Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
After a tumultuous weekend, Florida police brutality protests have calmed.
In a Tuesday news release, Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were no significant law enforcement or civilian injuries or deaths connected to the demonstrations brought about by George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Property crimes have subsided as well, with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement receiving no reports of widespread commercial or residential damage.
“I appreciate all the hard work being done by our local officials, the Florida National Guard, the Florida Highway Patrol and our law enforcement to help ensure the safety of residents and visitors, as well as those who are engaging in peaceful First Amendment activity,” DeSantis said.
“Over the past 24 hours, demonstrations have remained largely peaceful thanks to these collaborative efforts. We will remain vigilant and stand ready in the event something changes. Florida will not tolerate rioting, looting or violence. We encourage all residents and visitors to continue abiding by local curfews and directives and thank everyone for their cooperation.”
The news release comes a day after DeSantis issued his first statement on Floyd’s death and the national unrest that followed.
On Monday, the Governor said he had been in contact with leaders at all levels, from mayors to the president. On Tuesday, he said communication with local leaders will continue “to ensure all necessary actions are being taken to protect Floridians.”
On that front, DeSantis activated 700 Florida National Guard soldiers to bolster law enforcement response in communities across the state. Sheriff’s offices and police departments are also getting backup from 1,300 state troopers.
Coronavirus Numbers
Positive cases:
— 56,001 FL residents (+586 since Monday)
— 1,446 Non-FL residents (+31 since Monday)
Origin:
— 2,131 Travel related
— 25,959 Contact with a confirmed case
— 2,030 Both
— 25,295 Under investigation
Hospitalizations:
— 10,231 in FL
Deaths:
— 2,460 in FL
Unemployment numbers
As of Monday:
Total claims: 2,271,489
— Confirmed unique claims: 2,041,465
— Claim verification queue: 235,345
— Claims processed: 1,806,120
— Claims paid: 1,179,322 (+112,476 since Sunday)
Total paid out: $4.07 billion (+$100 million since Sunday)
Evening Reads
“U.S. cities erupt in more violence as Donald Trump decries `lowlifes’” via Zeke Miller and Matt Sedensky of The Associated Press
“Trump’s Florida allies unfazed after church photo op” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida
“Joe Biden, in speech to the nation, denounces Trump’s actions against protesters and vows to heal racial wounds” via Annie Linskey, Matt Viser and Sean Sullivan of The Washington Post
“Trump is no Richard Nixon” via David Frum of The Atlantic
“Police acts of empathy defuse some protest tension” via Kris Maher of The Wall Street Journal
“Beverly Hills, Buckhead, SoHo: The new sites of urban unrest” via Emily Badger of The New York Times
“America is now pitied abroad” via Robert Bruce Adolph for the Tampa Bay Times
“‘Carnage,’ ‘radicals,’ ‘overthrow the government’: How Fox and other conservative media cover the protests” via Paul Farhi and Elahe Izadi of The Washington Post
“Some impurities allowed in hand sanitizers due to shortages, FDA says. Does it matter?” via Bailey Aldridge of the Miami Herald
“Peaceful 24 hours in Florida after weekend protests turned violent” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
“Board of Governors seek to end racism, inequality ‘wherever they exist’” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics
“Rebekah Jones, former DOH data curator, resurfaces to deny allegations, detail COVID-19 data mismatches” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
“Is it possible? College sophomores and juniors might be squeezed out of campus dorms and traditional instruction” via Isaac Morgan of the Florida Phoenix
“House Speaker won’t sanction Anthony Sabatini for ‘AR-15’ tweet” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“The officer charged with killing George Floyd has a home in Florida. Now, it’s vandalized” via C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald
“‘They came prepared to beat people up’: Jacksonville protest organizer blames cops for violence” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics
Quote of the Day
“Everybody can be very frustrated with what happened in Minneapolis. I think everybody is. But you can’t be taking violence, you just can’t do this. I’m glad the President is taking this seriously. I hope that every Mayor and every Governor does.” — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, endorsing the President’s plan to quell protests.
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