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On tonight’s program: Lawmakers are preparing to work out the details of the state budget, in a year they recognize could be financially difficult for many Florida families; A veteran Capitol reporter notes a large chunk of the governor’s proposed budget actually comes from the Biden administration; Redistricting leaders in the Florida House take on critics of the proposed maps; Florida’s state government leaders are getting serious about expanding broadband access. Especially in the state’s more rural areas; An historic sites in St. Augustine - America’s oldest city - are facing rising seas.

On tonight’s program: A special session of the Florida Legislature is over, but its result, the banning of mask and vaccine mandates, is already law and being implemented; Governor Ron DeSantis has repealed a 2002 law that gave Florida's surgeon general the power to mandate vaccines. Democrats are calling this a politically motivated stunt and say it's important to remember why the decades-old law was enacted in the first place; Healthcare facilities now have to abide by conflicting federal and state COVID-19 rules; Some lawmakers are concerned Florida’s recent special session may have done more harm than good; Republican Florida lawmakers have begun the process of pulling the state out of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law this week a measure that would set up a statewide workplace safety plan in response to OSHA’s coronavirus vaccination mandates; And a deal between the State of Florida and Seminole Tribe of Florida giving the Tribe exclusive rights to offer sports betting is attracting attention and opposition.

With help from Leon County’s Office for Economic Vitality, many Tallahassee area businesses were not only able to survive, but even thrive in the course of the long pandemic. We talk with the Office’s Director, Cristina Paredes and Deputy Director, Drew Dietrich. We also chat with local business owners: Summer Calenberg of Drip Drop Fitness; Tony O’Brien of Shamrock Cleaners; and Barby Moro with Redeye Coffee to learn how they’ve weathered the storm and are back in recovery mode.

Linda Hall is a visual artist. Ms. Hall is a storyteller at heart, a calling that can oftentimes be difficult while living with Attention Deficit Disorder. She discovered that she can effectively communicate through art. Hall’s community inspires her and her art.

On tonight’s program: For almost a quarter of a century, Florida’s school board elections have been non-partisan affairs. But that could change. Not everyone thinks that’s a positive move; Florida businesses may get new powers to sue local governments over lost revenue; Cruise ships return to Key West amid the city’s battle with state lawmakers; During the year’s final pre-session committee week, Florida lawmakers take aim on the algal blooms that have spoiled the state’s waters in recent years. Still, there were also calls for caution; Florida's H-I-V epidemic was at the forefront of the discussion at Leon County's World AIDS Day event, where state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo made an appearance this week; And Florida managed to dodge multiple bullets during the hurricane season that ended this week. Although some other parts of the country weren’t as lucky.

One in five young people in the US, ages 12-19, struggles with obesity. And about 38 percent of American adults - nearly 80 million men and women have a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher. Obesity puts people at risk for more than 30 chronic health conditions. Nutritionist Nicolette Pace talks with 411 TEEN.

On tonight’s program: Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a major expansion of the state's school choice voucher program; Local governments could now face penalties for creating their own gun regulations even if they’re unwritten. But some worry the move could open cities and counties up to more lawsuits; A national survey shows rural Americans are less likely to get vaccinated compared to those living in urban and suburban areas; Florida State University faces a choice--hire a president to get to the top tier of research schools, or go with a politician who can bring in the money; A former Florida House Speaker - now a retiring university president - gives this session's speaker high marks; And the case over whether Zachary Wester, a former Jackson County sheriff, planted drugs in motorists’ vehicles during traffic stops kicked off this week. Wester took the stand Friday to tell his side.

A small group of intrepid kayakers embarks on a 100-plus mile paddle trip in early October. They'll be traversing the Apalachicola River in Northwest Florida from Chattahoochee to the coastal community that bears the river's name. Some of this year's paddlers talk about it: Georgia Ackerman, Apalachicola Riverkeeper; Martha Haynes; Lee Rigby; and Rob Diaz de Villegas who is also a video producer and environmental reporter for WFSU Public Media.

From a state legislator from Broward County to the director of Florida Emergency Management, Jared Moskowitz has deep insights into the intricacies of how state government operates; especially in this hyper-partisan era. He shared those assessments with members of the Capital Tiger Bay Club during their first in-person gathering since the start of the pandemic last year.

Noted political theorist Dr. Danielle Allen joins Florida Humanities and the Village Square in a vital conversation about what it means to be an American today, using the Declaration of Independence as a focus of that discussion.