Jacksonville Today associate editor Mike Mendenhall welcomes education reporter Megan Mallicoat back to explain how two Duval County school discipline cases over social media posts turned into federal First Amendment lawsuits. Megan breaks down what new investigation reports reveal about a paraprofessional cleared by the district and Douglas Anderson art teacher Hope McMath, who received only a verbal warning but remains out of the classroom while the state continues to investigate. She also details why it’s so unusual to see the Florida Department of Education hire a politically connected outside law firm to represent both state and local defendants—and why Moms for Liberty and McMath have brought in their own headline‑making attorneys. Read Megan’s latest reporting at jaxtoday.org.

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Driver's exams only in English and FBI warns of scams.  

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Work is underway on the next phase of the McCoys Creek restoration project in Jacksonville, aimed at reducing flooding. Plus, the Florida Senate advances a bill to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods as part of a broader effort to expand affordable housing.

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This week, Dr. Joe unpacks three headlines that sit at the intersection of everyday choices and global health.

• Measles is no longer a distant story: cases are climbing nationally and turning up close to home in Northeast Florida. Dr. Joe explains what losing the U.S. “elimination” status would really mean, and how to stay alert without living in constant panic.
• A large new study links even moderate alcohol use to higher colon cancer risk. Dr. Joe digs into what “moderate” actually looks like in the data, and how that squares with what many of us call “social drinking.”
• News out of India about Nipah virus—complete with bat photos and pandemic flashbacks—is raising fresh anxiety. Dr. Joe puts this outbreak in context, from how the virus actually spreads to what it reveals about life after the U.S. exit from the World Health Organization.

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Jacksonville officials review state findings on city spending, including concerns over nearly $2 million in cultural service grants. Also, Florida legislative leaders say the House and Senate are still working to align on the timing of a budget rollout, as differences over spending and taxes continue to shape the session.

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The State of Florida will cover the legal defense for Duval County Public Schools in free speech lawsuits brought by two teachers removed from classrooms over personal social media posts. Also today, Florida’s secretary of state says no citizen-led constitutional amendments qualified for the November ballot, as groups point to recent election law changes as a major barrier.

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Around the country, newsrooms are increasingly partnering on big stories—and now Northeast Florida has its own collaborative, uniting seven outlets around a shared mission: explain why housing here has become so hard to afford and who is being left behind. In this episode, leaders from WJXT News4Jax, The Tributary, Jacksonville Today, and the Florida Times-Union describe how the Northeast Florida News Collaborative will work: from pooling reporting on evictions and rising rents to co-publishing investigations that explore solutions and demand accountability from governments and developers. They also discuss how collaboration can strengthen local journalism at a time of shrinking resources and why affordable housing was chosen as the coalition’s first test case.

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Measles cases reported in Northeast Florida are prompting health officials to urge residents to learn the symptoms and review vaccination guidance. We also look at how this extended cold weather is causing impacts on life in Jacksonville.

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Jacksonville Today associate editor Mike Mendenhall welcomes St. Johns County reporter Noah Hertz back to lay out the stories he’ll be tracking in 2026. Noah explains how years of explosive population growth are driving nonstop spending on roads, libraries, and fire stations—and intensifying fights on an all‑Republican County Commission now split over how much new housing to allow. He also flags upcoming commission races where “ghost candidates” could reappear, and why state‑level debates in Tallahassee about development rules and a proposed State Black History Museum in St. Johns could reshape his beat. Read Noah’s latest reporting at jaxtoday.org.

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Extreme cold alerts are in effect across much of Florida this weekend, including Northeast Florida. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network explains how low temperatures could drop, and when conditions are expected to improve. Plus, we look at the lesser-known mental health impacts of prolonged cold weather.

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