Politics

Last Call for 1.16.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Published

2 weeks ago

January 16, 2025

May Greene

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Florida’s Attorney General is heading to the U.S. Senate.

On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Ashley Moody as his pick to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, whose confirmation as Secretary of State is imminent.

“I pledge to you as United States Senator supporting the REINS Act, supporting any effort to rein back in our out-of-control federal agencies, make sure politics have pushed out of it, make sure we bring down spending. I am all for that, and I got the backs of the American people, DOGE and President Trump,” Moody said in a news conference.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation, fueled partly by the Governor — DeSantis had signaled the pick would be a surprise and that onlookers were barking up the wrong tree but ended up sticking with one of the top names on the odds sheet.

DeSantis said U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and state Sen. Jay Collins, a Tampa Republican, were also considered.

Moody will take office after Rubio vacates his seat, which could happen as soon as Monday — the same day as Trump’s inauguration. DeSantis, who plans to attend the inauguration, hopes to see Moody sworn into the Senate on the same day.

Moody’s exit means another shuffle in the state Cabinet, but DeSantis isn’t drawing out the suspense — his Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, will be appointed Attorney General.

“I think he’s got big shoes to fill, but I think he’ll do a good job doing that. So you can anticipate that. I’m not going to make any appointment before it’s available, but I think that’s something that will happen,” DeSantis said.

Should he choose to, Uthmeier could run for election in 2026 and re-election in 2030, holding onto the post for as long as a decade.

Evening Reads

—“Mood on Ashley Moody: GOP leaders welcome ‘conservative warrior’ to Senate” via Jay Waagmeester of the Florida Phoenix

—“‘Gov. Ron DeSantis has chosen wisely’: Florida reacts to Moody U.S. Senate appointment” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

—“Stephen Miller, channeling Donald Trump, has built more power than ever” via Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman, David A. Fahrenthold and Charlie Savage of The New York Times

—“Joe Biden’s dark valedictory” via Rick Wilson’s Substack

—“The warning Biden issued in his farewell, explained.” via Amber Phillips of The Washington Post

—”Trump allies eye last-ditch effort to save TikTok” via Alex Leary, Georgia Wells and Raffaele Huang of The Wall Street Journal

—”Florida’s ‘radioactive road’ could prove to be a good thing. Here’s why” via Graham Brink of the Tampa Bay Times

—“America just kinda, sorta banned cigarettes” via Nicholas Florko of The Atlantic

—”The public’s fixation on celebrity wildfire victims has an unexpected benefit” via Aja Romano of Vox

—”David Lynch, visionary ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Twin Peaks’ director, dead at 78” via Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone

Quote of the Day

“I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results. Talk is cheap.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, introducing Ashley Moody as his U.S. Senate pick.

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.

The Attorney General gets a Moving Day for making the jump to Washington. And save the recipe — we’re not sure, but she may need another one in a couple of years.

Assuming there’s no rug pull, order Uthmeier a Prosecutor to celebrate his new gig as Florida’s top cop.

DeSantis has a lot to say about Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and none of it good … perhaps a Flash Flood will remind him of when he abandoned his turf during a disaster.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Can the Gators bounce back?

After knocking off previously unbeaten and #1 ranked Tennessee and winning at Arkansas, the Florida Gators were upset on Tuesday in a home loss to Missouri. Florida tries to bounce back as the Gators host Texas on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Florida (15-2, 2-2 SEC) rose to #5 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week before the one-point loss to Missouri. Walter Clayton Jr. scored 28 points but made just three of nine three-pointers in the game as Florida’s 16-game homecourt winning streak was snapped.

Florida’s losses this season, to Missouri and Kentucky, have come in conference play after the team started the season 13-0 in nonconference games. The loss to Missouri dropped the Gators two games behind conference-leading Auburn and Ole Miss.

Clayton leads the Gators in scoring this season, averaging 17.8 points per game. He is one of four Gators averaging double figures. Alijah Martin (15.8 ppg), Will Richard (13.2), and Alex Condon (10.8) help to lead an offense averaging 86 points per game, tied for 11th best in the nation. Notably, the Southeastern Conference has four of the top 12 scoring teams in the country, with Alabama leading all teams at 89.5 points per game, just ahead of Kentucky (88.7 ppg) and Auburn (86.6).

Texas (12-5, 1-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 77-73 win at Oklahoma on Wednesday. The Longhorns’ three conference losses all came to ranked teams, then-#13 Texas A&M, #2 Auburn and #1 Tennessee.

___

Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.

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Politics

Scott Franklin to head House Environment Subcommittee

Published

3 hours ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

Another Florida lawmaker will have a gavel for one of the U.S. House science subcommittees

U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, will chair the House Environment Subcommittee.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Brian Babin, a Texas Republican, picked the Florida lawmaker for his expertise in the fields and the role the subcommittee would play on policy affecting the Sunshine State.

“I’m excited about our SST Committee assignments for this Congress,” Babin said. “The valuable expertise and diverse backgrounds that each member brings will be instrumental in strengthening U.S. leadership and competitiveness in science, space, and technology. We have a full agenda ahead that will prioritize advancing critical scientific research, fostering technological innovation, leading the world in space exploration, addressing regulatory burdens across industries, and more. Through our shared efforts, I am confident we can achieve our objectives and drive meaningful progress in our scientific endeavors. Let’s get to work!”

Franklin said he was enthusiastic about the assignment.

“I’m eager to tackle environmental research related to weather forecasting and ensuring disaster readiness,” Franklin said. “I thank Chairman Babin for this opportunity and look forward to advancing America First policy priorities to remain at the forefront of innovation and boost job growth.”

Babin praised Franklin’s conservative record on business issues.

“I’m confident Congressman Franklin will provide strong leadership for our Environment Subcommittee this Congress,” Babin said. “He has been a steadfast advocate against burdensome government regulations that stifle innovation and fail to address states’ needs. His perspective will be critical as we consider key weather legislation in the months ahead. I look forward to working with him to advance commonsense environmental policies and legislation.”

The same day, Babin assigned Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbor Beach Republican, to head the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommitee.

“Since the earliest days of our space program, Florida’s Space Coast has been the launchpad for America’s journey to the stars,” Haridopolos said. “From the Apollo missions that first carried Americans to the Moon to today’s groundbreaking private sector launches, our skies have always been at the forefront of space exploration. Space is central to our district’s identity and economy, providing countless high-paying jobs and opportunities.”

He praised Haridopolos’ knowledge of the Space Program.

“Over the past several years, the SST Committee has diligently worked to support and advance our nation’s space endeavors,” Babin said. “As the representative of Florida’s Space Coast, the Congressman brings valuable expertise and leadership that will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to keep America at the forefront of exploration and development. I am excited to work alongside him to propel our space agenda forward.”

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Politics

Disney plans to convert Star Wars hotel into Imagineers’ offices

Published

4 hours ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

It’s going to be an office far, far, away.

Disney World is converting the shuttered Star Wars hotel into office space for the famous Imagineers who will be designing new lands and projects at the theme parks.

The hotel’s update was reported by The Wrap and confirmed by other media outlets.

Disney closed the hotel September 2023 less than two years after it opened. The company had said it took a $300 million tax write off for shutting down the hotel after it reportedly had low occupancy.

At the hotel near Hollywood Studios, guests who were willing to pay nearly $5,000 for a two-night stay could pretend to be in their own Star Wars story at the hotel. Lightsabers included.

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms,” Disney said in a statement when it announced it was closing.

Why did it fail?

YouTuber Jenny Nicholson explained the list of reasons in a four-hour video called “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” which captured 11 million views. The cost, the marketing, and not fully embracing the cosplay concept all likely hurt the hotel, she said.

The Wrap reported Disney had been considering using the empty hotel for a dinner theater-type experience but Disney ultimately settled on keeping the space closed to the public.

The Imagineers’ new office space comes as Disney World is starting a major expansion across several of its Orlando theme parks. Disney plans to build a Villains land and add “Cars” attractions at the Magic Kingdom as well as “Encanto” and Indiana Jones to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and “A Monsters, Inc.” land at Hollywood Studios. Disney is closing several longtime attractions in the process.

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Politics

Holland & Knight launches National Security & Defense Industry Group

Published

5 hours ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic will lead the 100-person team.

Holland & Knight is launching a National Security & Defense Industry Group led by D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic.

The multinational law firm headquartered in Tampa said it’s taking on the new endeavor due to clients’ increasing demands amidst a complex national security landscape and rising global defense investments.

H&K expects the new practice will benefit from its already-established expertise in the defense, aerospace, cybersecurity and technology sectors. The 100-person team of practitioners led by Klitenic will cater to security and defense clients based the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

“To confront emerging global threats, our clients are continuing to create and fund the development of innovative defense solutions that support the U.S. and its allies around the world,” Klitenic said. “… Our team’s deep government connections in the U.S. and abroad, coupled with our firm’s established reputation for collaborating with government policymakers and operators on meaningful issues, enables us to advise clients on the full spectrum of legal, political and operational issues in this space.”

Klitenic’s background includes serving as General Counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Industry Group will also include former U.S. Intelligence Community members, high-ranking law enforcement officials and military veterans — Holland & Knight said the team’s diverse expertise will allow it to effectively navigate the intricacies of the national security landscape.

“In the many years that we have represented companies in the national defense and security sectors, we have built a substantial bench of premier practitioners across our geographic platform,” said Holland & Knight Chair and CEO Bob Grammig.

“We are excited to bring all of our global resources — comprising a unique mix of first-rate legal capabilities, a robust public policy and federal lobbying practice, and trusted relationships with U.S. government officials and foreign partners — under the umbrella of this new group. Together, this multidisciplinary team will continue to help our clients advance their strategic objectives.”

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