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Florida’s Brightline has been hailed as a model for the future of U.S. rail. It’s also the deadliest passenger train in the country by far, according to federal data.

Early on, the promise of a private passenger train connecting South Florida’s cities was tempered by the reality: People were dying on the tracks.

July 13, 2025 Elizabeth Pizzarello tell us her hurricane story.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we talked about President Trump’s new tax and spending plan and what it means for Social Security benefits with PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson (00:00). Plus, WUSF’s Douglas Soule joins us to tell us about an effort by Gov. DeSantis and the state to change the way education standards are set for Florida universities and colleges (20:04). And later, we check in with Megan Borowski, meteorologist for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network after a week of heavy rain and flooding (32:24). Plus, some education news from around the state including how one school district is bracing for federal funding cuts (39:02) and a group of 5th graders who are unplugging (41:48).

On this week's episode of The South Florida Roundup, we spoke with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava about her proposed budget for the new fiscal year [1:09]. We also talked to two reporters behind Killer Train, WLRN and the Miami Herald’s new podcast and reporting series on Brightline [22:36]. And we asked how the Trump administration’s immigration agenda is affecting a South Florida assisted-living facility [37:18].

On this week's South Florida Roundup episode, we talked with the reporters who’ve heard from the first inmates at Florida’s controversial new migrant detention center out in the Everglades, Alligator Alcatraz — a place Miami-Dade County’s mayor says “is not who we are” (1:08). We also discussed how Haitians and other migrants here are coping with President Trump’s efforts to strip them of their deportation protections (20:50). And we looked at why Key West did a 180 on partnering with the feds on immigration (35:45).

An archival story (RIP Allan) from a staple in The South Florida Folk Music scene, and so much more.

On The South Florida Roundup, we kicked Miami-Dade County’s garbage incinerator can down the road once more. And we asked: is the plan dead in Doral because President-elect Donald Trump killed it (01:20)? We also looked back at this week’s Condo Summit in Davie – and looked ahead to the pocketbook pain condo owners face starting this month with no deadline extension in sight (14:33). And we examined how bad the gang nightmare is now for women and children in Haiti. What can be done (27:00)?

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke about some of the biggest changes coming to Medicare in 2025 with Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the federal Center for Medicare (00:23). Then, we navigated enrollment questions with Jim Tolbert, SHINE Medicare counselor (09:56). And later, as President-elect Trump makes more Florida-based cabinet nominations, we look at how Florida policy-making could influence national politics in the coming years (20:22). Plus, we turned to Samantha Putterman with our partner PolitiFact for fact-checks on the latest claims (32:48). Plus, a bipartisan effort to tackle Florida’s mounting condo crisis (37:35) and why FEMA dropped Fort Myers Beach from its flood discount program (42:12). And finally, the Everglades National Park turns 77 (46:31).

This week on The Florida Roundup, we featured two reports from the podcast Sea Change, from WWNO/WRKF in Louisiana. First, WLRN's Jenny Staletovich explored how hotter ocean temperatures are affecting a prized and celebrated fish in Florida – the mahi (00:27). Then, WUSF's Jessica Meszaroes looked at the rising cost of climate risk on Florida's home insurance market (19:35). Then, we spoke with both Jenny and Jessica about their reporting for the series (37:30).

On the South Florida Roundup, we talked with a Florida International University coastal expert known as "Dr. Beach" about the growing number of people caught — and dying — in rip currents. And it’s not just a summer hazard (01:10). We also looked at Miami-Dade’s recent resolution to ban single-use plastics at its county-owned venues — and how it reflects the national trend to quit the plastics habit, even in red Florida (20:13). And, we spoke with South Florida’s leading hunger relief group about the holiday work ahead for all of us (35:44).

Michael Stock interviews best selling author and song-writer Alice Randall

On the South Florida Roundup, a panel of South Florida journalists help make sense of what voters face on Tuesday (01:08). From a million-dollar Palm Beach County state attorney race and a competitive mayoral contest in Fort Lauderdale to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s election and Monroe County elections supervisor match featuring charges of election fraud. Plus, should newspapers still endorse candidates? (35:00).

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with WUSF’s Stephanie Colombini about the legal wrangling over Amendment 4 (08:09) and then we heard from former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court Charles Wells (12:00). We also talked about voter turnout and how to appeal to non-party voters first with DNC Chair Jaime Harrison (19:14) and later the Chair for the Republican Party of Florida Evan Power (26:30). Next, we turned to Samantha Putterman with PolitiFact to check some recent claims around Amendment 4 (31:59). Plus, we took a closer look at Amendments 3, 5, and 2 (37:14) and heard about a unique job posting in one Florida town (47:24).

On the South Florida Roundup, we talked with three of the Miami Book Fair’s featured local authors. Asha Elias’ new novel Pink Glass Houses shows us Miami Beach social climbers battling for control of their kids’ school PTA (01:11). Haitian-American educator Isabelle Camille’s poignant memoir Sole’s Mom embraces her child’s transgender journey (18:28). And Jamaican-American poet Geoffrey Philip’s graphic book My Name Is Marcus presents young readers to Black nationalist hero Marcus Garvey (34:56).

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor about FEMA’s response to hurricanes Helene and Milton (01:27). We asked Kelly McBride, NPR Public Editor and Chair of Ethics and Leadership at The Poynter Institute, about how Americans are consuming political news (14:27) and then spoke with Sen. Shevrin Jones about how the Florida Democratic party can reengage apathetic voters (21:59). And later, we turned to Samantha Putterman with our partner PolitiFact for more on what’s next for former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (33:06). Plus, we learned more about the Florida legislature’s new leadership (37:33) and heard a collection of environmental stories from across the state including a tally of agricultral losses from Hurricane Helene (40:45) and an update on La Niña (42:37).

On the South Florida Roundup, we looked at the dispute between Miami-Dade County and Miami Beach that just resulted in the Beach ponying up $10 million to the County’s Homeless Trust (01:11). We also discussed why President-elect Donald Trump won so many Black — especially Black male — votes in South Florida. Was it a sexist thing, as Barack Obama said, or something deeper? (20:22) And we examined what to expect from Marco Rubio, if he’s confirmed as Trump’s top diplomat, in Latin America — and its ties to China (35:48).

Just over a week after winning a second term, President-elect Donald Trump is moving swiftly to nominate key cabinet positions. He’s named his campaign manager Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. (00:40). And snowbirds have sought refuge in Florida for decades. But could back-to-back hurricanes and the prospect of more extreme weather chill their enthusiasm for our balmy winters? (19:36). The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network talks about the latest tropical disturbance (37:36). And as severe storms bring increasingly more rainfall to Central Florida, flooding remains a top concern (40:36). Also, it’s been a year since the Seminole Tribe slowly started to roll out mobile sports betting in the state (44:25).

October 13, 2024 - Ed Newman played on the Superbowl champions Miami Dolphins and is now a judge.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke about election anxiety and how to lower the temperature of political rhetoric with former U.S. Reps Carlos Curbelo and Stephanie Murphy (02:15). Then, we heard about how Florida moved away from being a swing state with the New York Times’ Patricia Mazzei (20:24). And later, we checked in with Samantha Putterman with our partner PolitiFact to check some recent claims around early voting (29:34). Then finally, we looked at the health risks brought by Hurricanes Milton and Helene (37:28) and heard from some South Florida voters (42:43).