Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
Ed. Note — Sunburn will be taking tomorrow off, a brief hiatus as Peter celebrates Ella Joyce’s birthday. Don’t worry; the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics will return to inboxes Monday morning. Thank you for your support, and please, stay safe this weekend.
First Shot
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is opening Critical Needs Assistance Centers in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte to help residents sign up for federal and private assistance programs in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
The two centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday this week with application help available in English and Spanish. Among the attending organizations are the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fannie Mae, the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), food groups and religious organizations.
“The destruction is catastrophic,” Rubio said. “Long after the national media moves on, Floridians will continue to recover and rebuild. We’ll be right here with you, and the first step is making sure people and businesses impacted by Hurricane Ian are able to receive the assistance they’re entitled to under the law.”
The Critical Needs Assistance Centers will take place alongside DFS’ Initial Payment Center. Property insurance companies at each location will provide on-site assistance to policyholders to file a claim, ask questions and obtain needed insurance assistance and information.
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No Kid Hungry Florida is also doing its part by distributing emergency funds to Farm Share and the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida.
The resources will allow the groups to allocate food and support to families as they struggle with power outages, floods, structural damage and more. School closures, the lack of school meals and no refrigeration is leaving some kids and families facing hunger.
“When disaster strikes every community is impacted differently. Families are struggling to find everyday resources like food and water, and we are here to support them with emergency relief and recovery in the short and long-term,” said Sky Beard, director of No Kid Hungry Florida. “Our hearts go out to our fellow Floridians devastated by this storm. Providing these emergency funds to Harry Chapin and Farm Share shows our commitment to helping families and communities in Florida recover and rebuild after Hurricane Ian.”
No Kid Hungry has been closely monitoring recovery efforts and working with staff and partners on the ground to provide support and assess the needs of communities.
In the short-term, emergency funding has helped the Harry Chapin Food Bank distribute food and water to families in impacted areas including Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee County.
Evening Reads
—“Hurricane Ian: Joe Biden brings rebuilding help to hurricane-ravaged Southwest Florida” via Phil Fernandez of the Naples Daily News
—“Biden, Ron DeSantis broadcast unity, cooperation during Hurricane Ian recovery” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“‘We appreciate working together.’ DeSantis, Biden tout hurricane response in Fort Myers” via Bianca Padró Ocasio, Alex Roarty and David Goodhue of the Miami Herald
—“How Hurricane Ian could affect DeSantis’ political future” via Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight
—“Lawmakers poised to approve additional $360M in emergency spending for Hurricane Ian” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—“‘It’ll start to kill me.’ Hurricane Ian caused gas and chemical spills, records show” via Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Report: 72 Florida residents, young and old, have died from Hurricane Ian” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—“With damage at Lee election offices and sites, DeSantis evaluates accommodations” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
—“Lone TV debate between DeSantis and Charlie Crist postponed by Hurricane Ian” via John Kennedy of the USA Today Network — Florida
—“Email insights: Democrats dog DeSantis for ‘insurrectionist’ interview” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Philadelphia elected a progressive prosecutor twice. The state government wants to fire him anyway.” via Rachel M. Cohen of Vox
—“Fan who caught Aaron Judge’s 62nd HR offered $2M for ball” via The Associated Press
Quote of the Day
“You can’t go back to what it was before. You got to build back better”
— President Joe Biden on rebuilding Southwest Florida.
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