DayStarter

Thursday, Sep 17, 2026

Good Thursday morning. It’ll be partly sunny with scattered thunderstorms (high of 91).

In today’s edition, read about a Russian man who submitted more than 100 fake voter registration applications in Pinellas; Tampa International ranking No. 1 among large airports; and the recent Alligator Alcatraz report raising concerns about other Florida detention centers.

[LUIS SANTANA | Times]

The notorious Tampa con man who still makes a living off crime

Matt Cox has appeared in the Times before, in dozens of articles from the 2000s that detailed his real estate scams, federal convictions and bribery of a Tampa city councilperson.

Now Cox, free from prison, is back in Tampa and making a living from crime again.

And he has more than 1 million subscribers.

AROUND THE BAY

Tampa Sports Authority chosen to review Rays ballpark design plan
Florida Board of Education sets AI rules for school districts, public colleges
Pasco mayor resigns after Saint Leo investigation into ‘allegation’ leads to firing
Clearwater Save the Garden group submits second petition to city
Russian man submitted over 100 Pinellas voter registrations. None of them were real
2 former candidates back Mallory in St. Pete council runoff
Tampa International ranks No. 1 among large airports in survey
Forbes 400: Who are the wealthiest Floridians?
RuPaul is coming to Tampa to DJ this pool party
Pinellas jail inmate found unresponsive in cell dies in hospital, deputies say
Pinellas doctor’s ‘murder kit’ included masks, syringes and weapons, state says

FEATURED

[Courtesy of Craig Pittman]

Craig Pittman has yet to visit a nudist resort

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian who built a career writing about what he calls “The Most Interesting State.”

Here are his three favorite slices of Florida culture.

POLITICS

FIND MORE AT TAMPABAY.COM/POLITICS

Questions raised: After a report confirmed detainees at Alligator Alcatraz were held in small cages, officials are wondering about a second state-run immigrant detention facility run out of a shuttered prison in north Florida operating with little to no federal supervision.

No Going Back PAC Inc. — a President Donald Trump-connected super PAC — has begun to spend on Florida congressional races, including to unseat Democratic incumbent Kathy Castor in Tampa Bay.

SPORTS

Nikita Kucherov will enter the start of training camp with his future in Tampa Bay uncertain, as efforts to extend the Lightning star right wing's contract have been fruitless.

Due to injuries, the Lightning will open the season without two of their centers — veteran Yanni Gourde and second-year player Dominic James.

An uncomfortable start: Bucs linebacker Alex Anzalone says missed tackles and poor pass coverage spoiled his Tampa Bay debut on Sunday.