Florida's higher education leadership
There’s been a lot of turnover at the top of Florida’s public colleges and universities lately. Three state universities are bringing in new presidents. Florida A&M University and the University of Florida both have interim leadership after their presidents resigned. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic has restarted its search for leadership after their first effort stalled.
We spoke with one of the board of trustees for FAMU and also heard from a former state lawmaker about a bill he sponsored that altered the process for state universities to field top candidates.
Guests:
- Deveron Gibbons, vice chair of the Florida A&M University board of trustees.
- Jeff Brandes, former state senator, R-Pinellas, and founder of the nonpartisan think tank Florida Policy Project.
Venezuela's election crisis
Protesters have taken to the streets in Venezuela after last weekend’s disputed election. Venezuela's expat community in Florida is protesting too. President Nicolás Maduro claims he won, but the opposition party says it has evidence that its candidate, Edmundo González, defeated Maduro by a wide margin. The U.S. has recognized the opposition leader as the winner of the election and is calling on Maduro’s government to begin a transition of power.
Guests:
- Alejandra Oraa, host of CNN en Español's morning show, Café CNN, based in Atlanta.
- Vilma Petrash, Miami-Dade College government professor.
New Rays stadium, space exploration and Florida mining town remembered
A new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays will soon arise on a redeveloped Tropicana Field parking lot.
A University of Florida distinguished professor and assistant vice president for research is gearing up for the ride of his life on Blue Origin’s New Shepard capsule.
For much of the 1900s, the phosphate mining industry was booming in Florida and across the country, with communities popping up near the mines. One of those communities was nestled just the south of Plant City.