Tampa Bay nurses join effort to assist in COVID-19 crisis abroad

Florida ends daily COVID-19 data reports; How trans Floridians celebrate Pride this year; Highway plans spark environmental concerns; Lightning and Rays win

View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Monday, June 7, 2021 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters 🎶Just another manic Monday. The weather today will be mostly cloudy with a high of 94 and a low of 74. The dry air coming in will likely keep rain chances from eclipsing 30 percent each day this week.  A few things to note: Pride events returned in St. Pete; Florida is ending its daily coronavirus data reports; a Hillsborough highway project sparks environmental concerns; PolitiFact examines a DeSantis attack against Nikki Fried and more.  [IVY CEBALLO | Times] COVID-19 is ravaging India and Nepal. These Tampa Bay nurses want to go. When U.S. hospitals were filled with coronavirus patients, overseas nurses came to help. Now three local nurses are working with a group of American nurses to arrange their own medical mission. They're determined to assist in the COVID-19 crisis in Nepal and India. "I have to go," one nurse said, "just knowing I can ease some of the suffering." Read Tampa Bay Times reporter Christopher O'Donnell's story. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Florida ends daily reports: The state will now only report data on coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations once a week on Fridays.  Daily update: Get the latest figures on Florida cases and deaths with our tracker. Track the spread: Search by county, city, ZIP code or hospital. Dropping face coverings: Hillsborough County schools will end their mask mandate starting today. The district's online learning program isn't sticking around, either. More pandemic protocols lifted: Florida courts can abandon mask and social-distancing rules for in-person proceedings, says the state's chief justice. Vaccine doses: See how Florida compares to other states. Vaccine helps long-haulers: A growing number of COVID-19 patients with long-term symptoms have show improvements after vaccination, surprising medical experts.  Your support makes a difference The Tampa Bay Times needs your help to keep delivering top-notch journalism. Please consider subscribing or making a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. Donate Gain unlimited access FEATURED [MENGSHIN LIN | Times] Meet the local Realtor who's been in the game for 59 years Jeanne Coyle Sargent's real estate career spans nearly six decades. The 92-year-old is "pretty sure" she's the oldest agent in the area. Will she retire in 2021? Maybe, maybe not. AROUND THE BAY Man dumps pedestrian body: A Hernando County man has been arrested after he hit a man with his car and left the body behind a bait shop, troopers say. Environmental concerns over project: The State Road 56 extension is supposed to bring commerce. Hillsborough County fears it brings damaged wilderness preserves, too. What's the latest on Red Tide? Aquaculture closures and reported fish kills hit Tampa Bay as scientists and shellfish farmers wait to see if it gets worse. Bear sightings: Spotting a black bear is rare in Pinellas County. How do officials handle reports of the animal in residential areas? Reader panel coming soon: The Times is launching a Community Reader Panel to engage with our journalists. Here's what that means. A small, safer Pride: St. Pete kicked off their month of Pride events on Saturday at Vinoy Park. See what's to come. Luxury apartments under fire: Tampa City Council members rebuked comments last week from residents who said a proposed housing development would attract "undesirables." Negotiations are a go: Clearwater will begin crafting an agreement with the developer aiming to build three mixed-use projects on the city's downtown bluff. Lifetime around books: Bernadette Storck, who died last month at 85, spent her career growing Tampa Bay's libraries after falling in love with them as a child. "It's Not a Burden": A couple now living in St. Petersburg are part of a new documentary about caring for aging family. Need a mental break? Play a game! 👾 ARCADE SOLITAIRE SUDOKU SEE ALL POLITICS 'Pride still goes on': In the first week of Pride month, Gov. DeSantis signed the trans athlete ban and vetoed funding for LGBTQ services. But trans Floridians are still finding reasons to celebrate. DeSantis cuts contraception money: Florida's governor vetoed from the budget $2 million, backed by a legislative leader from his party, that would have increased contraception access for low-income girls and women. Pursuing elections change: Clearwater is drafting an ordinance that would give residents the option to adopt a ranked voting system to replace plurality elections. Rebekah Jones and Florida's COVID-19 response: Texts, emails and interviews with the fired data expert reveal an unlikely ally in DeSantis' administration. Early attack from DeSantis: The governor exaggerated the cost of gas pump stickers with Nikki Fried's picture on them, PolitiFact finds.  Diving into local trends 📉 How is Tampa Bay's economy affecting you?  We've introduced a free, weekly newsletter breaking down the biggest stories in tourism, real estate, city development, retail and more. Sign up for Business by the Bay here. OPINION AND COMMENTARY 'After democracy dies': Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. discusses the new voting rights bills making their way through Congress.  SPORTS Lightning got goals: Tampa Bay pulled off a 6-4 victory against the Hurricanes Saturday and head back to Carolina Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with a 3-1 series lead. If you're a Bolts fan, you should be thrilled but you should also be a little nervous, John Romano writes. Find out why. Infuriating ways Rays keep winning: Despite shedding players and salaries in the offseason, Tampa Bay is still defying baseball expectations like in Sunday's 7-1 win against Texas.  USFL to relaunch: The spring football league is coming back next year. Could the Tampa Bay Bandits make a reappearance? UT baseball rallies: The University of Tampa team came from behind to win their World Series opener against Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday. TODAY'S TALKER [Times (2019)] Mayor of St. Petersburg's Tiny Town is moving on Artist Dan Painter built his little village on less than an acre in the Warehouse Arts District, drawing visitors from all over the world. Now the outdoor art installation, and the property it's on, are up for sale. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson and Bernadette Berdychowski. Did someone forward this to you? Get the DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, conditions & copyright Standard of accuracy © 2021 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. You are receiving this email because you signed up for the "DayStarter" newsletter from the Tampa Bay Times. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe from this email.