Sunrise

Florida sets another grim record for the greatest number of COVID-19 deaths reported in a single day. When asked about the 173 new fatalities, Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by challenging the phrasing of the question.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— While DeSantis had a point, he didn’t answer the question about all those newly reported fatalities. And despite that record, the Governor keeps talking about turning the corner.

— It’s official: The RNC won’t be coming to Jacksonville after all. In a surprise announcement, Donald Trump told reporters he’s canceling because of what he called a “flare-up” of the virus.

— The COVID-19 crisis is driving the Governor’s favorability numbers down. A new poll from Quinnipiac university says his approval rating is down more than ten points and 52% of Floridians say he’s not doing a good job. The numbers flipped in just 2 months.

— And what won’t help is a new ad attacking DeSantis for his response to COVID-19.

— A deep dive into Tagus and Green Iguanas. The state wildlife commission is targeting the invasive lizards — much to the dismay of reptile breeders.

— The latest with Florida Man, who thought he found gold at the bottom of a urine specimen.

Florida’s Department of Health reports 140 additional fatalities and almost 10,000 if new cases of COVID 19.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers a message to the parents of Florida’s schoolchildren. He says they’re better off back in the classroom, but it’s up to the parents to make that call.

— If Floridians want to get back to work during the pandemic, they’ll need childcare for the kids … and parents can tell you what that means. Miami-Dade Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has filed a bill to help childcare providers get federal assistance with protective gear and sanitation.

— Sunrise takes a deep-dive into the decision to close Apalachicola Bay to the harvesting of wild oysters. They used to be the gold standard for oysters, but no longer.

— Checking-in with a Florida Man who owns a kangaroo named Jack found hopping through Fort Lauderdale. Anthony Macias, 24, faces criminal charges for allowing it to escape and having no proof of purchase. The state wildlife commission also filed a violation notice against Macias because he didn’t have a permit for the animal.

Florida’s Department of Health reports almost 9.500 new cases of coronavirus and 136 new fatalities from COVID-19. But our optimist-in-chief doesn’t seem to be worried by those numbers.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a roundtable discussion with doctors in hopes of reassuring the public that hospitals are not overrun by COVID-19 patients and there are plenty of beds available.

— When holding coronavirus updates, DeSantis likes to surround himself with doctors… Except for one notable exception. In the early days of the pandemic, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees was a regular, but we haven’t seen much of him since Rivkees went off message and said we might need to maintain social distancing until next year. Did the Governor disappear him?

— The Governor was also asked if he supported the extension of the $600-dollar weekly unemployment benefits from the feds. He offered an answer, without actually answering the question.

— Robert Weissert of Florida TaxWatch talks about a new report critical of the legislative plan to build a toll road that will stretch 150 miles from Citrus County to the Georgia border.

— Checking-in with a Florida Man accused of taking the kids out for a Sunday drive while he was drunk. Also, a Florida Woman was busted for trying to steal a sex toy from Walmart.

Florida is now facing a lawsuit over the reopening of public schools.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Florida Education Association says no one should be forced to return to schools until the COVID-19 crisis is under control. And it’s not. The state reported 92 new fatalities Monday, as well as more than 10,000 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus.

— Gov. Ron DeSantis travels to Orlando to ask COVID-19 survivors to donate blood that can be used to treat other victims. Once again, protesters confronted the Governor and interrupted his spiel.

— If you listen closely, you can hear the protesters say “shame on you” and “you’re lying to the public.” This is the second time in eight days protesters heckled DeSantis at a news conference — and both happened on a Monday.

— A group representing nursing homes and senior care facilities says the COVID-19 crisis has them hurtling toward a financial cliff; they’re calling on Congress for a bailout.

— An in-depth look at the settlement between the state and a coalition of liberal voting-rights groups trying to force Florida to make it easier to vote-by-mail during the COVID-19 crisis.

— Also, a Florida Man went to jail for stealing $2 million from a small school district in Texas.

Florida’s number of COVID-19 cases (and fatalities) keep piling up, and Gov. Ron DeSantis tries once again to downplay the danger.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— As for the pandemic, you won’t see any improvement just yet. Quite the opposite. In the past week, Florida set records for COVID-19 deaths and new cases. But DeSantis still insists there’s no need to panic.

— While the Governor tries to minimize fears, Democrats in the state’s Congressional delegation are sounding the alarm.

— Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Lois Frankel, Ted Deutch and Donna Shalala are asking DeSantis to step up his game against COVID-19.

— Checking-in with two Florida Men who have taken an interest in animals: One ended up in the hospital after encountering an iguana, and the other is planning an X-rated movie about Carole Baskin and the Tiger King.

Florida continues to set records Gov. Ron DeSantis would rather not discuss.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The state Department of Health reported 156 fatalities from COVID-19 Wednesday, the largest number of deaths in a single day. There was a record increase in the number of new hospitalizations and almost 14,000 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus. And you would never guess who the chair of the Democratic National Committee is blaming.

— As the state grapples with the reopening of schools, critics claim the Governor and the Florida Surgeon General are stacking the deck by gagging county health officers who don’t think it's safe for kids to return to classrooms yet.

— This is happening because county health officers don't actually work for the county; they’re state employees who answer to Tallahassee.

— Floridians had to fight like hell to get unemployment benefits after being laid off in March and the extra $600 per week from the feds made an enormous difference. However, the federal money runs out at the end of the month — unless the U.S. Senate agrees to an extension.

— Sunrise takes a deep dive on the drive to revive those federal unemployment payments until the end of the year.

— Checking-in with a Florida Woman who was busted long distance from Canada, and a Florida Man who lost his kangaroo.

Florida has now logged more than 300,000 cases of COVID-19, with more than 10,000 new cases reported Wednesday — along with 112 fatalities. The state’s coronavirus death toll to 4,626.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

Gov. Ron DeSantis tells the state board of education that schools will be safe when they reopen next month, but he says if you’re not comfortable sending your kids back, there will be alternatives.

— The state Board of Education has some questions about the emergency order to reopen schools next month, right in the middle of a pandemic.

— Remember DeSantis’ slogan for reopening the state? “Safe. Simple. And step by step.” However, Senate Democrats have an alternative: “Step back to safety.”

— Sunrise takes a deep dive into these disgruntled Democrats.

— And the latest on a Florida man who refused to wear a mask at Walmart, standing his ground by pulling a gun on another shopper.

Florida has set another record for COVID-19 fatalities reported in a single day. The state Department of Health reports another 132 fatalities, the most in Florida since the pandemic began. The total number of fatalities so far is 4,514.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The state also reported almost 92,000 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus Tuesday. That drives the total to almost 292,000 and we’re likely to break the 300,000 mark today.

— Florida is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in America and Miami-Dade is the epicenter for Florida. Maybe that’s why Gov. Ron DeSantis never removed his mask during a two-hour roundtable with South Florida Mayors.

— As local school boards try to figure out how to reopen classrooms in the middle of a pandemic, the Chancellor of Florida’s public-school system says most parents want their kids back in school.

— A Tallahassee appeals court hears arguments over a state law that says local officials who vote to impose new restrictions on guns can be fined thousands of dollars and removed from office by the Governor.

— The Florida Supreme Court wants another hit of medical marijuana. They’ve scheduled a new hearing on a challenge to the state’s law implementing the medical marijuana amendment approved which voters four years ago — even though they just held one in May. Sounds like something a stoner would do.

— Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics offers a preview of the fight for the Senate District 27 seat.

— And the interesting tale of a Florida Woman who found a special hiding place for her crack pipe. Hopefully, it wasn’t too hot when she hid it.

Florida’s Department of Health reports 12,624 new cases of coronavirus, with 35 more fatalities — and Gov. Ron DeSantis faced his first heckler at a coronavirus news conference.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— If you listened to Monday’s show, you heard the Gov. say it's safe to reopen schools because he “thinks” kids don’t spread coronavirus. Perhaps he should think again. Sunrise talks to an actual doctor who says that’s just plain wrong.

— Officials in South Florida are getting anxious; who can blame them? Florida has become the new epicenter of COVID-19 and Miami-Dade is the epicenter of Florida. And many of them blame DeSantis.

— As Florida’s record-setting COVID-19 spike continues, the Governor’s team is resisting any suggestion to roll back the reopening or go into another lockdown. But a new study out of Harvard suggests most of Florida should be shutting down again.

—And in the race to replace Republican Rep. Frances Rooney in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, Jacob Ogles — who is covering the race in Southwest Florida — shares some insights.

— Finally, the latest with Florida Man, who said he was on “a mission” when he rammed a church with a minivan and tried to burn it down.

Florida set a COVID-19 record Sunday — not just for the state, but for the entire nation.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Florida Department of Health reported 15,300 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, setting a new one-day nationwide record. New York previously held that dubious distinction, but Florida beat the record by more than 3,000. When last we heard from Gov. Ron DeSantis, he insisted there won’t be any changes in Florida’s reopening.

— Florida added a mind-boggling 70,000 new cases of coronavirus in the past week, bringing the total to almost 278,000. Dr. Ronald Saff of Tallahassee says those numbers would have been a lot lower if DeSantis had done a better job responding to the crisis.

— Florida’s death toll is also rising. Forty-five new fatalities were reported Sunday; the new total is now 4,346. That’s an increase of more than 500 over the past week; it’s keeping the grim reaper busy.

— Speaking of which, the man behind the Grim Reaper Tour is Dan Uhlfelder, who will talk about his unusual crusade.

— Checking-in with a Florida Man fired for racist postings on social media. Not Facebook or Twitter, mind you. It was LinkedIn. What kind of moron posts racial rants on a site designed to connect business professionals, you ask? Florida Man.