| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by the Seminole Tribe of Florida | Hello and welcome to Thursday. The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that there were 26,203 Covid-19 infections on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 17,164 beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. The Florida Hospital Association reported Tuesday that 53.9 percent of adult patients in intensive care units are infected with Covid-19. Who loves the sun? — During their two-plus decades in power, Florida Republicans have repeatedly heaped scorn on California, contending the state's liberal politics have led it down a path of ruin. Then-Gov. Rick Scott made blue state bashing an art form as he attempted to poach jobs from California, New York and Illinois (with not much success.) I'll be your mirror — Gov. Ron DeSantis and his anti-mask, anti-lockdown, let's tear down Anthony Fauci rhetoric has made him a GOP superstar and established him as a potential frontrunner for 2024 (provided he gets re-elected). And Republicans running for governor in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have praised DeSantis's handling of Covid-19. But as Florida has struggled with a record surge of new cases this summer and reached the boiling point over masks in schools, blue state politicians are punching back. I can't stand it — POLITICO's California team reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is the subject of a recall vote next month, is constantly warning that California could become Florida. "Your daily reminder that on September 14th the Republican party is trying to drive CA off the same cliff as Florida and Texas," Newsom said in a recent tweet. "They want to pretend COVID doesn't exist. Reverse the progress we've made on vaccines. Ban masking. And put partisan games over people's lives." Singer and entertainment star John Legend went further, tweeting out this week, "Don't DeSantis our California." What goes on — It's not just Newsom trying to tie DeSantis to his Republican political opponents. Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who is running for his former job as Virginia's governor, launched a hard-hitting digital ad earlier this month against his GOP opponent that highlights rising hospitalizations in Florida. "Don't let Glenn Youngkin do to Virgina what Ron DeSantis did to Florida," concludes the ad. Foggy notion — Of course in one way these jabs just give DeSantis more credibility among conservatives from coast-to-coast as the heir apparent to the Republican Party (assuming that Donald Trump eventually bows out). But it will also be quite the moment if Democrats in other states are successful by making it all about Ron. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will not publish from Monday, Aug. 30, to Monday, Sept. 6. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 7. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com | | A message from the Seminole Tribe of Florida: The new Seminole Compact is a historic deal between the people of the State Florida and the sovereign nation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Announced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. in April 2021 and approved by the Florida Legislature during a special legislative session in May 2021, the Seminole Compact was deemed approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior this August. Learn more… | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | MY OBSESSION — "California can't stop talking about Florida," by POLITICO's Mackenzie Mays: Florida is living rent-free in California's head. Gov. Gavin Newsom can't stop talking about the Sunshine State as he campaigns to save his job. He's using Florida as the ultimate threat of what California could become if the complex recall process leads to Republican leadership in the deep blue state next month. Meanwhile, Republican hopefuls have repeatedly evoked the East Coast alternative as something to aspire to, fighting to replace Newsom and his public health orders with someone more like mask-averse conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. UNDERWATER — "Florida poll: 53 percent disapprove of Biden's job performance," by POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek: A majority of Florida voters disapprove of President Joe Biden's job performance, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday. Roughly 53 percent of respondents gave Biden negative marks, compared with 40 percent who approved of the president's performance seven months into his tenure. Another 7 percent said they were unsure, with the poll carrying a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Unsurprisingly, 87 percent of self-identified Democrats said they were supportive of Biden, whereas 91 percent of Republicans expressed disapproval. | 
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: U.S. President Joe Biden makes brief remarks while hosting Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in the Oval Office at the White House June 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. Biden announced in April that he was pulling all U.S. forces from Afghanistan and ending America's longest war by September 11. (Photo by Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images) | Pete Marovich/Pool via Getty Images | — "Florida voters deeply divided over DeSantis; most don't want him to run for president," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man — " Nikki Fried ready to 'fight fierce' to become Florida's first woman governor," by the Times of Israel's Ron Kampeas | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 'IT IS OUTRIGHT DISCRIMINATION' — "GOP bans on school masks draw federal civil rights challenges," by POLITICO's Michael Stratford: Disability rights advocates are taking on Republican governors who block school mask requirements, launching a slew of federal civil rights lawsuits that could serve as a blueprint for the Biden administration as it weighs legal options to fight the policies. The legal challenges — filed separately in recent weeks against Texas, Florida and South Carolina — argue that those states' bans on universal masking in schools run afoul of federal anti-discrimination laws meant to protect children with disabilities. UNSWAYED — "'There will be consequences': DeSantis stands against school mask mandates," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his opposition to school mask mandates, an entrenchment that comes as nearly half of Florida students now live in districts that require face coverings. The Republican governor on Wednesday rejected the idea of "going back" on his executive order that spurred state agencies to block schools from requiring students to wear masks while a lawsuit filed by parents against the DeSantis administration adds a legal element to what has been an explosive political fight. MORE LITIGATION? — "Schools across Florida may unite to fight the state on masks," by Sun Sentinel's Brooke Baitinger: "School boards across Florida may unite in a legal challenge against state mask rules that they say endanger students and the communities they were elected to represent….School Board members in Palm Beach County, for example, voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward with a legal challenge, action the Broward School Board took earlier. Orange County School Board members said this week that they too might want to join the Broward and Palm Beach counties in the fights." — " Anti-mask protester arrested after shoving high school student," by Sun Sentinel's Austen Erblat — "DeSantis' ban on school mask mandates under fire as school boards revolt, parents file lawsuits," by Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal — " Escambia, Santa Rosa schools tighten restrictions as COVID-19 cases reach new heights," by Pensacola News Journal's Madison Arnold — "Fletcher Middle goes virtual marking second school-wide closure in Duval County in two days," by Florida Times-Union's Emily Bloch | | | | INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada's future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what's really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don't miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today. | | | | | FOR YOUR RADAR — "Water users asked to cut back so oxygen keeps flowing to COVID-19 patients," by Tampa Bay Times' Anastasia Dawson: "For hospitals, oxygen is easier to store as a liquid in the large volumes they now require for COVID-19 patients. For many municipal water systems, liquid oxygen is a key component in water purification. Now, all water users in the Tampa Bay area, and especially those served by Hillsborough County Public Utilities, are being asked to help conserve drinking water by cutting back on non-essential uses like washing cars, watering lawns and using pressure washers. Beginning Thursday, the regional supplier Tampa Bay Water will be temporarily changing the way it treats potable water at its Lithia Hydrogen Sulfide Removal Facility, citing a cutback in deliveries of liquid oxygen." ADDING IT UP — "In Florida, the pandemic is worse now than it ever has before," by New York Times' Dan Levin: "More people in Florida are catching the coronavirus, being hospitalized and dying of Covid-19 now than at any previous point in the pandemic, underscoring the perils of limiting public health measures as the Delta variant rips through the state. This week, 227 virus deaths were being reported each day in Florida, on average, as of Tuesday, a record for the state and by far the most in the United States right now." THE TOLL — " Bodies stacked to the ceiling as COVID-19 surge creates backlog at Florida funeral homes, crematories," by WESH's Michelle Meredith: "At West Side Crematory in Winter Garden, they're overwhelmed with the remains of people that need to be cremated. There's an influx of bodies like they've never seen, worse than the first wave of COVID-19. The area where bodies are stored prior to being cremated is stacked to the ceiling. The staff is working day and night to honor the dead." IT'S NOT ALLOWED — "Florida Gators won't require coronavirus shot, negative test to attend football games," by Tampa Bay Times' Matt Baker: "The Florida Gators will not require fans to receive the coronavirus vaccine or produce a negative test result to attend a football game this season, athletic director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday. Stricklin, speaking on the Sports Scene show on Gainesville's 850 AM-WRUF, said state universities don't have the authority to enforce such mandates, whether they're for classes or sporting events. 'There will not be vaccine requirements,' Stricklin said. 'There won't be negative test requirements.'" — " Ron DeSantis blames pro-Cuomo press for New York nursing home deaths," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | YET ANOTHER LEGAL BATTLE — "Court hears challenge to DeSantis cut-off of jobless aid," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Horror stories about evictions and inability to buy food punctuated a hearing Wednesday over a lawsuit trying to force Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to once again accept federal unemployment supplements. The DeSantis administration decided last month to stop allowing unemployed residents to collect $300-a-week payments offered by the federal government to supplement state unemployment benefits. Cutting off those payments, which came two months earlier than was required, prompted a lawsuit by a group of unemployed Florida residents who argue the state was required to accept the federal assistance. BEVIS IN, FEENEY OUT — One of Florida's influential business associations announced on Wednesday a change in leadership. Associated Industries of Florida, a major political donor in the state, unanimously named Brewster Bevis as president. He will assume the role of both president and CEO of the organization — known for the large annual party it throws on the eve of legislative session — starting in January. Bevis is taking over for Tom Feeney, the former House speaker and member of Congress who has led the organization for the past decade. Bevis joined AIF in 2011 as vice president of external affairs and was subsequently promoted to senior vice president of state and federal affairs in 2013. He is married to Amanda Bevis, who runs Red Hills Strategies, a communications firm that represents several business groups as well as incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. | | | |   | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | EXTINQUISHED — "Matt Gaetz failed to properly disclose his abysmal book sales," by The Daily Beast's Roger Sollenberger: "[Rep. Mat] Gaetz's book, Firebrand, went on presale last August and hit bookshelves and online stores in September, after last year's financial disclosure deadline. The new amended disclosure claims the beleaguered Florida conservative earned exactly $25,000 from book sales last year, after giving 30 percent of his personal profits to his agent, Sergio Gor—a former staffer for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who also officiated and DJ'ed at Gaetz's surprise wedding last weekend. If Gaetz's $25,000 claim and publishing terms are accurate, the disclosure indicates Firebrand didn't exactly burn up the charts." 'HEARTBREAKING' — "Congresswoman, a former Vietnamese refugee, pushes to help Afghans in peril," by Spectrum News' Samantha-Jo Roth : "She was brought out of Vietnam as an infant with her family, after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Saigon. Watching Afghanistan fall to the Taliban is a reminder of her own family's escape from Vietnam when she was an infant. "What I'm watching is heartbreaking, not just as a refugee but as an American," [Rep. Stephanie] Murphy told Spectrum News. 'My mom had worked at the U.S. air base outside of Saigon,' she added. 'My dad had worked with the South Vietnamese government. They were both people who, under the communist regime, were being persecuted because of their affiliation with America.'" | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | LOOKING FOR CLUES — "'Feds video shows 'astronomical corrosion, crowded rebar in Champlain Towers debris," by Miami Herald's Ben Conarck, Aaron Leibowitz and Sarah Blaskey: "New footage released by a team of federal investigators on Wednesday offered more evidence of overcrowded concrete reinforcement and extensive corrosion in Champlain Towers South — issues first raised by engineers as part of a Miami Herald investigation into the structural integrity and design of the building, which collapsed in June, killing 98. The footage was released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology on the same day it announced the team that will conduct its five-pronged investigation of the disaster, which will be led by Judith Mitrani-Reiser, a Cuban-born engineer who grew up in Miami." — "'They were bullies': Inside the turbulent origins of the collapsed Florida condo," by New York Times' Mike Baker and Michael LaForgia | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Flagler sheriff's general counsel resigns amid questions about her "White Noise" videos," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Frank Fernandez: "In some of the videos, Theresa Pontieri, who is white, disparaged the Black Lives Matter movement. In one video, she referred to a Black girl who police in Ohio fatally shot as "thuggy."In another video, she said she did not condone but understood why those who stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6 were angry that then-Vice President Mike Pence was not supporting former President Donald Trump's assertion without evidence that the election was stolen from him." BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. George Gainer … Christian Cámara, president of Chamber Consultants ... Pablo Ros | | A message from the Seminole Tribe of Florida: The New Seminole Compact
Historic Deal for Florida. Billions Guaranteed. Thousands Of New Jobs.
The historic Seminole Compact between the people of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida is the largest gaming compact in U.S. history. The compact guarantees billions of dollars in new revenues, sets a new standard for revenues generated for the state and ensures protections for Florida's pari-mutuel industry and the local jobs they create.
The New Seminole Compact Benefits Florida:
· Provides Florida $6 billion in revenue over the next decade, guaranteeing $2.5 billion in the next five years.
· Estimated to create over 2,200 new Florida jobs.
· Modernizes the gaming industry by creating a legal construct for sports betting in Florida and provides a structure for local pari-mutuels to participate.
· Keeps Florida family-friendly by limiting casinos.
· Billions more in economic impact for our state and businesses.
Learn more about this historic moment in Florida history. | | | | Want to make an impact? POLITICO Florida has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Sunshine State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
| | | | 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 | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment