Moms for Liberty is growing. The conservative group formed last year, with members speaking at school board meetings against mask-wearing at the height of the pandemic. Now organizers say they have around 100-thousand members nationwide. WUSF’s Kerry Sheridan went to the first Moms for Liberty national summit in Tampa last weekend [Fri-Sun July 15-17], and has this look at how the group is trying to expand its political power.
For the past two years, every student in the country has been able to eat at school for free. But starting this fall – that will no longer be the case.
Even as inflation and supply chain issues make it harder to put food on the table, federal pandemic aid for the school meal program is running out. WLRN’s Kate Payne takes a look at how the changes are affecting students in South Florida.
Former Florida Governor (who was then a Republican) Charlie Crist and State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried squared off in their first and only televised debate last (Thursday) night. Both are running for the Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary. Steve Bousquet was watching and shares his impression of the encounter as well as looking ahead to November’s general election.
Having reliable transportation is a MUST in Florida, especially with the distance people often need to travel. According to the Fines and Fees Justice Center, 1 in 8 Floridians had a suspended license in 2020. WMFE's Talia Blake spoke with Florida Policy Institute’s CEO Sadaf Knight about how a suspended driver’s license can impact you and our economy.
The Florida Warmline is helping thousands of people cope with anxiety and stress. Callers speak to peer specialists who've overcome their own mental health issues. The service is free. Since its launch in 2016, operators have answered more than 20,000 calls. Jenny Lapham (LAP-um) is a coordinator and operator at the Warmline. She spoke to WGCU's Sandra Viktorova about how she's trying to make a difference one call at a time. The Warm Line is open 365 days a year from 4pm to 10pm. It's not a crisis line, and operators aren't mental health professionals, but they are certified peer specialists. The Warmline number is 1-800-945-1355. We also have the number at WFSU.org.
Everyone knows it’s been really hot, both in Florida and in many other parts of the world in recent days. Extreme heat is the deadliest kind of hazardous weather for humans and the world is getting hotter due to climate change, so the federal government is partnering with communities throughout the country - and some abroad - to measure how they’re being affected and to show which neighborhoods need the most help. Brendan Rivers recently tagged along as citizen scientists mapped the heat in Jacksonville.