The Buzz | Cutting through the noise on 2 big political issues

Plus: Major cracks in the state's case against felons who improperly voted

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View this on the Web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Thursday, September 1, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning.   There was some big news this week about the federal investigation into former President Donald Trump's keeping of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The Justice Department said the documents were “likely concealed and removed” from the estate as part of an effort to obstruct the investigation. And in court filings, DOJ included a photo of documents, many of them with "Top Secret" cover pages seized during the FBI search.   According to news reports, Trump has hired a politically connected Florida lawyer, Chris Kise. This 2018 story about Kise is a great window into his background, including his involvement in another big Florida political story: the FBI investigation into Andrew Gillum.    — Emily L. Mahoney, emahoney@tampabay.com [MATIAS J. OCNER | MIAMI HERALD] Cutting through the noise on two hot-button topics The Rundown: One benefit I hope you get from this newsletter is a sense of the context and underlying facts behind big political issues.    This week, I have several stories to share that will hopefully will do just that:   The story behind the sound bytes: Democratic nominee for governor Charlie Crist recently announced his running mate is Karla Hernández-Mats, the leader of the Miami-Dade teachers' union.    Almost immediately, Republicans cited her connections to a Miami teacher, Wendell Nibbs, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for two counts of sexual battery against minors.   The details got quickly muddled in the political back-and-forth.   Times reporter Colleen Wright, who first broke the Nibbs story in Miami, lays out the timeline of that scandal, including what we know about the relationship between Hernández-Mats and Nibbs, who was involved in the union.   Next up: Gov. Ron DeSantis has amped up his rhetoric against medical care for trans kids, saying that doctors are giving "very young girls double mastectomies" and "they want to castrate these young boys."   Health and medicine reporter Christopher O'Donnell dug into the numbers of children receiving gender-affirming care covered by Medicaid, and found that treatment, especially surgeries, is rare.   But for those youths who are seeking treatment, the political rhetoric is having a chilling effect on doctors' willingness to provide it. A 16-year-old transgender boy in St. Petersburg, for example, who had for years discussed getting surgery with his parents, doctors and psychiatrist, recently had his procedure canceled.  If you read nothing else this week... Cracks in state's case against felons who improperly voted: DeSantis touted his new election crimes office when he announced the arrest of 20 felons who improperly voted. But evidence is stacking up that it was his administration's responsibility to prevent them from doing so.  Records show Florida Power & Light financed spoiler candidate: Yet more questions are arising about the utility company's interference in elections after documents revealed payments by the company were directed to a county commission candidate in Miami-Dade.  What we're watching Is Florida still a swing state? Or has it become firmly red? The November election will determine an answer. Help from the West: California governor and possible future presidential candidate Gavin Newsom pledged $100,000 to Crist's campaign to unseat DeSantis.    Results are in. Are Florida's public universities too liberal? The answers from the controversial "intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” survey mandated by the Legislature have arrived. Here's how students and staff responded.  What we're buzzing about  More local suspensions: DeSantis suspended four members of the Broward County School Board over what he said was “incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority" identified by a grand jury examining the failures surrounding the Parkland mass shooting.   It's official. After a required recount, Hillsborough County's rejection of a schools tax is final.    "Our biggest advantage." James Judge, the Republican running to unseat U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor in Tampa's heavily blue district, is embracing being the underdog.    On the issues: Where Crist and DeSantis each stand on six big issues facing Florida including abortion, guns and the rising cost of living. PLUS: Crist officially resigned from his seat in Congress yesterday.   "With the chief." U.S. Rep. Val Demings says women have the power to swing the election against incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio.    Resilience against hate. Over the weekend, a group of people stood on an overpass in Tampa Bay with Nazi flags. This summer, a group has been leaving antisemitic flyers on doorsteps. The Florida Holocaust Museum said it's an opportunity to bring the community together.  Get the latest coverage from the Times Subscribe to the Tampa Bay Times in print or online to get the full story on local, state and national politics from Emily L. Mahoney and the rest of the Buzz team. Subscribe now! Your Thursday distraction [NELVIN C. CEPEDA | The San Diego Union-Tribune] I hope you all have a safe and happy Labor Day on Monday.   While contemplating the meaning of the holiday, Times columnist Stephanie Hayes says we should all try applying the TikTok-famous concept of "Quiet Quitting" to ... lots of burdens in our lives.  This week's newsletter was compiled by political editor Emily L. Mahoney. Contact Emily L. Mahoney at emahoney@tampabay.com. Follow @mahoneysthename. Did someone forward this to you? Get The Buzz in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, Conditions & Copyright Standard of accuracy © 2022 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. 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