Good Wednesday morning.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s annual Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit kicks off today in Orlando.
First held in 2017, the Chamber event is laser-focused on poverty in the Sunshine State, covering its causes and prevalence and its impact on the broader state economy and potential actions that business leaders and others can take to address it.
Heading into the 2022 Summit, 773,801 Florida children — or nearly 19% — are living in poverty. One of the tentpole goals of the Chamber’s Florida 2030 plan is to cut that number in half by the dawn of the next decade.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Chamber event will feature some of the most qualified speakers on how that goal can be accomplished.
They include Kyle Baltuch, whom the Chamber brought on as a senior vice president and put in command of its Equality of Opportunity Initiative last year.
Also on tap for the first half is a conversation on economic mobility between CareerSource Florida Vice President Dan McGrew and Dr. Brittany Birken, a Principal Adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Dr. Shawn Felton of Florida Gulf Coast University, Jennifer Hagen of University of Florida/IFAS and Stephanie Wardein of Lee Health are also set to participate in a panel discussion titled “Leading By Example: Prioritizing Long-Term Investments in Opportunity.”
The afternoon portion will tackle the root causes of poverty identified by the Chamber: jobs, education, transportation, affordable housing, child care, community voice, food, and safety and justice. Each cause will get a speaker’s attention or a dedicated panel — a list of speakers and a full agenda for the summit is available online.
___
Markel Trial Day 7: The bump, money drops, cash deposits and wiretaps — Judge Robert Wheeler delivered a major opinion Tuesday morning before the jury entered the room. He will allow the jury to hear audio of three phone calls captured on wiretap between Donna Adelson and Charlie Adelson immediately after the bump.
This is huge.
Wheeler explained that the state is not trying to prove what was said between the mother and son, but what was not said — which was the defendant’s name. Wheeler clarified that allowing the jury to hear these recordings is to establish “the fact that Katherine Magbanua was not mentioned in the calls.”
Defense attorney Christopher DeCoste argued vehemently to exclude these. And as Magbanua’s lawyer, he should. These recordings prove a significant aspect of the state’s case — that when confronted by a stranger about Dan Markel’s murder, Donna and Charlie knew precisely who to call — their middleman, Magbanua. DeCoste argued with Wheeler even past the judge’s ruling on the matter, to no avail.
“They’re admissible,” Wheeler schooled DeCoste, “and I’ve already made myself clear a number of times.”
Wheeler will also allow the jury to hear Charlie speaking with Erika Johnson regarding Magbanua’s Adelson Institute employment records or, rather, the lack thereof.
To read the full rundown, click here.
___
On Tuesday, a shooter killed at least 18 children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, marking the deadliest school shooting since Sandy Hook nearly a decade ago.
Law enforcement Tuesday evening confirmed the shooter was dead and later confirmed that three adults had died in the attack, though it was unclear whether that included the shooter.
It is also unclear how many people were wounded in the attack, though at least two law enforcement officers were injured, and a hospital reportedly took in 13 injured children while a separate hospital admitted an adult woman in critical condition. Authorities expect the death count to rise.
The shooter, whom Texas Gov. Greg Abbott identified as Salvador Ramos, had no apparent motive.
“Pass and enforce red flag laws. Now.” via David French of The Dispatch — When we talk about common gun control proposals after mass shootings — whether we’re referring to expanded background checks, assault weapons bans, or limits on magazine capacity — the general rule is that none of those measures, even if implemented, would have actually prevented any recent mass shooting. A new idea has emerged that’s directly designed to address both gaps in our mental health system and is tied to patterns we’ve seen in mass shootings. It’s the red flag law. It goes by other names, including extreme risk protection order, gun violence restraining order, or severe threat order of protection. The idea is if a person exhibits behavior indicating that they might be a threat to themselves or others (such as suicidal ideation or violent fantasies), a member of his family, a school official, or a police officer can go to court to secure an order that permits police to seize his weapons and prohibit him from purchasing any additional weapons so long as the order lasts.
___
If it’s Tuesday — “Brian Kemp notches huge primary win in Georgia” via Zach Montellaro and Ally Mutnick of POLITICO — Gov. Kemp clinched his GOP Primary early despite facing a Donald Trump-endorsed challenger — a major win for the Governor ahead of what’s expected to be a hard-fought General Election campaign. Kemp defeated Trump-endorsed David Perdue after Perdue was recruited into the race by Trump. The former President had attacked Kemp repeatedly since the 2020 Election when Kemp refused Trump’s pressure to not certify the election after President Joe Biden narrowly won the state. Perdue’s bid has been laser-focused on Trump’s grievances about the 2020 election, while the conservative Kemp tried to shore up his credentials in other areas. The nominee will face Stacey Abrams in what is expected to be one of the most competitive campaigns for Governor in the country.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RepValDemings: Another school shooting. I can hardly speak. Every parent in America should be mad as hell that the Senators of the greatest country in the world have chosen not to do a damn thing about innocent people gunned down in innocent places. Praying for the victims at Robb Elementary.
—@LHSummers: I am very concerned that we may be headed into a new era of Brandeisian populist antitrust policy that will make the U.S. economy more inflationary and less resilient.
—@RepWilson: South Florida is a diverse and welcoming home for those fleeing violence or instability across Latin America. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in calling for @POTUS to continue TPS protections for our neighbors from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
—@ChristinaPushaw: Adults should not be seeking validation from children.
—@GreggGonsalves: It’s no coincidence that the vile attacks I’ve gotten over the past 24 hours are tied to far-right shock-jocks AND the office of the Governor of Florida. They suggest I supported COVID lockdowns (not true) and am “soft on” monkeypox (also not true). The facts don’t matter.
—@ConceptualJames: Ron DeSantis completely dispelled the obvious myth that Republicans in blue-heavy states have to govern like Democrats and pander to get votes, win, and gain support for solid governance. It’s literally preposterous when you think about it.
—@RTemplin: Getting confused about the insurance Special Session here in FL? Very simple — insurance companies shift money to show fake losses — compliant FL raises rates for them creating a rate crisis — insurance lobbyists use crisis to get everything they ever wanted to make more money.
—@ShevrinJones: Congratulations to Rep. @FentriceForFL on her election to serve as the FIRST Black woman LEADER of the @FLHouseDems! She is widely recognized as a trailblazer, consensus builder, and impassioned advocate who works hard to help each of her constituents and members.
—@TheStalwart: A liberal is a libertarian who had their NFT stolen
—@MarcACaputo: Never understood why people overpay for breakfast. Eggs Bacon Toast Hashbrowns Waffles They taste the same whether you’re paying $12 for all of it or $50
Republished with permission [/vc_message]
