First Read for Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022

Good morning. It's National Cookie Exchange Day. We’ll direct you to Florida Smart’s “15 Delicious Florida Themed Cookies You Can Make at Home” (but we know you already bought them at Publix). 

FIRST UP 

The Progressive insurance company incurred more than $600 million in losses from vehicle damage in Hurricane Ian, according to information released this week. Progressive said a November estimate of $615 million was “essentially unchanged,” with the total including losses to boats. 

In a news release, Progressive also said it estimated property losses of about $1 billion, down from an earlier estimate of $1.4 billion. After taking reinsurance into consideration, it is responsible for $200 million of the property-related costs – a number that did not change. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida before crossing the state.

– The News Service of Florida

Editor’s note: First Read will be taking a break this Friday and Monday, returning to inboxes Tuesday, Dec. 27. Enjoy the holidays. 

– Jim Rosica

FROM CITY & STATE 

* Who’s up? Who’s down? Find out in this week’s Winners & Losers.

* Local governments in Northwest Florida and Miami-Dade County have filed lawsuits seeking damages from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company over its past work in helping market opioids.

THIS MONTH’S MAGAZINE

The Florida Women Power 100

* Who are the most influential women in Florida politics and government? City & State Florida's Women Power 100 identifies the most important government officials, high-powered lobbyists, leaders of the worlds of business, nonprofits, strategic messaging and social justice in the arena of Sunshine State politics and policy.

 ▶ Read This Month's Issue

NEW THIS MORNING

* Despite his claims to the contrary, the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee said the IRS did not audit Donald Trump’s taxes until two years into his presidency, the New Republic reports.

* The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol happened in Washington, D.C. but – not surprisingly – Florida came up repeatedly in the summary of the long-awaited House committee report on the insurrection, the Palm Beach Post reports.

* Some of the biggest cities and states led by Democrats are expecting an influx of migrants as soon as the nation’s Title 42 border restrictions are lifted, which could be made worse by some being sent there by Republican states like Florida, Politico reports.

* U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar asked the head of the Department of Homeland Security to stop the deportations of Cubans whose information the federal government accidentally published online, the Miami Herald reports.

* Television news producer Kristen Hentschel, also known as Kristyn Caddell, was working as a freelance producer for ABC while taking checks from the Matrix consulting firm and confronting enemies of Florida Power & Light and Florida Crystals, NPR reports. 

More news below …

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YOUR MESSAGE HERE: City & State First Read is the must-read morning roundup of Florida politics and government. Reaching thousands of subscribers each morning, it's the most effective and targeted digital ad venue to get your message in front of city and state elected officials, agency and industry leaders, and the staff, advocates, media and operatives who drive the issues of the day – all by 7 a.m. each weekday. For advertising information, please email: advertising@cityandstatefl.com

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* State Rep. Angie Nixon said she is “strongly considering” running for Jacksonville City Council in 2023, the latest notable fallout after the Democratic caucus in the Florida House fell to superminority status, Florida Politics reports.

* U.S. House Republicans, including Florida’s Byron Donalds, are encouraging their fellow Senate GOP legislators to “take all steps necessary” in order to stop the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, the Floridian reports.

* Rod Velez won two legal victories in the past two days in his effort to serve on the Broward County School Board, but whether he’ll actually take office remains to be seen, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. 

* A couple of months into his term as Jacksonville sheriff, T.K. Waters announced revised procedures in the way his department passes on information to the public, the Florida Times-Union reports. 

* Two years after a report revealed “notorious acts of sexual abuse, including rape, against prisoners” at the state’s largest and oldest women’s prison, federal officials made a return visit last week, the Florida Phoenix reports.

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DESANTIS WATCH 

There were no events listed for Wednesday on the governor’s official schedule.

2024 ROUNDUP

* The Florida GOP plans to hold a no-confidence vote in Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel next month, a crucial test of the embattled leader’s strength just days before her own re-election, NBC News reports. 

* MyPillow CEO and right-wing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell suggested he’s going to turn his team of voter-fraud investigators on DeSantis’ 2022 election win because the governor’s margin of victory was just too big, the Washington Post’s Aaron Blake writes. 

* Trump’s announcement of a third run for the White House has landed with a thud, with high-profile Republicans refusing to sign on as early endorsers, the New York Times’ Charles Blow writes. 

* While DeSantis looks like a frontrunner now, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s 2016 run should be a cautionary tale for him for rising too early, the Hill’s Douglas Schoen writes. 

ANALYSIS & OPINION 

* DeSantis’ request for a COVID-19 grand jury could backfire unpleasantly on him as the real COVID mischief in Florida metastasized out of the governor’s office, the Florida Bulldog’s Dan Christensen writes. 

* Five years after manatees were downgraded from endangered to threatened, the gentle creatures are literally starving to death under the horrified, despairing gaze of waterfront residents and visitors to Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board writes. 

* Republican Anthony Sabatini, who lost his run for Congress, is now railing against what he calls the GOP “establishment” that is scoring major wins in the Sunshine State – and in his envy wants to burn it to the ground, Brendon Leslie of Florida’s Voice writes.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To attorney and past chair of the Jacksonville Housing Authority Jon McGowan. 

On FRIDAY, to former state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto … to Tallahassee Democrat reporter Christopher Cann … to Palm Beach County Tax Collector and former state lawmaker Anne Gannon … to former state Rep. Richard Steinberg. 

On SATURDAY, to Tallahassee consultant Barney Bishop III … to former state Rep. Dave Murzin. 

On SUNDAY, to Logan Lewkow, communications director for the Florida Sheriffs Association … to former Gov. Bob Martinez … to Dr. and state Rep. Ralph Massullo … to Patrick Slevin of SL7 Consulting. 

On MONDAY, to attorney and Florida election law expert Mark Herron. 

Have a birthday, career change, birth, death or life event to announce? Email us: editor@cityandstatefl.com. 

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YOUR MESSAGE HERE: City & State First Read is the must-read morning roundup of Florida politics and government. Reaching thousands of subscribers each morning, it's the most effective and targeted digital ad venue to get your message in front of city and state elected officials, agency and industry leaders, and the staff, advocates, media and operatives who drive the issues of the day – all by 7 a.m. each weekday. For advertising information, please email: advertising@cityandstatefl.com

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KICKER

“I can assure the pillow man. We got crushed. No conspiracy here.”

– Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz of South Florida, via Twitter, responding to another tweet that MyPillow CEO and “conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell says he is going to Florida to audit … DeSantis’ historic re-election victory because there is no way DeSantis did as amazing as he did.”