The Ocean Race will make a North American stop in St. Pete‑Clearwater in 2027, bringing a waterfront race village, education programming and an anticipated tourism boost.

FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue says freight generates about $83 billion and supports 500,000+ jobs in Florida, a reminder that ports, rail and trucks drive local economies.

Sen. Rick Scott introduced two bills that would tie UASI and event‑security grants to local cooperation with ICE, potentially rerouting withheld funds to ICE and setting up court fights.

Prairie View A&M earned its first NCAA Tournament victory as seniors logged every minute in a 67-55 First Four upset of Lehigh. The Panthers now head to Tampa to face Florida.

A Bradenton woman was sentenced to 15 months and ordered to repay $184,904.75 after admitting she used a fake passport to collect SNAP and Social Security benefits. Federal investigators say the scheme cost taxpayers nearly $185,000.

After a fire and months of remodeling, 717 South returns next week as The Landon with executive chef Robert Hesse and a remodeled dining room.

Dream Finders CEO Patrick Zalupski appears on Forbes’ 2026 billionaires list even as his homebuilder’s stock slid and his purchase of the Tampa Bay Rays reshapes his assets. The mix of public shares and private sports ownership is what moved the needle.

The Valspar Championship tees off Thursday at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, bringing top pros, concerts and heavier local traffic.

Sunny and dry Thursday in Tampa with highs near 76°F. Boaters should use caution — inland areas will be unusually dry.

Florida’s Aug. 18 primary will decide hundreds of local and statewide races. Register or change party by July 20 and request a mail ballot by Aug. 6.

A 38-year-old Arizona man was ordered to serve 40 years after prosecutors say he groomed and abused a teenage girl in Vero Beach, then preserved images of the abuse. The sentence follows a multi‑agency probe led by the FBI Fort Pierce resident agency.

St. Petersburg plans to raise the Trop’s wind-and-flood insurance sublimit from $25M to $50M as repairs wrap up after Hurricane Milton. City staff call it a modest hedge.

Lawmakers broadened Florida’s public‑nuisance law to include gambling houses, boosting fines and letting cities place liens and force foreclosure for repeat offenders.