Monthly market the Indie Flea arrives at 1920 Ybor City this fall

Photo by Ysanne Taylor

The Indie Flea brings together dozens of the best food vendors, makers, artists, florists and more for a monthly market. It will officially return to Tampa in historic Ybor City at the newly opened 1920 club (1920 E 7th Ave) November 2023-April 2024. The event is free to attend and will be held the second Sunday of each month. 1920’s first Indie Flea takes place November 12. Indie Flea organizers have announced that applications are now open for vendors.....MORE

Florida Democratic leaders urge Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to run for Senate

Several Florida Democratic leaders are trying to draft former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to challenge U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.

Prominent activists and political organizers said the Miami Democrat represents the best chance to challenge the Republican incumbent.

More HERE

Suicide rate hits all-time high in US last year

About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide rate for the year, but available data suggests suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II.

More HERE

Tampa Hoods: Ybor City

7th Ave

When will hurricane season pick up?

FOX 13 Meteorologist Jim Weber says there is hardly a cloud in the sky in the Caribbean. He says there are no signs of anything developing in the tropics in the near future. According to Weber, the dry Saharan air that is working its way across the Atlantic is keeping things quiet in the tropics over the next week. He does caution that things may pick up as we head into September.

Tampa opens cooling stations amid 5th consecutive heat advisory

Another heat advisory is in place for the Tampa Bay area on Friday, the fifth in a row. The heat index is forecast to exceed 110°F at times, with highs in the 90s.

To help people stay cool, the City of Tampa is opening three cooling centers. The centers will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday.

More HERE

JENerational Change: Ohio REJECTS Issue 1, DeSantis Overreaches AGAIN & Maui Wildfires w/ Steve Grumbine

Steve Grumbine of The Real Progressives joins us to discuss why now, more than ever, we need a Federal Jobs Guarantee.

We'll also be discussing Ohioans rejecting Issue 1, Governor DeSantis executive overreach and the escalation towards war in Niger.

NOAA upgrades 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast to above-normal activity

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Climate Prediction Center updated its forecast for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday, now predicting an above-normal level of activity. The update is the third increase in storm likelihood and is predicated on the presence of record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures.....MORE

INTIMIDATION: Hillsborough schools won’t offer AP Psych to seniors

Google Earth Pro

High schools in Hillsborough County will not be offering Advanced Placement Psychology classes to seniors this year, despite a letter from Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. that says courses can be offered under state law.....MORE

Maxwell Frost wants Congress to investigate Gov. DeSantis’ suspension of Monique Worrell

A Central Florida lawmaker wants Congress to investigate Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of the state’s only Black State Attorney.

Rep. Maxwell Frost led a letter to House Oversight Chairman James Comer accusing Florida’s Governor of abusing his power for political gain in removing Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell from office.

More HERE

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo

With White Rice

Mr B's Cafe - Ybor Heights

Tell Me Something I Don't Know - Cassie Jean & the Fireflies at St Pete Pier 4th of July Celebration

Tampa Streetcar has biggest month in modern history in July

The Tampa Streetcar continues to crush its ridership records, and remains one of the must popular streetcar services in the country. Officials have announced that in July, the streetcar’s ridership reached 164,325. This marks the biggest month in the system’s modern history.....MORE

DeSantis suspends Black state attorney; GOP prez candidate calls Juneteenth 'useless'; Niger coup

Banana Republic of Florida Gear

HERE

Shakespeare Is Too RAUNCHY For Florida Schools

William Shakespeare is now being censored in Florida schools for being too graphic about sex. Ana Kasparian  and John Iadarola discuss on The Young Turks.

Ybor Paparazzi

Glen

Rep. Maxwell Frost LIGHTS UP Republicans

Climate complacency is killing us

“My administration has not stopped or slowed U.S. oil production; quite the opposite,” President Biden boasted last fall. “We’re producing 12 million barrels of oil per day. And by the end of this year, we will be producing 1 million barrels a day, more than the day in which I took office. In fact, we’re on track for record oil production in 2023.”....MORE

EG.5 COVID-19 subvariant: VERIFY Fact Sheet

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A new strain of COVID-19 called EG.5 has been spreading in the U.S. and slowly becoming more widespread than other variants. EG.5 refers to a set of subvariants including EG.5.1 and EG.5.1.1, and has been nicknamed “Eris” (pronounced air-iss) by some scientists on social media.

EG.5’s rise is happening at the same time as a relatively small uptick in COVID-related hospitalizations. We’ve VERIFIED the answers to top questions surrounding the new strain.

More HERE

'We’re not breaking any laws': Critics want Lakeland charity drag show event canceled

A fundraiser for kids heading back to school is coming under fire in Lakeland, where several people have asked the city commission to pull the plug on the event.

That's because it involves a drag show performance.

More HERE

Democratic prosecutor suspended by DeSantis says decision was political

DeSantis, With a Subtle Maneuver, Hides His Small-Dollar Donations

When WinRed, the company that processes nearly all online Republican campaign contributions, recently released its enormous trove of donor data for the first half of the year, donations were conspicuously absent for one presidential candidate: Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. more

Local dance battle sparking excitement in University Area

Ybor Life

7th Ave

Be Transported to New Orleans at the Big Easy Bar in Ybor City

10 beautiful bookstores to visit in the Tampa area

The Tampa area is replete with stunning indie bookstores, and ample used and gently used book exchange stations. There are so many local shops to support and each shop emerges with its own quintessential identity (and offerings). Here’s a quick look at the bookstores you should have on your radar in Tampa Bay.....MORE

Florida Legislative Report Card Reveals Which Lawmakers Put ‘People First’

Public interest groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch today unveiled their 2023 “People First” Report Card, grading Florida lawmakers on key floor votes cast during this year’s legislative session. The report card’s grades take into account how each legislator voted across a wide spectrum of issues including reproductive freedom, civil rights, public education, government transparency, safeguarding democracy, housing affordability, environmental protection, and more.....MORE

David Hogg, Kevin Lata launch super PAC supporting young progressives running for office

David Hogg & Glen Eich (Stogie contributor)

March for Our Lives activist David Hogg knows the value of bringing a young voice to politics. Now he’s joining forces with Campaign Manager Kevin Lata in an effort to urge more young people to run for Congress.

The two Florida political voices just launched Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots effort to attract more millennial and Generation Z progressives to run for Congress.

More HERE

Tampa Renters Can Lean on New Housing Team

In an ongoing effort to tackle the affordable housing crisis, the City of Tampa is proud to introduce a new service dedicated to assisting residents, specifically renters, who need access to resources and fast results when facing housing issues.....MORE