Shows / Wait Five Minutes
Wait Five Minutes
Wait Five Minutes: The Floridian Podcast is about the curious stories and cultural changes sweeping through the Sunshine State. Join us every Monday for an informative and charming look into an issue on America’s infamous peninsula.
Episodes
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida Film Fest 2025 Extravaganza!
I spent the whole ten days at the Florida Film Festival this year and interviewed a dozen filmmakers on their movies, their messages, and the task of making…
- Wait Five Minutes
April Newsletter: DeSantis Scandal, Black Bears, and Earth Day
We've donated to Everytown. If you can spare it, we recommend you do the same here. This week, we go over a few headlines out of the Florida State Capitol…
- Wait Five Minutes
Sally Ride Returns to Florida
In 1984, Sally Ride kept a promise onboard the Space Shuttle. We'll be back on Friday with the April Newsletter, on the 28th with our Film Festival…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Coney Island of Atlanta
Around the turn of the century, Ponce de Leon Springs in Atlanta, Georgia was a true modern theme park. As it changed over the course of decades, the park…
- Wait Five Minutes
Lost Cities of the Florida Keys
Along the stretch of islands between the Everglades and Key West, a number of islands have survived centuries of change. But in the early 20th century, the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Art of a Florida Cocktail
Munyon's Paw-Paw is a liqueur with an elaborate history. You can find it as the key ingredient to a handful of cocktails at Orlando's newest speakeasy…
- Wait Five Minutes
March Newsletter: Bills to Watch in the Florida Legislature
This week, alongside some pop culture recommendations, we dive into the legislative bills you should keep an eye on as the session ramps up, from labor to…
- Wait Five Minutes
Life with the Florida Highwaymen
Doretha Hair Truesdell saw life with the Florida Highwaymen firsthand. Back in the 1960s, she was married to one of the founders of the Floridian art movement…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida's Painter Laureate
In Fort Pierce in the 1950s, an artistic collective would grow along the Atlantic Coast, lead by Florida artist Beanie Backus. Beanie was an inspiration to…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Chicken Man of Tampa Bay
In 1999, Wade Boggs clobbered his three-thousandth hit over the right field wall in Tropicana Field. It was a feat only two dozen men had done before, but…
- Wait Five Minutes
The People and Manatees of Blue Spring
Blue Spring State Park is layered with history: steamboats, citrus, naturalists and old travel novels. But the manatees are the heart of the park, and their…
- Wait Five Minutes
Baby Bird Season
It's baby bird season here in Florida, and the people of Audubon are taking up the task of making sure the hatchlings are returning safely to the wild. But…
- Wait Five Minutes
February Newsletter: Awards Season, DeSantis' Special Session, and Bob Ross
This month, we talk some local artists making big splashes in award shows, the Republican movement against immigration in Florida, and the history of an icon…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Battle of Bloody Mose
When an unusual war broke out between the English and Spanish in the 18th century, St. Augustine found itself at the heart of the conflict. One fortification…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Floridians Watching The Sky
During the heart of World War II, Americans from Canada to Key West took up a volunteer task to support one another: to watch for enemies from above. The…
- Wait Five Minutes
January Newsletter: Florida's New Senator, Tallahassee Snow, and the Gulf of Mexico
In the first edition of our new monthly newsletter episode, we talk about Florida's new governmental positions, both in the state and at the federal level; the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The 2024 Holiday Special
For our final episode of the year, we talk caroling and neighbors, presents for raptors, and discovering something new in the New Year. Thank you to our guests…
- Wait Five Minutes
Ranger Bob, Orlando's TV Icon
Through the 1990's in Orlando, if you turned on your television, you were bound to see a comic character with a cowboy hat - the one and only Ranger Bob. This…
- Wait Five Minutes
Captain Midnight
On the night of April 27th, 1986, viewers of HBO received a mysterious message. Watch the original Captain Midnight hijack right here. Read more about the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Threat to Our State Parks, with Max Chesnes
Earlier this year, news of potential development on Florida's state parks sent the state into a frenzy. Protests erupted all over the peninsula, and the…
- Wait Five Minutes
On The Streets of St. Augustine, with author Elizabeth Randall
Our guest this week is Elizabeth Randall, author of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure. Book in hand, we walk the streets of the…
- Wait Five Minutes
Flipper, and the Mascots of Florida
In the 1960s, the Miami Dolphins had an actual dolphin in their stadium. They aren't the only Florida team with a unique history of mascots. This week, we go…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Study of Florida Birds
In a special collection at the University of Florida, a diverse array of birds are suspended in death - a vital tool to understand our feathered neighborhoods…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida and the 2024 Election
Election Day was a big one - and revealed a lot about Florida's past, present and future. We go race by race, and sort out what to keep an eye on with 2026 on…
- Wait Five Minutes
Happy Veterans Day - See You Friday!
Today is a little Fall Break for WFM - but we will be back on Friday with a full-length episode discussing Florida and its place in the 2024 Election - and a…
- Wait Five Minutes
Nixon's Florida White House
Listen to our episode about the Florida state amendments on your ballot! Find your polling location! During the darkest days of the Watergate scandal…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Historic Graves of Orlando
For over a century, thousands have rested peacefully within the gates of Greenwood Cemetery. The founding of the cemetery was a fascinating journey - and the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Owls of Florida
Owls roam the forests and neighborhoods of Florida - day and night - and the unique qualities of our native raptors make them one of the most diverse birds in…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Father of Florida Movie Monsters
William Grefé is a master of horror and exploitation cinema in the Sunshine State. From telepathic sharks to humanoid jellyfish, his movies are epic…
- Wait Five Minutes
Your Local Haunted House
In Florida, the haunted attraction industry just continues to grow. From theme park horror nights, to local haunts in small town forests, Halloween is good…
- Wait Five Minutes
2024 Florida Ballot Amendments
Make sure you are registered to vote! The deadline is October 7th! There are SIX amendments on the Florida ballot this year and we're breaking them down, one…
- Wait Five Minutes
Who is Debbie Mucarsel-Powell?
Make sure you are registered to vote! The deadline is October 7th! This week in our latest political episode, we dive into the highlights of Debbie…
- Wait Five Minutes
Who is Rick Scott?
Make sure you are registered to vote! The deadline is October 7th! This week in our latest political episode, we dive into the highlights of Rick Scott's…
- Wait Five Minutes
Stiltsville, Florida, USA
Out in Biscayne Bay, a handful of buildings represent whats left of a unique town from the mid-20th century. Standing on tall structures buried in the sand…
- Wait Five Minutes
State of the DeSantis Administration, 2024
Make sure you are registered to vote! The deadline is October 7th! This week, we do a quick breakdown of a couple stories related to our governor, Ron…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida and the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad ran a route through Florida, bringing enslaved people from the United States to freedom. The impact of this route through Cape Florida…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Era of Space Shuttles
For thirty years, NASA's most iconic vehicle launched from Florida's shores. This week, we dive into the origin of the Space Shuttle with Central Florida…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida's Primary on August 20th
Check to see if you are registered to vote, and read your ballot right here! Read about the Republican candidates for Senator here Read about the Democrat…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Enigma of the Coral Castle
Miami is home to one of Florida's most confusing landmarks: a giant castle made entirely of limestone. If the castle itself is mysterious, its creator is even…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Gulf's Lost Fort
Learn more about your ballot at Vote.org in preparation for Florida's next primary on August 20th! All the way south of St. Pete Beach stands the last remnants…
- Wait Five Minutes
When Elvis Came to Florida
In the summer of 1961, the King of Rock and Roll filmed a movie in the small town of Inverness, Florida. To this day, the city still tells the tale of Elvis in…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Mutant Mall of Orlando
In 1956, Orlando was home to the shopping center of the future, Colonial Plaza. Over the decades, it would expand in a wholly unusual way, as malls became the…
- Wait Five Minutes
From Florida to Normandy, 1944
Training for D-Day was essential to the invasion's success. For a few pivotal teams preparing for June 6th, 1944, the shores of Florida were where they trained…
- Wait Five Minutes
PARADISE PARK, the Segregated Silver Springs
During the end of segregation, Black tourists had to find other places to enjoy on vacation, separate from the white public. Paradise Park was different, a…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Waters of Silver Springs
The history flowing from the Silver Springs dates make centuries. Whether it's in the form of a mammoth bone, or a glass bottom boat, there's loads of stories…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida and the Titanic
The richest man on board the Titanic had a town bearing his family name in the heart of Florida. His death in the frozen waters of the Atlantic changed the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Mysteries of Yeehaw Junction
Cattle roam the middle of our state, and for a hundred years, their ranchers took up rest at Yeehaw Junction. But what today appears to be just an intersection…
- Wait Five Minutes
The 2024 Florida Film Festival (Plus, We're Back June 3rd!)
NEW EPISODES JUNE 3RD! We spent a week at the Florida Film Festival back in April, and now it's time to recap the most exciting movies we saw! Plus, a preview…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida's Home of Tomorrow
At the 1933 World's Fair, Florida presented its vision of a home of the future: pink, shiny, with a view of the water. Throughout our trip to these fairs…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida's Miniature Fort in Chicago
In 1893, Florida tried and nearly failed to bring an exhibit to the World's Fair in Chicago. It was our first major foray into an international event with…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Battle of Wahoo Swamp
Follow Betty Osceola, and learn more about what's going on with the Everglades right here Learn more about the Seminole Tribe of Florida here, and the…
- Wait Five Minutes
Florida's Forgotten Nuclear Bunker
Under the tiny town of Mount Dora, Florida, there is a massive bunker, built at the height of the Cold War, designed to house a hundred people in case the…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Black Bear Bill
The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill that environmental advocates have called dangerous for the future survival of our state's black bears. This…
- Wait Five Minutes
Rep. Anna V. Eskamani Returns!
Last week, we spent the day at the Florida State Legislature, and today, we're breaking down the events with Rep. Anna V. Eskamani! We dive into the…
- Wait Five Minutes
A Day Inside the Florida Legislature
I shadowed Rep. Anna V. Eskamani for an entire day in January of this year, winding the hallways of our legislature, meeting politicians, sitting in on their…
- Wait Five Minutes
Buster's Florida Disaster
In the 1930s, St. Petersburg, Florida, became a spot for filmmakers to attempt to relaunch their career. It was a short-lived and disastrous endeavor that…
- Wait Five Minutes
Satchel Paige and the Original Miami Marlins
In 1956, Satchel Paige pitched in the biggest game in minor league baseball history. He was fifty years-old, the ageless wonder, making an appearance in…
- Wait Five Minutes
Zora's Last Dance
What White Publishers Won't Print by Zora Neale Hurston In 1957, The Fort Pierce Chronicle started publishing a newspaper aimed at the local Black community…
- Wait Five Minutes
The Real McCoy
During Prohibition, rum running had a king. Based out of Florida, with a special brand of criminal dealing, Bill McCoy became known for his truth in…
- Wait Five Minutes
Buffalo Bill Brings the West to Florida
During his farewell tour, the great showman of the West, Buffalo Bill Cody brought his show to Florida. What did the show look like, and how did it change over…