Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.13.23

Good Friday morning.

Breaking overnight — “U.S. Supreme Court puts temporary stay on Florida sports betting case” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO — The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily put on hold a lower-court ruling that gave a green light to a $2.5 billion gambling deal between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Chief Justice John Roberts, who oversees emergency requests from the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, issued an administrative stay in the case while the full court considers a request for a long-term stay that was made last week by lawyers representing Florida casino operators. The decision doesn’t indicate which way the Supreme Court may ultimately rule, but it likely means that the Tribe will not resume sports betting anytime soon in the nation’s third-most populous state.

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As golfers prepare to tee off Friday for the 27th Annual Phil Galvano Golf Classic, the namesake’s son, former Sen. President Bill Galvano is reflecting on his father’s life and legacy, and his desire to continue honoring that legacy through charity work the late Phil Galvano would love.

Phil Galvano died of cancer in 1996, after spending a lifetime of adversity, triumph, influence and fame.

The 18 holes of golf played in the late Galvano’s name will benefit Manatee County public schools through the Manatee Education Foundation, but it will also recognize the sport that changed a life and influenced a new generation.

“He believed that there was no better way to a quality of life than education,” Bill Galvano said. “He didn’t have the opportunity to have that education.”

And so, the elder Galvano taught — whether it was a lesson on golf swings or life.

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AARP Florida is welcoming Yazmin Alfonso as its new Associate State Director of Outreach.

Alfonso joins AARP from EVHybridNoire, where she served as Director of Programs and worked to advance inclusive and equitable e-mobility solutions across the U.S.

“AARP Florida is excited to welcome Yazmin as a member of our Outreach team. Her extensive background in nonprofit management and community organizing will be an asset for the organization. We are confident she will be a great addition to our staff,” AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said.

AARP Florida Director of Outreach Dionne Polite added, “I am thrilled for Yazmin to join the AARP Florida team. Her experience in advancing the missions of nonprofit organizations will bring the skills to connect AARP with the community in the Central Florida region. Her passion for helping others is evident and I’m excited to work with her in this role.”

Alfonso joins the AARP team with over 10 years of nonprofit experience working within a diverse range of skills, including program and project management, grant management, community engagement and strategic partnerships.

Previously, Alfonso worked as the Director of Programs at the National Hispanic Medical Association, leading a nine-person team to create advocacy awareness campaigns with Hispanic physicians and pharmacists to help eliminate health disparities and improve health literacy for the Hispanic community.

She also worked at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as the Manager of City and Community Initiatives, where she served as the program lead for the Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Program.

Alfonso holds a master’s in communications from Walden University and a bachelor’s in communications and media studies from the University of Cincinnati. She was born and raised in Tampa and lives in Celebration.

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Ashley Chaney has landed on a name for her anticipated downtown Tallahassee bistro concept: Hayward House Bistro.

The bistro will blend culinary expertise with local history, southern hospitality and international inspiration to deliver what Chaney expects to be a staple dining experience with an elevated atmosphere for business professionals and locals.

“Hayward House draws inspiration from the history of this corner at South Adams and West Jefferson Street,” Chaney said. “Once the house of Dr. Thomas Hayward and his family in the 1920s, Hayward House will capture the warmth and inviting nature of home in a chic bistro concept.”

New plans for the space were announced in August. A major remodel is underway to transform the old Andrew’s restaurant into a fresh, modern American bistro.

“Hayward House will serve more than just meals: our guests will have an opportunity to craft their own memories at this historic landmark,” Chaney added. “We are excited to open our doors to locals, visitors and businesses to celebrate life milestones, enjoy a date night or offer professionals a sophisticated environment to host business meals and negotiate agreements.”

The Hayward House menu will be inspired by family recipes and culinary explorations to provide a fresh take on classic bistro fare.

“Guests can expect American classics on the menu with a modern twist,” Chaney described. “Our menu takes a lot of inspiration from my travels abroad and recipes collected from family gatherings. We look forward to welcoming each guest into our home here at Hayward House.”

Chaney also announced a signature cocktail for Hayward House: the Rascal Yard. It’s a mix of tequila and peach purée named after a play about the vacant square where citizens would park their horses and mules that is now home to City Hall.

— DAYS UNTIL —

Republican Party of Sarasota County honors First Lady Casey DeSantis with the 2023 Stateswoman of the Year Award — 6; Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ premieres — 7; 2023 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 10; Britney Spears memoir ‘The Woman in Me’ drops — 11; NBA 2023-24 season tipoff — 11; Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ released — 14; Suncoast Tiger Bay Club hosts ‘Evening with the Tigers’ — 24; ‘The Marvels′ premieres — 26; 2023 Florida Chamber Mental Health Innovation Summit — 27; Formula 1 will take over the Las Vegas Strip — 35; ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ premieres — 41; Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ premieres — 42; Florida TaxWatch’s Annual Meeting begins — 47; 2023 Florida Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 49; 2023 Florida Chamber Annual Insurance Summit — 61; Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ premieres — 70; Matt Dixon’s ‘Swamp Monsters: (Donald) Trump vs. (Ron) DeSantis ― the Greatest Show on Earth (or at Least in Florida)’ released — 88; 2024 Florida Chamber Legislative Fly-In and reception — 88; Florida’s 2024 Regular Session begins — 88; Florida TaxWatch’s State of the Taxpayer Dinner — 93; 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards — 94; South Carolina Democratic Primary — 113; New Hampshire and Nevada Democratic Primaries — 115; South Carolina GOP holds first-in-the-South Primary — 133; Michigan Democratic Primary — 135; Georgia Democratic Primary — 149; Trump’s D.C. trial on charges related to trying to reverse his 2020 Election loss — 143; Super Tuesday — 144; ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ premieres — 148; 2024 Oscars — 150; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 155; ‘Deadpool 3’ premieres — 201; 2024 Leadership Conference on Safety, Health & Sustainability — 210; ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres — 220; Republican National Convention begins — 274; New ‘Alien’ premieres — 278; ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ premieres — 286; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 287; Georgia Tech to face Florida State in 2024 opener in Dublin — 317; Swift’s Eras Tour stops in Miami — 361; 2024 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 373; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 434; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 490; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 569; ‘Moana’ premieres — 626; ‘Avatar 3’ premieres — 800; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 931; Untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 953; Another untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 1,166; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 1,305; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres — 2,261; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres — 2,624.

— TOP STORY —

“Ron DeSantis pledges chartered flights for Floridians stuck in Israel” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis signed an executive order Thursday declaring a state of emergency over the Israel-Hamas war, saying Floridians needed help evacuating from Israel.

The order came days after Hamas attacked the country, sparking a war that has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Israel, at least 1,500 in Gaza and 27 Americans.

“Specifically, this order enables the Florida Division of Emergency Management to bring Floridians home and transport necessary supplies to Israel,” it reads.

Alecia Collins, spokesperson for the Division of Emergency Management, said that the division “is arranging for chartered flights homes for Floridians currently in Israel,” as well as for the transport of “supplies” there.

It is unclear how many Floridians are currently trying to leave Israel. DeSantis’ office stated that “there are more than 20,000 Americans, including Floridians, in Israel who wish to return home but are unable to do so.”

McKinley Lewis, spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, said Scott’s office has been communicating with “dozens of individuals and groups regarding Floridians currently in Israel.”

“DeSantis declares state of emergency in Florida because of Israel-Hamas war” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics — DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in Florida, some 6,500 miles from the Israeli-Hamas war that’s broken out in the Middle East, to cope with any violence that might break out over here. The declaration will mean activation of the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard, the latter of which answers to DeSantis alone. Jeremy Redfern, press secretary to DeSantis, confirmed that the state will send aircraft to Israel to evacuate Americans and deliver supplies. DeSantis’ seven-page emergency order doesn’t say directly what this means for average Floridians, except for plans to boost security around pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including on campuses.

— THE TRAIL —

“DeSantis prepares to pour millions into Iowa ad campaign” via Dasha Burns of NBC News — DeSantis’ campaign is making its first move in the Iowa air wars, with a $2 million ad buy in the state starting in mid-November and running through the night of the Caucuses Jan. 15. The move will make the campaign the first to reserve airtime in Iowa through the Caucuses — and it underlines how important the state is to DeSantis’ presidential hopes. The spending is another sign of how Trump’s rivals are investing in the state in the hopes of denying him the momentum of a first-in-the-nation victory in January. The new ad buy is a sizable portion of the DeSantis campaign’s budget after it entered October with $5 million cash on hand available to spend in the Primary.

“DeSantis in second place in Iowa, 41 points behind Donald Trump” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A new poll presents a good news/bad news scenario for DeSantis. The good news? DeSantis has a firm hold on second place in this survey. His 17%, up 3 points from the last time this poll was in the field, puts him well ahead of former United Nations envoy Nikki Haley, who has 11% support. Other candidates are even further back, including third place Vivek Ramaswamy, who has just 5% support among the 1,016 registered voters polled from Oct. 6-10. The bad news? It’s that Trump only continues to consolidate support, closing in on 3 out of 5 voters preferring yet another Trump nomination.

“DeSantis hits new low in North Carolina polling” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis is struggling in GOP Primary polling in North Carolina, with the latest survey being his worst showing yet. DeSantis has just 12% support in the poll of 600 likely Republican Primary voters, which was conducted on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. That puts him 40 points behind Trump’s 52%, and in a statistical tie with Haley’s 11% given the poll’s margin of error of +/- 3.88 percentage points. An additional 12% of respondents were undecided, with Ramaswamy’s 5% good for fourth place among actual candidates. The pollster calls the results a “runaway” for Trump.

“Nikki Haley and DeSantis duke it out for donors — but it may not matter against Trump” via Matt Dixon and Jonathan Allen of NBC News — As DeSantis and Haley jockey to be the top alternative to Trump in the primaries, their campaigns will court a consortium of megadonors at a closed-door conference Friday in Dallas. The American Opportunity Alliance is meeting as Trump continues to dominate the Republican field in national polling and state-by-state surveys, leaving his adversaries frustrated by the party establishment’s inability to coalesce around a single rival. But neither the slumping DeSantis nor the surging Haley has been able to dispatch the other, and there’s scant evidence to suggest Trump would lose in a head-to-head matchup with either of them.

“Haley attacks Joe Biden, Trump and China in New Hampshire town hall” via James Powel and David Jackson of USA Today — Haley called for new leadership while rebuking Trump and Biden during her town hall. “We all need to acknowledge that it is time for a new generation of leader,” Haley said in response to a question about recent comments made by Trump in reference to Israel. “We have to leave the negativity, the chaos and the baggage of the past.” Haley spoke to voters at a full Exeter Town Hall in which she criticized Biden and questioned his fitness for duty. “We need people who are at the top of their game,” she said.

“DeSantis cites ‘exposure to terrorism’ as presidential advantage over Haley” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis gave a wide-ranging, nearly four-minute answer when asked what makes him a better presidential bet than Haley. In his response, he offered a defense of his record in the U.S. military and Congress, while offering withering criticisms of the United Nations, to which Haley was the American envoy under Trump. “I had an exposure to terrorism that was different from what any of these other folks have had,” DeSantis said, noting that he’s the only candidate in the race “that’s actually worn this country’s uniform” and that he’s “one of the few who had degrees from Yale and Harvard and volunteered to serve in the military during wartime.”

“DeSantis says GOP debates need to be ‘where the action is’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis has participated in two debates so far, with a third scheduled, but he doesn’t think any of these events have been in the right place. “We should be doing these Republican debates in New Hampshire and in Iowa since we’re going to be there anyway,” DeSantis said in Concord, New Hampshire, where he was Thursday to qualify for that state’s Primary ballot. The Governor offered specific criticisms of the debate last month in California. “I mean, I love the Ronald Reagan … Library but to go all the way out there, we were out there for a week, which is fine, you know, we did our thing,” DeSantis said. “But I hope the other debates will be, will be closer to where the action is.”

“DeSantis warns New Hampshire crowd not to let Massachusetts newcomers raise taxes” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Back in the Granite State, DeSantis is warning natives not to let people moving from Massachusetts mess up the state’s taxing structure. Addressing a crowd at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Berlin, the 2024 candidate discussed Florida and New Hampshire’s lack of a state income tax, before suggesting that newcomers to the state could somehow imperil that. “You know, normally when I go north, I end up in less hospitable environments for taxes. But you got this little sea of red in New England, the Live Free or Die state where they don’t tax you to smithereens. So good.”

“DeSantis says campaign in new phase as he files to run in New Hampshire” via Adam Sexton of WMUR — A big crowd turned out Thursday for DeSantis as he signed in for the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire Primary. The Republican presidential candidate said he sees the campaign entering a new phase. “New Hampshire’s the first in the nation. We’re a little over 100 days away,” DeSantis said. “We’re going to be spending an awful lot of time here and, of course, in Iowa over the next 100, 105 days.” DeSantis has been on the receiving end of relentless attacks from the GOP front-runner, Trump, and has seen his poll numbers in New Hampshire sag as he has focused on building out his operation in Iowa.

— MORE 2024 —

“The White House, Liz Cheney, DeSantis and more slam Trump for calling Hezbollah ‘very smart’” via Bess Levin of Vanity Fair — There aren’t a lot of issues that unite the Biden White House, GOP presidential contenders, and allies of Trump. But one thing that has? The ex-President’s decision to praise Hezbollah, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. The militant group congratulated Hamas on its Saturday attack on Israel and is viewed as the biggest threat to the Jewish state. Responding to Trump’s description of Hezbollah as “very smart” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement that the former President’s remarks were “dangerous and unhinged.”

“Trump’s remarks on Hezbollah and Benjamin Netanyahu prompt bipartisan outcry” via Neil Vigdor, Alyce McFadden and Nicholas Nehamas of The New York Times — Trump drew scorn from both sides of the political aisle for remarks that he made one day earlier criticizing Netanyahu of Israel and referring to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, as “very smart.” During a speech to his supporters in West Palm Beach, FL, on Wednesday, he weighed in on the Hamas attacks on Israel, the worst experienced by America’s closest Middle East ally in half a century. Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, has clashed with Israeli forces in the days after Hamas fighters from Gaza attacked border areas in southern Israel, intensifying concerns that the country could be drawn into a conflict on a second front. “You know, Hezbollah is very smart,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re all very smart.”

“DeSantis rips Trump’s Israel comments” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis attacked Trump over recent comments Trump made about Israel’s lack of readiness for Hamas attacks last weekend. “Now’s not the time to be doing, like what Donald Trump did, attacking Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, attacking Israel’s defense minister, saying somehow that Hezbollah were very smart. We need to all be on the same page, now’s not the time to air personal grievances about an Israeli Prime Minister. Now’s the time to support their right to defend themselves to the hilt,” DeSantis told reporters.

“DeSantis jab at Trump over Israel may be a hard sell to Florida Jewish Republicans” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO — DeSantis hit Trump with some of his harshest criticisms yet over the former President’s criticism of Netanyahu and calling Hezbollah “smart.” But one top Jewish Republican back in his home state wasn’t going along with it. “When Donald Trump was President, the embassy was moved to Jerusalem and the Golan Heights were annexed and none of this happened,” said state Rep. Randy Fine, who had previously endorsed DeSantis’ bid for President and donated to his campaign. “We didn’t have wars when Donald Trump was President.”

“Trump, in West Palm Beach, tells DeSantis: ‘I can never forget.’ And forget about 2028, too.” via Antonio Fins of the Palm Beach Post — Trump issued a not-so-veiled threat to DeSantis: “I can never forget.” And for good measure, he warned DeSantis, whose campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is flailing in the polls, not to plan to seek the White House in 2028. “I think he blew it for in four years. You never know what’s going to happen, but in ’28, I don’t see it happening,” Trump said to a crowd of supporters. “I can never forget because that’s such great disloyalty.” Trump’s taunts came during a show of political force with thousands gathered in West Palm Beach at a fan club created more than five years expressly to him during his presidency.

“Trump Media’s funding partner says it’s returning $1 billion to investors, with many asking for money back” via Aimee Picchi of CBS News — The funding partner for Trump Media & Technology Group said that it will return the remaining $533 million of the $1 billion raised to finance the venture after investors canceled $467 million of commitments. Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC), a so-called special-purpose acquisition company, said in a regulatory filing that it has received termination notices from investors for $467 million of the funding. The remaining $533 million will be returned to investors, with DWAC CEO Eric Swider saying in a news release that the decision is a “positive development” as Trump’s media group focuses on developing a “sustainable business model.” The loss of funding for DWAC appears to be a step backward for the prospective merger between the company and Trump’s media outfit.

“Judge in Trump documents case upbraids prosecutors for ‘wasting the court’s time’” via Aruna Viswanatha and Sadie Gurman of The Wall Street Journal — The pretrial jockeying over Trump’s criminal trials took an unexpected turn Thursday when the judge in his classified-documents case chastised prosecutors for “frankly wasting the court’s time.” The question under consideration for Judge Aileen Cannon stemmed from a unique facet of the sprawling case: A small number of lawyers have represented many Trump employees and allies since Trump’s Save America political action committee paid their legal bills. At the hearing Thursday, prosecutors said lawyers for two employees charged alongside Trump with mishandling classified documents at his Florida resort should acknowledge they also represented other Trump employees who could testify against their clients at trial.

“Former IRS contractor pleads guilty to leaking Trump’s tax returns” via Salvador Rizzo of The Washington Post — A financial consultant who performed contract work for the IRS pleaded guilty Thursday to leaking reams of confidential tax returns filed by the wealthiest Americans, including those of then-President Trump. Charles Edward Littlejohn admitted in D.C. federal court that he obtained thousands of individuals’ tax returns by accessing an IRS database, and then leaked the materials to The New York Times and ProPublica beginning in 2019. The news organizations published blockbuster reports based on the trove of data, showing how Trump and the wealthiest Americans employed financial strategies to slash their federal tax bills, in some cases down to zero.

“Trump lawyers claim Special Counsel seeks pre-election conviction in classified documents case ‘no matter the cost’” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Lawyers defending Trump in the government’s classified document case have weighed in with some of their severest criticism to date of the Special Counsel’s Office, asserting that prosecutors are violating Trump’s rights in a bid to win a conviction before next year’s election. Throughout the Summer, both sides have dueled via court motions over access and inspection of classified documents that Trump allegedly mishandled and retained illegally after he left the White House in 2021. In a filing with the court of U.S. District Judge Cannon, attorneys Todd Blanche and Neil Bove of New York and Christopher Kise of Florida argued Special Counsel Jack Smith is maneuvering to bottle up the defense by scheduling “back-to-back” trials.

— DESANTISY LAND —

“DeSantis, voicing support for Israel, is asked: What about Palestine?” via Nicholas Nehamas of The New York Times — Inside a convenience store in Littleton, New Hampshire, DeSantis was confronted on Thursday with both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was just one interaction on one day in a long campaign. But it could well be a preview of how the divisive issue could play out in the presidential election. DeSantis, standing next to a row of coffee dispensers inside Simon’s Market, began his campaign stop by telling a group of voters that he had just issued an executive order to help bring stranded Americans home from Israel. Laurie Anan, an undecided voter who said she had visited Israel in August, broke in to thank DeSantis, saying that the images of the bloody attacks by Hamas over the weekend were “devastating.”

“‘Woke central’: DeSantis wouldn’t want a doctor from Harvard” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis isn’t backing down when it comes to criticizing one of the schools he attended. During an event in Berlin, New Hampshire, hosted by the Never Back Down super PAC, DeSantis called the university “woke central” and suggested that if he needed medical care, he wouldn’t want a Harvard doctor to provide it. “I used to think to myself, like, you know, if anything ever happened, like me, my family, you know, my parents and they needed surgery, I’d want like a Harvard doctor to be in,” DeSantis said. “You know, now, if I saw a young Harvard doctor, I’d run the other way.”

“DeSantis threatens to cut off Harvard funding over anti-Israel protests” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A Harvard Law alum running for President is teasing eliminating federal funding for the university and others due to political positions taken by student groups. DeSantis suggested that student protests against Israel’s retaliation after Hamas attacks merit cutting off federal funding for the institution. “Seeing these students at universities like Harvard sign their names to letters praising Hamas in the light of the barbarism that we’ve seen; it shows this country has got a lot of problems. We need to be reevaluating the role that the federal government has in the relationship we have with some of these universities,” DeSantis said.

“A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming.” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents — Just a couple of weeks before Christmas, DeSantis flew to Naples to speak at a “summit” organized by the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative group that operates in state Legislatures around the country. While he was there, DeSantis slipped into a private room to meet with a handful of VIP guests. At least three of them worked for organizations associated with Dick Uihlein, the Midwestern billionaire and Republican megadonor who is the largest funder of the FGA. With Uihlein’s FGA cheering him on and providing public relations cover, DeSantis slashed unemployment payments to laid-off workers. He has made it harder for public-sector employees to band together in unions and collectively bargain for better pay and benefits. And he has refused to extend Medicaid to an estimated 800,000 Floridians who don’t have health insurance. The FGA is pushing for more.

— D. C. MATTERS —

“Steve Scalise drops out of Speaker’s race” via Nicholas Wu of POLITICO — The House GOP’s pick for Speaker, Scalise, announced Thursday he will no longer seek the gavel as he confronted a likely insurmountable vote shortage. While Scalise had won a majority of votes in an internal GOP ballot a day earlier, he faced staunch resistance from multiple Republicans who vowed to support only his opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, on the floor.

“Opinion of GOP leaders in Congress drops amid Speaker turmoil” via Lauren Sforza of The Hill — Public opinion of Republican leaders in Congress has dropped as the House GOP struggles to put forward a new Speaker after Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ousting last week. A new poll found 74% of Americans disapprove of Republican leaders in Congress amid the tumultuous battle for Speaker of the House, an increase from the 67% who disapproved of how GOP leaders conducted their jobs in January. Fifty-two percent said they have a negative view of the Republican Party overall, which is also up from 45% in January.

“What’s to stop the House Speaker chaos from happening again to the next guy?” via Jim Saksa of Roll Call — As House Republicans argued over who should replace ousted Speaker McCarthy, longtime watchers of congressional machinations had a bigger question on their minds: How could anyone avoid following in his ignominious footsteps? “Great question,” said former Rep. Rodney Davis, an Illinois Republican. “Even if it’s resolved quickly, the Republican Party is going to have the same structural problems that caused McCarthy to struggle as Speaker,” said Matthew Green, a political scientist at Catholic University. “Some of the demands that these Republicans have are going to be extremely difficult for [the next speaker] to meet.”

“Bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel” via Karoun Demirjian of The New York Times — Four U.S. lawmakers met with Netanyahu and other government leaders in Israel on Tuesday, in what they described as a show of solidarity after Hamas’s surprise attacks over the weekend. “We stand shoulder to shoulder so that we can go toe to toe with any terrorist going forward,” Rep. Jimmy Panetta said during a news conference in Israel. “It is from our solidarity that we have our strength.”

“Israeli billboards thanking the U.S. have a new face on them: Biden’s” via Jonathan Weisman and Lisa Lerer of The New York Times — Not long ago, Trump occupied enormous psychological space in Israel and among American Jews: His face draped skyscrapers alongside Netanyahu’s during Israeli elections, and his politics drove a wedge between the Democratic Party and the Jews who have long called it their political home. But it is Biden’s face that now beams from a billboard over the main highway through Tel Aviv, and Trump’s criticism of Israel’s leaders that has left even Israeli conservatives stunned. The President is suddenly finding warm embraces for his response to the worst terrorist attack in the Jewish State’s history in the most unlikely places.

“Capitol Police brief the Squad, prominent progressives on security amid uptick in threats” via Nicholas Wu and Holly Otterbein of POLITICO — Prominent progressive members of Congress received a security briefing from the Capitol Police Thursday amid a major uptick in threats against them since the attack on Israel this weekend. The lawmakers make up some of the party’s left wing on foreign policy and have at times been critics of the Israeli government. The high-profile elected officials have also been magnets for broadsides from conservative media, which has often singled them out for their views.

“Congress boosts security over Middle East tensions” via Andrew Solender of Axios — The U.S. Capitol complex is enhancing security due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, the House’s top security official said. The notice cites Hamas leadership’s call for a global “Day of Rage” on Friday, which also has the Israeli government on high alert. House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland said in the notice that his office is “working closely with our law enforcement partners to monitor the intelligence regarding the conflict overseas.”

“100-plus Congress members attend vigil on Capitol steps for those killed in Hamas attacks” via Jacob Magid of The Times of Israel — Over 100 members of the U.S. Congress from both parties are currently attending a vigil to commemorate those killed in the Hamas onslaught over the weekend in Southern Israel. The vigil is organized by Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Josh Gottheimer.

“Sen. Bob Menendez faces new charges accusing him of working for foreign government” via Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter and Summer Concepcion of NBC News — Sen. Menendez was hit with new charges Thursday accusing him of accepting bribes from a foreign government and conspiring to act as a foreign agent. The new indictment, filed by a federal grand jury in Manhattan, alleged that he “provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.” Menendez could face up to two years in prison for failing as a public official to register as an agent of a foreign power, according to a law cited in the superseding indictment.

“George Santos could join list of Confederates, felons booted from Congress. What to know” via Brendan Rascius of The Hill — A group of House Republicans introduced a resolution to expel embattled New York Rep. Santos from Congress. If their scheme is successful, Santos would join a shortlist of Confederates and felons who have been drummed out of the Capitol over the past two centuries. “Today, I’ll be introducing an expulsion resolution to rid the People’s House of fraudster George Santos,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito said. Five other first-term Republican representatives from the Empire State co-sponsored the legislation. The move to oust Santos came the day after he was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud.

“American farmers ‘frustrated’ as Congress delays farm bill passage” via Scripps News — The piece of legislation is passed by Congress every five years and funds critical programs like crop insurance for farmers. The bill also covers funding for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps.

“Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024 as inflation moderates” via Fatima Hussein of The Associated Press — Millions of Social Security recipients will get a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, far less than this year’s historic boost and reflecting moderating consumer prices. The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, means the average recipient will receive more than $50 more every month beginning in January, the Social Security Administration said Thursday. The AARP estimated that increase at $59 per month. “This will help millions of people keep up with expenses,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, Social Security’s acting Commissioner.

— STATEWIDE —

“Law targeting drag shows can’t be enforced for now, appellate court says” via The Associated Press — A ruling prohibiting the enforcement of a new Florida law targeting drag shows will stay in place for the time being, according to a federal appeals court decision. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s granting of a preliminary injunction stopping the law from being enforced until a trial is held in Orlando, Florida to determine its constitutionality. In their appeal, attorneys for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation had asked that the injunction only apply to the business that had challenged the law, saying that the judge’s injunction “sweeps beyond Plaintiff to nonparties who may wish to expose children to live obscene performances in violation of the statute.”

Appointed — James Sherman of West Palm Beach to the 15th Judicial Circuit Court, and Mark Herr of Lake Mary to the 18th Judicial Circuit Court.

“State DOE Committee report: New student assessment presents tougher benchmarks to clear” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — The state’s new standardized education assessment that debuted during the 2022-23 school year is going to get new benchmarks designed to raise the bar on student performance, members of a Senate Education Committee were told. What was considered on-grade-level performance is going to get a little more demanding. That’s according to Juan Copa, Deputy Commissioner of the state Department of Education’s Division of Accountability, Research & Measurement. He made the comments in front of the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K-12. Taking last year’s results, the new benchmarks in algebra, for example, would have meant 51% of students taking the assessment would be deemed “proficient” or better, compared to the 54% that met that mark last year, Copa told the Committee.

“South Florida lawmakers refile legislation to address ‘critical shortage’ of mental health workers” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — This week, Sen. Tina Polsky and Rep. Hillary Cassel refiled twin bills (SB 164, HB 147) that would create a scholarship and loan forgiveness program for future mental health professionals. They carried similar measures during the 2023 Legislative Session as well. Both bills died without a hearing. Florida ranks 43rd in mental health worker-to-patient ratio. The state ranked 49th last year for access to mental health care, according to Mental Health America, which estimated that 191,000 Florida youths experience at least one major depressive episode every year.

“Lauren Book refiles bill to ban victim-blaming defense in gay or transgender ‘panic’ crimes” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Book is again trying to pass legislation to prohibit defendants accused of violent crimes against homosexual and transgender people from blaming the victims for the defendants’ actions. The measure (SB 156, HB 137) would ban legal defenses that cite nonviolent sexual advances or the belief that another person is gay or transgender in criminal court proceedings. Such a defense is known as the “gay/trans panic defense,” according to the American Bar Association, as it seeks to partially or fully excuse crimes like murder and battery if a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity triggered a defendant’s violent action. Accordingly, the bill is titled the “Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defense Prohibition Act.”

Happening today — The St. Johns County legislative delegation meets: 9:30 a.m., St. Johns County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine.

Happening today — Former U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney will appear at the Women’s Republican Club of Naples Federated: 11 a.m., Naples Hilton, 5111 Tamiami Trail North, Naples.

Happening today — The Flagler County legislative delegation meets: 3 p.m., Flagler County Commission chamber, 1769 Moody Blvd., Bunnell.

Happening tonight — U.S. Sen. Scott will give a speech at the Hillsborough County Republican Party’s “Reagan Day Denim & Diamonds Bar-B-Que”: 7:30 p.m., International Event Venue, 6463 West Hillsborough Ave., Tampa.

“Florida domestic violence shelters face financial crisis, advocates warn” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel — The Beacon Center is among several of the 41 state-certified domestic violence shelters in Florida struggling financially, forcing them to cut back on the number of victims they can serve and putting off much-needed maintenance and repairs. While some urban centers like the ones in Orlando, Miami and Naples are doing better because of stronger private local support, the ones in more rural areas are having a harder time raising local money and rely more heavily on public funding. Others have also managed to get by on COVID-19 funds that are due to run out. They also are among those with the highest rates of domestic violence reports.

“Hundreds of air-conditioned prison beds left empty as inmates suffered ‘hot summer’” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — More than 700 air-conditioned prison beds remained empty at a North Florida corrections facility as inmates across the state endured brutal heat waves in cells without air conditioning. Secretary Ricky Dixon, who oversees state prisons, told lawmakers that the state is suffering a staffing “crisis” that’s resulted in the “compression” of inmates from northern to more southern prisons, where there are more corrections officers. That pattern has resulted in years of nonuse of at least 740 air-conditioned beds at a Franklin County facility in North Florida. Dixon highlighted the prison briefly as he spoke to a panel of lawmakers who are contemplating solutions to address the perennial heat problems endured by Florida inmates who don’t have climate-controlled cells.

“Who will watch the kids? Florida families, child care providers vulnerable with loss of federal money” via Fresh Take Florida — Jasmine Brown, an Ocala mother of four, has been on waitlists at some local day care centers for almost two years. Unable to find a program she can afford that could enroll her 1- and 3-year-old sons together, she’s split them between two different centers this year. The 29-year-old single parent spent 18 months out of work due to struggles to find safe and affordable child care. “If you can’t work, you can’t provide,” she said. “It’s this loop that you get stuck in and it’s so frustrating.” The obstacles that come with finding child care are only growing as a program providing child care funding to states during the pandemic ended last month.

“USDA forecasts 20.5 million boxes of Florida oranges for coming growing season” via Caden DeLisa of The Capitolist — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued its initial forecast for the 2023-24 citrus season, projecting an uptick in production from Florida growers following one of the worst fruit yields in a century last year. During an information briefing on Thursday afternoon, USDA principal statistician Mark Hudson delivered a production estimate for the state at 20.5 million boxes of Florida Oranges, 1.9 million boxes of Florida Grapefruit, and 500,000 boxes of Florida Tangerines. The forecast shows a nearly 25% expected increase in productivity compared to the year prior, when growers produced 15.85 million boxes of oranges, down from 41.2 million boxes during the 2021-2022 season.

“Effort to increase protections for Florida’s beloved manatees takes first steps” via Jesse Mendoza of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Federal authorities took the first step toward reclassifying Florida’s beloved sea cow, the West Indian manatee, as an endangered species. Manatees were removed from the endangered species list in 2017 and reclassified as a threatened species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the agency is opening a 90-day finding period to review additional scientific and commercial data and decide if there is enough reason to reclassify them as endangered once again. The action comes after a formal petition made by several environmental advocacy groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Harvard Animal Law & Police Clinic, Miami Waterkeeper and Save the Manatee Club, and a solo Puerto Rican engineer.

— DOWN BALLOT —

“Floridians pushing for a pro-abortion rights ballot measure feel ‘abandoned’ by national Democrats” via Matt Dixon of NBC News — Supporters of including abortion protections in the Florida Constitution are growing increasingly concerned that national Democratic organizations are ignoring the issue, some of which have started writing off Florida given GOP’s dominance in the state. A coalition of abortion rights groups is currently collecting signatures to put language on the 2024 ballot to add a provision in the state constitution banning abortion restrictions up to about 24 weeks. The bulk of the money fueling the ballot effort, which would require 60% voter approval, is coming from in-state donors, which has prompted some of the measure’s biggest supporters to sound the alarm to national Democratic organizations.

FIRST IN SUNBURN — “Debbie Mucarsel-Powell raised $1.5M in five weeks to take on Rick Scott” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Former U.S. Rep. Mucarsel-Powell raised the money over five weeks after launching her U.S. Senate bid. Financial toplines shared with Florida Politics show the Miami Democrat closed the third quarter with $1.1 million in cash on hand. That makes her the first challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Scott to announce a seven-figure haul. “This campaign is fueled by grassroots support and I’m so grateful and humbled by what we’ve accomplished together in just five weeks,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “I feel the energy across the state and know Floridians are ready for change.”

“Keith Truenow outraised rest of SD 13 field in Q3, but self-funder Bowen Kou is still flush with cash” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rep. Truenow has raised more than $150,000 to run for an open Senate seat. But he still must deal with Kou, a Primary opponent with more cash in the bank than any legislative candidate in Florida. Truenow, a Tavares Republican, reported $64,800 in new contributions from July through September. That brings his total haul to $153,500, most of it still unspent as he runs to succeed retiring Sen. Dennis Baxley in Senate District 13. But Bowen remains a looming threat. The grocery magnate only collected a bit more than $4,100 in the quarter but has almost $1.1 million in cash on hand. That’s chiefly thanks to the $1 million he donated out of pocket early in the campaign.

“Kristen Arrington holds just over a $10K cash edge on Carmen Torres in SD 25” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rep. Arrington maintains a fundraising edge as she runs in state Senate District 25. But Arrington has just a $10,000 cash edge on Primary opponent Carmen Torres, the wife of Sen. Victor Torres. Arrington reported more than $13,600 in new donations in the third quarter for her Senate campaign. That brings her total donations to nearly $78,000 overall. Torres nearly matched Arrington in dollars for the quarter, reporting around $12,800 in new contributions from July through September. That brings total outside contributions north of $52,300. She has also loaned her campaign nearly $4,200. Arrington has spent more than Torres. As of the close of the quarter, the Representative had just shy of $60,000 in cash on hand for the race. Torres has a little more than $49,000.

“David Smith reports strongest fundraising of any incumbent House Republican” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rep. Smith has raised more than any House Republican seeking reelection. Smith just posted a strong third quarter, raising $114,042 from July through September. That puts Smith’s totals north of $173,000 more than a year out from a likely rematch with Sarah Henry. Of course, Henry had a decent quarter as well, raising almost $23,000 and bringing her own total haul to nearly $49,000. Henry has outspent the incumbent so far, but Smith maintains a resource advantage going forward. Smith closed the quarter with more than $156,000 in cash on hand, while Henry had less than $28,000 in the bank.

“Smith to return donation from Vote Men PAC opposed to women holding office” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rep. Smith accepted a $500 contribution from a political committee dedicated to stopping women from holding office. And according to the 23-year-old in charge of the Vote Men PAC, the Winter Springs Republican sent a thank-you note for the money. Smith said he was unaware of the organization’s views when he accepted the contribution and is now set to return that donation in full. “Unsolicited,” he said in a text to Florida Politics. “They just sent me a check.” The organization’s controversial views are spelled out on its website. Chair Cody Davis writes that the nation’s foundation has been threatened by changing gender roles in society.

“Wellington Mayor passes $100K mark, leads the HD 93 money race” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — A fourth Republican has joined the race to determine who will challenge the Democratic incumbent now representing House District 93, and so far, the Wellington Mayor is lapping her rivals in the Primary race. Anne Gerwig, the twice-elected Wellington Mayor, passed the $100,000 mark in money added to her campaign for the fundraising period that ended Sept. 30. Gerwig contributed $60,000 of her own money to that total. Still, she’s collected more from donors than any other candidate in the race, including incumbent Democratic Rep. Katherine Waldron, now in her first term representing the district that covers Wellington, portions of Greenacres and western parts of Boynton Beach.

“Fabián Basabe loans $250K to campaign, while Joe Saunders courts grassroots gains in HD 106 race” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — It looks like Rep. Basabe is employing the same financial strategy he used last year to win the seat representing House District 106: self-reliance. Basabe in August transferred $250,000 of his own money into his campaign account. Aside from that, he collected less than $6,000 in outside funds during the third quarter of 2023. His Democratic challenger, LGBTQ rights activist and former Rep. Joe Saunders, is employing a more grassroots tack to fundraising, albeit to lesser monetary effect so far. Between launching his campaign on May 1 and the end of last month, Saunders raised $162,000 through more than 500 donors. That includes nearly 200 donors and $61,000 in Q3.

“David Borrero adds $15.5K in Q3 for unopposed HD 111 reelection bid” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Rep. Borrero’s unobstructed route to reelection last year and current unopposed status in the 2024 cycle may be informing his fundraising efforts. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Borrero raised $15,500 between his campaign account and political committee, Floridians for Prosperity. By comparison, he raised nearly twice that sum in March alone to defend his seat representing House District 111. Borrero, a construction contracts administrator in private life, tapped real estate and development businesses for contributions in the third quarter of 2023 alongside a mixture of legal, political and trade group donors. None gave more than the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association, which chipped in $3,500.

“Chris Scherer is outraising Cookie Kennedy 2-to-1 in open Pinellas County Commission race” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Scherer has more than doubled the amount of funds raised for election to the Pinellas County Commission compared to his Democratic opponent Kennedy. Scherer raised $27,535 in the third quarter, which includes fundraising and spending activity from July through September. Kennedy actually raised more hard money during the third quarter, with $19,060 raised to her campaign during the same period compared to just $16,185 to Scherer’s campaign. But Scherer has raised more hard money overall, with more than $69,000 raised since entering the race, compared to just under $63,000 for Kennedy.

“Ignacio “Iggy” Alvarez didn’t file for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s race until October. He still outraised 11 other candidates last quarter” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Republican lawyer and former police officer Alvarez didn’t officially enter the crowded 2024 race for Miami-Dade County Sheriff until last week, but he still managed to outpace 11 other candidates vying for the job in third quarter fundraising. That’s because, although he wasn’t technically in the contest, he’d already started collecting donations in late July, when he opened a political committee called Law, Order, Justice and Integrity. By Sept. 30, the end of Q3, he had collected $152,000 through fewer than 35 donations, most of them personal checks. The haul was three times more than his closest fundraising competitor amassed with about a month’s extra time.

“Joe Geller raises $45K in less than a month for Miami-Dade School Board bid” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Former Rep. Geller raised more than $45,000 in less than a month toward his bid for the District 3 seat on the Miami-Dade County School Board. His two opponents raised less than $1,000 combined. Between Sept. 11, when Geller entered the race to succeed outgoing School Board member Lucia Baez-Geller, a fellow Democrat with whom Geller has a friendship but no relation, he collected $30,480 through his campaign account and $15,000 through his political committee.

— LOCAL: S. FL —

“Campaign donations to Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s PAC dried up after corruption charges” via Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald — Political contributions to a committee supporting the re-election campaign of suspended Miami Commissioner Díaz de la Portilla came to a halt and legal bills spiked after he was arrested last month on corruption charges, according to campaign finance records. The reports show that Proven Leadership of Miami-Dade County PC raised about $389,800 this Summer from contributions that came in steadily nearly every week, until mid-September, days before Díaz de la Portilla was arrested on Sept. 14. After tens of thousands of dollars came from real estate entities, lobbyists, consultants and hospitality interests, the committee received no campaign checks from Sept. 12 through Sept. 30, the end of the reporting period.

“‘Unprovoked and cowardly’: County officials back Israel in aftermath of attack from Hamas” via Wayne Washington of the Palm Beach Post — Elected officials in Palm Beach County are offering rhetorical and financial support to Israel four days after the militant group Hamas attacked it from land, sea and air. Joseph Abruzzo, Palm Beach County’s Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, directed an additional $25 million from the county’s investment portfolio to be invested in Israeli bonds “in a show of steadfast support for Israel following their declaration of war against Hamas militants.” Discussing the investment during a news conference at the B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Abruzzo said the investment is a win-win — a sound financial move for the taxpayers of the county and an infusion of money to Israel at a time of great need.

“Much-touted UF campus plan for downtown West Palm Beach dies, leaving huge disappointment” via Alexandra Clough of the Palm Beach Post — There will be no University of Florida graduate school campus in downtown West Palm Beach. The state’s flagship university this Summer quietly ended plans for the Global Technology and Innovation Campus, quashing a venture that backers said would have elevated Palm Beach County’s educational offerings and supercharged its growing finance and tech industries. “This is probably the greatest economic development loss that I’ve seen in my 30-plus years of doing this,” said Kelly Smallridge, President of the Business Development Board, the business recruiting arm of Palm Beach County. The 12-acre campus, first announced in 2021, was supposed to offer graduate-level programs in business, engineering and law with a focus on financial technology (fintech) and cybersecurity.

“17 Broward deputies charged in pandemic loan fraud” via Lisa J. Huriash, David Lyons and Shira Moolten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Seventeen deputies at the Broward Sheriff’s Office are accused of falsifying paperwork to collect money under government programs meant to help keep small businesses alive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials allege the fraud came from assistance offered by the Paycheck Protection Program, known as PPP, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, programs. Charges were brought in 17 separate cases filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Many of the Sheriff’s Office deputies made their first appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt. All are charged with fraud in connection with the emergency federal loan programs.

“First Lady Jill Biden coming to South Florida, White House says” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — First Lady Biden will be in South Florida for two days starting on Sunday, the White House announced. She will be traveling with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough. Biden and McDonough will arrive at Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, the First Lady and McDonough will speak at a Cancer Survivorship Summit in Davie hosted by U.S. Rep. Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat. On Monday afternoon, as part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative and continued support for the military community, Biden and McDonough will visit Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County to meet with military spouses and families.

“Howard Forman, former state Senator and Broward County Clerk of Court, dies at 77” via Abigail Hasebroock of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Forman wore several different hats during his time in South Florida. He was a fixture in Broward County politics for more than three decades, starting out as a Hallandale City Commissioner in 1973 before he became a Broward County Commissioner. A Democrat, he then went on to become a state Senator, representing cities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, before becoming the Broward County Clerk of Court in 2000. Forman lived in South Florida for more than 70 years, moving to North Miami Beach around the age of 6, his daughter, Iris Foreman, said. He bought a home in Miramar in 1978, where Iris and her sister, Rosette Forman, Howard Forman’s other daughter, still live now.

“Matt Drudge is selling his Miami home in the Redland. Check out his secluded retreat” via Madeleine Marr of Miami.com — Call it the house that clicks bought. “The Drudge Report” mastermind Drudge is selling his Miami home: The content aggregator’s massive spread in the Redland is listed for a cool $2.9 million. The former conservative digital journalist bought the property in August 2011 for $1.45 million, reportedly in cash. If you want the paparazzi off your back, this rustic retreat smack in the middle of farm country would be your spot, all 6,695 square feet of it. Lush foliage and likely some tropical critters surround you at this five-bedroom, four-bathroom, “one of a kind” home, which sits on 4.7 acres.

— LOCAL: C. FL —

“Democrats discuss insurance, schools in House debate” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — The three Democratic candidates running in the Special Election for a Central Florida seat in the state House squared off on issues ranging from insurance to schools and transportation. All shared their frustration with Tallahassee, with DeSantis and a GOP supermajority in the Legislature. The debate, sponsored by the Orlando Sentinel and Spectrum News 13, included Rishi Bagga, a civil lawyer and the Democratic candidate for the seat in 2022; Marucci Guzmán, the Executive Director of the nonprofit Latino Leadership; and Tom Keen, who has served on Orlando’s Citizens’ Police Review Board and Veteran Advisory Council.

“Orange County Commissioners to sort out fence dispute in Agnes Heights” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Not everyone believes a good fence makes a good neighbor. “There are many reasons I don’t like these barriers and what they stand for,” said Delilah Smalley, who in February jack-hammered out chain-link fencing at the end of three streets in Agnes Heights. Smalley and a dozen neighbors, all of whom disagree with her, appealed to Orange County Commissioners to intercede in a squabble over barriers that had been in place for 40 years. Nearly all said they want a permanent fence. Smalley’s neighbors contend that fencing, erected in the early 1980s apparently without formal county approval, enhanced safety in the neighborhood in south Orlando by preventing cut-through traffic.

“Contract agreement: Brevard Public School teachers set to get nearly 10% pay raise” via Finch Walker of Florida Today — Brevard Public Schools and the local teacher union came to a contract tentative agreement that includes nearly a 10% pay increase. It still must be ratified by the Brevard Federation of Teachers and approved by the School Board. Russell Bruhn, spokesperson for the district, said most teachers will see a pay increase this year of 9.9%: 2.5% of this increase will come from a salary increase, while the rest will come from millage, which was voted on by taxpayers during the 2022 Election. “The increase in compensation that we can provide to our instructional personnel is possible because of the generosity of our community,” said Superintendent Mark Rendell in a statement.

“Osceola school district seeks to restrict Board member charged with kissing teen” via Natalia Jaramillo of the Orlando Sentinel — The School District of Osceola has directed its attorney to draft a letter to the Governor asking him to remove School Board member Julius Melendez from his post after he was charged last week with battery and serving alcohol to someone underage. In an unscheduled discussion during Tuesday’s Board meeting, Jon Arguello accused fellow Board members of being slow to ask DeSantis to remove Melendez compared to when Arguello himself was accused of wrongdoing. This comes after School Board attorney Frank Kruppenbacher sent a letter dated Oct. 5 to the Florida Department of Education seeking advice on whether the School Board has the authority to suspend Melendez’s pay.

“Seminole County sees drop in nuisance bear calls as Orange, Lake increase, FWC says” via Martin E. Comas of the Orlando Sentinel — Nearly a decade ago, Seminole County was the state’s hotbed for reports of bears coming face-to-face with residents, as wildlife officers would receive complaints almost daily of the large beasts tipping over trash cans, raiding garage refrigerators or simply plopping themselves in homeowners’ yards. The west side of the county was also where three women were mauled by bears in 2013 and 2014. Today, the number of bear-related calls to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, or FWC, has plunged by more than 30% in Seminole since 2018, according to the state agency. Seminole — consistently ranked as the top county in Florida for human-bear interactions as recent as five years ago — is now ranked seventh.

—“Playful bear is captured drooling all over wildlife worker attempting to do yard work” via Fox News

— LOCAL: TB —

“In Tampa state attorney race, will redistricting affect Andrew Warren?” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — A move by Republicans to consolidate some of Florida’s 20 judicial circuits could decide whether Warren runs to get his office back by altering the boundaries of the district in which he’d be running. But maybe Warren doesn’t have to worry about the redistricting. Two local lawyers prominent in Republican politics and the legal community say DeSantis told them recently he’s opposed to the consolidation of either the 13th Judicial Circuit — Hillsborough County, where Warren would run — or the 10th, covering Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties.

“Crowded field forming for 2024 Hillsborough County Commission race” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — The coming race for a countywide Hillsborough County Commissioner’s seat was expected to draw a crowd of candidates, and that appears to be coming true. Former Tampa City Council member Joe Citro, a Democrat, said last week that he intends to file for the race in the coming week, and Republican insiders say former state Rep. Jackie Toledo is gauging support for a run. Citro would face a tough Primary contest against former Commissioner Mariella Smith, along with Mark Nash and Sonja Brookins. Toledo would face Primary opponents Jim Davison and Rico Smith in the open 2024 contest. Rico Smith, a first-time candidate for public office who’s comparatively little known, nonetheless appears to be mounting a serious campaign effort, raising $33,528 in his campaign plus $16,002 in his political committee in his first 10 weeks as a candidate, according to new campaign finance reports.

“Clearwater Rabbi talks worries about son in Israel, security increase at synagogue” via Nick Popham of Bay News 9 — Rabbi David Weizman may have a home at Congregation Beth Shalom in Clearwater, but he says his home is in Israel. “We feel like that’s our home too,” he said. Weizman and his congregation have been devastated by what’s happening in Israel. This weekend was supposed to be a celebration of a holiday, instead, it was wrapped with worry not only for the strangers impacted by the war but for the loved ones, like Weizman’s son, who’s studying right now in Jerusalem. “He texts me first,” Weizman said about his recent conversations with his son. “He goes, you know, ‘Can I call, is now a good time?’ And then he texts back. He goes, ‘Oh, the siren went off. I have to call you later.’ So, they go to the bomb shelter, and he calls me like 15 or 20 minutes later.” Thankfully, his son is OK and Weizman and members of his congregation are checking in constantly with people over there. “Most of the time we’re just trying to hold back the tears,” he said. But like so many people impacted by this war, Weizman keeps the faith.

“Tampa Bay home values begin to decrease, Zillow data shows” via Devonta Davis of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — After leaping to new heights in recent years, home values are leveling out in Tampa Bay — but homebuyers might not immediately see the benefits. Zillow data found that the average home value for the region has dropped 1.4% since last year. This change is significantly lower than during the pandemic when home prices exceeded inflation by over 200%. According to data, the typical home value in Tampa Bay in 2000 was $94,444, below the national average of $111,322. These numbers have flipped in recent years as the typical home value in Tampa Bay is currently $376,031, which still exceeds the national average of $349,770 but is lower than $382,874 from last year. The parts of Tampa Bay that experienced sharp appreciation during the pandemic are now seeing the steepest declines, though home values are still higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“Economic developer to take the helm of St. Pete EDC” via Veronica Brezina of the St. Pete Catalyst — Seasoned development strategist Mike Swesey is taking the reins of the St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation. Swesey will assume the new role on Nov. 6, succeeding J.P. DuBuque, who exited the public-private organization in May. Swesey has more than 30 years of economic development experience. For the past two decades, he has served in various roles at the Greater Des Moines Partnership in Des Moines, Iowa, most recently as executive vice president. He led 30 successful expansion/relocation projects each year, creating more than $1 billion in new capital investment, according to the EDC.

“Homes, businesses damaged as early morning tornado slams Crystal River” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Mother Nature provided a gut punch to Crystal River with an early Thursday morning tornado that ripped through a city still recovering from Hurricane Idalia flooding six weeks ago. Homes and businesses over a 2-mile path sustained heavy damage or were destroyed in a suspected tornado that touched down shortly after 2 a.m. There were no reports of death or serious injuries. Citrus County Schools canceled classes on Thursday. A spokesperson said no schools were damaged; however, power was out at Crystal River Primary School and access to others was potentially blocked by debris. The storm downed power lines and power poles, cutting electricity. Duke Energy expected to have much of the power restored by mid-Thursday afternoon.

“Citrus County takes ‘huge’ step toward new animal shelter” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Citrus County residents have heard plenty about a new animal shelter. Now they’ll know where it’s headed. Citrus County officials gathered for a ceremony at a Lecanto intersection where plans call for an animal shelter that proponents say is well beyond its need. “This seems like such a small thing but it’s huge to all of us,” said County Commission Chair Ruthie Davis Schlabach, who has led the animal shelter effort. The shelter has sat in its current cramped space near Inverness Airport for decades. Commissioners long debated whether to renovate or relocate. In 2021, the Board voted 3-2 for a new site on county-owned property in Lecanto on the corner of County Road 491 and Woodland Ridge Drive, down the street from the Citrus County Detention Facility. Commissioners had a location but no plan to pay for it. Gerry Mulligan, then publisher of the Citrus County Chronicle, started a shelter fundraising drive that so far has netted more than $2 million, Schlabach said, with more fundraising yet to come. Friends of the Citrus County Animal Services have raised another $250,000.

— LOCAL: N. FL —

“Mayor Donna Deegan joins in blasting Florida PACE for ‘predatory loans’” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Deegan praised the City Council’s approval Tuesday of legislation that opens the way for a lawsuit against Florida PACE Funding Agency to stop it from financing home improvements on residential property without the city’s authorization. “I want to thank Council President [Ron] Salem and the entire City Council for swiftly and unanimously passing this important legislation that will save citizens from financial ruin,” Deegan said. “I urge everyone in Jacksonville to tell their neighbors about these predatory loans so that another family isn’t hurt by this damaging practice.” Florida PACE Funding Agency is a special government district authorized by state law to provide financing for the installation of improvements that will make buildings more energy-efficient and resistant to hurricane-force winds.

“UF President Ben Sasse condemns Hamas attacks, ensures student safety after stampede vigil” via Andrew Caplan of the Gainesville Sun — University of Florida President Sasse has released a lengthy letter to Jewish students and graduates following a vigil held on campus Monday evening that went awry and sent dozens of students and community members to the hospital. The letter, which was first obtained and published by two conservative blog sites, condemns the Hamas terrorist attacks in Gaza and Israel that killed more than a thousand innocent men, women and children, including more than a dozen Americans. It also clarifies to students once again that there was no attack at UF’s Turlington Plaza where nearly a thousand people held a vigil for those who lost their lives overseas. The commotion that ensued was from a misunderstanding after someone in the crowd fainted, Sasse reiterated.

“‘We can’t wait to see you guys’: Fernandina Beach church group begins heading home after making it out of Israel” via Francine Frazier and Bruce Hamilton of News4Jax — Some members of a group touring Israel with First Baptist Church Fernandina Beach have already made it back to the United States after the group crossed safely into Jordan amid the ongoing turmoil of the war between Israel and Hamas. In a post on social media, pastor Zach Terry said that as they’ve been able to get seats on flights, they’ve been sending members of the group home to the States. “The majority of our people are going to be traveling on Saturday and Sunday. The first group will go out on Saturday and the remainder, myself included, will travel on Sunday back to the States,” Terry said in a video.

“Activists fight for Marsha Ervin, 69, after she’s accused of voter fraud” via TheGrio — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called Ervin’s arrest voter intimidation, referring to all the other persons arrested around Florida due to eligibility confusion, most of whom are Black. Activists are rallying behind a 69-year-old Florida woman arrested on allegations of voter fraud. Tallahassee Police Department officers arrested Ervin around 3 a.m. in late September. On Tuesday, local officials, civil rights activists and voting rights organizers joined the elderly woman and her attorneys at the Leon County Courthouse as they advocated for her.

“As Supreme Court weighs Marsy’s Law, group behind it says it shouldn’t shield police” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — Marsy’s Law for Florida, which successfully pushed for a 2018 constitutional amendment to protect the rights of crime victims, says the measure should not be used to shield the identities of on-duty police officers in the use-of-force case. The announcement comes roughly 10 months after the Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case involving two Tallahassee police officers who fatally shot suspects and asserted their privacy rights under Marsy’s Law, successfully blocking public release of their names. The court has not yet issued a decision.

“‘Higher standard’: Jeremy Matlow blasts top City Hall execs for texts ‘ridiculing’ Speaker” via Elena Barrera of the Tallahassee Democrat — City Commissioner Matlow blasted some of the city’s top executives Wednesday for texting one another with “ridiculing” comments about members of the public and local media during a recent Blueprint meeting. He described a snarky play-by-play conversation among city leaders, including City Manager Reese Goad, which happened while public business was being conducted. “I’m so disappointed at what takes place with city management during our meetings,” Matlow said. “Management has to be held to a higher standard.”

“Panama City hires consultant to help secure funding for MLK Rec Center, Martin Theatre” via Nathan Cobb of the Panama City News-Herald — Local officials hope to use new funding sources to move two massive projects across the finish line. In a meeting on Tuesday, Panama City Commissioners voted to hire consultants who will help the city secure more funding for two “high-priority projects”: the construction of a new Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and the renovation of Martin Theatre. Both stem from damage caused by Category 5 Hurricane Michael, which hit the Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018.

“Citizen environmental program is dead in the water. Was it because of paperwork or politics?” via Tom McLaughlin of the Pensacola News Journal — Noticeable by its absence among 11 community grant awards announced this week by the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program was one for $49,000 for water testing in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties that was famously opposed by the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners. “It left a pretty bad taste in our mouth,” grant writer Carmen Reynolds said of being overlooked. “Especially after the reception we got from the Board of County Commissioners.” Commissioner Sam Parker convinced fellow Board members in early August to refrain from signing a letter of support for the Watershed Protection Committee that might have advanced its cause in seeking funds to conduct water quality tests at 35 locations, including along Pond Creek and the Blackwater River near Milton.

— LOCAL: SW. FL —

“New College of Florida dropout rate spikes, retention rate falls amid DeSantis’ transition” via Steven Walker of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — New College of Florida lost more than twice the normal number of students it usually does between Fall Semesters this year, according to a report sent to faculty from the college’s provost. The college also had “by far” the lowest retention rate of first-year students in the college’s history, at 64.9%, Interim Provost Brad Thiessen wrote. The drop in retention rate and the spike in the departure rate followed the dramatic overhaul launched by DeSantis early this year with the appointment of six new members to the Board of Trustees, who fired the sitting president and appointed former DeSantis Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran as president.

“Sarasota resident’s stepson among more than 100 missing Israelis following Hamas attacks” via Heather Bushman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Gillian Kaye awoke Oct. 7 to every parent’s nightmare. Her stepson was missing. Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, was last seen by his family early that Saturday morning in Israel when Hamas destroyed his home as part of an unprecedented attack on Israeli towns near the border with Gaza. He lived at the Kibbutz Nir Oz with his wife, two daughters, and 400 others until it was decimated by the militant group, leaving only around 160 people alive and located. Kaye, a Sarasota resident, was in Baltimore when she heard the news. She’s been in shock since. “This is so unfathomable,” she said.

“Manatee joins program to protect domestic violence survivors with free doorbell cameras” via Ryan Callihan of the Bradenton Herald — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody joined Manatee County officials to announce the expansion of a program meant to protect victims of domestic violence from further abuse. Project Protect is a state-sponsored program that provides victims of domestic violence, stalking, human trafficking and sexual violence with doorbell cameras that can provide the evidence necessary to put offenders away, Moody said. Manatee County is one of four participating Florida counties. “Survivors can be nervous about whether their abuser is nearby or whether the abuser will return and what they will do if they’re alone,” Moody said. “The fear of being victimized can be paralyzing, and that fear can last for years.”

— TOP OPINIONS —

“Radioactive roads? Florida shouldn’t dismiss the idea too quickly” via the Tampa Bay Times editorial board — When a Tampa-based fertilizer manufacturer suggests testing the material in road building, the reaction shouldn’t be a knee-jerk “Hell no!”

The more constructive approach is to proceed cautiously toward answering three questions: Is it safe, is it less risky than what we are doing now, and is it better than other alternatives?

Last year, The Mosaic Company asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for permission to blend fewer than 500 tons of the phosphogypsum into a test roadway at the company’s New Wales facility in Mulberry. In August, the Fortune 500 company asked to expand the project to 1,200 tons and increase the length of the road by 2,000 feet, saying in a letter that the state had “taken an interest” in its pilot project. The more recent request came after DeSantis signed a largely bipartisan bill that allows the state transportation department to study the waste as a test ingredient in road construction.

It helps to know some background. The byproduct could be sold around the United States until 1989 when the Environmental Protection Agency banned its use for any purpose. Since then, it has stacked up in mountainous piles, some rising 200 feet and covering hundreds of acres.

As for the road-building idea, it isn’t new. In fact, the state used phosphogypsum in two experimental roads built in Polk and Columbia counties in 1986 and 1987. The byproduct helped cut the cost of building the roads by well more than half, plus the material proved strong and durable.

That’s not an argument to dive recklessly into using phosphogypsum in road building. We need to ensure road workers are safe and that the radioactive material doesn’t leach into soil and water in concerning amounts. But fear alone shouldn’t undermine the idea before it gets full consideration. Test the idea, and argue its merits, but argue on the facts and the science. Measure the risk and proceed accordingly.

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“This war shows just how broken social media has become” via Charlie Warzel of The Atlantic — Social media has, once again, become the window through which the world is witnessing unspeakable violence and cruelty in an active war zone. Thousands of people, including children and the elderly, have been killed or injured in Israel and the Gaza Strip since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Saturday — you have probably seen the carnage yourself on X, TikTok, or Instagram.

These scenes are no less appalling for their familiarity. But they are familiar. As my colleague Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote last year, the history of war is a history of media.

If such conflicts are lenses through which we can understand an information environment, then one must surmise that, at present, our information environment is broken. It relies on a badly maintained social media infrastructure and is presided over by billionaires who have given up on the premise that their platforms should inform users.

During the first days of the Israel-Hamas war, X owner Elon Musk himself interacted with doctored videos published on his platform. He has also explicitly endorsed accounts that are known to share false information and express vile antisemitism. In an interview with The New York Times, a Hamas official said that the organization has been using the lack of moderation on X to post violent, graphic videos on the platform to terrorize Israeli citizens.

These are new cracks in an already crumbling foundation as major social platforms have grown less and less relevant in the past year. In response, some users have left for smaller competitors such as Bluesky or Mastodon. Some have simply left. The internet has never felt more dense, yet there seem to be fewer reliable avenues to find a signal in all the noise. One-stop information destinations such as Facebook or Twitter are a thing of the past.

Their transformation has not been an accident.

— OPINIONS —

“Biden rises to the occasion on Israel and Hamas. Trump sinks to a new low.” via The Washington Post editorial board — At a time when the United States, and the world, desperately need decency and moral clarity, Biden has provided both. In condemning the terrorism, and offering support to Israel’s military response, the President also reminded the new emergency war government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of its responsibilities under “the law of war.” These measured statements put the United States in just the right place: supportive of Israel but positioned, if need be, to influence and temper its response. Trump went in a bizarre new direction Wednesday by heaping scorn on Israel itself for failing to anticipate the attack and lecturing the Jewish state to “step up their game.”

“DeSantis will keep America safe” via Chris Jeter of 1945 — It is time for a President with military experience. Only one candidate has the requisite experience: DeSantis. Over the weekend, as Jews were observing Shabbat and a holiday, Israel was infiltrated by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists who took hold of Israeli towns and cities. Photos and videos proudly released by Hamas were harrowing. They showed young children being ripped from their families, the elderly taken as hostages, women raped and paraded through the streets, and whole Jewish towns massacred. This is the type of savagery and pure evil that we are all battling against.

“Florida declares war on academic freedom. Who gets the big payout? A DeSantis ally” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Florida’s declared war on liberal education and free thinking has paid out dividends to one of its standard-bearers, up to $1.5 million a year, to be exact. That’s how much DeSantis’ conservative education experiment at New College of Florida in Sarasota might fork out on an annual basis to pay for the compensation of new president Corcoran, a former Republican House Speaker and previously DeSantis’ Commissioner of Education appointee. When New College selected Corcoran as interim president in February, his base salary was already a whopping $700,000. That’s double what his predecessor made before the school’s Board of Trustees, remade by DeSantis, ousted her. With a housing allowance, insurance and other benefits, Corcoran’s full compensation package reached $1 million.

“The furry tragedy of the President’s dog” via Frank Bruni of The New York Times — Commander bit at least 11 people, including Secret Service agents, though unnamed sources have told journalists that the biting incidents were even more numerous and more serious than that. The trouble, I suspect, was a star-crossed pairing: a man who really needed a dog at this stressful juncture of his life and a dog who really needed circumstances less stressful than those that the man provided. Biden obviously didn’t want to reckon with that contradiction. Maybe his reluctance reflected a highhanded dismissiveness about the safety and sanity of agents in his security detail and of people on the White House staff. Maybe he was distracted: A President has a few other items on his agenda.

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

 

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— WEEKEND TV —

ABC Action News Full Circle with Paul LaGrone on Channel 10 WFTS: U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Harold Youmans; political analyst Dr. Susan MacManus; and Ryan Gorman of the “Ryan Gorman Show” on News Radio WFLA.

Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at politics and other issues affecting the South Florida region.

In Focus with Allison Walker on Bay News 9/CF 13: A discussion of 10 years of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. Joining Walker are Rep. Jennifer Canady, District 50, Lakeland; Dr. Randy Avent, (founding president), Florida Polytechnic University; and J.D. Alexander, former Rep. (1998-2002), former Senator (2002-2012), and led the effort to create Florida Poly.

Political Connections on Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: The latest on the war in Israel, and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis discusses the war, insurance, and the next Legislative Session.

Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando: Sen. Victor Torres, Jr. discusses his bills passed during the Legislative Session, and what’s topping his agenda as lawmakers convene in Tallahassee for Committee Weeks.

The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Gary Yordon and Seth Miller of the Innocence Project of Florida.

— ALOE —

“Disney World raises prices for annual passes, parking” via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney World has increased prices on its theme park annual passes between $30 and $50, depending on the level. Disney also raised the parking fee at the parks from $25 to $30, matching the charge at Universal Orlando’s parking garage and at SeaWorld Orlando theme park. The top-line Incredi-Pass, which includes access to the four theme parks and has no blackout dates, now costs $1,449, according to Disney World’s website. That’s up from $1,399, an increase of 3.6%. The new price for the Sorcerer Pass, designed for Florida residents and some Disney Vacation Club members, is $999, up from $969, an increase of 3.1%. There are blackout days near Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Attack of the undead. Do you know safest city in Florida during zombie apocalypse?” via Cheryl McCloud of the USA Today Network — There will probably be plenty of zombies knocking on your door on Oct. 31. But if there were a zombie apocalypse, where would be the best place in Florida to survive … as a non-zombified human? Travel website Wanderu had fun answering that question — along with where you definitely not want to be — in its best and worst cities in the U.S. to live “if the undead come knocking.” So, lock the doors, check over your shoulder and wander with us into some zombie fun.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Celebrating today are OnMessage’s Joanna Burgos, Adam Corey, Cesar Fernandez, Melissa Power, and Amber Smith.

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