From politics to weird noises, WUSF reporters review the year in news

From back to back hurricanes to the twists and turns of the US presidential election, there’s been a lot to keep up with in 2024. Reporters in the WUSF newsroom who covered the issues that had the biggest impact on the greater Tampa Bay region join Florida Matters to share their insights. Steve Newborn covers politics and the environment, Nancy Guan focuses on immigration and education, Stephanie Colombini covers health care and Sky Lebron covers transportation among other things. Highlights include stories about polarizing constitutional amendments on recreational marijuana and abortion access, immigration issues, the high cost of groceries and housing, campus protests, and a widely criticized plan to put amenities like pickleball and golf courses in state parks. Reporters also covered some lighter stories including a quest to find the source of mysterious sounds in Tampa Bay, which some speculate was caused by fish mating.