Issue #494: County Food Resources | Busch Gardens Unveils Mega Habitat | Utility Rate Shakeup | YouTube Offers One-Time Reinstatement

11/6/2025

Author

Ted Grellner
06 Nov

Keep your finger on the Pulse!

GOOD MORNING

Dr Ted
USAF Retired


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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel
Local Pulse

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Local News

— County-by-County: Where to Get Help Feeding Your Family

— New Roar-mates: Massive Habitat to Debut at Busch Gardens

— TECO Bills Climb, Duke Drops Rates: What to Expect in 2026

OMG!

— Deadline Nears: YouTube Offers Reinstatement to Censored Accounts


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County-by-County: Where to Get Help Feeding
Your Family

With SNAP benefit reductions impacting millions across Florida, local food banks and restaurants across the Tampa Bay region are stepping up to fight hunger.

In Hillsborough County, the United Food Bank in Plant City is expanding its outreach. Pinellas County offers widespread support, including Gigglewaters' free kids lunches, emergency kits by Ready for Life, and free family meals at Fusion Street Eatery, Pia’s Trattoria, and more.

Polk County’s Honeycomb Bread Bakers is providing daily meals or coffee to families with EBT cards. Hardee County’s Cutting Edge Ministries braces for increased need.

In Pasco, The Volunteer Way and The Living Room offer ongoing aid, while Sarasota’s All Faiths Food Bank and Manatee’s Food Bank of Manatee keep supplies moving across pantries and soup kitchens.

For Citrus, Hernando, and Sumter Counties, Feed 352 coordinates a regional hunger relief effort—making sure no one faces hunger alone.

Read More: tampabay28.com — see article for more information

New Roar-mates: Massive Habitat to Debut
at Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is set to debut a major new wildlife attraction in Spring 2026: Lion & Hyena Ridge, a dramatic expansion of the Edge of Africa exhibit.

The 35,000-square-foot savanna habitat will feature five young male lions—Pascal, Lou, Henri, Hugo, and Herman—alongside two playful hyenas, Cazi and Dazi. The new experience will more than double the size of the current area and offer guests 270-degree glass viewing and shaded walkways for immersive, up-close observation.

Highlights include:

  • Naturalistic design with kopje rock formations and water features

  • Roaming freedom for the animals to explore

  • Educational storytelling to deepen conservation awareness

Annual pass holders will receive early access before the attraction opens to the public.

Busch Gardens calls the exhibit a milestone in both animal care and guest engagement, reinforcing its reputation for innovative conservation experiences.

TECO Bills Climb, Duke Drops Rates: What to Expect in 2026

Midland, Michigan has taken the No. 1 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Places to Retire, marking its debut on the list.

This year’s rankings expanded from 150 to 250 cities, evaluating over 850 U.S. locations based on six key factors: quality of life, affordability, health care, retiree taxes, job market, and—new for 2026—population and migration trends among adults 55+.

Quality of life was the most heavily weighted metric, reflecting a growing retiree preference for livability over low costs.

Weirton, West Virginia ranked second, with strong marks in happiness, affordability, and tax benefits.

Homosassa Springs, Florida followed in third, boosted by growth in the 55+ population and high life quality scores.

The rankings were informed by public surveys of Americans aged 45+ and a wide array of federal and local data sources.

This shift in methodology allowed several Midwestern cities to rise, reshaping the national retirement landscape.

Deadline Nears: YouTube Offers Reinstatement to Censored Accounts

 

YouTube is offering a one-time opportunity for users banned over COVID-19 or election-related content to appeal and reclaim their accounts—but only until Nov. 9. After this deadline, users may still return, but without their former channels or subscribers.

The move follows commitments made by Google to Congress, promising to reverse prior censorship tied to pandemic and political speech. The company cited a renewed commitment to free expression and relaxed moderation policies in recent years.

Among the reinstated is Dan Bongino, who recovered his original content and 800K+ subscribers. Others like Sebastian Gorka are also eligible.

This shift comes amid scrutiny from Republicans over Big Tech’s past compliance with government-led content suppression during the 2020 election and pandemic.

Thousands of accounts could potentially benefit—if they act in time.

The 1910 Flexner Report and the Silencing of Black Medical Schools

In the early 20th century, the Flexner Report (1910) — commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation and backed by the American Medical Association — led to the closure of five out of seven Black medical schools in the U.S.

Why it’s a powerful example of censorship:

  • The report advocated for standardizing medical education, but in doing so, it framed many Black institutions as substandard without acknowledging the severe lack of funding and systemic racism they faced.

  • No Black physicians were consulted in the evaluation of these schools.

  • The closures drastically reduced the number of Black doctors for generations — a legacy that still impacts healthcare access in Black communities today.

What’s often censored or left out:
While the Flexner Report is commonly praised for modernizing American medicine, its racial consequences are rarely discussed in mainstream medical history. This omission is a form of institutional memory censorship that obscures how systemic inequality was embedded in the evolution of healthcare.

Top Things to do in Tampa Bay
11/ - 11/
Source: tampabay.com


Things to do Around Pasco
10/ - 10/
Source: suncoastnews.com

Things to do Around
Tampa & WC:
11/6 - 11/12
Source: tampabeacon.com

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