Carlton Fields snapped up Erin VanSickle from the Office of Insurance Regulation, the firm announced Tuesday.

VanSickle most recently worked as Deputy Chief of Staff at OIR, though her resume includes more than 15 years of experience spanning regulated industries, public policy, public affairs, and crisis management. She will put that expertise to work for Carlton Fields’ Government Law and Insurance Regulatory teams.

“Erin’s multifaceted skill set is a tremendous asset to our clients,” said William Sklar, who heads the firm’s Government Law and Consulting Practice. “Her experience in Florida state government, paired with her knowledge of insurance regulations, makes her an excellent addition to our team.”

VanSickle oversaw communications, emergency management and other strategic initiatives for OIR, which regulates the state’s $154 billion insurance industry and more than 4,400 insurance-related entities in Florida.

She has also served as director of external affairs for Volunteer Florida and the Volunteer Florida Foundation, as vice president of communications and marketing at the Florida Medical Association, and as the director of communications at the Republican Party of Florida. VanSickle has also run her own shop that advised local and statewide public affairs and legislative initiative campaigns.

“Carlton Fields is a premier law firm with a substantial insurance regulatory practice,” VanSickle said. “I am excited to expand my government affairs practice using the full range of my experience in regulatory issues, public policy, and communications.”

VanSickle is a Florida licensed insurance agent who holds a master’s degree in risk management and insurance from Florida State University.

“We are thrilled to welcome Erin to our firm,” said Carlton Fields Tallahassee Office managing shareholder Christine Davis. “She strengthens our diverse Tallahassee team advising clients in a variety of matters of statewide importance.”

 — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@NikkiFried: Defunding schools and school administrators for refusing to endanger children is third-world dictator level dangerous. This should alarm everyone in the country, not just Florida.

—@ChristinaPushaw: Ultimately — Education funding is for the students. The kids didn’t make the decision to encroach upon parents’ rights. So any financial penalties for breaking the rule would be targeted to those officials who made that decision.

—@fguzmanon7: Florida Gov Ron DeSantis threatens to somehow withhold salary of district superintendents and board members who move to mandate masks. Miami-Dade Superintendent: “a small price to pay considering the gravity of this issue.”

—@Mike_Grieco: I’m not an employment lawyer, but I don’t think this is going to end well for the big cheese.

—@Annette_Taddeo: Florida is losing the equivalent of 5 Parkland massacres a day to COVID. The cost of running for President in 2024.

—@jenn_bradley: My Facebook feed is a sad place these days. Loss, sickness, prayer requests. The COVID-19 positivity rate in Senate District 5 is over 28%. Wow. Our vaccination rate is not too much higher. North Florida, we can do better! Get vaccinated!

—@ShevrinJones: We are hitting a new low in Florida. When we get to the point to where the Governor is threatening the livelihood of school board members, for not following his unconstitutional madness, it’s definitely a new low!

—@FentriceForFL: This is a gross misuse & abuse of power. The party that claims to embrace freedom the most finds ways on almost every issue to infringe on that for its people. This sidesteps home rule and directly saddles local communities who are fighting for our kids when our Governor won’t.

—@goni_lessan: In response to this, in an agenda meeting just now, Leon County schools superintendent Rocky Hanna said, “You can’t put a price tag on someone’s life, including my salary.”

—@ReportsDaNews: The current COVID-19 positivity rate for children in Florida: Ages 0-12 is 20% Ages 12-19 is 24% While DeSantis is threatening to withhold funding to school boards and now threatening to withhold school board member‘s salaries.

— DAYS UNTIL —

‘Marvel’s What If …?’ premieres on Disney+ — 1; Florida Behavioral Health Association’s Annual Conference (BHCon) begins — 8; St. Petersburg Primary Election — 14; Boise vs. UCF — 23; Disney’s ‘Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings’ premieres — 24; Notre Dame at FSU — 26; NFL regular season begins — 30; Bucs home opener — 30; California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recall election — 35; Broadway’s full-capacity reopening — 35; Alabama at UF — 39; Dolphins home opener — 40; Jaguars home opener — 40; 2022 Legislative Session interim committee meetings begin — 41; ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ premieres (rescheduled) — 45; ‘Dune’ premieres — 52; Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary party starts — 52; MLB regular season ends — 54; ‘No Time to Die’ premieres (rescheduled) — 59; Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum begins — 77; World Series Game 1 — 78; Florida TaxWatch’s Annual Meeting begins — 78; Georgia at UF — 81; St. Petersburg Municipal Elections — 84; Florida’s 20th Congressional District Primary — 85; Disney’s ‘Eternals’ premieres — 89; ‘Disney Very Merriest After Hours’ will debut — 90; Miami at FSU — 95; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ rescheduled premiere — 101; FSU vs. UF — 109; Florida Chamber 2021 Annual Insurance Summit begins — 113; Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ premieres — 122; ‘Spider-Man Far From Home’ sequel premieres — 129; NFL season ends — 152; 2022 Legislative Session starts — 154; Florida’s 20th Congressional District election — 154; NFL playoffs begin — 155; Super Bowl LVI — 187; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 227; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 271; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 296; “Black Panther 2” premieres — 332; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 344; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 423; “Captain Marvel 2” premieres — 458.

— TOP STORY —

“Ron DeSantis’ office threatens school district salaries if they violate mask mandate ban” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Florida could withhold the salaries of school administration officials who violate DeSantis‘ executive order against school mask mandates. The administration highlighted that possibility in a statement sent to reporters Monday. DeSantis’ executive order, issued late last month, allows the Department of Education to take actions to ensure districts adhere to state law, including withholding state funds from noncompliant school boards. The Governor’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, raised the threat of withholding salaries as a way to hit school districts’ wallets without hurting students’ education.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Florida still breaking records for daily COVID-19 cases. Single-day high reaches 28,317” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — As cases rise, so does the death toll from the disease that has taken nearly 39,700 lives in the state. Another 232 people died from COVID-19 in the last two days. Hospitals continue to experience the impact of the newest pandemic wave. As of Monday, nearly 14,000 patients were in Florida hospitals with COVID-19, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services data. Of those, 2,836 people are in intensive care with COVID-19. Broward County’s hospitals had the most admissions — 1,600 — of any county in the United States, as of Aug. 6.

“Pediatricians urge DeSantis to send new message on face masks as school year begins” via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis needs to abandon his “dangerous” rhetoric against face masks in schools and make it clear that “universal masking” on campus reduces COVID-19 illness and protects “face-to-face learning,” the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a letter to the Governor. The group, representing 830 Florida pediatricians, urged DeSantis to revise his public rhetoric about face masks and stop “ignoring the virus” as public schools in Central Florida and across the state are ready to open Tuesday.

“Norwegian vaccine ruling could embolden other cruise lines in challenge to DeSantis” via Taylor Dolven of the Miami Herald — Though Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings secured a win in federal court allowing it to require passengers to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, the legal battle is far from over. DeSantis is vowing to appeal. Other cruise companies are assessing what the ruling means for their cruises. They could start requiring proof, daring the state to enforce its $5,000 fines, said Larry Gostin, professor of global health law at Georgetown University and director of the World Health Organization’s center on global health law. “This will embolden them to do that, and I think it should. When you have law that is contrary to the public’s health and to the Constitution, the burden is on Florida to see if they can enforce it legally.”

“South Florida hurricane shelters: Unvaccinated and vaccinated will not be separated” via Austen Erblat of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Hurricane shelters in Broward and Palm Beach Counties won’t be separating people who do not have COVID-19 vaccinations from those who do. That’s because vaccination status is not checked in either county. However, both counties’ representatives said that masks will still be required, and social distancing will be enforced. “As per the existing administrative policy for county properties, all persons will be required to wear masks,” said Greg Meyer, a spokesman for Broward County. “The county has also taken social distancing into consideration and will limit capacity as needed. Currently, vaccination status does not play a part in evacuation sheltering.”

“As new COVID-19 cases hit Florida prisons, staff vaccination rates are unknown” via Hannah Critchfield of the Tampa Bay Times — Coronavirus cases are hitting Florida correctional facilities anew, with state and federal prisons, jails, and an immigration detention center reporting COVID-19 infections. The new infections come as Florida has taken center stage amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. Currently, the Florida Department of Corrections is not releasing vaccination rates among detention staff, data that a little over half the other states in the nation have opted to disclose. The state provided information about active staff infections but stopped sharing this data two months ago.

— CORONA LOCAL —

“10 children with COVID-19 admitted to Baptist Health in Jacksonville in just 24 hours” via Emily Bloch of The Florida Times-Union — The number of patients hospitalized, including children in Jacksonville because of the coronavirus, continues to rise just one day before local schools reopen their doors. On Monday, Baptist Health reported that the number of children hospitalized more than doubled within the week, growing from 10 to 21, including six in the ICU. Baptist officials said 10 children were admitted into the hospital on Sunday alone because of COVID-19. This also represents a net increase of one additional child in the ICU since Sunday. Additionally, the hospital reported 584 COVID-19 patients with 119 in the ICU. That represents a net increase of five in patients compared to 24 hours earlier.

“6 unvaccinated members of Florida church die of COVID-19 within days; most were under 35” via Tiffini Theisen of the Orlando Sentinel — Six unvaccinated members of a Florida church died of COVID-19 within days of each other, the pastor said. Of those from Impact Church in Jacksonville who contracted a fatal virus, all were previously healthy, and four were under 35 years old. As a result, church officials decided to hold another vaccination event. Its first one was in March when about 800 people got their first doses. “One mother, who just was recently married, to celebrate her first wedding anniversary with a young daughter and to now see her gone when you really just know that was avoidable,” the Rev. George Davis said.

“Escambia County COVID-19 hospitalizations break all-time record. And it’s far from over.” via Madison Arnold of the Pensacola News Journal — The number of coronavirus patients being treated at Escambia County hospitals reached an all-time record this weekend, and health care officials caution that figure will likely continue to rise. COVID-19 patient hospitalizations at the county’s three major hospitals, Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist and West Florida hospitals, have climbed during the past several weeks and reached 311 on Saturday, shattering the previous pandemic record of 291 set Jan. 14. Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson announced the grim record during his weekly news conference Monday, flanked by local health care and hospital leaders.

“‘The walls were closing in’: What’s swaying Pensacola’s unvaccinated to get COVID-19 shot?” via Emma Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — The latest Florida Department of Health data shows the vaccination rate is creeping up. Escambia County’s COVID-19 vaccination rate rose by 2 percentage points from the previous week to reach 46%, and Santa Rosa County climbed by 1 percentage point to 46%. According to Escambia County’s dashboard, the county’s COVID-19 hospitalizations at its three major hospitals were approaching their peak for the entire pandemic, with 268 patients hospitalized Friday. The previous record was reached on Jan. 14 with 291 hospitalizations.

“Lee Health’s COVID-19 cases surge to 419 and break last summer’s peak” via Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News — Lee Health has far surpassed last summer’s surge of hospitalized patients infected with COVID-19. On Monday, the hospital system reported 419 patients, up 20% since Friday. The previous record was 372 patients on July 20, 2020. According to their medical charts, 16% of hospitalized patients are fully vaccinated, which means they are “breakthrough” cases attributed to the highly contagious delta variant. Florida has been the epicenter of new cases tied to the delta variant and accounts for 1 in 5 new infections nationwide, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of the patients hospitalized Monday at Lee Health, 70 are in intensive care units, and 36 are on ventilators.

“Treasure Coast COVID-19 cases up by hundreds; hospitalizations at Cleveland Clinic facilities quintuple since July” via Will Greenlee and Mike Stucka of Treasure Coast Newspapers — As coronavirus cases surge in Florida and across the nation, some local hospitals on Monday reported the most hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients since the start of the pandemic. As of Monday, there were 227 COVID-19-positive patients across three of the four Cleveland Clinic hospitals on the Treasure Coast. No COVID-19-positive patients are at Cleveland Clinic Martin South Hospital. “This is the highest number of hospitalized COVID-19-positive patients at our Treasure Coast hospitals since the pandemic began,” Dr. Richard Rothman, institute chair of hospital medicine for Cleveland Clinic Florida, stated via email. The 227 is five times the 45 COVID-19-positive patients hospitalized July 2 at Cleveland Clinic’s Treasure Coast hospitals.

“More families of residents who died of COVID-19 sue Freedom Square” via Hannah Critchfield of the Tampa Bay Times — Families of at least seven residents who died after contracting COVID-19 at the Freedom Square of Seminole retirement community have filed lawsuits against its owners, claiming administrators failed to adequately protect their loved ones. Over 100 residents and several staff members tested positive for the coronavirus after an outbreak ravaged the sprawling 15-acre complex in 2020. Forty people eventually died, making it one of the deadliest outbreaks in a Florida long-term care facility.

— STATEWIDE —

“Hurricane center to begin advisories for tropical system that could threaten Florida this week” via Joe Mario Pedersen of the Orlando Sentinel — The National Hurricane Center is tracking a low-pressure system Monday one with high odds of becoming the next tropical depression or tropical storm later today as it pushes into the Caribbean. The low is 100 miles east-northeast of Barbados and produces disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the NHC said in its 2 p.m. update. With it so close to land, the NHC said it will begin advisories on “Potential Tropical Cyclone Six” at 5 p.m. The system has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm over the next two to five days. However, meteorologists expect the system to become a tropical depression, with maximum sustained winds of at least 38 mph, later today or tonight.

“Florida in cone for potential Tropical Cyclone 6” via David Selig of WPLG Local 10 News — The National Hurricane Center has named the disturbance tracking toward Florida as Potential Tropical Cyclone 6, so it can begin sending advisories to islands in the Caribbean that may be affected. In the NHC’s first advisory for Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 at 5 p.m., the disturbance was about 165 miles east-southeast of Dominica with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 15 mph. “On the forecast track, the system is expected to move through a portion of the southern Leeward Islands tonight, pass near or over the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico late Tuesday and Tuesday night, and near or over Hispaniola on Wednesday,” the Hurricane Center wrote in its advisory.

“Florida school district fights transgender male using boys’ bathroom” via Jim Saunders of the Orlando Sentinel — The St. Johns County School Board is asking a federal appeals court to again consider a four-year battle about whether a transgender male student should have been allowed to use boys’ bathrooms. Last week, the Northeast Florida school district filed a motion for a rehearing after a divided panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July said a policy preventing Drew Adams from using boys’ bathrooms was “arbitrary” and violated equal protection rights. Adams was born a biological female but in eighth grade told his parents he was a transgender male, according to the July panel ruling.

Assignment editors — People Over Profits and Building Back Together, a nonprofit focused on advancing progressive policies, will host a virtual news conference urging Floridians to take advantage of the extended Affordable Care Act enrollment period by the August 15 deadline. Attendees include People Over Profits founder Sean Shaw, Sen. Shevrin Jones, Reps. Nicholas Duran and Allison Tant, 11 a.m., livestreamed on Zoom and Facebook.

Happening today — Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo will appear at a meeting of the Economic Club of Florida, 11:15 a.m., Florida State University Alumni Center, 1030 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.

Happening today — The Education Estimating Conference meets to discuss student financial aid, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building.

Happening today — Sen. Jeff Brandes will appear on a Connected Commerce Council webinar to examine technology and economic growth, 2 p.m. Details and registration here.

“Florida is suing Piney Point’s owners. Is the state also to blame?” via Zachary T. Sampson of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida’s lawsuit against the owner of the Piney Point fertilizer plant property breaks down the many ways the state says HRK Holdings failed to care for the site. It is supposed to leave no doubt that, after years of struggling to maintain the complex, HRK left Piney Point open to disaster. But all those allegations, critics say, also read like a list of warning signs that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection missed before the crisis. This spring, a leaking reservoir at the property caused officials to order the evacuation of hundreds of homes and led to 215 million gallons of polluted water being dumped into Tampa Bay.

— 2022 —

“DeSantis political committee fundraises off Joe Biden ‘confusion’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Biden may have been joking when he referred to DeSantis as “Governor who?”, but the Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee is taking it seriously … and using it to make some quick cash. The campaign sent an email to supporters Monday signed by “Team DeSantis,” entitled “Forgetful Biden.” “Despite his administration’s incessant focus on Gov. DeSantis, Joe Biden pretended not to know who Gov. Ron DeSantis was. That begs the question if Joe Biden doesn’t remember Gov. DeSantis, what else has he forgotten?” The email continues in that vein for some time, urging the signing of a petition to “thank” DeSantis, with even more punchy prose.

“Nikki Fried campaign mocks ‘Governor who?’ in fundraising pitch” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Fried started off her week of campaign fundraising with a blast at, “Governor who?” In the wake of Biden dismissing a question about DeSantis with that quick rejoinder, DeSantis has struggled to respond. For Fried and a campaign struggling to attain a platform paralleling that of the incumbent, “Governor who?” was irresistible as a peg for Fried to contrast her regular messaging on the COVID-19 crisis with more irregular communications from DeSantis. “When he was asked about Gov. DeSantis’ pandemic response last week, President Biden asked, “Governor who?” the email signed by “Team Nikki” noted, before spotlighting a Senator’s diss of DeSantis as evidence of bipartisan pushback.

“Fried says DeSantis ‘panicked’ in handling pandemic” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — For a change, DeSantis wasn’t the subject of an adoring weekend cable news hit. Rather, he was the target. DeSantis, presiding over a state that is the current epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis, found himself taken to task again by a potential 2022 General Election opponent, who charged that he “panicked” while handling the coronavirus. Fried took to MSNBC Sunday night, after yet another record day in COVID-19 daily cases and hospitalizations. She blasted DeSantis again for a “void of leadership,” saying that the Governor “panicked during this pandemic.”

“Fried to host Tampa campaign fundraiser Aug. 18” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Fried will be in Tampa on Aug. 18 for an evening dockside reception and campaign fundraiser to support her 2022 run for Governor. Hosting the event are Dan and Julie Jenkins and Stacy Yates. Ticket prices vary, hosts must contribute $2,500, co-hosts $1,000, and guests can attend for $500. There are limited tickets available for $100. As far as fundraising, Fried‘s political committee sits at the bottom of the fundraising race for Governor. Since the Democrat from South Florida publicly confirmed she was considering challenging DeSantis nearly a year ago, her committee, Florida Consumers First, has raised close to $1.4 million, and it’s operating with $1.8 million on hand. More than a quarter of that, $437,000, has come since she officially launched her campaign last month.

“Charlie Crist kicks off Hispanic outreach tour in Tampa” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times — In a kickoff to a weeklong Hispanic outreach tour throughout the state, U.S. Rep. Crist announced Monday his plan, if elected governor, to create an office dedicated to helping new residents moving into the Sunshine State. The Office for New Floridians, Crist said, would be a centralized place to help new residents avoid bureaucratic red tape. Crist said the initiative would help immigrants from across the globe and people moving from other states, adding that several people coming to Florida are Hispanic or Latino.

“Large field of candidates qualifies for ballot in contest to fill South Florida congressional vacancy” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — After months of talk, the 26 people who have declared their desire to go to Congress via a South Florida special election have to lay it on the line — with cold, hard cash. By noon Tuesday, candidates must officially qualify to get on the ballot for the Nov. 2 Primary and Jan. 11 Special Election to fill the vacancy created by the April 6 death of the late Congressman Alcee Hastings. His long tenure — Hastings was first elected in 1992 — is one reason so many people want the job: 16 Democrats, five Republicans, one Libertarian, and four no party affiliation/independents. As of midafternoon Monday, 14 candidates — so far — had qualified.

“Jason Fischer adds to money lead in SD 4 race, but it may not matter” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Fischer, who represents House District 16 in Jacksonville, is still the financial front-runner, and despite endorsements not going his way of late, still expanded his lead over opponents. He has more than $1 million cash on hand after all the money was added up. But with Senate President Wilton Simpson and incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo endorsing this early, there are strong indications that stronger fundraising is ahead for Yarborough, currently the incumbent in House District 12. The Associated Industries of Florida gave Fischer money in July, suggesting he still has backing. Meanwhile, questions are raised about the path of the House District 11 incumbent going forward also, specifically whether he runs for something else.

“Manny Diaz raises $20K in July, holds more than $450K to defend SD 36 seat” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Sen. Diaz holds nearly $456,000 in available cash as he seeks a second term representing Senate District 36. Diaz actually ate into that war chest in July. He hauled in $20,000 in donations but showed nearly $36,000 in expenditures. Still, the incumbent is sitting on plenty of cash as he remains the only candidate filed in the contest so far. Diaz added $3,000 through his campaign account in July. In July, Diaz’s campaign account spent just over $2,000 while his PC shelled out nearly $34,000. The bulk of that money, more than $27,000, went to Tallahassee-based Ross Consulting. Diaz’s campaign account sent $1,000 to Ross Consulting, while the rest came from his PC.

“Matthew Collins exits HD 11 race, backs Dean Black” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Collins ended his campaign for House District 11 and threw his support behind Dean Black on Monday. Collins was one of three Republicans who had filed initial paperwork to run for the seat currently held by Rep. Cord Byrd, who is term-limited and running for Senate. Still standing are Bo Bridges and Heath Brockwell, also of Jacksonville Beach. But Black, the Duval County Republican Party chair, has telegraphed his interest in the seat. Collins said if Black files, he’s the best pick for the Nassau- and Duval-based district.

“Former pro-wrestling referee Drake Wuertz files to run in HD 30” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Wuertz, a former WWE wrestling referee, has filed to run in House District 30 against Democratic Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil. Wuertz is a construction sales associate from Altamonte Springs. He’s running to again flip a House seat that has changed party hands a few times in the past five or six elections. HD 30 represents a slice of north-central Orange County and south-central Seminole County. He’s running on a platform that strongly opposes abortions while also advocating freedom in other health care choices; he opposes mask or vaccination mandates. He also wishes to expand school choice.

“Berny Jacques adds $14K+ for HD 66 campaign” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Jacques added more than $14,000 to his coffers in July for his House District 66 campaign. The Republican candidate reported $10,000 raised for his political committee, Florida Values Coalition, and $4,573 for his official campaign, bringing his July fundraising total to $14,573. Jacques reported his totals to Florida Politics. July financials have not yet been officially posted to the Florida Division of Elections. With this self-reported July haul, Jacques has now raised $56,300 for his political committee and $68,300 for his campaign, for a total of nearly $125,000.

“Daniel Perez raises $51K in July, has $1.1M to defend HD 116 seat” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Perez had another solid round of fundraising last month, when his campaign and political committees raised more than $51,000 for his still unopposed run to keep his Florida House seat representing District 116. But because he spent more than he earned, the future House Speaker has slightly less money with which to work, $1.135 million, than he did in June, data filed with the Florida Division of Elections shows. Perez’s committees spent big supporting other GOP candidates and interests. Miami United PC, the smaller of Perez’s two political committees, which has nearly $400,000 to spend, took in just $2,500 in July while spending three times that amount.

“Daniel Sotelo war chest grows to $110K in bid for open HD 118” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Sotelo banked more than $34,000 in July toward his bid for the Florida House District 118 seat Republican Rep. Anthony Rodriguez plans to vacate for a Miami-Dade Commission seat next year. Sotelo now holds more than $110,000 for a race in which he so far is unopposed. Aside from the $50,000 he gave to his own campaign in June, every contribution his campaign has received since its launch last month has been for $1,000 or less. Five $1,000 contributions came from businesses Sotelo owns and that bears his name: Sotelo General Contractors Inc., Sotelo Investment Group LLC, Sotelo Accounting Corp., Sotelo Accounting Solutions and Sotelo Realty Corp.

“Santa Rosa voters could be asked (again) to approve penny sales tax next year. Will they?” via Annie Blanks of the Pensacola News Journal — Almost two years after Santa Rosa County voters struck down a full penny Local Option Sales Tax in a contentious special election, District 1 Commissioner Sam Parker says he’s going to try again to get the half-cent tax increase on the November 2022 ballot. Parker, who led the charge in 2019 to hold a special election to see if voters would approve a half-cent sales tax increase, said he intends to ask his fellow commissioners if they will support a second initiative as next year’s election season winds up. Santa Rosa County voters decisively struck down the penny tax in the October 2019 special election, when that was the only item on the ballot. In that election, 67% of voters rejected the ballot measure, while 33% approved it.

— CORONA NATION —

“Pentagon will seek mandate for vaccination of all active-duty military personnel by mid-September” via Dan Lamothe, Hannah Knowles, Bryan Pietsch and Adela Suliman of The Washington Post — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will seek a mandate to require that all service members get a coronavirus vaccine by mid-September, and could move that date up even sooner if a vaccine receives full approval from the FDA, according to defense officials and a new memo released by the Pentagon. Biden, who must approve Austin’s request for a mandate, quickly praised the decision as millions of Americans remain resistant to vaccines, and governments and employers increasingly turn to mandates. In a news briefing with reporters on Monday, John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said that if the FDA grants full approval for a coronavirus vaccine before September, Austin will have authority to require that version of the vaccine immediately, without presidential involvement.

“Movie theater owners won’t oppose requiring proof of vaccination” via Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter — An alarming surge in cases in many parts of the country due to the delta variant has left the box office recovery disrupted as half the U.S. population remain unvaccinated. “In order for the exhibition industry to fully recover, we need more people to be vaccinated. It’s pure science. The rates of shots had gone quite well for a while in the U.S., and then they dropped off. We need them to keep going,” NATO President John Fithian said. According to the National Research Group, moviegoing comfort levels have dropped dramatically in recent weeks in the U.S. as delta variant cases increase. The comfort level was at a pandemic-era best 81% on July 11; as of Monday, it was 67%.

“It’s time to accept that school won’t be normal in the fall” via Anna North of Vox — It seemed possible that the 2021-22 school year would be a “normal” one. Parents and experts hoped that vaccination rates among adults would drive down the community spread of COVID-19. There was talk that vaccines for younger kids would arrive. But now fall is upon us, and neither of these things has happened. The challenges aren’t insurmountable, though. Perhaps the biggest feat is for everyone involved to accept that the pandemic is not over and act accordingly. Many public health experts say masking, virus testing, and other mitigation factors can make a return to in-person school safe and feasible, but the problem is many districts are not requiring masks this year — and some states are even forbidding mask mandates in schools.

“Fake COVID-19 vaccine cards online worry college officials” via Roselyn Romero of The Associated Press — Across the internet, a cottage industry has sprung up to accommodate people who say they won’t get vaccinated for either personal or religious reasons. According to a tally by The Chronicle of Higher Education, at least 675 colleges and universities now require proof of COVID-19 inoculations. The process to confirm vaccination at many schools can be as simple as uploading a picture of the vaccine card. “The United States, unlike most countries which have electronic systems in place, is basing its vaccination on a flimsy paper card,” UNC-Chapel Hill professor Benjamin Mason Meier said. “There need to be policies in place for accountability to make sure that every student is operating in the collective interest of the entire campus.″

— CORONA ECONOMICS — 

“U.S. job openings hit new record in June, surpassing 10 million” via Olivia Rockman of Bloomberg — The number of available positions rose to 10.1 million during the month from an upwardly revised 9.5 million in May, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Monday. Economists in a Bloomberg survey had called for an increase to 9.27 million openings. Faced with a snapback in consumer demand for services like travel and dining out, employers have been scrambling to fill a multitude of vacant positions, but the supply of labor remains restrained. Ongoing child care obligations, health concerns, and enhanced unemployment benefits have kept some Americans from returning to the workforce. Labor supply is expected to increase in the coming months as supplemental federal jobless benefits expire and schools reopen.

“Will gyms go the way of arcades and movie rental stores?” via John Seewer of The Associated Press — The pandemic has reshaped how Americans exercise and upended the fitness industry, accelerating the growth of a new era of high-tech home workout equipment and virtual classes. Roughly 9,000 health clubs — 22% of the total nationwide — have closed since the beginning of the virus outbreak, and 1.5 million workers lost their jobs, according to the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Others are struggling to stay afloat and have redesigned their spaces, turned toward more personal workouts, and added online training. Small gyms can’t match the production quality and visual appeal of the high-tech companies, but they can counter with online offerings that feature personal attention and closer relationships between their members and staff, Applied Fitness Solutions CEO Michael Stack said.

“Oil prices slide on worries that delta variant will crunch demand” via David Hodari and Amrith Ramkumar of The Wall Street Journal — A slide in oil accelerated on Monday, sending prices around their lowest level in 2½ months with traders worried that fresh restrictions to slow the spread of the delta variant will weaken the global economy and crunch fuel demand. U.S. crude fell as much as 4.6% and ended the day down 2.6% at $66.48 a barrel, near its lowest price since late May and 12% below a recent multiyear high from mid-July. While prices are still well above the $50 level where they started the year, their monthslong climb has halted. Investors are particularly concerned about tumbling demand in China, where Beijing health authorities said last week that the city would cancel all large-scale exhibitions and events for the remainder of August.

— MORE CORONA —

“The delta variant is sending more children to the hospital. Are they sicker, too?” via Emily Anthes of The New York Times — Most children with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, and there is not yet enough evidence to conclude that delta causes more severe disease in children than other variants do, scientists said. What is clear is that a confluence of factors — including delta’s contagiousness and the fact that people under 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated — is sending more children to the hospital, especially in areas of the country where the virus is surging. From July 22 to July 29, nearly 72,000 new pediatric COVID-19 cases were reported, almost twice as many as in the previous week. At Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, 181 children tested positive for the virus in July, up from just 12 in June.

“Coffee and croissant in a French cafe? You’ll need a COVID-19 pass for that” via Michaela Cabrera of Reuters — The French morning ritual of a coffee and croissant became more complicated on Monday. A health pass now has to be shown to eat in a restaurant, drink in a bar, access nonemergency treatment in a hospital, or travel on an intercity train, part of a government drive to contain the fourth wave of infections. President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the edict last month with a clear message: get vaccinated. Vaccination rates jumped as the French faced the prospect of being denied some daily pleasures, but it also spurred a wave of street protests. Cafe and bar owners caught flouting the rule face a warning followed by a 7-day closure order on the second infraction. Two further contraventions could lead to a year’s jail time.

“Is the coronavirus pandemic over at last?” via James Cook of BBC News — Everything changed as we endured wave after wave of COVID-19 infection, but as Scotland loosens most of its remaining restrictions, is the coronavirus pandemic over at last? “Nearly,” says Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College, London. The first glimmer of hope came in the depths of winter when the U.K. became the first Western country to authorize a mass vaccination campaign. Since then, 90% of adults in Scotland have received one shot, and 70% have had both doses. The effects have been dramatic. This summer saw an even bigger wave of recorded cases than the winter. This time though, deaths didn’t come anywhere near 65 per day. In fact, they never rose above a daily average of eight.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“Biden administration increases border deportations and prosecutions to deter migration” via Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News — The Biden administration is ramping up deportations and prosecutions of migrants crossing the southern border illegally. According to Department of Homeland Security officials, U.S. authorities are now flying Central American migrants deep into the Mexican interior using a Trump-era public health order that was extended indefinitely last week, who said the expulsions are meant to curb repeat border crossings and the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has also restarted “expedited removal” flights for some migrant families who can’t be expelled to Mexico under the public health authority, known as Title 42. Since the end of July, the U.S. has carried out six expedited removal flights to Central America, deporting 242 migrant parents and children under the procedure, DHS officials said.

“Biden imposes sanctions against Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko regime” via Aamer Madhani of The Associated Press — Biden on Monday said the U.S. is levying new sanctions against Belarus, marking the anniversary of Lukashenko’s election as President in an election that the U.S. and the international community have said was fraught with irregularities. In announcing the sanctions, the White House also noted the forced landing of a European airliner traveling through Belarus’ airspace to arrest a prominent opposition journalist aboard. Among those that the Treasury Department cites in the new sanctions are Belaruskali OAO, which is one of Belarus’s largest state-owned enterprises and a source of wealth for the regime; the Belarusian National Olympic Committee; and 15 private companies, including the prominent Belarusian bank Absolutbank, that have ties to the Lukashenko regime.

“Biden taps Russia hawk for key energy post” via Jonathan Swan and Zachary Basu of Axios — Biden has appointed close former adviser Amos Hochstein as a State Department energy envoy charged with implementing a U.S.-Germany deal allowing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be completed. Hochstein has been a leading voice against Nord Stream 2, a strategic and financial priority for the Kremlin that will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine and deliver gas directly to the heart of Europe. The appointment lends the credibility of a prominent Russia hawk to a Biden decision that’s drawn intense criticism in Eastern Europe and on Capitol Hill. Sources who know Hochstein are surprised he’d agree to take a job that seems in such inherent conflict with his reputation and stance that the pipeline is “the existential crisis facing Ukraine.”

“Electric cars for everyone? Not unless they get cheaper.” via Ivan Penn and Niraj Chokshi of The New York Times — Biden said last week that he wanted half the new cars sold in the country to be battery-powered by the end of the decade. But that ambitious target could be hard to meet. Less than 4% of new cars sold in the U.S. in June were electric, a far lower rate than in China and Europe, which offer more generous incentives and have stricter auto regulations. The Biden administration wants to invest billions of dollars to build charging stations for E.V.s and lower the vehicles’ cost. Automakers have pledged to support the transition with dozens of new models. To achieve those aggressive targets, Biden and the automakers will need to secure something more elusive: buy-in from drivers.

— EPILOGUE TRUMP — 

“Donald Trump tax battle to stretch into fall as judge sets schedule” via David Yaffe-Bellany of Bloomberg — Congressional Democrats aren’t likely to see Trump’s tax returns for at least another three months. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington set a Nov. 8 hearing for oral arguments in the long-standing legal dispute. Last month, the Justice Department directed the Treasury Department to hand over six years of Trump’s returns to the House Ways and Means Committee, which has been seeking the documents since 2019. Democrats on the committee agreed to delay the handover as Trump’s lawyers seek to block the transfer in court. McFadden laid out a schedule for that legal fight on Monday, setting October deadlines for both sides to file briefs before oral arguments the following month.

“Trump sails away as Rudy Giuliani drowns in legal bills” via Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley of The Daily Beast — For months now, Trump has consistently ignored or rejected Giuliani’s pleas for assistance. And it’s not just that Trump and other prominent Republicans have been unwilling to open up their wallets or war chests to help offset Giuliani’s mounting legal costs; in many cases, Giuliani’s former Trumpworld comrades have declined even to acknowledge the existence of his legal defense fund, which has struggled to raise much of anything. Crowdtangle, a search tool for browsing public Facebook posts, shows that virtually no conservative or MAGA heavyweights have echoed Giuliani’s fundraising links at WinRed and the site set up for him. The same is true on Twitter, where verified MAGA mega-follower accounts have largely ignored Giuliani’s pleas.

“U.S. settles with Trump administration whistleblower who exposed botched COVID-19 response” via Jon Brodkin of Ars Technica — The U.S. government has reached a financial settlement with whistleblower Rick Bright, a former health official who detailed the Trump administration’s botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bright is an immunology expert who led the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority until he says he was forced out of his position in April 2020. Bright said he was transferred to the National Institutes of Health in a “retaliatory demotion” after warning about the pandemic’s severity and shortages of medical supplies. Bright also fought the administration’s push for hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that Trump repeatedly promoted as a coronavirus treatment despite lacking evidence that it would be effective. Details of the settlement were not officially released.

“Trump is having remarkably little sway over how Senate Republicans are voting on infrastructure” via Aaron Rupar of Vox — Trump released a statement on Saturday threatening to withhold his endorsement from any Republican who supports the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. Hours later, 18 Republican senators voted to advance the infrastructure package anyway. It was just a procedural vote. But the chain of events illustrates that his threats don’t seem to carry the weight they once did. This was on stark display on Fox News on Sunday morning as Kevin Cramer of North Dakota was castigated for not toeing the line. But Cramer, who is up for reelection in 2024, didn’t back down. “He didn’t give one reason why it’s a bad deal, other than it’s Joe Biden’s [bill] … I think he’s wrong on this issue,” he said.

“Endangered status proposed for manatees after 890 die in Florida so far this year” via The News Service of Florida — With Florida seeing a record number of manatee deaths this year, two Florida members of Congress said Monday they have introduced legislation that would designate the sea cows as an endangered species. The proposal by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and would upgrade the status of manatees under the Endangered Species Act from threatened, offering more protection. Many of this year’s deaths have occurred along the Space Coast, where water-quality problems have caused a significant loss of seagrass, a key food source for manatees. The animals were reclassified in 2017 as no longer being endangered.

— CRISIS —

“Judge asks why Capitol rioters are paying just $1.5 million for attack, while U.S. taxpayers will pay more than $500 million” via Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post — Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington challenged the toughness of the Justice Department’s stance in a plea hearing for a Colorado Springs man who admitted to one of four nonviolent misdemeanor counts of picketing in the U.S. Capitol. Howell has already asked in another defendant’s plea hearing whether no-prison misdemeanor plea deals offered by the government are too lenient for individuals involved in “terrorizing members of Congress.” On Monday, she pressed the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington on why it was seeking to require only $2,000 in each felony case and $500 in each misdemeanor case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Henry O’Connor told Howell the government would explain how it computed the damage and restitution estimate before October.

“Two more accused militia members added to growing Oath Keepers indictment. One of them was in a ‘leadership only’ chat.” via Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime — In a new indictment unveiled on Monday, federal prosecutors introduced a Georgia man they identified as another chat participant: 43-year-old Brian Ulrich (aka “Molon Labe”), who is quoted in court papers planning to bring assault weapons and ammunition to the U.S. Capitol. Along with Florida man David Moerschel (aka “Hatsy”) — also 43 — Ulrich is one of two new alleged Oath Keepers militia members added to a burgeoning, 18-defendant conspiracy case. Ulrich’s alleged communications, in particular, shed light on the government’s allegations that the extremist group prepared for a “quick reaction force” of armed militants who would be ferried across the Potomac River with guns if the events of Jan. 6 took a particularly disastrous turn.

“Lawyers who filed election lawsuit must pay rivals’ fees” via Nicholas Riccardi of The Associated Press — A federal magistrate on Wednesday levied penalties against two Colorado attorneys for filing a class-action lawsuit that alleged the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. “The lawsuit put into or repeated into the public record highly inflammatory and damaging allegations that could have put individuals’ safety in danger,” Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter wrote. “Doing so without a valid legal basis or serious independent personal investigation into the facts was the height of recklessness.” There are few recourses against false lawsuits other than penalizing lawyers for filing them. The lawyers in the Colorado case, Gary D. Fielder and Ernest J. Walker, were not connected with other Trump supporters who face possible sanctions for an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the Michigan election results.

“Prosecutors offer plea deal to Cowboys for Trump founder” via The Associated Press — Federal prosecutors have offered a confidential plea agreement to Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin that might resolve misdemeanor criminal charges against him linked to the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol. The county commissioner from New Mexico still denies federal charges that he knowingly entering barricaded areas of the Capitol grounds the intent of disrupting government. Griffin reached an outside terrace of the Capitol without entering the building and used a bullhorn to try to lead a tumultuous crowd in prayer. He was arrested after his return to Washington to oppose Biden’s inauguration. The charges against Griffin carry a maximum prison sentence of one year and implications for Griffin’s future in public office.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Senate Democrats outline $3.5 trillion antipoverty, climate plan” via Andrew Duehren and Kate Davidson of The Wall Street Journal — The antipoverty plan is set to offer universal prekindergarten, two free years of community college, and expanded Medicare to cover hearing, dental and vision care, among other provisions. Democrats will turn to it after the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package, which includes new spending on roads, bridges, transit and broadband internet and is expected to pass the Senate on Tuesday. The two packages represent almost the entirety of Biden’s economic agenda, with Democrats shoehorning various policy goals into the $3.5 trillion plan to sidestep Republican opposition in the Senate. To cover the cost, Democrats are seeking to raise taxes on corporations and high-income households.

“U.S. risks fiscal cliff in fall amid partisanship on debt” via Steven T. Dennis, Laura Davison and Mike Dorning of Bloomberg — Senate Democrats decided against including an increase or suspension in the statutory debt ceiling in the text of a budget blueprint released Monday. The resolution provides for $3.5 trillion of spending that would enact the bulk of Biden’s economic agenda. Republicans, opposing the ramp-up in social spending in that legislation, had called on Democrats to include the debt-limit hike in the package. The Biden administration weighed in on the question Monday, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a statement calling for the increase in the ceiling to be dealt with in a bipartisan bill. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell rejected Yellen’s call, saying that Democrats’ fiscal plans are “historically abnormal,” unlike past episodes of bipartisan action on the debt limit.

“Cryptocurrency tax reporting deal scotched in Senate” via Laura Weiss of Roll Call — Dueling objections on procedural grounds scuttled hopes for a bipartisan agreement on cryptocurrency transaction reporting rules in the Senate. Sen. Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania sought unanimous consent for a compromise amendment negotiated with lead negotiators on the underlying infrastructure bill. But Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama then sought consent for his own unrelated amendment, adding $50 billion in defense spending to the infrastructure bill. Toomey was ready to accept that, but Democrats were not. After the Senate floor objections later, Toomey said lawmakers would have to come back to the issue; “otherwise we’re going to do a lot of damage” to the emerging industry. He told reporters that negotiators hadn’t decided on the next steps.

“Labor secretary: U.S. economy is at a ‘fragile’ point” via Jessica Smith of Yahoo! Finance — After the July jobs report showed the biggest employment increase in almost a year, the Biden administration is urging Americans to get vaccinated to stave off health and economic threats posed by the Delta variant. “[We] can’t let this get out of control,” U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said. “We’re at a certain fragile point in our economy right now. Things are moving in the right direction. … Job growth is happening — and to have it go backward would be tough.” While Walsh said he hopes to see more job gains in September, he says school re-openings will give the labor market more of a boost than the expiration of the benefits.

— LOCAL NOTES —

“Surfside victim: Judy Spiegel raised money for space science studies, Holocaust awareness” via Julius Whigham II of the Palm Beach Post — Among the many interests of Spiegel were volunteering and philanthropy. She had passions for both. She raised money for hospitals and supported causes to benefit children in need. She supported educational opportunities for children with interests in science, technology and math. Spiegel, 65, was alone in the sixth-floor apartment at Champlain Towers South she shared with her husband, Kevin, when their section of the condominium building collapsed on June 24. In a tribute posted online, her children, Rachel, Michael and Joshua, described her as “the glue that kept our family together.” “She was an unbelievable person. Judy really went out of her way for people,” her husband said in an interview with the Miami Herald.

“Fire erupts inside North Miami Beach condo building that was declared an unsafe structure” via Trent Kelly and Amanda Batchelor of WPLG Local 10 News — A fire erupted Monday morning at the Crestview Towers condominium building in North Miami Beach, which was recently deemed to be an unsafe structure. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Christopher True told Local 10 News that the fire was reported at 4:21 a.m. at 2025 NE 164th St., and crews arrived to find smoke and flames coming from a second-floor unit. He said crews searched the 10-story building as a precaution to make sure no one was inside, but they did not find anyone except for the private security guard who was patrolling the building and who called 911 to report that he was smelling smoke.

“How a West Palm officer got his job back after he was disciplined 15 times and fired” via Wayne Washington of the Palm Beach Post — The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last year led to nationwide calls for greater accountability for law enforcement and locally for the creation of civilian review boards. But state laws and legal rulings in Florida have rendered civilian review boards largely powerless. And even if a chief of police wanted to fire an officer with a history of rule violations, it’s not as simple as handing out a pink slip. That reality is illustrated by the case of West Palm Beach police officer Frank Nelli, who has been counseled, reprimanded, or disciplined 15 times for a series of violations during his 11-year career, according to documents reviewed by The Palm Beach Post.

“Developer sells Palm Beach lot for $17.75M; paid $13.9M for it in April, deeds show” via Darrell Hofheinz of the Palm Beach Daily News — Developer and homebuilder Carl Sabatello of Sabatello Cos. has found a buyer for a lakeside lot his company bought four months ago at 584 Island Drive on Everglades Island in Palm Beach. Sabatello confirmed his construction company will build a house for the as-yet-unidentified couple who just paid $17.75 million — using an ownership company — for the lot alone, according to the deed for the recorded Monday. Sabatello’s company paid $13.9 million for the property in April. Sabatello declined to identify the buyers or say how much they agreed to pay for the new house, which will have five bedrooms, a den, and about 7,875 square feet of living space, inside and out.

“Foundation donates $5 million to Mizner Park Amphitheater renovation” via Austen Erblat of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A $100 million renovation project for the Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton just received its first capital donation — $5 million from local supporters of the arts. The Edith and Martin Stein Family Foundation made the donation. The Steins were instrumental in creating the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia and have contributed to the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Ballet Theatre, The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation and other local nonprofits. The renovation, which would bring a canopy to the amphitheater, an indoor event venue on the adjacent lot new rooftop terrace, and a 99-seat performance hall, will be undertaken by the Boca Raton Arts District Exploratory Corporation.

“‘MiamiCoin’ crypto already has netted nearly $1M. But can the city pocket it?” via Rob Wile of the Miami Herald — “Every 10 minutes, the city of Miami essentially gets richer.” According to one of its creators, Patrick Stanley, that is the current status of the new “MiamiCoin” cryptocurrency. It may sound far-fetched, but the MiamiCoin project, which kicked off only last week, has already generated nearly $1 million for the city through the efforts of digital “miners.” As it gets mined and programmed, the MiamiCoin protocol, or software, is designed to generate a set contribution that the city itself could, in theory, use at its discretion. The more active the MiamiCoin protocol is, the more contributions the city receives. The city can receive up to 30% of the revenue MiamiCoin generates.

“Walton County loses ground, literally, in the battle over customary use” via Tom McLaughlin of The Northwest Florida Daily News — Walton County is losing ground, literally, in its effort to impose customary use on private beach property owners. Justices of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta ruled last week that by approving a customary use ordinance in 2017 to allow the public the right to use the dry sand areas of the county’s beaches for recreation, county commissioners triggered an abandonment clause governing the treatment of a pair of easements within the WaterColor community along County Road 30A. By doing so, the county relinquished its hold on two parcels that had been set aside years ago as “a way of passage, on or by foot only.”

“Vegan, vegetarian and free lunches for all at Miami and Broward school lunchrooms” via Rochelle Koff in the Miami Herald — Like the classroom, the school cafeteria looked different during COVID-19. This most social of school settings was largely empty or serving socially distant children. Absent were the clusters of students being gabby, gossipy, or just goofy. In many cases, children and teens brought lunch back to the classroom or a media center. Some classes took turns going to the cafeteria. When Miami-Dade and Broward students return to school in August, their lunch should be more like pre-COVID-19 days, said school officials, although the final details are still being worked out.

“Panama City Beach mulls 14 new jobs in proposed $43 million 2022 budget” via Nathan Cobb of The Panama City News-Herald — Councilman Paul Casto says now is not the right time to add more than a dozen new employees to the city’s payroll. During a budget workshop on Wednesday, members of the City Council took a deep dive into Panama City Beach’s proposed general fund for the 2022 fiscal year. It boasts more than $43 million, which is about $1.5 million more than the general fund from 2021. It also includes 14 new positions, including IT analysts, police officers, full-time lifeguards, fire division chief, and recreation supervisor. About half of next year’s general fund is slated to pay the salaries of city employees.

“Despite a hot home market, Orlando’s population growth has been cooling down” via Stephen Lemongello and Adelaide Chen of the Orlando Sentinel — In the year leading into the pandemic alone, thousands of more people left Central Florida than moved into it domestically. The region’s saving grace? Puerto Ricans, who despite being U.S. citizens, are considered what the Census deems “international migration” in the annual population estimates. Miami-Dade is also experiencing similar numbers in domestic migration, as are many large counties that anchor major metropolitan areas. They are simply not growing as fast as they used to.

“UCF close to new naming rights deal for football stadium” via Matt Ruschel of the Orlando Sentinel — UCF Athletic Associations has been in negotiations with 3MG Roofing, an Orlando-based construction company, on a 12-year, $20 million naming rights deal for the 44,000-seat Bounce House Stadium. The deal was first reported by Jason Beede of 247Sports. UCF would rename the stadium 3MG Stadium. The deal is pending the approval of the school’s Board of Trustees, which are scheduled to meet Wednesday during a special virtual session. If the deal is approved, it will go into effect on Sept. 1, one day before UCF kicks off the season against Boise State.

“It was called in as a shark bite. But officials don’t know what bit a teen in the Keys” via Gwen Filosa of the Miami Herald — A 15-year-old boy was airlifted out of Key Largo on Saturday morning after his legs were bitten while he was lobstering off his family’s boat, state wildlife police said. But officials don’t know what went after the teen. “It could have been a barracuda or a shark,” said Officer Bobby Dube, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman. “I don’t know. It’s unconfirmed.” At 7:31 a.m. Saturday, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call that a teenager was reportedly bitten by a shark. The agency’s spokesman put out a news release about a “reported shark bite.”

— TOP OPINION —

“A letter from doctors to Gov. DeSantis as schools open” via the Tampa Bay Times — To protect the health of vulnerable Floridians, we are calling on DeSantis to do three things immediately. One, DeSantis should repeal his reckless executive order and allow and encourage local school districts to implement safeguards such as mask-wearing that can minimize COVID-19 spread. Two, his administration must resume reporting COVID-19 daily data in full. And three, DeSantis must do much more to get vaccinations in people’s arms. What’s heartbreaking and infuriating for us as doctors is watching children needlessly suffer while DeSantis rejects simple protections such as masks and vaccinations. Asking local schools and jurisdictions to look the other way while COVID-19 tears through our communities, or lose funding if they implement safeguards, won’t protect kids.

— OPINIONS —

“Why our school district is defying Florida’s ban on mask mandates — even if it means we lose funding” via Alachua County Schools Superintendent Carlee Simon for The Washington Post — My district is experiencing a dramatic spike in the number of employees testing positive for COVID-19, and school hasn’t even started. We’ve had more cases reported in the past two weeks than in the previous five months. Tragically, two of our employees died from COVID-19-related complications just over a week ago. Many others are quarantined and unable to work. I’ve already implemented a mandatory mask policy for all employees and visitors. We’re also actively promoting vaccinations. Unfortunately, those steps will not be enough to avert a communitywide health care crisis. Certainly, we’re concerned about the threat of lost funding, but it shouldn’t come to that. After all, we want what DeSantis wants: to keep schools open and our kids in the classroom.

“After violent Miami Beach police arrests, Miami-Dade commission review-panel delay indefensible” via the Miami Herald editorial board — We’ve just seen stark and brutal proof that the county’s Independent Civilian Panel should already be up and running. The violent arrest last week of two Black men at a Miami Beach hotel was fortuitously captured on video and, thankfully, quickly addressed by the police chief and Miami-Dade’s state attorney. But what if there had been no video? What if it had just been the word of two Black men against the ridiculous number of officers — 21 — who showed up to the arrest, to watch or land some kicks and blows themselves? A year later, the county’s Independent Civilian Panel still does not exist. Members have yet to be impaneled; no first meeting has been scheduled — and likely won’t be until next year. Unbelievable.

“Climate denial, COVID-19 denial and the right’s descent” via Paul Krugman of The New York Times — While there are important similarities between the right’s response to climate change and its response to COVID-19, there are also some important differences. You see, while climate denial was intellectually irresponsible and morally indefensible, it also made a kind of narrow-minded sense. For one thing, warnings about climate change always involved the long run, making it easy for denialists to claim that short-run fluctuations refuted the whole concept. Also, there was big money behind climate denial. Last and least, but not irrelevant, free-market ideologues didn’t want to hear about problems that the free market can’t solve. None of these explanations work for the current COVID-19 denial. Florida’s sevenfold increase in hospitalizations since mid-June can’t be dismissed as a hypothetical long-run issue.

“As hurricane season peaks, make sure insurance can handle the storm” via David Sampson for Florida Politics — According to a recent white paper by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, supply and demand issues will likely be exacerbated if a hurricane strikes and causes widespread damage, leading to higher costs and longer reconstruction time frames. After a storm, homeowners may find they do not have enough insurance coverage to rebuild, which is why it is critical to review policies now to prevent underinsurance and take steps to mitigate potential damage. Homeowners and business owners need to review their insurance policies to ensure they have the right amount and types of coverage, so they are better protected under these unique market conditions.

— ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

It’s turned into Fried day; she’s all over Sunrise. For starters, she continues to do the Governor’s job supplying updates on COVID-19.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— DeSantis has insisted masks CANNOT be mandatory when classes resume, but school board members say they’re the ones who should make that decision.

— You’ll hear from Lila Harley, the young girl from Jacksonville who wrote a letter to her school board pleading for a mask mandate.

— Fried is also urging local officials to ignore the Governor’s “no mask mandate” when they make plans for the upcoming school year.

— And finally, two Florida Men: One put hidden cameras in the bathroom of his martial arts studio; the other bit off part of another man’s ear.

To listen, click on the image below:

— ALOE —

“A half-century ago, Bruce Arians indirectly helped save Bobby Bowden’s job” — via Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times — Bowden’s greatness might — might — never have come to fruition were it not for a 1974 game in which Bucs coach Bruce Arians played a significant role. In his fifth season at West Virginia, Bowden’s job was widely considered in peril when his 3-7 Mountaineers traveled to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., to face Arians and the Hokies on Nov. 23, 1974. But Arians had a pass intercepted by Marcus Mauney and returned 99 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter for the game’s first score. West Virginia clung to a 22-21 lead. West Virginia would bounce back with a 9-3 season and Peach Bowl win in 1975, Bowden’s last season in Morgantown, West Virginia, before bolting for Tallahassee.

“What do 60% of America’s gold medals from Tokyo have in common?” via Josh Planos of FiveThirtyEight — When the flame was finally extinguished in Tokyo, the U.S. still finished atop the medal stand. And there was a historic, gendered foundation for that strong showing: By volume, the 2020 Olympics was the greatest collective performance in a single Summer Games by U.S. women. American women won 66 of the country’s 113 total medals and 23 of the country’s 39 gold medals. By nearly every other country’s standards, the performance of the U.S. men was remarkable. But U.S. men’s 16 gold medals are their fewest since 1928, and their 41 total medals are their fewest of any Summer Games since the first Summer Games in 1896.

“Star Wars: Disney offers best look yet at ‘working’ lightsaber” via Bri Constantino of EpicStream — Disney revealed last April that they’ve finally invented a true “working” and retractable lightsaber and unsurprisingly, the entire Star Wars fandom went absolutely berserk. Now, the House of Mouse is once again hyping up the arrival of the bladed weapon, which they plan to put on sale real soon. Disney Parks released a video showcase highlighting the company’s technological innovations — from impressive animatronics to awe-inspiring digital creations. At the 44-second mark, one of their engineers can be seen operating the retractable saber, and by the looks of it, it does, in fact, shoots a beam similar to what we see in film and television. The real question is, will lightsaber duels be possible? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Where’d summer go? Halloween begins Tuesday at Walt Disney World” via Nicole Lopez-Alvar of WPLG Local 10 News — It’s 90 degrees in parts of America, people are still planning Labor Day weekend barbecues, and beaches are packed with tourists, but, according to Walt Disney World, the spooky season has arrived. Halloween has officially commenced at Magic Kingdom inside of Walt Disney World in Orlando, despite the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases across the state. According to the resort, the spooky, colorful, and haunted décor will be unveiled on Tuesday to mark the start of the fall season. In addition to the spooky décor, Disney will also be debuting a brand-new, Halloween-themed event titled “Disney After Hours Boo Bash.” This specially ticketed, after-hours event will feature trick-or-treating, spooky-themed food and drinks, and more.

“Florida’s new Blue Angels specialty plate now available” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — The Navy Blue Angels’ popularity made it the first of more than 30 new potential specialty license plates in Florida to reach its preorder goal back in January. Now the plate is available for anyone to purchase. The 2020 Legislature passed a bill opening up presales for a slew of specialty tags, but most with a requirement of 3,000 presales, which opened up in October 2020. Less than four months later, the plate that features the Navy’s aerobatic demonstration team, which calls Naval Air Station Pensacola home, achieved its goal, and the state went about putting the plate into production.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Best wishes to lobbyist Jack Cory and Democratic operative Joshua Karp. Belated wishes to former Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, Mark Harper of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Yolanda Cash Jackson of Becker, and Jay Malpass of Motorola.

___

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.