Doge cuts may impact Florida's disaster preparedness
More than a dozen positions have been cut at National Weather Service (NWS) offices across the state. These are the offices responsible for weather forecasts and warnings when bad weather threatens.
These eliminations are a result of DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency, which is not an official federal government department — and other federal funding cuts directed by President Donald Trump and his executive orders.
We looked at how these changes could impact weather forecasting as Florida braces for the 2025 Hurricane Season.
Guests:
- Alex Harris, lead climate change reporter for the Miami Herald.
- James Franklin, former branch chief of the National Hurricane Center's Hurricane Specialist Unit.
State budget remains at impasse
Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Ron DeSantis have not been able to agree on competing tax cut plans or finalizing the state budget. The state spending plan must be complete by July 1, 2025.
The regular annual legislative session was scheduled to end on May 2 but went into overtime due to stalled negotiations. This week, the House met and agreed to stay in session until June 30.
Guest:
- Douglas Soule, state government reporter for WUSF.
Weekly news briefing
There are more police departments in Florida cooperating with federal immigration authorities than in any other state. But one Florida city has resisted despite Gov. DeSantis' directive that local police sign an agreement with federal immigration authorities.
Meanwhile, the governor this week said he has a "soup to nuts" end-immigration enforcement plan that would expand how the local and state police enforce federal law. It includes Florida handling deportations for the federal government.
As the spring semester at Florida's state colleges and universities comes to an end, some students may face a hefty tuition hike in the fall due to the state's immigration enforcement law. Students without legal status had been able to pay the in-state tuition rate for the past decade, but that is ending.
A Florida law aimed at stopping children from attending drag shows is still blocked from being enforced after a decision this week from a federal appeals court.
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