Axios Tampa Bay

February 23, 2021
Happy Tuesday, folks. Somebody loves you, probably. 😍
🌤 Partly cloudy and 77 today, growing warmer later in the week.
Have you tried Gangchu, the new Korean fried chicken joint in Seminole Heights from the folks behind Ichicoro? What did you think? Hit reply and let us know. 📫
Today's newsletter is 928 words, a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Rep. Crist asks DOJ to investigate DeSantis
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, left. Photo: Octavio Jones/Getty Images. Right, Gov. Ron DeSantis. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Gov. Ron DeSantis violated federal law when he opened a pop-up vaccine distribution site available exclusively to residents in two of Manatee County's wealthiest zip codes.
Why it matters: The former governor sent a letter to acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson on Sunday, complaining that DeSantis is selectively creating vaccine distribution sites "to benefit political allies and donors, over the needs of higher risk communities and existing county waitlists."
- Background: Charges of favoritism were widespread last week after the Bradenton Herald reported that a county commissioner worked secretly with DeSantis' office to make 3,000 vaccinations available to residents in the wealthy, mostly-white neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch.
- The developer of Lakewood Ranch donated to DeSantis' political campaign.
What they're saying: The writer Stephen King, a Sarasota resident, blasted the governor, tweeting: "It seems possible — likely, even — that Ron DeSantis provided rich, Republican-leaning communities like Lakewood Ranch with priority vaccinations for political gain."
Flashback: DeSantis defended his decision during a press conference at the start of the three-day distribution event last week.
- "If Manatee County doesn’t like us doing this, then we are totally fine putting this in counties that want it," DeSantis said.
But, but, but: "Given the enormous latitude governors have over vaccine distribution," Crist wrote in his letter, "it would be unconscionable for political corruption to trump both fairness and the best medical guidance. These are literally life and death decisions."
- Crist's office told Axios on Monday that the congressman has not heard back from Wilkinson.
2. Q&A with a QuaranQueen
Courtesy of Kameron Michaels
Crowding in bars and shoving dollars at drag queens are on hiatus during the pandemic, but the super queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race are here to save the day.
Drive ‘N Drag (exactly what it sounds like: a drive-in drag show) just kicked off its first superhero-themed show in Atlanta last weekend and heads to Westfield Brandon this weekend.
Before she goes green for her SheHulk performance, Kameron Michaels told us how she’s getting through the quarantine blues.
👩🏻🍳 What’s keeping her sane:
"Any time I've been at home for more than two to three weeks I get really antsy. The pandemic has been really really bad and really hard for me. In quarantine, I picked up learning to cook for myself because it wasn’t something I had time to do [before]."
🍪 Recipes in her repertoire:
"Baked nachos is one of my new favorites. I’m obsessed with crispy brussels sprouts … I’ve learned how to make some really awesome, well, I’ve called them ‘kitchen sink cookies.’ It’s like whatever I have in my cabinet. So it's like three different kinds of chocolate and pretzels and walnuts and throwing them all in the cookie mix."
- "This is really the only TikTok food-ish account I follow ... but mainly because he’s cute."
📺 What she’s binging:
Horror movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime, like "The Lie," "He’s Out There," and "Midsommar."
🤔 What she’s curious about in Tampa Bay: Ybor. "When I went it was a Wednesday night. I didn’t get to experience the full busy gay nightlife so I’ll have to make it back on a weekend."
💬 Parting words:
"I want [fans] to know we are so thankful ... we’re performers. And I’m a Leo, so I love attention. I need those moments. I need the stage presence. I need to be in the spotlight. So thank you to everybody who's coming."
3. The Pulp: There is no citrus without us
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A Tampa Electric contractor died in a fall Monday morning at the company's Big Bend Power Station, the sixth contractor to die there since 2017. (Tampa Bay Times)
😷 Sarasota city commissioners decided they won't renew the city's mask mandate when it expires on Thursday. Residents are outraged. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
⚾️ St. Petersburg is shopping for a consultant to assist in negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
☀️ The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has served subpeonas to four Manatee County commissioners over possible Sunshine Law violations related to an effort to fire county administrator Cheri Coryea. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
👀 St. Pete civil rights activist Askia Muhammad Aquil now has proof that he was a target of FBI surveillance 50 years ago. (Tampa Bay Times)
⛽️ Gas prices jumped the highest in one week so far this year, mainly due to the winter storm that plowed through several southern states last week. (Florida Politics)
🎓 Seniors want prom and graduation. Schools are trying to comply, but it all depends on how the coronavirus trends in the coming months. (Tampa Bay Times)
4. Another local man charged in Capitol riot
Supporters of former President Donald Trump converge on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
Graydon Young, 54, of Englewood in Sarasota County was one of six alleged members of the Florida chapter of Oath Keepers indicted for storming into the Capitol on Jan. 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
- The six have been charged with conspiring to obstruct the U.S. Congress’ certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election result, among other charges.
- Young was also charged for destroying evidence, officials said, because he deleted his Facebook account after the riot.
- He is accused of arranging to get firearms and combat training from a Florida company for himself and others, authorities said.
5. The Tom Brady effect: QBs play musical chairs
Tom Brady accepts the Lombardi Trophy from general manager Jason Licht after Super Bowl LV. Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
When the Bucs went 7-9 in 2019 with Jameis Winston at the helm, coach Bruce Arians believed his team was a good QB away from a Super Bowl win.
🏆 In came Tom Brady, and the next thing we knew he was hurling the Lombardi Trophy across the Hillsborough River.
Now everyone wants a new quarterback, the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud reports. He calls it "the Tom Brady effect."
- The Rams traded Jared Goff and some draft picks to the Lions for QB Matthew Stafford.
- The Eagles sent Carson Wentz to the Colts.
- The Bears are hoping to replace Mitchell Trubisky.
In fact, of all the QBs drafted in the first round from 2009 to 2016, none are currently with the teams that selected them.
6. 🤣 1 funny thing: Your real estate ad of the day
Credit: Philippa Main
How's this for a hot home?
"I've been waiting my entire real-estate career to write a funny listing," realtor Philippa Main told Axios.
Verbatim: Here it is, literally the worst house on the street! The Seller has done the hard work of cleaning up the almost half-acre property (it only took 7 dumpsters!), so now is your chance to take it from here. Have you ever watched HGTV and thought, "I could do that!"? If so, pack up your tape measure and start Googling how to identify a load-bearing wall because it's time to put your money where your mouth is! ...
🎧 Ben is listening to this and reading this by former Tampa Bay Timesman Peter Jamison. 🗞
😂 Selene is laughing at this and eating this. 🍜
See ya Wednesday.
Sign up for Axios Tampa Bay

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Tampa Bay with Kathryn Varn and Yacob Reyes.





