Anthony Austin, evening anchor at First Coast News, donates bone marrow which will be transplanted into a leukemia patient.(Stacey Bennett)

From a simple cheek swab to a potentially lifesaving donation. Local news anchor Anthony Austin joined the National Marrow Donor Program 17 years ago when covering a story about a girl in Texas with leukemia. In April, he got the call and agreed to donate to a stranger with the same illness. We ask him why he decided to get involved and what the process has entailed.

Guest:

• Anthony Austin, evening anchor at First Coast News.

Then, inviting Eastside natives back to the neighborhood. We talk to the new president and CEO of LIFT JAX about a milestone in their partnership with LISC Jacksonville. LISC's homeownership program, Project Boots, is part of what the nonprofit calls “within-trification” — an effort to help the historic OutEast area grow and prosper from the inside, without suffering the loss of community and generational wealth that often attends gentrification. LIFT JAX has provided down payment assistance in the past but has stepped into the role of developer on this latest project.

Guests:

• Ivy Henderson, Project Boots homeowner program participant.
• LIFT JAX President and CEO Travis Williams.

Plus, sharks in the St. Johns? We talk to Jacksonville University marine scientists about their recent discovery near the Buckman Bridge of a bull shark with an umbilical cord scar — a telltale sign of its birth and an indicator that the river may be a breeding ground for the species. It’s not necessarily a good sign. Bull shark populations are booming, in part due to climate change and the expansion of warmer, saltier marine environments.

Guests:

• Dr. Brian Franks, associate professor of biology at Jacksonville University.
• Vinny Migliore Jr., marine science graduate student at Jacksonville University.