Last Call for 10.21.24 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

First Lady Casey DeSantis made a surprise appearance at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Future of Florida Forum, urging Florida businesses to get involved with charitable causes in their communities.

The First Lady wasn’t listed on the agenda the Florida Chamber circulated ahead of the event, but FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly said he’d been hinting a “surprise guest” would join him and joked that Beyoncé was one of top guesses.

“Those expectations, you’ve got to lower them a little bit. That way I’m delivering on something,” DeSantis responded.

Kelly was originally slated to participate in a discussion with Florida Chamber President Mark Wilson titled “Aligned on the Path to 2030,” but the last-minute audible — feigned or not — steered the conversation toward Hope Florida, a donation-funded effort led by Casey DeSantis that connects Floridians with resources in their area that can guide them toward self-sufficiency.

DeSantis emphasized the program’s work to break down the barriers separating people in need from community- and faith-based organizations in their backyards. She said while she was learning how the state’s Department of Children and Families operates, she noticed that charitable organizations, government agencies, and the people both are meant to serve were operating in their own “silos.”

“So, a constant theme, right, that there are so many people doing so many wonderful things, whether it’s the private sector, whether it’s the faith-based community, whether it’s our business community, whether it’s state government or local government, it’s all great stuff, but it’s all very siloed, right?” DeSantis said.

“Another profound thing happened when we were at the Governor’s Mansion in 2019 and the Governor was talking to his agency heads, and he was also talking to the Legislature, and we were doing a round table about mental health at the time. I’ll never forget he said something along the lines of, ‘I don’t want you guys to work in silos.’ And I’m like, That’s it, right? We’re working in silos.”

The First Lady noted that many families who seek assistance from DCF may end up with temporary government benefits, such as TANF or SNAP, but little to no help crafting long-term solutions to their obstacles.

DeSantis said: “That would be where the story ends. You’d have somebody processing that, and then they would pretty much go on their way. What we have done through Hope Florida is we have taken those folks and transitioned them over to now be ‘navigators,’” which is the program’s title for people who connect Floridians to non-government resources.

DeSantis then pivoted to how businesses can get involved with the program. Donations are welcome, of course, but the private sector can also help individuals directly by signing up to become a “Hope Employer” — or a business that provides flexible employment to struggling Floridians, such as single parents.

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, the state is launching a new partnership with Volunteer Florida to connect volunteers with opportunities to support the Hope Florida initiative and other community efforts.

“I’m telling you,” DeSantis said of Hope Florida recipients, “these are great folks who are just looking for an opportunity to be able to live up to their God-given potential.”

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The committee backing the recreational pot amendment is hosting a series of events focused on the safety standards already in place for the state’s medical marijuana industry.

Smart & Safe Florida announced six events, each of which will be held at Trulieve stores with company CEO Kim Rivers present.

“Media will be able to view products, see firsthand the rigorous product and packaging safety standards of legal marijuana products, and speak with Rivers and Dr. Terel Newton,” a news release from the committee reads.

The Tuesday schedule includes the Trulieve stores at 6655 S. Semoran Blvd. in Orlando, starting at 10 a.m.; 319 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, at 12:30 p.m.; and 10339 San Jose Blvd. in Jacksonville, at 3:30 p.m.

The series will continue on Wednesday with stops at the Trulieve dispensaries located at 2100 East Hallandale Beach Blvd. in Hallandale Beach at 10 a.m., followed by the location at 4139 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach at 1 p.m. The tour wraps in the capital city on Thursday with a 1 p.m. event at the 800 Capital Circle SE store.

Evening Reads

—”What would a second Trump administration mean for the Middle East?” via Uri Friedman of The Atlantic

—”The 35 scariest lines from Donald Trump’s Fox News interview” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—“24 reasons that Trump could win” via Nate Silver of the Silver Bulletin

—”Ukraine may cost Trump the election” via Mac William Bishop and Guillaume Ptak of Rolling Stone

—”Trump has gained in 538’s forecast, but the election is still a toss-up” via G. Elliott Morris of FiveThirtyEight

—”Trump flips stance on making voting easier after storm batters North Carolina” via Amy Gardner and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post

—”As Kamala Harris courts Sun Belt, housing costs stand in her way” via Jennifer Medina of The New York Times

—“UNF poll shows Florida abortion rights initiative right on the line of passage” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics

—”Many Florida election office websites crashed on first day of early voting” via Justin Garcia of the Tampa Bay Times

—”In hurricanes’ wake, expect more homeowners to rebuild rather than move, industry analysts say” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Quote of the Day

“I said, ‘Son, I don’t know if it’s going to get any better this Saturday when we have to go play at Miami.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking hard truths to a 6-year-old Seminoles fan living in the Governor’s Mansion.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott isn’t wrong … another hurricane could indeed hit Florida before Election Day rolls around. Nevertheless, he’s getting a Doom & Gloom for putting the thought in our heads and fear in our hearts.

Gov. Ron DeSantis can say Florida CFB teams are winning the ‘war on woke,” but that’s less impressive than earning a “quality loss.” And neither option sounds as appealing as Memory Loss, especially among Gators and Noles die-hards.

We don’t know why someone named their creation “Mediocre”— especially since it’s sitting at 4.5 stars on Difford’s — but our working theory is it’s named in (dis) honor of Floridians’ lackluster political engagement.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Bucs kick off on Monday Night Football

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can strengthen its hold on the NFC South with a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The Buccaneers (4-2) lead the Atlanta Falcons by half a game in the division entering tonight’s game. The Bucs and Falcons are scheduled to play on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay is coming off an impressive 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. The game marked the fourth time this season that the Bucs have scored at least 30 points. Quarterback Baker Mayfield enters the game tied for the league lead with 15 touchdown passes. He can move past Green Bay’s Jordan Love in the category tonight. Mayfield is ranked third in the NFL in quarterback rating (109.4), trailing Detroit’s Jared Goff and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

Wide receiver Chris Godwin has been Mayfield’s favorite target. Godwin has the fourth most catches in the NFL, with 43 receptions for 511 yards, the sixth-best in the NFL. He and fellow wide receiver Mike Evans are tied for second in the league with five touchdown receptions. 

Tampa Bay did not win its fifth game until December last season. Now, it has won nine of its last 13 games, dating back to the 2023 season.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.