Florida Matters

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.

We talk with a University of South Florida anthropologist and author about her recently-published book, “We Carry Their Bones.” In 2012, a team of researchers lead by Erin Kimmerle uncovered the graves of young boys buried at the notorious Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys.

Primary elections are just a week away so we discuss the issues and candidates on the ballot. Although Governor Ron DeSantis has no primary opponent, he still has an influence on races across the state.

We discuss the challenges students and teachers face as a new school year begins. Schools in most counties in the greater Tampa Bay region open on Wednesday. And school districts are facing teacher shortages, with some missing hundreds.

We talk with local author and historian Gary Mormino about his latest book on the Sunshine State's influence during the early 21st century.

We dive into where abortion now stands in Florida -- a month since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

We discuss Florida's literary scene and get summer reading recommendations from a local book critic and independent bookstore owner.

We hear from local food entrepreneurs who started their small businesses. Host Matthew Peddie talks with Zach Correa of lemonGRAFT, Sam Meyers of Tampa Bay Rum Company and Shayla Daniels of Chez Shay’s Sweets.

We explore suggestions for local summer "staycations" with Tampa-based author and journalist Kristen Hare. Since 2014, she's written the "100 Things to do in Tampa Bay Before You Die" series.

We get an update on water quality in the Tampa Bay region from WUSF reporter Steve Newborn. He's reported on incidents like last year's toxic wastewater spill from the former Piney Point phosphate plant threatened the region's estuaries and marine life.

We talk with St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch about his priorities for his first term. We visited Welch at his office in City Hall for a conversation about the Tropicana redevelopment, affordable housing, transportation and other challenges facing the city.

We hear from Tampa Bay regional residents about what needs to change to stem the tide of gun violence. Later in the show — with the special session on property insurance in the rear view mirror — can homeowners expect some relief from skyrocketing premiums?

We talk with Kerry Sheridan and Bailey LeFever, the reporters behind a series of audio postcards featuring the voices of Tampa Bay area teachers. Over the course of the show, you’ll also hear three of the postcards they produced on topics such as teacher morale and parental involvement.

Hurricane season starts next week and we learn about what to expect this season — and how to get ready. Forecasters are expecting another busier than average storm season, with as many as nine hurricanes.

The state’s property insurance market is in big trouble. Homeowners are paying more for less coverage as insurance companies shed customers. Some companies have gone under. Lawmakers return to Tallahassee next week for a special session to deal with the crisis.

We talk with Health News Florida reporter Stephanie Colombini about her reporting on Florida’s “No Patient Left Alone” act. The new law lets family members visit patients in health care facilities — even during an emergency like a pandemic.

We discuss the leadership style of Governor Ron DeSantis, leading up to the November mid-term elections. His priorities during the latest legislative session have put him at the leading edge of the country’s “culture war.”

We recap the recent special session to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries. Lawmakers voted largely along party lines to approve maps proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The controversial maps are expected to reduce Black Congressional representation in the state — especially with the elimination of North Florida’s District 5, a majority-minority district - and give an advantage to Republican candidates.

We explore climate change's impact in the Tampa Bay region and how some cities are planning to adapt. Sea-level rise threatens the more than three million people who live in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater metro areas — and the nearly five million in the entire region.

We take a walking tour of a Tampa Bay History Center exhibit highlighting the Cuba-Tampa connection. Called Cuban Pathways, it explores a relationship that started almost 500 years before South Florida's better known tie to the island.

We talk with members of two Sarasota County political clubs wanting to change how Democrats and Republicans converse. The Longboat Key Democrats and the Republican Club of Longboat Key have been meeting for over a year to discuss their personal beliefs -- even if they agree to disagree. They call the exercise "Miracle on the Key."

We continue our look at housing affordability. As the region sees explosive growth, residents are dealing with soaring rents. Others are finding it difficult to buy a home. We’ll hear from Tampa Bay residents sharing their experiences in a tough rental market.

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-03-08/ukrainians-across-tampa-bay-talk-about-the-impact-of-the-russian-invasion-on-their-lives

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-03-01/bradenton-restauranteur-says-supply-chain-problems-and-worker-shortages-havent-stopped-him-yet

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/florida-matters/2022-02-22/hillsborough-county-officials-revive-the-rays-ybor-city-stadium-idea

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-02-15/tampa-bay-lawmakers-express-frustration-with-state-politics-during-the-2022-legislative-session

We check in on the Florida Legislature as lawmakers reach the midway mark of the 60-day session in Tallahassee. Among the issues being considered this year, redistricting, abortion, education, voting and pre-emption are the most contentious.

An update on Florida's Stand Your Ground law as the trial of Curtis Reeves starts on February 7. Reeves attempted to use the law as a defense after a 2014 shooting in a Pasco County movie theater left a man dead. But a judge ruled against his request for immunity.

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-01-25/rising-housing-costs-are-prompting-protests-and-possible-solution-from-lawmakers-across-tampa-bay

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-01-18/racism-study-authors-talk-highlighting-the-past-and-making-suggestions-for-the-future

We recap and break down Gov. Ron DeSantis's State of the State address earlier on Tuesday. His speech marks the beginning of this year's 60-day Florida Legislative session. Host Steve Newborn talks with longtime political jounalist William March about the governor's overall message, his priorities going into the session and his ambitions for re-election later this year.

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2022-01-04/florida-matters-explores-the-most-important-issues-before-floridas-2022-legislative-session

We recap COVID-19 in 2021

We examine local, state and Congressional redistricting as Florida lawmakers prepare for their once-in-a decade responsibility of drafting electoral maps. The process will be an important part of the legislative session that starts next month, especially because Florida gained one new congressional district due to population growth.

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2021-12-07/months-after-the-major-piney-point-spill-the-phosphate-industrys-impact-stills-looms-large

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2021-11-30/we-highlight-the-latest-unequal-shots-story-on-african-americans-and-mental-health-during-the-pandemic

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2021-11-23/the-tampa-bay-region-is-becoming-a-major-destination-for-technology-companies

Full story: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/show/florida-matters/2021-11-16/as-mental-health-effects-of-the-pandemic-linger-a-local-211-center-still-sees-high-call-volumes

We have a wide ranging conversation with outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman about his time in office as he wraps up leading Florida's fifth largest city. Kriseman and host Steve Newborn discuss what's next for Kriseman, what he think his legacy will be and the accomplishments he wasn't able to achieve during his tenure.

This week, we take a deeper look at food insecurity - and the growing demand for help in the greater Tampa Bay region. Host Steve Newborn talks with Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, one of the largest food banks in the region. It provided more than 95 million meals to residents in 10 West Central Florida counties last year. Later on in the show, Steve talks with Dr. Catherine Campbell, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor who specializes in community food systems.