Capital Report

On tonight’s program: The House Speaker explains why some priority bills in the Senate won’t be heard in his chamber; The ongoing campaign against DEI continues in the Florida Senate, although some supporters insist that’s not what’s going on at all; Governor DeSantis’ push to regulate AI providers seems to be losing steam; It seems some of the worst misinformation doesn’t only appear on English language talk radio; It’s not only obtaining the product that challenges Florida’s food banks. It’s also keeping the product safe and wholesome once it’s obtained; After years of bad news, there may finally be a bit of positive news about Florida’s iconic citrus products; Special congressional elections may be moving from April to June; And fifth grade may seem awfully early to start teaching kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, but those who deal with these issues everyday say, wrong!

On tonight’s program: We delve into the reasons behind changes to degree programs at Florida universities; The push to regulate big AI data centers in Florida gains traction in the state Senate; A newcomer to the Florida Senate is fronting a package of bills aimed at making home ownership easier and more affordable in Florida; E-bikes are showing up everywhere around Florida; And some Florida lawmakers say more regulations are needed for safety; And finally there’s some good news coming out of the bay that’s been the source of Florida’s most famous oysters.

On tonight’s program: The Florida Legislature puts a halt – at least for now – on Governor DeSantis’s using a disaster emergency fund for immigration enforcement; With so many folks now eager to fight for their rights, a legal expert opines there are times and places where that response may not be the best course of action; With a few weeks left in the session, the two chambers are far apart when it comes to spending and communicating; And even though Florida is not yet awash in data centers, it seems that might be changing.

On tonight’s program: Some Florida lawmakers and the governor really want to cut or even do away with the state’s property taxes.But are they shooting in the dark?; With so many critical issues facing state lawmakers, you might think culture war stuff might be taking a back seat this session.And you’d be wrong; The old saying was, “Everybody wants to move to Florida.”But maybe the new saying is, “Fewer people now want to move to Florida.”And experts say that’s not a good thing; A growing number of immigrants who came to Florida are choosing to leave voluntarily; In an emergency, you may call the police, the fire department, an ambulance….you can even call an emergency chaplain; And an effort to make the flamingo the state bird is back, and the discussion this week in the Florida House was rife with puns….

On tonight’s program: Florida has been helping the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown.But it seems compensation for that support has been slow in coming; Environmental lawsuits are stacking up against Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades; A Senate committee has approved the extension of a fund Governor DeSantis has used for hurricane recovery, as well as immigration enforcement; At least for now, a court order has stopped President Trump’s order to protect Haitian immigrants from immediate deportation.Florida driver license exams are no longer multi-lingual.That reverses the former policy of accommodating applicants whose English skills are lacking; After a freezing cold weekend for much of Florida, can we expect more of this kind of weather? ; And here’s one affordable housing option:build a so-called “Granny Flat” on your existing property and rent it out.

In Florida, those who sympathize with certain causes or ideologies may soon be guiltyof the crime of “domestic terrorism.”Political disagreements are becoming really problematic when it comes to relationships.Amidst multi-million dollar outlays, Florida’s school voucher system seems to have a raft of accounting problems; Something that lawmakers are now trying to fix; After all the horror stories about AI, many educators now think it might help more students gain literacy. If they have access to it; And Florida’s Brightline trains are running in the red; maybe because those train trips have been too much of a bargain?

On tonight’s program: Republicans are pushing an annual day to honor the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk; While President Trump is urging states to not regulate AI, Florida is moving forward with some attempt at putting guardrails on the technology; What happens when tax credits run out for folks on the Affordable Care Act marketplace?; Some mainstream religious groups have been trying to persuade Florida lawmakers to back off the state’s support for what they consider federal overreach on immigration; It’s hard to make good decisions if good information isn’t available to guide them. That pretty much sums up the current situation with how many people really need the food provided by SNAP benefits; And despite the best efforts of conservationists and others, the Florida Panther is in worse shape than ever.

On tonight's program: As this year’s Florida lawmaking session begins, Governor DeSantis has just one ask of lawmakers; Despite some tiffs and occasional hard feelings, most Florida lawmakers seem determined to smooth out the lingering rough spots with their colleagues this year; Florida may not be Cuba, but the two lands are now and forever linked as Cubans in Florida struggle to reclaim their homeland; Changes in Florida law as well as federal immigration policy has placed a growing number of immigrant laborers in mortal danger; And your airport chauffeur could soon be a pilot instead of a driver.

On tonight's program: Governor DeSantis faces his final legislative session as governor starting next week. And there could be some serious headwinds for the governor and his agenda; A once greatly-respected advocate against domestic violence pleads no contest to multiple felony charges; Governor DeSantis has some thoughts about state regulation of AI; While AI platforms like ChapGPT can have many positive aspects, there are also dangers; And environmental advocates say there are solid reasons why there are regulations regarding fragile places like Florida’s Everglades.

On tonight’s program: Florida lawmakers hadn’t originally planned for 2026 to be a congressional redistricting year. But then President Donald Trump called; A priority of Florida’s senate president to funnel more state resources into rural counties didn’t make it in 2025.But it’s make a return appearance in 2026; A move to allow younger Floridians to own long guns is attracting some pushback ahead of the lawmaking session; Florida law requires rental property owners to take reasonable steps to protect their tenants from things like gun violence. Although that law was watered down a few years back; If you’re whipsawed by inflation at the grocery store, you might want to consider growing more of that food yourself; And we go back in time a quarter-of-a-century to a political meltdown that was very unlike today when all politics is taken very personally by everybody.

On tonight’s program: We remember the tragic shooting on FSU’s campus and the resilience of the university’s students; As Florida starts dumping public health mandates in favor of personal choice, it seems viruses don’t really respond all that well to political arguments; Florida brings back its controversial black bear hunt, although state officials insist everything will be done “humanely” and “by the book.”; During the year nearly passed, it seemed a growing number of people joined the campaign to persuade more bio-dads to become actual loving, supportive and present fathers; And this year has been one of citizens making their voices heard. We visit one of the No Kings Protests that took place on the Florida Capitol lawn.

On tonight's program: In Florida, the battle lines are being drawn In the upcoming fight over who will pay for all the infrastructure the AI industry needs; We get a look ahead to how Florida property taxes may change, now that Governor DeSantis has weighed in on the matter; The present wave of anti-Semitic violence has Jewish congregations on high alert; An investigative report by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times suggests theDeSantis administration diverted more than $35 million in taxpayer money to fight two ballot initiatives. Money that should have gone somewhere else; It’s the old city vs country debate, but with untold millions of dollars-worth of development hanging in the balance, politics is playing an even bigger role; Florida’s official public health policy is moving away from required vaccinations. But that hasn’t stopped many in the medical community from citing worrisome data; Florida signs on to a multi-state lawsuit against the popular weed killer Roundup; and the old saying about “music having charms to soothe the savage beast” is being amended to say: “music has charms to soothe the saddened soul.”

On tonight’s program: What’s the connection between free speech and violence? There’s some new research on that subject and the results are a bit disturbing; Is Florida’s electorate swinging back in a Democratic direction? The state’s Republican Party leader thinks not; Certified Public Accountants may seem an unassuming lot. But it seems they have some critical superpowers; And it’s been said you can recycle just about anything nowadays. And it seems that includes already used water in Central Florida.

On tonight's program: The Florida House is holding talks about a mid-decade redistricting process, but some are questioning whether the motive behind the move is legal; Hurricane season came quietly to a close at the end of November. Florida was largely spared. But does that tell us anything about what to expect next year? Speakers at a recent Florida seminar say the United States’ actions following the 9-11 terrorist attacks may still be impacting global relations today; Florida has some of the most expensive high-rise condo association fees outside of New York City; As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, educators and creators are talking about what could change; And we take a paddle down the Peace River.

On tonight’s program: A Florida House committee comes up with a bunch of ways to reduce – or even eliminate – property taxes; Florida A&M University’s new president opens up about her rocky path to being selected for the role; The latest candidate to vie for the position of Florida CFO shares his thoughts; AI is becoming a powerful diagnostic tool for any number of ailments. Including breast cancer; And Florida bids farewell to one of its most experienced – and celebrated – members of the Capital Press Corps.

On tonight’s program: The Florida House is trying again to lower the minimum age for buying long guns; If students aren’t signing up for certain courses, why should colleges and universities keep those courses in the catalog?; We hear from an attorney representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein; Florida is becoming more and more unaffordable.Even though it can be argued that a rising wage lifts all boats across the economy; The cost of policies under the Affordable Care Act is going up. Way up; The unlikely combination of music and saliva may hold the key to new directions in the early detection of dementia; And we have an uplifting story about the little schools that not only could but did!

On tonight’s program: The federal government is open again, but it’s not clear how soon SNAP food benefits might start flowing again.So Florida Democrats are asking Governor DeSantis to lend a hand; Anti-communism lessons were common in schools at the height of the Cold War. Now, in Florida, what is old is new again; The conventional political wisdom is that Florida is as red as a well-boiled rock lobster. Then again, the conventional wisdom may not be totally right; A new online gaming site is all the rage. And its potential danger to young people is stoking the rage of Florida’s attorney general; There is some new medical advice when it comes to early detection of breast cancer; Some military veterans in Florida are learning how to rebuild hurricane-damaged homes and that training could lead to very profitable jobs; And we join some patriotic and civic-minded folks who carefully clean the headstones of fallen veterans using the safest chemicals they can find.

On tonight's program: Lost in the discussion about possibly eliminating Florida property taxes is HOW that money would be replaced; Florida lawmakers are still teeing up the big ticket items for the 2026 session. Although a veteran capital reporter reminds us it’s a pretty one-sided kind of exercise; The State of Florida partially lifts its 5-year ban on commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay; The federal government shutdown news has mostly focused on the lack of SNAPbenefits and Affordable Care subsidies. But some services roll on. Like the debt service on student loans; Florida is investing more money into pediatric cancer research; You’ve heard of “canaries in the coal mine” to give advance warning of air-borne toxins; And it seems dolphins serve the same role when it comes to poisons in the marine environment.

On tonight's episode: What kind of impact do the closing of schools have on a community? The crackdown on immigrants in Florida is having effects beyond the immigrants themselves; We check in WUSF’s Capitol Guy to get the latest on some sticky issues state lawmakers are racing to accomplish before the next election; And no matter how tough things are today on Florida lawmakers, things were a LOT worse in the earliest days of the territory.

On tonight’s program: The investigation into the financial dealings of an organization run by Florida’s First Lady continues; President Trump gives the nod to several Florida politicians. Especially those who say positive things about him; Despite the Florida candidates President Trump is backing now, one gubernatorial hopeful thinks he’ll wind up with all – or most – of the endorsement marbles; And the women who were so integral to George Clinton’s Mothership of Funk are finally getting their due.