WUSF
@wusf.org
Tampa Bay's NPR station and your source for local news and information on the radio and online.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a year after the last permanent director was fired in a dispute over vaccine policy with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Dr. Erica Schwartz confirmed as CDC director, filling a leadership vacuum
Schwartz takes command of a public health agency that has lost thousands of employees, amid layoffs, resignations and leadership turmoil.
wusf.org
On "Florida Matters Live & Local," we spend the hour talking about Florida’s prison system, beginning with recently retired Secretary Ricky Dixon. Then, the mental scars suffered by incarcerated women and college classes behind bars bring hope.
Challenges facing Florida’s corrections system: At the top and inside the walls
We spend the hour talking about Florida’s prison system, beginning with recently retired Secretary Ricky Dixon. Then, the mental scars suffered by incarcerated women, and college classes behind bars b...
wusf.org
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” a discussion about Sing Out and READ, an organization that uses singing to improve children's reading skills. Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...
"First Coast Connect" host Anne Schindler interviewed Trump-endorsed congressman Byron Donalds to ask why he should be the Sunshine State’s next chief executive.
Rep. Byron Donalds discusses campaign finance, data centers, the environment and more
"First Coast Connect," on WJCT in Jacksonville, sits down with the Republican gubernatorial candidate to ask why he should be the Sunshine State’s next chief executive.
wusf.org
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” 10-year-old Tampa fencer, Beata Jubilee, along with her father and coach, talked about the work and discipline behind the national fencing title. Read more: www.wusf.org/sports/2026-...
"Bending Arc," the St. Pete Pier’s $1.5 million public artwork, has been MIA for 18 months after significant hurricane damage.
The future of St. Pete Pier’s ‘net’ sculpture is blowin’ in the wind
"Bending Arc," the St. Pete Pier’s $1.5 million public artwork, has been MIA for 18 months.
wusf.org
Hillsborough and Pasco counties' school districts are limiting screen time in classrooms as part of a nationwide push to reduce excessive tech use that research shows is leading to lower test scores, weaker vocabulary and shorter attention spans. Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...
"In summary, voters are entitled to a fair, clear, accurate and non-misleading ballot statement to assist them in making their critical determination," wrote Judge David Frank.
Judge orders Florida to rewrite the property tax amendment ballot language
A Leon County judge has ruled Florida must rewrite the ballot language before voters see it in November, saying they're "entitled to a fair, clear, accurate and non-misleading ballot statement."
wusf.org
North Ward Elementary School was one of the first public schools built in Pinellas County. It closed in 2009, but now the property may be getting a new beginning.
Community meeting held for Clearwater school property
The original North Ward Elementary School building was constructed in 1915.
wusf.org
When should police pursue a fleeing vehicle? When should they call it off? On "Florida Matters Live & Local," we talk to an expert in law enforcement training after the recent death of a teen during a high-speed chase.
Police chases: Finding a balance between speed and safety. Also, assembling a voter guide
When should police pursue a fleeing vehicle? When should they call it off? We talk to an expert in law enforcement training after the recent death of a teen during a high-speed chase.
wusf.org
On "The Florida Roundup," Lt. Gov. Jay Collins talks about his goal to make Florida more affordable and the property tax amendment on November's ballot, along with other topics. Read more: www.wusf.org/the-florida-...
Many SoHo business owners, concerned years of construction could ruin their livelihoods, have sued the city, accusing it of withholding documents to “prevent public scrutiny” of a stormwater drainage project. Read more: www.wusf.org/politics-iss...
In the last election, about one-third of Florida counties had no reporting on their school board races. This year, reporters across the state are helping voters learn more about the candidates seeking to lead their local school districts. For more: www.wusf.org/school-board...
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” Florida Hospital Association president and CEO Mary Mayhew talks about the effects that a proposed amendment may have on children's healthcare and Medicaid.
Could property tax cut come at a cost to children's healthcare? FHA CEO Mayhew responds
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” Florida Hospital Association president and CEO Mary Mayhew talks about the effects that a proposed amendment may have on children's healthcare and Medicaid.
wusf.org
A dual crisis is unfolding in school lunchrooms across Florida. Some districts raise prices to keep pace with higher costs, and thousands fewer kids are signed up for the help they need to get free meals. Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...
Congress allocated $150 million for 250th birthday events. The Trump-backed group that planned the state fair and July 4th fireworks is asking for an additional $10 million in reimbursements.
The Trump administration wants $10 million more to cover its July Fourth celebrations
Congress allocated $150 million for 250th birthday events. The Trump-backed group that planned the state fair and July 4th fireworks is asking for an additional $10 million in reimbursements.
wusf.org
A majority of Florida waterways are failing water quality standards, even as the state's pollution enforcement remains near historic lows, according to a new report.
A majority of Florida waterways are polluted. But environmental enforcement is lacking
The water quality data are based on 37 years of environmental enforcement data, plus the latest comprehensive analysis of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
wusf.org
The Keys Marine Lab was expanded by the state after historic coral bleaching in 2023. It continues to rescue corals that are increasingly threatened by heat and warming waters. Read - and see more pics - here: www.wusf.org/environment/...
St. Pete Beach commissioners agreed to move forward with a wastewater rate overhaul after a consultant concluded homeowners and condominium residents have been paying a larger share of the city’s sewer costs than hotels and other commercial customers.
St. Pete Beach residents paying more than hotels for sewer
Commissioners agreed Tuesday to move forward with a wastewater rate overhaul.
wusf.org
Florida's Public Media stations created a voter guide to help you make your choice in the upcoming elections. From school board members to U.S. Senators, we talked to candidates in more than 80 races. Read more: www.wusf.org/politics-iss...
Florida's first post-Surfside collapse condo inspection report found dozens of unsafe or uninhabitable buildings. But reporting problems and disputes over some findings are complicating things. Read more: www.wusf.org/politics-iss...
From high-rises facing extreme heat during power outages to marinas filled with displaced vessels, how and where you live in the Sunshine State fundamentally changes your hurricane experience.
Florida hurricanes: In Florida, where — and how — you live matters
In Florida, hurricane vulnerability is shaped not just by the storm, but by the way people live — in high-rises, along waterways, and across coastal communities where power loss, heat, and marine dama...
wusf.org
Two business owners were charged with tossing hundreds of mothballs onto St. Pete Beach in April. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the men were trying to disrupt the nesting season for threatened black skimmer shorebirds.
Two charged with spreading mothballs in shorebird nesting area on St. Pete Beach
The two St. Pete Beach business owners were arrested Wednesday after investigations connected them to the mothballs.
wusf.org
The long legal battle to erase the debts of nearly half a million federal student loan borrowers who say they were defrauded by their colleges is finally coming to an end, after a recent court ruling in a lawsuit that has spanned three presidential administrations.
450k borrowers say they were ripped off. Their student loans are being erased
The borrowers say they were defrauded by their colleges, but the class-action lawsuit to erase their federal student loans has been tangled up in courts for years.
wusf.org
A 3D printer can spit out almost anything these days. But how about a house? On "Florida Matters Live & Local," we learn how a local startup and real estate brokerage are partnering to use the technology to construct a three-bedroom home in East Tampa.
How 3D printing is revolutionizing home construction, and Tampa's luxury boom
A 3D printer can spit out almost anything these days. But how about a house? A local firm is using the technology to construct a three-bedroom home in East Tampa. How exactly does this work?
wusf.org
Bill Carlson says he learned of negotiated changes in the $976 million contribution during a meeting with Rays CEO Ken Babby, who recently opened individual discussions with council members.
Tampa councilman Carlson says financing framework for Rays stadium is evolving
Bill Carlson says he learned of negotiated changes in the $976 million contribution during a meeting with Rays CEO Ken Babby, who recently opened individual discussions with council members.
wusf.org
On “Florida Matters Live & Local,” Andrew Spar and Christine Long discussed the need for educators to use personal money to purchase basic operational classroom supplies Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...
Saharan dust and wind shear are keeping things quieter in the Gulf, but an ocean scientist says, "it only takes one in the wrong place."
Despite storm-fueling warm waters in the Gulf, other phenomena are suppressing tropical activity
Saharan dust and wind shear are keeping things quieter in the Gulf, but an ocean scientist says, "it only takes one in the wrong place."
wusf.org
Polk County expanded its income requirements to qualify for its free healthcare plan. The plan offers healthcare services to residents who are uninsured, ineligible for Medicaid or Medicare or priced out of others. Read more: www.wusf.org/health-news-...
From hearing about the stories behind original songs to a psychedelic funk performance and more, there are several live music events you can check out this weekend across the greater Tampa Bay region. See more events here: www.wusf.org/arts-culture...
