Steve Contorno Profile picture
Political reporter for @CNN in Florida. Formerly @TB_Times. Signal: 8134383481. DMs = open.
Oct 16, 2020 23 tweets 3 min read
I’m at St. Petersburg College where Jill Biden will hold a “drive-in” rally with supporters. It’s her first visit to the area since the pandemic started (it’s also one of if not THE last place she campaigned before the pandemic began during the Democratic primary). Here’s what the scene looks like at Jill Biden’s event. About 50 cars are here for the 6:40 event. They’re expecting about 200.
Oct 16, 2020 5 tweets 2 min read
"In 2016, two preschool girls said their Sarasota County foster father molested them. The state sent him 13 more children, stopping only when a third toddler reported that the 64-year-old had forced her to put his penis in her mouth."

Horrifying.

usatoday.com/in-depth/news/… "In reaction to one USA TODAY records request, DCF officials pressed legislators to pass a law making foster parent names secret from the public – an effort that ultimately failed."

Also horrifying but not entirely surprising.
Jul 2, 2020 24 tweets 5 min read
I’m at USF Health in downtown Tampa where Vice President Mike Pence and Gov. Ron DeSantis will address reporters after discussing the state’s coronavirus response. The meeting comes on a record-breaking day in Florida with 10,000 new positive cases and rising rate of death. Just got word that the motorcade has left Tampa International Airport and is on its way toward us. Pence and DeSantis will meet with doctors and hospital officials here and then speak with reporters for 35-40 minutes, we're told.
Dec 6, 2018 8 tweets 4 min read
A new review of Florida's concealed weapons program has found more problems and more licenses issued erroneously . Here are some the findings:

1. Adam Putnam gave inaccurate information to the public about the scope of the problem & never corrected it.

tampabay.com/florida-politi… Putnam's agency discovered a massive breach in background checks while state auditors were reviewing his concealed weapons program and NEVER TOLD THE AUDITORS about the problem.

tampabay.com/florida-politi…