The post SOTD 6/16/26: A Way It Goes by Amanda Shires appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

The Top 10 Spins on WMNF 88.5 FM highlights the most popular and influential tracks currently playing on the station. It showcases a curated list of the top 10 songs, representing a mix of genres from indie hits to emerging artists and chart-topping favorites. Updated weekly, this list brings you the freshest sounds and the latest music trends. Tune in to discover the best of what’s making waves on WMNF 88.5 FM, celebrated for its diverse and community-driven programming.

1. Kacey Musgraves, “Dry Spell”

2. Lucy Dacus, “Planting Tomatoes”

3. The Rolling Stones, “In The Stars”

4. Angelique Kidjo, Nile Rodgers, IZA, “Oyaya”

5. Future Islands, “Find Love”

6. Tedeschi Trucks Band, “I Got You”

7. Hiss Golden Messenger, “In the Middle of It”

8. Death Cab for Cutie, “Punching the Flowers”

9. Jesse Welles, “Join Ice”

10. Ibibio Sound Machine, “Return to Sender”

Want to discover more of WMNF’s favorite new music? Check out our Hot Box on Spotify!

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What a night!

Last Saturday, WMNF welcomed Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys to Skipper’s Smokehouse for an unforgettable evening of music, dancing, and community. From the first notes by Rocket 88 to the final encore, the energy was incredible as a packed crowd filled the dance floor and celebrated a night of classic Americana, Rock & Roll, Country, Rhythm & Blues, and Rockabilly.

We want to thank everyone who came out to support live music, WMNF, and our local music community. Events like these are a reminder of what makes Tampa Bay special: great music, great people, and unforgettable experiences shared together.

A special thanks to Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, Rocket 88, the staff at Skipper’s Smokehouse, our volunteers, and everyone who helped make the evening such a success.

Enjoy the photo gallery below and relive some of the highlights from this fantastic night!

See you at the next WMNF event.

Photos by John Mazzello

The post A night to remember: Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys at Skipper’s appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

FPREN | By Andrew Wulfeck

Florida is known as the Sunshine State, and for good reason – the state regularly experiences long stretches of hot, humid weather, but the all-time warmest air temperatures are lower than nearly every other state.

The hottest air temperature ever officially recorded in Florida was 109 degrees Fahrenheit, which occurred in the town of Monticello, east of Tallahassee, on June 29, 1931.

California holds the national record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the United States, with a reading of 134 degrees Fahrenheit in Death Valley.

Many other states have recorded temperatures between 111 and 128 degrees, with Florida’s record similar to readings you would find across New England.

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/I1Qx1/4

So why does a region known for its intense summer heat have lower extreme readings than much of the country?

A large part of the answer comes down to the terrain and the influence of bodies of water as well as the weather.

Because of Florida’s unique shape, almost no community is more than about 85 miles from an ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf act as natural air conditioners during the summer, helping limit how high temperatures can climb.

The areas of Florida that are the furthest from the ocean often see some of the state’s most extreme temperatures.

Examples of inland communities include Malone in Jackson County, located in the Florida Panhandle, and Sebring, located near the center of the peninsula between Sarasota and Vero Beach.

These communities receive the least cooling effects from the ocean, allowing temperatures to climb higher during heat waves.

A similar pattern can be seen at a more local level. It is why cities that are nearly surrounded by water, such as Miami and Tampa, have only reached 100 degrees once, while communities with inland observation sites, such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville, have reached 105 degrees.

In fact, Key West, which is surrounded by water, has never reached 100 degrees. The city’s warmest all-time temperature is 97 degrees, which has occurred several times throughout its history, including on August 29, 1956.

The ocean also helps to enhance humidity levels in coastal communities, which is why these areas hold records for having some of the greatest heat index values, even though air temperatures remain relatively mild.

The greatest heat index values ever reported have both occurred along the Gulf Coast, with 119-degree readings reported in both Tampa and Fort Myers.

It is important to note that heat index values of at least 123 degrees have been previously reported, but because readings are based on unofficial calculations, the data is not considered to be reliable.

Florida’s warm season largely begins in May and lasts through October, with July being the warmest month of the year.

The post What are the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Florida? appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

©2026 The News Service of Florida

State workers will get an extended Independence Day holiday weekend. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that offices will be closed starting Thursday, July 2 and reopen Tuesday, July 7 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

State offices were already scheduled to be closed Friday, July 3.

DeSantis said the extended holiday is part of Florida leading “the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.”

“America’s 250th anniversary is a historic milestone and an opportunity to reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and enduring principles that established the United States as the freest and most prosperous nation in the world,” DeSantis said in a released statement.

The post State of Florida workers will get a 5-day Independence Day weekend appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

ALICE report finds families need to make over $106,000 to afford basic needs

But WMNF’s Luiza Campos reports there may be good news for DeSoto County.

Here are the candidates for Florida’s 16th Congressional District

Florida’s Primary Election is set for Tuesday, August 18. Ahead of the upcoming vote, Brandon residents gathered for an informal civic event to meet with candidates.

Governor DeSantis signs 11th death warrant of the year

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for the execution of Dennis Michael Sochor.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

• information from News Service of Florida, the Associated Press and Florida Public Media was used in this report

The post The Scoop: Mon. June 15, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

FPREN | By Leslie Hudson

A lower-category hurricane can still be deadly, and in Florida, the kind of damage a storm brings often depends on which part of the state is in its path. What threatens the Panhandle is not always the same as what plays out across the peninsula.

As hurricane season continues, remember this: a lower category does not mean lower risk. and in Florida, the kind of hurricane trouble you face depends a lot on which part of the state you call home.

Because hurricane risk can change dramatically from one part of Florida to another, it’s important to know your local evacuation zone before a storm threatens. The state’s Know Your Zone tool, National Storm Surge Risk Maps. and Florida’s Hurricane Safety Program all help break down how risk differs across the state.

The post Not every Floridian faces the same hurricane threat appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

The WMNF Song of the Day for June 15, 2026 is “Big Thumb” by Lowertown.

Named after Ottawa’s historic Lower Town neighborhood, where the duo first worked on demos together, Lowertown has quickly become one of indie rock’s most compelling young acts. The Atlanta-based band is made up of lyricist and poet Olivia Osby and classically trained pianist Avsha Weinberg, who first crossed paths in a high school math class before channeling their shared creativity into music. Signed to the acclaimed UK label Dirty Hit, the pair made a striking debut with 2022’s I Love to Lie, the first in a trilogy of albums.

Lowertown’s sound blends an off-kilter indie edge with a gritty nod to classic New York punk, while continuing to evolve into something uniquely their own. After appearances at SXSW in both 2022 and 2023 and Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival in 2021, Lowertown is now headlining the Ugly Duckling Union tour, bringing their raw energy and emotionally charged performances to audiences across the country including a stop at the Orpheum on June 23rd.  

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Vince Beiser – Power Metal – The Race For The Resources That Will Shape Our Future

An Australian millionaire’s plan to mine the ocean floor. Nigerian garbage pickers risking their lives to salvage e-waste. A Bill Gates-backed entrepreneur harnessing AI to find metals in the Arctic.These people and millions more are part of the intensifying competition to find and extract the minerals essential for two crucial technologies: the internet and renewable energy. In Power Metal, Vince Beiser explores the Achilles’ heel of “green power” and digital technology – that manufacturing computers, cell phones, electric cars, and other technologies demand skyrocketing amounts of lithium, copper, cobalt, and other materials. Around the world, businesses and governments are scrambling for new places and new ways to get those metals, at enormous cost to people and the planet. Beiser crisscrossed the world to talk to the people involved and report on the damage this race is inflicting, the ways it could get worse, and how we can minimize the damage. Power Metal is a compelling glimpse into this disturbing yet potentially promising new world.

Vince Beiser – The World In A Grain – The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization 

Did you know that after water and air, sand is our most consumed natural resource? Have you ever realized how deeply sand defines and makes possible our lives? Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every window, computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. This humble material is in everything from light bulbs to glasses – and we are running out of it. Award-winning journalist Vince Beiser explains how vital sand is in its many forms, from construction sand to silica to high-purity quartz. Beiser writes, “Sand has become one of the twenty-first century’s most sought-after commodities, sparking violence and destruction around the world.”

Vince Beiser in addition to being a favorite, informative guest, a succinct, proficient writer he also publishes a Newsletter we recommend.

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Destroying Angels

From the album, Black Earth, the German all-instrumental quartet self-describe themselves as  “doom-ridden jazz music”. A foreboddin description for such charming music. Originally they were called Bohren (German for drilling), they emerged from hardcore punk and metal bands during the late 1980s, these musicians sought and discovered a new direction that reveled in sheer unhurried lethargy, a music persistently sedate, modally performed, and harmonically minimal. The album was first released in 2004, then rereleased on the important Belgium label, PIAS (Play It Again Sam) in 2016. Definitely worth investigating.

The post Crucial Commodities: Metal & Sand appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Listen:

On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for the execution of Dennis Michael Sochor. 

It’s the 11th death warrant signed by the governor this year. 

Dennis Micheal Sochor was convicted of strangling 18-year-old Patricia Gifford in Broward County in 1981. 

The 74-year-old is scheduled to die from lethal injection at Florida State Prison on July 14th.

Grace Hanna is the Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. 

“I know people often say that things are unprecedented, but this is actually unprecedented. Florida has never carried out this many executions on this short of a timeline. We had 19 last year, this is the eleventh death warrant this year, and we are ahead of pace from last year.” Hanna told WMNF.

Hanna is also a family member of a murder victim. 

Hanna says the death penalty brings “deep sadness.” 

“I also feel frustration that our state is continuing down this path. I think the death penalty is much lesser than who we want to be as a society.” Hanna said.

The group has argued that life without parole is an alternative to the death penalty, and is working on plans for a vigil for Sochor. 

The warrant comes a week after Andrew Lukehart was executed for the murder of a five-month-old girl.

Last year, Florida executed 19 people – a state record. 

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