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WGCU has received two 2025 Suncoast Emmy Awards for television work that lifts local voices and examines issues that shape life in Southwest Florida, even as the station manages budget cuts and rising costs.

This Thursday, June 12 WGCU’s Documentary Unit will premiere the new film “Rising: Surviving the Surge.” It features dramatic storm footage, powerful stories of resilience, and insights from scientists, first responders, and community leaders to provide a wake-up call to the reality of storm surge that we all now know is possible on a very personal level. And it offers a vital reminder to be prepared for when it matters most. We discuss the making of Rising and some of the lessons we've learned from the storm that forever changed Southwest Florida.

From the economy to the environment, from how the Southwest Florida community rallied around each other to the very personal struggles in the recovery process, WGCU takes a unique look at how the region fared during and after Hurricane Ian.

The college admission process has become increasingly competitive over the past few decades — especially so in recent years — and incredibly so when it comes to the country’s most elite colleges and universities. So, it’s easy to understand the pressures they face and the stress they feel as their high school years wind down and they await word on whether they’ve been admitted to the school or schools they’ve set their hearts and minds on. On Tuesday, January 9 at 9:00pm WGCU will debut a TV documentary that explores the high stress world of college admissions, especially for students who have their sights set on the country’s most elite institutions. “Dream School: A Journey to Higher Ed” was produced, directed, written, and hosted by WGCU’s Sandra Viktorova, who listeners will recognize as our All Things Considered Host.

A new report from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission shows that 407 manatees have died this year in Florida as of last week. Brevard County on the east coast and Lee County on the west have been the hot spots so far this year for manatee deaths, according to FWC figures.

Four conservation groups are seeking to help block an effort to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for the Florida scrub jay, the Earthjustice legal organization announced Tuesday. The Florida Wildlife Federation, American Bird Conservancy, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida filed a request to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the protections.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday vetoed a bill aimed at clearing the way for some people to pursue medical-malpractice lawsuits over the deaths of family members. DeSantis, who earlier had indicated he would veto the bill (HB 6017), said during an appearance at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers that the proposal could “open flood gates” for litigation.