer break? You may have less to worry about than you think; If you own a home in Florida, it probably needs some long-deferred maintenance. We have some helpful hints on how to do that; There’s a powerful new resource to help those who are caring for folks who have cognitive issues like dementia; And can you spell “democracy?” Or at least describe what it is? You’ll soon get your chance.
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On tonight’s program: Florida Republicans are at odds this year over whether to hold a debate for the governors race; Several Florida Counties are pausing, or even blocking, plans for AI data centers, but some worry that won’t stop the effects; A former legislator says a proposed property tax break could mean the end of home rule; Officials say one way the proposed property tax cut could really bite—is more mosquitoes; And this weekend, across Florida, communities are celebrating Juneteenth.
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On tonight's program: Election season is underway and the race for Florida’s governor is filling up, leading to questions about who has whose endorsement: We remember the tragic shooting that took place 10 years ago at Pulse Nightclub: A new law is bringing cursive writing back to the classroom and some experts say it’s needed; And we hear about efforts to bring a gangly pink bird back from what was once the brink of extinction.
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On tonight’s program: Lawmakers are sending a proposal to drastically reduce property taxes to the ballot in November. Opponents are worried about what it means for local services; Despite forecasts for a slightly less active hurricane season, experts say it’s important not to get complacent; Immigrants who were held in Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz are part of a lawsuit after many say they didn’t receive proper medical care while detained; Florida is leading the country when it comes to the number of executions carried out. That’s raising concerns for some; And for teen mothers, finding a way forward can sometimes feel impossible. A Florida program aims to help to chart a path to the future
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On tonight’s program: At long last, eleven weeks after the regular lawmaking session ended, Florida lawmakers have passed a state budget! Among the items that did not make it into the new spending plan, Florida Forever funding; Lawmakers will be back in Tallahassee next week for a special session to reduce property taxes. Although some worry the impact on rural, poorer communities may be severe; Congressional Candidates are weighing in as a potential data center project could be heading to North Florida’s Jackson County; Florida public school educators are feeling a bit under attack nowadays; Those adversely impacted by Alligator Alcatraz are patiently waiting for the facility to breathe its last; And some young reporters are jumping in to fill the news gap left in places no longer served by professional journalists.
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On tonight’s program: The special session to pass a Florida budget goes on. And on. And on; The matter of Florida’s new congressional maps, passed by lawmakers and signed by Governor DeSantis, is by no means a fully done deal; There’s no official word yet, but there are many signs that Florida’s notorious Alligator Alcatraz detention facility may be on the verge of closure; And we see what it takes to bring a critical coastal area back to a cleaner and more natural state.
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As lawmakers iron out the state budget, wrinkles are deepening among Florida’s top government leaders; Florida has announced a criminal investigation into a major AI company for alleged involvement in violent crimes; A recent article from the New York Times says Florida’s immigrant detention center in the Everglades could close earlier than expected; Gas Prices are becoming a significant pocketbook issue for many Floridiana—especially those in rural communities who face longer commutes; Florida’s public-school students don’t need to go hungry during the school year; They can access free lunch in the school cafeteria; But in the summer, keeping kids fed who otherwise may go hungry becomes the job of nonprofits and volunteers; And America is preparing for a massive wave of adults nearing or entering retirement; On "Southwest Florida In Focus".
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On tonight’s program: The first of what could be several special sessions of the Florida Legislature is over. This one focused on redistricting. Another, to pass a state budget, is next; A powerful member of the Florida Senate reacts to the speed with which the congressional redistricting took place; Governor DeSantis signs two education bills, although many teachers wish he hadn’t; Despite some state ordered pay increases for starting teachers, the bulk of Florida’s public school educators continue to lag behind most other states; Despite all of our connective technology, more people are now feeling more disconnected than ever. How do we get back to feeling like communities again? And as a drought continues in much of Florida, lakes and rivers are starting to dry up. Fixing that will require some heavy rainfall.
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On tonight’s program: Florida lawmakers approve a new congressional district map for the state. Not everyone is convinced this is a good thing; And Florida, especially the state’s northern region, remains in the grip of a near historic drought. Even though some rain may be sweeping through the state this weekend, experts in the field warn that far more rainfall will be needed to mitigate the threat of wildfires that are already ravaging parts of the state. We have two pieces. The first describes the current wildfire situation and the second delves into the climactic circumstances that are making the fires more likely.
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On tonight’s program: Florida lawmakers will be back in Tallahassee for a special session to draw up new congressional districts. Even though the state constitution specifically bans partisan purposes; Governor DeSantis signs more measures that opponents say further restrict the authority of local governments; Florida’s new SAVE Act is the law and is already drawing criticism; People who vote “NPA” or “No Party Affiliation” in Florida are more than a little tough to figure out when it comes to predicting how they’ll vote. It appears money from some foreign sources to U.S. universities are definitely gift horses that should be looked in the mouth; Don’t be in such a hurry to drain the swamp. Evidence keeps mounting that protecting more of the state’s natural wetlands also protects people from catastrophe; And we attend the investiture ceremony of Florida A&M University’s 13th president and hear from some of those who know Marva Johnson best.
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On tonight’s program: The Florida Legislature originally planned to be back in Tallahassee around this time to work on a new state budget. But so far, NOTHING seems to be working; There still may be a chance that lawmakers may be back at the Capitol to redraw the state’s congressional districts to favor the GOP; One year after the mass shooting at Florida State University, we check in with a student who was barricaded as the situation unfolded; The campus shooting tragedy also led to state lawmakers trying to increase security without impinging freedom; Memorials to the shooting victims remain on the FSU campus one year later; And during the Civil Rights battles of the 1950s and 60s, Jewish and Black people often found common cause in the oppression historically visited on them. Now an effort is underway to reforge those ties.
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On tonight’s program: Advocates worry a new law that lets the state declare groups domestic terrorist organizations unfairly targets minorities; Lawmakers are set to return to Tallahassee later this month to draw new congressional district maps, but not everyone is convinced it’s a good idea; Most of Florida is in a drought, and experts say the earliest it could let up may be this summer; One Florida couple is waiting for a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on birthright citizenship before they decide whether to grow their family; Getting access to medical care is increasingly difficult for kids from low-income families as some pediatricians opt out of accepting government-sponsored health insurance; And, we’ll meet a musician honing her craft in South Florida
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On tonight’s program: Governor DeSantis signs the SAVE Act into law, saying it will discourage any kind of chicanery when it comes to the state’s elections; We dive a bit deeper into the SAVE Act legislation and ask the big money question: was it really something that was critically needed?; What happened to the anti-vaccine push in Florida?; It seems the battle against cancer works better when patients have a whole team of doctors fighting in their corner; Florida’s best-dressed teachers are wearing panic buttons.Under force of law; One of the last mostly-male bastions – the construction industry – is finally becoming more inclusive; And after half-a-century, astronauts blast off – from Florida – and head for the moon.
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On tonight’s program: Even though Florida lawmakers are out of session, the back and forth over plans to cut property taxes goes on; A new affordable housing project in Southwest Florida gives some prospective homeowners reason for hope; Florida has been an overwhelmingly Republican state for quite a while. But a noted political expert says this week’s special election may have signaled something of a turning point; It seems some Republicans are determined to shoot their own party in the foot; Americans are still having kids. They’re just having fewer of them than they used to and that’s having some wide-ranging impacts; And years after a devastating hurricane, natural recovery is still taking place in a large swath of Mangrove swamp, hopefully before another storm arrives.
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Some law enforcers want a path to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants – and the governor responds; It’s no secret many prices keep going up: Especially when it comes to energy; The re-engineering of Florida’s New College prompts a new film documentary: We’ll hear from the producer; An American flotilla is headed to Cuba: But the purpose of that fleet is humanitarian aid, not military invasion; And finally, the growth of private sector space launches at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center has meant only good things for the program, says the astronaut in residence there:
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On tonight's program: It’s the last official day of the Florida Legislative Session: But lawmakers will have to return soon to tackle unfinished business: We’ll discuss why: Changes are coming to Florida's primary food insecurity program – known as SNAP: Drones aren’t always a deadly war weapon, as we’re hearing in regards the Iran War: It seems they also have some very useful civilian functions, like finding lost people; And the negative messages some kids receive in traditional schools has helped jump-start the new trend of what are called micro-schools:
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On tonight’s program: The House Speaker explains why some priority bills in the Senate won’t be heard in his chamber; The ongoing campaign against DEI continues in the Florida Senate, although some supporters insist that’s not what’s going on at all; Governor DeSantis’ push to regulate AI providers seems to be losing steam; It seems some of the worst misinformation doesn’t only appear on English language talk radio; It’s not only obtaining the product that challenges Florida’s food banks. It’s also keeping the product safe and wholesome once it’s obtained; After years of bad news, there may finally be a bit of positive news about Florida’s iconic citrus products; Special congressional elections may be moving from April to June; And fifth grade may seem awfully early to start teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, but those who deal with these issues everyday say, wrong!
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On tonight’s program: We delve into the reasons behind changes to degree programs at Florida universities; The push to regulate big AI data centers in Florida gains traction in the state Senate; A newcomer to the Florida Senate is fronting a package of bills aimed at making home ownership easier and more affordable in Florida; E-bikes are showing up everywhere around Florida; And some Florida lawmakers say more regulations are needed for safety; And finally there’s some good news coming out of the bay that’s been the source of Florida’s most famous oysters.
