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News at noon: Rich vs. poor life spans; Steinbrenner Field renovations; rescue video; bad vanilla bean news; concert updates; Mock Draft Monday; and 5 ideas for lamb

Piquant chef and co-owner Ricardo Castro displays vanilla pods in the restaurant's kitchen in Tampa on Friday, April 8, 2016. With prices of vanilla skyrocketing as a result of global production issues, Piquant will likely be pushed to remove some items from the menu. LOREN ELLIOTT   |   Times
Piquant chef and co-owner Ricardo Castro displays vanilla pods in the restaurant's kitchen in Tampa on Friday, April 8, 2016. With prices of vanilla skyrocketing as a result of global production issues, Piquant will likely be pushed to remove some items from the menu. LOREN ELLIOTT | Times
Published April 11, 2016

For poor Americans, the place they call home can be a matter of life or death. The poor in some cities live nearly as long as their middle-class neighbors or have seen rising life expectancy in the 21st century. But in some other parts of the country, adults with the lowest incomes die on average as young as people in much poorer nations like Rwanda, and their life spans are getting shorter. In the Tampa Bay area, the life expectancy of the region's poorest residents dropped by 2.2 years from 2001 to 2014.

The New York Yankees and Tampa Sports Authority have agreed to a $40 million renovation of George M. Steinbrenner Field. The deal also extends the lease agreement between the Yankees and the TSA to keep the team's spring training games in Tampa through 2046.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has endorsed Democrat Eric Lynn in his race for Pinellas County's 13th Congressional District. Meanwhile, Democrat Patrick Murphy announces he has raised $2 million in the first three months of 2016 in his race for U.S. Senate.

Coast Guard video shows the rescue of a 17-year-old girl adrift offshore in a kayak for hours Sunday night.

An attorney representing the family of a 15-year-old girl who died when the car she was in plunged into a pond is scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. today. "We will show you how the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has systematically manipulated the reports of events and offered conflicting statements in an attempt to create a false narrative," stated a news release sent out by lawyer Michele Whitfield. Follow developing coverage here.

A bad vanilla bean harvest in Madagascar could mean big price hikes on some of your favorite desserts here in Tampa Bay. Local restaurants and bakeries are warning that some treats like the vanilla croissant doughnut or the vanilla eclair may have to come off their menus.

Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas are teaming up for a co-headlining tour that'll kick off in Florida, including a stop at Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. In other concert news, Boy George and Culture Club will come to St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater in July.

Fear the Walking Dead returned Sunday night with one clear lesson: This is Strand's boat. Read our recap here.

Spring is a good time to consider cooking lamb. It can be gamey, which might explain why it's not a protein staple in this country the way it is in others. But it is a versatile option, and it's a way to mix up your go-to dinner meats. Here are five ideas for adding lamb to your meals.

You can read all you want about the fighting prowess of the king mackerel, but you won't truly understand until you do the dance on the deck of a moving boat. "The fight — that is what it makes it all worth it," said Eric Sidor, who will take part in the Wild West Kingfish Tournament Series that begins Saturday off John's Pass.

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The NFL draft is only two months away, and there's not much consensus among the mock drafts. Here's our weekly summary of potential Bucs targets and local players among noted mock drafts.

Going to a Florida Gators football game this fall? The university is implementing a clear bag policy for fans during the upcoming season.

News at noon is a weekday feature from tampabay.com. Check in Monday through Friday for updates and information on the biggest stories of the day.