90.7 WMFE's Intersection

Springtime in Florida- and love is in the air. Or at least lovebugs. Any kind of road trip through the sunshine state this time of year is usually accompanied by the percussive splatter of lovebugs hitting the windshield.

So where do lovebugs come from and what are they doing here? How do they fit into the ecosystem of Florida, and what’s the best – and worst- way to get them off your car?

On this episode of Intersection we dive into the history of the bugs we love to hate with Dr. Denise DeBusk,  professor of horticulture at Valencia College West, University of Florida Entymology professor and director of the university’s Integrated Pest Management program Norman Leppla, and Matt Moreman, creator of the car care blog and YouTube channel Obsessed Garage.

Then- architecture’s often about finding a balance between creative aspirations and the practicalities of engineering. Sometimes architects get to indulge their creative side. Later in the show, a conversation with two Orlando architects about building, sculpture and creativity. Maurizio Maso and Trevor Boyle of Hunton Brady Architects discuss the centerpieces they designed for the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, and the design for the new Holocaust memorial museum in downtown Orlando.

And- Amy Robbins and Gailanne Amundsen are forging a new path with American roots music. We revisit a performance from Robbins and Amundsen – and a conversation about the new generation of bluegrass musicians .

Republican lawmakers are reflecting on a successful legislative session, with wins on bills ranging from a new school voucher program to a bill allowing school teachers to be armed. Democratic lawmakers return from Tallahassee with less to celebrate.

On this episode of Intersection, a conversation with Democratic State Representative Anna Eskamani and Republican State Representative Amber Mariano about legislation that drew bipartisan support, and bills where Republicans and Democrats diverged.

Rollins College Valedictorian Gabbie Buendia will address her fellow students at graduation this Sunday. Buendia recently became a US citizen- she’s the first of her family to do so. She talks about what it means to be an American, and what it’s like to navigate the sometimes confusing process of naturalization.

And Stacie Ruth just won $100,000 in seed money from Steve Case, the former CEO of AOL, for her medical technology company Aire Health. Ruth joins Intersection along with Donna MacKenzie from Starter Studio for a conversation about what it’s like to launch a start up in Central Florida.

The 2019 legislative session is winding down, and bills are being sent to Governor Ron DeSantis to sign.

Bills heading to the governor’s desk range from attempts to make the roads safer by cracking down on texting and driving to penalizing so-called Sanctuary cities. Lawmakers steered more money towards students in K through 12 classes, but public education advocates are unhappy about an expansion of taxpayer funded vouchers to send more kids to private schools.

A bill allowing teachers to be trained to carry firearms at school, but how many schools will actually start arming teachers?

Meanwhile voters who ticked the box next to amendment four- restoring the voting rights of felons who’ve served their time- may not see that amendment carried out as they expected.

Lawmakers have been tussling over another law: whether to allow smokable marijuana and how potent the drug should be.

Political analysts Dick Batchelor and Frank Torres join Intersection to discuss the session.

Thad Seymour stepped in to lead the University of Central Florida after the resignation of UCF president Dale Whittaker.

Seymour says he’s not interested in the job for himself long term, but he wants to help get the university back on track following the controversy over construction funding that let to Whittaker’s ouster along with the firing of a number of UCF employees.

On this episode of Intersection we talk to interim UCF president Thad Seymour about what’s next for the university.

SpaceX and NASA are trying to figure out what went wrong during tests of its crew dragon capsule. The company was testing the engines that will carry the astronauts to safety if there’s a problem during launch. Unconfirmed video shows an explosion on the test pad. 90.7’s space reporter Brendan Byrne and UCF history professor Amy Foster explain what’s next for the commercial crew program.

And T Kira Madden and Kristen Arnett join us for a conversation about magic, taxidermy and writing.

Sri Lanka is in a state of shock after last weekend’s bombings at churches and hotels. Authorities are blaming a Muslim extremist group for the attacks which killed and injured hundreds of people.

On this episode of Intersection we talk to members of Central Florida’s close-knit Sri Lankan community about the impact of the attacks on their sense of security, and next steps for the community as they they look to support friends and family back in Sri Lanka.

The Orlando Magic’s playoff series against the Toronto Raptors started strong… but didn’t play out the way fans had hoped. We’ll check in with basketball trainer Irwin Hudson for a conversation about where to next for the Magic and its long suffering fans.

And Opera Orlando is wrapping up its season- and gearing up for the next. Artistic director Gabe Preisser joins us for a conversation about taking the Opera out of the opera house and growing the audience.

After the death of a Transportation Security Administration officer, Robert Henry, at Orlando International Airport in February, there’s been renewed scrutiny on what some employees have described as a culture of bullying at the TSA.

The union for TSA workers is calling on the agency to end the pattern of of bullying and retaliation… and congressional leaders are also looking into the TSA’s workplace culture.

On this episode of Intersection, we’re joined by 90.7’s Abe Aboraya and Danielle Prieur, who are digging deeper into the story. We’ll also hear from Congressman Darren Soto and union representative Debbie Hannah about the efforts to shine a spotlight on the workplace culture at TSA.

Time Magazine has named Desmond Meade one of its 100 most influential people in the world. Meade joins us for a conversation about his work to restore the voting rights of Floridians convicted of a felony who have served their sentences.

And we revisit an interview with Violectric- a group that puts the classical in classic rock.

Victims of domestic violence can sometimes face an additional challenge: how to keep pets safe. Harbor House of Central Florida has a kennel for pets- which can help remove one of the barriers that stands in the way of someone trying to leave an abusive relationship.

On this episode of Intersection, Harbor House CEO Michelle Sperzel explains the link between domestic violence and cruelty to animals, and the growing trend for pet friendly domestic violence shelters.

An invasive cane toad that first appeared in South Florida is hopping North. The Bufo toad, which secretes a substance that’s toxic to dogs and cats, has been spotted in Central Florida too, and that has pet owners worried. We talk to Jeannine Tilford, a high school science teacher who started her toad removal company Toad Busters after she realized there was nothing being done to curb the toxic toads. Tilford says her business is growing as the toad population booms.

And the final season of Game of Thrones has millions of people glued to their screens. The fantasy series has developed a passionate following and worked its way into pop culture and politics in a way that few TV shows have. Rollins College professor Jana Mathews explains how Game of Thrones borrows from actual historical events. 

It’s been a big week for space news. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy blasted off from Cape Canaveral last evening- thrilling spectators lining the roads to watch the launch. And for the first time, the private space company also stuck the landing for all three of its reusable boosters. Not so successful was an Israeli company’s mission to land a spacecraft on the moon. Beresheet came close to the lunar surface before mission control lost contact with the lander.

History docent and photographer Julia Bergeron, Dale Ketcham, vice president of government and external relations for Space Florida, Emilee Speck with WKMG News 6 and 90.7’s space reporter Brendan Byrne join Intersection to discuss the highs and lows of the week in space exploration.

Ever wonder what happens to the soap you leave in the hotel bathroom when you check out? Shawn Seipler took that question and turned it into a non-profit. Clean The World recycles discarded soap from 5,000 hotels and sends it to communities in need. We talk to Seipler at his Orlando headquarters, which now includes a museum of soap.

We’re fast approaching the deadline for this year’s tiny desk contest. Musicians have until Sunday to put in their entries. We’ll listen back to one of the WMFE listener favorites from last year- jazz guitarist John Korbel.

Sanctuary cities, arming teachers and restoring voting rights to felons who served their sentences are among the bills being tussled over in Tallahassee. With just under half of the session left- how will this legislature shape the laws of Florida? On this episode of Intersection, we check in on the legislative session with political analysts Frank Torres and Dick Batchelor.

There’s been an explosion in education technology in recent years. Whether it’s social media or Augmented reality… technology plays a big role in the classroom of today. Valencia College education technology professor Josh Murdock joins us to talk about how teachers are using twitter, how Virtual Reality is transforming the classroom, and what you can learn from the online game ‘Fortnite.’

And Nichelle Nichols played space-going communications officer on the TV series Star Trek – then went on to recruit a new generation of NASA astronauts. Her story is celebrated in the documentary Woman in Motion which opens the Florida Film Festival this weekend. Director Todd Thompson joins us for a conversation about the trail blazing actor who helped others forge a career in space.

There’s a push on capitol hill to make Puerto Rico the 51st state. The bill introduced by congressman Darren Soto, a Democrat from Central Florida, has bipartisan support.

But there’s pushback from some who say a statehood bill ignores the will of the residents of Puerto Rico.

On this episode of Intersection we talk to Soto about why he thinks this path to statehood would be the best option for Puerto Rico. And we hear from Marcos Vilar, president and executive director of Alianza for progress, who says the bill is not the way to go. 

Author Joanie Holzer Schirm says her father was a gifted storyteller. But the story of his escape from Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia had to wait until after his death in 2000. Schirm wrote her new book- My Dear Boy- with the help of a trove of letters and other documents about her father. She tells Intersection that the story of Oswald Holzer’s escape from the Nazis, how he met his wife, and the new life they made in Florida- still resonates today.

And we revisit a conversation with music photographer Jen Cray, whose love affair with rock music began as a 4 year old when her parents took her to an REO Speedwagon concert