Race to succeed @VernBuchanan in CD 16 is getting increasingly interesting Reporting by @MitchPerry18 of @FLPhoenixNews #FlaPol floridapolitics.com/archives…

#inflation causation...

From a FB friend … well done @GWKruse ( again )… country over party DON’T sleep on Florida “Friends, today I was witness to something big. I was one of a small number of Democrats in a room full of Republicans at the Republicans for Kelly Kirschner kickoff event held in downtown Bradenton. As a Democrat, I already knew we found the right candidate for the FL-16 Congressional race. What I needed to see for my own confidence and, frankly, hope in the country, was one Republican community leader after another saying we need a change in Washington and Kelly is the person they trust with the important work of representing this community. In laudatory speech after speech, they said that Kelly was a familiar, longtime community presence; an independent voice of integrity and courage; and someone who will actually answer your questions and return your phone calls, no matter what side of the aisle you are on. 🏆Kudos to Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse in particular for being a leading voice. He is a longtime friend of Kelly's since high school and says Kelly helped him by sitting down to chat over coffee when he ran the first time, even from the other side of the aisle. He said that the Republican Party has experienced a "hostile takeover" and no matter how many people go to Washington to say they will push back on the direction of the party, no one ever does that. He said that Kirschner was even the only candidate on either side of the aisle who had contacted him about the upcoming election. I want to note how important Kruse's voice is here. In 2024, he got more votes than any elected official and is therefore arguably the most popular elected official in Manatee County. He has been an independent voice on the county commission and thoughtful writer and critical thinker about policy on his Substack. Other leading voices who were present or who couldn't make it to have lent their voices of support and endorsement include retired Judge Blue, former Manatee High School football coach Joe Kinnan, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, football legend Ray Bellamy, former Manatee Schools administrator and environmental advocate Merrie Lynn Parker, Longboat Key Commissioner B.J. Bishop, former Republican Congressman Dan Miller, Manatee community leader Xtavia Bailey, environmental advocate Rusty Chinnis, former Manatee County Commissioner Betsy Benac, and a former Georgia Lt. Governor who now lives most of the year in St. Pete. These are the Republicans willing to speak openly today. Chinnis, as emcee of the event, indicated that more Republicans will openly endorse later and they encourage others to join the movement. I was particularly taken by the concerns voiced today by those who spoke today at the event about the direction of the country. The spoke more about US foreign policy than anything else. They said they were concerned about high prices, tariffs, wars of choice, deteriorating relations with neighbors like Canada -- all of it unchecked. As an international relations professor, I worry about these things the most, too. They noted that this district is R+7 which makes it winnable. The only other time Kelly ran for office before, he was elected in a nonpartisan race to the Sarasota city commission and he won by beating special interest money and the Republican establishment. Once elected to the city commission, he became mayor and passed strong campaign finance measures and fought special interest development interests. Kelly's going to face a tidal wave of special interest dark money in this election, and he needs our support. I'm going to make another donation to Kelly's campaign today and I will be signing up for canvassing volunteer shifts because he needs people power to spread the message too. I hope you will join this broad, beautiful coalition for change in our country” VOTE @KellyKirschner FL-16 ( Vern Buchanan seat where Sen Joe Gruters (RNC committee chair) wife Sydney is running

My newest Substack explains why Republicans in Florida should support @davidjollyfl for Governor and why Republicans in D16 should support @KellyKirschner for Congress. Vote for your best interests. Not for the best interests of a party that doesn’t care about you beyond your vote and your donations.

Sarasota, Florida

Some news from the new FL CD16...kellykirschner.com/press/new… @PeterSchorschFL @TBTimes

5/ The damage is real and largely unacknowledged by the US. Ret'd 4-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey said the US has ‘probably permanently lost access to 15 Persian Gulf bases.’ Satellite analysis found 100s of structures damaged or destroyed across 15+ US sites incl Navy's Bahrain hub.

Florida has adopted double-secret tenure. We were promised a broader, more competitive university presidential pool. Instead, the key qualification increasingly seems to be neither executive skill nor academic credentials, but proximity to the Governor’s orbit. That’s not stability. It’s a protection program for political cronies: golden handcuffs, rich salaries, and presidents unlikely to ever leave because half these résumés wouldn’t make the shortlist at Faber College. Credit to Speaker-designate Sam Garrison for calling out a system that now discourages qualified applicants who know they’re competing against the politically anointed.

Price Increases, July 2025 to July 2026 (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) 1. Fuel oil — +39.1% 2. Other motor fuels — +30.7% 3. Airline fares — +25.5% 4. Regular gasoline — +25.3% 5. Midgrade gasoline — +23.0% 6. Premium gasoline — +21.5% 7. Computer software and accessories — +21.2% 8. Instant coffee — +15.8% 9. Jewelry — +15.2% 10. Uncooked beef roasts — +13.5% 11. Video/video-game subscriptions and rentals — +13.4% 12. Postage — +13.3% 13. Sewing machines, fabric and supplies — +12.9% 14. Tomatoes — +12.8% 15. Delivery services — +12.6% 16. Gardening and lawncare services — +12.3% 17. Apples — +11.1% 18. Watches — +10.6% 19. Dishes and flatware — +10.4% 20. Other video equipment — +10.0% 21. Home health care — +9.7% 22. Candy and chewing gum — +9.6% 23. Uncooked beef steaks — +9.6% 24. Roasted coffee — +9.4% 25. Video discs and other media — +9.2% 26. Ground beef — +9.0% 27. Turkey and other uncooked poultry — +8.4% 28. Recorded music and music subscriptions — +8.0% 29. Fresh fish and seafood — +7.8% 30. Frozen fish and seafood — +7.8% 31. Lettuce — +7.5% 32. Cigarettes — +7.3% 33. Motor vehicle maintenance/servicing — +7.3% 34. Intracity transportation — +7.0% 35. Apparel services other than dry cleaning — +6.6% 36. Vehicle parts/equipment other than tires — +6.6% 37. Nonelectric cookware/tableware — +6.4% 38. Frankfurters — +6.3% 39. Rice — +6.2% 40. Men’s underwear/nightwear/swimwear/accessories — +6.2% 41. Motor vehicle repair — +6.2% 42. Shelf-stable fish and seafood — +6.1% 43. Fresh whole milk — +6.0% 44. Newspapers and magazines — +6.0% 45. Outpatient hospital services — +5.8% 46. Other uncooked beef and veal — +5.6% 47. Sports vehicles including bicycles — +5.6% 48. Vehicle accessories other than tires — +5.5% 49. Salt, seasonings and spices — +5.4% 50. Girls’ apparel — +5.3% 51. Laundry and dry-cleaning services — +5.3% 52. Women’s suits and separates — +5.2% 53. Inpatient hospital services — +5.2% 54. Dental services — +5.1% 55. Pet services — +5.1% 56. Other fresh vegetables — +5.0% 57. Water and sewerage maintenance — +5.0% 58. Other fresh fruits — +4.8% 59. Fresh milk other than whole — +4.8% 60. Renters/household insurance — +4.8% 61. Indoor plants and flowers — +4.7% 62. Other condiments — +4.7% 63. Other tobacco products — +4.7% 64. Veterinarian services — +4.7% 65. Window coverings — +4.6% 66. Women’s footwear — +4.5% 67. Crackers and related bread products — +4.5% 68. Fresh cakes and cupcakes — +4.4% 69. Haircuts and other personal-care services — +4.4% 70. Motor oil, coolant and fluids — +4.3% 71. Utility piped gas — +4.3% 72. Electricity — +4.2% 73. Men’s pants and shorts — +4.2% 74. Nursing homes/adult day services — +4.2% 75. Breakfast cereal — +4.1% 76. Tax preparation/accounting fees — +4.1% 77. Canned fruit — +4.0% 78. Toys — +4.0% 79. White bread — +4.0% 80. Computers, peripherals and smart-home assistants — +3.9% 81. Garbage/trash collection — +3.9% 82. Citrus fruit — +3.8% 83. Musical instruments and accessories — +3.8% 84. Women’s underwear/nightwear/swimwear/accessories — +3.8% 85. Men’s shirts and sweaters — +3.6% 86. Motor vehicle body work — +3.6% 87. Distilled spirits away from home — +3.6% 88. Internet service — +3.5% 89. Parking fees and tolls — +3.5% 90. Vehicle registration/license fees — +3.5% 91. Tools, hardware and supplies — +3.5% 92. Potatoes — +3.4% 93. Elementary/high-school tuition and fees — +3.4% 94. Day care and preschool — +3.4% 95. Hair/dental/shaving personal-care products — +3.4% 96. Limited-service meals — +3.3% 97. Beer away from home — +3.2% 98. Canned vegetables — +3.2% 99. Household cleaning products — +3.2% 100. Nonfrozen juices and drinks — +3.2% 101. Rent of primary residence — +2.9% 102. Sports equipment — +2.9% 103. Men’s footwear — +2.8% 104. Soups — +2.8% 105. Beer at home — +2.8% 106. Cable/satellite/live-streaming TV — +2.8% 107. Food from vending machines/mobile vendors — +2.6% 108. Fresh sweet rolls, coffeecakes and doughnuts — +2.6%

What Ron DeSantis did for key figures in Hope Florida scandal: Ashley Moody: Appointed to US Senate James Uthmeier: Appointed attorney general Jason Weida: Appointed EOG chief of staff AG chief deputy: Appointed appellate judge AHCA general counsel: Appointed trial judge

"This Congress has dramatically worsened America's fiscal trajectory," per Bloomberg:

Congrats to my big brother @KellyKirschner for his primary win last night in Florida. Looking forward to the march towards November!

.@KellyKirschner announces he has received $100,000 in 36 hours since winning the nomination in CD 16.

Congrats to @KellyKirschner on his primary win tonight! As a third-generation Floridian, Peace Corps volunteer, and the former Mayor of Sarasota, Kelly spent his career solving problems for real people –  standing up to special interests, expanding affordable housing, and building coalitions across party lines. That’s the kind of leader #FL16 deserves.

From WSJ: “The widespread popular dissatisfaction with the working of modern American capitalism may be the product of some real, objective problems in the way American capitalism is working: income and wealth inequality on a scale not seen in a century; the concentration of economic, cultural and increasingly political power in a class of technology leaders whose products are dissolving the bonds that keep society together; the tightening nexus between business elites and the people who control the political process; rampant corruption and a political establishment that doesn’t seem interested in accountability; the revival, after decades of stable prices, of inflationary pressures that are pushing the cost of living to painful levels—and not only for those with a taste for luxury burritos.”

BREAKING: The US Government officially posts its largest July budget deficit in history, at -$432 billion, due to an acceleration in federal spending. Interest on US debt rose +$26 billion from last July's levels to an alarming $118 billion for the month. This puts total interest expense for FY2026 up to $1.17 trillion in FY2026. As a result, interest expense has officially surpassed both National Defense and Medicare spending. In other words, the US government now spends more money just on interest than it does to fund the entire US Military or to provide healthcare for seniors. We cannot afford higher interest rates.

Well said & spot on - thanks @JeffreyBrandes

.@KellyKirschner posts $224K in first quarter, says he's ready to battle @SydneyGruters in CD 16 Reporting by @JacobOgles #FlaPol flapol.com/3RfHffy