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. If we get enough paid subscribers, we may actually start reimbursing her for her efforts.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

You seem like a fun little pink bird. But is your diet mainly comprised of little sally shrimp?

Wasting Away in Palm Beach

Dear Wasting:

In just a few words, you raise several points that I should address.

Now, to be clear, just because the editors at Tropic Press think it’s soooo funny to draw a cartoon of a flamingo to run with each of these columns does not mean that I, myself, am actually a pink bird.

And just because my nickname is Miss Mingo, does not mean that I have pink feathers and eat shrimp.

Well, actually, I do eat shrimp (mostly for the cocktail sauce), and because I try very hard to stay out of the sun, I suppose my sensitive skin is slightly pinkish. But that’s just a coincidence. I do have lots and lots of pink things because I am kinda nuts about flamingos (hence the nickname), and I do have a feather boa—but let me emphasize that having a feathered boa is not the same thing as having feathers.

(I should hasten to add that my boa does not have REAL flamingo feathers. The very idea!)

And flamingos can’t type. They do talk a lot, though. Mostly it comes out as honks, double-honks, and sometimes growls and grunts and whistles. They’re very chatty with one another. But I dare say none have ever successfully used a keyboard.

Now, to this business of “sally shrimp.” You sent me to the internet with that one. I discovered there’s such a thing as Sally’s Frozen Fish Food, made up of shrimp and it is used in aquariums. Is that what you were referring to?

For the record, I do not live in an aquarium. Although I will say that since starting this column it has been a little more challenging to maintain my privacy, and at times does feel like living in a fishbowl.

Interestingly, I also discovered there’s an online slot machine game entitled Super Sally’s Shrimp Mania—again, something I had never heard of until now. So, thanks for broadening my horizons.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

How much does the choice of words in day-to-day use engender and emphasize tension? For instance, suppose our lawyers and politicians “work” instead of “fighting” for us. And politicians instead of demanding “deals” seek “agreements.” Less confrontation, more empathy and understanding.

William E “Bill” Thompson

Apopka

Dear Bill:

The editors slipped this comment of yours to me thinking that I could use it as a jumping off point for a discussion of manners in this column. But my name is Miss Mingo, not Miss Manners. For the record, though, I totally share your point. Our culture has become pointlessly combative. My own personal conspiracy theory is that this is no accident. It’s by design to divide us and keep us distracted bickering with one another while our pockets are getting picked by the One Percenters.

DEAR MISS MINGO

I‘m having a hard time trying to understand why the issue of tax immunity is not being focused on with more intensity. Attorney General (interim) Todd Blanche issued a blanket immunity for tax audits with no more authority than the stroke of his pen (unless he used an autopen to be sure his fingerprints were not left on the document).

See of all the bruhaha about the $10 billion lawsuit of Trump against the IRS and the $1.776 billion (what’s the irony in that amount), the biggest insult to the nation was the immunity letter. The brief letter filling less than half a page, dismisses Trump, personally, the members of his family, and his business enterprises from IRS enforcement for the past and forever in the future.

Given the wording in the letter, not only would audits be a thing of the past – notwithstanding a law that requires that the tax returns of the president and the vice president must be audited and the contents released to the public.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney, managed to discharge all of those parties from ever having to perform any of those bothersome activities like filing tax returns or for that matter paying any taxes at all. If the individuals and entities cannot be audited thus the tax laws enforced, then how can the IRS enforce failure to file and non-payment of taxes? Can you imagine how much they will save it tax preparation costs alone on top of not paying in taxes?

Pity all of the accounts and tax attorneys that will not have the work of that group. Why the costs and nuisance of filing on all of the schemes and scams of the family businesses doubtless adds up to multi-millions.

Just seems to me like the ultimate "get out of jail” card. Yet there has been little said, even but whether Blache has the authority to discharge this clients from compliance with the law.

I know, I’m just an old crank who has been bothered to have to abide by these pesky tax requirements for seven decades and never got a freebee like this.

William E. “Bill” Thompson

Dear Bill:

You again! But, hey, great letter, and your points are spot on.

Here’s the thing: This “Get Out of Jail Free” card could only have any legitimacy if it were part of an actual settlement of a lawsuit.

Federal Judge Kathleeen Williams has called into question whether the suit was ever legit since it was, essentially, Trump suing himself.

If this isn’t a conspiracy to defraud the government, I don’t know what is, and I can’t imagine this holding up.

Just because Trump has a flunky who signs a ridiculous agreement does not in and of itself give it the force of law (so I say with all my years of legal training, which equal zero). Still, it obviously ain’t right, and I will be shocked—shocked, I tell you— if it isn’t thrown out.

Thanks for bringing it to our attention and for your thoughtful analysis. The longer the letters are from readers like you, the less I have to actually write, which allows me more time to focus on my continued efforts to ring up bar tabs at every saloon in Key West.

Cheers.

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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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

So, imagine you are King Frederik the Tenth of Denmark, the monarch not only of the Danes but of Greenland as well.

Or perhaps, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of Miguel Diaz-Canel, the president and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.

We could even wish to peer into the mind of Charles Mountbatten-Windsor, king not only of England but also of Canada, where he is the head of state even if it is only a ceremonial role.

These leaders, and others—we could throw in Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela—must be wondering how to get the kind of deal Iran just snookered Donald Trump into.

One answer, of course, is to get the United States to drop a few bombs on your country (Delcy has that first step already covered), let Trump crow that the only acceptable end to hostilities is their “complete surrender,” then let things simmer for a few weeks until Trump can’t stand it anymore, and he sues for peace.

It’s all rather reminiscent of the Peter Sellers film, The Mouse that Roared, in which the teensy nation of Grand Fenwick declares war on the U.S., surrenders, and enjoys America’s post-war generosity to rebuild its bankrupt economy.

The twist with Iran is that America struck first, of course, but really had no plan if the ayatollahs just shot Trump the bird and closed the Strait of Hormuz, which began crippling the world economy and 47’s popularity on the home front.

All that was required of Iran was to exercise a little patience and, predictably, TACO Trump folded, and now Ayatollah Khamenei gets oil barrels’ full of cash, sanctions removed, and he can keep stockpiling uranium.

Not even Grand Fenwick had it so good.

Since Trump has already blathered threateningly about taking over Greenland, making Canada the 51st state, and that he wants to “take” all of Cuba and Venezuela’s oil, these nations would seem ideally situated to mimic Iran’s artful dealing.

Best not to have Trump bomb them first, of course (although, as noted, Venezuela already has that box checked).

Maybe just make some idle threats. Or give Trump the donkey ears?

Greenland could, I suppose, threaten to cut off their supply of codfish or whatever it is they export. But it might not be a great idea to invite the Chinese over to start mining their rare-earth minerals. The U.S.A. has a long history of touchiness when foreigners start mucking about too near our shores. If there’s mucking about to be done in the Western Hemisphere, that’s America’s sandbox.

Canada has already been playing tit for tat on the tariff front with the United States, and some provinces have banned certain American products, such as whiskey. The problem facing Trump were he to consider an invasion there is that most of us like Canada more than Trump, and the country is filled up with lumberjacks and hockey players who drink Molsons for breakfast, so be careful who you spar with.

Trump could bomb some sections of Havana and—it pains me to say this—based on my most recent visit, a little demolition could actually improve things. Assuming it was evacuated first, of course.

Or—and here’s a thoughtful and far-reaching solution to the Cuban crisis—we could skip all the preliminaries and just give our Caribbean neighbor bucketsful of cash like Iran to get the country back on its feet, and do so without all the hostilities.

Sure, there would be some quid-pro-quos. They’d have to tear down Castillo del Morro and erect a Trump Tower in its place, but what a small price to pay.

Hey, maybe Jared and Ivanka could abandon their horrific plan to bulldoze the environmentally sensitive coast of Albania (where flamingos breed) and launch an urban renewal project in Havana, instead.

Maybe Iran could help underwrite it. After all, they’re about to be rolling in dough.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press and an award-winning author and journalist. He’s a proud graduate of Dunedin High School, an alum of the University of South Florida, and a lifelong fan of the Miami Dolphins, his hometown team. His money is on Argentina (and Messi) to win the World Cup.

Thanks for subscribing

I hope you are enjoying this newsletter. Serving your news and information needs is what this is all about. Your support is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible. Thank you.

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 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.

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The Strange Files

Today’s edition of this newsletter is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, publisher of The Strange Files Series. Strange Fact: The first sentence of Florida Man, the second book in the series, sets the tone for how weird Alexander Strange’s adventure in the Gunshine State will be:

“I wanted to get to Florida in the worst way, so I arrived in a coffin.”

Check out the award-winning series here:

Tropic Press Bookstore

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

We’ve known for some time that Donald Trump is geographically challenged.

After all, he’s the guy who couldn’t remember the location of the Gulf of Mexico, so he ordered it renamed. And now nobody knows where it is.

This week, he demonstrated his ineptness again. At a sidebar gaggle at the G7 conference in France, he intoned:

"Qatar is the closest to Iran, physically. With other countries, I noticed they had to travel about 45 minutes to get there. With you, you could walk right across the border."

Small problem:

Qatar and Iran are separated at their closest point by about 120 miles of the Persian Gulf. They do not share a land border.

Unless your first name is Jesus, you ain’t doing any walking straight to Iran from Qatar across miles and miles of water.

You could go by boat, I suppose, although there aren’t a lot of watercraft puttering about in the Persian Gulf right now.

Swimming would be dicey. The water gets up to 90 degrees in the summer, is super salty, there are lots of sea snakes, sharks, toxic jellyfish and scorpionfish. Then there’s the fact the water is among the most polluted in the world, Oh, yeah, then there are all those mines. You wouldn’t want to be in the middle of a breast stroke and bump into one of those.

You could hitch a ride on a drone, I suppose. Been lots of them zooming over the Persian Gulf lately.

But you won’t be out for a quick stroll across the border, no matter what our delusional 80-year-old president says.

Depressingly, this isn’t the first time for Trump to get this wrong.

In December 2025, he told reporters on Air Force One regarding Qatar:

“They were very brave, and their leader, the emir, was very brave. His country is right in the middle of everything. More so than any other country. His country, you walk across a line, and you’re there. Other countries are there, but they’re an hour or an hour and a half away, a big difference. They’re literally, you walk over from Iran to Qatar. You can walk it in one second. You go ‘boom, boom,’ and now you’re in Qatar, that’s tough territory.”

Boom, boom?

Can’t somebody give this guy a map? This is embarrassing. No wonder they lock him out of the Situation Room. Turn him loose, and the next thing you know, he could be dropping bombs on his new ballroom.

Hmmm. Maybe unlock the Situation Room for just a few minutes, whadaya say?

As noted, this is not new behavior. Trump has a long history of this sort of confusion. For instance:

• Talking to African leaders at a United Nations luncheon, Trump praised the health care system of “Nambia,” which, as far as anyone knows, doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s an invisible neighbor to the Black Panther’s invisible Wakanda. Or maybe he was thinking of Narnia.

• Calling Nepal “Nipple” and Bhutan “Button.”

• Congratulating “the great state of Kansas” for the Super Bowl victory of Missouri’s Kansas City Chiefs.

• Bragging about his “Colorado border wall” to keep out Mexican immigrants, even though Colorado is nowhere near the Mexican border.

• Expressing sympathy to Miami residents being overrun by “communists from South Africa.” Did he mean South America? Or was he trying to tell us something about Elon Musk?

• And, of course, there’s Sharpiegate, where Trump took a marker to a weather map to predict the path of Hurricane Dorian that had absolutely no connection to reality.

Here’s a suggestion for the pilots of Air Force One: On your way back from France, turn navigation duties over to Trump and, just for kicks, let’s see where you end up. Take your time. No need to hurry back.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press and an award-winning author and journalist. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and Florida, which is just across the border from Cuba.

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

Strange Currents

Today’s edition of this newsletter is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, publisher of The Strange Files Series. Strange Fact: The first sentence of Strange Currents, the fourth book in the series, won the “Best First Sentence” award at the annual International Thriller Writers convention in New York City. It reads:

“I knew my number was up when the flamingo stepped on my face.”

Check out the award-winning series here:

Tropic Press Bookstore

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

I know what you’ve been wondering.

Ever since Donald Trump bulldozed the East Wing of the White House to build his great big, beautiful ballroom, you’ve been curious how you can get a piece of the action.

After all, our commander-in-chief assured us that the $300 million project would be funded entirely by donations. And as we’ve learned, huge technology giants and other corporations have been among those patriotically stepping up to make Trump’s dream come true.

But what about ordinary citizens like us?

Now, I realize that it can sometimes be a little confusing exactly what this project is for, which would seem a normal prerequisite before making a donation.

After all, Trump initially said it was because he liked to throw big parties and the White House lawn wouldn’t do. Oh sure, it’s good for cage fights, but not dinner with respectable people.

But then that story morphed. He needed it for national security. He wanted a bomb shelter next to his bedroom—or wherever he might be napping at the moment. Just in case, you know.

Then it was a legacy for the country. Or a legacy built just for him.

Whatever. It’s expensive.

Now, about those big corporate donors. We need to keep it real here. They aren’t doing it entirely out of the goodness of their hearts. (And even if the Supreme Court says corporations are people, they still don’t have heartbeats.)

No. We’re talking Amazon and Apple, Google and Meta, defense contractors, cryptocurrency shamans, and others who fully expect to be treated favorably by the federal government in return. Big contracts. Approved mergers. That sort of thing.

So, why wouldn’t we all want a piece of that action?

Well, the good news is that Trump has figured out a way to make that happen.

As the Washington Post has reported, the price tag for the East Wing boondoggle has now ballooned to $600 million, but — and here’s the good news! — only half of that will come from the aforementioned billionaires and their companies.

No, now the rest of us get to pitch in.

The Post has examined a detailed project summary, which shows that fully half the cost will be borne by taxpayers, not donors as Trump initially indicated when he announced:

“This is taxpayer-free. We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents.”

That, however, was then. This is now:

Multiple project summaries provided to the White House by Clark Construction show that internal cost estimates have been significantly higher than administration officials have acknowledged in public comments or court filings. They also show that the work was projected to rely heavily on taxpayer dollars from the moment it was announced.

So, if this bears out, then Trump hasn’t been quite telling us the truth, has he? Maybe he had his tiny, bruised fingers crossed behind his back all this time.

And while it may be shocking news to some that the president of these United States might be less than forthright, we should look at the bright side.

Now, we won’t be wasting those millions and millions of taxpayer dollars for trivialities like paying down the national debt or bolstering Social Security or fighting infectious diseases.

Nope. Now, each and every one of us gets to own a piece of Trump’s magnificent new dance hall.

Whether we like it or not.

Leave a comment

Thanks for subscribing

I hope you are enjoying this newsletter. Serving your news and information needs is what this is all about. Your support 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 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

The Strange Files

Today’s edition of this newsletter is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, publisher of The Strange Files Series. Strange Fact: The first sentence of Florida Man, the second book in the series, sets the tone for how weird Alexander Strange’s adventure in the Gunshine State will be:

“I wanted to get to Florida in the worst way, so I arrived in a coffin.”

Check out the award-winning series here:

Tropic Press Bookstore

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Hurricane season is only two weeks old, but the first named tropical storm of the year may spool up in the next day or so.

Right now, the weather system is an area of low pressure over land on the border between Texas and Mexico, but it is expected to migrate into the northwestern Gulf of Mexico today, where it could strengthen.

If its sustained winds hit 39 mph, it will become Tropic Storm Arthur. The chances of that happening are 60%, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The current spaghetti models show the storm moving inland off the Gulf Coast, but, at the moment, at least, it does not appear to be a threat to Florida. However, whether it reaches tropical storm status or not, it will be a major rain event, and coastal and southern areas of the country will likely experience flooding.

Just a reminder: As reported here earlier, we are in an El Nino season, meaning the forecasts are for fewer hurricanes this year. Nevertheless, it only takes one storm to wreak disaster, and weather out of the Gulf is less susceptible to El Nino’s moderating influences.

Epstein paid Palm Beach deputy to get special treatment in jail

Sarah Kellen, a longtime personal assistant to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has disclosed that Epstein’s preferential treatment at the Palm Beach County jail may have been the result of him paying off Palm Beach sheriff’s deputies.

Kellen, during her interview with the House Oversight Committee last month, was questioned about perks that Epstein received while he was incarcerated at the Palm Beach County Stockade where Epstein was jailed from 2008 to 2009.

She said she visited Epstein several times at the jail, and one time, when she was home, he was able to use Skype from a jail computer to contact her. He used that computer to get her to undress for him on camera while he was in the jail, Kellen testified.

This report in the Miami Herald is from Julie K. Brown, who just won a Pulitzer Prize for her groundbreaking coverage of Epstein.

Read More

Florida Republicans upset the party cancels debate

The Republican Party of Florida has confirmed there will be no “full” gubernatorial debate later this month when the party holds its annual summer confab in South Florida.

The reason? Party officials say that only Byron Donalds of Naples has met the established criteria to qualify, consisting of three metrics:

• The candidates had to have reached at least 10% support in an official party poll (and align with other “reputable public polling”).

• They had to have raised over $10 million.

• They had to have secured more than 10,000 donors.

“I think it’s been rigged from the start, to be perfectly honest, and it’s just par for the course,” gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner, excluded from the debate, told the Florida Phoenix.

Read More

False electors figure reprimanded by Florida Supreme Court

The Florida Supreme Court has declined to suspend the Florida law license of Kenneth Chesebro, convicted in Georgia of filing a false list of electors there to undermine Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Instead, the justices issued a reprimand over the objection of Justice Jorge Labarga, the sole member of the court not appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Former Gov. Charlie Crist placed him on the Supreme Court in January 2009.)

“In my view, the intentional commission of fraud upon the court is one of the most egregious ethical transgressions a lawyer can commit, and such serious misconduct necessitates the imposition of severe professional sanctions,” Labarga wrote.

Read More

Strange Currents

Today’s edition of this newsletter is brought to you by Tropic Press Books, publisher of The Strange Files Series. Strange Fact: The first sentence of Strange Currents, the fourth book in the series, won the “Best First Sentence” award at the annual International Thriller Writers convention in New York City. It reads:

“I knew my number was up when the flamingo stepped on my face.”

Check out the award-winning series here:

Tropic Press Bookstore

Subscribe now

Thanks for subscribing

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

Leave a comment

Related Stories:

Welcome to hurricane season. Because of a Super El Niño, there should be fewer storms--unless there aren’t

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Would anyone with an IQ above a snail’s think this is a man?

Well, we know the answer to that: Of course, not.

That, however, did not stop a moron by the name of Joshua Seth Hokit, who, after winning a bout at Donald Trump’s tawdry cage match on the White House lawn, took his 15 seconds of fame to declare to podcaster Joe Rogan that:

• Trump showed “courage” to turn the White House into a schlocky profit-making carnival.

• Jesus is the only person greater than the Incredible Hok (not to be confused with the Incredible Hulk, I suppose).

• Insulted another fighter’s mother. (“I want a chama on your mama.”)

• And, finally, this: “Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right, America?”

Well, no, you’re not right, Josh. In fact, there’s something seriously unhinged with anyone who would say such a thing.

First off, that was stupid. Not only is it simply wrong, but it is also insulting, it’s racist, and it makes you sound like a woman-hater (the big word for that, Josh, is misogynist).

This is the kind of hatefulness we’ve learned to expect from the so-called manosphere, the core members of which are losers who resent the fact that most women would rather not date jerks.

They are pathetic misfits. Do you hang with that crowd, Josh?

Fortunately, Michelle Obama is too tough for dead-enders like you.

The former First Lady became a lightning rod for this unwelcome slander when her husband ran for president, and far-right fringe racists began looking for ways to discredit him with their ridiculous “birther” theories, accusations that he was a Muslim (horrors!) and this slur against his wife because she was gorgeous and physically fit—definitely a threat to all the cellar-dwelling incels out there who haven’t seen the inside of a gym since high school.

I didn’t actually see the program on TV. I was too busy watching real athletes at the World Cup. But apparently some in the crowd cheered, Trump briefly smiled, and a gutless Rogan let it pass without intervening.

But that’s what you get at carnivals — freak shows.

Before the fight, Hokit appeared to have vomited all over himself during weigh-in and defended himself to reporters by saying:

"So what, maybe I was drinking last night. Who wouldn't be? I have a giant black man that wants to knock me out." Presumably, a giant white man who wanted to knock him out wouldn’t be so terrifying.

After his remarks, I can only imagine that Michelle Obama might have at least given a passing thought to what she’d like to do to the dumbass in the ring.

Although later, it was revealed that the barfing episode was all an act, a gag, just part of the tasteless spectacle. Fake news.

it was also fake news, apparently, that Trump’s son, Eric, tried to get the inside track on who was supposed to win the fights to lay down some bets. Both Trump and the former fighter with whom screenshots showed Trump corresponding say that’s also fake news.

Apparently, it’s not fake news, however, that Donald Trump dozed off during the middle of the fights. There’s video that proves it.

But, hey, give the guy a break. He’s 80 years old and not in the best of physical or mental health. He needs his nap time.

Am I right, America?

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press and an award-winning author and journalist. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and the so-called “free” state of Florida. During his 40s, he studied taekwondo where, during one sparring session, he was knocked senseless by a 17-year-old girl’s spin kick. Unlike some, he is able to distinguish between physically fit women and men.

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

“Florida is making some progress towards improving the state’s child well-being, but the level of investment is not moving the needle in helping Florida families with affordability in housing, access to childcare, and access to medical care, namely Medicaid.”

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By Jay Waagmeester

Florida Phoenix

Florida’s overall state of child wellbeing did not improve in this year’s Kids Count Data Profile, although some segments including graduation rates and teen birth did see gains.

Florida jumped four spots in education ranking compared to last year’s report, up to 15th, working toward the fifth place ranking the state held two years ago. Florida’s family and community category improved, too, jumping one spot, to 29th.

The state’s children’s health category dropped three places, to 35th.

The data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation reflect children’s ability to read, the number who are overweight, and parental financial stability, among other factors like teen pregnancy and deaths. Much of Florida’s data in the 2026 report are from 2024.

“Florida is making some progress towards improving the state’s child well-being, but the level of investment is not moving the needle in helping Florida families with affordability in housing, access to childcare, and access to medical care, namely Medicaid,” Norín Dollard, Kids Count director at Florida Policy Institute, said in a news release.

According to the 2026 report, fewer children than in 2025 are giving birth or living in poverty.

The 2026 report shows one less teen death, 28, than in the 2025 report, 29.

The rate of children whose parents lack secure employment improved, 25% in the 2026 report. It was 26% in the 2025 report.

One percent more, 39%, of children live in a household with a high housing cost burden compared to last year’s report. It is 3% higher than 2019 data.

The education category overall improvement since last year’s report reflects an improved graduation rate, but all three related categories — reading and math proficiency and three-and-four-year-olds not in school, stayed the same.

The report shows a decrease in reading and math scores, putting Florida 19th nationwide in education.

Two years ago, the report ranked Florida as fifth in education in the United States. Now, it is ranked 15th. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are the top three education states, according to the report.

Florida maintained its rank at 43rd for economic wellbeing. New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Wyoming are the top three in this category.

“Behind every number in this report is a child who is either hungry or fed, housed or homeless, progressing academically or falling behind. No state is consistently getting this right,” Lisa M. Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said. “The Data Book challenges us to follow the evidence and do what delivers results.”

Leave a comment

Jay Waagmeester covers education for the Florida Phoenix. He previously worked for the Iowa Capital Dispatch and the Iowa State Daily. He grew up in Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa 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:

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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, both original reporting and contributions such as today’s article 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

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

Florida’s 2026 midterm elections will see a nearly full field of Democratic candidates in races ranging from governor to U.S. Senate down to state House and Senate districts.

A few months ago, the situation for Democrats looked bleak, especially in the Legislature, where more than 50 seats had no Democratic candidates at all.

That changed dramatically thanks to the Herculean efforts of volunteers, notably the political action committee run by Naples activist Margie Stein and her Blue Florida: Project 140, which spent the intervening weeks finding and funding Democrats willing to run.

According to the Florida Secretary of State’s website, Democrats will be on the ballot for all but one state Senate race and all but 12 state House seats. Of note: Democrats are unopposed by Republicans in two state Senate districts and 18 state House seats.

Do the math, and that means Democrats are outperforming Republicans in fielding candidates for the state Legislature 92 percent to 86 percent.

That is an accomplishment that was virtually unimaginable a few short months ago.

“Overall, we are very pleased that we recruited 38 of the 141 candidates running in Florida House races,” Stein said in a written statement. “These 38 candidates represent about 25% of the total candidates running in State House races.

“We are used to 100% success (having done this in 2020 and 2024) and that is the standard we hold. But we do consider 90% to be a good outcome. It is certainly better than leaving 53 Congressional, House and Senate races without Dem candidates as occurred in Nov 2022. (the last midterm).”

Having candidates on the ballot, even in red districts, is crucial for voter turnout as local candidates help get out the vote, which eventually rolls up to larger turnouts for the big statewide races.

“We believe that our candidates’ participation will help the top of the ticket, the Florida Democratic Party and the national party as well,” Stein said. “Perhaps they will help elect the next Democratic governor and senator in Florida.”

Democrats will face considerable headwinds in congressional races, though, because of the gerrymandering perpetrated by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature designed to reduce the number of so-called safe Democratic seats by half. Though the DeSantis map clearly violated—at the very least—the intent of the state’s Fair Districts amendments, the Florida Supreme Court upheld it. All the judges on that court are Republicans, most appointed by DeSantis.

Here’s a complete list of candidates for all offices:

https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/CanList.asp?elecid=20261103-GEN&OfficeCode=GOV

Complete List of Candidates

Stein also wanted to send a shout-out to Tropic Press subscribers for your help during the runup to this election:

“Your stories in the Tropic Press and your readers’ engagement were without question critical to our success both as donors and folks who stepped up to run as candidates. We can't thank them enough.”

Why David Jolly picked Gwen Graham as his running mate

A Democratic ticket seeking to break the GOP’s decades-long hold on Florida’s governor’s mansion says affordability, housing and education will be at the center of its campaign.

Former Congressman David Jolly recently selected former Congresswoman Gwen Graham as his running mate, becoming the first major gubernatorial candidate to announce a lieutenant governor pick in the 2026 race.

Why did David Jolly choose Gwen Graham as his running mate?

Jolly said he wanted more than a traditional lieutenant governor candidate.

“I wanted to find a governing partner capable of being governor of the state, not just lieutenant governor,” Jolly said.

Read More

Florida Hispanics having second thoughts about Trump

One in five Hispanic voters in Florida who voted for Donald Trump in the last presidential election now say they wouldn’t vote for him again.

That disenchantment could have significant ramifications for Republican candidates in the coming midterm elections.

The survey comes from UnidosUS and was conducted jointly by the Democratic-leaning polling firm BSP Research and Shaw & Co. Research, a Republican polling firm.

It suggests that 51% of Hispanic voters in Florida disapprove of Trump’s performance in office, while 41% approve. It also finds that 72% of Hispanic voters in Florida are concerned that Congress is not exercising its checks-and-balances role but is giving too much authority to the executive branch. That includes 64% of Cuban Americans in Florida.

Read More

New lawsuit claims proposed property tax amendment is biased

A week after the Florida Legislature placed a constitutional amendment aimed at reducing homestead property taxes on the statewide ballot, a nonprofit group has filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration that the ballot language is “unconstitutionally biased, misleading and inaccurate.”

The action also asks the court to direct Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to redraft the language before it goes to the voters in November.

The lawsuit was filed in the Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County by Save Our Voters, a not-for-profit social welfare group, and two South Florida residents.

Read More

Meme of the Week

Quote of the Week

“You don’t always get cycles like this where people are so exhausted they say, ‘Burn the ships, I don’t care about political affiliation. People are just looking for some goodness in our politics.”

—David Jolly

Letter of the Week

Can a tiger really change its stripes? That is what I wonder about Jolly. I read an article about him on PBS, and since it wasn't an overnight change and since Democrats don't have another option, Jolly is our Democratic candidate. But Bryon Donalds? Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. Remember the good old days when crooks couldn't be elected to a public servant post? Now, it's practically a job requirement. No wonder Florida has become FloriDUH. I'm a native of Florida, but if Donalds becomes our governor, leaving the state is an option for me.

—Janet Robinson

Looking Ahead

When I’m not writing this newsletter, I also scribble a current events column for Florida Weekly. You should check it out. Here are some snippets, from there and elsewhere, to help guide your week ahead.

June 14. Flag Day. On this day in 1774, the Second Continental Congress adopted Old Glory as the national banner.

June 15 is Global Wind Day. Appropriately, this event, dedicated to discovering wind energy, comes right after the start of Hurricane Season.

June 16 is, oddly, both Fresh Veggies Day and Cannoli Day. The Godfather says: Drop the veggies and keep the cannoli.

June 18 is Sushi Day. No matter what you’ve been told, sushi is actually just a fancy name for fishing bait, not human food. I’ll be starving during the Zombie Apocalypse before raw fish enters my mouth.

June 19. Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. June 19, 1865, is the day when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally told they were free. It is unclear if this will be taught in Florida schools since the Florida Legislature insists that slavery wasn’t all bad.

June 20. National Bald Eagle Day. The bald eagle is the nation’s official avian. The flamingo should be Florida’s official bird, but our state Legislature can’t seem to get around to naming it. It’s too busy rewriting history.

Last Week’s Tropic Press headlines

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

Florida’s Republican Supreme Court rejects efforts to block the state’s gerrymandering

ASK THE BIRD: Are we great again yet? What makes you think we never were?

Since he’s a Florida resident, could Donald Trump be Baker Acted?

Trump’s mind seems evidence-free. Where are the responsible adults?

Could Donald Trump demolish Lady Liberty if he wanted to? First the East Wing, then her?

Florida governor’s race narrows as Democrat David Jolly is now virtually uncontested, and Byron Donalds dominates the G.O.P.

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

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. If we get enough paid subscribers, we may actually start reimbursing her for her efforts.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

With the passing of Memorial Day and the brewing excitement over our nation’s 250^th birthday, I have to wonder how Dozy Donny’s efforts are going to Make America Great Again. Are we there yet? To my reckoning, he has threatened some 14 independent nations with violence or a takeover, abducted the leader of one country, and started a war in the Middle East. Does that make him a great leader, and does that make us great again? How do you view his chances of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, or has he already acquired one?

In order to stack the deck in his favor, perhaps after he turns the Gaza Strip into a beach resort, he could turn Iran into a Trump golf course and theme park. That should seal the deal!

I am also concerned, as are others, over the Great Pumpkin’s health. I know his hair loss has been an issue, but his complexion is concerning to me. Perhaps he could have his health minion, RFK Jr., look into the possible effects of the orange dye he may have been ingesting.

Speaking of RFK Jr., I recently viewed a stunning video of him wrestling dangerous snakes from the patio of one Dr. Oz. It reminded me of the old Mutual of Omaha series, and of Jim wrestling a wild Anaconda. Perhaps this video could be used in lieu of the standard procedure for him to acquire a permit to participate in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge? I would love for him to wander into the Everglades to tackle this growing health and environmental problem. At the very least, I would think he might offer his services to help clean up around Alligator Alcatraz once it closes. There are so many things a multi-talented genius of his caliber might do to serve our country as we approach its 250^th birthday!

So, if we aren’t great again yet, I can’t imagine what we might do to tip the scales in our favor. Perhaps we could have our esteemed leader Jello wrestle on the White House lawn with Putin, Xi, or the Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. All we need is some sort of hideous structure beneath which to hold the matches!

Does any of this sound reasonable to you, or am I...

Dreamin’ in Dunedin

Dear Dreaming:

Congratulations. This is the longest letter I have received in my time writing this column, and it serves as Exhibit A of why I love this job—I get to interact with so many clever and interesting people.

I realize this is really a tirade disguised as a question just so you could sneak it into print, to which I say: Well played!

But to your point:

MAGA as a slogan begins with a false premise—that America isn’t already great—and that it will take someone, a savior, a larger-than-life leader to turn things around. This is, as we all know, a con job, a trick designed to dupe those poor souls among us prone to buying snake oil, or believing the moon landing wasn’t real, or that vaccines cause STDs, or whatever.

If I recall my Sunday school classes (it’s been a few years), Jesus once said the poor will always be among us.

He might also have said the gullible.

We never needed Trump to be great again. But we need his successor to clean up the mess he’s made.

And no, he won’t win the Nobel Peace Prize. And even if he did, he’d fall asleep during the ceremony.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

While we’re ranting here, what’s with Florida Sen. Ashley Moody pretending she stood up for cops with her vote on Trump’s $1.776 billion slush fund? Does she think we’re stupid?

Aggravated in Apopka

Dear Aggravated:

It would have taken only one more Republican senator voting for it, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s amendment to dropkick the slush fund out of existence would have passed.

That vote did not come from Moody—or from Florida’s other senator, Rick Scott—either.

As a result, the slush fund still, theoretically, exists.

What Moody did vote for was a failed amendment that would have permitted the slush fund but not let its money be used to reimburse Jan. 6 rioters.

But that was just a bit of performance art. It was a clever gambit by a Democratic senator to force Republicans to vote against it, so it could be used to show that Republicans have no respect for all the police injured during the insurrection at the Capitol.

Moody was among a handful of Republicans facing close races who voted for it, even though it was doomed from the beginning. It gives her something to counterpunch with, sort of, when she is rightfully accused of backing Trump and his chicanery.

It was a meaningless bit of theatrics. Don’t be fooled.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

You seem kind of down on Moody. Why is that?

Fairminded in Fort Lauderdale

Dear Fairminded:

First off, I have no patience for politicians of any party who put their personal political fortunes ahead of the good of the country.

My hero in that regard, even though she and I have never met and we wouldn’t agree on much, is Liz Cheney. She chose patriotism over her career in defying Trump. We need more like her on both sides of the aisle.

Moody was never elected to the Senate. Gov. Ron DeSantis planted her there when Marco Rubio quit to become Trump’s secretary of State. That’s why she has to run now to keep her job.

Trump needs to be impeached. We need a Senate willing to convict. That’s not Moody. She is a total Trump toady.

And, yes, I know I’m showing my biases here. I’m biased in favor of America’s survival.

Wow. This column has been full of tantrums, hasn’t it? I think I’ll go get a cocktail and settle down. See you next week.

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:

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By Mitch Perry

Florida Phoenix

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recently redistricted congressional map that could net Republicans up to four additional seats this fall will remain in place after the Florida Supreme Court rejected an emergency petition to stop the map from taking effect.

The Equal Ground Education Fund had filed the petition, asking the high court to overturn the First District Court of Appeal’s decision to reject a temporary injunction. The ruling does not end the legal battle, with the underlying challenge still intact.

The Elias Law Group, on behalf of Equal Ground, originally filed the lawsuit on May 4 on behalf of 18 individual plaintiffs who live throughout the state. That was the day DeSantis signed the GOP-controlled Legislature’s map into law.

The suit contends the new map violates Florida’s 2010 Fair Districts Amendments, which prohibit drawing congressional (and state legislative) districts that favor incumbents or a political party.

Genesis Robinson, executive director of Equal Ground, issued a blistering statement.

“Let’s be clear, the Florida Supreme Court’s failure to stop this brazen partisan power grab is not only an assault on democracy, but an abdication of its duty to the people of Florida,” he said. “Courts are meant to serve as a check on government overreach and a safeguard against constitutional violations, but, once again, when Floridians needed that protection most, the Court declined to intervene.”

“The Florida Supreme Court just stopped Marc Elias’ attempted takeover of Florida’s congressional map and denied his request to hear the case. COMPLETE AND TOTAL VICTORY,” wrote Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in a social media post.

Elias is one of the country’s most prominent election attorneys working for Democrats nationwide. The Elias Law Group is litigating the case on behalf of Equal Ground.

Florida Republicans control 20 of the state’s 28 congressional seats. The deadline for candidates to qualify to run for Congress in Florida is today at noon.

Leave a comment

Mitch Perry has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades. 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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Trump Derangement Watch

From The Independent

President Donald Trump spent nearly a full hour earlier this week ranting about the new-look Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, trashing Democrats as “Dumocrats” and downplaying the sky-high inflation that his war against Iran has caused before nearly forgetting to do the one thing he’d brought reporters into the Oval Office to see.

As White House aides attempted to usher the White House press pool from the room after Trump ended the event by thanking reporters, he was reminded that he had not put pen to paper on the immigration and border funding package he’d meant to sign as top GOP congressional leaders looked on.

But when someone pointed out that he hadn’t actually signed the bill — at the signing ceremony in the Oval Office — he quickly pivoted to attacking his predecessor’s use of an autopen as he took out his bespoke Sharpie and inked a signature on the page.

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, both original reporting and contributions such as today’s article 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

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

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Could Donald Trump really tear down the Statue of Liberty?

His lawyers at the Department of Justice think he could get away with it, and they argued just that in federal court the other day.

The very idea is, of course, beyond belief. Such an act would be madness, inconceivable. Has any president ever had the temerity, been crazy enough, to think that he could treat American landmarks and institutions, things that belong to all of us, as his own personal property and subject to his fleeting whims?

Oh, right. We’re talking about Trump.

The question was raised during a federal appeals court hearing in which the judges expressed skepticism about the Trump Administration’s argument that courts have no jurisdiction to block the president’s ballroom project now that he’s already demolished the East Wing.

Even if the courts found the ballroom boondoggle illegal, there’s nothing they could do. That was the argument Justice Department lawyers made.

As reported in Politico:

“When did it become a fait accompli?” Judge Patricia Millett asked. “If this were complete lawlessness by the government … it couldn’t be stopped?”

“On these theories, I think that’s right,” replied Yaakov Roth, a Justice Department attorney.

Millett, an Obama appointee, peppered Roth with questions about the extent of the Trump administration’s view of its power to “move fast and break things” without being subject to legal challenge.

“If the government decides, very quickly, to bulldoze the Statue of Liberty — the people whose ancestors that was the first thing they saw coming to this country, but the government moved too fast — nothing can be done?” the judge asked.

“I think that’s right, yes,” Roth responded.

So, there you have it.

If Donald Trump breaks the law fast enough, the courts don’t have anything to say about it. That’s the argument.

No consequences. At least not from the so-called justice system.

In the specific case of the ballroom, only Congress can call a halt to Trump’s madness, his lawyers argue. Because, you know, ordinary citizens have no legal standing to sue.

To which I would ask: Why not?

Federal property does not belong to the president. He may be the caretaker, but he is not the owner.

Federal property belongs to each and every American citizen. Therefore, each and every American citizen—and organizations they chose to create, a First Amendment right—absolutely has a stake.

It takes a real criminal mind to make the case that if your getaway car is fast enough, the courts don’t have jurisdiction to put you in jail.

I have to believe the appeals court will reject this argument. Then it will be appealed again.

And, surely, even the Supreme Court can see through this. Right?

Oh, yeah, that’s the same court that said corporations are people.

We are in so much trouble.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a newsletter and website reaching more than 700,000 Floridians daily. He is an award-winning journalist and author, a native Miamian, and an alum of the University of South Florida among other institutions of higher learning where he served time.

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

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Do you know someone who may be having mental health issues—perhaps a friend, or family member, or elected official?

If so, are you curious how you can get them the help they may need?

Well, if you are in Florida where I live, you may be in luck. We have this law called the Baker Act, and it allows cops or judges, or medical professionals to detain individuals who show evidence of mental infirmity under certain circumstances.

For instance, what if you knew of someone who was prone to murdering people on the high seas, sneaking into foreign countries and kidnapping their leaders, threatening to invade his neighbors, or who hallucinated that he was being applauded at a Knicks game when, in reality, he was being booed by thousands of people?

Would that be enough to Baker Act him?

Let’s see if we can sort this out. According to the law, a person who claims Florida as his official residence can be detained if:

• There is reason to believe the person has a mental illness.

• The person with a mental illness refuses to be examined so his illness can be diagnosed.

• Without care or treatment, the person is likely to suffer from severe neglect or pose a serious threat of harm to themselves or others.

Of course, we’re talking about Donald Trump. This rumination is prompted by a letter from a reader this week suggesting that the president’s displays of derangement are becoming so severe—while he’s awake, anyway—that he needs to be Baker Acted.

Snatching someone from their home—unless they are, say, the president of Venezuela—requires that those previously mentioned criteria be met. It’s a high bar.

Trump certainly qualifies as a Florida resident.

He is unquestionably a threat to others. Remember, this is the guy who just launched a war in the Mideast in which the first round of attacks killed more than 100 schoolchildren. And he’s bragged about the big red button on his desk that would allow him to launch the nation’s more than 3,000 nuclear warheads, likely ending all life on Earth.

His own niece, Mary Trump, a psychologist, says her uncle meets all nine diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder and that his condition goes “far beyond garden-variety narcissism.”

That said, she hasn’t actually examined him.

Has anyone? Well, yes.

Trump claims to have aced the Montreal Cognitive Assessment by being able to repeat the words: Person. Woman, Man. Camera. TV. However, the Montreal test is not a test for sanity, or IQ, for that matter, even if Trump asserts that he is a “stable genius.” It’s a test for early signs of Alzheimer’s.

But going back to our criteria for being Baker Acted, it appears that Trump has, indeed, volunteered to at least be seen by physicians who have administered some tests, so that alone would likely disqualify him for detainment, even though there is reason to believe he may have personality disorders and is clearly threatening.

Clever idea. But just too easy.

No, for his own sake and the sake of the country, and to ensure that he is no longer a danger to others, he needs to be removed through impeachment or the implementation of the 25th Amendment.

That latter approach requires the cooperation of his sycophantic Cabinet. So, it is unlikely.

Impeachment is certainly possible. After all, he was impeached twice in his previous term of office, although never convicted.

That won’t happen this term either unless Democrats regain the House and Senate.

And that is in all of our hands. Forget the Baker Act.

Vote.

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce, the founder of Tropic Press, is an award-winning author and journalist 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

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

By now, you’ve likely seen Donald Trump’s temper tantrum on NBC’s Meet the Press, how he ripped off his microphone and stormed off camera when the moderator, Kristen Welker, tried to fact-check his lies.

I’ve just finished reading the entire transcript of the interview, and it is an eye-opener. And I have to say, I actually think that Trump believes part of the nonsense he was spouting.

Let’s jump into the final minutes when Welker is challenging Trump on some of his claims about the $1.776 billion so-called “anti-weaponization” slush fund he and his acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, concocted behind closed doors.

Trump was arguing that the money was justified to pay the poor, innocent tourists who just happened to be wandering around the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and were assaulted by “crooked” cops. Then it morphed into his delusional mantra that his re-election loss in 2020 was “rigged.”

Trump: “I don’t know what’s going to happen with the weaponization fund. I love the idea, because people like you, the fake dirty press, the crooked press, people like stupid Biden, he’s not smart enough to know what’s going on, but people that surrounded him, surrounded his beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, what they did to the lives of people, they destroyed people. They sent people to jail who did nothing wrong.”

Welker: “Just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying …”

Trump: “There’s a lot of evidence … Listen to me … There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence.”

Welker: “Well, it’s not been presented in a court of law.”

Trump: “The election was rigged. It was a dirty election. And it’s happening again right now in California.”

Welker: “Do you have evidence to support that?”

Trump: “All I have to do is look.”

Welker: “But that’s not evidence.”

Trump: “And I listen. And I listen to people…”

All he has to do is look. All he has to do is listen when his sycophantic friends tell him what he wants to hear.

That’s all the evidence he needs.

Documents, testimony, hard evidence? The actual real-world truth? Unnecessary. If he believes it, it’s true.

And I believe that he believes that. It’s what malignant narcissists do, psychologists say.

In summary:

Malignant narcissists frequently believe their own fabrications because they have a distorted psychological filter that reshapes reality to protect their ego. While they do engage in conscious, strategic lying, their minds heavily rely on primitive defense mechanisms that warp their actual perception of the truth. This means they can completely believe a false narrative in the moment simply because it aligns with what they want or need to be true.

In other words, they’re crazy.

And this crazy person is the president of the United States with direct control over the largest military on Earth, including its 3,700 active nuclear warheads.

I don’t blame Trump for being nuts. It’s not his fault.

But I do blame those who are empowered by our Constitution to be the guardrails of our democracy who are supposed to intervene when we discover that our commander-in-chief is out to lunch.

It’s why Congress can impeach the president and remove him from office.

It’s why the 25th Amendment to the Constitution gives the vice president and the Cabinet the power to step in and disempower a president who cannot perform his duties.

We may—or we may not—slog our way through the next few years with Trump at the helm, but if it all goes to hell, we know who history will call to account: The so-called adults in the room who put their personal interests ahead of their duty to the country.

Leave a comment

You can read the full Meet the Press transcript here:

Meet the Press Transcript

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.

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

The race to determine who will be Florida’s next governor has been disrupted by the news that one of the top two contenders for the Democratic nomination is dropping out.

And there are rumors that the frontrunner among Republicans has such a huge lead in money and popularity that the G.O.P. may cancel a scheduled debate among the party’s candidates.

Jerry Demings, the well-known Democratic mayor of Orange County, announced last week that he is suspending his campaign and withdrawing from the race to focus on “health issues.” He revealed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

That leaves David Jolly, a former Pinellas County Republican congressman, now turned Democrat, as the all-but-certain nominee for the Democratic Party in the midterm election. There are a handful of other declared candidates listed on the Secretary of State’s website, but none can be considered serious contenders, although Jolly may still face one or more of them in the August 18 primary.

The week-long period in which candidates must qualify to run begins today and ends June 12, at which time we’ll know what the primary lineup will be.

Both Jolly and Demings had polled within single digits of the also all-but-certain Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples. While Donalds faces several challengers for the Republican nomination, he has been outdistancing everyone—including Jolly—in fundraising and is the clear leader in the G.O.P. contest.

In fact, Politico published an article last week entitled “Sunshine State Letdown?” in which they speculated that a scheduled debate between the Republican candidates entitled “Sunshine State Showdown’” may not happen . Why? Because Donalds’ two main opponents may not qualify for lack of polling numbers and financing.

They are former House Speaker Paul Renner and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.

Said Donalds of his competitors: “When you’re talking about debates, I mean, you actually have to have a campaign.”

Ouch.

Jolly was more sympathetic to his erstwhile opponent:

“Jerry has dedicated his life to public service, fighting with passion, mettle, and faith. I know he’ll bring that same spirit to this new chapter,” Jolly said. “Laura and I wish him a full recovery as we personally pray for Jerry and his family.”

Newsweek magazine asked the question that’s now on many people’s minds: Who gains the most from Demings leaving the race? Their answer:

Demings’ exit affects multiple groups. For Democrats, it forces a recalibration of strategy and messaging, especially in Central Florida, where Demings had strong name recognition. For independents, many of whom were undecided in (recent) polls, the race now presents a different set of choices. For Donalds, the departure removes a challenger who had polled slightly better than Jolly—though both Democrats kept the race within single digits.

Demings’ decision also underscores the uncertainty of a race still months away from Election Day. While Republicans maintain structural advantages, Democrats remain within striking distance, and the absence of Demings introduces new variables into a contest that was already more competitive than expected.

Leave a comment

The June 12 qualifying deadline mentioned earlier also applies to candidates for the state Legislature, where volunteer groups have been working feverishly to round up Democrats to run so that Republicans don’t get a free ride with no opponents on the ballot.

Those efforts, including those of Project 140, which I’ve written about previously, have been successful in lining up people willing to run. Now, they are in a race to find the funds needed to qualify—about $1,800 per candidate.

If you’d like to help ensure that no Republican gets a free pass, and maybe even help bust up the G.O.P.’s supermajority in the Legislature, you can do so by donating here:

DONATE

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

That Was The Week That Was

Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody could have put an end to President Donald Trump’s outrageous $1.776 billion slush fund with their votes this past week. But they didn’t.

During debate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered an amendment to a budget bill that would have permanently outlawed the so-called “anti-weaponization” fund for MAGA allies.

It was a close vote, losing 49-50. Only one more vote in favor of the amendment would have scuttled Trump’s outrageous self-enrichment scheme that he cooked up with his former personal lawyer and now Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

While three Republicans joined Democrats, Scott and Moody were not among them. Had either of them stepped up, the vote would have been flipped 50-49 and the slush fund would be dead.

Scott will not be up for re-election until 2030, but Moody faces voters this year.

She is in the Senate only because Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to fill in for Marco Rubio when he resigned his Senate seat to become Trump’s secretary of state. Moody now must run in a November special election to keep her job, and her vote to support the taxpayer giveaway handed her Democratic opponent in the midterm election a radioactive issue to use against her.

That candidate will either be retired Army Col. Alex Vindman or state Rep. Angie Nixon.

Alligator Alcatraz prisoners say guards deny them food and water

Detainees at Florida’s notorious Alligator Alcatraz immigration jail said guards were denying them food and fresh water until they signed documents presented to them in English that they did not understand.

In an audio recording of a telephone call to an immigration advocacy group heard by The Guardian, more than half a dozen detainees alleged that the water given to them over the last three days was “rotten” and containing mosquito larvae, in an apparent attempt to pressure them to sign.

“They took all the water, and they don’t want to give us water,” one detainee said in the call to a representative of the Workers Circle, an advocacy group that has acted as a liaison between detainees and their families.

You can read the full report here:

The Guardian

How DeSantis signed away a billion dollars for his gulags

Speaking of Alligator Alcatraz, the Miami Herald reports that DeSantis has approved at least 55 contracts over the past year worth $1 billion for state-run concentration camps, including the Everglades boondoggle.

The bulk of the money went to Alligator Alcatraz, even though the facility will soon be shuttered. The rest to the so-called Deportation Depot. According to the newspaper:

DeSantis administration officials have always known the price tag for the projects would be enormous, telling the Federal Emergency Management Agency in September that it would cost more than $1.7 billion to operate the two facilities over a two-year period. FEMA agreed to reimburse the state a maximum of $608 million across both facilities.

But the full extent to which the state continued to sign expensive contracts without competitive bidding processes — even as it became clear much of the costs would not be reimbursed by the federal government — has not been previously reported.

The Herald traced about five dozen private vendor contracts worth $991 million directly to the maintenance and operation of the two state-run detention facilities, most of which the state hasn’t yet paid out. More than $824 million was intended for Alligator Alcatraz.

You can read the full Miami Herald report here (it may require a subscription):

Alligator Alcatraz

Dozing Donald conks out again

Trump once again passed out during a meeting in the Oval Office this week, marking at least the 13th time he’s fallen asleep in public gatherings, according to news sources.

The White House does not agree with this, as you would expect. They say he is only “resting his eyes” or blinking.

The truth: During a Thursday meeting, he was filmed with his eyes fully closed, repeatedly tilting forward and slumping slightly to his side.

Most of us call that napping.

It pays to donate to Trump’s ballroom—biggly

More than half of the identified donors to Trump’s White House ballroom have won new or expanded federal contracts worth more than $50 billion during the past six months, according to a report released this week.

Fourteen of the 27 known corporate donors to the $400 million project, which would replace the demolished East Wing, have seen their government business grow in that time frame, according to the report from Public Citizen.

As it turns out, most of those same companies are also facing federal enforcement actions over alleged wrongdoing or have had such actions suspended by the Trump administration since the start of Trump’s second term, the nonprofit revealed.

See the full report from Public Citizen here:

Ballroom Billions

Good doggie

Trump gave Gov. Ron DeSantis a pat on the head this week for naming Palm Beach’s airport after him.

As the Florida Phoenix reported:

Gov. Ron DeSantis is “very good” and has bestowed a “great honor” upon Donald Trump by renaming the airport neighboring Mar-a-Lago after him, the 47th president said.

Trump’s praise for the Florida governor — previously rare for his former presidential opponent — comes one week after state lawmakers agreed to spend $2.75 million to rebrand the Palm Beach International Airport.

“Ron’s good. He’s a friend of mine. He just named an airport after me,” Trump told the New York Post. “They named the Palm Beach International Airport the Donald J. Trump International Airport.”

“That’s a great honor,” he added.

There’s speculation that if Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is not confirmed by the Senate—and that is possible—DeSantis could be in the running for that job. He’ll need to find work somewhere. The lame-duck governor’s term of office is up at the end of the year.

Leave a comment

Meme of the Week

Quote of the Week

“The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work, and then they get elected and prove it.”

—P.J. O’Rourke

Letter of the Week

Since 2016, the GOP has been on a campaign to reverse the result of the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. Except for the reunification of the Union, the MAGA agenda aims to reverse all successes of Reconstruction. They are busy nullifying the 14th and 15th Amendments and, effectively, the so-called Treaty of Appomattox. Essentially, we are now re-litigating the Civil War. If you haven’t noticed that fact, you just haven’t been paying attention.

Charles G. Masi

Looking Ahead

When I’m not writing this newsletter, I also scribble a current events column for Florida Weekly. You should check it out. Here are some snippets, from there and elsewhere, to help guide your week ahead.

June 7. Spain’s famous “Baby Jumping Festival” is today. In the streets of the town of Castrillo de Murcia, infants born in the previous year are placed on mattresses, then grown male adults dressed in colorful clothes run and leap over the babies to scare the devil out of them. Try that here and you’d be arrested. Even in Florida.

June 8. It’s National Upsy Daisy Day, a time to not let small annoyances of everyday life stop you from enjoying the moment—you know, irritations such as knowing your state celebrates the lives of Confederate traitors and the Florida Legislature has still not named the flamingo the state bird.

June 9 is Donald Duck Day, a huge holiday in Florida, celebrating the birthday of the world’s most famous duck, who, oddly, wears a hat and jacket but no pants. There are other famous ducks, but they all have to good taste to wear trousers.

June 10. Ballpoint Pen Day, an important holiday for scribblers.

June 11. The 2026 World Cup games begin, the first at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Game time is 3 p.m. (EDT).

June 12 is the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre. On this day in 2016, 49 people were murdered and another 58 wounded in the downtown Orlando night spot, the majority gay and of Latino descent.

June 12 is also the deadline for Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Kennedy Center, and it is the deadline set by Miami Federal Judge Kathleen Williams for Trump and his AG, Todd Blanche, to respond to allegations of fraud in the now infamous creation of a $1.8 billion slush fund.

Last Week’s Tropic Press headlines

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

Has Trump stopped taking hair-loss meds and, if so, what’s that about?

Democratic candidates for Florida Legislature need our help. Here’s how to do it

Today in Florida we celebrate Jefferson Davis’ birthday -- and other atrocities in the news

UPDATE: Legislature OKs property tax cuts; now it will go to the voters

Welcome to hurricane season. Because of a Super El Niño, there should be fewer storms--unless there aren’t

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

This is how we make a difference

There are 140 Florida House and Senate seats up for grabs in the midterm elections, and Democrats have been recruited from all over the state to step up and run against the Republican supermajority that dominates state government. These candidates need our help. Specifically, each of them is facing a June 12 deadline to pay their qualifying fees to get on the ballot. You can make a difference by pitching in. Here’s where to do it:

DONATE

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. If we get enough paid subscribers, we may actually start reimbursing her for her efforts.

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DEAR MISS MINGO:

I read somewhere, maybe on Tropic Press, that you were under the weather last week, and that you were having panic attacks or something about Cuba bombing Key West. You OK?

Worried in Winter Garden

Dear Worried:

It’s true. I had to get my blood pressure medication adjusted, and was out for a few days. Back in action. Although my doctor tells me that Cuba Libres and my meds may not mix too well, so I’m debating whether those meds are really worth it.

And, yes, a contributing factor to my rising anxiety is all of Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Cuba. I’m not worried about the Cubans flying drones to bomb Key West just out of a clear blue Caribbean sky. That’s ridiculous. They may be Communists, but they’re not stupid—unlike some other governmental leaders I could name.

But if Trump gets desperate for a new distraction to keep us from thinking about the Epstein Files, or his ballroom, or that outrageous $1.8 billion slush fund he and his stooge, Todd Blanche, cooked up, well, yeah, who knows what might happen?

It definitely got my feathers ruffled.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

I heard a rumor that a short governor in Florida has requested a law requiring all men’s restroom urinals be the little boy height. I’m guessing it’s so he doesn’t have to wear high heels in public all the time?

Fast Charlie

Dear Fast:

Isn’t it just terrible how people engage in height shaming? We should make it a hate crime, but, of course, that would never happen in Florida, not even for DeSantis, because, you know, it would amount to cancel culture, the same excuse the Legislature uses for not repealing our state holidays for Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and the Confederacy.

Now, I don’t know how tall DeSantis is or isn’t, although I am aware that some so-called boot experts say he must be wearing lifts. Here’s my question: Since, being a lady, I’ve never actually used a men’s urinal, I would imagine there could be balance issues wearing high heels?

Try it sometime and let me know.

DEAR MISS MINGO

Great article in Tropic Press on hurricane season. Little Marco made the list (of hurricane names) this year! I do have a question. The Gulf Stream is getting weaker and is forecast to collapse in the near future. Do you think that may influence the storms we may get in the future? Thanks.

Janet

Dear Janet:

That’s actually a serious question, and I appreciate it. In fact, it should be a major news story.

Here’s what I found during a quick search on the never-wrong internet:

Yes, a collapsing Gulf Stream would significantly impact Atlantic hurricanes by creating a “clot” of stagnant, intensely warm water in the tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, fueling more powerful and rapidly intensifying storms.

Because the Gulf Stream is a core component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), its collapse would stop the normal northward transport of tropical heat toward Europe.

Which strikes me as a strong argument for Florida’s political leaders to take climate change more seriously than they have. If any state in the nation has a vested interest in reversing global warming, it would be ours.

What is wrong with these people with their heads in the sand?

DEAR MISS MINGO:

Is that why your blood pressure spikes? The way you get so worked up about little things like climate change?

Doctor in Deland

Dear Doctor:

You’re asking me? You’re the doctor. Actually, it runs in the family. Everyone one of us Mingos seems to suffer from it.

DEAR MISS MINGO:

What are you talking about? It says right here in your column that your last name is Obregon, not Mingo. Are you trying to trick us into thinking you’re a real flamingo?

Skeptical in Sarasota

Dear Skeptical:

I love how you assume I’m real at all. Charming. Wouldn’t you be surprised if I told you that I’m just an imaginary friend of a powerful AI intent on world domination?

Just kidding. (Or am I?)

That should probably be my last Cuba Libre of the night.

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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This is how we make a difference

There are 140 Florida House and Senate seats up for grabs in the midterm elections, and Democrats have been recruited from all over the state to step up and run against the Republican supermajority that dominates state government. These candidates need our help. Specifically, each of them is facing a June 12 deadline to pay their qualifying fees to get on the ballot. You can make a difference by pitching in. Here’s where to do it:

DONATE

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Has Donald Trump stopped taking hair-loss medicine, and, if so, is it because of the possible side effects?

Those are the questions people are pondering following a Washington Post report that during Trump’s first term of office his doctors routinely listed the hair-loss medication finasteride (marketed as Propecia) in his medical records.

But now, it’s missing from those same reports.

How come?

Has he gotten over his vanity regarding his voluminous comb-over?

Or has he been suffering from some of the rare, but nonetheless real, possible side effects of the drug?

The White House isn’t talking, which leaves us to fill in the blanks.

First, let’s look at what the drug’s known possible side effects are. They include:

• Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.

• Depression, anxiety or irritability.

• So-called brain fog.

• Enlarged and tender breasts.

While we are not privy to whether Trump is suffering from E.D. or tender breasts (and, frankly, we’d rather not even think about those things), brain fog fits given how he seems to doze off at the drop of a MAGA hat.

And, let’s be honest, the guy always seems irritable. How else to explain those dozens of middle-of-the-night rage posts on social media?

But we just don’t know.

It is also important— in fairness to the wealthy pharmaceutical company that makes the drug (Organon & Co.) and its legions of litigators—that there are physical and psychiatric conditions that are NOT known side effects of the drug.

For instance, no hair loss medication, according to my research, has ever been accused of causing someone to:

• Suffer from malignant narcissism.

• Insist on naming things after himself, such as performing arts centers, airports, battleships, and government institutions.

• Plaster his arrest mugshot everywhere —on currency, passports, visas, etc.

• Attack another country, blow it up, wreck his own economy in the process and his standing in the polls, and then just shrug his shoulders and claim, “No big deal.”

• Whine endlessly that the election he lost was somehow “stolen.”

• Sue himself, settle the suit with himself, then try to get the U.S. Treasury to pay him $1.8 billion.

• Hide classified documents in his bathroom.

• Foment an insurrection to overthrow the government.

• Repeatedly show up in The Epstein Files.

• Paint everything in sight gold.

• Lie constantly, including that Mexico would pay for a border wall, that his inauguration crowd (barely visible in aerial photos) was the biggest ever, that COVID-19 would “go away with the heat,” or, perhaps the biggest lie of all…

• Claim that he is a “stable genius.”

Nope, can’t blame hair-loss preventatives for any of that.

So, then, is he still taking the drug or not? When the Post inquired, they got the standard Washington non-denial denial:

“The current report reflects all medications deemed clinically relevant to disclose at this time. No additional undisclosed conditions or procedures materially affecting his health status were omitted from this report.”

Which leaves us to wonder: What else is this soon-to-be 80 year-old not telling us about his mental and physical health?

Leave a comment

J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a newsletter and website reaching more than 700,000 Floridians daily. He is an award-winning journalist and author, a native Miamian, and an alum of the University of South Florida among other institutions of higher learning where he served time.

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

This is how we make a difference

There are 140 Florida House and Senate seats up for grabs in the midterm elections, and Democrats have been recruited from all over the state to step up and run against the Republican supermajority that dominates state government. These candidates need our help. Specifically, each of them is facing a June 12 deadline to pay their qualifying fees to get on the ballot. You can make a difference by pitching in. Here’s where to do it:

DONATE

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

Subscribe now

By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

During the past half-dozen years, the Florida Democratic Party has seen a precipitous decline in registered voters.

While newcomers may find this hard to believe, as late as 2020, Democrats outnumbered Republicans in this state — 5.3 million to 5.2 million. Contrast that to today, where Republicans dominate with 5.5 million registered voters versus 4 million for the Dems.

What’s so concerning about those numbers to me isn’t just that Republicans surged ahead, but that both Democrats and independent voters lost actual numbers by the hundreds of thousands, all while Florida’s population was booming, gaining about 2 million new residents.

Indeed, over that period, the total number of Floridians registered to vote dropped by 1.2 million overall, according to figures posted by Secretary of State’s office (below). And it looks like, in balance, Democrats and independents were the ones suffering the decline, while in real numbers Republicans gained.

There are a host of factors that have played into this, including voter suppression laws passed by Republicans that especially impacted Democrats and independents, purging from voter rolls about a million people who had not voted in recent years. Then there are demographic shifts with newcomers to the state bringing their party loyalties with them.

Even so, were we to look at this in, admittedly, oversimplified terms, and examine the fortunes of the state’s political parties as, say, businesses, it’s clear that the G.O.P.’s stock has been rising while the Democrats have been tanking.

While that’s gloomy, there’s a sense that the momentum may be shifting. Dems are touting local wins, like the Miami mayoral race and a few legislative special elections. And with the Republican Party’s standard-bearer, Donald Trump, plummeting in the polls, there’s newfound optimism about the midterm elections.

But number are numbers. To overcome Republicans’ voter registration lead, Democrats will need the support of independents and voters registered to minor parties (whose numbers, interestingly, have doubled over the past few years).

Given the fix the party finds itself in, it seems fair to ask—notwithstanding factors outside the party’s control—how well it is facing these challenges.

The last time the Democratic Party was leading was during the tenure of former party Chair Terrie Rizzo in 2020. Since then, that seat has been filled by Manny Diaz, the former mayor of Miami, and now, Nikki Fried, the state’s former agriculture commissioner, who presides over a gaping voter deficit.

Is enough being done to reverse this downward trend?

This concern is prompted, in part, by a recent story published by the USA Today network noting friction between the party’s established leaders and volunteers who have been recruiting candidates for office.

One example cited was that of U.S. Navy veteran Brian Nathan, who won a special election in Senate District 14 by half a percentage point:

Nathan … said he didn’t have the support of the state Democratic Party. “They wanted me to replace my staff. They wanted to review every single contract I had. They wanted to control the campaign, essentially,” he said. “I was happy to be a partner and work with them, but I was not willing to turn over the keys to my campaign to them.”

And it seems like it was a good thing he didn’t.

Frustration with the state party organization was also discussed by volunteers such as Margie Stein, the leader of Project 140, who has successfully recruited dozens of candidates in the past few months to run for either the state House or Senate.

For her efforts, Fried accused Stein of not being a “team player” because she would not release the names of people she was trying to recruit.

Why?

“She wanted to know who we were talking to,” Stein said. “I don’t understand what she would want them for. If the Florida party was doing what it should be doing, we wouldn’t have to be doing what we’re doing. Her charge is ridiculous.”

As she told USA Today: “Grassroots groups like ours are the future of politics. How do you win elections if you don’t participate? And why would you just hand the keys to the kingdom to the Republicans without a fight?”

So, is Stein’s political committee, Blue Florida: Project 140, in competition with the party?

“I don’t profess to be the competition. I’m filling a gap. There’s a hole in the system.”

The good news is that the hole is being filled. Stein says that most of the legislative seats that only a few months ago had no Democratic candidates now have volunteers ready to sign their qualifying papers. The deadline is June 12.

But it takes about $1,800 per candidate to register.

“We need about $40,000,” Stein said, money to bridge the gap between what the candidates have on hand and what they need.

As noted in this space before, Project 140 derives its name from the number of state House and Senate seats up for grabs in the November election.

By finding Democratic candidates for these seats, it “keeps Republicans busy” and forces them to campaign more vigorously in their own districts rather than helping out in statewide elections such as for U.S. Senate and governor, Stein says.

“They get nervous as soon as they get an opponent. We want them nervous.”

If Democrats can add just a few seats to the House and Senate this year, they can take away the Republicans’ supermajority status in the Legislature. Why is that important? Because right now, the Republicans have the numbers to override any veto by the governor. Take that away, and they would be forced to come to the table and negotiate. And if the Democrats are successful in electing a governor, this would be a game-changer.

You can help with that by pitching in so Democratic candidates reach their fundraising goals to qualify to run.

That might just be the spark the Democratic Party needs to turn its fortunes around. Every small donation adds up.

Here’s where to do it:

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J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a newsletter and website reaching more than 700,000 Floridians daily. He is an award-winning journalist and author, a native Miamian, and an alum of the University of South Florida among other institutions of higher learning where he served time.

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.

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

So many atrocities, so little space. But we’ll do our best this morning to give you a quick overview, starting with the fact that today, here in the so-called “free” state of Florida, we celebrate a notorious slave owner, Jefferson Davis.

It’s his birthday and an official state holiday.

But his is not the only Confederacy-themed holiday we recognize here in the Gunshine State. Earlier this year, we commemorated Robert E. Lee’s birthday (January 19), and we also celebrated Confederate Memorial Day on April 26. And, yes, they are official state holidays, too.

For those who may not recall, Davis was a United States senator who, in 1861, resigned his Senate seat to return to Mississippi, where he assumed the presidency of the newly christened Confederate States of America. He served in that post through the Civil War until he was captured, indicted for treason and imprisoned for two years.

And why, you might ask, would we ever celebrate a traitor and convicted felon? And why do we have holidays for Lee and Confederates at all?

There are two things to note:

One is that these holidays are not days off for state employees and even Gov. Ron DeSantis is not brazen enough to actually sponsor any ceremonies in their honor. But they are on the books.

The other notable is that there have been numerous attempts over the years to eliminate these embarrassments, but the Republican-controlled Legislature has refused because—get this!—they say it would amount to cancel culture.

I have a full column about this in Florida Weekly, and you can read it for free here:

Florida Weekly

That is atrocious, but this is blatantly hypocritical.

CBS News has announced that it is firing 60 Minutes stalwart Scott Pelley because he had the temerity to “ambush” his new boss in the staff meeting where he accused the new head of CBS News of “murdering” 60 Minutes.

New executive producer Nick Bilton, a guy with threadbare credentials to run an investigative news program, said it was a “profound disappointment” that Pelley spoke his mind and confronted him during a staff confab.

Has Bilton ever even watched 60 Minutes? Ambushing people is the show’s actual brand. It’s why people tune in every Sunday—or at least why historically they did. The future seems cloudy now.

CBS has been taken over by a conglomerate in bed with Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd and has been hacking apart the storied news division for weeks now. Originally named the Columbia Broadcasting System, I think it’s fair that we rename it in honor of the theme they are now instituting:

The Confederate Broadcast System.

Here’s a full story on Pelley’s firing and a link to the actual letter Pelley received so you can read all the details for yourself.

Adding to today’s atrocity report, we note that acting Attorney General and Donald Trump’s theoretically-former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, said yesterday that because of all the heat and bad P.R. Trump’s so-called settlement has boiled up that the Justice Department would not be creating the $1.776 billion slush fund that we’ve all been reading about.

But Blanche said he wouldn’t put it in writing. And that while the slush fund wouldn’t be created, the portion of the “settlement” of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS that grants him endless immunity from prosecution for his tax issues remains intact.

We’ll see.

Miami Federal District Court Judge Kathleen Williams may have something to say about that as she investigates whether the lawsuit was ever legitimate. If not, then it would seem any portion of it, including Trump’s sweetheart immunity deal, would be invalid, too.

This will be fascinating to watch.

Oh, a final note:

Under Florida law it is illegal to burn the Confederate flag. It’s unenforceable, of course, because it would violate our First Amendment rights of free expression. But it is still on the books.

Just like all the other Confederate holidays.

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Make a difference

Are you sick and tired of the Republican-dominated state Legislature failing to look out for the interests of ordinary Floridians? You can make a difference. Project 140 has rounded up enough candidates to ensure that most Republicans don’t get to run in November unopposed. But Democratic candidates who have volunteered to step up and challenge the G.O.P. supermajority need our help. The deadline for filing their paperwork to run is June 12. It costs about $1,800 per candidate, and they need our financial support to get on the ballot. Here’s where you can donate:

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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.

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By J.C. Bruce

Tropic Press

Update

Shortly after this morning’s newsletter was sent out, a supermajority of Republicans in the state Legislature—and even a few Democrats—pushed through a ballot proposal that would slash property taxes for homeowners.

Florida voters will ultimately decide the fate of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ tax-cut plan on Nov. 3. It will take 60% voting yes to approve it.

Win or lose, it won’t be up to DeSantis to manage as his term of office expires on Jan. 5, 2027.

As the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported minutes ago:

State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat, said lawmakers were given a “Frankenstein bill” that would be the ultimate “defunding of police.” It would leave out many essential services and “eliminates a loadbearing wall of state government” that would put local communities in a “financial straitjacket.”

“This is why we should not be completely reforming our tax structure in the state of Florida in special session, which we have three days to do,” Smith said.

The move was opposed by state Democratic lawmakers and a handful of Republicans, as well as most city and county officials, who said it would “bankrupt” most local governments. They came to Tallahassee in droves Monday to warn about the harm it would cause and the services that would be cut if approved. Rows of committee hearing rooms were filled with firefighters in uniform, who warned of a 25% cut in services if the resolution is approved.

The legislation passed anyway.

Earlier today

Lame duck Gov. Ron DeSantis has called the Florida Legislature back into special session to approve his property tax-cut scheme that could go before voters in November.

While everyone loves the idea of lower taxes, the question haunting the proposal is obvious: At what cost?

What services—schools, police, firefighting—would be jeopardized? Wouldn’t this result in a power shift away from cities and counties to the state? How do we feel about that?

And while Florida’s increasing cost of living is the hot-button issue right now, is this the most thoughtful way to address it?

Democrats—who are utterly outnumbered in the Legislature—argue that, ultimately, DeSantis’ plan would make the state even more unaffordable.

Others argue that this scheme—way too short on details of how essential services would be funded—is part of an ongoing project moving power away from communities to Tallahassee.

Here are summaries of several articles that flesh out these concerns with links to the full reports courtesy of the Florida Phoenix, the Florida Trident, and the Miami Herald:

Local government advocate says property tax proposal would make Florida ‘more unaffordable’

City and county governments would face major reductions in revenues for essential services if Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to substantially cut homeowners’ property taxes is approved by lawmakers and then 60% of the public as a constitutional amendment later this year.

Advocates for local governments in Florida held emergency “webinars” Monday morning ahead of this week’s special session on the topic to provide as much information as possible to their members on a plan unveiled five days ago, and which the Legislature is expected to approve (or reject) by Wednesday.

Under a proposed joint resolution filed in the Senate last week, homeowners who are permanent Florida residents by the end of 2026 would be eligible to receive a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027 and a $250,000 exemption beginning in 2028.

The $250,000 exemption alone would cost counties an average $4.8 billion annually, or $8.65 billion with full elimination of homestead taxes by fiscal year 2030-31, according to the Florida Policy Institute. The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) said it would cost counties $4.6 billion by fiscal year 2028-29.

“We know this is a tax shift,” said Jeff Scala, deputy director with FAC in a webinar with members. “They’re framing this as a tax cut, but there are small businesses, all businesses, they’re going to feel the pain. Renters — they’re not going to get an exemption. This proposal makes Florida more unaffordable.”

Read the full report by Florida Phoenix reporter Mitch Perry here:

Florida Phoenix

The property tax blast radius nobody is talking about: Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing one of the largest transfers of financial responsibility in modern Florida history

Everyone is talking about property taxes. Almost nobody is talking about power.

That’s strange because power, not taxes, is what this debate is really about. The sales pitch is simple: property taxes are unpopular, homeowners are angry, government has grown, and cutting tax bills will provide relief. Who doesn’t like that? But there is a difference between cutting taxes and changing who controls government. Florida is not debating a tax cut. Florida is debating a fundamental redesign of how local government is financed.

For more than half a century, Florida has embraced home rule. The idea was simple: Local communities should make local decisions. If a city council spends too much, voters can replace it. If a county commission raises taxes, voters can replace it. The people making spending decisions are accountable to the people paying the bills. That system is imperfect, but it is transparent. If your local government fails, you know exactly where to direct your frustration and exactly who to vote against.

Now imagine a different system. Imagine counties and cities that can no longer fund themselves. Imagine local officials traveling to Tallahassee not to seek a grant for a new project, but to keep deputies on patrol, firefighters in stations, and ambulances on the road. At that point, who is really running local government? The answer is not the county commission. The answer is not the city council.

The answer is whoever controls the money.

Read the complete commentary by Jeff Brandes, writing for the Florida Trident, here:

Florida Trident

DeSantis property tax cut plan faces many questions

The Editorial Board of the Miami Herald also has questions about DeSantis’ plan. Here’s a quick summary:

• His scheme was hastily prepared and lacks any public study of how it would impact schools, counties and cities.

• Such a study was earlier proposed by the Legislature and DeSantis vetoed it.

• As designed, DeSantis’ plan would be a boon to billionaires, capping the property tax exposure for the likes of Miami’s Mark Zuckerberg and his $170 million mansion.

• Public schools would lose millions of dollars of revenue. The same for counties with cuts that would be “catastrophic” for parks, libraries, fire rescue and public hospitals.

• To read the complete editorial, click the link below (although it may require a paid subscription):

Miami Herald

A final thought:

Property tax reduction sounds great, but, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. During the Legislature’s regular session, this idea went nowhere. Now it is being rushed during a brief special session—after the state budget has already been passed.

It appears ill-considered, primed for unintended consequences we may regret.

The only real winner appears to be DeSantis, who can claim he lowered taxes while someone else will be stuck with figuring out how to make the scheme work when he’s gone in six months.

This feels like a train wreck in the making. It hasn’t received the study it deserves, and the concerns of local communities should be seriously considered.

Just because this is something DeSantis wants doesn’t mean the Legislature has to give it to him. And it shouldn’t.

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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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The Florida Trident is a publication of the Florida Center for Government Accountability. To support the Trident and the Center’s work, you can subscribe and donate here:

Florida Trident

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