Florida Matters

When Hurricane Idalia slammed into the Big Bend last month, it brought with it record storm surge to a wide swath of the Gulf Coast. Pinellas County beaches — nearly 200 miles from where Hurricane Idalia made landfall — experienced some of the worst erosion seen by local residents and coastal researchers in decades. Some of the sand dunes were completely wiped out. The storm made an ongoing problem much worse. Even before Idalia, efforts to renourish the beaches have been complicated by a standoff over property rights.

In the fifth part of our series, we’re talking about the economy. Florida's economy has been labeled white hot, with a $1.4 trillion GDP and unemployment of 2.6%. That’s nearly a percentage point below the national unemployment rate. But our soaring economy may be leaving some Floridians behind.

In the fourth part of our Changing State series, we’re talking about Florida's cultural history. The discussion includes how we see ourselves, and how the rest of the world sees us, and how that's changing.

In the third part of our series, we’re talking about transportation. You can see the signs of our growing population just by taking a drive anywhere in Florida. Whether it’s a commute that takes twice as long as it did a few years ago, the frustrating search for parking, or the chaos around road expansions, the simple fact is more people means more cars on the road.

This Florida Matters series explores how the state's population boom and politics are affecting essential issues in our lives. We wanted to find out what the rapid pace of change looks like to you: our neighbors across the Tampa Bay region. We’re calling this series ‘Our Changing State’. In this episode, we’re talking about housing. Florida’s the fastest growing state in the U.S., according to the US Census Bureau. That’s made finding housing a challenge for many.

Florida Matters is exploring how the state's population boom is affecting important issues in our lives. In the second part of our series "Our Changing State," we’re talking about the environment. Wildlands and wildlife are a big part of what Floridians love about the state. But all these people are squeezing in alongside the natural environment.

In the sixth part of our series, we’re talking about Florida's politics and diversity. Florida has long been seen as a ‘purple’ state- a place that can tip a presidential election for Democrats or Republicans. But Governor Ron DeSantis’s re-election in 2022 appeared to seal Florida’s identity as a red state. But with a diverse and growing population, our state’s politics are more nuanced than election results might suggest.

In the sixth part of our series, we’re talking about Florida's politics and diversity. Florida has long been seen as a ‘purple’ state- a place that can tip a presidential election for Democrats or Republicans. But Governor Ron DeSantis’s re-election in 2022 appeared to seal Florida’s identity as a red state. But with a diverse and growing population, our state’s politics are more nuanced than election results might suggest.

In the fifth part of our series, we’re talking about the economy. Florida's economy has been labeled white hot, with a $1.4 trillion GDP and unemployment of 2.6%. That’s nearly a percentage point below the national unemployment rate. But our soaring economy may be leaving some Floridians behind.

In the fourth part of our Changing State series, we’re talking about Florida's cultural history. The discussion includes how we see ourselves, and how the rest of the world sees us, and how that's changing.

In the third part of our series, we’re talking about transportation. You can see the signs of our growing population just by taking a drive anywhere in Florida. Whether it’s a commute that takes twice as long as it did a few years ago, the frustrating search for parking, or the chaos around road expansions, the simple fact is more people means more cars on the road.

For six weeks, Florida Matters will explore how the state's population boom is affecting important issues in our lives. In the second part of our series "Our Changing State," we’re talking about the environment. Wild lands and wildlife are a big part of what Floridians love about the state. But all these people are squeezing in alongside the natural environment.

Florida Matters is starting a series exploring how the state's population boom and politics are affecting important issues in our lives. We wanted to find out what the rapid pace of change looks like to you: our neighbors across the Tampa Bay region. We’re calling this series ‘Our Changing State’. In this episode, we’re talking about housing. Florida’s the fastest growing state in the U.S., according to the US Census Bureau. That’s made finding housing a challenge for many.

We talk with Joseph Dituri, a University of South Florida researcher who spent 100 days living underwater. He says the purpose of living underwater for 100 days was to gather data for medical research and to learn more about what it would be like to spend months in a confined environment.

We explore the rich history of baseball in the Tampa Bay region — from the early days of Spring Training to the Tampa Bay Rays, celebrating their 25th season this year.

We talk about summer reads with Kelsey Jagneaux of Tombolo Books. We discuss the latest bestsellers, local authors including Alicia Thompson and Tyler Gillespie and some of the most anticipated books of the summer from authors like Colson Whitehead.

We’re talking with former state senator Jeff Brandes about his new venture, the Florida Policy Project. Jeff Brandes spent 12 years in the Florida Legislature and as a senator, the St. Petersburg Republican was sometimes at odds with his own party on multiple issues like homeowner's insurance reforms and criminal justice reforms.

We’re talking about the state’s new immigration law and what it means for Floridians. Senate Bill 1718 is already having an impact, even though it doesn’t go into effect until next month. The new rules aim to crack down on undocumented immigrants and businesses that employ them.

We highlight the upcoming Juneteenth holiday by taking a look at community programs that teach Black history. Juneteenth this year will be celebrated against an uneasy political backdrop in Florida — including policies that take aim at so-called critical race theory in the classroom and restrictions on the teaching of African American studies.

With the 2023 Hurricane season underway, we discuss what causes storms to spin up in the Atlantic and lessons learned from Hurricane Ian.

We’re talking about the challenges facing Floridians on the edge of poverty in Tampa Bay. Two out of five Floridians are living on the edge of poverty. That’s according to a report published in April by United Way Suncoast.

We discuss the impact of Florida's culture war issues on teachers, students and parents. And we’ll talk about other big changes in education — like the school voucher extension — and what it could cost.

We explore new legislation that affects the LGBTQ community in Florida, including a ban on gender affirming care for minors.

We look at the impact of the state legislative session that wrapped up last week. Lawmakers approved a $117 billion budget and passed laws on guns, housing, education and more. They also passed a slate of bills that could help Gov. DeSantis if he runs for president.

We discuss an elections bill passed by the Florida Legislature that limits third party groups from registering voters. On Friday, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 70-50. It now awaits the governor's signature. The bill shortens the length of time voter registration groups have to return completed forms to county elections officials from 14 days to 10 days. It imposes higher fines on forms that are returned late.

We talk with Goliath Davis III, a columnist for the Weekly Challenger, about the controversy over the film Ruby Bridges after a Pinellas County parent complained about the film being shown to second graders. Ruby Bridges, a movie based on the story of a six year old girl’s experience of integration in New Orleans during the 1960s.

State lawmakers are considering a piece of legislation that would limit academic freedom at public universities across the state. House Bill 999 also targets funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. It’s the latest salvo in Gov. Ron DeSantis' war on what his administration calls "woke" culture in education — and it’s alarming college faculty, students and free speech advocates.

We check in with two journalists who are paying close attention to Florida's 2023 legislative session: Lawrence Mower and John Kennedy. The 60-day legislative session hits the halfway mark this week and Gov. Ron DeSantis already has signed several sweeping pieces of legislation into law. Bills signed into law or making their way through the legislature include big changes to tort reform, concealed weapons permits, abortion limits, education and housing.

We talk with two experts on marine biology and ocean circulation about where red tide comes from, how it’s affected by pollution and hurricanes and how scientists are monitoring it. Red tide has killed tonnes of fish along Tampa Bay beaches this year.

We talk with former Tampa Bay Times columnist Bill Maxwell about his new book of selected columns, "Maximum Vantage" and his life as a journalist and teacher. Maxwell’s nearly two decades of writing — from 2000 to his retirement in 2019 — is rooted in experience. He took on tough subjects, including racism, poverty, environmental degradation and the living and working conditions of farm laborers.

DeSantis’s State of the State address kicks off the legislative session. It's an opportunity to lay out his legislative priorities for the next 60 days. With a Republican supermajority in Tallahassee, not much stands in the way of DeSantis and his goals. Some of the big issues up for debate include a proposal to change the rules for carrying concealed weapons, expansion of education vouchers, putting more money into affordable housing, and raising the bar for the passage of constitutional amendments.

The legislative session starts March 7 so we’re discussing changes that could be made to Florida laws and how it could affect you. Host Matthew Peddie talks with journalists Mitch Perry and Lynn Hatter to discuss new legislation.

We discuss diversity and inclusion in Florida schools following controversial decisions made by state leaders. In recent months, the Republican-led legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis have made sweeping changes to both public K through 12 schools and state universities. Targets include the teaching of race, gender and sexual orientation and the appropriateness of books available in schools.

We’re talking with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor about challenges facing the city, and the issues she thinks are important for Tampa — improving mass transit, building more affordable housing, what a more conservative state legislature means for the city and more.

We preview season seven of the Zest -- WUSF’s podcast celebrating the intersection of food and Florida. In this season, host Dalia Colon delves into the science of keeping produce fresh for longer, learning more about the food traditions that enrich the culture of Florida, meeting innovative culinary entrepreneurs… and more.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has picked the developer he wants to reimagine the Tropicana Field site. The big reveal came at the end of the mayor’s State of the City address on the steps of City Hall on Monday, where Welch announced the Hines-Rays development team would be the city's "partner in progress" for reimagining the site.

We explore what went wrong with Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) - and what happens next. Tampa Bay’s regional transit authority is going away. Members of the authority voted last Friday to dissolve it. The organization was formed 16 years ago to tackle mass transit needs for the region but it has ground to a halt due to lack of funding and lack of agreement between the cities and counties that make up TBARTA.

We’re talking about extreme heat and the impact of hotter days on the residents of Tampa Bay as a result of a warming climate. According to a recent report from the National Weather Service, Tampa just had its warmest year on record. Heat is the number one killer when it comes to weather.

We’re talking about right wing conservatism in Florida and extremist groups, two years after the January 6th uprising at the US Capitol.

A big question for Florida homeowners is how insurance reforms pushed through by lawmakers late last year will affect them. Host Matthew Peddie talks with professor Chuck Nyce, with the Florida State University College of Business, for more on whether the changes will stabilize the troubled insurance market and give homeowners some relief from spiraling rates. Plus we talk with the mayor of Sarasota about the future of his growing city in 2023 and beyond.

On this week's Florida Matters....

We talk with former St. Petersburg congressman David Jolly about bipartisanship in a polarized political landscape. The former U.S. representative from Tampa Bay left the Republican party and registered as NPA or no party affiliation four years ago. He's since advocated for more options for voters whose priorities don't align with those of the two major parties.

We talk with political reporters, to answer your questions about the upcoming election. The general election is two weeks away and this election season, WUSF Public Media has been doing things a bit differently from other news media — focusing on the issues rather than talking points, and listening to you.

We check in with a growing part of the electorate — young voters — three weeks out from election day. As part of WUSF’s Democracy 2022 coverage, we held a listening session a couple weeks back, where we asked you to share your thoughts on the election, the democratic process, and how it’s reported by the media. We invited some of the participants in that listening session to talk with us on Florida Matters. We also get an update on the continuing road to recovery in Charlotte County after Hurricane Ian.

We talk with local election officials about voting in next month’s elections. Misinformation, disinformation and the aftermath of Hurricane Ian may complicate the process for voters. But Brian Corley, supervisor of elections in Pasco County, and Hillsborough County counterpart Craig Latimer say they are confident their systems will prevail.

We hear from survivors of Hurricane Ian across Central and Southwest Florida and discuss the challenges of rebuilding going forward. WUSF reporters spoke with residents and business owners from Myakka City to Bonita Springs about the storm.

We highlight a new oral history project about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Black and Brown Floridians in the greater Tampa Bay region. We'll feature two interviews from the Florida Humanities-funded project and hear from one of its producers.

We highlight WUSF's recent series focusing on the challenges Black Americans face as they try to maintain their mental health.

We look at how workers and businesses in the greater Tampa Bay region are evolving away from the physical office space. For a lot of people, March 2020 was a crash course in remote work. More than two years later, the question of what the new normal looks like still hasn't been answered.

We look at the impact Governor Ron DeSantis has had on the state’s non-partisan elections. DeSantis endorsed many school board candidates across the state. Some are also aligned with Moms for Liberty, a conservative group advocating for parental involvement in schools. In Sarasota County, three candidates -- backed by both the governor and Moms for Liberty -- won their August elections.