Welcome to the new District 16, one sprawling puzzle piece of Florida’s new congressional map, which is expected to give Republicans an electoral advantage after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law last week.
To explore the reworked district’s competing priorities and lifestyles, we took a drive through it, from downtown St. Pete, to Bradenton and Palmetto, to Arcadia and Wauchula, more than an hour east.
“Teen takeover”: Tampa police arrested 22 people, ranging in age from 12 to 21, in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park Friday night.
Yet to complete probationary training: An off-duty Tampa police officer was fired after he was arrested Saturday night on a charge of driving under the influence, the police department said.
Body dumped in woods: A Tampa woman collected more than $75,000 of her dead aunt’s Social Security and pension benefits, federal prosecutors say.
The late pop star’s biopic is playing in theaters, and his music is charting again. Did you know the King of Pop and his brothers performed in Tampa back in the early 1970s? That’s not all, he once toured Orlando in a hot air balloon. Read about his time spent in the Sunshine State.
Back to negotiations: Florida lawmakers are in Tallahassee to tackle the unfinished budget. They'll have to sort through a pile of unresolved fights, including over education and Everglades restoration. Here's what to watch.
Received the directive: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is directing local police agencies in Florida to get federal approval before releasing information related to partnership agreements.
Budget amendment: The Florida Division of Emergency Management spent another $45.3 million for immigration enforcement-related costs, totaling nearly $460 million for the year.
This week marks our sixth annual “It’s Your Times” campaign. Money raised benefits the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. Our goal is $300,000 which would help pay the salaries of five journalists in our 80-person newsroom. The campaign started Sunday. Here’s where we stand so far:
