Subscribe to the Times

DayStarter

Wednesday, Jul 01, 2026

Good Wednesday morning. July kicks off with a slight chance of thunderstorms.

In today’s edition, read about Mosaic sponsoring President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 bash; St. Pete Pride missing its fundraising goal; and our limited-time offer to high school graduates. 

Uninsured patients made up about 1 in 4 of the 20,000-plus gunshot wound hospitalizations in Florida from 2018 to 2024. 

They had shorter stays than insured patients and fewer options for post-hospital care, such as rehab.

Read the KFF Health News analysis.

Taking suggestions: The Hillsborough County school district wants name ideas for a new middle school in Wimauma. 

$16K in donations: St. Pete Pride, the nonprofit responsible for putting on one of the largest Pride celebrations in the Southeast, said it didn't meet its fundraising goal over the weekend.

Search is on: The Rays have opened their stadium contractor search. The team is looking to select a builder by Aug. 14.

The Burg Bid: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch picked a proposal to redevelop Tropicana Field and the downtown land around it.

“This is a tragedy”: Another child was found dead after being left in a car. Even with windows cracked, temperatures inside of vehicles can reach 125 degrees in minutes.

Three Florida culture favorites: How does Ferrell Alvarez, the decorated chef behind Rooster & the Till, spend his Mondays? With golf, of course. 

Offer’s almost over! Did you recently graduate from high school in Tampa Bay, or know someone who did? We have an awesome gift to give, from all of us here at the Tampa Bay Times: A free, one-year digital subscription to tampabay.com. Just click on this link before July 4.

As Tampa’s hot, dry weather continues, Davis Islands Dog Beach remains a place where dogs can exercise comfortably despite the summer heat. Take a look. 

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

Federal advisory: Ken Jones, a Tampa Bay businessman, was appointed to the federal Defense Policy Board.

New top official: Anastasios Kamoutsas begins his new job as president of Polk State College next week. Here’s who's serving as Florida's interim education commissioner.

Participation violates state law: Attorney General James Uthmeier is seeking to block a transgender competitor from an Irish Dance contest in Orlando.

Syrians and Haitians across Florida and Tampa Bay fear returning to homelands torn with violence following a Supreme Court decision to remove deportation protections from both groups.

What if the Rays had to relocate? At least one half of the North Carolina legislature is getting aggressive when it comes to plans to build an MLB stadium in Raleigh or Charlotte, writes sports columnist John Romano. And there are plenty of other cities keeping an eye on expansion or relocation possibilities.

Just over $13M in cap space: Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois initially thought this year's free-agency class could be bare. But some big names have popped up ahead of the noon start.

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

As celebrations ramp up for America’s 250th birthday this week, Tampa-based Mosaic is providing a sponsorship boost to the Trump administration’s party. The sponsorship comes as the company seeks approval from the federal government to expand its phosphate mining waste pile in Hillsborough. Read more.

Today's DayStarter was compiled by Neha Seenarine and Hannah Farrow.

Did someone forward this to you? Get DayStarter and more free newsletters in your own inbox. Sign up here.

Download the Tampa Bay Times app for access to daily local news.