From the AP CNN has a link to the redacted Mueller Report here. Robert Mueller’s 448-page investigative report into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election includes 23 unredacted pages of Mueller’s written questions and Donald Trump’s written responses, the only direct exchange between the special counsel’s office and the president. Mueller’s team… Read more »
The global Extinction Rebellion actions are taking root in the Tampa Bay area as well. There are series of events this week around the area to call attention to the crisis of runaway climate change. On Thursday morning about fifteen members of Extinction Rebellion held what they called a ‘noise rebellion’ outside the downtown Tampa… Read more »
At hundreds of public schools across Florida Wednesday morning teachers gathered before school started with students, staff and parents to draw attention to how the Florida Legislature is under-funding public education. It was organized by the Florida Education Association. WMNF spoke with Mike Gandolfo, president of PCTA – the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association. He was… Read more »
AP-NORC Poll: Most believe schools have become less safe By EMILY SWANSON, CAROLYN THOMPSON and HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty years after the Columbine High School shooting made practicing for armed intruders as routine as fire drills, many parents have only tepid confidence in the ability of schools to stop a gunman,… Read more »
The Florida Legislature is considering several bills that impact the environment of the Sunshine State. On WMNF’s MidPoint we talked about many of them with Jennifer Rubiello, the state director of Environment Florida. One bill deals with providing schools with filters to remove lead from the drinking water of older schools. It’s sponsored by Tampa… Read more »
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week By AMANDA SEITZ and BEATRICE DUPUY Associated Press A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these… Read more »
He is a lawyer working on death row inmate appeals. Earlier in his career, he admits to being firmly in favor of capital punishment. His exposure to “the degrading of human life” on death row, made him question the ultimate punishment. He is, David R. Dow is the founder and director of the Texas Innocence… Read more »
The Florida Legislature is considering bills to outlaw certain types of fracking in Florida; but advocates for clean water warn that the ban excludes one oil and gas extraction technique that could harm the environment because of Florida’s limestone geology. Jorge Aguilar, the southern region director with Food and Water Watch, wants the method called… Read more »
On Monday’s Sustainable Living Program we spent the hour talking about shade and front yard gardening topics with several guests from Polk and Hillsborough Counties’ UF Cooperative Extension Offices. Also joining us was Jim Kovaleski, urban market gardener and YouTube gardening star; and Elise Picket, The Urban Harvest Gardener LLC St. Petersburg. We started the… Read more »
UPDATE: Thursday April 11, 2019: The U.S. Senate confirmed former oil and gas lobbyist David Bernhardt as the secretary of the Interior Department. Environmentalists are concerned that oil and gas drilling off Florida could become a reality if a new Interior Department Secretary is confirmed by the Senate as soon as this week. The moratorium… Read more »
AP FACT CHECK: Trump tries to pin child separations on Obama By CALVIN WOODWARD and NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is wholly mispresenting the immigration detention policy he introduced that forced migrant children from their parents at the border. “President Obama had child separation,” Trump said Tuesday. “I’m the one… Read more »
In February, the board of Hillsborough County’s transit agency unanimously selected its next CEO, Ben Limmer. He began work at the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority late last month. He had been the assistant general manager at MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Limmer was a guest on WMNF’s MidPoint. Last November, Hillsborough County… Read more »
AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s Mexico mirage By CALVIN WOODWARD and MARK STEVENSON Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Giving himself credit for tough diplomacy, President Donald Trump is describing a burst of activity by Mexican authorities to keep Central American migrants from getting to the U.S. border. That’s an apparent mirage as Trump retreats from his… Read more »
“The election of Donald Trump could be a good thing for America.” Said the scholarly, Binoy Kampmark in his usual, well-moderated tone. This was November 2016, just a few days after the US general election. Many a voice was being raised not only about the election result but more to the point, the presumed unlikely… Read more »
The NHL announced in an email Thursday that it will kick off the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a free concert in Tampa by Cage The Elephant. It will be at downtown’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Wednesday, April 10 at 5:15 p.m. The press release from the NHL is below: The National Hockey League… Read more »
Democrats continue to pressure the Justice Department to release the entire Mueller report without redactions; on Wednesday the House Judiciary Committee approved subpoenas for special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. On Thursday in St. Petersburg there’s a demonstration planned demanding the release of the full Mueller report. WMNF… Read more »
President Donald Trump has backed off his threats to close the U.S.-Mexico border; but he’s still going full steam ahead on plans for a massive wall along the border. There’s a protest against that wall this afternoon on the University of South Florida Tampa campus. WMNF interviewed David Jones, a first year student at USF… Read more »
Custodians in Hillsborough County Schools are fighting back against a proposal to privatize cleaning services. They are rallying Tuesday afternoon outside the school board meeting in downtown Tampa and speaking out during the meeting itself. In a separate demonstration Tuesday morning about fifty custodians and their allies rallied in a light rain shower. Organizers say… Read more »
According to the most recent National Climate Assessment, global sea level rise over the past century has averaged about eight inches; it could rise by much more than that over the next several decades and impact home values and infrastructure in coastal counties like in the Tampa Bay region. This week at St. Petersburg College,… Read more »
Frequent contributor to Life Elsewhere, Robert Hunziker says global warming is a fact of life that haunts society with consequences that hit hard, exponentially, but where nobody lives. It is happening hyper fast, and it’s downright scary as major ecosystems of the planet turn upside down in nasty fashion. He goes on to say that… Read more »
A coalition of faith-based groups will gather on Monday to ask Hillsborough County leaders to solve problems of affordable housing and criminal justice in the county. The Hillsborough Organization for Progress & Equality, or HOPE, is hosting what it calls its ‘Nehemiah Action.’ About 1400 participants are expected. To find out more, WMNF spoke with… Read more »
This weekend is the Tampa Pride festival; most events are centered in Ybor City on Saturday. To find out what people can expect, WMNF spoke with Nancy Desmond from Tampa Pride. “Tampa Pride is the Pride event that celebrates the Tampa LGBTQ community. This year our theme is Milestones. We’re celebrating our fifth year. And… Read more »
The largest pro-Israel lobbying group held its annual conference this week. Several Democratic candidates for president promised to skip the meeting of AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, because of its support for the policies of Israel and its current hard-right government. The local Progressive Democrats of America chapter is screening a documentary… Read more »
The Florida Department of Transportation has proposed a major regional overhaul called Tampa Bay Next; it involves widening interstate highways, but also includes transit, facilities for bicycles and pedestrians, “complete streets,” and freight mobility. Tuesday in Seminole Heights there’s a chance for the public to find out more and to weigh in on a segment… Read more »
More aging Americans are using pot to soothe what ails them. By JOHN ROGERS Associated Press LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — The group of white-haired folks — some pushing walkers, others using canes — arrive right on time at the gates of Laguna Woods Village, an upscale retirement community in the picturesque hills that frame… Read more »
