Lake America; Waymo in Tampa; Rays next steps

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Wednesday, Sep 02, 2026

 
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Good Wednesday morning. Expect heavy rain this afternoon (high of 89).

In today’s edition, read about Cubans in Florida being deported to Africa; state Democrats hoping to unseat GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna; and a new restaurant in Odessa from a Michelin-starred team.  

[Courtesy of Coastal Properties Group/Forbes Global Properties]

Florida looks to buy 30-acre coastal property on north Clearwater Beach

The state wants to purchase one of the last privately owned, undeveloped swaths of coastal beachfront land in Pinellas County — which is currently listed for sale along with a 3,400-square-foot beachfront mansion for $37.5 million.

Here’s what we know.

 
 

AROUND THE BAY

  • The Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal was approved. What now?

  • Pinellas residents voice concerns over immigration detentions

  • Hillsborough school board candidate pushes back on residency questions

  • Waymo officially launches driverless car service in Tampa

  • A new store called Wright’s Market is going into Tampa’s Oxford Exchange

  • New sushi and ramen spot from a Michelin-starred team is coming to Odessa

  • After double-murder acquittal, Tampa rapper found guilty of killing pregnant woman

  • In Tampa teen’s murder trial, conflicting stories of revenge plot and self-defense
 

VIEWPOINTS

[DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times]

A letter from the Gulf of America to Lake America 

It’s been more than a year since President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Columnist Stephanie Hayes channels our most famous body of water to help Lake Ontario through the bizarre experience of having its name changed to, yes, Lake America.

 

POLITICS

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

Democrats are getting their hopes up again about unseating GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna after a failed attempt in 2024. What's changed since last time? 

The Hope Florida grand jury recommended the Legislature change state laws to prevent a situation like the $10 million Medicaid diversion from happening again. Some lawmakers may listen.

 
 

SPORTS

Magic in Tampa Bay: As the sports television landscape continues to evolve, the NBA's Orlando Magic have found a new over-the-air TV partner in Tampa Bay.

Hopefully a celebratory September: The Rays haven’t been in a position to play truly meaningful games over the final month of the season for a couple of years now, since 2021.

Keep safety in mind: Having an undrafted rookie as your backup quarterback is scary enough. Having an undrafted rookie behind a daredevil quarterback like Baker Mayfield could be really frightening for Bucs fans, sports columnist John Romano writes.

For more in-depth sports coverage, sign up for Sports Today, our daily newsletter focused on your favorite Tampa Bay teams.

 

TODAY'S TALKER

[ELIZABETH FLORES | TNS]

Cubans living in Florida are being deported to another continent

After being detained for over a year, a Cuban man who traveled between Tampa and Miami for work was transferred onto a flight for five hours before he was told the destination: Africa. The U.S. government has warned Americans not to travel to the Central African Republic for any reason — yet defended the deportations in an email to the Times.

Today's DayStarter was compiled by Hannah Farrow, Kiley Petracek and Alisha Durosier.

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