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Opinion: María Corina Machado deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for leading Venezuela’s nonviolent democracy movement — but what does it mean if that effort’s success relies on a U.S. military incursion?Machado’s win took place hours after President Donald Trump announced his Gaza peace deal – a combination that shows the power of the peaceful path. On the latest episode of Americas Decoded, WLRN’s Americas editor Tim Padgett says there is a “dissonance between the concord we hope is emerging in the rubble of Gaza and the conflict we know is brewing in the waters off Venezuela.”He argues that any military incursion into Venezuela could send the region the message that, in the end, nonviolent democracy efforts matter less than the promise of yanqui military salvation.You can watch the video for this and other Americas Decoded commentaries on WLRN’s YouTube channel on youtube.com/@WLRN or on WLRN.org/Decoded. You can read Tim’s digital commentary along with WLRN’s coverage of Americas news on WLRN.org/americas. Sign up for the Americas Report newsletter on WLRN.org/newsletters. WLRN is South Florida’s NPR member station.

On this episode of The South Florida Roundup, we took a look at the spate of elections that took place throughout South Florida this week, and how the political patterns of the past several decades seem to be shifting in some major city governments. We spoke with the two mayoral candidates for the City of Miami that are now set to battle in a runoff in December: Emilio Gonzalez and Eileen Higgins [01:09]. Then, we moved the conversation onto Hialeah to discuss the city's youngest mayor in its 100-year history — Bryan Calvo — and what the outlook is for a city facing economic uncertainty [22:43]. Finally, we rounded up local elections in cities on the coast and to the south from Miami-Dade to Monroe County [35:55].

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with two of the prominent candidates in Florida’s 2026 Governor’s race. First, we heard from Democrat David Jolly, former Republican Congressman representing Florida’s 13th district (02:02). Then, we spoke with Republican candidate Paul Renner, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (10:40). Plus, we heard from listeners about affordability issues facing Floridians (20:30). Next, we looked at spending at New College of Florida and the state of free speech on campus with Amy Reid of PEN America (28:14). And later, we share news from around the state including the impacts of the federal shutdown in Florida and local food drive efforts (37:48) as well as a story about Lakeland’s famed royal swans (47:02).

On this episode of The South Florida Roundup, we talked with the award-winning Miami journalist Mirta Ojito about her debut novel Deeper Than the Ocean — and the immigration mysteries it solves [01:09]. We also spoke with Oscar Fuentes — the Biscayne Poet — and got to hear his odes to Miami in English and Spanish…with a little music [18:56]. And Miami Book Fair co-founder Mitchell Kaplan discussed why reading, against all odds, still has a future [36:37].

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke about the latest in the push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files with the Miami Herald’s Ben Wieder (00:00). Then, we spoke with U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, who represents the district where Epstein lived and operated (14:06). And we shared an excerpt from WLRN's new four-part podcast series exploring mental illness and the criminal justice system through one family’s tragic story (19:50). Plus, Douglas Soule with "Your Florida" joined us for an update on the Florida House’s proposals to reduce or eliminate property taxes (32:52). Later, a look at educational news from around the state (37:28) and a look back at the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season with the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network's Megan Borowski (44:34).

Over his short life, Daniel Weisberger went from Boy Scout and beloved older brother to killer. To understand why, we headed to the Florida Keys, where Daniel’s world unraveled. Listen to the trailer for the new WLRN limited podcast series Keeper and Killer, dropping on Nov. 19, 2025.

In the days after Pascal Weisberger’s murder, the tight-knit community in the Upper Florida Keys rallied around the grieving family. Between Boy Scouts and volunteer work at the local animal shelter, Pascal was well known. But the boys’ father needed the community to do something else: embrace Pascal’s killer.

Why are some railroad crossings more dangerous than others, according to federal data? Drivers who survived collisions with Brightline trains argue the infrastructure around the tracks put them in harm's way.

Opinion: Haiti's remarkable qualification for the 2026 soccer World Cup won't rescue it from the country's gangs — but it reminds us that Haiti undoubtedly is worth saving from that monstrous evil.Qualifying for next summer’s World Cup – it’s first in over half a century – won’t rescue Haiti from the clutches of the gangs ruling and terrorizing a growing portion of the county.But on the latest episode of Americas Decoded, WLRN’s Americas editor Tim Padgett says that, as the U.S. and the U.N. press onward with a new solution to gang governance, it ought to remind the international community that it needs to get serious about sending police or even military backup into Haiti.You can watch the video for this and other Americas Decoded commentaries on WLRN’s YouTube channel on youtube.com/@WLRN or on WLRN.org/Decoded. You can read Tim’s digital commentary along with WLRN’s coverage of Americas news on WLRN.org/americas. Sign up for the Americas Report newsletter on WLRN.org/newsletters. WLRN is South Florida’s NPR member station.

Years before the murder, Daniel’s parents met in the Peace Corps in Central Africa, got married and started a life in the U.S. But a contentious divorce, followed by years of fighting over custody and allegations of abuse, created what attorneys and mental health experts describe as a pressure cooker that for Daniel, and his festering mental illness, would eventually, violently explode.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with three authors for a special “winter reading” program. First, we spoke with journalist and author Carl Hiaasen about his latest novel “Fever Beach” (00:00). Then, we had a conversation with Michael Grunwald, journalist and author of “We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix our Food System and Save Our Climate” (19:34). Plus, journalist and author Danny Rivero spoke with us about his book “Just Freedom: Inside Florida’s Decades-Long Voting Rights Battle” (37:26).

On this special episode of The South Florida Roundup, we looked at WLRN’s fascinating series “History We Call Home: 100 Years of South Florida.” The reports take us back to the epic real estate boom of the 1920s, which spawned city charters up and down our coast. The stories are captivating: Was Al Capone a founding father of Deerfield Beach? Why did all those pink flamingos stay in Hialeah? And how did Boca Raton become a reverse, North-to-South Black migration magnet?

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with three authors — novelist Lauren Groff (02:00), historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (20:28) and former Florida lawmaker Dick Batchelor (37:18) about free expression, leadership, and discovery civility again.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with the Chief executive officer of the Florida High School Athletic Association Craig Damon about the board’s approval of NIL deals (02:48). Then, we heard from Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman about the bill she sponsored that created a state teacher apprentice program (13:22). Later, we spoke with meteorologists John Morales and Jeff Berardelli about how they are incorporating climate change science into their forecasts (19:00). Plus, scientists look to combat citrus greening with genetic engineering (37:07), a first for Florida’s space coast (41:21), new hurricane forecasting (43:00) and spelling bee news (46:35).

Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN's Morning Edition. Confrontations between the DeSantis Administration and local municipalities over painted street art continue to escalate. Broward-based Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in a year, and other local news.

Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN's Morning Edition. A plane crash in Broward County last month was the final straw for residents who live near the busy North Perry Airport. The City of Fort Lauderdale is one of the latest cities challenging the state’s edict to scrub painted LGBTQ Pride crosswalks and other street art, and other local news.

Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN's Morning Edition. Broward’s two major hospital systems are now out of network for Florida Blue policyholders. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has reached an agreement with Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s administration to fund the newly created law enforcement agency, and other local news.

Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN's Morning Edition. Advocacy groups are urging Florida cities to reconsider their partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family has been convicted in the murder-for-hire plot that left a prominent law professor dead, and other local news.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner about his gubernatorial candidacy (01:04). Then, we spoke with Central Florida Public Media’s Joe Mario Pedersen and WLRN’s Carlton Gillespie about the removal of street art across the state (10:46 ). Plus, we had an update on ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from Christina Boomer Vazquez with WPLG Local 10 News (20:20) and spoke with Dr. Jason Goldman with the American College of Physicians about Florida’s move to remove vaccine requirements for children (25:54). We also checked in with PolitiFact’s Samantha Putterman for a claims check (32:28). And later, author and journalist Carl Hiaasen joined us to talk about his latest novel set in Florida (39:34).

Listen to the latest South Florida news as heard on WLRN's Morning Edition. The City of Fort Lauderdale is set to receive $88 million in federal funding to help build back after the 2023 record-breaking flooding. Florida taxpayers could be on the hook for about $218 million for “Alligator Alcatraz,” and other local news.