| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. The starting bell — Oh look, a snappy exchange between Florida and the White House. Who could have seen that coming? The path taken — For months, Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted his Covid-19 response as one that rejected the advice of "bureaucrats" and the media yet still helped keep Florida's death rate down, especially among the state's elderly. DeSantis has mocked White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and vowed to never again impose lockdowns or mandates to counter the disease. Along the way, he's become a Republican rock star and leading presidential contender for 2024. But now … — DeSantis is confronting a surge of new Covid-19 infections that is spreading like wildfire — primarily among the unvaccinated. While DeSantis initially called the surge a "seasonal" occurrence that should taper off this month, Florida has set records in the number of cases and seen the number of people hospitalized spike. And on Monday the situation drew a bit of rebuke from the White House. The view from D.C. — Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said federal authorities are willing to assist Florida but said there are steps that can be taken such as encouraging people to get vaccinated and wear masks as well as to allow schools to mandate the use of masks among children. "So, at a certain point, leaders are going to have to choose whether they're going to follow public health guidelines or whether they're going to follow politics and we certainly encourage all governors to follow the public health guidelines." Rebuttal — That comment didn't go over well with the DeSantis administration. The governor's press secretary, Christina Pushaw, maintained that Psaki had mischaracterized the DeSantis' record, noting he had actively promoted vaccinations earlier this year. She also pointed out that students can wear masks in schools, but that it's up their parents. Take that — In an email, Pushaw retorted that "by dismissively ignoring Governor DeSantis' efforts to protect vulnerable Floridians, Psaki is the one playing politics with the pandemic." She said "the White House should be more concerned about the flip-flopping of the CDC" and its "confusing" statements. "Stating that vaccinated people should wear masks and socially distance is implying that the vaccines do not change anything, which is the wrong message for our federal government to be promoting," she wrote. Fried takes to airwaves — The broadsides between the White House and the DeSantis administration come while Democratic challengers like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried are also calling out the governor. Fried went on national television twice on Monday and said on MSNBC that the governor had "abandoned us" and once again called for the administration to resume detailed daily reporting of Covid-19 information to the public. Let's note Fried has also said recently if she were in charge she would not resume lockdowns or impose a statewide mask mandate on Floridians. She did say she would let school boards set their own rules. — 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. | | | | |
|  | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | A NEW TYPE OF THREAT — "Florida COVID hospitalizations shatter record as DeSantis downplays threat," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon and Bruce Ritchie: The head of Florida's largest hospital association warned that the skyrocketing number of Covid hospitalizations is unlike anything the state has seen before — even as Gov. Ron DeSantis downplays the spike. The Florida Hospital Association on Monday reported 10,389 Covid-19 hospitalizations, the most statewide during any point in the pandemic. This follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting over the weekend that the state had more than 21,000 new coronavirus infections on Friday. It was the highest one-day total for Florida, which now makes up roughly one and five new cases nationally. WHERE FIRST MEANS LAST — "Florida leads the nation in kids hospitalized for COVID," by Tampa Bay Times' Rose Wong: "The Sunshine State leads the nation in another alarming coronavirus statistic: Kids hospitalized with COVID-19. Florida had 32 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations per day between July 24 and 30, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adjusted for population, that's 0.76 kids hospitalized per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the country. The Florida Department of Health reported 10,785 new COVID-19 infections among children under 12 between July 23 and 29. That's an average of 1,540 new cases per day. The surge is worse for children who are eligible for the vaccine — 11,048 new cases among those ages 12 to 19 in the same week." UM, WHAT? — "Top RNC official in Florida spreads Covid-19 conspiracies, calling vaccines the 'mark of the beast,'" by CNN's Em Steck, Drew Myers and Andrew Kaczynski: "Amid recent surging coronavirus cases in Florida, a top Republican National Committee official in the state has spread anti-vaccine rhetoric and misinformation, comparing the Biden administration's vaccine efforts to Nazi-era 'brown shirts,' and twice calling the vaccines 'the mark of the beast,' comparable to a 'false god.' A review by CNN's KFile found that Peter Feaman, a lawyer and RNC committeeman from Florida made the comments on his blog the 'The Backhoe Chronicles,' which he publishes regularly in a private group on MeWe." PRESSURED — " Broward school district backpedals on mask mandate after DeSantis says he'll cut funds," by Miami Herald's Carli Teproff: "Broward County Public Schools backtracked on its mask mandate Monday, saying the district would comply with the governor's executive order that prevents schools from requiring facial coverings. 'Broward County Public Schools intends to comply with the Governor's latest Executive Order,' the district said in a statement Monday afternoon. Last Wednesday, the nine-member Broward School Board unanimously voted to require masks for all students, teachers, staff and visitors at its schools after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on the same day that all students, teachers, staff and visitors should wear masks inside K-12 schools, regardless of whether they are vaccinated." — "DeSantis challenger Nikki Fried says she does not support statewide mask mandate in Florida," by The Hill's Max Greenwood — "PBC public schools can't require students to wear masks, school board chair says ," by Palm Beach Post's Andrew Marra — "State, cruise line fight over site of 'passport' challenge," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders — " Two universities requiring COVID vaccines for workers as concerns grown in South Florida," by Miami Herald's Michelle Marchante — "AdventHealth Central Florida further limits visitors to hospitals in 7 counties," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Catherman | | Bidenology | | BLAME GAME — "Biden leans on governors and mayors to deflect heat over evictions," by POLITICO's Katy O'Donnell and Laura Barrón-López: An escalating blame game between President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats over the expiration of the federal eviction ban has left local officials frustrated and scrambling to deal with a wave of renters now at risk of losing their homes. The Biden administration on Monday rebuffed calls from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats to revive the eviction moratorium, which expired Saturday, after unsuccessfully leaning on Congress to enact its own ban last week. How about the states do it? — Instead, the administration called on state and local governments to extend or institute their own bans for at least the next two months. The White House also directed the Treasury Department and other agencies to continue examining why state and local governments have struggled to distribute billions of dollars in federal rental assistance funds. Florida says no — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said it would not reinstate a statewide moratorium, calling eviction bans a "means to an end." "A longer-term solution is the distribution of congressionally-appropriated rental assistance funds," said Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for the Republican governor. More from Pushaw on moratorium — "What slows the spread of COVID-19 isn't the eviction moratorium per se; rather, the goal is the prevention of widespread homelessness. The eviction moratorium was one policy proposed to prevent that, but not the only policy, and it has downsides as well. The issue is that an eviction moratorium was never meant to be a long-term solution and is not a sustainable policy. Logically, allowing people to live rent-free indefinitely runs the risk of creating a shortage of affordable housing. Fewer people would want to be landlords, if they are required to let tenants live on their property rent-free without the recourse of eviction for those who do not pay rent." | | | | 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 | | COMING TO LIGHT — "Texts show worry as dark money scheme to help Florida GOP candidates unraveled," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal's Mark Harper: "A little more than a week after the November 2020 general election that included some close wins for Republicans in Florida races, an 'on edge,' pregnant 25-year-old Pinellas County woman started getting calls from reporters. 'You're sure I'm not going to go to jail right?' Hailey DeFilippis texted Nov. 12, 2020 to Alex Alvarado, a 26-year-old Republican political operative from Tallahassee. Alvarado had hired DeFilippis two months earlier to serve as chairperson of a political committee called 'The Truth,' despite her lack of experience in politics. That PAC, and another PAC called 'Our Florida,' were used to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to support no-party-affiliation 'ghost' candidates in three state Senate races." COMPLAINT FILED — "A brazen scheme? ALEC software giveaway to GOP lawmakers violated FL campaign-finance laws," by Florida Phoenix's Michael Moline: "An organization backed by major corporations gave state legislators, including at least two from Florida, campaign software worth thousands of dollars in violation of state campaign-finance law, according to complaints filed by three progressive organizations. The alleged gifts from the American Legislative Exchange Council, which Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed last week in Salt Lake City, amount to illegal in-kind campaign contributions, according to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), Common Cause, and the Alliance for a Better Utah. Recipients in Florida include, but might not be limited to, Republicans Rep. Spencer Roach and Rep. Jason Fischer, according to a complaint filed with the Florida Elections Commission." — "Three candidates trail in fundraising as DuBose, Holness show money muscle in South Florida congressional race," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man — " Remove Ron crosses $250K raised, remains overshadowed by Gov. DeSantis' fundraising," by Florida Politics Renzo Downey — "Former Sheriff David Morgan drops out of Pensacola mayoral race," by Pensacola News Journal | | DATELINE D.C. | | HMM — "3 congressional Democrats seemingly violated a federal transparency law by improperly disclosing financial trades," by Insider's Dave Levinthal, Warren Rojas and Camila DeChalus : "Three Democratic members of Congress appear to have violated a federal transparency law by disclosing their stock trades weeks or months late. Massachusetts Rep. Lori Trahan and Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kathy Castor each signaled their tardiness on thousands of dollars worth of financial transactions via their own recently filed congressional records… Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, purchased up to $15,000 in a telecommunications product company Westell Technologies in October 2020 but didn't disclose the trade until July 27, according to her report submitted to House officials. … Castor's latest congressional records show that she failed to disclose within the prescribed 45 days up to $45,000 worth of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock she acquired last summer." | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | CLAIMS BILL FILED — "Proposal calls for $25 million for Parkland shooting victims, families," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "Florida lawmakers next year are expected to consider a proposal that would clear the way for the Broward County School Board to pay $25 million in compensation in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, filed a bill (SB 84) on Monday that would authorize the school board to pay the money to the estates of students and faculty members who died in the shooting and to other victims of the attack." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ARRESTED — "Five Miami Beach cops charged after pummeling two men in hotel lobby. Video released," by Miami Herald's Charles Rabin: "Five Miami Beach police officers were hit with criminal charges on Monday for using excessive force on a man in handcuffs and for pummeling a bystander who was videotaping the incident on his cellphone. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, with Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements at her side, announced the charges after showing a four-minute video clip in which 21 officers descend on a man they chased into a South Beach hotel, who is alleged to have hit an officer with his motor scooter. In the video, one officer repeatedly kicks the handcuffed man in the head, before another officer picks him up and slams his head to the ground." THAT'S NOT GOOD — "Condo safety: Of the older buildings due for checkups last year, only one in five certified safe," by Sun Sentinel's Spencer Norris, Brittany Wallman and Lisa J. Huriash: "A Sun Sentinel analysis shows just how far behind Broward County cities fell on their condo safety checks in the year before the Surfside collapse. In its first-ever audit of its 2006 building recertification law, Broward County collected data on condominiums six stories and taller turning 40 or 50 years old in 2020. The law requires buildings to be recertified 40 years after they were built, and every 10 years after that. The data represents just a sliver of the more than 4,100 older condo buildings in the county, but the results reinforce emerging concerns about how effective cities have been in ensuring older condos are safe." BAN ALL PAPER? — "Handwritten letters are all Florida prisoners have left. Now FDC wants to take that away," by The Gainesville Sun's Danielle Ivanov: "During his time behind bars from 2012 to 2016, [Kevin] Scott said, physical mail was the only way he could communicate with many friends and family members. He received handwritten letters, newspaper cutouts, birthday cards, holiday cards, photos of his young daughter, crossword puzzles and educational materials. Sometimes, Scott's mail would be covered in stick-on jewels and smiley faces, and he knew that outside the prison walls, his daughter had touched the same piece of paper he held in his hands." — " Second judge orders 2019 covert police video of Robert Kraft at Jupiter day spa destroyed," by Treasure Coast Newspapers Melissa E. Holsman — "Judge allows Markeith Lloyd to represent himself in trial for Orlando cop's killing," by Orlando Sentinel's Monivette Cordeiro — "Canceling Jewish talk show prompts claim of anti-Semitism against WMNF," by Tampa Bay Times' Anastasia Dawson | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "'Perfect storm' of cancellations and delays slams Spirit Airlines and strands passengers," by Sun Sentinel's Austen Erblat, Alex Deluca and Wells Dusenbury: "Hundreds of travelers in Broward County and beyond were stranded Monday after Spirit Airlines canceled over 250 flights nationwide. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reported 79 flight cancellations Monday, 68 of them with Spirit Airlines, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.com. On Sunday, Spirit — the airport's busiest airline — accounted for 34 of 37 cancellations." — " Emilio and Gloria Estefan sell their Star Island house for $35M," by Miami Herald's Madeleine Marr and Rebecca San Juan: "Gloria and Emilio Estefan are cashing in on South Florida's hotter than hot real estate market. The couple sold their Star Island mansion for $35 million in late July, according to public records. TMZ first reported the news. Sitting on an acre lot on Biscayne Bay, the gated residence has a two-story main house with three bedrooms, six and one half bathrooms, according to the listing. The house has a lap pool, outdoor kitchen and boat dock with views of the MacArthur Causeway, PortMiami and, in the distance, Downtown Miami and South Beach." BIRTHDAYS: Former Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla is 5-0.
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