Weekly conversations with people making a difference in the Tampa Bay region, hosted by Janet and Tom Scherberger.
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Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice wants to see more details about the proposed tax subsidies for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark before he commits to voting for it, he said Tuesday on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet and Tom. The Rays want hundreds of millions of dollars in tax subsidies to build a $1.3 billion… -
Photographer Chip Weiner discusses his two-volume book of historic photographs of Tampa juxtaposed with photos from today that he made in the exact same spots. With more than 900 pages, "Burgert Brothers: Look Again Rephotographing Historic Tampa” tells a rich history of Tampa, from its days as a sleepy town of cigar workers and immigrants to its current status as a fast-growing, dynamic urban center that continues to attract people from all around the world. -
World Car Free Day, an annual event observed in 46 countries and more than 2,000 cities, is coming to Tampa for the first time on Sept. 23. The goal of World Car Free Day is to reduce the number of cars on the streets for one day. It will be held in three locations in… -
Just hours before the Tampa City Council was set to vote on Mayor Jane Castor’s proposed budget and property tax increase, one of its members explained on WMNF WaveMakers why he is adamantly opposed. Tampa City Council member Bill Carlson said Castor has not been transparent on how the increased revenue would be spent, citing… -
Distinguished historian Gary Mormino had been invited to give a talk at a workshop for Florida teachers this summer about the African American experience during World War II. But a week before the talk, the task force that invited him curtly told him his services were no longer needed. What happened? “I suppose in a… -
At 78, Sarasota author Bob Plunkett finally gets the recognition his fans always thought he deservedAfter 40 years of obscurity, comic novelist Bob Plunkett is finally getting the attention his devoted fans thought he deserved. His novel “My Search for Warren Harding” was recently republished after 40 years to acclaim by the New York Times, the Paris Review and the New Yorker. He talked about the book and his sudden… -
Eric Deggans, the first TV critic for National Public Radio, on Tuesday (Aug. 15) discussed the state of media and race on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet and Tom. Just over a decade ago Deggans wrote a book titled Race Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation. When asked if anything has… -
While Polk County will abandon its curbside recycling program next year, the Pinellas County Commission on Thursday will discuss ways to expand to universal curbside collection in unincorporated areas. -
Seagrass is in decline around Florida, including Tampa and Sarasota bays, and that’s proven deadly for manatees. Tom Ries is trying to do something about that. -
As Tampa Mayor Jane Castor released her long-awaited mobility plan Tuesday, WMNF WaveMakers discussed the ambitious goal in it and the long-range plans for improving transportation in Pinellas. Both plans seek to ease traffic congestion and make streets safer but are missing a key ingredient: money. -
Whit Remer, Tampa's first-ever sustainability and resilience officer, discussed the city's new Climate Action and Equity Plan for dealing with the challenges of climate change. -
Two of the leaders of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts appeared on WMNF WaveMakers June 27 to discuss moving to the Kress Building in Ybor City after a decade in downtown Tampa. -
Yvette Lewis, a WMNF Board member and president of the Hillsborough Branch of the NAACP joined WaveMakers to talk about Ron DeSantis and the John Lewis Stay Woke rolling protest in Tampa. -
Fresh off a significant court victory in its battle to preserve Florida's freshwater springs, leaders of the Florida Springs Council appeared on WMNF WaveMakers to discuss how the public can get involved. Florida has the highest concentration of freshwater springs in the world but they are under stress from pollution, over-pumping and neglect, said Ryan Smart, executive director of the nonprofit Florida Springs Council. One of the greatest sources of pollution is nitrogen and phosphorus caused by fertilizer runoff from urban lawns, said Michael McGrath, works for the Florida Sierra Club and is a board member for the Springs Council. -
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a Tampa Bay non-profit is trying to draw attention to the region's enormous needs. Carrie Zeisse, President and CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives, joined WMNF WaveMakers hosts Janet and Tom Scherberger to discuss the group's mission and how anyone dealing with mental health issues can find help. -
Susan Glickman, who has been advocating for policies to address climate change for 20 years, told WMNF WaveMakers Tuesday that Florida is finally admitting it has a problem and trying to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels. But that's like buying more towels to mop up the bathroom floor flooded by an overflowing sink. We have to also have to turn off the flow of carbon emissions, the source of climate change. -
Dr. David Berger, a board-certified pediatrician and USF nursing professor, was a guest on WMNF WaveMakers with Janet & Tom where he discussed the politicization of healthcare decisions in Florida, from reproductive rights to medical marijuana to trans teens and more. -
ABC Action News meteorologist Denis Phillips was a guest on WMNF WaveMakers on Tuesday, May 9, to discuss Hurricane Ian, the upcoming hurricane season, climate change and how he developed his famous Rule No. 7. -
Disney's decision to stop political contributions to Florida Republicans was the real reason that Gov. Ron DeSantis and the legislature are attacking the state's largest private employer, says journalist Jason Garcia, who covered Disney for 10 years and now distributes the newsletter Seeking Rents on Substack. -
Peter Kageyama has been making waves in cities across the country for 20 years. He's best known as the author of For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places. He also just published his first work of fiction. Hunter’s Point is a detective novel set in 1950s San Francisco in which he explores organized crime, World War Two Japanese internment camps and beat poetry. -
Pictured (l-r): Brittney Barrie, Charlie Meers, Devon Kreps The owners of three of Florida’s best breweries discussed the past, present and future of craft beer and the challenges women have faced in the male-dominated industry. Devon Kreps, owner of 7venth Sun Brewing in Dunedin and Tampa; Charlie Meers, co-owner of Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa and… -
Mario Núñez, creator and host of The Tampa Natives show on the Tampa Bay Arts and Education network, talks with WaveMakers about his nostalgic longing for the Tampa he grew up in. -
Florida Aquarium CEO Roger Germann talks about conservation, coral and new experiences at the popular Tampa attraction. -
Concerns about affordable housing and lack of transportation options often focus on young people, but the AARP Florida says those issues also disproportionately affect aging residents. Jeff Johnson drops some knowledge. -
Walter L. Smith is making waves battling environmental injustice. He talks about that work and meeting the late great Nelson Mandela. -
Women have long played an important role in historic preservation. We talked to long-time preservation advocate Linda Saul-Sena and Jane Hernandez of the Chiselers, a group of women that have been focused on preserving the University of Tampa's Plant Hall since 1959. -
District 3 Tampa City Council candidates George The Hunted Feshev and Jose Vasquez talked about their bids to unseat incumbent Lynn Hurtak. -
Tampa City Council candidates Alan Clendenin, Sonja Brookins and Chase Harrison joined WaveMakers to talk about why they're challenging Joe Citro for his District 1 City Council seat. -
Barbara Rhode, founder of the Red Tent Women’s Initiative in St. Petersburg, talks about the non-profit's trauma-centered program that gives women at the end of their incarceration counseling, education and the tools for a successful life after confinement. She was joined by Melissa Greene, a past participant in the Red Tent Initiative. We also heard from state Rep. Dianne Hart, from Tampa, who chairs the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, a group of established in the 1960s. She talked to WaveMakers about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Black history and her efforts to bring more humane conditions to Florida's prison system. -
Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak talks about transportation, affordable housing, sustainabilty and working with the Mayor. -
MLK Day Parade goers tell us what Martin Luther King Jr. means to them, and Celeste Roberts talks about The Skills Center, a sports-based program that aims to improve educational outcomes, economic prospects and life options for at-risk youth. -
Lena Young Green has been making waves in Tampa for nearly 40 years. She serves on the board of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, and co-founded the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, the Coalition for Community Gardens, and GreenARTery, Inc., which is dedicated to the completion of a 22-mile perimeter trail around central Tampa. And those are just a few of her affiliations as one of the city’s most consistent and committed neighborhood activists. -
Tracy Midulla of Tempus Projects, an artists collective in Ybor City, and Michele Smith of the Tampa Arts Alliance, give their take on Tampa's arts scene, which is seeing an infusion of support from the business community. -
It seems a condo tower breaks ground every minute in St. Petersburg. Is there a way to balance economic development and historic preservation? We explore the issue with Manny Leto. -
In a wide-ranging conversation, the Tampa City Council Chairman Joseph Citro touched on his plan for Tampa's streetcar; the search for a way to reuse 50 million gallons of waster water that's dumped into the Bay every day; the recent forced resignation of the Tampa police chief; former Sen. Janet Cruz's run against City Council member Lynn Hurtak; and his days as a DJ at WMNF. -
The authors of the book The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers talk about ingredients, myths and the international love of Tampa's signature sandwich. -
Urban designer Josh Frank, who's working on highway removal projects in Syracuse and New Orleans, talks about his proposal to remove I-275 north of downtown Tampa and turn into a boulevard. -
Rep. Kathy Castor shares her takeaways after attending the United Nations climate in Egypt and USF climate scientist Don Chambers talks about Florida's coastlines over the millennia. -
Tampa City Council member Bill Carlson discussed everything from economic development to the arts, affordable housing, water policy and his run for re-election. -
We asked voters: What's motivating you to vote this year? And do you remember the first time you voted? Listen to what they said.
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With just a week to go before the final day of voting, Democratic political consultant Maya Brown joined WaveMakers to talk midterms -
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is comprised of 18 million acres that's vital for the survival of panthers, bears, gopher tortoises, snakes and other wildlife. Listen to this podcast to learn how to explore it—and protect it. -
Patrick Manteiga joined talks about 100 years of La Gaceta, the past and future of Ybor City and the midterm elections. -
Five Florida Supreme Court Justices are on the ballot in November. Some voters believe only one is worth keeping on the court. We dive into why with attorneys Laura Lawson and Sean Shaw. -
In the heat of the current fentanyl epidemic, an average of 30 people die from drug overdoses every week in the Tampa Bay Region. Jennifer Webb, executive director of Live Tampa Bay, joined WaveMakers to talk about about the coalition of community leaders fighting the battle against fentanyl. -
Advocates and activists Carla Jimenez and Kerry Kriseman told their survivor stories on WaveMakers during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. -
Tim Burke, one of the stars of the popular Netflix series “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist” joined WaveMakers to discuss the two-part documentary that tells the bizarre and disturbing story of how Notre Dame football star Manti Teo, who was famously catfished. -
Florida Democratic leaders are working to get out the Hispanic vote in November. Political consultant Victor DiMaio, who leads the Hillsborough County Democratic Party's Hispanic caucus, and recently re-elected Hillsborough School Board member Karen Perez joined WaveMakers on Aug. 30 to talk tactics and strategy. -
Ward talked about the Cabinet decision to protect more of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, his work for National Geographic and his newest project, the documentary film, "The Path of the Panther," which is now on the festival circuit and set to stream soon. -
John Lynch, CEO of Kush.com, a digital business-to-business marketplace for the cannabis industry, joined WaveMakers to talk about the industry and why his company is relocating from Seattle to Tampa.
