“Florida will always remember and honor the nearly three thousand innocent lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001,” the Governor’s proclamation reads.

Deep in the grip of a worldwide pandemic, America pauses to reflect on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Image via AP.

The document also commands all state and local government buildings to fly the U.S. and Florida flags at half-staff and DeSantis sent a memo to the state’s Director of Real Estate Development and Management directing him to do so.

“May we never forget the valiant efforts of our military, first responders, and other emergency personnel who risked their lives to save others,” the memo reads.

“In honor and remembrance of those we lost on that fateful day, I signed the attached Proclamation and hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida from sunrise to sunset on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020.”

___

“In a year of social distancing, virus alters Sept. 11, too” via Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press — In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped countless American rituals, even the commemoration of 9/11 could not escape unchanged. The 19th anniversary of the terror attacks will be marked by dueling ceremonies at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza and a corner near the World Trade Center, reflecting a divide over the memorial’s decision to suspend a cherished tradition of relatives reading victims’ names in person. Vice President Mike Pence is expected at both those remembrances in New York, while President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden plan to attend a truncated ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.

—@Chris:Hayes: We can’t let these people have representation because they’d never vote for us is an incredible thing to say out loud.

—@RealDonaldTrump: @Kat_Cammack will be an incredible Congresswoman and leader for Florida! A Successful Businesswoman, she strongly supports our Brave First Responders & Law Enforcement, Life and the Second Amendment! Kat has my Complete and Total Endorsement #FL03

—@RealDonaldTrump: @ByronDonalds will be a phenomenal Congressman for the people of Florida! He strongly supports our Brave Law Enforcement, School Choice, Military, Vets and the Second Amendment! Byron is a Rising Star! He has my Complete and Total Endorsement! #FL19

Tweet, tweet:

—@SenPizzo: Hearing @fema will cover an additional 3 weeks of LWA payments, for a total of 6 weeks. This means unemployed Floridians could expect to see up to an additional $900 in benefits in the coming weeks.

CNN poll of polls: As of Sept. 10, the CNN average gives Biden a 51% chance of winning, with Trump at 43%.

FiveThirtyEight.com: As of Thursday, Biden has a 75 in 100 chance of winning compared to Trump, who has a 25 in 100 shot. Even though the top-line numbers haven’t changed all that much, that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been movement at the state level. FiveThirtyEight also ranked individual states by the likelihood of delivering a decisive vote for the winning candidate in the Electoral College: Pennsylvania leads with 29.9%, while Florida comes in second with 15.3%. Other states include Wisconsin (8.5%) Minnesota (7.0%), Michigan (6.4%), Arizona (6.4%) and North Carolina (5.3%).

Most polls are showing Joe Biden maintaining a slight lead over Donald Trump.

PredictIt: As of Thursday, the PredictIt trading market has Biden in the lead, at $0.59 a share, with Trump priced at $0.43.

Real Clear Politics: As of Thursday, the RCP average of polling top battleground states gives Biden a 50.5% likelihood of winning, with Trump getting 43%. Every poll used in the RCP model has Biden up from anywhere between 2 and 12 points.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Biden is in a better position to win the presidency than Trump, but it would be foolish to rule out another Trump upset. Trump’s potential winning map would look a lot like 2016, with perhaps a few changes; Biden’s potential winning map might feature Democratic advances in the Sun Belt and retreats in the Midwest compared to past winning Democratic maps. We now have Biden right on the precipice of an Electoral College majority, with 269 electoral votes at least leaning his way. Although we have them as Toss-ups, we also think Biden is in a good position to carry Arizona and Wisconsin, as of today. That would put him at 290 electoral votes. Florida and North Carolina are significantly closer. Of the Leans Republican states, Trump’s leads in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Texas, as well as for the single ME-2 electoral vote, appear to be quite small.”

Kamala Harris touches down in Miami to talk with the local Venezuelan community.

“The remarkable — and growing — onslaught of bad news for Trump” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — It was a dizzyingly bad day for Trump on Wednesday, as punctuated by details of a new book from legendary Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward and yet another whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump’s politics have seeped into our national security policy. But the onslaught of bad news for Trump on Wednesday and this week can easily make us forget just how brutal the entire past month has been. As Trump has sought a foothold to make a comeback in the 2020 race, a series of revelations and accusations continue to severely complicate that effort. While none of them may have moved the needle against Trump in the polls, many speak directly to some of his biggest existing liabilities.

“Trump spurns traditional debate prep with first faceoff less than 3 weeks away” via Carol E. Lee, Monica Alba, Hallie Jackson and Mike Memoli of NBC News — Trump has not held a single mock debate session and has no plans to stage a formal practice round, as he readies for his first faceoff with Biden in less than three weeks, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions. The President has dismissed the typical debate preparations he participated in four years ago, joking to aides and allies that he’s been preparing for debates since he was born. His ability to fire back at an opponent in real-time, he’s argued, “isn’t something you have to practice.” Instead, Trump has chosen to prepare through informal discussions with key allies and with briefings from top officials in his administration on various topics that are likely to come up.

“Most Americans want to vote before Election Day, a significant shift from previous years, poll finds” via Amy Gardner, Emily Guskin and Scott Clement of The Washington Post — About six in 10 registered voters nationwide say they want to cast their ballots before Election Day, a significant departure from previous years that will force the candidates to reshape how they campaign in the election season’s final weeks, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted by Ipsos. Fear of the coronavirus and doubts about the reliability of mail voting after months of attacks from Trump are weighing heavily on Americans as they decide how to safely ensure their vote will be counted in this fall’s presidential election, according to the survey. In 2016, about 4 in 10 ballots were cast early.

“New poll confirms Republicans’ wariness of voting by mail” via Amber Phillips of The Washington Post — Republican officials have been worried for weeks that Trump is scaring his supporters (and theirs) away from voting by mail with his near-constant, baseless warnings that it will lead to widespread fraud. Now we have solid evidence that Republicans are way less likely than Democrats to vote by mail in the fall. They would much rather vote in person. A new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finds that while Democrats are split on whether they prefer to vote in person or by mail, 71% of Republicans say they prefer to vote in person, with 21% preferring to vote by mail and 9 percent preferring to drop off their ballot.

“Trump’s lost summer: Focused on Fox News, not on battleground states” via Scott Bland and Elena Schneider of POLITICO

“‘I want to be in the Trump party’: GOP rides voter registration surge in key state” via Holly Otterbein of POLITICO

“In CD 7, Stephanie Murphy touts bipartisan effectiveness in contest with Leo Valentin” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — As Democratic U.S. Rep. Murphy insists she has demonstrated bipartisan effectiveness in an often polarized Congress, Republican Valentin wants to convince voters in Florida’s 7th Congressional District that she’s part of the swamp. Murphy, seeking a third term representing CD 7, and Valentin, fresh off a combative three-way Republican primary, each are emphasizing bipartisan efforts in their views heading toward a Nov. 3 showdown. Sure, clear differences in political philosophy exist, but in CD 7, the most politically-centered district in Central Florida, the differences on other issues such as international trade, business support, immigration reform, and the health care and economic challenges of the coronavirus crisis split along finer details. That’s why Murphy emphasizes that she is interested in working in bipartisan manners.

Stephanie Murphy touts her ability to cross the aisle to get things done.

“Democrat Pam Keith, a former Navy officer, releases ad hammering Trump over reported war dead comments” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Democratic congressional candidate Keith is releasing a new ad hitting Trump over multiple reports he called American soldiers “losers” and “suckers.” The Atlantic first reported on those remarks and many other disparaging comments Trump made about American service members, including those killed in action. Many, though not all, details in the Atlantic’s report were later confirmed by The Associated Press, Fox News and other outlets. Keith, a former Navy JAG officer challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast in Florida’s 18th Congressional District, is now incorporating those reports into a new 30-second TV ad. “Soldiers don’t fight out of hate for those before them, but out of love for those behind them,” Keith says to begin the ad.

First on #FlaPol — “Poll gives Maria Elvira Salazar a slight edge over Donna Shalala in CD 27” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — A new survey commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee shows Republican candidate Salazar with a 46%-43% edge as she challenges Democratic U.S. Rep. Shalala. That 3-point lead is within the survey’s 4.9% margin of error. Salazar is challenging Shalala for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. The 1892 Polling survey ran Sept. 2-5 and sampled 400 likely voters. It gives Salazar a 55%-33% lead among Hispanic voters. Salazar leads 62%-29% among Cuban voters, which tend to lean more Republican than other Hispanic groups. Salazar also leads 43%-40% among non-Cuban Hispanics. In 2018, Salazar’s campaign put out a survey showing her leading Shalala by 9 points just weeks before the CD 27 election. Shalala went on to win by 6 percentage points.

Cindy Polo enjoys a money advantage in her bid to keep the HD 103 seat.

“Pinellas SOE to use Tropicana Field for mail ballot drop-offs” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — The Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office will use Tropicana Field as a mail ballot drop-off location, Supervisor Julie Marcus announced Thursday. The office is partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays to ensure safe access to secure voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters can drop mail ballots off at Gate 1 at Tropicana Field beginning Oct. 19 and until Nov. 2. Voters can drop off ballots from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. All mail ballot drop-off locations are staffed by deputized election workers who verify ballots have been signed. The ballots are never left unattended and are returned to the elections office at the end of each day where they are secured in a ballot storage locker.

Bars across Florida are getting welcome relief with a new executive order allowing them to open at 50% capacity.

“A $2.7 billion Florida budget shortfall looms as coronavirus unleashes a tide of red ink” via John Kennedy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Florida lawmakers approved a three-year financial outlook for the state Thursday that is its worst since the Great Recession, with a $2.7 billion budget shortfall looming next year which is certain to force cuts in schools, health care and social programs. The Florida Constitution requires that the Legislature formally adopt the three-year outlook annually. While Thursday’s action included no real discussion of what should happen next to bring revenue and spending into balance — which also is a constitutional mandate — the most obvious path forward includes spending reductions. The most jarring number is the $2.7 billion shortfall in the 2021-22 year, followed by forecasts that revenue comes up $1.9 billion short the next year and $1 billion under state needs in 2023-24.

“As coronavirus hits hardest in communities of color, leaders speak out” via Margo Snipe of the Tampa Bay Times — When the pandemic hit, Maria Hernandez lost her income. For a single mom with two kids, that meant leaning on friends to bring meals for her family and picking up what she could from a local food bank. Now back to work at the register of Mexico Lindo Supermarket, slow business means limited hours. And limited hours mean the pay is little. “It’s hard for me,” said Hernandez. The pandemic has made it hard for the Hispanic community, she added, particularly those in the service industry. As the months pass, data shows communities of color bear a disproportionate amount of the burden. Yet for some Hispanic-owned businesses, customer support through the first few months of the COVID-19 outbreak kept them afloat when business dwindled.

“Florida teachers slam Ron DeSantis on school coronavirus transparency” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Florida Education Association in a new commercial slams DeSantis for a lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 in schools. A 30-second commercial criticized DeSantis for not providing more campus data on infections. FEA has also leveled criticism at Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran for aggressively pushing school openings without releasing more health information. “The Governor and the Education Commissioner have been pressuring school districts and health departments to keep them from releasing relevant and important information about coronavirus in our schools,” said FEA President Andrew Spar. “Like any parent, I have a right to know what is happening in my child’s school.”

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

Schools disregard DOH directive, release COVID-19 data — School districts are releasing data on COVID-19 infections to the public in direct opposition to a directive from the state Department of Health. As reported by Andrew Atterbury of POLITICO Florida, schools are reporting information in a number of ways, including sending message blasts and making mass calls to parents, though they are not releasing information to the public at large. As an example, Bay County is planning to produce as many as three coronavirus reports a week. “We don’t want to get into any trouble, but we think transparency is the best way to go,” Bay County Superintendent Bill Husfelt said.

“Controversy over new COVID-19 quarantine policy in Pinellas County Schools” via Christine McLarty of WFLA — Schools in Pinellas County are taking a new, more targeted approach to figuring out who needs to quarantine when a case of COVID-19 pops up. That means not everyone in a class will get quarantined anymore. “Our contact tracing is becoming more refined and more scientific,” Tom Iovino with the Pinellas County Florida Department of Health. According to diagrams on the school district’s website, seating charts will be a factor. If your child is in a class all day 6 feet from another student who tests positive for COVID-19, you as a parent will be notified. But any further away than that, your child is considered safe and you won’t be notified.

“School board pays $343,000 to replace missing, damaged iPads” via The Associated Press — One Florida school board is shelling out $343,000 to lease iPads after some 1,100 units were either damaged or not returned when school ended in the spring. Citrus County School Board members agreed this week to spend the money after being told that the number of broken or missing iPads had more than doubled, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. Kathy Androski, the board’s technical director, said the district normally sees between 7% and 10% of the iPads damaged each year, and about 3% not returned when school ends. After the last school year, which was interrupted by the coronavirus, 24% were damaged and 10% not returned, she said.

“Classroom decorations, a point of pride, are on hold during pandemic” via Natalie Weber of the Tampa Bay Times — As kids head back to school, their classrooms have a different look — and it’s not just because of socially distant seating. With their rooms undergoing heavier and more frequent cleaning to protect against COVID-19, teachers are cutting back on the number of decorations they’re using, and finding other ways to connect with students. Laura Phillips, who teaches English at Wharton High School in Tampa, used to be known for an extravagantly decorated room, with fairy lights, paintings and silk curtains. “I took all of that down because of the pandemic,” she said. Phillips had seen pictures online of classrooms rooms that were fogged with cleaning chemicals and didn’t want her decorations to be ruined by the residue left behind.

“Sentenced under now-invalid drug laws and less than a year from freedom, inmate gets COVID-19” via Kristine Phillips of USA TODAY — By the time prison officials told William Forrester he had COVID-19, he’d already lost his sense of taste and smell. The persistent headaches, body tremors and diarrhea had already begun. On his worst days, his stomach cramps were so bad he couldn’t stand, his back pain so severe he couldn’t sit up to eat. One day, he found himself lying on the shower floor as he struggled to catch his breath. This is particularly troubling for Forrester, a 63-year-old who lost one lung nearly two decades ago to cancer. Less than a year away from freedom, imprisoned under laws that have since been changed, Forrester fears he’ll die before he is free.

William Forrester is serving time for a now-invalid drug law, and with less than a year from freedom, he contracts COVID-19. Image via USA Today.

“Broward gives green light to Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show got the support it needed Thursday from Broward County commissioners to stage its massive five-day exhibit under guidelines designed to shield the public from COVID-19. Informa Markets of London submitted a plan to the commission that outlined how it intends to safeguard the public’s health during the show, which is scheduled to take place in six city venues between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1. Informa and the show’s owner, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, are pressing ahead despite decisions by operators of other major regional events to cancel their 2020 exhibitions. They include Art Basel in Miami Beach and the Fort Lauderdale Winterfest Boat Parade.

Motels along Kissimmee’s Hwy 192 have been hard-hit by one crisis after another. Image via the Orlando Sentinel.

“‘It’s been tough.’ Central Florida hospitals adapt to COVID-19” via Naseem Miller of the Orlando Sentinel — It was March 12 when Central Florida confirmed its first COVID-19 case in Seminole County. Before long, the number of people sick with the virus began to grow, and patients — many of them elderly with medical conditions — started to get hospitalized across the region. Six months later, hospitals have learned to be nimbler in adapting to the virus as they’ve realized it’s not going away any time soon. Doctors had to start or stop using treatments based on studies that were published just days before. They learned most patients didn’t need to be on ventilators and started using convalescent plasma, steroids, and the antiviral drug remdesivir. More patients are surviving the infection today than the early days of the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 recovery is stalling in Tampa Bay. Here’s how we know.” via Langston Taylor of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida’s recovery from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is slowing down, and Tampa Bay finds itself at a near-complete stop. Pinellas is the first of Florida’s large counties to see the flattening of new cases and current COVID-19 hospitalizations after both stats had been declining for nearly two months. The number of new cases, which had also been falling, evened out at the same time the hospitalization count did. The last week in August had 451 reported cases. The week ending Sept. 9 had 508. The rise is not due to an increase in total testing; we know that because the county’s positive rate has inched upward, meaning the growth in cases outpaces the growth in total tests.

“COVID-19 travelers want the beach, so what’s happening to Tampa hotels?” via Sara DiNatale of the Tampa Bay Times — Jeny Guichardo sweeps through the Hilton Tampa Downtown hotel lobby at least once an hour. She cradles a tub of Lysol wipes in her arms while clutching disinfectant spray and a rag. Wearing a blue surgical mask and plastic gloves, she wipes elevator buttons, handrails, and tabletops. Hilton hotels have launched the “CleanStay” program. It calls for regular surface wipe-downs. Each guest room is sealed with a sticker to show it has been cleaned and left undisturbed. Guests can check-in online and use their smartphone as their room key. It is technological convenience meets pandemic demand. The hotel industry in 2020 is reeling unlike ever before.

“Fight over Lakeland’s mask mandate exposes deep rifts” via Sara-Megan Walsh of The Ledger — Facts and figures about COVID-19 were thrown back and forth in a two-hour verbal slugfest Tuesday over whether Lakeland officials should extend the city’s mask mandate through Oct. 5. More than a dozen anti-mask protesters entered City Hall at the start of the city commission’s virtual meeting carrying signs reading “the pandemic is misinformation” and “masks don’t work.” They proclaimed their message using megaphones before Lakeland police officers arrived to ask them to calm down. Mayor Bill Mutz was among four commissioners who voted in favor of extending the city’s mask mandate, along with Commissioners Stephanie Madden, Sara Roberts McCarley and Phillip Walker.

“Marianna officials mystified by COVID-19 outbreak that left 37 dead at city-run nursing home” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat — Angelica Webb’s father and stepmother were among the 37 Marianna Health and Rehabilitation Center (MHR) residents to die over a span of several weeks following an outbreak of COVID-19 in July. She and the family members of other casualties to COVID-19 are dealing with the fallout of an outbreak that swept through the city-owned nursing home in sparsely populated, rural Jackson County, about an hour’s drive west of Tallahassee. It is one of a handful of city-run nursing homes in Florida. City officials and nursing home administrators are also dealing with the repercussions of having the unwanted distinction of having the fifth-highest number of COVID-related deaths in the state, behind three homes in Miami-Dade County and one in Lee County.

Newly revealed emails show HHS officials tried to muzzle Dr. Anthony Fauci. Image via AP.

“White House orders end to COVID-19 airport screenings for international travelers” via Jana Winter of Yahoo News — The U.S. government on Monday will stop conducting an enhanced screening of passengers on inbound international flights for COVID-19, Yahoo News has learned. The screening operations have been held at select airports since January, when the first cases of the disease began to emerge from Wuhan, China. Since March, incoming international flights from select high-risk countries, including much of Europe, China and Iran, among other regions, have been funneled through 15 designated airports in the United States. As of Monday, however, international flights will no longer be funneled into select airports for screening purposes and all screenings will come to a halt, according to communications and sources.

“Stanford doctors issue a warning about a Trump adviser — a colleague — in an open letter.” via The New York Times — Stanford University doctors and researchers are sounding the alarm about one of their colleagues, Dr. Scott Atlas, a newly influential member of the White House coronavirus task force. Dozens of infectious, epidemiological and health policy experts published an open letter on Wednesday, saying “many of his opinions and statements run counter to established science and, by doing so, undermine public-health authorities and the credible science that guides effective public health policy.” Atlas, a radiologist and senior fellow at the university’s conservative Hoover Institution has become a proponent of controversial ideas on how to combat the virus. He has gone against recommendations put forward by top government doctors and scientists, promoting instead ideas embraced by Trump that have not been proven scientifically.

“High numbers of Los Angeles patients complained about coughs as early as December, study says” via Ben Guarino of The Washington Post — The number of patients complaining of coughs and respiratory illnesses surged at a sprawling Los Angeles medical system from late December through February, raising questions about whether the novel coronavirus was spreading earlier than thought, according to a study of electronic medical records. The authors of the report, published Thursday in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, suggested that coronavirus infections may have caused this rise weeks before U.S. officials began warning the public about an outbreak. But the researchers cautioned that the results cannot prove that the pathogen reached California so soon, and other disease trackers expressed skepticism that the findings signaled an early arrival.

According to employers, $600 in unemployment is a disincentive for work. The numbers do not bear that out. Image via AP.

“Trump’s extra $300 jobless benefit already running dry in some states” via Rebecca Rainey of POLITICO — Both Texas and Tennessee, some of the first states to start paying the extra benefit, were notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency this week that they will no longer receive funding to provide the $300 under Trump’s new Lost Wages Assistance Program. Montana, one of the first states FEMA approved to participate in the program, was also told funding for the program was to be cut off after the week ended Sept. 5. Iowa, which just started paying out the extra $300 benefit last week, said it too had been notified from the federal government that the program has ended.

“Floridians receive second wave of federal unemployment aid while some still fighting for first” via Victoria Price of News Channel 8 — Many out-of-work Floridians woke up Tuesday or Wednesday to a $300 deposit, three weeks worth of recently-approved Lost Wages Assistance. LWA is federally funded by FEMA through an executive order granted by Trump in early August. That came after a $600 weekly boost to state benefits allocated in the CARES Act expired at the end of July. At this point, Florida has only been approved for three weeks of LWA, but it can apply by the week until the funding runs out. Estimates show there’s enough funding to likely last states a couple more weeks. While this marks the second round of federal aid for most, some in Florida are still fighting for a first round.

“Florida’s consumer sentiment falls again in August” via Florida Trend — Consumer sentiment among Floridians dipped for a consecutive month in August to 78.4, dropping 2.1 points from a revised figure of 80.5 in July. Among the five components that make up the index, two increased and three decreased. Floridians’ opinions about their personal finances now compared with a year ago decreased 5.7 points from 73.4 to 67.7, the steepest decline in this month’s reading. Similarly, opinions as to whether this is a good time to buy a major household item like an appliance dropped 3.8 points from 74.5 to 70.7. Both downward readings were divided across different socio-demographic groups.

COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease, no matter what the patient’s age.

“‘They call me a criminal’: Nursing home workers who may spread the virus” via Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura of The New York Times — Although it is often impossible to pinpoint exactly who spreads the virus and how, public health experts trying to understand the virus’s lightning surge through nursing homes have identified staff members working at multiple facilities as an important risk factor. Florida, which has one of the country’s highest populations of older people, has for several months had a strict ban on visitations and prohibited hospitalized COVID-19 patients from returning to nursing homes until they had twice tested virus-free. Yet new outbreaks at the state’s nursing homes have continued to emerge. Health policy analysts say that poorly paid staff members working two or more nursing home jobs may be significant contributors — usually unwittingly — to the spread of the virus.

“How to attend a wedding (or not) during a pandemic” via Claire Ballentine of Bloomberg — Although the COVID-19 virus caused many to postpone their ceremonies earlier in the year, clarity on how the virus spreads and less rigid social distancing mandates are leading to a return of weddings this fall — albeit with mask-wearing and smaller numbers. That poses previously unimaginable dilemmas for a wedding guest: Will proper cleaning protocols be followed? Will there be close contact among attendees? The good news is that most nuptials are proceeding with caution. Of those with weddings in 2020, 71% are incorporating health and safety measures into their celebrations, with 63% adjusting seating arrangements for more distance, according to data from the wedding website the Knot.

More Americans are warming to the idea of athlete protests during the national anthem. Image via AP.

“Crews remove St. Augustine’s Confederate memorial from the Plaza” via Sheldon Gardner of the St. Augustine Record — Capping about a month of work by moving crews and contention in the community that spanned a few years, St. Augustine’s Confederate memorial was removed from the Plaza de la Constitucion on Wednesday morning. A crew with Progressive Construction carefully directed the path of a hydraulic mover that slowly carried the memorial in two pieces to the bayfront. On Thursday, the memorial, which is in two pieces, will be put on a barge. MOBRO Marine will move the memorial across the water via the Intracoastal Waterway. It will go into Jacksonville to connect with the St. Johns River and will be brought onto land and taken to its new permanent home at Trout Creek Fish Camp.

“Vulnerable Dems anxious over stalled COVID talks” via Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris of POLITICO — Moderate House Democrats are growing increasingly alarmed about stalled coronavirus relief negotiations, with vulnerable members starting to privately push Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other party leaders to take action to break the stalemate. Those anxieties — particularly among the Democrats in GOP-leaning districts known as front liners — have spiked as lawmakers watched the standoff drag out in the Senate this week while they were stuck back home in their districts amid the pandemic. The Senate on Thursday failed to advance a “skinny” Republican coronavirus relief plan over Democratic opposition, leaving Senators in both parties to declare negotiations likely on ice until after the election.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer joined his caucus and frustration over the failure to pass a new COVID relief bill. Image via AP.

“Andrew Gillum on that night in Miami Beach: ’I understand very well what people assume’” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida Governor, has an explanation for the night that derailed his political career. In March, police reports and photos surfaced that showed an intoxicated Gillum on the floor of a Miami Beach hotel room. He was in the room with two other men. One of the men was suspected to have overdosed. Although police found what they believed to be crystal meth in the room, Gillum denied having taken that drug. Gillum was not arrested that evening. So what was Gillum, the rising political star and father of three, doing in that room? The talk show host Tamron Hall asked him in an interview for the upcoming season premiere of her show.

Andrew Gillum tries to bring clarity to that infamous night in a hotel room that derailed his political career.

What Mike Fasano is reading — “An energy efficiency finance program is trapping Florida homeowners in debt” via Malena Carollo of the Tampa Bay Times — Kathryn Meas was in a bind. The air conditioner in her 672-square-foot home died in mid-spring, and she couldn’t afford a new one. Poor credit and a fixed income put a traditional loan out of reach. Her air conditioning company proposed a solution, a new program that helped finance energy-saving home improvements. No money down. No monthly payments. The first payment wasn’t due until the end of the year, the air conditioning salesperson said. Meas, 61, agreed to the deal by signing an electronic tablet. She wasn’t given any paperwork, and she didn’t know the loan amount or the interest rate. She didn’t understand at the time that her annual property taxes would spike from about $300 to $1,200.

“Florida Chamber’s ‘Gap Map’ uses data to help struggling students” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative wants 100% of third graders to be reading at grade level by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal, considering more than two-fifths of Florida children are lagging behind by the time they enter fourth grade. The earlier students get back on track, the more likely they are to succeed later in life. One of the biggest hurdles to addressing the problem: Where should they start? On Thursday, the Florida Chamber Foundation answered that question by unveiling the Florida Gap Map, which shows the number of children struggling with reading, both by ZIP code and by elementary school and contextualizes it through the poverty maps the Florida Chamber Initiative produced earlier this year.

“Florida panthers imperiled by presidential pen” via Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix — The panther had been classified as endangered since the first endangered list was drawn up in 1967, and their population was in a steep decline. By 1995 there were no more than 30 left, and some scientists thought the number might be in single digits. Because it was our state animal, though, Florida put a lot of time, money, and effort into bringing the panther back. Now there are about 200 of them, an estimate that biologists came up with after reviewing panther sightings, panther tracks, and panther poop, which they prefer to call “scat.” Yet now our state animal faces a dire new threat — from the pen of the President.

This one isn’t a simple reopening, but a grand opening.

On Sept. 14, the Division of Licensing’s regional licensing office in Orlando will open its doors for the first time. It is located at 5750 Major Blvd., Suite 100.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is opening more licensing offices to the public.

“Despite the serious challenges posed by COVID-19, our department has been committed to serving Floridians throughout the pandemic,” Fried said.

“Following the reopening of our North Port and Tallahassee regional offices with enhanced safety measures, we are continuing with a cautious, science-based reopening plan, which includes evaluating regional and county-level COVID-19 data as we consider additional office openings. Meanwhile, the vast majority of our services have remained available throughout this crisis.”

The division’s Tallahassee office reopened on June 15 and at its North Port office reopened last week.

“The decision to reopen the Orlando office is based on information and guidelines provided by the Florida Department of Health,” said Steve Hurm, Director of the FDACS Division of Licensing. “We will continue to look to scientific and public health data as we reopen the remaining regional offices, doing so as safely as possible for our customers and staff.”

As in the Tallahassee and North Port regional offices, the Orlando regional office features new, enhanced safety precautions. Customers will be seen by appointment only and masks will be required.

The Seminole Tax Collector’s office shelled out a six-figure settlement to end complaints filed against Joel Greenberg.

This Miami-Dade city had a ban on ‘saggy pants.’ The law will be repealed” via Aaron Leibowitz of the Miami Herald — It was one of South Florida’s most unusual, constitutionally questionable laws: a ban on the wearing of “saggy pants” in city buildings and parks throughout Opa-locka, later expanded to include all public spaces. Now, after 13 years, the law will soon be no more. The Opa-locka City Commission voted Wednesday, 4-1, to repeal both the original 2007 legislation and a 2013 ordinance that said women, not just men, could receive civil citations for wearing pants that exposed their undergarments.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The state also reported almost 2,600 new cases of coronavirus Thursday, which sounds like an improvement … until you look at the data and realize they’re testing a lot fewer Floridians these days. Fewer tests mean fewer confirmed cases.

— DeSantis’ effort to play the race card against a Black lawmaker has failed. Rep.Thompson says there’s no way she’ll drop her lawsuit over the Governor’s latest appointment to the Florida Supreme Court.

— Remember the Tally 14, who were arrested Saturday during a protest of police brutality? Make that 16. If the goal of Tallahassee police were to infuriate the social justice crowd, they certainly succeeded.

— Finally, checking-in with a Florida Man who took the wind out of a gator.

To listen, click on the image below:

Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Moderator Rob Lorei hosts a roundtable featuring Kathleen McGrory, deputy investigations editor for the Tampa Bay Times; POLITICO Florida bureau chief Matt Dixon; Tampa City District 5 Councilman Orlando Gudes and Sierra Club Florida Director Frank Jackalone.

Political Connections Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: Trump and Democratic VP nominee Harris visit South Florida; one of Gov. DeSantis’ nominees for Florida Supreme Court is facing a challenge.

Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando: West Orange County’s House District 44 candidates Bruno Portigliatti and Rep. Geraldine Thompson will discuss coronavirus, unemployment and much more.

The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Host Gary Yordon talks with attorneys Sean Pittman and Mutaqee Akbar, as well as Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow.

This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: Jacksonville City Council Member Dr. Ron Salem, Duval County Medical Society Foundation President Fr. Sunil Joshi and U.S. Rep. Dr. Buddy Carter of Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.

This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Rep. Donna Shalala and Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers.

Inside Florida Politics from GateHouse Florida: Labor Day is the starting gun for the final two-month sprint of the presidential race and both campaigns came out of the holiday weekend with their focus on Florida. Trump extended the ban on drilling off the coast of Florida during an event in Jupiter, while Kamala Harris visited Miami. Journalists Zac Anderson, John Kennedy and Antonio Fins discuss the jockeying for Florida votes, polls showing the race tightening in Florida and some warning signs for Biden in Miami.

podcastED: Stand Up for Students President Doug Tuthill speaks with a premier thought leader on self-directed learning, also known as ‘unschooling.’ Kevin Currie-Knight, a teaching assistant professor at East Carolina University’s College of Education, supports education based on intrinsic motivation, or learning based on a child’s interests, which differs from more traditional education based on extrinsic motivation centering on grades and transcripts.

The New Abnormal from host Rick Wilson and Molly Jong-Fast: Even a former member of Trump’s Department of Homeland Security thinks he is batshit and surrounded by actual racists. It would be funny if some of the stories that former DHS official Elizabeth Neumann told Wilson and Jong-Fast on this episode weren’t so terrifying. She admits that she did “hold her nose” and vote for him in 2016 and really believed he would rise to the occasion. But that dream died super quick — by the end of summer 2017 to be exact: “It was clear he didn’t have a strong enough character to put aside some of his bad habits,” she said. There was one moment, though, that changed it all. Or, as Molly put it, “made you realize we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The Yard Sign with host Jonathan Torres: Jake Hoffman, Torres, Michelle Sassouni and Chris VerKuilen discuss unemployment and loan issues, the rise of authoritarians, dealing with China and quarantine tips.

“Publix, Florida’s beloved grocery store, celebrates 90 years of business” via Charles Tatham of WTSP — Ninety years ago this week, founder George Jenkins opened the first Publix store in Winter Haven, Florida, named Publix Food Store. Nine decades later, Publix has more than 1,200 stores across seven states in the South. It also employs more than 220,000 people and is the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. According to the company, the first Publix store opened on Sept. 6, 1930, in Winter Haven. Publix has been beloved over the years because of its emphasis on customer service and cleanliness as well as its employee ownership and benefits programs. For more than 20 years in a row, Publix has made FORTUNE’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.”

Riding hard for a good cause — The Six Gap Century Ride is a punishing 104-mile cycling challenge in late September, climbing 11,200 feet through the North Georgia mountains. For On 3 Public Relations’ SVP McKinley Lewis and his dad, Shane Lewis, it’s more than just a physical challenge this year. With the pandemic raging on, the father and son team decided use the ride to raise money and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida to help serve even more children during this difficult time. McKinley is a Big Brother in Okaloosa County, so this fundraiser is personal. We wish them nothing but the best in their efforts and call for everyone to support this great cause. To learn more about their journey or donate to the fundraiser, visit their GoFundMe page here.

To watch a video about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, click on the image below: