Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 2.6.18

A view of the Capitol from Apalachee Parkway Wednesday morning, Oct. 11, 2017 in Tallahassee, Fla. (Photo by Phil Sears)

Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.

By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Ana Ceballos, Daniel McAuliffe, and Jim Rosica.

After weeks of searching — and nearly two months into Terrie Rizzo’s tenure as chair of the Florida Democratic Party — the state party has a new executive director.

Juan Peñalosa, who most recently serves as senior vice president at Mercury LLC, will handle the day-to-day operation at the FDP and will help Rizzo set up her executive team

“Juan’s experience as a grassroots organizer, as a communicator and a leader, has helped candidates and communities win in Florida and will be extremely valuable as we gear up for critical elections in 2018 and beyond,” Rizzo said.

The announcement of Peñalosa ’s hiring came a day ahead of schedule after Florida Politics broke the news. Other candidates who were in the running, but did not make the cut, included Jackie Lee and Craig Smith.

In a statement, Peñalosa said Democrats are good for the economy, blasting Gov. Rick Scott and leaders in the Republican-controlled state party for leading an economy “where more than half of the state’s 67 counties are in recession.”

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Peñalosa helps guide a state party out of its shaky finances left by former chair Stephen Bittel and former executive director Sally Boynton Brown.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

— @CNBCNow: Dow futures continue selling-off, now pointing to drop of 1,200+ points at tomorrow’s market open

— @MKraju: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, GOP member of House Intel, said to me that Trump should allow release of the Democratic memo — and she criticized Trump for his attacks on Schiff, saying he should avoid doing that and come up with something more original than calling him “little.”

— @GAllenNPR: In the US Virgin Islands, health care is in a critical state. 400 patients transferred off the island can’t return, including those needing dialysis. The storms devastated buildings, including the Cancer Center.

— @TroyKinsey: BREAKING: @richardcorcoran & @AndrewGillum have agreed to debate each other next Tuesday, Feb. 13, on #SanctuaryCities. @fineout & I will moderate the event on behalf of @FLPressCorps from @FLInternetTV‘s Tallahassee studios. More info soon on how to watch! #flapol

— @JeffBurlew: An Uber official says the company is assisting the #FBI with its investigation in #Tallahassee. The official said the ride-sharing company, which hired close Scott Maddox friend Paige Carter-Smith in 2015, is not a target of the federal probe.

— @ElonMusk: All systems remain green for launch at 1:30 p.m. EST tomorrow (today)

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— DAYS UNTIL —

Days until: The next government shutdown (maybe) — 2; Pyeongchang Winter Olympics — 3; Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training — 7; Valentine’s Day — 8; Last day for regularly scheduled legislative committee meetings — 21; Disney Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival — 23; Last day to take up Special Order Calendar — 27; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program termination begins — 27; Sine Die (maybe) — 31; Major League Baseball Opening Day — 53; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 106; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 136; Primary Election Day — 203; General Election Day — 273; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 371.

— CAPITOL INSIGHT — 

“Teachers union launches media war on HB 7055 — and Richard Corcoran” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida — Florida’s largest teachers union launched a public-relations campaign Monday against the House’s massive omnibus education bill. … The FEA campaign includes a 30-second video, titled “Drain the Swamp,” attacking the measure and Corcoran. “Political insider Richard Corcoran has a plan to divert even more of our tax dollars to unaccountable private schools while slashing the pay of even our best teachers,” a narrator in the ad states. “His ‘bully bill’ wastes more money on failed programs while our schools starve and our children suffer. It’s time to drain the swamp … and we know just where to begin.”

Click on the image below to watch the ad:

“Medical marijuana regulator’s silence vexes lawmakers” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — Four times, lawmakers on Monday gave the state’s top medical marijuana regulator an opportunity to speak on their objections to rules and regulations on the drug. And four times, Christian Bax said nothing because it wasn’t yet time to do so, he later explained. “The department has 30 days in order to respond,” Bax, director of the Health Department’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, later told reporters. “Our responses are a collaborative process between leadership, legal and policy,” he added. “We think it’s appropriate to give these objections the time and consideration they’re due … We’ll respond in good time” … Lawmakers have been upset for months mainly over what they call the department’s slow-going in implementing medical marijuana under a 2016 constitutional amendment that voters passed by 71 percent.

“Judge upholds House subpoena of VISIT FLORIDA contractor” via Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida — Judge Karen Gievers also upheld MAT Media owner Pat Roberts‘ trade secret claim, meaning the documents generated by a deal worth $12.7 million in taxpayer dollars can still be barred from public view … Gievers drew from a 1969 state Supreme Court decision to determine the constitutional powers of the Legislature to subpoena a state contractor to require the release of the contracts. “It must be circumscribed by reasonable limitations and should never be used to ‘hunt witches,'” Gievers wrote in the order, borrowing from the high court case, which involved the now-defunct Florida Industrial Commission. Roberts has until noon to turn over the five documents, which include agreements with Lagasse’s management company and Scripps Interactive Networks. On Jan. 11, the entire House approved a second subpoena for Roberts, the first in state history.

“Expanded use of bed tax revenues gets heat from hotel industry” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — Hotel advocates are adamantly opposed to a legislative initiative this year that seeks to include public facilities projects in the list of expenditures that can be funded by the tourism development tax, also known as the bed tax. But the battle over the bill (SB 658) has drawn the ire of some very influential interests, such the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association and is far from over. St. Petersburg Republican and SB 658 sponsor Sen. Jeff Brandes said his bill would allow bed tax revenues to be spent on projects for public facilities that are needed to increase tourism. Brandes explained an amendment that was presumably designed to make his bill less of an industry adversary. But even with the amendment adopted, the industry ultimately was still opposed. Kevin Craig, public policy director for the CFHLA, said: “Our association continues to assert that the tourist-development tax dollars continue to be utilized for developing tourists.”

“Groups warn against ‘premature’ workers’ comp changes” via the News Service of Florida — The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida and 15 other organizations sent a letter last month to the primary sponsor of the House workers’ compensation bill advising him that any changes the Legislature makes to the system could be “premature and ultimately, inadequate” and that the current House bill doesn’t do enough to control attorney fees. But bill sponsor Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican, said he would continue to press for the measure … The House passed the bill in a 74-30 vote on Jan. 12, but the proposal has not been heard in the Senate. Burgess said he has spoken to several senators about having it considered.

Assignment editors — Democratic state Reps. Patricia Williams of Lauderdale Lakes and Lori Berman of Lantana, along with Sen. Linda Stewart, an Orlando Democrat, will hold a press conference to promote Equal Rights Amendment legislation currently filed in each chamber. The concurrent resolutions filed would work to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the United States Constitution. If passed, Florida would be the 37th state to ratify the ERA since its passage by Congress in 1972. The ERA would ensure that the United States Constitution prohibits sex-based discrimination. That’s at noon, outside the House chamber on the 4th floor of The Capitol.

Governors Club Tuesday lunch buffet menu — Mixed green salad with assorted dressings; macaroni salad; broccoli cheese salad; beer cheese soup; Kentucky fried chicken; fried catfish and hush puppies; mashed potatoes; creamed corn; collard greens and lardons; fruit cobbler for dessert.

— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —

Mason Dixon poll out Tuesday morning: Gwen Graham has a slim lead over former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, 20 to 17 percent, among registered Democratic voters, according to the poll. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is backed by 10 percent and Winter Park businessman Chris King garnered 4 percent. Among Republicans, Putnam leads U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis 27 to 23 percent. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, not yet a declared candidate, is backed by 7 percent.

Personnel note: Chris King campaign names new press secretary — Avery Jaffe is joining the campaign as Press Secretary. Jaffe will serve as a spokesman for the campaign and will work with the state and national press corps covering Florida’s gubernatorial race. “Avery will help us make sure voters across the state hear our message of fixing Florida’s affordable living crisis by growing an economy that lifts up every Floridian and leaves no one behind,” King said. Jaffe served as the traveling press secretary for former Gov. Ted Strickland’s 2016 U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio and most recently worked as a strategic communications consultant for progressive candidates running for office.

— “At East Tampa workday, Gwen Graham ignores opponents’ attacks” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics

Assignment editors — Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam will visit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, where he will sort food, stuff bags and prepare donations. Media availability begins 2 p.m. at 411 Mercy Dr. in Orlando.

“Matt Caldwell announces ‘seventh wave’ of endorsements for Ag Commissioner bid” via Florida Politics — Backing Caldwell are Republican Reps. Larry Ahern, Jim Boyd, Danny Burgess, Julio Gonzalez, Joe Gruters, Shawn Harrison, Ralph Massullo, Amber Mariano, Ross Spano, Jackie Toledo and former Republican Rep. Jimmie Smith. The campaign called the Tampa Bay block the “seventh wave” of endorsements, and it follows similar announcements from lawmakers representing the Panhandle, Southwest Florida, Northeast Florida and South Florida.

— “Lauren Baer not saying if she wants Nancy Pelosi’s help in CD 18” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics

Happening tonight: 

“Democrat Ann Fuller enters HD 52 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Fuller, 49, of Melbourne, said she entered the contest because she’s convinced the area is ready for Democratic leadership, and because it has lacked a Democratic candidate for several elections. She filed to run against Republican incumbent state Rep. Thad Altman, who won unopposed in the November 2016 general election. Altman also has a Republican primary opponent, Matt Nye of Melbourne. Fuller is a Unitarian Universalist Church minister, though no longer active except for occasionally performing a wedding or giving a guest sermon somewhere.

What Ryan Wiggins is reading – “George Moraitis’ child marriage vote becomes issue in HD 93 race” via Florida Politics – Democratic House District 93 candidate Emma Collum said her Republican opponent needs to denounce child marriage and distance himself from current HD 93 Rep. Moraitis. Moraitis last week was one of two members of the House Judiciary Committee to vote against a bill to cut down on child marriage in Florida. The panel adopted an amendment that would have softened the ban to allow pregnant girls aged 16 or older to marry the father if he is 18 or younger. “Our current representative is supporting child marriage. That is outrageous.” Collum said. “Today I am calling on my opponent, Chip LaMarca, to break his silence and condemn Rep. Moraitis’ position on this and reject his endorsement. At a time when Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on so little, surely we can both firmly state that child marriage is wrong.”

— “Stephanie Murphy endorses Anna Eskamani in HD 47 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics

— COULD HD 72 TURN BLUE? —

If you couldn’t stomach the Eagles Super Bowl victory, then watch out: there could be another upset on the horizon.

Republican James Buchanan is favored to win the election against Democrat Margaret Good and Libertarian Alison Foxall next Tuesday for House District 72, but Democratic strategist Steve Schale argues the outcome is now blurred by early votes and recent ballot patterns.

As of Monday, “some 20,621 voters have cast a ballot either by returning an absentee ballot or by voting in person at an early voting site, with Republicans holding a 199-ballot advantage,” Schale writes. But, “In the last three top of the ticket races: the 2012 presidential, the 2014 governor’s race, and the 2016 presidentials, there is a distinct pattern: Democrats have won the votes cast before Election Day, and Republicans have won Election Day.”

With Election Day votes typically outweighing early votes, conventional wisdom would point to a Republican victory, but …

Charlie’s victory: “Charlie Crist went into Election Day with a 7-point lead, but this time, Republicans only won Election Day by 6, leading to the Crist win in the district,” writes Schale. If Election Day looks like Crist ‘14, [Good] wins. If it looks like Donald Trump ‘16, she loses.”

The ballots: “So far, just under 17 percent of District 72 voters have voted. Democratic voter turnout is at 22.5 percent, while 17.5 percent of the district’s GOP voters have cast a ballot.”

Time will tell: “In the recent St. Petersburg mayor’s race, 37 percent of the total vote came on Election Day. In the Miami State Senate race, it was around 27 percent,” writes Schale, noting that by the end of the week, HD 72 will be more predictable. “But one thing is for certain; this race is headed to the wire. Again, in a conventional special election, in a conventional year, this is a race we would not be talking about. But it isn’t; thus we are. And at this point, a Democratic win here is far from improbable.”

— TERM LIMITS FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS? —

If Florida lawmakers get their way, a school board career will no longer be a possibility.

As the Tampa Bay Times reports, several proposals — in the House, Senate and Constitution Revision Commission — are seeking to set term limits for school board members, similar to those imposed on the governor, Cabinet, lawmakers and even members of the State Board of Education.

The proposals vary: The Senate bill sets three terms, not counting past service; the CRC version fixes it at two terms, counting time served after 2015.

— Erika Donalds, a Collier County School Board member on the CRC says her proposal encourages citizens to “come out of private life, user experience in private life to serve the public for a limited period of time, and then go back into private life.”

— Supporters of term limits believe that it promotes “fresh ideas,” something lost when someone spends too much time inside the “bubble” of government.

— Nevertheless, school board members say another agenda is in play.

— “The reason they’re doing it is to create turmoil and turnover,” according to Andrea Messina, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association. Messina told the Times that lawmakers often complain about their own term limits.

— Messina said the move is “payback” for boards’ challenging lawmakers attempting to reallocate local tax revenue and establish charter schools outside school board authority. Several school boards have sued the Legislature over those and other measures in last year’s big education bill.

— STATEWIDE —

Assignment editors — Gov. Scott will make a “major announcement regarding the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund,” the state’s economic development program for public infrastructure and job growth, his office said. “Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created nearly 1.5 million jobs across the state.” A news conference is set for 10:15 a.m., Jacksonville Department of Transportation, 2198 Edison Ave., Jacksonville.

“Constitution panel ready to take issues across state” via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the News Service of Florida — After considering more than 100 proposals in committees, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission is ready to move into its next phase, starting with a public hearing in Fort Lauderdale. The scheduled six-hour hearing, which begins at 1 p.m. at Nova Southeastern University, is the first of five public hearings that will be held across the state by the 37-member commission … Over the past few months, ten committees have been reviewing most of the 103 proposals filed by members of the commission. After Friday, which was the last scheduled day for committee hearings, some 37 recommendations have been forwarded to the full commission. Another 30 proposals were withdrawn, and will not be considered again, and 27 proposals were rejected in committee votes. Under commission rules, a majority vote of the full commission could revive a rejected proposal.

“FBI search warrant lays out bribery case against Scott Maddox, Paige Carter-Smith” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — The search warrant does not mention any other public official, but a June 11, 2015, email from an Uber employee to Carter-Smith references City Commissioner Nancy Miller: “@paige, you have [Commissioner Nancy Miller] and Maddox on lock, correct?” Miller said she had no prior discussion with Carter-Smith about Uber and didn’t even know she was representing the ride-sharing company. “Nobody has me locked in,” Miller said. Of the investigation into Maddox and Carter-Smith, Miller said, “None of it’s good, obviously. It’s not good for Scott, it’s not good for Paige, and it’s not good for the city as a whole.” She said it’s premature to ask for Maddox to step down. “All of this is just a tragedy for the city, which is running pretty well under the circumstances,” Miller said.

“This casino town has a dark side — conspiracies, ‘corruption’ and calls for a takeover” via Martin Vassolo and Carli Teproff of the Miami Herald — Across the street from Gulfstream Park, the site of last week’s richest horse race, the real show takes place every first and third Wednesday inside Hallandale Beach’s City Hall, where schoolyard fights among commissioners are common, conspiracies spread on social media and the arrest of a sitting mayor has sparked calls for a state takeover. The latest chapter in the coastal community: Longtime Mayor Joy Cooper, 57, was arrested and charged Jan. 25 with money laundering and campaign finance violations after an FBI sting found she had accepted illegal Russian campaign donations, federal agents say. The next day, Gov. Scott removed her from the nonpartisan office. Cooper denies any wrongdoing. Now her ponytailed arch nemesis, Vice Mayor Keith London, 56, has taken her seat, more than five years after Cooper beat London using those illegal Russian campaign donations, at least according to state prosecutors and the FBI. Cooper’s arrest means there are only three commissioners out of five left after Commissioner Anthony Sanders resigned August amid accusations that he received kickbacks from a nonprofit the city helped fund.

“Will Lee County homeowners ever get compensated for citrus canker trees?” via Laura Ruane of News-Press.com — Lee Circuit Judge Keith Kyle will hold a final hearing in Fort Myers to determine whether to order the Florida Department of Agriculture to pay in the class action suit representing the homeowners. Last spring, the Florida Legislature appropriated $37 million to pay the full amounts then owed to the Lee County homeowners as well as to Broward County homeowners through judgments issued by juries. But Gov. Scott vetoed those appropriations. And, in July, the Florida Supreme Court refused to overturn Scott’s veto, directing Lee County and Broward County homeowners to return to their local circuit courts to pursue their quest for compensation. Lee homeowners’ attorneys returned to Lee Circuit Court requesting a writ of mandamus — a command to a government official to carry out an official act — directing the Department of Agriculture and Putnam to pay the outstanding judgments and to declare a state statute — as Putnam and his department applied it — to be unconstitutional.

“Florida regulator report shows AOB abuse worsening statewide” via Amy O’Connor of InsuranceJournal.com — The epidemic of assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse that has been plaguing Florida for several years is only getting worse, says a new report from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). The most recent data call of water or roof damage homeowners claims closed between Jan. 1, 2015, and June 30, 2017, shows the frequency of water claims per 1,000 policies has increased 44 percent since 2015 and severity have increased by 18 percent, according to OIR. OIR said Southeast Florida has the highest frequency of water losses, and the region experienced a 60 percent increase in water claims frequency during the two-year period. But the highest combined change in frequency and severity occurred in Central West Florida, where there was a 35 percent increase in claim severity between 2015 and 2017, underscoring how the abuse has spread from South Florida to other parts of the state in the last few years. OIR noted that all regions of Florida experienced significant increases in water losses.

Worst story you’ll read today — “Mom held in death of 1-year-old once sent his sister to daycare with skull fracture” via 1FortLauderdale.com — Christina Marie Hurt’s 3-year-old daughter had a “gash” on her head and was oozing blood when Hurt left her at a daycare center. Hurt covered the wound with a bow. The youngster said her mom shoved her off a bed. Hurt at first said she couldn’t remember how it happened. But hidden beneath the bow and the cut was a far more severe injury, police said: The little girl, who is not identified in a report, had suffered a cracked skull. On July 13, 2014, Florida City police charged Hurt with child neglect for failing to seek medical attention for the child. Last month, Hurt was charged with aggravated manslaughter after her 1-year-old son, Ethan Coley, died from an untreated scalding injury … Hurt refused to hospitalize him for fear of losing her children, again. Ethan was the youngest of Hurt’s six children. The older five had been removed from her care previously, but then returned.

Cool graphic via Thomas Hallock with a hat tip to Craig Pittman:

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Jeff Sessions to discuss opioid epidemic in Tampa” via the News Service of Florida — Sessions will appear Wednesday in Tampa to address drug trafficking and the opioid epidemic … Sessions will address the issues during a midday appearance at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa. The visit comes as Florida lawmakers and Gov. Scott also consider steps to try to reduce opioid addiction and overdoses that have plagued the state in recent years. The state Senate Rules Committee is scheduled to take up a bill (SB 8), filed by Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto that would make a series of changes aimed at curbing the epidemic.

“Marco Rubio: Florida schools should end Chinese-funded education partnerships” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Rubio is pushing five Florida educational institutions to end partnerships with Chinese government-funded programs that teach the country’s history, language and culture. Rubio says the programs, known as “Confucius Institutes,” are distorting the teaching of Chinese history. “There is mounting concern about the Chinese government’s increasingly aggressive attempts to use ‘Confucius Institutes’ and other means to influence foreign academic institutions and critical analysis of China’s past history and present policies,” he wrote. The letter urged Miami-Dade College, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of West Florida and Broward County’s Cypress Bay High School to end the programs. Rubio’s letter cited comments in 2011 from Li Changchun, a former member of the Standing Committee of the highest body of the Chinese Communist Party, saying that the institutes have made “an important contribution toward improving our soft power.”

— OPINION —

“Joe Henderson: Lawmakers want to guide us to healthy marriage? No thanks” via Florida Politics — The irony of the Legislature even considering a pair of bills requiring happy couples to read a yet-to-be-written Guide to a Healthy Marriage before they can wed is … is … (looking for the right word here) … laughable. Unless the guide is titled “Do As We Say, Not As We Do” can these people not realize how ridiculous it looks to even think about telling others how to achieve wedded bliss after turning the Capitol into Caligula’s playpen? But, this is the Legislature, and so we ponder SB 1580, filed by Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel, and HB 1323 by Jacksonville Republican Clay Yarborough that would create, no kidding, a Marriage Education Committee. Get real. Lawmakers want to advise couples in Florida on how to have successful marriages? They want to make people read a guide with the Legislature’s pawing prints all over it before they can wed? Tell you what: you first.

— MOVEMENTS —

Assignment editors — The Florida Commission on the Status of Women (FCSW) will install its 2018 officers in a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee. Officers elected for 2018 are:  Commissioner Lady Dhyana Ziegler of Tallahassee — Chair, Commissioner Rita B. Craig of Palm Beach Gardens — Vice Chair, Commissioner Nancy C. Acevedo of Winter Springs — Secretary, Commissioner full that of Lighthouse Point — Treasurer, Commissioner Maruchi Azorin of Tampa — Member-at-large, Commissioner Elena Guardiola Spottswood of Key West — Member at Large.

Personnel note: John Kennedy to become Tallahassee reporter for GateHouse newspapers — Kennedy, a veteran of the Capitol Press Corps, announced the move on Monday via social media. “Personal news: Starting next week, I’ll be state capital reporter for @GateHouse_Media; covering govt & pol for @HeraldTribune, @jaxdotcom, @dbnewsjournal & more. Very excited!” he tweeted. Kennedy has been an on-air reporter for The Florida Channel for the last year, following his layoff as the Palm Beach Post’s capital correspondent just before Christmas 2016. The New Haven, Connecticut native has been reporting in Tallahassee for decades. He also was the Orlando Sentinel’s Tallahassee bureau chief from 1998-2008.

New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Brian Bautista, David Browning, Rachel Cone, Mercer Fearington, James Smith, Southern Strategy Group: Charley Toppino and Sons, Inc

Travis Blanton, Jon Johnson, Johnson & Blanton: Florida Alliance for Consumers & Taxpayers

Dean Cannon, GrayRobinson: City of Fort Myers

Eric DuPont: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Fred Karlinsky, Greenberg Traurig: Pavonia Life Insurance Company of Michigan

Robert Fingar, Guilday Simpson West Hatch Lowe & Roane: Florida Petroleum Marketers Association

Eduardo Gonzalez, Sun City Strategies: Miami-Dade County

William Henderson: Ron Cannon

Kendrick Meek: Amscot Financial

Rob Shave, GrayRobinson: Lee County Board of County Commissioners

Patrick Sheehan, The Gregson Group: Counterpoint Energy Solutions (FL)

Spotted: Arron Gober at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg.

— COUNTDOWN TO PYEONGCHANG —

“Meet Maame Biney, the first African-American female speedskater to qualify for the Olympics” via Sean Gregory of Time magazine — Biney is making history … She warmed hearts with her giggly reaction to making the Olympic team. “It’s crazy awesome,” she said on Twitter. Biney was born in Ghana … When Maame was five, she came to Maryland to visit her father, who was settled in the United States. She cried when she arrived, and the tears didn’t stop until Kweku brought her to a J.C. Penney on a trip to the mall … Biney was too fast for figure skating … She is still in high school … Biney wanted to graduate with her friends, so she’s doing her coursework online.

“Wheels keep breeding icy success” via the Tampa Bay Times — Check out the 2018 Olympic long-track team. Three members … are from Ocala. Two are from North Carolina, one is from Houston, and another is from Crestview in the Florida Panhandle. The Southern flavor is due to an influx of inline skaters who have crossed over to the ice. This isn’t a new phenomenon. Inline skater KC Boutiette showed what was possible when he made the 1994 Olympic team after only a few months on the ice. Six of the 13 members of the Olympic long-track team have inline backgrounds. Club participation in speedskating is declining, and the days of skaters training and racing outdoors are long gone. Inline skaters have won 11 of 18 individual Olympic long-track medals for the United States since 2002. Inline skaters come to the ice with great lower-body strength and conditioning. Chad Hedrick, who won five Olympic medals, was able to skate harder and longer than most of his competitors on ice.

“Winter Olympics 2018: Omega times the Olympics and unveils Seamaster Olympic Games gold watch line” via Roberta Nass of Forbes — With retail prices ranging from approximately $16,000 to $17,500, the new Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection joins a series of four already-unveiled Seamaster collections that honor this year’s Winter Games. The new “Gold” collection consists of 18-karat gold watches. In fact, for this tribute series, Omega uses three different types of gold, including 18-karat yellow gold, 18-karat Sedna(TM) gold, and 18-karat Canopus(TM) gold. Sedna(TM) gold is the brand’s proprietary gold, developed several years ago, and is an alloy that blends gold, copper, and palladium and has an 18-karat rose gold hue. Turn the timepiece over, and — via a transparent sapphire case back — one can view the exceptional Master Chronometer Caliber 8807 movement, complete with a meticulously finished gold rotor.

— ALOE —

“Budweiser took a risk going political at the Super Bowl. It paid off.” via Paul Schrodt of Esquire — The spots that stood out in 2018 made a remarkable pivot. Coming from multinational companies with everything to gain from American consumers (and a lot to lose), these ads sneakily took a stand against Trump’s nationalistic rhetoric. And they did so without famous faces, all while promoting what has always made America great. They were bold, yet universally appealing. … Budweiser, now owned by a Belgian company, topped that feat with an even more savvy spot that highlights the importance of America’s commitments to global partners. Foregoing the typical Midwestern, Clydesdale imagery, the spot touted Bud’s relief efforts, which in 2017 included the use of a Georgia-based brewery to deliver canned clean water to disaster areas. In the commercial, a Budweiser employee wakes up in the middle of the night to a message calling him to the brewery, where he manages shipping of potable water to those in need. The ad ends with the names of four places recently affected by natural disasters and aided by Budweiser: “Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, California.” In other words, whether these states were red or blue — or a territory, like Puerto Rico — did not matter.

“Nick Foles grand marshal in Disney parade!!” via TMZ Sports — Foles has gotta be the happiest man on earth at the Happiest Place on Earth — the Super Bowl MVP is getting the royal treatment in the Disney World parade!! It’s a tradition that’s been going on for years — the winners of the Big Game get to send someone (usually the MVP) to Orlando to be the Grand Marshal in a parade through the Magic Kingdom with Mickey Mouse!! It’s a nice warmup for what’s expected to be a MASSIVE parade in Philly Thursday.

“SpaceX’s hot new monster rocket ready for first test flight” via The Associated Press — The Falcon Heavy won’t surpass NASA’s Saturn V moon rocket, still all-time king of the launch circuit. But when it departs on its first test flight … the Heavy with its three boosters and 27 engines will be the most powerful working rocket out there today, by a factor of two. Picture SpaceX’s frequent-flyer Falcon 9 and its single booster and then times that by three; the Heavy’s three first-stage boosters are strapped side by side by side. The Heavy represents serious business for the private space company founded 16 years ago by Elon Musk. With more than 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust — equivalent to 18 747s jetliners — the Heavy will be capable of lifting supersize satellites into orbit and sending spacecraft to the moon, Mars and beyond. Using another airplane analogy, SpaceX boasts a Heavy could lift a 737 into orbit, passengers, luggage and all.

“Legoland Florida sets opening date for ‘great Lego race’ VR coaster” via Ashley Carter of Bay News 9 — The Great Lego Race will open to the public March 23. Riders will don headsets and race against a pirate, wizard, surfer and pharaoh in a world made of Legos. The VR headsets are optional. The ride is designed for guests who are at least 42 inches tall or accompanied by an adult who is at least 48 inches tall. The VR headsets, which are optional, are adjustable to fit children and adults. Park officials are calling it a “360-degree adventure.”

Happy birthday to state Reps. Clay Yarborough and Bill Hager, Greenberg Traurig’s Fred Karlinsky and City of Jacksonville CFO Mike Weinstein.