Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
The order reinterprets the citizenship clause in the 14th Amendment, which holds that “persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump, however, argues that citizenship is not a guarantee to those born in the United States if their “mother was unlawfully present” and their father is not a U.S. citizen.
Most legal scholars don’t follow the President’s logic, nor did U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, who called it “blatantly unconstitutional” before blocking it.
The move comes as immigration takes center stage in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis re-upped his call for a Special Session to consider legislation aligned with Trump’s agenda — an ask that lawmakers didn’t embrace.
During a news conference in Jacksonville, DeSantis said lawmakers “need to put their money where their mouth is” rather than question the timing of the Session. He had earlier spoken with Republican Executive Committee members, asking them to press lawmakers to take action.
During the call, DeSantis stressed the urgency of passing bills to enact Trump’s agenda of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. The Governor reportedly wants lawmakers to take up and quickly pass bills by the end of next week.
Evening Reads
—”Donald Trump is leading a global surge to the right” via Jim Tankersley, Emma Bubola, Andrew Higgins and Aurelien Breeden of The New York Times
—“The 21 people in Trump world you need to know” via Dasha Burns and Megan Masserly of POLITICO
—”The who’s who of MAGA influencers you should know about by now” via Makena Kelly of WIRED
—”The 33 must-see lines from Trump’s interview with Sean Hannity” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—“A judge deals Trump his first setback in his effort to rewrite immigration law.” via Mike Baker and Mattathias Schwartz of The New York Times
—“Meta courted Trump. Now comes the backlash from Facebook, Instagram users.” via Tatum Hunter and Heather Kelly of The Washington Post
—”How Florida conquered America” via Ben Mathis-Lilley of SLATE
—”America’s fraught, sometimes deadly, history with the Panama Canal” via Jose de Cordoba and Santiago Perez of The Wall Street Journal
—”Oscar nominations snubs and surprises” via Hilary Lewis of The Hollywood Reporter
—“The year that Netflix could finally win Best Picture” via David Sims of The Atlantic
Quote of the Day
“How is it premature when we’ve been waiting four years for this moment? There’s a mandate from the voters.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, urging lawmakers to heed his call for a Special Session.
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.
Floridians are signing up for VPNs in droves for … reasons. If you’re scratching your head about which service to go with, mull it over with an Incognito.
There’s a way to go before Halloween, but those wistful for the spooky season can start planning for the next Halloween Horror Nights. Mix in one of these Haunting Cocktails for added effect.
Order a White House for Trent Morse, who is starting a new gig as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Gators host the Bulldogs on Saturday in Gainesville (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Florida (17-2, 4-2 SEC) is ranked fifth in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Gators are one of five SEC teams in the top 10. After a home loss to Missouri on Jan. 14, Florida has beaten Texas and South Carolina, topping the Gamecocks 70-69 after trailing by 14.
Georgia (14-5, 2-4) is not ranked in the Top 25 but did receive votes this week. The Bulldogs are coming off a dramatic loss at Arkansas. Once up by 15, Georgia saw Arkansas score three points in the final 1.8 seconds to secure a three-point Razorbacks win.
For Georgia head coach Mike White, the matchup against his former program is not as personal as it once was. After two seasons coaching against his former employer, White has settled into the job in Athens and led the Bulldogs last year to the program’s first 20-win season in eight years. This season, White can lead Georgia to the most wins in school history if the Bulldogs win five of their last 11 regular season games with more chances in the postseason. Eight of Georgia’s last 11 games are scheduled against ranked teams, including the return match against the Gators in Athens on Feb. 25.
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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.
