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The Daystarter: FitzMagic strikes again for Bucs; DeSantis veers into the absurd; fact-checking Trump's Puerto Rico claims

 
MONICA HERNDON   |   Times Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 16, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
MONICA HERNDON | Times Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 16, 2018 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Published Sept. 17, 2018

Catching you up on overnight happenings, and what to know today.

• We'll see scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. It will be hot and humid with highs in the lower 90s.

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

• White-hot Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with DeSean Jackson for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game against Philadelphia. Fitzpatrick became the first quarterback in club history to throw at least four TD passes in back-to-back games and led the Bucs to a 27-21 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

• For the latest Bucs' developments, keep checking the Tampa Bay Times coverage to stay informed as the team heads into week three.

• Hospital chains are getting into the insurance game. Why? Executives and analysts say it's because the payer model continues to change thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which penalizes hospitals for re-admissions to the ER and incentivize them for more preventative care. As a result, more of them are willing to assume the risk of providing insurance and cut out the middle man. Tampa Bay-based BayCare will offer Medicare Advantage plans for 2019 for the first time. Meanwhile Florida Hospital and Orlando Health are providing HMO plans to Disney employees through a unique partnership. It's all part of a blurring of the lines between providers, insurers and even retailers. Companies like CVS and Walgreens continue to migrate more toward front-line health care, with clinical services like online doctor visits at their stores. It all adds up to an industry in the middle of a shakeout -- and players on all edges expanding what they do to stay relevant. Read more from Justine Griffin.

• Republican lawmakers say it's a myth that they have underfunded Florida's public school system. Yet local districts, including Hillsborough County, say it's all very true. Who's right? The debate rages on and promises to be a big issue in the governor's race. But voters across Florida already are taking on the issue more directly, with 10 counties approving measures in the Aug. 28 primary that will increase local taxes for schools. Similar measures are on the Nov. 6 ballot in several additional counties — including Hillsborough. The widening push for local funding suggests that the public is warming to the notion that maybe the state isn't providing enough money for schools, Marlene Sokol reports.

After months of limiting his contact with Florida voters and reporters, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis this week turned into a ubiquitous and pugnacious presence on the campaign trail. He also jumped head-long into the realm of the absurd with some of his attacks on Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. Adam C. Smith explains why.

• For the latest in Florida politics, make sure to check The Buzz.

• President Donald Trump recently attributed Puerto Rico's struggle to regain electricity to the territory's floundering power system. "Puerto Rico got hit not with one hurricane but with two (hurricanes)," Trump said. "And the problem with Puerto Rico is their electric grid and their electric generating plant was dead before the storms ever hit. It was in very bad shape. It was in bankruptcy. It had no money. It was largely — you know, it was largely closed. And when the storm hit, they had no electricity — essentially before the storm. And when the storm hit, that took it out entirely." Was the power system dead on arrival? PolitiFact Florida has the analysis.

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• This month marks one year since consular services in Havana were suspended. A look at how it has shut down the stream of hundreds of Cuban refugees who once came to Hillsborough County every month. Today, only around 30 come, all through the land borders rather than the embassy. Read more from Paul Guzzo.

• The Rays hung on Sunday to beat the A's for a second straight day, this time 5-4. They also made it official that for the first time since 2013 they will finish with a winning record.

• To get the latest Rays' news, check out the Tampa Bay Times coverage down the home stretch.

• Plan your week! Here are the top things to do this week in Tampa Bay.

• We had both country superstar Dierks Bentley in Tampa this weekend and classic rock legends the Scorpions. Find out what happened and get more music news on our Soundcheck music blog