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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.

Phase 3 Of Reopening; Audio Postcards From Florida Voters; Justice Wells’ Election Concerns

Customers chat as they drink in Miami Beach  this summer
Customers chat as they drink in Miami Beach this summer

 

Late last week, Governor DeSantis reopened the state for business under Phase 3. Among other things, that means that most restaurants and bars can now be open at full capacity. He also eliminated fines against anyone ticketed for breaking local mask orders.

However, Phase 3 is not rolling out in the same way across the state. Many local governments are keeping mask orders in place, and some business owners are still limiting capacity. This, as President Donald Trump and the first lady have tested positive for coronavirus.

 

We spoke to journalists from across the state, to see what Phase 3 looks like in their area.

 

Mathew Peddie of WMFE, joined us to discuss how Orlando’s tourism industry is responding to COVID-19 and how Trump’s diagnosis will affect his plans to campaign in the state.

 

WJCT News’ Sky LeBronspoke with us about how Phase 3 is panning out in Northeast Florida where Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry said earlier this week that a countywide mask mandate will stay in place for the next 30 days. 

 

Ryan Vasquez of WUFT updated us on the status of the virus at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

 

And Danny Riveroof WLRN joined us to talk about how things are going in South Florida, which has been hit the hardest by COVID.

 

Associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, Dr. Cindy Prins, also joined to share her thoughts on how the Phase 3 reopening could affect Florida’s infection rates.

 

Audio Postcards From Florida Voters

 

During the next few weeks, we will share the stories of voters from across the state’s crucial I-4 corridor. It runs from St. Petersburg to Daytona Beach and covers dramatic demographic shifts.

 

Friday, we heard from James Moore of Osceola County, who shared his story with WUSF’s Jessica Meszaros

 

Meszaros produced the audio postcard as part of America Amplified, a national reporting initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Justice Wells’ Election Concerns

During the 2000 election, now-retired Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Wells voted not to manually recount votes. Now he says President Trump is a threat to democracy. Justice Wells outlined his concerns to friends in an email, which he gave the Sun-Sentinel permission to publish this week. In it, he said that President Trump’s implication that he may not accept the outcome of the election is a grave and real threat to our democracy.

 

Justice Wells joined us to discuss his concerns.

Copyright 2020 WJCT News 89.9. To see more, visit WJCT News 89.9.

WJCT NEWS - SUMMER INTERN 2020
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