There’s plenty of support in high places for the plan to build a Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium with up to $976 million in public dollars. Among the proponents are Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
There's also an assortment of boards and organizations, multiple chambers of commerce, Hillsborough College, the Westshore Alliance, the Police Benevolent Association, and even the Tampa Bay Times.
But there are skeptics, and the most vocal is on "Florida Matters Live & Local." Commissioner Joshua Wostal offers plenty of specifics ahead of this week's big votes on whether to move forward with negotiations.
A hit or an error?
(21:04) Amid the community cheerleading for plans to build a $2.3 billion baseball stadium with public money, one leader’s voice has stood up in opposition. Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal flat-out says it's a bad deal for taxpayers, and he's in the studio to detail his concerns regarding a non-binding memorandum of understanding that will be voted on this week.
GUEST:
- Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal
Youth baseball: Where ‘velocity is king!’
(0:00) With year-round play, rising pitch speeds and growing pressure, more young pitchers are suffering serious elbow and shoulder injuries. Has it become too physically intense for kids? What changes are needed to protect their arms? We'll ask our guests.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Jason Zaremski, UF Health sports medicine specialist
- Katherine Smith, Spectrum Bay News 9 sports reporter
Paying to stay lit
(12:02) More than 2 million Florida household electricity shutoffs were recorded in 2024 – not from hurricanes or outages, but because residents couldn’t afford to pay their utility bills. An environmental journalist talks about rising power costs, utility profits and the difficult choices many families are making to keep the lights on.
GUEST:
- Amy Green, Inside Climate News reporter
The 8-ball says: Winner!
(36:05) Every spring, 6,000 billiards devotees rack up cross-country miles heading to Las Vegas for the American Poolplayer Association championships. This year’s 8-ball winner came from Tampa, and she’s in the studio to talk about her stripes-and-solids training — and to show off her huge trophy.
GUESTS:
- Victoria Parker, 8-ball champion
