Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 4.13.20

Happy Easter Monday, please consider reading my take on where I believe things stand — “How Ron DeSantis is winning the pandemic battle, but losing the communications war.“

___

Among the troubling developments of coronavirus ravaging Florida, some equally sad non-COVID-19 news: Rep. Kristin Jacobs, a force in Broward County politics for more than 20 years as well as an ardent defender of the state’s water and environment, succumbed to colon cancer Saturday. She was 60.

During her time in Florida (moving here from San Diego), Jacobs became one of the state’s most prominent environmental advocates, testifying before Congress and the U.S. Senate about clean water and climate change, later serving on a task force at the request of President Barack Obama.

The former Broward County Commissioner remained active in civic groups even after her election to the Florida House in 2014, winning reelection in 2016 and 2018. Jacobs drank deeply of the natural beauty she fought to protect, whether racing through open pine forests on a trail bike or creating a regional system of collaboration to reduce climate change.

Of her many accomplishments, her proudest could be spearheading the development of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact, a four-county initiative built in 2009 on local governments working together.

“Even if you disagreed with her, which didn’t happen often, it was impossible not to celebrate Kristin’s life force,” writes Rosemary O’Hara of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “She was just so charming and personable, with that open-face smile, that striking red hair and that passion to educate and explain to anyone and everyone why something was important and why you should care.”

“She was always wanting to help others, to make the world a better and happier place — and she succeeded,” her three children — Rick Hames, Lauren Donaldson and Mitch Jacobs — write in the Sun-Sentinel. “Hers is a story of strength, determination and grit always seeking to put good things into the world … she has left the campsite better — much better — than she found it. All who have known her will remember her fondly. We miss you already, mom.”

—“’An absolute warrior.’ Kristin Jacobs, longtime Broward leader, dies of cancer” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald

—“Lawmaker Kristin Jacobs dies after cancer battle” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida

— EXECUTIVE SUMMARY —

— The United States has now recorded more deaths from the coronavirus than any other country: over 22,000 as of Sunday night.

— Dr. Anthony Fauci says the economy in parts of the country could be allowed to reopen as early as next month. Read more here.

— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from a London hospital where he was treated in intensive care for the coronavirus, as the U.K. becomes the fourth European country to surpass 10,000 virus-related deaths. Read more here.

— Italy had its lowest number of new deaths in three weeks. Read more here.

— TOP STORIES —

“U.S. spy agencies collected raw intelligence hinting at public health crisis in Wuhan, China, in November” via Ken Dilanian, Robert Windrem and Courtney Kube of NBC News — U.S. spy agencies collected raw intelligence hinting at a public health crisis in Wuhan, China, in November but the information was not understood as the first warning signs of an impending global pandemic. The intelligence came in the form of communications intercepts and overhead images showing increased activity at health facilities. There was no assessment that a lethal global outbreak was brewing at that time. The Defense Department disputed that an “intelligence report” had warned about the coronavirus in November.

“Dr. Anthony Fauci says ‘rolling re-entry’ of economy possible in May, but ‘can’t guarantee’ election safety in November” via Mark Sherman and Darlene Superville of The Associated Press — Rather than flipping a switch to reopen the entire country, Fauci said a gradual process would be required based on the status of the pandemic in various parts of the U.S. and the availability of rapid, widespread testing. Once the number of people who are seriously ill sharply declines, officials can begin to “think about a gradual re-entry of some sort of normality, some rolling re-entry,” Fauci said. “We are hoping that, at the end of the month, we could look around and say, OK, is there any element here that we can safely and cautiously start pulling back on? If so, do it. If not, then just continue to hunker down,” Fauci said.

“‘Playing games with numbers’: Florida COVID-19 test backlog worse than state says” via Nicholas Nehamas and Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald — Florida is significantly underreporting the state’s COVID-19 testing backlog, a blind spot in the data that could obscure the pandemic’s size and hamper efforts to decide when it’s safe to end restrictions such as social distancing. The Florida Department of Health says about 1,400 people statewide are waiting for their test results. But that’s an undercount the department acknowledged in response to questions from the Miami Herald. And it’s likely a massive one. That’s because the state only reports the number of Floridians waiting to hear back from state labs, not private ones, and those private labs are completing more than 90% of Florida’s tests. Two small, private South Florida health care providers said they are awaiting COVID-19 test results for almost 800 patients. That number alone would increase the state’s official count of backlogged tests by more than 50%.

“Latest coronavirus model predicts fewer deaths in Florida” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — A University of Washington coronavirus pandemic model now predicts the Florida area of the pandemic will peak on April 26, five days later than UW predicted earlier. The pushed-back date was accompanied by a steep reduction in expected deaths. On April 7, estimates predicted upward of 240 Floridians a day would die from COVID-19. As of Saturday, the grim approximation was halved. The most likely estimate, 112 deaths a day, is also significantly lower than The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projection from late last month. The lower rate, 112 deaths a day, will lead to 4,000 Florida deaths by early August. Still traumatic, though two-fifths less so than the 6,770 deaths predicted in the appraisal.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@RealDonaldTrump: For the first time in history there is a fully signed Presidential Disaster Declaration for all 50 States. We are winning, and will win, the war on the Invisible Enemy!

—@MikePompeo: He is Risen!

—@Patrock_Wyman: The point of the Postal Service isn’t to make a profit and it’s a sign of how absolutely broken our public discussion of the topic is that it seems impossible to frame the issue in other terms

—@NutmegRadio: Need masks, but can’t get into the store without a mask, but also contemplating being black wearing a makeshift mask going into a store to get a mask, with two police cars parked outside, and I don’t need this stress on top of the stress.

—@JoePClements: Hollywood is about a month away from going against quarantine. There are a lot of celebrities who are about to miss paychecks and have gigs cut. Proof … SNL last night was bad. Any YouTuber or podcaster would have better production value. They can’t keep making it.

— DAYS UNTIL —

First quarter campaign reports due — 5; Last day of federal candidate qualifying — 9; NFL Draft — 10; Estimated peak for COVID-19 in Florida — 14; Florida Schools reopen (maybe) — 18; Pulitzer Prizes announced — 21; The next supermoon — 24; Gov. DeSantis’ executive order closing bars and restaurants expires — 25; Mother’s Day — 27; TNT’s adaptation of “Snowpiercer” premieres — 34; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 56; Federal taxes due — 93; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 95; “Mulan” premieres — 102; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 126; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 127; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 133; “A Quiet Place Part II” premieres — 144; First presidential debate in Indiana — 169; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 177; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 185; Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premieres — 186; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 192; 2020 General Election — 204; “Black Widow” premieres — 207; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 218; “No Time to Die” premieres — 226; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 254; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 466; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 473; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 571; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 676.

— RED DAWN —

In late January, a week after the first coronavirus case was identified in the United States and six weeks before Donald Trump finally took aggressive action to confront the danger the nation was facing, Department of Veterans Affairs Senior medical adviser Dr. Carter Mecher was urging the upper ranks of the nation’s most extensive public health system to wake up and prepare for the possibility of far more drastic action.

According to new reporting by The New York Times, many mocked Mecher for his alarmist take: “’You guys made fun of me screaming to close the schools,’ he wrote to the group, which called itself ‘Red Dawn,’ a joke based on the 1984 movie about a band of Americans trying to save the country after a foreign invasion. ‘Now I’m screaming, close the colleges and universities.’”

However, during that time, Trump downplayed the seriousness of the virus, choosing to focus on other issues — like controlling the narrative — despite the growing number of voices calling him to take aggressive action against coronavirus.

It was a problem, the President would say later, that came out of nowhere and could not have been predicted.

The way the situation unfolded, writes The Times, was “colored by his suspicion of and disdain for what he viewed as the ‘Deep State.’” It was mistrust of the people in government who had the knowledge and expertise that could have been used to address the virus much earlier, saving lives in the process. That, as well as a thorough mistrust of China amid trade talks, left the two major world powers divided as they confronted the first global threat of the 21st century.

“By the last week of February, it was clear to the administration’s public health team that schools and businesses in hot spots would have to close. But in the turbulence of the Trump White House, it took three more weeks to persuade the President.”

— CORONA NATION —

“On Easter Sunday, Christians remember: ‘We will rise out of the dust’” via Elizabeth Dias of The New York Times — Amid a pandemic still working its way across the country, millions of American Christians found themselves refashioning beloved rituals and grasping for hope in the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Church buildings — normally packed on the holiday — stood empty, as restrictions against mass gatherings kept families in their homes and unable to worship together on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar. Parents dressed children in Easter clothes, but had them watch services from the couch. Most churches across denominations celebrated the holiday virtually, in online services. A small handful of pastors in states like Louisiana and Mississippi defied stay-at-home guidance and hosted in-person worship services, risking the health of their followers and their own arrests.

“Donald Trump casts himself as pandemic patron, personalizing the government’s spread of cash and supplies” via Robert Costa and Philip Rucker of The Washington Post — As Americans confront a pandemic and struggle to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Trump has placed himself at the center as their patron. The president has sought to portray himself as singularly in charge, except for when things go wrong. In those instances, he has labored to blame others and avoid accountability. The task Trump seems to relish most is spreading cash and supplies across a beleaguered and anxious nation. Trump’s confidants and allies say he is trying to earn political points by taking credit in any way he can for his handling of the pandemic.

“A plan to defeat coronavirus finally emerges, but it’s not from the White House” via Lena H. Sun, William Wan and Yasmeen Abutaleb of The Washington Post — A national plan to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and return Americans to jobs and classrooms is emerging but not from the White House. Instead, a collection of governors, former government officials, disease specialists, and nonprofits are pursuing a strategy that relies on the three pillars of disease control. Ramp up testing to identify infected people. Find everyone they interact with by deploying contact tracing on a scale America has never attempted before. And focus restrictions more narrowly on the infected and their contacts, so the rest of society doesn’t have to stay in permanent lockdown. There is no evidence yet that the White House will pursue such a strategy.

“Health authorities roll out new coronavirus tests to gauge infection’s spread” via Brianna Abbott and Denise Roland — Health departments, hospitals and companies around the world are rolling out the next wave in coronavirus tests. The new tests promise to give public-health and hospital officials a better idea of how widely the new coronavirus has spread and who can safely treat patients and stop social distancing. Accuracy questions could limit the tests early on. The new tests are serology tests, which look for antibodies in blood, rather than looking for genetic code in a swab from the patient’s throat or nose. The information could reveal how many people have been infected already and how many would potentially be susceptible to future infection.

“Doctor gambles on clot-busting drug to save virus patients” via Lauran Neergaard of The Associated Press — Dr. Hooman Poor took a gamble on a female patient who was dying from coronavirus. The lung specialist saw clues that were “screaming blood clots.” So Poor pulled out a drug best known for treating strokes, and held his breath. “I said, ‘What do we actually have to lose?’ That’s when I decided to give not just a blood thinner but a blood clot buster.” Exactly what’s going on with blood clots in at least some COVID-19 patients is a mystery. To Poor’s dismay, the experimental treatment bought the woman only a few more days of life. A sudden, different complication killed her on Friday. Poor’s team then tested the new clot-fighting approach in four additional severely ill patients. One didn’t survive, dying of cardiac arrest from a massive blood clot in his heart.

“How the government delayed coronavirus testing” via Bob Ortega, Scott Bronstein, Curt Devine and Drew Griffin of CNN — A weekslong testing delay that effectively blinded public health officials to the spread of the coronavirus in the US might have been avoided had federal agencies fully enacted their own plan to ramp up testing during a national health crisis. Agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services not only failed to make early use of the hundreds of labs across the United States, they enforced regulatory roadblocks that prevented nongovernment labs from assisting. The CDC released a flawed test that took weeks to correct. The government squandered a critical month during which aggressive and widespread testing might significantly have reduced the speed and scale of the pandemic.

“Slow start for rapid coronavirus tests frustrates states” via Dan Frosch, Deanna Paul and Ian Lovett of The Wall Street Journal — A rapid test for the new coronavirus that was touted by the White House as a game-changing development has proved vexing for state officials, who say the federal government has failed to provide enough necessary equipment. After conducting a bulk purchase with Abbott Laboratories, the federal government this month gave every state except Alaska 15 devices and 120 cartridges, regardless of its population or severity of its coronavirus outbreak. The frustration over how the Abbott tests are doled out underscores the Trump administration’s ongoing struggle to respond to national testing shortages.

“As feds play ‘backup,’ states take unorthodox steps to compete in cutthroat global market for coronavirus supplies” via Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post — Some Governors and lawmakers have watched in disbelief as they have sought to close deals on precious supplies, only to have the federal government swoop in to preempt the arrangements. Officials in one state are so worried about this possibility that they are considering dispatching local police or even the National Guard to greet two chartered FedEx planes scheduled to arrive in the next week with millions of masks from China, according to people familiar with the planning. The result of the unorthodox steps taken by Governors is a patchwork and often chaotic scramble for goods, pitting states against each other, and often against other countries or even the U.S. government.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Florida COVID-19 caseload moves toward 20,000” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — COVID-19 claimed nine more lives in Florida during Easter Sunday, as the state’s caseload increased by another 548 confirmed infections to 19,895. COVID-19 has taken the lives of 16 in Florida since the Department of Health posted its Saturday evening report on the pandemic. The virus has now killed 461 people in Florida. The state’s number of COVID-19 cases requiring hospital admissions increased to 2,672 on Sunday evening, up 39 from the morning report, and up 65 since Saturday evening. The Department of Health’s Sunday evening caseload totaled 19,895, an increase of 548 cases from the morning report, and up 909 cases since Saturday evening.

“DeSantis sees progress in fight against coronavirus ” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — DeSantis said he thinks the state is making progress in the fight against the coronavirus. He urged Floridians to continue to avoid groups of people and to seek a test if they think they’ve come in contact with the virus. In line with policies that DeSantis credited with having produced “tremendous progress,” in slowing the virus spread, he extended an executive order that prohibits vacation rentals such as those offered by Airbnb through the end of the month. Earlier in the day, Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith had said he had been slammed with calls from vacationers ready to hit the beaches. And that he had talked to other coastal sheriffs worried about a huge influx of people despite health officials’ warnings to stay home. DeSantis extended the prohibition on short-term rentals through April 30.

“Florida’s count of coronavirus deaths is missing some cases” via Kathleen McGrory and Rebecca Woolington of the Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Department of Health’s count of coronavirus deaths reached a grim milestone Friday, surpassing 400 and climbing to 419. But at least 40 additional people who had died from the virus in Florida were missing from the state’s count. Those deaths are reflected in another tally that’s being kept by the state’s medical examiners. It stands at 461, 10 percent more than the health department’s announced number. The discrepancy underscores the difficulty in building a system to track the fast-moving disease in real-time.

“Herald drafted a suit seeking ALF records. DeSantis aide pressured law firm not to file it” via Daniel Chang — DeSantis’ general counsel called a representative of the Miami Herald’s law firm seeking to quash a public records lawsuit that would force the state to divulge the names of all elder-care facilities that have had a positive test for the coronavirus. The backdoor pressure through an attorney that had no involvement in the case paid off. The law firm, Holland & Knight, told Sanford Bohrer, a senior partner with decades of representing the Miami Herald, to stand down and abandon the lawsuit. The suit will still be filed, but by another law firm, said Miami Herald publisher and executive editor Aminda Marqués González.

“The costly toll of not shutting down Spring Break earlier” via Patricia Mazzei and Frances Robles of The New York Times — Weeks before Florida ordered people to stay at home, the coronavirus was well into its insidious spread in the state, infecting residents and visitors who days earlier had danced at beach parties and reveled in theme parks. Slow action by Ron DeSantis left local leaders scrambling to make their own closure decisions during one of the busiest and most profitable times of the year for a state with an $86 billion tourism economy. The result was that rules were often in conflict, with one city canceling a major event while a neighboring city allowed another event to continue. DeSantis said the state had supported local governments that ordered event cancellations and beach closures, but that it was not his role to step in first.

“Did DeSantis make the right call?” via Sean Trende of Real Clear Politics — The data don’t seem to support a spring break-fueled explosion in the Sunshine State. There were reasons from the start to be skeptical of the spring break explosion storyline: for example, that DeSantis had already banned gatherings over 10 people. I’m not sure that avoiding what seems to be at best a fairly marginal (for now) increase in cases beyond what the state would have suffered is clearly worth the damage it would have done to local businesses by cutting off spring break. In other words, DeSantis might have gotten the cost-benefit right. We should be honest with ourselves that we all have our limits as to what we will tolerate.

“DeSantis junks tested storm briefings playbook. Why?” via Wendy Rhodes of the Herald-Tribune — During the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis has mostly set aside the tested formula for daily hurricane briefings. DeSantis appears at a variety of locations when he speaks to the public on the pandemic. Floridians have not heard daily from state Surgeon General Scott Rivkees. Or from officials in charge of the food supply. Why doesn’t the governor have more comprehensive, hurricane-like briefings? Public relations and mass communication experts say the governor is missing an opportunity. Despite the governor’s daily briefings, the average Floridian would be hard-pressed to find out where to watch them.

“No free TV exposure for DeSantis during pandemic” via Steve Bousquet of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida’s ethics watchdogs reached a controversial decision that it’s a violation of state ethics laws for DeSantis to appear in public service TV spots during the pandemic. It’s a controversy here because the definition of a gift to Florida officials includes anything of value, including a 30-second ad during a state of emergency. The decision rested partly on a vote by the Legislature more than a decade ago when it enacted a sweeping gift ban. That 2006 law expanded the legal definition of expenditure by lobbyists or their clients to elected officials to include anything of value, which is why the gift ban has been rightly ridiculed as an act of sheer hypocrisy.

“Nikki Fried to retailers: Got milk? Then sell it” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — The milk has dried up for quarantined Floridians, via retail purchase limits. As demand is artificially choked out, gallons of the white stuff is being dumped, even before making it to market. A release from Fried’s office said she’d talked to Publix, Walmart, and Whole Foods, urging them to remove quantity limits on retail buys. With decreases in foodservice demand, we’re asking retailers to end consumer milk purchase limits, we’re working with federal and state agencies to increase their purchases of Florida milk, and we’re working hard to help our dairy producers move their products to market,” Fried said.

“Fauci: Kids could get ‘infected’ if Florida reopens schools” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO — Trump and top White House health officials said a proposal floated by DeSantis to reopen state schools next month could help spread the coronavirus. Dr. Fauci, who has become the medical face of the nation’s pandemic response, said he was not “specifically speaking about Florida.” Still, he was responding directly to a reporter’s question about DeSantis. DeSantis’ communications director, Helen Aguirre Ferré, said the administration’s decision to close schools is “under review,” and no decision has been made. The president praised DeSantis, who has faced criticism for the state’s response to the coronavirus.

“State sends laptops to help rural students with remote learning” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — With Florida’s schools closed through at least May 4, the state is sending more than 32,000 laptops to rural and small communities to help students participate in remote learning programs. “Today’s announcement speaks volumes about how the Department of Education, our school districts and our teachers are coming together to ensure Florida students have the resources they need to continue their education through the COVID-19 crisis,” Gov. DeSantis said Saturday. “Florida is truly raising the bar for distance learning.” Those devices will be distributed as part of a partnership with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium, Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, and Heartland Educational Consortium. It’s unclear whether schools will remain closed beyond that May 4 date.

“Coronavirus continues to spread at Northwest Florida prison” via Ana Ceballos of the News Service of Florida — Blackwater River Correctional Facility, a Santa Rosa County prison operated by The Geo Group Inc., now has a total of 34 inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19. Six prison employees also have tested positive for COVID-19, corrections officials said. The Milton facility, which has a maximum capacity of 2,000 inmates, is so far the state’s hardest-hit prison amid the coronavirus pandemic. All but one of the state’s 35 inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 are at the Panhandle facility. The other prisoner is housed at Sumter Correctional Institution in Bushnell, corrections officials said. As of Saturday, 44 corrections employees at 20 prisons and three probation offices across the state also have tested positive for COVID-19.

“DJJ keeps doors closed to visitors amid virus” via News Service of Florida — The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice said it has extended until April 30 a ban on visitors to juvenile detention and residential-commitment facilities. The announcement came hours after the department said a third juvenile-justice worker had tested positive for COVID-19, the contagious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The department last month suspended visitation until April 15. The three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the juvenile justice system have involved workers and not youths, according to the department. The cases have been at the Broward Regional Juvenile Detention Center, the Broward Youth Treatment Center and the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

“Florida inmates will start making masks. For now, only guards will get virus protection” via Martin Vassolo and Samantha Gross of the Miami Herald — “I think it’s ironic that you would make the sick inmates make masks for the guards,” said one woman whose son is locked up at Blackwater River Correctional Facility near Pensacola, a private prison experiencing a coronavirus outbreak. “I’m just thankful that at this point, my son is not sick.” Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises Inc., a St. Petersburg-based manufacturing company staffed by state prisoners, will be transitioning to making cloth face masks, the Florida Department of Corrections announced. The masks produced by the company will be issued to correctional officers, probation officers and staff across the state. Then, the masks will be sent to facilities with large “at-risk” inmate populations, according to the FDC.

“Florida hospitals say they have room for surge in COVID-19 patients” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — They’ve gotten regulatory waivers to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles. They have created surge schedules, cross-training staff to handle the respiratory disease, and they have turned off the spigot of revenue that comes from a steady stream of elective surgeries. As Florida prepares for a surge in seriously ill COVID-19 patients in the next two weeks, health care officials across the state say hospitals have plenty of room to handle more patients. “Hospitals are tracking capacity pretty closely, and some are using their own software and resources to come up with their own estimates,’’ said Crystal Stickle, interim president of the Florida Hospital Association. “Everybody feels pretty good [that] they have the capacity right now.”

“Guardsmen spot check for virus at Florida nursing homes” via The Associated Press — Members of the Florida National Guard have started on-the-spot testing of residents at nursing homes for the new coronavirus as long-term care facilities in the state have reported scores of cases. Guardsmen have conducted tests of residents and staff at nursing homes in South Florida and UF Health Shands has done other spot-testing at facilities. Statewide there were almost 840 coronavirus cases in residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

“Nursing homes seek shelter from lawsuits” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — The Florida Health Care Association sent a letter to the Governor asking that he provide immunity from any civil or criminal liability “for any harm or damages alleged to have been sustained as a result of an act or omission in the course of arranging for or providing health care services” during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew told nursing homes the request is under consideration. “The Governor’s office, their legal team, legal teams from the other state agencies, are currently evaluating what can be done and what is in the best interest in addressing the concerns that you’ve identified,” Mayhew said in a phone call.

— CORONA LOCAL —

“Lenny Curry’s tough actions slowed COVID-19 spread in Jacksonville” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Curry sat at his desk in City Hall a month ago and signed a state of emergency declaration for combating the spread of the coronavirus. Curry rolled out a half-dozen executive orders that upended daily life across the city and slammed the brakes on an economy that had been racing along on all cylinders. Some public health models predicted the spread of the virus would crush the ability of hospitals to deal with ill patients. Since Curry took action, hospitals have ample room to spare now. Curry has issued executive orders for Jacksonville sooner than DeSantis did on the state level. He also moved more quickly than neighboring counties to close beaches.

“Miami police investigating detainment of doctor who gives homeless virus tests, chief says” via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald — Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said the department would be investigating the detainment of a University of Miami doctor, who helps test the homeless for the novel coronavirus, outside his home on Friday. In a video posted on Miami police’s social media, Colina said the detainment of Dr. Armen Henderson for offloading his van outside his Flagami home would be looked into. “The City of Miami Police Department does not condone or accept profiling of any kind,” Colina said. “I’m making that statement because I’ve been made aware of a video that has been circulating of an encounter that occurred on Friday, April 10, in the Flagami neighborhood.”

To view the video, click on the image below:

“Trump asks about rent on his West Palm Beach golf club” via Christine Stapleton of the Palm Beach Post — Like other Palm Beach County businesses, the President’s golf club has been forced to close as the pandemic plays out. Like other businesses, Trump International is still required to pay its landlord, the county, rent payments. The Trump Organization has not asked the county to defer its rent payment on the golf course land. But the question of whether the pandemic could be considered an act of God is particularly crucial given that Trump, in his role as President, is ultimately in charge of calling for an economic shutdown and, conversely, would be the one to end the nationwide business closures.

“They dealt in illegal Keys rentals during coronavirus pandemic, police say. Now they face charges” via Gwen Filosa of the Miami Herald — Key West police issued citations to two more people they said were dealing in illegal vacation rentals, which were shut down by the county and the Governor as part of closing hotels to tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This will not be tolerated,” said City Manager Greg Veliz. “The directives we’ve enacted are difficult, but they’re absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of our community’s health.” Paige Bethel, 28, of Vacation Homes of Key West, was cited for booking a rental starting March 31 and then extending the rental.

— MORE LOCAL —

“I-4 work moving up during COVID-19 traffic lull” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Sections of the massive Interstate 4 “Ultimate” project in Central Florida will see accelerated work as the state takes advantage of a coronavirus-created reduction in traffic. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault said Saturday that work will be moved up a month or two on parts of the 21-mile project in Seminole and Orange counties. The $2.3 billion project is more than 250 days behind schedule. On April 1, the state announced about $2.1 billion in other road projects from Key West to the Panhandle were being moved up by weeks or months.

“Disney World furloughing 43,000 more workers due to virus” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press — Walt Disney World plans to stop paying wages to 43,000 workers in about a week while allowing them to keep their benefits for up to a year in what is the largest wave of furloughs since the theme park resort closed in mid-March because of the new coronavirus spread. Workers will be able to keep their medical, dental, and life insurance benefits for the length of the furlough period, or up to a year. Seniority and wage rates will remain unchanged for the workers whose furloughs start April 19.

“2 Central Florida coronavirus hot spots hitting Hispanics, service workers the hardest” via Lisa Maria Garza and Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Residents and some elected officials are worried the mostly Hispanic residents are more at risk because many people work in restaurants or other service industry jobs and aren’t able to stay home. There are also concerns that vital information put out by Orange officials isn’t being offered in Spanish, and there isn’t enough access to testing. About one-third of Orange County’s population identifies as Hispanic. Raul Pino, the local officer for the state health department, and Yolanda Martinez, Orange’s health services director, address some reporters’ questions in both Spanish and English at regular county briefings. But there isn’t a real-time translation of the entire briefings led by Orange Mayor Jerry Demings and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

“‘I hope you catch corona’: Man coughs on deputy during arrest, sheriff says” via Lisa Maria Garza of the Orlando Sentinel — Brent Smith is charged with threatening and assaulting a law enforcement officer after he coughed near a Volusia County deputy arresting him for a domestic violence charge. Smith is accused of threatening his mother Saturday evening with a butter knife and snatching the phone from her when she tried to call for help. During his arrest, Smith coughed, blew and spit at the arresting deputy and promised to bash his head with a hammer.” Body camera footage released by the Sheriff’s Office shows the deputy was wearing blue gloves but not a mask when he arrest.

“WWE employee tests positive for coronavirus after shows in Orlando; Company will resume live shows here Monday” via Jay Reddick of the Orlando Sentinel — A WWE employee tested positive for coronavirus in the days after the company recorded shows at the WWE Performance Center in east Orlando. The pro wrestling company confirmed the positive test, saying the unnamed employee and a roommate showed symptoms of the virus after having dinner with two health care workers on March 26. WWE didn’t say where the dinner took place, but it was the same day taping for WrestleMania wrapped at the Performance Center. It also didn’t reveal where the health care workers were employed.

“Pensacola hospitals’ testing efforts set model for the greater Panhandle” via the Pensacola News-Journal editorial board — Pensacola’s two not-for-profit hospitals rushed into action, quickly establishing a network of drive-thru testing sites in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that have proved to be crucial for diagnosing the overall regional imprint of the virus. Through initial delays and national shortages of test kits and supplies, coronavirus testing has not been perfect. But it has continually improved, and the growing body of data will be necessary to inhibit the spread of the virus and to plan how we begin to recover both medically and economically going forward. Together, Baptist and Sacred Heart have tested thousands of area residents and confirmed hundreds of cases locally.

“FSU offensive lineman Andrew Boselli announces coronavirus recovery” via Curt Weiler of the Tallahassee Democrat — Boselli announced that he was diagnosed with and has recovered from the coronavirus. “Since St. Patrick’s Day, when my dad first started to feel ill, the coronavirus has swept through my family — first to my dad, then to my mom, and then to my brother and me.” FSU announced Boselli contracted the virus after he went home to Jacksonville on March 13 and had no in-person contact with any other member of the team after contracting it. After his father was tested, Boselli let FSU’s head football athletic trainer Jake Pfeil know. From there, Pfeil and several others around the FSU football program became fixed points of contact as he and his family navigated the virus.

“Santa Rosa School Board won’t budge on impact fee start date during coronavirus pandemic” via Annie Blanks of the Pensacola News Journal — The Santa Rosa County School District board isn’t budging on its start date for the implementation of the educational facility impact fees, again putting it at opposition with Santa Rosa County Commissioners who want to delay the fees’ start date by three months due to the pandemic. The board unanimously opposed the idea of pushing back the beginning of the fee collection date, which is scheduled to start May 4. The Board of County Commissioners said at its March 26 meeting that it would ask the school board if it would be amenable to pushing the fee’s start date back until at least August to encourage homebuying in the county during the economic downturn. The school board maintained that home building was still occurring at a rapid rate in the county, and new schools are still needed and did not budge.

— CORONA ECONOMICS —

“IRS is launching a new online tool for people to track their $1,200 tax stimulus payments” via Michelle Singletary of The Washington Post — The IRS has extended more filing deadlines for individuals and businesses. The agency has also launched an online tool to help non-filers get their tax stimulus payment sooner. Another Web-based tool is scheduled to debut next week that will allow people to track how soon they’ll receive their stimulus money. There has been a lot of concern that many people who aren’t required to file a tax return will have to wait for their payments. By April 17, the agency plans to launch “Get My Payment,” which will provide people with a status of their payment. An additional feature on “Get My Payment” will allow taxpayers to provide their bank account information so they can receive their payment faster than a paper check.

“Small businesses are still awaiting emergency loans — and facing a dilemma about how to spend them” via Jeanne Whalen and Renae Merle via The Washington Post — Small-business owners are supposed to use the loans immediately to keep employees on their payrolls during the coronavirus crisis. Many businesses are struggling to maintain operations and not close as they await funds. The low-interest loans are meant to save businesses with fewer than 500 employees and prevent their workers from flooding unemployment offices. So far, the rollout has been rocky. Banks, tasked with disbursing the money, have been confused about the rules, which has delayed lending. Entrepreneurs are reporting troubles applying. And even some who make it through the application process say they’re facing dilemmas about how to use the money.

“Small business loan effort might be less generous than advertised” via Theodoric Meyer of POLITICO — The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is supposed to provide small businesses running out of cash due to the pandemic “with working capital loans of up to $2 million,” according to the Small Business Administration’s website. But small businesses don’t appear to be able to get anything close to $2 million. Those that apply “will likely be given maximum loans of $25,000-$35,000 (as opposed to the advertised $2 million cap for EIDLs),” Tom Sullivan, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president for small business policy, wrote in an internal email. The demand for loans has been so high that it has overwhelmed the agency.

— MORE CORONA —

“Ursula Von der Leyen: Life won’t return to normal until vaccine” via Jillian Deutsch of POLITICO — Life will only return to normal once a coronavirus vaccine becomes widely available, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Researchers are working “flat out” to find a vaccine, with two of “the most promising teams” located in Europe aiming to start trials “soon.” Von der Leyen had originally said a vaccine could be on the market by fall. After a vaccine is developed, it must be approved by regulators and produced on a mass scale.

“Puerto Rico extends coronavirus lockdown through May 3 but eases nighttime curfew” via Jim Wyss of the Miami Herald — Gov. Wanda Vázquez said she will be keeping nonessential businesses shut through at least May 3, even as she eased a nighttime curfew and carved out a few more exceptions. In a nationally televised address, Vázquez said the U.S. territory would have to be very careful with how it reopens business so that “all the sacrifices we’ve made so far aren’t lost.” The island was among the first U.S. jurisdictions to take dramatic social-distancing measures — shutting down most of the economy, closing beaches and banning public gathering on March 16. Those regulations were due to expire Monday.

“Caribbean nations can’t get U.S. masks, ventilators for COVID-19 under Trump policy” via Jacqueline Charles and Alex Harris of the Miami Herald — A spokesperson from U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the agency is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prevent distributors from diverting personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as face masks and gloves, overseas. Ventilators also are on the prohibited list. “To accomplish this, CBP will detain shipments of the PPE specified in the President’s Memorandum while FEMA determines whether to return the PPE for use within the United States; to purchase the PPE on behalf of the United States; or, allow it to be exported,” the statement read.

“Anguished nurses say Pennsylvania hospital risked infecting cancer patients, babies and staff with COVID — 19” via Desmond Butler of The Washington Post — Like many hospitals across the country, Moses Taylor wasn’t prepared for the influx of highly contagious patients in the absence of vast quantities of protective gear. But measures taken by CHS to cope with the crisis stand out. The shortage led administrators to initially order staff to work with suspected COVID-19 patients without adequate protection and to shuttle back and forth between floors where they feared they would infect cancer patients and babies, nurses say. Staff said that they were speaking up out of concern for what they see as a perilous situation and out of anger over the disorganization, carelessness and greed that they say flows from a distant corporate owner.

“For homeless in New Orleans, hotel living brings benefits and risks amid coronavirus outbreak” via Richard Webster of The Washington Post — Most shelters had stopped accepting new residents, leaving no obvious place to house the nearly 200 people living in tents underneath a nearby expressway. With few options left, city and state agencies proposed a solution that is now being emulated across the country: Move people from the homeless camp into a hotel. But the New Orleans project also has been the subject of criticism. A medical student who volunteered at the hotel, Alex Niculescu, published an email that he wrote to the city public health group that manages volunteer services there. He accused the staff of failing to take necessary precautions to prevent the virus’s spread, including inconsistent use of gloves, masks, sanitizer and social distancing.

“Apple and Google are working together to help track the coronavirus” via Rishi Iyengar of CNN Business — Apple and Google are partnering to help authorities track exposure to the coronavirus using Bluetooth technology. The two Silicon Valley giants will work on a platform to enable contact tracing, a measure that identifies people who have been exposed to the virus and with who they have been in contact. The companies will first release interfaces built on existing public health apps in May that can work on iOS or Android systems, followed by a more comprehensive platform in the coming months to which users will be able to opt-in. Authorities around the world have identified contact tracing as one of the critical solutions to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Privacy advocates and experts across the globe have flagged concerns with contact tracing technology, saying it could potentially be used as a surveillance tool once the pandemic is over.

“How SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Orbit and ULA are helping in the fight against coronavirus” via Rachael Joy of FLORIDA TODAY — Engineers responsible for making rockets and spacecraft are now putting their brainpower and high-tech manufacturing methods to help combat COVID-19. Blue Origin is using 25 of its 3D printers that normally make rocket parts to crank out hundreds of visors used for protective face shields. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has directed his other company, Tesla, to put their 3D printers to work, making ventilators out of Tesla car parts. Virgin says its team is working around the clock, seven days a week on prototyping and testing ventilators for hospitals. ULA CEO, Tory Bruno has fired up the 3D printers at his home ranch in Colorado to make face shields.

“With America at home, the streaming war is Hollywood’s ultimate test” via Joe Flynt, Benjamin Mullen and Lillian Rizzo of The Wall Street Journal — Many American industries have seen demand for their products collapse. At the same time, the U.S. economy retracts and the deadly virus rages across the country. The streaming video business has the opposite problem: It faces diminishing supply for a product that is — at least for now — in very high demand. Millions of Americans who are now at home are craving shared experiences and escapism or are seeking activities for restless children. For many households, more streaming video is the answer. “The reports that we get are jaw-dropping,” said Albert Cheng, chief operating officer and co-head of television at Amazon Studios. “Across the board, all the metrics are up significantly.”

— THE HUMAN TOLL —

“WHO special envoy says virus still ‘advancing,’ may stalk ‘the human race for quite a long time’” via Elise Viebeck of The Washington Post — Speaking on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” David Nabarro said the public health community is “still very much on high alert,” even as some countries see positive results from mitigation efforts. “We are not so sure it will come in waves in the way that influenza does. We think it’s going to be a virus that stalks the human race for quite a long time to come, until we can all have a vaccine that will protect us.” Nabarro predicted “small outbreaks that will emerge sporadically” and called for “every community” to develop a “defensive shield” to identify and isolate cases as they arise. “It’s going to be necessary for every single country to have that capacity,” he said.

“Trump’s developer friend Stanley Chera dies of coronavirus” via Darlene Superville of The Associated Press — Chera’s death Saturday was reported by The Real Deal, which covers the New York real estate industry. The publication cited unidentified sources who have worked with Crown Acquisitions, the firm Chera founded and ran. Chera was in his late 70s. A White House official on Sunday confirmed Chera’s identity and ties to the President. Trump had spoken at recent White House briefings about a friend who had fallen ill with the virus, which has killed more than 20,600 Americans as of midday Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Trump first spoke about his friend on March 29 as he described the “viciousness” of the disease.

“Married nearly 60 years, Boynton couple dies two days apart” via Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post — Vincent and Edna Daddario were inseparable, bonded by love, Italian heritage and Catholic faith, a closeness underscored by their birthdays, two days apart, even though Vincent was three years older. Vinny probably got it first. A day later, Edna came down with symptoms. They spent their final days together at Bethesda Hospital West, at first in side-by-side rooms until Edna was transferred to intensive care. Vincent died March 28, a week shy of his 88th birthday. Edna passed away two days later, about a week shy of her 85th.

“Windermere widow of coronavirus casualty: ‘I believe he’s another angel’” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Barbara Greene’s greatest fear as her husband Jules lay dying in the grip of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was that she would never see him alive again. She couldn’t visit her husband of 51 years after he was diagnosed March 24 and admitted to intensive care at Health Central Hospital in Ocoee. Then April 1, the day before he died, the hospital allowed her 15 minutes at his bedside. The 81-year-old man was in a coma on a ventilator. “I love you,” Barbara told Jules. “We all love you. Everybody’s praying for you.” She told him how happy she was that God had put him in her life and how beautiful their life together had been. “I needed that moment,” Barbara said.

— ONE GOOD THING —

Tim Miranda usually spends about $100 per week communing from his home in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, to his job as a software company manager in Cambridge.

While coronavirus has forced Miranda to work from home, he found himself with more money — not less — because of the pandemic.

According to The Associated Press, Miranda’s using that money to help those less fortunate, spending the money that would have gone to gas and lunch to a pair of local charities: a program providing weekend meals to children dependent on weekday school lunches for nutrition, and a group working to end gun violence among troubled youths.

This pattern of generous giving by socially conscious commuters is being replicated nationwide and overseas, as more people find themselves not having to drive into work, and with extra money to give to worthy causes.

The trend has powered a social media hashtag: #DonateYourCommute.

“The community is rallying around us. People are really supportive to make sure we have what we need,” Andrea Connelly told the AP. Connelly helps coordinate End 68 Hours of Hunger in Dracut, Massachusetts — one of the charities in which Miranda spends his gas money.

Others are using the money to help support businesses affected by the lockdown.

Jonathan Levitt, a sales manager for Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Segterra’s InsideTracker personalized health analytics platform, is using his commuter savings — including airfare that would have gone for personal trips — to local businesses that are struggling to survive the shutdown.

“Those of us who have the privilege to be able to do it should,” the 29-year-old Levitt says. “It’s sort of like ‘pay it forward’ — literally.”

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Melania Trump is having a moment during coronavirus pandemic” via Darlene Superville of The Associated Press — After catching some criticism for not mentioning the coronavirus in a March speech to a parent-teacher group, the first lady has increased her engagement on the issue, mostly through social media since she is staying home like most Americans. She posted a photo of herself wearing a white face mask, which Donald Trump has said he will not do. It was her way of reinforcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that everyone cover their nose and mouth in public. The first lady is also using her social media accounts to provide a steady stream of guidance and tips for coping under stay-at-home orders, including reposting CDC guidance about frequent hand-washing, keeping a social distance from others, and other suggestions for avoiding infection.

“‘Let’s hope to heck that it works’: Pandemic pressure mounts on Congress” via Burgess Everett of POLITICO — As Trump’s impeachment trial closed two months ago, 2020 was shaping up to be perhaps the lamest year in Congress in decades. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic will define the 116th Congress even more than earthshaking events that just months ago seemed to embody the wild days of government under Trump. Leaders in both chambers expected a breather heading into the fall, the usual preelection slowdown. The crisis has utterly consumed Congress, changing basically everything about the way the institution works and its priorities. Normally, members of Congress would be focusing on their election efforts as November approaches.

“White House rejects bailout for U.S. Postal Service battered by coronavirus” via Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post — The Postal Service’s decades-long financial troubles have worsened dramatically, as the volume of the kind of mail that pays the agency’s bills, first-class and marketing mail, has withered during the pandemic. The USPS needs an infusion of money, and Trump has blocked potential emergency funding for the agency that employs around 600,000 workers. Trump threatened to veto the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or Cares Act, if the legislation contained any money directed to bail out the postal agency. Lawmakers originally agreed to a $13 billion direct grant the Postal Service would not have to repay. That effort was blocked by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who warned such a move could blow up the relief bill.

“Rick Scott urges Treasury department to use CARES Act funds to fight coronavirus, not backfill state budgets” via Florida Daily staff reports — Scott sent a letter to Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin, requesting he make sure state and local governments use taxpayer dollars from the Coronavirus Relief Fund in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act for spending directly related to their coronavirus response and not to use funds to backfill lost revenue or plug holes in poorly designed state budgets. “I am already hearing reports that some states and localities would like to use these dollars as a piggy bank for unrelated expenses or that they may attempt to double-dip by requesting funds for the same expense from multiple federal sources.”

“Stephanie Murphy asks for federal probe of Florida’s unemployment system” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — Murphy wants the federal agency overseeing jobless benefits to audit Florida’s unemployment system, which has been unable to keep up with the exploding demand after hundreds of thousands of people lost jobs as society moved to slow the spread of the coronavirus. She wants the audit, which she said should date back to 2010, to “identify the specific reasons for the program’s deficiencies and to help the state swiftly develop a corrective action plan.” Hundreds of thousands of Floridians have faced delays in filing and receiving unemployment benefits after much of the economy ground to a halt in mid-March. Although the system is financed through taxes on employers, the federal government has given funds to states for administrative costs and has given the states.

“Ted Deutch praises move to begin releasing CARES Act college student relief money” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Deutch is praising the release of money to help students weather the effects of the novel coronavirus outbreak. But he’s pressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for a plan to ensure those dollars get into students’ hands quickly. The recently-approved CARES Act set aside roughly $14 billion for universities, about half must go to students in the form of emergency financial aid grants. College-aged students who can be claimed as a dependent are not eligible for the $1,200 per person payout established under the CARES Act. The money that has been set aside could take up to a year to get to students in need.

Happening today — Congressman Charlie Crist and Nishant Anand, executive vice president and chief medical officer of BayCare Health System, will hold a virtual town hall meeting featuring updates on coronavirus, 6:30 p.m. Access at crist.house.gov/live.

“Tourism lobbyists want taxpayer help for advertising agencies” via Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel — Tourism industry lobbyists are pressing Congress and the Trump administration to extend emergency aid meant for small businesses to taxpayer-subsidized advertising agencies such as Visit Orlando and Visit Florida. Industry lobbyists initially expected tourism bureaus to be eligible for the new Small Business Administration program in which businesses can get loans. The final version of the legislation ended up excluding them without any explanation. Publicly subsidized tourism bureaus have been somewhat insulated so far because there is a time lag in tax collections. But that’s about to change.

Spotted — Ballard Partners’ Justin Sayfie in a Bloomberg Government article about Trump-connected lobbyists signing coronavirus-related clients during the pandemic. “For many, Washington is a maze to them. They have an issue, but they don’t know where to go,” Sayfie says. He serves on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, a position he also held during the George W. Bush administration. “That’s definitely something we help clients with because we have an understanding of who the decision-makers are in Congress and who the decision-makers are in the vastness of the executive branch.”

— STATEWIDE —

“HUD approves DeSantis’ $633 million disaster mitigation plan” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the state of Florida’s plan to secure more than $633 million from the federal government for disaster mitigation projects. DeSantis announced in October the state was pursuing funds included in the HUD’s Community Development Block Grant — Mitigation program to help with recent hurricane disasters. DeSantis said, “Florida has an incredible opportunity to leverage this first-of-its-kind federal mitigation funding to help our communities reduce the impacts and damage from future disasters.” DEO announced HUD approved the plan, and the funds will be dispersed through Rebuild Florida.

“Ben Diamond urges Gov., Cabinet to address state agency oversight” via Florida Politics staff reports — Diamond sent a letter to DeSantis urging him to call a Cabinet meeting to address oversight for state agencies and funds. The Cabinet has not met in more than two months. “As you know, Florida’s Constitution provides for divided executive authority in our state government through our Cabinet system.” Diamond also said the four statewide elected leaders should discuss efforts to ensure law enforcement has personal protective equipment; verify that the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs is providing any available assistance to veterans suffering from the virus, among other issues.

“Elected officials flooded with calls from struggling constituents” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Couples stranded at sea on cruise ships. A crush of people unable to navigate Florida’s unemployment benefit system. Small business owners struggling to get federal relief funding. Americans stuck in foreign countries. Rep. Vern Buchanan has served in Congress for 14 years, but he’s never witnessed anything like what’s happening right now. Describing the flood of desperate phone calls coming into his office, Buchanan seems stunned by the numbers coming out of his mouth. The congressman repeatedly feels compelled to say that he is not exaggerating, as if the amount of people in need is hard to believe.

Happening today — Miami Democratic Rep. Nicholas Duran joins Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell to provide updates on COVID-19 in an online event hosted by the LGBTQ-advocacy group SAVE, 1 p.m. Registration at zoom.us/webinar.

Happening today — U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson will hold a telephone hearing in a lawsuit that would overturn a Walton County ordinance closing beaches because of the novel coronavirus, 10:30 a.m. Call-in information can be found on the court docket.

— 2020 —

Ad watch — “Biden stands up for China” from the Trump campaign:

“High-dollar video chats and online ads. How Joe Biden and Trump raise money in a pandemic” via Alex Daugherty and David Smiley of the Miami Herald — The coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures have changed the playbook for political campaigns. In-person events are on hold, as are field operations designed to engage supporters and sway on-the-fence voters. Instead of a reception for donors to hear from the presumptive Democratic nominee in-person, donors who pay at least $1,000 will get access to a virtual fundraiser where Biden will address his plan for COVID-19. Trump has been raising money and has essentially continued to campaign since he won the 2016 election. The Trump campaign has plenty of resources to weather a slowdown in donations as many Americans worry about their jobs and income.

“Trump’s socially distanced campaign” via Olivia Nuzzi of New York magazine — Unable to deny the rising death toll and envious of the spotlight fixed on Mike Pence, who Trump appointed the leader of the coronavirus task force, Trump’s now devoting rally-length stretches of his days to televised appearances in the White House briefing room. He attacks the media in general and specific reporters who ask questions he dislikes. He told one “third-rate” reporter he’d “never make it.” He’s suggested that questions begin with compliments about his leadership. Trump used a question about the safety of in-person voting to claim, falsely, that “thousands and thousands of people” commit fraud with mail-in ballots. All the while, the medical experts look on, waiting for their next chance to get a word in.

“Democrats look at the presidential contest with a new sentiment: Optimism” via Michael Sherer, Sean Sullivan and David Weigel of The Washington Post — In the past month, amid the worst public health crisis in a century, the party has coalesced around a single candidate far earlier than most expected, and set aside many of the divisions that hobbled Hillary Clinton in 2016. While party leaders still expect a close election, given Trump’s strengths as a candidate, his deep base in core swing states, his significant bankroll and much larger campaign organization, they argue that the dramatic shifts of the last month clearly have placed their party in a stronger position for November.

“Biden outlines plan to reopen country in New York Times Op-Ed” via Taylor Telford of The Washington Post — “The plan has to start with responding effectively to the immediate medical crisis and ultimately lead to the widespread availability and administration of a vaccine,” wrote Biden, who is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. “But we can’t stay home and just wait for the vaccine to arrive.” The first priority should be to continue social distancing until new cases decline significantly, Biden wrote. He called on Trump to use “the full powers” of the Defense Production Act to fight the disease with all tools at the government’s disposal and slammed the administration’s failure to adopt widespread and easily accessible testing and contact tracing.

“Leftward ho! Biden pivots to progressives” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO — Biden announced a pair of proposals aimed at assuaging wary progressives: lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 years old, and forgiving all student debt for low and middle-income people who attended public colleges and universities, as well as those who attended private Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other institutions that serve minority students. Biden’s decision not to move to the center was both a tacit admission that he has a problem with young and progressive voters, as well as a gamble that he can remain the real centrist in the race against Trump.

“Poll finds Americans support mail-in voting for November” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — A survey finds a solid majority of Americans strongly support the idea of universal mail-in voting being allowed for the November election, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The survey, taken in March, finds even a solid majority of Republicans supported the idea, though the survey was taken before President Donald Trump harshly attacked universal mail-in voting last week, including with tweets that declared it to be “horrible” and “corrupt.” The Brennan Center at New York University Law School is a non-partisan institute, named for former Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan. The liberal-leaning center also released an analysis it contends refutes claims by Trump and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel that mail-in voting can lead to widespread vote fraud. “Trump’s claims are wrong, and if used to prevent states from taking the steps needed to ensure public safety during November’s election, they will be deadly wrong,” the Brennan Center contended in its report released Friday. “Mail ballot fraud is incredibly rare, and legitimate security concerns can be easily addressed.”

— MORE FROM THE TRAIL —

“While focused on coronavirus response, Vern Buchanan’s campaign still manages to raise $439K in first quarter” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Buchanan in March wrestled with the State Department to bring constituents off cruise ships and home from overseas. He also wrapped up 2020’s first fundraising quarter. The Sarasota Republican raised $439,000 in coffers since the start of 2020, the campaign told Florida Politics. That brings him to $2.36 million to use in his reelection bid this year. Buchanan remains in one of the most closely watched Congressional races in Florida, where he faces state Rep. Margaret Good.

“Brian Mast crosses $3M raised for 2020 cycle” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Mast added more than $730,000 during the first quarter of 2020, maintaining a strong fundraising pace despite the effects of the novel coronavirus in the state. That first quarter haul is about in line with previous fundraising benchmarks for Mast. He netted more than $764,000 to close 2019. The Republican incumbent is facing a primary challenge from former police officer Nick Vessio. Vessio has not been able to build up a comparable bankroll to Mast’s. Vessio loaned his campaign about $46,000 in the fourth quarter of 2019 on top of a few hundred dollars in outside donations.

“Ray Rodrigues puts his mega-fundraising operation on pause” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rodrigues feels certain he won’t win a seat in the Florida Senate without a fight. These days he’s more concerned with the coronavirus’ impact on his community. The sitting state Representative has turned his attention from the campaign toward helping his House constituents. As far as the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned, he’s grown somewhat optimistic. “I think because people have taken it seriously and stayed home, the rate of growth has been less than what was originally projected,” he said. Rodrigues raised just $250 in March from a single donor. That leaves his campaign with a not-shabby $408,166 at a time when nobody can hold meet-and-greets.

“Fundraising slows amid coronavirus restrictions in HD 60 race, Jackie Toledo still out on top” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Candidates in House District 60 posted slowed fundraising numbers in March. That slowdown is an indication of effects the novel coronavirus on traditional campaigning not only in Florida but nationwide. Candidates are backing off fundraising efforts and are unable to host fundraisers amid social distancing guidelines enforced through a statewide stay-at-home order. Nevertheless, Rep. Toledo, the Republican incumbent in the Tampa district, raised more than $10,000 in March, bringing her total contributions to more than $239,000. Toledo’s Democratic opponent, Julie Jenkins, also showed a significant slowdown in fundraising activity with just $6,368 raised in March, down from more than $15,000 in February.

“No more handshakes in HD 72, where home-school and baby time take candidates’ priorities” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Sarasota Republican Fiona McFarland didn’t comprehend what it would be like delivering a child at the dawn of a pandemic. “Having my first baby is exciting and scary and unknown,” she said. “But with the backdrop of a public health crisis added to it?” It was a lot. “Traditional door-knocking is unsafe. Fundraising is tone-deaf with the businesses that are struggling and shutting down. Honestly, this seems like a perfect time to step back and focus on my new baby and being a mom. I don’t need to add any noise to the conversation.” It’s not like any campaign has been extraordinarily active in Florida House District 72.

“State House candidates find themselves campaigning from quarantine” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Both Republicans running to succeed Dane Eagle in the state House have spent parts of the last month locked away from the world. Mike Giallombardo, a member of the National Guard, has spent much of the year on active duty, assigned to testing sites in South Florida. He was part of the team that set up drive-through testing sites in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Bryan Blackwell, also a candidate in House District 77, withered a lower profile ordeal. He started having flu-like symptoms a couple of weeks ago and contacted the Veterans Affairs Hospital. Physicians there ultimately decided he wasn’t showing severe enough symptoms to burn a test, but he was ordered into isolation in his own home.

“Anika Omphroy draws challenger for Broward House seat” via the News Service of Florida — Lauderdale Lakes Democrat Omphroy has drawn a Democratic challenger as she seeks a second term. Lauderhill Democrat Jasmen Rogers-Shaw opened a campaign account this week to try to replace Omphroy in Broward County’s House District 95, according to the state Division of Elections website. Omphroy was elected to the seat without opposition in 2018. No other candidates have opened accounts for the race.

— TOP OPINION —

“The pandemic will cleave America in two” via Joe Pinsker of The Atlantic — There will be stark disparities in how specific segments of the American population experience this crisis. Some disparities will be the result of luck or coincidence. But in a country that was highly unequal in so many ways well before it had a confirmed case of COVID-19, other disparities will be sadly predictable, falling along racial and class lines, as well as other fateful divides. There will really be two pandemics in America. One will be disruptive and frightening to its victims. The other, though, will devastate those who survive it, leaving lasting scars and altering life courses.

— OPINIONS —

“We’re looking like ‘Flori-duh’ again, Gov. DeSantis. Any idea how that happened?” via the Miami Herald editorial board — We urge DeSantis to issue a stay-at-home order for himself: Instead of sapping resources to fly around the state to announce this and that, remain in Tallahassee and return his attention to the state of the state and what that will look like when the crisis has passed. And it might pass more quickly if he simply listens to the health experts, follows the lead of other Governors who acted more decisively and earlier on behalf of their constituents and does his very best to do no further harm. For instance: “It’s imperative that officials rethink the state budget. Jimmy Patronis has sounded the alarm since the Legislative Session ended last month. And he’s right to do so.”

“COVID-19 projection models are proving to be unreliable” via Andrew C. McCarthy of National Review — In the space of just six days starting April 2, two revisions have utterly discredited the model produced by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. There is no shortage of government spin, regurgitated by media commentators, assuring us that the drastic reductions in the projections over just a few days powerfully illustrate how well social distancing and the substantial shuttering of the economy are working. The model on which the government is relying is simply unreliable because the equation’s fundamental assumptions are so dead wrong; they cannot remain reasonably stable for just 72 hours.

“Public has right to see crucial daily coronavirus reports” via Pensacola News Journal editorial board — The Escambia County administration and state officials are withholding crucial public information from citizens in a moment of crisis. This destroys the public trust in government and threatens the health and well-being of families in this county at a moment when they need local health information the most. County officials are restricting the public’s access to daily reports that have been distributed to county commissioners and public officials. The reports include information from state health officials as well as updated data on important information such as bed occupancy and the number of ventilators in use in local hospitals. They also included information about the numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in area nursing homes.

“DMS is committed to serving Floridians and state workers” via Jonathan Satter of the Tallahassee Democrat — DMS remains committed to providing state employees flexibility to care for themselves and their families during these unprecedented times. We must continue working together to serve Floridians and do all we can to support the robust COVID-19 response effort. As the secretary of DMS, I am charged to administer the State Personnel System, which provides guidance to 31 state agencies that support 96,000 employees. I want first to say thank you to the thousands of state employees who are working around the clock, whether that be from a hospital, the State Emergency Operations Center, or from their own homes to serve Floridians during this public health emergency. We continue to do everything we can to serve those who serve Florida.

— TODAY’S SUNRISE —

Sunrise says goodbye to Rep. Jacobs of Coconut Creek, who died after a three-year battle with colon cancer. She has been universally praised as a force for good in Broward County politics. We feature a conversation with the lawmaker from a month ago, where she talks about life, the universe, and everything — including her hope for the future, despite the political divisions that are ripping our country apart.

 Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Casualties continue to climb in Florida’s fight against coronavirus.

— Gov. DeSantis says we’re testing more people than ever. Nevertheless, it’s still less than 1% of the state population, making it hard to get an accurate idea of just how bad the problem is. DeSantis hopes to hit the 1% mark this week.

— Florida nursing homes and adult living facilities are asking the Governor to issue an executive order giving them immunity from lawsuits for any deaths occurring during the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis has already refused to release the names of homes that have COVID-19 cases. And when the Miami Herald threatened to sue under the public records law, the Governor’s lawyer pushed back, forcing the Herald’s law firm to back off.

— DeSantis has extended his executive order prohibiting short-term vacation rentals until the end of the month. He’s trying to keep people from fleeing to Florida to escape local stay at home orders.

— Checking in with a Florida Man who really seems to hate Italians.

To listen, click on the image below:

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s gonna be THIS kind of Easter this year!

A post shared by K-EARTH 101 (@kearth101) on Apr 11, 2020 at 9:44am PDT

— ALOE —

“Bob Iger thought he was leaving on top. Now, he’s fighting for Disney’s life.” via Ben Smith of the New York Times — The Walt Disney Company turned franchises like Marvel and “Star Wars” into the biggest media business in the world, and last fall was putting the finishing touches on the image of a storied character: its chief executive, Bob Iger. It all went so well Iger decided it was time to do something he had postponed since 2013: retire as CEO. People close to Iger and the company said the real question wasn’t whether he saw crisis coming — but whether his focus on burnishing his own legacy and assuring a smooth succession left him distracted as a threats grew.

“With baseball paused, the Nationals and José Andrés’s World Central kitchen hustle to feed the needy” via Tim Carman and Scott Allen of The Washington Post — Nationals Park has been converted into a food production and distribution facility to feed the needy. The baseball team and its philanthropic arm, Nationals Philanthropies, have partnered with World Central Kitchen to prepare thousands of meals a day, which are being distributed to seniors and hard-hit families, residents of public housing in the Navy Yard and Southwest Waterfront communities, and people who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Fort Dupont. The powerhouse in this partnership is WCK, the organization founded by humanitarian chef José Andrés, which is serving 100,000 meals a day as millions of Americans find themselves out of work, and their children out of school, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Apple plans iPad-like design for next iPhone, smaller HomePod” via Mark Gurman and Betty Wu of Bloomberg — Apple is preparing a redesign of its top-tier iPhones, borrowing cues from the latest iPads, as part of a major fall refresh that will see 5G added to as many as four handset models and the release of two key accessories, according to people familiar with the plans. This year’s successors to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be joined by two lower-end models to replace the iPhone 11. At least the two high-end devices will have flat stainless steel edges instead of the current curved design.

“’Friends’ reunion special will not be available at HBO Max launch” via Joe Otterson of Variety — The continued production shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic means that WarnerMedia has been unable to film the show’s highly-anticipated unscripted reunion special. As such, the special will not be available at the launch of the streamer as planned. While some shows have taken to filming remotely using video technology like Zoom, sources say this was not considered for the “Friends” special as it is meant to film on the show’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank. However, all 10 seasons of the beloved series will still be available to stream when the service debuts next month.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Happy birthday to CFO Jimmy Patronis, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, Rep. Sam Killebrew, Chris Chaney of The Advocacy Group, and political consultant Todd Pressman.

___

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.