Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Monday March 14, 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
March 14 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where progressive elites seem ready to end America’s rep for rugged individualism. This ruling class seeks to manage all our cares, Richard Reinsch writes. What does forgiveness look like for the sins of America’s past? Find out from an admirer of Frederick Douglass in a video report from our Virginia Allen. In a special podcast episode, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts examines the breakdown in law and order with reporter Julio Rosas. Plus: Peter Brookes on biological labs in Ukraine; Jim Phillips on what makes the energy crisis worse; and your letters on the Supreme Court vacancy. On this date in 1958, the Recording Industry Association of America awards its first Gold Record to crooner Perry Como for selling over 500,000 copies of his hit “Catch A Falling Star.” |
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
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3.) DAYBREAK
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4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 3.14.22
Are you ready? Get your espresso shot of Florida politics and policy.
Good Monday morning.
Today is the day the 2022 Legislative Session ends.
After spending most of Friday debating the record $112 billion budget, lawmakers expect to meet this afternoon to give it the final OK.
There are a handful of contentious issues lodged in the spending plan.
House Republicans tucked in language that will make a dozen school districts that instituted mask mandates ineligible to receive a slice of the $200 million Florida School Recognition Program. The budget also pulls $100 million from affordable housing for a program that provides down payment assistance to first responders.
Despite pushback from Democrats on those issues and others, the budget is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
The budget represents a greater than 10% increase over the 2021-22 budget and a greater than 20% increase over the pre-pandemic 2019-20 budget.
It includes $43 billion in general revenue — a full $8 billion more than the 2021-22 budget — that has flowed to the state amid a rebounding economy. It also includes $37 billion in federal cash, $3.5 billion of which comes from pandemic relief funds.
Once approved, the budget will go to the Governor, who holds line-item veto power. Last year Ron DeSantis was thought to have wielded a relatively light touch when he slashed $1.5 billion out of the $101 billion budget.
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Last week, I pointed to the uphill mountain lawmakers would need to climb to pass Medicaid reform.
It has been 17 years since Florida last upgraded the Medicaid Managed Care program. This type of legislation is hard. And it doesn’t get you re-elected. But it is important.
The Legislature did it. SB 1950 by Sen. Jason Brodeur — the Senate version of HB 7047 by Rep. Sam Garrison — passed both chambers on what should have been Sine Die.
Many in The Process said this bill was dead, but it came back to life in the final hours during which non-budget issues could be considered.
After bouncing back and forth, the bill was sitting in the Senate. Brodeur filed an amendment rejecting this week’s House language and reverting to the language passed by the Senate previously — with one difference.
The amendment gives more control to the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) on the auto-assignment process, creating greater competition in the market.
When a glitch at Sunshine Health resulted in payment failures for three months last year, it was clear that reform was necessary, and more competition was crucial.
The bill, in its final form, passed the Senate 38-0. The House then took it up and voted favorably 115-0.
As we assign names in the winners and losers’ columns ahead of Sine Die, this one goes in the win column. It’s a win for the 5 million Floridians in Florida who depend on Medicaid.
It’s also a big win for AHCA Secretary Simone Marstiller and AHCA Chief of Staff Cody Farrill, who shepherded it through every step of the process. And it’s thanks to the leadership of Brodeur and Garrison, who never gave up.
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Breaking overnight — “Tom Brady returning to Tampa to play 23rd season in NFL” via Rob Maadi of The Associated Press — Brady’s retirement lasted 40 days. Brady said Sunday he’s returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd season in the NFL. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” … “These past two months, I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.” Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and NFC South championship last season.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
Tweet, tweet:
—@DisneyAnimation: To our LGBTQIA+ community in the studio and across the world, Disney Animation stands by you! We denounce any legislation that infringes on your fundamental human rights. You deserve to be safe, respected, and able to live your lives as your whole selves free from discrimination.
—@RobGeorge: FUN FACT: The great thing about America is that EVERYONE is allowed to criticize ANY legislation by ANY “duly elected legislators!”
—@AEdwardsLevy: it’s always “baseball” and never “sporadicvoterball”
Tweet, tweet:
—@kelly4florida: #springforward2022 we lost an hour but gained a Brady. I’ll take it 💪 @TomBrady @Buccaneers
— DAYS UNTIL —
House GOP retreat in Ponte Vedra Beach — 9; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 9; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 11; The Oscars — 13; ‘Macbeth’ with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 15; Florida Chamber’s 2nd Annual Southeastern Leadership Conference on Safety, Health + Sustainability begins — 15; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 20; MLB Opening Day — 24; ‘Better Call Saul’ final season begins — 35; Magic Johnson’s Apple TV+ docuseries ‘They Call Me Magic’ begins — 39; 2022 Florida Chamber Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 45; ‘The Godfather’ TV series ‘The Offer’ premieres — 46; 2nd half of ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 46; federal student loan payments will resume — 48; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 53; Florida TaxWatch’s Spring Meeting — 58; ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ starts on Disney+ — 72; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 74; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 80; California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota hold midterm Primaries — 85; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 117; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 130; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 148; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 172; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 206; Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Passenger’ releases — 224; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 243; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 246; McCarthy’s ‘Stella Maris’ releases — 253; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 278; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 342; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 375; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 501; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 585; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 865.
“Esther Byrd, QAnon-adjacent defender of Jan. 6 insurrection, appointed to Florida Board of Education” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis appointed Byrd to the state’s Board of Education, a move that will almost certainly politicize that appointed panel further.
A former Marine, Esther Byrd is the wife of Rep. Cord Byrd of Neptune Beach. Rep. Byrd, the incumbent in the current HD 11, is one of the House Republicans who sided with the Governor by voting against redistricting maps preserving a minority-access district in North Florida.
However, Esther Byrd is perhaps best for her staunch advocacy during the Donald Trump administration on behalf of far-right elements.
After the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, she offered a defense of those “peacefully protesting” the certification of the 2020 Presidential Election while alluding to “coming civil wars.” And in October, she offered an unsolicited defense of the Proud Boys.
Those statements came months after she made comments supporting QAnon after the couple were photographed on a boat flying a QAnon flag. For his part, the Representative claims that his wife shouldn’t be read too literally.
“People use hyperbole all the time,” Byrd told WJXT last year. “The Speaker of the House has said, and I quote, ‘I just don’t know why there aren’t uprisings all over the country.’”
Asked to clarify that statement, Byrd said, “people talk about civil wars in the Republican Party.”
“Ron DeSantis ‘free state of Florida’ faces new restrictions on First Amendment rights” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — Free speech will be undergoing some changes in what DeSantis has declared the “free state of Florida.” A series of bills sent to the Governor this week by Florida’s Republican-led Legislature will impose new sanctions on what is acceptable speech and assembly in schools, communities and businesses. Other bills create new exemptions to the state’s public records law, including university Presidential searches and executions. Many of the proposals have attracted national media attention, a situation that has angered Republican legislators who say the issues are being intentionally misrepresented to stoke tensions against them.
“RTFB: Legislative leaders tell critics to read controversial bills as Sine Die approaches” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — As the Session comes to a close, House and Senate leaders are defending their decision to pass several high-profile bills that have elicited criticism that Republicans are harming minority populations leading up to the 2022 election campaign. When state lawmakers and DeSantis are on the ballot in November, they will be able to tout new laws on abortion (HB 5), immigration (SB 1808), LGBTQ discussion in classrooms (HB 1557) and woke instruction (HB 7). With major business for the 2022 Session all but behind them, Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls say their detractors should read what the bills are mandating.
“No hang-ups: Lawmakers pass telehealth bill sans audio-only phone expansion” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Lawmakers did not get hung up on whether to allow audio-only telephone calls to be considered “telehealth.” The Senate on Friday voted unanimously to approve a bill (SB 312) that allows telehealth to be used to prescribe Schedule III, IV and V substances. But the legislation did not authorize phone calls as an option for patients. The House had unanimously voted on Feb. 24 to pass the bill. Senate bill sponsor Sen. Manny Diaz said the Senate is “committed” to coming back to address an audio-only option next year. The inclusion of audio in Florida’s telehealth law was a major priority for Americans for Prosperity, not just in Florida, but nationally. AFP Florida State Director Skylar Zander said it was disappointing the chambers could not “provide more electronic options” for patients, especially those in rural areas.
“Bill adding teeth to PBM rules clears Legislature” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who don’t register with the state can face a $10,000 fine under a bill that cleared the Legislature this Session. PBMs negotiate with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurance companies to purchase drugs at reduced prices or promise additional rebates. In 2018, lawmakers approved limited regulations on PBMs, requiring them to register with the Office of Insurance Regulation. However, that law did not include any mechanisms to enforce the requirement. HB 357, sponsored by Rep. Jackie Toledo, gives the requirement teeth by allowing the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy a $10,000 fine against anyone working as a PBM who has not registered with the state.
“Medicaid managed care rewrite passes after House agrees to Senate plan” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Legislators on Friday signed off on a last-minute deal to overhaul the state’s Medicaid managed care programs, overcoming a stalemate between the House and Senate that threatened to scuttle the effort this year. The House unanimously approved the bill (SB 1950) as amended. That will send it to DeSantis, but only after the Senate stripped out several provisions the House had initially insisted on. Brodeur, the Senate bill sponsor, called some of the House provisions in the bill “ornaments” and “hitchhikers.”
“Fentanyl test strips remain illegal despite objections in drug bill debate” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The House voted against the decriminalization of fentanyl test strips in Florida on Friday, angering some lawmakers in the closing hours of the 2022 Legislative Session. The push to decriminalize came as part of a ping-pong negotiation over a sweeping controlled substance bill. It came after six spring breakers overdosed Thursday night on fentanyl-laced cocaine at a South Florida rental home. Originally a pain management treatment for cancer patients, fentanyl is the leading culprit of the ongoing opioid crisis. The drug, primarily manufactured in Mexico, is nearly 100 times more potent than morphine. Rep. Andrew Learned urged House colleagues to decriminalize the strips, alongside other Democratic lawmakers on the House floor.
“Budget conference: Florida Legislature aims at Russia in last-minute budget deal” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — Florida state agencies and local governments won’t be able to enter into cultural agreements or accept grants from Russian entities starting July 1, after House and Senate budget negotiators inserted the ban into the final budget agreement Thursday. As part of that scrutiny, the Department of Management Services will review all state funds spent on Russian goods and services and issue a report to the Legislature by Dec. 1. House and Senate leaders agreed the provisions, which were not part of previous budget talks, as part of HB 5003, the implementing bill for the overall budget.
“State budget will cut millions from South Florida hospitals that take neediest patients” via Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald — South Florida hospitals, including Miami-Dade’s Jackson Health System, will lose an estimated $124 million in funding in 2022 after state lawmakers this week cut the so-called critical care fund that provides extra payments to about two dozen hospitals in Florida with the highest share of patients with Medicaid coverage. State legislators say the hospitals will still benefit from a new payment system that Florida launched last year to bridge the financial shortfall these hospitals experience due to Medicaid reimbursements, which are so low that they do not cover the cost of care. But hospital administrators and lobbying groups say the new system, called “Direct Payment Program,” does not address the persistent financial shortfall for those medical centers with disproportionately high volumes of Medicaid patients.
“Florida to spend more than $700 million on Pasco Moffitt cancer complex” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Legislature is poised to approve more than $706 million for a new H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute campus in Pasco County. The funding is a major step for the cancer research nonprofit’s plan to build out a 775-acre parcel of land east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52. About $600 million of the state money will be parceled out over three decades to help with the construction of the Moffitt Pasco County life sciences park, which will one day include cancer research and health care facilities, as well as retail, hospitality buildings and other developments. Another $106 million in one-time state funding will build out nearby infrastructure, roads in the area, for example.
“Ralph Massullo secures $83M for Citrus, Hernando projects in state budget” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Rep. Massullo sought more than $80 million in funding for projects in Citrus and Hernando counties, and he got nearly all of it. Massullo’s largest request was $20.7 million for upgrades to Turkey Oak Drive, a Citrus County road east of Crystal River that connects State Road 44 to U.S. 19. According to the appropriations request, filed on behalf of the city government, Crystal River “is in the crosshairs of the soon to be open Suncoast Parkway which will be the cause for a tremendous amount of through traffic within the city.” Budget writers fully funded the project, which accounts for nearly a quarter of the $83.7 million in local projects that Massullo was successful in getting into the $112 billion budget plan.
“Budget conference: The Underline in Miami-Dade nabs $3M from state for park amenities” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A linear greenway that’s trail-friendly to pedestrians and nonmotorized vehicles located below the Miami-Dade County Metrorail will receive a $3 million infusion for park amenities in the 2022-23 state budget. Lawmakers agreed on the funding set aside, complementing a $2.5 million local match, for The Underline. The multiyear project, spanning 10 miles and 120 acres, could cost between $120 million and $140 million to complete. This round of state funding will cover 15% of the cost to purchase and install park features, including seating, drinking fountains, bike repair stations, column signage and Wi-Fi facilities.
“Budget conference: Northern Pinellas County secures $9.5 million for stormwater system improvements” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — The Legislature has set aside $9.5 million for Pinellas County to complete vital infrastructure improvements on the county’s northern stormwater system. The funds, detailed in appropriation requests filed by Sen. Ed Hooper and Rep. Nick DiCeglie, would be for a project to improve both stormwater treatment and stormwater capacity within several areas of northern Pinellas County. The goal of the project is to improve the water quality discharges to St. Joseph Sound, which is an Outstanding Florida Water and an Aquatic Preserve. The original funding requests ask for $5.7 million received a significant boost in the actual proposed budget. According to the request, the project had not previously gotten any state funding. The project also has secured $5.7 million from the local government.
“American Cancer Society says budget falls short on ‘high demand’ breast, cervical cancer screenings” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — The American Cancer Society (ACS) is disappointed about the recently released Florida budget proposal, which the organization says does not fully fund the Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The budget allocates $1.83 million for the program, which provides free or low-cost screenings for Floridians who fall under the program’s eligibility requirements. However, that’s about $1.17 million short of the program’s requested $3 million, an increase in funding the ACS says would help address the record drop in breast cancer screenings at the onset of the pandemic that has yet to return to pre-pandemic rates.
— TALLY 2 —
“The House district under threat from DeSantis is steeped in Black history” via Lori Rozsa and Colby Itkowitz of The Washington Post — When Black business owner Kiara Smith looks across the street from the door of her downtown shop, she sees the grounds of the county courthouse. The building was constructed in 1912, but the site is historic for what happened decades earlier. “This was one of the biggest places for the slave trade,” Smith said of the place where the enslaved were sold. Dotting a 200-mile stretch along Florida’s northern border are small cities like Quincy, at its western end, where Black residents have historically made up a third or more of the population. But in the 145 years since the end of Reconstruction, only in the last five years has Quincy and most of North Florida been represented in Congress by a Black politician, Rep. Al Lawson.
“Dead bills: Nine legislative issues that couldn’t make it across the finish line” via Gray Roher of Florida Politics — Florida’s Legislative Session will wind to a close Monday when lawmakers pass the budget, but all other bills that didn’t pass before Friday are effectively dead. Most of DeSantis’ culture war-heavy agenda passed. But plenty of other bills, including issues important to legislative leaders, Senate President Simpson and House Speaker Sprowls, withered in the final week of Session. For example, earlier in Session, Simpson said the lawmakers would have “failed” the citizens if they didn’t tackle the property insurance crisis. A bill attempting to address that issue and several other bills died Friday. But Simpson preferred to focus on the bills that did pass, telling reporters Friday it “would be a mistake” to focus on the bills that failed.
“Fentrice Driskell’s abandoned Black cemeteries bill dies after being buried in Senate” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — A bill that would preserve, maintain and catalog the increasing number of rediscovered Black cemeteries is now considered dead, according to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Driskell. HB 1215, the abandoned African American cemeteries bill, had been a labor of love for Driskell. The bill would have created an Office of Historic Cemeteries within the Division of Historical Resources. The office would’ve focused on coordinating research, repair, restoration, and maintenance efforts at abandoned Black cemeteries, but would extend to all historic cemeteries as well. The bill sought to staff the office with three full-time employees at an estimated cost of $200,000 per year.
“Last Surfside-inspired bill dies, observers bemoan lost opportunity” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — The Legislature’s inability to pass any legislation updating condo regulations in the wake of last summer’s disaster that killed 98 people stunned observers. The Senate Thursday passed House-approved legislation (HB 7069) that would have required regular inspections of aging multifamily buildings three stories or taller. As she explained the bill, Sen. Jennifer Bradley resolved the Surfside disaster would never happen again. Condo buildings within 3 miles of the coast would have been inspected when they reached 25 years of age; others were 30 years. The Senate amended the bill, taking out the House bill’s provisions regulating how much reserve funding condos were required to have and when studies should be done of how much reserve would be needed.
“Florida legislators won’t require condo inspections. Here are the consequences” via Andres Viglucci and Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — The Florida Legislature’s failure to pass a bill mandating regular condominium inspections leaves in place a lax regimen that experts say is full of glaring loopholes that endanger residents of aging buildings. The bill would have required periodic, routine inspections of most condo buildings, which don’t exist under current law. The main disagreement was over a mandate that condos set aside money to cover future repairs. The bill was prompted by the catastrophic collapse last June of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, where unit owners bickered for years over paying for needed structural repairs, delaying the work. Work was finally underway when the building partially collapsed.
“Milton woman details battle and betrayal over Florida alimony law” via Andy Marlette of the Pensacola News Journal — Camille Malone Fiveash is pretty much an authentic native of Northwest Florida. The 61-year-old mother of three “grown” kids is a seventh-generation Milton resident. Fiveash is also divorced. After more than three decades of marriage, she said an ugly split in 2011 involved a husband’s infidelities and a domestic abuse injunction. Fiveash was awarded what’s regarded in Florida as “permanent alimony.” Fiveash isn’t rich, and her alimony payments aren’t luxurious. She works part-time in a bakery to help pay for health insurance. Fiveash describes the laws as annual attempts by a relatively small group of wealthy and influential men to essentially bribe Florida legislators into passing a law that would let them off the hook for money they owe due to previous marriages.
“Disney suspends political contributions in Florida as CEO apologizes for silence on ‘don’t say gay’” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek is pausing all of the company’s political donations in Florida after the passage of the “don’t say gay” bill and apologized to employees for his silence during the monthslong debate on the measure. In a letter sent to Disney workers, Chapek said the bill was “not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights.” “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights, and I let you down,” he wrote. The company has given more than $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC since 2019.
“With Disney and Pivot upset, the consequences of Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation get real” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Disney’s CEO, deep into damage-control mode, apologized and announced Friday the company is ”pausing” all political donations in Florida. And a big-deal tech and business conference, Pivot, scrapped plans to bring the event back to Miami as planned in 2023. Perhaps the Republican Legislature’s actions are finally catching up to it. We hope so. We don’t know the financial impact of pulling Pivot out of the state, but it certainly is a blow to that shiny, city-of-the-future image Miami Mayor Francis Suarez wants to promote. If there’s one thing we know about politics, money talks. Disney and Pivot may be on to something here.
“How Disney worked behind the scenes against the ‘don’t say gay’ bill” via Ana Ceballos of the Tampa Bay Times — Disney worked behind the scenes for the past two months to try and convince Florida lawmakers that a bill restricting LGBTQ school lessons was not good policy. The legislation was on the company’s radar since it was filed in January. Three lawmakers, two Republicans and one Democrat, spoke about their role in Disney’s efforts as its stance spilled into public view. Disney lobbyists set up a series of calls with Senate Education Committee Chair Joe Gruters before the bill received a hearing. When the House voted for the measure, the fate of the bill was up to the Senate — so Disney revamped lobbying efforts in the chamber. Disney turned to Senate Education Committee VIce-Chair Shevrin Jones, the chamber’s only openly gay lawmaker.
“‘The door is open’: California’s Gavin Newsom woos Disney jobs amid controversy over LGBTQ bill” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — As Disney withers criticism from the left and right over a controversial Florida education bill, California’s Governor offered a solution. “Disney, the door is open to bring those jobs back to California — the state that actually represents the values of your workers,” tweeted Newsom. The wooing comes less than a year after Disney announced it would relocate more than 2,000 jobs to a new Lake Nona campus. Over the next 18 months, the plan is to shift all Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering jobs not fully dedicated to operations at Disneyland in California.
“Florida TaxWatch celebrates another successful Legislative Session” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Florida TaxWatch was on the winning side of several policy fights during the 2022 Legislative Session, often making its case with a trove of research to back it up. Perhaps their most visible effort was the data privacy bill (HB 9). The measure would have given consumers more control over their online data, including requesting businesses delete their personal data or refrain from selling it. The proposal passed the House with bipartisan support, and polling indicated it was equally popular among voters. However, FTW research showed it would have reduced Florida’s gross operating surplus by 3.9%. That amounts to a $21 billion hit to the state economy.
“The corporate lobby lost” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents — An interesting thing happened about halfway through this year’s Session. A minor committee in the House met to hear House Bill 1447, which would have created a new tax credit for businesses that hire apprentices. HB 1447 was a corporate income tax break, and only 1% of Florida businesses actually pay Florida corporate income tax. So, when the Florida Legislature cuts the corporate tax, it saves money only for a small handful of the biggest and most profitable companies in the country – companies like Lockheed Martin (which, by the way, stood to save an estimated $900,000 a year from the apprenticeship tax credit). By the end of the hearing, even the bill’s supporters acknowledged that only big businesses were likely to save any money. The Committee approved HB 1447 on a unanimous vote. But the bill never moved again for the rest of Session.
— STATEWIDE —
“Average U.S. gas price rises 22% in two weeks” via The Associated Press — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline shot up a whopping 79 cents over the past two weeks to a record-setting $4.43 per gallon as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is contributing to already-high prices at the pump. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday the new price exceeds by 32 cents the prior all-time high of $4.11 set in July 2008. But that’s still quite a ways from the inflation-adjusted record high of about $5.24 per gallon. The price at the pump is $1.54 higher than it was a year ago. Lundberg said gas prices are likely to remain high in the short-term as crude oil costs soar amid global supply concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“‘We never expected to recover this quickly’: Why money is flowing at Palm Beach Kennel Club” via Mike Diamond of The Palm Beach Post — Poker is back with a vengeance at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The facility is on track to surpass the numbers for 2019, its best year ever. When the pandemic struck in 2020, PBKC had to close for two months, and after it reopened in May, business was off by as much as 40% for the remainder of the year. The cardrooms take a percentage of the amount wagered by players, which is the rake or what the state refers to as gross receipts. Pari-mutuel cardrooms in Florida report their monthly gross receipts to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. By July of last year, the play had returned to 2019 levels. A month later, it fell when the Delta variant surged. Nonetheless, gross receipts for the past six months of 2021 totaled $8.18 million, barely under the 2019 figure of $8.19 million.
“Major medical marijuana distributor Trulieve to close Alachua County grow facility” via Andrew Caplan of The Gainesville Sun — Trulieve has announced it will be closing its marijuana grow facility in Alachua County at the end of the month. The move results from the company’s acquisition of Harvest Health and Recreation Inc. in October 2021, making Trulieve the largest and most profitable cannabis operator in the country. A worker at the Alachua County 270,000-square-foot facility took to social media, saying employees were informed of the March 31 closure. They said that employees had the option to come to work or stay home. Either way, the company would pay all employees until the last day. About 160 employees will be affected by the change, but more than half have accepted jobs at other Trulieve locations.
“Want to understand the red-state onslaught? Look at Florida.” via Ronald Brownstein of The Atlantic — Across the broad range of socially conservative initiatives that Florida’s Republican Governor, DeSantis and the GOP state legislature have advanced since 2021, business has been “silent, silent as fuck, they are so silent,” says Florida Democratic State Rep. Anna Eskamani. The administration has notably sharpened its tone on many of these red-state efforts in the past few months. Since 2021, Republican-controlled states have advanced a torrent of socially conservative legislation. This includes laws limiting access to abortion, restricting voting rights, banning transgender girls from participating in high school or college sports, barring transition medical treatment for transgender minors, and censoring how teachers can talk about current or historical racial and gender inequities.
“Donald Trump’s midterms endorsements are beginning to go awry” via Ed Kilgore of The Intelligencer — With Primary season now underway, Trump’s strategy of aggressive intervention in the 2022 midterms via candidate endorsements is finally being tested. Unsurprisingly, the former President boasts of a 100%-win ratio for “his” candidates in the March 1 Texas Republican primaries. However, most of them were unopposed or heavy front-runners; his marquee endorsee in a competitive statewide race, Attorney General Ken Paxton, faces a runoff with George P. Bush that could go either way. Elsewhere, Trump is beginning to get some blowback from his supporters for making endorsements in Primary contests where most or all candidates are MAGA enthusiasts.
Op-Ed — “If DeSantis runs for President in 2024, here are four huge reasons to back him” via Mitch Behna of The Western Journal — If Trump is the nominee, I will vote for him. However, my top choice is DeSantis. Here are four reasons. Although Trump is much more competent than Biden, he will still be 78 years old by the time the 2024 General Election takes place. DeSantis will be 46. The conservative-libertarian advocacy group FreedomWorks gives DeSantis a lifetime score of 90% for his tenure in Congress. Now is the time for a staunch conservative. I believe that a candidate’s best chance of winning the presidency is on his or her first run. Before Biden, the previous four Presidents won on their first attempt. As scared as leftists are of a potential second Trump term, they fear DeSantis even more.
“Nikki Fried blames Vladimir Putin for fertilizer shortage” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — The world is experiencing a shortage of fertilizer. The issue is especially acute in Florida, potentially threatening food security. And a historic American enemy is to blame. Fried on Friday blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the shortage, chiding Russian leader Putin by name in a statement from her office, in which she credited the Biden administration with slotting a quarter-billion dollars for domestic fertilizer procurement. Fertilizer prices have doubled in the last year, which has left the U.S. in the lurch as one of the world’s leading importers. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack likewise blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine for the fertilizer surfeit.
“Two challengers file to take on Jerry Demings for Orange County Mayor” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Retired Army Col. Anthony “Tony” Sabb and business owner and philanthropist Christopher “Chris” Messina have filed to run for Orange County Mayor, challenging Mayor Demings’ re-election bid in the August countywide elections. Both candidates are coming at Demings from conservative positions in the nonpartisan Primary Election contest, which will take place on Aug. 23. Both candidates criticized Demings’ aggressive COVID-19 pandemic control strategies and policies in campaign announcements. Messina also came out swinging against Demings’ transportation sales tax proposal, accusing him of having an “inflationary agenda.” Messina and Sabb filed to run in the first week of March, making them Demings’ first challengers for this year’s election.
“Group behind attacks in Central Florida Senate race wants suit dismissed” via Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel — An attorney representing a political committee that sent ads slamming a candidate in a key Central Florida state Senate race in 2020 is urging a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to depose the group’s chairman and obtain bank records that would reveal its donors. Florida state Sen. Annette Taddeo’s suit alleges Floridians for Equality and Justice sent ads to voters in Seminole and Volusia counties ahead of the August 2020 Primary attacking Patricia Sigman, a Democrat running in the highly competitive race to represent Senate District 9, without disclosing its contributors as state law requires.
— CORONAVIRUS —
“863 deaths, 10,211 cases in last weekly COVID-19 report before Florida switches to every other week” via Caroline Catherman of the Orlando Sentinel — Starting next week, the Florida Department of Health will move from weekly to biweekly COVID-19 reports, spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said on Friday. Florida’s shift to biweekly reporting comes as cases and deaths continue to fall and COVID-19 spread is “low” throughout much of Central Florida. This week, there were 10,211 new coronavirus cases among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 5,824,728. With 863 more fatalities on record, 71,860 Florida residents have died.
“COVID-19’s strain on Florida hospitals worse than most states, CDC says” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — As COVID-19 infections return to pre-omicron levels in Florida, the spread of the disease and its strain on hospitals remain worse in Florida than most states, new federal data shows. State health officials are offering no answers on why or how to tackle this. While 83% of all Americans live in places where COVID-19 poses a “low” threat to their hospitals, the same is true for just 67% of Floridians, data released Thursday by the CDC indicates. The CDC calculates COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations in counties to determine if the disease poses a risk of “low,” “medium,” or “high” impact to their health care systems. About 30% of Floridians live in medium-impact areas, and about 2% live in 10 high-risk counties.
“COVID-19 has cost the school district $11.16 million to treat nearly 3,000 employees” via Kimberly C. Moore of The Lakeland Ledger — Nearly 3,000 Polk County Public School employees have been treated for COVID-19 through the district’s self-funded health program, at the cost of $11.16 million, officials said this week as they reviewed the financial standing of the self-funded health program. Polk County Public Schools’ health program is self-funded, meaning the district pays the medical expenses of its employees, including hospitalizations. It owns and operates two clinics to treat employees and their dependents. According to National Insurance Services, “when using a self-funded plan, employers assume the liability and risk associated with uncertain health care costs in exchange for several significant financial benefits.
“COVID-19 researchers: Florida ‘cherry-picked’ our work in kid vaccine recommendation” via Ian Hodgson of the Tampa Bay Times — When the Florida Department of Health released new guidelines this week suggesting healthy children should not get the coronavirus vaccine, it cited several studies to back up the position. But at least four of the experts whose research was cited say their work was taken out of context. They disagreed with Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s conclusion that the vaccine was more dangerous than the virus for healthy children. “I think there is cherry-picking of sentences to support what (the state) wanted,” said Kathryn Edwards, a pediatrics professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who co-authored one of the papers cited in the guidance.
“Orange County’s state health officer Raul Pino reinstated after leave over vaccine email” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Pino, the top state health officer in Orange County, who was put on administrative leave after questioning low vaccine rates at his office, will return to work Tuesday. Pino, whose paid leave started as the omicron variant roared through the county, has been out of office for two months. “We know Orange County’s definitely happy to have him back,” said Redfern. “We’re happy to have him back.” Pino was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 10, about a week after he sent a staff-wide email on Jan. 4 revealing that fewer than 14% of the 568 employees in the office had been fully vaccinated with a complete series and booster shot.
— MORE CORONA —
“How millions of lives might have been saved from COVID-19” via Zeynep Tufekci of The New York Times — Our information about what happened when the coronavirus apparently was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, remains limited. Several Western scientists said colleagues in China had told them of the outbreak by mid-December. Whistleblower doctors reported being silenced from mid-December on. Not until Jan. 20, 2020, did Chinese authorities publicly admit that the virus was clearly passing from person to person. Three days later, they shut down the city of Wuhan. China could have notified the WHO sometime in early to mid-December that it had an outbreak. Governments could have made sure tests were immediately developed to find as many cases as possible. Travel restrictions and testing could have been put in place to prevent the spread outside China.
“Former President Barack Obama tests positive for coronavirus” via Amy B. Wang of The Washington Post — Obama said Sunday he has tested positive for the coronavirus, noting that his symptoms appeared mild so far. “I just tested positive for COVID,” Obama said on Twitter. “I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple of days but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative.” … “It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.” Coronavirus cases in the United States have fallen to their lowest levels since last July, but more than 9,000 Americans per week continue to die of COVID-19. Nearly 1 million people in the United States have died of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
“If you already hate your new job, it’s fine to quit” via Kathryn Minshew of Bloomberg — According to a new survey of more than 2,500 respondents from career site The Muse, 72% of American workers said they have experienced starting a new job and realizing that the position or company was very different from what they were led to believe. Over the last two years, as job candidates and employers have assessed each other over Zoom, I suspect a lot of people have ended up with that did-I-just-make-a-huge-mistake feeling. For many, the pandemic has only emphasized that life is short, making people less likely to stick around in unfulfilling jobs. They are probably right to leave. Employees who experience shift shock are less likely to engage or become high performers. That can limit career growth.
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Joe Biden administration pushes for higher construction-worker pay” via David Harrison of The Wall Street Journal — The Biden administration is proposing changes designed to push up wages for workers at federally-funded construction projects such as interstates. The proposal would rewrite the rules around the Davis-Bacon Act, a 90-year-old law that applies to government contractors, to better account for the increased earnings of construction workers over time. Under the law, federal contractors must pay the same wage that local workers get for similar types of construction work. The Labor Department surveys contractors around the country and publishes more than 100,000 prevailing wage rates for every type of construction work. It can take several years to complete a survey, by which time many of the wage calculations are outdated. The wage rates haven’t been updated in 40 years in some cases.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Rick Scott denounces ‘murderous thug’ Vladimir Putin after Russians kill U.S. journalist” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — On Sunday morning, Sen. Scott made his first comments in the wake of the death of an American journalist in Ukraine, seemingly the latest provocation to the U.S. from Putin‘s Russia. Appearing on “Fox and Friends,” Scott said, “It’s terrible. I mean, my heart goes out to the family of the individual that was killed. And I hope the other individual has a full recovery. But, I mean, Putin is just an absolute murderous thug.” The Senator said he was glad that an aid package passed for Ukraine, but urged that more could be done. “I pray for them,” Scott continued.
Assignment editors — U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor voted to pass a robust funding package with direct aid for some of Tampa’s most pressing priorities that is now on the way to Biden’s desk for signature. Castor will hold a news conference with Gracepoint CEO Joe Rutherford to celebrate this funding’s impact on mental health care, 10:15 a.m., 2212 E. Henry Ave., Tampa. RSVP to Rikki.Miller@mail.house.gov.
“After political blowback, U.S. pauses talks with Venezuela to replace oil from Russia” via Nora Gámez Torres, Antonio María Delgado and Michael Wilner of the Miami Herald — The Biden administration has put oil talks with Venezuela’s strongman, Nicolás Maduro, on hold after receiving blowback from bipartisan lawmakers and the Latin American country’s democratic opposition. But the prospect of a deal is still on the table as gas prices soar and the administration seeks alternative sources of crude in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Two sources in Venezuela’s opposition said the administration was already moving last weekend toward a deal with Maduro on oil imports and, during a controversial visit to Caracas on March 5, was planning to grant American oil giant Chevron a special license to resume activities in Venezuela.
“How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is tearing apart the global food system” via Elizabeth Elkin, Allison Nicole Smith, and Sybilla Gross of Bloomberg — The Ukraine war threatens staple crops from Europe’s key grain-growing regions, which means escalating food prices that have already been plaguing consumers around the world could get worse, raising the threat of a full-blown hunger crisis. The United Nations warned that already record global food costs could surge another 22% as war stifles trade and slashes future harvests. According to Steve Mathews, head of strategy at Gro Intelligence, trade restrictions could cause international prices to rise even higher due to tightening global supplies. “It adds greatly to the inflationary concerns,” he said. Russia, a big supplier of every major type of crop nutrient, urged domestic fertilizer producers to cut exports earlier this month, stoking fears of shortages of crop inputs that are vital to growers.
“Chipmakers stockpiled key materials ahead of Russian invasion of Ukraine” via Asa Fitch of The Wall Street Journal — Almost two years of chip shortages have had an unexpected upside for the semiconductor industry: It is better prepared to manage the turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Production of vital raw materials for chipmaking is concentrated in Russia and Ukraine. The countries are a major source of neon gas, needed to feed lasers that print minute circuitry onto silicon, and the metal palladium used in later manufacturing stages. The chip industry broadly says it isn’t expecting much pain. “Had this happened maybe 10 years ago, we might have been in a lot more pain than we are today,” said Jimmy Goodrich, vice president for global policy at the Semiconductor Industry Association, a Washington, D.C.-based industry body.
“Fed expectations don’t add up in the debt market” via Lisa Abramowicz of Bloomberg — Almost all commodities have become very expensive in a short period of time. The Bloomberg Commodity Spot Index is up 27% this year. Consumers are having a harder time keeping up, with wage increases falling short of the rise in inflation rates. So how do central banks respond? When the war in Ukraine began, rates traders considered that perhaps policymakers might not tighten policy as much as first anticipated. But they’ve abandoned such notions, especially after the European Central Bank sounded a hawkish tone last week by saying it plans to end its pandemic-era bond purchase program early. The message from central bankers is that they are more concerned about repeating their mistakes of the 1970s and letting inflation fester than torpedoing the economy.
— CRISIS —
“Former Trump adviser Michael Flynn pleaded the Fifth during meeting with Jan. 6 committee” via Mariana Alfaro and Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post — Flynn, former President Trump’s national security adviser, invoked his Fifth Amendment right Thursday during a deposition before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. Flynn pleaded the Fifth “on advice of counsel,” his attorney, David A. Warrington, said in a statement. Warrington argued that during Thursday’s deposition, “committee staff insinuated that General Flynn’s decision to decline to answer their questions constituted an admission of guilt.”
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Trump calls on supporters to ‘lay down their very lives’ to defend U.S. against Critical Race Theory” via Joshua Zitser of Business Insider — Trump called on his supporters to “lay down their very lives” to fight against Critical Race Theory at a rally in Florence, South Carolina, on Saturday night. During a speech that lasted a little under an hour, Trump told a crowd that eliminating Critical Race Theory from schools is a “matter of national survival.” Critical Race Theory is an academic practice that explores how America’s history of racism and discrimination continues to impact the country today. On Thursday, the Florida Senate passed a bill that will limit race-related discussions in classrooms and workplaces, delivering a win to Republicans who oppose Critical Race Theory teaching in schools.
Tweet, tweet:
“Trump says ‘lot of love’ behind Putin wanting to ‘make his country larger’” via Andrew Stanton of Newsweek — Trump said there is “a lot of love” behind Putin‘s efforts to make “his country larger” on Sunday as Russian troops continued to invade Ukraine. Trump discussed the conflict during an appearance on Fox News radio Sunday. He said he believes Putin’s ultimate goal is to rebuild the Soviet Union eventually, and he went on to explain what he believes to be Putin’s mindset. Some critics, however, took issue with Trump’s use of “a lot of love,” pointing to the widespread destruction and thousands of casualties the invasion has caused in Ukraine.
“William Barr: Trump should not be President but ‘lesser of two evils’ compared to U.S. left” via Edward Helmore of The Guardian — Doubling down on his vow to vote for Trump if he is the Republican nominee in 2024 despite writing in his new book that Trump is dangerously unsuited for the job, Barr said: “Elections are binary choice, and unfortunately sometimes it’s choosing the lesser of two evils.” Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Barr added: “I believe that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is dangerous for the United States.” Barr also repeated that he would support another Republican if Trump does run in the primary again. In office, Barr was widely seen as too close to his hard-line right-wing President, particularly over the Mueller report on Russian election interference and links between Trump and Moscow.
“The totally dodgy backstory of the bank that just refinanced Trump Tower” via Tim Dickinson and Andy Kroll of Rolling Stone — Trump succeeded in refinancing Trump Tower. That’s no small feat. The Trump Organization has mountains of debt and has become a financial pariah. The company’s longtime accountant, Mazars, recently abandoned the Trumps amid a New York state investigation into whether the company systematically manipulated the value of its assets. The accounting firm said it could no longer vouch for the accuracy of a decade’s worth of Trump Organization financial statements, insisting those documents “should no longer be relied upon.”
— LOCAL NOTES —
“Possible tornado damages buildings, closes roads in Ocala, police say” via Nelly Ontiveros and Monivette Cordeiro of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis declared a state of emergency in several Florida counties that experienced severe weather Saturday, including a possible tornado in Ocala that damaged buildings and caused several traffic accidents. In an executive order, DeSantis said the state of emergency in Marion, Clay, Highlands and Putnam counties was necessary for receiving assistance after a “powerful cold front” generated strong winds, thunderstorms, and isolated tornadoes across the region, leaving widespread power outages and damages. According to the order, the Governor also said the heavy rain had caused flash flooding in Northeast Florida, and some rivers are “forecast to rise and remain above flood stage for several days.”
“Arrest in fentanyl overdoses of West Point cadets in Florida” via The Associated Press — Police have made an arrest in connection with fentanyl overdoses that involved five cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at a Florida vacation home during spring break. The Wilton Manors Police Department said six men and a woman overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine and were taken to hospitals on Thursday. Authorities said late Friday that they had made an arrest but did not offer more specifics about the person’s identity. A spokesperson from the U.S. Military Academy said Saturday that five West Point cadets were involved, and four of them were transported to the hospital. Fire officials told The Associated Press on Friday afternoon that two patients were critically ill and on ventilators.
“Sticker shock on way: Fort Lauderdale water rates may nearly double by 2025 to pay for new treatment plant” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — That water flowing from the tap is about to get more expensive, a lot more expensive. Fort Lauderdale may need as much as $450 million to replace Fiveash, the city’s 68-year-old water treatment plant. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out there has to be rate increases,” Commissioner Steve Glassman said. Fort Lauderdale is close to hiring a private company to build a new water treatment plant that would open as soon as 2025 and cost at least $385 million based on conservative estimates. The pricy plant would get built through a public-private partnership, with the team from the private sector not only building but designing, operating, managing and maintaining the new treatment plant and water system.
“Two challengers file to take on Jerry Demings for Orange County Mayor” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Retired Army Col. Anthony “Tony” Sabb and business owner and philanthropist Christopher “Chris” Messina have filed to run for Orange County Mayor, challenging Mayor Jerry Demings’ re-election bid in the August countywide elections. Both candidates are coming at Demings from conservative positions in the nonpartisan Primary Election contest, which will take place on Aug. 23. Both candidates criticized Demings’ aggressive COVID-19 pandemic control strategies and policies in campaign announcements. Messina also came out swinging against Demings’ transportation sales tax proposal, accusing him of having an “inflationary agenda.” Messina and Sabb filed to run in the first week of March, making them Demings’ first challengers for this year’s election.
“Delray Beach is considering letting bars permanently operate outdoors. One official worries it could turn downtown into ‘New Orleans.’” via Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Could Delray Beach’s already buzzing downtown soon turn into a raucous party scene resembling “New Orleans?” That’s the fear of some city officials as Delray Beach considers allowing bars to operate outdoors permanently. While only about a dozen bars in Delray Beach would be impacted, the concern is that it could open “Pandora’s box” and create a domino effect of new outdoor bars. While Delray Beach already has a vibrant downtown on Atlantic Avenue with patrons spilling out from restaurants and bars, the concern centers around the revelry from potential new bars infiltrating residential neighborhoods. There’s been a long-standing rule for bars in Delray Beach: If you don’t serve food, you’re not allowed to operate outdoors. The city temporarily suspended the rule in 2020 due to COVID-19 so businesses could stay open safely.
“Tampa City Councilman resigns as part of public records lawsuit settlement” via Ashley Gurbal Kritzer of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder has resigned from his post as part of an agreement to settle a public records lawsuit related to a hotly contested real estate development. The settlement between Dingfelder and business consultant Stephen Michelini was reached Friday. Michelini, who represents real estate developers and business owners in city council requests from liquor licenses to rezoning hearings, sued Dingfelder in October, alleging that he had not complied with the full scope of a public records request. “We are happy this nightmare for Steve is over,” Ethan Loeb, Michelini’s attorney, said in a statement.
“No charges will be filed in Circle K road rage fatal shooting, state attorney says” via Christopher Cann of the Tallahassee Democrat — The State Attorney’s Office will not press charges in the Jan. 6 shooting at the Bannerman and Thomasville roads Circle K that left state employee John Kuczwanski dead. State Attorney Jack Campbell described the incident to the news station as a “clear case of self-defense.” Leon County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Angela Green said “the case is not officially closed, pending a final ballistics report” when a reporter called to confirm the case’s end. Green added that since the case is not “officially closed,” LCSO cannot release any further information on the shooting’s circumstances, including incident reports.
“Put-downs and political intrigue: What texts during Blueprint FSU stadium meeting reveal” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — A handful of City and County Commissioners were texting while meeting when the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency convened to take up and finally settle controversial financing of Florida State University’s football stadium. The vast majority of the texts were between County Commissioner Kristin Dozier — a leading opponent of the stadium funding — and several others, including citizens and political handlers who wanted to see it go down in flames. Dozier, who filed to run for Mayor a week after the meeting, openly discussed her political plans with friends and supporters. She also offered blunt criticism of colleagues who supported the $27 million in sales taxes going toward the stadium, which passed in a 7-5 vote.
“JEA ‘death spiral’ scenario used to justify sales attempt in 2019 hasn’t happened” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Board members said ominously at the July 23, 2019, meeting that JEA was heading toward an inevitable “death spiral” and would be “writing its own obituary” if it didn’t change course. They unanimously approved putting a “for sale” sign on JEA. Two and half years later, JEA has not yet entered any kind of “death spiral” by the standards of that study. The utility didn’t lay off any employees and actually has slightly grown its workforce. So far, the volume of electric sales has been higher than projections in the 2019 study. JEA keeps making its contractual payments to the city of Jacksonville, most recently cutting a $121.2 million check.
“Orlando proposes fee rebate for affordable housing builders” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Under the proposal the City Council is due to vote on Monday, the city plans to dedicate $1.5 million from its fund to offer permitting fees rebates to developers. “It’s just another carrot that we can throw out there to incentivize affordable housing,” said Lillian Payne, Orlando’s deputy director of economic development. Florida faces a severe shortage of affordable housing units, while seeing the housing market explode in recent years. Also, rents in metro Orlando increased over the past year faster than any other city in the Sunbelt, according to a study by CoStar. Fees charged for large developments can be costly. In one example, Payne said that the Pendana at West Lakes senior housing development, which had all of its units affordable, would qualify for a $95,000 rebate.
“Florida troopers stop Lamborghini, find over 3,000 THC cartridges” via Athina Morris of WFLA — Florida troopers who pulled over a Lamborghini got a lot more than what they bargained for when they searched the car. The Florida Highway Patrol said its troopers pulled over the driver of a 2019 Urus for a traffic violation on Interstate 75 in Collier County on Wednesday. A search of the vehicle turned up 3,030 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cartridges. The driver, 30-year-old Justin Paul Aho of Fort Myers, was arrested for driving with a suspended license, his third violation, troopers said. According to the report, Aho’s passenger, 33-year-old Harold Weeks of Fort Myers, was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance and distribution.
— TOP OPINION —
“GOP draws new boundaries for congressional districts — and for DeSantis” via the Miami Herald editorial board — For once, Republican lawmakers are standing up to DeSantis, at least a little bit. This glimpse of a legislative backbone emerged during a critically important process: the once-a-decade redrawing of boundary lines for congressional districts that will reshape the political landscape in Florida. Republican lawmakers tried, as usual, to placate the governor, taking the unusual step of approving a “primary” map, plus a backup map. We think it’s encouraging that they’re putting a sliver of daylight between themselves and DeSantis on this one. Whatever the case, Florida lawmakers are drawing the boundaries, all right. But not just for Congress. In this instance, they’re drawing a line between themselves and a powerful GOP Governor.
— OPINIONS —
“Yes, voters ‘deserve to know’ this GOP plan would raise taxes by $1 trillion” via Dana Milbank of The Washington Post — Sen. Scott’s proposal is easily the most radical document to be put forward by a member of the leadership of a major political party in modern times. The NRSC chair is proposing a 10-year tax increase of more than $1 trillion on, in his own words, “more than half of Americans,” to make sure every household pays taxes. Almost all of it would be shouldered by households with an income of $100,000 or less. Scott’s plan would also sunset all federal legislation over five years, under the (risky) assumption that worthy laws would be reenacted. That could mean an end to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, everything else mentioned above, and potentially more.
“Conservatives were wrong on civil rights and women’s rights. Now it’s LGBTQ kids” via Leonard Pitts, Jr. of the Miami Herald — They have never once been right. Did you ever notice that? Do you ever think about it? Never once. Oh, in matters of, say, foreign affairs or military strategy, one might contend that conservatives have had their moments, made arguments that, arguably, made sense. But on matters of social evolution, they’ve compiled a remarkable record: They’ve never been vindicated by history. Rather, they’ve always been repudiated by it, always been wrong. It’s a history that provides a jaundiced context for the latest right-wing crusade. Meaning the one against LGBTQ kids. So, LGBTQ kids and their allies can only put their heads down, work for change and take such satisfaction as they may find in the fact that, where social evolution is concerned, conservatives lost the 20th century. Now they’re about to lose the 21st.
“Can Florida sustain an exuberant $112-billion budget?” via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board — It’s an old Southern tradition: When you come into an unexpected sum of money — particularly government money — the socially acceptable thing to do is get drunk and spend like tomorrow is Judgment Day. Now, we’re not accusing members of the Florida Legislature of overconsumption. But they’re throwing cash around like people who have knocked back more than a few at a Capitol-adjacent watering hole — or people who are acutely aware that they will soon face voters’ election-day reckoning. The total they’ve approved is intoxicating. Last week, lawmakers had to work out a compromise between the House (which wanted to spend $105.3 billion) and the Senate (which initially proposed spending $108.6 billion). So, they met. But not in the middle.
“Living in a Florida we no longer recognize” via Steve Bousquet of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Elections police. Thought police. Censoring teachers. Banning books, then cynically calling it parental involvement. Welcome to America’s culture war capital. This is no longer the Florida where you chose to go to college, launch a new career or retire. The place is virtually unrecognizable. The Sunshine State has become a very mean place, and it could get meaner. The best that can be said about the legislative session that drew to a close Friday is that it’s just about over. All that’s left are a few perfunctory budget votes next Monday. Then DeSantis will congratulate lawmakers on a job well done and head off on an extended victory lap across Florida and beyond.
— ALOE —
“How ‘The Batman’ makes all that darkness watchable” via John Jurgensen of The Wall Street Journal — “The Batman” has broken out as the biggest box-office hit of the year. Unofficially, the movie might have also set a new standard for the darkest superhero blockbuster ever made. Almost 100% of the movie plays out at night. Robert Pattinson’s vigilante superhero does his job in heavy rain, dim rooms, and a nightclub resembling a bunker. One of the story’s few daytime sequences takes place at a funeral. To help make “The Batman” shadowy yet legible, the filmmakers used custom camera lenses with sharp focus at the center and a blur at the edges and transferred their digital footage to film for a look of analog grit.
“Red Hills Horse Trials is saddled up and halfway through their 2022 event” via Shamonee Baker of the Tallahassee Democrat — The annual Red Hills Horse Trials that began Friday is back in full swing after a year of no spectators due to COVID-19 precautions. A long night of thunderstorms and rain Friday night led to a cloudy and blustery Saturday morning for the Red Hills second-day event, cross-country. However, the big cool-down did not stop spectators, vendors, or the rider-horse duos from participating. Supporters were bundled up by 8 a.m. Saturday to engage in the equestrian sport. For some riders, the three-day event that brings in about 20,000 spectators from across the world in the course of a weekend was a first.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Happy birthday to Rep. Scott Plakon, Bob Asztalos, Ryan Cohn of Sachs Media Group, Scott Maddox, Chris Mitchell of Statecraft Digital, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, Megan Sirjane-Samples, and Jennifer Wilson.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
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6.) THE FACTUAL
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8.) FIRST RIGHT
March 14th, 2022
03/14/2022 05:11 CDT
POLLING PORTENDS DEEP TROUBLE FOR DEMOCRATS IN MIDTERMS; MANCHIN WANTS PIPELINE COMPLETED IN WEST VIRGINIA
TODAY’S TOP TEN
MORE POLLING SHOW DEMOCRATS IN TROUBLE IN NOVEMBER
NEW POLLING CONFIRMS DEMOCRATS’ LEFTIST policies are out of touch with most Americans. The Hill.
BIDEN UNLEASHES PURE RAGE at Americans: “I’m sick of them blaming inflation on me!” The Western Journal.
SENATOR RON JOHNSON WANTS TO KNOW why CDC repeatedly touted flawed mask study. Sharyl Attkisson.
SENATOR MANCHIN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE COMPLETION of natural gas pipeline through West Virginia. Hot Air.
TOP OBAMA ECONOMIC ADVISOR DEBUNKS Biden’s claim U.S. inflation is Putin’s fault. Free Beacon.
BEWARE: SOME OF THE UKRAINE NARRATIVES you are being fed are fake. The Last Refuge.
CANADIAN BROADCAST COMPLAINS UKRAINE WAR “distracts” from “climate change.” Breitbart.
GOOGLE’S FASCISTIC CENSORS REMOVE content that doesn’t conform with establishment position on Ukraine. The Last Refuge.
FLORIDA TO MAKE POSSESSION OF MORE THAN TWO ballots a felony. Newsweek.
AMAZON RELOCATING 1,800 EMPLOYEES OUT of downtown Seattle due to spiking crime. The Post Millennial.
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COMMENTARY WORTH READING
- Secret report reveals corrupt election system. Emerald Robinson.
- Jan. 6th committee seeks to criminalize Republican fundraising. Mollie Hemingway.
- Gasoline prices headed right where the Democrats want them. Issues & Insights.
VIDEO WORTH WATCHING
- Dems to suffering Americans: Just buy Teslas! Tom Elliott.
- Trump: Under my administration, we had peace through strength. Real Clear Politics.
- Laid off Keystone XL pipeline workers tell Biden to go frack himself. Benny Johnson.
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- An interview with Wisconsin talk show host and election expert Dan O’Donnell. Rumble.
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- What does “crossing the Rubicon” mean? ThoughtCo.
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- (@ScottMGreer) In 10 years, America went from gay marriage being banned in nearly every state to nearly every state requiring “LGBT awareness” lessons in elementary school Tweet.
- (@kylenabecker) Donald Trump is so scary… checks notes… because he cut taxes, slashed regulations, grew the economy, ushered in record low unemployment, promoted energy dependence, lowered gas prices, and kept America out of new foreign wars. Terrifying stuff. Tweet.
MOST CLICKED ITEM FRIDAY
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- On NATO’s Doorstep: Russians Hit Ukrainian Military Base Just Miles From Polish Border in War’s Westernmost Attack – 35 Dead BONGINO REPORT.
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
🤠 Good Monday morning from Austin, where I’ve spent a couple days at South by Southwest, and visiting with the Axios Austin crew.
- 🥧 It’s 3.14 — Pi Day.
⚡ New overnight: A pregnant woman and her baby have died after Russia bombed the maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, where she planned to give birth, AP has learned. Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher circled the world.
- Smart Brevity™ count: 1,196 words … 4½ mins. Edited by Zachary Basu.
The red-blue divide even sways where students want to live after college, Axios’ Neal Rothschild, Erica Pandey and Kavya Beheraj report from the new Axios-Generation Lab Next Cities Index.
- Austin was the top choice for young Republicans who want to leave their home states after graduation.
- New York topped the list for young Dems.
- Seattle won big with independents.
Between the lines: Austin wasn’t in the top 15 cities for Democratic students. New York wasn’t in the top 15 cities for Republicans.
- Democrats (54%) were more likely to want to leave their home states than Republicans (41%).
Seattle is the overall most desired post-grad destination for college students, according to the survey, conducted by Generation Lab.
- Seattle eclipsed several classically popular young-adult destinations, which fill out the top 5: NYC … L.A. … Denver … Boston.
Half the 2,109 respondents (from 2- and 4-year schools; margin of error: ± 2 points) said they want to live outside their home states after graduation.
Reality check: 45% said they want to live somewhere different than they think they’ll live.
Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to pull the rug out from under our previously pretty sweet economic recovery. It’s kind of a Godfather Part III moment — just when you think you’re out, they pull you back in, Axios Markets author Emily Peck writes.
- Why it matters: We’ve never ripped an economy as large and as interconnected as Russia’s out of the global economic fabric. Russia’s economy is reeling, as intended. But you can’t do that kind of extraction without hurting yourself in the process.
There already are, and will be more, disruptions to the flow of goods and money in our intricately connected world:
- Energy: This is the key pain point. Europe will feel it most acutely. But energy prices in the U.S. are soaring, as markets adjust to life without a supply of Russian oil and gas.
- Cars: Price spikes in metals produced in Russia, like palladium and nickel, will filter into U.S. inflation more slowly. The commodities are used to manufacture automobiles, both electric and gas-powered. That’ll pile onto pandemic-era computer chip issues.
- Food: Russia and Ukraine produce a lot of wheat, and prices are surging already. The U.S. isn’t a major importer. But a disruption doesn’t help at a time when food prices are already rising.
- Supply chain: Already we’re seeing backups of ships at some ports because of the war, the N.Y. Times reports (subscription).
The bottom line: It’s ugly, folks.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Former federal officials are warning that the U.S. isn’t ready for biological warfare — just as we failed to prepare for a pandemic, Axios’ Caitlin Owens writes.
- Why it matters: There’s no immediate threat. But fears that Russia may use biological or chemical weapons against Ukraine underscore the need to prepare for worst-case scenarios.
“We are far short of looking at these challenges in the same way we look at many of the traditional national security issues we face,” said Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader. “I think it’s the future of the real threats we face in national security.”
The same stockpile that held masks and ventilators also stores therapeutics and other countermeasures that can be used against smallpox, anthrax, radiation and nuclear burns.
- But investment in the stockpile hasn’t kept up, by the government’s own standards.
- Congress hasn’t funded the stockpile at the HHS recommended level, although it did just add more funding in the sweeping spending bill passed last week.
Stunning stat: The number of U.S. homes worth more than $1 million nearly doubled since before the pandemic, to 8.2% in February from 4.8% in February of 2020, Axios’ Jennifer A. Kingson writes from Redfin data.
- Why it matters: Rapidly appreciating home values are a windfall for those who own them, but also mean that more and more Americans are priced out of the market.
Between the lines: Incomes are rising, but not as quickly as home prices — leaving many people stuck as renters.
Redfin, the discount brokerage, says the percentage of U.S. homes valued at $1 million or more has hit a record — a trend led by the Bay Area.
- Nearly 9 out of 10 properties in San Francisco and San Jose are million-dollar listings.
- Seven of the top 10 cities for $1m+ homes are in California.
Morale among Americans in early March dropped to an 11-year low in the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index released Friday — the bleakest reading since September 2011.
- Why it matters: Inflation worries have eclipsed other indicators, which show a pretty strong U.S. economy — with unemployment at just 3.8%, Axios Markets co-author Matt Phillips notes.
Elon Musk hosted Labor Secretary Marty Walsh yesterday at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas outside Austin, during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival.
- The visit came just ahead of a planned April 7 grand opening for the $1.1 billion plant, which is also Tesla headquarters.
I’m told the 75-minute conversation at 1 Tesla Road included inflation, American innovation and, of course, job creation in Texas.
- Musk said he wants to keep the conversation going.
Walsh speaks today at SXSW.
- Watch a 1-min. time-lapse drone video of the Gigafactory construction.
Tom Brady’s return to the Tampa Bay Bucs after his 40-day retirement sparked this column by The Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan:
The notion of being “done” has always presented an athlete with one of their hardest and most daunting challenges, and it’s a decision that is made for so many of them by circumstances beyond their control. … So when an athlete gets the opportunity to make that decision on [their] own terms … they know they are among the lucky few.
From familiar names at the top of the bracket — Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, Baylor — to the well-worn debates — Why did Coach K get shipped out West? Did somebody do Dayton wrong? — Selection Sunday felt as comfortable as a well-worn Air Jordan, AP’s Eddie Pells writes.
- Why it matters: March Madness is back to normal, or as close to normal as we get these days. Once-in-a-lifetime game-winners will play out in front of crazy crowds for the first time in three years.
The road ends in New Orleans for the Final Four and championship game, April 2-4.
- Players to watch over the next three weeks include Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe — one of dozens who switched schools via the amped-up “transfer portal” that is reshaping college hoops at the blink of an eye.
📬 Please urge your friends to sign up here to get their daily essentials — Axios AM, PM and Finish Line.
14.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
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16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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17.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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18.) ASSOCIATED PRESS
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
Morning Headlines
The Biden administration unveiled a rule Friday to slash smog pollution that comes from power plants and other industrial sources and drifts across state lines, endangering people in downwind states. Read more…
A state Supreme Court ruling on Friday further closed the door on a major challenge to a Texas law that, since September, has banned nearly all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Read more…
House Democrats want more executive actions from Biden
PHILADELPHIA — At the House Democrats’ conference on Friday, President Joe Biden continued to blame high gas prices on the pandemic and Vladimir Putin, while, before his arrival, members advocated for him to take further executive action on issues like voting rights, policing policy and immigration. Read more…
Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developmentsin finance and financial technology.
New map could mean three new N.Y. state Democrats in House
ANALYSIS — Even though Republicans got to draw more congressional districts nationwide, Democrats were in charge of the map in the fourth-largest state, and they didn’t let the opportunity go to waste, CQ Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales writes. Read more…
Photos of the week ending March 11, 2022
CQ Roll Call’s photojournalists last week focused their lenses on ice cream on the Mall, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson meeting with more senators, Billie Jean King celebrating Title IX and House Democrats finally heading to their retreat in Philadelphia. Read more…
On the latest episode of CQ Budget, David Lerman and Lindsey McPherson delve into the delays, compromises and sacrifices made last week in order to get the omnibus spending bill across the finish line. Listen here…
CQ Roll Call is a part of FiscalNote, the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government. Copyright 2022 CQ Roll Call. All rights reserved Privacy | Safely unsubscribe now.
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25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: Something unusual is happening between Biden and Congress
DRIVING THE DAY
HEARTBREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT — AP: “A pregnant woman and her baby have died after Russia bombed the maternity hospital where she was meant to give birth, The Associated Press has learned. Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had circled the world, epitomizing the horror of an attack on humanity’s most innocent.”
PRESSURE POLITICS — Something quite striking has happened in Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine. Congress — which typically takes a back seat on foreign policy matters — has repeatedly driven the White House beyond its comfort zone with bipartisan demands for more assertive policies.
It started with calls for tougher sanctions, then escalated to an appeal for a larger military and humanitarian assistance package. Members of both parties then clamored for a U.S. ban on Russian oil, which the White House saw as politically risky given the effect on gas prices at home. And they insisted that the U.S. end permanent normal trade relations with Russia.
The tactics have worked. And this week, lawmakers will be at it again — this time nudging the Biden administration to go further than it wants in facilitating the transfer of fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine.
The White House POV: The Biden White House — worried about ratcheting up tensions with the Kremlin — has rejected Poland’s offer to move their Soviet-style planes. Indeed, Russia over the weekend warned that it would view any such delivery as an escalation, and signaled that any such convoys (even American-delivered ones) would be considered “legitimate targets.”
Alex Ward, who anchors POLITICO’s National Security Daily newsletter, noted Sunday that the administration has gone out of its way to avoid any moves that could trigger further conflict with Russia. It has even taken steps back to ease tensions, such as canceling special operations training and delaying missile tests. Our colleagues also scooped Sunday that a “Pentagon push to send more trainers to Ukraine was scrapped in December amid White House fears of provoking Russia.”
The supporters’ POV: Supporters of approving a transfer of fighter jets argue that Russia has drawn multiple lines that the West has already crossed — and that VLADIMIR PUTIN is the aggressor here. Sen. ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio), speaking from the Ukraine-Poland border, noted on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Putin had also called sanctions an “act of war” and warned the U.S. against providing stringers and helicopters.
“What we’ve heard directly from the Ukrainians is they want them badly,” Portman said of the planes. “They want the ability to have better control over the skies in order to give them a fighting chance. I don’t understand why we’re not doing it.”
The build-up: While Republicans led the charge calling for the transfer last week, over the weekend we saw some Hill Democrats join the fray. Ex-military Democratic Reps. JASON CROW (Colo.), JARED GOLDEN (Maine) and CHRISSY HOULAHAN (Pa.) and a couple of others signed a bipartisan letter backing the move, as we first reported in Playbook PM on Friday. By Sunday, the 58-member-strong bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus — half Democrats — had joined them.
“With Russia’s alarming disregard for Ukrainian civilian casualties, the U.S. must … help supply more comprehensive air defense systems to defend Ukraine and its people,” the letter read.
Meanwhile, Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.) — who doesn’t break often with President JOE BIDEN — said the U.S. shouldn’t rule out making the transfer: “I have made clear to them — I spoke to the president himself about 10 days ago about this — I’d like to see the planes over there,” she said on “State of the Union,” floating the idea of other types of air defense assistance that could also work. “I still don’t rule out having planes at some point.”
So is it just a matter of time before the Biden White House flips and moves on the Poland transfer? Perhaps. What is clear is that Congress has had success with this type of vocal, bipartisan push before. WaPo’s Amy Wang has more on the bipartisan movement on the plane issue. (Read on for more on Ukraine below.)
Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
BIDEN’S MONDAY:
— 10:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 2:10 p.m.: Biden will address the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference at the Marriott Marquis.
— 7:45 p.m.: Biden will take part in a DNC fundraiser.
Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 3 p.m.
THE SENATE will meet at 3 p.m. to take up SHALANDA YOUNG’s nomination as OMB director.
THE HOUSE is out.
BIDEN’S WEEK AHEAD:
— Tuesday: The Bidens, VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will take part in an Equal Pay Day event.
— Thursday: Biden will have a bilateral meeting with Irish Taoiseach MICHEÁL MARTIN, and the Bidens, Harris and Emhoff will host the Martins for a St. Patrick’s Day tradition: a shamrock presentation at the White House.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
CONGRESS
HIDDEN AGENDA — Congressional Democrats left their Philadelphia retreat last week disappointed in the lack of a game plan to revive their stalled domestic agenda. Many — particularly frontliners in vulnerable districts — had hoped that Biden would offer some clarity as they search for a winning strategy ahead of the midterms. Instead, the president — with his attention focused on the war in Ukraine — talked more about wanting to tout what they passed last year.
Senior Democrats weren’t surprised by this. They downplayed suggestions that they saw the retreat as a place to iron out a timeline for pushing their policies through Congress and settling on a message for the midterms. It’s why Democrats started talking last week about Biden going it alone via executive actions as a way to move items that have stalled out but are being demanded by the base. (They want unilateral action on everything from student loan forgiveness and voting rights to criminal justice reforms and immigration issues.)
That doesn’t mean action in the Capitol is non-existent. Hill Democrats have some unfinished business that they’re hoping to make headway on in the coming days, including:
1. The China competition bill: The legislation has passed both chambers, but the provisions of each measure are quite different. We’re told that lawmakers will head to a conference on this bill, a win for frontliners who are eager to tout the legislation as a response to supply-chain bottlenecks.
2. Pandemic relief: In the House, a senior Democratic aide tells us conversations about finding an alternative pay-for to cover a new tranche of pandemic relief will pick up again likely this week. That comes after Democratic infighting killed the White House’s request for billions in new funding last week. The Plan B, the aide said, might be smaller than the original $15 billion proposed. It’s unclear whether Senate Republicans would back it.
3. Further off: A SCOTUS fight — then, maybe, a reconciliation bill. Confirmation hearings to seat KETANJI BROWN JACKSON on the high court will start next week and dominate Congress’ attention until a final vote. Senate Democrats are still hoping to get Jackson confirmed before the two-week Easter recess that begins April 12.
Leaders are eyeing the work period between the return from that break and Memorial Day as the sweet spot to finally pass a reconciliation bill. No, it won’t look anything like Build Back Better — a phrase you don’t hear Democrats utter anymore. But they are still hoping to unify progressives and moderates like Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) behind a package that addresses prescription drug costs, tax reforms and climate change — and perhaps an Obamacare fix.
PIN THIS: SENATE GOP VOWS ‘RESPECTFUL’ SCOTUS FIGHT — Compared to knock-down-drag-out SCOTUS fights of recent memory, it seems not only odd but virtually impossible. And yet, as our Marianne LeVine writes this morning, Senate Republicans have coalesced around one key principle for the looming confirmation process: “that they’ll keep it classy.”
“‘The best message I can give you at this point, but I think you’ve heard me say it before: It’s going to be a fair, thorough hearing, and we’re not going to get in the gutter like the Democrats did,’ said Iowa Sen. CHUCK GRASSLEY, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.”
That’s where the agreement ends, however, Marianne writes. While Democrats went into recent confirmation fights centered on a specific theme, Republicans appear to be all over the place in what they want to talk about and emphasize.
ALL POLITICS
SENATE GOP PRIMARY FIGHTS GET NASTY — GOP political types in Washington all privately agree on one thing when it comes to flipping the Senate in 2022: If they fail to seize the majority, it’s largely going to be because they can’t get out of their own way in a series of contentious primaries across the nation. This morning, our Natalie Allison has a story about GOP candidates “thrashing” each other in about a dozen primaries in key swing states — all while Democrats have largely held their fire in a pair of key primaries.
Take Pennsylvania: “As the Democratic frontrunners Lt. Gov. JOHN FETTERMAN and Rep. CONOR LAMB run ads arguing why they can win in one of the nation’s top battleground states, GOP candidates there have dropped a record-shattering $35 million on TV — the vast majority coming from MEHMET OZ and DAVE MCCORMICK, the leading Republicans, whose camps are framing the other as a ‘liberal RINO’ and ‘Wall Street insider,’ respectively.”
“‘They’re doing what I want them to do, which is kick the crap out of each other,’ said J.B. POERSCH, president of the Senate Majority PAC, Senate Democrats’ flagship super PAC.”
— ICYMI (for all you watching this crazy Missouri primary …): “Schmitt raises $1.6M at Mar-a-Lago event, lands visit from Trump,” by Fox News’ Brooke Singman
CHENEY’S GAMBIT — In 2007, the leftist crowd in Wyoming’s liberal bastion of Jackson Hole dragged an effigy of DICK CHENEY through downtown in protest of the Iraq War. Now, his daughter LIZ CHENEY is turning to the same swath of voters to save her hide in November. And Trumpist Republicans are doing everything in their power to stop her, Tara Palmeri reports from Jackson, Wyo. “Her campaign is loath to talk strategy publicly, but the math doesn’t lie — and neither do Cheney’s actions on the ground here in recent months. She has shunned town halls and other voter forums in Wyoming’s overwhelmingly red counties in favor of controlled events.”
ALL POLITICS IS NATIONAL — South Dakota Gov. KRISTI NOEM’s “election-year fight with fellow Republicans in the Legislature has spurred criticism she is neglecting her job to angle for the White House, but the resistance could actually be helping her national brand rather than tarnishing it,” AP’s Stephen Groves and Thomas Beaumont write.
Although a chunk of her agenda has been derailed by Republican lawmakers, “Noem has shown a knack for the political theatrics invaluable in [DONALD] TRUMP’s Republican Party and last month won the former president’s endorsement for her reelection campaign. Her social media feeds are filled with images of her riding a motorcycle at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, on horseback carrying an American flag, showing off a flamethrower and hunting pheasants.”
2024 WATCH — “Anti-Trump Republicans lining up for 2024 shadow primary,” by AP’s Steve Peoples
KEY UKRAINE READS
OVERNIGHT — “Talks between Russia and Ukraine to resume after deadly attack on military base,” by The Guardian
RUSSIA TURNS TO CHINA FOR HELP — “Russia has requested military and economic assistance from China, U.S. officials say,” per CNN
But, but, but … “China faces consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions, U.S. says,” per Reuters
MEANWHILE — “Zelensky presses Biden to increase economic pressure on Moscow, expand sanctions,” by WaPo’s Jeff Stein
THE STEP BACK — “How Does It End? A Way Out of the Ukraine War Proves Elusive,” by NYT’s David Sanger and Eric Schmitt
AMERICA AND THE WORLD
FUTURE-CASTING — For POLITICO’s 15th anniversary, we’re hosting unfiltered one-on-one conversations about the next 15 years. In the first installment of our series, former Treasury Secretary LARRY SUMMERS sits down with billionaire hedge fund manager RAY DALIO. The two discuss everything from inflation and redistribution to political polarization and global competition with China.
“I think we’re living in a time when we’re not at the end of history and the question of whether the ultimate organization of societies that’s going to work best is one like ABRAHAM LINCOLN talked about at Gettysburg when he talked about ‘by the people, for the people,’ is still an issue,” Summers says, “because China has a very different model and they’ve had really very remarkable results.” Watch and read more from the conversation here
IRAN SENDS A WARNING — Iranian officials on Sunday “claimed responsibility for a missile barrage that struck near a sprawling U.S. consulate complex in northern Iraq, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard earlier this week,” AP’s Qassim Abdul-Zahra reports. “Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest the attack, calling it a flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty. No injuries were reported.”
PLAYBOOKERS
MARCH MADNESS STUDY GUIDE — Time to get your picks ready. ESPN: “What to know about every team in the men’s NCAA tournament bracket”
Barack Obama has Covid-19, but says he’s fine. Ditto for Jeanne Shaheen.
Mitt Romney accused Tulsi Gabbard of “treasonous lies” that “may well cost lives.”
Adam Kinzinger regrets not voting to impeach Trump the first go-round.
RUSSIA HEARTS TUCKER: A little over a week into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “the Kremlin sent out talking points to state-friendly media outlets with a request: Use more TUCKER CARLSON. ‘It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who sharply criticizes the actions of the United States [and] NATO, their negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, [and] the defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and toward Putin, personally,’ advises the 12-page document written in Russian,” which was obtained by Mother Jones’ David Corn.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Eva Rodriguez is joining The Fuller Project as editor-in-chief. She previously was deputy foreign editor at WaPo, and is a WSJ, NYT, Businessweek and POLITICO Magazine alum.
— Amanda Slater is now SVP of public policy and head of U.S. federal affairs at Mastercard. She previously was a principal at Rich Feuer Anderson, and is a Visa, Tom Carper and Ed Perlmutter alum.
MEDIA MOVES — Natalie Pahz is now director of comms for CBS’ “60 Minutes.” She previously was a senior PR manager at CNN. … Nicole Meir has joined the AP as media relations manager. She previously was assistant director of media relations for the Atlantic Council.
TRANSITIONS — Margarita Valdez is now the director of policy and advocacy at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy. She previously was assistant director of congressional relations at the American Society for Radiation Oncology. … Glen Echo Group is adding Ashley Durkin-Rixey as a senior director and Kieran Henstenburg as a graphic designer. Durkin-Rixey most recently was a director of comms at ACT | The App Association. … Adam Ozimek is joining the Economic Innovation Group as its first ever chief economist. He most recently was chief economist at Upwork.
ENGAGED — Amanda Golden, news comms manager at Google News and Google News Initiative and an NBC News alum, and Matthew Kincaid, a 3L at University of Virginia School of Law and an incoming associate at Sullivan & Cromwell, got engaged Saturday. They first met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend in December 2018. The proposal, which took place in front of the same spot in D.C., was followed by a surprise celebration with family and friends. Pic … Another pic
— George Khalaf, managing partner of the Resolute Group, proposed to Briana Johnson, political fundraiser at Radiance Strategies. Pic
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Jeffrey Cimmino, associate director of the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Anne Houtz Cimmino, assistant to the owner at Authentically You Weddings, welcomed Adeline Rose Cimmino on Friday. Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) … Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon … White House’s Rory Brosius … Bill McGinley of the Vogel Group … Faith McPherson of National Public Affairs … WaPo’s Christine Emba … Andrea Bozek of Big Dog Strategies … AEI’s Kevin Kosar … Deb Jospin … T.A. Hawks of Monument Advocacy … Lily Adams … Fox News’ John L. Wallace III … Eric Reath of Rep. Lloyd Smucker’s (R-Pa.) office … Moderna’s John Lepore … Jimmy Loomis of Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s (D-Fla.) office (27) … Georgetown’s Lauren Mullins … Jason Johnson … Virginia Dem Chair Susan Swecker … POLITICO’s Campbell Rawlins … Alicia Pardo … former Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-La.) … Amy Travieso … Rick Grafmeyer … Kathy Wright … Kelsey Cooper of Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) office … Kei Helm … John Connolly of Mission: Readiness (26) … Margita Thompson … Ashley Simmons
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
How Napoleon Bonaparte Rearranged Global Politics – American Minute with Bill Federer
How Napoleon Bonaparte Rearranged Global Politics – American Minute with Bill Federer
- Italy,
- Austria,
- Poland,
- German States,
- Holland,
- Denmark and
- Norway.
- Venezuela,
- Colombia (which included Panama),
- Ecuador,
- Peru,
- Bolivia,
- western Guyana,
- northwest Brazil.
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: Iran Deal on the Ropes?
Iran’s increased aggression and Russia’s attempt to use a revived deal to skirt new sanctions have stalled talks in Vienna.
The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Monday! Our thoughts go out to the person who spent $518,000 on the ball Tom Brady threw for his “final” touchdown pass, only for Tom Brady to unretire less than 24 hours later. Should’ve bought 345 lifetime memberships to The Dispatch instead.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights reported Sunday the number of confirmed civilian casualties in Ukraine has risen to 1,663, including 596 dead and 1,067 injured. Most of the casualties thus far have been caused by missile strikes and shelling from heavy artillery, and the agency continues to believe the true figures are “considerably higher.” More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have reportedly fled the country as refugees, and an additional 2 million are believed to be displaced within Ukraine.
- Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries issued a joint statement on Friday pledging to revoke Russia’s most-favored nation status for the purposes of international trade, cut Russia off from International Monetary Fund and World Bank financing, and more. President Joe Biden also signed an executive order Friday banning imports of Russian seafood, alcohol, and diamonds and banning exports of luxury goods to Russia. Congress is set to vote on revoking normal trade relations with Russia later this week. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Russia was the U.S.’s 23rd-largest trading partner in 2021, with two-way trade between the countries totaling just $36.1 billion.
- The United Kingdom on Friday sanctioned 386 members of the Russian Duma for their support of the Kremlin’s plan to recognize the independence of the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. The Treasury Department issued a new round of sanctions on Kremlin officials and oligarchs on Friday as well. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told state TV on Sunday that about $300 billion of Russia’s $640 billion in reserves is unusable right now due to Western sanctions.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Saturday President Biden had approved an additional $200 million in military aid for Ukraine “to help [it] meet the armored, airborne, and other threats it is facing.” Hours later—one day after Russian diplomats warned the U.S. they viewed weapons deliveries to Ukraine as “legitimate targets”—Russian airstrikes reportedly killed 35 people at a Ukrainian military training facility just 10 miles from the Polish border.
- Despite record-high border crossings last year, the number of undocumented immigrants arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fell dramatically in fiscal year 2021—from 159,000 in 2018 to 143,000 in 2019 to 104,000 in 2020 to 74,000 in 2021—according to the agency’s annual report. The report outlines ICE’s “operational changes” under President Biden, including its focus on “the most pressing threats to national security, public safety, and border security” while allowing enforcement officials to “make discretionary decisions about which noncitizens to arrest, detain, and remove.”
- Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced Saturday it had put to death 81 people convicted of various crimes in an effort to “deter anyone who threatens security or disrupts public life.” The Kingdom did not disclose how the executions were carried out, but it is believed to be the largest mass execution in Saudi Arabia’s history.
- The European Commission and UK’s Competition and Markets Authority announced Friday they were opening an antitrust investigation into Meta (Facebook) and Alphabet (Google), probing whether the two tech companies illegally cooperated to stifle competition in digital advertising.
- Russia’s Roskomnadzor communications regulator banned Instagram in the country over the weekend in response to Meta’s decision to temporarily permit users in some countries to call for violence against Russian invaders in posts on its various platforms. “We have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders,’” Meta spokesman Andy Stone said. “We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.”
Is the Iran Deal On the Ropes?
A little more than a month ago—according to a New York Times headline—the Biden administration seemed poised to make good on one of the president’s key campaign promises: “U.S. and Allies Close to Reviving Nuclear Deal With Iran, Officials Say.”
They’re not very close anymore. The White House’s optimism about a deal has been dealt repeated blows in the intervening six weeks, with two of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s (JCPOA) key participants—Russia and Iran—reminding the world of the risks inherent in diplomacy with rogue states. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal attack on Ukraine and is seeking to use any deal as a way to circumvent the devastating sanctions imposed for its aggression. Iran, meanwhile, refuses to account for the secret nuclear work it conducted in the past and, over the weekend, fired a dozen missiles into neighboring Iraq that landed near a U.S. base.
Stateside, there is growing, bipartisan trepidation in Congress about the direction of the talks. “I am deeply concerned that the latest iteration of the failed JCPOA being negotiated by the Biden Administration will empower Iran, endanger Israel, and continue to threaten global security,” said Rep. Elaine Luria, a Democrat from Virginia who serves as vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee. “Any deal that would give Iran a path to a nuclear weapon or allow them to invest in terror proxies is unacceptable.”
Luria was one of 21 lawmakers who wrote to the White House on Thursday to express concerns about a deal. “Without adequately addressing Iran’s role as the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror—which was noticeably absent from the 2015 JCPOA—and simultaneously providing billions of dollars in sanctions relief, the United States would be providing a clear path for Iranian proxies to continue fueling terrorism,” they said.
Worth Your Time
- In a Politico piece, Stephen Kinzer looks back at the United States’ previous attempts to assassinate foreign leaders amid rising calls to take out Putin. “Americans are impatient by nature. We want quick solutions, even to complex problems. That makes killing a foreign leader seem like a good way to end a war,” he writes. “Every time we have tried it, though, we’ve failed—whether or not the target falls. Morality and legality aside, it doesn’t work. Castro thrived on his ability to survive American plots. In the Congo, almost everything that has happened since Lumumba’s murder has been awful. Our record in carrying out regime change short of murder is hardly better. The CIA-directed overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 cast Iran into a political whirlwind from which it still has not escaped. A year later, the CIA coup against President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala aborted a ten-year democratic experiment and set that country on a path toward civil war and genocide.”
- When it comes to inflation, Mercatus Center fellow Bruce Yandle argues lawmakers can’t begin to address the problem until they accept their own role in stoking it. “For too long now, our political leaders have been unwilling to accept the notion that their policies are the major source of inflation, that the inflation embedded in our economy is not transitory, that inflation is not just associated with sudden supply chain problems, and that inflation is not caused by business leaders suddenly becoming unusually greedy,” he writes for Reason. “Many analysts (and even Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers) now recognize that, fed by trillions of stimulus dollars distributed in 2020–21, surging consumer demand placed extraordinary pressures on the straining supply of home appliances, automobiles, residential structures, gasoline, paint, and even cat food. With money flooding and consumers shopping, prices had to sail higher.”
Presented Without Comment
White House press secretary Jen Psaki briefed 30 top TikTok stars and answered questions on distributing aid to Ukrainians, working with NATO and how the United States would react to a Russian use of nuclear weapons washingtonpost.com/technology/202…by @TaylorLorenz of the @washingtonpost
Also Presented Without Comment
Toeing the Company Line
- In Friday’s Uphill (🔒), Haley takes a look at how Congress has in recent weeks pushed the Biden administration into taking a more aggressive stance against Russia. “The White House wants to remain in lockstep with allied countries,” she notes, “even as members of Congress from both parties have sometimes been quicker to embrace ideas the administration or foreign partners have been wary of.”
- To kick off Friday’s Dispatch Podcast, Steve is joined by Taras Byk, a Ukrainian and former journalist working with the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv. Once that wraps, Sarah and Jonah join in for a conversation about the state of the war, and its ramifications for our domestic politics.
- David’s Sunday French Press this week focuses on two competing views of Christianity: The version being exploited for Russia’s geopolitical aims, and the version that’s inspiring hundreds of millions of people to rally to Ukraine’s defense. “In one stark moment,” he writes, “we are seeing the extremes of what Christians can do, for evil and for good.”
- David and Curtis Chang were joined by NBA writer Jonathan Tjarks on the latest episode of Good Faith for a conversation about Tjarks’ battle with cancer, and what it has taught him about faith, family, and the power of community.
- The culture section featured two reviews over the weekend: Haley on Karen Cheung’s book, The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir, and Guy Denton on the Foo Fighters’ comedy-horror film, Studio 666.
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
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32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
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33.) THE DAILY WIRE
03.14.2022
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today’s Top Stories from NBC News MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2022 Good morning, NBC News readers.
A fourth round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were set to take place on Monday after deadly attacks moved closer to Poland, a NATO member, over the weekend.
Plus, Tom Brady sent shock waves through the football world Sunday with an announcement that he’d be returning to the gridiron — just weeks after retiring. And we say goodbye to Oscar-winning actor William Hurt. Here’s what’s happening this Monday morning. Rescuers work to get a woman out of a residential building that was struck by Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. (Ukrainian State Emergency Service / Reuters)
Beijing has pushed back on reports that Russia had asked China for military equipment and other support following the start of its invasion of Ukraine, saying on Monday that “the U.S. has been spreading disinformation and this is very dangerous.”
“We need to advance a diplomatic solution of the situation instead of further escalating the situation,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing.
Three American officials said on Sunday that the U.S. government had reason to believe that Russia had asked China for the help.
News of the requests came amid intensifying Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities and residential areas, and was expected to be a key topic of discussion between President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan and China’s senior diplomat, Yang Jiechi, during a meeting scheduled for later on Monday in Rome.
On Sunday, a Russian attack on a military base in western Ukraine killed at least 35 people, Ukrainian officials said.
Follow all the latest updates in our live blog and on NBC News Now.
Read more of our in-depth coverage:
Monday’s Top Stories
Tom Brady, the legendary NFL quarterback, announced Sunday that he couldn’t bear to be a spectator — just barely 40 days into his retirement. He will return to Tampa for his 23rd season. The GOP governor wants a court fight aimed at provisions in the federal Voting Rights Act and Florida’s constitution, sources said, as he runs for re-election and eyes 2024. The Oscar-winning actor deftly alternated between leading and supporting parts, from celebrated star turns in the 1980s to recent small roles in Marvel movies. Also in the News
Editor’s Pick
Two years after the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, the virus’s disruptions are becoming less noticeable. But for many other Covid survivors, normal still feels far away. Select
There are plenty of brands giving back to women-led causes during Women’s History Month and beyond — we rounded up some to check out now. One Fun Thing
Americans just sprung ahead to daylight saving time on Sunday, but not every one is on board with the switchero.
There’s growing momentum to stop changing the clocks twice a year, with most Americans in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time.
Congress even held its first hearing on the issue in decades on March 9.
But beyond the question of whether we should stop changing the time twice a year, there’s the issue of which time should be made permanent: standard or daylight saving time.
Like everything, it’s complicated. Read more about the daylight savings debate here. Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? Get the NBC News Mobile App 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 |
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During his first rally since the State of the Union, Trump went…
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Trump Makes BOMBSHELL Announcement
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IN DEPTH…
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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL
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76.) THE DAILY DOT
Monday, March 14, 2022
Hey everyone! Andrew here. Welcome to the Monday edition of Internet Insider. We start off our week with our Tech Reporter Mikael’s “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. This week, he looks at how a conspiracy involving the deep state and a soccer ball has been reignited in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Also, we hope you’ve been enjoying our special edition SXSW emails over the weekend. Be sure to check your inbox later today for more reporting from the conference. Let’s dive into the news. —A.W. Did a friend forward this? Subscribe here. BREAK THE INTERNET Discord hacking: The popular chatting platform Discord has been plagued with hacking in recent months and users are criticizing the company for not doing anything about it. Robert Locklear, a contributing writer to the Daily Dot, dives into the issue here. Be sure to check it out.
Russia: Twitter recently deleted a tweets from the Russian Embassy that claimed images of a bombed hospital in Ukraine were faked. The deletion of the tweets mark a significant escalation for Twitter, which has taken a more lackadaisical approach than other social media toward limiting Russia’s reach amid the invasion. ‘The Batman’ and male privilege: Hopefully you’ve all had the chance to see The Batman. If you have, our Culture Reporter Gavia has a great look into how the film tackles Bruce Wayne’s male privilege, specifically how the film presents the character as a man who has figured out what he wants to do in his life, but hasn’t come to terms with his own blind spots and biases that stem from his privileged background.
ONE DUMB CONSPIRACY Trump White House Archived/Flickr (Public Domain) Ukraine invasion reignites a conspiracy theory about a soccer ball that could bring down the Deep State A laughable conspiracy theory alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave former President Donald Trump a soccer ball full of secrets about the “Deep State” has resurfaced following the invasion of Ukraine.
Attention on the conspiracy theory was renewed last week after Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan, a wildly popular YouTube show that focuses on America’s most bizarre subcultures, interviewed a man who believed in the false claim.
A clip from the more than one-hour-long video, in which Callaghan interviews attendees of the anti-vaccine trucker protest known as “The People’s Convoy,” begins with the man attempting to explain why conservatives in America have become so enamored with a former KGB officer out of the Soviet era. “The Deep State has always made Putin to look like the bad guy but he’s the good guy,” the man says. “He’s taken out all the biolabs, child-trafficking areas, adrenochrome harvesting areas…”
The reference to biolabs refers to the claim that the U.S. government is secretly manufacturing biological weapons in Ukraine. In reality, Ukraine has biological research facilities, which are not the same. As noted by Robert Pope, director of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at the DOD’s Threat Reduction Agency, the U.S. merely assists Ukraine with ensuring the safety of its labs. The claim that Putin has secretly taken out Deep State-run “child-trafficking areas” and “adrenochrome harvesting areas,” a reference to the debunked claim that the adrenaline of babies is a hallucinogenic drug used by the global elite, are straight out of QAnon lore.
That’s when the man went on to claim that a soccer ball gifted to Trump by Putin during a 2018 meeting in Helsinki, Finland was filled with the world’s biggest secrets. “If people would have watched when Trump came into office right at the beginning, when you saw them hand that soccer ball off, that soccer ball had so much information in it to take down everybody that Putin has been getting all the intel on for years,” the man said. “It had a lot of data in it.” Of course there’s zero evidence whatsoever that the soccer ball was filled with anything other than air. Ironically, however, the specific soccer ball that Putin gave to Trump was actually a model from Adidas that contains a transmitter chip. Either way, the U.S. Secret Service thoroughly inspects all gifts given to the president and cybersecurity experts said that the chip would not be useful for espionage purposes. Trump supporters have constantly claimed for years that the former president will bring down their enemies in a biblical event that never actually comes.
In other words, Trump and his soccer ball are unlikely to usher in the utopian society that many conservatives still believe is just around the corner.
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77.) HEADLINE USA
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82.) CNN
Monday 03.14.22 Let’s face it… the chances of you traveling to space are slim. But thanks to NASA, maybe your name can go. The agency is currently collecting a list of names to be put on a flash drive that will be sent on the Orion spacecraft launch later this year. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Refugees fleeing Ukraine walk toward a humanitarian train to relocate them to Berlin. Ukraine
More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia launched its invasion, according to the latest data from the UN. Intense shelling hit heavily populated areas and critical infrastructure yesterday, including a military base near the city of Lviv, which is close to the Polish border, killing 35 people and leaving more than 130 in the hospital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it’s only a matter of time before Russia’s military assault expands to members of NATO unless the alliance installs a no-fly zone over his country. NATO, however, said a no-fly zone over Ukraine is not an option because it will escalate the conflict even further. Separately, Russia has asked China for military assistance, including drones, a senior US official said yesterday. The official described the development as “concerning” and warned there will “absolutely be consequences” for Beijing if it gives the Kremlin a workaround to US sanctions. China has denied receiving the request from Russia. Additional Ukrainian-Russian talks are set to resume today via video. Follow CNN’s full coverage of Russia’s attack here. Coronavirus
People will need a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine to help fend off another wave of the pandemic, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said yesterday. Protection after three doses is “not that good against infections” and “doesn’t last very long” when faced with a variant like Omicron, Bourla said. Some immunocompromised people who’ve had three doses of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines can already get a fourth dose, according to the CDC. But it’s not clear if or when the FDA might authorize the fourth Covid-19 dose for healthy teens and adults. Currently, only 2% of the US population — about 7 million people — lives in a county with “high” Covid-19 community levels. The rest are at “low” or “medium” community levels, areas where there’s no recommendation for masking for most people. LGBTQ rights
Sixty-five companies, including tech giants Apple and Google, signed an open letter calling on the governor of Texas to abandon anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives. The letter included a scathing critique of Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to investigate gender-affirming surgical procedures and treatments in children. In February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared such procedures and treatments, including prescribing drugs that affect puberty, to be considered “child abuse.” The companies fired back at Texas officials Friday, calling the move unaligned with their company values. Separately in Florida, a bill that would ban certain instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom is awaiting the signature of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gas prices
A gallon of gas costs more than it ever has — and experts say the price increases won’t be stopping any time soon. The average price for a gallon of gas is $4.33, which is higher than it was in 2008 when it was $4.11. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is still a big factor in the gas-price spike — among other reasons — even though the US barely uses Russian oil. The problem at hand is that Russia is one of the world’s biggest oil suppliers and lower supply affects global prices. In response, the Biden administration is quietly eyeing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to offset surging oil prices. For that to happen, US officials will have to address severely strained relationships between the Biden administration and both countries.
Instagram users in Russia could no longer access the social media platform as of midnight yesterday after its owner Meta Platforms said last week it would allow users in Ukraine to post messages such as “Death to the Russian invaders.” The company said it would be wrong to prevent Ukrainians from “expressing their resistance and fury at the invading military forces.” The decision was met by outrage in Russia, where authorities have opened a criminal investigation against Meta and prosecutors asked a court to designate the US tech giant as an “extremist organization.” The head of Instagram has said the block will affect 80 million users. Russia has already banned Facebook in the country in response to what it said were restrictions of access to Russian media on the platform. Sponsor Content by CompareCards 4 Cards With Massive Sign Up Bonuses Get 200 Fast Compare unlimited cash back credit cards from our partners offering cash rebates on every purchase, every day.
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Tom Brady announces his NFL comeback Brady is back! The legendary quarterback is on the hunt for another Super Bowl ring after spending 40 days in retirement.
Critics Choice Awards 2022 Lee Jung-jae, No. 456 in “Squid Game,” was deemed No. 1 last night, winning best actor in a drama series. Check out more Critics Choice winners here.
British Academy Film Awards 2022 It was a star-studded evening across the pond too. Here are celebs that won at the BAFTAs yesterday.
Climbers hold world’s highest tea party on Mount Everest For safe-TEA reasons, that isn’t the best place to have a party. Just saying.
Rare Pokémon card sells for $336,000 This is your sign to check your garage for those old Pokémon cards from the ’90s. They’ve made a comeback and have sparked a sales frenzy. in memoriam
William Hurt, the Oscar winner and star of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “The Big Chill” and “Broadcast News” has died. He was 71. Hurt died “peacefully, among family, of natural causes,” his family said in a statement obtained by Variety. Along with three additional Oscar nominations, Hurt was nominated for two Emmys and six Golden Globes throughout his career. 40 That’s about how many pounds of powdered dye were used to turn the Chicago River bright green on Saturday in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition started in 1962 with a dye plumbers used to test for leaks in pipes. Now, the city uses a more environmentally friendly powder made from vegetables. I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise.
— Former President Barack Obama, announcing yesterday that he has tested positive for Covid-19. Obama also said that his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, has tested negative. Both Obamas are vaccinated and boosted, the former President said in a statement. Brought to you by CNN Underscored We tested 8 sleep masks: Here’s the one that won us over The Underscored editors tested eight sleep masks to find the one that stayed put and blocked out the most light. Whether you sleep on your back, side or stomach, this sleep mask is right for you. Meet the “Mother of Sharks” This professional diver has spent years in the Bahamas gaining the trust of sharks. Watch them swim right up to her as she pets them like they’re dogs! (Click here to view) 5 THINGS You are receiving this newsletter because you’re subscribed to 5 Things.
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98.) NEWSMAX
99.) MARK LEVINMarch 11, 2022Posted on March 11, 2022On Friday’s Mark Levin Show, Putin is now deciding what can and cannot be used on the battlefield. Specifically, regarding the MIG-29’s the Pentagon says Ukraine doesn’t need them because they won’t be beneficial. Isn’t it Ukraine that knows exactly what it needs and decides what’s beneficial for their survival? Interestingly, when Trump was president, he was undermined by the Pentagon, by the FBI, and these same characters are covering for Biden’s interference in the transfer of older U.S fighter jets to Poland so that Poland could donate MIG-29 jets to Ukraine. This program suspected that it was Biden that sabotaged this and today we know that he did. Then, World War III has begun, and the question is whether or not we can contain it and truncate it quickly. Will we use the deterrence of ‘peace through strength’ or continue to display weakness? Putin has created an axis of global states in alignment against the United States and with nuclear weapons pointed at our country. All who claim to be ‘America First’ and want to leave Ukraine alone are doing a grave disservice to the future of our nation’s national security. Later, Israeli Prime Minister Neftali Bennett says that Ukrainian President Zelensky should resign and surrender. Bennett should look at his own cemeteries filled with patriots who stood up to Israel’s enemies. Bennett is an embarrassment! Afterward, Seth Lipsky Editor of the New York Sun newspaper calls in to discuss developments of one of the few constitutionally focused publications in the country. Finally, Pennsylvania Attorney Dave McCormick joins the program with an update on his campaign for the US Senate. McCormick added that if Pennsylvania were a country, it would be the 4th largest producer of natural gas in the world.THIS IS FROM:Politico 100.) WOLF DAILY101.) THE GELLER REPORT |
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102.) CNS
103.) RELIABLE NEWS
104.) INDEPENDENT SENTINEL
105.) DC CLOTHESLINE
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106.) ARTICLE V LEGISLATORS’ CAUCUS
107.) BECKER NEWS
108.) SONS OF LIBERTY
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109.) STARS & STRIPES
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110.) RIGHT & FREE
111.) UNITED VOICE
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112.) THE DAILY SHAPIRO
113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES
It turns out that we live in a nationalist world. That’s one of the lessons people are learning from the surprise early results of the Russo-Ukrainian…
Insurgent Conservatives
PO Box 8161 Greenwood, IN 46142
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114.) WAKING TIMES
115.) UNCOVER DC
116.) DC DIRTY LAUNDRY