Sunburn — The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics — 8.27.21 - Florida Politics

Good Friday morning.

ICYMI — Dr. Scott Rivkees is exiting the Ron DeSantis administration.

Florida's phantom surgeon general is on his way out the door.

Scott Rivkees, we hardly knew you. Literally. Image via WLRN.

Rivkees will leave his position when his contract is up on Sept. 20

"We thank Dr. Rivkees for his meaningful work during the most challenging pandemic of our lifetime. We appreciate his service to the people of Florida and wish him the best in his future endeavors," DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw said in a statement provided after Florida Politics first reported the news about Rivkees leaving..

A pediatric physician, Rivkees' selection for Surgeon General in 2019 was panned due to his lack of public health knowledge.

Rivkees was largely absent from public view throughout the pandemic. One of the few appearances he made was noteworthy only because he was yanked from a panel for suggesting social distancing would last for up to a year.

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First in #FlaPol — A new ad from The Lincoln Project takes aim at DeSantis for his failure to keep Florida children safe. "Pro-Life" shows a series of empty school buses and hallways, featuring headlines such as "Florida leads the nation in kids hospitalized for COVID." The 60-second spot ends by quoting DeSantis: "Florida got it right, and the lockdown states got it wrong."

"As the man Fox News has chosen to replace Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis is the perfect example of the modern Republican: he doesn't believe in local control, he doesn't believe in science, and he's indifferent the lives of the people who he governs," says Rick Wilson, the political consultant and author who co-founded The Lincoln Project. "Thousands of Floridians may die unnecessarily, including a tragic number of children and young adults, but hey at least he's 'owning the libs.'"

The ad is set to debut today in the Tallahassee market.

To watch "Pro-Life," click on the image below:

___

Just off embargo — Former Joe Biden campaign financial adviser Alicia Pardo is joining Nikki Fried's bid for Florida Governor as the lead finance consultant.

"This is the most important Governor's race in the country," Pardo said in a statement. "We are going to raise whatever it takes to beat Gov. DeSantis and end two decades of one-party control of state government."

Pardo most recently served as Biden's Southeast Regional Finance Director, managing a team of seven financial staffers to oversee nine states and two territories — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

High-profile campaign adviser Alicia Pardo is joining Nikki Fried's campaign as a lead finance consultant.

In all, the high-profile political veteran helped raise than $55 million in the region for the Biden for President, Biden Victory Fund, and other affiliated committees. Pardo also played a role for the 59th Presidential Inaugural Committee, where she raised funds from individual and corporate donors in the Southeast.

"We are thrilled Alicia is joining our campaign," Fried said. "We are building the most talented, diverse, and ambitious campaign team in Florida history because that's what it's going to take to win."

In addition to her work on the Biden campaign, Pardo served on several Democratic campaigns, including as a senior adviser to Sen. José Javier Rodríguez's reelection effort.

___

Breaking overnight — "Supreme Court throws out Joe Biden administration eviction moratorium" via Tierney Sneed of CNN —"Congress was on notice that a further extension would almost surely require new legislation, yet it failed to act in the several weeks leading up to the moratorium's expiration," the court wrote in an unsigned, eight-page opinion. "If a federally imposed eviction moratorium is to continue, Congress must specifically authorize it," the court said. The three liberal justices dissented publicly, citing the spike in COVID-19 cases and the delta variant.

___

Lee Health's Michael Nachef gives back with 'Clips for Cancer' — Nachef, the vice president of government relations at Lee Health, is participating in the Clips for Cancer challenge to support "Barbara's Friends," the Golisano Children's Hospital Cancer Fund. The fund, part of the Lee Health Foundation, helps with the needs of patients and families. He's shaving his head on Sept. 3 for the cause, hoping to raise $10,000 to support Barbara's Friends. Before heading to Lee Health back in 2016, Nachef spent six years as a legislative assistant to Sen. Garrett Richter. For more info on the Clips for Cancer fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/michaelnachef.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@Stengel: In the not-too-distant future, historians will look at this withdrawal as one of the most successful in history. It is already one of the largest airlifts ever.

—@GovRonDeSantis: Casey and I are praying for the families of the fallen U.S. Marines and for the safety of our service members, fellow citizens, and Afghan allies in Kabul. Our troops are doing heroic work under dangerous circumstances, and they deserve our continued admiration.

—@MarcoRubio: Coordination with the Taliban was a colossal mistake. We have Americans stranded, our forces under siege at the airport & even more sinister terror plots in the works. @POTUS must now implement a new evacuation strategy, or more horror lies ahead

—@ToledoforTampa: My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the service members and Afghan civilians we lost today in Afghanistan. I am proud to represent many of the men and women who serve and work at CENTCOM and SOCOM. May God Bless them, their families and our great Nation.

Tweet, tweet:

—@TLHElderLaw: The "nut-free" classroom issue is an interesting comparison to school mask mandates. A parent is not allowed to send a child to school with items in their lunches that may contain nuts for the protection of a classmate who may be allergic to nuts

—@MichelleTodd: This is terrifying. Oxygen was crucial to my recovery from a non-COVID-related medical emergency last month. Without it, I wouldn't be here. Tell me again how your refusal to get vaccinated doesn't impact anyone other than yourself.

—@Shantsi2: So … the Jonas Brothers (along with Daily's Place) are the latest to defy Gov. Ron DeSantis.

—@SenJanetCruz: Here's to the women who created equality by necessity. Women like my Mom, Gracie, who was the first woman to work in a Port Tampa gypsum plant and spent 15 years there. 15 years of hard hats, steel toe boots, & 10-12 hr days supporting her family as a single mom.

—@JulieKBrown: This is the "new" world of distorted journalism. I guess This reporter (Javier Manjarres) didn't read the follow- up — because I clarified this (I'm not a lawyer), but the journalist didn't even email or call me btw.

Tweet, tweet:

— DAYS UNTIL —

Boise vs. UCF — 6; Disney's 'Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings' premieres — 7; Notre Dame at FSU — 9; NFL regular season begins — 13; Bucs home opener — 13; California Gov. Gavin Newsom's recall election — 18; Broadway's full-capacity reopening — 18; Alabama at UF — 22; Dolphins home opener — 23; Jaguars home opener — 23; 2022 Legislative Session interim committee meetings begin — 24; 'The Many Saints of Newark' premieres (rescheduled) — 35; Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary party starts — 35; MLB regular season ends — 36; 'No Time to Die' premieres (rescheduled) — 40; World Series Game 1 — 53; 'Dune' premieres — 56; Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum begins — 61; Florida TaxWatch's Annual Meeting begins — 61; Georgia at UF — 64; St. Petersburg Municipal Elections — 67; Florida's 20th Congressional District Primary — 67; Disney's 'Eternals' premieres — 70; 'Yellowstone' Season 4 begins — 72; 'Disney Very Merriest After Hours' will debut — 73; Miami at FSU — 78; ExcelinEd's National Summit on Education begins — 83; 'Top Gun: Maverick' rescheduled premiere — 84; FSU vs. UF — 92; Florida Chamber 2021 Annual Insurance Summit begins — 96; Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story' premieres — 105; 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' premieres — 112; 'The Matrix: Resurrections' released — 117; NFL season ends — 135; 2022 Legislative Session starts — 137; Florida's 20th Congressional District election — 137; NFL playoffs begin — 141; Super Bowl LVI — 170; 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' premieres — 210; 'Thor: Love and Thunder' premieres — 254; 'Platinum Jubilee' for Queen Elizabeth II — 279; "Black Panther 2" premieres — 315; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 327; 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' sequel premieres — 406; "Captain Marvel 2" premieres — 441.

— TOP STORY —

"12 U.S. troops, numerous Afghan civilians killed in Kabul airport attack" via Dave Lawler and Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath of Axios — The Pentagon has confirmed that 12 U.S. troops and several Afghan civilians were killed in an ISIS attack outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday. At least 60 Afghans were killed, per AP, citing an Afghan official. The "complex attack" that struck in the sunset of the U.S.' longest war involved an explosion at the Abbey Gate entrance to the airport, a second explosion near the Baron Hotel, and gunfire from ISIS fighters, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told reporters. Fifteen U.S. troops were injured. Those killed included 11 U.S. Marines and a Navy medic.

America's longest war ends much like it started — with a terrorist attack. Image via AP.

"Val Demings blasts Marco Rubio for 'Monday morning quarterbacking' on Afghanistan" via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Democratic U.S. Rep. Demings ignited some Senate campaign fire Thursday, denouncing U.S. Sen. Rubio's comments on Afghanistan and his refusal to support health care expansion during a public health crisis. When asked about Rubio's criticism of Biden in the Afghanistan pullout, she accused her likely 2022 U.S. Senate opponent of "Monday morning quarterbacking" at a time when politics ought to be set aside, as the nation is in the midst of a foreign affairs crisis. "I know it's tempting to want to criticize and Monday morning quarterback when you're sitting in your nice office. And there will be plenty of time. … But now is not the time," she said.

"Greg Steube calls for Joe Biden resignation following reported Marine deaths" via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Rep. Steube called for Biden's resignation following the reported death of four Marines in Kabul. "Horrific," Steube tweeted. "Joe Biden needs to take responsibility and resign. We must keep our troops safe, and our country protected. God bless our soldiers and their families." Steube has been highly critical of how the Afghanistan withdrawal has been handled, and is hardly alone. The departure comes as the Taliban, the governing body when the U.S. invaded the Central Asian nation in 2001, seizes government control there again. Meanwhile, the world has witnessed images reminiscent of the fall of Saigon.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

"Florida COVID-19 update: 901 added deaths, largest single-day increase in pandemic history" via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald — Florida on Thursday reported 21,765 more COVID-19 cases and 901 deaths to the CDC, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data. According to Herald calculations of data published by the CDC, all but two of the newly reported deaths occurred after July 25, with about 78% of those people dying in the past two weeks. The majority of deaths happened during Florida's latest surge in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant. It is the largest single-day increase to the death total in the state's COVID-19 pandemic history. In all, Florida has recorded at least 3,151,909 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 43,632 deaths.

Florida's COVID-19 deaths hit a record. Image via AP.

"Gov. Ron DeSantis promotes Regeneron COVID-19 treatment but hasn't pushed vaccines the same way in months" via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis has crisscrossed the state almost every day over the past two weeks promoting Regeneron, a treatment for people who already have COVID-19. But the last time he held an event specifically to encourage getting vaccinated was four months ago. Instead, he's downplayed the vaccines, citing the breakthrough infections the shots don't prevent and their apparent failure to achieve herd immunity. Critics say the Governor is playing to a hard-core Republican base that's skeptical to outright hostile of vaccines as he ramps up for a run for the presidency in 2024. Mac Stipanovich, a Tallahassee consultant and anti-Trump Republican turned independent, called DeSantis' strategy "politics, pure and simple."

"Ruling imminent on DeSantis' policy on masks in schools and parents' rights" via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix — The fate of DeSantis' school-masks policy is now in the hands of a trial judge who conceded Thursday that he's struggling to reconcile the competing arguments in a lawsuit brought by parents who oppose the policy. "This issue presents a lot of sophisticated legal issues," Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper told attorneys in the case as they completed their final arguments. "I have notebooks galore. I've read your exhibits. I took a lot of notes — I'm usually not a big note-taker, but I took a lot more notes than I usually do in this case. And I'm still wrestling with pretty much all the issues," Cooper said. Cooper said he would declare his decision from the bench on Friday morning.

"'Waste of time,' Florida's federal GOP officials aren't backing DeSantis in mask fight" via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — South Florida's Republicans in Washington aren't getting behind DeSantis' fight against local mask mandates in schools. Rubio has said that mask mandate debates — on all sides — are a "waste of time." Scott said, "I don't believe the government should be mandating things." And Miami's three Republicans in the House of Representatives have declined to weigh in on DeSantis' behalf after local elected officials on the Miami-Dade County School Board voted 7-1 to impose a mask mandate in public schools over the objections of the Florida Department of Education. "That's a state issue," Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez said in an email.

"Schools across Florida may unite to fight the state on masks" via Brooke Batinger of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — School boards across Florida may unite in a legal challenge against state mask rules that they say endanger students and the communities they were elected to represent. The debate about whether students should be required to wear masks has divided Floridians for weeks, and it's now leading an increasing number of districts to challenge state rules that leave it up to parents whether their children wear masks. For example, School Board members in Palm Beach County voted Wednesday unanimously to move forward with a legal challenge, action the Broward School Board took earlier. This week, Orange County School Board members said that they too might want to join the Broward and Palm Beach.

More Florida school districts are entering the school mask mandate fray. Image via AP.

"Slammed by staff shortages and 'desperation,' some North Florida prisons to shutter" via Ana Ceballos and Ben Conarck of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Department of Corrections will soon close multiple prisons in North Florida, a last-ditch effort to grapple with severe staff shortages, according to a union representative who talked to Corrections Secretary Mark Inch about the move on Thursday. Prison officials plan to shutter Baker Correctional Institution and New River Correctional Institution in the coming weeks, said Jim Baiardi, the president of the Corrections Chapter of the Police Benevolent Association. Cross City Correctional Institution, closed due to flooding damage, will continue to be closed for an indeterminate amount of time. Some work camps, including Gainesville Work Camp and smaller prison annexes in other parts of the state, may also close soon, Baiardi said.

Assignment editors — Agriculture Commissioner Fried will host a roundtable discussion with Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins, local teachers, and parents to discuss the surge of COVID-19 cases in Florida schools. A media availability will immediately follow, noon, Viera Government Center, Space Coast Room Building C, Room 216, Viera. RSVP to [email protected]

— CORONA LOCAL —

"COVID-19 hospitalizations may have peaked for this wave, says AdventHealth's chief clinical officer" via Caroline Catherman of the Orlando Sentinel — After a month of record hospitalizations, ambulance shortages, and 12-hour ER waits, AdventHealth's Central Florida division announced that COVID-19 hospitalizations have decreased. "We, for the last three days, have seen the number starting to fall with regards to our total number of hospitalizations for COVID-19. I do believe that we have not only plateaued, but I believe we have peaked," said Dr. Neil Finkler, the chief clinical officer of AdventHealth's Central Florida Division. "Three days don't make a complete trend, but we're certainly hopeful." This timing is fairly consistent with university models, particularly the University of Washington model, which predicted that a decline would occur around this time. The reported decline comes after AdventHealth announced it would resume some outpatient procedures, though it remains at black status.

Neil Finkler says AdventHealth Central Florida is seeing the number of hospitalized patients drop.

But ... "Lee Health at 99% capacity, COVID-19 deaths more than quadrupled in a month; NCH cases dip" via Frank Gluck of the Fort Myers News-Press — As of Thursday, Lee Health was at 99% staffed bed capacity; 114 of its patients have died as a result of COVID-19 since the start of this month, 91 of which happened since Aug. 9. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in July at Lee Health hospitals was 26. Lee Health also reported Thursday that COVID-19 admissions now total 657, a net increase of 10 over the previous 24 hours and another all-time high. There were 87 admissions and 70 discharges. Hospital spokesman Jonathon Little said in a written statement: "The delta variant is extremely contagious and is affecting younger people at a higher rate than last year."

But … "COVID-19 puts Palm Beach County hospitals 10% over capacity" via Jane Musgrave of The Palm Beach Post — A first-ever report of the impact COVID-19 admissions are having on Palm Beach County hospitals paints a grim picture. While individual hospitals aren't identified, the report issued late Wednesday shows that county medical centers have been forced to add 259 beds to deal with the surge of coronavirus cases. The daily snapshot posted on the county's website shows hospitals were 10% over normal capacity on Wednesday afternoon. In addition, 80 patients were placed in temporary holding areas in emergency rooms because not enough beds were available or the patient couldn't be discharged for various reasons, such as no caretaker was available. Hospitals were treating 944 adults with COVID-19 and 16 patients under the age of 18. Overall, 2,941 regular beds were occupied.

And … "ICU demand high at South Florida hospitals as COVID-19 cases increase" via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A new dashboard released by Palm Beach County Thursday reveals that only 4% of ICU beds in its 17 hospitals are available. In Broward County, only 3% of ICU beds at its 16 hospitals are available. Across the state, the situation is just as bleak. With COVID-19 patients getting sicker and many on ventilators, only 5% of intensive care beds are open to new patients, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services data. Palm Beach County's dashboard shows 155 COVID-19 patients in Palm Beach County are on ventilators. It also indicates hospitals have added 259 beds to accommodate the flood of COVID-19 patients, and 103 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to Palm Beach hospitals in the last 24 hours.

Tweet, tweet:

"Jacksonville mother loses 2 sons to COVID-19 in 12 hours" via Vic Micolucci of WJXT News4Jax — A Jacksonville mother has lost two of her adult sons to COVID-19. She also caught the virus with them. She was vaccinated. They weren't. "It's a parent's worst nightmare," said a teary-eyed Lisa Brandon. "The only reason I'm doing this is to put the word out to please get vaccinated." She lived with her sons on the Southside and said everyone got sick in late July. But Aaron Jaggi, 35, and Free Jaggi, 41, got worse. So, she took them to the hospital. Both contracted double pneumonia. Both were admitted into the intensive care unit and ultimately put on ventilators. Free died on Aug. 12. Aaron passed away on Aug. 13. They died within 12 hours of each other.

"Orange County hospital morgues filling" via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings acknowledged he had been advised that "some hospitals" are having so many patients die of COVID-19 that their morgues are full and are asking for help. Without an emergency order from DeSantis, Demings said he is not sure what local officials can do. But he said he and his administration are looking into it. AdventHealth, a huge system of hospitals throughout greater Orlando, has turned to rented, mobile refrigerated units because of overflow. "We were notified that even those facilities that offer cremation, some of them are at capacity. And, yes, we were made aware that some of our hospitals are at capacity," Demings said at a news conference.

"Escambia, Santa Rosa schools tighten restrictions as COVID-19 cases reach new heights" via Madison Arnold of the Pensacola News Journal — Escambia County schools have canceled open house events, suspended school assemblies and field trips (with some exceptions), and halted visitor access for volunteers. Santa Rosa County, meanwhile, has implemented a 50% audience capacity for indoor activities, including indoor sports games and band, chorus and theater performances. While the Escambia County School District's COVID-19 tracker showed 172 infected students and 434 students quarantining from school due to exposure Wednesday, the actual numbers are drastically higher due to delays in the district's reporting system. In the Santa Rosa County School District on Wednesday, 531 students were positive for COVID-19, and 1,437 were in quarantine, including those who tested positive. A total of 117 staff members were positive, and another 50 also were quarantined.

"New North Pinellas emergency room opens just in time to help with COVID-19 influx" via Christopher O'Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times — Even before the pandemic, the emergency room at AdventHealth North Pinellas was far from ideal. Located on the hospital's second floor, it was challenging to reach for injured patients arriving by car. The 1980s era emergency room did not have private rooms and relied on curtains to partition patients. And at just 6,000 square feet, it often operated close to capacity. That all changes Tuesday when AdventHealth is set to open a new $20 million emergency department at the Tarpon Springs hospital. The facility was planned before the pandemic and was intended to meet the growing demand for localized ER care in north Pinellas.

"Leon hospitals struggle with surge; monoclonal antibody center opens in old Sears" via Christopher Cann of the Tallahassee Democrat — There are 133 COVID-19 patients — 42 in intensive care — in Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare as of Thursday morning. Of the 42 labeled "critically ill," one is under 17 years old and 38, or 90%, are unvaccinated. On Monday, local Tallahassee hospitals set the grim milestone of 251 COVID-19 patients, its highest number. It stayed firm Tuesday and dropped by one Wednesday. On Thursday, the number fell to 244. On Friday, Leon County will open its first monoclonal antibody treatment center in the vacant Sears in the Governor's Square mall on Apalachee Parkway. The treatment center will offer those who make an appointment — regardless of their vaccination status — two medications: casirivimab and imdevimab.

"Mulberry teacher dies after contracting COVID-19, husband still fighting virus" via 10 Tampa Bay — Norma Reyes had many roles at Purcell Elementary School, from teaching students English to assisting Purcell families and helping with various school events and programs. However, over the summer, Norma contracted COVID-19 and lost her battle to the virus. In a statement to 10 Tampa Bay, Polk County Public Schools describes Norma as caring and dedicated. "Norma was a fixture at Purcell Elementary, the one who always organized things and brought people together for events. She ensured the students had everything they needed, whether it was book bags, clothing, or other items … She was highly regarded and is dearly missed by the Purcell community, as well as Polk County Public Schools."

"Schools set to surpass last year's COVID-19 cases in first three weeks of this school year" via Ryan McKinnon of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — There have been more cases of students and staff catching COVID-19 during the first three weeks of school this year than all of last school year in Manatee County, and Sarasota County is not far behind. As of Thursday, Manatee was reporting 1,156 positive cases among students and 200 among staff. Last year, the school district had 1,119 total cases among students and staff for the entire year. In Sarasota, the district was reporting that 1,436 students and 232 staff members have tested positive since July 1, for a total of 1,668 cases in just 13 days of school.

"Sarasota Memorial expands ICU to 101 beds amid COVID-19 patient surge" via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — With space for critically ill patients in high demand amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, Sarasota Memorial Hospital has expanded its intensive care unit to 101 beds, the most since the pandemic began. The hospital had 97 people in the ICU Thursday, and 60% are infected with COVID-19. Sarasota Memorial reported two more COVID-19 deaths Thursday and 271 patients infected with the virus, compared to 273 Wednesday. Currently, 88% of Sarasota Memorial's COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated. The hospital is very full right now, with 97% of the 839 beds occupied. Sarasota Memorial normally has 62 ICU beds but has repurposed other spaces in the hospital to expand the ability to treat critically ill patients.

"Sarasota County School Board member instrumental to law and activists opposing mask mandates" via Ryan McKinnon of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Bridget Ziegler has spent much of the last seven years on the losing end of votes, as a staunch conservative on the Sarasota County School Board. But her influence beyond Sarasota has exploded in recent months. In December, Ziegler teamed with two former school board members to launch "Moms For Liberty," a grassroots organization that advocates for parental rights in schools. In June, DeSantis signed the Parents' Bill of Rights into law, which Ziegler helped develop. Now, Moms For Liberty has chapters all over the country, with members leading the charge against school district mask mandates. And the Parents' Bill of Rights is the linchpin to DeSantis' argument that school districts cannot require students to wear masks.

Bridget Ziegler is at the nexus of the fight against school mask mandates.

"Tampa Bay Water asks users to cut back as COVID-19 saps oxygen supplies" via Anastasia Dawson of the Tampa Bay Times — For hospitals, oxygen is easier to store as a liquid in the large volumes they now require for COVID-19 patients. For many municipal water systems, liquid oxygen is a key component in water purification. Tampa Bay Water asks everyone in its three-county service area to help conserve water by cutting back on nonessential uses like washing cars, watering lawns, and pressure washing. "At this point, it's great if everyone in our region can conserve water," Tampa Bay Water spokesman Brandon Moore said. "If we can reduce water demands, that means there is less to treat, which saves on treatment supplies including liquid oxygen."

"Child abuse charge reduced against anti-mask protester at school" via Austen Erblat of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The anti-mask protester arrested after shoving a female student at Fort Lauderdale High School had his charge downgraded Thursday. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said they filed the wrong charge of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony, changing it to child abuse without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony. A department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions about why the charge changed or who determined the initial charge was wrong. Dan Bauman, an anti-mask protester with a history of confrontations, shoved the masked student Wednesday after she tried to take his phone while he shot video of her. Videos of the incident were later posted to social media. The 50-year-old Fort Lauderdale man was immediately arrested.

"Treasure Coast doctor prescribing Ivermectin for COVID-19 despite FDA warning" via Michael Buczyner of WPTV — Ivermectin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat parasites but has not been approved for use in treating or preventing COVID-19. In fact, people have been reportedly hospitalized after self-medicating with Ivermectin intended for horses, according to the FDA. Dr. Michele Libman is the owner of Treasure Coast Urgent Care. The day WPTV visited, her office had a 73% positivity rate of patients tested. Libman said she had mixed results prescribing Ivermectin to more than a dozen unvaccinated COVID-19 positive patients. "I've had a handful of patients that have definitely felt that it helped them and that they felt better pretty rapidly, and then I've also had some patients that really didn't see much difference," Libman said.

—"Collier schools report more than 500 COVID-19 cases. It took four months to get there last year." via Rachel Fradette and Dan DeLuca of the Naples Daily News

—"'We did everything we were supposed to': Widow recalls retired Palm Bay officer's battle with COVID-19" via J.D. Gallop of Florida Today

—"'A big deal': Okaloosa County schools suspend field trips in light of COVID-19" via Savannah Evanoff of Northwest Florida Daily News

— STATEWIDE —

"Tropical Depression 9 could be major hurricane before reaching Gulf Coast" via Cheryl McCloud of the Naples Daily News — A tropical wave in the Caribbean has strengthened into Tropical Depression Nine and could become a major hurricane before arriving on the Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. AccuWeather forecasters agreed, saying it was becoming much more likely that parts of the central Gulf Coast would need to prepare for a strike from a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) later Sunday or Monday. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Cayman Islands and portions of western Cuba. Projections put wind speeds at 110 mph within the next 72 hours. The projection is similar to such storms as Hurricane Michael in 2018, which struck the Florida Panhandle, and Hurricane Laura in 2020, which slammed southwestern Louisiana.

"DeSantis spars with Biden administration over undocumented immigrants in Florida" via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis wants Biden's administration to stop sending undocumented immigrants to Florida. But he also acknowledged the total number of immigrants who have entered the U.S. without detection or released by the Biden administration since he took office is unclear. In a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, DeSantis said the lack of transparency around such transfers gives him concern "that the federal government is running its own massive human smuggling operation, surreptitiously resettling illegal aliens in the various states without consultation or even advance notice to state leadership." DeSantis' letter is the latest move to highlight the illegal immigration issue and the surge in border crossings, despite Florida's lack of a border with Mexico.

Ron DeSantis and Joe Biden spar over undocumented immigrants, despite Florida's lack of a southern border. Image via AP.

"As Florida awaits unemployment ruling, DeSantis points to recovery, fraud" via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A Leon County court will soon rule whether to compel Florida to restore federal unemployment benefits, but DeSantis says the state has recovered economically from the pandemic. Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith is expected to announce his ruling by Monday in a lawsuit to restore $300 in weekly federal unemployment compensation after the DeSantis administration stopped participating in the program. Florida is one of 26 states that dropped their participation early, arguing it's discouraging people from returning to work. DeSantis told reporters the state's attorneys will point to the number of available jobs in Florida. More than 400,000 jobs are now available.

"It's 'unconscionable' that DeSantis hasn't applied for food aid for kids, Nikki Fried says" of the Tampa Bay Times — Child hunger groups and Florida's top elected Democrat urged Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday to tap into $820 million in federal aid money that would provide meals for more than 2 million children in low-income households. Agriculture Commissioner Fried said it was "unconscionable" that DeSantis' administration hasn't requested the money, which has no strings attached. "Every day that this aid is delayed is another night where a child would go to bed hungry that could have been prevented," said Fried, a Democrat looking to challenge DeSantis' reelection next year. "The people of Florida can't afford the Governor leaving money on the table." Why the DeSantis administration has not applied for the money is unclear.

"How Florida's lack of condo board oversight could mean another Surfside" via Clayton Park of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — A USA Today Network examination of the way high-rise condos are regulated and maintained in Florida shows why some experts believe the system was designed to fail. And human nature plays a part: Many condo boards defer repairs because of the costs. Too much economizing could be deadly. But is it realistic to think only a few condos are in danger? "Buildings in Florida, in general, are only designed to have a shelf life of 40 to 50 years," said Ariel Neris, a structural engineer in Seminole County. The state's building codes for oceanfront high-rise condos were strengthened in 1998 to become arguably the strictest in the nation. But that's only for when they are being constructed.

"The real story behind the $25K Donald Trump donation to Pam Bondi" via Jose Pagliery of the Daily Beast — It was the personally signed $25,000 check that landed then-presidential candidate Trump in hot water — the check that sparked accusations that he had bribed Florida's top prosecutor, Bondi, with funds from his charity. Much has been written about the suspicious timing of Trump's 2013 gift to the Florida Attorney General's political campaign. But contrary to previous claims from Trump's presidential campaign and company executives, records acquired by The Daily Beast show that Trump Organization employees were explicitly told this was a donation to a political group, and emails show that Trump's own executive assistant had met in person with Bondi's finance director in New York City.

The real story emerges of Donald Trump's $25K check to Pam Bondi's committee.

The Florida Supreme Court adopts new civil procedure rule — The Supreme Court on Thursday adopted an amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure, effective immediately, expressly adopting the "apex doctrine" in both the government and corporate contexts. The apex doctrine protects companies from plaintiffs' attorneys demanding that their presidents, CEOs, or top officers sit for a deposition. The issue came to the Court as a question of great importance from the 1st District Court of Appeal. William Large, president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute, said, "By adopting first the Daubert evidence standard, then the federal summary judgment standard, and now the corporate apex doctrine through separate rule cases, the Court has expressed a clear willingness to address the problems facing Florida's civil justice system through broad rule changes that apply even to pending matters."

— DATELINE...

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osteosarcoma risk factors :: Article Creator Navigating The Evolving Market Dynamics Of Bone Sarcoma: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Osteosarcoma, Ewing Sarcoma, And ChondrosarcomaDelveInsight Each individual's risk of being diagnosed with primary bone sarcoma and their chances of recovery following diagnosis are influenced by a range of unique factors. In 2023, it is anticipated that 4K individuals of all ages in the United States will be diagnosed with primary bone sarcoma, including 2K males and 1.8K females. In 2020, approximately 400 cases were reported among those aged 15 to 19. LAS VEGAS, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bone sarcoma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that originates in the bone tissue. It poses significant challenges during its treatment due to several factors. Firstly, its rarity often leads to delayed diagnosis, as symptoms can mimic other common conditions. Additionally, bone sarcoma typically affects children and yo...
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