| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Our Islands Our Future | Good Monday morning and Hello 2021. The daily rundown — Between Sunday and Monday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 10,603 (nearly 0.8 percent), to 1,365,436; active hospitalizations went up by 268 (nearly 4 percent), to 6,969; deaths rose by 97 (0.4 percent), to 21,987. What's next — While everyone still deals with the hangover that is/was 2020 (more on that later), let's try to look ahead with a few looming questions for the new year. How will Donald Trump shape Florida politics? — President Trump's influence over Republicans is expected to wane somewhat once he leaves office, but Trump's decision to move to Florida means he will likely remain a powerful force in the Sunshine State. Will he target those who didn't show enough loyalty? Then there is the speculation that Ivanka Trump — who is also expected to relocate to Florida — may choose to branch out and run for office herself in the near future. What does DeSantis do now? — The loss of Trump removes a potent ally for GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose own response to coronavirus (including the bumpy process to dispense vaccines) subjected him to withering criticism and affected his overall popularity. DeSantis has plenty to keep him busy in the near-term, including rolling out his new budget recommendations in the next few weeks and preparing for the 2021 session. But will DeSantis ignore — or bash the Biden administration — as he moves ahead with his re-election campaign in the months to come? Can Democrats find their dream candidates for 2022? — Later this month, Democrats will pick a new leader for the state party. And there will be promises to put in a new game plan for the 2022 elections. But the bigger question is this: Who will actually step forward to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio? Republicans assume that Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried's gubernatorial candidacy is a done deal. OK, maybe, but a Fried candidacy seems unlikely to clear the field. Some Democrats are hopeful Rep. Val Demings — who was a contender for vice president — will step forward and challenge Rubio. There's speculation that maybe Rep. Stephanie Murray could be a statewide candidate as well. WHAT WE DID FOR THE HOLIDAYS — Normally, the holiday season can be somewhat quiet. Not this time. So before we move our attention fully to 2021, here's a few things that happened while Playbook was on winter break: Both Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted along with other senators to override President Donald Trump's veto of a $741 billion defense policy bill. The Florida Department of Health reported that a Martin County man had the more contagious Covid-19 variant that first surfaced in the United Kingdom. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried criticized Florida's vaccine distribution effort as 'chaotic' and called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to use the Florida National Guard to help. Republicans lashed back and called her assertions ill-informed. Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who was elected in November, tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was unable to cast a vote Sunday for speaker. Fred Piccolo, who took over as DeSantis' communications director last summer, exited and is headed to a new job with the Department of Education. Rep. Matt Gaetz got engaged to his girlfriend, 26-year-old Ginger Luckey, the sister of Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey. Pic — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com | | | | A message from Our Islands Our Future: Oil Drilling in The Bahamas Threatens Florida's Coast. Florida's coastline and tourism industry are in danger. An oil drilling company with a history of accidents will begin drilling for oil just miles off Florida's coast with Miami's beaches, Florida's entire Atlantic Coast, and the U.S. mainland downstream of prevailing winds and surface currents. Over 75,000 people have already signed a petition to stop this potential catastrophe. Will you? Learn more - ourislandsourfuture.org. | | |
|  | TRAIL MIX | | 'WE ARE WATCHING YOU' — "Trump supporters gather in front of Marco Rubio's West Miami home. 'You work for us,'" by Miami Herald's Lautaro Grinspan: "In a joint statement published earlier Saturday, 11 Republican senators and senators-elect said they would vote to reject Biden's win, a course of action they acknowledge is ultimately unlikely to overturn the results of the race. Neither [Marco] Rubio nor fellow Florida Sen. Rick Scott were among the statement's signatories. At the West Miami gathering, protesters waved Trump flags and chanted 'stop the steal.' One attendee could be heard screaming 'we need a new party.' Another held a sign that read 'Rubio we are watching you.'" — " Roger Stone attends Naples rally demanding Florida senators to object to electoral votes," by NBC2's Brad Hamilton — "Rep. Rutherford says he will object to certifying Electoral College victory for Biden," by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein — "Byron Donalds plans to object to Electoral College count for President-elect Biden," by Fort Myers News-Press' Bill Smith ADDITION VS. SUBTRACTION — "Why Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have a stake in Georgia Senate runoff," by Palm Beach Post's Wendy Rhodes: "The balance of power in the U.S. Senate rests on voters in Georgia, but two Florida Republicans have a major interest in next week's election. As the clock ticks down to the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoffs, Florida U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are looking at how their influence and power might be affected should Republicans lose control of the chamber. Rubio's chairmanship of the U.S. Senate's intelligence panel is at stake. The runoffs also are a test of sorts for Scott, who in November was chosen chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee." ON THE HORIZON — "What's next for Florida's Val Demings after a breakout 2020?" by Tampa Bay Times' Steve Contorno: "As Florida Democrats lick their wounds from a humiliating election year, there is already buzz building around Demings. At the top of the ticket in 2022 are races for governor and U.S. Senate, and Demings could make a compelling case to be the party's nomination for either. 'She has no skeletons, she has done nothing but achieve, she is an incredible speaker, and she was a police chief,' said John Morgan, an Orlando lawyer and Democratic fundraiser who urged Biden to pick Demings as his running mate. 'I think she has runway if she wants to do something.'" | | | | GET THE BIG PRE-INAUGURATION SCOOPS IN TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: Inauguration Day is quickly approaching. Is the Biden administration ready? Transition Playbook brings you inside the transition and newly forming administration, tracking the latest from Biden world and the transition of power. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE — "Alcee Hastings misses vote, but Nancy Pelosi elected as Speaker," by Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins: "Democrat Alcee Hastings missed Sunday's voice vote to re-elect Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House. In a statement, the congressman said that on the advice of doctors he would remain in Florida. Hastings, whose district covers portions of both Palm Beach and Broward counties, is battling pancreatic cancer." SOUTHERN EXPOSURE — "The new center of Trump's political world: Palm Beach, " by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw: The center of gravity for the MAGA universe is moving zip codes with President Donald Trump. In anticipation of Trump setting up permanent residence at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach after leaving the White House in January, Trump allies, conservative media firebrands and MAGA-boosting activist groups are setting up the next Trumpy hub of GOP power. Some Trump supporters have settled in South Florida, drawn by Florida's friendly tax climate and the state's current GOP leadership. Other prominent MAGA groups, like the student organizing outfit Turning Point USA, are holding events in the area. And the next Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering of the GOP's most conservative factions, will even be held a couple hours drive north, in Orlando. | 
FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2017 file photo shows President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club will partially reopen to members this weekend as South Florida slowly reopens from the coronavirus lock down. An email sent Thursday, May 14, 2020 to members says the Palm Beach resort's Beach Club restaurant, its pool and its whirlpool will reopen Saturday after being closed two months, but its main building that includes hotel rooms, the main dining area and the president's private residence will remain closed. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) | TURN OUT THE LIGHTS? — "New State House Rep. Omari Hardy wants Mar-a-Lago punished for maskless New Year's Eve bash," by Palm Beach Post's Kimberly Miller: "A newly-elected state lawmaker from South Florida wants Palm Beach County to take on President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club for its New Year's Eve bash where many patrons and performers were seen without masks. State Rep. Omari Hardy, D-Lake Worth, wrote a letter Friday evening to Todd Bonlarron, assistant county administrator for Palm Beach County, asking whether the county will take action against the private club for violating a countywide mandatory mask policy." | | | |   | | |
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | TRENDLINE — "COVID-19 cases surge 26.4% in Florida," by USA Today Network's Mike Stucka: "New coronavirus cases leaped in Florida in the week ending Saturday, rising 26.4% as 90,245 cases were reported. The previous week had 71,423 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. Florida ranked No. 23 among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows." 'UNACCEPTABLE' — " Vaccine rollout at Florida's long-term care facilities marred by 'mediocre' response, lack of information," by Orlando Sentinel's Kate Santich: "Florida's COVID-19 vaccination program was supposed to give top priority to residents in long-term care facilities, but critics say the process has been marred by confusion, delays and a lack of information — even as healthy 65-year-olds are able to get vaccines through county health departments. 'This is an unacceptable situation to all of us,' Steve Kramer, president and CEO of The Mayflower at Winter Park, wrote in a Dec. 29 letter to residents. 'We have independent-living residents, some in compromised health, that have no idea when, or if, they will be getting vaccinated. And our skilled nursing and assisted living residents will not receive the vaccine for at least another week and a half.'" REACHING OUT — "500 Escambia residents get COVID vaccine Sunday, part of state pilot to test rollout," by Pensacola News Journal's Annie Blanks: "About 500 Escambia County residents were among the first in the general population to receive the COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday morning, thanks to a pilot program initiated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Florida Department of Health intended to test how the vaccine rollout will look on the ground. The residents, all aged 65 or older and mostly minorities, were recruited by the state for the vaccine this past week through their churches and other grassroots community efforts. The pilot program happened Sunday morning in Escambia County and at least one other Florida county, according to Eric Gilmore, the county's interim public safety director." 'THIS SITE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN' — "Broward's COVID vaccination sign-up site sees more outages on Sunday," by Sun Sentinel's Susannah Bryan: "A hefty dose of patience was required Sunday for seniors hoping to use the state Department of Health's Broward County site to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination. People 65 and over can make an appointment on the site at browardcovidvaccine.com. But on Sunday, the site had some rocky moments where it went offline, came back online, then went offline again. The site also crashed on Wednesday, overwhelmed by the number of people trying to sign up." — " Rush to get New Year's Eve vaccination creates chaos at Leon County Health Department," by Tallahassee Democrat's Byron Dobson and Tori Lynn Schneider — "Orlando Health expands COVID-19 vaccination to community doctors, employees' older family members," by Orlando Sentinel's Naseem S. Miller — "Tampa Bay groups work to build trust for vaccines among Black community," by Tampa Bay Times' Margo Snipe THE IMITATION GAME — "DeSantis became a 'mini-Trump' as COVID-19 struck Florida in 2020, critics say ," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a tumultuous 2020, with his response to the coronavirus pandemic eating into his once-high approval numbers. And now the Republican governor faces 2021 without his stalwart ally President Donald Trump in the White House and Democrat Joe Biden taking over. Most Republicans defended DeSantis throughout the year as he kept businesses open so owners and workers would get paid and made sure children were able to continue their education face-to-face in schools. But critics blasted him as a faithful follower of the president's playbook of downplaying the COVID-19 crisis. At the end of 2020, more than 20 million Americans had become infected and nearly 350,000 had died of the highly contagious disease. In Florida alone, 1.3 million were stricken, with more than 21,600 fatalities. 'When the going got hard, beginning with COVID, he just tucked in behind Trump and drafted behind Trump all year long,' said Mac Stipanovich, a Tallahassee consultant and anti-Trump Republican." DEALING WITH THE FALLOUT — " Two state lawmakers confront a deadly pandemic, a disputed election and a divided, angry America," by Washington Post's Greg Jaffe and Jenna Johnson: "State Reps. Anna Eskamani, 30, and Francis 'Frank' X. Ryan, 69, couldn't be more different. She is the daughter of Iranian immigrants, a rising star in the Florida Democratic Party who still owes $3,000 on her Honda hatchback, yet is frequently touted as a potential candidate for governor in 2022. He is a conservative Republican, a veteran who served in Iraq, and a certified public accountant who ran for office in the hope that he could help put Pennsylvania's finances on firmer footing. Now both were closing out the year convinced that the deadly pandemic, the government's uneven response and the chaotic endgame of the Trump presidency had broken something." — "76,000 struggling students will be asked to return to school," by Sun Sentinel's Scott Travis | | | | A NEW YEAR MEANS A NEW HUDDLE IS HERE: Huddle, our daily congressional must-read, has a new author! Olivia Beavers took the reins this week, and she has the latest news and whispers from the Speakers' Lobby. Don't miss out, subscribe to our Huddle newsletter, the essential guide to all things Capitol Hill. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | TO COURT — "Experts become focus in battle over gun law," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "A legal battle over a Florida law that raised from 18 to 21 the age to purchase rifles and other long guns has ramped up in late December, with attorneys for the National Rifle Association and state officials trying to discredit each other's expert witnesses." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | IT'S OVER — "Dog gone: Greyhound racing comes to an end in Florida," by Sun Sentinel's Chris Perkins: "Ewart Johnson, an 80-year-old West Palm Beach resident, was a bit melancholy Thursday afternoon as he scrutinized his racing form at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. It was the last day greyhound racing was legal in Florida, something that should represent a financial upturn for Johnson. 'I lose my money every day,' he said with a smile. Still, Johnson, who has been going to the Palm Beach Kennel Club since 1987, couldn't shake his sense of loss. Although the mood was generally festive at the Kennel Club with live music, giveaways and plenty of racing, Johnson considered Thursday a sad day." | | | | A message from Our Islands Our Future: Oil Drilling in The Bahamas is About to Ruin Our Coast.
Florida's coastline and tourism industry are in danger. An oil drilling company with a history of accidents will soon begin drilling for oil in Bahamian waters, just miles from Miami's beaches, with the entire Atlantic Coast of Florida and the U.S. mainland directly downstream of prevailing winds and surface currents.
The Bahamian Prime Minister has the power to revoke the drilling license, even though it's dangerously close to our coastline and threatens marine-protected areas. With a U.S. moratorium on offshore drilling in effect, this drill is happening in face of open opposition from a bi-partisan group of elected officials, with more than a dozen members of Congress signing a letter to the State Department expressing their strong opposition.
Over 75,000 people have signed the public petition to stop this potential catastrophe. Will you?
Visit ourislandsourfuture.org to learn more. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | COMING SOON — "A romance, a spy caper and a lawsuit against Netflix — the story of Cuban exiles in South Florida is moving to a courtroom," by Sun Sentinel's Mario Ariza: "It's a legal conflict that centers on a love affair. In the movie, Ana Maria Martinez is played by the bewitching Ana De Armas, dancing through nightclubs in backless dresses and marrying a handsome Cuban defector with a dark secret at a society wedding. But in real life, Martinez is suing Netflix for defamation in South Florida federal court over her portrayal in the 2019 film 'Wasp Network.' The film, which dramatizes efforts by the Castro regime during the 1990s to infiltrate and spy on Cuban exile political groups in Miami, says it is 'based on true events.' But in her lawsuit, Martinez and her attorneys call the spy thriller's version of the near past 'false and defamatory.'" BIRTHDAYS: Peter Schorsch, president of Extensive Enterprises and publisher of Florida Politics … (Was Sunday) State Rep. Tom Fabricio … Al Cardenas, former Republican Party of Florida chairman … (Was Saturday) Former Rep. Robert Wexler
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