Episode 137: Reporter Roundtable with Alexandra Glorioso and Lawrence Mower
Release Date: 04/20/2025
Episode 157: David Jolly After Dawn
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly visited Dara in the Speakeasy this week as he travels throughout the state in the run-up to next year's election! Join Deeper Dive to hear David reveal how Charlie Kirk's assassination prompted him to assess whether he wanted to remain in the race for governor. David, a former Republican congressman who spent the past eight years as a political consultant for MSNBC, shares his concerns about GOP leaders' crackdown on speech. Can a Democrat win statewide in Florida next year? David tells Dara why he believes voters are looking for a change in 2026....
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Episode 156: Dave Aronberg After Dark
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Dave Aronberg's book tour brought him to the Speakeasy this week, where he visited with Dara to discuss the recently released "Fighting the Florida Shuffle." The former Palm Beach County state attorney gives the inside scoop on corruption in the drug treatment industry and offers some congressional tweaks to boost patient protection. AND ... Deeper Dive zags into true crime this week with Dave! The duo dig into Donna Adelson's guilty verdict and Dave makes predictions about what to expect next in the hunt for justice for his late friend, Dan Markel. Plus, Jeffrey Epstein, the Killer Clown, and...
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Episode 155: Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Craig Fugate earned his chops in Florida as the state's Division of Emergency Management Director before heading to D.C. to take over as the administrator of FEMA. The disaster prep & recovery guru joins Dara this week as we mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to share how the state helped Mississippi respond to a massive storm surge and widespread destruction in 2005. Craig, who developed the "Waffle House" index, also discusses lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew and the state's historic 2004-2005 hurricane seasons. Join the duo to find out what keeps the disaster specialist...
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Episode 154: Attorney General James Uthmeier
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Attorney General James Uthmeier hasn't slowed down since joining the Florida Cabinet in February. AG Uthmeier joined Dara this week for an in-depth discussion about immigration, his drive to protect the state's kids, and so much more. The AG tells the Divas how he is transitioning from Gov. Ron DeSantis' right-hand-man to Florida's top legal eagle. As one of the state's youngest attorney generals ever, the AG also shares some insight about the fresh perspective he and other 30-somethings bring to leadership and governing. The AG also opens up about his faith and how it informs his approach to...
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Episode 153: Archbishop Thomas Wenski
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
In this week's episode, Archbishop Thomas Wenski joins Dara to discuss state and federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. The Archbishop recently hopped on his Harley-Davidson to lead members of the Archdiocese of Miami's "Knights on Bikes" to a remote immigrant-detention center in the Everglades. Find out what happened after the "Biker Bishop" and his posse prayed the rosary outside the remote facility, as part of his effort to bring Mass to people detained at the complex dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" by state officials. The Archbishop shares his thoughts on immigration and...
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Florida Media Conference, Part 2: Katie Sanders and Michael Kelly
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
We're back in Part 2 with outtakes from this year's Florida Media Conference. This week, Dara chats with Politifact Editor-in-Chief Katie Sanders, and Michael Kelly, owner/publisher of The Herald-Advocate. Katie talks about the Truth-o-Meter and tells Dara how she and her team decide which claims to fact-check in their pursuit of keeping 'em honest online and IRL. Michael wowed Divas last year with the donkey story, and don't worry if you haven't heard it - we get an abbreviated version this time around! Michael discusses how the Herald Advocate serves members of the Peace River Valley and the...
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Florida Media Conference, Part 1: Sergio Bustos and Kat Wingert
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Divas! Dara took Deeper Dive on the road to the 2025 Florida Media Conference for a special two-part episode to hear from editors and publishers about the state-of-the-state in journalism. In the first segment in this week's episode, Sergio Bustos, WLRN's Vice President for News, discusses how state and federal funding cuts are affecting public radio & TV stations around Florida. Sergio tells Dara how WLRN highlights the experiences of people living in South Florida. The pair also discuss challenges and bright spots in the media landscape. Dara was lucky enough to snag a visit with Kat...
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Episode 150: Rocky Hanna Speaks Up for Students (And Staff)
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Leon County Superintendent of Schools Rocky Hanna joined Dara to pull back the curtain on the "bullseye" on public schools in the Sunshine State. Rocky delves into the impact the state's universal voucher program is having on the K-12 system and its students. The superintendent, who's spent nearly four decades working for Leon schools, says "there's just not enough money to properly fund two parallel programs." Rocky also talks about recruiting challenges as educators confront a "lack of respect" after being on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic. The Leon County schools chief has...
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Episode 149: Julie K. Brown Digs into the Epstein Files
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown has forgotten more about Jeffrey Epstein than most of us will ever know. The author of "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story" joins Dara this week as MAGA world explodes over the Epstein "list." Super sleuth Julie says the list doesn't exist and that's just a sample of the insights she shares on this week's Deeper Dive. Did Epstein take his own life? What happened to the FBI files? Julie has spent years hunting down documents, fighting in court and speaking with victims and insiders in her investigation of Epstein, the wealthy Palm...
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Episode 148: Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples
Deeper Dive with Dara Kam
As executive director of Friends of the Everglades, Eve Samples is following in the footsteps of one of the state's most revered conservationists - Marjory Stoneman Douglas - in more ways than one. The onetime journo joins Dara in this week's Deeper Dive to delve into a lawsuit challenging an immigrant detention center in the Everglades. Dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the facility is located on the very spot that spawned Friends of the Everglades and a federal law that's at the heart of the legal challenge. Eve tells Dara about the endangered species that can be found in or...
info_outlineThat's right, we're having another Reporter Roundtable -- this time with Capitol Press Corps dynamic duo Alexandra Glorioso (state government reporter, The Miami Herald) and Lawrence Mower (Tallahassee correspondent, Tampa Bay Times). The power couple (IRL, as well as in breaking news) join Dara in the Speakeasy to dive deep into their investigation into First Lady Casey DeSantis' signature welfare-assistance program, Hope Florida, and its affiliated charity, the Hope Florida Foundation, Inc. Alexandra, Lawrence and Dara also discuss the twists and turns of the Florida House's probe into the foundation and the potential political implications for Gov. Ron DeSantis, the First Lady and other GOP Florida officials. Plus, a must-listen for divas: Alexandra shares about her cancer journey. Join us this week as we head into the final two weeks of session -- or do we?!