Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
- City Council falls short to override a mayoral veto that would have reduced the executive branch’s board appointment power.
- A proposed “road diet” in Brooklyn aims to promote foot traffic but could drive up travel times for motorists.
- JEA’s top executive takes an extended leave of absence, but the public utility says it's unrelated to job performance.
- Records show the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has $15 million in unpaid bills as its CEO eyes his exit.
- City Council President Nick Howland introduces a bill that would give companies incentives to hire veterans and military spouses.
Guests:
- Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today
- David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
- Anthony Austin, anchor at First Coast News
- Dan Scanlan, reporter and producer at WJCT News
ShepardFest
The only festival in the world dedicated entirely to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard returns to St. Augustine this weekend. ShepardFest features performances, readings, films and conversation centered on Shepard's work. The lineup includes a full production of Shepard's Buried Child and a staged reading of his one-man play Kicking a Dead Horse, alongside lectures on theater design and dramaturgy. Audiences can also expect screenings of Thunderheart and Days of Heaven. The four-day festival kicked off Thursday at The Waterworks.
Guests:
- Raines Carr, founding artistic director, Shepardfest
- Robert M. Dowling, author of Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard