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The Florida Roundup is a live, weekly call-in show with a distinct focus on the issues affecting Floridians. Each Friday at noon, listeners can engage in the conversation with journalists, newsmakers and other Floridians about change, policy and the future of our lives in the sunshine state.Join our host, WLRN’s Tom Hudson, broadcasting from Miami.

Florida's insurance market, controversies for both political parties and environmental news 

A home with a "Sold" sign is shown, Sunday, May 2, 2021, in Surfside. Home mortgage rates have risen to 20-year highs since then as the Federal Reserve has hike interest rates to fight inflation. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Wilfredo Lee/AP
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AP
A home with a "Sold" sign is shown, Sunday, May 2, 2021, in Surfside. Home mortgage rates have risen to 20-year highs since then as the Federal Reserve has hike interest rates to fight inflation. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

This week on The Florida Roundup, we discuss some of the biggest challenges to stabilizing Florida’s insurance market, calls for the head of the state’s Republican Party to step down and the Florida Democrats' decision to cancel its presidential primary. Plus, a collection of environmental stories from across Florida.

Florida's insurance market

For many Floridians, finding homeowners' insurance is becoming unaffordable. Nine in 10 Florida voters are concerned with rising rates, according to a recent study conducted by Cygnal, a private polling firm.

Last week, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee announced an investigation into Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp., raising concerns about the massive growth of the state-backed insurance company and its ability to pay claims.

We hear from the head of the Office of Insurance Regulation, which is tasked with promoting a stable and competitive insurance market for consumers, and then speak with the president and CEO of Citizens.

Guests:

  • Michael Yarwosky, Florida Insurance Commissioner. 
  • Tim Cerio, President/CEO and Executive Director of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

Controversies for Florida's major political parties 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has called on the head of the state's Republican party to step down following an allegation of rape and subsequent investigation. Christian Zeigler has resisted pressure to quit.

According to the reports, the complaint came from a woman who had been in a consensual sexual relationship with Ziegler and his wife Bridget — who co-founded the conservative group Moms for Liberty and is a member of the Sarasota County School Board.

And if you’re a registered Democrat you won’t be able to vote in March in a presidential primary. The state party decided to cancel its vote because only one name would have been on the ballot: President Joe Biden. The decision has been met with public pushback and threats of legal action from other Democratic presidential candidates.

Guest:

  • Max Greenwood, senior political correspondent for the Miami Herald. 

Environmental news 

Finally, we bring you a collection of stories about Florida’s environment. WUSF’s Steve Newborn shares this story about bringing the great outdoors of the Sunshine State indoors for a different perspective.

Hurricane Idalia washed away dozens of sea turtle nests when the storm surge hit the St. Petersburg area and the rest of the beaches in Pinellas County. The storm came near the end of the nesting season, but it was still a good year for the hatchlings.

No one was immune to the record heat this summer. That includes shorebirds in Tampa Bay, as Chris Young reports from WMNF.

Copyright 2023 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit WLRN 91.3 FM.

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