The first female agriculture commissioner in Florida history and only Democrat to win a statewide race in this year's election is Nicole "Nikki" Fried. She became victorious with less than 7,000 votes under a machine and hand recount. She will be the lone Democrat in governor-elect Ron DeSantis’ cabinet and will be pushing a progressive agenda on gun control, water and medical marijuana. Fried joined Sundial to talk about her transition into the new position, her plan and how she will deal with potential challenges from her Republican counterparts.
Earlier this month, officials broke ground on the 10-mile linear park in Miami known as The Underline. It will run under the city’s Metrorail line and will include dog parks, outdoor gyms, playgrounds and space for pedestrians and cyclists. The project has been in discussion for years and was started by Miami native Meg Daly, who saw a need for more pedestrian and cyclist safe spaces in Miami. She joined Sundial to discuss the project and its importance.
One of the difficult realities that come with aging is the growing concern over Alzheimer’s, a disease that currently affects more than 5.5 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. November marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and researchers at the University of Miami are looking for seniors who’ve maintained the strongest brain health into their later years. The project is studying the habits of so-called super-seniors, individuals aged 85 years or older, to learn what actions can be taken to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Christian Camargo is a neurologist and memory disorder specialist the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is leading the research and joined Sundial to discuss the study.