Chairman’s Message Another Media Hit Job Collapses On Itself Apparently, the corporate media will continue to try to smear Governor Ron DeSantis with baseless, ignorant hit jobs. It is an acknowledgment of the effectiveness of our Governor’s leadership, and the fear he creates in his political opponents. In the latest installment, after the widely debunked 60 Minutes attack piece, the Florida Associated Press took its shot with a story that not only was a political attack on the Governor, but worse it jeopardized the health of its readers. The article, titled “DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes,” was framed in dangerous political insinuations that will undoubtedly lead some people to decline seeking the life-saving treatment. After the Governor’s staff rightly dispelled the misleading narrative and exposed the partisan agenda of the Associated Press story, the media outlet sent a letter to Governor DeSantis August 20, criticizing him for his staff’s efforts to correct the record. That’s when the Governor responded personally to the brazen AP, writing a letter not only defending his staff, but once again calling on the Associated Press and corporate outlets to stop creating conspiracy theories, publishing clickbait headlines and circulating partisan political narratives, at the expense of readers and their health. In his letter to Daisy Veerasingham, the AP’s incoming CEO, Governor DeSantis said he expected Veerasingham was writing to notify him they were retracting their story, not whining that his Press Secretary had done her job and rightly pushed back on the partisan story. “Instead, you had the temerity to complain about the deserved blowback that your botched and discredited attempt to concoct a political narrative has received. This ploy will not work to divert attention from the fact that the Associated Press published a false narrative that will lead some to decline effective treatment for COVID infections.” He pointed out that clinical trials of monoclonal antibody treatments result in a 70% reduction in hospitalization and death. That’s a hugely beneficial treatment, and the AP story undermined people’s confidence in it. Read the Governor’s full letter: https://www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AP-Letter-from-Governor-DeSantis-2.pdf Read more from the Governor here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/23/governor-desantis-responds-to-the-associated-press-regarding-the-publications-failure-to-retract-brazen-political-attack/ –––––– Speaking of the monoclonal rapid response teams, Governor DeSantis continues to travel our state for the opening of new treatment centers targeted at high-need areas. There are now 18 such centers open. It’s a lot of work but the Governor knows it’s worth it to get the information to Floridians that this can be a life-saving treatment. Monoclonal antibody treatments can be prescribed by health care providers to individuals 12 years of age and older who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are at high risk for severe illness and hospitalization. However, at Governor DeSantis’ direction, there is currently a standing order in Florida signed by the State Surgeon General that allows patients to receive this treatment without a prescription or referral if administered by an eligible health care provider. Such referrals are not required at any of the State of Florida monoclonal antibody treatment sites and treatments are available at no cost to patients. The antibodies help the immune system recognize and respond effectively to the virus. According to the treatment guidelines, they should be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis. By providing access to these treatments at these new sites, Governor DeSantis is alleviating demand on hospital resources and further making sure that Floridians have access to all potential treatments that can help them recover from COVID-19. Find locations to receive monoclonal antibody treatments here: floridahealthcovid19.gov. Additionally, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health continue to encourage Floridians to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Find where vaccines here: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/vaccines/vaccine-locator/ Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/25/governor-ron-desantis-announces-opening-of-new-monoclonal-antibody-treatment-state-site-at-the-villages/   Florida Once again, Governor DeSantis was correct in his approach to Covid. A new CDC study shows there is no rationale to forcibly mask children. After analyzing 90,000 Georgia elementary students, the CDC confirmed no significant statistical difference between optional and mandatory masked schools. So, while the Biden Administration continues to fixate on Florida and Governor DeSantis, their own CDC study vindicates our Governor’s approach. And doing what makes him such a strong leader, Governor DeSantis refused to bow to the baseless White House attacks and chastised the administration for its obsession with using the federal government to forcibly mask children. “I mean, you’ve got to wonder, where are your priorities that you’re so obsessed with this issue and so obsessed with taking away parents’ rights?” the governor asked. “And you’re letting Afghanistan burn, our border burn, and so many other things in our country fall to pieces.” Read the story here: https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/24/desantis-vindicated-theres-no-science-behind-masks-on-kids/ –––––– Even New York Magazine reported that, “Children are less likely to have severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, and when infected less likely to be symptomatic, which correlates with lower contagiousness. Those facts alone may account for part of the reason why the Georgia study found no clear benefit for a masking requirement for kids in schools.” Read it here: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/the-science-of-masking-kids-at-school-remains-uncertain.html?utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=nym&utm_medium=s1   Governor DeSantis announced Florida will host the upcoming Hula Bowl at the University of Central Florida’s Bounce House Stadium in 2022. The game, set for January 15, 2022, will be the ninth NCAA bowl game in Florida during the upcoming college football season. The Hula Bowl, which started in 1946, is a postseason “All Star” bowl game, featuring standout NCAA football players from all divisions. “On behalf of our entire state, I’m proud to welcome the Hula Bowl to Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Our state continues to attract premier athletic events, which is great news for our economy, Florida families, and the fans who come here from all over the world for world-class experiences.” “The state of Florida has been amazing in welcoming our game to the Sunshine State and Governor DeSantis made it clear to us that the state of Florida is indeed open for business,” said Jennifer Logan, Executive Vice President of the Hula Bowl. “The Governor’s support for Floridians is clear.” Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/20/governor-desantis-announces-florida-will-host-the-hula-bowl-in-2022/ –––––– The South Florida Water Management District held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an underground seepage wall in the 8.5 Square Mile Area (Las Palmas Community). The underground concrete wall will help mitigate flooding in the area, keep water in Everglades National Park, and support increased flows of water south which are necessary for Everglades restoration. “When I took office, I made Everglades restoration and protection of Florida’s water resources a top priority,” Governor DeSantis said. “My administration has provided record investments and expedited key projects to restore the Everglades and send more water south. Today’s groundbreaking is yet another example of my administration’s commitment to Florida’s natural resources.” Seepage walls are well-established engineering structures that help to limit the flow of water underground that can lead to above-ground flooding. Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/20/governor-ron-desantis-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-underground-wall-to-support-everglades-restoration/   Washington, D.C. The FBI very quietly exonerated President Trump and his supporters of any organized plot at the Capitol on January 6. According to Reuters, which “broke” the story last Friday: “The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials.” Reuters also reported: “Senior lawmakers have been briefed in detail on the results of the FBI’s investigation so far and find them credible, a Democratic congressional source said.” To sum up, the entire Democrat/media narrative of insurrection and organized plots against the United States government was false. Most Republicans have known that to be the case all along, and now the rest of the country knows. Sort of. It must be pointed out that the FBI leaked this late Friday — for decades a favored moment for politicians to release something they want to bury. In this case, it was also a Friday afternoon when the glaring story was the fall of Kabul and total hand over of Afghanistan to the Taliban by the Biden Administration. This timing was an obvious political act by federal law enforcement and should worry all Americans. –––––– The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday night that the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end President Trump’s Remain in Mexico program that had partnered with Mexican authorities to stabilize the border by requiring people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The Biden administration simply ended it with no other plan, kneecapped the Border Patrol and created a quasi-open Southern Border that has since been overrun. A federal judge in Texas had previously ordered the Remain in Mexico program be reinstated. Both he and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused the Biden administration’s request to put the ruling on hold. So, the Supreme Court ruling requires the Biden administration to make a “good faith effort” to restart the program. However, the administration already essentially ignored a Supreme Court ruling on its eviction ban, so it’s hard to know if it will ignore this ruling, too, continue its policy under a different program or obey the ruling. Read the short ruling: https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/082421zr_2d9g.pdf   Social Media Highlights   REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state and you are integral to making that happen. PAID FOR BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE.WWW.FLORIDA.GOP

Chairman’s Message

Governor DeSantis Stays Focused on Saving Lives

Governor DeSantis is prioritizing rapid response strike teams centers for Florida Covid patients by setting up new monoclonal antibody therapy treatment sites in Broward County, West Palm Beach County, Brevard County, Orlando and Jacksonville, with more to come around the state. These locations will have the capacity to serve hundreds of patients every day in areas with higher outbreaks. It’s strategic and making a difference.

“Early monoclonal antibody treatment keeps people out of the hospital and saves lives,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We look forward to continuing to open these sites throughout the state and hope awareness about the treatment continues to spread.”

Crisscrossing the state to raise awareness of these effective drug treatments, the Governor is also energetically backed by leading medical professionals in Florida.

“The Governor is absolutely spot on,” said John Couris, President and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. “This is a therapy that is effective, but this is a therapy that is less known. This is a therapy that needs to be taken advantage of and Tampa General Hospital, USF and our private practice physicians are using it very successfully on positive COVID-19 patients.”

“We were the first system in Florida to offer monoclonal antibodies to COVID patients,” said Dr. Kami Kim, MD, from Tampa General and USF Morsani College of Medicine. “So far we have treated over 1,600 patients with monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID. These treatments, as Governor DeSantis, Dean Lockwood and Mr. Couris said, prevent the virus from infecting our cells. You probably heard them called ‘neutralizing antibodies’ and that is because they neutralize the virus. That’s a pretty powerful treatment against the virus that is very effective in our own studies and in studies across the country.”

More monoclonal antibody strike teams are being created to take treatment directly to Florida’s vulnerable populations in long-term care facilities. Rather than having nursing home residents be required to leave the facility to receive monoclonal antibody therapy, these teams will deploy to them on site to provide treatment.

“The monoclonal antibody treatment can be a game changer if you get it early,” said Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration Simone Marstiller. “I have seen firsthand how effective this therapy can be at keeping people out of the hospital and speeding their recovery. Once again, Governor DeSantis has prioritized Florida’s seniors and has created a delivery system for the monoclonal antibody treatment that will allow Florida’s most vulnerable citizens to receive the treatment without leaving their long-term care facility and keeping them at home and out of hospitals.”

To find locations to receive monoclonal antibody treatments: floridahealthcovid19.gov.

Read more about Orlando here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/16/governor-ron-desantis-announces-new-monoclonal-antibody-site-in-orlando/
Watch Orlando announcement here: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/8-16-21-governors-press-conference-on-coronavirus-covid-19/
Read more about Brevard here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/17/governor-ron-desantis-announces-new-monoclonal-antibody-site-in-brevard-county/
Read more about Jacksonville here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/12/governor-ron-desantis-announces-expanded-monoclonal-antibody-access-in-florida-with-new-monoclonal-antibody-centers/
Watch Jacksonville announcement here: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/8-12-21-governors-press-conference-on-coronavirus-covid-19/
Read more about Broward here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/18/governor-ron-desantis-expands-access-to-covid-treatment-by-opening-new-monoclonal-antibody-site-in-broward-county/
Read more about the West Palm here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/18/governor-ron-desantis-announces-new-monoclonal-antibody-site-in-west-palm-beach/

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Note on the our Third Quarter Meeting:
Omni Hotels & Resorts will continue with its current Safe and Clean protocols, but will follow state and local mandates pertaining to guest and associate requirements for mask wearing and social distancing while indoors. At this time there aren’t any mandates for Osceola or Orange county.

Florida

The Florida Board of Education voted to hold Broward County and Alachua County school boards accountable for imposing strict mask requirements in violation of new state rules.

“Every school board member and superintendent has the duty to comply with the law, whether they agree with it or not,” said Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran during an emergency meeting Tuesday evening.

The state board voted to direct Corcoran “to take all legal steps” to enforce the state rules. Those new rules aim to guarantee that parents have the right to decide if their children wear masks at school or not.

Board Chairman Tom Grady outlined the potential actions: “That may include withholding funds from the district — although I would add a footnote that I do not want to withhold funds in a way that would harm any child in any district…It may involve withholding salaries. It may involve removing officers…It may involve reviewing district conduct. It may involve public records requests to see how monies are being spent within the district, including whether they’re being spent for public relations or political purposes contrary to their constitutional mandate. It would include enhanced reporting and accountability to this board.”

He also said that there may be a report to the Legislature with recommendations for lawmakers to take further steps in law.

Governor DeSantis is proposing three policies for the next session to help recruit law enforcement officers.

The Governor announced the policies at the 2021 Biennial National Conference & Expo hosted by the National Fraternal Order of Police with the goal of continuing to show Florida’s support for its high quality local and state law enforcement agencies.

“As so many cities and states choose to disrespect, degrade and defund the honorable work of law enforcement, we want Florida to continue valuing our men and women of law enforcement today, tomorrow and for generations to come,” Governor DeSantis said. “That’s why today, I am proud to announce new initiatives to recruit and reward brave, high quality law enforcement officers in Florida that I will be including in my legislative priorities for our upcoming legislative session, including $5,000 signing bonuses.”

These proposals provide state resources to recruit law enforcement officers through three programs:

New officer signing bonuses;
Academy scholarship program;
Out-of-state relocation support.
To read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/17/governor-ron-desantis-announces-new-initiatives-to-recruit-law-enforcement-officers-to-florida/

Watch the full event video here: https://rumble.com/vlbet4-governor-ron-desantis-announces-new-initiatives-to-recruit-law-enforcement-.html

Washington, D.C.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio was on Fox News’ Sean Hannity program explaining that Biden was warned for months what would happen in Afghanistan if there was a precipitous U.S. withdrawal of military forces. And he ignored it, and the consequences happened.

“Sean, not just did I tell them, but it was a bipartisan warning, OK?” he said. “You look at the intelligence, you look at everything before us, it was clear that not only was it the worst-case scenario out there, it was the likeliest outcome that was going to happen, and we kept insisting, what is the plan if this happens? What is the plan? And they arrogantly, and they smugly ignored it. They ignored everyone who was warning them because they’re the experts, they know everything, and now we’ve seen the consequences.”

“There are two things now to keep in mind,” Rubio continued. “Number one is Joe Biden was elected promising competence, the return on normalcy, the return of expertise to foreign policy, and we see that they can’t even execute on something like this, and ignore the people who know something about it. That does encourage people like China — countries like China and other adversaries not just to go out and try to undermine confidence in America, but actually test America and think they can get away with it.”

“And the other is something that the Pentagon’s already saying, and we’ve already been saying for close to nine months, the biggest problem here is going to be now that al Qaeda is coming back to Afghanistan, let there be no doubt,” he added.

REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state and you are integral to making that happen.

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Chairman’s Message

On the Right Side of Civil Liberties

The erosion of civil liberties over the decades has gone into lightspeed in recent months with the Covid-related mask mandates, vaccine passports and shutdowns, taking it from the important realm of public health to the critical realm of personal freedom.

That’s why the battle being waged by Governor Ron DeSantis and other courageous, principled Republicans on behalf of the essential civil liberty of freedom is so vital and requires our support. In the case of mask mandates, it is a question of whether it is the right of parents to decide if their child should be masked, or government-run schools. Some union-beholden school boards in Florida want to make the decision, then dictate that on every student and parent. For Governor DeSantis, it’s the parents who should decide — they can mask their children or not mask them — and that is the side of individual freedoms.

It’s the same dynamic in vaccine passports. The Governor supports the vaccines and has been vaccinated. But he, like most Republicans, believes that the decision should be up to each individual, not government entities including public schools, and not corporations or businesses. In America, in the Republican Party, we treasure freedom and will fight to defend it.

As part of this fight, parental rights were strengthened this past week when the Florida Department of Health and State Board of Education issued Emergency Rules to protect parents’ freedom to choose what is best for their children. These rules are pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order 21-175 to allow an effective, in-person learning environment for Florida’s schoolchildren during the upcoming school year, preventing harm to healthy students and safeguarding the rights of parents and their children.

This rule is to ensure Floridians’ constitutional freedoms are not violated, do not violate parents’ rights under Florida law to make health care decisions for their minor children; and protect children with disabilities or health conditions who would be harmed by certain protocols, such as face masking requirements.

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Note on our Third Quarter Meeting:

Omni Hotels & Resorts will continue with its current Safe and Clean protocols, but will follow state and local mandates pertaining to guest and associate requirements for mask wearing and social distancing while indoors. At this time there aren’t any mandates for Osceola or Orange counties.

Florida

Highlighting how Florida gives bonuses to law enforcement, not defunds it, Governor Ron DeSantis recognized several law enforcement officers, first responders and rescue teams in presenting them with one-time relief checks through the “Florida’s Heroes” initiative.

The initiative is an opportunity to recognize law enforcement officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and firefighters in the state of Florida with a one-time relief payment of up to $1,000 to 49,000 law enforcement officers as an appreciation of the selfless sacrifices made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“First responders work every single day – no matter the conditions – to keep us safe,” Governor DeSantis said. “That was perhaps never more apparent than during the last year and a half during the pandemic. I am proud to deliver these checks to show our immense gratitude for their service.”

The Governor presented one-time checks to the Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, who worked tirelessly after the Surfside tragedy.

“The men and women joining me here today from Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces 1 and 2 are the best of the best. We thank them for their tireless response in Surfside and hope these relief checks express our gratitude for all that they have done in our state.”

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/10/governor-desantis-presents-first-responders-relief-checks-to-urban-search-and-rescue-task-forces-1-2/

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Governor DeSantis then distributed checks to first responders with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where he was joined by Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/10/governor-ron-desantis-distributes-bonus-checks-to-jacksonville-sheriffs-deputies-through-the-floridas-heroes-initiative/

And the Governor distributed relief checks to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, where he was joined by Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/08/10/governor-ron-desantis-thanks-escambia-county-sheriffs-deputies-for-service-with-floridas-heroes-initiative-relief-checks/

Governor DeSantis also traveled the state to thank educators by distributing one-time disaster relief checks up to $1,000 in recognition of their hard work teaching students in the challenging 2020-2021 school year. The Governor kept the schools open last year for crucial in-person learning and Florida educators stepped up. These 177,000 Disaster Relief Payments represent the state’s gratitude.

“During the legislative session, I proposed $1,000 bonuses for all public-school teachers and principals because I recognized the important role teachers played in providing in-person learning,” Governor DeSantis said. “We recognized that teachers, principals and first responders have dealt with countless challenges over the past year. I think people are going to look back and say, ‘Florida stood by its kids and teachers’ while other states did not.”

The Governor was in Bay County and Pinellas County to personally thank and encourage educators in those districts.

The historic gaming compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior this past week. This agreement, the largest gaming compact in history, will generate a minimum of $2.5 billion in new revenue to the state over the next five years and an estimated $6 billion through 2030. The Tribe is not currently making any revenue payments to the state.

“The final approval of this historic gaming compact is a big deal for the State of Florida,” Governor DeSantis said. “This mutually-beneficial agreement will grow our economy, expand tourism and recreation and provide billions in new revenue to benefit Floridians.”

“Today is a great day for the people of Florida, who will benefit not only from a $2.5 billion revenue sharing guarantee over five years, but also from statewide sports betting and new casino games that will roll out this fall and mean more jobs for Floridians and more money invested in this state,” said Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. “We thank Governor DeSantis, President Simpson, Speaker Sprowls and the Florida Legislature for their leadership and hard work.”

Washington, D.C.

Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted against the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that passed the Senate the day before voting against the even more massive $3.5 trillion budget framework.

“I support investing in roads, bridges, broadband, and efforts to mitigate against sea level rise, and I hoped there would be a bill I could vote for,” Rubio said. “But this bill was negotiated in secret, rushed through the process without meaningful opportunities to have input, and adds a net increase of $350 billion to the national debt. I can’t vote for a bill like that.

“The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would add a net $350 billion to projected deficits through 2031. The package follows the Democrats’ irresponsible American Rescue Plan, which prompted Obama Administration economists to raise alarms over inflation. And it will be followed by “a massive, $3.5 trillion spending proposal through the U.S. Senate that would fundamentally transform America into a far-left fever dream.”

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Senator Marco Rubio, who is the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, is calling on the director of national intelligence to investigate allegations that the federal government “unmasked” Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Rubio wrote that recent media reports that “Mr. Carlson was unmasked by a government agency” have “only fueled the perception that unmasking is being used as a political hammer or to satisfy curiosity.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/566207-rubio-presses-dni-to-investigate-alleged-unmasking-of-tucker-carlson

REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state and you are integral to making that happen.

PAID FOR BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE. WWW.FLORIDA.GOP

Dear Members,

Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis hosted a roundtable discussion with doctors, experts, a school administrator, a concerned parent, and a high school student about efforts by the federal government to require children wear masks in school.

During the discussion the participants shared their insights and experiences about how mask mandates and school closures harm children. Over the past 18 months, Governor DeSantis has been very clear about the importance of keeping Florida open and free.

He has also advocated for parents and students by ensuring they have choices – giving them the ability to make decisions that are best for their families.

Governor DeSantis opened up the discussion with the following:

As many of you know, there’s been talk amongst the CDC, the Academy of Pediatrics to force masking on school children — I think the academy even says teachers and school children, regardless of even immune status, even if they’ve recovered from COVID or even if they have been vaccinated.

And so, we in Florida, at this point, our school districts have, proposed the mask optional. But I think our fear is that seeing some of those rumblings, that there be an attempt from the federal level or even some of these organizations to try to push for mandatory masking of school children. And so, our view is that this should absolutely not be imposed. It should not be mandated. And I know our legislature feels strongly about it, such that if, if you started to see a push from the feds or some of these local school districts, I know they’re interested in coming in, even in a special session to be able to provide protections for parents and kids who just want to breathe freely and don’t want to be suffering under these masks during the school year. ~~ Governor Ron DeSantis

Participants of the discussion included the following:

Jay Bhattacharya, a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and research associate at the National Bureau of Economics Research (NEBR). He is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, with an M.D. and Ph.D. Jay’s research has been cited over 11,000 times according to Google Scholar.
Cody Meissner, MD, a renowned pediatrician and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease and Professor of Pediatrics at the Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Meissner is a national authority on the well-being of children, having served on the AAP’s Committee of Infectious Disease, and the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC).
Mark McDonald, MD, a successful practitioner of over 14 years based out of Los Angeles who is a clinical psychiatrist with specific expertise working with children with autism, trauma, obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorders. Dr. McDonald works closely with families, schools, pediatricians and therapists to aid in his treatments.
David Withun, Head of School of Jacksonville Classical Academy. He is also a veteran of the United States Army, he holds an MA and Ph.D. in Humanities from Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala. Dr. Withun has taught History, Literature and Humanities and his writing has been published in several popular and academic outlets, including Classical Receptions Journal, Black Perspectives, Phylonand Forma Journal.
Anita Whitby Davis, a concerned parent and mother of two sons. Her sons attend the Governors Charter Academy in Tallahassee where she also works as a parent liaison at the school
Everett Thompson is a rising senior and lacrosse player at Maclay Highschool in Tallahassee and is very concerned about masks being required this year.
To watch the entire discussion or to read the transcript please click here.

Watch Roundtable Discussion: https://rumble.com/vkd74v-07.26-covid-19-roundtable.html

PAID FOR BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE. WWW.FLORIDA.GOP

Chairman’s Message

The Cuban people are peacefully protesting in historic numbers against the brutal Communist dictatorship that has made life deadly miserable for three generations. The people yearn to be free, to be heard, and Republicans will not equivocate: We stand for the Cuban people against the tyrants. We stand for freedom and against oppression. We stand for a new day for the island of Cuba, and against the old, bloody day. Let another Communist socialist tyranny be thrown into the dustbin of history.

We know the pivotal importance of this moment and are doing everything we can to support the people of Cuba.

Governor DeSantis sent a letter to President Biden Wednesday requesting federal assistance to provide Internet access to the people of Cuba who are standing up against Communist oppression and demanding a voice after decades of suffering under the yoke of a cruel dictatorship.

Read the full letter here: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/71421-Letter-to-POTUS.pdf

Senator Marco Rubio, a long-time tenacious opponent of the oppressive Communist regime, said on the floor of the U.S. Senate: “In 62 years of Communist tyranny on the island of Cuba, we have never seen, there’s never been, what now is up to 40 cities in which people took to the streets organically, unorganized, grassroots, to ask for the end of that tyranny.”

Do not be fooled. This is not about a failed response to Covid, as some in the Biden administration sadly want to claim. That may have been the spark, but the tinder of long suffering under a cruel despotism was waiting for any flare. This is about freedom for the 11 million people of Cuba, and the end of a long, dark era.

We Republicans stand with the Cuban people, and against the Cuban tyrants.

On Tuesday, Governor DeSantis was joined by Cuban-American leaders and elected officials in Miami for a roundtable supporting the Cuban people protesting the regime. The Governor called on the Biden Administration to take a strong stance against the oppressive, Communist regime.

Governor DeSantis said, “We stand with the people of Cuba. For far too long, a tyrannical Communist regime has oppressed its people and used its power to silence any dissidents. Now, the Cuban people are making their voices heard to demand freedom and an end to this dictatorship.”

So far, the Biden administration response has been predictably feeble.

“While the Cuban people are showing tremendous courage, the Biden Administration is showing cowardice. The Biden Administration has been weak in its statements, blaming COVID-19, and not mentioning socialism or communism. While the president and his spokespeople issue empty rhetoric, the federal government is inexplicably lifting sanctions in Venezuela. Right now, the Cuban regime is taking the measure of Washington.”

Read more of the Governor’s roundtable comments here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/13/governor-ron-desantis-holds-roundtable-to-support-the-cuban-people/

Florida Update

Team DeSantis launches @TeamRonDeSantis social media pages and merchandise store to connect with supporters and grassroots dedicated to Keeping Florida Free. The Team DeSantis store launch was a big big success–receiving national attention.

Team DeSantis “Dont Fauci My Florida” merchandise receives national attention.

Governor DeSantis has ensured Florida is an oasis of freedom, and we’ll be darned if we let federal bureaucrats and absurd government overreach mess with that! Team DeSantis is a great opportunity to have some lighthearted fun and give his supporters a chance to feel even more connected with his message of keeping Florida free.

The store includes Don’t Fauci My Florida merchandise that highlights Fauci’s flawed and devastating policies. Universal lockdowns, the closing of schools, including places of worship in some states, masking mandates for children as young as three, are not only unnecessary, but also have a negative impact on mental health. In Florida, we are fortunate to have the bold leadership of Governor DeSantis to support Floridians in the best way possible and you can bet he isn’t going to allow anyone to Fauci our Florida.

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Corporate media continues to get covid wrong in Florida. They have suggested COVID-19 cases are spiking in Florida, which is absurd, especially when you consider how far we have come from a year ago. Because of Governor DeSantis’ focus to put seniors first and protect the most vulnerable, deaths and cases in long term care facilities have decreased precipitously:

Since vaccinations were initially available late last year in Florida:

Deaths overall have reduced by 95%.
Cases overall have reduced by 83%.
Deaths in long-term care facilities have reduced by 97%.
Cases in long-term care facilities have reduced by 91%.
Cases in individuals over 65 have decreased by 90%.
Deaths in individuals over 65 have decreased by 95%.
The total number of daily reported deaths with COVID-19 continues to hover under 35, as it has now for the past two weeks. In that timeframe, it has been the lowest 7-day average of deaths recorded since early April 2020 when the pandemic began.

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Great leadership is about more than the next election, it’s about building and maintaining foundations for a better future for coming generations. To that end, Governor DeSantis has made Florida a national leader in top quality civics education in our public schools.

With that in mind, Governor DeSantis announced $106 million to establish the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative. The money will be used to award qualified teachers with the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence, which includes a $3,000 bonus for educators who complete training to earn the endorsement. The funding will also be used to expedite the implementation of Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards civics curriculum in public schools.

“We have a responsibility to ensure our students are prepared to be great citizens,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “That is why we created a new civics curriculum in Florida and are making this important investment of more than $106 million. By July 4, 2026, our country’s 250th anniversary, we will make sure every K-12 student in Florida is educated with our new civics curriculum.”

The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative has been a huge success. More than 161 schools from 48 districts with more than 5,500 students expected to participate in the coming school year.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/13/governor-ron-desantis-launches-national-model-civic-literacy-initiative/

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In June, Governor DeSantis signed legislation that is setting the pace for civics education in America. You can read more about that here:

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The state of Florida has awarded grants totaling more than $30 million to improve infrastructure, community redevelopment and job creation in small and rural Florida communities.

Department of Economic Opportunity and Enterprise Florida Inc. awarded $29 million through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, $1.2 million through the Community Planning Technical Assistance grant program, $280,000 through the Competitive Florida Partnership grant program and $198,500 through the Rural Expansion Toolkit initiative.

“Florida’s rural communities are vital to the wellbeing and prosperity of our state, and my administration is committed to helping them thrive,” Governor DeSantis said in announcing the grants.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/12/governor-desantis-announces-more-than-30-million-to-improve-infrastructure-community-redevelopment-and-job-creation-in-small-and-rural-florida-communities/

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Governor DeSantis announced that the Florida Department of Education awarded $44 million in federal Unified School Improvement Grant (UniSIG) funds to support 149 struggling schools in 29 districts.

“It can be hard for struggling schools to recruit and retain top talent, and today I’m proud to announce $44 million to address this problem,” Governor DeSantis said. “I have consistently said that the number one way to create great opportunities for our students is by ensuring they have great teachers. In Florida, we will continue to take a strategic, data-driven approach to make our schools the best in the country.”

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/14/governor-ron-desantis-announces-44-million-to-support-floridas-most-vulnerable-students-and-schools/

Governor DeSantis made three judicial appointments this week, to the First Circuit Court, Eighteenth Circuit Court, and the Lee County Court:

David Oberliesen, of Niceville, was appointed to serve as Judge on the First Circuit Court;
Christopher Sprysenski, of Sanford, to serve as Judge on the Eighteenth Circuit Court;
Nicole Mirra, of Fort Myers, to serve as Judge on the Lee County Court.
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/12/governor-ron-desantis-makes-three-judicial-appointments-2/

Social Media Highlights

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