From a massive financial shortfall at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to a formal Republican challenger in the race for mayor, we dig into the latest political and policy developments with the city’s mayor. We also discuss Mayor Donna Deegan’s recent executive order calling for mandatory ethics and financial training for all city board members and get her thoughts on the efforts of a new nonprofit focused on fiscal and political transparency in the upcoming city elections. The mayor also takes your calls and questions on any topic. Join the conversation on air by calling 904-549-2937, email comments and questions to firstcoastconnect@wjct.org or go to firstcoastconnect.org to connect with us on social.
Guest: Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan
True Oedipus complex
With a dad like Oedipus, you’re bound to have some issues. And such is the case for Antigone — but not for the reasons you might expect. The daughter of Oedipus Rex and central character in the titular Sophocles tragedy, Antigone is forced to choose between individual morality and the demands of the government. In a contemporary adaptation of the play, Antigone: Unmasked, playwright Brian Niece transports the defiant character to the present day and, as he describes it, “A country. Not this one. Close enough.” We talk to Niece and two of the show’s actors about the power of a principled dissident and why they believe the ancient tragedy still has resonance today.
Guests:
- Brian Niece, playwright and director, Antigone: Unmasked at Lumen Repertory Theatre
- Maggie Cox, Antigone, Antigone: Unmasked
- Zonnetta Marie, Chorus, Antigone: Unmasked
Homeless Coalition fundraiser
An increasingly unaffordable place to live, St. Johns County has seen a predictable rise in the number of unhoused individuals. But the number of unsheltered seniors has been a particular surprise, surging more than 70% in just the past two years, according to the 2026 Point in Time Count conducted by the St. Johns County Continuum of Care. The data make the need for fundraising more urgent, and that’s the focus of an upcoming event hosted by the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County. Since its founding in 1998, the organization has helped family units stay together, provided unhoused parents and their children with stable housing and assisted parents in accessing life-skills training, job opportunities and affordable childcare. The group is hosting the Fall Low Country Boil Fundraiser at Genung's Fish Camp in Crescent Beach. Ticket sales support shelter and services for families experiencing homelessness. The event is 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, weather permitting, and features food, drinks and a musical performance by the Jam Boyz.
Guest: Jamie Mackey, president, Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County board of directors
Topics and guests subject to change.