| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Next steps — What will President Joe Biden do about Cuba? That mystery really wasn't solved on Monday at the White House. Cautious — As reports of a second day of protests took place on the island nation, Biden and White House officials spoke in support of protesters — but gave few hints if the administration will take any steps in one direction or another. Divergent views — The fault lines, meanwhile, are already starting to show elsewhere. Sen. Marco Rubio sent a letter to Biden calling for several moves, including issuing a warning to Cuba that any effort to sidestep the crisis by encouraging a mass migration to the U.S. (read Florida) should be viewed as a "hostile action." (A reminder: During the economic crisis of 1980, an estimated 125,000 Cubans came to the U.S.) Less or more — Then you have Democrats such as New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, calling on the administration to rescind the sanctions imposed during President Donald Trump's time in office. But Florida Sen. Rick Scott — who was among those sharply critical of reconciliation efforts with Cuba while President Barack Obama was in office — called for "further sanctions" even though he did not say exactly what those should be. Calls for intervention — State Rep. Daniel Perez, a Miami Republican in line to become Florida House Speaker, is with those Cuban Americans who want the U.S. to intervene. "If America lets this play out without any intervention, it would be very difficult for the Cuban people to prosper," Perez told Playbook on Monday. "They aren't armed, all they can fight with is their will." He added that, "I hope President Biden finds it in his soul to be side by side with the people of the island… This is not a time to be partisan, this a time to be unified for the Cuban people." — 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 | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | THE SITUATION — "'The White House is finally paying attention': Cuba's protests force Biden's hand," by POLITICO's Sabrina Rodriguez and Nahal Toosi: And while President Joe Biden voiced support for the protesters, describing the protests as a "clarion call for freedom," much of his policy toward Cuba remains a mystery. Will Biden encourage more demonstrations? Does his team support adding new sanctions or keeping in place Trump-era sanctions? Is the idea of bolstering diplomatic and trade ties now out of the question? The White House's painstaking review of Cuba policy now risks being overtaken by current events. What to do next? — "The easy political thing to do is to issue demands for freedom from America while doing nothing," said Ben Rhodes, who served as a senior aide to former President Barack Obama and helped craft the Obama administration's diplomatic opening to Cuba. "I just don't think that's the approach that's going to be constructive here." WEIGHING IN — "Rubio calls on Biden administration to respond to Cuban protests," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Monday called on the Biden administration to take several steps in response to the protests in Cuba, including warning the island nation that any effort to encourage mass migration to the United States would be viewed as a "hostile action." A list — Rubio, who said the protests are "about the longstanding and deliberate actions taken by the dictatorship to stymy the economic prosperity and political freedom of the Cuban people," called for the Biden administration to take six separate steps in response to the crisis. One of them should be distributing Covid-19 vaccines to Cuba — but only if done through independent organizations. — " Rubio blasts Biden on Cuba: 'I don't know why it's so hard for them to criticize Marxists,'" by Fox News' Yael Halon — "Rubio warns of a 'Mariel style crisis' after Cuba protests," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty | 
Sen. Marco Rubio | Mark Wilson/Getty Images | TIME TO STEP IN? — "Cuban dissidents in Miami ask U.S. to intervene on the island after massive protests," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padro Ocasio: "A group of Cuban exiles in Miami and local conservative activists from Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua called for people in Miami to support a nationwide strike in Cuba and for the Biden administration to intervene in the aftermath of massive protests on the island. Members of the Assembly for Cuban Resistance, a coalition of organizations against communism in Cuba that advocates for human rights, said in a press conference Monday that they are supporting the young people on the island as they take to the streets and want the U.S. to intervene militarily." — "Cubans in Orlando unite in solidarity with protesters on communist island," by Orlando Sentinel's Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio 'THIS HAS BECOME MUCH MORE' — "Collapsed condo: Weighing how to honor dead at 'holy site,'" by The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan: "As crews keep searching for the last missing remains of the souls who perished in their collapsing beachfront condos nearly three weeks ago, the question is swirling across the ruins of the Champlain Towers South: What will become of the ground that bears so much pain? 'There's a lot of emotion. People talk about it as a holy site,' said Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez. 'People want some sort of connection with their family member.' Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett suggested Monday that with scores of families still processing their losses, it's too soon to come up with anything specific. But he said the tragedy — now with 94 people confirmed dead and 22 others still missing — compels that something be placed on the site to remember them." — "Broward in no rush to change building codes after Surfside," by Sun Sentinel's Lisa J. Huriash — "Searchers recover personal possessions from collapse rubble ," The by Associated Press' Terry Spencer and Kelli Kennedy | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | BY THE NUMBERS — Florida Republicans dominated statewide fundraising again, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed on Monday. The Republican Party of Florida — along with affiliated party committees run by House and Senate GOP leaders — reported raising $3.64 million for state accounts. The Florida Democratic Party saw its state fundraising numbers drop from the first quarter to $522,183. The fundraising arm for Senate Democrats reported raising zero dollars in the past quarter. Betting and losing — Many of the donors were the usual suspects that have business with the Florida Legislature such as utility companies and trade groups. But the newly filed records also show that online betting company DraftKings, which opposed the negotiated compact between The Seminole Tribe and Florida, donated to Republicans ahead of the May special session where lawmakers signed off on the deal. DraftKings donated a total of $300,000 three days before the session began. AND WHEN IT COMES TO WAGERS — "DraftKings and FanDuel drop $20 million into Florida sports betting push," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Two national online betting companies dropped $20 million into a fledgling effort to bring sports betting into the third-most populous state in the nation — and undo part of a recent deal brokered by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The huge fundraising haul came in last month, just days before a new law signed by DeSantis capping donations to citizen initiatives was due to take effect on July 1. That law has now been suspended by a federal judge, but several groups pushing amendments raised large amounts ahead of the deadline. It doesn't stop there — Several other gambling related entities also decided to drop millions into political committees in June: Seminole Gaming poured in $10 million to a newly controlled committee called Voters in Control. Florida Politics first reported about two other newly created committees tied to gambling interests that also raked in large donations. One committee — Florida Voters in Charge — got a check for $17 million from Las Vegas Sands, while another committee took in $15 million from the company connected to Magic City Casino. CHANGEUP — "Incoming Florida House speaker revamps campaign operation," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: House campaigns in past years have generally not been very visible, but Rep. Paul Renner is trying to change that. He hired the caucus' first ever communications director, Andres Malave, and on Thursday released a light-hearted video featuring several House Republicans in their districts. "We got members serving as the cast talking about the positive story of Florida compared to other states," Renner told POLITICO. Along with more publicity, Renner is trying to beef up the committee's small dollar fundraising, inking an agreement to start using WinRed, an online fundraising platform backed by the Republican National Committee FOLLOW THE MONEY — "How $45k went unaccounted for from PAC with ties to Florida 'ghost' candidate scandal," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin and Jason Garcia: "According to campaign finance records, Liberate Florida raised and spent roughly $400,000 between August and October — but its reported expenses include half a dozen donations to others across the state who say they never received any money from the group, including state Sen. Jason Brodeur, who represents Seminole County and part of Volusia. If the committee reported the contributions but never actually made them, it would be in violation of Florida laws, said Ron Meyer, a long-time Tallahassee elections attorney. The same would be true if Liberate Florida made the contributions but the recipients never reported them." — "DeSantis-brand drink koozies help show disdain for Fauci and mask wearing," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man | | | | HAPPENING TODAY: THE ROAD TO TOKYO 2020 – A CONVERSATION WITH FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE IOC ANITA DEFRANTZ: The Tokyo Olympics kick off July 23, 15 months after being postponed. One problem … Japan's capital city is in a Covid state of emergency and has prohibited fans from attending. With financial pressure to push forward and potential punishment for any athletes involved in protests or demonstrations during the sporting event, these Olympics Games will be unlike any other. Join Global Translations author Ryan Heath for a POLITICO Live conversation with Anita DeFrantz, First Vice President, International Olympic Committee, on what's at stake in the Tokyo Olympics, as a global health crisis, sports and politics all come to a head. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | LET'S GO TO THE TAPE — "Video of U.S. Capitol riot 'contradicts public narrative,' says St. Augustine man's lawyer," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson: "The lawyer for a St. Augustine man indicted after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is finding common cause with news organizations asking the government to release video she says 'contradicts the government's accusations and their indictment.' A 30-second video clip 'exposes the weakness of their case … and it contradicts the public narrative that the government has put forward,' John Steven Anderson's attorney, Marina Medvin, told a federal judge in Washington last week. '[T]hat is why the government … is fighting tooth and nail to conceal evidence in Mr. Anderson's case,' Medvin wrote in a filing supporting efforts of a coalition of news organizations including Gannett Inc." ABOUT TO LEAVE JAIL — "Man tied to violent prison gang pleads guilty in Jan. 6 riot," by The Associated Press' Alanna Durkin Richer: "A Florida man who was part of a white supremacist prison gang when he served time for attempted murder pleaded guilty Monday to joining the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, and will be released from jail this week after serving six months for his role in the Jan. 6 riot." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | UH-OH — "Demings urges vaccinated people to wear masks indoors as COVID-19 cases surge in Orange County among unvaccinated," by Orlando Sentinel's Stephen Hudak and Ryan Gillespie: "Amid a surge in new COVID-19 infections — powered by the delta variant taking root in unvaccinated people — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Monday vaccinated people should strongly consider wearing face masks while in crowded places indoors. Demings, in issuing his warning, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shifted the county back into the 'high risk' category. He said he wasn't issuing a mandate, but a 'strong recommendation.'" — " Amid Florida COVID spike, Miami hospital's virus patients are younger, unvaccinated," by Miami Herald's Ben Conarck — "Pensacola may offer $100 to city employees who get the COVID-19 vaccine," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little — " Carnival Cruise Lines requires unvaccinated travelers buy insurance for Florida cruises," by Miami Herald's Taylor Dolven | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | WORDS — "Parkland school shooter might have been a 'killer,' but his lawyers don't want jury to hear it," by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda: "Don't call the Parkland shooter a killer, his lawyers say. Don't call him a murderer. Don't call him "the thing," as some have. And don't call the murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School a 'massacre,' a 'shooting spree' or the 'schoolhouse slaughter.' Nikolas Cruz, who shot and killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School three years ago, is still entitled to a fair trial, and his lawyers say he won't get one if prosecutors and witnesses use the colorful language to describe him or the incident. 'References to Mr. Cruz with the use of inflammatory labels will violate his constitutional right to due process and his right to a fair trial,' his lawyers wrote in a motion filed June 30." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | MURKY — "White House doesn't rule out sending troops to Haiti, says political future unclear," by Miami Herald's Michael Wilner: "The Biden administration has not ruled out sending U.S. troops to Haiti to help secure the country amid political fallout from the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, the White House said on Monday. A high-level delegation of U.S. officials spent Sunday on the ground in Port-au-Prince meeting with three men at the center of a power struggle in the country, each claiming to be Haiti's rightful leader. The U.S. team briefed President Joe Biden on their initial assessment on Monday morning, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said." — "Charlottesville, VA removes Confederate statue; Putnam Commission may vote to keep theirs," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Jim Abbott | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar … Sun Sentinel's Dan Sweeney
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