| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Good Tuesday morning. The daily rundown — Between Sunday and Monday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 5,737 (0.3 percent), to 1,783,720; active hospitalizations went down by 1 to 5,381; deaths rose by 119 (0.4 percent) to 27,815. Vote for Tim — Four years ago, the number of Florida voters who left their ballot blank — or decided to write-in the names of candidates such as Beyonce or Tim Tebow — soared during the presidential election that featured Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Conclusions — That changed decisively this time around, according to the state after-election report that was finished last week. Following every election, the Division of Elections gathers data from all 67 supervisors to assess if there were any serious problems with ballot designs or voting machines. (There wasn't any, according to the state, which yes, also includes the machines made by Dominion Voting Systems, the ones targeted by wild unsubstantiated claims.) Minds made up — This latest report showed the number of voters who didn't cast a valid vote for president — more than 72,000 statewide — dropped to its lowest rate in the past decade. What do election supervisors and researchers say contributed to that drop? Voters were much more confident that they wanted to support either Trump this time around or former Vice President Joe Biden. "There was less ambivalence or downright hostility to both of the candidates," said Daniel Smith, a political science professor at the University of Florida who routinely looks at election administration issues. "Ambivalence is no longer an option." Another part of success story — The state report doesn't delve into the other success story of the election. That's the fact that voting by mail spiked during the 2020 election yet the fears of widespread ballot rejection didn't pan out. It appears that about 12,000 mail-in ballots did not get counted for various reasons, including mismatched signatures or lack of signatures. Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles credited voters, as well as political parties and others, for taking more responsibility for making sure votes got counted. A key to that were changes in law — sparked by federal lawsuits in 2018 — that extended deadlines to fix or "cure" ballots that had signature problems. — 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 | | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY – A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW ON TRUMP'S SECOND IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: After weeks of tension following the January insurrection at the Capitol, all eyes are on the Senate as the second impeachment trial against former President Trump begins. Join Playbook co-author Rachael Bade for a discussion on the ins and outs of the historic proceedings with former Ambassador Norman Eisen, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution, and a former special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. What arguments will Trump's lawyers and House impeachment managers use? Where will this leave things on Capitol Hill? REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
|  | TRAIL MIX | | A GOOD TREND — "No indecision: Florida sees low ballot rejection rate amid Covid-19," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: "Florida saw its lowest percentage of ballots rejected in a decade during the 2020 presidential election despite a pandemic that triggered a surge in mail-in votes. A report finished late last week by state officials and obtained by POLITICO showed that more than 72,000 Florida voters who took part in the election either in person or by mail didn't cast a valid vote for president." — "Gov. Ron DeSantis calls for Esteban Bovo to run for mayor of Hialeah," by CBS Miami | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 'WE FELT LIKE WE HAD NO CHOICE' — "To be fully vaccinated, Lake Worth couple will travel 2,400 miles," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave: "Desperate to be protected from the deadly coronavirus, Eileen Kovlock and her wife, Kay Branagan, drove nearly 600 miles to Florida's Panhandle to get vaccinated. Now, with their second shots scheduled in two weeks, the Lake Worth Beach couple is dreading having to make the same roughly 1,200-mile, 18-hour round-trip journey again. But, according to health officials, they have no choice. The second shots are sent to wherever people got the first one, said Dr. Alina Alonso, director of Palm Beach County's state-run health department." — " Miami-Dade trails other Florida counties in vaccinating seniors for COVID-19 — by a lot," by Miami Herald's Ben Conarck — "When will Florida see the impact of coronavirus vaccinations?," by Sun Sentinel's David Fleshler — " Bay of Pigs veterans to get COVID-19 vaccine, DeSantis announces in Little Havana," by Miami Herald's Samantha J. Gross SUPER SPREADER SUPER BOWL? — "Tampa mayor addresses maskless fans after Super Bowl," by Associated Press' Tamara Lush and Freida Frisaro: "So much for the mayor's order requiring masks at Super Bowl parties. Videos went viral on social media, showing throngs of mostly maskless fans and packed sports bars as the clock inside Raymond James Stadium ticked down on a hometown Super Bowl win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 'It is a little frustrating because we have worked so hard,' Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during an early Monday morning news conference with the Super Bowl Host Committee. 'At this point in dealing with COVID-19, there is a level of frustration when you see that." Some 200,000 masks were handed out ahead of the game, and 'a majority' of people and businesses followed the rules, she said." And one of those without a mask was... — It turned out that Gov. Ron DeSantis — who has refused to impose a mask mandate during the pandemic — was seen at the Super Bowl sans mask. POLITICO's Marc Caputo caught up with DeSantis in Miami on Monday and the governor brought it up on his own: "Someone said, 'hey, you were at the Super Bowl without a mask' ... but how the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on? Come on. I had to watch the Bucs win." FOR YOUR RADAR — "Florida defies FDA warning on controversial COVID test with off-label use, but Miami-Dade reconsiders," by Florida Bulldog's Daniel Ducassi: "Florida is dismissing a recent warning from federal regulators about the accuracy of a popular COVID-19 test from one of the state's largest testing providers — and continuing to use the test in a way the FDA has advised against. Meanwhile, the state's most populous county, Miami-Dade, is reconsidering how it uses the test. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning last month alerting the public to "the risk of false results, particularly false negative results," with the test made by an enormous San Dimas, CA-based testing start-up, Curative, noting that false negatives can mean people unknowingly spreading the virus to others." Not backing down — "The risk of false negatives is higher, the FDA noted, when the test isn't used correctly. Florida's top emergency management official, Jared Moskowitz, brushed off the FDA warning, telling Florida Bulldog he stands by Curative's test — even for use outside of the FDA's authorization — as long as federal institutions like the Department of Defense and Congress also continue to rely on the company's tests." ADULT BEVERAGES — "2020 was a boozy year for Floridians trying to cope with COVID, survey finds," by Sun Sentinel's Amber Randall: "If the number of empty cocktail glasses is any indication, 2020 was rough for everyone, and Floridians did their share of drinking to help cope, according to a new study. Floridians drank an average of 813 alcoholic beverages each during 2020, which breaks down to about 16 drinks a week, the study by DrugAbuse.com found. Any amount more than 14 drinks a week for men and seven for women is considered 'heavy drinking' by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." — " Judge denies Publix's bid to toss lawsuit over worker's COVID-19 death," by Sun Sentinel's Marc Freeman — "Rebekah Jones drops lawsuit over Florida police raid on her home, at least for now," by Florida Today's Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon | | | | TRACK THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: President Biden's cabinet is getting confirmed, bringing change to agencies and departments across the Executive Branch. From the West Wing to Foggy Bottom, track the first 100 days of the Biden administration with Transition Playbook, our scoop-filled newsletter that chronicles the policies, people, and emerging power centers of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | OUT THE DOOR — "Broward Health chooses Gov. DeSantis' chief of staff as next CEO," by Sun Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "Broward Health, one of the county's largest health systems, has chosen Shane Strum, Gov. Ron DeSantis' chief of staff, to become its new CEO. The health system's board of commissioners offered him a three-year contract, and Strum will begin his new job on March 8. He takes over for Gino Santorio, who held the position for two years and leaves on Feb. 11 to become CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. Broward Health's board of commissioners chose Strum from among three candidates. Strum said he wanted to return to Broward County, where he had lived before working for the governor in Tallahassee. As CEO, Strum, 51, will earn $920,000 a year and a bonus of up to 30% of his salary." OPPOSED — "AARP blasts bill to protect nursing homes from coronavirus lawsuits," by Tampa Bay Times' Bailey LeFever: "AARP Florida is pressing members of the Legislature to oppose Senate Bill 74, a measure filed last week that would grant immunity from COVID-19 lawsuits to health care providers, including nursing homes, hospitals and doctors. The bill, introduced by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, would 'further erode the rights of older Floridians to seek redress for negligence and abuses endured in these facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic,' said Jeff Johnson, state director for AARP in a news release." — " House, Senate diverge on health lawsuit bills," by News Service of Florida's Christine Sexton — "Bradenton lawmaker Jim Boyd tests positive for COVID-19 and is having 'mild symptoms,' by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson — " 'Tremendous fight' looms in Florida over excluding 'hard to hire' workers from the minimum wage," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Glenn — "Experts say DeSantis's de-platforming proposal violates First Amendment," by Miami New Times' Joshua Ceballos — "3 years after Parkland, lawmakers mixed on Florida's gun laws," by News4Jax's Jake Stofan — "Pulse, Parkland victims plead for latest gun bill support," by Florida Politics' Scott Powers | | DATELINE D.C. | | NEW NORMAL — "Rubio and Scott confront new reality in Senate minority," by Spectrum News' Samantha-Jo Roth: "With Democrats in control of the White House and Congress for the first time in more than a decade, Florida's two Republican senators are beginning a new chapter in the minority, with significantly less power and influence. 'I started here in the minority, so it's back to that in the future, I guess,' said Senator Marco Rubio in a Skype interview with Spectrum News. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are adjusting to a shift in minority status. The Senate is politically split with 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats. However, Democrats have a slight edge from Vice President Kamala Harris's tie-breaking vote. 'One Senator in either party can tip the outcome on any given issue,' Rubio said." | 
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arrives at the chamber to take taking an oath and vote on how to proceed on the impeachment against former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite | TURNING POINT? — "Democrats control Congress and NRA is bankrupt. Is the 'wait over' for new gun laws," by Palm Beach Post's Christine Stapleton: "Now, like other members of Congress who have for years led the fight for gun safety laws and regulations, [Rep. Debbie] Wasserman Shultz and [Rep. Ted] Deutch are also taking the lead in pushing ahead with gun safety legislation. Wasserman Schultz intends to reintroduce Jaime's Law, a bill that would require universal background checks for the sale of gun ammunition. The legislation is named in honor of Jaime Guttenberg, one of the students killed at the Parkland school. 'Prospects for meaningful gun reforms are the brightest they have been in years,' Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. Still, she expects some Republicans in the House and Senate will 'remain devoted to a diminished NRA.'" TRANSITIONS — Allison Nielsen has joined the American Gaming Association as director of media relations. Nielsen recently worked as senior adviser and communications director for U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz — "Soto wants Congress to commemorate Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | DAYS BEFORE 3RD ANNIVERSARY — "Schools had no duty to warn parents about Parkland shooter, judge rules," by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda: "The Broward school district had no responsibility to warn students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School of the danger posed by a former student who later carried out a deadly rampage in the school, a judge ruled Monday. The decision by Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning was a significant victory for the Broward School Board and a painful loss for the Parkland families suing the district for the lapses they say allowed the gunman to operate unchecked until it was too late." | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | REMEMBER THIS? — "Florida businessman gets year in prison in fraud case against Giuliani associates," by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein: A Florida businessman was sentenced Monday to just over a year in prison for swindling investors out of $2.3 million and obscuring the source of political donations in a case closely tied to Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and high-profile attorney for President Donald Trump. Forty-five-year-old David Correia was the first of the four men charged in the case to plead guilty. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Oetken, who is based in Manhattan, imposed the sentence of a year and a day in prison after a hearing held via videoconference… The other defendants, Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman and Andrew Kukushkin have pleaded not guilty. A trial was set to open in March but was indefinitely postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | WHAT? — "Someone tried to poison Oldsmar's water supply during hack, sheriff says," by Tampa Bay Times' Jack Evans: "Local and federal authorities are investigating after an attempt Friday to poison the city of Oldsmar's water supply, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. Someone remotely accessed a computer for the city's water treatment system and briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100, Gualtieri said at a news conference Monday. The chemical is used in small amounts to control the acidity of water but it's also a corrosive compound commonly found in household cleaning supplies such as liquid drain cleaners. The city's water supply was not affected. A supervisor working remotely saw the concentration being changed on his computer screen and immediately reverted it, Gualtieri said." MILESTONE — "Bucs' Javadifar, Locust 1st female coaches to win Super Bowl," by Associated Press: "Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar, Super Bowl champs. To their many fans in the NFL world and beyond, that's got a real nice ring to it. Locust and Javadifar became the first female coaches on a team to win the Super Bowl, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 Sunday night. The 30-year-old Javadifar is an assistant strength and conditioning coach, and the 56-year-old Locust is an assistant defensive line coach. 'History was made tonight!' tennis great and social justice champion Billie Jean King tweeted." | | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Longtime ESPN baseball correspondent Pedro Gomez dies at 58," by Associated Press' Joe Reedy: "[Pedro] Gomez grew up in Miami, and said the greatest game he remembered from his childhood was the San Diego Chargers win over the Miami Dolphins in a 1981 AFC divisional playoff game. He attended the University of Miami and majored in journalism. His parents fled Cuba for the United States in 1962. Gomez was part of ESPN's coverage in 2016 when the Tampa Bay Rays faced the Cuban national team, and shared the story of taking his father and brother's ashes to Cuba." — " Man charged with trespassing after run on Super Bowl field," by Associated Press: A Florida man who ran onto the field during the Super Bowl has been charged with trespassing. With the world watching, authorities say Yuri Andrade, 31, scampered onto the field Sunday night in the fourth quarter of the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Andrade was wearing shorts and a pink leotard or swimsuit. He was eventually tackled on about the 3-yard-line by security personnel and escorted out of Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. Patrick Rooney… former state Rep. Fred Costello
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