Free Britney Rally-Brunch + Penguin Deaths + Stanley Cup Perks

Happy Saturday, neighbors! Let's start today off on an informed note. Here are the most important things going on today in Tampa.

In this issue, you'll learn about a #FreeBritney march, the need for more funding in Tampa's fire departments, a mask incident on a plane, the mysterious death of African penguins, and more. Now, let's get started.

First, today's weather: Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day. High: 91 Low: 77.

Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera has been working for more than a year to ease the stress on the crews of Fire Station 13, one of the city's busiest. He pulled a 12-hour shift at the station to raise awareness of the need for additional resources including more funding from the city. (Fox 13 Tampa Bay)

2. Tampa Bay residents who want to #FreeBritney can join a rally with Timothy Rivera, the co-host of the all-Britney podcast “Original Doll” and local Claire Kentwood today at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa starting at 10 a.m. It will end with brunch at Xochitl Cocina Mexicana. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

3. The cause of death of 7 African penguins at the Florida Aquarium is currently unknown. They are conducting more tests to try and find out what happened. The aquarium launched a fundraising campaign to raise $350,000 to build a penguin exhibit in March and hoped to open it in July. (Patch)

4. A 23-year-old Sarasota woman was forcibly removed from a plane by police after refusing to wear a mask on Wednesday morning, according to a report. It also says she became irate and spit on other passengers. (WFLA)

5. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has brought back free beer this month in celebration of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup back-to-back victory. Guests 21 and older will be able to get two free beers during their visit. (Spectrum News 13)

Today in Tampa:

• Baby Party Time at Community Roots Collective. (9:00 AM)
• Free Career Discovery Bootcamp (N. Hillsborough). (10:00 AM)
• Yoga At Westshore Marina District. (10:00 AM)
• Kids Fun Skate at United Skates of America. (10:00 AM)
• Free Britney Brunch at Xochitl Cocina Mexicana. Reservations for brunch are recommended but not required(11:30 AM)
• It’s Britney Brunch! at Lady and the Mug. (11:30 AM)
• Tampa Bay Cannafest. Chat with industry experts, sample local bites and drinks, shop small business vendors, and more. (1:00 PM)
• Summer of Soul at Tampa Theatre. (4:00 PM, 7:30 PM)
• Glow Zone at Sky Zone. (7:00 PM)
• Comedy and Cocktails at Dark Door Spirits. (7:00 PM)

Tampa Patch Notebook:

• La Segunda Bakery is opening a new location in St. Petersburg this fall.
• Nominations are open for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Best of the Bay 2021.
• U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning on their Stanley Cup win.
• City of Clearwater has several government job openings right now.
• Tampa Bay Times: "Already dominant in the U.S., the delta variant is now 13 percent of new cases in Florida." (Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Times: "If you keep a gun in your car, police want you to secure it. St. Pete is on track for a record-breaking number of hom..." (Facebook)
• TAMPA Downtown Magazine: "Lightning has struck AGAIN! ️️ Congratulations to the Bolts for bringing home their second consecutive Stanley Cup ..." (Instagram)
• Tampa Bay Times: "PolitiFact reviewed court filings and other information for hundreds of defendants facing charges related to the Jan...." (Facebook)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Storytime Explorers for ages 3-6 (July 12)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday. I'll see you soon! If you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? You can reach me at tampadaily@patch.com.