How experts, elected leaders view the consequences of Jan. 6

Epiphany tradition gets underway today in Tarpon Springs; St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch's inauguration; Florida hospitals see big uptick in COVID-19 admissions

View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Thursday, January 6, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Hi, friends! Thanks for starting off your Thursday with us. Today’s mostly sunny forecast will bring a high of 75, low of 52. Over in Tarpon Springs, cool temperatures are expected when the 116th annual Epiphany celebration kicks off. Follow live updates on all the festivities. Epiphany isn’t the Tampa Bay area’s only big event today (which marks one year since the U.S. Capitol insurrection). Ken Welch will also be sworn in as St. Petersburg’s first Black mayor — but from home, after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. You can read about what awaits him at City Hall here. [JOSE LUIS MAGANA | Associated Press] What does the Capitol insurrection mean for U.S. and Florida democracy? American politics changed forever when a crowd stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But how? And where do we go from here?   It’s clear that not everyone sees the reasons for and the fallout from the insurrection in the same way.   The Tampa Bay Times asked local elections experts, elected leaders and others about how the events a year ago continue to reshape the political process.   Capitol riot arrests: Nearly 80 people from Florida have been charged in connection with last year’s insurrection — more than any other state. A look at the cases shows some interesting, and startling, patterns. AROUND THE BAY St. Petersburg’s newest hotel: After more than two years of development, a Marriott property with rooftop dining will soon break ground in the Edge District.   Q&A, 100 days in: We talked to Bemetra Simmons of the Tampa Bay Partnership about staying nonpartisan, keeping the Rays in town and other challenges ahead for her as the group’s new CEO.   Free fun: Kids 5 and younger can get into Busch Gardens and SeaWorld for free through the end of 2022. But parents must register online, and soon.   UF president to step down: Kent Fuchs, who became the university’s 12th president in 2015, will stay on until the school finds his successor. The news comes amid ongoing concerns over academic freedom at UF.   Hillsborough County principal arrested: An elementary school official failed to report a child abuse incident involving a teacher and an 8-year-old student, police said.   Hit-and-run plea deal: The driver in a Tampa crash that killed a 14-year-old girl in 2020 faced the possibility of years in state prison. Instead, he’ll serve 60 days in county jail.   Shooting in St. Petersburg: A task force has found a police officer was justified in shooting a 17-year-old boy because he appeared to be targeting the officer. The teen’s mother says body camera video doesn’t support that. BRIGHT SPOT [IVY CEBALLO | Times] StoryCorps will collect local tales — possibly for an NPR show The nonprofit travels the country in an Airstream “to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs.” Interested in telling yours? StoryCorps is in Tampa until mid-February. Need a mental break? Play a game! 👾 ARCADE SOLITAIRE SUDOKU SEE ALL CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Florida hospital admissions rise: The daily admission of COVID-19 patients went up by almost 300 percent over the past two weeks amid omicron's spread across the state. That has doctors warning that this variant, while less virulent than delta, still represents a risk to the public.   Vaccine doses: See how Florida compares to other states. POLITICS Historic inauguration: Ken Welch takes office as St. Petersburg's mayor today, and the work is already piling up. What's in store for him at City Hall? Decisions about COVID-19, Tropicana Field redevelopment and more. Ahead of Welch's swearing-in, we break down what to know about his top administrators.   Cup of joe with Jane: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor launches a monthly coffee tour to help spark community conversations about how to improve the city.    Policy plan for seniors: Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist on Wednesday laid out his campaign platform focused on the state's older residents — a key voting group.   Sham candidate case: Prosecutors appear to be targeting prominent Florida Republican and Democratic operatives for potential criminal charges related to a 2020 Miami-Dade election scheme, court records reveal. Dive deeper into your favorite local subjects 📨 Our free email newsletters bring the best of the Tampa Bay Times to your inbox every week. Explore all of them here. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Jan. 6 insurrection: Leonard Pitts Jr., a columnist for the Miami Herald, says the U.S. Capitol riot was a dress rehearsal for something far worse.    COVID-19 office protocol: Getting back to in-person work? Columnist Stephanie Hayes considers a color-coding system to communicate with colleagues. Options range from "hug me" to "I am only pretending to be on the phone." SPORTS Latest on Antonio Brown: The wide receiver said the Bucs cut him from the team and pressured him to play with bone fragments in his ankle. Read Brown's full statement. As of Wednesday, Brown remained on the Bucs' roster as the team decides how to procedurally sever ties with him. It is mulling several options.   USF's on-campus football stadium: Much remains undecided about the university's plans for the facility. But athletic director Michael Kelly has one detail in mind: Sept. 4, 2027.   17th game a tricky proposition: In an ideal setting, Bucs coach Bruce Arians would like to build a large-enough lead this weekend to pull some starters. "But the thing is, who do you take out?" he said.   "One of the top players": Ondrej Palat will surely be remembered among the Lightning's biggest success stories. Here's why.   All in the family: Life can be a challenge when your name is John Daly II and you spend your days on a golf course. But in this case, the father's mistakes may turn out to be a son's blessings. TODAY'S TALKER [SUE CARLTON | Times] Cat food shortage in Tampa Bay has felines fiending Just purrfect. 😾 Continuing supply-chain issues have stripped some local shelves bare of the usually plentiful variety of canned cat foods, leaving pet owners scrambling. How long will the shortage last? Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson, Rachel Adamson and Amy Gehrt. 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