Florida Matters

The tale of how the panther was led back on the road to recovery has several twists and turns, including a "happy ending" that has taken 20 years to materialize. The story is told by environmental reporter Craig Pittman in his new book, "Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle To Save The Florida Panther." He talks about the book with WUSF's Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham.

Our nation's democratic elections are being threatened like never before. Florida Matters this week takes a look at how our ballots are being protected - both nationally and around the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed some of the “bold” steps the state took in 2019 around such areas as education, the environment, health care and public safety, and stressed that “we have much more to do.”This show features highlights from the Governor's annual speech, as well as the Democratic Party response.

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham spoke with longtime political journalist William March and Lynn Hatter, news director at WFSU, a Florida Public Media partner station, to preview the upcoming session.Hatter told Sussingham that the issue of raising teacher pay is one of the most crucial facing legislators. “Governor Ron DeSantis wants a pretty hefty teacher pay raise. He wants to boost salaries to about $47,500,”Hatter said. “To tell you how big that is here in the Panhandle: Gaston County has one of the lowest starting salaries at around $33,000. So you're talking about a lot of money.”“In addition to that, he also wants another $300 million for a bonus program. You're talking when all of this is said and done, about a billion-dollar boost into K-12.”In addition to teacher pay, other issues topping the legislature’s agenda include education spending, abortions, gun-carry laws and prison reform.Sussingham asked March to discuss a few of the issues with Florida’s prison system, including State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, pushing hard for criminal justice reform. ”Well, what's happened is that the Secretary of the Department of Corrections recently made a report to the legislature to the effect that the state's prison system essentially is in crisis because of low pay staff turnover,” March said, ”the kind of budgetary problems that have resulted in thousands and thousands of brand new and experienced guards on duty. Staying being forced to work 12-hour shifts mandatory overtime.”March added that Brandes fears that these issues could “lead to major violence within the Florida prisons.”

We look back at the state of bees, the role of invasive species, endangered sea turtles and efforts to save Florida Coral Reefs.We start our final look back at 2019 with Dr. Jamie Ellis, a professor of entomology and director of honey bee research at the University of Florida.We talk with Ellis about how honey bee populations are faring, and why beekeepers are having to work harder to maintain healthy colonies.We started this conversation with Jamie about the controversy of pesticides.We moved our look back from bees to love bugs, and termites. We learned from Phil Koehler, endowed professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban entomology, and Steve Puhs, service coordinator with the pest control company Truly Nolen's Port Richey office. We opened our discussion with Phil and love bugs.Florida Matters reporter Cathy Carter talks with Melissa Bernard, senior biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and its Sea Turtle Conservation and Research program, about the habitats of sea turtles.We know Florida is the home to more than 500 kinds of invasive species, but what happens once these animals we call 'invasive' have been here long enough to adapt? Todd Campbell, associate professor of biology at the University of Tampa, and John Humphrey, wildlife biologist with the USDA Natural Wildlife research center's Florida Field Station in Gainesville, answers our questions. To wrap up, we talk about Florida's coral reefs. We talked with Erin Muller, science director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research at Mote Marine, and Keri O'Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium who's also known as the "coral whisperer." O'Neil explains exactly how coral forms.

There were so many great stories we feature on Florida Matters it was hard to choose which ones to highlight in our year in review. Our Host, Robin Sussingham talked with then newly elected Tampa Mayor, Jane Castor. Mayor Castor served on Tampa's police force for 31 years, and became the first female police chief in 2009. In 2019 Tampa voters chose her to to become their mayor in a run-off election against the late David Straz. In our conversation with Mayor, she talks about the issues facing Tampa.Back in March we learned about the eve changing seafood industry in Florida. We sat down with Ed Chiles the son of the late Governor, Lawton Chiles. Ed owns several seafood restaurants in the area and is the founder of the Gulf Shellfish Institute in Manatee County. Ed talked about the water quality surrounding Tampa Bay and the ideal conditions for raising clams.It was the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon lading this past July. We had a chance to talk with Robert Stone, the writer, producer, and director of a 6 hour documentary, "Chasing the Moon," which aired on PBS. The documentary chronicled America's space race leading up to the first Lunar Landing and beyond.Citrus has shaped our states identity for 100 years. But it has been a tough ten years with freezes, hurricanes, developmental pressure and greening. We caught up with Mike Sparks the CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual and Kevin Bouffard, a senior reporter at the Ledger. In this segment, Kevin talks about the Citrus Research and Filed Trials better know as CRAFT.Lastly, we listen to former Senator Bill Nelson. In a rear appearance, Nelson recently spoke at Southeastern University in Lakeland. Where he was presented with an award for his long public service by the American Center for Political Leadership.

Red-nosed reindeer cookiesWe start by hearing from Dalia Colon, the producer of our Zest podcast. She takes us into her home as her family prepares, bakes and delivers their traditional reindeer cookies.Fishing With DadFlorida Matters host Robin Sussingham shares her day fishing with her father. His smoked mullet is a favorite among their friends and family.Remembering "Tia Pepy"As soon as we started talking in the newsroom about traditions and holidays, the first thing our Morning Edition host, Jessica Meszaros, thought of was her Aunt "Tia Pepy's" rice pudding.Jessica says she thought of her aunt "immediately because ever since I was growing up, she would come around on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and she would have a Tupperware for us and she does that for everyone."A Pagan CelebrationWUSF multimedia reporter Daylina Miller celebrates a pagan yule log tradition. Daylina teaches us about the pagan tradition, which celebrates the winter solstice and why some have moved from buring the yule log to baking one. YuleThe ancient season of Yule is a time of both reflection and celebration, a time to connect in a relational way with one’s own inner wisdom and with the people that surround them.Many different cultures from the Nordic Vikings to the Celtic Druids, Egyptians to the Hopi ritualized this sacred time to promote spiritual unity and attunement.Yule is when we celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year. It is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the morning after the winter solstice at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb.Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. -- Hamilton Wright MabieBorscht, Their WayKerry Sheridan spent a day with her 96-year-old grandmother, Olga Smith, recreating a traditional favorite soup made by their Ukrainian ancestors. They traveled from the butcher shop to the kitchen and down memory lane, as they cooked up some homemade Borscht with a personal twist.

Host Robin Sussingham has a one-on-one conversation with Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder -Manatee Ranch.Jensen discusses the patience, planning and strategy it took to develop and finance the top-ranked multi-generational community in the nation, according to one study."If you want look at the success in Lakewood Ranch, that lies in how it has been financed. We have weathered a lot of economic storms over the 2 1/2 decades" Jensen said.

We speak with historian Rodney Kite-Powell of the Tampa Bay History Center who explains that the first Thanksgiving feast took place here in Florida not in Plymouth Massachusetts.Dan Bavaro the owner of Bavaro's Pizza talks with Dalia Colon, our Zest producer and tells us how he and his family went from New Jersey to Florida and started his Neapolitan-style business of pizza.Emmanuel Roux a long time restaurateur, developed a once vacant lot into an urban oasis. The St. Petersburg Ecovillage is now a community garden with a mission to reconnect people with nature. Emmanuel talks with Dalia Colon about how he uses food to educate the public about nutrition.We also spoke with Ed Chiles, the owner of the Sandbar on Anna Maria Island, about local sustainable food sourcing.Owner Andrew Tambuzzo of the Tambuzzo Sausage Company in Tampa starts a new chapter in what has been a very old tradition in Ybor City. Andrew tells us about the butchery and the changes in business and neighborhood.Lastly, we talked with the creator of #SupperSunday. Isabel Laessig completes our discussion with how her virtual dinner parties help inspire family meals.

Guests include:Gabrielle Russon, Tourism Reporter with the Orlando Sentinel.Amanda Norcross, Senior editor of Trip Advisors' Family site FamilyVacationCritic.comWith Disney experiencing its own struggles with long lines and rising ticket prices. They discuss how the theme parks are trying to help minimize the long lines by adjusting ticket prices to the demand of the park goer.Gabrielle Russon tells us about the programs Disney has implemented to increase workers satisfaction including pay increases, being one of the only theme parks in Florida to unionize its workers, as well as tuition payments to staff membersAmanda Norcross teaches us how to get the most of our money by planning theme park vacations around the ages of your children.

This program originally aired August 6, 2019.How can this hot, humid, fungus-friendly state support successful wine production? And how does the reputation of Florida wines stand up to wines grown elsewhere like California or New York?We talk about whether Florida’s wine industry is economically viable on this week’s Florida Matters.

In a conversation with the ACPL director, former Congressman Dennis Ross and with former State Senator Rick Dantzler, former Senator Bill Nelson spoke candidly about his political and civic life, and the changes he’s seen in his long life in public service.

This week on Florida Matters we discuss the concerns of more than 28 hundred cases of hepatitis A being diagnosed in Florida so far this year, it has become one of the worst outbreaks of the liver disease in the country. We talk about how some counties in Florida have managed to keep their numbers from growing. We also learn why vaccinations and even something as simple as washing your hands are key to prevention. Our guests include: Julio Ochoa, editor of Health News Florida at WUSF. Jill Roberts, assistant professor at USF College of Public health. Florida Matters airs on WUSF 89.7 Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. It's also on Classical WSMR 89.1 and 103.9 on Mondays at 10 p.m.

Mass transit in Tampa Bay's densely populated big cities grabs the headlines. But there's a case to be made that transportation has even more of an impact on people living in rural areas.This week on Florida Matters, Ron Pianta, planning and zoning director for Hernando County -- along with Dave Hutchinson, MPO executive director of Manatee and Sarasota -- joins Tom Phillips, executive director of the Citrus Connection in Polk County, to talk about the issues and solutions in our rural areas.Florida Matters airs on WUSF 89.7 Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. It's also on Classical WSMR 89.1 and 103.9 on Mondays at 10 p.m.

With the population in the Tampa Bay area growing so has the traffic. Transportation leaders have proposed many ideas about how to help people get around faster in the region, but residents are waiting on results. This week on Florida Matters we discuss urban transportation issues including funding problems, pedestrian safety and proposed Bus Rapid Transit systems. Our guests this week: David Gwynn, District Seven Secretary of Transportation Graham Brink, a business reporter at the Tampa Bay Times. Robert Bertini, Executive Director Center for Urban Transportation Research

Projects are underway in Tampa and Orlando to reduce traffic congestion at airports, security screenings are becoming more high-tech, and Tampa even has a new policy that lets people hang out in airside terminals without a boarding pass.Our guests are Al Illustrato, Executive Vice President at Tampa International Airport, and Bill Brooks, Southeast Aviation Leader at HNTB Corporation, an infrastructure design firm that's involved with construction of a new terminal at Orlando International Airport.

Florida is one of the top states in the country in honey production, with some of the finest quality honey you can find. It's also an important wintering ground for commercial beekeepers up north, with their "snow bees." In a special reporting collaboration between WUSF News and The Zest Podcast, we're taking a closer look at honey bees over the next several weeks. You can find photos and videos at WUSF.org/honeybees. This week on Florida Matters, host Robin Sussingham speaks to Dr. Jamie Ellis, Professor of Entomology and director of honey bee research at the University of Florida. Dr. Ellis and his team conduct research projects in the fields of honey bee husbandry, conservation and ecology, and integrated crop pollination. He also created UF's Master Beekeeper Program.

Over the next few weeks, WUSF will be sharing stories produced for One Small Step, the latest project from StoryCorps. Each segment features two strangers, with differing political beliefs, sitting down together and having a conversation. The idea is to take "one small step" toward getting people to emphasize with one another and to bring down the cultural temperature. This week on Florida Matters we give you a behind-the-scenes look at how the project came together.

Florida's coral reefs are in trouble. Scientists say they've been declining for decades. But researchers have very recently come up with some exciting results that they say show promise in restoring these beautiful and important marine communities. On this week's show, host Robin Sussingham speaks with Erinn Muller, Science Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory's Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration; Keri O’Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium; and Roger Germann, CEO of the Florida Aquarium.

Historians and local old-timers say that once, Tampa Bay was overflowing with delicious oysters. And that some rivers, like the Manatee River, were once so full of mullet that they roiled the water and their noise would keep nearby residents awake at night. We're talking about seafood this week on Florida Matters.

Leaky pipes, broken water mains, sewage spills. Tampa Bay's storm water infrastructure is aging, and it will be very expensive to fix it. Host Robin Sussingham discusses the state of our sewage system with Josh Salman, investigative reporter for Gatehouse Media based at the Sarasota Herald Tribune; and Claude Tankersley, public works administrator for the city of St. Petersburg.

It might be one of the state's best kept secrets, but Florida wine making is a billion dollar industry! There are dozens of wineries across the state, employing nearly a hundred thousand people, with university research departments dedicated to viticulture. How can this hot, humid , fungus-friendly state support successful wine production? Host Robin Sussingham talks to Vince Shook, president of Florida Orange Groves Winery; Chuck Hollweg, non-commercial hobbyist grape grower and wine maker; and Gina Birch, host of Grape Minds podcast from WGCU in Fort Myers.

You see it being sold everywhere now. You saw it everywhere even before it became legal on July 1st. Is it regulated? Is it safe? What does it do? If you're confused about CBD oil, you're not alone. Today on Florida Matters, we're going to try to get some clarity, with our guests: Pediatrician David Berger, owner of Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care, and Jonathan Solomon, President of Proleve, a local company that produces lab-tested CBD.

They've had to battle shark attacks, pollution, massive beach developments and confusing light sources -- but sea turtles are bouncing back. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green sea turtle nests, which numbered less than 300 in 1989, were up to 39,000 in 2017! Other populations have experienced similar success. We're talking to two people who have been closely involved in the effort to protect sea turtles: Joe Widlansky, also known as Turtle Joe, is Vice President of Operations for the nonprofit Sea Turtle Trackers; Ari Fustukjian is Senior Staff Veterinarian for The Florida Aquarium.

July 20th marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, one of the most significant achievements in U.S. history. To mark the event, PBS stations will be airing a six-hour documentary "Chasing the Moon," which chronicles America's space race leading up to the first lunar landing and beyond. Host Robin Sussingham sits down with filmmaker Robert Stone who wrote, directed and produced "Chasing the Moon."

Summer is the time when we dream we'll have the leisure to sit down with a good book, or several. Maybe you want to use that time to read the Russian novel you never got to in college, or maybe it's a light-hearted romance that you can page through at the beach. This week on Florida Matters, we're getting recommendations for summer reads from a local expert, Tampa Bay Times Book Editor Colette Bancroft.

After 19 years as President of the University of South Florida, Judy Genshaft is stepping down at the end of this month. This week on Florida Matters we talk about the highs and lows of her tenure, with WUSF assistant news directors Mark Schreiner and Steve Newborn.

Look up "keto cookbooks" and you find a plethora of options: Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, Southern Keto, Ketogenic Cleanse, Keto Comfort Foods… It’s fair to say this is a diet craze. But does it really work? This week on Florida Matters we talk with nutrition experts about the keto diet and how it can affect your health, from weight loss to possibly treating cancer. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to guests Dom D’Agostino, widely-known keto expert and Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida; Angela Poff, Research Associate with USF’s Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; and Jenna Bell, Registered Dietitian, triathlete and Senior Vice President at Pollock Communications

Whether you’re interested in politics, music, crime, technology or just about anything, there is likely a podcast for you. But while millions of people enjoy listening to podcasts every day, others still don’t understand this relatively new form of media. This week on Florida Matters: Podcasting 101. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to Kenny Malone of the Planet Money podcast; and Dalia Colón, producer of WUSF's The Zest podcast.

Lovebugs, termites, mosquitoes, cockroaches – there is no doubt that Florida is home to many insects, and they seem to thrive in the state's hot, humid conditions.You can’t avoid them, so this week on Florida Matters we’re talking about how to deal with them. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham sits down with Steve Fuhs, service coordinator with the pest control company Truly Nolen's Port Richey Service Office; and Phil Koehler, endowed professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban entomology.

This week on Florida Matters, host Robin Sussingham talks with Jack E. Davis, whose book The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for History, about how the environmental history of the Gulf of Mexico shaped the lives of the people along its shores.

Citrus has shaped the state's identity for a hundred years. But it's been a rough ten years, with freezes, hurricanes, development pressure...and worst of all, the disease Huanglongbing, otherwise known as citrus greening. And when the industry needs help the most, Tallahassee doesn't seem to be that interested. There's nobody with a powerful political position right now that has a citrus background. And legislators just cut the budget to the Florida Citrus Commission by about 80 percent. Citrus is at a crossroads. Host Robin Sussingham talks to Kevin Bouffard, senior reporter at The Ledger; Mike Sparks, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual; and Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus.

Jane Castor is in her first weeks as the new mayor of Tampa. Her position as the first gay mayor in the Southeast didn't come up much during the campaign, but she made national news the day after her victory. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham asks Castor about whether she considers herself a role model - and why she likes certain breeds of chihuahuas and schnauzers - but is not so crazy about cats.

The 2019 state legislative session ended Saturday. The budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for Everglades and freshwater springs restoration, and for affordable housing; a large increase in education funding; and help for the hurricane-ravaged panhandle. Governor Ron DeSantis says, "We have put people over politics." There was still quite a lot of political theater to be found, though. Host Robin Sussingham talks to political reporter Janelle Irwin of Florida Politics; and columnist Steve Bousquet of the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel.

With Florida’s population on the rise, we're taking a look at how we’re adapting. "Zoning" may sound mundane but in reality, it's anything but! Zoning and building regulations affect us intimately -- because they hit us where we live. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham sits down with Peter Belmont, Vice President of Preserve the ‘Burg, the non-profit that promotes historic preservation in St. Petersburg; Tyler Hudson, a land use and real estate attorney, and a member of the Urban Land Institute who served as the Chairman of All for Transportation, the referendum to raise the sales tax in order to fund county transportation; and Evangeline "Van" Linkous, Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of South Florida.

These are exciting times for eating out in Tampa Bay. Our cuisine is getting better and more varied and starting to draw national attention. Florida Matters hosted a taping in front of a live audience earlier this year at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs at USF St. Petersburg. The topic: Tampa Bay as an international dining destination. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham sat down with Laura Reiley, former restaurant critic with the Tampa Bay Times, who recently started a new position with the Washington Post; Janet Keeler, journalism instructor at USF St. Petersburg and former Tampa Bay Times food editor; and Emmanuel Roux, owner of Gateau O'Chocolat Bakery and the 15th Street Agri-hood/Eco Village, an organic, educational farm in downtown St. Petersburg. Roux has owned several restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area over the years.

Florida is home to more than 500 invasive species. Not all of these plants and animals are big and scary like pythons, but they can still harm the state’s native wildlife, and a lot of time and money is spent fighting them. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham spoke with John Humphrey, wildlife biologist with the USDA Natural Wildlife Research Center’s Florida Field Station in Gainesville; and Todd Campbell, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Tampa, about their efforts to combat these non-native species.

A new mayor of Tampa will be elected on April 23rd. The two remaining candidates, Jane Castor and David Straz, debated at the WEDU PBS studio, and we're bringing that debate to you. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham also spoke with WUSF reporter Steve Newborn, who's been following the contentious race.

Alternative kinds of housing like shipping containers or tiny houses are quickly growing in popularity. We discuss whether they could help relieve some of the pressure from the affordable housing crunch. WUSF's Robin Sussingham speaks with Robert Cox, CEO of Sundog Structures; Mickey Jacob, an architect and Chairman of the Tampa Downtown Partnership; and Elizabeth Strom, an Associate Professor at USF's School of Public Affairs.

Florida’s legislative session has been underway for almost a month and there have already been some big changes. We talk with reporters about key issues lawmakers are considering and how their actions could affect our lives on this week’s Florida Matters. Host Robin Sussingham talks to William March, a veteran political writer and analyst; and Zac Anderson, the political editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Historians and local old-timers say that once, Tampa Bay was overflowing with delicious oysters. And that some rivers, like the Manatee River, were once so full of mullet that they roiled the water and their noise would keep nearby residents awake at night. We're talking about seafood this week on Florida Matters.Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks with food historian Gary Mormino and restaurant owner Ed Chiles about changes in the state's seafood industry.

Tourism is a vital industry for our state, and Florida Matters is taking a look at how businesses fared in the wake of red tide, what's new with our theme parks, and where tourism is heading after another record-breaking year. Host Robin Sussingham spoke to Erin Duggan of Visit Sarasota County; reporter Veronica Brezina of the Tampa Bay Business Journal; and Alan Fyall, Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing and Graduate Programs’ Director at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off the 2019 legislative session with his first State of the State address. He asked lawmakers to "be bold" as they address issues like education, the environment and health care. We hear highlights from his speech and the Democratic response, which was delivered by Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson.

Florida ranks third in the nation for the number of calls placed to the national human trafficking hotline. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a summit on the topic during a luncheon for local business owners. The panel was moderated by Dottie Groover-Skipper, who fights human trafficking with the Salvation Army's Florida division. The panel also included Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister; Assistant Statewide Prosecutor with the Florida Attorney General's Office Julie Sercus; Dr. Dion Samerson, Medical Director for St. Joseph's Hospital's Emergency Department; and Elizabeth Melendez-Fisher, CEO and Co-Founder of Saleh Freedom, a Sarasota-based nonprofit that helps sex trafficking victims.

These are very exciting times for eating out in the Tampa Bay area! Our cuisine is getting better and more varied, and it's starting to draw national attention. Host Robin Sussingham recently moderated a panel on international dining at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, held at USF St. Pete, where she was joined by Laura Reiley, restaurant critic for the Tampa Bay Times; Janet Keeler, who teaches journalism at USF St. Pete and is the former food editor at the Tampa Bay Times; and Emmanuel Roux, who has owned several restaurants in St. Petersburg and now owns Gateau O Chocolat, a flourless chocolate cake bakery. Roux also runs the 15th St Agrihood, an organic educational farm in downtown St. Petersburg.

This week's Florida Matters highlights some of the places and events that make Plant City special, like the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center, which houses more than 120,000 images and countless other items that capture the town's legacy.

Growth is no stranger to Florida. We’ve been a magnet for migrants, immigrants and sun-seekers for hundreds of years. But will too much growth crowd out what people come here for to begin with? This week on Florida Matters we talk about balancing development with protecting our state’s environment and quality of life.

The annual Gasparilla celebration is one of Tampa Bay's biggest social events, drawing in hundreds of thousands of people to live the pirate life. The tradition has also played an important role in Tampa's high society. Host Robin Sussingham sits down with historian Rodney Kite-Powell of the Tampa Bay History Center, and Don Barnes, Executive Officer of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.

Florida’s new Governor Ron DeSantis has wasted no time in putting his stamp on the state.This week on Florida Matters we take a look at some of his actions so far, and talk with journalists William March and Zac Anderson about other political happenings like the upcoming mayoral race in Tampa.

Look up "keto cookbooks" and you find a plethora of options: Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, Southern Keto, Ketogenic Cleanse, Keto Comfort Foods… It’s fair to say this is a diet craze. But does it really work? This week on Florida Matters we talk with nutrition experts about the keto diet and how it can affect your health, from weight loss to possibly treating cancer. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to guests Dom D’Agostino, widely-known keto expert and Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida; Angela Poff, Research Associate with USF’s Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology; and Jenna Bell, Registered Dietitian, triathlete and Senior Vice President at Pollock Communications