Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Gov. Ron DeSantis will be the top-billed speaker at The Florida Blueprint next week.
The event will be held in North Venice at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 28. The exact location is available to those who RSVP online, according to an email announcement from the Republican Party of Sarasota County.
DeSantis’ remarks will focus on the so-called “Florida Blueprint,” a term coined in the wake of Florida’s Midterm Elections, when Republicans dominated up and down the ballot — DeSantis cruised with a 19-point as the GOP secured supermajorities in the state House and Senate.
According to event organizers, “DeSantis created a blueprint for freedom in Florida that serves as a model for the rest of the nation. No leader has accomplished more for his state than Gov. DeSantis, and he is now sharing this winning blueprint with the country.”
The event is being put on by a group known as “And To The Republic,” which “promotes common-sense, freedom-oriented, conservative policy successes while examining failures of over-government regulation.”
It cites the lingering effects of COVID shutdowns, “Big Tech censorship” and election integrity as “tremendous challenges” facing state leaders and vows to address those challenges by pushing state-level reforms.
The organization was founded by Tori Sachs, who previously served as executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund and Michigan Rising Action. She has also worked as a campaign manager for two gubernatorial campaigns as well as a U.S. Senate campaign.
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Tallahassee’s lunch-going crowd has a new option, starting today.
Regional chain Chuck’s Fish announced that it is reopening on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for those who are seeking a fresh catch for their midday meal.
The establishment said the seasonal reopening will run through May 5. The restaurant, located at 224 E. College Ave. is also open for dinner service, 5-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The menu includes staples such as Gulf fish, crab cakes, stuffed shrimp, seafood pasta and a long list of sushi rolls. For tagalongs who won’t eat anything without legs, they also offer steaks, burgers and chicken.
The doors are closed on Sunday, but you can take solace in the fact that Chuck is offering happy hour bar and sushi specials on weekdays, from 4-6 p.m.
Evening Reads
—“Ron DeSantis teases timeline of expected presidential run” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“DeSantis visits New York on tour meant to show he is tough on crime” via Emma G. Fitzsimmons of The New York Times
—“DeSantis’s youth is his secret weapon” via Ed Kilgore of Intelligencer
—“Joe Biden went to Kyiv because there’s no going back” via Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic
—“DeSantis downplays Russia threat after Biden visit” via Olivia Olander of POLITICO
—“Donald Trump accuses DeSantis of ‘trying to hide his past’” via AG. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Before recent interest in train safety, Marco Rubio wanted DOT to loosen rail inspection rules” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“Democrats brace as GOP preps to move bills on guns, school vouchers” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics
—“Proposed bill puts employers offering trans coverage on hook for reversal treatment” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics
—”Nursing homes list funding increase, scope of practice expansion on 2023 legislative wish list” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—”Final curtain on Dems’ disastrous Midterms set for Saturday, as party picks new Chair” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics
—”The overlooked, wild story of why Biden fired a major D.C. official last week” via Sherin Ali of Slate
—“What re-watching old shows teaches us about ourselves” via Allie Volpe of Vox
Quote of the Day
“But I can just tell you, if people are not firing at me, then I must not be doing my job. And so I view it really as positive feedback.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on criticism from GOP presidential candidates.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
