90.7 WMFE's Intersection

Every year since 1992, Florida has set aside money for affordable housing.  Now the state is facing an affordable housing crisis, made worse by the impacts of hurricanes Irene and Maria.

But this year lawmakers allocated most of the money in the housing trust fund to other projects. So if there’s an affordable housing crisis in Florida and the money to build affordable housing- what’s the problem? Jaimie Ross, CEO of the Florida Housing Coalition joins Intersection to explain how the Sadowski trust fund works. 

A pilot program at childcare centers in Pine Hills is adapting a technique that began as a way to parent young children. Now the Circle of Security model is helping childcare staff nurture the kids in their care. We talk to the childcare director and other stakeholders about the pilot program. 

And learn how planners and tech companies are hoping the internet of things will create a safer, more environmentally friendly city.

Florida’s legislative session extends into the weekend, after lawmakers struck a deal on the budget, but missed the Tuesday deadline to get it done. 

The focus in the final weeks of the session has been on school safety and gun legislation- so where does that leave other big issues like healthcare, the environment, housing and higher education?

On this episode of Intersection political analysts Dick Batchelor and Chris Carmody join us to discuss how the session shook out. 

We hear from 90.7’s Brendan Byrne who has been following jury selection in the trial of Noor Salman, the widow of the Pulse shooter.

Seth Kubersky joins us for a discussion on SeaWorld’s future after the departure of CEO Joel Manby.

And the Jones High School band director Jamaal Nicholas prepares his students for the performance of a lifetime- at Carnegie Hall.

Schools around the country are on pins and needles since the shooting in Parkland. That’s according to Volusia County sheriff Mike Chitwood, who says his office has investigated more than 30 threats to schools in recent weeks and arrested over a dozen students.

Meanwhile Orlando city commissioners voted to beef up the response to online threats.

On this episode of Intersection we talk to Sheriff Chitwood and Stetson University constitutional law professor Louis Virelli about the law around threats on social media, and the response from law enforcement.

Then- new hope for first responders in Florida suffering from PTSD. Legislation to expand compensation coverage is moving in Tallahassee. 90.7’s Abe Aboraya and Pro Publica’s Charles Ornstein join us to talk about their in depth reporting project on post traumatic stress disorder’s toll on police firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. 

And Jeff Zentner was a professional musician, releasing several albums and recording with the like of Iggy Pop and Nick Cave. Instead of songs he’s now writing award winning young adult fiction. Zentner joins Intersection for a conversation about writing. 

Monkeys have a unique relationship to the state of Florida. Whether on the pages of crime capers like Carl Hiaasen’s Bad Monkey, or real life news stories like the Tampa Bay Mystery Monkey, simians continue to fascinate sunshine state residents.  

And if you’ve ever canoed up the Silver River, chances are you’ve had a monkey encounter yourself. The troupe of monkeys at Silver Springs have become something of a tourist attraction but now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is calling on people to keep their distance.

So how did those monkeys get there in the first place? What impact have they had on the environment, and what’s the future of these animals? 

Tampa Bay Times reporter Craig Pittman joins Intersection along with Bob Gottschalk, who spent 8 years researching the monkeys, for a discussion about the Silver Springs monkey troupe.

In her book The Hello Girls, historian Elizabeth Cobbs chronicles the fight for veteran status of women who served in the US Army Signal Corps in World War One. Cobbs says there are parallels between their struggle and contemporary battles for equality. 

And- singer songwriter Cat Ridgeway joins Intersection to perform new music as she prepares for the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. 

 

The trial of Noor Salman is set to begin this week.

The widow of the Pulse nightclub shooting is charged with aiding a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

Stetson University law professor Charles Rose says, given the media saturation around the shooting, getting a jury seated will be no easy task.

On this episode of Intersection a look at the challenge facing Noor Salman’s legal team, and what the trial means for the city, more than a year and a half on from the Pulse shooting.

As a NASA astronaut, Nicole Stott flew to the International Space Station and spent 3 months on the orbiting outpost. She tells 90.7’s Brendan Byrne why it’s important for women working in engineering and science to step up and inspire elementary and middle school girls to pursue STEM education.

And as Orlando City Soccer’s new season kicks off- we take a look at how the city embraced soccer, with writers Simon and Susan Veness.

As funerals are held for the 17 people killed in the Parkland school shooting, students march on Tallahassee demanding a law change.

But where some are calling for a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, the shooting has prompted a different response from others. Some law enforcement officers say it’s time to arm and train teachers to respond to a shooter.

Then, America’s most influential evangelical preacher, Billy Graham, died Wednesday at the age of 99. Religion writer Mark Pinsky reflects on his impact on the sacred- and the secular- in American life.

And, it looks like a UFO and sounds otherworldly. Hear the music of the handpan.

After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there are calls for tighter restrictions on guns, and more emphasis on mental health services.

In Central Florida, educators and healthcare professionals are collaborating on a plan to intervene with troubled or traumatized students before it’s too late.

On this episode of Intersection- we’ll talk to Dr. Lisa Spector about what it means to be a trauma informed school and what exposure to trauma does to young minds. And, how you talk to children about school shootings and other traumatic events.

A comprehensive education bill is drawing the ire of teachers unions. Joanne McCall, president of the Florida Education Association weighs in on House Bill 7055. And we hear from State Rep. Scott Plakon about a bill that could force some unions to reapply for certification.

And Florida Today’s John A. Torres tackles a cold case, and attempts to solve the mystery of Palm Bay firefighter Brandy Hall’s disappearance, in the newest season of his podcast Murder On The Space Coast.

Just over five months ago Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, knocking out power and crippling infrastructure on the island.

Now, power and access to basics like clean water remain an issue for residents there, while many others decided to leave for the mainland United States, Florida in particular.

Does the pace of the recovery make Puerto Ricans who left the island less likely to return? And for those who’ve made the move to Central Florida, how has that adjustment been? What’s the process of finding somewhere to live, jobs and enrolling in schools been like?

Then, the Daytona 500 revs up this Sunday. The sport’s gotten a lot safer in the last 15 years, and NASCAR is paying more attention to concussions suffered by drivers when they crash. We’ll hear from sports columnist Ken Willis about NASCAR drivers’ hidden injuries.

And, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park launches into 3 weeks of music and cultural events tonight. We’ll hear from artistic director John Sinclair.

The first silver spurs rodeo was held in the 1940s as a fundraiser for the war effort. The landscape around Kissimmee is a lot different now, with development eating up much of the pasture. But Dusty Holley, a rancher whose family’s been raising cattle for generations, says the rodeo remains strong. Silver Spurs big boss Dusty Holley shares stories from the rodeo

Then, legacy of Anne Frank lives on today at schools around the world which bear her name. Rollins College professor James McLaughlin is embarking on a research project about how her image and meaning are kept alive at these schools.

And, Brian Turner, who made his name as a war poet, turns his focus to love, with a new anthology called The Kiss.

A federal judge ruled that Florida’s system for restoring the voting rights of some felons who have served their time is unconstitutional. US district Judge Mark Walker made the ruling in a lawsuit brought by 9 people who served prison sentences but were deemed ineligible to vote. He wrote that quote “partisan officials have extraordinary authority to grant or withhold the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of people without any constraints, guidelines or standards.”

Is automatic rights restoration the way to go? Is there a downside? What are the political implications of one point five million Floridians getting back the right to vote? And what does the ruling from judge Walker mean for a ballot initiative set to go before voters in November?

Then, hazing is back in the headlines after the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments from lawyers for one of the band members sentenced in the death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion. And UCF suspended a fraternity after a pledge’s mother complained that he was forced to drink. We revisit a conversation with John Hechinger, author of True Gentlemen, The Broken Pledge of America’s Fraternities.

And Orlando based Handmade Amigo join us in the studio to perform songs from their new album.