On Monday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis used debunked rumors and misinformation to justify his HB1 bill. DeSantis signed the bill into law while flanked by a group of law enforcement officials and Republican legislators at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office headquarters. Listen: Depending on who you ask, HB1 is either an anti-riot bill or an… Read more »
LATEST NEWS
As specter of HB1 looms, St. Pete protestors return to streets demanding justice for Daunte Wright
DeSantis wants corporations out of Florida politics, but civic groups say ramp up the pressure on voting, protest bills
HRK warned of disaster at Piney Point for months and asked for help, now DEP says they’re on the hook
U.S. has paused use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; here’s where you can get Pfizer or Moderna
As specter of HB1 looms, St. Pete protestors return to streets demanding justice for Daunte Wright
Read MoreVices & Taboos
Read MoreDeSantis wants corporations out of Florida politics, but civic groups say ramp up the pressure on voting, protest bills
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HRK warned of disaster at Piney Point for months and asked for help, now DEP says they’re on the hook
Read MoreU.S. has paused use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; here's where you can get Pfizer or Moderna
Read MoreStudents push back against possible development of USF Forest Preserve
Read MoreA Conversation With Rebecca Handler
Read MoreElections legislation aims to fix what isn't broken
Read MoreFair Districts Coalition hopes to avoid repeat of Florida’s contentious, gerrymandered 2012 redistricting
Read MoreSenate approves 3 million for Piney Point clean up
Read MoreRadioactivity Tuesday: Some good news about health care premium costs, COBRA and subsidies under the ACA
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Radioactivity Wednesday: Environmental Group Warns of “No Good Solutions” to Pending Disaster at Piney Point Phosphate Plant
March 31, 2021 Good Morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. The news that a holding pond at the former Piney Point phosphate plant in Northern Manatee County may be on the brink of collapse is raising new questions about the phosphate industry and the way it stores mining waste. The holding pond contains at… Read more »
Manatee commission okays pumping water from Piney Point gyp stack underground
The Manatee County Commission Tuesday okayed a proposal to pump remaining water from the Piney Point gyp stacks into a deep injection well across the road. The measure passed unanimously despite similar proposals failing in the past. Listen: It’s been over a week since a breach at the former Piney Point phosphate plant opened what… Read more »
Possible second breach detected as Piney Point gyp stacks still in danger of catastrophic collapse
Officials in Manatee County said a drone discovered a possible second breach at the Piney Point gyp stacks Monday. A full collapse is still possible, even as crews double efforts to drain contaminated water into Tampa Bay. LISTEN: Manatee County Public Safety Director Jake Saur said the second breach was found early Monday. “At approximately… Read more »
Black Lives Matter protester shot by police in May 2020 sues City of Tampa
Jordon Coury was severely injured by a police-fired rubber bullet during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Tampa in May 2020. He is suing the City of Tampa saying that police used excessive force during those demonstrations. He’s being represented by attorney Ben Crawford. Here’s part of what Coury told WMNF about that day: “I… Read more »
Radioactivity Thursday: Progressive groups challenge Biden on foreign policy; Nomadland, an underground American lifestyle
April 1, 2021 Good Morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up we’ll revisit an underground American lifestyle – low income workers who travel the country in their trucks and campers trying to stave off economic destitution. Later we’ll talk with a progressive leader this week who heads a coalition calling for President Biden… Read more »
From the WMNF archives: Contaminated water at Piney Point puts Tampa Bay on brink of disaster
Note, this is one of the many articles about the pending disaster at Piney Point that WMNF has published over the years. This one is from September 2020. In April 2021, a breach occurred, threatening a possible collapse of a gyp stack. In response, a controlled release of millions of gallons of polluted water is… Read more »
East Tampa pharmacy gets 5 times anticipated COVID vaccine doses
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources An East Tampa Pharmacy is getting 1,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Monday, five-times the amount they were originally slated for. The doses are giving hope to a predominantly Black community struggling to vaccinate its residents. LISTEN: Representative Diane Hart got the call early Friday… Read more »
Cathal Coughlan – Genius Of Irish Rock
the very first moments of my conversation with Cathal Coughlan began I knew that 60 minutes were not going to be enough time to enjoy what this adventurous musician had to say. Born and raised in Cork, Ireland Cathal began singing in the late 70s and by 1980 he had met Sean O’Hagan and formed… Read more »
Advocates warn Florida’s Parent’s Bill of Rights will have fatal consequence for LGBTQ youth
A bill some fear will compel teachers and counselors to forcibly out LGBTQ students to their families is making another round through the Florida legislature and some fear the consequences could be fatal. With passage in the House Thursday, the Parent’s Bill of Rights is one step closer to becoming law. LISTEN: Kent Marerro of… Read more »
“Good Friday and the Seven Deadly Sins” on Morning Energy
“Good Friday” is a prominent event for Christian believers. It is the day that signifies the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary for the atonement of the sins of the world. A “sin” is defined as a failure to do what is right. Many Christians believe that there are “Seven Deadly Sins” or “behaviors” that… Read more »
How a Florida woman helped change the motorcycle industry
These days, motorcyclists live and die by their Dyno sheets, the ultimate measure of an engine’s power. But when the machines came out in the late 80s, it was a women in Florida who bought one of the first units and helped reshape the world of motorcycling. LISTEN: Fifty years later Pam Brown remembers how… Read more »
Florida bills limiting transgender participation in sports look a lot like an Idaho bill already struck down in federal court
Bills limiting the participation of transgender girls in school sports are being criticized for lacking scientific basis. And they look a lot like model legislation that’s already been struck down by federal courts in other states. LISTEN: Two of the bills being pushed through the legislature are, for all intents and purposes, bans on transgender… Read more »
Advocate for migrants talks about the border situation and Grannies Respond
An advocate for immigrants describes what she saw at the Homestead detention center under the Trump administration and what she’s concerned about today on the U.S.-Mexico border. Joining WMNF’s MidPoint live by Zoom is Marina Welch. WMNF spoke with her a couple of years ago about what she saw at the Trump administration’s Homestead detention… Read more »
