Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Lionfish are an invasive species in Florida. They arrived in our waters as early as the 1980s and efforts to control the population are ongoing. Lionfish eat just about every creature they see in the sea, and can devastate ecosystems. Destin is holding a Lionfish Festival this weekend (17-18) to encourage people to catch the weird-looking fish and make a meal out of it. We speak with Tony Hart, Lionfish Outreach Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In a move that caught most off-guard, Roman Catholic cardinals have chosen the first American-born pope. But while he was born and raised in Chicago, the new Pope Leo XIV has spent more of his life outside the U.S. than in it. We speak with St. Leo University associate professor of theology and religion, Dr. Stephen Okey, about the new pontiff.  (Photo: Getty Images and Canva)

Pasco County is trying to deal with a spike in its mosquito population by stifling reproduction. We speak with the mosquito control district's executive director, Adriane Rogers, about a pilot program to use sterile male mosquitoes to prevent females from breeding the next generation of bloodsuckers.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor presents her State of the City address Monday (28th). St. Leo University professor Gianna Russo, who has formerly served as the city's official Wordsmith, will read a poem she composed for the occasion. She'll preview the themes in this year's message.

Pope Francis died early Monday. After nine days of mourning, the process of choosing a new pontiff to lead the Roman Catholic Church will begin. We speak with Dr. Stephen Okey, head of the Doctor of Theology program at St. Leo University near Tampa, to explain what's ahead.