News & Public Affairs

Iorio endorses Obama at rally in Tampa listen

05/21/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Barack Obama, Bush, Election Reform, Energy conservation, Iraq war, affordable housing, elections, labor, politics

Sen. Barack Obama claimed a major milestone with his win Tuesday in Oregon, wrapping up a majority of the Democratic Party’s pledged delegates. WMNF’s Seán Kinane reports from a crowded Obama rally at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa that kicks off a three-day Florida tour.

During his first campaign stop since last fall in the country’s largest swing state, Obama all but claimed victory and the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.

Before he took the stage, Obama was endorsed ...

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Nuclear workers still looking for compensation listen

05/14/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: nuclear weapons, cancer, Bill Young, Samm Simpson, labor

Beginning in 1957, Pinellas County was home to a plant that built triggers for nuclear weapons. Some of that Largo plant’s former workers claim that they were exposed to toxic substances and are fighting for compensation.

Dave Bossard worked at the General Electric Neutron Devices plant for 34 years and eventually became a supervisor. His duties included supervising the area that contained the chemical storage building. He said the workers were exposed to 473 “deadly toxins … chemicals an...

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Brian Moore, Socialist for president

05/07/08 Robert Lorei
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Tags: Barack Obama, Bush, Election Reform, Energy conservation, Iraq war, affordable housing, elections, labor, politics

Spring Hill resident Brian Moore is running for president under the Socialist Party USA ticket. He's a former health care consultant and has run for U.S. Congress twice and the U.S. Senate in 2006.

This is his first run as a socialist. In this interview with WMNF, he discussed socialism, capitalism, health care reform, the invasion of Iraq, tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the impact of military spending on the economy, the other presidential candidates and how he would transform socie...

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Colombian trade deal ratification sought listen

05/05/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Colombia, Latin America, Mel Martinez, trade, Stetson, economy, labor, recession, unions

A “free-trade” deal has been negotiated between the United States and Colombia, but it awaits Congressional approval. Last month, Democrats in Congress said they would indefinitely delay a vote on ratification.

Today in Tampa, the Colombian Ambassador to the U.S. joined Florida’s junior Sen. Mel Martinez and some members of the business community to urge Congress to quickly vote to ratify the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco said that under President A...

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In Tampa, McCain addresses U.S. health care listen

04/29/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: 2008 election, John McCain, Kathy Castor, USF, health care, labor, Moffitt Cancer Center, unions

Republican Presidential nominee John McCain addressed his plan for solving the country’s health care crisis this morning at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. McCain proposes shifting trillions of dollars in tax credits from businesses that provide health coverage to employees who buy their own.

Sen. McCain said the two fundamental problems troubling the American health care system are cost and access. He proposed replacing some employment-based health insurance coverage by giving indivi...

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Rally against CSX rail deal in Lakeland listen

04/21/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: CSX, Legislature, Transportation, commuter rail, labor, taxes, Lakeland

Lakeland business and labor leaders rallied today against plans for a deal between CSX and the state of Florida for a commuter rail line in the Orlando area.

About 170 people held signs and chanted in downtown Lakeland’s Munn Park, next to the rail line shared by CSX and Amtrak. Julie Townsend, executive director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership, said that the cost to Florida’s taxpayers of the CSX deal had “gotten out of control.”

Townsend thanked Sen. Paula Dockery and Rep. Denni...

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Interview with a progressive populist

04/17/08 Robert Lorei
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Tags: Fuel Prices, labor, globalization

Jim Hightower was twice elected Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Although he's long been out of elected office, he's still a keen observer of national politics.

Hightower is a populist in the tradition of Sen. Ralph Yarborough, columnist Molly Ivins and the writers who've contributed to the Texas Observer. He's a radio commentator, newsletter publisher, columnist and a very funny public speaker. Hightower's latest book is called Swim Against the Current. He is today's guest.

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HART deals with financial struggles listen

04/07/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: HART, transit, Dick Greco, labor, unions

The Board of Directors of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) met this morning in the County Center in downtown Tampa. The board is faced with how to deal with cuts to both local and federal transit budgets.

David Persaud, HART’s chief financial officer, assessed the current financial climate heading into the 2009 fiscal year.

Persaud said that the 2010 deficits might be made up through reduced services or opportunities for federal grants. Jeff Boothe, with the law f...

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Truckers strike in Tampa to protest fuel prices listen

04/02/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: strike, labor, unions, economy, gas prices

For the second day in a row, independent truckers were on strike in Tampa today protesting high diesel fuel prices and stagnant incomes. About 50 truck owner-operators demonstrated on Causeway Boulevard in front of the Port of Tampa.

David Santiago is a truck owner-operator. Santiago is striking because he wants the companies who hire independent truckers to pay them more.

“We just came together, we sat down and said, hey enough is enough, we can’t make it any more. I’m sure McDonalds ...

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