News & Public Affairs
Obama appoints Richard Cordray to lead consumer agency listen
07/18/11 wire reports including APWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Elizabeth Warren, Richard Cordray, Barack Obama, consumer protection
President Barack Obama is vowing to fight any efforts to block the work of a new consumer protection bureau as he introduces a former Ohio attorney general to run the agency.
If confirmed by the Senate, Richard Cordray would head the agency tasked with being a government watchdog over mortgages, credit cards and other forms of lending. Obama says the agency will protect the public from financial fraud and abuse.
Be the first to comment"We’ve been recently reminded why this job is going to be so important. ...
Janet Reitman: author of Inside Scientology (The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion)
07/18/11 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Monday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: scientology, Inside Scientology, Janet Reitman, Rolling Stone Magazine, L. Ron Hubbard, Clearwater, cult, Tom Cruise, auditing
Good afternoon, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei.
Scientology, a religion founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard describes itself as the world’s fastest growing religion. The Church of Scientology is a significant player locally—owning significant amounts of real estate in Clearwater and Ybor City.
For years the church has been embroiled in scandal. Some describe it as a cult. But faithful Scientologists say the church has helped them. The Church has been embroiled in m...
Be the first to commentMike Haridopolos drops out of U.S. Senate race listen
07/18/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Bill Nelson, Mike Haridopolos, Rick Scott
One of the leading Republican challengers hoping to unseat Florida’s Democratic U.S. Senator has dropped out. State Senate President Mike Haridopolos announced via video this morning that he would not seek the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Bill Nelson.
In a statement, Governor Rick Scott wrote “I was surprised by Mike Haridopolos’ announcement today. Anytime a statewide race loses a principled conservative like Mike Haridopolos in a race of this importance, it is a sad day fo...
Be the first to commentPinellas homeless shelter gets under the skin of residents and business owners listen
07/15/11 Andrea LypkaWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Safe Harbor, homeless, Pinellas County Sheriff
Since its opening, Pinellas County’s homeless shelter, Safe Harbor has caused public outrage. The shelter’s population has been growing since St. Petersburg passed an ordinance that prohibits sleeping on sidewalks. Residents and business owners say that crime has increased and home values have gone down since the facility opened in January next to the Pinellas county jail.
Jeff Hoyt has lived in the High Point neighborhood off 49th Street for 32 years and he says his tenants feel in danger...
Be the first to commentMoveOn.org hosts hundreds of American Dream house meetings listen
07/15/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: MoveOn, Contract for the American Dream, tea party
To many, the American Dream seems like a quaint concept. As the economy drags along, and the political sphere zeroes in on 2012, progressives are trying to redefine the American Dream. Tomorrow, a group backed by Moveon.org is hosting events in hundreds of spots throughout the country to help build what it calls the Contract for the American Dream. WMNF caught up with Aaron Dietrich, a local organizer for one of tomorrow’s Tampa Bay contract events. He said the group is using similar tactics ...
2 commentsRNC Host Committee chair steers clear of party politics listen
07/15/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Republican National Convention, 2012 GOP Convention, Barack Obama
Tampa Bay is more than a year out from the Republican National Convention, but it’s on the minds of many locals in a big way these days. the head of the RNC host committee fielded questions about the event at a Tiger Bay Club event in Tampa, and tried to keep the politics out of it.
RNC Host Committee Chair Ken Jones said next year’s Republican National Convention will one of the biggest media events in the world – second only to the Olympics.
At a Tiger Bay Club of Tampa meeting, Jones...
Be the first to commentU.S. recognizes rebels as Libya's official government listen
07/15/11 wire reports including APWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Libya, Hillary Clinton
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has rejected the decision by the U.S. and other countries to recognize the rebels fighting to oust him, and he vows never to surrender.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says recognition of the rebel council comes after U.S. officials took time to assess their intentions.
Diplomatic recognition of the National Transitional Council could help the rebels gain access to the Gadhafi regime's frozen financial assets, which include some $30 billion in A...
1 commentsVic DiMaio on historic preservation & lack of Latino representation on Hillsborough County Commission
07/14/11 Mitch PerryLast Call Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Vic DiMaio, historic preservation, Hillsborough County Commission, Latinos
Democratic political consultant Vic DiMaio came on the program to talk about historic preservation, the lack of Latino representation on the Hillsborough County Commission, and an assortment of other state and national political news.
Be the first to commentTampa approves electric car charging stations listen
07/14/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Mary Mulhern, Lisa Montelione, electric cars, Marion Lewis, Pam Iorio
Electric cars have been generating a lot of buzz in recent years. The Tampa Bay area is already home to a number of electric car dealerships, and the Tampa City Council approved an ordinance that paves the way for more electric car charging stations around the city.
It’s a chicken or the egg situation. Does prevalence of electric cars make more charging stations sprout up in a given city, or is it the other way around? Tampa City Council member Lisa Monteleone said demand will determine wh...
Be the first to commentHillsborough County Public Art Committee meets Friday listen
07/14/11 Olivia KabatWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Art, Hillsborough County
Tomorrow Hillsborough County’s Public Art Committee will meet. According to their website, the Public Art Committee of Hillsborough County works to select, place, and maintain works of art throughout the county. The committee is in charge of the management and planning of the Public Art Program. Their mission is to visually enhance buildings and other public places and further the understanding of authentic artwork. The Public Art Committee meet...
Be the first to commentFeds call for applicants for second round of community-centered education grants listen
07/14/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Arne Duncan, US Department of Education, Florida schools
The fact that school systems across the country face a dismal future as the economy continues to sag isn’t exactly breaking news. As schools look for resources to help them address their communities’ education needs, surrounding communities are often just as strapped for cash. On the whole this may not bode well for youth in disadvantaged areas, but The federal government wants to change that by awarding small grants to a handful of low income communities across the country – though none in F...
9 commentsCommunity gardens grow in Tampa Bay listen
07/14/11 Aaron DalleyWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: community gardens, St. Petersburg, Gardening, food
Community gardens have been sprouting up across Tampa Bay for the last few years. At one in South St. Petersburg, some of the local and global benefits of urban gardens are evident.
The Bartlett Park Community Garden in St. Petersburg has been in-bloom for 3 years now and counts tomatoes, black-eyed peas and a variety of herbs among its seasonal offerings. Ashley Spalding has a plot there and has also been helping organize the garden since last fall. She says what make this and other commu...
1 commentsHillsborough slogs through budget, capital costs see two-thirds cut listen
07/13/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, Hillsborough County, budget, Mike Merrill, public defender
Hillsborough County officials are rounding out another tough budget process to plan for the next two years. For the most part the picture isn’t as dire as it has been in recent years, but programs like public art and after school activities still face tough cuts.
Next year’s draft operating budget totals nearly $3 billion – that’s nearly half a billion less than that of last year. County Administrator Mike Merrill said declining property tax revenue is a major factor, which means that some...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Commission wants to help fund historic buildings in Ybor City listen
07/13/11 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Cuban Club, Ybor City, Tampa, Hillsborough County Commission
Historic buildings in Ybor City could receive tax funds from Hillsborough County government under a proposal unanimously accepted this afternoon. Hillsborough County Commissioners voted six to zero to recommend that millions that would have gone to a county Emergency Operations Center, instead be earmarked for historic buildings such as the Cuban Club, Italian Club, and Centro Austuriano. This is Republican Commissioner Ken Hagan
The Commission’s board room was nearly filled with people we...
Be the first to commentPinellas County begins recycling program for beaches listen
07/13/11 Olivia KabatWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: beaches, recycling, Pinellas County
A new Gulf Beaches Recycling Program is providing Pinellas beachgoers the opportunity to recycle. It will make recycling at the beach easy and convenient.
If you visit any of the Gulf beaches or Pinellas County beach parks you may see new blue plastic recycling containers. Pinellas County’s Solid Waste Program Supervisor, Bill Embry hopes to provide the community with an easy way to recycle all their plastic and aluminum containers.
Be the first to comment"The ultimate goal is to have every community that ha...
