Category: Uncategorized

* Beijing, a city of 21 million, is closing all of its city schools.

* According to the CDC, 60 percent of the U.S. population have been infected with COVID-19. Nearly 75 percent of children had been infected.

* Political notables recently testing positive: VP Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondi, and Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff of California and Joaquin Castro of Texas.

* Moderna has asked the CDC to clear low-dose vaccine shots for children younger than 6.

* Total U.S. population that is fully vaccinated: 66 percent. Total Florida population that is fully vaccinated: 67 percent.

* Positivity: Florida-10.1 percent; Hillsborough County-6.6 percent.

* Gov. Ron DeSantis raised $105 million by the end of March for his re-election. That’s a Florida political record. The bottom line: going against Disney and “lockdown” mentalities and promoting his “anti-woke” brand are paying off. And no surprise–given DeSantis scenarios for 2024–that a good chunk of his war chest comes from donors who live outside the state. Also no surprise that DeSantis benefits from a ubiquitous media presence as he travels the state holding news conferences that push his brand beyond Florida. DeSantis’ Democratic gubernatorial opponents (Charlie Crist, Nikki Fried and Annette Taddeo) collectively raised $16 million by the end of March. Big money is especially helpful in Florida, a state that’s expensive because of its multiple, large media markets for TV ads.

* Under campaign finance law, Ron DeSantis would not be allowed to transfer money directly from his state campaign committee into accounts used for a federal race such as president.

* “Trust me. Under no circumstances will Disney not pay its fair share of taxes. Under no circumstances will Disney not pay its debts.”–Trustworthy Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

* The Sunshine State is still one of the 47 states that allow households and businesses that produce power to sell it back to the grid at a set rate.

* No surprise that Gov. DeSantis’ choice for education commissioner is feisty school-choice proponent Manny Diaz, the Republican state senator from Hialeah. No, the wedge issue that is now education won’t be changing for the better—even though Richard Corcoran is no longer commissioner.

* The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area has been ranked #19 on Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com’s list of the country’s top 20 housing markets.

* TIA projections show that the airport, with about 21 million passengers this year, will be increasing that to nearly 39 million by 2042. That’s a 20-year hike of 83 percent.

* Art History made: That $25 million Dick Corbett gift to the Tampa Museum of Art is the largest private donation ever made to a public art museum and art education center in Florida.

* Water Street update: The Residences at the 26-story Tampa EDITION are now officially sold out—all 38 of the branded condos on the top floors of Tampa’s first 5-star hotel. Sale prices of the residences range from $2 million to $7.9 million.

* If the GOPsters take back the House, there’s a good chance that Sarasota Republican Vern Buchanan would become chairman of the impactful Ways and Means Committee. The last time a Tampa Bay region congressman chaired W&M was when Sam Gibbons held the gavel. Buchanan, as we know all too well, is no Sam Gibbons.

* “We have the right to ask: Against whom is this (NATO) expansion intended?” That was Vladimir Putin in 2007. In short, the KGB alum never, ever got over the humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and NATO spiking the geopolitical football as it expanded into erstwhile Warsaw Pact countries. Cold War nostalgia and a gut animosity toward the West rule the Kremlin as long as the vengeful Putin remains in charge of the world’s most notorious outlier nation.

* Those looking for some semblance of progress on the Russian front found a bit of hope in that U.S./Russian prisoner exchange. It was a notable diplomatic achievement during a time of notably heightened tension that includes the lowest point in U.S.-Russia relations in decades. Most of the world doesn’t miss Donald Trump, but it should miss Mikhail Gorbachev.

* Ironic, however gruesome, that Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has become a recruiting tool for NATO. Ask Finland, which shares a border with Russia. And Sweden could follow.

* “Putin miscalculated. This is not what he foresaw.”–Anna Wieslamder, The Atlantic Council’s Northern Europe director.

* The Russian Central Bank said Russia’s economy is expected to contract by up to 10 percent this year. It termed the economic outlook as “extremely uncertain.”

* NATO members Poland and Bulgaria said natural gas supplies from Russia have been cut off. Both nations had refused Russia’s demands that they pay in rubles.

* “Strategic rapprochement.” What French far-right ideologue Marine Le Pen—who lost to incumbent President Emmanuel Macron—has advocated for Russia.

* I usually watch the White House Correspondents Dinner. It’s a spotlight on journalism: its critical need and its manifest vulnerability. It’s also a reminder that free speech can be both funny and cringe-worthy. And it says something relevant about a democracy that we can poke fun at our leaders. And it says something about those leaders, excepting the no-show Trump, that they are tough enough to show up and then give as good as they get.

But I wouldn’t watch without fast-forward. Highlighting the Red Carpet debut of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson–or “Kete” to some insiders–is Exhibit A. Who the hell cares? And why the hell did ABC invite them? BTW, Trevor Noah, the personable roast-host was good. Even took well-aimed pot shots at Ron DeSantis. Finished by underscoring that humor aside, the real purpose of the event—after two years of COVID cancellations—is “to honor and celebrate the 4^th estate.”

* “America is not a reality show.”–President Joe Biden.

* MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has been banned–again–by Twitter. Lindell is a Trumpster who has pushed the claim that Trump won the 2020 election. He had tried to work around the ban with a new account.

* According to Nielsen data, Fox News’ audience is 92 percent white—and overwhelmingly older.

Back in the day, I was in Berlin bearing witness to Cold War optics and reality. I was literally followed in East Berlin, which was creepy. And, in the company of American GI’s at Checkpoint Charlie, I was handed binoculars to observe East German soldiers with binoculars staring back at me from their side of the Wall. Beyond weird.

But I also experienced something that was encouraging. The West Germans frequently referred to their chancellor, Willy Brandt, as “Schnapps Willy.” It wasn’t an insult. It was a reminder that the tippling leader of the democratic side of Germany was not on some authoritative pedestal. In short, he was no (former East German leader) Walter Ulbricht. West Germans could publicly criticize a leader and even poke fun at him (not unlike we do with ours, including at the aforementioned WH Correspondents Dinner.) Back then, it was a societal sign that a leader who has been elected by the people is still one of the people—not some Moscow-approving, Communist minion.

* Car Dealership: “The Best Way To Get Back On Your Feet—Miss A Car Payment.”

* The Lightning’s Stanley Cups-celebration visit to the White House, pandemically delayed, was a feel-good highlight for the franchise and Tampa Bay. And it helped, a lot, that the president, although a Philadelphia Flyers fan, was not Donald Trump.

* We now know that MLB fined the New York Yankees $100,000 for using a dugout phone to relay sign-stealing information during the 2015-16 seasons. Apparently having a ton of money isn’t advantage enough.

* A New York judge found Donald Trump in contempt of court for failing to respond adequately to a subpoena issued by the state’s attorney general as part of a civil investigation into his business dealings. A contempt finding set in motion $10,000 daily fines. The bottom line was underscored by New York AG Letitia James: “Today’s ruling makes clear: No one is above the law.” And to think otherwise, she could have added, is contemptible.

* Head’s up: Next month the House Jan. 6 Committee will launch public hearings. Among the likely scenarios: subpoena threats and testimonies rife with “I don’t remember” responses.

* “I just wanted it to be ‘The Twilight Zone’ and all go away.” Dr. Deborah Birx, former White House coronavirus coordinator, referring to her pandemic experience with then-President Trump, including his consideration of disinfectant injections.

* “Things are getting more dangerous in this country. Luckily, Kamala Harris has a plan. She plans to disarm you.”–The disarming *ucker Carlson.

* “The president is rising to the occasion. … Ukraine will have the weaponry it needs to prevail against Russian aggression. This would never have happened if Donald Trump … were still president.”–Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

* “America stands with Ukraine.”–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

* “This is one of those moments in European history. What we are looking at is the semi-permanent division of Europe into two.”–Alexander Stubb, former Prime Minister of Finland.

* “Quitting Twitter wouldn’t be easy for the scrollers and tappers addicted to having all this messy humanity at their fingertips.”–Molly Roberts, Washington Post.

* “I don’t think inflation has gotten entrenched in the economy; markets and consumers both expect it to come down a lot in a year or so. But we don’t want to take the chance that it might get entrenched. So hike the Fed must.” Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize recipient in economics.

* “The Bible says God created mankind ‘in His own image.’ But many alleged conservatives invert that. They create in their image, a God who thinks and acts like them.”–Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.

* “The marketplace is horrible. Insurance companies are picking and choosing what buildings they want to insure … companies might not want to write on the ocean anymore.”–Miami Beach insurance broker Robert Munchick.

* “Choosing between housing affordability and resiliency is not an option. We have to do both.”– Brandi Gabbard, chair of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

* “I don’t go in for billboard patriotism.”–Walt Disney.

* “The surge of Tampa’s tech scene is a major reason why we decided to build our team in this hub of top talent.”–Thomas Kratky, founder and CEO of the Prague-based data firm Manta, in announcing that Manta has chosen Tampa for its U.S. headquarters.