Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Thursday February 17, 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
February 17 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where some pols worry that the truckers’ protest in Canada against government COVID-19 mandates could spread to the U.S. Doug Blair looks at what one reporter has witnessed in Ottawa. A court case in Finland foreshadows legal action here against believers, Fred Lucas reports. On the podcast, investigative journalist Peter Schweizer discusses his book about elites’ capitulation to China. Plus: LGBTQ legislation divides Arizona lawmakers; San Francisco throws out three school board members; and “Problematic Women” examines a new assault on pregnancy. Fifty years ago today, the Volkswagen Beetle breaks a world record for car production held for four decades by Ford Motor Co.’s Model T. |
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
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3.) DAYBREAK
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4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 2.17.22
Good Thursday morning.
Breaking overnight — “Betty Sembler, political matriarch, anti-drug advocate, and philanthropist, dies at 90” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Sembler, a prolific and powerful advocate for conservative and Republican policies and politicians, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 90. As half of a potent fundraising duo with her husband, developer Mel Sembler, she was befriended by presidents and dynasties, especially the late George H.W. Bush and his sons, George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. A message from Jan Sher, wife of The Sembler Company’s former executive chairman, Craig Sher, revealed Betty Sembler died Wednesday surrounded by family. “We all know she led a blessed life filled with amazing adventures, but her true passion was her family and all the people she treated ‘like family,’” Jan Sher wrote. “All of our lives were certainly enriches by knowing our dear ‘Aunt Betty.’”
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Florida voters want lawmakers to greenlight stricter condo inspection rules but would prefer they butt out of the net metering debate, according to a new poll.
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy found that 84% of Floridians support requiring utilities to credit customers at the going rate for the excess solar energy they pump back into the grid, a practice known as “net metering.” Utility companies are pushing a change that would allow them to pay a lower rate (SB 1024/HB 741).
The prospect is especially unpopular among voters, two-thirds of whom said utilities should instead make it easier for Floridians to install rooftop solar panels.
Enthusiasm varied based on party affiliation. Three-quarters of Republicans and 94% of Democrats said they support net metering, while 57% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats said installing panels should be made easier. However, when the word “incentive” was tossed in, GOP support dwindled to 43%.
“It’s clear that Floridians overwhelmingly support the freedom to choose rooftop solar for their homes and businesses,” said Justin Vandenbroeck, Florida Solar Energy Industries Association president.
Meanwhile, the state’s electorate expressed broad support for legislation (SB 1702/SB 7042/HB 7069) filed in response to the collapse of Champlain Towers South that would require more frequent and thorough condo building inspections.
About 2 million Floridians live in condo units at least 30 years old. Florida is home to 131,773 condo units that are 20-30 years old and more than 105,000 are more than 50 years old. However, most communities do not require periodic inspections to ensure aging buildings are structurally sound.
About six in seven voters told Mason-Dixon that should change, with only 11% of respondents saying they were against an inspection mandate.
“With 86% of Florida voters supporting periodic inspections of multifamily residential units, it’s clear that Floridians want lawmakers to take swift action this Legislative Session to help ensure we never experience another Surfside condo collapse,” said Allen Douglas, the executive director of the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida.
Mason-Dixon conducted the polls Feb. 7-10. They have a sample size of 625 registered Florida voters and a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
Tweet, tweet:
—@EWarren: It’s appalling, and it’s nothing new: Working people are paying the price for corporate greed.
—@AmyEWalter: The thing about politics is that most voters just want their gov’t to work for them. If the basics are going well, they’re more willing to accept change/transformation. When things aren’t going well, they aren’t. Timing matters. Competence matters.
Tweet, tweet:
—@JeremyRedfernFL: Florida’s Omicron wave peaked at 299 cases per 100k. New Mexico’s wave peaked at 362 cases per 100k. Only one of these two states has an indoor mask mandate and forces school children to wear a mask for 8 hours a day.
Tweet, tweet:
—@LMower3: I just asked Florida’s Senate President @WiltonSimpson why he didn’t agree to a meeting with Desmond Meade. “Who’s that?” he said.
Tweet, tweet:
Tweet, tweet:
Tweet, tweet:
—@AGlorios: Second day in a row in the Florida House press gallery. Second day in a row as the only woman in the room.
—@AriannaWMC5: #Wordle has been extremely annoying lately
— DAYS UNTIL —
‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 3; Daytona 500 — 3; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 5; Suits For Session — 6; St. Pete Grand Prix — 8; CPAC begins — 10; Joe Biden to give the State of the Union address — 12; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 15; Miami Film Festival begins — 15; the 2022 Players begins — 19; Sarasota County votes to renew the special 1-mill property tax for the school district — 19; House GOP retreat in Ponte Vedra Beach — 34; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 34; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 36; The Oscars — 38; ‘Macbeth’ with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 40; Florida Chamber’s 2nd Annual Southeastern Leadership Conference on Safety, Health + Sustainability begins — 41; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 45; ‘Better Call Saul’ final season begins — 60; Magic Johnson’s Apple TV+ docuseries ‘They Call Me Magic’ begins — 64; 2022 Florida Chamber Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 70; ‘The Godfather’ TV series ‘The Offer’ premieres — 70; federal student loan payments will resume — 73; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 78; ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ starts on Disney+ — 97; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 99; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 105; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 142; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 155; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 173; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 197; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 232; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 268; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 271; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 303; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 365; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 400; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 526; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 610; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 890.
—TOP STORY —
House blesses bill addressing ‘fatherhood crisis’ in Florida” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The House passed a sweeping bill to invest $70 million to promote “responsible” fatherhood, protect at-risk boys and support foster children throughout Florida. The bill (HB 7065) is a priority of House Speaker Chris Sprowls. Sprowls joined a bipartisan collection of lawmakers highlighting the measure. Collectively, they stressed the importance of fatherhood and warned of the possible negative outcomes of life without a father — an increased likelihood of poverty and incarceration, among other scenarios. “We cannot legislate fatherhood, responsibility, or character,” Sprowls said. “But we can direct some state resources to ensure that fathers, father figures, and mentors have the support they need to be inspired, equipped, and excited about being present and active in their children’s lives.”
Tweet, tweet:
— DATELINE TALLY —
“House passes GOP 15-week abortion ban” via Anthony Izaguirre of The Associated Press — Republicans in the House approved a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, moving to tighten access to the procedure ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could limit abortion rights in America. The GOP-controlled House passed the 15-week abortion ban after several hours of debate between Democrats who said the measure would impose an unnecessary burden on women and Republicans who said they were protecting the unborn. “This is the right to life and to give up life is unconscionable to me,” said Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy, who disclosed that she previously had an abortion but has “regretted it every day since.” Florida’s bill contains exceptions if the abortion is necessary to save a mother’s life, prevent serious injury to the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. The state currently allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
“The House just unveiled a giant package of tax cuts — and it’s actually pretty good” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents — To be sure, there are several breaks for influential special interests. But the sweeping, 68-page proposal also includes several broad and long-lasting sales-tax breaks that could directly impact everyday Floridians. For instance, it would eliminate sales tax for one year on children’s diapers and clothing for babies and toddlers; for six months on energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines and water heaters; and for three months on children’s books. The package would also permanently cut sales tax in half on selling new mobile homes (though not used mobile homes) and expand a tax-credit program that supports Habitat for Humanity. And the House plan consciously avoids the enormous corporate tax breaks currently advancing through the Senate. The plan also includes a “back-to-school” tax holiday July 25-Aug. 7; a “disaster-preparedness” tax holiday May 28-June 20; a “Freedom Week” tax holiday July 1-7; and a new, one-week “tools used by skilled trade workers” holiday Sept. 3-9.
“Democrats decry school, Medicaid, housing funding levels as House passes $105.3 billion budget” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — The Florida House passed a $105.3 billion budget Wednesday, setting the stage for negotiations with the Senate, which is poised to pass a $108 billion spending plan Thursday. The vote on HB 5001 was an overwhelming margin of 102-14. But many Democrats, even those who voted for it, critiqued several portions of the plan, including withholding $200 million from 12 school districts, cuts to Medicaid, and the lack of funds for a key affordable housing program. The House spending plan would withhold $200 million from 12 school districts that enacted mask mandates for students when school returned last fall.
“Lawmakers want salary hikes for state workers, but there’s a conundrum: $15 an hour or 5.38%?” via Issac Morgan and Danielle J. Brown of Florida Phoenix — As it stands now, the Florida House and Speaker Sprowls wants to see a pay increase of 5.38% for the state workforce as inflation rises in Florida and elsewhere, according to budget documents. Meanwhile, the Florida Senate is pushing a minimum-wage increase of $15 an hour for state workers and a broader pool of employees, an initiative led by Senate President Simpson. With about three weeks to go before the end of the Legislative Session, the chambers will have to negotiate a pay plan that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Bill that penalizes districts could cost Tallahassee schools their security chief” via Ana Goñi-Lessan and John Kennedy of the Tallahassee Democrat — Leon County Schools administrators have started tallying up which jobs might be at risk if Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature yank millions from the school district for defying the Governor’s ban on mask mandates. One would be the person in charge of keeping students safe. So far, the district has identified 16 administrative positions that meet the requirements, but local officials say they aren’t “bureaucrats,” as Rep. Randy Fine said to the Democrat last week or “union-controlled politicians,” as the Governor tweeted Tuesday. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year in August, at least nine Leon County K-12 students have been arrested for bringing weapons on campus.
Amendment to water bill filed to address ‘misinformation’ via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Senate Republican leadership is out with an amendment to a controversial water bill that is one of the latest in a growing number of rifts between the Florida Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis. The measure (SB 2508), a revival in the fight over Lake Okeechobee’s water, emerged earlier this month and but drew staunch criticism from Florida’s Republican Governor. Bill sponsor and Wauchula Republican Sen. Ben Albritton calls the bill an accountability measure for the agency that oversees the Lake Okeechobee watershed, but DeSantis argues the measure was rammed through the legislative process. The bill requires the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to make recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that controls releases from Lake Okeechobee, that don’t reduce the amount of water available to “existing legal users.” To address some of the concerns of the bill’s critics, which include a school of fisherman, Albritton has filed an amendment to clarify provisions that the bill’s provisions don’t affect a 2017 law on water resources. The amendment isn’t a “deal” with the Governor’s Office, but senators hope the measure will address DeSantis’ concerns. Both Albritton and Senate President Wilton Simpson, who has named the bill a priority, say misinformation has surrounded the bill. “Over the last two weeks, there has unfortunately been purposeful misinformation on the intent and effect on Senate Bill 2508,” Albritton said in a statement Wednesday. “The legislative process is called a process for a reason. Part of that process is to listen to concerns, answer questions transparently, and make changes when necessary. Therefore, I am sponsoring an amendment that eliminates cross references, plainly states current law, and makes it crystal clear that we are not changing one word of SB 10.”
“Bill to swap out standardized assessments for progress monitoring aces House test” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Legislation to replace standardized testing with a “progress monitoring program” is on to its final committee after receiving the unanimous support of a House education panel. The bill (HB 1193), carried in the House by Rep. Rene Plasencia, would replace the much-maligned Florida Standards Assessment, or FSA, with coordinated screening and progress monitoring. DeSantis and teachers support the proposal. Students would take more strategic tests three times during the school year, with the first two intended to give students, teachers and parents guidance on how to work on the students’ weaknesses. The final “summative” test, late in the school year, would still provide results in time for students to be able to use summer school to meet standards.
“A bill would make it easier to sue nursing homes. Elder advocates oppose it.” via Kirby Wilson and Hannah Critchfield of the Tampa Bay Times — The nursing home industry wrote the bill, but that’s not the end of the story. That was the assurance given by Sen. Ben Albritton, the lawmaker backing Senate Bill 804, which would substantially change the way the state regulates nursing home staffing levels. Albritton pledged to bring all parties with a vested interest to the table to compromise on the industry-backed legislation. Rep. Lauren Melo, who sponsored similar legislation, House Bill 1239, would do the same.
“Senate committee moves property bills, but Chris Sprowls is making no commitments” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — A Senate committee Wednesday pushed ahead two bills, including a bill by Sen. Jim Boyd (SB 1728) that includes a provision that could result in some homeowners receiving coverage that does not cover the full cost to install a new roof. But it’s this provision that is drawing some questioning from other legislators — Speaker Sprowls — who worry about whether people would be able to replace their roofs. “I want to make sure people are compensated,” Sprowls said. “If you get a hurricane, and you’ve got a senior citizen on a fixed income, I am cognizant of the fact that they may not be able to go and get a huge roof.”
“House unanimously OK’s expansion of Inmate Welfare Trust Fund” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Florida’s Inmate Welfare Trust Fund could soon expand in size and scope under a bill passed Wednesday in the House. The Department of Corrections (DOC) uses the fund to finance inmate educational, vocational and substance abuse programs. It’s also used for inmate libraries, visitor services and religious ceremonies. The bill (HB 5401), which now awaits Senate consideration, would double the fund limit to $7.5 million and expand its uses. Lawmakers passed the bill in a unanimous 117-0 vote with only one question and no debate. Rep. Scott Plakon is the bill sponsor.
House leadership removes hurdled for EV charging bill — House leadership removed a committee reference for a bill (HB 737) that would limit utilities’ role in developing the state’s electric vehicle charging network. Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida reported that the bill now has only one committee stop remaining after it cleared its first committee earlier this week. Gas station owners and utilities have sparred over the measure, which will define the limits of each Party’s role in setting the location of new charging stations and the costs for customers. The Senate companion (SB 920) passed its first committee on Jan. 18 but has not been heard since.
“Bill allowing businesses to sue and stop local ordinances heads to final House committee” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A bill enabling businesses to sue governments and halt enforcement of local ordinances is heading to its final committee after again advancing on a party-line vote Wednesday. The measure (HB 403) would freeze any ordinance for 90 days if a filed lawsuit claims its rules are “arbitrary or unreasonable.” The bill would also require governments to draw up a “business impact estimate” for every ordinance. Upon being sued, governments that choose not to roll back the ordinance in question and lose the lawsuit would have to cover up to $50,000 of a plaintiff’s legal fees, costs and related damages.
“Bill increasing school instruction on victims of Communism advances” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — A bill that proposes public school students observe “Victims of Communism Day” and learn about the suffering under communist rule is heading to a final committee hearing in the Senate after getting a committee nod Wednesday. Sen. Manny Diaz is sponsoring the legislation (SB 268) to have students start observing the day on Nov. 7, 2023. Similar legislation (HB 395) is also headed to its third hearing in the House. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, high school students in American government class would receive at least 45 minutes of instruction on the movement that has killed more than 100 million people.
— TALLY 2 —
“‘Preserving the sanctity of the dead’: Abandoned Black cemeteries bill clears House panel” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — Rep. Fentrice Driskell‘s abandoned African American cemeteries bill cleared another House panel Wednesday. The House Infrastructure and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously reported the bill favorably, while commending the Tampa Democrat’s efforts to push its passage. “It’s been a labor of love over the last two years and good to get this thing moving,” said Committee Chair Jayer Williamson. “I just want to say congratulations. You’ve done a great job working this issue over the last couple of years.”
“Senate committee approves steep penalties for human traffickers, pimps” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Legislation meant to strengthen state laws against human trafficking is headed to its last committee after receiving some constructive criticism. The bill (SB 760), which would make three significant changes to Florida’s laws concerning prostitution, cleared the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee with unanimous approval Thursday. But it still needs fine-tuning, according to its sponsor, Sen. Lori Berman, who agreed to work with Palm Beach County Public Defender Carey Haughwout on implementing fixes. “We do need to make sure to target the bill appropriately,” Berman said.
“Groping someone could result in stronger criminal charge under proposed Florida law” via Ana Ceballos and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — The Florida Senate has approved proposed legislation to create the new crime of “indecent battery,” intended to target those who grope people, 16 years and older, in a sexual manner. The bill would recognize unwanted sexual touches as a separate offense, rather than a simple battery. First-time offenders would face a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison. If they are convicted a second time for the same crime, they would face a third-degree felony. The House is moving a similar bill with the same penalties. But some lawmakers, including bill sponsor state Rep. Linda Chaney, are leaning toward making the crime a felony from the start.
“In ‘free state of Florida,’ lawmakers target ‘pop-up’ parties” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — As DeSantis on Tuesday touted how his lax COVID-19 policies helped prompt vacationers to flock to the relative freedom of Florida, state lawmakers were advancing a bill aimed at eliminating so-called “pop-up parties.” The gatherings are organized online and call for meeting in public places at an appointed time — think of a flash mob, but longer and rowdier. They sometimes feature chaotic scenes and violence, which is why 21 local law enforcement agencies are urging lawmakers to pass SB 1954, according to Sen. Tom Wright, sponsor of the bill.
“Event ticket resale bill clears first House committee” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — A bill intended to make it easier for individuals to resell tickets for live theater, music, or sporting events cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in the House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee. The committee approved Rep. Randy Fine’s measure (HB 969) to give ticket buyers more flexibility in how to transfer tickets. The effort drew some opposition and a couple of “no” votes. The long history of event ticket resales has sometimes been sordid, with street corner scalpers, and in more recent times with bots, buying up and reselling tickets en masse. That has led to complex legal, technological, and policy responses, sometimes involving big-name artists opposing any ticket resales.
“Senate panel advances bills to shape the future of license plates” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved two bills that could bring significant changes to vehicle license plates. One proposal, from Sen. Doug Broxson, could make digital license plates available. A decade ago, Florida allowed the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to start a pilot program to test alternative license plates on government vehicles. With legislation being considered this Session (SB 1178/HB 91), lawmakers hope to make FLHSMV-approved digital license plates available beginning July 1, 2023. The pilot program would roll out first on state vehicles, Broxson explained, before the proposed launch of public sales.
“Financial literacy course proposal earns top marks in penultimate committee” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Legislation requiring high schoolers to take a financial literacy class has graduated to its final committee. The proposal (HB 1115), dubbed the “Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act,” would require high school students to take a half-credit financial literacy class before graduating. The measure is named after the late Hukill, a former Senator. The course would teach students about banking practices, money management, credit scores, managing debt, loan applications, insurance policies and local tax assessments.
“Bill to further limit use of physical restraints for students with disabilities heads to final committee” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — A bill that seeks to further restrict the use of physical restraints on students with disabilities is headed to its final committee stop after the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education unanimously approved the bill Wednesday afternoon. The legislation (SB 390), sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book, would bar school personnel from using mechanical restraints on students with disabilities. The measure does make an exception for school resource officers, school safety officers, school guardians or school security guards, who “may use mechanical restraint in the exercise of their duties to restrain students.” “At the end of the day, it’s about keeping students safe and giving families peace of mind,” Book said.
“Update to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act heads to third Senate committee” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — New rules to update legislation passed in the wake of Florida’s worst school shooting received unanimous approval from a Senate subcommittee Wednesday. Two days after the four-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17, Sen. Joe Gruters’ bill (SB 802) would also extend the Commission’s term charged with overseeing the implementation of school safety rules. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission would not sunset as planned in 2023, but extend to July 2025, legislators in the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education agreed. “Extending the Commission another couple of years will allow us to continue to work on those issues that are still outstanding,” Gruters said.
“Veteran suicide prevention bill coasts through Senate committee” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — A bill designed to tackle the issue of veteran suicide in Florida sailed through another committee stop Wednesday. The bill (SB 1712) would require the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) to provide suicide prevention training to veteran service organizations as part of a pilot program. The training, the bill says, would emphasize crisis counseling tailored to the unique needs of veterans. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services blessed the bill unanimously without questions or debate. Sen. Danny Burgess is the bill sponsor.
— MORE TALLY —
Jimmy Patronis lauds advance of financial literacy bill — CFO Patronis applauded the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee for approving a bill (HB 1115) by Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera requiring Florida high school students to take a financial literacy class to earn a diploma. “Financial literacy is an important key to a strong financial future and learning the basics of credit, budgeting, savings, and investing, can further prepare students for a successful future,” Patronis said. “These lessons are also critical to training future generations of Americans to appreciate America’s capitalist system and grow our nation’s pool of entrepreneurs.” The bill now heads to the House Education & Employment Committee. The Senate companion (SB 1054) is ready for a floor vote.
“‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill could run afoul of Title IX” via Naaz Modan of K12 Dive — Under the legislation, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents, parents would have a green light to sue school districts violating the bill for injunctive relief, which would require districts to fall in line with the legislation. The legislation specifically prohibits educators from encouraging “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” Florida’s bill and others could violate Title IX, in addition to other civil rights protections like the First and 14th Amendments. “A student who is heterosexual can learn about the history of people like them, but homosexual students cannot,” said Jackie Wernz, a partner at Thompson & Horton, a law firm that represents public schools.
Insurers endorse Senate property insurance package — The American Property Casualty Insurance Association on Wednesday gave its support to a proposal (SB 1728) to stabilize the state’s property insurance. The bill, among other things, would allow insurers to write policies that cover the actual value of roofs rather than their replacement costs. APCIA Vice President of State Government Relations Logan McFaddin said the bill “builds upon the positive reforms legislators passed last year to help address some of the key cost drivers in Florida’s property insurance market, such as unscrupulous roofing solicitations.” She added, “While SB 1728 moves the needle further in the right direction, Florida’s property insurance market will continue to struggle until the Legislature addresses the rampant lawsuit abuse taking place in the market.”
“Northwest Florida solar companies say new bill will pull the plug on their growing industry” via Jim Little of the Pensacola News Journal — Northwest Florida solar companies are worried they’ll soon be turning off the lights on their businesses if a new net metering bill before the Florida Legislature becomes law. Justin Wolf, CEO of Meraki Solar, moved to Pensacola to start his business more than four years ago and now has more than 360 direct employees across Florida and another 300 contracted salespeople all in the business of putting solar panels on the roofs of people’s homes. As the cost of solar panels has come down in recent years, Florida’s regulations surrounding net metering have made it financially feasible for many people to begin installing them on their homes.
“Bill offering possible new ride for Standardbreds clears House panel” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Harness racing, heading toward what may be its final turn in Florida, would be offered another ride in a bill approved Wednesday by a House committee. Rep. Dan Daley, whose father raises Standardbred racehorses, has been trying to find a way to prevent the last run since the Legislature first started contemplating decoupling pari-mutuel racing from the casino action. His latest proposal (HB 1289), offered as a chance to save the Standardbred horse business, made it through the House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee Wednesday. That bill would allow pari-mutuel operations that do not now offer harness racing to host harness racing as well.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Brian Ballard, Courtney Coppola, Adrian Lukis, Ballard Partners: FSCC
Mark Casteel: Community Associations Institute
Justin Hill, StateLinx: NetChoice
Malinda Horton, Horton & Associates: Florida Association of Museums
Lauren Jackson, TSE Consulting: Florida Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association
Samantha Kersul: TikTok
Kelly Mallette, Ronald L. Book PA: Solemia
Kendall Moore, Moore Law Group: Waste Management of Florida
Ken Pruitt, The P5 Group: St. Lucie County
Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Jacqui Carmona, Erica Chanti, Zachary Hubbard, Christopher Finkbeiner, Matthew Sacco, Rubin Turnbull & Associates: Better Tomorrow Treatment Center, Method Testing Labs, PrizePicks, SEIU State Council
Joe Saunders: Equality Florida
Andrew Secola: Students for Life Action
Alan Suskey, RJ Myers, Shumaker Advisors Florida: Gracepoint Wellness, SD USA, Tampa Bay Watch
— The House Health and Human Services Committee meets to consider HB 105 to allow local governments to ban smoking on beaches and in public parks, 8 a.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— The House Commerce Committee meets to consider HB 907 to allow Putnam County to request a grant to conduct a port feasibility study and add the county to the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council, 8 a.m. Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— House Pandemics and Public Emergencies Committee meets, 8 a.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— The Labor Market Estimating Conference meets to discuss the gap between labor supply and demand, 8:30 a.m., Room 117 of the Knott Building.
— The Senate will convene a floor Session to consider the proposed budget (SB 2500) for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 10 a.m., Senate chamber.
— The Senate Special Order Calendar Group, 15 minutes after floor Session, Room 401 of the Senate Office Building.
— The Florida Supreme Court releases opinions, 11 a.m.
— House Appropriations Committee meets, 11:30 a.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— House Ways and Means Committee meets, 11:30 a.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— House Education and Employment Committee meets to consider HB 703 that would shield applications for state college and university presidents from public record, 3 p.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— House Judiciary Committee meets to consider HB 1557 that would restrict discussions of LGBTQ and gender issues in schools, 3 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— House State Affairs Committee meets to take up a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 1/HB 1563) that would provide an additional homestead exemption for teachers, nurses, child welfare workers, police, firefighters, and other first responders, 3 p.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— House Rules Committee meets, 6:30 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
Happening today:
Assignment editors — Rep. Al Lawson headlines “Voting Rights Rally to #DefendDemocracy,” hosted by the Equal Ground Action Fund, a preeminent Black-led, nonpartisan, nonprofit group to support Black political power in Florida. Other speakers include Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried; Sens. Shevrin Jones and Annette Taddeo; Reps. Tracie Davis, Ben Diamond and Yvonne Hinson, 11:30 a.m., Capitol steps.
— GOV. CLUB MENU —
Manhattan clam chowder; Cobb salad and dressings; marinated mushroom salad; Mediterranean couscous salad; chicken cordon bleu wraps; Bombay burritos; crispy fried catfish, lemons, cocktail, and tartar sauce; uptown cheddar cheese grits; braised collard greens with ham; cupcakes.
—STATEWIDE —
“Florida officials kept file on ‘horrifying’ child abuse secret. A judge just rebuked them” via Carol Marbin Miller of the Miami Herald — On Nov. 12, 2020, state child welfare administrators filed a motion in court seeking custody of seven of Christopher Bryant and Jabora Deris’ surviving children. The couple’s 22-month-old son, Rashid Bryant, had died a week earlier, and an autopsy revealed “old and recent” skull fractures. Rashid, the court petition said, died after “sustaining multiple injuries due to severe physical abuse and medical neglect while in the care and custody of [his] parents.” The case is emblematic of a pattern in which Florida increasingly makes news organizations and the public go to court to secure access to documents that fall under the state’s public records law, one of the strongest in the nation.
“Lawmakers call for crackdown on ‘deceptive’ mailers following Florida ‘ghost’ candidate scandal” via Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel — Two members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Postmaster General to crack down on “deceptive mail practices” that allowed operatives to deliberately conceal their identities and send more than 500,000 mailers promoting “ghost” candidates in three Florida Senate districts in 2020. U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Gerald Connolly are asking U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to consider increasing identification requirements for people purchasing political mail and establishing a public database that would list people who design and market mail pieces as well as the beneficiaries of the ads.
“Why is Florida fertile ground for Oath Keepers and hate groups? We encourage extremism” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Florida’s role in the attack of Jan. 6, 2021, should put us all on notice about what’s brewing in this state. So far, 79 out of 734 federal Jan. 6 cases involve Florida residents. There are additional warning signs for the state. National figures associated with far-right groups are here, with strong political connections. Three the Herald named: Roger Stone; Miami’s own Enríque Tarrio, head of the Proud Boys and former Florida state director of Latinos for Trump; and Michael Flynn, the former Donald Trump national security adviser. Why here? Part of this concentration of extremism is, no doubt. But surely another steaming vat of blame must be placed squarely on the doorstep of Floridians for the government we have elected.
“Fernandina, Green Cove among USA’s top spots giving to help Canadian truck protest” via Steve Patterson of The Florida Times-Union — They’re a long haul from the Great White North, but parts of Northeast Florida have reportedly become hubs of financial support for truckers protesting the Canadian government’s COVID-19 restrictions. ZIP codes around Fernandina Beach and Green Cove Springs were among the Top 10 areas donating to trucker fundraisers organized through GiveSendGo.com. The numbers aren’t huge; just 29 donors reported in each area by the time the data was released early this week. But they echo the resistance to pandemic restrictions expressed by portions of Florida’s population and its leadership.
“Bob Saget lawsuit: Judge temporarily blocks release of death probe records” via Lisa Maria Garza of the Orlando Sentinel — The temporary injunction from Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu prohibits the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and District Nine Medical Examiner’s Office from releasing any photos, videos or audio recordings related to the investigation into Saget’s death. In his order, Chiu said he found Saget’s wife Kelly Rizzo and his daughters would “suffer irreparable harm in the form of severe mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if the requested temporary injunction is not granted.” Saget, 65, was found dead on Jan. 9 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Orlando. According to Saget’s autopsy report, he died of head trauma that “most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall.” A toxicology analysis released along with the report did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“Florida COVID-19 update: Case average drops to two-month low as omicron wave fades” via David Schutz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida reported 6,458 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday as the seven-day average dropped to its lowest level in two months, according to CDC data. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also declined, falling to 5,188 on Tuesday, down 27% in a week. On Tuesday, there were 845 COVID-19-infected patients in intensive care units, a one-week drop of 24%. Vaccinations in Florida have gone nearly stagnant over the past two weeks, with just 22,987 shots given per day on average, a 63.8% decrease from a month ago. About 65.6% of Floridians are fully vaccinated, and 37.9% have booster shots. There have been 5,763,580 known cases of COVID-19 in Florida, and at least 67,914 residents have died.
“Health Care District of Palm Beach County to offer some patients anti-COVID-19 pills” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — The Health Care District of Palm Beach County started prescribing Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck’s molnupiravir to patients at its primary care clinics scattered across the county. One Publix pharmacy in the county also has the pills at 2895 North Military Trail. Patients must bring prescriptions. Prescriptions are for patients at the highest risk of suffering severe COVID-19 illness, including those with weakened immune systems, such as transplant patients, cancer patients, and older adults who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are within the first five days of experiencing symptoms. Pfizer’s is authorized for patients as young as 12 years old. Merck’s is allowed for adults ages 18 and older. The FDA has approved other drugs.
“CDC lowers cruise travel warning from ‘very high’ to ‘high’” via Hannah Sampson of The Washington Post — The CDC says taking a cruise now presents a lower risk than it did at the end of 2021, at least in some cases. On Tuesday, the public health agency lowered its travel health notice for cruises from Level 4 to Level 3, which indicates COVID-19 levels on ships are “high” rather than “very high.” The agency had warned all travelers to avoid cruise travel regardless of vaccination status since Dec. 30, after the omicron surge sent cases on ships soaring. Under the new guidance, the CDC says travelers should make sure they are “up to date” with their coronavirus vaccines, which means the initial vaccination and a booster, when eligible, before taking a cruise.
“Port Canaveral officials take new CDC program to task as cruise travel warning level reduced” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — The new voluntary CDC program that was announced last week asks for cruise lines to opt in to the safety protocols that replace the conditional sail order that all cruise ships sailing from the U.S. were subject to until it expired on Jan. 15. art of it is recategorizing ships as either “not highly vaccinated” or “highly vaccinated,” but also a new level called “vaccination standard of excellence.” The latter is given only to ships that can guarantee that at least 95% on board have had all their required vaccines and every available booster. This is a whole new level of bureaucracy that’s being added on tracking of the vaccination status of crew members and passengers,” Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said.
“Publix drops mask requirement for most vaccinated employees” via Austin Fuller of the Orlando Sentinel — Publix is adding some breathing room to its mask requirement for employees. Fully vaccinated staffers of the Lakeland-based grocery store chain can decide not to wear a mask “as a result of the decrease in COVID-19 cases and wide availability of the vaccine,” Publix’s website states. the policy started Monday unless a worker’s responsibilities or a government requires a mask. Pharmacy employees still have to cover their faces when giving vaccines. Customers are not required to mask up.
“Tampa banker says requested exemption to COVID-19 vax got him fired, but employer pushes back” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — A Tampa banker is suing his former employer, claiming he was fired mere hours after submitting a religious exemption to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. But the bank said even without the exemption, he would’ve been fired anyway. Diego Rubio was fired as a loan executive with GTE Financial, a Tampa-based credit union, on Sept. 15 after working with the company for seven years. In the suit, Rubio was first vexed by the vaccine policy in July when the company announced a raffle for a free vacation to vaccinated employees. He said the company only allowed employees with medical or religious exemptions to participate after he complained. In response, GTE denied that allegation.
— 2022 —
“GOP culture war attacks ‘alarmingly potent,’ DCCC warns” via Sarah Ferris and Ally Mutnick of POLITICO — Democrats’ research shows that some battleground voters think the Party is “preachy,” “judgmental” and “focused on culture wars.” And the Party’s House campaign arm had a stark warning for Democrats: Unless they more forcefully confront the GOP’s “alarmingly potent” culture war attacks, from critical race theory to defunding the police, they risk losing significant ground to Republicans in the midterms. In presentations over the past two weeks, party officials and operatives used polling and focus group findings on arguing Democrats can’t simply ignore the attacks, mainly when they’re playing at a disadvantage. Generic ballots of swing districts from late January showed Democrats trailing Republicans by 4 points, according to the polling.
“Can Democrats convince struggling parents that the party hasn’t abandoned them?” via Grace Segers of The New Republic — Everyone can agree that parents have had a particularly difficult few years. Many parents of school-age children, particularly mothers, had to leave their jobs to take care of children unable to attend school. Children have struggled with virtual learning, as well as the mental health and educational effects of not being able to sit in a classroom. The chaos and inconsistency have naturally manifested themselves in our politics. Children and schools have increasingly become the focal point of several political maelstroms. Perhaps most concerning for Democrats and Biden, 58% of parents surveyed awarded him a “C,” “D,” or “F” grade in how he has handled the education response to the pandemic.
“Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio heavy re-election favorites in prediction market” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A prediction market suggests DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Rubio are sailing to re-election later this year, highlighting the incumbents’ heavy favorite status Wednesday. PredictIt, which allows users to buy “yes” or “no” shares on a given candidate’s electoral chances, suggests neither the Senator nor the Governor faces a serious challenge in November. The 2022 gubernatorial market, which DeSantis has dominated since it opened, is increasingly becoming a tale of just two candidates for investors. “yes” share for DeSantis is priced at 88 cents, which translates to an 88% chance DeSantis wins in November. That’s far ahead of Democrat Charlie Crist, at 11 cents. Meanwhile, Fried is free-falling, with a “yes” share valued at just 6 cents.
“North Florida casino campaign still wants Supreme Court review of ballot language” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Even though its petition drive failed to garner enough valid voter signatures to qualify a North Florida casino issue for the ballot, Florida Voters in Charge (FVIC) still wants the Supreme Court of Florida to review its ballot language. The organization that pushed to get a North Florida casino issue onto the 2022 statewide General Election ballot, but failed to meet the state’s petition requirements, asked the Supreme Court to render an advisory opinion on the ballot language review anyway. That would be just in case FVIC wins a lawsuit challenging the validity of its petition counts that came up short on Feb. 1. VIC asked the Supreme Court to put together a brief-filing schedule that would lead the court to issue an advisory opinion by April 1.
“Pinellas Co. elected officials endorse Eric Lynn for CD 13 seat” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Several local leaders have come out in support of congressional candidate Lynn, who is hoping to take the Democratic nomination in Florida’s 13th Congressional District contest. The elected officials who’ve endorsed Lynn include Belleair Beach Council member Dr. Robyn Ache, North Redington Beach Commissioner Gary Curtis, and former Indian Rocks Beach Commissioner Jim Labadie. The new endorsements come after a Global Strategy Group poll showed Lynn leads his Democratic opponents in name recognition and favorability.
Joe Gruters backs Dean Black for HD 15 — Sen. Gruters endorsed Jacksonville Republican Black in the open race for House District 15. As a State Senator and former Co-Chair for President Trump’s campaign in Florida, I know how important it is that we elect true conservative leaders to work for us in Tallahassee,” Gruters said. That is why I support Dean Black for Florida House District 15. Dean is a proud constitutionalist, will fight to limit government overreach, and was a delegate for President Trump in 2020.” Earlier this month, Black officially entered the race for HD 15, which covers western Duval and all of Nassau counties. Republicans Bo Hodges of Hilliard and Emily Nunez of Yulee filed for the current HD 11 but could redesignate it to HD 15.
“Hillary Cassel raises $27K for House race — and loses her most serious primary opponent” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Cassel was ahead in the money race to represent House District 99 and replace term-limited Rep. Evan Jenne. But now, the House map that’s all but certain puts her in House District 101 with no competitors. And her closest competitor in the money race to represent HD 99, Jeremy Katzman, has opted to drop out of the race and run for Cooper City’s City Commission rather than face the incumbent, Rep. Michael Gottlieb, who is in the new House District 102. I live in a district where I would be running against someone I deeply respect and who, in my opinion, is doing a very good job as a legislator,” Katzman said. So, I made the decision, which was very tough for me, to withdraw my candidacy for the state House.”
— CORONA NATION —
“U.S. ‘excess deaths’ during pandemic surpassed 1 million, with COVID-19 killing most but other diseases adding to the toll, CDC says” via Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post — The United States has recorded more than 1 million “excess deaths” since the start of the pandemic, government mortality statistics show, a toll that exceeds the officially documented lethality of the coronavirus and captures the broad consequences of the health crisis that has entered its third year. The excess-deaths figure surpassed the milestone last week, reaching 1,023,916.
“CDC chief wants to ‘give people a break’ from mask-wearing once transmission rates improve” via John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci of USA Today — COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths are all declining, and federal health officials could ease guidance on masks soon, the director of the CDC said Wednesday. Rochelle Walensky, speaking at a White House briefing on COVID-19, said her agency was assessing data and “will soon put guidance in place” that encourages prevention measures while protecting public health and hospitals. The CDC recommends indoor masking in areas with substantial or high transmission. That includes 97% of U.S. counties, Walensky said. We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better,” Walensky said. And then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen.”
“The mask mandates were inside of us all along” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post — As I was writing about the sudden push by Democratic Governors to rescind mask mandates last week, I noticed something interesting. Pulling the state-level case totals, it became obvious that there wasn’t any significant difference between the places that had instituted or maintained mask mandates and those that hadn’t. There is not any discernible pattern. It is possible, for example, that mask mandates were put in place in states that were already seeing big surges, and the mandates tamped down on how bad they would be. States with mandates were also more heavily vaccinated; perhaps confidence in the vaccine’s efficacy to prevent infection led to fewer precautions.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“Joe Biden HHS estimates $30B needed in new COVID-19 aid” via Alice Miranda Ollstein and Adam Cancryn of POLITICO — The Biden health department needs at least $30 billion to keep its wide-ranging COVID-19 response work going, Health and Human Services Secretary x told congressional appropriators in charge of crafting a supplemental pandemic funding package on Tuesday. Sen. Roy Blunt, the top Republican overseeing health funding in the upper chamber, said Becerra talked to him and other lawmakers and staff that morning about the administration’s hope that the funding could be part of the expected supplemental bill that rides alongside the 2022 omnibus lawmakers are currently crafting.
“No longer the ‘mask police’: End of mandates brings relief for (some) business owners” via Chris Woodyard of USA Today — Now it’s going to be up to customers to make decisions on masks as business owners in California and the other states deal yet another twist in the pandemic saga. There are so many mixed messages going on out there,” said Rachel Michelin, President of the Sacramento-based California Retailers Association. But she expressed relief that the mandate is being diminished, saying it’s time that we all learn to live with coronavirus and make our own decisions on precautions to stay safe. Mask freedom still won’t apply to certain settings, whether riding mass transit or visiting a prison or nursing home.
“They rushed to buy in the pandemic. Here’s what they would change.” via Ronda Kaysen of The New York Times — For nearly two years, homebuyers have been shopping in conditions ripe for regret. Prices have soared, inventory has plunged, and competition has been brutal in markets across the country. With fixer-uppers fetching multiple offers, buyers must make snap decisions about what is often the most significant financial investment of their lives. Invariably, someone makes a choice they wish they hadn’t. Surveys found about three-quarters of recent buyers expressed some regret. About a third of respondents regret buying a house that needed more work than anticipated, 31% wish the home they purchased were bigger, and 21% thought they overpaid.
“U.S. retail sales jump as inflation surges” via Harriet Torry of The Wall Street Journal — U.S. shoppers boosted spending at the start of the year as the Omicron wave of COVID-19 started to recede and inflation reached a four-decade high. Retail sales, a measure of spending at stores, online and in restaurants, rose by a seasonally adjusted 3.8% in January from the prior month, the Commerce Department said. That marked the strongest monthly gain in retail spending since last March, when the pandemic-related stimulus was distributed to households. If you look at consumers’ financial position and the strength of the labor market, you have to say that in general, it’s pretty good,” Joshua Shapiro, an economist.
— MORE CORONA —
“COVID-19 could launch an epidemic of chronic fatigue syndrome, doctors warn” via Gene Myers of NorthJersey.com — Even as the latest COVID-19 surge recedes, doctors and patient advocates warn that the virus could leave a new epidemic in its wake: millions more cases of the rare, mysterious condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers increasingly see parallels between chronic fatigue syndrome, which affects 1.5 million Americans, and long COVID-19, the barrage of symptoms including exhaustion, persistent pain, and cognitive impairment that can linger for months in some patients. The connection between the two disorders is still being studied, but research suggests the pandemic could more than triple the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME.
“Vaccination during pregnancy may provide infants protection against coronavirus, CDC study finds” via Brittany Shammas and Amy Cheng of The Washington Post — Coronavirus vaccinations given during pregnancy might protect babies after they are born. The study found that infants whose mothers were fully vaccinated with mRNA shots while pregnant were 61% less likely to be hospitalized for the virus in their first six months of life. That protection appeared stronger if the vaccination occurred after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. It’s the first real-world evidence demonstrating that maternal vaccination generates coronavirus antibodies that could be passed on and become protective to the baby. This conclusion was previously theorized by scientists after antibodies were found in umbilical cords, which act as a conduit for nutrients and waste between the mother and the baby.
“Delta passenger tried to open emergency door as attention-grab to share vaccine views, feds say” via Timothy Bella of The Washington Post — Michael Brandon Demarre, 32, was on a Friday flight from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, when he removed a plastic covering over the handle on the aircraft’s emergency exit and forcefully pulled on the handle, Justice Department officials wrote in a news release. After a flight attendant intervened and demanded he let go of the handle, Demarre complied and was physically restrained by the flight crew, officials say. When asked why he attempted to open the emergency door in-flight, the Portland resident told police he hoped passengers onboard would start filming him, so he had “the opportunity to share his thoughts on COVID-19 vaccines,” according to an affidavit from FBI agent Adam T. Hoover.
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Lawyers say the Biden administration is still rejecting some refugees once banned by Donald Trump” via Maria Sacchetti of The Washington Post — 300 refugees were in the advanced stages of processing when Trump issued a new refugee policy in October 2017 that barred people from Somalia and 10 other nations he considered “high risk” from traveling to the United States. Lawyers say that case processing is slow and shrouded in mystery two years after the court settlement. Lawyers said they seemed most likely to have been admitted under Biden. But 53 of more than 100 refugees in that group have been rejected under Biden. Advocates say they don’t know why.
“Biden is in a bind on crime and police reform” via William A. Galston of The Wall Street Journal — After the civil disorder of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Democrats were tagged as anti-police and soft on crime, charges it took them decades to overcome. Now the Party’s response to George Floyd’s murder has brought those charges back to center stage. Calls to reduce funding for police may have cost Democrats as many as 12 House seats in 2020, and a recent poll showed that only 36% of Americans approve of the way President Biden is handling crime. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden rejected demands to defund the police and kept the proposal out of the Democratic Party’s platform. The administration went to work on an executive order addressing police reform. This hasn’t been easy because civil-rights groups don’t see eye to eye with police representatives on key points.
“What the pundits get wrong about Biden’s presidency” via James Traub of POLITICO — In recent weeks, new conventional wisdom has coalesced: Biden is fumbling away his presidency by ignoring the first lesson of politics, give your voters what they want. Hard-headed analysts are tearing out their hair at Biden’s unwillingness to abandon electoral reform, ambitious social welfare legislation and climate change action when polls show that voters want relief on inflation and the pandemic. In “Profiles in Courage,” John F. Kennedy defined “political courage” as defying the will of constituents in the name of the national good. The giant investment of Build Back Better was the centerpiece of Biden’s effort to change the life prospects of ordinary Americans, and thus to weaken the virus of polarization and the threat of Trumpism. he voting bills were meant to counter the worst effects of that polarization. or all their defects, they were the right medicine for what ails us.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“‘I am so inspired.’ Hopes of U.S. Supreme Court pick stir Miami’s Black legal community” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — Leah Simms knows something of what may lie ahead for Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Miami-raised federal judge considered a leading contender to become the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Forty-one years ago, Simms became the first-ever Black female judge in Miami-Dade County and Florida. Instantly, civic organizations flooded her with requests to give speeches, take photos and receive awards. Everyone seemingly wanted to chime in on her wardrobe. People will be stopping her on the street,” Simms said. I had people coming up to me and pray for me right on the street.”
“Eight Republican Senators say they oppose ‘no-fly’ list for disruptive passengers because it would equate mask opponents to ‘terrorists’” via Felicia Sonmez and Lori Aratani of The Washington Post — A group of Republican Senators is pushing back against efforts to create a federal “no-fly” list for unruly passengers, arguing that doing so would essentially draw an equivalence between terrorists and opponents of mask mandates. The eight Republican Senators voiced their concerns in a letter Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland. They noted that most reports of unruly passengers were related to the mandated use of face masks amid the pandemic. The Senators argued that the Transportation Security Administration “was created in the wake of 9/11 to protect Americans from future horrific attacks, not to regulate human behavior onboard flights.”
— CRISIS —
“Biden clears way for investigators to obtain Trump’s Jan. 6 White House visitor logs” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — Biden has rejected Trump’s effort to assert executive privilege over White House visitor logs from Jan. 6, 2021, ordering the National Archives to deliver the documents to congressional investigators in two weeks. As a matter of policy, and subject to limited exceptions, the Biden administration voluntarily discloses such visitor logs monthly. The Barack Obama administration followed the same practice,” White House Counsel Dana Remus said in a letter to National Archivist David Ferriero dated Feb. 15. Biden has already rejected a string of executive privilege claims over other Trump White House materials, like briefing memos, speech drafts and call records.
“Texting through an insurrection” via Jacqueline Alemany, Tom Hamburger, Josh Dawsey and Tyler Remmel of The Washington Post — The panicked texts started landing in Mark Meadows’s phone long before thousands of supporters of Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. These and thousands of other frantic, ephemeral text messages that might have otherwise been lost to history are now key to piecing together the most vivid and comprehensive picture to date of the events surrounding the chaos at the Capitol. Many were sent to Meadows by Fox News hosts, lawmakers and other Trump allies urging him to get his boss to put a halt to the assault.
“Charges dropped against Pinellas man accused of having explosive device near Jan. 6 rally” via Michaela Mulligan and Dan Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Times — State prosecutors dropped the most serious charges Tuesday against an Oldsmar man who sheriff’s deputies said was found with a backpack that held several flammable items near a Jan. 6 rally outside the Pinellas County Jail. A notice filed in court Tuesday by the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office indicates that prosecutors will not pursue charges of making and possessing a destructive device against Garrett Smith. Smith, 22, still faces a charge of loitering and prowling, a misdemeanor. Smith was arrested on Jan. 6 on charges of making and possessing a destructive device and loitering.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Why Trump’s accounting firm ditched him” via Amber Phillips of The Washington Post — Two investigations in New York are looking at whether Trump’s company falsified its records to either avoid taxes or get loans. And Trump and his company just got troubling news on that front: Their accounting firm won’t vouch for them anymore and is ditching them entirely. Mazars said in a recent letter that a decade’s worth of financial statements it prepared for the Trump Organization “should no longer be relied upon.” “While we have not concluded that the various financial statements, as a whole, contain material discrepancies, based upon the totality of the circumstances, we believe our advice to you to no longer rely upon those financial statements is appropriate,” Mazars executive William J. Kelly said.
“Candidates’ vaccine hesitancy ‘demonstrates the limits’ of Trump’s grip on GOP, say experts” via Lucien Bruggeman of ABC News — As the midterm primary season approaches, several Republicans running for state or national office are either refusing to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status or advertising that they haven’t received a shot, even as Trump calls on his followers to get the vaccine. Some experts say that disconnect could expose cracks in a party that continues to grapple with its loyalty to Trump as well as a growing distrust of government, scientists, and the media and may signal a loosening of Trump’s grip on the Republican voting base, according to Sarah Isgur, a former spokesperson for the Justice Department during the Trump administration.
“Investigation: Ryan Zinke misused position as Interior Secretary” via Matthew Brown of The Associated Press — Former U.S. Interior Secretary Zinke misused his position to advance a commercial development project that included a microbrewery in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement in the project, according to a report by federal investigators released Wednesday. The Interior Department’s inspector general investigation found that Zinke continued working on the commercial project through a nonprofit foundation in the resort community of Whitefish, Montana, even after he committed upon taking office to break ties with the foundation.
“Money that won Melania Trump NFT came from Melania Trump wallet” via Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou of MSN — The source of funds for the winning bid in Trump’s first NFT auction appears to be the creators of the project themselves. A series of blockchain transactions show that the cryptocurrency used to purchase Trump’s nonfungible token came from a wallet that belongs to the entity that initially listed the project for sale. In January, the former First Lady began an auction for a collection of NFTs on the Solana blockchain, with art from her first official state visit in 2018.
— LOCAL NOTES —
Tracey Polson and Nick Howland polling in dead heat for Jacksonville City Council — The at-large Group 3 seat election of Feb. 22 turns into a virtual dead heat between Polson and Howland. In new polling of Duval County voters, the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida (PORL) found Polson up by just one percentage point, with 50.3% compared to 49.7% for Howland. Likely voters include those who said they would definitely vote or already voted in the City Council election, either by mail or early in person. It looks like we are dealing with another impossibly tight race for City Council,” said Dr. Michael Binder, UNF professor of political science. Voter turnout is going to be the deciding factor here, and predicting that can be tricky …” To read the report, click here.
“Fort Lauderdale City Auditor fired after opening secret investigation on police chief” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — City Auditor John Herbst, the man responsible for rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse at Fort Lauderdale City Hall, was fired late Tuesday night after Commissioners accused him of overstepping his authority by opening a secret investigation into the police chief. Mayor Dean Trantalis questioned why Herbst did not alert the Commission after his office got an anonymous tip that Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Larry Scirotto was working a side gig as a college basketball referee on city time. Herbst defended his right to investigate fraud claims by any city employee without permission from the Commission. Under his contract, he is due four months of severance pay and can stay on the job another 60 days.
“Court overturns conviction of North Miami cop who shot at unarmed autistic man holding toy” via David Ovalle and Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald — A Florida appeals court has overturned the conviction of a former North Miami police officer who was convicted of shooting at an autistic man holding a silver toy truck, a case that drew national headlines. The 3rd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned the misdemeanor culpable negligence conviction for Jonathon Aledda, who claimed he believed the man was holding a firearm and holding another man hostage during a standoff six years ago. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office must now decide if it will retry Aledda, fired from the police department after the shooting.
“Former Broward Mayor agrees to pay ethics fine over financial records” via Lisa J. Huriash of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Former Broward Mayor Dale Holness has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine after state investigators said he violated state laws that require him to make his finances public record to ensure he doesn’t have any conflicts of interest. State investigators said Holness did not report income from 2016 to 2019 for two companies he owns or the accompanying income he receives from rental properties. Holness, a County Commissioner from 2010 until his resignation went into effect in January, owns two companies but told investigators he had no income from those companies during the four years. Although initially part of the complaint, investigators did not go back to 2012 because of the statute of limitations.
“‘Opioids appear to know no bounds’: Lakeview reports sharp increase in abuse, overdoses” via Jennifer Rich of the Pensacola News Journal — Mental health experts are blaming pandemic devastation for a drastic increase in the rate of drug overdose deaths on a national and local level. There is a clear uptick and correlation between the pandemic and rise of overdose deaths we’re seeing,” said Sweneda McDonald, director of Lakeview Center Medication-Assisted Treatment programs. McDonald said overdose deaths are up 18% since last year, as the pandemic lingers into its third year. She believes more people are self-medicating to handle the isolation and economic impact, especially with opioids.
“Tallahassee City Commission takes next step toward lobbying, ethics changes” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — The Tallahassee City Commission voted Wednesday unanimously to take up potential changes to the city’s lobbyist and ethics ordinances during their March Commission meeting. During an ethics workshop, the vote took place where the Commissioners considered and discussed recommended ordinance changes from the city’s Independent Ethics Board. The changes include sweeping changes to the city’s lobbying process. The recommended ordinance changes specifically define what a lobbyist is, ban lobbyist contingency fees, and require lobbyists to submit contact logs to the city after lobbying a city employee or official. The logs would include what issue was discussed.
“Police launch internal affairs investigation into baby injured in Pensacola Police custody” via Olivia Iverson of WEAR-TV — The Pensacola Police Department says it has launched an internal affairs investigation after parents say a child was hurt while in police custody following last week’s police-involved shooting. It happened after Pensacola Police SWAT officers executed a search warrant last Thursday morning at home on N 7th Ave. 4-year-old Corey Marioneaux Jr. has been charged for shooting at one of the SWAT officers after they rammed his door. Marioneaux Jr.’s two young children, ages 1 and 3, were inside the home at the time. The family argues Marioneaux Jr. shot at the officers because he feared they were intruders.
“‘You won’t understand’: Walton Chairman says public should just trust Commissioners” via Jim Thompson of the Northwest Florida Daily News — In the eyes of Walton County Commission Chairman Mike Barker, residents can’t possibly understand the details of everything going on with their county government, and thus should simply trust the Commission to make decisions on their behalf. Barker left no doubt about his position as Commissioners decided Tuesday, with Commissioner Tony Anderson the only dissenting voice, to name Code Director Tony Cornman as a deputy county administrator. The vote also included other actions on county administration, based on recommendations in a scathing report submitted by an operations director hired by the Commission last August to assess government operations.
“Political organizer, environmental entrepreneur run for seat on Gainesville Commission” via John Henderson of The Gainesville Sun — A Democratic Party organizer who has run the campaigns of numerous elected local officials and causes and another who has served on the city’s Plan Board and taught high school science have filed to run. So far, they are the only candidates who have filed to run for the seat, which is up for election on Aug. 23. The seat is currently held by Adrian Hayes-Santos, who is limited to completing his second term in office. Bryan Eastman is president of the Alachua County Young Democrats. He has run the campaigns of numerous local candidates and ballot initiatives. Christian Newman, 53, has taught high school science and founded various environmental consulting firms.
“New Palm Beach State College initiative will refund tuition for certain degrees if grads are unemployed” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Palm Beach State College (PBSC) is now offering a guaranteed job for students in several of its work-study programs, with the promise of refunding tuition if the graduates are unemployed after six months. Those refunds would apply to career training programs in the fields of dental hygiene, electrician work, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers (HVAC), nursing, respiratory care, and welding. The move comes after Florida approved a slate of workforce program reforms last year.
“Osceola Co. School Board members propose opening prayer” via Valerie Boey of Fox 35 Orlando — Leading school board meetings with prayer could make a big comeback in Osceola County. There’s a proposed resolution inviting people of all faiths to lead a prayer. Osceola School Board Chair Terry Castillo says she would rather start the meetings with a prayer, rather than a moment of silence. That’s why she’s hoping to pass a new prayer resolution. There cannot be school board and prayer; that’s unconstitutional,” says attorney Chris Line with the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Line says the school district stopped praying before meetings last year after they contacted them. He’s concerned about the proposed prayer resolution.
“‘It’s heartbreaking for us’: Sarasota Jewish leaders disturbed, frightened at distribution of anti-Semitic flyers” via Anne Snabes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Area Jewish leaders say the recent distribution of anti-Semitic flyers in Sarasota neighborhoods has been disturbing and hateful. Temple Emanu-El Associate Rabbi Michael Shefrin said his Sarasota congregation felt anger after the leaflets were distributed. Rabbi Samantha Kahn of Temple Sinai noted the distribution of the flyers was frightening. The material was found in the South Poinsettia, Cherokee Park, Harbor Acres, and Oyster Bay neighborhoods. A member of her congregation celebrated her bat mitzvah this weekend, so Temple Sinai decided to hire extra security for the celebration.
“Commissioners moving forward on 1 cent sales tax referendum for St. Johns County” via Ashley Harding and Joe McLean of News 4 Jax — St. Johns County Commissioners voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to have attorneys draw up an official proposal to levy a one-cent sales surtax. Commissioners say the sales tax hike is needed to keep up with booming growth. St. Johns is one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. and the second-fastest growing county in Florida, and the county has a backlog of projects that need funding. County attorneys are now going to write up the sales tax as an official proposal, and the first discussion of it is now scheduled for March 1. the issue will still need approval from Commissioners before its placed on the countywide ballot and, in the end, would be decided by voters in November.
“Days after housing measure fails, Harvard study finds nearly half St. Pete renters are cost-burdened” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — A study from the Harvard Kennedy School released found nearly half renters and a quarter of homeowners in St. Petersburg are cost-burdened, spending 30% of their income on housing. The study said nearly a quarter of renters and 11% of homeowners spend more than half their income on housing. And it gets worse for low-income residents. The study found 51% of homeowners who make less than 50% of the area median income (AMI) spend more than half that income on a mortgage. And 69% of renters below 50% AMI spend more than half their income on rent. The study’s findings were released Monday, four days after the City Council voted down a motion from Council Member Richie Floyd to declare a housing state of emergency in the city.
— TOP OPINION —
“Gas and sales tax ‘holidays’ are gimmicks. Floridians deserve real relief” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — Something weird is happening in Tallahassee. Republican lawmakers are daring to challenge DeSantis. The most recent example comes as leaders in both chambers are throwing cold water on DeSantis’ proposal to cut gasoline taxes not permanently, but just for five or six months leading up to DeSantis’ re-election campaign this fall. DeSantis is calling his $1 billion proposal a “tax holiday.”
— OPINIONS —
“Now is the time to speak up on abortion legislation” via Juanita Powell-Williams, et al. for The Florida Times-Union — Would it surprise you to know that just 50 years ago, it was illegal to have an abortion? Would it further surprise you to learn that 59% of women support keeping abortion legal? In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized for the first time that the constitutional right to privacy “is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” That was when abortion became legal with the Roe v. Wade decision. Whether to terminate a pregnancy must remain a private decision. Currently, our Florida legislature is poised to add further restrictions to accessing abortion with several proposed bills. Making abortion illegal will only increase deaths and injuries, especially for the most vulnerable in our community.
“Whether ‘Don’t Say Gay’ or ‘sue the schools,’ state should scrap bad lawmaking” via Pensacola News Journal editorial board — The culture wars being waged by DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have produced laws that amount to little more than big government attempts to exert state control over what Floridians think and say. This sort of lawmaking has proved pointless and is doomed to be overturned when challenged in court. Political spectacle is a waste of taxpayer time and money. The latest example is proposed legislation containing a vaguely worded prohibition against “encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
“Democracy is under attack, and voters in Miami are the targets” via the Miami Herald editorial board — A voter-fraud scheme seems to be emerging in Miami, aimed at some of our most vulnerable residents: seniors in public housing. If it’s true, it’ll be a new and shameful moment in voter disenfranchisement in Florida, where lawmakers’ push to restrict access to voting is continuing with unnerving vigor. Residents of the Haley Sofge Towers in Little Havana have been coming forward to say that their voter registrations were switched without their knowledge to Republican after visits from canvassers, some wearing red caps and T-shirts that said, “Republican Party of Florida.” The Miami Herald reported a total of 103 people in that housing complex switched political-party affiliation in a three-month period, every single one of them to the Republican Party. Pretty hard to explain that without something odd going on.
“Consistency and accountability should be carrots, not sticks” via Dr. Ed Moore of Florida Daily — Politics, policy and philosophy all start with “p,” and yet that about ends any similarities. One might think you could track or even grade an elected official or a body of politicians, like a Legislature or a Congress, by linking these p words, but it seems lately that consistency is elusive. While they often mention accountability, their actions do not quite seem to match. This is very true this year in the Florida House, where a program that has served the state’s citizens since 1979 is subjected to a series of potential changes that will harm Florida’s families, students and higher education community. The Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) Act offers more than 46,000 Florida students each year the ability to make the right choice for them in pursuing higher education options.
“Carol Milliken: Support SB 1284, HB 823 to encourage next generation of nurses in Florida” via Florida Politics — Legislation this year could make a difference in the lives of numerous Floridians who find themselves in situations similar to the one I have been in — with a strong desire to further my education and advance my career, but without the time or ability to attend a traditional brick-and-mortar school. Senate Bill 1284 and House Bill 823 can open up doors for Floridians, by expanding access to the Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant to students who need more flexible education options to achieve their goals — including nurses like myself. I hope that lawmakers will better understand why the legislation is so important — so we can ensure all Floridians have this same opportunity to earn a degree from the institution that best fits their needs.
“Janelle Perez: Communities are stronger, better when we fight for the American dream, not tear it apart” via Florida Politics — Florida’s economy is powered by immigrants and essential workers. The top two economic drivers in this state are tourism and agriculture. Immigrants add $100 billion annually to Florida’s economy, and these contributions are what make our economy the 15th largest in the world. These workers keep our state running; they are our neighbors, family members, health care workers and loved ones. This is why it is so shocking to see DeSantis threaten businesses and religious groups with legislation that would harm immigrant children. Instead of providing compassionate and common-sense solutions to a challenge that demands leadership, they are pushing legislation to penalize private transportation companies and religious organizations for helping to reunite unaccompanied immigrant children with their families and loved ones.
—TODAY’S SUNRISE —
A long, emotional night of debate on the House floor over HB 5, which will impose a ban on abortions after 15 weeks.
Also on Today’s Sunrise:
— The House unanimously approves a bill aimed at relieving the Fatherhood Crisis.
— A bill to curb “Pop-Up” parties is headed to the Senate floor.
— And a police chase in the Orlando International Airport. The perpetrator was riding a motorized suitcase.
To listen, click on the image below:
— OLYMPICS —
“Erin Jackson’s golden moment is a breakthrough for U.S. speedskating and representation” via Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post — Brittany Bowe screamed for Jackson. She had enough lungs for all 37.04 seconds of her friend’s golden Olympic skate and left plenty for the celebratory aftermath. She screamed from a bench in the middle of the National Speed Skating Oval, screamed while running to the pads, screamed so loud and for so long, she said, “I think I passed out.” When Bowe gave up her spot last month to make certain Jackson would be an Olympian, her decision transcended friendship and sportsmanship and honored common sense. Bowe knew Jackson belonged here; U.S. trials mishap be damned. An American woman hadn’t won an individual medal, period, since Chris Witty set a 1,000-meter world record while taking the gold in 2002.
“For two weeks, they’re curling at the Olympics. Then it’s back to the COVID-19 front lines.” via Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post — Nina Roth and Vicky Wright are healers representing both their countries and the front line health care workers all over this planet still grappling with the coronavirus. They love to curl. They live to help people stay alive. Game on, conscience off. Like nursing, curling is a mental maze to navigate. It helps to think several steps ahead, but it also demands precision at the moment. The individual must do her job, but there’s little freedom to stray from the team concept. Roth plays for the United States, eliminated from medal contention late Wednesday night after a 10-7 loss to Japan. Wright, a curler for Great Britain, is a surgical nurse at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland.
“China invented many things. It says skiing is one of them.” via James T. Areddy of The Wall Street Journal — China is using the Winter Olympics to further a claim that skiing originated there 10,000 years ago and to advertise Xinjiang, a part of the country usually synonymous with political strife, as both the source and future of the sport. Skiing’s roots are often traced to Northern Europe. The basis for China’s origin claim is 10 purplish humanlike silhouettes atop something that could be skis, painted thousands of years ago under a rock overhang in what is now Xinjiang. So far, only archaeologists connected to Chinese research institutions have concluded the pictograms are 10,000 years old, based on their observations of other rock art. Sometimes, Chinese media cite a figure of 12,000 years.
“Fly high, frog princess! Well done, Chen No. 3!” via Andrew Keh and John Liu of The New York Times — While sports fans worldwide marvel at the aerial contortions of the skier Eileen Gu, many in China are professing their admiration for one “Frog Princess.” Americans who watched Nathan Chen spin his way to a gold medal may be confused to see Chinese figure skating aficionados refer knowingly to someone named “Chen No. 3.” And although the name of the Russian figure skating star Anna Shcherbakova can be a mouthful for some of her Chinese-speaking fans, a sobriquet that translates to “Daughter of a Wealthy Family” rolls far more easily off their tongues. Official phonetic transliterations of international names into Chinese can be long, unwieldy, and in producing strings of unrelated characters, basically nonsensical.
“Why two Canadian ice dancers brought orange spandex and sequins to the Olympics” via Les Carpenter of The Washington Post — Olympic ice dancing is often the most fabulous of events, with blasting music, sassy moves, and costumes that are … well, extravagant. After three hours of endless interpretations of delinquency displayed in various forms of fake leather, short shorts and see-through shirts with little to hide, there appeared at the Olympics ice rhythm dance the Canadian team of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier dressed in something best described as sherbet buried in an avalanche of sprinkles. Orange. Very, very orange. The fronts were ablaze with Vs of rhinestones that dipped to frightening lows; the backs clung tightly to every curve. The costumes demanded attention.
— ALOE —
“Snow moon 2022: February’s full moon lights up sky — here’s when to see it” via Kelly Hayes of Fox 13 — Look up to the sky this week as February’s full moon, dubbed the “snow moon,” makes its appearance. Overall, NASA says the moon will appear full for about three days, spanning from about midnight Tuesday morning to about midnight Thursday night. As a bonus, the full moon will appear low on the west-northwestern horizon near Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Regulus is the brightest star seen in the constellation Leo, typically best seen in the Northern Hemisphere’s late winter and spring.
“COVID-19 survivor who received double lung transplant to run in LifeSouth Race Weekend 5K” via Alan Festo of The Gainesville Sun — Eight months ago, Robert Domen was given a 3% chance of living. COVID-19 had ravaged the active-duty Marine’s lungs, and his heart and kidneys were failing. I was shocked back on two different days from flatlining,” Domen said. Domen was told he would need a double lung transplant and would likely need kidney and heart transplants as well. But through miraculous healing and UF professionals, my kidney actually fixed itself, and my heart fixed itself,” he said. He plans to ask his doctor if he can finally go home next week. The timing of his request comes as he prepares for an event that seemed unthinkable just a few months earlier. Domen will participate in a 5K with his wife, Debbie, as part of LifeSouth Race Weekend. I’m feeling great,” Domen said. Four and half months ago, I was struggling to take five steps, and now I’m going out there to do a 5K.”
“New UCF ‘Mission Control’ uses NIL to boost fan engagement” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Knights fans can now meet their favorite players and snag exclusive merch with a new subscription service that puts money in players’ pockets. Launched by Dreamfield, UCF’s “Mission Control” grans fans access to youth camps, team updates, online chats, NFTs, stickers, and “intimate private small gatherings with your favorite UCF athletes from all sports.” The membership packages, which all have space program-inspired names, start with the $10 a month “Pioneer” plan. The top-tier “Apollo” package costs $200 a month, includes exclusive events, and grants VIP status to other events.
“Orlando City and the Rise of Southern Soccer” via Christopher Adams of OTown’s 11 — Arguably the biggest trend in Major League Soccer over the last half-decade, off the field at least, has been the massive success of clubs in the southeast. Atlanta United has quickly risen to the top of MLS in terms of sheer size, boasting every attendance record and the largest presence or fan base of any team in league history. Nashville has built a strong and loyal fan base, set to open the largest soccer-specific stadium in American history. And now, Charlotte FC is approaching an MLS-record attendance for their season opener and has realistic aims at over 30,000 fans per game this season. Back in 2015, Orlando City set the American soccer world on fire by drawing huge crowds to now Camping World Stadium.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Celebrating today are Rep. Ardian Zika, Danny Rivera, Dylan Shepherd, and Commissioner Bill Truex.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
Happy Thursday! Smart Brevity™ count: 1,171 words … 4½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
2022 is shaping up to be one of the hardest years ever to run a company — even harder than 2020, when the pandemic first hit, corporate leaders and analysts tell Axios’ Emily Peck and Erica Pandey.
Why it matters: Uncertainty, which CEOs dread, abounds. Supply-chain snarls, lingering COVID disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, rising pay and soaring demands for new benefits and work flexibility are driving up costs and complexity.
- Toss in a surge in individuals starting their own small businesses —and others simply quitting work altogether — and you see why C-suite anxiety is spreading fast.
The Great Resignation is forcing companies to raise wages and beef up benefits to attract talent. America has some 11 million open jobs, but people aren’t jumping to apply to them.
- The median tech salary in the U.S. increased 7% between 2020 and 2021, per Wired. Some companies are driving pay more aggressively: Amazon just raised its maximum base pay to $350,000, from $160,000.
Reality check: Plenty of companies, especially the big ones, have been able to pass those higher costs, and a bit more, on to consumers who keep spending. Profit margins in 2021 were at historic highs.
Smaller businesses don’t always have the resources to raise wages. Child-care centers, already operating on razor-thin margins, are struggling to find workers and aren’t necessarily able to raise pay.
- And juggling the ever-changing landscape of vaccine and mask mandates has been a nightmare.
Inflation and supply-chain issues are driving up the cost of doing business:
- The year-over-year change in costs for S&P 500 companies is 13.4%, the highest it’s been in a decade, according to research Lisa Shalett, CIO of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, released this week.
Firms are also realizing they’ll have to navigate remote and hybrid work even after the pandemic. That means figuring out new ways to manage teams and rally employees.
- So CEOs are scrambling to bring in talent experts who can answer questions about the future of work. Human resources job postings on Indeed are up 133% compared with February 2020.
🥊 Outside recruiters are so busy, some are turning away business.
Adrian Foley, president and CEO of Brookfield Properties’ development group, to the N.Y. Times on builders’ absurd supply-chain struggles:
It used to take us 20 weeks to build a house. And now it takes us 20 weeks to get a set of garage doors.
🗞️ The Times’ great headlines … Online: “4 Bed, 3 Bath, No Garage Door” … In print: “Oh, You Want a Garage Door?”
A new military pontoon bridge has been established over the Pripyat River in Belarus, less than four miles from the Ukraine border, Maxar Technologies found.
- Satellite images this week continue to show heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia, Maxar said.
Why it matters: The Biden administration told reporters last evening that it now believes Russia’s claims of withdrawing troops from near Ukraine are “false,” Axios’ Zachary Basu reports.
- Moscow has in fact increased its presence on the border “by as many as 7,000 troops” in recent days, a senior administration official said.
COVID cases are plummeting across the U.S., in some places even falling to relatively manageable levels. But deaths remain stubbornly high, Axios’ Sam Baker and Kavya Beheraj report.
- The U.S. is now averaging 140,000 new COVID cases per day — a 64% drop over the past two weeks. The pace of new infections is declining in every state.
You love it when your Uber driver says: “You are my 5-star passenger.” But they don’t always. Uber released these city rankings, based on how many stars drivers give riders.
- Uber announced that beginning this week, every rider (and driver) will be able to see their rating and information about exactly how it is calculated, via the new Privacy Center in the Uber app. Details here.
David Axelrod, top campaign and White House strategist for President Obama, has an essay in the N.Y. Times with this advice for President Biden ahead of his State of the Union address on March 1:
- “The state of the union is stressed. To claim otherwise — to highlight the progress we have made, without fully acknowledging the hard road we have traveled and the distance we need to go — would seem off-key and out of touch.”
- “You simply cannot jawbone Americans into believing that things are better than they feel. … They will want to hear less about his ‘transformative’ legislation than the specific, practical steps Mr. Biden has taken, and is recommending.”
This should come naturally to Biden, Axelrod adds:
- “Biden’s great strength has been his preternatural empathy, born of his personal tragedies and his ability to speak in authentic, resonant ways about the everyday challenges facing people in working class communities like Scranton, Pa.”
- “Many national politicians speak the language of Washington. Mr. Biden, at his best, speaks American. Now, he needs to find that voice.”
Keep reading (subscription).
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Facebook parent Meta is reorganizing its communications and public affairs team to combat an onslaught of negative press and try to repair its reputation, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer reports.
- Why it matters: The new structure, according to internal memos obtained by Axios, gives communications and public affairs executives more power across the organization to respond to P.R. crises.
In an internal note to employees posted Monday, Nick Clegg — Facebook’s newly promoted president of global affairs — said the communications team will be restructured to be more “cross-functional … to make sure our product and innovation story is heard loud and clear by the audiences we need to reach.”
- The team will be led by David Ginsberg, a senior product executive who’s been with Facebook since 2017. Ginsberg’s new title will be V.P. and global head of communications and public affairs, and he will report to Clegg.
In another staff memo, Ginsberg said the new team will be renamed “Communications and Public Affairs” — and will focus not just on a new communications structure, but also on getting employees and external stakeholders excited about the metaverse.
- As part of that mission, the company will build a new global public affairs team under Tucker Bounds, a former political operative who is currently a vice president of communications.
The big picture: The new structure gives Clegg full responsibility for making policy decisions for the company, absolving CEO Mark Zuckerberg from that duty on a day-to-day basis.
Exposition Park was a sea of blue and gold as L.A. Rams fans lined a parade honoring the Super Bowl champions, the L.A. Times reports.
Four words rang repeatedly: “Whose house?”
- “Rams’ house!”
Above: Aerial view of downtown L.A. (corner of Jefferson and Figueroa), as crowds cheer buses carrying Rams players, coaches and families.
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23.) THE HILL 12:30 REPORT
24.) ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
Senate Republicans have flexed their minority power to stop the confirmation process for several of President Joe Biden’s nominees, using the chamber’s rules in a way that also could cause trouble for Democrats on an upcoming Supreme Court pick. Read more…
As the GOP primary in Texas’ 8th District enters its final days, Republican figures representing competing power centers in Texas and Washington have lined up behind Morgan Luttrell, a former Energy Department appointee in the Trump administration, and Christian Collins, a former aide to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Read more…
Seeing double: Part exasperation, part inspiration
OPINION — Placing yourself in the shoes of those with whom you disagree and offering them grace is easier said than done. How do you step into those shoes when you’re not just an opponent but an enemy, and a not-quite-human one at that? That’s a tough one — but it’s not impossible, because it’s been done. Read more…
‘Frontier, and kind of forgotten’ staffers share stories of district office challenges
Inside the chaotic Washington bubble, workers in congressional district offices across the U.S. can sometimes be out of sight, out of mind. On Wednesday, three witnesses told the House Modernization of Congress Committee about the hurdles that district staff face. Read more…
Donald Trump is ignoring Lindsey Graham’s warnings about 2020 election obsession
ANALYSIS — Sen. Lindsey Graham has some advice, and a warning, for former President Donald Trump: Focus on the future and making peoples’ lives better, and drop the constant 2020 election fraud claims, CQ Roll Call’s John T. Bennett writes. Read more…
Immigrant investors on edge as EB-5 lapse enters eighth month
Strict country caps on visas have created such a long backlog for permanent resident status that some immigrants turned to EB-5 visas as an alternative. But roughly 80,000 foreign citizens have been affected by the expiration of the EB-5 visa regional center program, a lapse that has stretched more than seven months. Read more…
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25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
Operation ‘Stop Greitens’ goes awry
DRIVING THE DAY
SCOOP: TRUMP MEETS BRITT — Former President DONALD TRUMP met with Alabama GOP Senate candidate KATIE BRITT at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, two sources familiar told Playbook. The former president has been having buyer’s remorse after endorsing Rep. MO BROOKS for Senate, watching with frustration as Brooks has failed to catch fire with the MAGA base.
Brooks, who has struggled with disappointing fundraising and poll numbers, recently hit the “reset” button on his campaign, hiring a new campaign team. But even as Brooks tries to recover, Trump, we’re told, has complained to associates that Brooks has been working with anti-Trumpers and — worse, in his eyes — has been seeking the endorsement of JEFF SESSIONS, the former Alabama senator and A.G. Trump loathes Sessions for recusing himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation. Brooks recently called Sessions “one of the best senators we ever had.”
Enter Britt, a former staffer to Sen. RICHARD SHELBY (R-Ala.). We’re told we shouldn’t expect Trump to switch endorsements anytime soon, if at all. But the fact that he met with her — something he rarely does after he endorses in a race — is telling about his current discontent with Brooks.
Now for the real primary drama …
INSIDE THE GOP’S MISSOURI CLOWN SHOW — For months, many Republican operatives across the political spectrum — from MAGA world and the RNC to the NRSC and Team Mitch — have privately whispered agreement on one thing when it comes to Missouri’s crowded Senate GOP primary: They’d welcome any nominee except ERIC GREITENS.
The disgraced former governor of the Show-Me State resigned in 2018 after a woman testified under oath that Greitens tied her up in his basement, stripped her naked and took photos of her to use as blackmail in their extramarital affair — before forcing her to have oral sex with him. Greitens maintains that the exchange was consensual.
Despite that history — and despite a number of other prominent Republicans in the race — Greitens leads the pack in Missouri’s GOP primary. Party operatives know that if they want to stop him, they need to clear the field so that the anti-Greitens vote isn’t fragmented. But they’re at a loss over how to do that. None of the prominent candidates shows any sign of dropping out anytime soon.
— Over the weekend, Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) took a first stab, backing Rep. VICKY HARTZLER with an endorsement that many believe could make a difference.
— But just as he did, another candidate, Rep. BILLY LONG, started attacking Hawley personally, going on a rant against him and having what some Republicans called a “public meltdown on Twitter” (see here and here).
— On Tuesday, state A.G. ERIC SCHMITT locked down Sen. TED CRUZ’s (R-Texas) endorsement, a sign that he’s in the race for the foreseeable future.
THERE’S ONE MAN WHO THEY ALL AGREE COULD CLEAR THE FIELD. Trump won the state by 16 points, and if he backed Hartzler alongside Hawley, many think this primary would be over. But Trump feels burned by some of his previously endorsed candidates who’ve fizzled out, and has been reluctant to wade in unless he’s sure he’s backing a winner.
Trump is also hearing opposing perspectives from prominent figures in the MAGA world orbit. Former adviser KELLYANNE CONWAY is working for Long, while KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, who is engaged to DONALD TRUMP JR. and helps lead a pro-Trump super PAC, is national chair of Greitens’ campaign.
A few things to know about Trump and this race:
— The former president, we’re told, doesn’t like Greitens. While Trump often sides with men accused of sexual misconduct over the women who accuse them — and has asked some associates if they thought Greitens’ past sexual exploits could have been consensual — he’s also shown contempt for him. “What kind of guy ties a woman up in the basement against her will?” Trump recently asked one confidant.
— Even so, Trump has seen Greitens’ internal poll numbers and asked those close to him if he should just endorse him and take the victory. And Greitens is certainly trying his best to get Trump’s blessing: He’s vowed to vote against MITCH MCCONNELL for GOP leader, regularly spouts the president’s election conspiracies to earn points and, according to one source, even spent several days hanging around Mar-a-Lago last week.
— People close to Trump and senior Republicans across the party have encouraged the former president not to back the former governor, arguing both that they can’t have an alleged sexual predator in the Senate and that if he wins the primary he could lose a seat for Republicans in the general — a prediction backed by recent polling. (Greitens’ campaign has pushed back on this conclusion, arguing that Trump’s 2020 pollster, TONY FABRIZIO, has numbers showing otherwise.)
IN FAIRNESS, IT’S NOT AS THOUGH TRUMP HAS DONE NOTHING SO FAR. In 2021, Trump and Conway told Long — an early Trump 2016 supporter — that he needed to boost his poll and fundraising numbers if he wanted Trump’s endorsement. In December, after Long failed to do that, multiple sources tell us that Trump called Long and asked him to seek reelection to the House, gently suggesting he bow out of the Senate race. “We really need you in the House,” Trump said, according to someone familiar with the call.
Long didn’t take kindly to the idea, ignored the advice and is still trying to gain traction — though even his adviser Conway has told him to lay off the Twitter rants and that he needs to do more. Indeed, when asked about whether GOP leaders have asked him to drop out, Long told our Alex Isenstadt in a text “they know that will NEVER HAPPEN.” His campaign spokesperson told us last night that “Billy is working hard not only to get the endorsement of President Trump, but also the endorsement from the voters of Missouri on August 2nd.”
SO WHAT ABOUT OTHER REPUBLICAN LEADERS?
— In the past, the NRSC has waded into these sorts of fights to try to ensure the candidate who wins the nomination can win the general. But NRSC Chair RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) has made clear he’s not getting involved in any — any — internal GOP races.
— Some have wondered why McConnell world or the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund haven’t done more. But around Washington, other anti-Greitens Republicans say that McConnell’s involvement could actually backfire and help the former governor, which is why they’re hoping he stays out of this for now.
— Instead, many seem to be looking to Hawley, who is influential within the state GOP, hoping that his endorsement will help narrow the field.
These Republicans are crossing their fingers that Trump will follow the senator’s momentum and lean in for Hartzler, whom the former president has met but doesn’t know well. A double Hawley-Trump Hartzler endorsement, these Republicans say, may be the only thing that puts Greitens away for good, though one person told us Trump has called Hartzler “a nice lady, but not a fighter.”
Still, we’re told Trump considers Hawley’s counsel, often asking people “what does Hawley think?” when it comes to anything Missouri-related.
While Hawley hasn’t flat-out asked Trump to back Hartzler, after endorsing the congresswoman, Hawley called Trump to make the case why she would be the strongest candidate. Sources also said that Hawley — who investigated Greitens as state A.G., and was one of the first Republicans to ask for him to resign — has made the case to Trump in the past that having Greitens as the nominee would be a serious problem for the party.
Meanwhile, Trump isn’t weighing in. Greitens feels like he’s sitting pretty, and has a good chance at becoming Missouri’s next senator. “Missouri political consultants and establishment swamp creatures are terrified that a Trump candidate like Governor Greitens will flip the trough over,” Greitens’ campaign manager, DYLAN JOHNSON, told us Wednesday night.
Good Thursday morning. Thanks for joining us this morning in the Missouri GOP primary rabbit hole. Which primary should we tackle next? Drop us a line with requests and any good nuggets you have on the midterms: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S THURSDAY:
— 8:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 9:10 a.m.: Biden will leave the White House, arriving in Cleveland at 10:40 a.m.
— 12:15 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks about the bipartisan infrastructure law at The Shipyards in Lorain, Ohio.
— 1:45 p.m.: Biden will depart Cleveland, arriving back at the White House at 3:15 p.m.
Principal deputy press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will gaggle with EPA Administrator MICHAEL REGAN on Air Force One on the way to Cleveland.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ THURSDAY — The VP will leave Washington at 7:30 a.m. for Munich, where she’ll remain overnight.
THE SENATE will meet at 10:30 a.m. to take up the motion to proceed to the stopgap government funding bill, with a cloture vote at 1 p.m. CECILIA ROUSE, JARED BERNSTEIN and HEATHER BOUSHEY will testify before the Banking Committee at 10 a.m.
HEADS UP: Top White House officials RON KLAIN, LOUISA TERRELL, CEDRIC RICHMOND and KATE BEDINGFIELD will head to the Hill today to speak to Senate Democrats about the agenda after the State of the Union.
THE HOUSE is out. Rabbi CHARLIE CYTRON-WALKER, who survived the Colleyville, Texas, hostage situation, will be among those testifying before a Judiciary subcommittee on violence against minority institutions at 10 a.m. USAID Administrator SAMANTHA POWER will brief the Foreign Affairs Committee behind closed doors at 12:30 p.m. U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General MICHAEL BOLTON will testify before the Administration Committee about Jan. 6 at 3 p.m.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
ALL POLITICS
WELCOME TO PRIMARY SEASON — David Siders has a curtain-raiser worth your time this morning: “Republicans are embarking on a primary season that is poised to reshape the GOP for a generation, and that journey begins in Texas. In less than two weeks, the first primary election of 2022 will take place in the nation’s second-most populous state, and it’s a blockbuster: The state’s Republican governor, attorney general and agriculture commissioner all face spirited challenges, as do several GOP House incumbents.
“From there, fractious primaries will unfold across the electoral map in the coming months, cementing a more populist orientation for the GOP and Donald Trump’s status as the party’s lodestar, or setting a more traditionally conservative course.
“These aren’t simple match-ups between Trump and anti-Trump forces, or isolated intraparty feuds. Safely ensconced Republican officeholders are being bombarded by challengers from coast to coast, in many cases spurred on by Trump directly. Redistricting and retirements have further scrambled the established order in many places, opening up seats and drawing fields filled with combative candidates eager to move the party in a different direction. Combine that with high levels of energy — and anger — in the party base, and it’s a recipe to remake the party from the ground up.”
— One of those primaries: the Georgia gubernatorial race, where DAVID PERDUE’s Trump-backed effort to oust BRIAN KEMP “has been a big flop,” report CNN’s Michael Warren and Gabby Orr. “‘I think Perdue is on life support and knows it,’ said one neutral GOP operative who requested anonymity to speak freely. ‘The Kemp momentum is palpable.’”
‘WHAT AOC LEARNED FROM TRUMP’ — New this morning, our founding editor John Harris has some thoughts on ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ’s recent interview with the New Yorker. His takeaway? Sure, while AOC sounds different than a lot of her centrist Democrats, if you look closely, she and those nemeses actually have a lot in common.
“What divides AOC and her allies from others in the party is above all a theory of power: How to gain it, how to use it, how to keep it. It is a difference grounded in a cultural mindset about how politics should look, sound and feel. It is a difference grounded much less in ideology than meets the eye.”
DEMS’ DILEMMA — “‘The brand is so toxic’: Dems fear extinction in rural U.S.,” by AP’s Steve Peoples: “The party’s brand is so toxic in the small towns 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh that some liberals have removed bumper stickers and yard signs and refuse to acknowledge their party affiliation publicly. … The climate across rural Pennsylvania is symptomatic of a larger political problem threatening the Democratic Party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Beyond losing votes in virtually every election since 2008, Democrats have been effectively ostracized from many parts of rural America, leaving party leaders with few options to reverse a cultural trend that is redefining the nation’s political landscape.”
EMPIRE STATE OF MIND — New York Gov. KATHY HOCHUL’s “transformation from accidental governor to unquestioned front-runner will culminate on Thursday,” when she’s expected to receive the Democratic Party’s endorsement for a full term, NYT’s Nicholas Fandos reports. “HILLARY CLINTON plans to introduce her as the party’s new standard-bearer at a convention in Midtown Manhattan.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DESANTIS NABS BOOK DEAL — As he prepares for a potential presidential run in 2024, Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS has agreed to a lucrative book deal with HarperCollins, two people familiar with the matter tell Daniel Lippman.
One source in the conservative publishing world said he was miffed he didn’t get a chance to bid on DeSantis’ book, and was “really surprised that [DeSantis’] team has not talked to all the major publishers, especially conservative ones. I would have aggressively made a play for that.”
According to one publishing insider, DeSantis previously had a handshake deal with Simon and Schuster worth nearly $2 million, but backed out once he realized that the publisher shared a parent company — Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) — with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” which ran a controversial piece in spring 2021 sharply criticizing Florida’s vaccine rollout. (By contrast, HarperCollins is a subsidiary of RUPERT MURDOCH’s News Corp.)
Spokespeople for DeSantis and HarperCollins declined to comment, while a spokesperson for Simon and Schuster didn’t respond to a request for comment. This would be DeSantis’ second book. In 2011, he published “Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama.”
RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST
SCOOP — This morning, our Andrew Desiderio reports that a bipartisan group of senators led by Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio) will unveil their attempt at a symbolic reprimand of Russia today. The legislation will take the form of a non-binding resolution calling on Biden to “impose significant costs” on Russia if it invades Ukraine.
RUSSIA ADDS 7K TROOPS — “Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the U.S. warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region,” AP’s Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmanau, Lorne Cook and Aamer Madhani report.
THE WHITE HOUSE
BIDEN’S COVID PROBLEM AND THE SOTU — “President Joe Biden is hoping to use his upcoming State of the Union address to nudge the pandemic into the nation’s rear-view mirror. But it could turn into yet another disruptive display of national tensions and frustration over trying to move past COVID-19,” AP’s Zeke Miller and Lisa Mascaro write. Capitol Hill, the authors note, is “ground zero” for the pandemic culture war, where mask mandate fines are still issued on lawmakers and proxy voting is a regular thing.
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS READING — STEVEN RATTNER, former counselor to the Treasury secretary in the Obama administration, has some harsh words for Biden this morning in his op-ed, “Biden Keeps Blaming the Supply Chain for Inflation. That’s Dishonest.” He calls the claim “both simplistic and misleading.”
CONGRESS
COUNTDOWN TO SHUTDOWN — “Senate leaders are racing to land a deal that would thwart a government shutdown by appeasing a Republican blockade before funding runs out Friday night,” Jennifer Scholtes and Connor O’Brien write. “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is demanding that the chamber first vote on cutting off federal cash to schools and child care centers that require kids to get Covid vaccines. Republicans are also seeking a vote to bar funding from being used to provide crack pipes and another that would make it harder for Congress to raise taxes or increase the nation’s borrowing limit.”
JUDICIARY SQUARE
SHERPAS, ASSEMBLE! — The top three contenders for Biden’s Supreme Court pick are enlisting Democratic operatives to help handle the process, particularly media inquiries, report Chris Cadelago and Sam Stein. ROBERT RABEN and TJ DUCKLO are working with KETANJI BROWN JACKSON; AMANDA LOVEDAY is helping J. MICHELLE CHILDS; and TRACY SCHMALER is on board with LEONDRA KRUGER. But it’s a delicate endeavor: “The mere presence of a communications hand on a prospective Supreme Court candidate’s team could give off the whiff of that candidate actively jockeying for the post — a perception that would directly counter the classic D.C. tradition.”
CLYBURN’S NON-ULTIMATUM — “Although House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN’s unabashed advocacy for U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs has quietly irked colleagues with differing opinions, the congressman insisted in an interview with the Washington Post that his push is more suggestion than ultimatum,” WaPo’s Cleve Wootson Jr. and Marianna Sotomayor report. Said Clyburn: “I don’t believe in ultimatums. I don’t want nobody giving me one, and I’m not going to give anybody else one. I may be disappointed for the rest of my life, but I’m not going to give an ultimatum.”
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
FOR YOUR RADAR — “Texas Sues U.S. Over Airport Mask Mandate,” by WSJ’s Talal Ansari and Camille Furst
NEW LEGAL BATTLE ON GUNS — The Justice Department sued Missouri on Wednesday over a state law that essentially invalidates federal gun laws and forbids local authorities from enforcing them, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Joel Currier. DOJ said it was unconstitutional for a state law to usurp federal law; Missouri officials said the Biden administration was attacking the Second Amendment.
TRUMP CARDS
FUZZY NUMBERS — “Trump, rattled by news that his longtime accountants had declared that years of his financial statements were not reliable, issued a statement of self-defense with new claims about his wealth. These, too, did not add up,” NYT’s Mike McIntire notes.
— In the statement, Trump referred to a “June 30, 2014 Statement of Financial Condition” showing his net worth as $5.8 billion.
— But “when he declared his candidacy in 2015, he produced what he called his ‘Summary of Net Worth as of June 30, 2014’ with a very different number: $8.7 billion. A month later, he upped the ante, releasing a statement pronouncing that his ‘net worth is in excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS.’”
PLAYBOOKERS
Britney Spears shared a letter she received from Charlie Crist and Eric Swalwell congratulating her on the end of her conservatorship and inviting her to share her story on Capitol Hill. Said Spears: “Because of the letter, I felt heard and like I mattered for the first time in my life!!!”
Martin Heinrich was presiding over the Senate while “rocking the rare senatorial goatee,” writes Burgess Everett.
Lachlan Murdoch will be the honorary starter of this season’s Daytona 500.
Melania Trump’s first NFT auction appears to have been won by, uh, her own wallet.
Kevin McCarthy joined other national Republicans in praising the recall of three San Francisco school board commissioners. Fun fact: One pocket of strong support for the recall was San Franciscans who are not U.S. citizens, who were eligible to vote in the city’s Tuesday election.
Mike Lindell, “as well as a truck full of 10,000 pillows destined for protesters, were denied entry into Canada Tuesday evening,” according to the National Post.
Ron Klain, Louisa Terrell, Cedric Richmond, and Kate Bedingfield will head to the Hill today to speak to Senate Democrats.
WHITE HOUSE MOVES — With Eric Lander gone, Biden announced that Alondra Nelson will step up to act as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Francis Collins will act as science adviser to the president until permanent replacements are named. Nelson currently is deputy OSTP director for science and society, and Collins is the most recent NIH director.
STAFFING UP — Christopher Garcia is joining the Interior Department as an adviser in the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. He most recently has been a senior legislative affairs adviser in the White House, and is a Deb Haaland alum. … Alexandra Caffrey is starting as deputy press secretary at the Department of Transportation. She most recently was press secretary for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), and is a Florida Democratic Party alum.
TRANSITIONS — Mark Lippert will be EVP and head of North America public affairs at Samsung Electronics America, leading the D.C. office. He most recently led public policy for YouTube in the Asia-Pacific region, and is a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea. … Two longtime leaders at Third Way are heading to other Democratic politics posts: Senior political analyst David de la Fuente will help run the DCCC’s Independent Expenditure, and director of education Tamara Hiler will move to Denver to drive Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ education policy. … Brian Hale is joining FTI Consulting as a managing director in the cybersecurity practice. He previously was assistant director in the Office of Public Affairs at the FBI. …
… Tamika Turner is joining the New York Civil Liberties Union as deputy comms director. She previously was national comms director for the 2020 Census Counts campaign and is a Planned Parenthood and Sherrod Brown alum. … Jones Day is adding seven former Supreme Court clerks from the most recent full term to its offices in Chicago, New York, San Diego and Washington: James Burnham, Brendan Duffy, Harry Graver, Madeline Lansky, Jack Millman, Krista Perry Heckmann and David Phillips. … Maggie Madsen is now a scheduler for Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.). She previously was an intern for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).
ENGAGED — Irvin McCullough, press officer for the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., proposed to Allegra Harpootlian, a comms strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union, at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, at sunset. They originally met at a roundtable on endless war hosted by Open the Government. Pic … Another pic
— Tom Grossinger, director of business development at Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, proposed to Gigi Sukin, associate editor at Axios Local, on Saturday at the top of an early-morning mountain hike when they came to a snow-covered alpine lake. They originally met on an app.Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) (6-0) and Jake LaTurner (R-Ohio) … Brian Jack … DHS’ Sam Vinograd … Betsy Fischer Martin … Axios’ Lachlan Markay … Keegan Goudiss … McClatchy’s Kristin Roberts … Ashley Berrang … CNN’s Dianna Heitz … Cara Camacho … Boeing’s Fred Schwien … Edith Honan … AARP’s Barbara Shipley … Danielle Most … POLITICO’s Kelsey Tamborrino and Baker Landon … Annamarie Rienzi … Mark Shriver of Save the Children … Drew Cantor … Frederick Hill of FTI Consulting … Steven Grossman … Preston Mizell of Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) office … James Lynch … Alison Kutler … Mike Sager of EMILY’s List … Allison Hunn … David Carreiro … NAICU’s Emmanual Guillory … Shana Marchio … Skyla Freeman … Stephanie Young of When We All Vote … Cliff Sims … Surya Gunasekara … former Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) (7-0) … Robert Giuffra
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Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
John Quincy Adams: Anti-Slavery Champion, His Lifetime of Public Service, Guided by Bible – American Minute with Bill Federer
Guided by the Bible – American Minute with Bill Federer His Lifetime of Public Service John Quincy Adams: Anti-Slavery Champion
- At age 11, he accompanied his father as part of diplomatic team to France and the Netherlands, 1778;
- At 14 , he was secretary to the American diplomat to Russia, 1781-1783;
- At 17, he assisted his father’s diplomatic role in England, 1784;
- President Washington appointed him U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, 1794-1797;
- U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, 1796;
- U.S Ambassador to Prussia, 1797-1801;
- U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 1803;-1808;
- Professor of Logic at Brown University, 1803-1808;
- Professor Rhetoric & Oratory, Harvard University, 1806-1809;
- Argued before Supreme Court, Fletcher v. Peck, 1809;
- President Madison appointed him to be First U.S. Minister to Russia, 1809-1814;
- Published Lectures on Rhetoric & Oratory, 1810;
- President Madison nominated him to the Supreme Court, being confirmed unanimously by the Senate, but declined, 1811;
- He negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, which favorably ended the War of 1812 (Britain intended to retain the territory around the Great Lakes);
- President Madison appointed him U.S. Minister to Great Britain, appointed by Madison, 1815-1817;
- U.S. Secretary of State, under President Monroe, 1817-1825, where he negotiated the Adams-Onis Treaty, obtaining Florida from Spain;
- He was the 6th President of the United States, 1825-1829;
- U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, 1831-1848.
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: Of Durham and DNS
The latest filings from special counsel John Durham don’t present new evidence of crimes, but paint an unflattering picture of Team Clinton as it tried to make the Trump-Russia story take off.
The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Thursday! TMD is, of course, primarily a Bears and Cubs newsletter, but we’d be remiss not to highlight what DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls are doing right now: It’s not every day you surpass Wilt Chamberlain to set an NBA scoring record!
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- A senior Biden administration official told reporters last night that, contrary to the Kremlin’s claims of de-escalation, Russia has actually increased its military presence along the Ukrainian border in recent days by as many as 7,000 troops. “Every indication we have now is they mean only to publicly offer to talk and make claims about de-escalation while privately mobilizing for war,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “We continue to receive indications that they could launch a false pretext at any moment to justify an invasion of Ukraine.”
- Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said yesterday the distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattack that hit and temporarily shut down the country’s defense agencies, government services, and financial institutions this week was “the largest [such attack] in the history of Ukraine.” Officials said it was too early to confirm who was behind the attack, but hinted it was likely Russia attempting to destabilize the country and sow panic.
- An American Navy aircraft in recent days had an “extremely close” encounter with multiple Russian military jets over the Mediterranean Sea, CNN reported Wednesday. U.S. officials described the provocation as “unsafe and unprofessional.” Pentagon spokesman Cpt. Mike Kafka said the Defense Department had “made our concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels.”
- Rejecting former President Donald Trump’s claim that the material is subject to executive privilege, President Joe Biden this week ordered the National Archives to send a slew of Trump White House visitor logs to the January 6 Select Committee. Archivist David Ferriero told Trump in a letter Wednesday the logs would be turned over by March 3 unless a court intervenes.
- The Census Bureau reported Wednesday that U.S. retail sales increased 3.8 percent from December to January, the fastest pace since last March and well above expectations. The statistic is not adjusted for inflation, however, so a portion of the sales increase can be attributed to higher prices. The consumer price index increased 0.6 percent over the same time period.
- Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee did not show up for a Tuesday vote on President Biden’s Federal Reserve nominees, preventing the committee from reaching a quorum and delaying the nominees’ confirmation. Sen. Pat Toomey, the ranking member of the committee, said Republicans were “seeking answers” to “basic questions” from Sarah Bloom Raskin, Biden’s nominee for vice chair of the Fed for supervision who has faced criticism for seeking to expand the scope of the central bank.
- President Biden announced Wednesday that, “until permanent leadership is nominated and confirmed,” Dr. Alondra Nelson will act as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Dr. Francis Collins will act as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The move comes days after Dr. Eric Lander resigned from both positions due to allegations of workplace bullying.
- Retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio endorsed Jane Timken, the former Ohio Republican Party chair, on Wednesday in the crowded race to succeed him. Earlier this week, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri endorsed Rep. Vicky Hartzler in the race to fill retiring Sen. Roy Blunt’s Senate seat.
About That Durham Filing
Somehow, it’s been nearly three years since former Attorney General William Barr first tapped John Durham, then a U.S. attorney, to examine the origins of the Russia investigation that dominated the first half of Donald Trump’s presidency. Appointed as a special counsel in 2020 before Barr left his post, Durham has kept a low profile throughout his inquiry, surfacing only a handful of times to announce low-level indictments. His most significant charge thus far came last September, when a federal grand jury indicted Michael Sussmann—a former attorney for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign—on one count of lying to the FBI.
If you haven’t heard by now, that changed this week: A new court filing from Durham revealed—depending on who you ask—a political scandal ten times worse than Watergate, or a total nothingburger. As with most stories of this nature, there’s more to the story than either of these narratives, and Andrew charts it in a piece up on the site today.
Before we dive in, some background from Sussmann’s indictment last year.
When in September 2016 Sussmann took to the FBI a bundle of information supposedly linking Team Trump to Russia, he falsely told FBI General Counsel James Baker that he was not doing so on behalf of any client, Durham alleges. In reality, according to the indictment, Sussmann was doing so on behalf of both the Clinton campaign and Rodney Joffe, then senior vice president at the information services firm Neustar.
It’s this alleged lie—which Sussmann denies—that forms the basis of Durham’s charge against him. But it’s the details of what came before that meeting—of how that bundle of information came to be—that have provoked the latest bout of controversy.
According to the new filing, Joffe (referred to throughout as “Tech Executive-1”) used his perch as a leader at a well-placed company—“exploited his access to non-public and/or proprietary internet data,” in Durham’s parlance—to obtain large amounts of raw internet data touching Team Trump, and put his associates to work analyzing it “for the purpose of gathering derogatory information about Donald Trump” in order to please “certain VIPs” at the Clinton campaign and its counsel, the firm Perkins Coie.
Durham’s latest filing details what internet data was at the heart of the matter.
Domain name system (DNS) data connected with, among other entities, “Trump Tower, Donald Trump’s Central Park West apartment building, and the Executive Office of the President of the United States.”
That assertion is the main reason this story has received so much attention on the right.
Internet traffic from the White House, exploited by a private actor with ties to the Clinton campaign? It’s not hard to see why conservative media would pick up the ball and run with this, and so they did: Fox News’ report said the Clinton campaign had “paid a technology company to ‘infiltrate’ servers belonging to Trump Tower, and later the White House,” while the Daily Mail asserted that the firm had been paid “to hack into [Trump’s] White House and Trump Tower servers.”
The most histrionic reaction came from the former president himself. “This is a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate and those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution,” Trump raged in a statement. “In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death.”
The conduct described is quite sketchy, of course, but the data collection itself was likely legal—as evidenced by the fact that Durham has not charged Joffe with a crime.
Neustar had contractual access to the data in question. The Virginia-based company is one of the world’s largest providers of DNS services, with annual revenue north of $1 billion, and it had a contract to perform such services for the White House.
What, precisely, did the data entail? Describing it as “internet traffic,” as Durham did, is accurate but perhaps slightly misleading to us non-techies—it isn’t synonymous with, say, users’ web history. DNS servers are like internet phone books, translating web addresses that are intelligible to human beings (say, “thedispatch.com”) into IP addresses, the strings of digits that tell a computer where to find the server where that website lives. When one server needs to find another, it consults the DNS server to find out where to look, which the server then logs as a DNS lookup. DNS lookup logs thus don’t tell you what one server is communicating with another—merely that two servers are in communication.
What companies like Neustar offer clients is, in essence, a phone book that stops you from dialing scammers—if a particular server is known to have been used for phishing schemes, for instance, Neustar may swoop in and prevent your computer from establishing a connection with that server. This is why DNS lookups are logged in the first place—if your organization’s being targeted, it’s good to know when and from where.
But Durham alleges that Joffe put this data to use in a way that was anything but routine.
“Tech Executive-1 tasked these researchers to mine Internet data to establish ‘an inference’ and ‘narrative’ tying then-candidate Trump to Russia.” In the end, this research bore fruit in the form of a theory of Trump’s ties to Russia—which made its way into the press in the last days of the 2020 campaign—that a “Trump server” was secretly communicating with Russia-based Alfa Bank. (The theory fell apart in days; the “Trump server” in question turned out to have belonged to marketing company Cendyn, which sent marketing emails for Trump hotels.)
In the original indictment of Sussmann, Durham provided an email from Joffe suggesting a motive for his actions: “I was tentatively offered the top [cybersecurity] job by the Democrats when it looked like they’d win. I definitely would not take the job under Trump.”
Whether this sketchy-but-likely-legal behavior persisted beyond the 2016 campaign is unclear. Much of the conservative response to the Durham indictment assumed that the data from the Executive Office of the President Durham mentioned was data from Trump’s presidency; Durham himself seemed to suggest this when he described Sussmann as claiming “that these lookups demonstrated that Trump and/or his associates were using supposedly rare, Russian-made wireless phones in the vicinity of the White House and other locations.”
But Sussmann’s team denied this outright in a subsequent filing, accusing Durham of mischaracterizing the data: “The Special Counsel is well aware that the data provided to Agency-2 pertained only to the period of time before Mr. Trump took office, when Barack Obama was president.” The Sussman filing also heaps scorn on Durham’s “alleged theory that Mr. Sussmann was acting in concert with the Clinton Campaign” in this February 2017 meeting, given that “Mr. Sussmann’s meeting with Agency-2 happened well after the 2016 presidential election, at a time when the Clinton Campaign had effectively ceased to exist.”
Only Durham and his team have the full picture, and their evidence will need to be presented in court. But the special counsel’s filings suggest that Team Clinton didn’t just try to get the FBI on Trump’s trail; they were also doing reconnaissance of their own.
Joffe, a tech executive with non-trivial ties to the Clinton campaign—they shared a lawyer in Sussmann, and Joffe believed he had been offered a tentative position in a Clinton administration—used his position atop a company with extensive government and private-sector contracts to go digging for information on Clinton’s opponent, an effort in which Sussmann was involved and for which (Durham asserts) Sussmann billed his time to the Clinton campaign.
Sussmann also billed to the Clinton campaign his time spent meeting with the reporter who wrote the initial Trump/Alfa Bank story in late October 2016, according to Durham’s indictment.
When that story went public, Clinton leaned into it heavily, tweeting that it “could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow.”
“Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank,” Jake Sullivan, then a senior policy adviser to Clinton, said in a statement at that time. “This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trump’s ties to Russia.”
Worth Your Time
- Matthew Walther has “hardly been a noncombatant” in the culture wars, but he’s wary of sweeping Republicans into office on vague promises of fighting cancel culture and wokeness. “In a representative democracy, politicians are not elected to make us feel better about ourselves or to offer some kind of existential affirmation of our chosen way of life. Nor are they in office to attempt to define the nature and purpose of human existence or to debate first-order questions about natural law and morality,” he writes for The American Conservative. “Instead they are supposed to apply their minds to an ever-expanding number of prudential questions: What should tax rates be? Should we build more bridges? How about the minimum wage? … Validating your feelings is what you ask of a therapist or a kindergarten teacher. If this is all Republican voters actually want, they should schedule a telehealth appointment with someone more qualified than Dr. DeSantis. Otherwise, they should consider the distinct possibility that once again they are being had.”
- The Federal Reserve is all but assured to begin hiking interest rates next month in an effort to rein in runaway inflation, and, although most economists would argue the move is necessary, it doesn’t come without risks. “The argument for moving swifter, sooner has been fueled in part by analogies with the era of Paul Volcker, who chaired the Fed from 1979 to 1987,” Daniel Moss writes for Bloomberg. “Volcker is rightly credited with reining in very high inflation. What’s sometimes glossed over is that he did so by engineering a deep recession. In hindsight, the ends appear to have justified the means. … Are today’s policy makers really prepared to generate this kind of downturn?”
- National security columnist David Ignatius’ latest Washington Post piece provides some useful analysis on what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to accomplish with his renewed appeal to diplomacy this week—fake or not. “Putin has given himself options with this tactical pause. He might extort enough concessions through negotiations to declare victory. Or he could manufacture a pretext—through Russia’s playbook of covert action—to justify launching the invasion, claiming that he had exhausted other possibilities,” he writes. “Putin had seemed convinced a month ago that his ever-intensifying war of nerves over Ukraine was working to Russia’s advantage. But White House officials believe this tactic might be backfiring: Some Russian officials are questioning Putin’s brinkmanship; and Western nations, unsettled by Russian bullying, are rallying around a NATO alliance that appeared depleted just two years ago. … The Kremlin chess master might have recognized that his most valuable assets are at risk—and that even with an intimidating opening, he probably can’t win a long match against a West that appears united against Russian aggression.”
Presented Without Comment
NEW: While jury in Sarah Palin v. NY Times libel case was deliberating this week, jurors got ‘push notifications’ about judge’s plan to toss out suit. Could be fodder for new trial or appeal.
Also Presented Without Comment
More than 4,000 people say they will egg Jeff Bezos’ yacht after the city decided to dismantle a historic bridge in order to allow the yacht to pass.
Toeing the Company Line
- On the site today, Mark Montgomery and Samantha Ravich of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation raise an unsettling prospect: If the U.S. responds to a Russian invasion of Ukraine with crippling economic sanctions, Russia is likely to counter with cyberattacks for which we are likely still unprepared.
- In this week’s Capitolism (🔒), Scott Lincicome takes a look at the history of anti-dumping laws in the United States, and why tariffs on supposedly underpriced imports often end up backfiring. “Our most widely used ‘unfair trade’ law actually has little to do with ‘unfair trade’ at all,” he writes. “And almost everything to do with naked, costly protectionism.”
- Klon Kitchen of the American Enterprise Institute joined Sarah and Steve on Wednesday’s Dispatch Podcast for a discussion of the current Russia-Ukraine stand-off and U.S. national security more broadly. What should we make of the recent cyberattacks against Kyiv? Did the tepid response from the Obama administration to Russian aggression in 2014 embolden Putin? Why have some of the loudest voices on the right moved beyond principled non-interventionism to an embrace of Putin and other authoritarian regimes?
- In light of everything going on up North, Wednesday’s G-File (🔒) focuses on the differences—and similarities—between Canada and the United States. “Canadian anti-Americanism—while at times strident among some radicals and intellectuals—was never profoundly ideological. It was cultural and oppositional,” Jonah writes. “But to the Canadians’ credit, their zagging, like our zigging, was constrained within the cultural confines of Anglosphere liberalism. It’s sort of like the rivalry between New Hampshire and Vermont. They do things differently, and I’m definitely on team New Hampshire, but it’s not like South Korea versus North Korea.”
- Miss this week’s Dispatch Live? Never fear: Dispatch members can watch a replay of the event by clicking here.
Let Us Know
What do you make of the latest developments in the Durham investigation?
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg), Ryan Brown (@RyanP_Brown), Harvest Prude (@HarvestPrude), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
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An essential daily news roundup, TMD includes a brief look at important stories of the day and original reporting and analysis from The Dispatch team, along with recommendations for deeper reading and some much-needed humor in these often fraught times.
32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
33.) THE DAILY WIRE
34.) DESERET NEWS
35.) BRIGHT
36.) AMERICAN THINKER
37.) LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
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KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— More than 20% of the nation’s counties gave 80% or more of its 2-party presidential votes to either Donald Trump or Joe Biden. — Trump won the vast majority of these counties, but because Biden’s blowout counties are much more populous, he got many more votes out of his “super landslide” counties than Trump got out of his. — Trump’s blowouts were concentrated in white, rural counties in the Greater South, Interior West, and Great Plains, while Biden’s were in a smattering of big cities, college towns, and smaller counties with large percentages of heavily Democratic nonwhite voters. The growing number of blowout presidential countiesNearly 15 years ago, journalist Bill Bishop wrote a provocative book entitled The Big Sort. Its thesis was that Americans were increasingly clustering into communities of like-minded folk — by religion, lifestyle, and politics. That clustering, at least at the political level, has only increased since then. In Bishop’s book, presidential elections were the topic of focus, and counties were his unit of study: He used 60% of the major-party vote (Democratic and Republican) to measure landslide victories in increasingly homogeneous terrain. This author bumps up the percentage to “super landslide” proportions, using 80% of the 2-party vote to reflect modern-day “sorting.” A level of 70% or 75% of the vote could have been employed, but 80% was ultimately chosen because it is clearly a one-sided vote — closer to unanimity than 50-50. In this piece, “super landslides,” “blowouts,” “sorted,” and “80% counties” all refer to the same thing: Counties that were won with at least 80% of the major-party (combined Democratic and Republican) vote. In the presidential election of 2004, when incumbent George W. Bush won the popular and electoral vote (the only Republican to do so in the last third of a century), less than 200 of the nation’s 3,100 or so counties (and independent cities) were decided by 80% of the major-party vote. By 2012, when Mitt Romney lost the popular vote to Barack Obama by 4 percentage points — roughly the same margin that Donald J. Trump lost nationwide to Biden in 2020 — the number of “super landslide” counties had crept up to nearly 300. But in 2016, the total of these counties exploded to more than 670, and by 2020 was approaching 700. That translates into 22% of all the nation’s counties. To be sure, the blowout counties in 2020 cast just 8% of the national two-party vote (11.9 million of 155.5 million). But the trend line has been clear for decades now, with more and more of the country, both territorially and population-wise, living in “sorted” counties.” The main catalyst for the recent increase in “blowout” counties has arguably been Trump. He was the major constant in the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020. Yet the former president also has been one of the most polarizing forces in American political history, and there are 2 basic aspects in the rise of super landslide counties that he has affected. One favors Trump and the Republicans; the other, Joe Biden and the Democrats. Table 1 and Figure 1: The dramatic growth in “super landslide” counties
Sources: America Votes 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 (CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE). “Super landslides” — Trump wins more counties, Biden wins more votesThe Republican advantage has been in the rise of “super landslide” counties, fully 95% of which were won in 2016 and 2020 by Trump. In the latter election, the tally of such counties favored the Republican, 653 to Biden’s 32. Yet Trump’s super landslides were almost exclusively in predominantly white rural counties, while the small Biden cadre featured an array of sizeable urban counties with multiracial populations. The result: Trump won his hundreds of 80% counties by an aggregate plurality of 3.2 million votes, while Biden swept his corporal’s guard of 32 super landslide counties by a combined margin of 4.85 million votes. Put another way: Trump’s average plurality in his 80% counties was less than 5,000 votes per county, while Biden’s average victory margin in his 80% counties exceeded 150,000 votes per county, fully 30 times larger than Trump’s average. Trump’s biggest cluster of sorted counties was through the middle of the country, from Texas north to the Dakotas, then spilling west and east respectively into the Mountain West and the South. In 2020, Trump swept a majority of all of the counties in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wyoming by “super landslides,” plus more than 40% of the counties in Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. In some states, the “big sort” was well underway before Trump appeared on the scene. In 2012, Romney carried 83 counties in Texas with at least 80% of the two-party vote. With Trump leading the ticket in 2016, that number swelled a bit to 112. In Kansas, the number of Republican super landslide counties rose from 39 in 2012 to 58 in 2016. Yet there were other states where the explosion of super landslide counties did not come until Trump first ran in 2016. In West Virginia, the number grew from 1 in 2012 to 14 in 2016; in Tennessee, from 0 to 35; and in Missouri, from 0 to 44. Table 2: Trump carries far more counties in 2020 by super landslides, but Biden tallies a lot more votes
Then there is Virginia. In 2012, there was just one jurisdiction in the state won by blowout proportions, the heavily Black city of Petersburg, which Barack Obama carried with 90% of the major-party vote. With Trump on the ballot in 2016, there were 14 jurisdictions in the Old Dominion that were won with at least 80% of the vote, a number split between the 2 parties. In 2016, the breakdown of sorted jurisdictions in Virginia was 8 for Trump and 6 for Hillary Clinton. In 2020, it was 10 for Trump and 6 for Biden. Still, all of Trump’s super landslide counties in 2020 were clustered in Virginia’s lightly populated, mountainous western panhandle, heavily Republican now but once so fiercely competitive that the congressional district was dubbed “the Fighting Ninth.” Meanwhile, Biden’s half-dozen blowout jurisdictions were sprinkled around the state, 3 in suburban Northern Virginia (the city of Alexandria, Arlington Co., and the city of Falls Church), 2 in the Richmond area (the cities of Richmond and Petersburg), plus the city of Charlottesville (home of the University of Virginia). These half-dozen jurisdictions produced a plurality for Biden of nearly 250,000 votes, while the margin in Trump’s 10 super landslide counties was barely 70,000. In short, the 80% counties helped to build Biden’s advantage in Virginia considerably (450,000 votes statewide). Most of the counties on Trump’s nationwide blowout list in 2020 were small in population and not readily recognizable by name. Yet the number did include Russell County, Kansas, where Bob Dole was born and raised; Harlan County, Kentucky, known as “Bloody Harlan” for the violent labor unrest that took place there when the coal industry was vibrant; and Rhea County (Dayton), Tennessee, where the legendary Scopes Trial was held in 1925 featuring William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow doing battle over the teaching of evolution in the schools. Compared to Trump’s strength in rural white America, Biden’s small array of super landslide counties in 2020 was rather eclectic. There were small, heavily Black counties in the Deep South, such as Macon County, Alabama (Tuskegee); predominantly Native American counties in the Upper Midwest; and academic-oriented communities such as Charlottesville, Virginia. But what provided clout to Biden’s small number of super landslide counties was the large volume of votes in many of them. Just 2 of the 653 Trump “blowout” counties in 2020 had a combined Democratic and Republican vote in excess of 50,000. On the Biden side, the combined two-party vote exceeded 100,000 in 21 of his 80% counties, including 4 where the combined Democratic and Republican vote surpassed 500,000 votes. They were Alameda County (Oakland and Berkeley), California; suburban Montgomery County, Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.; New York County (Manhattan), New York.; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Table 3: Distribution of Trump and Biden “super landslide” counties in 2020
Basically, the rise in super landslide counties has made red states such as those in the American heartland redder and blue states such as California, New York, and others on the 2 coasts bluer. On the other hand, of the 5 battleground states that switched from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, 2 — Arizona and Michigan — did not have a single 80% county. Wisconsin had one: Menominee, a small, predominantly Native American county northwest of Green Bay. However, in Pennsylvania and Georgia, the 80% counties were a larger factor, and in both states, these counties produced margins that were critical in pushing Biden to victory. In Pennsylvania, there were 5 “blowout” counties in 2020: 4 rural ones carried by Trump by a combined margin of barely 37,000 votes, and vote-rich Philadelphia, which Biden took by more than 470,000 votes. The Democrat’s margin of victory in the Keystone State was a little over 80,000 votes. Meanwhile, Georgia had 27 “blowout” counties in 2020, 25 that were won by Trump and gave him an aggregate plurality of nearly 200,000 votes. Yet they were trumped by the Biden margins in 2 predominantly Black “super landslide” counties in the Atlanta area, Clayton and DeKalb. Combined, they gave Biden a plurality of nearly 330,000 votes, more than enough to enable him to win Georgia by the now famous margin of 11,779 votes. Table 4 and Map 1: “Super landslide” counties in 2020 by state
Source: America Votes 34 (CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE). What’s next?The subtitle of Bishop’s The Big Sort, was “Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart.” There are many Americans who agree with that negative assessment. For the first few decades after World War II, there were no culture wars of note. Democrats and Republicans could live side-by-side as neighbors, participating amicably in the same activities. But, Bishop notes, that began to change in the mid-1960s, with a string of violent events that rocked the nation and started the movement of voters into hostile camps. There was the unsettling national trauma produced by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, the escalation of the Vietnam War (magnified by the national draft and a casualty count that grew into the tens of thousands), and racial unrest that affected cities across the country. The nation began to divide culturally and politically. Basically, on one side were pro-war, working-class “hard hats,” who wore their patriotism on their sleeves. On the other side were white-collar voters who were more questioning of the war and more sympathetic to the increasingly active civil rights movement. Once a backbone of the Democratic Party, many blue-collar voters began an inexorable movement toward the GOP, while a number of more affluent voters, once a linchpin of the Republican Party, began to find themselves more comfortable with the Democrats. As the years unfolded, other social issues such as abortion were added to the mix, and the “big sort” gained traction. Will that trend continue to grow in 2024, especially if Trump is not on the November ballot? He arguably was the prime catalyst for the dramatic increase in 80% counties in the last two presidential elections, both among Republicans and Democrats. The Republican tally of super landslide counties jumped from 274 in 2012 to 653 in 2020, while the Democratic number of largely vote-rich jurisdictions increased from 24 to 32 over that same 8-year span. With Trump in the race in 2024, there is apt to be a continuation of our modern-day “era of bad feelings.” But without Trump, the 2024 campaign may be the first since 2012 not conducted on a razor’s edge, engulfed in enmity and vitriol, with voters tethered to one side or the other. Maybe, just maybe, the “big sort” 2 years hence may no longer be growing. Tables 5 and 6: Leading Trump, Biden counties in 2020 by percentage of 2-party vote
Sources: America Votes 32 and 34 (CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE), which includes the official county-by-county presidential vote in 2016 and 2020, respectively.
Read the fine printLearn more about the Crystal Ball and find out how to contact us here. Sign up to receive Crystal Ball e-mails like this one delivered straight to your inbox. Use caution with Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and remember: “He who lives by the Crystal Ball ends up eating ground glass!” |
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© Copyright by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia |
38.) THE BLAZE
39.) THE FEDERALIST
40.) REUTERS
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41.) FIRST RIGHT
February 17th, 2022
02/17/2022 05:09 CDT
FDA CHIEF OUTLINES COZY ARRANGEMENT WITH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES; VOTERS TILTING TOWARD REPUBLICANS
TODAY’S TOP TEN
MORE VACCINES COMING, FDA EXEC SAYS
FDA EXECUTIVE SAYS ON HIDDEN CAMERA that yearly COVID shots will be mandatory for all Americans, including toddlers. American Greatness.
BIDEN’S MISERY INDEX ON THE RISE as Americans are pessimistic about country’s future. Just the News.
REPUBLICANS LEAD DEMOCRATS by double digits in latest congressional ballot question, Trafalgar says. Breitbart.
PARENTS SEND CLEAR MESSAGE TO LEFT-WING school board members in San Francisco by booting them from office. TheBlaze.
JEN PSAKI REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS on bombshell Durham report. Daily Wire.
LAWSUIT CLAIMS MICHIGAN ELECTION CHIEF illegally accepted Zuckerberg money to swing 2020 election. Just the News.
ARIZONA LAWMAKERS MOVE CLOSER to return to paper ballots, hand counts. The Center Square.
CNN PUBLISHES SPONSORED ARTICLE by Chinese state media promoting Olympics. Mediate.
DEMOCRAT-LED HOUSE WAS IN SESSION for just 14 days during first two months of 2022. Just the News.
IRS BACKLOG HITS 24 MILLION RETURNS, further imperiling the 2022 tax filing season. MSN.
If you’d like to share First Right with a friend, text FIRSTRIGHT (all caps, no spaces) to 30161
COMMENTARY WORTH READING
- “Legitimate political discourse” is latest media hoax. Frank Miele.
- Let Joe Rogan speak. John Stossel.
- There was no exit plan from “slow the spread.” Robert Blumen.
VIDEO WORTH WATCHING
- Media repeatedly lied about spying on Trump. Media Research Center.
- David Perdue: Brian Kemp “caved” to Stacey Abrams in 2020. Real Clear Politics.
- Man kicked off flight because he had a “Let’s Go Brandon” mask. Rumble.
LATEST FIRST RIGHT PODCAST
- An interview with esteemed Dr. Peter McCullough. Rumble.
OFFBEAT BEAT
- The 55 best road trips in America. Jeff Bogle.
TWEETS OF NOTE
- (@DbootyNabber) The truth is @NikkiFried wants freedom for her constituents, but gulag for conservatives. Tweet.
- (@DavidLimbaugh) I see people all the time wearing masks outside in the open air, and in their cars. It’s as if it is fully part of their identity now — an invisible, collectivist, non-identity identity. Tweet.
MOST CLICKED ITEM YESTERDAY
- WHISTLEBLOWER PROVIDES MORE EVIDENCE of vote-counting disarray in Pennsylvania 2020 election. The Federalist.
BONGINO REPORT TOP HEADLINE AT TIME OF EMAIL
- Crooked Hillary Responds to Durham Revelations BONGINO REPORT.
42.) ARRA NEWS SERVICE
43.) REDSTATE
44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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45.) MSNBC
46.) BIZPAC REVIEW
47.) ABC
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
49.) NBC FIRST READ
50.) CBS
51.) REASON
52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER
54.) TOWNHALL
55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY
57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG
59.) SARA A. CARTER
60.) TWITCHY
61.) HOT AIR
62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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63.) AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH
64.) NATIONAL REVIEW
65.) POLITICAL WIRE
66.) RASMUSSEN REPORTS
67.) ZEROHEDGE
68.) GATEWAY PUNDIT
69.) FRONTPAGE MAG
70.) HOOVER INSTITUTE
71.) DAILY INTELLIGENCE BRIEF
72.) FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
73.) POPULIST PRESS
An incredibly significant ruling regarding former President Donald Trump has been issued by the Washington, D.C., Superior Court. This is in a case brought by the Attorney General of the District of Columbia.
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TOP STORIES:
-
Federal Judge Delivers Devastating Ruling To Trump
-
Giuliani drops bombshell, about ‘1,000 pieces of evidence’ he has stashed…
- Democrats Just Received Horrible News About Biden…
-
Another CNN Executive Is Fired After Being Being Caught…
- CDC Finally Admits To Huge Lie…
- THEY’RE WITH HER… COVERUP IN PROGRESS
- Trump Shares PERFECT Message in First Post on Truth Social…
- Freedom Trucker Hack Revealed Where 40% of Donations Came From
-
Trump Just Released an Ominous Message…
- Biden Suffers Humiliating Moment — Shows What’s Really Wrong
- Trump Reveals the Very Moment He Knew Dems Were Spying on Him
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HILLARY HEALTH EXCLUSIVE
- Tucker Carlson opening statement…
- Hillary Confronted On Her Spying, Her Response Says Everything
- Clinton Attorney Makes Insane Demand Of Court After Durham Report
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IN DEPTH…
|
- Why Have So Many Journalists Become Captive Propagandists? New
- Fed signals ‘faster’ interest rate hikes likely as inflation soars to 40-year high New
- Biden Admin Defies Court Again on Oil 1 hour ago
- Klobuchar blocks resolution to reopen Capitol 1 hour ago
- Clintonworld takeover of BLM 2 hours ago
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- Durham Findings ‘Make Watergate a Parking Citation’ 2 hours ago
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- CIA’s Secret Mass Surveillance Program 2 hours ago
- Oil: ‘Most Unfavorable Regulatory Environment’ 2 hours ago
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- YouTube CEO wants Control Over Speech 2 hours ago
- BLM’s Accounting Tricks Delay Disclosure 2 hours ago
- On Free Speech, America Is Out-China’ing China 3 hours ago
- Biden Admin Requests $30B for COVID Response 4 hours ago
- LA County Eases Outdoor Mask Mandate 4 hours ago
- Judge Blocks Boston Vax Mandate 4 hours ago
- “A Recurring Fountain Of Revenue”: FDA Exec Admits Biden Planning Annual Shots… New
- AZ Lawmakers: Return to Paper Ballots 2 hours ago
- Manchin: Midterm SCOTUS vacancy = No 2 hours ago
- Repubs help confirm Biden FDA nom 2 hours ago
- Durham probe will undermine Biden 3 hours ago
- Navy’s first F‑35C deployment 3 hours ago
- Quantum Future of Naval Warfare 3 hours ago
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- ‘Asia vs. Europe’ Is False Policy Choice 3 hours ago
- Navy’s New Attack Submarine 3 hours ago
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- Trump: DOJ declassify Trump-Russia probe records 3 hours ago
- Pelosi Backpedals on Spouse Stock Trades 3 hours ago
- NZ PM to crack down on Freedom Convoy 3 hours ago
- AZ Senate Passes Ban on Abortion 3 hours ago
- Judge Blocks Air Force Vax Discharges 3 hours ago
- China Locks Down City of 10+ Million 3 hours ago
- El Salvador’s Pres Nails Canada’s Cred 3 hours ago
- Lib Media Told Us ‘No Spying’ on Trump 3 hours ago
- Tucker Carlson opening statement… 3 hours ago
- Military 6 million hours on climate, diversity 3 hours ago
- Russia/China Alliance Cyber Threat 3 hours ago
- 73% of Dems: Teachers’ Unions Supersede Parents 3 hours ago
- Trevor Noah Can’t Touch Greg Gutfeld 3 hours ago
- Is Russell Brand the New Joe Rogan? 3 hours ago
- MSNBC Finally Covers Durham Filing 3 hours ago
- Sussmann wants Durham filing stricken 3 hours ago
- 17 Reps Want More Foreign Workers 3 hours ago
- CNN HISTORIC LOWS 3 hours ago
- NYC mayor: Media racist cuz he is black 3 hours ago
- Biden Unveils ‘Historic’ Green Initiatives 3 hours ago
- Musk Sold $22B in Tesla Stock 3 hours ago
- Virgin Galactic spaceflight ticket sales 3 hours ago
- Soaring Lumber Prices = +$19k to New Homes 3 hours ago
- Taco Bell Targets $20B in Annual Rev 3 hours ago
- Biden orders release of Trump visitor logs 3 hours ago
- P.J. O’Rourke’s 25 Best Quotes 3 hours ago
- Top Repub to combat supply chain probs 3 hours ago
- State Dept on Defense Over Iran Talks 4 hours ago
- Seattle’s Soda Tax Backfired Spectacularly 4 hours ago
- GOP picks up council seat in Dem town 4 hours ago
- Miami Beach traffic stops = MAGA merch 4 hours ago
- Human Smuggling Ring Led by Marines 4 hours ago
- NBC nearly mum on China abuses 4 hours ago
- USA slips in medal count again 4 hours ago
- World Bank economist: Debt dangers 4 hours ago
- Inflation Getting Even Hotter 4 hours ago
- Fed Missed It. Recession Coming? 4 hours ago
- POSTER FOR DISNEY CANNIBALISM MOVIE 4 hours ago
- Unlikely Woes Hold Up Home Building 4 hours ago
- Truckers: Canada eyes ‘no-go’ zones 4 hours ago
- Countries virus divide: Open or stay closed 4 hours ago
- Man attacks APPLEBEE’S emp w cleaver over jab 4 hours ago
- Study: Possible reason for long Covid 4 hours ago
- WORLD SICK MAP… 4 hours ago
- Cyberattacks hit Ukrainian govt, banks 4 hours ago
- Wrong word baptisms — Church: 1000s invalid 4 hours ago
- Canada Goes Tyrannical 11 hours ago
- New Video Reveals Biden’s Contempt for Borders, American People 11 hours ago
- States Must Follow Florida’s Lead on Combating Fatherhood Crisis to Rebuild Strong American Families 11 hours ago
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TOP STORIES:
-
Federal Judge Delivers Devastating Ruling To Trump
-
Giuliani drops bombshell, about ‘1,000 pieces of evidence’ he has stashed…
- Chris Cuomo Hit With Insane Sexual Assault Bombshell
-
Hillary Just Gave Shocking Response To Durham Probe
- Democrats Just Received Horrible News About Biden…
-
Another CNN Executive Is Fired After Being Being Caught…
- CDC Finally Admits To Huge Lie…
- THEY’RE WITH HER… COVERUP IN PROGRESS
- Trump Shares PERFECT Message in First Post on Truth Social…
- Freedom Trucker Hack Revealed Where 40% of Donations Came From
-
Trump Just Released an Ominous Message…
- Biden Suffers Humiliating Moment — Shows What’s Really Wrong
- Trump Reveals the Very Moment He Knew Dems Were Spying on Him
-
HILLARY HEALTH EXCLUSIVE
- Tucker Carlson opening statement…
- Hillary Confronted On Her Spying, Her Response Says Everything
- Clinton Attorney Makes Insane Demand Of Court After Durham Report
|
IN DEPTH…
|
- Why Have So Many Journalists Become Captive Propagandists? New
- Fed signals ‘faster’ interest rate hikes likely as inflation soars to 40-year high New
- Biden Admin Defies Court Again on Oil 1 hour ago
- Klobuchar blocks resolution to reopen Capitol 1 hour ago
- Clintonworld takeover of BLM 2 hours ago
- Abbott To Use Surplus Border Wall Panels 2 hours ago
- Midterms: Dems warned to deny backing ‘amnesty’ 2 hours ago
- Durham Findings ‘Make Watergate a Parking Citation’ 2 hours ago
- Pentagon: Socialism Can Help Combat China 2 hours ago
- CIA’s Secret Mass Surveillance Program 2 hours ago
- Oil: ‘Most Unfavorable Regulatory Environment’ 2 hours ago
- Bomb charges dropped against antifa member 2 hours ago
- YouTube CEO wants Control Over Speech 2 hours ago
- BLM’s Accounting Tricks Delay Disclosure 2 hours ago
- On Free Speech, America Is Out-China’ing China 3 hours ago
- Biden Admin Requests $30B for COVID Response 4 hours ago
- LA County Eases Outdoor Mask Mandate 4 hours ago
- Judge Blocks Boston Vax Mandate 4 hours ago
- “A Recurring Fountain Of Revenue”: FDA Exec Admits Biden Planning Annual Shots… New
- AZ Lawmakers: Return to Paper Ballots 2 hours ago
- Manchin: Midterm SCOTUS vacancy = No 2 hours ago
- Repubs help confirm Biden FDA nom 2 hours ago
- Durham probe will undermine Biden 3 hours ago
- Navy’s first F‑35C deployment 3 hours ago
- Quantum Future of Naval Warfare 3 hours ago
- What’s going on in Ukraine? 3 hours ago
- ‘Asia vs. Europe’ Is False Policy Choice 3 hours ago
- Navy’s New Attack Submarine 3 hours ago
- Border Caucus seeks meet with ICE, CBP 3 hours ago
- Trump: DOJ declassify Trump-Russia probe records 3 hours ago
- Pelosi Backpedals on Spouse Stock Trades 3 hours ago
- NZ PM to crack down on Freedom Convoy 3 hours ago
- AZ Senate Passes Ban on Abortion 3 hours ago
- Judge Blocks Air Force Vax Discharges 3 hours ago
- China Locks Down City of 10+ Million 3 hours ago
- El Salvador’s Pres Nails Canada’s Cred 3 hours ago
- Lib Media Told Us ‘No Spying’ on Trump 3 hours ago
- Tucker Carlson opening statement… 3 hours ago
- Military 6 million hours on climate, diversity 3 hours ago
- Russia/China Alliance Cyber Threat 3 hours ago
- 73% of Dems: Teachers’ Unions Supersede Parents 3 hours ago
- Trevor Noah Can’t Touch Greg Gutfeld 3 hours ago
- Is Russell Brand the New Joe Rogan? 3 hours ago
- MSNBC Finally Covers Durham Filing 3 hours ago
- Sussmann wants Durham filing stricken 3 hours ago
- 17 Reps Want More Foreign Workers 3 hours ago
- CNN HISTORIC LOWS 3 hours ago
- NYC mayor: Media racist cuz he is black 3 hours ago
- Biden Unveils ‘Historic’ Green Initiatives 3 hours ago
- Musk Sold $22B in Tesla Stock 3 hours ago
- Virgin Galactic spaceflight ticket sales 3 hours ago
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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL
75.) BLACKLISTED NEWS
76.) THE DAILY DOT
77.) HEADLINE USA
78.) NATURAL NEWS
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79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) BLACKPRESSUSA
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
Thursday 02.17.22 There’s one thing we can all agree on — none of us are pumped up about rising gas prices. But experts are warning that $5 a gallon may soon be the norm for people living on the West Coast. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. A Ukrainian serviceman carries an anti-tank weapon during military exercises this week. Ukraine
Russian forces along Ukraine’s borders have increased by about 7,000 troops in recent days, despite claims from Moscow it was pulling back military units. That is according to a senior US administration official, who warned President Vladimir Putin’s public openness to diplomacy was a guise. New estimates indicate Russia now has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine. Western leaders have previously expressed skepticism about Moscow’s assertion it was sending some troops back to base, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview Wednesday that there is “a difference between what Russia says and what it does.” Separately, Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this weekend to discuss new ways the US and allies can possibly deter Russia from an invasion. Coronavirus
The US government plans to make high-quality masks available for kids, a senior adviser to the White House told CNN yesterday. The move appears to be an extension of the Biden administration’s ongoing effort to distribute 400 million free N95 masks from the Strategic National Stockpile for the public to access at pharmacies and community health centers nationwide. About 230 million of those masks have already been delivered to those locations. Last month, the federal government began distribution of 1 billion free Covid-19 tests directly to households. More than 50 million households have already received their tests, and millions more are on the way, officials said. Government shutdown
US lawmakers have less than two days to pass a short-term funding extension to avoid a government shutdown on Friday. It remains unclear when the Senate will vote on the continuing resolution, which would keep the government open by extending funding through March 11. Discussions about the measure are being delayed by some Republicans who are making demands tied to the vote. A group of six conservative senators specifically said they would oppose the expedited passage of the resolution unless they get a vote to defund the remaining vaccine mandates the Biden administration imposed. Complicating matters further, some Democrats are absent due to personal and family reasons, causing concern the party may be short of votes needed to defeat the Republican amendments. Brazil
At least 94 people have died in the Brazilian mountain city of Petropolis after heavy rains triggered landslides that washed out streets, swept away cars and buried homes, local officials said yesterday. The city, located in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, had more rain in one afternoon than the historical average for the entire month of February, the Civil Defense of Rio said. The department also declared a state of public calamity. More people are missing, but it’s unclear how many at this time, Rio officials said. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on a trip to Russia, said he had spoken to ministers and asked for “immediate assistance” to be sent to the victims. No-fly list
Several major US airlines are asking the federal government to create a coordinated “no-fly list” for violent and disruptive passengers, but their request is being met by pushback from GOP lawmakers. A group of Republican senators is arguing the mandate would seemingly equate unruly passengers to terrorists “who seek to actively take the lives of Americans and perpetrate attacks on the homeland,” the senators wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week. While airlines may ban an unruly passenger from their own flights, competition rules mean that information is not shared with other carriers, so unruly individuals can easily fly on different carriers after violent or disruptive incidents. Nearly 500 unruly passenger incidents have been reported in the first six weeks of 2022, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration, and 80 incidents have been referred to the Justice Department to consider criminal prosecution. Paid Partner Content Meet “The Greatest Hoodie Ever Made” American Giant’s Classic Full Zip was built with exceptional quality and comfort in mind – made locally and built to last. Save 20% with code 5THINGS.
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NASA’s newest explorer shared its very first images This is what an exploding star looks like. So crazy.
Most remote workers don’t want to go back to the office Home sweet office! Nearly 60% of US workers want to continue working from home when the pandemic is over.
AMC movie theaters wants to sell its popcorn at retail stores Not to be corny, but I’m glad this idea popped into their minds… movies at home would be so much butter with this!
Uber now lets you see how many 1-star ratings you received from drivers Don’t be down if you have a couple of low ratings. There’s always next ride! Olympics update
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is expected to take to the ice today for her free skate. The 15-year-old is at the center of a doping scandal as officials work to determine whether her team broke any rules following her positive drug test.
Follow the latest news and highlights from the Winter Olympics here. $53 billion That’s how much revenue America’s gambling industry rolled in last year. That figure breaks the previous record from 2019 by more than 20%, making 2021 the highest-grossing year ever. Despite some restrictions related to Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, gambling surged mainly due to massive increases in sports betting, online gambling and traditional gaming at casinos. Big Tech has brazenly failed children and betrayed its trust, putting profits above safety.
— Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, pushing for a new bill called the Kids Online Safety Act, which aims to curb the potentially harmful impacts of social media on young people. The bipartisan legislation proposes tech companies would have to provide settings for families to protect their kids from harmful content, and those settings would have to be enabled by default. The legislation, would also force social media companies to publish annual third-party audits outlining the risks of their platforms for minors. Bali Paradise Sponsor Content by Noom Start Your New Health Journey Today Noom’s revolutionary approach to weight loss allows you to achieve lasting results by helping you to make healthier choices. Build a sustainable health routine with Noom.
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
85.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – WAKE UP EDITION
86.) THE PATRIOT POST
87.) DECISION DESK HQ
88.) DIGG
89.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – LUNCH BREAK
90.) CONSERVATIVE TRIBUNE
91.) USA TODAY
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92.) THE DAILY BEAST
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93.) JUST THE NEWS
94.) SHARYL ATTKISSON
95.) RIGHTWING.ORG
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96.) NOT THE BEE
97.) US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
98.) NEWSMAX
99.) MARK LEVIN
February 16, 2022
On Wednesday’s Mark Levin Show, put yourself in Taiwan’s shoes, what would you do? What did another tiny country like Israel do? You stay on offense and don’t wait to react to an incoming attack. Ukraine’s military is way smaller than Russia’s and they are not equipped to retaliate if attacked. Perhaps, these little countries should attack smaller targets within their enemy’s larger territory and not wait for the slaughter of their people. Then, many immigrants reject Marxism. Whether it’s Hispanics or Asians an increasing number of immigrants are voting Republican and standing up against the tyranny of the left. These San Francisco patriots led a recall on school board members and won by an overwhelming margin. Later, why is the government of Canada imposing vaccine mandates on truckers when they’re being lifted in the most leftwing cities in America? What’s going on in Canada is the disintegration of freedom. Afterward, the CEO of YouTube says that they will implement the government’s laws on censoring speech online. Jen Psaki still won’t answer questions about the unauthorized surveillance (spying) of President Trump. Finally, Congressman Lee Zeldin calls in to discuss his campaign for Governor of New York.
THIS IS FROM:
CNBC
As the Russia-Ukraine crisis unfolds, China and Taiwan are watching
Politico
San Francisco school board members ousted in parental backlash
AL
Katie Britt leads fundraising in Alabama Senate race with $5 million in contributions
NY Post
Hillary Clinton finally breaks silence, calls John Durham claims ‘fake scandal’
Rumble
YouTube CEO Wants Governments To Pass Laws to ‘Have More Control over Online Speech’
The podcast for this show can be streamed or downloaded from the Audio Rewind page.
Image used with permission of Getty Images / Alexei Druzhinin
100.) WOLF DAILY
101.) THE GELLER REPORT
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102.) CNS
103.) MISES INSTITUTE
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104.) INDEPENDENT SENTINEL
Ottawa is heating up.
McConnell is going to surrender.
Leftist confesses to hacking GiveSendGo.
Trucker responds to the freezing of his accounts.
Despot Trudeau once fought for farmers who took over a capital. They were leftist farmers.
7K doctors don’t get residencies each year because 10K foreigners get them with tax dollars.
Fascist Canadian journalist wants violence to get the truckers out of Ottawa.
Ottawa Police Gearing Up to Become Violent, Lawyer Calls for Canadians to Get to OttawaThe truckers’ legal representative explains that truckers are not violating the law by protesting but the police appear to be gearing up to become violent. They will be enacting an… | |
Massive McConnell Surrender Coming with $30 Million for Vax MandatesEvery time Biden is about to sink, McConnell steps in to save him. Biden was crashing when McConnell helped pass the $1.2 trillion ‘infrastructure’ package with the assistance of his… | |
Russians Mock US Over Setting the Date of the InvasionRussia’s a brutal enemy to have, especially when the US has such awful leadership. They are getting a lot of mileage out of the Biden administration absurdly setting a date… | |
16 GOP Governors Ask Biden to Reinstate Vaccine Waivers for TruckersThe vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers, who are isolated in their trucks, began in the United States. Figurehead President Biden contacted Justin Trudeau and asked him to institute the mandate… | |
Top Staffer Fired for a $100 Trucker Donation & Leftists Stirring Up Trouble in OttawaA top staffer for Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones was made to step away from her work after it was discovered that she donated $100 to the freedom convoy protests… | |
Raging Leftist Confesses to Hacking GiveSendGo-Worked for US DoD Last Year?Steve Oatley, the host of Wake Up America, said that the man who says he hacked GiveSendGo, Aubrey Cottle, claimed to have worked as a contractor for the U.S. DoD… | |
73% of US Military Polled by Tactical Gear: Biden Can’t Handle a Russia ConflictTacticalGear sells military gear to military personnel, and they recently surveyed over 1,500 of their military customers on the developing situation between Russia and Ukraine. Here’s some of what they… | |
Hillary Responds to Spy Scandal With Usual Right-Wing Conspiracy PlaybookHillary Clinton finally responded to the fake Alpha Bank-Russiagate story that is swimming all around her and involves her closest allies including, the lawyers at Perkins Coie and Jake Sullivan… | |
Geraldo Argues with Hannity Over “Thuggish” Canadian TruckersNo-nothing Geraldo, who once spent a week opening an empty safe on air, lied about the truckers on air. It’s what gets him airtime since he has nothing else going… | |
Trucker Responds as Fascist Canadian Rulers Freeze Bank AccountsFascistic dictator Justin Trudeau and his sketchy finance minister have indeed frozen the accounts of the Ottawa trucker protesters. At least one journalist called the plan “brilliant.” If he gets… | |
DHS Doubles Down on Linking Terrorism to Free SpeechIn a recent terror bulletin, DHS tied domestic terrorism to free speech and protests. No such connection was made during Antifa and Black Lives Matter protests. DHS Counterterrorism Coordinator John… | |
Mayor Eric Adams Is Unhappy with White [Crackas?] ReportersThe new mayor of New York City is busy firing city workers and attempting to loosen crime laws. He wanted judges to be banned from holding people pre-trial because of… | |
Sussman indictment: “expose every trick we have in our bag” to make a “weak” link to Trump and RussiaTwo Georgia Tech researchers were mentioned in the recent indictment of a Hillary campaign lawyer who orchestrated a spying operation against Donald Trump. The trivial information they gathered was then… | |
Discipline Breaking Down in the Air Force, No More Clean-Cut or ClassyThe Pentagon’s new “Diversity Rules” allow scalp tattoos and beards. Can cross-dressing be far away? We are a nation in decline and it’s no more obvious than in the Marxist… | |
Truckers Warned of Imminent Arrests If They Don’t LeaveOttawa Police have given notices to the truckers camped out in the city to leave immediately or face arrest. Some have had their accounts seized. They likely all will. ARREST… | |
BLM Newspaper Columnist, Anti-Gun Dem Commie Tries to Kill Dem CandidateA BLM newspaper columnist named Quintez Brown, who was actively anti-gun, tried to kill a Democrat running for office. He touts revolutionary communism and wants to defund the police. He… | |
7K U.S. Doctors Sidelined Yearly by Foreigners in Taxpayer-Funded ResidenciesEvery year, more than 7,000 American citizens and green card-holders lose out on United States taxpayer-funded residencies to foreign nationals, according to bombshell congressional testimony. Kevin Lynn with Doctors Without… | |
Tyrannizer Trudeau Once Supported Farmers Clogging Roads in a Capitalby N & M Remember when Canadian PM Trudeau supported a massive protest that shut down a nation’s capital? The NY Times remembered and called out the hypocrisy. JUSTIN THE… | |
Shocking Fascism from a Canadian Journalist (audio), Neo-Nazis, and Burning ChurchesJournalist James Mennie is calling for a fascist approach and violence to deal with the truckers. He laughed at the thought of the suffering that will follow them when the… | |
Insane Video! Hundreds of Shots Fired as Truck Rams Police Cars Over and OverThis is truly an insane video as a driver rams police cars and a private vehicle. One vehicle went down a steep embankment and landed on a police officer. He… |
105.) DC CLOTHESLINE
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106.) ARTICLE V LEGISLATORS’ CAUCUS
107.) CIVIL DEADLINE
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108.) SONS OF LIBERTY
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109.) STARS & STRIPES
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110.) RIGHT & FREE
111.) UNITED VOICE
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112.) THE DAILY SHAPIRO
113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES
114.) WAKING TIMES
115.) UNCOVER DC
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116.) DC DIRTY LAUNDRY