“Florida House Votes in Favor of Election Integrity Bill SB 90” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – The Republican-led House of Representatives has taken up the controversial election integrity bill SB 90 —the measure that prohibits ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting —and House Democrats have responded in the debate by painting the measure as racist and a modern day Jim Crow Law. The vote passed in the House by a vote count of 77 to 40. During the debate of the bill, Republican House members argued against the widely propagated narrative that Republicans were pushing for voter suppression, especially against minority communities, and made their case that this bill would protect the integrity of Florida’s election process.

“‘Bold Progressive’ Omari Hardy Runs for Congress” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – Florida State Rep. Omari Hardy (D-88) has announced his “Bold Progressive” congressional candidacy in the special election in the heavily Democratic 20th congressional district 20 to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings. The “unapologetic progressive” Hardy, who says he lost his home in “Th Great Recession,” embraces the Green New Deal and Social Justice issues championed by Democratic Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D). “Fighting for housing as a right. Basic income as right. Health care as a right. The Green New Deal and Social Justice isn’t imitating AOC, it’s responding to what I see,” states Rep. Hardy in his vide0.

“GOP Conspiracist Questions DeSantis’ COVID Motives : ‘What’s up, Bro?’” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Just as Florida Democrats continue their efforts to tear down Gov. Ron DeSantis over his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some “challenged” Republican activists that have joined with Democrats to express their disapproval with DeSantis, in particular his extension of the COVID state of emergency edict he just signed, questioning DeSantis’ COVID motives. “As Florida continues to realize a manageable trend in COVID-19 cases, over 8.5 million vaccinated individuals, a 4.7 % unemployment rate well under the national average, and state revenues improving significantly from worst-case projections during the pandemic, gaining $4.1 billion additional projected revenue over three fiscal years from the August 2020 estimate, the state should prepare to resume non-emergency operations,” said Gov. DeSantis is a statement.

“Deutch Warns of Rise in Anti-Semitic Incidents” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – This week, the Anti-Defamation League announced that “U.S. anti-semitic incidents remained at a historic high in 2020” and are increasing in 2021. This comes at a time when Asian Americans have also been experiencing a rise in attacks. In the ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, “2020 was the third-highest year on record.” As lawmakers work to answer growing concerns regarding hate crimes across the United States, Florida Rep. Ted Deutch (D) is adding to the national dialogue, affirming that there needs to be an end.

“Biden To Unveil $1.8 Trillion Social Welfare Spending Proposal In First Joint Congressional Address” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – President Biden plans to use his first address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday to unveil his second massive tax-and-spend proposal aimed at expanding access to education and social welfare programs, financed largely by imposing tax hikes on high-income Americans. Dubbed the “American Families Plan,” the $1.8 trillion proposals follows the $2.3 trillion “American Jobs Plan” infrastructure plan Biden introduced last month, making the cumulative price tag of the two-part infrastructure and spending packages surpass over $4 trillion. Biden will detail the second phase during the prime-time address to a scaled-down crowd of Congress with his goal of redefining the role of the federal government as being the driving force for economic growth and shaping the economy that is currently rebounding at a high despite the pandemic.

“Senate Passes Gruters’ 2nd Amendment ‘Loophole’ Bill” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – State Senator Joe Gruters (R), who is also serving as the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party, and Florida Republicans are cheering today as the Chairman’s legislation regarding the 2nd Amendment passed the Senate this Tuesday. The Republican-controlled Senate voted on Tuesday, in a 24-16 vote, to give final approval to HB259, which passed the Florida House last month. This directs the bill to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), but the Governor has not commented on whether or not he will sign the bill.

“Scott Urges Biden to Focus on Ending Maduro Regime” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – During former President Donald Trump’s (R) time in office, criticism against Venezuelan Strongman Nicolas Maduro was relentless, as were the sanctions against the communist regime and support of Juan Guaido as the true president of the country. With reports that President Biden is looking to ease sanctions against Maduro and the communist regime of Venezuela, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) has issued a statement to the Biden administration, urging it to keep the sanctions currently in place while also asking the administration to focus on ending the Maduro regime.

“Florida House Votes Against Vaccine Passports” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee have voted 76-40 in favor of a House measure that bans vaccine passports, a measure the Democratic lawmakers opposed, accused Republicans of trying to push through an overt power grab bill that would take limit powers from municipalities. SB 2006, the Florida Senate version, has already passed in that chamber. Passport vaccines have been largely panned even after the Biden administration floated the use of them, especially for the Cruise line industry, which is barely staying afloat because of the ‘No-Sail’ federal order in place. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order prohibiting Florida businesses from “requiring” customers to furnish any document that would certify they have been vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus.

“Florida Legislature agrees on $101.5 B budget” by Wink News – The Florida Legislature agreed on a $101.5 billion state budget Tuesday, a figure that was unfathomable a year ago as the economy collapsed during the coronavirus pandemic. The budget proposal includes $6.7 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money that Republican legislative leaders previously said they wouldn’t rely on. Gov. Ron DeSantis originally proposed a $96.6 billion budget. The Senate’s first proposal was about $95 billion and the House was seeking about $97 billion. But revenue estimates have exceeded expectations, largely because the state has eliminated restrictions on businesses during the pandemic and tourism has rebounded. And Republican leaders finally decided to include money approved to help states since Democratic President Joe Biden took office, after initially saying they wouldn’t.

“‘Flabbergasted:’ Parents react after Florida school forbids teachers to get vaccines” by Click Orlando’s Amy Viteri – Some parents of students at Centner Academy say they are alarmed after the private school’s co-founder sent an email Monday outlining the school’s policy against COVID-19 vaccines. “Flabbergasted. I was wondering if it was even illegal,” a parent who didn’t want to be identified told News 6 partner WPLG-TV in Miami. Centner Academy has campuses in Miami’s Design District and Edgewater. School co-founder Leila Centner wrote to parents, without citing any scientific evidence, saying “vaccinated persons may be transmitting something from their bodies that could harm others who aren’t vaccinated — impacting fertility and the development of children.”

“South Florida official orders workers to vaccinate or risk firing” by Associated Press – A South Florida tax collector has ordered her employees to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk being fired. Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon told her 315 employees last week of her decision after doing research and concluding she could legally do it. She said her employees have contact with the public and two workers tested positive last week. Many others tested positive earlier and one died. She said employees can refuse for valid medical or religious reasons. If they don’t have those and refuse the shot, they will be banned from the office and required to use up their vacation time. They will then be fired if they don’t get the shot.

“In Voting Debate, Dems to GOP: 'Do Not Georgia My Florida'” by Associated Press – Florida lawmakers were poised to finalize new rules on voting by mail and tighten ID requirements for routine voter registration changes as Republicans hailed their state as a national model while neighboring Georgia weighed heavily on Democrats' minds. “After the most secure election in American history, one in which Florida outperformed the rest of the country, we now apparently need to question the integrity of our own great work," said Rep. Michael Grieco, a Democrat.

“Democratic turmoil: Long-simmering tension boils over as Florida senators oust their leader” by Sun Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher and Gray Rohrer – Simmering tensions plunged Florida Senate Democrats into turmoil on Wednesday with a vote of no confidence in their leader and infighting that pitted two Broward lawmakers against each other. When the dust settled, Sen. Gary Farmer was jettisoned as Democratic leader in exchange for Sen. Lauren Book, another Broward County lawmaker. Book, 36, will take over as leader immediately, according to a memo signed by 12 of the 16 Democratic senators. With the leadership shake-up, Book will serve through 2024 because she had already been chosen to succeed Farmer as the leader when his term ended in November 2022.

“Florida lawmakers move to punish social media companies” by WTXL/Associated Press – Social media companies are facing the wrath of Florida lawmakers, who are poised to soon send legislation to Gov. Ron DeSantis that could punish online platforms for perceived slights against conservatives. It was another key legislative victory for the Republican governor, who urged lawmakers to deliver the legislation as part of a campaign to reign in Big Tech — in how they collect and use consumer information and in how social media platforms treat their users. DeSantis is supporting hefty financial penalties against social media platforms that suspend the accounts of political candidates. The bill approved by the House would fine companies up to $250,000 a day for doing so.

“Negotiations continue on Florida homeowners insurance fix” by WCJB’s Staff – Lawmakers in the State Capitol continue bouncing an insurance bill back and forth between the House and Senate as homeowners across the state face double digit increases. Key provisions on roof replacements and attorneys fees continue to be sticking points. The legislation sets limits on roof replacements. The older the roof, the less the policy will pay, unless you opt for more expensive coverage. “Ultimately, you are paying for your neighbors roof through higher premiums,” said State Senator Jeff Brandes. The exact formula is still being worked out, but both chambers are working with a sense of urgency.

“Florida Privacy Protection Act nears final passage” by WCJB Staff – In the waning days of session lawmakers are making a final dash to pass new privacy protections for Floridians. The bill sponsors say the legislation is aimed at giving Floridians more say in how their data is used, but opponents say the bill would be much further reaching. The Florida Privacy Protection Act would require companies that handle the data of 100,000 or more people and make 50 percent or more of their profits from selling or sharing that data to let consumers know what data is being collected and sold and give them the option of opting out entirely.

“Measure to ban vaccine passports in Florida clears House” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner – With a key lawmaker saying he recognizes that vaccine hesitancy is “real and understandable,” the Florida House on Wednesday approved a measure that would limit local emergency orders and make permanent Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring COVID-19 vaccine “passports.” The House voted 76-40 to approve the proposal (SB 2006), which Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee Chairman Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, said would prepare Florida for the next public-health emergency while striking a “delicate balance between protecting people and protecting people’s civil liberties.” “We have vaccines, through some miracle of science, that work. We also must recognize that COVID-19 vaccines don’t have the same proven history as the same vaccines we require our schoolchildren to get,” Leek said.

“Former Florida police officer’s conviction upheld in shooting death of Black man” By Associated Press – A Florida police officer who gunned down a Black motorist whose car had broken down six years ago could legally be convicted of both manslaughter and attempted first-degree murder, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. The court said that unusual combination did not constitute double jeopardy. The Fourth District Court of Appeal rejected the contention by Nouman Raja’s attorneys that his 2019 convictions and 25-year prison sentence for the shooting of Corey Jones should be overturned. Raja’s attorneys had argued that since a defendant can’t be convicted of both murder and manslaughter for killing one person, a guilty verdict for manslaughter and attempted murder should also be rejected.

“Embattled Florida superintendent pleads not guilty to perjury charge” by The Hill’s Jordan Williams – Embattled Florida superintendent Robert Runcie has pleaded not guilty to a perjury charge that stemmed from a statewide grand jury investigation. Runcie, who runs Broward County Public Schools, entered his plea on Wednesday in a Florida state court, according to records on the court’s website. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 12 via a virtual hearing. The Hill has reached out to Runcie’s attorneys for comment. The plea comes one week after Runcie and the district’s general counsel, Barbara Myrick, were arrested in connection with the investigation. Runcie was charged with perjury in an official proceeding for making false statements when he testified before the grand jury several weeks prior. He was released on his own recognizance.

“Mystery Florida Senate candidate was planning move to Sweden” by The Hill’s Celine Castronuouvo – A woman in Central Florida who ran for the state Senate as an independent candidate was reportedly making plans to move to Sweden well before the November 2020 election was underway. According to an investigation by the Miami Herald, McClatchy and the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the campaign of 35-year-old Jestine Iannotti, who now lives in a suburb of the Swedish capital of Stockholm, was fueled by advertisements from dark money political groups. Immigration documents obtained by the news outlets showed that Iannotti had already applied for residency in Sweden before she filed to run for a seat in the Florida Senate in June.

National:

“Tim Scott: What to know about Republican senator giving rebuttal to Biden address” by Fox News’ Evie Fordham – Sen. Tim Scott will deliver the Republican response to President Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening. Scott is the junior senator from South Carolina and a rising star in the GOP. He is the only Black Republican senator and has focused on issues like police reform and opportunity zones. Here are five things to know about Scott: The Washington Post took heat for fact-checking Scott's family background. The Washington Post shocked readers Friday for publishing a story questioning Scott's family history of going from a childhood picking cotton to the halls of Congress. "The tale of his grandfather fits in with a narrative of Scott moving up from humble circumstances to reach a position of political power in the U.S. Senate," The Post's fact-checker Glenn Kessler wrote. "But Scott separately has acknowledged that his great-great-grandfather, Lawrence Ware, once owned 900 acres in South Carolina."

“Progressives think Biden's latest $1.8T families plan isn't big enough” by Fox News’ Marisa Schultz – Progressives on Wednesday viewed President Biden's latest spending plan on families as a good start, but said the $1.8 trillion proposal is still too small to provide a necessary safety net for the American public. Biden's tax and spending plan makes major new investments in education, child care and paid family leave and is funded by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. But the plan didn't go far enough on universal child care, free college tuition, health care and child tax credits, according to some Democrats who wanted a more sweeping proposal. New York Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, a major backer of the expanded child tax credit, said Biden's proposal fell short because he failed to permanently extend the payments to parents.

“Janice Dean sees justice coming in Cuomo nursing home scandal: 'it's finally happening'” by Fox News’ Angelica Stabile – Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean expressed her relief after the New York Times reported that aides for Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slighted state health officials by hiding the number of deaths in nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic for months. Dean, a warrior in the fight against the governor and his fatal directive, expressed her relief in the turn of events after nearly a year of being "beaten down." "I feel like all of these months, close to a year now, it feels like it finally is happening, that all of the things we've been yelling about and trying to shine a light on, it's finally happening," she said.

“3 men charged in plot to kidnap Michigan governor now face weapon of mass destruction charge” by CNN’s Sonia Moghe and Devan Cole – Federal prosecutors unveiled new charges on Wednesday against three men who have been accused in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. Adam Fox, 40, Barry Croft, 45, and Daniel Joseph Harris, 23, were charged with knowingly conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, in addition to the federal kidnapping conspiracy charges that were announced in October, when officials thwarted an alleged plot by the men and several others to kidnap Whitmer, a Democrat. The new charges come as part of a superseding indictment filed Wednesday by the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan that says Fox, Croft and Harris allegedly intended to use destructive devices to facilitate their plot to kidnap the governor by "harming and hindering the governor's security detail and any responding law enforcement officers."

“GOP precinct chair in Texas arrested in US Capitol riot” by CNN’s Ed Lavandera – A Texas man arrested for storming the US Capitol and assaulting police officers on January 6 also serves as a Republican Party precinct chair and has been an election poll worker in north Texas. Mark Middleton, 52, was appointed as the chair of Precinct 14 in Cooke County in December, just a month after the presidential election, according to Chris McNamara, chairman of the Cooke County Republican Party. A precinct chair is a low-level elected position in local party politics.

However, Middleton was not elected. He was appointed by a committee of local Republicans to fill the vacant precinct officer position.

“Rudy Giuliani’s New York Apartment Searched by Federal Investigators” by WSJ’s Rebecca Davis O’Brien and Rebecca Ballhaus – Federal investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at the New York City apartment of Rudy Giuliani, his lawyer said, an escalation of a yearslong investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors into the former mayor. Mr. Giuliani, who became former President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, has been under investigation since at least 2019 by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for his business dealings in Ukraine, for possible violation of federal lobbying laws. The execution of the search warrant was earlier reported by the New York Times and was confirmed by Mr. Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello. Mr. Costello said authorities, who arrived at Mr. Giuliani’s apartment at 6 a.m., seized Mr. Giuliani’s electronic devices.

“Senate Votes to Reverse Trump-Era Loosening of Methane Emission Rules” by WSJ’s Katy Stech Ferek – The Senate voted to restore regulations on methane gas that leaks into the air from U.S. oil and gas production, reversing a Trump-era policy and giving a boost to the Biden administration’s goal of reducing emissions. In a 52-42 vote Wednesday, the Senate invoked its power under the Congressional Review Act to overturn rules adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency last year on methane-gas emissions, including those easing some monitoring requirements and lowering standards for pollution-control systems to detect methane leaks by facilities that transmit and store natural gas.

“Biden Administration to Seek Ban on Menthol Cigarettes” by WSJ’s Jennifer Maloney – The Biden administration intends to pursue a ban on menthol cigarettes, a policy move that could sweep from the market more than a third of all cigarettes sold in the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal, expected to be announced this week, stems from the Food and Drug Administration’s finding in 2013 that menthols are harder to quit than regular cigarettes and likely pose a greater health risk. The agency also found that menthols are likely associated with increased smoking initiation by young people because the cooling properties of menthol mask the harshness of cigarette smoke.

“Vaccines Appear to Be Slowing Spread of Covid-19 Infections” by WSJ’s Robbie Whelan and Jon Kamp – Vaccines appear to be starting to curb new Covid-19 infections in the U.S., a breakthrough that could help people return to more normal activities as infection worries fade, public-health officials say. By Tuesday, 37.3% of U.S. adults were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with about 2.7 million shots each day. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows the seven-day average for new U.S. cases has fallen below the 14-day average for more than a week, which epidemiologists said is a strong signal that cases are starting to slide again after a recent upswing. When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, it suggests new cases are accelerating.

“NY lawmakers begin repealing Cuomo's executive orders” by Politico’s Shannon Young – New York state lawmakers issued their first major override of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pandemic executive actions Wednesday, voting to repeal orders issued at the height of the state’s coronavirus outbreak. The Senate and Assembly moved to end requirements that restaurants and bars must sell food in order to sell alcoholic beverages — a rule enacted last summer, which drew criticism from the restaurant industry and spawned creative menu offerings, like “Cuomo chips” and “compliance plates.” They also passed resolutions to relax outdated compliance rules for vaccine suppliers and to treat individuals who volunteer to take on significant government work as public officers in order to comply with government disclosure and transparency rules. (The governor last year brought back several former aides who worked as volunteers as the state prepared to respond to the pandemic.)

“Supreme Court grapples with free speech case involving student’s Snapchat outburst” by Politico’s Josh Gerstein – The Supreme Court’s first big student free-speech case of the internet era appeared to divide the justices on Wednesday about whether to issue a sweeping ruling bringing First Amendment law for schools into the social media age or settle for a much more modest decision. The case, framed as a test of school officials’ power to regulate student speech on the web, stems from a profane but mundane lament on Snapchat by a Pennsylvania ninth-grader, Brandi Levy, about being denied a spot on the varsity cheerleading squad. “F--- school, f----softball, f--- cheer, f---everything,” Levy wrote in her 2017 message, which prompted a one-year suspension from the cheerleading program.

“Biden declares U.S. ‘on the move again’ in first speech to Congress” by Reuters’ Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Jarrett Renshaw, and Susan Cornwell – President Joe Biden argued in his first speech to Congress on Wednesday that he had restored Americans’ faith in democracy nearly 100 days after he succeeded Donald Trump in office, and was set to unveil a $1.8 trillion spending and tax-credit plan. Biden appeared in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at an event scaled back this year because of the pandemic, with a small, specially selected group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrayed before him, and the first woman to serve as U.S. vice president, Kamala Harris, behind him.

“U.S. special envoy for Yemen to travel to region on Thursday” by Reuters – U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman on Thursday for talks with government officials about efforts to end Yemen's civil war, the U.S. State Department said in a statement. Lenderking's "discussions will focus on ensuring the regular and unimpeded delivery of commodities and humanitarian assistance throughout Yemen, promoting a lasting ceasefire, and transitioning the parties to a political process," the statement said. A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the country's government from the capital Sanaa. The civil war has created what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with some 80 percent of the country's population of 29 million requiring aid and 13 million facing starvation.

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