Good Wednesday morning.

The daily rundown — Between Monday and Tuesday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 8,555 (0.9 percent), to 953,300; active hospitalizations went up 27 (0.7 percent), to 3,781; deaths rose by 72 (nearly 0.4 percent), to 18,157.

Reality check — Sen. Marco Rubio is preparing for a Biden administration. The question is when the rest of Florida’s top Republicans will finally (publicly) accept the results of the election.

Backing his way in — Rubio’s decision to take to Twitter to criticize some of Biden’s initial selections for his Cabinet showed the state’s senior senator is getting ready for the prospect of a new president even if he did it in a somewhat backhanded way.

Fight on — But even after Trump himself cleared the way this week for the transition to formerly begin, other Sunshine State Republicans remain conspicuously silent or refuse to acknowledge Trump's lost. “I think the president has the right and he should exhaust all opportunities to make sure we have integrity in the system and we have a fair election,” Republican Party of Florida chairman Joe Gruters said on Tuesday. “I encourage the president to continue on and fight and I think there are doubts out there and there are irregularities.” (There has been no proof presented by the Trump campaign of widespread fraud and many "irregularities" have turned out to be mundane clerical errors.)

Who’s on board? — This refusal of the state’s Republicans to even somewhat acknowledge Trump lost is a sign that Florida Republicans who may be on the ballot in the near future remain afraid of appearing even the slightest bit disloyal to Trump. On his radio program, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh for example noted the continued fealty of both Rep. Matt Gaetz and Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Although, DeSantis has largely remained out of sight for close to three weeks now and has not publicly commented on Trump’s refusal to concede.)

Not with a bang but a whimper — There's an expectation DeSantis — whose ascension to the governor’s mansion was aided by Trump — will finally address the election results shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday. The question then becomes about when Sen. Rick Scott and other members of Florida’s congressional delegation will begin to acknowledge that the voters have spoken.

— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in Tallahassee.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will not publish the rest of this week. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 30. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida.

POISON IVY — “Rubio calls Biden’s national security team ‘polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline,'” by POLITICO’s Nick Niedzwiadek: Sen. Marco Rubio suggested on Tuesday that he would oppose confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's national security team, presaging the first sign of potential Senate battles to come if Republicans maintain control of the Senate. Rubio (R-Fla.) said Biden’s selections “will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline,” criticizing their professional credentials and Washington bona fides. Rubio sits on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees. “Biden’s cabinet picks went to Ivy League schools, have strong resumes, attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline,” he tweeted. “I support American greatness. And I have no interest in returning to the ‘normal’ that left us dependent on China.”

— “Marco Rubio gets ripped for criticizing Biden’s ‘Ivy League’ foreign policy team,” by HuffPost’s Jeremy Blum

‘NOBODY IS REALLY DOING ANYTHING’ — “Trump carries on a fight everyone else is abandoning,” by POLITICO’s Meredith McGraw: It has been days since Trump’s aides held a briefing for the press on its dwindling legal efforts to overturn the election, replaced by Rudy Giuliani’s Twitter feed and YouTube videos. The campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, hasn’t tweeted himself for almost a week. A senior campaign official described the campaign manager, Bill Stepien, as “MIA.” “Nobody is really doing anything inside the campaign,” said the senior campaign official. But back in Washington, Trump is clinging to the White House, attending to the bare minimum of presidential duties and improbably boasting on Twitter that he “will soon prevail!” in the already-settled presidential election.

DUCK AND COVER — “Trump continues to question election results. What do Tampa Bay Republicans say?” by Tampa Bay Times’ Charlie Frago, Barbara Behrendt and Kirby Wilson: "What do Tampa Bay Republicans think? This week, Times reporters contacted all elected Republican officials and county party chiefs in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties at least twice. Times reporters also contacted federal and state lawmakers that represent Tampa Bay. Most didn’t respond, but a handful did — and their answers ranged from urging Trump to give up his fight to urging the president to stay the course right up until Jan. 20, the day that Congress will certify the nation’s electoral vote.”

TRICKERY — “Legal questions surround mystery donor in FL Senate races. Answers could take ‘years,’” by Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos and Samantha J. Gross: “The mysterious company behind a half-million dollar contribution backing no-party candidates in three key state Senate races has attracted legal questions about its adherence to Florida law for campaign financing. The company, Proclivity, is registered in Delaware, a state known for its corporate laws, according to the company’s registered agent. It is registered as a 501(c)(4), a status that allows it to engage in a restricted level of political activity and does not require it to disclose donors. Its status and $550,000 contributions to two political committees raise questions as to whether it should be registered as a political committee in Florida, said Mark Herron, a Tallahassee-based attorney who specializes in ethics and election laws.”

‘A LOT OF WORK TO DO’ — “We didn’t have a ground game: A Democratic congresswoman on why she lost her seat,” by Slate’s Mary Harris: “‘I think that if we had run against a reasonable Republican, we would have gotten beaten. Donald Trump so turned off people that were Republicans that they voted for Joe Biden. But they then straight-party voted after that. And the turnout by Republicans cut both ways. It helped Joe Biden with suburban women, for example, and others that were just turned off by Trump, but it didn’t help the down ballot. Republicans registered a huge number of voters, probably a quarter of a million voters. In the last 60 days, they registered 5,000 in my district alone. Even though people had poured millions into Florida, we just never got the kind of sophisticated ground game that they put together. So we learned a lot of the process. We simply have a lot of work to do.”

PATCHWORK — “How 9 governors are handling the next coronavirus wave,” by POLITICO’s Rachel Roubein and Shia Kapos: Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken cues from the White House as he addresses the pandemic, and most recently has kept Florida wide open for business. He’s pushed for in-person learning and says it’s just the elderly, not so much the young, who need to worry about the pandemic. DeSantis banned visitors to nursing homes and shut down bars, nightclubs and restaurant dining rooms early on. All nonessential businesses were ordered closed statewide by early April. In May, DeSantis began allowing businesses to reopen, largely in sync with recommendations from the White House, and hasn’t looked back since. He’s even had second thoughts about his original lockdown order. “Now we know those types of shutdowns didn’t really do anything,” DeSantis said in September. “Actually, it looks like they were more harm than good.”

OPENING UP — “Florida universities, relieved and emboldened, plan for more classroom instruction,” by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: When Covid-19 prompted colleges and universities to call off in-person classes for the fall semester, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scoffed. Appearing on Fox News, the Republican assured viewers that Florida wouldn’t be so quick to give up.Now, with Thanksgiving break here and the semester winding down, DeSantis has been proven right. University leaders have grown so confident of their coronavirus defenses, in fact, that they’re preparing to increase face-to-face instruction in the spring, even as infections are on the rise again in Florida. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of in Florida,” Jay Wolfson, senior associate dean of the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine, said in an interview. “There were no hanging chads this election, and we got through the fall semester without any horrible outbreaks.” Colleges in Florida and elsewhere are emerging from their first coronavirus trial with faith that they can, for the most part, limit the spread of infections, at least in the confined bubble of their campuses.

MASKED MOUSE — “At Disney World, most people wear masks, but theme park scuffles still erupt over COVID-19 rule,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Gabrielle Russon: “Just before Halloween, Len Testa saw something rather frightening at Disney Springs: A woman attempting to pass off a paper napkin attached to her nose with a clothespin as a mask meant to ward off the coronavirus. Disney security didn’t buy it and wouldn’t let her in with her homemade mask, but Testa couldn’t help feel annoyed. ‘I was just like, why can’t you just follow the rules?’ he said.”

RECOVERY AHEAD? — “Analysts point to tourism uptick next year,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner: “Florida’s vital tourism industry could start to experience an uptick midway through 2021, although foreign travel will continue to lag for several years, according to information posted online Tuesday by state analysts. Short- and long-term outlooks from a panel known as the Florida Economic Estimating Conference indicate people, mostly from other states, could travel to Florida in close to pre-coronavirus pandemic numbers in 2022.”

— “Traffic picks up at Tampa International for Thanksgiving despite coronavirus concerns,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Natalie Weber

LIMBO — “Educators, families, are waiting on a ‘revised’ emergency order on how FL schools will function next semester,” by Florida Phoenix’s Danielle J. Brown: “It’s been almost a week since Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said he would revise an emergency order on reopening schools to give flexibility to families who want their kids in online learning next semester, and not in face-to-face instruction at traditional schools. But details remain unclear, with families, educators, and teacher unions waiting for the specifics as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Wendy Doromal, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, wants to know what Corcoran means when he uses the phrase ‘full parental choice’ to describe the kind of instruction kids will get next semester.”

HELP NEEDED — “Medicaid surge means major workload for state,” by News Service of Florida’s Christine Sexton: “Florida has seen a spike in Medicaid enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the agency responsible for enrolling and disenrolling people in the health-care program is swamped. Mark Mahoney, a 16-year veteran at the Department of Children and Families and director of revenue management, told state economists last week that processing Medicaid applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as applications for other social service programs, has been an enormous undertaking.”

— “Miami Beach police can now issue face-mask citations to people who violate COVID order,” by Miami Herald’s Martin Vassolo

— “Prison population drops during pandemic,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders

STILL FIGHTING — “Corrine Brown argues religious discrimination in appeal,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders: “Saying judges should use 'utmost caution' when disqualifying jurors based on religious beliefs, attorneys for former Florida U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown urged a federal appeals court Monday to order a new trial in her challenge to a conviction on fraud and tax charges. Brown’s attorneys filed a 68-page brief at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, after the full Atlanta-based appeals court agreed in September to hear the case. Oral arguments are expected during the week of Feb. 22.”

WATCH THIS SPACE — “State confirms wider investigation into Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony,” by Sun Sentinel’s Lisa J. Huriash: "Florida’s top law enforcement agency confirmed Tuesday that it is investigating Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony over a wider range of issues than it acknowledged six months ago. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in May that it was conducting a ‘preliminary investigation’ into allegations that Tony lied on an affidavit to become sheriff. Now, in a court document filed Tuesday, an FDLE inspector reveals that the investigation also involves ‘other undisclosed matters that will remain confidential.’ Inspector Keith Riddick did not elaborate in his affidavit, except to call the investigation ‘open and active.’”

‘I HAVE BEEN THREATENED’ — “Jacksonville man sues after HOA tells him to take down Black Lives Matter flag,” by Florida Times-Union’s Andrew Pantazi: “A Jacksonville homeowners association faces a federal civil rights lawsuit after it told a resident to take down his Black Lives Matter flag even as neighbors flew other political messages, including Blue Lives Matter flags. Antoine Mickle bought his home by Kernan and Atlantic boulevards nearly 19 years ago. Since then, he said in a Tuesday news conference, he's faced harassment from the association.”

LONDON CALLING? — “Jaguars president: TIAA Bank Field upgrades needed before lease extension,” by Florida Times-Union’s Gene Frenette: “Any potential extension of the Jaguars’ current lease with the city of Jacksonville beyond 2030 would have to clear several NFL hurdles, including a major renovation of TIAA Bank Field, before owner Shad Khan could even consider signing an agreement, team President Mark Lamping told the Times-Union. In an exclusive interview Monday, Lamping responded to numerous inquiries about why the Jaguars have not agreed to extend the lease during discussions with City Council on the Lot J development proposal.”

— “SpaceX launches 100^th Falcon 9 mission with fleet-leading rocket from Florida,” by Florida Today’s Emre Kelly

— “Drenching wet season leaves South Florida farmers struggling with crop losses,” by WLRN’s Jenny Staletovich

— “Protester sentenced to 21 months after attack on Jacksonville police officer,” by Florida Times-Union Dan Scanlan

HEADED TO THE WRECKING BALL? — “Tallahassee Democrat building sold; newspaper will relocate to new office space,” by Tallahassee Democrat: “After 52 years at 277 N. Magnolia Drive, the Tallahassee Democrat is on the hunt for a new home in the capital city. As reported earlier, the Democrat building has been on the market since March. On Friday, a deal with an undisclosed buyer was finalized for $4.3 million. Records were not immediately available naming the buyer or detailing the terms of the sale. ‘The building has served us and this community well for over half a century, but we're looking forward to relocating to a modern workspace more reflective of our digital journalism,’ Editor William Hatfield said.”

— “Video of bizarre, pants-down fight with epic commentary at a South Florida Wawa is going viral,” by Sun Sentinel’s Brett Clarkson: “It’s a scrap nobody wanted to see, but millions have watched. A video of two guys throwing hands at each other at a Wawa in Lauderhill is going viral, with the clip racking up over 3.6 million views in just over a day, which is unfortunate for the two fighters, especially the one who has his pants down with his backside exposed for the duration of the fight.” Video

BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Jason Fischer … Former State Rep. Adam Hasner ... Jennifer Krell Davis, deputy director of communications at The Florida Bar.

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