Heather Schatz

 A new report finds Florida is sliding deeper into an affordable housing crisis.

Edible medical marijuana products have been approved, four years after Florida voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday that she would call the House back from its annual summer recess for a vote this week on legislation to block changes at the Postal Service.

On today’s program we took a closer look at how the COVID-19 pandemic is dividing Floridians on issues such as wearing facemasks in public, reopening schools and playing sports. 

On Friday’s episode of First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our Media Roundtable discussed some of the top stories impacting Northeast Florida this week, including:

Violent crime continues to be an issue in Jacksonville.

A new report from the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) looks at the state of our local school buildings.

Schools around the state - including Baker County - are starting to reopen today. 

A new forecast projects as many as one in three U.S. restaurants may close permanently this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A move to rename Hemming Park after James Weldon Johnson, the Jacksonville native who composed the famous anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing," ran into opposition this week. Local veterans organizations made a late-breaking push to rechristen the city's first and oldest park as Veterans Memorial Park.

Given the rising coronavirus numbers, it’s no surprise that many teens are anxious about going back to brick-and-mortar schools right now.

As the pandemic continues to rage throughout the state, tens of thousands of Florida residents have been cut off from the temporary unemployment benefits they had been receiving from the federal government. Congress has yet to come to agreement on a new benefit plan for the jobless.

On Friday's program, we got an update on Hurricane Isaias from Ray Hawthorne, who is a meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN).

On Friday’s episode of First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our Media Roundtable discussed some of the top stories impacting Northeast Florida this week, including:

The St. Augustine City Commission decided to remove a monument honoring Confederate soldiers last month. On Sunday, dozens rallied in the Plaza de la Constitucion showing their opposition to that move.

The St. Johns County School District announced Tuesday that it will push back its start date, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in part, to Jacksonville's Republican National Convention.

Despite the steady rise in new coronavirus cases, area schools are still planning to open on August 10, for both brick and mortar and virtual classes.

Educators, parents and students in Northeast Florida are scrambling to figure out what school will look like when it starts back up for some in August.

As the number of new coronavirus cases in Florida continues to soar, researchers are trying to improve the state’s coronavirus testing and tracing efforts.

A lawsuit has been filed in Jacksonville seeking to scale back the Republican National Convention next month at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The complaint calls the event a public nuisance.

Part of the Republican National Convention is still scheduled to take place in Jacksonville next month. A group of local pastors have joined the growing local chorus in speaking out against it.

Florida has topped 200,000 coronavirus cases.

On this week’s program, we took a closer look at voting in Florida and how the election might play out here this fall.