Tremendous Bowl Sunday is bittersweet.
It’s a enjoyable evening for even non-football followers and is the most important sporting occasion — and TV occasion — of the 12 months. We (hopefully) get a memorable recreation, a halftime present that half the nation loves and the opposite half hate-posts about for one purpose or one other, and, after all, extra prop bets than what to do with.
After which … no common season soccer for nearly seven months.
However this 12 months, the sports activities gods are making issues somewhat simpler. The NBA season has been extremely enjoyable, together with a hyperactive commerce deadline this previous week. The Winter Olympics formally kicked off Friday, give loads of U.S. athletes — together with a number of from Florida — the possibility to shine on the world stage. And this Summer time, throughout the typical dregs of the sports activities calendar, North America — together with Miami — is internet hosting the World Cup.
Tampa Bay Rays followers can have loads of drama to observe as nicely exterior of the MLB common season. Talks a couple of new stadium are transferring, and followers are holding out hope that the rug doesn’t get pulled out from below them but once more.
Will any of this fulfill probably the most die-hard soccer followers? Probably not. But it surely needs to be sufficient of a distraction to make the time between kickoffs go a bit quicker.
Within the meantime, we’ll hopefully be blessed with a matchup equaling the final time the Seahawks and Patriots met within the Tremendous Bowl.
Simply please, don’t let the Patriots win once more and permit them to start out their second (!!) dynasty within the span because the Dolphins final gained a single playoff recreation.
Now, it’s onto our weekly recreation of winners and losers.
Winners
Honorable point out: Evan Energy. Florida’s Lawyer Normal is the most recent big-name Republican to endorse Energy’s marketing campaign in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.
In a Friday assertion, Uthmeier framed Energy because the candidate greatest positioned to safe victory and signify conservative values in CD 2.
“Evan Energy is a confirmed grassroots chief who helped construct the strongest conservative motion within the nation,” Uthmeier mentioned. “I’m proud to endorse him for Congress and assured he’ll stand by President Trump to maintain preventing for Florida’s values in Washington.”
Uthmeier’s backing provides vital heft to Energy’s bid, not solely due to Uthmeier’s statewide profile as Florida’s high legislation enforcement official, but additionally as a result of Uthmeier is within the uncommon place of incomes public reward from each President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. That could possibly be an actual boon for Energy as he runs in a aggressive Major.
And Energy has already been tapping into broad help from members of Congress for his bid. U.S. Reps. Aaron Bean, Vern Buchanan, Kat Cammack, Randy Tremendous and Anna Paulina Luna are all supporting Energy, giving him an early edge amongst his potential future colleagues.
Establishing these networks early could be decisive in a comtested Major, and may also help hold out different candidates who could in any other case take into account throwing their hats into the ring.
With the race being open following incumbent U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn’s choice to step apart, CD 2 is immediately probably the most watched GOP Primaries within the state. And Energy is flexing his muscle early.
Nearly (however not fairly) the most important winner: Casey DeSantis. … Is Casey DeSantis 2026 nonetheless alive in any case?
The First Woman has been rumored for months as a possible candidate to succeed her husband within the Governor’s mansion, however lingering questions across the Hope Florida initiative have clouded that chance.
This system, as soon as championed as her signature initiative, has been below a cloud amid questions on $10 million from a Medicaid settlement reportedly being funneled to the Hope Florida Basis earlier than being rerouted for political functions.
Then got here an replace this week, when reviews surfaced that federal prosecutors are not pursuing prices associated to the matter.
It’s not the tip of the story, as a state-level probe continues. So will the political assaults. But it surely does slender the potential repercussions.
Nonetheless, we and others have mentioned repeatedly that within the face of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds rising as a front-runner, with loads of money and help from Trump, the one conceivable method somebody challenges him is with full-throated help from the Governor, the one Republican chief whose standing amongst Florida voters can come near rivaling Trump’s.
And Ron DeSantis has been conspicuously silent relating to his help within the race. He gained’t endorse his personal Lieutenant Governor. When former Home Speaker Paul Renner, with whom DeSantis had an excellent relationship, entered the race, DeSantis known as it “ill-advised.”
Has he been protecting his powder dry all this time simply in case Casey DeSantis gained sufficient political momentum to mount a run in any case?
And is now that point?
(Effectively, possibly not. However not less than her fame will probably be a bit cleaner for when her husband turns into President of the College of Florida.)
The most important winner: James Uthmeier. Two high-profile developments broke in Uthmeier’s favor this week, each carrying actual political and authorized weight.
First, there’s marijuana. Sensible & Secure Florida, the well-funded political committee backed by the hashish trade, was aiming for one more shot on the poll after its 2024 legalization modification fell in need of the 60% threshold.
This time, the group hoped to qualify a revised proposal for the 2026 election. Uthmeier, nonetheless, made no secret of his opposition.
When the mud settled, Sensible & Secure Florida’s effort stalled out, failing to register sufficient signatures essential to land on the 2026 poll, chopping off what might have been probably the most costly and contentious poll fights in state historical past.
Sensible & Secure Florida remains to be making an attempt to combat the choice in courtroom. However given Florida’s authorized local weather, significantly on the Supreme Courtroom, we wouldn’t depend on that effort succeeding.
Then there’s the Hope Florida replace. Uthmeier’s title has hovered across the controversy, as he chaired a political committee that ended up with the cash whereas serving as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Chief of Workers. (Mockingly, that committee opposed the 2024 model of the leisure pot modification.)
However just like the First Woman, Uthmeier seems to be within the clear, not less than on the subject of federal prices.
Taken collectively, the developments quantity to a banner week. Uthmeier not solely helped derail a significant poll initiative he opposed, but additionally sidestepped potential fallout from one of many state’s most talked-about controversies.
Losers
Dishonorable point out: James Fishback. Whereas talking to college students on the College of Central Florida, Fishback’s feedback about one among Judaism’s most sacred websites — the Western Wall in Jerusalem — had been extensively condemned as insensitive at greatest and antisemitic at worst.
Video from the occasion exhibits Fishback dismissing visiting the Western Wall as one thing he wouldn’t do whereas discussing the place he’d focus his efforts if elected. “If you happen to’re going to go to one other nation, try to be serving to folks, creating jobs, facilitating commerce, not kissing a silly wall.”
Now earlier than the tip of that sentence, Fishback was making a very truthful level: Politicians ought to concentrate on America first. Sound acquainted? His supporters, then, would say any criticisms about antisemitism are unfair.
However then why not simply keep on with the unique level? Why be so insulting towards others’ non secular beliefs?
The reply to these questions is simple: Fishback’s total marketing campaign is a car for him to say outrageous stuff to get consideration (mission acconmlished right here, we suppose). It’s not an actual effort to have debates over coverage. And that he has repeatedly crossed the road in egregious methods means he will get no advantage of the doubt right here.
It’s not simply pro-Jewish watchdogs or pearl-clutching media members labeling Fishback’s feedback as offensive. Leo Terrell, senior counsel within the U.S. Division of Justice’s Civil Rights Division below President Donald Trump, excoriated Fishback over the remarks.
“James Fishback simply made my blood boil. This could make your blood boil too,” Terrell wrote.
“He mentioned he wouldn’t kiss a ‘silly wall’ in relation to the Kotel, the holiest website to the Jewish folks. Think about if he known as probably the most sacred website for Muslims, Christians or actually some other non secular group silly. For the file, visiting the Kotel and our allies in Israel was the spotlight of my profession! We should ALL name this out!”
In an more and more crowded Major the place candidates are striving to show they will unite voters in a Normal Election and construct broad attraction, Fishback’s controversial feedback did the other: They continued to slender his attain and opened him as much as much-deserved hammering from each side of the aisle.
Nearly (however not fairly) the most important loser: Iguanas. If this part of the column is for these whose inventory is figuratively falling, then actually plummeting out of timber is a surefire method to land right here.
The thuds had been again this week, as a record-setting chilly snap hit iguanas particularly arduous, with the animals as soon as once more tumbling out of timber throughout the state.
For cold-blooded creatures like iguanas — whose inner physique temperature mirrors the setting — this wasn’t only a delicate inconvenience; it was a full-on freeze body. When temperatures slide under roughly 50 levels, iguanas start to decelerate. When temperatures drop additional, their muscle tissues can now not maintain on to branches, sending them “freeze” falling.
The state noticed 1000’s of “cold-stunned” iguanas amid this previous week’s freeze. Wildlife officers reported round 8,000 of those lizards had been collected at designated Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee drop-off places, because of a short lived government order that waived necessities for dealing with iguanas throughout the uncommon climate. Some had been transferred to licensed handlers, whereas others had been humanely euthanized.
Not all “cold-stunned” iguanas are essentially gone for good. A lot of the reptiles aren’t useless — they’re merely in a state of torpor, primarily a cold-weather stupor that saps their muscle management. After temperatures rebound, many thaw out and scurry off as soon as once more.
Iguanas have gotten a cold reception from most Floridians since they started invading the state. So whereas most residents aren’t trying to swap climates with the north, a chilly snap right here and there isn’t all dangerous.
The most important loser: Farmers. Having some enjoyable at iguanas’ expense apart, the chilly snap additionally had actual dire results for Floridians, and the nation.
Florida farmers land right here by way of no fault of their very own, courtesy of the uncommon Winter climate that has battered crops throughout the state and set the stage for larger costs on the grocery retailer.
It wasn’t simply this previous week. An preliminary freeze hit simply after Christmas, adopted by one other in mid-January, then the latest prolonged chilly snap. By final weekend, temperatures plunged to ranges few Florida growers ever plan for, dipping into the only digits in some components of the state. For agriculture constructed round heat and predictability, that type of chilly is devastating. The College of Florida has already warned that repeated publicity to freezing temperatures may cause “vital losses and damages,” and it’s now surveying growers to find out simply how dangerous the harm is statewide.
Early reviews aren’t encouraging. Squash growers affiliated with Markon Cooperative are dealing with the potential of shedding greater than half their crop. Bell pepper producers are bracing for losses approaching 50%. Tomato growers report harm in a number of fields and are nonetheless tallying the fallout. Some farmers resorted to the determined however needed tactic of irrigating fields and deliberately freezing crops to defend them from worse hurt — a pricey, last-ditch effort that underscores how excessive circumstances turned.
South Florida growers are already sounding the alarm. In Homestead, practically 20% of 1 tomato crop at Kern Carpenter Nursery was worn out in a single freeze. In Palm Seashore County, a candy corn farmer misplaced about 300 acres — roughly a 3rd of his harvest — and predicts costs might double. Others say customers will really feel it quickly and unmistakably.
The chilly will go quickly. The losses gained’t. And it’s particularly unlucky given farmers’ different current struggles.
