Florida In Depth with the Tampa Bay Times and USF

Politics reporter Kirby Wilson and health reporter Sam Ogozalek talk about how kratom, a psychoactive powder that’s been linked to hundreds of overdose deaths in Florida, is regulated.

Data editor Langston Taylor and investigative reporter Hannah Critchfield talk about the mysterious supply chain fueling the rise of kratom, a dusty green psychoactive powder that’s been linked to hundreds of overdose deaths in Florida over the past decade.

Food and dining critic Helen Freund and health reporter Sam Ogozalek talk about the danger lurking in kratom, a dusty green psychoactive powder that’s made its way from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree to gas stations, smoke shops and Kava bars across Florida and the U.S.

Tampa City Hall Reporter Olivia George talks about what she discovered when she dug into claims by Tampa’s mayor about what the city was doing about affordable housing.

Health and medicine reporter Chris O’Donnell discusses what’s next for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital after a jury awarded a massive $210 million in damages to Maya Kowalski in the case made famous by the Take Care of Maya Netflix documentary.

Extreme tropical weather, treacherous conditions and deadly wildlife make the Darién Gap one of the most dangerous places in the world. Times immigration reporter Juan Carlos Chavez talks about three Tampa Bay residents who survived their journey across the mud-slicked mountainous jungle connecting Colombia and Panama on their way to reach the U.S. border.

Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek explains what’s behind the growing popularity of vouchers and the flow of tax money from public schools to private schools and homeschooling.

Health and medicine reporter Chris O’Donnell explains why there’s a growing danger of flesh-eating bacteria. Over the past couple of decades, warmer coastal waters have spread the bacteria farther north and infections have continued in the Gulf of Mexico, including one Florida woman who lost her leg.