News & Public Affairs

PSC nominating committee rejects two sitting commissioners listen

06/30/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: PSC, utility rate increase, utilities, Nancy Argenziano, Charlie Crist, Arthenia Joyner, Mike Fasano

Wednesday in Tampa, the Public Service Commission nominating council reviewed dozens of applications for two seats on the state board that regulates utilities. Among the rejected were two current Commissioners.

Since Gov. Charlie Crist nominated Chair Nancy Argenziano and Nathan Skop to the PSC in 2007, they were some of the panel’s strongest consumer advocates. Both were on the board when it unanimously shot down the two biggest utility rate increases in state history. State Senator Mike ...

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WMNF layoffs taken back listen

06/30/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: wmnf, layoffs, jobs, Unemployment, Media

Last week we reported that this station, WMNF 88.5 FM, was forced to lay off three employees because of a severe budget shortfall. But shortly before broadcast tonight, station manager Jim Bennett announced that because of voluntary staff benefit reductions and a generous donation unrelated to the layoffs, Bennett had notified the three employees that the layoffs were retracted.

"Good news has come ...

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Rep. Castor on financial reform listen

06/30/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: kathy castor, Barack Obama, Wall Street, Wall street bailout, financial reform

Congress is inching toward passing a long-awaited financial reform package tonight. Proponents say the legislation amps up consumer protection against predatory lenders and gives regulators more authority over institutions previously called too big to fail. Yesterday, WMNF spoke with US Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat who supports the bill.

The House could hold a final vote on the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act tonight, but the Senate may not vote on it until the mid-Ju...

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Castor: Kagan confirmation would be historic listen

06/30/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Elena Kagan, US Supreme Court, kathy castor, Confirmation hearings

Today, the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan are continuing through the early evening. The former Solicitor General gave calculated answers to loaded questions from Republican members of the Senate Judicial Committee. On Tuesday WMNF spoke to US Representative Kathy Castor, who said she thinks Kagan is doing well, and that Kagan’s approval would be a historic moment.

"As a former head of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, it's a proud moment for all those...

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Castor Urges Obama Administration to ban drilling in national waters off Florida listen

06/29/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: BP oil spill kathy castor, Barack Obama, Ken Salazar, BP oil disaster, Bill Nelson

The first named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season may not be headed for a collision with the oil mass in the gulf, but it is hurting the recovery effort. Today high seas from Tropical Storm Alex caused the Coast Guard to ground oil-skimming operations off the Louisiana coast. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, US Representative Kathy Castor urged the Obama Administration to curb offshore drilling in coastal waters. The Tampa Democrat says that now’s the time to get off fossil fuels.

If Repre...

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Two Tampa Police Officers shot to death listen

06/29/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Jane Castor, Tampa Police

Less than a day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Chicago law banning handguns, two Tampa Police officers were shot to death at a traffic stop in the early hours of this morning.

Officer David Curtis and Officer Jeffrey Kocab died of gunshot wounds, and police are searching for Dontae Morris, who they think is the shooter.

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor held a press conference this afternoon near the crime scene to announce that one of the two persons of interest is being quest...

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Dingfelder withdraws from County Commission race but may be nominated listen

06/29/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: 2010 election, Hillsborough County Commission, Tampa City Council, Pat Kemp, John Dingfelder, Linda Saul-Sena, Democratic Party

Former Tampa City Council member John Dingfelder withdrew today from the race for Hillsborough County Commission. But he may end up being the Democratic nominee for the District 1 seat anyway.

"Today I decided to go ahead and withdrawal my candidacy for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. I went ahead and advised the Supervisor of Elections of that in writing."

"You got into a little bit of trouble about taking yourself off the Tampa City Council past the deadlin...

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Pride In Paradise listen

06/28/10 Tom Baur
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Tags: LGBT, GLBT, gay pride festival, St. Petersburg, grand central, kenwood

Pride in Paradise

Thousands of LGBT and their supporters marched behind Grand Marshall St Petersburg city council member Steve Kornell Saturday morning for the 2010 St Pete Pride Street Festival.

"We're here to support gay pride, family, and just the love that everybody should feel no matter who you love. You don't choose that, you just are. Be proud of that."

Pride was on parade in [St Petersburg’s](http://w...

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High seas may threaten Gulf recovery listen

06/28/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: BP oil spill, BP oil disaster, Thad Allen, US Coast Guard, hurricanes, Charlie Crist, OPEC, Bill Nelson

Today Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said the relief well BP is drilling had gotten to a depth of more than sixteen thousand feet and is on target to be functional by August. But high seas could delay the effort to stop the gulf oil gusher by as much as two weeks.

In a press conference today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the oil spill recovery effort is unprecedented and so getting it right won’t be easy.

"The damage continues to unfold over the cours...

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Hands Across the Sand Fuels Local Support listen

06/28/10 Andrea Lypka
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Tags: Hands Across The Sand, Gulf Oil Spill, BP oil spill, BP, BP oil disaster, St Pete Beach

Since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion on April 20th, hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil continue to gush into the Gulf. This Saturday, the public anger against BP rose above the level: thousands of people in 900 cities worldwide and about 6,000 protested against the oil spill in Tampa Bay.

Hundreds of people formed a line and joined hands at noon in a 15-minute-long metaphoric protest in St. Pete Beach calling for alternative energy and protesting against off-shore drill...

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Voices from Gandy Hands Across the Sand listen

06/28/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Hands Across The Sand, BP, BP oil spill, BP oil disaster, Gulf Oil Spill, St. Petersburg

In addition to St. Pete Beach, more than 160 Hands Across The Sand participants gathered on the beach on the St. Pete side of the Gandy bridge. These are the voices of just a few of those:

Michelle Cookson from Tampa who works in advertising and marketing:

"I am here today as i was on February the 13th for the first Hands Across the Sand event, because I love the ocean. I love the natural environment. I love the state of Florida. But most importantly i...

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Agnes Varda

06/26/10 Mary Glenney

Agnes Varda, the famed French director/photographer, has filmed her own touching memoir of a life shaped by art, the French "New Wave", feminism and cinematic magic. Agnes Varda's The Beaches of Agnes has its American broadcast premier on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 11 pm on PBS as part of the 23rd season of POV. To quote Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times..."if you have not seen a single film by Agnes Varda, perhaps it is best if you start with The Beaches of Agnes."

http://www.pov.org

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St. Pete Pride

06/26/10 Arlene Engelhardt/Mary Glenney

Sally Phillips, a local LGBT activist, will bring live reports from the parade and will discuss the events planned for the day. Sally will also discuss the most important issues to the LGBT community today. The events will be a part of the eighth annual pride in paradise in St. Petersburg, Florida.

http://www.St.PetePride.com

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Hands Across the Sand

06/26/10 Mary Glenney

Anita Stewart from the Tampa area and Kathy Harrelson from St. Petersburg area talk about the local involvement in the national and international demonstration of Hands Across the Sands. On June 26 at noon local time people dressed in black will join hands to stand in solidarity against Offshore Oil Drilling. They will go to their local beaches or if in an area with no local beaches will gather symbolically to show their support of the message.

http://www.handsacrossthesand.com

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Gulf Oil Crisis

06/26/10 Mary Glenney

Riki Ott, a marine biologist with a specialty in oil pollution, returns to the Women's Show to update us on the conditions in the Gulf. She reports of the oil on the beaches in Northern Florida and the health dangers to people. She also is proposing a website to be a common bulletin board for all the local actions in the Gulf Region.

http://www.rikiott.com

http://www.amendnow.org

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