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Hello and good Monday morning. Both Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami made the Final Four for the first time ever over the weekend. Quite a feat.

Tear it down — Former President Donald Trump, in his first campaign rally for 2024, delivered another round of broadsides against his one-time ally, Gov. Ron DeSantis. During his weekend event in Texas, he repeated the story where he says DeSantis was in “tears” when asking for his endorsement ahead of the 2018 governor’s race, and he bragged that DeSantis was “dropping like a rock” in some polls.

Sidelines — All this happens of course while DeSantis and his team continue to sidestep a full-on battle with the Trump machine, even though the governor did throw a couple of barbs at Trump in his recent interview with Piers Morgan.

Better luck next cycle? — Some observers are now questioning whether DeSantis should still run — suggesting he will undergo too much damage in a direct confrontation with the former president.

Hold on — But here’s the flip side to that analysis: If not now, when? And how?

Stacked — DeSantis is term-limited and will be forced to leave office in early 2027. Right now, he has a Florida Legislature that has almost fully acquiesced to every demand put forward by the governor. He’s found a way to remain in the conservative media atmosphere on a constant basis, and the “legacy media” DeSantis derides is now giving him round-the-clock coverage as well. All of that evaporates once he leaves office (if not before) … and he theoretically has to find a private sector job.

Think too much — Some have tried to float out all sorts of alternative theories of next steps, including a highly unlikely scenario of a run for Senate next year. (Remember that DeSantis did run for Senate in 2016 before bowing out once Marco Rubio ran for reelection after getting chased out of the presidential race by Trump.) Such a scenario would lead to a DeSantis clash against incumbent Rick Scott. It’s true that the two aren’t allies, but Scott has shown a willingness to spend tens of millions of his own money to win elections.

Timing — So using one of DeSantis’ go-to phrases, “at the end of the day,” it would appear his time to run for president is during this upcoming cycle. A couple of new polls cited by Axios suggest DeSantis is doing well in head-to-head matchups with Trump in the battleground states of New Hampshire and Iowa. Meanwhile, the governor is headed to Pennsylvania this coming weekend and he’s got stops for Ohio, Michigan and New Hampshire planned for April.

— WHERE’S RON? — Nothing official for Gov. DeSantis.

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‘HE’S DROPPING LIKE A ROCK’ — Trump’s first ’24 rally has a familiar feel: Anger and attacks on his tormentors, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw and Alex Isenstadt: Appearing before a crowd of cheering supporters, former President Donald Trump offered up the type of political bravado and bulldog mentality that he is known for, mocking DeSantis, who is widely seen as his strongest rival for the Republican nomination, for not doing better in the polls. “Man, he’s dropping like a rock,” Trump said of the Florida governor. “They keep saying ‘DeSanctus’ could do well with farmers. I don’t think so. Based on polls, he’s not doing well with anything.”

On the scene — Indeed, rallygoers here in Waco expressed disappointment that DeSantis had not gone further in his defense of Trump as he stares down a possible indictment from the Manhattan district attorney. Louise Negry from Lometa, Tex., said DeSantis “might be a traitor.” Her friend, Renee Alaniz, agreed, referencing the Florida governor’s implicit mocking of Trump for being involved in an alleged hush money payment to a porn star (which has been the central issue in his potential indictment).

— “Trump puts his legal peril at center of first big rally for 2024,” by The New York Times’ Michael C. Bender and Shane Goldmacher

— “Trump’s base splinters on Ron DeSantis,” by NBC News’ Jonathan Allen and Dan Gallo

BEER OR WINE? — Trump’s beer track advantage over Ron DeSantis, by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard: Polls show former President Donald Trump dominating his likely primary competitor among GOP voters in the so-called “beer track” — a shorthand for the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of the bloc of voters with lower incomes and levels of educational attainment. While Gov. Ron DeSantis is still the preferred candidate of high-income voters and those with college degrees, he is showing signs of bleeding there, too. In recent weeks, Trump’s numbers have been rising among all Republicans, including with GOP voters most skeptical of his candidacy in the so-called “wine track.”

— “Trump staffer blackballing DeSantis aides used to be one himself,” by Fox News’ Jessica Chasmar

‘THE BRAKES ARE PUMPED’ — “Ron DeSantis’ donors and allies question if he’s ready for 2024,” by NBC News’ Dasha Burns, Jonathan Allen, Allan Smith and Henry J Gomez: “At a Sunday luncheon following the annual Red Cross ball in Palm Beach, Florida, a group of 16 prominent Republicans, described by one attendee as a mix of DeSantis backers and Trump “skeptics,” discussed misgivings about the governor’s standing for the future if he tussles with the former president. ‘They liked him — many of them might even support him,’ the person who was at the event said of DeSantis. ‘But they thought on balance that his long-term future was better without him trying to take Trump head on.’”

— “DeSantis shows early state strength in Iowa and N.H. polls,” by Axios’ Josh Kraushaar

— “Trump’s 2016 targets say DeSantis faces dilemma of when to fight back,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello

SURGE — “Fear of new limits prompts flood of lawsuits before DeSantis signed restrictions into law,” by USA Today Network-Florida’s John Kennedy: “Tens of thousands of lawsuits – an almost 700% increase – flooded the offices of court clerks across Florida days before Gov. Ron DeSantis signed sweeping new business-backed legal restrictions which help shield insurance companies, property owners and others accused of wrongdoing. The law went into effect with DeSantis’ signature on Friday. But the lawsuit logjam will take months for clerks and later judges to sort out, officials say. Critics said that there’s no shortage of irony in that the push by the state’s biggest business associations to limit lawsuits first spawned a tidal wave of litigation.”

WATCH THIS SPACE — A big question is whether the Florida Supreme Court will choose to intervene due to the surge. The Florida Defense Lawyers Association on Thursday wrote to Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz and asked for help. “There are not enough hours in the day to answer all of these complaints,” states the letter signed by top officials with the association. “There may also be a delay in transmitting suit papers from [Department of Financial Services] to the insurance companies to defense firms. This could result in defaults entered against numerous defendants. Please consider issuing an emergency administrative order allowing defendants additional time to respond to a complaint. This will allow insurance companies, defense attorneys, and law firms to stagger responses to help manage the mountain of lawsuits coming at them.”

CRACKDOWN — How Florida uses a little-known law to punish abortion clinics, by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian: Florida regulators over the last year punished more than a dozen abortion providers for violating a nearly decade-old law that requires pregnant patients wait 24 hours before getting the procedure. Florida legislators approved the law in 2015, but it remained in limbo after the American Civil Liberties Union challenged it. After a judge upheld the law in April, Florida’s abortion regulator, the Agency for Health Care Administration, almost immediately began issuing fines.

BUILDING BLOCKS — Legislature approves Passidomo’s affordable housing bill, by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie: Florida legislators are pumping more than $700 million into affordable housing programs in an attempt to deal with the state’s persistent housing affordability crisis under a bill sent Friday to Gov. Ron DeSantis. But the legislation — which is the top session priority for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — contains new restrictions on local governments to combat rising rents that drew opposition from some House Democrats on Friday.

— “‘A God-given right’: Florida House loads permitless gun carry bill into the Senate chamber,” by Tallahassee Democrat’s James Call

— “Florida Legislature moving quickly on DeSantis priorities,” by The Associated Press’ Brendan Farrington

— Florida lawmakers want to ban kids from drag shows with ‘lewd’ content,” by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian

HMM — “A mystery: 16,000 previously uncounted COVID cases added to Florida’s total,” by Palm Beach Post’s Chris Persaud: “The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that it had added about 16,000 previously uncounted COVID-19 cases over the past four months to its Florida total. At the same time, the state’s new case count increased slightly this week while hospitalizations have sunk to pre-winter surge levels. The CDC added 15,993 COVID cases to its Florida sum that had not been previously reported between November and March, the federal agency reported Thursday. Representatives for the CDC and the Florida Department of Health did not explain Friday why those infections have gone uncounted for months.”

RAMPED UP — “Families lose homes after Florida cities turbocharge code enforcement measures,” by McClatchy D.C.’s Ben Wieder and Miami Herald’s Shirsho Dasgupta and Sheridan Wall: “[Matt] Weidner first attracted national attention for his work helping homeowners keep their properties in the wake of the Great Recession. Now he helps cities take people’s homes away. Fort Pierce is the ninth jurisdiction in Florida that hired Weidner to file these kinds of cases. Weidner has criss-crossed the state speaking at and sponsoring conferences targeting local officials and has made direct pitches to cities all over the state, city records obtained by the Miami Herald show. Cities don’t have to pay anything up front. Instead, they give him a cut of whatever he recovers.”

UGLY TREND — “Antisemitic incidents surge in Florida, growing more than nationwide. ‘More bold, more egregious and more attention-grabbing,’ by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Anthony Man: “Those South Florida incidents, from the early weeks of 2022, were at the beginning of a surge that produced the highest annual number of antisemitic incidents ever recorded in Florida and nationwide in the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. ADL has compiled and verified assaults, harassment and vandalism since 1979. It was worse in Florida than in the U.S. overall, the third year in a row that the state’s increase outpaced the national increase, Sarah Emmons, ADL’s Florida regional director, said in a video presentation on the report.”

REJECTED — Judge tosses sugar industry lawsuit but farmers also see partial win, by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie: A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the sugar industry challenging U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ operation of Lake Okeechobee. But sugar industry representatives say U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks also handed them a win in declaring that a key component of a future reservoir south of the lake must be analyzed for its effect on existing water users.

COMING SOON — “Hundreds of thousands of Florida children could lose health coverage with Medicaid cutbacks,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Cindy Krischer-Goodman: “Florida is about to experience an unprecedented unwinding of Medicaid coverage that could leave more than a million families at risk of losing their free health insurance. While advocates are busy preparing for the fallout, they worry that most parents aren’t aware yet of the deadline and will get caught off guard during a medical emergency.”

— “Cuban migrants use hang glider to escape to Florida Keys airport, deputies say,” by Miami Herald’s Howard Cohen

— “Pasco sheriff discontinues controversial intelligence program, court documents say,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Dan Sullivan and Matt Cohen

— “Tampa could see first openly gay council member,” by Tampa Bay Times’ William March

— “Fleeing rising prices, these South Floridians moved to a small town near the west coast,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Amber Bonefront

— “School district faces calls for investigation as more accuse Tampa teacher of bullying,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Bethany Barnes

— “Is the David porn? See for yourself, Italy ask Fla. parents,” by The Associated Press’ Nicole Winfield and Terry Spencer: “The Florence museum housing Michelangelo’s Renaissance masterpiece the David on Sunday invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella also tweeted an invitation for the principal to visit so he can personally honor her. Confusing art with pornography was ‘ridiculous,’ Nardella said. The board of the Tallahassee Classical School pressured Principal Hope Carrasquilla to resign last week after an image of the David was show to a sixth-grade art class.”

BIRTHDAYS: Alberto Martinez, executive vice president at Targeted Victory … Alexandra Glorioso, journalist and founder of Barred Owl Press ... Joni James, director of system communications at BayCare Health System ... Alisa LaPolt, policy and advocacy director NAMI Tennessee.