90.7 WMFE's Intersection

Orlando area business leader Angel de la Portilla, president of Central Florida Strategies, joins Intersection to talk about what the protests mean for Florida’s Cuban community- and for him personally.

A nationwide nursing shortage has been made worse by the pandemic. This week, nurses protested outside a hospital in Kissimmee, calling for more staff to be hired.

In some states, hospitals are offering signing bonuses, and nursing programs like USF’s college of Nursing, are working to enrol more students in their programs to alleviate the shortage.

On this episode of Intersection, we hear from two nurses, one a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience, and the other a new graduate, about the challenges facing the profession. 

We also talk to WMFE health reporter Abe Aboraya about some of the reasons for the nursing shortage beyond the pandemic- and what’s being done to fill the gap. 

VA secretary Denis McDonough visited Orlando last week, touring the VA hospital and meeting with local officials, and speaking at a Pride event, where he announced the department of Veterans Affairs would offer gender confirmation surgery. 

Intersection host Matthew Peddie sat down with McDonough before his stop at the Pride event to discuss the challenges facing the VA including staff shortages and preventing veteran suicide.

Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of Slavery in the United States became a national holiday this year. On this episode of Intersection, we talk to State Rep. Geraldine Thompson about how emancipation came to Florida, teaching African American history, and why Juneteenth is gaining prominence now. 

Second Harvest of Central Florida CEO Dave Krepcho says the pandemic had a profound impact on the way the food bank operates. For a start- the amount of food going out has nearly doubled. 

Krepcho- who’s stepping down from the job at the end of the year- reflects on the safety net for people hardest hit by the pandemic, and what’s next for Second Harvest and the non-profit world. 

And- the pandemic may have focused more attention on animals- and how diseases can jump from species to species. But there’s a lot veterinarians are still learning about the animals they care for. We talk with Tres Clarke and Jen Flower about penguin hernias, doing brain surgery on a fur seal, and the finer points of marine mammal veterinary science.

As President Biden visits Surfside this week, elected leaders from across the state have been working to support the rescue and recovery effort at the site of the collapsed building. 

It’s a rare moment of bipartisanship in these politically polarized times. 

On this episode of Intersection- a conversation with political analysts Dick Batchelor and Frank Torres about the response from lawmakers to the tragedy in Surfside. Plus we’ll discuss other political headlines including the early signs of the 2024 presidential campaign.

The Center is partnering with interpretation and translation company CCI to offer mental health counselling, immigration and other services to people in a multitude of languages. We talk with Joel Morales and Indy Vega about how the Center is reaching out to an increasingly diverse community. 

And a conversation with Peter Cranis, Executive Director at the Space Coast Office of Tourism. He talks with WMFE’s Brendan Byrne about the boom in space tourism, and just how important the cruise industry is for the area’s economy.

On this episode of Intersection, we hear from two nurses, one a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience, and the other a new graduate, about the challenges facing the profession. Plus- a conversation with Veterans Affairs secretary Denis McDonough about the challenges facing the VA.

Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of Slavery in the United States became a national holiday this year. On this episode of Intersection, we talk to State Rep. Geraldine Thompson about how emancipation came to Florida, teaching African American history, and why Juneteenth is gaining prominence now.

As President Biden visits Surfside this week, elected leaders from across the state have been working to support the rescue and recovery effort at the site of the collapsed building. It’s a rare moment of bipartisanship in these politically polarized times.

On this episode of Intersection we talk about the impact of the tragedy on Orlando and what’s changed in the last five years.

Hurricane Season has officially begun and forecasters are anticipating a busy season. Seminole County emergency manager Alan Harris says no matter how many storms spin up in the Atlantic- he’s just preparing for one- a hurricane that could hit Seminole County.

Catalina Elementary principal Seth Daub and pediatrician Dr. Candice Jones join Intersection for a conversation about navigating the new normal as the pandemic recedes.