News & Public Affairs
Governor Crist flip-flops on stimulus support
11/06/09 Arielle StevensonWMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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Wednesday, Governor Charlie Crist said he never endorsed the $787 billion stimulus bill, when he spoke with Wolf Blitzer on CNN.
But on February 10th, Crist appeared with President Barack Obama in Ft. Myers touting the bill. The governor, who is also running for the US Senate seat vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez, even received backlash from some conservative counterparts on the issue. And on February 13, Crist told reporters outside of St. Petersburg’s City Hall that he did support the bill. ...
Be the first to commentSecretary of Veteran Affairs Discusses Fort Hood and the New G.I. Bill at USF
11/06/09 Arielle StevensonWMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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With Veterans Day right around the corner, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Erik Shinseki spoke today at the University of South Florida about the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. But the occasion was somber, coming only one day after an Army Psychiatrist at Fort Hood in Texas, opened fire on soldiers killing at least 13 people. Secretary Shinseki served two years at Fort Hood and said the crime was simply senseless.
Shinseki traveled to USF to speak about the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which includes p...
Be the first to commentWater: A Global Crisis
11/06/09 Joshua Lee HoltonWMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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Water scarcity as a result of climate change could create global security issues. USF’s College of Public Health recently partnered with the Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Patel Center for Global Solutions for a panel discussion on water issues.
Disappearing sources of clean water have been a major concern for bay area residents. Aquatic biologist Thomas Crisman said salt water intrusion has contaminated freshwater aquifers.
According to a US geological survey, two-thir...
Be the first to commentDrilling forum in Gulfport draws large crowd
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11/06/09
Matthew Cimitile & Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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In Gulfport last night, the public piled into a town hall meeting on drilling for fossil fuels off the coast of Florida. It was billed as a meeting about one of the most important decisions impacting Florida’s future. Scientists, politicians and advocates gave arguments for and against a controversial proposal that would open up Florida’s Gulf coastline to gas and oil exploration as close as three to five miles from shore. Florida House Representative Rick Kriseman, a Democrat from St. Peters...
Be the first to commentFlorida hunters and anglers group wants strong climate change legislation
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11/06/09
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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Many factors are coming together to produce a sense of urgency to control climate change.
Yesterday the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee advanced a bill that would limit emission of the greenhouse gasses that cause global warming. Next month, the world gathers in Copenhagen, Denmark to hammer out a new climate accord to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol.
Now, even [hunters and anglers are fighting to protect wildlife from the effects of climate change](http://www.target...
Be the first to commentDrought and water restrictions continue says SWFWMD
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11/06/09
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
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Despite a moderate amount of summer rain, the west Central Florida region is still in a multi-year drought entering the winter dry season. That means water restrictions are still in place throughout the entire Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). According to SWFWMD spokesperson Robyn Felix, the restrictions are most severe in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties.
Be the first to commentTransgendered citizens now protected by Tampa's Human Rights Ordinance
11/05/09 Joshua Lee HoltonWMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
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Tampa City Council passed an ordinance today which would amend the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to add “gender identity and expression” as a protected class. The amendment will now include transgender-identified individuals as a recognized group to be considered for equal treatment under the law.
Philip Dinkins is the Chair of the City of Tampa Human Rights Board, and asked the council to vote for the amendments today.
13 states plus 17 municipalities in Florida have included gender i...
Be the first to commentDigital Billboard settlement approved.
11/05/09 Joshua Lee HoltonWMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
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The Tampa City Council passed a resolution with a 5-2 vote today approving a settlement agreement between the City of Tampa and CBS, as well as Clear Channel, regarding billboard issues. The amendment marks the end of a long legal contention between the company and the City of Tampa.
While neighborhood groups and environmentalists have opposed the presence of digital ...
Be the first to commentCrist denies endorsing stimulus package despite support in February
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11/05/09
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
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Yesterday on CNN, Florida Governor Charlie Crist said he did not endorse President Barack Obama’s stimulus package. But he is catching flack for that denial because in February, Crist said he supported it. That same month, while the President was in Ft. Myers rallying support for the bill, he was joined on stage by Governor Crist.
Crist: "Mr. President welcome to Fort Meyers Florida."
Crist did not use the words “endorse” or “support” when speaking about the American Recovery and Re...
Be the first to commentUSF Holocaust film series; and House to debate single-payer bill
11/05/09 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Thursday) Listen to this entire show:
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Welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei.
Coming up: In the next few days the single-payer health insurance bill will get a debate and vote in the House of Representatives in Washington. We’ll talk with a backer of health care for all later in today’s program.
But first, the University of South Florida in Tampa is conducting a film series on the Holocaust, covering many different facets of one of the most horrifying periods of the 20th Century. Here to talk about the film series, whic...
Be the first to commentCivil rights group wants Taser ban, calls abuse "electrocution without prosecution"
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11/05/09
Lisa Marzilli
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
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In the wake of the two most recent Taser-related deaths in Florida, a prominent civil rights group has called on Governor Charlie Crist to ‘stop the madness’. Florida is second only to California in the number of Taser deaths, and last week the Southern Christian Leadership Conference met with Crist to ask him to temporarily ban their use until a stricter, more uniform policy can be put in place.
Taser Intl. markets their high-voltage stun guns as a product that “protects life” but these...
1 commentsBill Foster Will Be St. Pete's Next Mayor
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11/04/09
Caroline Cziesla
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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To the Victor Goes the Burg. St. Petersburg that is. With more votes than his opponent, St. Petersburg’s next mayor will be, just as his campaign slogan stated, Foster in the new era.
To the very end of the race, it was hard to tell who would claim the title of St. Petersburg’s next mayor. Supporters said the success of Bill Foster’s win was the result of many hours of hard work. At his victory party, he was a celebrity. After Foster announced “we won,” his fans chanted their affecti...
Be the first to commentHills. County Commission to Adopt Transit Tax Ballot Measure
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11/04/09
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 to move forward on getting a referendum on next year’s ballot that would allow funding for a massive overhaul of the area’s public transit system. The move does not mean a mass transit referendum is imminent, but it does bring the taxpayer-funded project one step closer to the ballot. Commissioner Mark Sharpe is one of the strongest advocates of creating a penny tax that would raise billions of dollars over the next three decades for the project. ...
Be the first to commentFord concedes mayoral vote
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11/04/09
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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As Bill Foster and his supporters reveled in the news of his victory, there was a more subdued tone at opponent Kathleen Ford’s Election Night party at the Garden Club of Saint Petersburg.
The classic Bob Dylan tune “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” seemed a fitting farewell for a mayoral race so seemingly beset by contention. Not long after the polls closed, Ford ascended the stage and told her supporters that she had conceded victory to her opponent. She thanked those who worked on he...
Be the first to commentObama's first year
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11/04/09
Joshua Lee Holton
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States one year ago today. Residents in the Tampa Bay area shared their thoughts on Obama’s performance over his first year.
Last November 4, Obama beat McCain by 52 percent to 46 percent with nearly two-thirds of the Electoral College. Even with a Democratic congressional majority, Obama’s performance has met with mixed reviews. Marcy Goss from Tarpon springs expressed dissatisfaction with Obama’s performance thus far.
Tampa...
Be the first to commentKornell becomes first openly gay Council member in St Petersburg
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11/04/09
Seán Kinane and Caroline Cziesla
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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St. Petersburg voters elected all four incumbent City Council members yesterday: Leslie Curran, Jim Kennedy, Jeff Danner, and Karl Nurse.
In the only race without an incumbent, Steve Kornell beat Angela Rouson by a margin of 59 to 41 percent. Kornell celebrated his victory at Shackleton’s Folly last night.
Kornell: "I am very exited and very happy. What I said in my speech was that, although some people framed this as a race about making history. I see this as about race for the fu...
Be the first to commentThe 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
11/04/09 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday)
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Next Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It marked the end of the long Cold War and the beginning of the end of tensions that had lasted for almost 40 years.
Our guest is Friedemann Bushbeck, who grew up in Dresden, East Germany. As a 27 year old he experienced the opening of the East German borders and the fall of that country's Soviet-allied government. Bushbeck now lives and works in the US, although he still has family in Germany.
1 commentsSWFWMD plans Get Outside event in Pasco County
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11/04/09
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
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The Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as SWFWMD, has produced a new Recreation Guide to more than fifty properties it owns.
As part of the promotion of that guide, this Saturday SWFWMD is hosting a “Get Outside” gathering at one of those properties. It’s at Pasco County’s Starkey Wilderness Pres...
Be the first to commentSt. Petersburg Election Day
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11/03/09
Mark Anderson
WMNF Evening News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
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Today voters in St. Petersburg will decide on 6 races, 5 for City Council and one for mayor. Current mayor Rick Baker is term-limited, and can’t run for reelection. The mayor’s race is between two ex-City Council members.
The mayoral race is expected to be very close, with Kathleen Ford and Bill Foster running a virtual tie in the polls. Ford is running as a change candidate, while Foster is positioned more as the candidate that would continue along the lines of outgoing mayor Baker. For...
Be the first to commentCharlotte Mayor McCrory talks rail system at transit forum
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11/03/09
Concetta DeLuco
WMNF Evening News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
On Monday, Charlotte, NC Mayor Pat McCrory spoke at the 2009 Regional Transportation Forum in Brandon. He shared his city’s success with the improved transportation system he achieved during his tenure, and encouraged Tampa Bay leaders and residents to push for the same.
During McCrory’s 14 year tenure as Mayor, he championed a sales tax referendum that funded the city’s transit system. At the transit forum in Brandon, McCrory drew a positive reaction from the audience of over 300 people...
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