Podcast
Welcome to Florida
Hosted by Chadd Scott · EN
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.
35episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 309: Devil Crab
1w ago00:40:00Tap to summarizeThe state is about to miss a critical deadline by which it was supposed to have cleaned up water flowing out of the Big Sugar plantations into the Everglades.Join Craig, Chadd and Jason Garcia from the "Seeking Rents" podcast for their next live, in-person event June 12th at Happy Medium Books Cafe in the Riverside neighborhood of Jacksonville. The event is free and begins at 6:30. RSVP if you can.Our guest for this episode is photographer and food writer Chip Weiner. Chip went across Tampa looking for the best devil crab. What is devil crab? We're glad you asked. Chip had so much response to his initial ranking of the 12 best devil crab restaurants in Tampa, he went back for Round 2.
Transcribe →Episode 308: Gatorade
2w ago00:41:51Tap to summarizeSeafood dealers, commercial fisherman, and conservationists came together to stop the governor's reckless plan to extend the recreational red snapper fishing season.Independent local journalism is a pillar of democracy. American democracy has evaporated in conjunction with a rapid decline of local media sources in the past 25 years. One of those local media sources in Florida, The Gabber newspaper in south Pinellas County, needs your help to continue its 60-year tradition of local news.Join Craig Pittman, Chadd Charland, and Jason Garcia from the "Seeking Rents" podcast and Substack newsletter for our next in-person event Friday, June 12th, from 6:30-7:30 PM at Happy Medium Books and Cafe in Jacksonville/Riverside.Our guest for this episode is CD Davidson-Hiers who recently wrote a story chronicling the history of Gatorade for Flamingo magazine.
Transcribe →Episode 307: The Chitlin' Circuit
3w ago00:44:42Tap to summarizeFlorida didn't always used to be this way. Unregulated development. Runaway sprawl. Developers controlling the state. What happened?Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (all of Nassau and parts of Duval counties)."Welcome to Florida's" next live event comes Friday, June 12th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at Happy Medium Bookstore Cafe in Jacksonville! It's a free event. Come out and say "hello."Joining us today are Bob Kealing and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz to discuss the Chitlin' Circuit in Florida. The Chitlin' Circuit was a network of Black live music establishments during the mid-20th century around which all the greats played. Bob and Billy have produced a documentary about the Circuit in Florida.If you'd like to book a screening of the documentary in your community, contact Bob Kealing at: callingmehomebook@gmail.com.If this subject interests you, check out our Florida Black History YouTube channel for our previous episodes related to Black History in Florida.
Transcribe →Episode 306: Mobile Homes
4w ago00:38:22Tap to summarizeWhat should be done with the site when the Everglades concentration camp closes?Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval counties).Diego Waisman spent years visiting and photographing South Florida's mobile home parks. He produced a book from the experience titled "Sunset Colonies: A Visual Elegy to South Florida's Mobile Home Communities." He shares with us what he found.
Transcribe →Episode 305: 'Welcome to Florida' x 'Seeking Rents'
May 1200:38:34Tap to summarizeJason Garcia hosts the "Seeking Rents" podcast and writes the "Seeking Rents" Substack newsletter. Both investigate government corruption in Florida. Both are essential for Floridians interested in state government and politics.This episode was recorded at Tombolo Books in St. Pete in advance of our first co-hosted live event.
Transcribe →Episode 304: The Black Seminole Chief and America's Forgotten War
May 500:52:40Tap to summarizeMartin County wants to prevent a slaughterhouse from being built there. The state says it doesn't have a say in the matter. Another example of state overreach crushing home rule.Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval County) on a platform of equity, the environment, and public education.See "Welcome to Florida" and Jason Garcia from the "Seeking Rents" Substack and podcast in person!Jamie Holmes is an author and historian. His latest book provides fresh insights into the Seminole War: "The Free and the Dead: The Untold Story of the Black Seminole Chief, an Indigenous Rebel, and America's Forgotten War."
Transcribe →Episode 303: Guy Bradley (The Everglades' First Game Warden)
Apr 2800:34:19Tap to summarizeJoin "Welcome to Florida" along with Jason Garcia from "Seeking Rents" for our first in-person event. May 7 we'll be at Tombolo Books in St. Pete and May 9, we'll be at Austin's Coffee in Winter Park. Full details and RSVP here!Chadd Charland is running for Florida State House in District 15 (Nassau and parts of Duval counties). Follow his campaign.The Suwanee River has been named one of America's "10 Most Endangered Rivers."Freelance writer Mike Kane joins us on this episode to discuss his summer trip to the Everglades and the first martyr of American conservation, Guy Bradley."Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly "Florida Conservation Newsletter" for only $5 per month.
Transcribe →Episode 302: The world's deadliest tree
Apr 2100:38:56Tap to summarizeJoin Craig, Chadd, and Jason Garcia from "Seeking Rents" Thursday, May 7, from 7:00-8:30 PM at Tombolo Books in St. Pete and on Saturday, May 9, from 3:00-5:00 PM at Austin's Coffee in Winter Park for our FIRST EVER LIVE PODCAST meet-and-greets!Chadd Charland is running for State House in District 15. Learn more.Our guests this episode are archaeologists and anthropologists Uzi Baram and Kat Napora. Uzi has joined the show previously to talk about the Angola community. Today we're talking about the manchineel tree, the deadliest tree in the world.
Transcribe →Episode 301: Burrowing Owls
Apr 1400:38:45Tap to summarizeBIG NEWS! "Welcome to Florida" is hosting our first ever in-person events along with Jason Garcia from "Seeking Rents!"Thursday, May 7, from 7:00-8:30 PM at Tombolo Books in St. Pete.Saturday, May 9, from 3:00-5:00 PM at Austin's Coffee in Winter Park.PLEASE come out and say "hi" if you're in the area.MORE BIG NEWS!Chadd Scott is running for State House in District 15. Chadd Scott is a name he's used on radio for 30-plus years; he'll be running under his legal name: Chadd Charland.This episode begins with good news out of the state legislature, then we head down to southeast Florida to learn about the tiny burrowing owl with Kelly Heffernan and Dr. Brian Mealey from Project Perch.
Transcribe →Episode 300: Miami Circle
Apr 700:43:40Tap to summarizeNot satisfied with simply being a dictator, Donald Trump allowed for the convening of the Endangered Species Committee "God Squad" at the behest of Secretary of War Crimes Pete Hegseth. Hegseth has declared a phony-baloney "national security emergency" that he says should preempt off-shore oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from Endangered Species Act regulations. The regime's "God Squad," a cabal of villains with oil and gas backgrounds, not surprisingly, agreed.Make plans to join us in person in St. Petersburg May 7 and Orlando May 9. More details to follow.This episode centers on Florida's greatest archaeological discovery, Miami Circle. The ancient Tequesta Indian site was discovered and researched by Bob Carr who joins us. Learn more about Bob Carr and purchase his novel here.
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