Florida Matters

It was an exciting state primary election with some unexpected results, and we break it down with Zac Anderson, editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune, and William March, longtime political analyst and journalist. Progressives got what they've long wished for in Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for Governor, and set up what Zac says will be an interesting "political science experiment" going f...

Florida's primary election was full of surprises. WUSF reporters Steve Newborn, Mark Schreiner and Roberto Roldan have been following the races and were out covering campaign events on primary night. They sit down with host Robin Sussingham to talk about the evening's upsets and drama. Support for Florida Matters More comes from the National Foundation for Transplants. Right now, hundreds of Tampa...

Five candidates (three Democrats and two Republicans) for Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services sit down with WLRN Public Media in Miami, and the editorial page editors of the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post. They give their views on restoring voting rights to felons, and on how to enforce the "Do Not Call" list. The Ag Commissioner is a c...

This week on Florida Matters, we're spotlighting some special news reports and features that won awards in 2017. On this podcast, a conversation with WUSF reporter and assistant news director Mark Schreiner and WUSF reporter and Florida Matters producer Stephanie Colombini. In other news, Mark puts on his sports reporter cap, and tells us that the day is approaching when the USF Women's Basketball...

(Originally broadcast 5/15/18) Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham speaks to Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve; Daniel Elias, president of Pharmacology University, a medical marijuana education program; and Darrin Potter, Chief Horticulture Officer at GrowHealthy in Lake Wales. GrowHealthy and Trulieve are licensed medical marijuana treatment centers and are authorized to cultivate, process and dispen...

We're only weeks away from Florida's primary election, and while the gap between the two Republican candidates for Governor seems to be widening, the five Democratic candidates are in a real horse race for the nomination. Host Robin Sussingham talks to reporter Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times and Janelle Irwin of the Tampa Bay Business Journal about why this might be the right moment politic...

On this week's podcast, we talk about what makes a craft beer special. Does it matter if it's been acquired by a big corporation? What is a "hoppy" taste? And we taste the hugely popular Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. Host Robin Sussingham sits down with Neil Callaghan, Brand Ambassador for Cigar City Brewing , and a certified beer judge;  Sean Nordquist, Executive Director of the Florida Brewers Guild;...

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to WUSF reporters Daylina Miller and Cathy Carter, and Florida Matters Producer Stephanie Colombini about their visits to area museums. Daylina talks about her interview with Clyde Butcher; Cathy gets the inside scoop behind Herb Snitzer's jazz icons; and Stephanie finds that glass art seems to be coming into its own.   Support for Florida Matters More c...

So many complaints about the Tampa Bay area come back to transit. What's it like to be responsible for transportation planning (when everyone who drives considers himself an expert?) Host Robin Sussingham sits down with Christine Acosta, Executive Director of Walk Bike Tampa (an advocacy and education  non profit organization); Beth Alden, Director of Hillsborough’s Metropolitan Planning Organizat...

For today's podcast, Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham is letting you in on the tour she took through the William Dean Chocolates kitchen. It's like a real-life trip with Willy Wonka through the Chocolate Factory. Is it possible to sample a little too much chocolate? We'll find out. Support for Florida Matters More comes from the National Foundation for Transplants. Right now, hundreds of Tamp...

After the Parkland school shooting last February, a new Florida law requires public schools to put armed guards on every campus. Host Robin Sussingham talks about the practical ramifications of that with Superintendent Kurt Browning of Pasco County; Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd of Polk County; and Bridget Ziegler, chairwoman of the Sarasota County School Board. Support for Florida Matters More c...

Host Robin Sussingham talks to political reporter and Tampa Bay Times correspondent William March and WUSF News Director Mary Shedden about the goings on in Florida's political scene. There's enough controversy to keep it interesting. Comparisons to an episode of "Survivor" are made.   Support for Florida Matters More comes from the National Foundation for Transplants. Right now, hundreds of Tampa...

Parkland, Florida, high school student and mass shooting survivor Leonor Muñoz records a riveting audio diary for this week’s Florida Matters. Host Robin Sussingham sits down with reporters from Miami’s public radio station WLRN to talk about Leonor’s experience, and how they’re covering the aftermath of the massacre.   Support for Florida Matters More comes from the National Foundation for Transp...

Robin Sussingham sits down with Jeff Huffman, meteorologist with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, to talk about how much he hates -- really hates -- to be asked about the seasonal hurricane forecast. It's irrelevant! And not very accurate! Plus, how to lower your anxiety level as a hurricane approaches. Florida Matters More is supported by the National Foundation for Transplants . Right...

In this podcast, WUSF's Robin Sussingham, Stephanie Colombini and Julio Ochoa break down the recent Florida Matters Town Hall that was recorded in front of a live audience (but what audience isn't live?) in St. Petersburg. The topic was healthcare for the uninsured, and it came about after a series of stories that Julio produced on the free clinics around the Tampa Bay area. We discuss the common...

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks politics and more with Adam Smith, Political Editor of the Tampa Bay Times; Janelle Irwin, reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal; and Julio Ochoa, editor of WUSF's Health News Florida.

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham speaks to Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve; Daniel Elias, president of Pharmacology University, a medical marijuana education program; and Darrin Potter, Chief Horticulture Officer at GrowHealthy in Lake Wales. GrowHealthy and Trulieve are licensed medical marijuana treatment centers and are authorized to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana in Florida...

He'll tell you himself: the most dangerous place in Polk County is to get between Sheriff Grady Judd and a TV camera. Polk County Sheriff Judd is never at a loss for words or opinions on criminal behavior, and he's played a big role in the response to the school shooting in Parkland. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to the Sheriff about juvenile justice and more.

On this week's acronym-rich podcast,  we're talking about the future of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Tampa Bay with Dennis Hinebaugh,  the program director for transit research at CUTR, The Center for Urban Transportation Research, and the Director of CUTR's National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (NBRTI); Brad Miller, the CEO of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA); and  Sharon Calvert,  co-...

Following our Florida Matters reporters roundtable for April, host Robin Sussingham picks up the conversation with a discussion on changes in Cuba; the new museum of western and wildlife art in St. Pete; a ban on greyhound racing; and how to juice a marijuana plant. She's joined by longtime political writer William March, Justine Griffin of the Tampa Bay Times, and Florida Matters Producer Stephan...

Sandhill cranes, Pileated Woodpeckers, egrets and pelicans -- Florida  is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to birds. Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to Ann Paul, Tampa Bay area Regional Coordinator for Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries; Mary Keith, president of the Tampa Audubon Society; and  Dave Goodwin, former president of the Florida Ornithological Society, abou...

Retail is changing and there will be winners and losers. Florida Matters Host Robin Sussingham talks to the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Ashley  Gurbal Kritzer; David Ortinau, a Marketing Professor at USF's  Muma College of Business; and Paul Rutledge, First Vice President, retail brokerage in CBRE’s Tampa office about the secrets to retail success. And why do the big drug stores always want to be...

Mallory Lykes Dimmit, Carlton Ward, Jr., and Joe Guthrie are getting ready to set off once again into the wilds of Florida as members of the Florida Wildlife Corridor expedition team. In this podcast, they speak with Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham and WUSF's assistant news director Steve Newborn about the problems that I-4 presents to wildlife trying to make its way across the state. Also,...

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee bureau chief for the Tampa Bay Times, and Zac Anderson, political editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune, about what changed -- and what didn't -- as a result of this year's legislative session. Bousquet says the new law that  generated the most passionate debate gives private school vouchers to kids who have been bullied so...

Florida Matters host Robin Sussingham talks to producer Stephanie Colombini and reporter Daylina Miller about their experiences with live music around Tampa Bay. Stephanie says she's hardly missed a beat since moving from New York City; and Daylina tells us about why she loves death metal. Did you know that Tampa is the center of the world for death metal music?