Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 11.5.21

Good Friday morning.

I want to start the day with a birthday shoutout to one of the best people in The Process, David Johnson.

Click on the image below:

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Congratulations — Another top-of-‘Burn cheer to Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Principal Mike Grissom and his wife Kristen McDonald Grissom on the upcoming addition to the family — a baby boy expected April 2022. The couple are doing great and looking forward to “making a lifetime of memories.” Congrats!

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Tens of millions of Americans working at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly, reports The Associated Press.

The new requirements, issued Thursday by the Joe Biden administration, is the boldest move yet to persuade reluctant Americans to finally get a vaccine, despite being widely available for months — or face financial consequences.

If successful, officials believe it will go a long way toward ending a pandemic that has killed more than 750,000 Americans, nearly 60,000 of them in Florida. Biden had signaled the move in September.

The requirements will apply to about 84 million workers at medium and large businesses, although it is unclear how many of those employees are unvaccinated.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations will force the companies to require unvaccinated workers to test negative for COVID-19 at least once a week and wear a mask in the workplace.

OSHA left open the possibility of expanding the requirement to smaller businesses. The conditions will not apply to people who work at home or outdoors.

Stricter rules will apply to another 17 million people working in nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid. Those workers will not have an option for testing — they will need to be vaccinated.

“‘This rule is absolutely going down:’ Gov. Ron DeSantis rebukes vaccine mandate” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — DeSantis on Thursday vowed to challenge the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, calling the order unconstitutional and an “abuse of emergency power.” “Florida will contest that immediately,” DeSantis said, later adding, “I think this rule is absolutely going down.” The legal call-to-arms comes hours after White House officials unveiled a finalized version of the U.S. employer mandate. The mandate, officials say, will impact roughly 84 million workers, or two-thirds of private-sector jobs. The order, implemented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), threatens fines upward of $14,000 per violation.

“Florida will file lawsuit against COVID-19 vaccine mandate” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Florida declared war Thursday against the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, joining a handful of Republican-led states filing lawsuits to halt the controversial health order. Alongside Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in Tallahassee, DeSantis vowed to protect the livelihoods of the unvaccinated and defeat the emergency health mandate in court. At least two other states will join the suit, Georgia and Alabama. “People are so sick of constantly being bossed around, restricted, mandated,” DeSantis said. The Governor’s vow came hours after White House officials unveiled elements of the U.S. employer mandate.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@TaiKopan: Every one of these election cycles, we take these 51-49 squeakers of a victory, blow them up as some sort of singular dynamic, and never grapple with the fact that American voters almost always choose the opposite of what they have, seemingly never satisfied with their leaders.

—@AnnaForFlorida: You know what would REALLY bring us election integrity? Campaign finance reform. Ending all corporate giving & dark money groups & not allowing the biggest companies, consultants and the wealthiest of people dictate the future of our Democracy. Level the playing field for all.

Tweet, tweet:

Tell me we just had an election that went poorly for Democrats without telling me we just had an election that went poorly for Democrats pic.twitter.com/yHltZh0szp

— Nick Riccardi (@NickRiccardi) November 4, 2021

—@DougHeye: Has “Whereas it is the right of people to pump their own gas” been on the New Jersey ballot?

—@edokeefe: Is a vote on the Build Back Better bill happening today? “I’ll let you know when I wish to,” @SpeakerPelosi tells reporters at her weekly briefing.

Tweet, tweet:

You blew off Meet the Teacher.
You skipped the parent-teacher conference.
You said no to the PTO.
You've never even seen your child's classroom.
But you want "parental control."
You might want to try parental involvement first.

— Steve Irvin (@Steve_Irvin) November 4, 2021

Tweet, tweet:

How I feel after week 4 of Committee Week… 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/9HPoJsn5X6

— Rep. Andrew Learned (@AndrewLearned) November 4, 2021

Tweet, tweet:

$10,000 in college tuition on the line if he can make a layup, free throw, 3 pointer and a half court shot in 30 seconds…😜💪🔥🏀 pic.twitter.com/6Zn4lmsxB5

— Fred Schultz (@fred035schultz) November 3, 2021

— DAYS UNTIL —

’Yellowstone’ Season 4 begins — 1; ’Disney Very Merriest After Hours’ will debut — 3; U.S. to lift restrictions for fully vaccinated international travelers — 3; Miami at FSU — 5; ‘Hawkeye’ premieres — 9; Special Session on vaccine mandates begins — 10; ExcelinEd National Summit on Education begins — 13; FSU vs. UF — 22; Florida Chamber 2021 Annual Insurance Summit begins — 24; Jacksonville special election to fill seat vacated by Tommy Hazouri’s death — 32; Steven Spielberg’s ’West Side Story’ premieres — 35; ’Spider-Man: No Way Home’ premieres — 42; ’The Matrix: Resurrections’ released — 47; ’The Book of Boba Fett’ premieres on Disney+ — 54; Private sector employees must be fully vaccinated or tested weekly —60; CES 2022 begins — 61; NFL season ends — 65; 2022 Legislative Session starts — 67; Florida’s 20th Congressional District Election — 67; Special Elections in Senate District 33, House District 88 & 94 — 67; Florida TaxWatch’s 2022 State of the Taxpayer Day — 68; Joel Coen’s ’The Tragedy of Macbeth’ on Apple TV+ — 70; NFL playoffs begin — 71; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 91; Super Bowl LVI — 100; Daytona 500 — 107; St. Pete Grand Prix — 114; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 120; ’Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 183; ’Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 203; ’Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 209; ’Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 245; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 257; ’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 336; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 364; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 371; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 406; ‘Captain Marvel 2’ premieres — 469; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 623. ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 714; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 994.

— TOP STORY —

“The retirement community that was a microcosm of the Florida Special Election” via Matthew Kassel of Jewish Insider — The sprawling Kings Point retirement community in Tamarac has long been viewed as something of a campaign pilgrimage site. The special election to succeed the late Rep. Alcee Hastings — which is likely headed for a recount after Tuesday’s results showed a virtual tie between Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness and health care executive Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick — presented candidates with a similar opportunity to shore up pivotal support from the Kings Point community. Yet an abiding — and not so stupid — question was whether Jewish voters in Kings Point would coalesce around any of the 11 House contenders jockeying for the seat.

First on #FlaPol — “Ex-felon who won Republican CD 20 Primary never applied for right to hold political office” via Corbin Bolies of Florida Politics — The winning Republican in this week’s congressional Primary in South Florida is a former felon who did not go through the state’s process to restore his civil rights after imprisonment, interviews and records show. That step is required under Florida law for a candidate to hold political office. Jason Mariner won Tuesday’s Republican Party primary with 58% of votes in heavily Democratic Florida’s 20th Congressional District. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the election’s outcome would be challenged. The General Election will be on Jan. 11. Democrats have held the seat, one of the most Democratic districts in Florida, for more than two decades.

— STATEWIDE —

“DeSantis puts Jacksonville homicide suspect at center of immigration debate” via Dan Scanlin of The Florida Times-Union — A defendant accused of killing a man he called his uncle in October in Jacksonville has entered pleas of not guilty on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering at his arraignment hearing on Thursday. The same day, DeSantis talked about the case and railed against Biden’s immigration policies. On Oct. 6, police found 46-year-old Francisco Javier Cuellar dead in a house on Lone Star Road in Jacksonville just before midnight. Police arrested Yery Noel Medina Ulloa. Police said he was in the country illegally and had faked his name and age.

“Florida’s Hard Rock Sportsbook braces for Friday legal showdown” via John Haughey of The Center Square — The dawn of a new era — an estimated $7 billion is already spent by state residents betting via digital sportsbooks; one analyst projects Florida’s sports wagering market could top $12 billion annually — began without notice other than a “Game On, Florida” link on Seminole websites offering the Hard Rock Sportsbook digital app for download. How long it will stay online has oddsmakers rubbing chins. John Sowinski, who leads a powerful group that’s stymied gaming expansion in Florida since 1978, is betting the plug will be pulled on Hard Rock Sportsbook Friday. No Casinos in September filed a 40-page lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington claiming the Florida-Seminole pact is “a clear violation” of federal law and Florida’s Constitution. The suit will be heard Friday.

— DATELINE TALLY —

“University of Florida professor told not to give legal counsel participated in lawsuit anyway” via Danielle Ivanov of The Gainesville Sun — When UF disapproved Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen‘s requests over the past three months to participate in three lawsuits about the state’s ban on mask mandates, the pediatrician and public health expert was not surprised. Goldhagen, former director of the Duval County Health Department and almost 30-year faculty member with the UF Health College of Medicine in Jacksonville, said he understands university leaders’ political pressure. But he could not ignore his oath and decades of work as a doctor, child advocate and international leader. So, Goldhagen said, he participated anyway. He is at least the fourth UF professor to be restricted over outside legal consulting challenging the state government in recent months and he is one of eight since 2020 who have spoken out.

“Florida nursing homes, VA facilities, get 3-month, $104 million bump to cover increased nursing costs” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Florida lawmakers on Thursday agreed to spend $100 million to increase for three months the amount of money the state pays 692 private nursing homes to care for poor and elderly residents who require institutional care. In addition to approving funding for the private nursing homes, the Joint Legislative Budget Commission also agreed to earmark more than $4.4 million to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs to cover contracted nursing care costs at five facilities it operates through January 2022. Florida nursing home occupancy rates are plummeting, meaning nursing homes have less revenue coming in. Additionally, nursing care costs are increasing in Florida, and nationwide, due to a tight labor market.

“Lawmakers file memorial calling for more National Guard troops” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Lawmakers may soon call on Congress to beef up the Florida National Guard under a bipartisan memorial filed Thursday. The memorial comes as lawmakers grow increasingly concerned with the Florida National Guard’s lack of manpower. Despite serving the third most disaster-prone state, the Florida Guard ranks second to last in the Guardsmen-to-citizen ratio with roughly 12,000 troops. The issue of troop numbers, however, is a federal prerogative. If passed, the memorials (SM 826 & HM 505) would urge Congress and the United States National Guard Bureau to allow Florida to recruit more troops. Republican Sen. Tom Wright and Democratic Rep. Dan Daley are leading the charge.

“Lawmakers approve additional refugee aid after ‘Remain in Mexico’ influx” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — State lawmakers have approved an additional $33.3 million in federal funds to provide cash assistance to the increasing number of arriving refugees. On Tuesday, the Joint Legislative Budget Commission OK’d the Department of Children and Families to spend those funds through the Refugee Cash Assistance Program. That program grants cash for up to eight months to new refugees ineligible for Temporary Aid for Needy Families benefits. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services fully funds the Refugee Cash Assistance Program, leaving no additional cost to the state. DCF Director of Budget, Finance and Accounting Chad Barrett told lawmakers the funding would “support the increase in newly arriving refugees entering the state of Florida.”

“Lawmakers eye expanding electronic, open-source access to combat college textbook costs” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — State lawmakers are looking at how to further reduce costs for college students by expanding access to electronic and open-source textbooks, building on the successful passing of legislation earlier this year creating a digital academic library network. Members of the House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee meeting Thursday took in a presentation by Dr. John Opper, executive director of distance learning and student services at the Florida Virtual Campus, and several prominent state college and university figures. The intent, said Rep. Rene Plasencia, the Subcommittee Chair, was to continue a push toward low-cost, no-cost, and open access to e-textbooks, a trend running in tandem with the increased digitization of media.

“Tina Polsky, Yvonne Hinson seek to undo GOP-backed ‘viewpoint diversity’ law in higher ed” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Two Democratic lawmakers hope to repeal a law approved earlier this year that requires surveys of college and university professors “to assess the status of intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on campus. The GOP-backed legislation (HB 233) also blocks the state Board of Education and Board of Governors from shielding students, employees, colleges, and universities from controversial speech or ideas protected by the First Amendment. Now, Sen. Polsky and Rep. Hinson seek to repeal that law, which was approved during the 2021 Legislative Session and signed into law by DeSantis in June. Polsky and Hinson have introduced companion bills (SB 810 and HB 6077) to strike that new language from Florida law.

“Florida’s awful Bert Harris Act is for the birds” via Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix — There is nothing our legislators enjoy better than picking state symbols. They have given us a bunch, from the official state sand (Myakka fine) to the official state play (“Cross and Sword,” last performed in St. Augustine in 1997). Sometimes their choices have resulted in rhubarbs. They fought over which pie to pick (Key lime beat pecan). They resisted naming the panther our state animal even though it had been chosen by schoolchildren (some lawmakers favored the gator). And every few years — this year included — somebody brings up the idea of changing our state bird.

New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Clifford Block, Corey Preuninger: McLane Company

James Daughton, Doug Bell, Ally Liby-Schoonover, Andrew Palmer, Metz Husband & Daughton: Petland

Carole Duncanson, CLD & Associates: West Coast Inland Navigation District

Andrew Kalel, Sunrise Consulting Group: City of Inverness, Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, Youth and Family Alternatives

Robert Stuart, GrayRobinson: Bombardier Aerospace Corporation

Kate Wesner: American Flood Coalition Action

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Florida COVID-19 update: Reporting change causes lag in death data” via Devoun Cetoute and Ana Claudia Chacin of the Miami Herald — Since last Friday, Florida has only added four deaths to its COVID tally — at least according to the data reported on the CDC website. However, behind the scenes, the CDC has been working with the Florida Department of Health to return to a previously used reporting method, causing a lag in reporting deaths. “On Monday, Nov. 1, CDC began transitioning jurisdictions reporting by event date back to report date,” said CDC spokeswoman Jasmine Reed. Now, the health department would have to switch back to how it reported cases before the summer change. “Due to reporting changes, there was a lag in death data updates for Florida. CDC is working with the Florida Department of Health to correct the issue.”

“Florida hospitals face COVID-19 vaccine requirements under new Biden administration rule” via Frank Gluck of the Fort Myers News-Press — The Biden administration released rules requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers, a shot mandate many Florida hospitals so far have avoided and one likely to launch a new front in the state’s opposition to compulsory pandemic inoculations. Under the federal plan, organizations that accept Medicare and Medicaid will have to get their workers fully vaccinated by Jan. 4. They must be at least partially vaccinated by Dec. 5 to provide patient care. This includes most hospitals and long-term care operators. Facilities covered by this regulation must establish a policy ensuring all eligible staff receives the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine before providing any care, treatment or other services by Dec. 5.

“School Board member Jennifer Jenkins files for injunction against Randy Fine, cites ‘cyberstalking’” via Eric Rogers of Florida Today — Brevard County School Board member Jenkins has asked the courts to intervene in a public and increasingly bitter feud with Rep. Fine. Jenkins late last week filed a request for an injunction against Fine with the 18th Circuit Court of Florida, citing “cyberstalking” and a “campaign of harassment on social media … inciting followers to harass and threaten me,” she wrote in a statement to the court, dated Oct. 28. The petition seeks to forbid Fine from publishing Jenkins’ name or “any insinuation of person” on social media and from coming within 500 feet of her place of work at Brevard Public Schools. Fine called Jenkin’s request “dangerous” and “un-American” in his own statement, posted Thursday to Facebook. He called on her to resign if she couldn’t take “legitimate criticism.”

“Richard Corcoran: Leon County school district now in compliance after superintendent eased mask rule” via Ana Goñi-Lessan of the Tallahassee Democrat — Leon County Schools is now in compliance with the state’s emergency rule that banned mask mandates. Hours after education officials told the Tallahassee Democrat they still had not decided whether the district complied, Education Commissioner Corcoran took to Twitter. “I’d like to sincerely thank @leonschools and @brevardschools for reversing their mandatory mask policies by empowering parents,” he tweeted Wednesday night. “Let’s keep working together to provide students a world-class education” It was a markedly different tone from a letter sent by Corcoran just days earlier.

“Faster-spreading strain of delta variant detected in Florida” via CBS Miami — As COVID-19 cases begin to go down, there is a warning about a potentially faster-spreading strain of the delta variant. It has been spotted in Florida and seven other states. Health experts say that although this strain spreads faster, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness. Current vaccines also appear to be effective against it.

“Lawmakers approve $643M for Regeneron alternative in COVID-19 fight” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Lawmakers have approved an additional $1.2 billion for the Division of Emergency Management to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of which is precautionary spending. The agency has played a leading role in the state’s pandemic response, including coordinating federal reimbursements for the state’s pandemic-related activities. Before the Joint Legislative Budget Commission meeting on Thursday, DEM Financial Management Administrator Mark Mahoney presented the billion-dollar request, which includes three projects. The panel unanimously approved the expenditures, all three of which are slated as federal reimbursements. The most significant request is to unlock $643.4 million in anticipated federal funds for the agency to acquire doses of GlaxoSmithKline’s sotrovimab, a recently approved monoclonal antibody treatment that hasn’t been funneled directly through the federal government.

— 2022 —

Cut off: Democratic Governors to take a pass on Florida in 2022 — The Democratic Governors Association will not be helping Florida Democrats defeat DeSantis next year, a major setback for those seeking to unseat the popular Republican Governor. Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida reports that in the previous two gubernatorial cycles, the DGA spent more than $15 million. In 2022, Dixon writes, the DGA plans to “deprioritize” the state in the midterms, using its limited resources to protect incumbent Governors instead. The feeling is Democrats can’t win statewide elections in Florida, sources said. It’s a clear sign that Florida’s reputation as the largest swing state is slipping and that it is now leaning more center-right. “I do think, and I can’t stress this enough, the DGA is playing mostly defense this year, and that’s a monumental change,” said Democratic consultant Jonathan Ducote told POLITICO.

“‘Authoritarian regime’: Charlie Crist slams DeSantis over Special Session, Medicaid expansion” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — U.S. Rep. Crist hammered into DeSantis Thursday at a virtual conference with Protect Our Care Florida, promoting the Build Back Better plan and discussing its impact on health care. Crist, who is also challenging DeSantis in the 2022 gubernatorial race, will join members of Congress in voting on Biden’s infrastructure plan sometime in the coming days. He has continued to advocate for the inclusion of Medicaid expansion laid out in the plan, which would expand coverage to nearly 1 million Floridians. “After emerging from another deadly wave of the pandemic, in which Gov. DeSantis’ soft on COVID policies made Florida the global epicenter not once but twice, it boggles the mind why our Governor is still not working on Medicaid expansion,” Crist said.

“Kevin McCarthy is making a bold prediction one day after Democrats got creamed at the polls: 70+ Democratic-held seats are at risk in 2022.” via POLITICO — Minority Leader McCarthy thinks Democrats under Biden could suffer historic losses in next year’s midterms, seeing more than 70 seats held by Democrats as at risk. “If you’re a Democrat and President Biden won your seat by 16 points, you’re in a competitive race next year. You are no longer safe. … It’ll be more than 70 Democrats that will be competitive,” he said. The last time Democrats controlled all the levers of power, they lost 63 seats in the 2010 midterms, dragged down by issues such as Obamacare and a lagging economic recovery.

“Glenn Youngkin’s victory in Virginia is a warning. It’s also a roadmap.” via Tom Perriello for The New York Times — The clearest message for Democrats nationally is that the fear of Donald Trump 2.0 is not enough to win elections. Congressional Democrats, especially those in tough races, should be sprinting to immediately pass the boldest possible version of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Democrats need to look like the party that knows how to govern and produces results that benefit Americans of every race and region. I learned this lesson as part of the congressional class that lost the 2010 midterms. While some suggest my vote for the Affordable Care Act cost me my seat, I was sure that the real political cost was incurred by watering down the original proposal and taking far too long to pass it.

“Ruth’s List Florida endorses Eunic Ortiz in SD 24” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Ruth’s List Florida is backing Ortiz for Florida Senate District 24, the group announced Thursday. The group works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Ortiz, who fits that bill, is running for the Pinellas County seat, which covers parts of mid- and north St. Petersburg. She seeks to replace incumbent Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes. Brandes is leaving office due to term limits. “Ruth’s List is proud to be among the first organizations to endorse Ortiz’s campaign,” said Ruth’s List Florida President and CEO Lucy Sedgwick. “She has a proven record advocating for Democratic values and issues, and we’re excited to help her make history as potentially the first lesbian in the Florida Senate.”

“Jessica Baker raises $220K in first month as HD 12 candidate” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Baker, a Republican hopeful in Jacksonville’s House District 12, will report more than $220,000 in fundraising during her first month as a candidate in her October report. Baker, running for the seat currently held by Senate candidate Rep. Clay Yarborough, was expected to have a strong month, and she delivered. None of the funding, Baker notes, is “candidate or spouse” money. Baker, an assistant state attorney in Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit, raised $132,950 for her campaign and an additional $87,100 for her political committee. Virtually all that money is cash on hand, and her donors are impressive.

“Rosalind Osgood about to resign from Broward School Board to run for Florida Senate. DeSantis gets to pick replacement.” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Osgood, chair of the Broward School Board, faces an imminent deadline to submit her resignation to move forward with her candidacy for Florida Senate. She said Thursday that she plans to submit her resignation letter by the end of the day Friday. It would take effect in four months. The resignation, required under the Florida resign-to-run law, is irrevocable. DeSantis, whose policies are the antithesis of Osgood’s, would get to appoint her replacement to the District 5 School Board seat. Board members pick their chairperson.

“Greg Langowski, longtime Marco Rubio regional director, to run for Westlake Council” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Langowski, who has worked for Rubio for more than a decade, has filed to run for the open Group 4 seat on the Westlake City Council. The city of Westlake is the newest of Palm Beach County’s 39 municipalities. It was incorporated in 2016. Langowski serves as Rubio’s southeast regional director, overseeing Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Langowski joined Rubio in Oct. 2011. Before that, Langowski spent just over six years as the executive director of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County. He is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Langowski will be running in an open race for the Group 4 seat held by Councilwoman Katrina Long-Robinson.

“Pensacola’s redistricting map finalized, open to public comment in December” via Emma Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — Pensacola’s districting committee has adopted its final iteration of the city’s new voting maps, which will now go to a public inspection period before the City Council’s December vote. The districting committee is made up of one representative appointed by each City Council member to redraw the voting district maps. This is done after each census in an attempt to divide districts roughly equally by population. The committee’s final meeting Wednesday was brief and no changes were made to the previously workshopped maps before sending them off to the legal team to draft official descriptions. From there, they will be published for the public to view and a public hearing will be held on Dec. 15 to give a chance to comment on the maps.

— CORONA NATION —

“U.S. sees longest uptick of new COVID-19 vaccinations in months” via Alexander Tin of CBS News — New COVID-19 vaccinations have accelerated for eight straight days nationwide, according to federal data, marking the longest uptick seen in the U.S. since early August. The nationwide seven-day moving average of first doses climbed to 264,549 a day on October 29, as of the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All but two states — Utah and West Virginia — are now averaging a faster pace of people starting vaccination than the week prior. The record uptick comes as federal health officials say they continue to ramp up their push for initial vaccinations among adults, along with campaigns to roll out millions of doses for younger children and booster shots for those vaccinated earlier.

— CORONA ECONOMICS —

“How Tyson Foods got 60,500 workers to get the coronavirus vaccine quickly” via Lauren Hirsch and Michael Corkery of The New York Times — Tyson’s announcement that it would require vaccinations across its corporate offices, packing houses and poultry plants, many of which are situated in the South and Midwest where resistance to the vaccines is high, was arguably the boldest mandate in the corporate world. “We made the decision to do the mandate, fully understanding that we were putting our business at risk,” Tyson’s chief executive, Donnie King, said in an interview last week. “This was very painful to do.” But it was also bad for business when Tyson had to shut facilities because of virus outbreaks. Since announcing the policy, roughly 60,500 employees have received the vaccine, and more than 96% of its workforce is vaccinated.

“Unemployment claims drop to 269,000, another pandemic low” via Paul Wiseman of The Associated Press — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a fresh pandemic low last week, another sign the job market is healing after last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 14,000 to 269,000 last week. Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications have fallen more or less steadily ever since and are gradually moving toward pre-pandemic levels of around 220,000 a week. Overall, 2.1 million Americans were collecting unemployment checks the week of Oct. 23 — down from 7.1 million a year earlier when the economy was still reeling from the coronavirus outbreak. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, dropped below 285,000, also a pandemic low.

“Airbnb posts record results after busy summer travel season” via Meghan Bobrowsky of The Wall Street Journal — Airbnb posted record revenue in the third quarter, punctuating the home-sharing company’s rebound from the collapse in bookings during the early days of the pandemic. The three months covering much of the busy summer vacation period is typically the most lucrative for Airbnb. People resuming more normal travel patterns and other factors helped the company fill the rentals available on its platform. Airbnb said it is preparing for bumper Thanksgiving business, with bookings at the end of September up roughly 40% from the 2019 level. Airbnb on Thursday said revenue for the third quarter reached $2.24 billion, up 67% from the year-ago period. The company’s previous revenue record of $1.65 billion came in the third quarter of 2019.

“Peloton plunges after pandemic sales boom turns to bust” via Mark Gurman of Bloomberg — Peloton cut its annual revenue forecast by as much as $1 billion and lowered its projections for subscribers and profit margins, underscoring its struggles to adjust to a post-pandemic economy. The fitness company — best known for its exercise bikes and remote classes — now expects sales of $4.4 billion to $4.8 billion in fiscal 2022, which ends next June. Less than three months ago, it had been predicting revenue of $5.4 billion. The grim outlook sent the stock tumbling as much as 26% to $64 in late trading. Even before the swoon, Peloton shares were down 43% this year.

“Seller’s regret? Pandemic led to spike in home prices, including one sold by DeSantis” via Elise Elder of Fresh Take Florida — The waterfront home near Jacksonville that DeSantis owned for nearly a decade until selling it has climbed in value by an estimated 50% since the deal. DeSantis effectively lost $232,000 by selling it just a year before the pandemic caused housing prices to surge across the United States. The home’s new owners in Ponte Vedra Beach said they were enjoying their good fortune — and didn’t even know they were buying the Governor’s house until months after the deal closed. According to the government financial disclosure paperwork he submitted, his estimated net worth is $348,832 — including about $164,000 that he and his wife profited when they sold the home for $460,000. It’s now worth an estimated $692,000.

— MORE CORONA —

“WHO says Europe is back at the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic, despite vaccines” via The Associated Press — Top officials at the World Health Organization said Thursday that Europe has seen a more than 50% jump in coronavirus cases in the last month, making it the epicenter of the pandemic despite an ample supply of vaccines. “There may be plenty of vaccine available, but uptake of vaccine has not been equal,” WHO emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said during a press briefing on Thursday. He called for European authorities to “close the gap” in vaccinations. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries that have immunized more than 40% of their populations should stop and instead donate their doses to developing countries that have yet to offer their citizens a first dose.

“Inside the world’s most blatant COVID-19 cover-up: Secret burials, a dead President” via Joe Parkinson of The Wall Street Journal — At the Kondo graveyard in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, unmasked volunteers have been digging holes and felling trees to expand a compound that has tripled in size since last year. During the pandemic’s first wave, hazmat-suited government officials came at night to secretly bury the dead, graveyard workers and bereaved families said. Kondo’s gravediggers said those buried there since last year have one thing in common: All died due to the coronavirus, yet none were recorded as suffering from COVID-19. Tanzania, a country famous for Serengeti safaris and a turquoise coastline, has engaged in a grim experiment with implications beyond its borders: denying the existence of COVID-19. How that is playing out offers clues on the hidden toll of the pandemic across the developing world.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“White House says Biden is ‘comfortable’ settling with families separated during Trump administration, but not for $450K” via Priscilla Alvarez and Maegan Vazquez of CNN — Biden is OK with the Justice Department settling with families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administration, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday, but not for a reported $450,000 each. “If it saves taxpayer dollars and puts the disastrous history of the previous administration’s use of ‘zero tolerance’ and family separation behind us, the President is perfectly comfortable with the Department of Justice settling with the individuals and families who are currently in litigation with the U.S. government,” Jean-Pierre said during the White House press briefing. Biden said Wednesday that families separated at the border under the Trump administration’s so-called “zero-tolerance policy” will not receive payments of $450,000.

“Justice Dept. sues Texas over voting restrictions” via Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti of The New York Times — The Biden administration on Thursday sued Texas over the state’s new voting law, arguing that the Republican-passed measure would disenfranchise Texans who do not speak English, who have disabilities, who are older or who live outside the United States. The Texas voting restrictions, signed into law in September, include measures barring election officials from sending voters unsolicited absentee ballot applications and from promoting the use of vote by mail and further limiting the use of drop boxes. The Justice Department’s lawsuit appears to focus on those restrictions governing what types of help poll workers can offer voters, including translation and other assistance. The law creates new civil and criminal penalties for poll workers who run afoul of the rules.

“Biden aide tests positive for virus after summit in Scotland” via Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg — A White House aide who accompanied Biden to international summits in Europe last week tested positive for coronavirus infection before the President returned to the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. The aide and some of Biden’s other traveling staff remained in Scotland after the President attended the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow because of concern about transmission, the people said. The exact number of staff involved is unclear. A White House official said that the aide tested positive via a rapid test is in quarantine in Scotland and awaiting a follow-up PCR test. The aide is not believed to have had close contact with the President. Biden himself tested negative on Tuesday, the official said Thursday evening.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“House Dems’ suburban foundation at risk of crumbling after Tuesday’s results” via Ally Mutnick and Elena Schneider of POLITICO — Democrats’ House majority — and their path to the White House in 2020 — was built in large part on suburban, college-educated voters who spurned Trump. But Youngkin’s inroads with them — carving deep into the northern Virginia counties where Democratic dominance in the last Governor’s race foretold the 2018 “blue wave” — proves Democrats’ support in those suburbs is soft. That’s especially true as Biden and congressional Democrats struggle to clinch a deal on their social spending packages and Republicans double down on culture war campaigns. “If Democrats can’t reclaim those suburban voters, I don’t see a path to keeping the majority, plain and simple,” Israel said, “and you reclaim them by talking about those issues that those voters are discussing at their kitchen table.”

“House Democrats hunt for votes to pass Biden’s domestic agenda” via Emily Cochrane of The New York Times — House Democrats struggled on Thursday to line up the votes needed to push through a $1.85 trillion social safety net, climate and tax bill, as moderates raised concerns about the cost and details of the rapidly evolving plan. Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told her top deputies that she hoped to hold a vote on the bill as soon as Thursday night, with another on Friday morning to clear a Senate-passed $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure measure for Biden’s signature, according to two people briefed on the discussions. But as of midday Thursday, she was publicly noncommittal. “I will let you know as soon as I wish to,” she told reporters at her weekly news conference.

“In Spending Bill, Democrats rely on budget gimmicks they once derided” via Alan Rappeport of The New York Times — At an impromptu news conference this week, Sen. Joe Manchin lamented the “shell games” and “budget gimmicks,” he said his party was using to artificially reduce the $1.85 trillion price tag of the spending bill moving through Congress, saying the real cost was probably double that amount. Four years ago, as Republicans marched ahead with a $1.5 trillion tax cut, top Democrats in Congress assailed them for hiding the true cost of the legislation, arguing that it was “loaded with budget gimmicks” and packed with “stealthy tax tricks” that would saddle the nation with even more debt. Now, as they race to finish their own trillion-dollar domestic policy package, Democrats are employing their own maneuvers to downplay the cost of their bill.

“House Democrats are still planning to include immigration provisions in their social spending bill. They fall well short of a pathway to citizenship.” via POLITICO — House Democrats are pressing ahead with putting immigration reforms in their social spending mega bill. The latest draft text includes five-year work authorization and protections for undocumented immigrants — but without the long-sought goal of a pathway to citizenship many Democrats wanted. They need buy-in from the Senate parliamentarian, who would decide whether it could be included under the upper chamber’s rules. The parliamentarian has denied two of Democrats’ other proposals. “We need to focus on what we can actually get signed into law. Anything else is selling immigrants a false hope, and that’s unfair,” said U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy.

— CRISIS —

“Juror booted in Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial over Jacob Blake joke” via Bill Hutchinson of ABC News — A juror in the Rittenhouse murder trial in Wisconsin was booted from the case Thursday morning after he acknowledged that he told a tasteless joke to a deputy. The man, referred to as juror No. 7, was dismissed after being questioned by Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder. The juror said his ill-attempt at humor was about Kenosha police officers shooting Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in August 2020, which left Blake paralyzed and set off days of violent protests in Kenosha. “It appears that the appearance of bias is present, and it would seriously undermine the outcome of the case. So that in itself would be sufficient charge for discharge,” Schroeder told the juror.

“Capitol riot defendant who said she was ‘definitely not going to jail’ gets 60 days in prison” via Zoe Christen Jones of CBS News — Real estate broker Jennifer Leigh Ryan was sentenced Thursday to 60 days in prison for her role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a private plane, the 51-year-old flew to the Capitol with a group of people from Denton, Texas and documented her involvement heavily on social media. Judge Christopher Cooper emphasized that Ryan was prosecuted for her actions inside the Capitol, not her political beliefs. “Your case has generated a fair amount of public interest,” Cooper said Thursday. “And as a result, people will be interested to know what sentence you get. That sentence will tell them something about how the courts and how our country responded. And I think that the sentence should tell them that we take it seriously … and that it should never happen again.”

— EPILOGUE TRUMP —

“Feds charge Russian national who worked on Christopher Steele dossier with lying to FBI” via Alexander Mallin, Matthew Mosk and Luke Barr of The ABC News — A researcher who worked with Steele in assembling Steele’s controversial dossier that contained explosive and unproven claims about Trump has been arrested on charges stemming from the special counsel’s investigation of the Russia probe, according to an indictment made public Thursday. Igor Danchenko, a Russian national living in the U.S., has previously defended his role in gathering information that Steele used in his dossier, including the salacious claim that Russian officials may have had a videotape of Trump watching prostitutes in a hotel room during a 2013 trip to Moscow. Danchenko has been charged with five separate counts of making false statements to the FBI in interviews where he discussed how he obtained information that he later provided to Steele for inclusion in the dossier.

“Judge seems skeptical of Trump request to block House committee from Jan. 6 documents” via Pete Williams of NBC News — A federal judge appeared unwilling Thursday to block the release of scores of White House documents from the National Archives sought by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump sued the committee and the National Archives, seeking to stop the process of handing over documents. He aims to prevent the first set of disputed documents from being turned over by a Nov. 12 deadline. Trump’s lawyers said the request for a wide range of documents is invalid because the committee can only seek material directly related to writing legislation. “Are you really saying the President’s notes, talking points, and records of telephone conversations on Jan. 6 have no bearing on the investigation?” asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

“Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance convenes new special grand jury to investigate Trump Organization” via John Santucci and Aaron Katersky of ABC News — Vance has convened a new special grand jury to hear evidence in the investigation of Trump and his eponymous company, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The new grand jury was convened as the time limit on the original special grand jury was about to expire. The new six-month special grand jury allows the case to continue beyond Vance’s tenure if needed. He leaves office in early Jan. when District Attorney-elect Alvin Bragg takes office. In a historic victory, Bragg was elected as Manhattan’s first Black district attorney on Tuesday. In June, the initial grand jury returned an indictment against the Trump Organization and its long-serving chief financial officer Allan Weisselberg. Both have pleaded not guilty.

— LOCAL NOTES —

“Prosecutors: J.T. Burnette deserves ‘substantial’ prison term for corrupting Tallahassee political process” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — Federal prosecutors are seeking between six and a half and eight years in prison for Burnette, blasting the once-prominent business owner in court filings for using his “power and wealth to corrupt the political process.” Burnette, who was convicted in August on extortion and other charges in the FBI’s public corruption investigation, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle could sentence him to anything from probation to 20 years in prison — both unlikely propositions. In a sentencing memo filed Tuesday, the government noted Burnette’s participation in a long-running bribery scheme involving former Mayor and City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his business and romantic partner, Paige Carter-Smith.

“No red tide reported at Pensacola Beach ahead of Blue Angels weekend shows” via Emma Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — Samples taken Tuesday at both Pensacola Beach and Navarre show no red tide is present in either area. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that Navarre had low levels of the harmful algal bloom twice in recent weeks, sparking some concern among marine experts that red tide could crop up around Pensacola Beach coinciding with large crowds at the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show. FWC’s data as of Thursday, though, showed there was no red tide present at the Pensacola Beach pier, nor at any of Escambia and Santa Rosa’s testing sites. The Destin and Fort Walton areas have been experiencing high blooms causing issues at those beaches, but experts say red tide doesn’t necessarily move across a coast in a certain pattern.

“Blue Angels pilot feels bittersweet about last show: ‘We’re all very excited’” via Emma Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — Blue Angels slot pilot James Cox isn’t quite ready to let go of his time on the team, despite Saturday marking his last time flying one of the jets over Pensacola Beach. Cox, a lieutenant commander with the U.S. Navy, has spent three years on the team and is thankful his final show can be as accessible as possible for the community after COVID-19 and security concerns caused uncertainty about where and when the homecoming show would be taking place. “It’s unfortunate we’re not able to be over our home turf proper here at NAS Pensacola, which we love very dearly. However, I think being out at Pensacola Beach is going to be incredible,” Cox said Thursday.

“Pensacola Police Department to tighten open container enforcement” via Brittany Misencik of the Pensacola News Journal — Downtown Pensacola may be known for barhopping, raging festivals and monthly Gallery Nights, but Pensacola police are planning to crack down on carrying alcohol around in public during unpermitted events. Pensacola’s city ordinance on open containers prohibits the possession or consumption of alcohol in public. This includes carrying or drinking alcohol in parks, playgrounds, sidewalks or other public places. Some events, such as Mardi Gras, Fiesta of Five Flags parades and Pensacola Gallery Nights, fall under the exception. Enforcement could also lead to more severe consequences than one might expect, such as hundreds of dollars in fines or even up to 60 days of jail time.

“‘Another avenue’: Could Walton County use eminent domain to obtain 3-acre Eastern Lake beach property?” via Tom McLaughlin of Northwest Florida Daily News — Nearly everyone at a recent Walton County Commission meeting agreed the county could not afford to miss out on the opportunity to purchase a 3-acre tract of beach property that would provide needed public beach access and help preserve a rare and imperiled coastal dune lake. Similarly, a near-unanimous consensus was that the $18 million price tag Peter Russell and his 187 San Roy Beach Holdings LLC had put on the property was too high. Jim Bagby, the county’s former Tourist Development Council director, suggested eminent domain as an alternative means to obtain the parcel. The county is in the process of getting appraisals for the property. The Walton County Property Appraiser’s website lists the just market value of the land at $3.1 million.

“Pilot uninjured after Tuskegee Airman P-51 crashes at Tallahassee airport; commercial air traffic grounded” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Commercial air travel at Tallahassee’s International Airport is likely to be on hold into Thursday evening after a vintage fighter plane crashed while landing. The P-51 Mustang, in Tallahassee as part of a traveling Tuskegee Airman Exhibit, left the runway while landing at about 2:15 p.m. The pilot is uninjured, and no fire or fuel leaks occurred following the impact, said TLH Deputy Director of Aviation Jim Durwin. “It basically went off the runway and came to rest on the side of the runway. There appears to be some damage to the landing gear,” Durwin said. “It’s in one piece,” Durwin said while officials work to clear the plane from the runway, all commercial air traffic in or out of Tallahassee is suspended.

“Tampa City Council approves funding for $108 million City Center at Hanna Avenue” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — Jane Castor pledged in her campaign to “bring government to communities.” And that, Deputy Administrator of Infrastructure Sal Ruggiero said, is exactly what the City Center at Hanna Avenue will do. “We wanted to be a government leader,” he told City Council members Thursday. “That’s why we chose East Tampa. Because we think we can put a spark in East Tampa that’ll change the lifestyle of some folks.” City Council Thursday unanimously funded the $108 million project at 2515 E. Hanna Ave. Council member Joe Citro was absent from the vote, but indicated it had his full support. The complex’s main building will be a 161,000 square-foot, three-story building set to house more than seven city departments.

“Rick Kriseman will ‘take steps’ to establish equity officer, despite voter rejection” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — In a Facebook post on Wednesday that was immediately met with heated commentary, St. Petersburg Mayor Kriseman said he planned to “take steps to establish” a Chief Equity Officer position “in keeping with our commitments to building a fairer St. Pete.” Critics quickly pounced. On Tuesday, voters rejected two charter amendments on the ballot, Amendment 3 and 4, that would have required “an equity framework” to address equity gaps, create a Chief Equity Officer position to lead the “equity action plan,” and, under Amendment 4, establish a funding source to pay for it. It’s important to note that the Mayor already has the power to create and eliminate positions. Amendment 3 would have required the position, whether an administration wanted them or not.

“Audubon Florida to Citrus County: Don’t weaken waterfront setback rules” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Florida Audubon sounds the alarm at the prospect of Citrus County Commissioners backing a plan to reduce waterfront setbacks for homes significantly. Citrus Commissioners have an 8 a.m. Tuesday workshop to discuss setbacks, which have been an on-and-off debate for several years. The County requires homes, porches, swimming pools (and the like) to be built 50 feet from the water’s edge, or 35 feet with a berm or swale to prevent runoff directly into the lake, river or canal. Clark Stillwell, an Inverness attorney who represents the interests of developers, suggested changes in the law to allow construction within 15 feet of a waterbody with an engineered stormwater drainage system and periodic inspections in the years that follow to ensure the system is still functioning.

— TOP OPINION —

“We work for the people of Florida. That’s why we can’t let the University of Florida silence us on a voting rights law.” via Sharon Austin, Michael McDonald and Daniel Smith for The Washington Post — Because of our experience and knowledge, we were hired as expert witnesses on a major voting rights case brought by the NAACP and numerous other nonprofit organizations against the Florida secretary of state and 67 elections supervisors over the new voting law, which the Brennan Center for Justice calls “an omnibus voter suppression bill that will make it harder for Floridians to vote.” We have worked on cases like this before without objection from university officials. But with SB 90, a piece of legislation that DeSantis signed into law live on Fox News; the university has offered a series of shifting rationales to justify blocking us from testifying. In our view, all the rationales reveal is a fear of retribution from political actors for our testimony.

— OPINIONS —

“Why has the University of Florida become DeSantis’ press office?” via the Tampa Bay Times editorial board — UF’s refusal to stand up for academic freedom is absolutely shameful. At least five more cases emerged this week where UF blocked or restricted its professors from engaging in disputes involving the state and DeSantis. The university tried to spin its decision, saying it objected only to requests for these employees “to undertake outside paid work that is adverse to the university’s interests.” But pay isn’t the issue; it’s that UF has censored speech to mollify the partisans who control state government. Few decisions have generated more public debate in Florida in recent years than the Republicans’ move to limit voting rights for felons and to restrict access to the ballot. And DeSantis’ battle against mask mandates to control COVID-19, which became a proxy war with the federal government, continues to carry public health and financial implications for the state.

“Republicans are winning elections because they won’t stop talking about this” via Tory Gavito and Adam Jentleson for The New York Times — Crucially, Youngkin was able to use racially coded attacks to motivate sky-high white turnout without paying a penalty among minority voters. This appears to solve the problem bedeviling Republicans in the Trump era: how to generate high turnout for a candidate who keeps Trump at arm’s length, as Youngkin did. Before Tuesday night, conventional wisdom held that racially coded attacks could well spur higher white turnout but that those gains would be offset by losses among minority voters. Youngkin proved this assumption false. He significantly outperformed other Republicans among white voters, especially women. This should terrify Democrats. With our democracy on the line, we have to forge an effective counterattack on race while rethinking the false choice between mobilizing base voters or persuading swing voters.

“Migrant ‘crisis’ at the border encapsulates the many challenges this region faces” via Miriam Davidson of the Miami Herald — Right now, we’re seeing record apprehensions of undocumented migrants and refugees, the majority of whom are immediately expelled or deported to uncertain fates. In September, we all saw the pictures of mounted patrolmen maneuvering their horses and long reins in an attempt to corral Haitian migrants along the Texas border. These photos evoked the ugliness of 19th-century “slave patrols” in the United States, as well as the enslavement of Haitians under French colonial rule in the 18th century. Less well known is that, so far this year, at least 190 sets of human remains have been found in Arizona’s deserts. Forty-three were found in June, the highest one-month total since July 2010. More than half the remains were discovered within one week of death.

“On climate, we need to run fast — but not run scared” via Fareed Zakaria of The Washington Post — Believe it or not, there is some real good news on the climate front. This week, approximately 100 countries announced an agreement to cut methane emissions 30% by 2030, closing a glaring gap in climate policy. They also reached a broad agreement to end deforestation in the same time frame, including pledging funds to back it up. Positive technological trends are also accelerating. Between 2009 and 2019, the cost of solar and wind power has declined by 89% and 70%, respectively. We need a rational way to think about climate policy, one that leaves us neither too scared to act nor too complacent to stand still.

— ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

Gov. DeSantis yet again announced plans to sue the Biden administration over vaccine mandates.

Also, on today’s #Sunrise:

— Records show the former felon who won the Republican Primary in Florida’s 20th Congressional District never applied for his second chance or the right to hold political office.

— University faculty from across the state are backing UF professors while calling on the university to back off.

— Today’s Sunrise interview is with the President of the United Faculty of Florida, Andrew Gothard who is speaking out against the University of Florida’s position that professors serving as expert witnesses in a case against the state pose a conflict of interest.

To listen, click on the image below:

— WEEKEND TV —

Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at politics in South Florida, along with other issues affecting the region.

Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Rob Lorei hosts a roundtable with USF-St. Petersburg Professor Emeritus of Government and Politics Darryl Paulson, St. Petersburg College professor Tara Newsom, Tampa Bay Times St. Petersburg reporter Colleen Wright and Just Care USA President and Founder Diane Archer.

In Focus with Allison Walker on Bay News 9/CF 13: A discussion about the treatment and care of military veterans, including improving access to physical and mental health care, and assisting with the transition back to civilian life. Joining Walker are Rep. Paul Renner, Speaker-Designate of the House and U.S. Navy veteran; and Rep. Andrew Learned, U.S. Navy Reserve veteran.

Political Connections Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: A look at Gov. DeSantis’ plan to strengthen election integrity; the latest on Biden’s vaccine mandate; and a recap of this week’s elections in St. Petersburg.

Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando: Rep. Anna Eskamani will update on current legislation being discussed in Tallahassee, including changes to education funding that could be cut down on student loan debt, abortion bills similar to what Texas passed, and gun legislation.

The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Host Gary Yordon talks with Robert Blacklidge about Tallahassee’s Domi Station.

This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott.

— ALOE —

“Daylight saving time ends Sunday. Four ways to win the transition.” via Alina Dizik of The Wall Street Journal — Go to bed early(ish). Use the extra hour to get to sleep at your usual time, no matter what the clock says. Start right. Use the early wakeups to go for a walk or get some exercise before starting the workday. Turn in, tone down. Eating dinner earlier, around 6 p.m., can make bedtime calmer. Lock screens. With less daylight and chillier nights, screen time can be especially disruptive to sleep. When used in the evening, the light from screens can interfere with natural melatonin production. Some experts recommend changing device settings to dark mode once the sun goes down.

“Disney bucks overseas censors, refuses to cut gay couple from Eternals” via Matt Schimkowitz of A.V. Club — Despite pushback from censors in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, Disney refuses to cut the same-sex couple featured in the upcoming Marvel superhero movie Eternals. The film, which was to open in the Gulf region on Nov. 11, will not be premiering in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Qatar due to Disney’s refusal to bend to the countries’ anti-LGBTQIA+ laws. Censors in several Persian Gulf countries requested edits to the film to cut a kiss between the character Phastos and his husband, Ben. As a result, the film is no longer listed as “coming soon” on various websites in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. It is, however, still slated for release in the UAE.

“‘It was insane’: Mary Esther man stunt doubles for Bruce Willis, lands role in AMC series” via Savannah Evanoff of Northwest Florida Daily News — It pays to have the same stature and hairstyle, or lack thereof, as actor Willis. At least it did for Cody Longshore, who played his stunt double three weeks ago. It was only one among several new ventures for the 5-foot, 11-inch tall and bald Mary Esther resident, who recently acted in the upcoming TV series “In with the Devil.” … “Apparently, his normal body stunt double wasn’t able to make it, and they were looking for someone bald, the same height, same weight, everything, and my photo came across,” Longshore said. “They were like, ‘Now look, we know you’re very young, but it’s mostly drone shots, stunt driving, and some other shots that you won’t be able to tell that you’re so young.”

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Celebrating today are U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, Britton Alexander, Emma Collum, former state Rep. Ken Robertson, Eric Robinson.

___

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