Congressman Mike Waltz
Russian warships arrived in Cuba yesterday in preparation for a series of naval exercise in the Caribbean region. These exercises are taking place less than 100 miles off the coast of Florida and Pentagon officials expect them to last through the summer. Dmitry Gorenburg is a Senior Research Scientist in the Russia Studies Program of CNA, a Washington based nonprofit for research and analysis. He discusses the purpose of the exercises.
Yesterday, we spoke with U.S. Representative Mike Waltz who represents Florida’s Sixth Congressional District that includes Volusia and Flagler in addition to parts of Marion and Lake counties. The Republican Congressman is a ranking member of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees, so we asked him about the Russian naval presence off the coast of Florida. He joins Engage to discuss that and other issues of interest to Central Floridians including hurricane season.
Early-Onset Cancer
Early-onset cancer is a growing phenomenon. The American Medical Association reports colorectal is among the most common. The disease is now the leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 and the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the same age group according to the American Cancer Society. Central Florida Public Media Health Reporter Joe Mario Pedersen joins Engage to parse out how local researchers are trying to identify why younger people are getting cancer at a more rapid rate.
Juneteenth and Eatonville
Juneteenth celebration week starts tomorrow in the town of Eatonville. The federal holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved Black people in Texas learned slaves were freed. Scot French is a digital public historian and associate professor at UCF specializing in the study of cultural landscapes and sites of memory associated with African American and Southern history. He’s also the author of “Social Preservation and Moral Capitalism in the Historic Black Township of Eatonville, Florida.” He joins Engage to explain how the Sunshine State was on the leading edge of acknowledging Juneteenth and how Eatonville grew from a southward migration of Black Americans that took place during Reconstruction.
