Florida’s facing a lot of questions right now — federal workers in the state are going without pay during the shutdown, parents are unsure about whether vaccine mandates are really ending, and schools are pulling hundreds of books off shelves. Today, on “Florida Matters Live & Local,” we’re digging into what all this means for families and communities.
Furloughed and forgotten
(0:00) The Tampa Bay area’s federal workforce is caught in the middle of a government shutdown with no paychecks in sight. Officials from the employees’ union and a Metropolitan Ministries leader discuss the human impact, emergency help available and what nongovernment agencies are doing. They also examine the legality of job cuts and what leverage unions have to end the shutdown.
GUESTS:
- Tatishka Thomas, American Federation of Government Employees District 5 national vice president
- Kevin Liddel, AFGE political representative.
- Christine Long, Metropolitan Ministries chief program officer
Who’s calling the shots?
(21 :04) State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo says the state will drop all vaccine mandates — but so far, there’s no plan, timeline or legislation to make it happen. Parents, doctors and public health experts are left wondering what this means for schools, children and the state’s reputation. We’ll dig into the uncertainty, the politics and the science behind Florida’s latest vaccine debate.
GUESTS:
- Thomas Unnasch, USF health professor
- Julie Forestier, Social Equity through Education Alliance political director
Reading between the lines
(36:06) Florida schools have pulled hundreds of books amid controversy over what’s appropriate for students, sparking a controversy about censorship and parental choice. We’ll unpack the numbers and disputes with representatives from both sides of the debate.
GUESTS:
- Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director
- Julie Gebhards, Moms for Liberty
