Tampa Bay

Voice Readers Raise Thousands For Couple That Refused to Spy for Scientology

We've always been suckers for the final scene of It's a Wonderful Life. No matter how many times we see it, we tear up at the sight of George Bailey's friends coming to his aid in his time of need, proving to him that he really is the richest man in town. Over the last couple of days, we watched so ... More >>

The Secret to Eternal Youth! Now Available on the Cruise Ship Freewinds!

Scientology watchers, we have a treat for you this morning. This video has been making the rounds the last couple of days, and we can see why it's generating so much interest. Mike Napier, the captain of Scientology's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, stars in this film and tells us about the bene ... More >>

Paul Ryan Fails To Realize That Classic Rock Is Pretty Much The New Elevator Music

Much ink has been spilled on the fact that Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan is a relative whippersnapper—born in 1970, the Wisconsin representative is 42 years old. Depending on who you're talking to, this makes him part of "generation x," or "the 13th generation," or "that demog ... More >>

Fear and Loathing in Tampa

From cash-hungry strippers to protesters dressed as vaginas, your gonzo guide to the Republican National Convention

Scientology's Concentration Camp for Its Executives: The Prisoners, Past and Present

This weekend, we published a two-part story about the rather amazing 32-year Scientology career of John Brousseau, whose adventures included driving for L. Ron Hubbard, spending time in the Sea Org's prison program the RPF, and working in the Cruise household with Tom and Katie Holmes. What seemed ... More >>

"Tom Cruise Worships David Miscavige Like a God": The John Brousseau Story, Part Two

Yesterday, we published the first part of our conversation with John Brousseau, a 32-year veteran of Scientology's "Sea Org" who escaped from the church's International Base east of Los Angeles in 2010. In our first part, Brousseau described his work in the Tom Cruise household with Katie Holmes an ... More >>

Scientology and Forced Abortion: Laura DeCrescenzo's Three-Year Legal Odyssey

Laura DeCrescenzo had just got out of a two and a half hour deposition with attorneys for the Church of Scientology when I talked to her on the telephone yesterday at her home in Albuquerque. All told, over the three years she's been suing Scientology for the way she was treated as a young Sea Org ... More >>

Scientology Gets a Smooch from the L.A. Times

In 1990, just before he and his colleague Joel Sappell were about to publish a landmark series exposing Scientology's secrets in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Welkos found that someone had placed in a manila envelope against his home's front door a brochure from a mortuary, encouraging him to plan h ... More >>

Prehistoric Aggression: More Reasons Katie Holmes Was Smart to Avoid Scientology Marriage Counseling

In its print edition today, the New York Times is catching up to something we printed on Wednesday about the weirdness of Scientology's marriage counseling. After news broke that Katie Holmes was divorcing Tom Cruise, various news outlets relied on Scientology PR to give the impression that, as ABC ... More >>

SCIENTOLOGY ABANDONED BY L. RON HUBBARD'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND DAVID MISCAVIGE'S FATHER

Multiple sources are telling the Voice that Scientology's International Base in California has experienced stunning new defections -- Roanne Leake, who is L. Ron Hubbard's granddaughter, has "blown" the base, which was her home for more than 20 years. But just as shocking, at about the same time, th ... More >>

Scientology Plays Denver's Police Chief Like a Violin

We recently brought you footage of Sacramento's mayor, former NBA player Kevin Johnson, gushing about Scientology at the opening of an "Ideal Org" in that city. Since that fancy new building opened in California's capital, additional celebrations have occurred in places like Orange County and Denve ... More >>

How Hooters -- Yes, Hooters -- Could Mess Up Scientology's Refund Scam

We've been telling you for the past year about the large number of longtime Scientologists who are walking away from their church. It seems like nearly every week we hear about someone like Dave Fagen who gives up after years of dedication because of the continuing crisis over David Miscavige's lead ... More >>

Debbie Cook -- Exiled by Scientology?

Tampa Bay Times journalists Joe Childs and Tom Tobin have done it again, surprising us with yet another gem of reporting on the Church of Scientology. This time, they learned from a man named John Donley, who worked as a media consultant for Debbie Cook, that she and her husband, Wayne Baumgarten, ... More >>

How a Scientologist Loses Faith in His Church: A Case Study

One of the reasons Debbie Cook's infamous New Year's Eve e-mail had such a huge effect was that it provided a look from inside at what was tearing apart the Church of Scientology. Cook's e-mail spelled out in high relief what ex-Scientologists had been telling us were the issues causing so many lo ... More >>

L. Ron Hubbard in his Own Words: Mr. Charisma?

In March, we brought you excerpts from this year's big LRH Birthday Event held in Clearwater, Florida. We'd been sent a copy of the three-hour presentation, and pulled out what we felt were the best portions to share with you. In the time since, we're kind of surprised that a full version of the vi ... More >>

Scientology Admits Connection to Slimy Anonymous Attack Websites

We've pointed out in the past that Karin Pouw, the Church of Scientology's spokeswoman, appears to be struggling, having been thrust into the role of chief mouthpiece since Tommy Davis vanished sometime last year. But her latest gaffe is more than simply an embarrassing moment for her and the churc ... More >>

Baseball Predictions Are Much Better In Hindsight

​Suppose you brought all the smartest baseball kids on the block together, locked them in a house for two weeks with an unlimited supply of Twinkies and beer, and asked them to pool all their statistical tools to predict the upcoming baseball season? What might the result look like? SBNation's J ... More >>

Dear Internet: All The Snickering About Madonna's Age Is Getting Real Old

This week Madonna's 12th studio album and dive into the deep end of the EDM pool, MDNA, came out. I didn't like it very much. But what I like even less is the sexism-tinged age-baiting that the record seems to be inspiring in so many critics. Forbes was likely the worst offender of the bunch, going ... More >>

Scientology on the High Seas: Posing as Archaeology Students for the Sardinians

In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, a ... More >>

Jonny Jacobsen: A Q&A with Europe's Premier Scientology Blogger

Last month, when a highly complex fraud trial was completing its appeal phase in France -- which considers Scientology a business scam, not a religion -- there was only one place we went for the latest information. In the past, we've described Jonny Jacobsen's blog, Infinite Complacency, as "murder ... More >>

Scientology Intervention: Commenters of the Week!

It's not often that things are calm and soothing here inside the underground bunker. But after Judge Stryker gave the order yesterday for everyone just to chill out, we took it to heart. Even the cats are taking a break from tearing up the furniture. There was plenty of activity this week, though, ... More >>

Scientology Nation of Islam Charter School to be Exorcised from the Earth Forever and Ever

What we've learned from years of reporting on Scientology is that if you don't watch carefully, it will get its tentacles into your school district or worm its way into your local city council chambers or somehow use one of its "secular" front groups to fool some other group of chuckleheads who don' ... More >>

Scientology Counterattack: Commenters of the Week!

There's been so much enturbulation in the underground bunker lately, it's been hell on the cats, who just want to catch up on their sleep. So we installed one of those kitty hi-rises this week and it was an instant hit. The little carnivores are remaining more calm in their tiny carpeted condos whil ... More >>

Scientology on the High Seas: Three Major Enemies Scalped!

In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from late 1968 through 1971, a ... More >>

Nightline's Scientology "Exclusive": What was Exclusive About It, Exactly?

I had a strange and powerful case of déjà vu last night while watching Nightline's interview with Debbie Cook as she talked about being held in "the Hole" at Scientology's international base in California, where executives who fall out of favor with church leader David Miscavige are sent to rot in ... More >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: The "Dwindling Spiral"?

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

Scientology and Nation of Islam Exposed in Florida School Takeover; In Israel, Miscavige Shown to be a Liar by Own Attorneys

The Tampa Bay Times has done it again with another explosive report on the Church of Scientology. Drew Harwell's thorough report shows an alarming partnership between Scientology and the Nation of Islam that has drained dry a troubled charter school in Dunedin, Florida. We also have a startling rep ... More >>

The 5 Worst Things Judges Have Said About Scientology

How many times do judges have to say this stuff?​Monday evening, we learned that Debbie Cook, who dared to question the health of her religion, is being sued by the Church of Scientology. That night, Joe Childs and Tom Tobin of the Tampa Bay Times broke news of the lawsuit, which alleges that ... More >>

Scientology Sues Debbie Cook Over Her New Year's Eve E-Mail

Monday evening, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Church of Scientology filed a lawsuit Friday in San Antonio against Debbie Cook and her husband Wayne Baumgarten. The lawsuit, which accuses Cook of violating the terms of a non-disclosure agreement when she dared to criticize the leadership of h ... More >>

Atlanta Brings 'Fire and Smoke' to the MetLife Sunday

If you're looking for a key to this Sunday's Giants-Falcons Wild Card match, let me suggest the man who will be the best receiver on the field -- with all apologies to Victor Cruz, a terrific player who might just be the Giants' MVP this year. But Atlanta's Julio Jones, named the NFL's rookie of the ... More >>

NYC Wins Second Place in "Who's Next for a Hurricane?" Competition

​Guess who's overdue for a hurricane? Yep, we're lookin' at you, New York. So what if we didn't make the rich and single list? We're number 2 out of the Weather Channel's "Top 5 Hurricane Vulnerable & Overdue Cities"! Hurricane expert Dr. Rick Knabb says, "It is a matter of when, not if, these ... More >>

Super Bowl 2014 in New York? Who's Kidding Who?

​It appears that New York and Tampa Bay are the leading contenders to host the 2014 Super Bowl, which suggests that the NFL owners who vote on this decision need to start testing their own people for recreational drug use. Tampa Bay or New York (er, New Jersey) -- in February? That's a c ... More >>

Chipotle Teams Up With, of All Things, "Food, Inc." & More on the Midtown Doughnut Wars

In a strange turn of promotional mastery, Chipotle has partnered with Magnolia Pictures to promote the documentary Food, Inc. The chain, which hopes to spread the word about its use of organic and naturally raised foods, will sponsor free screenings of the film in 32 cities. [Reuters] The Daily New ... More >>

Jets 'n' Jews: Anthony Weiner Helpfully Reschedules Games for the Observant

We keep forgetting that ethnic groups are not just the spices in our multiethnic stew of cliches, they're also voting blocs. When some Jewish groups complained that the Jets were playing two games that observant Jews couldn't attend because of religious holidays -- one on Rosh Hashanah, one too cl ... More >>

Mayor Mike and the Yanks: How Suite It Is

City Hall gift-wraps another present for baseball's richest team

The Sox/Yanks Road to the Playoffs

EVIL EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

It’s that baseball time of year again

Music

Strikes and Balls

In Baseball's Labor Game, Reporters Miss the Signs

Shelter From the Storm

Frederick Wiseman Pulls the Curtain on Domestic Abuse

Sports

Big Blue Blunders

How the Giants Got Cut Down to Size

Send Money or We’ll Shoot This Team

Contraction Signals That Baseball’s About to Birth Something Ugly

Sports

Sports

Sports

Capping a Career

New Color For The Knicks?

The Death of Hockey

The changes in the game that are turning it to slush

Searching for Color

Why Football Doesn't Write