News & Public Affairs
Hillsborough approves optical scan voting system
02/20/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Voting
Hillsborough County citizens have voted for the last time on touch screen voting machines.
Today, County Commissioners approved a $5.97-million contract to purchase voting machines from a new vendor, Premier Elections Solutions. The recommendation came today from Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson.
After years of controversy, Gov. Charlie Crist announced last year that he wanted the state’s 15 counties still using electronic voting machines to change to an optical scan style of voting w...
Be the first to commentMore reaction on Castro's resignation
02/20/08 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Tuesday)
Cuban President Fidel Castro has announced he is resigning from the government because of his health. For 50 years he has bucked the United States, charting a path toward socialism and a foreign policy frequently at odds with Washington.
Today we talked with Patrick Manteiga, editor and publisher of La Gaceta, a trilingual newspaper published in Ybor City with strong ties to the local Cuban community. Manteiga discussed the U.S. embargo, the effect on Cuban families, the presidential can...
Be the first to commentGarcia offers plan to improve Bay area
02/20/08 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay
Late last year, Creative Loafing political editor Wayne Garcia wrote an article called "FIX IT NOW: Tampa Bay's Top Civic Problems." He talked about moving here in 1988 and the promise the Bay area held out to residents and how that optimism has been erased.
He outlined a 10-point plan describing how to regain that momentum in article.
Be the first to commentSt. Lucie County balks at proposed wind farm
02/20/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Energy conservation
Since taking office over a year ago, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has become a leader in trying to reduce the state’s use of greenhouse gases.
In his new proposed budget, he is "encouraging" the state Legislature to invest $50-million in solar, wind and other renewable energies, much to the delight of environmentalists.
Now the state’s largest public utility, Florida Power & Light, has proposed building a line of nine wind turbines along an Atlantic Ocean beach in St. Lucie County. But t...
Be the first to commentShould Tampa bargain harder with TECO?
02/19/08 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday)
Tags: Energy conservation, Tampa, TECO
Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik joined us in this segment to talk about the negotiations between the city of Tampa and Tampa Electric over the new franchise agreement for the utility company. The previous 25-year agreement has expired.
This time around some environmentalists in the city want energy conservation, buried power lines and alternative enrgy generation to be required in the new agreement. Cities have reduced power (because of changes in state law by the Legi...
Be the first to commentPlan to teach evolution approved with caveat listen
02/19/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: evolution, science standards, education, intelligent design, Board of Education, Donna Callaway, Roberto Martinez, John Stemberger, Ed Homan
Florida’s Board of Education today approved new standards for teaching science in kindergarten through 12th grade. The Board voted 4-3 to approve the science standards that for the first time include the word "evolution."
Late Friday, an alternative to the proposed standards was suggested that added the term “Scientific Theory of” throughout the standards before the word “evolution” and “Scientific Theory of” or “Law of” before other scientific concepts. This was to appease some members of...
Be the first to commentCastro resigns, reaction in Florida muted listen
02/19/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
After nearly 50 years in office, 81-year-old Cuban leader Fidel Castro announced today that he is stepping down because his health will not allow him to accept another term as president of the ruling Council of State.
The move comes five days before the National Assembly is to meet elect new office holders.
Castro has effectively been out of power the last 19 months, after an acute infection in his colon forced him to undergo emergency surgery. His 76-year-old brother Raul has been in ...
Be the first to commentOn health: Gastrointestinal problems
02/18/08 Robert Lorei and Carol RobertsRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Friday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Health care
Dr. David Dahlman is a chiropractor in Cincinnatti. He has written a new book called Why My Doctor Doesn't Know This. In it, he says changes in diet, lifetyle and nutrition can eliminate IBS, Crohn's Disease, any form of colitis or any other uncomfortable symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal system such as gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, reflux, diarrhea, constipation, bowel urgency or frequency, ulcers, blood or mucous.
For more information, visit his [website](http://w...
Be the first to commentEnvironmentalists protest FPL power plant listen
02/18/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: environmental contamination, Florida Power & Light, Palm Beach
This morning in Palm Beach County, sheriff’s deputies arrested approximately 25 protestors who blocked the entrance to a Palm Beach County power plant.
Florida Power & Light has started construction on two 1,250-megawatt units that are scheduled to open in 2009 and 2010 at the West County Energy Center. The company is seeking regulatory approval to build a third 1,250-megawatt unit, which would open in 2011.
The Palm Beach Post reports that many demonstrators laid on the ground with t...
Be the first to comment9/11 Commission Report - Part II listen
02/18/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 9/11 Commission
When the 9/11 Commission Report was published in 2004, it received raves and was nominated for a National Book Award.
New York Times reporter Philip Shenon has written a behind-the-scenes look at the many controversies that were ongoing inside the Commission, some of which is publicly known, much of it not.
It’s all in his new book, The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Commission.
In the second part of our interview, WMNF asked Shenon about former Florida Democratic...
Be the first to commentBoard of Education votes Tuesday on evolution question listen
02/18/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: evolution, science standards, education, intelligent design, Board of Education, Marco Rubio
Tomorrow the Florida Board of Education will vote on new Science Standards for kindergarten through 12th grade. Many scientists and educators say that the new standards are a vast improvement over the current criteria, but a vocal group of parents and activists are fighting the new standards because they include evolution.
On Friday an alternative version of the proposed standards was put forward that some consider a compromise to keep evolution in the standards. Evolution and other collec...
Be the first to commentActivists protest against private contractor listen
02/15/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Aramark, prisons, Florida, UNITE HERE
A little over a year ago, a Florida Inspector General blasted the Aramark Corp., saying the company had made millions in "windfall profits" from savings instead of passing them along to the state's prison system.
The Philadelphia-based company was contracted by the state back in 2001 to provide food service at most of its prisons in order to save the state money.
The report said that because feed rates had dropped, the company was pocketing an additional $4.9 million per year that shoul...
Be the first to commentCrist attends opening of green global office listen
02/15/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: green building, Charlie Crist, Pam Iorio
Cott, one of the largest nonalcoholic beverage companies in the world, recently chose Tampa as the site of its global office. Its 60,000-square-foot building has been renovated using many environmentally sustainable, or green, design elements.
Gov. Charlie Crist and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio were on hand for today’s official opening of Cott’s West Tampa office.
According to President and CEO Brent Willis, Cott is the fourth largest beverage company in the world, with $2-billion in revenue,...
Be the first to commentUnited Negro College Fund holds luncheon in Tampa listen
02/15/08 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: United Negro College Fund, African American, Charlie Crist, ethanol, education, Gwen Miller, 2008 election, John McCain, Barack Obama
Today the second annual Bay Area Black History Month luncheon was held at the Westin Harbor Island Hotel in Tampa. Gov. Charlie Crist spoke at this fundraiser for the United Negro College Fund.
According to its 2006 statistical report, the United Negro College Fund supports 65,000 students, including nearly 6,000 in Florida. Floridians contributed more than $3-million to the fund in 2006, and Gov. Crist applauded the amount that was donated Friday.
Crist listed several important Africa...
Be the first to commentAttorney General chided over screening of film
02/15/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: racism, Muslim-Americans
Attorney General Bill McCollum met behind closed doors earlier this week with Muslim leaders angry over his having shown a film to employees during office hours that the officials called "anti-Muslim propaganda."
The film, called Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West and it features prominent spokesmen derided by American muslims, such as Steven Emerson, Daniel Pipes and John Loftus.
One of those who attended the meeting was Ahmed Bedier, from the Tampa office of the Council...
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