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OPINION

Much Ado about an ADU

Last week, TBT ’s Dawn Kitterman reported on the manner in which politically connected developer Carlos Beruff secured a permit to build an “ADU” that was grossly out of compliance …
by Mitch Maley
3 days ago

County Administration Approves Six-Figure Contract with Secure HR Pro

A purchasing agreement executed last fall between the Manatee County Government and a local payroll and PEO company has grown into a six-figure contract after just six months.
by Dawn Kitterman
3 days ago
Timisu graphic via Pixabay

Watchdog groups call on Gov. DeSantis to veto ethics bill

A coalition of state watchdog groups have sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling on him to veto an ethics bill that prohibits ethics commissions from pursuing any investigation of public …
by Mitch Perry
5 days ago
Dave Portnoy samples a slice from IL Panifico in Sarasota for his One Bite pizza reviews. Photo via Facebook video.

Dave Portnoy's One Bite Pizza Reviews Makes a Stop in Manatee County

Bar Stool Sports founder and famed pizza critic Dave Portnoy made his way through the Tampa Bay area this week, logging several pizza reviews, including Gianni's in Bradenton.
Staff Report
Wednesday, March 13
More local news
LWV County Commission Notes: 3/12/24
The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Government Committee observes Manatee County Commission meetings for items of interest to citizens and the League and notes adherence, or lack of …
by Maureen Dardinski
5 days ago
Big Brother Desmond Lindsay and his Little Brother Zane always have fun together, enjoying a variety of activities.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Kicks Off its 100 Men in 100 Days Campaign
Big Brothers Big Sisters, serving Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto, Highlands, Hardee, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties, launches its “100 Men in 100 Days” campaign to encourage men …
Staff Report
Wednesday, March 13
Florida’s unusual (or boring?) presidential primary set for next week
Florida is holding a presidential preference primary election next Tuesday, though it doesn’t really feel like it. Start with the fact that both President Joe Biden and former President …
by Mitch Perry
Wednesday, March 13
Gov Ron DeSantis announced on March 13 that he deployed Guard and law enforcement resources against immigration from Haiti. Screenshot/Florida Channel
DeSantis mobilizes National Guard, state police off South FL against any influx of Haitians
Gov. Ron DeSantis has mobilized the National Guard and law enforcement units against “a potential influx of illegal immigrants” from Haiti, where armed gangs have taken control of large …
by Michael Moline
Wednesday, March 13
Creative Commons photo via ciphr.com.
Study: Over Half of Floridians Would Avoid Whistleblowing to Protect Careers
Many consider blowing the whistle on wrongdoing to be an act of true courage and integrity, yet it is fraught with daunting risks. Retaliation by employers or coworkers can escalate to job …
Staff Report
Wednesday, March 13
This Week in Local Government: 3/17/24
There are a handful of local government meetings of note on the calendar this week.  The Palmetto City Commission will hold its workshop and regular meeting on Monday, …
by Dawn Kitterman
Wednesday, March 13
Opinions
EarthTalk: Eco-Friendly Guitars
Most guitars out there today are crafted out of some form of spruce, mahogany, maple or cedar. But increased demand and widespread mechanized logging around the world has decimated populations of …
Wednesday, March 13
Opportunity to Expand Emerson Point Must not be Missed
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Manatee County Commission will vote on acquiring a key piece of environmentally sensitive land that would expand the Emerson Point Preserve to nearly double its size. …
by Mitch Maley
Saturday, March 9
EarthTalk: Cruise Industry
Cruise ships are a big part of the marine shipping sector that is responsible for close to three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. No doubt, as much as these big boats might recycle or use …
Wednesday, March 6
COMMENTARY
Guest Commentary
Bradenton's Commitment to Infrastructure Improvement
The City of Bradenton is tackling its aged infrastructure head-on. As the current mayor and city council, we’ve allocated significant resources for long-term planning, engineering, and …
by Mayor Gene Brown and the Bradenton City Council
5 days ago
Commentary
Chief's Corner: Beware of Government Imposter Scams
BPD continues to warn Bradenton citizens about popular, recurring scams that often target elderly citizens. Scammers use multiple tactics, but the goal is always to con victims into providing bank …
by Melanie Bevan, Bradenton Chief of Police
Wednesday, March 13
Commentary
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and several Republican colleagues held a news conference to criticize Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the ongoing border talks between Senate Republicans and Democrats. Photo via C-Span
Bipartisan immigration bill offers solutions for border security instead of photo ops
As a father of two daughters, I look at photographs of Laken Riley and her family and I feel grief. I feel anger. It’s hard to imagine losing a child like that, the victim in what appears to be …
by Jay Bookman
Friday, March 8
Obituaries
Roy Collins
April 2, 1928 - February 22, 2024 Bradenton, Florida - Roy Richard Collins passed away on February 22, 2024 at the age of 95 in Bradenton, Florida. Known as Dick, he was predeceased by his …
2 days ago
Joseph Mason Jr.
October 10, 1937 - February 25, 2024 Bradenton, Florida - Joseph W. Mason Jr., passed on February 25, 2024, in Bradenton, Florida. He lived an incredibly full life and died peacefully in …
2 days ago
James Means
October 25, 1946 - January 28, 2024 Mint Hill, North Carolina - James Joseph "Jim" Means of Mint Hill, N.C., passed away on January 28th, 2024. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Keith L. …
2 days ago
TBT Podcasts
In celebration of Sunshine Week, Mitch Maley and Dawn Kitterman discuss TBT's ongoing efforts to secure public records from the county regarding the possible misuse of staff resources, as well as …
Wednesday, March 13
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse joins TBT's Mitch Maley to discuss impact fees, the wetland buffer, Veterans Monument Park, and other recent BOCC issues.
Wednesday, March 6
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Local Events and More...
Sports & recreation

The Biofile: Connor Joe

Connor Joe is an outfielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. Joe was drafted by the Pirates in the …
by Scoop Malinowski
5 days ago

Rabelo Is a Proven Pirates Coaching Guru

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mike Rabelo is in a class of his own when it comes to his baseball knowledge and coaching abilities. In the Pirates’ 2024 Spring Training Magazine sold at LECOM Park, …
by Don Laible
Thursday, March 7

Young Bucs Pitchers Reveled in 2023 All-Star Experience

Mitch Keller and David Bednar had a blast representing the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle. It’s been nine months now since Keller and Bednar received word from …
by Don Laible
Thursday, February 29
Arts & Entertainment

Limited $10 Lottery Tickets Available for Hamilton

Hamilton is coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall this month, and tickets are in high demand. Producer Jeffrey Seller and the Van Wezel have announced that at every performance, there will be …

Staff Report
5 days ago

Interview: Postmodern Jukebox's Chloe Feoranzo

In many respects, Postmodern Jukebox could only exist today with a perfectly matched blend of elements coming into harmony over the past decade. The performers are at the heart of that, though quite …
by Thomas Crone
Wednesday, March 13

Weekend Sounds: March 8-10

It's another weekend, and you know what that means. If you guessed another great lineup of local, talented musicians in Manatee, Sarasota, and surrounding counties, you would be …
Staff Report
Thursday, March 7

Movie Review: Poor Things

It’s been a cliché that we’re always changing as we age, but are the more important changes physical or psychological? Sure, physically, our bodies start weak, grow stronger, and …
by Jared Rasic
Thursday, March 7
ICYM - In Case You Missed It
OPINION
Last week, I wrote a column explaining how the county’s expensive, tax-payer-funded PR machine was attempting to mislead the public regarding the county commission’s most recent giveaway …
by Mitch Maley
Friday, March 1
opinion
Sarasota County is in the process of studying the impacts of sea-level rise and is planning to produce a flooding vulnerability assessment for the county. ManaSota-88 recommends the following be …
by Glenn Compton
Thursday, February 29
For years, human-induced climate change has been a controversial topic, despite heaps of scientific evidence proving its existence. In the past, climate change deniers have used the rhetoric of …
Wednesday, February 28
This week, Manatee County’s propaganda department lauded its developer-funded lackeys for “proposing an impact fee increase.” Let’s take a closer look at what actually …
by Mitch Maley
Saturday, February 24
opinion
The 2024 Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan confirms what we already know: Southwest Florida is deficient in hurricane shelters, and it is projected to remain deficient until at least 2029.  The …
by Glenn Compton
Friday, February 23
Interesting News

How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight

U.S. airlines carry more than 800 million passengers per year. Lasha Kilasonia/iStock via Getty Images Plus Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If …

Craig Merrett, Clarkson University, The Conversation
Yesterday at 5:21 PM

San Francisco's burning question: Are we ready for Waymo Google cars?

After an incident with one of Google's driverless vehicles in San Francisco, Way.com explores whether the city is ready to adopt these vehicles for service.
Gareth Newman
Yesterday at 3:30 PM

Can background checks show whether your identity was stolen?

Money.com offers tips and information to consider when conducting a background check on yourself.
Pete Grieve
Yesterday at 3:00 PM
Florida report

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Bob Delaney - Undercover Film "Hiding in Plain Sight" Working Undercover in New Jersey as a State Trooper

Emmy Award winning director, Nick Nanton, interviews Bob Delaney. Former undercover New Jersey state trooper and NBA referee. Bob Delaney talks with Nick Nanton about his incredible careers in two vastly different fields, from infiltrating the Mafia in the 1970s to becoming one of the NBA's most respected referees. In this episode, Bob opens up about his experience with post-traumatic stress and his passion for helping others overcome it.

State News
Quality Journalism for Critical Times With less than six months before voting begins, the legal jousting over the rules for the 2024 election is already underway. And former President Donald …
Zachary Roth (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 4:31 PM
Quality Journalism for Critical Times Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former U.S. House member and Democratic candidate challenging incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in 2024, held a press conference …
Jackie Llanos (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 3:51 PM
Quality Journalism for Critical Times WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court seemed skeptical Monday of a lawsuit alleging the federal government colluded with social media companies to suppress …
Jason Hancock (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 1:32 PM
Quality Journalism for Critical Times Early voting ended Sunday for Florida’s presidential preference primary that takes place on Tuesday, March 19 — an election where Democrats and …
Mitch Perry (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 11:50 AM
Bonus web content
Safest and most affordable cities in the US
MoneyGeek analyzed cost data from the Census Bureau's one-year American Community Survey and MIT's Living Wage Calculator, focusing on the top cities from our safest small and mid-to-large city studies.
Anja Solum
Yesterday at 2:30 PM
Tobacco imagery rising in top entertainment, including among the 2024 Best Picture winner and nominees
(BPT) - To find a smoke-free setting among this year’s Oscar Best Picture nominees, you’d have to go to Barbie Land. Of the 10 films nominated for the Oscars top prize — including …
Yesterday at 2:01 PM
Rural Americans were less likely to enroll in a federal broadband assistance program. Now it's too late to sign up
The Daily Yonder reports on the federal government halting enrollment in a program that helps millions of Americans afford their broadband subscriptions.
Sarah Melotte for The Daily Yonder
Yesterday at 2:00 PM
States where the most people are receiving substance use treatment
Ophelia mapped and analyzed the number of patients in substance use facilities per capita across the U.S., using SAMHSA survey data.
Paxtyn Merten
Yesterday at 1:30 PM
Most common settings for foodborne outbreaks in the US
FoodReady used data from the CDC to explore the most common settings that facilitated foodborne illnesses in the U.S. from 2009 to 2021.
Cassidy Grom, Data Work By Emma Rubin
Yesterday at 1:00 PM