Governor Ron DeSantis is making the media rounds blasting presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s VP pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Tristan Wood reports that feud stems from Walz’s frequent criticism of Florida’s governor.
As campaign season heats up, voters are being inundated with information, misinformation and disinformation about candidates and issues. That’s where Politifact Editor-in-Chief Katie Sanders comes in. Sanders and her fact-checking team use a “Truth-o-Meter” to help ensure you’re getting the truth on social media and in the news. On the Deeper Dive with Dara Kam podcast from the News Service of Florida, Katie talks about the work PolitiFact is doing to fact-check Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and information about Project 2025.
Florida had the season’s first visit from a hurricane this week. Tropical Storm Debby grew into a category 1 hurricane as it skimmed Florida’s Gulf Coast. It came ashore in rural Taylor County in North Florida’s eastern Big Bend early Monday. First, a deluge hit parts of southwest and western central Florida. Sarasota declared a state of emergency Sunday as floodwaters closed off streets near popular beach destinations and parts of downtown. As WUSF's Kerry Sheridan reports, many drivers got stranded in the floodwaters.
Debby is blamed for at 4 deaths in Florida and more in other states. The storm’s impact on the Big Bend area east of Tallahassee was largely downed trees and power outages, although some residents were severly affected. The WFSU News Team talked about it on our new show Speaking Of with host Gina Jordan.
Florida A&M University, the state’s only public historically Black institution, is addressing concerns regarding its search for a new president, low passing rates on professional licensure exams, and a fraudulent donation made by a suspicious donor. Adrian Andrews has the story.
It’s been a summer of frequent heat advisories around Florida. When we think about people who have to work in this heat - like farmers or construction workers - there's a group that doesn't often make the list-- those who work on food trucks. Kayla Kissel reports that despite high temperatures inside the trucks and the health risks that come with that, some workers say their passion outweighs the heat.