JUICE — Florida Politics' Juicy Read — 5.28.2021 — DeSantis Gets Sued—Hello Shevrin Jones—Sugar Suit Dropped— More...

THE FLORIDIAN: State Senator Shevrin Jones by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

Plaintiff Voluntarily Dismisses Lawsuit Against Florida Crystals by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

DeSantis Calls for a Return to “a Normal School Year” by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Republicans and Democrats have been on opposing sides of the argument when it comes to the reopening of schools. GOP members have taken a hardline approach, calling for schools to reopen and allow in-person schooling. Moreover, lawmakers like Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) have even argued that schools should be defunded if they refuse to provide in-person education. With the state of Florida opening up, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) held a press conference in Sarasota, announcing that teachers and principals would be receiving a $1,000 bonus. The Governor then said that “next year is going to be a normal school year,” adding that “it’s going to look like January of 2020.”

DeSantis: “Lockdowns” Turned Democrats into Republicans by The Floridian's Daniel Molina— This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) took part in a Republican Governors Association town hall on Fox News. After a surge of people has moved from states like New York to Florida, the Gov. DeSantis assessed that “lockdowns” have turned Democrats into Republicans. He also shared that those people are disregarding the “phony narratives” from the mainstream media regarding how the Sunshine State, and he also estimated that “they’re registering as Republicans overwhelmingly.”

Jason Holloway Launches House District 67 bid by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

“DeSantis, Moody Slapped With Big Tech Lawsuit” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – Less than a week after signing the Sen. Ray Rodrigues’ Transparency in Technology Act (SB 7072) into law, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) have been slapped with a lawsuit over the Big Tech accountability law that has been labeled as unconstitutional and even “draconian.” The co-filed federal lawsuit filed by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice asserts that the law is unconstitutional, violates federal law, and infringes on American’s freedom of speech, equal protection, and due process, as protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

“Scott: ‘Democrats have turned their back on Israel’” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – After President Joe Biden’s state department confirmed that foreign aid to Palestine has the “possibility” of funding the terrorist group Hamas, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act, a measure that would ensure that no taxpayer money would be used to fund terrorism, furthering the narrative that Democrats have turned their backs on Israel. Sen. Scott’s bill follows after the announcement of $110 million in economic assistance to Palestine, which has voted in Hamas. Scott’s proposal would ensure that no further funding would be sent to Palestinian territories until the President certifies that these funds can be spent without benefitting the terrorist organization.

“‘Massive Numbers of Dead People Voted in the 2020 Presidential Election’” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Without citing a source, former President Donald Trump has released a “Breaking News” statement regarding the 2020 presidential election, stating that “massive numbers of dead people voted in the 2020 presidential election.” In the statement, President Trump asserts that some of those “dead people” went as far as applying for a voting application in their respective states of residence, adding that the fraud was just the tip of the iceberg of “many fraudulent aspects” that plagued last year’s general election.

“Steube Calls Out Military for Teaching Critical Race Theory and Marxism” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – With the Biden Administration adopting a bold progressive agenda on all fronts, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) signed a letter to the Department of Defense, calling out the U.S. military’s endorsement of critical race theory and Marxism. In the letter written with Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Steube wrote to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to “express concern about the growing trend of left-wing extremism and politicization in our armed forces.” Rosendale tweeted his letter with Steube crediting the military’s greatness to its “long history of standing above politics has made it one of the most respected institutions,” adding that “reputation is now under attack by left-wing extremism.”

“DeSantis: No Correlation Between Mask Mandates in Schools and COVID” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – With millions of Americans having received the COVID-19 vaccination, cases of the deadly virus have diminished so much that the Biden administration and state and local officials have begun to reign in restrictions, including mask mandates. Unfortunately for parents and their school-age children, those mask mandates are still in place for schools. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been calling for school boards to lift the mask mandates, is not saying that “the data speaks for itself” as he points to a recent finding that shows there isn’t a correlation between “mask mandates in schools” and the transmission of COVID-`19.

“Florida environmental secretary resigns” by Spectrum News’ Pete Reinwald – Noah Valenstein is resigning as secretary of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, effective June 4. Valenstein, who has served in the role since 2017, notified Gov. Ron DeSantis of his intentions in a letter dated May 8, but the announcement didn’t come until Thursday. Shawn Hamilton, deputy secretary for the Division of Land and Recreation, reportedly will become interim secretary. Valenstein has spent much of the past several weeks working on and answering questions about Manatee County’s Piney Point, from where millions of gallons of untreated water were released near Port Manatee early last month. A few weeks later, Florida lawmakers approved $100 million to clean up and close the facility.

“2 dead, 10 missing after boat overturns near Key West, Florida” by NBC News’ Doha Madani – At least two people have died and 10 others are missing after a boat overturned off the coast of Florida on Thursday afternoon. Eight people were rescued about 1 p.m. about 18 miles southwest of Key West, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Multiple units are searching for the remaining passengers who were on the boat that flipped, NBC Miami reported. The boat has not been located, and officials were unable to answer what type of boat overturned or where the passengers were traveling from, according to NBC Miami.

“Reforms in Florida Police Bill Won't Change Much in South Fla.” By NBC Miami’s Tony Pipitone – The murder of George Floyd under the knee of police one year ago produced calls for reform to state laws that govern how officers train and interact with the public. In Florida, a watered-down version of police reform passed both houses and the governor has yet to decide whether to let it become law. But, even if it does, local law enforcement officers say it won’t change much in South Florida. State Rep. Dotie Joseph (D-North Miami) said she and fellow Democrats had to give a little to get Republicans to support a statewide police reform bill. "I think we were able to accomplish a certain modicum of bipartisanship with lots of folks that wanted to see some real reform come through and we were able to achieve that," she said.

“Florida Supreme Court rules against Tampa medical marijuana company” by WFLA’s Evan Donovan – The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday the state’s procedure and requirements for licensing medical marijuana businesses likely do not violate the state constitution, overturning two lower court rulings. Tampa-based medical marijuana company Florigrown sued the state over its 2017 law that established licensing requirements for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs), arguing they were unconstitutional and arbitrary, allowing the state to select winners and losers rather than leaving the industry’s outcome to market forces. The state supreme court ruled against Florigrown’s motion for a temporary injunction, which had been approved and stayed by two lower courts. In the process, it shot down some of the company’s main arguments for its lawsuit moving forward.

“Florida’s largest teacher union is against banning critical race theory in classrooms” by Wink News – Critical race theory has made headlines in recent weeks as Gov. Ron DeSantis seeks to permanently ban it from Florida classrooms. Critical race theory is an academic movement that seeks to examine the law as it intersects with race. Supporters of the movement say it’s not about replacing history but instead, about examining it holistically to capture the complexities of the nation’s story and its challenges in fostering equity across the masses. While DeSantis is not a fan, parents in Lee County have varied opinions. “I think it’s going to cause more of a racial divide,” said Angie Salender, a Lee County parent. “We need to teach and make sure they can read. Make sure they can write and stop with all this political agenda that’s kind of coming into our schools right now.”

“Graffiti sprayed on outside of Florida Holocaust Museum” by Spectrum News Staff – Police are investigating the spraying of graffiti outside the Florida Holocaust Museum on 5th Street S. The message, spray painted in black, included a swastika and anti-semitic language. Officers responded to the building at about 4 a.m., and sanitation workers were called to paint over it. Elizabeth Gelman, the executive director of the Florida Holocaust Museum, said what happened was “chilling.” "It is a very, very worrying trend and we need to keep our staff, our visitors, and our Holocaust survivors safe,” she said. Detectives are investigating the incident as a hate crime. Jake Geffon of the Progressive Jewish Coalition called what happened “nauseating.”

National:

“Freedom Caucus asks CDC if Pelosi consulted its scientists on continued House mask mandate” by Fox News’ Marisa Schultz – The leader of the House Freedom Caucus is asking the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., consulted with the scientists before continuing the coronavirus mask mandate in the House chamber. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., penned a letter to Dr. Rochelle Walensky Thursday asking just one question: Did Pelosi or the Capitol physician consult with her or anyone at the CDC prior to extending the House mask mandate and social distancing protocols on May 14? "It is imperative that the American people know that their elected leaders, particularly the Speaker of the House, are making public policy decisions based on the evidence, not conjecture or what is in their political interests," Biggs wrote.

“Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors to step down amid questions about finances” by Fox News’ Thomas Barrabi – Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is stepping down from her role as executive director of the activist group’s central foundation amid questions about her finances. Cullors, 37, told the Associated Press on Thursday that she was leaving the position to focus on other projects, including the release of her second book and a television deal with Warner Bros. She held the top post at Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for more than five years. The activist said she had created "the necessary bones and foundation" at the organization and felt the "time is right" to leave. She asserted that her exit was planned for more than a year and was unrelated to scrutiny regarding her personal finances.

“Harris to announce business investments in Central America as part of migrant strategy” by Fox News’ Adam Shaw – Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday will announce commitments from businesses and other organizations to invest in Central America to support economic development in the countries from where the migrant surge – which has overwhelmed border officials in recent months – originated. Harris and the Biden administration have been emphasizing the "root causes" of the crisis at the border, such as violence, poverty and climate in Central America – and have called for $4 billion of investment in the region to combat those causes. Critics have instead pointed to the rollback of Trump-era border protections that they say have incentivized the migrant flow that saw 178,000 migrants hit the border in April alone.

“White House to propose $6 trillion budget for 2022” by CNN’s Jeff Zeleny and Kate Sullivan – The White House on Friday will propose a $6 trillion budget for the 2022 fiscal year, a senior administration official tells CNN, as President Joe Biden prepares to outline his spending blueprint for the first time in his formal request to Congress. The budget proposal calls for the most sustained spending in more than a half-century, which forecasts deficits at more than $1 trillion for at least the next decade. The budget proposed by the White House is the President's opening offer to Congress in negotiations over the federal budget and is expected to change before being signed into law.

“Paul Ryan to enter GOP's civil war by criticizing Trump's hold on party” by CNN’s Daniella Diaz – Former House Speaker Paul Ryan is set to criticize former President Donald Trump and his hold on the Republican Party during a speech Thursday night, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. Ryan, a critic of the former President in the past, is expected to say at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, that Republicans must move away from the "populist appeal of one personality" because "then we're not going anywhere." "Once again, we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads. And here's one reality we have to face: If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we're not going anywhere. Voters looking for Republican leaders want to see independence and mettle," Ryan is expected to say.

“Intelligence community 'does not know' how Covid-19 originated and repeats two working theories” by CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Katie Bo Williams and Veronica Stracqualursi – The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued an unusual public statement Thursday on the status of its intelligence gathering into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, publicizing divisions within the intelligence community about whether the virus escaped from a lab in China or occurred naturally. The statement follows an order from President Joe Biden on Wednesday for the intelligence community to redouble its efforts to uncover the cause of the pandemic over the next 90 days. ODNI spokesperson Amanda Schoch reiterated Biden's announcement that the intelligence community is still working to determine how the virus originated "but has coalesced around two likely scenarios: either it emerged naturally from human contact with infected animals or it was a laboratory accident."

“U.S. Won’t Rejoin Open Skies Treaty With Russia” by WSJ’s Jessica Donati – The Biden administration has decided not to rejoin the Open Skies agreement with Russia after concluding that Russian violations of the deal and failure to take action to return to compliance undermined the pact, the State Department said Thursday. “Russia’s behavior, including its recent actions with respect to Ukraine, is not that of a partner committed to confidence-building,” a spokeswoman said. A Russian Embassy spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Last year, Moscow called the U.S. decision to exit from the treaty last year a deplorable development for European security that undermined trust-building efforts in the military sphere.

“San Jose Shooter Was Previously Questioned by Law Enforcement Over Hatred of Workplace” by WSJ’s Rachael Levy – U.S. Customs officers had previously detained the man who killed nine people in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday and found that he professed a hatred of his workplace where the shooting occurred, according to a Department of Homeland Security memo. The shooter, Samuel James Cassidy, possessed “books about terrorism and fear and manifestos…as well as a black memo book filled with lots of notes about how he hates the VTA,” when Customs and Border Protection detained him in 2016 after a trip to the Philippines, the memo says. The VTA is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, where he worked for at least nine years, according to public employment records.

“Biden Budget Said to Assume Capital-Gains Tax Rate Increase Started in Late April” by WSJ’s Richard Rubin – President Biden’s expected $6 trillion budget assumes that his proposed capital-gains tax rate increase took effect in late April, meaning that it would already be too late for high-income investors to realize gains at the lower tax rates if Congress agrees, according to two people familiar with the proposal. Mr. Biden’s plan would raise the top tax rate on capital gains to 43.4% from 23.8% for households with income over $1 million. He would also change the tax rules for unrealized capital gains held until death. The effective date for the capital-gains tax rate increase would be tied to Mr. Biden’s announcement of the tax increase as part of his American Families Plan, which includes an expanded child tax credit and funding for preschool and community college. He detailed the plan April 28, and the budget will be released Friday. White House representatives didn’t immediately comment.

“Biden's defense budget seeks greater China deterrence and nuclear funding” by Reuters’ Mike Stone – U.S. President Joe Biden's $715 billion Department of Defense budget will shift funding from old systems to help modernize the nuclear arsenal to deter China, while also developing future warfare capabilities, people familiar with the budget said.

—Florida political news. Florida news. Florida Politics. The Floridian.