Tropical Depression

Friend of the show and Florida historian Kartik Krishnaiyer makes his return to the show to talk about Florida Republicans' gerrymandering power grab. We already knew the GOP were rigging districts to benefit their own party, but Kartik breaks it down further and shows how Republicans from rural areas are attacking the very concept of having urban voters represented in government. Kartik and R...

Spring has sprung, and love is in the air. This week, we welcomed the iconic duo of Lawrence Mower with the Tampa Bay Times and Alexandra Glorioso of the Miami Herald to the show. They were gracious enough to take our call live from their car, and on their anniversary no less! As the saying goes, the couple that reports together stays together. The all-star duo has been at the forefront of the ong...

On today's episode, Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman makes his Trop Dep debut! You already know Ryan's itching to talk to the Commish about the state hijacking the city's public utilities -- but did you know Republicans are also trying to carve out a district in ocean blue G-Ville for themselves? Along the way, we talk about what makes Gainesville a truly unique city in Flor...

Ryan links up with Tampa Bay media legend, WMNF and Florida Phoenix reporter Mitch Perry to make sense of what exactly is going on in the Capitol with just two weeks left in legislative session. The fast-paced conversation ranges from Ron DeSantis's attempt to get Florida into the redistricting wars, the Tampa mayor race, and the GOP race for governor. Follow Tropical Depression on all social...

On today's episode, Ryan is joined by Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who launched his campaign for Mayor last year. Jeremy shares his thoughts on the Democratic Party's message to voters, the rise of economic populism among the far-right, and lays out his vision for the future of Florida's capital city. Follow Tropical Depression on all social platforms at @TropDepPod!  F...

Veteran journalist William 'Windy' March joins the show and gives a short history of the year that Tampa's annual pirate-themed Gasparilla was canceled rather than admit Black members into its fold. While the ill-fated Bamboleo ended up being a one-hit wonder, its memory lives on. Windy and Ryan also talk about the rise of nonprofit journalism, as well as Florida Republicans' half-...

The landscape of Florida's 2026 election just changed, and State Rep. Angie Nixon joins Ryan to drop some big news. The DUUUUUVAL native tells us about her legislation filed to unmask ICE and why she believes she's the right person at the right time to be Florida's next U.S. Senator. We're thankful to Angie for sharing how her experiences shaped the call of duty to public service,...

On this week's episode, Ryan is joined by the founder of FloridaPolitics.com (and former boss) Peter Schorsch. It's their first real conversation in years, and they get right into it. Peter offers his thoughts on the current state of Florida journalism and its shortcomings. After years of tense silence, their conversation represents a détente between the two old collaborators. Follow Tropi...

This week, Jamil Davis joins the show to talk Black voting power in North Florida. He and Ryan go through some of the biggest issues facing Jacksonville, and how Florida's following the gerrymandering lead of Texas. And on the cusp of John Cena's retirement, producer Abdelilah hops on to ask the burning question of our time: is politics just professional wrestling? Huge thanks to Jamil for...

This week Ryan sat down with Nathan Taylor Pemberton, contributor to The Baffler , New York Magazine and most recently the New York Times . Ryan and Nate talk about what could be the definitive turn in MAGA’s political realignment for the next century and what it means for everyone else, plus a dispatch from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s New York City. Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson, and what the Ame...

Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe returns to discuss the seemingly endless assault on local government coming from Meatball Ron's administration. Whether it's paving over colorful crosswalks, threatening local officials at the behest of developers, or a state takeover of a community hospital, just remember -- every culture war is a class war. Follow Tropical Depression on all social p...

Trimmel Gomes finally joins the show and reminisces with Ryan over recording a podcast in the side room of a smoke-filled bar in 2016. In between talk of government at the local, state, and federal levels, Trimmel offers his thoughts on what it means to participate in democracy and hold elected officials accountable. We also remember Rob Lorei, a Florida icon who departed this world too soon from...

On the latest segment of Reading RAYnbow, Ryan catches up with an old friend: critically-acclaimed author Sarah Gerard. Her 2015 novel Binary Star was listed as a best book of the year by NPR, and her second book – a collection of essays called Sunshine State – was named as a New York Times Critics’ Top Book of 2017. Sarah gives her insights on how being from Florida shaped her writing, the Tampa/...

It’s been a busy Florida summer, and intrepid WUSF reporter Douglas Soule joins the show to go over some of the biggest stories from the last few weeks: Will Florida follow Texas’ example of extreme gerrymandering? What was it like on the ground as Ghislaine Maxwell was being deposed in downtown Tallahassee? And are people really hitting the penjamin in the Florida Capitol? Follow Tropical Depress...

With democratic norms and institutions weathering a storm at the federal level, Ryan catches up with Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida. Amy had a lot to say about the latest attack from gerrymandered politicians on citizen-led amendments and how to ensure that every eligible voter can vote after a disaster. After all was said and done, this fan of the show – yes, a bona fide De...

Ryan sits down with author Kent Wascom to discuss his novel, “The Great State of West Florida.” The story is a beautiful tribute to what makes Florida unique and features a villainous far-right politician who leads a movement to turn the panhandle into a white Christian ethnostate. Too soon? Raised in Pensacola, Kent takes us through the plights and gripes of a mystical figure called simply the Go...

Fresh off the heels of being published in The Paris Review, Alec Niedenthal returns to the show with a deep dive into the themes of “Schändung (Desecration)” and how the act of writing can help process memories and experiences.  Read Alec’s story, Schändung (Desecration) in The Paris Review: https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8363/schandung-desecration-alec-niedenthal   Follow us on BlueSky Fo...

This week, Ryan met with Kaitlynn Black & Dean Fraser of the newly-formed Florida Keepers, a nonpartisan group dedicated to ethics and environmental conservation. We talked about how the Keepers came to be, as developers and real estate interests destroy Florida’s wetlands and wild places.  We also delved into Florida’s newest law HB 1205 – the state government’s attack on the last way for eve...

Florida Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith breaks down the Legislature’s dysfunctional relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis, as their political divorce takes an ugly turn through three Special Sessions in a fortnight and rhetoric hotter than a motel Jacuzzi. The People’s Champ in the Florida Senate discusses his current work on expanding mass transit and the arts in the world’s largest tourist destinat...

This week we sat down with Tampa Bay transit advocate Dayna Lazarus, founder of Transit Now Tampa Bay, about recent struggles and progress for public transportation in one of America’s fastest-growing cities.  DAYNA LAZARUS has over a decade of experience in community organizing and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from University of South Florida. At USF, she won several professional and...

This week Ryan sat down with returning guest Jason Garcia, who discussed his brand new reporting  on just how much money the Free State of Florida may have spent politically opposing abortion rights — despite the 57% of voters who want the exact opposite. Plus, reasons for optimism in Orlando & Orange county local elections with and more expert analysis from the author & publisher of Seeki...

Our first year in review episode looks back at guests and highlights from the most Florida-pilled year in Florida history.  As Trump’s new administration lights a candle in broad Palm Beach daylight, Florida took on a new importance yet again. The villain of national politics and its new hometown saw federal intrigue, two major hurricanes, Matt Gaetz, and a sprinkling of taxpayer boondoggles — plu...

Host Ryan Ray sits down with St. Petersburg City Council Member Richie Floyd the day after a dramatic reversal on City stadium funding — and possibly the Rays' entire $600 million+ subsidies proposal they claim to need stay in Tampa Bay. We discussed whether in the era of climate catastrophes like Hurricanes Milton and Helene, that may be a good thing. Leave a review and subscribe on Patreon to su...

Ben Braver joins the show to talk political violence after the Trump shooting, his experience as a teacher navigating the continued defunding of Florida's public schools, and his vision for a state that works for the people over corporate interests. You can learn more about Ben at benbraver.org .

An emergency pod dispatch from the Cone of Concern. Stay safe all, and let's re-build a better Florida in the ruins of Helene.