Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Jolly In Florida Politics — 12.23.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Good morning, dear readers.

This is the final edition of Sunburn for the year. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care and the knowledge that Session will soon be here; we plan next week to stay nestled all snug in our beds, with visions of the 2022 campaign cycle dancing in our heads.

Merry Christmas from the greatest gift Michelle and I ever received, Ella Joyce. Michelle had these very cool photos taken of her, and I hope you’ll forgive me for sharing a couple of them with you. Most of you have watched, in this email, Ella Joyce grow up, one Christmas season after another, so I trust you don’t mind.

and

I hope these photos of Ella Joyce — and her almost-back-at-full-strength mother — help you feel the magic of Christmas all around you!

Here are some other Christmas and year-end notes and nuggets:

 — 21 headlines that define 2021: The year opened with the tumultuous riot in Congress as scores of pro-Donald Trump protesters stormed the Capitol and took it under siege. It was a sign of things to come: The year that was supposed to represent a return to post-COVID-19 normalcy would be anything but. POLITICO compiled a list of headlines that remind those of us with short memories just how much the nation has endured, from the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene from the periphery of politics into the halls of power, to Trump’s refusal to leave the national stage and the resulting culture wars. Democrats battled too, finding difficulties getting their footing, even with one of their own now occupying the White House. Embattled New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo makes the list, so too do crises at the border and over climate change. But it’s all amid the backdrop of a persisting pandemic that refuses to relent. Take a trip down memory lane here.

 — 21 things to feel good about in 2021: It’s easy to get caught up on all the things that sucked in 2021, but it wasn’t all bad. In fact, there’s much to celebrate. A wired roundup takes a moment to spotlight the good, even as so many remember the bad. For starters, nearly 8.5 billion people worldwide have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the largest mass vaccination campaign in history, and one that is literally saving lives. And while it might be hard to reflect back on the damage inflicted to so many who lost their jobs amid the pandemic, there was a positive effect later. Throughout the spring and summer of 2021, waves of workers began resigning their jobs, indicating the pandemic had caused them to reflect on their work-life balance and know when to call it quits in a toxic work environment. China eliminated Malaria, so at least that’s one less malady to worry about. Bee Hotels surfaced to help shrinking bee populations stabilize. NASA made oxygen on Mars and the Oscars finally found some diversity. But in perhaps the best news, scientists revealed that cheese isn’t bad for you. Read more good news here.

 — Whose nose grew the longest this year?: Each year The Washington Post compiles a list of its biggest Pinocchios of the year, a reference to the wooden puppet whose nose grew each time he told a lie. Last year, WaPo optimistically projected it would be the last year Trump landed on the list. The paper’s analysis typically focuses on those in positions of power. They kept their word, yet despite rarely fact-checking the former Commander in Chief, Trump finds himself on the list yet again. Trump’s inclusion is largely buoyed by his continued insistence that the 2020 election was stolen, and that he was the rightful winner of a second term. His misleading statements on the Jan. 6 insurrection also earned a mention. Also appearing on the list is President Joe Biden, who, as WaPo describes, makes “an assertion with specific numbers that appears to have no source.” Referenced are “puzzling statements” claiming “every single” hospital bed would be filled with Alzheimer’s patients within the next 15 years, a claim that he had traveled 17,000 miles with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, another that the Second Amendment bars cannon ownership, and one that argued ending a minor tax break for racehorse owners would raise enough money to pay for free community college. Read about all of the Pinocchios here.

 — The year in photos: A barren Times Square filled with raining confetti, an ominous image of protesters scaling the walls of the U.S. Capitol, soldiers sleeping on the floor, the nation’s first woman and Black Vice President gazing out at the Washington Monument, dying COVID-19 patients, mass vaccination sites. Those are just a few of the images that punctuate 2021 and all that it had to offer. Compiled by The New York Times, the year in pictures documents a series of reminders of tragedy, chaos, perseverance and historic moments. Some images are renowned, such as those showing the chaos and violence that unfolded Jan. 6, others are more obscure highlighting a way of life that has become all too normal in a pandemic that won’t go away. See the photos — some inspiring, some anger-provoking, but all spectacular in their own rite — here.

 — 10 photo essays to show we endure: Everyone is sick of it. Many of us are sick from it. But the pandemic has shown the power of resilience, even in the face of maddening frustration. The Washington Post highlighted 10 photo essays that “capture a full tableau of human responses.” The highlight “trepidation, but also a sense of renewal, celebration, but caution as well.” The compilation includes images of life on the road with a rock band, a mother’s struggle — and triumph — amid isolation with her son, life after war in Gaza, a photo diary documenting the challenges of home life amid a pandemic and others. Most are relatable to anyone. Some offer a glimpse into realities many would struggle to understand. But each offer emotional narratives and thought-provoking images that give a human face to real-world struggles and joys.

 — The best inventions of 2021: Audible text. Mobility for immobile tykes. Hands-free shoes. A space-saving wheelchair. These are just some of the 100 best inventions of 2021, some of which you didn’t know you needed, but might now want. Inventions include an app for sonograms and automated building inspections, a 911 alternative, new digital maps, high-tech glasses to maximize screen potential, sustainable water savers and much, much more. Each invention is linked to its own page, where readers can learn details about the invention, who created it and who might benefit. The inventions are broken into categories ranging from tech to beauty products. And the sheer volume of head-turning creations reminds us the 21st century is full of innovation. Catch the entire list here.

 — Best books of 2021: Year two of the pandemic might have represented at least some return to normalcy. Pro sports got back into full swing. People started going to concerts again. Vaccinated Americans celebrated holidays with loved ones. But if 2020 taught us anything, it’s the power of a good book. And 2021 had plenty. The Washington Post compiled a list of must reads (or re-reads for the most zealous book worms among us). The list includes both fiction and provides something for everyone, touching on cultural issues of the day, including through Craig Whitlock’s The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War and Tiya Miles’ All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake. There are also deep stories of discipline, such as in Jonathan Franzen’s Crossroads, and social satire, including the soon-to-be TV series Gold Diggers, by Sanjena Sathian, a tale of a son of Indian immigrants who wilts under the pressure of his parents’ impossible expectations. Build your New Year’s reading list here.

 — The 50 best albums of 2021: NPR’s annual list of best albums looks a little different this year. It emphasized music from artists who made breakthroughs, “moving forward with clarity, without balking at the obstacles falling in their way.” “Everywhere on this list you’ll find the thrill of artistic revelations, musicians finding themselves, willing something new into reality,” NPR explained of its list. It includes some much-talked-about releases, including Silk Sonic’s An Evening with Silk Sonic, and some artistic departures from previous work, including in Circuit des Yeux’s -io album, which steps away from typical harsh sounds and traumatic themes into the realm of empathy. Lil Nas X, the rapper who exploded into the mainstream two years ago with his instant hit Old Town Road, also makes the list with his MONTERO album, debunking expectations he’d fade into one-hit-wonder oblivion. There are some classic names on the list, including Adele with her latest album, 30, but most are at least relatively new to the music scene and offer a chance to expand anyone’s musical repertoire. Find out who topped the list here.

 — 10 best films of 2021, according to Vanity Fair: As Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson reentered the world of viewing films on the big screen, he celebrated the art of moviemaking. “They’re invigorating reminders of how transformative, transporting, and enlightening the art form can ben — especially when viewed in the dark, finally away from the couch,” Lawson wrote. The list, he notes, could be a lot longer, but he dug deep to produce the Top 10. At the bottom, Lawson includes Bergman Island, a tale of a filmmaker struggling to create a new film. The movie includes captivating characters and “meta layers” that create “ a story within the story.” Also included is Fran Kranz’s Mass, a film Lawson describes as feeling like a play, but in a good way. There’s also an animated documentary included in Flee, a film that tells the harrowing story of a man’s flight from Afghanistan in the 1980s. Topping the list is The Worst Person in the World, which touches on the “agonies of turning 30” as well as “the unbridgeable chasms of heterosexual coupling” and “millennial malaise.” Check out the full list, and its rationale, here.

 — Top 10 flicks of 2021, according to the American Film Institute: Looking for movies to catch before ringing in the new year? You might want to check out this list from AFI, which includes popular 2021 blockbusters CODA, West Side Story, The Power of the Dog, Don’t Look Up, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, tick … BOOM and The Tragedy of Macbeth. AFI’s annual list is often a rough approximation of eventual Academy Award favorites. The list is chosen through a jury process. Honorees from this year’s list will be celebrated at a Jan. 7 event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

 — Best television series of 2021: If 2020 was the year of not-so-interesting Zoom-based television, 2021 was a breath of fresh air. The Washington Post’s roundup of the best television series of the year includes nine shows that could offer an escape from the impending omicron variant, and one that is a painfully accurate tribute to a year lost. The list includes Netflix’s original series You, about a serial killer who falls in love, HBO’s Nuclear Family, a docuseries chronicling a lesbian couple who decided to become mothers in the 1980s and FX on Hulu’s Reservation Dogs, a comedy featuring Native American talent. Also on the list is Oprah’s worldwide famous interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which launched an instant talking point on the issues of race in the royal family and mental illness.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@JoeBiden: If you’re over the age of 18 and six months have gone by since you got vaccinated, go get your booster. Go get it now.

—@NikkiFried: This Holiday season, like past seasons, my office is working tirelessly to feed the people of our state who need it the most. From schools to rural food deserts, no Floridian should go without a meal.

—@GwenGraham: Absolute last row. Bright side — next to the bathroom.

—@EricTopol: You know it’s a good day in the pandemic when: The 1st anti-COVID pill is cleared; More indications that omicron is associated with less severe illness and tends to come down from its big surge as quickly as it ascends; The 1st pan-coronavirus vaccine is ready for Phase 2 trials

—@timmarchman: Conspiracy theorists who got sick after attending a conspiracy theory conference are convinced their COVID-like symptoms are the result of an anthrax attack.

Tweet, tweet:

—@NatStechyson: A shoutout to all the parents out there still trying to make Christmas magic while navigating the omicron shit show. I see you with your festive sweater and your dead eyes.

—@Zeynep: Sad that we did not spend the billions of dollars wasted on plexiglass barriers — which is associated with higher transmission because it can impede ventilation, as documented in studies — on proper masks of correct fit and filter, ventilation, HEPA filters and other tools that help.

—@DouthatNYT: So far as I can tell even under winter-surge conditions the biopolitical order still dissolves soon as you leave the professional-class core; I went into a nice supermarket in Orange CT, a Biden 52-47 town 15 mins from downtown New Haven, and mask-wearing was maybe at 5 percent.