A former Florida Department of Health employee was fired after repeatedly ignoring warnings and openly discussing the state’s coronavirus data tracking without authorization.
Rebekah Jones was fired from her position managing coronavirus data for the Florida government after receiving two warnings about publicly discussing her work without authorization, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The AP described the documents in a Sunday <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/public-remarks-prompted-florida-covid-19-data-curators-firing">report</a>:
<blockquote>Documents obtained by The Associated Press show a supervisor warned Jones on April 9 after she posted a message on a newspaper Facebook page about the dashboard. She was told she needs approval before publicly discussing the work. Less than two week later, she was warned again when a mapping company’s online magazine published an extensive interview with Jones. Her supervisor later found a public blog in which Jones discussed the dashboard, released unauthorized charts and added “political commentary” in posts that appear to have been taken down.</blockquote>
Jones was reassigned from her post managing the data hub on May 5, and on May 15, in her last email to subscribers of a weekly coronavirus report, she seeded doubt that the state’s tracking hub would be less reliable without her oversight moving forward.
“As a word of caution, I would not expect the new team to continue the same level of accessibility and transparency that I made central to the process during the first two months. After all, my commitment to both is largely (arguably entirely) the reason I am no longer managing it,” she said in the email according to the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/05/19/florida-health-department-officials-told-manager-to-delete-coronavirus-data-before-reassigning-her-emails-show/">Tampa Bay Times</a>. “They are making a lot of changes. I would advise being diligent in your respective uses of this data.”
After Jones’ then-supervisor, Craig Curry, outlined the instances of insubordination in an email, he was instructed to fire her. Jones’ last day working for the state health department was on Thursday after being fired on May 18.
In the aftermath of Jones’ ouster, a number of Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and his handling of coronavirus data tracking. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/05/19/858977838/florida-fires-a-scientist-for-her-refusal-to-manipulate-states-coronavirus-data">Media</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/20/us/florida-georgia-covid-19-test-data/index.html">outlets</a> reported news of Jones’ firing, pushing an unsubstantiated claim that she was dismissed over a refusal to manipulate data at health officials&#8217; request.
DeSantis spokeswoman Helen Ferre hit back at that allegation in a statement on May 19, saying the data manager was fired for “insubordination.”
“Rebekah Jones exhibited a repeated course of insubordination during her time with the department, including her unilateral decisions to modify the department’s COVID-19 dashboard without input or approval from the epidemiological team or her supervisors,” Ferre told <a href="https://thecapitolist.com/state-health-department-employee-fired-for-modifying-covid-19-dashboard-without-permission/">The Capitolist</a>. “The blatant disrespect for the professionals who were working around the clock to provide the important information for the COVID-19 website was harmful to the team.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Ron DeSantis

Report: Florida Health Department Repeatedly Warned Data Manager Before Ouster

Coronavirus

Florida

On Saturday, attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who apparently has a propensity for finding the most offensive gestures one could imagine to warn Florida beachgoers to stay home, announced he has a new one to offer them: body bags.
Uhlfedler tweeted, &#8220;Beginning next Saturday I will have a team handing out free body bags throughout the state to Florida beachgoers. Each body bag costs $10. We ordered a few hundred tonight. Please consider chipping in $10 to cover the cost of a body bag. For every $10 contribution we will be able to order one more to hand out.&#8221;
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Each body bag costs $10. We ordered a few hundred tonight. Please consider chipping in $10 to cover the cost of a body bag. For every $10 contribution we will be able to order one more to hand out. You can contribute here: <a href="https://t.co/MmtDp1KgPi">https://t.co/MmtDp1KgPi</a> <a href="https://t.co/1rj8Y7k4io">pic.twitter.com/1rj8Y7k4io</a>
&mdash; Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1264412394794647552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Uhlfelder has consistently tweeted that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has “blood on his hands.&#8221; His most recent example came on Friday, writing, “It was great to join The Daily Show and discuss our grim reaper tour. Please watch and if you agree that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has blood on his hands retweet this.”
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It was great to join The Daily Show and discuss our grim reaper tour. Please watch and if you agree that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has blood on his hands retweet this <a href="https://t.co/nbGmOGLgYq">pic.twitter.com/nbGmOGLgYq</a>
&mdash; Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1263993165930954753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In late April, Uhlfelder said he would start wearing a Grim Reaper costume to the beaches to warn beachgoers against congregating there.
Uhlfelder said to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawyer-plans-visit-florida-beaches-dressed-grim-reaper-warn-people-n1190731?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma">NBC News</a> of his Grim Reaper stunt, &#8220;I felt like something needed to be done, because they&#8217;re moving very quickly to open beaches prematurely. Wearing a Grim Reaper costume seems like a good way to send a signal that this is too fast and that we need to think seriously before we take that step.&#8221;
Uhlfelder tweeted, “Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word. <a href="https://t.co/UO7QKg161n">pic.twitter.com/UO7QKg161n</a>
&mdash; Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1252794978037833729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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NBC News noted that in March, Uhlfelder wore a paintball costume at beaches as he badgered people about maintaining social distance. After one woman commented that he was &#8220;scaring people,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I said, &#8216;OK, that&#8217;s good.&#8217; If people are scared, then they&#8217;ll leaves. I want to go back to normal as soon as possible, too, but opening our beaches too early is not the way to do this.&#8221;
Uhlfelder was hit hard on Twitter:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
ActBlue morbidly celebrating death. Please stop the hate. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/fNXpCianXA">https://t.co/fNXpCianXA</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1265057270624391169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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You could have used this money to help homeless people get food and shelter, helped victims of NY and MI nursing homes, donate to nonprofit hospitals or food/supply charities.
But harassing and bullying random people you feel entitled to judge, apparently, is more satisfying. <a href="https://t.co/UQa6FfVyiZ">https://t.co/UQa6FfVyiZ</a>
&mdash; Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) <a href="https://twitter.com/chadfelixg/status/1264554683559030784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In late April, activists targeted the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., placing body bags outside and driving cars as if they were going to a funeral.
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<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/494618-protesters-lay-body-bags-outside-trump-hotel-to-condemn-covid-19-response">The Hill</a> reported:
<blockquote>The &#8220;People&#8217;s Motorcade&#8221; protest featured a procession of vehicles past the White House and to the hotel, with an inflatable Trump chicken making an appearance. Outside Trump International Hotel, black plastic bags filled with cardboard were left to look like victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Aside from protesting Trump&#8217;s response, some in the group said they were calling for more personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care professionals and frontline workers.</blockquote>
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.  
&nbsp;

Beaches Reopen In Palm Beach County

Activist Who Costumed As Grim Reaper Targeting Florida Beachgoers Now Offers Something Really Offensive: Body Bags

body bags

Earlier this month, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) made a public case to professional sports leagues unable to resume modified practice schedules or seasons across the country due to the coronavirus and associated restrictions: Come to Florida!
&#8220;All professional sports are welcome here for practicing and for playing,&#8221; DeSantis told reporters at a press conference in mid-May, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29170646/florida-gov-ron-desantis-says-state-open-pro-sports-teams">ESPN</a>. &#8220;What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won&#8217;t let them operate, we&#8217;ll find a place for you here in the state of Florida.&#8221;
Now, with DeSantis fresh from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-desantis-absolutely-eviscerates-the-media-for-their-botched-reporting-on-florida">blasting</a> the people who predicted the pandemic would devastate Florida &#8220;just like Italy,&#8221; it&#8217;s looking like the National Basketball Association may decide to take him up on the offer.
In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, the NBA said that it was looking to restart the season in July, under a plan that would make Walt Disney World the league’s host amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
“The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with the Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing,” said the statement.
While the announcement does not reveal any definitive plans, the league emphasized that the decision to resume the season would involve collaborating with public health experts and developing “comprehensive” guidelines. That said, it remains unclear whether the seasons would pick up from where it left off, or whether it would start in the playoffs.
“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols are in place,” reads the statement.
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The following is a statement from NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass: <a href="https://t.co/8gfK5iVXs8">pic.twitter.com/8gfK5iVXs8</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1264240604197924865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
The World of Sports Complex, a 200+ acre campus with multiple arenas, is located only a couple of miles from Disney World’s nearest theme park. Individuals with “knowledge of the league’s thinking” told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/05/23/nba-opens-talks-july-return-disney-world-during-coronavirus-pandemic/">The Washington Post</a> that the season will likely resume in several phases, including an initial quarantine phase for players. However, the league has not made any such details publicly available.
As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/sports/basketball/warriors-coronavirus-fans.html?action=click&amp;module=RelatedLinks&amp;pgtype=Article">The New York Times</a> reported in mid-March, the NBA’s decision to abruptly suspend the season came after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus, and the move coincided with an avalanche of uncertainty in the professional and college sports world that brought the severity of the pandemic, and the seriousness of the subsequent government response, into the public view.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NBA Suspends Season After Player Tests Positive For Coronavirus

DeSantis Offered Florida To Host Pro Sports. The NBA May Take Him Up On The Offer.

COVID-19

On his top-rated talk radio program Thursday, Rush Limbaugh kicked off a segment by announcing a rare honor bestowed by the &#8220;EIB Limbaugh Institute&#8221;: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now officially &#8220;the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate&#8221; of his prestigious institute, Limbaugh said. The reason the Republican governor has been awarded the honor, the host explained, is his thorough throttling of the media for their partisan coverage of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
&#8220;I want to start with a graduate, or the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate, of the EIB Limbaugh Institute, and that would be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis,&#8221; Rush announced at the start of the segment. &#8220;As you know, there are no graduates from the Limbaugh Institute because the learning never stops. We don’t issue degrees here because there never is a time where we have proclaimed that our students have learned it all. Because our curriculum is constantly expanding. There is no set curriculum here.&#8221;
&#8220;But Governor DeSantis has asked in the past for an honorary degree, and Governor DeSantis has said that if said honorary degree were ever bestowed, that he would frame it, hang it proudly on the wall in his gubernatorial office,&#8221; Rush continued. &#8220;And if anybody has come close to earning an honorary degree from the Limbaugh Institute, it is the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. He has clearly had enough of the Drive-By Media. After months of being slammed by fake news and by the gloom and doom casualty forecasts over his handling of the coronavirus, the governor called them out.&#8221;
During Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s visit to the state on Wednesday, DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-desantis-absolutely-eviscerates-the-media-for-their-botched-reporting-on-florida">called out</a> the media over its unfair criticism of his administration and false predictions about how the pandemic would play out in his state. After hammering the media for attempting to make the firing of an analyst for the Florida Department of Health into some sort of COVID-19 cover-up — when, DeSantis explained, the fired employee is &#8220;under active criminal charges in the state of Florida&#8221; and being charged &#8220;with cyber-stalking and cyber-sexual harassment&#8221; — he pointed to Florida&#8217;s success in combatting the virus:
<blockquote>DeSantis: Our data is available; our data is transparent. In fact, Dr. [Deborah] Birx has talked multiple times about how Florida has the absolute best data. So any insinuation otherwise is just typical partisan narrative trying to be spun, and part of the reason is that because you got a lot of people in your profession who waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about how Florida was going to be just like New York. “Wait two weeks, Florida’s going to be next!” “Just like Italy. Wait two weeks!”
Well, hell, we’re eight weeks away from that, and it hasn’t happened. Not only do we have a lower death rate — well, we have way lower deaths generally — we have a lower death rate than the Acela corridor, D.C., everyone up there. We have a lower rate than the Midwest: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio. But even in our region: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida has the lower death rate, and I was the number one landing spot from tens of thousands of people leaving the number one hot zone in the world to come to my state.
So we’ve succeeded, and I think that people just don’t want to recognize it because it challenges their narrative; it challenges their assumption, so they gotta try to find a bogeyman; maybe its that there are black helicopters circling the Department of Health. If you believe that, I got a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.</blockquote>
The media&#8217;s anti-DeSantis narrative, Limbaugh suggested, was part of an attempt to cover for the &#8220;abject failure&#8221; of Cuomo, who the media held up in the height of the crisis as an alternative to Trump.
&#8220;Governor DeSantis was said to be presiding over a circumstance in Florida that was gonna be so much worse than New York,&#8221; said Limbaugh, but  in the end, &#8220;the predictions that Florida would be just like New York never materialized.&#8221;
&#8220;[D]espite the massive numbers of people escaping to Florida — escaping the infected Northeast — Florida did better than all the others,&#8221; said Rush. &#8220;New York has over 350,000 coronavirus cases compared to under 50,000 cases in Florida — and 29,000 of those in Florida are in the southeastern counties of the state. There have been about 2,000 deaths in Florida, but that’s less than one-tenth the 23,000 deaths in New York. And yet the Drive-By Media puts Andrew Cuomo up on this pedestal and touts him as great and compassionate and concerned and qualified to replace Plugs as the Democrat presidential nominee, and they still try to cast DeSantis as a right-wing kook conspiracy theorist who can’t think or open his mouth without talking to Donald Trump first — and he’s finally had it.&#8221;
&#8220;The media has been doing two things: Lying in wait, hoping Florida falls apart because he’s a Republican,&#8221; Limbaugh concluded. &#8220;And then, when Florida becomes a success story, they do not say a word. They do not report it, and yet keep touting the great successes of this waste of a governor in New Jersey and then Cuomo in New York and what’s going on in Michigan. It’s just absurd. Even Rich Lowry at National Review has a piece, &#8216;<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/coronavirus-crisis-ron-desantis-florida-covid-19-strategy/">Where Does Ron DeSantis Go to Get His Apology?</a>&#8216; Fat chance.&#8221;
As he noted, Limbaugh is not the only one to draw attention to the glaring double standard applied to DeSantis versus Democratic governors, particularly New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state quickly become the epicenter of the pandemic and whose handling of the crisis, along with Democratic NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, has been revealed, including belatedly by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyt-calls-out-de-blasio-cuomo-for-coronavirus-failures-readers-thanks-for-finally-saying-something">The New York Times</a>, to have massively inflamed the situation.
Transcript via <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/05/21/governor-desantis-earns-his-limbaugh-institute-degree/">RushLimbaugh.com</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Rush Limbaugh

Florida Governor Unloads On Media; Rush Gives Him ‘Limbaugh Institute Degree’

On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the flurry of criticism over the firing of Rebekah Jones, a data analyst for the Florida Department of Health who worked on the state&#8217;s COVID-19 dashboard, calling the situation a &#8220;nonissue&#8221; and noting that Jones had sent an email to her supervisor saying some of her comments were being misinterpreted.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know who she is but they gave me an email that she sent to her supervisor, said that, &#8216;Uh-oh, I may have said something that was misrepresented,'&#8221; said the governor Tuesday, as reported by the <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2020/05/19/Florida-coronavirus-COVID-19-data-scientist-fired-refusing-manipulate-DeSantis/stories/202005190176">Post-Gazette</a>. DeSantis then provided the rest of the quote from Jones&#8217; email: &#8220;I said they&#8217;ve got a team working on it now and what I meant when I said don&#8217;t expect the same level of accessibility is that they are busy and can&#8217;t answer every single email they get right away and that it was ridiculous that I managed to do it in the first place and that I was tired and needed a break from working two months straight.&#8221;
DeSantis’ office released a statement Tuesday saying Jones was fired after a &#8220;repeated course of insubordination&#8230; including her unilateral decisions to modify the Department&#8217;s COVID-19 dashboard without input or approval from the epidemiological team or her supervisors.&#8221;
&#8220;Accuracy and transparency are always indispensable, especially during an unprecedented public health emergency such as COVID-19,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;Having someone disruptive cannot be tolerated during this public pandemic, which led the Department to determine that it was best to terminate her employment.&#8221;
Jones told Florida Today that she had been fired on Monday. Florida Today <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2020/05/18/censorship-covid-19-data-researcher-removed-florida-moves-re-open-state/5212398002/">ran the headline</a>, &#8220;Coronavirus: As Florida re-opens, COVID-19 data chief gets sidelined and researchers cry foul.&#8221; The report opened:
<blockquote>Late last Friday, the architect and manager of Florida&#8217;s COVID-19 dashboard — praised by White House officials for its accessibility — announced that she had been removed from her post, causing outcry from independent researchers now worried about government censorship.</blockquote>
Jones claimed in an email to CBS12 in West Palm Beach that she was fired because she refused to &#8220;manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.&#8221;
Jones’ claims were widely echoed, with the media turning the accusation into an attack on the DeSantis administration. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/19/florida-covid-19-coronavirus-data-researcher-out-state-reopens/5218897002/">USA TODAY</a> ran this headline, “Florida&#8217;s scientist was fired for refusing to &#8216;manipulate&#8217; COVID-19 data.” USA Today reported:
<blockquote>
In an email last Friday to researchers and other data users, Jones warned that with her removal changes were likely coming to the accessibility and transparency of the dashboard data.
&#8220;They are making a lot of changes. I would advise being diligent in your respective uses of this data,&#8221; she wrote.
Researchers who saw the email reacted with shock and dismay, suggesting it could be evidence that the Gov. Ron De Santis&#8217; government was censoring information to support the case for re-opening Florida.
</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-coronavirus-dashboard-creator-complains-of-secrecy-florida-20200519-jhwgp5bcdnab7ljhznd6uvdema-story.html">South Florida Sun Sentinel</a> titled their report on Jones&#8217; removal: &#8220;Analyst was praised for creating and running Florida’s coronavirus data website. Now she says she was fired for challenging secrecy.”
<a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/florida-playbook/2020/05/20/desantis-administration-takes-heat-over-firing-florida-governor-defends-unemployment-claims-system-rader-exit-sets-off-scramble-489277">Politico</a> targeted the DeSantis administration, writing, “It wasn’t until early Tuesday evening that the DeSantis administration responded by calling Jones ‘insubordinate’ and pushing back against media reports that she had single-handedly managed Florida’s coronavirus dashboard.” Politico described the claim as &#8220;another example of the DeSantis administration having to deal with questions about transparency.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Media Target DeSantis After Data Analyst Is Fired; DeSantis Dismisses, Quotes Email From Employee

Florida bar owners have mounted protests in response to the state&#8217;s lockdown orders, arguing that it&#8217;s unfair Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed for gyms and restaurants to reopen but not their places of business.
&#8220;The &#8216;full Phase 1&#8217; of Florida’s reopening plan allowed gyms and fitness centers to reopen at 50 percent capacity, while restaurants, retail, museums and libraries, which already were cleared to reopen earlier this month, could increase capacity to 50 percent,&#8221; reports <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-bar-owners-protests-reopen-businesses-coronavirus-shutdown">Fox News</a>.
Protests are planned for Wednesday in Clearwater and Tampa. Another motorcylce-based protest is scheduled for Saturday at five bars in Central Florida titled, &#8220;The Ride to Reopen.&#8221; Bar owners say the seemingly arbitrary reopening orders mean they are being subject to a different standard, even though their businesses are similar to those now allowed to serve customers.
&#8220;We&#8217;re being treated unfairly,&#8221; bar owner John Russo told <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/bar-owners-in-hillsborough-pinellas-plan-wednesday-protests-to-reopen-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FOX13 Tampa</a>. &#8220;If you&#8217;re over 21, like my sign says, it shouldn&#8217;t matter if you&#8217;re 6-foot away from someone being served by a server who has a mask and gloves. Whether you&#8217;re drinking a Coke or cocktail, what would be the difference?&#8221;
Patti Miracle, owner of the Seaside Tavern told <a href="https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/bar-owners-plan-protest-to-reopen-business-claiming-they-are-essential" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FOX35 Orlando</a> said that bars will struggle to stay in business if they don&#8217;t reopen soon.
“A lot of the bars that are closed right now, they’re going to struggle to reopen if we don’t get open soon,” Miracle said.
Bars in other states have protested the lockdown orders by just opening up shop and dealing with the potential consequences. In New York last weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio threatened to forcefully shutdown establishments in violation of his stay-at-home order. He was responding to viral photos of city residents flouting social distancing measures by huddling in close in bars and restaurants without masks. The bars reopened after the city relaxed social distancing enforcement amid a <a href="https://apnews.com/94550a0c4586bc6d1ecb9a1a83f31429">spate of violent arrests</a> that sparked outrage for being predominantly against people of color.
“We’re not going to tolerate people starting to congregate. It’s as simple as that,” the mayor said, as reported by <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-york-mayor-bill-de-blasio-warns-city-bars-crowded-1294927">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.  “If we have to shut places down, we will.”
“If you start to form groups of people and then two, three, five and then it becomes six, it becomes 10, it becomes 15 — that violates what we’re saying about social distancing and that puts lives in danger,” he added.
To stay afloat, restaurants and other businesses have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/restaurants-salons-enact-coronavirus-surcharges-to-keep-afloat-customers-outraged">enacted COVID-19 surcharges</a> to make up for the lost income.
In March, the National Restaurant Association <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-restaurant-association-11-of-restaurants-could-be-lost-in-pandemic">predicted that 11%</a> of restaurants could be closing permanently. Hudson Riehle, the Association’s senior vice president of research, said the data shows the industry is in “uncharted territory.”
“Association research found that 54% of operators made the switch to all off-premises services; 44% have had to temporarily close down. This is uncharted territory,” said Riehle. “The industry has never experienced anything like this before.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Key West Faces Tough Economic Road As Coronavirus Closures Affect Tourism

Florida Bar Owners Will Protest State’s Lockdown Orders: ‘We’re Being Treated Unfairly’

You’re no doubt spending most of your day thinking about how not to contract COVID-19, but it’s already mid-May and the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives is well under way.
Here’s one race to watch: Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater in the Tampa Bay area.
Once a reliably red district, it now leans purple. Voters there twice delivered solid victories for George W. Bush, then backed Sen. John McCain from the red side. Then they went twice for the blue candidate, Barack Obama (an 11-point winner in 2012) and Hillary Clinton (who won by just 3 points). President Trump, however, carried Pinellas County, which makes up about 80 percent of the district.
Voters in the district have been far less fickle when it comes to House members. A Democrat was elected there in 1973, when the district was created, but the next seven lawmakers elected were all Republicans. That string ran until 2017, when voters picked a man who was then a Republican, became an independent and morphed again into a Democrat.
That man is Rep. Charlie Crist, who served as governor from 2007 to 2011, and he’s running for re-election, but he faces a half-dozen Republicans vying for the seat. The top of the GOP heap is Amanda Makki, at least judging from the near-daily attacks she’s facing.
In January, it was <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/317160-george-buck-supporter-accuses-amanda-makki-of-being-a-terrorist">reported</a> that a supporter of GOP rival George Buck accused Makki of being a “terrorist” and even held a sign protesting her at a campaign event. Makki was born in Iran but came to the U.S. as an infant, which, apparently, opens her to such attacks.
Makki has a fascinating life story. Her parents fled the oppressive religious regime in Iran to come to America. Her mother delivered Yellow Pages phone books to put her husband through medical school, helping him become a surgeon.
Against steep odds, Makki landed a job in the Bush administration working at the Pentagon just weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. From there, she earned her law degree, becoming one of the youngest partners at one of the nation’s premier law firms.
Makki became the frontrunner in the 13th District primary after filing to run in June, scooping up $740,000 in contributions, far more than the other contenders. She has also racked far more endorsements than the others in the Aug. 18 GOP primary.
“Amanda’s life is the story of the American dream, and her commitment to our conservative principles, passion to serve and willingness to fight for what is right are exactly what the people of South Pinellas County are looking for in their next congressman,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican.
Added Whip Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican: “Amanda’s grit and determination are exactly what we need to keep fighting against the radical, socialist agenda pushed by House Democrats. The constituents of this district deserve better than a Democrat who doesn’t represent their values — they deserve Amanda Makki.”
The Iranian-American would be uniquely positioned to fight back against the anti-Israel Muslim Democrats — Reps. Rashid Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, two members of “The Squad” alongside Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
But Makki faces a tough intraparty battle, facing off with a conservative with a sizable social media following named Anna Paulina Luna, who has drawn support from some lawmakers, including an endorsement by Rep. Matt Gaetz. Luna, a 30-year-old Air Force veteran with more than 250,000 followers on Instagram and who often poses with sizable guns, is also endorsed by Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder and co-chairman of Students for Trump.
“I’m sure as hell not a politician,” she said in a video announcing her candidacy that includes her firing guns. “I won’t ever stand here and lie to you.”
And whoever comes through the GOP battle will face a powerful force in Crist, who took nearly 58 percent of the vote in 2018 and is unopposed in his party primary. Crist raised $229,500 in the first three months of 2020 and $1.8 million for the full cycle, closing March with $2.9 million cash on hand.
Still, Crist will face an enthusiastic Republican base in the district, especially because he voted for both articles of impeachment against Trump. And Crist is firmly in the camp of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who calls the shots for the Democratic caucus — another turn-off for moderates and independents.
So keep your eye on this race. If Republicans are going to flip the House in November, it’ll be in districts like Florida 13.
*Joseph Curl ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2014 and covered the White House for a dozen years. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on Twitter at @JosephCurl. A version of this article ran previously in The Washington Times.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">member</a>.

makki (2)

CURL: Here’s One Hot House Race You Gotta Watch

2020 Election

On Thursday, during an appearance on “Fox and Friends,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized leaders of other states for their “draconian” lockdown policies, and spoke about his state’s own reopening process.
“In Wisconsin, the governor there decided to do stay-at-home orders, and a lot of people were complaining and protesting there,” co-host Ainsley Earhardt said. “The Supreme Court of Wisconsin just struck that down. Do you think some of these governors that are just doing a one-size-fits-all for the entire state, you think they&#8217;re being too strict and going too far?”
DeSantis replied, comparing some of the measures to “social control.”
<blockquote>Well, I don&#8217;t think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there&#8217;s a direct relationship to combating this virus, and if you look around the country, clearly there have been examples of really draconian, arbitrary restrictions that have nothing to do with public health – like you can&#8217;t plant a seed in your front yard and your garden, you can&#8217;t walk around the neighborhood with your daughter or something like that. So, some of this stuff, I think, has devolved into social control&#8230;</blockquote>
The governor continued, saying that he believes those measures are “less effective,” and that Florida “trusted the people to act appropriately, and we&#8217;ve had better results than some of the states that you’ve seen.”
“There have absolutely been over-steps, and I think legislatures should really look at this as we go forward,” DeSantis said. “You need to be able to act; there&#8217;s certain things that need to be done, but you&#8217;re not a dictator, you don&#8217;t have unlimited authority, and people do have rights.”
DeSantis was then asked about reopening Florida schools, as the California State University system “plans to cancel all in-person classes for the fall and to continue instruction online,” according to <a href="https://abc7.com/education/csu-campuses-to-remain-closed-through-fall-semester/6176291/">ABC7</a>.
“Why would you give up now? Why would you do that? Of course you’ve got to plan to come back,” the governor said.
“I think we&#8217;ll have people on campus, I think that&#8217;s the way it should be, and we have an opportunity, too, because those folks, those students are low risk, so you&#8217;re able to do this in ways that can be safe,” the governor said. “I trust that our universities will be able to do that.”
Co-host Steve Doocy asked what the state of “big events” will be by August, and DeSantis noted that while he can’t guarantee anything, there’s an eagerness to get to a place “where people are able to live life.”
“We’re doing a very safe, smart, step-by-step approach based on the data, based on what we&#8217;re seeing, and I think that&#8217;s what folks want to see,” the governor said.
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

DeSantis On Governors Imposing ‘Arbitrary’ Rules: ‘You’re Not A Dictator’ And ‘People Do Have Rights’

Gretchen Whitmer

On Thursday, Politico&#8217;s Marc Caputo drew attention to the glaring disparity between the media&#8217;s coverage of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — the former presented in generally glowing terms despite his state&#8217;s massive failure in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, while the latter, whose state has been one of the national success stories amid the crisis, has been regularly criticized in reports. For calling out the media, Caputo has come under fire from a fellow journalist from The Daily Beast and CNN.
In an update &#8220;<a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly-coronavirus-special-edition/2020/05/14/florida-man-beats-covid-for-now-489225">from the non-frontlines</a>,&#8221; Caputo — a former Miami Herald reporter who now produces Politico&#8217;s Florida Playbook — writes:
<blockquote>Good evening, and greetings from Florida, where we feel the need to inform you that it’s not a post-apocalyptic hellscape of coronavirus infection and cadavers stacked like cordwood. That is, Florida just doesn’t look nearly as bad as the national news media and sky-is-falling critics have been predicting for about two months now. But then, the national news media is mostly based in New York and loves to love its Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, about as much as it loves to hate on Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.</blockquote>
Having established the largely New York-based media&#8217;s habit of &#8220;loving&#8221; on Cuomo and &#8220;hating&#8221; on DeSantis, Caputo takes his critique further: the truth is, he writes, based on actual results, DeSantis&#8217;s measured response to the crisis appears to have been the right response, while New York has been by far the worst hit:
<blockquote>First, let’s just come out and say it: DeSantis looks more right than those who criticized the Sunshine State’s coronavirus response. According to the latest Florida<a href="https://floridadisaster.org/globalassets/covid19/dailies/covid-19-data---daily-report-2020-05-14-10am.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> figures</a>, fewer than 2,000 have died, and around 43,000 have been infected. That’s a fraction of the dire predictions made for Florida when spring breakers swarmed the beaches, and those numbers are dwarfed by similarly sized New York, which has seen 12 times more deaths and nearly eight times more infections. (Check out <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2020/coronavirus-testing-by-state-chart-of-new-cases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">POLITICO’s coronavirus tracker</a> for more.) More people reportedly died in New York nursing homes than in all of Florida.</blockquote>
Yet, Caputo notes, Cuomo is polling better than DeSantis, partly a result of the two leaders&#8217; far different demeanors as well as one heading up a unified, &#8220;deeply Democratic state,&#8221; while the other heads up a &#8220;politically divided state.&#8221; But another reason, Caputo emphasizes, is that &#8220;there&#8217;s media bias, too&#8221;:
<blockquote>Cuomo also has something else DeSantis doesn’t: a press that defers to him, one that preferred to cover “<a href="https://twitter.com/nydailynews/status/1252027309168697348?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Florida Morons</a>” at the beach (where it’s relatively hard to get infected) over New Yorkers riding cramped subway cars (where it’s easy to get infected). In fact, people can still ride the subways for most hours of the day in New York, but Miami Beach’s sands remain closed. Maybe things would be different if DeSantis had a brother who worked in cable news and interviewed him for a “<a href="https://people.com/tv/chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-have-emotional-brotherly-moment-live-on-air/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sweet moment</a>” in primetime.</blockquote>
As pointed out by <a href="https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2020/05/15/cnn-political-analyst-is-extremely-offended-by-florida-based-journo-who-dared-to-call-out-national-medias-blatant-pro-cuomo-anti-gop-bias/">Twitchy</a>, for the sin of shining light on pro-Democrat, New York-centered media bias, Caputo has come under fire from fellow journalist Jackie Kucinich, Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast and a CNN political analyst. 
&#8220;So, given how much everyone is suffering everywhere — grieving loved ones, job losses and even the simple things like hugging your friends — I fail to see how this snarky nonsense from [Marc Caputo] — who I think is an awesome reporter &#8211; is helpful,&#8221; Kucinich tweeted Thursday. &#8220;The reporters in NY who you are shading have lost people too, and are working their tails off, [Marc Caputo].&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The reporters in NY who you are shading have lost people too, and are working their tails off, .<a href="https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarcACaputo</a>.
&mdash; Jackie Kucinich (@JFKucinich) <a href="https://twitter.com/JFKucinich/status/1261106839179198464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Politico Reporter Calls Out Media’s Biased Coverage Of NY, FL Governors’ COVID Response, Gets Lectured By CNN Analyst

Andrew Cuomo

Media Bias

New York

Politico

The Daily Beast

As a student known to have psychiatric issues and a criminal record murdered 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018, Sgt. Brian Miller hid behind his car instead of helping teenagers and faculty.
Miller was fired along with three other deputies due to a “neglect of duty,” but he now has been reinstated with full back pay, The Miami Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article242719216.html">reported</a>. Miller was paid $138,410.25 in 2017, and was fired in June 2019, more than a year after the shooting.
Miller was reinstated thanks to the Broward Sheriff Office’s Deputies Association, the union that represents the officers. After he was fired, Miller challenged his termination and the union backed him up. The union announced Wednesday that an arbitration hearing found “BSO violated Sgt. Brian Miller’s constitutional due process rights and improperly terminated him.”
A sheriff’s offices internal investigation determined Miller, along with deputies Edward Eason, Scot Peterson, and Joshua Stambaugh all failed in their duties to protect citizens and were all terminated. Capt. Jan Jordan, who took the lead during the Parkland, Florida, shooting in 2018 and urged officers not to enter the school, was allowed to resign.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission said in its investigative report of the shootings that Miller was the first supervisor on the scene, but he hid behind his police car without radioing in for 10 minutes as shots were fired inside the school.
As the Herald reported, Eason “failed to immediately enter the high school grounds, and drove away from the gunfire to another part of campus to put on his bulletproof vest, the report found. The report also said Eason never activated his body camera and told investigators he didn’t know where the shooting was coming from.”
Stambaugh, the Herald reported, “was working off-duty at a nearby private school when the call went out for help. His body camera caught the sounds of Cruz’s last gunshots as he hid behind his cruiser, at one point telling a supervisor that three people were down, the commission said.”
As The Daily Wire’s Ryan Saavedra previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-cowardly-broward-deputy-arrested-multiple-ryan-saavedra">reported</a>, Peterson, the fourth deputy fired and the one assigned as Marjory Stoneman’s school resource officer, was arrested and charged with seven counts of child neglect, three counts of culpable negligence, and one count of perjury. The case is still ongoing. If convicted, Peterson could face a maximum sentence of 96.5 years in state prison.
As for Scott Israel, who was the Broward County sheriff at the time of the shooting, he was suspended from duty shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was inaugurated. Israel said he was wrongfully terminated and is running to be elected sheriff again.
DeSantis, according to the Herald, appointed Gregory Tony to replace Israel. Tony suspended Jeff Bell, the leader of the Broward police union that reinstated Miller. Bell was suspended with pay, accused of corruption, conduct unbecoming, and various policy violations including truthfulness.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Parkland

The Broward Sergeant Who Hid During Parkland Shooting Just Got His Job Back – With Back Pay

Broward County

Parkland Shooting

A <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-map-high-risk-states-8ceeaa05-cc07-4e8b-b9f4-df3a3315f143.html">new report from Axios</a> shows that some of the states embracing early release from coronavirus-related lockdowns are not experiencing the immediate spike in COVID-19 cases as experts feared &#8212; and some, like Florida, Georgia, and Texas, are actual seeing continued declines in the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases.
It is still far too early to tell whether releasing lockdowns was the right decision, but Axios notes that experts expected a rise in cases to take place immediately, particularly where governors have issued blanket lockdown releases, and those spikes simply haven&#8217;t materialized.
Axios&#8217; <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-map-high-risk-states-8ceeaa05-cc07-4e8b-b9f4-df3a3315f143.html">COVID-19 diagnosis map</a> shows that most states are now over the &#8220;curve&#8221; and past the &#8220;peak&#8221; of coronavirus cases, with many states seeing decreases of more than 30% in just the last two weeks. The notable exception is South Dakota, which is suffering through a handful of isolated coronavirus outbreaks, largely in meat processing and packing plants.
The outlet compared two straight weeks of coronavirus reports in order to &#8220;eliminate&#8221; what they consider to be differing variables between states. Some states are still working on expanding testing for the virus, others limit who can be tested, and some states are having difficulty reporting granular data about outbreaks.
Because of the way coronavirus lies dormant in a victim before it produces symptoms &#8212; in some cases for up to a week &#8212; experts expected Wednesday&#8217;s news to bring big spikes in states under the spotlight, like Georgia, Florida, and Texas, which &#8220;opened up&#8221; almost completely last Friday. In Florida, most beaches and public areas are now open and in Georgia and Texas, many person-to-person services are allowed to reopen and restaurants can allow seated dining, rather than just delivery or takeout.
&#8220;Florida’s new cases have actually declined by 14% compared to the previous week, and Georgia’s fell by 12%,&#8221; Axios reported.
Georgia, of course, defied even President Donald Trump in deciding to release lockdowns completely. Its results may change, but the initial look appears hopeful. Axios notes that &#8220;[n]one of this means any state is in the clear — as more businesses open and more people venture back out into the world, the risk of a second wave grows. But it’s an encouraging early sign.&#8221;
Per <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20200512/texas-counts-1000-new-coronavirus-cases-for-5th-straight-day">local outlets</a>, Texas diagnoses are steady. There have been 1,000 new cases in Texas per day for the last five days, showing little change from lockdown to opening. On Wednesday, though, the state appeared to see a &#8220;slight decrease&#8221; in new cases, according to reporter Nicole Russell.
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Texas opened up about 10 days ago. Slight decrease in new cases. Hopeful news. <a href="https://t.co/TNkIdbu3zT">pic.twitter.com/TNkIdbu3zT</a>
&mdash; Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) <a href="https://twitter.com/russell_nm/status/1260602555412905989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In Florida, experts excitedly pointed to a sudden spike in coronavirus cases earlier this week as evidence Florida&#8217;s decision to lift the lockdown was a failure, but, the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242670551.html">Miami Herald now reports</a>, that spike was part of an outbreak affecting Miami nuring homes &#8212; a now-familiar scenario across the country.
Instead of rescinding the lockdown lift, Florida now says it will mandate testing in nursing and other adult care facilities and provide sick pay for low wage nursing home caregivers.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Georgia sign

Florida, Georgia, Texas See Slight DECLINES In Coronavirus Cases Despite Opening

Georgia

lockdown

Texas

On Wednesday, in a roughly 40-minute, highly-detailed speech, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he would open the state on Monday, asserting, “Fear is the enemy.”
DeSantis stated, “Florida will take a step, small, deliberate, methodical and based on consultation with some of our greatest physicians towards a more hopeful future. We do have hope. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I’ll outline the steps that we’ll be taking going forward. This new phase will start on Monday, and will for the time being exclude Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. These counties have seen the lion’s share of the state’s epidemic but they are trending in a positive direction. I am working with them and will continue to work with them and I do believe that they will be able to move to phase one very soon.&#8221;
He continued, “We will get Florida back on its feet by using an approach that is safe, smart, and step by step. What is our biggest obstacle? Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear sparked by constant doom and gloom and hysteria that has permeated our culture for the last six weeks. For example, we’ve seen a sudden drop in the number of people who are seeking medical care for heart problems and stroke symptoms, not because these common ailments have all of a sudden disappeared, but because people are terrified of going to the hospital because of the Coronavirus. This will have huge health consequences in the very near future. It will almost assuredly result in excessive fatalities. Fear is our enemy.”
He added, “Now, these steps will be deliberate. It will not be like turning off a switch, but each step will bring us closer to that light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing we have to fear is letting fear overwhelm our sense of purpose and determination.”
He addressed the Floridians most vulnerable to COVID-19, saying, “We also want to make sure we have our vulnerable populations protected. We know that this virus is far more damaging to people who are elderly or who have significant underlying medical conditions, and we need to do things such as what Florida has done to protect nursing homes and continue to do that going forward.”
He stated, “One of the reasons we’re going to take a very slow and methodical approach is because we want to make sure we build as much confidence as possible with the general public.”
Other notable quotes: “We’ll continue to promote various forms of social distancing. There’s a, I think, unfortunate habit of people particularly in the media to conflate shelter in place with social distancing. Social distancing involves a whole host of things that can be done to help reduce the spread of the virus.”
DeSantis noted, “Saying Florida was going to be like New York was wrong and people need to know was wrong … Florida was not an Uber Italy at all … I remember reading that by last week, so this was in March, they said by April 24, Florida would have 465,000 people hospitalized because of COVID-19 … You look down, 2,111 hospitalization. So they were off by about 463,000 hospitalizations.&#8221;
He said, “We’re going to continue with the CDC guidelines about physical distancing when in public. Social groups at 10 or fewer. We’re going to continue doing that and we’re recommending face masks if you’re in face-to-face interactions with people, particularly in the workplace and if you can’t adequately social distance.”
He said bluntly, “We did not ask to be put into this situation. This was thrust upon us largely because of the malfeasance of the Chinese communist party. We are where we are, but I think that we can get through it. I think we can build the foundation.”
DeSantis concluded, “I’m reminded of an old story, an anecdote from the Middle Ages where you had three stone masons. They were building, they were working stone in Germany. They were just hard at work yet an observer there that asked the first mason what he was doing. First mason said, “Sir, I am shaping stone.” He then asked the same question to the second mason and second mason said, “Sir, I’m making a wall.” Well, he finally got around to asking the third mason and the third mason was very excited and proud to proclaim, “I am creating a cathedral.” The cathedral that we are building today is a state that is healthy, safe, prosperous, and free. We can do it. God bless you all.”
Video below:
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The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Holds Press Conference On State&#8217;s Coronavirus Response

WATCH: DeSantis Announces Florida To Start Opening On Monday: ‘Fear Is The Enemy’

While at the White House on Tuesday, sitting alongside President Donald Trump, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida ripped into the media for their failing, dire predictions of his novel coronavirus response.
Gov. DeSantis was lambasted in the media for weeks for refusing to implement a draconian statewide lockdown, though Florida is outperforming states across the nation when it comes to slowing the spread of the China-originated virus.
Asked about criticism that he&#8217;s face for not implementing a full shutdown early on, DeSantis let the media have it. “What have the results been?&#8221; he rhetorically asked, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-fires-back-at-critics-says-they-didnt-have-issues-other-states-did">Fox News</a>. &#8220;You look at some of the most draconian orders that have been issued in some of these states and compare Florida in terms of our hospitalizations per 100,000, in terms of our fatalities per 100,000.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, you go from D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, you name it. Florida has done better,&#8221; the Republican continued.
“And that has not happened because we understood we have a big, diverse state, we understood the outbreak was not uniform throughout the state, and we had a tailored and measured approach that not only helped our numbers be way below what anyone predicted, but also did less damage to our state going forward,” explained DeSantis.
“We’ve had people in the hospital, but I am now in a situation where I have less than 500 people at a state of 22 million on ventilators as of last night,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And I have 6,500 ventilators that are sitting idle, unused throughout the state of Florida.”
Captioning the video clip of his forceful explanation to the media, DeSantis wrote Wednesday: &#8220;Florida has done better than anyone predicted. We have a big, diverse state that requires a tailored and measured approach. Data and science have helped us flatten the curve in a safe way.&#8221;
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-ron-desantis-explains-how-the-state-went-from-high-risk-to-flattening-the-curve">The Daily Wire</a> last week, DeSantis similarly explained on Fox News that Florida has slowed the spread of COVID-19 while causing minimal economic and social damage to the state by tailoring their response.
“People were predicting us to be worse than New York, like another Italy,” the governor told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “They said that this week, one of the newspapers in Florida said we would have 464,000 people hospitalized. The actual number is 2,200. So we beat that by 462,000. But what we did very early was focus on the populations who are most at risk – our senior citizens, and particularly our nursing homes and assisted living facilities.”
“We instituted screening for all staff immediately, we stopped visitation, we required all staff to wear N95 masks,” DeSantis explained. “I charged the National Guard with doing strike teams and spot testing at the facility to try to figure out if any of the staff are asymptomatic. Whenever there was an incident at a nursing home, we send these quick response teams to go and try to limit some infections … We’ve put out almost six million masks just to our nursing homes and assisted living facilities and so we understood the risk that this posed to the senior population.”
WATCH:
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Florida has done better than anyone predicted. We have a big, diverse state that requires a tailored and measured approach. Data and science have helped us flatten the curve in a safe way. <a href="https://t.co/x3VGLGjlE4">pic.twitter.com/x3VGLGjlE4</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1255534841208147970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-ron-desantis-explains-how-the-state-went-from-high-risk-to-flattening-the-curve">Governor Ron DeSantis Explains How The State Went From High Risk To Flattening The Curve</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump

WATCH: GOP Governor Wrecks Media: You Were All Wrong About My State, We’re In Better Shape Without Draconian Lockdown

University of Miami researchers&#8217; antibody testing out of Miami-Dade County in Florida showed that about 6% of the population has had the China-originated novel coronavirus, COVID-19, extrapolating to an estimated 165,000 infections countywide, about 16 times higher than reported.
Since the recorded number of infections via the health department is well below that number, around 10,600 infection, this means the fatality rate is also far lower than reported.
Ruling in the possibility of false positives, the researchers are 95% confident the true infection rate is between 4.4% and 7.9% of the population, leaving them with their 6% estimate as the best possible representation, the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article242260406.html">Miami Herald</a> reported Friday. &#8220;That would mean about 165,000 estimated infections in Miami-Dade, with the margin of error equating to 123,000 residents on the low end and 221,000 residents on the high end,&#8221; the report noted.
There have been <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/more-than-1000-coronavirus-related-deaths-in-florida-with-over-30000-cases/2224415/">287</a> COVID-19-related deaths in the county with an estimated 165,000 cases, meaning the death rate would hover around .17%.
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-antibody-test-results-suggest-covid-infection-rate-significantly-higher-than-reported">The Daily Wire</a> last week, antibody testing out of New York City showed that an estimated one in five New Yorkers have COVID-19, again significantly dropping the reported fatality rate of the virus.
<div>
“More than 21% of the New York City residents given coronavirus antibody tests earlier this week tested positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday,” a report from <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/more-than-21-of-new-york-city-residents-tested-for-coronavirus-antibodies-were-positive-says-gov-cuomo-2020-04-23">MarketWatch</a> outlined.
“Monday marked the start of a statewide initiative to test 3,000 New Yorkers for the presence of antibodies, which are made in response to viral infections,” the report noted. “The preliminary results mean that one in five of the city residents tested have had coronavirus and developed the antibodies to fight it. Across the state, 13.9% of the individuals tested were positive for antibodies, Cuomo told reporters at a daily news briefing.”
Similarly, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/antibody-test-results-from-california-suggest-covid-death-rate-significantly-lower-than-reported">antibody testing</a> recently conducted in California&#8217;s Santa Clara County found that the death rate for COVID-19 to be significantly lower than reported, too.
“Highly anticipated antibody testing results out of Santa Clara County in California headed by a Stanford University professor were released on Friday, showing that the estimated number of positive novel coronavirus cases is likely 50-80 times higher than reported, thus significantly dropping the estimated fatality rate,” The Daily Wire reported last week. “The <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20062463v1">study</a>, the first large-scale community antibody testing in the nation and led by Dr. Eran Bendavid, the associate professor of medicine at Stanford University, found that 2.5 to 4.2% of the 3,330 subjects tested were found to have COVID-19 antibodies.”
“These prevalence estimates represent a range between 48,000 and 81,000 people infected in Santa Clara County by early April, 50-85-fold more than the number of confirmed cases,” the study’s abstract said.
“The population prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Santa Clara County implies that the infection is much more widespread than indicated by the number of confirmed cases,” according to the researchers. If the number of the recovered cases are similarly undercounted across the nation, the fatality rate would accordingly be overstated.
The trend in antibody testing results seems rather clear: the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 is far more widespread than reported, thus the fatality rate of the disease is correspondingly significantly lower than reported.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.  
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Coronavirus structure

Florida Antibody Testing Suggests Coronavirus Death Rate Far Lower Than Reported

Antibody test

A lawyer who sued Florida governor Ron DeSantis to try to force a closure of public beaches now says he will start wearing a Grim Reaper costume to the beaches to warn beachgoers against congregating there.
Daniel Uhlfelder, who gained a following after feuding with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee about whether the beach in front of Huckabee’s Florida property should be considered public, said to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawyer-plans-visit-florida-beaches-dressed-grim-reaper-warn-people-n1190731?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma">NBC News</a> of his Grim Reaper stunt, &#8220;I felt like something needed to be done, because they&#8217;re moving very quickly to open beaches prematurely. Wearing a Grim Reaper costume seems like a good way to send a signal that this is too fast and that we need to think seriously before we take that step.&#8221;
Uhlfelder tweeted, “Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word.”
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Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word. <a href="https://t.co/UO7QKg161n">pic.twitter.com/UO7QKg161n</a>
&mdash; Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1252794978037833729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, DeSantis <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/floridians-return-beaches-state-begins-loosen-coronavirus-restrictions-n1186771">approved</a> of the reopening of Florida beaches as long as social distancing was practiced. The beaches will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and closed all other times.
Uhlfelder reacted, &#8220;I&#8217;m just trying to take all the steps to ensure our safety and trying to get creative about it. I&#8217;ve sued the governor. We&#8217;re in court with him. It looks like they&#8217;re rushing to do this, and it&#8217;s just too soon.&#8221;
NBC News noted that in March, Uhlfelder wore a paintball costume at beaches as he badgered people about maintaining social distance. After one woman commented that he was &#8220;scaring people,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I said, &#8216;OK, that&#8217;s good.&#8217; If people are scared, then they&#8217;ll leaves. I want to go back to normal as soon as possible, too, but opening our beaches too early is not the way to do this.&#8221;
Uhlfleder is also associating his Grim Reaper campaign with his desire to raise money for Democrats. On the <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/grimreaperflorida?refcode=4.22tw&amp;amount=20.20">website</a> associated with the Make My Day PAC, which <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/319653-daniel-uhlfelder-turns-mike-huckabee-feud-into-super-pac">he launched</a> and said was “dedicated to the Americans who refuse to be silenced by bad actors,&#8221; he writes:
<blockquote>Many have asked if I would travel the coastal towns of Florida to warn our fellow Floridians about the dangers of not social distancing in the attire of the Grim Reaper, and the answer is a resounding yes!
Join us to help raise funds to distribute equally to Democrats running for federal office. They include, but are not limited to: the opponent of Matt Gaetz, Phil Ehr; and Christy Smith, who&#8217;s running in the special election in CA on May 12 to fill the vacancy caused by Katie Hill.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.  
&nbsp;

Grim reaper

Lawyer Opposing Opening Florida Beaches: I’ll Wear Grim Reaper Costume To Beaches

Grim Reaper

On Wednesday, Quinnipiac released a <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/florida/release-detail?ReleaseID=3659">new poll</a> showing former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump by 4% in the swing state of Florida. The poll, which was conducted between April 16 &#8211; 20 on “1,385 self-identified registered voters” in Florida, has a margin of error of +/- 2.6 points.
The survey asked: “If the election for president were being held today, and the candidates were Joe Biden the Democrat and Donald Trump the Republican, for whom would you vote?”
46% of respondents said they would vote for Biden, while 42% said they would vote for Trump. Party identification breakdowns were unsurprising, and independents favored Biden to Trump 44% to 37%.
A significant differential can be seen between male and female Floridians. While male voters in the state favored Trump 47% to 41%, female voters favored Biden 51% to 38%.
Another interesting divergence emerges when looking at white Floridians with a four-year college degree versus ones without a four-year college degree. 51% of white, college-educated voters chose Biden, while 40% chose Trump. 58% of those without a degree chose Trump, while just 35% chose Biden.
8% of African American respondents said they would vote for President Trump, while 73% said they would vote for Joe Biden. While Trump’s 8% <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/FL">tracks</a> with his 2016 numbers, Biden’s fall well below Hillary Clinton’s 84% from the last presidential election.
Trump’s Hispanic voter percentage in this poll (38%) <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/FL">tracks</a> with his 2016 performance (35%), while Biden’s number (46%) falls well below Hillary Clinton’s number (62%) in 2016.
The survey also asked about favorability of the candidates.
The president’s favorability in the poll is underwater at 43% “favorable” to 50% “unfavorable.” Biden barely eked out a positive number, with 43% “favorable” to 40% “unfavorable.” An astonishing 14% of Floridians surveyed “haven’t heard enough” to make up their minds on Joe Biden.
The survey shows a distinct advantage for Trump with the economy, but an advantage for Biden on health care.
The survey asked: “Regardless of how you intend to vote, who do you think would do a better job handling – the economy: Donald Trump or Joe Biden?”
Trump won over Biden in this scenario 50% to 44%.
The survey asked: “Regardless of how you intend to vote, who do you think would do a better job handling – health care: Donald Trump or Joe Biden?”
In this scenario, Biden clobbered Trump 54% to 39%.
This is just one poll in one swing state, and as such, isn’t necessarily representative of anything other than a snapshot in time. According to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html">RealClearPolitics</a> polling averages, Biden leads Trump by a 3.4 percentage point margin in Florida, and nationally, the former vice president leads Trump by 5.9 percentage points.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Joe Biden

POLL: Biden Beats Trump In Swing State Florida; Independents Favor Biden By +7

Donald Trump

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis joined Fox News&#8217; Sean Hannity on Wednesday and explained how his state went from being considered a high-risk state in the coronavirus pandemic to flattening the curve.
&#8220;People were predicting us to be worse than New York, like another Italy,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;They said that this week, one of the newspapers in Florida said we would have 464,000 people hospitalized. The actual number is 2,200. So we beat that by 462,000. But what we did very early was focus on the populations who are most at risk: Our senior citizens, and particularly our nursing homes and assisted living facilities.&#8221;
&#8220;We instituted screening for all staff immediately, we stopped visitation, we required all staff to wear N95 masks,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;I charged the National Guard with doing strike teams and spot testing at the facility to try to figure out if any of the staff are asymptomatic. Whenever there was an incident at a nursing home, we send these quick response teams to go and try to limit some infections &#8230; We’ve put out almost six million masks just to our nursing homes and assisted living facilities and so we understood the risk that this posed to the senior population.&#8221;
&#8220;We worked with The Villages constructively on social distancing and here&#8217;s the thing, you don&#8217;t have to be draconian,&#8221; DeSantis said in an apparent shot at Democrat governors who have used the pandemic to implement overreaching policies. &#8220;At The Villages, they&#8217;re playing golf just like they always do, but they&#8217;re doing it with social distancing. So, they don&#8217;t share a cart with anyone and they don&#8217;t touch the flagstick and they&#8217;ve ended up doing very well.&#8221;
DeSantis also highlighted praise that he received from President Donald Trump earlier in the week on Twitter when Trump wrote: &#8220;Congratulations to all of my many friends at The Villages in Florida on having done so well, and with such great spirit, during these rather unusual times. So proud of everyone! Mark Morse &amp; Gary Lester have really stepped up to the plate. Hope to see everyone soon.&#8221;
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Congratulations to all of my many friends at The Villages in Florida on having done so well, and with such great spirit, during these rather unusual times. So proud of everyone! Mark Morse &amp; Gary Lester have really stepped up to the plate. Hope to see everyone soon.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1252235263327125506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I think it’s been a team effort here in Florida,&#8221; DeSantis said.&#8221; We’ve got great public health people here at the county level, we&#8217;ve worked very good with the local governments as well, and we still have more work to do. But clearly, we have done way better than all the experts said we would and I think we did it by a data-driven approach.&#8221;
Hannity highlighted how DeSantis&#8217; message to his residents has been different than the messages that a lot of other governors have given to their residents.
&#8220;People would play golf with social distancing, would fish, while maintaining social distancing and I think that’s healthy,&#8221; DeSantis added. &#8220;People sitting inside all day eating Cheetos and watching Netflix &#8230; that’s not great. I think we’ve respected people, I think we did it the right way and I think it’s paid off. These draconian orders I don’t think have worked throughout the country.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe title="Gov. DeSantis on how Florida went from high risk to flattening the curve" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u5vNhgR3eWQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Holds Media Briefing On Coronavirus Outbreak

Governor Ron DeSantis Explains How The State Went From High Risk To Flattening The Curve

In 2016, residents of a home at the Willow Key Apartment complex in Orlando, Florida, found a newborn baby on their doorstep. In 2017, another baby was found at the apartment complex. In July 2019, a one-day-old baby was found on the same doorstep.
Police were called around 10 a.m. to the apartment building in July and found the newborn wrapped in a T-shirt. Included with the baby was a note that claimed the mother feared the father and that the baby may have been at risk. The baby abandoned in 2017 had a note asking the person who found the baby to take her to a fire station.
The Orlando Sentinel <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-willow-key-apartments-abandoned-babies-siblings-genealogy-20200415-pvbw5fqbqrfqldgwfolz55e6zu-story.html">reported</a> last week that an Orlando Police Department (OPD) detective submitted the babies’ DNA for testing and found a shocking result: All three abandoned newborns were siblings and had the same mother and father.
OPD then requested $5,000 from Orlando city commissioners to hire United Data Connect, described by the Sentinel as “a company that employs genetic genealogists and maintains a vast database of DNA profiles.” OPD wants to use the company to find the parents who have abandoned three newborns in three years.
“Based on the egregious and neglectful behavior of the parent(s), and the bizarre facts of this case, unlike any other documented case, it is imperative to conduct a well-being check of all involved parties,” Detective Ghena Wasserman Luker wrote in a memo to Chief Orlando Rolón, the Sentinel reported.
Last week, city commissioners unanimously approved the extra funding, “which comes out of the law enforcement trust fund, a reservoir of leftover forfeiture money that can be requested for special police needs such as extra equipment or offsetting the cost of a complex investigation,” the Sentinel reported.
Florida has a Safe Haven Law, which allows guardians to abandon a newborn baby up to 7 days old at a hospital or fire station without fear of criminal charges.
“When that happens, the child is given any medical treatment needed and put in custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families. In 2018, 223 infants across the country were recovered through Safe Haven laws,” the Sentinel reported.
Luker wrote in a memo that using DNA testing, investigators were able to identify possible family members, but “[i]nformation learned from the testing requires specialized knowledge of a genetic genealogist in order to be properly interpreted in an effort to identify the parents.”
OPD spokeswoman Heidi Rodriguez told the Sentinel that if the parents are identified, the department’s priority would be “to ensure the safety and well being of the mother and of any other children.” Rodriguez added that social services and medical attention “will be determined once we make contact with the family and determine their needs.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Abandoned baby

Florida Couple Abandons Three Babies In Three Years At Same Apartment Complex

Children

On Sunday morning, Miami Herald columnist Fabiola Santiago celebrated the supposedly forthcoming deaths of supporters of President Donald Trump, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez after being triggered by a photo of a Florida beach.
&#8220;Packed Florida beach offers glimpse of what may come when outdoor spaces are reopened,&#8221; Adriana Brasileiro tweeted, including a link to the Herald. The tweet, however, has since been deleted.
Captioning the post, Santiago wrote: &#8220;Packed beaches should work nicely to thin the ranks of Trump/DeSantis/Gimenez supporters in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Florida</a> who value money over health.&#8221;
Santiago, too, has since deleted her post, but below is a screenshot captured by The Daily Wire:
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<div id="attachment_105178" style="width: 570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-105178" class="wp-image-105178 size-large" src="https://editorial.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RenderedImage-560x576.jpeg" alt="" width="560" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/RenderedImage-560x576.jpeg 560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/RenderedImage-292x300.jpeg 292w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/RenderedImage-768x790.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/04/RenderedImage.jpeg 1125w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" />Screenshot via Twitter</div>
In follow-up posts, Santiago wrote, &#8220;Here’s the <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/miamilakes?src=hashtag_click" data-focusable="true">#miamilakes</a> version of stupid this morning, a gathering of Mustang enthusiasts, no masks, and viejos, young people and children as it grew. The red-hatted (a reference to Trump supporters) listening to their masters.&#8221;
&#8220;More than 200 deaths and almost 10,000 confirmed cases in Miami-Dade alone, 764 deaths in the state and 26,000 confirmed cases in state as of today and they still don’t get the seriousness of an easily transmissible virus,&#8221; the columnist added.
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More than 200 deaths and almost 10,000 confirmed cases in Miami-Dade alone, 764 deaths in the state and 26,000 confirmed cases in state as of today and they still don’t get the seriousness of an easily transmissible virus.
&mdash; Fabiola Santiago (@fabiolasantiago) <a href="https://twitter.com/fabiolasantiago/status/1251911972716675073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The controversial now-deleted comment from Santiago quickly went viral online, racking up tens of thousands of comments and quote-tweets.
President Trump&#8217;s eldest son Don Trump Jr. was one of the many to weigh in.
&#8220;This tweet from a Miami Herald columnist tells you all you need to know about her, and based on their hiring choices, likely everything you need to know about the Miami Herald as well,&#8221; posted Don Jr.
&#8220;Their flagrant bias continues to go on unchecked,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Disgusting.&#8221;
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This tweet from a Miami Herald columnist tells you all you need to know about her, and based on their hiring choices, likely everything you need to know about the Miami Herald as well. Their flagrant bias continues to go on unchecked. Disgusting. <a href="https://t.co/FOmn5zxnaK">https://t.co/FOmn5zxnaK</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1252002822071226370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Santiago responded to the controversy on Monday morning.
&#8220;THREAD: I deleted the tweet commenting on people at the beach because it didn’t accurately convey my sentiment and I want to apologize for the phrase I used that offended many people,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Regardless of political differences, I would never wish any harm on anyone.&#8221;
&#8220;In fact, my intent was to sound an alarm about prematurely opening up the country and the state,&#8221; Santiago added. &#8220;I was trying to open eyes, minds and save lives, not create a controversy about me instead of the issue, which merits discussion.&#8221;
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In fact, my intent was to sound an alarm about prematurely opening up the country and the state. I was trying to open eyes, minds and save lives, not create a controversy about me instead of the issue, which merits discussion. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayHome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeSafe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeSafe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/practicesocialdistancing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#practicesocialdistancing</a>
&mdash; Fabiola Santiago (@fabiolasantiago) <a href="https://twitter.com/fabiolasantiago/status/1252090403265773568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Wishing Trump supporters death in the time of the China-originated novel coronavirus has not been uncommon, unfortunately.
In March, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, &#8220;terminated one of their vice presidents after discovering a Facebook post in which she demanded supporters of President Donald Trump be required to give up ventilators if they are diagnosed with coronavirus and end up in intensive care and suggested that Trump supporters &#8216;chew some ibuprofen and get on with your day&#8217; in regards to treating the deadly virus,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cancer-center-fires-executive-who-demanded-trump-supporters-be-left-to-die-of-coronavirus?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
Laura Krolczyk, who was terminated over the posts, was a former staffer for Hillary Clinton when Clinton was in the Senate, a former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Roswell Park’s vice president for external affairs before she was canned.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cancer-center-fires-executive-who-demanded-trump-supporters-be-left-to-die-of-coronavirus?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">Cancer Center Fires Executive Who Demanded Trump Supporters Be Left To Die Of Coronavirus</a>

Conservatives Gather At Annual CPAC Event

Donald Trump Jr. Lays Into Journalist For Wishing Coronavirus Death On Trump Supporters In Viral ‘Beach’ Tweet. Here’s Her Apology.

Donald Trump Jr.

On Thursday, Lenny Curry, the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, announced that beginning on Friday evening, beaches would open up to “essential activities,” but remain off-limits during certain hours.
“This video is to announce that as of 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, we will be reopening the beaches and parks throughout Duval County for essential activities only. This decision was made in collaboration with law enforcement, first responders, and the beaches’ mayors – Charlie Latham, Ellen Glasser, and Elaine Brown,” Curry began.
The mayor then defined what “essential activities” are:
<blockquote>As defined in governor [Ron] DeSantis’ executive order 2091, essential activities include the following: participating in recreational activities consistent with social distancing guidelines such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets, and surfing.</blockquote>
The mayor also noted that there will be restrictions on the hours that beaches will be open:
<blockquote>In addition to limits on activities, beaches will only be open from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. each morning and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each evening.</blockquote>
Curry added that city parks will be open “for normal hours,” but that “public gathering locations like pavilions and picnic areas will remain closed.”
“My executive order for social distancing guidelines that limits gatherings to fewer than 50 people still stands,” Curry stated before directing those seeking additional information to go to the city’s website.
“Folks, this can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, but please respect and follow these limitations,” Curry said. “Stay within the guidelines for your safety, as well as for the safety of your neighbors. As I mentioned in this morning&#8217;s press conference, the data for Duval County is encouraging. For now, we need to stay the course and continue taking precautions. We’ll get back to life as we know it, but we must be patient. We’re close. Thank you, and have a safe weekend.”
The City of Jacksonville <a href="https://www.coj.net/welcome/news/beaches-and-parks-in-duval-county-to-reopen-with-t">website</a> states that “sunbathing, towels, blankets, chairs, coolers, grills, etc,” will not “be permitted” on the beaches.
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During a <a href="https://youtu.be/u9uctMuBTkk">press conference</a> on Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis promoted “essential activities with recreation.” He also seemed to mock the over-policing of certain activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I get a kick out of seeing, like, somebody jogging on the beach in California, like, all by his lonesome, and you’ve got a fleet of cops go out there. He’s just jogging,” DeSantis said. “Going forward, I think, we gotta be promoting people to get exercise – do it in a good way, do it in a safe way&#8230;”
“But that’s basically been a local decision because I thought that there needed to be an outlet for people to be able to do things safely,” DeSantis added.
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected over 2.2 million people worldwide, and led to more than 153,100 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 565,957 people have recovered.
In the United States, there have been more than 692,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and over 36,700 deaths. As of publication, 58,437 individuals have recovered from the virus in the U.S.
In Duval, Florida, there have been 817 confirmed cases, and 15 deaths.

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