JUICE — Florida Politics' Juicy Read — 5.4.2021 — Charlie's Back —DeSantis' Big Moves — Fried, Demings, Rutherford— More...

"Patronis Touts Accomplishments in new Campaign Video," by The Floridian's Jim McCool—After a lengthy pandemic, the state of Florida is finally completely open for business after Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) signed an executive order canceling all local COVID restrictions across the state. Gov. DeSantis, along with many other officials have started discussing recovery and how we can be prepared for the next crisis. One of those officials is  CFO Jimmy Patronis (R-FL), who in a recent campaign video says he wants to”Keep Florida open!”

"Trump Mocks ‘Stone Cold Loser’ Romney Being Booed At Utah Republican Convention," by The Floridian's Mona Salama

"Fried Equates Ron DeSantis to Dictators Fidel Castro and Nicolas Maduro," by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is expected to announce her 2022 gubernatorial run for office in the coming weeks, is referring to Governor Ron DeSantis as a communist dictator and equating him to some of the most notorious human rights oppressors in the Western Hemisphere—Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Cuba’s Fidel Castro, and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.

"Biden Caves To Progressive Outcry, Raises Refugee Admissions Cap From 15,000 To 62,500," by The Floridian's Mona Salama—President Biden officially announced Monday that his administration has reversed course from retaining the Trump-era 15,000 refugee admissions cap for the fiscal year 2021 and will quadruple the limit to now 62,500 after facing strong backlash from prominent progressive Democrats on the initial number amid a surge of illegals crossing the southern border causing a crisis.

"Mast Slams Biden Administration For Ending Annual Memorial Day ‘Rolling to Remember’ Motorcycle Rally," by The Floridian's Mona Salama

"DeSantis Lifts all Local COVID Emergency Mandates," by The Floridian's Jim McCool—Today Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference in St. Petersburg, Florida to discuss COVID-19 in Florida, and surprise everyone with signing a new bill into law and signing an executive order that would lift nearly all local and state COVID restrictions. The Governor was joined by Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-FL) and Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-FL). Senator Danny Burgess, and Rep. Nick Diceglie.

"Mast Accuses “Progressive” Fried of Shielding Water Polluters," by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"Rutherford Calls Liz Cheney ‘An Obstruction To Leadership Unity’," by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Last year, Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R) voted to impeach President Donald Trump (R), and the vote was met with backlash from prominent Republicans. In response, a number of Republicans rallied against Cheney, asking her to step down from her position as Conference Chair. While criticism against other lawmakers that voted against Trump have lost steam, the criticism against Cheney has subsisted with her being called “an obstruction to leadership unity.”

"Biden Claims His Administration Has ‘Gotten Control’ Of Border Crisis," by The Floridian's Mona Salama

"Wasserman Schultz: Republicans Keeping “the Ugly Legacy of Voter Suppression Alive”, by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—After the 2020 Presidential elections, a number of controversial measures were introduced across the country with the aim of strengthening voting security. One of those measures is the Georgia election reform bill that received criticism. Detractors argue that it is similar to the Georgia bill, and Florida Republicans have voted in favor of the voting overhaul bill that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign. In turn, it’s receiving criticism across the state from Democrats like Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who called it another attempt to “keep the ugly legacy of voter suppression alive” in the Sunshine State.

“Caitlyn Jenner Defends DeSantis’ Transgender Sports Ban in Florida” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – The controversial bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girl’s sports that passed in the Florida Legislature has received an unexpected show of support for one of most prolific athletes in U.S. history — Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner. In a statement to TMZ, Jenner, who has gone through the full transgender transformation made the case for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-led legislature that their ban argument evened the playing field for women and girls, saying that it was “a question of fairness” referring to transgenders as “biological boys.”

“Disney Exemption in FL Censorship Bill Fails To Hold Them Accountable for China Censorship” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Conservatives are right to be concerned with Big Tech censorship – and might be tempted to celebrate the Florida Legislature’s passage this week of one of Governor Ron DeSantis’ priority bills for this session: SB 7072, which cracks down on online platforms for their content moderation abuses. However, the bill includes one notable Disney exemption that leaves the company unscathed despite its own checkered history of cancel culture and catering to the wishes and demands of China’s government censors. For example, remember when conservatives were outraged over Disney’s most recent “Mulan” movie and the influence China’s government had on it?

“Bipartisan RENACER Act Filed To Sanction Brutal Nicaraguan Regime” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – A bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen and Congresswomen have come together to introduce Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform Act of 2021, or the RENACER Act, to denounce the brutal Socialist regime in Nicaragua that has been lead by strongman Daniel Ortega since 2007. The measure was introduced by Reps. Albio Sires (D) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R) in an effort to implement more sanctions against the regime and “requires classified reports on corruption in the Ortega family and Russian involvement in Nicaragua and unclassified reports on human rights abuses and the Ortega regime’s persecution of independent media in Nicaragua.”

“Mayfield Wraps Up Successful 2021 Session” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – The Florida legislative session had plenty of issues to tackle this past legislative session, and now that it’s finally over, some members of the Florida Legislature, such as Senator Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne), have delivered on their promises on COVID liability, balancing the budget, and more. The Republican-led legislature aimed at the beginning of this session to provide relief and recovery options to Floridians, all the while ensuring economic prosperity for the state. Mayfield followed through on the economy by aiding in legislation to prevent further tax hikes in Florida. This move was aimed at creating an even playing field with out-of-state business and ensured compensation for Florida workers, and as a result, the state saw taxes roll back by $1 billion on businesses.”

“Rubio: Border ‘Crisis’ is ‘the Biggest Disaster of the First 100 Days’” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – A number of Republicans criticized President Joe Biden’s (D) State of the Union address, pointing out what they felt were inaccuracies while also arguing that the President did not mention immigration concerns at the border. In an interview with Fox News, Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) discussed the President’s address, commenting that Biden avoided mentioning “the biggest disaster of the first 100 days.” In recent weeks, lawmakers have taken trips to the border to survey growing immigration concerns. Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) have been criticized for not visiting the border. However, it’s reported that Vice President Harris will be visiting the border in June, but there’s no word yet on when President Biden will be taking a trip to the southern border.

“Scott and Rubio Push for NAS Pensacola Hurricane Relief” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – In the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, there was plenty of damage left by the passing storm, including facilities at Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (NASP), Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R), and Rick Scott (R) have teamed up on a joint effort to launch a recovery campaign. The recovery campaign starts with the NAS Pensacola military base in the panhandle. The effort is also aimed to hold Balfour Beatty accountable, the British-based infrastructure company that failed to repair on-base housing that was damaged by the hurricane.

“Nuñez Calls Fried’s ‘Regime’ Comment “Offensive”” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Florida Democrats have responded with disdain at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ signing of HB1. While the Governor has championed the legislation, Florida leadership like Agricultural Commissioner Niki Fried (D) has slammed the bill, calling it “straight from the Communist regime playbook.” In response, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette M. Nuñez (R) directed a tweet to Commissioner Fried, calling her “regime” comment “offensive” and praising Governor DeSantis’s decision. Fried, who has been vocal of her disapproval of Governor DeSantis’ work in office, is rumored to be launching a gubernatorial run soon. After the signing of HB1, Fried released a statement, saying that “this Governor and his Republican allies love to talk about the Constitution while shredding it with extreme legislation like HB1.” Arguing that DeSantis is essentially “silencing the speech of those seeking equality,” she expressed that “the criminal aspects of this bill are already illegal.”

“Nikki Fried Says GOP has ‘Descended into Fascism’” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – It’s the last day of the 2021 legislative session and Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is on the verge of officially announcing her run for governor in the 2022 mid-term election, has called Republicans fascist in her newest campaign assault against Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican Party. In another campaign video released moments ago, Commissioner Fried channeled the Far-left, Democratic Socialist Bible and referred to the Republican Party as “a hot mess that has descended into fascism.”

“Seminole Tribe of Florida gambling deal faces legal questions” by News Service of Florida’s Dara Kam – After years of legal wrangling and failed attempts to seal a deal, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have nailed down a gambling agreement to bring sports betting to the state and rake at least $2.5 billion into state coffers within five years. But the complicated 30-year pact faces significant hurdles before Florida residents and visitors legally could whip out their phones and place bets on their favorite sports teams. State lawmakers would have to sign off on the agreement, which is known as a “compact.” The U.S. Department of the Interior also has to authorize the deal. In addition, experts are divided about whether the Florida Constitution requires statewide voter approval to legalize sports betting. Other lawyers believe that the proposed compact with the Seminoles could run afoul of federal law.

“Florida coronavirus: State reports 3,841 new cases, 29 new deaths” by WFLA – The Florida Department of Health added a total of 3,841 new coronavirus cases in Sunday’s report, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the state to 2,242,778. On Saturday, over 28,000 people received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Florida Department of Health. New cases reported (2,242,778 total since start of pandemic):

Sunday: 3,841

Saturday: 5,419

Friday: 5,306

Thursday: 5,666

Wednesday: 5,178

“Discussing election reform, Florida's new anti-protest law, and more” by WPTV’s Michael Williams – The 2021 Florida legislative session came to an end Friday with a flurry bills being passed by lawmakers. One of the bills passed in the final days was on election reform. The bill was a priority for Governor Ron DeSantis. Democrat State Representative Omari Hardy (District 88) told Michael Williams on To The Point that the bill was unnecessary. "The governor boosted about how smoothly we ran our elections here in Florida as the law is currently written so according to the governor's own words this legislation was not needed," Hardy said. "Republicans feel that they can shave points off the electorate in a way it affects democrats more than it affects republicans.

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign bill banning social media ‘deplatforming’” by NY Post’s Jon Levine – Social media companies would be unable to permanently kick people off their platforms under a tough new Florida law. The bill, passed by the GOP-dominated state Legislature Thursday and awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature, would make it a crime to remove state political candidates from Twitter and Facebook, and would mete out penalties of $250,000 a day for any statewide candidate who is deplatformed. Removing more local candidates would cost the company $25,000 a day. The bill also requires tech companies to give users seven days notice that they are at risk of being banned and offer them the opportunity to correct the issue. Suspensions of up to 14 days would still be allowed.

“Latino Republican support for Trump is still going strong in Florida” by NBC’s Carmen Sesin – Three months into Joe Biden’s presidency, enthusiasm for his predecessor is still going strong among Latino Republicans in Florida. The South Florida-based Patriotas con Trump, or Patriots with Trump, has held multiple rallies outside Mar-a-Lago, members send messages all day in their WhatsApp group, and a smaller group of 10 meet regularly to brainstorm ways to recruit more members — and help get Republicans elected in 2022. They’re also looking ahead to 2024. “We are Republican, but what we really like is what Trump promotes,” Laureano Chileuitt, the group's leader, said. A physician, Chileuitt practiced neurosurgery in his native Colombia until he came to the U.S. in 2001.

“Ban Trump? Not so fast. Florida is about to pass a law to stop Facebook and Twitter from censoring politicians” by USA Today’s Jessica Guynn and John Kennedy – One of the nation’s largest states is taking on Big Tech. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is likely to sign into law a bill that would prevent social media companies Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube from “deplatforming” politicians such as former President Donald Trump. The bill was approved Thursday by the Republican-controlled state Legislature. It would order social media companies to publish standards with detailed definitions of when someone would be censored or blocked and make companies subject to as much as $250,000 daily fines for deplatforming a Florida candidate. The bill would require a social media company to notify users within seven days that they could be censored, giving them time to correct posts.

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denies systemic racism exists. Critics say his state's new voting law is a clear example.” By Yahoo News’ Summer Meza – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says the idea that the U.S. has systemic policies that perpetuate racism is absolute "horse manure." While speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham at a governors' town hall event on Thursday night, DeSantis was asked about systemic racism, which Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) discussed in his rebuttal to President Biden's speech to Congress. Scott declared "America is not a racist country," an increasingly hot topic as politicians disagree "over the pervasiveness of non-obvious racism within systems," writes The Washington Post. DeSantis' position in the debate is obviously clear, as he called the notion of systemic racism "a bunch of horse manure."

“‘Ron’s regime’: Florida Republicans give DeSantis what he wants” by Politico’s Matt Dixon – Florida’s Republican-led Legislature is handing Gov. Ron DeSantis a series of culture war victories that are leaving Democrats increasingly worried he may be unstoppable heading into a 2022 reelection and possible presidential run. The Legislature, which wraps up its two-month session this week, passed “anti-riot” legislation that DeSantis called for in the aftermath of last summer’s nationwide racial justice demonstrations. It approved a bill targeting Big Tech companies for “censoring” GOP voices. State lawmakers also passed a bill that bans so-called vaccine passports, an issue DeSantis has used to highlight his hands-off pandemic response that’s endeared him to Republicans across the country.

National:

“Tim Scott slams 'Uncle Tim' label as hypocritical bigotry” by Fox News’ Danielle Wallace – Sen. Tim Scott, who delivered the Republican response to President Biden’s address to Congress, said Sunday that "America is not a racist country," and as both sides of the aisle negotiate police reform at the federal level on Capitol Hill, the goal "isn't for Republicans or Democrats to win, but for communities to feel safer and our officers to feel respected." Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, also contended on an appearance on CBS’ "Face the Nation" Sunday that "fighting bigotry with bigotry is hypocrisy," as Biden last week called on Congress to pass a police reform bill by the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, May 25. Scott was the subject of attacks from the left over his rebuttal to the address.

“Why Kevin McCarthy, despite GOP infighting, has a strong chance of being speaker” by Fox News’ Howard Kurtz – The Republican Party would seem to be in a rather deep hole at the moment. The Democrats are in the process of pushing through their second straight $2-trillion bill, likely with votes only from their side. President Biden has an approval rating of 52, 53 or 54 percent, based on polls by the Washington Post, NBC and Fox News. Donald Trump is maneuvering to knock off GOP incumbents who crossed him during his tenure. And yet Kevin McCarthy seemed to be in an upbeat mood when I spoke with him over the weekend. He thinks he’s got an excellent chance of becoming House speaker. At the same time, he’s walking a self-described "tightrope" when it comes to dealing with his party’s pro- and anti-Trump factions, drawing considerable criticism in the process.

“Biden approach to North Korea nuclear policy 'not aimed at hostility': White House” by Fox News’ Danielle Wallace – National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan responded to rebukes from Pyongyang by affirming that President Biden's approach toward North Korea is "not aimed at hostility" but rather at "complete denuclearization." Sullivan reacted on ABC’s "This Week" on Sunday, hours after North Korean official Kwon Jong Gun issued a statement arguing that Biden’s address to Congress "reflects his intent to keep enforcing the hostile policy toward" North Korea and warning that the U.S. "will find itself in a very grave situation."

“White House expands behind-the-scenes lobbying as Biden makes public push for $4 trillion proposals” by CNN’s Phil Mattingly – President Joe Biden's major public -- and prime time -- push this week for his sweeping $4 trillion economic agenda was only one piece of the White House push to lay the groundwork to move his agenda. Behind the scenes, the White House ramped up its bipartisan outreach on Capitol Hill -- an expansion of an effort that has been underway since Biden laid out the first piece of that agenda last month, according to a White House official. During the same week that Biden publicly rolled out the $1.8 trillion final piece of that proposal before a joint session of Congress and made two trips outside of Washington, Biden's legislative affairs and policy teams conducted 110 calls to bipartisan members, chiefs of staff and staff directors, the official said.

“'The honeymoon is over': Biden faces tougher tasks ahead as progressives demand more” by CNN’s Gregory Krieg – The era of good feelings enjoyed by President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party's progressive wing will face a stern test of its staying power as the administration pushes forward into the next phases of its big-ticket policy agenda. Biden's first hundred days in office saw the passage of his $1.9 trillion Covid relief and economic stimulus package, along with the escalation of an unprecedented mass vaccination campaign that appears, at last, to be beating back the coronavirus pandemic. The success of those high-stakes government interventions has, in the eyes of many on the left, laid the groundwork for broader enhancements to the social safety net on a scale to match the ambitions of Democratic Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, author of the New Deal, and Lyndon B. Johnson, who enshrined Medicare and Medicaid as part of his Great Society.

“A partnership made in the MAGAverse: Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene team up to battle political opposition” by CNN’s Ryan Nobles and Annie Grayer – Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida have a lot in common. As each lawmaker increasingly finds themselves at the center of controversy, they often go out of their way to show public support for each other, raising concerns about the message they're projecting for the future of a party searching for its footing in the wake of the 2020 election. They've now formed a joint fundraising committee and are making plans to travel the country together on what they are calling an "America First" tour. The pair were early and passionate supporters of former President Donald Trump, and they have no problem challenging the establishment leaders within their own party. As the pressure on each grows, they have formed an unsurprising bond, often seen talking to each other on the floor of the House of Representatives, and they back each other up when others in the GOP aren't rushing to their defense.

“Americans Can’t Get Enough of the Stock Market” by WSJ’s Gunjan Banerji – Americans are all in on the stock market. Individual investors are holding more stocks than ever before as major indexes climb to fresh highs. They are also upping the ante by borrowing to magnify their bets or increasingly buying on small dips in the market. Stockholdings among U.S. households increased to 41% of their total financial assets in April, the highest level on record. That is according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Federal Reserve data going back to 1952 that includes 401(k) retirement accounts. JPMorgan’s Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, who analyzed the data, attributed the elevated allocations to appreciating share prices alongside stock purchases.

“Biden, Republicans Set Talks Over Competing Infrastructure Plans” by WSJ’s Kristina Peterson and Eliza Collins – Lawmakers and administration officials signaled on Sunday that they expected negotiations over an infrastructure package to ramp up this week, as Republicans and President Biden work to see if a bipartisan agreement is within reach. White House chief of staff Ron Klain said that Mr. Biden had invited Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, one of the lead GOP negotiators on the infrastructure package, and others to meet this week. “We’re going to work with Republicans. We’re going to find common ground,” Mr. Klain said on CBS. Republicans said they wanted to see that Mr. Biden was willing to make some concessions to prove his willingness to work across the aisle. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a centrist Republican involved in the discussions, said it was up to Mr. Biden to make the next offer in negotiations with GOP lawmakers.

“New York Faces Likely Congressional Redistricting Fight After Latest U.S. Census” by WSJ’s Jimmy Vielkind – New York politicians are preparing for a contentious redistricting process after the U.S. Census Bureau said last week that the state’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives will decrease by a seat. The once-in-a-decade act of drawing new lines for the state Senate, Assembly and Congress is in the hands of a new bipartisan commission. It was created in 2014 to try wringing some of the politics out of a famously political process. This is also the first time in 50 years that redistricting will unfold with one party—Democrats—in full control of New York’s government. That could lead to district lines that advantage that party, observers said, as part of a process that will unfold over the next year.

“Voters Choose Two Republicans to Compete for Texas House Seat” by WSJ’s Joshua Jamerson and Eliza Collins – Voters in a Texas House district chose two Republicans to advance to a runoff election, dashing Democratic hopes of picking up a GOP-held seat. Susan Wright, a GOP activist and the widow of Rep. Ron Wright, who held the seat until his death this year, was the top vote-winner among 23 candidates in a special election Saturday. She will face Rep. Jake Ellzey, also a Republican, who was the second-highest vote-winner. Ms. Wright had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Michael Wood, a Republican who stood out by actively distancing himself from Mr. Trump, placed a distant ninth, with 3% of the vote, an Associated Press tally as of Sunday showed.

“‘There’s a lot of crazy going on’: Pro-Trump lawyer blows up key GOP race” by Politico’s Marc Caputo – Lin Wood played a starring role in Georgia’s GOP civil war after the 2020 elections. Now the pro-Trump lawyer is taking his roadshow to South Carolina, where he’s campaigning as a “chaos” candidate to lead the state Republican Party. Wood, who transformed from a top Atlanta trial lawyer to a leading election conspiracy theorist in November, moved to South Carolina in February. Then the firebrand lawyer shocked the political establishment in one of the GOP’s most important state parties by mounting an unexpectedly strong challenge to the incumbent chairman, Drew McKissick.

“Giuliani’s Legal Trouble Is Trump’s Too” by Politico’s Renato Mariotti – You don’t need to be a lawyer to know that when federal agents knock on your door with a search warrant and seize your electronic devices, you’re in big trouble. Ever since that happened to former Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday, he has tried to downplay the peril he is in, saying whatever evidence is on his phones proves that “the president and I…are innocent.” But it sure looks like he has a long legal battle ahead of him, and his best defense will likely put him at odds with his former boss. If Trump doesn’t voluntarily protect his one-time counsel, Giuliani may have no choice but to point the finger at his former client. (Their relationship was tested in January when Trump reportedly refused to pay Giuliani for his unsuccessful work trying to overturn the November election results.)

“Susan Collins defends Romney, Cheney: 'We are not a party that is led by just one person'” by Politico’s Myah Ward – Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Sunday that she was “appalled” by the Utah GOP’s attempt to censure Sen. Mitt Romney for his votes to convict former President Donald Trump. The resolution to censure the former GOP presidential nominee failed Saturday at the Utah Republican Party organizing convention, where Romney was also booed earlier in the day. “We are not a party that is led by just one person,” Collins (R-Maine) said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” referring to Trump. “There are many prominent, upcoming younger men and women in our party who hold great promise for leading us, and I think all of us who abide by [Republican] principles should remember Ronald Reagan’s admonition to Republicans that the person who agrees with you 70 or 80 percent of the time is your friend, not your enemy.”

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