Wait Five Minutes

On the night of April 27th, 1986, viewers of HBO received a mysterious message.  Watch the original Captain Midnight hijack right here. Read more about the Captain Midnight hijack on Mental Floss.   All of the music was originally composed. 

Earlier this year, news of potential development on Florida's state parks sent the state into a frenzy. Protests erupted all over the peninsula, and the government responded quickly. What exactly were the plans, and what's the state of the development threat today? Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on I...

Our guest this week is Elizabeth Randall, author of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure. Book in hand, we walk the streets of the Ancient City, discovering all the hidden stories in the old homes of St. Augustine. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Thank...

In the 1960s, the Miami Dolphins had an actual dolphin in their stadium. They aren't the only Florida team with a unique history of mascots. This week, we go team by team and explore the strange lore of our beloved team mascots. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   I do not own the rig...

In a special collection at the University of Florida, a diverse array of birds are suspended in death - a vital tool to understand our feathered neighborhoods, and how we can protect them. Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here! All of the music was originally composed.    Thank you to Dr. Andrew Kratter for his help chatting ornit...

Election Day was a big one - and revealed a lot about Florida's past, present and future. We go race by race, and sort out what to keep an eye on with 2026 on the horizon. Sources for quotes used in this episode. Please read the links below. Why Florida requires 60% approval for constitutional amendments - Axios Tampa Bay How DeSantis beat the abortion and marijuana ballot initiatives - Tampa Bay...

Today is a little Fall Break for WFM - but we will be back on Friday with a full-length episode discussing Florida and its place in the 2024 Election - and a look-ahead to 2026. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here! All of the music was originally composed. 

Listen to our episode about the Florida state amendments on your ballot! Find your polling location! During the darkest days of the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon took solace in the privacy of his home in Miami, Florida - and his best friend who helped make Florida his home.  Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer log...

For over a century, thousands have rested peacefully within the gates of Greenwood Cemetery. The founding of the cemetery was a fascinating journey - and the other burial sites in Orlando reveal dark truths about life and death. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Thank you to Rachel...

Owls roam the forests and neighborhoods of Florida - day and night - and the unique qualities of our native raptors make them one of the most diverse birds in our ecosystem. This week, we discuss the nocturnal hunters - and how we can protect them. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!  ...

William Grefé is a master of horror and exploitation cinema in the Sunshine State. From telepathic sharks to humanoid jellyfish, his movies are epic, ridiculous, and charming - and perfectly capture the filmmaking scene in mid-20th century Florida.  Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!  ...

In Florida, the haunted attraction industry just continues to grow. From theme park horror nights, to local haunts in small town forests, Halloween is good business for those seeking a proper fright. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Thank you to our friends at A Petrified Forest fo...

Make sure you are registered to vote!  The deadline is October 7th! There are SIX amendments on the Florida ballot this year and we're breaking them down, one by one. Listen on your way to vote! Read more about all six amendments at Ballotpedia Read more about Amendment 3 in the Florida Phoenix   Read more about Amendment 4 in NPR Read more about the six-week abortion ban in NPR   All of the music...

Make sure you are registered to vote!  The deadline is October 7th! This week in our latest political episode, we dive into the highlights of Debbie Mucarsel-Powell's career - from local work to Congress, and the policies she's hoping to bring to the Senate. Below are links to articles referenced in the episode: Read the policies on Mucarsel-Powell's website Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to face Rick Sco...

Make sure you are registered to vote!  The deadline is October 7th! This week in our latest political episode, we dive into the highlights of Rick Scott's career - from businessman to governor to senator, now seeking re-election. Below are links to articles referenced in the episode: Rick Scott's 12 Point Plan to Rescue America Rick Scott- Britannica Rick Scott and the fraud case of Columbia/HCA -...

Out in Biscayne Bay, a handful of buildings represent whats left of a unique town from the mid-20th century. Standing on tall structures buried in the sand, Stiltsville was a community at the edge of the ocean - filled with family stories and classic Florida characters. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea...

Make sure you are registered to vote! The deadline is October 7th! This week, we do a quick breakdown of a couple stories related to our governor, Ron DeSantis, as he enters the last two years of his tenure as Governor of Florida. Below are links to articles referenced in the episode: DeSantis signs bill allowing people to shoot Florida bears in self defense. What to know - Naples Daily News DeSan...

The Underground Railroad ran a route through Florida, bringing enslaved people from the United States to freedom. The impact of this route through Cape Florida and the coasts of the state shaped the country, alongside our neighbors to the east, the Bahamas.  Our guest this week is Stefan Moss, who is part of a group collecting and organizing more history about the Saltwater Railroad!   Pick up you...

For thirty years, NASA's most iconic vehicle launched from Florida's shores. This week, we dive into the origin of the Space Shuttle with Central Florida Public Media's Brendan Byrne - and explore the complexities of this incredible era of space travel. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram her...

Check to see if you are registered to vote, and read your ballot right here! Read about the Republican candidates for Senator here Read about the Democrat candidates for Senator here   Florida has a primary on August 20th - let's go over what is on your ballot, and prepare for the major election in November!   All of the music was originally composed. 

Miami is home to one of Florida's most confusing landmarks: a giant castle made entirely of limestone. If the castle itself is mysterious, its creator is even more so, a man of enigmas and obsession.  Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!  Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Plan your visit to the Coral Castle right here !...

Learn more about your ballot at Vote.org in preparation for Florida's next primary on August 20th! All the way south of St. Pete Beach stands the last remnants of Fort De Soto, an unusual structure in the heart of a beach park. It's the key the unlock centuries of history, hidden on an island at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her inc...

In the summer of 1961, the King of Rock and Roll filmed a movie in the small town of Inverness, Florida. To this day, the city still tells the tale of Elvis in the city - and celebrates the legacy he left behind. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   Thank you to our friends at the Old C...

In 1956, Orlando was home to the shopping center of the future, Colonial Plaza. Over the decades, it would expand in a wholly unusual way, as malls became the core of American comerce. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!   Thank you to Rachel Williams from the History Center!  Plan your trip to the Orange County Regional...

Training for D-Day was essential to the invasion's success. For a few pivotal teams preparing for June 6th, 1944, the shores of Florida were where they trained - where the victory in Europe began. Pick up your copy of FLORIDA! right here! Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our summer logo!   Thank you to Grant Mann and the National Navy SEAL Museum for their help with this week...