The Wrap Podcast

Hurricane season begins June 1st and it’s expected to be hyperactive with up to 25 named storms, at least four of which are likely to become major hurricanes. A look at the potential economic impact of this supercharged season.

This week, the team of journalists at Central Florida Public Media are rolling out the second installment of our flagship series Central Florida Seen & Heard: Rising Water, exploring the effects of water on Central Florida, and urgent calls to address policy and other barriers to change as we prepare for a supercharged upcoming storm season.

Our series looking at Florida Wildlife Corridor continues this week, looking at how agriculture land may be the answer to the state's conservation needs.

The Florida Wildlife Corridor’s vision for conservation land in Florida stops short of providing mechanisms to make it a reality. That was seen this week as the Central Florida Expressway Authority approved a toll through part of protected Split Oak Forest in Osceola county.

The Orlando City Council last week approved a $40 million tax break for a sports and entertainment district which will include a 273 unit apartment building with 10 units set aside for affordable housing. For some, that low commitment to affordable units is troubling.

Recycling rates in Florida have been declining for the past eight years, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Energy, Climate Change and Economic Security Act of 2008 established a statewide, weight-based recycling goal of 75% by 2020. Florida did not meet the 2016 interim goal of 60% and the recycling rate has continued to decline since then.

The Osceola County School District has so far this year identified nearly 900 kids living in hotels long term. As the housing crisis continues, one organization, Embrace of Celebration is stepping up to help people in need.

As a new hurricane season approaches, the Alianza Resilience Hub Network is working to prepare the area’s Latino community for what is predicted to be a very active season.

Ukrainian amputees are learning to walk again in Orlando. Soldiers arrive seeking prosthetics and rehabilitation after suffering complex injuries from the war with Russia. The nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine says it's receiving more double amputees and now faces an uphill battle when it comes to funding its prosthetic rehab program.

A bill awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’ signature would make it legal for chaplains to volunteer as counselors in K-12 schools in Florida. Some worry untrained chaplains acting as counselors would do more harm than good.

The number of Floridians serving as caregivers for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias is on the rise, with an increase of 13,000 in just one year.

A settlement reached this week is rolling back large parts of the Parental Rights in Education law, what critics have called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

There’s a new book club at Brookshire Elementary in Winter Park. It was started in response to statewide book bans.

Pine Hills residents take issue with the nickname “Crime Hills" and say the community was given it unfairly.

This year for Black History Month, WMFE is telling the stories of Central Floridians who make our lives richer through their service. We meet Ulysses Floyd, a 95-year-old retired teacher and beloved union pioneer.

A student at Windermere Preparatory School started the school's first Black Student Union, and works to keep Black trailblazers at the forefront through the school's Instagram page.

A Volusia County Council vote this week paves the way for a controversial fuel storage facility. The project worries many Ormond Beach residents.

The need for housing assistance is on the rise but assistance programs like Section 8 could have a years-long wait. Hear about one Central Florida family's efforts to secure housing.

The Wrap is a new podcast from 90.7 WMFE News, catching you up on important Central Florida news stories and in-depth reporting.