The South Florida Roundup

On The South Florida Roundup, with the year nearing its end, we look back at some stories that helped define 2023 in South Florida. First, education — and the often bitter debate here involving diversity, parental rights versus LGBTQ+ rights and book-banning (01:01). We also discuss how the affordable housing crisis finally took center stage across the region (18:01). And we examine the American immigration crisis — and the Latin American leaders, like Venezuela’s, who made it worse (33:04).

On the South Florida Roundup, we looked at the holiday edition of the Miami mess: embattled City Attorney Victoria Mendez gets to keep her job — for the moment — while the city commission corrects all the multi-million-dollar mistakes it’s made with the budget (01:01). We also spoke with Nancy Ancrum, the Miami Herald’s editorial page editor who is retiring after leading the paper to two Pulitzer Prizes (18:39). And we examined why Venezuela claims it should have two-thirds of neighboring Guyana (35:19).

On the South Florida Roundup, we looked at how Miami Art Week and events like it are now a development engine for some of South Florida’s once struggling communities like Opa-Locka (1:00); a retired U.S. diplomat and former ambassador to Bolivia who was charged with spying for Cuba (8:40); and how the state of Florida may soon loosen development restrictions in the Florida Keys (22:48).

On the South Floria Roundup, we discussed the Broward County controversy over whether a transgender student can play girls’ volleyball (01:03), the new WLRN Everglades podcast Bright Lit Place – and Big Sugar’s role in blocking the cleanup of one of our key eco-treasures (18:35) , and we examine how Puerto Rico’s mortality rate is going up as its healthcare system tumbles down (34:16).

On the South Florida Roundup, we examine how our region’s three major airports are likely to perform amid what’s likely to be record holiday traffic in the skies (01:03), we also look at a more unsettling aspect of the holidays: the fact that a larger share of people here are experiencing food insecurity than the rest of the country (18:45), and we ask if the country’s largest Spanish-language TV network is suddenly cozying up to Donald Trump (33:57).

On the South Florida Roundup, we discussed Miami-Dade’s new public bus system that launched this week (01:02), a WLRN investigation that finds Citizens Property Insurance is using unlicensed inspectors as it moves to drop homes from its burgeoning coverage rolls (16:38), and Argentina's presidential election (33:39).

On The South Florida Roundup, we looked at South Florida’s sugarcane harvest season – also known as the sugarcane burning season – and asked just how dangerous it is to the health of nearby residents (01:01). We also examined affluent Coral Gables’ renewed effort to annex the low-income Little Gables neighborhood – where many residents fear they’ll just be booted out (17:54). And we discussed the latest dispute over a sunken ship – this one containing an estimated $20 billion, found off Colombia’s coast (33:56).

We talked with both Jewish and Muslim community leaders about the disturbing increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents (01:01). We also preview next week’s local elections in Miami-Dade County (35:17).

On the South Florida Roundup, we discussed why the Palm Beach County Commission rejected a land-swap proposal that supporters hoped could alleviate the housing crisis (01:00). We also recalled the life of the late Shirley Gibson, who helped create Miami Gardens 20 years ago (18:09). Later, we ask if Venezuela’s new opposition candidate, Maria Corina Machado, can dislodge a dictatorship (34:22).

A year ago this week, the Biden Administration launched a humanitarian parole for migrants escaping crisis and dictatorship in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. It’s brought a quarter million people to the U.S. – especially South Florida. But has it alleviated the crush at the U.S. southern border? On the South Florida Roundup, WLRN reporters discussed WLRN News' new series: “Waiting for America” – examining the successes and failures of President Biden’s key immigration policy.