Voters turned out in record numbers Monday to begin casting ballots in person for the presidential election. Political leaders and election officials are urging voter confidence amid misinformation. Meanwhile, a bill from Marco Rubio aimed at ensuring an accurate vote count is set to die in committee. Listen: Bernard Zielinski lost confidence in absentee voting… Read more »
Monday is the first day of in-person early voting in Florida. On MidPoint we focused on two races in Pinellas County: Sheriff and School Board (District 7). We aired most of two candidate forums hosted by the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area and the League of Women Voters of North Pinellas…. Read more »
Public pushback against proposed toll highways through rural Florida continues to focus on conservation and protecting Florida’s struggling panther population. Every commenter during Monday’s M-CORES task force meeting opposed the construction. Listen: The issue for some was the lack of an apparent need for the roads. Others felt the billions that could be spent on… Read more »
The United States embassy in Trinidad and Tobago Friday called on the Venezuelan government to take action as state-flagged FSO Nabarima continues its apparent three-month-long capsize into the Gulf of Paria. Locals fear the derelict vessel is about to dump its near 55 million gallons of oil right at the mouth of the Caribbean Sea…. Read more »
“It’s descriptive of a period of time, the last five years in my life.” “A journey I’ve been on.” “The whole thing is a love letter.” “I dedicated it to my wife.” “It’s all there in the lyrics.” “The most personal recording I’ve made.” Gather together these small fragments David J allows himself to say… Read more »
A judge in Pinellas County Friday said Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus is following the law by asking voters if the address on their driver’s license is current. The decision came during an emergency hearing requested by Marcus’s challenger in next month’s election who said the question violates state law. Listen: Judge Linda Allan acknowledged… Read more »
October 13, 2020 Donald Trump did not sell his business when he took office, nor did he give it away. By holding onto his businesses, he launched an unprecedented experiment: What happens to a multi-billion-dollar business when its leader ascends to the presidency of the United States? And more importantly, what happens to country? WHITE… Read more »
This Saturday the Uhuru Solidarity Movement is holding what it’s calling a “March For Reparations to African People” in St. Petersburg. In a press release, the group says the intention of the march is to “build unity with the African community’s demand for reparations for slavery, genocide, and colonial terror that continues to this day… Read more »
A new poll from St. Leo University shows growing support for Amendment 2, to raise Florida’s minimum wage. Tampa’s own Disco Dolls Studio recently signed on to join Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, but have believed in the cause for years. Listen: Kristine Ownley pulled the glasses from her face, tucked a fallen… Read more »
On Tuesday, attorneys in Tampa and Orlando filed a lawsuit with the Florida Supreme Court to block the “All Voters Vote” Amendment 3 from the current general election. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle held a news conference announcing the effort in light of studies that found the amendment could disenfranchise Black voters. Listen: The perfect storm It’s… Read more »
A group of Indigenous rights activists marched through Tampa Sunday, calling for the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue from a city park. The call comes as cities and states around the country have begun to acknowledge the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day. Listen: Blood-stained hands The rain came and washed the… Read more »
The state is considering building three major toll highways through rural parts of West Florida. The projects are part of what are called M-CORES and the draft final reports were recently released. The state DOT is taking public comment until Wednesday and has three days of online and in-person meetings in Tampa beginning October 19…. Read more »
October 9, 2020 Good Morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. The Associated Press is reporting; An old directory for the Christian organization People of Praise members shows Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett served as a “handmaid.” That’s the term used at the time for high-ranking female leaders in the religious community. Barrett has… Read more »
Florida’s first virtual Bar Exam was postponed nearly two months ago because of faulty software. With just days to go before the test, examinees say they still haven’t seen a functioning version of the program. Listen: Florida’s digital footprint has left plenty to be desired this year. First, the state’s unemployment system needed a major… Read more »
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Marked by COVID organization joined Thursday to hold a virtual vigil mourning lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. The groups are urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to rethink phase 3 reopenings as COVID positivity rates hold near 5 percent. Listen: More than 15,000 Floridians have died from COVID-19… Read more »
October 7, 2020 Good Morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. The summer of 2020 has seen the city of Portland, Oregon, become a symbol and a venue for the further, dramatic polarization of the United States. More than a hundred nights of intense protests against police violence by left-wing activists have led to further… Read more »
October 6, 2020 A new investigative report from Reveal from the nonprofit Center for Investigative Journalism obtained internal documents from Amazon showing high rates of injury at its network of fulfillment centers. Amazon, which has seen a surge in demand during the pandemic, is now the world’s largest retailer and has seen its stock price… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources The Democratic and Republican candidates for Vice President debate tonight. There will be Plexiglas shields separating them to protect from coronavirus infections. But the New York Times reports that since the virus can spread through the air, a St. Petersburg politician’s famous fan would be more effective… Read more »
After Florida’s voter registration site crashed during Monday’s deadline to register for the November election, Governor Ron DeSantis gave voters until 7 p.m. Tuesday to register in person or online. But voting rights activists said that’s just not enough time to make up for the state’s failure. Listen: It wasn’t until noon Tuesday that Gov…. Read more »
Members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition gathered in front of the Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa Monday to announce a $1.5 million donation to the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts aimed at covering fines and fees of felons hoping to register to vote. Hillsborough has already cleared the way for more than 800 felons to… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources You may be thinking about how to protect the environment even during the pandemic. Disposables, including plastics, are commonly used these days in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But in this WMNF MidPoint Monday interview with David Pinsky, the Greenpeace USA senior Plastics Campaigner,… Read more »
One week after a counter-protester pulled a gun during a Black Lives Matter march in downtown St. Petersburg, activists and counter-protest groups again clashed in St. Pete Saturday. With an increased police presence, no violence broke out, but tensions ran high. Listen: When the flames wouldn’t catch, Gary Snow grabbed the Nazi flag from the… Read more »
Daniel Yergin – The New Map: Energy, Climate, And The Clash Of Nations Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert, Daniels Yergen offers a revelatory new account of how energy revolutions, climate battles, and geopolitics are mapping our future. The world is being shaken by the collision of energy, climate change, and the clashing power… Read more »
Monday is the last day to register if you want to vote in the general election. Tampa Bay area Supervisors of Elections sent out a joint email through Hillsborough’s with all the information you need on things like vote-by-mail, early in-person voting and Election Day voting. WMNF is publishing that information here, as provided by… Read more »
In a tweet late Thursday evening, President Trump announced that he and the First Lady have tested positive for COVID-19. This is a developing story…
