WaveMakers

Manatees are such a part of Florida’s environment it’s easy to think they’ve always been here. But have they? That’s what USF Anthropology professor Tom Pluckhahn and a colleague at George Washington University set out to discover. Are Florida manatees newcomers? Dr. Pluckhahn shared the surprising discovery on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet & Tom Tuesday … Continue reading USF researcher digs into the question of whether manatees are native to Florida

Science writer Sadie Dingfelder always knew she was different but never understood how or why until one day she mistook a stranger for her husband in a grocery store. She had been teasing her husband for picking up generic peanut butter, but when she saw the confused look on his face she quickly realized it … Continue reading Author Sadie Dingfelder on her journey to discovering she is face blind and how to cope

To an outsider, the Big Cypress Preserve in the Florida Everglades may look like a vast stretch of wilderness, untouched by human hands. But to the Miccosukee Tribe, it is sacred land they have called home since Florida was a British colony. That’s why the Tribe opposed a recent proposal by the Biden Administration to … Continue reading To preserve its way of life, Miccosukee Tribe fights Big Cypress wilderness designation

A dormant political action committee recently received $2.5 million from two prominent GOP mega-donors to help finance a campaign to prevent suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren from regaining his seat in the 2024 general election, political reporter William March revealed Tuesday (11/5) on WMNF WaveMakers. The money came from hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin … Continue reading Billionaire donors pour money into DeSantis-led campaign targeting Andrew Warren

A majority of voters nationally are not satisfied with how democracy is working in the U.S. but are open to a dictator who reflects their views, according to a new survey by the Center for a Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida. The survey, conducted in partnership with YouGov, a global research firm, … Continue reading USF survey: Voters worried about democracy but support dictator who reflects their views

Former state senator Jeff Brandes says a lack of legislative leadership is making it impossible to solve Florida’s ongoing property insurance crisis. Brandes, speaking on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet & Tom, said term limits mean legislative leaders like Senate presidents and House speakers are in their positions for only two years, not enough time to … Continue reading Former Sen. Jeff Brandes blames lack of leadership in Tallahassee for insurance crisis

Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking unprecedented and legally questionable steps to influence this year’s elections, particularly two citizen-led petitions that seek to restore reproductive rights and legalize marijuana, says independent Florida journalist Jason Garcia. Garcia, who publishes his work in an e-newsletter through Substack called Seeking Rents, has been reporting extensively on the many ways … Continue reading Journalist: Gov. DeSantis using unprecedented, legally questionable steps to influence the elections

Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 130 people across six states and flooded homes in the Tampa Bay area that had never flooded before, is an example of the kinds of monster storms the United States should expect in the coming decades because of climate change, WLFA-TV Ch. 8 Chief Meterologist Jeff Beradelli says. Beradelli, … Continue reading Meterologist Jeff Beradelli: Climate change means more storms like Hurricane Helene are likely