Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 12.7.20

Good Monday morning. A couple of housekeeping notes.

— The deadline to secure advertising in the Winter edition of INFLUENCE Magazine, featuring the 30-under-30 Rising Stars of Florida politics, is this Friday. If you would like to reserve your space in this edition, please email me at [email protected].

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Here’s a micro-scoop about a good person to start the week (go easy on us, it’s the slow time of the year). Lisa Vickers, who just finished a tour of keeping the trains running on time in the Senate President’s office, is headed to the Department of Revenue, where she will serve as Deputy Executive Director. She previously served in that position for Dr. Jim Zingale when he was Executive Director.

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First on #FlaPol — “Steve Simeonidis touts endorsements in bid to repeat as Miami-Dade” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Steve Simeonidis is boasting a bevy of endorsements as he seeks a second bid leading the local party following a disappointing election cycle. Among the list of lawmakers backing Simeonidis are Sens. Shevrin Jones, Jason Pizzo and Annette Taddeo; Reps. Christopher Benjamin, Kevin Chambliss, Nick Duran, Joe Geller and Mike Grieco; and newly-elected Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Simeonidis is the favorite for the position, as he’s the only candidate currently listed on the party’s website. That could change, as nominations can still be made ahead of Monday’s vote.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@RealDonaldTrump: .@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!

—@JasonPinter: Rudy Giuliani is having the worst year for a lawyer since Saul Goodman agreed to represent Jesse Pinkman.

—@MaggieNYT: One of the striking things about Giuliani being massless so often is he was noticeably one of the few around [Donald] Trump wearing a mask at the Trump Hotel many months ago. He’s gone in other direction.

—@KenDilanianNBC: On Fox, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany just acknowledged the [Joe] Biden victory: “If we lose these two Senate seats, guess who’s casting the deciding vote in this country for our government? It will be Kamala Harris.”

—@JimVandehei: President Trump is considering a made-for-TV grand finale: a White House departure on Marine One and final Air Force One flight to Florida for a political rally opposite Joe Biden’s inauguration, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

—@EWErickson: The FEMA camps weren’t real. Jade Helm wasn’t real. The stolen election is not real. You people who believe this stuff and then want to try to convince people Jesus is real are undermining your ability to witness. Thank God the Holy Spirit can work without you.

—@ScottforFlorida: .@GOPChairwoman and @TommyHicksGOP have done an incredible job leading our party over the last few years. I support their bids to continue as Chairwoman and Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee. They’re best equipped to move our Party forward!

Tweet, tweet:

.@GovRonDeSantis addressing his @FloridaGOP Grassroots County Generals from the steps of the Governor’s Mansion.

Florida is in great hands and everyone in this photo is going to work like hell to crush whomever runs against him in order to keep it going.#MAGA #FlaPol pic.twitter.com/zmE89IVcle

— Christian Ziegler 🇺🇸 (@ChrisMZiegler) December 5, 2020

Tweet, tweet:

Picture of me and @jaketapper. He was very nice pic.twitter.com/1Vjmj38T01

— Jared MASKowitz 😷 (@JaredEMoskowitz) December 5, 2020

—@MattGaetz: I totally agree that the Populist Right & Populist Left often have a great deal in common when battling the bought-and-paid-for Establishment Center. @AOC and I even reflect on this occasionally during votes. We should work together more when aligned. Count me in!

—@BSFarrington: So, who’s laughing and who’s praying right now?

Tweet, tweet:

Lighting the National Christmas Tree is one of America's oldest holiday traditions. @POTUS & I were honored to virtually join @NatlParkService & @NationalParkFdn for their 98th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/7ZU0OKXkFW

— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) December 6, 2020

— DAYS UNTIL —

Florida Chamber Foundation’s virtual Transportation, Growth and Infrastructure Solution Summit begins — 1; the Electoral College votes — 7; “Death on the Nile” premieres — 10; NBA 2020-21 opening night — 15; “The Midnight Sky” with George Clooney premieres on Netflix — 16; “Wonder Woman 1984” rescheduled premiere — 18; Pixar’s “Soul” premiere (rescheduled for Disney+) — 18; Greyhound racing ends in Florida — 24; Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections — 29; the 2021 Inauguration — 44; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 62; Daytona 500 — 69; “A Quiet Place Part II” rescheduled premiere — 73; “Black Widow” rescheduled premiere — 87; “No Time to Die” premieres (rescheduled) — 116; Children’s Gasparilla — 124; Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest — 131; “Top Gun: Maverick” rescheduled premiere — 207; Disney’s “Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” premieres — 214; new start date for 2021 Olympics — 228; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 236; St. Petersburg Primary Election — 260; St. Petersburg Municipal Elections — 330; Disney’s “Eternals” premieres — 334; “Spider-Man Far From Home” sequel premieres — 336; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” premieres — 368; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 432; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 485; “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel premieres — 666.

— DATELINE TALLAHASSEE —

“Even Ron DeSantis’ staff urged him to require masks, but he didn’t” via Steve Bousquet of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — DeSantis should listen to his own people more often. We know that at least twice during this terrible pandemic, they tried to coax him into telling people in Florida to wear face masks to halt the spread of COVID-19. Mayors from both parties pleaded with the Republican Governor to improve two-way communication and expand contact tracing. It didn’t happen. DeSantis chose loyalty to Trump and the Republican base, and he wouldn’t do it. In fact, Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, an outspoken critic of the state’s response, was blocked from attending a round table with DeSantis.

“Michael Grieco brings back bill to end state-sanctioned Confederate holidays” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Newly-filed legislation from Democratic Rep. Grieco aims to stop three Confederate holidays from being recognized by the state. Florida law designates former Confederate President Jefferson Davis‘s birthday on June 3 as a state-recognized holiday. The same goes for former Confederate General Robert E. Lee‘s birthday on Jan. 19. Confederate Memorial Day, on April 26, is also a state-sanctioned holiday. The legislation from Grieco, a Miami Beach Democrat, isn’t the first attempt at removing those holidays from the books. Similar bills have been filed in recent years, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has not moved them forward.

“Mixed drinks to go: Jennifer Bradley files booze delivery bill” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Sen. Bradley of North Central Florida’s Senate District 5 is looking to make takeout mixed drinks a permanent option and has filed legislation to do just that. Bradley’s SB 148 would revise the current beverage law to allow restaurants to deliver mixed drinks with meals, continuing a practice begun during the pandemic at DeSantis’ direction. The alcohol delivery would have to be accompanied by food. If the bill becomes law, it takes effect in July. Bradley described herself as “laser-focused on helping our small businesses” when discussing the bill earlier in the fall.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“DeSantis not planning statewide campaign in Florida to urge coronavirus vaccine use” via John Kennedy of The Sarasota Herald-Tribune — With Florida recently passing the 1 million mark for COVID-19 cases, the prospect of a vaccine being available in coming weeks looms as a potential bright spot in the state’s troubled battle with the coronavirus. But DeSantis’ administration has no plans for a wide-scale campaign encouraging Floridians to be vaccinated. DeSantis said the state’s focus would be on vaccinating residents of the state’s more than 4,000 nursing homes, long-term care facilities and group homes. “The long-term care facilities are, I think, a big priority, because that’s where 40% of the mortalities nationwide have occurred,” DeSantis said.

“Florida adds 8,436 coronavirus cases and 96 deaths” via Anastasia Dawson of the Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Department of Health reported 8,436 coronavirus cases and 96 deaths Sunday, bringing the overall number of known infections in the state to 1,058,074. That means roughly 1 in every 19 Floridians has tested positive for the virus, according to state data. The number of deaths attributed to the virus since March 1, when Florida’s first known coronavirus cases were reported, is 19,423, the third-highest death toll in the nation. The number of coronavirus deaths has continued to rise this week. By Sunday, the state was averaging 98.1 per day. Only two other states have reported caseloads exceeding 1 million people. 

“Florida right to keep remote learning option for schools” via the Tampa Bay Times editorial board — The state’s decision to allow remote classes to continue in the spring is good news for parents, children, and school districts alike. With the pandemic still surging, families should have the option to choose whether in-classroom instruction or online learning works best for their own situation. Students struggling remotely will have access to new resources, and the extension gives school districts the certainty they need to plan and budget for the coming semester. The Department of Education released a new emergency order for the second semester on Monday that keeps live remote classes available as an option.

— CORONA LOCAL — 

“Nearly a quarter of Florida’s new 8,436 COVID-19 cases come from Miami-Dade” via Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — Florida’s Department of Health on Sunday confirmed 8,436 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s known total to 1,058,074. Also, 93 new resident deaths were announced, bringing the resident toll to 19,177. Four new nonresident deaths were also announced, bringing the nonresident toll to 246. Sunday is the first time in three days that the state’s single-day case count is less than 10,000. Testing was also down compared to the previous days though fewer tests are usually processed during the weekend. Testing, like hospitalizations, helps officials determine the virus’ progress and plays a role in deciding whether it is safe to lift stay-at-home orders and loosen restrictions.

“‘Months before we can restore normalcy.’ Miami-Dade officials plead for federal COVID-19 aid” via Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald — South Florida elected officials, including Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, spent part of Saturday morning at a food distribution site on Miami Beach pleading, “praying and beseeching the federal government to come to our aid” as the COVID-19 pandemic surges through the state. Levine Cava’s pleas were echoed by Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson at the food distribution site at 22nd Street and Collins Avenue. The officials held a video news conference to urge Congress to extend a stimulus package to fund ongoing food distribution events.

“The ‘COVID slide’: More South Florida students are failing” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — More students are failing at their schoolwork as they learn at home during the COVID-19 crisis, according to new school district data. The percentage of students getting F’s has more than doubled, with more skipping school and performing poorly on assessments. South Florida districts have reviewed practice tests, report card data, attendance, and other measures to get a glimpse into how severe the “COVID slide” is. Schools were closed for months due to the pandemic, and most students are still learning at home.

“The new snowbird: Young, and working remotely to wait out the pandemic” via Lois K. Solomon of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — There’s a new generation of snowbirds flocking to South Florida this season. They’re young, mobile, and working remotely because COVID-19 has closed their offices. All they want is good weather and decent Wi-Fi. In their 20s, 30s and 40s, many lived in New York and New Jersey until the pandemic made them think twice about life in the big city or its suburbs. Call them snow-chicks, the offspring of our beloved seasonal snowbirds. These chicks have a lot to get used to in their new Florida environment, including relatively lax rules about mask-wearing. Many newcomers from the North have found Florida’s mixed messages about masks jarring as COVID-19 enters its peak. 

“Jerry Demings signs order to fine Orange Co. businesses for not masking” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — In defiance of DeSantis‘ efforts to prevent or at least discourage local coronavirus mandates, Demings signed an executive order requiring business in the county to require social distancing and mask-wearing or face fines. Demings’ executive order is directed at businesses he said are “bad actors” that are few, but accelerating the new resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic. That action is his Executive Order 2020-51, which will take place at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. It will affect the entire county, including businesses in Orlando and all the incorporated suburbs.

“Death at Freedom Square” via Leonora Lapeter Anton, Kavitha Surana, and Kathryn Varn of the Tampa Bay Times — Last spring, the coronavirus stormed through Seminole Pavilion and another nursing home at Freedom Square of Seminole. Forty people have died, among the largest tolls at long-term care facilities in the state. Nine months into the pandemic, the virus has killed more than 19,000 Floridians. About 40% of the deaths have been among senior care residents. More than 2 out of 3 coronavirus deaths are connected to nursing homes and assisted living centers in Pinellas County alone. By the end of April, more than half the 95 residents at Seminole Pavilion had tested positive. They died in waves, at hospitals and hospices across the county.

“COVID-19 drives labor shortage, even amid high unemployment rates” via Maya Lora of The Lakeland Ledger — Despite persistently high unemployment rates, Polk County employers are struggling to fill open positions for the holiday season. According to the latest report from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Polk County’s unemployment rate in October was 7.3% without seasonal adjustments. That number has shrunk considerably from 13.2% in July but is still much higher than the 3.4% reported in October 2019. If you scroll through Indeed job postings or the Jobs in Polk County Facebook group that boasts more than 17,500 members, you might think finding a job would be easy. Susan Hames, the business development manager for Rita Staffing, said it’s definitely an employee’s market. But it’s also more complicated than that.

“Key West scales back New Year’s Eve because of coronavirus” via The Associated Press — The city of Key West is scaling back its normal New Year’s Eve celebrations following recent surges in the spread of coronavirus. Key West Mayor Teri Johnston signed an emergency order Friday that sets an islandwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m., running Thursday, Dec. 31, through Sunday, Jan. 3. The curfew does not apply to unincorporated Monroe County, which includes the remainder of the Florida Keys, said county Mayor Michelle Coldiron. When the curfew takes effect, all nonessential businesses will be required to close by 10 p.m. Officials said the emergency directive was enacted to lessen the chance of a potential public health emergency brought on by holiday crowds that typically fill the city’s downtown areas. 

— CORONA NATION —

“The U.S. has passed the hospital breaking point” via Robinson Meyer and Alexis C. Madrigal of The Atlantic — Since the beginning of the pandemic, public-health experts have warned of one particular nightmare. They said that the number of coronavirus patients could exceed hospitals’ capacity in a state or city to care for them. Now several lines of evidence are sending us the same message: Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed, causing them to restrict whom they admit and leading more Americans to die needlessly. The number of hospitalized patients has increased nearly every day: Since November 1, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has doubled; since October 1, it has tripled.

—”The virus is devastating the U.S., and leaving an uneven toll” via Manny Fernandez, Julie Bosman, Amy Harmon, Danielle Ivory and Mitch Smith of The New York Times 

—”COVID-19 has already exhausted the U.S. And it’s only the start of a dark and deadly winter” via Sara Sidner, Dakin Andone and Julia Jones of CNN

—”Beleaguered nursing homes prepare for monumental task of vaccinating residents and staff” via Christopher Rowland and Will Englund of The Washington Post

—”Five Bay Area counties to enact strict stay-at-home order ahead of state edict, starting Sunday” via Catherine Ho of The San Francisco Chronicle

—”Why COVID-19 contact tracing isn’t working in Chicago” via Brett Chase of The Chicago Sun-Times

—”Georgia sets single-day coronavirus record” via J. Scott Trubey of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

—”‘We are up against the wall.’ Miami-Dade’s new mayor sounds alarm on COVID-19 surge.” via Ben Conarck and Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald 

—”Massachusetts leaders grapple with whether to add coronavirus restrictions as cases surge” via Sean Philip Carter and Lisa Kashinsky of The Boston Herald 

—”Minnesota senior homes battle staffing woes as COVID-19 rages on” via Chris Serres of The Star-Tribune

—”Washington coronavirus hospital admissions surge to highest level since pandemic began” via Evan Bush of The Seattle Times

Meanwhile … “CDC recommends people wear masks indoors when not at home” via Taylor Telford of The Washington Post — The CDC is urging “universal mask use” indoors for the first time as the country shatters records for coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths ahead of the holiday season. The CDC has for months encouraged mask-wearing in public spaces with people outside the household. The new guidance asks people to put on masks anywhere outside their homes. In its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report, the CDC warned the U.S. has entered “a phase of high-level transmission” as colder weather and the ongoing holiday season push Americans indoors, and said that “consistent and correct” use of face masks is critical to taming the virus.

“Will the U.S. ever have a national COVID-19 testing strategy?” via Mike Stobbe and Matthew Perrone of The Associated Press — As the coronavirus epidemic worsens, U.S. health experts hope Biden’s administration will put in place something Trump’s has not, a comprehensive national testing strategy. Such a strategy, they say, could systematically check more people for infections and spot surges before they take off. The health experts say it would improve from the current practice, which has professional athletes and students at elite universities getting routine tests while many other Americans stand in line for hours if they get tested at all.

“COVID-19 means more preschool-age kids won’t be ready for kindergarten” via Alida Wong of USA Today — For America’s low-income children, high-quality opportunities to prepare for kindergarten were already in short supply before the pandemic hit. Nationally, child care was out of reach for many Americans, costing as much as $9,600 on average last year, an analysis by Child Care Aware of America found. Head Start, a federal early-childhood education program designated for low-income families, served just 36% of eligible 3- to 5-year-olds. Early Head Start reaches even fewer families, enrolling only 11% of eligible infants and toddlers. As a result, as many as half low-income children already were starting kindergarten without being ready for it. 

“Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed promised a flood of COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, states are expecting a trickle.” via Christopher Rowland, Lena H. Sun, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post — Federal officials have slashed the amount of coronavirus vaccine they plan to ship to states in December because of supply constraints, sending local officials into a scramble to adjust vaccination plans and highlighting how early promises of a vast stockpile before the end of 2020 have fallen short. Instead of delivering 300 million or so doses of vaccine immediately after emergency-use approval and before the end of 2020 as the Trump administration had originally promised, current plans call for availability of around a tenth of that, or 35 to 40 million doses.

“A gamble pays off in ‘spectacular success’: How the leading coronavirus vaccines made it to the finish line” via Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post — On a Sunday afternoon in early November, scientist Barney Graham got a call at his home office in Rockville, Maryland, working relentlessly to develop a vaccine to vanquish a killer virus. The significance of the news was clear right away to Graham: There could be not one but two vaccines by year’s end. If the Pfizer vaccine worked well, odds were good for a vaccine from biotechnology firm Moderna, since they both relied on the spike protein that Graham’s lab helped design and technology never before harnessed in an approved vaccine. For months, people had asked Graham about the pressure he must have been feeling on the leading edge of an all-hands effort to invent the tools that could end the pandemic. 

— CORONA ECONOMICS — 

“Bleak outlook as unemployment benefits end for millions” via The Associated Press — Unemployment has forced aching decisions on millions of Americans and their families in the face of a rampaging viral pandemic that has closed shops and restaurants, paralyzed travel, and left millions jobless for months. Now, their predicaments stand to grow bleaker yet if Congress fails to extend two unemployment programs set to expire the day after Christmas. If no agreement is reached in negotiations taking place on Capitol Hill, more than 9 million people will lose federal jobless aid that averages about $320 a week, and that typically serves as their only source of income.

— MORE CORONA —

“U.S. and Europe head in opposite coronavirus directions” via Dave Lawler of Axios — While the U.S. continues to set records for new coronavirus cases, European countries have managed to turn their own terrifying spikes around. As some states in the U.S. crack down to head off the worst, the debate in countries like the U.K. and France has shifted to whether and how to lighten their own restrictions before the holidays. America’s surge lagged two to three weeks behind Europe’s. However, responses in U.S. states have been uneven and generally less severe than in most European countries. Daily case counts are already rising significantly in most U.S. states, and they’re likely to tick up further following Thanksgiving gatherings around the country.

“A 104-year-old World War II veteran from Alabama has survived COVID-19” via Amanda Jackson of CNN — An Alabama man battling the coronavirus was released from the hospital just in time to celebrate his 104th birthday. Major Lee Wooten, a World War II veteran, recovered from the virus last week in Madison, Alabama. Staff at Madison Hospital gave him a special send-off when he was discharged on Tuesday, two days before his birthday. His granddaughter, Holly Wooten McDonald, posted Facebook updates about his recovery. Wooten requested a chocolate milkshake on the way home from the hospital, she said. “I wish I had gotten a picture of pop-pop pulling his mask over his nose to get to that milkshake as fast as he could,” she wrote.

“As pandemic threatens Britain’s mental health, these ‘fishermen’ fight back” via Megan Specia of The New York Times — The group of seven volunteers in high-visibility vests, equipped with GPS trackers and radios, gathered in the parking lot of a nature preserve on the outskirts of town. “We’ll take the red route,” Rick Roberts said, shining his flashlight over a map of the woodland, as his breath formed a cloud in the cold, late-November air. The charity has also found itself increasingly responding to mental health calls at residents’ houses. Last week, workers were called out to the home of a 28-year-old man whose wife said he was threatening to end his life. He had already written a suicide note. They spoke with him before calling the ambulance and police services, and referred him for counseling.

“Europe’s deadly second wave: How did it happen again?” via Josh Holder, Matina Stevis-Gridneff and Allison McCann of The New York Times — By early June, scarred and battered, Europe was emerging from the depths of its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Strict lockdowns in most countries had lifted health care systems off their knees, just as the United States and others were fighting record caseloads. The weather was warming up, the European Union was encouraging borders to reopen and Europeans were desperate for a break. They paid dearly for it. A devastating second wave has forced reluctant governments back into lockdowns or restrictions and inflicted new scars on European economies. The optimism of the summer is gone, replaced with the realization that loosening precautions led to thousands of deaths just months before vaccines may arrive.

“EU eyes Dec 29 approval for 1st virus vaccine, later than U.S.” via Frank Jorand, Maria Cheng, and Samiel Petrequi of The Associated Press — The European Union drug agency said it may need four more weeks to approve its first coronavirus vaccine, even as authorities in the United States and Britain continue to aim for a green light before Christmas. The European Medicines Agency plans to convene a meeting by Dec. 29 to decide if there is enough safety and efficacy data about the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for it to be approved. The regulator also said it could decide as early as Jan. 12 whether to approve a rival shot by American pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc, which submitted its request to U.S. and European regulators this week.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“Trump challenges vote results while urging turnout in Georgia” via Aamer Madhani, Ben Nadler, and Zeke Miller of The Associated Press — Trump is pressing his grievances over losing the presidential election, using a weekend rally to spread baseless allegations of misconduct in last month’s voting in Georgia and beyond even as he pushed supporters to turn out for a pair of Republican Senate candidates in a runoff election in January. “Let them steal Georgia again; you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. Trump’s 100-minute rally before thousands of largely maskless supporters came not long after Georgia’s Republican Governor rebuffed him in his astounding call for a special legislative session to give him the state’s electoral votes, even though President-elect Biden won more votes than any other candidate.

Trump calls Georgia Governor to pressure him for help overturning Joe Biden’s win in the state” via Amy Gardner, Colby Itkowitz and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post — Trump called Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday morning to urge him to persuade the state legislature to overturn Biden’s victory in the state and asked the Governor to order an audit of absentee ballot signatures, the latest brazen effort by the President to interfere in the 2020 election. Hours before he was scheduled to hold a rally in Georgia on behalf of the state’s two GOP senators, Trump pressed Kemp to call a special session of the state legislature for lawmakers to override the results and appoint electors who would back the President at the electoral college.

“Georgia Governor rebuffs Trump’s call for special session to overturn election results, top official says” via Felicia Sonmez of The Washington Post — Trump’s flailing efforts to overturn the results of the November election were dealt their latest blow Sunday as Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said the state’s Governor would not call a special session of the legislature. Duncan’s statement came hours ahead of highly anticipated debates in Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections, which could determine which party controls the upper chamber. In an interview, Duncan said he “absolutely” believes that Gov. Kemp will not accede to Trump’s demand that he persuade the state legislature to appoint electors who would override the popular vote and nullify Biden’s victory in the state.

“What Pennsylvania’s election could have looked like if it counted votes like Florida” via The Associated Press — Polls had only been closed in Florida for a few hours last month when elections offices started closing up shop for the night, too. Almost all the votes were counted and reported, and there just wasn’t much left to do at that moment. News organizations had already projected Trump as the state’s winner. For example, things in Tampa shut down by 1 a.m., the county supervisor of elections said. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, elections officials weren’t even halfway through a 50-hour stretch without sleep, at the start of a round-the-clock vote-counting process that would continue for days.

— TRANSITION —

“Biden and Trump vie to project authority, making for a tense transition” via Matt Viser and Ashley Parker of The Washington Post — When Biden put his weight behind a coronavirus aid package recently, it energized an effort that had seemed dead and nudged political adversaries to the bargaining table, with success now looking far more likely. Meanwhile, Trump spent last week demanding that a major defense bill nod to his cultural and political agenda, threatening a veto if it wasn’t changed. But even some faithful Republican supporters shrugged him off, embracing a final draft that not only ignores Trump’s demands but rebukes some of his moves as commander in chief.

“Inauguration planners rethink how to party in age of virus” via The Associated Press — Biden’s swearing-in itself will not be virtual. But guests should be prepared to socially distance and wear a mask. Lawmakers are also considering requiring a COVID-19 test for anyone on the platform near the President-elect, said Paige Waltz, a spokesperson for the joint congressional committee charged with overseeing the event. The VIP platform can hold 1,600 people. Lawmakers also generally distribute tickets for positions nearby. While no hard decisions have been made, the committee is looking at cutting the numbers on both accounts. No decisions have been made on whether the official inaugural balls should go forward. Some advocacy groups are already going virtual with their galas.

Breaking overnight — “Biden picks Xavier Becerra to lead Health and Human Services” via Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Michael D. Shear of The New York Times — President-elect Biden has selected Becerra, the Democratic attorney general of California, as his nominee for secretary of health and human services, tapping a former congressman who would be the first Latino to run the department as it battles the surging coronavirus pandemic. Becerra became Biden’s clear choice only over the past few days, according to people familiar with the transition’s deliberations, and was a surprise. Becerra has carved out a profile on the issues of criminal justice and immigration, and he was long thought to be a candidate for attorney general.

“‘Old-school revolving door’: Private-sector ties complicate Biden’s efforts to staff incoming administration” via Michael Scherer, Tom Hamburger and Carol D. Leonnig of The Washington Post — Biden’s secretary of state nominee, Antony Blinken, founded a consulting firm that promises corporate clients a bridge from “the Situation Room to the Board Room.” Incoming National Economic Council director Brian Deese and Deputy Treasury Secretary nominee Wally Adeyemo recently held jobs at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm. Biden’s advisers have tried to confront the apparent conflicts directly, with extensive ethics training and detailed rules that bar, in most cases, transition officials from working on issues that could benefit a recent employer or client.

“Pentagon blocks visits to military spy agencies by Biden transition team” via Greg Miller and Missy Ryan of The Washington Post — The Trump administration has refused to allow members of Biden’s transition team to meet with officials at U.S. intelligence agencies that are controlled by the Pentagon, undermining prospects for a smooth transfer of power. The officials said the Biden team has not been able to engage with leaders at the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other military-run spy services with classified budgets and global espionage platforms. The Defense Department rejected or did not approve requests from the Biden team this week, the officials said, despite a General Services Administration decision on Nov. 23 clearing the way for federal agencies to meet with the incoming administration representatives.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Betsy DeVos extends moratorium on federal student loan payments through end of January” via Danielle Douglas-Gabriel — DeVos extended the suspension of federal student loan payments through the end of January, giving Congress and the incoming Biden administration time to put in place a longer moratorium. The payment freeze, which was first introduced in March and later extended, had been set to expire on Dec. 31. Until now, the Trump administration had declined to say whether the President or DeVos would take action to stop millions of Americans from being thrown back into repayment as the economy continues to struggle.

“Matt Gaetz votes for landmark federal bill to decriminalize marijuana” via Kevin Robinson of NWF Daily News — Gaetz was among a handful of Republican congressmen who supported new federal legislation to decriminalize marijuana. On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the MORE (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement) Act by a vote of 228-164. The bill would remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminate criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possesses marijuana. The MORE Act still has to go before the Republican-controlled Senate, and in remarks before Friday’s vote, Gaetz opined the legislation was destined to fail there.

“Phil Murphy lashes out at Gaetz for appearance at Young Republican gala” via Nick Niedzwiadek of Politico — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy admonished Florida congressman Gaetz on Friday for attending a large gala event in the state after it was forced out of its original location in New York City under pressure from local officials. “What a fool,” the Democratic governor told reporters during a press briefing. “You are not welcome in New Jersey, and frankly I don’t ever want you back in this state.” Pictures of the event show dozens of attendees, including Gaetz, milling about in close proximity to one another and scarce mask wearing.

— STATEWIDE —

“No one can stop anti-gay therapy in Florida — for now. How LGBTQ advocates are rethinking their battle strategy.” via Rafael Olmeda of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Gay rights and mental health advocates in South Florida are trying to come up with new ways to fight conversion therapy, the practice of mental health counseling aimed at “curing” teenagers with unwanted feelings of homosexuality or questions about their gender identity. Reeling from a recent federal ruling that cleared the way for psychologists in the southeastern U.S. to offer counseling, opponents are openly questioning whether the legal momentum has shifted so far to the right that court battles are doomed to fail. Critics of conversion therapy and counseling say it’s damaging to the mental health of youths seeking counseling.

“Goldman plots Florida base for asset management in a blow to New York” via Sridhar Natarajan of Bloomberg — Goldman Sachs Group is weighing plans for a new Florida hub to house one of its key divisions, in another potential blow to New York’s stature as the de facto home of the U.S. financial industry. Executives have been scouting office locations in South Florida, speaking with local officials and exploring tax advantages as they consider creating a base there for its asset management arm. The bank’s success in operating remotely during the pandemic has persuaded members of the leadership team that they can move more roles out of the New York area to save money.

“Luminar’s 25-year-old founder Austin Russell becomes billionaire after IPO” via Noah Manskar of The New York Post — The founder of a startup that helps cars drive themselves just became a billionaire, and he’s barely old enough to rent a car on his own. Luminar Technologies CEO Russell secured a hefty fortune after his company’s stock market debut this week. The Florida-based firm, which he founded when he was just 17, makes so-called lidar scanners that use lasers to give autonomous cars a three-dimensional view of the road and what’s around them. Russell is one of the first billionaires to emerge from the self-driving vehicle market. Luminar has inked a deal to supply lidar units for Volvo vehicles and secured partnerships with Daimler Truck and Mobileye, Intel’s autonomous vehicle unit.

— 2020 —

“Florida GOP Chair Joe Gruters may face reelection hurdles despite leading red wave” via Zac Anderson of The Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Trump gave a shoutout to Gruters during a rally in Tampa shortly before the election. Then the President delivered an ultimatum. “He’ll be out of here so fast if we don’t win this election … he’ll be gone,” Trump said. Gruters delivered, helping Trump carry Florida by a margin three times larger than his 2016 victory. But the Sarasota state senator still could face hurdles as he seeks to hold onto his job as Florida GOP chair, although the President isn’t one of them. DeSantis has yet to publicly state whether he favors Gruters staying on as Florida GOP chair through 2022 when DeSantis is up for reelection.

“The Miami-Dade GOP will choose a new leader next week. Will Democrats stand pat?” via David Smiley of The Miami Herald — On the heels of an election that dramatically changed the outlook of Miami-Dade County politics, Democrats and Republicans will convene next week to choose local leaders for their respective parties. Miami-Dade Democrats appear likely to stick with current Chairman Steve Simeonidis despite an underwhelming performance last month by the party’s candidates in partisan races up and down the ballot. Republicans, meanwhile, will close out a banner 2020 by choosing a replacement for outgoing Chairman Nelson Diaz. The new chairperson of the Miami-Dade GOP, when Republicans hold a Dec. 10 socially distanced vote on local leadership, is likely to be County Commissioner Rene Garcia.

“After leaving GOP, David Jolly weighs his political future in Florida as an independent” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — There’s no cellphone service in the central Pennsylvania mountains where Jolly is waiting out the pandemic with his young family. He spends most days walking the woods or adding another beam to the two-story pole barn he’s determined to build by hand. “Good thinking time,” Jolly called it. Lately, Jolly has a lot to think about. The former Florida congressman is itching to run for public office in 2022, possibly for the U.S. Senate, though Governor isn’t out of the question. The state needs leaders willing to compromise, he said, who put people over partisanship.

— LOBBYING REGS —

New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Angela Bonds, French Brown, Marc Dunbar, Martha Edenfield, Chris Moya, Jennifer Ungru, Dean Mead: Gaggle Net

Richard Kravitz: Patient Services

Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace, Megan Fay, Andrew Ketchel, Capital City Consulting: Adobe, Monroe County Board of County Commissioners

— LOCAL NOTES —

“$65 million ‘loan’ is a boon for Jaguars and a bitter pill for taxpayers” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — City officials and representatives with the Jacksonville Jaguars have obscured the degree to which a locally unprecedented $65 million public subsidy will burden taxpayers and, in turn, benefits team owner Shad Khan and his business partner, Cordish Companies, who are planning to build an entertainment district next to TIAA Bank Field. In theory, developers are supposed to contribute about 20% of the public loan total to seed a trust account that will grow and make the city whole over time. But Khan and Cordish may never pay a dime to compensate taxpayers. Instead, the lender is set to provide both the loan and the money to pay itself back.

“Public interest groups take aim at Pasco Sheriff’s data-driven policing programs” via Neil Bedi and Kathleen McGrory of the Tampa Bay Times — Civil liberties groups are vowing to take action after an analysis revealed organized harassment of Pasco County residents and data-driven profiling of Pasco’s schoolchildren by the Sheriff’s Office. One public interest law firm has sent mailers, looking for plaintiffs for a potential lawsuit against the policing agency. Several prominent civil rights groups are weighing legal action and public advocacy campaigns. The moves will bring a new level of scrutiny to Sheriff Chris Nocco’s intelligence-led policing initiative, which has grown for almost a decade with little notice or oversight.

— TOP OPINION —

“Be careful expanding ‘Stand Your Ground’ — it denied my son justice” via Sandy Modell of The Orlando Sentinel — The images of lawless looters and protesters taking over entire neighborhoods in American cities in recent months apparently horrified DeSantis as much as they horrified me. In September, he responded to the anti-police protests that followed the death of George Floyd by proposing the “combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act” to impede violent and disorderly assemblies. I fully understand how Floridians may like the idea of expanding the state’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law to combat looting and lawlessness. However, they should understand how misinterpretations of Stand Your Ground have turned it into Florida’s License To Kill law.

— OPINIONS —

“America may not be so lucky next time” via Benjamin L. Ginsberg of The Washington Post — What if the 2020 election had been as close as it was in 2000, and the outcome hinged on a state with a truly narrow margin? How would the country have fared under a Trump-style assault on democracy’s foundations? Trump’s attempts to negate millions of votes by challenging state certifications revealed cracks in those foundations. Some shoring-up is clearly needed before the next election cycle begins. A good place to start might be with a bipartisan commission appointment that would propose election reforms to Congress and the states.

“As much as we want to tune Trump out, ignoring him is a luxury we cannot yet afford” via Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post — People are understandably tempted to indulge the urge to move on from Trump’s presidency, exhausted by the years of Trumpian norm-breaking and comforted by the prospect that he will soon be gone. He remains the President, possessed of enormous power until noon on Jan. 20. Afterward, he will command legions of followers who accept as gospel his delusional rendering of reality, which leads to the paradox inherent in my contention that Trump cannot safely be ignored. The evidence that elected Republican officials are summoning the courage to stand up to him is, so far, disappointingly scant, too.

— ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

Florida’s Department of Health reported an average of almost 100 fatalities and 10,000 new cases per day over the past week — and Miami-Dade’s new Mayor believes it will be worse before the end of the year.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Local governments often feel like they’re on their own during the COVID-19 crisis. Gov. DeSantis says he won’t be imposing any mandatory requirements to stop the disease’s spread. He signed an executive order prohibiting local governments from collecting fines for people who violate local mask mandates or safety measures. So much for the state.

— And at the federal level, Senate leaders have spiked every proposal for a new COVID relief package to help average Americans deal with the fallout … much to the dismay of Miami Beach Mayor Gelber.

— The Governor of New Jersey tells Congressman Gaetz he’s no longer welcome in the Garden State after tweeting pictures from a Young Republican event where no one wore a mask, practiced social distancing, or obeyed crowd size limits. He also called Gaetz “Congressman Matt Putz.”

— Key West pulls the plug on the raucous New Year’s celebration that draws tens of thousands of people. There will be a 10 p.m. curfew on New Year’s Eve.

— The election may be over, but that didn’t stop Trump from holding a campaign rally this weekend in Georgia about 20 miles north of the Florida line. Trump’s rally was to support the pair of Republicans in a runoff for the U.S. Senate, but the President spent most of the time claiming he could not have lost the election unless someone cheated. He still believes he can overturn the vote — somehow.

— And finally, a Florida Woman’s arm became tiger food at the Big Cat Rescue sanctuary.

To listen, click on the image below:

— ALOE —

“Jupiter and Saturn to align in the sky this month as ‘Christmas Star’” via Chris Ciaccia of Fox 13 — The two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will look like a double planet after sunset on Dec. 21, 2020, the start of the winter solstice. Between Dec. 16 and Dec. 25, the two planets will be separated by less than a full moon. Back in 1614, German astronomer Johannes Kepler suggested that the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn may be what was referred to as the “Star of Bethlehem” in the Nativity story, while others have suggested that the “three wise men” could have been a triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. NASA says the conjunction will appear “spectacular” with a backyard telescope or even with the naked eye. The two planets won’t be this close to each other again until March 15, 2080.

“Florida’s largest drive-thru Christmas light show opens at Daytona International Speedway” via Zack Perry of WFTS — The Daytona International Speedway has transformed into a drive-thru holiday wonderland featuring over a million Christmas lights. Take a drive behind the Ticket and Tours building, through the state-of-the-art motor sports facility, and conclude in the Midway display area outside the facility. Magic of Lights is located at the intersection of International Speedway Boulevard and Bill France Boulevard in Daytona, Florida. Tickets start at $25 per car.

“How Disney World is encouraging mask-wearing in a very magical way” via Erik Swann of Cinema Blend — Parks like Hollywood Studios have also found more creative and magical ways to encourage visitors to wear their masks. Just recently, a Hollywood Studios performer reminded patrons to wear their masks right before leading them in a singalong of one of Frozen’s famous songs, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” Of course, this other method of enforcing masks has to be the cutest. A Disney employee from the social distancing squad has a unique way of encouraging children to wear their masks. This is done by showing them that if a Mickey Mouse plush can wear a mask, they can as well.

“Jeff Bezos says Blue Origin will take the first woman to moon’s surface” via Reuters — Bezos’ space company Blue Origin will take the first woman to the moon’s surface, the billionaire said on Friday as NASA nears a decision to pick its first privately built lunar landers capable of sending astronauts to the moon by 2024. “This (BE-7) is the engine that will take the first woman to the surface of the Moon,” Bezos said in a post on Instagram. Blue Origin has vied for lucrative government contracts in recent years and is competing with rival billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Dynetics, owned by Leidos Holdings Inc, to win a contract to build NASA’s next human lunar landing system to ferry humans to the moon in the next decade.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Best wishes to Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, Tallahassee mayor John Dailey, our dear friend Mark Ferrulo and one of Southwest Florida’s finest, Vickie Brill.

___

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