NEW: I was able to get some great ground video in Chimney Rock, NC this afternoon — a gorgeous mountain tourist town near Lake Lure that was all but washed away by Hurricane #Helene

This will be a sad thread for everyone who loves WNC

🧵 @wsoctv @WLOS_13 The homes on the other side of the water from Chimney Rock Village have walls completely sheared off

Some look like they’re about to fall in the water

THIS MORNING on #BattlegroundFlorida —

@GovRonDeSantis executive order suspending @AndrewWarrenFL specifically listed him signing two pledges not to prosecute cases on abortion and transgender health care

@HCSOSheriff, @ChiefDuganRet and @MBeltranFL also listed recent cases

https://twitter.com/EvanDonovan/status/1556264825998774272

"It's both," says @PeterSchorschFL on whether DeSantis is overreaching or enforcing rule of law. "It reminds me of Minority Report: he's taken @AndrewWarrenFL out not for things he has done, but things he said he would do. Technically, he's following existing [abortion] law."

NEW: Florida 15-week abortion ban (HB 5) will be on Senate floor tomorrow

Several amendments filed today —

@LeaderBookFL: makes abortion exception for rape, incest, human trafficking (similar amendments in House failed) .@Annette_Taddeo: Would not allow a vasectomy

Unless two doctors certify in writing "they have counseled the man seeking the vasectomy procedure on the fact that the procedure will prevent future life from being created."

Matches the bill's 2-doctor abortion requirement

NEW: After Judge Cooper entered his written order this afternoon in the Florida mask mandate case, the state appealed.

By law, that automatically stays the judge’s order.

However, plaintiffs (families) have just filed a motion to vacate that stay.

scribd.com/document/52293… Judge Cooper’s written order issued earlier this afternoon, which formalizes his verbal order from Friday:

scribd.com/document/52290…

NEW: Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson tells me “there is no question” the Florida legislature will consider an abortion heartbeat bill like Texas’ in this upcoming session.

“It’s something we’re already working on.”

More tonight on @WFLA at 4/5/6

wfla.com/news/national/… As my political colleague @scontorno pointed out in today’s @TB_Times Buzz, this type of legislation is something @GovRonDeSantis has supported in the past.

tampabay.com/florida-politi…

😷DAY 4 OF MASK MANDATE BAN TRIAL😷

Closing arguments have just begun — You can watch along here

Whisenhunt will do closing for the plaintiffs' families

Dr. Kriseman testified yesterday, left us w chilling thought - hospitals are bursting at seams

How can we prevent school boards from doing whats in their constitutional authority

It's what school boards are elected to do

😷DAY 3: FLORIDA MASK TRIAL😷

The final day of the trial begins in a few moments.

Several Florida families are suing @GovRonDeSantis and the Dept. of Education over the ban on school mask mandates.

Defense will begin this morning.

WATCH LIVE:
OK here we go.

Sheridan: before we begin -- objection. Defense plans to call what we refer to as "parent witnesses." Concerned parties, care about kids, but our position is they are neither fact witnesses nor experts.

So objection is relevance.

😷DAY 2: FLORIDA MASK TRIAL😷

Day two of the trial begins in a few moments.

Several Florida families are suing @GovRonDeSantis and the Dept. of Education over the ban on mask mandates.

Plaintiffs (families) are still presenting their case.

WATCH LIVE:
I live tweeted Day 1 of the trial yesterday, you can see that whole thread here:

https://twitter.com/EvanDonovan/status/1429793487524929537?s=20

😷FLORIDA MASK TRIAL STARTS TODAY😷
Good morning! I'll be covering the trial, which begins today and is expected to wrap up by Wednesday.

Several Florida families (at least 4 from Tampa Bay) are suing @GovRonDeSantis and state agencies over the ban on mask mandates.

1/x You can watch along with me at the link below.

I will also be live tweeting as much as possible throughout the day, with video whenever I can pull it off!

I will also have reports on @WFLA in this evening's news.

Twitter has locked the account of @GovRonDeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw. For context — Pushaw went on a tirade this week at AP reporter @bsfarrington over this story

apnews.com/article/joe-bi…

RIGHT NOW: Several Florida parents are suing the state and @GovRonDeSantis over the ban on student mask mandates —

First hearing in the case, on Florida's motion to dismiss, just started:

Judge John Cooper:
So if school boards don’t have standing, and you’re arguing these plaintiffs don’t have standing, does anyone have standing?

Florida/DeSantis Attorney Michael Abel:
No, not in this case

UPDATE @fdlepio responded to my request for more information:

"This morning FDLE served a search warrant at a residence on Centerville Court in Tallahassee, the home of Rebekah Jones. FDLE began an investigation November 10, 2020 after receiving a complaint...

1/

@WFLA

https://twitter.com/EvanDonovan/status/1336072146616000512

"...from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to a Department of Health messaging system which is part of an emergency alert system, to be used for emergencies only. Agents believe someone at the residence on Centerville Court illegally accessed the system.

2/

BREAKING: Armed men dressed as security guards claiming to be with the Trump campaign showed up today at the downtown St. Pete early voting location today, according to @VotePinellas Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus.

@WFLA #BattlegroundFlorida
wfla.com/news/pinellas-… "The sheriff told me the persons who were dressed in these security uniforms had indicated to sheriff's deputies that they belonged to a licensed security company and they indicated, and this has not been confirmed yet, that they were hired by the Trump campaign," Marcus said.

The NY Times had 93 questions on Day 1, so we'll start with #94 today, as I may have missed some while doing TV.

94th question, from Sen. @PattyMurray (D-WA):
Can you further clarify the WH counsel's arguments that the subpoenas issued before the impeachment vote were invalid? @PattyMurray Rep. Lofgren:
House issued rules on January 9, 2019, and the House's standing rules give each committee subpoena power to conduct their business. We have more power after an impeachment has been authorized.

1st question in Senator Q&A phase of impeachment trial is from the moderate Republicans--Collins reads out Q from herself, Murkowski and Romney.

How should Senate treat evidence if Trump had dual motives both personal and public?

#ImpeachmentTrial #impeachment Philbin answers:
1) even if Trump's motive was only personal, it's too subjective to be viable for impeachment
2) if he had any mixed motives, it destroys their case, because Senators can't determine how much was personal vs. public motive