Thank you for all your support this year! You can find us at 89.7, through the WUSF & NPR One apps, and at wusf.org over the holidays, where we'll bring you fresh news daily. We'll be updating our Facebook page, but will resume posting here on Jan. 5. Happy Holidays!

Dave Willat was just 11 years old when he showed up for what he thought would be a routine church choir practice in 1965. He and his fellow singers ended up making history.

The Justice Department has begun publishing the Epstein files, releasing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and his death by suicide in federal custody.

A number of projects across Florida, including several in Southwest and South regions, will share in $311 million disbursed by the state.

After a one-year layoff, Tampa's Gasparilla Music Festival is returning in 2026 — but at a different downtown venue. Read more: www.wusf.org/arts-culture...

The state Attorney General's Office sent a letter in response to a squabble over Orange and Seminole counties' voter-approved boundaries. Some fear this could pave the way for preemptive legislation.

The way the Trump administration has handled the Epstein files — including downplaying the information for much of the year — means that this release likely won't be the end of the story.

This week on "The Zest Podcast," the team offers their hot takes on holiday foods. The convo ranges from traditional family favorites to which holiday dishes are overrated.

An interesting mix of convos on "Florida Matters Live & Local." We roam from free rides and student loan changes to safety tips and a local queen hitting the national stage.

On Florida Matters Live & Local, journalists Alexandra Glorioso and Justin Garcia talk about their investigation that revealed Florida used millions of taxpayer dollars to fund campaigns against amendments during the 2024 election. Read more: www.wusf.org/politics-iss...

Plans to transform a long-dormant landfill into a sprawling sports complex are on hold as questions regarding the extent of soil contamination at the site remain unanswered.

Do Florida tolls take a toll on your wallet? There's a chance a change could leave you with more change. Gov. Ron DeSantis is floating freeing Florida residents from roadway tolls. He thinks tourists could cover the cost. Read more: www.wusf.org/transportati...

Doctors at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg are seeing a noticeable uptick in influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this year, in comparison to last year.

The Tampa Police Department announced it is postponing its school zone speed camera program after reviewing the planned rollout due to implementation concerns related to the vendor. Read more: www.wusf.org/courts-law/2...

Pinellas County’s five remaining pet stores will face additional regulatory oversight after an investigation uncovered dozens of unreported puppy deaths. However, some commissioners believe the new rules unfairly target compliant retailers.

Almost eight years after Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened on Broadway, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the films, is now playing him as an adult onstage.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," learn more about a new report from the Tampa Bay Times about Medicaid money used by the DeSantis administration to fight a pair of amendments. Plus, meet the new history center CEO and pick up some giving inspiration.

Naomi Frierson teaches fifth grade at Temple Terrace Elementary. She's hoping to gift 68 students brand-new, family-friendly board games to help keep them off their screens while they're out of school. Here's how you can help: www.wusf.org/education/20...

Thompson Whitney Blake is preparing a new offer to purchase the Historic Gas Plant District, currently home to Tropicana Field. He also released a video that takes thinly veiled shots at the competition.

After outcry on social media, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issued a memo clarifying how the state’s new law on license plate frames and covers should be enforced. Read more: www.wusf.org/courts-law/2...

“Gas Pipe” will make his first and only college start at quarterback in Wednesday’s Cure Bowl. It’s a career highlight South Florida’s Gaston Moore never expected six months ago, after four years as a backup at Tennessee and satisfied his football days were over.

I've been an avid boardgamer since I was a child. But today's kids have so many digital distractions, and aren't building the same childhood memories we did. This Tampa-area teacher is hoping to remedy that with gifts of new, family-friendly games for her 68 students. Here's how you can help.

Dozens of excited East Tampa residents and city representatives gathered to open a new recreation complex at the heart of Fair Oaks Park, the start of a project that promotes community wellness.

Florida professors, university faculty, and teaching assistants could soon be able to openly carry firearms on campus, thanks to a sweeping new measure filed by a Republican lawmaker.

FIFA said it plans to sell $60 tickets for each of the 104 games of the 2026 World Cup, but there's a catch.

From debates on energy and environmental risks to rescued books, basketball legends, and college football thrills, "Florida Matters Live & Local" celebrates curiosity, community and local stories.

The new law blocks cities and counties from approving burdensome or restrictive changes to growth plans. A Leon County circuit judge is slated to hear arguments Friday.

St. Petersburg is now Florida’s first city to formally adopt new affordable housing legislation known as “Yes in God’s Backyard.” It empowers city officials and local faith leaders to expedite and bolster affordable housing opportunities by utilizing vacant land owned by religious institutions.

Are you worried about a new Florida law that could ban vanity license plate frames on your car? A recent Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles memo clarifies what could actually get you ticketed or arrested.

Florida has scheduled its first trial over claims against the weed killer Roundup by a man in the Fort Lauderdale area who says long-term exposure led to a cancer diagnosis. Read more: www.wusf.org/environment/...

Eric Stillman, CEO of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, talked about the repercussions. He said shootings like this have become all too familiar. www.wusf.org/courts-law/2...

The movies Reiner directed, from A Few Good Men to The Princess Bride, weren't just good — they were people's favorites, the types of films people come back to again and again.

Sky Lebron is the guest host on "Florida Matters Live & Local," with segments on USF's new man in charge, faith congregations' reaction to violence, a couple who love Florida's parks and front-lawn food production.

Rising grocery prices and food supply issues brought on by the pandemic in 2020 have motivated some people to grow their own food. WUSF takes you to a micro farm in West Pasco County where one farmer is feeding his family and the community. Read more: www.wusf.org/economy-busi...

On "The Florida Roundup," lawyer, FIU adjunct professor and author of "Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid's Guide to the First Amendment," Allison Matulli, explained how people need to understand what free speech even means.

Tampa Electric customers want to sue their utility for "price gouging,” according to an online petition on change.org that has more than 6,580 verified signatures. Read more: www.wusf.org/economy-busi...

Over the past two years, Manatee County schools have been rocked by a string of teacher-misconduct cases. A joint investigation by Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald found that red flags in applications were overlooked.

Florida health officials hosted a workshop Friday on the state surgeon general’s plan to end school mandates for four vaccines, including one that prevents a dangerous form of meningitis increasingly affecting children, doctors said. Read more: www.wusf.org/health-news-...

In a matter of a few years in the 1960s, Dick Van Dyke became a star on Broadway, television and the silver screen.

For "The Bay Blend," host Sky Lebron visited a Largo store that saves thousands of books and resells them at a deep discount. Read more: www.wusf.org/arts-culture...

During a virtual meeting Friday, the Florida Board of Governors unanimously confirmed Moez Limayem to be USF's ninth president. University officials say he'll start early next year. Read more: www.wusf.org/university-b...

The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport may be trying again to sell some of its land to neighboring New College of Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration blocked a similar sale attempt in 2024.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed budget, released this week, contains a plan to transfer the University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus to neighboring New College of Florida, an idea that sparked outcry among USF alumni and supporters earlier this year. Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...

With the nation's latest measles outbreak making headlines, sparks are likely to fly today at the first public airing of Surgeon General Ladapo’s plan to repeal four mandates on school-entry vaccines now and bring about the end of seven others later.

Drawing on his Trinidadian and Panamanian roots, Chef Khadeem Charles is dedicated to taking Caribbean cuisine to new heights. On "The Zest Podcast," he dishes on Spice Society Supper Club, cooking during the holidays and more.

On "Florida Matters Live & Local," hear 23 years of radio insight from WUSF's outgoing leader, JoAnn Urofsky. Then it's off to the circus, to learn about big-top lore and a modern script. Finally, the quirks of airport security.

Attorneys in the Tampa Bay region said DACA recipients being swept up in aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. Read more: www.wusf.org/politics-iss...

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday filed a lawsuit accusing Starbucks Coffee Co. of violating a state civil-rights law through race-based hiring and race-based compensation decisions.

Students and professors are responding to new federal student loan limits passed by Congress this year as part of the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Read more: www.wusf.org/education/20...

Sarasota and Manatee counties’ school districts have shut the door on Schools of Hope charter operators seeking space inside public campuses — for now.