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Capital Report

Capital Report: July 19, 2024

Published July 19, 2024 at 5:56 PM EDT

Florida Republicans are rallying behind former President Donald Trump, as he looks to regain the White House in the upcoming presidential election. Adrian Andrews has a recap on what some of the Sunshine State’s leaders said this past week at the Republican National Convention.

Florida’s U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was passed over as former President Donald Trump’s VP pick. Tristan Wood reports political watchers are saying Trump picking JD Vance doesn’t spell the end of Rubio’s political aspirations, but some believe the move could hurt another prominent Florida Republican.

Outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife conservationists may be interested in a proposal going on the November ballot. Voters will see it as proposed Constitutional Amendment 2, as Gina Jordan reports.

Hundreds of museums and arts organizations all over Florida are dealing with an unprecedented loss of state funding. It's the first time all of the grants approved by the Department of State's Division of Cultural Affairs have been vetoed out of existence. But Tom Flanigan spoke to several North Florida arts organizations they say they’re determined to survive.

There will soon be a change in leadership for Florida’s top-rated HBCU. The president of Florida A&M University is stepping down after a donor’s large gift turned out to be an embarrassing misfire. But as Margie Menzel reports, many people -- from students to state leaders -- appreciate Larry Robinson’s leadership of the university.

Capital Report

Capital Report: December 20, 2024

On tonight's program: A Florida state senator seems to have a leg up on the race to fill a vacated congressional seat. And although he has the nod from the incoming president, this individual insists he’ll have enough time in the state legislature to get his priorities into law; Right before the holidays, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approve the acquisition of more land to go under Florida Forever protections; The incoming Trump administration and its threat of mass deportations of many immigrants has lots of people anxious. Although an expert in immigration law notes the issue has often changed over the years in response to who’s in the White House; The holiday season is already stressful enough. But add the extra anxiety often caused by too much social media interaction and you’ve got a mental health catastrophe in the making; But we’ also have some four-legged therapists on duty who can lift the spirits of those suffering from the trauma of the season; Forget the argument about whether or not America is a “Christian” nation. Is the country even a “religious” nation anymore? We’ll check out some new data that shows there are few atheists in foxholes OR jail cells; And we’ll discover that one of this year’s monster film hits could have the unexpected bonus of getting more students involved in musical theatre programs.
Capital Report: December 13, 2024

On tonight’s program: The recriminations continue. Why did Florida Democrats do so badly in the last election?; Could Florida re-instate a controversial wild bear hunt? Advocates believe there’s little other choice; A record number of Florida travelers will be driving and flying over the upcoming year-end holidays; With the year-end holidays looming, Florida lawmakers made a quick trip to Tallahassee this week. One big agenda item, the complex – and often convoluted – behavioral expectations for lawmakers; A judge considers a request to allow exploratory fossil fuel drilling in an environmentally sensitive North Florida river basin. Opponents fear what a “yes” decision might mean; An award-winning documentary on the destruction of Apalachicola’s famous oyster beds will soon have a much wider audience; Some endangered wildlife species are seeing new challenges to their well being in Florida; And it seems, despite all the medical advancements, HIV and AIDs remains a widespread public health issue.
Capital Report: December 6, 2024

On tonight’s program: As of this moment, Governor DeSantis isn’t OFFICIALLY in contention for Department of Defense secretary. But it sounds like that could change in a heartbeat; A once venerated organization that fights domestic violence is struggling to recover from its former boss’s misdeeds; One of the state’s most respected FORMER Republicans shares his thoughts on the recent election; Florida still has a lot of condos in a state of crisis. But it doesn’t appear state lawmakers will be making a special trip to Tallahassee to solve the problem; A father who lost a son to a distracted driver is determined to see Florida pass tougher laws against cell phone use by motorists; And it seems the water isn’t rising only in the oceans. The water that’s beneath our feet is on the rise as well.
Capital Report: November 29, 2024

On tonight’s program: Blame and recrimination continue in the wake of the Democratic defeat in Florida; Everyone agrees that Florida is now a red state. And one possible reason is that the Democratic Party has pretty much written the state off; Law officers say a troubled teen in North Florida needed help from the state’s child welfare agency. Help that didn’t come; The battle over whether or not to add fluoride to public water supplies didn’t end in the 1960s. The dispute is back again in Florida; A rift between the owners and the Pinellas County delegation could mean the end of the line for the Tampa Bay Rays; And as this year’s active Atlantic Hurricane Season draws to a close, we talk with a storm expert who sees the potential for even worse hurricanes in the future.
Capital Report: November 22, 2024

On tonight's program: Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi may soon be able to put the initials “U.S.” in front of that attorney general title. And that’s getting some serious home state applause; With former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz out of the running for U.S. Attorney General, what lies ahead for him and the seat he just vacated? Capital Reporter Margie Menzel will have the words of some possible candidates; Post election, Florida’s six-week abortion ban remains in effect. Lawmakers met this week and that was a big part of the meeting agenda; Another question in advance of the 2025 Florida lawmaking session is whether those who support open carry will have better luck than they’ve had in the past. But thisweek, the incoming Senate President essentially shot it down again; A native of Haiti who now lives in Florida worries his adopted home is beginning to take on some of the more unpleasant trappings of his homeland; And we chat with one of Florida’s most acclaimed chefs on the secret sauce involved in preparing the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.
Capital Report: November 15, 2024

On tonight's program: Although many folks from all over the political spectrum are a bit gobsmacked by a number of Donald Trump appointees, there are some who are saying, “What’s the big deal?”; Fear is growing among many immigrant communities, even those with legal status, in response to Donald Trump’s deportation promises; The conventional wisdom among lots of Democrats was that Hispanic voters would flee from the Republicans this electoral cycle. Boy, were they wrong; An expert on consumer law thinks protecting seniors from scams might be one of those issues that everyone, regardless of politics, may be able to get behind; Even though the words “climate change” may not have official recognition in Florida, the research consensus remains that manmade impacts are still driving weather patterns into ever more dangerous territories; And a bunch of Florida counties have adopted something called “Children’s Services Councils” to provide more services for kids. We’ll find out how that’s going.
Capital Report: November 8, 2024

On tonight’s program: Florida voters reject the constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana use by adults. Many law enforcement officials are happy, but there are some who are not; Why does Florida have a 60 percent threshold anyway? That’s a question on many minds after most Florida voters cast ballots in favor of an amendment to protect abortion rights, but the proposal still failed; The old saying is, it takes two to tangle. But there are those political analysts suggesting that only one national political party fought in Florida in advance of this week’s election; A powerful Florida Republican shares his take on the election and how he saw it all coming; Few people expected this week’s election to be any kind of a Democratic blow-out. But even fewer anticipated a Democratic blow-UP; And after all the election stress, perhaps seeking out spiritual sanctuary may help
Capital Report: November 1, 2024

On tonight’s program: Florida school board races are not partisan affairs today. But they used to be. And they could be partisan again if voters agree; Even some who think the right to hunt and fish should be in the Florida Constitution are having some reservations; Recreational marijuana use by adults in Florida remains a hot button topic just days before the election; Florida’s proposed constitutional guarantee to abortion access continues to be an emotionally wrenching matter for many; Amendment 5 seems a big hit with folks on limited incomes; And Florida voters will even get to decide whether or not public funds should still be used to help fund political campaigns.
Capital Report: October 25, 2024

On tonight's program: Florida’s Amendment Four sparks a furious media battle between supporter and opponents; Governor DeSantis and the state’s First Lady turn their attention from Amendment Four to Amendment Three; Are there possible conflicts between medical and recreational marijuana in Florida? There are some who say there are; Florida’s status as a red state keeps growing. But at least one Democratic operative is predicting voter pushback will come, someday; Much has been said about how the issues facing young people are different from oldervoters. But some new reporting suggests there are more similarities than differences; and Florida’s attorney general says it’s time state authorities got involved in the case involving a gunman discovered lurking near Donald Trump’s Mar A Lago golf course.
Capital Report: October 18, 2024

On tonight’s program: As mail in ballots return to elections offices, data shows more Democrats have voted so far than Republicans, but experts don’t expect that lead to last; The race for a North Florida state Senate seat is heating up; And we’ll hear about how to fight disinformation and misinformation during disasters and their recovery; As Floridians recover from three different hurricanes, questions about insurance are growing; One line worker shares what keeps her going as she works to get the lights back on in her community; And a group of seniors gathers to reflect on their experiences following the recent hurricanes.

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