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News at noon: Wrong-way crash on 275; Dem debate fact-check; Trump in Tampa; Publix expansion; Kanye's new song reviewed; Deal Divas' Wedding Week

 
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump thanks photographers Thursday as he greets the crowd after speaking at a campaign rally in Baton Rouge, La. [Associated Press]
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump thanks photographers Thursday as he greets the crowd after speaking at a campaign rally in Baton Rouge, La. [Associated Press]
Published Feb. 12, 2016

• Early this morning, a wrong-way crash on Interstate 275 left two people dead. This crash is one in a long list of wrong-way driving fatalities in the Tampa Bay area.

• Politifact was up late fact-checking last night's Democratic Debate. From topics like American income stagnation to bad-mouthing Obama, the Politifact team has you covered.

• The Donald Trump show comes to Tampa tonight, and the star promises it will be family-friendly. Trump has been chastised by his rivals and commentators for having repeated a profane description of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz that a woman in the audience shouted during a rally in New Hampshire earlier this week. Follow our live blog to catch all the sights and sounds of tonight's Trump rally.

• Grocery chain Publix is prepared to take on markets in new states while defending its home turf in Florida and Georgia.

• For collectors, antique dealers and garden-variety bargain hunters, there are few happier ways to spend an hour or two than hitting an estate sale. On almost every weekend in the Tampa Bay area you can find a house somewhere with dozens of people impatiently waiting for the door to open and the thrill of the hunt to begin. A behind-the-scenes look at the estate sale business.

• Cool winter weather made this year's Florida python hunt a bigger success than the event's debut three years ago, but the number of snakes killed is still a bucket drop compared to how many are in the wild.

• One of the City Council's newest members will be absent from meetings for the next few months. Ed Montanari said yesterday he will have heart surgery this month. The Feb. 23 procedure will repair his mitral valve and will be done at the Cleveland Clinic.

• Cast members of The Lion King (showing currently at the Straz Center) took a break from practice to meet some fellow feline friends at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa.

• Kanye West made a lot of noise about his new album The Life of Pablo yesterday and it took about two seconds for it to all unravel. In an early-released song, "Famous," Yeezy insults Taylor Swift (again….) and the world with vulgarity.

• Taylor Swift's 1989 has sold more than five million copies, spawned five Top 10 singles (and counting), and launched the most celebrity-studded pop tour of all time. Since the day it was released in October 2014, it's been the safe bet to win Album of the Year at this year's Grammys. Our pop culture critic is here to tell you why it won't.

• Today marks the start of Deal Divas second annual Wedding Week, a time-honored tradition in which bloggers answer very important questions like "What are the consequences of going off-registry" and "How do I spend less than $500 on clothes as a bridesmaid."

• With Valentine's Day around the corner, nothing says "I love you" like a well-selected place to dine. Refer to Food Critic Laura Reiley's Top 50 Restaurants of Tampa Bay to pick the cuisine and style that suits you and your sweetie's tastes.

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• Need more Kiermaier in your life? Don't we all. Among their promotional giveaways in the new season, the Rays will feature Kevin Kiermaier's 2015 Platinum Glove Award through bobblehead and glove giveaways to fans.