Governor Ron DeSantis received over 27 bills from the Florida Legislature this week. Tristan Wood reports he has until June fifth to act on them.
Florida now bans most abortions after six-weeks. While some say the law puts the lives of women in danger, others argue provisions are in place to protect them. Regan McCarthy reports debate is growing around the country as people question what it means when abortions laws say they include exceptions to protect the life of the mother.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – or NOAA – has issued its busiest preseason forecast ever for the Atlantic hurricane season that starts in a week. WLRN’s Jenny Staletovich reports.
Hurricane season starts next week, and the official forecast is a doozy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts up to 25 named storms, up to 13 of them hurricanes, and possibly 7 of those could be at least category 3 status. Florida’s utility leaders say they are responding to a trend of stronger and more unpredictable hurricanes. And all of that preparation comes at a cost. State regulators heard their presentations this week ahead of hurricane season, as Gina Jordan reports.
The burning of fossil fuels has been trapping heat in the atmosphere, leading to extreme heat, sea level rise, and more powerful storms. Now, a father has written a how-to guide for his son on living in a warming world. Bill Weir is an anchor and the chief climate correspondent at CNN. His book, "Life As We Know It (Can Be)," was written for his son River, who was born in 2020. WUSF's Jessica Meszaros spoke with Weir about his book, which also offers coping skills.
Florida is one of the first states in the country to develop its own human trafficking hotline, mandated by a new state law. That happened after a bipartisan group of 35 attorneys general asked Congress to look into the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Margie Menzel reports, their complaint is that the national hotline doesn’t report enough of its cases to law enforcement.
Another officer-involved shooting in Fort Walton Beach is raising questions about use-of-force training in Florida. Body cam footage shows an Okaloosa County Sheriff deputy fatally shooting a U.S. Airman inside his apartment, as the airman held a gun down by his side. Adrian Andrews spoke with an expert to learn when deadly force is necessary and what some activists are saying about the incident. And a warning to listeners - this story contains the sound of gunfire.