Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
- State House candidate Diana Jordan-Baldwin says an opposition voter physically attacked her at a polling site.
- Concerns grow over the expanding role of the City Council’s in-house lawyer, Jason Teal.
- Two shootings following 911 calls raise fresh questions about police response to mental health crises.
- A Florida professor is fired for teaching a bestselling author after the book caused one student “mild discomfort.”
We talk about all that and take your calls, questions and comments. 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:
- David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
- Christina Burgess, reporter at First Coast News
- Randy DeFoor, corporate attorney, former Jacksonville City Council member
- Jim Piggott, former City Hall reporter at News4Jax
Next to Normal
A stage production that tackles mental health, grief and drug addiction may not seem a likely candidate for a rock musical, but the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal proves that there is plenty of creative space to accommodate the ambitious subject. We talk to the First Coast dentist-turned-thespian behind the local production about what conversations he hopes the Limelight Theatre staging will generate and why he wanted to bring the Broadway hit to local audiences.
Guests:
- Jimmy Alexander, producer of Next to Normal at Limelight Theatre and actor playing Dan Goodman
- Ella Escamilla, actress playing Natalie
Preseason preview
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back in action this week against the New Orleans Saints for the team’s first preseason game of the year. The Jags had an impressive run last season, securing a 13-4 record and placing first in the AFC South division under rookie head coach Liam Coen. After a heartbreaking 27-24 loss against the Buffalo Bills back in January, fans are eager to see how the Big Cats return to the playing field. We sit down with First Coast News sports reporter Rachel Phillips, our new Jags season correspondent, to talk ball and get a preview of what to expect for the coming season.
Guest: Rachel Phillips, sports reporter, First Coast News
Topics and guests subject to change.