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Journalism life cycle

Some ~personal news~: I’m back at Tampa Bay Times covering tourism, transportation and tech in Tampa Bay and Central Florida. Add me to your press lists and send tips my way: [email protected]. Missing The Ring-tum Phi always, but I’m pumped for living my Florida girl dreams. 🌴

As Disney World beckons, so does debt, increasingly, for families that will do anything to make their kids happy as Shauna Muckle details in smart report. As Len Testa | mastodon.social/@LenTesta notes, charging for add-ons that used to be free adds up Tampa Bay Times Business by Tampa Bay Times tampabay.com/news/business/…

I talked with families who went thousands of dollars into debt to fund dream Disney trips. Costs have ballooned in the last five years. “We realized there was so much that had to be paid for,” Cincinnati dad Josh Lane said. tampabay.com/news/business/…

Thanks to Shauna Muckle for highlighting the relaunch of our Travel Training program and the amazing work Ernest does assisting those with disabilities (and the public) in learning how to ride HART! tampabay.com/news/transport…

How it's going in #Florida ahead of Helene: One woman "said she watched law enforcement officers confront two customers who had gotten into a physical altercation over bottled water at Walmart." tampabay.com/hurricane/2024… via Shauna Muckle

"Nobody came": #Florida seniors go days without power after Milton tampabay.com/hurricane/2024…. via Shauna Muckle & Justin Garcia

Seniors at St. Petersburg’s 540 Town Center hadn’t felt fresh air on their faces for four days before elevator access returned. At other complexes, some couldn’t sleep. Medications went bad. Wheelchairs lost power. Some had power restored Saturday. Others weren’t so lucky.

“Florida has no laws on crane safety during high winds, not even for hurricanes. In fact, lawmakers banned cities and counties from passing rules themselves — at the urging of construction lobbyists.” Must-read by Zack Sampson Bethany Barnes Colleen Wright tampabay.com/hurricane/2024…

In a region renowned for its sandy coastline and tourism economy, the storms’ aftermaths have spawned an employment nightmare. Thousands of jobs vaporized overnight, without notice or severance pay. Via Shauna Muckle Lauren Peace tampabay.com/hurricane/2024…

“I just want people to know that workers are going to be suffering,” Payne said. ... Even searching for work costs money. She has coworkers who can’t afford the gas to get to interviews. tampabay.com/hurricane/2024… Shauna Muckle Lauren Peace

Just heard from Franceta Brown, whom I featured in this story about the hardships of extended power outages: tampabay.com/hurricane/2024… A Tampa Bay Times reader saw her story — and sent her a check for $10,000 to help with bills. People are good!!!

Floridians are casting their ballots in the wake of two devastating storms. It's been a long time since hurricanes felt so routine. Why has the Gulf Coast been a magnet for so many major hurricanes? The answer isn't so simple. From me and Jack Prator tampabay.com/hurricane/2024…

After DeSantis used state resources to rail against it, 57% of Floridians still voted for abortion rights. In nearly any other state, it would have been a victory. But it fell short of FL's high bar of 60% for amendments. via Romy Ellenbogen Lauren Peace tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Walk with me along business corridors in Tampa Bay, where mom-and-pop shops are still reeling from two storms’ impacts. Businesses that are too wrecked to reopen anxiously wait on others’ timelines. “I don’t know what my future holds,” one owner said. tampabay.com/news/business/…

BREAKING: In a vote that countered the recommendation of its own staff, Florida regulators approved Tampa Electric continuing to shift millions in costs from large corporate power users onto the bills of regular Floridians and small businesses. tampabay.com/news/business/…

Please share this story about a UK grandmother who fell ill taking her grandson to Disney World. She'd always bought travel insurance before but couldn't afford it this time. A flight with specialized medical care to get her back home will cost $30,000 tampabay.com/news/health/20…

They’re scattered across Tampa Bay — dispensary-like smoke shops advertising intoxicating products. These hemp shops aren’t licensed dispensaries. But they may benefit from Florida’s continued ban on recreational marijuana. tampabay.com/news/business/…

Humiliation. Anxiety. Inconsistent accommodations. Disney cut back its generous disability access service after users crowded the parks’ expedited lines. Eight months later, guests with disabilities describe visits that are anything but magical. tampabay.com/news/business/…