News & Public Affairs
ELECTION PROCESS STILL FLAWED SAY EXPERTS by Roxanne Escobales
10/18/06Twenty days before the November 7th general election, a group of experts warned that voting policies have not improved enough since the 2000 election fiasco. Elections experts involved with the government’s Election Assistance Commission and former secretaries of state held a press conference by phone to spread the word about their concerns.
ACT:
The Reverend DeForest Soaries is a former Secretary of State for New Jersey and the former chair of the Election Assistance Com... Be the first to comment
New Report on Congress demands Reform, or so says Public Citizen by Mitch E. Perry
10/18/06Last week Ohio Representative Bob Ney pleaded guilty to corruption charges arising from the influence-peddling investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He because the firs elected official to fall in the Abramoff scandal. Earlier this year California Republican Randy “Duke “ Cunningham was sentenced to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to accepting over 2 million dollars in bribes.
And according to the authors of a new study looking at Congress, our current political sys...
Be the first to commentSamm SImpson to be in WEDU Debate by Mitch E. Perry
10/18/06Today it was announced that Samm Simpson, the Democratic candidate for Congress against Pinellas County Republican Bill Young, will be included in an upcoming debate on public television in the Tampa Bay Area.
Sampson and her allies had been hounding the local PBS affiliate in Tampa, WEDU, to include her in the debates that the station will host in the coming weeks. (roll tape#1 o.q.�I’m grateful�)
WEDU will carry debates with the candidates for Chief Financial Off...
Be the first to commentPoynter Institute points way for newspapers by Mitch E. Perry
10/18/06In the past few years, much has been written about how the tenuous future of the U.S. Newspaper Industry. Yesterday, the London Financial Times took a look at 2 of America’s finest newspapers, and how they’re currently coping with a changing industry.
The story looked at the Los Angeles Times, where the staff last month rebelled against a distant corporate owner. And there is Chicago, home to that same owner, the Tribune Company, where a special committee is considering break...
Be the first to commentHillsborough County Commission votes to try to eliminate Expressway Authority by Mitch E. Perry
10/18/06As controversy continues to swirl around the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority, today the Hillsborough County Commission voted to ask the County’s local Legislative Delegation to eliminate the current expressway Authority, and create a new board with a more local focus.
The motion was crafted by the Board’s representative on the Authority, Commissioner Thomas Scott. (roll tape#1 o.q.�on that legislation�)
Also as part of his motion, Scott asked that the Chair... Be the first to comment
ANTI-IMMIGRATION RALLY PLANNED FOR FORT MYERS by Roxanne Escobales
10/17/06The backlash against undocumented immigrants picks up steam in Fort Myers this weekend with a rally planned on Sunday by the group Citizens Against Illegal Aliens. The group’s president Russell Landry says he hopes to educate Americans about the problems associated with those who live in the US without the permission from the government.
ACT:
But immigrant advocates say that undocumented immigrants are the backbone of the U-S economy. Blanca Gonzalez is the president of I... Be the first to comment
St. Pete Times Editor defends coverage of Mark Foley e-mails by Mitch E. Perry
10/16/06Today, readers of the St.Petersburg Times were greeted with some design changes, the most significant the paper has made in a decade. In a special advertising supplement inserted in Sunday’s paper, Times editors write that they changed the look to make it more interesting, better looking, more fun.
WMNF spoke today with the Times Executive Editor, Neil Brown, about some of those changes. But first, we asked him to respond to critical comments made in the current issue of the alter...
Be the first to comment10/15/06
Fall Fundraiser
Be the first to commentEVE ENSLER, INSECURE AT LAST w/ Mary Glenney, Women's Show
10/14/06Eve talked about patriarchy and the use of war as an instrument of power.
Be the first to commentINSURANCE TOWN HALL MEETING- 12 OCTOBER 2006, Stan Davis
10/13/06Lead:
Thursday night—following a daylong workshop with Florida insurance insiders –the St. Petersburg Times and Bay News 9 sponsored a town hall meeting in St Pete. 400 property owners showed-up, hoping to get some answers to a crisis that seems to have stymied all.
Stan Davis was there, and filed this story.
[roll tape]
[Actuality 1- Douglas- “There is no easy answer… no easy answer.�]
That was Bruce Douglas. He’s the Chair... Be the first to comment
EVENT HELPS EXOFFENDERS BACK INTO SOCIETY by Roxanne Escobales
10/13/06Today an event showcasing re-integration services for ex-offenders drew nearly 500 people in South St Petersburg. This year, the Florida courts sent XXX number of people to jail, xxx of them are women. Phoebe Garrett considers herself one of the lucky ones.
ACT:
Phoebe was charged with DUI manslaughter after driving home with alcohol in her system when a man stepped off a curb and into the path of her car. She was released almost two years ago from Gadsden correctional fac... Be the first to comment
INSURANCE OUTLOOK STARK by Roxanne Escobales
10/12/06The biggest issue hitting Florida this election year is the insurance crisis. In the two previous years, eight hurricanes caused 42 billion dollars’ worth of damage to Florida. Today in Largo at a meeting of the Property and Casualty Insurance Reform Committee, Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings had some stark news for those who face rampant increases in their property insurance:
ACT:
Formed by the governor in August, the committee has been collecting testimony from the pu... Be the first to comment
DCF CONTINUES TO FAIL IN DUTY OF CARE TO MENTALLY ILL INMATES by Roxanne Escobales
10/11/06This past month, the Florida Department of Children and Families, or DCF, has come under fire for not finding beds quickly enough for mentally ill prisoners. In the Pinellas County Jail, 27 inmates have been waiting more than 15 days for placement in a state psychiatric hospital. The jail’s medical director Dr Tim Bailey said that the jail environment could have devastating effects on someone suffering from mental health disorders.
ACT:
Under state mandate, the DCF has 15...
Be the first to commentBush Administration ads new sanctions against Cuba by Mitch E. Perry
10/11/06The Bush administration announced the formation of a new law enforcement task force yesterday that will aggressively pursue violations of trade and travel sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Cuba for more than four decades.
Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta said the task force will focus on prosecuting criminal violators of U.S. laws governing such things as prohibited commercial business with Cuba, currency reporting requirements, money laundering and illegal travel to the island. (roll...
Be the first to commentPINELLAS TIGHTENS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA RETAIL LAWS by Roxanne Escobales
10/10/06Today the Pinellas County Commission unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance to make it more difficult to sell products that could be used to take illegal drugs. Owners of local smoke shops that sell pipes, hookahs and rolling papers say their merchandise is legal and if they can’t sell those items, neither should other retailers.
[jillian describing shop then under fade out]
At Purple Haze Tobacco and Accessories on 34th Street South in St Petersburg employees are trained... Be the first to comment
