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Restricting ‘period talk’ in schools; new trend in foreclosures; what to know about Candida auris

Legislation that would prevent teachers from talking about sex education topics in elementary school is moving through the Florida House. The bill is sponsored by Republican state Rep. Stan McClain, a Republican from Ocala, and would mandate that only children from grades 6 through 12 can learn about certain subjects related to human sexuality such as reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases and menstruation.

This is the latest in a string of proposed measures that would restrict what teachers can talk about in the classroom. Many critics have already sounded the alarm and said conversations around menstruation, a normal bodily process, should not be outlawed in elementary schools.

Guest: Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network at the NYU School of Law and author of “Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity.” 

New trend in foreclosures

A number of cities across Florida have begun to aggressively foreclose on homes for code enforcement violations. That’s according to the new investigation from The Miami Herald, "The Foreclosure Franchise." It examines how one attorney who used to help homeowners facing foreclosure is now working with cities to foreclose on properties with violations ranging from unmowed lawns to unsafe structures.

Guest: Ben Wieder, data and investigative reporter in McClatchy’s Washington bureau. 

What to know about Candida auris

A dangerous fungal infection has been spreading in the U.S., and Florida is among the top states with the highest number of cases, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fungus, Candida auris, or C. auris, is a form of yeast that is usually not harmful to healthy people but can pose a fatal risk to people with weakened immune systems.

Guest: Dr. Aileen Marty, expert in infectious disease at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. 

Bridget O’Brien is an award-winning, versatile audio producer with more than eight years of experience in radio, audience engagement and storytelling across a diverse range of outlets. You can reach Bridget at bobrien@wjct.org.