Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 9.12.22

 Good Monday morning.

The University of Florida cracked the Top 5 in U.S. News and World Report’s public university rankings last year, and it held on to the spot in the 2023 list.

Additionally, UF is recognized as a top performer on student outcomes, ranking No. 4 in the nation for all universities — tied with UC Berkeley, UCLA and MIT — with an overall six-year graduation rate of 91% and 89% for Pell grant recipients.

“UF’s position in the rankings is reflective of our continual, rapid strengthening in teaching, learning and research performance — smaller class sizes, consistently high graduation and retention rates, and the increased value of each student’s degree after graduation — all of which in turn helps Florida be viewed as a national leader,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of UF’s Board of Trustees.

While UF is the top-ranked school in Florida, many other state universities held on to their or climbed up in the influential rankings list.

Florida State University, which entered the Top 20 four years ago, reaffirmed its No. 19 ranking on the U.S. News list and is also ranked as the No. 8 Best Value College among public institutions.

“These rankings reflect total excellence across the university,” FSU President Richard McCullough. “We’re competing at the highest levels with the best universities in the world, and our goal is to continue to rise to the Top 15 and beyond.”

The University of South Florida holds on to its Top-50 status in the new list, ranking No. 42 among all public universities nationwide. Notably, no other university in the United has rocketed up the list more than USF has over the past decade. It’s climbed a whopping 52 spots among public universities, from No. 94 to No. 42, and 73 spots among all universities, from No. 170 to No. 97.

“USF’s standing in the rankings is a testament to the hard work and success of our faculty, staff and students, who make an impact in our communities every day. We will continue to help shape the future for our society as we pursue our goal of becoming a top-25 public university,” USF President Rhea Law said.

The University of Central Florida, meanwhile, climbed three spots in the public university rankings to No. 64 — also its highest ever ranking.

Though relatively young compared to UF and FSU, it managed to outshine its older brothers with a Top-20 ranking in “Most Innovative Schools,” which is the highest in the state. Its nursing and engineering programs are also on the rise, hitting No. 51 and No. 75, respectively.

Finally, Florida International University climbed six rungs to the No. 72 spot on the public universities list. In addition, FIU is among the Top 50 best-value public universities and among the Top 15 most innovative public universities.

Some of its degree programs also tout impressive rankings, none more than international business, which held on to its No. 2 spot in the 2023 list.

The full U.S. News Best Colleges list goes live at noon.

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Samantha Ferrin is taking on the lead lobbyist role at Simply Healthcare, an affiliate of Elevance Health.

“Samantha Ferrin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in government, politics and policy to the Simply team,” said Holly Prince, the plan president of Simply. “Her experience leading state agencies, working in the Legislature and advocating across industries brings great value to our leadership team and positions her well to be a bold advocate for Simply Healthcare and the members we serve.”

Ferrin joins Simply from Greenberg Traurig, where she served as director and advocated on a wide range of issues, including health care, technology and procurement. She previously worked at the Florida Lottery, serving as Interim Secretary and Chief of Staff.

Ferrin spent two terms working in the state House in the Office of Majority Leader and Office of the Majority Whip for Rep. Dana Young under the leadership of House Speakers Will Weatherford and Steve Crisafulli. Her first job in The Process was a position on former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s legislative affairs team.

“Samantha Ferrin is an asset to any team,” said Sen. Jim Boyd. “Her relationships across the branches of government combined with her keen understanding of policy enable her to navigate the process effectively. And she does so with such great professionalism and poise.”

At Simply, Ferrin will oversee government relations and policy issues in Florida involving Medicare, Medicaid and Florida Healthy Kids programs.

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Personnel note: Fátima Perez promoted at Koch Companies — Perez, who oversees state government affairs for Koch Companies Public Sector in Florida, will now be overseeing seven other states. The new additions to her portfolio include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, North Carolina and South Carolina. Perez joined Koch Companies Public Sector in 2015 and previously served as Chief of Staff to former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, as a senior adviser to former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, and as a senior legislative aide in the Florida Legislature, working for members of both chambers, including former Sen. Walter “Skip” Campbell and former Rep. Annie Betancourt.

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This week, the Florida Trucking Association is joining the rest of the trucking industry in celebrating “National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.”

“About 85% of Florida communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods; nearly everything we depend on for daily life is made possible by our nation’s professional truck drivers,” FTA President and CEO Alix Miller said. “National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an important time to thank professional truck drivers for their hard work and dedication in undertaking one of our economy’s most critical jobs.”

The annual week of recognition runs Sept. 11-17 and is meant to recognize professional truck drivers who safely and securely deliver freight every day. FTA praised truck drivers, saying they “always step up when they were needed most and have kept the economy moving despite facing unprecedented obstacles.”

There are more than 3.6 million professional truck drivers nationwide and more than 500,000 CDL holders in Florida. Those drivers deliver the essential goods that people across the country rely on, including food, fuel, medicine, and clothing. In all, they deliver 10 billion tons per year, or 70% of all freight delivered in the U.S.

FTA is encouraging everyone to join them in recognizing the important work professional truck drivers perform and the significant impact it has on our quality of life.

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Here are a few other thoughts:

— Americans have been down on the economy for months, but they’re starting to shake the doom-and-gloom mentality, writes Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post. The first signal of an improving outlook comes via consumer sentiment, which has started inching up after hitting rock bottom in June.

— Inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.1% in June before easing up in July. Data for August shows that it is continuing to tick down, Jon Hilsenrath writes for The Wall Street Journal. What does that mean for the average consumer? Well, lower prices, and potentially a “bloodbath” of discounting and markdowns at retail stores.

— COVID-19 hasn’t been an above-the-fold story for months, but it’s still kicking — and it’s still killing many Americans. As Jon Kamp of The Wall Street Journal writes, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Americans so far this year and has killed an average of 320 every day in recent weeks.

— Voter registration trends could make for close races in 23 state House districts this fall, including 14 where Republican incumbents are running for re-election. Scott Powers, the dean of Florida political journalists, has all the details — and it’s his last piece for Florida Politics, so swing by and give it a read.

— Florida State University is hosting Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Presidential historian, for an on-campus talk this evening. The public event begins at 7:30 p.m. in FSU’s Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, situated at 222 S. Copeland St.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@POTUS: Twenty-one years later, we keep alive the memory of all the precious lives stolen from us at Ground Zero, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. To the families and loved ones who still feel the ache, Jill and I hold you close in our hearts. We will never forget.

Tweet, tweet:

Remembering 9/11/01 today in Palm Harbor @curlew_hills. It was great introducing @GovRonDeSantis to address the crowd and lift up our first responders. It was especially nice to have my dad (Ret. NYPD) on hand to lay the wreath and light the remembrance flame. #September11th pic.twitter.com/PvvRaI1kZ5

— Chris Sprowls (@ChrisSprowls) September 11, 2022

—@MarcACaputo: Peter Thiel at @NatConTalk conference in Miami just gave a talk dissing CA & singles out (Ron) DeSantis: “I do think DeSantis in Florida is probably the best, the best of the Governors in terms of offering a real alternative to California, of trying to tackle California in some ways”

Tweet, tweet:

Family is our greatest blessing, and I am blessed to be a grandmother of these five beautiful children. Happy #GrandparentsDay pic.twitter.com/OELPXTpdVN

— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) September 11, 2022

—@MikeGrieco: When encountering a bear, I’m told you’re supposed to play dead. Apparently, the @49ers are taking that advisory literally.

—@JeffDuncan_: Leading 26-24 with 1:40 left and facing a third-and-1 at the Saints’ 42, the Falcons had a 99.9 percent win probability. And lost.

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.

The post Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 9.12.22 appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..