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 warm day for Friday with partly sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 80s.

Winds will be out of the east, except for an afternoon sea breeze at the coast.

The collision of the sea breeze and east wind will trigger some isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.

These will die down at night with lows in the upper 60s. 

Highs: 87

Lows: 68

Rain Coverage: 30%

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Today’s Big Stories
Trump says Pam Bondi, loyalist who oversaw Justice Department upheaval, out as attorney general
BREAKING NEWS

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies.

The announcement follows months of scrutiny over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation that made Bondi the target of angry conservatives even with her close relationship with Trump. She also struggled to satisfy Trump’s demands to prosecute his political rivals, with multiple investigations rejected by judges or grand juries. Read More →

 

1. Trump says he’ll sign order to resume pay for Homeland Security, bypassing Congress
President Donald Trump said Thursday he will soon sign an order to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees who have gone without paychecks during the partial government shutdown that has reached 48 days.

2. SpaceX successfully launches 29 Starlink satellites
A day after the historic launch of the Artemis II moon mission, SpaceX had a successful lift-off of its own with the Starlink 10-58 mission.

3. Iran fires on Israel and Gulf neighbors as Trump claims threat from Tehran nearly eliminated
Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran’s continued ability to strike its neighbors even as U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the threat from the country was nearly eliminated.

4. U.K. gathers more than 40 countries to press Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Britain accused Iran on Thursday of holding the world’s economy hostage as diplomats from more than 40 countries held talks on ways to press Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route that has been choked off by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

5. Flowers burst with colors at Peace River Gardens
The Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens is the perfect place to experience the beauty of nature.

 

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Your Notes for Tonight and Tomorrow

BOLTS HOST PENGUINS | The Tampa Bay Lightning continue their seven-game homestand tonight with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Benchmark International Arena. The Bolts are 3-2 on the homestand. The puck drops tonight at 7 p.m.

GOVERNMENT CLOSURE | Manatee County government offices will be closed Friday in observance of the Good Friday holiday. All county offices will reopen Monday. All Manatee County public libraries will be closed for the holiday and will reopen Saturday with normal hours.

PLANT CITY ELECTION | Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer is reminding voters who live in Plant City that in-person voting for the 2026 Municipal Election begins tomorrow. Only registered voters who live in the city limits of Plant City are eligible to vote in this election. There are two races, both for city commission seats. To learn more, click here.

National Notes

Friday, April 3

The Employment Situation: Unemployment Rate, Average Workweek, Average Hourly Earnings, Manufacturing Payrolls, Nonfarm payrolls * Figures released last month said that total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 92,000 in February, while the unemployment rate was 4.4%
Good Friday (aka Holy Friday), religious holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
1,500th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began 24 Feb 2022 in a major escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war that started in 2014. Russia officially labels the invasion a ‘special military operation’

Bartow Regional Medical Center

 

As parts of the Tampa Bay area continue to see major growth, hospitals are seeing a greater need to expand their services.

In Polk County, Bartow Regional Medical Center is working to help address that through its multimillion-dollar expansion project, funded by BayCare Health System.