Back in 2022 we talked to the author of a new book about gerrymandering in America called “One Person One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America.” Dr. Nicholas Seabrook is Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Today we’re revisiting that conversation to provide some historical context on the recent burst of partisan redistricting that’s happening in the U.S. right now.

When Governor Ron DeSantis announced he was using his emergency powers to have the State of Florida build a detention facility on a relatively unused airbase in Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County the idea immediately drew criticisms, including the cost and the environmental impact. But there is another aspect of this camp and the name Alligator Alcatraz that has drawn another kind of criticism: echoes of racist language that bring to mind the trope of ‘alligator bait’ that dates back to the late 1800s and the days of Jim Crow. We explore that history with a reporter from the Miami Herald and a Naples Rabbi whose recent sermon titled “A Fence Around Compassion” went viral on Facebook.

Mahjong originated in China in the mid-to-late 19th century, but its exact origins are debated. It was first introduced to the United States in the 1920s and it quickly became a massive fad. There was a mahjong revival in the 1950s and 60s and in recent years there’s been a resurgence in popularity, with new generations discovering this century old game. We meet three members of Southwest Florida Mahjong to find out what their group is all about, and exactly what it is about this 'old-fashioned' game that resonates in today's world.

In July, Republican members of both houses of Congress voted to rescind about $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — along with nearly $8 billion for a variety of foreign aid programs. Stations in Florida also lost state funding when Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed funding for Public Broadcasting in the 2025-2026 budget. To get a sense of how these cuts could impact operations at the station we sit down with WGCU General Mager, Corey Lewis.

A federal lawsuit filed by immigrant advocacy groups in July accuses the Trump administration and its immigration enforcement agencies like ICE of engaging in systemic racial profiling during raids and detentions targeting individuals of color, primarily those perceived as immigrants. A U.S. District Judge issued a temporary restraining order, and the order was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 1. The Trump administration has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the restrictions hinder their ability to enforce immigration laws. We get some local context from South Florida immigration attorney, Amanda Velazquez. She represents several clients who have been detained in Key West while going about their daily lives, who had documents that allow them to be in the country while awaiting hearings, despite having no criminal record.

Ever since the mid-90s there has a been a place in downtown Fort Myers where parents could bring their kids for an immersive experience focused on science. It was originally called The Imaginarium Hands on Museum and Aquarium and featured hands-on displays and activities and an always-popular touch tank where kids can pet and feed cownose rays, among many other exhibits and activities that have evolved over time. The Imaginarium merged with the Southwest Florida History Museum and re-launched as an independent nonprofit called the IMAG History and Science Center which still offers the public an immersive experience focused now on science AND history. This Saturday, they are celebrating their 30th anniversary so we get some history, and a look at what’s happening there today.

In January of 1742, while sailing around waters south of Florida in search of Spanish vessels to "sink, burn or destroy" the British Royal Navy’s HMS Tyger ran aground at Garden Key in what’s now Dry Tortugas National Park. What unfolded after the Tyger ran aground at Garden Key is a fascinating narrative that is compiled in a new paper published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology titled “Hunting HMS Tyger, 1742: Identifying a Ship-of-the-Line in Dry Tortugas National Park” co-authored by Andrew Van Slyke & Joshua Marano. To get a sense of the Tyger and its crew's story, and the archeological efforts that go into this kind of identification, we talk with the team lead for the HMS Tyger identification effort.

About 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 30% of crops rely on pollinators. Things like habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and invasive species are all threats to pollinator populations, which are truly essential for both ecological balance and food security. On August 22-23 Floridians can do their part as citizen scientists to help researchers keep tabs on the health of pollinator populations by participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. To participate, during those two days you simply pick one or more plants in your yard that attract pollinators and watch them closely for 15 minutes and count each time an insect lands on the plant, and then upload that information into a database.