Last Call for 4.21.26 – 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 —

Mosquito season is ramping up, and state and local officials say control efforts are already underway as part of Mosquito Control Awareness Week.

The Florida Mosquito Control Association, which represents 60 programs statewide, is warning that activity is beginning to increase, particularly in coastal areas where warmer weather, rainfall and tides are fueling salt marsh mosquito populations.

Early indicators show the season is already taking shape. Florida has reported 24 travel-related dengue cases and 30 chikungunya cases so far this year. Meanwhile, six counties have detected West Nile virus, and five have reported Eastern Equine Encephalitis through sentinel chicken monitoring systems. Miami-Dade County remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert tied to locally acquired cases.

Last year, the state recorded 62 locally acquired dengue cases, concentrated primarily in Miami-Dade and Brevard counties.

Behind the scenes, mosquito control programs are preparing for peak season by calibrating equipment, training staff and deploying larvicides in waterways to disrupt breeding cycles. Officials say newer strategies are also playing a role, including sterile insect techniques targeting species such as the yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes, as well as expanded drone operations for surveillance and treatment.

Research efforts are ongoing, with scientists studying mosquito behavior, reproduction and control methods — including some less-than-glamorous testing that involves human volunteers enduring bites to improve treatments.

Despite those efforts, officials emphasize that public participation remains critical. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of standing water, making everyday prevention key.

FMCA recommends the “three D’s” of protection: drain standing water, dress in protective clothing and defend against bites using EPA-approved repellents.

— Evening Reads —

—”The 30 craziest lines from Donald Trump’s CNBC interview” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—”Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns from Congress” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”Kash Patel wants cash: Inside the FBI Director’s $250 million defamation lawsuit” via Judd Legum of Popular Information

—“Trump administration can’t get its story straight on sky-high gas prices” via Nikki McCann Ramirez of Rolling Stone

—”An extra-embarrassing White House correspondents’ dinner” via Paul Farhi of The Atlantic

—”Open or shut, the Strait of Hormuz may not go back to normal” via Rebecca F. Elliott of The New York Times

—“The war in Iran isn’t ending — it’s becoming something new” via Joshua Keating of Vox

—”Gov. Ron DeSantis approves small private school expansion, teacher mentorship package” via Jay Waagmeester of the Florida Phoenix

—”Inside the nasty fight between two of the world’s most storied gun makers” via Alistair MacDonald and Hanna Krueger of The Wall Street Journal

— Quote of the Day —

“In the middle of a measles outbreak, it’s tough for me to all of a sudden allow for children in schools to not have the measles vaccine, to not have polio [vaccines], to not have chicken pox [vaccines]. These are all things that have, for the most part, been eradicated, with the exception of some having a comeback here with measles.”

— House Speaker Daniel Perez on his concerns about expanding vaccine exceptions.

— 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.

Toss an Isle & Anchor to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a measure to help make the waters safer and change rule processes for vessels.

Now, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick gets a Farewell Fizz for abruptly resigning before a House Ethics Committee could expel her.

The Governor is doling out Fast Tracks by OK’ing a measure making it easier to convert development-surrounded farmland into housing while limiting how much local governments can slow those projects.

— Breakthrough Insights —

— Tune In —

Lightning try to bounce back in playoffs

The Tampa Bay Lightning try to avoid going down two games to none at home in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they host the Montreal Canadiens tonight (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Montreal took game one with a 4-3 overtime win on Sunday. The Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky scored his third goal of the night 1:22 into overtime to lift the visitors to a Game 1 victory.

During the regular season, the two teams split four games, with the Canadiens taking the last two on March 31 and April 9.

The series is a best-of-seven, and home-ice advantage can mean a lot during the NHL postseason. In Stanley Cup playoff history, only 25 teams have lost the first two games at home and come back to win a best-of-seven series. 

Since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and losing in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022, the Lightning have not won a playoff series. In 2023, they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. In 2024 and 2025, the Florida Panthers eliminated the Lightning in five games.

This season, the Lightning finished with the same number of points as the Canadiens but took second place in the Atlantic Division because they had more regulation wins.

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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.