Peter Schorsch
Good Monday morning.
Welcome to the world! — The staff of Florida Politics congratulates our Orlando reporter Gabrielle Russon, who gave birth to Rosalind Isabelle Baker and Brooklynn Lee Baker on Thursday. Each is under seven pounds and both — according to their mom — are “healthy and snuggly!”
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Speaking of birthdays — Happy birthday to Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis.
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Fresh off a historic mayoral win, The Southern Group is bringing on Stephanie Lewis Cardozo, Mayor-elect Donna Deegan’s top campaign and inaugural fundraiser.
With over a decade of experience in Florida politics, Cardozo brings a wealth of campaign expertise, deep local government connections, and a winning record for clients. She will assist clients in the Northeast Florida region as the new administration prepares to take office.
“Stephanie has been one of the top political operatives in Florida for the past decade,” said Southern Group founder Paul Bradshaw. “The same drive and instincts that allowed her to excel in that environment will perfectly translate to help our lobbying clients.”
Deegan added, “Stephanie worked tirelessly to shape strategy and generate the resources we needed to win. Her deep knowledge of Florida’s political landscape, relentless work ethic and boundless energy will serve her well in this new role with The Southern Group.”
Renowned for her passion for local politics and outstanding campaign results, Cardozo has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the state’s foremost political campaign strategists.
In addition to her work on Deegan’s campaign, Cardozo served as Finance Director for Charlie Crist’s gubernatorial and congressional campaigns and in 2018, she served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Chris King’s gubernatorial campaign, where she oversaw strategy development and stakeholder communications. Cardozo later served as a senior adviser to Nikki Fried’s successful 2018 campaign for Agriculture Commissioner.
Cardozo also has extensive experience and deep relationships with elected officials in the Tampa Bay region and will assist clients at the local levels of government in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
“The Southern Group has hired one of the brightest talents in Florida. Stephanie’s relationships, innovative thinking, and passion will serve her clients well. I look forward to working with her in her new role,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@SteveKornacki: New NBC News poll — ’24 GOP WH (Donald) Trump 51% (Gov. Ron) DeSantis 22% (Mike) Pence 7% (Chris) Christie 5% (Nikki) Haley 4% (Vivek) Ramaswamy 3% (Tim) Scott 3% (Asa) Hutchinson 2% General Election Matchups (President Joe) Biden 49% Trump 45% Biden 47% DeSantis 47%
—@Mdixon55: The gap was supposed to close when DeSantis announced. Has gone the other way. It’s not a national race, I get it, but this is not where DeSantis team expected to be a month after their formal campaign launch, which came after a months-long soft launch
—@MarcACaputo: Trump is talking about how his poll # rose after his indictment, a dynamic we wrote about this week After indictment 1, his #s went up Critics called it a “sugar high.” But after the second, the #s basically held So what if the sugar never runs out?
Tweet, tweet:
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/T4FoledqrY
— FloridaCommerce (@FLACommerce) June 25, 2023
Tweet, tweet:
Hard to believe today is the 5th #BourdainDay a holiday @ericripert & I made for our friend Tony’s birthday, who would have been 67 today. Tony was a poet..he understood the moment & transformed the moment into a phrase that we’ll forever remember. I’m blessed to have known him❤️ pic.twitter.com/ztw2JNu08r
— José Andrés 🟧🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) June 25, 2023
— DAYS UNTIL —
Florida Chamber 2023 Florida Learners to Earners Workforce Solution Summit — 1; Jacksonville Mayor-elect Deegan’s inauguration — 4; ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ premieres — 4; Wimbledon begins — 10; 2023 MLB All-Star Game — 18; ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part One’ premieres — 16; Florida Chamber 37th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School — 23; Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ premieres — 25; Lionel Messi to make his Major League Soccer debut with Inter Miami CF — 25; ‘Billions’ final season premieres — 46; Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tour in Tampa — 51; The first GOP Presidential Primary debate — 58; ‘Ahsoka’ premieres on Disney+ — 58; The U.S. Open begins — 63; Florida House Fall 2023 Interim Committee Meetings begin — 84; Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ premieres — 102; 2023 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 119; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 130; Suncoast Tiger Bay Club hosts ‘Evening with the Tigers’ — 134; ’Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 137; Formula 1 will take over the Las Vegas Strip — 143; Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ premieres — 149; Florida’s 2024 Regular Session begins — 197; South Carolina Democratic Primary — 222; New Hampshire and Nevada Democratic Primaries — 225; Georgia Democratic Primary — 232; South Carolina GOP holds first-in-the-South Primary — 243; Michigan Democratic Primary — 246; ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ premieres — 256; 2024 Oscars — 258; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Part 2 premieres — 277; ‘Deadpool 3’ premieres — 312; ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres — 333; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 396; ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ premieres — 396; New ‘Alien’ premieres — 417; Georgia Tech to face Florida State in 2024 opener in Dublin — 425; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 543; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 599; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 676; ‘Moana’ premieres — 732; ‘Avatar 3’ premieres — 907; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 1,040; Untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 1,061; Another untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 1,271; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 1,411; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres — 2,370; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres — 2,733.
— TOP STORY —
“Ron DeSantis is campaigning on his record. Judges keep saying it’s unconstitutional” via Steve Contorno of CNN —DeSantis has toured the country calling Florida the place “where woke goes to die.”
In his early outreach to Republican voters as a presidential candidate, DeSantis has portrayed himself as a fighter and, crucially, a winner in the cultural battles increasingly important to conservatives. If elected to the White House, he’ll take those fights to Washington, he has said.
“I will go on offense,” DeSantis said in Iowa last month. “I will lean into all the issues that matter.”
But back in Florida, the agenda at the centerpiece of his pitch remains unsettled. Still ongoing are more than a dozen legal battles testing the constitutionality of many of the victories DeSantis has touted on the campaign trail. Critics say DeSantis has built his governorship around enacting laws that appeal to his conservative base but that, as a Harvard-trained lawyer, he knows are unconstitutional and not likely to take effect.
In addition to halting parts of the Stop WOKE Act, judges have also intervened to freeze the implementation of other DeSantis-led laws cracking down on protesters and Big Tech. The six-week abortion ban he signed this year — which he has called the “heartbeat bill” — won’t take effect unless the state Supreme Court determines that a privacy clause in Florida’s constitution doesn’t protect access to the procedure. Disney has argued in court that the Governor overstepped his power when he orchestrated a takeover of the entertainment giant’s special taxing district to punish the company for speaking out against his agenda. So did Andrew Warren, the twice-elected Tampa prosecutor whom DeSantis suspended last year in another act of political retaliation.
DeSantis repeatedly predicted he would ultimately prevail in these challenges. Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for his campaign, called the lawsuits “the tactics of activists who seek to impose their will on people by judicial fiat.”
“Gov. DeSantis is a proven fighter who will bring the same temerity to the presidency.”
— THE TRAIL —
“Jeffrey Katzenberg’s very Hollywood advice for Joe Biden” via Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey of The Wall Street Journal — Katzenberg has some Hollywood role models in mind as he urges the nation’s first octogenarian President to embrace his age. The movie mogul has joined with other advisers in counseling Biden to “own” his age and turn it into an asset. If Harrison Ford, 80 years old, can star in a new Indiana Jones movie and the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, who turns 80 next month, can strut around a stadium stage, Katzenberg says, then Biden should lean into his longevity as a sign of wisdom and experience while offering a sense of humor about it.
“2 in 3 concerned about Biden’s mental, physical health” via Lauren Sforza of The Hill — A new poll found that just more than two of three respondents are concerned about Biden’s mental and physical health. The NBC News poll found that 68% are concerned that Biden, 80, does not possess the “necessary” mental and physical health to serve as President, with 55% saying they have “major” concerns. By comparison, 32% said that they have minor or no concerns about Biden’s health. When asked about whether they are concerned about former President Trump’s mental and physical health, 55% said they are concerned, including 44% who have “major concerns.
“DeSantis debuts new attack line defending ‘great conservative Justices’” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — DeSantis debuted a new stump speech line to strike fears in the hearts of those who approve of the Supreme Court the way that it is. Reports that Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas accepted lavish gifts from Republican megadonors represent a leftist-driven effort to delegitimize the court’s conservatives. He also said they are a prelude to packing the court with those who share their ideology, DeSantis told a group of evangelicals at the Faith & Freedom Conference this weekend. “As President, I will nominate and appoint Justices to the Supreme Court in the mold of Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito,” he told the group, drawing some of the most enthusiastic cheers of his speech.
“Pro-DeSantis PAC hits Donald Trump over commuting Detroit Mayor’s prison sentence” via Julia Manchester of The Hill — Never Back Down rolled out a new video hitting Trump over his commutation of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ahead of Trump’s campaign stop in the Michigan city’s suburbs on Sunday. The spot, titled “Welcome to Detroit,” details Kilpatrick’s sentence to 28 years in prison on corruption and fraud charges in 2013 and how Trump commuted his sentence on his last day as President in 2021. The video alludes to how millionaire businessman Peter Karmanos relayed the clemency request to Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser Jared Kushner before Trump commuted his sentence. “For the elites in the swamp, that’s just business as usual,” the video says. “It’s up to the rest of us to elect a President who will put an end to it.”
“DeSantis plans to roll out his border security plan during campaign event in Texas” via Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald — DeSantis will unveil a new proposed policy to manage the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday, debuting what is sure to be a closely scrutinized position of high importance to Republican voters. The border proposal is expected to be the first of a series of policy announcements from the DeSantis campaign in the coming weeks, as the Governor begins to pivot from speeches focused on his record in Florida to his broader vision for the presidency. But few of his proposals will attract as much attention as his plan to manage the country’s border with Mexico, which has seen an influx of migrants since the end of the coronavirus pandemic and start of Biden’s time in office. Republicans rank the issue as one of the most pressing challenges facing the country.
“DeSantis talks about being Catholic as he courts evangelical voters” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel — Lately, DeSantis has begun to drop details about his Roman Catholic faith along the campaign trail, especially in his one-on-one interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network with its worldwide audience of 350 million. “Our household is a Christ-centered household,” DeSantis told CBN political analyst David Brody, while confirming he is Catholic. His favorite Bible verse is John 14:6 where Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” he said. That’s the cornerstone of his faith, DeSantis said, and what his relationship with God centers around. “God has a plan for you, I still believe that,” DeSantis said.
“New national poll shows DeSantis’ 2024 momentum stalled” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — An NBC News poll released Sunday shows DeSantis has in fact lost ground over the last two months against Trump compared to the April survey taken before he got in the race. In fact, Trump has nearly doubled his lead over the Florida Governor. The June poll shows a 51% to 22% advantage for Trump in a crowded field, with former Vice President Pence at 7% in third place. That 29-point lead compares to a much slimmer 46% to 31% lead for Trump back in April. The Governor has lost 9 points overall while Trump has gained five, in the latest indication that Republicans are rallying to the former President and undeterred by his legal imbroglios.
“DeSantis tanks in the polls as voters get to know him” via Laura Bassett of Jezebel — In an ideal scenario, more national exposure would be a good thing for a presidential hopeful. But in DeSantis’ case, the more voters learn about him, the less they can stomach the idea of him running the country. In a new NBC News poll out Sunday, DeSantis dropped a devastating nine points from April to just 22% support in the Republican Primary. DeSantis had once seemed to be Republicans’ best shot at nominating anyone other than Trump. But as campaign season marches on, he has proven to have the worst possible combination of qualities: zero charisma and too-extreme politics.
“DeSantis voters: Angry at Fauci, anxious about ‘Cinderfella,’ tiring of Trump” via Hannah Knowles, Colby Itkowitz and Dylan Wells of The Washington Post — DeSantis has yet to bounce back from a double-digit drop in the polls this Spring, and Trump has averaged more than 50% support in national polls of Republican voters since mid-May. The former President’s pull is clear even at DeSantis campaign stops, where some Republicans intrigued by the Governor were blunt about why they still find Trump more appealing, posing a stark challenge for DeSantis. DeSantis voters say they are impressed by battles DeSantis has waged and the enemies he’s made — including the media, liberal Governors and Disney.
“Trump’s GOP lead grows after latest indictment, poll finds” via Mark Murray of NBC News — Trump has expanded his lead over DeSantis and the rest of the Republican presidential field since Trump’s latest indictment on federal criminal charges. Still, the survey finds half of the Republican Primary voters say they would consider another leader besides Trump, which suggests a potential opening for a rival to capture the GOP nomination, even as 6 out of 10 Republicans believe the indictments and investigations Trump faces are politically motivated. “For the first time in history, a former President has been indicted, and we can’t find a marker in this survey that it’s had an impact with his standing,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.
“Why the 2024 GOP Primary isn’t like 2016” via Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report — Things are very different from the 2016 cycle. First, Trump is a lot more popular among Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters than he was in 2015-2016. Former New Jersey Governor and 2016 GOP candidate Chris Christie argues that the only way to beat Trump is to go directly at him. “If you want to be the nominee, you got to go through Donald Trump. I don’t think there’s any other way to do it.” Republican voters’ attachment to Trump is not unbreakable. But, breaking it will require someone who offers a compelling and authentic alternative to the current front-runner.
— MORE 2024 —
“Mike Pence: Calls for Trump pardon are ‘terribly premature’” via Alec Dent of The Messenger — Pence called the idea of pardoning Trump “terribly premature” during an interview on Fox News Sunday. “I would take the pardon authority very seriously,” Pence said. “There’s a very careful process for evaluating that and I would apply that to every single case.” “The charges in the indictment are serious and I can’t defend what is alleged, but the President is entitled to his day in court.”
“Trump says U.S. government has ‘vital role’ opposing abortion, won’t say if he backs national ban” via The Associated Press — Trump said the federal government should play a “vital role” opposing abortion but again failed to provide specifics on what national restrictions he would support if elected to the White House again. Trump’s remarks to a group of influential evangelicals Saturday on the anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning the national right to an abortion stood in contrast to that of his former Vice President and 2024 rival Pence. Pence, speaking at the same conference a day earlier, challenged every GOP presidential candidate to support the passage of a national ban on abortions at least as early as 15 weeks of pregnancy. Trump, the GOP front-runner, has been reluctant to endorse a national ban.
“Trump says he’s ‘being indicted for you’” via Maura Zurick of Newsweek — Trump referred to the state and federal criminal charges against him as a “badge of courage” during a speech at a conservative Christian event. Trump addressed the crowd at roughly 8 p.m. local time on Saturday and was one of several high-profile Republicans to speak at the Faith and Freedom Coalition: Road to Majority Conference in Washington D.C. The former President headlined the “pro-faith” and “pro-family” conference’s Saturday festivities where he touted the two indictments he has received in two separate criminal investigations.
“Why the right is so terrified of “woke”: There are truths it just can’t face” via Kirk Swearingen of Salon — The fight against “woke” (a term with a longer history than most of us may realize) is strikingly similar to the fight the right previously waged against “political correctness”: It’s an existential battle against allowing people to be awakened — by reading novels and history, by attending plays, by watching and listening to actual news — through open discussion of privilege or systemic racism or, to use a different but related term, the underlying and nearly invisible structures of caste in America. As with the freakout over the very suggestion that the category known as “white” comes with unacknowledged privilege, the cultural battle against “woke” strikes many combatants as an existential struggle.
“Florida Democrats want to stage a comeback. They think DeSantis might be able to help” via Max Greenwood of the Miami Herald — Florida Democrats are leaning on their biggest adversary as they look to revamp their party ahead of 2024: DeSantis. After two tough election cycles in a row, the state party has begun an aggressive counteroffensive against DeSantis to claw its way back from the brink of political irrelevance, seeing the top-tier Republican presidential hopeful as the perfect foil to fuel their political resurgence. DeSantis’ nascent bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has elevated Florida Democrats’ platform and allowed them to appeal to national Democrats — including donors — in a way that’s been lacking in recent years.
“Red and blue state divide grows even wider in 2023’s top voting and election laws” via Zachary Roth of Florida Phoenix — Next year’s elections are still 16 months away. But for voters, perhaps the most important developments took place during the first half of this year when states drafted and passed the legislation that will shape how those contests are run. With all but a few state Legislatures now having wrapped up their Sessions, it’s clear that for voters in some states, it will be easier to cast a ballot, while in others, it will be harder. 21 bills that restrict voting or interfere with election administration were either signed into law or await the Governor’s signature, as of May 29.
— DESANTISY LAND —
“Five-million-dollar DeSantis veto triggers cancellation of $346 million in federal funding” via Brian Burgess of The Capitolist — Tongues are wagging among Tallahassee policy wonks and political operatives following DeSantis’ June 15 line-item veto of a pair of relatively small federal block grants, totaling a mere $29 million. That’s because the seemingly innocuous vetoes set into motion the state’s withdrawal from a program that would have delivered two follow-on federal grants scheduled to return an additional $346 million directly into the pockets of Florida citizens through a rebate program. Politically, the move sets DeSantis up to declare that he’s refusing to accept any more federal money from the Biden administration.
“Here’s how DeSantis saved New College of Florida from mediocrity” via Robert Allen Jr of the Tampa Bay Times — Critics of change at Sarasota’s New College of Florida have read too much into statements by DeSantis’ chief of staff and others that they would like to see New College become more like Hillsdale College. Hillsdale is a private Christian college in Michigan, which, unlike virtually every other college or university in America, accepts no government funding. Suggesting that the Governor wants to turn New College into Hillsdale is misinformed. As a unit of the state of Florida, it is constitutionally prohibited from advancing Christianity or any other religion. DeSantis, the trustees, interim President Richard Corcoran and their teams of course understand that completely.
— STATEWIDE —
“Abortion-rights supporters intensify Florida efforts on anniversary of Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade” via Anthony Man of the Orlando Sentinel — A year after the momentous ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and wiping away the constitutional framework that guaranteed access to abortion for five decades, the repercussions are continuing and in many ways intensifying. Abortions are harder to get. Abortions are down nationally. More restrictions are on the way. In Florida, it takes longer to get an abortion than it used to. And strict new limits, enacted this year by DeSantis and most Republicans in the Florida Legislature, haven’t yet gone into effect.
“‘Our children need to know the full history, the honest history’” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — The Pasco County school district has found itself in a conundrum. Not long ago, officials decided to pursue exemplary status from the Florida Department of Education for the teaching of African American history. They convened a task force of respected educators to craft a path toward that goal, which is established in state law. They did so well before lawmakers unanimously adopted legislation mandating that districts certify they are teaching the topic, which DeSantis and others have made a point of noting is required, not banned.
— SKED —
Happening today — The Florida Public Employees Relations Commission meets: 9 a.m., 4708 Capital Circle N.W., Suite 300, Tallahassee.
Happening today — Reps. Anna Eskamani, LaVon Bracy Davis, Johanna Lopez and Rita Harris, all Orange County Democrats, are hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the 2023 Legislative Session: 6 p.m.; information at www.mobilize.us.
— D. C. MATTERS —
“Stymied by Congress, Biden seeks to rally voters on abortion” via Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs of The New York Times — Minutes after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade last Summer, a group of West Wing aides raced to the Oval Office to brief Biden on the decision. As they drafted a speech, Biden was the first person in the room to say what has been his administration’s rallying cry ever since. Passing federal legislation, he told the group, was “the only thing that will actually restore the rights that were just taken away,” recalled Jen Klein, the director of the White House Gender Policy Council.
“Senate Democrats offer resolution to let staff organize” via Justin Papp and Jim Saska of Roll Call — Sen. Sherrod Brown and 19 of his Senate colleagues introduced a resolution that would extend legal protections to staffers who unionize. The group of pro-labor Democrats, plus Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, comes a year after the House adopted a resolution allowing its employees to organize. Staff in Sen. Edward J. Markey’s office in March became the first in the Senate to unionize, with voluntary recognition from the progressive, pro-labor Massachusetts Democrat. The Senate, however, is exempt from federal labor laws that would normally protect workers from retaliation against their organizing efforts. Brown’s resolution would change that, providing greater cover for unionizing staff in offices of Senators less amenable to collective bargaining.
“Supreme Court set for furious round of decisions in final days of June” via Zach Schonfeld of The Hill — The Supreme Court is set to hand down key decisions this week on student debt relief, affirmative action and federal election laws as it enters the last week of its Summer session with 10 cases pending. The court has given no indication it will break its norm of finishing decisions by the end of June, and the next batch is slated to be released Tuesday morning. Beyond the decisions, the court is also forming its docket for the next term. The justices on Monday could announce whether they will take up several high-profile cases, including on guns, racial discrimination and qualified immunity.
“Marco Rubio, Brian Mast want to stop taxpayer funds from backing ‘radical social initiatives’” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — Rubio, and U.S. Rep. Mast teamed up on two bills “to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars meant to advance U.S. national security interests do not support radical social initiatives.” Rubio and Mast introduced the “Prohibition Against U.S. Contributions to International Organizations that Advocate for Sexual Activity Among Minors Act.” The two Florida Republicans also paired up on the “Stop Wasteful, Odious, and Kooky Exercises (WOKE) at State Act” which “would eliminate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) requirements during the foreign service tenure and promotion process
— LOCAL: S. FL —
“Two years after Surfside condo collapse: ‘We haven’t recovered. Don’t forget about us’” via Tribune News Service — In the two years since his family’s condominium was destroyed in the collapse of Champlain Towers South, Gabe Nir has moved 10 times. He has been unable to find a new home, and, worse, he cannot find peace. Nir was one of only four people living in the Surfside condo who escaped before their section of the building fell. Three others were rescued from the rubble. When the 12-story tower came down at 1:22 a.m. on June 24, 2021, likely because of 40-year-old design and construction flaws, 98 people ranging in age from 2 to 92 died. Nir, his mother and his sister ran for their lives that night. The terror revisits each of them at unpredictable moments and most often at night.
“PortMiami reopens 11 hours after boating accident left one dead, disrupted cruise traffic” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — An early-morning boat crash Sunday off Miami resulted in the death of one boater and left another seriously injured. The resulting investigation and recovery of the vessel prompted the Coast Guard to enforce a “safety zone” at PortMiami, with the channel closed and cruise traffic halted. The Coast Guard said Sunday afternoon, some 11 hours after the accident, that the channel was cleared at would be reopened. A port spokesperson said the closure disrupted travel plans for 33,000 passengers scheduled to arrive and depart Sunday on three ships.
“Pan Am once ruled the skies. Will Miami airport save airline’s historic buildings?” via Andres Viglucci of the Miami Herald — Long gone but not quite forgotten, Pan American Airways once dominated international airplane travel, a business the pioneering company created and developed out of a hangar at a little airfield its founder built on a farm field on Miami’s outskirts in 1928. Today the airfield is known as Miami International Airport. And, unbeknown to all but a few insiders, the hangar that gave rise to Miami’s famed airport still survives, having outlived Pan Am by 42 years in fully functional fashion. MIA building 871, originally known as Pan Am Airport’s Hangar 5, now serves a Miami air charter company that has counted the Miami Heat and the U.S. military as frequent flyers. As it nears its centennial, however, the hangar’s days may be numbered. It’s been designated by airport officials for eventual demolition and replacement.
“Can the technology used to film ‘The Mandalorian’ revive Miami’s film industry?” via Amanda Rosa of the Miami Herald — Two South Florida media companies are betting on a massive LED screen wall to help return Miami to its film production glory days, back when Florida was the No. 3 state in the country for film production. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County Commissioners are working on their own incentive program to seduce big-budget filmmakers. Brandstar, a South Florida-based production studio, and Grup Mediapro, a Spanish media conglomerate, unveiled their multimillion-dollar virtual production LED wall during an invite-only launch party Tuesday evening.
— LOCAL: C. FL —
“Florida school district’s cellphone ban will extend to lunch, recess” via Valerie Bowie of Fox 35 — Florida’s schools are cracking down on cellphone usage after a new law was approved. In Orange County, the School Board is taking it a step further. “As long as they can use it during emergencies, I’m fine with all the rest of it not using it, because he’s got in trouble a couple of times for using his phone in school,” said parent Reginald Hadley of his 9-year-old son, Gavin. He said Gavin has a cellphone for emergencies, during school just in case. “Your teacher might let you use it anytime at recess or something.”
“Apopka city attorney who resigned under fire in May stayed on the job” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Apopka City Attorney Michael Rodriguez, who suddenly and publicly resigned under fire nearly two months ago, remained on the job until Thursday, the day after City Council heard he was still on the payroll. Mayor Bryan Nelson revealed Wednesday night at the City Council’s meeting that he had met with Rodriguez for two hours earlier in the day and that the lawyer’s last day would likely be in early July. He is no longer employed by the city as of Thursday, Joe Patton, Apopka’s human resources manager, told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday. The typewritten separation agreement, provided to the newspaper in response to a public records request, shows a scratch-out edit of Rodriguez’ last day with the city from July 7 to June 22.
“Anna Eskamani, Maxwell Frost give call to action on anniversary of Roe v. Wade overturning” via Christopher Cann of the Orlando Sentinel — One year to the day the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, dozens of people rallied and canvassed in Orlando, passing out petitions to get abortion on the 2024 ballot. Organized by Democratic state Rep. Eskamani, speakers included U.S. Rep. Frost, Andrea Montanez, the LGBTQ immigration coordinator for the Hope CommUnity Center and Guerdy Remy, the Board Chair for the Florida Access Network, a nonprofit that assists women seeking abortions in the state by helping them pay for the procedure, lodging, child care and travel. Also in the crowd was former Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is currently running for a state Senate seat.
— LOCAL: TB —
“More tracks on the Tampa City Council campaign cash trail” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — A new round of campaign finance reports shows links between prominent Tampa political donors, including Mayor Jane Castor and a committee that launched a deluge of negative campaign mailers against City Council member Lynn Hurtak during the recent Council campaign. The committee, Comite Politico, run by Fort Lauderdale lawyer and Democratic political financier Jason Blank, sent out around 10 anti-Hurtak mailers while she was facing a challenge from Janet Cruz, the mother of Castor’s domestic partner. The mailers, among other things, called Hurtak a “radical” and “socialist” and accused her of changing a vote after being “paid off.”
“A Pinellas official targeted a library Pride display. Now it’s gone.” via Jack Evans of the Tampa Bay Times — Throughout June, Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala repeatedly trained his ire on a small patch of bright color: a display in the children’s section of the Palm Harbor Library that celebrates Pride month. Now, after weeks of pressure from Latvala and a smattering of complaints outweighed by messages of support, the display has been removed. The display was up Wednesday when a Tampa Bay Times reporter and photographer visited the library. Library director Gene Coppola said then that the complaints had triggered a review by the Palm Harbor Community Services Agency, the public board that oversees the library.
“In the end, it was another peaceful St. Pete Pride” via Sharon Kennedy Wynne of the Tampa Bay Times — The St. Pete Pride Parade returned Saturday to sweltering temperatures and a hot political climate that has made the LGBTQ+ community feel like a target. But it was once again a peaceful day filled with hugs and rainbows. Lots of rainbows. In a year marked by legal challenges, organizers of St. Pete Pride for the first time in its 21-year history fenced off both Vinoy and North Straub parks and had security guards at the entrances scanning for weapons and searching bags. The process meant long lines on Beach Drive stretching more than a block to get into North Straub Park. But Marc Siler, 22, of Sarasota, clocked his wait at only 13 minutes to reach the front of the line.
— LOCAL: N. FL —
“Mayor-elect Donna Deegan says her team will start stadium negotiations by August” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Jaguars President Mark Lamping wrapped up a 10-day blitz of public meetings about renovating the football stadium by saying the team stands ready to negotiate with Mayor-elect Deegan when she wants to kick off those talks. Deegan said she has set her sights on starting those negotiations this Summer, and she plans to have her own round of town halls later this year to get feedback from residents. “It’s important to me that we bring everyone’s voice into this process. To that end, we will hold a series of community town halls to receive public input on the proposed deal before the end of the year,” Deegan said.
“End of an era: Lenny Curry exits stage right” via A.G. Gancarski of Jax Today — Curry’s term ends this week, and First Coast Connect was among his last media interviews, ironically, as founder and longtime host Melissa Ross has moved over to a senior position in the Deegan administration. The worst issue for the Curry administration was the JEA privatization push, which some less euphemistically call the sale attempt. Those in his circle say he is looking at a run for Governor, one that would be tough indeed, given Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez is getting a lot of on-the-job experience filling in for the increasingly absent DeSantis and given that Trump likely would back U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.
“Jacksonville civil rights activist Ben Frazier dies at 72” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Frazier, a Jacksonville civil rights activist who made national headlines after being handcuffed at a Governor’s news conference last year, died after a nine-month battle with cancer Saturday night, eliciting mourning from many quarters Sunday. Frazier, who once addressed the United Nations, was 72. Mayor-elect Deegan said the city won’t be the same without Frazier and called on people to redouble their effort for the causes he worked for “to give a voice to the voiceless.” Florida Democratic Party Chair Fried extolled his contributions to the greater good and highlighted his time as Jacksonville’s first Black news anchor and founder of the city’s Northside Coalition, a social justice organization.
“City Commissioners approve agreement to sell emergency radio system to Alachua County” via Nora O’Neill of The Gainesville Sun — Gainesville City Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve an interlocal agreement with Alachua County, moving another step closer to the sale of Gainesville Regional Utilities’ trunked radio system for $8 million. The Commission previously voted unanimously in March to make the sale to the county, ending a yearslong debate over the management of the communications system used by first responders in emergencies. The meeting was the latest step in approving the agreement, allowing city leaders to look at the final deal put together by GRU and the county. It passed with no discussion from Commissioners, as the agreement closely mirrored the plan shown to them in March.
“Her efforts in Tallahassee led to countless workforce opportunities. Now, Kim Moore is headed west” via TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Workforce development and Moore go hand in hand as she’s spent her career creating opportunities for others. Moore grew up in Greenville, a rural town an hour east of Tallahassee with less than 800 residents. It wasn’t a place synonymous with economic development. At an early age, she wanted more and learned the importance of making connections. As vice president for workforce development at Tallahassee Community College, where Moore launched her personal academic track and was later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame, she has had her fingerprints on lofty and transformative projects: TCC becoming an Amazon Career Choice school and leading and creating the largest second chance workforce program for former inmates in Florida, among others.
“FSU, FAMU improve in performance-based funding metrics, receiving millions in allocations” via Tarah Jean of the Tallahassee Democrat — Florida State and Florida A&M universities both show overall improvements in their performance-based funding metric scores this year as presented during a Board of Governors meeting. But one of the ongoing bumps in the road for FSU and FAMU is the struggle to increase their numbers of low-income student admissions. The expectation for the institutions to be above an access rate of 30%, which represents the percentage of undergraduates with a Pell Grant, is one of the board’s main goals.
— LOCAL: SW. FL —
“Naples City Council shoots down two outdoor dining petitions for different reasons” via Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News — During another marathon meeting, Naples City Council unanimously shot down two petitions for outdoor dining, to the disappointment of the restaurant and property owners. One request is related to a historic building that’s been converted into a restaurant. The other involved a popular eatery hoping to expand. City Council denied both Wednesday, hours apart. The applications aren’t connected in any way, but both sparked concerns about insufficient parking to support the outdoor seating and code compliance. First, Council denied the expansion of outdoor dining at Jimmy P’s Charred restaurant off U.S. 41, in the Moorings Plaza — across the street from the Coastland Center mall. Hours later, it rejected outdoor dining at the historic Olde Naples Building, off Third Street South, downtown.
“Recovery Task Force takes stock of what more is needed after Ian” via Gwendolyn Salata of WGCU — It’s no surprise that issues that were problems in Southwest Florida before Hurricane Ian morphed into much worse problems in the storm’s aftermath. After months of community engagement to delve into those problems, the Lee County Recovery Task Force concluded its first phase of Ian recovery with an estimated $7 billion, and counting, in countywide projects. At a summary task force RTF meeting on Friday, held at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, the task force summarized its findings from phase one to identify the needs of the county post-Ian through community outreach. The municipalities are focused on businesses and the workforce, community resilience, critical infrastructure and attainable and affordable housing.
“Port LaBelle under boil water notice” via Bridgette Seale of ABC 7 — Port LaBelle Utility System has issued a precautionary boil water notice for all residents. Officials say although the water is not contaminated, they recommend all water you plan on consuming for at least one minute. The water notice was caused by a major crack in a water line in the service area. The Port LaBelle Utility System will run tests on local water samples and send out a notice once satisfactory results are received. The expected time of the water notice is about four days.
— TOP OPINION —
“DeSantis likes to say he ‘was given nothing.’ What about that fancy golf simulator?” via the Miami Herald editorial board — It’s just a loan.
That golf simulator that DeSantis has? Not a gift. Just an indefinite loan. And it’s only being “stored” at the Governor’s Mansion. It’s not permanent. It could be whisked back to wealthy donor Morteza Hosseini at any time. Really.
And yeah, the equipment is worth tens of thousands of dollars. But don’t for a minute entertain the idea that this was a lavish present to the Governor. Because that would be illegal, and the Governor would never take a very expensive gift from a powerful donor like Hosseini, a University of Florida trustee, and not report it, as required by law. That’s the laughable story the Governor’s Office is trying to spin after Reuters and then The Washington Post revealed the embarrassing existence of the simulator, which apparently is housed in the “Governor’s Cabana” at the mansion in Tallahassee.
Hosseini, a DeSantis ally who also has repeatedly allowed the Governor to use his private plane, told Reuters that the donation was “entirely permissible under Florida law.”
DeSantis likes to say in stump speeches that he had to work for everything he has: “I was given nothing. I had to earn what I got.”
It’s hard to explain a fancy golf simulator from a donor sitting in your cabana, if that still holds true.
A Governor shouldn’t be trying to get around a law that’s supposed to keep him from being beholden to special interests. He shouldn’t be trying to slip one past us.
And the nation should reject anyone who holds the view that this is acceptable behavior while they run for the highest office in the land.
— OPINIONS —
“It’s not too late for the Republican Party” via J. Michael Luttig of The New York Times — Trump this month became the first former or incumbent American President to be charged with crimes against the nation that he once led and wishes to lead again. He cynically calculated that his indictment would ensure that a riled-up Republican Party base would nominate him as its standard-bearer in 2024, and the last few weeks have proved that his political calculation was probably right. Trump’s behavior may have invited charges, but the Republicans’ spineless support for the past two years convinced Trump of his political immortality, giving him the assurance that he could purloin some of the nation’s most sensitive national security secrets upon leaving the White House.
“The Trump divide that should have Republicans terrified” via Rich Lowry of POLITICO — Republicans view Trump as a victim, the broader electorate a malefactor; GOP voters find him charming and entertaining, other voters needlessly insulting and controversial; for Republicans, he’s a bold truth-teller, for everyone else, he’s not trustworthy. This doesn’t mean that Trump can’t win a General, only that there’s a built-in resistance to his candidacy that will require considerable luck to overcome. It’s a symptom of the divide on Trump that the indictment by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, which was indeed disgracefully weak, boosted Trump up to another level of dominance in the GOP Primary race, while at the same time most voters took the charges seriously.
“Florida’s anti-woke campaign emulates policies of bigoted regimes” via Fred Grimm of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida, as our Governor avows, is where “woke goes to die.” But there’s no need to wait around as DeSantis slowly kills off entrenched liberal contrivances — all that diversity, equality, inclusion stuff. Woke, and any hope of woke, have already been annihilated in plenty of places around the globe. Autocrats have created their own variations of what must seem like utopias to the MAGA mob, regimes awash in guns and bigotry. The MAGA-inclined (or at least the 38% among them with valid passports) can choose from dozens of nations with policies induced by homophobia, xenophobia and inequality.
“It’s not racist to say basketball players are tall” via Dan McLaughlin of National Review — Getting some jobs requires a more elite level of talent than others. For example, it appears that a post as an op-ed contributor to USA Today these days demands a talent for awfulness that would far exceed the grasp of most Americans. Witness left-wing columnist Mike Freeman, whose job description is “Race and Inequality Editor-Sports.” His column entitled “Ron DeSantis pushes racist tropes in latest comments about basketball and baseball players” must be read to be believed. So, what are the comments that Freeman describes as “not a dog whistle actually, a bullhorn … wait, not a bullhorn, stadium speakers?” That’s right: It’s now racist to notice that basketball players are really tall.
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“The Oscars best picture rules are changing. Here’s how it’ll affect contenders and movie theaters” via Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press — The theatrical requirements for movies vying for the Oscars’ top prize are getting a little tougher. Starting with the 97th Academy Awards in 2025, best picture hopefuls will have to spend more time in theaters to qualify for the film industry’s top prize. The changes come after three years of adjusted release standards due to the pandemic. On top of the current one-week “qualifying run” in one of six U.S. cities — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco or Miami — best picture contenders now must also now play for an additional seven days in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets. Additionally, there are several other new rules about when movies must play in theaters.
“CBS News effort shows the growth in solutions journalism to combat bad news fatigue” via David Bauder of The Associated Press — “We want to look past the who, what, where and why to asking ‘how can we help?’” said Wendy McMahon, co-president of CBS News and the CBS Television Stations. “How can we help make our communities better places to live? That’s the aspiration.” CBS has trained news leaders in solutions journalism at the 14 local stations it owns, in big markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and opened an “innovation lab” for them to work together on stories. The network works with the Solutions Journalism Network, an organization formed in 2013 by two former New York Times reporters, David Bornstein and Tina Rosenberg, and entrepreneur Courtney Martin. The Times reporters wrote a column called “Fixes” that was often popular despite dealing with tough, dry subjects like foster care, homelessness or childhood trauma.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Happy birthday to Reps. Mike Beltran, Diane Hart and Lawrence McClure, as well as Lydia Claire Brooks, Eric Carr, Ann Herberger, and our friend Jack Levine of 4Generations Institute.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
