More Good News.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisĀ is sounding very optimistic about the current state of the state regarding the spread of the COVID-19 disease. The number of cases in Florida keep decreasing, as are the number of hospitalizations.
During a recent Re-Open Florida Task Force update briefing, DeSantis pointed to the state's low 3.2% ICU rate, comparing it to other states with much higher percentage rates.
The Nikki Fried-less Task Force released a couple more lists of business leaders appointed by the governor to help reopen the state.Ā READ MORE
DeSantis and his task force need to thread the needle when opening the state economy back up. A recent public opinion survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in Florida shows that two-thirds of Floridians polled want the state open for business only after officials say itās OK to do so.
Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R)Ā makes his case for why Florida's economy need to open.Ā READ MORE
Hopping Mad
Florida Congressman Ted Deutch (R)Ā is a bit upset that Texasā ban on abortions during the pandemic is still in place.Ā READ MORE
The Andrew Gillum Saga Continuesā¦
Former gubernatorial candidateĀ Andrew GillumĀ is still picking up the pieces from his Miami Beach hotel misstep. We wish him well.
The Miami Beach PD has released all the information they have from that fateful night, but have deleted and redacted most of the video and audio from the body cam. Police cover-up?Ā READ MORE
Idiot of the Week, Month, and Year
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)Ā is calling for a national work boycott, saying that once businesses start to re-open, Americans should refuse and say, āweāre not going back to that.āĀ READ MORE
Floridaās Trail
Political āPrince of Darknessā Roger StoneĀ has endorsed in the hotly contested GOP congressional primary race in CD 3Ā READ MORE
Rep. Donna Shalala (D)Ā admits making a mistake on her financial disclosure reports, but her opponent Maria Elvira Salazar isnāt buying it.Ā READ MORE
The numbers are flattening...
Here is a snapshot of the most up-to-date numbers from the Florida Dept. of Health:
Visit The Floridian
āBreakdown: Coronavirus Task Force Briefing āĀ by The Floridianās Mona Salama ā President Trump and members of his Coronavirus Task Force held a press briefing on the coronavirus at the White House Tuesday evening.Trump began Tuesdayās White House briefing announcing that 20 states have announced that they are making āplans and preparations to safely restart their economies in the very near future.ā Trump said he will be speaking to Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp after the briefing to ask him whether people entering businesses being allowed to reopen, such as nail salons, would be tested. Trump said that he would personally asking Harvard University to return nearly $9 million from the CARES Act coronavirus relief package it was granted as part of the previous coronavirus relief package. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin asserted that there would be consequences for larger companies taking from the pot of Paycheck Protection Program funds meant for small businesses.Ā Mnuchin gave an estimate number of āover 30 million jobsā when asked how many jobs have been saved with the PPP.
āKolfage Endorses Kat Cammack for CongressāĀ by The Floridianās Daniel Molina ā Brian Kolfage, an Iraq War Veteran and the founder of āWe Build the Wall,ā announced today that he was endorsing Kat Cammack in her congressional bid for Floridaās 3rd congressional district. In a statement, Kolfage commented that ānow more than ever, Washington needs conservative fighters who are willing to stand up to socialists and big government bureaucrats and alongside President Trump in his efforts to drain the swamp.ā He added that āFloridiansā¦ are demanding that we elect leaders who will work with our President in his continued efforts to build the wall along our southern border and defend our nation from the detrimental effects of illegal immigration.ā He concluded that āafter getting to know her and looking at the other candidates in this race,ā Kolfage is āconfident that Kat Cammack is exactly the conservative voice we need representing FL-03.ā
āTrump Announce 60-Day Suspension on Green Card SeekersāĀ by The Floridianās Mona Salama ā President Trump said his executive order to temporarily suspend immigration amid the coronavirus pandemic into the United States would only apply to individuals seeking permanent residency or green card seekers and the measure will be in effect for 60 days. āWe have a solemn duty to ensure these unemployed Americans regain their jobs and their livelihoods, therefore in order to protect American workers, I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States,ā Trump said at the Coronavirus Task Force press briefing Tuesday evening. āThis order will only apply to individuals seeking a permanent residency. In other words, those receiving green cards. In other words, those receiving green cards, big factor, will not apply to those entering on a temporary basis.ā Unemployment in the United States have skyrocketed the last three weeks, with more than 22 million Americans are out of a work force since the pandemic was declared a national emergency last month that caused businesses to temporarily shutter or lay off workers.
āTrump instructs government to rescue U.S. oil & gas industryāĀ by The Floridianās Javier Manjarres ā As oil prices continue to plummet, the U.S. oil industry is facing significant pressure and has already seen the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in Texas alone. Earlier this week, West Texas Intermediate crude dipped into negative territory for the first time in its history, putting unexpected and crippling weight not only on oil producers but also on their extensive supply chain across the nation. But just as the U.S. oil industry appears to be on the verge of collapse, President Donald Trump is now in a position to offer a safety blanket for āthe great U.S. Oil & Gas industry.ā Trump says that his administration will put together a plan to fund āthese very important companiesā that provide more than 10 million jobs in the U.S. Some 60+ American oil production and service companies could lose hundreds of millions more dollars in revenue if they are forced to exit Venezuela.Ā The license that allows them to continue to safeguard their assets and operations in Venezuela, which is issued by the U.S. Treasury Dept., expires tomorrow, April 22Ā READ MORE
āAmerican Airlines flies to deliver ālife-saving equipmentāĀ by The Floridianās Daniel Molina ā As the aviation industry continues to take a financial hit because of the growing threat of the coronavirus, American Airlines has just released a commercial that not only looks to instill hope in their commitment, but it also looks to reassure citizens who need to travel. In the commercial, viewers are asked, āwhy do we fly?ā With images of workers wearing gloves and masks, with images of people around the world practicing social distancing and with images and videos of people around the world contributing by sewing masks, the commercial argues that āwe fly because people need to get home, and life-saving equipment needs to get to the lives that need saving.
āSchumer Says White House, Democrats āHave a Dealā on Additional Funding For Coronavirus Small-Business LoanāĀ by The Floridianās Mona Salama ā Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday said Democrats and the Trump administration have struck a deal on $450 billion package that includes additional funds for the emergency small business loan program, as well as funding for hospitals and testing and that the Senate could vote on this deal later in the day. āThere is still a few more iāās to dot and tās to cross, but we have a deal,ā Schumer said on CNNās āNew Dayā Tuesday morning. āI think we will be able to pass this today.ā The new deal will provide roughly $350 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that last week exhausted the funds allocated created by the $2.2 trillion relief bill President Trump signed late last month. Parts of the funding for the PPP will dedicate $60 billion exclusively to the āunbanked, to the minorities, to the rural areas, and to all of those little mom and pop stores that donāt have a good banking connection and need the help,ā Schumer said. Along with replenish funding for PPP, the Minority Leader said the deal also includes $75 billion for in assistance for hospitals and $25 billion to expand testing.
āDeSantis: āFlorida is Successfully Flattening the CurveāĀ by The Floridianās Daniel Molina ā As states move forward with opening up their economies, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) was interviewed by Fox and Friends regarding the sunshine stateās efforts to combat the coronavirus and get the state economy back up and running. With the stay-at-home order expiring on April 30th, the Florida Governor wanted to discuss how the state will be moving forward. In the interview, Governor DeSantis called out the media for saying that āFlorida was gonna be worse than New York.ā Instead, the Governor expressed that the state has compiled a task force with people from all across the state, noting that small businesses are also involved in making sure the next phase is a smooth transition. On Twitter, the Governor shared his segment from the show, adding that āFlorida is successfully flattening the curve.ā As well, he congratulated Floridians, saying that they āare doing a great job at stopping the spreadā and reminding that ātogether we will re-open Floridaās economy.ā
āDonald Trump releases brutal ice cream ad against Nancy Pelosi (Video)āĀ by The Floridianās Javier Manjarres ā When Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) appeared on a late-night comedy show to express her love for chocolate candy and ice cream, the political ad President Donald Trump just released wrote itself. Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) even challenged Speaker Pelosi to give up his ice cream for her commitment to funding small businesses.Ā The optics of Pelosi standing in front of her $25,ooo+ dual refrigerator packed with all sorts of gourmet ice cream during a time where Americans are struggling to feed their families is devastating to any argument Democrats pose against the Trump administrationās response to the pandemic.
āUSDA approves Floridaās request to allow SNAP recipients to buy groceries onlineāĀ by WFLA ā The US Department of Agriculture announced it has approved Floridaās request to provide online grocery purchases through the SNAP program. On Friday, the Florida Department of Children and Families requested the federal waiver to permit the State of Florida to launch a pilot project that will allow Florida families to purchase groceries online with their Electronic Benefit Transfer card. āAfter executing Executive Order 20-91 to limit outside activities to essential services, this commonsense policy approach is a no brainer,ā DeSantis said. āAllowing Florida families to purchase groceries online instead of venturing into a public store is a sound practice during this public health emergency and yet another step that will help Florida flatten the curve.ā Nearly 3 million Floridians and 1.5 million Florida households participate in SNAP, at a cost of $4 billion annually in federal funding. āI thank the USDA and Secretary Perdue for granting the stateās request to bring safer grocery options to Floridaās families in need,ā said Agriculture Commissioner Nicole Fried.
āFlorida Medical Association asks DeSantis to lift restrictions on elective surgeriesāĀ by Fox 35 Orlandoās Danielle Lama ā The Florida Medical Association says Governor Ron DeSantis should lift restrictions on non-essential elective surgeries. DeSantis prohibited non-emergency procedures last month to preserve resources and supplies amid the Coronavirus outbreak. āEven though they may not be emergent, theyāre still important. We really need to get the ball rolling again,ā said Orlando Dr. Jason Littleton of Littleton Concierge Medicine. The FMAās letter to the governor says in part: "It is essential that florida physicians get back to seeing patients as soon as it safe for them to do so. There are thousands of patients with chronic kidney disease who are being asked to postpone visits. There are delays in treatment for certain cancer, cardiac bypass and congestive heart failure patients." āChronic pain is an issue. We have orthopedic surgeries that are on back order,ā Littleton added. He says heās heard from people desperate for surgeries that currently arenāt allowed.
āRep. Demings: Republicans ādid nothingā to address unemployment issues in FloridaāĀ by MSNBC ā Rep. Val Demings tells Lawrence OāDonnell that Republican past and current governors are responsible for ignoring major problems with Floridaās unemployment system thatās allowed only 40,000 residents to receive benefits out of 1.5 million applicants: āWe find ourselves at the bottom of the list in terms of how we process unemployment benefits in our state and weāve got to do better.ā
āFormer FEMA head encourages reopening Florida 'slowly'āĀ by CBS 12ās Jay OāBrien ā The former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and one-time head of Floridaās Division of Emergency Management is urging caution in reopening the state. āI think it would be better to slowly and more deliberately reopen, so weāll perhaps not have to shut down again,ā said Craig Fugate, who's now with One Concern, an emergency management company. Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed a 22-person task force, which is expected to deliver suggestions on reopening the state by Friday. In counties and cities across Florida and the U.S., public officials and citizens are locked in a tense debate over when and how public areas and businesses should reopen. The White House is asking states to prioritize testing before creating a framework for reopening. The former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and one-time head of Floridaās Division of Emergency Management is urging caution in reopening the state. āIf we begin moving back without testing, weāre going to have to be prepared what happens in two to three weeks if [coronavirus] starts getting bad and weāll have to change what weāre doing,ā Fugate said.
ā5 weeks in Florida fails to fix unemploymentāĀ by WFTVās Christopher Heath ā Ā Florida, like many states struggled to pay the avalanche of unemployment claims in the wake the COVID-19 pandemic. But, while other states have started to catch up, Florida remains the worst in the nation in unemployment claims processed. Data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows just how poorly the state is performing. According to the stateās numbers, as of Tuesday night only 14.2% of claimants have been paid and only 25.5% of claims have been processed. āThe bills keep piling up and everybody is being gracious, but by the time things pick back up, Iām going to be so far behind,ā says Javier Cortes who was furloughed from his job driving a shuttle between Port Canaveral and the airport. Cortes says he filed with DEO right after he was furloughed, but still has not seen any money. āNow the one that pops up says that I am eligible for monetary benefits but where it shows where Iām supposed to get money it says that Iām disqualified,ā says Cortes. āIāve been calling and it is a constant canāt get through, canāt get ahold of anybody.ā
āDeSantis expresses confidence that āweāre going to be OKā as Florida flattens curveāĀ by Miami Heraldās Laurence Mower ā Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Floridaās curve of COVID-19 infections has flattened and that an anticipated crush of patients was not going to materialize after all. āThose predictions have been false,ā DeSantis said. āOur work is succeeding. We have flattened the curve.ā DeSantis said that projections from last month showing that the state would become like New York and Italy, which were hit hard from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, were incorrect. āNow weāre in a situation where we know the hospitals are not going to get overrun, we know the No. 1 thing that people were concerned about with this was that that type of catastrophe, thatās not going to happen,ā DeSantis said. āThatās not happened. We have all these extra beds and field hospitals and nobodyās there.ā DeSantisā comments came on the second day that a task force he formed met to discuss reopening Florida. It meets all week and will set the stage for when his stay-at-home order expires next Thursday.
āElective medical procedures should resume in Florida, doctorsā group saysāĀ by Tampa Bay Timesā Justine Griffin ā The Florida Medical Association is urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to allow doctors to resume elective medical procedures. In a letter Tuesday, association president Dr. Ronald F. Giffler asked that DeSantis lift a March 20 executive order that halted all non-essential medical procedures as the coronavirus began to spread in Florida. The order was meant to āconserve all medical supplies, including personal protective equipment" needed during the crisis, and had "served its purpose, the letter said. Under recommendations by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the order could be lifted "in the regions of Florida with low and stable incidence of COVID-19,ā the letter said. Most hospitals in Tampa Bay canceled elective-type surgeries by mid-March. BayCare Health System said it would postpone non-urgent procedures until April 30. Tampa General had canceled elective procedures for patients from out of Florida last month. The shift has created a financial predicament for many medical facilities and has left other specialists with no work. Some hospital operators, including HCA Healthcare, which has 15 hospitals around the Tampa Bay area, reduced the hours of employees not working in critical care areas.
āRep. Gaetz says Florida's handling of pandemic shows how 'lighter touch' can workāĀ by WEAR Staff ā Rep. Matt Gaetz, in an interview with Fox News on Monday, said Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis' handling of the coronavirus pandemic shows how a "lighter touch" can work. Florida -- which sits at 27,495 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning -- has been slower to react to the pandemic, initiating a "Safer at Home" order after several other states. Some beaches in the state -- including Okaloosa County -- are beginning to reopen with restrictions amid the pandemic. "Every death is something that we regret and we always want to do better to ensure that our people are safe," Gaetz said on Fox. "But Florida is the classic case study in how a light or lighter touch -- and how state-based control -- can actually work." Florida's death toll is now at 839 deaths. "My friend Governor DeSantis decided not to get into the business of trying to out shutdown the governor next door and the national media did pile on to him," said Gaetz. "We were able to have smart monitoring. We're working now on sentinel testing and ensuring that when we see symptomatic eruptions, that we report those to the Department of Health
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Ā āCDC chief says there could be second, possibly worse coronavirus outbreak this winterāĀ by CNNās Ā Caroline Kelly and Jen Christensen ā A second coronavirus outbreak could emerge this winter in conjunction with the flu season to make for an even more dire health crisis, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Washington Post in an interview. "There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a story published Tuesday. "And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean." "We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time," he added, predicting a dual assault on the health care system. While there are shots to help prevent the flue and drugs to help treat it -- unlike with the novel coronavirus, which still has no approved treatment or vaccine -- it remains a deadly infection.
āWhitmer backtracks after COVID-19 contract awarded to Dem consultant who said Trump should 'get coronavirus ASAP'āĀ by Fox Newsā Gregg Re ā Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration acknowledged Tuesday that normal protocols were bypassed when a no-bid contract for coronavirus contact tracing was awarded by the state to Great Lakes Community Engagement, which is operated by a well-known Democratic consultant Michael Kolehouse -- who has previously written that President Trump should "get Coronavirus ASAP" and that someone should "do the country a favor and cough on that man," Facebook posts reviewed by Fox News show. The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier Tuesday that Michigan gave a separate contract to track the spread of coronavirus to Every Action VAN, a division of the Democratic data operation NGP VAN. The contract for Great Lakes Community Engagement, which would total $200,000 over eight weeks, was to be executed in coordination with EveryAction, which is tightly linked to NGP VAN's operation. The state abruptly canceled the contract Tuesday.
āOil Prices Stabilize After Hitting Lowest Level Since 1999āĀ by WSJās Ā David Hodari and Caitlin Ostroff ā The storm engulfing the oil market calmed Wednesday after prices had fallen to levels not seen since late last century. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark for oil markets, climbed 2.2% to $19.77 a barrel in volatile trading, after sliding to their lowest since 1999 in Asian trading hours. West Texas Intermediate futuresāthe U.S. benchmarkā slipped 0.3% to $11.53 a barrel, after plummeting 43% Tuesday to close at its lowest price in 21 years. āThis rebound today is maybe technically driven, but I see it more as a dead cat bounce,ā said Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank. āI canāt see any lasting recovery.ā That came two days after one WTI contract turned negative for the first time in history, with sellers paying buyers to take away their barrels. This weekās crushing fall in the value of oil has reverberated across energy markets, hitting the value of oil companies and the debt they issue. If oil prices stay at such a low level, the loss of revenue is likely to create widespread financial and political pain for countries reliant on petroleum production.
āSenate approves $480 billion package to help small businesses and hospitals, expand testingāĀ by CNNās Manu Raju and Clare Foran ā The Senate passed a roughly $480 billion relief package Tuesday that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in new funding for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus outbreak along with other priorities like money for hospitals and expanded Covid-19 testing. The Senate passed the package by a voice vote, meaning most senators would not need to return to Washington, DC, during the pandemic. The bill goes to the House, which is expected to vote on the package Thursday. The total price tag of the bill is approximately $484 billion, which amounts to the latest unprecedented effort by Washington to prop up the economy on the heels of the $2 trillion rescue package, the $192 billion relief measure and another $8.3 billion plan Congress approved last month. Democratic leaders are already planning for another massive rescue bill. CNN obtained a copy of the legislative text, which runs 25 pages long. A section-by-section analysis obtained by CNN shows the deal will authorize the Paycheck Protection Program to spend an additional $310 billion.
ā'Squad' member Ayanna Pressley says Trump coronavirus response āakin to war crimesāāĀ by Fox Newsā Brie Stimson ā A member of the far-left "Squad" of freshmen congresswomen slammed President Trumpās coronavirus response this week, alleging it was āakin to war crimes.ā U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., made her allegations in a video posted Monday. Claiming ācriminal negligence, science denials, [and] a sluggish response,ā on the part of Trump, she said the U.S. was now playing catchup during the pandemic, āwhich is the last place that you want to be in the midst of any public health crisis.ā Pressley said relief efforts shouldnāt discriminate based on race, income or immigration status and advocated for universal paid leave, sick pay for all workers and "long-term financial assistance.ā āThis hurt is unprecedented, it is being felt by everyone and the relief should be felt by everyone,ā she added during the video conference with other progressive leaders.
āJoe Biden Faces Cash Disadvantage vs. Trumpās $244 Million War ChestāĀ by WSJās Ā Julie Bykowicz and Chad Day ā Joe Biden raked in about $33 million in the first half of March as he barreled toward the Democratic presidential nomination. Then the nation largely shut down due to the spread of the coronavirus, and his fundraising rate slowed by half. The former vice president raised $46.7 million over the full month, newly filed Federal Election Commission reports show. It was the best fundraising month of Mr. Bidenās campaign, but he still faces a cash disadvantage compared with President Trumpās financial juggernaut. Combined, Mr. Trumpās re-election team, which includes the Republican National Committee and affiliated fundraising committees, raised $63 million in March and had $244 million in the bank as of the beginning of this month. Mr. Biden and the Democratic National Committee collectively had about $57 million in cash on hand, after accounting for the DNCās $5 million in debts.
āFBI concerned about potential for hate crimes during coronavirus pandemicāĀ by CNNās Josh Campbell ā Federal investigators are concerned about the potential for hate crimes against minorities in the wake of the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, according to the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In a letter Monday to law enforcement officials around the country, and obtained by CNN, FBI Director Christopher Wray wrote that his agency remains "concerned about the potential for hate crimes by individuals and groups targeting minority populations in the United States who they believe are responsible for the spread of the virus."
Wray's letter also outlined other investigative priorities for the FBI, including countering fraud schemes, cyber criminals attempting to take advantage of innocent victims, and the hoarding and reselling of critical medical supplies. While public health officials work to institute measures aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, law enforcement in the United States has also had to focus on a number of incidents in recent weeks involving the suspected targeting of Asian Americans.
āCuomo says NY no longer needs USNS Comfort in coronavirus crisisāĀ by Fox Newsā Morgan Phillips ā New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after his meeting with President Trump to discuss the coronavirus crisis, said on MSNBCās "Deadline: White House" that he told the president New York no longer needs the USNS Comfort, the Navy hospital ship ceremoniously deployed to New York City to fight the pandemic. āThe president sent up a Navy ship, the Comfort. A hospital ship which was very good to have if we need overflow,ā Cuomo told MSNBCās Nicolle Wallace. āIt did give us comfort, but we donāt need it anymore. If they need to deploy it somewhere else, they should take it.ā Trump in his daily briefing Tuesday confirmed the ship would return to its home base in Virginia so that it could be put to other uses. "We will be bringing the ship back at the earliest time and we'll get it ready for its next mission, which will, I'm sure it will be a very important one also. It was an honor," the president said. Trump bid bon voyage to the Navy hospital ship āstocked upā with supplies and medical personnel in late March, calling it a ā70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity.ā
āU.S. senators urge cybersecurity officials to defend health sectorāĀ by Reutersā Raphael Satter ā A handful of U.S. senators have called on top cybersecurity officials to aggressively protect health and research organizations from potential hacking and other attacks as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent on Monday, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, Republican Senator Tom Cotton and three other senators asked the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Cyber Command to consider action against hackers who threatened the healthcare sector. āWe urge you to take all necessary measures to protect these institutions during the coronavirus pandemic,ā they wrote in the letter to Christopher Krebs, the director of DHSā Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and General Paul Nakasone, director of the Department of Defenseās National Security Agency and head of the U.S. militaryās Cyber Command. The letter urged the officials to consider operations to ādefend forwardā - a phrase often used as a euphemism for hacking. DHS, Cyber Command, and the NSA declined comment on the letter.
President Donald TrumpĀ @realDonaldTrumpĀ -CDC Director was totally misquoted by Fake NewsĀ @CNNĀ on Covid 19. He will be putting out a statement.
Adam SchiffĀ @RepAdamSchiff- We all hope, again and again, that weāve seen the worst this President has to offer.
And then he sinks lower.
If Trump is punishing scientists who insist our coronavirus response be based on science, not hype, he is putting more lives in danger.
Congress must find out.
Coronavirus this, Coronavirus that...
