

The South Florida Roundup
WLRN News
Each week, journalists and newsmakers from South Florida analyze and debate some of the most topical issues from across the region.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 6, 2024 • 40min
Miami-Dade's incinerator, the condo crisis and a UNICEF report on Haiti
On The South Florida Roundup, we kicked Miami-Dade County’s garbage incinerator can down the road once more. And we asked: is the plan dead in Doral because President-elect Donald Trump killed it (01:20)? We also looked back at this week’s Condo Summit in Davie – and looked ahead to the pocketbook pain condo owners face starting this month with no deadline extension in sight (14:33). And we examined how bad the gang nightmare is now for women and children in Haiti. What can be done (27:00)?

Nov 29, 2024 • 55min
Deadly rip currents, plastic ban in Miami-Dade and holiday help for the food-insecure
On the South Florida Roundup, we talked with a Florida International University coastal expert known as "Dr. Beach" about the growing number of people caught — and dying — in rip currents. And it’s not just a summer hazard (01:10). We also looked at Miami-Dade’s recent resolution to ban single-use plastics at its county-owned venues — and how it reflects the national trend to quit the plastics habit, even in red Florida (20:13). And, we spoke with South Florida’s leading hunger relief group about the holiday work ahead for all of us (35:44).

Nov 22, 2024 • 54min
Miami Book Fair: Miami Beach's real housewives, a transgender journey and Marcus Garvey
On the South Florida Roundup, we talked with three of the Miami Book Fair’s featured local authors. Asha Elias’ new novel Pink Glass Houses shows us Miami Beach social climbers battling for control of their kids’ school PTA (01:11). Haitian-American educator Isabelle Camille’s poignant memoir Sole’s Mom embraces her child’s transgender journey (18:28). And Jamaican-American poet Geoffrey Philip’s graphic book My Name Is Marcus presents young readers to Black nationalist hero Marcus Garvey (34:56).

Nov 15, 2024 • 54min
Miami-Dade's dispute with Miami Beach, South Florida Black voters opt for Trump and what to expect from Marco Rubio
On the South Florida Roundup, we looked at the dispute between Miami-Dade County and Miami Beach that just resulted in the Beach ponying up $10 million to the County’s Homeless Trust (01:11). We also discussed why President-elect Donald Trump won so many Black — especially Black male — votes in South Florida. Was it a sexist thing, as Barack Obama said, or something deeper? (20:22) And we examined what to expect from Marco Rubio, if he’s confirmed as Trump’s top diplomat, in Latin America — and its ties to China (35:48).

Nov 8, 2024 • 55min
Election 2024: Miami-Dade County's shift to red and Black and Latino voters
On the South Florida Roundup, we looked at the Trump triumph, the MAGA makeover, the GOP juggernaut, the Republican rout – whatever you want to call this week’s general election in Miami-Dade County. You could also call it the Democratic disaster (01:06). Donald Trump became the first Republican and up and down the ballot, GOP candidates here marched in on his coattails. And, if you thought this was just a Latino thing — think again (37:10).

Nov 1, 2024 • 55min
Election 2024: Local races in South Florida
On the South Florida Roundup, a panel of South Florida journalists help make sense of what voters face on Tuesday (01:08). From a million-dollar Palm Beach County state attorney race and a competitive mayoral contest in Fort Lauderdale to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s election and Monroe County elections supervisor match featuring charges of election fraud. Plus, should newspapers still endorse candidates? (35:00).

Oct 25, 2024 • 54min
Latinos and Amendment 4, new school bus cameras in Miami-Dade County and Cuba's chronic blackout
On the South Florida Roundup, we discussed the all-out outreach to Latino voters on Florida’s Amendment 4 – and other abortion access ballot measures across the country. Will Latinos be the issue’s swing vote (1:10)? We also looked at the controversial company and candidate behind the admittedly popular new school bus traffic cameras now used in Miami-Dade County (21:27). And, we looked at the causes — and the possible fallout — of communist Cuba’s chronic blackout nightmare (36:25).

Oct 18, 2024 • 54min
Tornadoes in South Florida, Miami's culture of neglect and Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua
On the South Florida Roundup we looked at the spate of deadly tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton last week — 26 of them — which made Florida feel more like Kansas (01:10). We also discussed WLRN’s new series “Culture of Neglect,” which looks at efforts to restore Miami’s important but too often uncared for cultural institutions (19:15). And we examined the violent Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua that’s now at the center of the presidential election’s immigration debate (34:50).

Oct 11, 2024 • 53min
Hispanic vote: presidential candidate town halls and election disinformation
On the South Florida Roundup, we focus on the Hispanic vote — one of the most important in this region and this state. We reviewed Vice President Kamala Harris’ televised Hispanic town hall in Las Vegas Thursday and preview the one that former President Donald Trump will hold Wednesday in Miami (01:10). A panel of Hispanic journalists and experts helped us examine why election disinformation is so rampant in Spanish-language media (19:23) — and what, if anything, can be done about it (35:40).

Oct 4, 2024 • 55min
Former Senator Frank Artiles' criminal trial, elections and Miami artists' census
On The South Florida Roundup, we discussed the so-called ghost candidate scandal of 2020, which rocked South Florida politics with a fake candidate siphoning votes away from a Democrat and helping the Republican win. That trial wrapped up this week and we have all the details (01:06). With election season in full swing, we looked at all the nuts and bolts of casting a ballot for the Nov. 5 elections. From ballot drop boxes to early voting dates, we got you covered (18:42). And, we discussed a new effort by Miami artists to better advocate for themselves with data (37:45).