Deeper Dive with Dara Kam

Four years ago, Deeper Dive with Dara Kam started as a way to slow down the news cycle just enough for frank conversations about what's happening inside the Florida Capitol and around the Sunshine State. This week's episode does that one more time — and then some. For the final Deeper Dive from the News Service, I sat with a group of reporters for a roundtable recorded right in the Rotunda — the place where so many of our stories began, evolved, and sometimes exploded. We talk shop, swap observations, and reflect on what it's been like to cover Florida politics during one of the most eventful stretches in recent memory. While this is my last episode here, I'm not putting down the mic, so please stay tuned. Many, many thanks to the guests who've shared their insights and the listeners who've joined me on this journey. Much, much gratitude for the team at The News Service of Florida for their unwavering support and for helping this podcast thrive. And of course, special thanks to this week's guests: Capitol Reporter Forrest Saunders, EW Scripps; Capitol Reporter Jason Delgado, Spectrum News; Photojournalist Phil Willette, Bay News 9 Tampa; and State Government Reporter Douglas Soule, WUSF's Your Florida team.

With the 2026 legislative session underway, Dara joined Senate President Ben Albritton in the Capitol for a peek into what lawmakers might deliver over the next 60 days. President Albritton gave Dara an update on plans to slash property taxes, close financial gaps in the state's universal voucher system and address Floridians' affordability concerns. Tune in to hear the latest on the relationships between the state's three most powerful politicos — President Albritton, House Speaker Daniel Perez and Gov. Ron DeSantis — as the men head into the final stretch of their leadership posts. As always, Deeper Dive stirs in a little fun, this time involving a pressure cooker (the kind you cook with, not the political variety). Plus, hidden gems, your weekly haiku, and more!

Happy New Year, Divas! Capitol reporters Forrest Saunders (EW Scripps) and Jason Delgado (Spectrum News) are back with Dara in the Speakeasy to prep you for the 2026 legislative session. Dara and the guys spill the tea on pre-session chaos and power plays already in motion, and dive into a looming showdown over property taxes. Will the friction between Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez dissipate over the next 60 days and beyond? The sharpest reporters in Tally also dig into the governor's call for a special session on redistricting in April. Forrest dishes up some "talker" bills and Dara goes free-range chickening in Midtown. For Divas headed to the Capital City, the trio deliver the deets on where to dine, where to imbibe and where to slow down!

Divas! Has a looooong wait for a prior authorization ever held you up on your health care journey? We feel your pain! In this week's Deeper Dive, Florida Hospital Association President and CEO Mary Mayhew joins Dara in the Speakeasy to dig into the most pressing challenges patients and providers are facing in the state's evolving health care system. Mary breaks it all down for Dara and the divas in a wide-ranging conversation you won't want to miss. The duo delve into the complexities of Florida's aging population, timely access to care, the financial impact of uninsured patients, and the critical role of the Affordable Care Act marketplace for consumers and providers. Mary also highlights the role of advancing technology — from AI to telemedicine — in increasing efficiency and easing workload pressures caused by staffing shortages. We got all that covered, plus, ChatGPT, Maine and more!

In this week's timely episode of Deeper Dive, we're cutting through the noise to examine the rapid rise of AI data centers. Three experts — Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of Loudon County Economic Development; Dr. David Gattie, Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Georgia; and Kevin Doyle, Florida Executive Director, Consumer Energy Alliance — join Dara in the Speakeasy this week to discuss the hottest topic in the nation. Divas, don't fear! This stellar panel breaks it all down for Dara and others new to the AI space (lots of giggling involved). The guys speak candidly about the benefits AI data centers offer and the challenges the facilities pose for local communities, such as significant load growth on the electric grid and potential cost increases for residents. Water consumption, noise abatement, and land use? We've got it covered. Listener note: We recorded this episode days before President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to block states from banning AI data centers. Plus, "Pit Bulls & Parolees," an AI-generated haiku, and more!

Capitol reporters Forrest Saunders (EW Scripps) and Jason Delgado (Spectrum News) are back with Dara in the Speakeasy to break down the biggest headlines from Tallahassee. This week, the trio focus on Florida legislators' ongoing attempts to tackle skyrocketing property taxes for homeowners, the early maneuvering and political dynamics shaping the upcoming Florida governor's race, and the latest on the controversial process of congressional redistricting. Plus, fish sticks, crab claws and sharks!

In the electrifying weeks of the 2000 presidential election recount, one voice cut through the chaos: Craig Waters, the Florida Supreme Court's public information officer. The final half of our two-part episode commemorating the 25th anniversary of the recount goes behind the scenes of one of the most intense legal and political dramas in U.S. history. Craig shares insights into the unprecedented challenges faced by the court, including the intense global scrutiny and the critical efforts to maintain order and security around the court's operations. Join us as we uncover how Waters managed the world's media spotlight and the strategic measures taken to protect the judicial process during what could have been a constitutional crisis. Plus, Dara shares Thanksgiving tales from the front!

It's been 25 years since hanging chads, butterfly ballots and dozens of lawsuits thrust Florida into the international spotlight, with the presidency of the country hanging in the balance. In the first of a two-part series, Dara sits down with two key players who were at the epicenter of Florida's Bush v. Gore battle: Craig Waters, who was the Florida Supreme Court's public information officer, and Barry Richard, the lawyer who represented George W. Bush's campaign and managed 47 lawsuits around the state. Craig reveals how he balanced the media's 'need to know' with the deliberative court process under the spotlight. Barry takes us behind the scenes of the Bush campaign's legal war room, sharing insights into the most pivotal arguments that turned the tide. Dara provides her perspective as one of the hundreds of journalists covering the story of a lifetime. The trio also weigh in on the lasting historical impact of Bush v. Gore, misconceptions about legal decisions and the subsequent fundamental changes in election litigation. Join us for Part One of this unforgettable look back at a moment that redefined American political and legal history. Did a reporter really get run over by another reporter? Tune in and find out!

Olivia Keller, a fierce champion for people with disabilities, joins Dara this week for an in-depth discussion about her journey to the state Capitol and beyond! Olivia, a public policy manager for a national nonprofit, gives Dara the down-low on the Americans with Disabilities Act and discusses some of her biggest advocacy accomplishments, as well as challenges. Parking near the entrance to a building isn't a luxury for Olivia, who explains why being able to get her van into a parking spot for disabled people is an absolute necessity. The duo dig into a federal challenge to a state law allowing pregnant women to obtain disabled-parking permits and why the statute is problematic. AND: Olivia shares how she once took on Sen. Joe Gruters at the polls - and why! Plus, pumpkin spice, Crocs and dining in Tallahassee. 

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis joins Dara on Deeper Dive this week (from his mamma's living room) in the duo's first visit since his election to Congress this spring. Jimmy gives the Divas an update on the government shutdown and the partisan stalemate in D.C. over health care. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? The congressman also offers some suggestions about the hottest topic in Tally: property taxes. The former Florida chief financial officer also weighs in on his successor's DOGE efforts, what's on voters' minds going into the 2026 mid-term elections, and much, much more. Plus, potato salad and deep-fried turkey! Also, all of us at Deeper Dive are wishing a happy, happy birthday to Mamma Patronis, who's turning 90 this week!