ERIC LANG stepped down as Key Biscyane's fire chief recently, wrapping up three decades of service on the barrier island. A founder of the department, he's helped respond to tragedies large and small. We talk to him about his decision, and the safety issues he think the island faces now and in the future. And we also discuss the new plan from Commi…

NOT EVERY TOWN of 15,000 can boast a homegrown player who's now a teammate of Lionel Messi. But Key Biscayne can. Our guest is Marcelo Radice, who's worked to build the island's soccer programs for both boys and girls. We ask him about how the program has grown, and the exciting goal of being connected to Major League Soccer. Jan and Tony also talk…

DAVID JOLLY is a former Republican Congressman from the Tampa Bay area who is looking at the Florida Governor's mansion -- and in our podcast, says he's planning a run as Democrat. Can he successfully find a winning lane as a political moderate in highly polarized state ? His answers might surprise you. In our second segment, we talk about fluorida…

EARLIER THIS YEAR, some of Miami's best-known charities agreed that local news in our community is in deep trouble. They joined a national program, PRESS FORWARD, to help make sure local news coverage in Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties survives. Our guest, is NIKISHA WILLIAMS of the Miami Foundation, who talks about why donors are stepping forwa…

SUNSHINE WEEK celebrates both press freedoms and the ability to get public records and know what's going on in your government. Our first guest is STEVE HERMAN, off the air after the Trump administration shuttered Voice of America. We talk about how listeners around the world have lost a key news source. Closer to home, we speak with Bobby Block, h…

A FULL BLOWN TRADE WAR is now raging, after Donald Trump started slapping tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, China, and now, most of Europe. But what is his theory, and does it have any economic history? OUR GUEST is a JAMES FEIGENBAUM, a professor of economics who formerly worked for the Federal Reserve Bank, who says the president is following…

NO ONE KNOWS how deep the cuts are, but forecasters at America's weather agency, NOAA, say the quality of forecasts could be jeopardized with layoffs of scientists and other employees. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a wide research mission that Floridians depend on for hurricanes and research into climate change and sea lev…

A LITTLE BIT OF BOASTING, but Key Biscayne's annual "Rib Off" is set in an idyllic bayside spot where smoke, pork, and community fuse together for one of the nation's best barbecue competitions -- all done for a great charitable cause Our guest is Ron Magill, South Florida's best-known wildlife expert who just also happens to be a baby back rib lov…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping package of immigration laws on Thursday aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump ’s mass deportation agenda. Republicans say the laws put Florida — long a haven for immigrants — on the leading edge of conservative-controlled states working to leverage state and local resources for federal immigration …

YEARS OF PLANNING was thrown into turmoil this week when the mayor of Key Biscayne reversed position on the Big Dig, aimed at protecting the Miami barrier island from sea level rise. Joe Rasco ran for office on resiliency projects, but his announcement endorsing a pause came in response to public concern about rising costs. Our guest is Thom Mozloo…

KIRSTEN HINES has a master's degree in biology, but it was later in life she learned the lens was the way to get close to the wildlife she loves. An award winning author, she knows Key Biscayne and Miami well. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the amazing beauty that exists even in big urban areas like Miami. You can see her work here Send…

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS called a special session to deal with a financial crisis facing millions of condo residents, but so far, the Legislature is balking. It's all about dealing with expensive repairs to aging buildings in the wake of the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers building in Surfside in 2021. Combined with property insurance rates, c…

DOMINOES is a cultural touchstone in South Florida, but the annual gathering of players on the beach at Key Biscayne has a special purpose - furthering hopes and dreams in Liberty City, an economically-challenged area in Miami. Our Guest for the first episode of season eleven (!) is Toby Rohrer, who with her husband Bill raises money for scholarshi…

Layoffs. Billionaires. Hedge Funds. Influencers. Declining ad revenue. Journalism has been hit with one Category-5 storm after another. In our final show for Season 10, Sergio Bustos, a veteran journalist and VP of news for WLRN, joins the discussion. We talk about how news has changed, and how organizations are adapting against economic headwinds …

ALLISON MCCORMICK just wrapped up eight years as a member of Key Biscayne's Village Council, a term that saw four village managers, a pandemic, and the start of the biggest public works project in the barrier island's history. We talk to her about the challenges of all that - and what is was like to be a public servant at the level closest to the p…

GIVE MIAMI DAY is a tradition in Miami where 1,300 nonprofits work together to fund a variety of worthy causes. We talk to a worker at a nonprofit who works directly on the city's streets to help the neediest -- and also with Nikisha Williams, who talks about how gifts are leveraged many times over. Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the …

DO YOU HATE CLOCK SWITCHING? Twice a year the clocks are changed, and twice a year, there are gripes. But 'Natural Time' activist Jay Pea says momentum is building to move to standard time -- despite a move by Florida to go in the wrong direction. Hey, it's not political -- but it's a surprisingly divided issue. Send us a text Support the show Subs…

IN A DISTRICT that has historically elected Democrats, State Rep. Vicki Lopez is running as a moderate Republican to keep her spot. House District 113, which covers Key Biscayne and coastal Miami. Know for her work on condo issues, she is fending off a challenge from Jackie Gross Kellogg, the leader of Key Biscayne Democrats who says she will resto…

CRITICS are seeking to pause the Big Dig sea level rise protection project in Key Biscayne. It's the biggest public works program in Village history. Critics challenge the science, costs, and the administration by Village Manager Steve Williamson, asking for new studies about whether the antiquated stormwater drainage system can last a few years lo…

DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL, a former Democratic congresswoman from Miami, is trying to upset Republican Rick Scott for U.S. Senate. Recent polls show the race tightening to within the margin of error. As Hurricane Milton's damage is still being assessed, we talk to her about the government's role in disaster response, environmental policy, and much mor…

TWO ACCOMPLISHED leaders are vying for the same spot in Miami's County government - District 7 - which includes the islands of Key Biscayne and Virginia Key, as well as Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and South Miami. CINDY LERNER, the former mayor of Pinecrest, lost to RAQUEL REGALADO by a narrow margin in 2020 -- now the two are in a rematch. We ask the…

OUR FINAL TWO CANDIDATES for Key Biscayne's Village Council are on the show -- Michael Bracken and Nicholas Lopez-Jenkins. Neither is completely new to public service, with both serving on important committees. Bracken served as a member of the island's Undergrounding task force, while Jenkins served on the Virginia Key advisory board. We ask them …

WE CONTINUE our series interviewing the six candidates for Key Biscayne's Village Council. Our guest is CHARLES COLLINS, who supports pausing the "Big Dig" projects. We ask about that -- and why he switched running for mayor to council ALSO, we bring on our reporter Billy Jean Louis to talk about reaction in Little Haiti to Donald Trump's false cla…

NANCY STONER is one of six vying for three seats on the Key Biscayne Village Council. We get right into it with her views on the $300 million "Big Dig" project that some argue should be paused. Stoner is a construction and real estate attorney and mediator -- listen and find out more about her. Important Election Dates Mail ballots go out - Sept 26…

WE START OUR 2024 SERIES of candidates for the Key Biscayne Village Council with two well known men on the island. Six people are vying for three seats in November. We ask about a $350 million stormwater project -- the "Big Dig" -- and other top issues -- and the answers may surprise you. --MARK FRIED, an attorney and service club leader, says he w…

KAMALA HARRIS and new running mate Tim Walz have upended the presidential election, now leading Donald Trump and drawing large crowds in the days after President Joe Biden stepped out. Is the momentum sustainable? And just as important, what does it mean for state and local races in Florida and Miami? Our guest is top-tier Democratic strategist and…

It's less than 100 days to the U.S. presidential election, and if history is any guide, people will vote their pocketbooks. So...how IS the economy doing in the four years since the pandemic? We talk to Mark Hamrick, the Washington bureau chief of Bankrate and one of the nation's sharpest financial journalists, who says that when it comes to readin…

JACKIE GROSS KELLOGG is a longtime Key Biscayne Democratic Party leader, and her first trip to the national convention is coming with the historic change in presidential nominees from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris. She'll be voting in an online roll call August 1st. What is like to be one of 2,000 people making this decision? And what challenges face …

MIAMI's 27th DISTRICT is one of the nation's most evenly divided congressional districts, and this year's election is taking place in a time of intense political turmoil and in the wake of an assassination attempt. MIKE DAVEY, a former Republican, is seeking to reclaim the seat for Democrats. He's best known for two terms as Key Biscayne mayor, whe…

Every week it's a different headline in Miami. A verdict against a commissioner. Allegations against the City attorney. Unconstitutional voting districts. And then there is the "cold war" with Miami's neighboring city, Key Biscayne over Virginia Key and ongoing traffic issues. Our guest is Damian Pardo, who won an upset victory and has been part of…

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

MIAMI will have a new, powerful elected sheriff in a few months, and this summer. voters will pick the Democratic and Republican candidates for the job. It's a post with a big budget and responsibilities ranging from traffic to homicide. We talked to six of the of 13 Republican candidates and one of four Democrats. BONUS ***** Here are the full int…

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent todayBy Tony Winton, John Pacenti

LAST YEAR, ocean temperatures set records. And this year, it's looking even more extreme. What will that mean for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, just two months away? We welcome back meteorologist Brian McNoldy from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel Schoo, who has been blogging about extraordinary ocean temperature changes. Plus, our regular new…

His name is RETRO BILL and he goes around the country with a sometimes zany message for kids - and he's passionate about stopping bullying. Retro Bill just wrapped up a series of shows in Key Biscayne -- and he has a message for parents and kids. After you've listened to his show -- check him out here Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to th…

CONDO SALES ARE PLUMMETING in Sough Florida, but is it a crisis? Our guest is KEN JOHNSON from Florida Atlantic University, a real estate economist, who talks about the effect of the Surfside condo collapse on the market. "Condos are the canary in the coal mine." We also discuss the Olea sex abuse case, where a police detective's recorded comments …

TWO MAJOR SEX CRIME cases are now top of mind for many Key Biscayne residents, with defendants facing potential life sentences. Our guest is a former state and federal prosecutor who now is one of Miami's top defense lawyers -- David S, Weinstein. We ask hin how these cases are likely to play out and how they will proceed in court, We also discuss …

SEX ABUSE ALLEGATIONS and a fatal crash involving an e-bike collision. Idyllic Key Biscayne has been dealing with a series of serious problems that would challenge any town. Our guest is former Anti-Social host THOM MOZLOOM, an expert in crisis communications and marketing. How can a government better communicate with its citizens? We also discuss …

A series of sexual misconduct cases have roiled the "Island Paradise" of Key Biscayne. Our guests are two reporters from the Miami Herald -- Clara-Sophia Daly and Ana Claudia Chacin whose stories about accusations against gymnastic coach Oscar Olea have led police to consider reopening an investigation. Some of the accusations are more than a decad…

WALT DISNEY WORLD is Florida's largest private employer, but few know that it's also a heavily unionized workforce. Contracts at Disney influence the entire state. Our guest is Mike Schneider, an AP correspondent and author of the book "MICKEY AND THE TEAMSTERS: A fight for fair unions at Disney" which looks at a years-long battle involving the "ca…

WITH CONDO COMPLAINTS rising all over Florida, State Rep. Vicky Lopez has filed sweeping legislation that would add new criminal penalties for wayward condo boards. She talks about why the legislation is needed -- and the support she expects to get when the Florida Legislature convenes January 9th. We also discuss the arrest of a Key Biscayne attor…

WE CLOSE 2023 with something every Key Biscayne motorist sees every day -- the big new electronic sign welcoming people to the Island Paradise. But a local group wants to add some cheery messages to the sign to boost spirits and promote the sense of community. Our guest Oscar Sardiñas, a member of the Village Council, talks about this idea to promo…

$300 Million, $200 Million, $100 Million? Next month, the Key Biscayne Village Council is expected to revise just how much flood water it needs to pump as sea level rise threatens the barrier island. Our guest is Council Member Oscar Sardiñas, who is serving his first term and will be one of seven making this monumental decision And we have a BIG A…

It's not Sundance yet, but Key Biscayne is getting its own film festival. Our guests Isabel Custer and Maite Garrado Thornton talk about the first event in January and how the festival uniquely connects with the Island Paradise. You can learn more about the festival here Send us a text Support the show Subscribe to the Key Biscayne Independent toda…

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is the leading cause of injury to women in the U.S. Every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes. Our Guest is Miami's top prosecutor, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, who has worked for years to improve the criminal justice system's response to these family-destroying problems. The hotline for dome…