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The Daystarter: Clearwater vote undercuts Church of Scientology; Jones says NFL disses Bucs with 2017 schedule; more on John Morgan's potential run for governor; what's up with the skyrocketing lettuce prices?

 
Gail-Patricia Greer waits for the Clearwater City Council meeting to begin Thursday night at City Hall to vote on whether or not to buy a 1.4 acre downtown lot from the aquarium that the Church of Scientology also wants. The aquarium rejected the church's $15 million offer earlier this month in favor of selling it to the city for $4.25 million. The council voted to buy it. [CHARLIE KAIJO   |   Times]
Gail-Patricia Greer waits for the Clearwater City Council meeting to begin Thursday night at City Hall to vote on whether or not to buy a 1.4 acre downtown lot from the aquarium that the Church of Scientology also wants. The aquarium rejected the church's $15 million offer earlier this month in favor of selling it to the city for $4.25 million. The council voted to buy it. [CHARLIE KAIJO | Times]
Published April 21, 2017

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

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Feels-like temperatures around the Tampa Bay area

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Feels-like temperatures around the Tampa Bay area

• Expect temperatures in the high 60s this morning, warming to the upper 80s later in the day, according to 10Weather WTSP. Dry through Saturday with a chance for some showers late Sunday or early Monday. Check our live radar for a look at current conditions.

• Before heading out for your morning commute, consult our live blog for the latest traffic updates and road conditions across Tampa Bay.

• Here are the top things to do today in Tampa Bay.

• Before a packed house Thursday night, the Clearwater City Council voted 5-0 to buy a prized piece of downtown land for $4.25 million from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, undercutting the Church of Scientology. The church had offered $15 million and pledged to sweeten the deal with a redevelopment plan for downtown. Now the church is accusing the city of bigotry, and appears ready to cancel that redevelopment plan. Read our report from Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tracey McManus.

• St. Petersburg City Council actually went later than Clearwater's council did on Thursday. The council members struggled to agree on a formal request to Pinellas County to reallocate $14 million for the Pier District project. It took a few hours, but Waveney Ann Moore reports that the council finally reached an agreement. Next up: Will Pinellas County give St. Petersburg the money?

• The Bucs now know their path to return to the playoffs with the release of their 2017 schedule [you can print yours here]. The NFL apparently thinks the Bucs aren't ready for prime time, but columnist Tom Jones says it's wrong.

• At first glance, BostonTribune.com certainly seems like a trustworthy information source. So does KMT11.com. And ABCNews.com.co. Even 24wpn.com has an official ring to it. But all of these websites peddle bogus stories, either by making up fake news or sharing it from other sources. And it's not always apparent to readers that's the case. Since December, we at PolitiFact have been partnering with Facebook to root out fabricated reports shared by social media users. We've written more than 80 fact-checks about fake news stories. We've noted some trends along the way, chief among them that it can be really difficult for readers — from casual skimmers to seasoned newshounds — to spot fake news outlets when they pop up. Read the analysis this morning on tampabay.com.

• Personal injury lawyer John Morgan is scheduled to address the Tampa Tiger Bay Club today, which means Florida's political world once again considers whether he does or does not sound like a probable candidate for governor. The man himself tells Times Political Editor Adam C. Smith that he is more likely to run than Smith suspects he is, but many of Florida's savviest political operators also have their doubts. Our latest Florida Insider Poll found that nearly 70 percent of the 188 campaign consultants, political scientists, party activists, money-raisers and lobbyists we surveyed doubt the wealthy Orlando area attorney who bankrolled the successful medical marijuana ballot initiative will enter the race. See the poll results this morning on The Buzz.

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