90.7 WMFE's Intersection

An FBI investigation into construction deals in Tallahassee could undermine the gubernatorial hopes of Democratic mayor Andrew Gillum. Meanwhile Republican speaker of the house Richard Corcoran hasn’t said yet if he’ll run for governor, but he’s making headlines taking on spending at tourism development councils. Political commentators Dick Batchelor and Chris Carmody update us on the race for the governor’s mansion and more in Florida politics.

The price people pay for health insurance in Florida next year could increase dramatically, but state officials have pushed the decision back on finalizing rates. And there’s uncertainty about future of subsidies paid by the Federal Government to insurance companies. President Trump has hinted at ending these subsidies. We dig into what the uncertainty over health insurance means for Floridians with 90.7’s health reporter Abe Aboraya and Joel Ario, who helped set up the exchanges under the Obama administration, and is now managing director of the consultancy Manatt Health. 

And South Florida has become a mecca for addiction treatment, but as reporter Peter Haden found, some unscrupulous halfway house operators prey on addicts.  Haden joins Intersection for a conversation about body brokering: the practice of recycling addicts through the system.

DACA, or deferred action for childhood arrivals, was introduced under the previous federal administration as a way to temporarily protect the children of undocumented immigrants from deportation. Now the future of the program and those DACA recipients is up in the air. We’ll explore what uncertainty over DACA means for those recipients in Florida and what colleges are doing to support undocumented students.

Then, the city of Winter Park is trying to get rid of island apple snails from Lake Knowles and they need your help. So what is the island apple snail and why is it causing problems?

And, if you feel like summer’s fading fast we have a playlist for you. Dan Harshbarger and Tony Mickle from Beemo join us to talk about the ‘Hold on to Summer’ playlist, and they have haikus and words of wisdom for young musicians.

Back in 2012, 60 Minutes shone a light on homelessness with a story about a family living in a truck in Sanford. Since then, the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness has taken a housing first approach – trying to get families into homes so they can get the services they need. We’ll take a look at the state of homelessness in Seminole County.

Then, we take the convenience of smartphones for granted. The ability to call, text, send a tweet or get on Facebook whenever, and pretty much wherever we want, and during a hurricane, communication is vital. We go inside a superswitch- a building where millions of calls and data sessions are processed every day.

And, if you lived through Hurricane Andrew in 1992, you may remember meteorologist Bryan Norcross, who kept Floridians informed on their radios and portable TVs for nearly 24 hours as the storm devastated South Florida. Norcross reflects on Hurricane Andrew and storm preparation in 2017.

After deadly violence at a white supremacist march in Virginia, the University of Florida says it won’t let Richard Spencer rent space on campus for a speech. The University says it’s concerned about safety. Did UF make the right call?

Page 15, the Parramore based language arts program, wrapped up its biggest summer camp program ever. More than 160 kids took part in the creative writing camp, which has quadrupled in size since it started 10 years ago. Page 15’s Julia Young and Paul Driscoll explain how the program’s adapting as Parramore changes, and share tips on how to get kids writing.

And Orlando composer, conductor and performer Chris Belt is on the leading edge of contemporary classical music. Belt talks about finding music in unlikely places, like the leaves of a plant, and he plays some songs on his guitar.

 

Florida’s education bill, which steered more money towards charter schools, was controversial with public school advocates, teachers and superintendents. Now school districts are taking legal action to try and get the law turned around. Why are school districts lining up against this education law, and what does the lawsuit mean for public school students and teachers in your district?

Then, heavy hitters in the private space industry like Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin are making big investments on the space coast. And it’s not the only company setting up shop in Florida. We’ll hear from satellite manufacturer One Web about why the space coast is the place to be for commercial space exploration companies.

And, sun, surf and snow? We hit the beach with the fifth Florida Surf Film Festival and talk to film-maker Ben Weiland about his movie ‘Under an Arctic Sky,’ chasing waves in some of the coldest waters on the planet.

DCF has shut down Little Miracles Academy, the Orlando day care where 3 year old Myles Hill was found dead in a van. At a press conference, the day care’s co-owner offered a tearful apology and asked for forgiveness, but Myles Hill’s family say they want answers.

How could a three year old be left in a hot van all day? What kind of oversight is there for child care centers in Florida? And is enough being done to keep kids safe?

Then, astronomers and amateur stargazers are getting ready for the solar eclipse next week. Planetarium coordinator Michael McConville says for some of the coolest images of the eclipse you may just want to look down, not up.

And we talk bananas, basketball and playing very old, very expensive instruments with musicians Steven Lin and Francisco Vila Haas.

UCF kicker Donald de La Haye has been ruled ineligible after a dispute over his popular You Tube channel. De La Haye says it’s because he refused to demonetize those videos. UCF says the student athlete was offered an option that would have allowed him to keep making videos and remain on the team… but he turned it down. What are the rules for how NCAA athletes can make money and do those rules need an update?

Then, breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but if you like to sleep in you can’t beat brunch. Orlando restaurant critic Faiyaz Kara and chef Emily Ellyn whip up some decadent breakfast and lunch dishes.

And, brothers Edwin and Andy White have been making music together for a decade. We talk to them about their latest album, touring, and how the Orlando music scene has changed since they got their start.

The Republican quest to repeal and replace Obamacare didn’t get the votes it needed. So where does the debate over health insurance go from here- and what does it mean for the one point seven million Floridians signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act?

On this episode of Intersection political analysts Dick Batchelor & Chris Carmody take the pulse on the health insurance battle in Florida. And they talk about big spending election campaigns from the Governor’s mansion to Capitol Hill.

The opioid epidemic is stretching healthcare resources in Florida. We check in with Daytona Beach OBGYN Pamela Carbiener who specializes in helping pregnant addicts and mothers. We also hear from a young mother Hillary Medlin who detoxed with her newborn, and is now helping others facing the same challenge, and Dixie Morgese, Executive Director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties. 

And – from revamping classic rides to getting up close and personal with sharks, Orlando area theme parks are looking for new ways to get visitors through the turnstiles. Orlando Sentinel theme park reporter DeWayne Bevil has the latest on new attractions for tourists and locals.

Since opening her women’s clinic in west Orlando, Jennie Joseph has seen premature birth rates and infant mortality rates plummet. Her secret – making sure women receive care whether they have health insurance or not  and taking care of them holistically. How one woman is saving lives in some of Orlando’s most underinsured zip codes.

And one great thing about living in central Florida is that there’s a day-trip adventure in any direction. From scalloping on secluded beaches to drifting along a natural spring. So if you’re looking for someplace new to explore, stay tuned. We’re getting behind the wheel with Channel 13’s Scott Faise to see where the road takes.

And meet Orlando singer songwriter Chase Shallee who beat an illness and turned her recovery into a work of art.

The ACLU is suing the federal government over the President’s commission looking into voter fraud. Florida says it will only hand over what’s already in the public record, but the ACLU is worried about the commission collecting a national database of voters that includes partial social security numbers and claims the commission’s work is not open enough to the public.

We’re looking at voter rolls in the Sunshine state. A national organization called ERIC is helping a network of states to clean up their voter rolls and wants Florida to join since so many people move here from somewhere else. Local and state elections officials say a lot of work is done on the ground level to keep the rolls as clean as possible.We examine voter fraud in Florida and what’s being done to make sure it’s not happening here.

Americans are eating out in record numbers and changing the restaurant industry in the process. Food critic Scott Joseph, UCF professor Robb Seltzer and Food truck guru Mark Baratelli look at changes and trends taking a bite out of traditional restaurants.

And celebrating the life of Orlando icon Billy Manes.