A couple of must-reads were published over the weekend about Gov. Ron DeSantis and his handling this year of the pandemic. And we highlight them below.

As I read those reports, I checked Gov. DeSantis’ official Twitter feed, where there is a sin of omission that explains so much about why so many fault DeSantis’ response. The issue is a stark lack of empathy. As the editorial board of the Sun-Sentinel explained it in a blistering assessment: “Rarely have we heard him express empathy for those who’ve been infected, placed on a ventilator or died. He talks in terms of numbers, not people …”

Empathy may not be Ron DeSantis’ strong suit.

This brings me back to the Governor’s Twitter feed. Just consider this: in the past week, DeSantis has tweeted about a dozen times, with most of the tweets focusing on the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Governor tweeted twice about high school football, including attending a Class 3 A state championship game between Chaminade-Madonna and Trinity Christian Academy.

Not once — and this is the Governor’s sin of omission — did DeSantis tweet any message of support or concern for the health of Senate President Wilton Simpson, who tested positive for COVID-19 in advance of last Monday afternoon’s meeting of Florida presidential electors.

Perhaps the Governor privately called or texted the Senate President to let him know he and the First Lady were thinking about him and his family. Maybe they’re friends on Facebook, and DeSantis messaged Simpson on the platform. I don’t know. You’d think the Governor would do something, considering he, Simpson and the House Speaker must work together the next two years to lead the state.

As this year comes to an end, I have just one question for Gov. DeSantis: Where’s your empathy, brother?

Here are some items which caught my attention:

 — More vaccine on the way: After receiving FDA approval Friday and an affirmative vote Saturday to recommend it for those 18 and older, the second COVID-19 vaccine by biotechnology company Moderna will be arriving in states as early as Monday. The federal government was assisting with preparing shipments of the vaccine Saturday as well as sending other needed items to administer vaccines, including syringes and needles.

 — RIP David King: King, a Winter Park lawyer and one of the key architects of the 2010 Fair Districts Amendment approved by Florida voters to reduce gerrymandering, died Friday. King lost his short battle with cancer, his son Chris King said Saturday. In addition to the elder King’s work on fair districts, he also helped his son with his 2018 gubernatorial bid and subsequent run with Andrew Gillum for Lieutenant Governor. Rest in peace, sir.

 — The death of community, a must-read: Sociologist Robert Putnam once compared the decline of group bowling to a dwindling sense of community. Later, he looked at other factors like declining marriage rates and lower church attendance to make the case that Americans are becoming more individualistic. Now there’s COVID-19 and the isolation it breeds. This article in The Atlantic spotlights a new reality, the 50s are gone, and they’re not coming back.

 — Ron ‘DeGrinch?’: Usually, the Governor and members of his cabinet gather before Christmas for an annual Christmas tree presentation meant to spread holiday cheer, but not this year. And it wasn’t because of COVID. Instead, Gov. DeSantis snubbed Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried, forgoing holiday tradition in favor of a partisan feud. Classy.

 — Crappy buzzwords, pandemic style: Unprecedented. Challenging. Pivot. Heroes. These are all perfectly normal words that have been repurposed to fit a pandemic narrative. And we’ve all heard them ad nauseam. Check out this list of all the worst buzzwords of 2020, pandemic edition, here.

  — Dig these tunes: 2020 came with a lot of new trends (looking at you sourdough starter), and music was no different. The Atlantic compiled a list of the top 20 music albums of 2020. There are some throwbacks to the 90s with Fiona Apple‘s latest album and a lot of lyrics and beats suited to the peak 2020 mood. Better, the list includes music from around the world. So kick back and say goodbye to 2020 with some of its best jams.

🥘 — Pandemic dining at its finest: COVID-19 forced restaurants to get creative this year, implementing increased outdoor seating, employing safety precautions, and pivoting to a greater emphasis on takeout, including booze. Florida Trend analyzed some of the new foodie trends arising from the pandemic and found lots to celebrate, including new booms in various ethnic cuisine and an increase in veggie-centric meals. Check out the full rundown here.

 — Jupiter and Saturn kiss: Mark your calendar for a celestial event that hasn’t happened in nearly 400 years and one that hasn’t been visible to humans from Earth in nearly 800 years. Monday night, about an hour after sunset, the two planets will be so close it will look to some as one giant, super-bright planet sparkling in the sky. They will appear at one-tenth of one angular degree, though about 450 million miles will still separate the two planets. Monday is expected to be partly cloudy so if at first, you don’t succeed, just wait for the clouds to move on. Look to the southwest sky to catch the show.

👰 — Congratulations to Rep. Amber Mariano:

💍 — More Congratulations: To Nicole Gomez and Brian Goldmeier, who got engaged over the weekend. Gomez is Director of Client Relations at the South Florida consulting firm LSN Partners. Goldmeier is the founder and president of BYG Strategies, Inc., a prominent government advisory, campaign and issue fundraising firm. Cheers and good luck to the happy couple!

Best wishes to Nicole Gomez and Brian Goldmeier on their engagement!

___

Whole Child Leon has a range of programs aimed at improving the lives of Leon County children, and they get it done on a shoestring budget.

Former House Speaker Allan Bense wants to give them some breathing room this Christmas, so he’s pledged to match donations to the organization, dollar for dollar, up to $7,200.

“The Christmas Season can always be challenging for hardworking families and, especially this year, far too many are struggling in far too many ways,” Bense said. “Hopefully, this effort with Whole Child Leon will make a real difference and make the season brighter for families in the Tallahassee area.”

The number wasn’t picked at random — Whole Child Leon encompasses six initiatives, and it’s hoping for supporters to pledge $1 a month for each, or $72 a year.

Established in 2004, Whole Child Leon’s initiatives include the Pediatric Behavioral Health Navigation Program, Early Childhood Screening, Summit on Children, Equity Tallahassee Leon, Food on the Move, and 95210: The Whole Picture of Health.

“We are committed to ensuring the entire community understands the building blocks for successful relationships and a healthy sense of self are established during the first five years of life,” Whole Child Leon executive director Courtney Atkins said. “Earning the support of Speaker Bense is [an] affirmation that our message is breaking through.”

For more information about Whole Child Leon, visit wholechildleon.org.

—@DaveWeigel: At the TPUSA conference today, @RepMattGaetz said he’d challenge the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6 and that he’d just talked to Sen-elect. [Tommy] Tuberville about it. “The odds may be tough, it may be 4th and long, but we’re going for it on January 6.”

—@JoeBiden: In one month, we begin to heal.

—@WashingtonPost: Every time you listen to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas,” about five people have died from the coronavirus between the beginning and the end of the song.

—@RyanStruyk: Dr. [Anthony] Fauci on @CNN: “I took a trip up there to the North Pole, and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney. He can leave the presents. You have nothing to worry about.”

Tweet, tweet:

—@GarrettHaake: Lots of lawmakers are getting their first vaccine shots today. Good for them! I would take it the first day I could too. But it’s a weird dynamic that they’re getting shots while also not yet passing a COVID relief bill, and while all the support staff here doesn’t have access yet

—@SenPizzo: Someone said I don’t tweet enough. I’ve had this Twitter for 24 months. This is my 1,333rd tweet — i.e. 55.5 per month/1.83 tweets per day. Assume 1.5 minutes to draft/post/read/retweet. (1,333 x 1.5)/60 min = 33.3 hours. I’m not a journalist/news agency. 1.83 is enough.

Ron DeSantis gives state employees a couple of extra days off for the holidays. Image via Colin Hackley.

“House releases COVID-19 protocols for committee weeks” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The Florida House released its official COVID-19 protocols for the 2021 committee weeks. The six protocols, crafted by Speaker Pro Tempore Bryan Avila, are intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for lawmakers, employees and visitors at the Capitol during the five committee weeks. Notably, the House will split committee blocks into two and implement an alternate schedule. The result, a news release said, will reduce the number of days lawmakers will need to be in Tallahassee. The House will also require one-hour sanitation breaks between meetings to disinfect rooms and replace microphone shields. All committee rooms will feature medical-grade HEPA filters.

—”Florida House education committees set for 2021 session” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of The Tampa Bay Times

“Remote testimony available in Senate’s committee week COVID-19 protocols” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Members of the public wishing to address Florida Senate committees during committee weeks will be able to testify remotely from the Leon County Civic Center. Senate President Simpson announced the partnership with Florida State University, as well as other plans, ahead of lawmakers’ first interim meetings next month. The Senate has reserved three remote viewing rooms, one per committee allowed to meet simultaneously, which will allow the public to watch meetings and virtually address senators while social distancing. Only those invited to present information and answer questions, as well as members of the media, will be allowed with senators in the committee rooms in person.

“Economists to continue working on revenue numbers” via The News Service of Florida — A panel of state economists could not finish hammering out revenue projections needed to help lawmakers put together a coronavirus-impacted budget for next fiscal year. The economists, who meet as the Revenue Estimating Conference, will resume talks Monday. They were unable to settle Friday on a range of corporate revenue and refund figures, with representatives of DeSantis’ office seeking more optimistic projections. Otherwise, the economists generally moved toward improved revenue projections from figures they put forward in an August forecast. In August, economists reduced an overall estimate of general revenue for this fiscal year by $3.42 billion and an estimate for the 2021-2022 fiscal year by nearly $2 billion.

Assignment editors — The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to update state general revenue evaluation, which is key to lawmakers making budget decisions, 8:30 a.m., 117 Knott Building.

This is the most comprehensive and concise assessment of DeSantis I’ve read — “DeSantis’ holiday season hasn’t been jolly as criticism mounts” via John Pacenti of the Palm Beach Post — CNN published a story on DeSantis subtitled, “Putting ‘politics in front of lives.’” It detailed how he blocked public messaging on COVID-19 to paint a rosier picture. Along the same vein, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported the aberration of how the state report on COVID-19 deaths dropped in the days surrounding the Nov. 3 general election. Both reports came on the heels of national headlines about the raid of the home of DeSantis’ No. 1 critic on reporting COVID-19 cases and deaths: former state coronavirus data scientist Rebekah Jones. The Governor also picked fights with Pfizer, as well as Walgreens and CVS. All in all, it has not been a very jolly holiday season for the Republican.

The season has not been so jolly for Ron DeSantis.

“DeSantis, Florida’s mis-communicator in chief” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — DeSantis has been off-pitch since the coronavirus first hit our shores — denying community spread, spinning happy talk about scarce protective gear, and shielding data about nursing home infections, hospital bed capacity and the lack of contact tracing. But in the weeks before and since the 2020 presidential election, he’s gotten worse. DeSantis fails to grasp that communication is a two-way street. Perhaps Florida would keep its place in line if he would pick up the phone and congratulate the President-elect. For just as Joe Biden has said he will be President for all Americans, DeSantis is supposed to be Governor for all Floridians. And we need a working relationship with the White House.

“Echoing Donald Trump, Florida’s leaders worked to cast doubt on the state’s COVID-19 death count. Now they’re not talking.” via Skyler Swisher, Cindy Krischer Goodman and David Fleshler of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — As the presidential campaign heated up, Florida’s leaders worked to cast doubt on their own COVID-19 death count, second-guessing doctors on the front lines of the pandemic and mirroring Trump’s messaging that the toll wasn’t as bad as it looked. Now, new questions are being raised about an unexplained gap in death reporting in the days leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3. The pause in reporting long-backlogged deaths resulted in fewer COVID-19 deaths being reported in daily counts as Floridians headed to the polls.

“Florida Dems slam DeSantis over not releasing COVID-19 reports, lag in reporting deaths” via Naseem S. Miller of The Orlando Sentinel — Florida congressional Democrats called out DeSantis for his “ongoing and purposeful lack of transparency” by being slow to release weekly White House coronavirus task force reports and temporarily pausing the reporting of backlogged COVID-19 deaths. “During a public health emergency, it is imperative that your Administration provide Floridians with timely information and guidance that ensures their health and safety,” said a letter sent to DeSantis and signed by 11 Florida lawmakers. DeSantis’ office has released six reports at a rate of two reports a day. The lawsuit isn’t resolved because the state has not yet agreed to release the future reports promptly.

“Did COVID-19 kill their loved ones? Families want answers as they get no help from state.” via Andrew Boryga of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida’s COVID-19 deaths suspiciously declined just before the November election and then began to climb immediately afterward, as DeSantis contended that deaths from the pandemic were exaggerated. State officials disputed suggestions that they manipulated the data, but they have refused to explain exactly what factors they consider in determining what killed a person. Families say they have run into the same roadblocks, unable to get information from public health officials. They suspect the state is playing political games to paint a rosier picture of the virus’ spread in the state at their families’ expense. Most of all, they say, they are left with no answers — and no closure — about their loved ones’ final days.

COVID-19 deaths suspiciously dropped before the November elections, suggesting manipulated numbers. Image via AP.

“More than 3,400 AdventHealth workers vaccinated, Moderna anticipated next week” via Sara-Megan Walsh of The Lakeland Ledger — AdventHealth leaders are celebrating what they have called a “milestone week” as thousands of front-line health care workers have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 3,400 AdventHealth employees in Central Florida were injected with the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Wednesday and Thursday, with hundreds more expected to receive it in the days ahead. Dr. Vincent Hsu, AdventHealth’s infection control officer, was among the first to receive Pfizer’s vaccine on Wednesday. Hsu said he had a sore shoulder at the injection site, but hasn’t had any other side effects.

“COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival at Pensacola Naval Hospital marks historic moment” via the Pensacola News Journal editorial board — This week’s arrival of the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccines marks a proud moment for the United States that will forever stand testament to what we can accomplish when we are united and focused on extraordinary goals. The arrival of the vaccine is simultaneously historic and hopeful, delivering the long-awaited promise of something that can finally stop the climbing death toll. This moment of American history is also a notable day for Pensacola, as our own Naval Hospital is playing a role in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s strategic plan to distribute and administer the vaccine.

The next round of vaccinations will include older people and first responders. Image via NBC News.

“’I am responsible’: Warp Speed chief accepts blame for reduced vaccine doses but creates new confusion about quality control steps” via Isaac Stanley-Becker, Laurie McGinley and Lena Sun of The Washington Post — Gustave Perna, the four-star Army general overseeing the formidable task of distributing coronavirus vaccines, said he was responsible for the “miscommunication” with states causing them to receive vastly fewer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the second wave of shipments than they had been anticipating. But he was not clear about the scope of quality assurance, or about why it would delay the release of doses, saying only that the Food and Drug Administration “does a fantastic job doing that.” Under the terms of the agency’s authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the company is required to submit “certificates of analysis for each drug product lot at least 48 hours before vaccine distribution.”

“Major U.S. companies are lobbying in a scrum for early vaccine” via Christopher Rowland, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Jacob Bogage, Abha Bhattarai and Laura Reiley of The Washington Post — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory group voted to recommend grocery store workers, teachers, day care staff, adults over 75 and other front-line workers who cannot work remotely should be the next to get the coronavirus vaccine, followed later by another large batch of essential workers and elderly people. The recommendations guide state authorities in deciding who should have priority to receive limited doses of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. In all, the two groups of essential workers the government is prioritizing spans 87 million people, spanning dozens of industries and including many people of color and many earning low wages.

“Proof of vaccination will be very valuable — and easy to abuse” via Nita Farahany of The Washington Post — Until a vaccine is fully approved and widely available, we should not — except in the rarest of cases — make participation in society depend on immunity status. And yet, the vaccination cards that will be issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make enforcing that norm a challenge. The cards are meant to help remind people to get their second shots. These are laudable goals, but the cards could easily become de facto entry documents required for people to attend school, get a job, dine at a restaurant or patronize businesses. Employers might mandate that workers show coronavirus vaccine cards before returning to the office; schools might require students to show these cards to attend.

“Nursing homes face daunting task of getting consent before they give coronavirus vaccines” via Fenit Nirappil and Yasmeen Abutaleb of The Washington Post — Obtaining consent presents one of the toughest hurdles as officials mobilize to inoculate residents of these facilities, many of whom have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Facilities must track down relatives or attorneys in those cases, which could take days or weeks. In some instances, they may need to resolve disputes when family members disagree on whether their loved ones should receive a vaccine. Even residents of sound mind may be anxious about a new vaccine and need time to weigh risks and benefits and consult with relatives. The government’s partnership with Walgreens and CVS to distribute vaccines gave the companies discretion to secure permission however they wanted.

“Instacart is latest gig company to request early vaccines for workers” via Kia Kokalitcheva of Axios — Instacart has asked public health authorities to include its workers as part of the essential workers who’ll get COVID-19 vaccines. Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have made similar requests in recent days. These workers are disproportionately bearing more exposure and risk than many of their customers, who have the luxury of staying home and having their groceries and food delivered. The companies have actively fought not to classify their workers as employees, which would give them full benefits, such as health care coverage and sick leave. Getting their workers vaccinated earlier rather than later could help the companies’ bottom lines if more drivers feel comfortable giving rides and doing deliveries and making ride-hailing passengers more comfortable booking rides.

Nancy Pelosi gives the good news: Another round of COVID-19 aid is on the way. Image via AP.

“The great acceleration” via Carlos Lozada of The Washington Post — Some writers already imagine the long-term impact of the pandemic on our culture, politics and economy and they suggest that we may end up in much the same places where we were headed all along — except now we’ll get there faster, with less control over the landing and less time to prepare for life upon arrival. In their books, vaccines are not the only things moving at warp speed. In this great acceleration, we become ever more digital creatures; disadvantaged communities are increasingly vulnerable and social activists are emboldened. In this great accelerating, America grows more isolated, the U.S.-Chinese rivalry gets tenser, and the impulse toward bigness, in government and business, is more pronounced.

“Some pandemic aid for the jobless and for renters may end soon. Here’s what you need to know.” via Kyle Swenson of The Washington Post — The economic policies passed with the CARES Act have served as life support for Americans displaced by the pandemic’s devastating sweep. Since March, as many as 40 million — or 1 in 4 Americans — have received benefits from these programs. According to a recently published report, poverty has risen each month since June, to 11.7% in November. Without the CARES Act, those numbers would be worse, experts say. The protections were not automatic. Rather, renters had to sign a CDC affidavit and submit the declaration before a judge. Thousands of evictions continued due to loopholes in the order and the flexibility the order allowed local judges. But the moratorium is scheduled to lift on Dec. 31.

“She volunteered one day as a poll worker. Then Florida cut off her unemployment benefits” via Daniel Rivero of WLRN — It was a one-day gig. Her compensation: $250. What Krista didn’t know was that the single day of work would stop the unemployment checks from coming. “You go online every two weeks to claim your benefits … and it said, ‘We see you’ve returned to work.’ And I’m like ‘What? I didn’t return to work,’” said Krista. The last unemployment check she received was over a month ago, she said. A Nov. 13 letter from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said that the state was notified she began work with the Broward Supervisor of Elections office in October when Krista received poll worker training. “Your benefits have been temporarily suspended pending an investigation,” reads the letter.

“Parents feeling guilty about COVID-19 ignites boom in toy sales” via Leslie Patton of Bloomberg — After a terrible year of remote school, canceled birthday parties and little vacationing, parents and grandparents ridden with so-called “COVID guilt” are spending a lot more on puzzles, crafts and games. And this is setting up the U.S. industry for its best Christmas in years and maybe ever. “I’ve been in the toy industry for 30 years, and sales are just about as good as I’ve ever seen them,” said Jay Foreman, chief executive officer of closely held toymaker Basic Fun. Retail purchases of his company’s toys, including Tonka trucks, have been up more than 30% since August and show no signs of slowing down, he said. “Toys are a way for parents to treat their kids when they are so worried about what’s going on in the world.”

A mutated form of COVID-19 is tearing through England. Image via USA Today.

“South Africa announces a new coronavirus variant” via Sheri Fink of The New York Times — South African scientists and health officials announced on Friday the discovery of a new lineage of the coronavirus that has quickly come to dominate samples of virus tested in the country. Scientists are examining this particular variant closely because it includes several changes in the virus that allows it to attach to human cells, which is a key target for antibody therapies and vaccines. The variant, named 501.V2, has also been associated in a preliminary analysis with faster spread and a higher load of virus found in swabs. It has not yet been linked to any difference in disease severity, and the findings have not yet been reviewed by other scientists or published in a journal.

“Now playing: A very COVID-19 Christmas” via Steven Zeitchik of The Washington Post — Hollywood is turning this season into a very COVID-19 Christmas. Entertainment-industry executives hope new coronavirus pieces offer a more palatable alternative to the doom-scrolling that has dominated 2020. If we’re going to be gripped by virus anxieties, they say, at least let’s do it with compelling stories and beloved characters. But the content’s radical timeliness also raises questions: Are Americans ready for stories about a virus that has taken the lives of more than 300,000 Americans, kept many of us at home and created economic havoc for millions? This wave of COVID-19 tales is hitting as the disaster is still playing out, turning these stories into polished real-time disaster films.

Donald Trump has only one thing on his mind — overturning the election. Image via AP.

“Officials increasingly alarmed about Trump’s power grab” via Jonathan Swan of Axios — Senior administration officials are increasingly alarmed that Trump might unleash — and abuse — the power of government to overturn the clear result of the election. These officials tell me that Trump is spending too much time with people they consider crackpots or conspiracy theorists and flirting with blatant abuses of power. Their fears include Trump’s interest in former national security adviser Michael Flynn‘s wild talk of martial law; an idea floated of an executive order to commandeer voting machines; and the specter of Sidney Powell, the conspiracy-spewing election lawyer, obtaining governmental power and top-level security clearance.

“How did the GOP gain in the House while Trump lost? It’s actually pretty simple.” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — Republicans gained significant ground in the House and probably held the Senate as long as they don’t lose both Georgia runoffs. So how on earth did Trump lose? The answer is actually pretty simple: Our elections increasingly look more like parliamentary ones, and given that, the results make a ton of sense. The big takeaway: Our politics are increasingly less about people and incumbents and more about Party. The results for Congress affirm the fact that Republicans writ large lost the election.

“Is Trump cracking under the weight of losing?” via Michael Kruse of POLITICO Magazine — It’s not just his odd behavior — the testy, tiny desk session with the press, the stilted Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony that ended with his awkward exit, the cut-short trip to the Army-Navy football game. It’s even more pointedly his conspicuous and ongoing absences. Trump has spent the last half a century making himself and keeping himself the most paid-attention-to person on the planet. But in the month and a half since Election Day, Trump has been seen and heard relatively sparingly and sporadically. No-showing unexpectedly at a Christmas party, sticking to consistently sparse public schedules and speaking mainly through his increasingly manic Twitter feed.

Joe Biden calls Lindsey Graham a ‘major disappointment.’ Image via AP.

Marco Rubio growing a spine on Russia is a welcome relief.

“DeSantis appoints Orlando lawyer to appeals court despite criticism” via Monivette Cordeiro of The Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis appointed Orlando attorney Mary Alice “Molly” Nardella to the 5th District Court of Appeal Friday, despite critics who said she was less qualified than other nominees because of her limited experience in criminal law and jury trials. One of those who spoke out against Nardella’s nomination, Maitland criminal appellate attorney William Ponall, said Friday that her appointment shows Florida’s judicial selection process is a “farce.” Nardella is filling the spot on the Daytona Beach-based court vacated by Florida Supreme Court Justice Jamie Grosshans, elevated by DeSantis to the state’s high court in September.

With a little controversy, Ron DeSantis appoints Mary Alice “Molly” Nardella to the 5th District Court of Appeal. Image via Nardella & Nardella.

“Former Jeffrey Epstein attorney dumps Ron Rubin as client” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The legal woes for Rubin continued this week when his attorney, Michael Tein, dropped him as a client. Tein represented Rubin in three court cases, one of which alleges racketeering, public corruption and abuse of power at the “highest levels” of two state departments: the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR.) Rubin — Florida’s former OFR Commissioner — was fired in 2019 by DeSantis and Cabinet amid reports of sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace comments. However, Rubin claims he blew the whistle against the wrongdoers, which is why he got fired. “This week, the same lawyer that had no problem representing Jeffrey Epstein fired Ron Rubin as a client,” said Deputy Chief Financial Officer and spokesperson Frank Collins III.

Damning — “Florida lets voucher schools hire dropout as teachers … and keep it secret” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — Winners Primary employed a teacher who had lost her certification to teach after being sent to prison for Medicaid fraud and another teacher who was pressured to leave Orange County Public Schools after twice grabbing a kindergartner. The Sentinel has also found other local voucher schools hiring high school dropouts as teachers. Yes, people teaching school who never finished school themselves. You might wonder: Why on earth would a parent send their kids to a school that hired unqualified teachers? Maybe because the parents don’t know. In Florida, “school choice” means voucher schools can choose to hire teachers without degrees and also choose to keep that information secret.

“Pythons might become a new menu item in Florida if scientists can confirm they’re safe to eat” via Alaa Elassar of CNN — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is collaborating with the Florida Department of Health to investigate the mercury levels in pythons to determine if they can be safely consumed. If so, the snakes may soon end up on restaurant menus and dinner tables across the state. The FWC encourages residents to remove and humanely kill pythons when they can at any time during the year and to report any sightings to officials. When pythons are safe to eat, they can actually be quite delicious, says Donna Kalil, one of the FWC program’s python hunters.

Joshua Aubuchon, Mark Delegal, Delegal Aubuchon Consulting: Lab Diagnostics

Jim Boxold, Capital City Consulting: KK Storm

Mike Haridopolos: Versus Analytics

Jason Unger, GrayRobinson: Florida Logos, Interstate Logos

“Red tide patches move along Southwest Florida coast” via Karl Schneider of the Fort Myers News-Press — Dead fish were spotted at Bonita Beach, and high counts of red tide, caused by the organism Karenia brevis, were reported along Sanibel earlier this week. “It hasn’t looked good for most of the week,” said Rick Bartleson, a research scientist with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. “It started out pretty bad on Monday with about 20 million cells per liter, a significant jump from last week, so I started increasing sampling.” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deems anything greater than 1 million cells per liter to be high with respiratory irritation, and probable fish kills anticipated. FWC data confirms Bartleson’s observations showing a Dec. 14 sample at Redfish Pass near Pine Island Sound with high concentrations.

Red  tide is making its way up the Southwest Florida coast. Image via AP.

“Year of protest carries over to business world in confronting racial gaps” via Emily Bloch and David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union — The past few months have seen an increase in companies teaming up with local schools, businesses and organizations to form initiatives that help communities of color. The new programs’ flowering comes after Black Lives Matter marches and rallies in Jacksonville and across the nation protested racial disparities. While those demonstrations focused primarily on the criminal justice system after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, the message applies to race-based economic gaps as well. Some people can be leery about the new outreach. How do you know if a gesture is just lip service and won’t address larger, systemic issues Jacksonville grapples with when it comes to race and equity?

“Don’t isolate yourself this holiday season” via Arthur C. Brooks of The Atlantic — Amid the cheer of this time of year, there are always rumblings of holiday discontent: the crass materialism; the Christmas decorations in stores going up right after Halloween; the abomination known as “pumpkin spice.” And yet, few Americans are willing to own up to these views in polls. In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported that “roughly one-in-twenty Americans (4%) say there is nothing about Christmas or the holidays they look forward to, except perhaps the end of the season.” In 2015, more than 18% of people said they are very stressed during the holidays, and another nearly 44% say they are somewhat stressed.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Florida’s Department of Health is reporting 97 more fatalities and 8,400 new cases of coronavirus. That’s the fewest new cases in almost two weeks. However, Sunday’s case numbers tend to be lower than the rest of the week because of how the state collects data and enters it into the system on the weekend.

— Florida’s unemployment rate is holding steady at 6.4%. But things are worse in the buckle of the tourism belt.

— One thing that hurt this year: businesses didn’t hire nearly as many seasonal employees as they usually do for the holidays.

— There’s a new boss at the Division of Administrative Hearings — Pete Antonacci is the Mr. Fixit of state government sent to clean house at several agencies.

— That last job as Supervisor of Elections in Broward County is what helped Antonacci become the new chief administrative law judge for the state.

— And finally, a Florida Man faces up to three years in prison. He’s not in trouble for being a male escort … but for shorting the IRS.

To listen, click on the image below:

Holiday spirit: 2020 is seeing a run on Christmas trees. Image via Reuters.

“Holiday lights go big this year” via Ronda Kaysen of The New York Times — Pandemic-bound homeowners got to work earlier than usual this holiday season, spending much more time and money on outside decorations than in previous years. Normally, the day after Thanksgiving is the unofficial start of the holiday light display season, but this year, it bumped up to the day after Halloween. Sales of string lights were up 194% in October 2020 from October 2019, according to a 1010data holiday report. Lowes reported an increased and early demand for string-lights, fresh-cut trees, wreaths and greenery. And professional holiday decorators reported getting calls from new and returning customers as early as August.

“This preschool director drives an Uber so she can buy gifts for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have Christmas presents” via Sydney Page of The Washington Post — It’s 6 p.m., and rather than heading home after a long workweek, Renee Dixon — a preschool director in Indianapolis — starts her second job as an Uber driver. Dixon, 47, makes her way to the first pickup location of the night. “I drive until about 1 or 2 in the morning,” she said, adding that she drives 12 hours on Saturdays and 6 hours on Sundays, just as she has every weekend since November. “I can’t rest,” she said. “These kids need me.” The money Dixon earns as a driver does not go in her own pocket. Instead, she uses it to buy holiday gifts and winter gear for all 50 of her students at Lynhurst Baptist Church Preschool.

“Jimmy Patronis offers tips to help protect packages and deliveries during the holidays” via Florida Daily staff reports — With package thefts being reported across the state, these tips can help you ensure you receive your holiday items and don’t become the victim of a crime. Invest in a smart doorbell or security camera. Ask a neighbor for help watching for deliveries. Have your packages sent to your workplace. Pick up your packages from your local post office.

Jimmy Patronis warns against seasonal porch pirates.

“Santa’s dramatic Orlando visit helped lift blues in Depression” via Joy Wallace Dickinson of the Orlando Sentinel — In 1932 and for years after that, “fairgrounds” in Orlando meant the area west of what’s now the Bob Carr Theater. The city purchased the site in 1928. Four years later, like the rest of the country, Central Florida had the Depression doldrums. But Santa’s visit might “take our thoughts off depression in its real and in its imagined aspects,” the Sentinel declared. Live appearances were not an everyday thing. When he reached Orlando, Santa promised to produce, for free, 5,000 hot dogs and 5,000 “bottles of pop” for the thousands of children who were expected to meet him. But the dramatic form of his arrival by parachute was not revealed until the day of the event.

“Why don’t we roast chestnuts for the holidays anymore?” via Kate Morgan of USA Today — American chestnut trees grew from Maine to Alabama and as far west as Kentucky and Ohio. They were huge — more than 100 feet tall and more than 10 feet wide — and there were nearly four billion of them. At one point, nearly half the trees in the forests on the East Coast were American chestnuts. In 1904, a gardener noticed that a chestnut tree in the New York Zoological Park seemed to be suffering from a mysterious blight. The blight spread, and within 40 years, nearly every American chestnut was dead. The $20 million worth of nuts imported each year come mostly from China, Korea or Italy, and are a far cry from the sweet snack earlier Americans enjoyed.