Peter Schorsch
First Lady Casey DeSantis highlighted the mental health services Florida is providing for free amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mental health advocates have seen the First Lady as an ally throughout her husband’s term. In a Wednesday news release, she and the Governor’s Office highlighted more than a dozen state and national services from seven state agencies and beyond providing mental health assistance during the pandemic.
“Mental health must always be an important point of emphasis in disaster response and recovery — especially for individuals already suffering from mental health issues, individuals affected by the disaster directly and health care workers and first responders,” DeSantis said. “In Florida, I am proud of the steps being taken by several state agencies during the COVID-19 public health emergency to offer mental health services and support.”
To expand and spread the news about behavioral health services, state agencies have coordinated with the Division of Emergency Management (DEM), under the direction of Director Jared Moskowitz, and Department of Health (DOH), under Surgeon General Scott Rivkees.
“We are committed to eliminating disparities in the availability and accessibility of mental health programs for all Floridians, including those engaged in essential activities,” Rivkees said. “Our teams of public health professionals, health care providers and first responders will have access to these effective mental health resources to stay healthy as they work to keep our state healthy during this unprecedented time.”
But with the Governor facing questions on where to cut up to $1 billion from the $93.2 billion spending plan, mental health and substance abuse advocates are wondering whether to read the unprecedented announcement from the First Lady as a sign of support from within the administration or an early apology.
Much of the state’s behavioral health budget is tied up in nonrecurring revenue that’s been approved year after year, a relic of prior administrations, the Great Recession and House budget rules that keep nonrecurring project funding in that pot. For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the Florida TaxWatch is recommending the Governor veto all member projects that don’t benefit the people of Florida. And if behavioral health services don’t get the same priority as other health care projects, crisis stabilization beds, substance abuse services and other central services could be slashed from the state’s expenses.
Assignment editors — Florida TaxWatch will host a virtual news conference for the release of its latest report, “Bringing Florida’s Budget Back from COVID-19: A Roadmap for a Responsible Recovery,” which outlines major short and long-term budget and policy recommendations to ensure Florida’s strong and responsible recovery from the fiscal impacts the pandemic, 10:30 a.m., Virtual News Conference Hosted via Zoom — us02web.zoom.us. Meeting ID: 881 4764 1708. The event password can be obtained through McKinley Lewis via email at [email protected] or (813) 469-4538.
“Ron DeSantis’ plans to rework state’s $93.2B budget could violate constitution” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis’ plan to balance the $92.3 billion state budget with federal dollars and vetoes could violate Florida’s Constitution because it would shut out the Legislature from the process. DeSantis said Tuesday a special session likely won’t be needed to rework the spending plan, despite the massive drops in revenue brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis said he believes a large number of vetoes he’s planning, combined with Florida’s $4 billion in reserves and some leeway from the federal government in spending CARES Act money, will allow him to make up for any shortfalls.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Juneteenth — 1; Belmont Stakes rescheduled — 2; Father’s Day — 3; Apple to hold Developer Conference — 4; NBA training camp — 12; “The Outpost” with Orlando Bloom and Scott Eastwood premieres — 15; NBA teams travel to Orlando — 19; Major League Soccer will return to action — 20; Disney World Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom to reopen — 23; Disney World Epcot and Hollywood Studios to reopen — 27; Federal taxes due — 27; “Mulan” premieres — 36; TED conference rescheduled — 37; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 43; NBA season restart in Orlando — 43; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 60; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 61; NBA draft lottery — 66; Indy 500 rescheduled — 66; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 68; Rev. Al Sharpton’s D.C. March — 71; “A Quiet Place Part II” premieres — 78; Rescheduled running of the Kentucky Derby — 79; Rescheduled date for French Open — 96; First presidential debate in Indiana — 106; “Wonder Woman” premieres — 106; Preakness Stakes rescheduled — 107; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 114; NBA season ends (last possible date) — 116; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 119; NBA draft — 119; Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premieres — 120; NBA free agency — 122; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 128; 2020 General Election — 138; “Black Widow” premieres — 142; NBA 2020-21 training camp — 145; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 152; “No Time to Die” premieres — 159; NBA 2020-21 opening night — 166; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 208; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 234; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 400; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 409; “Spider-Man Far From Home” sequel premieres — 505; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 603; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 645; “Black Panther 2” premieres — 687; “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel premieres — 841.
— AMERICA SMOLDERING —
“Officer charged with murder for shooting Rayshard Brooks” via Kate Brumback of The Associated Press — Prosecutors brought murder charges against the white Atlanta police officer who shot Brooks in the back, saying that Brooks was not a deadly threat and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying on the ground. Brooks was holding a stun gun he had snatched from officers, and he fired it at them during the clash, but he was running away at the time and was 18 feet, 3 inches from Officer Garrett Rolfe when Rolfe started shooting, District Attorney Paul Howard said in announcing the charges. Stun guns have a range of around 15 feet.
Tweet, tweet:
And be clear, these officers shot #RayshardBrooks in the back and stood and kicked his dying body IN THE MIDDLE of nation-wide, worldwide, protests over police brutality. This kind of oppression cannot be shamed. It must be constrained by strict laws and aggressively punished!
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) June 17, 2020
“Senate GOP unveils policing bill that would discourage, but not ban, tactics such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants” via Seung Min Kim and John Wagner of The Washington Post — Senate Republicans unveiled a policing bill that would discourage, but not ban, tactics such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants, offering a competing approach to legislation being advanced by House Democrats that includes more directives from Washington. The Republican proposal, which Senate leaders said would be considered on the floor next week, veers away from mandating certain policing practices, as the Democratic plan does. Congress is divided over the legislative remedies to police brutality months before the election. The legislation requires local law enforcement agencies to report all officer-involved deaths to the FBI and it encourages broader use of body-worn cameras for officers and de-escalation training.
“A monumental shift” via Christine Emba and The Washington Post — In the weeks that followed the George Floyd incident, the marches and demonstrations have expanded in size and scope. In 50 states and 18 countries, protesters have sparked a long-delayed conversation about structural racism, persistent inequality and the long history of white supremacy that has enabled injustice to persist. Confederate memorials marked the streets and squares in which they stood as white-dominated territory but protesters are now reclaiming those spaces as their own. Other monuments are being challenged as well. Columbus is now recognized by many as a violent colonizer who brutally subjugated indigenous populations, killing and enslaving thousands in the Caribbean and South America.
“An older generation of civil-rights activists sees hope, lessons in today’s protests” via Lee Hawkins and Melissa Korn of The Wall Street Journal — Many of the activists of America’s earlier civil-rights movement are watching the unfolding protests, spurred by the killing of George Floyd and reignited by the shooting of Brooks in Atlanta this past weekend with hopefulness and amazement. From their experiences and from the decades since then, many see differences this time around that give them hope. “We had an agenda. We knew what we wanted to accomplish,” said Phyllis Kirk, a retired attorney who worked as a community advocate and joined the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. “I don’t know if these young people today have that kind of initiative. We know what the problem is, but what is the solution?”
“Charleston officials to remove statue of slavery advocate” via Meg Kinnard and Jeffrey Collins of The Associated Press — Despite a South Carolina law protecting monuments, officials in the historic city of Charleston announced that they plan to remove a statue of slavery advocate John C. Calhoun from a downtown square. Mayor John Tecklenburg announced he will send a resolution to the City Council to remove the statue at a news conference on the fifth anniversary of the slaying of eight black church members and their pastor in Dylann Roof’s racist attack at a downtown Charleston church. The move comes as monuments to Confederates and other historical figures who repressed or oppressed other people are being removed across the country. The Rev. Nelson Rivers said Calhoun “represents Dylann Roof to us” and said Charleston leaders should defy the unjust Heritage Act and remove the statue.
— FLORIDA REAX —
“Florida police chiefs create panel to go beyond ‘can’t-wait’ reforms” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Police chiefs in St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando are among those on a new Florida Police Chiefs Association panel to recommend statewide police reforms beyond eight the association already calls “can’t-wait guidelines” including bans on chokeholds. The association is directing its new Subcommittee on Accountability and Societal Change, initially with 12 members, to use as a starting point the eight can’t-wait guidelines and build from there. Some can’t-wait guidelines, adopted by the association earlier this month, include: banning officers’ use of chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring officers to de-escalate situations, where possible, by communicating with subjects, maintaining distance, and otherwise eliminating the need to use force, requiring that officers give a verbal warning in all situations before using deadly force.
“Want to ‘defund’ a Florida sheriff? Except in Miami-Dade, there are roadblocks” via Lawrence Mower of the Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau — It has become a familiar rallying cry at protests over police abuses across the country: “Defund the police.” In Florida, it won’t be so easy. Altering the budgets of Florida’s 66 elected sheriffs is difficult — if not impossible. County commissioners set sheriffs’ budgets across the state, but they have little say over how sheriffs spend the money. And if sheriffs don’t like the budget commissioners give them, they can appeal their budget to the governor and Cabinet, which have favored sheriffs over the last few decades. “Good luck if you’re going to try to defund a sheriff’s office,” said Robert Sullivan, a retired Pasco County Sheriff’s Office captain and professor at St. Leo University. “It is a powerful, powerful entity, the Florida sheriff.”
“Hillsborough sheriff changes mind after protests, seeks full-time body cameras” via Tony Marrero of the Tampa Bay Times — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is a step closer to outfitting its deputies with body-worn cameras. The County Commission voted 6-1 to allow Sheriff Chad Chronister to put out a new request for proposals to purchase cameras that would run full time, not just when a deputy draws a sidearm or stun gun, as Chronister originally planned. The system would be more expensive, but worth it, Chronister told commissioners. He said the recent death of Floyd by Minneapolis police made him decide to change course. The Sheriff’s Office first put out a request for proposals from camera vendors last summer. After months of evaluation, Chronister told commissioners, he decided to go with a holster-activated system that started capturing video when deputies pull their service weapons or stun gun.
“The Hallandale Beach SWAT team quit amid union negotiations. Was it a stand — or a stunt?” via Rafael Olmeda of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Did they take a stand, or did they pull a stunt? Last week’s decision by all 10 members of the Hallandale Police Department SWAT team to resign from their roles cost each about $3,000 per year, but it comes as the department and the city negotiate a new contract with the union to replace the one that expired more than 18 months ago. The city’s vice mayor, Sabrina Javellana, has been critical of the department especially in the wake of the death of George Floyd. She said Tuesday she felt vindicated when Hallandale Police Chief Sonia Quiñones halted scheduled talks with the SWAT team members, saying that a discussion about political messages and preparedness had degenerated into a labor dispute.
“Jacksonville City Councilman files to rename Hemming Park” via Clayton Freeman of The Florida Times-Union — Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis filed legislation to rename Hemming Park downtown in honor of James Weldon Johnson, following a wave of recent protests and the removal of the Confederate monument formerly located within the park. Dennis, the council’s representative for District 9, made the announcement on what would have been Johnson’s 149th birthday. The news comes one day after the Duval County School Board voted unanimously to consider renaming six Jacksonville schools named after military or political figures of the Confederacy.
“Divided Lake Worth Beach commission takes step toward task force on racism” via Jorge Milian of The Palm Beach Post — The Lake Worth Beach City Commission narrowly agreed Tuesday night to meet next week and discuss creating a task force that would tackle systemic racism in the city. But the 3-2 vote and heated rhetoric during debate of the issue reflected the sharp divisions on the commission and the obstacles the board must overcome if it is to proceed with a task force, which the community appears to support. Commissioner Herman Robinson’s proposal calls for a 10- to 20-person panel formed to study issues connected to race in the wake of national and international protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
“Destroyed signs don’t stop Niceville teens and young adults from Black Lives Matter movement” via Savannah Evanoff of the NWF Daily News — Hundreds of protesters marched from Niceville City Hall to the Niceville Skate Park on Sunday afternoon in support of the amplified Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of Floyd. Among them were many Niceville High School students and alumni, some of whom had recently spent days making Black Lives Matter signs they placed along the fencing around Niceville High School. They received permission from Principal Charlie Marello after being denied permission to place signs on the pedestrian overpass. But as they marched for a cause they believed in, someone dug their heels in hard against them — stealing the majority of the signs and leaving others in shambles on the ground.
“Serene retreat or racist reminder? Some people think Plantation should change its name” via Austen Erblat and Rebecca Schneid of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The name seemed so bucolic six decades ago: Plantation. When the western Broward city was created in 1953, it was promoted as an idyllic refuge from the hubbub in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The image is more complicated today. “That name would have struck a chord,” FAU professor Evan Bennett said. “For Americans in the 20th century, that name comes to represent that sort of rural, rustic ideal. And a lot of the early advertising for the town of Plantation homes focused on getting away from the city, which in some ways is a code for ‘getting away from people of color who are in places like Fort Lauderdale and Miami,’ and of course, when it’s established, it’s established as a segregated community.”
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@DavidPlouffe: She’s right about that. This is a series of governor’s races much more than a national election. Biden does have leads in the battlegrounds too. But he’s not above 50 in many. They will tighten. Act accordingly.
—@NewtGingrich: During the Anthem, kneeling is a statement against the symbol of America’s Freedom and is the wrong way to protest. Especially in front of our proud military personnel. No athlete would dare take a knee during the Chinese national anthem.
—@SteveSchale: Well this [Donald] Trump clip praising China on the virus responds from February now makes sense.
—@TanzinaVega: As we have this “National Conversation About Race” remember that POC are not unpaid racism educators. We need white Americans to do the reading, take notes and then ask specific questions of each other.
—@CharlieKirk11: The left would rather cancel a bottle of syrup than a Democrat Governor who actually wore blackface. Think about that for a second.
—@KathyCastorFL: As we mourn the lives taken from us so tragically and senselessly, we must honor them by taking steps to change our country. We must dismantle the systems of oppression that Black Americans face every day. We must disarm hate and racism.
—@MikeStucka: Johns Hopkins says the week ending April 18 claimed 15,468 lives. A single week of coronavirus killed 24 percent more Americans than the entire first year of the H1N1 pandemic.
—@NikkiFried: Florida’s rate of positive #COVID19 cases Tuesday was 10.3%. That is the danger zone, according to health experts. Floridians, I implore you to wear masks and continue social distancing — just because a place is open, doesn’t mean it’s safe to go there.
—@UcfJag: New York: We bent the curve! New Jersey: We bent the curve! Florida: You should have been more specific about which direction we were supposed to bend the curve!
—@CarlosGSmith: I spoke w/county DOH officials today. Their contact tracing connects the surge in new COVID-19 cases (especially in young people near @UCF) directly to bars, nightclubs & pubs. Unfortunately, some bar owners flagrantly violated the 50% rules that no one seems to be enforcing.
—@NateMonroe: Gotta love this: Lawmakers tweet COVID-truther headlines and tough-guy pictures of their guns but are too scared to return to Tallahassee to do their jobs — because constituents are angry and demand change.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“Florida reports another 2,610 coronavirus cases; death toll passes 3,000” via Tiffini Theisen of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida reported an additional 2,610 coronavirus cases Wednesday as the statewide death toll surpassed 3,000. There have now been 82,719 infections and 3,018 deaths, which includes an additional 25 fatalities reported compared with a day earlier. DeSantis’ office attributes the increases to expanded testing. On Wednesday, another 25,462 tests were logged for a total of 1,486,759 tests since the pandemic began. The daily positive rate was 10.3%. Three of the newly reported deaths were in Central Florida. This brings the region’s death toll to 257.
“Models show virus growing in Florida in the coming months” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — According to a model produced in association with the University of Washington, the state could experience 54,000 daily infections and 438 daily deaths on Oct. 1. Meanwhile, an independently produced model puts the peak of new cases at 8,000 per day in mid-July and dropping below 5,000 by Oct. 1 and daily fatalities hitting 58 in early August and dropping to 43 by October. Both models, which reflect estimated cases rather than confirmed cases, show the state in the early days of a second resurgence. DeSantis has attributed the rising number of cases to expanded testing and communities where people live in close conditions, such as the prison system, agriculture and airports.
—“Why are COVID cases rising in Florida?” via Molly Olmsted of Slate
“Farmworkers: DeSantis’ remarks ‘shameful’” via Ana Ceballos of the News Service of Florida — Farmworkers are pushing back after DeSantis said clusters of “overwhelmingly Hispanic” day laborers and agriculture workers are the source for Florida’s recent surge in coronavirus cases. The Governor told reporters that migrant workers and Hispanic construction workers have been testing positive for COVID-19, in part, because of cramped living and working conditions. “Some of these guys go to work in a school bus, and they are all just packed there like sardines, going across Palm Beach County or some of these other places, and there’s all these opportunities to have transmission,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Tallahassee.
“State boosts COVID-19 testing for long-term care workers” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — Staff members at nursing homes and assisted living facilities will be required to be tested for COVID-19 every two weeks under a pair of emergency rules issued by the DeSantis administration. Facilities that don’t comply with the emergency rules could have their licenses revoked or suspended and face administrative fines. “To have the periodic testing every two weeks, that is more surveillance-style testing. You test once and you’re negative, that’s great,” DeSantis said. “But you can get it two weeks later. So to constantly go back to the staff — which will be the entry point for this — is something that is very, very significant.”
“Coronavirus ruined travel plans for 76% of Floridians” via Adrienne Cutway of ClickOrlando.com — We could all use a vacation, but thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, that likely won’t be happening soon for most. A new survey found that 76% of Floridians had their travel plans impacted due to the global COVID-19 situation. Of those, 40% had to reschedule, while 39% opted to cancel their trip altogether. Traveling by airplane or bus is considered an at-risk activity by the CDC so rather than take public transportation, 11% of Floridians said they’d take a trip in their car within a month and another 16% said they’d be down for a road trip in the next two to three months. No matter the mode of travel, the CDC recommends wearing facial coverings and practicing good hand hygiene.
“Jimmy Patronis meets with firefighting leaders about statewide COVID-19 response” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Patronis met with the executive boards of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and the Florida Professional Firefighters to receive a statewide update on the COVID-19 response efforts, particularly as they relate to a professional industry particularly vulnerable to the threat. “Today, I heard from firefighters from across the state on their ongoing response and recovery efforts related to COVID-19,” Patronis said. “My office continues working with fire chiefs to capture and monitor vital data on the impacts of the virus to their workforce, as the threat of exposure can take fire personnel offline for extended periods of time.” Florida recorded ten more deaths. The total death toll is now 3,110 deaths including 3,018 Floridians.
“Florida unemployment office closes after employee tests positive for COVID-19” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — One of the state unemployment offices in Tallahassee closed last week after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The employee works at the Department of Economic Opportunity’s Northwood office, about 10 minutes away from its main headquarters near the Capitol. On Thursday, the employee tested positive, and other employees in the building were notified. The office closed the next day to disinfect all desks, offices and common areas. Staff was allowed back into the building on Saturday. State employees have been working around the clock to process a historic surge in coronavirus-related unemployment claims. More than 2.5 million unemployment claims have been filed since March 15, and nearly 1.4 million people have started to be paid.
“‘Either he’s dead or he’s been kidnapped’: ICE detainees go ‘missing’ amid coronavirus” via Monique Madan of the Miami Herald — For the past six months Donald Brown has been held in U.S. immigration custody, first at a detention center in Miami-Dade, then at a facility in Glades County. But no matter where he was, the 62-year-old Jamaican national unremittingly called his family at least three times a day to check-in. His efforts to stay in touch grew as COVID-19 cases continued to balloon in jails and prisons nationwide. But on June 1, the calls stopped. Brown went missing. Brown’s family members and his attorney called ICE dozens of times to no avail. ICE’s online detainee locator was blank. “We started calling the morgue and funeral homes,” his daughter said. “He always calls, so either he’s dead or he’s been kidnapped.”
“Order opens door for future jury trials” via the News Service of Florida — Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady issued an order that could lead to the resumption of jury trials based on local circumstances. Canady initially suspended criminal and civil jury trials in March and subsequently extended the suspension through July 17. But he issued an order setting up a process that would replace the blanket suspension. The order is tied to courts moving into what is known as “Phase 2” operations, which would involve limited personal contact and use of protective measures. Under the order, criminal and civil jury trials will remain suspended until 30 days after a circuit’s chief judge has determined that the circuit or a county has made the transition to Phase 2.
— CORONA LOCAL —
“Miami-Dade COVID numbers worsen. Mayor: People ‘too comfortable’ ignoring mask rules” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Mayor Carlos Giménez cited worsening COVID-19 statistics and warned of “some people getting a little too comfortable about not wearing masks.” In a video message, Giménez warned that Miami-Dade would start closing businesses if they didn’t enforce emergency coronavirus rules requiring customers to wear masks. He also speculated that two weeks of outdoor demonstrations against racial injustice were likely contributing to the rising infection rate in Florida’s largest county. A larger portion of coronavirus test results is also coming back positive across the county.
To watch the video message, click on the image below:
“City Council and Mayor Lenny Curry assemble $5 million plan to help JEA ratepayers and hard-hit businesses” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — A $2 million plan for helping JEA ratepayers avoid utility cutoffs in three weeks moved closer to happening as City Council members and Curry’s administration crystallized details of the program. A separate relief plan calls for adding $3 million to a popular program that aids business owners and has a waiting list of 1,300 applicants who suffered losses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been a tremendous team effort to put this together,” City Council member Ron Salem said during a meeting to go over the proposals. The plan would provide up to $200 apiece to Duval County households whose residents show they have lost at least 25 percent of their income since Feb. 29 as a direct result of the pandemic’s impact on the economy.
“DeSantis said recent worker tests at Orlando International had 52% positive rate. Airport says it was 0.4%” via Jeff Weiner of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis said something that might have startled those with upcoming Central Florida travel plans: 500 workers at a local airport were recently tested for COVID-19, with 260 coming back positive — a rate of 52%. DeSantis didn’t specify at the time which airport he was talking about. But the region’s biggest airport on Wednesday issued a statement that says the governor’s positive rate was way off. Phil Brown in the statement said the Florida Department of Health did conduct 500 tests at Orlando International Airport over three days last week. Just two of the tests in that batch came back positive, he said — 0.4%.
“Tampa City Council cancels Thursday meeting due to virus exposure” via Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times — The shutdowns of restaurants and bars across Tampa Bay in the last few days due to coronavirus outbreaks has added the Tampa City Council, which won’t meet Thursday for a workshop or evening meeting after city workers were exposed to the virus. Chairman Guido Maniscalco made the call to cancel the meetings late Wednesday at the recommendation of Fire Chief Nick LoCicero and other emergency management officials. Maniscalco said he had been informed that city workers had been exposed to the virus but didn’t have any details due to patient privacy laws. “It’s just out of an abundance of caution. Cases have been rising all over the place,” Maniscalco said, explaining his decision. “I don’t want to expose anybody.”
“USF won’t refund housing costs if virus causes campuses to close again” via Divya Kumar of the Tampa Bay Times — Students in University of South Florida residence halls will bear a heavy financial risk this year, with the possibility of paying thousands of dollars for living space they won’t be using. The university is requiring students to sign an addendum to their yearlong housing contracts that state USF will not offer refunds if on-campus housing needs to close early this year. If the COVID-19 outbreak worsened in the fall, forcing campuses to shut down as they did in the spring, students would shoulder the financial losses that come with that decision, not the university. Parents of USF students have started an online petition demanding the university reverse the new policy.
“Coronavirus cases up at Tampa Bay bars and restaurants, with little guidance on how to handle” via Helen Freund of the Tampa Bay Times — A number of St. Petersburg bars shuttered after their employees tested positive for COVID-19, including nearby Park & Rec DTSP and the Avenue. And in the days since, a growing number of restaurants and bars across the Tampa Bay area have seen more positive cases. The response from owners has varied widely. Some have shut down while the entire staff undergoes testing. Others have stayed open but say they are engaging in thorough cleaning, testing and contact tracing measures. Some businesses temporarily closed recently as a precaution but did not say whether employees there tested positive for COVID-19.
“As coronavirus cases rise, hundreds turn out to Oviedo test site” via Martin Comas and Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — By 1 p.m., three hours after the testing began in the parking lot at Carillon Elementary, county health officials closed the site because they ran out of a supply of 500 test kits. It was by far the greatest number of people that Seminole officials have seen turn out to a test site since the pandemic began in early March. The county plans to conduct more testing at Carillon on Tuesday, June 23. “We’ve never seen demand like this, nor have we tested as many as we have today [at a single site],” said Ashley Moore, a county spokeswoman. In Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer said testing has been “robust” at sites there also.
— CORONA NATION —
“How exactly do you catch COVID-19? There is a growing consensus” via Daniela Hernandez, Sarah Toy and Betsy McKay of The Wall Street Journal — It’s not common to contract COVID-19 from a contaminated surface, scientists say. And fleeting encounters with people outdoors are unlikely to spread the coronavirus. Instead, the major culprit is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. Crowded events, poorly ventilated areas, and places where people are talking loudly or singing, in one famous case, maximize the risk. Two recent large studies showed that wide-scale lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, bans on large gatherings, and business closures, prevented millions of infections and deaths around the world. Now, with more knowledge in hand, cities, and states can deploy targeted interventions to keep the virus from taking off again, scientists and public-health experts said.
“The ultimate COVID-19 mystery: Why does it spare some and kill others?” via Joel Achenbach, Karin Brulliard and Ariana Eunjung Cha of The Washington Post — The novel coronavirus can be a killer or no big deal. It can put a person in the intensive care unit on a ventilator, isolated from family, facing a lonely death or it can come and go without leaving a mark, a ghost pathogen, more rumor than reality. Six months into the pandemic, scientists are still trying to understand the wildly variable nature of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Much of the research remains provisional or ambiguous, and for now, scientists can’t do much better than say that COVID-19 is more likely to be worse for older people and for those with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, lung disease and heart disease.
“Coronavirus has come to Donald Trump country” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post — If current trends hold, it is hard to see how Florida will be able to present Trump with the event he wants to hold. In fact, several states central to his reelection chances, including Florida and Arizona, have recently seen sharp increases in new coronavirus cases. In Arizona and Florida, the seven-day average of new cases is more than double at around 150 percent. Trump’s decision to shift his attention to Florida may end up being ironic: ditching North Carolina because of its attempts to curtail the virus, which might tamp down the risk in that state by the end of July even as Florida faces more risks as coronavirus cases grow.
“Trump pushing officials to speed up already ambitious coronavirus vaccine timeline” via Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Laurie McGinley and Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post — Trump, faced with multiple crises and falling poll numbers less than five months before the presidential election, is prodding top health officials to move faster on a historically ambitious timeline to approve a coronavirus vaccine by year’s end. The goal is to instill confidence among voters that the virus can be tamed and the economy fully reopened under Trump’s stewardship. In a meeting last month with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Trump pushed Azar repeatedly to speed up the already unprecedented timeline. The push comes as Trump encourages states to reopen even as coronavirus cases are rising in Southern and Western states.
“Anthony Fauci warns of coronavirus resurgence if states don’t adhere to safety guidelines” via Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal — Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert, warned the nation risks a resurgence of coronavirus infections should states fail to remain vigilant as they reopen their economies. “When I look at the TV and I see pictures of people congregating at bars when the location they are indicates they shouldn’t be doing that, that’s very risky,” Dr. Fauci said. “People keep talking about a second wave,” he added. “We’re still in a first wave.” Trump, who is planning a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend, has attributed more cases to an increase in testing across the country.
—“Doctors fear Arizona virus overload as hospital cases top N.Y.” via Emma Court, John Tozzi and Breena Goth of Bloomberg
—“Oregon joins Florida, Texas in confronting COVID-19’s resurgence” via Jonathan Levin and Olga Kharif of Bloomberg
—“Rural Alabama county fights virus outbreak with just one doctor” via Margaret Newkirk and Danielle Bochove of Bloomberg
“To prepare for the next pandemic, the U.S. needs to change its national security priorities, experts say” via Shane Harris and Missy Ryan of The Washington Post — Three months after Trump declared a national emergency because of the coronavirus, officials and analysts are asking whether national security should be dramatically recalibrated, this time around the threat of a pandemic. “We need to treat this moment like we treated 9/11, recognizing that we have a massive vulnerability in which we have chronically underinvested,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, a former senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Many former officials were pessimistic that the Trump administration would make meaningful changes or learn much from its response, which has been widely criticized as slow and inept. Trump all but declared victory over the pandemic at a Rose Garden ceremony on June 5.
“A mad scramble to stock millions of malaria pills, likely for nothing” via Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times — The Food and Drug Administration’s abrupt decision to revoke an emergency waiver for two malaria drugs promoted by Trump as potential “game changers” against the coronavirus has left 66 million doses stranded in the federal stockpile — and officials do not yet know what they will do with them. The FDA’s withdrawal of its “emergency use authorization” for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine did not go over well at the White House, where top aides to Trump had rushed in March to fill the federal stockpile. That included accepting a donation from the pharmaceutical giant Bayer of three million tablets from a factory in Pakistan that had not been certified by the FDA as safe.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“Jerome Powell urges Congress not to remove fiscal support too fast” via Matthew Boesler of Bloomberg — Powell urged Congress not to pull back too quickly on federal relief for households and small businesses amid increasing debate over whether to extend temporary programs that were put in place to shield them from the pandemic. “I would think that it would be a concern if Congress were to pull back from the support that it’s providing too quickly,” Powell said. Lawmakers are debating whether to renew the fiscal-aid measures they’ve approved for the millions of Americans who lost their jobs in recent months as businesses closed to stem the spread of the virus. The expanded unemployment insurance payments of $600 a week that formed part of the relief package are set to expire on July 31.
“COVID-19 foreclosure ban for homeowners extended through Aug. 31. But there’s a catch” via Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald — Citing concerns over the economic impact of the coronavirus shutdown, the Federal Housing Finance Agency has extended the national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures to Aug. 31. The current moratorium was set to expire on June 30. But there’s a catch. The moratorium only applies to single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The protection includes condo owners. “To protect borrowers and renters during the pandemic we are extending the Enterprises’ foreclosure and eviction moratorium, said FHFA director Mark Calabria. “During this national health emergency, no one should worry about losing their home.” Many homeowners or landlords who obtained their mortgages through traditional lenders may not know whether their mortgages are owned by Freddie or Fannie.
“With eviction freeze extension, Florida landlords wonder how they’ll recover lost rent” via Emily Mahoney and Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis ordered the statewide stay on evictions April 2 and has twice extended it. The move was to prevent out-of-work renters from becoming homeless, though his office has stressed that it does not cancel rent obligations altogether. Hundreds of eviction cases have stacked up in Florida courts since then, leaving landlords fretting whether they will be able to recover the thousands they are owed from unemployed tenants who may be unable to pay ballooning back payments. Some also fear their tenants are taking advantage. The CARES Act provided forbearance plans for some property owners to delay mortgage payments, but only for those whose loans are federally backed.
“Gig workers face arrest and charges while delivering during pandemic and curfews” via Faiz Siddiqui of The Washington Post — The pandemic and protests that triggered widespread curfews have added a new layer of risk for people conducting the essential work of delivering food or groceries as gig workers. Newer risks build on an already unseen pool of liability faced by most of these independent contractors, who are not entitled to the benefits available to traditional employees in what the companies say is an exchange for flexibility. The risk can manifest in different ways: traffic tickets, higher insurance rates, misdemeanor citations and even arrest. Companies say they are merely technology platforms that connect consumers ordering food or hailing rides with individuals willing to carry out the tasks. Those performing the tasks aren’t employees, in the companies’ view, but contractors.
“Coins are now in short supply.” via The New York Times — Economic lockdowns meant to contain the coronavirus pandemic have come with unusual side effects. Add this to the list: America’s banks are running out of coins. “What’s happened is that with the partial closure of the economy, the flow of coins through the economy, it has gotten all — it’s kind of stopped,” Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, told lawmakers while testifying on Capitol Hill, noting that places where people exchange their quarters and pennies for cash and stores have closed, disrupting the normal flow. “We’ve been aware of it, we’re working with the Mint to increase supply, we’re working with the reserve banks to get the supply to where it needs to be,” he said.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“John Bolton says Trump impeachment inquiry missed other troubling actions” via Peter Baker of The New York Times — Bolton, the former national security adviser, says in his new book that the House in its impeachment inquiry should have investigated Trump not just for pressuring Ukraine to incriminate his domestic foes but for a variety of instances when he sought to intervene in law enforcement matters for political reasons. Bolton describes several episodes where the president expressed willingness to halt criminal investigations “to, in effect, give personal favors to dictators he liked,” citing cases involving major firms in China and Turkey. Bolton also adds a striking new allegation by saying that Trump overtly linked trade negotiations to his own political fortunes by asking President Xi Jinping of China to buy a lot of American agricultural products to help him win farm states in this year’s election.
“Trump said invading Venezuela would be ‘cool’ and called Guaidó a ‘kid’ in new John Bolton book” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — A new book by Trump’s former National Security Adviser says the president waffled on his decision to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader over Nicolás Maduro within hours after the initial announcement went public in January 2019. The forthcoming book by Bolton, a high-ranking aide in multiple Republican presidencies whose hawkish foreign policy views in Latin America align with South Florida Republicans, presents the President as inconsistent on Venezuela policy in excepts released Wednesday. At one point, Trump said invading Venezuela would be “cool” and that the South American nation was “really part of the United States,” according to Bolton’s account. But at other times, the book says, the president deviated from his administration’s anti-Maduro rhetoric in private.
“Trump voters want to protect Dreamers” via Anita Kumar of POLITICO — A majority of Trump voters want to protect so-called Dreamers from deportation, putting pressure on Trump to shield immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. The poll indicates that wide swaths of registered voters support Dreamers regardless of gender, education, income, ethnicity, religion and ideology. That includes 68 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of those who approve of the job Trump is doing. The findings highlight a looming political challenge for Trump as he runs for a second term, partly to make good on his promises to immigration hard-liners while looking to appeal to Hispanics and slicing into the advantage Democrats have with them.
“Trump’s executive order on transportation could expedite Miami-Dade monorail” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Trump recently issued an Executive Order directing the Transportation Secretary to expedite the development of large infrastructure projects, streamlining the regulatory process and providing funding to help projects break ground. The order is part of the Administration’s economic recovery effort responding to the recent effects of the COVID-19 closures. The additional federal funding could benefit several transportation projects currently in the pipeline across the state, including rapid transit in Miami-Dade County.
“Secretary of the Interior talks road, restoration projects during visit to Fort Pickens” via Madison Arnold of the Pensacola News Journal — Just two days after the road into Fort Pickens reopened following Tropical Storm Cristobal, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt visited the area and said a new bill working its way through Congress could help the road be rebuilt if it were ever destroyed by a hurricane. The road is frequently closed following storms, including for about a week after Cristobal. If passed, the Great American Outdoors Act would provide up to $1.9 billion each year between fiscal years 2021 and 2025 to provide deferred maintenance on public lands such as Fort Pickens.
“Play ball? Marco Rubio hopes Major League Baseball can fill cultural ‘void’” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — “America really needs some unifying common experiences right now,” Rubio tweeted, referring to MLB. Baseball wouldn’t “distract us from our challenges,” Rubio added. It would “remind us of the things we have in common.” “Baseball can help fill that void & I am cautiously optimistic we will #playball very soon,” Rubio wrote. The Senator spoke to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, at a time when the players’ union and the league continue to dicker about terms of an abbreviated season. The latest deliberations, as reported by Buster Olney of ESPN, involve a potential 60-game season starting in July.
“Rick Scott’s new bill targets countries that hire Cuban doctors through official ‘missions’” via Nora Gamez Torres of the Miami Herald — A new bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Scott would target countries that hire Cuban doctors through the “medical missions” controlled by the island’s government. The Cut Profits to the Cuban Regime Act requires the State Department to publish the list of countries that contract the doctors through the Cuban government and to consider that as a factor in their ranking in the State Department’s annual “Trafficking in Persons” report. Scott, who led the effort along with Cuban American Sens. Rubio and Ted Cruz said the Cuban government was participating “in the human trafficking of doctors” and that any country that requests medical assistance from Cuba is aiding such efforts.
“With storms in May, lawmaker wants a longer hurricane season” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press — Even though the six-month Atlantic hurricane season lasts as long as a typical Major League Baseball season, a Florida congresswoman thinks it needs to be longer. U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration requesting that the start of the official hurricane season be in mid-May. The current season goes from June through November. In 2020, three tropical storms formed in mid-May and the beginning of June, she said. NOAA has received the congresswoman’s letter and the agency looks forward to discussing the topic with her, spokesman Christopher Vaccaro said.
— STATEWIDE —
“Nation’s largest labor group caravans around Capitol, calls for investment in workers” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Members of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations caravanned around the Florida Capitol, calling for more government help for front-line workers and workers of color. “As millions of essential workers continue to put themselves in harm’s way to serve their communities and with even more set to rejoin the workforce, it is imperative that working people have proper safety on the job and economic protection,” said Florida AFL-CIO Communications Director Michael Newberger. “Economic justice is racial justice. Working people are calling for an end to police brutality and equity on the job for workers of color.” Newberger acknowledged their call to action comes at a cost and arrives at a time marked by budget shortfalls. He added, however, that relief comes through a proper prioritization of issues.
“Supreme Court urged to scuttle hazing appeals” via the News Service of Florida — Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office is urging the Florida Supreme Court to not take up cases stemming from the 2017 death of a fraternity pledge at Florida State University. Former Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity chapter President Anthony Petagine and fraternity members Luke Kluttz and Anthony Oppenheimer went to the Court after a divided panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal in January ruled that the men could face felony charges in the death of Andrew Coffey, a pledge from Broward County who died after drinking heavily at an off-campus party. The dispute has focused, at least in part, on whether prosecutors showed an adequate basis to pursue felony charges against Petagine, Kluttz and Oppenheimer.
“Citrus officials look at increased marketing” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — The Florida Citrus Commission directed staff members to map out a $10 million marketing plan that could require an increase in what is known as a “box tax” that helps fund marketing efforts. The tax could go from 7 cents to 12 cents for each 90-pound box that growers fill. The commission will revisit the spending plan and finalize the box tax number in October, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture makes its first forecast for next growing season.
“Florida retail hemp shows high traces of lead contamination” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — Some retail hemp cannabidiol [CBD] products in Florida are showing signs of lead contamination that exceed regulations and the source is likely on the retail side. “Where we’re finding it is in random samples that have already been bottled that we pull from retail locations in the state of Florida,” said Holly Bell, director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concerns include over-the-counter, nonprescription hemp products such as CBD oil, powders and edibles. Matthew Curran, director of Food Safety for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said the lead contamination is “quite a bit over the limit.”
“Tampa-Orlando I-4 project gets $10M in federal transportation funding” via Veronica Brezina-Smith of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — The DOT’s Federal Highway Administration has awarded a $10 million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment grant to the Florida Department of Transportation for Florida’s Regional Advanced Mobility Elements, or FRAME, project on I-4. The project will deploy an advanced system consisting of next-generation traffic incident management and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies. The project will allow travelers in the I-4 FRAME system to receive a variety of traffic, weather, intersection signal timing, and other mobility-related messages in real-time. The project plans to deploy roadside units with short-range communications and cellular vehicle capabilities to receive traffic-related messages.
“Trump golf club asks Palm Beach County for rent relief” via Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post — Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach has asked Palm Beach County to defer some of the $88,338 monthly rent it pays to lease public land for the president’s private golf club, citing hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a June 5 letter to the county, the club’s finance director, Ed Raymundo, cited the “significant impact” caused by county’s order shutting parks and golf courses during the pandemic. The March 25 order coincided with the “busiest part of our season,” Raymundo wrote. The Palm Beach County Commission has already agreed to defer the rent for other tenants, including cafes and coffee shops that operate at county parks and buildings.
— 2020 —
“Why do Trump supporters act like his election is certain?” via Ed Kilgore of New York Magazine — By any objective standard, the president’s prospects for reelection are looking down. Biden is continuing to lead him in trial heats nationally and in most battleground states. Politico found that if you ask Republicans why Trump’s going to win, they generally offer explanations ranging from the hyper-optimistic, to the aggressively ignorant, to pure disinformation. It’s possibly relevant that polls show a majority of Republicans are motivated by a desire to support Trump, while a majority of Democrats are more focused on beating Trump than on electing Biden.
“Trump has a point about the polls” Steven Shepard of POLITICO — As Trump tumbles in the polls and falls further behind Biden, his campaign has returned to a familiar refrain: The polls are underestimating Trump’s appeal again. Pollsters aren’t deliberately skewing their surveys against the president and his party, as Trump’s orbit alleges. Some pollsters, especially the relatively few who conduct surveys in battleground states, are still grappling with the problems that plagued those polls four years ago. In fact, most pollsters believe that, on balance, state polls are overstating the scale of Biden’s advantage. The national polls were largely accurate, to within the margin of error. But there were too few state polls, and many of those that were conducted failed to collect accurate data, especially from white voters without college degrees in key swing states.
“Joe Biden kicks off general election ad flight” — Biden For President launched a $15 million ad campaign that will include five weeks of TV, digital, radio, and print blitzes. That includes hitting Florida and Arizona with an array of content in Spanish and English to expand Latino outreach and a six-figure investment in Black print media, radio and digital programming six swing states including Florida. The ads will use audio from a Biden address in Philadelphia on America’s challenges, a speech Biden’s team calls “an address that Donald Trump could never give.” “The ads feature Biden in his own voice. A voice of clarity and moral authority that the country desperately needs,” said Patrick Bonsignore, paid media director for the campaign. “
“Republican operatives launch pro-Biden super PAC” via Alayna Treene and Jonathan Swan of Axios — A group of prominent Republican operatives that includes former officials from the Trump and George W. Bush administrations are launching a super PAC to turn out GOP voters for Biden in November. The “Right Side PAC” aims to identify former Trump supporters across the country who have cooled to the president’s approach in office and convince them to vote for Biden, says founder Matt Borges, a former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. The PAC will initially target voters in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida. They’ll use digital, mail and telephone to reach voters. They’ll encourage absentee voting. They do not have plans to run TV ads.
“The end of character politics” via Lili Loofbourow of Slate — One of Watergate’s less obvious but lasting effects was that a politician’s “character,” a capacious term that would eventually encompass all kinds of supposed virtues and flaws, became an object of increasingly obsessive scrutiny for the press and the public. This was a noticeable shift. As the tacit agreement to keep the private sins of politicians off-limits began to erode, a new political reality emerged. Many of the scandals were naturally about sex, and few were as much of a legal breach as the Watergate break-in and cover-up. Biden was forced to end his first presidential campaign after he was found to have copied parts of a speech by British politician Neil Kinnock, even appearing to claim details from Kinnock’s life story as his own. He was also found to have borrowed bits of speeches from Robert Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.
“Historic Facebook campaign will boost voter registration, turnout and voices” via Mark Zuckerberg for USA Today — Facebook is announcing on the largest voting information campaign in American history. The company’s goal is to help 4 million people register to vote. Zuckerberg says the company is creating a new Voting Information Center with authoritative information, including how and when to vote, as well as details about voter registration, voting by mail and information about early voting. Facebook will by and large not be censoring content. However, the company has rules against speech that will cause imminent physical harm or suppress voting, and no one is exempt from them.
— CONVENTION COUNTDOWN —
“Big questions remain to be answered for Jacksonville hosting Republican National Convention” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — With just 68 days until Jacksonville hosts the Republican National Convention, questions swirl around the most high-profile event to hit the city since it welcomed the Super Bowl in 2005. Cities usually have two years to mesh all the moving parts of hosting a national political convention. City Council member Tommy Hazouri, who will become council president on July 1, said the convention could be a “shot in the arm” for struggling hotels. He said he hasn’t heard of any requests for city taxpayer dollars to underwrite the convention’s expenses. The single biggest expense of the convention will be security, a massive undertaking that will entail bringing thousands of law enforcement officers from outside Jacksonville to assist the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“Several Jacksonville Beach restaurants, bars closed due to COVID-19” via First Coast News — With several patrons and employees of Jacksonville Beaches-area bars and restaurants being diagnosed with COVID-19 in the days following the reopening of bars in Florida, several businesses are opting to close shop. Many are having their facilities deep cleaned and sanitized and requiring employees to be tested for the novel coronavirus. Lynch’s Irish Pub in Jax Beach reopened Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. after being closed for several days due to at least a dozen patrons reporting they tested positive for COVID-19. Angie’s Sub Shop posted on Facebook an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The Jax Beach location of Mellow Mushroom announced on Facebook it is shutting its doors to deep clean and professionally sanitize its building.
“Major GOP donors won’t be staying in Jacksonville for Republican National Convention” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — A letter sent to donors, first reported by Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou of Bloomberg, reveals that for most leading categories of donors, hotels have been secured in Amelia Island, not Jacksonville itself. Amelia Island, which has a Ritz Carlton among other prestigious hotels that are not in Jacksonville, is in Nassau County. The best package available, according to Trump Victory, is the “Presidential Trust,” a level requiring a $1,161,200 contribution per couple. Meanwhile, those in the Chairman’s Circle ($250,000 annually), the “Trump 500” (bundling $500,000 from 15 discrete contributions), “Trump family” ($150,000 annually), and the Builders’ Club ($100,000 in 10 or more contributions), will get reduced packages. However, they will all be in Amelia Island.
— MORE FROM THE TRAIL —
“Florida elections officials asked DeSantis for coronavirus help. They’re still waiting.” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — Alarmed by the coronavirus pandemic, Florida’s election supervisors asked DeSantis more than 10 weeks ago to grant them special flexibility under state law “as soon as possible” in case poll workers refuse to show up or landlords decline to open polling places. He didn’t respond. With the Aug. 18 primary looming, elections officials say they’ve yet to hear from DeSantis on whether he’ll issue an emergency executive order extending early voting and allowing for the consolidation of polling places, among other changes. Instead, as new coronavirus cases increase to record levels across the state, supervisors say they’re preparing for the start of voting with limited ability to respond to another outbreak.
“DeSantis offers Election Day help as Republicans say they’ll cast ballots in person” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO Florida — DeSantis took steps to help localities prepare for what could be high voter turnout this year but stopped short of extending early voting or letting counties consolidate polling places in the battleground amid signs that Trump’s disparagement of mailed ballots could be resonating with Republican voters. DeSantis called on schools to close during the August primary and November general election to make room for what might be record voter turnout. He also issued an executive order that makes it easier for state employees to work at the polls. DeSantis has been under pressure for months from local election supervisors, who fear the coronavirus pandemic could affect their ability to recruit poll workers and manage balloting in a presidential year.
“Groups ask judge to clear way for vote-by-mail fight” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Accusing Florida officials of ignoring “the harsh reality of the pandemic,” left-leaning groups are asking a federal judge to move forward with legal challenges to state vote-by-mail restrictions. DeSantis and Secretary of State Laurel Lee late last month asked U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle to dismiss the challenges, arguing that they are based on “speculative fears” about what might occur later in the year. In one of the lawsuits, Priorities USA and other plaintiffs want the judge to extend a deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned and require free postage for the ballots. They’re also challenging a provision in Florida law restricting paid workers from collecting mail-in ballots.
“Neal Dunn endorses James St. George for CD 3” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — St. George picked up an endorsement from Dunn in the race for Florida’s 3rd Congressional District. “James St. George is a true conservative. You can count on him to support the President and defend our 2nd Amendment Rights,” said Dunn, a fellow physician who represents neighboring CD 2. “As a fellow physician, he understands the need to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a free-market solution. He has my full support.” As of March 31, St. George led the money race with $400,499 raised and $336,000 in the bank. The next-closest competitor, Judson Sapp, has $310,000 in the bank.
“How does Heather Fitzenhagen’s exit reshape CD 19’s GOP primary?” via Jason Ogles of Florida Politics — Fitzenhagen withdrew her federal candidacy and filed instead for state Senate. But what does that mean for the remaining nine Republicans campaigning in Florida’s 19th Congressional District? Observers and campaign insiders say her departure may have a significant impact, but then few believe Fitzenhagen would have left the race if she saw a reliable path to Washington. Republican candidates Casey Askar, William Figlesthaler, Dane Eagle, Byron Donalds and Randy Henderson all outraised and outspent her in the race. That said, opponents praised Fitzenhagen on the way out of the door and quickly started to explore how to consolidate her support into their own.
“Danny Burgess, Kathy Lewis qualify for Tom Lee Senate seat” via the News Service of Florida — Republican Burgess and Democrat Lewis quickly qualified to run for a Senate seat that became open when Sen. Lee decided to leave office two years before his term expires. While the election in Senate District 20 will be with other races in November, it is technically a special election. As a result, a special qualifying period opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday and will end at noon Thursday.
“Jason Maughan goes on TV in HD 76 with MAGA messaging” via Jason Ogles of Florida Politics — Sanibel Island Republican Maughan has gone on air with his first TV buy for his House campaign. With a focus on public service and Trump, the Sanibel City Councilman hopes to rally the base. “The ad reflects my conservative values, commitment to President Trump and his agenda, and my determination and desire to fight for the residents of Southwest Florida in Tallahassee,” he said. Maughan’s video spot stresses how he’s an attorney and a successful business owner. A narrator in the ad describes Maughan as “a proud supporter of President Trump” who promotes “shop local policies that put Florida’s workers first.”
To watch the video, click on the image below:
—“Meet Dan Horton–Diaz, a Democratic candidate for Senate District 39” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics
—“Meet Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a Democrat running for House District 48” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics
“Lawyers for deputies accused of police brutality want Sheriff Gregory Tony’s ‘Accountable’ ad off the air” via Skyler Swisher of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Lawyers representing three men accused of police brutality are taking issue with Sheriff Gregory Tony’s first television campaign ad, accusing him of tainting potential jurors and trying to “weaponize” their cases to aid his reelection efforts. Tony proclaims in the ad titled “Accountable” that he “fired the bad cops,” briefly flashing grainy footage of incidents involving his former deputies Christopher Krickovich and Kevin Fanti, along with Gregory LaCerra, who is still on the force. The men aren’t mentioned by name in the ad, but their lawyers Jeremy Kroll and Eric Schwartzreich wrote in a letter to Tony that he shouldn’t be broadcasting the footage for political purposes without context.
“Former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek endorses Alex Penelas in Miami-Dade mayoral race” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Meek is supporting Penelas in the 2020 contest for Miami-Dade County Mayor. “I am proud to stand with Alex,” Meek said Wednesday. “He led the way for Miami-Dade before and I am confident he will do it now.” Penelas formerly served as Mayor from 1996-2004. That tenure partially overlapped with Meek’s time in the House. Penelas is competing against Carlos Antonio De Armas, entrepreneur Monique Nicole Barley, current County Commissioners Esteban Bovo, Daniella Levine Cava and Xavier Suarez, and real estate agent Ludmilla Domond.
“Seminole County Commission races set to burn this summer” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Late entries abounded in Seminole County in the past two weeks, including several Democrats. They’re setting up a high-profile primary in all three Seminole County Commission races, and all but assuring the heat will be on this summer. It’s all playing out under the specter of involvement by controversial Seminole County mover-and-shaker Chris Dorworth. Longwood Mayor Matt Morgan, a former WWE professional wrestling champion who is a rapidly rising star in Republican politics launched a challenge to fellow Republican, County Commissioner Bob Dallari, in District 1. Former Longwood Mayor and now Longwood City Commissioner Ben Paris also entered a challenge to a fellow Republican, County Commissioner Lee Constantine.
— TOP OPINION —
“If you want to avoid another coronavirus shutdown, act like it” via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board — After dominating our lives for months, the coronavirus became yesterday’s news as social protests erupted and people just wanted to get on with their lives. The infection rate has exploded in recent days. Hospitalization rates are still acceptable, so health officials say there’s no reason to panic. There is plenty of reason for concern, however. If the infection trajectory continues rising, “we’d have to do something much more drastic,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. The public should be eager to do everything possible to avoid another shutdown. “Everything” means wearing masks and observing social distancing guidelines. Considering the astronomical toll the COVID-19 crisis has exacted, that seems a small price to pay.
— OPINIONS —
“What a successful economic recovery plan must look like” via Jason Furman, Timothy Geithner, Glenn Hubbard and Melissa S. Kearney of The Washington Post — It was good news that the economy added 2.5 million jobs last month. But we are still only one-tenth of the way to repairing the massive labor market damage caused by the novel coronavirus. In order to protect families from the worst pain, more will be required, but with the flexibility to respond to changing economic needs. A successful recovery effort must bolster incomes battered by the pandemic shutdown without creating disincentives to work. And it must support state and local governments in their efforts helping to heal the economy and shield their residents from the worst effects of the downturn.
“Florida is ground zero in the debate over pay for college athletes” via Len Simon of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — With the stroke of his pen on June 12, DeSantis has put Florida at the “grown-ups table” in the debate over name, image and likeness (“NIL”) earnings in college sports. California sparked this debate last year with its Fair Pay to Play Act, requiring that California colleges allow their athletes to earn money through NIL. What’s at stake here? Basically, it’s whether college quarterbacks can advertise Cadillacs, whether female gymnasts can earn money as social media influencers, and more generally whether the NCAA’s 440,000 athletes can have “side gigs” and make a few bucks or for some, a lot more. The NCAA has long disallowed this and reacted angrily when California passed a bill requiring its colleges to permit it.
— TODAY’S SUNRISE —
DeSantis says there’s no going back on his plan to reopen the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. But if the Governor won’t act, Saint Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman says local officials will have to pick up the slack.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— Kriseman says he’ll issue an order Friday mandating the use of face masks by employees at businesses that deal with the public. That includes bars, restaurants and gyms.
— State health officials reported 2,610 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday, the second-largest daily increase since the crisis began. There were 25 more fatalities and the total number of COVID-19 deaths in Florida is at least 3,110.
— Florida Democrats are teeing off on Trump, saying he failed at every step of the way in responding to coronavirus.
— Democrats are also directing some of their ire at DeSantis because he’s following Trump’s playbook.
— The COVID-19 crisis is having a major impact on Floridians who just graduated high school. The head of the Florida College Access Network says some of the kids are delaying plans to attend a university while others are opting for cheaper colleges or staying closer to home.
— Checking in with Florida Man, who was busted for child pornography — and that’s not the most disturbing part of his story.
To listen, click on the image below:
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“As Florida virus test numbers rise, NBA prepares for Disney” via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press — The rate of positive coronavirus tests in the Orlando, area has been soaring in recent days. The NBA hopes that doesn’t matter. After spending weeks putting together an incredibly elaborate series of health and safety protocols, the word “testing” appears 282 times in the document, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association believe they have done what’s necessary for the health and safety of the 22 teams and others that will be part of the season restart at the Disney campus near Orlando next month. “No one is suggesting that this is going to be an infection-free, guaranteed environment,” NBPA executive director Michele Roberts said.
“’30 Rock’ returns to NBC with new hourlong special that will double as an upfront event” via Michael Schneider of Variety — NBC is making it 2006 again, through science or magic: “30 Rock” is returning to the Peacock next month for a new, original remotely-produced event that will also double as an upfront special for the NBCUniversal properties. The special, which will air Thursday, July 16 at 8 p.m. on NBC, will feature the return of cast members Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and others. NBC also recently aired a new episode of “Parks and Recreation,” featuring the show’s stars reprising their roles in an all-new story. The hourlong, commercial-free event will first premiere on NBC and then will be rebroadcast across USA, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, and CNBC as well as available to stream on NBCU’s new service Peacock on Friday, July 17 at 9 p.m.
“Tampa Bay Buccaneers unveil their first photos of Tom Brady in uniform” via Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times — With the NFL just now reopening its team facilities and most offseason exercises being done virtually because of COVID-19, the Bucs never truly were able to show off new quarterback Brady in the team’s newly designed uniforms. When Brady signed with the Bucs in March, renderings came out of Brady in the now-departed digital digit uniforms, but those were all just transposed over a Patriots uniform. In fact, the first sign of Brady in pewter was when the Tamp Bay Times found him a month ago conducting his own workout with teammates at Berkeley Prep.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to Cary Aungst and Wendy Bitner Rodin.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.
