Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica.
NO BREAKOUTS IN GOP DEBATE, MUDDLED STATUS QUO
Marco Rubio emerged unscathed. Ben Carson defended his integrity. Donald Trump flashed his dominant personality. And Jeb Bush avoided disaster.
Mission accomplished.
Aided by tentative questioning, the GOP’s top presidential candidates executed their strategies with little resistance in Tuesday night’s prime-time debate. Yet with no breakout moments — good or bad — the muddled status quo continues in the Republican Party’s unruly 2016 contest, with time running out to change voters’ minds heading into the holiday season.
That’s good news for leading outsiders Trump and Carson, who have surprised the political world with remarkable staying power atop national polls. It’s also good news for a surging Rubio, who entered the night with a target on his back and avoided any stumbles.
The status quo is not as good for Bush, the onetime establishment favorite now clinging to his political life.
The former Florida governor lived to fight another day after Tuesday’s performance. But he was overshadowed at times by another pragmatic-minded executive, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who stepped on Bush’s opportunities and gave nervous supporters another reason to question Bush’s New Hampshire-focused comeback attempt.
Bush’s best moments came early in the night as he showed a feistier side with moderators, who ignored him for the first 15 minutes.
“You’ve already made two comments, John,” Bush said to Kasich, who is challenging Bush in New Hampshire. “It’s my turn.”
But Bush did not stand out on a night that featured just eight candidates on the main stage, two fewer than the last debate. He answered the fewest questions and had less airtime than anyone except Rand Paul, according to an AP clock.
In his limited time, Bush aggressively criticized Democrats’ leadership on the economy.
“My worry is that the real economy has been hurt by the vast overreach of the Obama administration,” Bush declared. “And Hillary Clinton, she wants to double down on that.”
If Bush did well Tuesday night, however, Rubio did better.
Bush and the rest of the field completely ignored questions raised this week about Rubio’s use of a Florida GOP credit card during his time in the state legislature. The Rubio campaign had released two years of spending reports just days earlier.
And none of the candidates — or moderators — engaged Rubio when the discussion shifted to immigration, considered a key vulnerability among conservatives who oppose Rubio’s plan to give immigrants in the country illegally a pathway to citizenship.
Instead, Rubio was free to outline his calls for a strong national defense and describe his moving personal story — standard campaign trail talking points delivered uninterrupted before a national television audience.
STAT DU JOUR: 9:22. That’s the number of minutes and seconds Carson, the current leader in many GOP polls, spoke during Tuesday’s debate. Less than any of the other candidates.
FOUR TAKEAWAYS
— A SPLIT ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT IMMIGRATION —
This debate showcased a significant policy debate within the Republican Party when it comes to immigration. Trump and Cruz advocated vociferously for deporting an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the country illegally, while Kasich and Bush called that impractical.
Cruz said Republicans will lose the presidential race if they offer “amnesty” to illegal immigrants. “We can embrace legal immigration while believing in the rule of law,” he said. Earlier, Trump had reiterated his promise to build a secure wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. “We are a country of laws,” he said. “We need borders. We will build a wall.”
While a popular position with some of the most conservative Republican primary voters, Kasich and Bush argued that’s not a practical position for the GOP nominee to take into the general election next November.
“For the 11 million people, c’mon folks. We all know you can’t pick them up and ship them across the border,” Kasich said — a line that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. Bush put it in starker terms: “They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign when they’re hearing this.”
Indeed, Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton’s spokesman Brian Fallon wrote on Twitter about the exchange, “We actually are doing high-fives right now.”
One person who wasn’t asked to weigh in — and didn’t insert himself into the discussion — was Rubio, who has had to walk back his involvement in a failed Senate plan to dramatically overhaul the country’s immigration policies with a plan that included a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, which some Republicans decried as unfair amnesty.
— SPENDING DIFFERENCES —
Rubio has been attacked by Bush and Trump in the past as an absentee lawmaker, yet it was Paul who hit the Florida senator the hardest during the debate.
Paul slammed Rubio’s plan to expand tax credits for families with children, which Paul said amounts to a new expensive welfare program. “We have to decide what is conservative and what isn’t,” Paul said.
And a Paul-Rubio exchange about military spending highlighted another policy divide within the party. “Can you be a conservative and be liberal in military spending?” Paul asked, pointing to Rubio’s plans to expand the military.
Rubio fired back: “I know that Rand is a committed isolationist. I’m not.”
Cruz interjected that there’s a way to “split the difference.” He said, to audience applause: “You think defending this nation is expensive? Try not defending it.”
But Cruz said he would offset any increase in military spending by cutting in other areas, offering up the federal subsidy for the sugar industry as a specific example. Cruz didn’t say it on the debate stage, but Rubio has defended that subsidy — which greatly benefits the Florida-based industry.
— JOHN KASICH AND JEB BUSH TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LONGER FORMAT —
Kasich elbowed his way into the debate again and again, saying at one point, “Look, I hate to crash the party.” Kasich and Cruz had a testy exchange late in the debate on whether big banks should be propped up with federal help as they fail. Cruz said flatly that he would not, for example, give the Bank of America bailout money even if it were teetering on the brink.
Kasich took another approach, saying he wouldn’t ignore people who have their life savings in these banks. He said executive experience matters, arguing that “on-the-job training for president of the United States doesn’t work.”
Bush noted early on that he only had four minutes of speaking time in the last debate. Although he still wasn’t the chattiest candidate on stage, he did make use of the longer response times moderators allowed this time and called out Clinton as out of touch on the economy.
“Hillary Clinton has said that Barack Obama’s policies get an ‘A.’ Really?” Bush asked. “One in 10 people aren’t working or have given up looking for work, one in seven people live in poverty, and one in five are on food stamps. That is not an ‘A.’ It may be the best that Hillary Clinton can do, but it’s not the best America can do.”
— BEN CARSON BIO LARGELY UNQUESTIONED —
Coming into the debate, Carson was expected to face tough questions about certain discrepancies in his life story, which has served as a point of inspiration long before he became a presidential candidate. Yet moderators touched only lightly on that topic.
“I have no problem with being vetted,” Carson said. “What I do have a problem with is being lied about and putting it out there as truth.”
He argued he’d been scrutinized more than Clinton, successfully pivoting the discussion from himself to the Democratic front-runner. “People who know me,” he said, “know that I’m an honest person.”
MORE TAKEAWAYS
— Ben Schreckinger wraps up the most interesting moments from the Milwaukee debate, including Marco Rubio saying that “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.
— Nick Gass looks at a forceful moment from Bush when he upbraided Trump for his foreign policy views. “Donald is wrong on this. He is absolutely wrong on this. We are not going to be the world’s policemen but we sure as hell better be the world’s leader. That’s like a board game,” he said. “That’s like playing Monopoly or something.”
TWEET, TWEET:
— @BresPolitico: Jeb Bush should just skip opening/closing statements. Not good at all
— @MarcACaputo: How does Jeb make the case that things are worse under Obama now than at the end of brother Bush’s presidency?
— @JonathanWeisman: Wait, was that a mini Rick Perry moment? Ted Cruz said he’d cut 5 agencies. I heard the IRS, Commerce, Energy, HUD, and Commerce
— @ChuckTodd: Did Cruz say Commerce twice? Better than being a Texan who forgets which agency they are killing.
— @MikeDrucker: 40 minutes in and “don’t push grannies off cliffs” is the first / closest mention of women’s health issue. #GOPDebate
— @GabrielSherman: Has Kasich spoken in the last hour?
— @SethAMandel : “That may be the best Hillary Clinton can do, but it’s not the best America can do.” Good line from Jeb. #GOPDebate
— @anamariecox: CHAOS. INTERRUPTING. CROSS TALK. LIES. SCRIPTED COMEBACKS. SHADE. This isn’t a debate, it’s a Tyler Perry movie.
— @PoliticalWire: Ben Carson needs to hire Jeb Bush’s debate coach when it comes to foreign policy. Yikes.
— @AdamSmithTimes: Def Jeb’s best debate
— @MattKLewis: I’m not sure who won or lost tonight, but I could be persuaded this was the debate where the Rubio vs Cruz rivalry emerged.
— @RyanLizza: Hard to call a winner. Some breakout moments for Cruz, Rubio, and Paul, but mostly a big muddle so far.
REAX FROM THE LEFT
Debbie Wassermann Schultz, DNC: “It’s fitting the GOP field was gathered in Wisconsin this evening to talk about the economy, since they’re all peddling economic plans that would foist a Scott Walker-esque economy on the rest of America – no equal pay legislation, opposing action to address climate change, and attacking policies that help middle-class workers, to name just a few lowlights.
Jessica Mackler, American Bridge: “Despite the softballs lobbed at Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and company tonight, they each managed to highlight why they can’t be elected president. Tonight the American people heard tired excuses. Why they don’t deserve a raise; how tax plans that disproportionately benefit the rich and Wall Street will magically help the middle class; and reasons why working families don’t deserve paid leave to take care of their loved ones. The takeaway from tonight is simple: if you still think trickle down economics, neoconservative foreign policy, and financial deregulation work wonders, you have plenty of candidates to support in the Republican presidential field.”
Tom Steyer, NextGen Climate: “Not a single Republican presidential
SUBJECT LINE OF EMAIL FROM RUBIO CAMP via Terry Sullivan: “Strong, Confident Command of the Issues”
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CARSON IS STILL THE MOST POPULAR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. AND IT’S NOT CLOSE. via Scott Clement of the Washington Post – Carson remains the most popular candidate among Republicans, despite persistent questions about his statements, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll reveals … Seventy-one percent of Republicans view Carson favorably, as do 50 percent of Americans. He’s followed by … Trump, who posted a 68 percent favorability rating among GOPers. But Carson’s edge is in how intensely he is liked by GOP voters — 39 percent have a “strongly favorably” view of him compared to 26 percent for Trump. The poll was conducted last Wednesday through Sunday, meaning it didn’t capture the tail end of the furor surrounding Carson’s biography … Rubio is the only other GOP candidate not underwater with all Americans in terms of how much they like him — 41 to 37 percent.
JEB BUSH’S COMEBACK PLAN LOOKS WEAKER THAN ADVERTISED via Michael Bender and Ben Brody of Bloomberg Politics – As … Bush’s poll numbers dropped … sought to assuage doubters by pointing to a campaign machine built to out-muscle less organized competition in March, the most frenetic and consequential stretch in the party’s five-month primary race … a survey of states with March primary and caucus contests suggests … [Bush] has little advantage, so far, over his rivals … reveal a campaign that’s struggling to recruit volunteers and gin up excitement … paint a picture of a top-heavy campaign with plenty of endorsements that’s still waiting for the candidate to turn on the ignition.
TOP GOOGLE SEARCH ON JEB: ‘IS JEB BUSH STILL RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?’ via Nick Gass of POLITICO – Other queries about Bush include: “Where is Jeb Bush today?” and “What does Jeb stand for?” as well as, “Is Jeb Bush Republican?” The fifth-most searched query: “What is Jeb Bush’s full name?” Trump is the most-searched candidate in either party in 49 of 50 states, with native son Bernie Sanders piquing the interest of Vermont searchers. Top queries for other Republican candidates include: “Is Ben Carson running for president?” … “Why do Republicans hate Ted Cruz?” and “What was said on the View about Carly Fiorina?”
BUSH ANNOUNCES INITIAL TEXAS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE via Jeb! 2016 Campaign – Bush is rolling out a list of more than 100 Texas endorsements: Among those on the leadership team … energy billionaire T. Boone Pickens and Dallas developer Ross Perot Jr. On the elected side: Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth, Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas and state House Speaker Joe Straus. Recall that Jeb’s son, George P., was elected Land Commissioner last year and his brother, George W., was a two-term governor. The Bush name clearly still commands some degree of loyalty.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Bush will be in Iowa for town hall meeting at the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, 4 E. Second St. in Atlantic, Iowa. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. CST.
TWEET, TWEET: @MarcoRubio:.@JebBush was a “HUGE Marco fan” before getting ready to spend $20M on phony attacks
SMALL CHARGES ADDED UP FOR MARCO RUBIO ON FLORIDA GOP CREDIT CARD via Patricia Mazzei and Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times – For five years … Rubio has tried to put behind him the controversy of his spending on a Republican Party of Florida credit card, taking the unusual step over the weekend of making public nearly two years of American Express statements to show how he spent the party’s money. In some ways, however, the statements, which he previously refused to make public, raise more questions about how Rubio used the card, rather than lay them to rest. Some big-ticket expenses he rang up on the card … are the kind of eye-catching charges expected for someone doing party business. But a slew of small charges at gas stations and for cheap meals — at a time when Rubio was struggling with his personal finances — suggest Rubio made the most of the ample leeway and little oversight party leaders gave employees and lawmakers to spend the party’s cash … spent freely on the sort of items that are difficult to prove — or disprove — as party business expenses … over the four-year life of the card, Rubio charged about $22,000 in personal items out of about $182,000 — 73 items in all that he repaid … Party leaders never questioned Rubio’s AmEx bills, paying them in full — if sometimes late. Numerous delinquent charges appear on the records, more than $1,600 in all, and it’s unclear who was to blame.
TRUMP ADVERTISES RISING VALUE OF FREE POLITICAL PUBLICITY via Ashley Parker of The New York Times – Thirty-second television commercials were once signs of a confident, well-financed candidacy for the White House. Now they are seen as a last resort of struggling campaigns that have not mastered the art of attracting the free media coverage that has lifted the political fortunes of insurgent campaigns like those of” Trump and Carson. Paid advertising right now, said Elizabeth Wilner, senior vice president for political advertising at Kantar Media, “is more of a show of weakness than strength.”
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES PUSH BOLD TAX PLANS via Richard Rubin of the Wall Street Journal – … competing to propose dramatic changes to tax policy that go well beyond the party’s previous platforms and all but ensure the issue will play a central role in the general election. Driven by a desire to stand out in a crowded field and spark economic growth, the GOP contenders no longer just say they want to lower rates and expand the tax base … New ideas, once the province of right-leaning think tanks, make previous Republican plans look timid. Nearly all the GOP candidates … are promoting at least one tax idea the party hasn’t tried to sell to a general-election audience. Among them: eliminating both payroll and corporate taxes and introducing a broader business tax in their place … Trump … Hs proposed a tax cut that by one estimate would put federal collections at their lowest since World War II. … Campaign platforms on taxes matter. Each of the past three presidents ran in part on a tax plan and each got much of it implemented by the end of his first term. And no matter who emerges from the primary season, the contrast between Republican proposals for tax cuts and Democratic ideas about tax increases on top earners will be starker than before.
MEANWHILE … HILLARY CLINTON IS COMING TO TAMPA DECEMBER 2. The event will be at Alex Sink’s home (Yeah, another trip to beautiful Thonotosassa), 9:15 a.m – 11:15 a.m.
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SUPREME COURT CONSIDERS CHANGES TO FLORIDA’S POLITICAL MAP via Gary Fineout of the Associated Press
Supreme Court justices spent most of the Tuesday hearing delving into the demographics of Curbelo’s seat and why legislators proposed shifting black neighborhoods out of his district into an adjacent one.
A coalition of groups including the League of Women Voters of Florida has alleged the Legislature did this to help keep the seat in GOP control. George Meros, an attorney representing the Florida House, told justices there was no evidence that map drawers considered political data when drawing up the district.
He also said that legislators shaped the district in order to ensure that it continues to elect a Hispanic candidate. Meros said to do otherwise would violate both state and federal law.
David King, an attorney representing the groups, disputed that and said the changes recommended by Lewis would keep the demographics similar to the way legislators initially adopted them back in 2012. He urged the high court to accept Lewis’s recommendations.
CORRINE BROWN LAMBASTES STATE SUPREME COURT OVER CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – Florida Supreme Court … focused on South Florida during the final scheduled oral argument in an ongoing congressional redistricting challenge … That inflamed … Brown, whose north-south district had been ordered changed by the court to an east-west configuration. That district didn’t get a mention. Brown … harangued reporters afterward … “It is disgusting that I stand on these steps,” she shouted, stomping her foot, “and there is no justice, no justice for African-Americans … You think that you can just take us like we’re slaves and move us?”
JUDGE HOLDS TO DATES FOR STATE SENATE REDISTRICTING TRIAL via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – Circuit Judge George Reynolds stuck to his guns … saying that pre-trial conference and trial dates for a state Senate redistricting challenge were “carved in stone.” … Dec. 1 and Dec. 10 would be reserved for pre-trial, with trial remaining on Dec. 14-18 … Reynolds asked the attorneys “what news” they had … Senate attorney Raoul Cantero rose to say lawmakers had failed to agree on a new map in a recent Special Session, leaving him to figure out the new lines … “I read that in the papers,” said Reynolds … [who] now must recommend a map of the state’s 40 senatorial districts that ultimately will be approved by the state Supreme Court.
— CAMPAIGN FINANCE NOTES —
Candidates and committees faceD a Tuesday deadline to report fundraising in the month of October. Here are the highlights:
— “Rick Scott adds $425,350 to PAC in October” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
— “Adam Putnam committee hits $3 million mark” via Jeremy Wallace of the Tampa Bay Times
— MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROUP’S OCTOBER HAUL: 337K via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times – In October, United for Care … raised $337,293 … brings the annual tally up to more than $2.2 million raised by the committee since November 2014 … Much of the October money has come from big-ticket donors, notably … John Morgan … This month alone, Morgan contributed $237,979 … Promising to donate $9 for every dollar contributed through the end of the year.
— “SD 13 candidate Dean Asher boosts fundraising lead with $55K in October” via Florida Politics
— “Kathleen Passidomo, Gary Price post big hauls while Matt Hudson widens SD 23 fundraising lead” via Florida Politics
— “October gives Greg Steube sizable fundraising lead in SD 28 race” via Florida Politics
— “Lauren Book continues SD 33 winning streak, posting $68K in Oct. fundraising” via Florida Politics
— “October fundraising puts GOP HD 11 candidates ahead of the pack” via Florida Politics
— “In HD 15, Rep Jay Fant scores big in October fundraising haul” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics
— “HD 16 hopeful Dick Kravitz clears $39K raised” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics
— “Meet Brian Goldmeier, the fundraising powerhouse behind Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez” via Florida Politics
CD 11 GOP CANDIDATE JUSTIN GRABELLE ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TEAM via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics – Grabelle, former chief of staff to retiring … Rich Nugent, revealed … his campaign team … Nick Catroppo, campaign manager … Caroline Engeman, deputy campaign manager … Pat Bainter and Joel Searby, general consultants … Sarah Bascom, communications director/spokeswoman … Josh Sharp, media strategist … Matt Hall, media strategist.
ANOTHER FORMER LAWMAKER ENTERS HD 5 RACE AGAINST INCUMBENT BRAD DRAKE via Florida Politics – House District 5 added a third candidate last week … Former Rep. Jamey Westbrook, who runs a well-drilling business, filed … as a no-party candidate, joining former Republican Rep. Bev Kilmer, now a Democrat, and incumbent Drake.
LISA MONTELIONE TO RUN FOR SEAN HARRISON’S HOUSE DISTRICT 63 SEAT via William March of the Tampa Bay Times – The move sets up a Democratic primary in which she’ll face Mike Reedy, a gay rights organizer who works in his family’s real estate business … puts a better-known Democratic candidate into a race considered to be one of the Democratic Party’s best chances to take back a Republican seat in the 2016 election. In an interview, she said she decided to leave her council seat to run for the House because she thinks leadership from Tallahassee is needed to solve many of the problems she deals with as a council member.
HOW NEXT FL SENATE PRESIDENT NEGRON BUILT $59K LOSING CAMPAIGN INTO $9M POLITICAL MACHINE via Isadora Rangel and George Andreassi of TCPalm – Negron‘s allies stroked checks for thousands of dollars to his political fund for the privilege of hobnobbing during a two-day spa and golf retreat at a swank Palm Beach resort in September. His fundraiser at The Brazilian Court — “the ultimate Florida vacation destination for the rich and famous” — grossed at least $250,000, driving Negron’s career contribution total past $9 million … began his political career like a small startup in 1990, when he first ran for state House as a Democrat and lost … Fast forward to the end of 2015 and the now Republican is like a political hedge fund, picking up donations from the state’s biggest business interests, which have a vested interest in him being Senate president … [his] quarter-century of political fundraising reports read like a manual of what it takes to succeed in the business of politics … savvy calculation, mastery of state policymaking and the ability to secure allies while leveraging his official position to raise millions of dollars to advance his political interests.
— “An inside look at how the Senate presidency deal was struck” via Matt Dixon of Politico Florida
BILL WOULD LET FLORIDA CITIES SPONSOR CHARTER SCHOOLS via Travis Pillow of redefinED – Florida cities would be able to sponsor charter schools under a Senate bill … SB 808 by … Jeff Brandes … let cities serve as charter school sponsors — meaning they would have the authority to allow schools to open, and to negotiate charter contracts. The bill would also eliminate restrictions on the expansion of academically high-performing charters.
DRONE OPERATORS IN FLORIDA COULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE via Kristen Clark of the Tampa Bay Times – The proposal from state Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla would provide a legal recourse for victims of drone accidents to recoup their expenses should a drone — for example — lose control and hit a high-voltage electric line or tumble into a crowd of people. “They’re very hard to control and they can cause massive damage if they fall” … Senate Bill 642 would allow people to recover costs from the owner and operator of a drone if the device “was a substantial contributing factor” in causing the damage … Manufacturer and distributor … also could be sued if the damage resulted from a defect or design flaw.
HUNTING IN STATE PARKS ‘DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN,’ JACK LATVALA SAYS via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times – Latvala … blasted the Department of Environmental Protection’s plan to allow hunting on Honeymoon Island State Park near Dunedin. DEP’s plans … propose allowing hunting at all 161 state parks in Florida. Latvala wants the Pinellas park taken off the list. “It’s almost as if whoever added Honeymoon Island to this list has never actually been to the state park … Our state parks are meant to protect the treasured natural beauty of Florida. I’m concerned that allowing hunting would be a disaster waiting to happen.”
WHAT BRIAN BALLARD IS READING — NY ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLS DAILY FANTASY SPORTS TO STOP TAKING BETS IN NEW YORK via Walt Bogdanich, Joe Drape and Jacqueline Williams of The New York Times – New York State attorney general … ordered the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop accepting bets from New York residents, saying their games constituted illegal gambling under state law. The cease-and-desist order by … Eric T. Schneiderman, is a major blow to a multibillion-dollar industry that introduced sports betting to legions of young sports fans … “It is clear that DraftKings and FanDuel are the leaders of a massive, multibillion-dollar scheme intended to evade the law and fleece sports fans across the country … Today we have sent a clear message: not in New York, and not on my watch.”
LEGISLATION FILED TO REGULATE DFS WEBSITES via Florida Politics
State Sen. Negron and Rep. Matt Gaetz filed new draft legislation Tuesday that would put restrictions on daily fantasy sports websites such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and others operating in the state.
According to the bill’s language, game operators must register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and pay related fees. The state would also require them to “implement certain procedures” that would prevent certain people from playing fantasy games, as well as restrict some information from being shared with third parties. In addition, the bill would make fantasy draft websites provide age verification for its players.
The bill requires fantasy draft organizations to conduct regular audits, with the result of such audits submitted to the department.
“Currently, 3 million Floridians participate in fantasy sports contests, from traditional leagues with friends or coworkers, to the newer, daily fantasy sports contests,” Negron said in a prepared statement. “I do not believe that these Floridians should be at risk of criminal prosecution for doing nothing more than participating in the fantasy sports contests they enjoy. However, due to a dated Attorney General opinion, there is a need to clarify in Florida law that fantasy sports are legal, as well as institute commonsense regulations that address consumers. I believe this legislation will do just that.”
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UBER AND LYFT JOIN FORCES WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TO OFFER FREE RIDES TO VETERANS via Sarah Buhr of TechCrunch – Uber and Lyft [will] offer free transportation to former military men and women who lack a way to get to jobs and interviews … Uber has pledged to donate 10,000 rides (the equivalent of $125,000 in Uber profits) across five veteran organizations affiliated with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program.
DISNEY’S PLANET HOLLYWOOD TO LAY OFF 468 WORKERS NEXT YEAR via the Associated Press –… plans 468 layoffs to take place between Jan. 6 and 19 … transforming its Orlando flagship location into a four-story stargazing observatory set to debut in spring 2016 … Renovations are scheduled to begin early next year. Disney Springs, formerly named Downtown Disney, is going through its largest expansion in history.
POLICE: AFTER TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS LOSE, MAN TRIES TO BURN TEAM’S FLAG via the Associated Press – Tampa police say it happened just after the New York Giants beat the Buccaneers 32-18 Sunday evening. A caller said someone was attempting to torch the $26,000 flag outside the Bucs’ corporate offices … measures about 80 feet by 50 feet and hangs from a 15-story pole … the fire-retardant flag did not actually go up in flames, but a small part of it was damaged … 32-year-old Daniel Justin Raboni of North Palm Beach was charged with felony criminal mischief and marijuana possession.
TERMINALLY ILL MAN WHO SAW NEW “STAR WARS” FILM DIES via The Associated Press – A terminally ill “Star Wars” fan who requested an advance screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has died less than a week after watching the movie. Daniel Fleetwood, who had cancer, had a private screening at his home … His wife, Ashley, posted on Facebook that he died in his sleep … and “is now one with God and with the force.”
