On this episode of the Florida Roundup, we looked back at some of 2022’s biggest stories, as well as some recent reporting throughout the state.
In Miami, a rush to demolish after Surfside collapse
In the wake of the deadly collapse of Surfside’s Champlain Towers South condominium, policies were changed across the state to ensure condos undergo strict inspections.
But an investigation by WLRN’s Daniel Rivero showed that in Miami this has led the city to rush to demolish buildings, which is pushing people out of their homes and shrinking the options of affordable housing. He reported on the policy’s impact and spoke to those struggling under the new changes.
Sign ups are falling short for free health care program in Hillsborough
Hillsborough County offers free health care to thousands of residents with low incomes who can't access Medicaid or other insurance. But it could be helping a lot more people.
Health News Florida's Stephanie Colombini explored the barriers some residents face signing up and how county workers are trying to address them.
This story completes a two-part series Stephanie produced on the health plan for a national collaborative called The Holdouts. It's run by Public Health Watch and focuses on the 11 states in the U.S. that haven't expanded Medicaid. You can hear both stories on wusfnews.org.
WFSU Presents: Not So Black and White — A community's divided history
Earlier this year, a study from a progressive policy group found Leon County Schools are the most segregated they’ve been since 1994. The findings of that study mirrored those from another done a few years ago by Florida State University’s LeRoy Collins Institute.
That report found Leon County has one of the most highly segregated school districts in the state. In this episode of the podcast series Not So Black and White, Lynn Hatter explores how Florida’s majority white capital county ended up with a majority-minority school district.
You can hear the other episodes in this series on wfsu.org
After Ian and Nicole, experts warn of health risks from blue-green algae
Hurricane season has come and gone but Florida's waterways are still recovering. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole released millions of gallons of sewage and fertilizer into freshwater bodies. This caused outbreaks of blue-green algae, which can be toxic to humans and fish.
After these two major storms, scientists are monitoring blue-green algae blooms in Florida’s waterways, including the St. Johns River.
Climate change is creating ideal conditions for the blooms and, as ADAPT’s Brendan Rivers reported, doctors don’t fully understand their effect on our health.
Listen to this episode of The Florida Roundup above.
