Replies

Grand jury finds DeSantis team ‘misused’ Medicaid funds

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/state/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-report-leaked-heres-what-it-says/91481836007/

Excerpt:

A Florida grand jury found the DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million from a Medicaid settlement, CBS News Miami reports.

The funds were reportedly diverted to a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis and then to political committees.

The report concluded there was insufficient evidence for criminal charges but recommended stronger financial safeguards.

.....The $10 million came from a $67 million settlement with health care company Centene over alleged overbilling of Florida’s Medicaid program. Rather than returning the entire settlement to state coffers, officials ultimately directed $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida initiative, devised as a conservative alternative to traditional welfare programs.

The grand jury’s investigation, which began in 2025, likely derailed a run for governor by Casey DeSantis this year, political insiders have said. And the report’s official release had been held up, reportedly by Attorney General James Uthmeier, who is running for election this year; DeSantis appointed him to the post in January 2025.
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DeSantis has dirt under his finger nails but leaking grand jury findings is criminal.

The Slow Motion Trainwreck Everyone Paying Attention Saw Coming

Brightline Is In the Red

https://jeffreycarter.substack.com/p/the-slow-motion-trainwreck-everyone

Excerpt:

.....Last Sunday, 60 Minutes did an expose on the train to nowhere in California. Billions spent, not a lick of track laid. The two guys in charge of getting it built said $129 billion more could finish it.

What?

In the same segment, 60 Minutes interviewed the Brightline CEO. He was cheery. Brightline was seeing more ridership month over month. Maybe that’s true. If you go from one rider to two, ridership increased. It’s another reason that when someone gives you a huge percentage increase in a time series, it’s best to know the base.

If things are so rosy, why is this happening?

Nate Gregory has the skinny.“Brightline, the private passenger rail operator whose Florida route includes Miami, is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company has entered into a restructuring support agreement with Assured Guaranty, a bond insurer, which will provide at least $350 million in debtor-in-possession financing. This financial lifeline is intended to keep the railroad running while it reorganizes its balance sheet.”

Fortunately, not a lot of taxpayer money was committed to Brightline East. So far, none is being committed to Brightline West. But I am telling you right now the rail line from Las Vegas to LA will never get built. What fool would invest in it?

Nate concludes: “The Brightline case is a cautionary tale about the risks of investing in large-scale infrastructure projects. Even with strong political backing and a growing Florida economy, the economics of passenger rail are unforgiving. For investors, the key takeaway is that bond insurance does not guarantee full recovery; it simply shifts the priority of claims.

Assured Guaranty’s decision to fund the bankruptcy is a calculated bet that it can recoup its exposure by taking control of the reorganized company. If successful, it could emerge as the primary owner of a streamlined rail operator. If not, the losses will be absorbed by its own shareholders.”

.....High-speed rail is catnip to politicians. Except it doesn’t work in America. Not only do we drive, but we take airplanes. As I said in March, much better to build more lanes on an expressway. Much better to change regulation so that air travel is significantly more competitive. Much better to build more gates at an airport.

High speed rail in America is performative theater. It’s a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. The only place it might work is in the Northeast.