Last Saturday afternoon about 1,000 protesters joined with the nationwide Black Lives Matter marches seeking justice for George Floyd. Large sections of Fowler avenue in Temple Terrace were blocked off. Students for a Democratic Society and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized the action. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor participated in the march,… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources For the third week in a row, the number of new coronavirus cases in Florida has been higher than before the state lifted safer-at-home requirements. According to the Florida Department of Health website, there were 5,500 new coronavirus cases in the state for the week that ended… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources Two-thirds of Floridians have experienced some income loss or work disruption because of the coronavirus pandemic. That information comes from a recent statewide poll by The University of South Florida and Nielsen. Joshua Scacco is an assistant professor of political communication at USF. “We launched a representative… Read more »
Last week the Hillsborough County Commission voted 6-to-1 to raise park and mobility impact fees on new construction beginning in January. Commissioner Mariella Smith voted for the impact fees. “All the commissioners, almost all the commissioners, campaigned on the promise to make development pay its fair share of infrastructure and impact fees are the way… Read more »
The national death toll related to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States is just surpassing 100,000, and several progressive activist organizations are pushing the state to provide more financial relief instead of reopening too soon. Three hearses were flanked by a about dozen other cars guiding a funeral procession through Tampa. They attached body… Read more »
Two years ago, eight young people sued Florida over the state’s policies of burning fossil fuels despite their harm to the global climate. On June 1st, the case will get a hearing in Leon County Court – the state has filed a motion to dismiss the case. Andrea Rogers is a senior litigation attorney with… Read more »
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday his choices to fill two vacancies on the state Supreme Court. In Miami, DeSantis said he is appointing Palm Beach Judge Renatha Francis and Miami attorney John Couriel. Couriel’s parents left Cuba during the presidency of Fidel Castro. “You’ve heard it said that Alexander Hamilton said courts have neither… Read more »
Imagine you have the task of cooking meals for a dictator? What was Pol Pot eating while two million Cambodians were dying of hunger? Did Idi Amin really eat human flesh? And why was Fidel Castro obsessed with one particular cow? Traveling across four continents, from the ruins of Iraq to the savannahs of Kenya,… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources It’s Memorial Day weekend and typically, Floridians pack the beaches. But this year, if you venture out, you’ll have to observe strict social distancing rules because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. You’ll see reminder signs and sheriff’s deputies. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says people can visit… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “people who are homeless are a particularly vulnerable group” for COVID-19. Many communities around the country have taken one step to reduce homelessness during the coronavirus: stopping the practice of evicting tenants from their homes. But in Florida,… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources The woman who managed Florida’s COVID-19 data says she was fired for objecting to demands to alter information on a state coronavirus dashboard website. The governor’s office says Rebekah Jones was fired for insubordination for modifying the dashboard without approval. Now some Democrats, including Tampa-area member of… Read more »
Two middle school students in Pinellas County have become the youngest people to ever pass a particular drone safety certification. They did it through a special program at their school, Azalea Middle in St. Petersburg. The school’s Academy of Engineering’s Unmanned Aviation Program is taught by Willis Reese. “We started a program a couples years… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources In our continuing coverage of the coronavirus, we heard what kind of financial help is available to people struggling during the economic crash brought on by the pandemic. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reports that more than 1.5 million unique unemployment claims have been filed in… Read more »
The Bird Way: A New Look At How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent and Think by Jennifer Ackerman “There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.” But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviors they… Read more »
By Janet Scherberger. Twenty years ago, the Hillsborough River that runs through the heart of Tampa was severely damaged. Withdrawals for the city’s growing population had starved it of fresh water, making it unfriendly to wildlife. But thanks to a recovery plan developed in 2007 by environmental groups, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources In a typical year, every May, ocean lovers gather at beaches and elsewhere to hold Hands Across the Sand to draw attention to oil drilling and other environmental concerns. But Dede Shelton, the executive director of Hands Across the Sand, says this Saturday there will be a… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources Among the many changes for students this year, as the coronavirus pandemic has moved all classes online, are major changes to testing for Advanced Placement courses. Typically, AP exams happen in the first two weeks of May and are in very controlled environments. This year, AP exams… Read more »
This week the Florida Department of Transportation is hosting online meetings to discuss three proposed toll highways through rural parts of the state. But several environmental groups oppose what’s called M-CORES. They want the whole plan scrapped. Julianne Thomas is a senior environmental planning specialist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “M-CORES stands for Multi-Use… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office and The Spring of Tampa Bay have teamed up with partners to launch the “We Are Open” campaign on social media; it spreads the message that “Help for victims of domestic violence never closes.” The goal is to reverse disturbing statistics that… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources Many hospitals are seeing a drop in the number of stroke and heart attack patients showing up in emergency rooms since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a doctor from Tampa General Hospital says it’s much safer to come to the emergency room than not if… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources Fast-food workers across Florida say they fear getting sick at their jobs and many are not being given protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. During what they called a “digital strike line” Wednesday, worker after worker spoke about conditions where they were told to bring their own… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources The U.S. House of Representatives appears to be moving forward with a fifth coronavirus aid measure. Congress member Kathy Castor, a Democrat from Tampa says it could include new cash payments to Americans. “The emergency responses so far have been so deep and broad to try to… Read more »
by Joshua Holton / WMNF Monday marked phase one of a coronavirus reopening strategy announced last week by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Retail stores, restaurants, museums, and libraries can reopen at 25% capacity. But one major business that remains notably absent from everyone’s daily lives is the music business. Tom DeGeorge is the owner of the… Read more »
Here is a link to many coronavirus resources The Mayors of the two largest cities in Tampa Bay are cautiously optimistic about parts of the economy re-opening Monday. On MidPoint, our guests were St. Petersburg’s Rick Kriseman and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. Listen to the full show here. Here’s WMNF’s interview from Friday with Mayor… Read more »
In Hyper Education – Why Good Schools, Good Grades, and Good Behavior Are Not Enough, Pawan Dhingra uncovers the growing world of high-achievement education and the after-school learning centers, spelling bees, and math competitions that it has spawned. It is a world where immigrant families vie with other Americans to be at the head of the… Read more »
