First Coast Connect

Medical Marijuana Nearly two years after Florida lawmakers legalized it, low-THC medical marijuana could be available in the state as soon as next week. The Florida Department of Health has granted a Tallahassee company called Trulieve the authority to process and dispense the drug. Five other Florida companies have a license to sell cannabis for medical use. Meanwhile, activists in Florida push for a constitutional amendment legalizing the drug for a wider array of medical treatments. The

Republican National Convention Donald Trump is officially the presidential nominee for the Republican party. Trump claimed the nomination Tuesday night during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The second day went a little more smoothly than the first, after a series of hiccups involving everything from dissent on the floor over Trump’s nomination, to a plagiarism scandal around a speech given by Melania Trump. Matt Corrigan, professor of political science

Akif Aydin and River City Science Academy Akif Aydin, former president and director of the Istanbul Cultural Center of Jacksonville and one of the founders of Jacksonville’s River City Science Academy, joined us by phone to discuss the Fethullah Gulen movement, its influence on River City Science Academy, and his thoughts on the unsuccessful military takeover and the crackdown that’s jailed more than 7,000 political dissidents.

2016 National Conventions The 2016 Republican National Convention kicks off tonight in Cleveland. As Donald Trump prepares to accept his party’s nomination, he’ll seek to bridge deep divisions in a GOP that’s still conflicted about his candidacy. There are also policy disagreements between Donald Trump and his newly minted running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, on issues like trade, the Iraq War and Trump's proposed Muslim ban. GOP stalwarts say the party will unite around their common goal

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams joins us for the full hour to discuss recent acts of terror in the U.S. and abroad. We also talk about issues of race, gun rights and police relations following recent police-involved shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana.

Ben Frazier On Tuesday, President Barack Obama tried to console the families of Dallas' slain police officers and ease the tensions of a restless nation. The president was joined on stage by a slew of officials at the interfaith service, including former President George W. Bush. President Obama closes out his second term amid lingering divisions over race, gun violence and police relations. Those divisions are painfully felt in Jacksonville, where a series of controversial incidents involving

Reginald Luster Jacksonville attorney Reginald Luster is the only local candidate in the race for Florida’s open Senate seat. Luster is joining the Democratic field of incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio’s opponents, including Rep. Patrick Murphy, Rep. Alan Grayson, and attorney and former naval officer Pam Keith. Luster is a business owner and is also known for serving as the first, and so far only, African-American president of the local bar association. We speak with him about his platform. Algae

The Death of St. Augustine Priest Rene Robert A Georgia prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in the murder of 71-year-old Father Rene Robert of St. Augustine, who was killed last April Burke County Georgia. A deeply troubled young man, 28-year-old Steven Murray, has already confessed to the crime. Tobert was a priest firmly opposed to the death penalty, so much so that he signed a document called a “Declaration of Life,” declaring that if he should ever himself be murdered, he did not want to

Lori Boyer Two-term Jacksonville City Council member Lori Boyer takes the reins this month as that body’s new president, promising to push an ambitious agenda for the city. Boyer’s tenure comes amid big financial challenges for Jacksonville, as well as growing concerns about public safety and tensions between the black community and police. Lori Boyer joins us to discuss her priorities for the next year.

Media Roundtable We discuss the week's biggest news stories with our roundtable of local journalists: David Bauerlein, Florida Times-Union reporter; Fred Matthews, Examiner blogger; A.G. Gancarski, Florida Politics writer; and Mark Judson, UNF Spinnaker editor. Topics include the shooting of five police officers during a protest in Dallas Thursday night, the indictment of Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Florida) by a federal grand jury over ethics violations, and more.