The Media's Hurricane Ian Madness Continues

Gov. Ron DeSantis and state officials have completed construction on the temporary bridge connecting mainland Florida to Pine Island in Southwest Florida, just ask the media what they think of the accomplishment.

The collapsed bridge that connects Sanibel Island to the rest of the state is also expected to be constructed in the following weeks.

But all this good news is not good enough for the Associated Press, who posted a story reporting that the bridge to Pine Island was still not built.

It was. READ MORE

More Media Madness

The Miami Herald also posted a story critical of the DeSantis administration and Lee County officials, questioning if evacuation orders were made “too late.”

As you can imagine, DeSantis and others have pushed back against Herald. READ MORE

What Immigration Border Crisis?

It took months for President Joe Biden to admit there was a border crisis, but some Democrats like Rep. Val Demings believe that the crisis along the U.S. southern border does not exist.

Even with images and videos of thousands of illegal immigrants streaming across the border to Mexico, Rep. Demings doesn’t believe there is an issue. READ MORE

Have a tip, story, new job, or announcement for The JUICE?  Reach out: Javier@floridianpress.com

"Associated Press Says Pine Island Bridge Not Rebuilt One Day After Its Rebuilding" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Recently, Gov. Ron DeSantis announces the Pine Island bridge being rebuilt in an extraordinarily fast three days. The next day, the Associated Press tweets a video about the damage to Pine Island that Hurricane Ian wrought.

"Val Demings Claims the U.S. Doesn't Have Open Borders" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Week after week, news that vast amounts of fentanyl – amounts that could kill millions of Americans – has shown up in the United States after crossing the southern border. Also, millions of undocumented immigrants (4.4 million to be exact) have illegally made the trek into the land of the free since President Joe Biden (D) stepped into office. However, figures like Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) swear that the border is secure.

"Both Republican and Democrat Lawmakers are Presidential Election Deniers" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Both Republicans and Democrats are denying the outcome of the past two presidential elections.

Cammack: 'Democrats are Living in an Alternate Reality' by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—The midterms are a month away, and the prospects of the Democratic Party continue to look grim. As the majority party in a period of downturn, prioritizing issues many voters do not consider urgent, they have a tough time selling their image.

"Legacy Media is Pushing Critical Hurricane Ian Narrative of Lee County Officials" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont

"DeSantis Seeks to Shield Redistricting Documents" by News Service of Florida

"Biden Visits Fort Myers to Survey Damage, Praises DeSantis" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"Charlie Crist's Campaign Bus Hits Road for Wrong Hurricane" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Hurricane Ivan left widespread damage throughout the Caribbean and along the gulf states when it made landfall on September 16, 2004, so someone should tell Charlie Crist and Florida Democrats that his gubernatorial campaign is campaigning off of Hurricane Ivan and not “Hurrican Ian,” (Sic) which hit Florida a week ago.

"DeSantis Announces Pine Island Bridge Rebuilt Ahead of Schedule," by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Recovery in Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian has crossed a major milestone today. Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) held a press conference in Matlacha announcing the building of a temporary bridge to Pine Island ahead of schedule. While some final inspections remain necessary, the speed at which the bridge was built is nothing short of extraordinary.

"New Charlie Crist Ad Boasts the ex-Republican Governor's Deeds While in Office" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamonte—Charlie Crist’s campaign published a new political advertisement yesterday, October 5th, where he bashes Governor Ron DeSantis while lauding Crist's policies while in office as a Republican Governor.

"DeSantis Activates Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan After Ian," by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"PolitiFact's Yacob Reyes Continues Questionable Reporting Against DeSantis," by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Last week, The Floridian detailed Politico's attempt to politicize Hurricane Ian and the backlash on Twitter. One week later, it is PolitiFact that is in hot water.

"Gov. DeSantis Crushing Democrat Crist by Double-Digits in Florida," by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—As hurricane recovery efforts continue across much of the state of Florida, a new Mason-Dixon public opinion poll released this morning shows that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is beating the Democratic gubernatorial nominee by 11 percentage points.

"Steube Says Hurricane Ian's Death Toll Potentially Higher" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich

"Mast Wants Answers Concerning Fauci Greenlit Dog Experiments," by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich

"Photos Further Debunk Claims of Recovery Efforts Stalling Because of DeSantis" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Mason-Dixon Polling Shows Rubio Ahead of Demings by 6 Points" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—The Senate race between incumbent Marco Rubio (R) and challenger Rep. Val Demings (D) has been tight, but now it appears as if Sen. Rubio is creating some distance between himself and Rep. Demings. According to the latest Mason-Dixon poll, Senator Rubio is ahead 47% to Demings' 41%.

"Val Demings Calls for Special Legislative Session Following Hurricane Ian" by the Floridian's Daniel Molina

"Claim that DeSantis Stopped Hurricane Supply Effort is Debunked" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—As water levels continue to rise throughout Florida as a result of Hurricane Ian, Florida Democrats have not missed any opportunity to politicize the natural disaster and push the apparent false narrative that Gov. Ron DeSantis had rescue operations paused because he was on the ground accessing the damage in Arcadia, Florida.

"Florida's Gas Tax Holiday Takes Effect for Month of October" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—With gas prices still well above 3 dollars a gallon ($3.255 on average in Florida), many Floridians are still feeling the effects of the national fuel hike in their wallets. However, it just so happens that during the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida enacted a gas tax holiday for the month of October.

"DeSantis Pressed on Lee County Evacuation Order" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has been running around the state at a break-neck speed since Hurricane Ian hit the state last week. Yesterday, The Floridian was able to receive comments from DeSantis about operations in Arcadia, including the POD program's effectiveness.

"DeSantis Refuses Recovery Efforts Stopping While He Visits" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—With Hurricane Ian now behind us, recovery and rebuilding efforts have made headway. Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has been crisscrossing the state, supervising and aiding while providing updates. A video surfaced Sunday showing Gov. DeSantis cooking breakfast for first responders in Punta Gorda, after which he held a press conference in Arcadia.

"DeSantis Warns Potential Hurricane Looters They Could be Shot" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

Progressive, Legacy Media Try to Blame DeSantis for Hurricane's 'Catastrophic Consequences'" by The Floridian's—It was only a matter of time before legacy media outlets like the New York Times and progressive media publishers like Peter Schorsch tried to blame Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian.

"Val Demings Fundraises as Floridians Struggle to Recover From Hurricane" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamonte—US Representative Val Demings sent out three campaign fundraising texts to Floridians shortly after Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida.

"FSU Football Players Start GoFundMe for Hurricane Ian Relief" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) authorized college athletes to be able to make money off their name, image, and likeness (commonly known as NIL), some have used their platform to profit for themselves as an amateur, but others have used the rule change to make lasting impacts in the community.

"Gov. DeSantis Updates Florida on Hurricane Ian Recovery" by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"Scott, Rubio Write to Appropriations Committee Following Hurricane Ian" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As Florida deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) are requesting more funding for the state on top of the 100% price match that President Joe Biden (D) agreed to just a few days ago.

"Cammack Slams Biden Administration for Emptying SPR as Florida Recovers" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich

"Disaster Aid to Expand in Ian’s Aftermath" by  News Service of Florida

"Missiles Fly as Vice President Kamala Harris Departs South Korea" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamonte—On Thursday, North Korea reacted to Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the Korean Peninsula by launching several short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

"Crist Says 'No Time for Politics" After Hurricane, but Still Campaigns Against DeSantis" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—It’s all hands on deck in Florida as recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian continue, and as Charlie Crist recently said, there is “not time, obviously for any kind of politics,” or is there?

"Exclusive: DeSantis Assesses Hurricane Damage in Southwest Florida" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"Gov. DeSantis Announces Search and Rescue Missions Across Florida" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—After Hurricane Ian destroyed large parts of Southwest Florida, leaders in Tallahassee, Florida are responding quickly. Today, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced the thorough search and rescue missions that have been underway since early Thursday morning.

"DeSantis Issues Hurricane Update in Punta Gorda" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has joined others to provide an update on Hurricane Ian. The update was delivered in Punta Gorda as the hurricane continues to affect Floridians, and joining him in speaking were First Lady Casey DeSantis (R) and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (R) among others.

"Harris Mistakenly Says US Allied with North Korea" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Vice President Kamala Harris's speaking style has gained notoriety and has become a favorite point of mockery for Republicans and Conservatives. In the most recent instance, Harris says the United States "has a very important relationship, which is an alliance with the Republic of North Korea."

"Miami Resuming Operation as State Recovers" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida lawmakers are responding to the devastation of Hurricane Ian as the winds have subsided to 65 mph. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced that the City of Miami would be resuming its normal operations, while also providing an update on what the city would be doing to ensure the safety of its citizens. At the state level, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) provided an update, discussing power outages and flooding affecting Floridians throughout the state.

"President Biden Looks for Deceased Congresswoman at White House Conference" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont

"DeSantis Requests Biden Approve Major Disaster Declaration, Pledge Full Federal Cost Share for Hurricane Ian's Damages" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamonte—Governor Ron DeSantis’ Press Office has officially requested President Biden approve Major Disaster Declaration and commit himself to 100 Percent Federal Cost Share for Hurricane Ian’s disastrous consequences.

"Democrat Alan Cohn Deletes Radical Views from Congressional Campaign Website" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Election Day is getting closer by the minute and congressional candidates are making strides to get every last vote they can, whether that means going door-to-door, sending out mail, or completely erasing former views on your campaign website.

"Democrat Bagga Responds to Attack Mailer Put Out by Fred Hawkins" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich —Despite Hurricane Ian being the biggest news in Florida this week, there is still time for midterm election coverage. District 35 for the Florida House has just generated its own share of news. On Monday, Democratic nominee Rishi Bagga tweeted a response to an attack mailer put out by his Republican opponent Rep.Fred Hawkins. Bagga calls the allegations "so bad we got a good laugh." The mailer calls Bagga "really radical" and claims he is in favor of allowing non-citizens to vote, in favor of releasing criminals, and is against term limits.

"DeSantis Activates Florida's Critical Disaster Relief Fundraising Effort" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Democrat Charlie Crist Fundraises Hours Before Deadly Storm Hits Florida" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"DeSantis Shuts Down Reporter Trying to Politicize Ian at Press Conference" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich —Politico has seemingly politicized Hurricane Ian as it closed in on Florida. A few short hours after the post was published, a reporter at Gov. DeSantis' press conference last night decided to politicize it again. The journalist says concern raises over Florida's supposedly "lax" hurricane response, which DeSantis immediately shuts down. "Stop politicizing it," he demands from the journalist.

"Hurricane Stirs up Political Storm as Democrats Attempt to Harness it to Attack DeSantis" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamonte—As Hurricane Ian makes landfall on the Western Coast of Florida, Democrats throughout the state have used the impending catastrophe to criticize Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration.

"Christina Pushaw and Rep. Andrade Accuse POLITICO of Politicizing Hurricane Ian" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich

"Rene Garcia Pushes Cashless Zones Legislation" by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"Residents Urged to Evacuate From 'Vulnerable' Areas" by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner

"DeSantis Warns Floridians to 'Prepare for Impact' From Monster Hurricane" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Wednesday live updates: Hurricane Ian, now a Category 4, will hit Florida today" by The Tampa Bay Times' Christopher Spata

"Florida Democrats Expected to Support Cuba's Legalizing of Same-Sex Marriage" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich

"Florida Elected Officials Unite in Preparation for Hurricane Ian" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Hurricane Ian is blowing its way to Florida, expecting to make landfall this mid-to-late this week. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has already declared a state of emergency for all 67 Counties and called for the deployment of 2,500 National Guard. Monday morning, Gov. DeSantis tweeted a reminder to Floridians to have proper preparation and supplies ready for the coming days.

"Progressive Carlos Smith Voted for DeSantis's Budget While Voting Against Anti-Socialism Bill" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—In one of Florida’s most competitive swing State House seats in the 2020 midterm election (HD 37), Progressive Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) has come out swinging against his Republican opponent Susan Placensia over accusations she has made against him in a campaign mailer.

"Gallego Calls Salazar "Hypocritical" Despite Lacking Evidence" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—The Hispanic and Latino community is becoming contentious voting demographic in the 2022 midterms. Thursday, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) tweeted that "Hispanics are law-abiding, God-fearing, hardworking people" who are "rejecting the extremist, socialist policies of the radical Democrats."

"Joe Biden Alleges Congressional Republicans Will Jail Doctors for Doing Their Jobs" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Last week, Charlie Crist's pick for Lieutenant Governor Karla Hernandez-Mats mockingly compared the Florida legislature to special education students. She describes herself as trained to work with emotionally handicapped students, thus is qualified to deal with the "dysfunctional" legislature.

"Kat Cammack Introduced JASON Act, Looks to Curb Illegal Immigration" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the nation debates whether the southern border is secure, a Republican member of Congress from Florida has brought forth legislation in hopes to curb entry of undocumented immigrants in the case of a mass influx scenario.  Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) introduced the Justified Action for Securing Our Nation (JASON) Act.

"Rubio Sends Letter to Blinken, Yellen Demanding Sanctions on North Korea" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the world watches statesmen navigate the geopolitical issues that concern the United States such as our relations (or lack thereof) between nations such as China and Russia, many forget to include North Korea and the threat it poses to countries around the globe. However, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) alongside Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) sent a letter to Secretary of State Tony Blinken as well as the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen...

"Republican Leaders Appear to Side with DeSantis over Trump in Potential 2024 Matchup" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Rick Scott Demands Biden Prosecute Iranian President Raisi for Assassination Plots Against US Citizens" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—As the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government continues cracking down on protestors, killing many demonstrators for denouncing the regime’s recent killing of Mahsa Amini, Florida Senator Rick Scott has called on President Joe Biden to prosecute Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi “horrific crimes” committed and for planning assassinations.

"Greg Steube Champions 'Commitment to America' Policy" by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"Karla Hernandez-Mats Doubles Down on Comparing Legislature to Special Education Students" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Last week, Charlie Crist's pick for Lieutenant Governor Karla Hernandez-Mats mockingly compared the Florida legislature to special education students. She describes herself as trained to work with emotionally handicapped students, thus is qualified to deal with the "dysfunctional" legislature.

"Scott, Steube Condemn New 'Woke' Air Force Academy Diversity Training" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the United States appears to become more and more “woke” and commonly used words and phrases are changed on a regular basis, many Americans fear when the wokeness creeps into our armed forces. Recently, Fox News has reported that the Air Force Academy has instructed their cadets to use more gender-neutral language such as “parent or caregiver” rather than mom and dad. “Color conscious” is now preferred over colorblind as well.

"Rubio Team Says Demings is in ‘Hiding’ by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Since the midterm general election is fast approaching, Democrats across the country are vying to campaign with President Joe Biden (D). However, the Rubio campaign is warning that Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) is avoiding campaign stops with the president. Saying that Rep. Demings will be “hiding in her office in Washington,” the Rubio campaign inferred that her voting record could come back to haunt her in November.

"Taddeo Challenges Salazar to 4 Debates" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"DeSantis Moves to Prohibit Communist China From Buying Farmland, Land Around Military Bases" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Rep. Stephanie Murphy Endorses Ultra-Progressive Karen Green" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—With just under two months until voters head to the polls, retiring Rep. Stephanie Murphy's (D) will not be facing the Republican congressional nominee Cory Mills .

"Senator Rick Scott joins Senator Roger Marshall to Introduce the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Washington – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Rick Scott (FL) introduced the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act to formally designate certain drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

"Wasserman Schultz Slams Tlaib over Antisemitic Remark" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) recently spoke at an event saying "that you cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel’s apartheid government." Rep. Tlaib further added, "we will continue to push bac

k and not accept this idea that you are progressive except for Philistine [sic] any longer."

"Rubio Defends DeSantis, Outlines Media Hypocrisy After Martha's Vineyard Illegal Immigrants sue" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Democratic senatorial nominee and Rep. Val Demings is accusing Senator Marco Rubio of pulling a “shameless and cynical stunt” for posting a video outlining the fact that illegal immigrants from Venezuela are now suing because they were flown to Martha’s Vineyard after breaking U.S. immigration law.

"Waltz, Ernst Introduces the PUNISH Act" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) has introduced the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicide (PUNISH) Act. The bill would enact stricter sanctions against the Iranian Regime.

"New Polling Suggests Most Americans Support Banning Late-term Abortions" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Novel polling recently published by the Trafalgar Group demonstrates that most Americans do not agree with late-term abortions.

"Florida Democrat Accuses Crist of Supporting Defunding Police" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist aka "Chain gang Charlie" continues to work hard in displaying his progressive credentials in the weeks leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. In August, the Republican Party of Florida posted a video from a May 2022 interview conducted by the podcast "Your Brother John," where Crist says he is in favor of St. Pete police chief Anthony Holloway's initiative to reallocate funds for policing to creating a unit of social workers to respond to nonviolent calls.

"Tennessee Transgender Health Clinic Sparks National Outrage" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Last Tuesday, political figure Matt Walsh published investigative results regarding gender-transition surgeries performed on minors.

"DeSantis Proves Relocation to Martha's Vineyard was Voluntary" by The Floridian's—Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) has introduced the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicide (PUNISH) Act. The bill would enact stricter sanctions against the Iranian Regime.

"Report Targets Funding Shift to Private Schools" by News Service of Florida

"DeSantis Jabs at Crist's Running Mate for Opposing U.S. Embassy Moving to Jerusalem" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke to several hundred supporters at an “Education Freedom Event” hosted by Florida’s Jewish and Faith Communities, where he took a solid jab at Democratic gubernatorial Lt. Governor nominee, Karl Hernandez-Mats. In a video captured by South Florida activist Chris Nelson, Gov. DeSantis needles Hernandez-Mats for her show of sympathy for the late Dictator Fidel Castro, and for her opposition to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in Israel.