Steve Newborn
ReporterI cover Florida’s unending series of issues with the environment and politics in the Tampa Bay area, and also am on occasional host for Florida Matters, our half-hour public affairs show.
I love to go camping, ride bikes and go for long paddles on scenic, winding rivers, so I can think about that while covering meetings that go on for hours.
I've been around Florida so long that I have covered events that most people can’t remember anymore. I've been with WUSF since 2001, and covered President George W. Bush’s speech in Sarasota as the Sept. 11 attacks unfolded; the ongoing drama over whether the feeding tube should be removed from Terri Schiavo; the arrest and terrorism trial of USF professor Sami Al-Arian; how the BP Deepwater Horizon spill affected Florida; and followed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition as they walked and paddled through the state — twice.
I also got the privilege of tagging along with a Sarasota-based group investigating how manatees are faring in Cuba.
Before joining WUSF, I covered environmental and Polk County news for the late, great Tampa Tribune and worked for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center during the early days of the space shuttle. Again, stuff that most people can’t even remember. Oh, and I'm a graduate of the University of South Florida, back when it was about a third of the size it is now. Before it even had a football team. Go Bulls!
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Gov. Ron DeSantis has temporarily postponed public hearings on plans to build everything from lodges to golf courses on several state parks. -
The storm continued a long history of erosion at the popular beach. The bay is now only several yards from the Courtney Campbell Causeway. -
You didn't see their names on a ballot or get to vote for them, but several candidates still landed in office on Tuesday. Those include four local sheriffs. -
Sarasota County was an exception, where about one in three registered voters cast a ballot Tuesday. -
There were few surprises in the Tampa Bay area primaries, as most of races went as expected. It's now on to the general election. -
Andrew Warren will face Suzy Lopez, who was appointed to replace him by Gov. Ron DeSantis. -
She said optimism among Democrats is so high, some believe the state might be in play. -
There are a lot of hotly contested races in Tuesday's primaries, including challengers for two incumbent congresswomen and the Hillsborough State Attorney. -
Only Republican races are on the slate next week, with an eye on "medical freedom" candidates. If they gain a majority after the November general election, some hospital policies could change. -
You might remember when school board races were low-key affairs that typically drew in teachers and parents. But the ongoing culture wars have animated even these races on Tuesday's primary ballot.
