Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.10.22

Good Monday morning. Here are some items which caught my attention over the weekend.

😬 — With one month to go before Election Day: The battle for the U.S. Senate majority is still looking like a nail-biter. As Steven Shepard of POLITICO writes, polling is trending toward another 50-50 tie — a Democratic majority under the current presidential administration — with the most likely flips being Nevada for the GOP and Pennsylvania for Democrats.

👎 — Why Democrats probably won’t hold the House: FiveThirtyEight’s Deluxe model gives Republicans about a 70% chance of winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives, despite the generic polling average showing Democrats leading. FiveThirtyEight describes the disparity, noting that not a single “tipping-point” district — those most likely to put either party over a majority — leans Democrat. Eleven are toss-ups, eight lean Republican and 1 is likely Republican. Basically, as the explainer highlights, if Democrats lose any of those seats, the chances of a GOP majority increase significantly, but when the model assumes a Republican loss, Democrats’ chances only increase slightly. Learn more here.

🐦 — Twitter isn’t the political echo chamber you think it is: While those of us who contribute to Sunburn and you who read it might spend a not insignificant amount of time chugging through headlines and scouring Twitter, most people don’t. Of the more than 1.4 million Twitter users tracked in a study, only 2.5% followed accounts considered to be run by “political elites.” About 1 in 4 followed at least three. That’s not much. So next time you get wonky in a tweet remember, you may just be preaching to the choir. Read more here.

📖 — Obama’s forgotten manuscript: Long before he became America’s first Black President, Barack Obama laid out an ominous path to rebuilding democracy in a 250-page manuscript written with his friend and former economics professor Robert Fisher entitled “Transformative Politics.” The manuscript, which was never completed or published, was largely critical of the left for “rudderless pragmatism” that, as historian Timothy Shenk describes in a New York Times column, led Democrats to seek victory in the judiciary when they couldn’t win at the polls, a sign that “progressives talked a good game about democracy, but they didn’t really seem to believe in it.” Read more here.

— How Hitler enablers undid democracy in Germany: Germany had its own Big Lie — that it had not been defeated on the battlefield in 1918 and instead that Jews, Marxists, democrats and internationalists had betrayed the country and ushered in an un-German form of democracy. According to an analysis in The Atlantic, Hitler used the conspiracy theory to justify violent action. While former President Donald Trump sues CNN over alleged comparisons to Hitler and Nazi regimes, The Atlantic piece applies an academic case for such comparisons, noting the threat of “legal revolution,” but stopping short of raising fears over a Hitler-like or fascist system of government. Dive into the details here.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@POTUS: We are on track to reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion this year — and that’s on top of a $350 billion deficit reduction last year. Don’t let anyone tell you we can’t afford to invest in America’s families.

Tweet, tweet:

Friday Night Lights in Southwest Florida https://t.co/yPFFOa75hi

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 7, 2022

—@weida_jason: Shoutout to all the @AHCA_FL employees, especially the more than 100 surveyors in the field, working every day to keep hospitals and residential providers open for business in the areas impacted by #HurricaneIan. We all see the fruit of your efforts. Proud to serve with you.

—@SpencerRoachFL: The last two days have been tough. Reality hit as my furniture and personal belongings were tossed to the curb like so much garbage. Starting over is hard.

—@PaulFox13: Overheard chitchat multiple times in JetBlue departure area to #Tampa. “Tampa Bay is protected from storms.” “Indian burial grounds keeps the Bay safe” “Tampa force field was in full effect.” I wish any of that was true. The correct chitchat is. We got lucky. This time.

—@DaveTrotter101: I believe that the @valdemings and @CharlieCrist campaigns of 2022 will go down as the worst-run General Elections campaigns in the history of #flapol. I’m not saying this as hyperbole, but to be factual.

Tweet, tweet:

Thank you @Buccaneers for honoring our hero Deputy Lane today. Your love and support for law enforcement & military is truly wonderful. We appreciate you. ❤️ #9228 #AHeroRememberedNeverDies pic.twitter.com/TYTKLLGi3O

— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) October 9, 2022

Tweet, tweet:

Total we celebrated #ColumbusDay by rededicating our statue of Cristiforo Colombo at @PortEverglades with Eva Alvino, the Deputy Consul General of Italy in Miami, our @KnightsofCol and Italian American Clubs of Broward as we’ve done for the past 11 years. #ItalAmerican culture. pic.twitter.com/VP9P1tMuJq

— Chip LaMarca❗️ (@ChipLaMarca) October 9, 2022

—@24_Rays: A pitching staff that can win a World Series with a lineup that couldn’t beat the Savannah Bananas

— DAYS UNTIL —

Deadline to register for General Election — 1; ‘Before You Vote’ TV debates (Senate) — 8; NBA season tips off — 8; Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ release — 11; Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 14; Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Passenger’ releases — 15; Jon Meacham’s ‘And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle’ releases — 15; City & State Florida Digital Summit — 17; Early voting begins for General Election — 19; 2022 General Election — 29; ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ premieres — 32; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 32; FITCon 2022 begins — 38; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 38; The World Cup kicks off in Qatar — 42; The U.S. World Cup Soccer Team begins play — 45; Florida TaxWatch’s Annual Meeting begins — 54; ‘Willow’ premieres on Disney+ — 54; McCarthy’s ‘Stella Maris’ releases — 57; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 67; final Broadway performance of ‘The Music Man’ with Hugh Jackman — 83; Bruce Springsteen launches his 2023 tour in Tampa — 114; ‘Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 130; final performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway — 131; 2023 Legislative Session convenes — 148; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ premieres — 165; American Association of Political Consultants Pollies ’23 conference begins — 190; 2023 Session Sine Die — 207; ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premieres — 207; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ premieres — 235; Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ premieres — 284; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 389; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 403; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Part 2 premieres — 536; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 655; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 655; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 760; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 938.

— TOP STORY —

“Florida may have violated its own guidelines in flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard” via Mary Ellen Klas and Nicholas Nehamas of the Miami Herald — Obtained through public records requests to FDOT and the Governor’s office, documents show that the discussions about the relocation program began in July with Rebekah Davis, FDOT general counsel, seeking quotes for charter flights.

Vertol CEO James L. Montgomerie provided quotes to transport passengers to Boston and Los Angeles, but his quotes only included up to eight passengers on a King Air 350 Turbo Prop. The Governor’s office had bigger plans, and although Vertol was ultimately chosen to handle the flights, records show that Ohio-based Ultimate JetCharters was subcontracted to handle the transport of the migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard.

The planes stopped for less than 30 minutes in Crestview, Florida, where Vertol has its main flight operations. No passengers left the plane while it was in Crestview and no new passengers boarded.

The documents are likely to raise questions about whether Vertol’s operation was in line with FDOT’s explicit mission, as authorized by state law. A document labeled “FDOT Program Guidelines Relocation Program” states as its first guideline:

“The Department of Transportation (“Department”) manages a program to relocate out of the State of Florida foreign nationals who are not lawfully present in the United States (“Unauthorized Aliens”).”

The guidelines indicate that the state can spend up to $12 million on the program and that the vendor may pay for Spanish-language services, ground transportation, migrant “meals and lodging en route to destination” and must “ensure Unauthorized Alien reaches designated destination within 72 hours of request.”

—“New Florida records raise more questions about Ron DeSantis’ migrant flights” via Lisa Rein of The Washington Post

—”Inside the records, inconsistencies of DeSantis’ Martha’s Vineyard migrant relocation plan” via Douglas Soule of the Tallahassee Democrat

—”DeSantis migrant flights could last until June, records show” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel

—“Documents indicate Florida had plans for other migrant trips” via Mike Damiano and Samantha J. Gross of The Boston Globe

—“Will Venezuelans in Florida turn against DeSantis?” via Gisela Salim-Peyer of The Atlantic

— AFTERMATH —

“Stunning aerial photos show Hurricane Ian’s path along Florida’s west coast” via Michaela Mulligan of the Tampa Bay Times — Robert Young had his arms outside the window of a Cessna that was about 500 feet in the air Tuesday afternoon. He was shooting photos of Hurricane Ian’s wrath along the west coast of Florida. While he was flying along the coast, it became apparent some of the areas worst hit by Hurricane Ian were on Fort Myers Beach. The normally vibrant beach town had entire plots of land where a home or business once was filled only with debris. Windows in condos were blown out along the shore. And in the sand, rushing water left imprints after it flowed back into the Gulf of Mexico.

“How storm surge kills: Hurricane Ian showed Florida why we’re told to leave” via Zachary T. Sampson, Bethany Barnes, Kirby Wilson and Lauren Peace of the Tampa Bay Times — Many Floridians made what felt like a rational decision. They stayed because hotels were expensive, already booked or far away. They stayed because decades of hurricane experience made them sure they could ride out a storm. They stayed because home felt safest. But with every near-miss, someone gets hit. Water, not wind, is the biggest killer in a hurricane, an essential truth that forecasters and emergency managers say Floridians struggle to understand.

“These three factors created a ‘worst-case scenario’ with Hurricane Ian that proved deadly” via Kimberly Miller and Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — Well before Hurricane Ian’s seething torrent of saltwater began killing people in coastal Lee County, a complicated equation developed by the state was already underway. Mostly mathematical, it ticks through evacuation machinations that consider storm-surge height, traffic, whether it’s tourist season, and the timing of damaging winds to create a timeline on how best to get people to safety ahead of a storm. But there’s also human nature and Mother Nature, both unpredictable variables in the calculation.

“Mitch Pacyna lived the Florida dream. Then Hurricane Ian took him.” via Kirby Wilson, Lauren Peace and Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times — Though he’d long ago traded the wrath of Midwest winters for cold beers by the beach, Pacyna never lost his Illinois roots. He met his partner, Mary Wojciechowski, on the day of the Chicago Bulls championship parade in 1992. Together, the couple made their way to their Florida paradise, Fort Myers Beach. They were at home, a short walk from the beach, when Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida. The flood swept them up, killing Mitch. Mary survived and was later amazed to find that Lulu Bell did, too.

“Hurricane Ian took Bonnie Gauthier from her island” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — Gauthier had just the right amount of sass. A restaurant server who loved people, partying and the New England Patriots, she was just two weeks shy of her 60th birthday when Hurricane Ian blew through Fort Myers Beach. Bonnie savored the finer things, seldom leaving home un-bedazzled by jewelry. Once search and rescue crews leave, her family hopes to recover bits of her Swarovski crystal collection from the rubble. It was in some ways fitting that Bonnie spent her final night with three buddies, participating in a timeless Florida ritual: the hurricane party.

“Grandma helps husband escape during Ian. ‘The water’s up to dad’s chin.’” via Janine Zeitlin of the Fort Myers News-Press — After Peggy and Bruce Zachritz, both 66, climbed through the kitchen window with their dog to escape rapidly rising water, they faced a suburban apocalypse. The grandparents of 11 trudged through about 5 feet of white-capping water swelling from the back canal to arrive at their front porch, where they lassoed pool innertubes to a column of their beloved one-story home. Peggy slipped on her flip-flops. They grabbed a tube, draped their dog over a stray boat slogged through the water that had settled in the center of Plumosa Avenue, and faced the winds. Later, Peggy would be amazed how not one thing hit them.

“‘The water came up so fast’: Bonita Springs men heralded as heroes for Hurricane Ian rescues” via Andrea Stetson of the Naples Daily News — They are being called the heroes of Tonya Court and Wisconsin Street. As water rushed down their streets and into homes during Hurricane Ian, three men on paddleboards and a personal watercraft rescued more than a dozen people along with dogs, cats, rabbits, and even a horse. They say they don’t feel like heroes, yet with downed power lines, they took big risks to paddle through the water knocking on doors and windows where they found people standing on countertops and tables to avoid the rapidly rising water. “I felt like it was something I had to do,” Sammy Sosa said. “I could not sit there knowing people could possibly drown.”

“Mobile home community members pulled together to save resident, stay safe from Ian” via Eileen Kelley and Lynn Hatter and WGCU — The tight-knit mobile home community of Sunnyland on San Carlos Island was made even closer now by Hurricane Ian. The 30 or so mobile homes and campers were heavily damaged or destroyed after filling with water. The monstrous storm’s wind also left its mark. One rig, a pull-behind, was seen flying through the air, landing in a tree in the neighboring parking lot of the bar Hurricane Tinas, residents said. The residents here said they felt caught off guard by the storm’s strength and tidal surge, anticipating only an inch or two of water would make its way into their homes, not a complete inundation.

“Babies on board choppers: The behind-the-scenes scramble to take in hospital patients from the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — On Monday, five days after Hurricane Ian hit, critically ill patients on ventilators arrived by helicopter at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. Unlike normal transfers, the handoff from one medical team to another consisted only of a word-of-mouth report on the patient’s medical condition. A lack of power, water and staff had made their relocation from Lee Health hospitals imperative. While Florida hospitals pride themselves on hurricane preparation, most recovery plans did not consider the catastrophic damage from a major storm to the utilities, such as water systems, that support them.

— THE RESPONSE —

“Governor’s wife has high-profile role after hurricane” via Patricia Mazzei of The New York Times — The morning after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida, DeSantis shared the podium at his news briefing with two people: his emergency management director and his wife, Casey, who promoted a state disaster relief fund that was seeking donations for storm victims and recovery efforts. Twelve hours and two more public appearances later, Casey DeSantis announced that the fund had already raised more than $10 million. “We are going to make a big difference to help send resources immediately to those people who need them most,” she said on Sept. 29.

“‘You’ve got to fight on’: DeSantis says years of Hurricane Ian recovery ahead for southwest Florida” via Sheldon Gardner of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Standing on part of Volusia County’s heavily damaged coastline, DeSantis described the long recovery ahead in parts of the state after Hurricane Ian. For southwest Florida, recovery can’t “be measured in days, weeks or even months,” he said. “That’s really something that’s going to take years to be able to get that back where it needs to go,” DeSantis said. “But we did it after Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle, and we’ll do it again after this one.”

“D-SNAP benefits approved for Florida residents affected by Hurricane Ian” via Jacob Langston of Click Orlando — The Department of Children and Families announced that Florida’s application for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) has been approved. D-SNAP will provide food assistance to families and individuals affected by Hurricane Ian who are not already receiving food assistance benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), according to DCF. DCF said the program will be implemented in phases and by each county starting Monday, Oct. 10. Pre-registration is required for all applicants and DCF said it will begin the first phase by offering a phone option.

“Aid workers have helped thousands in Florida hit by Hurricane Ian. The work is far from over” via Kathryn Varn of USA Today Network — To give a sense of the scale: the American Red Cross had received more than 7,000 calls for food, water and shelter in the past three days alone, said Brad Kierserman, the group’s vice president of Disaster Cycles Services. The calls come from an area of about 6 million people, he said, 1 million of whom live below the poverty line. Several organizers emphasized that Hurricane Fiona’s wrath on Puerto Rico has further stretched the resources of aid organizations, leaving them in need of donations and volunteers. Fiona slammed the U.S. territory as a Category 1 storm on Sept. 18.

“FEMA sent disaster relief to Fort Myers’ Black neighborhoods. Where is it?” via Margo Snipe of Capital B — As Joe Biden made a midweek visit to survey the damage by helicopter, some residents of the predominantly Black Dunbar neighborhood were still without power, continuing to tarp their roofs and load their cars with water and hot meals in Florida’s scorching heat. Dunbar residents said they have yet to see the federal disaster relief workers who are supposed to provide the recovery assistance many need to start rebuilding their lives. “We haven’t heard from them yet. We haven’t seen anybody from FEMA,” said Gregory Ford, pastor at First Assembly.

“Collier County opens Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at Veteran’s Community Park” via Mark H. Bickel of the Naples Daily News — Florida Senate President-Designate Kathleen Passidomo and the Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris announced Friday the opening of a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian at the Veteran’s Community Park located at 1895 Veteran’s Community Park, Naples. This DRC location opened to provide services to Hurricane Ian survivors Friday at 1:30 p.m. and will be operational from 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. daily.

“All FPL users have power after Hurricane Ian, but 46K LCEC users still in the dark” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — All Florida Power & Light customers had power restored as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. A report from the Florida Public Service Commission showed full service for Florida’s largest energy provider for the first time since Hurricane Ian made landfall on Sept. 28. But more than 46,000 electric customers are still without power, with the majority on Lee County Electric Cooperative service. Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa, destroying thousands of structures. In Lee County alone, 44,030 still await service, all of them LCEC subscribers.

“Power restoration in SWFL: Thousands in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers remain out” via Mark H. Bickel of the Fort Myers News-Press — Eleven days after Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida, LCEC continues to make progress on restoring power to its customers. Cape Coral (12,900) and North Fort Myers (4,328) have the most customers without power as of Sunday. In a news release Sunday morning LCEC said: “The optimistic estimate was off the mark by a few percentage and the restoration team will continue to work until every home and business that is able to receive power is brought back online.”

“First residents allowed on Fort Myers Beach after Ian. Debris cleanup remains a priority” via Jimena Tavel of the Bradenton Herald — Ten days after Hurricane Ian crashed into Southwest Florida as a dangerous, high-end Category 4 storm on Sept. 28, the first group of residents returned to Fort Myers Beach, one of the areas that suffered the most catastrophic destruction, and new experts will soon arrive to help with debris removal, DeSantis announced on Saturday. “It’s our hope that everybody is able to go back to their property,” said DeSantis, during a briefing from Fort Myers Beach.

“Fort Myers Beach residents return to ravaged island. No power, water, destroyed homes” via Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald — Ten days after Hurricane Ian tore through his small, tight-knit waterfront community of Fort Myers Beach with a storm surge estimated as high as 18 feet, Jerry Altrip boarded a bus and made his way back from the mainland across the causeway that connects to the small barrier island. Since Ian struck on Sept. 28, Altrip had only seen pictures of the devastation from afar, mostly taking in footage of crushed homes, buildings and shredded landscapes through aerial footage gathered by television stations.

“Fort Myers Beach residents line up for miles on Sunday morning as Estero Island reopens” via Mariah Timms of the Fort Myers News-Press — Traffic getting on to Fort Myers Beach Sunday morning was worse than the season, residents said. Residents, property owners, claims adjusters, and “others that need to be on the island” were allowed to enter at staggered openings depending on their addresses. By 10:15 a.m., those in line miles from the Matanzas Bridge on San Carlos Boulevard, the only open entrance to Estero Island, had already been waiting for 45 minutes, hoping to get in among the 10 a.m. wave.

“First ‘Blue Roof’ installed in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Army Corps of Engineers completed its first ‘Blue Roof’ installation in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian. The effort is part of Operation Blue Roof, which allows those with up to half their roof framing damaged by the storm to have roofs covered temporarily with plastic sheeting. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Oct. 3 tasked the Army Corps in Charlotte and Lee counties with providing repairs. The program was later expanded to Collier, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Individuals can sign up until Oct. 21 for the fiberglass-reinforced roofing to be installed for free.

“Return to Sanibel Island after Ian: Smashed homes, slick ooze, and wondering how to rebuild” via Amy Bennett Williams of the Fort Myers News-Press — Boatload by boatload, and the odd helicopter bellyful, people are returning to Sanibel. The city hasn’t officially estimated how many have made it back after the now-unbridged island’s reopening Wednesday. Unofficially, things have been pretty quiet, reports resident Bridgit Stone-Budd, who weathered the storm in her self-described treehouse with her mother, Linda Miller, husband, Dan, and dogs Sophie, Adrian and puppy Goose. Residents and workers arrive booted, backpacked and braced for the worst. The 18-square mile barrier island they stepped back onto is staggeringly different from the one they left before Hurricane Ian upended life on Sept. 28.

“In Hurricane Ian’s wake, insurers and homeowners gear up for coverage fights” via Leslie Scism and Arian Campo-Flores of The Wall Street Journal — Litigation is looming for home insurers in Florida as cash-strapped, underinsured homeowners, paired with an aggressive plaintiffs’ bar, are expected to turn to the court system to try to force payments for flood damage that the carriers say they aren’t legally obligated to cover. Fewer than one-third to just over 40% of the Florida homes in the two coastal counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian are covered by flood policies, although standard homeowners’ policies in the U.S. for decades have excluded flood damage. In some of the inland counties badly flooded, only a few out of every 100 homes have flood insurance.

“Sanibel’s ‘CROW is not going anywhere’ despite Hurricane Ian damage” via Robyn George of the Fort Myers News-Press — When Hurricane Ian was heading toward Southwest Florida, Alison Hussey had a plan. “I grew up in Southwest Florida and I take storms very seriously,” said the executive director of the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel. “We had been watching this one for quite some time. As with any storm that is approaching, we kind of start our preparations.” It soon became clear there was not going to be a quick return to Sanibel. So, the burrowing owls, turtles, gopher tortoises, squirrels, rabbits, opossums, the great horned owl ambassador and many more animals needed places to go.

“Wildlife rescue takes in hundreds of injured, orphaned animals after Hurricane Ian” via Earle Kimel of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — The Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida near Venice has taken in almost 300 wild animals in the first several days after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida. Executive Director Pamela DeFouw expects that number to grow after the storm severely impacted the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island, the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda and Save our Seabirds on Ken Thompson Island in Sarasota. Karen Durette, chair of the board of directors for the Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida, called the impact of Hurricane Ian “the worst crisis that we’ve faced.”

— HURRICANE STORYLINES —

“Shutting an agency managing sprawl might have put more people in Hurricane Ian’s way” via Jenny Staletovich and Nick Underwood of NPR — When Hurricane Ian roared ashore the Southwest Florida coast last week, it hit one of the fastest growing areas in the nation that’s been fueled by sunshine and paved with lax growth management rules. Since 2010, the area’s population has rapidly swelled despite the increasing risk from powerful storms like Ian, which devastated some of those growing communities and narrowly missed others. Climate and planning experts warn that rebuilding along the crowded coast, following a decade of weakened rules governing development, is what helped create the disaster now unfolding.

“As Joe Biden speaks next door, a Fort Myers Beach man wonders what’s next” via Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times — Around the corner from where Biden was about to speak Wednesday afternoon, Louis “Smoky” Casin sat in a lawn chair under the front of a fifth-wheel trailer. He picked at a Styrofoam container of rice and sipped a cold Busch one week after Hurricane Ian, savoring a sliver of shade amid the ruins of the Sunnyland Trailer Court. Casin didn’t see the President, who stared into cameras and promised the people of Southwest Florida the country would stay with them. Silver mud coated Casin’s Crocs, his dark cargo pants, and the interior of his Sprinter trailer next door. The storm surge had stopped 4 inches shy of his roof.

“Voting in SW Florida may be difficult. Election officials look to Panhandle for answers” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Miami Herald — When Hurricane Michael landed in the Florida Panhandle, destroying buildings and displacing residents, it came less than a month before the 2018 general election. Four years later, Southwest Florida faces the same obstacle, holding an election during recovery efforts in a region ravaged by a hurricane. Ian made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28 as a monstrous Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph. More than 100 people are dead from the storm, and more than a thousand have been displaced. Some communities still lack power, roads and bridges remain damaged and questions remain about basic needs like access to food and shelter.

“Hurricane Ian wiped out jobs across Southwest Florida. Here’s what you need to know” via Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News — While it’s too soon to estimate how many jobs have been lost, whether temporarily or permanently, the region’s lifeblood tourism industry took a big hit. Many hotels and resorts remain closed indefinitely, with extensive damage from an unprecedented storm surge, massive flooding and high winds. Some will reopen within a few days, weeks or months. For others, recovery could take far longer, a year or more, leaving their employees scrambling to find other work.

“As Ian-ravaged parts of Florida face long recovery, where will tourists go?” via Anna Jean Kaiser of the Miami Herald — Hurricane Ian temporarily wiped off the map many of Southwest Florida’s main tourist destinations, so travelers planning to visit Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva islands this fall and winter will have to look elsewhere or stay home. VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s publicly funded destination marketing agency, is trying to make sure those seasonal tourists rebook somewhere in Florida. The challenge is to keep the state’s hospitality businesses, Florida’s biggest industry that employs 1.3 million people, from sustaining another devastating blow during the usual busy winter season. To do that, the agency said it already launched a marketing rebound strategy.

“A Hurricane Ian memorial wall in Fort Myers” via Saul Young of Wochit — A memorial wall has started in Fort Myers for those impacted by Hurricane Ian. The memorial wall, filled with flowers, notes and crosses bearing names, is located in Centennial Park. The memorial is built amid the wreckage of lampposts and stone barriers.

“‘We are not forgotten.’ Myakka thankful for outpouring of support after Hurricane Ian” via Jessica De Leon of the Bradenton Herald — The sun was shining over a blue sky as a slight cool breeze blew and Tia Bigi loaded groceries onto the back of a Ford F-150 outside the Myakka Community Center on Friday morning. Like many others there Friday, she wasn’t just picking up donations for herself. “I actually got a few things I needed, and now I am helping whoever else needs it,” Bigi said. The truckload of groceries and other essentials were for her elderly uncle and two other families in need. Raised in the Myakka City area, she and her daughters Bailey and Bristol now live in Arcadia. She considered herself fortunate because her home suffered no damage, just downed trees.

“Lost wedding ring found in brush pile after Hurricane Ian” via The Associated Press — Ashley Garner had given up on ever seeing her wedding ring again. She lost it outside her Fort Myers home just days before Hurricane Ian crashed into the coast of southwest Florida last Wednesday. Despite enlisting her husband and three young children to help search around their yard and garage for two days, there was no sign of the ring. “I just accepted that it was gone,” Garner said. “It was only a thing. It’s replaceable, and I just let it go. We knew the hurricane was coming, so we just kind of said goodbye.” Garner said she couldn’t believe they found the ring.

— 2022 —

“Democrats were already struggling in Florida. Then came Hurricane Ian.” via Steve Contorno of CNN — Crist, whose career as a Republican ended with a hug from a Democratic President, may have seen his political fate sealed by another Democratic President complimenting his Republican rival. That’s the sentiment rolling through Democratic circles in Florida after Biden’s tour of the state’s storm-ravaged Gulf Coast, where he praised DeSantis, Crist’s opponent, for his handling of Hurricane Ian. Biden called DeSantis’ response “pretty remarkable” after a congenial joint event with his sometime nemesis. Hurricane Ian’s arrival a month before the election has pushed politics to the back burner as state and local leaders continue to deal with the fallout of the deadliest storm to hit Florida in generations.

Assignment editors — Crist will take part in the following “Together Florida Tour” events in Southwest Florida: 9:15 a.m., donation drop-off, Port Charlotte; 10:45 a.m., donation drop-off, Harlem Heights; 12:15 p.m., donation drop-off, Fort Myers. Locations upon RSVP at [email protected].

“Will Crist’s empty bus hurt in North Florida?” via A.G. Gancarski of Jacksonville Today — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crist brought his “Together Florida Tour” to Northeast Florida last week. Sort of. The Crist campaign advised reporters the “Crist Campaign’s tour bus (would) make stops in North Florida to collect supplies and basic necessities for Floridians in Southwest Florida who were hit hard by Hurricane Ian.” How did that go? Here’s how it was described by Action News Jax’s Jake Stofan, who showed up to the event (which is more than what the candidate did):  “Crist’s campaign bus made three stops in Northeast Florida Thursday, but one person was notably absent… Crist.”

“Ian destroyed parts of GOP-leaning Lee County. But Republicans are confident ahead of November.” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO — No one understands how hurricanes affect elections more than Florida Republican Matt Caldwell. The former state House member in 2018 was running against Nikki Fried for Florida agriculture commissioner, one of a handful of statewide elected positions, when Hurricane Michael devastated the heavily Republican Florida Panhandle just a month before Election Day. Votes cast in the eight counties most affected by Hurricane Michael dropped by about 50,000, from 203,302 to153,684, according to state election records, and Caldwell lost by just 6,000 votes after a hotly contested recount.

“Florida offers warning for Democrats about Hispanic voters” via Marianna Sotomayor and Silvia Foster-Frau of The Washington Post — The first major indicator that Democrats might be losing their hold on the Hispanic community here came during Sen. Bill Nelson’s 2018 re-election bid. Rick Scott, his Republican challenger, was making inroads with Puerto Rican voters after his engaged response to Hurricane Maria. Hispanic political strategists tried to sound the alarm, warning the Democratic Party committee in Washington that Nelson’s outreach to the Hispanic community was close to nonexistent. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee told them not to worry, according to people who took part in the discussions: The Democrats had Florida locked up.

“Will more women vote in Florida in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade?” via Florida Phoenix — The shocking U.S. Supreme Court written opinion that followed in June spelled the end for federal abortion protections and has led some women to pay more attention to state politics. And with the impending 2022 General Election in Florida, newly energized women voters will have a chance to shape the Legislature that will decide what the law will allow, not to mention who will sit in the Governor’s office. The League of Women Voters of Florida believes that the Dobbs decision and the new political landscape could drive people to the polls. “I think that’s really energizing a lot of young women,” Cecile Scoon, president of the League’s Florida branch, said.

“Val Demings knocks Marco Rubio for missing hurricane relief vote. She opposed some similar bills” via Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald — Demings has repeatedly criticized Sen. Rubio for failing to vote last week on a broad spending bill that would have allocated additional billions of dollars for natural-disaster relief, accusing her foe in this year’s election of letting down Florida residents after Hurricane Ian. But the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee herself hasn’t always backed legislation that includes hurricane relief funds. Demings voted against large legislative packages that would have delivered aid to hurricane-affected areas like Florida and Puerto Rico, arguing the relief efforts either didn’t go far enough or were paired with legislative measures that she opposed.

“Drag queen featured in Rubio campaign ad accuses him of bigotry” via Jo Yurcaba of NBC News — An Arizona drag queen said she has one question for Sen. Rubio after he featured her in a campaign ad: “Why are you so obsessed with me and Drag Story Hour?” Lil Miss Hot Mess, a drag performer who lives in Arizona and performs in Los Angeles, said a friend messaged her on Sept. 28 telling her that they saw her in one of Rubio’s campaign ads while watching the Weather Channel in Florida. “The radical left will destroy children if we don’t stop them,” Rubio says in the ad, which is also on Facebook. “They indoctrinate children, try to turn boys into girls.”

New ad slams Anna Paulina Luna as MAGA extremist — A new ad airing in Florida’s 13th Congressional District is attacking Republican nominee Luna as too conservative for office. “We need a Representative who can deliver for us, but Anna Paulina Luna is a far-right MAGA extremist. Instead of solving problems like health care or jobs, she’s looking backward,” an ad narrator says ahead of footage of Luna claiming Trump won the 2020 election. “Luna calls herself a pro-life extremist vowing to outlaw abortion. With no exceptions.” The ad was paid for by Progress Pinellas PAC, which is supporting Democratic nominee Eric Lynn.

To watch the ad, please click on the image below:

“Former Florida elections chief, now running for Congress, won’t say Biden won” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — Laurel Lee, who as former Secretary of State oversaw Florida’s elections, is continuing to refuse to say whether she believes Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential race. DeSantis appointed Lee Secretary of State in January 2019, and she served until she resigned in May to run for the new District 15 congressional seat in east Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. In televised interviews and responses to inquiries from the Tampa Bay Times, Lee has given similar but not conclusive answers, instead praising the validity of the Florida voting but contending that “In some states, the rules changed in the middle of the game.”

“GOP ‘ghost’ candidates are skipping debates, forums” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — A growing number of Central Florida Republicans this election season are no-shows at debates, forums and editorial board interviews, echoing a statewide trend. “It does seem to be happening more and more that a lot of candidates, and it seems like more Republican candidates, feel that they don’t need to do debates,” said Aubrey Jewett, a professor of Political Science at the University of Central Florida. “They feel that they can get their message out in a more unfiltered and managed fashion [through] media that is already sympathetic and more conservative.”

CEOMC endorses Jay Collins for SD 14 — The Chief Executive Officers of Management Companies (CEOMC) are endorsing Republican Collins in the race for Senate District 14. “I am honored to have earned this endorsement,” said Collins, a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and Purple Heart amputee. “Tampa’s homeowners are being hit every day by rising prices and a quality of life that’s been threatened by the far-left policies championed by my opponent and the Biden administration. I will always work to ensure that Tampa’s homeowners can afford to live their best lives and will fight for all of us up in Tallahassee.” Collins is running for the Tampa-based district held by Democratic Sen. Janet Cruz. It is viewed as one of the most competitive state legislative seats on the ballot in November.

“Janelle Perez sends misleading claim that opponent’s text uses ‘post-cancer’ photo” via Lydia Nusbaum of Florida’s Voice — Perez sent a misleading tweet with a picture of her in a hospital bed claiming her opponent sent a post-cancer picture in a text message with the word “SICK.” Perez faces Republican candidate Alexis Calatayud for state Senate District 38, which includes Miami Beach and parts of North Miami. “If you think it’s disgusting that my Republican opponent is sending around a text message with the word “SICK” and using a photo of me post-cancer, donate to our campaign and help us fight back against these shameful political tactics,” Perez said. Perez then asked people to donate to her campaign.

“Juan Carlos Porras drubs Democratic opponent in post-Primary fundraising rush for HD 119” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Porras and his Democratic opponent in House District 119, Gabriel Gonzalez, have applied very different approaches to fundraising. Judging from his haul in the month since the Primary Election, Porras’ method appears more effective. Between Aug. 23 and Sept. 23, Porras amassed nearly $73,000. All those gains came through his campaign account. An overwhelming portion consisted of corporate contributions and donations from political organizations. He also spent more than $52,000, some of it from his political committee, Conservatives for a Better Miami-Dade. And he enjoyed $23,000 worth of in-kind aid from the Florida GOP.

“Republicans overtake Democrats in voter registration in yet another county” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Every victory counts, and the Republican Party of Florida has another notch on its belt: Hamilton County, population 14,397, has flipped from blue to red. The Hamilton County Supervisor of Elections Office shows the 3,302 Republicans in the county now outnumber Democrats by four people. “Congratulations to the Hamilton County Republican Party for flipping from Democrat to Republican,” said Evan Power, Leon County Republican Party Chair and Florida Republican Chair of Chairs. This is the fifth county and the third North Florida County where his party has been able to gain a numerical advantage, he said.

— STATEWIDE —

“‘Republicans win on pocketbook issues’: DeSantis’ migrant flights aren’t rousing voters nationally” via Lisa Kashinsky of POLITICO — DeSantis and GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant transports have shown little effect on the midterms beyond pumping up the bases for the two Republican governors who are both running for re-election. Immigration isn’t leapfrogging abortion or the economy on lists of voters’ top concerns in national polls and surveys in key battleground states. A recent poll showed 82% of Americans view inflation as “very” or “extremely” important, compared to 72% for crime, 70% for elections and voting, 68% for jobs and unemployment and 67% for immigration.

—“Nantucket on alert for next DeSantis migrant drop-off as documents suggest he planned more flights” via Brian Bushard of Forbes

“DeSantis stays off path of political controversies in hurricane aftermath” via Richard Luscombe of the Guardian — If such a thing can be said following a devastating hurricane that took the lives of more than 100 people, caused tens of billions of dollars in damage, and changed the face of southwest Florida forever, DeSantis has had a good storm. The right-wing Republican Governor has become a near ever-present face on national television during the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, largely steering clear of the political controversies that have plagued him in recent weeks as he sought to bring a calm and reassuring face to a fast-moving tragedy. It was a previously unseen side of a politician better known for his aggressive, culture-war brand of populism that has elevated him as a rival in the Republican Party to Trump.

“DeSantis sinks $250,000 for USS Orleck as he blocks $175 million in local grants” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — A $250,000 state grant for making the USS Orleck a floating museum at a downtown Jacksonville pier has been swamped by a decision by DeSantis to block $175 million in local grants approved last month by state lawmakers. The state grant would have helped close the funding gap for setting up a permanent dock for the USS Orleck. A senior administration official said DeSantis had constitutional concerns that the pot of money for grants, which is part of the 2022-23 budget, was set up in a way that violates the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.

“‘Right past wrongs’: Shevrin Jones calls on DeSantis to pardon marijuana offenders convicted of ‘simple possession’” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Less than a day after Biden announced his administration was pardoning all Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana, Sen. Jones is asking Florida’s chief executive to do the same. On Friday, Jones called on DeSantis to extend “a similar policy” for all Florida citizens with prior convictions of simple possession of marijuana, having a small quantity of the drug for personal consumption. Were DeSantis to take such action, it wouldn’t be the first time he used the influence and power of his office to overturn convictions.

Assignment editors — Fried will hold a news conference on a letter to Gov. DeSantis asking that he place consideration of pardons for those convicted of simple marijuana possession at the state level on the December Florida Clemency Board agenda: 10 a.m., Department of Agriculture, Plaza Level.

“Twitter flags anti-vaccine guidance from Joseph Ladapo as misinformation” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Twitter temporarily took down a post by Ladapo on guidance against COVID-19 vaccines for those under 40. The move comes as medical experts and scientists criticize the Florida Department of Health recommendations for being based on weak data that never saw peer review. Ladapo issued new guidance recommending against mRNA vaccinations for COVID-19. “Studying the safety and efficacy of any medications, including vaccines, is an important component of public health,” Ladapo said. “Far less attention has been paid to safety and the concerns of many individuals have been dismissed — these are important findings that should be communicated to Floridians.”

“Medical boards push new Brazilian butt lift rules, but costs could slow down their approval” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Members of Florida’s medical boards want to change the state’s office surgery regulations to cap at five the number of Brazilian butt lifts (BBL) a physician can perform in their office daily, and also require surgeons to use ultrasound equipment when performing the procedures. Members of the Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine’s Joint Committee on Surgical Care and Quality Assurance agreed that while the proposed changes to the office surgery regulations should increase patient safety, the changes would increase the cost of doing business for Florida surgeons by more than $200,000 in the first year.

“Jimmy Patronis sounds alarms on dangerous mix of electric cars, storm surge” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Chief Financial Officer Patronis is expressing new concern over electric vehicles. He penned a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sounding alarms on the dangerous mix of lithium batteries and storm surge. Patronis, whose duties include state Fire Marshal, said the administration needs to assess fire risks associated with saltwater on electric vehicles. In the meantime, he said fire teams need more support to deal with an “inevitable” increase in fires associated with electric-powered automobiles. He sent a copy of the letter to Rep. Frank Pallone, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

To watch a video of what happens to a hurricane-disabled EV, please click on the image below:

“This week in South Florida: Jason Pizzo” via Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg of Local 10 — When the State of Florida recruited a group of Venezuelans to take a plane flight from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, it may have violated the law that authorized migrant relocations. Public records about the flights were made public this weekend by several news organizations. They appear to indicate that DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation broke the law by flying those Venezuelan migrants from San Antonio to the posh resort island in Massachusetts. State Sen. Pizzo filed a lawsuit as an individual citizen, challenging the legality of what the state did with those Venezuelan migrants.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Marco Rubio’s co-sponsoring legislation to roll back prescription drug price controls” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — In anticipation of Midterm Election results, U.S. Sen. Rubio has filed for a do-over of the legislation widely expected to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs for patients and lower Medicare costs. Rubio has joined with fellow Republican U.S. Sens. James Lankford, Mike Lee and Cynthia Lummis in introducing the Protecting Drug Innovation Act that would roll back the feds’ authority to negotiate, set and control drug prices under Medicare. “Democrats’ price controls will hurt Floridians,” said Rubio’s statement that his office released Friday.

“Rick Scott, Tom Cotton to rally in Georgia for embattled Herschel Walker” via Michael Scherer and Annie Linskey of The Washington Post — National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Scott will travel to Georgia on Tuesday to demonstrate support for Walker, days after news reports in which a former girlfriend accused the Senate candidate of paying for one abortion and urging a second. Sen. Cotton is also making the trip, as the party continues to treat the Georgia contest as a marquee race that could help determine control of the Senate in 2023.

Spotted — Scott at a museum fundraiser in California for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, who posed in front of one of Adolf Hitler’s cars.

“The Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz seems stalled, attorneys say” via Marc Caputo of NBC News — The FBI seized Rep. Gaetz’s cellphone in December 2020, marking the beginning of an investigation into whether the Florida Republican allegedly sex-trafficked a 17-year-old girl. In the time since, his former friend Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty to trafficking the same teen in exchange for helping the Justice Department’s investigation. The sex-trafficking investigation into Gaetz now appears stalled. The attorneys briefed on aspects of the case say federal investigators appear stymied by concerns about the credibility of two key witnesses or a lack of direct evidence implicating Gaetz, who has denied all wrongdoing.

“An American in Ukraine finds the war he’s been searching for” via Jeffrey Gettleman of The New York Times — Andrew Milburn, a retired Marine colonel, could have been hanging out at home, 6,000 miles away in the Florida suburbs, enjoying retirement. Instead, he was standing in Soledar, a town under fierce assault, black smoke filling his nostrils, staring at a Ukrainian woman he had never met, pleading with her to evacuate. “Please,” he tried again. “You will die here.” The woman had long gray braids and a face etched by countless sorrows. When she refused to leave, Milburn nearly exploded with frustration.

— EPILOGUE TRUMP —

“How Donald Trump deflected demands for documents, enmeshing aides” via Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times — Late last year, as the National Archives ratcheted up the pressure on Trump to return boxes of records he had taken from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump, still determined to show he had been wronged by the FBI investigation into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia, was angry with the National Archives for its unwillingness to hand over a batch of sensitive documents that he thought proved his claims. In exchange for those documents, Trump told advisers, he would return the boxes of material he had taken. Trump’s aides never pursued the idea.

“Trump decries Nevada gas prices, boosts Adam Laxalt, Joe Lombardo and GOP ticket” via Sean Golonka and Carly Sauvageau of The Nevada Independent — Trump attacked Nevada’s top Democrats as weak on crime and damaging to the economy during a Saturday campaign rally in Minden, Nevada for the state’s top Republican candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate Laxalt and gubernatorial candidate Lombardo. During a nearly 90-minute speech delivered in front of thousands of cheering supporters at the Minden-Tahoe Airport, roughly 12 miles south of the State Capitol, Trump blamed Democrats for high inflation and what he described as an “invasion” at the southern border, while also boosting down-ticket Republicans, including secretary of state candidate Jim Marchant and attorney general candidate Sigal Chattah.

— LOCAL: S. FL —

“After the storm: How Hurricane Ian has only begun to change South Florida” via Alex Harris, Michelle Marchante, Howard Cohen and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — For Floridians affected by Hurricane Ian, the immediate worries may be finding an air-conditioned place to sleep, getting warm meals and cold water, or starting the tedious task of filing insurance claims. But if the aftermath of past hurricanes is any indicator, residents, businesses and governments across Florida, particularly in the Southwest, will have to grapple with a state reshaped in ways big and small. For Florida residents already stung by the high cost of homeowners insurance, rates may skyrocket. Getting financing to build and rebuild in regions prone to winds and floods will likely be more difficult.

“South Florida’s home rental market to get pricier after Hurricane Ian. Here’s why” via Rebecca San Juan of the Miami Herald — More snowbirds are expected to flock to South Florida in the coming winter season because of Hurricane Ian’s devastation across Southwest Florida. These seasonal residents should expect to pay higher rents here in Miami-Dade and Broward counties due to stronger demand for a tight supply of homes, experts say. Pricing pressure on rental homes is a prime example of the anticipated ripple effects from Ian’s property destruction on the Gulf Coast on the already largely unaffordable housing market in Southeast Florida.

“How Broward schools’ search for a leader to fix decaying schools went awry” via Scott Travis of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — As Broward school buildings continue to deteriorate, district administrators have bungled attempts to provide leadership for a troubled school-renovation program. Superintendent Vickie Cartwright has said it’s a top priority to fill the long-vacant position of chief facilities officer. The search could end Tuesday as Cartwright is asking the School Board to hire a candidate she had previously recommended.

“Parkland shooter drew swastikas and used racial slurs. This has become all too common” via the Miami Herald editorial board — What makes troubled and deeply disturbed teenage boys like Nikolas Cruz so enamored by Nazi symbols and prone to racial and gender hate? As the Parkland shooter’s sentencing trial uncovers chilling details about his life, including a history of skinning lizards alive as a child, jurors recently got a further look at his troubled mind. Cruz drew swastikas on the magazines found in the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle he used in the massacre and on one of his boots, Broward County Sheriff’s Office investigators testified. He made online searches on how to buy Nazi flags and about Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

— LOCAL: C. FL —

“Flooding, power outages plague Central Florida senior facilities after Hurricane Ian” via Caroline Catherman of the Orlando Sentinel — When family members went to check on their loved ones at an assisted living facility called Grand Villa of Altamonte Springs last weekend, they were shocked to find their relatives’ rooms lacked power and air conditioning. Under a 2018 Florida law, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are required to have an emergency plan and a backup power source to keep temperatures at or below 81 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 96 hours in the event of a power outage. The law was made after around 12 nursing home residents died of heat-related illnesses during a power outage caused by Hurricane Irma in a facility that lacked a generator.

“Hurricane Ian linked to 2 Hillsborough deaths” via Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times — In Plant City, a combination of pitch-dark country roads and a fallen tree proved fatal for Nathan Vega, who was just 29. About 10 miles south, in her Durant home, Nancy O’Connor fell in the dark of a power cut, the start of a medical crisis that ended with the 85-year-old dying at Tampa General Hospital days later. Hillsborough County escaped the worst after Hurricane Ian passed Tampa Bay, its outer winds toppling trees and knocking out power but leaving shorelines intact. Still, the perilous conditions the storm left behind claimed the lives of two residents.

“Political parties increasingly active in Tampa Bay judicial races” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — In an example of a trend some political insiders consider worrying and others beneficial, both local Hillsborough County political parties are backing slates of candidates in this year’s judicial elections. In Pinellas, the Republican Party, but not the Democrats, are also backing a judicial slate. It was once illegal for parties to back judicial candidates in Florida, but court decisions have legalized it in much of the state, according to elections law expert Mark Herron. Judicial candidates are supposed to remain strictly nonpartisan. Regulations prohibit them from accepting campaign contributions or seeking endorsements from a party or even saying publicly what party they belong to.

“All for Transportation shifts into gear with first TV ads” via Florida Politics — The All for Transportation campaign is out with its first video advertisement this cycle, just less than a month before Election Day. The ad began running on cable and broadcast channels Friday. It packs several messages into just 30 seconds, targeting voters sick of traffic, those worried about safety and anyone who might have lingering fears over new spending. “Waiting to solve our traffic and road problems is, well, making us wait,” a narrator begins the ad in a voice-over of footage of a driver stuck in traffic. “We have a plan,” it continues. “The All for Transportation Plan will fund solutions to our county’s greatest needs — less traffic, safer roads and faster commutes.”

To watch the ad, please click on the image below:

“St. Petersburg’s sustainability and resiliency officer resigns for another job” via Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times — Sharon Wright, the city’s sustainability and resiliency officer tasked with helping to prepare it for the effects of climate change, has resigned. Wright submitted her resignation letter to public works administrator Claude Tankersley on Wednesday. Her last day is Oct. 21. She said she had accepted an offer from “another organization” and called it a tough decision.

“USFSP loses $15 million for Flood Hub” via Mark Parker of St. Pete Catalyst — Much was made about the University of South Florida St. Petersburg receiving the largest portion of $175 million in “local support grants” for 238 projects across the state last month. DeSantis vetoed the $75 million earmarked by the legislature for USF to begin constructing a much-anticipated Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences Research Facility (EOS) on the campus in June. As such, university officials saw local legislators securing $15 million to establish the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation in September as a step in the right direction toward building a mecca for marine science at USFSP.

“Police officer fired for his political social media posts sues Kissimmee” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Like many in these political times, Andrew Johnson turned to social media to share his thoughts on everything from the COVID-19 virus origins, affirmative action and memes that mocked the Black Lives Matter movement and supported Trump. Those social media posts, Johnson said, cost him his job. Now, Johnson is suing the city of Kissimmee in U.S. District Court. His lawsuit filed late last month claims Johnson was discriminated against for being a White man and his political views. His posts, he argued, were protected by free speech.

“Orlando Free Fall to be torn down after Tyre Sampson’s death” via Katie Rice of the Orlando Sentinel — The Orlando Free Fall, a drop tower from which 14-year-old tourist Sampson fell to his death in March, will be taken down, the attraction’s operators said Thursday. But exactly when that will happen isn’t clear. The decision is a relief for Tyre’s parents, Yarnell Sampson and Nekia Dodd, who have repeatedly called for the ride to be dismantled. Sampson has said he wants a permanent memorial to his son at the site after a temporary memorial was removed this summer. “The Orlando Free Fall ride never should have been permitted to operate under those faulty conditions,” it continued.

— LOCAL: SW. FL —

“Nowhere to go: After Hurricane Ian, many still need help in Sarasota County” via Derek Gilliam of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — About a dozen elementary school or younger children ran around outside the old Venice High School gymnasium near the football team’s practice field on a recent morning, playing with donated plastic toys while parents, retirees and Red Cross volunteers rested nearby in the shade. Some of the adults worried about the future while others just stared off into space, mentally and physically exhausted after a difficult week. Soon, they knew, they would have to move, as shelter volunteers had already told them they would be moving on Friday morning to the recently closed Venice ShorePoint Hospital.

“Tommy Doyle lays out hopes for Election Day after Hurricane Ian” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Lee County voters just endured a Category 4 hurricane. But that doesn’t make election season any longer. Supervisor of Elections Doyle must still move forward with preparation for the Nov. 8 General Election, even though poll worker training has already been derailed and some polling locations have been reduced to rubble. “It’s going to be difficult,” Doyle said. “But we do have a blueprint for disaster.” Doyle has held conversations with other similarly impacted elections offices in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee and Sarasota counties.

— LOCAL: N. FL —

“Ben Sasse praised as UF president choice, but concern raised about secret process” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel — News that U.S. Sen. Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska, is the sole finalist out of several hundred unidentified candidates to be the University of Florida’s next president generally brought praise Friday from professors and politicians alike. But some critics, including members of the UF faculty and Trump, blasted his choice and the secret way it was handled. “He walks in with instant credibility, given the academic environment we’re in,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes.

Happening today — Sasse will visit the campus. The UF Board of Trustees will formally interview the Nebraska U.S. Senator on Nov. 1.

“Former Jacksonville City Council presidents endorse LeAnna Cumber for Mayor” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Former City Council Presidents William Bishop, Dick Kravitz, Jack Webb and Scott Wilson are backing City Council member Cumber’s bid for Jacksonville Mayor. “I am grateful for the support from these former City Council presidents who understand the type of leadership this city needs to bring our communities together and harness our strengths to diversify our economy, reduce crime, and focus on providing the best education for our children,” Cumber said. Cumber, a Republican in her first term on council, is one of several candidates vying to replace term-limited Mayor Lenny Curry next year. Her GOP competition includes Jax Chamber CEO Daniel Davis and second-term Jacksonville City Council member Al Ferraro.

“Superintendent pushes for voter support of levies” via David Adlerstein of The Apalachicola Times — When it comes to the two taxing measures the Franklin County School District has on the ballot in November, Superintendent Steve Lanier isn’t hugging the shoreline. Rather, Lanier, a retired Navy commander, is taking the fleet deep into uncharted depths as he presses the case to voters as to why they should vote in favor of both of the two similar-sounding ballot measures. Flanked by school board members, and administrators from both the Franklin County School and ABC School, Lanier outlined a wish list of $40 million in capital improvement that could be funded over the next two decades, the length of time for which voters would be enacting the half-cent sales tax.

— TOP OPINION —

“The most toxic politicians are dragging us to hell with emails and texts” via Tim Miller for The New York Times — As the social media outrage fundraising model began to come into form, the political parties began to professionalize their grassroots outreach using email and then text messages.

Gone was the decentralized model Howard Dean had road-tested, whereby supporters organized among themselves, recruiting neighbors and message board friends toward a common cause. By the 2010s, that was displaced by centralized, beta-tested boiler rooms that used powerful digital tools to prey on people’s emotions. The result is very little message variation within the party coalitions.

We’ve seen a few exceptions, most notably Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign. But overall, it’s a race to the bottom to inflame a party’s own voters with the most intensity and frequency.

To get a sense of just how noxious and stupid the material is that reaches America’s inboxes, I like to peruse The Archive of Political Emails’ The Firehose from time to time. You won’t be surprised to find out that The Firehose is largely devoid of that community-minded hopey-changey stuff that we were promised in the aughts. Instead, it’s peppered with conspiracies, fearmongering, hyperbole, flat-out lies, gimmickry, rage fuel and a meme or two that I admit will get me to chuckle from time to time. (We all have our weaknesses.)

Can we ever know the full effect that years of emails, texts, Facebook ads and viral Twitter ads with doom-driven fundraising appeals have had on the average voter’s conception of the country and politics? How those stimuli may have contributed to the radicalization of their recipients, especially those who aren’t in on the joke (a nihilistic campaign politics trope in which the strategists make arguments they know are phony)?

This part is a deep, bipartisan problem.

— OPINIONS —

“In the aftermath of Ian, spare no effort to protect voting rights” via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board — For those caught up in a soggy, sour aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s floodwaters, November’s elections may seem far away and hard to think about. But Florida voters face an important deadline. If they aren’t registered to vote by next Tuesday, Oct. 11, they will lose their right to cast a ballot on Nov. 8. Those weary, storm-shocked individuals should not be forced to sacrifice one of their most treasured rights before they even think about it. Yet they face hurdles such as replacing documents destroyed by the storm or making it back to their home county to cast a ballot if they don’t have a reliable mailing address.

“‘All for one and one for all’ — but only when it’s convenient for DeSantis” via Leonard Pitts Jr. of the Miami Herald — We’re all in this thing together. Or so we like to say. But DeSantis’ hypocrisy just punched a hole through that ideal. In 2013, when Hurricane Sandy devastated New Jersey, the then-Florida Congressman piously declined to support a bill providing $9.7 billion in aid to those who had seen their homes damaged or destroyed. “I sympathize with the victims of Hurricane Sandy,” he declared but added that it would not be “fiscally responsible” to increase the debt without a decrease in spending. Thankfully, the bill passed without his or 67 other House Republicans’ support. Otherwise, all those people wiped out by a freak storm would have had to try paying their bills with DeSantis’ sympathy.

“Sasse is about to be tested. Bigly.” via Charlie Sykes of the Bulwark — The Nebraska Senator is getting the hell out of the squalid GOP caucus (think Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and coming attractions like Walker and Dr. Oz) only to plunge into the snake pit of Florida’s MAGA-infested politics. More to the point: he’s headed to the state’s flagship university, which is, at the moment, ground zero for an epic and protracted fight over academic freedom. So, Sasse faces an immediate test: Will he push back against DeSantis’ attempts to throttle speech on the campus, or will he roll over (again)? Sasse is now being launched directly into the center of the blaze. So, the question now: Will Sasse — who has a mixed record in this sort of thing — show that courage? Is the post-Senate Sasse going to be his own man? Or DeSantis’?

“The plundering of the University of Florida” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — A presidential search committee announced it had selected Sasse, a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska, as the sole finalist to lead the University of Florida. Above all, secrecy was key to Sasse’s elevation. DeSantis signed a law earlier this year making applications for college presidential openings confidential, effectively cloaking the process in secrecy until the very end stages. From the outset, it was clear that the law was intended to give crucial cover as Florida’s benighted college boards considered overtly political candidates for the lucrative, powerful positions heading the state’s universities.

“Donald and Herschel: The unholy alliance” via Maureen Dowd of The New York Times — In Georgia, conservatives are turning a blind eye to sordid stories coming out about Walker, who demonstrates no qualifications for serving in the Senate. His sole credential is that he was once excellent at carrying a football. Story after story has emerged about reprehensible behavior and lies concerning women and children, and about falsifying his personal history. Walker takes after his mentor with his lies, hypocrisy and know-nothingness on issues. Still worse, he’s following his mentor by denying his transgressions as a womanizer, even as he tries to smash women’s rights.

“Campaign sleaze season again: Loranne Ausley target ad attacking Corey Simon out of bounds” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — The Florida State Senate race between Sen. Ausley, and Simon, the former FSU football player and NFL veteran is heating up. The Democratic legislative campaign committee sent out a mail piece that basically says Simon doesn’t want to protect children from school shootings. Worse, it depicts him in a target-like wooden frame, with bullets scattered on the floor and a rifle lying nearby. “Don’t let extremists like Corey Simon turn our schools into shooting ranges,” is the message. The point is to underscore the standard Democrat-Republican divergence on gun control. Ausley generally supports restrictions, Simon adheres to the GOP’s Second Amendment absolutism.

“County Commissioner Stacey Hetherington isn’t the victim in rural lifestyle debate” via Blake Fontenay of Treasure Coast Newspapers — If you’re going to spend any time in the political arena, it helps to have a rich sense of irony. That was my reaction after reading a memo Joe Catrambone, president of the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce, sent to the organization’s members a few days ago, criticizing a column I wrote about the Martin County Commission’s recent vote to approve a new land use known as rural lifestyle. In the column, I took Martin County Commissioner Hetherington to task for giving assurances she was against the proposed change — and then casting the decisive vote for it as soon as she had secured re-election to another term in office.

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

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— ALOE —

“The Walt Disney Co. celebrates 100 years of magic at Disneyland” via Kevin McCall of Collider — As The Walt Disney Co. approaches its 100th anniversary, the classic studio will celebrate the occasion by kick-starting its global campaign, Disney 100 Years of Wonder Celebration, also called Disney100, which will debut brand-new features to Disneyland. Some new upcoming highlights that will be featured in the theme park include Platinum-infused decor throughout the park, such as Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, which guests can see when arriving at the park. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will finally debut early on Jan. 27, 2023, ahead of the official opening of Mickey’s Toontown, which opens in the Spring of next year.

“‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ crew is hunted by new villain in ‘Picard’ trailer” via Aaron Couch of The Hollywood Reporter — The Star Trek universe beamed into New York Comic Con Saturday for fresh looks at some of its upcoming shows. The trailer for Picard‘s third and final season revealed the story will involve the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation being hunted by a mysterious villain, unveiled as Vadic. Tony-winning actor Amanda Plummer, who had a memorable role in Pulp Fiction, is playing the alien, who is the captain of a warship called The Shrike. New additions to the cast unveiled Saturday include Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who will play Ensign Sidney La Forge, the eldest daughter of Geordi La Forge, while Mica Burton will play Alandra La Forge, Geordi’s youngest daughter.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Belated happy birthday wishes to Rep. Ben Diamond, Keyna Cory, Mike Grissom of Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney and Florida Politics’ contributor Mike Wright. Celebrating today are David Mica of the Florida Petroleum Council, Jared Ross, and Barry Rubin.

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