Audio reports from WLRN Miami Herald News

02102012
Grassroots Music Festival plays historic Virginia Key

This weekend music lovers are camping out at the historic Virginia Key Beach for the Grassroots festival of music and dance. Not only does the event celebrate diverse musical genres but it benefits art and music education in schools with workshops, fundraising and events. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Patricia Sagastume stopped by yesterday before the opening acts and spoke with the founder and some artists on the roster. Listen now
02102012
Hard feelings, questions emerge after ballet director's abrupt exit

Some board members, major donors and dancers are questioning the earlier-than-expected retirement of Edward Villella, artistic director of the Miami City Ballet. WLRN-Miami Herald News anchor Arianna Prothero chats with Miami Herald Arts writer Jordan Levin. Listen now
02102012
Car radio noise law challenged in FL Supreme Court

Right now under Florida law, you can get a ticket for blasting music out of your car speakers…but it's OK to crank up Rush Limbaugh or Teri Gross. A St. Petersburg man is trying to change that, and he's taken his appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. Gina Jordan reports. Listen now
02102012
Florida House approves $69.2 billion budget

The Florida House of Representatives passed its version of a state budget on Thursday, calling it the best it could do in bad economic times. The chamber's minority Democrats complained it leaves too much money on the table considering the cuts it makes to programs for children and the elderly. And, as Rick Stone reports, the Senate has a substantially different plan. Listen now
02102012
The Florida Roundup on WLRN, February 10, 2012

On today's show: How much will federal foreclosure relief help our region's troubled homeowners? As the legislature reaches its halfway point, what do redistricting changes mean for South Florida residents? Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen says, about the Keys, "I know I'll miss them a lot more than they'll miss me." Expanded casino gambling is dead in the legislature -- for now. Is a constitutional amendement in the works? Why won't Sen. Marco Rubio talk to local media? Is his stance on contraception coverage a battle cry for the GOP or a question of faith? And a move to ban hand-held cell phone use while driving fails again in Tallahassee. Florida is one of only 15 states without any such ban. Phil Latzman discusses the week that was around our region and state with the Palm Beach Post's Dara Kam, the Miami Herald's Doug Hanks, and Elliot Rodriguez of WFOR-TV. Listen now
02102012
Number of sex offenders living in Florida drops

A new independent study of the size of the Sex Offenders registry in Florida shows that the number of offenders actually living in our communities is far below the levels usually reported. WLRN Miami Herald reporter Robert Lyle says the problem with the statistics gathered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is that most states - including Florida - count offenders who are in jail, have died or been deported, or moved to other states: Listen now
02092012
Session 2012: Legislature takes on human trafficking

Florida is one of the busiest states for human trafficking, according to the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. Investigators say many of the victims are children. Gina Jordan tells us about an effort in the Legislature to make Florida a zero tolerance state for traffickers. Listen now
02092012
Inventors descend upon West Palm Beach

Inventors from all over the state and country are gathering in West Palm Beach this Saturday to show off their work at the Free Invention Expo. The event is being put on by the Delray Beach-based "Inventors Society of South Florida." Phil Latzman spoke with Leo Mazur, the organization's president about what we can expect. Listen now
02092012
Session 2012: The Governor gets flash-mobbed

A group of protesters briefly took over the hallway outside Governor Rick Scott's office today/Wednesday. They're part of a campaign called "Rick Makes Me Sick." They called themselves a flash mob, but as Gina Jordan reports, there wasn't much choreography. Listen now
02092012
Water Management fights back, with fish

On Wednesday the South Florida Water Management District continued its maintenance of the waterways by releasing thousands of fish into a canal in Homestead. WLRN-Miami Herald Reporter Patricia Sagastume was there and tells us how the district fights invasive plants from clogging up our waterways. Listen now
02082012
Inside the Port of Miami Tunnel Project

The deep dredge may have been delayed, but the tunnel project that will link MacArthur Causeway to the Port of Miami is right on track. Project officials gave the first press tour of the inside of the tunnel and the giant, tunnel boring machine Tuesday. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Arianna Prothero was there. Listen now
02082012
UM Geologist: Hurricanes may trigger earthquakes

New research into the 2010 Haiti earthquake has led to a potentially amazing finding: major hurricanes may be able to trigger earthquakes. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Kenny Malone explains. Listen now
02082012
Session 2012: If prison privitization bill fails, who pays the price?

Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos is counting on projected savings from privatizing dozens of southern Florida prisons to help balance the state budget this year. He said Tuesday that budgets for other programs may have to be reduced if the privatization plan fails. Will it fail? It's possible. Rick Stone has the story. Listen now
02082012
Who will oppose Hugo Chavez in Venezuela?

Don't look now, but while the U.S. is consumed by primary elections of its own, Venezuela has begun the process of picking a candidate to oppose Hugo Chavez this fall. About 17,000 Venezuelans are eligible to vote here in the Miami area. An estimated 200,000 expats live in Florida. The Miami Herald's Jim Wyss is in the country in advance of this weekend's elections and joined Phil Latzman to talk about the mood of the country, the election and the increasing sphere of influence from Iran. Listen now
02082012
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen talks Republican primaries

Foreign policy has taken a back seat in the GOP presidential primary season as problems at home weigh heavily on voters' and, subsequently, candidates' minds. But South Florida U-S Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has been keeping tabs on both domestic and foreign affairs. Phil Latzman interviews Ros-Lehtinen about the GOP primary and what's getting left out of the conversation. Listen now
02072012
From Haiti: Post-quake odyssey in verse and multimedia

The devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 demolished its health care system along with nearly everything else. But underneath the ruins are voices from Haiti that conjure up images of strength, hope and faith. Last night, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the University of Miami, joined forces to present a multimedia performance that brings to life how it is to live with HIV in Haiti after the quake. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Patricia Sagastume spoke with poet, Kwame Dawes about one specific love story. Listen now
02072012
Florida feeling impact of Alabama immigration law

Despite a prominent mention in President Obama's State of the Union address, comprehensive immigration reform remains far down the list of legislative priorities in Washington. That's had some states taking matters into their own hands - and causing ripple-effects across state borders. Florida, for example, has felt the impact of Alabama's harsh new immigration law. As WLRN-Miami Herald correspondent Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports from Washington, civil- and workers' rights groups are calling on Alabama to repeal HB-56. Listen now
02072012
Study: Major hurricanes could trigger earthquakes

New research into the 2010 Haiti earthquake has led to a potentially amazing finding: major hurricanes may be able to trigger earthquakes. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Kenny Malone explains. Listen now
02072012
FL Senate makes a move toward clean energy

A state Senate committee launched a renewable energy bill on Monday. As Rick Stone reports, some environmentalists say it is only a modest step to energy independence. Listen now
02072012
Session 2012: The halfway point

Florida's legislative session is at the halfway point. WLRN-Miami Herald News Anchor Phil Latzman speaks with Tallahassee correspondent Gina Jordan about the work that's been done so far -- and what's ahead for lawmakers. Listen now
02062012
South Florida cities tap into social media to reach residents

A six-year veteran of the Fort Lauderdale police force has been suspended for an investigation of his use of social media. It's the first such action since the department adopted a policy in July outlining what officers can and cannot do on their personal social media sites. The department will not release details on the case of Officer Luis Pagan. While this officer's personal use of social media is being investigated, his department's official use of social media is being encouraged. As WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Robert Lyle tells us, in recent years local governments have moved full force into using social media as a part of their engagement with the public. Listen now
02062012
Polo mogul's "girlfriend" adoption opens legal can of worms

The millionaire who adopted his longtime girlfriend has hit something of a legal hiccup. John Goodman -- founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach -- is facing a civil suit for allegedly drinking, driving and killing an engineering student. Originally, a Palm Beach judge ruled that Goodman's trust fund, set up for his two real children, was off limits during the wrongful death suit. A few months later, Goodman adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend. The plaintiffs argued that Goodman was using the girlfriend to control the trust fund. In the latest ruling, a judge has said that one-third of the trust -- the portion owned by the girlfriend -- is no longer safe from the lawsuit. WLRN-Miami Herald reporter Kenny Malone has been giving this case a great deal of thought lately . . . Listen now
02062012
Grieving parents demand FL ban on texting while driving

A bill that would ban texting while driving is back on the agenda in Tallahassee. It's racing through the Senate, but it hasn't gotten any traction in the Florida House. As Gina Jordan reports, parents who've lost children in car crashes are at the Capitol trying to get the legislation passed. Listen now
02062012
Monday Business: South Florida hiring trends

The national unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in three years -- 8.3 percent. So, time to check in on how South Florida's job scene is doing. WLRN-Miami Herald Business reporter Karen Burkett speaks with a local recruiter about hiring trends. Listen now
02062012
New child labor laws could affect Florida farms, ranches

Congress is debating an issue that hits close to home for many Florida growers and farm families: who decides what types of work are safe for a child to do? The U-S Department of Labor has proposed new rules that would limit child labor in agriculture. But an outcry from America's family farmers has the government reconsidering. From Washington, WLRN-Miami-Herald News correspondent Elizabeth Wynne Johnson has more. Listen now
02062012
Everglades explorers see impact of pythons up close

A new study has some shocking news about wildlife in the Everglades. Raccoon and opossum sightings are down by 99 percent. Marsh rabbits and brown bunnies can't be found at all. Sightings of bobcats, foxes and deer are also way down. The culprit? Invasive species, like the Burmese Python. Even in the deepest, wildest parts of the Everglades, members of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition are seeing the damage, as wildlife biologist Joe Guthrie tells WUSF's Carson Cooper. Listen now
02032012
New World Symphony takes "Pulse" of young audiences

Glass walls, open spaces and Wallcasts aren't the only ways Miami's New World Symphony is trying to appeal to younger audiences. As Christine DiMattei tells us, New World is swinging its doors wide open to South Florida's night-club set. Listen now
02032012
FL budget: Tug of war between education, public health

Progressives and union leaders are continuing to press for corporate tax code adjustments that they say will reduce state deficits and make it unnecessary to fund education by defunding health care programs. But as Rick Stone reports from Tallahassee, the chances for passage look slim. Listen now
02032012
Florida Senate considers taxing internet sales

Two Senate committees approved separate Internet sales tax bills in Tallahassee on Thursday. Four others are pending in the House. As Rick Stone reports, there's a clear appetite to give home state retailers a competitive break -- but none of those bills is assured of passage. Listen now
02032012
Proposed Medicaid change: Small premium, huge impact

Lawmakers in Tallahassee have a raft of health-care-related bills to consider this session. Meanwhile, controversy is still swirling around a piece of legislation from last year. Tucked into the state's Medicaid overhaul last year, was a provision that would charge $10 monthly premiums. The $10 premiums would apply to all Medicaid recipients, regardless of age or income. The premium requirement got little notice at the time, but analysts now believe it could have a big impact. HealthyState.org's Sammy Mack explains. Listen now

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