Riot
Donald Trump supporters violated every norm of American politics when they stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to stop the counting of the electoral votes that sealed the election of Joe Biden as the next President. How did Florida politicians respond?
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— Florida set another record for COVID-19 cases, as Gov. Ron DeSantis defended the slow progress of vaccinations statewide.
— The state has received approximately 1 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines; if you look at the official stats from the Department of Health, it appears that only a third of them have been administered. But DeSantis says the reports are lagging.
— The Governor also says it’s not fair to blame his administration for long lines to get a shot because the state doesn’t make appointments … they leave that to local hospitals and health departments.
— COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact in communities of color, so a coalition of black pastors has created the “Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Community Engagement Task Force.” Their goal is simple: Work with churches and historically Black colleges and universities to turn them into vaccination sites.
— It’s been more than three weeks since vaccinations began in Florida, but the COVID-19 surge has reached record levels. The health department reported 132 additional fatalities Wednesday and 17,783 new cases. That’s the most in one day since the pandemic began. But, once again, the governor is refusing to impose any statewide restrictions to mitigate the spread of the virus or let local governments enforce their own restrictions.
— And finally, a Florida Man decided to ignore the COVID-19 protocols so his wealthy friends and donors could be vaccinated — without waiting like the rest of us.