Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging state universities to stop hiring international employees through the H-1B program, saying it's time to put locals first. Critics of the plan say it could shrink the talent pool and change the culture of campuses across the state.
On "Florida Matters: Live and Local," we’re digging into what this could mean for students, professors and state academia.
Meanwhile, if bridges and traffic jams have left you dreaming of smooth sailing, a revisioned cross-bay ferry could be coming back. Approvals are still needed, and if all goes according to plan, the first passengers could be boarding as soon as next year.
Then, it's time for ghosts, ghouls and geeky science. Haunted cigar factories and spooky neighborhood haunts are coming alive for Halloween, while a writer talks about the parts needed to create a "Replaceable You."
DeSantis targets university H-1B hires
(0:00) Gov. Ron DeSantis wants state universities to stop using H-1B visas to fill faculty and research jobs, saying they’re relying on “cheap labor.” University leaders are split — with the University of Florida's interim president backing a review of the program and faculty leaders warning it could drive talent away. What would the move mean for the state’s higher-ed system and the international scholars already here.
GUEST:
- Andrew Atterbury, Tallahassee-based education reporter for Politico
Once sunk, the ferry resurfaces
(12:04) The ferry linking Tampa and St. Petersburg could soon return under new management and a new name. The Hubbard family, longtime local fishing and tour boat operator, has been selected to relaunch the service at about half the old price — if transit officials approve new docks and funding. What’s changed, what will it cost and when might passengers climb aboard again.
GUEST:
- Tara Hubbard, Tampa Bay Sea Taxi president and CEO
Florida phantoms and frightmares
(21:00) This Halloween, the area is crawling with more chills than those recently arriving breezes off the bay. From cigar-factory ghosts who won’t clock out to haunted houses, spooky side streets and graveyard getaways, the region’s alive with the dearly departed. So, grab your cloak, polish your fangs and join us as we summon the spirits of some hair-raising haunts.
GUESTS:
- Kara Guagliardo, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. executive director of hospitality and community engagement
- Jay Ammerman, Halloween influencer
The body shop of tomorrow
(35:58) Could a heart keep beating outside the body? Why are pigs better organ donors than goats? Best-selling science writer Mary Roach dives into the quirky, fascinating history and cutting-edge science of prosthetics and replacement body parts in her new book “Replaceable You.” From medieval nose jobs to 3D-printed limbs and digitally enhanced eyes, we explore how humans patch, swap and upgrade themselves.
GUEST:
- Mary Roach, science writer and author
