Jacksonville's Morning News Interviews

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, China President Xi Jingping will be making a formal state visit to Russia, offering economic and political support. The summit is raising concern about just how involved China will become in bolstering Russia, and what that could mean to other Eastern European nations and to Taiwan.

WOKV legal and political analyst Rick Mullaney, director of the JU Public Policy Institute, joins JMN to look at the latest controversy surrounding the potential indictment of former President Donald Trump, and how that may play to Trump's promotional advantage. He also looks at the disappointing turnout for early voting in Jacksonville's general election, and what we can expect on election day an...

Mike Hogan and RIch Jones discuss the early voting turnout on the eve of the general election, and the prospect of a run-off election in May. WOKV will cover all of the evening's election results on a special edition of You Decide 2023 starting Tuesday at 7pm.

Blair looks at the story behind President Trump's weekend announcement that he "expects to be arrested" this week, in relation to his 2016 payoff of adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Critics argue that this is a political stunt and a bad faith move by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. If charges are pursued, it would be the first time a former president is indicted in US history.

Eben and Rich discuss a recent poll that suggests it's a 2-horse race for GOP presidential nominee, which is odd considering one of those candidates hasn't formally declared interest in the race (yet).

Rich discusses the upcoming general election with Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan. Early voting concludes this weekend, and the general election day is Tuesday, March 21. To learn more about the Mayoral candidates, check out the interviews and the voting guide at WOKV.com, and tune in for live coverage of results on election night.

Robert joins JMN with the latest information on the Jared Bridegan murder investigation. Mario Hernandez-Saldana, the husband of Bridegan's ex-wife, was arrested yesterday in Orlando and charged with murder and conspiracy. He will be extradited to Jacksonville for prosecution. State Attorney Melissa Nelson confirmed that the investigation is still on-going.

Blair reports on the latest national report of active COVID-19 cases, and though the number of cases is relatively low in comparison to the past few years, medical resources at hospitals are still strained, and despite Congressional posturing and volatile unsubstantiated opinions, the virus's origins remain unknown.

Robert joins JMN with the latest on the Jared Bridegan murder investigation. Yesterday, the State Attorney's Office announced the arrest of Mario Fernandez-Saldana, current husband to Bridegan's ex-wide, who has been indicted for first degree murder and other charges. Co-conspirator Henry Tenon, who yesterday plead guilty to the 2nd degree murder of Bridegan, has agreed to testify against Fernande...

Eben reports on proposed Florida legislation banning new treatment for minors (under 18) regarding transgender care, including any related medications or surgical procedures, though patients already undergoing care would be grandfathered in and exempt from the ban. Additional matters included in the legislation include banning academic content such as Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in collegiate c...

Talk continues in the White House and Congress about a full national ban of the popular social media application "TikTok," citing fears of data access by Chinese bad actors. The app has already been forbidden on federal employee equipment and some state employee equipment as well.

Mayor Lenny Curry joined JMN to discuss last night's vote regarding bringing a new UF Health campus to downtown Jacksonville. Lots of questions remain, particularly where this campus would be set up, and what impact and expense would it entail for the local community.

Today, federal lawmakers are examining public safety and the future of gun safety laws. This hearing stems from last summer’s Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which changed the legal test for evaluating gun safety laws. This was the first major Supreme Court guns ruling in more than a decade. This also comes on the heels of President Biden’s new e...

Eben reports on measures the government has taken to shore up banks after the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and what impacts may follow - including to investors, the FED, interest rates, and inflation.

NEW this morning, the White House says President Biden will announce new measures to reduce gun violence. This includes an Executive Order with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales. Administration officials believe this will move the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation. President Biden will also li...

Brian joins JMN with a look at the Trump vs DeSantis campaign comments, as both have mentioned each other in stumping speeches. Is this a preview of what's to come in the 2024 campaign trail? Brian looks at this and more from 9a-noon today.

Ryan looks at President Biden's week ahead, starting with this morning's address on the current banking scandal involving the failures of California's Silicon Valley Bank and New York's Signature Bank.

Jared Rice joins JMN to recap this year's The Players Championship, reflects on some event highlights, and teases preparations for next year's event which will begin soon.

President Biden will address the ongoing banking crisis and what steps the administration is taking to keep the system on track. This comes as after a weekend of troubles for Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Regulators shuttered Silicon Valley Bank on Friday and seized its deposits making it the largest U.S. banking failure since the 2008 financial crisis. Then yesterday, regulators shut do...

Clark Howard comments on why the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank are NOT indicative of the same kind of banking crisis we saw 15 years ago, and how the government has acted to prevent a run on banks and secure and protect account holders' funds.

Dr. Larry Moss, CEO of Nemour's, joins JMN to share how The Players partnership helps to make services available to Jacksonville's pediatric patient community. Additionally, he shouts out to the Children's Cancer Fund and looks ahead to Careathon 2023.

Mark Kaye joins JMN to reminisce about that time he was SHUSH!'d at TPC, looks ahead to today's show, and reminds us about the MKS Spring Break schedule next week. Join Mark for all the fun today from Noon to 3pm!

Lauren Cikara, VP of School Mental Health for Active Minds, joins JMN to talk about how the Player's philanthropic services helped to expand Active Minds into middle schools and communities, facilitating peer-to-peer mental health and counselling services for children, teens, and young adults.

The reason TPC runs as smoothly and professionally as it does is because of the hard work of the volunteers who give their time and excellence. Among the crew of volunteers over the past several years is Tyler Griffin, but he wasn't the only family member working on Wednesday... his wife went into labor!

Jared Rice joins JMN to and sings the praises of the volunteers who make this event work, each of which has their own story to tell (hat tip to Tyler!). He also recaps the 1st day of play, previews what fans can expect today, and has a pro tip - ARRIVE EARLY! Satellite lots and ride services are your friend as you join the fun of TPC Round 2. Plus, there's a special story about a fan and player en...