During WUSF’s holiday fundraising drive, we’re asking you to support "Florida Matters Live and Local" and everything you hear from our newsroom.
In the meantime, we’ll revisit some of the best conversations we’ve had this fall.
Host Matthew Peddie opens by exploring how local programs help veterans turn military skills into civilian success, giving them purpose and support as entrepreneurs.
Then, segments about the unusual and outrageous.
First, immerse yourself in sunken science with a USF researcher who spent three months living underwater.
Then, it’s the wild, weird and sometimes heroic headlines of "Florida Man." From gator-for-beer trades to Batman-pajama burglar chases, the stories range from ridiculous to real.
Turning service into business
(0:00) Adjusting to civilian life can be a challenge for many veterans. In Bradenton, the 26 West Entrepreneurship Center helps vets, active-duty personnel and military spouses launch and grow small businesses. We hear from veterans about finding purpose, building careers and turning military skills into civilian success.
GUESTS:
- Josh Riley, owner of AI Partner Solutions, National Guard veteran
- Kim Richmond, 26 West Entrepreneurship Center executive director
A “sub” conscious mind
(11:33) Is life better down where it’s wetter? The researcher known as Dr. Deep Sea knows. He traded his office for an underwater hotel for 100 days to explore how humans handle extreme environments. His time on “Live & Local” took a lot less — but more than enough to ask what he learned and what he missed most about dry land.
GUEST:
- Joseph Dituri, retired U.S. Navy commander, biomedical researcher and USF professor
The Florida man cometh
(23:38) We spend time with the author who literally wrote the book on turning the state’s strangest headlines into cultural folklore. Does Florida really produce more weirdness per capita than anywhere else? What’s funny, what’s unfair — and what’s undeniably true.
GUEST:
- Craig Pittman, author
