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The Daystarter: Atlanta power outage affects Tampa flights; Gruden entering Bucs' Ring of Honor; Orca advocates push for Florida law to ban killer whale breeding; fact-checking President Trump's words to Haitian community

 
SeaWorld agreed in 2016 to stop breeding killer whales and making them perform,such  as in this show. But a pregnant orca at a Spanish zoo has raised questions about whether SeaWorld  honored that pledge. [CHARLIE KAIJO   |   Times]
SeaWorld agreed in 2016 to stop breeding killer whales and making them perform,such as in this show. But a pregnant orca at a Spanish zoo has raised questions about whether SeaWorld honored that pledge. [CHARLIE KAIJO | Times]
Published Dec. 18, 2017

• A warming trend will bring high temperatures around 80 and mostly sunny skies throughout the week, according to 10Weather WTSP. Overnight lows will be in the 60s with our next rain chance coming on Thursday.

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The latest 7-day forecast

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The latest 7-day forecast

• As you head out for your morning commute, check out our live blog for the latest traffic updates and road conditions across Tampa Bay.

• While power has been restored to the world's busiest airport, the travel woes will linger for days. Thousands of people were stranded Monday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where more than 1,000 flights — including some at Tampa International Airport — were grounded just days before the start of the Christmas travel rush. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.

• Animal rights advocates are pushing for a Florida law that would ban the breeding of killer whales, mirroring a law passed in California in 2016. SeaWorld has already announced it doesn't plan to breed orcas. But in a recent transaction that occurred across the Atlantic, done with no public announcement or fanfare, it appears SeaWorld has already acted against its own policy, the Tampa Bay Times has found. Tracey McManus has the story.

• In November, President Trump ordered almost 60,000 Haitians — many of them from Florida — to leave the United States or adjust their immigration status by July 2019. This announcement prompted outrage from Republicans and Democrats in Congress, including former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, a Democrat in Florida's governor's race.

"Donald Trump lied to Florida's Haitian community on the campaign trail and stabbed them in the back," Graham said. PolitiFact Florida takes a closer look at what Trump said.

• The beers and the "love ya, bros" were flowing Saturday night at the Hooters in Tampa. Jon Gruden, who will be inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor at halftime of tonight's home game against the Falcons, worked the room, greeting family, friends, former players and coaches at an invitation-only event. As he will be inducted, some fans surely will ask why he was fired in the first place. Rick Stroud weighs in on that debate.

• Last week, Daniel Richards, a 61-year-old Clearwater man charged with beating his 83-year-old mother to death last year, represented himself during his second-degree murder trial. The process of "pro se," which means "for oneself" in Latin, is not unheard of in Florida criminal courts. Other defendants, without any legal experience, have represented themselves in court before. Laura Morel explores how this process works, its drawbacks, and whether prosecutors or defense attorneys can recall any pro se defendants who were acquitted at tampabay.com.

• For columnist Ernest Hooper, the time has come for meaningful action to replace platitudes when it comes to the Hillsborough County School District. Read his column at tampabay.com.

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• Did you go to Katy Perry's jaw-dropping spectacle or any other shows this weekend. Check out what happened this weekend in music on our Soundcheck music blog.

• Plan your week! Here are the top things to do this week in Tampa Bay including the Gasparilla Bowl at Tropicana Field bringing Florida International University and the Temple Owls, plus comedian Gabriel Iglesias, lots of Christmas parties and Vodka Latke, the biggest social event of the year for young Jewish singles and couples, held every year on Dec. 24.

• Check out our Holiday page here for things to do, find light displays and also get the answers to quirky questions like Why is eggnog a holiday tradition?