Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
First Coast Connect: 07/02/26
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-07-01/on-thursdays-show-flooded-with-pollution
The dividing lines created or reinforced by segregation and redlining sustain a toxic tide, according to a new report in The Florida Trib. Intensive flooding from recent hurricanes, and increasingly, during ordinary rainstorms, carry a range of pollutants. But in historically Black communities in Jacksonville, those floodwaters carry an additional hazard. Trib investigative journalism fellow Trinity Webster-Bass writes, “More than half of Jacksonville’s vulnerable industrial sites are situated in neighborhoods near or in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, known as the Urban Core, home to some of the oldest majority-Black parts of the city.” The story explores why the legacy of the region’s most polluted places disproportionately affect communities of color in ways that residents, health experts and scientists are just beginning to grapple with. We talk to Webster-Bass about why these threats are increasing as the planet warms and what the city is doing to address the issue.
Guest: Trinity Webster-Bass, investigative journalism fellow, Florida Trib
Hard at work
A Murray Hill hardcore club reopened last weekend after it was forced to shut down over permitting issues. A new report by Jacksonville Today reporter Noah Hertz examines how the club’s operating ethos — and even its temporary closure — fit into the historic continuum of Jacksonville's enduring punk music scene. We also preview the grand reopening of Hard Love, including which bands will take the stage to break the loud fast rules.
Guest: Noah Hertz, St. Johns County reporter, Jacksonville Today
Order up
Getting plant-based offerings on the menu is the focus of the annual Vegan Chef Challenge, which asks restaurants to either temporarily or permanently expand their meat, dairy and cruelty-free offerings. The fourth annual event will be held throughout the month of August, but organizers are currently seeking restaurants and chefs of any stripe to participate. The only requirement is adding one to three items to menus during the event. We talk to a co-organizer about making gradual progress to a diet that is healthier both for individuals and the planet.
Guest: Raquel Little, co-organizer, Jacksonville Vegan Chef Challenge
Topics and guests subject to change.
First Coast Connect: 07/02/26
news.wjct.org/show/first-coast-connect/2026-07-01/on-thursdays-show-flooded-with-pollution
The dividing lines created or reinforced by segregation and redlining sustain a toxic tide, according to a new report in The Florida Trib. Intensive flooding from recent hurricanes, and increasingly, during ordinary rainstorms, carry a range of pollutants. But in historically Black communities in Jacksonville, those floodwaters carry an additional hazard. Trib investigative journalism fellow Trinity Webster-Bass writes, “More than half of Jacksonville’s vulnerable industrial sites are situated in neighborhoods near or in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, known as the Urban Core, home to some of the oldest majority-Black parts of the city.” The story explores why the legacy of the region’s most polluted places disproportionately affect communities of color in ways that residents, health experts and scientists are just beginning to grapple with. We talk to Webster-Bass about why these threats are increasing as the planet warms and what the city is doing to address the issue.
Guest: Trinity Webster-Bass, investigative journalism fellow, Florida Trib
Hard at work
A Murray Hill hardcore club reopened last weekend after it was forced to shut down over permitting issues. A new report by Jacksonville Today reporter Noah Hertz examines how the club’s operating ethos — and even its temporary closure — fit into the historic continuum of Jacksonville's enduring punk music scene. We also preview the grand reopening of Hard Love, including which bands will take the stage to break the loud fast rules.
Guest: Noah Hertz, St. Johns County reporter, Jacksonville Today
Order up
Getting plant-based offerings on the menu is the focus of the annual Vegan Chef Challenge, which asks restaurants to either temporarily or permanently expand their meat, dairy and cruelty-free offerings. The fourth annual event will be held throughout the month of August, but organizers are currently seeking restaurants and chefs of any stripe to participate. The only requirement is adding one to three items to menus during the event. We talk to a co-organizer about making gradual progress to a diet that is healthier both for individuals and the planet.
Guest: Raquel Little, co-organizer, Jacksonville Vegan Chef Challenge
Topics and guests subject to change.
