GOP donors gravitate to DeSantis — Governor gets his anti-riot bill as Republicans brush off critics — Appeals court rules against Epstein victims
Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx
Hello and welcome to Friday.
The daily rundown
— Between Wednesday and Thursday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 6,762 (0.3 percent), to 2,148,448; active hospitalizations increased by 17, to 3,275; deaths of Florida residents rose by 74 (0.1 percent), to 34,238; 7,699,875 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Upswing — So there are more and more signs that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is surging to frontrunner status in the phantom primary for 2024.
Rolling — DeSantis is about to wrap up his third legislative session with one of his top priorities — an "anti-riot’ bill he touted during President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies last fall — just passed amid strong opposition by Democrats. (More on that below.) He’s found momentum among conservatives for his response to Covid-19 and his skirmishes with the media. And now POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt details how major GOP donors are starting to flock to him.