Avery Latta-Raines

Friday on the First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week including:

JEA may have to lay off more than 500 workers to avoid a big spike in customer’s electric bills.  The public utility has been in downsizing mode for more than a decade. JEA decreased from 2600 employees in 2006 down to 2,191 in 2018. 

June is Pride Month and to celebrate it, a pride prom was going to be held at the Willowbranch location of the Jacksonville Public Library on Friday, June 28. But the event has now been canceled by the library due to security concerns. 

Some of President Donald Trump's former Homeland Security staff have expressed concern about the risk of public outrage from images surfacing of migrant children being taken into custody and being separated from their families.

Covering the White House and politics in general has been challenging for journalists. So how can you do the news well and profitably in today’s world?

Later this month, the Supreme Court is expected to decide a brewing fight over the 2020 Census. It has to do with a proposed citizenship question the Trump administration wants to place on the Census.

We spent the full hour taking a closer look at what this might mean for Florida. Our guests for the discussion were:

Friday on the First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week:

Cure Violence

Cure Violence launches this Saturday in Jacksonville. Mayor Lenny Curry says his administration hopes this program can bring down the rate of violent crime. Cure Violence treats the problem of crime as a public health issue. On Thursday’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, technical assistance trainer Jarmain Merritt and outreach worker supervisor with Noah’s Ark Project Kim Varner joined us with more information.

JEA is looking at everything from potential future rate hikes, to figuring out how to incorporate more renewable energy into its portfolio, to planning a move into a new corporate headquarters.

For Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week.

Special Counsel

After a two year-year silence,  Special Counsel Robert Mueller  has gone public and has said they will not exonerate President Donald Trump. 

A lawsuit has been filed challenging the use of solitary confinement in Florida prisons. 

For Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week.

Trucks and cars on the beach have been a Florida tradition. But it's also proved to be a dangerous combination.

According to a new report in The New York Times, anti-money-laundering specialists based at Deutsche Bank’s Jacksonville’s campus recommended - both in 2016 and 2017 - that multiple suspicious transactions tied to Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner be reported.

For Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week.

The Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved an incentives package at its Wednesday meeting for a pilot program aimed at bringing more fresh, nutritious food to food deserts across the northwest side of Jacksonville.

A food desert is defined as any urban area in which at least 33 percent of the residents live a mile or more from a grocery store.

Election Day

Five Jacksonville City Council seats are up for grabs in Tuesday's runoff election.

Turnout is expected to be low at the polls, which are open until 7 p.m., as it has been throughout early voting. Daniel Conrath, a political science professor with FSCJ, joined us with more.

For Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

The Duval County Public Schools Board voted this week to seek approval for a tax referendum this fall. 

The health of the St. Johns River is facing increased threats, according to the St. Johns Riverkeeper.