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Jacksonville's first female mayor; Florida's response to the end of Title 42; Florida's amazing sports teams

Jacksonville Mayor-elect Donna Deegan, center, celebrates on Election Night, May 16, 2023.
Will Brown
/
Jacksonville Today
Jacksonville Mayor-elect Donna Deegan, center, celebrates on Election Night, May 16, 2023.

History was made in Jacksonville as Donna Deegan was elected as the city’s first female mayor and the first Democrat in years to win the seat.

Florida Democrats have touted the win as a major victory for the party, but there were a number of factors on the ground in Jacksonville that led to Deegan's win.

So, what can we learn from the election results? We talk about the key takeaways from the race.

Guest:

  • A.G. Gancarski, contributor for Jacksonville Today and Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics. 

How Florida is responding to end of Title 42

Title 42 has ended. The pandemic-era immigration policy allowed for the quick expulsion of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It lapsed May 11. In the lead-up to its expiration, there were widespread concerns over an influx of migrants crossing and chaos at the border.

We talk about how Florida is challenging the Biden administration's post-Title 42 approach.

Guests:

  • Stef W. Kight, political reporter covering immigration at Axios. 
  • Efrén C. Olivares, deputy legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project.

A look at Florida’s winning sports teams 

It’s a great time to be a Florida sports fan.

Down South, the Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers defied expectations by making it all the way to the NBA and NHL playoffs, respectively. For the first time ever, both teams will be competing in their conference finals during the same season.

And the state’s two Major League Baseball teams, the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins, are also outperforming expectations with the Rays currently holding the best record in the league.

Guest:

John Devine, executive sports editor for the Miami Herald.
 

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Bridget O’Brien is an award-winning, versatile audio producer with more than eight years of experience in radio, audience engagement and storytelling across a diverse range of outlets. You can reach Bridget at bobrien@wjct.org.