MidPoint

Gov. Ron DeSantis stripped $32M in statewide arts & culture funding from the budget over his hatred of popular Fringe Festivals in Tampa & Orlando that he accused of being "sexual."

MidPoint learns the history of The Fearless Four: four Black Tampa policemen who, in the face of heavy backlash, filed a racial discrimination complaint against the Tampa Police Dept. in the 1970's, which helped spark advancement for Black and women police officers and Black and women city employees in Tampa.

A tragic bus accident killed 8 legal migrant farmworkers and injured dozens more who are now caught in a legal, immigration and medical limbo because their visas have expired before their treatments are complete.

Twice-elected Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren discusses justice for the wrongfully convicted, the exoneration of death row inmate Robert DuBois who served 37 years for a crime he did not commit, and the following investigation by Hillsborough County law enforcement that led to the conviction of the real serial killers.

Florida Republicans are so afraid of climate change that they've passed a law to never speak of it. As Florida is on fire, underwater, and unaffordable, our state government is rolling back climate change legislation and removing it from consideration in formulating state energy policy.

Florida is one of only 10 states that has not already expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income childless adults as allowed under the Affordable Care Act. Now, Florida healthcare advocates are mounting a petition drive to place a Constitutional Amendment to expand Medicaid on the 2026 ballot. Florida Voices for Health joins us to explain why expansion is so important to improve access to care in Florida.

Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota's CEO Jennifer Rominiecki, and their V.P. of Botany, Bruce Holst, joined MidPoint to talk all about the blooming of the Gardens into a powerhouse of sustainability and botanical conservation research, along with their exhibits highlighting nature's relationship to art & culture, and their Artist in Residence, singer, songwriter and poet, Patti Smith. If you haven't been to the facility lately, you will want to return soon because this is NOT your grandma's garden!

Florida is now LAST in the nation in teacher pay, according to a recent survey reported by the National Education Association! We discussed that, the State's pre-emption of the allocation of state education funding, the Hillsborough County Community Investment Tax education allocation to capital improvements, the need for the November referendum on the ballot to raise teacher pay by increasing the millage property taxes, the drop in Florida Bright Futures scholarship awards, book bans, and much more with Jessica Vaughn, Hillsborough School Board member from District 3, North and New Tampa. Listen to the entire show here, on the WMNF app, or as a WMNF podcast wherever you get your podcasts.