Last Call for 10.6.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is backing the Donald Trump administration’s efforts to remove ultra-processed foods from American schools, even if “bureaucratic barriers” hinder their rollout at the federal level.

“I applaud President Trump’s leadership through the Make America Healthy Again Commission to address childhood nutrition and growing concerns related to ultra-processed foods,” Simpson said in a news release declaring FDACS would push MAHA-aligned legislation in the upcoming 2026 Session.

“If bureaucratic games and barriers prevent federal action, we are prepared to take decisive measures here in Florida to define ultra-processed foods and protect our children’s health. Florida’s children deserve better than a diet of ultra-processed foods, and we will continue to prioritize Florida farmers’ fresh, nutritious products on school menus.”

Simpson’s declaration comes after the Trump-appointed panel’s “Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment” found that nearly 70% of children’s calories now come from ultra-processed foods, which they asserted are directly linked to spikes in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.^[1]

Simpson had already been pushing for a similar reset in Florida’s nutrition programs, steering more state-grown produce toward hungry Floridians, both in school lunchrooms and outside of them.

Earlier this year, he and Senate President Ben Albritton highlighted the rollout of a program funded with $40 million in the 2025-26 budget that connects farmers and ranchers with surplus product to families struggling to make ends meet.^[2]

Described by Albritton as a “hand up, not a handout,” Farmers Feeding Florida expands Florida food bank infrastructure so that fresh produce, meat and other products from the Sunshine State can end up in food banks and help feed hungry people.

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump aimed shutdown cuts at Democrats, but GOP districts are hit, too” via Catie Edmondson of The New York Times^[3]

—“‘They need to suffer’: Inside Trump’s war on dissent” via Andrew Perez and Asawin Suebsaeng of Rolling Stone^[4]

—”As money rushed in, ICE’s rapid expansion stalled out” via Nick Miroff of The Atlantic^[5]

—”Laura Loomer is turning against MAGA stalwarts” via Natalie Andrews, Joel Schectman and Brett Forrest of The Wall Street Journal^[6]

—“Nearly 20% fewer international students traveled to the U.S. in August” via Aatish Bhatia and Amy Fan of The New York Times ^[7]

—”DOJ contradicts Ron DeSantis: Some detainees at Alligator Alcatraz likely never in removal proceedings” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press^[8]

—”Gov. DeSantis says reforms have improved homeowners insurance market” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics^[9]

—“Whistleblowers allege Full Sail University ‘hoodwinked’ students with fake jobs” via Steven Walker of the Orlando Sentinel^[10]

—”David Hogg makes first Midterms endorsement against an incumbent Democrat” via Dylan Wells of The Washington Post^[11]

—”The AI-generated actress that has Hollywood panicking” via Kyndall Cunningham of Vox^[12]

Quote of the Day

“If our troops, border patrol agents, and other law enforcement personnel are not being paid, I should not be either.”

— U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, rejecting his paycheck amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Visit Orlando gets another round of Record Breakers after reporting $25.6 million in TDT collections for August.^[13][14]

Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is sipping on a Million Dollar cocktail — and sitting on a seven-figure committee account — while mulling a bid to return to City Hall.^[15][16]

A Landing Gear is touching at Jax City Council VP Nick Howland’s table now that a compromise has been reached on the Jacksonville Aviation bill.^[17][18]

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Jaguars host Chiefs in primetime tonight

Are the Jacksonville Jaguars for real?

We could find out tonight when the Jaguars host the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC).

The Jaguars have opened the season with three wins in the first four weeks under new head coach Liam Coen. The defense has led the way with three or more takeaways in each game. The Jaguars lead the league with a plus-nine turnover margin.

Jacksonville has also run the ball effectively, averaging 144 yards per game on the ground, which ranks fourth in the NFL.

Kansas City (2-2) began the season with a six-point loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, followed by a three-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch. KC then beat the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens to even their record.

The Jaguars have not beaten the Chiefs since 2009, a streak of eight games, including a playoff game after the 2022 season, which the Chiefs won 27-20. The last time the two teams met was the 2023 regular season when the Chiefs beat the Jaguars 17-9 in Jacksonville.

Neither quarterback has been at his best this season. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes has completed 61% of his passes with seven touchdowns in four games, although he has thrown only one interception. 

Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence has completed 58% of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.