Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Congressman Charlie Crist, working to secure the Democratic nomination for Governor, stopped in Tallahassee Wednesday to discuss voting rights with Black leaders.
While in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ backyard Crist slammed DeSantis for a “junk” voting bill, Senate Bill 90, passed this Session.
“He’s signing bills that appeal to the Republican right nationally,” Crist said. “Not to our fellow Floridians today.”
Crist’s comments about DeSantis’ national agenda come as the Governor rounds the corner on half a dozen fundraising stops to collect money from voters not in Florida. DeSantis’ fundraising tour this weekend goes through southern California. The trip kicks off in San Diego Thursday.
“Instead of going to San Diego and the Northeast, wherever he’s going for his Presidential run or whatever he’s doing, I’m here in Leon County. I was in Alachua County this morning. Later, I’m going to be in Palm Beach County tomorrow morning,” Crist told reporters after the round table. “You go to the people; you travel the state.”
But the out-of-state fundraising could be giving DeSantis, who after many cable news appearances has become a national darling of the Republican Party, an edge.
Crist, after raising $1.5 million for his campaign last month, is trailing DeSantis who raised at least $5 million in May and $14 million in April. DeSantis has not officially filed his May fundraising totals, but has already started putting up donations collected in June.
Crist said he would catch up with DeSantis’ PAC, Friends of Ron.
“We’ll have the resources to compete. We’ll be there,” Crist said.
Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, the other Democratic primary challenger, had about $1.5 million through the end of May in her political committee.
Evening Reads
“Joe Biden disliked Vladimir Putin before it was cool” via Nahal Toosi of POLITICO
“The fundamental question of the pandemic is shifting” via Ed Yong of The Atlantic
“We ran the Treasury Department. This is how to fix tax evasion.” via Timothy Geithner, Jacob Lew, Henry Paulson Jr., Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers for The New York Times
“Could Donald Trump run for Congress in Florida? If so, where?” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“Federal prisoners hold $100 million in government-run accounts, shielded from some criminal scrutiny and debt collection” via Devlin Barrett of The Washington Post
“The Hunted: Police K-9s are meant to stop dangerous felons. They’re more often unleashed on Black people accused of stealing” via Brittany Wallman, Mario Ariza, Megan O’Matz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“How low can America’s birthrate go before it’s a problem?” via Stephanie Murray of FiveThirtyEight
“In a world first, El Salvador makes bitcoin legal tender” via Tom Wilson and Karin Strohecker of Reuters
“Banks to companies: No more deposits, please” via Nina Trentmann and David Benoit of The Wall Street Journal
“Florida’s machinery to import Canadian drugs is in place — but is it for real and will it help you?” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
“Remember Pulse this week, weekend and beyond in Central Florida” via Kathleen Christiansen of the Orlando Sentinel
Quote of the Day
“Desperate people do and say desperate things.” — U.S. Rep. Val Demings, after U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio called her a “do-nothing” Congresswoman.
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