90.7 WMFE's Intersection

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. 

What happens when someone exhibiting mental health issues becomes a neighborhood menace? During our Sunshine Week series, 90.7 News Director Catherine Welch tracked one man’s journey through the criminal justice system and the frustration of neighbors worried for their safety.

On this episode of Intersection Welch joins us to explore the overlap between criminal justice and mental health treatment with Orange County Public Defender Robert Wesley and Frankie Berger from the Treatment Advocacy Center. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflects on his post NBA career as a writer and advocate for social justice issues, and the parallels between a new wave of student activists and his generation. 

And an encore performance from singer songwriter Nicholas Roberts, who honed his songwriting skills with the help of MTV.

For years, Orlando has been one of the most dangerous places to walk, or bike. But a new wave of city residents who don’t want to depend on cars, coupled with a different approach to designing city streets may have a chance of turning that around.

Dan Tracy joins Intersection to talk about his reporting on how cycling advocates dream of an Orlando that one day rivals Portland for bike friendliness. 

We speak to Orlando Sentinel education reporter Leslie Postal about FSA testing. 

And a look at the business of backyard chickens with Rick Lacombe from Coop Controls and Sundew Gardens proprietor Tom Carey.

The Parkland school shooting last month sparked calls for tougher gun control and thrust student activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school into the spotlight.

As students prepare to demonstrate in Washington DC Saturday and at cities around the country, some parents are also raising the question: whether to attend a rally with young kids in tow.

We’ll explore what this new wave of political activism means for college and high school students and for parents of younger children too.

Then, before Fred Rogers was a children’s television icon, sporting his trademark sweater and sneakers, he was a music student at Rollins College. We’ll take a Mr. Rogers walking round the Winter Park Campus.

And, contemporary classical music is finding a new and enthusiastic audience in Orlando. A conversation with composer Christopher Cerrone, soprano Ariadne Greif and clarinetist Natalie Grata about new music coming up.

Jurors are hearing evidence in the trial of Noor Salman, the Pulse gunman’s widow. Prosecutors are laying out an argument that she helped Omar Mateen plan his attack on the nightclub in June 2016. But the defense team tells a very different story.

On this episode of Intersection, legal expert Charles Rose from Stetson College of Law, discusses the approach of the prosecution, and the path forward for the defense.

Then- a closer look at the boom in commercial space exploration happening right here in our backyard, with 90.7’s space reporter Brendan Byrne.

And Kathleen Blake was inspired by her grandmother to start cooking, before developing her culinary skills under the eye of San Francisco chef Joyce Goldstein. Now, Blake tells Intersection, she’s helping mentor a new generation of female chefs in Central Florida. 

For more than a decade, Sunshine week has highlighted and celebrated public access to information. All this week WMFE has been been exploring how Florida’s sunshine laws work in a series called Here Comes the Sun.

So how do freedom of information laws help reporters and you in Florida? We’ll talk to reporters and the First Amendment Foundation.

Then, students from Orlando head to Puerto Rico for Spring Break. They’re visiting schools and bringing supplies, giving back to a community still getting back on its feet after Hurricane Maria.

And every Wednesday, Eugene Snowden brings his unique style of blues to Lil Indies in downtown Orlando. The host of Ten Pints of Truth joins Intersection to perform and shares stories from his musical journey and how he’s keeping the spirit of blues alive with his musical residency.