Florida Matters

It's hard to believe, but school is back in session. If you're a parent, that means you're already dealing with that early morning dash to school and also coping with the chaos in the car line.  On Florida Matters we got a peek inside the backpack as another school year is underway in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties.  School administrators are breathing a sigh of relief as millions of dol...

People often own the manufactured home they live in, but rent the land it sits on. And the rent is going up.  On this episode, you'll hear from people explaining how they’re struggling to keep pace with rising rent. Their stories are part of a special reporting project from WUSF called Not So Forever Home . The Pulitzer’s Center for local reporting supported it. You’ll also hear from WUSF reporter...

On this episode you’ll hear from caregivers and advocates about how they face this challenge.  Our guests are Rachel Piltch-Loeb , author of The Millennial Caregiver: Caring for Loved Ones in the Busiest Years of Your Life.  Viviam Sifontes , research educator at Moffit Cancer Center Lauren Klinger , a Wesley Chapel resident and writer. She’s been a caregiver and is author of the “Learn from My Mi...

When hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton menaced Tampa Bay last summer, you may have been glued to your radio for updates. The National Weather Service is a lifeline, not just during hurricanes, but whenever there’s severe weather. Now, hundreds of staff have left the agency in the last six months. Could that affect the agency’s work? You’ll hear from meteorologist Brian LaMarre , who led the fore...

Tampa federal prosecutor Michael Gordon was fired last month.  There are questions about why he was fired, and concerns about what happens now to the case he was leading, involving  fraud and  Clearwater businessman Leo Govoni.  Govoni’s accused of stealing millions of dollars of medical trust fund money. Tampa Bay Times reporter Christopher O’Donnell has been covering the Leo Govoni case extensiv...

Florida’s legislative session went way longer than planned, as lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis argued over proposed tax cuts. DeSantis signed the budget — more than $115 billion — and a slate of new laws took effect on July 1. State government reporters Meghan Bowman and Douglas Soule with the "Your Florida" team discuss what got vetoed, what survived and what it means for Tampa Bay.

On this episode of "Florida Matters," you’ll learn about The Chitlin Circuit, how it shaped the sound of jazz, blues, and rock, and how it paved the way for the music industry we see today. We revisit a conversation brought to you last February about the network of clubs that Black performers toured in the segregated South.  Coming up- you’ll hear how the artists who performed on the circuit shape...

Tampa Bay has a world renowned arts scene. Chances are you’ve caught an exhibition at the Dali museum in St. Petersburg- or taken in some of the dazzling, larger than life art at the SHINE mural festival.  But did you know Tampa is also the birthplace of death metal ?  On this episode you’ll hear from WUSF reporters who’ve been spotlighting the arts and culture of Tampa Bay. If you feel like there...

When you hear the term ‘romance novel', does it conjure up images of Fabio’s flying hair- or maybe some bodice ripping?  You can still find that between the covers of a romance novel, but there’s so much more.  You’re  just as likely to read about a baseball diamond as a bodice in the new universe of romance fiction. One thing these novels all have in common?  Two people making a connection. On th...

There’s a lot more mystery and magic to this state than "Florida Man" headlines suggest. Take a drive around the Tampa Bay area and you may wonder about the story behind the UFO perched atop a strip club, Weeki Wachee’s mermaid show or Tampa’s obsession with pirates. Gabrielle Calise, a culture writer who reports on offbeat Florida, nostalgia and music for the Tampa Bay Times, is an expert guide t...

The Tampa City Council announced Tuesday morning that Henderson died at her home of natural causes overnight. Henderson was an educator and bookstore owner. And in this episode, we’re revisiting Florida Matters host Matthew Peddie's conversation with Henderson last year at Black English , the store in Tampa Heights that she ran with her daughter, Ariel. When they sat down to chat , the bookstore h...

In the lead up to the start of hurricane season, Florida Matters took a closer look at stories of recovery- from homeowners, business leaders and community members.  In this episode you’ll hear highlights from the series: how businesses are rebuilding and how local governments are trying to prevent the  flooding that swamped neighborhoods across our region last year.  You’ll also hear tips on mana...

David Jolly represented Florida's 13th congressional district, in Pinellas County, from 2014 to 2017. He left the Republican party in 2018 and has spent the past few years advocating for more options for voters dissatisfied with the major political parties. In April, he registered as a Democrat. Jolly was born in Dunedin and grew up in Dade City. His father was a Baptist preacher. He represented F...

There’s a certain model of handgun that’s popular with gun owners across the country. It’s popular with  law enforcement too. But recently, some  agencies- including right here in Tampa Bay- opted to remove the Sig Sauer P320 from their arsenals because of safety concerns. On this episode you'll hear from a journalist who's been covering this issue for The Trace and Mother Jones. Ava Sasani explai...

On "Florida Matters," we discuss hurricane recovery for Tampa Bay area businesses following the 2024 storms. We also look into how business owners can prepare and find relief this year. Building a business can be hard work. And for business owners across the Tampa Bay region, there’s been an added disruption — hurricanes. Hurricanes Milton and Helene caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to...

If your home flooded during hurricane season last year, you may still be recovering from the damage.  A lot of neighborhoods flooded as a series of storms impacted the Tampa Bay region- Hurricane Debby, then Helene and soon after that- Milton.  And it wasn’t just places on the coast. Inland neighborhoods flooded too.  So- with hurricane season almost here- what are local governments doing to preve...

When a disaster strikes, you can expect help from local and state governments, and from FEMA. But it may not be long before you find out those agencies can’t do it all. And knowing who your neighbors are can make a big difference in how your community recovers.  In this episode, you’ll hear from community leaders, and from some of your neighbors across the Tampa Bay region, about the different way...

Hurricane season is always stressful. And it may weigh even heavier as you continue to recover from last year’s storms. So how are you coping – and dealing with the unknowns as Hurricane Season arrives?  We invited a couple of people who are experts in helping people get through crises.  On this episode you'll hear from Clara Reynolds , the President and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, and...

When Manatee County got rid of bus fares- ridership went up. And it’s not the only place in Tampa Bay where more people started taking the bus after fares went away.  Hillsborough County made its most popular bus route, from downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida, free for this year, and ridership is way up.  On this episode of Florida Matters, Manatee County Transit Division Manager Ke...

You know the Tampa Bay Rays. If you’re a baseball fan, you follow the wins and losses. But if you’re a taxpayer in St Petersburg or Pinellas County, the ongoing stadium saga may grab your attention. The city of St Petersburg is fixing the damaged roof of Tropicana Field. Across the Bay in Tampa - the team plays its home games at Steinbrenner Field But here’s the question you - and a lot of your ne...

When Uber arrived in Tampa Bay ten years ago, it was a game changer for transit, disrupting the taxi industry and opening up the gig economy.  Uber says it has more than 8 million drivers and couriers worldwide using the app each month. And it’s been reported that Uber commands about three quarters of the ride share business in the US.  Javi Correoso is the director of public affairs for Uber’s So...

When Uber arrived in Tampa Bay ten years ago, it was a gamechanger. The rideshare app disrupted the taxi industry and offered people a way to make extra money on their own schedule. It hasn’t all been smooth driving since then. Last year, Uber and Lyft drivers in Tampa joined a nationwide strike, calling for higher wages. Joining Florida Matters for a conversation about what it's like to drive for...

At the start of the session, you heard from WUSF’s ‘Your Florida’ team. Reporters Meghan Bowman and Douglas Soule are keeping tabs on the legislature up in Tallahassee and talking with you and your neighbors across Tampa Bay about issues that you think are important.  On this episode you'll hear from Douglas and Meghan about how the session is going.  Lawmakers are debating things like loosening g...

Tampa Bay is a pro sports town. You’ve got the Lightning for Hockey, Buccaneers for Football, and the Rays for baseball. That attracts folks for hundreds of games in the area this year. But there’s another huge presence: the numbers are in for the first IndyCar Series broadcast of the season for the audience that watched Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden battle  on the streets of St. Petersburg’s wat...

Birding- or bird watching- is booming.  The US Fish and Wildlife service estimates there are 96 million birders in the United States. That’s one in three adults in this country. And even if you aren’t one of them- you may just be birdwatching by default. On this episode, Florida Matters executive producer Gracyn Doctor takes you on a bird walk at Lettuce Lake. And you'll hear about the appeal of b...