A closer look at Florida's rejected math books

Pasco County road project is finally open; weekly COVID-19 update; five questions for Tampa Bay ahead of the Bolts-Leafs series

 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Monday, May 2, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning! A mix of clouds and sunshine will help us start the week, with temperatures expected to reach the upper 80s.   A quick rundown: Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to push lawmakers to allow residents to carry firearms without taking a training course; learn more about the life of Florida’s “Manatee Lady”; and Pasco County school employees still don’t have a contract deal for this year as classes wind down. [DIRK SHADD | Times] What was inside the textbooks that might have offended state reviewers? It’s been two weeks since Florida rejected nearly half the state’s proposed new math textbooks, saying they contained “unsolicited strategies” and “prohibited topics” like social-emotional learning or critical race theory.   Education officials still haven’t offered examples of why they’re declaring some titles unfit. Publishers aren’t providing any insights either.   So, we went searching for answers, examining several books on the initial rejected list. Check out our findings. Get the latest sports coverage from the Times For updates and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays, Florida college teams and more, follow the Tampa Bay Times sports crew on social media. Twitter Facebook Instagram AROUND THE BAY Diverging diamond interchange opens at I-75, State Road 56 The long-awaited Pasco County road project is finally open to limited traffic. Now drivers need to get used to it. Read more Pasco mulls moratorium as aviation groups push for stronger development rules The six-month pause would halt land use changes near airports while the county updates its rules Read more Can Pasco schools, employees agree on pay? It’s getting late. Negotiations affect about 8,700 teachers and support staff. Read more St. Petersburg’s First Home Bank parent cuts 65 jobs amid mortgage losses BayFirst Financial Corp. blamed high interest rates and a “shift in our business model” for the residential mortgage slump. Read more Tampa’s Outback Steakhouse planning up to 100 smaller restaurants Parent company Bloomin’ Brands believes rescaling its core brand will help it grow post-pandemic. Read more Florida’s ‘Manatee Lady,’ Helen Spivey, died at 94 She spent decades fighting for animals and the environment. Read more Patti Smith will be Sarasota’s Selby Gardens first artist in residence Smith will return to Sarasota to take inspiration from Selby Gardens’ two locations in 2023 and 2024. Read more Safety Harbor Marina fountain ‘heavily vandalized’ Decorative concrete caps around the edge of the fountain were damaged, along with some lighting and pipes inside. Read more Palm Harbor man charged with hate crimes after ‘racially-motivated’ road rage attack, officials say Deputies said Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, gave a Nazi salute before punching a Black driver in Seminole and later threatened to commit a mass shooting. Read more BRIGHT SPOT Florida wildlife is the best, right? A sandhill crane takes issue with ... itself. Read more CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Florida adds 26,574 COVID cases in past week, positivity rates rise The COVID-19 pandemic by the numbers in Florida covering the period of April 23-29: Read more FDA sets June meetings on COVID vaccines for youngest kids Families are frustrated as they continue to wait for the chance to vaccinate their youngest children. Read more Anti-vaxx ideology gains ground as lawmakers erode kids shots The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted anti-vaccine activists and their campaign against mandatory vaccinations for illnesses such as polio, measles, and mumps. Read more POLITICS DeSantis promises Florida permitless carry gun law before he leaves governor’s office But Florida’s governor said he doesn’t know when. Read more Manny Diaz Jr. confirmed as Florida’s next education commissioner Diaz will take over on June 1. Read more Justice Alan Lawson to retire from Florida Supreme Court This will allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint another member of the state’s high court. Read more Tampa Bay lawmakers scuttle naming courthouse for Florida’s first Black justice Those reached cited Joseph Hatchett’s ruling in a school prayer case that closely followed a Supreme Court opinion. Read more 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 Gov. DeSantis gets it right on Florida's rooftop solar | Editorial Proposed changes would have upended the state's burgeoning rooftop solar industry. Read more When it comes to Tampa jokes, maybe St. Pete gets last laugh | Column Not that long ago, St. Pete was the butt of jokes. What happened? Read more SPORTS Rays fall behind early, can't recover in loss to Twins Tampa Bay is outscored 18-4 over the final two games of its series against Minnesota. Read more Bucs' John Spytek says rookie class could have instant impact The vice president of player personnel gives his thoughts about the eight players selected by Tampa Bay. Read more 9 Florida 2023 NFL draft prospects to know There's a chance the state produces a pair of first-round quarterbacks in next year's NFL draft. Read more Five questions ahead of the Lightning-Leafs series Will home ice matter? Who needs to play well for the Lightning to advance out of the first round? Read more Get ready for the chaos: Lightning-Maple Leafs will provide star power, physicality The first-round playoff series that begins Monday will be surrounded by hype for a lot of reasons. Read more Yes, we love pretty goals but the Lightning needs to bring the defense John Romano | For all its offensive firepower, defense is what set Tampa Bay apart in the past two postseasons. Read more TODAY'S TALKER As Tampa Bay chases corporate relocations, these are the region's strengths A new Tampa Bay EDC study offers insights on what the region does well, and how it can beat out others for business. Read more Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda and Anila Lijo. Did someone forward this to you? Get 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 © 2022 • 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.