| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Check the calendar — It's the start of hurricane season. It's also likely the official start of Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried's campaign for governor (unless this has been one drawn-out head fake.) But let's start with this — Is Gov. Ron DeSantis about to come up with a carve out for cruise lines to get the industry back up and running in Florida? What's he has been saying — DeSantis has been adamant for months that A) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules that shuttered the cruise industry were wrong, and B) Businesses should not be able to require proof of vaccination for their customers or patrons. Florida has sued to try to remove the current CDC rules that have prevented cruise lines from resuming operations in the United States. That case is now in mediation. (It was supposed to wrap up last week but court files show the mediation session will continue on Tuesday.) Looming confrontation — The CDC, meanwhile, has opened the door to resumption of sailing but the new protocols call for most of the passengers and crew to be vaccinated. DeSantis on Friday — as well as people in the administration — insisted they will fine cruise lines operating in Florida if they require proof of vaccination for boarding passengers. "We will absolutely enforce the law," DeSantis told reporters. A workaround in the works? — Forbes, however, citing audio obtained by a blogger who follows the cruise industry, said a cruise line executive explained to travel agents that a workaround now being discussed would sidestep the law this way: Once a passenger steps onto the ship they would no longer be in Florida waters but international waters and their documentation could then be requested. (How convenient.) Response — When asked about the story, DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw said in an email that the conversation cited in the Forbes article "didn't involve anyone from the DeSantis administration and shouldn't be cited as though it reflects the governor's position." She also said, "As far as I know, the governor's public statement from Friday still reflects his position on this matter." Pushaw then added that the governor "expects a favorable outcome to the mediation with the CDC that will allow cruise ships to operate in Florida under state law (meaning, that vaccine passports wouldn't be mandated)." Let's see how this plays out in the days ahead. — 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 | | | | 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. | | | | |
|  | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 'WIGGLE ROOM' — "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is crafting a cruise line exemption for his vaccine passport," by Forbes' Suzanne Rowan Kelleher: "But away from reporters' microphones and cameras, the DeSantis team has been working with the cruise lines to find a solution that would allow the governor to have his political cake and eat it, too. On a call with travel agents last Thursday, Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior VP of sales, trade support and service at Celebrity Cruises, discussed 'the elephant in the room,' according a scoop in the unofficial Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line. The blog's founder, Matt Hochberg, was not on the call but obtained an audio recording, which he shared with Forbes. In the clip, the Celebrity Cruises executive is heard outlining how DeSantis is working with the largest cruise lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line — to find a workaround." The daily rundown — The Department of Health did not release any daily coronavirus information on the number of cases or deaths over the Memorial Day weekend. The number of active hospitalizations between Sunday and Monday decreased by 30 (nearly 1.6 percent), to 1,880. — " Younger people continue to lag in Sarasota-Manatee vaccine rates," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Elizabeth Djinis | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | FRIED'S LAUNCH — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is expected to make her long-awaited entry into the governor's race official on Tuesday. Instead of doing an in-person event, it's anticipated that Fried will make her announcement via a video on social media. Fried is Florida's only statewide elected Democrat and she has been a leading critic of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but first she must defeat Rep. — and former governor — Charlie Crist in the Democratic primary. And speaking of that… Crist outraised Fried in May — Crist, who jumped into the governor's race in early May, had raised more than $760,000 by May 28, according to the latest information included on the website for his political committee. Meanwhile, information maintained by Fried shows she raised slightly more than $117,000 last month. Fried's Florida Consumers First committee did have its best-ever fundraising month in April when she pulled in nearly $362,000. And she still has an overall cash advantage since both state records and her website show that she's raised $1.62 million more than she's spent. But Crist also has nearly $650,000 in his congressional campaign account that he could tap into for his gubernatorial run. Writing the checks — Some of Crist's major contributors include South Florida philanthropist and well-known Democratic donor Barbara Stiefel, who gave Crist $100,000. Checks also come in from some of Florida's established trial lawyers. WHO'S TRUMP? — "Put Trump on the ballot in 22? No thanks, some Dems say, " by POLITICO's Sarah Ferris and Melanie Zanona: Instead, those Democrats are eager to deploy a policy-heavy playbook to help stave off a potential midterm whipping — and are careful to avoid putting Trumpism on the ballot next November, too. "The former president is now a private citizen, and it appears our justice system is handling whatever potential misdeeds he may or may not have committed," said Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), among roughly three dozen endangered Democrats who will need to win in order for their party to keep the House. "Trump is a Republican problem and a Republican cancer that they need to cut out of their party," she added. "But that's their problem." READY FOR HIS CLOSEUP — "As pandemic wanes, Florida's DeSantis seizes national stage," by The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan : "Regardless of who gets in the Democratic contest, toppling [Gov. Ron] DeSantis will be 'a tall order,' said Ryan Tyson, a Tallahassee-based Republican pollster. "The Democrats fail to understand that the state of Florida is changing under their very noses." Florida's population continues to boom, but many of the state's new residents are older and come from parts of the country friendlier toward Republicans. Before last November's presidential election, Republicans had narrowed the registration gap with Democrats to about 117,000. On Election Day four years earlier, Democrats had a 327,000 voter registration lead. Since then, Republicans have continued to gain — with the Democratic advantage now barely over 100,000." THE OPPOSITION — "Nikki Fried barely won her first and only election. Supporters see her as Democrats' best hope to topple Ron DeSantis," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "To many, Nikki Fried is the obvious, and perfect, choice. Fried is young; she's a woman; she does well on television; she's Florida's only statewide elected Democrat; and she's been a prominent voice countering Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Tuesday, she's expected to formally declare her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor — a campaign she's unofficially been running since she was elected to her current job as state agriculture commissioner in 2018. It's a gamble. Fried faces a formidable foe in the Democratic primary, Congressman Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg. He's served in multiple offices, including a term as the state's Republican governor, and is now a prominent elected Democrat." | 
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried joins opponents to Florida election legislation | Gary Fineout POLITICO | THE ROAD AHEAD — "Democrats face 'rough scenario' as races for governor, U.S. Senate start to shape up in Florida," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "But experts are differing widely on what would give the underdog Democrats, who also include U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and possibly state Sen. Annette Taddeo on the gubernatorial side, the best chance to defeat Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio — and even whether they have a real chance at all. 'Heading into 2022 is going to be such a rough scenario for any of the Democrats,' said Matt Isbell, an elections expert who runs the MCIMaps website." — " Lake County event helps people secure voting rights provided by 2018's Amendment 4," by Paul Ryan for the Daily Commercial | | | | JOIN TUESDAY FOR A TALK ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY AFTER COVID-19: The U.S. economy is picking up speed, sparking fears of inflation and financial bubbles even as millions are still out of work following the Covid recession. Join us for an interview with Federal Reserve Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles to discuss the U.S. economic outlook, how the nation's banks are holding up, and what to expect from the Fed on interest rates and regulations. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | AFTER TWO YEAR JOURNEY — "Biden administration sides with Florida on Canadian drug imports," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon and Sarah Owermohle: President Joe Biden's administration Friday night filed a motion in federal court seeking to dismiss a lawsuit that aims to prevent prescription drug imports from Canada — a plan Florida is lobbying to utilize. The Biden administration's motion essentially sides with Florida and New Mexico, the only other state that has formally started the process of applying for Canadian imports. Premature — The motion asks a federal court in Washington to toss a lawsuit from the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, which represents brand-named drug producers, against the Department of Health and Human Services. The administration argues that because the drug importation rule and process has never been officially implemented, the drug industry is acting too soon with its legal challenge. CLOSED OUT — " Florida state attorney dropping criminal probe into Patronis but civil suit remains," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Tallahassee-area State Attorney Jack Campbell on Friday said his office is dropping a criminal investigation into whether Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis took bribes and illegally released a sexual harassment complaint. The issue stems from allegations made by former Department of Financial Services Commission Ron Rubin, who accused Patronis and his allies of using their political sway to get him the position, then threatened and elbowed him out of the top financial regulatory post when the relationship soured. Rubin's attorney asked for a criminal investigation, and also filed a civil lawsuit in Leon County Court, which is not impacted by Campbell's decision. — "Gov. DeSantis takes on how racial history is taught in Florida schools," by USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | 'THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE' — "'Acts of domestic terrorism.' Officials decry holiday weekend mass shootings in Miami-Dade," by Miami Herald's David Goodhue and Charles Rabin and David Ovalle: "The shooting early Sunday morning that killed two people and left 21 others wounded was likely a dispute between two rival groups that came to a head over things said in rap songs or social media posts, Alfredo Ramirez III, director of the Miami-Dade County Police Department told reporters during a press conference Monday morning. Ramirez, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other community leaders gathered outside of county police headquarters in Doral to update the case — one of the worst mass shootings in recent South Florida memory — and to plead with the public to help identify the shooters." — "Grieving dad speaks out at press conference on mass shooting that left 21 injured, 2 dead," by Miami Herald's Michelle Marchante and David Goodhue — "'The Profit' host Marcus Lemonis offering $100,000 help in rap concert shooting," by Miami Herald's Asta Hemenway | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | STILL MORE — "Grand jury indicts Kissimmee man for alleged role in Capitol riot," by WKMG's Erik Sandoval: "A federal grand jury has handed down more indictments against four Central Florida residents for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot. Kelly Meggs, 52, and Connie Meggs, 59, both live in Dunellon. Kenneth Harrleson, 40, lives in Titusville, and William Isaacs, 21, who was arrested last week, lives in Kissimmee. Isaacs was indicted on six federal charges, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destroying government property, entering a restricted building, civil disorder and aiding and abetting. According to court documents, federal investigators claim all four are members of a group called the Oath Keepers." — "Tampa man to take plea deal in Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol," by Tampa Bay Times' Natalie Weber | | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | THE MEAN SEASON — "'She was gone, instantly': Florida hurricane victims recall dangers," by Orlando Sentinel's Joe Mario Pedersen: "Since 1991, 464 Floridians have been either killed directly or indirectly by tropical-storm-related activity, the Orlando Sentinel found in the records of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Naomi [Browning's] case isn't unheard of — Floridians hit by objects turned projectiles — but research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found the most dangerous weapon of a hurricane is actually the water. The major player responsible for those deaths was storm surge, which accounted for 49% of hurricane-related deaths nationally. NOAA's analysis also found that more than half of deaths associated with water were vehicle-related." GOOD QUESTION — "Emergency managers worry: Are Florida newbies ready for hurricane season?" by Palm Beach Post's Kimberly Miller: "Emergency managers know Floridians are hurricane-savvy. But in the past year, tens of thousands of people joined the ranks of Sunshine State residents and their storm acumen is now an urgent concern. Since the beginning of 2020, more than half a million people traded out-of-state driver's licenses for ones with the Florida address — including 35,600 in Palm Beach County — and Realtors report skyrocketing home sales as the COVID-19 pandemic created new remote-work freedoms." Get a plan — "Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the messages of hurricane prep for storm newbies can be as straightforward as a shopping list and knowing if a home has hurricane-resistant windows. It's the more knotty messages, such as who should evacuate, when and to where, that can be harder to convey." GOOD ADVICE — " Want to ride out a hurricane on the 40th floor? Probably not," by Sun Sentinel's David Fleshler: "Since South Florida's last direct hit in 2005, when Hurricane Wilma swept across the state, the number of high-rise buildings has multiplied, altering the skylines of Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Hallandale Beach, Miami Beach and other cities. Constructed to the toughest building code of any state exposed to hurricanes, they are unlikely to suffer significant structural damage from even the strongest storms, experts say. But that doesn't mean they are a good place to stay in a hurricane." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | A TERRIBLE TREND — "Manatees are dying in droves this year. The die-offs could spell trouble for Florida," by CNN's Scottie Andrew: "Manatee advocates who've sounded the alarm for years saw it coming. 'Manatees are literally that sentinel species,' says Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, a 40-year-old nonprofit co-founded by Jimmy Buffet. 'They're warning us of what else is going to come if we don't do a better job while there's still time to do something about it. If we don't, our own lives will suffer.' Florida, the third-most populous state in the US and still growing, stands to lose more than its state marine mammal if manatees go extinct. The same issues that have caused their mass deaths are disrupting freshwater and saltwater sanctuaries, killing off fish and other species and mucking up the water that millions rely on for their livelihoods." YUCK — "20 Palm Beach schools will use bottled water after high levels of algae toxins found in tap water," by Sun Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "With a water advisory in effect, the School District of Palm Beach County has taken precautions at some of its public schools to close off all drinking water fountains on campus and bring in bottled water. On Friday, county officials announced elevated levels of algae toxins have been found in the tap water used by 120,000 residents of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach and South Palm Beach." AFTER STATE OFFICIALS DEFEND ACTIONS — " Florida lawmakers call for firings, prison reform in the wake of leaked beating video," by Miami Herald's Ben Conarck: "South Florida state Sens. Jason Pizzo and Shevrin Jones joined Orlando House Rep. Dianne Hart on Friday in calling for meaningful prison reform after footage leaked from a facility north of Fort Myers revealed the beating of a handcuffed inmate by five officers clad in tactical gear. The calls came the day after the Miami Herald published a special report on the handling of Michel Hernandez, who was restrained with handcuffs cinched to his stomach with a chain, known as a 'black box,' as well as leg shackles, when he was beaten multiple times by a team of burly officers." — "Only a sliver of South Florida's homes are for sale — the smallest percentage ever," by Sun Sentinel's Amber Randall — "Thousands will descend on Miami for the world's largest crypto conference. Is the hype real?" by Miami Herald's Rob Wile | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. Danny Burgess … Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew … Journalist Jake Stofan … Associated Press national political reporter Bill Barrow … (Was Monday) Julie Moos, of the National Press Club Journalism Institute … (Was Sunday) State Rep. Kaylee Tuck … former Rep. Dan Miller … Rubio alum Rob Noel
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