Central Florida Public Media

What to know about the 119th Congress. Here’s a guide to what’s new in Congress and what to look for over the next two years. https://bit.ly/41XMjs7

Starting January 1, a new Florida law prohibits kids under 14 from having social media accounts. Teens aged 14–15 will need parental permission to keep or open accounts. Social media platforms must delete accounts for those under 14 and those 14–15 without parental consent within 90 days, along with permanently deleting all personal data. Full details in the story at our website https://lnkd.in/eCD9gNH5 Despite bipartisan support, the law faces legal uncertainty, with hearings set for February. Do you think this law strikes the right balance between protecting minors and safeguarding digital rights?

Traveling for the holidays? Well, Orlando International Airport predicts a record 2.9 million passengers over this holiday season. If you're flying this time of year "pack your patience," said Airport CEO Kevin Thibault. Here's the story: https://lnkd.in/ebEeWPV8

Central Florida Public Media (formerly called WMFE) extends deep condolences on the passing of José A. Fajardo, who served as president and CEO of WMFE from 2007-2012. José started at WMFE as director of radio programming in 1996 and held various leadership roles with the organization before becoming president. He served on the boards of NPR and Florida Public Media (then called Florida Public Broadcasting), chairing the Florida board for two years. After leaving WMFE, José served as executive vice president for the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and in 2016 became president and general manager of Hawaii Public Radio. In 2021, José was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nervous system disease with no known cure. He was open about his experience with the disease and continued his work at Hawaii Public Radio until stepping down in July of this year. “I have known José for over 20 years, since I joined WMFE’s newsroom in 2004,” said Judith Smelser, president and general manager of Central Florida Public Media. “He was extremely supportive as I stepped into the role of president, and my heart goes out to his family and friends here in Central Florida and beyond.” José passed away at his home in Honolulu on December 19, 2024. https://lnkd.in/e_7vP6fK

In 10 years of 'arming' kids, bionic prosthetics have come a long way. A lot has changed for pediatric bionic arms in the last 10 years. Many of those developments have come from local organizations, like UCF's Limbitless Solutions, leading the way. The advent of 3D printing has led to a rapid development in pediatric prosthetics today, which are stronger and sometimes made to resemble characters in popular sci-fi and fantasy stories. Here's the story: https://lnkd.in/euysvJyx

A fight to protect Lake Ola, one of Central Florida’s cleanest lakes. Here's the story: https://lnkd.in/dZdGn7_b

The Best of 2024: NPR's favorite movies, TV, books, music and games, all in one place. Your one-stop guide to the year in arts and culture, from binge-worthy shows to hundreds of books recommended by NPR staff and a playlist of the 124 best songs of 2024. https://lnkd.in/ejn76pvb

Last week the Space Coast became host to Habitat for Humanity's first 3-D printed affordable homes in Central Florida. And instead of a full crew performing labor-intensive construction work, Frank, the 3-D printing machine, was layering concrete with fast precision, while a small team in hardhats monitored the work. So what's all this mean for construction jobs? Here's the full story: https://lnkd.in/ejqYCH8N

The share of perinatal, or baby, manatees found dead this year in Florida is down to about 28% as of November 29, a slight decline from early September’s 30%. In all, 517 manatees have died this year; 144 of which were perinatal, according to the latest data available from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The decline is expected at this point in the year, because the peak of perinatal mortality usually coincides with calving season in late spring/summer, per FWC. More baby manatees died so far in 2024 than in the previous two years. But that uptick could actually be a sign of recovery, showing more manatees are reproducing now, compared to 2021’s unusual mortality event. That year, 1,031 manatees died — twice as many as this year — and 106 were perinatal. Full story: https://lnkd.in/enexjFPf ✍️️: Molly Duerig 📰: Central Florida Public Media

It's been a year of high-profile food recalls. A deadly listeria outbreak led to a massive recall of Boar's Head deli meat. Contaminated onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders and organic carrots were linked to E. coli outbreaks. And in late November, federal authorities launched an investigation into cucumbers contaminated with salmonella. Food recalls fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the numbers have been rising again: The Food and Drug Administration, which reports food and cosmetics recalls together, says 1,908 such products were recalled in the fiscal year that ended in September. That's the highest since 2019, when 2,046 food and cosmetic products were recalled. Not every recall signals an outbreak — some are due to undeclared allergens like nuts or eggs, or a machine part, like a piece of plastic, getting into food at a processing facility. An "outbreak" means two or more people have been sickened by the same illness. Full story: https://lnkd.in/eqTrRmzh ✍️️: Bill Chappell, Allison Aubrey 📰: Central Florida Public Media