Florida Matters

We look at the latest from WUSF’s ongoing Unequal Shots project. The pandemic continues to stress the mental health of many people. But it's been especially hard for some Black Americans, who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and already faced barriers to care.

First, host Steve Newborn talks with Stephanie Colombini, who wrote the story, and Dr. Angela Hill of USF’s Taneja College of Pharmacy.

Later on, he speaks with LaDonna Butler, founder of the Well for Life in St. Petersburg. Butler, a licensed mental health counselor who has a doctorate in counselor education and supervision, was featured in Colombini’s story.

We learn more about Tampa Bay's emerging technology scene. In recent years, Tampa in particular has quietly become a go-to destination for start-up companies and technology businesses looking to relocate.

This week, we're talking about mental health in the time of coronavirus with Clara Reynolds, President and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Illness, isolation and job loss are behind some of the stresses leading Tampa Bay residents to call 2-1-1. And even as the pandemic wanes, Reynolds said there are still long-term emotional and economic issues that lead to calls.

We have a wide ranging conversation with outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman about his time in office as he wraps up leading Florida's fifth largest city. Kriseman and host Steve Newborn discuss what's next for Kriseman, what he think his legacy will be and the accomplishments he wasn't able to achieve during his tenure.

This week, we take a deeper look at food insecurity - and the growing demand for help in the greater Tampa Bay region.

Host Steve Newborn talks with Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, one of the largest food banks in the region. It provided more than 95 million meals to residents in 10 West Central Florida counties last year.

Later on in the show, Steve talks with Dr. Catherine Campbell, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor who specializes in community food systems.

We reflect on the 100th anniversary of the Tarpon Springs hurricane, the last major hurricane to directly hit the Tampa Bay region. Host Steve Newborn talks about the impact of that storm with Brad Massey, a historian at the Tampa Bay History Center.

In addition to revisiting the history, Florida Matters looks ahead and asks: is Tampa Bay better prepared now for a major hurricane? Is storm preparedness being overlooked by government officials and residents?

We look at the issue of public discourse at local school board meetings.

Recent Sarasota County School Board meetings have turned into rowdy affairs with some parents becoming disruptive on issues such as mask mandates and critical race theory.

Host Steve Newborn speaks to two members of that school board on this week's show.

We take another look at the St. Petersburg mayoral race. Ken Welch and Robert Blackmon have both been attending candidate forums, sharing their take on issues such as transportation and the environment.

We are highlighting segments from a recent virtual debate and to help break down the candidates’ responses, political reporter William March joins the conversation.

We learn about changes to the National Flood Insurance Program and the impacts to Floridians. As storms have become increasingly destructive in the past two decades, the program has gone severely into debt. It now owes billions of dollars.

The goal of the new Risk Rating 2.0 system is to help eliminate some of that debt. But that means higher insurance premiums for most policy holders.

We explore Tampa’s Hispanic food culture for Hispanic Heritage Month. Host Bradley George starts with a short conversation about the Cuban sandwich. We also learn about Tampa’s early Cuban residents and some other foods they introduced to Floridians.