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PODCAST

Welcome to Florida

Best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman is joined by radio personality and Florida transplant Chadd Scott to discuss the state"s history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness. You"ll hear great storytelling and have great fun in each weekly episode.

history places & travel

All Episodes

33:58

Episode 298: Tampa Mobster Charlie Wall

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/03/24

The state legislature passed laws preventing Florida municipalities from pursuing clean energy. Mobster Charlie Wall ran Tampa in the 20s and 30s. Author and journalist Paul Wilborn researched Wall's life for a fictionalized version of it he wrote titled " The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall." "Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly conservation newsletter for only $5 per month.

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48:33

Episode 297: Turnbull Plantation and Menorcans

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/03/17

Florida U.S. Representative Cory Mills is one of the most unscrupulous politicians and businesspeople in the state, or nation. Colonial history in what is now Florida typically revolves around the Spanish, but for a period between the 1760s and 1780s, the English occupied the state. Andrew Turnbull tried establishing a British-style plantation in the New Smyrna Beach area with disastrous results. Greg Holbrook, Executive Director at the New Smyrna Museum of History, tells us all about it.

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38:31

Episode 296: Everglades Snail Kites

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/03/10

The Florida State Legislature continues breaking state law and disobeying the will of the people by defunding the Florida Forever land conservation buying program. Our guest for this episode is geologist and author Hilary Flower who has written a new book about Everglades Snail Kites, "The Kite and the Snail: An Endangered Bird, its Unlikely Prey, and a Story of Hope in a Changing World." "Welcome to Florida" patrons receive our weekly Florida Conservation Newsletter for only $5 per month.

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41:41

Episode 295: Wakulla Springs

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/03/03

Fifteen miles south of Tallahassee, one of Florida's most magnificent springs can be found: Wakulla Springs. Kellie Keys is a professor in the Communications Department at Florida State University working with FSU researchers at Wakulla Springs to help tell the story about what they're learning.

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36:12

Episode 294: Lakeland's Swanfather

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/02/24

Big Sugar is leaning on the legislature to make it so people can't badmouth their product. Big ag is leaning on the legislature to make it ok to graze cows on state land including state parks. An unscrupulous business owner and lax Department of Environmental "Protection" contributed to a catastrophic fire in Dunnellon. If you've ever been to Lakeland, perhaps you've seen the Lake Morton swans. Steve Platt works for the City of Lakeland and it's his job to take care of the swans as "swa...

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42:01

Episode 293: Spring Training

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/02/17

Spring Training has marked the end of winter in Florida for more than 100 years. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Greg Maddux, and today's stars have begun their legendary seasons and careers in places like Sarasota, Dunedin, Vero Beach, and Clearwater. On this episode, longtime southwest Florida newspaperman Glenn Miller, who's attended spring training games since the 1960s and covered the games since the 1980s, joins us to ...

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45:15

Episode 292: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/02/10

Florida continues to promote unfettered growth without paying attention to the water demands of all those new people and businesses. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Vero Beach was the first site in a program that now features nearly 600 locations. Paul Tritiak was the former refuge manager at Pelican Island and tells us how the refuge came to be. "Welcome to Florida" patrons receive our weekly Florida Conservation Newsletter for only $5 per month.

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37:09

Episode 291: The Swamp Doctor

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/02/03

The Florida State Legislature continues its rich tradition of doing the bidding of powerful corporate interests, this time - not for the first time - Mosaic mining company. Carrie Sue Ayvar is a professional storyteller who embodies Dr. Anna Darrow, the 2nd ever female doctor in Florida, in programs around the state. Darrow was referred to as the Swamp Doctor for her work with residents in the Everglades in early 20th century Florida. Ayvar is one of dozens of speakers available through the F...

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37:46

Episode 290: Latino Orlando

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/01/27

Immigration and Customs Enforcement goons are murdering American citizens in Minneapolis, running concentration camps around the country - including Florida - and increasing their terror campaign in and around Orlando. The mission of ICE is to abuse Brown people, strike fear into their communities, and retrench white supremacy. Anthropologist and Puerto Rican/Hattian American Simone Delerme spent time studying the Latino community around Orlando, it's remarkable growth over the past 40 ...

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40:09

Episode 289: "Hit Man"

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/01/20

Craig has identified what he believes to be the single worst piece of proposed legislation for the upcoming session of the Florida State Legislature. Chadd's vote goes to the "Blue Ribbon Project" scheme. Abbott Kahler is an author and investigative reporter. Her September of 2025 "Vanity Fair" article revealed the true identity - the Florida identity - behind an author who had stayed anonymous for more than 40 years. The anonymous author penned a how-to manual for contract murder that ended ...

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45:57

Episode 288: Gideon v. Wainwright

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/01/13

The people of Palm Beach County are fighting a proposed data center. Learn more about data centers by subscribing to our weekly "Florida Conservation Newsletter." Clarence Earl Gideon was tried and found guilty of burglary in 1961 in a circuit court near Panama City. He was poor, and despite asking for legal counsel, was denied that request. At the time, Florida was one of 13 states that did not guarantee legal counsel for all defendants in state court proceedings regardless of their ability ...

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37:27

Episode 287: Manta Rays

Welcome to Florida ·

2026/01/06

Craig wraps up 2025 with his weirdest Florida headlines of the year. Our patrons at Patreon have exclusive access to an interview Craig did with the co-curator of "It's Florida, Man," on HBO. Our guest this episode is Jessica Pate from the Florida Manta Project who tells us all about one of our most remarkable endangered marine species: manta rays.

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44:08

Episode 286: James Weldon Johnson

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/12/23

In the upcoming legislative session, Florida politicians will be considering a bill which would give the biggest Florida land developers and land developments the least oversight and opportunity for public input. Jason Garcia's fantastic "Seeking Rents" podcast episode about the scheme. This week's episode focuses on who Craig considers to be the ultimate Florida man: James Weldon Johnson. Johnson wrote the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black National Anthem. Joining us to discus...

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38:50

Episode 285: Rice's Whales

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/12/16

Drawing down the Rodman Reservoir proves how a free-flowing Ocklawaha River would benefit Florida. Free the Ocklawaha! Amazingly, a distinct species of whale lives year-round in the Gulf of Mexico that until the last decade was largely a mystery to biologists: the Rice's whale. Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist and Rice's whale expert Laura Engleby joins us to discuss this critically endangered species. Pensacola Gulf Coast Whale Festival. "Welcome to Florida" p...

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43:05

Episode 283: Marijuana Smuggling in the Everglades

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/12/09

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is proud to acknowledge that it didn't follow science when recommending a black bear hunt. Our guest this episode is documentary filmmaker Rob Hoovis. In November of 2025, he premiered "Outlaws of the Everglades," a film detailing the marijuana smuggling pipeline from Central America and the Caribbean that flowed through the 10,000 Islands area of rural southwestern Florida during the 1970s and 80s. Our "Florida Black History" YouTube chan...

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39:36

Episode 283: Florida in the 1930s

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/12/02

With the gubernatorial election less than a year away, now is the time to ask the crowded field of candidates about their positions on conservation and the environment. Three episodes ago, we discussed the impact America's lead-up to World War II had on Florida, bringing hundreds of thousands of servicemen and dozens of military installations to the state. That was the 1930s. In this episode with Florida author and historian Gary Mormino, we discussed what else was going on across the state d...

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35:48

Episode 282: Smalltooth Sawfish

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/11/25

Residents in Crystal River are worried about a sand mine disrupting their drinking water and springs. The smalltooth sawfish is one of the most unusual looking animals in the animal kingdom. Tonya Wiley has been studying the species for more than 25 years, most recently with her Havenworth Coastal Conservation organization. Tonya joins us to discuss this endangered species, how it has hung on in Florida while being wiped out elsewhere, and the latest threat to its survival. If you see a sawfi...

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46:33

Episode 281: Florida's Trilingual Newspaper

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/11/18

Folks in the Panhandle are upset about a scheme to swap 200 acres of National Forest land to build a county recreation area. Our guest this episode is Patrick Manteiga, second generation owner, publisher, and columnist at the Tampa-based La Gaceta newspaper. La Gaceta is the state's - and the nation's - only trilingual newspaper. Filling in for Chadd Scott his episode is Florida author, podcaster, and newspaper publisher Cathy Salustri. Nature DisturbedMother Nature is one weird ladyListen on...

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52:37

Episode 280: Florida During World War II

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/11/11

The local Audubon Society chapter and residents in Sarasota took on the country's largest homebuilder - and WON! Florida was an essential training and support location for military operations during World War II. Anthony D. Atwood is a military historian who authored "State of War: A History of World War II in Florida." He joins us to discuss how Florida shaped the War and how the War shaped Florida. For only $5 per month, you can support "Welcome to Florida" by becoming a monthly patron. Pat...

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50:25

Episode 279: Bone Valley (Injustice and Redemption)

Welcome to Florida ·

2025/11/04

Former unelected shadow president and super-villain Elon Musk wants to close public beaches and pollute an estuary near Cape Kennedy on the Space Coast so he can play astronaut. Pulitzer Prize winning author Gilbert King is back on the show to talk about his latest book, and podcast, both focused on an outrageous miscarriage of justice in Lakeland: "Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida." Nature DisturbedMother Nature is one weird ladyListen on: Apple P...

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304 results

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