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Wednesday, Jul 08, 2026

Good Wednesday morning. Thunderstorms may make their way to Tampa Bay this afternoon.

In today’s edition, read about a case of flesh-eating bacteria; snake orgies; and our sport columnist’s thoughts on the Lightning's offseason moves.

[HANNAH WALLS | Times]

The young athlete moved across the country in pursuit of a dream: to be the best in his sport. 

But just months into his time there, he was sexually assaulted by a teammate, according to sheriff’s reports and a subsequent criminal case. Another boy was, too.

Now, a new lawsuit alleges that the school failed to protect the athletes during their stay at IMG Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Manatee County, and paints a darker portrait of the academy where drinking and drug use were allegedly rampant and ignored. 

In a statement shared with the Times, the academy denied allegations and said it would defend itself against “salacious misrepresentations and inaccuracies.”

Read more about the lawsuit in this Times exclusive.

For the first time: Florida regulators must decide if a utility's plan for data centers does enough to protect consumers. They have doubts about Duke Energy.

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