StemCell Therapy

First on #FlaPol Joe Jacquot on Thursday departed from Gov. Ron DeSantis general counsel team to spend more time alongside his family.

The University of Florida law graduate worked with DeSantis since January of 2019 while his family remained in Jacksonville. Weekly, he would commute to the Governors Office and then return to Jacksonville to spend weekends with his family.

Director of Communications Fred Piccolo told Florida Politics that Jacquot will move on to work in private practice and leaves with the Governors full support.

It has been an honor to serve you and your administration, Jacquot wrote in his resignation letter. I have a deep respect for your principled leadership, relying upon and furthering our constitutional democracy.

Jacquot submitted his resignation to DeSantis roughly two weeks ago, though he requested that he remain on board for a chance to litigate the Florigrown case before the Florida Supreme Court.

He got that chance on Wednesday.

Ron DeSantis general counsel Joe Jacquot is taking a position in the private sector.

Among his accomplishments, Jacquot led the legal team which navigated the Governors Office through the Phase 3 reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also oversaw the Governors judicial appointment process. During his tenure, five Justices were appointed to the Florida Supreme Court.

Before serving as the Governors General Counsel, Jacquot worked in the private sector at Foley and Lardner LLP and at Black Knight Financial Services, according to his Linkedin profile. He also served as an adjunct professor at Florida State University where he taught a constitutional course at the FSU College of Law.

Notably, Jacquot served for four years as the Deputy Attorney General for Floridas Attorney General Office. According to his Linkedin bio, he led an office of 1100 employees, including 425 lawyers and an annual budget of $189 million.

During his time there, he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Florida v. Powell.

I wish you and the First Lady all the best, his resignation letter concluded.

___

The Florida League of Cities is rolling out a new initiative focused on educating and engaging Floridians on home rule.

Building Stronger Cities: Organizing, Empowering, Delivering, is the brainchild of FLC President and Orlando City Commissioner Tony Ortiz. The cornerstone of the campaign is a new website, BuildingStrongerCities.com, along with print, video and digital resources for residents and elected officials to help them engage with state lawmakers.

Educating and sharing knowledge with my community has always been one of my biggest goals as a public servant, Ortiz said. Now, as president of the League, Im excited to expand that goal on a statewide level through my Building Stronger Cities initiative.

FLC President Tony Ortiz is looking to boost interaction between citizens and lawmakers.

Working together, were going to help every resident learn the ways of government so they will know what to expect from legislators and learn that legislation should be based upon the needs of the people. By being more informed and more engaged, residents will feel more empowered to protect their cities and their right to make local decisions. Thats how we build stronger cities and, ultimately, a stronger Florida.

The initiatives prime directive is building support for local decision-making. To accomplish that goal, the League is providing tools and resources that can be used by local governments and residents, all of which are available on the Building Stronger Cities website.

The website includes pages dedicated to informing city officials as well as residents, with each offering its own collection of unique content tailored to its respective audience.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

@ProjectLincoln: I like presidents who dont skip debates.

@FManjoo: The problem with the electoral college is we spend 10x more time talking about fracking to please some folks in PA than we do the entire west coast being on fire.

Tweet, tweet:

@RyanEGorman: An indoor, packed rally in the midst of a White House #COVID19 outbreak is an interesting approach to winning back the senior and white, college-educated women vote in #Florida.

@RepRodriguez118: I am proud of @HCAhealthcare protecting taxpayer dollars. Ive never known them to do anything different!

DAYS UNTIL

Amazons annual Prime Day begins 4; Apple announces new iPhone 4; NBA season ends (last possible date) 5; stone crab season starts 6; second presidential debate (tentatively) scheduled in Miami 6; Wes Andersons The French Dispatch premieres 7; NBA free agency (tentative) 9; Florida Chambers Future of Florida Forum 11; HBO debuts 2000 presidential election doc 537 Votes 12; third presidential debate (tentative) at Belmont 13; The Empty Man premieres 14; 2020 General Election 25; NBA 2020-21 training camp 32; The Masters begins 34; NBA draft 40; Pixars Soul premieres 42; College basketball season slated to begin 47; NBA 2020-21 opening night 54; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit 54; Death on the Nile premieres 69; Wonder Woman 1984 rescheduled premiere 77; Greyhound racing ends in Florida 83; Super Bowl LV in Tampa 121; A Quiet Place Part II rescheduled premiere 134; Black Widow rescheduled premiere 149; No Time to Die premieres (rescheduled) 175; Top Gun: Maverick rescheduled premiere 266; Disneys Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings premieres 273; new start date for 2021 Olympics 287; Jungle Cruise premieres 295; Disneys Eternals premieres 392; Spider-Man Far From Home sequel premieres 395; Steven Spielbergs West Side Story premieres 427; Thor: Love and Thunder premieres 491; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres 544; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel premieres 725.

THE MODELS

To get a reasonable idea of how the presidential race is playing out, state polling is the way to go particularly in battleground states like Florida. Some outlets offer a poll of polls, gauging how President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden are doing in select areas, then averaging the surveys to get a general idea of who leads nationwide. Sunburn will be updating these forecasts as they come in:

CNN Poll of Polls: As of Thursday, the CNN average has Biden remains at 53% compared to a steady 42% for Trump. The CNN Poll of Polls tracks the national average in the presidential race. They include the most recent national telephone surveys meeting CNNs standards for reporting and which measure the views of registered or likely voters. The poll of polls does not have a margin of sampling error.

FiveThirtyEight.com: As of Thursday, Biden has moved up to an 85 in 100 chance of winning compared to Trump, who stayed steady at 15 in 100 shot. One model still has no Electoral College victory, bringing the election to the House. FiveThirtyEight also ranked individual states by the likelihood of delivering a decisive vote for the winning candidate in the Electoral College: Pennsylvania leads with 25%, while Florida is second with 17%. Wisconsin dropped to third with 15 % Other states include Michigan (8.6 %), Minnesota (5.2%), Arizona (5.1%), North Carolina (4.3%) and Nevada (3.2%).

Donald Trump continues to trail Joe Biden in the latest round of battleground state polling. Image via AP.

PredictIt: As of Thursday, the PredictIt trading market has Biden dropping to $0.67 a share, with Trump rising a bit to $0.37.

Real Clear Politics: As of Thursday, the RCP average of polling top battleground states has Biden leading Trump 51.6% to 41.9%. The RCP average also has Biden averaging at +9.7 points ahead.

Sabatos Crystal Ball Recent rosy polling for Biden in the presidential race may represent an artificial sugar high for the challenger. In recent days, Joe Bidens significant lead nationally has widened. At this point, Trump needs to be making up ground not treading water or falling further behind. Eleven rating changes across four categories of races (President, Senate, House, and Governor) almost exclusively benefit Democrats.

The Economist: As of Thursday, their model predicts Biden is very likely to beat Trump in the Electoral College. The model is updated every day and combines state and national polls with economic indicators to predict a range of outcomes. The midpoint is the estimate of the electoral-college vote for each party on Election Day. According to The Economist, Bidens chances of winning the electoral college has remained steady at 9 in 10 (91%) versus Trump with 1 in 10 (9%). They still give Biden a 99% chance (better than 19 in 20) of winning the most votes, with Trump at only 1% (less than 1 in 20).

PRESIDENTIAL

Donald Trump says he wont take part in virtual debate via Axios Trump told Fox Business Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he will not take part in a virtual second presidential debate. Im not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. Its not what debating is all about. Its ridiculous, the President said. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, whoalso tested positive for coronavirus, said in a statement that the campaign will pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead. Stepien also claimed that Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, which has never been publicly confirmed by the presidents doctors.

Donald Trump refuses to participate in a virtual debate. Image via AP.

Joe Biden to attend town hall event after Trump pulls out of second debate via Jacob Knutson of Axios Biden will appear at a town hall event hosted by ABC News and moderated by George Stephanopoulos in Philadelphia on Oct. 15, the network announced on Thursday. The second presidential debate was set for Oct. 15 until Trump, and then Biden, backed out on Thursday. Trump first refused to attend the debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it would be held virtually, and Biden indicated that he too would skip it if Trump would not show.

Susan Page responds to debate critics: The refusal to answer a question, I thought, could be telling via Jeremy Barr of The Washington Post Page has no regrets about how she chose to moderate the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris. I felt good about how it went, Page told The Washington Post as she headed to the airport in Utah on Thursday morning. I felt it was a relatively civil debate, and one that was focused on issues that mattered to voters. Page faced criticism for failing to ask enough follow-up questions or cut short the candidate who talked beyond the allotted time, in this case, Pence, who repeatedly ignored her very diplomatic pleas to wrap up his answers in adherence to the agreed-upon rules of the debate.

Down in the polls and yearning for an October surprise, Trump lashes at his most loyal allies via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post There was much about Trumps interview with Fox Business host Bartiromo that reeked of desperation and an incumbent president fighting for his political life. He decided to go down the unlikable path with Sen. Harris and called her a monster. He said he wouldnt participate in a virtual debate with Biden next week. He suggested he might win heavily blue New York state. He even cast doubt on polls showing him down by double digits. But perhaps nothing in the interview reflected his precarious position quite like what he said about some of his most loyal allies.

Pollster who predicted Trumps 2016 win shows president up 3 points in Florida via the staff of Hannity A new InsiderAdvantage/Matt Towery, Sr., poll released today shows Trump leading Joe Biden by three points among likely voters in Florida. The results of the question If the election were held today, who would you vote for? showed Trump with 46% and Biden with 43%. The survey of 400 likely Florida voters was conducted by a mixed sampling including IVR to landlines and live phone calls to cell phones. It is weighted for age, race, gender, and political affiliation. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9%. It was conducted Oct. 6-7.

Trump eyes Florida rally on Saturday, leaving quarantine behind via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times In what could be a violation of his own administration public health protocols, President Trump is eyeing a return to the campaign trail as soon as Saturday and hes talking about Florida.I think Im going to try doing a rally on Saturday night if we have enough time to put it together, Trump told Fox News Sean Hannity during his Thursday night program. But we want to do a rally in Florida, probably in Florida, on Saturday night.

Trump administration turns to immigration as vote nears via Ben Fox and Elliot Spagat It had the ingredients of a Trump campaign speech: dangerous immigrants, attacks on Democrat-run cities, even a mention of America First. But it was Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announcing a routine, and relatively minor, enforcement operation Wednesday at a Washington news conference. Its not about Republicans, its not about Democrats, its not about elections, Wolf insisted, twice, to reporters. Yet it was the third time in a week the administration rolled out actions to appear tough on immigration, reviving an issue that was at the heart of Trumps successful 2016 campaign, but largely on the back burner in the current one.

Trump creates the unreality he needs to steal the election via Molly Roberts of The Washington Post What on Earth is Trump doing? We have absolutely no idea and not only because the White House wont tell us. Recent days have been a mess of chaos and melodrama: conflicting reports about the Presidents battle with COVID-19 from his doctors punctuated by tweets of LOVE!!! from the patient; a potentially dangerous surprise SUV ride followed by an early hospital discharge; an Evita-esque spectacle staged from a White House balcony complete with the ceremonial removal of a medical mask. The President is now back at the White House convalescing, yet its impossible to ascertain how sick he really is. Wondering about the date of the Presidents last negative test? Forget about it.

Sad state: Moment drunk ex-Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale moans his wife wont have sex with him during gun suicide arrest via Mollie Mansfield of The Sun The moment drunk ex-Trump campaign manager Parscale moaned that his wife wont have sex with him during his gun suicide arrest was caught on bodycam footage. I just couldnt accept she isnt having sex with me, Parscale, 44, sobbed to a female police officer on Sept. 27. He continued: I just couldnt accept it. Not in months. I couldnt accept it. I just kept asking her. Cops dashed to Parscales home in Fort Lauderdale last month after his wife Candice reportedly told them he had multiple firearms and was threatening to harm himself. Further footage heard Parscale claiming that his wife was plotting to steal his money.

Former Donald Trump campaign manager Brad Pascale gets hauled off by Ft. Lauderdale police. Image via Ft. Lauderdale PD.

Beer brouhaha: Florida brewery cancels two Trump events after social media backlash via Phillip Valys of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Theres a brewery brouhaha at Holy Mackerel Beers in Wilton Manors after two planned and now-canceled Trump events raised the ire of the citys LGBT community. Wilton Manors residents and LGBT rights groups bombarded Holy Mackerels Facebook page Wednesday morning with negative reviews and angry messages calling for a boycott of the taproom and barbecue restaurant. At one point, the brewery shut down its Facebook page to stem the flood of messages, owner Frank Barecich said. By Wednesday afternoon, hours after the social-media kerfuffle, Holy Mackerel canceled both Trump events and posted a mea culpa on its Facebook page.

Assignment editors Florida Trump Victory will host a Back the Blue MAGA Meet-Up with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, 1:15 p.m., Lous Police Distributors, Inc., 7815 W. 4th Avenue, Hialeah. To confirm your attendance, email Kailey Cotter kcotter@donaldtrump.com with your name and outlet.

Biden campaign sells out truth over flies swatter after fly lands on Pence during debate via Morgan Gstaler of The Hill The Biden campaign quickly sold out of a Truth Over Flies fly swatter it was offering inspired by a viral moment from Wednesdays vice presidential debate. During the event in Utah on Wednesday night, a fly landed on Pence as he debated against Democratic vice presidential nominee Harris. The Biden campaign quickly offered for $10 through its website a blue fly swatter, saying it swats away flies and lies. As of Thursday morning, Bidens online store sold out the stock of nearly 35,000 fly swatters, according to the campaign.

The Joe Biden campaign wasted no time capitalizing on the buzz of the moment.

Assignment editors Biden for President Florida will host a virtual phone bank kickoff with special guest Valerie Biden Owens, Bidens sister and longtime adviser, 3 p.m. Media interested in attending should RSVP here no later than 1 p.m. ET. Members of the public who wish to attend can RSVP here.

Officials gather information in Mike Bloomberg probe via News Service of Florida State law-enforcement officials have moved from a review phase into an information gathering process as they look into Bloomberg helping Florida felons pay outstanding legal costs so they could register to vote. In a preliminary inquiry where we are now we start to obtain documents and conduct research, Gretl Plessinger, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman, said in an email Thursday. No timeline has been set for the investigation. Attorney General Ashley Moody asked for the investigation on Sept. 23 after Bloomberg raised at least $16 million for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Democrats have labeled the investigation request political theater.

NEW ADS

DNC launches anti-Trump ad in Tampa market blasting virus response via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics The ad, entitled Had enough? begins running in the Tampa market Thursday and is part of a six-figure ad buy, according to the DNC. The ad includes ominous data points about the virus including deaths and job losses. It comes the day after Pence squared off with Harris Wednesday night in the pairs first and only debate before the Nov. 3 election. Pundits widely believe Harris strongest points in the debate came in the first 15 minutes when she hit Trump and his administration over their failed COVID-19 response.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

EDF Action Votes ad touts Joe Bidens bold plan on climate change EDF Action Votes launched a $1 million ad campaign highlighting the stark contrast between Trumps and Bidens plans to tackle climate change. The ad says Bidens plan will create millions of clean energy jobs while protecting our beaches from drilling and rising waters and boosting Floridas economy. The ad, Deserves is geared toward Hispanic voters and will run on premium streaming services in the Tampa area. EDF is airing the ad in English and Spanish in the Tampa media market.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

Lin-Manuel Miranda stars in new pro-Biden ad United for Progress PAC and Bloombergare hitting the airwaves with a new TV and Radio ad campaign starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the award-winning actor, composer and lyricist who created Broadways HAMILTON. The ads, titled Vote Joe, highlights Bidens work to secure access to affordable and quality health care for millions of Latinos through the creation of Obamacare, as well as the former Vice Presidents efforts to help the nation recover from the 2009 recession and his commitment to work on behalf of Puerto Rico. The Spanish-language TV ad will air in the Tampa and Orlando Markets. The radio ads will air in Spanish and English.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

America First Policies backs SCOTUS pick with another ad America First Policies hit the airwaves with another ad supporting Amy Coney Barretts confirmation to the Supreme Court. The ad, titled Serve You, lets Barrett do the talking: I would assume this role to serve you. Judges are not policymakers and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold. And if the Senate does me the honor of confirming me, I pledge to discharge the responsibilities of this job to the very best of my ability. AFP said it will run Thursday through Oct. 13.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

Bill Kristol, Billy Crystal encourage Jewish voters to back Biden The Jewish Democratic Council of America is out with a new ad starring political punditKristol and comedian Crystal. JDCA said the two are backing Biden despite their different political views and backgrounds. JDCA Executive Director Halie Soifer added, Our nation is in crisis, and Joe Biden is the leader we need to address COVID-19, rising White nationalism, Trumps assault on our democracy, and Republican efforts to deprive millions of Americans of access to affordable health care. The ad was directed by Rob Reiner, written by Phil Rosenthal and produced by Wake Up & Vote in partnership with Jews Defending American Values. It has a 30-second and 90-second cut.

To watch the ad, click on the image below:

VOTERS ARE VOTING

2020

Cook Political Report: Democrats could gain 15 more seats in House two years after blue wave via Mica Soellner of the Washington Examiner In a new report by the nonpartisan election forecaster the Cook Political Report, seven House races have shifted in the Democratic Partys favor, including the contest for the North Carolina seat vacated by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, which moved from Likely Republican to Lean Republican. The new report on the House found the GOPs chances of taking back the lower chamber increasingly depressed. Even if the 25 races listed as a tossup are split evenly, Democrats could gain five or six seats.

Mark Meadows former House seat could flip to blue. Image via AP.

Turning Point USA tied to fake accounts, Facebook says via Ben Collins and Kevin Collier of NBC News Facebook said it has taken down hundreds of fake accounts created by a marketing company that worked with the young conservative group Turning Point USA to invade the comments sections of mainstream publishers and denigrate Democratic politicians. The marketing company, Rally Forge, worked on behalf of Turning Point USA to create 200 fake identities on Facebook and 76 on Instagram, as well as 55 Facebook pages, the social media giant said in a blog post. The identities used stock profile photos and posed as right-leaning individuals from across the U.S. and their sole activity on our platform was associated with this deceptive campaign, Facebook said.

With Floridas hotel workers still jobless, unions pivot to canvass for Democrats via Bianca Padro Ocasio and Taylor Dolven of the Miami Herald The recent ground efforts from workers pitching Democratic presidential candidate Biden and county mayoral hopeful Daniella Levine Cava are part of mobilization plans some unions crafted ahead of 2020. Before the COVID-19 crisis, unions like UNITE HERE Florida were planning to fan out throughout the state. Since the pandemic devastated the unions dues-paying members, the groups are now fighting for their own survival and revisiting their preelection plans. Theyve flown experienced organizers infrom around the country, hoping they can duplicate in Florida the Democratic victory they saw in Nevada, where the 60,000-member culinary union was able to successfully mobilize voters in 2016 for former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The tale of two congressional races in Tampa Bay via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics The national Democrats thought they had located a prized recruit to finally challenge U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in Floridas 16th congressional district. Theyre savior? State Rep. Margaret Good, who had previously beaten Buchanans son, James, in a Special Election in 2018. The storyline almost wrote itself. Until Good screwed it all up. The turn of the year started with Good committing a few election law violations. OK, candidates cant be perfect. Then it moved to the ugly divorce with her longtime campaign manager Kevin Lata.

Margaret Good seemed to be the Democratic savior for Vern Buchanans seat. Its not working out that way.

Controversial fliers in Panama City removed; organizers point to voter intimidation via Jacqueline Bostick of the Panama City News-Herald Controversial fliers posted on city utility poles along Beach Drive were removed Monday after Panama City officials received complaints. The signs were removed because they were in violation of the citys codes, officials wrote in an email Tuesday. The city cited local laws that restrict signs to private property and from being attached to utility or phone poles located in a public right of way. The messages included ominous phrases, such as, Where we go one, we go all, Midnight Riders, [Q]uestion everything, and #fightback.

LEG. CAMPAIGNS

Equality Florida blasts Jason Brodeur over bill to limit same-sex couple adoptions via Scott Powers of Florida Politics The states biggest advocacy organization for LGBTQ rights is spending $125,000 to blast Republican former Rep. Brodeur for his record on gay rights, specifically regarding gay and lesbian couple adoptions. Equality Florida Action, the political action committee for Equality Florida, announced it is campaigning against Brodeur in his bid to be elected to the open seat in Senate District 9. Brodeur faces Democrat Patricia Sigman in one of the hottest-contested Senate races in the state, representing Seminole County and southern Volusia County.

Equality Florida is slamming Jason Brodeur on his stance on same-sex adoptions.

Closely watched Senate District 39 race is heating up. Heres whos running. via Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald Former South Miami state Rep. Javier Fernndez and Doral Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, campaigning with a backdrop of a presidential election, are vying to replace term-limited Republican incumbent Anitere Flores in a seat that includes South Miami-Dade and all of Monroe County. Republicans see the race as a prime opportunity to defend the seat, which Flores won in 2016 when she ran to replace Democrat Dwight Bullard after the Senate district lines were redrawn. Democrats have identified it as one of the most flippable seats in the Legislature and have poured resources into the race.

Drake Buckman, Fiona McFarland preach independence but stake out party positions via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics A debate between Buckman and McFarland in House District 72 showed both candidates calling for less partisanship. But both also largely sided with positions taken by party leadership in Tallahassee. Buckman, a Sarasota Democrat, slammed a planned toll road through the Florida Heartland. McFarland, a Sarasota Republican, took a stance against Medicaid expansion. Both candidates indicated disagreement with a proposed overhaul of Floridas primary system, a rare issue putting both state parties in lockstep. But each candidate made clear they intend to put the local needs and values of the greater Sarasota community ahead of party priorities.

Democrat Laura Novosad challenges Republican Lauren Melo for vacated Florida District 80 seat via Liz Freeman of the Naples Daily News

Political newcomers compete for Miami-Dade House seat in District 114 via Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald

Does Stephanie Meyer support a state income tax? Her answers are contradictory via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics Pinellas County School Board member Stephanie Meyer indicated support for a state income tax, according to a questionnaire provided to the Christian Voters Coalition.Meyer has since updated the questionnaire indicating she does not support a state income tax and told Florida Politics she checked the wrong answer by mistake.

CORONA FLORIDA

Florida adds 3,306 coronavirus cases, 170 deaths via Natalie Weber of the Tampa Bay Times Florida reported 3,306 coronavirus cases Thursday, adding to the 726,013 total infections tracked in the state since March. The state added 170 deaths, raising the total number of deaths statewide to 15,254. There is often a delay between when someone dies and when authorities add their death to Floridas total count of coronavirus fatalities. Thus, the change in deaths does not necessarily reflect the number of people who died from the virus the previous day. On average, the state has announced 91 deaths per day over the past week. The state reported results for 77,485 Florida residents Thursday. It has recorded about 60,736 resident test results per day on average this week.

Florida is moving forward with reopening. Are we in for a second surge? via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times When DeSantis announced Florida would move into Phase 3 of reopening with no capacity restraints on businesses, he pointed to a decline in the number of coronavirus infections across the state. There were fewer cases, fewer people in the hospital, and lower positivity rates, he said. Florida has seen a general decline since a strong surge peaked in July when hospitals experienced an influx of positive patients and deaths spiked. Over the summer, the state recorded hundreds of new fatalities every day for weeks. But public health experts fear that the latest reopening may spur yet another surge in infections and deaths.

Ron DeSantis is pushing ahead with the full reopening. Health care workers are bracing for another wave. Image via AP.

Inside a Florida hospital, coronavirus cases wane as strained staff brace for a fall surge via Abigail Hauslohner of The Washington Post Nearly two dozen people critically ill with the novel coronavirus were recently being treated at Tampa General Hospital, 10 of them on ventilators. More than a dozen others with noncritical cases filled beds in a dedicated ward. This is what a lull looks like. Florida was a hot spot of the coronavirus pandemic this summer. The states intensive care units, including those at Tampa General, were pushed to the brink as the virus spread out of control. The spike came weeks after Gov. DeSantis quickly reopened much of the state, casting it as a return to normalcy.

After testing mishap, Quest is still vying for coronavirus testing business in Florida via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times A month ago, DeSantis cut ties with Quest Diagnostics, the commercial laboratory responsible for handling the vast majority of Floridas coronavirus testing caseload. The company reported a 75,000-test backlog to the Florida Department of Health in one day, skewing the states daily tracking of COVID-19 infections, deaths and positivity rate. Stripped of its contract to work with the state government, Quest is now marketing in Florida and offering rapid COVID-19 tests to patients through its own private business.

Purple Florida: Lawmakers prepare to navigate COVID-19 in politically divided state via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics GrayRobinson hosted a virtual bipartisan panel of House personalities entitled Purple State Politics: Discussing Floridas Unique Geographical and Political Diversity. Two Republicans, Rep. Alex Andrade and House candidate Michelle Salzman, streamed in from the Panhandle, while Reps. Dan Daley and Nick Duran logged on from South Florida. While there were some partisan jabs, both playful and philosophical, there seemed agreement the challenges in the next year will require pragmatism. The leaders also seemed to agree the COVID-19 pandemic would deliver consequences that last for a long time, both in public health and Floridas economy.

MORE LOCAL

Party on? As COVID-19 restrictions subside, FSU students head back to Tallahassee clubs via Jensen Kervern of the Tallahassee Democrat After DeSantis lifted nearly all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, restaurants and bars across the state, students didnt hesitate to take full advantage of Tallahassees recently resurrected nightlife. Bajas Beachclub on West Pensacola Street, which was closed by the state in late June for violating closure orders, held their grand reopening Saturday, Oct. 3, and students arrived in droves, eagerly standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the parking lot. The consensus from the crowd suggests many students dont see COVID-19 as an immediate threat. In fact, every student that spoke with the Tallahassee Democrat claimed to have had the virus.

With restrictions lifted, the FSU party life is getting back to normal. Image via the Tallahassee Democrat.

Ron DeSantis ruling gives Florida and Georgia option to increase TIAA Bank Field capacity via Garry Smits of The Florida Times-Union DeSantis has given sports teams the ability to pack as many fans as they want into their stadiums under a clarification his office issued about the Phase 3 reopening of the state. Two of the states NFL teams arent taking any chances. But officials at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia are currently not saying whether they will seek more capacity for their 98th meeting overall and 88th in Jacksonville.

With holidays on the horizon, COVID-19 still being spread in Okaloosa County via Tom McLaughlin of Northwest Florida Daily News Okaloosa County residents continue to share COVID-19 with one another at an alarming rate, and this week Health Department Director Dr. Karen Chapman warned residents to consider CDC guidelines in planning holiday celebrations. In her weekly report sent out Tuesday, Chapman said that for the past four days the county had seen a decline in the percentage of those tested turning up positive for the coronavirus. The numbers actually dropped below the goal of 5 percent on Oct. 3-4, but as of yet no sustained decline over a two-week period has been confirmed. COVID-19 transmission continues, Chapman reported. The number of cases reported in the county has averaged about 30 per day since Sept. 21.

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Sunburn The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics 10.9.20 - Florida Politics

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