🌱 July Heat Record Broken + Tampa Citizen Review Board Subpoena Power

Welcome back, Tampa! Happy Saturday! I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Keep scrolling for the scoop...

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 95 Low: 80.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa is on track to set a new monthly temperature record for the hottest July ever, according to the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay. The average temperature for the first 28 days of July is a scorching 86 degrees. (Tampa Patch)

2. Federal and local officials alleged Friday that St. Petersburg's Uhuru House was influenced by Russian intelligence to spread propaganda and influence local elections to further the agenda for Russia. The Uhuru group is believed by the U.S. government to be one of many groups used for this cause by the foreign power. A federal search warrant was executed Friday at the Uhuru, according to police. (WFLA)

3. The Tampa Medical and Research District is expected to generate $8.3 billion in annual economic impact for the Sunshine State every year and support 57,900 jobs. It is a joint project between Tampa General Hospital and USF Health. (Florida Politics)

4. Tampa's citizen-led police review board voted 6–3 on Tuesday night to recommend that the Tampa City Council place subpoena power for the board on the ballot for voters to decide this year. The issue has been contentious between activists and politicians for years as the board has lacked the power to hold police accountable. (WMNF)

5. Flatwoods Marathon located at 17519 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. has teamed up with Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a libertarian conservative political advocacy group founded by the Koch billionaires, to temporarily lower the price of gas to $2.38 per gallon on Monday, August 1 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (WFLA)

Today in Tampa:

• Ybor City Saturday Market at Centennial Park. (9 a.m.)
• The 15th Annual Back To School Fair Presented By Hillsborough County Public Schools at Westshore Plaza. (10 a.m.)
• Harry Potter Birthday Bash at SouthShore Library. (11 a.m.)
• Sip And Sounds On The River at Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel. (1 p.m.)
• Pee-Wee's Beer Adventure: BeerFest 2022 at Tampa Theatre. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• An attorney representing Tampa Councilman Orlando Gudes said Friday that the lawsuit filed against Gudes claiming defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress back in May has been dismissed. (ABC Action News)
• Humane Society of Tampa Bay is waiving adoption fees for all Tampa Bay Area teachers for those interested in pocket pets for classrooms. NOTE: HCPS does not allow birds in the classroom due to dander/student allergies. (Hillsborough County Public Schools via Facebook)
• The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County announced a "no swim" public health advisory Thursday for Bahia Beach and E.G. Simmons Conservation Park due to high levels of enteric bacteria. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• Tampa-based Bloomin' Brands reported a net quarterly loss of $63 million and blamed inflation and rising costs for the loss. The company said customers should expect to see a slight rise in prices by about 2% this September after raising prices by 5.8% in the first half of 2022. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: BusinessWire)

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Events:

• Sip and Sounds on the River (July 30)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (August 3)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com