What we know about “Alligator Alcatraz"
Florida officials are moving ahead with plans to build an immigration detention facility in the Everglades despite concerns from immigration advocates, environmental activists and leaders of the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes.
Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the center will be built on a remote airstrip. It is part of the state’s aggressive push to support the federal government’s mass-deportation efforts.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is also planning to build another center to house migrants in northeast Florida.
Guests:
- Kate Payne, Florida state government reporter for the Associated Press and Report for America corps member.
- Ted Hesson, immigration reporter for Reuters.
Public beach access
From the Panhandle to the Keys, Florida’s beaches are a huge attraction to locals and visitors alike.
A new law signed by the Governor aims to put a long-running dispute between property owners and beach goers to rest.
It is also meant to protect public access and make it easier to restore eroded beaches.
Guest:
- Bruce Ritchie, POLITICO Florida reporter.
2025 legislative wrap
Nearly 6 weeks after their original session deadline, Florida lawmakers finally agreed on a $115 billion dollar spending plan.
The budget now heads to Gov. DeSantis, who has pledged to use his line-item veto power to make cuts.
Guest:
- Douglas Soule, state government reporter for WUSF.
Weekly news briefing
A memorial service was held this week for the 98 people who died in the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse. Four years after the tragedy, survivors and family members in Surfside are still searching for answers about why the massive building suddenly collapsed.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been investigating the condo collapse.
The institute’s construction safety team just released an update highlighting design and construction problems with the building and explaining some of the more likely theories about the collapse.
Meanwhile, Florida condo owners could soon see some financial relief. Condo owners have seen their assessments for maintenance and repairs balloon after laws passed in the wake of the Champlain Towers collapse.
This time of year, young shorebird families along Central Florida’s coasts are starting to take flight. But species like the American oystercatcher are struggling with habitat loss.
A Tampa Bay area faith leader took an unconventional approach to highlight the challenges facing the immigrant community. A politically active St. Petersburg church sent the sheriff’s office a bill after deputies used the church’s parking lot without permission.
As part of a broader push for greater control over public universities, the State University System of Florida is joining five other southern states to launch a new accreditation body.
A SpaceX capsule carrying a crew of four astronauts has docked to the International Space Station. They will spend two weeks in orbit on a private mission brokered by Axiom Space.
And a plan to convert basketball courts to pickleball in Fort Lauderdale Beach is not so popular with locals.