Go beyond the daily headlines to explore the issues affecting Floridians and their communities with WUSF's Florida Matters. http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/program/florida_matters http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:50:10 -0400 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:50:10 -0400 Drupal 6 Views Go beyond the daily headlines to explore the issues affecting Floridians WUSF no no Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:51:29 -0400 Florida Polytechnic University is quickly taking shape in Polk County. Officials hope to admit the first students in the fall of 2014 -- which means finding those students, housing them, hiring the faculty to teach them, designing a curriculum, and much more. The race is on to open Florida 12th university. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/30357 Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:45:14 -0400 Florida Gov. Rick Scott last week signed into law a bill aimed at speeding up the foreclosure process in the state. In the wake of the housing crisis, Florida has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. Backers say that that the new law will really help the real estate market by getting foreclosed homes on the market and sold. But critics say it’s bad for beleaguered homeowners. Hear both sides of the issue on this week’s Florida Matter’s as WUSF's Carson Cooper quizzes Anthony DiMarco, Executive Vice-President and director of Government Affairs for the Florida Bankers Association; and St. Petersburg foreclosure lawyer and consumer advocate Matt Weidner. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/30213 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:40:36 -0400 In 2014, voters in Pinellas County will decide whether to raise their sales taxes to pay for major upgrades to the county's public transportation system. That would include what could become the Bay Area's first light rail. Supporters say it's the only solution to the county's gridlocked roads and would boost the local economy. Critics say light rail is a boondoggle and would strap Pinellas taxpayers with the highest sales tax rate in the state - with very little to show for it. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29923 Fri, 31 May 2013 06:11:05 -0400 What got done in Tallahassee, what didn't and why? And how will it affect you? Ethics and elections reform gets through, but health care expansion does not. And efforts to change alimony and state run Citizens property insurance fell short. Education policy in the state is changing, but gun laws are not. Recently, Florida Matters aired a town hall meeting hosted by WLRN, our sister public radio station in Miami. Then, we heard from some of the 1,000 people who attended, saying what issues they wanted state lawmakers to tackle. On this show, we hear from a group of journalists who cover the legislature and they'll revisit some of the questions those people posed back in February. We hear from Miami Herald capital bureau chief Mary Ellen Klas; Aaron Sharockman of the Tampa Bay Times and Politifact Florida; Doug Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; and Gina Jordan, who reports for WLRN Public Radio in Miami and also for StateImpact Florida. The moderator is WLRN's Phil Latzman. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29825 Tue, 21 May 2013 14:28:18 -0400 State lawmakers wrapped up this year's legislative session by passing a $74.5 billion budget which the governor trimmed to $74.1 billion. But overall, lawmakers were happy with the budget and proud of their bipartisan spirit. Less than two weeks after the session, eight members of the Pinellas County legislative delegation attended a luncheon sponsored by the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club to give their version of the 2013 session hits and misses. They were Democrats Carl Zimmerman, Darryl Rousson, and Dwight Dudley and Republicans Kathleen Peters, Jack Latvala, Ed Hooper, Jeff Brandes, and Larry Ahern. Each lawmaker made an opening statement but the real “fun” started with the direct questioning from members of the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. Expanded Medicaid coverage for low income families was a popular topic especially after a newspaper article showed that house members were receiving subsidized health insurance. But there were also questions about education and the repeal of the nuclear cost recovery fee. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29623 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:18:13 -0400 The debate over Medicaid expansion was one of the biggest issues during this year’s legislative session. Florida Matters talks with three Florida lawmakers about why they were unable to agree on a plan that would have expanded health care coverage for low-income Floridians. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29281 Tue, 07 May 2013 13:20:38 -0400 The cost of college is rising and more students find themselves repaying loans than ever. Florida Matters talks with two experts about what trends are affecting the cost of earning a college degree and what parents can do to prepare. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29135 Wed, 01 May 2013 09:30:36 -0400 Fish with lesions, diseased livers and spleens - and parts of the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico coated with a toxic slime. These are some of the things researchers continue to find three years after the Deepwater Horizon well exploded. A team based at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science has been taking samples in the Gulf to determine the lingering effects of the oil spill. It's called C-IMAGE, which stands for the Center for Integrated Modeling and Analysis of the Gulf Ecosystem. It's a collaboration of chemists, engineers, biologists - even computer scientists. Together, they're trying to figure out exactly what a deep water blowout does to the marine ecosystem - and what to expect in future blowouts. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/29033 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:23:18 -0400 The craft beer craze has taken hold in the Tampa Bay area, which leads the state in brewing the locally-made and creatively-flavored drinks. We'll hear about the phenomenon from some experts -- including a brewery owner and writers who cover the beer culture in Tampa Bay. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/28875 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:17:37 -0400 Spring break in Florida is something many college students look forward to, but two University of South Florida students opted to leave the Sunshine State for an environment where sounds of roaring fighter jets, missiles hitting the ground and heavy gunfire are just "background noise." Khalid and Noor Shakfeh, brother and sister, traveled to war-torn Syria last month to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees. The siblings joined the Syrian American Council (SAC) on a relief trip with a group of people between the ages of 17 and 29. The team brought with them $107,000 in relief aid they’d collected ahead of time to put toward humanitarian assistance including baby formula, food, and building a water irrigation system. They talk with WUSF’s Maryam Saleh about their journey and what they saw inside the Syrian refugee camps. WUSF 89.7 http://www.wusf.usf.edu/node/28545