Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Parkland is reportedly a leading candidate to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President-elect Donald Trump.
The sophomore federal lawmaker, who headed up the Florida Division of Emergency Management during the pandemic under Gov. Ron DeSantis, is a “top contender” for the job, CNN senior reporter Steve Contorno reported.
Moskowitz, 43, worked for nearly a decade at AshBritt Inc., a Deerfield Beach-based emergency management company, before accepting the Governor’s appointment in January 2019.
He held the state job for two and a half years, earning the nickname “Master of Disaster.”
Florida Politics contacted Moskowitz and his acting communications director, Keith Nagy, for comments but received no response by press time.
A former Florida House member and Broward County Commissioner, Moskowitz has developed a reputation as a deft, persuasive policymaker with a sharp tongue and penchant for crossing the political aisle.
Since winning his seat representing Florida’s 23rd Congressional District in 2022, Moskowitz has repeatedly called for the replenishment of FEMA funds before and after natural disasters struck the Sunshine State.
That included legislation he filed in June to provide $7 billion in supplemental funding to the agency before the August deadline, another measure in October to earmark $10 billion for FEMA relief efforts after Hurricane Helene struck the Sunshine State, and legislation in September, co-sponsored by Louisiana Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves to again make FEMA a Cabinet-level agency.
Read more on Florida Politics.
Evening Reads
—”The danger of Donald Trump’s promise to pardon J6 defendants” via Ellen Ioanes of Vox
—“Vaccines, drones, and suing the media: Trump’s first post-election presser was wild” via Nikki McCann Ramirez of Rolling Stone
—“Jared Moskowitz reportedly being eyed to lead FEMA under Trump” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—“Maybe Democrats didn’t do so badly after all” via Russell Berman of The Atlantic
—“Trump is open to having his strongest supporters spend a lot more on mail” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post
—”A Constitutional Convention? Some Democrats fear it’s coming.” via Heather Knight and Kate Selig of The New York Times
—”Luigi Mangione’s best defense strategy might be to avoid arguing over guilt” via Corinne Ramey and James Fanelli of The Wall Street Journal
—”Glen Gilzean spent 51% of his budget in 2.5 months, Comptroller says” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics
—”FSU’s Mike Norvell restructures contract, makes $4.5M contribution to launch Vision of Excellence fund” via Cole Pepper of Florida Politics
—”State Rep. Anna Eskamani files to run for Orlando Mayor” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel
Quote of the Day
“They smear what they fear.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, ripping The New York Times’ coverage of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
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.
With Moskowitz in the running to lead FEMA, it might be time to track down a Master of Disaster — a beer that, notably, was first bottled after the former FDEM head earned his nickname.
Given the President-elect’s comments on his daughter-in-law’s U.S. Senate chances, Lara Trump gets a Definite Maybe.
Those expecting a peek into the inner workings of Disney’s monorail are in for some disappointment. Perhaps an Under Wraps would soften the blow.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Panthers travel to Edmonton for finals rematch
The Florida Panthers will try to snap a two-game losing streak as they continue a five-game road trip tonight in Edmonton against the Oilers (8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network).
It’s the first meeting between the two teams since last season’s Stanley Cup Finals, in which the Panthers won four games to three.
The most recent losing streak came after the Panthers won six of seven games, with the only loss in that stretch coming in Pittsburgh in overtime. Florida (18-11-2) is second in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Florida has played well on the road this season, winning nine of 17 games away from home. The Panthers are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference standings but a win over Toronto could vault them as high as third place.
Florida will need to find a way to score after being shut out in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Edmonton (18-10-2) sits in third place in the Pacific Division on the strength of a five-game winning streak. The Oilers have scored at least six goals in three of the five games in the streak. The streak has been powered by Leon Draisaitl, who has recorded multiple points in each game, adding 13 points in the five-game winning streak.
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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.
