CDC
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Florida Trident
Wasting no time to start on his pledge last week to remove all vaccine mandates in Florida, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo quickly removed four of them from school immunization requirements starting as soon as December. He can remove only those four unilaterally but pledged to push lawmakers to abolish “every last one of them.”The four vaccines soon to be stripped from those required for public and private school attendance fight Hepatitis B, Varicella (chickenpox), Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), and a fourth one that fights Pneumococcal bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis and other bacterial infections, a Florida Department of Health representative confirmed on Sunday. All of those vaccines are recommended for school-age children by state and federal health authorities and medical associations.
Southwest Florida in Focus
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Join Sandra Viktorova and the WGCU News team for the latest episode of Southwest Florida In Focus.
Radio Shows + Podcasts
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We learn about a nationwide clinical trial, funded by the National Institute of Aging, that's trying to determine if high doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin B1 called benfotiamine might be an effective treatment for mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's Disease. Also known as thiamine, Vitamin B1 is important for brain health, and it's known that people with Alzheimer's have a thiamine deficiency. -
The Black Skimmer is a very unusual shorebird – in part because of its exceptionally long, knife-like lower bill and much shorter, slightly-curved upper bill. The knife-like lower bill is for slicing through calm surface waters near shore and in shallow ponds and lakes to capture fishes. When the lower bill strikes a small fish, the fish slides up the bill and the upper bill clamps down on it. -
The Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center’s latest exhibition “Exposed: The Art of Photography” explores the distinctive styles and vision of five different photographers. Ahead of the Sept. 5 opening reception, we talk with three of the featured photographers: Tonya Barnes, Beth Everhart and Brian Tietz. -
In a special episode of the Gulf Coast Life Book Club, we welcome legendary Sanibel author Randy Wayne White. Our conversation was recorded live at the Player’s Circle Theater in Fort Myers and hosted by Macintosh Books and Paper of Sanibel. -
Back in 2022 we talked to the author of a new book about gerrymandering in America called “One Person One Vote: A Surprising History of Gerrymandering in America.” Dr. Nicholas Seabrook is Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Today we’re revisiting that conversation to provide some historical context on the recent burst of partisan redistricting that’s happening in the U.S. right now.
WGCU Local Productions
PBS TV Shows
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 9/5/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 9/5/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/29/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/29/25
ENCORE: Heights Center’s MOSAIC program provides free and low-cost music education for kids
The Heights Center’s MOSAIC program provides opportunities for children from low-income households to learn to play a musical instrument and to perform with ensembles of their peers. We learn about the program in an encore conversation with musician, educator, and Director of Arts and Community Programs at the Heights Center, Melissa Barlow, who founded the program.
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/22/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/22/25
Players Circle Theater performs “Oklahoma!” in Concert
Players Circle Theater is mounting a staged reading-style production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic musical “Oklahoma!” featuring the company’s largest ensemble ever assembled. “Oklahoma!” is widely credited with ushering in the Golden Age of American musical theater. Ahead of the opening night performance, we explore this production and the musical’s enduring impact on the musical theater genre.
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/15/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/15/25
Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts empowers BIPOC artists in Southwest Florida
Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts is Southwest Florida’s newest arts and culture nonprofit. The new organization is committed to providing support, education, community, and performance opportunities for BIPOC artists. We’ll learn about the new organization in a conversation with founder and executive director Sonya McCarter, board of directors member Cotrenia Hood, and dance instructor Eden Collier.
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/8/25
Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/8/25
ENCORE: Blues musician James “Super Chikan” Johnson
Multi-award-winning Blues musician, songwriter, painter, and craftsman James “Super Chikan” Johnson visited Florida Gulf Coast University this past spring to speak to students and make a couple of performances at Artis-Naples. During his visit he stopped by the WGCU studios for conversation about his life’s journey through music, his handcrafted instruments made from recycled parts, and how he got his stage name.
Washington Week with the Atlantic full episode, 8/1/25
Washington Week with the Atlantic full episode, 8/1/25
Latest From NPR
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A Michigan judge has dismissed criminal charges against 15 people who signed false certificates saying Donald Trump won the state's electoral votes in 2020. -
The issues facing journalism these days — from online clickbait to corporate interference — run throughout The Paper. But it's primarily a comedy, with characters and actors that will win you over.
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The U.S. likely added 900,000 fewer jobs in the 12 months ending in March than had been reported, according to a preliminary Labor Department report. -
The Israeli military says it carried out an airstrike in the capital of Qatar targeting senior leaders of Hamas, prompting strong criticism from the country that's been a key mediator. -
What makes rents go down and neighborhood diversity go up? Corporate landlords. But they also make it harder to own for yourself.
Latest from PBS
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The Department of Health and Human Services will release a new report on children's health from its Make America Healthy Again Commission Tuesday. -
The Czechs also expelled a Belarusian agent operating as a diplomat and gave the person 72 hours to leave. -
House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a news conference Tuesday that he could not understand why any Democrats would think it’s a good political message to oppose the deployments. -
These kinds of bursts normally last just minutes or even milliseconds, but these were detected over the course of a day.
