By J.C. Bruce
Knock on wood, but will we have any hurricanes at all this year?
On Saturday, we set a record for the longest hurricane-free stretch in modern record-keeping. Heretofore, Sept. 11 was the latest date in hurricane season that our first hurricane spooled up. And every day since then, including today, extends that record.
Mid-September is typically the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, but as we have discussed here before, a Super El Niño in the Pacific—unusually hot because of global warming—is disrupting normal weather patterns.
The upshot has been that we have had only five weak and short-lived tropical storms this year, and no hurricanes at all.
As Miami hurricane expert Bryan Norcross reports on his Hurricane Intel website, “The hostile environment persists, and there is no sign of tropical development in the foreseeable future.”
This week
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles starting at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC. Shows with the largest number of nominations across numerous categories include The Pitt, Hacks, Widow’s Bay, Pluribus and Beef. You can catch up on the (very long) list of nominations here:
Speaking of television, the fall lineup of returning and new shows is underway. TV Insider has a comprehensive lineup that you can view here:
Hispanic Heritage Month begins Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15, honoring the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
The U.S. Supreme Court has in hand an appeal from President Donald Trump to overturn a lower-court ruling that forbids him from implementing his mail-in voter suppression scheme. At this writing, it is unknown if the court will rule this week, but it will be one of the most important issues in the news that we will be tracking.
For more about the week ahead, check out the Onward Thru the Fog feature below.
That Was The Week That Was
What price deportation?
Gov. Ron DeSantis likes to brag about Florida’s deportation record—and he still insists that Alligator Alcatraz was not just a cheap publicity stunt to make him look tough on immigrants.
The state still owes contractors who serviced the Everglades concentration camp millions, all coming from funds originally created to respond to natural disasters such as hurricanes, which, as noted earlier, we’ve not had to worry too much about this year— so far.
As the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes, the state has a pay-first, appropriate-later budget system for emergencies, designed to allow speedier response to disasters, which actually makes a lot of sense.
For real emergencies.
Unfortunately, that also allowed DeSantis to rack up eye-popping costs for his prison camps, a tab that, in the worst-case scenario, could show a $1.5 billion deficit by next summer, it was reported last week.
So, he’s gone to the Legislature to get some money to keep the bill collectors off his back, and on Friday a Republican-dominated committee in charge of these appropriations gave him the $250 million he needed to pay off overdue bills—but more will be needed.
So much for fiscal conservatism.
Hispanic voters leaning Democratic
The Cook Political Report released a survey of Hispanic voters that, while focused on Texas, may portend shifts elsewhere, including Florida.
The poll found that Democratic candidates in the Texas Senate and gubernatorial contests are leading their GOP opponents by a 2-1 margin as Trump’s job approval rating has sunk to just 33% among a demographic group that swung hard in his direction in 2024.
The survey also noted that Hispanic voters understand the important role they play in Texas elections. Seven in ten said they think Hispanics in the state have a lot or some political influence, including 41% who said they have “real political power.”
And we know that is also true in Florida.
Donalds: Too soon for more abortion laws
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds says it’s too soon to add more abortion restrictions in Florida, not that he isn’t in favor of the idea, Florida Politics reported.
At a chapter of Turning Point USA—Charlie Kirk’s outfit—at the University of Central Florida, Donalds said the state’s Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, was the “right move.”
But he said it’s too soon to pile on.
“I do understand where people will say, ‘Well, let’s move to the next legislative step.’ But what my view is, is that you have a legislative step, you implement that step. That’s what’s happening right now. You provide more information and you educate the public around what the nuance is, and then you make the next legislative step.”
The real takeaway from that mumbo jumbo: The MAGA zealots who want to continue to restrict women’s reproductive rights, having already created one of the most repressive environments in the United States, actually want to make it even more severe.
And Donalds is sympathetic to that.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Talarico interview trumps convention speech.
Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico drew more than 5.8 million views on YouTube, easily surpassing the audience for Trump’s own convention livestream, Aaron Parnas reported.
It was on YouTube and not TV because of Trump’s threats of retaliation against ABC through the Federal Communications Commission.
Meme of the Week
Quote of the Week
“I am asking you to pretend I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot. Just one more time.”
— Donald Trump at his midterm convention
Letter of the Week
If I was a Republican running for re-election I would be trying really hard to have some exotic disease to keep from having to attend the mid-term convention. Thinking about it, maybe having Trump’s name associated with a candidate could be considered a disease in itself.
— Jim Hunter
Onward Thru the Fog
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. (Paid subscribers to this newsletter have full access to the complete Onward Thru the Fog archive.)
Today. The NFL’s regular Sunday games begin with the Buccaneers taking on the Cincinnati Bengals; the Jaguars facing the Cleveland Browns; and the Dolphins facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
September 14. National Sober Day. After a full day of football watching, yeah, maybe a good idea.
September 15. International Day of Democracy. If we can keep it.
Sept. 16. Happy birthday, Marvin Middlemark. Born on this date in 1919, he was a failing inventor who thought water-powered potato peelers would be a hit. Then he created the rabbit-ear TV antenna, an essential broadcast television device for many decades. In fact, they’re still in use. Some people may be using them to watch the Emmys.
Sept. 17. It’s Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Sept. 18. Today is National Cheeseburger Day, a time to start arguments with friends over who makes the best burger, which is silly since it is served in Longview, Tx., at a joint named Jucys. Opinions on this matter vary, of course.
Sept. 19. Talk Like a Pirate Day is celebrated today. We have consulted Capt. Jack Sparrow, and these are the key terms to use today. Bonus points for combining them all in one sentence.
Ahoy: Hello.
Matey: A friend or crew member.
Me Hearties: Plural of matey.
Avast: A command to pay attention.
Arrrgh: Just what it sounds like.
Shiver me timbers: Shocking!
Blimey: Also shocking.
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.
Trump wants to make election all about him. With his poll numbers tanking, Dems couldn’t agree more
So much has changed in the past 25 years, but we should recall the lesson of 9/11
Trump still tries to disrupt mail-in voting. Will the Supreme Court let him get away with it?
It may not be bribery, but Trump’s $5,000 promise rings hollow based on his history of lies
Trump’s Misguided Midterm Strategy: Total Control
You’re an ICE agent with Cubans on your hands. Which country should you send them to?
Guess what story you haven’t read so far in this year’s news cycle
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Thanks.
J.C. Bruce
I just noticed that Republicans are no longer calling global warming a hoax. The new hoax is that liberals are causing high gas prices because they are mad that Republicans control the govermment. Next, the liberals will be responsible for selling off our oil reserves to subsidize gas prices before the midterms!