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Beginning Wednesday, August 9 WGCU will begin airing a new essay series called “Reflections of a Colored Girl” by Dr. Martha Bireda. Dr. Bireda was born in southwest Florida in 1945 but spent the first 10 years of her life in a small town in Western Virginia. Her family then moved back to Punta Gorda, where they have deep roots. We sat down with Dr. Bireda to talk about her new essay series, and what she hopes to pass along with it.

Research shows that suppressing melatonin production through excessive night lighting, especially blue light, leads health effects including an increase in certain endocrine-related carcinomas. It is now well known that circadian disturbance causes a 20–30% increase in breast cancer rates, and a similar increase in prostate cancers. We discuss the nexus between light pollution and human health, the environment, and public safety with part-time Naples resident, Dr. Mario Motta.

Two decades ago two young men disappeared in Naples under mysterious circumstances. Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos were both last seen with the same Collier County Sheriff’s deputy, Steven Calkins. They were both men of color in their 20s. And they were both last seen in Deputy Calkins’ patrol car. Deputy Calkins was fired after his story changed when questioned. He denied wrongdoing. He’s the only person of interest in the cases, but law enforcement never found evidence against him. This week, on Friday, Jan. 12, it will be 20 years since Terrance went missing.

There are a number of factors at play when it comes to predicting how active a hurricane season will be, the most important being the surface water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Back in April and May temperatures in the region of the Atlantic where storms tend to develop were already what we would expect to see in early summer — and now in June temperatures are already at levels we would expect in August, which is when hurricane season peaks. We have a conversation about the 2024 season, and the various factors contribute to how active it will be, with Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Network.

Regular listeners of this show will be familiar with the podcast series, The Last Ride, which we’ve been airing in serial since the first episode released in early April. It uses extensive reporting done over two decades to tell the story of two young men of color who disappeared in Naples — both of whom were last seen with the same Collier County Sheriff’s deputy, Steven Calkins, who is now retired. Deputy Calkins was fired for giving inconsistent statements about the cases, but was never formally accused of any wrongdoing in their disappearances. We sit down with three of the four-member team who reported on this story, and worked together to produce the podcast, to talk about that process and whether The Last Ride has brought forth any new information that might illuminate just what happened to Filipe Santos and Terrance Williams.

Karyn Parsons spent six years playing the ditzy character, Hilary, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show was huge in the culture in the 1990s — it ran for six seasons beginning in 1990 and left an indelible mark on pop culture. Her character, Hilary, was — and still is — truly beloved by fans everywhere. What fans didn't know is that during her time playing Hilary, Parsons was devoting quite a bit of her own personal time to writing short fiction, and learning about history — particularly inspiring and empowering stories of African American achievement.

2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of violence, harassment, and vandalism directed toward Jews — and the 2022 numbers are likely to show the same or even an increase. That’s according to the Anti-Defamation League. Much, if not most, of these incidents begin in the virtual world, where hate speech often flows freely, even on large social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It’s especially prevalent on smaller social media sites which generally provide no moderation or censorship whatsoever. Our guest today has spent much of his academic career focusing on antisemitism — both the why and the how, especially online.

Karyn Parsons spent six years playing the ditzy character, Hilary, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show was huge in the culture in the 1990s — it ran for six seasons beginning in 1990 and left an indelible mark on pop culture. Her character, Hilary, was — and still is — truly beloved by fans everywhere. What fans didn't know is that during her time playing Hilary, Parsons was devoting quite a bit of her own personal time to writing short fiction, and learning about history — particularly inspiring and empowering stories of African American achievement.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The idea that individuals — or the press — have the right to express opinions and ideas without government censorship or interference, while not entirely unprecedented is far from the norm throughout human history. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution remains the gold standard globally when it comes to protecting speech. But, our guest says history shows that protecting freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed without strong support from those who it protects — and that includes strongly supporting the right to expression for those who we strongly disagree with.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The idea that individuals — or the press — have the right to express opinions and ideas without government censorship or interference, while not entirely unprecedented is far from the norm throughout human history. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution remains the gold standard globally when it comes to protecting speech. But, our guest says history shows that protecting freedom of expression cannot be guaranteed without strong support from those who it protects — and that includes strongly supporting the right to expression for those who we strongly disagree with.