Florida Matters

Polk County Sheriff Judd is never at a loss for words or opinions on criminal behavior, and he's played a big role in the response to the Parkland shooting in Parkland.

On this week's podcast,  we're talking about the future of Bus Rapid Transit in Tampa Bay with Dennis Hinebaugh, Brad Miller and  Sharon Calvert.

Host Robin Sussingham picks up the conversation with a discussion on changes in Cuba; the new museum of western and wildlife art in St. Pete; a ban on greyhound racing; and how to juice a marijuana plant.

Sandhill cranes, Pileated Woodpeckers, egrets and pelicans -- Florida  is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to birds. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks about Florida's birds -- their success stories and their perils.

Retail is changing and there will be winners and losers. Florida Matters Host Robin Sussingham talks to the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Ashley  Gurbal Kritzer; David Ortinau, a Marketing Professor at USF's  Muma College of Business; and Paul Rutledge, First Vice President, retail brokerage in CBRE’s Tampa office about the secrets to retail success. And why do the big drug stores always want to be right next to each other?

Mallory Lykes Dimmit, Carlton Ward, Jr., and Joe Guthrie are getting ready to set off once again into the wilds of Florida as members of the Florida Wildlife Corridor expedition team. In this podcast, they speak with Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham and WUSF's assistant news director Steve Newborn about the problems that I-4 presents to wildlife trying to make its way across the state. Also, how can you hike for a thousand miles and still gain weight?

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee bureau chief for the Tampa Bay Times, and Zac Anderson, political editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune, about what changed -- and what didn't -- as a result of this year's legislative session. Bousquet says the new law that  generated the most passionate debate gives private school vouchers to kids who have been bullied so they can leave their public schools.

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to producer Stephanie Colombini and reporter Daylina Miller about their experiences with live music around Tampa Bay. Stephanie says she's hardly missed a beat since moving from New York City; and Daylina tells us about why she loves death metal. Did you know that Tampa is the center of the world for death metal music?

This week's Florida Matters features highlights from a recent town hall meeting in Tampa about school safety. The discussion took place in the wake of the school shootings at the high school in Parkland, and focused mainly on violence and gun control.  But one entrepreneur on the panel had a fascinating view on innovations in school safety. On today's podcast, we hear from Pat Bhava,  the creator of the app PikMyKid, which uses technology to streamline the process of the school car line.

This week on Florida Matters, we're talking about the fact that every public high school student in Florida must take an online class in order to graduate, but some students and parents say it's not a good fit for everyone. Should an online class really be mandatory?  We continue the conversation on the podcast, with Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talking to the President and CEO of Florida Virtual School,  Dr. Jodi Marshall; Joanne Glenn, principal of Pasco County's eSchool; Carol Crawford, director of Club Z! In Home Tutoring Services; and Adam LeMee, Physics Teach-In-Residence for the University of Central Florida.