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Monday, Jun 15, 2026

Good Monday morning. Expect partly cloudy skies (high of 91).

In today’s edition, read about a Tampa Bay chef nominated for a James Beard Award and the black market for stolen Disney World merch. Plus: After redistricting, who’s running for the U.S. House in Tampa Bay? 

Cape Verde — the third-smallest country to ever play in the World Cup — will make its debut today against tournament favorite Spain, the realization of an accomplishment the country’s president has compared to independence. 

Before beginning play in Atlanta, the team, known as the Blue Sharks, spent the week training and celebrating in Tampa Bay.

Here are five things to know about Cape Verde, including that the team is headquartered at the Rowdies' training facility in Tampa.

U.S. beats Paraguay: Over 3,000 soccer fans gathered at the home of the Rowdies for a watch party Friday night in St. Pete. See photos. 

Get the ball rolling: A group of fans at Xtreme Tacos in Tampa roared as Mexico beat South Africa Thursday in the opening match of the World Cup.

Hot, hot, hot: A brutal combination of hot temperatures mixed with high humidity could lead to blistering days this week.

School board races: Pinellas school board member Caprice Edmond won reelection without opposition on Friday; three other seats will appear on the Aug. 18 ballot. In Pasco, the field is packed as two incumbents chose not to seek reelection. In Hillsborough, seven candidates have qualified. 

Concerns heard: St. Petersburg City Council members abandoned an expansion of resident-only parking after local business owners expressed concern.

Near national acclaim: Bryce Bonsack is the first Tampa Bay chef to advance this far in the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards in more than 30 years.

Pour one out for Good Intentions: The popular vegan restaurant in St. Pete is closing. It will stay open until mid-summer.

If he's confirmed: UF's president-elect Stuart Bell could make over $2 million in his first year.

Guilty: A Tampa jury deliberated eight hours before finding a man guilty of murder for the 2023 stabbings of his girlfriend and her 14-year-old daughter.

"So old and so arcane and so broken": Heriberto Sanchez-Mayen was paralyzed after an arrest by St. Pete police in 2023. Three years later, he’s getting $2.3 million. His case highlights the gantlet that people who sue government entities in Florida must navigate to receive settlement money.

Feared for their lives: Adam Siauciunas was shot and killed by two deputies in response to a home invasion last month. The investigation concluded the deadly use of force was justified.

Who are the people who risk their lives and freedom to visit off-limits areas of Disney World? A Tampa filmmaker captured the story of people looting the "temple of the Mouse" in "Stolen Kingdom," screening in the city this week.

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

More than two dozen candidates: The field is set for Florida's 2026 governor race. See who qualified to run to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said he wants to see his potential successors debate.

Also upcoming: Who’s running for the U.S. House in Tampa Bay after redistricting? We made a list.

Middle-of-the-road strategy: By choosing Gwen Graham as his running mate, former U.S. Rep. David Jolly is hoping to appeal to the independents in his run for Florida governor. But are progressive Democrats on board?

Commissioner races: Two incumbents on each side of Tampa Bay were sailing towards their next term as they were running unopposed. Late entries to the race on Friday changed that.

Dive deep every weekday into all things Bucs, Rays, Lightning, USF and more with award-winning Times journalist Rick Stroud. If it’s major Tampa Bay sports news, he’s talking about it.

Two Hart Trophies. Three Ross awards. Two Stanley Cups. Nikita Kucherov's name will be all over the record books by the time he hangs it up. Sports columnist John Romano asks, does that make him the greatest athlete we've had the fortune of watching in Tampa Bay?

A Spurs fan walks into a Knicks bar in Tampa. How did that go? The 2026 NBA Finals have been thrilling for fans of the orange and blue.

Awaiting answers: There's no shortage of opinions when it comes to the Rays stadium proposal at Hillsborough College. But for all the talk, residents of the surrounding Drew Park neighborhood feel left out of the conversation, Romano writes.

People arguing over rainbows? That’s hardly new, writes columnist Stephanie Hayes. As humans spat and spar, as they ban and bar, rainbows soar. They always will.