ABOUT THIS EPISODE
He was at his Fort Myers home when a fast-food security camera in Jacksonville Beach snapped a picture of a criminal suspect. An artificial intelligence tool used by police agencies somehow identified him as the perpetrator, and he was arrested.
Technology got it wrong, but it wasn't alone.
Afterward, Latino voters are seen as the key to winning elections in Florida, but are candidates really paying attention to their concerns?
Then, how will an important change in driver’s licenses affect you? And a well-known children’s author is helping a local candidate for office.
Rage against the machine(0:00) A Fort Myers man was hundreds of miles away from where a crime was committed, but an AI facial recognition match sent him to jail anyway. Now, he’s suing. His ACLU attorney discusses the lawsuit, which challenges a Pinellas County-operated system used by law enforcement statewide.
GUEST:
- Nathan Wessler, deputy director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project
(11:38) A new Florida law will add citizenship and immigration information to driver’s licenses and state IDs. Lawmakers say the change is about election confidence, but opponents question the necessity and impact. A local tax collector and an immigrant rights advocate discuss what residents might expect.
GUESTS:
- Thomas Kennedy, policy adviser with the Florida Immigrant Coalition
- Mike Fasano, Pasco County tax collector
(20:40) Latino voters helped reshape Florida politics in 2024, but experts say campaigns still struggle to understand the community’s diversity. We discuss the issues driving Latino voters and how their influence could shape future elections.
GUESTS:
- Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, academic executive and former U.S. representative
- Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University political science professor
Jeff Kinney
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Brandt Robinson for Congress
(35:44) The creator of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is stepping into the political arena. (Wait, isn’t this a form of the dreaded “cheese touch”?) Seriously, Jeff Kinney has teamed up with a Pinellas County history teacher running for Congress for an event focused on civic engagement. The goal: get younger voters involved in democracy before it feels like middle school math.
GUESTS:
- Brandt Robinson, educator and congressional candidate
- Jeff Kinney, children’s book author
