| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Friday the 13th. The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted information that there were a record 24,869 new Covid-19 infections and 18 deaths reported by the state on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported on its dashboard that 15,796 beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. Showdown — There is the bully pulpit, then there's the law. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration this week bowed to the reality (somewhat) of what the governor can — and can't — do as part of his continuing face-off over mandatory masks in schools. The fine print — Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran had already written a strident letter to school leaders who had defied the state's demand that parents be given an opt-out on masks. That letter, however, made it clear that the state could not actually dock the pay of recalcitrant superintendents and school board members. Corcoran's letter stated the State Board of Education could withhold state funding of an "amount equal" to their pay. This was a concession that the state has no direct control over the paychecks and budgets of school districts. Soft blows — On Thursday, the administration made it even clearer when a spokesperson suggested that school officials voluntarily agree to dock their pay instead of letting any future sanctions affect school operations. The hammer — OK, then. But there is one big power the governor still retains — and could theoretically use: the authority to suspend an elected official. It was something that Leon County officials nodded to this week when Superintendent Rocky Hanna changed course again (How many times is that? 2, 3... 4?) and backed down from a previously announced plan to require parents to have a note from a health care professional if they want to bypass a mask mandate. During a school board meeting, Hanna said it was "just as important" who was "sitting in these seats and who appoints to these seats." What does that mean? — Chris Petley, a spokesman for Hanna, said that no one from the governor's office had suggested removing the Leon County superintendent but that the "conversation arose" after the school board attorney discussed possible disciplinary measures. And if you look closely at Corcoran's warning letter there were some key terms. First, the commissioner said he was initiating an "investigation" into non-compliance with the law and that "maximum accountability" measures could be pursued. Well, here's a reminder — DeSantis has already suspended one elected school superintendent during his tenure… at the suggestion of Corcoran. What happens next? — Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis, said in an email that the "Governor DeSantis hasn't threatened to remove any superintendents or school board members over mask policies" and pointed out that while the governor has the power to remove officials charged with a crime, "no laws were broken" in Leon County. So the question is what happens if Corcoran concludes that officials in Alachua and Broward counties have indeed broken the law, rules or whatever you call these "emergency" actions. Stay tuned. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in Tallahassee. 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 | | BOOM TIMES — "Central Florida sees huge growth over 10 years in 2020 census," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello and Anthony Man: "Long-awaited results from the 2020 Census released Thursday showed that Central Florida had some of the biggest growth in the state, and the nation, over the past 10 years. Osceola County saw the biggest growth by a single county in Florida, with its population increasing by about 45%, going from about 269,000 people in 2010 to about 389,000 in 2020. St. Johns County, where St. Augustine is located, saw the second-largest growth with about 44%. Lake County was just behind that, growing by more than 29% from 297,000 to 384,000." NUMBER ONE — " The Villages, a retirement community in Florida, was the fastest-growing metro area over the last decade," by The New York Times' Audra D.S. Burch : "Amid a slowing of overall population growth in the United States, a Florida retirement community continued its rise to the top of the population charts: The Villages, a sprawling master planned community in Central Florida, was the fastest-growing metropolitan area over the last decade, according to census data released Thursday. About a 45-minute drive from Orlando, the area's population jumped 39 percent since 2010 — from about 93,000 residents to about 130,000." WORK IN PROGRESS — "Florida lawmakers announce redistricting process, but no public hearings — yet," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "The plan, as laid out in memos to members of the Legislature on Thursday, includes creating a website for the public to view proposed maps, create maps of their own and submit input. It includes stern warnings to lawmakers not to discuss the redistricting process outside of the formal committee process, in an attempt to keep legal challenges to a minimum." All of this points to — While top legislators remain a bit cryptic about what will happen next, the growth in central Florida reported on Thursday continues to reinforce expectations that the state's 27th Congressional District will likely be placed in that region. — " Population of South Florida's Big 3 counties tops 6.1 million, but growth lags rest of state," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man — "U.S. Census data show Sarasota, Manatee added 131,435 people over the past decade," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune Derek Gilliam — "2020 Census: Southwest Florida booms while becoming more diverse," by Fort Myers News-Press Dan DeLuca, David Dorsey and Laura Layden | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ON SECOND THOUGHT — "DeSantis backpedals on threat to withhold salaries of defiant school officials," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration backed down from its threat to withhold school officials' salaries if they resist his anti-mask rule, saying instead that the defiant officials should be responsible for the 'consequences of their decisions.' The move by the governor's office represents a tacit acknowledgement that it legally can't take away the salaries of school board members and others despite previously threatening to. DeSantis could levy hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines against school districts for disobeying his mask orders, but it would be up for the board leaders themselves to cut their own pay. | 
Gov. Ron DeSantis with state legislators after the end of the 2021 session of the Florida Legislature. | Gary Fineout, POLITICO | UP NEXT — "School boards, parents challenge DeSantis ban on mandatory school masks," by USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy: "Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on mandatory school masks, challenged by several county school boards and revamped by his own administration, faces an early test Friday in a Leon County courtroom. Circuit Judge John Cooper has scheduled a hearing on a lawsuit brought by parents from a half-dozen Florida counties urging that limits be lifted on mandatory masking in schools as students return to class in many Florida counties." A NEW RESPONSE — " DeSantis announces antibody treatment push amid Florida's Covid surge," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the state will begin setting up mobile units to offer early treatment to those battling the deadly disease, marking the governor's first concrete action amid a recent surge in Covid infections. The Republican governor has rejected ongoing calls to impose mask mandates or any other restrictions in response to the spike in cases and gotten into a back-and-forth with the White House after he sought to block school districts from enacting mask requirements for students. Prediction — "This is the best shot we got to keep people out of the hospital and keep them safe," said DeSantis, who added that the treatment, which works to boost the immune system should become part of the "standard of care" for dealing with Covid-19. "This is going to be with us for a long time," DeSantis said. "I hear these politicians say they are going to conquer it and end it. It's not going to be eradicated." REVIVAL — " DeSantis: Florida reporting county-level COVID data 'may not be a bad idea,'" by Tampa Bay Times Kirby Wilson: "Cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing across the state, but the trends are uneven, the governor said. Some areas may soon see case numbers peak and start to fall off, he said, while other areas continue to rise. Given the regional pandemic differences, DeSantis said it may be time for Florida to report more detailed information than the case data published daily by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — data the state shares with the federal government, but not directly with the public." — " Turns out Florida has been requesting ventilators, Gov. DeSantis clarifies," by Florida Politics Haley Brown REACHING OUT — "Black residents are smallest share of vaccinated Floridians. Efforts aim to change that," by Miami Herald's Daniel Chang: "Yet the drive has stalled among some of the state's hardest hit groups, said Dr. Cheryl Holder, a physician and professor at Florida International University's Wertheim College of Medicine. Holder said Black residents she has reached out to in Miami-Dade through local churches cite many reasons for being unvaccinated, from difficulty finding transportation to a vaccination site to a belief that they can overcome the virus without the vaccine to a general distrust of government. 'This is not new,' said Holder. 'We've all been in our communities doing educational outreach and working with partners to get people vaccinated.'" HMM — "Which Tampa Bay state legislators and Congress members are vaccinated?" by Tampa Bay Times' Romy Ellenbogen: "Of the 30 legislators in the greater Tampa Bay area contacted by the Tampa Bay Times earlier this month, 17 shared they were vaccinated. One declined to comment and 12 did not return requests for comment. Both Senate President Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, have gotten coronavirus vaccines, according to their spokespeople. GUESS WHO'S ON IT? — " 39 States meet the criteria for CDC's 'Do Not Travel' list," by Forbes' Suzanne Rowan Kelleher: "If Florida were a country, it would be the second-most infected place on the planet, just behind Guadeloupe. If Louisiana were a country, it would be at no. 4 in the world for new daily Covid-19 infections." — " COVID surge leads BayCare to suspend elective surgeries at Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties," by Tampa Bay Times' Christopher O'Donnell — "Orange sees COVID deaths climb; Demings suspends county's youth sports," by Orlando Sentinel's Ryan Gillespie and Stephen Hudak — "As COVID cases soar, nursing shortage strain Palm Beach County hospitals," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave — "440 students in Palm Beach County in quarantine two days into school year," by Sun Sentinel's Austen Erblat — "Universal Orlando requires workers to share COVID vaccination status, but it won't mandate shots," by Orlando Sentinel's Katie Rice | | | | 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. | | | | |
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | FOX NEWS' FAVORITE GOVERNOR — "Inside Fox News, DeSantis is the 'future of the party.' And he's taking advantage," by Tampa Bay Times' Steve Contorno: "Early in Florida's vaccine rollout, during a period marked by confusion and images of seniors in long lines desperate for a shot, Gov. Ron DeSantis' office devised a pitch to air a more flattering view. In mid-January, his staff took the idea to Fox News. The timing was perfect. Producers for Fox & Friends, the network's top-rated cable morning news show, were already inquiring about DeSantis' availability. A plan came together in a flurry of emails and phone calls over several days. DeSantis' team provided a senior, a location and the talking points. Fox News would bring the cameras and its audience. No other media would be allowed in." — "Poll shows Nikki Fried leading Charlie Crist in Democratic primary for governor," by Florida Politics' Haley Brown | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | REJECTED — "Challenge to greyhound racing ban rejected," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "A federal appeals court on Thursday dealt another blow to members of the greyhound-racing industry who have pursued a long-running legal challenge to a 2018 state constitutional amendment that ended dog racing in Florida. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge's decision last year to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the group Support Working Animals, Inc., and individual plaintiffs." — " Florida legislator seeks partisan school board elections," by News Service of Florida | | DATELINE D.C. | | NOT INTO COMBO DEALS — "Moderate Democrat Stephanie Murphy discusses the fate of infrastructure bill," by National Public Radio's Ailsa Chang, Courtney Dorning and Vincent Acovino: "'And the investment into our infrastructure is so critically important. It needs to happen now. And I am open to having a conversation about the reconciliation bill and what the contents of that will be. But it's really wrong to tie a bill that has been completed and passed in a bipartisan way out of the Senate with a bill that has just top-line numbers and no details. I know that...'" — " House Moderates Say They Won't Back Budget Vote Until Infrastructure Bill Passes," by The New York Times' Jonathan Weisman | | Gaetz-gate | | VANISHING ACT — "Where's Matt Gaetz? Not in his district; 'He's everywhere but here,'" by Northwest Florida Daily News' Tom McLaughlin: "Once easily accessible to constituents and local media alike, the congressman could be counted on to discuss issues at regular 'Open Gaetz' forums. But [Rep. Matt] Gaetz hasn't made an announced public appearance in Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa or Walton counties since the March 29 event — although he did drop in at a Navarre diner recently and speak to customers… 'He's everywhere but here, and I have a real problem with that,' said Greg Merk, who ran as a Republican against Gaetz in 2020 and has pre-filed to face him in a GOP primary again next year." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | LOOKING FOR CLUES — "How a collapsed pool deck could have caused a Florida condo building to fall," by Washington Post's Jon Swaine, Emma Brown, Joyce Sohyun Lee, Atthar Mirza and Meg Kelly: "After the deadly catastrophe at a high-rise beachfront condo building in Surfside, Fla., in June, suspicion quickly focused on a pool deck outside, in part because years of deterioration had left it badly damaged. But a mystery remained: How could the partial collapse of a patio have brought down much of a 12-story structure that had stood for 40 years? A Washington Post examination — based on witness accounts, photography, construction plans, interviews with engineers and a computer simulation using a 3-D model of the complex — explores that question. The review identifies possible sequences of events where the collapse of the pool deck into an underground parking garage at Champlain Towers South could have weakened key columns, triggering the wider disaster." | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)
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