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Florida Rep. Angie Nixon brought her campaign to be Florida's next U.S. Senator to the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she kicked off a student town hall series.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his second death warrant within a week, putting the state in position to exceed its modern-era record for executions in a single year set in 2025. DeSantis on Monday signed a warrant for Jesse Guardado, 64, to be executed Nov. 5 at Florida State Prison for the murder of a Walton
A federal class action was filed in Miami Friday against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and top executives at the agencies, alleging they’re using a Miramar field office as a de facto civil detention center. The lawsuit says the agencies are holding people illegally for days…
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday, scheduling James Robertson’s execution for Oct. 13, the same day his administration plans to execute William Lee Thompson. They would be the 17th and 18th executions this year and the second time this year that Florida would execute two inmates on the same day. The…
For years, Gov. Ron DeSantis has made support for law enforcement a key pillar of his political identity. He has held press conferences in front of lecterns emblazoned with “Florida Supports Law Enforcement,” signed legislation aimed at recruiting and retaining police officers, castigated the “defund the police”…
OPENINGS/CLOSINGS New restaurant Coco’s In the Heights plans October opening at Tampa’s old Nebraska Mini-Mart On any given weekday morning at 4 a.m., Tampa’s working class queues up at Coco’s Sandwich Shop in Palmetto Beach, often decked out in reflective workwear, to fuel up for the day. A ten-minute drive away…
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pfizer Inc., alleging unfair and deceptive marketing of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The suit, filed in state trial court in St. Lucie County, also names Albert Bourla, the company’s chairman and CEO. It seeks monetary damages for each violation of…
Vice President JD Vance said in Florida Thursday that it was almost “too easy” to attack the candidacies of the two top Democrats running on the statewide ballot next month, David Jolly for governor and Angie Nixon for U.S. Senate. Yet the political reality is that he was in deep-red Polk County having to campaign
The Southern Poverty Law Center is joining nearly 50 churches and civil rights groups who signed a letter in March asking for early voting in the Childs Park neighborhood of South St. Petersburg.
Relics & Lore: A Radley Experience opens at FloridaRama in St. Petersburg on Oct. 3, and its creator, Cody Meacham talked to CLTV.
St. Petersburg artist Chris Parks, aka Palehorse, marks the 20th anniversary of his art career with two shows—'Shapeshifter,' his first solo in 10 years, and the 'Practive Dying' group show—opening Oct. 10 at Morean Arts Center. He discussed his career, and what's next, on a recent visit to Creative Loafing Tampa…
MFA St. Pete hosts another installment of its popular 'Art After Dark' series on Thursday, Oct. 8, featuring special menu items from Cafe Clementine, plus Lost Coast Oysters and live music. The event tops a new list of Tampa Bay food & drink events happening Oct. 1-8, 2026.
Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce's Taste of the Beach promotion runs at more than 50 locations from Oct. 3-11, offering $10 tickets for food & drink specials.
As previously reported, the Tampa City Ballet is set to launch its much-anticipated “La Septima” production, but that’s not the only thing to get into this week. Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar is full once again, and this listing of the best local events and happenings taking place Oct. 1-8 has dozens of options,
Stormy Daniels' gigs in Palm Harbor and Winter Haven are just part of Tampa Bay's October 2026 live comedy rundown.
Rocktober has arrived, and across the Tampa Bay area, which once again, is blessed with a stellar live music calendar this week. Post Physique’s Diáspora night takes over The Bends on Saturday, while jazz trio La Lucha plays a handful of shows over the next seven days in support of a new album, Tides. Tours
State Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat from Boca Raton who is exiting the Legislature in November, has revived a remote call for the state to suspend its gas tax. “Florida can’t control every factor that drives gas prices — global oil markets, refinery capacity, geopolitical shocks. But Florida can control the taxes it…
Friends from Caroline Kingsbury‘s past in Florida’s Evangelical church may be shocked to see the throngs of fans devoted to her special brand of pop music, and that’s kind of the point. A 2025 EP, Shock Treatment, is a joyous celebration of queer life that doesn’t dance around the pressures and realities for folks…
The Florida Department of Education is considering a new dress code policy for employees that puts restrictions on religious head coverings, Crocs and short skirts. In a draft sent to employees and obtained by the News Service of Florida, the DOE would require approval for head coverings on a “case-by-case basis for…
Tampa Bay area jazz trio La Lucha has a busy week ahead, including this no-cover St. Pete Pier concert happening Oct. 4 as part of the city's Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.
Local law enforcement agencies in Florida were required to remove Flock-style license plate readers on state-owned land and right-of-ways on Wednesday. Those actions were required after Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed concern about data privacy and misuse of that technology last month. That led the Florida Department of…
Top Democrats in the Florida House are demanding the Internal Revenue Service open an investigation into whether the Hope Florida Foundation and two social welfare organizations that received money from it properly reported the funds to the IRS and, moreover, whether any of the organizations have to pay taxes on the…
Tampa Bay area songwriter Anthony Santaniello brings his solo project Antro Banks to a local showcase happening at Bayboro Brewing in St. Petersburg on Oct. 3.
Rohna, is a fast-rising Tampa indie-rock band but plays to a new audience this weekend when it plays pre-and-postgame for the Tampa Bay Lightning home opener at Benchmark International Arena.
Ohio Americana band Caamp plays a headlining show in St. Petersburg. Whitney opens at Mahaffey Theater.
There’s not a local gem that shines quite like the University of Tampa. Now known as UTampa, the former Tampa Bay hotel’s minarets are the definition of iconic and could very well be a mascot for the city. A new collection of photography by Tampa’s own Amy Martz captures what feels like every square inch
Democratic leaders on Wednesday criticized U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody for avoiding constituents and for her involvement in the Hope Florida scandal. On the steps in front of the Old Capitol, behind a sign that asked “Where is Ashley Moody?” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Rep. Gallop Franklin II…
Since the summer of 2020, Cory Robinson’s cartoons have had a home in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Marked by fresh, bright colors and usually featuring wide-eyed animals often saying off the wall shit, there’s no denying when the former skateboarder’s hand drawn illustrations, paintings and murals are in front of you…
Members of the Mid Florida Bigfoot Research Group come to Safety Harbor Public Library on Oct. 10, to share their findings with believers and nonbelievers alike.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said one of his deputies used an automated license plate reader (ALPR) database around 300 times searching for a romantic interest.
A report shows that the campaign working to see Amendment 3 on the statewide ballot win approval in November is vastly outspending opponents of the measure. The campaign to fund the measure raised $18 million through Sept. 25. All of that financial support came from the Florida Association of Realtors. The two…
Despite the Trump administration’s hostility towards renewable energy, information released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that utility solar capacity — large scale projects that provide electricity to power grids — has increased 33% since 2025. That’s according to the SUN DAY campaign, which…
The DeSantis administration is backing off its push to make it easier for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children by eliminating from a proposed rule change “sincerely held moral or ethical belief(s)” from the reasons a parent could object to required vaccinations for children to enter school. The…
The voter registration deadline for both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties is Oct. 5.
'Hump!' a long-running adult film festival, comes to Tampa's Sun-Ray Cinema on Oct. 3.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two deputies after identifying misuse of automated license plate readers (ALPRs). The agency didn’t catch it until a Florida reporter started asking questions.
Post-Physique curates another installment of their 'Diáspora' party, for an Oct. 2, 2026 party at The Bends in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Florida prison officials are refusing to give a “profoundly sick” 74-year-old man medical care while he waits for his scheduled execution October 13, drawing objections from more than 100 doctors. The man, William Lee Thompson, is the first known gravely ill prisoner who has been forced to live on death watch, a…
World Car Free Day brought residents to four Tampa locations on Saturday, Sept. 26. Walk Bike Tampa organized the celebration with local partners, including onbikes and Sidewalk Stompers.
On any given weekday morning at 4 a.m., Tampa’s working class queues up at Coco’s Sandwich Shop in Palmetto Beach, often decked out in reflective workwear, to fuel up for the day. A ten-minute drive away, more get in line around 6 a.m. at the Coco’s on 40th Street. Carlos Carrillo and Adam Hendricks think
The 'Redo: siempre/përsëri (always/again)' art show closes at Tampa's OXH Gallery on Oct. 16. Here are photos from a Sept. 24 salon conversation.
The constitutional amendment that would reduce non-school homestead property taxes is the biggest policy proposal on the 2026 statewide ballot. Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption on non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It would lower the annual assessment growth cap from 10% to 5%…
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy will be among the many keynote speakers at an upcoming Tampa stop for Life Surge, a Christian-based financial seminar that recently came under fire for its high-pressure sales tactics, often resulting in attendees incurring tens of thousands of dollars in debt…
Bodycam footage shows an unarmed man, who had already attacked police, appearing to comply with instructions when he was inadvertently killed by officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the incident was an “excusable homicide.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet on Tuesday voted to name more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, and a legal challenge is already in the works to overturn the move. With little comment from the state panel and none taken from the public, the Cabinet voted to apply domestic or international terrorism labels to
By now, the neighbors around Jannus Live know there’s always going to be a loud show happening nearby. Dinosaur Jr. might push the limit. The ear-splitting rock trio has a new album, There Near, to share. It’s unclear if the album is Dinosaur Jr.’s ninth or 13th outing, but those details won’t matter to devotees
A few months ago, local restaurant group Next Level Brands announced the coming of its latest concept to downtown Tampa, “an elevated coastal Mexican steakhouse,” called Matilde. This afternoon, the company behind popular local spots like Boulon Brasserie, Forbici Modern Italian, and Union New American, released a few…
The national tour of 'Buena Vista Social Club' comes to Tampa Oct. 6-11 and includes a former Tampa City Ballet dancer in its cast.
It came as a bit of a shock last summer when St. Pete vegan restaurant Good Intentions announced it was closing after four years, but the space will soon have another popular tenant. On Sunday, Pete’s Bagels said it was clearing out of its current space at 2361 1st Ave. S, and moving four blocks
If you thought Side Splitters was the only new comedy club coming to St. Petersburg, you’ve got another laugh coming. Comedian-turned-club owner Kenny Garcia already has two comedy venues in the Tampa Bay area, and soon he’ll be adding a third. “It’s pretty cool,” Garcia said about his new club opening in the downtown…
A majority of Florida homeowners say that despite proclamations by lawmakers and rating agencies, they don’t believe the property insurance market is improving in the state, with more than a quarter asserting that the market is getting worse. A majority in that same poll say that, by far, tackling property insurance…
Until it got SoUL, Crescent Lake in St. Petersburg was like most lakes and ponds in Florida. Its artificially steep edges were mowed monthly to keep it looking neat and clean although manicured shorelines didn’t welcome wildlife or help capture pollutants in stormwater. But like many lakes in Florida, that’s changing…
With more polls and election analysts suggesting David Jolly could become the first Democrat to win a governor’s race in Florida in more than three decades, the former GOP congressman is appealing for money to defeat Republican Byron Donalds. This week the national elections rating group Decision Desk HQ shifted the…
Outside Florida’s Department of Children and Families office in Kendall, people stood in line for three to four hours in the South Florida heat, waiting to learn why their Medicaid or food assistance had been cut off and what they could do about it — something the letters the state mailed them often didn’t say.
There’s a bold new player pouring flavor and personality into Tampa’s craft beer scene. Hop State Brewing has officially opened in the space formerly home to Six Ten Brewing, bringing a fresh vision, a chef-inspired approach to brewing, and Florida’s first build-your-own seltzer bar. The ownership trio — Ed…
Pro-immigrant activists are calling for more transparency from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office after a representative didn’t disclose information about immigrant detention policies. Records obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay show that the Public Safety Coordinating Council, a lesser-known government body…
For the past 25 years, my wife and I have lived in the city of Safety Harbor, a quaint, yet vibrant, city that we share with 16,000 or so others on Old Tampa Bay. Safety Harbor is full of generous people and businesses who support all of the nonprofit work we do, and has provided
Many Florida residents are up in arms over the rapid expansion of data centers. Suncoast Sierra Club has shared something of a coping mechanism. The group released its Florida citizen action toolkit at a public meeting on Aug. 13, for residents hoping to work with local governments to combat large-scale AI data center…
Tampa Bay’s electric utilities are facing a struggle familiar to those of us who were academic delinquents: a bad report card. The Sierra Club’s annual Dirty Truths report evaluates every American electric utility’s progress towards eliminating pollution-heavy energy production methods. Duke scored 7 out of 100. TECO…
Are the Bucs the worst team in football? Are they back to being the Yucks? I don’t know if that last one is quite true. It’s still early, but so far this season they’ve been one of the worst teams in professional football for sure. There’s plenty of blame to go around, and a lot
As Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to erode, some Republicans, even in Florida, are slightly backing away from being linked to the president. Sydney Gruters is not one of them. The 44-year-old Sarasota resident is running against Democrat Kelly Kirschner and NPA candidate Mark Davis to succeed longtime Republican…
A Second Judicial Circuit judge who made “intemperate and caustic comments” and lamented that he’d like to tell his deputy “to pull his gun and shoot” a trio of attorneys is being ordered to appear before the Florida Supreme Court for a public reprimand. Released Thursday, the Supreme Court disciplinary ruling tracks…
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters Thursday in Palm Beach County that state agents have arrested 20 people for voter fraud in Florida. Sixteen of them, they said, were non-citizens who claimed U.S. citizenship and four others had felony convictions but registered and voted while still…
Dear Oracle, A friend of mine just experienced a devastating loss. Her heart is completely shattered. So is mine. I want to be able to support her in this unbearable grief but I’m at a loss of what to do. It’s such a worst-case scenario that everything I can think of to help just seems
This afternoon, Hillsborough County officials declared a state of emergency due to rising cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever. The order, which was signed by Hillsborough County administrator Bonnie Wise, allows the county to take emergency measures and opens up the possibility of federal reimbursement for certain…
The Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”) now has an Ammortal Chamber, a $160,000 vibrating light table that looks like it belongs in a Dune movie, and it will debut to the public this weekend. The human-sized rotisserie chicken table combines “non-invasive technologies,” including photobiomodulation, pulsed…
Even safe spaces need their rent paid. Queer Expression St. Pete’s youth programming creates a nonjudgemental environment for kids who don’t want their identities politicized or scrutinized. For the first few years, QE’s events bounced around local businesses. In 2024, the group started a lease on a new community…
Tampa City Ballet’s roots go all the way back to 2002 when founder Paula Nuñez and her husband opened her dance studio in New Tampa with just three students. On Sept. 17 at city hall, Nuñez, a Venezuelan immigrant who’s been in the Bay area for 24 years, was at Tampa City Council presenting her
With nearly half-a-century of service, Friends of Strays is a trusted Tampa Bay animal shelter that started as a cat rescue and now houses dogs, too. Helping more than 4,000 animals annually isn’t cheap and the nonprofit looks to close its “Love Unleashed” 30-day awareness fundraiser out strong. “We are entirely…
Rocktober is here, and there’s a big weekend in live music across Tampa Bay. The most serious to-do is Beats on the Street, the big one-day, no-cover music festival happening in the Water Street neighborhood on Saturday (La Lucha, pictured is part of the lineup stacked with homegrown artists and a visit from Chromeo)…
Fall is here on the calendar, and that means the return of Tampa’s famous concert on the streetcar. Launched eight years ago with a show by Have Gun, Will Travel, the rolling concert series programmed by the Gasparilla Music Foundation puts homegrown artists on a TECO Streetcar that runs between Centennial Park in…
Last April at the Sparkman Wharf stage, Peli Gene made its Gasparilla Music Festival debut with anthemic, bouncy indie-rock that sounds like the feeling of pulling off a sweatshirt on a cold day turned perfectly-sunny. The Tampa-based band headlines Rock the Park in support of an April release, Dream Estate…
Festivals, especially those with international artists on the lineup, are really hard to pull off. Absolution Fest organizers don’t seem to care. The EBM and industrial-electro centric get together has booked American-Austrian outfit Aesthetic Perfection playing an “old-school” set meaning songs released before 2011…
Naturally, hardcore bands are on every corner of Bandcamp, but the 2025 outing from Starsdontmeananything stands out. From the opening (“Controlled Burn”) to the in between (“Knowing How To Leave,” “Stainless Steel,” the title track), the Oakland outfit works quiet, experimental moments into Fire Is Beautiful, a…
A decade-and-a-half after playing Tampa’s Mojo Books (with freaking Angel Olsen opening), Bonnie Prince Billy still possesses one of the most arresting live shows in indie-rock. Ghosts Of American Psychonauts is proof. The new live album from the 56-year-old songwriter also known as Will Oldham was recorded last year…
When the Far Forest books a show, you buy a ticket. In a world craving intimacy, the Seminole Heights shop offers a living room experience unlike any other in the Bay area, and this weekend welcomes one of the region’s finest songwriters. Fresh off two 2026 singles, Biishop The Artist headlines with support from Glass
At 85 years old, Chucho Valdés is still releasing new music. His latest, Uncut (InnerJazz) (stylized “UNCUT”), includes eight tracks of solo piano all cut in one continuous session, no edits, or second takes. The Afro-Cuban jazz icon brings a quartet that includes bassist Armando, drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernández…
The state of Florida filed a shareholder lawsuit Wednesday against The New York Times in a Manhattan state trial court, arguing its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict would harm shareholder value for the state’s agencies and public sector retirees. The named plaintiff is the Florida State Board of Administration…
A Florida property featured prominently in the popular Netflix series “Bloodline” is now for sale in the Keys. Located at 130 Palm Ln., in Plantation Key, the property was the fictional home of Kevin & Belle Rayburn, played by actors Norbert Leo Butz and Katie Finneran. Originally built in 1958, the 2,796-square-foot…