NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week By The Associated Press A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out. Here are the real… Read more »
Update: Since this story aired, the News Service of Florida is reporting that, ‘Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order Thursday to block state agencies from taking action on a bill he signed into law earlier this year that critics of the measure warned from the outset could limit the public’s access to beaches. Scott’s… Read more »
By the time the next edition of Life Elsewhere airs, the World Cup will be over. The fate of the English team will have been decided. Could masses of English people be celebrating and dancing in the streets? Coincidently, another momentous event will also have come and gone. But, we can safely predict the… Read more »
The three Republicans running for Pinellas County Commission District 6 faced off Thursday afternoon at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club in St. Petersburg; the three are State Representative Kathleen Peters, Pinellas Tea Party founder Barb Haselden and State Representative Larry Ahern. They agreed on many issues, like their support for a Florida constitutional amendment that would… Read more »
US: Nearly half of youngest children not rejoining families By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Thursday all eligible small children separated from their families as a result of its zero-tolerance immigration policy have been reunited with their parents. But nearly half of the children under 5 remain separated from their… Read more »
Battle over family separations flairs anew in Congress By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress’ fight over President Donald Trump’s now abandoned policy of separating migrant families stirred anew Wednesday, drawing fresh attention to an issue that has divided Republicans and that Democrats hope will propel voters their way in the midterm elections. The… Read more »
In 2016, Florida voters added to the state constitution the right for many patients to use medical cannabis, but the implementation has been shaky and court rulings are on hold; supporters of medical marijuana have three rallies planned across the state Wednesday. Gary Stein is an advocate and he produces the broadcast Cannafight Tonight, which… Read more »
On Tuesday afternoon the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled their proposed Ybor City baseball park; according to the Rays, the project would cost $892 million, about a third of which would be the cost of the roof. The Rays expect taxpayers to fund most of the ballpark. The team hopes the stadium will have a translucent… Read more »
On Monday night, President Donald Trump will end the suspense; on prime-time television he’ll announce who his SCOTUS nominee is for the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice Anthony Kennedy. On Monday’s MidPoint, we focused on how the next justice could impact the rights of women in the U.S. and here in Florida. Joining… Read more »
Fake news: A look at what didn’t happen this week By The Associated Press A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out. Here are the real facts:… Read more »
About a week or so ago, late night talk show host, Jimmy Fallon introduced The Tonight Show’s first ever book club and included The Immortalists, the brilliant new novel by Chloe Benjamin. Perhaps, because Fallon has come under critical scrutiny after his gentle-cozy interview with Trump, the least cerebral of late-night comedians is not usually… Read more »
The Gulf Coast of Florida is already dealing with two different algae blooms: a red tide on many beaches south of Manatee County and blue-green algae spilling into the Gulf from Lake Okeechobee; but now outbreaks of a larger species of seaweed have even reached Florida. Beginning about seven years ago, beaches throughout the Caribbean Sea… Read more »
Update: the location for the Lakeland event has been announced. July 06, 2018 • 2:30 PM Lake Mirror Park• 702 E Orange St, Lakeland, FL 33801. Survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland are touring the country and the state of Florida to register people to vote and to raise… Read more »
The race between creating so called deepfake videos and detecting them is on. By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Hey, did my congressman really say that? Is that really President Donald Trump on that video, or am I being duped? New technology on the internet lets anyone make videos of real people appearing to say things… Read more »
WMNF’s Yvonne Gougelet contributed to this report. On Saturday more than 700 marches and rallies were organized across the country to protest the separation of families at the border; WMNF’s Rob Lorei reports that more than 3,000 people rallied at the Families Belong Together rally in Joe Chillura Courthouse Square in downtown Tampa. on MidPoint… Read more »
Rudy Tambala is a smart guy, he’s well read, he’s articulate and he enjoys a spirited conversation. He’s sincere when he states, “Rock ’n’ roll is f#@%ing sex! It’s the rhythm of your blood. It’s the most vital force. Without it, there isn’t any existence on this planet!” The irony of his words adds to… Read more »
Moms outraged by family separations become protest leaders By GILLIAN FLACCUS and AMY TAXIN, Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Immigrants who have spent years fighting to change the country’s immigration system are getting newfound support from liberal activists, moms and first-time protesters motivated by a visceral narrative: President Donald Trump’s administration separating children from their… Read more »
Old Tampa Bay; it’s the most northerly section of the Bay and furthest from the mouth – where the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is located – so that leads to the water there being the most stagnant. The executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program told a St. Petersburg City Council committee this month that… Read more »
Because of recent heavy rains, huge algae blooms from polluted Lake Okeechobee are once again racing toward Florida’s west and east coast as water is released from the quickly-filling lake. Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch is the former mayor of Sewell’s Point, near where the St. Lucie River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. WMNF News spoke with her… Read more »
Early on Sunday morning, when there were still hundreds of revelers from Saturday’s St. Pete Pride parade on the streets of the EDGE District, masked men in the bed of a pick-up truck hoisted a Nazi swastika flag and hurled slurs at passers-by; St. Pete Police say they’re looking into the incident but are unlikely… Read more »
A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists says “within the next 30 years, roughly 64,000 homes in Florida … will be at risk” of chronic floods from sea-level rise. On WMNF’s MidPoint we spoke about this report with UCS senior climate scientist, Kristy Dahl, and with Susan Glickman, who is working to create a… Read more »
This week is St. Pete Pride, one of the South’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations; the Tampa Bay Times reports that police are investigating threats against the Pride weekend posted on social media. To find out what to expect in events tonight through Sunday, WMNF News spoke with Luke Blankenship, executive director with St. Pete Pride about… Read more »
The demure young woman sitting opposite me gives no clue that she is the author of the most beautifully complex and engrossing book I’ve read in ages. Her darkly comedic interconnected stories follow Elena Rubik, her best friend Jules Valentine, and wannabe investigative reporter April Kuan, as a viral marketing scheme’s motivations become a cause… Read more »
The Latest: Justice Dept. calls executive order ‘stopgap’ WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and immigration (all times local): 5:40 p.m. A senior Justice Department official says President Donald Trump’s executive order is a stopgap measure to end the separation of families as they cross the border illegally and face criminal prosecution…. Read more »
This month there have been two high-profile Americans to die from suicide, drawing attention to suicide prevention and treatment of mental health issues. Wednesday evening in Tampa an author will talk about how to recover from one illness that sometimes results in suicide. WMNF News spoke with Michael Rose about his new book called Bipolar… Read more »
