Florida Matters

The public’s trust in the news media is slipping. It’s not just a problem for newsrooms: researchers say trust is also dropping for science, higher education and government as well. According to a recent Gallup poll, a record 39% of Americans say they have no trust in the media at all. Declining trust in the media is an existential problem for newsrooms, as they try to figure out how to stay relevant - and solvent. But it's not just media organizations fighting declining trust. Pew Research Center has found declining levels of trust in government and science too. And with another consequential presidential election looming, the role of journalism has never been more important. On this episode we talk about how journalists can win back trust and help the public be better informed, Taylor Swift, the school kitty litter conspiracy, teaching people to think like fact checkers, and understanding the places where misinformation thrives. Joining the conversation: Joy Mayer, the founder and director of Trusting News, a project that researches news consumers and then helps journalists earn trust and demonstrate credibility, and Alex Mahadevan, director of Mediawise at Poynter.

Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, is just days away. The National Retail Federation expects consumers to spend a record amount this holiday season: between 3% and 4% higher than last November and December, or up to $966 billion. Still, the Retail Federation notes holiday spending is not growing as fast as it did the past three years. Many residents in the greater Tampa Bay region, and statewide, are feeling the pinch of inflation, the high cost of homeowners insurance and rent, and other financial pressures. On this episode of Florida Matters, we discuss consumer confidence and the economic challenges facing Floridians as retailers gear up for their busy season. And, it’s been called the "Super Bowl of shopping." Shopapalooza happens the weekend after Thanksgiving along the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg. It's a place where people can get their in-person shopping fix, and this year there are more than 350 vendors. We talk about what this event means for small businesses, and where it fits into the holiday shopping environment, where big box and online retailers are competing fiercely for people’s attention and dollars. Joining the conversation are Michael Snipes, economics instructor at the University of South Florida, and Pat Largo with Shopapalooza.

It’s open enrollment for Medicare. For people who are eligible for the federal health insurance program, picking a plan and making sure it’s affordable can be a challenge, especially paying for medication when you’re on a fixed income. On this episode, we sit down with a volunteer who’s spent the last six years guiding people through the process of signing up for Medicare. And we explore how Medicaid unwinding has dropped hundreds of thousands of Floridians from their health insurance. Joining Florida Matters: Stephanie Colombini, who has been reporting on Medicaid unwinding for Health News Florida. And Fran Oberne is a volunteer for SHINE, which stands for Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders. That is a program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, which provides health insurance information for Medicare beneficiaries.

Lawmakers are back in Tallahassee this week for a special session. Up for discussion among other bills are measures to provide relief for ranchers affected by Hurricane Idalia and help homeowners struggling with high insurance premiums. A precarious insurance market, combined with hurricanes, the looming threat of climate change and our booming population, is creating a perfect storm of challenges for our state. But in Southwest Florida, a solar powered town offers a vision of how to build a sustainable community in the face of these challenges. In this episode of Florida Matters, we sit down with Babcock Ranch developer Syd Kitson and talk about planning a resilient town and building for an uncertain future.

While a recent shooting in Ybor City may put the Tampa neighborhood in the spotlight, Ybor has a long and rich history and was instrumental in shaping the city of Tampa. The cigar industry was lured from revolutionary Cuba and became home to the city's economic and power base. In this episode of Florida Matters, we talk with Sarah McNamara, the author of a new book called "Ybor City, Crucible of the Latina South." She's an assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University. In the book, McNamara explores how cross-border exchanges over three generations influenced what Ybor and Tampa would become. It's also personal to McNamara, whose family is from Ybor City.

Halloween has become one of the biggest single-day holidays of the year. Amid other festive fall celebrations, Halloween is a chance to get spooky, scary, and maybe a little weird. Just as kids enjoy dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating, adults get into the spirit of Halloween too, trying to outdo their neighbors with over the top decorations and heading to haunted houses and other spooky attractions. And buying candy, lots and lots of candy. Overall, Americans are on track to spend more than ever on Halloween this year: $12.2 billion according to the National Retail Federation.On this episode of Florida Matters, we talk about the business of Halloween and how it got so big, with Carol Osborne, director of the Zimmerman Advertising Program at the University of South Florida, and journalist and author of '100 things to do in Tampa Bay before you die', Kristen Hare. And- WUSF's Steve Newborn takes a ghost tour of the Tampa Theatre

There’s an upheaval in public education in Florida - from books being challenged and removed from classrooms to restrictions on what can be taught and rules around bathroom use, and a massive expansion in school vouchers which families can use to pay for private education.The voucher expansion has been rocky - delays to the disbursement of voucher money have disrupted some students’ education, while the funding delay caused financial problems for some private schools.Curriculum changes are shaking up schools too. In Pasco County, parents and teachers are protesting the school district’s selection of a textbook by personal finance guru and radio host Dave Ramsey - whose advice includes mottos like "debt is dumb, cash is king," and is peppered with biblical references.

More than 600 thousand Hispanic-owned businesses contribute in excess of $90 billion to the state’s economy, according to the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. On this episode of Florida Matters, we explore what that means for the greater Tampa Bay region and the impact of Florida's new immigration laws on the business community.

The Florida Wildlife corridor allows animals freedom to roam between areas of protected conservation land. It’s also important for fishing, ranching, recreational activities - and the state’s drinking water. More than half of the Florida Wildlife Corridor's 18 million acres is protected conservation land. But that leaves a lot of land vulnerable to development. And that’s the focus of a documentary series called "Protect Our Paradise" which is streaming on the Discover Florida Channel this fall. On this episode, we discuss the threats facing Florida’s wild lands and wildlife, what it costs to preserve conservation land, and who’s going to pay for it. Joining the conversation are Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida, Chad Crawford, host of the Protect Our Paradise documentary series and state Rep. Keith Truenow, a Republican from Lake County who was one of the authors of the bill that led to the creation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.

Florida Matters revisits parts of the greater Tampa Bay region that are still rebuilding one year after Hurricane Ian. WUSF journalists report on the lingering aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on Sept. 28 last year, carving a destructive path through Southwest Florida and dumping flooding rain on a wide swath of the state. Stephanie Colombini talks with health care advocates in Sarasota about Hurricane Ian’s impact and lessons for the future. Cathy Carter takes us inside the historic Venice Theater as the theater company works to restore the community landmark. And Kerry Sheridan explores what Ian revealed about communicating the risk posed by hurricanes and why evacuation warnings are sometimes ignored. We also check in on one community that was affected by Hurricane Idalia nearly a month ago. Some Hernando County residents were faced with a big cleanup after their homes and businesses flooded in the hours after the storm passed. We speak with county administrator Jeff Rogers about how the county is coping.

As the Tampa Bay Rays finalize the deal on a new stadium and head to the MLB playoffs, and the Bucs start their season in winning form, could our region be 'Champa Bay' once more? The deal has been a long time in the making, and as owner Stu Sternberg noted, the road to remain in Tampa Bay has been bumpy. The Rays talked of building a stadium in Tampa. Then they wanted to play one-half of the season in Montreal before that got shot down by Major League Baseball. Joining Florida Matters host Matthew Peddie to discuss the new stadium and what it means for the Rays are Spectrum Bay News 9 sports reporter Mike Cairns, long time Tampa Bay sports journalist Joey Johnston, and JoeBucsFan.com columnist and podcast host Ira Kaufman. They also discuss the Rays heading into the MLB playoffs, the Buccaneers in the post-Tom Brady era and the Lightning preparing for the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.