The Florida Roundup

We were once again in the center of the political universe, but perhaps for all the wrong reasons as the state that can't vote straight.  It was also the year that the death of a black teen from Miami Gardens named Trayvon Martin made us reassess race relations, and the right to stand your ground.    

On the Florida Roundup: The tragedy in Connecticut hits home in what some people call “The Gunshine State,”as Florida has over a million concealed weapons permits, the most in the country.    Do you feel safer?  We hear your reaction to Florida’s milestone.  And will gun control be on the agenda in Tallahassee?

On the Florida Roundup:  Florida has its new Education Commissioner, former Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett.  We’ll learn why Jeb Bush fans are thrilled and the teachers unions are not. NPR’s StateImpact Florida reporter Sarah Gonzalez will tell us why many of Florida’s high school graduates are not ready for college work.  And we hear from you on Florida’s growing need for remedial education and what the purpose of high school should be.  Tweet us @WLRN.  

The series on remedial education exposed what some in the public school system at the secondary and college level already knew: that many students are graduating from high school unprepared for college. 

On the Florida Roundup :  Local leaders and scientists gather in Palm Beach county to discuss how sea-level rise is “sinking in” in South Florida.  Citizens Insurance is awash with complaints about its "incentive plan" to have private insurers take over some of its policies. Will you be paying for it, hurricane or not? 

The Miami-Dade County Commission’s 8-3 decision to reinstate spoken prayer before its official meetings is sparking passionate responses on both sides of the issue. 

A sponsor of the bill to bring back spoken prayer, Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz, called it a matter of "freedom of speech," while Commissioner Sally Heyman, part of the trio opposed to the measure, said it was "unfair to members of the community to be subjected to a religious point of view."  Since 2004, the commission has opened its meetings with a moment of silence during which commissioners and the public could do as they pleased. 

On The Florida Roundup: Hurricane season has officially ended.  South Florida was saved from any severe hurricanes, but we see the effects of climate change as beaches erode, roads crumble and flooding inundates parts of region.  

With its low-level waterfront communities, South Florida is particularly vulnerable to climate change. 

But perhaps no area is more vulnerable than the Florida Keys.

James from Cudjoe Key tells us that a nature trail he has walked for 10 years is now regularly flooded, even at low tide.  Here is a photo he sent us:

While much has been written about the danger to South Florida caused by rising water levels, Pamela from Miami points out that Miami should pay attention to its air:   

The Marlins latest fire sale is official: Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig approved the trade of 5 of the team’s top players.  

This week on The Florida Roundup:  Have state GOP leaders taken the election as a cue to change course? 

"An irrelevant laughingstock," a "benign tumor," a state that should just be "

11/09/12 - This week on the Florida Roundup.  The election is over, but again Florida is the state that can't vote straight.  Long lines for early voting and on election night in Miami-Dade leave voters frustrated, and Florida blank on the electoral map for days.  Even without the state's results President Obama wins reelection and Florida becomes bluer - with Democrats making gains at the state and national level, while Republicans take a hit.

Florida is ready to vote. Or is it?  Over 3 million Floridians have already voted early in person or by absentee ballot.  Early voting totals continue to be strong in mostly Democratic South Florida.  For many, lines at the polls are long, while still others wait by the mailbox for their absentee ballots.  

Early voting starts tomorrow, and many say they plan on taking advantage of the pre-Election Day hours.  Mary from North Miami writes:

I like the feeling of participation and community that comes with standing in line with neighbors I don't even know. But there's a limit to the number of hours I want to devote to this experience, and I want to make sure my vote gets in, so I'll probably be voting early next week.

10/26/12- On today's Florida Roundup, we will be talking about early voting, which begins this weekend, as well as what will be on the ballot and what wasn't discussed on this Monday's presidential debate in Boca Raton.  This week's guests include Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald, Jim DeFede of CBS 4, and Mike Mayo of the Sun Sentinel.

On this week's show: we focus on education and compare the policies of the presidential candidates.  

President Obama and Mitt Romney agree on issues such as paying teachers based on student performance.  The main difference between the two is on the question of vouchers.  

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama debated the state of the American economy this week - we analyze what that might mean for Florida's economy. How has federal stimulus impacted Florida’s recovery? We hear from you on whether stimulus money has worked where you live. And we explain the troubles of US Century Bank.

During our pledge drive, we highlight the work of reporters from the WLRN-Miami Herald newsroom. They give us the latest on Governor Rick Scott's voter purge efforts. How many non-citizens are actually registered to vote and voting? The November ballot will include several proposed amendments to the state constitution. Ashley Lopez and Sarah Gonzalez tell us about them. Plus: more evidence on allegations that Republican Congressman David Rivera funded a Democratic candidate's campaign. Our guests from WLRN also include Dan Grech, Sammy Mack, Kelley Mitchell and Kenny Malone. 

New figures show incomes in the South Florida region have dropped, and Florida's unemployment figure of 8.8% remains unchanged.  Has Governor Rick Scott's economic policy made any difference?  Meanwhile, Mitt Romney looks to recover from gaffes about the 47% made at a Boca Raton fundraiser. Both he and Barack Obama spoke at Univision forums in Miami to appeal to Hispanic voters.  Plus: after testimony by victims' families, will a state task force recommend changes to the Stand Your Ground law?