The COVID-19 pandemic has made 2020 one of the most difficult years in the lives of most Americans.

The virus and other major stressors have draped a blanket of dark days from coast to coast, leaving many Americans grappling with how to keep their spirits up.

But as gloomy as it is, there is still much to be thankful for.

To ignite a spirit of thankfulness, national newspaper trade association America’s Newspapers and top Florida-based PR firm Sachs Media have partnered up to launch Share Gratitude 2020, an inspiring holiday campaign beginning November 16 through January 2021.

Share Gratitude 2020 encourages people of every demographic throughout the country to look into their hearts and share what they’re grateful for — health, family, faith, friends, pets, or anything else — by using the power of social and mainstream media.

“Despite the profound and prolonged hardships of this toughest time from the virus, each of us can still readily identify and embrace those many meaningful blessings that are the center of our lives,” said Ron Sachs, Founder/CEO of Sachs Media, which conceived and created the campaign.

To view Sachs’ own “Share Gratitude” video, click on the image below:

“While our pre-pandemic lifestyles and quality of life have been radically altered, we want to prompt people to tap into the many things that still positively define their days and share gratitude in a way that fuels a valuable virtual viral campaign.”

Anyone can participate in the campaign by visiting ShareGratitude2020.com. There, they can write about what they’re thankful for — and include photos and videos if desired. After submitting, participants are encouraged to spread the word to their families and friends on social media using the #ShareGratitude2020 hashtag.

Participating newspapers throughout the country will publish local submissions in print and online. The public is invited to visit ShareGratitude2020.com to watch and share inspiring gratitude submissions from others.

In other items:

 — No COVID-19 planning here: Some will say it wasn’t needed. Others will cry foul. But Florida is one of only seven states that have not had their Legislatures convene to address pandemic-related issues since the onset of the crisis in mid-March. See who else is on the list here.

 — Swoon over these political husbands: Wondering what the husbands behind powerful women look like? The List compiled, you guessed it, a list of “politicians who have really gorgeous husbands.” While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this list includes spouses of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and more.

🛑 — Sorry former Reps, you’re not allowed: Working to safeguard the Florida Capitol against potential COVID-19 spread, former Representatives will not be permitted to attend this year’s Organization Session next week. Historically, former members have been permitted to attend, but this year won’t be able to do so unless they have an invitation. Only current members and select guests of the House Speaker will be permitted.

 — Look to the skies this week: With a waxing crescent moon this week keeping skies relatively dark, look for meteors in the night sky as the Leonid meteor shower peaks. It’s one of the most celebrated celestial shows of the year. The best time to wish upon a shooting star is late Monday into early Tuesday morning. With all else 2020 seeming pretty bleak, now seems like a good time to make that wish.

—@Beschloss: Reminder to every President: on January 20, White House does not offer late checkout.

—@Redistrict: Fun fact: Hillary Clinton actually won more Georgia counties in ’16 than Joe Biden did in ’20.

Tweet, tweet:

—@EdYong209: Here’s a thing I want everyone to understand. There is a roughly 12-day lag between rising cases rising hospitalizations. So the 1.5 million (!!!) confirmed cases from the last 2 weeks have not yet factored into stories about packed emergency rooms.

—@Sjdemas: It’s not just Thanksgiving and Black Friday that’s a coming covid nightmare. Don’t forget Blackout Wednesday, the biggest bar night of the year.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@MarcACaputo: Those who believe in nonviolence are often attacked for their beliefs (sometimes physically). Violence begets violence. Hate begets hate. So while I often argue my positions w/people on Twitter, I won’t w/this going forward I won’t discuss ice w/a summer insect. I’ll just mute

Tweet, tweet:

Top U.S. CEOs show concern over what may happen if Donald Trump doesn’t concede.

“Trump lost at the ballot box. His legal challenges aren’t going any better.” via David A. Fahrenthold, Emma Brown and Hannah Knowles of The Washington Post — Trump lost his reelection bid at the ballot box. But he said he could win it back in court. In five key states, Trump and his allies filed lawsuits that would reveal widespread electoral fraud, undo Biden’s victory, and give Trump another four years. “Biden did not win; he lost by a lot!” Trump tweeted. It’s not going well. Rather than revealing widespread or even isolated fraud, the effort by Trump’s legal team has so far done the opposite: It’s affirmed the integrity of the election that Trump lost. Nearly every GOP challenge has been tossed out. Not a single vote has been overturned.

“Trump walks back tweet saying Biden ‘won’ election” via Zack Budryk of The Hill — Trump on Sunday walked back a tweet in which he said President-elect Biden “won” the election while continuing to spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about a rigged presidential election. “He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more!” Trump initially tweeted in response to a clip from Fox News’s Jesse Watters. Trump said in a tweet later Sunday morning that his earlier post was not meant as a concession.

“Trump says he won’t concede” via David Jackson of Florida Politics — Trump acknowledged for the first time Sunday that Biden won the presidential election, even as he repeated false claims that Democrats “rigged” the balloting and again refused to concede the race. “He won because the Election was Rigged,” Trump tweeted early Sunday, referring to Biden. His assertion about election malfeasance was at odds with a finding from a national coalition of election security officials, which concluded that the Nov. 3 general election was “the most secure in American history.”

“After thousands of Trump supporters rally in D.C., violence erupts when night falls” via The Washington Post — Trump’s supporters had celebrated for hours on Saturday, waving their MAGA flags and blaring “God Bless the U.S.A.” as they gathered in Washington to falsely claim that the election had been stolen from the man they adore. The crowd had even reveled in a personal visit from Trump, who passed by in his motorcade, smiling and waving. But that was before the people who oppose their hero showed up and the mood shifted, growing angrier as 300 or so counterprotesters delivered a message the President’s most ardent backers were unwilling to hear: The election is over. Trump lost.

An Election 2020 protest in D.C. supporting Donald Trump turned violent after night fell. Image via AP.

“Biden just squeaked a win in Erie, Pennsylvania, in a warning for Democrats” via Kris Maher and Aaron Zitner of The Wall Street Journal — Biden successfully turned out voters in Erie County. But a look at his razor-thin margin of victory shows why Democrats struggled across the country to win back the white working-class voters who helped propel Trump to victory four years ago. Interviews with a swath of voters in the western Pennsylvania county show that many people still favor conservative positions on issues such as taxes, abortion and guns. They find progressive priorities tackling climate change, social justice and defunding the police too far left.

“While Florida Republicans stay silent, Democrats look ahead to President-elect Joe Biden” via John Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — Although Florida Republican leaders are staying silent, clearly wary of antagonizing Trump by acknowledging his defeat, Democrats across the state are looking ahead to Biden’s transition to power. Some may even be part of the new administration. “There’s a lot of talent in Florida,” said Dick Batchelor, a former Orlando state House member and longtime Democratic fundraiser. “I think the Biden administration will be looking here.”

While Florida Republicans stay silent, Democrats anticipate a Joe Biden administration. Image via AP.

“John Kelly criticizes Trump over delay of Biden transition” via Daniel Lippman of POLITICO — Biden should start receiving intelligence briefings, and the delay in allowing the transition to get started officially is damaging U.S. national security, Trump’s former chief of staff Kelly said. “You lose a lot if the transition is delayed because the new people are not allowed to get their head in the game,” Kelly said Friday. “The president, with all due respect, does not have to concede. But it’s about the nation. It hurts our national security because the people who should be getting [up to speed], it’s not a process where you go from zero to 1,000 miles per hour.”

“Biden’s team is being kept in the dark about the vaccine rollout. How bad is it?” via Greg Sargent of The Washington Post — One of the most monumental tasks that Biden will face next year is overseeing the federal government’s involvement in the big rollout of a vaccine for coronavirus. Yet it appears that the president-elect’s transition team is being denied information about the current state of the administration’s planning for it. That’s because the transition is stalled while we wait for Trump to accept his loss. This grew more absurd when news organizations called Georgia for Biden, putting him at 306 votes in the electoral college, with no way that Trump’s lawsuits will reverse this. The Biden team is “concerned that it is being shut out of planning for the vaccine distribution,” The New York Times reports.

“Biden is bringing back the daily briefing. Here’s who is likely to be at the podium.” via Christopher Cadelago, Natasha Korecki and Marc Caputo of POLITICO — Biden’s return to “normalcy” will include restoring the daily press briefing, and at least two women are under consideration to lead the new post-Trump show, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Kate Bedingfield is seen as having the inside track to become either a White House communications director or press secretary. Symone Sanders could be offered the role of incoming press secretary, or slot into another position before winding up “at the podium” down the line, Biden aides and other people in and around the transition said.

“In Georgia, a laborious, costly and historic hand recount of presidential ballots begins” via Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Reis Thebault of The Washington Post — The election workers sat two to a table, a stack of ballots off to the side. One auditor lifted a ballot, reviewed the selection for president, and handed it to the other to do the same before placing it in the right pile or setting it aside for further review. The effort was part of a historic manual recount of presidential votes in Georgia, where hundreds, if not thousands, of workers in the state’s 159 counties on Friday began the tedious task of re-tallying each of the nearly 5 million votes cast and checking for any potential irregularities.

Georgia begins the arduous task of a hand recount. Image via AP.

“The Trump Corner is officially closed: What other changes can Palm Beach County expect when Trump’s a regular citizen again?” via Christine Stapleton of The Palm Beach Post — For four years, Mar-a-Lago served as a tropical sanctuary for Trump, a glamorous getaway where adoration of the 45th president began the moment he stepped off Air Force One at PBIA, followed him along the motorcade route, onto the dining patio at his private club and then to his suburban West Palm Beach golf course. Now, with his apparent defeat at the polls, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, predicts Mar-a-Lago will become Trump’s gilded hidy-hole. “My theory is that at Christmastime, he goes to Mar-a-Lago. I think he will stay there through the inauguration. I would not be shocked if he will not show up to the inauguration either,” Cohen said in a recent interview with MSNBC.

Assignment editors — President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris will livestream remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, on the economic recovery, 1:45 p.m. Media interested in viewing the pooled events should visit the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Twitter page to access the livestream. Media interested in receiving print pool reports of the events should sign up for the press list at joe.link/presslist.

“Federal prosecutors assigned to monitor election malfeasance tell Barr they see no evidence of substantial irregularities” via Matt Zapotosky and Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post — Sixteen assistant U.S. attorneys specially assigned to monitor malfeasance in the 2020 election urged Attorney General William Barr to rescind his recent memorandum allowing investigators to publicly pursue allegations of “vote tabulation irregularities” in certain cases before results are certified, saying they had not seen evidence of any substantial anomalies. The signers wrote that in the places where they served as district election officers, taking in reports of possible election-related crimes, there was no evidence of the kind of fraud that Barr’s memo had highlighted.

William Barr gets the news he didn’t want to hear; there was a lack of election impropriety. Image via AP.

“With trench warfare deepening, parties face unsettled electoral map” via Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns of The New York Times — America’s two major parties had hoped the 2020 presidential election would render a decisive judgment on the country’s political trajectory. But after a race that broke records for voter turnout and campaign spending, neither Democrats nor Republicans have achieved a dominant upper hand. Instead, the election delivered a split decision, ousting Trump but narrowing the Democratic majority in the House and perhaps preserving the Republican majority in the Senate. As Biden prepares to take office and preside over a closely divided government, leaders in both camps are acknowledging that voters seem to have issued not a mandate for the left or the right but a muddled plea to move on from Trump-style chaos.

You don’t say — “Evidence suggests several state Senate candidates were plants funded by dark money” via Glenna Milberg of Local10.com — Local 10 News has found evidence to suggest three candidates in three Florida Senate district races, two of them in Miami Dade County, were shill candidates whose presence in the races were meant to siphon votes from Democratic candidates. Comparisons of the no-party candidates’ public campaign records show similarities and connections that suggest they are all linked by funding from the same dark money donors and an elaborate scheme to upset voting patterns.

“Health care vs. ‘radical leftists’: Parties rerunning 2020 playbooks in Georgia runoffs” via James Arkin of POLITICO — Republicans want to save Georgians from socialism. Democrats want to save their health care and flip the Senate. Last week, the dueling messages defined the kickoff of the two runoff elections in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate in January. The eight-week sprint to the Jan. 5 runoffs comes amid the backdrop of rapidly rising COVID-19 infections, along with the start of Biden’s transition, even as Republicans defend Trump’s efforts to undermine and fight the results of the election. Both sides agree on one thing: Georgia is about to determine the shape of American politics for at least the next two years. But they diverge sharply on how that prospect motivates voters.

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (left) and Sen. David Perdue wait to speak at a campaign rally. Image via AP.

“Many poll workers test positive for COVID-19, but ties to Election Day unclear as virus surges nationwide” via Anthony Izaguirre — Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and cases in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia. The infections cannot be tied definitively to polling places. Because COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., there is no way to determine yet whether in-person voting on Election Day contributed to the surge, public health experts said. Still, the infections among poll workers raise concerns because of how many people passed through voting sites.

“Signs of the surge: COVID-19 hospitalizations rise 44%” via David Fleshler of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — South Florida hospitals are experiencing the impact of a surge in COVID-19 infections, and experts say it will only get worse. According to state figures, Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties saw a 44% increase in coronavirus patients over the past two weeks, an increase paralleled across Florida. With about 3,200 Floridians currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the numbers are well below the July peak, when hospitalizations topped 9,000. But the trend is clearly upward, and the question is how high it will rise.

“AARP dashboard offers good news about Florida nursing homes — and reason for concern” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The AARP sees positive news regarding coronavirus infection trends in Florida’s nursing homes. But the group sounded caution as cases climb nationwide and winter approaches. Jeff Johnson, Florida state director for the AARP, communicated his optimism about the Sunshine State’s current position amid a pandemic. But he also stressed the need to remain vigilant. He pointed to an AARP dashboard tracking cases, created by the AARP Public Policy Institute using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is self-reported by nursing homes.

“Court rejects beach closure case, questions if it was ‘frivolous’” via the News Service of Florida — Raising questions about whether the case was “frivolous” or filed in “bad faith,” an appeals court Friday rejected a Northwest Florida attorney’s lawsuit that sought to force DeSantis to close beaches statewide to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Santa Rosa Beach attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who has drawn national media attention during the pandemic because of public appearances dressed as the grim reaper, took the beach-closure case to the 1st District Court of Appeal after a Leon County circuit judge ruled against him. But in a sharply worded one-page order Friday, a three-judge panel rejected the case, saying the appeals court has “reviewed the briefs and other filings in this case and finds that the appellant (Uhlfelder) fails to demonstrate even an arguable legal basis for reversal.”

Bad faith: An appeals court slapped down a beach closure suit from Daniel Uhlfelder shown here dressed as the ‘Grim Reaper.’

“Florida A&M University reinstates on-campus curfew, announces sanctions for violators” via Byron Dobson of the Tallahassee Democrat — Florida A&M University is reinstituting a curfew for on-campus students, beginning at midnight Saturday until further notice. Under the curfew, students must remain in their assigned residence hall from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. Monday-Thursday and from 12 a.m.-6 a.m. Friday-Sunday, according to Dean of Students Bomani Spell, in a Friday email. Students who disregard the curfew will be subject to sanctions, up to suspension and expulsion from the university. Spell said the university is aware of “large, impromptu and planned gatherings on and off-campus by FAMU students who use social media to announce their intent to blatantly violate Leon County’s mandate on large crowds and FAMU’s COVID-19 conduct enforcement procedures.”

“Miami-Dade hits grim milestone: 200K virus cases” via The Associated Press — The Department of Health said Saturday that Florida logged 4,452 new coronavirus cases, with 3,151 current hospitalizations. Miami-Dade has the most number of cases, logging more than 200,000 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to state statistics. More than 3,700 people in the county have died from the virus. The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals has risen in recent weeks. The state’s online census of hospitals showed numbers hovering between 2,000 and 2,200 for most of last month. The state’s outbreak peaked over the summer, with nearly 10,000 patients being treated in late July.

“Rapid COVID-19 testing is coming to schools, but some parents and teachers are wary” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Students and teachers who get sick at school may soon be able to find out in minutes if they have COVID-19. The state has sent more than 30,000 rapid tests to local school districts as part of an initiative to help control the spread of the virus. A nurse or other health official can administer the test to students or employees with COVID-19 systems, and results will be available in 15 minutes. Palm Beach Schools Superintendent Donald Fennoy announced this week that 9,000 tests would be administered after Thanksgiving. Parents will be sent home permission slips. The Miami-Dade School District, which has received about 17,280 tests, is still finalizing plans, a spokeswoman said.

“Brevard health chief deflects talk of ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 cases, face mask mandate” via Dave Berman of Florida Today — Even as state data on new COVID-19 cases reported in Brevard County indicates a recent upswing, the county’s top health official is not ready to call it a “second wave.” In fact, she said, it’s not clear the first wave ever broke. Nor is she ready to say it may be time for more stringent policies to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, during a county Facebook Live briefing Thursday on COVID-19 and other emergency management issues, Maria Stahl, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, cited the views of her bosses in Tallahassee, who have not called for a mandatory face mask policy. “We’ve never said masks aren’t important,” Stahl said, but she did not endorse mandating face mask use.

Brevard’s health chief is calling for a mask mandate to keep the second wave of COVID-19 at bay. Image via AP.

“Tourism bureaus in Southwest Florida pivot marketing strategies amid pandemic” via Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News — The coronavirus pandemic has forced Lee and Collier counties to rethink the way they market themselves to tourists. In both counties, tourism bureaus have developed new messaging and new strategies to reach willing travelers amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In Collier, the bureau is tapping emergency dollars for its messaging, while Lee is holding the line on its budget for tourism marketing and advertising this fiscal year. The new message in Collier? “Only Paradise Will Do.”

“Naples City Council to discuss citywide mask requirements again in December” via Brittany Carloni of the Naples Daily News — The Naples City Council is scheduled at a public meeting in December to discuss possible options for a city mask mandate to slow the spread of coronavirus. The discussion is currently on the city’s draft agenda for a special meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 8:30 a.m., according to the city. The meeting is expected to come more than four months after the Naples City Council chose not to opt into the Collier County mask mandate in July. At the time, city council members instead decided to pursue a public education campaign about healthy practices to combat the coronavirus.

Anthony Fauci says the U.S. could be in for a ‘whole lot of hurt.’

“In rural areas with surging COVID-19 cases, masks are rare and concern levels low” via Grant Schulte of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — It’s not that people in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and elsewhere don’t realize their states are leading the nation in new cases per capita. It’s that many of them aren’t especially concerned. In part, though, some of the causes are hard to fight because of the reality that many people have no symptoms and most of those who do get sick recover quickly. Even as virus rates have soared in the Midwest, the Republican governors of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota have ruled out requiring masks in all public places. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds this week required masks for indoor events with more than 25 people.

“Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting other people, the CDC says. It can help you — and might prevent lockdowns.” via Ben Guarino, Lena H. Sun and Ariana Eunjung Cha of The Washington Post — A growing body of science suggests that by wearing a mask to prevent spreading the virus, you may be protecting yourself, too. It is further evidence that knowledge about masks and their benefits continues to evolve — much as understanding the pandemic more broadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said for the first time, writing in a scientific bulletin posted to its website this week that “the benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and personal protection for the mask wearer.” Masks are neither completely selfless nor selfish — they help everyone.

“To shut down or not shut down? Officials implement new coronavirus restrictions as cases skyrocket, but face angry backlash.” via William Wan and Mark Guarino of The Washington Post — With the coronavirus raging out of control and hospitals nearing capacity, state and local leaders are facing once more the gut-wrenching decision of whether to order shutdowns. But many are finding the call much harder to make this time amid angry backlashes, deeply polarized constituents and dire economic consequences. Chicago was the first major city to announce, on Thursday, a reinstatement of stay-at-home advisory. On Friday, New Mexico followed suit with the country’s most restrictive statewide measures since the fall surge began. Oregon also announced a partial shutdown.

“At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge as daily cases exceed 150,000” via Karin Brulliard of The Washington Post — A record-breaking surge in U.S. coronavirus cases is being driven to a significant degree by casual occasions that may feel deceptively safe, officials and scientists warn. Many earlier coronavirus clusters were linked to nursing homes and crowded nightclubs. But public health officials nationwide say case investigations are increasingly leading them to small, private social gatherings. This behind-doors transmission trend reflects pandemic fatigue and widening social bubbles, experts say — and is particularly insidious because it is so difficult to police and likely to increase as temperatures drop and holidays approach.

“Wearing a mask isn’t just about protecting other people, the CDC says. It can help you — and might prevent lockdowns.” via Ben Guarino, Lena H. Sun and Ariana Eunjung Cha of The Washington Post — A growing body of science suggests that by wearing a mask to prevent spreading the virus, you may be protecting yourself, too. It is further evidence that knowledge about masks and their benefits continues to evolve — much as understanding the pandemic more broadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said for the first time, writing in a scientific bulletin posted to its website this week that “the benefit of masking is derived from the combination of source control and personal protection for the mask wearer.” Masks are neither completely selfless nor selfish — they help everyone.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell insists the U.S. must ‘prime the pump’ of its economy. Image via AP.

“709,000 seek US jobless aid as pandemic escalates” via Christopher Rugaber of The Associated Press — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week to 709,000, a still-high level but the lowest figure since March and a further sign that the job market might be slowly healing. Yet the improvement will be put at risk by the sharp resurgence in confirmed viral infections to an all-time high well above 120,000 a day. Cases are rising in 49 states, and deaths are increasing in 39. The nation has now recorded 240,000 virus-related deaths and 10.3 million confirmed infections. As colder weather sets in and fear of the virus escalates, consumers may turn more cautious about traveling, shopping, dining out and visiting gyms, barbershops and retailers.

“Sweden has admitted its coronavirus immunity predictions were wrong as cases soar across the country” via Thomas Colson of Business Insider — Sweden’s chief epidemiologist has admitted that the country is experiencing a second surge in coronavirus cases despite previously predicting that the number of infections in the autumn would be “quite low” due to the country’s no-lockdown policy. “In the autumn, there will be a second wave. Sweden will have a high level of immunity and the number of cases will probably be quite low,” Anders Tegnell told the Financial Times back in May. However, the latest figures show Sweden is experiencing higher levels of infections, hospitalizations and deaths than its neighbors, relative to its population size.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell of the Public Health Agency of Sweden missed the mark on coronavirus predictions. Image via AP.

“A season of disappointment and depression as COVID-19 rages into holidays” via Maria L. La Ganga, Sonja Sharp, Julia Barajas of the Los Angeles Times — Business is booming for Maria Mir. Under normal circumstances, she takes little time off in November and December; the holidays are her busy season. But this is 2020. Nothing is normal. And everyone seems to need her at once. Mir is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She’s used to patients feeling lonely and depressed as Thanksgiving and Christmas near. But “this particular time is different,” she says. “Even people who haven’t felt lonely in the past are now feeling that isolation.” Pandemic Holiday Season 1.0 is taking its toll on psyches and pocketbooks. We’ve been cooped up for the better part of nine months, but instead of drawing up lists of guests and gifts, we’re cataloging the things we cannot do as temperatures drop and coronavirus cases soar across the country.

Ron DeSantis distributed billions in CARES Act money, and the faucet is soon shutting off. Image via Colin Hackley.

Spotted — Attorney General Ashley Moody on TheList.com’s “Politicians who have gorgeous husbands.” Her husband, Justin Duralia, works as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Legislators return Tuesday but will keep their distance — from tackling COVID concerns” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — Florida legislators meet for the first time in eight months on Tuesday to swear in newly elected lawmakers, but legislators will keep their distance from one another, in an attempt to stave off the coronavirus and from any talk of addressing the economic and health-related fallout from it. The one-day legislative session is required by the state Constitution “on the fourteenth day following each general election … for the exclusive purpose of organization and selection of officers,” and it is expected to last just two hours.

“Proposed Senate rules allow more committee meeting flexibility” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Under the latest legislative rules proposed for the next two years, the Senate would have more latitude to hold committee meetings when and where they please. Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson‘s office sent the newly-proposed rules to all senators Friday as well as the Joint Rules, which remain unchanged from the 2018-2020 set. Under the proposed rules, committees can enter recess and reconvene when and where the Senate President allows, even past 6 p.m., to complete unfinished agenda items. With long committee meetings and Floridians traveling across the state for public comment, senators hope to be more accommodating to the public by reconvening later in the day rather than a week or two weeks later.

Happening today — The Senate Democratic caucus meets to formally elect Sen. Gary Farmer as Democratic leader, with media availability afterward, 4 p.m. Old Capitol Senate Chamber.

Happening today — The House holds a single-day Orientation Session featuring spouses of new members, with speakers including Shannon Sprowls, wife of incoming House Speaker Chris Sprowls, 2 p.m. Old Capitol House Chamber.

Assignment editors — The Florida House Democratic Caucus will meet to elect Reps. Bobby DuBose and Evan Jenne as co-leaders for the 2021-2022 term, 6:30 p.m., House Chamber, also available livestreamed and archived on The Florida Channel.

“As property insurance costs skyrocket, lawmakers will consider these ideas to keep coverage affordable” via Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — As Florida homeowners recover from shocking cost increases for their next year of insurance coverage, the pressure is mounting on state lawmakers to step in and stem the bleeding. Property owners have been waking up to premium hikes as high as 30% to 40% for their upcoming policy terms. Insurance insiders hope their anger will force the Florida Legislature to adopt reforms aimed at quelling runaway litigation costs during the 2021 legislative session that begins March 1. Insurers will be working with allies in the legislature. The question is, will they have enough votes to override legislators loyal to plaintiffs attorneys who want to maintain the status quo?

“‘Slower, longer, more expensive’: Tougher slog coming for constitutional amendments in Florida” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Pensacola News Journal — A record-setting turnout for the presidential election has raised the bar for groups hoping to get a proposed state constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2022. That’s in addition to a new law raising the signature threshold on an already cumbersome petition gathering process. “It will mean a slower, longer, and more expensive path,” said Steve Vancore, a political consultant who worked on the All Voters Vote campaign in 2020. The group spent over $8.5 million and collected 1.1 million signatures to make sure it got the 766,200 certified petitions needed to earn a place on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“Court battles continue over domestic violence agency” via Dara Kam of The News Service of Florida — Florida’s attempt to recoup millions of dollars paid to Tiffany Carr, the former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is inching along, as Carr and the agency’s ousted directors duke it out in court with the DeSantis administration, Attorney General Moody’s office and two insurance companies. Carr is at the center of at least a half-dozen lawsuits surrounding her compensation of at least $7.5 million over a three-year period, including more than $3.7 million in paid time off. The bitter legal battle is focused on the state’s attempt to claw back some of Carr’s payments and other former coalition executives.

A court found that DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was illegally appointed.

“Florida congressional Democrats urge DeSantis to release CARES Act money” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Democratic Rep. Darren Soto is leading a letter signed by eight of Florida’s Democratic members of Congress urging DeSantis to release the rest of the federal COVID-19 relief money to counties and cities before it’s too late. The letter from Soto and other members of the House of Representatives points out that Florida has until the end of the year to spend the remainder of CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund money authorized to help cities and counties hit hard by lost tax revenues and increased expenses due to the coronavirus crisis. The counties and cities also can provide money to help local businesses and nonprofit groups. “The CRF funding was meant to be a vital lifeline for maintaining uninterrupted operation of local government and services during this pandemic,” Soto and the other members wrote.

“500 Trump supporters — including pardoned Roger Stone — rally in Delray, insisting that the election was stolen” via John Pacenti of The Palm Beach Post — In a remarkable display, 500 supporters of Trump, nearly all maskless despite the ongoing COVID-19 surge, converged Saturday to insist the election was stolen from the Republican incumbent and to encourage him to stay in power no matter the results. The event was highlighted by an impressive and noisy march down Atlantic Avenue and a speech by Stone, the Broward-based political adviser freed by Trump after his witness-tampering conviction. Stone said the CIA changed vote tallies in favor of Biden.

To watch a video of Stone at the Delray Beach rally, click on the image below:

“USF pitches plan to make St. Petersburg campus an academic ‘destination’” via Divya Kimar of the Tampa Bay Times — Leaders at the University of South Florida are proposing a major academic center on the St. Petersburg campus that would focus on sustainability, environmental and oceanographic studies. The idea was presented in a letter last week to state Sen. Jeff Brandes from USF president Steve Currall, provost Ralph Wilcox and St. Petersburg regional chancellor Martin Tadlock. It came after Brandes and other Pinellas County political leaders expressed concern that the St. Petersburg campus’s stature was already eroding under a consolidation at USF that began July 1. On the contrary, Currall and Wilcox wrote, the new center “represents a vision that will result in St. Petersburg becoming an international destination for student and faculty talent.”

“New school board member bought house outside district, says she doesn’t live there” via Andrew Marra of The Palm Beach Post — As she ran this summer for a seat on the Palm Beach County School Board, Alexandria Ayala told voters and elections officials that she lived in her childhood home in Palm Springs, squarely in the district she was campaigning to represent. But more than a month before her election, Ayala quietly purchased a single-family home in Delray Beach and agreed in loan documents to use it as her “principal residence,” public records show. The home, in the Verona Woods community, is nearly 15 miles south of the central-county district she was elected in August to represent. Florida law requires school board members to live in their districts. Despite her commitment to her mortgage lender, Ayala, who is slated to take office next week, said she does not live in the Delray Beach house she purchased with her boyfriend.

“The coronavirus’s origins are still a mystery. We need a full investigation.” via The Washington Post editorial board — After so much death and illness, a mystery from the first days of the novel coronavirus has yet to be solved. We still don’t understand its origins or how it became a global killer. The answers lie in China, and quite possibly beyond. The world needs a credible, impartial investigation to better prepare for future pandemics. The virus was most likely a zoonotic spillover, a leap from animals to humans, which have become more common as people push into new areas where they have closer contact with wildlife. The closest-known relatives to this coronavirus were collected from bats in China’s Yunnan province from 2012 to 2013 and 2019.

“‘Personal responsibility’ isn’t working. We need mask mandates.” via The Washington Post editorial board — The use of cloth face masks is not a guarantee against broadcasting or receiving the virus, but when combined with other measures such as hand-washing and distancing, it can sharply reduce the spread. That’s why it is entirely wrongheaded for some Republican governors to resist the face mask mandates that Biden has urged. Thirty-four states and the District have mandated face coverings in public; as the pandemic dangerously escalates, the others should join them.

“Florida is becoming a DeSantian nightmare” via Nate Monroe of Florida Politics — Under the influence of homegrown and outside cranks alike, DeSantis is turning Florida into a Darwinian COVID-19 herd-immunity experiment, to the horror of nearly every credible expert. He has hired an obscure Ohio sports blogger and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist to count beans in the state’s office of policy and budget, and he is content to allow the coronavirus to spread like wildfire: May the hearty and hale survive. And during this time of actual crisis, he is pushing legislation to crack down on nonexistent violent protesters, a measure that would give legal cover to Florida’s many and well-armed wannabe vigilantes to shoot or run over these imagined criminals based on their own judgment.

“A troubling flip-flop by the League of Women Voters of Florida” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — The League of Women Voters of Florida owes the public a full accounting for why and how it suddenly pulled its support for a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have allowed all voters to vote in primary elections. In making this abrupt about-face, the League’s top leaders upended a two-year deliberative process that had built consensus in the ranks for Amendment 3, one of the most important questions Florida voters faced in 2020. The amendment would have created a top-two primary system open to all voters, regardless of party, in which the top two vote-getters face off in the general election. The amendment won support from 57% of state voters, short of the 60% needed for passage.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The surge in COVID cases comes as the Florida Legislature is about to begin a one-day postelection Organizational Session.

— Lawmakers who control the House and Senate have imposed a series of restrictions to try to prevent the session from turning into a COVID-19 super spreader … but they won’t be doing a thing about the virus itself.

— Remember the panhandle lawyer who dressed up as the Grim Reaper and sued when the Governor refused to close the beaches because of coronavirus? The 1st District Court of Appeal is not amused. A three-judge panel says Uhlfelder’s lawsuit was frivolous and is threatening him with sanctions.

— The task forces created to review the state’s plan to build 330 miles of new toll roads issued their final reports. The task forces did not conclude that any of them are actually needed … but the skids have already been greased.

— And finally, checking in with two Florida Men: One is a peeper, while the other walked out of a police station in broad daylight — still wearing handcuffs.

To listen, click on the image below:

SpaceX spacecraft carrying four astronauts soared into outer space on a 27-hour trek to the International Space System. Image via AP.

“Florida theme parks offer Black Friday deals” via WFLA — Busch Gardens offers start: November 13: 2021 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Fun Card starting at $79.99 (30% savings). Buy the Fun Card now and get the rest of 2020 free. Individual ticket deals: Single-day tickets start at $63.99 (40% savings). Walt Disney World Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Ticket: 3- or 4-day ticket (visit 1 theme park per day) starting at $58 per day for ages 10+ ($174 per ticket). Valid through Nov. 20, 2020, and Nov. 29 — Dec. 18, 2020. Universal Orlando Florida Resident special ticket offer: 3 days for $55/day + tax starting at $164.99 per adult. With a 2-park 3-day one park per day ticket. Now through Dec. 17.

Belated best wishes to state Reps. Michael Gottlieb and Will Robinson; Wayne Bertsch, Trimmel Gomes, Evan Power, Rodney Barreto and Max Steele.