SPORTS | B1 SCENE | C1 SCHEDULING ON TAP: LAST CONFLICT DROPS WEEK TO ICE YELLOW JACKETS SKATE IN OUT OF MAIT EUSTIS Thursday, January 3, 2019 YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR LAKE & SUMTER COUNTIES @dailycommercial Facebook.com/daily.commercial 75¢ Lawmakers to hear wall plea By Zeke Miller and The president said his Trump made his case ahead Lisa Mascaro Homeland Security officials of the afternoon session with AP Congressional Correspondent will "make a plea" for the Democratic and Republican border wall during a brief- leaders about the migrants WASHINGTON — Presi- ing for congressional leaders arriving at the border in dent Donald Trump said later Wednesday at the White recent days. He said the cur- Wednesday the partial gov- House. rent border is "like a sieve" ernment shutdown will last But Trump also rejected his and noted the tear gas "flying" "as long as it takes" as closures own administration's offer overnight to deter arrivals. He entered a 12th day over his to accept $2.5 billion for the called the border "very tough" demands for billions of dol- wall. That offer was made at keeping immigrants out. lars from Congress to build a when Vice President Mike "If they knew they couldn't border wall with Mexico. Pence and other top officials come through, they wouldn't "Could be a long time or met with Democratic Senate even start," Trump said at the could be quickly," Trump said leader Chuck Schumer at meeting, joined by Cabinet during lengthy comments at a the start of the shutdown. secretaries and top advisers, Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, left, and acting Cabinet meeting at the White Instead, Trump repeatedly including Jared Kushner and Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listen as President House, his first public appear- pushed for the $5.6 billion he Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, ance of the new year. has demanded. See SHUTDOWN, A5 Wednesday, in Washington. [EVAN VUCCI/AP PHOTO] The future is now DaSantis urged to help farmers By Jim Turner compete with growers in News Service Florida Mexico. “We are the producer for TALLAHASSEE — Incom- the United State in the winter ing Gov. Ron DeSantis is being months for vegetables,” said urged to use his close ties with committee member Joshua President Donald Trump to Kellam, a member of the bolster efforts to help Florida Florida Fish and Wildlife farmers fend off low-priced Conservation Commission crop imports that weren’t from Palm Beach Gardens. addressed in the rewrite of the “The longer we get beat up by North American Free Trade some of these other countries, Agreement. we’re just not going to be able During a conference call to have the product that the last week, several members of United States needs.” DeSantis’ Transition Advisory More emphatic, commit- Committee on the Environ- tee member Jake Raburn, ment, Natural Resources & a former Republican state Agriculture echoed a refrain House member from Lithia, that the rebranded NAFTA fails to help Florida farmers See FARMERS, A5 While the Lake County Animal Shelter’s adoption rates for cats is soaring, it continues to be overpopulated with dogs. The new shelter will be almost double the size, which will help address the issue. [DAILY COMMERCIAL FILE] LOCAL | A3 TAVARES HOSPITAL Lake County to break ground RENAMED Jan. 14 on new animal shelter ADVENTHEALTH WATERMAN By Payne Ray [email protected] TAVARES — Lake County Commissioners and Animal Shelter staff will host a Minimum wage groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 14 at 11 a.m. for the new shelter facility at 12280 increases; workers’ County Road 448 in Tavares. The $7.8 million facility was comp rate decreases approved by commissioners last year to alleviate over- crowding and provide room The News Service of Florida inflation. to meet its goals as a no-kill Also, businesses across the shelter. TALLAHASSEE — Min- state will begin to see lower “Since our transition to imum-wage workers got a workers’ compensation becoming a no-kill commu- pay raise and businesses got a insurance rates. Regulators nity, we’ve struggled with break on insurance bills Tues- have approved an overall 13.8 overcrowding at the shelter,” day as 2019 began in Florida. percent decrease in workers’ Shelter Director Boylston said Minimum-wage work- compensation rates for 2019. in a press release. “The new ers started earning $8.46 an The decrease follows a 9.5 facility will allow us to better hour Tuesday, up from $8.25 average rate reduction in serve the pets as they wait for an hour in 2018 — and more 2018. new homes.” than a dollar above the $7.25 The National Council on The 31,000-square-foot federal minimum wage. Compensation Insurance, facility will replace the aging “Since our transition to becoming a no-kill community, we’ve Florida’s minimum wage which files rate proposals for 13,460-square-foot building, struggled with overcrowding at the shelter,” Shelter Director ticks up each year because of the industry each year, said in Boylston said. “The new facility will allow us to better serve the a 2004 constitutional amend- See SHELTER, A5 pets as they wait for new homes.” [DAILY COMMERCIAL FILE] ment that ties the rate to See WAGE, A5 Volume 143, Issue 3 Local & State.................A3 Scene............................C1 ©2019 GateHouse Media Opinion........................A7 Comics.........................C4 Home delivery: 352-787-0600 Sports...........................B1 Diversions.....................C5 A2 Thursday, January 3, 2019 | DailyCommercial.com NATION&WORLD Netfl ix criticized for yanking No home run Sports betting won’t episode provide much relief for state budgets in Saudi By Wayne Parry and Geoff Mulvihill By Mark Kennedy Associated Press AP Entertainment Writer ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — NEW YORK — Netflix The race to legalize sports faced criticism Wednesday betting is on now that the from human rights groups for U.S. Supreme Court has pulling an episode in Saudi allowed it in all 50 states, but Arabia of comedian Hasan will it provide enough extra Minhaj’s “Patriot Act” series tax revenue to make much that criticized the kingdom’s of a difference for schools, crown prince. roads or pension debt? “The revelations about Don’t bet on it. Khashoggi’s killing have Just look to the states that shattered that image and it capitalized immediately blows my mind that it took after the court’s ruling last the killing of a Washington spring and to Nevada, which Post journalist for everyone previously had an effec- to go: ‘Oh I guess he’s not tive monopoly on sports really a reformer,’” Minhaj gambling. Even though the said in the episode. He also market is still developing, mentions the ruling Al Saud the returns to date have been family and its vast wealth, modest. saying: “Saudi Arabia is In Nevada, revenue from crazy. One giant family con- sports betting has accounted Former New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson places a bet on the New York Yankees to win the trols everything.” for roughly one half of 1 2019 World Series at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. The race to legalize sports betting is on now Netflix said the episode was percent of the entire state that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed it in all 50 states, but will it provide enough extra tax revenue removed from the kingdom budget. to make much of a difference for schools, roads or pension debt? [WAYNE PARRY/AP PHOTO] as a result of a legal request “Everything I’ve seen so from authorities and not due far suggests that this would As with marijuana, state to legalize sports would come, fill up rooms, to its content. not be what one would con- lawmakers say they are betting after the Supreme eat in restaurants, spend Human rights group sider to be a pot of gold,” motivated in large part Court decision last May. money.” Amnesty International said said Ohio state Sen. John because sports betting has The state’s gambling Lesniak expects sports Saudi Arabia’s censorship is Eklund, a Republican who been a black market activity industry took in $928 mil- betting to eventually gener- “further proof of a relentless introduced legislation to outside Nevada. Legaliz- lion worth of sports bets ate over $100 million in taxes crackdown on freedom of legalize sports betting in his ing it would allow states to since the first one was taken for the state once all New expression.” Netflix said it state. impose regulations and take on June 14 through the end Jersey’s casinos and race- was simply complying with Delaware, Mississippi, in at least some money. of November. From that, tracks have sports books up a local law. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, “I keep telling them this the state received less than and running for a full year. The kingdom’s Commu- Rhode Island, and West is not like a craps table or $8 million in tax revenue. That would be 10 times the nication and Information Virginia legalized sports a slot machine,” said Mark Even if the state meets level of tax revenue being Technology Commission said betting last year after the Sickles, a Democratic state its projection of $25 mil- generated right now, when the episode was in violation Supreme Court decision, as lawmaker in Virginia who lion in sports betting tax many sports betting opera- of Article 6, Paragraph 1 of did the District of Colum- has sponsored a bill that revenue for a full year, that tions in New Jersey are in the Anti-Cyber Crime Law bia. Although New Mexico would place a 15 percent would amount to well under their infancy.