1 Pulp thing: Relax and unrind

Illustration of an orange bouncing from the left side of the screen to the right.

2. Champa Bay weekend roundup

3. 1 local thing that went national

Illustration of a waiting ticket with the number 19 on it and a symbol of a syringe.  

☀️ Surprise, Tampa Bay! Bet you didn't expect to see us in your inbox this morning, huh?

⛈ A chance of thunderstorms and mid-80s pretty much all week. Guess summer really is here.

A bunch of you asked for something to stay connected during our planned break, and we realized we'd be checking the news obsessively anyway.

So we've turned on "vacation mode" for this post-holiday week — a little shorter and lighter than our usual newsletter, but still with everything you need to get ready for your day.

Today's newsletter is 535 words, a 2-minute read.

😎 Ben and Selene are, as promised, on vacation mode. 🌴

We'll catch you back here tomorrow. Stay cool, friends.

Tampa Bay

Picture of the Tampa Bay skyline with TPA written across it.

Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporter Ben Montgomery.

Axios Tampa Bay

1 big thing: Florida joins attacks on critical race theory

An elephant foot appears to be stepping on a stack of textbooks.

2. St. Pete, bow to your new queen

A drag queen dressed as a clown holding balloons

3. Screen Time with Ashlee Bankgx

Photo illustration of a grid of smartphone screens, the center one showing an image of Ashlee Bankgx.

4. The Pulp: Rocket man, burning up his juice up here alone

Illustration of three oranges, one full, one cut in half, and another half that has been squeezed.

5. Anna Maria Island makes charming-Florida list

Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Gulf of Mexico, aerial.

6. Hey, hey: The tarpon are back!

🌤 Highs in the low 90s today, bottoming out in the low 70s. 

🙀 Situational awareness: Hurricane season is fast approaching. Don't forget to plan for your pets.

Today's newsletter is 990 words, a 4-minute read.

🎒 Ben is listening to Robert Earl Keen, reading Robert Earl Keen, and packing for a trip to Big Bend for a long walk with his brothers and nephews this weekend. 🥾

🫀 Selene is Stayin' Alive and excited to read a Charlie Hebdo survivor's graphic novel. ❤️

1 big thing: St. Leo University degree to shed light on veterans

Illustration of a mortarboard with a camouflage pattern on it.

2. Asian-headed households grow amid inequality

Illustration of a house's roof being taken off by a trend line soaring upward through the home

3. What we're eating: Thee Burger Spot

Thee Bacon Double Cheese from Thee Burger Spot.

4. Lightning moving on

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) looks up to relax during the NHL Stanley Cup playoff match game 6.

5. The Pulp: Liiiiiiiime is on my side, yes it is

Illustration of a sticker with the Tampa skyline and the word "pulp" on it, stuck to an orange.

6. Six degrees of Tampa Bay: Shailene Woodley

Photo illustration of Shailene Woodley inside of a location pin hovering over Tampa Bay.

7. 1 pic to go

Massi Piffa wakeboards on abandoned boat at sunset in Sebastian, Florida. 

Happpppppy Friday, Tampa Bay. Ready for the long weekend?

🌤 Highs in the upper 80s today, lows in the lower 70s. Looking like chances of rain improve early next week. We need it.

🌚 Situational awareness: We're taking a little break next week. But don't worry, we've got some great stories up our sleeve for our return — bright and early on June 7.

Today's newsletter is 1,052 words, a 4-minute read.

🌵 Ben is listening to Marty Robbins and reading a manuscript for a forthcoming book about murder on the Appalachian Trail. 📇

👩‍❤️‍👩 Selene is watching and eating fried green tomatoes. 🍅

We're gonna miss y'all next week. Until then, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and take care of one another.

1 big thing: Winter is heating up

2. Climate-resistant potatoes tested in Florida

Farmers in a field of potatoes with corn in the background on a farm in the Everglades Drainage Districr in 1906 

Jobs around town 

3. The Pulp: Go squeezy on me, baby

4. Vasilevskiy's 200th win

5. D.C. snipers' hunter dies in Palm Harbor

6. 1 last bite: The Stuffle

A stuffle covered in cranberry sauce next to turkey and mashed potatoes on a plate

Happy Monday and first full day of Hanukkah to all who celebrate. 

🏈 Situational Awareness: The Bucs beat the Indianapolis Colts 38-31 yesterday. Check out Leonard Fournette's fourth touchdown, a 28-yard run with 20 seconds left to win the game. 

Today's newsletter is 846 words, a 3.5-minute read.

🧑‍🍳 Ben is reading about the life of Sylvia Weinstock, whom Bon Appétit called the "Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes." 🍰

🛋 Selene is watching "The Shrink Next Door" and "King Richard." 🎾

Tell Bucs kicker Ryan Succop to subscribe.

1 big thing: Central Florida leaders call for immigration reform

A pair of hands pick cherry tomatoes from a vine.

2. Tampa vaccine sites shut down

Illustration of the coronavirus vaccine and the Tampa skyline, over a pattern of palm trees. 

3. DeSantis signs Big Tech social media bill 

Illustration of social media icons with warning symbol

4. Jon Cooper looks like a million bucks

A photo collage of Lightning hockey coach Jon Cooper.

5. The Pulp: Play it, Sam. Play "As Lime Goes By"

6. 💰 Lightning players fined for illegal strikes

Pat Maroon #14 of the Tampa Bay Lightning tangles with MacKenzie Weegar #52 of the Florida Panthers

Good morning, Tampa Bay. It's Wednesday, and we hope it's a good one.

🥵 Temps will climb into the mid-90s inland today, and a few degrees cooler on the water. We're so sorry about your lawn. 

🪱🐦 Situational awareness: Early-bird Gasparilla Music Festival tickets are on sale.

Today's newsletter is 972 words — a 3.5-minute read.

📖 Ben is reading Rick Moody's old essay "Boys," and listening to the Avett Brothers, who are back on the road.

🍪 Selene is watching her new favorite TikTok star and making these super healthy cookies. 

Vaccine sites shut down — DeSantis battles Big Tech

Nothing about Florida's current political discourse would lead you to believe that our representatives are nearing something resembling peace and understanding — and that's not changing anytime soon.

What's happening: State Rep. Evan Jenne, the House Democratic caucus' co-leader, expects a "knock-down, drag-out" legislative session next year, full of "nastiness and controversy" ahead of the 2022 midterms, per Florida Politics.

An issue to keep an eye on: Abortion. Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't ruled out the idea of backing a Texas-like abortion law. Last month, he called the idea "interesting" and added that he was "going to look more significantly at it."

President Biden's Justice Department has taken steps to try to suspend Texas' law as federal courts consider its constitutionality, which could be preventing more full-throated Republican support.

Jenne said that Democrats are "still kind of holding [their] breath" to see how the state GOP ultimately comes together on the issue.

Top Democrat predicts "nastiness" for Florida's 2022 legislative session

State Rep. Evan Jenne expects a "knockdown drag out" year.

The Florida Capitol. Photo: Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Nothing about Florida&#x27;s current political discourse would lead you to believe that our representatives are nearing something resembling peace and understanding — and that&#x27;s not changing anytime soon.What&#x27;s happening: State Rep. Evan Jenne, the House Democratic caucus&#x27; co-leader, expects a &quot;knock-down, drag-out&quot; legislative session next year, full of &quot;nastiness and controversy&quot; ahead of the 2022 midterms, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per Florida Politics" data-vars-click-url="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/465573-house-minority-co-leader-expects-nasty-session-with-election-redistricting-on-agenda/" data-vars-content-id="cf00f27e-9e4c-4731-9060-beda6f882b28" data-vars-headline="Top Democrat predicts &quot;nastiness&quot; for Florida&#x27;s 2022 legislative session" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/465573-house-minority-co-leader-expects-nasty-session-with-election-redistricting-on-agenda/" target="_blank">per Florida Politics</a>.

Politics

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Top Democrat predicts "nastiness" for Florida's 2022 legislative session

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Florida wades into America's latest culture war

Vaccine sites shut down — DeSantis battles Big Tech