Last Call for 2.4.25 – 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

In a significant shake-up in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ inner circle, Jason Weida, the current head of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), will be named as the Governor’s new Chief of Staff.

First reported by Gary Fineout of POLITICO, the move comes as James Uthmeier, a longtime DeSantis confidant, prepares to become Florida’s Attorney General. Florida Politics suggested Weida was the top pick Saturday in Takeaways from Tallahassee.

Weida, an attorney who worked as an assistant federal prosecutor, has been at the helm of AHCA since 2022. His agency oversees Florida’s massive $35 billion Medicaid program, giving him a deep understanding of the state’s health care landscape. During President Donald Trump’s first term, he was also floated for a high-ranking federal appointment.

On Tuesday, the Governor’s office began informing top aides about the impending change. Uthmeier’s anticipated appointment as Attorney General drives his departure. This position opened after DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate following Marco Rubio’s move to Secretary of State.

Uthmeier has been DeSantis’ Chief of Staff since October 2021. He briefly stepped aside to manage his struggling presidential campaign in 2023. After DeSantis withdrew from the race following a poor showing in Iowa, Uthmeier returned to his role.

The exact timeline for Weida and Uthmeier’s transitions remains unconfirmed, but sources indicate the moves will occur soon. This marks DeSantis’ fourth appointment to Chief of Staff.

Stay tuned to Florida Politics for updates as this story develops.

Evening Reads

—“Inside the chaotic run-up to Donald Trump’s tariff U-turn” via Gavin Bade, Ryan Felton and Chip Cutter of The Wall Street Journal

—“Federal layoffs ‘likely’ if too few employees choose to quit, memo says” via Faiz Siddiqui, Emily Davies and Lisa Rein of The Washington Post

—“20,000 federal workers take ‘buyout’ so far, official says” via Marc Caputo of Axios

—“Inside Trump and Elon Musk’s clumsy, ‘exhausting’ hunt for leakers” via Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Perez of Rolling Stone

—”Musk’s X becomes weapon in government cost-cutting ” via Kate Conger of The New York Times

—”The ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ of the United States government” via Charlie Warzel of The Atlantic

—“Senate Democrats delay Pam Bondi confirmation, vote now expected Wednesday” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—“Trump’s Justice Department forces out FBI’s top agent in Miami” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

—“New report puts Ben Sasse’s spending scandal at UF under the microscope” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics

—“‘Petty, retaliatory’: One South Florida lawmaker punished, another promoted in wake of state immigration bill fight” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—“Florida’s iconic corals aren’t having babies anymore. Scientists are alarmed.” via Benji Jones of Vox

—”In bipartisan vote, Miami-Dade County Commission urges Trump to keep TPS for migrants” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald

Quote of the Day

“… the public purpose of such a salary is not readily apparent.”

— The recurring theme of the Florida Auditor General’s preliminary report on UF’s spending under Ben Sasse.

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.

Citizens CEO Tim Cerio thinks the insurer of last resort can get its policy count down to a manageable level over the next two years — we’re crossing our fingers and ordering him a Knock On Wood.

DeSantis gets a Double Down for recommending another $3 million in state funding for Florida Gaming Control Commission investigations.

If you’re passing through Orlando, do your duty and order a Birthday Cake Martini to help the City Beautiful celebrate its 150th birthday.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Seminoles try to end skid vs. Notre Dame tonight

Florida State looks to snap a four-game losing streak when the Seminoles host Notre Dame at the Donald Tucker Center tonight (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network).

Florida State (13-9, 4-7 ACC) dropped a one-point game at Boston College on Saturday on a game-winning three-pointer. FSU led the entire second half until the final bucket. The Seminoles are 11th in the ACC standings, tied with three other teams. 

With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Noles must finish in the top 15 of the 18-team conference. The bottom three teams, Boston College and North Carolina State, have at least two games to make up on the rest of the field, so Florida State is probably safe. However, seeding in the tournament can dramatically change the task of advancing. FSU will likely need to win the conference tournament to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament. 

The bottom six seeds play first-round games, with seeds five through eight entering the second round. For Florida State to earn a top-eight seed, they must jump at least three teams ahead of them. One of those teams is Notre Dame (10-11, 4-6). A win tonight by the Seminoles would substantially help their cause. 

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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.

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