Florida Matters

This week on Florida Matters, we’re looking at two crises facing marine ecosystems in our state.

First, red tide is back.

The toxic algae has spread along the coast from Charlotte and Lee counties to Pinellas, where county workers spent last week scooping up hundreds of dead fish and other affected sea life along the shore.

Thousands of gallons of waste water from an abandoned phosphate mine spilled into Tampa Bay earlier this year. That could be one factor in this year’s outbreak — but it’s not the only reason.

And later, we’ll hear about why so many manatees are dying in the Indian River lagoon on Florida’s Atlantic coast.

June 1st was the beginning of Pride Month.

On that same day, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that will prohibit transgender athletes from playing on high school and college sports teams.

LGBTQ activists view the law as another setback during a year when many states passed similar legislation targeting transgender people.

On this week’s episode, we hear from two activists about what it means to be part of the LGBTQ community in 2021.

This week, we’re talking about the Rays and their future in the Tampa Bay region or elsewhere.

The Rays’ lease on Tropicana Field ends in 2027. Where the team plays after that hasn’t been decided.

Owner Stu Sternberg has come up with a plan to split seasons between Florida and Montreal but minority owners in the team are suing.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman is moving ahead with plans to redevelop the Tropicana Field site.

A year ago, protests raged in Florida and across the country.

Demonstrators called for racial justice and police accountability after George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

On this episode, we’re talking with two prominent Black voices in the Tampa Bay region to address what’s changed, and what hasn’t in the year since Floyd’s murder.

Gambling is big business for the Seminole Tribe of Florida...and it’s about to get bigger.

Last week, state lawmakers approved a new compact with the tribe. The 30-year deal would let the Seminoles run sports betting operations across the state.

In turn, the tribe would pay Florida $500 million dollars a year in gambling revenue. The deal still needs approval from federal officials, and legal challenges are likely.

On this show, we look at the future and the past of Indian gaming in Florida.

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season begins soon — June 1.

Today, we’re talking about preparing for hurricane season, and why there were so many storms last year.

Last season broke records, with 30 named storms.

First, host Bradley George speaks with Ray Hawthorne, a meteorologist at the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.

Later, you’ll hear from Laura Wilcoxen, the interim emergency management director for Pasco County.

More than 7 million Floridians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s about 33% of the state’s population.

The Biden administration has set a goal that 70% of adults receive at least one dose by the Fourth of July.

For some folks, getting a shot is as easy as walking into the nearest Publix or CVS. But vaccination rates are lower in communities of color, where hesitancy and misinformation persist.

On this week's episode, we check in on the vaccine rollout in Florida and look at how doctors are working to get more shots into arms.

Florida’s 2021 legislative session came to an end this past Friday.

On this week’s episode, host Steve Newborn and Zac Anderson, political editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, break down which bills became law over the two-month session.

One week ago, a jury in Minneapolis found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of killing George Floyd.

In the year since Floyd’s murder, protestors and activists have called for changes to policing.

Here in Florida, the state House has unanimously passed a bill to require more training for law enforcement, bans chokeholds, and requires police departments and sheriff's offices to keep data on how their officers use force.

On this week’s episode, you’ll hear three perspectives on how a year of activism has or hasn’t changed policing.