90.7 WMFE's Intersection

Where some see the allegations of voter fraud and a barrage of lawsuits in the weeks after the election as an assault on the foundations of democracy- others say it’s political theater. 

With 2020 almost in the rearview mirror, what kind of an impact has Donald Trump had on the Republican Party and what influence could he still wield in Florida politics? 

On this episode of Intersection, host Matthew Peddie takes a look back at the election that was with political analysts Dick Batchelor and Frank Torres, and casts ahead to the New Year, with the pandemic- and Donald Trump- still dominating political headlines. 

One bright spot in a tumultuous and tragic year of news has been the return to human spaceflight from US soil. The first American astronauts to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in nearly a decade heralded a milestone in NASA’s commercial crew program. We’ll talk about this and other astronomical headlines with space reporters Brendan Byrne and Emilee Speck. 

A few years ago Briana Daniel got the idea of using a re-purposed food truck to distribute toiletries and items to the homeless. Now her non-profit, Street Team Movement, is using refurbished vending machines to get those products out. We’ll talk to Daniel about getting creative to help the homeless.

During the holidays- food becomes a focal point for celebration. But while the traditional images of the holiday table may include a roasted ham or turkey as the centerpiece- for many, plant based food takes center stage. In Central Florida a growing roster of restaurants are offering vegetarian and vegan holiday dining options. 

On this episode of Intersection, WMFE's Matthew Peddie chat with chefs Shaun Noonan and Hari Pulapaka- and restaurant critic Faiyaz Kara about the elevation of plant based food- and holiday dining during the pandemic. 

Orlando based non-profit Limbitless Solutions continues its mission to re-imagine the world of prosthetic limbs. We’ll talk to president and CEO Albert Manero about his new partnership with video game companies- and about plans to expand in 2021.

This year Chloe Hogan found herself on the biggest stage of her career so far- making it to the knockout round of NBC’s The Voice. 

The singer songwriter from Orlando talks to Intersection about competing and performing through the pandemic in November.

This week, Central Florida got its first 20,000 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Doctors and nurses on the front lines fighting the pandemic are also the first to receive the vaccine in Florida. 

On this episode of Intersection, host Matthew Peddie talks with WMFE health reporter Abe Aboraya about the science, logistics and the PR campaign behind the massive vaccination effort getting underway.

A mysterious, deadly disease spreading like wildfire; fear and speculation about its origins and how to treat it; and swirling misinformation and mistrust of the authorities. Sounds a lot the coronavirus pandemic but in this case it was the bubonic plague that swept through Europe in the Middle Ages. Rollins College English professor Jana Mathews joins the program to talk about how our response to this pandemic resonates with the literary records of past plagues.  

And-- zoom and other online tech helped performers get through the summer. But nothing beats singing live in front of an audience. Opera Orlando executive director Gabriel Preisser talks about the opera’s return to the stage tonight at the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

WMFE environmental reporter Amy Green has spent some 10 years reporting on the Everglades and she spent the better part of this year working on a podcast - Drained- to explore some of the details behind this mind bogglingly complex plan to restore the River of Grass. On this episode of Intersection, Green joins us for a deep dive into her reporting on the plan to save the Everglades.

Businesses have struggled throughout the pandemic, but for those that were able to adapt and survive- there’s light on the horizon. We’ll talk to a panel of business owners about how they got through the year and what’s in store for 2021. Joining the program- Matt Hinckley, owner of Hinckley's Fancy Meats in East End Market; Dena Jalbert, CEO of Orlando-based Align Business Advisory Services; and Mauricio Toro, CEO and co-founder of Daytona Beach based Techfit Digital Surgery.

And- Orlando band Beemo returns to performing- and to Intersection- after a hiatus brought on by the pandemic. We’ll chat to the band about their new music video which involves gnomes and classic cars; and about going from the pub to the porch for socially distanced performances. 

This week Florida became the third state - behind Texas and California- to hit one million coronavirus cases. Gov. Ron DeSantis says he won’t impose more lockdowns or mask mandates- and schools will stay open. 

Several vaccines are on the way, but in the meantime, health experts are bracing for a surge in cases after the Thanksgiving break, and warning it could be a bleak winter. 

On this episode of Intersection- we’re talking about how the sunshine state will navigate the next few months of the pandemic. 

What does the hybrid model of schooling- in person and online- mean for parents and students? What does contact tracing and tracking the disease look like as cases increase? And how does Florida stack up against other states in terms of tackling the pandemic? 

Joining the show are Dr. Amesh Adalja with Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Alvina Chu, epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, and Dr. Maria Vazquez; deputy superintendent of Orange County Public Schools.

If the Affordable Care Act is ruled unconstitutional, Florida stands to lose more than any other state in the country.

On this episode of Intersection, we’re talking about President Barack Obama’s signature health care law- the future of which is in the hands of the Supreme Court, even as coronavirus cases surge and millions of Americans face unemployment and the loss of health insurance. 

And while the law’s future is uncertain, one thing is clear: Now is the time to enroll if you need health insurance next year. Open Enrollment runs now through December 15th.  

We’ll speak with 90.7 Health Reporter Abe Aboraya; Tony Jenkins, the Central Florida Market President for Florida Blue; and Anne Packham, the Marketplace Project Director at Primary Care Access Network.

A new administration will mean changes for NASA. Administrator Jim Bridenstine says he won’t stick around under a new president. 

For a look back at what NASA achieved under the Trump-Pence administration- including establishing Space Force-  and what we might expect under a Biden-Harris administration-- we turn to Laura Forsyck, the owner of space consulting firm Astralytical.

Latino voters in Florida turned out this election- but they may not have voted the way some pollsters and pundits were expecting. 

Democrats were hoping to turn out Latino voters in Florida and deliver the sunshine state for former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris. 

Instead, Florida went for President Trump- and by a bigger margin than he won the state four years ago. 

On this episode of Intersection we discuss the assumptions and misconceptions about Latino voters in Florida, and their importance in the Florida electorate. 

Joining the show are Professor Luis Martinez-Fernandez, with UCF’s Puerto Rican research hub; and El Sentinel editor Jennifer Marcial. 

Later in the show we also speak with Democratic congressman Darren Soto, and Republican state representative Rene Plasencia for a conversation about what the Trump and Biden campaigns got right- and wrong- in 2020.

As the votes are tallied in the 2020 presidential election- all eyes are on the states where the race will be decided. And this time it’s not Florida in the national spotlight. Despite a couple minor technical glitches- including an internet outage at the supervisor of elections office in Osceola County- the election appears to have run smoothly- and as Governor Ron DeSantis proclaimed- put to rest the specter of the 2000 Bush v Gore recount. 

Added to that- big turnout in Florida and in other states across the country as people voted- in spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

On this episode of Intersection, we take a closer look at how the results matched up with the polling and what this election tells us about the sunshine state. 

We’ll speak with UCF political science professor Aubrey Jewett and WUSF reporter Steve Newborn about the I-4 Corridor, turnout and the impact of the pandemic on the election. 

Listen to part one of the show here:

Later in the show, Stetson University College of Law professor Ciara Torres Spelliscy, who specializes in election law, joins us for a deeper dive into how the legal wrangling over the vote in Pennsylvania, Georgia and other states is playing out. 

Listen to part two of the show here:

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns are reportedly assembling teams of lawyers in preparation for a potential legal battle over the results of the election. 

Close vote totals in any of the key swing states could lead to a recount- similar to the 2000 presidential election. 

On this episode of Intersection, law professor Ciara Torres Spelliscy talks about what she’s watching for on election night and how the election could end up in the court. 

Next week marks 100 years since the Ocoee Massacre: racial violence that began on election day and wiped Ocoee’s African American community off the map. 

We’ll revisit a conversation with John Ashworth and Margaret Vandiver with the Memphis Lynching Sites project and historian Joy Wallace Dickinson with the Orange County Truth & Justice Initiative about preserving the stories of these events. 

And- 60 years ago, Joyce Cummings Cusack took part in lunch counter protests against segregation in DeLand. The former state legislator discusses her involvement in the civil rights movement and political activism today.

Early voting started in Florida this week- and there have been long lines outside polling places as people wait to cast their ballots in this year’s presidential election. 

Already, turnout is high and mail in ballot numbers are too. The election falls as the country faces twin crises - an ongoing pandemic and an economic recession. Against those threats looms the spectre of civil unrest and political instability. 

This week on our Facebook live show- the state we’re in- we delved into some of the issues facing voters this election season. 

On this episode of Intersection we listen back to part of the show. Host Bradley George talks with a first time voter, Dwayne-ron Sharpe, about what’s on his mind and questions he has heading into this election. 

Also joining the show- WMFE’s Abe Aboraya, who discusses political polarization, ballot amendments and disinformation in 2020. 

Then- Professor Louis Virelli joins Intersection for analysis of the Senate Judiciary’s debate and vote on the president’s nomination of Amy Coney Barret to the US Supreme Court.