Good Wednesday morning.

First, I want to thank everyone for the notes and well wishes on my birthday yesterday. I’m humbled by your kindness and grateful for every one of you. Thanks again for making the day special.

___

Sunburn breaks news on personnel moves every week, but this one is bittersweet: our Senior Editor, Janelle Irwin Taylor, is leaving the journalism world to serve as communications director for incoming St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch.

“Working as a journalist, particularly the past nearly two years as senior editor at Florida Politics, has been a dream come true. Journalism was my first love and passion. But with all things, sometimes the time is right for change. I’m looking forward to channeling all I’ve learned throughout my career about politics, policy and strategy into this new endeavor and working with Mayor-elect Ken Welch to continue building progress in the Sunshine City,” she said.

“I want to thank everyone at Florida Politics for being not just co-workers, but trusted friends. I know they will continue to do amazing work in the Tampa Bay area and beyond, and I look forward to continuing my relationship with them as I transition into this new and exciting role.”

Janelle has been covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay for nearly two decades. Her reporting talents have been showcased in hundreds of Florida Politics articles.

She was elevated to Senior Editor early in the pandemic. She has since become the glue that holds our virtual newsroom together, serving as both a trusted resource to our veteran reporters and a valuable adviser to our younger ones.

The Florida Politics family wishes her all the best.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@EWErickson: I don’t think January 6th is going to help the Democrats like the media seems to think it will. But there is a genuine obsession in the press about it. It was a bad day, but it doesn’t outweigh crime, inflation, COVID, school closures, etc. for voters.

Tweet, tweet:

—@Fineout: Campaign arm of @GovRonDeSantis sends out fundraising pitch that bashes (Joe) Biden for failing to shut down the virus as promises — it came out just as DeSantis was saying the same thing at delayed news conference. Normally they come out after the news conference

—@AngieNixon: I’m tripping because they didn’t even let him use his wheelchair to leave. Is this what we can expect of the Gov gets his own State Guards?

—@Annette_Taddeo: It seems we were the ones with a MAJOR announcement today, and at a news conference with no arrests

—@CarlosGSmith: Please STOP shaming folks for waiting in lines for COVID testing. Not everyone can just stay home for days on end WITHOUT pay. They need a negative test to return to work and without #PaidSickLeave they can’t afford to stay home. Floridians need #PaidLeave now.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@Fahrenthold: It’s very hard to leave the @washingtonpost, especially at a time when it’s thriving and growing. I’ve loved it for 21 years. But when yr employee ID gets old enough to drink, it *might* be time to smack yourself in the face with a new challenge.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

— DAYS UNTIL —

Ken Welch’s inauguration as St. Petersburg Mayor — 1; NFL season ends — 4; 2022 Legislative Session starts — 6; Florida’s 20th Congressional District Election — 6; Special Elections in Senate District 33, House District 88 & 94 — 6; Florida Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Fly-In and Reception — 6; Florida TaxWatch’s 2022 State of the Taxpayer Day — 7; Joel Coen’s ’The Tragedy of Macbeth’ on Apple TV+ — 9; NFL playoffs begin — 10; ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 16; ‘Billions’ begins — 18; Red Dog Blue Dog charity event — 20; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 30; Super Bowl LVI — 39; season two of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ begins — 44; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 46; Daytona 500 — 47; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 49; CPAC begins — 51; St. Pete Grand Prix — 51; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 58; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 78; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 79; The Oscars — 81; federal student loan payments will resume — 116; ’Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 121; ’Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 142; ’Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 148; ’Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 185; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 196; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 240; ’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 275; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 310; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 313; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 345; ‘Captain Marvel 2’ premieres — 408; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 443; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 569; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 653; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 933.

— TOP STORY —

“Ron DeSantis news conference shut down; well-known Black activist handcuffed and escorted out” via Issac Morgan of Florida Phoenix — A Tuesday morning news conference hosted by DeSantis was disrupted after a group of at least seven individuals refused to leave the public health department building in Duval County and demanded to speak to the Republican Governor. Ben Frazier, an activist and Black man, led the protest in Jacksonville and was eventually forced to leave the room where members of the media gathered for DeSantis’ news conference that was supposed to begin around 10:15 a.m. Frazier was told by a man who described himself as a facilities manager that the conference was only for “credentialed press” and asked everyone to leave “who is not media.” Frazier remained in the room, saying, “We’re not moving; we come in peace.” As law enforcement officers were present in the room, Frazier was later escorted out of the building in handcuffs.

To watch a video of the arrest, click on the image below:

“DeSantis moves Jacksonville news conference after protest and handcuffing of community leader” via Dan Scanlan of The Florida Times-Union — DeSantis had to make new arrangements for his news conference in Jacksonville after a handful of people protested and refused to leave the Duval County Department of Health building. Officers detained Northside Coalition of Jacksonville community leader Frazier after being warned he was trespassing if he wouldn’t leave as asked. He was handcuffed and escorted from his motorized wheelchair to a patrol vehicle. While Frazier and a few other protesters argued the event was public and in a public building, the Governor’s staff said it was private and for credentialed media only. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said that Frazier was later issued a notice to appear in court on a trespassing charge and released.

—”After news conference arrest, DeSantis bashes ‘authoritarian’ Joe Biden” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

— STATEWIDE —

“DeSantis takes anti-AOC case to Fox News prime-time” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said DeSantis was “inexplicably missing,” just before Fox News reported DeSantis was accompanying the First Lady to cancer treatments. DeSantis discussed this during a morning news conference in South Florida, but he sharpened his arguments on Fox News prime-time. “It is a private matter, but if people are going to lie, we’re going to fight back,” he said. “And I can tell you when you have people like that Congresswoman, who ripped Florida because we’re open, who says you need lockdown policies, and then the first chance they get they come running down to my state? If I had a dollar for every lockdown politician who’s done that over the last couple years, I’d be awfully wealthy right now.”

“Report: Medicaid health plans, Florida Healthy Start don’t provide the same services” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — A look at the millions of dollars Florida is spending on health care and social services for pregnant women, infants and children shows little duplication and offers good news to those who support the programs. A recently released report conducted by the Office of Program Policy and Government Accountability shows there’s not much overlap in the care provided by state-contracted Medicaid managed care plans versus services offered by the Florida Healthy Start program. “Overall, the report is extremely positive,” Catherine Timuta, chief executive officer of the Healthy Start MomCare Network, said. OPPAGA began reviewing the services the network and statewide Medicaid managed care plans offer pregnant women to see if they were duplicating services and whether those services meet state and federal requirements.

“Who put fliers on New Yorkers’ cars telling them to leave Florida if ‘woke’?” via The Associated Press — Someone had a warning for New Yorkers visiting former President Donald Trump’s new hometown — leave if you are “woke.” Palm Beach Police say someone placed fliers over the weekend on New York-licensed cars parked on the wealthy island reading, “If you are one of the those ‘woke’ people — leave Florida. You will be happier elsewhere, as will we.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “woke” in the political context as meaning “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” Some conservatives, however, use the word as an insult against liberals, saying it means the person is overly sensitive and moralizing and sees racism where it does not exist.

— DATELINE TALLY —

“Nikki Fried, Michele Rayner-Goolsby promote clean water package” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Fried and Pinellas County Rep. Rayner-Goolsby promoted legislation that would revamp the state’s outdated clean water policies. The legislation (SB 904, HB 807) would build on the Agriculture Department’s Office of Agricultural Water Policy’s Clean Water Initiative. Sen. Gary Farmer is sponsoring the Senate legislation. Fried said that the initiative seeks to update and strengthen the Office of Agriculture Policy’s water policies, which haven’t been changed in more than a decade. The bill would require the department to develop and adopt “best management practices” (BMPs) producers to reduce the amount of fertilizers, animal waste and other pollutants that enter the state’s water system.

“‘Markel’ grandparent visitation efforts see renewed hope through House, Senate bills” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — For years, Florida lawmakers and advocates have attempted to thread an almost impossible needle: finding a way to secure access to courts for grandparents who became alienated from their grandchildren amid terrible circumstances, while preserving Florida’s exceptionally strong parental rights. HB 1119, sponsored by Rep. Jackie Toledo, and SB 1408, sponsored by Sen. Keith Perry, provide a vision for a path forward that would grant access to courts without compromising Florida’s strong commitment to parental rights. This effort, informally referred to as “The Markel Act” by advocates, says that if the surviving parent of a child has a criminal or civil finding of wrongful death against them, grandparents are given the ability to petition for visitation with a presumption that such visitation should be granted.

“Cigarette sculptures highlight Joe Gruters’ push to snuff out beach smoking” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Sen. Joe Gruters for years has fought against the unsightly cigarette butts littering Florida’s beaches. Now, a work of art could drive that message home. Gruters joined the Ocean Conservancy for a news conference on Siesta Beach to discuss his latest legislative attempt to clean up the shore. Around the speakers stood the artwork of Sarasota sculptor Erin Ernst, depictions of oversized cigarette butts crumpled in the sand. The art itself was made from tiny plastic fibers, another poorly recycled material posing a threat to Florida’s waters. Once again, Gruters has filed legislation (SB 224) that would allow cities and counties the right to regulate smoking in public beaches and parks. Frequently, he’s discussed the international acclaim and expert listings for Siesta Key, which on multiple occasions has topped the Dr. Beach rankings. But those rankings consider whether beaches permit smoking.

“‘It’s such a good policy:’ Rep. Jayer Williamson wants 60% incorporation threshold to be law” via Alex Miller of the Pensacola News Journal — Williamson has filed a bill (HB 1035) that would require communities to reach 60% approval in a local nonbinding referendum before presenting an incorporation bill in the state Legislature. Williamson, a Pace Republican, said the feedback he received from groups currently vying to incorporate Navarre prompted him to draft the bill. According to Williamson, this bill does not affect the current process of the two groups now advocating for the incorporation of Navarre, Preserve Navarre and Navarre Area United PAC. But he said it would help ensure there is an adequate amount of buy-in from residents. Williamson said part of why he wanted to turn his policy into law was to help clarify what all is required to incorporate.

“Bill proposes scholarships, business loans to pay back Groveland 4 legacy” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — After helping usher in formal state apologies, pardons, and exonerations for injustices leveled on the Groveland Four more than 70 years ago, Rep. Geraldine Thompson hopes to see Florida pay back a little to make up for the legacy. Thompson, the Orlando Democrat who’s been a leader in the eight-year crusade to clear the names of the four young Black men falsely accused of raping a White woman in 1949, is proposing legislation creating scholarships and business loans in their names. House Bill 1133, which Thompson introduced Monday, would create up to 50 college scholarships of up to $6,100 a year toward tuition and fees, which could be awarded to descendants of the Groveland Four, and to other students from Groveland, the Lake County town where the injustice began and echoed for decades among Black residents of the area.

“Court official seeks to release sealed Jeffrey Epstein grand jury documents by changing Florida law” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The official who holds court documents in Palm Beach County wants the Florida Legislature to change state law to allow the release of secret grand jury proceedings involving the deceased sexual predator Epstein. Joseph Abruzzo, the county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, inherited custody of the Epstein grand jury materials when he took office a year ago. Abruzzo said Tuesday he’s seeking a change in state law to allow public release of those documents. He said he would “leave no stone unturned to do whatever I can to shed full light and public disclosure on the Epstein case.”

“Late prisons chief was linked to legal precedents boosting defendants’ rights” via Florida Phoenix — Louie Wainwright dedicated much of his life to running Florida prisons. His death at 98 on Dec. 23 in Tallahassee was announced recently by officials at the Department of Corrections. Wainwright was the head of the department for 25 years, retiring in 1986 after a lifelong career at the agency. Associates credit him with changing the prison system into an agency that attempted to rehabilitate inmates instead of merely locking them up. But legal scholars will most remember him for two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in which Wainwright, as the secretary of corrections, was the lead defendant. Best known is Gideon v. Wainwright, the 1963 decision that guaranteed a constitutional right to have a lawyer appointed in state courts. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that defendants who could not afford a lawyer were entitled to have one appointed.

— AFP AGENDA —

Americans for Prosperity-Florida released an outline of its policy goals for the 2022 Legislative Session on Wednesday, just days ahead of when lawmakers are set to convene in the state Capitol.

The conservative advocacy group said it will spend Session pushing for bills that would expand school choice, make health care more accessible and affordable and cut the “red tape hindering Floridians.”

As ever, AFP-FL is taking a hard-line stance against perceived corporate handouts — funding for the Tampa Bay Rays proposed new stadium in Ybor City was explicitly called out as inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

AFP-FL’s outline includes support for universal education savings accounts, an expansion to pharmacists’ scope-of-practice, and a “policy that prioritizes individuals before organizations regarding union membership.”

“Our advocates are already actively engaging on these critical issues, building off the momentum from the previous Legislative Session in the areas of education and health care. The pandemic put things into perspective for Florida families, and citizens are more engaged in our grassroots efforts than ever. Our conversations with concerned citizens over the past year have provided meaningful insights, and based on those we have put together a legislative agenda that addresses the top issues Floridians face each day,” AFP-FL State Director Skylar Zander said.

“We want to make sure legislators in Tallahassee hear the voices of students, parents, patients, and workers across the state so they can enact reforms that remove barriers to individual opportunity and success.”

— CORONA FLORIDA —

“Nearly 2% of all Floridians had COVID-19 in the past week” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Florida’s COVID-19 winter surge added more than 372,364 new confirmed cases last week — meaning 1.7% of the state’s population was confirmed to have COVID-19 in one week. Florida had never before seen so much as 1% of its population confirmed with COVID-19 in a single week during the pandemic, now in its 23rd month. In just the seven days through Sunday, Florida confirmed more new COVID-19 cases than it did through the first four and a half months of the pandemic combined, through July 20, 2020. Florida’s fresh COVID-19 caseload for the period that ran from Dec. 27 through Sunday was more than double the 169,618 total new cases recorded the week before, which had been a record, and triple the total recorded the week before that.

“Florida COVID-19: Cases, hospitalizations continue to rise” via David Schutz of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida’s COVID-19 cases continued to rise as 51,644 new cases were reported in the state Tuesday and the number of patients hospitalized with the virus passed 7,000 for the first time since late September, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. As of Monday, at least 4,360,178 Floridians have been infected by COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. An average of 22 Floridians per day have died of COVID-19 over the past week, and at least 62,541 have died in total. Meanwhile, an average of 99,267 vaccinations are being administered per day in Florida as of Friday. About 63.4% of Floridians are fully vaccinated and 31.3% have received booster shots.

“More antibody treatment coming if feds heed requests from Florida, DeSantis says” via Dan Scanlan of The Florida Times-Union — Jacksonville will be able to open additional monoclonal antibody treatment sites for COVID-19 if the state gets an additional 30,000 doses it is requesting from the federal government, DeSantis said. Following comments saying Biden’s allocation system for the Regeneron and Eli Lilly monoclonal antibody treatments was shortchanging Florida, DeSantis said Jacksonville officials asked for the state’s help in expanding them. DeSantis announced it will only take a day to open a new Jacksonville site if the President sends more doses to Florida, as he has urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to do. The Governor said federal officials “don’t believe” in the treatment, which is one possible reason why more access hasn’t been allocated to Florida.

“DeSantis urges healthy, asymptomatic Floridians to forgo COVID-19 testing even as omicron case count skyrockets” via Liz Freeman and Frank Gluck of the Naples Daily News — DeSantis said Tuesday that Floridians who have not been credibly exposed to COVID-19 and have no symptoms don’t need to get tested and are overwhelming already overcrowded test sites. DeSantis, joined by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller, announced the new testing guidelines. Ladapo and DeSantis used the example of seemingly healthy schoolchildren who have been exposed but are otherwise asymptomatic. Those children, they said, are being unnecessarily harmed by keeping them away from the classroom and their peers — as well as disrupting family life.

“DeSantis’ vaccination status is now a state secret” via Jonathan Chait of POLITICO — DeSantis has been walking a delicate balancing act on vaccinations, assiduously courting vaccine skeptics without going so far to the right that he lands in Marjorie Taylor Greene territory. What’s revealing about his line is that it keeps moving further and further to the right. Last month, when asked if he had received his booster shot, DeSantis changed the subject. DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw presented this refusal to answer as a matter of principle. This, however, was not always DeSantis’s position. Last spring, DeSantis told the news media he would let it know if and when he received his first dose. So, DeSantis’s position that his vaccination status is a completely private issue is new.

“Democratic leaders call on DeSantis to open state testing sites” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — South Florida’s congressional Democrats and a Miami state Senator on Tuesday called for DeSantis to open state testing sites and blasted his response to the current surge of COVID-19 infections. They said DeSantis is missing in action at best and an actual health threat at worst, by downplaying vaccinations, face masks and testing asymptomatic patients as the seven-day average of positive COVID-19 cases reached new levels Tuesday. Sen. Shevrin Jones slammed the effects of a November Special Session that stopped businesses from requiring employees to get vaccinated without exceptions and prevented schools from mandating student face masks. It’s particularly egregious considering the current spike, the Democratic leaders said.

“Florida Surgeon General: Omicron will wake people to feds’ pandemic failures” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — If there’s one blessing from the omicron variant, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo says it’s that people will hopefully realize the federal government’s shortcomings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ladapo, appointed by DeSantis in September, has been a vocal critic of strict public health measures intended to fight the pandemic, including masking and vaccination requirements. He has also stressed the use of COVID-19 treatments. With a little more than three months into his time as Surgeon General, Ladapo said he is “entertained” by the narratives of pro-vaccination and pro-masking politics. With the rise of the omicron variant and an increased number of breakthrough cases, the Surgeon General sees the goal posts shifting.

“Workers’ compensation protection expires for COVID-19 cases in Florida” via Denise Sawyer of CBS12 — An executive order put in place to protect those who protect Floridians during the pandemic has expired. Now tens of thousands of first responders, health care workers, and other employees are left unprotected if they were to claim work-related coronavirus infection. You may assume that if you contract the virus while you are at work, you should be covered by workers’ compensation. Yet, that is not always the case. There’s a great deal of Complexity Behind Coverage for COVID-19 but to break it all down is workers’ compensation attorney Michael Horowitz in Vero Beach. “We had an executive order that protected front-line workers, but it ended, and I don’t know if anybody knows it ended,” said Horowitz.

“Florida’s grad rate rises with test rules waived again” via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida’s high school graduation rate remained above 90% last year, but nearly 16,000 teenagers earned diplomas in 2021 because the state waived testing requirements amid the pandemic, state data released Tuesday showed. As a result, 8.5% of the class of 2021, or more than 15,780 students, graduated though they had not passed at least one of the tests, the Florida Department of Education noted in its annual report on graduation rates. For the class of 2020, about 7.1% graduated without passing the tests. As is typical, graduation rates varied by race, with 97.5% of Asian students, 91.8% of white students, 89.4% of Hispanic students, and 87.1% of Black students earning diplomas in 2021. The department said that the rates for all races have climbed in recent years.

Omicron leads to scores of absences as classes resume — Florida schools are reporting massive increases in absences and employees calling out sick as classes resume amid the omicron surge, Andrew Atterbury of POLITICO Florida reports. About 2,100 Miami-Dade County Schools’ instructional staff missed the first day of the semester, compared to 1,333 staff absences during the first day of the spring semester last year. In Broward County, 1,740 teachers were out sick on Tuesday and could not call in enough substitutes to cover them, forcing them to put non-instructional staff in classrooms. Central Florida counties are experiencing similar woes, with Osceola recording 314 teacher absences this week, up from 180 absences during the same week last year.

— CORONA LOCAL —

“OCPS logs record COVID-19 cases, Osceola high absentee rates” via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — Orange County Public Schools reported a record number of students with COVID-19 Tuesday as classes resumed after winter break amid a surge of virus cases fueled by the new omicron variant. The region’s largest school district logged 866 student COVID-19 cases on Monday, far surpassing the 491 reported Sept. 7, although Monday’s tally was a catch-up figure of all cases reported during the two-week school holiday. The Osceola County School District immediately saw the fallout from a spike in cases as student and teacher absences were far higher than normal. About 23% of Osceola’s students, or more than 12,600 youngsters, were absent Monday, more than double a normal winter day, said Dana Schafer, the district’s spokesperson, in an email. She added that the district had 314 teachers absent compared to 180 at the same time last year.

“Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tests positive for COVID-19, quarantines at home” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union — Curry tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and is quarantining at home this week while he recovers from the infection. Curry took an at-home test for the virus after experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms,” according to a statement. Curry is “fully vaccinated,” the statement said. Vaccinations do not prevent transmission of the virus with “breakthrough infections,” but they reduce the risk of grave illness requiring hospitalization. Curry will follow CDC guidelines and “continue to isolate at home throughout the week,” the statement said. Curry has become the latest top elected official at Jacksonville City Hall to come down with the virus since the pandemic started in early 2020.

“Leon County Schools: Employees required to wear masks, students strongly encouraged” via Ana Goñi Lessan of the Tallahassee Democrat — Leon County Schools employees, including teachers, will now be required to wear a mask indoors if they cannot safely socially distance from others, Superintendent Rocky Hanna said at a news conference Tuesday. Masked teachers is one of the many updates Hanna and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Alan Cox made to the school district’s COVID-19 protocols: “I think the worst is still yet to come now that we’re going to bring everybody back to schools,” Hanna said. School starts again Wednesday after the nearly three-week-long winter break. The district can no longer require students to wear masks after the Florida Legislature made a state law out of DeSantis‘ emergency order.

“Palm Beach County approves up to $500,000 for at-home COVID-19 test kits” via Hannah Morse and Chris Persaud of the Palm Beach Post — Facing surging demand for COVID-19 tests and hourslong lines at some testing sites, Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously gave the county administrator the authority to spend up to $500,000 from the federal government on at-home test kits to distribute to residents. Palm Beach County has also requested 250,000 kits from the state, Administrator Verdenia Baker said. They have confirmed they’ll be getting 45,000 of those kits, with 24,000 that were expected to be in the county’s possession Tuesday. New coronavirus infections in Palm Beach County have skyrocketed since December. During the final week of 2021, the county’s coronavirus caseload exploded by 24,488 infections.

“Fort Lauderdale cancels MLK parade, adds COVID-19 test site” via Roy Ramos of WPLG Local 10 News — Fort Lauderdale is boosting its COVID-19 testing capacity, but to slow the spread of the virus, the city has also announced the cancellation of its Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade. The parade was scheduled for the morning of Jan. 17 along Sistrunk Boulevard. Mayor Dean Trantalis said he supports that decision and hopes the community can find other ways to honor King’s legacy. With the rise of the omicron variant and COVID-19 infections surging across Florida, local leaders have taken action to step up testing. At Fort Lauderdale’s Mills Pond Park, 1,200 tests have been administered per day, but demand has exceeded that.

“Neptune Beach COVID-19 testing site reaches capacity five minutes after opening” via Beth Reese Cravey of The Florida Times-Union — Because of heavy demand amid rising COVID-19 cases, a city-funded Neptune Beach testing site reached capacity five minutes after opening Tuesday. The site will resume offering tests at 7 a.m. Wednesday, according to Telescope Health, which runs the site. The city of Jacksonville used federal relief money to sponsor the site in the old Kmart shopping center in partnership with Telescope Health. City officials said Monday the demand exhausted the city’s initial round of funding and might need emergency financial support next week to keep operating.

“Tampa Fire Chief warns ‘everybody’s going to get it’ as Tampa opens new COVID-19 test site” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — Tampa opened a new COVID-19 test site at Al Barnes Park Tuesday morning to meet increasing testing demands amid omicron variant-led surges in COVID-19 positivity. Most city and county-run sites began to close during the latter half of 2021 as cases began to drop. On Monday, the Miami Herald reported 85,707 cases and 61 new deaths. That’s the most significant multiday increase in cases since the pandemic began. “The omicron is a very contagious variant that’s out there,” Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp said Monday. “The likelihood is that everyone’s gonna get it.” Tripp said the city has plenty of tests but encouraged anyone vaccinated and boostered who isn’t experiencing symptoms to follow CDC guidelines for exposure rather than run out for a test.

“COVID-19 cases surge almost 300% in Okaloosa; Walton cases jump 231%” via Mike Stucka of USA Today Network — Okaloosa and Walton counties reported dramatic increases in COVID-19 last week, the second week in a row that cases surged. Okaloosa reported 862 cases during the week that ended Sunday. That was up 299.1% from the previous week when 216 cases were reported. Throughout the pandemic, the county has reported 36,397 cases. In Walton, 252 cases were reported last week, up 231.5% from the previous week, when 76 cases were reported. Throughout the pandemic, Walton has reported 13,359 cases. During the week that ended Dec. 26, cases jumped 74.2% in Okaloosa and 171.4% in Walton.

— 2022 —

“As midterms and 2024 loom, Donald Trump political operation revs up” via Kenneth P. Vogel and Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times — Trump and his allies are scheduling events and raising money for initiatives intended to make the former President a central player in the midterm elections, and possibly to set the stage for another run for the White House. He and groups allied with him are planning policy summits, more rallies and an elaborate forum next month at his Mar-a-Lago resort for candidates he has endorsed and donors who give as much as $125,000 per person to a pro-Trump super PAC. The efforts seem intended to reinforce the former President’s grip on the Republican Party and its donors amid questions about whether Trump will seek the party’s nomination again or settle into a role as a kingmaker.

“Fried political committee now accepts cryptocurrency” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — A political committee supporting Fried‘s bid for Governor is now accepting donations by cryptocurrency. The committee, Florida Consumers First, claims it is the first in state history to do so. Fried is Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat. “By building a forward-looking, 21st-century movement, we are giving our grassroots donors and others who feel abandoned by our corrupt political finance system a chance to participate in our mission,” said Florida Consumers First Treasurer Ben Kuehne. The committee announced the news in a video on social media. In it, Fried jabs at the banks, notably Wells Fargo, airing a list of grievances.

Assignment editors — Rep. Charlie Crist will join a group of leaders from the state’s senior communities for a virtual news conference unveiling the 6-point “Crist Action Plan for Florida Seniors,” 10 a.m. RSVP to press@charliecrist.com for the Zoom link. Livestreaming here on Facebook.

“‘We must reverse course’: Daniella Levine Cava endorses Annette Taddeo for Florida Governor” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Levine Cava has officially endorsed Sen. Taddeo to be the next Governor of Florida. At a joint news conference Tuesday in downtown Miami, Levine Cava, the first woman Mayor of Florida’s most populous county, threw her support behind Taddeo, who, if elected, would become the state’s first woman Governor as well as the first Latina to hold the position. “We need fresh leadership (at) the top of state government,” Levine Cava said, describing herself as a “proud Democrat” who hopes to see less state interference in local matters. While Levine Cava did not elaborate on which instances of state overreach she was referring to, her administration and other local governmental bodies have repeatedly butted heads with the DeSantis administration.

“Harnessing TikTok, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Russell crosses $1M” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Russell’s bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio crossed the $1 million mark over the New Year’s holiday weekend, with a healthy push from TikTok users. Russell said his following on the social media platform grew tenfold in December after a video he posted went viral. The unedited snippet features Russell, a Democrat, telling the camera he believes TikTok can affect the outcome of a federal election and running through his campaign priorities, personal background and political history. To date, it has gathered more than 313,000 views, 71,000 likes, and nearly 4,400 comments.

Personnel note: Janet Cruz taps Anna Breedlove as campaign manager — Tampa Democratic Sen. Cruz has brought on Breedlove as campaign manager for her 2022 re-election effort. Breedlove is a Florida native who has worked in political organizing and campaigns across the state and nation. After working as the lead organizer for the San Diego County Democratic Party, she returned to Florida in 2016 and helped flip several municipal seats in Gainesville. In 2018, she was the field director for former Rep. Jennifer Webb’s successful campaign. “Anna’s extensive field, organizing, and digital experience will serve our campaign well as we work to connect with voters on critical issues facing our communities,” Cruz said.

Citing COVID-19 surge, Eunic Ortiz delays campaign kickoff — Democratic state Senate candidate Ortiz delayed an in-person campaign kickoff scheduled for Saturday due to rising COVID-19 case numbers. “We put together an event for this Saturday, which we have decided to postpone due to the rising COVID-19 cases,” she said. “In just the two weeks leading up to the new year, Florida had a 948% increase in cases. Once again, we are breaking records we could have prevented if Republicans in Florida focused on the needs of our residents instead of holding on to power.” Ortiz is running for what is currently SD 24, which covers part of Pinellas and is now held by term-limited Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes.

Happening tonight:

“Anti-corruption lawyer drops bid against Mario Diaz-Balart, pivots to race for HD 120” via Bianca Padró Ocasio of the Miami Herald — Citing a desire to make “the biggest impact possible,” Adam Gentle, a 39-year-old lawyer vying to replace U.S. Rep. Diaz-Balart, announced Tuesday he is dropping his bid for FL-25. Gentle, who was running as a Democrat, said he is now running for Florida House District 120, a state district including parts of South Miami-Dade and the entire Florida Keys. The seat is currently held by Republican James “Jim” Mooney, who won in the 2020 general election after a contentious and close GOP primary in which he was accused of being a “communist sympathizer” by an opponent. Gentle did not speak about his decision to suspend his campaign for a majority-Hispanic district that Diaz-Balart won in 2018 with 60% of the vote. No opponents qualified to challenge him in 2020.

“2 candidates, 2 generations, 2 styles compete for Palm Beach County state House seat” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The two Democrats competing to fill a Palm Beach County opening in the Florida House can’t be pigeonholed. On the surface, one seems more liberal, and the other is more moderate. But Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds and Clarence “Chief” Williams each advocate a mix of more liberal, progressive policies and espouse more conservative views on some issues. They’re also personally and professionally different. Williams, 69, is a retired Riviera Beach police chief and lawyer. Edmonds, 30, is a former legislative aide and founder of Suits for Seniors, a mentoring program for high school students. The winner of the Jan. 11 special Democratic Primary Election is the odds-on favorite to join the county’s roster of state Representatives.

— CORONA NATION —

“A federal Judge blocks Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for teachers in Head Start” via The Associated Press — A Louisiana federal judge ruled Saturday that Biden cannot require teachers in the Head Start early education program to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The decision hands a victory to Florida and 23 other states that had sued the federal government. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty wrote Saturday that the Biden administration unlawfully bypassed Congress when ordering that workers in Head Start programs to be vaccinated by Jan. 31. Head Start is a federally funded program that promotes education for children under the age of 6 from low-income families.

“Biden to the vaccinated: ‘You are highly protected.’ Biden to the unvaccinated: Be ‘alarmed.’” via Jorge L. Ortiz, John Bacon and Celina Tebor of USA Today — Addressing the country before a meeting with the White House COVID-19 response team, Biden once again exhorted Americans to get vaccinated and boosted and to wear masks in public to avoid spreading and catching the coronavirus. “We have the tools to protect people from severe illness due to omicron — if people choose to use the tools,’’ Biden said. “There’s a lot of reason to be hopeful in (2022), but for God’s sake, please take advantage of what’s available.’’ The U.S. topped the 1 million mark in new coronavirus cases for the first time Monday, a figure that was likely enhanced by holiday weekend backlogs but still obliterated the previous record of 591,000 set Thursday.

“Navy blocked from acting against 35 COVID-19 vaccine refusers” via Robert Burns of The Associated Press — A federal judge in Texas has granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Navy from acting against 35 sailors for refusing on religious grounds to comply with an order to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The injunction is a new challenge to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to make vaccinations mandatory for all members of the military. The vaccination requirement allows for exemptions on religious and other grounds, but none of the thousands of requests for religious waivers so far have been granted. There was no indication that the order would affect service members beyond the 35 sailors who sued Austin and the Navy. In his decision Monday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor wrote that the Navy’s process for considering a sailor’s request for a religious exemption is flawed and amounts to “theater.”

“Why cloth masks might not be enough as omicron spreads” via Clare Ansberry and Nidhi Subbaraman of The Wall Street Journal — With infections surging due to the fast-spreading omicron variant, including among the vaccinated, physicians are now urging people to ditch cloth face masks, which they say may not provide enough protection against the virus. Instead, they recommend pairing cloth masks with surgical models or moving on to stronger respirator masks. The Mayo Clinic began requiring all patients and visitors to wear surgical masks or N95 or KN95 masks. Anyone wearing a single-layer, homemade cloth mask, gaiter or bandanna, or a mask with a vent, will be provided a medical-grade mask to wear over it. Single-layer cloth masks, which many people prefer for comfort and style, can block larger droplets carrying the virus, but aren’t as effective in blocking smaller aerosols or particles carrying the virus.

— CORONA ECONOMICS —

“U.S. manufacturing activity slows to 11-month low in December” via Martin Crutsinger of The Associated Press — Growth in U.S. manufacturing slowed in December to an 11-month low with companies still combating supply chain problems. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, reported Tuesday that its index of manufacturing activity fell to a reading of 58.7 in December, 2.4 percentage points below the November reading of 61.1. Any reading above 50 indicates growth in the manufacturing sector, which recorded 19 straight months of growth going back to spring 2020 when the pandemic hit. The December reading was the lowest since a matching 58.7 in January 2021. The slowdown in December reflected a decline in both new orders and in production.

“A record 4.5 million workers quit or changed jobs in November\\” via Eli Rosenberg of The Washington Post — An estimated 4.5 million workers quit or changed jobs in November, as labor shortages have helped create one of the most worker-friendly job climates in years. The report shows a trend of high turnover in the labor market, a sign of how profoundly the economy has been reshuffled in the nearly two years since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has triggered tremendous changes in the labor market, with more than 20 million workers losing their jobs in March and April 2020, followed by a wave of uneven hiring. Many businesses have found it hard to retain workers, though, as many employees have used the pandemic to reevaluate their situations, lured by hiring bonuses, more-flexible hours, or better working conditions. The number of workers quitting in November is up from the 4.2 million who left or changed jobs in October and surpassed the previous record of 4.4 million in September.

“Are flights still being canceled? Yes. More than 1,400 cancellations so far Tuesday.” via Eve Chen of USA Today — Travelers hoping to fly out Tuesday faced another rude awakening. More than 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled as of 4:30 p.m. ET. Southwest has the highest number of cancellations among U.S.-based carriers, with nearly 400, representing 12% of the airline’s scheduled flights. “Following the winter weather that moved across the country this week, operational planners at Southwest are working to get our aircraft and crews back in place to support a more normal operation,” the airline said. Utah-based SkyWest has the next highest cancellations, with nearly 200, representing 9% of its scheduled flights. The third highest among domestic carriers is JetBlue, with 105 canceled flights, 10% of its flights for the day.

“Office attire that makes a statement: ‘OK, let’s hug’” via Emma Goldberg of The New York Times — Preserving personal space in the office isn’t a challenge unique to this moment. Still, the pandemic has given the task higher stakes, especially for employees who may feel professional pressure to get face time with their bosses. And now, with case counts rising sharply, workers are in even greater need of safety strategies. At some workplaces, colorful wristbands have offered a way for people emerging from nearly two years of relative isolation to silently communicate their boundaries. As a bonus, wristband companies whose sales plunged in 2020, when events ground to a halt, are pleased to find business picking up again. A Wisconsin company, for example, has sold tens of millions of COVID-19-related bands to more than 3,000 organizations over the past 18 months.

— MORE CORONA —

“Israeli study reports fivefold jump in antibodies with fourth Pfizer vaccine shot” via Steve Hendrix of The Washington Post — A fourth shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine generated a fivefold boost in antibodies a week after the jab. The findings offer one of the first looks at how effective a second booster shot might be at reducing the health impact of the omicron variant spreading rapidly around the globe. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the preliminary results indicated “a very high likelihood that the fourth dose will protect vaccinated people to a great degree against infection to some degree and against severe symptoms.”

“Doctors bemoan limited supply of game-changing antiviral pills amid winter surge” via Katie Shepherd of The Washington Post — Easy-to-take antiviral pills, authorized just before Christmas, were hailed as a potential turning point in the fight against the coronavirus because of the medicines’ ability to keep high-risk people out of the hospital. But doctors say the limited initial supply of the pills, especially Pfizer’s Paxlovid, means they are unlikely to alleviate the strain on many hospitals confronting climbing admissions and staffing shortages made worse by omicron infections. In communities with soaring case numbers, physicians are especially eager to offer the pills, which people can take at home to avoid serious illness. “I don’t think they’ll end up being the game changers we want them to be,” because of scant supply, said Shelley Schmidt, a critical care physician and pulmonologist, who doesn’t expect to have access to the antiviral pills until mid-January.

“What the pandemic’s ‘Open Streets’ really revealed” via Stephan Schmidt of Bloomberg — During the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis, scores of U.S. cities experimented with closing off streets to cars to create more public space. These initiatives went by many names; cities called them slow, open, or shared streets, among other terms, and covered a range of activities. In addition to full vehicle bans, cities created emergency sidewalk and bike lane extensions, allowed restaurants to carve out dedicated outdoor dining spaces and food loading/pick-up zones in former parking spaces, and lifted parking restrictions and fees on other areas.

“COVID-19 brings America’s beer-vs.-liquor rivalry to a head” via Saabira Chaudhuri of The Wall Street Journal — Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams maker Boston Beer Co., wrote to fellow brewers in April with a warning: Act now or prepare to lose billions in sales to liquor makers. Koch, over months, had watched distillers mount various state campaigns to cut taxes and expand the distribution of canned cocktails. He had also viewed a video of a liquor executive urging his industry in March to grab market share from brewers by using canned cocktails to appeal to young drinkers in places usually dominated by beer. COVID-19 has brought America’s long-running beer-vs.-liquor rivalry to a head. Brewers are struggling to retain their dwindling edge, while spirits makers see a chance to further their ascension by burnishing liquor’s reputation and using canned cocktails as a new beer rival while pushing to loosen restrictions.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

“Biden ‘over-promised and under-delivered’ on climate. Now, trouble looms in 2022.” via Lisa Friedman of The New York Times — As the new year opens, Biden faces an increasingly narrow path to fulfill his ambitious goal of slashing the greenhouse gases generated by the United States that are helping to warm the planet to dangerous levels. His Build Back Better Act, which contains $555 billion in proposed climate action, is in limbo on Capitol Hill. The Supreme Court is set to hear a pivotal case in February that could significantly restrict his authority to regulate the carbon dioxide that spews from power plants and is driving climate change. And the midterm elections loom in November, threatening his party’s control of Congress. A Republican takeover of one or both chambers could freeze movement for years. The mounting challenges make the next few months critical to secure the safety of the planet as well as Biden’s climate legacy, analysts said.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Democrats gain control of a key regulatory agency” via Robert Kuttner of The American Prospect — Democrats will regain firm control of a key regulatory agency, the FDIC, thanks to the abrupt resignation of its Trump-appointed chair, Jelena McWilliams, on New Year’s Eve. Her departure takes effect in early February. Martin Gruenberg, a longtime progressive Democrat on the FDIC board and former FDIC chair, will become acting chair once again. The stakes are huge because several major bank regulatory issues will be decided this spring. Here’s the backstory. In early December, the three Democrats on the five-member FDIC board formally requested public comments on the need for tighter regulation of bank mergers. McWilliams strenuously objected and tried to block the proposal. She wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal blasting the board majority’s move as a “hostile takeover.”

Assignment editors — U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch will host a virtual roundtable with Sen. Tina Polsky, Reps. Dan Daley and Christine Hunschofsky, as well as community advocates and leaders, to address the current status of gun safety legislation and examine next steps to address the crisis of gun violence, 2 p.m. Click here to RSVP and Zoom link for the roundtable.

“Jason Coody named U.S. attorney for Northern District of Florida for next four months” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — Coody, who has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida since the forced resignation last year of Larry Keefe, now has been appointed U.S. Attorney — though only on a limited basis. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Coody to the post effective Dec. 26, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He will serve a term of 120 days or until a presidential nominee is named and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. “It is an honor to serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida and work every day to keep our communities safe,” Coody said in a statement. The Northern District stretches from Pensacola through Panama City and Tallahassee and south to Gainesville, covering 23 Florida counties.

— CRISIS —

“Attorney General Merrick Garland plans speech on Jan. 6 investigation for Wednesday” via Matt Zapotosky of The Washington Post — Garland will give a speech Wednesday about the Justice Department’s efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, stressing the department’s “unwavering commitment to defend Americans and American democracy from violence and threats of violence,” a Justice Department official said. In the address, the official said Garland will not speak about specific people or charges. Rather, Garland, the nation’s top law enforcement officer, will offer broad remarks about “the department’s solemn duty to uphold the Constitution, follow the facts and the law and pursue equal justice under law without fear or favor.”

“Facebook groups topped 10,000 daily attacks on election before Jan. 6, analysis shows” via Craig Silverman, Craig Timberg, Jeff Kao and Jeremy B. Merrill of The Washington Post — Facebook groups swelled with at least 650,000 posts attacking the legitimacy of Biden’s victory between Election Day and the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, with many calling for executions or other political violence. The barrage turned the groups into incubators for the baseless claims supporters of Trump voiced as they stormed the Capitol, demanding he get a second term. Many posts portrayed Biden’s election as the result of widespread fraud that required extraordinary action to prevent the nation from falling into the hands of traitors.

“Why DOJ is avoiding domestic terrorism sentences for Jan. 6 defendants” via Josh Gerstein of POLITICO — The storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 has been denounced by the White House, the FBI and the Justice Department as an act of domestic terrorism, but one year after the insurrection, prosecutors have yet to ask judges to impose the harsher sentences federal law recommends for defendants motivated by politics. Instead, even as some judges have publicly debated whether the charges against Jan. 6 defendants qualify as “crimes of terrorism,” prosecutors have repeatedly pulled back on tougher sentences, citing unspecified “facts and circumstances.”

“Jan. 6 committee seeking phone records of 2 Florida-based Oath Keepers” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — Two Florida-based members of the Oath Keepers facing conspiracy charges for breaching the Capitol are suing the Jan. 6 committee to block a subpoena for their personal phone records. Kelly and Connie Meggs, two of 19 defendants in the most sprawling case to emerge from the mob attack on the Capitol, say they were notified of the subpoena by Verizon last month. The subpoena seeks phone records of their family plan from November 2020 through January 2021. It’s the first indication that the committee is seeking records of defendants facing criminal charges for storming the Capitol. The Jan. 6 committee has already subpoenaed Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, for documents and testimony.

— EPILOGUE TRUMP —

Breaking overnight — “Trump cancels Jan. 6 news conference at Mar-a-Lago, blames news media and House committee investigating attack on Capitol” via Felicia Sonmez and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post — In a statement released Tuesday by his Save America PAC, Trump blamed the media and the bipartisan congressional committee that is investigating the attack. Trump’s lawyers are fighting the panel’s efforts to obtain his records. “In light of the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media, I am canceling the January 6th Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, and instead will discuss many of those important topics at my rally on Saturday, January 15th, in Arizona — It will be a big crowd!” Trump said. Trump wanted to make a scene and deride reporters at the event but had been told repeatedly by his advisers that it could be the kind of coverage he doesn’t want.

“Inside Trump’s Jan. 6 cancellation” via Jonathan Swan of Axios — Before Trump canceled the plan, several key allies — including hard-line Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Sen. Lindsey Graham — made clear they thought it was a bad idea to invite the national media to Mar-a-Lago to mark the deadly riot. Trump would have inevitably used his news conference to portray the rioters as political prisoners, whitewash their actions that day and lie about a “stolen election.” Divisions had widened between the former President and congressional Republican leaders over how to handle the anniversary. Trump — like his most fervent allies — wanted to go on offense. Congressional leaders wanted to narrowly condemn the rioters, avoid criticizing Trump or assigning any responsibility to him.

“Another far-right group is scrutinized about its efforts to aid Trump” via Alan Feuer of The New York Times — Congressional investigators are examining the role of another right-wing paramilitary group that was involved in a less publicly visible yet still expansive effort to keep Trump in power: the First Amendment Praetorian. Known in shorthand as 1AP, the group spent much of the postelection period working in the shadows with pro-Trump lawyers, activists, business executives, and military veterans to undermine public confidence in the election and bolster Trump’s hopes of remaining in the White House. By their own account, members of the 1st Amendment Praetorian helped funnel data on purported election fraud to lawyers suing to overturn the vote count.

“The big red flag under Kanye West’s democratic fig leaf” via William Bredderman and Roger Sollenberger of the Daily Beast — While it initially seemed like Republican and Democratic operatives were both benefiting from West’s quixotic White House bid, The Daily Beast recently revealed it was mostly GOP insiders who ran Kanye’s campaign, with many of them taking extraordinary measures to hide their involvement. But there was one major exception to the political allegiances of Kanye’s consultants, giving the campaign the appearance of bipartisan cooperation: Millennial Strategies. The New York City-based firm has deep Democratic. However, that association between West and Millennial Strategies appears designed in part to mask the extent of other companies’ work for the West campaign. According to multiple people with knowledge of the arrangement, a substantial chunk of Millennial Strategies’ responsibilities was subcontracted to yet another consulting firm with right-wing ties: Mercury Public Affairs.

— LOCAL NOTES —

“CEO of embattled CareerSource Pinellas faces new accusations of ‘toxic’ workplace” via Mark Puente of Florida Politics — Jennifer Brackney, CEO of CareerSource Pinellas, came under an internal investigation after an employee filed a 41-page whistleblower complaint in late October. The employee accused Brackney of inflating job placements and creating a toxic work environment. Those are similar to the allegations that led to federal and state investigations of the agency in 2018. At the time, Brackney was a top aide to then CEO Edward Peachey. He was fired and fell under state, FBI and U.S. Department of Labor investigations. CareerSource Pinellas and its sister agency, CareerSource Tampa Bay, paid $3.1 million in incentives and bonuses in recent years to employees who helped them record more hirings than any workforce board in Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reported in May 2018.

“In 2021, Jacksonville’s homicide total dropped 30%. But it wasn’t enough to save Robin Clemons’s son.” via Katherine Lewin, Dan Scanlan, and Scott Butler of The Florida Times-Union — In the early hours of Sept. 29, Clemons first saw the news on television of a man shot to death on the street on the Northside of Jacksonville. She sent out a quick prayer to God that it wasn’t her son, Timothy Thomas Jr. Clemons hurried to her car. That’s when she noticed the unmarked police car outside of her house. And she knew …. Thomas was one of 125 homicides in 2021, in a city that likely had no place to go but down after a staggering 178 homicides the previous year. But it’s a bittersweet success for the family members of victims. Law enforcement and community members acknowledge the decrease but also realize it is still too many people whose lives were cut short.

“By the numbers: Here’s a look at Jacksonville’s 2021 homicides compared to 2020” via Scott Butler of The Florida Times-Union — The city eclipsed 100 homicides for the 10th-straight year. It also marked the sixth straight year with at least 120. In the last decade, Jacksonville has lost 1,391 lives due to homicides. That’s an average of about 139 a year. The high since The Florida Times-Union began keeping track in 2003 was 2020’s 178 by far, and the low — also by far — was 86 in 2011. The 32209 ZIP code in the Moncrief/Grand Park area maintained its spot with the most homicides, 20, well ahead of 32206’s 14, 32210’s 11 and nine each in 32208, 32211, and 32254. A year earlier saw 31 people killed in 32209, followed by three tied with 19.

“J.T. Burnette asks 11th Circuit to keep him out of prison pending appeal in corruption case” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — Burnette’s lawyers are asking an appellate court to let him remain free pending appeal of his conviction on public corruption charges, just weeks after a federal judge shot down a similar request. Lawyers with the Washington, D.C., firm Williams & Connolly filed a motion this week with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals seeking continued release for Burnette, calling his trial “seriously flawed.” Burnette was convicted in August on extortion and other charges for his involvement in a bribery scheme involving former City Commissioner Scott Maddox.

“Is Tampa’s tree canopy shrinking because of a change in state law?” via Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times — Tree advocates and builders reached what was called a historic compromise on protecting the city’s award-winning tree canopy in the spring of 2019. A week later, a new state law gutted much of Tampa’s and other local governments’ power to set rules about tree removals. At the time, exasperated city officials and advocates raised concerns about the law’s provisions allowing grand trees to be cut down as long as a certified arborist or landscape architect signed off, cutting city inspectors out of the process. Some large-scale removals that summer ratcheted up their fears. Nearly three years later the city hopes to figure out if those fears were justified. Brian Knox, the city’s senior forester examiner, says an upcoming analysis of the city’s canopy is planned for release in 2022. A similar analysis in 2016 found 32% of the city was covered by tree canopy.

“Jeff Vinik announces Lightning minority investor Arctos Sports Partners” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — A private equity firm specializing in providing liquidity solutions to major sports franchises will be the new minority investor for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vinik announced Tuesday. Arctos Sports Partners has made a minority investment into Vinik Sports Group, which the National Hockey League approved last month. The minority sale takes effect immediately, but details of the transaction are private, VSG said in a news release. Vinik will retain control as the majority owner, and there will be no change in the day-to-day operations of either the Lightning or VSG. General Manager Julien BriseBois and Lightning CEO Steve Griggs will remain alternative governors with the NHL.

“Prince Andrew’s bid to dismiss sex suit because of Jeffrey Epstein settlement met with skepticism by judge” via Ben Wieder and Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald — Prince Andrew’s bid to throw out the sex abuse lawsuit against him, citing a 2009 settlement Epstein reached with the same accuser, appeared to be met with skepticism in a hearing Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, presiding over the federal lawsuit brought in New York, said that there are multiple ways to interpret the 2009 agreement but that the language suggested that only Epstein and accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre could say exactly what the language was intended to mean. “But we don’t have Mr. Epstein here to say what his view was,” Kaplan said of the deceased financier, who died in federal custody in 2019 after he was arrested on sex charges.

“Top suspect in Haiti assassination probe in U.S. custody in Miami” via Jacqueline Charles, Michael Wilner, and Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald — A key suspect in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse appeared in Miami federal court Tuesday afternoon after being arrested in the morning by federal agents upon arrival from Panama. Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 43, also known as “Floro,” is the first person allegedly involved in the assassination of the Haitian President on July 7, 2021, to be formally charged with a crime. Palacios had been in custody in Jamaica, which moved to deport him to his homeland of Colombia Monday. But during a layover in Panama, he agreed to travel to the United States, according to federal authorities.

“Former IBM site in Boca Raton could add houses, hotel and shops to office complex” via Alexandra Clough of the Palm Beach Post — The Boca Raton office property where the personal computer was created could become a center for living as well as working, in a bold bid by its ownership group to remake this prime piece of land. CP Group, part of an ownership group that owns the former IBM building at 5000 T-Rex Avenue, is asking the city to rezone the site to create a mixed-use complex. The proposal features residences, shops, a grocery store, and even a hotel, among other elements. The move comes more than three years after a partnership led by CP Group, formerly Crocker Partners, paid $170 million for the iconic 123-acre site.

“Keys politician charged with domestic battery after fight with wife over texts, cops say” via David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — A Florida Keys City Council member was arrested Monday night on a domestic battery charge after an altercation with his wife over his cellphone, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Trevor Wofsey, a 44-year-old elected Council member for the Middle Keys city of Marathon, remained in county jail on Stock Island Tuesday morning. Deputies arrested him outside his Marathon home the night before, where they found him shortly after 10 p.m. in his underwear, yelling that his wife punched him in the face while he was sleeping, according to an arrest report. Deputies said that the altercation was over text messages he received from another woman.

“Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner fined $20K for claiming homestead exemption in Hialeah” via Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald — Newly appointed Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Johana Rabinovich was investigated and forced to pay back taxes last week after the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser’s office concluded she improperly claimed a homestead exemption for years on a condo in Hialeah while her husband also claimed a homestead exemption on the condo where she votes and lives with their two children. Rabinovich says she never applied for a tax break on her Hialeah property and says the recorded exemption was an error on the part of the county. But under Florida law, a married couple can’t claim two exemptions.

“FSU College of Medicine Dean John Fogarty retiring this summer” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — Fogarty will retire this Summer. Fogarty announced his upcoming retirement in an internal email to FSU employees on Nov. 15, 2021. The college also published an article in mid-December mentioning his retirement in which Fogarty reflected on his time with the university. In the email, Fogarty said he has decided to retire after 13 years with the college to enjoy more time with his family. “This has been an amazing experience for me here at FSU, and I am blessed to have worked with so many wonderful staff, faculty, students and community members who made this job a joy,” he said in the email. Fogarty, who turned 72 last September, said he originally planned to retire in 2021 but stayed on for another year because of issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“FedEx to build regional headquarters in Panama City; will service area from Pensacola to Tallahassee” via Patrick McCreless of the Panama City News Herald — According to the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, the new 251,000-square-foot FedEx Ground facility will support 208 jobs and will be built in the Port Panama City-owned Intermodal Distribution Center on Highway 231. Construction has begun, and the facility is set to open in the fall. “They could have gone anywhere in the Panhandle, but they chose us because we had a shovel-ready certified site,” said Becca Hardin, President of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance. “This will be their regional headquarters. … It’s a huge capital investment.” Hardin said that FedEx will replace a smaller, 60,000-square-foot facility it has operated at the Intermodal Distribution Center and move the existing 25 employees there to the new site.

“Class-action lawsuit against Skanska seeks compensation for Pensacola commuters” via Jim Little of the Pensacola News Journal — A new class-action lawsuit was filed against Skanska last week on behalf of Northwest Florida commuters seeking to recover their increased costs from the loss of the Pensacola Bay Bridge for nine months following Hurricane Sally. The lawsuit is the latest in the ongoing legal battle against Skanska over its construction barges knocking out the Pensacola Bay Bridge when they broke free of the moorings during the hurricane. The lawsuit was filed the same day that a federal judge found that Skanska was negligent in its preparations ahead of the September 2020 hurricane. The federal judge ruled that Skanska could not limit its financial liability over the incident to the $1.2 million value of the barges as the company had sought to do.

“Milton looks to offer 10 electric vehicle charging stations throughout city” via Alex Miller of the Pensacola News Journal — The Milton City Council agreed Monday to move forward on researching the implementation of electric vehicle charging stations around the city. The current proposal has 10 charging stations scattered across several different locations. The proposed locations are mixed between the downtown area and farther uptown closer to Milton High School. The charging stations the city is looking at are “Level 2,” which means they will charge vehicles in one to three hours. Milton Planning Director Tim Milstead said the city conducted interviews with owners of commercial spaces like shopping centers, restaurants and hotels in the area to learn about their interest in partnering to install them. City Manager Randy Jorgenson said several expressed interest.

“Empty Stocking Fund breaks fundraising record for Okaloosa, Walton families in need” via Dusty Ricketts of Northwest Florida Daily News — Each year, the Empty Stocking Fund is facilitated through the Northwest Florida Daily News, with the Salvation Army of Okaloosa and Walton counties acting as a steward of the money. Dr. Gerald M. Hollingsworth, a longtime Fort Walton Beach resident, physician and businessman, recently donated $35,000 to this year’s fund. That pushed the total to more than $155,900, a record. The Empty Stocking Fund was initiated in 1984 by now-retired Northwest Florida Daily News newsroom secretary Dorothy Mullin. The drive begins each year in late November and continues into early January. The money assists people who face financial distress, often helping pay for past-due power bills, housing and rent costs or prescriptions.

“‘The ones you don’t want to tangle with’: Man o’ wars found across Bay and Walton beaches” via Nathan Cobb of the Panama City News Herald — As of Monday morning, swarms of Portuguese man-o’-wars littered the coast of both Bay and Walton counties. While Panama City Beach officials could not comment before the deadline, David Vaughan, beach safety director for the South Walton Fire District, confirmed the issue was widespread. While the man-o’-war technically isn’t a jellyfish, Vaughan said it gets categorized as one by the general public because it has such a similar appearance. Of the five to seven species of jellyfish typically found off the coast of the Panhandle, it has the worst sting. Unlike other types of jellyfish, Man o’ Wars are “wind riders,” meaning that their migration patterns are “entirely dependent” on weather conditions, Vaughan said.

— TOP OPINION —

“Omicron is bad. But we don’t need to resort to lockdowns.” via Leana S. Wen of The Washington Post — We are entering the third year of the pandemic with a confusing state of affairs. The United States far surpassed the number of daily COVID-19 infections compared with the previous peak last winter, yet many businesses remain open, stadiums are packed, and children are headed back to school. News headlines announce that “omicron infections seem to be milder” than earlier variants, yet this could be the “worst public health challenge of our lifetimes.” The risk to individuals is low, while the risk to society is high. Policy solutions that demand substantial individual sacrifice will not work. Out-of-control virus dynamics pose existential threats to society. As long as vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and the risk to most individuals remains low, our paradigm has to shift from preventing infection to stopping societal devastation.

— OPINIONS —

“Every day is Jan. 6 now” via The New York Times editorial board — One year after the smoke and broken glass, the mock gallows, and the very real bloodshed of that awful day, it is tempting to look back and imagine that we can, in fact, simply look back. After four years of chaos, cruelty and incompetence, most Americans were desperate for some peace and quiet. Our political life seems more or less normal these days. In short, the Republic faces an existential threat from a movement that is openly contemptuous of democracy and has shown that it is willing to use violence to achieve its ends. Hundreds of bills have been proposed and nearly three dozen laws have been passed that empower state legislatures to sabotage their own elections and overturn the will of their voters. Above all, we should stop underestimating the threat facing the country.

“Trump isn’t the only one to blame for the Capitol riot” via Osita Nwanevu of The New York Times — The Jan. 6 riot was an attack on our institutions, and of course, inflammatory conservative rhetoric and social media bear some of the blame. But our institutions also helped produce that violent outburst by building a sense of entitlement to power within America’s conservative minority. The structural advantages that conservatives enjoy in our electoral system are well known. Twice already this young century, the Republican Party has won the Electoral College and thus the presidency while losing the popular vote. Obviously, none of the structural features of our federal system were designed with contemporary politics and the Republican Party in mind. But they are clearly giving a set of Americans who have taken strongly to conservative ideology more power than the rest of the electorate.

“Americans’ behavior gets worse. No wonder our politics are lousy.” via Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post — If politics is downstream from culture, then culture is downstream from character. And right now, we have a character crisis in America. It’s often characterized as a civility crisis. “In a study of 1,000 American adults during the pandemic, 48% of adults and 55% of workers said that in November 2020, they had expected that civility in America would improve after the election,” The New York Times reports. It would be convenient to blame COVID-19 or Trump, but the problem started long before either became a national blight. Back in 2013, studies were warning that “civility in America continues to disintegrate and rude behavior is becoming the ‘new normal.’” Our capacity for inconvenience is as small as our national attention span.

“Why the Republican Party isn’t concerned with popularity” via Daniel Cox of FiveThirtyEight — Despite the fact that the GOP is quite unpopular and that much of its current agenda — such as overturning the Affordable Care Act or advancing restrictive immigration policies — does not appeal to a majority of voters, the party is in an enviable position heading into the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. What is to make of this glaring disconnect? On the one hand, the GOP is fundamentally opposed to the type of legislation that tends to garner widespread public support: generous social-welfare policies. But the biggest reason why the GOP may not be pushing more popular policies is that recent history suggests it’s unnecessary. Trump’s startling 2016 election victory showed that an unpopular candidate with little interest in public policy can still win.

“William Mattox: Making Florida the new ‘promised land’ for education-minded families” via Florida Politics — An exodus is underway — many Jews are leaving the Big Apple and moving to the Sunshine State. And their migration to Florida — America’s Promised Land — is being fueled in part by a very interesting factor: school choice. “Many young families up north are enticed by Florida’s robust menu of state-supported private-school scholarships,” writes Allan Jacob in The Wall Street Journal. “These programs make private school tuition far more affordable in Florida than in New York and New Jersey.” There is reason to believe many education-minded families move to freedom-loving states that facilitate parents’ efforts to direct the education of their children. In this new normal, Florida could easily become America’s unrivaled “education destination,” and enjoy the short- and long-term benefits of attracting education-minded parents (and their talented offspring) to the Sunshine State.

“Senior living health care workers: Not gone, but definitely forgotten” via Gail Matillo of McKnight’s Senior Living — Over the past two years, health care workers have been championed as superheroes. What about the health care workers we’ve forgotten? The ones working in assisted living communities, memory care neighborhoods, and other long-term care senior living communities? They’ve been overlooked or worse, blamed for not doing enough when in fact, they stepped up to protect thousands of vulnerable residents from infection and cared for those who did contract COVID-19. Assisted living communities in the Sunshine State care for more than 118,000 older adults. Florida’s senior living providers have incurred more than $2.3 billion in procuring gowns, gloves, masks, infection control prevention and supplies, “hero pay,” additional staffing costs, and lost revenue due to record-low occupancy rates.

— ALOE —

“Disney needs a comeback year. Will it get it?” via Julia Horowitz of CNN Business — Disney did not have a magical 2021. Even as COVID-19 vaccines allowed countries worldwide to lift restrictions, the company’s business struggled. Attendance at its parks disappointed, and momentum from its Disney+ streaming service, once a bright spot, cooled off. The company’s stock dropped almost 15%, making it the worst performer in the Dow. There’s hope that 2022 could be better. Disney “remains well-positioned for the recovery driven by a continued increase in capacity at theme parks and an improving content slate,” Bank of America’s Jessica Reif Ehrlich and Brent Navon said. The twist, of course, is the rapid spread of infections due to the arrival of the highly contagious omicron variant.

“USF coach Jeff Scott receives 2-year contract extension” via Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel — USF football coach Scott received a two-year contract extension that keeps him signed with the school through the 2026 season. Scott, 41, signed a five-year deal worth $12.5 million when he took over the program in 2019. The Bulls are 3-18 in his two seasons, including 2-10 in 2021. But it’s his recruiting efforts that have helped USF land the top transfer class in the country, according to 247Sports. Scott’s also been an integral part of the program’s fundraising efforts to help upgrade facilities, including the new Indoor Performance Facility, which is scheduled to open this year. USF Athletics Director Michael Kelly threw his support behind Scott despite the struggles on the field.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Best wishes to Bruce Cotton, Christie Pontis Mason, and former state Rep. Doc Renuart.

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