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.
Day One of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Future of Florida Forum outlined the hurdles facing the Sunshine State over the next decade, and day two is when the state’s business and elected leaders start taking stock of what the state has to work with to meet those challenges.
The second half of the forum kicks off with a presentation by Jerry Parrish, the Chamber’s chief economist, outlining Florida’s current “scorecard” when it comes to everything from jobs and unemployment to tourism and consumer sentiment.
After that, there’s a well-stocked agenda of experts who will give deep dives into every aspect of Florida’s present and its future.
Department of Economic Opportunity head Cissy Proctor will talk jobs; Mike Myhre, CEO Florida Small Business Development Center Network, will speak on the state of small businesses; Kevin Carr of FloridaMakes will expound on Florida’s manufacturing sector; and Vince Bertram, President & CEO of Project Lead The Way, will outline how companies can get off the sidelines and start pitching in on education.
Education, more specifically the development of a workforce with 21st Century skills, is listed as one of the Chamber’s key priorities to keep Florida on its upward trajectory.
To that end, day two closes out with a conversation between the Florida Chamber Foundation’s executive VP Tony Carvajal and Children’s Movement of Florida founder Dave Lawrence Jr., who lacks no candor when it comes to the need for more pre-K funding and parental preparation.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RealDonaldTrump: [Michael] Avenatti is a third-rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations, like he did on me and like he is now doing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He is just looking for attention and doesn’t want people to look at his past record and relationships – a total low-life!
—@MichaelAvenatti: Trump is a moron. He knows nothing about me or my client. He is trying to divert attention away from Julie as a smokescreen. I challenge him to debate me regarding Kavanaugh and his accusers and our respective backgrounds. He will never agree because he is a coward and weak.
—@RepTedDeutch: 3 Yale Law School classmates who supported Kavanaugh’s confirmation & his law professor who testified on his behalf now support a full investigation. This is about finding the truth. It isn’t a “con.” It isn’t a “smear.” It’s the Senate’s job.
—@DavidJollyFL: Just withdraw already.
—@DaveWeigel: Please, hug a PR flack who had to pitch on anything but Kavanaugh today.
—@BradHerold: I’m excited to have @susie57 join the campaign. She’s a friend, a brilliant strategist and one of the first people to give me a chance in politics. She’ll be a great Campaign Chair for us and help get @RonDeSantisFL across the finish line.
—@TheRickWilson: Note to my Dem friends: the Qpoll in FL is notoriously noisy on both sides. Grain of salt. That said, Gillum is likely ahead +3-5 based on overall averages. Maybe “But Socialism!” isn’t the genius killshot people thought.
—@Fineout: Headline: Tom Steyer to spend millions backing Andrew Gillum in Florida Flashback: Steyer’s group spent nearly $18 million trying to help @CharlieCrist in 2014 – That’s three times what is being promised to Gillum.
—@SContorno: Yes, the rumors are true: I am now the @TB_Times National Political Correspondent. Very excited for this new assignment on the best political reporting team in Florida. Truly, a dream opportunity.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Government shutdown — 4; FSU vs. UM football game — 9; Voter registration deadline for General Election — 13; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 26; MLB World Series begins — 28; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 28; Early voting begins — 30; Halloween — 34; General Election Day — 40; Florida Blue Florida Classic: FAMU vs. BCU — 51; 2019 Legislature Organization Session meetings — 54; Thanksgiving — 56; Black Friday — 57; Florida Chamber Insurance Summit — 61; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 138; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 159; Captain Marvel release — 162; 2020 General Election — 768.
— NOTES FROM THE FUTURE —
“Mark Wilson: Florida is changing, and so are its challenges and opportunities” via Florida Politics — The Florida Chamber of Commerce kicked off the 2018 Future of Florida Forum with a presentation from its CEO, Wilson, outlining the current climate of Florida and how it could change over the next decade. “Florida is changing. Our economics, our demographics and our politics are all changing, and these changes bring both opportunities and challenges … ’Last year, I said ‘If Florida was a stock, I would buy all of it that I could.’ I’m not going to do that this year, I want you to tell me.” Today, the Chamber’s research shows, Florida’s economy is the 17th largest in the world, and it’s outpacing the national growth rate by a full percentage point. It’s also creating one out of every 11 jobs in the country and adding 1,100 residents a day. “If we’re adding 1,100 people a day, how are we doing that?” he asked. “Are people coming from California? Are people coming from New York? Are people coming from Brazil? Yes.”
“Rick Scott recognized with ‘Spirit of Free Enterprise’ award” via Florida Politics — The Florida Chamber recognized Gov. Scott for his “laser-focused” effort to bring jobs to Florida and boost the state’s economy. “I said earlier today that if Florida was a stock, I would buy it,” Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson said, adding that he was curious whether Scott’s exit after two terms in the Governor’s Mansion would impact his outlook. “That’s a real honor,” Scott said. “First off, I don’t get to travel much with my wife, so I’m happy she could be here.”
“Gray Swoope: Rapid change is coming to Florida’s job landscape” via Florida Politics — Florida needs to add 1.7 million jobs by 2030, according to new Florida Chamber research, but “disruption and transformation” present some unique challenges to meeting that goal. “Eighty percent of the jobs in 2030 don’t exist today,” said former Enterprise Florida chief Swoope, who now heads VisionFirst Advisors. “What are we doing? We don’t know what these jobs are.” During his remarks at the Chamber’s 2018 Future of Florida Forum, Swoope touched on technologies such as autonomous vehicles that will usher in new economic sectors worth billions, but they will also affect other industries in unforeseen ways. “Automation is a disrupter,” Swoope said, relaying an example. “Most car accidents are due to human error. How will this change things? The biggest source of organ donors is car accidents. We haven’t even thought about that.”
Tweet, tweet:
It’s a packed house at the 2018 #FutureofFL forum! We cannot wait for the great conversations we’ll have this week with leaders from around the state. pic.twitter.com/vsrdRZJ6xg
— FLChamber Foundation (@FLChamberFDN) September 26, 2018
— TOP STORY —
“Florida Senate aide sues for sex-harassment retaliation, wants whos-who of insiders to testify” via Alexandra Glorioso and Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — A top Florida Senate Republican aide wants to force powerful state lawmakers and Capitol insiders to testify under oath as part of a gender-discrimination-and-retaliation lawsuit she filed this month against the Florida Legislature following her internal sexual harassment complaint against disgraced former Senate budget chairman Jack Latvala. The 14-person witness list in Rachel Perrin Rogers’ lawsuit is a whos-who lineup of Tallahassee power brokers, staffers and influencers: Latvala, outgoing Senate President Joe Negron, Senate Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, Florida Senate counsel and lobbyist George Meros, St. Petersburg publisher Peter Schorsch and even Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Perrin Rogers, a longtime staffer in the Senate, even wants her own boss — Senate Republican leader Wilton Simpson, a likely future president of the chamber — on the stand. Her suit alleges she suffered gender-based discrimination when Latvala harassed her and then retaliation by Senate leadership, which launched its own investigation of her after she filed her initial complaint against Latvala, a fellow Republican. The case will be heard in a federal administrative court, without a jury, at 10 a.m. on Jan. 14 in Tampa. Perrin Rogers and her attorney could also pursue the case in state court, which would have a jury.
“Joe Negron denies retaliation complaint” via Alexandra Glorioso of POLITICO Florida — Senate President Negron denies Senate staffer Rachel Perrin Rogers‘ allegations that the Senate, under his leadership, retaliated against her … “The Florida Senate has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment or misconduct of any kind against any employee or visitor,” Negron said in a written statement. “The complaint of sexual harassment, in this case, was immediately and fully investigated. At all times the Senate has acted appropriately, and there has been no retaliation.”
Peter Schorsch’s quote, to both POLITICO Florida and the Times/Herald: “I believe Rachel Perrin Rogers is a courageous individual. I regret not believing her at first. I believe wholeheartedly that members of the Florida Senate attempted to negatively impact her life.”
— GILLUM VS. DESANTIS —
“Ron DeSantis hires Susie Wiles to take over floundering campaign” via Steve Bousquet and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Trailing in the polls and with a sense of impending doom setting in among his supporters, DeSantis abruptly hired a new chairman of his struggling campaign … Wiles, a lobbyist and seasoned Republican strategist who ran Trump’s successful 2016 Florida effort and was a key adviser in Scott’s first of two successful races for Governor. The sudden change of command is an acknowledgment that DeSantis’ campaign is in serious disarray less than six weeks before the election, but with the hope that there is still time to right the ship and keep Republicans in control of the state’s most powerful office for four more years.
“Former GOP rainmaker gives $200K to Andrew Gillum” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Mike Fernandez, a longtime Republican megadonor who has left the party, gave $200,000 to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gillum last week. The health care billionaire has long been one of Florida Republicans’ biggest rainmakers but was staunchly “Never Trump” and is no longer a registered Republican. Fernandez has moved away from his old party because of Donald Trump and Republican stances on immigration, and because he advocates for gun control measures the party does not support. And Fernandez is now supporting Gillum — who is seen as being from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party — over Republican DeSantis, a former three-term congressman who used an endorsement from Trump to get an upset win in the GOP primary against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
“Gillum leads DeSantis by 9 in another poll showing the Democrat ahead” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — Quinnipiac University’s poll was the ninth publicly released survey in a row that had Gillum leading. The poll showed the Democrat up by 54-45 percent, but it’s the first with an advantage that’s clearly outside the margin of error of plus-or-minus four percentage points. Driving Gillum’s lead: outsized support from women, nonwhite voters and independents. In Quinnipiac’s poll, 55 percent had a favorable view of Gillum and 31 percent had an unfavorable view, giving him a net favorability rating of 24 percentage points. DeSantis’ rating was -5 points, with 42 percent viewing him favorably and 47 percent unfavorably. Still, DeSantis is thus far winning in one clear area: TV ads. His side has spent about $16.8 million on TV since the Aug. 28 primary, compared to the $4.2 million spent by Gillum and his allies.
“State documents: Gillum records tied to ‘active criminal investigation’” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Driving records related to Gillum are tied to an “active criminal investigation” and can’t be released unredacted by the state, according to an audit housed with the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles. POLITICO requested a listing of the number of times Gillum’s record has been accessed by governments or law enforcement agencies. The listing shows Gillum’s records have been accessed 106 times, but a vast majority were redacted by the department, and no specific information could be provided. The records, which span 2014 to 2018, are related to the state’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database, which includes information related to a range of information on a person’s driver history. Law enforcement agencies and local governments can access the database. “Reasons agencies need access may include performing investigations or gathering information as part of their official duties,” said Beth Frady, a DHSMV spokeswoman.
–“Who is Adam Corey, the man at the heart of Tallahassee’s FBI probe?” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times
“New York congresswoman took money from same DeSantis donor who called Barack Obama a ‘Muslim N—’” via Gideon Resnick of Daily Beast — Steven Alembik, a Florida-based Republican activist who once referred to former President Obama as a “Muslim N — ” on Twitter, contributed $5,400 to New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney’s campaign since June 2017, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Alembik recently drew unwanted attention to Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate DeSantis after a POLITICO story revealed his history of online racist remarks and his ties to the candidate. He acknowledged that he had indeed tweeted the attack on Obama but insisted that he is “absolutely not” racist.
Assignment editors — The Florida Chamber makes a special announcement with DeSantis, joined by state Rep. Jeanette Nunez, former House Speaker Will Weatherford, former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and Chamber President and CEO Wilson, 11 a.m., Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Regency 2, 1 Grand Cypress Boulevard, Orlando.
— SCOTT VS. NELSON —
“Bill Nelson ‘asleep at the wheel,’ says new Rick Scott ad” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Republican Gov. Scott, running for the U.S. Senate against Nelson, is out with a new ad replete with news coverage clips critical of Nelson’s efforts during the campaign. The ad’s title, “Asleep at the Wheel,” comes from a clip of Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson using that term to describe Nelson’s re-election campaign. That clip is played twice in the ad, along with analysis from POLITICO’s Marc Caputo, MSNBC’s Katy Tur, and other media figures regarding Nelson’s at-time lagging campaign.
To view the ad, click on the image below:
“Scott’s campaign ad rebuts Democrats on Medicare fraud scandal” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Scott is firing back at opposition with a new television commercial rebutting a Democratic group’s ad about Scott’s role in the 1990s Medicare fraud scandal involving the company he led, Columbia/HCA. “Bill Nelson is confused again,” the new Scott commercial begins, continuing the Scott campaign’s theme of seeking to paint the 75-year-old Senator as mentally unreliable. Scott’s new 30-second spot, “Responsibility,” seeks to set the record straight. “When Rick Scott’s company was fined, 20 years ago, he took responsibility,” a narrator says. “And the company paid every penny it owed. That’s what strong leaders do. They take responsibility.” Then the commercial tries to pivot to criticize Nelson for his own issues with Medicare.
To view “Responsibility,” click on the image below:
“Scott advances his right to make court appointments” via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the News Service of Florida — In a case that could alter the future of Florida’s highest court, Scott reasserted his right to appoint three new justices to the state Supreme Court before he leaves office in January. Responding to a lawsuit asking the Florida Supreme Court to intervene, Scott’s lawyers said the governor retains the power to select replacements for justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who are all leaving the court in early January because they have reached the mandatory retirement age. The lawsuit, filed by the League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause, has asked the Supreme Court to block Scott’s action, through a procedure known as a “writ of quo warranto,” arguing the new governor who takes office on Jan. 8 should have that appointment power. But in the 33-page response, Scott’s lawyers said he is following the precedent of beginning the appointment process before the vacancies actually occur, noting numerous justices have been appointed using this procedure in order to avoid prolonged vacancies on the court.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
Happening today — Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis fundraises at a reception in Boca Raton, 4 p.m., Shiner Law Group, 951 Yamato Road, Suite 210, Boca Raton.
Happening today — Republican Attorney General candidate Ashley Moody fundraises in Palm Beach County, 5:30 p.m., Café Sapori, 205 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach.
Gabby Giffords gun group backs three Florida congressional candidates — Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Giffords and her husband, Captain Mark Kelly, is stepping into three Florida congressional races. The group is endorsing Democrats Nancy Soderberg in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, Chris Hunter in Florida’s 12th, and Donna Shalala in Florida’s 27th. “Voters are ready to elect Chris Hunter, Donna Shalala, and Nancy Soderberg because they will always put protecting their communities over helping the gun lobby make a profit. Giffords is proud to endorse them for Congress because they will never stop fighting for what’s right,” Giffords said.
“U.S. Chamber endorses Stephanie Murphy in CD 7” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Citing a bipartisan voting record and legislative efforts on behalf of small-business owners and entrepreneurs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Murphy for re-election … The endorsement of a Democratic lawmaker is rare for the national chamber … “Congresswoman Murphy understands what it takes to start, grow, and turn around a business in America, which is why she has shown such strong leadership on issues like infrastructure, immigration, and investing in small businesses,” Ken Johnson, executive director of congressional and public affairs for the U.S. Chamber, said in a news release. “Stephanie is willing to work across the aisle, and has a proven bipartisan record in Congress of supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners.”
“Bill Posey apologizes for ‘dumpiest house’ comment; Sanjay Patel says it’s typical condescension” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Republican U.S. Rep. Posey went to Facebook to apologize for comments he made last week disparaging supporters of Patel, his Democratic opponent in Florida’s 8th Congressional District. At a Trump Club meeting in Brevard County on Sept. 19, shown in a video posted on YouTube (since taken down), Posey declared, “I know most of my opponents’ signs. I can pick out the house without the sign, ‘cause it’s the dumpiest house in the neighborhood.” Patel responded by noting that Posey also said other disparaging things during the speech, including calling unhappy constituents “the damned deplorables.” Patel said it was “deeply troubling” that Posey would insult constituents, “but his comment clearly captures his condescending attitude toward those in his district who struggle to make ends meet.”
“David Shapiro fails to list Colorado condo on financial disclosure forms” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Shapiro, the Democratic candidate in Florida’s 16th Congressional District, violated reporting rules again by failing to disclose his ownership of a Colorado rental condo. That’s according to the financial disclosure report Shapiro filed with the U.S. House. It’s the second such reporting violation found during Shapiro’s run for the seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. Alex Vuskovic, Shapiro’s campaign manager, issued a statement regarding the omissions. “We are instructing the accounting firm who filed David’s personal financial disclosure to file an updated disclosure, based on their oversight.” Vuskovic said.”
“One CNN Key race moved toward Republicans, but it is not about the money” via Aaron Kessler of CNN — While the latest CNN Key Race Ratings show an overwhelming trend toward the Democrats — nine of the ratings updated Tuesday moved in favor of the Democratic candidate — there is one exception: Florida’s 27th. The Miami-Dade House seat is open for the first time in three decades, and Republican Maria Elvira Salazar, an Emmy-award-winning television reporter, is squaring off against former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala. Despite the tight race, neither of the candidates has gone negative yet in their general election TV campaigns, according to Kantar Media’s data. They have exclusively been airing a pair of TV ads highlighting their own backgrounds but not attacking each other. On the fundraising side, it’s the same dynamic. The Shalala campaign has raised more than three times as much as Salazar. The race may come down to a number of factors, but unlike some contests, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that campaign cash will be the deciding factor between the two challengers.
Assignment editors — State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith joins community members outside of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Future of Florida Forum to stand against DeSantis’ health care record, 11 a.m., at the intersection of S. Apopka Vineland Road and Wintergarden Vineland Road, Orlando.
In new ad, Chip LaMarca calls for more ‘problem-solving’ in Tallahassee — In the 30-second spot “We Can Do That,” Republican LaMarca says he’s tired of the “political bickering and extremism.” “If we work together,” he says to the camera, “we can do anything … Keeping guns out of the hands of criminals … Protecting our children when they’re at school … Restoring our waterways and beaches … We can do that.” LaMarca faces Emma Collum in the race for Broward County’s House District 93, which leans Democratic.
To view the ad, click on the image below:
— STATEWIDE —
“Uber will pay Florida $8.2 million as part of $148 million data breach settlement” via David J. Neal of the Miami Herald — The State of Florida, one of the originators of the complaint against Uber over the ride-sharing company keeping quiet about a 2016 data breach, will get $8.2 million of the $148 million Uber will pay 50 states and the District of Columbia. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office announced the overall settlement and Florida’s piece of it Wednesday afternoon. Hackers stole personal information from Uber about the company’s drivers, in some cases driver’s license information. Upon finding out about the data breach in November 2016, Uber found the hackers. But they didn’t tell anybody about the breach until November 2017.
“Greyhound track fights gambling amendment” via the News Service of Florida — Melbourne Greyhound Park has put $145,000 into a political committee fighting a proposed constitutional amendment that could make it harder to expand gambling in Florida. The Brevard County greyhound track contributed $50,000 last week to a committee known as Don’t Lose Your Control, Inc., bringing to $145,000 the track’s contributions since early August … The committee has not received other contributions. Don’t Lose Your Control is at least the third PAC formed to fight what will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 3.
“Florida Zika cases continue slow increase” via the News Service of Florida — The 72 cases had been reported as of Monday and were up from 66 cases reported during the first week of September. The new data classified 70 of the cases as “travel-related” — generally meaning people were infected with the virus elsewhere and brought it into the state. The other two cases were classified as having “undetermined” origin. Both of the “undetermined” cases involved people in Miami-Dade County. The largest number of Zika cases this year has been 28 in Collier County, followed by 19 in Miami-Dade and nine in Orange. Other counties with reported cases have been Broward, Palm Beach, Lee, Osceola, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando and Walton.
“Clearwater spares no effort in red tide defense” via Suhauna Hussain of the Tampa Bay Times —The beach equivalent of a Zamboni zooms along the sand. A man stoops over to snatch up a stray fish carcass with a litter grabber and slings it into a bucket. The worst outbreak of toxic red tide in a decade has hit Pinellas County. County officials said hundreds of thousands of dead fish have washed up on area beaches, casualties of the algae bloom spreading along the Gulf Coast. But it is not that obvious so far on Clearwater Beach. A combination of luck and aggressive cleanup efforts have largely kept them off the shores of one of the country’s highest rated beaches. “People have been telling us they can’t believe how fast we get them up — how fast we jump on (the dead fish) if we see them,” said Larry Bruce, Clearwater beach supervisor. Still, city officials worry the reports will spook tourists who are expected to flock to the beach during the approaching busy season.
“A doctor was sued for malpractice. He tried to fight it. It cost him nearly everything.” via Josh Solomon of the Tampa Bay Times — Scott Plantz remembers the exact date he received notice he was being sued for medical malpractice … the accusation that he was responsible for a woman’s death. Plantz’s insurer encouraged him to settle the suit for $50,000, which it would have paid, and move on. But he would have to admit he failed to properly treat his patient. Convinced he had done nothing wrong, Plantz refused on principle. The decision would lead him on a decadelong odyssey that bloomed into an obsession. It would cost him his life savings, threaten his relationships with his wife and son, and consume every waking moment of his life.
— FLORIDA TWEET OF THE DAY —
I like how FWC gave a detailed description, so that we don't get Storm confused with.. you know… another kangaroo. https://t.co/u5QcwVDnA8
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) September 26, 2018
— D.C. MATTERS —
All roads lead to Florida: “Third woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct has a Miami connection” via Madeleine Marr and David Smiley of the Miami Herald —The third woman who came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh has a Miami connection. On March 1, 2001, Julie Swetnick was named as the defendant in a domestic violence case filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. The petitioner was Richard Vinneccy. Court records show the case was soon dismissed when neither party appeared in court. Big League Politics first reported the court case. Vinneccy told POLITICO that he dated Swetnick, now 55, for four years before splitting with her and eventually marrying another woman. “Right after I broke up with her, she was threatening my family, threatening my wife and threatening to do harm to my baby at that time,” Vinneccy told POLITICO via phone. “I know a lot about her. She’s not credible at all.”
— OPINIONS —
“Scott owes taxpayers answers about high bills for debris removal” via the Tampa Bay Times editorial board — Now that the Homeland Security inspector general is looking into an audit according to a letter sent this week to House members, Scott finally should be forced to explain what looks like inexplicably bad, wasteful management. The main issue is debris removal in the Florida Keys following the September 2017 storm. Officials in Monroe County had a pre-existing contract with an established firm so prices would be set and work could begin immediately in the event of a hurricane. This is a common practice throughout the state. However, in the first couple of days after Irma, Scott’s administration inked new deals with another company at substantially higher prices. In fact, they were the size of bills that usually bring price-gouging charges. Florida taxpayers did not just lose about $30 million in unnecessary cleanup bills. The cleanup process was delayed because employees from the original firm were jumping ship to MCM for higher pay.
“Joe Henderson: No lack of mud in the nasty race for CD 16” via Florida Politics — It’s getting tough to keep the charges and countercharges straight between Republican incumbent Buchanan and Democratic challenger Shapiro straight, and they are coming with increasing frequency. After Buchanan released an ad touting his environmental chops, Shapiro counterpunched with a point that Buchanan’s contributions from Big Sugar are reason enough to blame him for the red tide that turned beaches in the Sarasota and Manatee counties in smelly graveyards littered with rotting fish corpses. But who’s the polluter here? Anyway, that brings us to the yacht. Buchanan has had to explain why he spent between $1 million and $5 million to buy a yacht on the same day last November that he voted for the first draft of President Trump’s tax-cut package — you know, the one that has been criticized for being overly generous to rich people. Oh yeah. That became a TV spot for Shapiro’s camp, Buchanan’s camp has tried to tie Shapiro to Nancy Pelosi. Shapiro’s camp has tied Buchanan to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. Whoever scares you most, right?
“Emma Collum: With Kavanagh, it’s time to end the ‘broken cycle’” via Florida Politics —Whenever a public figure faces charges of sexual assault, we follow the same broken cycle — an allegation is made, the accused person denies it, and the survivor is attacked. Then a chorus of voices amplified through cable news discounts the accusation and says, “even if it’s true, it’s not that bad.” This is a familiar story for many women. It’s my story too. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has lodged a credible allegation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh. Since coming forward, she has faced criticism and threats. She and her family have been forced into hiding. Her decision to come forward could not possibly have been easy. Even I, who represented abused women in court and founded the Florida Women’s March, have struggled with whether to tell my story. But we need to speak up if we want to make change.
— MOVEMENTS —
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Michael Brawer: Association of Florida Colleges
Jeff Kottkamp, Sunshine State Consultants: Fallcatcher
— ALOE —
“’It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ has become TV’s most interesting political comedy” via Sonny Bunch of The Washington Post — Now, in the sitcom’s 13th season, writers have kicked it up a notch and given episodes a running theme: gender politics. But they have done so in a manner that is rarely didactic and often immensely funny, weaving insights about the ridiculous world in which we live into “It’s Always Sunny’s” ridiculous characters … The season’s second episode, during which the friends participate in an “escape room,” was funny for all the reasons “It’s Always Sunny” tends to be funny: It was about five people who not-so-secretly hate each other forming factions in order to screw the others over. But if you were paying attention to certain clues (talk about the roles of men and women; discussions of posture and animals and eye contact), you might think the show was subtly mocking Jordan Peterson and his adherents for suggesting that life consists of a series of simple tricks one must master to live well. I tend to think of Peterson’s advice as banal rather than existentially threatening. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is walking a tricky tightrope between maintaining its comedic bona fides and actually saying something interesting.
“’Solo’ Blu-ray offers sneak peek at Disney’s Millennium Falcon ride” via John Gregory of Orlando Rising — A special feature exclusive to customers who buy the “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Blu-ray at Target includes some new information on the Millennium Falcon attraction coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019. The ride will have “immersive” and interactive elements, such as allowing guests to explore the chess room of the Falcon to requiring them to interact with the ship as part of the experience. “There are 200 some odd buttons, knobs and switches on the inside of the cockpit and they all do stuff,” said Asa Kalama, executive creative director for the attraction. “If you’re the gunners in the center there and you don’t fire back on those TIE Fighters fast enough they’re going to riddle the hull with laser bolts, the engineers in back, it’s really up to them to keep the whole Falcon in working order so they’re back there furiously working away at their various systems.”
“How Apple thrived in a season of tech scandals” via Farhad Manjoo of The New York Times — The business world has long been plagued by Apple catastrophists — investors, analysts, rival executives and journalists who look at the world’s most valuable company and proclaim it to be imminently doomed. The critics’ worry for Apple is understandable, even if their repeated wrongness is a little hilarious. Apple’s two-decade ascent from a near-bankrupt has-been of the personal computer era into the first trillion-dollar corporation has defied every apparent rule in tech. Companies that make high-priced hardware products aren’t supposed to be as popular, as profitable or as permanent.
“NASA’s bold-ish plan for the next era takes us to the moon and Mars … eventually” via Devin Coldewey of TechCrunch — NASA has issued a report summarizing its official plans for exploring our solar system, and it makes for exciting reading — if you don’t mind that it comes with a dose of realism. Crewed missions to the moon’s surface; a semi-permanent base orbiting it; a Mars sample return mission; all these and more are there, if not necessarily in the next decade. The National Space Exploration Campaign is the name of NASA’s overarching plan to stop worrying about low Earth orbit (LEO), ditch the ISS, win the next moon race and then head off to Mars.
Happy birthday to Monica Russo.
