Florida Governor's Race 2026 | Byron Donalds, Jerry Demings, David Jolly & the Issues That Could Flip the State

Florida Property Taxes: You WILL Get What You Don't Pay For

Florida is in special session, and the centerpiece is a proposal to dramatically increase the homestead exemption — from $50,000 to (eventually) as much as $500,000. Governor DeSantis is pushing hard, but local governments across all 67 Florida counties are warning the impact on services could be devastating. Veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida journalist/political analyst Brian Crowley examine the stakes with insight from Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo, who says his county could face drastic cuts to a $609 million budget covering roads, libraries, parks, and more. Police and fire are exempt — but other public safety services may not be. Multiply that reality across every municipality and all 67 counties statewide and the scale of this debate comes into focus. They also look at the legislative math, the DeSantis-House Speaker standoff, and what Floridians in every corner of the state will need to decide if this reaches the November ballot. Plus: Top of Mind Florida wins the Florida Weekly Flamingo Award for Best New Podcast of 2026.

Florida Governor's Race 2026 | Byron Donalds, Jerry Demings, David Jolly & the Issues That Could Flip the State

Veteran journalists Michael Williams and Brian Crowley break down Florida's 2026 governor's race — Byron Donalds' commanding lead and a Fox News comment that could haunt him, Jay Collins' DeSantis problem, Paul Renner's uphill climb, and whether Democrats Jerry Demings or David Jolly can thread the needle in a red state. Plus: the U.S. Senate race, Ashley Moody vs. Alex Vindman, the stalled state budget, the property tax debate that went nowhere, and Brian's wild-card scenario — what happens if Ron DeSantis lands a cabinet seat?`

The Next Generation of Florida Journalism | CB Hanif & Mikala Graham

Who's going to cover the cities, school boards, and water plants that Florida's shrinking newsrooms have left behind? CB Hanif spent more than two decades at the Palm Beach Post — as editorial page editor, ombudsman, and columnist — before spending the last 11 years teaching multimedia journalism at Inlet Grove Community High School in Riviera Beach. His students cover real government meetings, write for the Stet News Community Voices team, and get paid for their work. One of those students is Mikala Graham, an 11th grader who caught the journalism bug and started covering Riviera Beach city government — including a water plant issue that directly affects her neighborhood. She shows up, takes notes, asks questions, and understands why it matters that someone from the community is in the room. Veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida political analyst Brian Crowley explore what's lost when local reporting disappears, why TikTok isn't the enemy of good journalism, and what it looks like when the next generation actually gets it. 🌐 grovewatch.com [http://grovewatch.com] | stet.news [http://stet.news] 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday at 4 PM on YouTube and 5 AM on all major audio podcast platforms. 📺 WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@TopOfMindFlorida [https://www.youtube.com/@TopOfMindFlorida] 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119] ▶️ RSS Feed / All Platforms: https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/ [https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/]

Florida's Redrawn Map: DeSantis, Gerrymandering, and Your Vote

Florida's congressional map was redrawn in a matter of hours — with almost no public input — and Governor Ron DeSantis signed it into law before most voters knew the special session had even begun. The new map shifts Florida's House delegation from a 20-8 Republican advantage to a projected 24-4 split, reshaping districts across South Florida, Tampa, and Central Florida. Veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida political analyst Brian Crowley break it all down: which incumbents are most vulnerable, what happens to Jared Moskowitz, Lois Frankel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and the shattered CD 20, and whether a redrawn map can hold up when Florida voters are paying $5 a gallon for gas and can't afford housing. Courts will challenge this. The pocketbook will challenge this even harder. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 5am. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119] RSS: https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/ [https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TopOfMindFlorida [https://www.youtube.com/@TopOfMindFlorida]

Florida Voices | The Next Generation Speaks Out — FAU College Democrats and College Republicans

They drove to the studio together. One Democrat, one Republican — same campus, very different politics, and a shared belief that the system is failing young people. Nicholas Ostheimer, President of the FAU College Democrats, and Joseph Semprevivo, President of the FAU College Republicans, join veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida political analyst Brian Crowley. Both students relaunched their organizations at Florida Atlantic University. Both lead hundreds of members. And both agreed to sit down together — which, in today's climate, is remarkable enough on its own. They talk affordability, representation, immigration, foreign policy, the Iran war, and whether their generation can actually compromise where older ones have failed. They also deliver a direct message to elected officials: show up, hold town halls, and face the people who pay your salary. Refreshing. Frank. And worth your time. Top of Mind Florida is hosted by veteran broadcast journalist Michael Williams and Florida political analyst Brian Crowley. New episodes every Tuesday at 5 AM. 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/top-of-mind-florida/id1818339119] 🎙️ RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/ [https://rss.com/podcasts/top-of-mind-florida/]