Sunrise

A blockbuster report in The Guardian casts blame on former Gov. Rick Scott for a surge in HIV cases during his time in office. The paper says Scott, now a U.S. Senator, refused to accept about $70 million in federal funding to fight the disease — likely resulting in several deaths.

In other items on today's Sunrise:

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

— A battle is brewing among Senate Republicans over who will take over as Senate President in 2022 between Kathleen Passidomo and Travis Hutson, who have each donated big to the same three candidates in hopes of getting support.

— News Service of Florida reporter Ana Ceballos reported that Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is threatening to shut down the Able Trust, which is charged with helping find employment for persons with disabilities.

— Adventures of Florida Man: A homeless Okaloosa County man smashed nearly two dozen vehicles with rocks and a belt buckle before falling asleep on a nearby bench. President Donald Trump "owes me one trillion dollars," the man told Sheriff’s deputies.

Special Guest: Ana Ceballos.

The Legislature’s plan to stop school shooters by arming teachers is going over as well as you might expect — like a lead balloon.

In other items on today's Sunrise:

— If you ever wondered why state legislators seem to ignore the poor, it’s this: Nearly two-fifths of them are millionaires.

— The third Democratic presidential debates take place Thursday night, with a considerably pared-down list of candidates. Pollster Steve Vancore gives his take.

— The Florida Association of professional lobbyists begins its three-day annual conference in Orlando.

— The latest Florida Man antics: A Palm Coast man pulled a gun at a McDonald’s drive-thru because his food wasn’t hot enough. He told police he was ‘only joking.’

— Speaking of Florida Men … Florida Man Radio goes on the air on two stations in Orlando, featuring a pair of infamous local DJs: Shannon Burke and Bubba the Love Sponge.

Special Guest: Steve Vancore.

The new U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges in America rankings were released, giving Florida State University and FSU President John Thrasher reason to cheer. FSU made the cut at No. 18.

In other items on today's Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis gets pushback from critics saying the state should do more to help The Bahamas recover from Hurricane Dorian.

— As for the flap between Donald Trump’s tweets and the National Weather Service, DeSantis calls it a ‘media thing.’

— AG Ashley Moody joins several other states in investigating tech giants Facebook and Google for antitrust violations.

— Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber wins reelection unopposed — sparing the nuisance of an actual election.

— Florida Man strikes again: A man rammed his car into a pillar outside of a Newberry Motel 6, offering police $500 to just take him home and forget about it. As you may have guessed, alcohol was involved.

Welcome to Sunrise, a podcast hosted by veteran journalist Rick Flagg. Each day, Flagg will bring the hottest in Florida political news, data and more, as well as heads-up to what to expect each day.

In this premiere episode:

— After Hurricane Dorian’s near-miss along Florida’s coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis received kudos and praise for his storm preparation efforts.

— Sunrise also looks at the Governor’s latest fundraising numbers.

— State Sen. Gary Farmer comes clean with colleagues about an affair and new relationship with a Florida lobbyist, as well as the split from his wife.

— The 2020 Legislative Session is fast approaching, as the Florida House releases its committee hearing schedule, beginning the week of Sept. 16.

— The 1st District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee has an opening, and with some of the applicants, there are some very interesting tidbits.

— Sunrise takes a deep dive into the newest push for an Equal Rights Amendment, almost four decades after it failed in the Florida Senate

— And … Florida Man! We keep up with the latest antics of the everyman antihero that gives the Sunshine State its reputation for weirdness.