The Florida Roundup - Florida's higher education leadership, Venezuela's election crisis, weekly briefing

Episode Date: August 2, 2024

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with a member of FAMU’s board of trustees about its search for a new president (02:10), and we heard from a former state lawmaker about a bill he co-sponsored that alters the process for university presidential searches (14:14). Then, we spoke with CNN en Espanol host Alejandra Oraa and Miami-Dade College professor Vilma Petrash about Venezuela’s elections crisis (20:28). And later, an update on the new Rays stadium (36:46), a conversation with the leader of UF’s new space institute (39:03) and a look at a former mining town in Plant City (43:37).

This is the Florida Roundup. I'm Matthew Petty. I do want to mention the tumultuous weather quickly approaching Florida. Tropical storm watches and warnings are already in place for parts of southwest Florida and the Keys. Last night, Governor DeSantis declared a state of emergency for much of the state, covering 54 of Florida's 67 counties. And you can make sure to stay up to date throughout the weekend. And with your local county government and the National Weather Service office for your area, stay close to your local public media stations as well.

Well, now there's a lot of churn at the top of Florida's public colleges and universities lately. Three state universities bringing in new presidents. Florida A&M University and the University of Florida both have interim leadership after their presidents resigned for very different reasons. And Florida Atlantic is having another go at finding new leadership after their first search stalled. That's just public universities.

The University of Miami and Bethune-Cookman are also searching for new leadership. Now, the process for picking a university or college president in Florida is long, political, and it can be murky. So what does new leadership mean for Florida A&M, the University of Florida, and Florida Atlantic? Are you an alumnus or a parent of a college student? What does the leadership shakeup in Florida higher education mean to you? How are universities dealing with the change? Send your questions and comments. You can email radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Give us a call, too. We'd love to hear from you. How are universities dealing with the change? Send your questions and comments. You can email

radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Give us a call too. We'd love to hear from you. 305-995-1800. That number again, 305-995-1800. Well, on Sunday, Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson steps down from the job he's held for nearly seven years. Robinson is leaving under a cloud as the university investigates a failed 237 million dollar donation from a Texas hemp farming executive The donation was in the form of stock from Gregory Jaramie and the Isaac Bateson family seventh trust It would have tripled the university's endowment and was celebrated as the biggest in the history of historically black colleges and universities But just days after the gift was announced the university announced it was putting a hold on that donation with concerns about its value and the donor.

Well, Deveron Gibbons is a trustee with Florida A&M University. Deveron, what's the latest with the probe into the gift, the, I guess, failed gift, we could say, for Florida A&M? Can the university salvage something from it? Currently, the report that we initiated an investigation with the firm of Buchanan Ingersoll, and I think you'll see the results that are going to come out here just probably in a week or so of what that looks like. I actually, and I think along with others on the board, were updated on the full report, and I think that, you know, we, while it was a good learning experience, unfortunately, I don't know if there's going to be any way that

we can get anything from that particular donor or gift, but I think we learned a lot. And unfortunately, we had to learn in the media. Have you talked with the donor? I have not. I've never met the donor or talked to him, sir. It's been reported that board members weren't really kept in the loop about this gift. And my understanding is that it was kind of in the works for a number of months. How did that happen? Unfortunately, I wish I could answer that question. That should never happen. We are, as board members, a body. We are the fiduciaries of the university and we should be kept in the loop when such things are going on. But you know,

things happen. They happen for a reason. Unfortunately, this happened at Florida A&M. We're going to take it as a learning experience. We're the biggest, the baddest, the best experience. We're the biggest, the baddest, the best HBCU in the country. We're still the number one public HBCU. And we're going to take this as a lesson and figure out how to move forward in a positive manner. So with that in mind, what does this do to the reputation of Florida A&M? How big a hit do you think the university takes from it reputation wise? Unfortunately, I think there's, you know, people will look at it negatively. Some people will. But for me, I don't think we took as big of a hit as people think, simply because we have some of the best, brightest alumni and students in the world and in the country. If you look at around the country, there are Rattlers everywhere.

They're doing great things. And our brand is solid no matter where we go. People know FAMU. So I think that our brand is solid and on solid ground. And again, unfortunately, this happened. But look, Coastal Carolina, some other schools got duped by this same fake donor. And, you know, unfortunately, it happened to us and we went a little further. But at the end of the day, I think FAMU is still a bright and shining star amongst all of the HBCUs and universities across the country. The donation aside, how much credit can Larry Robinson take for the situation that FAMU's in? Like when you talk about FAMU being the biggest, the best, the baddest, how much of that is due to the work that he's done over the last almost seven years?

So Dr. Robinson brought, I mean, you've got to remember, you know, we had a really big heyday back when Dr. Fred Humphrey was the president of Florida A&M. They were known for a myriad of things for the pharmacy school, the engineering architectural school, and especially SBI. They called SBI the Harvard of the South and the School of Business and Industry. Every major corporation hired from there. And we still have that kind of reputation. So I want to be able to be very clear that Dr. Robinson started FAMU with distinction. He's a quality and good leader. Also, Dr. Robinson, you got to remember, brought us into

the top 100 public institutions in the country. He's also with the number one public HBCU. in the country. He's also with the number one public HBCU. So you got to remember, you know, this guy has taken us a long way. Very quality leader, good man, and a great public servant. He thought it was about time for him to spend some time with his family. And we wish him well. And we'll be looking to see what the future holds in terms of the next leader for Florida A&M University. But for this donation, would he still be there? I mean, his last day is Sunday, but would he still be the president had this thing not imploded? I think Dr. Robinson would probably tell you that he was about ready to go and he had accomplished a lot of things. So you would have to ask him that question, but I'm not sure. You mentioned some of the courses that Florida A&M was renowned for, you know, a few years back, but the Board of Governors has criticized the university for low pass rates for licensure exams in nursing, law, pharmacy, and physical therapy.

So, I mean, are there some other issues that the next president will need to tackle? There are definitely some issues that the president needs to tackle, the new president would need to tackle. I will tell you that that's one of the reasons that if you, we have new trustees on the board and we're going to try to guide whoever and guide the interim president, Dr. Beard, in the right direction so that we can compete in the SUS. And one of the things is you got to remember, we have some great institutions in Florida. The University of Florida, USF, and Florida State are like all in the top 50, right? And they all are research one universities. UCF is amongst that group. I mean, this is a competitive environment. And ever since we moved to our funding metrics being based upon productivity and getting students in and out. And I mean, this is a really competitive process. And if we're going to compete, we are going to have

to change some things at FAMU. But let me just say this. If you look around the country, we're still a part of the number one educational system, higher education system in the country. And so us being at the bottom of that, we're at the top of a lot of other people's, of other states' list because we would be number one in their particular systems. We're going to try to revamp and retool and compete in the SUS so that we can continue to provide quality instruction and quality students and quality graduates. There has been some criticism of how other universities have gone about hiring presidents recently. For example, the University of Florida recommended just one candidate as the finalist out of a pool of 700.

So will the recruitment and hiring process for FAMU be transparent? I am a big proponent of transparency. So I think that we will have a process that will include our alumni faculty. It will also include the community and the Rattler community across the country, as well as, you know, the general public. I see it looking something like a process where we'll go across the state and across some other areas to get feedback on what the alum and other folks will want to see in our president, our next president at FAMU. And then starting a process with some members of the board and a cross section of folks from across the country or state as well. And then moving down to a candidate that we all can live with. You mentioned some of the other universities that you're kind of in the mix with in terms of competition right in Florida, and FAMU isn't the only university searching for a

new president. UF is also looking after Ben Sasse announced he's stepping down. Florida Atlantic is on the hunt for a president. Does that make the job tougher for FAMU? I think it makes the jobs tougher, period. I mean, if you look across the country, there are 22 historically Black colleges and universities that are looking for presidents. So there's a talent vacuum that we're all pulling from, and it's limited. And if you look at that limited pool of folks, I mean, of course, it's going to make it harder.

But I do believe that there's folks out there. FAMU is one of the top, if not the top choice for most people. When you hear FAMU, you know the brand, you know the institution, you know it's a quality place to work and live and play and be a part of. And so I think that gives us a little bit of a leg up in terms of having a better pool of talent to select from. But, you know, if you look across the state, Bethune-Cookman, they're looking for a president. I mean, as you said, there's some other folks. And Ben Sasse, you know, is a quality man. And he's one of my favorite people in the state university system, if not my most favorite. And he thought it not robbery to go and spend some time with his family with the issues.

And our prayers go out to him and his family as he goes through that process. If you look at the university system in Florida writ large, I suppose, I mean, there are some big changes happening and have been happening over the last couple of years. Governor DeSantis, for example, advocating for legislation that cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion. for legislation that cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion. And in the case of New College in Sarasota, remaking that university essentially in a pretty profound way. Does that have any bearing on the way FAMU goes about the search for a president? No, I think what happens in our process is we're going to look for the best, brightest

and most talented person to lead the institution. And they're going to need to have a lot of skill sets. What they are, I can't talk you through all of them on this short little time in our radio interview here, but I will tell you that it's going to be somebody who's definitely a leader, a quality educator, and also somebody who can bring business acumen back to the university. And somebody who understands that we areumen back to the university, and somebody who understands that we are in a competition with some great institutions in Florida, and that we need to be competitive in terms of our, for example, in our bar passage rate for our law school. We want

to be one of the better law schools in the state and in the country. For our pharmacy school, we want to be one of the better pharmacy schools in the state and in the country and definitely for sbi school of business and industry we want to be known as the school of business and industry that companies look to because we want to want to continue to put our graduates out amongst the world and famu has done that and they've been great and so we're going to look for a quality leader who can put all those things together while still running the operation kind of like a business, but understanding that our product is that we produce quality students and we give quality instruction. How long do you think the search will take? I wish I could tell you that. We're having a retreat next week as a board, and I think we'll

bring that to some closure of who runs it, where we are, how long it'll be. Devoron Gibbons is a trustee with Florida A&M University. Devoron, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it. No, thank you. And you heard Devoron Gibbons there talking about Florida A&M's reputation. Well, that was another word that you heard at the University of Florida, I should say, Interim President Kent Fox.

He's just now stepped in. He mentioned UF's reputation in a brief video announcement. Let's take a listen. As Interim President, I have three goals for this year. First, that we will work to enhance our university's excellence and reputation in all that we do.

UF has had a trajectory like no other university in growing its national stature and I'm committed with you to continue that momentum. Now second, I'm committed to position the university so that our next president will be able to most effectively serve and lead. Third, as we work hard this year, my hope is that we will also experience joy. So if you're a student at a university that's looking for a new president, I hope you are experiencing some joy in your university experience.

But what are you looking for as a student in that new president? Maybe you work at a university or you're an alumnus or a parent of a student there. Tell us what you think of the process. How important is your university's reputation and what about transparency in hiring? You can call 305-995-1800. Former State Senator Jeff Brandes has been listening into that conversation. Jeff, thanks for joining us. Tell me what you're thinking about when you hear this conversation about university hiring and how presidents are selected.

Ah, yes, Jeff, thanks for joining us. Apologies for the phone issues here, but I appreciate you joining us. Now, let's talk about, I guess, the hiring process. You're one of the sponsors of the law that changed the way university presidential searches are conducted. And there was some controversy about how UF hired Ben Sasse. You said the law wasn't being used as intended. Just kind of get us caught up. What do you mean? What did you mean by that? Well, so originally, the way it worked was every applicant that applied to these state universities became a public record. And so we were hearing from boards of directors of these universities was that people were hesitant to apply because they didn't want to tell their current employer that they were looking to leave or they were looking for other options.

I don't think any of us would be surprised at that. You know, many of us have applied and looked for other jobs while we were working for an existing employer and would prefer that our current employer not find out about it until we have something secured. And so this was holding our applicant pool back. We knew this. We were getting tons of real-world data on that. And then this law really was designed to allow them to vet those candidates, come down to a final group of applicants, and then that final group would be released to the public for at least 21 days so that people could ask questions, interview them, have a conversation with this final group of applicants. I mean, has your view sort of changed on that law at all in the last two years? There has been quite

a bit of turmoil at universities statewide. So has that kind of changed the way you view this? Well, I mean, I think how it was enacted is what has changed. I think the challenge is the law is clear. It says you have to have a final group of applicants. I think the challenge here is some state universities have seen a final group of applicants as one individual. And I would argue that's not what the law says. That was clearly never the intent. When the universities came to me and asked me to file this law or the bill, they were perfectly, they attested to the fact that there would be a final group of applicants.

And what I mean by final group, it should be three or four people that are thoroughly vetted, all would be outstanding candidates, and we're speaking from that final group of four. I don't think anybody cares about who is the 275th applicant to be the University of Florida president, but I do think they care about who's in that final group of applicants, and I think that should be available for the public for vetting. I do not believe that we should have a political process that selects one and puts one person in the final group

and that there is no process available for public to view the final group of applicants because we've selected the only one applicant. I think that is not what the law says. I don't think that's clearly what my intent was. That is not what I told my committee members nor the legislature. And so I think anything that makes this process so that people can select one person or that the board violates both the letter and the spirit of the law. I mean, we are kind of running pretty close on time here. But I mean, the argument for keeping candidates confidential early in the process was to try

and attract top talent. I mean, arguably, it's even harder now with the state of openings and some universities taking a very long time to fill those positions. So what does that mean? I mean, is that an argument for even more secrecy or could some universities taking a very long time to fill those positions. So what does that mean? I mean, is that an argument for even more secrecy or could some universities see it that way? I think, you know, university president selection is always, especially at the top tier universities, is always somewhat of a political process.

I think the law as it currently stands today is being abused. I think the legislation should come back, or frankly, the board of governors should come back in and set a rule that says, hey, listen, that final group of applicants means that there must be three, four, five applicants as part of that final group, and that group must be released. But at some juncture, it takes leadership. And clearly, the leadership here believes that they have found a loophole where they can select one person. I think Ben Sasse was a great candidate and a great individual to lead the University of Florida. I think the process that selected

Ben Sasse was terrible. We are going to have to leave it there, I'm afraid. But thank you so much for your insights. Jeff Brandes, former state senator, founder of the Florida Policy Project, a non-profit research institute focused on quality of life issues for Floridians. Well, stay tuned.

Up next, the U.S. recognizes Venezuela's opposition leader as the winner last weekend's contested election, but President Maduro says he's not going anywhere. This is the Florida Roundup from your Florida Public Radio station. The Florida Roundup. I'm Matthew Petty. Protesters have taken to the streets in Venezuela after last weekend's disputed election. They're accusing President Maduro's regime of massive electoral fraud. Well, Maduro claims he won, but the opposition party says it has evidence that its candidate,

Edmundo Gonzalez, defeated Maduro by a wide margin. Now, the United States has recognized the opposition leader as the winner of the election and is calling on Maduro's government to begin a transition of power. Florida's expat Venezuelan community are protesting as well. Marie Oliveri, a paralegal who lives in Western, spoke to our member station WLRN in Miami from Caracas after traveling to Venezuela to cast a ballot.

People were, like, very authentic authentic, like I want to vote. It was the only thing they were thinking in the morning. No coffee, no breakfast. We wanted to vote. But my fear is once they start counting the votes, they stole the election. So how to defend our votes if they have the guns and the tanks? So how to defend our boats if they have the guns and the tanks? Maria Teresa Marine is an expat spokesperson for the opposition.

She was at a demonstration in Doral last Monday. She told WLRN she's confident Maduro will concede. We are helping our brothers in Venezuela to exercise their rights. All the world knows what happened yesterday in Venezuela. The message is they are not going to get away with it. Well, if you're part of Florida's expat Venezuelan community, we would love to hear from you. How do you feel about the election and what comes next? Give us a call, 305-995-1800.

That's 305-995-1800. You can also send us an email, radio at thefloridaroundup.org. Well, I want to welcome Vilma Petrasch to the conversation, Venezuelan expat and history professor at Miami Dade College. Vilma, thanks for joining us. Vilma, are you there? Okay, let's try going to Alejandra O'Rourke, an anchor with CNN and Español based in Atlanta.

Alejandra, are you with us? Yes, I am. How are you? Thank you so much for joining us. Great to hear your voice there. Now, I understand you've just come back from Caracas. Tell us about that. What was that like? I mean, it was really a, it was an eye-opening experience. I have covered in the past many political and electoral situations in Venezuela, but this was the first time that I

covered the elections, the presidential elections that is in Venezuela. And I do feel that things are very different in comparison to before. I feel like, especially me being a Venezuelan American, because I moved out of Venezuela when I was 12, that would be 24 years ago, and I moved to South Florida, shaping my Venezuelan culture and ideas of how things are in Venezuela from afar and my journalistic view is very different I think I come back having a clearer knowledge of understanding why people are on the streets understanding when when people talk about the problems and the and the issues that Venezuela have a little bit more clearly so to me was an eye-opening experience as a Venezuelan as a Venezuelan immigrant but also as as a journalist. Yeah, I bet it was. I mean,

what was the mood leading up to election day like? I mean, my sense from the reports I've read is that there was quite a lot of hope and optimism. Is that what you saw? Absolutely. I have never seen, and in comparison to talking to other people in the past with Venezuelan elections, I mean, like I told you, this was the first time that I covered presidential elections on the ground, but I did see a lot of hope and I did see a lot of people that wanted to go to vote. In the past, especially on the last elections, when I spoke to other people from Venezuela, I think it was around 2017 or 2018, I'm not sure. I think it was in 2017,

the last elections. When you would speak to them about the elections, they would be like, I'm not going to go vote. This is pointless. It's unnecessary. And this time, it wouldn't matter where you go. It wouldn't matter what social class you would talk to. Everybody wanted to vote. And to me, that was a big difference in comparison to the past. And to be different this time. And it is not what I say or feel. I think it's what I've heard from people that I worked with, from what I heard from people, from my family members. And even when I left, people were like, you know, I have a feeling that things are still going to develop and things are still going to be different. You're listening to the Florida Roundup

on your Florida Public Radio station. We're talking with Alejandra Ora, talking about the Venezuelan election and what's happened, what's unfolded in the days after that. Love to hear from you if you're part of Florida's expat Venezuelan community.

The number is 305-995-1800. You can also email radio at thefloridaroundup.org Vilma Petrasch, Venezuelan expat and history professor at Miami Dade College. Vilma, are you with us? Yes, I am back. Yes, I'm here. Great to hear your voice as well. So, I mean, what's your personal reaction to what's happening in Venezuela right now? Well, I do agree with Alejandra. There is a mixture of feelings, hope in the first place. And of course, you know,

it was impressive, the demonstration of the Venezuelan people against all odds, you know, and, you know, the big obstacles, huge obstacles that we were confronting in Venezuela. The Venezuelan people show up and massively won this election because we won the country back. And I say we because I feel part of that, even though I wasn't allowed to vote. As you know, I am a refugee and I am a refugee since 2004. But, you know, many Venezuelans couldn't do that. Many Venezuelans, refugees and Venezuelans in the diaspora. But we also have fear, fear basically because of what happened. You know, we never knew or at least expected this kind of massive fraud also on the side of the government that they were going to go all the way to actually show something that they don't have a way to prove.

And that's why they have done all these kind of maneuvers they have done until now, including, you know, making, you know, the tribunal, the Supreme Tribunal of Venezuela participating when they know, of course, they cannot do that legally speaking, because not just because of the kind of tribunal is basically a group of chavistas that have been, you know, appointed as, you know, justices of the Supreme Tribunal, but also because that's not the role they should play. You know, and the fear is that, you know, that the Maduro regime is not, may not be willing to do what they have to do because the only thing they have to do now is to ensure it a peaceful transfer of power. And they are not doing that.

That's the fear we have. Alejandro, I want to come back to you for a moment. One of the things I was reading about, or I seen some footage of is this pots and pans protest. What's going on there? What's happening with that? It's called cacerolazos, and we are used to seeing them on Miami with Happy Times. I'm sure you probably heard pots and pans when Miami Heat won a couple of times, and I think the Miami Panthers as well. But in Latin Americaica it has a different

connotation and it has a lot to do with protests it's it's the way for a lot of people in venezuela to stay in their home in the safety of their home to protest for things that they're not happy with and usually it has become a regular schedule of protests in venezuela since i believe even hugo chavez in 2002. I think it was the first time that I started hearing the word cacerolazos that became part of the norm in Venezuela. What really surprised me was that on Monday, the day after the elections, the day after the CNE, the institution in charge of counting the votes

in Venezuela, said that Nicolás Maduro won by 50, I think it was 51.2%. You started hearing pots and pans from the very humble cities of Venezuela and the very humble areas of Caracas. And what was very interesting, and it's very different in comparison to other protests that we have seen in the past is that this one this protest people on the streets were not usually the people that would go out and do the protest meaning and i i'll never forget this because it was part of the part of the coverage and when we were talking about the protest and i was there in Caracas, I heard a local news network that was covering what was happening, a guy saying, here are your last names. And I didn't understand what that meant. And then he said, again, the last names are on the streets.

And the number one comment that the government has done throughout the years is that the people on the streets are not the people from the humble cities meaning um from the the favelas of venezuela usually what they were what they meant by that was that the last things were people that were known in venezuela people that were entrepreneurs people that were quote-unquote rich because in the past at the beginning of this protest in venezuela in probably 2014 or 2017 or 2020, you would see people from probably the areas that were a little bit well off, better than the areas that actually went to the streets today. So when I understood what they meant here, your last name is, they were being sarcastic, saying that the people that were on the streets were not well off. They were the people that

probably have been promised a lot of things by Chavismo and Madurismo not well off they were the people that probably um have been promised a lot of things by chavismo and madurismo and that they're willing to they were willing to risk everything because as a matter of fact they are the ones that get the most benefits quote unquote from the governments they are the ones that get those famous clapbacks which is a bag of food every month so they were making fun of that and they were doing pots and pans in Venezuela on those areas. And a lot of people were like, hear the sounds of pots and pans there. That's something that doesn't tend to happen at all. And that's why I feel that things are different now.

I want to get a call in here if I could. Ruben calling in from Boca Raton. Ruben, are you on the line? Yes, sir. Good afternoon. Thanks for taking me on that subject.en, are you on the line? Yes, sir. Good afternoon. Thanks for taking on that subject. Sure. What's on your mind?

Oh, I have a couple of issues that I'd like to mention. First of all, thank you for taking on that in this media. My concern has been, after being here for over 40 years, is that we Latinos forget our history of where we're coming from.

Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, we are running out of our countries because of the dictators over there. Then when we get here, we go into trying to follow a dictator. And that is sad for me, that you see the Cuban community, most of it. I even have relatives in the Cuban community, because of my wife, that they follow these dictators' speeches that are coming out in our politics. And they forget that in Cuba we had it, in Venezuela we had it. We have to open our eyes. We cannot repeat history. We have to understand that once we hear a politician talking like a thief,

we cannot look at it. Okay, I think I'm understanding you, Ruben. I really appreciate you making that call there. Alejandro, I just want to throw it back to you momentarily. I know you've got to go, but what are you hearing in that? I mean, are you hearing sort of, I guess, something about why it's important for folks here in Florida to pay attention to what's going on in Venezuela?

Well, I think what's important for people to understand in the U.S. with what's happening in Venezuela are two things. Number one, the number one fear that the international community had if Maduro did win the election was that the migration was going to be bigger than what we already have. And currently we are at almost 8 million and the U.S. currently has 545,000 legal documented Venezuelans in the U.S. And the diaspora might be bigger and it might affect the U.S. But number two, and what I think we really should be paying attention to, and I'm trying to see how this is going to develop, And I'm trying to see how this is going to develop is that the U.S. yesterday, the secretary of state said that there is proof that Edmundo Gonzalez won the election and that he wanted to request that in Venezuela we had a peaceful transition to that. And the fact that he said that, the fact that the secretary of state said that is almost like putting us back to the times where Juan Guaido was recognized in the U.S. as the president of Venezuela. And I don't know what that really means. This is something that happened less than 24 hours.

I don't know what we're getting into with this recognition. I do think that Venezuela has become an important spotlight for a lot of people because the truth of the matter is that we are the biggest and fastest migration in modern history to happen to date. We are actually have more people out of Venezuela than people in Syria. And we're talking about a migration that has happened without an armed conflict. 8 million people are bigger than the size of Panama, bigger than the size of Costa Rica. And this means that we do affect what happens. And I understand why it's a problem

for people. So I do believe that having more than half a million Venezuelans in the US, it's going to be important for them. And also the links that we have with the US and Venezuela when it comes to oil and the sanctions, it's going to be a lot of importance. So I hope things get better. You know, I hope things specifically I do not want to see on the streets of Venezuela like it happened in 2017, like it happened in 2014, where we had over a thousand deaths just because of manifestation and just because of protests. So I'm watching very closely and I hope that not only we can stay with hope, but we also can stay with Venezuelans safe.

Alejandra, Ora, thank you so much for your reporting. And thanks for joining us, a reporter, an anchor rather with CNN and Español based in Atlanta. Appreciate your time. You are listening to the Florida Roundup rather from Florida Public Media. Vilma, if I could come back to you for a moment. I mean, more than 7.7 million Venezuelans, as Alejandra was mentioning, they're leaving the country. So, I mean, what do you see this election meaning for that exodus and for Florida's expat Venezuelan population? Well, as I said, we have been feeling a mixture of hope. Well, I would say the hope and change that Maria Corina inspired.

I would say the hope and change that Maria Corina inspired and that's why we have this great movement of even people from the slums from the barrios you know massively voting in order to change the situation because Venezuelans are exhausted not just in Venezuela outside we have been I recently said something to an interview from the Washington Post they they asked me about the feeling that we have it's like an open wound we it's like we we are bleeding for Venezuela you know it's a feeling in which we are not able to actually pass the page because it's a permanent pain for us we know what is the situation we are actually supporting our relatives. Most of us have

relatives still in Venezuela. And also we have the Venezuelan diaspora. It also means that the Venezuelan family is in different countries. So we need to reunify the country and the families that are suffering this terrible dictatorship that now is in the open because they are willing to actually say, you know, we abandon completely any kind of masquerade, that we are democratic. They decided to go all the way to become a dictatorship by simply stealing, you know, in front of the international community and in front of the eyes of all Venezuelans inside and outside the country, the election. eyes of all Venezuelans inside and outside the country the election. So the feeling is, we feel, as I said, fear, but at the same time Venezuelans are so willing to continue and I would say that also, and I would like to add something about the U.S. policy, I would say the recognition to

Edmundo Gonzalez as the president-elect is an important step and America, the American, I mean the countries in the Americas have to make a decision. Either they support democracy, and this is a dictatorship, which means also setting a precedent. Anyone in the region or outside, you know, in other parts of the world, if we can talk in global terms. We are going to have to leave it there, Vilma, but I really appreciate your insights and your personal reaction to this, your reflections on this. Vilma Petras, Venezuelan expat history professor at Miami Dade College. Really appreciate your time.

Up next, Tampa Bay is getting a new ballpark, and we'll hear also from a scientist gearing up for the trip of a lifetime, rocketing into space. You're listening to the Florida Roundup from your Florida Public Radio station. Stay tuned. This is the Florida Roundup. I'm Matthew Petty. A new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays will soon arise on a redeveloped Tropicana Field parking lot.

From our partner station WUSF in Tampa, Steve Newborn reports the last major hurdle to keep the Rays in Tampa Bay fell on Tuesday. Pinellas County commissioners agreed to spend several hundred million dollars in tourist taxes for a new stadium. Commissioners voted 5-2 to approve taking more than $300 million in tourist development taxes to help pay for a new stadium. That money comes from a 6% levy on hotel stays. It means the Rays will go forward with a plan to build a $1.3 billion stadium with the team picking up roughly half the cost. What's now parking lots will be developed into offices, hotel rooms, and a new Black History Museum. Commissioner Renee Flowers said this helps right a wrong that happened decades ago when the mostly black gas plant district was bulldozed to build Tropicana Field.

For this construction development property, we're talking about over 30 years where this could make a true difference in the meaningful lives of people that reside in South St. Petersburg. The new stadium is expected to be ready by opening day of 2028. Tropicana Field will then be demolished. The project's being billed as the largest redevelopment in the county's history and Commissioner Janet Long said the impact will be felt for decades. This vote we are poised to take today is more than about a baseball stadium it is a transformational once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that isn't just for us today, it is for our future generations. Not everyone's happy with the deal. St. Petersburg resident Robin Davidoff told commissioners she loves the Rays but cares about the people of Pinellas County more.

Please ignore the propaganda. The Rays are here to stay because there is no other city, including Tampa, who will give them 80 acres of prime real estate and a stadium. Send this agreement back to the city to be rebalanced in favor of the taxpayers because that is your fiduciary obligation. And you can check out the timeline leading up to the county vote and find out more about the long-running saga to develop a new stadium at WUSF.org. Can you imagine what it's like to view the Earth from a new perspective, beyond the boundaries of space?

Rob Thirl will get to do just that, thanks to NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. The University of Florida Distinguished Professor and Assistant Vice President for Research is gearing up for the ride of his life on Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule. But as he tells Brendan Byrne at our partner station, Central Florida Public Media, it's not a joy ride. He's conducting an experiment that could help scientists better understand how humans could survive and thrive in space. I'm happy for Rob the kid. I'm happy for Rob the scientist who many of us out there are thinking, you know, it's great working with professional astronauts. You get to hand off your experiment to somebody who's righteously trained and a wonderful human being for doing

their work in space. But there's always that thing that says, boy, if I could do this myself, yeah, it'd be cool. And I think it might even be better science with my brain in there. Don't mean that in an egotistical way, but yeah, I'm happy for all of us in the community that now see there's a route to space just because you're curious and just because you have perseverance to write proposals and get funded to do work in space. It's a whole new avenue. So yeah, I'm happy for the community, but there's no escape in the fact that I'm happy to be me. And what are you hoping to learn from this experiment? What is the research question?

What gives us as human beings the idea that we can survive and thrive off the surface of the earth? We've grown up here. We evolved here. We know how to live here. When I say we, I mean, we as terrestrial organisms. As biologists, we want to understand the physiological adaptations that it takes to live in space so that we can do it well. And for me, as a fundamental biologist, I'm also interested in understanding what are the limits of life as we know it here on Earth. So I'd like very much to understand the adaptive process that happens to an organism, basically any terrestrial organism as it rides a rocket into space. What about psychologically? We have heard experiences from people that have taken this exact same flight and have just been in awe by the view and the change of perspective. They get that overview effect that we've heard from

astronauts. If I were in your position, I feel like I would forget to do the experiment because I would be looking out the window. How are you preparing for what could essentially be a life-changing experience for you, but you're up there to do work? So, you've hit on what I think personally is one of the most important aspects of all of this, and that is how to combine the richness of the awe expected for the personal experience to the requirements to actually do work with a brain that is focused and hands that are working and eyes that are taking data. How really do you manage that stuff? And to give you some insight, first thing I've done is I've talked to a number of astronaut friends to understand what their experiences were, frankly, what it did to their heads

to go to space. And it's enlightening. It's comforting even to hear the personal feelings that others have dealt with on their way to and back from space. There are good practice mental state activities that I've learned about that I hope to engage during the flight so that I can get the job done, change over and think about what I'm seeing out the window, and then re-engage to get more work done and enjoy the process while also succeeding at it. I don't consider that a trivial undertaking whatsoever.

And I absolutely and quite honestly would sacrifice looking out the window to be sure the job is done. But boy, I don't want to do that. But you've built some time in to look out the window, right? That's the important thing. Absolutely. Every second is scripted with deltas, places for things to shift back and forth. Yeah, I intend to look out the window because that view is what I will personally take back. More than the feeling of being in

microgravity, it's the view for me. Rob Ferl talking with Central Florida Public Media's Brendan Byrne about his upcoming flight on the New Shepard spacecraft. You can hear more on Brendan's space exploration podcast, Are We There Yet? I'm Matthew Petty and you're listening to the Florida Roundup from your Florida Public Radio station. For much of the 1900s, the phosphate mining industry was booming in Florida and across the country with communities popping up near the mines. One of those communities was nestled just to the south of Plant City. It doesn't exist anymore, except in the minds of the people who live there. From our partner station WUSF in Tampa, Sky LeBron takes us to Coronet,

where he spoke with some of the extinct town's residents to learn about its history and its impact. I'll have to get up there and see. Probably as it goes all the way over there, right? Jeannie Fletcher hasn't been back to Coronet in more than 20 years. Is it at all weird being back here? I almost cried. I drove up because I haven't been back here. Now memories are flooding back as Fletcher walks along the property right next to the home she spent some of her childhood in. I think that was the driveway

my granddad would take to go to our house. And we'd sit here and wait for him, get a ride in the back of the pickup truck. Fletcher was raised by her grandparents. Her grandfather was chief electrician for Coronet Industries, a phosphate mining company right across the street from her old home. The company thrived throughout the early 1900s. In the 1960s, the houses that were built for employees were physically picked up and moved to other nearby

communities. Now one of the only remaining buildings is the Coronet Bungalow, where executives and guests stayed when they were checking out the operation. The bungalow on Coronet Road is now owned by Billy Williams, a local retired farmer. When I first saw the place, I knew right away it was one of a kind. Williams grew up in Plant City but had friends in Coronet Road is now owned by Billy Williams, a local retired farmer. When I first saw the place, I knew right away it was one of a kind. Williams grew up in Plant City, but had friends in Coronet. And he knows the area like the back of his hand, even some places that were supposed to be exclusive to Coronet residents, like the car wash right outside one of the old entrances to the mines. When I was in high school, I was a little scared to come through here,

but I did anyway. But I would come through here before I went and pick up my date so my car would be clean. And Williams remembers the old Coronet commissary store. He really remembers the sandwiches. Spiced ham and hog head cheese, sliced real thin. The best sandwich ever. One thing everyone seems to remember is the whistle. A bulky pipe would ring out three times per day at the mine to signal the start of the workday, lunchtime, and when they were closing up shop.

Lynn Prescott grew up in Coronet as well. Her dad's job was to blow that whistle. Well, the first time I went down there with him, he didn't bother to tell me that he was going to blow the whistle. When he blowed the whistle, I got scared. I ran all the way home to my mom. That was quite a jaunt. When the mines were eventually shut down and equipment was being taken apart, Billy Williams made sure to save that piece of what he considers Coronet history. I don't know how many hundreds of people remember and know that whistle, and I just want to say, well, I've got it. And there was some one that many Coronet residents remember fondly, too. Most people knew him as Junior. Willie Thomas Jr. was a black man who

ran the Coronet bungalow and served as its head chef. His daughter, Mary Mathis, is now a commissioner for Plant City. He enjoyed cooking for anybody. He loved to put smiles on people's faces because that's what he loved to do, and he just had an awesome gift for that. At the time, white residents in Coronet lived in a section known by residents as the back square. Black residents stayed in a separate area called the quarters. Despite the clear racial tension at the time, Mathis and others who knew her father say that never slowed him down. Because of the respect that my father had

for what he did at the mine and that community, we didn't see as much, but we knew it was there. Coronet Industries ended up facing a major lawsuit because of environmental impacts the mines had on the surrounding property, and it officially shut down in 2004. Despite the mine's abrupt ending, Mathis says it's still important to remember the community and impact Coronet had on the people in the area. My father would think it's important to remember any history as far as black history is concerned, to remember any history as far as Black history is concerned, and Cornette because, especially Cornette, because that's where he received his foundation.

That's why Williams is trying to preserve the bungalow in its original form. It's part of our history. You know, it's the way things were, and it's something that I witnessed as a child, and I have that as a childhood memory, and I don't ever want to lose that. And whether it's the people, the whistle, or the sandwiches, Coronet is alive and well in the memories of the people who lived there. I'm Sky LeBron in Tampa. That's our program for today. The Florida Roundup is produced by WLRN Public Media in Miami and WUSF Public Media in Tampa. The show is produced by Bridget O'Brien and Grayson Docter. WLRN's Vice President of Radio is Peter Mance.

Richard Ives is our Technical Director, engineering help from Doug Peterson, Charles Michaels and Jackson Harp. Katie Munoz answers the phones. Our theme music is provided by Miami jazz guitarist Aaron Leibos at aaronleibos.com. If you missed any of today's show, you can download it and pass programs at wlrn.org slash podcasts. Thanks for calling in and listening.