| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Friday. Dear Pat Riley — Well, guess Sen. Marco Rubio won't be cheering on his hometown team tonight as they try to stay alive in the NBA playoffs. Taking it to the team — Rubio late Wednesday and early Thursday morning ripped into the Miami Heat over the team's decision to air a commercial that criticized Florida's voting laws and for its decision to encourage fans to call Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott and ask for "common sense gun laws." The team made the request on gun legislation after it held a moment of silence for the victims of this week's horrific school shooting in Texas. Lane violation — Rubio — who held a fundraiser earlier this year at an NBA game — published three tweets where he essentially called the team and NBA hypocrites because the league makes millions of dollars off its relationship with China. Just one sample : "The @miamiheat runs commercials calling #Florida a racist state But because @NBAChina is worth $133 million for each team, they say nothing about how China puts Muslims in concentration camps & allows no one to vote." Rubio also said the statement on gun legislation was "politicizing a horrific tragedy." Goaltending — The Miami Herald asked the Heat organization about the tweets, but the team chose not to respond. Democrats, however, leaned into it on Thursday, slamming Rubio. During an online conference organized by the Florida Democratic Party, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell contended that "the only ones politicizing the discussion and debate around gun violence are the politicians who are refusing to do anything about it." Former Florida man — Joe Scarborough on MSNBC also weighed in and said Rubio's remarks were intended to be a distraction from the tragedy. He held a newspaper with a photo of the children killed in Texas and said "you don't want to talk about that slaughter. You don't want to talk about Americans being killed. You want to talk about China. Nobody's buying that bullshit Marco. Nobody." Where he stands — Rubio has not been opposed to all gun related legislation, but he has been opposed to restrictions such as bans on the sale of types of guns such as semi-automatic weapons. He told CNN this week that "the truth of the matter is these people are going to commit these horrifying crimes, whether they have to use another weapon to do it, they're going to figure out a way to do it." — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to appear at the 24th annual Governor's Summit on Disabilities that is part of the 24th annual Family Café being held in Orlando. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com PROGRAMMING NOTE — Florida Playbook will not publish on Monday, May 30. We will return on Tuesday. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida.
| | | | 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 | | FOUL CALLED — "Marco Rubio slams Miami Heat's call for fans to demand 'common sense' gun reforms after Texas school shooting," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man: "In the aftermath of the elementary school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, the Miami Heat used a pre-game moment to urge fans to contact U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans, "demanding their support for common sense gun laws" — and telling them they can "make change at the ballot box." Rubio, who is up for re-election this fall, didn't like it." KEEPING TRACK — " 3 things Florida has done to stop school shootings — and 3 ideas that haven't happened," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson: "After the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida lawmakers took steps to tweak the state's mental health system. They added hundreds of millions in funding for school safety officers. A historic 2018 bill even included several gun control measures that passed with Republican support. Still, as Floridians join Americans across the country in mourning the deaths of the 21 killed in a school shooting this week in Uvalde, Texas, some wonder if more could or should be done to improve school safety." — " Gov. DeSantis' silence on Texas school murders fit a pattern, his critics contend," by Florida Phoenix's Michael Moline — " More March for Our Lives events are planned in Florida. More than 100 are scheduled across U.S.," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Austen Erblat — "Undercover armed 'guardians' already place in local schools ," by WJXT's Vic Micolucci
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | 'UNSUBSTANTIATED' — "Florida IG report: 'Insufficient evidence' for DeSantis critic's claims of Covid cover-up," by NBC News' Marc Caputo : "A prominent critic of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Covid response made 'unsubstantiated' claims that state health officials had fired her because she refused to present manipulated data online, according to an inspector general's report obtained by NBC News on Thursday. The 27-page report from the Florida Department of Health's Office of Inspector General said it found 'insufficient evidence' to support Rebekah Jones' accusations that she was asked to falsify Covid positivity rates or misrepresent them on the state's dashboard she helped design." TRANSPARENCY! — "8 months after News 6 requested surgeon general's emails, Florida produces 8 pages," by WKMG's Mike DeForest: "Nearly eight months after News 6 submitted a public records request seeking emails and other communications created by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo during his first two weeks on the job, the Florida Department of Health released eight pages of unredacted documents. The records — including one page that is almost entirely blank — do not immediately appear to contain noteworthy information. But the time it took the state agency to produce the small volume of government documents has prompted questions about FDOH's adherence to Florida's public record law." | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses a question from the media as Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida surgeon general, looks on during a news conference in Jacksonville, Fla., on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 to discuss Covid-19 testing policy and monoclonal antibody treatment availability. | Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP |
DESANTIS SKIPS CEREMONY, SIGNS BILL — "Florida gov signs condo safety bill after building collapse," by The Associated Press' Brendan Farrington: "Florida will require statewide recertification of condominiums over three stories tall under new legislation Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday as a response to the Surfside building collapse that killed 98 people. But while the measure was hailed by lawmakers, the senator who represents Surfside, Democrat Jason Pizzo, warns there's a lot more to do — and the state doesn't have enough structural engineers to handle the workload required to make sure all the state's high-rise condominiums are safe. 'Tell your nieces and daughters and sons to go study engineering,' Pizzo said."
MOVED QUICKLY ON THIS ONE TOO — "Florida Gov. DeSantis signs property insurance legislation," by The Associated Press' Anthony Izaguirre: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed into a law sweeping property insurance legislation that creates a $2 billion reinsurance fund and rewrites rules on coverage denials and attorney fees, in a move to stabilize rising costs and insurer losses. DeSantis, a Republican, announced the bill signings in a statement that called the package 'the most significant reforms to Florida's homeowners insurance market in a generation.'" — "Florida lawmakers leave lots of unfinished business on property insurance reforms," by Orlando Sentinel's Jeffrey Schweers — " Florida lawmakers leave out Citizens Insurance issues," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders MOUNT TALLAHASSEE — " State orders Orange schools to reveal who bought 'Gender Queer' book for libraries," by Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal : "A state investigator who looks into teacher misconduct demanded to know who in Orange County Public Schools authorized the purchase of the book 'Gender Queer,' a controversial memoir the district pulled from several high school libraries in late October, according to emails between the employee and the school district. 'This office is trying to find out who approved the book,' wrote Ian Dohme, a Florida Department of Education employee, in an email to an OCPS administrator on April 13." — " Gov. DeSantis signs off on six-year lobby ban penalties for ex-legislators, judges," by Florida Politics' Gray Rohrer — " Feds approve Florida's request to extend postpartum Medicaid benefits," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton
| | | | DON'T MISS DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS — "Ruling reversed: Donors to a mystery group in '20 state Senate primary to stay secret ," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin: "A mysterious Miami-based group behind attack ads in a 2020 Central Florida state Senate race will not have to reveal its donors, at least for now, after a South Florida judge reversed his own order calling for the political committee's contributors to be disclosed. The back-and-forth rulings came in a lawsuit filed against Floridians for Equality and Justice by State Sen. Annette Taddeo of Miami, who alleged the committee violated state laws two years ago by sending ads to voters in Seminole and Volusia counties ahead of the primary for Senate District 9 without disclosing its contributors." CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — Rep. Charlie Crist is rolling out endorsements that he's making in House and Senate races across the state. Crist, who is running for governor, is endorsing nearly two dozen candidates, including Rep. Fentrice Driskell , the newly installed House Democratic leader. Some of those endorsed — like Driskell — have primary challengers while others either have no opponents or just Republican opposition. … Eric Lynn, a Democrat running in Florida's 13th Congressional District, was endorsed by former Reps. Kendrick Meek and Ron Klein on Thursday … Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist has endorsed state Rep. Jason Fischer, who is running for Florida's 4th Congressional District … UNITE HERE Local 355, a union representing hospitality workers, has endorsed Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell, who is challenging Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in Florida's 27th Congressional District … Several unions, including the Broward Teachers Union and AFSCME Florida, endorsed state Sen. Lauren Book's reelection. The Senate minority leader is being challenged in the Democratic primary by former Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief. — " Marco Rubio, Val Demings on opposite ends of abortion debate, but will a single issue mobilize voters?" by USA Today Network-Florida's Kathryn Varn — "Jacksonville husband and wife accused of collecting fake signatures for amendment petitions ," by Action News Jax
| | DATELINE D.C. | | WISCONSIN SNOWBIRD? — "Sen. Ron Johnson uses tax dollars to travel between Florida family home and the U.S. Capitol," by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Daniel Bice: "U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has been using taxpayer dollars to cover the cost of flights between a Florida family vacation home and Washington, D.C., including nine such trips last year, federal records show. Democrats say the expenditures by the multimillionaire Republican are a waste of public money because they say the trips have nothing to do with his official job representing Wisconsin at the U.S. Capitol. But Johnson officials say these are legitimate expenses that were all approved by the Senate Rules Committee."
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | MAR-A-LAGO RETORT — "Trump hits back at Kellyanne Conway for admitting that he lost in 2020 ," by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw: Former President Donald Trump is denying a key anecdote in a former aide's new book, saying he would have banished Kellyanne Conway from his inner circle if she had ever told him he lost the 2020 presidential election. In a Thursday morning post on his social media network, Truth Social, Trump refuted Conway's assertion that she "may have been the first person Donald Trump trusted in his inner circle who told him that he had come up short this time." |  FILE - White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tapes her speech for the third day of the Republican National Convention from the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Aug. 26, 2020. Republicans hoping to emerge from crowded primaries this year spent tens of thousands of dollars hiring operatives with ties to former President Donald Trump, including Conway, hoping those connections would give them a leg up on landing critical endorsements that would help them win.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) | AP | TO COURT — "Judge may force Proud Boys leader to talk about D.C. church vandalism during 2020 election protest," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave: "A 42-year-old West Palm Beach man who rarely shies away from touting his leadership role in the Proud Boys has refused to talk to lawyers who are suing the far-right extremist group for vandalizing a church in the nation's capital, court records show. Robert Piccirillo has ignored a subpoena to turn over social media posts and YouTube videos and sit down with lawyers representing the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, according to court records."
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ON THE RISE — "CDC finally confirms Tampa Bay is at 'high risk' of COVID-19," by Tampa Bay Times' Ian Hodgson: "Tampa Bay has officially — and finally — been classified at "high" risk of COVID-19, federal health officials reported Thursday. Federal guidelines recommend that all residents, regardless of health status, should wear a well-fitting mask in public indoor spaces in 10 Florida counties including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco. The announcement corrects an error that went unchanged for nearly a week — during which Florida recorded more than 64,000 infections."
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | FOLLOW THE MONEY — "How FEMA helps white and rich Americans escape floods," by POLITICO E&E News' Thomas Frank: Florida is one of the best illustrations of inequity in elevation grants. It's not surprising that FEMA has spent $58 million over the past 25 years to elevate roughly 400 homes in one of the nation's most flood-prone states. The oddity is where the money has gone. Flood damage has occurred virtually everywhere in Florida. Nearly 100 cities have sustained more than $10 million in flood damage since the late 1970s, FEMA insurance records show. But half of FEMA's elevation money has gone to seven towns dotting the Atlantic or Gulf coasts. The towns are tiny. With an average population of 7,600, they account for 0.2 percent of the state's population and 10 percent of Florida's federally insured flood damage. — "Gaetz family extortion attempt: Stephen Alford's sentencing gets postponed for fifth time," by Northwest Florida Daily News' Tom McLaughlin — " This longtime mayor didn't live in Coconut Creek, and his highway toll records helped prove it, ethics watchdog says," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Lisa J. Huriash — " Florida air travel delays grow as Memorial Day travel nears," by Orlando Sentinel's Kevin Spear
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Couple plead guilty in scuba diver's death after 10 years on the run," by The New York Times' Johnny Diaz: "The former owners of a Florida Keys dive shop whose boat was in such poor condition that it capsized and sank, killing a tourist, pleaded guilty last week after spending a decade on the run in Europe, federal prosecutors said. Christopher Jones, 57, and his wife, Alison Gracey, 54, both of whom are British citizens, each pleaded guilty on Friday to involuntary manslaughter in the 2011 death of Aimee Rhoads, 36, of Washington State, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement on Tuesday. BIRTHDAYS: Christian Ziegler, Sarasota County Commissioner and vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida ... (Saturday) Sen. Marco Rubio … Former State Rep. Mel Ponder … Craig Waters, former communications director for the Supreme Court of Florida … (Sunday) State Rep. Daryl Campbell ... (Monday) State Rep. Kaylee Tuck … former Rep. Dan Miller … Rubio alum Rob Noel | | | | 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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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