Florida sues NY Times over alleged anti-Israel bias; demands internal records
The state of Florida filed a shareholder lawsuit Wednesday against The New York Times in a Manhattan state trial court, arguing its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict would harm shareholder value for the state’s agencies and public sector retirees. The named plaintiff is the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA), which oversees more than $276…
Florida home from Netflix series ‘Bloodline’ is now for sale
A Florida property featured prominently in the popular Netflix series “Bloodline” is now for sale in the Keys. Located at 130 Palm Ln., in Plantation Key, the property was the fictional home of Kevin & Belle Rayburn, played by actors Norbert Leo Butz and Katie Finneran. Originally built in 1958, the 2,796-square-foot home comes with…
Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon to pay $250 and do community service for staging sit-in at DeSantis’ office
Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon will pay a $250 fine and provide 15 hours of community service to settle her case with Leon County after she was charged with two misdemeanors for holding a sit-in at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office in the Florida Capitol on May 15. The Jacksonville state House member was arrested…
Exhibit with work from David Hockney, who ‘restored the human form to art,’ is now open at Tampa Museum of Art
In June, David Hockney passed away at the age of 88. The multidisciplinary artist “restored the human form to art” according to the New York Times, never limited himself to one medium in his creation of prints, collages, lithographs, photographs, and more, using everything from iPads and iPhones to Xerox machines and Polaroids. Today, Jordan…
![Tampa Bay’s best events this weekend, including the Safety Harbor book sale [9/24-10/1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Safety-Harbor-Library-Holly-Apperson.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Tampa Bay’s best events this weekend, including the Safety Harbor book sale [9/24-10/1]
Is there anyone who’s not a friend of a library? (Maybe folks supporting Amendment 3, but that’s another story.) In Safety Harbor, book lovers from across the Bay area will converge on the small seaside town to support the local public library, a building first established in 1938 by the local Women’s Civic Club. There’ve…
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera leaves city hall in November—and he has to take all the stuff in his office with him
It’s pretty rare for a Tampa City Councilmember to leave city hall on their own terms, but Luis Viera will do just that on Nov. 2. Last May, after 10 years serving constituents in District 7, the 48-year-old filed a resignation letter riddled with Springsteen Easter eggs. He closed it with a quote from Kris…
Sake Block festival among Tampa Bay’s best food & drink events happening September 24-October 1
For the last five years at In Between Days, Noah Sain has spent his nights turning people into sake nerds—or, at the very least, appreciators. A wellspring of knowledge, the 27-year-old is a veteran of the St. Petersburg hospitality scene who’s been working in the area since 2012. He’s also a certified sake sommelier and…
Thousands of gallons of sewage spilled upstream from Clearwater’s new manatee protection zone
Environmental advocates are asking the City of Clearwater to prioritize its water treatment infrastructure after a sewage spill contaminated a manatee protection zone last week. A power failure at the Marshall Street Water Reclamation Facility caused sewage to back up and overflow through a nearby manhole early Saturday morning. Over the next 30 minutes, an…
While David Jolly says he’d fire Joseph Ladapo as surgeon general on day one, Byron Donalds isn’t quite sure
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds reiterated Tuesday that he remains open to reappointing Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo if he wins the Nov. 3 election. That marks a clear distinction with Democrat David Jolly, who has vowed to fire Ladapo on his first day in office. Ladapo has served as the state’s surgeon general since…
Florida’s minimum wage jumps to $15 an hour, plus other laws going into effect next month
Among the new laws taking effect Oct. 1 are changes in how police identify criminal gang members, a new penalty for those who involve minors in animal fighting, and a clarification on license plate frame rules. The final $1 increase in the state’s voter-approved minimum wage will also take effect Sept. 30, pushing it up…
Administrative judge sides with Florida teacher punished for Charlie Kirk Facebook post
The state should drop charges, including an allegation of gross immorality, against a Duval County teacher who posted about Charlie Kirk after he was killed, an administrative law judge has recommended. The decision came last week, addressing charges against Hope McMath, who was an advanced placement art history teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the…
Majority of Florida universities fall in national rankings, per U.S. News & World Report
Of the eight Florida universities recognized nationally, five dropped in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual national rankings. Two universities climbed and one stayed steady. Florida’s two top-25 public universities, University of Florida and Florida State University, each dropped — UF by one spot, from No. 7 last year to No. 8; and FSU…
The Browns? Really? The Browns?!
Look, I’m going to do my best to be as fair as possible. Because, to be blunt, the Bucs as a whole really blow right now. They’re a new GM, a new roster, a new head coach, a new quarterback, and probably a new owner away from being a good NFL team. For those blissfully…
David Jolly leads Byron Donalds in state campaign funding
State dollars continue to flow into the races for governor and attorney general, with more money from the public campaign finance program going to Democratic candidates than their Republican counterparts. It’s an indication the Democratic candidates, former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who is running for governor, and former state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who is…
Florida gas prices spike amid renewed conflicts in Middle East
Gas prices in Florida jumped this past week amid global supply disruptions tied primarily to renewed conflicts in the Middle East. AAA reported an average gallon of gas in Florida at $4.28 on Monday, up 14 cents from a week ago and $1.38 more per gallon than at the end of February when the U.S.…
While in Tampa, Byron Donalds’ running mate dodges questions about Trump, deportations
The Tampa Tiger Bay Club had hoped to hold a forum this month between the two major party candidates for governor, Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly. After the Donalds campaign cited a scheduling conflict, aides offered his running mate, former Miami-Dade County state Sen. Bryan Avila, to speak in his stead. That became…
David Jolly says a complete ban on data centers in Florida should be ‘on the table’
David Jolly has already made it clear he’s a critic of large-scale data centers, for which Floridians continue to express disapproval up and down the state. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate had already said that if elected in November, he’d issue a one-year moratorium on construction of these facilities. But after visiting a region of Northern…
Florida bar exam passage rate drops by more than 3%
Those pursuing admission to the Florida Bar were less successful this year than last. The summer 2026 exam was taken by 2,250 first-timers. Of that cohort, 75.2% passed, or 1,693. That passage rate represents a decrease from summer 2025, when 78.4% of test-takers passed. During summer 2024, 76% of test-takers passed. The number of test…
Here are 10 things I’ve learned during 10 years as a Tampa City Councilman
Soon, after 10 years, I will be leaving Tampa City Council. There are some important political life facts I have observed in this time. Here are 10 of those facts. First, public office should make you more humble. In office, some think that, to quote Billy Joel, everybody loves you now. You are one election…
Community leader Fran Tate enters Tampa’s District 5 City Council race
Another Tampa City Council race is taking shape thanks to a familiar face and name: Fran Tate. The community leader entered the District 5 City Council race in July, six months after incumbent District 5 City Council member Naya Young filed. Life coach Christina Murray is also in the race. So far in campaign financing…
Safety Harbor’s The Tides gets some NYT love, La La Sangria Bar says goodbye, and more in Tampa Bay food news
OPENINGS/CLOSINGS Taco Dirty’s Riverview location is now permanently closed Popular South Tampa Mexican eatery Taco Dirty expanded to Riverview about a year ago, but abruptly closed this week. The Riverview outpost, located just off 301 at 10460 Stelling Drive, was the fast-casual concept’s second location from parent company Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG). Jason Brunetti, CRG’s director…
Taco Dirty’s Riverview location is now permanently closed
Popular South Tampa Mexican eatery Taco Dirty expanded to Riverview about a year ago, but abruptly closed the location this week. The Riverview outpost, located just off U.S. Hwy-301 at 10460 Stelling Dr., was the fast-casual concept’s second location from parent company Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG). Jason Brunetti, CRG’s director of operations, told the Tampa…
Trump says he’s the only ‘guardrail’ needed for AI and Data Centers, while DeSantis urges for more state control
Gov. Ron DeSantis maintains his desire for some controls around artificial intelligence even as President Donald Trump posted online he is the only “guardrail” needed. “We’ve been a leader on AI, where no one was really even talking about it,” DeSantis said Monday at the Florida Archery Center at Tenoroc. “I was the one that…
Hoping to join Tampa Bay’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a nun hopeful organizes abortion fundraiser
Miss Stunt Icon flaunts her Transformers-inspired drag persona across the most outrageous queer fundraisers in Tampa Bay. Now, she sets out on her biggest endeavor yet: holy sisterhood. For Icon’s debut, she shook ass at a transmasculine lube wrestling tournament supporting Swamp Bois x Doll Dynasty’s gender affirming care fund. When The Sapphic Sun spoke…
This play about Atlanta’s 1880s washtub unions is Tampa Bay’s most urgent show
In the summer of 1881, twenty Black laundresses in Atlanta did some basic math on their backbreaking labor, realized they were being exploited, and decided they had washed their last shirt for pennies. They formed the Washing Society, set a firm rate of one dollar per twelve pounds of laundry, and walked off the job.…
‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ is the biggest risk St. Pete’s Off-Central Players has ever taken
Let’s be honest: when most Tampa Bay residents think about live theater, they tend to split into two camps. Either you’re dropping half a paycheck at a mega-arts center to sit in row ZZ where the actors look like dressed-up LEGO figures, or you’re dodging local theater altogether out of a lingering fear of awkward…
Tampa Heights’ monthly Heightened Senses open studio and art party returns on September 24
Tampa Heights is home to one of the most creative spaces in the city, and there’s an open studio this week. Heightened Senses’ monthly activation includes a courtyard activation behind the Wave and See gallery, plus music from Afro-Cuban duo of bassist Randy Bourdon and percussionist Carlos Javier Navarro Reyes. Multi-disciplinary in every way, the…
Florida Republican breaks with Trump on immigration enforcement in campaign ad
A South Florida Republican U.S. House member battling for re-election is airing a campaign ad in which she declares that President Trump’s immigration efforts have gone “too far.” Miami-Dade County Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar has represented Florida’s 27th Congressional District since 2020. She won re-election in November 2024 by 20 points, and the district on…
Cuban artist Alexandre Arrechea, co-founder of Los Carpinteros, comes to Tampa on Wednesday
The Cuban artist collective Los Carpinteros stretches back more than three decades, and one of its founders is in town this week. Known for large-scale installations, sculpture, watercolor and video, Cuban-born Alexandre Arrechea has never shied away from addressing politics, power and history in his work, which he’ll discuss on behalf of USF Graphicstudio. “Arrechea…
Jolly and Donalds clash on how to fix Florida’s property insurance crisis
The Byron Donalds campaign is aggressively attacking David Jolly’s plan to reduce homeowners’ insurance rates. The Democratic candidate for governor is proposing a state catastrophic insurance fund that would remove hurricane and wind coverage from the private insurance market. He says doing so could reduce homeowners’ insurance costs by 60% to 70%. Donalds counters on…
Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence head to the Hub for a local theater fundraiser
For more than a decade now, Theatre eXceptional has provided performance and education opportunities for adults with disabilities. Next Thursday, the company opens its production of “The Little Mermaid,” and that shit costs money to put on. That’s why this bunch of nuns in makeup—aka the nonprofit Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which raised…
Documentary about Tampa’s 1960 Woolworth sit-ins screens for free again this weekend
The story of Tampa’s peaceful February 1960 Woolworth sit-ins cannot be shared far enough. That’s when courageous Black high school students (including figures like former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner and NAACP Youth Council leader Clarence Fort) organized peaceful sit-ins at a downtown F.W. Woolworth lunch counter on Franklin Street. The action inspired an award-winning play…
Oxford Exchange hosts Tampa Theatre book talk on Sunday
The schedule for Tampa Theatre’s centennial celebrations is now in full view, and Andy Huse would’ve liked what he saw. The late Tampa historian, archivist, librarian and author passed away last year at the age of 52, but not before filing his final work, “Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories” set for release on Sept.…
Here are the St. Pete museums offering free admission this weekend
St. Petersburg is a city of museums, and many of them will let you in for free this weekend as part of the “Arts Alive” promotion. Nearly a dozen museums are participating, and while some require advance registration, others do not. Highlights on the promotion include downtown’s MFA St. Pete, the Dalí just down the…
Jack White opener Pat & the Pissers plays Tampa concert on Wednesday
A decade after its debut LP, Fuck This, California hardcore band Death Lens is still not pulling punches, choosing to ask What’s Left Now? on a new LP played by an updated lineup that saw two members leave and a new one join. More exciting on this bill is a middle set from Pat &…
Modern day chiptune hero Anamanaguchi plays Tampa brewery concert on Tuesday
Parking lot concerts are becoming more regular on the loading dock of this brewery that’s not in Ybor City. This one at Coppertail Brewing Co. is headlined by Anamanaguchi a New York chiptune legend that used a 2025 album, Anyway, to try on a new indie-rock sound (no shred of emo though, despite the record…
Contemporary Art Music Project founder Eunmi Ko plays toy piano concert on Friday
Operating outside of the box has long been a calling card for Eunmi Ko, and the Tampa-based composer is really leaning in for the world premiere of new work by composers Tyler Kline and Joseph Klein. Based in Tampa since 2014, Ko, who drives the Contemporary Art Music Project (CAMP), regularly contributed to the avant-garde…
The legendary Tampa Am skateboarding competition returns in October
Someone’s gonna become a legend next month at Skatepark of Tampa. That’s when best trick contests, concrete bowl jams and parties return for the Tampa Am tournament. In its 32nd year, Tampa Am has become infamous for launching the professional careers of amateur skateboarders who spend time and money to prove themselves at the infamous…
Five Tampa gas station restaurants that are worth the pit stop
Gas station restaurants are nothing new. They first sprouted from roadside “filling stations,” offering simple snacks, cold drinks, and barbeque to weary travelers driving long distances. The Great Depression made way for entrepreneurs like Harland Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Gus Belt (of Steak ’n’ Shake) who famously began selling their greasy goods directly…
