| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by CVS Health | Hello and welcome to Monday. The daily rundown — Between Saturday and Sunday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 3,699 (nearly 0.2 percent), to 1,976,808; active hospitalizations went down by 176 (nearly 5.8 percent), to 2,868; deaths rose by 30, to 32,255; 4,204,186 Floridians have had at least one dose of a vaccine. Bumpy — New Florida Democratic Party chair Manny Diaz is running into some turbulence. Into the mire — The state executive committee spent up to two hours on Saturday debating how — and whether to — wade into a growing controversy over the Biden administration's decision to reopen a migrant detention center in Homestead that had been used to house children. This is the same center that came under withering criticism by Democrats when the Trump administration was using it. Kamala Harris, who was as presidential candidate at the time, was among those who went to the center to lash out at Trump immigration policies. Bringing the heat — Miami-Dade Democrats have come out opposed to the plan, but Thomas Kennedy, a Democratic National Committee member, said Diaz rebuffed him when he asked the party chair to issue a statement criticizing the reopening. That led to a dust-up over the weekend as an attempt to get the executive committee to issue a resolution got bogged down over motions and debate over the by-laws and proper procedure. (Side note: Resolutions must go through a committee that right now has no members.) The meeting was adjourned without fully resolving the debate. Mum on Biden? — Kennedy, pointing to reports about how children were treated in the detention center, said Democrats would look like "hypocrites" for opposing the detention center when it was run by the Trump administration but remaining quiet now. "I don't think they want to rile up the administration," he told Playbook, and called what is happening "outrageous and crazy." He said he's just asking the party to be consistent. When asked on Sunday, the Florida Democratic Party declined to comment on the situation and Kennedy's comments. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in Tallahassee. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CVS Health has been there. We're nearly 300,000 employees ensuring millions of Americans can access health care services. We've opened thousands of COVID-19 test sites and administered millions of tests. Now, we're providing the vaccine in designated states and long-term care facilities. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
|  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | THE MAN OF MAR-A-LAGO — "Trump was supposed to be a political Godzilla in exile. Instead, he's adrift," by POLITICO's Gabby Orr and Meridith McGraw: And though he was supposed to build a massive political apparatus to keep his MAGA movement afloat, it's unclear to Republicans what his PAC is actually doing, beyond entangling itself in disputes with Republican icons and the party's fundraising arms. Ex-president Donald Trump finds himself adrift while in political exile. And Republicans, and even some allies, say he is disorganized, torn between playing the role of antagonist and party leader. Back and forth — And in the span of 24 hours this week, Trump went from encouraging NFL running back Herschel Walker to mount a primary bid against Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to hosting a vocal opponent of insurgent primary challenges, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., for dinner at Mar-a-Lago. In his role as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott has promised to stick by GOP incumbents — including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted to convict Trump in his Senate trial last month on charges of inciting an insurrection. The Florida Republican said he had a "great meeting" with Trump in a tweet he shared Friday. My way — "For any normal politician, it would look like he's trying to have it both ways but really he's trying to have it his way," said a former Trump White House official. "He only cares about maintaining his power and his stranglehold over the Republican Party and it doesn't matter to him how any of the moves he makes affect the long-term success of institutions or individuals other than himself." | 
FILE Nov. 21, 2016, photo, shows the Mar-a-Lago resort owned by President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Fla. Protesters are demanding that charities move their upcoming galas from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Petitions are circulating that the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic move or cancel gala's scheduled for the Florida club's ballroom later this month. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) | Lynne Sladky/AP Photo | STICKING TO THE NARRATIVE — "Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters leading nationwide GOP push to change election laws," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: "Yet [Sen. Joe] Gruters was quick to defend the bill as an effort to 'tighten the screws' and 'make sure that we protect the integrity of the system.' It's a pitch he's making on a national level as the chair of the Republican National Committee's new Election Integrity Committee. Gruters, who also chairs the Florida GOP and was co-chair of former president Donald Trump's Florida campaign in 2016, said the Election Integrity Committee will help 'get to the bottom of what happened in 2020 and make sure we get it right in 2022.' 'The 2020 cycle, it's an election that left a lot of doubts and it's about restoring the confidence of the voters,' Gruters added. 'It doesn't matter if you're on the left or right, it's important that we have integrity in the system.'" BUCHANAN GETTING PRIMARY OPPONENT? — In his weekly political column, Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson reports that Rep. Vern Buchanan is coming under fire for his vote in favor of a House bill that calls for expanded background checks before gun purchases. From the column — "Martin Hyde, a Republican who twice has lost races for the Sarasota City Commission, posted on Facebook that Buchanan 'just voted yourself a primary challenge pal.' The Facebook post had more than 2,200 likes and 458 shares by Friday afternoon. 'You can't get a little bit pregnant Vern' and you can't dip your toe in the liberal dream of gun control without finding yourself some opposition,' Hyde wrote. 'It's time to Primary Vern' in 2022 as we DESERVE a Republican not a Republican in name only.' Asked about the possibility of primary challenge, Buchanan said 'I've taken a lot of votes, thousands of votes and there's always one vote or two people can point to they don't like.'" | | | | JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | DATELINE D.C. | | RUBIO RIPS — "What's Marco Rubio's beef with Amazon? The Florida senator airs his views on Twitter," by Miami Herald's Howard Cohen: "Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio put Amazon on blast in a 72-second video message on his Twitter account Saturday morning. In the video, Rubio sneers at Amazon's 'wokeness' and suggests the online retailer bans books. Perhaps that's a reference to the recent flap over the decision of the estate of children's book author Dr. Seuss to stop publishing six lesser-known titles because they contained offensive racial stereotypes. Amazon did not ban Dr. Seuss' books." — " Sen. Marco Rubio: Amazon should face unionization drive without Republican support," by Marco Rubio for USA Today | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | TARGETING — "Florida House pushes to cut pay for local school board members," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Florida House lawmakers introduced legislation on Friday that could ultimately cut off pay for elected school board members, a proposal Democrats fear would narrow the diversity of candidates for local education leadership roles. A House education panel voted 11-6, with all Democrats in opposition, to advance a new amendment to the state constitution prohibiting school board members from earning pay for the position, which could save some $15.7 million statewide. While Democrats argue the idea is "dangerous," Republicans say the proposal would ensure board members "are there for the right reason." 'IT'S AWFUL' — "DeSantis should consider removing Pasco sheriff, GOP congressman says," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson and Kathleen McGrory: "Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz blasted Pasco County's controversial police intelligence program on Twitter late Thursday and urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to consider removing Sheriff Chris Nocco from office. The intelligence program, first detailed in a Tampa Bay Times investigation last year, uses criminal histories and other information from police reports to determine which residents are likely to break the law. Gaetz weighed in the day after four of the program's targets sued Nocco in federal court, saying deputies had shown up at their homes for 'suspicionless, warrantless' searches and fined or arrested them when they did not cooperate." THE MONEY-GO-ROUND — "Federal COVID-19 aid gives Florida lawmakers a chance to spend big," by Orlando Sentinel's Gray Rohrer: "When Florida lawmakers kicked off the session last week they were concerned with how to close a $2 billion shortfall. Now they're looking at a $10 billion windfall, thanks to the $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 relief package signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday. The package includes $350 billion in aid to states and cities, and Florida's share is already upending lawmakers' approach to the budget." BUT WILL THEY? — " 5 ways lawmakers can fix Florida's unemployment system — besides CONNECT," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "During the last year, legislators' offices were flooded with calls from desperate Floridians looking for help with their unemployment claims, leading to what is likely the greatest constituent outreach effort in the Legislature's history. Many lawmakers vowed to fix the system when they returned to Tallahassee. Two weeks into the annual 60-day session, Democrats have proposed a variety of bills to fix unemployment, but none of them have received a hearing in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Some Republicans have vowed fixes to the system that go beyond paying up to $244 million to fix the state's crippled online unemployment website, known as CONNECT. But so far, none have had a hearing." | | | |   | | |
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | IT'S DIFFERENT HERE — "Miami Journal: 'I'd much rather be in Florida,'" by The New York Times' Patricia Mazzei: "'You can live like a human being,' Mr. DeSantis said. 'You aren't locked down. People aren't miserable.' President Biden's new hope of getting Americans together to celebrate with their families on the Fourth of July? 'We've been doing that for over a year in Florida,' the governor boasted. To bask in that feeling — even if it is only that — is to ignore the heavy toll the coronavirus exacted in Florida, one that is not yet over. More than 32,000 Floridians have died, an unthinkable cost that the state's leaders rarely acknowledge." Praise coming in — "'There's no better place to have spent the pandemic than Miami,' said Patricia García, a freelance writer who moved from New York in 2017. Her 5-year-old daughter has been in school since August. She put her 1-year-old son in day care in July. Ms. García, a 34-year-old Democrat, said she found herself unexpectedly defending Mr. DeSantis's policies to her friends up north. 'People here, they've been able to work. The kids have been able to go to school,' she said. 'We have this reputation in Florida of being all Florida Man and crazyland. But I'd much rather be in Florida than California, New York or Chicago.'" — "Miami Beach officers injured trying to disperse hundreds of partying spring breakers," by NBC News Doha Madani COMING SOON? — " Gov. DeSantis looks ready to limit mask-wearing emergency orders by local governments," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's John Kennedy: "Joining a growing swell of states, Gov. Ron DeSantis appears focused on erasing mask requirements across Florida by now demanding that such emergency powers of local governments be rolled back by the Republican-led Legislature. The drive is being met with outrage by city and county officials, along with Democratic lawmakers who say masks and other public health steps enacted by local leaders remain a big part of Florida's continuing push to overcome the devastation caused by COVID-19. The local measures are especially important, because DeSantis has never issued a statewide mask requirement, critics say." THE TOLL — "A year of COVID disruption meant fewer births, marriages and divorces in Florida. But death soared," by Sun Sentinel's Amber Randall and Baidi Wang: "A year of social distancing, make-shift home offices and economic pain stopped family decisions in their tracks, with newly released vital statistics showing fewer births, weddings and even divorces last year than in any of the previous 15 years in Florida. Only the grimmest of vital statistics saw an increase. The number of deaths in Florida reached its highest level in at least five decades — and possibly longer." TO COURT — " Family sues nursing home over mom's COVID death," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave: "Unable to see their 81-year-old mother when nursing homes were locked down last year to protect fragile residents from the coronavirus, Howard Schleider and his sister called Grand Villa East daily to check to make sure she was all right. After being repeatedly assured that their mother was safe and well, a line cook at the Delray Beach facility answered the phone one day and gave Schleider a starkly different account. 'He told me 40 people had contracted the coronavirus and 10 people had died,' Schleider recalled. 'My jaw dropped.'" 'THEY DIDN'T FULLY DISCLOSE THE RISK' — "A year ago, infected cruise passengers foretold our future. Now, the courts are deciding who's to blame," by Sun Sentinel's Andrew Boryga: "Many of these debates are playing out in South Florida because some cruise lines force passengers, no matter where they are from, to file lawsuits in our federal court. Thus far, a handful of cases against lines like Celebrity Cruises, Holland America and Princess Cruises have been dismissed or narrowed down by federal judges across the country." — "Walgreens lists essential workers as eligible for vaccine in Florida, but says it's following DeSantis rules," by Orlando Sentinel's Ryan Gillespie and Jeff Weiner — " Federal complaint accuses DeSantis, Lakewood Ranch vaccination site of discrimination," by Bradenton Herald's Jessica De Leon and Ryan Callihan — "Tourism industry to Ron DeSantis: Prioritize hospitality workers for vaccines," by Florida Politics' Scott Powers | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | ANOTHER ONE FROM FLORIDA — "Charges filed against Proud Boys member who allegedly pepper-sprayed police during Capitol insurrection," by CNN's Marshall Cohen: "The Justice Department has charged a member of the Proud Boys who allegedly used pepper spray against police officers during the US Capitol insurrection, according to court records. Prosecutors say Christopher Worrell of Florida came to the Capitol on January 6 armed with pepper spray, and later used it against a line of police officers who were guarding the complex. He was photographed near the Capitol wearing a tactical vest and a radio earpiece, assembled outside the building with other members of the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist organization." Disconnect — "The criminal complaint against Worrell includes pictures of him wearing Proud Boys gear and flashing the 'OK symbol' that is associated with white nationalism. Other videos show Worrell with the leader of the Proud Boys, Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, at a shopping mall in Naples, Florida. When an FBI agent later asked Worrell about the group, Worrell said, 'the Proud Boys were not a racist white supremacist group like the media tries to portray,' according to court documents." — "FBI report: Lakeland woman bragged on social media about role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot," by The Ledger's Gary White — "Trump Organization CFO sues insurer on house near Boynton Beach," by Palm Beach Post's Alexandra Clough | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | HIS FINAL COLUMN — "With or without me, Florida will always be wonderfully, unrelentingly weird," by Miami Herald's Carl Hiassen: "It would be lovely to report that other things have also changed for the better, but Florida's wild places and clearest waters are still under assault from overdevelopment, opioids are killing more people than coke or street heroin ever did, racism thrives likes a fungal rash and corruption is more rampant than ever. "Millions of worried seniors are still awaiting COVID inoculations because they don't live in gated communities full of rich Republicans writing checks to the governor's re-election committee. Then again, who's really surprised that a resort like Ocean Reef gets special vaccine shipments while regular folks in nearby Florida City get to sit in their cars for hours, praying the supply doesn't run out? As you read these words, some scrofulous tunnel rat in public office is busy selling your best interests down the road. It might be happening at your town council, zoning board, water district, or county commission — but it is happening." SPEAKING UP — "Miami reporter is latest woman to accuse N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment," by Miami Herald's Howard Cohen: "A South Florida woman is the seventh to step forward to accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. Her allegation comes amid a growing call from several high-profile Democrats demanding that Cuomo resign — an action the governor steadfastly refuses to do — as women have come forward with their stories. In a frank essay written for New York magazine, 'Cuomo never let me forget I was a woman,' Jessica Bakeman, who is currently a K-12 and higher education reporter for WLRN, South Florida's NPR affiliate and a Miami Herald news partner, recounts a series of improprieties she alleges happened over a period between 2012 and 2014." — "Dave Barry: Hiassen's retirement is good news for sleazeballs nationwide," by Miami Herald's Dave Barry PUSHED OUT — " Some residents of a Florida City-owned trailer park have lived there for decades. They have until Wednesday to leave," by Miami Herald's David Goodhue: "About 70 residents of a low-income trailer neighborhood in Florida City could be homeless by Wednesday because they are being evicted by the city. Florida City has owned the 15-acre lot at Krome Avenue and Northwest Seventh Street for decades and is working to close a $6.8 million sale with developers the Treo Group, according to the city's mayor. The last stipulation of the contract, Mayor Otis Wallace said, is to make the land void of its occupants as well as their trailers, campers and recreational vehicles." — " Suspended union president wins first victory in Broward sheriff's battle," by Sun Sentinel's Lisa J. Huriash — "Venezuelans who fled homeland celebrate chance to stay in America," by Sun Sentinel's Wayne K. Roustan | | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in Florida and all across the country, CVS Health has been delivering essential care. Thanks to the efforts of our employees, we've opened 4,800 COVID-19 test sites and administered over 15 million tests at our stores and through partners in underserved communities. With millions staying home, we are increasing access to prescription delivery, virtual visits and mental health services. Now, we're providing vaccines in designated states and long-term care facilities. Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it's never out of reach for anyone. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. Audrey Gibson … former state Sen. President Mike Haridopolos ... Austin Durrer, COS for Rep. Charlie Crist … (Was Sunday) Jimmy Loomis, defense and foreign policy adviser to Rep. Stephanie Murphy … (Was Saturday) State Rep. Scott Plakon … Bob Asztalos, chairman of the Florida Veterans Foundation … Nancy Soderberg, director of Public Service Leadership Program at the University of North Florida
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