| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by USA-IT | Hello and welcome to Wednesday. Contrasts — During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz constantly criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis and faulted his administration for failing to respond to inquires and letters from Democrats upset with how the governor responded to the coronavirus. A first — This week, Wasserman Schultz — whose district includes the site of the condominium building that collapsed — stood next to DeSantis as Florida officials tried to give information about the catastrophe that struck the town of Surfside. It marked the first time that the longtime lawmaker had met face-to-face with the governor since he took office in 2019. On deck — And now President Joe Biden — in his role as consoler-in-chief — is slated to visit Surfside Thursday. Right now, the signs are that DeSantis will be there with the president even though the governor has ripped Biden over multiple issues, including his handling of the border and cruise industry rules put in place by the CDC. The governor talked to the president about the condo disaster that has claimed at least 12 lives and DeSantis even praised Biden and his administration for "stepping up to help the people who are in need." A moment of partisanship — That doesn't mean there's been a complete truce. DeSantis held a brief press conference last Friday in Pensacola to send off 50 members of various Florida law enforcement units to help with border security in Texas and Arizona, a move that got him flak from Charlie Crist and Nikki Fried. It was just a day after the Champlain Towers South condo building collapsed. A change for now — Look, it's no secret that DeSantis is an ally of President Donald Trump who has been relishing his part in the culture wars and has become a conservative superstar. But amid an unspeakable tragedy, the governor has dialed down the partisan rhetoric recently. He's also apparently dispatched his normal animus for the media and has agreed to speak to outlets outside his comfort zone (NPR on Tuesday, for example). Let's see how long this lasts. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is expected to be back in South Florida due to the search-and-rescue effort in Surfside. PROGRAMMING NOTE — Matt Dixon will be at the helm of Florida Playbook until mid-July, starting with Thursday's edition. May everyone have a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday. | | | | A message from USA-IT: With world-class beaches along 1,350 miles of shoreline, what makes Florida such an attractive place to live also makes it attractive to smugglers and traffickers. This illegal trade affects the safety and quality of life of all 21 million Floridians. Florida deserves better. And that's why our partners are proud to be on the ground in 2021. United to safeguard Florida from illegal trade, we're working together to fight back. Learn more. | | |
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | THE WORK GOES ON — "Death toll grows to 12 as rescue workers forge ahead at collapsed Surfside condo," by Miami Herald's Martin Vassolo, Samantha J. Gross, Bianca Padro Ocasio and Jay Weaver: "As the sixth day since the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building came to an end, rescuers progressed with their painstaking search for survivors as families and friends await any information regarding the fate of 149 people who are still reported missing. On Tuesday night, a long line of Miami-Dade County police cars and medical examiner vans headed toward the site on Collins Avenue. The official death toll still stands at 12 — though that number is expected to rise." ARRIVING SOON — "Biden to visit site of Surfside building collapse on Thursday," by POLITICO's Maeve Sheehey: President Joe Biden will visit Surfside, Fla., on Thursday following the collapse of a condo building in the coastal suburb, a departure from the White House's position a day earlier that the president had no immediate plans to visit the site of the disaster. The president told reporters of his plans to visit South Florida "hopefully as early as Thursday" as he left the White House on Tuesday to head to Wisconsin. The White House later confirmed that the president will travel to Surfside with the first lady on Thursday. | 
This aerial photo shows part of the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South Condo that collapsed early Thursday, June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Fla. (Amy Beth Bennett /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) | Amy Beth Bennett /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP | LOOKING FOR ANSWERS — "Florida officials pledge multiple probes into condo collapse," by The Associated Press' Terry Spencer: "Elected officials pledged Tuesday to conduct multiple investigations into the collapse of an oceanfront Florida condo tower, vowing to convene a grand jury and to look closely 'at every possible angle' to prevent any other building from experiencing such a catastrophic failure. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she and her staff will meet with engineering, construction and geology experts, among others, to review building safety issues and develop recommendations 'to ensure a tragedy like this will never, ever happen again.' State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said she will pursue a grand jury investigation to examine factors and decisions that led to Thursday's collapse of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside." EYEWITNESS — "Lawsuit against Champlain Towers South details one survivor's experience on morning of collapse," by Sun Sentinel's Angie Dimichele: "A lawsuit filed Tuesday evening on behalf of [Raysa] Rodriguez against the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association gives a detailed account of the tragedy that occurred inside the building last week. A noise woke her up. She found herself in the middle of the room, unsure of how she got there, according to the lawsuit complaint. Rodriguez described that the building 'swayed like a sheet of paper.'" A frightening sight — "She reached for a lamp in her bedroom, attempting to turn it on, but there was no electricity. As she stepped outside on her balcony, still in pajamas, she saw nothing but dust, the complaint says. In the hallway outside her unit, elevators had no doors, a concrete column stuck through the hallway from floor to ceiling, no neighbors answered her desperate knocks. 'I run to the exit, open the doors that lead to the outside stairwell and saw the devastation,' Rodriguez recounted in the complaint. 'The beachside of Champlain had collapsed, pancaked. I screamed in horror.'" — "'He loved life': Marcus Garcia dies in condo collapse. Wife, young daughters still missing," by Miami Herald's Taylor Dolven and Samantha J. Gross — "'Always smiling': Joyful father of two Michael Altman died in Surfside collapse," by Miami Herald's David Goodhue FALLOUT — "Ex-Surfside official takes leave from Doral post in wake of building collapse," by Miami Herald's Aaron Leibowitz: "Rosendo 'Ross' Prieto, the former top building official for the town of Surfside, has taken a leave of absence as Doral's temporary building official after reports that he reviewed a troubling 2018 report about the Champlain Towers South condo and then told residents the building appeared to be 'in very good shape.' The city of Doral said in a statement that Prieto is taking a leave from C.A.P. Government Inc., a firm that provides building department services to government clients. Prieto, who left his post in Surfside last November, had been assigned in May by C.A.P. to work for Doral, one of Miami-Dade's fastest-growing cities." — "Miami-area condo failure: Years of warnings, but mixed signals," by Wall Street Journal's Jon Kamp, Scott Calvert and Deborah Acosta — "'Our backyard': Tragedy strikes home for Miami-Dade rescuers ," by The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan and Russ Bynum — "Mexican rescuers have saved lives in disaster zones around the world. Now they're in Florida," by Washington Post's Paulina Villegas — " Fears aside, no mass exodus from collapsed building's twin," by The Associated Press' Terry Spencer and Russ Bynum — "Miami Beach cancels July 4th fireworks, festivities after Surfside condo collapse," by Miami Herald's Connie Ogle | | | | JOIN FRIDAY FOR A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH ANITA DUNN: Anita Dunn, a senior White House adviser to President Biden and one of the most influential women in Washington, will join Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to discuss the administration's legislative priorities, including getting the massive infrastructure plan through Congress, the latest on efforts to get 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated against Covid, and preparations for the White House's first big public event on Independence Day. Don't miss this Playbook Live event, REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | 'STILL A PURPLE STATE' — "'This is not Alabama': Progressives set to make $10 million push," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: After a series of disastrous election cycles for the left, progressive groups in Florida are preparing to spend $10 million in an election off-year to boost their political infrastructure and signal to national Democratic donors the state is not a lost cause. "We want to tell national donors that Florida is still a purple state and we are still close to winning," said J.P. Austin, a longtime Party donor and chair of The Alliance, a group of progressive groups that has long had a presence in Florida Democratic politics. "This is not Alabama or Mississippi, it's just not," he added. "But the other side has been better organized over the long term. Money can't come just six months before the election." Building up now — Democrats have also seen their once-massive voter registration advantage of over 600,000 dwindle to roughly 75,000, and the skepticism from national donors who increasingly dismiss Florida as a GOP-dominated state, especially in the wake of Democrats flipping neighboring Georgia blue. To try and short circuit that trending reality, The Alliance is looking to spend between $8 and $10 million in 2021 — not the actual election calendar year — to focus on building things like voter outreach campaigns and voter registration drives that focus on building Democratic infrastructure rather than pouring money into specific candidates or campaigns. WHO WANTS TO GET WILD IN VEGAS? — State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, is holding a multi-day fundraiser for his Government Gone Wild political committee in Las Vegas from July 8-July 11, according to an invitation obtained by Playbook. The invitation doesn't have a dollar amount on it, but the fundraiser includes a Dave Chappelle concert and a chance to watch the upcoming UFC bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor in a private suite. There are also drinks, a dinner, and a brunch included as well. — " Ron Chernow to boost Stephanie Murphy with Zoom fundraiser," by Florida Politics' Drew Wilson | | | |   | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | LATE-NIGHT BILL ACTION — Gov. Ron DeSantis closed the book on the 2021 legislative session late Tuesday. DeSantis signed 94 bills into law and he vetoed four others, including a measure that called for overhauling Florida's auto insurance laws and eliminating a type of coverage known as personal injury protection. The governor in his veto message of the bill (SB 54) said that while Florida's current system has "flaws" he was concerned about "unintended consequences" for both the market and consumers. A recent study concluded that the insurance overhaul would have resulted in rate hikes for many drivers. Also vetoed — One of the other bills (SB 274) that DeSantis nixed was a bipartisan measure to allow juvenile arrest records to be expunged if the juvenile successfully completes a diversion program. While the legislation passed unanimously, DeSantis contended in his veto message it could have "negative impacts on public safety" because records on serious felonies could be expunged. Police reform measure signed — Among the legislation that DeSantis did sign was a bill (HB 7051) pushed by House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Rep. Fentrice Driskell that would place restrictions on when police officers can use chokeholds. The measure also requires law enforcement officers to disclose if they resigned from a previous job if they were under investigation and requires law enforcement agencies to keep records for five years about officers who are terminated. THE SUMMER OF LITIGATION MOVES ON — "Florida's 'Big Tech' social media law has 'major constitutional issue,'" by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "A federal judge on Monday appeared skeptical about a new Florida law aimed at punishing social-media companies that strip users from their platforms or flag users' content, especially the controversial carveout for corporations like Disney and Universal that own theme parks. Online-industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association this month filed a lawsuit challenging the law, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Twitter and Facebook blocked former President Donald Trump from their platforms after his supporters rampaged at the U.S. Capital on Jan. 6." FREEDOM TO SPEND — "Florida's 'Freedom Week' sales tax breaks includes movie tickets, concerts and outdoor products," by Orlando Sentinel's Austin Fuller: "Florida shoppers will be able to save some money on concert and movie tickets and outdoor products like bicycles and water skis with a sales tax holiday starting Thursday. The new sales tax holiday, branded as 'Freedom Week,' is set for July 1-7. It joins the state's other tax holidays, including a Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday and a tax holiday for back-to-school shopping. Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously encouraged Floridians to use the new sales tax holiday to celebrate their 'freedom' after the state reopened from the coronavirus pandemic quicker than other states." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ANCHORS AWEIGH — "Royal Caribbean set for US return this week after getting CDC OK on simulated sailing," by Orlando Sentinel's Richard Tribou: "The CDC has given Royal Caribbean the OK to go for its plans to sail from the U.S. for the first time with paying customers when Freedom of the Seas departs Miami this Friday. So far, the ship is the only one to undertake the test sailing required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to receive a conditional sailing certificate that allows the ship to welcome on board normal customers." STILL PENDING — " Judge refuses to dismiss criminal charge against former COVID data analyst," by News Service of Florida: "A Leon County circuit judge Tuesday refused to dismiss a criminal charge against former state COVID-19 data analyst Rebekah Jones, who has been accused of illegally accessing a Florida Department of Health computer system. Judge Francis Allman issued a one-page order denying Jones' motion to dismiss the case but did not explain the decision. Jones, who was fired from her health department position in May 2020, has received national attention after alleging that Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration manipulated data about COVID-19 cases and deaths." — "Man pleads guilty to stealing $24 million in COVID relief," by The Associated Press — "Get the Pfizer vaccine and a photo with the Lombardi trophy in Tampa," by Tampa Bay Times' Jamal Thalji | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | SCRUBBED — "Space X delays Falcon 9 launch; Elon Musk blames aircraft, government regulations," by Orlando Sentinel's Joe Mario Pedersen and Richard Tribou: "SpaceX delayed a planned Tuesday afternoon launch at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Tansporter-2 mission carrying 88 small satellites. The launch window opened at 2:56 p.m, but called the attempt off after a no-go from the Eastern Range, the area over the Atlantic over which the Falcon 9 rocket would ascend. Elon Musk posted to Twitter that it was called because of an aircraft that entered the 'keep out zone,' while also critiquing the size of it, calling it 'unreasonably gigantic.' 'There is simply no way that humanity can become a spacefaring civilization without major regulatory reform,' Musk stated. 'The current regulatory system is broken.'" | | MEDIA MATTERS | | NEW BOSS — "Jennifer Orsi named executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida regional editor," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: "Veteran Florida newspaper editor Jennifer Orsi is joining the USA TODAY Network as executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida regional editor, overseeing 18 Gannett-owned daily newspapers in the state. Orsi, 54, spent three decades at the Tampa Bay Times, starting as a reporter in the Brandon bureau and rising to become the first woman appointed the newspaper's sole managing editor. Since 2018, Orsi has been the director of marketing content and communications for an asset management company. She is excited to work in the news industry again." | | | | A message from USA-IT: The very things that make Florida such a wonderful place to live—a vibrant, populous state with 14 major ports, advanced transportation infrastructure, and of course world-famous beaches and shoreline (the 2nd longest in the United States)—also make it attractive to smugglers and traffickers. This illegal trade hurts local taxpayers, local economies and the senior citizen community, ultimately affecting the safety and quality of life of all 21 million Floridians.
Private-public partnerships can help address this problem. That's why our partners are proud to be on the ground in 2021, bringing our shared expertise combating illegal trade into Florida's fight. Along with governments and local law enforcement, we're working together to fight back. Learn more. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Pinellas says no personal fireworks, despite state law," by Tampa Bay Times' Sharon Kennedy Wayne: "Despite the state law that was signed by the governor in April 2020, Pinellas County issued a stern warning Tuesday that personal fireworks are not legal without the 'proper permits.' 'A new state law allowing the purchase of fireworks for use on three holidays does not supersede local regulations,' a Pinellas news release said. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law that allows Florida residents to legally use fireworks, but only for three days out of the year: New Year's Day, July Fourth and on New Year's Eve." BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Erin Grall … former State Rep. Travis Cummings
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