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For 17 years as an Extension agent with the Florida Sea Grant program at University of Florida, Betty Staugler has been based at the UF/IFAS Extension’s Charlotte County office, helping coastal residents and people whose livelihoods depend on the marine ecosystem deal with issues including harmful algal blooms in southwest Florida.She's taking on a new role now as NOAA’s Harmful Algal Bloom Liaison, where her work will include developing new data-driven communication tools about harmful algal blooms to better serve decision-makers in addressing this growing concern.

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the preferred alternative for how Lake Okeechobee water releases will be managed in the future under what’s called the Lake Okeechobee Systems Operating Manual, or LOSOM. As currently designed the so-called “CC alternative” will reduce the amount that is discharged to the east down the St. Lucie River, and increase the amount of water that is sent to the west down the Caloosahatchee River. Flows south toward the Everglades would be increased.We go over the proposed release schedule, and what will happen next as the optimization process gets underway, with Tim Gysan, he is the LOSOM Project Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The U.S. Census Bureau released its first data set from the 2020 census last week, with more detailed numbers expected at the end of September. This means states, including Florida, are beginning the process of drawing new congressional, and state legislative districts as required by the U.S. Constitution.Here in Florida it’s up to the state legislature to draw the new districts, and because of two 2010 amendments to the the state constitution passed by Florida voters — called the Fair Districts Amendments — new districts are supposed to establish "fairness," be "as equal in population as feasible" and use existing "city, county and geographical boundaries."We plan on following this process closely on this show, as the 2022 legislative session approaches. For starters we’re going to get a bit of a history lesson from the leader of the Fair Districts Coalition, which led the 2010 effort.

We’re continuing our series of conversations with speakers from the Naples Discussion Group’s 20-21 schedule by talking with professor Ted Bridis, he is Rob Hiaasen Lecturer in Investigative Reporting in the Department of Journalism at University of Florida. He’ll be presenting a virtual lecture on Friday, January 29 on the Importance of Investigative Journalism in Our Current Environment.

In her latest book, “The Promise of Whiteness: Its Past and Its Future” Dr. Martha Bireda explores the psychological underpinnings of the mentality of white superiority in the U.S. and its roots beginning with the early history of European settlers on the North American continent, dating all the way back to the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Dr. Bireda has more than 30 years of experience as a lecturer, consultant and trainer for issues related to race, class, and gender, working with educators, law enforcement, and business, and civic leaders.

Lee County is having a record-breaking year for traffic fatalities. As of Dec. 8, there have been 119 traffic fatalities in the county, including 9 bicyclists and 24 pedestrians. Those numbers are up from last year, and continue a years-long trend of increasing traffic-related deaths here in Southwest Florida. We explore some of the reasons behind these numbers and this ongoing trend with Jay Anderson, he is Executive director of the nonprofit Stay Alive....Just Drive! and a longtime advocate for traffic safety; and Dan Moser, he is a founding member of the BikeWalkLee Coalition and a traffic safety consultant in Lee County.

Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera was born in Mexico and has spent her career focusing on U.S.-Mexico Relations and issues around the border. She lived along the border in Brownsville, Texas for eight years, and over the past decade has traveled along its length three times from Brownsville to San Diego collecting stories for a book she’s working on about life along the border. We talk with her about the current state of U.S.-Mexico relations.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, seniors are expected to make up over 20% of the country’s population by that year, and that percentage will be considerably higher here in Florida where 21.3% of the population is already over 65. This means considerably more seniors are going to require assistance from senior living communities, and there is already a shortage of staff in this country to handle the current levels at existing facilities. Our guest says technology is going to have to be the key to making sure the system can handle the growth.

On February 15, 1991 two Air Force fighter pilots — Capt. Stephen R. Phillis and 1st Lt. Rob Sweet — flew together for the 30th time on a mission during Operation Desert Storm. During that mission, Lt. Sweet’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire and he was forced to eject. As he descended in his parachute toward thousands of members of Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard forces, his wingman, Capt. Phillis remained flying overhead in order to draw their fire and give Sweet a better chance at surviving. After nearly four minutes of circling his A-10 was also hit and then crashed. Our guest today is on a mission to have the Medal of Honor awarded posthumously Capt. Phillis for his actions on that day.

In conjunction with the “Forgotten Florida: Photos from the Farm Security Administration” up now at the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch in Collier County the museum conducted a “Forgotten Florida Teen Photo Contest” for students in Collier County to express their lives during the global pandemic. We’re joined by the winner of that exhibit, Marco Island Academy sophomore Kathryn Barry; and the Immokalee Pioneer Museum’s manager, Brent Trout.