Peter Schorsch
Good Tuesday morning.
A top of ‘burn welcome to the world — William Andrew Renner was born to Speaker-Designate Paul Renner and his wife, Adriana. William arrived at 8 lbs., 2 oz.; mom and dad are both well and “grateful to God for this new blessing,” Congratulations and all the best to the Renner family.
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There’s a lot on the line in Jacksonville’s 2023 municipal elections, and political consultant Phil Perry hopes to tilt the odds in the Democrats’ favor.
Perry advised several Jacksonville-based political clients during the 2020 election cycle, along with the American Federation of Teachers, Guns Down America, NAACP, National Education Association, and Run for Something.
Now, he’s leaving his position as vice president of Woolf Strategy to launch his own firm.
On the Line Strategy will offer general political consulting and strategic communications digital strategy consulting. It debuts with clients that include Donna Deegan for Mayor, Joshua Hicks for Jacksonville City Council, Newsroom Jacksonville, and Ryan Health.
“I believe we have a historic opportunity to restore competence, integrity, and compassion to Jacksonville’s city government by winning back the Mayor’s office and seats on the Jacksonville City Council. While the numbers are on our side, it’s going to take smart strategy and out-of-the-box thinking to achieve this goal. I founded On the Line Strategy to offer political, communications, and digital consulting to the candidates and organizations that are putting it all on the line for Jacksonville‘s future,” Perry said.
“The time is up on good ol’ boy candidates and consultants who will do and say anything to win elections and maintain power.”
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Who wields the most political power in Tampa Bay? You’ll find out over the next few days.
Monday kicked off Florida Politics’ ninth annual list of Tampa Bay’s 25 Most Powerful Politicians, as ranked by a panel comprising a score of pollical consultants, lobbyists, business execs, and media personalities with in-depth knowledge of the region’s political landscape.
On Day One, Florida Politics unveiled No. 25 through No. 21 on the list and published a roundup of honorable mentions. Here’s a rundown of the first five names on the list.
Making the cut at No. 25 is Luis Viera. The Tampa City Council member may have slipped from No. 22 to No. 25, but politicians don’t three-peat in the rankings by accident — his successful push to get a Tenant’s Bill of Rights through City Council earned him his spot in 2022.
Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long came in at No. 24. The District 1 Democrat is the only member of the commission to make the grade this year, and she did so based on her advocacy for affordable housing, the environment, adequate transportation and her leadership on COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
St. Petersburg state Rep. Ben Diamond landed at No. 23, an eight-rung slide from his 2021 ranking. The setback is mainly due to his decision to leave the state House, where he was set to become Democratic Leader, to run for Congress. If he wins that race, there’s no doubt he will rocket back up the list.
Tampa state Rep. Jackie Toledo, who is also hoping to make the jump to Congress, snagged the No. 22 spot. This year, her successful gambit to get the hourly rate motel ban to the Governor’s desk via an amendment showed she’s deserving of her reputation as a fierce advocate for anti-human trafficking legislation — and why she’s worthy of a spot on the 2022 list.
Day One wrapped with Sen. Ed Hooper holding firm at No. 21. With leadership positions on the Senate’s tourism policy and appropriations committees, Hooper has command over policy related to Florida’s often intertwined tourism and economic interests, which cannot be underestimated.
Stay tuned Tuesday, when Florida Politics will drop the names of No. 20 through No. 16 on the list of Tampa Bay’s 25 Most Powerful Politicians.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@POTUS: Every student deserves to feel safe and welcome in the classroom. Our LGBTQI+ youth deserve to be affirmed and accepted just as they are. My administration will continue to fight for dignity and opportunity for every student and family — in Florida and around the country.
—@SpeakerPelosi: This cruel legislation is an affront to our Nation’s cherished values and sends a harmful message to our children. @GovRonDeSantis and Florida Republicans have chosen to needlessly bully, isolate and demean LGBTQ students.
—@GovRonDeSantis: Today, I signed HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Act, into law. It ensures parents can send their kids to kindergarten without gender ideology being injected into instruction and they will be notified and have the right to decline health care services offered at schools.
—@CaseyDeSantisFL: As a mama of three little ones, thank you Dad for empowering parents, like me, and protecting Florida’s children, like ours. Classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity with kindergartners is wrong — especially without a parent’s knowledge nor consent.
—@ChrisSprowls: Proud to stand w/@GovRonDeSantis as he signed HB 1557 today for the overwhelming majority of parents who agree it’s their right to be involved in their children’s education and that radical gender ideology does not belong in our 5- and 6-year-old children’s classrooms.
—@ErinInTheMorn: There’s a good reason why the primary topic at the news conference for “Don’t Say Gay” is trans people. The bill is targeted at trans people. It makes affirming trans students, transitioning as a teacher, or acknowledging trans people exist illegal. It’s “Don’t Say Trans.”
—@AnnaforFlorida: The transphobia during this news conference is unhinged. Instead of bringing people together and solving problems, our Governor is dunking a group of people he clearly doesn’t think should even exist.
—@JamesUthmeier: If I had to choose between Florida and the immoral pits of Hollywood, I’d choose Florida every single time.
—@WillPowerPacker: Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it. I don’t feel the need to elucidate that for you. But I also don’t mind being transparent and say that this was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.
—@BillBarnwell: Think about how famous you have to be to walk onto the stage at the Oscars, slap the presenter in the face, sit back down, curse loudly at him twice, and not get kicked out or stopped
— DAYS UNTIL —
‘Macbeth’ with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga preview performances on Broadway — 1; Florida Chamber’s 2nd Annual Southeastern Leadership Conference on Safety, Health + Sustainability begins — 1; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 6; John Dingfelder to be replaced on Tampa City Council 一 9; MLB Opening Day — 10; ‘Better Call Saul’ final season begins — 21; Magic Johnson’s Apple TV+ docuseries ‘They Call Me Magic’ begins — 25; 2022 Florida Chamber Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 31; ‘The Godfather’ T.V. series ‘The Offer’ premieres — 32; 2nd half of ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 32; federal student loan payments will resume — 34; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 39; Florida TaxWatch’s Spring Meeting — 44; ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ starts on Disney+ — 58; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 60; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 66; California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota hold midterm Primaries — 71; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 103; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 115; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 134; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 158; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 192; Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Passenger’ releases — 210; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 229; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 232; The World Cup kicks off in Qatar — 237; McCarthy’s ‘Stella Maris’ releases — 239; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 264; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 328; 2023 Legislative Session convenes — 344; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 361; 2023 Session Sine Die — 404; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 487; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 571; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 851.
“Gov. Ron DeSantis signs so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” via Kirby Wilson and Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — Surrounded by Republican legislators, the Governor signed House Bill 1557, called the “Parental Rights in Education” bill. The measure allows parents who believe a teacher is violating the rules to sue a school district for damages and attorneys’ fees. It takes effect July 1.
As initially filed, the legislation restricted “classroom discussion” about gender identity and sexual orientation. The bill’s language later changed to prohibit “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties” about those topics in K-3 — or in older grades in a way that is not “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
The bill requires the state to update those standards by June 30, 2023. When asked Monday what “age-appropriate” means, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said his department would “work it out so that people have a clear understanding.”
The new law also prohibits schools from enacting policies that prevent the disclosure to parents of “critical decisions” that affect “a student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being,” although schools could still withhold certain information if they believe the disclosure would result in abuse, neglect or abandonment. Some LGBTQ advocates worry that provision could lead to schools outing gay or transgender kids to their parents.
“Feds say they’ll be watching Florida schools” via Bryan Lowry of the Miami Herald — Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said that his department will monitor Florida’s implementation of HB 1557 to determine whether it violates federal civil rights law. Cardona’s statement hints at potential legal ramifications for DeSantis’ decision Monday to sign the legislation. … But it does not specify what actions the Biden administration could take in response.
“Disney says “Don’t Say Gay” bill should be repealed via Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter — “Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” a Disney representative said. “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”
“Chris Messina wants to bring Orange County in line with DeSantis’ Florida” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Messina among those DeSantis likes to tout, who left Democratically-run northern states to come to Florida in search of freer enterprise and living. He concluded that Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was not running Orange County the way DeSantis was running Florida, and Messina believed that had to change. Messina said he was appalled and driven to action last fall when Mayor Demings fired Orange County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Davis for not issuing disciplinary actions against firefighters refusing COVID-19 vaccinations.
“Will DeSantis pick a Jacksonville Senator?” via A.G. Gancarski of Jax Today — Imagine you’re Clay Yarborough, a current state representative who thought the next campaign was all set. A win’s a win, and if you were Yarborough, you were set for yet another victory, just like the two terms on City Council, including the presidency, and just like the three terms in the House. You were going to the Senate because leadership wanted you there. You may ask yourself why the Governor is picking winners and losers in Senate primaries. None of the players are talking right now. At least not to me. But this Senate situation will be one to watch in the next week or two, to see what develops and how it ultimately affects the rest of the map.
“Vicki Lopez sets sights on newly drawn SD 38” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — To avoid running against an incumbent fellow Republican, Lopez has set her sights on the newly drawn Senate District 38, where she will face at least one Primary opponent. Lopez noted the shift from Senate District 40, which she originally targeted upon announcing her Senate campaign in January, to SD 38 in a Sunday Instagram post. As of Monday, the Division of Elections shows her as running in SD 38 against Republican political operative Alina García and Democratic business owner and first-time candidate Janelle Perez. Lopez said she put a hold on filing until Sen. Ileana Garcia decided where she would seek re-election. Garcia, who narrowly won election to Senate District 37 in November 2020, has filed to run in the new Senate District 36, where she will face Rep. Michael Grieco.
Happening tonight:
Ashley Gantt earns Ruth’s List endorsement, first in HD 109 bid — Gantt, an attorney and former public defender, is challenging “anti-choice Democratic” Rep. James Bush. In the announcement, Ruth’s List Florida — dedicated to electing Democratic, pro-choice women — blasted Bush as the only Democrat in the entire Legislature to vote in favor of the 15-week abortion ban. “We’re proud to be the first endorsement in her campaign,” said Kayla vanWieringen, Ruth’s List vice president of Political and Programs. “We’ve known from Day One that she is the right candidate to take on this challenge, and we’re committed to seeing her through victory in August.”
“Endorsed by Donald Trump, Polk native Morgan Ortagus at center of Tennessee Congressional fight” via Gary White of The Lakeland Ledger — A Polk County native who has served in three Presidential administrations is the subject of a skirmish among Tennessee Republicans as she runs for Congress in that state. Ortagus filed last month to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Her candidacy quickly earned a “complete and total endorsement” from a previous boss, Trump, but also criticism from some Tennessee Republicans because Ortagus only moved to the state last year. In response, the Tennessee General Assembly is considering rule changes that would require candidates to live in the state for three years before qualifying to run for Congress, potentially ending Ortagus’ candidacy.
— STATEWIDE —
“Webster Barnaby pulled a $33K+ PPP loan. Now it’s been fully forgiven.” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A business owned by Rep. Barnaby received more than $33,000 in a pandemic-related loan program. Now that full total has been forgiven. While many businesses struggle to have Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans forgiven, that’s not a problem for Barnaby’s company, Selling Connections Unlimited. As of Aug. 9, a $33,542 PPP loan, plus interest, was forgiven. ProPublica lists the company as having two employees. Selling Connections Unlimited, which Barnaby founded in 2011, remains in business in Deltona. As a member of the House, his financial disclosure, filed last June, reports an income for Barnaby of $139,452. That’s his only income in 2020 besides the salary he earned as a Representative during the last two months of the year.
“Meta survey: Florida businesses are up and running, but uncertainty is on the horizon” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Two years into the pandemic, nearly nine out of 10 Florida businesses say they are up and running. That’s according to the latest Global State of Small Business Report produced by Meta, the social media company behind platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The report recaps the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including information on how businesses continue to adjust to uncertain conditions and how entrepreneurs are feeling about the future. Among Florida businesses surveyed by Meta, 87% say they are operational or engaging in revenue-generating activities, which is 9% higher than the national average.
Happening today — The Association of Florida Colleges hosts a virtual discussion of the 2022 Legislative Session featuring Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons, 10 a.m. Zoom link here.
Happening today — The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations and the Florida Philanthropic Network will hold an online discussion of the 2022 Legislative Session. Scheduled speakers include Brewser Brown of SKB Consulting Group, Natalie King of RSA Consulting Group, and Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils & Trusts CEO Michele Watson, 3 p.m. Register here.
“Demotech joins call for Special Session” via Insurance Journal — In a letter to DeSantis and legislative leaders, Demotech President Joe Petrelli wrote: “The conditions of the property insurance marketplace in Florida are unsustainable and, without the necessary corrective action, many Florida insurers will struggle to maintain adequate surplus, efficient capital sources will avoid the market, private reinsurance costs will become prohibitively expensive, and consumers will ultimately bear the cost.” Petrelli said that the firm’s ratings in recent years have been predicated on the expectation that the Legislature would address reforms to Florida’s unique claims procedures, practices and protocols. DeSantis said he is open to a Special Session if legislative leaders call one. Sen. Jeff Brandes also has urged the Governor to convene an insurance-focused Session. So far, though, House and Senate leaders have not joined the call.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Joe Biden’s budget plan: Higher taxes on rich, lower deficits” via Josh Boak of The Associated Press — President Biden announced a budget blueprint Monday that calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, lower federal deficits, more money for police and greater funding for education, public health and housing. Appearing at the White House with his budget director Shalanda Young, Biden said the proposal sends a clear message to the public about “what we value.” He outlined a focus on fiscal responsibility, safety and security, and investments to “build a better America.” The document essentially tries to tell voters what a diverse and at times fractured Democratic Party stands for ahead of the midterm elections that could decide whether Congress remains under the Party’s control.
—“Biden budget pivots to deficit concerns while boosting military, domestic programs” via Jeff Stein of The Washington Post
“Biden to ask Congress to fund the police” via Hans Nichols of Axios — Biden will propose more than $32 billion in new spending to fight crime, two White House officials familiar with his 2023 budget plans said, putting a price tag on his State of the Union call to fund — not defund — the police. Biden wants to show Americans he is addressing rising crime, which threatens Democrats’ fortunes in the midterm elections. The budget proposal to be released Monday will include $20.6 billion for the next fiscal year for the Department of Justice discretionary spending on federal law enforcement, crime prevention and intervention. That’s $2 billion more than the $18.6 billion enacted for the current fiscal year.
“Biden seeks more money for Everglades restoration in 2023 budget” via Bryan Lowry and Alex Harris of the Miami Herald — President Biden proposed spending an additional $407 million for Everglades restoration next fiscal year on top of the more than $1 billion the federal government will spend on the crucial Florida ecosystem during the current year. “This iconic American landscape provides drinking water supply for more than 8 million Floridians, supports the State’s $90 billion tourism economy, and is home to dozens of endangered or threatened species,” Biden’s newly released budget document states regarding the importance of Everglades restoration. The proposed funding is part of Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget request for the 2023 fiscal year, which begins in October. It comes after Congress has already approved significant funding for the current fiscal year.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz praises Biden’s Everglades funding request — U.S. Rep. Wasserman Schultz praised Biden’s request, saying it “builds on his historic support for Everglades restoration with another all-time high funding appeal of $407 million, or $57 million more than last year’s record request. Paired with the $1.1 billion already on our way from the infrastructure law, this level of commitment is unparalleled, and I’m eager to work with my Appropriations colleagues to make more Everglades funding history with President Biden clearly at our side.”
“U.S. global COVID-19 work will ‘grind to a halt’ without more cash” via Erin Banco of POLITICO — For nearly three months, top officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development privately warned the White House and lawmakers on Capitol Hill that USAID would soon run out of money to help put COVID-19 shots in arms across the world. With a more than $4 billion request stalled in Congress, USAID officials are now forced to plan for the possibility that their funding will run dry in the next few months, limiting their ability to vaccinate vulnerable populations in dozens of countries.
“Feds will limit use of Glades migrant detention center in Florida after complaints” via Syra Ortiz-Blanes and Michael Wilner of the Miami Herald — The Biden administration is limiting the use of a Florida detention center that holds immigrants in federal custody after lawmakers and immigration activists raised the alarm over conditions in the facility. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a formal announcement Friday afternoon stating that it would limit the use of the Glades County Detention Center, a county jail near Lake Okeechobee that houses migrant detainees on behalf of ICE. The federal agency said it had curtailed its use of the Moore Haven county jail in recent years partly due to “persistent and ongoing concerns related to the provision of detainee medical care.” It also described the facility as one of “limited operational significance.”
— LOCAL NOTES —
“Cruise ship headaches continue at Fernandina Port” via Wes Wolfe of Florida Politics — The Port of Fernandina’s attempt to beef up its cruise ship activity continues to run into problems. One issue is that the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA), as of its last meeting, is still trying to work out details with WestRock, which owns the dock. As of a late February email from one of its lawyers, the company isn’t granting cruise ship docking waivers and asked the port to stop. Tossing another wrench into the works is that the law firm representing OHPA also represents WestRock, which OHPA attorney Patrick Krechowski reminded the board before explaining his interpretation. “I haven’t verified this with my own eyeballs, but it’s my understanding that cruise ship activities take place on parcels that were not conveyed to OHPA from WestRock,” Krechowski said.
“Source: Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson asserted sex was consensual with accuser in heated call with UF football player” via Fresh Take Florida — New details are emerging in the sexual assault investigation of Johnson, the University of Florida basketball star formally accused in a police report over an incident with a drunken young woman at a pool party last month. In a heated phone call with a Gators football player who is romantically involved with the accuser, Johnson said that the woman had initiated consensual sex with Johnson a night earlier. The phone call occurred Feb. 27, after the football player discovered the pair had sex in Johnson’s apartment bedroom during the party. The football player did not attend but arrived later to take her home from the party.
— MORE LOCAL —
“New Surfside Mayor wants condo collapse victims remembered. ‘It was our residents’” via Martin Vassolo of the Miami Herald — Newly elected Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger didn’t talk much about the Champlain Towers South collapse during his campaign because he said he didn’t want to politicize a tragedy that killed 98 people just a few blocks from Town Hall. But in his first weeks in office, since unseating former Mayor Charles Burkett, who became the face of Surfside’s response to the June 24 disaster, Danzinger is making it one of his first priorities. He called for a special Town Commission meeting for Tuesday, his first meeting as Mayor, to be dedicated solely to issues related to the condo building collapse, including planning an event marking the anniversary, creating a memorial to the victims, and installing signage at the site to remember the lives lost there.
“Second teen dies from injuries in Royal Palm Beach crash at school bus stop” via Julius Whigham II of the Palm Beach Post — A second student from Royal Palm Beach High School died of injuries from a crash last week at a school bus stop along Crestwood Boulevard, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Monday. Chand Wazir, 15, died Friday at St. Mary’s Medical Center, PBSO said. He was one of four students hit by an SUV that jumped a curb the morning of March 22 at Crestwood and Cypress Lake Drive in Royal Palm Beach. Tiana Johnson, also 15, died at St. Mary’s on the morning of March 23. Two other students, Kkoi Phan, 17, and Rondell Lawrence, 16, were discharged from St. Mary’s and Palm’s West Medical Center, respectively, after being treated for severe injuries, PBSO said Monday.
“South Beach Spring Break curfew ends for now” via Trent Kelly and Alex Ciccarone of WPLG Local 10 News — Things have calmed down on the streets of South Beach since the beginning of March when spring breakers took over the city of Miami. Now, with the Ultra Music Festival concluded and Spring Break coming to an end, the Miami Beach curfew will be coming to an end as well Monday. Police were out in full force, working to control Spring Break crowds for weeks, with Miami Beach declaring a state of emergency and imposing a curfew after five people were shot over a span of two nights. The city also ended all liquor store sales in the same area after 6 p.m.
“Ex-principal in Holocaust controversy would have to take college course on the genocide if he wants to teach again” via Giuseppe Sabella of the Palm Beach Post — The former Spanish River High School principal who twice lost his job after making controversial remarks on the Holocaust might have to take a college-level course on the subject as part of a settlement reached with the state Department of Education. William Latson, who refused to say the Holocaust was a factual event in his conversation with a parent, agreed to a letter of reprimand and three years of probation under the Education Department’s supervision. However, the probation — which also prevents him from working as a principal or administrator — had no immediate effect. According to a public database, Latson’s educator certificate expired more than a year ago.
“Amid wealth and tech surge, two jobs still necessary for many in Miami-Dade” via Rob Wile of the Miami Herald — Elsa Romero’s body hurts most mornings. It’s the result of working two jobs as a janitor to support herself, her two dogs and having enough money left to buy lifesaving insulin to treat her diabetes. For Manuel Baez, a second job would help him pay the bills. He recently lost his position working nights cleaning an office tower in Doral. Now, he gets by working the night shift at another nearby resort. Their two stories reflect the financial demands the lowest rungs of Miami’s services workforce face amid surging inflation and crushing rent increases. Those economic trends overshadow South Florida’s overall strong wage growth last year.
“Jared Kushner firm withdraws plans for massive warehouse west of Delray” via Mike Diamond of the Palm Beach Post — Kushner Companies, affiliated with Kushner, the son-in-law of Trump, has withdrawn its application for a massive 1-million-square foot warehouse west of Delray Beach. There was intense opposition to the warehouse from south county community groups, who argued that the project was too big and too dense for the region and would worsen intolerable traffic conditions on West Atlantic Avenue. The Amazon-type distribution facility would have been built on a 51-acre parcel west of Florida’s Turnpike in the Agricultural Reserve, a special zone created to limit development and protect farming. The tract eyed by Kushner Companies extends from Starkey Road east toward the Turnpike. The project was named Star Key.
“House or yacht? Legal fight looms over property taxes for floating Star Island mansion” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — Arkup #1, a gleaming rectangle-shaped houseboat anchored off Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island, has all the trappings of a floating mansion: a luxury kitchen, spacious living room, two upstairs bedrooms, gym space and even a patio overlooking the sparkling waters of Biscayne Bay. But despite the fact that the Arkup is registered with the U.S. Coast Guard and can travel the seas at a modest 5 knots, Miami-Dade County says it’s not actually a boat. The result: the county has slapped the media darling houseboat with a property tax bill of nearly $120,000.
—TOP OPINION —
“Mainstream media have failed to notice their own disinformation issue” via Megan McArdle of The Washington Post — We in the mainstream have been so busy denouncing “fake news” that we failed to notice we’re developing a wee disinformation problem of our own. The New York Post claimed to have been given access to a trove of Hunter Biden’s emails. Those emails suggested Biden had possibly been trying to peddle his father’s influence. Twitter blocked the story, citing its policy barring “hacked materials,” then suspended the New York Post’s account for sharing it. Facebook allowed sharing but downranked the story in the news feed algorithms.
— OPINIONS —
“With a center-leaning budget, Biden bows to political reality.” via Jonathan Weisman of The New York Times — With his party facing potentially gale-force headwinds in the midterm elections, Biden released a budget Monday that tacks toward the political center, bowing to the realities facing endangered Democrats by bolstering defense and law enforcement spending and tackling inflation and deficit reduction in service of what he called a “bipartisan unity agenda.” Under the plan, the left wing’s hopes for a peace dividend at the end of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be scotched in favor of a new Great Powers military budget that would bring the Defense Department’s allocation to $773 billion, an increase of nearly 10%. Far from defunding the police and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the budget robustly funds both.
“Why are a select few adults deciding what others’ children may read?” via Linda Tyndall for Florida Today — As the person who was directly involved with getting author E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” returned to Brevard County Public Library shelves in May 2012, I am appalled at the censorship that is currently happening in Brevard County, and around the country. As a person of faith who doesn’t believe in imposing my beliefs and biases on others, I can’t understand censorship and the need to remove books from public or school library shelves. Book banning has become a modern-day plague, and it’s, unfortunately, spreading rapidly. Taking books away from children who are in the process of being molded into the adults that they’re meant to become is horrendous. Why are these select few adults allowed to decide what others’ children should be reading?
“If you don’t know what to major in when you start college, don’t select an “undecided” or “exploratory” major. Do this instead.” via Paul Cottle of Bridge to Tomorrow — Sometime in the next month, the members of the high school graduating class of 2022 who have chosen to attend four-year colleges will select their colleges. A student considering a variety of majors that are quite different might be tempted to choose “undeclared” or “exploratory.” The first point I’d like you to remember from this blog post is this: Never EVER choose “undeclared” or “exploratory” under any circumstances! There is a hierarchy of majors, and that hierarchy tells you which major to start with if you are facing a choice like that. Instead, the student should choose the most vertical major they are considering.
— ALOE —
“St. Lucie Lock reopens; boaters, manatees can cross Florida via Lake Okeechobee again” via Ed Killer of Treasure Coast Newspapers — The St. Lucie Locks will reopen to boat traffic March 29 after the completion of maintenance work that closed the throughway for the first time in 26 years. It is welcome news to boaters whose cross-state float plans have been affected since Jan. 4. The news will also be well received by an estimated 30 manatees living in the C-44 Canal on the upstream side of the lock since it was closed. For 84 days, manatees have been unable to freely pass through the locks, which were drained of water as part of the maintenance process.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Happy birthday to Chris Korge and our friend, Louis Betz.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
