First in Sunburn — Florida Democratic Party officials Judy Mount and Francine Garcia and Democratic National Committee Member Alan Clendenin top a list of 26 Democratic Party officials endorsing Manny Diaz as the state Party’s new chair.

Diaz, the former Miami Mayor, announced the list of party officials supporting his campaign Monday in a campaign to succeed outgoing Chair, Terrie Rizzo.

Earlier Monday, Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a longtime Democratic elected official and Party leader from Gainesville, announced her own list of endorsements, 18 Black elected officials and Civil Rights activists.

Longtime Democratic leader Cynthia Moore Chestnut is tossing her hat in the ring for FDP chair.

Diaz’s campaign rolled out a list that included Mount, who is the Jackson County Democratic chair and state committeewoman, who was elected in 2016 to be the state party’s 1st vice-chair and a member of the Democratic National Committee; Gracia, who was elected in 2016 to be the state party’s treasurer; Clendenin of Hillsborough County, who also is a DNC member and also chair of the DNC’s Southern Caucus; and Alma Gonzalez of Hillsborough County, a DNC member.

Others include various county chairs, county vice-chairs, state committee members, and Democratic caucus leaders.

“I am excited to endorse Manny because he knows we need to be investing in our local parties and year-round organizing focused on voter engagement to set Florida Democrats up for success, which includes a continued investment in the FDP’s Municipal Victory Program,” Duval County Democratic Chair Daniel Henry said in a news release issued by Diaz’s campaign.

“I am a proud Florida Democrat and so excited to support Manny as the next FDP Chair because we need leadership that will help build our party from the ground up, which includes our party clubs and caucuses, DECs and organizers in counties across the state,” Stephen Gaskill, president of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus said.

“Manny Diaz believes we cannot take any voter for granted and we cannot leave any voter behind, which means investing in party organizations across the state, including small and medium-sized county organizations — this is I am excited Manny is ready and willing to take over leadership of the Florida Democratic Party and get us back on track to win,” Pasco County State Committeewoman Jocelyn Dickman said.

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Good news about a good person — Pierce Schuessler moves to Florida Department of State — Schuessler, most recently a senior policy adviser with Metz Husband & Daughton, is taking a key leadership role under Secretary of State Laurel Lee. Previously, he served as a senior legislative assistant and aide to Senate President Tom Lee, a director of legislative affairs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and began his career in 2009 as a legislative director at the Department of State under then-Secretary Kurt Browning.

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🦠 — Science and COVID, the good and the bad must read: The Atlantic’s latest cover story, published Monday, outlines how science beat the virus but lost in the process. There have been more than 74,000 scientific papers on the pandemic, nearly twice as many as other diseases, yet flawed research along the way made the virus more confusing and led to misguided policies.

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Few films live up to an “instant classic” status. However, by nearly all accounts, Michael Mann’s epic heist movie “Heat” did that and more, having what USA Today called “the greatest action scene of recent times.”

Released 25 years ago this year, Heat was no ordinary crime story; Mann (who wrote and directed) intricately wove myriad plots with a finesse that transcends the genre. It was also one of the most precise and meticulous films for the crime genre and movies in general.

Michael Mann’s classic ‘Heat’ still thrills after a quarter-century.

In addition, Heat was the first on-screen pairing of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, two of the biggest legends in Hollywood. Also rounding out a stellar cast was Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore and Ashley Judd.

Here is a sample of the celebrations and thoughts of Heat, a movie masterpiece that is still relevant a quarter-century after its release:

“Mann’s ‘Heat’ at 25: a newly relevant study in loneliness” via Marc Rivers of NPR — Heat deals with an existential kind of emptiness — one that becomes the film’s steady, plaintive bass line against the catchy melody of its cops-and-robbers plotting. And in its own strange and very specific way, it comforted me. Mann evokes that aching feeling visually: Figures framed against cold, hard glass and sharp angles, or overlooking an endless, glittering cityscape — LA as Edward Hopper might have painted it. Feelings of impotence are bound up in our current state of loneliness, in the understanding that you, yourself, are not enough, even as you also understand that you’re unable to do anything about that. The tragedy in Heat lies with characters who try, and fail, to do something about it.

“Heat at 25: Still the best crime thriller of the modern era” via Tom Jolliffe of Flickering Myth — Heat was an event. Heavily pushing toward a mature audience in a festive season looking to lure younger viewers. The film made solid returns, greeted with predominantly good reviews from critics and audiences alike. Some felt it was overtly masculine, overly long, and were left cold emotionally (which is kind of an overriding point of the film, about the emotional disconnection associated with the respective profession of cop and robber). Since that time, it continues to gain reverence in fans and hold up to critical analysis. It’s a film with more subtlety than has occasionally been credited to Mann as a filmmaker. Still, he constructs with cohesion between his style running above the surface and his substance below.

“Heat: when Pacino met De Niro in a coffee shop” via Anvita Singh of The Indian Express — Cinephiles went ballistic when they saw the two acting greats share screen space finally. Sure, it was not for long, but it happened. And it was perfect. Describing that coffee sequence is like attempting to describe magic. It’s only visible to those who really pay attention. The silence, the pauses, the weight their words carried. So simple yet so powerful. They discuss their women, their ‘careers,’ exchange pleasantries and final intentions. The framing is solid. Brilliant camerawork that never shows the two characters together at once. You see one face and then the other. After all, they are confronting each other. Placing them together in a frame like friends must not have made sense.

“Mann gives an update on the status of the Heat prequel” via Erik Swan of Cinemablend — The prequel to Heat has been a long-gestating project for Mann, who reportedly finished writing the novel back in 2016. Though it sounds like there’s still work to be done before it can hit bookstore shelves, Mann’s comments to Deadline are encouraging. But what’s even more exciting to hear is that Mann eventually wants to bring the story to the silver screen as well. It’s been nearly 30 years since Heat hit theaters, but fans are undoubtedly ready to reenter that universe. All in all, it appears Michael Mann still has more to say about his famous characters, but it could still be a while before the project actually comes to fruition.

“Collateral is the most Michael Mann film of all Michael Mann films” via Chris Nashawaty of Esquire — Heat is widely (and rightly) considered to be Mann’s masterpiece — the director’s grand meditation on all of his favorite pet themes: loyalty, honor, integrity, crime, compulsion, loneliness, and the point where good and evil bleed into one another until you’re no longer sure which side you’re meant to be rooting for. I’d argue the movie that actually nips most closely at the heels of Heat in the top tier of Mann’s underworld classics is 2004’s Collateral — another violent, nihilism-drenched thriller that seems to exist in the same spiritual universe as Heat. They’re two movements in an underworld symphony of L.A. after dark. Like every Mann movie, every single frame in Collateral is composed with a jeweler’s eye for detail.

—@realDonaldTrump: First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!

—@GovRonDeSantis: Great to be on the scene this morning at @TGHCares as they received one of the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine in Florida. God Bless America!

Tweet, tweet:

—@ShevrinJones: For the 100th time, @JoeBide is the winner, and we love to see it.

—@JoeGruters: Here is one Electoral College vote for @realDonaldTrump! Florida was with him early, we are with him now, and we will be with him going forward. @FloridaGOP

—@CarlosGSmith: When will @SenRickScott finally acknowledge @JoeBiden as President-Elect?

—@TaiKopan: It’s remarkable that CNN — a news network renown for wall-to-wall coverage of things like hurricanes and election night — is currently wall-to-wall with people getting vaccines and the electoral college voting. Both typically routine things. A snapshot of this moment.

—@SteveLemongello: The part of the Florida electoral college vote where everybody writes down their vote should have Final Jeopardy music

—@KevinCate: It’s been a tough year for so many people in so many ways. @CATECOMM turns 10 this week. We work hard but also know how fortunate we are — & the responsibility that comes with that. So in honor of 10 years, today we’re donating $10,000 to our local food bank @SecondHarvestBB.

Tweet, tweet:

—@GrayRohrer: Has anyone made an Avignon presidency joke yet?

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet. tweet:

Without question, the Electoral College affirms Joe Biden as the 46th President. Image via AP.

“Some Republicans acknowledge Biden is President-elect after electoral college vote” via Amy B. Wang and Seung Min Kim of The Washington Post — Republican lawmakers on Monday evening began acknowledging — somewhat — that Biden is the President-elect after the electoral college convened to affirm his victory over Trump. For weeks, most GOP Senators and Representatives had sidestepped the question, with most suggesting they wanted to “let the legal process play out” regarding Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Sen. Mike Braun and Rep. Roy Blunt were in the minority in that they explicitly referred to Biden by name. Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters “yeah” when asked if Biden was President-elect and began commenting rapid-fire on Biden’s would-be Cabinet nominees.

“Biden offers spirited condemnation of Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine election” via Chelsea James of The Washington Post — After a month of downplaying the danger of Trump’s and Republicans’ efforts to delegitimize Biden’s win in the general election, the President-elect unleashed a forceful condemnation of Trump and his allies, hours after the electoral college made his win officially official. Biden called the lawsuit filed by 17 Republican attorneys general and 126 Republican members of Congress at the Supreme Court asking the court to toss out results in multiple states an “unprecedented assault on our democracy.” He called Republicans’ efforts to undermine lawful results a “position so extreme we’ve never seen it before.” And he pointed out the number of Republican judges, including some appointed by Trump himself, who dismissed as meritless multiple efforts to overturn results in key states.

“Coronavirus vaccines can have side effects. That typically means they’re working.” via Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post — The new coronavirus vaccine appears to be stunningly effective, blocking serious illness entirely in randomized trials, and it has passed strict safety reviews and won emergency authorization from regulators in the United States and several other countries so far. But news bulletins in the past week provided a reminder that this remains a revolutionary pharmaceutical agent that will be scrutinized in the months ahead as shots go into arms. Scientists will also be vigilant for severe allergic reactions. U.S. public health officials hope at least 70 percent of the population will agree to be inoculated with one of the vaccines rolled out in the coming months.

“Why this New York nurse got the country’s first coronavirus shot: ‘We were scared’” via Ben Guarino and William Wan of The Washington Post — It was fitting for so many reasons that Sandra Lindsay became the face of the country’s first coronavirus vaccinations Monday. With the coronavirus killing people of color at disproportionate rates, she was a Black woman eager to prove the shot’s safety to those still hesitant. She is a critical-care nurse, among the health care workers who have spent more time than any caring for the pandemic’s sickest victims — working at a New York hospital system that was on the front lines of the pandemic this spring. But what made Lindsay an especially poignant choice, her brother said, was that she had dreamed her whole life — since a 6-year-old in their home country of Jamaica — of finding a way to help others.

Nurse Sandra Lindsay is among the first Americans to be inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine. Image via Reuters.

“D.C. firefighters will get coronavirus vaccine in public as part of trust-building campaign” via Lola Fadulu of The Washington Post — Five first responders, the acting D.C. fire chief, the department’s medical director and three firefighters, will be among the first people in the District to get the coronavirus vaccine, as part of a targeted campaign to build confidence in the process. But while city officials expect the first shipments of the vaccine to arrive in the District on Monday, the fire department personnel will not get their shots until later in the week. Kaiser Permanente, which will administer the doses, expects to receive its initial shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday and must finish training its staff on how to handle the vaccine and give the shots, said LaToya Foster, a spokeswoman for D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.

“Ron DeSantis welcomes coronavirus vaccine to Tampa: ‘Today, we will have shots going in arms’” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis welcomed 20,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Tampa General Hospital on Monday morning, calling their arrival a “historic” achievement in the fight against the pandemic. “Today, we will have shots going in arms,” DeSantis said. “We will have health care workers getting vaccinated much faster than anyone could have anticipated six months ago. God bless America.” Moments later, DeSantis watched a 31-year-old nurse receive the first dosage of the vaccine in the Tampa Bay area through a shot administered in her left arm.

To watch a video of DeSantis’ news conference, click on the image below:

“Doctors outside hospitals unclear when they will get vaccine” via Wayne Washington of The Palm Beach Post — A nurse in Tampa became among the first people in Florida to receive a vaccine for the coronavirus Monday. Still, other health care providers say no protocol has been set up to let them know when they will be inoculated. “It’s a very disorganized and not very transparent process,” said Dr. Howard Green, a dermatologist who practices in Palm Beach County. “None of it’s standardized, I don’t think. Is there really any process. He said neither he nor his wife, a dentist, are aware of any plan for when providers like them are inoculated. Both are in their 60s, and both face and pose risks to patients because of prolonged, unmasked exposure.

“Florida health care workers get COVID-19 vaccine; Orlando’s AdventHealth doses will arrive Tuesday” via Steven Lemongello and Garfield Hylton of the Orlando Sentinel — A Tampa General Hospital nurse was among the first people in Florida to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot Monday, amid news that 20,000 initial doses for Orlando health care workers will be coming Tuesday. AdventHealth in Orlando and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami are slated to each receive their first 20,000 doses on Tuesday. In a news release, AdventHealth said it planned to start inoculating its “front-line staff” on Wednesday. The first vaccinations in Florida, as well as in New York a few hours earlier, came as the country was in the middle of a surge of coronavirus cases and with nationwide deaths topping 300,000.

“‘A new ray of hope.’ First South Florida hospital workers get vaccinated in Broward.” via Ben Conarck of the Miami Herald — The first health care worker in the COVID-19 epicenter of South Florida received an injection on Monday afternoon from a vial carrying a new “ray of hope” — a vaccine with the potential to bring a roaring epidemic of death and severe illness to an end. The shot went into the left arm of Memorial Healthcare System critical care physician Aharon Sareli who could be seen smiling from behind his mask. Later, outside the pharmacy and in front of more than a dozen cameras, Sareli said it was an identical experience to receiving a flu vaccine. He said it was “really an honor to go first.”

“COVID-19 vaccine arrives for Jacksonville health care staff” via Beth Reese Cravey and Matt Soergel of The Florida Times-Union — Registered nurse Danielle Parker broke into tears Monday morning after receiving one of the first coronavirus vaccines to be given in Jacksonville. The vaccination didn’t hurt, she said. It’s just that Parker, 28, a nurse in the COVID-19 intensive-care unit at UF Health Jacksonville since the beginning of the pandemic, has seen so much suffering. Now there’s a sign of hope — perhaps the beginning of an end to much of that suffering. The coronavirus vaccine’s first batches began arriving at UF Health Jacksonville Monday morning to be administered to front-line hospital staff. From there, it will go to other area hospitals in the days to come.

“Orange prepares to vaccinate 500 long-term care residents and employees each day” via Stephen Hudak, Ryan Gillespie and Naseem S. Miller of the Orlando Sentinel — Orange County’s top health official said Monday he is preparing for a “logistical nightmare” that involves vaccinating more than 9,000 residents and employees of long-term care facilities in the county as well as paramedics and emergency workers within four weeks after the first doses arrive. DeSantis laid out the four-week timeline last week, and Dr. Raul Pino, the state’s health officer in Orange, said that goal can be achieved but will require the health department to put some services on hold so more workers can give vaccinations. He said the plan is to vaccinate 500 nursing home residents, employees and EMS workers each day. That is similar to the pace at which his department tested individuals for the coronavirus.

“‘20,000 doses of hope’: Tampa Bay gets first coronavirus vaccine shipment” via Megan Reeves of the Tampa Bay Times — Tampa Bay’s first dose of coronavirus vaccine was administered to a nurse at Tampa General Hospital on Monday, a historic moment and a ray of hope as vials of the recently approved drug are shipped across the state and nation. Tampa General, the region’s largest hospital, received 3,900 vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Each vial contains five doses, making for a total of 19,500 that will be used to vaccinate the area’s front-line health care workers. “This is 20,000 doses of hope,” Tampa General President and CEO John Couris said at a news conference. “This is the beginning to the end. This is monumental if you’re sitting in our shoes, caring for the patients that need us the most.”

A maskless DeSantis family attends a Niceville High School championship game. Image via Twitter.

How will the theme park capital of the world get through the pandemic? Image via AP.

“‘What’s coming is much more dire’: COVID-caused evictions may be next crisis for Tallahassee” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — The specter of mass evictions once a federal moratorium sunsets on Dec. 31 prompted the Tallahassee City Commission last week to approve a $250,000 program aimed at landlords. In addition to creating the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund, city commissioners asked staff to explore the option to create outdoor shelters similar to one in Hillsborough County. But that could be considered “camping.” Chronic homelessness has been considered for years by the Commission, and there has been a focus on attainable housing and including more partner agencies. But the immediate crisis of forced evictions has forced their hand, as people struggle to make ends meet through the pandemic. “What’s coming is much more dire as has been expressed,” Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said.

Tourism in the Tampa Bay region takes a nose-dive.

“They took a mortgage deferment through the CARES Act. Then their credit score plunged.” via Trevor Fraser of the Orlando Sentinel — Tod Caviness was negotiating to buy a house in Sanford when his wife, Christin, got an alert on her phone. “Her credit score had gone down from 752 to 568,” he said, and Caviness discovered the same drop happened for him. The dramatic drop originated with a three-month deferment the couple received on their Bradenton home mortgage through the CARES Act. Though the CARES Act contains language to protect the credit of people who take advantage of it, problems similar to Caviness’ have been popping up around the country. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group noted 13,000 complaints about credit reporting from April through September, a 550% increase over the same period last year.

Disney is digitally masking up parkgoers. Image via Twitter.

Donald Trump may (or may not) run in 2024. Image via AP.

“Florida-based elections vendor sues conservative media over fraud reports” via David Smiley of the Tampa Bay Times — A global elections vendor founded in South Florida is threatening to sue Fox News and other conservative media outlets for defamation unless they prominently retract unfounded reports alleging a conspiracy to rig the 2020 vote against Trump. Smartmatic, which keeps its U.S. headquarters in Boca Raton, announced Monday that it might file lawsuits against Fox News, One America News Network and Newsmax over a “concerted disinformation campaign” to claim or suggest the company was involved in stealing the Nov. 3 election from Trump. All three networks have amplified baseless claims by Trump and attorneys working with his campaign that Smartmatic software was used to manipulate vote totals.

“Speculation swirls over Ivanka Trump’s potential run for U.S. Senate in Florida” via The Guardian staff reports — Speculation about the post-White House career of Ivanka Trump is now centered on Florida, where the soon-to-be-ex-first daughter and senior aide to her President father has reportedly bought an expensive plot of land for a house and may be considering a run for Senate. Ivanka Trump is frequently mentioned as desiring a political career of her own and, during her time working for Donald Trump, has sought to position herself as a more media-friendly version of her father. Now US media reports are focusing on Florida — where Donald Trump owns the Mar-a-Lago resort — as a potential base for his daughter to launch a political career of her own.

Is Ivanka Trump eyeing a U.S. Senate seat from Florida? Image via AP.

“Barron Trump may enroll at Fort Lauderdale’s most elite high school after his father’s presidency ends” via Anthony Man of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Barron Trump, the 14-year-old son of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, may enroll at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale after his father’s presidency ends on Jan. 20. The possibility was raised by the New York Post’s gossip site Page Six, which reported that Melania Trump recently toured the school. It attributed the information to a single unidentified source. Trump hasn’t acknowledged he is leaving the presidency. But after President-elect Biden is inaugurated, the President and First Lady are widely expected to set up residence at Trump’s beloved Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.

“What’s next for Trump voters who believe the election was stolen?” via Sabrina Tavernise of The New York Times — Polls have presented a stark picture of alternate realities. A Fox News poll found that 77 percent of those who cast ballots for Trump said they thought the election had been stolen from him. Just 10 percent of Democrats agreed. Another survey, conducted by Bright Line Watch in late November, found that among those who said they approved of Trump’s performance in office, about half believed that he, not Biden, would be inaugurated in January. But interviews with dozens of people who voted for Trump reveal a more fluid picture. Some were die-hard supporters who were hungry for any information to support Trump’s claims that he won the election. For these voters, no data could convince them otherwise.

Attorney General William Barr is making a hasty exit before Christmas. Image via AP.

“U.S. agencies hacked in monthslong global cyberspying campaign” via Eric Tucker, Frank Bajak, and Matt O’Brien of The Associated Press — U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers on Monday after authorities learned that the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked in a global cyberespionage campaign tied to a foreign government. In a rare emergency directive issued late Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm warned of an “unacceptable risk” to the executive branch from a feared large-scale penetration of U.S. government agencies that could date back to midyear or earlier. The campaign was first discovered when a prominent cybersecurity firm, FireEye, learned it had been breached. FireEye would not say who it suspected and noted that foreign governments and major corporations were also compromised.

“Bob Levinson of Coral Springs died in Iranian custody, US government says” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Iran was responsible for Levinson’s death, the retired FBI agent from Coral Springs who disappeared in Iran in 2007, Trump’s administration said. The administration concluded that Levinson was dead months ago, but Monday was the first time it said so publicly. “The government of Iran pledged to provide assistance in bringing Bob Levinson home, but it has never followed through. The truth is that Iranian intelligence officers — with the approval of senior Iranian officials — were involved in Bob’s abduction and detention,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “We will never waver from our commitment to find out more about Bob’s long captivity, to give the Levinson family the answers they deserve, and to finally bring Bob home.”

Senate President Wilton Simpson is MIA for the Electoral College vote, sidelined by COVID-19. Image via Colin Hackley.

“Rural broadband remains key issue for Loranne Ausley” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Florida’s rural broadband limitations are neither new nor unique. But more than nine months into a pandemic that’s made the deficiencies all-the-more critical, many remote Florida communities are still without reliable internet access. Recognizing the deficiencies, Democratic Sen. Ausley plans to address the “digital divide” in the 2021 Legislative Session. “Today, not having access to the internet means you don’t go to school,” Ausley explained. “You can’t do your homework, your parents can’t help you with your homework, your parents can’t do their job from home, and they can’t access health care.” Ausley, who represents Senate District 3, said finding the gaps in service will be her “first order of business.”

“Lauren Book bill would require feminine hygiene products in public school bathrooms” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Sen. Book filed a bill last week that would require school districts to make feminine hygiene products are available in public school bathrooms. SB 242, known as the “Learning with Dignity Act,” mandates schools have sanitary napkins, pads and tampons in female restrooms in all of Florida’s K-12 public schools. Under the bill, the products must be made available at no cost. “One in five girls have either left school early or missed school entirely because they did not have access to menstrual products,” Book said, citing a recent survey. “Girls pay a price when these products aren’t free — and providing them will go a long way toward equity in education.” The Plantation Democrat filed a similar bill last ahead of the 2020 Legislative Session, but it was never heard in committee.

Lauren Book seeks more dignity for girls in public schools. Image via Sen. Book’s office.

“Secret donor name in Florida Senate races wiped from records, replaced” via Samantha J. Gross and Ana Ceballos of the Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau — The name of the mystery donor behind a $550,000 effort that helped promote no-party candidates in three key Florida Senate races, including one that is under investigation, was changed in campaign finance reports over the weekend. While making changes to fix errors in campaign finance reports is common, election attorneys say it is unusual to see political committees change their sole donor’s name two months after the fact. Even so, two political committees — Our Florida and The Truth — amended campaign filings and changed the name of the entity that funded the political mailers from Proclivity to Grow United Inc., a tax-exempt corporation that is also registered in Delaware and whose address is a post office box in Denver.

“Civil Rights heavy-hitters back Cynthia Moore Chestnut’s Democratic Party run” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — A couple of generations of Black political and Civil Rights leaders in Florida ranging from Rep. Al Lawson to Aramis Ayala and from Ben Crump to LaVon Bracy are coming to bat for Chestnut‘s effort to be elected the next chair of the Florida Democratic Party. Chestnut’s campaign on Monday announced its first full slate of endorsements, including Lawson, the congressman from Tallahassee; Crump, the Civil Rights lawyer, who has been prominent in many of the key Black Lives Matters cases; Ayala, the first African American State Attorney in Florida; and Bracy, the church leader and Civil Rights icon from Orlando who is the mother of Sen. Randolph Bracy.

Travis Blanton, Darrick McGhee, Johnson & Blanton: Little Havana Activities & Nutrition Centers of Dade County

Matt Bryan, David Daniel, Thomas Griffin, Jeff Hartley, Lisa Hurley, Teye Reeves, Smith Bryan & Myers: STRAX Intelligence Group

Ryan Matthews, Peebles Smith & Matthews: JEA, Keys Energy Services, South Seminole & North Orange County Wastewater Transmission Authority

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala wants her last act to be diversion programs for nonviolent crimes.

“Orlando warns of elevated bacteria levels at Lake Eola” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Lake Eola has higher-than-normal levels of the bacteria E. coli in the water, a city official said Monday. It’s unclear what caused the water’s increased levels at the city’s signature park, but testing will continue over the next few days, said Samantha Holsten, a city spokeswoman. A warning was issued through the city’s Lake Alert system, and signs will be posted warning residents and visitors of the bacteria. For now, swan boats aren’t available for rent, and the veterinarian who looks after the swans is working with city parks officials to oversee their care.

“Disney reveals more tenants for Flamingo Crossings Town Center” via Austin Fuller of the Orlando Sentinel — Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co., a Five Below store, and several restaurants were revealed by Disney World on Monday as tenets in its new Flamingo Crossings Town Center. The development, anchored by a Target, is under construction at Western Way and State Road 429 near Animal Kingdom. Other tenets announced Monday include a UPS store, Wendy’s, Domino’s, Ellie Lou’s Brews & BBQ, Firehouse Subs, Pieology Pizzeria, and Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ. The 200,000-square-foot retail center will also include previously announced restaurants PDQ, Five Guys, Ben & Jerry’s and Dunkin’. A Walgreens is under construction on an out-parcel, Disney said.

“Jay Stowe arrives as new JEA CEO with ‘night and day’ contrast to fired CEO Aaron Zahn” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Stowe was among the public power industry advocates who watched the saga of last year’s attempted sale of JEA that landed multibillion dollar offers before it came skidding to an end on Christmas Eve 2019. A year later, Stowe is in Jacksonville as JEA’s newly hired CEO after an entirely new board did a national search and hired him. Stowe’s arrival in Jacksonville contrasts with former CEO Aaron Zahn on many levels — the different career paths each took to JEA’s top job, their biographical backgrounds, leadership styles, and above all, whether they view city ownership of JEA as in the city’s best long-term interest. If Zahn was about changing JEA, Stowe comes to JEA with a mission of restoration.

“Developers dug a lake near Boynton Beach without county permits. Now they’re adding a building.” via Mark Diamond of The Palm Beach Post — The ski-water enthusiasts who built a 15-acre lake west of Boynton Beach without permits have started to construct a building — also without permits. The move has so angered Palm Beach County officials that they have warned the property owners that further violations of the county’s “stop-work” orders could result in arrests. County officials may seek fines of as much as $20,000 a day against the alleged offenders at a hearing before a magistrate on Jan. 21. But the upcoming hearing does not appear to have deterred the partnership, led by a Canadian business executive, Douglas DeBruin and two county residents, Darin Montgomery of Lake Worth and Chet Raley of Boynton Beach.

“Texts raise questions of developer’s role in trying to oust Manatee County administrator” via Lee Williams of The Sarasota Herald-Tribune — On Sunday, Nov. 15 at around 1:05 p.m., Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge sent a text to local developer and Republican donor Carlos Beruff, the first of two texts which raise questions about Beruff’s involvement in the recent attempt to fire County Administrator Cheri Coryea. The text included a link to a Bradenton Times story titled: “Are special interests gunning for county administrator?” “We have a leaker,” Van Ostenbridge wrote. “Good thing no one reads this rag.” Coryea’s termination first came up publicly on Nov. 19, with Van Ostenbridge and three other commissioners voting in favor. Three of the Commissioners had been in office for less than 50 hours.

“A lawyer who won her first county battle in middle school, Danielle Cohen Higgins joins Miami-Dade Commission” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Though a Democratic rising star, Cohen Higgins secured her first political office in an appointment process largely steered by the Commission’s leading Republicans. Rebeca Sosa, the board’s acting chairwoman, led the votes that rejected holding a special election for the District 8 seat. Incoming Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz was one of two Commissioners who nominated Cohen Higgins. When Sosa asked for more nominations, the remaining Commissioners offered none. While the other first-termers won their commission seats after electoral success elsewhere, Cohen Higgins secured hers by outmaneuvering established politicians seeking the District 8 post. Among those who tried for the seat were former state Sens. Frank Artiles and Dwight Bullard.

Danielle Cohen Higgins is rewarded for her activism with a spot on the Miami-Dade Commission.

“Wellington sets in motion four-year, $9 million project to redirect waste” via Kristina Webb of The Palm Beach Post — A multimillion-dollar project to reroute a key main that feeds into Wellington’s wastewater treatment plant is moving forward. The project will be done in three phases, take about four years and cost an estimated $9 million, Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque told Wellington’s council at an agenda review workshop session on Dec. 7 before the following night’s council meeting. The first phase of the project, which is budgeted to cost nearly $1.9 million, won unanimous approval as part of the council’s consent agenda. The existing force main that runs through Palm Beach Polo is about 40 years old, and due to be replaced, LaRocque said. It also is especially deep, making it difficult to reach.

“The vaccines that could use a shot in the arm” via Clara Ferreira Marques of Bloomberg Opinion — Beijing and Moscow saw early the potential benefits of pulling ahead in the race to produce an effective inoculation against COVID-19. Apart from the public health benefits and the keen awareness in both governments of the need to be self-reliant, a clear win would validate top-down models of government and innovation. Moscow in August, to great fanfare, became the first to grant regulatory approval for a vaccine. By then, Beijing had already allowed doses of one of its own vaccines to be given to its military. Yet, with scarce data and plenty of government promotion, the dash for approvals and show over results has not translated into impressive diplomatic or domestic wins.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Tampa General President Couris says it’s now the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

— Health care workers are first on the priority list … followed by residents of nursing homes and senior centers. Most Floridians won’t be vaccinated until February or March at the earliest, so the doctors say it’s up to all of us to stay safe until then.

— While everyone was celebrating vaccinations, the coronavirus remained on a tear in the Sunshine State. The health Department reported 138 new fatalities Monday … increasing the statewide death toll to 20,271. There were almost 85,000 newly confirmed cases of the disease … increasing the total to 1,134,383. Nationwide, the death toll just broke 300,000.

— Florida’s presidential electors cast their ballots … and there were no surprises.

— And finally, a Florida Man golfing in Cape Coral found his ball sitting on the top of an alligator’s tail.

To listen, click on the image below:

Christmas tree supplies are low, causing huge spikes in cost.

“Home Depot surprises 24 veterans with rental assistance for the holidays” via WSBTV — Home Depot surprised a group of 24 local veterans with a month of rental assistance just in time for the holidays. On Friday, the Home Depot Foundation and Quest Communities went door to door and surprised veterans living at the Quest Veterans Village in northwest Atlanta with home-care kits that included things like clothes, shoes, housewares, electronics, grocery gift cards and more. Along with the gifts came an even bigger holiday surprise: rental assistance for December.

“Secret Santa pays off layaways at Florida Walmart store” via FOX 35 Orlando — The holidays got a lot brighter for some shoppers at a Florida Walmart store. In Gainesville, employees at a Walmart Supercenter said a man wearing dark glasses, a hoodie, and a surgical mask presented the store with a $500 check to pay off layaways. “He walked straight to the Customer Service desk at the front of the store and requested to speak to the Team Lead. The man then asked for help locating layaways for toys before paying them off in full then calling the family to let them know. Employees at the store said the man told them he has been doing this for nearly a decade, traveling around the country and randomly selecting stores that offer layaways.

“Undercover cops dressed as Santa and elf filmed taking down suspected car thieves” via Patrick Knox of The U.S. Sun — The drama unfolded in Riverside as the undercover cops were conducting an operation targeting shoplifters. They then got reports of “three suspicious men” who were allegedly looking for vehicles to steal, police said. The video shows the elf pointing a gun at one of the suspected car thieves. He says: “What’s wrong is you tried to steal a car but your buddy stole the car.” The video also shows Santa running up to the other suspect, grabbing him from behind and wrestling him to the ground. Someone is then heard yelling, “get him, Santa,” as he ran toward the suspect.

Police officers dressed as Santa and an elf bust car thieves while in costume.

“Heat, Arisons donate $3 million to World Central Kitchen” via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The Miami Heat announced Monday that the team and the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation have made a $3 million donation to the World Central Kitchen, as well as partnered with the nonprofit organization that has provided over 33 million meals throughout the United States and Spain. The donation was made to assist in expanding the organization’s Restaurants for the People program in Miami. The donation was made to assist in expanding the organization’s Restaurants for the People program in Miami, which the Heat termed as “the next step in the team’s continuing effort to use their unique platform and standing in the community to deliver on their social justice pledge and effect positive change that uplifts the Black community.”

Philanthropists Micky & Madeleine Arison open their hearts — and wallets — to help the hungry in Central Florida,