Florida Gov and GOP 2024 also-ran Ron DeSantis looks to lead in wake of violence and major hurricane | Former SC Gov and UN Ambassador under President Trump, Nikki Haley is having a moment, kind of | President Biden names first 10 drugs subject to negotations with Medicare | 60th anniversary of the March on WashingtonSong playsIntro by hostWelcome to Heartland Pod Wednesday!Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let’s get into it: Hurricane in Florida / Shooting in FloridaPOLITICO: DeSantis knows how to handle a hurricane. The racist shooting poses a bigger dilemma.A racially-motivated Jacksonville tragedy, couple with a looming storm, pose big tests for the governor.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center and his wife Casey, right, bow their heads during a prayer.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (center) and his wife Casey bow their heads during a prayer at a vigil for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, in Jacksonville. | John Raoux/AP PhotoBy KIMBERLY LEONARD08/28/2023 04:14 PM EDTUpdated: 08/28/2023 05:12 PM EDTMIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of back-to-back crises — a racist mass shooting and a potentially catastrophic hurricane — could help burnish his image as a can-do, effective governor or further damage his standing with Black Americans who have grown livid over his policies.Already, DeSantis’ attempts to show leadership in the immediate aftermath of the Saturday shooting were poorly received by some Black lawmakers, Democrats and residents in Florida. In the hours after a 21-year-old white man killed three Black Floridians near a historically Black college in Jacksonville, several state Democrats blamed DeSantis, who is running for president, for creating an environment, through policies such as loosening gun laws and ending diversity programs, that helped hate fester.DeSantis has condemned the shooting and said “targeting people due to their race has no place in this state of Florida.” But attending a Sunday night vigil in Jacksonville, he was jeered and booed by people who had come out to remember the victims. At one point, a Jacksonville Democratic councilmember stepped in to calm the crowd, urging people to “put parties aside.” Later during the event, a pastor took issue with DeSantis describing the gunman as a “scumbag,” and said he should have used the word “racist” instead.The vigil stood in contrast to press conferences in Tallahassee on Sunday and Monday, when DeSantis appeared visibly tired but spoke authoritatively about preparations overseeing Tropical Storm Idalia, which is forecast to become a major hurricane. He canceled campaign appearances and fundraisers, and told Floridians Sunday they could “rest assured” because “I am here” and would “get the job done.”DeSantis says politics won’t interfere with storm response“He needs to be in Florida for as long as it takes,” said Adam Hollingsworth, the former chief of staff to Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who served as governor before DeSantis. “His presidential ambitions could be a distraction, but first Gov. DeSantis has to dance with the one who brought him. Right now, that’s the people of Florida.”Though the shooting and looming storm are taking DeSantis away from campaigning for president following a high-profile debate, they’ll also allow voters and donors to see the governor at work leading the hurricane response, letting the public assess how he balances multiple priorities, displays empathy and projects leadership in moments of tragedy. At the same time, the shooting has shined a spotlight on DeSantis’ record and vulnerabilities on race, one of the are