Sunrise

First, all of us at Sunrise want to congratulate Ron and Casey DeSantis, who are expecting their third child.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— In Bay County, the Governor unveiled the first in a series of grants to help towns like Mexico Beach hard-hit by Hurricane Michael.

— As impeachment talk swirls in Washington, DeSantis is launching a new fundraising campaign to defend Donald Trump.

— The author of a new book on the confirmation battle over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh weighs in on the political circus in D.C.

— And Jim Rosica, veteran Tallahassee reporter and resident legal expert for Florida Politics, gives his take on the appointment of a new chief judge at DOAH and the latest legal machinations at The Capitol.

— A Florida woman named “Crystal” has been arrested for meth, just a few hours after her older sister was busted for the same crime in another part of town.

A special master hired by the Florida Senate concludes the Governor’s decision to remove Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for failures at the Parkland school shooting was wrong. Senators will meet in Special Session next month to decide if Israel will be reinstated.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— A new report on violence and victimization says 10 percent of the middle and high school girls in the state have been raped and 18 percent have considered suicide in the past year. Child advocates are calling for reform of the state child welfare system, which they claim is part of the problem.

— Even though wildfire season is still a few months away, state Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis’ office says home fires are a lot more dangerous.

— Jesse Panuccio — Gov. Rick Scott’s former general counsel and at one time the third-ranking lawyer at the Department of Justice — returns to Tallahassee to talk about marijuana.

— A Florida woman sitting at a toll booth north of Tampa says her car was rammed by someone driving a Volkswagen Beetle with a bad case of road rage.

Florida lawmakers on Capitol Hill are gearing up for the possibility of impeachment hearings. Sunrise checks in with GOP consultant, author and “never Trumper” Rick Wilson to see if this is another sideshow or (perhaps) the real thing.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Ron DeSantis breaks his silence on the firing of Susie Wiles, who helped him win the Governor’s race. He says it has nothing to do with leaked emails that seemed to show a pay-for-play system in the Governor’s office.

— Despite concerns about unqualified applicants, the Governor and Cabinet hire a new chief judge for the state agency that serves as a check on the Governor’s agencies. And they picked a guy who already works for DeSantis.

— September is suicide prevention month and Attorney General Ashley Moody is especially concerned about suicides among law enforcement officers.

— And the latest on Florida Man, which includes a bathroom brawl — and a case of battery by avocado.

Special Guest: Rick Wilson.

While you may know about the new state law beefing up the texting-while-driving ban, there is also something you may not be aware of; a prohibition on using hand-held cellphones while driving through school and work zones. That part of the law takes effect Oct. 1.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The drone strike that disrupted Saudi oil production is reverberating in Florida with a ten-cent per gallon bump in the price of gas.

— The new director of the state’s turnpike agency says that problem with Conduit — the New Jersey company running the SunPass system that went down after a failed upgrade — will end up costing the state about $50 million in unpaid tolls.

— A visit from Steve Vancore, Sunrise’s go-to pollster and political guru, with a one-on-one conversation on two proposed constitutional amendments for the 2020 ballot. Expecting a vote? You may be disappointed.

— And more from Florida Man: A school resource officer arresting elementary school students and a stripper who fails the mommy test.

Special Guest: Steve Vancore.

Sunrise talks with first-term U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret who now represents Flagler, Volusia and portions of Lake and St. Johns counties. Waltz gives his take on the President’s decision to put U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Florida Lottery chief Jim Poppell is retiring, without explaining why or what he plans to do next.

— Florida’s employment rate is staying at about 3.3 percent … almost half a point lower than the national average.

— A deep dive into the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the recreational use of cannabis.

— And on the latest adventures of Florida Women: Sometimes it’s a topless woman, other times it’s a gal with a live alligator hidden in her yoga pants.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried takes aim at now-Sen. Rick Scott, accusing the former Governor of an ‘ideological war’ against Floridians with HIV.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— After years of avoiding any talk about climate change, Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature finally say they’re ready to face up to the problem.

— A new study from Florida State University says criminals born in American are far more likely to be repeat offenders than immigrants from other countries.

— The Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections asks lawmakers for help — and money — to change the culture of the agency.

— The latest with Florida Man: 37-year-old Erick Russell has worked as a school guardian in Pinellas County since April, but investigators say Russell pawned the Glock handgun issued to him by the sheriff’s office three times in one month.

This week, lawmakers are parsing Florida’s budget in Tallahassee as state Rep. Chris Sprowls — the newly designated House Speaker for next year — says they have a spending problem. But Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Rob Bradley disagrees, saying: “not really.”

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is asking state legislators to ante up for the Florida Forest Service. With the threat of wildfires looming in the Panhandle due to Hurricane Michael devastation, Fried says the agency is still using Vietnam War-era helicopters.

— A newly released Florida Atlantic University poll shows Elizabeth Warren gaining ground on Joe Biden in the Sunshine State. Warren, Biden and Bernie Sanders are each in a statistical tie against Donald Trump in Florida. But political guru Steve Vancore has some concerns about the poll’s methodology.

— Adventures of Florida Woman: Police in Ocoee are searching for a Florida woman accused of attacking employees of a local Burger King. She was in the drive-thru when something set her off, where she then left her car, went inside and battered several workers and damaged some fixtures. The burger basher was last seen driving off in a bright orange Dodge Charger.

Holly Bell, the state’s Cannabis Director at the Agriculture Department is telling lawmakers the first legal hemp crop could be planted in Florida by the end of the year. It will be the first in the Sunshine State since the 1940s.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— A coronation in Tallahassee, as Florida House Republicans formally designate Chris Sprowls to be the next Speaker of the House. In his first speech as Designate, Sprowls urged lawmakers to pay less time in the virtual world and more attention to the real one.

— Florida Democrats are accusing Attorney General Ashley Moody of deception, saying she is being disingenuous in her attempt to keep an amendment banning assault rifles off the Florida ballot.

— A Miami Beach-area state lawmaker is filing a bill that would have lab animals put up for adoption instead of being killed when the research is done.

— Further adventures of Florida Man (or Men): Three men suspected of grand theft auto ended up in a sticky situation in Seminole County after they tried to escape by hiding in garbage bins.

Legislative committee week in the Florida Capitol begins as the state Senate starts discussion about gun violence in the aftermath of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio. Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Florida House Republicans gather to crown Chris Sprowls of Palm Harbor as their caucus leader beginning after the 2020 elections. If Republicans keep the majority in the House — an almost sure bet — Sprowls will become Speaker.

— Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission is facing an existential threat from state lawmakers, who are seeking a public vote on a proposal to abolish the panel outright.

— Wilton Simpson, the GOP leader in the Florida Senate, says there’s a lot of crap at his Central Florida chicken farm, which pales in comparison to what comes from the state capital.

— And the latest on Florida Man … and Woman, with a story that includes sex in the back of a patrol car.

Summer vacation has long been over. And now, the Florida Legislature gets back to work for committee week in Tallahassee — which means lots of workshops, bill filings — and fundraising.

— Sunrise talks with the man scheduled to take over next year as Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, who filed a resolution to condemn white nationalism and white supremacy.

— A committee in the Florida Senate will start looking into issues related to mass violence, hearing from law enforcement, academics and mental health experts.

— Do you want face time with the Governor, you’d better like golf and have deep pockets. One hundred thousand dollars gets you one-on-one on the links with the DeSantis.

— Drama at the Able Trust: Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is threatening to shut them the agency charged with helping find employment for persons with disabilities. Sunrise talks with reporter Ana Ceballos, who broke the story.

— Adventures of Florida Man: 30-year-old Okaloosa Island man Justin James Wilson attacked several cars with rocks and a belt buckle, doing about $30,000 in damages to vehicles at the Holiday Inn Resort. Wilson told police he did it because Donald Trump owes him “1 trillion dollars.”

Special Guest: Ana Ceballos.