Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Secretary of State Laurel Lee on Monday announced that an exhibition featuring the World War II-era art and writings of two Ukrainian women is on display at the Florida Capitol.
The exhibition, titled “Two Regimes,” depicts the life story of a mother and daughter in Mariupol, Ukraine, from 1927 to 1945. The manuscripts of Teodora Verbitskaya are brought to life by the paintings of her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky.
“I am honored to invite the public to this exhibition. ‘Two Regimes’ powerfully reveals a struggle for survival under the reigns of Stalin and Hitler,” Lee said. “In this remarkable visual and written memoir, ‘Two Regimes’ brings Teodora Verbitskaya’s writings and Nadia Werbitzky’s paintings together for future generations. “It offers the opportunity for open discussion on the impacts of oppression, genocide and war on families then and now.”
The exhibition is open to the public on the 22nd Floor Capitol Gallery. It will be on display through July 28, 2022. Lee’s office also said a film is available for Florida educators to use.
The mother and daughter documented and interpreted the lives of Ukrainians, Jews, Greeks, and others who lost their lives during the era. After liberation from a forced labor camp by U.S. soldiers in 1945, Verbitskaya and Werbitzky immigrated to Canada.
Werbitzky later spent several years painting in Florida. The exhibition is a salvaged collection discovered in rural North Florida in 2000.
Evening Reads
“Legislature won’t draft new redistricting map, deferring to Gov. Ron DeSantis” via Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times
“Texas: We’re going to bus undocumented migrants to D.C., Florida: Hold my beer” via Eric Lutz of Vanity Fair
“Gov. DeSantis signs bill aimed at addressing ‘decline of fatherhood’” via Romy Ellenbogen and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times
“Nikki Fried supports housing state of emergency, task force in campaign policy plan” via Bianca Padró Ocasio of the Miami Herald
“Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid” via Jonathan Haidt of The Atlantic
“Gov. DeSantis backs Jeff Brandes’ call for property insurance Special Session” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
“Brandes says he has support for property insurance Special Session poll” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics
“Broward schools may fight back after the state punished mask-mandating districts” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Russia’s oligarchs and their long record of masking fortunes” via Greg Miller and Spencer Woodman of The Washington Post
“Sheena Meade pushing ‘clean slate’ initiative around country” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
“Disney gave Florida GOP $125,000 before pausing contributions over ‘don’t say gay’ law” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel
“Once a retail giant, Kmart nears extinction after closure” via David Porter of The Associated Press
Quote of the Day
“At this time, Legislative reapportionment staff is not drafting or producing a map for introduction during the Special Session. We are awaiting a communication from the Governor’s Office with a map that he will support.”
— Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, deferring to the Governor on congressional redistricting.
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