Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 12.22.20

Good Tuesday morning.

— Joe Biden’s very public shot in the arm: Smiling from behind a black face mask and holding his sleeve to expose his upper arm, the President-elect received his COVID-19 vaccination Monday during a publicly viewed inoculation at a Delaware hospital. Biden chose to publicize his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in hopes of inspiring confidence in the shot as manufacturers prepare to make the vaccine widely available to all Americans in the coming months.

— A whole lotta vaccine: More than 2 million people worldwide have now received a COVID-19 vaccination, including more than 500,000 Americans. The global total includes vaccinations from six countries. Other than the U.S., China, the U.K., Russia, Israel and Canada have begun vaccinations.

— Check me out on News Channel 8: The head honcho behind Florida Politics took to the airwaves this Sunday to discuss Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ COVID-19 response, questions about pandemic transparency and residents’ fears about the new vaccine. You can catch Peter’s take on Battleground Florida here.

— Now, this is charitable giving: A Pinellas County landlord is giving tenants $100 toward their rent for every hour they spend volunteering for a charitable organization. Contemporary Housing Alternatives of Florida has more than 500 units in the state and about 20% of its tenants are behind on rent. With hospitality in mind, the company decided to find a way to lower rent for struggling tenants while also giving back to the communities in which they operate. We’ll drink to that.

— Check this list to see if you’re on Santa’s naughty list: The North Pole Government’s Department of Christmas Affairs has an extensive list of boys and girls who have been naughty or nice. The list includes every first name imaginable and places each name into the good or bad category. The good news is, every Florida Politics employee except for one landed on the nice list. But don’t worry, Renzo Downey, you can dispute your naughty classification by being good for the rest of the week and hoping the Global Behavior Tracking Network catches your good vibes. If not, the department also provides “Nice Coaches” to help you rehabilitate.

— Best beers of 2020: Bloomberg’s Justin Kennedy samples hundreds and hundreds of beers each year and, as the year closes, documents which were the best. There was much less beer tasting this year, with outings to beer festivals and tasting rooms limited, but nevertheless, the imbibing continued. Here is his rundown of the best this year, some oldies but goodies, others new to the market. Each is selected to encapsulate what beer drinkers needed this year, from Zoom brews to social justice messaging.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@JDickerson: We have only seen the tip of the iceberg with the [Donald] Trump administration. After ten years, what percentage of disclosures about what was really going on will be laudatory, and what percentage damning?

—@JonathanVSwan: Giuliani can say all of this but I’ve spent the past four days on the phone to Trump aides and the consensus is that the president is listening to Sidney Powell more than just about anyone who is on his payroll, certainly more than his own White House Counsel.

—@AnaNavarro: Young, healthy Senator, who spoke at rallies packed w/thousands w/o masks, who supports Trump — who’s downplayed COVID & mocked those who wear masks, is 1st to get vaccine while most medical workers, elderly & infirm Americans, wait. Congratulations on ur privilege, @marcorubio.

—@Mikel_Jollett: People who should’ve been vaccinated before Marco Rubio: — my mom — everyone’s grandma — everyone’s grandpa — every nurse — every doctor — every person who didn’t spend the last ten months telling people this modern plague is “no big deal.” — Dolly Parton

—@LloydAustin: They say you learn something new every day. Well, today, I’m learning about Twitter.

—@JamieDupree: Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi on removal of the Robert E. Lee statue: “There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy in the Capitol or any other place of honor in our country.”

—@DavidMWeismann: If there was a war on Christmas, then why am I able to openly say ”Merry Christmas” out loud to my Christian friends?

— DAYS UNTIL —

“The Midnight Sky” with George Clooney premieres on Netflix — 1; “Wonder Woman 1984” rescheduled premiere — 3; Pixar’s “Soul” premiere (rescheduled for Disney+) — 3; Greyhound racing ends in Florida — 9; Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association human trafficking compliance training deadline — 10; Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections — 14; NHL season begins — 22; WandaVision premieres on Disney+ — 24; the 2021 Inauguration — 29; Florida Chamber Economic Outlook and Job Solution Summit begins — 37; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 47; Daytona 500 — 54; “Nomadland” with Frances McDormand — 60; Children’s Gasparilla — 110; “No Time to Die” premieres (rescheduled) — 111; Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest — 116; “A Quiet Place Part II” rescheduled premiere — 122; “Black Widow” rescheduled premiere — 136; “Top Gun: Maverick” rescheduled premiere — 191; Disney’s “Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” premieres — 209; new start date for 2021 Olympics — 213; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 221; St. Petersburg Primary Election — 245; St. Petersburg Municipal Elections — 315; Disney’s “Eternals” premieres — 319; “Spider-Man Far From Home” sequel premieres — 321; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” premieres — 353; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 417; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 470; “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel premieres — 651.

— DATELINE TALLAHASSEE —

“Ron DeSantis calls Everglades reservoir one of the ‘most important restoration projects in history’” via Jim Turner of News Service of Florida — DeSantis on Monday backed a controversial reservoir being built in the Everglades while announcing the state will use a pool of environmental money to help Miami-Dade County protect Biscayne Bay from continued degradation. DeSantis said his office would continue to support the $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, which was approved by the Legislature in 2017 but has been questioned recently by new Senate President Wilton Simpson. “The EAA reservoir remains a top environmental priority for my administration, and we look forward to pressing ahead as quickly as possible,” DeSantis said. On Dec. 8, Simpson described the human-made lagoon during a Florida Chamber of Commerce event — intended to redirect water south from Lake Okeechobee — as a “mistake.”

“Rebekah Jones, former state COVID-19 data manager, sues FDLE over raid on her home” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat — Former Department of Health data manager Jones has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, saying the Dec. 7 morning raid on her house was a “sham” to retaliate against her for not altering COVID-19 data. Jones was fired in May and soon launched her own online data dashboard. DeSantis said her firing was because she disobeyed superiors; she said it was because she wouldn’t alter data to cast Florida in a more favorable light to justify the governor’s plans to reopen the state’s economy.

“Florida economists upgrade revenue forecast” via Jim Turner of News Service of Florida — While they didn’t go as far as the Governor’s office wanted, Florida economists Monday shrank a projected revenue reduction lawmakers will confront when they hammer out the next budget. The economists, who met for the Revenue Estimating Conference, pointed to gains being made by businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, outside of the vitally important tourism industry. They added back $1.5 billion to a general revenue projection for the current fiscal year and $623 million for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Still, Senate President Simpson cautioned Monday about viewing the numbers too positively. “We know all too well that these estimates can change in a heartbeat; therefore, the Senate will continue to proceed with caution,” he said.

“Florida Chamber, business groups want to cut rising unemployment tax” via John Haughey of The Center Square — Many Florida businesses will see nearly 200% increases in unemployment taxes in January to replenish the state’s pandemic-stressed Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. The 2021 rate schedule, posted by the Florida Department of Revenue in early December, varies by employer, with businesses that laid-off workers this year paying the highest rates next year. Most Florida businesses pay the state’s minimum unemployment tax rate. That 0.1% rate, or $7 per employee, nearly will triple to $20.30 for each worker under the FDOR’s 2021 structure — a $13.30 increase beginning Jan. 1. The maximum rate, paid by relatively few large businesses with a greater propensity for layoffs, will remain 5.4% for the first $7,000 in wages, or $378 per employee.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Another 115 people in Florida died after testing positive for the virus” via WTSP staff reports — In the latest report from the Florida Department of Health, the state added another 11,015 COVID-19 cases for Dec. 20. A total of 1,212,581 people in Florida have tested positive for coronavirus since the pandemic began. Florida recently became the third state to report more than 1 million cases, behind California and Texas. In November along, Florida reported 200,753 cases of COVID-19 — nearly 20% of the state’s total number since March. On Monday, the state also reported another 112 Floridians and three nonresidents had died after testing positive for COVID-19. That brings the total to 20,680 residents and 296 nonresidents who have died since the pandemic began — a total of 20,976 deaths in the state related to the virus.

“White House COVID-19 report: Florida remains in red zone for cases” via Naseem S. Miller of The Orlando Sentinel — Florida remains in the red zone for cases, with a 12% increase from the previous week, according to the Dec. 13 White House COVID-19 Task Force report, which was obtained this week. In the report, the task force urges the public to wear masks and practice physical distancing, while advising against indoor gatherings. “Increase physical distancing through [a] significant reduction in capacity or closure in public and private indoor spaces, including restaurants and bars,” says the report. Two days after the report was issued, DeSantis held a news conference at a steakhouse in West Palm Beach and promised to keep restaurants fully open.

“Pfizer, Moderna vaccines rolling into state” via Christine Sexton of The News Service of Florida — Florida is receiving a shipment of about 120,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer this week and will get another 360,000+ doses of a vaccine from Moderna, DeSantis announced. The Pfizer vaccine’s second shipment will come days after DeSantis announced what was expected to be a weeklong delay in the new supply. In the early weeks of inoculating Floridians against the disease, DeSantis continues to direct the coveted vaccines to what he calls the “tip of the spear” those front-line health care workers dealing directly with infected patients, as well as the roughly 138,000 residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state.

“DeSantis will wait for COVID-19 vaccination; Marco Rubio needled for getting his shot” via Mark Skoneki of The Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis is going to wait his turn before getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Federal guidance has called for vaccination of the health care workers, the elderly in nursing homes and first-responders. Millions of doses of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to be shipped out across the U.S. in the coming weeks. Experts have said it could be the spring or later before the vaccine is available to every American. DeSantis’ decision comes after Florida U.S. Sen. Rubio and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham drew criticism on social media for posting images over the weekend of them getting the vaccination.

“U.S. unemployment aid could be weeks away for struggling Floridians” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — If history is any guide, it will likely take weeks for the state to move a new round of $300 payments from Washington into the bank accounts of unemployed Floridians. Those proposed benefits now emerging from Congress are part of a $900 billion relief package designed as a continuing offset against the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, which distributes unemployment benefits statewide, had no immediate word Monday when it might start distributing any new U.S. money. But speed has not been Florida’s forte in delivering jobless benefits during the pandemic. Figures analyzed by AP showed Florida was the second-worst state in paying out benefits on time this year. Hawaii was the worst.

— CORONA LOCAL — 

“DeSantis finally met with Miami-Dade’s new Mayor to talk COVID-19. Here’s what happened” via Aaron Liebowitz of the Miami Herald — Political leaders in Miami-Dade County have been frustrated in their attempts to get DeSantis on the phone to talk about COVID-19 in Florida’s pandemic hotspot as cases continue to surge. When DeSantis came to Key Biscayne to announce a joint effort with the county on Biscayne Bay restoration projects, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava seized the opportunity to meet first time with the governor, in person, to talk about the pandemic. DeSantis, addressing the media in front of the lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, said he congratulated Levine Cava on her election last month and said he was “willing to work with [her] on whatever we can to help the county.”

“Coronavirus turning Miami into a ‘hot spot’ real estate destination: Luxury real estate specialist” via Talia Kaplan of Fox Business — Luxury real estate specialist Katrina Campins told “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday that Miami has become a “hot spot” for those relocating from other big cities amid the coronavirus pandemic. Campins, who founded boutique real estate brokerage firm The Campins Company, noted that celebrities and top executives in the financial sector have been relocating to Miami since the pandemic started for several reasons, including “the policies in places like New York and California.” She pointed out that she has also helped relocate financial firms, which are opening offices in Miami. Campins said because of all the companies and people interested in moving to South Florida, “real estate prices are increasing tremendously.”

“At South Florida hospitals, concerns over vaccine equity. Who gets shots soonest?” via Ben Conarck of The Miami Herald — As doses of the highly sought Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine made their way through South Florida hospital systems last week and over the weekend, some of them went to employees you might not think of as “front-line workers.” That’s because state and federal officials gave wide latitude to the “Pfizer Five” to determine who would qualify for a shot during the first phase of the rollout. The U.S. CDC says only that “health care personnel” should receive the vaccine in the first stage of distribution, defining that as “paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.”

“‘Leading is scary.’ Doctors, churches try to ease Black Miamians’ concern over vaccine” via C. Isaiah Smalls II of The Miami Herald — Days before taking the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Inaki Bent made a decision. He was tired of the nonstop misinformation passing between relatives. Tired of watching coronavirus decimate the Black community. Tired of the anti-maskers. Just tired. So Bent resolved to livestream his vaccination. The Facebook Live session lasted less than an hour, while the 40-year-old Jackson Health doctor was receiving the shot, resting for the 15-minute waiting period and answering viewers’ questions. Bent is one of several doctors and organizations reaching out to Black South Floridians, encouraging them to sign up for the vaccine. A mid-November poll showed that just 42% of African Americans would get vaccinated.

“Palm Beach County COVID vaccinations lower than smaller counties” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — While Palm Beach County has Florida’s third-highest population at about 1.5 million, it ranks below Seminole County, with a population of nearly 472,000, for COVID-19 vaccinations. Just 852 Palm Beach County residents have gotten the first COVID dose, a state report shows, compared with Seminole at 1,620. The 23rd most populous county, Alachua, has inoculated 1,788 people. Miami-Dade County had 10,221, and Broward County had 7,831. Palm Beach County has had more deaths than Broward. But Palm Beach County’s top health official, Dr. Alina Alonso, cautioned against reading too much into vaccination numbers so soon. “By mid-January, we should start looking more robust,” Alonso wrote in a text message. “This is definitely a long-distance marathon, not a sprint.”

“Far more students are failing this year as PBC schools struggle with distance learning” via Andrew Marra of The Palm Beach Post — The number of students failing a class has doubled this year in the Palm Beach County school district’s middle and high schools, while the total number of F grades nearly tripled, records from the first grading period show. School administrators blame the spike in failing students squarely on the challenges of online learning, where it is easy for students to tune out, and some children struggle to get online at all. “We’ve had academic dips with kids in distance learning; definitely an increase from when we were all in brick and mortar (classrooms),” Deputy Superintendent Keith Oswald said. “Obviously, there are numerous new challenges.”

“The town of Palm Beach often stands out with COVID-19 rules. Here’s why.” via Wells Dusenbury of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The town of Palm Beach, often in the news with Trump’s visits to his Mar-a-Lago club, has been drawing attention lately for another reason: The town routinely jumps ahead of the county’s other communities with its COVID-19 measures. The town became the very first in the county to institute a curfew back in mid-March. During the Labor Day weekend, Palm Beach was the only county municipality to close its beaches. And in recent days, the town council voted to reinstate a curfew, making it once again the only one to do so in Palm Beach County.

“This judge said mask laws are OK. Then he went to the buffet with his mask pulled down.” via Marc Freeman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Circuit Judge John Kastrenakes was photographed at a Pam Beach County Bar Association event with his mask resting on his chin at a buffet line, the latest in a string of public officials nationwide who have been caught disregarding COVID-19 precautions. Now masks opponents ask that Kastrenakes remove himself from hearing their lawsuit challenging the county’s mask requirements. They’ve been appealing Kastrenakes’ ruling July 27 that the county was within its rights to require a mask to protect the public during a deadly pandemic. Anti-maskers say the photo shows Kastrenakes “publicly flaunting” his own order. They argue they will not receive a fair review because Kastrenakes is biased. Kastrenakes will hold a hearing on their motion on Jan. 7.

“Jacksonville councilman Aaron Bowman tests positive for COVID-19” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Bowman became the fourth Jacksonville City Council member to test positive for the COVID-19 virus this year when he got test results Sunday showing the infection. Bowman said he began experiencing symptoms Saturday that included chills and a fever. He said he feels about 95% of his usual strength and hopes he can remain that way as the virus runs its course. Bowman is self-quarantining, but he will not be missing any council meetings because City Council is in the midst of its annual holiday break. At different times this year, council members Sam Newby, Randy DeFoor and Scott Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Coronavirus cases rise again in Orange assisted living facilities, health official says” via Ryan Gillespie and Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Dr. Raul Pino, the local state health officer, said there were 104 new cases of the virus in long-term care facilities, where health outcomes are often worse due to patients being elderly and often with preexisting health conditions. “This is where we get really concerned about mortality rate,” Pino said. Pino said the infections are likely stemming from spikes in new cases among younger people who pass the virus to their parents or grandparents. But even amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, local hospital systems are performing well, he said. In all, 256 patients are hospitalized with the virus while another 52 are in ICU beds. About 23% of hospital beds in the county are still available.

“Seminole County to receive 8,100 doses of Moderna vaccine Tuesday” via Martin E. Comas of the Orlando Sentinel — Seminole County health officials said Monday they expect to receive 8,100 doses of Moderna’s vaccine late Tuesday, and will begin giving the inoculations against the coronavirus this week to paramedics, along with front-line health workers and elderly residents in long-term care facilities. This follows more than 32,700 Floridians — including 1,125 people in Seminole — who received Pfizer’s vaccine since Dec. 14, according to a state health report released Saturday. Seminole officials cautioned it would likely be March or April before the general public will be able to receive their first dose and urged people to continue wearing masks, washing their hands, and practicing social distancing.

“Tampa Bay bars and restaurants feel sting of coronavirus enforcement” via Josh Solomon of The Tampa Bay Times — Restaurants and bars in the Tampa Bay area are caught in a showdown between local and state government, and some are paying the price. In September, DeSantis told the businesses they could open without restrictions. He said they were best positioned to keep their customers safe from the coronavirus, not the government. But according to local officials, some businesses aren’t meeting that standard. Leaders across the Tampa Bay area announced Thursday they are coming down hard on violators slapping them with ordinance violations for flouting local rules regarding masks and social distancing.

— CORONA NATION —

“NIH exploring study on rare allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccine” via Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post — Officials at the National Institutes of Health are rushing to devise a study to find out why, in a few rare cases, people have had severe allergic reactions to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. The goal is to identify the vaccine component most likely to be responsible for these potentially life-threatening incidents, known as anaphylaxis. No cases have yet been associated with the other newly authorized vaccine, made by Moderna, but it is being administered to the general public for the first time this week and has similar components to the one developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

“‘Subpoenas are necessary’: House watchdog details extensive meddling with CDC COVID-19 reports” via Dan Diamond of POLITICO — The House panel probing the Trump administration’s coronavirus response released new documents detailing political appointees’ extensive efforts to modify or scuttle scientific CDC reports, as it also ordered top Trump health officials to provide documents quickly. Trump appointees attempted to “alter or block” at least 13 scientific reports on the coronavirus as outbreaks surged across the spring and summer, Rep. Jim Clyburn, the chair of the House select subcommittee on coronavirus. Clyburn issued subpoenas to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield, ordering them by Dec. 30 to produce “full and unredacted” documents that Clyburn said his panel has sought for months.

“The arrival of the Moderna vaccine brings hope to rural areas.” via Sarah Mervosh and Lucy Tompkins of The New York Times — Just one week after the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine were administered in the United States, a new batch of vaccines fanned out across the country Monday, an urgently needed expansion of a vaccination effort that is expected to reach vulnerable populations and rural areas where hospitals are strained as soon as this week. The vaccine, from Moderna, comes as the virus continues to spread virtually unabated. Parts of California are down to their last I.C.U. beds and some hospitals in other states are at or over capacity, and the numbers are as alarming as they have ever been: At least 317,800 people have died in the United States, more than any other country in the world.

“Millions are traveling in the U.S., despite warnings.” via Johnny Diaz of The New York Times — More than a million travelers a day passed through airport security checkpoints on each of the last three days in the United States. With Christmas on Friday, the numbers show that, despite warnings from the C.D.C., people are on the move. On Friday, 1,066,747 people traveled through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, according to the agency. On Saturday, the figure was 1,073,563, and on Sunday, it was 1,064,619. The last time passenger figures topped 1 million was around the Thanksgiving holiday: On Nov. 25, a Wednesday, 1,070,967 people passed through checkpoints, and on Nov. 29, a Sunday, there were 1,176,091 passengers.

— CORONA ECONOMICS — 

“Congress approves long-awaited $900 billion COVID rescue package, overcoming months of gridlock” via Clare Foran and Manu Raju of CNN — The White House has said that Trump will sign the legislation once it reaches his desk. Final passage of the aid package came after Hill leaders announced Sunday evening they had finally reached a deal after months of bitter partisan stalemate and days of contentious negotiations that created uncertainty over whether an agreement could be reached at all or if talks would collapse. It will include direct payments of up to $600 per adult, enhanced jobless benefits of $300 per week, roughly $284 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans, $25 billion in rental assistance, an extension of the eviction moratorium and $82 billion for schools and colleges.

“Why Congress went 8 months without new coronavirus relief as the pandemic worsened” via JM Rieger of The Washington Post — Over 49 days in March and April, Congress passed an unprecedented $3 trillion in economic relief to combat the coronavirus pandemic and the recession it caused. Since then, Congress has spent months at odds over whether to spend on additional relief, even amid the most unequal recession in modern U.S. history and the worst pandemic in more than a century. The Fix drew upon hours of footage and interviews with Post reporters to analyze why Congress gridlocked during two historic crises and how the stakes of action are even higher than during the initial spring surge of the pandemic.

“New stimulus checks will begin next week” via Brian Faler of POLITICO — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said a new round of economic stimulus checks would start being sent out next week, much faster than its previous batch of checks. “People are going to see this money [at] the beginning of next week,” he said in an interview Monday with CNBC. “Much needed relief — and just in time for the holidays.” It took the IRS about 15 days to begin distributing checks after the last coronavirus stimulus measure was signed into law in March, and months to ultimately put out more than 160 million payments. Having already done it once before this year should make this round easier for the IRS. The agreement announced Sunday by lawmakers offers up to $600 per person, including children, for families earning up to $150,000 a year.

“Restaurant safety net frays as COVID-19 pandemic progresses to winter” via Heather Haddon and Julie Wernau of The Wall Street Journal — The money and goodwill extended to restaurants early in the pandemic are drying up. Independent restaurant owners say that lifelines extended by landlords, banks, and vendors when the pandemic first hit the U.S. are ending, while federal loans made as part of pandemic-related stimulus programs are long gone. The bleak financial picture means that many more restaurants could close in the coming months, adding to the tens of thousands of restaurants that have already shut during the pandemic. The timing couldn’t be worse. More states and localities have ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms again to curb the virus’s spread, with New York City among the latest to suspend indoor service earlier this month.

“Florida’s economists got a surprise when they revised state revenue estimates” via Lawrence Mower of The Miami Herald — Despite high unemployment and record household saving this year, the state saw better-than-expected sales and corporate income taxes to close out 2020, prompting state economists to project rosier estimates for the state’s general revenue over the next several years. State economists said Florida’s economy is doing better than they feared in August when they expected a $5.4 billion revenue shortfall for the state over the 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal years. Instead, collections were strong to close out the year, and economists shaved $2.1 billion off that earlier estimate. Collections were higher than expected “despite reduced profitability, business failures and delayed business formations,” economists wrote.

“Federal stimulus package leaves Florida’s budget out in the cold” via Gray Rohrer of The Orlando Sentinel — Florida’s state budget could see major cuts to education and health care next year after negotiators in Congress reached a deal Sunday for another stimulus package that doesn’t include money for states and cities to offset revenue losses brought by the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s current year budget was saved further cuts because of the $5.8 billion in federal money from the $2 trillion CARES Act passed in March. Although Democrats in Congress pushed for direct funding of state and local governments, some Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, rejected the idea.

— MORE CORONA —

“U.S. Army scientists examine new U.K. coronavirus variant to see if it might be resistant to vaccine” via Elizabeth Cohen of CNN — Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to know in the next few days if there’s a concern that the coronavirus vaccines might not work against a mutated variant of the virus that’s rapidly spreading in parts of England, according to the institute’s top vaccine researcher. While there’s always a worry that a vaccine won’t work if a virus mutates significantly, the Walter Reed scientists still expect the vaccine will be effective against this new variant, said Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the CDC at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. “It stands to reason that this mutation isn’t a threat, but you never know. We still have to be diligent and continue to look,” Michael said.

“President profited as sold out, $2,000/person reception and dinner flouting COVID-19 guidance” via Zach Everson of 1100 Pennsylvania — Turning Point USA held a sold-out $2,000/person gala at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night. Based on photos posted to Instagram, it appears at least 280 people attended the reception and dinner and that COVID-19 prevention policies were not followed. Palm Beach County’s COVID-19 directives require wearing facial coverings “inside all businesses and establishments” as well as outdoors when social distancing is not being practiced. Additionally, the directives mandate adhering to the CDC’s social-distancing guidelines, which currently require staying six feet away from other people.

“Repo men face a big year in 2021 as car payments go overdue” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — While many hard-pressed consumers fight to cover mortgage and rent payments, growing numbers are struggling to hold onto their main economic lifeline: their cars. When Congress passed its coronavirus relief act in March, the legislation included protections for mortgage holders and some rental property owners. But nothing was done to shield auto owners with delinquent car loan payments. Paradoxically, the pace of auto repossessions has been slow since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, industry experts say. That’s largely because of leeway given to owners by lenders on their car payments. A lender’s typical payment plan: “We’ll give you three months and put it on the back end” of the loan, said Chad Van Horn, a Fort Lauderdale bankruptcy lawyer.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“William Barr undercuts Donald Trump on election and Hunter Biden inquiries” via Michael Balsamo of The Associated Press — Barr used his final public appearance to undercut Trump on multiple fronts Monday, saying he saw no reason to appoint a special counsel to look into the President’s claims about the 2020 election or to name one for the tax investigation of President-elect Biden’s son. In the course of breaking with Trump on matters that have been consuming the President, Barr also reinforced the belief of federal officials that Russia was behind a massive hack of U.S. government agencies, not China, as Trump had suggested.

“House Republicans meet with Trump to discuss overturning election results” via Melanie Zanona of POLITICO — Trump huddled with a group of congressional Republicans at the White House, where they strategized over a last-ditch effort to overturn the election results next month, according to several members who attended the meeting. Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican spearheading the long-shot push to overturn the election results in Congress, organized the trio of White House meetings, which lasted over three hours and included roughly a dozen lawmakers. The group also met with Vice President Mike Pence, who will be presiding over the joint session of Congress when lawmakers officially certify the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.

“Trump’s legacy: He changed the presidency, but will it last?” via Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville of The Associated Press — The most improbable of Presidents, Trump reshaped the office and shattered its centuries-old norms and traditions while dominating the national discourse like no one before. Trump, governing by whim and tweet, deepened the nation’s racial and cultural divides and undermined faith in its institutions. His legacy: a tumultuous four years marked by his impeachment, failures during the worst pandemic in a century and his refusal to accept defeat. He smashed conceptions about how Presidents behave and communicate, offering unvarnished thoughts and policy declarations alike, pulling back the curtain for the American people while enthralling supporters and unnerving foes — and sometimes allies — both at home and abroad.

“Will Trump cut short his final presidential Christmas visit to Mar-a-Lago?” via Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post — Trump may shave two days off his last presidential Christmas holiday at Mar-a-Lago by leaving on New Years Day rather than Jan. 3, according to air space restrictions released by the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday. Trump is expected to arrive in Palm Beach sometime after 5 p.m. on Wednesday. A day before Trump arrives, Vice President Mike Pence will be in West Palm Beach. On Tuesday, Pence will speak at the Turning Point USA young conservatives annual summit. For locals, the 10-day visit will likely be the last time roads will be closed along South Ocean Boulevard, the motorcade route to and from Palm Beach International Airport, Mar-a-Lago and Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

“How offshore oddsmakers made a killing off gullible Trump supporters” via Alex Kirshner of Slate — On Dec. 9, Trump tweeted something incorrect, but at least closer to the ballpark of the truth than most of what he’s posted since. “At 10 p.m. on Election Evening, we were at 97% win with the so-called ‘bookies,’” Trump wrote. The “so-called ‘bookies’” never had Trump as a 97% favorite, but late on the night of Nov. 3, many online sportsbooks did indeed favor him to win the presidency. At points between 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern, many of these bookmakers posted odds that gave Trump around a 70% chance of victory.

— TRANSITION —

“‘An emergency’ like ‘we’ve never seen’: Inside Biden’s Cabinet confirmation drive” via Natasha Korecki and Christopher Cadelago of POLITICO — It was April of 2009 when then-Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius received a phone call from the Barack Obama White House. A plane was on its way to bring her to Washington to be sworn in as the Health and Human Services Secretary. Sebelius was confused. She hadn’t yet been confirmed. Only after that happened had she planned to resign as Governor and await her Lieutenant Governor’s swearing-in. “Maybe you don’t understand,” Sebelius said she was told. “There’s a plane in the air. The President would like you on that plane.” Obama officials viewed the HHS confirmation as an emergency.

“‘Why bother?’: Biden, Trump advisers see little value in White House meeting” via Theodoric Meyer and Daniel Lippman of POLITICO — As of this weekend, Trump has now waited longer than any President in nearly a century to sit down with his successor at the White House, a tradition aimed at highlighting the peaceful transfer of power that is at the core of American democracy. And advisers to Trump say he and President-elect Biden may never come face to face, even on Inauguration Day, blowing up another American political ritual. Those close to Trump believe inviting Biden to the White House or even talking to him would risk being perceived as conceding the race. Biden, John Podesta said, would have little to gain from meeting with Trump, who still hasn’t conceded. “My view would be, why bother?” he said.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“‘Washington is broken’: Rick Scott balks at stimulus vote” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — U.S. Sen. Scott, protesting that “Washington is broken,” said the stimulus bill is too big and too costly for legislators to pass. “Early this afternoon, we were finally provided the text of the combined $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill and $900 billion COVID relief bill. It is almost 5,600 pages long, and we’re expected to vote on it tonight. Who in their right mind thinks that this [is] a responsible way of governing?” The Senator is “also glad this package does not include state bailouts, which I’ve been fighting for months, and makes reforms to the Federal Reserve, which provides further protections to ensure taxpayer dollars are not wasted.”

“Mike Waltz calls for Hunter Biden special counsel” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — U.S. Rep. Waltz, on Monday morning’s Fox and Friends, echoed Republican pleas to the President to appoint a special counsel to investigate the President-elect’s son. Hunter Biden, the son of President-elect Biden, is the subject of scrutiny for foreign business entanglements that seem to have been family operations and what the Biden transition team calls “tax issues.” The Congressman, who represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, urged Trump to appoint an independent prosecutor to look into these issues. While President-elect Biden‘s staffers have assured media that he would not be discussing investigations about his son with prospective attorneys general, Waltz advised skepticism to a national viewing audience given the high stakes involved.

“Stephanie Murphy urges response to Russian cyberattacks” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — America needs to respond to the recent cyberattacks on American agencies to show there are consequences, and Trump needs to stand strong against Russia, Democratic U.S. Rep. Murphy said Monday. “This breach is very concerning to me,” Murphy told Hallie Jackson during an interview on MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson Monday morning, referring to reports that numerous federal agencies and American businesses were recently hacked in a coordinated attack. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others in the Trump administration have all but definitively blamed Russia. With a professional background in national security, Murphy said she has requested, and Congress needs, a full classified briefing.

— STATEWIDE —

“DeSantis gave son of billionaire Trump buddy millions in no-bid COVID contracts” via Daniel Ducassi of the Florida Bulldog — Gov. DeSantis’ administration has given more than $4 million in no-bid, coronavirus-related state contracts to a New York City-based social media startup co-founded and led by the son of a South Florida billionaire and prominent supporter of Trump. The Florida Department of Health signed a $2.75 million contract with Twenty Labs in June to provide the state a software license for a “Healthy Together COVID-19 contact tracing customer relationship management platform,” basically software supporting the state’s contact tracing efforts.

“Judge rejects part of sanctuary cities law” via The News Service of Florida — A federal judge has ruled that part of a controversial 2019 Florida law aimed at banning so-called sanctuary cities is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom issued an order last week in advance of a trial scheduled to start next month. Bloom struck down part of the law that allows county or state law-enforcement officials to transport out of their jurisdictions inmates who are subject to immigration detainers. The law allowed such transportation to federal facilities, including across state lines. But Bloom said the transportation part of the state law conflicts with federal immigration law and, as a result, is unconstitutional.

“New Florida law, higher election turnout makes road tougher for 2022 ballot initiatives” via Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida — It will be a lot harder to put proposed constitutional amendments on the 2022 ballot in Florida. According to a post on the state Division of Elections website, groups will submit 891,589 valid signatures to put issues on the ballot, up from 766,200 signatures to reach the 2020 ballot. Maybe more important, they will need to submit 222,898 signatures to receive what can be make-or-break Supreme Court reviews, up from 76,632 in 2020. Republican lawmakers, who have taken a series of steps to make it harder for backers of ballot initiatives, passed a controversial bill this year that included raising the number of signatures needed to spur Supreme Court review.

What special district expert Chris Lyon of Lewis, Longman and Walker is reading — The Senate’s bipartisan $908 billion “Emergency COVID Relief Act,” if passed, would provide $152 billion to state governments, $7.6 billion of which would be reserved for special districts nationwide. The money would be used for Florida’s fire rescue districts, hospitals and EMS districts.

“70 years after their deaths, slain civil rights leaders could get their jobs back” via Eric Rogers of Florida Today — In 1946, their fight to better the lives of Black Americans in the Jim Crow South cost them their jobs. Six years later, it cost them their lives. Today, Harry and Harriette Moore — a pair of Mims educators sometimes called the “first martyrs” of the modern civil rights movement — are still broadly unknown, even in the county they called home. Nearly 70 years after their deaths, that may finally change. The Brevard Federation of Teachers, with help from the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, are working with Brevard Public Schools to incorporate the teaching of the Moores into the school curriculum, ensuring their place among other civil rights heroes in the minds of Brevard students.

— LOCAL NOTES —

“Skanska believes latest runaway barge was intentionally severed; Coast Guard investigating” via Annie Blanks of the Pensacola News Journal — A Skanska construction barge broke loose late Saturday night and became stuck against private docks near the Pensacola Bay Bridge on the Gulf Breeze side, and the company said Sunday afternoon it believes the line was intentionally severed. According to both the company and the Florida Department of Transportation, there were no official reports of damage to private property or the bridge. The barge was removed by tugboats Sunday afternoon. The construction barge became unmoored from its staging area at about 9 p.m. Saturday, said FDOT spokesman Ian Satter. The staging area is about a mile and a half from Gulf Breeze’s Baybridge Condominium neighborhood at the Pensacola Bay Bridge foot.

“Sugar farmers again seek dismissal of lawsuit alleging harm from sugar-cane burns” via Florida Politics staff reports — Florida sugar-cane farmers are once again asking a judge to toss a lawsuit alleging Glades residents are being harmed by pollution from controlled sugar-cane burns. That lawsuit faced a hurdle as a judge partially dismissed the suit. “There is nothing in the amended complaint showing that each of the plaintiffs has been harmed by all of the defendants,” U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith said. Plaintiffs had attempted to argue the smoke from those burns contains pollutants that spread outside of farmland into nearby residential communities. Judge Smith said the plaintiffs failed to connect the smoke to any actual harm, but did allow plaintiffs to refile their complaint to present better evidence residents.

“Hurdles remain for rooting North Florida’s hemp industry” via Karl Etters of The Tallahassee Democrat — The first year of Florida’s hemp industry was one of trial and error on the ground, but the projections that it will become a green boom could mean a shift in the Panhandle’s agricultural scene. Nikki Fried said the first 8 months of cultivation since the state developed its program is only expected to get larger heading into 2021. This year, the state approved 22,000 acres for hemp, but in the next 3-5 years, it could balloon to 300,000 acres, or half the land used to grow Florida citrus. With tourism down in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and agricultural losses projected at $500 million, hemp could be revolutionary for the state’s economy.

— TOP OPINION —

“Trump’s bad exit” via The Wall Street Journal editorial board — Trump accomplished a great deal in four years, but as he leaves office, he can’t seem to help to remind Americans why they denied him a second term. He could focus on the positive, such as the COVID-19 vaccines and his Arab-Israeli peace breakthrough. Instead, he’s calling members of Congress and asking them to object on the House and Senate floor to the results of the Electoral College count. This won’t change the outcome, but it will pressure Republicans to embarrass themselves by indulging Mr. Trump’s attempts to delegitimize the results. We hope the members ignore his pleas.

— OPINIONS —

“Trump saved the worst for last” via Max Boot of The Washington Post — Trump’s singular focus since the election has been on overturning the results even at the cost of destroying U.S. democracy. For more than six weeks, Trump has been spewing conspiracy theories about nonexistent election fraud, claims that have been rejected in 59 court cases and counting, including by Trump-appointed judges. On Friday, Trump met at the White House with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a pardoned felon, and attorney Sidney Powell, who was fired from the Trump legal team after promoting conspiracy theories. Never before in U.S. history has there been a record of a President discussing a military coup to stay in office.

“The $900 billion stimulus is better late than never” via The Tampa Bay Times editorial board — It may be too little, but it’s not too late. The $900 billion stimulus package that Congress has agreed on will help tide countless families over during the holidays and inject much-needed cash into the economy. Although this same deal could have been done weeks, if not months, ago, it’s better late than never. The deal will send direct checks of $600 to each adult and child for earners making up to $75,000. The agreement would extend a moratorium on evictions until the end of January. It would boost weekly unemployment payments by $300 for 11 weeks.

“DeSantis, Florida’s mis-communicator in chief” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — Putting the best possible spin on it, DeSantis is a terrible communicator. Put more clearly, DeSantis is failing our state by hiding information, dodging questions, and downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic as it escalates its deadly march across Florida. DeSantis has been off-pitch since the coronavirus first hit our shores, but in the weeks before and since the 2020 presidential election, he’s gotten worse. New infections in Florida this week matched the pandemic’s peak in mid-July. Hospitalizations are rising. So is the test positivity rate. Close to 1.2 million Floridians have been touched by this disease, which, if not fatal, can carry long-term consequences. It’s time for DeSantis to stop downplaying the severity and communicate more effectively.

“From a long-ago sermon, a joyful message for this troubled season” via Kay Collier McLaughlin — That sermon was about Phil, an American priest who was serving in Guatemala. The memorable line came after a vivid description of Phil climbing steep, narrow steps to the very top of a bell tower and finding there that local artisans had painted intricate designs “where only the pigeons would see.” This image has come soaring out as the holiday season of the COVID-19 pandemic. If government guidelines are followed, there will be no large family gatherings, no holiday parties. Conversations have arisen about whether we will bother to decorate. “Is it worth the effort?” Each time the question comes up, I want to shout, “Only the pigeons!”

— ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

The woman who accused the state of rigging the COVID-19 casualty figures is suing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In the suit, whistleblower Rebekah Jones says the FDLE raid on her home was a sham — as retaliation for not altering the data when she worked on the COVID-19 dashboard at the Department of Health.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Florida started the week with another day of triple-digit COVID-19 deaths, with 115 fatalities reported Monday by the health department. But there are more vaccines arriving today. Gov. DeSantis says there could be another 750,000 doses by the end of the month, most of which will go to seniors.

—The Governor says he will NOT be following the recommendation of a CDC advisory committee that wants to prioritize vaccines for essential workers over seniors.

— Senate President Simpson suggested halting the construction of a new reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee — saying we can’t afford it because of the pandemic. But DeSantis says there’s no stopping it now.

— The Governor made those remarks at Key Biscayne, where he and Miami-Dade Mayor Cava were announcing a plan to restore Biscayne Bay. Job one is to get rid of the crap. Literally. Leaky septic tanks and aging sewer systems are two of the biggest threats.

— And finally, a Florida Woman is making serious money during the lockdown with her voice … and an OnlyFans account.

To listen, click on the image below:

— ALOE —

“Disney and Universal to offer affordable housing options to employees” via Katrina Allen of Inside the Magic — Universal announced that it would be offering affordable housing to its employees and the community as it continues to expand and grow its theme park/resort in Central Florida. Although the plans for their latest theme park have been put on hold indefinitely due to the ongoing pandemic, Universal is moving forward with the affordable housing project. Also, Disney has opened up its housing complex that was originally built for participants of their College Program to all of their cast members. That means that both theme park giants will have affordable housing options available to their employees.

“Man pays late utility bills for 114 families: ‘This year, it’s more meaningful’” via Tarrah Gibbons of KCBS — A Florida man has paid overdue utility bills for 114 families, so their service won’t turn off for the 2020 holiday season. Michael Esmond, who owns Gulf Breeze Pools & Spa near Pensacola, said he donated $7,615 this holiday season as his community faces economic struggles due to the COVID-19 pandemic and damage from Hurricane Sally. The father of three shared that in 1983, he experienced financial struggles and worried about making a deadline for his bills. “I just didn’t have enough money to put food on the table and pay all the bills,” Esmond said. “That winter it got down to 6 degrees … the coldest winter we’ve ever had.”

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Celebrating today is Jon McGowan.

___

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