A global leader in the information war for press freedom and democracy speaks in Jacksonville tonight.
Maria Ressa is a Filipino journalist and press freedom advocate who rose to prominence as her website, Rappler, took on the authoritarian Rodrigo Duterte regime. She has been arrested on 10 charges related to the Duterte regime, but is out on bail pending her appeal.
Ressa has been honored around the world for her courageous and bold work in fighting disinformation, “fake news” and attempts to silence the free press. In 2021, Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work. She’s speaking tonight in Jacksonville at an event hosted by the World Affairs Council. The event is at the University of North Florida’s Herbert University Center at 7 p.m.
Guests:
- Maria Ressa, journalist
- John Aloszka, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville
Cabbage Patch Kids
An Amelia Island resident was recently featured on the History Channel show The Toys That Built America, and you may be familiar with his work. Roger Schlaifer is the man behind the Cabbage Patch Kids brand. If you somehow aren’t familiar with Cabbage Patch Kids, they’re a line of cloth dolls with plastic heads.
The dolls were first created in 1976 by Xavier Roberts. They were known as The Little People back then. Schlaifer bought the exclusive worldwide licensing rights for the dolls in 1982 and renamed them Cabbage Patch Kids. Since then, the brand has made billions of dollars.
Guest: Robert Schlaifer, creator of the Cabbage Patch Kids brand
The Arc Lodge
The Arc Jacksonville, a local nonprofit that serves and advocates for people with intellectual and developmental differences, is launching a three-year pilot program to help people on the First Coast who are facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as their caregivers. The new program launches next spring and will provide occupational therapy-based support.
Guest: Kari Bates, President and CEO of The Arc Jacksonville
A drubbing in Detroit
After coming from behind to beat the Ravens, the Jaguars suffered a devastating 40-to-14 loss to the Detroit Lions this weekend.
Plus, the U.S. is out of the World Cup after losing to the Netherlands in the knockout stage of the tournament.
Guest: Josh Torres, WJCT News sports analyst
