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Capital Report

Capital Report: November 22, 2024

Published November 22, 2024 at 6:31 PM EST

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. Attorney General. Tristan Wood reports although she was Trump’s second choice for the job, Bondi has been his long-time ally.

Now that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has resigned from his northwest Florida seat, there’s a lot of interest in replacing him. Who are the potential candidates? And will Gaetz’s seat really be empty when the new Congress returns?

What’s next for abortion access in Florida? Legislative leaders tackled that question as they gathered recently for their reorganizational session.

Florida gun owners are speculating whether 2025 will be the year the state finally passes a law that allows open carry. It already has the Governor’s support. But as Adrian Andrews reports, there’s one top lawmaker who sees things differently.

Florida International University professor Dimitry Saïd Chamy comes from a long line of advocates for the freedom to read.

The FIU artist-in-residence created an exhibition called The Unreading Room … which responds to book bans and restrictions in Florida schools in recent years. He tells us about his long family history of fighting censorship, talking about his exhibit The Unreading Room. This story was produced by WLRN’s Elise Gregg.

Stuffing or dressing? To brine or not to brine?

With the holidays upon us, Chef Justin Timineri has some suggestions. He is the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s culinary ambassador. He dished out tips on the Deeper Dive with Dara Kam podcast -- like how to prepare a turkey and offering some of his favorite recipes.

Capital Report

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.
Capital Report: October 11, 2024

On tonight’s program: This year’s hurricane season has taken a toll on Floridians. With back-to-back storms some are struggling to recover; As conspiracy theories and misinformation about the recent hurricanes and the recovery process spread, officials worry about the consequences; A battle is brewing to extend the voter registration deadline after concerns that Hurricanes Milton and Helene could disenfranchise voters; After a storm, one of the primary concerns is often how quickly the electricity will be restored. That answer starts with the transmission lines; As severe weather becomes more common in the state and across the country, Floridians may soon receive more guidance about to expect, and how to prepare, for the future; And after years of planning, one community is working to remove what’s often a major barrier to getting mental healthcare, by providing housing for those in treatment.
Capital Report: October 4, 2024

On tonight's program: There’s a new Florida law restricting the places unhoused folks can sleep in Florida; The big push in advance of election day is on. Those for and against Florida’s constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion access are kicking up their marketing campaigns; We hear from a man who saw Hurricane Helene at its worst; A respected meteorologist explains why we shouldn’t focus ONLY on the hurricane cone; Even though Helene made official landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, its devastation extended for hundreds of miles, including the Tampa Bay area; And it seems much of the storm damage may not be covered by regular homeowner’s insurance policies.
Capital Report: September 20, 2024

On tonight’s program: Governor DeSantis wants lawmakers to come back to Tallahassee before the 2025 Session to tackle the matter of unsafe condominiums; What’s the old saying about blending politics and religion usually being a bad idea? Florida’s present abortion debate runs counter to that wisdom; This is suicide prevention month. We speak with a family that is using its own tragic loss as a way to reach and help others; Florida voters will have a chance in November to reduce their property taxes. But only if inflation goes up; Another proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution would make local school board races partisan affairs. But it may not have the impact many of its supporters would like; And we follow the inspiring adventures of some very aware kids.
Capital Report: September 13, 2024

On tonight's program: Supporters of Amendment 4, which would enshrine access to abortion in the FloridaConstitution, charge the DeSantis administration of trying to muddy the electoral waters; Governor DeSantis claims some of the petitions that put Amendment 4 on the Florida ballot were fraudulent. The governor’s opponents are calling that a “voter suppression” tactic; With abortions nearly unavailable in Florida, it seems more people are opting for pregnancy prevention strategies; Unregistered voters can’t vote. So that’s sparking a big voter registration push in advance of the November election; Florida’s high court mulls over the way state officials redrew a number of congressional district lines; Voting for appellate judges and supreme court justices is unique in Florida; and Florida has a condo crisis. The state is moving to ramp up inspections for older buildings and impose more regulations on new construction. But some believe it’s all happening too fast.
Capital Report: September 6, 2024

On tonight’s program: Outright lies in political advertising? Who could imagine such a thing?; How do you match a political message to its intended audience? It’s a combination of art and science; For a growing number of people who have mental health issues, a stay in a Florida jail or prison is essentially a death sentence; A Florida program to help kids with disabilities get ready for great careers is looking to grow the number of students it serves; And Florida is also ramping up the number of student nurses in the pipeline in response to a rapidly growing need.

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