| | | | | |  | | By Matt Dixon | Presented by USA-IT | Hello and welcome to Friday. Politics aside — Things went well. I mean, we thought they would go well, but President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis meeting, sitting together, and interacting came with a calm that was not necessarily the expected outcome. The two met at the horrific tragedy that is the Surfside condo collapse, a moment of heartache that necessitated that two political rivals replace campaign trail mindsets with the idea that, in dire circumstances, public service could still work. The game will return — The politics between Biden and DeSantis, who is eyeing a challenge to the president in 2024, are undeniable and will no doubt return. But it should be acknowledged that, at least overtly, those considerations on Thursday were set aside. Biden came to Surfside and DeSantis greeted him as a resource, not a rival. It seems basic, but in today's hyper-partisan reality, it's a moment worth chronicling. Work to be done — There is so much work yet to be done, and so many souls left unaccounted for. The scene is a tragedy that will fester for years to come. But as the near-term mission morphs from search and rescue to "what the hell happened," it seems heartening at to know a governor and a president with drastically different political ideologies can — at least for a moment — focus on the crisis at hand. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will not publish on Monday, July 5. After the brief hiatus, we'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, July 6. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida. (Have a great Fourth of July, everyone!) | | | | 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 | | | 
President Joe Biden attends a briefing in Miami Beach, Fla., with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Thursday, July 1, 2021, on the collapsed condo tower in Surfside. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | POTUS ARRIVES — "Biden arrives in Surfside area as rescue work halted over safety concerns at condo site," by Miami Herald's Doug Hanks, Bianca Padro Ocasio, Martin Vassolo and David Ovalle: "Exactly one week after the Champlain Towers South building collapsed, rescue crews early Thursday stopped work amid concerns that the remaining structure could topple, as President Joe Biden touched down in South Florida to meet with first responders and grieving families. The new challenges arose Thursday as Biden arrived to the Surfside area to meet with rescue workers and government officials, console relatives of the missing and deliver remarks about what could become one of the nation's deadliest building failures." PLAYING NICE — " 'You've been very supportive': Biden and DeSantis play nice as president surveys Surfside," by POLITICO's Quint Forgey: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday praised President Joe Biden's federal response to the collapse of a condo building in the coastal suburb of Surfside — providing a moment of bipartisan bonhomie between the leader of the Democratic Party and a rising star within Donald Trump's GOP. Speaking at a command briefing near the site of the deadly disaster, DeSantis — seated beside Biden — said the president had "recognized the severity of this tragedy from day one, and you've been very supportive." HOPE — "Consoler-in-chief Biden Surfside family members: 'Never give up hope,'" by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Mann: "Putting aside partisan politics, President Joe Biden is spending Thursday in South Florida, meeting local officials coordinating the Surfside response, speaking with first responders — and in the way perhaps only Biden can — consoling families of the dead and missing." DEVASTATING — "A woman called for help under the rubble of Surfside condo collapse, fire chief says," by Miami Herald's Michelle Marchante and Martin Vassolo: "Rescue crews heard a woman calling for help underneath the rubble of the collapsed condo tower in Surfside during their "initial search and rescue efforts" in the area last week, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Alan Cominsky said Thursday. A search-and-rescue dog detected someone trapped under a mountain of concrete just hours after the Champlain Towers South Condo partially collapsed on June 24, as the Miami Herald has reported. Rescuers first believed the trapped person was a child but later identified her as an adult woman." THE BIG QUESTION — " Condo collapse mystery: Why did the building fall in Surfside? Investigation could take years," by Florida Today's Rick Neale and Jesse Mendoza: " In the coming months, forensic engineers will focus on clues hidden within tangled heaps of rubble to solve a mystery: Exactly why did a 12-story condominium tower tragically collapse in Surfside? 'I have probably 60 or 70 possible thoughts. I have to eliminate them one at a time, research them one at a time, and then look at them in combination to try to make an understanding of it,' said Allyn Kilsheimer, a structural engineer who has been hired by the town of Surfside to study the disaster." TOUGH SPOT — " Inspector who said Florida tower appeared in 'Good Shape' is now under scrutiny," by The New York Times' Frances Robles: "José L. Haar is still claustrophobic and suffers from chronic back pain, lingering effects from the hours he spent trapped under rubble between two dead brothers decades ago. Hired to haul debris from a demolition project, Mr. Haar was one of three survivors of the 1997 collapse of the Biscayne Kennel Club , a dog track near Miami that caved while being wrecked by an unlicensed, uninsured and unregistered subcontractor." THE EXCEPTION — "In South Florida, developers often demand exceptions to rules. Champlain Towers got several," by Miami Herald's Deirdra Funcheon: "According to his 2014 obituary , which shows him squinting and smiling, Nathan Reiber had just moved to South Florida and was retired for only a week when a building on Miami Beach's Lincoln Road caught his eye. He bought it, launching his second career as a real estate mogul." — "After collapse, Surfside condo board taps PR firm that claims to 'fix the impossible,'" by Miami Herald's Michael Wilner, Ben Wieder and Antonio Maria Delgado — "Pinellas mayors consider new high-rise protections after Surfside collapse," by Tampa Bay Times' Gabe Stern | | | | JOIN TODAY 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. | | | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | COURT WALL — "Federal courts deal blow to DeSantis and Florida GOP's agenda," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Federal judges over 12 hours dealt a one-two punch to key portions of Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Republican's agenda, blocking implementation of two GOP priorities passed during the 2021 legislative session. A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida on Thursday halted implementation of a law that would cap at $3,000 campaign contributions for statewide ballot measures. ON THE LIST — " DeSantis fires back after California bans state travel to Florida," by News Service of Florida: "Gov. Ron DeSantis' office fired back this week after Florida was added to a list of places targeted by California because of laws involving LGBTQ people. California said it is halting state-funded travel to Florida and four other states because of what it considers discriminatory laws. 'Congratulations to California for somehow managing to create a new way to politicize its bureaucracy,' Christina Pushaw, a DeSantis spokeswoman, said after Florida was added to California's travel-ban list — now at 17 states." MORE CONTROVERSY — "Florida's proposed Holocaust education standards prompt 'deep concerns' from state experts," Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal: "Already mired in educational culture wars over critical race theory and civics lessons, Florida has been fighting a similar yet quieter battle over its new initiative to teach students more about the Holocaust. Experts tapped by the state to help write or review new Holocaust standards say Florida's proposal fails to connect the horrors of the Holocaust to lessons that would encourage today's students to understand the 'ramifications of prejudice, stereotyping and racism.'" NOT SO FAST — "Recently retired Florida teachers might not get state bonus," by Tampa Bay Times' Jeff S. Solochek: "The prospect of a $1,000 bonus rewarding a year of hard work in Florida's public schools might not come to fruition for some teachers and principals, as promised. The Department of Education's guidelines explaining who's eligible for the money, which landed in superintendents' email inboxes late Wednesday, state that the educators must have held a qualified position by June 2 and be "currently employed full time." | | | |   | | |
| | DATELINE D.C. | | WELCOME TO THE SWAMP — "Gaetz invites Britney Spears to testify before Congress," by POLITICO's Brittany Gibson: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and a handful of other Republicans have invited pop star Britney Spears to testify before Congress about her conservatorship. "You have been mistreated by America's legal system. We want to help," Gaetz wrote in a letter to Spears dated Wednesday. "The United States Congress should hear your story and be inspired to bipartisan action. What happened to you should never happen to any other American." FLORIDA'S MURPHY MAKES CUT — "Cheney joins Democrats on Jan. 6 probe, defying McCarthy threat ," by POLITICO's Sarah Ferris and Nicholas Wu: Speaker Nancy Pelosi has chosen GOP Rep. Liz Cheney to join the Democratic-led investigation of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, a rate cross-aisle elevation of on o Donald Trump's most prominent conservative critics. The select committee on the insurrection will be led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who had previously crafted a bipartisan plan to establish an outside commission to lead the probe into the Jan. 6 violence. | | | | 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 | | LET US ALONE — "Florida one of the most independent states in the nation, study says," by WFLA: "As the Fourth of July quickly approaches, Americans may have noticed how much their independence has been tested over the past year. The pandemic hasn't just kept people apart, it's also led many to become more dependent on support from the federal government. States have received an additional $195 billion in federal COVID-19 aid this year. Other people may be depending on personal vices such as drinking or drugs to cope with isolation and stress." OFF THE HOOK — " Police make no criminal charges for candidate threatening Anna Paulina Luna," by Tampa Bay Times' Romy Ellenbogen: "The St. Petersburg Police Department has closed its investigation into what congressional candidate Anna Paulina Luna said were threats made against her by political rival William Braddock and will take no action in the case. The 14-page police file reports that Braddock repeatedly talked about Luna, a fellow Republican in the closely watched 13th Congressional District, getting 'taken out,' and includes a link to a 30-minute video in which Braddock appears to be secretly recorded saying he has access to a "hit squad" of Ukrainians and Russians." TO COURT — "Black public works employees sue Panama City Beach for racial discrimination," by Panama City News Herald's Nathan Cobb: "A handful of Black public works employees are suing Panama City Beach, claiming racial discrimination. According to the case docket listed on the Bay County Clerk of Court website, the lawsuit was filed in September by Kozmas Smith, Shane Smith, Christopher Jackson, Landon Green and Ervin Green. All currently work for the Panama City Beach Public Works Department, except Jackson, who was terminated in February 2020." — " Blue Origin will launch Mercury 13's famous Wally Funk with Jeff Bezos," by Florida Today's Emre Kelly: | | | | 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. | | |
| | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | HERE WE GO — "Tropical Strom Elsa strengthens as it races toward Caribbean. South Florida remains in its path," by Fort Myers News Press' Cheryl McCloud: "Tropical Storm Elsa strengthened more by Thursday afternoon as it races toward the Windward Islands and the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty has all of South Florida in the storm's path. While it is too soon to determine what, if any, impacts could occur in Florida next week, all residents are encouraged to monitor the storm and make preparations." BIRTHDAYS: Sandi Poreda of Bulldog Strategy Group ... Meredith Woodrum Snowden , VP of legislative affairs for Leath Consulting Sunday: State Rep. Randy Maggard Monday: State Rep. Michelle Salzman …. Randy Hanna , dean and CEO of Florida State University Panama City | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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