“Rogue" wave flooded shorebirds; USF commencements; It’s Your Times campaign

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Monday, May 11, 2026

 
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Good Monday morning. Today will be overcast with a high of 91.

In today’s edition, read about prosecutors seeking the death penalty for the man charged in the USF student murders; checking in on the shorebirds flooded by a "rogue" wave; and Cousin Vinny’s coming to St. Petersburg.

[LISA MERKLIN | Times]

Florida's AG is on a case that could reshape surrogacy, abortion, IVF

A married couple contracted with a Florida woman to carry their child in a standard surrogacy case. 

But a judge’s unusual order and the intervention of the Florida attorney general set off a chain of events that could reshape a range of reproductive issues.

It isn’t the first time that Attorney General James Uthmeier has injected himself into a normally uncontested court case. Appointed just about a year ago, Uthmeier has already changed Florida law in stark ways. 

Read more.

 
 

AROUND THE BAY (AND FLORIDA)

Lost nests: Nearly two weeks after a "rogue" wave rocked Fort De Soto's nesting shorebird sites, we visited the beach to see how the birds were recovering.

"Partial celebration and partial remembrance": USF's masters and doctoral students celebrated a bittersweet commencement over the weekend after the university endured back-to-back tragedies. See photos from the ceremony. 

90-day notice: Tarpon Springs City Manager Charles Rudd resigned amid backlash over a $40,000 staff retreat in Orlando.

Coming soon to a Tampa courtroom: Rock band Supertramp is at the center of a lawsuit filed last month over royalties that allegedly came up short.

Based on aggravating factors: Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for the man accused of murdering two USF graduate students, Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez’s office announced Friday.

Julio Foolio trial: On Friday, a jury found four men guilty in the brazen gang shooting of the Jacksonville rapper. The trial now moves into a penalty phase. 

Records verify: The Times has confirmed the identity of the victims in a Plant City quadruple homicide. 

3-vehicle crash: A St. Pete man was arrested Thursday after investigators determined he left the scene of a crash with his 8-year-old son last month that killed an Armwood High senior, troopers said.

Investigation is underway: Eleven people were taken to hospitals with injuries Saturday after a boat explosion near Miami, officials said.

Restaurant expansion: Here's what we know about the St. Pete location of Cousin Vinny’s, a Tampa hot spot for New York-style sandwiches.

 

FEATURED

[Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

36 years later, an arrest in a child’s abduction

In 1989, a 7-year-old girl was abducted from a Tampa bowling alley and sexually abused. Using DNA testing, authorities found a suspect in the Philippines.

 

Tune into Sports Day Tampa Bay

Dive deep every weekday into all things Bucs, Rays, Lightning, USF and more with award-winning Times journalist Rick Stroud. If it’s major Tampa Bay sports news, he’s talking about it.

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SPORTS

When you keep stacking wins: The Rays are on a remarkably efficient hot streak, sports columnist John Romano writes. But how many wins will it take to convince the world the Rays are legit?

The future is bright: The 23-year-old Dominic James wasn’t even on the Lightning at this time a year ago, but he's quickly carved out a niche for himself.

"Just becoming a pro": Bucs receiver Ted Hurst may not replace Mike Evans’ production, but the third-round draft pick is more than capable of dominating at the X wide receiver position.

For more in-depth sports coverage, sign up for Sports Today, our daily newsletter focused on your favorite Tampa Bay teams.

 

TO OUR READERS

It’s Your Times campaign update

At the Tampa Bay Times, we give voice to the voiceless, hold the powerful to account and help make sense of events swirling around us. Dependable, trusted local journalism has never been more necessary or important. 

But we can’t do it without you.

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:

Donate

To participate, please go to tampabay.com/itsyourtimes 

Thank you.

Mark Katches
Editor and vice president