Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
Ed. Note — On the road to recovery from his recent hip surgery, Peter suffered a bit of a setback today during physical therapy — the first time something like this has happened. He assures us there is nothing to be overly concerned about. However, Sunburn will be taking the night off so he can rest and recover. Don’t worry, your morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics will be back in your inbox early Wednesday morning.
Thanks for your support, and have a wonderful — and safe — evening!
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First Shot
Attorney General James Uthmeier is launching an investigation into two global climate disclosure organizations — the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) and the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) — over what he says could be deceptive or anticompetitive practices tied to environmental scoring.
The organizations promote ESG standards and corporate climate transparency, but Uthmeier claims such openness comes at a price — literally. The investigation will examine whether the groups employed pay-to-play tactics, such as selling improved scores, favorable endorsements, or special treatment in exchange for fees.
“These are not neutral watchdogs — they’re international pressure groups selling access, endorsements and data manipulation under the banner of environmental virtue,” Uthmeier said in a release, calling the duo a “Climate Cartel” exploiting businesses and misleading consumers.
The subpoenas aim to determine whether companies were misled into disclosing proprietary data or paying for validation that affected their access to investors, and whether financial firms, such as Bloomberg and S&P Global, were complicit in relying on these ESG ratings.
If the strategy sticks, it could mark a turning point in how states challenge the influence of private ESG frameworks. Rather than simply pushing back on “woke investing” with legislation or rhetoric, Florida’s case aims at the scoring infrastructure itself — the pipes that feed environmental ratings into boardrooms and balance sheets. It’s a more aggressive posture that could resonate with other states eyeing similar action.
Please let us know if he comes for LEED certifications next. Actually, he’ll probably send out a press release first.
Evening Reads
—”A tiny company is vouching for risky insurers in hurricane country” via Jean Eaglesham, Susan Pulliam and Caitlin Ostroff of The Wall Street Journal
—”‘College hazing’ or training? Amid shortage, air traffic recruits wash out.” via Ian Duncan of The Washington Post
—”Concealed handguns create a climate of fear, the gun industry’s own research reveals” via Mike Spies of Rolling Stone
—”The bull market for economists is over. It’s an ominous sign for the economy.” via Noam Scheiber of The New York Times
—“How NASA engineered its own decline” via Franklin Foer of The Atlantic
—”Company that rescued Floridians from strife-torn Haiti claims state hasn’t paid” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Ron DeSantis formulating AI approach, calls it society’s ‘biggest issue’” via Jay Waagmeester of the Florida Phoenix
—”Jabil chose North Carolina over Florida. Is that bad news for the state?” via Shauna Muckle and Erika Kengni of the Tampa Bay Times
—”Rick Scott says next Governor will have to fix insurance problem of the ‘last six and a half years’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”Byron Donalds fires shots at ‘radical Democrat’ David Jolly over Second Amendment statements” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
Quote of the Day
“I think clearly, in the next Governor’s race, a big issue is going to be, who is going to fix the property insurance issue in Florida.”
— U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, all but blaming Gov. Ron DeSantis for high property insurance premiums.
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.
DeSantis is drinking an It’s Not Me It’s You courtesy of Scott, who is insinuating Florida’s insurance market didn’t nosedive until after he left the Governor’s mansion.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is sliding a Howitzer across the bar to former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, whom his campaign claims is a “radical Democrat.”
If you’re passing through Orlando, order a Formula 150 in celebration of the City Beautiful’s sesquicentennial.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Rays open series vs. Judge-less Yankees
The Tampa Bay Rays open a four-game series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees tonight (7:05 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network Sun).
Since the All-Star Break, the Rays have stumbled, losing six of the last nine games to fall to 10 games behind the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays enter tonight’s game three games behind the Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot in the American League, while the Yankees lead the wild card standings by a game and a half over the Boston Red Sox.
Tampa Bay may be catching the Yankees at the right time. Defending American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge was placed on the injured list on Sunday with a right flexor strain. He will be out of the lineup for at least 10 days. Before the injury, Judge was leading the American League with a .342 batting average and was third with 37 home runs and tied for second with 85 runs batted in.
The two teams met in two series in the first half of the season, with the Yankees taking three of four from the Rays in Tampa in April before the Rays won two of three at Yankee Stadium in May. Judge hit .345 with a home run and five runs driven in during the seven previous games between the teams.
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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.
