Catching you up on overnight happenings, and what you need to know today.
• Our Memorial Day observances and celebrations will be sunny and hot today, with highs in the low 90s around Tampa Bay and the mid 90s for inland areas. Coastal spots will get a bit of a break, with highs in the upper 80s, according to 10Weather WTSP. We'll stay dry across the board, with only isolated rain chances in the forecast through Wednesday.
10News WTSP
10News WTSP
10News WTSP
10News WTSP
• As you're heading out for the day or returning from your long holiday weekend, check out our live blog for the latest traffic updates and road conditions across Tampa Bay.
• For Memorial Day today, Tampa Bay Times staff writer Howard Altman takes you on a tour and shares the history of Bay Pines National Cemetery. Meet the caretaker who was a career military man and now looks after the remains, as well as the families and the friends of the fallen.
• Tributes to the fallen are planned across the Tampa Bay area for Memorial Day, including a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg and an 11 a.m. ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa. Some museums also are offering free and discounted admission for veterans. See a complete list here.
• From the Times editorial board: America's strength has made it a target for testing the country's resolve, a challenge that over time has been answered by American servicemen and women who honored a duty higher than their own interests. Memorial Day is a moment to reflect on that sacrifice and to acknowledge as citizens the responsibility to deploy our countrymen wisely.
• "Rick vs. Rick" is an ongoing series by the Times on the election battle between incumbent St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and former mayor Rick Baker. Today's installment: Why did St. Petersburg close the Albert Whitted sewage treatment plant without making sure the city could handle big storms — and who gets the blame? Read the story by staff writer Charlie Frago at tampabay.com.
• Uncertainty over whether Gov. Rick Scott will veto the education budget, along with a limited increase in per-student allocation, has made planning tough on school districts. That's especially true in high-growth districts like Hillsborough and Pasco counties, and in Hernando County, just getting back on solid footing after years of spending cuts. Staff writer Jeffrey Solochek has the details.
• North Korea's latest missile test Monday may have less to do with perfecting its weapons technology than with showing U.S. and South Korean forces in the region that it can strike them at will. It's the latest in a string of test launches by North Korea as it seeks to build nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland, a drive that puts North Korea high on the list of foreign policy worries for Japan, Washington and Seoul.
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Explore all your options• TBS Full Frontal host Samantha Bee called out Florida over its cumbersome process for restoring civil rights to felons. "In Florida felonies can be things like buying weed, tampering with an odometer or disturbing a lobster trap," Bee said. "So basically spring break." Is that for real? Read the PolitiFact Florida fact-check.
• Plan your week! Here are the top things to do this week in Tampa Bay, including the return of Jimmy Buffett and the Daily Show's Trevor Noah, and the chance to chip golf balls from atop Raymond James Stadium.