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.
Congress is spending too much, and Americans for Prosperity is crying out for help with an S.O.S. — “Stop Overspending” — campaign that launches today.
Both sides of the aisle are catching heat; the campaign will target Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney and Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Stephanie Murphy, according to AFP. They’re all targeted for voting for the $1.3 trillion March omnibus package.
“Our country faces a large and growing fiscal problem, but this does not mean lawmakers should try to spend its way out of Washington’s dysfunction,” Florida AFP Director Chris Hudson said.
Details: The six-figure buy includes radio, print, digital and direct mail efforts. It will kick off during the Memorial Day congressional recess. Also included: ‘Thank you’ mailers for members who opposed the spending plan.
Example: One radio ad leads with, “Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has a spending problem.”
Foreshadowing: A warning from AFP reads, “Fiscal year 2019 spending legislation, which will be considered later this year, will be the last chance for members of Congress to prove before the midterm elections that they can be trusted stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@SenBillNelson: In March, Congress passed a bill that authorized $19 million to help Florida election officials strengthen their security and update equipment. At least 12 other states have applied for and received funding, but the state of FL hasn’t even applied for one single dollar. Not one.
—@ElonMusk: Problem is journos are under constant pressure to get max clicks & earn advertising dollars or get fired. Tricky situation, as Tesla doesn’t advertise, but fossil fuel companies & gas/diesel car companies are among world’s biggest advertisers.
—@ErinGaetz: Funny how someone who describes himself as an “unapologetic liberal” in his twitter bio also thinks calling someone a woman is the ultimate insult. Get some new material, my dude.
—@ArekSarkissian: @UF charges students an extra $13.43 to pay thousands of dollars in tuition every semester. Even Comcast charges less for late payments, let alone on time. Not everyone has a scholarship or comes from wealth. This makes it HARDER to get an education
—@DanaYoungFL: Our @TBLightning played their hearts out tonight. Here’s to a great Season guys! Now go home for a bit and rest and enjoy time with your families!
—@BrentSobleski: Hard to overlook the irony of the NFL adopting the new anthem policy to show “appropriate respect” when the idea of kneeling — which came from a retired Green Beret — was a way to show more respect during its playing.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 1; Memorial Day — 4; Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in St. Petersburg — 16; Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in Miramar — 18; Time Warner/AT&T merger ruling — 19; 2018 FIFA World Cup begins — 21; Father’s Day — 24; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 29; Florida GOP Sunshine Summit starts — 35; Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in Fort Myers — 45; MLB All-Star Game — 54; Deadline for filing claim bills — 69; ‘The Race for Governor’ Republican gubernatorial debate — 69; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debate in Miami — 70; Start of the U.S. Open — 95; Primary Election Day — 96; College Football opening weekend — 98; NFL season starts — 105; Future of Florida Forum — 125; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 152; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 153; General Election Day — 166; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 266; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 285.
— TOP STORY —
“Rick Scott overules electiosn chief, directs Florida to seek cyber-security money” via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times – Scott’s intervention came hours after the official, Secretary of State Ken Detzner, was quoted as saying the federal money would not be available before November because accepting it requires approval by the Legislature — even though that step is a formality that could be done at a brief meeting. … But Scott’s reversal, in a statement issued at noon Wednesday, gave the issue added urgency and underscores a heightened sense of political sensitivity in a year in which the governor is seeking a U.S. Senate seat. It also revealed Detzner to be off-message in an administration known for being highly disciplined in its communications. “The integrity of our elections is paramount, and we’ll keep fighting to ensure that every Floridian continues to have confidence in our elections process,” Scott said in his statement. “By directing DOS (the Department of State) to draw down more federal funding, we are providing the resources our local elections officials need to keep our elections secure.”
— NELSON VS. SCOTT —
“Rick Scott has awarded more than 14,500 veterans medals since 2013” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — In the midst of a U.S. Senate race in which both he and his opponent, Sen. Bill Nelson, are emphasizing their military service, Gov. Scott did something Wednesday he’s done more than 60 times, roughly once a month, since August, 2013 — he handed out medals on red, white and blue ribbons to veterans. Scott, who has a political committee called “Let’s Get to Work,” has given about 14,500 of the medals since he started the program in 2013. Florida Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman Steve Murray confirmed that Scott has personally conferred the medals on all those recipients, in ceremonies that have at times taken more than three hours and involved more than 600 people, like one in Sun City Center recently. The medals don’t recognize valor — the only requirement for them is for a veteran to have served honorably.
“Scott, Bill Nelson spar over federal funding for cybersecurity” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Nelson and Scott … sparred over $19 million in federal funding the Scott administration had not requested for election cybersecurity. Congress made the money available as part of $380 million in nationwide cybersecurity funding, but Florida didn’t apply for it. The issue spilled over into the heated Senate race, when Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, who is the state election chief appointed by Scott, told reporters that the money would not be in place ahead of this year’s elections. That statement prompted Scott to issue a news release “directing” the Florida Department of State to draw down the federal funding. Scott’s statement, which came more than two months after the federal funding became available, prompted Nelson to take to the Senate floor to stress the importance of election safeguards, and to hammer election decisions made by Scott and the GOP-led Legislature, including a 2011 bill that cut early voting hours and helped lead to long lines at the polls in 2012. “We’ve seen a lot of voter suppression,” Nelson said in his speech.
New Republican PAC spends more in race to beat Nelson — A new report shows the outside political action committee, which benefits term-limited GOP Gov. Scott’s U.S. Senate ambitions, most recently spent over $566,000 on ads against incumbent U.S. Sen. Nelson. He’s the Democrat who has held the seat since 2001. As of this month, the PAC spent more than $2.2 million on the Senate race. The PAC is run by Scott confidante and former chief of staff Melissa Stone. “As Floridians learn more about career politician Bill Nelson’s decades of failure, the conclusion is clear — it’s time to term limit Bill Nelson,” she said in a statement.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Publix to evaluate donation process after Adam Putnam political backlash” via Sara DiNatale of the Tampa Bay Times — Amid a growing backlash for its sizable donation to pro-NRA gubernatorial candidate Putnam, Publix has said it will evaluate its processes for giving to ensure it better reflects the chain’s “intended desire.” Publix says it regrets the donation has caused “unintentional customer divide instead of (a) desire to support a growing economy in Florida.” Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg added to the fervor of the Publix boycott by announcing plans to stage a “die in” at his city’s two grocery stores on Friday. Via Twitter, he said protesters will lie down in the aisles for 12 minutes beginning at 4 p.m.
Assignment editors — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King continues his statewide “Turning the Tide” tour on criminal justice reform, 3:15 p.m., Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 2036 Silver St., Jacksonville and 6:30 p.m., Florida Coastal School of Law Atrium, 8787 Baypine Road, Jacksonville.
Philip Levine campaign adds data coordinator — The Levine for Governor campaign added Dylan Sellers as the campaign’s new Data Coordinator. Said Levine campaign manager Matthew Van Name: “With Dylan’s analytical aptitude, Team Levine is more equipped than ever to implement a strategic field program and connect with voters in all of Florida’s 67 counties.” Sellers, a Florida native, previously worked at the Florida Democratic Party as a VAN Support Specialist, providing organizational support and assisting all 67 counties’ local parties with technical training.
“South Florida toy exec ready to pony up thousands for Patrick Murphy-David Jolly run” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Politics can be a nightmarish place: Attack ads. Dark money. Political “boogeymen.” Then there are the days when My Little Pony enters the fray … The man whose company produces your favorite classic, rainbow toy horses is getting involved in the 2018 Florida election and has pledged to back the potential bipartisan ticket of former Congressmen Murphy and Jolly
“Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s insurance overseer, once sanctioned in apparent insurance glitch” by Scott Powers of Florida Politics — An apparent glitch in how the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles tracks and responds to drivers’ insurance coverage once led the department to suspend the driver’s license of the state’s top insurance regulator. Through staff, Patronis said he was unaware there had been any problems or missed notifications with his auto insurance, or that the department had taken action that led, at least on paper, to his driver’s license being suspended for nearly a year … In 2011 he changed insurance carriers, and the state apparently was notified of his termination of his previous insurance, but did not receive notice that he replaced it … The department suspended his license for 11 months on May 18, 2011, according to driver records — and that suspension has since been wiped from his record.
“Alan Grayson up with TV ad featuring Martin Sheen, Michael Moore” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The new ad “Progressive Warrior,” which begins airing in the Orlando TV market, features actor Sheen, documentary movie maker Moore, and political commentators Chris Hayes and Ed Schultz, among others, extolling Grayson for courage, leadership, and effectiveness in Congress. “Alan Grayson is, undoubtedly, the progressive warrior,” Schultz declares from some past broadcast of his MSNBC show, as pictures of Grayson and short clips of video roll out. “People have told me, over and over again, that I’m saying what they’re thinking but nobody else is saying,” the Grayson says at one point in the commercial.
To view the ad, click on the image below:
“New ad highlights Vern Buchanan’s record on the opioid epidemic” via Florida Politics – Buchanan is rolling out another TV ad for his re-election campaign in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. The 30-second spot, “Fighting Chance,” highlights the sixth-term congressman’s record on the opioid epidemic. The campaign said it will begin airing online immediately and will hit TV next week as part of $200,000-plus ad buy.
To view Buchanan’s new ad, click the image below:
“Hitting the ground collecting in CD 15” via Bill Rufty of Florida Politics — Kristen Carlson of Lakeland entered the Democratic primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District just over two weeks ago and has reported campaign donations of more than $100,000 already. Her staff said most of it came in during the first 13 days. “I am humbled by the outpouring of support we have received in this early stage,” Carlson said in an emailed quote. “Voters know that we need a Representative who will work for the people of the 15th District to lower health care costs, create good paying jobs, and cut taxes for the middle class, and I am honored so many believe I am that person.”
Assignment editors — House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, Bob Buesing and community leaders will hold a campaign event in the Senate District 18 race, 5:30 p.m., Pane Rustica, 3225 S. McDill Avenue in Tampa.
“Miami Mayor backs SD 36 candidates Manny Diaz” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Current state Rep. Manny Diaz continues his charge to the Florida Senate after pulling in another endorsement from a Miami-Dade County mayor. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is the latest to back Diaz, announcing his support for Diaz’s Senate District 36 bid. “I’m honored to have Mayor Suarez’s support,” Diaz, a Republican, said. “He is an outstanding leader and public servant, and I’m grateful to have him join the other local leaders from across Miami-Dade who have joined our team. I look forward to continuing a strong partnership with them as we serve the best interests of our communities together.”
“José Oliva draws second Democratic foe” via the News Service of Florida — Hialeah Democrat Julian Eduardo Santos opened a campaign account Wednesday in Miami-Dade County’s House District 110 … Santos joined Democrat Duysevi Miyar, who opened an account last month to run in the district. Oliva is poised to become House speaker in November if he wins re-election in his district. Oliva had raised $118,600 for his campaign account as of April 30, a finance report shows. A political committee he leads, known as Conservative Principles for Florida, had about $715,000 in cash on hand.
— STATEWIDE —
Ethics commission staff says MSD Public Safety commissioners must file financial disclosures — Florida Commission on Ethics staff issued an advisory opinion recommending members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission be required to file the same type of financial disclosures as other state officials, such as lawmakers. Many members of the commission are elected officials already required to file such disclosures, though some, such as the parents of MSD shooting victims, have not previously been subjected to the requirement. The recommendation is consistent with rules for other advisory panels that receive more than $100,000 in state funds. The ethics commission will vote on the staff recommendation in June.
State challenges ruling on life insurance law — The state is challenging a ruling by a Leon County circuit judge that part of a 2016 law imposing new requirements on life insurers is unconstitutional. State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and the Florida Department of Financial Services filed a notice this week in the 1st District Court of Appeal that they will fight the ruling by Circuit Judge Terry Lewis in a case brought by four life-insurance companies. The case stems from a 2016 law that, in part, placed new requirements on insurers to try to determine if policyholders had died and to contact beneficiaries. The law was designed to spur insurers to pay benefits or to turn over unclaimed money to the state. But Lewis ruled that part of the law requiring insurers to apply the changes retroactively to policies dating back as far as 1992 violated the companies’ constitutional due-process rights. In a seven-page order issued April 20, Lewis issued an injunction against applying the changes retroactively.
“Advocacy groups say Florida parks at risk by offshore drilling” via the News Service of Florida — Eleven national parks in Florida are threatened by White House proposals to open to oil drilling currently protected parts of the nation’s outer continental shelf and to revise the 2016 Well Control Rule, according to a report by environmental conservation groups. Nicholas Lund, co-author of the report issued by the National Parks Conservation Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council, told reporters that the proposed changes put more than 9,000 Florida jobs at Risk.. The proposals could also cost Florida $876 million in annual economic output, according to Lund, a senior manager with parks association. “The economic output from the national parks and monuments in Florida is a significant force in the coastal economy of the state,” the 38-page report states. “The economic output measure goes far beyond just visitors’ spending and includes the ripples of activity their visits generate: the spending of both the businesses they patronize and the communities their tourism supports.”
“FAU tries to even score with Palm Beach Post after critical story” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Call it “I’m rubber, you’re glue” media criticism. Florida Atlantic University is hitting back at Palm Beach Post reporter Kenny Jacoby for what the university calls “inaccurate and misleading” coverage of the school’s own erroneous reporting of its number of female athletes. That’s after the Post caught FAU filing a false report with the Department of Education. Here’s the rub: The public university is complaining the story included “knowingly inaccurate data,” even though “the article was ABOUT ‘knowingly inaccurate data,’ ” as fellow Post reporter Andrew Marra later tweeted. “Revealing the false numbers was the entire point of the article.”
“Fort Pierce breaks 112-year-old rainfall record early Tuesday morning” via TCPalm — Fort Pierce has gotten 1.77 inches of rain … Tuesday, shattering a 112-year old daily rainfall record. On May 22, 1906, the National Weather Service said Fort Pierce got 1.55 inches of precipitation. Rain gauges east of Port St. Lucie recorded 4 to 6 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, with Stuart getting 2.52 inches and Nettles Island seeing 2.71 inches. Vero Beach has received about 0.67 inches of rain … Another 1 to 3 inches is possible. Some locations that will experience flooding include Port Saint Lucie, Walton, Fort Pierce, Stuart and Jupiter Island.
Happening today — Florida Power & Light host a breakfast/tour of the FPL Coral Farms Solar Energy Center, one of two FPL solar plants in Putnam County. Breakfast begins 9 a.m.; media tour at 10:30 a.m., Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, 1100 Reid St., Palatka.
“Flags at half-staff for JSO officer killed in wreck” via Florida Politics — Gov. Scott has ordered flags at half-staff to honor Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Police Officer Lance C. Whitaker, a 17-year veteran. Scott ordered the U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, City Hall in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Jacksonville, and the Capitol in Tallahassee, from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday. Whitaker, 48, “was killed in a single-vehicle crash on northbound I-295, near Alta Drive, at approximately 4:30 a.m.” last Tuesday, May 15, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. “He was responding to another accident scene on the interstate when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.”
— PARKLAND PERSPECTIVES —
Between 2006 and 2016, Florida saw 1,284 firearm youth homicides.
As the Sun Sentinel’s Erika Pesantes and Ben Crandell write, that’s “the equivalent of nearly 100 Parkland massacres” during a time that prefaced the nation’s deadliest high school shooting.
What’s more, the Sentinel found, is that the vital statistics show that two-thirds of the state’s young victims were black children and adolescents, ranging up to 19 years old.
County-concentrated: The Broward County-based paper notes that 43 percent of all the youth killings occurred in South Florida. That’s 343 in Miami-Dade — the most in the state — and 124 and 86 in Palm Beach and Broward, respectively.
Solution?: Dr. Judy Schaechter, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and director of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Miami, said gun violence should be treated as a “health care issue,” one that could be in part stemmed if guns were less prevalent.
Names and faces: Making the story a must-read are the anecdotes of children killed during the timespan, like Martavious Carn, 3, who was killed by a gunman targeting a grown man.
— ARMED AND CURIOUS —
It’s almost summer for the kids, but it’s crunch time for school districts and counties.
Across the state, local governing bodies are trying to figure out how they’ll comply with new public school safety mandates imposed by the Legislature and Gov. Scott. That includes deciding whether to implement the controversial Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, which would arm nonteacher personnel, or a variation of it so that an armed guard is present at every campus.
Here’s a county-by-county glimpse.
In Pasco: A U.S. Marine vet will lead the district’s school safety effort upon school board confirmation, reports Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times.
In Brevard: Area state Rep. Randy Fine has issued a warning to his district to adopt the Guardian program, though members will not reconsider it, reports Caroline Glenn of Florida Today.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Marco Rubio emerges as one of Donald Trump administration’s loudest critics on China” via Sean Sullivan and John Wagner of The Washington Post — Sen. Rubio has emerged as one of the loudest Republican critics of President Trump’s policies on China, the latest in a series of splits with party leadership by the Florida lawmaker, who might eventually run for president again. For the fourth day in a row, Rubio took to Twitter on Wednesday to argue that China was besting the Trump administration in critical negotiations. He has used an assortment of hashtags to take aim at a developing deal to free a Chinese telecommunications firm from punitive action. Some, such as “#NotWinning,” play off the president’s signature catchphrases. During Trump’s presidency, Rubio has strayed from party leaders a few times … But he has backed down from many of those challenges and fallen in line, raising questions about where his latest show of defiance will lead. Rubio is looking for a way to craft his own, distinct image and sphere of influence in the party. Friends and associates say they believe the 46-year-old Rubio might wage a second presidential bid.
“Lake Okeechobee reservoir ‘placeholder’ OK’d by U.S. House committee” via Tyler Treadway of TCPalm — The placeholder language inserted into the Water Resources and Development Act passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be replaced by full authorization of the Lake O reservoir once the Army Corps of Engineers gives a favorable review of the project. The bill includes other provisions inserted by U.S. Rep. Brian Mast that would: Authorize a St. Lucie County project to restore beaches eroded by storms and establish a maintenance plan to re-nourish the beach every two to five years. Direct the Army Corps to update the process used to decide when to discharge Lake Okeechobee water to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers based on improvements to the dike surrounding the lake scheduled to be finished in 2022. Authorize a five-year, $3 million-per-year program for the Corps to develop large filters to clean water heading to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee and prevent algae blooms.
“Video: Guard threatens to arrest activists recording conditions at Miami ICE facility” via Jerry Iannelli of the Miami New Times — After activists have published multiple videos of the horrid conditions outside the facility, security guards have begun threatening to “detain” activists documenting the problems. Yesterday local organizer Maria Asuncion Bilbao was trying to post a Facebook Live stream of the line of immigrants forced to stand in the rain when a guard whipped out a pair of handcuffs and threatened to arrest her. “This is not the first time they’ve done that,” Bilbao tells New Times. “but it is the first time he showed me handcuffs, so I was scared. But they aren’t going to intimidate us. We were on the sidewalk, and the ACLU has told us that’s public and we have a right to be there.” Nestor Yglesias, ICE’s spokesperson in Miami, says his agency doesn’t control security at the facility; Federal Protective Services hires out independent security contractors.
“Stoneman Douglas student urges House leaders: Put America first and the gun lobbies second” via Tonya Alanez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Juniors Charlie Mirsky and Alfonso Calderon had four minutes each to address the House Democratic Task Force on Gun Violence. They were among a panel of eight student leaders also coming from Hallandale Beach, Miami, Chicago and Rockville, Md., to bear witness to the firsthand effects of gun violence. The reason for the assembly was a “despicable” one, Calderon said. “There’s been a lot of talk, especially around here, about putting America first. I agree, let’s put America first and put the gun lobbies and the NRA second. I don’t understand why this is such a difficult conversation to have.” Mirsky used his time to call for universal background checks and plead for lawmakers to resist letting “outside groups” affect their opinions and votes.
— OPINIONS —
“Publix and Putnam won’t be affected by anti-gun protest” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — These things happen, especially in election years. Righteous indignation over a political issue or candidate, magnified by media attention, quickly flares into economic retaliation. Then it flickers out. Publix will still be Florida’s biggest grocery chain and growing. Personally, I’m more confident predicting Publix’s continued dominance of Florida’s grocery business than the agriculture commissioner’s political success. He is the front-runner at the moment, but so was Attorney General Bill McCollum at this point eight years ago. Social media make it easier to spread the word and stir anger against a company that gets identified with an unpopular political position. But boycotts blow over. The vast majority of voters probably don’t even know about the anti-Publix protest, and most who do hear about it either don’t care — or won’t in a week or two.
“Publix will survive this, but Adam Putnam? We’ll see” via Joe Henderson of Florida Politics — The Tampa Bay Times reported top officials at the beloved Florida grocery chain Publix had donated more than $670,000 to Putnam in the last three years — far more support than it had given any other candidate. Publix tried to explain it was just supporting a pro-business candidate, but a lot of people couldn’t get past “Proud NRA Sellout.” Just a few days after that story appeared, 10 people were murdered at Santa Fe High School in Texas. That focused more attention on Publix and, by extension, Putnam. Calls for a boycott of Publix for its support of gun-loving Putnam quickly grew loud throughout the state, and it has had an impact. Putnam’s candidacy remains strong though, and he still bashing the so-called “liberal elite” at every opportunity. I can’t see him losing the GOP nomination to an even more strident Ron DeSantis, and Democrats have yet to prove they have a winning formula. But it’s not the sure thing it used to look like.
— LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS —
Earnings:
—“First quarter brings Hopping Green & Sams up to $300K” via Florida Politics
—“Holland & Knight lands up to $740K in Q1 pay” via Florida Politics
—“Heffley & Associates nets $390K in Legislative Session earnings” via Florida Politics
—“Gunster Yoakley & Stewart earns up to $750K in Q1” via Florida Politics
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Gus Corbella, Elizabeth Dudek, Greenberg Traurig: Diana Food Group
Justin Day, Megan Fay, Capital City Consulting: Citigroup Washington, Florida Association of Health Plans, TransPro Consulting, Larkin Community Hospital
Kim McDougal, Kirk Pepper, GrayRobinson: Kologik
— ALOE —
“Lee Roy Selmon’s original Tampa restaurant is closing, marking the end of an era” via Ernest Hooper of the Tampa Bay Times — Employees learned of the closing on Wednesday morning. Owner MVP Holdings has converted a number of Selmon’s locations into Glory Days restaurants, but it won’t do so with the Boy Scout spot. The property is owned by Bloomin’ Brands, the Tampa-based company that owns Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill among other restaurants. Bloomin’ will build a new Outback Steakhouse at the location. The closure moves the chain closer to being completely phased out, a desire of the Selmon family. Most of its locations have been converted to Glory Days family-friendly sports bars in recent years. Since Selmon’s death in 2011, said Selmon’s widow Claybra Selmon, it has been difficult for the family to maintain its affiliation. “Lee Roy’s spirit will live on in this great city forever.”
“Planning a Disney trip? Disney Parks Moms Panel can help” via Beth Harpaz of The Associated Press — The 40 panelists provide customized, free answers to questions about Disney vacations (including parks, Disney Cruise Line, Disney resorts and more). Emailed questions are answered in about a week. A member of the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Lindsey P. of Georgia, recently spoke to AP’s weekly travel podcast “Get Outta Here!” Q: How far in advance should I book a Disney park trip? A: The sweet spot for most guests is the seven- or eight-month window. You can choose your home resort, make your hotel reservation then. When the 60 days before check-in window rolls around, you’ll be able to make your FastPass reservations. Q: What’s the ideal number of days for a Disney World visit? A: I like to go for five “sleeps” (overnights) as my kids call it. That allows us to get in one park (per day) for the four main parks.
“Royal Caribbean ship gets first new Sky Pad attraction” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — Royal Caribbean’s new bungee-jumping, trampolining, virtual reality attraction has made its debut on Independence of the Seas. The feature was installed on the top deck during a dry dock for the 3,858-passenger ship that will spend the summer based in Southampton, England before returning to Fort Lauderdale in November. Riders who choose to don VR glasses can simulate bouncing over moon craters and compete in intergalactic games. Open to all ages, the ride will also be available in real life, as in you don’t have to wear the VR glasses.
Happy birthday to a great family man (and a pretty decent lobbyist) Rob Johnson of The Mayernick Group.
