Free speech and consequences (0:00)
Florida is on the frontlines of the ongoing national debate over the First Amendment.
State law requires parental consent for teens under the age of 14 to use certain social media platforms. Though the law still faces legal challenges over First Amendment rights, Florida can now enforce the law following a recent court ruling.
Widespread book removals from public school libraries have spurred multiple lawsuits against several school districts and the state.
Then there are the cases of government workers fired or put on leave over social media posts.
This week, two Duval County teachers filed lawsuits after being reassigned from their classrooms over what is thought to be their social media messages.
Guests:
- Megan Mallicoat, education reporter for Jacksonville Today.
- Allison Matulli, lawyer, children's author and criminal justice adjunct professor at Florida International University.
New data on Alligator Alcatraz (21:16)
It's been six months since the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention opened in the Everglades. Florida officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have said that everyone detained at Alligator Alcatraz has had a final order to be removed from the country.
But, an investigation by NBC 6 in Miami finds that only one-in-three people who have been sent to Alligator Alcatraz have no criminal record. And more than 1,000 people have not had a final deportation order issued.
Guest:
- Tony Pipitone, NBC6 investigative reporter.
PolitiFact (32:48)
The mid-term elections are less than a year away and President Donald Trump has been talking about what is the key issue for the campaign: affordability.
We checked in with our partners at PolitiFact to put some of his claims to the test of truth.
Guest:
- Samantha Putterman, Florida government reporter at PolitiFact.
Weekly news briefing (37:30)
An effort to build an A.I. data center in Palm Beach County, called Project Tango, has been put on pause following a tense county commission meeting.
Across the country, new data centers are being built to handle the growing use of artificial intelligence. Those data centers require lots of energy fueling concerns over rising utility costs.
Rules instituted this year allow for reclaimed water, or recycled wastewater, to be treated and distributed for drinking.
No utilities in the state are doing it yet. But with a water shortage projected in the next 20 years, that day will likely be coming soon.
We are officially in the dry season now, but the wet season was plenty dry throughout much of Florida.
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