90.7 WMFE's Intersection

Democrats across the country are hoping the so-called blue wave that’s caused upset wins in solidly Republican districts will continue into November. Qualification for the Congressional races in Florida closed last week, setting up some interesting races.

Intersection takes a closer look at the candidates and the issues in those races with political analysts Michelle Ertel and Dick Batchelor.

Schools around the state are rolling out new security plans after the Parkland shooting. Polk county is training 90 new school guardians who will be stationed at campuses in the new school year. Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd tells Intersection they’ve had over 500 applications for the new positions.

And college radio station WPRK, beloved by local music fans around Central Florida, has been off the air since Hurricane Irma took out its antenna.

Station manager Nic Colarossi explains how ‘the best in basement radio’ is trying to get back on the radio.

Orlando painted temporary bike lanes on a stretch of Curry Ford Road for a month. The city removed the bike lanes this week and staff will review what they learned from the trial and present those findings to the community.

Cyclists say the road diet was an improvement, but some motorists were’t happy with the increased congestion, and neither were residents who said commuters were cutting through side streets.

On this episode of Intersection we talk to city of Orlando Division Manager of Transportation Engineering Chris Cairns about the purpose of slimming down the road and what the city plans to do with information gleaned from the trial.  And we hear from Bike Walk Central Florida’s Amanda Day about just how safe the roads are for cyclists and pedestrians, and efforts to make them more bike friendly. 

With hurricane season less than a month away, Seminole County emergency manager Alan Harris reflects on the lessons learned from Irma, including the impact of flooding that lasted weeks after the storm passed. And he shares preparation tips for the 2018 season.

And one of our Tiny Desk competition local favorites,  John Korbel,  joins Intersection for a conversation about his new EP.

The push for a special taxing district to raise money for children’s programs in Orange County has sparked a political skirmish over the best way to fund child welfare. A study commissioned by the Children’s Trust shows there are gaps in the system of care for children, including a packed waiting list for subsidized childcare. On this episode of Intersection, we talk to Dr. Thomas Bryer, one of the authors of the study, about the unmet needs of children and how to meet those needs.

Then, we revisit an interview with Florida Today columnist John A Torres about his podcast murder on the space coast, which tackles a cold case more than ten years old. Torres hopes his podcast can help crack the case of Palm Bay firefighter Brandy Hall, who went missing in 2006.

And it’s a far cry from the hushed reverence of the putting green at the Augusta National Golf Club. Intersection visits Drive Shack’s multi-level driving range on the outskirts of Lake Nona where you can destroy animated monsters to a soundtrack of pulsing pop music. And we check in on Lake Nona development with economic analyst Hank Fishkind. 

The UCF Knights were undefeated in 2017. To celebrate, last week they released a championship ring, raising the hackles of Alabama fans. Does UCF deserve a championship ring, or does it take away from the achievements of Alabama.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic finished off a miserable season and fired their coach, Frank Vogel. Can a new coach turn around the fortunes of the Magic?

The Solar Bears are skating closer to a championship, the Orlando Lions have had mixed success on the soccer pitch and attendance is slumping for the Orlando Pride.

Orlando sports content director Iliana Limón Romero and Jeff Sharon, host of the Black and Gold Banneret podcast, join Intersection to discuss the state of sports in Central Florida.

Orlando Airport traffic continues to grow. The Airport’s building a new South Terminal, but at the rate they’re growing, can the 2020 completion date come soon enough? Greater Orlando Aviation Authority CEO Phil Brown joins us for an update on the airport expansion. 

And we hear tales from the mosh pit from Orlando concert photographer Jen Cray.

Floridians vote on 13 amendments to the state constitution this November. Eight of those amendments were put on the ballot by the Constitution Revision Commission. They range from a ban on greyhound racing to establishing term limits on school board members. But some are also bundled together: a ban on offshore drilling comes with a ban on vaping in the workplace

Joining us on Intersection to unpack the constitutional amendments are political analysts Chris Carmody and Earnest DeLoach. 

April 20th, 4-20, is unofficially known as weed day. As another medical marijuana dispensary opened in Orlando this week, we check in on the state of medical marijuana in Florida with the Orlando Sentinel’s Paul Brinkmann. And Travis Cohen of the Miami New Times joins the conversation for a look back at the insane history of marijuana in Florida. 

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park and the Bethune Cookman University Concert Chorale join forces for a concert this weekend, celebrating the music of African American composers. One of the pieces, And They Lynched Him On A Tree, by William Grant Still, explores a grim chapter in American history. We hear from two of the soloists: mezzo-soprano Krysty Swann & bass baritone Kevin Deas, and from BCU Concert Chorale director Terrance Lane. 

 

State funding for the arts was slashed by nearly 90 % this year. Non profit arts organizations are already feeling the pressure as they compete for donor dollars- so what effect will this funding cut have?  Flora Maria Garcia of United Arts of Central Florida joins Intersection to explain what the cuts mean. 

Brevard county officials are keeping a nervous eye on the Indian River lagoon. Algal blooms are once more appearing in the water and in some places, fish are dying. Tony Sasso with Keep Brevard Beautiful explains what has been done to try and clean up the lagoon since the big fish kill of 2016, and how they’ll respond if there’s another fish kill this summer.

For nearly 40 years, George Diller was a NASA public affairs officer. He did launch commentary for missions to the International Space Station and the far reaches of the solar system. He also counted down a fake launch for the movie Sharknado. Diller reflects on a career as the voice of NASA.

After parkland, Senator Marco Rubio has been in the hot seat.

Students have called him out over his support from the NRA even as Rubio appeared to soften his stance on guns and at least some of the Parkland students have stepped up to defend him.

Then, no magic bullet for greening, according to a new study. So whats next for embattled citrus farmers? Gary Cooper of Citrus Radio joins us.

And, breathing new life into the classics. Pianist Charl Du Plessis on performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and reinterpreting classical music through the eyes of Lady Gaga.

At his Senate campaign launch in Orlando, Gov. Rick Scott highlighted his record on job creation and vowed to change a ‘horribly dysfunctional’ Washington.

Joining Intersection to preview Scott’s challenge to Sen. Bill Nelson are Politico Florida senior editor Sergio Bustos, Adam Goodman, national GOP strategist and president of The Victory Group in Tampa- St. Petersburg, and Steve Schale, Democratic political strategist and president of Schale Strategies in Tallahassee.

Then- how does rodeo fit into the school curriculum?  Intersection visits the Osceola County Heritage Park to speak with Osceola Schools Superintendent Dr. Debra Pace, South Eastern Circuit champion bull rider Michael Riggs, cattle rancher and school board member Ricky Booth, and middle school literacy resource teacher Janine Bracco.

And non-profits fighting homelessness in Central Florida now have a better idea of the number of youth living on the streets thanks to a tri-county survey.

The census conducted last October is the first ever regional study of homeless youth in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.

Cryptocurrency has minted bitcoin billionaires as the value of bitcoin surged, but it’s also stoked fears of a bubble.

Bitcoin may be the best known cryptocurrency but it’s not the only one out there.

Intersection dives into the world of cryptocurrency with Business Insider reporter Frank Chaparro who writes about financial technology, with a focus in cryptocurrencies and blockchain, Avani Desai, an executive vice president with Schellman, and Victor Romero CEO of Orlando cryptocurrency exchange Mercury Cash. 

The stories of Jewish service men and women in World War II are getting new attention in a documentary airing on PBS next week. WUCF TV’s Catherine Hiles and producer Jon Busdeker join Intersection for a conversation about the documentary GI Jews, and a series of interviews highlighting the stories of Central Florida veterans. 

The lime green electric violin Jared Burnett performs on now is a world away from the instrument he learned to play as a kid. We revisit a conversation with Jared Violin.

The trial of Noor Salman, the widow of the Pulse gunman, is over. But the verdict leaves some unanswered questions. 

Stetson law professor Charles Rose and Barry University assistant law professor Sam Kan join Intersection for a look back at the trial: what it revealed about the events of June 12th 2016, and the long term implications of the not guilty verdict for the FBI. 

A federal judge has ordered Florida to fix its system of restoring voting rights to felons who have served their sentence. There’s a deadline of April 26th to carry out the judge’s orders. Michelle Kanter Cohen, counsel with the Fair Elections Legal Network discusses the lawsuit behind the ruling and what it means for former felons trying to get their voting rights restored. 

And while some students are hitting the beach for spring break, a group of Cornell students are are rolling up their sleeves and spending a week working with kids in Parramore and Tangelo Park. We visit the Rosen preschool in Parramore where Cindy Dou and Christine Jasmin are taking part in alternative spring break.