Peter Schorsch
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel McAuliffe, Jim Rosica, and Drew Wilson.
Last week, I decided that SUNBURN, the state’s premier AM political newsletter (if I do say so myself), and our weekend “Takeaways from Tallahassee” newsletter, were “going dark.”
That was a message to the four leading Democratic candidates for Florida governor after their debate last week.
Three of the four admitted they get their morning news first from The New York Times, which, I noted, was “a newspaper produced roughly 1,000 miles away from the Florida state line.” Not one said they read SUNBURN, POLITICO Playbook, the Tampa Bay Times — the largest circulation newspaper in the state — or any state-centric news source.
Since then, I’ve been asked what’s on my morning reading list. It’s a rather voluminous spread, but then again, so is my appetite for political and other news from Florida and beyond.
Feel free to respond to this email with any morning emails, newsletters, tout sheets you consider worthwhile.
— Above the Fold Florida. Produced by Kevin Cate. Sign up here.
— Axios has a full suite of emails, including the essential Axios AM from Mike Allen. Jonathan Swan‘s Sneak Peak, with its look at the week ahead for Capitol Hill and the White House, is very scoop-y. But my favorite is Axios China via Bill Bishop, provides weekly commentary and analysis on the stories impacting U.S.-China relations. Sign up here.
— CNN Money’s (that’s where the cable news company umbrellas many of its newsletters) Reliable Sources. Sign up here.
— CNN’s gorgeously crafted PACIFIC by Dylan Byers “covers the business, culture and politics of innovation, and the people and companies changing the world” with a West Coast vibe. Sign up here.
— The Daily Skimm — A creatively formatted, um, skim of current events. Six million subscribers (mostly female) can’t be wrong. Sign up here.
— FiveThirtyEight’s Significant Digits, a daily digest of the numbers tucked inside the news. Sign up here.
— Florida Trend’s Daily Pulse hits the high point, usually has two or three interesting business or regional stories, and is well-produced. Sign up here.
— From the right … Townhall. Sign up here.
— The Gradebook, which focuses on state education issues and is helmed by Jeff Solocheck, is probably the best email newsletter produced by the Tampa Bay Times.
— Hotline’s Wake-Up Call. Sign up here.
— Our young gun reporter, Dan McAuliffe, recommends The Hustle.
— New York Times’ First Draft. Sign up here.
— News Service of Florida’s On Tap in the Capital. Subscribe here.
— POLITICO … Playbook, Huddle, Morning Cybersecurity, Morning Defense, Morning Tech, Morning Score, Morning Transportation, sign up here;
— Progress Florida’s Daily Clips. Sign up here.
— Quartz’s Daily Brief (very smart stuff). Sign up here.
— Our Bob Sparks, who writes our “Delegation” email, recommends Carl Cannon‘s Real Clear Politics Morning Note.
— The Daily 202 — James Hohmann’s “must-read morning briefing for decision-makers” is the best, most comprehensive email newsletter in politics. If you need nothing else, read The Daily 202. Sign up here.
— Per your interests, check out the rest of The Washington Post’s 202 series — The Energy 202, The Finance 202, and The Health 202. Sign up here.
— More from The Washington Post: Morning Mix, Must Reads, Politics AM, Acts of Faith, Federal Insider, The Monkey Cage, The Optimist, and The Switch. Sign up here.
— These are nondaily WaPo newsletters worth checking out: Act Four, a twice-weekly digest from the intersection of culture and politics by one of my favorite writers, A twice-weekly digest from the intersection of culture and politics by Alyssa Rosenberg; Reliable Source, to keep up with personalities inside and outside the Beltway; On Leadership, which provides weekly conversations about leadership and management. Sign up here.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
— @HallieJackson: Via our White House producer @elysepg: Ronny Jackson is at least the 24th unsuccessful pick named to a Senate-confirmable job.
— @MichaelAvenatti: Thank you @foxandfriends for having Mr. Trump on this morning to discuss Michael Cohen and our case. Very informative.
— @JakeTapper: Asked about GOP Senate candidate Don Blankenship calling his father-in-law ‘a wealthy Chinaperson,’ @SenateMajLdr tells FNC: “My father-in-law is an American who lives in New York. I don’t have any comment about ridiculous observations like that.”
— @TedDeutch: Last week, a non-Jew wore a kippah in Berlin to test the level of anti-Semitism. He was physically attacked by a belt. Last night, 2,000+ Germans — Jews and non-Jews — led a Kippah March to stand in solidarity with the threatened Jewish community. European Jews are experiencing increased anti-Semitic harassment, according to the Kantor Center for Study of Contemporary European Jewry. Pres. Trump must appoint a Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism immediately.
— @LearyReports: Person in know says Michael Cohen, pre-legal woes, had been telling folks at RNC that Rick Scott would lose Senate race. “Michael,” the person replied, “you don’t know a f—– thing about Florida.”
— @TroyKinsey: As Rev. RB Holmes’ phone rings during his felon voting rights rally remarks, he has a message for @FLGovScott: “The lord is calling, governor!”
— @Fineout: .@JebBush and Mayor Buddy Dyer will be commencement speakers at @UCF graduation ceremonies in May … (in an alternate universe — could have been a preview of a governor’s race …)
— @Scott_Maxwell: The @OrlandoSentinel continues to force the state to look out for children’s welfare … because state officials have absolutely no intention of doing it on their own.
— @DeFede: So the span of Bill Cosby’s life went from: “Hey! Hey! Hey!” To: “Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!”
— DAYS UNTIL —
Close of candidate qualifying for federal office — 7; Mother’s Day — 15; Deadpool 2 release — 21; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 28; Memorial Day — 31; Father’s Day — 51; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 56; Deadline for filing claim bills — 96; ‘The Race for Governor’ Republican gubernatorial debates — 96; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debates — 97; Start of the U.S. Open — 122; Primary Election Day — 123; College Football opening weekend — 125; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 179; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 180; General Election Day — 193; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 293; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 312.
— TOP STORY —
First in Sunburn – Florida Democratic Party announces Democratic gubernatorial debate schedule – The FDP announced an official primary-election debate schedule for the four Democratic Gubernatorial candidates: Andrew Gillum, Gwen Graham, Chris King and Philip Levine. In addition to two candidate forums held in 2017 and the televised Tampa debate on April 18th, the four Democratic candidates have agreed to four more debates before the August primary election: St. Pete, June 9th; Miramar, June 11th; Ft. Myers, July 18th; Miami, August 2nd. More details about the upcoming debates will be available in the coming weeks. The announcement of 4 additional debates comes after the Democratic candidates have debated once and participated in two forums over the course of the last 12 months, most recently on April 18, in a televised debate on Fox 13 Tampa , and the forums were held in 2017 at the Florida Democratic Party State Convention and Lead Blue Gala.
— BARBECUE BEAT —
Adam Putnam’s campaign-cookout appearances at obscure locales across the state could make the difference in the Agriculture Commissioner’s race to the Governor’s Mansion.
As the Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Bousquet notes, “no town is too small for Putnam,” a virtue illustrated by the candidate’s Monday BBQ stop in Port St. Joe, situated in a county with fewer than 10,000 voters.
Putnam’s grassroots activity sets up a stark contrast with primary opponent Ron DeSantis’ strategy, which appears to prioritize earned media hits on outlets like Fox News, rather than face-to-face or local media interaction.
The pitch: According to Bousquet, Putnam’s talk was largely biographical and Florida-focused, but avoided mention of President Donald Trump and the Ag Comish’s congressional tenure.
DeSantis’ spin: Contacted for the story, the camp gave an interesting response. “All the special interest money in the world can’t buy enough overproduced political rallies or focus-group-tested Columbia shirts to hide his record as a career politician.” Ouch.
Analysis: Bousquet asks whether Putnam’s strategy will be effective. Marco Rubio employed similar tactics in 2010 to grab the U.S. Senate seat, but Gov. Scott went the TV route for his back-to-back statewide victories.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Business groups back Scott in Senate run” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce along with state and local affiliates officially endorsed Scott in his bid for U.S. Senate. The move is unsurprising. The U.S. Chamber began running an ad against Scott’s opponent, incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson, earlier this week. Scott, who kicked off his campaign by promoting his idea for 12-year term limits for Congress and bashing Washington, has not always had the support of the large business lobby. During his first run for governor in 2010, the Florida Chamber of Commerce backed his GOP primary opponent, Bill McCollum.
“Scott pledges to fix ‘unfair’ taxes for Puerto Rico” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Scott pledged in Orlando that if elected to the U.S. Senate he’d seek to change ‘unfair’ tax measures for the island. “I’m for reduced taxes, but we’ve got to be fair,” Scott said. The statement is in part a criticism of details of the recently approved federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Trump pushed through Congress in December, and which Scott supported then and said he still supports. “I’m glad they passed the tax reductions,” he said. That law, though, includes tax measures that hit Puerto Rico hard, notably with a 12.5 percent intellectual properties excise tax on profits derived from patents and trademarks held by Puerto Rican companies, seen as a sharp blow particularly to the fledgling health and pharmaceutical industry that has been blooming there. Nelson already was a strong critic of the intellectual property tax, and of another measure that denied Puerto Rico island residents from being able to use a new $2,000 child tax credit. Nelson called the tax bill “a knife in the neck” of Puerto Rico.
“First South Florida debate set for Democratic candidates for governor” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — The four Democrats running to become Florida’s next governor will get together in South Florida for the first time in June for a debate hosted by the Service Employees International Union’s state council and several left-leaning nonprofits. The two-hour event will take place June 11 at the Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Pl. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets will be distributed to local community members through the host organizations: SEIU Florida State Council, Dream Defenders Action Fund, Florida Immigration Coalition Votes, New Florida Majority, Organize Florida, and Florida Planned Parenthood PAC. The debate, which has been dubbed the Florida Freedom Forum, will be live-streamed.
“Richard Corcoran is trying to get Trump’s attention on Twitter” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — The Republican and presumptive gubernatorial candidate tweeted at or about Trump in 19 of his 51 posts this month, often to compliment the president or favorably compare records. The tweets mimic the president’s lingo, use his favorite hashtags like #MAGA and sometimes include slick pro-Trump graphics. A single retweet from @RealDonaldTrump can instantly boost someone’s profile (like, say, a Republican governor hopeful) before his army of followers, of which Trump can claim more than 50 million (though independent analysis has found millions are likely fake or bot accounts). As often as Corcoran tweets at Trump, the president so far hasn’t graced the Pasco County Republican with that kind of exposure.
Happening Sunday — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham is hosting a “Working for You” fundraiser 4 p.m. at the home of Nancy and Charles Parrish, 3139 Bayshore Road in Sarasota. RSVP to Lark Herron at [email protected].
“Andrew Learned reaches fundraising goal in congressional race” via the Tampa Bay Reporter — Learned’s congressional race for Florida’s 15th District reached its goal of raising $50,000 in the two weeks since U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross announced his retirement. The campaign garnered new interest after Ross announced April 11 that he would not run for re-election. Learned said he had already surpassed the total number of donations and the total number of individual donations toward any candidate in CD 15 in at least the last decade. “This is why I am proud that the bulk of my contributions have come from small-dollar donors — people can see that I am not bought and paid for.”
“Amanda Murphy decides against state Senate run” via Florida Politics – If the Florida Democratic Party did, in fact, try to convince former state Rep. Murphy to run for Senate District 16, they weren’t persuasive. Multiple sources told us that Murphy will not run for the seat, formerly held by Clearwater Republican Jack Latvala … Currently, former state Rep. Ed Hooper is running for the Pinellas-based district against a long shot Democratic opponent, Bernie Fensterwald, and fellow Republican Ilir Karruli. Murphy, a New Port Richey Democrat and financial adviser, served three years in the House, first winning a special election to replace the outgoing Mike Fasano, a Republican, in House District 36.
“With Facebook page, Becca Tieder inches toward challenging Chris Latvala” via Florida Politics — Tieder took another step toward challenging Clearwater Republican state Rep. Latvala in House District 67. Tieder, a Clearwater native and third-generation Floridian, has set up a Facebook political candidate page — @BeccaforFlorida — slated to “start May 1.” According to DNS records, the domain name Becca4Florida.com has also been registered since March 28.
“Dane Eagle draws challenger in Lee House district” via The News Service of Florida – State Rep. Dane Eagle has drawn a Democratic challenger as he runs this fall for a final term in the Florida House. Cape Coral Democrat Michael David Garcia opened a campaign account Thursday to run against Eagle in Lee County’s House District 77, according to the state Division of Elections website. Eagle was elected to the House in 2012 and can serve two more years before facing term limits. As of March 31, Eagle had raised $114,675 for this year’s campaign, a finance report shows.
“His clients botched butt lifts. Now he wants you to send him to the Legislature” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — An attorney seeking a seat in the Florida Legislature represents plastic surgery centers where patients have been maimed and killed as a result of botched cosmetic procedures. Kubs Lalchandani, a Democrat running to represent the state’s 113th House district, is a co-founder and partner of Lalchandani Simon PL, a law firm specializing in the representation of health care professionals, tech startups and the hospitality industry. Among its clients, the firm represents cosmetic surgery centers, some of which have been in the news for procedures gone wrong.
“Circuit judges face little opposition in elections” via the News Service of Florida — With qualifying for judicial races starting Monday, only a handful of incumbent circuit judges across the state appear likely to draw opponents … three races involving incumbent circuit judges were contested … In all, 251 candidates for circuit judgeships had filed with the state, with most incumbents running unopposed and multiple candidates often crowded into races for open seats on the bench. Also, 13 judges on district courts of appeals are seeking additional terms through the merit-retention process. Qualifying for judicial races starts at noon Monday and will last until noon May 4.
Correction — Call us goofy: We mistakenly referred to state Rep. Scott Plakon in yesterday’s edition as a “Longwood Democrat.” He is, of course, a Republican.
— STATEWIDE —
Assignment editors – Gov. Scott will honor veterans with the Governor’s Veteran Service Metal with a 9 a.m. ceremony at the Ronald O. Harrison Readiness Center, 5001 Flamingo Road in Miramar. Later, the Governor will also honor veterans currently serving in the Collier County Sheriff’s Office with the Service Medal at 3:30 p.m., Collier County Sheriff’s Office Professional Development Center, 615 Third Ave. S. in Naples.
“State workers hand over papers for health coverage” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — More than 1,800 people have been removed from the state-employee health insurance program after Gov. Scott’s administration started requiring workers to fork over tax documents and their children’s birth certificates to verify that family members qualify for coverage. Nina Ashley, a spokeswoman for the state agency that oversees the health-insurance program, said decisions to terminate coverage have been made by people who were enrolled. “No one at this point has been dismissed by us,’’ said Ashley, who works for the Department of Management Services. Florida’s push to require employees to hand over personal information is part of an audit that was authorized by lawmakers after being suggested by the Scott administration.
“Health Department sends ‘warning’ to Joe Redner’s marijuana doc” via Florida Politics — The head of the clinic where Tampa strip club mogul Redner‘s doctor works says he’s concerned whether medical marijuana regulators are “trying to go after Dr. Barry Gordon because of his involvement in the Redner case.” Redner is a lung cancer survivor who is in remission, and Gordon recommended juiced marijuana as the best way to keep his cancer in check. Redner later sued and won a recent ruling from Tallahassee-based Circuit Judge Karen Gievers to grow his own marijuana for juicing; that decision is being appealed by the state’s Department of Health, which includes the Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). Patrick DeLuca, CEO of the Compassionate Cannabis Clinic in Venice, confirmed the content of emails independently obtained this week by Florida Politics between Gordon and the OMMU. “You should know that … for the first time in 18 months, the OMMU sent a ‘warning’ email to Dr. Gordon which contained protected private patient information (unredacted) alleging mistakes made in entering patients” into the state’s medical marijuana use registry, DeLuca told Florida Politics Wednesday.
“Judge hammers state over methadone center applications” via the News Service of Florida — Judge R. Bruce McKibben, in a 44-page order, hammered a process in which the Department of Children and Families accepted applications for the licenses on a first-come, first-served basis. The process led to only a handful of providers getting applications accepted, while others were shut out — resulting in the legal challenge. “The system for accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis is arbitrary,” McKibben wrote. “It is illogical to assume that the first applications filed, containing scant information, are equal or superior to later filed applications. This scheme contravenes the basic expectation of law for reasoned agency decision making.” In all, the department on Oct. 2 accepted 49 applications for clinics in 48 counties, with the successful applicants then able to seek licensure, according to McKibben’s order. But 20 of the applications were approved for one provider, Psychological Addiction Services, LLC, while another 19 were approved for Colonial Management Group, L.P., and eight were approved for Relax Mental Health Care. Two other applicants each received one approval.
“Beset by rapes, rats, scalding, Florida home for disabled could lose license” via Carol Marbin Miller and Monique Madan of the Miami Herald — Since at least 2013, when a severely disabled Broward County girl died in slow agony from an untreated illness, the Carlton Palms Educational Center has been under an administrative microscope as state regulators sought vainly to shut it down. But even under intense scrutiny, the Central Florida institution continued to be racked by spasms of casual, horrifying violence. Many of the incidents are documented in a disturbing administrative complaint that seeks to revoke Carlton Palms’ license, citing a yearslong culture of abuse and neglect that was “either fostered, condoned or negligently overlooked” by administrators. “Protecting the health and safety of APD customers is the top priority of the agency,” said Agency for Persons with Disabilities Director Barbara Palmer. “We are actively working to close Carlton Palms as soon as possible, and we have taken multiple actions in the past to hold [operator] Bellwether Behavioral Health accountable, including an agreed moratorium on new residents, extensive video monitoring in all homes, an outside monitoring and transition team, along with other administrative sanctions and … fines.”
Worst story you’ll read today — “Mom accused of stabbing kids ‘was known’ to DCF; infants expected to recover” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — Two weeks before Carolyn Denise Brown stabbed and badly injured her two infant sons, her family called state child welfare authorities to complain about her erratic behavior. Brown, who has a history of mental illness, violent outbursts and battery arrests, was destroying chicken eggs at her home on Havana Highway in rural Gadsden County, a family member who lived with her told the Tallahassee Democrat. Investigators with the Florida Department of Children and Families came to the house and interviewed Brown and family members but didn’t take the children away, he said. The family member, who asked not to be identified, said he told DCF at the time that Brown was “unfit to be a mother.” He said she had gone off her medication for some time and couldn’t keep the house up. But he never imagined she could hurt her own children.
“Deputy union says it has ‘no confidence’ in Broward Sheriff Scott Israel” via Tonya Alanez of the Sun Sentinel — “A deputies’ union said Thursday afternoon that it has “no confidence” in Israel. The union revealed the results of a vote, which indicated 534 out of 628 who voted said they had no confidence in the sheriff. Jeff Bell, the president of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association, said the union’s ‘members have displayed great courage to come out and vote under threat of retaliation and reprisal from the sheriff.’”
Spotted: Former Liberty County Sheriff Nick Finch in The New Yorker – … Finch won the election on his second try, in 2012, just after his fiftieth birthday. Before taking office, he went online to research his new position. Finch is conservative, and the sites he visited argued that the sheriff, in his county, is more powerful than the President. That argument was consistent with the beliefs of Finch’s law-enforcement hero, Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff who last year was convicted of defying a court order to stop the racial profiling of Latinos. “I like Joe, because Joe’s a lot like me,” Finch told me. “He doesn’t take sh-t from nobody. He knows what his role is, and come hell or high water, he was going to do what he thought was right.”
“Statue of Stephen Foster, who wrote Florida’s state song, removed from park” via The Associated Press — A 118-year-old statue of the Oh! Susanna songwriter was removed from a Pittsburgh park Thursday after criticism that the work is demeaning because it includes a slave sitting at his feet, plucking a banjo. In October, the Pittsburgh Art Commission voted to take the Stephen Foster sculpture out of Schenley Plaza and find it a new home. For now, it will remain in a storage lot, out of the public view. Foster is also known for writing The Swanee River (Old Folks at Home) in 1851, which became the state song of Florida in 1935, even though Foster had misspelled Suwannee and never set foot in Florida.
“Brightline may add Miami to high-speed train service” via Wayne Roustan of the Orlando Sentinel — Brightline higher-speed passenger trains will depart Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations at new times beginning Saturday. The schedule change is to accommodate the pending addition of Miami to the service in coming weeks. For now, Brightline is doing simulated runs between Fort Lauderdale and Miami without passengers aboard. Currently, 11 daily southbound trains depart West Palm Beach at the top of the hour between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. The northbound trains leave Fort Lauderdale hourly between 6:55 a.m. and 7:55 p.m. during the week. There are no midmorning or midafternoon trains.
“Ride-sharing Safr coming to Orlando, focuses on women’s safety” via Marco Santana of the Orlando Sentinel — A ride-sharing company with the stated mission of offering safer rides and work environments for women has expanded into Orlando. Officials with Boston-based Safr said the company would “improve the lives of women everywhere through safe transportation, job creation and financial security.” The company’s decision to target women and children as passengers was a reason it expanded to Orlando, where families visit theme parks year-round, President and CEO Syed Gilani said in an interview. The mobile app is available to download, but background checks and personal interviews with potential drivers in Orlando mean the service likely will not be on the streets until late May.
— AIRBNB & THE AARP CROWD —
According to an Airbnb-backed study, home sharing has a significant impact on Florida’s senior community.
The report found that, hosting through Airbnb alone, Sunshine State seniors racked up $150 million in 2017. The older demographic also represents 45 percent of Airbnb’s more than 40,000 hosts in Florida. State leaders are happy about this trend, as it’s a healthy economic indicator for senior citizens.
“We’re happy to see seniors throughout our state utilizing technology to take full economic advantage of their properties and sustain their retirements,” said Jeffrey S. Bragg, Secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.
More data: Seniors are the best-reviewed, fastest-growing and most-prevalent host demographic in Florida. The average elder host hauls $6,400 yearly.
Hotbeds: Florida cities where a majority of the host populations are over 55 years old include Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs Saint Augustine, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Naples, Fort Myers, Panama City Beach, and Daytona Beach.
From AARP: Home sharing doesn’t just ease financial burdens on seniors, according to AARP State Director Jeff Johnson, it also “provides benefits like preventing isolation, which itself is a significant risk to physical and mental health, while offering the opportunity to continue to learn and grow by encountering new ideas and cultures that come from interaction with other people.”
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Trump calls DeSantis, Matt Gaetz, ‘absolute warriors’” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Speaking by phone to Fox & Friends, Trump lauded DeSantis
“Trump team signs Miami defense lawyers ‘good to get you out of trouble’” via Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald — They are the Raskins, as in Marty and Jane, who got married in 1990 and soon after formed their own law firm in Miami … Trump hopes the couple — along with his confidant, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — will defend his presidency as special counsel Mueller drills deeper into the muck of allegations that the Trump campaign collaborated with Russian meddlers in the 2016 U.S. election … the Raskins, at least to political types, are unknowns. The couple’s colleagues in Miami say they are just what Trump might need to keep him out of trouble, not only in the Russian probe but also in a new spinoff investigation of the president’s personal lawyer in New York, Michael Cohen. Former federal prosecutor Michael “Pat” Sullivan, who retired last year after a near-half century in the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami, praised the Raskins as a “dynamic duo.”
“Well before Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen came to Miami chasing a Trump movie studio” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — It was the summer of 2012 when the future president’s self-described “fixer” donned a dark suit and a purple tie to pitch county commissioners on converting county land outside Homestead into an 800-acre production facility called “Trump Studio City.” … “I’m the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Donald Trump,” Cohen said from the well of the nearly empty commission chambers June 5, 2012, as he launched into a presentation on a production hub designed to rival Hollywood. “This facility, along with Mr. Trump’s relationships in the industry, would drive film and television production to Miami,” Cohen said in his now-signature Long Island accent. “Taxes will be collected. And land values in that area will certainly improve.” … “Is that right?! I didn’t even remember the man,” said Commissioner Dennis Moss, who represents Homestead and spoke to Cohen from the dais during that 2012 meeting. “I didn’t realize Cohen — the fixer — was trying to put a fix on us.”
“Florida delegation wants 500 more customs and border protection officers across state” via the Sunshine State News — Democrat Nelson and Republican Rubio led the letter to U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the top Democrat on that subcommittee, asking for 500 more CBP officers across the state. They also wrote U.S. Rep. John Carter of Texas, the chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, the ranking Democrat, on the matter. “The Joint Economic Committee has found that while the volume of commerce crossing our borders has more than tripled in the past 25 years, CBP staffing has not kept pace with demand,” the members of the Florida delegation wrote. “Long wait times and delayed processing of goods discourage travel and create unnecessary barriers to trade, undermining economic activity in the United States. CBP estimates show that hiring an additional 500 CBP officers at ports of entry would increase annual economic activity by $1 billion and result in an additional 16,600 jobs per year.”
“FEC plans crackdown on zombie campaigns” via Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times — The Federal Election Commission will start scrutinizing the spending of what it called “dormant” campaigns — those maintained by former lawmakers who took advantage of a loophole that allowed them to hoard unspent campaign donations for years. It comes after a Tampa Bay Times/10News investigation found that the agency ignored campaign finance reports that showed more than 100 former politicians carried on spending donations even though they were no longer campaigning. In some cases, these zombie campaigns remained open for more than a decade. “I think this is great, a really positive step the FEC is taking,” said Adav Noti, a former FEC attorney who is now a senior director for the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington D.C. watchdog group. “For them to do this in the middle of an election cycle is highly unusual.” The extra scrutiny of former lawmakers spending will begin in July.
Spotted — North Florida Congressman Gaetz on Bloomberg to talk about his bill on medical cannabis research, co-sponsored by Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte. The measure increases the number of federally approved manufacturers of cannabis for research purposes and creates a “safe harbor” for researchers and patients in clinical trials protecting institutions such as universities from losing federal funding.
“Joy Reid will stay on air at MSNBC amid outcry over alleged anti-gay posts” via Jason Schwartz and Cristiano Lima of POLITICO — Reid will remain on the air amid controversy over what appear to be old posts expressing anti-gay views on her now-defunct personal blog … Reid says her blog was hacked to include the posts, which are dated in the mid- to late-2000s and resurfaced last week when Twitter user @Jamie_Maz and Mediaite highlighted them. The NBC spokesperson said Reid had referred the matter to law enforcement and that the network would wait for that process to play out before taking any action. The alleged blog posts include language critical of gay marriage and claims that homosexual men prey on “impressionable teens” — messages at odds with Reid’s reputation as a progressive media leader. The posts also take aim at Rachel Maddow, now MSNBC’s star prime-time host, for having views on gay rights “at the left-most end of the political spectrum.”
— OPINIONS —
“Scott shuts the spigot on ‘toilets to tap’” via the St. Augustine Record editorial board — The title means different things in different areas, but basically it is a strategy to make hay while the sun shines, in terms of hydrology. It’s taking water when it becomes plentiful and pumping it into the aquifer for later use … the bill, thankfully vetoed by Gov. Scott, would have set the stage for injection of treated wastewater into our aquifer, which in reality is much more than ours. In places where the process is up and running, the intent is that water is held in case of a drought, so people living there have a backup. It’s an underground retention pond. While proponents will argue this point, opponents contend that storage in Florida would be nothing more than a means of providing more water to slake the thirst of new development. It’s apples to oranges. And no one’s certain who would pay for this aquifer injection, but it does seem clear who would profit from it. The Floridan Aquifer has been doing its thing for between 17,000 and 26,000 years. It’s only natural predator has been man. It takes all the natural runoff and cleanses it, then dispenses it as it should. It’s not a process with which to meddle.
“Primary solution was left on table” via Joe Henderson of Florida Politics — To the Florida Department of Elections, I am known by the acronym “NPA” — no party affiliation. That means I have not registered as a Democrat or Republican … it comes with consequences. NPA’s will be treated as non-people in the August primaries. We can’t cast a ballot for candidates from either of the two major parties, even though the primary determines who appears on the ballot in the general election. The Constitutional Revision Commission took a stab at addressing that issue with Provision 62 … The plan passed the Ethics and Elections Committee 6-3, but it was skunked 7-0 in the General Provisions Committee. It was laid on the table. Voters don’t get to choose. The problem is, most people live somewhere in the middle. That brings us back to the NPA choice a lot of us make. Right now, there are two choices: stay the same, or swallow hard and pick a party. Neither one helps solve the problem.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Personnel note: Calvina Fay to retire from Drug Free America Foundation” via Florida Politics – Fay, executive director of the Drug-Free America Foundation announced at the Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala that she will be retiring at the end of the month. “Under Calvina Fay’s leadership, Drug-Free America has had a profound impact in Florida, in the United States and throughout the world,” said Betty Sembler, founder of Drug-Free America Foundation, in a statement. In remarks, Fay thanked everyone for their support throughout the years and encouraged them to continue the fight.
“Personnel note: Ashley Ross joins DeSantis campaign” via Florida Politics — Ross is leaving the Senate President’s Office to become “senior finance consultant” for Republican Congressman DeSantis’ campaign for governor. Ross has been Deputy Chief of Staff for Stuart Republican Joe Negron, advising him on commerce, tourism and veterans’ affairs, among other issues. Before that, however, she had been a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Florida, joining the organization in 2009 to work primarily on Senate campaigns.
Tweet, tweet:
All together the president nominated five federal judgeships in Fla. today inc. 3 in the Southern District in Miami and 1 in the Middle District. 2 of the 5 nominees were put on bench by @RepCharlieCrist & 2 by @FLGovScott
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) April 26, 2018
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Brian Bautista, Rachel Cone, Southern Strategy Group: Salesforce.com
Patrick Bell, Capitol Solutions: Estate of Dr. Sherrill Lynn Aversa
Diana Ferguson, Rutledge Ecenia: Data Recognition Corporation
Cynthia Henderson, Cynergy Consulting: U.S. Ecogen
“Ballard Partners dumps client with suspected ties to Assad regime” via Florida Politics – Brian Ballard announced that the lobbying firm is dropping a client accused of having connections to brutal Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Ballard Partners added Dubai-based trading company ASM International General Trading LLC to its client roster March 15 and an analysis of the company published by The Daily Beast indicated it was affiliated with Samer Foz, who is an ally of Assad. The analysis used several news reports, files leaked in the Panama Papers and website registration information as evidence showing Foz was a part owner of ASM. When The Daily Beast reached out to Ballard, he said he wasn’t aware of the link, but said he would cut ties if there was one. “We’re not the CIA, but if it were to turn out that there was any connection at all, we would withdraw from our representation of the Dubai trading company,” he said, adding that his firm represents anti-Assad regime client Citizens for a Safe and Secure America. On Thursday he did just that, adding that the firm will take steps to better vet prospective clients in the future.
— WEEKEND TV —
Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at politics in South Florida, along with other issues that affect the area’s citizens.
Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Moderator Rob Lorei host a roundtable with guests Tampa Bay Times reporter Steve Contorno; Republican attorney Danny Alvarez; former Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy; and PolitiFact Florida reporter Allison Graves.
In Focus with Allison Walker-Torres on Bay News 9: A discussion on how the 2018 Legislative Session affects your wallet. Joining Walker-Torres are House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz and state Rep. Robert Olszewski. Florida TaxWatch President & CEO Dominic Calabro will break down the budget and tax cuts, and take an in-depth look at sales tax holidays, the Omnibus Education Bill, and the Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando and Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine will discuss his campaign run and why he is willing to spend whatever it takes to win. PolitiFact will rate a claim about election fraud and why Trump still believes millions of people may have voted in 2016 more than once.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Hosts Gary Yordon and Steve Vancore speak with Bob McClure and Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas.
This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: This week’s guests: Jacksonville City Council member Garrett Dennis; Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels; Amy Pope-Wells, owner of LINK Staffing and Tire Diva; and Rick Mullaney, director of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute.
This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg will focus on Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which met for the first time this week.
— ALOE —
“Amazon Alexa to reward kids who say: ‘please’” via BBC News — Amazon’s smart assistant can now be made to encourage children to say: “Please,” and: “Thank you,” when issuing it voice commands. The new function addresses some parents’ concerns that use of the technology was teaching their offspring to sound officious or even rude. Also, parents can now set time limits on when requests are responded to and can block some services … In January, the research company ChildWise published a report warning that youngsters that grew up accustomed to barking orders at Alexa, Google Assistant or some other virtual personality might become aggressive in later dealings with humans. “This is a very positive development,” research director Simon Leggett told the BBC.
“George R.R. Martin announces release date for new book that’s not The winds of f*cking Winter” via William Hughes of the AV Club — Martin announced that fans will be getting Fire & Blood — a history of the series’ Targaryen dynasty, which the author was extremely clear was “not a novel” — as this year’s book instead. (It’s out November 20.) And that is “this year’s book,” singular; Martin confirmed this week that The Winds Of Winter won’t be out until at least 2019, driving many of us to distraction, and ensuring that the series’ TV adaptation, Game Of Thrones, will be fully completed by the time the sixth book (of a planned seven) even arrives. The last main-series ASOIAF book, A Dance with Dragons, arrived back in July 2011. The series’ final installment, A Dream of Spring, is expected to arrive sometime after the heat-death of the sun.
“Gordon Ramsay showers Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood with praise after visit” via Michael Mayo of SouthFlorida.com — Ramsay, paid a visit last weekend with a camera crew in tow to shoot footage for the upcoming season of his Fox reality cooking competition, “MasterChef.” The Brit known for his foul-mouthed kitchen outbursts was as nice as could be, vendors and market officials say, and Ramsay showered the weekend-only market with praise after the April 21 visit. “Had an amazing time … congratulations on a wonderful market,” Ramsay wrote on the Yellow Green Farmers Market Instagram page. “Great people, great product, great food! Bloody well done. I’ll [be] coming back!”
Happy birthday to my incredible father-in-law, Benjamin Todd, as well as ace TV guy David Millner, and The Fiorentino Group’s Mark Pinto.
