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The Daystarter: Can Bernie Sanders swing the governor's race?; meet the stand your ground shooter's legal team; Rays' bats wake up against Yankees

 
Tampa Bay Rays' Ji-Man Choi, center, slides past New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine to score on a single by Brandon Lowe during the fifth inning of Wednesday night's 6-1 Rays' road win. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Tampa Bay Rays' Ji-Man Choi, center, slides past New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine to score on a single by Brandon Lowe during the fifth inning of Wednesday night's 6-1 Rays' road win. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Published Aug. 16, 2018

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

• Get ready for another overcast, wet and hot day. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a 40 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The highest chance of rain will be in the afternoon when thundershowers could move in, and the highs will also be 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.

• Here are the top things to do today in Tampa Bay including multi-platinum selling artists Wiz Khalifa and Rae Sremmurd at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and comedian Alonzo Boden at the Improv in Centro Ybor.

• It's time to plan your weekend! Our critics and writers have laid out their top picks on our Weekend Planner page including a hugely popular show returning to Jobsite Theater and concerts including Lindsey Stirling and Evanescence, Wiz Khalifa, Rae Sremmurd, Journey and Def Leppard all on stage this weekend in Tampa Bay.

• The Tampa Bay Times joins more than 200 newspapers throughout the nation in protesting President Trump's declaration that journalists are "the enemy of the American people.'' The editorial board writes that the president's constant assaults against the media as "fake news" cannot be brushed aside as theatrics, particularly when they are embraced by some supporters and copied by politicians in Florida and elsewhere. The president is not just undermining journalists, but also the communities and democracy they serve.

• The latest on the Clearwater 'stand your ground' case: A triumvirate of defense lawyers have signed on to represent Michael Drejka, the man accused of shooting and killing Markeis McGlockton last month in what authorities initially deemed a stand your ground shooting. But whether Lysa Clifton, John Trevena and Bryant Camareno will use that defense against Drejka's manslaughter charge is unclear, reports Kathryn Varn and Zachary T. Sampson.

• Columnist John Romano takes aim at the Constitution Revision Commission for adding eight "mostly duplicitous" amendments on the November ballot, including a sneaky way to impose term limits on school board members. Read his latest take.

• The Aug. 28 primary is almost here Florida. Time to start researching the candidates using the Times 2018 Florida Voter Guide. Find out everything you need to know about those running for governor, the Legislature and your local governments.

• The Rays' stagnant offense finally came to life in Wednesday night's 6-1 road win over the Yankees. To catch up on Marc Topkin's insights into Tampa Bay's win and the current state of the team, checkout the Times Rays' blog.

• Longtime underwater artifact salvager G. Michael Harris is again in the public eye, but this time not for treasure. Harris, a Belleair resident involved in recovering artifacts from the famous Titanic shipwreck in the early 2000s, is currently being sued over a past-due loan from a friend. According to a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Pinellas County, Harris borrowed $25,000 from county resident Douglas Prescott in mid-2014. The loan came with the stipulation that the money would be repaid within 90 days, plus 7 percent interest.

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• A Florida Missing Child Alert has been issued for three Dade City children who went missing Wednesday night. Stay with tampabay.com for updates.

• Andrew Gillum's gubernatorial campaign may come down to one question: How much does Bernie Sanders' support matter in a Democratic primary? The Independent Senator from Vermont is coming to Tampa on Friday to campaign with Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who's taken up Sanders' progressive banner in the Florida governor's race. But with less than two weeks to go until the Aug. 28 Democratic primary — and hundreds of thousands of Democratic ballots already filled out — Sanders' visit comes at a make-or-break time for Gillum's gubernatorial hopes.

• It's official: The question of whether Clearwater should move to a strong mayor system will be on the Nov. 6 ballot, reports Tracy McManus, and money is already flowing into the coming political battle to sway city voters.

• Waveney Ann Moore explains at tampabay.com that former mayoral candidate Deveron Gibbons' plans to develop two acres across the street from Tangerine Plaza — where two supermarkets failed — could be in trouble. The plans to build a gas station, convenience store, soul food restaurant and medical services building at 2100 18th Ave. S appear to be in trouble.

• Columnist Tom Jones asks if college football programs have learned anything from the June 13 death of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, who collapsed following a team workout. After ESPN reported on the football program's toxic culture, the strength coach resigned, the head coach was placed on administrative leave and the university president has apologized. But Jones wonders if colleges will act to prevent the next 19-year-old from dying?

• Movie fans and even high-profile actors and directors have expressed their dismay at the new Academy Award category to honor "outstanding achievement in popular film." Arguments aside, here are 5 films that could make the new pop category worthwhile and also make fans of Black Panther and Paddington 2.