Well, you know how that old song goes from your childhood…. “Jingle Bells, Batman smells…”  Yes, Christmastime is here, and the whole holiday season is in full force, so we’re going to stop what we’re doing on the politics front and head over to the fireplace with a glass of milk and cookies for Santa… very informal, hopefully a fun listen for you while you get ready for the holiday.

Orlando is known as an accepting city to all, but being openly gay is hard for some, especially if you are in the law enforcement. Our guests are here to say they are gay and proud to wear the badge and want the world to acknowledge them in a respectful manner in a field known for toughness and boldness.  Our guest(s) hope to shed some light about the Gay Officers Action League Central Florida.  The league’s president, Brandon Ragan, is here along with recording secretary Alison Clarke.

There is a word getting attention these days and lots of traction on social media and even Harvard is talking about it. Neurodiversity… we’re talking about also with our guest, author, advocate, and inspirational speaker Haley Moss!

Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and if you’re like me, you’re probably making that last-minute trip to the store for Thanksgiving Dinner supplies, or you might be headed out of town to visit family.  I know a lot of people are looking forward to that…. So what we wanted to do this week was hit the PAUSE button on politics and issues and all of that stuff and focus on the holidays, on traditions… very informal, hopefully a fun listen for you while you get ready for the holiday…. What’s your...

All right, it’s nostalgia time. On October 29, 1997, viewers first tuned in to a new station. From covering local events like theme park openings, the Pulse shooting, and hurricanes through the years, Spectrum News 13 has been with you every step of the way.  Now in 2022, we are celebrating 25 years of Spectrum News 13, so we’ve gone through the newsroom to find the stalwarts, the people who’ve seen it all. They are Managing Editor John Handiboe and Assignment Editor Luis Rivera.

Immigration is an issue not only impacting Florida, but many other states as well. How is the economy impacted by this? How did candidates on opposing sides shape the narrative? Just before the election, we sat down with other spectrum news journalists from across the nation to get the temperature of how the issue of immigration is being perceived where they are. Here is our conversation, led by Errol Louis.

The countdown is on to Election Day on Tuesday.  By our count, some 205 races on Central Florida ballots with 432 choices out there.  The question now is… are we in for a long night waiting for results, or will everything be decided rather quickly? And what does this all mean for 2024?   Let’s find out now from our guests, political analysts Wes Hodge and Eddie Fernandez.

Voters will decide who will be the next Chief Financial Officer of Florida in November. Jimmy Patronis is the incumbent that's looking for another term in the post, and Adam Hattersley argues he would do a better job looking out for residents.

The race for Florida Attorney General is set for November.  Republican incumbent Ashley Moody is asking voters to have her back for another four years.  Democratic challenger Aramis Ayala is asking voters if they’re satisfied with Moody, or if they think she needs to be a one-term AG. Joining us now, Democratic candidate Aramis Ayala.

In less than a month from now, Orange County voters will cast their ballots in the November election.  There are TWO county referendums to vote on.  We’re taking a look at them with our guest, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

Let me throw three dates at you… November 6th, 2018–Florida voters passed Amendment 4, 65 to 35. The citizen’s initiative called for the automatic restoration of felon voting rights upon completion of their sentences. June 28, 2019–Governor Ron DeSantis signs into law Senate Bill 7066, an implementing bill for Amendment 4. The law defined “completion of sentence” to include payment of restitution, or any fines, fees, or costs resulting from the conviction. August 19th, 2022–Governor Ron...

Voters will face a long slate of races on their November ballot. It may feel like every month—every year—we are in an election, but in just weeks; really—voters will cast ballots for the November general election. Floridians will decide not only who will represent them at home and in Tallahassee–but in Washington, D.C. --- in the tight race for U.S. Senate—and in Congressional House races.  That includes an open seat for District 10—currently represented by Congresswoman Val Demings. Let’s...

Voters will face a long slate of races on their November ballot. Floridians will decide not just who represents them here at home and in Tallahassee – but also in Washington.  Floridians will have weight in the balance of which party is in power in D.C.  OR… It may feel like every month – every year – we are in an election. Each one more critical than the one before.  In just weeks – really – voters will cast ballots for the November general election. Floridians will decide not only who...

We want to pull back the curtain on candidates and campaigns. HOW do they decide to go after your vote? What goes into figuring out what you care about? Our guest this week you could perhaps call a maverick of political marketing and campaigns. A longtime advisor for progressive candidates. His resume includes extensive work for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign, as well as a slate of state races including Charlie Crist for Governor in 2016 – Andrew Gillum in 2018, Nikki Fried here in...

The August primary is over, it’s a matter of history now, and NOW, it’s full speed ahead to the November general election, but in some cases, it’s actually a runoff election.  We’re getting into the weeds here, so who better than to jump into the weeds with us than Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles!

It seems like just days ago kids were in class for the last day of school – you blinked – and summer break is over. Kids are back in class – getting those new routines going. There are a lot of changes this school year – especially when it comes to safety. Many of these changes are inspired by the 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. You’ll remember there were some immediate changes to law – but also the governor and legislature then empaneled a group of experts...

Hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen discusses the Rosen Medical Center & RosenCare, with the focus of the conversation: Affordable health care.   He is asked: How on earth are you able to provide fairly inexpensive health care to thousands of your employees?   Hear his answer in the latest Beyond the Soundbite.   ABOUT THE SHOW   Political figures and influencers are often heard in brief bites that don’t capture the context of the whole story. “Central Florida: Beyond the...

We’re less than a week away from the August election. For partisan races, it’s the primary election, but for most non-partisan races, it’s all about commissioners, council members and judges.   It’s actually a general election, so as Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said in Beyond the Soundbite podcast a few weeks ago, “There’s a ballot for everybody.”   One set of races on the ballot can often lead to voters throwing their hands up and just blindly picking a name are the...

Welcome to Central Florida: Beyond the Soundbite, Spectrum News 13’s podcast that’s covering politics up and down the I-4 corridor.   Aug. 23 is primary election day and it’s coming up fast, with so many races to talk about.   This week, we’re hearing from two of the three Republican candidates running in U.S. Congressional District 11, the seat currently held by Congressman Dan Webster.    Hear from candidates Laura Loomer and Gavriel Soriano.   ABOUT THE SHOW   Political figures...

We’re now less than a month away from the Aug. 23 primary election.  Vote-by-mail ballots heading out already and early voting starting in a few weeks.    The top race on the ballot for Democrats is the primary for governor.    Voters will see four names on their ballots: Charlie Crist, Cadance Daniel, Nikki Fried, and Robert Willis.   Nikki Fried, the current commissioner of Agriculture, joins this week’s Beyond the Soundbite podcast.   ABOUT THE SHOW   Political figures and...

We’re now less than a month away from the Aug. 23 primary election.  Vote-by-mail ballots are heading out already and early voting starting in a few weeks.    The top race on the ballot for Democrats is the primary for governor.  Voters will see four names on their ballots: Charlie Crist, Cadance Daniel, Nikki Fried, and Robert Willis.   Congressman Charlie Crist, the former governor of Florida, joins us in the latest Beyond the Soundbite podcast.   ABOUT THE SHOW   Political figures...

Aug. 23, mark it down. Florida voters head to the polls for the primary election.   For the partisan races, it’s like a playoff system to see who advances to the final in November. So many races on the ballots, well more than 100 contests that Central Florida voters will see on their ballot, among them, the Democratic race for attorney general.   The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in November. The three Democrats in that race are:   Former...

Aug. 23, mark it down.  Florida voters head to the polls for the primary election.    For the partisan races, it’s like a playoff system to see who advances to the final in November. So many races on the ballots, well more than 100 contests that Central Florida voters will see on their ballot, among them, the Democratic race for attorney general.    The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in November. The three Democrats in that race are:   ...

August 23rd, mark it down.  Florida voters head to the polls for the primary election.  For the partisan races, it’s like a playoff system to see who advances to the final in November.  So many races on the ballots… well over 100 contests that Central Florida voters will see on their ballot… among them, the Democratic race for Attorney General.  The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican incumbent Ashley Moody in November.  Three Democrats in that race… former State Attorney...