Peter Schorsch
Good Monday morning.
On Saturday, Sen. Lauren Book completed her annual 1,500-mile trek across Florida to raise awareness in communities across the state for National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The monthlong “Walk in My Shoes” campaign, led by Lauren’s Kids founder and CEO Book, sought to raise awareness, educate communities and empower survivors of child sexual abuse, in partnership with Florida’s sexual assault treatment centers, children’s advocacy centers, child protection units, Bikers Against Child Abuse, local schools and more.
“We’re so thankful to the thousands of advocates, supporters, and brave survivors who walked hand-in-hand with us during this incredible monthlong walk for healing and change,” Book said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we know 1 in 3 girls and 1 in five boys will suffer sexual abuse before graduating high school. The statistics are staggering, but the solution is clear: 95% of child sexual abuse IS preventable with education and awareness. Every mile we walked and every hurdle we crossed was to protect childhood, and while this month has ended, our advocacy and mission are far from over.”
Starting in Key West at the beginning of April, Book and her crew trekked up to 25 miles a day at stops across the state. Throughout the month, thousands of walkers joined the team. Lauren’s Kids finished Saturday in Panama City, with the final leg at the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, joined by local leaders, volunteers, survivors and advocates.
Through walks and school visits, Lauren’s Kids highlights the local resources available for hope and healing in communities visited during the trek. These include children’s advocacy centers and sexual assault treatment programs, including those with the Florida Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence.
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Communications pro Logan Lewkow is being promoted to Deputy Executive Director of the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA).
Starting May 1, Logan will lead integrated communication efforts for the FSA, working with Floridians and visitors to highlight the impact on the Sheriffs’ mission, including their involvement in the FSA membership program.
“Protecting, leading and uniting is what we believe in, and we are honored to have the support and trust of the public to join us along that journey,” Lewkow said in a statement. “I often have to pinch myself when I take a step back and realize that I get to make a true difference with a work family that is unmatched and with the nation’s greatest sheriffs who have a genuine passion to do best by the people they work to protect.”
“The devotion and commitment that executive director Steve Casey has shown toward the FSA’s community-centric initiatives is inspiring,” he continued, “and we are thrilled to share this with every individual, family, group and more. Public safety is important to everyone, and we can all continue to build toward safer streets together.”
“We will always work to humanize the badge because, in Florida, we have leaders throughout the state that allow everyone to stand with law enforcement and to be proud of the community leaders that they are, the protectors of our streets, and the true superheroes to our children.”
Logan holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and an MBA from Mississippi State University. Before joining the FSA, he spent four years working as the director for the Moore Agency and eight years with LobbyTools.
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The public affairs team at globally ranked marketing and communications agency Moore has once again been top-ranked by PR ratings service O’Dwyer’s — landing the #1 spot for Public Affairs in Florida and #5 in the U.S. This demonstrates the team’s commitment to leading campaigns and working with clients to build influence and drive action. For more than a half-century, O’Dwyer Co. has released an annual ranking by measuring distinctive financials, counseling and media contact services of specialty practices. Headquartered in Tallahassee, Moore has offices in West Palm Beach, New Orleans and Denver.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
Tweet, tweet:
The meeting between Trump & DeSantis pic.twitter.com/LuL9hkflEU
— Tinfoil Baddie (@tinfoilbaddie) April 28, 2024
—@MattGaetz: My friend @alexbruesewitz errantly included me on a list of Florida Republicans he’s “confident” will endorse (Mike) Haridopolos. There is no basis for such confidence in reality.
—@JmPalmeiri: Friends, I have been to A LOT of these dinners and Colin Jost was the best comedian I have seen in that room. He was great.
Tweet, tweet:
The room was on 🔥 in Miami Gardens! pic.twitter.com/9xLYehixwd
— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) April 28, 2024
— DAYS UNTIL —
Florida Housing Summit ‘Blueprint for Better Outcomes’ begins — 2; Kentucky Derby — 5; 2024 Leadership Conference on Safety, Health & Sustainability — 11; ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres — 11; ‘The Blue Angels,’ a feature documentary from J.J. Abrams opens in IMAX theaters — 18; ‘Bridgerton’ new season (part one) premieres on Netflix — 19; French Open begins — 21; Special Election to replace Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill — 22; Dave Matthews Band 2024 Summer Tour begins in Tampa — 23; Monaco Grand Prix — 27; the 2024 World Cup begins — 43; season two of ‘House of the Dragon’ returns to Max — 48; ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ premieres — 60; Republican National Convention begins — 76; the 2024 World Cup ends — 80; 2024 MLS All-Star Game — 85; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games on NBC/Peacock — 87; ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premieres — 88; ‘Alien: Romulus’ premieres — 109; Florida Primary Election — 113; Democratic National Convention begins — 113; Georgia Tech to face Florida State in 2024 opener in Dublin — 117; 2024 NFL season kicks off — 130; Packers will face Eagles in Brazil — 130; Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stops in Miami — 172; 2024 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 175; 2024 Presidential Election — 190; Las Vegas Grand Prix — 203; MLS Cup 2024 — 218; ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ premieres — 288; the 2025 Oscars — 307; Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session begins — 309; 2025 Session ends — 369; ‘Moana’ premieres — 419; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 450; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 450; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 557; ‘Avatar 3’ premieres — 599; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 736; Untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 752; Another untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 963; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 1,103; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres — 2,062; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres — 2,784.
— TOP STORY —
“The most feared and least known political operative in America” via Michael Kruse of POLITICO Magazine — Susie Wiles, the people who know her the best believe, is a force more sensed than seen. Her influence on political events, to many who know what they’re watching, is as obvious as it is invisible. The prints leave not so much as a smudge.
Wiles is not just one of Trump’s senior advisers. She’s his most important adviser. She’s his de facto campaign manager. She has been, in essence, his chief of staff for the last more than three years. She’s one of the reasons Donald Trump is the GOP’s presumptive nominee and Ron DeSantis is not.
She’s one of the reasons Trump’s current operation has been getting credit for being more professional than its fractious, seat-of-the-pants antecedents. And she’s a leading reason Trump has every chance to get elected again — even after his loss of 2020, the insurrection of 2021, his party’s defeats in the Midterms of 2022, the criminal indictments of 2023 and the trial (or trials) of 2024.
“There is nobody, I think, that has the wealth of information that she does. Nobody in our orbit. Nobody,” top Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio told me. “She touches everything.”
“And nobody,” said veteran Florida lobbyist Ron Book, “even knows who she is.”
Wiles is no Trump puppeteer, but his successes, which are in no small measure also successes of hers, have engendered a level of condemnation and even just befuddlement that almost demands the kind of public accounting and self-reflection in which she’s never engaged.
Wiles, after all, used to work and work hard for Republicans who say they’ve never voted for Trump and never will.
Meanwhile … “Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis meet privately in Florida” via Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post — Trump and DeSantis met privately Sunday morning in Miami, according to people familiar with the matter, breaking a yearslong chill between the presumptive Republican nominee and his onetime chief primary rival. Allies brokered the meeting in hopes of a potential detente between the two men, and Trump’s advisers hope DeSantis will tap his donor network to help raise significant sums of money for the General Election, the people familiar with the matter said. Like others interviewed for this story, the people spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations. The pair met for several hours and DeSantis agreed to help Trump. The meeting was friendly. People close to DeSantis have said it is untenable for him to continue to have a strained relationship with Trump, particularly as he eyes his political future.
— STATEWIDE —
“DeSantis OKs disclosure requirement for AI in political ads” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — Under HB 919, sponsored by Hialeah Republican Rep. Alex Rizo, political ads using AI must have a disclosure — 12-point font for a print ad, be “clearly readable” and take up 4% of the space of a television or video ad, be “viewable without the user taking any action” in an internet ad and be at least three seconds in an audio ad on the radio. As defined in the bill, “generative artificial intelligence” means “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content including images, videos, audio, text and other digital content.” The new law also carries a criminal penalty. Violations of the disclosure requirement are a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by a prison sentence of up to one year and a $1,000 fine.
“New law puts pharmacists on front lines of controlling the spread of HIV” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Florida’s 36,000-plus licensed pharmacists can begin screening adults for HIV exposure starting July 1, and some pharmacists can begin to order and dispense drugs designed to reduce the risk of HIV infection under legislation signed by DeSantis. Sponsored by Rep. Gallop Franklin, HB 159 puts Florida pharmacists on the front line in the state’s efforts to prevent the spread of HIV by allowing them to screen adults for HIV exposure and to provide the results of the screening. Moreover, the law will enable pharmacists who enter into collaborative agreements with physicians to dispense pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for people who do not have HIV but are at a high risk of exposure.
“DeSantis signs legislation excusing new mothers from jury duty” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — New mothers in Florida will no longer have to choose between taking care of their infants and performing their civic duty as jurists. DeSantis signed legislation (HB 461) excusing women from jury service if they’ve given birth within six months and requested an exemption. The new law is effective July 1. It received broad support during the past Legislative Session when lawmakers in both chambers voted unanimously to send it to the Governor’s desk. Rep. Carolina Amesty called it an important change representative of the priority Florida puts on supporting families.
“DEP asks federal appeals court to allow it to issue wetlands permits” via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has asked a federal appeals court to delay a lower court ruling that removed the state’s authority to issue some wetlands development permits. DEP said in a memorandum it seeks to resume processing more than 1,000 federal 404 wetland permit applications that were filed before a judge sided with environmental groups in a lawsuit. “Beyond just large-scale development projects, the court’s decision directly impedes efforts to review and authorize a wide range of 404 permit applications that benefit the environment, the economy and the public,” DEP wrote.
“Reports of dying fish flood this Florida hotline. Here’s what people are seeing.” via Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times — An hour before the sun dipped below the Key West horizon, Veronika Frystacka walked on a pier when a crowd formed. A bizarre-looking fish thrashed on rocks below the bystanders. It had a snout like a chainsaw and stretched 6 feet long. It was a smalltooth sawfish, an almost mythical endangered species that lurks Southwest Florida waters in the shadows. A week later, Frystacka encountered posts on Facebook about sawfish dying in the Florida Keys. That’s when it dawned on her what she had witnessed in late February.
“Chinese professors warn of ‘culture of fear’ in Florida after DeSantis’ hiring restrictions” via Siena Duncan of POLITICO — After losing his top pick for a postdoctoral assistant to another college, University of Florida professor Zhengfei Guan knew who was to blame: DeSantis. Guan, a Chinese national with lawful permanent residence in Florida, and two Chinese Florida International University students filed a lawsuit looking to block a law that bans state universities from “agreements” with people from a “country of concern,” including China, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Russia, North Korea and Cuba. In practice, this has caused public universities to avoid hiring students from those countries for assistantships.
—2024 — FLORIDA —
“Rick Scott and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell are raring for a fight. They’ll have to win Primaries first” via Max Greenwood of the Miami Herald — Scott, who’s seeking a second term in the Senate after ousting Democratic former Sen. Bill Nelson nearly six years ago, is set to face off against two fellow Republicans in Florida’s Aug. 20 Primary: John Columbus and Keith Gross. Both are little-known in Florida politics, but that didn’t stop them from qualifying for the ballot. Mucarsel-Powell is the overwhelming favorite to capture her party’s nomination in August. She’s raised more money than any of her Primary rivals, and already has the backing of some of both Florida and Washington’s most-prominent Democrats, including President Joe Biden. Standing just feet away from Biden as he heaped praise on Mucarsel-Powell was Stanley Campbell, a Miami native and prominent Florida business owner, who is one of several Democrats also vying for the party’s Senate nod.
“Scott launches final ad targeting Hispanics in multimillion-dollar campaign, ‘Verdad’” via Owen Girard of Florida’s Voice — The ad addresses how some schools in America are pushing “socialism on our children” through gender ideology and other left-wing talking points. “As parents, we teach values to our children,” Scott said in the ad. “The difference between right and wrong, truth and lies. But then we send our kids to school where some radical, socialist teacher doesn’t teach them math or English,” he said. “No, they’re taught then men can have babies and become women, and that we should worship the god of the government, not the God who created us. That is socialism.” Scott’s campaign bashed Biden, the Democratic Party and Scott’s election opponent, Mucarsel-Powell, saying they are embracing socialism and turning a blind eye to “dangerous dictators in our hemisphere.”
To watch the ad, please click the image below:
—”Scott touts Puerto Rican leaders’ support for re-election bid” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Former naval aviator files to challenge Matt Gaetz in Primary” via Jim Little of the Pensacola News-Journal — Republican Aaron Dimmick filed ahead of the noon deadline Friday to run for Florida’s 1st Congressional District as a Republican. Until Dimmick filed, Gaetz appeared to be heading directly to face Democratic challenger Gay Valimont in the General Election. Valimont automatically became the Democratic nominee for the General Election in November. Valimont is a former Florida leader in the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. In previous years, Gaetz fended off multiple GOP challengers, including a well-funded 2022 campaign from former FedEx executive Mark Lombardo, who lost by more than 45 points. Dimmick is a retired Naval officer and Naval aviator and is currently the director for leadership programs at the University of West Florida’s Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Center for Leadership.
—”Real estate agent to Primary Kat Cammack, while a familiar Democrat awaits in November” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Bill Posey retiring from Congress; backs former Senate President Mike Haridopolos as successor” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The surprise late entry came after Posey, a Rockledge Republican, already qualified by petition to seek re-election. But Posey, shortly after Florida’s federal qualification deadline, announced he would suspend his campaign and endorse Haridopolos. Shortly afterward, Haridopolos officially announced his campaign. “I wish to thank our incredible Congressman Bill Posey for his faithful service to our community, state and nation,” Haridopolos said. “I will work every day to live up to his legacy of service and serve the people of District 8 with integrity and honor.” Haridopolos laid out an agenda critical of Biden’s record while proclaiming his support for Trump to return to the White House.
“3 Republicans qualify against Darren Soto as national Republicans eye CD 9” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Three Republicans have qualified to challenge U.S. Rep. Soto. The candidates are conservative activist Jose Castillo, former Osceola School Board member Thomas Chalifoux and former state Rep. John Quiñones. Officially, the National Republican Congressional Committee has no preference who wins the GOP Primary, but Republicans remain confident that they can unseat Soto this Fall. The party has had their eye on Quiñones for months. He was the first Republican of Puerto Rican descent elected to the Florida Legislature. Following the once-a-decade redistricting process in 2022, CD 9 officially became a Hispanic-majority district.
—”Jack Martin, former Primary foe, backs Gus Bilirakis for re-election to CD 12” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics
Weak — “Luther Campbell isn’t running for Congress. With no opponent, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick automatically wins re-election.” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — U.S. Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick automatically won a new term in Congress Friday when Campbell failed to qualify as a candidate. With no other candidate coming forward to challenge the Broward-Palm Beach county Democrat by the deadline, Cherfilus-McCormick is headed back to the House. She’s the only Florida member of Congress who didn’t draw an opponent. Campbell, the rap artist-turned-coach and civic activist, widely known as “Uncle Luke,” had been talking about running for weeks, mainly through posts on social media and in podcast interviews. He’d been harshly critical of Cherfilus-McCormick. And he continued in that vein on a video he posted Friday afternoon on social media. “I hope that Miss McCormick can hear these issues of this community that she’s neglected for so long,” he said.
“Do Florida Hispanics support abortion, marijuana amendments?” via Syra Ortiz Blanes and Max Greenwood of The Miami Herald — Democrats are hoping that an explosive debate in Florida over abortion rights will drive fired-up voters to the polls this November, amid a wave of new restrictions that are limiting access to the procedure in the state and across the U.S. But for Florida’s vast and influential Hispanic electorate, it’s not clear if abortion access is going to be the winning issue that Democrats and activists hope it will be.
—2024 — PRESIDENTIAL & D.C. —
“Trump maintains lead over Joe Biden in 2024 matchup as views on their presidencies diverge” via Jennifer Agiesta of CNN — Trump continues to hold an advantage over Biden as the campaign — and Trump’s criminal trial — move forward. Trump’s support in the poll among registered voters holds steady at 49% in a head-to-head matchup against Biden, the same as a poll on the race in January, while Biden’s stands at 43%, not significantly different from January’s 45%. Looking back, 55% of all Americans now say they see Trump’s presidency as a success, while 44% see it as a failure. In a January 2021 poll taken just before Trump left office and days after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, 55% considered his time as President a failure.
“Top Democrats pressed for Rahm Emanuel to lead Biden campaign” via Liz Hoffman, Morgan Chalfant, and Ben Smith of Semafor — At the low point of Biden’s polling this winter, top New York Democratic donors pushed to bring the legendary Democratic politico Emanuel back from his posting in Japan to run the re-election campaign. Two prominent Democratic sources told Semafor that they’d been involved in discussions aimed at bringing the combative and connected Emanuel — a former top Clinton aide, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair, Chicago Mayor, and member of a legendary set of brothers — in to energize what they saw as an isolated and somnolent Biden inner circle that seemed to be hiding the President from public view. The donor-led push — like most efforts to influence Biden’s tight inner circle — was received coolly in Wilmington and Tokyo. Emanuel dismissed the effort as “not real” in a text message to Semafor.
“Doug Burgum moves up Trump’s VP ladder” via Sophia Cai and Juliegrace Brufke of Axios — North Dakota Gov. Burgum is quickly moving up Trump’s list of possible vice presidential picks because Trump’s team believes he would be a safe choice who could attract moderate voters. Burgum is on a long list of VP contenders, but Trump’s rising interest in the North Dakota Governor has been clear in recent weeks — and reveals his latest thinking about how he thinks his running mate could help him with undecided voters. Trump and his wife, Melania, hosted Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, at Mar-a-Lago for Easter Brunch. In recent weeks, the sources said, Trump frequently has brought up Burgum’s name in discussions with allies.
“‘We’re not going to let her take out the speaker’: Jared Moskowitz rips Marjorie Taylor Greene again” via Kelly Garrity of POLITICO — Democrats might not be sold on the idea of saving Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson from an attempted ouster. But at least one isn’t too keen on the idea of helping Rep. Greene remove him. “Well, I mean, look, obviously we’ll wait for our Leader Jeffries to figure out that solution,” Rep. Moskowitz said Sunday during an interview, referencing Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “But I’ve said this before, and I think there are other members who feel the same way, the idea of allowing Marjorie Taylor Greene, someone who literally, you know, would let the world burn, you know, with her isolationist foreign policy who has talked about states seceding from the union, right?” Moskowitz said.
— DOWN-BALLOT —
Hmmm … “Abortion threatens GOP’s chances in Florida statehouse races” via Caroline Vakil and Julia Manchester of the Hill — Abortion politics is threatening to roil Florida Republicans’ chances in competitive state Legislature races amid widespread voter backlash. a handful of vulnerable Republican state lawmakers who supported the six-week restrictions could be imperiled in November as anger over the ban grows. “Given how unpopular this new policy is and the fact that there’s a constitutional amendment question regarding abortion on the ballot, I do think that there’s some risk for down-ballot Republicans,” former Rep. Carlos Curbelo told The Hill. Democrats are confident some of these GOP state legislators will be vulnerable for voting on the six-week ban. If that’s the case, it would show how abortion politics is roiling redder states at a more local level.
First in Sunburn — “Florida police union endorses Nick Primrose in HD 18” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) is throwing support behind Primrose in the open House District 18 race. Primrose is a former attorney for Govs. Scott and DeSantis, lending plenty of credibility to hit GOP bona fides as he contends for the seat. Now, he also has support from law enforcement. “We will actively encourage our members, their families, friends, and all citizens within District 18 who value public safety and respect the sacrifices of our law enforcement officers to cast their votes in support of Nick Primrose’s candidacy,” said John Kazanjian, President of Florida PBA.
Happening today:
“Miami-Dade Democrats tap state Sen. Shevrin Jones to lead struggling party” via Max Greenwood of the Miami Herald — Jones’ victory over three other candidates — Biscayne Gardens Chamber of Commerce President Bernard Jennings, Miami-Dade College Democrats President Manuel Fernandez and Miami-Dade Progressive Caucus’s Angel Montalvo — caps off a chaotic month for the Miami-Dade Democratic Party that saw now-former Chair Robert Dempster booted out of his job and a tumultuous race to succeed him. In choosing Jones to lead the party, Miami-Dade Democrats opted for a well-liked and well-connected politician who was widely seen as the favorite candidate of state party leaders. Jones’ term will run through December when the party is set to hold its regular election for Chair. Yet the job is likely to be far from glamorous.
“Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe State Attorneys re-elected unopposed” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — State Attorneys Harold Pryor of Broward County, Katherine Fernandez Rundle of Miami-Dade County and Dennis Ward of Monroe County all just secured four more years in office after no one filed to challenge them. Each won by default at noon, the deadline for candidates seeking federal, State Attorney, Public Defender and judicial offices to qualify by fee or petition. Pryor holds onto the office he first won in 2020 when he outpaced seven fellow Democrats in a crowded Primary and defeated Republican challenger Gregg Rossman by 28 percentage points to succeed Mike Satz. Satz declined to run for office after serving as State Attorney for 44 straight years.
—Katherine Fernandez Rundle re-elected unopposed to seventh term as Miami-Dade State Attorney” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
“Otaola cleared in stalking case. Judge says no evidence of threats by Mayor candidate” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — A Miami-Dade County judge on Friday dismissed a stalking complaint against Alexander Otaola, ruling there was no proof the YouTube host and Mayoral candidate threatened a man on his show. “Given the defendant is a social media influencer … I would have expected voluminous evidence,” Judge Yara Lorenzo Klukas said during an afternoon hearing of the civil proceeding brought by a private investigator claiming public harassment by the conservative host and Miami-Dade Mayor hopeful. “There is none.” The plaintiff, Jose Carrillo, said he felt endangered after Otaola began insulting him on his popular Spanish-language YouTube show, “Hola! Ota-Ola,” in 2023 after Carrillo served court papers at Otaola’s rural compound outside Homestead.
“Miami Herald reporting triggers investigation into foreclosure auction attorney” via Brittany Wallman and Ben Wieder of the Miami Herald — The Bar complaint originally came from a man who hoped to buy a two-bedroom, ocean-view condo at the Emerald Tower in Pompano Beach. A woman outbid him, who he later came to believe was the auctioneer’s sister, bidding under a fake name. In his complaint, he accused auctioneer and attorney Brad Schandler of rigging foreclosure auctions and “illegally enriching himself from cheating the system and hurting many honest people that are actually looking for a home.” The Bar reopened the complaint following the Herald’s reporting on Schandler’s unconventional tactics. Schandler took advantage of a soft spot in foreclosure law and the court system that allows him to enter foreclosure cases relatively cheaply, take over, get a judge to change the auction terms to his benefit, and then stage auctions he has virtually no chance of losing.
— LOCAL: C. FL —
“Scandals for Bruce Antone, Carolina Amesty. Where are the probes?” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — While it’s probably not surprising, it’s still ridiculous that no one has demanded answers or accountability in the wake of controversies involving two local legislators — Democrat Antone and Republican Amesty. This past week, the Sentinel carried a story that raised questions about whether Antone lives in his state House district as the law requires. And the paper has been filled with pieces about Amesty over the past year — about a funding request she filed for millions of tax dollars that the supposed beneficiary said contained a lie, and also about documents she notarized for her family’s university that at least one person said was false. The story about Antone featured stellar shoe-leather reporting by students in the University of Florida’s Fresh Take Florida program who scoured campaign filings, financial reports and property listings to conclude the Orlando Democrat “doesn’t always report living in [his] required district.” All the vested interests seemed happy to look the other way.
“Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill’s case part of ‘epidemic’ of elder abuse, experts say” via Annie Martin and Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — A senior with memory loss and no family members to help gave control of her finances to a younger woman. In short order, the younger woman sold the elderly woman’s home and depleted her life savings while neglecting her medical care. In broad strokes, this tale from Miami-Dade County resembles the elder abuse case now ensnarling suspended Orlando City Commissioner Hill. And there is one additional, critical element, common to the two cases and dozens more elder-abuse actions across Florida: The alleged misuse of a powerful but little-regulated legal mechanism called power of attorney. Power-of-attorney agreements are intended to help vulnerable people who can no longer manage their own finances hand control to someone who can. But experts in elder affairs say seniors frequently end up exploited by the very people they appoint to care for them.
“UCF students rally for Palestinians, the latest in nationwide campus divestment protests” via Cristóbal Reyes of the Orlando Sentinel — As protests roil college campuses nationwide, University of Central Florida students and local activists rallied Friday afternoon in solidarity with Palestinians and against the war in Gaza. More than 200 gathered in front of the John C. Hitt Library, many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing kaffiyehs as they called for an end to hostilities in the Gaza strip and liberation of what are considered occupied territories. The protests were largely orderly and no arrests were reported. Reem Elkhaldi, a Palestinian-American attorney who runs Gaza-based nonprofit Healing Our Homeland, remembered losing loved ones in the latest escalation to the conflict. “The status quo is disgusting,” Elkhaldi said. “The people of Gaza are more than just numbers. They are my family.”
— LOCAL: TB —
“Democrat steps forward to challenge Ken Hagan for Hillsborough Commission” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — Patricia Alonzo of New Tampa, a professional sign language interpreter and Democratic Party volunteer worker has filed to challenge Republican Hillsborough County Commissioner Hagan. Alonzo, who now works as an interpreter at Moffitt Cancer Center, is a first-time candidate for public office but said she’s been involved as a volunteer in campaign work since growing up in Chicago.
— LOCAL: N. FL —
“UF threatens student protesters with suspension, banishment from campus for three years” via Amanda Friedman and Vivienne Serret of Fresh Take Florida — The two days of relatively mild protests at UF also occurred in a different political environment than at other schools. Staunch allies of Israel, DeSantis and UF’s new President Ben Sasse have openly warned they would not tolerate violent pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. Last year, DeSantis tried unsuccessfully to ban two pro-Palestinian student groups at UF and the University of South Florida in Tampa, Students for Justice in Palestine, after accusing them of providing material support to Hamas. Citing First Amendment protections, the universities have allowed the groups to continue operating on their campuses. The protesters this week demanded that the university prohibit speakers affiliated with Israel’s military and promise not to suspend or arrest students engaged in peaceful protests.
“Leon School Board member calls for ‘downsizing’ discussion amid declining enrollment” via Alaijah Brown of The Tallahassee Democrat — Over the last five years, Leon County Schools has lost 2,578 students, and along with that a significant amount of state funding, with some schools no longer operating at capacity. Still reeling from a pandemic drop-off and facing fierce competition with charter and private schools under the state’s yearslong expansion of vouchers, districts across Florida have been involved in discussions about closing schools with low enrollment to save and accommodate declining budgets. Duval County Public Schools has recently identified 30 schools that could be shut down due to low enrollments and high costs. The issue hit home in Tallahassee Monday when School Board member Alva Swafford Smith suggested LCS should consider the possibility of downsizing in response to the local enrollment decline.
“Mayor John Dailey wants apology after FDLE drops Jeremy Matlow’s Sunshine Law complaint” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — The Florida Department of Law Enforcement last year dropped a complaint filed by Tallahassee City Commissioner Matlow against Dailey alleging he overheard him speaking about Blueprint business outside of a public meeting. Last September, Matlow alleged that as he was walking to his office, he overheard Dailey talking about a nondisclosure agreement with City Commissioner Curtis Richardson involving Bugra Demirel and his SoMo Walls development on South Monroe Street. Matlow, who complained to FDLE and the Sheriff’s Office, said it happened several days before the Blueprint Board, made up of City and County Commissioners, was set to take up a $1.8 million funding request from Demirel for the project.
“Jacksonville’s police and fire pension debt approaches staggering $3 billion” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — The pension debt for Jacksonville police and firefighter retirees is approaching a staggering $3 billion and will require taxpayers to put up about $178 million next year to cover City Hall’s obligations, record levels of red ink at a time when city officials are nearing a deal to upgrade EverBank Stadium, considering the construction of a new jail and locked in collective bargaining talks with public-safety unions over pay and other benefits. The unfunded liability — that is, the shortfall between what the fund is obligated to pay out and what its current assets can actually cover — rose to $2.83 billion, meaning the pension plan for public-safety retirees is less than 45% funded. In only five years over the past two decades has the fund been in worse financial shape, having fallen sharply from an almost 87% funded status in 2000.
“Clay Yarborough raises alarm over student safety for alleged lewd acts at Douglas Anderson school” via Michelle Vecerina of Florida’s Voice — Sen. Yarborough expressed “urgent concern” for Duval County Public Schools’ student safety after a February arrest came to light last week regarding a math teacher from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts for allegedly exposing himself to the public. Chris Allen-Black was arrested for exposing his naked body and performing sexual acts on himself through his hotel window at a Walt Disney World Epcot resort while overlooking the pool area. Allen-Black marks the fifth staff member to be removed from a classroom in just 14 months. Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Principal Tina Wilson sent a letter notifying parents of the arrest and informed them Allen-Black would be reassigned to other duties without student contact.
— LOCAL: SW. FL —
“Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo” via Elizabeth Biro of WINK — On Friday, hundreds gathered to celebrate the life of Passidomo, the husband of state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. Hundreds showed up to Baker Park in Naples to celebrate John and wrap their arms around Kathleen. John’s family, friends, and this community will tell you the legacy he left behind will be remembered for generations. He was a dedicated public servant in Naples and Collier County, serving in leadership roles, including the City Council. He was instrumental in the redevelopment of Fifth Avenue. His funeral service was Saturday at St. Ann Catholic Church in downtown Naples.
“Collier County community says goodbye to local leader Passidomo” via Ella Rhoades of FOX4 — Naples Police Department and Fire blocked off Third Street South between 9th and 10th Avenue for the service at 11 a.m. where people came to pay their respects. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard also paid their respects before the service. For years, Passidomo served as the Collier County Community Foundation Chair, sat on Naples City Council and practiced law for more than 40 years in Collier County. Collier County Community Foundation President Eileen Conolly-Keesler said, “He’s been a person we could go to, brainstorm with, talk with about issues and problems in the community. He was a caring and gentle person. It is really sad.” A fund through CCCF has been started to carry on John Passidomo’s legacy of giving back to the community.
— TOP OPINION —
“I sponsored Florida’s ethics bill and here’s what it does” via Danny Burgess for the Tampa Bay Times — During the 2024 Session, the Florida Legislature passed SB 7014, an ethics package affecting Ethics Commissions.
Based on columns and editorials, you would think we aimed to return Florida’s ethics laws to the Dark Ages. Well, as the author of the legislation, I thought I’d tell you exactly what the bill actually does and does not do, so you can decide for yourself if it is worth the hysterical reaction that it is receiving.
Currently, there are massive discrepancies statewide when it comes to these Boards. Some places in Florida have such Boards, but most do not. Within this variation, these local Boards have created a patchwork of differing standards for how to file an ethics complaint and what evidence is admissible for an ethics complaint. That is not good policy, and it is this lack of statewide consistency that SB 7014 addresses.
This bill simply requires local Ethics Boards to have a consistent standard statewide by requiring them to meet the same standards as the Florida Ethics Commission. One standard of ethics for everyone? Talk about a radical idea!
Our bill says that you can only file a complaint based on admissible hearsay, as opposed to inadmissible hearsay. What does that mean?
It means you can’t read a post on social media or a story in a newspaper and then file an ethics complaint based solely on that information. Rather, it means that you should have actual documents or information to accompany the complaint.
It might not sell newspapers or generate outrage clicks on the internet, but it is good public policy for Florida, and I’m honored to have run this balanced bill.
— OPINIONS —
“The politics of pessimism” via Frank Bruni for The Atlantic — China’s economy still lags behind ours, although Americans have been reluctant to recognize that. Too many, if not most, of us are disinclined to look or think beyond our shores. We’d traditionally been such a confident, even cocky, nation, enamored of our military might (and often too quick to use it), showy with our foreign aid, schooled in stories — true ones — about how desperately foreigners wanted to make new lives here and what extraordinary risks they took to do so. We saw ourselves as peerless and we spoke a distinctively American vocabulary of infinite possibility, boundless optimism, and better tomorrows. I don’t detect that optimism around me anymore. In its place is a crisis of confidence, a pervasive sense among most Americans that our best days are behind us and that our problems are multiplying faster than we can find solutions for them. It’s a violent rupture of our national psyche. It’s a whole new American pessimism. Well, maybe not entirely new.
“Florida’s humid Summers cause enough stench; DeSantis opposes adding marijuana to the mix.” via Frank Cerabino of the Palm Beach Post — It’s the time of year when hot water temperatures and nutrient contamination from agricultural land, fertilizer runoff and leaky septic tanks produce a noxious slime that kills sea life and emits an ammonia odor that sickens some people and drives others indoors. But that’s not the only smell that DeSantis is sounding the alarm about. Lately, he’s been railing about smelly marijuana. Or to put it another way, he’s pivoting from “anti-woke” to “anti-smoke.” “This state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns,” he said recently. “It will reduce the quality of life.” DeSantis has even conducted some field research on the matter. “I’ve gone to some of these cities that have had this everywhere. It smells,” DeSantis said.
“A fond farewell for a favorite son of Florida” via Steve Bousquet of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida’s past and present came together Friday in an ideal setting: the historic Old Capitol in Tallahassee. Bob Graham, the former two-term Governor and three-term U.S. Senator who died April 16 at age 87, lay in state on the second floor of the old building where he began his career as a 30-year-old state legislator from Miami Lakes in 1966. Hundreds of people waited patiently in line for more than an hour and then climbed the steep, century-old stairs to walk past Graham’s casket and express condolences to his widow, Adele, who sat nearby in a wingback chair as a quartet played light classical music downstairs. For a few hours, there was an abundance of history in that historic Capitol, and no one had a greater appreciation for Florida history than Graham himself.
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“Aaron Sorkin writing a potential ‘Social Network’ sequel: ‘I blame Facebook for Jan. 6’” via James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter — Sorkin is writing a new movie that could serve as a sequel to The Social Network. The Oscar-winning screenwriter broke the news when he was asked during a live-from-D.C. edition of The Town podcast about how Facebook and social media have influenced democracy in the years since his 2010 hit. “Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin told Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby. “I blame Facebook for Jan. 6.” When asked why he blames a social media company for a pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol, Sorkin replied, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Happy 67th birthday to ace photographer Mark Wallheiser, former State Rep. Renier Diaz de la Portilla, and former State Sen. Gary Farmer.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
