Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday March 8, 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
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March 8 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where “misinformation” is now the buzzword for politicians and Big Tech lobbyists who seek to censor and suppress. Our Doug Blair has thoughts. China looks to apply lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Jim Carafano writes. On the podcast, Cesar Ybarra, vice president of policy at FreedomWorks, talks about Latinos’ growing identification with conservatives. Plus: Hans von Spakovsky on preserving Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy; Rep. Liz Cheney’s obsession with Trump; and “Problematic Women” ponders a court battle over free speech at a Texas school. On this date in 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, loses contact with air traffic control within an hour of takeoff from Kuala Lumpur, then veers off course and seems to disappear. |
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
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3.) DAYBREAK
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@DaybreakInsider
4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 3.8.22
Good Tuesday morning
Don’t forget about Election Day
It may be the last week of the 2022 Legislative Session, but keep an eye out for election results tonight as voters head to the polls across the state.
Two state legislative seats will be filled in South Florida just days before Sine Die. Democrat Rosalind Osgood is the favorite to succeed former Democratic Sen. Perry Thurston in Senate District 33. She faces off against Republican Joseph Carter in a heavily Democratic district.
Democrat Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds is likewise favored against Republican Guarina Torres in the left-leaning House District 88. The winner will succeed former Democratic Rep. Omari Hardy. Both Thurston and Hardy ran unsuccessfully for the chance to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings in the seat in Florida’s 20th Congressional District.
Broward County’s Hillsboro Beach, Pembroke Pines (two City Commission districts), Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Lighthouse Point will also hold municipal elections.
In Palm Beach County, regular municipal elections are happening in Boynton Beach, Greenacres, Haverhill, Highland Beach, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Loxahatchee Groves, North Palm Beach, Pahokee, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, South Palm Beach, Wellington and West Palm Beach.
Over in Sarasota County, voters will weigh in on two referendums. One, if passed, would renew a one-mill school tax supporting the Sarasota County School District. The other could return Sarasota County Commission elections to countywide votes instead of single-member district races. The latter race has turned into a bit of a tête-à-tête in Republican circles.
In Central Florida, Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson — a former Representative and former Orange County Commissioner — is in a fierce battle to stay in office in the county’s second-largest city, facing two-term City Commissioner Kyle Becker.
The Apopka mayoral election Tuesday is among four municipal elections throughout Orange County that will feature a Belle Isle mayoral race, and City Council or Commission contests in Apopka, Winter Park, Maitland, and Oakland. Other highly-contested municipal battles include incumbent Commissioner Todd Weaver versus Elijah Noel, and Anjali Vaya versus Kristopher Cruzada in Winter Park, and Mayor Nicholas Fouraker versus Holly Bobrowski in Belle Isle.
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There are clear winners and losers in every Session, while others prove more elusive to pin down.
Once again, Florida Politics is assembling an (arguably) comprehensive look at who walked away from Sine Die 2022 victorious, who tanked, and who landed somewhere between. Of course, lawmakers must pass the one bill: Florida’s upcoming state budget.
Like last year, the 2022-2023 budget is stuffed with billions of dollars in federal aid and weighs in at more than $100 billion. It will undoubtedly create a lot of winners, but with that much funny money at lawmakers’ disposal, a snub is nothing short of a loss.
That said, we are asking you — our loyal Sunburn readers — for your input.
From lawmakers, newsmakers, state workers, and budget writers to lobbyists, advocates, and staff (and maybe a reporter or two), which person, group, or issue earned a coveted spot on the list of “Winners and Losers for the 2022 Legislative Session?”
We’ll have the obvious ones covered, so don’t worry about grading the Governor, House Speaker, Senate President, or other top officials. A few off-the-beaten-path choices are certainly welcome.
Send your suggestions to Peter@FloridaPolitics.com for consideration.
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It’s the last week of the Session, which means it’s time to play Cate Sine Die.
If you need a refresher, here’s how the annual contest works: Guess the date and time of the hankie drop that marks the end of Session and tweet it out with the hashtag #CateSineDie and the name of the charity of your choice. That’s it.
Per “Price is Right” rules, the closest guess wins $500 for their favored charity.
Kevin Cate, who has run the contest for a decade now, put out the call for submissions early Monday, and set a deadline of 1 p.m.
It seems players think Session will end in time for those in The Process to enjoy their Friday night, with the median guess being Friday at 8:15 p.m.
The mode — that means the most frequent guess in statistical jargon — is Friday at 9:43 p.m. While a little late, the bulk of contestants don’t believe Session will go into overtime as it has in many recent years.
Session was extended in 2020, 2019 and 2018, when lawmakers didn’t pass a budget until two days after the 60-day Session was scheduled to end. Lawmakers adjourned on time last year, breaking the streak.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RyanStruyk: The United States is now reporting 46,229 new coronavirus cases per day, the lowest seven-day average since July 22, 2021, according to data from @CNN and Johns Hopkins University.
—@Zeynep: It’s now a talking point, but it is *absolutely false* that vaccines don’t help lower infection and transmission rates — they do both, just not 100%. Of course, vaccinated people also have much better outcomes, if ever infected. Plus, vaccination clobbers MIS-C rates in kids.
—@Annette_Taddeo: If U.S. was down to its last barrel & VZLA was giving away free oil, we still shouldn’t go to the Maduro regime for help. There are ways to reduce gas prices that don’t involve putting US/FL at the mercy of murderous dictators. Cutting deals w/ dictators will cost > $5/gallon
—@thee_snek: Every American policy poll is like? Would you like *outcome*? Yes — 78% No — 22% Would you like to do the stuff necessary to achieve *outcome*? Yes — 16% No — 84%
Tweet, tweet:
Tweet, tweet:
—@NikkiFried: Nobody should have to work an hour to afford 2 gallons of gas. We need bold actions now, including suspending our state gas tax, accelerating renewables, and demanding oil companies reduce profits during the war in Ukraine.
Tweet, tweet:
—@Robyn_Disney79: I have been saying this … if I could indoctrinate my students, it would be for them to be respectful, do their work, and follow directions the first time. If I can’t do that, there is no way I can make them gay.
—@JKennedyReport: .@WiltonSimpson given a George Strait-signed guitar by @FLSenate. Last presiding officer given a guitar as parting gift was 2004 House Speaker Johnnie Bird. He ran for U.S. Senate that year, lost. Simpson’s running for state Ag Commissioner. Stay tuned.
—@NewWorldsFL: It was our team’s pleasure this morning to visit our friends in the #Florida House of Representatives, where House Speaker @ChrisSprowls announced that New Worlds #Reading has sent free #books and #literacy resources to 100,000 students so far!
—@MDixon55: “You need to call the chicken farmer in Trilby” is a uniquely Florida political line
—@AdamSchefter: NFL’s 2022 salary cap will be $208.2 million.
— DAYS UNTIL —
The 2022 Players begins — 2; House GOP retreat in Ponte Vedra Beach — 15; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 15; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 17; The Oscars — 19; ‘Macbeth’ with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 23; Florida Chamber’s 2nd Annual Southeastern Leadership Conference on Safety, Health + Sustainability begins — 21; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 26; ‘Better Call Saul’ final season begins — 41; Magic Johnson’s Apple TV+ docuseries ‘They Call Me Magic’ begins — 45; 2022 Florida Chamber Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 51; ‘The Godfather’ TV series ‘The Offer’ premieres — 52; 2nd half of ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 52; federal student loan payments will resume — 54; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 59; Florida TaxWatch’s Spring Meeting — 64; ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ starts on Disney+ — 78; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 80; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 86; California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota hold midterm Primaries — 91; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 123; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 136; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 154; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 178; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 213; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 249; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 252; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 284; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 348; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 381; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 507; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 591; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 871.
“Florida to be the first state to recommend healthy kids not get COVID-19 vaccine, contradicting CDC” via Zac Anderson, James Rosica, Lindsey Leake, Liz Freeman, Emily Bloch, Antonio Fins of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced it at the end of a roundtable discussion in West Palm Beach that Gov. Ron DeSantis convened to discuss “failures” in response to COVID-19. Florida “is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said, without elaborating on the details or rationale for the forthcoming guidance from the state Department of Health. The announcement came after multiple health experts picked by DeSantis to participate in the roundtable downplayed the importance of the vaccine for children, with some saying the benefits of vaccination do not outweigh the risks. “Individuals can make their own decision … but I think the data is in line with what the Surgeon General recommended,” the Governor added.
Tweet, tweet:
“Ron DeSantis baits another reporter over Parental Rights/’Don’t Say Gay’ bill semantics” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — For the second time in less than a week, Florida’s Governor baited a reporter over a piece of sex education legislation currently being debated in the Senate. Addressing reporters at the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, DeSantis took a reporter to task for a question on the Parental Rights in Education bill being debated on the Senate floor Monday. HB 1557 passed the House on party lines and made ready for the Senate’s Special-Order Calendar Monday. The reporter noted critics called the legislation, which prohibits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in lower grades, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This observation led DeSantis to drag the questioner.
“Teachers, students, LGBTQ advocates make final push against ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” via Ana Goñi-Lessan of the Tallahassee Democrat — Middle school teacher Dwayne Shepherd on Monday held up a sign that one of his trans students made for his trip to the Florida Capitol: It said “It’s OK to say GAY!!!!” with the word “gay” in rainbow marker. Shepherd, a member of the LGBTQ community and the sponsor of his Pinellas County middle school’s gay-straight alliance club, said another one of his trans students said she would have died by suicide if it weren’t for the club. “They don’t want special rights. They just want equality,” Shepherd said. “They want to be treated fairly, and they want to feel safe. And they will not feel safe if this bill passes.”
“‘No one understands this bill’: Senators grapple with defining ‘parental rights’ proposal as vote approaches” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — The Senate is prepped for a vote on parental rights legislation governing classroom instruction on LGBTQ matters, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents. Senators heard the bill, setting up for a vote on the proposal in the final days of Session. Democratic Senators attempted to amend the bill during its second hearing on the floor, unsuccessfully putting forward amendments that would add protections for LGBTQ students as well as clarify the vague language of the bill. The proposal (HB 1557) would limit classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity, a move Republican leadership says would bolster parental rights. Under the leadership of President Simpson, the bill was slated for only one committee stop — the Senate Appropriations Committee — where the legislation was approved last week.
“Lawmakers approve path to end net metering for solar energy” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The Legislature has passed a bill to set a timeline to end net metering in Florida, a move critics argue would be devastating to the rooftop solar industry. The measure (HB 741) aims to end subsidies its sponsors said would overburden non-solar customers through a process known as net metering. Under net metering, Florida’s electric utilities are mandated to buy back “banked” energy stored by homes that gather more energy than they produce at the retail rate. That energy is added to the utility’s grid and can be redistributed to non-solar customers. The Senate approved the legislation 24-15 on Monday after the House passed it 83-31 on Wednesday. The Legislature established the current system in 2008 to subsidize the nascent solar industry.
“Bill addressing higher ed accreditation clears Senate accompanied by controversial amendment” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — A bill that would alter accreditation requirements for Florida’s public universities and colleges cleared the Senate in a 22-15 vote Monday morning, sending it to the House. The measure (SPB 7044), sponsored by Sen. Manny Diaz, would restrict state colleges and universities from being accredited by the same agency for consecutive accreditation cycles. It also would require additional information about textbooks and instructional materials from state universities and colleges, mandating such information be posted at least 45 days before the start of class and kept public for five years. The proposal passed the upper chamber on a near-Party-line vote, with support from Republican lawmakers and disapproval from Democratic legislators despite a silent debate.
“Amid nursing home staffing crisis, Legislature approves industry-backed bill changing care requirements” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — The Legislature passed a compromise between the long-term care industry and trial attorneys that reduces the number of mandated nursing hours that nursing homes must provide, but at the same time could allow for more lawsuits against providers. The Senate approved HB 1239 by a 28-9 vote, following up on earlier approval from the House. However, AARP Florida continues to oppose the legislation and will ask DeSantis to veto the bill, said Associate State Director of Advocacy Zayne Smith. HB 1239 requires nursing homes to conduct facility assessments to determine the staff needed to provide the necessary care for the facility’s resident population. The facilities will consider the types of diseases, conditions, and physical and cognitive disabilities as required by federal rule.
House amends Senate Medicaid bill — The House OK’d an amendment to a Senate bill (SB 1950) that would overhaul the state’s Medicaid managed care system. As Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida reported, the strike-all amendment brings the bill in line with the House companion sponsored by Fleming Island Republican Rep. Sam Garrison. The changes include a provision blocking AHCA from automatically signing up Medicaid recipients for plans that cover more than half of enrollees in their region. The bill now must earn approval from the full House, after which it would head back to the Senate for final passage.
“Senate passes citizen initiative limits on out-of-state influence, awaits House answer” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A bill to curb out-of-state influence in the ballot initiative process is on its way back to the House as lawmakers revisit the proposal after it was struck down last year. The Senate voted 22-16 Monday to pass the bill (HB 921), along near party lines. Because Senators approved changes, they hoped would avoid a second injunction in the courts, the bill must next return to the House. The proposal, filed by Rep. Brad Drake, would limit non-Floridians from donating more than $3,000, and out-of-state political committees from receiving donations worth more than $3,000, when it comes to ballot initiatives in the petition-gathering process. The provision comes after a federal judge ruled against the state in July regarding similar legislation to limit money’s influence in the petition-gathering process, saying it violated the First Amendment. 
— BUDGET NOTES —
“With Session ending soon, state workers still don’t know what their pay increases will be” via Issac Morgan of Florida Phoenix — With the 2022 Legislative Session coming to an end, lawmakers still haven’t come to an agreement on pay hikes for state workers and particular health care and school personnel. At issue is a minimum-wage increase of $15-an-hour pushed by the Senate compared to a 5.38% salary increase in the House, to address rising inflation. Those increases would be for the 2022-23 fiscal year. State lawmakers are continuing negotiations on the state budget for Floridians, and there’s only a few more days to wrap up the final figures. The Legislative Session is scheduled to end on March 11. Lawmakers are “still in conference” negotiating on pay issues. It’s unclear if the 5.38% initiative will still be in the state budget by the end of Session.
“Budget conference: SRQ Airport lands $21.5 million in state funding in latest offers” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — It looks like Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) just brought $21.5 million in for a landing. The latest budget offers from the House and Senate set aside that appropriation for a terminal expansion. That’s a number greater than three times what the airport even asked for ahead of Session. “We are extremely grateful to the Florida Legislature,” said SRQ Airport CEO Fred Piccolo. An expansion is planned to help the suburban airport expand and better handle growth in passenger flights. “The two projects are about $120 million to complete,” Piccolo said.
“Budget conference: Legislature removes funding earmarked for Miami Military Museum” via Florida Politics — After failing to reach a consensus in committee negotiations last week, the Senate on Sunday removed a $150,000 funding request for the Miami Military Museum and Memorial in the 2022-23 state budget. The move came after the House repeatedly refused last week to fund the relatively minuscule line item, which was for far less than the $650,000 originally requested in appropriations bills (LFIR 1263 and HB 2031) filed by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. and Rep. Anthony Rodriguez in September. The museum received at least $1 million in state funding set-asides through the 2020-21 budget, as well as $800,000 in local funding from Miami-Dade County and $45,000 in COVID-19 assistance. The museum will have to subsist on local government funds and donations this year.
—TALLY 2 —
“Bill separating teacher evaluations from collective bargaining passes House” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — A bill that would allow school districts to keep teacher evaluations out of collective bargaining talks with teachers passed the House Monday. HB 1203, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, passed the House 76-37 along party lines. The bill specifies that instructional evaluation procedures are not subject to mandatory collective bargaining, leaving School Districts to decide whether terms about the evaluation process could be used during collective bargaining. The legislation comes as Florida faces a statewide teacher shortage that is expected to worsen. The Florida Board of Education reported recently there are currently about 4,500 teacher vacancies, with that number expected to double by the end of the academic year.
“Senate passes bill prohibiting residential picketing” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — A bill that would prohibit residential picketing in Florida is now ready to head to DeSantis’ desk. The Senate on Monday passed the proposal (HB 1571) on a 28-3 vote, without debate. Sen. Keith Perry is the companion bill sponsor. “This bill recognizes the right of privacy, safety and peace that we all deserve in our own home,” Perry said. The bill would ban residential protests that “harass” or “disturb” a person within their home if signed into law. It also would amplify penalties against violators. A violation under the bill is a second-degree misdemeanor and levies penalties, including 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and six months’ probation. Police, though, must first warn an individual of a potential violation.
“Senate OK’s bill broadening death penalty record exemptions” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The Senate OK’d a bill Monday that would withhold the information of nearly all parties involved in Florida’s execution process from public record. The bill (HB 873) seeks to broaden the state’s long-standing public record exemption by shielding “any person or entity” involved in the state’s execution process. Rep. Patt Maney is the bill sponsor. The Senate passed the proposal on a 28-10 vote. The bill, which required a two-thirds majority, now awaitsDeSantis’ consideration. If signed into law, the bill will significantly expand the long-standing exemption. State law currently shields various details, including the executioner’s name, a private citizen paid $150 per execution and the state’s lethal injection drug prescribers.
“Legislature adopts bill that keeps homeless individuals’ personal info private despite federal database” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — The House approved legislation Monday keeping homeless individuals’ information out of the public record if those individuals seek help at a homeless shelter. Rep. Fiona McFarland filed the bill (HB 699) to add a new exemption to Florida’s Sunshine Law. McFarland substituted a similar Senate version sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters (SB 934) for her bill. The Senate bill was adopted on Feb. 10, meaning the legislation now awaits the Governor’s signature. McFarland said the time has come for this exemption to the public records law, considering the number of people who experienced instability during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Cyberterror, deepfake bill close to Legislature approval” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — A bill that would beef up Florida’s criminal penalties for stealing an individual’s sexually explicit pictures and other sexual image-related crimes is set to clear its final hurdle Tuesday. SB 1798, which passed the Senate unanimously last week, was substituted for its House companion (HB 1453) during its second reading Monday, setting the stage for the legislation to receive House approval Tuesday. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Joe Harding. No roadblocks have emerged in the way of the bipartisan sponsored and supported bill, as it cleared all of its committee stops without a single dissenting vote. The legislation targets deepfakes, which are images or videos that make it look like a person said or did something they did not. The measure also stiffens penalties for revenge porn and other sex-related crimes.
Organized retail crime bill teed up for House vote — The House is ready to vote on a bill that would upgrade charges for people accused of stealing from five or more stores in 30 days, Stephany Matat of POLITICO Florida reports. The bill (SB 1534) would make it a third-degree felony for stealing from five or more stores or stealing 10 or more items and a second-degree felony for 20 or more items within 30 days. It also deletes the $750 threshold for felony theft charges. The bill passed the Senate last month.
“Bill to modernize boating safety sails through Legislature, now ready for Governor’s desk” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A bill that would update rules for boat charters is ready for DeSantis’ desk after sailing past its final stop in the Legislature Monday. Dubbed the “Boating Safety Act of 2022,” the bill (SB 606) is meant to improve the safe rental and use of maritime vessels following a surge in boating accidents in recent years. It would do that by requiring, among other things, additional pre-charter safety regulations. A boat renter would have to acquire a no-cost livery permit from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). To qualify for a permit, the business must show proof of valid insurance and that all vessels are sufficiently outfitted with Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices.
“To the moon: House passes bill to deregulate crypto trading” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The House has unanimously voted to clarify state law and financial regulations regarding cryptocurrency, which lawmakers are calling a long-term investment. The bill (HB 273), sponsored for the second year in a row by Rep. Vance Aloupis, would undo a 2019 court ruling preventing individuals who own bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from selling them without a license. In Florida v. Espinoza, a state appeals court bucked guidance from the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) and found that individuals who own bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies need a license to sell them. The case sprung up when the Miami Beach Police Department arrested a man for selling bitcoin in exchange for cash.
“Strawberry Ron: DeSantis approves strawberry shortcake as state dessert” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — In a nod to Florida’s growers in Central Florida, DeSantis has signed a bill naming the strawberry shortcake as the state dessert. The legislation (SB 1006), sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep. Lawrence McClure, designates strawberry shortcake, with natural Florida dairy topping, as the state dessert. Before growers, reporters and strawberry queens on the fifth day of the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, DeSantis signed the bill Monday, still smacking his lips from the shortcake and natural Florida dairy topping he sampled before giving his thumbs-up. Plant City and the surrounding area is home to more than 10,000 acres of strawberries, which make up 75% of the nation’s winter strawberry crop.
— MORE TALLY —
“Disney CEO Bob Chapek addresses company’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill” via Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter — Chapek told staff that the company “unequivocally” stands with its LGBTQ+ employees in the wake of Florida passing its so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, but he also acknowledged that there is more the company needs to do. “I want to be crystal clear: I and the entire leadership team unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities. And we are committed to creating a more inclusive company — and world,” Chapek wrote. In recent weeks, Disney has been taking heat for declining to release a statement about the bill and for donating money to statewide elected officials who supported the bill.
FHCA thanks lawmakers for ‘modernizing’ nursing home staff rules — The Florida Health Care Association thanked the Legislature for passing a bill (HB 1239) that would change nursing center staffing requirements to allow non-nursing staff to fulfill a portion of direct care hours. FHCA was a primary supporter of the bill and says it brings needed modernizations to state rules and would additionally help alleviate the current staffing crunch at nursing centers. FHCA CEO Emmett Reed said the organization was “so thankful” that lawmakers recognized “the urgent need for this critical legislation, which will help ensure that Florida’s nursing center residents can receive the best quality care possible. We know Gov. DeSantis understands this need, and we strongly encourage him to make this issue a priority by signing this legislation.”
“West Palm Beach Mayor urges lawmakers to pass water measure” via Matt Papaycik of WPTV — The West Palm Beach Mayor and other local officials on Monday called on Florida lawmakers to pass a bill that will continue to provide drinking water from Lake Okeechobee to residents. Mayor Keith James said SB 2508, officially called the “Environmental Resources” measure, will help ensure that Lake O operations meet the needs of South Floridians, including those who are dependent upon it for their water supply. On Monday, James and other local leaders said SB 2508 would take decisions about Lake O water levels out of the hands of bureaucrats in Washington and keep them on the local level.
“Democrats, advocates: Affordable housing funds not enough to stem rent crisis” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — Florida’s housing issues have reached crisis levels, and the funding lawmakers are preparing to put into affordable housing programs aren’t matching the size of the problem, Democrats and housing advocates said Monday during a rally in front of the Capitol. “This is to send a message to our people in the Governor’s Office and the House and the Senate that we can’t just do nothing,” said Rep. Dianne Hart. In the latest budget talks between the House and Senate, the chambers have agreed to spend $318.7 million on housing programs. That’s about $50 million more than the original House plan but $36.8 million short of DeSantis’ recommendation.
Progressive group condemns elections bill — Stand Up America blasted a bill (SB 524) passed by the Senate last week that would create an election fraud police unit, more frequently purge voter rolls, and criminalize ballot harvesting. “After touting Florida’s elections as the ‘gold standard,’ Florida Republicans have done an about-face to appeal to the most extreme factions of their party and to boost Gov. DeSantis’ 2024 hopes. Voters and taxpayers will suffer as a result,” Executive Director Christina Harvey said. “This Anti-Voter Freedom Act is a waste of taxpayer dollars that puts one man’s political aspirations above the needs of everyday Floridians. Members of the Florida House must do everything in their power to keep Gov. DeSantis and his cronies from ramming this bill through the lower chamber. Floridians’ freedom to vote depends on it.”
— BILLS ARE DYING —
“Legislature shortchanges ban on no-cash businesses” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A measure barring many brick-and-mortar businesses in Florida from refusing cash payments is dead after going ignored for months in both chambers of the Legislature. Neither the Senate version of the bill (SB 408) filed Oct. 6 by Sen. Shevrin Jones nor its House twin (HB 233) that Rep. Matt Willhite filed the same day saw a single hearing. That’s because Sen. Ed Hooper and Rep. Nick DiCeglie declined to take up the proposal in the committees they run, effectively killing the bill before Jones or Willhite could advocate for it. In the first year of the pandemic, digital point-of-sale company Square reported seeing the share of cashless businesses more than double in the U.S.
“Legislature gives cold shoulder to bill requiring landlords to provide air conditioning” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A measure mandating landlords in Florida provide tenants with functional air conditioning systems, an accommodation to match current requirements for heating, has died without receiving a single hearing during the 2022 Legislative Session. The legislation (SB 1134, HB 819), which Sen. Jason Pizzo and Rep. Michael Grieco filed in early December, would have added just one hyphenated word, “air-conditioning,” to existing state statutes. That would have fixed a bizarre oversight in the appropriately named “Sunshine State,” which can sometimes get chilly in winter but where it gets fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk sweltering in the steamiest months of the year. Grieco and Pizzo will have to wait until next year to see through the measure.
— The Senate convenes for a floor Session to pass a bill on parental rights in education (HB 1557), filed by Rep. Joe Harding, 9 a.m., Senate Chamber.
— The House convenes for a floor Session to consider bills on immigration (SB 1808), election (SB 524), and alimony reform (SB 1796), 10:30 a.m., House Chamber.
— The Senate Rules Committee will meet to hear a bill revising requirements for newspapers publishing legal notices (HB 7049), carried by Rep. Randy Fine, 2 p.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.
— `GOV CLUB MENU —
Tortilla soup; Latin chop salad; southwest black bean and corn salad; mango slaw; chicken salad wraps; beef tacos with grilled corn tortillas; chili Rellenos casserole; sautéed street corn; cilantro and lime rice; sliced array of cakes for dessert.
—STATEWIDE —
“DeSantis returns to Bay Co. for wildfire updates” via Jenna Maddox of My Panhandle — DeSantis made his way back to Bay County on Sunday to give more updates for the Adkins Avenue and Bertha Swamp Road wildfires. The Bertha Swamp Road wildfire grew to 9,000 acres on Sunday. “That’s a big boy, and it’s raging very quickly… It’s moving,” DeSantis said. “If you look where it’s moving, the smoke is way ahead of it, so it creates a lot of challenges in a number of different respects.” DeSantis said many agencies around the state are in the Panhandle to help with the effort, including the Florida National Guard.
“Heavy rain chances expected to bring potential relief to Panhandle wildfires, but it’s temporary” via Ebonee Burrell of The Panama City News-Herald — Heavy rain rolling in and strong winds dying down later in the week could be good news for those fighting Bay County’s wildfires, though it likely will be only a temporary reprieve. Multiple wildfires covered more than 14,000 acres across Bay and northern Gulf counties as of Monday afternoon, proving difficult for local resources to control as dry conditions make the fire easy to spread. National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Young said that by Wednesday, a cold front will begin moving through the Panama City area, which will significantly increase the chances of rain to as high as 90% chance by Thursday.
“‘Kumbaya’ to ‘don’t say gay’: How Florida GOP outreach to LGBTQ community fell apart” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Just four years ago, Republican officeholders from across Central Florida gathered in Orlando to back Conservatives on the Right Side of Equality, a new group dedicated to building bridges between Republicans and the LGBTQ community. A “new generation” of Republicans was coming to the fore, said then-Longwood Mayor Ben Paris, who were focused on moving toward equality and away from “the Republican Party of the past.” Four years later, however, gay rights groups are in an uproar over the Republican-backed “don’t say gay” bill that’s expected to pass this week and head to DeSantis’ desk for his signature. The schism between the GOP and the LGTBQ community has been at its highest levels since the same-sex marriage battles of the 2000s.
“Florida gas prices reach ‘highest levels in a decade,’ AAA says” via USA Today Network — Prices at Florida pumps ballooned to an average price of $3.97 this Sunday, or a 44 cent per gallon jump in the last five days, their “highest levels in a decade,” according to the AAA — The Auto Club Group. “Drivers may soon begin to see record-high prices,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman. Sunday’s average was the highest since April 2012, with the average cost for a tank fill-up hovering at $59. To compare, that figure was $41 this time last year. Also Sunday, the average gasoline price nationwide reached $4 a gallon for the first time since July 2008, according to AAA.
“While baseball argues about billions, small Florida towns lose their meager spring windfall” via John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Sports Foundation says spring training has an annual economic impact of $687.1 million in this state. While the money sounds exaggerated, the actual passion for spring training is immeasurable. It is northerners escaping the cold, and students escaping class. It is retirees sitting in the sun alongside business execs sneaking in a lunchtime beer. It is an unhurried pace, uncommon proximity, and unnatural optimism before the inevitable heartbreak of a 162-game season. The last time baseball had a work stoppage in 1995, Spring Training was a 10-to-12-game sprint that ended in April. Attendance in 1994 had averaged more than 31,000 per game, and it would be another dozen years before MLB crowds got back to that level.
“Personnel note: Lauren Cassedy, aide to Ashley Moody, joins AT&T” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Cassedy is off on a new adventure. After three years serving as Moody’s Public Affairs Director, the communications vet joins the AT&T corporate public relations shop. Cassedy will help lead communications in AT&T’s Southern States region, which includes Florida and stretches from Texas to North Carolina. She started the new gig Monday and will remain based in Tallahassee. “AT&T has a great track record of working in communities across the country, which I’m really excited to now be a part of and help further,” Cassedy said. “I enjoyed so much of my time working in state government, but I’m really excited about this opportunity and new challenge.”
— 2022 —
FDP partners with DSCC on ‘One Future Florida’ — The Florida Democratic Party is starting a coordinated election campaign earlier than in the past few election cycles, cutting the ribbon Tuesday on “One Future Florida,” a partnership with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Ferguson Yacyshyn, a Sarasota native and veteran of Democratic campaigns in Florida, Iowa and Virginia, has been hired as One Future Florida’s coordinated campaign director. The campaign will house Florida Democrats’ organizing, voter registration, voter protection and data infrastructure for local, state, statewide, and U.S. Senate election campaigns in 2022. Democrats say they’ll be opening up bilingual field offices and focusing on “engaging and mobilizing constituencies across the state that have long been instrumental to Democratic victories.”
Aramis Ayala to formally launch Attorney General campaign Tuesday — Former State Attorney Ayala will hold a 9 a.m. news conference at the Capitol Tuesday alongside state Senators and local elected officials to formally announce her candidacy for Attorney General. At 5:30 p.m., she will hold a fundraiser with Tallahassee Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow, Soil & Water Commissioner Tabitha Frazier and attorneys Mutaqee Akbar, Louis Jean-Baptiste, Stephen Knight and Chuck Hobbs at Warhorse Whiskey Bar. Ayala, a Democrat, filed paperwork to challenge Attorney General Ashley Moody last week. She is the only prominent Democrat seeking the Cabinet post.
Progress Pinellas sends more ad support to Eric Lynn in CD 13 — Super PAC Progress Pinellas made another ad buy backing Lynn’s campaign for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. The new ad touts Lynn, a Democrat, as a “hometown kid from St. Pete” and plays up his connection to former President Barack Obama, whom he served as an adviser. “Now Eric is running for Congress to fight Republicans’ attacks on us — protecting women’s reproductive rights, defending the rights of Floridians, and taking a stand for good jobs and a $15 minimum wage, ”the ad says. Progress Florida said the $584K ad buy includes a broadcast and cable flight and digital ads. It will run through March 28.
To watch the ad, click on the image below:
“Fred Guttenberg endorses Jared Moskowitz for CD 22 seat” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Former DEM Director Moskowitz is the only major name to officially announce he’s running to succeed Rep. Ted Deutch in Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, and one prominent gun rights advocate can’t imagine anyone better. Deutch upended the South Florida political world last week, announcing that his seventh congressional term would be his last. And lots of names have come out as possible replacements for the Boca Raton Congressman. But Guttenberg, whose daughter, Jaime, died in Florida’s worst school shooting, said he thinks the district that straddles Broward-Palm Beach counties should go with the first one to get in the race.
Moskowitz rolls out 50 endorsements for CD 22 bid — Moskowitz announced a list of 50 current and former elected officials who have endorsed his campaign for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. The list includes Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, Sen. Jones and House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne alongside several other lawmakers and local elected officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties. “I’m honored to receive support from so many elected leaders, many of whom I’ve worked alongside to fight for our Democratic priorities. I look forward to continuing that fight with their help, and I appreciate their faith in my ability to advance our values in Washington,” said Moskowitz, who last week entered the race to succeed exiting U.S. Rep. Deutch.
“Dean Black crosses $350K mark for HD 15 campaign” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Black, the Duval County Republican Party Chair, has collected more than $350,000 for his campaign in House District 15. The fundraising total includes $164,910 raised through his official campaign account, including $100,000 in candidate loans, as well as $185,201 raised through his political committee, True Conservatives. The campaign cash came in February, his first month as a candidate. The committee total includes $11,000 raised last month and $174,000 raised in the previous year when he considered a run in the old House District 11.
“Elijah Manley seeks to avenge loss in central Broward House race” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — A Democratic House candidate who lost in a four-way Special Democratic Primary race to represent Broward County in Tallahassee is back as a candidate in 2022. Manley was third in last January’s Special Democratic Primary to choose the successor to Rep. Bobby DuBose, who resigned from House District 94 to run for Congress. Now, it looks like Manley is up for a rematch. The decennial redistricting process means that Broward County’s HD 94 has been renumbered House District 99, and its boundaries have shifted westward. But Manley will have to get by the incumbent who bested him in January: Rep. Daryl Campbell. Campbell already has filed for re-election to the seat he won on Jan. 12, state papers show.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“Florida adds 14,148 COVID-19 cases, 1,207 deaths in past week” via Jamal Thalji of the Tampa Bay Times — There were 14,148 new cases in Florida, according to the latest state report. There was an average of 2,021 patients a day, a 45% drop compared to the previous week. Florida saw 5,814,517 cases.
“CDC OKs gathering without masks in Leon; February was deadliest COVID-19 month since October” via Mike Stucka of the Tallahassee Democrat — As predicted by local health experts, the CDC now lists Leon County as low risk for transmission of COVID-19, a label that comes with the approval of maskless gatherings in indoor, public spaces. The CDC data meant to guide decision-making considers current hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and capacity in addition to the case numbers, which previously dominated its metrics. On Monday, HCA Florida Capital Hospital, formerly Capital Regional Medical Center, reported 12 COVID-19-positive patients.
— CORONA NATION —
“White House must go further on new pandemic response, say former Joe Biden advisers, outside experts” via Ben Diamond of The Washington Post — Vaccinate 85% of Americans against the coronavirus. Ensure that people experiencing long COVID-19 can get disability benefits. Develop a plan to restore trust in the CDC. Those are among the more than 250 discrete recommendations issued by a team of former Biden COVID-19 advisers and dozens of other outside experts on Monday, arguing that the White House must take additional steps to combat the virus and reduce the risk of other infectious diseases, to avoid the societal disruptions that have characterized the past two years.
“Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine moves closer to FDA authorization decision” via Joseph Walker of The Wall Street Journal — Novavax Inc.’s long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine is moving toward U.S. authorization after the company said it resolved manufacturing problems that had held up its application. Clearance in the U.S. isn’t imminent because the FDA must sort through a large amount of study data from several countries, a person familiar with the matter said. However, a decision is getting closer since Novavax formally submitted an authorization request in late January. If the shot is rolled out in the U.S., it could boost vaccination efforts flagged among the hesitant.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“As lab owners buy luxury cars, Biden tightens oversight of $5 trillion in COVID-19 relief” via Ken Alltucker of USA Today — When patients came to the South Florida testing lab owned by Christopher Licata, they got the COVID-19 tests they requested, plus more lucrative but medically unnecessary genetic and respiratory tests, allowing Licata to bill $6.9 million to Medicare, federal prosecutors say. Licata got caught, the Delray Beach man pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud Medicare and is scheduled to be sentenced March 24, but federal officials are scrambling to tighten oversight of more than $5 trillion in pandemic relief funding passed by Congress over the past two years.
“Restaurants debate masks as COVID-19 rules rapidly disappear” via Heather Haddon and Stephen Council of The Wall Street Journal — COVID-19 restrictions are easing. Restaurants are deciding whether to keep masks on the menu. In recent weeks, California, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and other local governments have ended mask requirements for dining inside and working at restaurants. Some businesses believe that there is a benefit for business and their workers when mask mandates are removed. The facial coverings are hot and uncomfortable to work in, and not having to put them on between bites and sips makes customers more motivated to dine out, Applebee’s President John Cywinski said Wednesday. Some restaurant owners are still struggling to recruit enough staff to entirely run their operations and worry that relaxing rules could scare off employees fearful about their health.
— MORE CORONA —
“Even a mild case of COVID-19 can cause brain changes. It’s too soon to know if the damage lasts” via Karen Weintraub of USA Today — A new study provides the most conclusive evidence yet that COVID-19 can damage the brain, even in people who weren’t severely ill. The study, published Monday in Nature, used before-and-after brain images of 785 British people, ages 51 to 81, to look for any changes. About half the participants contracted COVID-19 between the scans, mostly when the alpha variant was circulating, leaving many people at least temporarily without a sense of smell. Analysis of the “before” and “after” images from the U.K. Biobank showed that people infected with COVID-19 had a greater reduction in their brain volumes overall and performed worse on cognitive tests than those who had not been infected.
“How the COVID-19 test was won” via Brianna Abbott and Peter Loftus of The Wall Street Journal — Inside a factory that is the size of five football fields, thousands of workers from Abbott Laboratories race to meet the demand for America’s dominant COVID-19 at-home test. Some place test strips inside white, rectangular cards of paper that feature a pink stripe before sealing them into a pouch. In other rooms, workers pack pouches, swabs and solution into bluish-purple boxes labeled BinaxNow. Trucks roll in to pick up new supplies every day between 3 a.m. and midnight. Starting in March, the company expects to make 100 million of them, and in just the last five weeks, it added about 1,300 employees at its Gurnee plant to help make that happen. How BinaxNow became one of the standout products of the pandemic comes down to a mix of research and manufacturing horsepower, industry connections, and some good fortune.
“Bail amounts lowered for COVID-19, and crime didn’t rise. Officials debate making it permanent.” via Mike Diamond of The Palm Beach Post — Lower bail amounts for a certain level of criminal offenses designed to lower the jail population during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic did not harm public safety in Palm Beach County, a Florida State University study has concluded. In fact, the study stated that rates of people being put back in jail or defendants not showing up for court declined during the period in which the lower bail amounts were in place. But a recommendation that the lower bail amounts be made permanent has generated pushback from law enforcement and bail agents. When the pandemic was ravaging in the Palm Beach County jail system, then-Chief Judge Krista Marx issued an order in April 2020 to reduce bail to $1,000 from $3,000 for primarily nonviolent third-degree felonies.
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Why Biden is getting some praise from Republicans on his handling of Ukraine” via Amber Phillips of The Washington Post — The one constant of the American reaction to the war in Ukraine so far has been bipartisanship. Democratic and Republican politicians as distant politically as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sens. Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio agree on not sending troops into Ukraine, refusing Ukrainian requests to police a no-fly zone there and banning Russian oil even if it raises prices for Americans. A number of Republican lawmakers also have been giving Biden small doses of praise for how he’s handled sanctions, at least since the invasion began. Yet some Republicans are trying to tease apart a relatively minor aspect of Biden’s response, the United States’ reliance on Russian oil, to see if he could be politically vulnerable there.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Florida Republicans pursue new sanctions after Russia invades Ukraine” via Bryan Lowry of the Miami Herald — Florida lawmakers have proposed a slew of new sanctions and other measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rep. Carlos Giménez and Sen. Rubio, two Republicans from Florida, last week introduced the Preventing Usurpation of Power and Privileges by Extralegal Territories’ Sedition Act, or PUPPETS Act, to target the pro-Russian separatist groups in eastern Ukraine whose conflict with the Ukrainian government in Kyiv was used by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a pretext for the invasion. The bill would designate the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as foreign terrorist organizations and sanction any individuals that assist in establishing puppet governments in Ukraine.
“U.S. engages with Nicolás Maduro as oil prices soar. Venezuela’s opposition sees it as ‘foolish’” via Antonio Maria Delgado and Michael Wilner of the Miami Herald — A surprising effort by the Biden administration to forge a deal with Maduro and restore the flow of Venezuelan oil into U.S. ports might be welcomed by many U.S. motorists struggling with soaring gas prices amid the invasion of Ukraine. But Venezuela’s opposition was both caught off guard and angered as details emerged of a meeting. Top administration officials traveled to Caracas on Saturday to gauge what Maduro might be willing to offer in exchange for U.S. sanctions relief on its oil sector, as Biden debates whether to ban Russian oil imports over the invasion of Ukraine.
— CRISIS —
“John Eastman says ‘conflicting’ advice to Trump negates Jan. 6 committee’s claims of criminal intent” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — Eastman, who is seeking to shield key emails from the House select committee by claiming attorney-client privilege, said the panel’s explosive arguments would criminalize “good-faith” legal advice. Trump’s decision to heed it, amid conflicting counsel from his advisers, can’t be construed as criminal, Eastman argues. In a late-Monday court filing, Eastman’s argument is his first formal rebuttal to the select committee’s effort to persuade a federal judge to overturn Eastman’s privilege claims and unlock thousands of pages of emails between Eastman and members of Trump’s inner circle.
Op-ed — “Every Jan. 6 case matters” via James Comey for The Washington Post — I keep hearing that some FBI special agents, scattered around the country, don’t understand why it’s so important that everyone is held accountable who committed any crime at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, even if that crime was “only” trespassing inside the building. Here’s what I would say to them. We are a nation of laws, and the FBI is dedicated to the rule of law. All of you learned that at Quantico and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Despite all the division, passion and anger, we have never had something like Jan. 6. No Americans, whatever their politics, whatever their personal grievances, can ever again try to interfere in the operation of laws governing the election of a President.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Alex Jones and Trump: A fateful alliance draws scrutiny” via Elizabeth Williamson of The New York Times — The day Trump urged his supporters to “be there, will be wild!” at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Jones spread the message to millions. A little more than two weeks later, Jones joined his followers at the Capitol as a behind-the-scenes organizer. It is part of a reckoning Jones faces on multiple fronts. He is still fighting a half-dozen defamation lawsuits filed by the targets of his false claims, including the relatives of 10 Sandy Hook victims. The House committee has subpoenaed Jones, and included a three-page list seeking his related communications and financial records. Questioned by the panel this year, Jones invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times, and is trying to block the committee’s demand for records in court.
— LOCAL NOTES —
“‘It’s like we are all Ukraine’: South Florida shows solidarity with Ukraine” via NBC 6 Miami — Dozens gathered in front of the Cuban Memorial at Tamiami Park Sunday for a rally in support of Ukraine amid the ongoing invasion by Russian forces. The Assembly of Cuban Resistance organized the rally. “We gathered here today in a community rally to support Ukraine’s right to self-rule,” one attendee said. “Ukraine’s right to have their democratic sovereignty because their individual freedom depends on that.” The plight in Ukraine feels familiar to many exiles who attended the rally. “The Ukrainians are fighting for the same thing that Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans. For the right to rule themselves, the right to be free, the right to decide in their own nation,” another attendee said.
“Venezuelans in Miami torn by ‘risky’ U.S. talks with Maduro about oil, sanctions, Russia” via Bianca Padró Ocasio of the Miami Herald — As Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on, leaders in the Venezuelan community in Miami are watching in suspense, and low expectations, the ongoing talks between the Biden administration and the government of Maduro to potentially ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil. A U.S. delegation traveled to Caracas last week in the U.S. government’s first approach to the regime since it broke diplomatic ties in 2019. With the price of oil skyrocketing, the U.S. seeks alternative sources of oil and renewed engagement with one of Putin’s closest allies in Latin America. “As a Venezuelan, I wish they wouldn’t, because it’s going to benefit Maduro,” said Beatriz Olavarria, a local Venezuelan activist who organized a voter drive for Venezuelans living abroad in 2012.
“Federal grand jury indicts former JEA executives on conspiracy, wire fraud” via Nate Monroe and David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Federal prosecutors on Monday unsealed a grand jury indictment charging former JEA chief executive officer Aaron Zahn and finance chief Ryan Wannemacher with conspiracy and wire fraud, casting the two men as the architects of a brazen scheme to secretly extract tens of millions of dollars of personal profit out of the city-owned utility before selling it off to a private operator. The 30-page indictment accuses the agency’s former top executives of devising a plot to enrich themselves by disguising it as a good-faith exploration of JEA’s financial future. Prosecutors allege almost every aspect of the failed effort to privatize one of Jacksonville’s largest and most important public agencies was a fraud.
“Federal prosecutors say former JEA CEO met with potential buyer before board vote. Who was it?” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — Federal prosecutors said in court papers that were unsealed Monday they have evidence that former JEA CEO Zahn, who faces conspiracy and wire fraud charges, met in South Florida with the chief executive officer of an unnamed potential buyer in the days leading up to a crucial board of directors vote on the fate of the city-owned utility in the summer of 2019. The meeting, which has never before been reported, likely would have generated controversy all on its own had it been publicly disclosed in real time. Zahn, the indictment alleges, told the CEO of the unnamed company and others at the meeting that JEA was set to explore privatization.
“Miami Beach Mayor announces push for $60M revamp of Lincoln Road mall” via Martin Vassolo of the Miami Herald — Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber on Monday rattled off a list of new projects coming online this year, including a new cancer center, a 3-acre public park and a push to renovate Lincoln Road, during his annual State of the City speech. Gelber, speaking from the stage at the New World Center, announced the development of the $250 million Irma and Norman Braman Cancer Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center. With Norman Braman, the billionaire philanthropist, and his family in attendance, Gelber showed a rendering of the sleek new building that he said would be an “ultramodern” facility overlooking Biscayne Bay.
“Broward schools may crackdown on unruly behavior — of adults” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Parents and visitors may soon have to be on their best behavior when they visit schools or School Board property or else face such actions as a “public admonition” or a trespassing charge. The School Board plans to discuss a proposed new “respect and civility” policy during a Tuesday workshop, tentatively set for 2:30 p.m. Although the policy includes students, the focus appears to be on unruly behavior by adults. “The policy is one that communicates how employees and non-employees will interact with one another in a respectful manner,” the office of Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch said in a statement. “We are sharing that we are seeking civil dialogue and interactions in a positive atmosphere.”
“Fort Lauderdale’s fired biracial chief was not part of ‘good old boys club,’ NAACP leader says” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Larry Scirotto, Fort Lauderdale’s top cop fired amid allegations of reverse discrimination last week after just six months on the job, was firing back on Monday. Scirotto said city leadership hired him, in part, to bring change to a department whose leaders usually came from inside the agency. His boss, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, warned him his efforts to diversify the agency would be “met with great resistance,” he said. Lagerbloom fired Scirotto on Thursday, six days after receiving an investigative report by an outside attorney hand-picked by the city to look into claims that Scirotto made promotions based on race and gender. Lagerbloom fired Scirotto on Thursday, six days after receiving an investigative report by an outside attorney hand-picked by the city to look into claims that Scirotto made promotions based on race and gender.
“Alachua County voters will be asked whether they support sales tax increase for 10 years” via John Henderson of The Gainesville Sun — Voters in Alachua County will be asked to support a local sales tax that would last for 10 years under ballot language that has been proposed for the Nov. 8 election. Alachua County commissioners earlier this week endorsed the wording of the ballot question, with a final vote on the referendum question scheduled for March 22. The sales tax, on average, would cost each Alachua County resident about $1,234 over 10 years, or $123 per person annually. The infrastructure tax over 10 years would generate more than $174 million for the city of Gainesville and more than $491 million countywide, with all of the cities getting funding from the pot.
“‘We should all be enraged’: Ocala’s vulnerable children go months without medication, care” via Danielle Johnson of the Ocala Star-Banner — When Heather’s 14-year-old son Isaac, who has severe autoimmune encephalitis, a disease in which his immune system attacks the brain, suddenly stopped receiving his infusions last August, the whole family felt the effects. Exactus told her it hadn’t received the prescription and referred her to AcariaHealth, the pharmacy for individuals on Sunshine Health insurance plans. AcariaHealth told her it hadn’t received it, either, and directed her back to Exactus. Three months after the problem began, the prescription was suddenly filled with no explanation, but Heather fears that long-term damage has been done to her son’s health.
— TOP OPINION —
“DeSantis sacrifices Floridians for his personal ambition” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — Although he doesn’t admit it, DeSantis’ craving for the White House is the most transparent ambition since Julius Caesar theatrically declined a crown, and it’s already dreadfully clear what kind of public health President he would be. Consider what happened Monday. DeSantis’ Surgeon General, Ladapo, announced that the Department of Health would not recommend healthy children get COVID-19 vaccinations and will, in fact, recommend against it. That was another irresponsible act in DeSantis’ full-bore campaign to undercut common-sense health measures as invasions of “freedom.”
— OPINIONS —
“How Palm Beach County candidates can win hearts, minds” via the Palm Beach Post editorial board — We look for a candidate who knows the ins and outs of every important issue in a town, well enough to have informed opinions. It’s hard for someone other than an incumbent to come to this education, as many issues require more sophisticated knowledge than one might expect, whether of taxation, zoning, code enforcement or public safety. It’s not that complicated: We look for a candidate who’s smart, who does the right thing rather than play political games, who has spent time with and cares about town residents and businesses and who would position the town for greater social equity, livability and commercial success. Even more unsavory: the intrusion of anonymous money into local races. Beware shadowy candidates supported by secret givers.
—TODAY’S SUNRISE —
Call it what you may — Parental Rights in Education or Don’t Say Gay — the Senate passed it, and now it’s headed to the Governor’s desk.
Also on today’s Sunrise:
— Some of the more emotional testimony yet on the Don’t Say Gay bill came from Democratic Sen. Jones.
— House Democratic leadership lashes out at the tweets of the Governor’s press secretary.
— Gov. DeSantis holds a big roundtable to bash the establishment’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Gas prices are way up … and still going. Sunrise talks with the Florida AAA.
To listen, click on the image below:
— ALOE —
“Don’t feed the bears: FWC cites Seminole residents ‘afraid the bears would starve’” via Garfield Hylton of the Orlando Sentinel — A Florida Fish and Wildlife officer found four large black bears in the backyard of a Central Florida home eating what appeared to be food left out for them. FWC received numerous complaints regarding residents feeding bears in Seminole County. FWC Officer Dominique Infante noticed four bears were eating food from a resident’s backyard, with food that seemed to have been placed out for the bears. Two people were also watching the bears eat from about 50 yards away. They admitted to the officer they had fed the bears daily over the last couple of months “because they were afraid the bears would starve,” according to the FWC report.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to former Rep. Michael Bileca, Lance Block, former St. Pete mayoral candidate Pete Boland, Meagan Moser, and our friend, the supersmart Ryan Smith.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
Hello, Tuesday. It’s International Women’s Day. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,483 words … 5½ mins. Edited by Zachary Basu.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Chinese government is scrubbing the country’s internet of sympathetic or accurate coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and systematically amplifying pro-Putin talking points, Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian writes.
- Why it matters: China’s use of its propaganda and censorship muscle helps insulate Beijing from domestic backlash against its support for Putin — and leaves its citizens with an airbrushed, false version of events, similar to what’s seen in Putin’s state-controlled Russia.
What’s happening: Chinese media outlets were told to avoid posting “anything unfavorable to Russia or pro-Western” on their social media accounts, and to only use hashtags started by Chinese state media outlets, according to a leaked censorship directive.
- Online comments expressing sympathy for Ukraine have been deleted — even the anti-war speech given by the Paralympic Committee president during the opening ceremony was censored on Chinese TV.
- Pro-Putin social media posts on Chinese social media were allowed to proliferate, as were posts blaming the U.S. and NATO for the conflict.
- Chinese state media have widely aggregated content from Russian outlets.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself in his presidential office in Kyiv last night, declaring in the face of multiple alleged assassination attempts: “I’m not hiding. And I’m not afraid of anyone.”
- Why it matters: Zelensky’s nightly addresses, in which he details Russian attacks and honors fallen heroes, have become appointment viewing for news and inspiration, Axios’ Zachary Basu writes.
“You know, we used to say: Monday is a hard day,” Zelensky said as he filmed out his window on Bankova Street on the 12th day of the invasion.
- “Now there is a war in the country, so every day is Monday.”
More than 2 million refugees have now fled Ukraine.
- Russia claims it is allowing “humanitarian corridors” for the safe passage of civilians, but Ukrainian officials have reported multiple instances of shelling along those routes in the last 24 hours.
- Ukraine’s infrastructure minister said the country has suffered about $10 billion in damage since Russia’s invasion began.
- Zelensky pledged to continue peace talks until the war ends — and to rebuild Ukraine until there is “no trace” of the “hatred that the enemy brought to our cities with shelling and bombing.”
Fast-growing cities — including Miami, Orlando and San Diego — are gobbling a growing slice of U.S. tech workers, Axios’ Erica Pandey reports.
- Why it matters: The rise of remote work has lured tech talent from coastal hubs, chipping away at established tech hubs’ dominance.
Two new datasets — a report from Brookings and LinkedIn data tracking tech migration — paint a similar picture: Tech jobs flocked to a handful of new hubs, many of them in the Sun Belt, during the pandemic.
- Miami was among the biggest winners: It saw a 30% increase in the net flow of workers in the software and IT sector who moved into the region in 2021, up from a 15% gain in 2020, according to LinkedIn.
7 of the 10 fastest-growing cities for tech worker inflows in 2021 were Sun Belt cities, including San Antonio, San Diego, Orlando and Jacksonville.
- Charlotte, Tucson and Virginia Beach saw big gains at the beginning of the pandemic, according to Brookings, as did a handful of college towns, including Lawrence, Kan.
Reality check: The big tech hubs — particularly the Bay Area, New York and Seattle — continue to hold the bulk of the jobs. As tech companies invest in new offices and call workers back, the jobs that moved out of the superstar cities could come back.
- New York has fared especially well: Its tech sector grew more during 2020 than in the years just before the pandemic, according to Brookings. LinkedIn data show that boom continuing.
Between the lines: Texas and Florida, which are home to several of the cities luring tech workers, don’t have state income tax.
- Miami has aggressively courted tech workers. Miami Hack Week in January involved roughly 1,000 attendees working on projects in homes across the city sponsored by companies.
For International Women’s Day, The Economist is out with a glass-ceiling index showing four Nordic countries as the best places for working women — based on metrics that include gender pay gap, parental leave and the cost of childcare.
- The U.S. is 20th.
Ukrainian refugees arrive in Poland on March 1. Photo: Maciej Luczniewski/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A number of Black people living in Ukraine, many of them exchange students, report being blocked as they tried to board trains to escape the war, Axios’ Fadel Allassan reports.
- Why it matters: The racist incidents — some documented on video, as the hashtag #AfricansInUkraine flooded Twitter — added individual agony to the desperate nationwide exodus.
Zoom in: Among the more than 2 million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion is Alexander Somto Orah, a 25-year-old Nigerian student who told Axios he witnessed three separate incidents of racial discrimination against evacuees by Ukrainian authorities during the long journey from Kyiv to Warsaw.
- At a Kyiv train station, police officers said they’d prioritize entry to women and children, Orah said. But they denied access to a group of African women — some of whom were pregnant — even as African men pleaded with authorities to let them pass.
- At a station in Lviv, officers said only Ukrainian nationals could pass, “but I saw them take only white people,” Orah said. The authorities didn’t respond when he and others confronted them to ask how they knew who was Ukrainian without checking passports, he recalled.
- At the Ukraine-Poland border, white and nonwhite people were separated by a barricade, Orah said.
The Senate yesterday sent President Biden legislation designating lynching as a federal hate crime for the first time in U.S. history. The House had overwhelmingly passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.
- Why it matters, from Axios’ Russell Contreras: Since the Civil War, lynchings have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent Black men, Mexican Americans and Asian Americans.
The backdrop: Over the past century, some 200 bills have been introduced to try to explicitly ban lynching in America.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
A bipartisan group of senators is introducing a bill to prevent Russia from liquidating gold to withstand sanctions, Axios’ Sophia Cai reports.
- Why it matters: Russia’s gold stockpile could be a lifeline. A measure to close the loophole is another indication Congress is looking to get ahead of the Biden administration on punitive measures.
The backdrop: Beginning in 2014 — when the U.S. slapped new sanctions on Russia for invading Crimea — Russia upped its gold purchases.
Neighbors of Ambassador John Bolton, national security adviser under President Trump, have been telling us for a few months about the growing Secret Service presence outside his suburban Maryland home.
- Now we know why:
“At least two Iranians belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ covert-action Quds Force have been plotting to assassinate” Bolton, the Washington Examiner reports.
- Why it matters: Iran blames Bolton in part for the “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran by Trump, who withdrew from President Obama’s nuclear deal.
The plot has been “supported by significant Revolutionary Guard reconnaissance activity and involved an effort to recruit an assassin on U.S. soil,” the Examiner says.
- “The intelligence community became aware of the plot at an early stage … Significant FBI assets were … deployed to disrupt the plot.”
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei, in a New York Times feature about Axios, revealed expansion plans for Axios HQ, our Smart Brevity software for organizations … Axios Pro, our subscription service for hyper-relevant industry news … and Axios Local — now in 14 cities, with 25 by July.
- Why it matters: “America is screwed if we don’t restore fast a common connection, a common truth and a common reality,” VandeHei said. “This can only be done closer to people’s homes, professions and workplaces.”
The 1,365-word article, by media reporter Kate Robertson, was written in Axios style — with a “Why it matters” up top, then “Between the Lines” and “Go Deeper.”
- “The company’s executives think its short-format writing will build back trust in the media among busy audiences and can teach corporate America to quit its long-winded jargon,” Robertson writes.
The article notes that Axios recently hired Jamie Stockwell, a Times deputy national editor, to oversee Axios Local.
- Read the article (subscription).
Betnijah Laney in action during last year’s WNBA All-Star Game. Photo: David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images
ESPN is launching Fantasy Women’s Basketball ahead of the 2022 WNBA season, Axios Sports editor Kendall Baker has learned.
- Why it matters: It’s the first season-long, full-scale fantasy game dedicated to a major women’s sports league. The game will be available in early April ahead of the season opener on May 6.
The backdrop: WNBA had exponential viewership growth in 2021, as women’s sports grow in investment and exposure.
📬 Sign up here for your own personal copy of Axios AM, PM and Finish Line.
14.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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17.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
18.) FIRST RIGHT
March 8th, 2022
03/08/2022 04:55 CDT
SPIRALING GAS PRICES STUN AMERICAN CONSUMERS AS BIDEN TRIES TO EXPLAIN THEM AWAY; AMERICANS WANT MORE DRILLING
TODAY’S TOP TEN
GAS PRICES HAVE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON THE RUN
JEN PSAKI REPEATEDLY LIES ABOUT GAS PRICE crisis, blaming Russia. The Federalist.
U.S. GASOLINE PRICES REACH 14-YEAR HIGH, topping $4-a-gallon, AAA says. National Review.
70 PERCENT OF AMERICANS WANT MORE DOMESTIC oil production; only 18 percent oppose. Breitbart.
IDEOLOGUE PETE BUTTIGIEG SAYS BUYING expensive electric cars will help people save money. Daily Caller.
LIBERAL DARK MONEY GROUPS TO SPEND MILLIONS trying to disbar, shame lawyers who helped Donald Trump. Daily Caller.
AUDIT IN MISSISSIPPI: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Zuckerberg election funds were stolen and misused. The Federalist.
5 NEW DURHAM ARGUMENTS AGAINST A RUSSIA hoaxer’s attempt to escape prosecution. Margot Cleveland.
NEW DOCUMENTS SHOW NBC PROMISED to go easy on Biden administration over controversial nominee. Tristan Justice.
THE NEW YORK TIMES KNOWINGLY PUBLISHED a false smear against Clarence Thomas’ wife. The Federalist.
SAN FRANCISCO RESTAURANT OWNER explains why he moved to Texas. Legal Insurrection.
If you’d like to share First Right with a friend, text FIRSTRIGHT (all caps, no spaces) to 30161
COMMENTARY WORTH READING
- The imposters at ProPublica. Voter Reference Foundation.
- Wokeness on energy is weakness. Ned Ryun.
- Why we must demand that leaders who got COVID wrong admit it and apologize. Karol Markowicz.
VIDEO WORTH WATCHING
- Barr: Mueller investigation was a lie the liberal media pushed. Media Research Center.
- Samaritan’s Purse sets up field hospital to help people in Ukraine. Fox News.
- Massachusetts resident on gas prices — “Sick to my stomach.” RNC Research.
LATEST FIRST RIGHT PODCAST
- An interview with Ohio political expert Mark Weaver. Rumble.
OFFBEAT BEAT
- What really happened at the Boston Massacre? Famous Trials.
TWEETS OF NOTE
- (@Schilling1776) The Biden admin is considering getting us into a war — and they are refusing to ramp up oil production. What does that tell you? You aren’t winning a world war on green energy. We are governed by idiots. Tweet.
- (@KariLake) How can you tell if you’re watching Fake News? If they refuse to tell you Ivermectin & HCQ works and if they refuse to tell the truth about our rigged 2020 election–they are Fake News. Even some of our formerly favorite channels are corrupt. #WeDemandTheTruth #DefundFakeNews Tweet.
MOST CLICKED ITEM YESTERDAY
- KEY DOCTOR ADMITS ON VIDEO HE SHADED HIS FINDINGS on COVID-effective drug Ivermectin to placate pro-vaccine organizations that funded him. The Last Refuge.
BONGINO REPORT TOP HEADLINE AT TIME OF EMAIL
- “People’s Convoy” Avoids Entering D.C. Over Concerns of Media Casting Them in Same Light as Jan 6 BONGINO REPORT.
19.) FORT MYERS (FLORIDA) NEWS-PRESS
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20.) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
21.) CHICAGO SUNTIMES
22.) THE HILL MORNING REPORT
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23.) THE HILL 12:30 REPORT
24.) ROLL CALL
25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: EXCLUSIVE: ‘Limited’ no-fly zone gains steam among foreign policy elite
Presented by Emergent
DRIVING THE DAY
This morning we have a pair of significant Ukraine-related exclusives.
- The first is a letter signed by more than two dozen of the nation’s top foreign policy minds calling for a partial no-fly zone over Ukraine. The push runs squarely against conventional wisdom in Washington, but their missive will no doubt stir the conversation.
- Second, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows that President JOE BIDEN is enjoying at least a slight “Ukraine bump.” The uptick — first documented by an NPR/PBS/Marist survey released Friday — appears to be real, though how long it lasts is anyone’s guess.
Let’s unpack both.
ON THE NO-FLY ZONE: The group of 27 foreign policy heavyweights has signed an open letter to the Biden administration calling for a “limited no-fly zone.” The campaign is led by ROBERT MCCONNELL, co-founder of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation.
As you’ve no doubt read by now, a no-fly zone over Ukraine has been ruled out by Biden and a wide cross-section of foreign policy leaders. Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) succinctly described the idea as leading to “World War III.” To set up a no-fly zone, NATO (i.e. American) pilots would first have to destroy Russian air defenses. To enforce a no-fly zone, NATO would have to shoot down Russian planes that violate it.
Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN warned Saturday that Russia would view any nation declaring a no-fly zone “as participants of the military conflict.” It’s one of the few things that Biden and Putin seem to agree on: A no-fly zone would start a war between NATO and Russia.
But in their new letter, these signatories are calling for something a little different:
“We, the undersigned, urge the Biden administration, together with NATO allies, to impose a limited No-Fly Zone over Ukraine starting with protection for humanitarian corridors that were agreed upon in talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on Thursday. NATO leaders should convey to Russian officials that they do not seek direct confrontation with Russian forces, but they must also make clear that they will not countenance Russian attacks on civilian areas.”
This strikes us as a sincere attempt to answer the nagging question that many in the West have about wanting to do something about the humanitarian catastrophe Putin has unleashed without escalating into a potential nuclear conflict. The proposal described here is strictly about protecting civilians and enforcing the humanitarian corridors that Putin claims to back.
“President Biden and NATO Secretary General [JENS] STOLTENBERG have stated that neither the United States nor NATO will engage Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine,” they write. “What we seek is the deployment of American and NATO aircraft not in search of confrontation with Russia but to avert and deter Russian bombardment that would result in massive loss of Ukrainian lives.”
No doubt, members of Congress, and officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department will be pressed on this today. (The proposal does not change the fact that NATO would be in a position of engaging Russian forces that violate the limited no-fly zone, so we think we know what the answer will be.)
Some of the big names who signed: retired Gen. PHILIP BREEDLOVE, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe; IAN BRZEZINSKI, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense; PAULA DOBRIANSKY, former undersecretary of State for global affairs; ERIC EDELMAN, former undersecretary of Defense; EVELYN FARKAS, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia; DANIEL FRIED, former assistant secretary of State and U.S. ambassador to Poland; JOHN HERBST, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; JOHN KORNBLUM, former assistant secretary of State and U.S. ambassador to Germany; DAVID MERKEL, former deputy assistant secretary of State and NSC director; WILLIAM TAYLOR, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and NATO; and KURT VOLKER, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and special representative for Ukraine negotiations.
ON BIDEN’S UKRAINE BUMP — Republicans have tried for days to ding Biden on Ukraine, labeling him “weak,” blasting him for being “too slow to act” and, in some instances, trying to claim Putin would have thought twice before invading if DONALD TRUMP were president.
Well, today we’re seeing more evidence that these hits aren’t landing.
On the Ukraine question in particular, the change is especially notable among independents, whose approval of Biden’s handling of the conflict rose by more than 5 percentage points the past week; and Republicans, whose support grew by 2 points over that period. Toplines … Crosstabs
FLUKE — OR TREND? The numbers are in line with other polls documenting an uptick for Biden since his State of the Union address. On Friday, NPR/PBS/Marist found that his overall job approval rating had jumped by 8 points to 47% from 39%. Also that “a majority of Americans (52%) approve of how President Biden is handling the situation in Ukraine, up from 34% last week.”
We asked Cameron Easley, senior politics editor for Morning Consult, to help us make sense of the findings. “It’s not unusual for presidents to see their numbers improve immediately following a major address like a State of the Union, or for the so-called ‘rally around the flag’ effect to provide a similar boost when the country is facing a security threat,” he wrote to us. “Biden’s speech last week gave him a chance to capitalize on both of those impulses in the U.S. electorate, so it’s plausible that we’re seeing some real upward movement here.”
At the same time, Easley added: “It’s also true that most of these boosts are short-lived … so it’s too early to say if this represents some kind of turning point in Biden’s political fortunes.”
It’s International Women’s Day. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
BIDEN’S TUESDAY (all times Eastern):
— 9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 11:15 a.m.: Biden will depart the White House en route to Fort Worth, Texas, where he is scheduled to arrive at 2:45 p.m.
— 3:30 p.m.: Biden and VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH will speak with VA health care providers and about burn pits and other health issues.
— 4:30 p.m.: Biden and McDonough will deliver remarks on health care.
— 6:25 p.m.: Biden will depart Fort Worth to return to the White House, where he is scheduled to arrive at 9:20 p.m.
Press secretary JEN PSAKI will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Fort Worth.
THE SENATE is in. Assistant A.G. KRISTEN CLARKE and Rabbi CHARLIE CYTRON-WALKER of Colleyville, Texas, will be among those testifying before the Judiciary Committee at a hearing on the rise in hate crimes at 10 a.m. The Foreign Relations Committee will hold a markup on 2:30 p.m. to vote on nominations, including DEBORAH LIPSTADT for special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. CIA Director WILLIAM BURNS, DNI AVRIL HAINES, NSA Director Gen. PAUL NAKASONE, FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. SCOTT BERRIER will testify before the Intelligence Committee at 10 a.m. New York City Mayor ERIC ADAMS and Houston Mayor SYLVESTER TURNER will be among those testifying about public safety before a Judiciary subcommittee at 10 a.m.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
WAR IN UKRAINE
DAY 13 …
LATEST IN UKRAINE — NYT: “On land, in the air and across the sea, the Ukrainian military and civilian soldiers continued to bedevil and bog down Russian forces on Tuesday, protecting the borders of key cities and inflicting heavy losses against the larger and better equipped Russian army.
“But as Russian forces largely rely on long-range missiles, the invasion has caused widespread and often indiscriminate damage, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians with no heat, water or electricity, and struggling to find a path to escape. While the prospect of a cease-fire and ‘humanitarian corridors’ was again being discussed on Tuesday, there was little evidence that conditions on the ground would allow for large-scale evacuations from areas of the heaviest fighting.”
EYES ON TRADE RELATIONS … “A powerful, bipartisan group [of lawmakers] announced Monday it would craft legislation suspending normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, and grant the White House the authority to increase tariffs on the two countries, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” CNN’s Alex Rogers and Manu Raju report. “They also said they had agreed to strike a deal banning the import of ‘energy products’ from Russia. The letter was signed by Massachusetts Democratic Rep. RICHARD NEAL, Texas GOP Rep. KEVIN BRADY, Oregon Democratic Sen. RON WYDEN and Republican Sen. MIKE CRAPO of Idaho.”
Related read: “Biden warms to a Russian oil ban. Congress may not give him a choice,” from our Andrew Desiderio, Burgess Everett and Jonathan Lemire
— AP’s Alan Fram also notes that the proposed financial aid to Ukraine “has grown beyond $12 billion, as congressional bargainers worked toward a bipartisan government-wide spending deal that would also contain fresh sums for battling Covid-19.”
CONGRESS
THE RETURN OF … OBAMACARE REPEAL? — Paging MITCH MCCONNELL. Once again, one of his rank-and-file members is proposing a policy agenda item for the GOP to run on — one that might backfire. This time it’s Sen. RON JOHNSON (R-Wis.), who said on Breitbart News on Monday that the GOP should try once again to repeal Obamacare if they sweep the House, Senate and White House by 2024.
We’ll remind you that Republicans tried to do this in Trump’s first year and failed miserably. WaPo’s Amy Wang, who wrote up this news, notes that ACA has become even more popular since Biden took office, with more than 31 million people using the government health care system.
While Johnson isn’t proposing an official platform like Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.), the Wisconsinite said he backs Scott’s agenda. But Johnson’s repeal idea alone could cause complications for McConnell’s strategy of making the election a referendum on Biden and Democrats. Concerns about protecting people with pre-existing conditions were the No. 1 reason Democrats believed they flipped the House in 2018.
Sure enough, Psaki tweeted about the issue Monday night: “Senate Republicans have a plan to gut health care, raise premiums, and strip protections for pre-existing conditions. They also want to raise taxes on half of Americans, including seniors and working families. Don’t take my word for it, listen to @SenRickScott and @SenRonJohnson.”
FREE MEAL FIGHT — McConnell is opposing a provision in the omnibus spending bill that would extend a slew of waivers that have allowed schools to serve universal free meals during the pandemic, sources tell our Helena Bottemiller Evich.
“‘McConnell is not budging,’ said a person close to the ongoing negotiations. ‘It hurts everybody in every state. These are things Republicans want.’
“McConnell has not publicly stated why he has taken a hard line on the waiver issue and declined to comment, but a GOP leadership aide said the move was meant to roll back a temporary pandemic measure and rein in spending.”
HEADED TO BIDEN’S DESK — CNN’s Ali Zaslav: “The Senate passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022 on Monday night by unanimous consent. The bill, which would make lynching a federal hate crime, now heads to Biden’s desk for his signature.” The legislation would designate lynching punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The first anti-lynching bill was introduced in the House in 1918.
— Flashback from 2020: “Paul holds up anti-lynching bill. See Harris and Booker’s response,” CNN
DEMS REBRAND BBB — Vulnerable Senate Dems are on board with Sen. JOE MANCHIN’s (D-W.Va.) idea to retool Democrats’ congressional agenda into an inflation-fighting measure, Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine report. A reconciliation do-over that tackles climate, prescription drug costs, tax reform and deficit/inflation reduction is “welcome news for a group of Democrats who are trying to assemble a cost-cutting agenda but struggling to break through.”
JUDICIARY SQUARE
REDISTRICTING WATCH — “The Supreme Court turned away efforts from Republicans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to block state court-ordered congressional districting plans. In separate orders Monday, the justices are allowing maps selected by each state’s Supreme Court to be in effect for the 2022 elections. Those maps are more favorable to Democrats than the ones drawn by the states’ legislatures,” AP’s Mark Sherman reports.
The breakdown: “In North Carolina, the map most likely will give Democrats an additional House seat in 2023. The Pennsylvania map also probably will lead to the election of more Democrats, the Republicans say, as the two parties battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the midterm elections in November.”
PLAYBOOKERS
’NEO-JOURNALISM-MAXI-ZOOM-DWEEBIE’ — Okay … So on Sunday, we reported on the Twitter back and forth between new WaPo reporter Taylor Lorenz and some of her former and current colleagues at NYT and WaPo. (Take a look near the bottom of Playbook that day. You’ll need the background.)
When the sun rose on Monday,Lorenz was getting ready for her first day at the Post and all was quiet in the world. At 4:12 p.m. Eastern, however, the silence was broken when a story about Lorenz posted over at N.Y. Mag. The headline of the piece, by Shawn McCreesh: “Taylor Lorenz Introduces Her Brand to the Washington Post.” (The site also tested a different headline: “Of Course, Taylor Lorenz Welcomed Herself to the Wash Po With a Twitter Feud.”)
Some choice passages from the article, which was catnip for blue-check journo twitter:
- “‘Oh my God, can you stand all the drama?’ she says, giggling on a phone call with me last night.”
- “‘If you think about the Times as a platform, and you think about journalists as people creating for that platform,’ says Lorenz, again slipping into clichéd digital-marketing speak, ‘those two sides are always going to be in tension.’”
- “Lorenz’s new classmates at the Post and a few of her old ones at the Times called her out-of-date self-empowerment-via-marketing-lingo ‘cringey’ and basically labeled her a neo-journalism-maxi-zoom-dweebie.”
- “Some of Lorenz’s new colleagues have been anticipating her arrival today like she’s the Creature from the Black Lagoon. (Imagine trying to explain her to George Will.) She will remain in Los Angeles but recalls fondly the two years she spent in Washington. ‘I remember trying to explain to D.C. people why they need to know who Jake Paul is and them laughing. Meanwhile, Jake Paul says he’s going to run for president in 2032.’ She adds cheerily, ‘I love that my beat starts conversation!’” (No issue there from a publication whose unofficial motto is “Driving the Conversation.”)
Despite participating in the story (as well as another, more strait-laced write-up in the LAT about last weekend’s drama), Lorenz was not a fan. In a since-deleted tweet, she wrote that “a bunch of high profile current and former colleagues publicly bash me and my work on twitter days before my new job and this is how NY Mag frames it.”
In another later-deleted tweet, she wrote: “I have no hard feelings abt anyone in this threat. People post dumb tweets sometimes, I can hold my own.”
McCreesh’s piece also received some pushback on Twitter, with Lorenz retweeting some of the criticism herself. And as the controversy around her snowballed, some writers, like former POLITICO Mag editor Garrett Graff,rose to her defense: “Taylor is one of the most fascinating and important journalists working today, and I can’t wait to see her work in her new gig.”
ONE-LINERS … After eating lunch, Eric Adams worked off the calories by jumping on a skateboard … as one does.
Mad Dog PAC threw up a street sign in front of the Russian Embassy renaming the street “President Zelensky Way.”
Yo-Yo Ma played his cello next to the sign to protest the invasion of Ukraine.
Weijia Jiang and Luther Lowe are expecting their second baby!
BOOK CLUB — Rick Hasen, the well-known UC Irvine elections law expert, is out with a new book today: “Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics ― and How to Cure It”
IN MEMORIAM — A funeral was held Monday for Ken Duberstein at the Washington Hebrew Congregation. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Michael Luttig, Ronald Lauder and Andy Duberstein delivered eulogies. SPOTTED: Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Dave Calhoun, Ken Mehlman, Ziad Ojakli and Devon Spurgeon, Lally Weymouth, Caroline Kennedy, Elaine Chao, Josh Bolton, Mac McLarty, Alma Powell,Barbara Comstock, Wayne Berman, Laura Cox Kaplan and Joel Kaplan, Jim McNerney and Nina Totenberg. Read Luttig’s eulogy here
MEDIA MOVES — Jamie Ross is joining WaPo as a writer for “The 7” newsletter. He previously was a reporter for The Daily Beast. Talking Biz News
— CNN+ announced a slate of new executive producers: Javier de Diego will be executive director for “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”, Eva Nordstrom will be director of features and planning, Vaughn Sterling will oversee breaking news coverage on CNN+ and Reliable Sources Daily, and Ilyas Kirmani will be executive producer for “Cari & Jemele: Speak.Easy” and “The Don Lemon Show.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Mariel Sáez will be an SVP of the public affairs practice at SKDK. She previously was director of broadcast media at the White House, and is a Biden campaign and Steny Hoyer alum.
— Brooks Aukamp, Kelsey McLaughlin, Andrew Markoff and Kira Halevy are joining Applecart. Aukamp will be a director of business development at Applecart after helming Twitter’s politics and issue advocacy team. McLaughlin will be a senior director of digital strategy and previously was a VP of media at Rising Tide Interactive. Markoff will be director of campaigns and previously was Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s (D-Fla.) campaign manager. Halevy will be a managing director and head of client success, and previously was at SJR and Edelman and is an adjunct professor of business communication at Baruch College.
TRANSITIONS — Wendy Parker Sussman has joined the Johnson & Johnson worldwide government affairs and policy leadership team as head of pharmaceuticals for U.S. federal affairs. She previously was VP and head of U.S. health care government and public affairs at EMD Serono. … Jara Butler is joining Supermajority and the Supermajority Education Fund as chief impact officer. She previously was national training and services director at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and is a Beto O’Rourke alum. … Drew Kent is joining the Governing Majority Education Fund as its first executive director. He most recently was a lobbyist for the National Education Association, and is a Charlie Dent alum. …
… Brent Perrin is now a project manager at Majority Strategies. He is a Jack White campaign and NRSC alum. … Leo Tsao is joining Paul Hastings as a partner in the investigations and white collar defense and fintech and payments practices. He most recently was principal deputy chief of MLARS, and is a DOJ alum. … Nathan Kasai is joining the Gill Foundation as a program officer. He previously was deputy director for social policy and politics at Third Way.
WEDDING — Kyle VonEnde, comms director for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), and Lauren Beeslee, who will soon start as a senior strategy consultant for Accenture after completing her MBA at George Washington University, got married Feb. 19 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill. The two met in 2014 during their first weeks as undergrads at American University. Pic … Another pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) … Adrian Saenz of the White House … NBC’s Lester Holt … World Bank President David Malpass … Taylor Lustig … Evan Feigenbaum … Mallory Quigley … Drew Nirenberg … Andrew Koneschusky … Tom Cellucci … Micah Barbour … Shanon Henry … Gina Dearborn … Alex Tureman … Sarah Rogers … AARP’s Ashley Wolos … Jeff Sonderman … former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) (7-0) … Robert Wolf (6-0) … POLITICO’s Emily Solomon … Jesse Thomas … E&E News’ Andrew Holmes … Sarah Henning … Stephen Perkins of the American Conservation Coalition … Kristian Denny Todd
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
Thomas Cooley, President of American Bar Association, 1893: on Religion, 2nd Amendment, Local Control of Government, vs. Holmes, Jr. – American Minute with Bill Federer
- Chief Justice of Michigan’s Supreme Court (1864-1885),
- President of the American Bar Association (1893-1894), and
- the first Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission (1887).
- Hastings College of Law,
- University of Texas,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Boston Law School,
- University of Pennsylvania and
- Cornell Law School.
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: Will We Sanction Russian Energy?
U.S. policymakers debate weaning ourselves off Russian oil as gas prices spike.
| The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Tuesday! Congratulations to Russia for—according to Castellum.AI, an international regulatory compliance agency—officially becoming the most sanctioned country in the world. Ты сделал это, Владимир!
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights reported Monday the number of confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine has risen to 1,207, including 406 dead and 801 injured. The agency continues to believe the true figures are “considerably higher.”
- In the Pentagon’s daily background briefing on the war, a senior Defense Department official told reporters the U.S. believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed into Ukraine nearly 100 percent of the combat power he had amassed along the two countries’ border in recent months. The official also said Russia launched approximately 125 more missiles in Ukraine over the weekend, and announced Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of approximately 500 U.S. troops to Europe to “shore up” NATO defensive capabilities and deterrence.
- The Dow (-2.4 percent) and S&P 500 (-3 percent) had their worst day of the year on Monday as investors weighed the economic ramifications of war in Ukraine and Western governments signaling an openness to blocking Russian oil imports.
- The Senate passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act by unanimous consent on Monday. Once signed into law by President Biden, the legislation will amend the U.S. Criminal Code to designate lynching as a federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Is Russian Gas Finally on the Chopping Block?
In the 12 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to launch his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration and the democratic world have waged unprecedented economic warfare against Russia, following through on a number of sanctions threats many—including the oligarchs!—saw as bluffs. Export controls on high-tech products? Done. Full blocking sanctions on Putin himself? Largely symbolic, but in place within hours. Disconnecting Russian banks from SWIFT? Freezing Russian central bank assets? Check and check.
In combination, the actions have dealt a devastating blow to the Russian economy, wiping out billions upon billions of dollars of value essentially overnight. The ruble has fallen nearly 63 percent against the dollar since the beginning of the year, and, in an effort to stave off hyperinflation, the Russian Central Bank had to more than double its main interest rate to 20 percent. The Kremlin has reportedly implemented a series of price controls and other anti-hoarding measures to keep “socially important goods” available, and losses will only increase when Russia’s stock market—which has been closed for nearly two weeks—eventually reopens.
Yet the shellings of Ukrainian civilians continue, as Russia’s saving grace—the 5 million barrels of oil it exports every day—remains more or less untouched. “In our sanctions package, we specifically designed to allow energy payments to continue,” President Joe Biden said on February 24, likely referring to the general licenses issued by the Treasury Department exempting certain Russian bank transactions from announced restrictions. “I know this is hard, and that Americans are already hurting. I will do everything in my power to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.”
In a world where gas prices have jumped 40 percent year-over-year—driving inflation to its highest level since 1982—the decision made political sense. Why exacerbate one of Democrats’ biggest electoral liabilities just months before the midterms? Maybe all these other sanctions will drive Russia to the negotiating table.
But Putin’s continued butchering of Ukrainian men, women, and children has made the position untenable, with Americans increasingly disgusted by the idea of pumping millions of dollars into the Kremlin’s depleted coffers. An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted March 1-2 found 69 percent of respondents supported sanctioning Russia even if the sanctions resulted in higher energy prices in the United States. A similarly worded Quinnipiac University survey question about banning Russian oil imports got 71 percent of respondents to answer in the affirmative, including 82 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Republicans.
The move has received similarly bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated her support for prohibiting Russian oil imports. “I’m all for that —ban it,” she said at a press conference Thursday. That same day, Sens. Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski introduced the “Ban Russian Energy Imports Act,” which does exactly what its title says and already has the backing of at least 16 other Democratic and Republican senators. On Saturday, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin threw his support behind a ban, and on Sunday Pelosi formalized her position in a letter to colleagues. And yesterday, the leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee—Reps. Richard Neal and Kevin Brady, Sens. Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo—announced they’d agreed to a separate legislative framework that would do the same thing, plus suspend normal U.S. trade relations with both Russia and Belarus.
The only real question at this point is whether the Biden administration will render such legislation moot by acting first.
“No decision has been made at this point by the President about a ban on importing oil from Russia,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters yesterday. “Those discussions are ongoing internally and also with our counterparts and partners in Europe and around the world.”
Although far from definitive, Psaki’s comments represent a significant shift from last Thursday, when she maintained the United States doesn’t have “a strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy” and argued a ban on Russian imports could “pad the pockets of President Putin” by raising the price of the oil and gas Russia was able to offload. Late Friday, the Biden administration had clarified its position, with a statement from the Treasury Department noting that the carveout for energy transactions would remain in place until June 24, 2022. “In general, energy-related activities—including the purchase, sale, or transport of Russian-origin oil, gas, or other energy-related products by U.S. or non-U.S. persons—remain permissible,” the department posted on its website. “The energy sector of the Russian Federation economy itself is not subject to comprehensive sanctions.”
But in an interview on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear that the White House’s stance was softening. “We are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil, while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil on world markets,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “That’s a very active discussion as we speak.”
You could label the strategy “consensus building” or “leading from behind,” but the Biden administration has—from the earliest days of the Ukraine crisis—seemed to prioritize not getting out ahead of those “European partners and allies.” On banning Russian energy products, however, the United States will likely have to chart its own course. Russia accounted for less than 8 percent of the United States’ total crude oil and products imports in 2021. The European Union—which is more dependent on outside energy than the United States in general—relied on Russia in the first half of 2021 for 25 percent of its petroleum imports and 47 percent of its natural gas imports.
The bloc’s leaders have begun discussing plans to eventually bring those numbers down to zero, but the current timeline on that is “within years.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was quite explicit on Monday that halting Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline was as far as his country could go. “Europe has deliberately exempted energy supplies from Russia from sanctions,” he said. “At the moment, Europe’s supply of energy for heat generation, mobility, power supply and industry cannot be secured in any other way. It is therefore of essential importance for the provision of public services and the daily lives of our citizens.”
The Biden administration can’t say the same, as the United States—which consumes about 20 million barrels of oil per day—was importing just 84,000 barrels per day from Russia when Putin launched his invasion. For that reason, a U.S.-only ban—without European cooperation—“probably doesn’t have a big impact,” said Nikos Tsafos, an energy and geopolitics researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
But with average U.S. gas prices surging in recent days to their highest level since 2008—$4.17 per gallon today, according to AAA—the White House is scrambling to boost global supply. And after coordinating with allies in Europe and Asia last week on a largely symbolic, 60-million-barrel release from the countries’ respective reserves, the administration’s remaining options are far more unsavory.
In her press briefing on Monday, Psaki all but confirmed a New York Times story from over the weekend that—in an effort to increase global oil production—the White House had sent a delegation to meet with representatives of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan autocrat whose illegitimate government the United States stopped recognizing in 2019. She denied a separate report that White House advisers were weighing a presidential visit to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks for a similar reason. (Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Monday he “strongly oppose[s] any action that fills the pockets of regime oligarchs with oil profits while Maduro continues to deprive Venezuelans of basic human rights, freedoms, and even food.”)
Ben Cahill—a senior fellow in CSIS’s Energy Security and Climate Change Program—wondered why the Biden administration was bothering with such “far-fetched” plans. “To me, a much simpler option is, talk to domestic producers, encourage them to ramp up investment, talk to investors, talk to the banks and asset managers, and try to crank up unconventional production in the United States as fast as you can,” he told The Dispatch. “That’s the most flexible, responsive source of supply in the world. Why go to Venezuela when you can do this at home?”
The White House claims it’s doing both. “The suggestion that we are not allowing companies to drill is inaccurate,” Psaki claimed yesterday when pressed on Biden’s January 2021 executive order pausing new oil and natural gas leasing on public lands. “We have been clear that in the short term, supply must keep up with the demand here and around the world, while we make the shift to secure a clean energy future. … There are 9,000 approved drilling permits that are not being used.” A December 2021 report from the progressive advocacy group Public Citizen was highly critical of the Biden administration for continuing to “issue permits for drilling at a frightening pace.”
American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers—a lobbyist for the oil industry—accused the White House of “misusing” that 9,000 unused permits figure. “Just because you have a lease doesn’t mean there’s actually oil and gas in that lease,” he told Bloomberg yesterday. “There has to be a lot of development that occurs between the leasing and then ultimately permitting for that acreage to be productive.”
But record-high prices—crude, still rising, is up about 60 percent since the beginning of the year—will inevitably lead companies to shake off some of the capital discipline that defined 2021 and increase their production. Exxon Mobil and Chevron both announced major expansions in the Permian Basin last month that could result in an additional 160,000 barrels per day.
“The industry’s going to respond to market signals, and the market will take care of most of this on its own,” Cahill said, though he noted it will take some time. “I do think that the White House could give its political blessing. It could bring together oil companies and investors, and urge them to do more. … But man, if there’s ever a signal to ramp up investment, it’s $115 oil.”
Worth Your Time
- The Atlantic on Monday published a photo compilation from Associated Press, Reuters, and Getty photographers depicting Ukrainian refugees’ final moments in their home country as they said goodbye to family members and loved ones staying behind. From a father waving goodbye to his two-year-old son, to Ukrainian soldiers helping an elderly woman cross a river where a bridge once stood, to a young girl in a rescue blanket clutching her doll, these pictures explain the terror and grief Putin’s war has caused better than just about any article could.
- After more than 24 years away, Washington Post correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan finally returned to Odessa, the city where she and her parents were born. “Now that I’m finally here, I wish I wasn’t,” she writes in her dispatch from the coastal city, where she’s been able to reconnect with her 81-year-old great aunt, Baba Zina, who refused to evacuate. “When I asked why that was, she scolded me, telling me to not get distracted from driving. Then she explained that she was born in this city. It’s her home. She visited the United States four times. Four of her siblings moved there, but she returned to Odessa each time. There’s something about this city—with its roots back in imperial Russia, its classic architecture, its appreciation for artists and its Black Sea beaches—that make people romantic about it. Peak Odessa: The opera and ballet theater is the most fortified building in town, surrounded by a wall of sandbags. ‘I visited the Vienna opera house just to see how it compared to ours. Ours is better,’ Zina said as we drove by the theater. ‘I went to the one in Paris, too. It was nice, of course. But ours is nicer.’”
- In a piece for National Review, John McCormack notes how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has diminished America’s already fledgling neo-isolationist movement even further. “A Quinnipiac poll released this week found that 80 percent of Republicans believe Biden has not been tough enough on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, while only 2 percent believe Biden has been ‘too tough,’” he writes. “Missouri Republican Josh Hawley isn’t an isolationist, but he is the most prominent populist in the Senate GOP. Before the invasion, in February, Hawley was one of only twelve Republican senators who declined to sign a letter laying out the sanctions Russia would face if it invaded. Despite his strong non-interventionist streak, Hawley came out in favor of tough sanctions after the invasion. ‘The most important thing we can do,’ Hawley said earlier this week in the Capitol, is to ‘arm the resistance.’”
Presented Without Comment
Also Presented Without Comment
I love it that The NY Times decided to get a quote from a psychologist in Kyiv and got this one: nytimes.com/2022/03/07/wor…
Also Also Presented Without Comment
🇺🇦 Army has destroyed a “huge group” of 🇷🇺 troops heading on Kyiv from. Kharkiv&Sumy, said Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to head of PO. “Don’t be be afraid. The Russian army is not strong, it is just long. We will eat them slowly, like salami.” pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/7…
Toeing the Company Line
- On the site today, Harvest chronicles the efforts of Ukraine’s churches to ameliorate the country’s unfolding humanitarian crisis, while Paul Miller gives a blunt assessment of the importance of avoiding western military engagement with Putin and Behnam Ben Taleblu tracks the latest in the White House’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
- On today’s episode of Advisory Opinions, David and Sarah discuss five Supreme Court opinions, including cases involving criminal law, state secrets, and social media moderation.
- It’s Tuesday, which means Dispatch Live is back! Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for a discussion with Sarah, Declan, Klon Kitchen, and Scott Lincicome on the latest in Ukraine and how it’s already affecting domestic politics.
Let Us Know
What should we talk about during Dispatch Live tonight?
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
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32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
33.) THE DAILY WIRE
03.08.2022
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34.) DESERET NEWS
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36.) AMERICAN THINKER
37.) LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
38.) THE BLAZE
39.) THE FEDERALIST
40.) REUTERS
41.) NOQ REPORT
42.) ARRA NEWS SERVICE
43.) REDSTATE
44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
49.) NBC FIRST READ
50.) CBS
51.) REASON
52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER
54.) TOWNHALL
55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY
57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG
59.) SARA A. CARTER
60.) TWITCHY
61.) HOT AIR
62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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More and more people are cheating at Wordle.
Press 3 for a pep talk from kindergartners.
Gravity-defying homes from around the world.
| An outdoor piano concert under the Northern Lights. (w/ video)
A ranking of US states with the highest property taxes.
When buying a Pokémon card lands you in jail.
Clickbait: North Carolina woman fights to keep a conspicuous vanity plate.
Historybook: First stock car race held in Daytona Beach (1936); HBD tattoo artist and entrepreneur Kat Von D (1982); RIP baseball player Joe DiMaggio (1999); Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing (2014); RIP Sam Simon, director and codeveloper of “The Simpsons” (2015). |
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63.) AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH
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73.) POPULIST PRESS
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Issued a direct threat to Garland and the Biden DOJ warning what will happen… 
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77.) HEADLINE USA
78.) NATURAL NEWS
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Why do Democrats celebrate Ukraine’s national pride and patriotism but despise Americans who exhibit the same thing?
Democrats are cheering on the Ukrainians in their war against Russia following the invasion of Vladimir Putin’s troops last week. In particular, Democrats — as are most Republicans — tout …
The Fauci-led medical dictatorship continues to suppress covid treatments and target doctors who use them successfully
An unapologetic medical dictatorship took full control in the United States just two years ago, when Federal Coronavirus Task Force leader, Mike Pence, gave National Institute of Allergy and …
Hong Kong desperately trying to keep the “casedemic” alive with mandatory mass covid testing that’s sure to create a “spike” in cases
The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic would seem to be on its last legs throughout much of the world, except in Hong Kong where the government is launching another “wave” of …
The primary function of the pharma-controlled media is to fabricate hit pieces on anyone telling the truth about vaccines
One of the primary functions of the corporate, pharma-controlled media is to fabricate hit pieces against anyone who tells the truth about vaccine failure, vaccine fraud and vaccine damage. At …
The Robert Scott Bell Show: WHO pushes for international vaccine passports – Brighteon.TV
The cases are dropping, the deaths are dwindling, the mandates are being eased out. Just when the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared to have been contained, however, here comes the World …
Calif. school sets up “transition closet” for young students to “swap out” what parents “approve” so they can wear clothing that suits their chosen gender
Why parents continue to fund public schools with their tax dollars, much less send their kids to them, is a mystery given the open, blatant attempts by the lunatic leftists running them to …
Nuclear ground zero Fukushima remains largely abandoned ten years on
Large portions of Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture remain abandoned ten years after the natural disaster that crippled the area. The prefecture bore the brunt of an earthquake and tsunami that …
NASA to put a black woman on the moon because “science” is now all about race and gender, even though leftists say gender doesn’t even exist
In 2025, NASA is planning on sending another space crew to the moon. However, the only people who will be allowed on the craft are black women and other “people of color” – white men …
Big Tech eagerly blocks virtually all content from Russia while completely refusing to address Chinese propaganda
Many of the major tech giants, including Google, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and even Netflix, are cutting off Russian content entirely in response to the Ukraine invasion. China, meanwhile, is …
Alkaline fuel cells provide US utilities with resilient backup power to resolve frequent shutdowns and blackouts
Power utilities in the United States need a resilient backup power to resolve the frequent shutdowns and blackouts across the country caused by heavy snowstorms, hurricanes and other severe …
Stupid: EA Sports bans Russian teams from video games in pitiful response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a stupid man and as such, you have every reason to believe that before he ordered a military buildup around Ukraine and then an invasion of that country, …
War casualty alert: Big Tech censors Russian news broadcasts
“WarRoom” host Owen Shroyer slammed Big Tech companies Facebook, Twitter, Google and Netflix for blocking Russian news broadcasts at the direct behest of the European Union (EU). …
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79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) BLACKPRESSUSA
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
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 Tuesday 03.08.22
Upset about gas prices? Trust me, you’re not alone. The price for a gallon of regular gasoline soared to a new record high of $4.14 yesterday, breaking the previous record of $4.11 set in 2008. Experts say the rapid spike in prices is squeezing many household budgets — and won’t be slowing up any time soon. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.  Refugees fleeing Ukraine wait to board a bus at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland.  Ukraine
A Russian airstrike last night hit an apartment building in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least 21 people — including two children. Sumy has been under sustained attacks in recent days, and now Ukraine and Russia have agreed on one evacuation route so Ukrainians can safely leave the region. Several previous attempts to evacuate civilians failed earlier this week, with Western leaders accusing Russian forces of continuing to target pre-approved safe routes. The Biden administration is emphasizing that American troops won’t engage directly with Russian forces, and NATO members have also pushed back on calls for a no-fly zone in Ukraine, warning that it could lead to a “full-fledged war in Europe.” But things could swiftly change if Moscow’s attack spills into a NATO member nation — a move that would trigger the alliance’s Article 5 — the principle that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all members. Follow CNN’s full coverage of Russia’s attack on Ukraine here.
Coronavirus
The global Covid-19 death toll surpassed 6 million yesterday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US has reported more Covid-19 deaths than any other country — about 960,000 total — but the CDC estimates that the actual figure is much higher. Separately, the White House is now rolling out its test-to-treat program, and more than 1,000 in-pharmacy clinics have registered to receive shipments of Covid-19 antiviral medications. Meanwhile in Florida, health officials declared the state will soon issue guidance urging parents not to vaccinate their children. The move would make Florida the first state to break from CDC guidance on Covid-19 vaccines for kids, which are recommended for those ages 5 and up.
School shooting
One teenager is dead and two remain hospitalized after a shooting yesterday outside a high school in Des Moines, Iowa. Two of the three victims were students at the school. The gunfire appeared to have come from a passing vehicle, police said. Potential suspects have been detained, but no charges have been filed as police continue their investigation. The incident is at least the 13th shooting at an American campus with K-12 students in 2022, according to a CNN tally. The school is closed today and grief counselors will be available for students and staff for the remainder of the week.
Extreme weather
More than 130,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast were without power this morning after a series of strong storms brought heavy rain and damaging winds to the region. Approximately 65 million people from the mountains of North Carolina to Cape Cod — including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York — were under wind advisories overnight as forecasters warned gusts of up to 50 mph were possible, raising the potential for tree damage and dangerous road conditions. Hail was also falling in some areas, though the severe conditions that spawned deadly tornadoes over the weekend have faded. On Saturday, seven people were killed in a series of tornadoes that ripped through multiple counties near Des Moines, Iowa.
LGBTQ rights
Florida’s state Senate is set to consider the “Don’t Say Gay” bill this week amid a wave of student protests and walkouts. The bill would effectively ban teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms for young students. LGBTQ advocates say the measure would lead to further stigmatization of gay, lesbian and transgender children. More than 500 students participated in a massive walkout yesterday at a high school in Orange County, Florida, following similar protests at other schools last week. Separately, Disney’s CEO said the company, which employs over 75,000 in Florida, is committed to inclusivity – but would not publicly condemn the controversial bill. The bill passed the Florida House of Representatives in February and now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, which could set the stage for a final vote as soon as today.
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People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Academy of Country Music Awards 2022 The world’s best country superstars were radiating Southern charm in Las Vegas last night! Did y’all enjoy the show?
Pixar’s new adorable, animated movie is a must-see “Turning Red” is the feel-good movie we all needed right now. Thanks Pixar.
Rock art may depict extinct giants of the ice age Check out these works of art created by humans more than 12,000 years ago.
Welcome to adult life Young adults, we’ve got your back. This 401(k) advice is quite helpful.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid donates Fashion Week earnings to Ukraine relief Hadid, who is one of the most sought-after models in the fashion industry, says she’s keen to help those in need.  $0 That’s how much tuition will be for college students in New Mexico attending any in-state public school or tribal college, including community colleges. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill on Friday that will make state colleges tuition-free. The measure allocates $75 million to support up to 35,000 students this fall alone, the governor’s office said.
My biggest fear is that… she will become a political pawn.
— WNBA champion Brittney Griner’s high school coach, on waiting to hear the fate of the star basketball player who remains detained in Russia on drug charges. For days, family and friends of Griner have been clamoring for the release of the two-time Olympic champion after she was held by the Russian Federal Customs Service for allegedly bringing cannabis oil into the country. Griner, 31, plays with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and spends her offseasons playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg. Her whereabouts since her arrest remain uncertain.
Brought to you by CNN Underscored  Is a Cricut worth it? We tried it out and here’s what we thought Anyone with a desire to be more crafty will quickly become obsessed with the new Cricut Explore 3 and everything it has to offer. If you’ve been curious about investing in the popular die cutter machine, it’s currently $50 off at Amazon and will have you looking like a crafting pro in no time.
Happy International Women’s Day! Today is a global holiday celebrating the achievements of women worldwide! If you want to be instantly inspired, check out this short video of Google’s most popular searches for “the first woman.” (Click here to view)
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
Daily Digest |
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- Who’s Afraid of RT?
- The Eagle Has Landed
- The Idiocy of Seattle
- The madness of slow Joe, Iran edition (4)
- Finding Fauci
| Who’s Afraid of RT?
Posted: 07 Mar 2022 02:50 PM PST (John Hinderaker)Western publics support Ukraine in its war with Russia, pretty much unanimously. But that hasn’t stopped many news outlets from banning Russian “misinformation” about the conflict. RT (which stands for Russia Today, just like BP stands for British Petroleum) is a more or less official mouthpiece of the Russian government, and I don’t doubt that much of what it reports is false. That has caused YouTube, among others, to ban RT from its platform. Many other outlets have self-righteously banned RT as “misinformation” or “propaganda.” Which, in large part, it is. But so what? The New York Times consists in considerable part of misinformation, in my opinion, and it is–in even larger part–propaganda for the Democratic Party. That doesn’t cause me to want to ban it, although admittedly the thought is tempting. And in the case of RT, its propaganda has been wholly ineffective. Moreover, nearly every story has at least two sides, and why shouldn’t Russia’s side–weak though most think it is–be heard? Elon Musk has resisted the tide of censorship by refusing to block Russian news sites from his Starlink network. Musk tweeted:
Kudos to Musk. If you are not in favor of free speech for what you think is misinformation, you are not in favor of free speech. |
| The Eagle Has Landed
Posted: 07 Mar 2022 11:51 AM PST (John Hinderaker)Joe Biden’s mental incapacity represents a national security risk that one day could have terrible consequences. But in the meantime, we may as well enjoy mockery like this. I am not sure whether Ben Shapiro is behind this video or is just passing it on; in any event, it is pretty funny:
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| The Idiocy of Seattle
Posted: 07 Mar 2022 07:57 AM PST (Steven Hayward)No city matches Seattle for electing lunatic socialists to the city council as well as Congress (i.e., Rep. Pramila Jayapal). So having demonized police and letting the city descend into anarchic chaos, Seattle is now surprised and “rattled” by a sharp rise in crime, according to the Wall Street Journal this morning:
Maybe “officials around the country” are officially idiots. There are come clues:
I’m sure another tax increase and more social workers will fix everything. |
| The madness of slow Joe, Iran edition (4)
Posted: 07 Mar 2022 05:58 AM PST (Scott Johnson)The Reuters story is datelined Washington, but the reporting is by a Reuters staffer in St. Paul. Was a State Department official in St. Paul over the weekend? That may be a greater mystery than the deep thoughts of the Biden administration quoted by Reuters on the facilitation of President Biden’s imminent nuclear deal with Iran by the friends of Vladimir Putin:
Reuters estimates that the deep thoughts make for a 1 minute read, but you can stick the landing in about 10 seconds. “[R]elated to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal,” by the way, is an essential component of the falsehood underlying the administration’s efforts to arrive at another arrangement with Iran. Eric Mandel explains why in this illuminating Hill column. I assess with a high degree of confidence from a related Reuters story that the imminence of the deal is accelerating. Francois Murphy and Parisa Hafezi report “Iran, IAEA agree timeline to remove obstacle to reviving nuclear deal.” Reuters is the service that is tracking the crazed Iran deal developments most closely. Yet another Reuters story raises a potential obstacle: “Iranian nuclear talks clouded by Russian demands” (more here). The Wall Street Journal takes up the issue in their editorial “The Russia-Iran nuclear nexus.” I assess with a moderate degree of confidence that this is nothing that can’t be resolved by the administration with the friends of Vladimir Putin. Mosaic devotes its monthly essay to an exposition of the nature of the Iranian regime. The essay is by Ze’ev Maghen, chair of the department of Middle East studies at Bar-Ilan University. His essay is “What the West misses about Iran.” Subhead: “With a new nuclear deal on the way, attention is again turning to Iran. Four new books, plus the deal itself, suggest that America and Europe are blind to the regime’s motivating spirit.” I assess with a high degree of certainty that Maghen is correct if the “blindness” is understood to be instrumental or willful. Quotable quote (Ze’ev Maghen): “While Shiism historically contains ample anti-Semitic currents, it is not indelibly anti-Semitic—but Khomeinism is. And it views Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East as an unacceptable offense, which must be eradicated at almost any cost. But Israel is only the Little Satan…” |
| Finding Fauci
Posted: 07 Mar 2022 04:19 AM PST (Scott Johnson)We don’t want to find the fallacious Dr. Fauci, but it makes sense to note his mysterious disappearance. It is evidence like the dog that didn’t bark in the Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze.” Debra Heine collects the observations of his disappearance — “Has anyone seen Science? Is he missing?” — in the American Greatness column “Once a Cable News Darling, Dr. Fauci Now Relegated to Local TV and YouTube Broadcasts.” One can infer the reason. It has something to do with “Science” (i.e., politics). Heine observes:
Whole thing here. |
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March 7, 2022
On Monday’s Mark Levin Show, will Putin stop his onslaught on Ukraine? Russia has sent hit squads like the Wagner Group and mercenaries from Chechnya to take out Zelensky. President Biden’s weakness got us here and “peace through strength” will get us out. The U.S is now considering offering Poland a swap of F-29 fighter jets so they can donate some of their Mig fighter planes to the Ukrainians. The U.S can’t afford to ignore Putin’s aggression. Then, a dark money group is attacking Trump-affiliated lawyers by going after their ability to earn a living. In true totalitarian fashion, the 65 Project will file lawsuits and air commercials to shame prevent attorneys from engaging in lawsuits that challenge voting results over election integrity. Later, Progressives continue their attack on America’s founding documents, suggesting that we need a new document since the one we have is racist. Pushing their agenda to eliminate states’ rights on issues related to healthcare, gun rights, and policing.
THIS IS FROM:
US News & World Report
Russia Calls on EU, NATO to Stop Arms Supplies to Ukraine
The Post Millennial
Biden admin gives ‘green light’ for NATO to send fighter jets to Ukraine
NY Post
Lindsey Graham doubles down on call for Vladimir Putin’s assassination
Rumble
Doocy to Psaki: You Think that Asking Venezuela or Iran Is Reducing Our Dependence on Foreign Oil?
Fox News
Russia’s ‘hooliganism’ law could put anti-war protesters in jail for up to 8 years, expert says
NPR
Biden gets a bounce after the State of the Union, NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows
CBS News
Conservative think tank’s exclusive gathering will include Biden official — but not Trump
Axios
High-powered group targets Trump lawyers’ livelihoods
The Post Millennial
View guest says ‘the Constitution is trash’
Newsbusters
A Free Press Under Assault: Attempts to Silence Newsmax, OANN
AMAC
The Most Dangerous Lame Duck in History?
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Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Biden promises it will.
Pizza Hut wants kids to hate America.
Mayor Pete says we just need electric cars.
Iran sent a hit team to assassinate Bolton but doesn’t want them charged because it might upset the nuke deal.
Russia, Iran, China team up to help us get a nuke deal. What sports.
Global currencies for the peasants.
Reparations coming to Michigan.
Blinken wants Poland to send fighter jets to Ukraine. Poland is in NATO. Looks like war if they do.
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Documentation On Those Bio Labs in UkraineRussian President Putin had a list of complaints as to why he felt he had to invade Ukraine. One of the complaints concerned the biological laboratories funded in part by… |
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China Calls Russia Its Most Favored Trading PartnerChina announced that Russia is their most favored trading partner. Russia has increased its imports from China over the past two decades according to the MSN. Their share of the… |
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About Those Bio Labs in UkraineThe state-sponsored Russian media outlet RIA Novosti released documents on Sunday that the Ministry of Defense claims are evidence that Ukraine was undertaking research in U.S.-funded Biolabs. The Russians say… |
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Pizza Hut Wants Your Kids to Know America’s RacistPizza Hut Foundation plans to teach your children that America is a terrible racist country when they’re not destroying the reputation of pizza with their poor imitation of pizza, David… |
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Mayor Pete Says Just Buy Electric CarsMayor Pete, of pothole fame, said today that people struggling with rising gas prices should solve their issue by buying electric cars. In related news, homeless people should also just… |
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Biden Promises the Misery Will ContinueJust when you thought Joe Biden might have exhausted his trail of destruction, Dear Leader promises the US will continue on this devastating track that is destroying our economy and… |
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The Deal to End the Ukraine-Russia War IMMEDIATELYThe deal that Russia is offering, if true, is the best deal President Zelensky will get. Rather than seeing any more of his people die, why doesn’t he agree to… |
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Biden Ignores Iran Sending Hit Squads After John BoltonAt least two Iranians belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ covert-action Quds Force have been plotting to assassinate former national security adviser John Bolton. The Washington Examiner quoted a source… |
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Global Currencies to Control the PeasantsThe G7 is pushing digital global currency for Central Banks. This is part of The Great Reset and that should concern everyone. It gives the elite unlimited control. They want… |
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COV coverage: “largest and most comprehensive breach of journalistic ethics in history”New documents obtained by The Blaze Media through FOIA request revealed that HHS paid major media organizations including cable TV news stations, publications, digital media companies, and many more to promote the… |
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Whoa! Biden in 1997 And Did We Get What We Asked For?When Joe Biden wasn’t governed and controlled by the people now behind the curtain, he knew that the expansion of NATO would be the worst thing that could happen to… |
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Archbishop Vigano on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis UnfilteredArchbishop Carlo Maria Vigano published a 24-page analysis (in full, at the end of the summary) of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. It is unfiltered with extensive references. It’s not what you… |
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Another dog, Another ponyAnother dog, Another pony BY KAREN KATALINE It’s official. The collective “we” should now make a seamless pivot from fearing Covid to fearing Putin. The shift was introduced with the… |
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Michigan Bill Gives $1.5 Billion for Racial Equity and ReparationsFar-left Michigan State Reps. Cynthia A. Johnson (D-Detroit) and Shri Thanedar (D-Detroit) created the Racial Equity and Reparations Fund Act, an appropriations bill. House Bills 5672–74 would allocate $1.5 billion for a racial equity and… |
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DO YOU LIKE OUR NEW LOOK?We are upgrading the site and would like to know what you think. It takes a little getting used to but it opens up all the recent articles to you… |
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Blinken Is Pressuring Poland to Send Jets to Ukraine and to WarOn the question of Secretary of State Antony Blinken lying about Poland considering sending fighter jets to Ukraine, it’s not clear. Perhaps we should say, Blinken’s not taking ‘no’ for… |
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After Visa/MC Drops Russia, Banks Rush to Chinese SystemSeveral Russian banks said on Sunday they would soon start issuing cards using the Chinese UnionPay card operator’s system coupled with Russia’s own Mir network after Visa and MasterCard said… |
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Shocking: Russia, China, Iran Team Up to Get Remarkable Nuke DealThe lead Russian negotiator for the Iran-US nuclear talks boasts in this clip about how Russia, Iran, and China teamed up to get far more from the US than Iran… |
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Blinken Made a Fool of the US – Telling Tales That Could Start Another WarSecretary of State Tony Blinken started a rumor on Face the Nation on Sunday morning. He suggested that Poland will send its fighter jets to the Ukrainians. That would put… |
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2 min ago
LOL on the Russian link. Brightened up a bleak morning of news consumption.
Reply