Last Call for 7.5.22 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is recognizing “Military Consumer Month” with the launch of a new resource aimed at protecting service members from scams.

Military Consumer Month is a public awareness campaign spearheaded by the Federal Trade Commission. It traces back to 2013, first as Military Consumer Protection Day, and has since grown to a monthlong education campaign throughout July.

The goal of Military Consumer Month is to prevent current and retired service members from falling victim to scams, such as “get rich quick” schemes and phony job offers targeting veterans.

“Florida is proud to be home to over 69,000 active-duty military personnel, over 205,000 military retirees, and over 1.5 million veterans. Military members and their families endure great hardships to serve and defend our nation. Despite these sacrifices, there are those that would take advantage of these Floridians and their families through scams,” Fried said in a news release. 

“My department has fought against these scammers by enhancing the capabilities of our Consumer Services Division and actively investigating bad actors that use illegal and deceptive methods toward Florida’s military communities. While we have made great progress in protecting service members and their families from scams, we know there is still more work to be done.”

Fried announced that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which she oversees, has launched a webpage with information on some common shakedowns used on members of the military and their families.

The page lists the warning signs for rental property scams, predatory loans, high-pressure sales tactics for insurance policies, and “no credit check” or “instant approval” auto loans that are laden with fees and hidden charges. Dating websites are also fertile ground for fraudsters, who target service members by catfishing them and then asking for money so they can come visit or pay for a medical emergency.

Fried, who is running for Governor, closed with a message to scammers who target service members: “We will not allow for it, and you will not get away with it. We will find out and find you, shut you down, and hold you accountable.” 

Evening Reads

—“Harvard poll: Ron DeSantis among the most favorable politicians in America” via Caden DeLisa of The Capitolist

—“DeSantis tops Donald Trump, Joe Biden in 2024 odds market” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics

—“Gavin Newsom’s attack ad on DeSantis could be 2024 presidential preview” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel

—“What do older progressive voters want?” via Alex Samuels of FiveThirtyEight

—“Matt Gaetz challenger drops out of race, leaves one-on-one GOP Primary” via Aimee Sachs of Florida Politics

—“Amid dueling abortion court rulings, Florida Democratic Governor rivals draw battle lines” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat

—“State changing abortion reporting rules to reflect 15-week ban” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics

—“Florida’s COVID-19 vaccination count jumps 263,000 in two weeks. Gov. DeSantis officials won’t say why” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post

—“Florida brings in $741M more than forecast in May” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida

—“Naples’ Kathleen Passidomo, unopposed, has big plans as Florida Senate President” via Charles Runnells of the Fort Myers News-Press

—“Hotlando: City Beautiful named sweatiest town in America” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics

Quote of the Day

“It’s an acknowledgment from (Gavin) Newsom, and probably a lot of Democrats, that unless the political situation changes, DeSantis may be marching to re-election and then on toward the Republican nomination.”

— UCF political science professor Aubrey Jewett, on an attack ad targeting DeSantis.

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