Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.21.20

😮 — Read about the pollster who thinks Donald Trump is ahead.

🏇 — The key question is can Trump shift his trend over the next two weeks, since few can dismiss Joe Biden’s current polling leads in a number of states as shaky, with the sort of margins that essentially precludes the President from being able to win the electoral college.

👍 — By the way, I agree with this take: we are overthinking the presidential campaign.

🎙️ — Andrew Gillum is launching a new podcast, “Real Talk with Andrew Gillum.” Another step on the road to 2022.

😭 — Careful, Loranne. Your privilege is showing.

⚰️ — Please consider reading my eulogy for Bruno Barreiro‘s sad (and final) campaign for the Florida House. I also popped a candidate running for the Hillsborough County Commission who has only voted for himself.

🤝 — This ad from the Utah gubernatorial race is a must-watch. It features both candidates — Spencer Cox, the Republican, and Chris Peterson, the Democrat — appearing together to address issues “without degrading each other’s character” and disagreeing “without hating each other,” proving politics is not hopelessly broken. I, for one, can’t wait to see Gov. Ron DeSantis and Ag. Commissioner Nikki Fried cut a similar ad in October of 2022.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS — 

Tweet, tweet:

Virus 3, United States 0 pic.twitter.com/ERc9t2jV62

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 20, 2020

—@realDonaldTrump: I am pleased to inform you that, for the sake of accuracy in reporting, I am considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, PRIOR TO AIRTIME! This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about …

—@ProjectLincoln: Trump has paid more taxes to China than the United States.

—@Eric_Jotkoff: Running ads during the World Series [in October] > running ads during the Super Bowl [in February]

—@JoshSCampbell: Trump tells a rally in Pennsylvania that politics will be boring if Joe Biden is elected President

—@DWUhlfelderLaw: In 2 nights tens of millions of people are going to watch a madman screaming while his mic is cut over and over

Tweet, tweet:

🎃 Papa and Gigi’s little pumpkins! 🎃 pic.twitter.com/n89E8wOdQN

— Wilton Simpson (@WiltonSimpson) October 20, 2020

—@KevinCate: Winning is the best revenge.

—@Fineout: TFW you look at a guide to the Capitol Press Corps from about a year ago and there are at least 10 people gone or moved and one organization no longer exists …

— DAYS UNTIL —

Third presidential debate at Belmont — 1; “The Empty Man” premieres — 2; 2020 General Election — 13; NBA 2020-21 training camp — 20; FITCon Policy Conference begins — 22; The Masters begins — 22; NBA draft — 27; Pixar’s “Soul” premieres — 30; College basketball season slated to begin — 35; NBA 2020-21 opening night — 42; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 42; the Electoral College votes — 54; “Death on the Nile” premieres — 57; “Wonder Woman 1984” rescheduled premiere — 65; Greyhound racing ends in Florida — 71; the 2021 Inauguration — 91; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 109; “A Quiet Place Part II” rescheduled premiere — 120; “Black Widow” rescheduled premiere — 134; “No Time to Die” premieres (rescheduled) — 163; “Top Gun: Maverick” rescheduled premiere — 254; Disney’s “Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” premieres — 261; new start date for 2021 Olympics — 275; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 283; Disney’s “Eternals” premieres — 380; “Spider-Man Far From Home” sequel premieres — 383; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” premieres — 415; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 479; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 532; “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel premieres — 713.

— THE MODELS —

To get a reasonable idea of how the presidential race is playing out, state polling is the way to go — particularly in battleground states like Florida. Some outlets offer a poll of polls, gauging how Trump or Biden are performing in select areas, then averaging the surveys to get a general idea of who leads nationwide. Sunburn will be updating these forecasts as they come in:

CNN Poll of Polls: As of Tuesday, the CNN average has Biden staying at 53% compared to a steady 42% for Trump. The CNN Poll of Polls tracks the national average in the presidential race. They include the most recent national telephone surveys meeting CNN’s standards for reporting and which measure the views of registered or likely voters. The poll of polls does not have a margin of sampling error.

FiveThirtyEight.com: As of Tuesday, Biden is at an 87 in 100 chance of winning compared to Trump, who is at a 13 in 100 shot. FiveThirtyEight also ranked individual states by the likelihood of delivering a decisive vote for the winning candidate in the Electoral College: Pennsylvania leads with 26.2%, while Wisconsin is now second at 13.1% Florida is third with 13%. Other states include Michigan (10.1%), Minnesota (6.9%) North Carolina (6%), Arizona (5.8%) and Nevada (3.1%).

PredictIt: As of Tuesday, the PredictIt trading market has Biden dipping to $0.64 a share, with Trump remaining at $0.40.

Real Clear Politics: As of Tuesday, the RCP average of polling top battleground states has Biden leading Trump 51.1% to 42.5%. The RCP General Election polling average has Biden at +8.6 points ahead.

The Economist: As of Tuesday, their model is still predicting Biden is “very likely” to beat Trump in the Electoral College. The model is updated every day and combines state and national polls with economic indicators to predict a range of outcomes. The midpoint is the estimate of the electoral-college vote for each party on Election Day. According to The Economist, Biden’s chances of winning the electoral college has remained at better than 9 in 10 (92%) versus Trump with less than 1 in 10 (8%). They still give Biden a 99% chance (better than 19 in 20) of winning the most votes, with Trump at only 1% (less than 1 in 20).

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“Will Florida, the recount state, be ready for the election?” via Patricia Mazzei and Frances Robles of The New York Times — More than two decades of scandals and blunders have made Florida the nation’s elections punchline, the state that kept the world at the edge of its seat while votes for President were manually recounted. The shadows of Florida elections past seem to lurk everywhere. “I feel like I’ve seen this movie before,” Judge Mark E. Walker of the Federal District Court in Tallahassee said in a ruling this month after the state’s voter registration website crashed under the weight of thousands of last-minute applications.

“Voters prefer Joe Biden over Donald Trump on almost all major issues, poll shows” via Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin of The New York Times — Biden holds a nine-point lead over Trump amid widespread public alarm about the trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic and demand among voters for large-scale government action to right the economy, according to a national poll of likely voters. With just two weeks left in the campaign, Trump does not hold an edge on any of the most pressing issues at stake in the election, leaving him with little room for a political recovery absent a calamitous misstep by Biden, the Democratic nominee, in the coming days.

CNBC/Change Research: Joe Biden leads in all swing states — According to the CNBC/Change Research “States of Play Poll,” Biden is leading Trump in all six swing states — Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — although his lead has narrowed in some states. In Florida, Biden leads with 50% support to Trump’s 45%. Biden’s lead is smallest in Pennsylvania, where he has 49% support to Trump’s 47%. The poll also found a clear majority of voters want the Senate to prioritize coronavirus relief over the Supreme Court confirmation and two-thirds of voters in battleground states say more financial aid needed from Washington.

“Trump ups pressure on William Barr to probe Biden as election nears” via Aamar Hadani and Colleen Long of The Associated Press — Trump called on Attorney General Barr to immediately launch an investigation into unverified claims about Biden and his son Hunter, effectively demanding that the Justice Department muddy his political opponent and abandon its historic resistance to getting involved in elections. With just two weeks to go before Election Day, Trump for the first time explicitly called on Barr to investigate the Bidens and even pointed to the nearing Nov. 3 election as a reason that Barr should not delay taking action.

“How Trump plowed through $1 billion, losing cash advantage” via Brian Slodysko and Zeke Miller of The Associated Press — Trump’s sprawling political operation has raised well over $1 billion since he took the White House in 2017 — and set a lot of it on fire. Trump bought a $10 million Super Bowl ad when he didn’t yet have a challenger. He tapped his political organization to cover exorbitant legal fees related to his impeachment. Aides made flashy displays of their newfound wealth — including a fleet of luxury vehicles purchased by Brad Parscale, his former campaign manager. Meanwhile, a web of limited liability companies hid more than $310 million in spending from disclosure, records show. Now, just two weeks out from the election, some campaign aides privately acknowledge they are facing difficult spending decisions.

“In latest F.E.C. filing, Trump campaign’s cash on hand has dwindled.” via Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times — Trump’s reelection campaign committee ended September with only $63.1 million in the bank even after canceling some television buys late last month, leaving him badly outmatched financially against Biden in the final stretch of the campaign. New filings with the Federal Election Commission showed the extent of Trump’s cash troubles, which caused the President to fly to California last Sunday for a fundraiser with just over two weeks until Election Day. The President ended September with just over half as much money as he had at the beginning of the month.

“U.S. voters turn against Trump’s economic policies” via Lauren Fedor and Christine Zhang of the Financial Times — Trump’s handling of the US economy is no longer benefiting his candidacy just weeks before Election Day, with a poll finding more Americans believe the president’s policies are hurting rather than helping the recovery. The final monthly survey of likely voters before November 3 found 46% of Americans believe Trump’s policies had hurt the economy, compared to 44% who said the policies had helped. It was the first time this year that a larger share of respondents said the president’s economic policies had hurt rather than helped, and was a significant drop-off since the start of the pandemic.

“Trump taps 2016 brain trust to stage another stunner in 2020” via Alex Isenstadt of Politico — The calls come at all hours. Trump — confronting grim poll numbers — has been burning up the phone lines to the people who got him to the White House. Working off a list of cellphone numbers, the President has been reaching out to 2016 campaign loyalists. How, he wants to know, can he pull this off? Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, two key players during Trump’s first run before they were frozen out of his political organization, have reemerged as key advisers. Bossie was recently dispatched to make peace between a key campaign operative and DeSantis, the Governor of must-win Florida.

“Trump has struggled with seniors. Can he make up the difference with Hispanic voters?” via Francesca Chambers and David Smiley of the Miami Herald — The most recent visits to Florida by President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence illustrate the reliance of the Republican ticket on two voting blocs seemingly headed in opposite political directions this election: seniors and Latinos. Pence on Thursday stumped in Miami-Dade County with Hispanic voters who, compared to four years ago, have shown a greater willingness to bubble in Trump’s name on the ballot. The following day, Trump promised seniors in Fort Myers that a COVID-19 vaccine would be available first to seniors, who appear to be pulling back from the president amid the pandemic.

“Biden the ‘socialist’ vs. Trump the ‘caudillo’: The Battle for the Venezuelan vote” via Jesús Rodríguez of POLITICO — Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship had already unleashed chaos in Venezuela in 2016 when Trump won the U.S. presidential race. Maduro’s was increasingly a regime of famine, sickness and persecution. That year, the country hemorrhaged close to 5 million refugees, and, according to the Department of Homeland Security data, the number of Venezuelans who requested asylum in the United States tripled to nearly 15,000. Also that year, Miami-Dade’s Doral area — affectionately called “Doralzuela” because nearly a third of the population is Venezuelan émigrés — chose Hillary Clinton by 52 points in a precinct just 10 minutes away from Trump’s golf club. But Trump won the election, and in January 2019 something began to shift.

“Biden draws more online engagement as election draws near” via Sara Fischer of Axios — New data from media intelligence company Conviva finds that Biden has begun to draw more engagement per post on Twitter than Trump. There’s been a steady increase by Biden in the monthly averages of engagements per post, average engagements per video, and follower adds since the beginning of the year. This past month, Biden passed Trump in all three metrics. Biden is also closing the gap on social media engagement on news stories about the candidates, according to data.

“Heard any Biden jokes? Study of late-night comics finds few” via David Bauder of The Associated Press — From the perspective of late-night joke writers, there’s really only one person running for president. A staggering 97% of the jokes Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon told about the candidates in September targeted Trump, a study released Monday found. That’s 455 jokes about Trump and 14 about Biden. That doesn’t even count 64 jokes made about Trump’s family or administration, the study said. “When Trump’s onstage, everyone else is blacked out,” said Robert Lichter, a communications professor at George Mason.

“Barack Obama goes full throttle for Biden” via Holly Otterbein of Politico — There were lots of logical states for Joe Biden to roll out the biggest weapon in his campaign arsenal. But he chose to deploy former President Barack Obama to Pennsylvania for the latter’s first in-person event in 2020, perhaps the clearest sign yet that Biden’s team sees the state as the most important piece of the Electoral College map. On Wednesday, Obama will hold a drive-in rally in Philadelphia, and he will talk directly to Black voters — and Black men specifically — according to the Biden campaign. The former president is also expected to discuss the importance of making a plan to vote early.

“Mike Bloomberg knocks Trump back on his heels in Florida” via Marc Caputo and David Siders of POLITICO — Bloomberg’s $100 million investment in Florida to defeat Trump is recasting the presidential contest in the president’s must-win state, forcing his campaign to spend big to shore up his position and freeing up Democratic cash to expand the electoral map elsewhere. Bloomberg’s massive advertising and ground-game spending, which began roughly a month ago, has thrown Trump into a defensive crouch across the arc of Sunbelt states. As a result, the president‘s campaign has scaled back its TV ad buys in crucial Northern swing states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, a vacuum being filled by a constellation of outside political groups backing Biden.

“Poll shows Biden with commanding 51-point lead over Trump among Florida Jewish voters” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel —The poll shows Biden with a commanding lead over Trump among Jewish voters in Florida, 73% to 22% — a difference of 51 percentage points. Among the overall electorate, the race for Florida’s 29 electoral votes is exceedingly close. The FiveThirtyEight polling average for Florida on Tuesday evening showed Biden ahead of Trump 48.8% to 45.4% — a difference of just 3.4 points. The poll of Jewish voters, obtained in advance of its release, was conducted by GBAO Research + Strategy, which has an above-average grade for its data gathering and accuracy.

“Trump and Florida’s I-4 corridor: Can you trust polls with crowds like this?” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — President Trump’s campaign rally on a tarmac at Orlando Sanford International Airport after his coronavirus hospitalization earlier this month seemed to recapture the magic of his stunning 2016 campaign. The television cameras. The staging. The drama. His supporters, mesmerized by the spectacle, gave off an electricity that signaled another victory is on the horizon. “Look around,” said Brad Virgin, an Orlando-area chiropractor. “How could he lose?” Five days later, St. Pete Polls surveyed voters in the Senate district that surrounds the airport. The Republican finds himself double digits behind Biden.

“Pinellas County is one to watch on election night” via Tamara Lush of the Associated Press — As the campaign enters its final two weeks, Florida has again emerged as a critical state, and Pinellas, one of the largest counties in the state, is one of those places likely to track the final outcome. “It is certainly a barometer of the broader trends,” said Daniel Smith, a political science professor at the University of Florida. ”It’s a dynamic county. It’s a good place to be watching the returns.” Perched on the western tip of Florida’s famed Interstate-4 corridor, Pinellas is hard to categorize as its voters straddle the liberal-conservative divide.

“Silicon Valley megadonors unleash a last-minute, $100 million barrage of ads against Trump” via Theodore Schleifer of Recode — A little-known Democratic super PAC backed by some of Silicon Valley’s biggest donors is quietly unleashing a torrent of television spending in the final weeks of the presidential campaign in a last-minute attempt to oust Trump, Recode has learned. The barrage of late money figures among one of the most expensive and aggressive plays yet by tech billionaires, who have spent years studying how to maximize the return they get from each additional dollar they spend on politics. The PAC is placing his single biggest public bet yet on the evidence that TV ads that come just before Election Day are the best way to do that.

“Former top Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy pleads guilty to foreign lobbying charge” via Ben Wieder of the Miami Herald — Broidy, a top fundraiser for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and, at the time, the RNC, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single charge of conspiring to serve as an unregistered foreign agent. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine and has agreed to forfeit $6.6 million he was paid for his work. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12, 2021. The charge is related to his efforts to arrange meetings with top U.S. officials to help quash a U.S. investigation into the 1MDB Malaysian embezzlement scheme and to push for the deportation of Chinese dissident Guo Wengui. Broidy agreed Tuesday that he acted as a foreign agent in his efforts.

“Even if they haven’t heard of QAnon, most Trump voters believe its wild allegations” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post — The overlap of QAnon and Trumpism has been obvious for some time. The group came to national attention in 2018 after an effort to recruit new followers by displaying Q signs and slogans at Trump rallies. But its roots go back further, to the 2016 release of material stolen from Hillary Clinton’s campaign by Russian hackers. Emails discussing pizza were reinterpreted near the end of that election as referring to child sex trafficking, a theory that spun up into what was then called Pizzagate.

— NEW ADS —

Democrats hold $58M lead in Florida presidential advertising — Democratic groups are outpacing Republicans in presidential ad spending — and overall — in Florida, according to a new report from Smart Media Group. Democrats have so far spent $143.3 million on presidential ads to Republicans’ $85.6 million. The top three spending markets are Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. Democrats lead spending in all three. The party also leads in congressional races by about $1.6 million. This week, Democrats made another $18.4 million in ad buys compared to $6.2 million for Republicans. The spending gap favors Democrats in presidential, U.S. House, state Senate and state House races.

Biden ad says Trump abandoned Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria — The Biden campaign released a new Spanish-language TV ad in Florida and Pennsylvania featuring Central Florida priest José Rodriguez, who is a champion of his local Puerto Rican community. Rodriguez says Trump abandoned the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria and when Puerto Ricans arrived in Orlando in search of refuge, Trump abandoned them again. Three years later, Rodriguez says nothing has changed and the community is still under attack — now, because of the pandemic.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

New ad says Trump and Nicolás Maduro are ‘very similar’ — The Biden campaign is running a new ad in Florida that compares Trump to South American dictators. “Son Muy Similares” (They Are Very Similar) is a Spanish-language ad featuring a young Venezuelan woman speaking about her firsthand experience with socialism. She dismisses the narrative of Biden as a socialist and says Trump’s authoritarian tactics are similar to those of dictator Maduro. “Joe Biden will help fix the problems Trump created in this country,” she says as to why she is voting for Biden-Kamala Harris.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

Biden campaign ask Hispanic voters to ‘turn the page’ — The Biden campaign released another Spanish-language TV ad titled ”Pasar la Página” (Turn The Page. The ad reminds Latinos of their ability to mobilize in the face of adversity. Images from the Trump administration are shown and lack vibrancy. They are replaced with colorful and positive visuals with the narrator reminding voters the time has come to turn the page on Trump. It will run in Florida as well as Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. It will also run as a radio ad in Iowa.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

— VOTERS ARE VOTING —

— 2020 — 

“Tens of thousands of Florida voters are using drop boxes to deliver mail ballots” via Aaron Liebowitz and Allison Ross of the Miami Herald — Record numbers of Florida residents turned out for the first day of in-person early voting, in some cases contending with long lines and maskless voters to ensure their vote was counted. But tens of thousands of others took a different approach: bringing their vote-by-mail ballots directly to drop boxes stationed at early voting sites. In Miami-Dade County, elections officials collected 27,765 ballots at the drop boxes, which were set up at all 33 early voting sites. There were more dropped-off ballots on Monday than in the entire August primary.

“‘Proud boys’ emails threatening Florida voters appear to use spoofed email address” via Tess Owen and Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai of Vice — Some Democratic voters in Florida have been receiving unsolicited emails purportedly from the Proud Boys, a far-right street-fighting gang. The emails are threatening: “Vote for Trump or else!” the subject line says. “We are in possession of all your information,” the email reads. “You are currently registered as a Democrat, and we know this because we have gained access into the entire voting infrastructure. You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you. Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply. We will know which candidate you voted for. I would take this seriously if I were you. Good luck.”

“Uniformed Miami cop spotted wearing pro-Trump mask near voting site will be disciplined” via Charles Rabin and Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald — A uniformed Miami police officer was photographed sporting a protective mask with a pro-Trump slogan while on duty and voting at Government Center Tuesday morning. The backlash from his department was swift. Miami’s police chief, after seeing the photo posted on social media, said Officer Daniel Ubeda would be disciplined. Though exactly how had not been determined. The Mayor also called the officer’s actions “inappropriate,” even if he was there to cast a ballot.

“Disinformation targets Latino voters in South Florida” via Mario Ariza of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The elections office has a system that allows voters to track their ballot and make sure it is counted, the spokeswoman said. Studies have routinely shown that voter fraud in mail balloting is exceedingly rare. The incorrect information about Florida’s elections might have been part of what experts, politicians and national security officials call a major spike in election-related conspiracy theories and disinformation targeting South Florida’s Latino community, a key voting demographic in a major battleground state.

“Democrats targeting Asian American, Pacific Islander voters in Florida” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Democrats are launching a new digital and radio advertising effort targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in Florida, encouraging them to vote, and to consider Democratic concerns when they do. The Democratic National Committee announced a six-figure effort in Florida targeting Asian Americans and Pacific islanders. The effort will start with WAVS-AM radio out of Davie and two publishing groups that market to Asian American audiences. The messages are simple: Consider what’s at stake. Make a plan to vote. Visit the Democrats’ how-to-vote site.

“Key swing states vulnerable to USPS slowdowns as millions vote by mail, data shows” via Jacob Bogage and Christopher Ingraham of The Washington Post — Key swing states that may well decide the presidential race are recording some of the nation’s most erratic mail service as a record number of Americans are relying on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their ballots, agency data shows. Consistent and timely delivery remains scattershot as the agency struggles to right operations after the rollout, then suspension, of a major midsummer restructuring. The slowdowns, which have raised alarms and suspicions among voters, postal workers and voting experts, have particular implications for states with strict voter deadlines.

“Stephanie Murphy launching Spanish-language ads in CD 7 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Murphy is using her Spanish in a new set of TV, radio, and social media ads for her reelection campaign in Florida’s 7th Congressional District. The set of four Spanish-language commercials entitled “Pescando” [“Fishing”] draw a portrait of Murphy as a family-first person who fights in Congress with the values her father taught. The TV ad also touches on her gun law reform efforts, one of the key policy divides between Murphy and her Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Dr. Leo Valentin. The commercials may be an initiative to counter Valentin’s appeal in the significant Puerto Rican voter population in SD 7.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

“Anna Paulina Luna rakes in $1.5 million in two months, outraises incumbent Charlie Crist 3-1” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Luna saw a major fundraising boost in her largest haul to date, outraising Crist 3 to 1 as the two battle for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. In recently released finance reports covering the months of August and September and the last day of July, Luna raised $1,509,170. Crist brought in $439,881 in the same time span. This record fundraising period for Luna could be the result of an endorsement from Trump, who gave Luna, a staunch Trump ally, a shoutout over Twitter.

“Democrats push to unseat Vern Buchanan, citing record on economy, health care” via Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times — When Buchanan, a Republican, first ran for office in 2006, he had to survive a machine and manual recount and a court challenge to confirm his squeaker 369-vote victory. Since then, the Sarasota business owner — ranked by “Forbes” as one of the wealthiest members of Congress — has breezed through reelection campaigns. That remained true even after he was redistricted to Florida’s 16th Congressional District in 2013 and his new district later redrawn to include southern Hillsborough County. But Democrats are increasingly hopeful that his prospects in this general election could be damaged by the economic fallout of the pandemic, and from a contentious presidential race they hope will drive more Democrats to the polls.

“New survey gives good news for Donna Shalala in CD 27 rematch” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — A new survey commissioned by the Shalala campaign shows she’s favored to win a second term representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District. The poll, obtained by Florida Politics, shows Shalala earning 50% of the vote. Shalala’s Republican opponent, Maria Elvira Salazar, is earning 43%, while the remaining 7% of voters are still undecided. The internal poll was conducted by Bendixen & Amandi International and ran from Oct. 9-13. It sampled 500 likely voters in CD 27 and has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

— LEG. CAMPAIGNS —

“With 2 weeks to election, Democratic PAC drops $11.8 million in Florida House attack ads” via Bianca Padró Ocasio and Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald — The Democratic PAC Forward Majority is spending $11.8 million for English and Spanish-language health care ads to run in 22 competitive seats for the Florida House. The ads attack Republican incumbents over legislation they voted for in 2019 that Republicans said at the time was intended to keep insurance coverage of people with preexisting conditions but, the group says, has led to higher health care costs for patients. Behind the multimillion-dollar campaign to flip the Florida House is a push from Forward Majority to use Republicans’ efforts to weaken the Amendment 4 ballot initiative as a means to motivate Floridians to vote against GOP candidates down the ballot.

First in Sunburn — DLCC’s Southern Spotlight list includes 4 Florida candidates — The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced its slate of “Southern Spotlight” candidates Tuesday, and Florida House candidates Julie Jenkins of HD 60, Jessica Harrington of HD 64, Maureen Porras of HD 105 and JP Bado of HD 114 made the cut. They join several previously announced Florida Democrats on the Spotlight list, which helps the DLCC uses to spread the word about winnable races with Democratic voters and donors nationwide. “Democrats are on offense across the country this year, and we’re working hard in the final weeks to hold the GOP accountable for its disastrous record,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “These incredible Democratic candidates are proven community leaders who are fighting to improve the lives of every American.”

“Mystery Florida donor targets key Senate races with misleading mailers” via Matt Dixon of Florida Politics — A mystery donor has spent more than $500,000 sending mail supporting candidates with no party affiliation in an apparent attempt to siphon votes from Democrats in key state Senate races. In one case, the donor-funded political mailers used a stock photo of a Black woman, even though the candidate the mailer supports is white. In another, the mailer also featured stock photos with language that would seem to appeal to Democratic voters. The mailers emerged from political committees that have become ubiquitous in Florida campaigns.

“‘I’m not a career politician’: Marva Preston details her personal story in new ad” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The Preston campaign released a new ad on Tuesday that offers voters more insight into the Republican candidate’s personal and professional background as she seeks election to Florida Senate District 3. The one-minute ad, titled “Marva Preston: Who I am,” is narrated by the GOP newcomer herself and features several portraits from her earlier life. Throughout the video, Preston speaks to the viewer while an upbeat tune plays in the video’s background. It opens with a direct reference to her Democratic opponent, Loranne Ausley, and her “false attacks.”

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

“Poll shows Patricia Sigman up 9 over Jason Brodeur in SD 9” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Sigman, a Democrat, may be on her way to grabbing the open seat long held by Republicans in the Seminole County-based Senate District 9, fresh polling shows. A new survey conducted by St. Pete Polls finds Sigman leading former Republican Rep. Brodeur 52% to 43% in SD 9. The poll is one of several released by St. Pete Polls Monday suggesting that legislative battleground districts all around Florida may be breaking Democrats’ way, and in big ways. Another poll shows Republican Rep. Chip LaMarca nearly deadlocked with Democratic challenger Linda Thompson Gonzalez in the House District 93 seat in Broward County that LaMarca won handily in 2018.

“New mystery ads in Jason Brodeur-Patricia Sigman Senate race praise third-party candidate” via Steven Lemongello and Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel — Another mysterious group has inserted itself into the heated state Senate race between Democrat Sigman and Republican Brodeur in Seminole County. The Truth, a political committee formed earlier this month, is behind ads seemingly targeting Democratic voters that tout a little-known, non-party affiliated candidate named Jestine Iannotti. One ad touts Iannotti and decries “The Party Line Puppets in Tallahassee,” who it claims won’t fix several issues important to Democrats. The Truth is run out of an office in Winter Springs by Hailey DeFilippis. Her address was listed as a private home in Winter Springs. No one answered the door at that address on Tuesday, though a Brodeur yard sign was seen tucked behind a bush.

“Once again, criminals star in ads for Scott Plakon” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — In 2012, Republican Rep. Plakon was scared voters might kick him out of office. (Spoiler alert: They did.) So Plakon’s supporters launched a nasty attack that tried to link his opponent to convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky. It didn’t work. Flash forward to this year. Plakon is back in office in a different district. He’s again fearful of losing his legislative seat. And his supporters are again trying to link his Democratic opponent, Tracey Kagan, to violent criminals. Why? Because Kagan, who worked as a prosecutor in the past, now works as a private defense attorney. The suggestion is that anyone who defends the rights of accused criminals is unfit for office.

“Poll: Julie Jenkins grows lead over incumbent Jackie Toledo to nearly 10 points” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Democratic challenger Jenkins leads Rep. Toledo with more than 50% support to just under 41%, a nearly ten-point spread that spells bad news for the Republican incumbent. Jenkins has grown her lead since the last poll in the district, taken in mid-September, that found Jenkins leading 48% to 42%. Jenkins’ lead is consistent with voter preferences at the top of the ticket, with Biden leading Trump by 11 points in the district, 54% to 43%. It’s a remarkable showing in a district that has a GOP voter advantage. Republicans carry nearly 37% of all registered voters while Democrats make up 33.5% and independents 30%.

“Survey shows razor-close race between Chip LaMarca and Linda Thompson Gonzalez” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Republican Rep. LaMarca is in for an election night nail-biter according to a new survey from St. Pete Polls. The survey shows LaMarca earning 46% of the vote as his Democratic challenger, Thompson Gonzalez, sits right behind at 45%. The remaining 9% of voters inside House District 93 are undecided. That 1-point lead is well within the survey’s margin of error of 5.6 percentage points. The poll ran from Oct. 17-18 and sampled 309 likely HD 93 voters. A 5.6-point margin of error means several election night outcomes are possible — from LaMarca coasting to a second term to Thompson Gonzalez cruising to a comfortable win. The closeness may surprise some given LaMarca’s 2018 margin and his fundraising dominance this cycle.

— DOWN BALLOT —

“Incoming Sarasota School Board member getting backlash for calling Donald Trump supporters ‘Nazis’” via Ryan McKinnon of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Newly elected Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards has not yet been sworn into office and he already is hearing calls for his resignation. The Republican Party of Sarasota County issued a news release over the weekend publicizing Facebook comments that Edwards made in 2017 in which he said that he views Trump supporters as Nazis. “So to be VERY clear, I view Trump, his regime, his supporters, and his voters as Nazis,” he wrote on Facebook on May 4, 2017. That same day, he said, “This is a Wealthy Aryan cleansing of the sick and the poor. Wake up America!” Edwards said on Monday that those posts were “regrettable” and “less than professional.”

“Poll finds Leon County voters support Children’s Services Council” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Leon County’s Children’s Services Council ballot question is poised to pass, a new poll found. The Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence survey, conducted by Sachs Media Group, asked 850 Leon County voters how they planned to vote and found 70% of those who have made up their minds are backing the measure, which would create the CSC to support initiatives helping the area’s youngest residents. The council would be funded through a new property tax. About a quarter of voters said they were unsure how they would vote in November and another 22% plan to vote against it.

“Black candidate’s campaign sign found scorched ‘beyond recognition’ in Gadsden County” via Tori Lynn Schneider of the Tallahassee Democrat — A Gadsden County campaign sign was found “burned beyond recognition and repair” on Sunday morning, a local candidate said. The sign in question was for Rolland Steele, candidate for District 1 Supervisor of the Gadsden Soil and Water Conservation District. It stood near the intersection of Point Milligan Road and Highway 12 on Saturday, replacing one that had been stolen. A volunteer reported last seeing the sign around 11 p.m. Saturday. But the next morning, all that remained were ashes and a charred wooden frame.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Schools shouldn’t shut down because of COVID-19 infections, Ron DeSantis says” via Marc Freeman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Closing schools for months at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic was a mistake that won’t be repeated, and only students who develop symptoms should be isolated, DeSantis said Tuesday. During a visit to a charter school in Jacksonville, the governor said over 60% of the state’s 2.8 million students in pre-K to 12th grade are getting in-person instruction, and it’s an increasingly popular option because infection risks are low. The governor said that after two months of most schools in the state being open, there have not been major outbreaks or causes of concern about the virus spreading among students.

“Florida needs herd immunity from Trump-influenced DeSantis” via Randy Schultz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — DeSantis supports herd immunity. In recent weeks, the governor has hosted discussions with contrarian scientists and doctors who oppose lockdowns, mask-wearing and social distancing. Those contrarians joined others this month to support the Great Barrington Declaration. It advocates a “focused protection” response to the virus. Because credible public health experts reject “focused protection,” states have shown little interest. As The Washington Post reported, however, Florida is the exception. How predictable. Whatever Trump believes about the virus, no matter how dubious the source, DeSantis will get on board.

“Florida adds 84 resident deaths and 3,662 new COVID cases, pushing total past 760,000” via Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — Florida’s Department of Health confirmed 3,662 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 760,389. Also, 84 resident deaths were announced, bringing the resident death toll to 16,105. Two new nonresident deaths were also announced, bringing the nonresident toll to 203. October has seen an increase in newly confirmed cases, and Tuesday’s single-day case count is the second highest number reported this month.

“Industry official says vaccine will be affordable” via The News Service of Florida — Future COVID-19 vaccinations will be affordable and available. That was the message that Lori M. Reilly, chief operating officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, delivered during the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Future of Florida Forum. “We know that for many people, they are nervous about their ability to access an affordable treatment or vaccine,” Reilly said. “And I want to assure you that we are working with governments and payers to ensure that when new vaccines for COVID-19 are approved, that they will be affordable and available for patients that need them.”

“Firm behind Florida unemployment mess will get $135 million state contract after all” via Kirby Wilson and Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — Despite months of negative publicity, including criticism from DeSantis, the Agency for Health Care Administration is moving forward with Deloitte on a potential $135 million contract to overhaul the state’s Medicaid data system. In August, the agency announced its plan to award Deloitte the contract. But the new project got delayed when two of Deloitte’s competitors filed bid protests claiming Deloitte lied on its bid and the state ignored its history with the unemployment system. Last month, however, both companies suddenly dropped their bid protests — without explanation — clearing the way for Deloitte to win the award.

— CORONA LOCAL — 

“They drew outrage as they voted without masks. They showed how no one enforces the mask law.” via Lisa J. Huriash of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — All it took was four voters refusing to wear masks to expose how no one truly must wear them to cast a ballot. The four voters didn’t wear masks even though everyone else around them at Fort Lauderdale’s Coral Ridge Mall wore a mask to protect against the spread of COVID-19. The four voters told the police they all had asthma and said they didn’t need to follow Broward’s mask law because of their medical exemption. And that’s how they went on to vote without masks, revealing how vulnerable the county’s mask law is to anyone who won’t comply with it.

“Dan Gelber argues DeSantis is adopting stealth ‘herd immunity’ strategy” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Gelber says he believes the state is leaning on a strategy to achieve “herd immunity” in handling the state’s COVID-19 outbreak. Gelber made the comments during a Tuesday morning appearance on CNN’s New Day. Gelber was asked to elaborate on his accusation that DeSantis is pushing for herd immunity. “I don’t think it’s an accusation,” Gelber responded. The Governor’s office has denied those claims in the past. But DeSantis has repeatedly flirted with the theory, which argues for protecting vulnerable populations while allowing less susceptible individuals to live their normal, daily lives and likely contract the virus.

“Grand Prix returns to St. Petersburg as COVID-19 positivity rate rises” via Josh Solomon of the Tampa Bay Times — Mayor Rick Kriseman on Tuesday addressed the challenges facing the city this week as it hosts an international sporting event that will be attended by thousands of fans while the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 rises in Pinellas County. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend kicks off Friday, the first major event the city will host since the pandemic started in March. Up to 20,000 fans will be allowed to attend this weekend’s race; that doesn’t include the people who could be drawn downtown by the race.

— CORONA NATION —

“A third surge of coronavirus infections has now firmly taken hold across much of the United States.” via Sarah Mervosh, Mitch Smith and Apoorva Mandavilli of The New York Times — After weeks of spread and warnings in certain areas, a third surge of coronavirus infections has now firmly taken hold across much of the United States. The latest wave threatens to be the worst of the pandemic yet. Its arrival comes as cooler weather is forcing people indoors, setting up a grueling winter that will test the discipline of many Americans who have grown weary of wearing masks and turning down invitations to see family and friends. Over the last week, the country has averaged about 59,000 new cases a day, the most since the beginning of August. The daily total could soon surpass 75,687, a record previously set on July 16.

“CDC to passengers and workers: Wear a mask when you are on a plane, train, bus or other public transit” via Lena H. Sun, Michael Laris and Lori Aratani of The Washington Post — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday strongly recommended in newly issued guidelines that all passengers and workers on planes, trains, buses and other public transportation wear masks to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. The guidance was issued following pressure from the airline industry and amid surging cases of the coronavirus and strong evidence on the effectiveness of masks in curbing transmission, according to CDC officials. The recommendations fall short of what transportation industry leaders and unions had sought, and come long after evidence in favor of mask-wearing was well established. The CDC had previously drafted an order under the agency’s quarantine powers that would have required all passengers and employees to wear masks.

“Consumer masks could soon come with labels saying how well they work” via Yeganeh Torbati and Jessica Contrera of The Washington Post — As millions of Americans adopted mask-wearing this year to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, they confronted a wild West of options, including artisanal products sold on Etsy, cotton coverings sewn by their family members and mass-produced items marketed by favorite retailers. The personal protective equipment industry is trying to inject some clarity into the mask-purchasing experience by creating a uniform set of standards to show consumers how well the products would protect them and those around them. But the industry players first have to overcome fierce disagreements among themselves, a rift that has delayed a process that is supposed to help businesses and schools reopen in 2021.

“Melania Trump has ‘lingering cough’ from COVID-19, cancels first campaign rally in months” via Maria Puente of USA Today — Trump canceled her first campaign rally in months on Tuesday, citing a “lingering cough” from her COVID-19 diagnosis earlier this month. “Mrs. Trump continues to feel better every day following her recovery from COVID-19, but with a lingering cough, and out of an abundance of caution, she will not be traveling today,” her chief of staff and spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement. Trump had been scheduled to accompany Donald Trump to a campaign rally in Erie, Ohio, on Tuesday evening.

— CORONA ECONOMICS — 

“AMC Entertainment once again on the brink as it sells stock to raise cash” via Rich Duprey of The Motley Fool — Just a day after its stock bounded over 20% higher on the reopening plans of its New York state theaters, AMC Entertainment is using the opportunity of the rising stock price to issue more shares. The theater operator says it is facing a cash crunch that could force it to seek court-approved reorganization of its debts if it can’t generate sufficient liquidity soon. AMC reiterated it is going to run out of money by the end of the year or early next year, so it announced today that it is launching a stock offering of up to 15 million shares, which amounts to approximately 14% of its shares outstanding.

— MORE CORONA —

“Britain to infect healthy volunteers with coronavirus in vaccine challenge trials” via William Booth and Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post — British scientists said Tuesday they will launch the world’s first human challenge trials for COVID-19, in which healthy volunteers will be deliberately infected with the coronavirus in hopes of further speeding the drive to a vaccine. The research is a gutsy gambit, given that people will be submitting themselves to a deadly virus with no surefire treatment. The United States is moving more cautiously, with leading government researchers saying human challenge trials might be too risky or unnecessary. But the British scientists say the potential payoff is massive.

“What al fresco dining may look like when it’s cold” via Linda Poon of Bloomberg — As Illinois recorded what was then the highest count of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases since May, Chicago announced the winners of a monthlong design challenge that fielded hundreds of winter dining solutions from around the world. The winning submissions include a pop-up cabin inspired by ice-fishing huts, a movable heated booth just big enough to fill a parking space and a heated table inspired by a kind of traditional Japanese furniture known as kotatsu. The Illinois Restaurant Association plans to work with local construction firms to create prototypes of each idea, and then test them at neighborhood establishments “in the coming weeks.”

— STATEWIDE —

“Courts seek money to dig out of pandemic ‘hole’” via Dara Kam of The News Service of Florida — Florida’s state court system needs more than $16 million to address increased workloads caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a budget request. The major portion of the request — more than $12.5 million — is aimed at helping trial courts deal with a projected backlog of more than 990,000 cases due to COVID-19. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady shuttered courthouses in March. The shutdown of circuit and county courts — which handle a gamut of legal disputes — also stopped jury trials from taking place. Between March and June, 1,180 jury trials were put on hold, according to the budget request.

“Groups back environmentalist in ‘malice’ case” via Jim Saunders of The News Service of Florida — Groups from the Florida Wildlife Federation to the Cato Institute have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up an appeal by a prominent environmentalist who was hit with a $4.4 million court verdict after fighting a project in Martin County. The groups argued that the appeal by Maggy Hurchalla raises critical First Amendment issues about communications between members of the public and the government. Property owners Lake Point I, LLC and Lake Point II, LLC sued Hurchalla, contending that she engaged in “tortious interference” when she worked behind the scenes to try to thwart the project. A jury returned the $4.4 million verdict against Hurchalla, upheld by the 4th District Court of Appeal.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Mitch McConnell warns White House against COVID-19 relief deal” via Andrew Taylor of The Associated Press — McConnell told fellow Republicans that he has warned the White House not to divide Republicans by sealing a lopsided preelection COVID-19 relief deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even as he publicly said he’d slate any such agreement for a vote. McConnell made his remarks during a private lunch with fellow Republicans on Tuesday, three people familiar with his remarks said, requesting anonymity because the session was private. The Kentucky Republican appears worried that an agreement between Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would drive a wedge between Republicans.

Republicans for the Rule of Law says Marco Rubio is ‘letting Florida down’ — A new ad pushed by Republicans for the Rule of Law hits Rubio for flip-flopping on his 2016 opposition to a Supreme Court justice confirmation in an election year. In 2016 Rubio said, “In the last year of a President’s term, there should not be a Supreme Court nominee.” In 2020, Rubio is backing the confirmation of SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett just days before the 2020 election. The ad closes with a call-to-action for those in Florida to call his Washington office and hold him accountable. RRL said the ad is part of a $1 million campaign.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

“Trump economic aide eyes targeted stimulus” via News Service of Florida — Speaking during the Florida Chamber Foundation’s virtual “Future of Florida Forum,” U.S. National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow described a “V-shaped” recovery for the economy, which he said is moving in the right direction with two weeks until the general election. Kudlow noted that money remains unspent from prior stimulus packages and that aviation, restaurants and K-12 schools could use the additional help. “Those are areas that we, from day one, have wanted. But we don’t think we need an enormous aggregate bill,” Kudlow said.

“Aides complained about Mike Pompeo event with Florida group that backs gay conversion therapy” via the Miami Herald — State Department employees complained this month after members of Secretary of State Pompeo’s advance team discovered overtly anti-gay flyers when scoping out the site of a Florida event with a conservative Christian group that promotes conversion therapy for LGBTQ individuals. Pompeo’s decision to address the Florida Family Policy Council was initially flagged by members of his advance team to their supervisors, and other State Department employees also complained after finding the group offers LGBTQ individuals “help leaving the gay lifestyle” on its website, according to two sources familiar with the internal protest.

“Francis Rooney: ‘No doubt’ Biden has the better coronavirus approach” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — One outgoing Republican Congressman favors Biden’s pandemic response plan to Trump’s. “There’s no doubt Vice President Biden has the better approach,” U.S. Rep. Rooney, a Naples Republican, told Spectrum News. It’s not the first time Rooney broke ranks with the President. He was among the more aggressive Republican members in pushing to investigate Trump and his personal representatives for investigating Hunter Biden. He was also one of the main speakers at a Trump rally in 2018, when the President came to town to rally support for DeSantis and Scott. But suggesting the Democratic candidate for President may do a better job on pandemic response than Trump, 15 days before the presidential election, shows a continued willingness to buck the Commander-in-Chief.

“Florida delegation highlights new climate change report touting benefits of Paris pact” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Three Democratic members of Florida’s congressional delegation highlighted a new report on climate change focusing on the benefit to the state should the U.S. abide by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Reps. Kathy Castor, Ted Deutch and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell put the spotlight on that report, which was prepared by the House Oversight Committee, during a Tuesday Zoom conference. “We’re all put in danger if we don’t take action now,” Mucarsel-Powell warned, echoing years of warnings from lawmakers and health officials about the possible effect of unchecked global warming.

— SMOLDERING —

“Economist found $16 trillion when she tallied cost of racial bias” via Saijel Kishan of Bloomberg Businessweek — As protests against racial injustice erupted across the U.S. in late May, an economist on Wall Street set aside her usual work of analyzing monetary policy and all things macro to try her hand at something few in her field have attempted: quantifying the cost of racism to the world’s largest economy. After several months, results revealed how the economic boom belied a glaring number: Closing racial gaps would have generated an additional $16 trillion in economic output since 2000, her research showed.

“Protest arrests show regular Americans, not urban antifa” via Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo of The Associated Press — Trump portrays the hundreds of people arrested nationwide in protests against racial injustice as violent urban left-wing radicals. But an Associated Press review of thousands of pages of court documents tell a different story. Very few of those charged appear to be affiliated with highly organized extremist groups, and many are young suburban adults from the very neighborhoods Trump vows to protect from the violence in his reelection push to win support from the suburbs. Attorney General Barr has urged his prosecutors to bring federal charges on protesters who cause violence and has suggested that rarely used sedition charges could apply.

“State attorney offering diversion program for Tallahassee protesters arrested in September” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Prosecutors have extended diversion program agreements to nearly all of the protesters arrested during a demonstration over Labor Day weekend. State Attorney Jack Campbell confirmed that a chance to enter into the Second Judicial Circuit’s diversion program has been offered to any of the demonstrators not charged with felonies. At least three of the 19 people charged face felony charges for allegedly attacking officers while resisting or inciting a riot. Campbell said as a condition of the program, which generally includes community service, those that choose to enter into diversion must attend the city’s virtual race relations summit scheduled for Oct. 29 for a breakout session on how to safely and lawfully protest.

“‘A culture of Black reticence and Black hypersensitivity’: Race and police reforms take center stage in election” via Issac Morgan of the Florida Phoenix — As a Black man living in Florida’s state capital, Joshua Johnson believes that police procedures, particularly regarding communities of color, need to change. He recalls the anxiety he felt when he encountered police during his teen years. “I remember as early as high school when we would go to the movies, there would be police officers out there because there was always the stigma that people would rather be fighting. If you looked a certain way, the police officers automatically handled you a certain way,” said Johnson, a Florida A&M University graduate who is now 32. “That has been a natural progressed experience for me on up until manhood.”

“This interracial couple got engaged in Barack Obama’s America. Then Donald Trump took office.” via Sydney Trent of The Washington Post — David Figari and Jessica Jones were college-educated 25-year-olds who had voted for the first Black President in the nation’s history and who viewed racism mostly as a relic of their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. Even as President Barack Obama and civil rights leaders warned the throngs on the Mall that day about the work that remained, a spirit of hope and racial progress pervaded the 50th anniversary of the march. They wed in 2016, the year Trump was elected president. As Trump seeks a second term, the couple find themselves navigating racial and political divides they never anticipated when they got engaged.

— LOCAL NOTES —

“Shake-up at Miami City Hall as three administrators submit resignations in one week” via Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald — Three high-level administrators in Miami City Hall have submitted their resignations in the span of one week, marking significant shifts in the city government’s leadership. Sandra Bridgeman, an assistant city manager and the city’s chief financial officer, and Planning Director Francisco Garcia submitted their resignations within a few hours of each other Monday. Bridgeman will leave the city on Oct. 30. Garcia will depart Nov. 6. Daniel Rotenberg, the director of Miami’s department of real estate and asset management, submitted his resignation Oct. 13. His last day is Oct. 30.

“Orlando airport to leave the fate of its top legal job up in the air” via Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel — Faced with investigations and a pandemic-caused financial crisis, the agency that runs Orlando International Airport is expected to again delay a decision over the fate of its top legal job — an important position that was at the center of a political tug-of-war last year. The board of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority will decide Wednesday whether to continue using an interim general counsel for another six months. It would be the second six-month extension to the short-term contract, which was initially signed in November 2019 and was only supposed to last for six months.

“City Council will issue subpoena to Tim Baker for JEA records” via Christopher Hong of The Florida Times-Union — A Jacksonville City Council committee voted Tuesday to issue a subpoena to political consultant Baker as part of the council’s investigation into the failed sale of JEA. Baker, a prominent political consultant who has advised the campaigns of Mayor Lenny Curry and several sitting council members, had a consulting contract with Florida Power and Light, which submitted a bid last year to purchase JEA, while also providing advice to JEA about the sale. The council Rules committee voted 4 to 3 to subpoena Baker, as well as several of his consulting firms. The subpoena was recommended by the special council investigative committee after Baker refused to provide information and documents related to his work for FPL last month.

— TOP OPINION —

“Republicans, it’s time to choose between autocracy and a republic” via Stuart Stevens, Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt and Reed Galen for The Washington Post — In two weeks, the most consequential election of our generation will come, and your time for choosing will arrive. As Republicans, will you stand with Trump, or will you stand with, and stand up for, America? Will you protect democracy or protect a single person and his family? We’re not merely talking about your vote. We’re talking about what comes next. In the days ahead, your party may call upon you to support efforts by a White House that refuses to transfer power after a loss at the polls. This effort will succeed only if a Republican Party power structure offers blind allegiance to one man instead of the republic.

— OPINIONS —

“Of course we’re tired of the coronavirus, Mr. President. Wishful thinking won’t make it go away.” via The Washington Post editorial board — As a frightening new wave of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations washes over the nation, Trump and his team sound like cheerleaders in a fantasy world. “The light at the end of the tunnel is near. We are rounding the turn,” Trump said Friday. His White House coronavirus adviser, Scott Atlas, went even further on the weekend with nakedly irresponsible advice that face masks don’t work. The implication was: Don’t bother to wear them. “People are tired of COVID,” Trump declared Monday. “People are saying, ‘Whatever, just leave us alone.’ ”

“Trump isn’t even trying to slow the virus’s spread” via Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post — The coronavirus pandemic in the United States is rapidly climbing toward a third peak, and Trump is doing more to boost the infection rate than reduce it. It’s hard to believe, but Trump doesn’t even seem to be trying to slow the spread of the deadly virus that has killed nearly 220,000 Americans, ravaged the economy and seriously damaged his chances of winning a second term. With the election just two weeks away and polls heavily favoring Democratic nominee Biden, Trump has been spending his days frantically jetting around the country to campaign rallies that look like potential super-spreader events, big, tightly packed, noisy gatherings where most people are not wearing masks.

“New Yorkers should know better than to vote for a huckster like Trump” via Michael Bloomberg with the Miami Herald — New Yorkers can be guilty of thinking the world revolves around our city. But the fact is: For those of you who have moved to Florida, the world may well revolve around you on Election Day. That’s because your votes may be the deciding factor in determining who’ll lead our country for the next four years. As you prepare to cast your ballots, I want to appeal to the New Yorker in you and urge you to reject the ex-New Yorker living in Florida and vote for the guy from Delaware.

“You all kissed Trump’s ring for four long years. Now, you’re skulking away? We won’t forget” via Leonard Pitts, Jr. of the Miami Herald — You told yourself party was more important. You told yourself the courts were more important. You told yourself tax cuts were more important. And you convinced yourself you could put up with his bluster and bullying, with his lies, his hatefulness, his bungling, his complete unfitness, if that was the price those things demanded. You could keep your head down, nod a lot, say as little as possible and, when pressed, pretend to believe the unbelievable, support the insupportable, find no offense in the blatantly offensive. Your country needed you. You did not stand up.

“Trump’s H-1B reforms will make America poorer” via the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board — Newly announced reforms to the H-1B immigrant visa system have the potential to reduce the number of foreign workers allowed into the U.S., just as the Trump administration intends. The problem is that goal makes no sense. If implemented, the changes will seriously harm many businesses, small firms and health care providers especially. Overall, they’ll harm U.S. workers, not help them. Trump has already modified the H-1B program, which brings 85,000 skilled workers to the U.S. a year, but the new rules go further.

— ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

Gov. DeSantis insists there will be no more school closings because of COVID-19 — no matter how bad it gets. 

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Governor says keeping kids out of school does more harm than COVID in the classroom. He’s also claiming credit for the return of high school football.

— The only thing missing from DeSantis’ news conference was the big banner in the background saying, “mission accomplished.”

— Unions representing faculty and graduate students at the University of Florida are demanding answers after they were ordered back to the classroom next semester.

— Other universities are also pressuring faculty to teach in person instead of remotely in January; unions want to know who’s behind this. But they know … and you do too if you were listening about 30 seconds ago.

— A new congressional study says Florida has a lot at stake in the fight against global warming. According to the report, we could save more than 100,000 lives in Florida by returning to the goals of the Paris agreement (you know, the one that was overturned by Trump).

— And finally, a couple of Florida Men lost their jobs after being accused of myriad offenses: sexual harassment, unwanted advances, a physical attack and sexual assault.

To listen, click on the image below:

— ALOE —

“St. Petersburg, Tampa Mayors put up shrimp, craft beer in World Series bet” via Josh Solomon of the Tampa Bay Times — The low-budget Tampa Bay Rays have returned to the World Series to vie for the franchise’s first championship against the storied and expensive Los Angeles Dodgers. The two will face off in Tuesday night’s Game 1 in a historic season played amid a pandemic. St. Petersburg Mayor Kriseman on Tuesday threw down the gauntlet, declaring that if the Rays lose to the Dodgers, he will send Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti some Yucatán Shrimp from Doc Fords on the St. Pete Pier along with some local craft beer and art. Castor tweeted that Tampa will offer Cuban cigars, Tampa’s own craft beer and a Rays face covering to help keep Los Angeles’ mayor safe.

“Turkey farmers fear that, this year, they’ve bred too many big birds” via Laura Reiley of The Washington Post — This spring, turkey farmers around the country had to roll the dice, take a guess: What would pandemic Thanksgiving look like? The pandemic will interrupt 50 years of steadily increasing turkey consumption, threatening to change holiday traditions forever. Social distancing and travel challenges will mean more, smaller holiday gatherings this November, thus smaller home-cooked turkeys on the table, fewer holiday restaurant reservations and, in an increasing number of households, no turkey at all. The shift in demand for this most seasonal of commercial animal proteins is causing havoc for turkey farmers, processors and retailers who typically solidify their plans months ahead of the holiday season.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Best wishes to Justice Jorge Labarga, Karis Lockhart of The Southern Group, Jamie Titcomb, town manager of Loxahatchee Groves, Jonathan Uriarte, Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, and Cameron Yarbrough.

___

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