Good evening, Tampa Bay. We're wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

Your Weather Planner

Morning sunshine will allow the day to heat up quicker, with a southeast wind becoming southwest around 5-10 mph.

More thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon and linger into the evening. The storms will produce locally heavy rain so be sure to check Klystron 9 before heading out.

Expect our typical August heat with high temperatures in the low 90s.

 Highs: Low 90s
Lows: Upper 70s
Rain Coverage: 50%

Klystron 9 Radar | Neighborhood Radars

Today's Big Stories

1. St. Pete Primary Election results
Polls closed at 7 p.m.

2. Parents suing DeSantis over school mask mandate ban back in court
Concerned parents continue to make their case against the governor's ban on school mask mandates. The state says parents should be able to decide what's right for their children.

3. Dueling protests over school mask mandates ahead of Pinellas School Board meeting
The issue has become divisive here in the Tampa Bay area and statewide. Spectrum News will provide an update when if school leaders make any changes to the current policy of optional masking in schools.

4. Fauci: Spring 2022 could be when U.S. returns to normalcy
“There's no guarantee because it's up to us,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN. “If we keep lingering without getting those people vaccinated that should be vaccinated, this thing could linger on, leading to the development of another variant which could complicate things. So it's within our power to get this under control.”

5. President Biden to keep Aug. 31 deadline for Afghanistan withdrawal
The Aug. 31 deadline means that the final U.S. exit could be just one week away, while there are still thousands of people are left to evacuate, including American citizens and Afghans who assisted the U.S.

6. Tampa police officer fired after racial slur reinstated to his job

According to Bay News 9’s partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa’s Civil Service Board voted Monday to reinstate Officer Delvin White. The board voted that while Chief Brian Dugan had cause to fire White, the punishment was too severe. The board argued it was unfair to lose a good employee who cared about his job.      

Your Notes for Tonight and Tomorrow

  • DAY 3: Tomorrow is expected to be the final day of hearings for a lawsuit filed by parents against Gov. Ron DeSantis over his executive order banning mask mandates in Florida schools.

  • ON THE ROAD ⚾ The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Phillies tonight in Philadelphia. First pitch flies at 7:05.

  • NOW HIRING: Tampa International Airport and its tenants are looking to hire more than 700 people. More than 30 companies at TPA have open positions, and they're hosting a job fair tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Event Space between Airsides E and F on Level 3 of the Main Terminal.

  • NATIONAL NOTES:
    • President Biden meets with private sector leaders to discuss improving the nation's cybersecurity
    • President Biden receives an update on Afghanistan
    • Vice President Harris visits Vietnam
    • 100th anniversary of Germany and the U.S. signing the peace treaty after World War I

In Case You Missed It

Florida first responders to bike across the country to honor 9/11 heroes

Army veteran Rick Cicero lost his right arm and leg in an explosion when serving in Afghanistan 11 years ago. The pistol stabilizing brace, designed to help people with physical disabilities hold and shoot a gun accurately, helped Cicero get back out on the gun range and find purpose again. 

Now, the federal government is considering limiting access, or even completely doing away with the brace out of concern it makes a pistol too much like a rifle.

But Cicero says passing a law like that would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.