Who is in charge of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’?
Florida has taken a lead role among states in passing laws and taking actions to support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement goals.
That includes a newly built migrant detention center in the Everglades. The facility sits on an airstrip seized from its owner, Miami-Dade County, by the state.
Millions of state tax dollars are being spent on the center. What companies are doing the work? And who is ultimately paying?
Guests:
- Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, member of the Florida House of Representatives.
- Bob Norman, senior editor of the Florida Trident.
Property insurance reforms
Property insurance matters to the people of Florida.
In fact, one in three Floridians say their biggest concern is the cost of homeownership, according to a poll from University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
Just three years ago, insurance affordability hardly registered as an important issue in surveys of Floridians.
And while the rate of increases has slowed a lot, Florida home and condo owners are still paying some of the highest insurance premiums in the country.
Despite the high rates, state lawmakers did not pass any new substantial insurance legislation this year.
Guest:
- Jeff Brandes, former state senator, founder and president of the Florida Policy Project.
Weekly news briefing
A team of experts from Colorado State University, which releases a widely used annual storm forecast, downgraded its initial outlook.
The group had been predicting an above-average season. Now, it's calling for a slightly above-normal 2025 Atlantic basin hurricane season with 16 named storms and eight hurricanes. That’s one less in each case from original forecasts.
This week, a former director of a federal government meteorology lab warned that proposed funding cuts threaten the improvement of hurricane forecasts.
It’s been a little over six months since Florida’s law banning camping and sleeping in public places took full effect. The Orlando area has one of the highest numbers of people experiencing homelessness. So, how effective has it been in reducing homelessness in the Orlando area?
Despite some community pushback, the iconic Fort Lauderdale Beach basketball courts will soon be converted to pickleball courts.