Wednesday! They call it "hump day," but I still don't understand how an endless, meaningless cycle can have a hump in it. And with that cheery thought:
The Lightning lost the first game of the Stanley Cup Final to the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Apparently, they forgot there's always a third period…
The state Senate finally approved a health care expansion bill that would allow Floridians to take advantage of billions in federal dollars, but also contains a built-in self-destruct after three years as an attempt to appease Republicans in the House. Even though a majority of GOP senators voted for the bill, many remain skeptical as to whether the bill will actually save Florida money, and House Republicans are adamantly opposed to passing the bill, as it constitutes both compromise and some sort of progress.
In Wednesday weirdness, a Treasure Island alcohol rehab facility reportedly had its website hacked by … Islamic militants? Um, we're gonna go with what should be an almost universal assumption when a website of absolutely no tactical value in or relation to the war in the Middle East is taken over: bored kids smart enough to hack a website but too dumb to blame it on anything more creative than something that could possibly get them executed for treason.
As the summer begins with a depressing slate of youth-related violence, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn got together with Hillsborough cops and school district honchos to publicly tout the variety of programs offered to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. The main goal of these programs is to prevent teenagers from hacking local websites and blaming it on ISIS.
And finally, a baby white rhino born at Lowry Park Zoo in late May made her public debut. Zoo officials, stating the rhino's youth and frailty, are asking visitors to temporarily refrain from adding undue strain by telling her that she might be the last one ever.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2015.