Politics
Last Call for 4.6.26 – 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
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says it will expand private well testing in southern Leon County and provide drinking water filters to residents if contamination is found, following concerns raised by local officials over possible PFAS in the Woodville area.
In an April 6 letter to Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor and Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, DEP Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs John Truitt said the agency is coordinating with the Florida Department of Health to broaden sampling efforts in the area and to develop a plan to identify potential contamination sources.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are a class of synthetic compounds linked to a range of health and environmental concerns because they break down slowly and can persist in soil and groundwater.
According to the letter, the Department of Health will handle testing of private wells, while DEP will focus on investigating potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination and overseeing any required cleanup. If either agency identifies PFAS in drinking water, DEP said its Water Supply Restoration Program will provide free drinking water filters to affected residents.
The department also said that if a contamination source is identified, it will begin delineating the affected area and overseeing remediation efforts.
The response comes after Proctor and Matlow sent a March 25 letter to the state raising alarms about drinking water safety in the Woodville area.
DEP said it will continue updating both offices as the investigation progresses.
Evening Reads
—”China stands to benefit most from the war-driven energy crisis” via Rudy Lu of The Washington Post
—”How climate science is sneakily getting funded under Donald Trump” Kate Yoder, Ayurella Horn-Muller and Clayton Aldern of Vox
—“Social media has become a freak show” via Nate Silver of the Silver Bulletin
—”A new oil shock accelerates a return to nuclear power” via River Akira Davis and Meaghan Tobin of The New York Times
—“Artemis astronauts make history — traveling farther than any human has gone before” via Micah Maidenberg of The Wall Street Journal
—”American greatness, American barbarism” via Mac William Bishop of Rolling Stone
—”Gov. Ron DeSantis signs domestic terrorist bill that Democrats fear will lead to crackdown on college liberals” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics
—”Emily Gregory to be sworn in for HD 87 seat Tuesday at Palm Beach Gardens City Hall” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—”New College to allow armed faculty if DeSantis OKs Guardian Program expansion” via Jesse Mendoza of Florida Politics
—“Snake bros keep getting bitten by their lethal pets. Only zoos can save them” via Claire McNear of WIRED
“If I feel the need to do something, I do it. And so you guys can stand by and just watch.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, withholding his endorsement in the Governor race.
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.
Serve an Ouch to Lt. Gov. Jay Collins’ campaign, which didn’t pick up the Governor’s endorsement during a stop in his hometown.
Charlie Crist is ready for a TV Party now that a political committee backing him is hitting the airwaves in St. Petersburg.
New College has the Locked and Loadeds waiting; the only missing ingredient is Gov. DeSantis’ signature.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Lightning battle Sabres for playoff seeding
The Tampa Bay Lightning face the Buffalo Sabres in a matchup of the top two teams in the NHL’s Eastern Conference as both teams battle for the top seed in the playoffs (7 p.m. ET, The Spot).
With six games remaining in the season for Tampa Bay (102 pts.) and five for both Buffalo (100 pts.) and the Montreal Canadiens (100 pts), tonight’s game could have major implications in the playoff race.
The Lightning have won consecutive games to overtake the Sabres in the standings. Over the last 10 games, Tampa Bay has lost just once, while Buffalo has managed five wins in the last 10.
Tonight’s meeting is the fourth of the season between the two teams. The Lightning won the first matchup 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 3, with Buffalo taking the last two meetings in high-scoring affairs: 6-2 on Feb. 28 and 8-7 on March 8, the highest-scoring game of the NHL season.
During the recent strong run, Tampa Bay has been more defensive. The Lightning have not allowed a team to score more than three goals in regulation since the 8-7 loss to the Sabres.
Two Lightning players are in contention for individual honors this season. Right-winger Nikita Kucherov is one point behind Connor McDavid in the chase for the Art Ross Trophy. Kucherov has won the last two, while McDavid won the three previous awards. Between the pair, they have won eight of the last nine Art Ross Trophies.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy ranks second in goals against average and fourth in save percentage.
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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.