WJCT News Now

WJCT Public Media
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Stay connected to Jacksonville and Northeast Florida with WJCT News Now — your free, daily news podcast from WJCT Public Media. Every morning, anchor Steven Ponson breaks down the headlines you need to start your day informed. Then go deeper with First Coast Connect — the show, hosted by Anne Schindler, is where local newsmakers, civic leaders, artists, and community voices come together to talk through what's happening in your backyard.  Subscribe and make WJCT News Now part of your daily routine.

  1. 1d ago

    First Coast Connect: Black beauty school

    At a time when opportunities for female Black entrepreneurs were constrained by gender restrictions and Jim Crow, one Jacksonville businesswoman built a prosperous beauty empire. A new profile of Sophia Nickerson Starks explores how she created the Nickerson’s School of Beauty Culture on Myrtle Avenue in the heart of Durkeeville and transformed it into a model of Black enterprise and financial resilience. We talk to the author of the piece about why he wanted to celebrate Starks’ accomplishments and highlight her lasting legacy. Guest: Jerry Urso, historian, writer and archival researcher Right whale documentary It’s a creature that could potentially live to 130 years or more but has never been known to die of old age. Instead, the actual median lifespan of a North Atlantic right whale is just 22 years — every one of them killed by humans. A new documentary about the whales explores their truncated life and often brutal death with unprecedented access and clarity. From ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements to the heroic (and occasionally even fatal) efforts to save them from human hazards, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope tracks the crisis faced by the whales and offers a prescription for change. The film is currently on what’s being called “The Calving Grounds Tour,” which follows the path of the migratory species along its annual Georgia-to-Florida path. It includes four stops in Southern Georgia and on the First Coast, including a screening and discussion with the filmmakers from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 25 at Beaches Museum. Guests: Cheryl Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope Nick Dean, filmmaker, The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope Chris Hoffman, mayor of Jacksonville Beach, executive director of Beaches Museum Right outside It’s no secret that summer is peak season for biting insects in Florida, but the pests pose a special hazard for the unhoused. A new initiative aims to connect homeless individuals to protective resources and expand awareness of the risks presented by mosquitos and ticks. The Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County is partnering with the Anastasia Mosquito Control District to co-host a public education event from 5-7:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the district’s Disease Vector Education Center, at 120 EOC Drive. All who spend time outdoors are welcome to attend. Guests: Jeanne Moeller, board member and fundraising chair, Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County Marion Blohm, case manager, Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    First Coast Connect: Black beauty school

  2. 1d ago

    The Morning Report: Primary Election Day is Here

    Florida voters head to the polls today for the primary election, with results expected to offer clues about the state’s political direction. Also, Northeast Florida is facing an extreme heat warning today with heat index values reaching as high as 115 degrees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Morning Report: Primary Election Day is Here

  3. 2d ago

    First Coast Connect: ‘A Land Remembered’

    What was required reading for many Sunshine State middle schoolers is now a TV series currently in production, much of it in and around the North Central Florida town of Micanopy. A Land Remembered is a classic of historical fiction, telling the sprawling story of three generations of the MacIveys as they rise from dirt-poor farmers and cattle ranchers to large scale developers who destroy and despoil the very landscape that formed the foundation of their empire. We talk to the Tampa native who is turning the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book into what he’s described as “Florida’s Yellowstone,” and ask why the 1984 novel continues to resonate with residents in a still rapidly developing state. Guest: Todd Wiseman Jr., writer and director of the TV series A Land Remembered AI and aging From voice cloning to deepfakes and guided misinformation, the pitfalls of artificial intelligence present challenges for everyone, but they can be particularly problematic for older adults, especially those who are less technologically proficient. We sit down with two experts who help tease out the possibilities as well as the pitfalls of AI, with an eye toward improving AI literacy and developing a healthy skepticism of potential scams. We also preview a free workshop Tuesday titled “Aging in the Age of AI,” hosted by Ebri Education and the University of North Florida Center for Aging Research. Guests: Nadine Ebri, CEO, Ebri Education 'When Kingdom Comes' A 21-year-old poet and playwright nationally recognized for her writing and spoken word returns to the local stage with the premiere of her latest work, When Kingdom Comes. Douglas Anderson School of the Arts alum and current Howard University student Niveah Glover sold out her debut play, Callas, in her first feature length performance last year at the Jacksonville Arts and Music School Black Box Theatre. Glover says her newest work is a “modern tragedy” that merges Greek mythology and Southern Gothic storytelling with Black American tradition. The story follows the fallout when five estranged siblings reunite to read their father's will. We ask the young playwright about the inspiration for her latest work and what’s next, now that she has two full length plays under her belt. When Kingdom Comes opens at 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at the JAMS Black Box Theatre. A discounted preview for artists and educators will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday. Guest: Niveah Glover, playwright, When Kingdom Comes Israel Haynes, actor playing Zeke King, When Kingdom Comes Ithiell B. Yisrael, actor playing Cornell King, When Kingdom Comes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    First Coast Connect: ‘A Land Remembered’

  4. 2d ago

    The Morning Report: JEA Board Backs CEO and New Property Tax Amendment Wording Released

    The JEA board is backing CEO Vickie Cavey after reviewing investigations into allegations about her leadership, while recommending management training for Cavey and other executives. Also, Florida’s proposed property tax amendment has a new ballot summary after a judge ruled it needed to be rewritten. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Morning Report: JEA Board Backs CEO and New Property Tax Amendment Wording Released

  5. 5d ago

    First Coast Connect: Week in Review

    Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week: State House candidate Diana Jordan-Baldwin says an opposition voter physically attacked her at a polling site. Concerns grow over the expanding role of the City Council’s in-house lawyer, Jason Teal. Two shootings following 911 calls raise fresh questions about police response to mental health crises. Guests: David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union Christina Burgess, reporter at First Coast News Randy DeFoor, corporate attorney, former Jacksonville City Council member Jim Piggott, former City Hall reporter at News4Jax Next to Normal A stage production that tackles mental health, grief and drug addiction may not seem a likely candidate for a rock musical, but the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal proves that there is plenty of creative space to accommodate the ambitious subject. We talk to the First Coast dentist-turned-thespian behind the local production about what conversations he hopes the Limelight Theatre staging will generate and why he wanted to bring the Broadway hit to local audiences. Guests: Jimmy Alexander, producer of Next to Normal at Limelight Theatre and actor playing Dan Goodman Ella Escamilla, actress playing Natalie Preseason preview The Jacksonville Jaguars will be back in action this week against the New Orleans Saints for the team’s first preseason game of the year. The Jags had an impressive run last season, securing a 13-4 record and placing first in the AFC South division under rookie head coach Liam Coen. After a heartbreaking 27-24 loss against the Buffalo Bills back in January, fans are eager to see how the Big Cats return to the playing field. We sit down with First Coast News sports reporter Rachel Phillips, our new Jags season correspondent, to talk ball and get a preview of what to expect for the coming season. Guest: Rachel Phillips, sports reporter, First Coast News See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    First Coast Connect: Week in Review

  6. 5d ago

    The Morning Report: Jacksonville Grants on Pause and School Safety Locks in Florida

    The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee is holding back millions of dollars in funding for local nonprofits and the Cultural Council as lawmakers weigh the potential impact of a proposed property tax reduction. Also, a lock company is challenging new state rules governing classroom locks designed to protect students during an armed attack. An administrative hearing on the rules is scheduled for next week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Morning Report: Jacksonville Grants on Pause and School Safety Locks in Florida

  7. 6d ago

    First Coast Connect: Hitting close to home

    “The air and sea of this ancient, fortified, dilapidated sand-bank of a town are really delicious” — a little-known appraisal of St. Augustine by Ralph Waldo Emerson — is among the treasures unearthed in Rachel Knox’s new book of essays, which simultaneously skewers and venerates the state of Florida. Both a naked examination of personal history and collective trauma, and a paean to the flora, fauna and cultural timbre of the state, Anywhere Else brings native Floridians (and true converts) on a harrowing road trip to the final chapter and the question it poses: “My god, Rachel, how can you live here?” We ask the author what it means to love a place enough to hate it and why she finds a perfect metaphor for state residents in the broken, regenerative claw of a stone crab. Guest: Rachel Knox, author of Anywhere Else: Essays on Florida Congressional District 4 candidate Michael Kirwan A plan to oust the Republican incumbent of Florida’s 4th Congressional District will first require winning the primary Tuesday. Eleven months after he announced his candidacy on First Coast Connect, local attorney and civic leader Michel Kirwan returns just five days ahead of Tuesday’s decisive Democratic primary. We ask him about recent polling that puts him behind opponent LaShonda Holloway despite his significant financial advantage and how he plans to use the final days to convince voters he’s the best qualified opponent to challenge Republican incumbent Aaron Bean. First Coast Connect is covering a range of local races and election-related topics between now and Nov. 3. You can find all of our election coverage here and detailed information about upcoming elections, including information about candidates and ballot initiatives in your district, at the nonpartisan League of Women Voters website Vote411.org. Additional candidate coverage is featured in Jacksonville Today’s political section. Guest: Michael Kirwan, Democratic candidate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    First Coast Connect: Hitting close to home

  8. 6d ago

    The Morning Report: Controversial Development in Jax Moves Forward and Local Candidate Attacked

    The Jacksonville City Council has approved plans allowing for a 110 home development to move forward at the former Kings Trail Elementary School, despite concerns from nearby residents about traffic, wetlands and mature oak trees. Also, a Florida House candidate says she and her husband were assaulted at a St. Johns County polling place, leading to an arrest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Morning Report: Controversial Development in Jax Moves Forward and Local Candidate Attacked
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About

Stay connected to Jacksonville and Northeast Florida with WJCT News Now — your free, daily news podcast from WJCT Public Media. Every morning, anchor Steven Ponson breaks down the headlines you need to start your day informed. Then go deeper with First Coast Connect — the show, hosted by Anne Schindler, is where local newsmakers, civic leaders, artists, and community voices come together to talk through what's happening in your backyard.  Subscribe and make WJCT News Now part of your daily routine.

Information

  • Creator
    WJCT Public Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    WJCT News Now

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