Oracle of Ybor: How do I stop Christmas from killing my dad?
You might not like your family (or love them), but Ace of Cups is a card of Agape. It’s a universal love for your fellow human. If you can see your family not as people who may have hurt you or who you disagree with, but as fellow inhabitants on this rock, rolling along…
Photojournalist Dave Decker’s best shots of 2025
From protests and vigils to concerts and games, these were Tampa Bay’s top moments of the year.
Photos: WWE star Titus O’Neil gives 5,000 presents to Tampa families
WWE superstar Titus O’Neil and his sons, TJ and Titus Bullard, were assisted by 250 volunteers from his Bullard Family Foundation and the City of Tampa to distribute more than 5,000 gifts to local families.
Photos: ZooTampa takes in foxes rescued from fur farm
Sadie and Seth, two red foxes who were among 250 animals rescued from a fur farm in Ohio, have settled into their new digs after arriving in Tampa last month.
Away in a mangrove, there are reminders that if we help it, Boca Ciega Bay can heal itself
‘City Wilds’ columnist Amanda Hagood wades the living shoreline at Eckerd College in Clearwater, Florida.
Florida isn’t getting safer for cyclists
Pinellas County Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross says there are common-sense things that government can do to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists, such as creating more protected bike lanes and pedestrian crosswalks, but she believes part of the problem is with how local governments develop communities.
Nikki Fried: Ingoglia is ‘bullying local governments’
“I have heard zero from our new CFO about what he plans on doing to hold our property insurance companies accountable,” Fried said on a Zoom conference call on Thursday. “Instead, he’s bullying our local governments, creating fictitious formulas, and now he wants to overreach even more by putting a clause in there about removing…
Proposed law would ban paper straws statewide
The measure (SB 958), sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R- Fleming Island, says it is intended to “combat the harmful impacts of paper paper drinking straws” and “provide businesses and residents of this state with better alternatives to single-use plastic straws and stirrers.”
Photos: Chiodos, Hawthorne Heights, more tear up The Ritz Ybor
20 years after releasing its debut album All’s Well That Ends Well, Craig Owens revived his old band with a new lineup for an anniversary tour this fall, which dropped into the historic Ritz Ybor.
![Everyone we saw when Discord Theory played Crowbar last weekend [Photos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Discord-Theory-13-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Everyone we saw when Discord Theory played Crowbar last weekend [Photos]
The lineup its last hometown show of the year featured Gloomchild, Big Sad, Luciidea, and Face the Fence.
Side Splitters hosts benefit for local comedian this weekend
Brian Thompson, owner of Side Splitters, told Creative Loafing that comedians started volunteering to participate immediately after hearing about the fundraiser, including those who had benefits held for them in the past.
In Tampa, Ingoglia proposes legislation to remove elected officials for ‘financial abuse’
Ingoglia has been crisscrossing the state for months with his FAFO (Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight) team, auditing spending by some of the state’s largest counties and municipalities.
DeSantis’ proposed budget would change how Florida cancer centers get funds
The push by the governor is likely to spark another largely behind-the-scenes battle among those who rely on the state money to help with their research programs.
Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson co-headline tour in Tampa this summer
The 44-year-old multi-faceted tenor took to Hudson’s talk show on Tuesday morning to co-announce the 16-date run of shows. “I am so honored to be able to hit the road with you this summer. To be able to travel the country, to be able to blend our voices. The duet possibilities!” he told the EGOT-winner…
Sermons Fest brings another hip-hop showcase to Tampa this weekend
Atlanta rapper Marco Plus tops the bills at Tampa hip hop concert ‘Sermons Fest’ happening Dec. 18, 2026.
Water Street Tampa owners want to build a 3,500-capacity venue across from Benchmark International Arena
Tampa developers want to build a 3,500-seat music venue across from Benchmark International Arena.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner pleads his case to Tampa Bay Trump supporters
The former Florida House speaker is trailing Donalds significantly in early public opinion polls regarding the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary, in part because President Donald Trump endorsed the U.S. representative from Naples in February.
ReliaQuest Bowl will be historic this New Year’s Eve in Tampa
Vanderbilt and Iowa face off for the first time ever for this year’s ReliaQuest Bowl on the day of New Year’s Eve.
MOSI’s giant dome screens a deep-sea experience next weekend
“Sounds of the Ocean” promises “a captivating blend of art, music, and mindfulness that transports you straight into the ocean’s embrace,” per MOSI’s event description.
Swap the presents you ‘loved’ at a re-gift party in St. Pete next weekend
Give regifting a chance at the St. Pete Elk’s Lodge next weekend.
‘Bad Santas’ can compete in bar Olympics next weekend in St. Pete
Beverages will be provided for events that need them, and each team gets eight free drink tickets.
Puerto Rican, Palestinian, Midwest ceramic show closes in St. Pete next week
Through ceramics, Yanes shares her experience at the intersection of Puerto Rican, Palestinian and Midwestern culture, exploring how stories and traditions transform across time, memory, and diaspora.
St. Pete Youth Farm hosts a free first night of Kwanzaa party next week
It’s one of the farm’s biggest events of the year, with drumming, family-friendly activities and free food.
Activists fight Mosaic’s ‘moot’ argument over radioactive byproduct in Polk County roads
The Center for Biological Diversity, in a 15-page response filed at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, disputed Mosaic’s arguments that the case is “moot” because the company finished building parts of the road that included phosphogypsum.
Florida lifts investment ban on Ben & Jerry’s former parent company
State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer told Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet on Tuesday that Unilever has been removed from Florida’s list of “Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel,” which prohibits state investments and contracts with the companies.
DeSantis approves AI translators, GPS trackers, bonuses and more for immigration cops
The largest lump of the $2.4 million will go to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, which requested the most money ($738,451) for the widest-ranging variety of immigration-related activity.
