Here's what you may have missed, and what you need to know as you start winding down.
Rescuers found a body this morning within the search area for a missing airplane and its occupants south of Cedar Key, the U.S. Coast Guard said. It's not clear, though, that the body was one of the plane's three occupants, as its identity has not yet been established. Officials did not release any details about the body, including its gender and rough age. The body was spotted at 8:51 a.m. by a Coast Guard helicopter. It was retrieved by boat and brought to Cedar Key, where it was collected by the eighth district medical examiner's office and taken to Gainesville. An official identification was pending a medical examiner's review.
As you head out for your drive home, check out our live blog for the latest traffic updates and road conditions across Tampa Bay.
Sen. Marco Rubio says questions into Michael Flynn's dealings with the Russians are best handled as part of a broader investigation into Russia's involvement in U.S. affairs.
Call it the Rick Scott retribution tour. Sure, the Republican Governor's office called his stops in Cape Coral, Tampa, Panama City, and Jacksonville this week the "Fighting for Florida's Jobs" tour. But they all coincidentally have one big thing in common: All four stops have been in the districts of four of the nine House Republicans who last week voted to killed two of his most cherished agencies : Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida.
A small group of activists gathered today on the steps of St. Petersburg's City Hall to call on the City Council to pass a resolution asking the county to seek sanctuary status for undocumented immigrants. Recently, Mayor Rick Kriseman sparred with Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri over the issue after Kriseman wrote a blog post that some interpreted as making St. Petersburg to be a sanctuary city.
Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman plans to start talking about gun violence again. Last year, Wheeler-Bowman sponsored a resolution in support of a League of Women Voter's call for special legislative session on gun violence. She removed her resolution after City Attorney Jackie Kovilaritch told her that state law preempting local elected officials from interfering with gun laws put her at risk of fines, lawsuits or even removal from office. On Tuesday, Wheeler-Bowman issued a statement welcoming the attorney general's opinion and vowing to renew her advocacy in reducing gun violence.
A man has been convicted in one of the nation's most haunting missing-child cases, nearly 38 years after 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared in New York City. Jurors delivered their verdict Tuesday in Pedro Hernandez's retrial. This time, jurors deliberated over nine days before finding the 56-year-old guilty of murder during a kidnapping in a case that shaped both parenting and law enforcement in the United States.
Last week, hundreds of hopeful patients, caregivers and business interests filled meeting rooms across the state to tell health officials how they want Florida's medical marijuana program to go into effect after 71 percent of voters approved it. In Tallahassee, the picture is a little different. Instead of patients, lobbyists pack committee hearings.
By all accounts, Steven Stamkos is on schedule for an expected four-month recovery from mid-November surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. More important than when Stamkos comes back is how he feels and performs when he does. Though surgeons say elite athletes are expected to return to their previous level following this procedure, it doesn't always happen right away. Just ask Wild wing Zach Parise, who had Stamkos' surgery to the same knee in Nov 2010.
Pitcher Jake Odorizzi was quite pleased with the news today that he prevailed in his arbitration hearing against the Rays, and will get a $4.1-million salary. Odorizzi, in his first year of eligibility, sought the $4.1M while the Rays offered $3.825M.
Alex Corddry is set to be hired as the new in-game reporter on the Rays Fox Sports Sun TV broadcasts, the Times has learned. Corddry, who recently worked college football games for ESPN and the SEC Network, replaces Todd Kalas, who joined the Astros as their TV play-by-play man.
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