Good evening, Tampa Bay. We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

Your Weather Planner

It will be another mostly sunny and breezy day for Saturday. 

Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s with winds out of the northeast at 15 to 20 mph.

Skies will be mostly clear at night with lows falling to near 70 around Tampa Bay with low 60s north. 

Highs: 88

Lows: 70

Rain Coverage: 0%

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Today’s Big Stories

1. Jeffries demands House Republicans return to Washington to negotiate
As hundreds of thousands of federal workers went unpaid today during the 24th day of an agonizing government shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called on House Republicans to return to Washington to negotiate a bipartisan agreement.

2. Banged up Bucs look to bounce back against rival New Orleans
Displeased as Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers might be about the way New Orleans plays defense, that hasn’t affected Tampa Bay’s recent success rate against its division rival.

3. Ontario premier says he’ll pull ad that prompted Trump to end trade talks with Canada
President Donald Trump announced he’s ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada because of a television ad sponsored by one of its provinces that used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs — prompting the province’s leader to later pull the ad.

4. Tampa Bay student forms club to help immigrant students transition into school system
One student in Tampa Bay is hoping to make that transition a little easier with a club aimed at supporting first-generation students in Hillsborough County.

5. Mark your calendar — here are the 2025 holiday shipping deadlines
With Christmas fastly approaching, millions of people are already making headway on their holiday shopping lists.

 

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Your Notes for Tonight and Tomorrow

WORLD SERIES WATCH PARTIES | TD Ballpark in Dunedin, the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays, will host watch parties as the Blue Jays take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Gates open at 7 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night, with the games starting at 8 p.m. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Fans can watch the game on the Jumbotron from the field or stadium seats.

TRAFFIC NOTES | County Road 39 is still closed in Plant City this weekend, just south of State Road 60. This is so FDOT crews can build new concrete travel lanes. The closure is expected to last for the next week. Message boards will provide detour information. Looking ahead to next week, the eastbound Gandy Boulevard ramp to I-275 south will close at night. That starts Sunday night and 11 p.m. and goes until 5 a.m. each morning next week. It’s for construction on the new I-275 widening project.

BOLTS THIS WEEKEND | The Tampa Bay Lightning have 5 p.m. games tomorrow and Sunday at Benchmark International Arena. Tomorrow, the Bolts host the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and on Sunday, Tampa Bay will take on the Vegas Golden Knights. The Bolts will enter play this weekend with a 1-4-2 record.

FIND THE PERFECT PUMPKIN PATCH | If you’re looking for a patch to pick pumpkins, check out our interactive map. From farm animals to hayrides, there are plenty of locations to visit that offer a wide range of themed activities.

Since 1989, the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge has rescued injured wildlife throughout Central Florida.

An average of 3,000 to 4,000 annually — or 10 animals per day — are dropped off at the Orlando facility.