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The pandemic has certainly changed almost everything. But those changes, whether on the job or in personal life, aren’t necessarily all bad. The challenges posed by change can also be leveraged into opportunities for growth, as well as new and better ways of coping with future change. To talk about it are: Terrie Ard, president and chief operating officer of the Moore Agency and that organization’s senior vice president Jordan Jacobs who have been providing online seminars on these subjects.

From the “isn’t one disaster enough?” department, what happens if a major hurricane strikes Florida in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic? The possibility of cascading catastrophes could greatly complicate life for emergency managers and evacuees. The feds promised coronavirus tests would all be free of charge. But some aren’t. A government watchdog group has some suggestions on how Florida can start closing an ever-widening revenue gap. Sparks fly at this week’s Florida Cabinet meeting between Governor DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. Kaylea (KAY-lee) Skinner is just one of many newly minted university graduates. She was hoping to go into event planning, but jobs in that field have dried up as a consequence of the pandemic.

Planning for and responding to hurricanes are a yearly exercise in Florida. But this season, which began June 1, now includes the added challenge of dealing with COVID-19 and the need to protect evacuees and first responders from infection. To talk about those challenges are: Kevin Peters, director of Emergency Management for Leon County; Sharon Tyler, executive director of the Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross; and Dr. Karen Cyphers, who is part of a statewide public perception project to help policymakers craft more effective emergency response.

From Zoom meetings to YouTube videos and virtual reality journeys, the latest technology is helping older folks stay connected and involved, even in the age of COVID-19. Among this region's greatest resources in promoting, teaching and leveraging those tools is Florida State University's Institute for Successful Longevity. We talk with Institute Director Neil Charness and Dr. Dawn Kerr, associate professor of Sociology about these developments and trends.

Protesters are calling for police body camera video showing the shooting of Tony McDade. But law enforcement says that won’t be released until after an investigation and it’s possible the video may not exist at all. As protests continue across the nation, here in Florida the coronavirus numbers are increasing. With nearly nine thousand new cases in the past week, epidemiologists believe the protests are playing a significant role. For months the question was, will Florida schools reopen in the fall? The answer came this week. The Legislature set aside lots of money to boost affordable housing this year. But that funding may be in jeopardy if lawmakers have to do budget slashing in light of the economic downturn. Florida’s public/private business promoter is working on an aggressive marketing plan. A veteran Florida lawmaker decides to take at least a temporary break from public service. The first woman in Florida - and America - to head a state senate chamber has died at the age of 85.

Incumbent Walt McNeil and challenger Tommy Mills talk about crime statistics, deputy training, community policing and a host of other law enforcement issues during this first in a series of Political Perspectives in advance of the August 18th Primary Election.

Florida’s unemployment system is slowly getting better, but after finally managing to sign up, too many are finding no gold at the end of the rainbow. An advocate for nursing home residents says families are concerned about the safety of their loved ones in those facilities. Come Monday, more of Florida will be opening to consumers. Summer travel will look different this year. The State Board of Education decides that taking an exam instead of courses is equally effective when it comes to making sure students know how American government works. But not everyone agrees. The coronavirus has thrown a lot of plans out of whack for a lot of people. We take a look into how mothers-to-be are trying to make the best of it.

Many parts of North Florida were already plagued by hunger before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the situation is even worse, although there are many organizations and individuals working to ease the deprivation. Our virtual panel consists of: Carmen Connor, principal of Oak Ridge Elementary School; Oak Ridge Elementary Principal Jasmine Smith; Laurye Messer, a founding organizer of the Full Summer program; and Second Harvest of the Big Bend CEO Monique Ellsworth.

As Florida reopens, visitors are again pouring in, particularly in the state’s Panhandle. It’s not only beaches and restaurants that have started welcoming visitors again. Florida’s workout facilities are open, too despite some daunting challenges. Florida lawmakers are taking notice of COVID-19’s racial disparities. So far the disease is far more deadly for minority populations. As applications soar, problems remain with Florida’s unemployment claims system, Governor Ron DeSantis insists one big problem is user error on the part of applicants. A receiver takes over the assets of the besieged Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. How could Florida’s state and local emergency management people keep people safe from hurricanes this season while also protecting them from the coronavirus?

As case numbers surge, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing back on concerns about coronavirus data as some say the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Also this week, there are some other numbers connected to the surging pandemic, namely the drop in Florida tax revenues, although some lawmakers gripe no one is asking them to help solve the problem. And we’ll also check into the controversy over whether or not Florida will have a statewide mandatory mask order anytime soon and discover that one of the state’s most consistently reliable Republican voting blocs has begun developing some Democratic cracks.