90.7 WMFE's Intersection

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. 

On this episode of Intersection, host Matthew Peddie talks with Harris about tips for getting ready for storm season, the influence of the pandemic on hurricane response, and the great toilet paper shortage of 2020. 

The pandemic tipped thousands of Florida families into food insecurity- not sure where their next meal was coming from. Melbourne mother of three Rachel Wilson, who recently testified on Capitol Hill about the importance of SNAP benefits joins the show along with Kelly Quintero of Second Harvest, to talk about the need for food assistance and address some misconceptions about SNAP benefits and who receives them.  

Growing Bolder is hosting a multi-generational E-sports competition next week. Growing Bolder CEO Marc Middleton says there’s untapped potential for health and wellness- and business- in online gaming with the 50-plus generation. That’s why he’s teamed up with Twitch streamer and musician Matt Heafy who plays guitar and sings in the heavy metal band ‘Trivium’, to launch the ‘BolderX’ competition- and Growing Bolder’s new twitch channel.

School’s out for summer, but already teachers and parents are planning for fall. What will that  look like with changing rules on masks and with more people vaccinated?

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

Jones says the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic on children- physically and mentally- isn’t fully understood yet. Daub says from new ways of communicating to different approaches to teaching, some of the lessons learned during 2020 will stay with his school once the pandemic’s over. 

Businesses are looking for employees, so what are the next steps for Floridians getting back in the job market? We talk with Alexis Echeverria of Career Source Central Florida and State Representative Anna Eskamani about what the new economy looks like. 

And- keeping Florida's busiest airport running when passengers stopped flying. Orlando International Airport CEO Phil Brown reflects on lessons learned from the pandemic.

From March to December last year, about 57,000 eviction notices were filed in Florida. That number is likely an undercount. It’s one of the startling statistics in reporting from the Orlando Sentinel on the eviction crisis as the pandemic amplified an already perilous housing situation for thousands of residents. 

On this episode of Intersection, host Matthew Peddie talks to the Sentinel’s Caroline Glenn and Desiree Stennett about their series ‘Locked Out’ and how evictions have continued through the pandemic, despite a state and federal moratorium. 

Opera Orlando’s performance of As One showcases the transgender experience at a time when trans rights are being challenged in Florida and other states across the US. Director Gabriel Preisser and conductor Alexis Enyart join Intersection to discuss the opera and trans visibility in the arts. 

And as the impacts of climate change become ever more urgent, cities are stepping up their efforts to become carbon neutral. We chat about what that means with the City of Orlando’s Sustainability and Resilience director Chris Castro and Susan Glickman with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Domestic violence cases are on the rise- according to Harbor House of Central Florida. On this episode of  Intersection, host Matthew Peddie talks with Harbor House’s Laura Lucy about their work to help survivors of domestic abuse and violence. 

Opera del Sol debuts a new work at the Orlando Fringe Festival- mixing the music of Mozart with tracks by Radiohead and others. Opera del Sol’s creative director Nicole Dupre joins us to talk about the piece, called Requiem, which she hopes will start a conversation about opioid addiction. 

And a pair of amateur fossil hunters caused a stir a few weeks ago when they found an ancient mammoth bone in the Peace River. 

That’s not all they found buried in the mud. Derek Demeter and Henry Sadler talk about the rare find, and how they hope it will inspire others to be curious about the natural world and the history of Florida.

The 2021 legislative session ended last week- with a flurry of controversial bills in the final stretch of the session defining a contentious two months in Tallahassee for lawmakers. From the  bill focused on voting to legislation targeting the participation of transgender athletes in school and college sports, on this episode of Intersection we unpack the session with political analysts Dick Batchelor and Frank Torres.

As tourism numbers begin to pick up again- central Florida leaders are cautiously optimistic about the impact on the region’s tourism driven economy. But even as more travelers from other states head to Orlando on holiday or for business - the return of international travel to pre-pandemic levels is expected to take longer.  Cassandra Matej joins the show to talk about getting passengers back on planes and tourists back on the road- and the next few months of th recovery. 

And- Veteran journalist Mark Pinsky’s leaving the Sunshine State and moving to North Carolina. We talk to Mark about religion, politics and crime- which has been his focus during a quarter century of writing about Florida--  and the next chapter of his journalism career.

In the wake of a controversial bill to crack down on protests, Florida lawmakers have sent a police reform bill to the governor's desk. 

On this episode of Intersection, we talk with Sen. Randolph Bracy about what’s in the bill, what didn’t make it in, and his push for broader policing reform. 

Then- facing a mountain of charges ranging from sex trafficking to wire fraud, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg is reportedly mulling a plea deal. In the meantime, questions are being asked about what kind of oversight there was over his office. 

Orlando Sentinel justice and safety editor Jeff Weiner joins us to talk about the Sentinel’s reporting on a story that covers crime, politics and real estate, and connects an ever expanding network of Florida power brokers. 

And- Orlando Fringe is back! WMFE’s Clarissa Moon talks with a panel of Fringe experts about the past 30 years of the theater festival- what’s changed since the pandemic- and what it’s like to get back on stage.

After the guilty verdicts in the trial of the former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd, activists who have been protesting police brutality since last summer say there’s still much more work to be done. 

Maxwell Frost with March for our Lives says the verdicts delivered accountability rather than justice. On this episode of Intersection we speak with Frost about what the George Floyd case means for those in Florida who are marching for social change. 

The 'Combating Public Disorder' bill, nicknamed the 'anti-riot' bill, is now law. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill this week, surrounded by invited law enforcement officers. 

DeSantis and proponents of the bill say it’s a necessary safeguard against lawlessness and rioting. Opponents call it unconstitutional and an attack on free speech. 

Former Florida Supreme Court justice Peggy Quince has been an outspoken critic of the bill. She joins us to talk about this and other legislation she says is problematic. 

The future of transportation and urban design in Orlando could include flying taxis along with electric scooters- and a park under I-4. Orlando’s new transportation director Tanya Wilder joins us for a conversation about getting from A to B in the city beautiful.

What does the pause in distribution for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine mean in the fight against COVID-19? How will the issues that the CDC is investigating with the vaccine affect the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy?

On this episode of Intersection, Dr. Ali Mokdad with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation joins us to talk about the vaccination effort in Florida and the US- and how the Johnson and Johnson vaccine fits into that. 

Then- the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition’s bus tour is rolling through Florida this week. While it’s not an election year, advocates are working to keep the focus on issues like getting voting rights restored for the formerly incarcerated and helping them to find housing and employment when they leave prison. We’ll talk to FRRC deputy director Neil Volz about these issues- plus what he’s keeping an eye on the legislative session, and the making sure the rights of people who are still behind bars aren’t overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

And- a conversation with Eric Camarillo who’s been working to trying to solve some of the challenges facing people experiencing homelessness- like access to clean clothes. Camarillo, CEO of the non-profit SALT joins the show to talk about the rollout of a mobile laundry trailer, and how the pandemic ramped up the urgency for non-profits like his that provide services to help the unsheltered.

Proponents of HB1- the so-called anti-riot bill- say it protects free speech and guards against looting. Opponents say it criminalizes protest. 

On this episode of Intersection, we talk with political analysts Frank Torres and Dick Batchelor about the anti-riot bill and other controversial bills in the legislative session.

Plus- some healthcare advocates say it’s just a matter of time before medicaid expansion happens in the sunshine state. 

Health care is the second largest item in the budget: And The pandemic and recent federal incentives have reignited the debate in Florida on whether or not to expand Medicaid. 

We’ll talk with WMFE health reporter Abe Aboraya, Robin Rudowitz with the Kaiser Family Foundation; Miriam Harmetz with the Florida Health Justice project and Anne Swerlick with the Florida Policy Institute -about the potential impact of expansion.

With tourism and hospitality still reeling from the impact of the pandemic- now may not seem like the best time to be starting a job leading Orlando’s tourism promotion agency. 

But Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej says she believes the region is well positioned to bounce back. 

On this episode of Intersection we talk with Matej about where she sees Orlando’s tourism economy headed in 2021. 

Then- a closer look at what the American Rescue Plan means for women in the workforce. Chabeli Carrazana who reports on the economy for The 19th discusses the recession’s impact on women- and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her own family. 

And the space shuttle program helped open the door for a new generation of female astronauts. University of Central Florida history professor Amy Foster talks with WMFE’s Brendan Byrne about how NASA’s focus on science gave women a window to join the astronaut corps.