News & Public Affairs
Fight among Washington, Florida Democrats continues listen
09/14/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
The St. Petersburg Times reported on its website today that Jacksonville area Congresswoman Corrine Brown has written an angry letter to Democratic National Committee member Donna Brazile. Brown expressed her disdain at the DNC decision to penalize Florida for moving up the presidential primary by taking away all the state's delegates.
In her letter, Brown refers to the disputed 2000 presidential election, and writes: “Especially in minority communities not only in Florida but across the...
Be the first to commentFred Thompson campaigns in Tampa Bay this weekend listen
09/14/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Fred Thompson, the newest entrant into the race for the Republican nomination for president, is campaigning in the Tampa Bay tonight and tomorrow.
Is the 65 year old actor ready for prime time?
In a taped interview to be broadcast on Bay News Sunday, Thompson shared his thoughts about the late Terri Schiavo, the comatose Pinellas Park woman and the controversy on whether to insert a feeding tube to keep her alive.
Thompson said local matters should usually be left to local authoriti...
Be the first to commentBook: "The Truth About Patriotism"
09/13/07 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Thursday) Listen to this entire show:
Our guest for this hour was Steve Johnston who teaches political theory at USF in the Government Department. He's written a new book called The Truth About Patriotism.
The book challenges the notion that patriotism — whether advocated by left or right — is a positive value for a country's citizen's to honor or celebrate.
From the book's publisher:
"The Truth about Patriotism is a bracing repudiation of the claim that patriotism is essential— or beneficial — to democracy.
Cont...
Be the first to commentBuilding permits OK'd for Cypress Creek
09/13/07 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Cypress Creek Town Center is a controversial development in wetlands near the headwaters of the Hillsborough River.
This afternoon in New Port Richey, the developers asked the Pasco County Development Review Committee (DRC) to issue a building permit for a 100-acre parcel. It was an unusual request because normally it is forbidden to issue building permits prior to final plat approval. A plat is a type of blueprint for the construction site.
Despite public testimony by two citizens aski...
Be the first to commentTampa Democrats split on bid for more gambling
09/13/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Federal officials say that the state of Florida and the Seminole Indians are close to a deal that would allow the tribe's casinos to offer Las Vegas-style slot machines with the potential to generate more than $100 million a year for the state.
Such an opportunity has been possible in the state for 17 years, but no previous Florida governor, especially Jeb Bush, ever showed any desire to make a deal with the Indians.
But Charlie Crist is unlike other governors.
Facing a billion dolla...
Be the first to commentLiberal economist says recession is on the way listen
09/13/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
The Wall Street Journal reported today that economic forecasters are boosting the odds of a recession over the next year as the housing slump deepens and the credit crisis continues.
After a Labor Department report showed the economy lost 4000 jobs in August, liberal economist Dean Baker wrote in an essay for the Common Dreams website that the downturn in jobs provides evidence of an economic downturn that even the economy’s greatest cheerleaders could not ignore.
And Baker, who work...
Be the first to commentPulitzer Prize winner analyzes Bush presidency
09/13/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Earlier this year, Boston Globe national legal affairs reporter Charlie Savage was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Savage won for his reports on President Bush’s signing statements and other White House efforts to expand executive power.
His new book is called Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy.
In the first of a two-part interview, WMNF spoke with Charlie Savage today. We asked him to describe the fight back in...
Be the first to commentThe power of the liberal blogosphere
09/13/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: David Petraeus
While discussing President Bush’s speech on Iraq tonight, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today criticized the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org for its ad bashing Gen. David Petraeus earlier this week.
That controversial ad, published Monday in the New York Times rhymed Petraeus with Betray-Us and inflamed Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Instead of talking about whether they support President Bush’s strategy in Iraq, or Petraeus, Republicans have been blasting the li...
Be the first to commentA wide-ranging interview with CFO Alex Sink
09/12/07 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday) Listen to this entire show:
On the first half of today’s program we’ll hear from Alex Sink, the only woman member of the Florida cabinet. And the only Democrat.
Sink is the state's chief financial officer. The chief financial officer is the most powerful person in the state, next to the governor. She controls the state's bankbook and performs some insurance regulation. It’s a combination of two former positions: state comptroller and treasurer.
Sink is a former president of the Florida branch of Bank of America. ...
Be the first to commentWildlife board delays vote on status of manatees listen
09/12/07 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
The board of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted this morning to heed Gov. Charlie Crist suggestion to delay making a decision on changing the manatee's classification from endangered species to threatened species.
Crist said in his Sept. 10 letter to FWC Chairman Rodney Barretto that there are two new commissioners, there were a record 417 manatee deaths last year, and there needs to be a more accurate way to count the manatee population.
The FWC is meetin...
Be the first to commentNew group challenges Hometown Democracy listen
09/12/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
A movement to require voter approval of land-use changes has drawn some organized opposition.
The Hometown Democracy group needs to get 609,000 signatures turned into the Florida’s Secretary of State’s office by the end of this year to get the amendment proposal on the ballot next year.
Currently, organizers say they have close to 500,000 signatures, with 330,000 of those officially counted by the Secretary of State’s office.
But a new group called Save Our Constitution has been sen...
Be the first to commentPact between Florida and Seminole Indians may be near listen
09/12/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Indians are close to a deal allowing the tribe's casinos to offer Las Vegas-style slot machines - possibly even card games - with the potential to generate more than $100-million a year for the state.
A federal official told the Associated Press last night that an agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe to allow expanded gambling on tribe-owned land could happen before the end of the month.
The tribe has proposed givi...
Be the first to commentMike Gravel's stance on immigration
09/12/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
We have been playing excerpts of an interview WMNF conducted with Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel this week.
Gravel was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Alaska in 1968. He won re-election in 1974, but was defeated in 1980.
Today we hear his thoughts on immigration.
Gravel was in Florida last weekend to participate in the nation’s first Spanish-language debate. All but one of the Democratic candidates appeared at the forum in Miami on Sunday night.
Spanish la...
Be the first to commentSecurity expert: Homeland defense is all wrong listen
09/12/07 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Yesterday, during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war in Iraq, Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner asked one of the most important questions in the two days of hearings: How safe is the country has been a question asked since the 9/11 attacks.
One retired Air Force colonel involved with homeland security says the problem in terms of our safety, is that we’re not asking the right questions.
Randall Larsen is director at the Institute for Homeland Securit...
Be the first to commentFlorida Hometown Democracy amendment debated listen
09/11/07 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
The Tampa Bay Business Journal held a debate on The Florida Hometown Democracy amendment this morning at the Pepin Hospitality Center in East Tampa.
Three supporters and three opponents of this amendment debated their positions before about 150 citizens who paid $49 for breakfast and the debate.
The Florida Hometown Democracy amendment, if approved, would require a vote by citizens before any local government may adopt or amend a comprehensive land-use plan. Business owner and aspirin...
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