Politics
Last Call for 3.18.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Attorney General James Uthmeier is launching a civil investigation into Discord, escalating scrutiny of one of the internet’s most popular communication platforms over concerns about child safety.
The Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena to the San Francisco-based company, demanding a wide range of documents tied to how Discord markets to minors, verifies user ages, moderates content and responds to reports of exploitation. The subpoena, issued under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, requires the company to produce materials by early April.
“Many of our criminal investigations into internet child predators lead to one place: Discord,” Uthmeier said, arguing that offenders appear to view the platform as a low-risk environment for targeting children.
Law enforcement officials say the concern is not limited to Discord alone but reflects a broader pattern in which predators make initial contact through video games or other platforms before shifting conversations to private chat services. Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said investigators are seeing offenders use platforms such as Roblox as entry points before moving minors to Discord.
The subpoena seeks detailed records on Discord’s internal safety practices, including complaints of child exploitation, moderation systems, parental controls and communications with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It also requests data on the number of child users, time spent on the platform and accounts removed for safety violations.
Investigators are also probing whether Discord’s public representations about safety and suitability for younger users align with its internal data and practices.
The move is part of a broader effort by Uthmeier to examine how social media and gaming-adjacent platforms handle child safety, particularly as state officials increasingly look to test consumer protection laws against tech companies. Discord has not yet publicly responded to the investigation.
Evening Reads
—“Markwayne Mullin’s softer tone at hearing underscores GOP shift on immigration” via Michael Gold of The New York Times
—”Why a Republican Senate hopeful in Texas is running attack ads in Florida” via Matthew Choi of The Washington Post
—”He built the definitive Jeffrey Epstein database — and it consumed his life” via Ryan Biller of WIRED
—”America bombs Iran, and Volodymyr Zelensky suddenly holds aces” via Bernard-Henri Levy of The Wall Street Journal
—”OpenAI accidentally built one of the world’s richest charities. Now what?” via Sara Herschander of Vox
—”Decades after a Florida canal project was abandoned, advocates are trying to reunite 3 rivers” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press
—”It’s one legal battle after another for state AIDS drug assistance program” via Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix
—“FWC supervisor testifies in free speech lawsuit over Charlie Kirk” via Stephany Matat of USA Today Network-Florida
—”‘Not true’: Grady Judd rebuts reports that Sheriffs oppose mass deportation” via Jesse Mendoza of Florida Politics
—”Pulse nightclub demolished, nearly 10 years after the mass shooting” via Ryan Gillespie and Camila Gomez of the Orlando Sentinel
“A future is being born right now out of this tragedy.”
— Rev. José Rodríguez, on Pulse’s demolition to make way for a memorial.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody and Senate Republicans want The Last Word on election laws, and they are willing to implement a talking filibuster to get it.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is serving a Reality Check to those who interpreted his comments this week as opposing mass deportation.
Send some WD40 to the First Coast, which saw its manufacturing firms modestly expand in February.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Marlins face Nationals in Spring Training
The Miami Marlins face the Washington Nationals in a spring training game today in West Palm Beach (6:05 p.m., Nationals.TV).
The Marlins were one of the youngest teams in the Major Leagues last season and still managed to finish near the .500 mark (79-83). This season, Miami will again be a young team, with all of the expected starting position players 28 or younger.
Xavier Edwards is projected as the leadoff man. The second baseman is an alum of North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek who made his major league debut in 2023 at the age of 23. Last season, he hit .283 and stole 27 bases while scoring 75 runs in 139 games. Those are decent numbers, but the Marlins will want him to build on last season.
Outfielder Kyle Stowers was the Marlins’ lone All-Star. Stowers, 28, is one of the elder statesmen of the Marlins roster. He hit a career-high 25 home runs last season but is off to a slow start in spring training, hitting just .091 so far.
The rotation is mostly set. Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, and Chris Paddack will be the top three pitchers. If Max Meyer can return to form after hip surgery and Braton Garrett can bounce back after a second Tommy John surgery, the Marlins can contend for a wild-card spot.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.