We find it interesting even when we are back home.

• Government funding bill clears Congress and heads to President Biden, averting a shutdown  
  President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure.
  
  
• Cold weather shelters opening in Tampa Bay, Central Florida  
  Cold weather shelters will be opening in the Bay area and Central Florida as temperatures are expected to drop this weekend.
  
  
• Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one  
  The Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025.
  
  
• Relax, kids, the Santa tracker will do its job, even if the government shuts down  
  The North American Aerospace Defense Command will track him, the agency confirmed in a statement.
  
  
• Consumer sentiment improves for fifth straight month  
  Republicans are most optimistic about the economy and expect reduced inflation under President-elect Donald Trump.
  
  
• U.S. proposes voluntary guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administration  
  At present there are no federal regulations that specifically govern autonomous vehicles.
  
  
• Big Lots will start going-out-of-business sales after deal to sell off assets falls through  
  The bankrupt retailer plans to close more than 900 locations.
  
  
• At least 2 dead and 60 hurt after a car drives into a German Christmas market in a suspected attack  
  An official told reporters that the suspect is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who first came to Germany in 2006.
  
  
• Tesla recalling almost 700,000 vehicles due to tire pressure monitoring system issue  
  The recall includes certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles.
  
  
• Multiple agencies respond to large warehouse fire in Plant City  
  The fire broke out at NuCycle Energy just after 9 p.m., and firefighters are still working to clear out debris from the warehouse.
  
  
• Gasparilla Bowl will cap off record-breaking tourism year for Tampa  
  2024 will surpass Tampa's record breaking 2023 for tourism
  
  
• Suspect in CEO killing faces new federal murder charges with his return to New York  
  Luigi Mangione agreed to return to New York after a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Biden clears $4.28 billion in student loans for 55,000 borrowers as larger effort is scrapped  
  Biden’s administration has started to withdraw regulations intending to cancel student loan debt for more than 38 million people.
  
  
• Supporters of Historic Gas Plant District project pushing economic impacts  
  Pinellas commissioners approved $312 million in funds.
  
  
• Republican senators from states hit by Hurricane Helene sound alarm on disaster aid being stripped from funding bill  
  The stopgap funding proposal to keep the government open past Friday included an additional $100 billion in disaster relief.
  
  
• Adopt a Veteran program gives gifts to veteran families in need  
  Around 200 Bay Pine VA Hospital employees donated to the program to purchase the gifts.
  
  
• City of Gulfport issuing 'minor repair' permits to help with hurricane rebuilding process  
  Some residents describe it as allowing them to camp inside their homes.
  
  
• Baker Mayfield and the Bucs take a 4-game winning streak into meeting with Cowboys  
  Bucs take 4-game winning streak into meeting with Cowboys
  
  
• Treasure Island residents working to navigate the hurricane recovery process  
  Residents are seeking more information about rebuilding at a town hall that the city of Treasure Island is hosting.
  
  
• Florida Gators looking to close out the season with a win in the Gasparilla Bowl  
  The Gators have won three straight heading into matchup with Tulane.
  
  
• FAA orders temporary flight restrictions over parts of New Jersey after drone sightings  
  The flight restrictions were made at the request of federal security partners, the agency said Thursday.
  
  
• Biden commits U.S. to steeper greenhouse gas emissions cuts before White House exit  
  The Biden administration is submitting a new U.S. emissions reduction target to the United Nations on Thursday.
  
  
• Appeals court removes DA Fani Willis from Georgia election case against Trump and others  
  The court, however, did not dismiss the indictment, leaving the future of the prosecution uncertain.
  
  
• Amazon workers strike at multiple facilities as Teamsters seek labor contract  
  Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history.
  
  
• Clearwater farmer begins to harvest for first time since hurricanes  
  Life Farms was dealt more than $100,000 in damage.
  
  
• Pasco County approves tax rebate to help build a downtown area in Wesley Chapel  
  It's a response to the quickly growing community.
  
  
• Federal Reserve cuts key interest rate by a quarter-point but envisions fewer reductions next year  
  Their benchmark rate stands at 4.3% after Wednesday's move, which followed a steep half-point reduction in September and quarter-point cut last month.
  
  
• Florida Attorney General Moody announces felony charges against accused would-be Trump assassin  
  Ryan Routh now faces attempted felony murder charges related to a crash after he allegedly attempted to assassinate Donald Trump.
  
  
• Tampa International Airport to break ground on new airside facility  
  The airport is beginning a new expansion project with Wednesday’s groundbreaking of its new Airside D terminal.
  
  
• Pinellas BOCC approves bonds to finance new Rays stadium; team says 'funding gap' still needs solution  
  The 5-2 vote unlocks $312 million in funding the county has pledged for the new ballpark.
  
  
• Supreme Court agrees to hear TikTok’s First Amendment challenge to U.S. ban if not sold  
  The social media app urged the justices to act before the law’s Jan. 19 deadline requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell it.
  
  
• Guentzel scores in 7th straight, Lightning beat Blue Jackets 5-3  
  Guentzel has scored in a career-best seven consecutive games, one shy of matching the franchise record
  
  
• Anna Maria restaurant reopens after owner pays out of pocket for repairs  
  The Waterfront Restaurant owner Jason Suzor says receiving insurance money has been slow.
  
  
• Most U.S. teens are abstaining from drinking, smoking and marijuana, survey says  
  The only significant increase occurred in nicotine pouches.
  
  
• Trump chooses Herschel Walker as U.S. ambassador to Bahamas  
  Herschel Walker, the football legend who unsuccessfully ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia, has been chosen to be ambassador to the Bahamas.
  
  
• Suspect in CEO killing charged with murder in furtherance of terrorism  
  Luigi Mangione is scheduled to appear in court in Pennsylvania on Thursday morning.
  
  
• Businesses continue to recover from hurricanes on Davis Islands  
  Businessman John Harr says while his restaurants are up and running, business has not fully returned to normal.
  
  
• Florida delegates certify Trump win  
  Florida was home to 30 of the nation’s 538 electoral votes this year.
  
  
• DOH-Hillsborough issues red tide health alert for Mullet Key  
  Officials said that residents and visitors should use caution in and around the area.
  
  
• Congress unveils funding deal with more than $100 billion in disaster aid  
  The stopgap measure would prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday.
  
  
• SpaceX has successful Falcon 9 launch of SES O3b mPOWER mission  
  SES has launched six out of 13 O3b mPOWER satellites and started providing global connectivity services in April 2024.
  
  
• Judge rejects Trump’s bid to dismiss hush money conviction because of Supreme Court immunity ruling  
  Prosecutors have said there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insist the conviction should stand.
  
  
• Surging Bucs have solid track record of finishing strong under Bowles  
  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been in a self-declared playoff mode for a month now.
  
  
• Are you catching holiday blues instead of cheer? Here are some ways to find peace  
  Here’s what experts say you can do to make your holiday season a little more bearable, if not cheery.
  
  
• Implementation up next for school employee raises in Hillsborough  
  The Hillsborough County School Board will discuss its tentative agreement with the teachers union and school employees union Tuesday.
  
  
• After storms, Ozello residents face dilemma to build back or leave  
  Despite frustrations, some say they’re not giving up on their community.
  
  
• Florida GOP leader open to using state resources to support Trump deportation plan  
  Florida is home to roughly 1.2 million undocumented migrants.
  
  
• Last 3 defendants in Uhuru conspiracy case avoid prison, but get probation  
  Members avoided prison time instead of getting sentenced for their role in the worldwide conspiracy to disseminate Russian propaganda.
  
  
• 2 Manatee County moms help Rubonia residents recover from hurricanes  
  Two moms from Anna Maria Island, Becky Buky and Kelly Hunt, decided to collect donations from people in their community.
  
  
• Nasdaq hits a record as Wall Street drifts ahead of Federal Reserve's meeting  
  Bitcoin hovered around $106,000, up from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year.
  
  
• Federal agency finalizes rule requiring rear seat belt warnings  
  Vehicle makers will need to include seat belt use warnings for passengers in the right front seat and second row.
  
  
• Potential FWC decision for a 2025 Florida Black bear hunt looms  
  There are just over 4,000 bears across the state, with more than 1,200 in Central Florida.
  
  
• Trump calls on Biden to stop selling unused border wall pieces  
  He said it was "very terrible" to sell the unused wall for pennies on the dollar when it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to remake them.
  
  
• Hillsborough County extends post-Milton state of emergency  
  Hillsborough County has extended the local state of emergency first instituted after Hurricane Milton.
  
  
• St. Pete's Hometown Recovery Haulers program helped clean up debris and stimulate small businesses  
  Small business owners and residents who participated in a debris hauling program got an economic boom while cleaning up the streets.
  
  
• Mystery drone sightings keep happening in New Jersey. Here's what we know  
  Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety.
  
  
• Israel closes its Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions as Palestinian death toll nears 45,000  
  In Gaza City, at least 17 people including six women and five children were killed in three airstrikes on Sunday.
  
  
• Trump watches Army-Navy game alongside key allies, nominees and Daniel Penny  
  Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide this week in the chokehold death of an agitated subway rider in New York.
  
  
• ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit  
  Trump sued anchor George Stephanopoulos and the network over inaccurate on-air assertions about E. Jean Carroll’s two civil lawsuits against Trump.
  
  
• St. Pete Beach residents frustrated with city permit process  
  Residents have been waiting for months to get approval for permits to fix their homes after hurricanes Helene and Milton.
  
  
• ‘Kraven the Hunter’ flops while ‘Moana 2’ tops the box office again  
  “Wicked" also continued to perform and crossed the $500 million threshold worldwide.
  
  
• Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy  
  The big-play wide receiver and lockdown cornerback dominated on both sides of the ball for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes
  
  
• Hagel scores twice, Guentzel has goal and assist as Lightning beat Kraken 5-1  
  Brandon Hagel scored twice, Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Saturday night.
  
  
• Friday Night Lights shine just as bright for 8-Man Football  
  The Sunshine State Athletic Association recently crowned it's 8-Man Football state champions.
  
  
• Mega Millions jackpot unclaimed, now $740 million for Tuesday's drawing  
  According to Mega Millions officials, the last time the jackpot was close to this level in the days before Christmas was in 2013.
  
  
• Local nonprofit helps feed kids in Manatee County despite hurricane damages  
  Amid the season of giving, one Manatee County nonprofit is helping the community even after unexpected damage from recent hurricanes.
  
  
• Woman accusing Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs of sexual assault acknowledges inconsistencies  
  A woman who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 13 has acknowledged inconsistencies in her story.
  
  
• Teacher and teen student killed in shooting at Abundant Life Christian School  
  The 15-year-old shooter also died and police are investigating potential motive. Six others were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
  
  
• The Big Stories: Trump gathers donations for his inauguration, and a northeast drone mystery reaches new heights  
  Political Connections airs each night at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News.
  
  
• Pasco Sheriff: Armed suspect says 'thank you' after being shot by deputies  
  A man was injured in a shooting involving Pasco County Sheriff's deputies Friday morning after a burglary attempt near Little Road.
  
  
• Former House Speaker Pelosi hospitalized with injury in Luxembourg  
  Pelosi traveled with a bipartisan delegation to Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
  
  
• St. Pete OKs pre-construction costs for damaged Tropicana Field; County commissioners hold workshop on deal  
  City leaders gave the OK to pay no more than $1.4 million for pre-construction costs to repair Tropicana Field, which was badly damaged by Milton.
  
  
• Florida Chamber releases new migration report  
  According to the report, in 2023 Florida saw an inflow of nearly 637,000 people from other states — the highest in the country.
  
  
• Learn about sea life and sea turtle rehabilitation at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach  
  The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach rehabilitates endangered Loggerhead and Green sea turtles.
  
  
• A sparkling show: St. Pete Opera Company presents holiday performance  
  “Holiday Sparkle” runs Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palladium Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.
  
  
• Toys for Tots drive in full swing in Tampa  
  At the U.S. Marine Corps training facility on Gandy Boulevard, thousands of toys from across the Tampa area are coming in daily.
  
  
• Patients devastated after cancer treatment center announces closure  
  Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute announced it will close its Lake Wales location on Jan. 31 according to a letter sent to patients.
  
  
• Kucherov’s 6 points, Guentzel's hat trick leads Lightning to 8-3 romp over Flames  
  Nikita Kucherov had a goal and five assists, Jake Guentzel scored a hat trick as the Lightning beat the Calgary Flames 8-3 on Thursday night.
  
  
• Rep. Laurel Lee discusses House task force's Trump assassination attempt report  
  The Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump posted its final report this week.
  
  
• Sex abuse trial for Rays' Wander Franco postponed 5 months  
  The trial against Rays infielder Wander Franco, who has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, has been postponed until June 2, 2025.
  
  
• Holiday shipping deadlines are fast approaching  
  Dec. 21 is the absolute last day to send packages through U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail Express to get packages delivered by Christmas.
  
  
• Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency  
  Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions.
  
  
• Watchdog finds FBI intelligence missteps before Jan. 6 riot, but no undercover agents were present  
  The inspector general also says no undercover FBI employees were present that day and none of the bureau's informants was authorized to participate.
  
  
• U.S. applications for jobless benefits rise to highest level in 2 months but remain relatively low  
  Jobless claim applications climbed by 17,000 to 242,000 for the week of Dec. 7, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
  
  
• Suspect in CEO killing could return to New York on a governor's warrant  
  Here's what you need to know about the extradition process.
  
  
• Trump, Usher top Google's 2024 most popular searches  
  Comedian Katt Williams was the most searched actor, and "Inside Out 2" was the most searched film.
  
  
• NBA adjusts schedule to bring Knicks to Orlando on Sunday  
  Both teams lost their NBA Cup quarterfinal games this week and needed another game for the season.
  
  
• Hudson mobile homeowners without power since Helene sent eviction notices  
  Several homes display “Unsafe” signs at Lantern Travel Park due to electrical damage incurred during Hurricane Helene.
  
  
• Businesses on Anna Maria Island still struggling after Helene, Milton  
  While Anna Maria Island is starting to look like it did before the storms, some business owners say looks can be deceiving.
  
  
• Attorneys for man accused in Trump assassination attempt seek lengthy trial delay  
  Ryan Routh's lawyers asked a federal judge to delay his trial until next December.
  
  
• 'Delay, Deny, Defend' book is an Amazon bestseller following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO  
  Witten by a Rutgers Law School professor emeritus, the book was originally published in 2010.
  
  
• U.S. inflation ticked up last month but price pressures remain far below their peak  
  Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier.
  
  
• Water main break closes lanes of major St. Pete roadway  
  Due to an 8-inch diameter water main break, all northbound lanes of 66th Street North between Tyrone Boulevard and 26th Avenue North are closed.
  
  
• Fingerprints found on evidence match those of CEO killing suspect, NYPD says  
  Mangione, 26, contested his extradition back to New York at a court hearing Tuesday.
  
  
• Rays' manager on Trop damage: 'I didn't think it was real'  
  Kevin Cash says he didn't think it was real when he first saw the damage to his home ballpark caused by Hurricane Milton in October.
  
  
• FWC water sampling shows red tide continues to move south  
  The latest sampling results from FWC show the red tide in our region following hurricanes Helene and Milton continues to push south.
  
  
• Sundance Film Festival unveils lineup including Jennifer Lopez, Questlove and more  
  Eight-seven feature films set to debut in January.
  
  
• Suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO contests extradition to New York  
  Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, was also denied bail at the brief hearing in western Pennsylvania.
  
  
• City of Tampa sends out nearly 2,000 substantial damage assessment letters  
  The letters will notify residents if the cost of repairing their house is more than half of its value.
  
  
• More beans and less red meat: Nutrition experts weigh in on U.S. dietary guidelines  
  The nutrition panel concluded that a healthy diet is higher in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains and fish.