Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
First Lady Jill Biden will return to Florida this weekend, this time with a trip to Broward County as the Biden administration continues its Cancer Moonshot.
Biden will host a cancer event at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center on Saturday, ahead of National Mammography Day next week. The visit also comes during Cancer Awareness Month.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz will join the First Lady. Schultz, who has served South Florida in the House of Representatives since 2005, is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed while serving in Congress.
The event is scheduled to take place at 11:45 a.m.
President Joe Biden last month sought to redouble his Cancer Moonshot, which he began in 2016 after the death of his eldest son, Beau.
Jill Biden traveled with the President to Southwest Florida last week to view the damage from Hurricane Ian, making her upcoming stop her second visit in as many weeks.
Jill Biden also has a busy day planned for Wednesday. She will stop in Tennessee to visit a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site and speak at a Democratic National Committee event. Then she will travel to Wisconsin to address a Milwaukee teachers union.
On Thursday and Friday, she will visit service members and military families at Fort Benning in Georgia. She will fly to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday evening.
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FITCon 2022 is a month away, but attendees who want a discount for their room at Universal’s Aventura Hotel only have a few days left to act.
In an email, Florida Internet & Television says the conference rate of $125 a night, plus taxes, is available through Oct. 17 for FITCon attendees who book online.
The Aventura Hotel is next door to Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal, where FITCon 2022 will be held Nov. 17-18.
FITCon 2022 promises two days packed with panels and policy discussions relevant to the state’s cable and internet services providers as well as the many businesses that rely on the services they provide.
The first day of the event will feature discussions on the American Connectivity Program to boost broadband access, and obstacles facing policymakers and the industry.
The second day will begin with an industry breakfast, featuring remarks from Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch. Later, panels will discuss ways to bridge the digital divide, followed by “content, streaming, and programming for the future.”
More details and registration information are available online.
Evening Reads
—“How Ron DeSantis blew up Black-held congressional districts and may have broken Florida law” via Joshua Kaplan of ProPublica
—“Charlie Crist tries to focus Governor’s race on abortion rights” via John Kennedy of USA Today Network — Florida
—“How a law-and-order Democrat could disrupt Marco Rubio’s glide to re-election” via Lizette Alvarez of The Washington Post
—“Keeping remarks brief, Rick Scott makes Georgia stop for Herschel Walker” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Why Florida Democrats keep losing. The story in one race.” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Joe Biden scrambles to avert cracks in pro-Ukraine coalition” via Yasmeen Abutaleb and John Hudson of The Washington Post
—“Biden’s about to turn 80. Don’t expect a blowout birthday bash.” via Jonathan Lemire of POLITICO
—“The inevitable indictment of Donald Trump” via Franklin Foer of The Atlantic
—“Florida Surgeon General on COVID-19 vaccine: ‘We don’t give people medications that kill them’” via Zac Howard of The Florida Standard
—“Ben Sasse’s troubling selection as UF president is about cronyism, politics” via Irfan Kovankaya for the Orlando Sentinel
—“Former Joel Greenberg associate gets prison time in bribery scheme” via Martin E. Comas of the Orlando Sentinel
—“False reports: South Florida high schools locked down after ‘swatting’ shooter calls as Parkland trial closing arguments begin” via Shira Moolten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—“Political friction erupts as Esteban Bovo’s first budget as Mayor of Hialeah is approved” via Veronica Egui Brito of the Miami Herald
—“Smashing success: NASA asteroid strike results in big nudge” via Marcia Dunn of The Associated Press
Quote of the Day
“There you go guys, right behind us, ahead of schedule.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis opening a temporary fix for the Sanibel Causeway.
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