News & Public Affairs
Is Gov Crist ending committment to Climate Summits listen
08/07/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: climate change, Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist said yesterday that he has not yet decided whether to hold another Climate Summit this year. In his first two summers as Florida’s Governor, Crist was applauded by environmentalists for holding what was supposed to be an annual “Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change.”
Two years ago, during Crist’s first Climate Summit, the Governor released three executive orders that environmentalists hoped would signal a greener future...
Be the first to commentMartinez resigns; Crist says he won't appoint himself listen
08/07/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Mel Martinez, Charlie Crist
Mel Martinez stunned the Florida political world today by announcing that he is stepping down immediately as a U.S. Senator.
Governor Charlie Crist has the power to name the successor. Speculation immediately began that he would name himself, but shortly after Martinez’s announcement, Crist said he would not appoint himself to the job.
Martinez said he was stepping down to return to his state and family.
Arizona Senator Jon Kyle, the number 2 in Senate Republican leadership, said he ...
Be the first to commentDaniel Asa Rose on Larry's Kidney listen
08/07/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Journalist Daniel A Rose’s new book Larry’s Kidney is a humorous take on a serious subject: the search for a good kidney.
Last month Rose wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, addressing the recent controversy about Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs, who recently traveled to Tennessee to get a kidney transplant. Rose writes that Jobs may or may not have jumped the line to get the kidney, but what else is new? WMNF spoke with him on Thursday.
We’ll hear from him about the story of his co...
Be the first to commentCastor drowned out at Town Hall meeting listen
08/07/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: kathy castor, health care reform
A Town Hall meeting set up by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) last night in Ybor City on health care devolved into a shouting match free for all, drowning out much of an address given by Congresswoman Kathy Castor.
Like they have in the week since the House broke for their August recess, critics of health care reform were ready to ask tough questions of their member of Congress Thursday night.
However, it was a matter of supply and demand. An estimated 500 people or so...
Be the first to commentBayWalk revitalization plan moves forward in St. Pete listen
08/06/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
This morning the St. Petersburg City Council moved a step closer to using $700,000 of federal stimulus funds to revitalize the downtown BayWalk shopping complex. Part of the plan calls for the city to give away, or vacate, a portion of sidewalk to the owners of the mall. That has outraged activists who have used that public property to protest.
An hour before the City Council meeting people be...
Be the first to commentThe Battle Over Health Insurance Reform
08/06/09 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Thursday) Listen to this entire show:
Welcome to Radioactivity on WMNF. I'm Rob Lorei. Coming up we'll discuss health care insurance reform, town hall meetings and protests. We'll hear from a former health insurance company executive who is now blowing the whistle on the industry. But first some listener comments about yesterday's program. Yesterday we discussed the diplomatic rescue mission by former President Clinton to return two American journalists from imprisonment in North Korea. Here's what some listeners had to say.
T...
1 commentsDan Balz on the 2008 Presidential Election listen
08/06/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Dan Balz has covered national politics for the Washington Post for 30 years. He’s the co-author of a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign, called The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election..
In the first of a two-part interview, WMNF’s Mitch Perry spoke with Balz today, and asked him if he believed the election between Barack Obama and John McCain changed last year when the economy hit rock bottom last September.
We’ll air the 2nd part of this intervi...
Be the first to commentSenator Brown on health care legislation listen
08/06/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
The Washington Post reported today that Senate negotiators are inching toward bipartisan agreement on a health care plan. The 3 Democrats and 3 Republicans from the Senate Finance Committee briefed President Obama about the progress of their talks today, which are expected to continue throughout the August Congressional recess.
According to the Post, the emerging Finance Committee bill would shave about $100 billion off the projected trillion-dollar cost of the legislation over the next d...
Be the first to commentIorio lays out lean budget listen
08/06/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pam Iorio, Tampa, budget
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio introduced her 2010 budget to the City Council this morning, a budget nearly 10% smaller than a year ago.
In a sobering analysis, the Mayor referred to the employee layoffs that began a couple of years ago, but said despite the cuts the city government has not lost the ability to do any of its essential services.
Declining property values and tax collections have left the city with a $51 million dollar budget deficit. Iorio detailed how she has addressed that ga...
Be the first to commentTreasure Island Solution Workshop listen
08/06/09 Lindsey KratochwillWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday
Last night a solution workshop was held at the Treasure Island city hall, regarding the concern about alcohol use on Sunset Beach.
During a similar meeting held on July 19, about 50 residents met to find solutions to such concerns. Mayor Bob Minning and Commissioners attended last night’s meeting. Among the top issues were parking, littering, trespassing, public intoxication, underage drinking, and drinking & driving. The owners of Sunset Beach bars, Caddy’s and Ka’Tiki, were also present ...
Be the first to commentEPA Administrator announces funding for electric vehicles listen
08/05/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: hybrids, electric cars, Progress Energy, kathy castor, EPA
As part of a coordinated action today, President Obama and several members of his cabinet fanned out around the country to make the case that green technologies can help the economy improve. Part of that rebound, they say, will be due to projects being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
During a rain storm this afternoon in St. Petersburg, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that green technologies are receiv...
Be the first to commentKendrick Meek on rowdy Town Halls
08/05/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Kendrick Meek
Democratic Members of House convened today for a conference call to discuss strategy for dealing with potentially hostile crowds at town hall meetings they will be hosting this month regarding health care.
The highly-publicized angry encounters endured by Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter and Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett, in which both were shouted down at town Halls over the weekend, have concerned Democrats and even some Republicans in recent days.
Arizona Senator John McCain t...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Commission approves anti-bullying committee listen
08/05/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County Commission
Today the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times reported on new revelations involving a Walker Middle School youth who said he was sexually assaulted by classmates at least 10 times. The same day, the Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously to support an anti-bullying advisory committee, called ‘Bully-Busters’.
The proposal was brought forth by Commissioner Rose Ferlita , who said such antics are hardly exclusive to the County.
An assortment of officials with the County discus...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Commissioners vote in favor of Friendship Trail Bridge listen
08/05/09 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, Friendship Trail bridge
Hillsborough County Commissioners voted today to continue efforts to keep the Friendship Trail Bridge, the only recreational bridge that connects Tampa to St. Petersburg.
The bridge has been closed since last Christmas, and engineers say it could cost $15 million to maintain. Making the decision difficult is that consultants say those repairs would maintain the bridge for only 10 more years.
Commissioner Al Higgenbotham referred to the short life span of the bridge after the repairs, a...
Be the first to commentPinellas Commission ask state to change water quality rules listen
08/04/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pinellas Board of County Commissioners
The Pinellas Board of County Commissioners today asked the state to amend its rules on water quality standards.
The County Commission unanimously approved a resolution supporting reclassification of Florida’s surface water bodies. Andy Squires, assistant director of Environmental Management for Pinellas County, says the resolution supports the Florida Stormwater Association’s petiti...
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