Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out the Rays’ ballpark situation following Hurricane Milton, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there has been no thought to allowing the team to explore a relocation.

The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees’ nearby spring training ballpark amid uncertainty about the future of hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field.

The man who gained social media fame for riding out two hurricanes in his boat in Tampa has been arrested.

Florida counties hard hit by Hurricane Milton are returning to a semblance of normalcy with power being restored to most areas, gas stations reopening and students returning to school this week.

Weather Authority Meteorologist Jenese Harris takes an extended look Hurricane Milton's current track, storm surge probabilities, rain chances and wind ranges

In the days before Hurricane Milton hit Florida, forecasters worried it could send as much as 15 feet of water rushing onto the heavily populated shores of Tampa Bay.

Communities in Florida still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene are now also grappling with the still-unfolding damage from Hurricane Milton.

Hurricane Milton plowed into Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, bringing misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph after producing a barrage of tornadoes, but sparing Tampa a direct hit.

Florida communities near Tampa Bay were devastated when Hurricane Helene made landfall two weeks ago about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the north.

The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton to practice the rest of the week.

Florida’s Gulf Coast is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Milton’s winds and expected massive storm surge.

The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton directly struck Tampa Bay was 1921 when the city was a sleepy backwater.

Milton strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward Florida.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Milton is intensifying and will likely be a major hurricane before it slams into the storm-ravaged Florida coast, most likely on Wednesday.

Hurricane Helene’s storm surge struck Florida fast and hard when it slammed into Gulf Coast communities near St. Petersburg.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday morning held a news conference in the Tampa Bay area as residents continued to clean up after Hurricane Helene.

An increase in forward speed is expected later Wednesday afternoon through Thursday.

Three people arrested in the murder of Charles Jones — also known as Jacksonville rapper “Julio Foolio” — pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in a Hillsborough County courtroom Monday.

Not a bad day of work for the Jaguars, especially since players got to line up against some unfamiliar faces.

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez, and Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters are set to announce arrests Monday afternoon in the murder of Charles Jones, a Jacksonville rapper known as “Julio Foolio.”

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez, and Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters are set to announce arrests Monday afternoon in the murder of Charles Jones, a Jacksonville rapper known as “Julio Foolio.”

Charles Jones, who went by the rap name “Julio Foolio” died and three others are in stable condition after a shooting in a hotel parking lot in Tampa.

The Nashville Predators have traded Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay less than two years after acquiring the veteran defenseman.

The final cost of the Mets’ sorry 2023 season has been totaled: $420 million.

Pitchers Génesis Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays and Yohan Ramírez of the New York Mets have been suspended for three games each by Major League Baseball for their actions in separate games and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was banned for one game.

More than 1,200 feet of the bridge was destroyed back in 1980.

A world shipping association says there were at least 35 major bridge collapses worldwide from 1960 to 2015 due to ship or barge collision with a total of more than 340 killed.

After a container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse, some immediately recalled a 2013 incident in Jacksonville when a Navy cargo ship struck the Mathews Bridge. The outcome was much different.

On the evening of New Year’s Day, Lake City Police Department officers arrested a Tampa man for kidnapping a person he met on a dating app.

Miami’s Luis Arraez joined DJ LeMahieu as the only players with undisputed batting titles in both leagues, winning the National League crown as Yandy Díaz sat out Tampa Bay’s season finale and overtook Corey Seager for the American League championship.

Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown says all is well between him and team management.

Given what’s taken place in the past, there are two certainties as Las Vegas celebrates with the Cup this summer.

The New York Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner says he’s open to other baseball owners’ consideration of proposing a salary cap for 2027, but only if small-market teams like the Oakland Athletics are subject to a payroll floor, too.

The Vegas Golden Knights will play the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Saturday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired forward Sam Lafferty and defenseman Jake McCabe from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Actually, it used to be a physical place with a postal address.

The New York Jets, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins could end long playoff droughts while the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers are well below.

Weather officials say the waters of Tampa Bay dropped 5 feet (1.5 meters) in a phenomenon known as reverse storm surge as Hurricane Ian passed to the south.

Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamping city streets with water and smashing trees along the coast.

We are fully into Hurricane season, and the first big storm to hit the United States will soon make landfall.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said residents along the Gulf Coast, especially in Southwest Florida, can expect “catastrophic flooding” and a “life-threatening storm surge” when Hurricane Ian hits.

It’s been over a century since a major storm like Hurricane Ian has struck the Tampa Bay area, which blossomed from a few hundred thousand people in 1921 to more than 3 million today.

Hurricane Ian is nearing Cuba on a track to strike Florida as a Category 4 as early as Wednesday.

Nine home teams are underdogs in Week 3.

Juan Carlos La Verde was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa when he hit something hard.

The Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning shows the value of hitting on top picks in the NHL draft.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed plan to split the season between Florida and Montreal has been rejected by Major League Baseball.

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes, Leonard Fournette ran for two scores and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-22 on Thursday night.

Unique to the region, snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World, according to the FWC.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is rebuffing calls for an emergency declaration to address a red tide outbreak in Tampa Bay that’s killed hundreds of tons of fish and other marine life.

Amid the stench of dead fish, protesters marched Saturday along Florida’s Tampa Bay to call for state assistance in dealing with a growing outbreak of harmful red tide.

Given its location next to the Gulf of Mexico, one would think that the Tampa Bay region would have an extensive history with hurricanes. On the contrary, that's not the case.

At least 26,000 Floridians were without power early Wednesday morning as Tropical Storm Elsa swept across the state.

FLOODING RAINFALL POTENTIAL AS TROPICAL STORM ELSA TRACKS NORTH ACROSS THE AREA WITH INCREASING TORNADO THREAT ACROSS NE FLORIDA THIS MORNING...

Weather conditions in southern Florida were deteriorating Tuesday as Tropical Storm Elsa passed the Florida Keys and neared hurricane strength as it hit the west coast of the state.

Weather forecasters say a storm that has been lashing Florida over the past day has intensified into a hurricane.

Fears over red tide prompted Florida officials to briefly prohibit aquaculture farmers from harvesting in the lower Tampa Bay.

Jameson Taillon tries to extend a streak of dominant starting pitching by the New York Yankees when he opposes Dallas Keuchel and the White Sox in the Bronx.

A deputy got an alligator out of a pool in Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida will permanently close the leaky Piney Point reservoir that poured millions of gallons of wastewater into Tampa Bay while threatening to burst open and flood nearby homes and businesses.

A mandatory evacuation order near a leaking Florida wastewater reservoir that affected more than 300 homes and additional businesses has been lifted.

A Florida state agency says dam safety experts consider the risk of a possible second breach in a leaking wastewater reservoir to be “unsubstantiated.”.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond to avoid a “catastrophic flood."

Florida Gov_ Ron DeSantis says crews are working to prevent the collapse of a large wastewater pond to avoid a “catastrophic flood."

FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez signs autographs for fans before a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Dunedin, Fla., in this Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, file photo. The Toronto Blue Jays will play their first two homestands of the season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the pandemic. The Blue Jays cited the ongoing Canada-U.S. border closure in making the difficult decision." “The alternatives for our season lie with some combination of Dunedin, Buffalo and Toronto," Shapiro said. The Blue Jays played home games during the shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and were 17-9 at Sahlen Field, home of their Buffalo Bisons Triple-A farm team.

This photo provided by Cadillac shows a scene from Cadillac's 2021 Super Bowl NFL football spot. They aimed to connect to the estimated 100 million viewers who tune in to the Super Bowl broadcast each year. Perhaps the most striking effect: Virtually none of the ads featured people in masks, a public-health priority but also a grim reminder of the ongoing pandemic. AIMING TO ENTERTAINIn an effort to be light, advertisers stuffed -- and sometimes overstuffed — their ads with celebrities. “I like Springsteen and heartwarming ads like this generally, but this one feels too forced given the current political climate,” he said.

— Virus deaths won't be reflected in the 2020 census, a step that will have an impact on where congressional seats get apportioned, experts say. AdON THE HORIZON: Some experts believe rapid tests could be better at at identifying sick people when they are most contagious. Rapid tests might be technically less accurate but they're fast. The Food and Drug Administration said it supports “innovation in testing” but has only approved about a dozen rapid tests. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)For Tom Brady, another trip to the Super Bowl — but this time, in a Tampa Bay uniform. “Whoever would've thought a home Super Bowl for us? It gave New England its third straight trip to the Super Bowl, and Brady's last of nine as a member of the Patriots. He's leading the Buccaneers to only their second Super Bowl; the Bucs won on their first trip, back in 2002. But nobody would mistake Johnson for Brady, who could join Peyton Manning as the only other quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two franchises.

The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 31-26 to advance to the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay (14-5) is the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. The prize is much different this year, though, because the Super Bowl will be played in front of a far smaller crowd than usual. The first Super Bowl in 1967 was played in front of 61,946 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Eagles backup Nick Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, a sign of things to come in the Super Bowl against New England.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)While Matt Nagy gets to coach Chicago in the playoffs despite a middling 8-8 record that could help save his job, former Bears coach Lovie Smith can only wonder if the extra team in the postseason could have helped him eight years ago. Smith’s Bears teams from the beginning of last decade are near the top of that list. Chicago lost five of six and missed the postseason as the seventh seed with an 8-8 mark. The tough-luck missing playoff team that season was the Giants, who missed out the year before Eli Manning and Co. won their second Super Bowl under coach Tom Coughlin.

(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)The Latest on Week 16 in the NFL (all times EST):___8 p.m.For the first time since 2014 there will be an NFL playoff team with a losing record. The winner will remain alive in the NFC East playoff race if Washington loses to Carolina. ___6:05 p.m.Washington is well on the way to blowing its first chance to clinch the NFC East. ___6 p.m.Eleven teams in the NFC are still harboring hopes of making a playoff run with Week 16 winding down. 1 seed in the NFC with a win Sunday night against the Titans and a Seattle loss or tie.

The Latest on Week 10 in the NFL (all times EST):___8 p.m.From Kyler Murray magic to Alex Smith’s latest milestone, it was quite the day for quarterbacks selected first in the NFL draft. The Cardinals beat Buffalo 32-30 on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins with 2 seconds left, dropping the Bills record to 7-3. Brees was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter when Kentavius Street landed on him. 1 pick Joe Burrow, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakeem Grant with 58 seconds left in the first quarter. Cole had scored on a franchise-record 91-yard punt return in the second quarter.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Wind gusts overnight prompted a few hundred power outages across Northeast Florida as Tropical Storm Eta swept over the state, but there were minimal reports of damage impacting residents here. As of 10 a.m. Thursday, a few outages in Jacksonville left a couple dozen customers without power, according to JEA. Clay Electric reported there were three dozen customers in the dark in Clay County, along with over 170 in Putnam County and more than 300 in Alachua County. TRACKING THE TROPICS: Interactive map | Choose your view of radar/camerasTropical Storm #Eta Advisory 48A: Center of Eta Moving Across North Florida. Eta briefly gained hurricane strength Wednesday morning in the Gulf of Mexico, but weakened significantly before reaching the coast.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At 10 p.m. Wednesday, a tropical storm warning was issued from the Flagler/Volusia County line northward to St. Andrews Sound in Georgia. As of 10 p.m. the center of Eta was located about 55 miles northwest of St. Petersburg and had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Weakening is expected as Eta moves on shore which will be followed by rapid weakening throughout Today. Tropical storms and tropical depressions are typically poorly organized and, as such, oftentimes, a freak area of torrential rains can explode rather randomly leading to extreme rainfall amounts -- amounts of more than 4-5″ over a rather short period of time, say 6 hours. As Eta gets closer, we will update this story with what we can specifically expect as Eta approaches.

Residents clear debris from a flooded street in the Driftwood Acres Mobile Home Park, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Davie, Fla. Tropical Storm Eta was squatting off western Cuba on Tuesday after drifting away from South Florida, where it unleashed a deluge that flooded entire neighborhoods and covered the floors of some homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tropical Storm Eta raced off the Southeast Atlantic seacoast late Thursday, spreading heavy rains and gusty winds around the Carolinas only hours after blustering across north Florida. One death in Florida was linked to the storm, along with some scattered flooding and forecasters said the tropical storm was on a path offshore of South Carolina that would eventually take it further out to sea. A 29th named system, Tropical Storm Theta, was centered late Thursday about 440 miles (705 kilometers) south of the Azores and moving east.

One death in Florida was linked to the storm, along with some scattered flooding and forecasters said the tropical storm was on a path offshore of South Carolina that would eventually take it further out to sea. That came amid a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico being carried up by a cold front that had pushed Eta across Florida earlier. Earlier Thursday, Eta was in the Gulf of Mexico when it slogged ashore near Cedar Key, Florida. Before that first brush with Florida, Eta first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed at least 120 people in Central America and Mexico, with scores more missing. A 29th named system, Tropical Storm Theta, was centered late Thursday about 440 miles (705 kilometers) south of the Azores and moving east.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eta is bringing heavy squalls with tropical-storm-force winds onshore as it tracks northeast across Northeast Florida. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency and asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration as Tropical Storm Eta prepared to make landfall Thursday. It will be a weak tropical storm or possibly even a depression as it moves across Northeast Florida. About 5 p.m., Clay County District Schools announced all schools and offices within the district will be closed on Thursday, and all after-school activities will be canceled. The Bradford County School District said it is closing schools Thursday due to Eta.

Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal. Lester gets a $10 million buyout from the Chicago Cubs that completes a $155 million, six-year contract rather than a $25 million mutual option. Milwaukee turned down Gyorko and Sogard, a day after declining a $15 million option on 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. The White Sox declined a $12 million option for Encarnación and a $7 million option for González, who will receive a $500,000. Kluber gets a $1 million buyout, and the club has said it is interested in re-signing Kluber to a less expensive deal.

It was undoubtedly one of the wildest endings in World Series history. But a finish this wacky has only a few precedents in World Series history. It was the only time a World Series ended with a caught stealing. Because with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Bevens was somehow still pitching a no-hitter and holding a 2-1 lead. 2016 WORLD SERIES GAME 7, CHICAGO CUBS AT CLEVELAND INDIANSBefore the Cubs could end their 108-year title drought, they had to wait out a 17-minute rain delay.

The Las Vegas Raiders activated four starting offensive linemen from the COVID-19 list on Saturday after they all tested negative for the coronavirus. Safety Johnathan Abram remains on the COVID-19 list because his last contact with Brown was Tuesday and he will miss this week's game. The NFL moved the Raiders game against the Bucs from prime time to an afternoon slot Sunday in case the game couldn’t be played. But the game is set to be played because the virus didn't spread beyond Brown and cornerback Damon Arnette, who was placed on the COVID-19 list Monday following a positive test. But with four starters now back, the team didn't activate any of the practice squad player for Sunday's game.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ latest batch of COVID-19 tests all came back negative and their game scheduled for Sunday against Tampa Bay is on for now. “We’ll be ready to go.”The NFL moved the Raiders game against the Buccaneers from prime time to an afternoon slot on Sunday just in case the game couldn’t be played. Those contacts were later deemed “high risk” and those players were placed on the COVID-19 list on Thursday. We’ll be ready to go.”Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette was moved from injured reserve to the COVID-19 list on Monday following a positive test. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was put on the COVID-19 list two weeks ago before being activated on Monday.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The World Series drew a record-low audience of television viewers for the second straight night. Still, Fox won the prime-time evening with its best performance on a Wednesday night since May. The start was delayed by rain for 91 minutes to 10:06 p.m. and the final out was at 1:47 a.m. The Dodgers' seven-game NL Championship Series win over the Atlanta Braves averaged 4,410,000 viewers on Fox and FS1. TBS said its TV Everywhere platforms averaged an audience of 48,000 per minute during its postseason coverage, up 71% from last year.

The NFL has shifted the Las Vegas game against Tampa Bay out of prime time after several Raiders players have been unable to practice this week because of contact tracing from the coronavirus. The game between the Seahawks and Cardinals in Arizona has been moved into the prime-time window. The league says the changes were made out of an “abundance of caution” to make sure a game would be available for Sunday night. The Raiders placed starting right tackle Trent Brown on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Safety Johnathan Abram also has been unable to practice because of contact tracing.

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:___BULLPEN SAVEDThe Dodgers were so good in Game 1 of the World Series, they helped themselves for Game 2. Top relievers Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol should all be fresh for a bullpen game against Tampa Bay after they weren't needed in an 8-3 win Tuesday. Jansen has more blown saves (three) than conversions (two) in two previous World Series and also struggled this fall, but he seemed to have himself righted by the end of the NLCS. Manager Kevin Cash — uncharacteristically slow to pull starter Tyler Glasnow in Game 1 — also has fresh arms in the bullpen. After separating his troubled right shoulder while bumping forearms celebrating his go-ahead homer in NLCS Game 7, the Dodgers slugger touched feet with teammates after going deep in the World Series opener Tuesday.

A look at what's happening around the majors today:SERIES SETIn a most unpredictable season, the teams with the best records in each league are set to meet in the World Series. The Dodgers and Rays will open in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night after each finished memorable League Championship Series matchups this weekend. They also won a Game 7, topping Houston 4-2 in the ALCS and earn the second World Series trip in franchise history. FIRST LOOKKevin Kiermaier, Mike Zunino, Blake Snell and the Rays are expected to work out at Globe Life Field a day before Game 1 of the World Series. BIG QUESTIONThe loaded Braves are in position to contend for the World Series again next year after they were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLCS on Sunday night.

The only task left — winning Game 7 of their AL Championship Series against the Rays. That Red Sox team went on to win the World Series and end the Curse of the Bambino. McCullers started and Morton closed for the Astros in Game 7 of the ’17 World Series against the Dodgers. LET’S PLAY 6Mookie Betts and the Dodgers try again to avoid elimination when they face Atlanta in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. The Braves haven’t been to the World Series since 1999, the Dodgers haven’t won the title since 1988.

New York Yankees' Gio Urshela (29) and Mike Ford celebrate after the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians 10-9 in Game 2 of an American League wild-card baseball series, early Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)CLEVELAND – It took the New York Yankees nearly five hours on the field, carried them from Wednesday to Thursday and September into October to complete the sweep. "They weren’t going to lose.”At 4 hours, 50 minutes — even without two rain delays totaling another 76 minutes — it was draining. New York went 2-8 during a testy season series with top-seeded Tampa Bay, which won the AL East by seven games over the second-place Yankees. RECORD STOREIndians pitchers walked 12, tied for the most in any postseason game.

After consecutive games with three-goal periods, Tampa Bay has all of the momentum and a 2-1 series lead. Dallas' top line is without a goal against Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay then went ahead in Game 3 with two goals in an 85-second span before three goals in the second period of a 5-2 win. The NHL is playing Stanley Cup Final games on back-to-back nights for the first time since 2009, when Detroit won each of the first two games against Pittsburgh, which eventually won the series in seven games. In its only back-to-back this postseason, Tampa Bay won Games 2 and 3 in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Boston.

Not that he wanted to gloss over his mistakes — namely, a pair of interceptions — after a Tampa Bay debut that began with a triumphant spike but petered out into a double-digit loss on Sunday. “I’ve lost plenty of games in my career,” Brady said following the 34-23 setback, which included an anticlimactic Tampa Bay TD in the final minutes. “He should have been across his face, but Tom overthrew it.”Saints safety Marcus Williams came down with the ball near midfield and returned it inside the Tampa Bay 40. Every team’s going to wish they did things better," Brady said. Less than a minute after his second interception had put the Saints up 24-7, Brady threw his first TD pass for Tampa Bay — and the 542nd of his career — to tight end O.J.

TAMPA, Fla. – Two men are facing federal charges in Florida for using small explosions to rob ATMs in the Tampa Bay area, authorities said Monday. Sallah and Johnson took nearly $70,000 from several Florida ATMs between November and January and vandalized others without taking any cash, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators believe the men injected some type of flammable fuel into the machines and used a spark to ignite it. The men were arrested Sunday after setting off an explosion at an ATM in Watkinsville, Georgia, prosecutors said. That ATM was damaged, but Sallah and Johnson were unable to retrieve any cash, authorities said.

WIMAUMA, Fla. - A Florida woman whose alarmed parents discovered a trove of pipe bombs, weapons and bomb making materials in her bedroom was arrested by Tampa Bay area authorities Friday. "If used, these bombs could have caused catastrophic damage to hundreds, if not thousands of people," he said. On Thursday evening, he said Kolts' parents found the pipe bombs and other concerning items in her bedroom and called the sheriff's office. Because officers were so worried about the potential hazards of the materials, they left the home with the parents and called the agency's bomb squad. "It's because of these parents, who knows what type of catastrophic event was prevented in the Tampa Bay area?"