Sunrise

The Florida Department of Health reports 95 more COVID-19 fatalities, only the second time this year the daily death toll has been under 100.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis lashes out at President Joe Biden again, saying he’ll fight any effort by the White House to impose limits on travel to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But can you recall when DeSantis wanted Donald Trump to ban New Yorkers from flying to Florida? Like Pepperidge Farm, Sunrise remembers.

— The Governor said that last March. Trump never did impose limits, so DeSantis set up checkpoints on interstates and sent National Guard soldiers to airports to screen new arrivals from New York. And now he says travel limits are a bad idea.

— DeSantis says Florida’s election last year was an example for the rest of the nation on how to do it right. So, the first thing he wants to do now is to change it.

— Most changes will affect the voting by mail process — preferred by Democrats. They say this is another example of the voter suppression nonsense the GOP has employed for years.

— Same-sex marriage has been legal in Florida since 2015 when the Supreme Court threw out all state bans and declared marriage equality as law of the land. But Florida law still includes a ban on same-sex marriage passed in 1977; there’s a bill to repeal it.

— And finally, a Florida Woman drank Tennessee Fire straight from the bottle while recording a video threatening to shoot any FBI agents who showed up at her door — and posting it on social media.

Florida’s death toll from COVID-19 is just short of 30,000. We’ll pass that milestone when the daily casualty count is released today.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Another day, another vaccine “feel good” story. Gov. Ron DeSantis was back on FOX and Friends Thursday to participate in the vaccination of a World War II veteran in Pinellas County.

— The Governor says there will be a big increase in vaccine shipments next week … but this week's shipment of the Moderna vaccine is still stuck in Memphis because of the severe winter storm.

— DeSantis used a series of executive orders during the COVID-19 crisis, giving him total authority over the state’s response. The House Speaker and the Senate President say they’re fine with that because they agree with the Governor … but they also believe it’s time to set guidelines on these extended emergency orders. They’re worried about future Governors.

— A bill requiring Floridians to pay the sales tax on online purchases is one step closer to law after clearing the Senate Finance and Tax Committee. Lawmakers seem to agree on the bill's need, but they haven’t agreed on what to do with the new revenue — estimated at more than $1 billion.

— Across the street from the state Capitol is a memorial honoring Floridians who died in the Vietnam War; it may have company soon. The Senate Rules Committee approves a bill creating the POW-MIA Vietnam Veterans Bracelet Memorial.

— And finally, a Florida Man has a whole new take on grave robbing. Deputies say he burglarized 10 houses while the residents were attending funerals.

Gov. Ron DeSantis faces accusations of using vaccination sites to reward his political donors. He just presided over the opening of a new pod serving the whitest and wealthiest areas in Manatee County. The Governor was offended when local officials asked why he chose that site.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— DeSantis’ response drew a stern rebuke South Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz.

— Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried also piled on … calling the Governor’s actions troubling and potentially illegal.

— There’s a problem with Florida’s vaccine supply. DeSantis says we’re short because of the winter storm.

— A research professor at the University of Florida warns that we need to pay more attention to the U.K. variant of COVID 19 because there’s more in Florida than any other state… and it’s nastier than the original.

— A Senate committee approves a bill exempting presidential searches at public universities from the Sunshine Law. The bill’s sponsor says they might as well because universities have already found a way around it.

— There’s a ruckus over free speech on campus. Things got mighty tense in the House Post-Secondary Education and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee.

— And finally, two Florida Men tried to get out of wearing a mask by claiming to be federal agents. Then they got to meet a real one.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has a few choice things to say about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ role in the COVID-19 crisis.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Fried dropped that gem on her Twitter feed, in what may be considered the opening salvo in the 2022 Governor’s race.

— Florida’s vote-by-mail system worked so well last year that Republicans are already trying to change it. Sen. Randolph Bracy is not surprised. Democrats say the system worked pretty well last year and Republicans should leave it alone.

— Reefer madness in The Capitol … a Harvard professor who believes marijuana is not medicine and compares high-potency weed to crack and crystal meth was invited to testify. By the time she was done, some lawmakers were cracking jokes and accusing her of pushing bogus science.

— And how about a bit of religion? A House subcommittee has approved Rep. Randy Fine’s moment of silence bill. An American Atheists lobbyist calls it a school prayer bill in disguise.

— Another bill targeting Big Tech: State Rep. Scott Plakon wants to punish social media platforms with fines of $100,000 per day if they don’t act fast enough to remove child porn from their websites.

— And finally, a Florida Man is back in the news after a cocaine bust.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz is announcing he will be resigning and replaced by his deputy Kevin Guthrie.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— While Ron DeSantis had nothing but praise for Moskowitz, he had nothing but scorn for the new guidance from the CDC about the safe reopening of schools. The Governor says it all about politics.

— A new coalition of labor and consumers groups is trying to stop the COVID-19 liability immunity bills in the state Legislature.

— Florida’s Department of Health is reporting 159 additional fatalities Monday but only 3,600 new cases of COVID-19. That’s the lowest number of new cases since the end of October.

— New research shows the wealthiest Floridians got considerably richer during the COVID-19 crisis, adding more than $28 billion to their net worth, while essential workers faced unemployment, bankruptcy, and foreclosure.

— Speaking of billionaires, DeSantis is upping the ante in his fight against Big Tech. He’s supporting a new bill that would prevent them from selling your personal data without your permission.

— Florida lawmakers hate the idea of gun control, but what about controlling bullets? Sen. Lauren Book talks about her bill that would require background checks to buy ammo.

— A new report from the Children’s Movement of Florida says businesses that want to attract the best talent have to adopt more family-friendly policies.

— And finally, a Florida Woman and her Florida Daughter are accused of stealing almost $200,000 by setting up fake cosmetic surgery clinics.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is claiming that any effort by the Joe Biden administration to impose travel limits to prevent the spread of the U.K. version of COVID-19 would be a direct attack on Florida. The Governor was asked about the threat of the variant Wednesday and the possibility it was spread during crowded Super Bowl parties last weekend. DeSantis responded by attacking the media.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— For the record, Sunrise does indeed care about the spread of the U.K. variant … but we reject the Governor’s assertion that the media only cares when it’s someone we don’t like.

— The Speaker of the Florida House is asking school superintendents to track down the 88,000 kids who were missing when schools counted all their students in October. If they can't find the kids, it may cost the schools about $700 million.

— It’s been almost a year since the pandemic began and the people who run the food banks in Florida say they’re still being slammed.

— It may take as long as five years for the hardest-hit families to recover and Congressman Charlie Crist is promising to do what he can to get more federal help for food banks.

— Remember the controversy about rape kits that sat on the shelves for years untested? Lawmakers dealt with it five years ago but didn’t do far enough. That’s where Gail’s Law comes in.

— And finally, a Florida Man is accused of stealing rings from a girlfriend so he could ask another woman to marry him.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to protect health care companies from being sued over the COVID-19 crisis. Backers of the bill say it protects the health care heroes. Opponents say it only protects employers … especially the bad ones.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis travels to the Venice Community Center to announce new vaccination sites — and do a victory dance of sorts. The Governor says he was right and other states got it wrong.

— Unions representing police, firefighters, teachers, and other public employees are under attack in the Legislature again. AFL-CIO lobbyist Rich Templin questions the timing … and intent.

— The simple answer is that most Florida lawmakers are anti-union, taking great delight in poking the hornet's nest.

— And finally, police jailed a Florida Man for threatening to kill his girlfriend and her children after she dumped him while they were on vacation.

The Florida House Black Caucus unveiled an ambitious plan to reform policing in the Sunshine State.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Guess who’s getting into the COVID-19 vaccination biz? The Governor says it’s none other than Walmart.

— While vaccinations are still reserved for people 65 and older, Ron DeSantis says that will change once enough seniors are vaccinated.

— Florida lawmakers are scrambling to find enough money to make up the cash lost to the COVID-19 crisis and Democrats have a suggestion. They say the state could save money and provide medical coverage for almost a million Floridians by expanding Medicaid.

— Another casualty of COVID-19 is the five-year plan at the Florida DOT. Seventy-seven road projects have been cut or delayed because of a $763 million shortfall in transportation taxes.

— And finally, two different Florida Men disrupted the Super Bowl; each in his own unique way.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will have to find a new chief of staff. Shane Strum will be leaving to take over as CEO of Broward Health starting next month.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Don’t bother DeSantis just yet: he’s basking in the warmth of the Super Bowl. The Governor says Florida is home to two of the greatest of all time. Unless, of course, the Super Bowl turns out to be a super-spreader. At times it appeared the only ones who really followed safety protocols were the masked dancers in the halftime show.

— First came the Holocaust survivors, now the Bay of Pigs veterans. The Governor says survivors of the ill-fated invasion of Cuba in 1961 can now get their COVID-19 vaccinations at home in Miami-Dade.

— State lawmakers will be taking up a bill in the upcoming session to outlaw abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Two women say it was their only choice — and the Legislature should butt out.

— The co-leader of the House Democrats has a theory as to why Republicans are serving up a heaping helping of red meat designed to trigger “the libs.”

— And finally, a Florida man is saying that 22 pounds of crystal meth in his carry-on bag must belong to someone else who has an identical backpack.

U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe of the Northern District of Florida has charged a Pensacola man with taking part in the coup at The Capitol. Tristan Chandler Stevens, 25, was arrested Friday in Pensacola and his next court hearing takes place Wednesday.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The number of COVID-19 deaths reported Florida Department of Health was down Sunday compared to the rest of the week — but it’s still in triple digits. There were 1,207 fatalities were reported over the past week and only three other weeks during the pandemic had a weekly death toll exceeded 1,200.

— The Tampa Super Bowl is now history, but it gave Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried a chance to talk about feeding hungry kids in the Sunshine State. Fried was part of a virtual event on game day called “Taste of the NFL.”

— A discussion of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the two South Florida lawmakers who led the drive to strip the Georgia Congresswoman of her committee assignments.

— And finally, a Florida Woman is charged with having a three-year affair with a student that began in middle school, and a 75-year-old Florida Man is charged with exposing himself in New Hampshire.