;)
August 7, 2022
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
** Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Sunday approved a sweeping package to combat climate change, lower health-care costs, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit, as Democrats overcame months of political infighting to deliver the centerpiece to President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... The party-line vote marked a key milestone in a tumultuous journey that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House with a promise to bring financial relief to average Americans. With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Harris, the 50-50 Senate sent the bill to the House, which aims to approve it and send it to the White House for Biden's signature later this week." This is an update of a story linked earlier. The Guardian's report is here.
The New York Times liveblogged developments in the Senate's "vote-a-rama" on the Democrats' spending bill. ~~~
~~~ Update: Now pinned at the top of the liveblog: "The Senate passed legislation on Sunday that would make the most significant federal investment in history to counter climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs, as Democrats banded together to push through major pieces of President Biden's domestic agenda over unified Republican opposition.... Altogether, the bill could allow the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions about 40 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. It would achieve Democrats' longstanding goal of slashing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare for the first time to negotiate the prices of medicines directly and capping the amount that recipients pay out of pocket for drugs each year at $2,000. The measure also would extend larger premium subsidies for health coverage for low- and middle-income people under the Affordable Care Act for three years. And it would be paid for by substantial tax increases, mostly on large corporations, including establishing a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and imposing a new tax on company stock buybacks.... The House planned to interrupt its summer break to reconvene briefly on Friday to clear the measure, sending it to Mr. Biden for his signature.... On Sunday morning, Republicans successfully forced the removal of a $35 cap on insulin prices for patients on private insurance, challenging it as a violation of Senate rules. While Democrats could not secure the 60 votes needed to keep that proposal, a cap on insulin prices for Medicare patients remained untouched in the legislation." ~~~
~~~ Evan Halper & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.... The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on Medicare and private insurance. Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.... The Senate parliamentarian earlier in the weekend ruled that part of the Democrats' cap, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, did not comply with the rules that allow them to advance a bill under ... reconciliation.... Some Republicans did support the price cap in the 57-43 vote for the measure, but not enough joined Democrats in support of it to meet the threshold for passage.... 'Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 'After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma.'" ~~~
~~~ The NBC News story is here: "Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy Susan Collins of Maine; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi; and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska joined Democrats in voting to keep the insulin cap for private insurers on Sunday."
New Mexico. Elise Kaplan of the Albuquerque Journal: "On Friday afternoon, Naeem Hussain attended the funeral service for two Muslim men [-- Aftab Hussein & Muhammad Afzaal Hussain --] who were killed in the past two weeks.... Several hours later, a little before midnight, Naeem Hussain was shot to death in a parking lot of an organization that offers services for refugees and asylum seekers.... His death was the latest in what police suspect is a string of homicides [in Albuquerque] targeting Muslim men based on their race and religion.... On Saturday, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said the recent homicides have led detectives to try to determine whether the Nov. 7 fatal shooting of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, is also related.
Israel/Palestine. From the New York Times liveblog: "Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza agreed to a cease-fire, the two parties announced late Sunday night, a move that was expected to end a three-day conflict that killed dozens of Palestinians, including children as well as key militant commanders; destroyed several residential buildings and militant bases in Gaza; and paralyzed parts of southern Israel. The conflict, which began on Friday afternoon, when Israel launched airstrikes to foil what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza, has left the status quo in Israel and the occupied territories almost unchanged. A 15-year blockade of Gaza remains in place, and there is n prospect of peace talks to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.... If the truce holds, the fighting will end with a death toll of at least 44 in Gaza, including 15 children, according to the health ministry there. Some 311 people were injured, the health ministry there said."
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Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "A divided Senate took a crucial step on Saturday toward approving Democrats' plan to tackle climate change bring down health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations, with a test vote that paved the way to enact a significant piece of President Biden's domestic agenda in the coming days. The measure advanced on a party-line vote of 51 to 50, with all Republicans opposed and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. The action suggested that Democrats, after more than a year of internal feuding and painstaking negotiation, had finally coalesced behind legislation that would provide hundreds of billions of dollars for climate and energy programs, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and create a new federal initiative to reduce the cost of prescriptio drugs, particularly for older Americans.... The vote put the bill on track to pass the Senate as early as Sunday, with the House expected to give its approval by the end of the week." CNN's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "More than eight hours into a slow-moving debate, [Democratic] party lawmakers appeared on track to deliver the political centerpiece of President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... As they have for months, Republicans took to the Senate floor for hours to charge that the measure would worsen inflation, which is rising at the fastest rate in four decades. They painted its tax increases as a threat to workers and their wages, even though the bill would not raise tax rates for individuals, and derided its proposed increase in funding for tax collectors at the Internal Revenue Service.... Republicans soon began offering a battery of amendments seeking to undermine the bill -- or force Democrats to take politically difficult votes. But the GOP repeatedly found itself powerless to block or substantively change the legislation, defeated in its attempts to advance proposals that would toughen border enforcement and limit federal authority to regulate emissions.... The chief architect of their more expansive original ambitions, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), took to the Senate floor to express his alarm at its narrow scope." ~~~
~~~ Jordain Carney & Caitlin Emma of Politico: "A few more potential threats loomed at sunrise Sunday, particularly on the legislation's insulin price cap. But Republicans otherwise made little headway during a legislative endurance run of politically tricky votes on immigration, taxes and other issues.... Democrats are still facing a Republicans challenge to their proposed $35 monthly cap on what people pay out-of-pocket for insulin, a plan championed by [Sen. Raphael] Warnock [D-Ga.]. Republicans have argued that the provision doesn't comply with Senate budget rules. The Senate parliamentarian, or the upper chamber's rules referee, could decide in real-time whether the insulin provisions should stay or go. If the parliamentarian rules against it, Democrats are expected to try to muster 60 votes to overrule the decision and keep it in the bill. That would require finding support from 10 Republicans, which they're not expected to get. The outcome of the insulin provision was the biggest question mark as the hours-long voting marathon stretched into Sunday." ~~~
~~~ Marie: It should not be lost on any American, and specifically on any voter, that every Senate Republican is for burning down Earth, for keeping U.S. healthcare services and prescription drugs unaffordable, and for tax breaks for wealthy Americans & corporations. ~~~
~~~ Caitlin Emma & Marianne Levine of Politico: "Democrats have survived the vetting of the Medicare portions of their prescription drug reform plan, but lost ground on a separate pillar that penalizes drug companies for raising prices on individuals with private health insurance, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday.... The Senate's nonpartisan rules referee, who decides which provisions are eligible for sidestepping a GOP filibuster under the chamber's strict rules, signed off on Medicare-related drug price negotiation.... The Senate's rules arbiter [also] signed off on that the bill's energy provisions, including electric vehicle tax credits and a bonus tax credit to encourage clean energy developers to pay the prevailing wage." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: You might ask, "Okay, then, the Senate can just pass the parts that didn't pass muster under regular order." But no, that requires meeting the 60-vote filibuster threshold, and Republicans want you to have to pay high prices for drugs. If that's not true, let Republicans prove it by finding at least ten GOP senators who will vote for (or sponsor) a comparable stand-alone bill.
Josh Margolin of ABC News: "The U.S. Secret Service has given the House Jan. 6 committee a listing of agency-issued cell phone numbers belonging to agents based in Washington, D.C., for the period the panel is investigating, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move is an unusual step amid heightened scrutiny of the agency's cooperation with the congressional panel investigating last year's insurrection and the role ...t Donald Trump played in it. The committee can now determine which agents' call records they may want to review and, if they decide to do so, could either request them directly or conceivably issue subpoenas to their cell phone providers, an official familiar with the situation explained."
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "The timing of your exit can determine your place in the history books. This is something Joe Biden should keep in mind as he is riding the crest of success. His inner circle, irritated by stories about concerns over his age and unpopularity, will say this winning streak gives Biden the impetus to run again. The opposite is true. It should give him the confidence to leave, secure in the knowledge that he has made his mark.... He could leave on a high, knowing that he has delivered on his promises for progress and restored decency to the White House.... The country really needs to dodge a comeback by Trump or the rise of the odious Ron DeSantis.... Usually, being a lame duck weakens you. But in Biden's case, it could strengthen him..., freeing him from typical re-election pressures.... These are dangerous times .... It might be best to have a president unshackled from the usual political restraints." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I have a feeling Biden already has made the decision not to seek re-election. Dowd is right about timing (she cites Ruth Bader Ginsburg's disastrous decision to stay on despite her advanced age & multiple health issues), but I'd guess Biden thinks the time to announce his intentions is -- later.
Christopher Rowland of the Washington Post: There is a "hesitancy among some doctors and medical students who are reconsidering career prospects in red states where laws governing abortion have changed rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, according to interviews with health-care professionals and reproductive health advocates. One large medical recruiting firm said it recently had 20 obstetrician-gynecologists turn down positions in red states because of abortion laws. The reluctance extends beyond those interested in providing abortion care, as laws meant to protect a fetus could open doctors up to new liabilities or limit their ability to practice.... Doctors said they are grappling with the fallout from broadly worded legislation written by politicians without detailed medical knowledge.... Additionally, many OB/GYN doctors, even if they don't perform abortions themselves, believe strongly in patient autonomy and decision-making, said academic and clinical leaders." See also links to stories below about the new Indiana abortion law.
You can't make up this stuff: ~~~
"Drop Box for Babies." Dana Goldstein of the New York Times: “The Safe Haven Baby Box at a firehouse in Carmel, Ind., looked like a library book drop. It had been available for three years for anyone who wanted to surrender a baby anonymously. No one had ever used it, though, until early April. When its alarm went off, Victor Andres, a firefighter, opened the box and found, to his disbelief, a newborn boy wrapped in towels.... Later that month, Mr. Andres pulled another newborn, a girl, from the box. In May, a third baby appeared. By summer, three more infants were left at baby box locations throughout the state. The baby boxes are part of the safe haven movement, which has long been closely tied to anti-abortion activism.... All 50 states have safe haven laws meant to protect surrendering mothers from criminal charges.... But what began as a way to prevent the most extreme cases of child abuse has become a broader phenomenon, supported especially among the religious right, which heavily promotes adoption as an alternative to abortion.... (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ "During oral arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that safe haven laws offered an alternative to abortion by allowing women to avoid 'the burdens of parenting.' In the court's decision, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. cited safe haven laws as a 'modern development' that, in the majority's view, obviated the need for abortion rights." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Contributor Forrest M. is baffled: "... Republicans are fine with having drop boxes for newborn unwanted babies, but drop boxes for votes is dangerous."
Jared Gans of the Hill: "Former President Trump won a comfortable majority of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll, maintaining his position as the favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Organizers announced at CPAC's convention in Texas that Trump won 69 percent of the vote, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 24 percent. Trump expanded his lead from the last CPAC straw poll in February, when he received the support of 59 percent of voting attendees to DeSantis' 28 percent." ~~~
~~~ Adam Schrader of UPI: "... an art performance dedicated to those who have faced criminal prosecution for their involvement in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, [is] creating a stir at the [CPAC] conference. Video footage of the installation published by CNN featured a mock prison cell with Brandon Straka, a pro-Trump activist..., performing as a crying inmate in an orange jumpsuit...."
To the Right Wing, Even Cracker Barrel Is Too "Woke." Allison Morrow of CNN: "Cracker Barrel added Impossible sausage to its menus. Perhaps because they realized (20 years too late, in my case) that they weren't really providing for the growing number of vegetarians and vegans in America.... To be clear, Cracker Barrel isn't replacing its meat sausages with veggie alternatives. It's not mandatory or anything.... Ironically, an Impossible sausage is supposed to look and taste just like a real meat sausage -- it's designed to pass for meat, not make an obvious statement against it.... But of the more ravenous carnivores out there didn't like the addition of 'fake' meat, and they didn't hold back in their Facebook comments replying to Cracker Barrel's post announcing the update.... Several commenters decried the menu addition as 'woke.'..."
Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden finally tested negative for the coronavirus on Saturday, a week after his rebound case emerged, but the White House physician said the president would remain in isolation 'in an abundance of caution' until a second negative test. In an expression of optimism, the White House separately announced on Saturday night that the president would leave Sunday morning for Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, finally escaping for a summer break after two weeks stuck at the White House with his dog Commander. The trip depends on a negative test on Sunday morning before he departs." An ABC News story is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Alabama. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "A small city in Alabama moved this week to disband its three-member police force after one of them sent a racist text message that then circulated on social media. Pending an investigation into the text message, the City Council in Vincent, Ala., suspended the police chief and assistant chief at a meeting on Thursday and moved to dissolve the department, the mayor, James Latimer, said on Saturday. After that decision, the remaining member of the department resigned, the mayor said. After the suspensions and resignation, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Friday that it was handling law enforcement emergency calls for the city. The statement added that officials at the Sheriff's Office 'equally condemn' the allegations of misconduct." ~~~
~~~ Marie: There is a certain irony in this little Shelby County town's racist crisis; it was Shelby County v. Holder in which, in their wisdom, the confederate Supreme decided it would be a good idea to decimate the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protected Americans in certain state and local governments from implementing racist voting laws.
Indiana. Amber Phillips & Tom Hamburger of the Washington Post: "Indiana's new sweeping ban on abortion produced immediate political and economic fallout Saturday, as some of the state's biggest employers objected to the restrictions, Democratic leaders strategized ways to amend or repeal the law, and abortion rights activists made plans to arrange alternative locations for women seeking procedures.... The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce ... warned the ban was passed too quickly and without regard for how it will affect the state's tourism industry.... 'This has nothing to do with being "pro-life,"' tweeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 'It's about power and control.'... Indiana University Health, a major health-care provider in the state, issued a statement saying it was trying to determine what the ban meant for its doctors and patients.... Meanwhile, activists began discussing plans to raise funds and provide transportation for those seeking abortion access after the ban goes into effect, said Carol McCord, a former employee at Planned Parenthood.... Katie Blair, the advocacy and public policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Indiana, said Saturday that her organization will examine legal action." ~~~
~~~ Lora Kelley of the New York Times: "On Friday, the governor of Indiana signed into law a near-total abortion ban, making the state the first to approve sweeping new restrictions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. On Saturday morning, one of Indiana's biggest employers, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, issued a strong objection to the new restrictions. 'Given this new law,' it said in a statement, 'we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state.' Shortly after, Jon Mills, a spokesman for Cummins, an engine company that employs about 10,000 people in the state, [also spoke out against the new law].... Some companies with a large presence in Indiana have previously stated that they will cover travel for employees." ~~~
~~~ Marie: As I predicted some while back, red-state abortion bans could prove to be a boon for blue states whose laws allow for abortions and other medical care that protect women's rights to bodily autonomy. Economically-speaking, misogyny is not the best policy.
Florida. Selene San Felice of Axios publishes some apt reactions to King/Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspending elected Hillsborough County (Tampa) state attorney Andrew Warren. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ "Orban 2.0." digby: "This is how a true autocrat operates. He doesn't tweet insults (although his spokesperson does) he just acts and lets everyone else scream.... No abortion ban or LGBT cases to which DeSantis objects have been brought before the DA. The 15 week ban is still being decided in the courts. He removed him for what he said, not what he did. This is an ugly turn but it's how DeSantis operates. Unlike Trump he knows how to work the lever of government." digby republishes an article from Boltsmag that goes into not only what DeSantis did but how he failed to follow the law he used to justify suspending Warren. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Texas. Jolie McCullough & Jaden Edison of the Texas Tribune: "Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed an indicted Austin police officer accused of using excessive force during 2020 protests to Texas' regulatory law enforcement agency. Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers indicted earlier this year in the protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Berry is charged with two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant. He also ran as a Republican for Texas House District 19 but lost in the primary runoff election this year. Abbott had endorsed Berry in the race, saying his 'strong conservative values and experience stopping violent crime are exactly what we need in the Texas House.' Now, at the governor's hand, Berry will serve on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets minimum licensing and training standards for police." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: It looks as if Ron-con & Greggers are in battle to prove who can be the worst governor and therefore most viable candidate for the Republican party's presidential nomination.
Way Beyond
China/Taiwan. Christian Shepherd of the Washington Post: "China has announced additional live-fire drills in the Bohai and Yellow Seas, as Beijing broadcasts its fury over a visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with military exercises near the island.... China's Maritime Safety Administration on Saturday announced five exclusion zones in the Yellow Sea where exercises would take place from Aug. 5 to 15, as well as an additional four zones in the Bohai Sea where a month of unspecified Chinese military operations would take place from Aug 8.... The Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday said it would continue joint air and navy exercises in the areas around Taiwan as planned, focusing on long-distance strikes against targets in the sky." ~~~
~~~ Marie: China really is overreacting. While Pelosi is without question a federal VIP, she is not head-of-state, and it so happens that the head-of-state did not endorse her visit to Taiwan. Even if he had, or even if President Biden himself had gone to Taiwan, these extended military and other actions are unwarranted.
Israel/Palestine. Shira Rubin, et al., of the Washington Post: “Palestinian militants fired rockets toward Jerusalem Sunday morning after overnight Israeli air strikes killed a senior militant leader in Gaza, the second since the start of the operation. The escalation threatens to push the bout of violence that has already killed at least 31 in Gaza and sent thousands of Israelis running to shelters into an all-out war. The Israeli military and domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet killed Khaled Mansour, the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) operations in the south of Gaza, in an air strike late Saturday night on a house in Rafah. Israel said that Mansour, who has survived at least five other assassination attempts, was responsible for dozens of terror attacks against Israelis. His killing follows a similar air strike against Tayseer Jabari, the chief of PIJ's operations in the north of Gaza, on Friday. PIJ has since responded with nearly 600 rockets toward Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, Israel's financial capital, and dozens of southern towns surrounding the Gaza Strip."
Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings on developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Four ships carrying almost 170,000 metric tons of grain headed out under the deal to ease the global food crisis, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. The first foreign-flagged ship arrived in Ukraine to be loaded with grain since Russia's invasion, he said a day earlier == while the first ship to leave, the Razoni, will not arrive in Lebanon on Sunday as planned. [MB: The link is to a Reuters article, which is firewalled. I was able to check the Reuters report, and it gave no cause for the delay.] Ukraine's largest and most profitable port will join those restarting operations following months of blockades, Mustafa Nayyem, deputy infrastructure minister said on Facebook.... The United Nations is warning of a potential 'nuclear disaster' after heavy shelling struck Europe's largest atomic power plant, sparking a blame game between Russia and Ukraine over who was responsible.... The head of Amnesty International in Ukraine resigned following a report from the human-rights organization that criticized Ukraine's military, accusing troops of repeatedly endangering civilians by stationing themselves in heavily-populated areas. [President] Zelensky and other officials swiftly condemned the investigation, arguing that it unfairly blames the victim in Russia's war and would likely fuel Russian propaganda."
News Ledes
NBC News: "At least nine people were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Cincinnati early Sunday, police said. As the shooter was actively firing, Officer Joe Shook, who has been with the Cincinnati Police Department since 2016, fired a shot, Lt. Col. Mike John said at a news conference. It was unknown whether the bullet struck the shooter, he added. The shooter fled, he said, and nobody was in custody."
Washington Post: "Death Valley National Park was closed Saturday after exceptional amounts of rain drenched the park Friday, triggering flash floods that left about 1,000 visitors and park staff stranded. The park received 1.46 inches of rainfall at the Furnace Creek area -- just shy of the previous calendar day record of 1.47 inches, set on April 15, 1988. This amounts to about three-quarters of what the area typically receives in an average year, 1.94 inches, and is the greatest amount ever recorded in August, The lowest, driest and hottest location in the United States, Death Valley averages just 0.11 inches of rain in August."
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Reader Comments (5)
I see that following in slimy Sinema's footsteps, the congressional parliamentarian took another slice out of the IRA, too, making the bill still weaker and more imperfect, but...
...some of the most important parts of the bill remain intact.
It acknowledges the peril of human-caused climate change and tries to do something about it.
It bolsters the long-beleaguered IRS and establishes a 15% minimum corporate tax.
And most critically, by granting Medicare the right to negotiate drug prices, it reasserts the primacy of government in its relations with business. That's both a practical and symbolic victory.
And all this with only the finger prints of Democrats on it.
Seems more than half a loaf to me.
I was just about to put on the link to Maureen Dowd's piece but see it is already here. I was once again pleased to find no fault–-agree with everything she said, especially after so many years of griping about her. I liked the fact that she starts out slapping smartly at RBG for not leaving when she should have which of course produced the supreme fait accompli we now have to deal with. When she says we need new blood I say, you betcha! Joe, as well as he has been doing, has gotta go. And she's right about giving the Dems a chance to sort out "a fresh, inspirational candidate to embrace."
And since it's Sunday let's give a cheer to the Atheist who is calling for banning the Bible in libraries. Since you fuckers are intent on cleaning out anything that makes sense and will warp our children's wee feelings and/or outlooks let's give the Bible a bit of that banning; a book that makes little sense and is filled with salacious sexuality, beastly beatings of women coupled with a long list of monkey business otherwise known as "The Word of God." Amen.
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Heavy Lifting, and tho it took a long time and much effort, it's done.
Pleased me enough to depart from silence and turn on the car radio at 4PM local time to listen to Schumer brag a bit.
Made me feel good.
@Ken Winkes: Schumer has right to brag. I absolutely know he managed something BIG that I could never have pulled off. Manchin, Sinema & Republican senators should all be ashamed of themselves.
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. The "Free State of Florida" is going to have a new custom license plate with the "Don't tread on me" Gadsden flag of MAGA fame as a "warning to out of state cars".
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/columns/2022/08/07/desantis-says-dont-tread-me-florida-license-plate-tag-warns-out-of-state-cars/10233802002/
It dpesn't take Trump to make a Florida Man joke.