By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Two months ago, when I first started writing about the disappointing dearth of Democratic candidates filing for state legislative offices, there were 58 Senate and House seats in which Republicans would be a shoo-in because they were unopposed.

I’m pleased to report that since then, thanks to the ongoing efforts of volunteer recruiters, that gap is closing.

As of today, there are now only 17 seats left to be filled, according to Project 140, the statewide Democratic-candidate recruiting initiative.

There are four weeks left before candidates must begin filing their paperwork to qualify to be on the midterm election ballot (or the August primary ballot if they have intraparty competition).

At the rate candidates are being recruited, organizers have a decent shot at ensuring every Republican running for the Florida Legislature will have to earn their seat by facing off against a Democratic opponent.

But the homestretch is always the hardest part of the race, so organizers aren’t taking their foot off the gas.

“We’ve got a bunch more folks to find before the end of May,” says Margie Stein, the Naples volunteer who is heading up the Project 140 initiative.

Of interest, Stein also reports that among the 41 Democratic candidates rounded up over the past couple of months, “we have recruited about 10 folks who are under 30 years old.”

By the numbers

Project 140 derives its name from the number of seats up for grabs during any Florida legislative election. While there are a total of 160 House and Senate seats in the Legislature, only 20 of the 40 senators must run in any given election. (Senators serve four-year terms; House members, two-year terms.)

When the project launched, there were 47 State House seats and 11 State Senate seats with no Democrats running.

Today, Stein reports there are only 12 State House seats and 5 State Senate seats left to find Democrats who are willing to throw their hats into the ring.

This is about more than the Legislature

One of the arguments for ensuring Democrats are on the ballot is the carry-over impact on the rest of the statewide races.

Local Democratic candidates and their supporters help register voters, knock on doors, and generally stimulate voter turnout.

So, while it is certain that some of these candidates in ruby red districts may not succeed, you have to define what winning looks like. If they bring out more Democratic or like-minded independent voters, those votes can roll up into races for Governor and U.S. Senator and make the difference between winning or losing in a tight race.

The lesson of history…

As I have previously reported:

Consider the year 2000, when Florida was the epicenter of national controversy. The election between Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush of Texas was so close that it ended up in the Supreme Court. By the time the court stopped the recount of ballots and Al Gore conceded the election, Bush was ahead by only 537 votes.

While this razor-thin presidential election was taking place, Florida, at that time, had 23 congressional districts. In seven of them, though, Republicans ran unopposed.

And in eight out of the 20 state Senate districts, no Democrats were running either, and in 30 of the 120 state House districts, Republicans were also unopposed.

“If you look at any of the data about what happens when you have candidates running, knocking on doors, inspiring voters to turn out … you know that turnout goes up,” said David Pepper, former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, often quoted by Project 140 organizers.

Theoretically, Gore might have won in 2000 if Democrats had simply fielded candidates in those unopposed races. It would have been enough even if the difference was only one additional vote for every 10 precincts in the state (there are about 5,600 precincts statewide).

There’s no way to actually prove that, of course. Every election is different. Republicans facing opposing candidates also would have been motivated to work harder to turn out more voters, so it’s impossible to know.

But the argument is this:

“In this year of years, it is all the more important that we get everybody out to vote because we have the possibility to elect a Democratic senator and a Democratic governor,” Stein says. “Whether a local statehouse seat wins or loses is not the point. If we pick up margins, those votes—even if we lose (locally)—they will help the candidates at the top of the ticket.”

With so many Republicans riding President Donald Trump’s coattails, and with Trump’s popularity underwater in public opinion polls, some offices now with Republican incumbents might be up for grabs—both in the state Legislature and Congress. That’s the theory, anyway.

“Anything within 10 points is winnable,” Stein says. “Some people say it’s 14 points, so I’ll take 10.”

You can help

There is still time to consider tossing your own hat into the ring. How do you go about doing that? Here’s where you can get some more information:

More Information

email Project 140

Thanks, Trump

As reported earlier this week, Spirit Airlines, based in South Florida, has ceased operations after failing to secure a government bailout from the Trump administration.

The airline was already in financial trouble, but the skyrocketing cost of jet fuel—a problem created wholly by Donald Trump and his indefensible war against Iran—was the straw that broke Spirit’s back.

Now, the airline is sharing the number of lost jobs, and they are in the thousands.

As reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

In a filing with the State of Florida, Spirit said it eliminated more than 4,000 jobs in South and Central Florida, with the job losses concentrated at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the company’s headquarters in Dania Beach, Miami International Airport, and two sites at Orlando International Airport.

The locations and eliminations reported by the company to Florida Commerce:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International: 2,529

• Spirit Support Center, Dania Beach: 551

• Miami International: 151

• Orlando International: 796.

  ---

Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

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With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

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The legal challenge to Florida’s redrawn congressional maps—designed to cut in half Democrats’ representation in Congress—asks a crucial question: Why is it that DeSantis and Florida Republicans think they can blatantly ignore the Florida Constitution and the instructions of their own voters?

By Mitch Perry

Florida Phoenix

As predicted, a lawsuit has been filed against the Florida congressional redistricting map signed into law Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Equal Ground Education Fund, a Black-led organization that works to increase Black political power in Florida, filed a 71-page lawsuit in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County on behalf of 18 individual plaintiffs who live throughout the state. The suit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to stop the new map from going into effect.

The map, created by DeSantis’ office and approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature last week, is expected to give Republicans as many as four new seats to add to the 20 out of 28 seats they already represent in Florida.

“The 2026 Plan is, by traditional measures of partisan gerrymandering, one of the most extreme gerrymanders in American history,” the complaint declares.

The lawsuit says that the GOP-controlled Legislature approved and DeSantis signed into law a map that violates the 2010 Fair Districts Amendments, which prohibits drawing congressional (and state legislative) districts that favor incumbents or a political party.

The lawsuit notes that Jason Poreda, the governor’s map drawer, admitted when speaking before the Legislature last week that he used partisan data. Additionally, Mo Jazil, the governor’s attorney, and David Axelman, the governor’s general counsel, confirmed before the Legislature that the map’s legal justification depends on the Florida Supreme Court striking down Fair Districts in their entirety.

Both attorneys said last week that they believe the Fair Districts ban on drawing districts to diminish racial or language minorities’ ability to elect representatives of their choice violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and thus is unenforceable. They also argued that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case last week confirms their premise.

“[M]ost remarkably, having argued that the Fair Districts Amendment’s race-related protections are unconstitutional, Axelman argued that the entire Fair Districts Amendment must fall with them, including the Amendment’s prohibition on partisan gerrymandering and Tier II requirements to draw compact districts and to use political and geographic boundaries where feasible,” the lawsuit says.

“That conclusion is not only legally baseless, it is transparently convenient, as it would free the Legislature to engage in precisely the kind of partisan gamesmanship that Florida voters amended their Constitution to prohibit.”

The lead law firm working for the plaintiffs is the Elias Law Group, a Washington firm that has previously handled much of the Democratic Party’s redistricting litigation.

‘Carving up the state’

The lawsuit notes that Jazil acknowledged that DeSantis’ nonseverability argument — that the entirety of Fair Districts would be unenforceable, including its ban on partisan gerrymandering, if its race-related provisions are unconstitutional — “is the Governor’s own legal theory, not a conclusion any court has reached. Nor is it a conclusion that the Florida Supreme Court is likely to reach.”

Regarding that nonseverability argument, the lawsuit notes that veteran Republican Sen. Don Gaetz does not agree. Speaking on the floor of the Senate last week as he presented the bill, Gaetz said, “I believe that the rest of the Fair Districts Amendment could and should and ought to stand. I don’t think we should do gerrymandering on the basis of political partisanship. … I believe that we should be required to follow all of the other demands of the Fair Districts Amendment.”

The suit says the new map “radically reshapes” Florida’s congressional lines, “carving up the State to the benefit of the Republican Party.”

It notes the plan splits the heavily Democratic city of Tampa into three separate districts, none of which contains a majority of Tampa’s population, pairing them with “faraway, rural voters.” And it says that the plan splits the Democratic-leaning population of Orlando five ways, “even though it only has the population for two congressional districts.”

In South Florida, the lawsuit says, the way the map carves up voters to make it harder for Democrats to win “is nothing less than shocking.”

And it says that in North Florida, no changes have been made whatsoever — specifically congressional districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 — all of which have reliably elected Republicans.

That’s despite the fact that “they have some of the fastest growing populations including in St. John’s County (CDs 5 and 6) and Flagler County (CD 6) both of which the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research reports have grown by more than 20% since 2020, which is, of course, one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ main purported justification for the need to redraw districts.”

“The question is not whether this map is a partisan gerrymander, because it is,” said Elias Law Group Partner Abha Khanna in a statement. “The question is why Governor DeSantis and Florida Republicans think they can blatantly ignore the Florida Constitution and the instructions of their own voters.”

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Florida Senate and Florida House are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Leave a comment

Mitch Perry, the reporter on this story, has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades. Most recently he is the former politics reporter for Bay News 9. He has also worked at Florida Politics, Creative Loafing and WMNF Radio in Tampa. He was also part of the original staff when the Florida Phoenix was created in 2018.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. This story is republished with their permission. To support Florida Phoenix, click here:

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It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. That includes both original reporting and shared contributions such as today’s story from the Florida Phoenix.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

We’ve all noticed that our dollars don’t seem to buy as much as they used to.

For that, we can thank Donald Trump. Since he took office, the value of the dollar compared to other currencies around the globe has slipped 10 percent. That represents the steepest decline in the greenback’s value in more than 50 years—and it all started at the beginning of Trump’s second term.

And what does the president have to say about that?

“You make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar.”

Which may be true if you happen to be, say, one of Trump’s billionaire pals selling goods overseas where the buying power of foreign currencies is now stronger than our own.

But back on the home front, if you or I are trying to buy something imported, or we’re on vacation in, say, Mexico—the top foreign destination for Americans—suddenly everything costs more than it used to.

Take the peso, for instance. The dollar is now 16 percent weaker against the peso than it was in early 2025. (Which explains the higher cost of tequila, unwelcome news on the eve of Cinco de Mayo.)

The same is true for the Euro and other currencies.

Good for big exporters, not so good for ordinary consumers.

But who am I to argue with Donald Trump on financial advice? I mean, have I ever bankrupted a casino? So, what do I know?

Then again, the Associated Press knows. This news comes to us courtesy of Matt Sedensky of the AP in a report he released Sunday.

He quoted an economist on what this means for you and me:

“It’s kind of a hidden tax,” Thomas Savidge of the conservative-leaning American Institute for Economic Research said. “What your dollar is going to be able to buy is going to shrink.”

Trump’s tariffs are another hidden tax. While he billed his extra-legal imposition of tariffs as a boon for the economy, what they really are is yet another way imported goods cost more.

Add to that his war in Iran, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz and caused the cost of fuel to skyrocket (and put Florida-based Spirit Airlines out of business), and it’s not surprising that Trump’s poll numbers are circling the drain.

ABC News released its latest polling data yesterday, showing that two-thirds of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction.

With gasoline prices at a four-year high, this poll indicates Trump’s overall approval rating has dipped to 37 percent “and his 62 percent disapproval rating is a record high over both presidential terms.”

Trump’s disapproval rating would be even higher but for the fact he’s managed to hang on to the MAGA faithful, with fully 85 percent of Republicans still expressing confidence in his leadership.

Further evidence that reality is not always more powerful than fiction.

Leave a comment

Related:

Two-thirds of Americans say country is headed in the wrong direction: ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll

How a weaker dollar is quietly making life more expensive

J.C. Bruce is the founder of the Tropic Press newsletter and website. He’s an award-winning journalist and author who holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

That’s a problem you can help solve.

With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

That Was The Week That Was

The big story of the week in Florida was, of course, the Legislature’s rubber-stamping Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hastily redrawn map of the state’s congressional districts to further gerrymander Republican odds in the midterm elections.

As a result, it’s possible that the number of Democrats in Congress from Florida could shrink from eight to four. And DeSantis made no secret that it was done for partisan advantage despite a constitutional prohibition.

Lawsuits to block the changes will doubtless be forthcoming, but whether they can stop this miscarriage of justice before the midterm elections is uncertain.

I covered that extensively during the week, and there are links to those stories below.

In other news…

Trump’s illegal war in Iran claims yet another victim—Florida-based Spirit Airlines.

The rising price of jet fuel because of the war in Iran was the final nail in Spirit Airlines’ coffin.

While the pioneering low-cost carrier worked through two bankruptcies and other internal cost-cutting measures, it couldn’t make it with the cost of fuel roughly doubling, a direct result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Its last flight landed Saturday.

The airline, headquartered in Dania Beach, had reached out to the White House for help, hoping President Donald Trump might intervene, but they got a cold shoulder. Might not have helped that Spirit is not on the list of companies donating to Trump’s bloated ballroom project.

DeSantis pushed lawmakers to purge Medicaid, and his scheme could come back to life in the next special session of the legislature.

Independent journalist Jason Garcia has disclosed that Florida’s governor pushed a plan in the latest regular session of the State Legislature that would have cost nearly 100,000 Floridians their health insurance.

From his report:

Aides to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly devised a plan to kick as many as 100,000 Floridians off their health insurance — including mothers of children as young as six years old…

The DeSantis plan reflected the longtime wishes of a constellation of conservative policy groups, particularly the Foundation for Government Accountability, a Naples-based think tank that has worked closely with the DeSantis administration during his tenure as governor. DeSantis has adopted many FGA priorities as his own — including, most recently, efforts to weaken child-labor laws and to erect additional barriers to unemployment benefits…

With DeSantis leaning in, Republican leaders in the Florida Senate muscled the proposed Medicaid purge through their chamber on a party-line vote. But the legislation was never considered in the House of Representatives…

But the idea is by no means dead. It could potentially be resurrected later this month, when Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature convenes for a special session to finalize a new state budget.

Read the full story here

Former Miami Congressman David Rivera is convicted of secretly lobbying for Maduro’s Venezuela.

A former Miami congressman and longtime friend of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been convicted in connection with a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on behalf of Venezuela that took place during the first Trump administration.

Jurors found Republican David Rivera and an associate, Esther Nuhfer, guilty on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent with the Justice Department and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of their work for former President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a Sharpie to the state’s congressional districts, Democrats aren’t throwing in the towel.

Democratic U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz says that despite the state Legislature’s unconstitutional redraw, she will run for re-election to the House in the coming midterm election. Her old district went for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election by about 5 percent, a safe district for Democrats. Now, her district sprawls into ruby red parts of the state, including Collier County, and went for Trump by about 10 points.

“The easiest decision for me to make is that I’m running,” she said.

And in the truth is stranger than fiction category …

There are rumors flying that Amazon is discussing a reboot of the reality TV show, The Apprentice, that starred Donald Trump and, arguably, afforded him the level of fame and fandom without which he never would have become president.

But who to star this time?

Insiders say—and I am not making this up—Donald Trump Jr., his son.

Leave a comment

Meme of the Week

Quote of the Week

“This is clearly unconstitutional. This is gerrymandered map-rigging, and I don’t see how anybody can support it.”

— Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton on the new congressional maps approved by the state Legislature

Letter of the Week

I want to shout out to every registered voter in Florida that we all be of one mind. Upholding our rights for equality, freedom of speech and most importantly holding those in the Florida legislature accountable by voting for new leadership. If we do not change, then we will only continue to repeat the past. I for one feel mortified by the actions of our State and Country and how we are now perceived by other nations. Be the change you want to see in the world!

— Karen

Looking Ahead

How long will it take before lawsuits are filed to block the Legislature’s redraw of the state’s congressional districts? That will be one of the stories we will be monitoring this week.

Also…

May the Fourth Be With You. Yes, it’s Star Wars Day on, of course, May 4, a time to celebrate your inner Wookie. You can read all about the origins of the holiday in my Florida Weekly column here:

Onward Thru the Fog

Some people say the pun is the lowest form of humor. Before you jump on that bandwagon, you may want to consider the next item…

May 5 is Cinco de Mayo, commemorating the loss of the British cargo ship HMS Hellman that went aground off the coast of Veracruz in 1878, taking its cargo of mayonnaise to Davey Jones’ Locker. The sinking of the mayo was a gastronomical catastrophe.

(It is possible that it also commemorates the victory of valiant Mexican troops over the forces of Napoleon III in Puebla, Mexico, in 1862, an event hardly anyone in the actual country of Mexico celebrates, but it has turned into a great excuse to eat tacos and drink margaritas here in the U.S.)

May 6 is Touron Day—well, it is formally known as Tourist Appreciation Day, but along about now our “appreciation” for snowbirds has about run its course, and we eagerly await their flocking back north where they belong.

May 7 is the National Day of Prayer, an event, as I note in yet another Florida Weekly column, when politicians who otherwise are never seen near a church make a big deal about how pious they are by arranging photo ops at the nearest sanctuary. For the nation’s 250th anniversary, a major “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving” is also scheduled for May 17 on the National Mall, doubling the photo-ops.

May 12-29. The next special session of the state Legislature is scheduled, with its primary topic the state budget, which it failed to complete in its earlier regular session. That said, we need to be watchful of other issues that might be added on, as Jason Garcia noted earlier in this column.

Last Week’s Tropic Press headlines

In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that headlined Tropic Press this past week.

Trump travels to The Villages for a safe place to brag about the tottering economy

SeaShellGate: If Comey can be prosecuted, then none of us are safe from Trump’s goons

UPDATE: House blocks DeSantis on vaccines and AI; will vote on gerrymandering Wednesday

Voting rights take it on the chin in Washington and Tallahassee today

ASK THE BIRD: Are the seashells rising up in protest all on their own?

Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

That’s a problem you can help solve.

With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Editor’s Note: We take a break from hard news every Saturday morning to let Hermina Hermelinda Obregon, a.k.a. Miss Mingo, share her insights with readers. She’s a recovering newspaper reporter living in a bungalow off Duval Street in Key West, where she answers the pressing questions of the day about life, the news, and the best happy hour prices. You can support her bar tab by becoming a paid subscriber.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

Ever since former FBI director James Comey was indicted, I have been concerned about my seashell collection and fearful that federal agents may be breaking down my patio door at any moment.

It’s the weirdest thing, kinda like the way hoses and ropes manage to get tangled all by themselves, my shells have—all on their own, I swear—started spelling things where I have them laid out on my poolside table.

Here’s a picture I took just this morning:

I am now concerned that my seashells may be possessed and are doing this just to get me in trouble. So, here’s my question:

Do seashells get mad at us when we collect them from the beach? And could this be their revenge?

Creeped Out in Coral Gables

Dear Creeped:

Just because you may possess seashells, that does not mean they are possessed. Two different things.

However, it has been my experience that if the shells still contain their critters, those mollusks may try to escape, and I suppose it is within the realm of the possible that given an infinite number of mollusks over an infinite period of time, they might spell out something.

For instance, just the other day, when I was in Palm Beach, I saw some conchs on the beach near Mar-a-Lago crawling around, and for a brief moment, I thought I noticed a pattern. Here’s a picture I shot with my iPhone:

DEAR MISS MINGO:

I truly can’t believe the Dumpster Fire administration is going to court over seashell art.....I mean it generally sucks, but it’s not sedition. I feel it deserves a little tongue twister:

She sells seashells by the seashore,

but Comey’s shells made forty-seven sore.

8-6, 4-7 scratched in the sand one fine day,

and the big baby cried till his hair turned gray.

Seashells! Sedition! The tantrum was grand,

the most powerful man... can’t stand the hot sand.

He bellowed and bawled and bleated and stewed …

while Comey just walked and enjoyed the view.

So, she sells seashells by the seashore still,

and 47’s lawyers are trying again until

some judge takes a look at this whole sorry case

and tosses the shells right back in his face.

Petty in Pinellas

Dear Petty:

Further evidence that some of the most creative writing here on Tropic Press comes from our readers. Thanks.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

So, the Florida legislature has gerrymandered the hell out of the state’s congressional districts, and the U.S. Supreme Court just shot the Voting Rights Act in the head. What does that mean for the upcoming midterm elections?

Apoplectic in Apalachicola

Dear Apoplectic:

Nothing good.

The decision in Tallahassee was bad enough, but now the Roberts Court has decided that any protections minorities had against being excluded from equal representation in Congress is out the window.

If you draw political boundaries that allow Blacks to have a voice, then you are automatically discriminating against poor, beleaguered white people. Or so the court seems to be reasoning, which is exactly what Gov. Ron DeSantis argued the other day, too.

Maybe they’re all possessed. By something. Racism, maybe?

Got a question for Miss Mingo? About life, the news, or clever ways to avoid paying bar tabs? Write to her at MissMingo@Tropic.Press

ASK MISS MINGO

Hermina Hermelinda Obregon—a.k.a. Miss Mingo—was an award-winning newspaper reporter before she involuntarily joined the diaspora of journalists leaving the newspaper profession. She now lives with her two cats—Deadline and Dateline—and her pet iguana Skippy. If you wander the streets (and bars) of Key West, you’ll doubtless run into her. She’ll be the woman wearing the ridiculous flamingo hat. If you want an autograph, you’ll have to buy her a Cuba Libre. There’s more about her here.

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And now, some shameless advertising…

The official Tropic Press Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo merch online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:

Tropic Press Store

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

President Donald Trump may be wary of appearing anywhere outside the protective womb of his new bloated ballroom, but the next most comfortable destination could be his planned stop in Florida today:

The Villages.

The retirement enclave is home to more than 130,000 retirees, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by 3-1.

He’s returning to his adoptive home state for a rally where he plans to brag about the economy and all the benefits derived from his One Big Beautiful Budget Bill.

So, how is the economy really doing?

Substack columnist John Ellis reports today that the national debt now exceeds 100 percent of our gross national product.

Said in the simplest terms, we now have more total indebtedness as a nation than we generate in revenue every year. This is a worrisome milestone because we haven’t been in this much red ink since the end of World War II.

The numbers:

We owe $31.265 trillion.

Each year, we make $31.216 trillion.

Meaning our accumulated debt is now more than 100 percent of our income.

As Ellis notes:

The government is spending $1.33 for every dollar it collects in revenue, and the budget deficit this year is projected at $1.9 trillion. That is little changed from 2025 as Republicans’ tax cuts kick in before their spending cuts take effect.

You can thank Trump’s budget bill for that. But, hey, billionaires need their yachts.

Gasoline prices are now around $4.18 to $4.30 a gallon as the price of oil has surged to more than $120 per barrel and is expected to continue to rise.

Why?

The illegal war in Iran launched by our Peace-Prize coveting president, an illegal conflict that has shut the Strait of Hormuz, which no other president in the history of our country was stupid enough to launch.

And, generally, the cost of everything is up, thanks to the tax Trump has levied on imported products in the form of tariffs, which the Supreme Court has ruled he had no authority to impose.

Closer to home, Florida’s unemployment rate is now higher than the national average at 4.6 percent, and the state’s growth rate (as reported here earlier) is shrinking due mostly to skyrocketing cost-of-living factors.

Back to Trump’s planned bunker on the site of what used to be the East Wing of the White House, a new poll released by the Washington Post shows that 56 of Americans oppose it.

Trump says he needs it so he can be shielded from any further attempts on his life.

I’m afraid I will have to agree with him on one point:

If he thinks it’s best that he not be seen anywhere in public again, I’m all for it.

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

That’s a problem you can help solve.

With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

Not happy with the news coming out of Tallahassee? Do something about it.

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot.

Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

email Project 140

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Google had a surprise for me when I plopped down at my desk to start writing today’s column.

Whatever I had planned to scribble about evaporated immediately from my mind when I saw the curious Route 66 addition to the search engine’s logo.

Turns out, Google has partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to celebrate the famous roadway’s 100th anniversary in what it is calling the Route 66 Rewind Project.

Route 66, of course, is the iconic American highway, from Chicago to Santa Monica, 2,400 miles long, traipsing its way through towns and cities, large and small, a genuine slice of Americana.

Many of my generation were first introduced to the roadway by the eponymous TV series, Route 66, originally starring Martin Milner (Tod) and George Maharis (Buz), two young men, looking for meaning in their lives, who decide to hop in a Corvette convertible and explore America, encountering adventure and crime along the way.

The show lasted for 116 episodes over four years, starting in 1960. Cast members changed along the journey, and, interesting enough for those of us living in the Sunshine State, concluded in Tampa, which is nowhere near Route 66 at all, as you can see:

Those little red circles? If you launch Google and click on the clever Route 66 icon, it takes you to this interactive map where you can see some of the interesting stops along the way from the Midwest to the Left Coast.

One of my favorites spots along the trail, although I don’t know if it is one of the red dots, is in Oklahoma, where you can visit the Blue Whale of Catoosa, which for reasons I can’t quite explain, I find totally fascinating.

Using the interactive video, you can drive the route, yourself, and visit the towns as they look today and how, using AI, old photographs and other tricks, what it must have looked like when Tod and Buz were prowling the countryside, getting into trouble.

And as you can see, during a portion of that interactive experience, there’s the whale! Right on the dash! I want it!

Route 66 was dubbed The Mother Road in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, recognizing how the highway served as a migratory path for Americans escaping the Dust Bowl for a better life in California.

Just as Tod and Buz were trying to do.

You can join them on that journey by clicking on this link:

Route 66

I got so distracted playing with it that I finally gave up on writing about politics this morning.

So, I’m giving myself a brief break from all that madness. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t spend this time together ranting about Trump’s new 15-foot golden statue of himself that looks exactly like Kim Jong Un or that the new National Parks pass has Trump’s mugshot plastered next to George Washington’s, who has to feel violated by that.

I’ll get back to all that later. Right now, I’m getting back behind the wheel. Maybe I’ll see you there. Next stop: Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Joseph City, Arizona.

Footnotes:

The Blue Whale of Catoosa is a famous, whimsical Route 66 roadside attraction located in Catoosa, Oklahoma (2600 N State Hwy 66). Built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s as an anniversary gift for his wife, this 80-foot, iconic blue concrete structure sits in a pond, offering free admission for picnics and photos.

Competition for roles in Route 66 was fierce. Robert Redford, who later appeared as a guest star in one of the episodes, originally tried out for the role of Tod. Martin Milner beat him out.

Route 66 was established in 1926, but it took another 12 years before all the sections of the road were fully paved. It was “decommissioned” in 1985, having been rendered obsolete by the interstate highway system. However, sections of the road still exist as “Historic Route 66.”

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

That’s a problem you can help solve.

With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

Not happy with the news coming out of Tallahassee? Do something about it.

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot.

Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

email Project 140

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Voting rights took a one-two punch today from Washington and Tallahassee.

In D.C., the Supreme Court, as widely expected, threw out a Louisiana congressional-district map drawn to create a second minority district in a state in which a third of the population is Black.

Louisiana has six seats in Congress, and under the map before the court, that allowed two out of those six seats to be held by Blacks, directly proportional to the state’s minority population.

But in a 6-3 decision, the majority Republican court threw that out calling it “racial gerrymandering.”

The ramifications of this indefensible decision will likely be felt all over the country, although in Florida, the other epicenter of voting rights distress today, racial considerations in drawing congressional maps had already been ruled unconstitutional.

And while the Supremes were gutting a key safeguard of the Voting Rights Act, the Florida Legislature, also as expected, voted to approve Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hastily reconfigured congressional district map blatantly designed to squeeze four Democrats out of office.

Currently, 20 out of the state’s 28 congressional seats are held by Republicans. DeSantis believes with this newly redrawn map—finally sketched out over this past weekend—those numbers could change to 24-4.

Here’s what one independent candidate for the Florida House had to say about that:

“This is subjugation without representation,” Chadd Charland of Fernandina Beach said. “Race neutral? Try race neutralized, perhaps. The map effectively neutralizes minority voters. Forty-one percent of Florida voters are registered Republicans. The governor’s new map gives 86 percent of Florida’s congressional representation to Republicans. Forty-one does not equal 86, and you should 86 this map.”

In the Florida Senate, the vote was 21-17 with four Republicans and one independent voting with Democrats to oppose the map. In the House, the vote was along party lines, although, interestingly, no Republican spoke up in the bill’s favor even though voting for it.

Democrats and other groups are certain to oppose this decision in court, although it should be noted that six of the seven justices on the Florida Supreme Court were appointed by DeSantis.

It should also be remembered that in drawing up this map, Republicans were using the 2024 election results to plot out how to move voters around. That was a presidential election year, and Trump voters turned out en masse. Since then, Trump’s approval rating has plummeted while Democrats in multiple elections have outperformed expectations.

One risk of this move by DeSantis is that in order to undercut Democratic strongholds, he had to weaken Republican districts by moving out G.O.P voters. It is entirely possible that if large numbers of Republicans sit out or switch alliances, and if independents side with Democrats, this entire maneuver could backfire.

That is already a concern in Texas, where this stampede to redraw congressional maps began at Trump’s urging.

They’re now calling that a dummymander.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. But there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.

That’s a problem you can help solve.

With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn our state and this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends.

If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

Not happy with the news coming out of Tallahassee? Do something about it.

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot.

Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

email Project 140

By Bob Brecha

Tropic Press Contributor

Donald Trump recently attacked Spain for its “disastrous economic figures” and asked, “Has anyone noticed how badly Spain is doing? Its economic figures, despite contributing practically nothing to NATO or its military defense, are absolutely disastrous. It’s very sad to see.”

Unfortunately, and as is often the case, many press outlets reported Trump’s statements without checking to see if they were at all true.

Let’s start with the numbers, taken on their face. GDP growth in the Eurozone as a whole was about 0.9% in 2024 and 1.5% in 2025, significantly lower than that of the U.S. (2.8% in 2024 under Biden and 2.2% in 2025 under Trump). What about the “disastrous” Spanish economy? Quick searches show 3.2% growth in 2024 and 2.8% growth in 2025.

Oops – the “sad” economy has faster growth than the U.S. under Trump. So, which country is the real disaster? And those countries that did pledge to spend a lot more on military defense, such as Germany and Italy, have shown economic growth even lower than the EU average.

There are lots of reasons to question how important GDP is as a measure of well-being in a country, and critics will point out that the overall economic growth in Spain is not necessarily well distributed among all levels of society. But Trump is not likely to look into those kinds of details.

It is interesting to look at some potential reasons for Spain’s relative economic success over the recent past. Two issues stand out (aside from the refusal of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to bow down to Trump’s threats over spending on military hardware): immigration and energy.

Spain garnered headlines recently because of a new program meant to regularize the immigration status of at least 500,000 people who are in the country and working, but who have not had the option of legalizing their status. Like in most European countries and the U.S., people come to have a better life, and for the vast majority, to build a life, become part of the workforce where they are badly needed, and in the end, contribute to their new society.

Not only does the Spanish program remove some legal hurdles, but there are also efforts to actively promote and assist in integration of immigrants. These programs are in stark contrast to countries like Germany and Italy, both desperately in need of immigrants at all levels of education and skills. In the latter two countries, government policies are best described as highly hypocritical, with programs to import labor to support industry and (especially) agriculture, with workers then often subject to abusive conditions and little to no support. The pretense is that these people will “just go away” when their work is done, and the government can continue to rail against foreigners.

Another pillar of Spain’s modernization efforts is the energy system transformation the country is undergoing. Electricity generation has gone from 60% fossil fuel to 25% over the past couple of decades, and CO2 emissions from electricity generation have decreased by 70%.

Solar and wind energy are now the two largest sources of electricity and are growing rapidly. And Spain consistently has amongst the cheapest electricity in Europe, belying the further claims of the Trump administration that only fossil fuels can provide affordable power.

International crises like unprovoked attacks by Russia on Ukraine or by Israel and the U.S. against Iran impact oil prices most dramatically and, to a lesser degree, electricity prices. Countries like Spain and many others in Europe are realizing more clearly why it is to their advantage to transition away from oil and natural gas as an economic hedging strategy with clear benefits for their citizens.

Although Spain lags behind other European countries in sales of EVs, I would be willing to bet that this will change in the near future, especially since they have a strong domestic automobile industry that has moved increasingly into electric vehicles.

Spain has higher economic growth than other peer countries, is attempting to build up a more welcoming culture for immigrants, and is also pushing forward with great success on the ecological transition away from fossil fuels and toward domestic renewable energy sources.

None of these efforts is perfect, and we can find critics from all sides of the political spectrum. However, rather than being a “disaster,” for many, Spain could actually serve more as a beacon of hope for how societies can adapt to the challenges of the 21st century.

Bob Brecha is a retired professor of sustainability, renewable energy and physics (University of Dayton), and longtime newspaper junkie (print and electronic). He consults on energy systems and climate change policies, based in Berlin, Germany. When not fretting about the state of the world and the global climate emergency, he enjoys hiking, biking and reading as much as possible.

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

So, now we have SeaShellGate.

Little did former FBI director James Comey realize what a tempest in a teapot he was stirring up when he posted his innocuous picture of seashells on a beach spelling the numbers:

For this seaside arrangement of innocent shells, Comey has now been indicted — nearly a full year later.

Apparently, it has taken this long to find a grand jury dumb enough to go along with the Justice Department’s charge that this was not a simple expression of Constitutionally protected free speech, but represented an actual threat to the life of the president of the United States.

So terrifying a threat that it took two weeks shy of a full year to bring charges.

This is, on one level, absurd. But, on another, alarming.

First, the absurdity:

The number 86 is slang for throwing out or getting rid of something. It likely originated in the 1930s as an expression used at soda fountains to show that something was out of stock.

It does not commonly mean “assassinate."

The number 47, clearly, refers to Trump, the 45th and now 47th president.

So, taken together, these numbers translate to “Dump Trump.”

Which is exactly what voters did in 2020 when they elected Joe Biden to replace him. It’s also what Congress tried to do when it impeached him twice, including for trying to overthrow the government in 2021 when he threw a hissy fit over losing to Biden.

There is nothing wrong with suggesting any public official be removed from office. There is nothing wrong, either, with expressing the hope that a public official might choke on his cheeseburger.

There is a huge distinction between wishing someone ill and making an actual, actionable threat.

And let’s not forget, Trump is the guy who suggested that Liz Cheney should have “guns trained on her face.” So, who is he to complain?

What’s alarming is Trump’s continued abuse of power to exact political vengeance on people who have failed to kiss his ring.

I’m not a fan of Comey. His arrogance and inflated sense of self-importance were never more evident than when he announced mere days before 2016 presidential election that he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Which came to nothing other than contributing to Trump’s victory.

Nope, not a fan.

But that’s irrelevant.

His indictment is just one more example of how Trump treats the presidency as his personal fiefdom in which the rules don’t apply to him. His new minion in the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, is all too happy, evidently, to enable this corruption.

As CNN reported:

The new case represents a reinvigorated effort to satisfy Trump’s demands to investigate his own foes, including Comey, who he sees as a key leader in the perceived effort to “weaponize” the justice system against him.

It also comes less than a month after the president dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump had for weeks complained that Bondi was not aggressive enough in executing his agenda.

Todd Blanche, Bondi’s top deputy and a former Trump personal attorney, is now in charge of steering the department, and has moved quickly to act on matters that the president has publicly pushed for.

“While this case is unique, and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate,” Blanche said at a press conference Tuesday.

What exactly won’t Blanche tolerate?

Freedom of speech, evidently.

And that is cause for alarm.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

email Project 140

Subscribe now

UPDATE:

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez blew up Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plans to weaken vaccine mandates for school children and to create new guardrails on artificial intelligence as the Legislature convened today.

Which leaves one remaining topic for the special session—gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts to favor the G.O.P even more so than they do already (more on that in this morning’s report, below). A vote on the map the governor has presented to the legislature (above) will take place tomorrow.

“Our work here will be finished, and all of you will be free to return home tomorrow afternoon,” Perez told House members.

And why did the House decide to kill DeSantis’ other pet issues?

“There were no bills filed on these policies prior to the start of this special session; consequently, we will not be taking up those issues,” Perez said.

As noted by the Florida Phoenix:

This is only the latest break between DeSantis and Perez, two powerhouse Florida Republicans. The two have feuded since Perez took over the lower chamber last year, insisting on asserting the House’s independence from the executive branch.

For most of the previous six years, the House mostly gave the governor anything he asked for.

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This morning’s post:

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

No sooner had Gov. Ron DeSantis released his proposal to further gerrymander the state’s congressional districts than Republicans and Democrats alike began saying he just shot himself in the foot.

Florida’s constitution forbids drawing congressional districts for the purpose of favoring one political party over another.

But in announcing the new map that the state Legislature will consider starting today, DeSantis:

• Didn’t present it to legislators first, but, instead, showboated his way onto Fox News to brag about how he was adding four new Republican seats to the state’s congressional map.

• Then he flashed that map, all marked up in 24 red districts and a miserly 4 blue districts, just to underscore the point of how he planned to screw the Democratic Party.

As one Republican consultant—who has been involved in past redistricting cycles—told NBC News:

“This is wild. I don’t know how you can argue a red and blue map released from the governor’s office doesn’t show some form of partisan interest.”

Democratic state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith said that early release alone could be enough to show there was partisan intent from the governor’s office. As he posted on social media:

“The fact that the Governor shared his illegally-rigged Congressional map with @FoxNews before sharing it with state senators voting on them TOMORROW shows how partisan and illegitimate this process is.”

DeSantis, as has been written about extensively in this space, is slavishly obeying President Donald Trump’s call to rig the midterm elections in favor of Republicans so he won’t lose his G.O.P. majority in Congress.

Trump knows perfectly well that the minute Democrats take control of the House, one of the first items of business will be his impeachment.

DeSantis is more than happy to join the ranks of other Republican governors who have kissed Trump’s ring. In DeSantis’ case, he’s out of the job at the end of the year, so currying favor with Trump is an obvious and pathetic stab at political relevancy. And maybe a paycheck.

Florida is already one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the nation with, as noted, the vast majority of congressional districts drawn to favor Republicans—20 out of 28—even though the G.O.P voter registration in the state is not nearly that proportionally dominant.

Here’s the math:

Republicans certainly do have a big edge over Democrats in terms of party registration. Setting aside voters with no party affiliation and voters belonging to minor parties, the divide is:

Republicans: 58 percent

Democrats: 42 percent

But the way the state is currently gerrymandered, Republicans have an unfairly disproportionate advantage in terms of congressional districts that lean red:

Republicans (with 20 seats): 71 percent

Democrats (with 8 seats): 29 percent

If DeSantis’ new map is approved during the special legislative session that starts today, the imbalance that he claims his new map would create would be:

Republicans (with 24 seats): 86 percent

Democrats (with 4 seats):14 percent

How any court could look at that and not see partisanship is beyond imagination.

The new DeSantis map specifically targets the districts held by four Democrats: Reps. Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel, Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Democrats’ heads are, as you would expect, exploding. These reactions, as reported by Politico:

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called it “wild” that DeSantis was instructing the Legislature to ignore the Constitution. She maintained that Republicans were “playing with fire” because some safe Republican seats have been reconfigured in order to try to flip a handful of Democratic seats.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a post on X, also blasted the effort and said the new map violates both the state’s redistricting standards as well as the 14th Amendment. “See you in court,” he said.

State House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said the map was “cynical swamp-like behavior” that was designed to help DeSantis if he runs for president again in 2028.

“It’s entirely for himself and his political future,” said the Tampa Democrat.

That’s what they think. How about you?

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

email Project 140

Subscribe now

No sooner had Gov. Ron DeSantis released his proposal to further gerrymander the state’s congressional districts than Republicans and Democrats alike began saying he just shot himself in the foot.

Florida’s constitution forbids drawing congressional districts for the purpose of favoring one political party over another.

But in announcing the new map that the state Legislature will consider starting today, DeSantis:

• Didn’t present it to legislators first, but, instead, showboated his way onto Fox News to brag about how he was adding four new Republican seats to the state’s congressional map.

• Then he flashed that map, all marked up in 24 red districts and a miserly 4 blue districts, just to underscore the point of how he planned to screw the Democratic Party.

As one Republican consultant—who has been involved in past redistricting cycles—told NBC News:

“This is wild. I don’t know how you can argue a red and blue map released from the governor’s office doesn’t show some form of partisan interest.”

Democratic state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith said that early release alone could be enough to show there was partisan intent from the governor’s office. As he posted on social media:

“The fact that the Governor shared his illegally-rigged Congressional map with @FoxNews before sharing it with state senators voting on them TOMORROW shows how partisan and illegitimate this process is.”

DeSantis, as has been written about extensively in this space, is slavishly obeying President Donald Trump’s call to rig the midterm elections in favor of Republicans so he won’t lose his G.O.P. majority in Congress.

Trump knows perfectly well that the minute Democrats take control of the House, one of the first items of business will be his impeachment.

DeSantis is more than happy to join the ranks of other Republican governors who have kissed Trump’s ring. In DeSantis’ case, he’s out of the job at the end of the year, so currying favor with Trump is an obvious and pathetic stab at political relevancy. And maybe a paycheck.

Florida is already one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the nation with, as noted, the vast majority of congressional districts drawn to favor Republicans—20 out of 28—even though the G.O.P voter registration in the state is not nearly that proportionally dominant.

Here’s the math:

Republicans certainly do have a big edge over Democrats in terms of party registration. Setting aside voters with no party affiliation and voters belonging to minor parties, the divide is:

Republicans: 58 percent

Democrats: 42 percent

But the way the state is currently gerrymandered, Republicans have an unfairly disproportionate advantage in terms of congressional districts that lean red:

Republicans (with 20 seats): 71 percent

Democrats (with 8 seats): 29 percent

If DeSantis’ new map is approved during the special legislative session that starts today, the imbalance that he claims his new map would create would be:

Republicans (with 24 seats): 86 percent

Democrats (with 4 seats):14 percent

How any court could look at that and not see partisanship is beyond imagination.

The new DeSantis map specifically targets the districts held by four Democrats: Reps. Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel, Darren Soto and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Democrats’ heads are, as you would expect, exploding. These reactions, as reported by Politico:

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called it “wild” that DeSantis was instructing the Legislature to ignore the Constitution. She maintained that Republicans were “playing with fire” because some safe Republican seats have been reconfigured in order to try to flip a handful of Democratic seats.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a post on X, also blasted the effort and said the new map violates both the state’s redistricting standards as well as the 14th Amendment. “See you in court,” he said.

State House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said the map was “cynical swamp-like behavior” that was designed to help DeSantis if he runs for president again in 2028.

“It’s entirely for himself and his political future,” said the Tampa Democrat.

That’s what they think. How about you?

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press. He is an award-winning journalist and author. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida.

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

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Today’s sponsor: Tropic Press Bookstore

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

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By Liv Caputo

Florida Phoenix

Florida officials are fighting a court order to expand detainee phone access at the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” center, arguing it would be too costly for taxpayers — but they’ve already spent roughly $34 million in public dollars on technology, IT support, and more, state records show.

The agency in charge of the remote center, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM), did not explain why the millions it has already spent in that silo doesn’t cover cell or landline service, why additional funding would be needed, or what those millions specifically funded, if not internet or carrier services.

The dispute arose after U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell in March ordered DEM to provide at least one phone for every 25 detainees so they can make confidential legal calls, after civil rights advocates alleged officials were limiting access to attorneys.

As of April 2, the facility had 1,383 detainees booked.

DEM denied all wrongdoing, and said detainees can speak to their attorneys through confidential Zoom calls or in person at the center.

They also claimed that complying would be prohibitively expensive.

Adding landlines or building cell towers would be “entirely unfeasible,” DEM argued Wednesday in court filings, pleading with the judge to pause her order. The only way they could add phones would be to spend $180K up front and another $6,000 weekly to mobilize and maintain cell connectivity at the center, which they say lacks traditional telephone infrastructure.

That would be for 77 cellphones, 77 security configurations, manual labor, and installation.

The agency did not respond to the Phoenix’s questions about how its existing $34.2 million in technology spending fits into those claims. Records from Florida’s government accountability website show the payments from the state’s emergency fund — dating to September — went to companies providing services for internet, communications, surveillance, IT support, and radio.

They did not explain specifically where that money went or provide line-items for the millions spent.

The lion’s share — $33 million — was paid to Gothams LLC. Public records previously reviewed by the Phoenix revealed that Gothams was hired to handle the following at “Alligator Alcatraz”:

• Internet supply and firewall.

• Access control system.

• Surveillance systems.

• Communications.

• Office technology.

• On-site IT support.

• Comprehensive support services for all technology installed within the facility.

The remaining $1.2 million went to seven other vendors, including nearly $500,000 for Baker’s Electronics and Communications, almost $400K for SkyBase Communications, and thousands more for SpaceX, Starlink, AT&T, Comcast, and Accu-Tech.

The state’s case to pause the court order comes as Florida still awaits a $608 million reimbursement from the federal government for Alligator Alcatraz. DEM has said that these new phone costs likely won’t be covered by the feds — and therefore would be provided at the Florida taxpayer’s expense.

“The state of Florida has not received any federal funding for the Alligator Alcatraz facility, and the federal government has not obligated itself to reimburse the State Defendants for the costs of complying with the preliminary injunction,” DEM bureau chief Ian-Paul Gadea-Guidicelli wrote.

The case follows a legislative reckoning with DEM’s spending from Florida’s emergency fund. During the 2026 legislative session, the chambers battled over whether to add guardrails on what DEM could use the trust for.

DEM reported that it spent more than $573 million on immigration in three years — more than 70% of it in the six months after “Alligator Alcatraz” was constructed, including millions in legal fees and hundreds of thousands on private jet flights to and from the center and food products.

The Legislature created the emergency fund in 2022 to allow the governor to quickly spend money on disasters without legislative approval. When Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on immigration the following year, it opened the dollars to a host of anti-illegal immigration initiatives.

He’s renewed the immigration state of emergency every 60 days since he first declared it in Jan. 2023.

Leave a comment

Liv Caputo covers immigration for the Florida Phoenix. She’s had her work cited in the New York Times, the Miami Herald, and the New York Post. She worked previously at The Floridian Press and The Florida Standard. A Florida native, she graduated from Florida State University.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. This story is republished with their permission. To support Florida Phoenix, click here:

DONATE

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. That includes both original reporting and shared stories such as this one today by Liv Caputo of Florida Phoenix.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Today’s sponsors: Tropic Press Bookstore & Tropic Press Gift Store

Today’s report is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, home of The Strange Files. The six-book series makes the perfect gift for the mystery fans in your life. You can find more information about these hilarious stories here.

Tropic Press Bookstore

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The official Tropic Press Gift Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo tee shirts and coffee mugs online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:

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That Was The Week That Was

White men need protection, according to Ron DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that bans local funding of initiatives aimed at helping minorities.

Why?

Because D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives end up favoring some groups and disfavoring others, he said.

"The disfavored groups, No. 1, obviously, would be white males, and I think they've been discriminated against," DeSantis said.

DeSantis raked in $250,000 after rate hike was approved

Late last year, a regulatory board in Tallahassee appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis gave Florida Power & Light permission to raise electricity rates by roughly $7 billion over the next four years — a record-setting rate hike that allows the monopoly power company to pocket the highest profit margin in the country outside of Alaska.

A month later, FPL’s parent corporation gave Ron DeSantis a quarter of a million dollars.

Read the investigative report from independent journalist Jason Garcia on the Tropic Press website and here:

Jason Garcia

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick quits

Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick abruptly resigned from Congress on April 21 moments before a House Ethics Committee hearing that could have led to her expulsion, ending a turbulent tenure representing the state’s 20th Congressional District.

Her departure followed a sweeping scandal involving allegations that she diverted roughly $5 million in federal disaster funds—originally intended for COVID-19-related services—through her family’s healthcare company and into her 2021 congressional campaign. Federal prosecutors charged her with multiple counts, including fraud, money laundering, and illegal campaign contributions, accusations she has denied.

The resignation has immediate political implications for Florida. Her heavily Democratic district is now vacant, triggering a special election that is expected to remain in Democratic hands but could intensify intraparty competition.

Adding to the confusion, her district could be totally reconfigured during a special session of the state Legislature due to convene this week (more on that below).

Alligator Alcatraz will remain open for now

The Everglades concentration camp will remain open for now, largely because the federal government has stiffed the state for $600 million it promised.

A federal appeals court overturned a Miami judge’s order that would have required Florida to begin shutting down the Alligator Alcatraz and stop accepting new detainees. The Eleventh Circuit ruled that plaintiffs failed to show the federal government controls the facility, emphasizing that Florida has not been reimbursed for more than $600 million in state spending despite earlier federal funding promises.

Judges said the absence of federal funding means environmental review laws do not apply, allowing the state-run site to continue operating. The decision leaves the facility’s future open unless federal funding or control is established.

A coalition of Floridians helps save Endangered Species Act

Environmentalists from around the state travelled to Washington, D.C. to hand-deliver a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose legislation that would undercut protections for Florida’s sensitive wildlife habitats.

And it seems their mission was a success. According to Politico:

The House on Wednesday abruptly shelved legislation that would overhaul the Endangered Species Act, in an apparent response to Republican opposition to the bill.

Speaker Mike Johnson yanked the ESA Amendments Act, H.R. 1897, from consideration without explanation. But opposition from six Florida Republicans and other GOP members triggered the delay…

Is Florida’s population boom cooling off?

The pace of Florida’s growth may be waning as the high cost of living is driving out middle-class residents.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Net migration plunged from 315,000 in 2022 to roughly 22,500 in 2025—about a 93 percent drop—as rising housing and insurance costs make the state unaffordable. While Florida still gains residents, the explosive growth is slowing. Some of the reasons:

• Declining Affordability: Skyrocketing housing costs are causing a “priced out” effect, especially for younger workers.

• Migration Slowdown: Net domestic migration has dropped significantly, with many leaving for more affordable states like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.

• Surplus Housing & High Costs: A surplus of homes in some areas hasn’t helped affordability, as high costs (home prices often nearing $400k) deter buyers.

• Reduced In-Migration: The high cost of living, including elevated insurance, is pushing middle-income earners out and causing many residents to consider leaving.

Yet another special legislative session on tap

Florida House and Senate leaders announced Thursday that they have agreed to spend about $52 billion in general revenue dollars in the next fiscal year on the state’s priorities, finally clearing the way for the Legislature to do the one thing it’s annually required to do: Pass a budget. Legislators will return to Tallahassee May 12-29 for an 18-day special session.

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Meme of the Week

Quote of the Week

“If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump’s dummymander in Texas. We will aggressively target for defeat Mario Díaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee, Cory Mills and Brian Mast. We are prepared to take them all on, and we are prepared to win.

“Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”

— House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Gov. Ron DeSantis calling a special session of the Florida Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries.

Letter of the Week:

Traditionally, it takes six nails to close a coffin lid. How many have we banged into the lid on our environment’s coffin so far? Who is wielding the hammer? How many nails are still in his mouth?

—Charles G. Masi

Looking Ahead

April 26. Confederate Memorial Day. Sure, it’s the 21st century and, yes, the Civil War is in our distant past. But here in the so-called “free” state of Florida, a former slave state, this is an actual recognized state holiday, although the wage slaves working for the state government don’t get a day off for it, fittingly.

Tuesday, April 28. The Florida Legislature is scheduled to convene a four-day special session, called by Gov. Ron DeSantis. On the agenda: Redrawing the state’s congressional districts to gerrymander them even more favorably for Republicans, the regulation of A.I., and so-called “medical freedom” legislation that caters to the anti-vax crowd and could possibly result in the elimination or diminishment of requirements that children entering school be vaccinated against infectious and often-fatal diseases, thus weakening the general “herd immunity” of the state’s population at large.

May 1 is International Workers’ Day, focusing on the rights of labor, immigrants, and social justice issues. Although the holiday originated in our country, it is mostly celebrated overseas. Our official Labor Day is in September.

May 2. Kentucky Derby. Post time is 6:57 p.m. While watching the Run for the Roses, a mint julep is the beverage of choice for many. If you’re making one at home, here’s how you do it: Take a perfectly good glass of bourbon and ruin it by mixing in crushed mint leaves (or dandelion leaves, I suppose, if you’re fresh out of mint), throw in some sugar to up the diabetes factor, and add ice. Then throw it down the sink and make yourself a proper drink.

Last Week’s Tropic Press Headlines

In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that headlined Tropic Press this past week.

As it turns out, Spaceship Earth is our only home; we need to take better care of it

With Trump’s approval rating in the dumpster, this is the chance for Democrats in Florida

Trump nemesis Alex Vindman is now officially a candidate for U.S. Senate

DeSantis now plans multiple special sessions; confusion reigns among Florida legislators

ASK THE BIRD: What’s with all these special sessions of the state Legislature?

Florida’s leaders see terrorists behind every bush -- and in the pews, too? No weirdness here

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

Email Your Interest

Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the “Free” State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Editor’s Note: We take a break from hard news every Saturday morning to let Hermina Hermelinda Obregon, a.k.a. Miss Mingo, share her insights with readers. She’s a recovering newspaper reporter living in a bungalow off Duval Street in Key West, where she answers the pressing questions of the day about life, the news, and the best happy hour prices. You can support her bar tab by becoming a paid subscriber.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

I am wondering about the rumor that is spreading that Donald J. Trump has directed his Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to negotiate a menu expansion at his favorite restaurant, McDonald’s. The iconic menu item at the restaurant is currently the “Big Mac” known to consist of “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame bun.”

Proposals to date have determined that the new item will be eponymously called the “Mac Donald.” Ingredients will be “two all liver patties, orange sauce, wilted lettuce, moldy cheese, and a golden bun embossed with an image of Mr. Trump.” The liver-based Mac Donald is designed to be a cheaper alternative to the Big Mac for those people who cannot afford ground beef. The orange sauce is really excellent in covering the grey tones that can emerge when liver is not cooked properly. The wilted lettuce will be naturally wilted, not wilted through cooking measures, as lettuce past its prime can be purchased cheaply. The moldy cheese will serve as a health benefit serving as an antibiotic and health enhancer that replaces the need for vaccines. There will be no pickles or onions on the Mac Donald as there is no way to ensure that these items have been picked only by documented individuals. The golden brown bun will be toasted on the top using a branding iron with a profile of Mr. Trump.

This sounds like an effort by the president to expand his brand recognition so that he will not have to rely on having his name only on buildings, airports, apparel, skin care products, home goods, pickleball paddles and various other sundries. It would also provide another excuse for nausea in regard to all things Trump.

Is this rumor on the level?

William

Dear William:

I think you and I need to get something straight:

I’m supposed to be the comedian here. When letter writers like you submit questions that are funnier than anything I could possibly come up with, my boss may start wondering: Maybe I should hire this guy and ditch the bird.

I’m having a hard enough time paying my bar tab as it is.

(Just kidding, this is a GREAT question and, besides, I’m not only a protected class, I’m also an endangered species (Journalista americana), so no way would the Tropic Press H.R. Department let me get sacked.)

Now, is there any truth to this? Perhaps asked another way, is it beyond the imagination that Donald Trump would use his power and influence to have yet one more thing named for himself?

No, it is absolutely not beyond our imaginations, is it? After all, you just imagined it. And if we can imagine it, it can happen.

And since we are publishing this out to hundreds of thousands of loyal readers, we can be certain it is now grist for the rumor mill.

Is it on the level? What is these days?

DEAR MISS MINGO:

Speaking of Trump and food, I heard that Dr. Mehmet Oz was on Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast, Triggered, and he said the president has a fondness for orange Fanta, which he jokingly refers to as “freshly squeezed.”

Oz evidently said he was on Air Force One and spotted the soft drink on Trump’s desk and that when he asked His Majesty about the soda, Trump made that “fresh squeezed” quip, presumably as a joke.

Trump also apparently suggested that diet sodas are beneficial because they “kill grass” if spilled, and therefore might “kill cancer cells.”

This raises a question in my mind:

Do diet soft drinks really kill grass, and can I use them instead of commercial weed killers?

Curious in Coral Gables

Dear Curious:

To test this out, I wandered over to my neighbor’s yard and “accidentally” spilled some Diet Coke on his lawn.

I went back the next day and saw no noticeable damage to the grass.

Which is a good thing, because when I returned to the scene of the crime, I noticed for the first time that my neighbor has a pair of cameras pointing to his front yard, and he could have caught me in the act

Lucky break there was no harm done.

Too bad in one sense, though, because wouldn’t it be nice if we had something more effective than cancer-causing weed killers to tend to our gardens?

As for Fanta Orange Zero Sugar’s health benefits, here are the ingredients I found on the never-wrong internet, so you can judge for yourself. I am not a chemist, so for all I know this might be the cure for cancer, Covid, or maybe even armpit fungus.

Carbonated water, critic acid, Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium, natural orange flavoring, Potassium Benzoate, modified food starch, Glycerol Ester of Rosin, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, medium chain triglycerides, and potassium citrate.

Yum.

I live in Florida (so does the president), so when I have a hankering for orange soda, I just take some fresh orange juice, which, despite citrus greening, is still in plentiful supply, and splash in some club soda.

If the sun is past the yardarm, a dash of Tito’s can give it a nice kick.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

Admit it. You can’t possibly write such brilliant prose if you’re swilling orange juice, club soda, and vodka for lunch. Not even Hemingway could do that!

Skeptical in Sarasota.

Dear Skeptical:

Well, you caught me. I usually skip the club soda.

Just kidding. The truth is, a few snorts and it’s bedtime for me, so I’ve learned to pace myself.

But don’t underestimate Hemingway. He made me look like an amateur. And he died young for it at the tender age of 61. I won’t say I’ve already beaten him in the longevity department, but that’s because a lady never reveals her age.

Got a question for Miss Mingo? About life, the news, or clever ways to avoid paying bar tabs? Write to her at MissMingo@Tropic.Press

ASK MISS MINGO

Hermina Hermelinda Obregon—a.k.a. Miss Mingo—was an award-winning newspaper reporter before she involuntarily joined the diaspora of journalists leaving the newspaper profession. She now lives with her two cats—Deadline and Dateline—and her pet iguana Skippy. If you wander the streets (and bars) of Key West, you’ll doubtless run into her. She’ll be the woman wearing the ridiculous flamingo hat. If you want an autograph, you’ll have to buy her a Cuba Libre. There’s more about her here.

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The official Tropic Press Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo merch online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:

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By Diane Roberts

Florida Phoenix

Rejoice, Florida: Domestic terrorism is about to be terrorized, thanks to a terrific team headed by our triumphant governor, the talented Cabinet, and our tough law enforcement hombres.

The state — indeed, the nation — is riddled with no-goodniks determined to damage the domestic tranquility of normal citizens and upset regular folks. Maybe even make them somewhat uncomfortable.

This is the United States: We want things to be nice and not weird or scary.

We want you to rest easy in your recliner, watching “Survivor” secure in the knowledge that people you don’t agree with will be Dealt With.

To that end, in December 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis took decisive action, sticking the terrorist tag on an outfit calling itself the Council on American Islamic Relations.

Everyone knows Islam is a threat to puppy dogs, Christmas, and the beer industry.

As the governor said: “We’ll do millions for public safety. Millions for education. But never one red cent for jihad.”

Some federal judge in Tallahassee blocked the governor’s order, noting CAIR is a civil rights organization and citing nonsense about the unconstitutional suppression of speech.

Well, we’ll see about that.

The governor has now signed a law allowing him to say who is and who ain’t a terrorist — him and the head of FDLE, the chief financial officer, the commissioner of agriculture, and the attorney general.

These wise men can also sanction anyone who provides resources or material support to anyone they label terrorists.

Anywhere, anytime, for any obscure, even irrational, reason.

So, all you Sharia freaks looking for taxpayer-funded holy war, forget it: The gravy train ends with Ron DeSantis.

Perfidious Episcopalians

But let’s not stop with CAIR.

Something must be done about Antifa. The governor had their number five years ago, warning against the type of “scraggly looking” individual who thinks he has a “right” to protest in our clean American streets.

(What’s so wrong with fascism, anyway?)

CAIR and Antifa are merely the tip of the extremist iceberg. Florida harbors many unsavory groups that need to be slapped with a big fat “TERRORIST” label and run out of the Sunshine State.

Take Scouting America.

This bunch used to be called the Boy Scouts, but then they started doing woke stuff.

Like admitting girls.

Like trying out a new merit badge in Sewing and Needlework, rewarding boys for doing girl-work.

This is how our enemies weaken us from within.

As Secretary of Maximum Lethality Hegseth says, Scouting America is now in thrall to “a radical ideology that is anti-America and anti-American.”

Speaking of anti-American and woke ideology, how about Episcopalians?

They drink wine on Sunday morning. They talk about loving your neighbor as yourself. They use incense (at least, that’s what they say it is).

They let women preach.

Remember that bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde? During a post-inauguration prayer service at the National Cathedral, she refused to condemn illegals, insisting they’re not criminals — even though they invaded our country with the sole goal to become rapists and murderers and drug dealers.

Then she said, “Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”

Her church is pro-gay, pro-trans, pro-DEI, and obviously a sinister influence on the entire nation, Florida included.

Et tu, FSU?

You need proof? The Episcopal church of Sts. Mary Magdalen and Martin in Coral Springs doesn’t try to hide it. Their website declares, “Yes, We are a Woke Church!” and “God loves you. No exceptions.”

No exceptions? Terrorist talk.

The governor must stop this before the woke mind virus infects the whole of Broward County.

Wokeness of the eco-greenie kind has already caused much trouble in South Florida.

You’ve got a cluster of enviros suing the government, claiming Alligator Alcatraz — our big, beautiful concentration camp — is “polluting” the Everglades.

You’ve got another enviro cell suing because some patriotic developers want to build a fine 4,000-acre town with a golf course and 2 million square feet of commercial space bang in the middle of what the eco-greenie freaks call “critical habitat.”

Come on, people: That part of Collier County is empty except for some bears, bald eagles, ibis, Big Cypress fox squirrels, rare orchids, aquifer-filtering wetlands, Sandhill cranes, crested caracas, herons, wood storks, shaggy cypress, and endangered Florida panthers.

Governor, you must preserve our precious development industry and declare Friends of the Everglades, the Sierra Club, the South Florida Wildlands Association, and the Center for Biodiversity domestic terrorists and send ’em to Guantánamo.

“Biodiversity:” Told you they were woke. Dangerous, too.

Another group wreaking havoc on our sense of order and well-being (this one may surprise some people) is the Florida State University football program.

The University of Florida football program, too.

Once clean-limbed, square-jawed, championship-winning heroes, these teams now stink. Like 5-7 and 4-8, and that’s just last year.

Their excruciatingly terrible, mind-bogglingly inept games are psycho-terror attacks, causing despair to thousands of Floridians and eating away at our pride and self-esteem.

Such assaults cannot be accidental.

Librarians with attitude

We can only conclude these teams have been taken over by our enemies to sap our resolve. If the state does not declare them domestic terrorists, we could be looking at an invasion from Canada and enforced ice hockey-watching.

Speaking of pain, let’s sanction the American Medical Association and its renegade doctors.

These medicos decree our children must be stuck with needles full of chemicals designed to keep them from getting polio, measles, Hepatitis B, diphtheria, mumps, and the like.

This is, as our state surgeon general and expert on demon sperm says, pretty much the same as slavery.

He valiantly demanded the Legislature “end all vaccine mandates in Florida law. All of them!”

But the Legislature (keep your eye on them, governor; some of them are likely terrorists, too) failed to do it, obviously wanting Our Children to be tainted by Big Pharma.

An even more serious menace to Our Children? Librarians.

And their co-conspirators, teachers.

These militants need to be called out, corralled, and controlled, lest they pollute the minds of the young with unapproved knowledge.

What’s wrong with books, you say?

Have you looked in books lately? They will teach your kids that slavery was not the fun job-training program we all know it was; that some boys like other boys; that girls experience sexual feelings; that the Indians weren’t happy for the pioneers to take their land; that when it comes to racism, Black people may have a point; that humans share 99% of their DNA with chimpanzees; that the earth is way more than 6,000 years old; and that Christopher Columbus did not “discover” America.

He landed in Haiti, but we’d rather not discuss it.

Getting ideas

Haiti’s a problem. Just because Haitians suffer from natural disasters, a collapsed state, hunger, disease, and vicious gang violence doesn’t mean we should let them just sashay across the water and break into Florida.

It’s not like they’re Norwegians.

(Plus, the vice president reminds us they eat our cats and our dogs.)

As the governor said, “When a state faces the possibility of invasion, it has the right and duty to defend its territory and people.”

But back to the librarians and the teachers.

Their underground leaders are code-named “Judy Blume,” “Kurt Vonnegut,” and “Toni Morrison.”

We have intelligence two of those are actually dead. Still, hundreds of cells inspired by their so-called “art” have infiltrated school systems and universities where they hide in plain sight.

Round ’em up; put ’em on trial for sedition; ban their operations; quash their ideas.

If our young people start getting ideas, Florida as we know it will not survive.

Leave a comment

Diane Roberts is an 8th-generation Floridian, born and bred in Tallahassee, which probably explains her unhealthy fascination with Florida politics. Educated at Florida State University and Oxford University in England, she has been writing for newspapers since 1983. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Times of London, the Guardian, the Washington Post, the Oxford American, and Flamingo.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. This story is republished with their permission. To support Florida Phoenix, click here:

DONATE

Related story:

DeSantis signs his pet anti-terrorism bill; should Donald Trump be worried?

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog. That includes both original reporting and shared stories such as this one today by Diane Roberts of Florida Phoenix.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share Tropic Press: J.C. Bruce

Coming Saturday: Miss Mingo Writes Again!

Is it true that Donald Trump has ordered McDonald’s to name a hamburger after him? Miss Mingo has the answer. Coming to your inbox on Saturday.

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

Email Your Interest

When Florida voters go to the polls this fall, we will have the chance to oust Republican Ashley Moody from her appointed U.S. Senate seat. Alex Vindman is considered the frontrunner among Democrats seeking the nomination in the August primary election. Whoever the final nominee is, he or she will need a huge turnout by Democrats and like-minded independents to win. Which is why it is vital that in the upcoming election there are Democrats on the ballot for every contested seat. More on that below.

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By Christine Sexton

Florida Phoenix

Calling incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody an “automatic yes vote” for “corruption” and “chaos,” former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman made his bid for the U.S. Senate official Wednesday.

Vindman, a Democrat who out-raised Moody in the first quarter of 2026, turned in his qualifying paperwork in person in Tallahassee, making official the Senate run he first announced in January.

He then addressed the press, announcing he would be a candidate for the people, one who will work to lower the costs of living, and accused Moody of making special interests her priority.

“So, I think this is, this is a motivating factor, especially on the more conservative side of the spectrum. That they have somebody that’ll do the right thing, as I’ve done throughout my career, and that will deliver for Floridians’ interests, not corporate special interests,” he said.

“I think that’s a fundamental message to get across — that there is a fighter in your corner, not a fighter for corporate interests, not a fighter for billionaire class, but a fighter in your corner.”

Vindman’s paperwork comes on the heels of polling that found him competitive with Moody.

The 50-year-old Vindman will have to edge other Democrats in the race to face Moody, including former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, Jacksonville state Rep. Angie Nixon, and Air Force veteran Tamika Lyles.

While other Democrats could still join the race, Vindman’s entry could potentially earn the Florida Senate contest national exposure.

Emma Hall, Southeast regional communications director for the Republican National Committee, earlier this year attacked Vindman as a “carpetbagger” and “grifter” because he moved to Florida only recently.

Republicans also have gone after Vindman for his role in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump. In late February, the Republican Party of Florida launched a digital ad attacking him for playing a “traitorous” role in that episode.

But Vindman, who emigrated with his father, brothers and grandmother to New York City in 1979 from Ukraine after his mother died, painted stark contrasts between himself and Moody, who served as Florida attorney general between 2019 and 2025. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her in 2025 to fill the Senate seat vacated when Marco Rubio became U.S. Secretary of State.

Noting Florida’s high homeowners’ insurance rates, Vindman complained Moody has “given a pass to the big insurance companies.” He criticized Moody stock purchases last year including $250,000 in stock from Eli Lilly, raising questions of insider trading. She sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

“How do you think that plays out? She’s happy to engage in stock trades, some $2 million, on insider information that only Congress gets. I think that’s wrong. I think that should be illegal,” he said.

By contrast, Vindman noted that he is an Army combat veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in 2004 in the Iraq War.

He was director of European Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council when, in October 2019, he came to national attention for his congressional testimony revealing that Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden while his father was campaigning for president as a condition for military aid against Russia.

Vindman resigned from the military in July 2020. Following that separation, he said, for the first time in his adult life he had a choice of where to live and not just simply move where the military had assigned him.

“My wife and I chose Florida because I was raised in New York. Where else can I go?” he said jokingly. “So, pretty, pretty awesome to be able to raise a family here for the same reason that a lot of us come here — it’s a beautiful place, sunny, warm, lovely.”

Vindman’s twin brother, Eugene “Yevgeny” Vindman, also a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army and also a whistleblower in Trump’s first term, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024 for Virginia’s 7th District. He is running for re-election in 2026 but this time to represent Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.

The reporter on this story, Christine Sexton , has spent more than 30 years reporting on Florida health care, insurance policy, and state politics and has covered the state’s last six governors. She lives in Tallahassee.

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Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. This story is republished with their permission. To support Florida Phoenix, click here:

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Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

More Information

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

Email Your Interest

Share Tropic Press!

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

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Coming Saturday: Miss Mingo Writes Again!

Is it true that Donald Trump has ordered McDonald’s to name a hamburger after him? Miss Mingo has the answer. Coming to your inbox on Saturday.

According to the latest polling, President Donald Trump’s approval rating has plummeted to a mere 30 percent for his handling of the nation’s economy.

And as we have learned, when it comes to elections, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Trump’s current cellar-dwelling ratings in the latest AP-NORC poll are similar to Joe Biden’s during 2022 when, like now, inflation was eroding consumers’ buying power. Trump frequently cited Biden as a “loser” for those poll numbers, and he made improving the economy a key campaign promise during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Obviously, it’s a promise he hasn’t kept, a failure driven by a tax policy that favors the rich, tariffs that drive up the cost of goods, and an illegal war in Iran that has caused the price of oil to skyrocket.

What does all this portend for the upcoming midterm elections in which the economy will unquestionably be a huge factor and in which many Republicans are running on Trump’s coattails?

It’s certainly not good news for Republicans. And it speaks to an unprecedented opportunity for Democrats.

Here in Florida, where we will be electing a new governor and U.S. senator, this could tip things in the Dems’ favor.

And it might also boost the chances of Democrats gaining seats in the Florida Legislature.

If…

If there are actually Democrats running against all the Republican candidates.

And, as this was written, that is not the case.

According to Margie Stein, who is leading a statewide candidate-recruiting effort, there are still about 38 seats—32 in the state House and 6 in the state Senate—in which Republicans will run unopposed.

This is nuts.

If there ever were a year for Democrats to step up, this is it.

Stein is heading up Project 140—the name is derived from the number of Florida House and Senate seats up for grabs in the midterms. Since I originally wrote about her organization’s recruitment efforts, about half the unopposed seats now have Democratic candidates.

But with about six weeks left before the qualifying deadline, more Democrats need to step up.

“So, I am trying to make a difference, and so can YOU by running for office.” That’s her pitch.

“If you believe in democracy, step up and become a candidate. Win or lose, you will be helping Florida politics change course and maybe even help elect a Democrat for governor, Senate or Congress by increasing the margin of election victory.

“In 2022, the Democratic Party did not compete in 53 state and federal seats in Florida. We can never do that again.”

I’m often asked by readers: “What can I do?”

Well, here’s your chance: Toss your hat into the ring.

Even if you are in a ruby red district, your efforts will result in more Democratic voters going to the polls. And those numbers can roll up to make the difference between a Democrat or a Republican in the governor’s mansion or the Senate.

And maybe even change the political dynamic in Tallahassee.

Give it a thought. And if you want more information on how to run and how to get help in doing so, here’s how to contact the organizers at Project 140:

Run for Office

In summary:

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans stand to run unopposed. Here’s additional information on how we can fix that:

More Information

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, Florida’s largest newsletter and website dedicated to making you the smartest and most informed voter in the state. Information is power. Use it wisely.

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Related:

Trump’s approval on economy falls in AP-NORC poll, showing new warning signs for president

To get out the vote, we need to get out the candidates--and we’re making headway

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Please support this work

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

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Tomorrow, we celebrate Earth Day, the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people, all to support the idea that our planet’s environment is worth protecting.

That would seem self-evident, since it is the only habitable planet in our Solar System, so it makes sense to take care of it.

You would think that we would be as protective about that as we would be ensuring the safety of our own homes, Earth being our own home, and all.

And in some respects, we’re better off today than we were in the recent past:

In the United States, for instance, air and water quality are better today, thanks to tougher environmental regulations. And it is also true that the cost of renewable energy has dropped dramatically (81 percent since 2009), making clean energy more viable.

And globally, we have increased leafy green areas on the planet by about 5 percent in the last couple of decades, and deforestation is dropping, although not by nearly enough in places such as the Amazon.

That acknowledged, our climate is in crisis with greenhouse gas emissions reaching record highs and causing extreme weather events (such as more and stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin) and rising sea levels, which should be alarming to everyone on the planet and especially those of us living in coastal areas.

And we are facing increasing losses in our biodiversity, the consequences of which could be catastrophic.

Of immediate concern to those of us living in Florida and other states around the Gulf of Mexico is the threat of increased offshore oil drilling bringing the danger of oil spills, a single one of which could devastate our beaches and tourism-driven economy.

Add to that the Trump administration’s so-called “God Squad,” a committee of Trump minions empowered to exempt oil and gas activities from the Endangered Species Act, threatening to override rules that protect the Gulf’s marine life, such as the Rice’s whale, sea turtles and manatees.

The Supreme Court has been no help either, which has narrowed federal protections under the Clean Water Act to only wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to navigable waterways. Meaning more than 7 million acres of Florida wetlands may lose federal environmental protection.

And it appears the water quality of the Everglades will not meet its May deadline, meaning the levels of phosphorus in the water—from agricultural runoff—remain too high.

So, it’s not all songbirds and dolphins out there.

And it is a further example, not that one is needed, of how elections have consequences.

These are all issues with solutions. The science is there. The technology is there. What’s missing is the political will.

While we’re still a democracy, we can fix that.

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, Florida’s largest newsletter and website dedicated to making you the smartest and most informed voter in the state. Information is power. Use it wisely.

Leave a comment

Related:

Why we’re such homers about planet Earth

Earth Day

Onward thru the fog

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

Subscribe now

Please support this work

As this newsletter was written, Tropic Press was reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere. With mid-term elections on the horizon, the more people we reach, the more effective we can be in helping turn this country around. You can play a vital role in that effort by sharing this newsletter with friends. If you are reading this as an email, simply forward it. Or you can use the link below. Thanks.

Share

Get Your Mingo Merch

The official Tropic Press Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo tee shirts and coffee mugs online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:

Tropic Press Store

Time to take back our state

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican incumbents in the Legislature must face Democrats on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans stand to run unopposed. Here’s how we can fix that:

More Information

Editor’s Note: We take a break from hard news every Saturday morning to let Hermina Hermelinda Obregon, a.k.a. Miss Mingo, share her insights with readers. She’s a recovering newspaper reporter living in a bungalow off Duval Street in Key West, where she answers the pressing questions of the day about life, the news, and the best happy hour prices. You can support her bar tab by becoming a paid subscriber.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

I’m a little confused.

I know Florida has a very short (two months, is it?) annual legislative session, so it’s not a big surprise that our representatives don’t get much done other than serving the interests of their lobbyist and special-interest masters.

So, sure, there have to be special sessions, which I guess the governor gets to call, when they don’t finish their required business, like drafting the state’s annual budget.

But now (Gov. Ron) DeSantis has delayed the special session because nobody was ready, and added another one to take up, among other things, his obsession about eliminating vaccination requirements for school children? And another topic will be redrawing congressional districts so his buddy, Donald Trump, won’t lose control of Congress?

While there’s still no budget?

This is causing me to lose faith in our government. Help!

Crestfallen in Crestview

Dear Crestfallen:

And they didn’t name the flamingo the state bird, either, and where’s the special session for that?

But, seriously, yeah, this is a clown fiesta of the first order.

They say they want to eliminate property taxes, but have no clear plan on how to replace the money those taxes raise for essential services.

They want to eliminate vaccinations in the middle of a measles outbreak—measles being the “canary in the coal mine” of infectious diseases, meaning the more we cut back on vaccinations, the more infectious diseases we will be exposed to.

And even though the state’s congressional districts already overwhelmingly favor Republicans (20 out of 28 seats), that’s not enough?

It is crazy.

But don’t lose hope.

Democracy is designed to be self-correcting. And assuming the would-be monarch in the White House doesn’t declare a national emergency or some other bit of hockeypock, we’ll have the opportunity in November to fix this.

But it does require us to actually get out of our easy chairs, and VOTE!

The Washington Post has a motto that so far has survived Jeff Bezos. It reads: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” True that. But, more to the point, democracy dies from complacency.

We can’t afford to be complacent this year of all years.

Sorry if this isn’t particularly amusing, but we are in the middle of an existential crisis.

God, I need another drink.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

Marks Brothers is a siding manufacturer in Oregon and some kind of musical group in Pennsylvania. So, last week, when you wrote Marks Brothers Central Casting, I assume you meant Marx Brothers, right?

Thank you for letting me pretend for a moment that the world's not on fire and small-time typos in the news are still worth correcting.

Hope life in the Keys is still more Jimmy Buffett than bullshit,

Alice

Dear Alice:

Ooops!

Good catch. While I was writing that column last week, I was also corresponding with a guy whose last name is Marks. Honestly, I wouldn’t lie about a thing like that. And I assume that’s how I got those mixed up.

Or maybe it was the martini?

Who knows?

Got a question for Miss Mingo? About life, the news, or clever ways to avoid paying bar tabs? Write to her at MissMingo@Tropic.Press

ASK MISS MINGO

Hermina Hermelinda Obregon—a.k.a. Miss Mingo—was an award-winning newspaper reporter before she involuntarily joined the diaspora of journalists leaving the newspaper profession. She now lives with her two cats—Deadline and Dateline—and her pet iguana Skippy. If you wander the streets (and bars) of Key West, you’ll doubtless run into her. She’ll be the woman wearing the ridiculous flamingo hat. If you want an autograph, you’ll have to buy her a Cuba Libre. There’s more about her here.

Leave a comment

Time to take back our state

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican incumbents in the Legislature must face Democrats on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans stand to run unopposed. Here’s how we can fix that:

More Information

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The official Tropic Press Store is now open and ready for business. You can order your very own Miss Mingo merch online. All sales are final. Check out the store here:

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