Bennie Holder. Stephen Hogue. Jane Castor. There’s a pattern in Tampa Police Chiefs. They keep getting better. St. Petersburg should take note – and notes.   Hogue, the consummate professional whose six-year tenure ends this month, was a major upgrade. But even Hogue concedes that eventually Castor “is going to be recognized as the best [...]

President Barack Obama wrapped up his recent barnstorming tour of network TV talk shows (including Univision – but notably not Fox) with an appearance last Monday on the “Late Show” with David Letterman. Most observers applauded the strategy of the orator-in-chief, even at the risk of over-exposure.   The president is that effective a spokesman [...]

Plant High School unabashedly proclaims itself the “Home of State Champions.” Those words are even emblazoned on the water tower that hovers over the campus. Indeed, the 83-year-old, South Tampa institution has won 14 state championships – from football and volleyball to girls’ cross-country and golf – in the last 15 years.     And [...]

We know that it takes more than artifacts to make a successful museum. Among other factors: location and amenities. A prime example: the Tampa Bay History Center. It basks by the Garrison Channel across from Harbour Island – and is proximate to Channelside synergy. It was a coup when it landed the Columbia Restaurant, a [...]

So, is the vitriolic backlash against the president largely fueled by race, as former President Jimmy Carter contends? “An overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man” is how Carter phrased it.   The Obama Administration, understandably, disagrees.  No one, of [...]

Cuba represents signal-sending, low-hanging geopolitical fruit with economic implications for recession-bludgeoned Florida. And yet the Obama Administration hasn’t done much more than undo some George W. Bush Administration restrictions regarding travel and remittances. In fact, the State Department, implausibly enough, recently re-upped Cuba’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism.   As a result, many [...]

“No matter how much the embargo critics talk, no matter how many press conferences they hold, the bottom line is they don’t have the votes.” – Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart to the Miami Herald, August 2009.

*Is anyone not nostalgic for Dan Kleman yet?   *One additional question in the sordid, sexual discrimination case involving Kevin White. Exactly what was the experienced-challenged, resume-lacking Alyssa Ogden interviewing for?   *Bennie Holder, Stephen Hogue, Jane Castor. It keeps getting better. And Hogue is not an easy act to follow. Police Chief Jane Castor: [...]

When it comes to watching television, my frame of reference is limited outside of news, sports and Netflix movies. But for some, what-the-hell reason I actually read the Tampa Tribune’s splashy (“Getaway” section) layout on the new fall TV series. Walt Belcher is a knowledgeable fellow, and this is his beat. I zeroed in on [...]

*Sign of the times: Imagine Florida Gator fans being disappointed in a mere 10-point win against Tennessee.   *Sign of vulnerability: Respected color analyst Gary Danielson, who did the UF-UT game for CBS, noted emphatically that the Gators have serious issues with their wide receivers, which is code for serious issues with their defense of [...]