Peter Schorsch
There are no women who are not elected officials on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee.
— EXECUTIVE SUMMARY —
— The confirmed COVID-19 toll in Europe has passed one million infections and 100,000 deaths.
— To date, more than 35,000 Americans have died because of the coronavirus.
— The outbreak in Turkey has surpassed China’s, with more than 90,000 confirmed cases and at least 2,140 deaths. And it’s likely to be even more significant than the official statistics say. Read more here.
— Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee said they would start letting individual businesses reopen.
— At a prison in Marion, Ohio, at least 1,828 inmates — almost three-quarters of its population — and 103 employees have tested positive, making it the largest reported cluster in the U.S. Read more here.
— The price of oil fell into negative territory. Read more here.
— Boeing said it would put about 27,000 people back to work this week building passenger jets at its Seattle-area plants, with virus-slowing precautions in place, including face masks and staggered shifts. Read more here.
— TOP STORIES —
“Governor’s task force to reopen Florida will make recommendations this week” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — The first meeting of the Re-Open Florida Task Force did not include discussion about the health risks of returning people to work and the extensive testing requirements needed before returning people to normal life. The 90-minute meeting of the group led by DeSantis and the Florida Chamber of Commerce focused on statistics about the state economy and business leaders thanking DeSantis for his “thoughtful,” “decisive” and “proactive” leadership. Task force members, who were not announced until the end of Monday’s teleconferenced meeting, include the state’s top elected Republicans and representatives from some of the state’s largest corporations and trade groups. They have a short deadline. They will meet every day this week and produce recommendations to DeSantis by Friday.
Assignment editors — The Re-Open Florida Task Force will hold a meeting via conference call, 10 a.m., meeting agendas and call-in information will be provided online at www.flgov.com/COVID-19 before the meeting. Audio will be streamed online at thefloridachannel.org. DeSantis and members of the task force will hold another meeting at 2 p.m., the audio will also be streamed online at thefloridachannel.org.
“In latest videos, Marco Rubio defends small business relief program” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — One in a series of three short videos he released on Twitter, Rubio conceded that “unfortunately, there probably is a couple of companies that qualified for this” that were not “ideal targets for the small business relief.” But, he said, the Paycheck Protection Program in the recently-enacted $2.2 trillion CARES Act was thrown together, approved and administered very quickly to address an emergency. Unintended things are bound to happen, said Rubio, who, as chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, led development and approval of the PPP provisions.
“Donald Trump says he’ll ‘suspend immigration,’ offers no details” via the Associated Press — President Trump said Monday that he will sign an executive order “to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States” because of the coronavirus. “In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Trump tweeted. He offered no details as to what immigration programs might be affected by the order.
“Trump money machine overcomes coronavirus in March” via Alex Isenstadt of POLITICO — The Republican National Committee raised a record $24 million last month, an early indication that Trump’s fundraising machine could be able to withstand the economic collapse brought on by the coronavirus. The RNC’s total represented its best March fundraising performance in history. Whether the RNC will be able to sustain its fundraising performance over the coming months is an open question. With jobless numbers on the rise, some party officials expect to see a drop-off. The new figures illustrate the potency of Trump’s small-dollar machine. The president has monetized the enthusiasm of his base, turning it into a cash spigot that has funded a sprawling political apparatus.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RealDonaldTrump: In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!
—@RealDonaldTrump: Congratulations to all of my many friends at The Villages in Florida on having done so well, and with such great spirit, during these rather unusual times. So proud of everyone! Mark Morse & Gary Lester have really stepped up to the plate. Hope to see everyone soon.
—@CarrieCordero: I am trying to get my head around the fact that over 40,000 Americans have died from this virus in mere weeks. The global spread may not have been completely preventable, but the savaging of American life, cabining of society & economic free fall is a massive leadership failure.
—@RonTimes: So a barrel of crude oil (42 gallons) now costs less than a gallon of gasoline. What a crazy time!
—@AOC: This snapshot is being acknowledged as a turning point in the climate movement. Fossil fuels are in long-term structural decline. This along w/low-interest rates means it‘s the right time to create millions of jobs transitioning to renewable and clean energy. A key opportunity.
—@MarcACaputo: While bashing the “expert class” and “the media” that reported what they said, DeSantis did what they recommended: call for a statewide stay-at-home order. That reduced coronavirus transmission and kept hospitals from overfilling. Changing behavior changes outcomes
—@MDixon55: Just a weird transparency strategy. Nursing home numbers and unemployment figures now available after a long fight (good), but now the task force created to reopen the state is meeting without announcing members (bad) DeSantis said he wanted recs by end of the week
—@GrayRohrer: From the first 40 minutes of this task force call, apparently the plan is to base Florida’s entire economy on brown-nosing
—@NickensFL: It seems odd that both [Rick] @Kriseman and @JaneCastor both just said they still have not had a direct conversation with @GovRonDeSantis about #coronavirus after all this time. How could that be?
Tweet, tweet:
It's always good to see our St. Augustine Lions taking their health seriously 🦁(Photo credit to Professor Andrea McCook) pic.twitter.com/cJnIiV7zod
— Flagler College (@FlaglerCollege) April 20, 2020
— DAYS UNTIL —
NFL Draft — 2; New estimated peak for COVID-19 in Florida — 12; Pulitzer Prizes announced — 13; The next supermoon — 16; Gov. DeSantis’ executive order closing bars and restaurants expires — 17; Mother’s Day — 19; TNT’s adaptation of “Snowpiercer” premieres — 26; NASCAR season resumes — 33; English Premier League soccer to restart — 48; PGA Tour resumes — 51; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 52; Federal taxes due — 85; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 87; “Mulan” premieres — 94; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 118; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 122; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 125; “A Quiet Place Part II” premieres — 136; Rescheduled running of the Kentucky Derby — 137; Rescheduled date for French Open — 152; First presidential debate in Indiana — 161; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 169; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 177; Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premieres — 178; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 184; 2020 General Election — 196; “Black Widow” premieres — 199; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 210; “No Time to Die” premieres — 218; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 246; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 458; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 465; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 563; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 668.
— CORONA NATION —
“Tracking the virus may require 300,000 workers. We’re nowhere close.” via POLITICO — The country only has a fraction of workers needed to trace the coronavirus, as health departments are scraping together a rag tag army of graduate students, workers from a city attorney’s office and even librarians. Before the pandemic, state and local health departments had fewer than 2,000 workers carrying out contact tracing — the detailed investigatory work to track and stop outbreaks of everything from syphilis to measles. The real number needed could be somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 — an astronomical figure that seems near impossible to reach without a massive national program to build a highly trained public health workforce. Here’s how contact tracing works: Using test results and in some cases, just hours of training, the newly drafted workers must interview infected people, identify those with whom they’ve come into contact and convince those people to self-quarantine. The recruits will be tracking a stealthy disease many times more virulent than the flu that can be transmitted before people show symptoms. And one missed case can lead to a new hot spot and stamp out weeks of benefits from social distancing. “Learning contact tracing is not easy,” said Tom Frieden, the former CDC director and New York City health commissioner. “Training is very important. Listening to someone, understanding their concerns, helping them remember.” The National Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations estimates that the country may need to hire as many as 100,000 such “disease intervention specialists” at a cost of $3.6 billion. Frieden thinks the number could be as high as 300,000.
“Brett Giroir, Trump’s testing czar, was forced out of a job developing vaccine projects. Now he’s on the hot seat.” via Michael Kranish of The Washington Post — Giroir, the federal official overseeing coronavirus testing efforts, says that his experience working on vaccine development projects at Texas A&M University helped prepare him for this historic moment. He once said that his vaccine effort was so vital that “the fate of 50 million people will rely on us getting this done.” But after eight years of work on several vaccine projects, Giroir was told in 2015 he had 30 minutes to resign, or he would be fired. His years as director of the Texas vaccine project illustrate his operating style, which includes sweeping statements about the impact of his work, not all of which turned out as some had hoped.
“Trump’s attempt to frame the WHO only shows his failure to act” via Dana Milbank of The Washington Post — It’s certainly fair to criticize the WHO for its effusive public praise of China’s response to the outbreak, or to argue that the WHO should have supported travel restrictions or declared a pandemic sooner. And it’s obvious that the information China shared with the world was woefully inadequate. But the large volume of contacts, meetings and collaboration between U.S. officials and WHO officials make an absurdity of Trump’s accusation that the WHO was “covering up the spread of coronavirus” or failing to “share information in a timely and transparent fashion.” Trump had previously praised China’s transparency himself during the outbreak, and in March, he criticized the WHO for overstating the fatality rate of the virus.
“Will Americans wear masks to prevent coronavirus spread? Politics, history, race and crime factor into tough decision” via Marc Fisher, Clarence Williams and Lori Rozsa of The Washington Post — Even as governors, mayors and the federal government urge or require Americans to wear masks in stores, transit systems and other public spaces to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the nation is divided about whether to comply. And it is divided into painfully familiar ways by politics and by attitudes about government power and individual choice. Almost overnight, masks have become common in some places, even as they are still rare in others. Masks have powerful emotional meaning that makes many people reluctant to use them, even to defend against a deadly virus.
“Americans at World Health Organization transmitted real-time information about coronavirus to Trump administration” via Karen DeYoung, Lena H. Sun and Emily Rauhala of The Washington Post — More than a dozen U.S. researchers, physicians, and public health experts, many of them from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were working full time at the Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization as the novel coronavirus emerged late last year and transmitted real-time information about its discovery and spread in China to the Trump administration. Several CDC staff members are regularly detailed to work at the WHO in Geneva as part of a rotation that has operated for years.
“This is the problem with calling it a ‘war’ against coronavirus” via Jessica Blankshain and Danielle Lupton of The Washington Post — During a news conference on the U.S. coronavirus response, Trump said he viewed himself as “a wartime president.” It’s not the first time a U.S. administration has declared war on a thing, rather than a country. President Lyndon Johnson introduced the War on Poverty in 1964. Labeling something as “war” provides those in power more leeway in their policy actions. The rhetoric of war might be useful in mobilizing necessary resources, but this language can become problematic, especially when the situation has no clear end in sight.
“GOP chair defends Trump’s support for protesters,′ relaxing social distancing” via Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post — Despite two, all-capitalized tweets in support of protesters’ efforts to end strict social distancing restrictions imposed by Democratic governors, Trump does not and has not encouraged people to disobey those orders, said Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. “I do not think at any point that the president has condoned people disobeying the social distancing guidelines or putting the health and safety of fellow citizens at risk,” McDaniel said in a tele-press conference on Monday. “What he has done, though, is he said understands that frustration that a lot of Americans feel … especially when Democrats are refusing to extend [the Paycheck Protection Program].”
“America’s biggest cities were already losing their allure. What happens next?” via Sabrina Tavernise and Sarah Mervosh of The New York Times — The pandemic has been particularly devastating to America’s biggest cities, as the virus has found fertile ground in the density that is otherwise prized. In all, growth in the country’s major metropolitan areas fell by nearly half over the past decade. The future of life in America’s biggest, most dense cities is unclear. Mayors are already warning of precipitous drops in tax revenue from joblessness. Public spaces like parks and buses, the central arteries of urban life, have become danger zones.
“Puerto Rico coronavirus chaos catches Washington’s attention” via Jim Wyss of the Miami Herald — The chaos, cabinet changes and questionable contracts that have plagued Puerto Rico’s response to the coronavirus have caught Washington’s attention. On Monday, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Chuck Grassley, sent Gov. Wanda Vázquez a five-page letter and a laundry list of questions. Among the answers that Grassley’s powerful committee is seeking is why Health Secretary Concepcion Quiñonez de Longo and the island’s chief epidemiologist, Carmen Deseda, resigned last month. Also, the committee wants information about $40 million worth of contracts to buy coronavirus test kits. But the committee’s concerns go beyond just the current crisis. In the letter, Grassley is asking Vázquez to turn over investigations into “possible malfeasance by the government” that cover the last four years.
“Mid-April in America is an unforgiving time, and now this” via Ted Anthony of The Associated Press — For a generation, mid-April has delivered some of American life’s most cataclysmic moments, a week when young men have shot up schools, terrorists have blown up fellow humans, members of a religious sect have burned to death in their compound and environmental calamity has sullied the ocean. As anniversaries of shootings, explosions and bombings unfolded over the past week, the stress of both the coronavirus and anti-coronavirus measures have changed how the events are remembered.
“Neighbors not practicing social distancing? Here’s what to do” via Jen A. Miller of The New York Times — The C.D.C. has issued guidelines for the public to wear masks when outside one’s home and to practice social distancing, remaining at least six feet away from those outside your household. These guidelines are not laws. If someone is putting you at risk, such as by ignoring six-foot markers while waiting in line to pay at a grocery store, speak up. This may offend the other person, she said, but they are putting your health at risk, and you have every right to speak up for yourself. You can also make changes if you feel an environment is not safe for you.
— WE NEED TO ‘BUILD’ —
Tech pioneer Marc Andreessen makes a persuasive argument that Western institutions’ failure to prepare for the coronavirus will have lasting effects for “the rest of the decade.”
In a rare op-ed titled “It’s Time to Build,” Andreessen, who is a co-founder and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, blasts the U.S. for not even having the ability to get federal bailout money to the people and businesses that need it.
The same holds equally true with medical equipment and financial conduits, which should involve no rocket science whatsoever.
Therapies and vaccines are challenging; making masks and transferring money is not. We could have these things, but we specifically choose not to have the mechanisms, the factories, the systems to make these things.
We chose not to “build,” Andreessen writes.
This amount of smug complacency, satisfaction with the status quo, and an unwillingness to build — either in a pandemic, or in health care generally — is a thread throughout Western life, particularly in America.
“Every step of the way, to everyone around us,” Andreessen says, “we should be asking the question, what are you building?”
“You see it in housing and the physical footprint of our cities. We can’t build nearly enough housing in our cities with surging economic potential — which results in crazily skyrocketing housing prices in places like San Francisco, making it nearly impossible for regular people to move in and take the jobs of the future.”
The same hold true in transportation (“Where are the supersonic aircraft? Where are the millions of delivery drones?”) and in manufacturing.
The problem, Andreessen argues, is not money, but desire: “We need to ‘want’ these things. The problem is inertia. We need to want these things more than we want to prevent these things.”
Our predecessors had built roads, drains, farms, and factories — as well as computers, microchips, smartphones, and thousands of other things we now take for granted.
“There is only one way to honor their legacy and to create the future we want for our own children and grandchildren, and that’s to build.”
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“Spike in pneumonia deaths in Florida shows an earlier, deadlier arrival of coronavirus, experts say” via Aric Chokey and Mario Ariza of the Orlando Sentinel — It was midway through March and Florida’s peak flu season was winding down. Then a steep, sudden, and alarming spike in pneumonia-related deaths appeared — signaling the arrival of a killer: the new coronavirus. Experts say the grim spike likely included coronavirus deaths recorded, instead, as pneumonia. And the timing could mean the virus was already spreading unchecked through Florida communities as early as late February, weeks before the state began taking social-distancing measures.
“Jobless claims payment at 6%” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Just over 6% of people who had filed jobless claims since mid-March had received checks as of Sunday, inching up from roughly 4% when DeSantis revamped management of the overwhelmed unemployment-compensation system. A new “dashboard” from the Department of Economic Opportunity was unveiled to provide updates on claims that have flooded the state’s CONNECT unemployment system. The report from the department listed 40,193 people as of Sunday receiving weekly checks of up to $275 from among 652,191 people who had made claims since March 15. The department said that as of Sunday, 1.5 million claims had been submitted, with a note that people might have submitted more than one application.
“Florida slowest state in U.S. to process unemployment claims” via Bobby Caina Calvan of The Associated Press — As unemployment surged during the early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Florida processed its hundreds of thousands of new claims more slowly than any other state, according to federal data. The state is already among the most inhospitable places to be unemployed, and the economic downturn has only added to the misery. Now Florida finds itself frantically trying to catch up as it lags behind other large states and neighbors in the South. According to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data, nearly 7 of every 8 Floridians who managed to file claims during the three weeks from mid-March until early April were waiting to have them processed — the worst rate in the country.
“PolitiFact Florida: DeSantis said obesity is a top risk factor in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Is it?” via Amy Sherman of The Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis said he understands why there were recommendations to close gyms due to the spread of germs. But he expressed concern people may not be getting enough physical activity. “The No. 1 group of people who have been susceptible to COVID-19 if you look in New York and some of these other (places), obesity is, like, the No. 1 factor in whether you really get hit hard,” he said. Overwhelming research shows age as the leading risk factor in the severity of the disease. However, early research also shows obesity is a risk factor in hospitalizations.
“DeSantis snubs Nikki Fried from key committee” via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Florida Phoenix — DeSantis’ task force to “reopen” Florida after the COVID-19 outbreak got off to a partisan start on Monday. The Republican Governor tapped Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, both Republicans, for the executive committee. But he did not name Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, an elected Democrat who serves with Moody and Patronis on the Florida Cabinet. Fried, a possible challenger to DeSantis in his 2022 reelection bid, slammed the decision. “This is sadly more of the same politics over state from the Gov.,” Fried said in a statement. “I was not asked to serve alongside my fellow Cabinet members on the task force, which has no voice on its membership representing Florida’s $137 billion agriculture industry.”
“Coronavirus cases spike across Florida’s criminal justice system” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — The new coronavirus is continuing to infect police, prisoners and caseworkers throughout Florida. Monday saw another Florida Highway Patrol employee test positive for COVID-19, the respiratory condition caused by the coronavirus. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles spokesman Aaron Keller said the new case is in Palm Beach County. The positive is the fourth at FHP. Three state troopers had previously tested positive, one each in the Miami, Lake Worth and Panama City troops. The same day, the Department of Juvenile Justice said 15 employees had tested positive for the disease.
“Restaurant closings inflict collateral damage on Florida produce farmers” via Timothy Fanning of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — As dining rooms across the United States have gone dark to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the first to feel the impact were the restaurant employees and owners. But the pain is also radiating to thousands of small and large farmers across Florida, like Honeyside Farms, who rely on restaurants for most or all their sales. Produce sales at supermarkets have also slumped, as customers are choosing canned, frozen and other nonperishable items over fresh. Meanwhile, thousands of acres of fruits and vegetables grown in Florida are being plowed over, set ablaze, or left to rot because farmers cannot sell their produce. Farmers are also dumping milk and breaking eggs as closures continue to destroy demand.
“Economic shutdown fuels 60-cent gasoline price plummet” via Susan Salisbury of The Palm Beach Post — The state’s average gasoline price has declined 60 cents in the last two months. Florida gas prices dropped another 3.5 cents last week, with the average for regular sinking to $1.81 Monday, the same as the national average. A week ago, the Florida average was $1.84 and the national was $1.86. The least expensive metro market is Jacksonville, with a $1.66 average for regular.
“Disney World’s president visits theme parks, addresses furloughs” via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro has been reaching out to theme park employees, fans and annual passholders through social media and email while the resort is shut down temporarily to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The messages have been ones of hope and future times, but no time frame for reopening has been hinted at in his words. D’Amaro’s messages came just before the bulk of Disney World’s 78,000 workers went on unpaid furloughs. “This was not an easy decision by any means, but I can tell you we have our cast members’ best interests top of mind, including making certain they will continue to receive full health care benefits,” he wrote in a mass email.
“Florida Republicans demand Miami Herald fire columnist for ‘thin the ranks’ coronavirus remark” via Aaron Klein of Breitbart — Florida Republicans are urging the Miami Herald to take action against metro columnist Fabiola Santiago, who tweeted on Sunday that Florida residents packing beaches “should work nicely to thin the ranks” of supporters of Trump and DeSantis “who value money over health.” Hours later, Santiago deleted the tweet and issued an apology, saying her remarks “didn’t accurately convey my sentiment … Regardless of political differences, I would never wish any harm on anyone.” Responding directly to condemnation from the Republican Party of Florida, Miami Herald publisher and executive editor Mindy Marques issued an apology and said the newspaper would “follow up internally.” Marques’ response was not enough for the Florida GOP, which called for the paper to fire Santiago.
“Were the beaches that sparked the #FloridaMorons hashtag really that crowded? Depends on your vantage point” via Brett Clarkson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The images of the seemingly packed beaches quickly went viral, playing into the prevailing and not entirely unjustified perception by the rest of the country that Florida is the nation’s drunken, meth-addled uncle, the state that simply cannot be trusted to make good decisions. And when the images spread far and wide on the internet, a hashtag was born: #FloridaMorons. But according to some reports, the images that sparked the uproar don’t tell the full story.
— CORONA LOCAL —
“Social distancing could remain in South Florida for a year, but restrictions will be slowly lifted” via Liane Morejon of Local10.com — DeSantis made clear that South Florida may be “a little different.” Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez followed that by suggesting that it might be a year until social distancing rules are lifted. “I don’t think you’re going to see social distancing rules cut back until we have a vaccine,” Giménez said. “So, you’re looking at about a year from now until we actually do that.” That said, his team is working on figuring out a new normal to make sure people know the infectious virus is still out there, while slowly considering phasing out restrictions and closures.
“Miami-Dade County plans to partially reopen marinas, parks and golf courses; not beaches” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Miami-Dade County Mayor Giménez and several officials joined in announcing a partial reopening of recreational activities throughout the county. But those officials, who explained the plans via Zoom conference, also say beaches will remain closed, for now. Large group activities, such as contact sports, camping and swimming will remain barred. Only groups of less than 10 will be allowed to gather, and individuals must adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“Miami man filmed at packed balcony party is sorry for not social distancing” via Jessica Lipscomb of the Miami New Times — Juan Cardenas says he and his friends have been hanging out at one other’s apartments in Miami for the past several weeks. They call themselves a “quaranteam.” About 15 to 20 members of the quaranteam got together to dance to Guetta’s music on their friend’s balcony. But as the guests uploaded clips of the small party on Instagram, their videos unexpectedly went viral. In defending himself, Cardenas noted he recently received a negative result after being tested for COVID-19 in Miami Beach.
“Union votes no confidence in sheriff over pandemic response” via The Associated Press — Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association members voted 693-93 against Sheriff Gregory Tony, secretary and treasurer Frank Voudy announced during a news conference. The union represents about 1,200 deputies. A separate union that represents lieutenants also voted that it had no confidence in the sheriff. The votes don’t have an immediate effect, but they could have political consequences for Tony, who faces an election in November. Tony released a statement saying his department has established procedures to limit exposure to COVID-19 in all areas of operations and has worked to give all its employees the necessary tools to protect themselves.
“Broward Health reopens mobile coronavirus testing site at Festival Marketplace” via Carli Teproff of the Miami Herald — There is now another option for COVID-19 testing in Broward. On Monday, Broward Health reopened a second mobile testing site at Festival Marketplace in Pompano Beach. The site, at 2900 W. Sample Road, was opened for a brief period last month, but closed because of supply issues. Broward Health has another location at the Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium, 3700 NW 11th Place in Lauderhill. The wait time is averaging 15 to 20 minutes. At both locations, registered patients can drive through to be swabbed for COVID-19 from their cars. Anyone wanting to be tested must have a prescription from a physician and preregister for scheduled appointment times. To make an appointment call the Broward Health line at 954-320-5730 to register.
“South Florida nonprofits are ramping up aid amid the pandemic, but it’s costing them” via Andres Viglucci and Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami had a major decision to make when the coronavirus pandemic shut down its programs: Could it somehow continue helping its kids and their families during the emergency? A survey of their needs identified one overriding need: Food. That meant Big Brothers had to pivot. And fast. Within days, it had transformed itself into a supplier of free food in bulk. But it’s all come at a cost. To keep its 100 full-time staffers working from home, Big Brothers Big Sisters had to invest significantly in tech — an expense it hadn’t planned for. It also had to let some contractors go and dip into program funds while launching a campaign asking supporters for new donations.
“When will the Keys reopen for tourists? Not before other places ease limits, Mayor says” via David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — The concern is that if Monroe is the first county to open businesses, beaches, parks and marinas — and lifts the two checkpoints heading into the county — the island chain would be overwhelmed with visitors. “Once the Keys are open, everyone in the world is going to want to come down here, and who can blame them?” Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers said during a conference call. Monroe County never closed its beaches, but unincorporated Monroe has very few that people frequent. All municipalities in the Keys, including Key West, Marathon and Islamorada, have closed their beaches. State parks with beaches, including John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, are also closed.
— MORE LOCAL —
“Publix mandates employees to wear masks as Winter Park, Kissimmee workers test positive for coronavirus” via Austin Fuller of the Orlando Sentinel — Publix confirmed Monday that employees at Winter Park and Kissimmee stores have tested positive for coronavirus, the same day it joined Walmart in requiring that workers must cover their faces with masks. A Publix associate at the store at 2295 Aloma Ave. in Winter Park and another at 2338 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee have tested positive for the virus, spokeswoman Maria Brous said. The Lakeland-based company has confirmed a total of four Orlando-area coronavirus cases to the Orlando Sentinel. The other two employees worked at 2873 S. Orange Ave. south of downtown and 16825 E. Colonial Drive east of Orlando near Bithlo.
“Jacksonville Mayor says city is hitting benchmarks needed for reopening” via Christopher Hong of The Florida Times-Union — Lenny Curry said he’s continuing to see promising signs the city may be ready to consider a slow lifting of restrictions on local businesses, although he said he doesn’t know when a reopening could begin or how it would be implemented. Curry said less than 5 percent of the roughly 10,000 people tested at the two government-backed testing sites in Jacksonville have been positive for the coronavirus, and the number of hospital admissions has flattened below local hospitals’ capacity. Curry also announced the city plans to open another testing site on the Northside within a week.
“Tom Brady ejected from Tampa park closed because of pandemic” via the Associated Press — Six Super Bowl rings may get you special treatment in a lot of places but former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady learned Monday that it won’t get you anything when you’re caught working out in a park that is closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a news briefing the new Buccaneers quarterback was spotted working out by himself at a park downtown by staff patrol. The staffer went over to tell him he had to leave and she recognized the man to be the 42-year-old Brady.
“Open road syndrome? Tampa Bay speeds up during the crisis” via Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times — The data is in, Tampa, and it’s clear. As roads emptied because of the pandemic, your feet on the collective gas pedal got heavier. Consider the man waiting to cross Busch Boulevard at Nebraska Avenue at 9:59 a.m. March 25. Good thing he waited. A blue Ford Mustang blew through at 71 mph. No, it’s not your imagination: Speeds have increased by at least 7% through early this week, according to more than a month’s worth of data collected by the city’s red-light camera vendor from 54 cameras. Most drivers who blow through red lights are speeding.
“Second nursing home in Pinellas reports flare-up of coronavirus, county says” via Caitlin Johnston, Mark Puente and Josh Solomon of the Tampa Bay Times — Thirteen residents and eight staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at St. Mark Village in Palm Harbor, the email said. As of 2 p.m., at least seven patients were expected to be transferred to a hospital. St. Mark Village asked the county and state for help with a flare-up of COVID-19 cases this past weekend, CEO Doug Fresh said. A patient tested positive April 10 in a skilled-care wing unit that accommodates about 20 patients. Fresh said he had asked the Governor’s office to send a National Guard Strike Team to test about 100 employees who worked in the wing.
“USF researchers join push to find COVID-19 treatments” via Justine Griffin of the Tampa Bay Times — Before the coronavirus pandemic, it wasn’t unusual for the robust research office at USF Health to begin 10 new clinical trials in a month. Now the USF’s medical research arm is jump-starting nearly 10 new clinical trials a week, said Rachel Karlnoski, director of USF Health Clinical Research Operations. In recent days, USF Health researchers have launched dozens of new trials, which will test ways to prevent and lessen the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Tampa General Hospital also will participate in the effort, which will take a closer look at a range of treatments and medications that hold promise but require more testing before they can safely be used on patients.
“St. Pete Pride reschedules for the fall over coronavirus concerns” via Josh Solomon of the Tampa Bay Times — St. Pete Pride, which bills itself as the largest LGBTQ Pride celebration in Florida, has been rescheduled for sometime in the fall. The parade and celebration weekend was originally scheduled for June 26-28, but concerns over social distancing and COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, forced the delay. The delay puts St. Pete Pride in line with other large Pride events that have either postponed or canceled this summer. Some Pride events have endorsed going virtual. International Pride organizations InterPride and the European Pride Organisers Association have organized a virtual “Global Pride” event for June 27. Organizers say St. Pete Pride’s events draw about 200,000 people.
“No final exams for Leon County public school students thanks to coronavirus pandemic” via CD Davidson-Hiers of the Tallahassee Democrat — Leon County public school students have the coronavirus pandemic to thank for not having to stress about finals this year. In a Facebook Live video streamed from its school district page, Superintendent Rocky Hanna announced the district is canceling all final exams during the coronavirus. The district also is developing a “curve model” to use for all public schools to use to calculate end-of-year grades. Hanna said the model will be similar to any grading curve a teacher may use if the highest grade on a test is much lower than expected.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“Anthony Fauci tells protesters no recovery if virus not ‘under control’” via Jordan Fabian of Bloomberg — Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White House coronavirus task force, pushed back against protesters demonstrating against stay-at-home orders, saying the U.S. economy won’t recover until the virus is “under control.” Fauci acknowledged it could be “painful” to follow federal guidelines recommending a phased reopening carefully, but failing to do so is “going to backfire.” Protests have erupted in Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and other states demanding that governors lift strict social distancing policies that have battered the U.S. economy. Some demonstrators have called for Fauci’s firing.
“Publicly traded firms get $300M in small-business loans” via the Associated Press — Companies with thousands of employees, past penalties from government investigations and risks of financial failure even before the coronavirus walloped the economy were among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund that Congress created to help small businesses through the crisis, an Associated Press investigation found. The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to infuse small businesses, which typically have less access to quick cash and credit, with $349 billion in emergency loans that could help keep workers on the job and bills paid on time.
“Fraud, bad actors are inevitable with $350 billion federal loan program” via Graham Brink of the Tampa Bay Times — The federal government recently handed $350 billion to small businesses struggling to survive the coronavirus crisis. Most businesses will abide by the spirit of the program. But one thing is certain to follow the allocation of so much “free money”: abuse. It’s as inevitable as humid Florida summers. Some business owners will make innocent mistakes. Others will flirt with breaking the rules, stopping short of committing a crime, but opening themselves up to lawsuits and public shaming. In the past, businesses that took government money have gotten into trouble when they discover a mistake and try to cover it up. They mislead auditors and investigators or falsify paperwork.
“Small business owners wait for next time in loan program” via Alexandra Clough of The Palm Beach Post — Small business owner Jamie Gonzalez assembled her documents, spoke to her bank and applied for a loan under Washington’s small business aid program. Then … nothing. Gonzalez said she kept her full-time manager on payroll, expecting that the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program would be available to her, as government leaders promised. The coronavirus stimulus program offers loans that do not have to repaid if most of the money is spent on payroll. Instead, she received an email from her bank informing her that her small business loan application was “in the system,” with no further assurance her request for a $15,000 loan would be forthcoming. Last Thursday, the program ran out of money, and she was out of luck. She’s not alone.
“U.S. oil prices plunge into negative territory” via The New York Times — Something bizarre happened in the markets on Monday: The price of a barrel of oil went negative. Oil prices tumbled as the economic crisis set off by the coronavirus pandemic continued to destroy energy demand, and as concerns grew that storage tanks in the U.S. were near capacity and unable to hold all the unused crude. A quirk exaggerated the bizarre movement in the market on Monday in the way oil prices are set. Traders pay varying prices depending on the grade of crude, where it comes from, and the date on which it is meant to be delivered. Normally these differences are small, and they go unnoticed outside of the energy market. But on Monday, they were exacerbated by sharp swings in the price.
“Would fans return to games? Poll says not without vaccine” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Whatever sports do to restart competitions at some point in the coronavirus crisis future; fans aren’t eager to attend in person until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed. A poll finds 71% of American adults said that they would not feel safe attending games without such a vaccine. However, the opposition to attendance drops to 61% among those respondents who identified themselves as sports fans. Still, three-quarters of the respondents said they would be willing to watch TV broadcasts of games played in empty stadiums.
— MORE CORONA —
“Georgia to reopen some businesses as early as Friday” via Jeff Amy of The Associated Press — Georgia’s Governor announced plans to restart the state’s economy before the end of the week, saying many businesses that closed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus could reopen as early as Friday. Georgia’s timetable, one of the most aggressive in the nation, would allow gyms, hair salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen as long as owners follow strict social-distancing and hygiene requirements. Such a swift reopening runs counter to the advice of many experts, including Dr. Fauci, the government’s top authority on infectious diseases, who warned again that resuming business too soon risked a fresh spike in infections.
“COVID-19 forces summer camps to be canceled” via the Times West Virginian — The ongoing threat of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is forcing organizations throughout the state to cancel summer camps. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection announced Wednesday it had canceled the 2020 state Junior Conservation Camp due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The agency canceled Youth Environmental Day also. The American Legion announced it had canceled Mountaineer Boys State and the American Legion Auxiliary Rhododendron Girls State. The American Legion Boys Nation, The American Legion National Oratorical Finals, and Junior Shooting Sports Competitions have also been canceled for 2020.
“Beer may lose its fizz as CO2 supplies go flat during pandemic” via Stephanie Kelly and Lisa Baertlein of Reuters — Dwindling supplies of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants are sparking concern about shortages of beer, soda and seltzer water — essentials for many quarantined Americans. Ethanol producers are a crucial provider of CO2 to the food industry. But ethanol, which is blended into the nation’s gasoline supply, has seen production fall sharply due to the drop in gasoline demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gasoline demand is down by more than 30% in the United States. 34 of the 45 U.S. ethanol plants that sell CO2 have idled or cut production.
— THE HUMAN TOLL —
“5-year-old with rare complication becomes first Michigan child to die of COVID-19” via Jasmin Barmore of The Detroit News — A month ago, 5-year-old Skylar Herbert complained to her parents that she had a bad headache. On Sunday, after spending two weeks on a ventilator, the Detroit girl died. Skylar had tested positive for COVID-19 in March and later developed a rare form of meningitis and brain swelling. After Skylar was admitted, doctors at Beaumont Royal Oak treated her. While she started to show signs of improvement, such as not complaining about her head hurting anymore and being able to get up to use the bathroom, Skylar soon began relapsing. Until now, the youngest person on record to die in Michigan with COVID-19 was 20.
“Three Royal Caribbean cruise ship crew members have died in Florida in the last eight days” via the Miami Herald — Another Royal Caribbean crew member from the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship died Monday, according to a recording from the ship’s captain obtained by the Miami Herald. Iputu Sugiartha, who is from Indonesia, according to his Facebook account, is the second Royal Caribbean crew member to die in just two days, following Filipino Dexter Joyosa’s death at a Broward hospital on Saturday. A third crew member from Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas ship, 27-year-old Pujiyoko, also from Indonesia, died in a Broward hospital on April 12.
“The pandemic’s hidden victims: Sick or dying, but not from the virus” via Denise Grady of The New York Times — The pandemic has shaken every aspect of health care, including cancer, organ transplants, and even brain surgery. Beds, blood, doctors, nurses, and ventilators are in short supply; operating rooms are being turned into intensive care units, and surgeons have been redeployed to treat people who cannot breathe. Even if there is room for other patients, medical centers hesitate to bring them in unless it is absolutely necessary. Patients themselves are afraid to set foot in the hospital even if they are really sick. Early on, many hospitals took the common-sense step of halting elective surgery. But some conditions fall into a gray zone. While they may not be emergencies, many illnesses could become life-threatening, or leave the patient with a permanent disability if left untreated.
— ONE GOOD THING —
New York Mets public address announcer Colin Cosell gets hundreds of requests — from health care workers and patients, among others — to record personal, customized audio clips to cheer up “one fan at a time.”
Over the past month, The Associated Press reports that Cosell — grandson of the famed sportscaster Howard Cosell — has recorded nearly 600 of those introductions, styled after the ones he does at Citi Field for Mets players. Each is about a half minute long, and they are all done for free.
“I was starting to hear from a lot of medical workers and first responders. That’s when it began to hit home,” Cosell tells the AP. “They said these 30 seconds take them away from the maelstrom of being a hospital worker during a pandemic,” he said.
Fans reach Cosell through Twitter at #CallMeUpColin; they provide info and a musical choice — including Alicia Keys, AC/DC, Shania Twain, Stevie Wonder and a tune from “The Little Mermaid,” along with the “Meet the Mets” theme song.
Some use Cosell’s call-up recordings as their phone ring tone or outgoing message. Others incorporate them into videos. Some just like the good feeling of being at a ballgame — a rare thing these days.
Cosell clearly has struck a positive chord.
“Thanks for adding a little joy while in quarantine,” one person said on Twitter. “Received this awesomeness,” one wrote. “Colin, you’re a saint for doing this,” praised another.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Trump, head of government, leans into anti-government message” via Maggie Haberman of The New York Times — First he was the self-described “wartime president.” Then he trumpeted the “total” authority of the federal government. But in the past few days, Trump has nurtured protests against state-issued stay-at-home orders aimed at curtailing the spread of the coronavirus. Protests have been relatively small and scattershot, organized by conservative-leaning groups with some organic attendance. Trump’s show of affinity for such actions is in keeping with his fomenting of voter anger at the establishment in 2016, a key to his success then and his fallback position during uncertain moments ever since.
“Trump’s support for right-wing protests just got more ugly and dangerous” via Greg Sargent of The Washington Post — Trump’s ongoing support for right-wing agitators who want to own the libs by throwing off the oppression of policies limiting their own exposure to a deadly pathogen should sound unsettlingly familiar. It’s another expression of the idea that Democratic governance is fundamentally illegitimate. “Their life was taken away from them,” Trump said at the latest coronavirus task force news briefing. A poll was released, finding that nearly 60 percent of Americans worry more that the United States will move too quickly in loosening restrictions, leading to more deaths. Only 32 percent worry we’ll take too long.
“A watchdog out of Trump’s grasp unleashes wave of coronavirus audits” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — With little fanfare, Congress’ independent, in-house watchdog is preparing a blizzard of audits that will become the first wide-ranging check on Trump’s handling of the sprawling national rescue effort. The Government Accountability Office has quickly taken advantage of its perch, exploring the early missteps inherent in launching a multi-trillion-dollar law that touches every facet of American life. Topics will range from the government’s handling of coronavirus testing to its distribution of medical equipment, and from the nation’s food supply to nursing home infections and any missteps in distributing the emergency cash payments that began landing in millions of Americans’ bank accounts this week.
“Congressional watchdog can’t compel stimulus spending records” via Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post — The five-member, bipartisan congressional oversight committee responsible for ensuring the massive pot of coronavirus stimulus dollars are being spent appropriately will not have the power to compel records in its efforts to weed out fraud. The weakness in oversight comes amid rising concerns about the way the stimulus, and especially its small business loan component, has been distributed. Donald Trump created the oversight committee to oversee the $500 billion fund being doled out by the Treasury Department to shore up industries pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Congressman says Florida’s handling of coronavirus a model for the country” via Matt London of Fox News — Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican, touted his state’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and suggested it can serve as a model for other parts of the country, as Florida begins to slowly reopen some public areas. “Obviously, every death is something that we regret and we always want to do better to ensure that our people are safe,” said Gaetz. “But Florida is the classic case study in how a light or lighter touch and how state-based control can actually work.”
“Citing coronavirus pandemic, Florida congressmen want crackdown on Chinese live animal markets” via Anthony Man of the Orlando Sentinel — Alcee Hastings and Vern Buchanan want Trump to push China to “aggressively” regulate live animal markets or force them to close. At so-called “wet markets,” animals are slaughtered for human consumption, often in unsafe and unsanitary conditions that can be a breeding ground for disease. The new coronavirus may have jumped to humans from animals at a wet market in Wuhan, China.
“Donna Shalala sets up blind trust, sells stock related to CARES Act oversight” via Alex Daugherty and David Smiley of the Miami Herald — Democratic U.S. Rep. Shalala is creating a blind trust and selling most of her individual stock holdings as she prepares to oversee the Trump administration’s handling of $2 trillion in taxpayer funds to fight the effects of the coronavirus. Shalala’s acknowledgment of the financial steps she’s taking came three days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed her to the congressional panel tasked with overseeing the Treasury Department’s work to distribute $500 billion to large corporations affected by the coronavirus. Shalala’s appointment prompted criticism from the left-leaning outlet The American Prospect, which noted that the Miami congresswoman owned stocks in companies like Boeing and Alaska Airlines that stand to receive coronavirus- related bailout money.
— STATEWIDE —
“Janet Cruz calls on DeSantis to allocate another $50M for small business emergency loans” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Cruz wrote to DeSantis asking for new funding, as well as better oversight over the loans to ensure they are fairly allocated. After funds ran out last week, records showed that fewer than 1,000 businesses were awarded loans while 37,000 were not. Cruz asked for a minimum of $50 million for more loans as well as guidelines blocking individual owners of multiple entities from receiving multiple loans until other businesses have had their applications considered. Numerous business owners received several loans, even as other applicants were not granted a dime.
“New automated tuition payment system offers FTC families convenience, improved security” via Lisa Blue of Redefined Online — A new automated system developed by Step Up For Students, Florida’s largest scholarship-funding organization, allows parents to approve tuition payments for their children’s schools electronically. The parent or guardian will be asked to approve or deny the amount electronically. Once approved, an ACH payment will be sent on the already existing Florida Tax Credit Scholarship schedule. Under the former system, Step Up mailed paper checks via traditional mail to the schools. Parents then had to visit the school and sign over their checks, which the school accounting staff deposited into the school’s bank account.
“Money sought from domestic violence foundation” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Jacksonville lawyer Mark Healy, appointed as receiver of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, also wants the court to impose an “equitable lien” and an injunction to block the foundation’s funds from being spent. The request came in a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ashley Moody accusing Tiffany Carr, the coalition’s former CEO and the sole member of the foundation, of using paid time off “to conceal the excessive and extravagant amounts of compensation paid or promised” to the coalition’s officers, “in particular to Ms. Carr.” The lawsuit also alleges the coalition and Carr tried to cover up her compensation and the court to order Carr to repay the allegedly exorbitant executive compensation.
“Lawyer in Dan Markel case hints major developments, vowing quest for justice, legislative efforts into next Session” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — For those following the Markel murder case, it’s been a long winter. A bill filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes in the 2020 Session that would have provided access to courts people like Markel’s parents, who have been denied access to their grandchildren, died in committee following a really strong. Of the three conspirators arrested for his murder so far, one pleaded guilty, one was convicted of first-degree murder, and one will face a retrial after the threat of COVID-19 abates and courts reopen.
— 2020 —
“Why Joe Biden could swing votes by campaigning to legalize marijuana” via Michael Tesler of The Washington Post — Cannabis sales reportedly skyrocketed just before the coronavirus pandemic began locking down most of the country. One survey similarly showed that marijuana use reached records heights last month. Marijuana has even become a winning political issue, with a remarkable rise in public support for legalization over the past two decades. Two-thirds of Americans back legal recreational use, up from one-third 20 years ago. It’s one of the only policies that are important to voters across the political spectrum. The political impact is unambiguous: Marijuana legalization is a winning campaign issue.
“Democratic super PAC Priorities USA buys $13 million in Florida TV political ads” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A big Democratic super political action committee, which has already been going after Trump in television and online advertising, said Monday it has started buying $13 million in Florida TV time to run ads through Election Day. The ad time is being bought in the West Palm Beach, Orlando and Tampa television markets — but not, so far, in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, which is the most expensive place to buy TV time in the state. Overall, Priorities USA Action said it has started placing $64.7 million in TV reservations in six battleground states, including Florida. The organization said it plans a 2020 campaign budget of $200 million.
— MORE FROM THE TRAIL —
“Ban Assault Weapons Now posts major haul despite March fundraising challenges” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A proposed assault weapons ban may have missed the deadline to make Florida’s 2020 ballot. Still, there’s growing power behind the measure as it blasts toward 2022. Ban Assault Weapons Now raised $45,603 in March to support putting a citizen initiative on the statewide ballot. That’s on top of $180,500 raised in February after organizers failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the 2020 election. Almost all of the group’s 2,461, contributions came from small donors. The average donation in March was less than $18.50.
“Matt Becker drops congressional bid as COVID-19 forces attention to his business” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Becker is dropping out of the race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, he announced in an email to supporters. His departure is related to business challenges he is facing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Becker was running in a crowded seven-way primary for the Republican nomination to take on incumbent Democrat Charlie Crist. Becker owns a staffing firm in Clearwater that helps businesses in Pinellas County find employees. But the slowdown in local, state and national economies have strained the business. Becker assured his company is doing well but needs his attention to stay that way.
Tweet, tweet:
Huh … I guess campaigning for @GoodforFlorida is considered an "essential service"???#FlaPol pic.twitter.com/2D77tYeAr2
— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) April 20, 2020
Assignment editors — U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will kick off her reelection bid with an event for volunteers, 5:30 p.m. Registration at zoom.us/meeting.
“Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky announces run for Kristin Jacobs’ House seat” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Parkland Mayor Hunschofsky says she will run for the House District 96 seat this year to replace Rep. Kristin Jacobs, who died last week following a battle with cancer. Jacobs first ran for the House in 2014. She would have been eligible for a fourth and final term this November. HD 96 encompasses Parkland, where Hunschofsky has served as Mayor since 2016. Before that, she served on the Parkland City Commission. In 2016, Hunschofsky ran to replace then-Mayor Michael Udine following his eventually successful run for the Broward County Commission. She served out the final two years of Udine’s term, before she was reelected unopposed in 2018.
“Schools to conduct June 23 mail ballot” via David Alderstein of NWF Daily News — Acting on a request from Superintendent Traci Yoder, Franklin county commissioners, at their April 9 special meeting, unanimously approved the school district’s request for a mail ballot referendum that will ask county voters to renew a four-year half-mill property tax levy. First approved in 2008, and twice since then renewed in a countywide vote, the referendum will be conducted in June, with “Election Day,” the day the ballots must be back to the Supervisor of Elections’ office, set for Tuesday, June 23. For those who aren’t registered to vote, they will have until May 25 to register if they wish to take part in the election.
— TOP OPINION —
“Catastrophes normally bring Americans together. Why not now?” via Doyle McManus of The Los Angeles Times — At the outset of any war, think Pearl Harbor or the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans traditionally pull together as one, erasing partisan and regional divides. Our war with the coronavirus hasn’t gone that way. Trump declared himself a wartime president, but he hasn’t done much to unite the nation as real wartime presidents do. Instead of a single national strategy to quell the pandemic and revive the economy, 50 states are pursuing individual efforts. Trump could have chosen to give Republican governors some political protection if they chose to keep schools and businesses closed a few more weeks for fear of a new surge in the coronavirus.
— OPINIONS —
“How data can aid the fight against COVID-19” via Mark Zuckerberg with The Washington Post — As the world fights COVID-19 and countries develop plans to reopen their societies, it’s critical to have a clear understanding of how the disease is spreading. Getting accurate county-by-county data from across the United States is challenging, and obtaining such focused data from across the whole world is even harder. But with a community of billions of people globally, Facebook can uniquely help researchers and health authorities get the information they need to respond to the outbreak and start planning for the recovery. Facebook produced its first report and new interactive maps, which we plan to update daily through this outbreak from a Carnegie Mellon survey. By distributing surveys to large numbers of people whose identities we know, we can quickly generate enough signal to correct for biases and ensure sampling is done properly.
“We need a more resilient American economy” via Marco Rubio for The New York Times — Americans are a resilient people. We persevere through difficult circumstances and arrive triumphant on the other side of adversity. It’s in our national DNA. Once again, Americans are rising to the challenge before us. Medical professionals are meeting the call of duty and tending to our sick at great personal risk. Grocery stores, takeout restaurants and pharmacies remain open as Americans show up for work to give the rest of us access to essential goods. Though I believe resilience is one of the defining traits of an American, I also believe it’s been absent from our public policy for too long.
“LaDonna Butler: One way to beat back COVID-19, make communities safer? Expand access to victim, community emergency services” via Florida Politics — Crime survivors like me know that our communities often don’t have sufficient access to the services we need to be secure and to thrive. Even in the best of times, our state has serious challenges providing help for victims — 8 of 9 survivors of violent crime in Florida do not receive victim services’ assistance. Other services we need — trauma recovery, mental health, domestic violence services, etc. — are often underfunded and overstretched. This is Crime Victims Rights Week, and even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Floridians can address the needs in the communities most harmed, and protect and expand critical services that prevent crime and reduce recidivism: mental health, drug treatment, violence prevention, and re-entry services.
“Mark Wilson, David Lawrence: A too-hidden key to a more rapid recovery” via Florida Politics — The brightest minds in Florida’s private sector are working to ensure the supply chain stays strong and that health care resources are readily available for those who need them. One important set of small businesses — child care and early learning providers — enables all this. That same industry will speed up our economic recovery when we can get back to work. The COVID-19 pandemic already has underscored the value of child care providers. DeSantis deemed them essential personnel for their role in caring for the children of our first responders battling the coronavirus. And, yet, we are facing a child care crisis in Florida.
“Why Trump needs to worry about his odds with Florida voters” via Michael Starr Hopkins with The Hill — While Trump has a strong approval rating in Florida, the Real Clear Politics average has him losing the state to Biden by the same less than half of one point that DeSantis beat Andrew Gillum. Trump repeatedly took credit for bolstering an economy that began its recovery under Obama. Supporters at campaign rallies and viewers tuning in to his daily press briefings were told otherwise. They were told that Trump deserved all the credit for the resilience of our economy. The response to the coronavirus, by both the president and governor, could turn Florida blue for the first time since 2012.
“Florida should let those who most need government help take the lead” via Jean-Luc Adrien for the Miami Herald — Congress recently passed a more than $2 trillion coronavirus pandemic assistance bill, a portion of which is designed explicitly to help the unemployed and their families. But how likely is it that those families will be able to apply for and receive those benefits or even learn of their existence? Florida’s track record is not encouraging. The state’s unemployment benefits system has, for weeks, required every worker to negotiate an almost impenetrable computerized system on a complicated, hard-to-find website. Sadly, this inaccessibility is not unique to the unemployment assistance system. In 2017, after Hurricane Irma, the State-run disaster food stamp distribution was similarly ill-designed and overwhelmed. Florida must learn from its past failures to secure its residents’ futures.
“Though COVID-19 tests our resilience, art and culture will keep us strong” via Franklin Sirmans for the Miami Herald — Miami’s arts and culture will be resilient. Through this challenging moment, art is the one thing that we all will need to make sense of our time sheltering-in-place, “togetheralone” and working from home. Books, films, music, videos of dancers, actors and performers, and live DJ sets on a variety of social media all are acts of creativity that bind us together and will get us through these traumatic times. We are Miamians. This place is potentially America’s crown jewel when it comes to diversity. Our ability to rebound together will continue to show the world what our great spirit is capable of in the face of adversity.
— TODAY’S SUNRISE —
Gov. DeSantis presides over the first meeting of his task force to rebuild Florida’s economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was — as expected — conducted remotely.
Also, in today’s Sunrise:
— As politicians talk about restarting the economy, some Florida doctors warn caution. Until better tests are available, and more people are tested, they say it’s not safe to return to business as usual
— The coronavirus has hit Florida farmers hard. A new report from the state Agriculture Commissioner’s office says the losses so far add up to more than $500 million.
— If you’re stuck at home with kids during the lockdown, you already know they’re getting antsy. A doctoral student in psychology at Florida State offers some tips for reassuring the youngsters and keeping them engaged.
— Checking in with Florida Man and his Florida Woman: Both are doctors facing criminal charges for what they call a game of “capture the flag.”
To listen: click on the image below:
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“Lyrid meteor shower will light up the sky Tuesday night” via Maggie Duffy of the Tampa Bay Times — It feels like the universe knows we’re starved for something to look at. Earlier in April, the pink supermoon sent people outside to gaze at the sky. And this week, the annual Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak overnight on Tuesday into early Wednesday morning. The shower happens April 16-30. The peak on Tuesday will be more visible because the moon will be in its waning crescent phase and won’t flood the sky with light, NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. He said that the peak viewing time would be before dawn on Wednesday, but the Lyrids will be visible beginning at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“To celebrate Hubble’s 30th anniversary, NASA’s sharing what it snapped on your birthday” via Alyse Stanley of Gizmodo — Given that Hubble has been snapping pics 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 1990, it’s a fitting commemoration. Over the last three decades, Hubble’s given humanity a literal glimpse into the universe, capturing critical discoveries such as the furthest known galaxy from our own and the first sighting of water vapor in a “habitable zone” beyond our solar system, according to NASA’s website. You can see out what kind of astronomical wonders Hubble saw on your birthday by going here. After entering the month and day you were born, the image pops up along with options to share it on social media. NASA’s also promoting the hashtag #Hubble30 in honor of the anniversary.
“Baseball without fans sounded crazy. It might just work.” via Jared Diamond and Louise Radnofsky of The Wall Street Journal — There is a proposal to stage the Major League Baseball season in a functional Biodome-like setting in Arizona, sequestering players and other essential personnel in hotel rooms and holding games at various ballparks in the Phoenix area without spectators. Local lawmakers and federal public health experts have given cautious backing to the idea. That has kept it alive among baseball officials even if it still remains far-off and full of complex medical and logistical obstacles. MLB must be able to guarantee access to the testing infrastructure to monitor those people every single week of a season. Such capacity doesn’t exist in the U.S.
“Silicon Valley is racing to build the next version of the Internet. Fortnite might get there first.” via Gene Park of The Washington Post — The next version of the Internet is often described as the Metaverse, a term borne from science fiction, describing a shared, virtual space that’s persistently online and active, even without people logging in. It will have its own economy, complete with jobs, shopping areas and media to consume. In recent years, there’s been serious talk about how to build the Metaverse, and who will build it first.
“Disney’s Animal Kingdom, hotel receives AZA accreditation” via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Animal Kingdom Lodge hotel have again received official accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, aka AZA. The AZA has a commission that regularly evaluates institutions for best standards and practices for care of animals. “AZA accreditation is the gold standard in animal care, and I’m incredibly proud of the entire Animals, Science and Environment Team for earning this stellar accomplishment,” Mark Penning, Disney Parks vice president wrote on the official company blog.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to Rachel Davis Cone, managing partner of The Southern Group, Lloyd Dunkelberger, Jake Farmer, Director of Government Affairs at Florida Retail Federation, Andrew Hall, Kelly Schmidt, and a true Florida gentleman who doesn’t even read Sunburn, Erik Suskey.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.
