Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
- Jacksonville’s City Council president is under fire for what some are calling a “quid pro Carrico.”
- The Downtown Investment Authority declines to pay to keep a major tenant from moving out.
- A key witness backs out of a plea deal and will not testify against the accused in a high-profile murder-for-hire case.
- “Close, but no cigar” no more: Swisher promises to hire from the surrounding neighborhood in a planned expansion.
- State Rep. Dean Black files another bill that would protect “historic monuments” with an eye to Jacksonville’s namesake.
We’ll talk about all that and take your calls, questions and comments on our Friday news roundup. You can join the conversation on air at (904) 549-2937 or go to firstcoastconnect.org to find all the ways to connect with us.
Guests:
- Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant (currently representing Michael Kirwan, Democratic candidate for Congress)
- Mike Mendenhall, associate editor and City Hall reporter at Jacksonville Today
- Jack Webb, attorney and former City Council president
- Ben Becker, anchor and investigative reporter at Action News Jax
Love and rockets
A wartime rom-com tells the true story of the playwright’s own parents' courtship during World War II. The play, told in epistolary style, reads like a conversation more than a series of letters. But it’s based on the real life experience of Ken Ludwig’s mom and dad. The Tony award-winning playwright behind Lend Me a Tenor wrote Dear Jack, Dear Louise as kind of a love letter to the couple. The two-person play kicks off the 106th season at Theatre Jacksonville, where it runs Feb. 27 until March 15.
Guests:
- Roxanna Lewis, director, Dear Jack, Dear Louise
- Sarah Boone, executive director, Theatre Jacksonville
Topics and guests subject to change.