Subscribe to Axios Tampa Bay
Get smarter, faster with a daily look at the biggest stories in Tampa Bay
Things to do this weekend in Tampa Bay
🏛 Museum pro tips: A Bank of America card gets you free entry to participating museums around Tampa Bay and the U.S. the first weekend of each month — AKA this weekend.
- Plus, did you know you can get free museum passes at the library? Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Lakeland and Manatee all have them.
State dessert poll: Key lime takes the cake
The results are in.
State of pie: Despite the ongoing efforts of Rep. Lawrence McClure (R-Dover) and Sen. Danny Burgess (R- Zephyrhills) to make strawberry shortcake Florida's official state dessert, our reader poll showed an overwhelming preference for our current sugary state symbol.
Moving scams aplenty in Tampa Bay
People moving to the Sunshine State are getting their first lessons about Florida scammers the hard way.
Why it matters: Complaints to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services about moving companies are on track to double from last year, WFTS reports.
- Nearly 1,200 people reported moving company problems between January and early November.
NFL suspends Antonio Brown, 2 others for misrepresenting COVID vaccination status
The National Football League (NFL) on Thursday suspended three players —Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown and safety Mike Edwards as well as former wide receiver John Franklin III — for violating COVID-related protocols.
Why it matters: The suspensions come after the NFL reviewed allegations that the players "misrepresented their vaccination status," and ultimately concluded that all three violated league protocols.
Twitter rants help scientists study red tide
It's no shocker that we turn to Twitter to complain about the effects of red tide: things like itchy eyes, coughing and dead fish.
Tampa Bay's overheated housing market
It's only going to get more difficult and expensive to buy a house in Tampa Bay.
What's happening: Tampa had the second-highest national home price increase for a metro market in September 2021 with a 27.7% increase, per the Associated Press, behind only Phoenix.
Babushka's to open new location on Dec. 15
Bring on the borscht.
What's happening: Babushka's, a traditional Russian restaurant that launched in a Temple Terrace strip mall in 2018, is set to open a new site on Dec. 15 in a prime South Tampa location, 901 W Platt Street.
- The building formerly housed popular brunch spot Boca, which closed in 2020.
What the Wander Franco deal really means
When the Rays give an enormous contract to a 20-year-old rookie who has played just 70 major league games, what they are really doing is investing in fans in a place where team loyalty is fragile as a snowflake.